No Response to complaint from Customer Services

[Colo Cruiser]

We felt direct contact with corporate rather than relying on cruise director was the better approach. We were very pleased with the response from our email.

 

For other matters we always make direct contact on the ship.

 

I think its always best to approach from onboard then follow up when you get home. After you disembark things/context/urgency get lost in the shuffle. The stalling tactics outlined above by Pompeii are typical onboard. If they can hold out to the end of the cruise and frustrate you to finally give up. :(

[richstowe]

Great points.

We also had a complaint about our stateroom on our Ruby cruise in Nov. Of course we brought it to the PSD's attention on board, got handed off to several "managers" on the ship.

 

The whole process seemed to say "we'll make you jump through so many hoops that you'll finally give up." YMMV

 

We felt direct contact with corporate rather than relying on cruise director was the better approach. We were very pleased with the response from our email.

 

For other matters we always make direct contact on the ship.

 

I think its always best to approach from onboard then follow up when you get home. After you disembark things/context/urgency get lost in the shuffle. The stalling tactics outlined above by Pompeii are typical onboard. If they can hold out to the end of the cruise and frustrate you to finally give up. :(

I try to work out issues while still on-board BUT holiday time is precious and I'll be damned if too much time is spent fighting with staff .

If it is important enough , I'll deal with it post cruise .

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

For me best place to resolve an issue has to be onboard,

 

while I do not complain very often I know enough about Princess to know what are acceptable standards and practice,

 

As such I complained about the Crown grill gave hotel manager exact information about what had happened, as such charge refunded, free bottle of wine and no charge on return visit,

 

Once a few years ago, even had captain invite me to advise him of the problems I had, reason he requested to see me was hotel manager had said I had been so understanding and reasonable.

 

yours Shogun

[lovevacadays]

ROFLMAO. Sometimes we wonder what folks expect from whining after the fact. If one has a serious complaint (such as no A/C in your cabin, no water in the shower, etc) then you should deal with it immediately (onboard) through the normal channels. If you fail to get a quick resolution then you can go through the process of elevating your complaint to a higher level (the ultimate level being to get an appointment with the Hotel Manager).

 

But to waste one's time whining about soap in bathrooms, lousy entertainers (there are many on ships), etc etc. after you return home is just silly. When the cruise line is on their game you should get some kind of canned response or somebody might even politely be empathetic, and nothing will change. Of course there are those (and we have met a few) that are constant complainers and simply do it hoping they will get some kind of financial compensation!

 

And for the record, having spent about 4 years on various cruise ships (as passengers) DW and I have never sent a complaint to a cruise line after a cruise. And yes, we have complained onboard about certain things such as when a pipe burst in our cabin bathroom and flooded our entire cabin, or when our cabin temp would not go below 80 degrees.

 

On the other hand, if you are unsatisfied with parts of your cruise you can have a major impact by putting an accurate review here on CC or posting a thread (hopefully factual) about your rant on the appropriate CC board.

 

But on behalf of all the "serial whiners" we complain after they return home we are happy to post a generic apology:

 

"Thank you for bringing the issue to our attention. We at [insert cruise line name] take seriously every customer complaint and work hard to resolve such issues. We look forward to seeing you on future cruises."

 

Hank

 

Wow! I am not a serial whiner. While I have not cruises as much as you, I have cruised 18 times. I have only sent an email indicating issues to a cruise line once. Perhaps the constant lack of soap in the bathrooms would not bother you, but as one you washes her hands after using the bathroom, it was an issue. Not only for me. There were other women in the bathrooms commenting on it. I did tell several staff members about the issue. My traveling companion told the CD. Nothing was done. You are correct in that we should have tried to get an appointment with the Hotel Manager. I sent an email to Princess not because I wanted to whine but because I thought they should be aware of the problem as no soap to wash one's hand with increases the risk of catching Norovirus, etc. My thought was that perhaps they might have seen a need to have some conversations with their staff. I actually wasn't needing any return call or correspondence and told Princess that in my email. I just wanted them to be aware of the problem. However, they did send me a letter and I wasn't pleased with the tone of the letter. I also did say in my email to Princess that other than this particular email we had a great cruise and also stated that I would cruise Princess again.

 

I did finally have a nice conversation with someone from Customer Service and am satisfied with the conversation.

 

Happy to know those of us that thought we could put our experiences on CC made you laugh.

[GradUT]

I just got a call this morning from Princess (So-called) Customer Service regarding a complaint I made on January 3rd. I received an automated email on January 4th saying that they would respond within 2 - 4 weeks. Approximately one week later, I got a phone call from Princess (So-Called) Customer Service saying they would respond "soon" to my complaint. Four weeks after that phone call (and 5 weeks after my initial complaint), I got a phone call from Princess (So-Called) Customer Service apologizing for our problem.

 

I wasn't expecting a helpful response and I got what I expected.

Edited February 7, 2015 by GradUT

[AZbeachboy]

On board, most of the time, situationsand complaints seemed to happen in real time. After you leave the ship it is never taken care of. That is my experience.

[geoherb]

With my situation last year, I tried to get a response on the ship. Unfortunately, the shore excursion manager did not seem to care. I wish I had saved the letter he sent me the last afternoon of the cruise. Fortunately, the woman I talked with from customer service agreed with me. I kept my email short, stating the facts about what had happened on the shore excursion, how the actuality differed from the description that day, and the shore excursion's managers response. I requested a 50 percent refund. She agreed. It took about five weeks to appear on my credit card.

 

Another cruise, I noticed a charge for a bottle of wine that we should not have been charged for on the final statement. I went to passenger services. The woman there said that the charge had already gone through. I made her write on my receipt. I included a scan of that when I sent my complaint. I received a credit a few weeks after getting writing.

[land lover]

Seems every other cruise I have done(9) with princess the last 2 years I have had a problem that needed addressing, my first cruise with Princess was in '98, I had never had a problem until Fall 2013. I've used snail mail, email, calling and spoke up on the ship. Most were handled to my satisfaction. Some situations took more effort than others to be resolved. I booked through Princess directly and my TA.

 

Snail mail followed after running into a rude, uninformed or exceptional representative.

 

On a recent cruise in December, an unusual situation for me came up. I emailed princess of my concern 5 weeks b4 my cruise, I never received a verbal or written response but low and behold 2 weeks B4 I sailed there sat on my acct. the OBC that was in dispute.

 

BTW...the CR(customer relations) department has some pretty snippy reps. but some pleasant ones as well. Knowing the multitude of ships and problems that are handled today vs. 20 years ago..I cut the customer service some slack......and give them more response time.

 

Also the fact that so many people now make their situations known on public media, it can b a plus or negative for the cruise lines. When are posters going to learn that some situations that are resolved with the cruise line should be kept private, that announcing it to the cruise world hurts all of us....not to say that I don't like reading about it..... that is why..... I think I just received my OBC on line with no explantion they just don't want me talking about it and here I am....shame, shame....

Edited February 8, 2015 by land lover

[pablo222]

Wow! I am not a serial whiner. While I have not cruises as much as you, I have cruised 18 times. I have only sent an email indicating issues to a cruise line once. Perhaps the constant lack of soap in the bathrooms would not bother you, but as one you washes her hands after using the bathroom, it was an issue. Not only for me. There were other women in the bathrooms commenting on it. I did tell several staff members about the issue. My traveling companion told the CD.

 

Why?

 

The person in charge is the 'Public Accomodations Supervisor'.

 

Or, if you prefer, he Head Housekeeper, which is a staff position.

 

I see this all the time -- people have a problem, and they tell

the first person they see wearing a name tag.

 

Do you honestly think your waiter cares how your shore excursion

was, or can do anything to change it?

[lkneller]

I am very happy to say that my experience with customer relations at Princess has been good.

 

I had issues on CB with a horrible mattress, and on Royal with an odor problem on my balcony. On both trips I tried to get the issues resolved on board, and was very unhappy with the solution on board. NONE.

 

when I came home I contacted customer service, and both times, it took approx. 6 weeks or so, but did receive a call from customer relations, and was offered an apology and compensation in the form of credit toward a future cruise.

 

I have to comment that the original situation left me with a very bad opinion of Princess, but the customer relations actions did make me feel better about Princess.

[kimlovesfl]

I don't understand why it takes them 6 weeks to respond, or bring a resolution to, a complaint.

 

I have my many years experience in customer service, and again, I'll throw in my 2 cents (and all my experience is in the travel industry).

 

1. You HAVE to voice your complaint while on board, otherwise, you look like you are fishing for refunds or credits. If you have a problem at a land-based hotel, you would do the same. Whether or not it gets resolved at that time is a different matter, but it is most important to let the appropriate staff know what your issue is. Be sure to record that person's name, and date and time of the conversation, and what the response was.

2. If things are NOT resolved to your satisfaction while on board, then it is appropriate to contact the cruise line directly, and in writing, because...

3. If it is in writing, you have a paper trail (do any of your Sunday papers carry Chris Elliot's column? He emphasizes this over and over). Either email, and keep all emails, or write via snail mail, keep copies of the letter(s) sent, and if you are using snail mail, it doesn't hurt to send things certified and ask for proof of receipt. If you are calling, it is your word against whomever you speak to, and the person on the other end of the line may fail to notate your record as to what transpired. You can follow up your emails or letters with a phone call, but I, personally, would ALWAYS email first.

 

As I stated in a previous post, be clear, concise, and NICE when making a complaint, and state what you want the resolution to be, but be reasonable. Credit towards or on a future cruise, dinner for two in a specialty restaurant, a bottle of wine, are reasonable depending on the issue.

[kimlovesfl]

Why?

 

The person in charge is the 'Public Accomodations Supervisor'.

 

Or, if you prefer, he Head Housekeeper, which is a staff position.

 

I see this all the time -- people have a problem, and they tell

the first person they see wearing a name tag.

 

Do you honestly think your waiter cares how your shore excursion

was, or can do anything to change it?

 

In a lot of companies, employees are empowered to try and resolve any issue. If I am at work, say, preparing for a parade, and a guest approaches me with an issue, I do what I can to help them, even though it may not be related to my job. Now, if it comes to refunding money, I can only direct them to guest services, but if someone really wants to go on a ride and the line is super long, or has other issues, I, and other team members, have a LOT of power to assist that guest. Of course, this may not be the situation on a cruise ship, but I understand that a lot of people complain to the first person they see that looks like they can help.

[pablo222]

Of course, this may not be the situation on a cruise ship, but I understand that a lot of people complain to the first person they see that looks like they can help.

 

I think on ships in general, and Princess in particular -- things

are very regimented. If you raise an issue with someone who

is not in that area -- complaining about a shore excursion to

your waiter -- their go-to answer will be to go to the purser's

desk.

 

I wouldn't complain to the cruise director about a hotel problem,

it's not his department; and it seems really hopefuly that he would

remember the problem, and tell the appropriate department head.

[kimlovesfl]

I think on ships in general, and Princess in particular -- things

are very regimented. If you raise an issue with someone who

is not in that area -- complaining about a shore excursion to

your waiter -- their go-to answer will be to go to the purser's

desk.

 

I wouldn't complain to the cruise director about a hotel problem,

it's not his department; and it seems really hopefuly that he would

remember the problem, and tell the appropriate department head.

 

I understand that this is probably the case on cruise ships, and that's why it's important to take your complaint to the correct person or department.

[caribill]

I understand that this is probably the case on cruise ships, and that's why it's important to take your complaint to the correct person or department.

 

If there is a restroom problem in a land restaurant, any employee told about it should be able to replay the problem to the appropriate manager. It should not be up to the customer to figure out the staffing hierarchy.

 

On a cruise ship, I would expect a similar response to a restroom problem. I would not expect a CD to handle a shore excursion problem or a Maitre 'd to handle a stateroom problem. But any Princess employee should be able to relay a restroom problem to the proper area to be resolved.

[pablo222]

. But any Princess employee should be able to relay a restroom problem to the proper area to be resolved.

 

I guess it depends on whether 'one' wants something done about

the problem, or simply wants to complain.

 

In this case, if I did not have prior knowledge about the Public

Accomodations Supervisor -- I would go to the purser's desk,

and ask who was in charge of public restrooms -- and then

write a short note to that person, and leave it at the desk.

 

In my experience, 99% of the time they will call your cabin later in the

day and confirm that they received the message.

 

I wouldn't tell my waiter, who would be violating his code of

conduct, if he left his duty station simply to go to the purser's

desk, and relay the complaint. I don't think you can expect

him to risk a warning.

Edited February 9, 2015 by pablo222

[caribill]

 

I wouldn't tell my waiter, who would be violating his code of

conduct, if he left his duty station simply to go to the purser's

desk, and relay the complaint. I don't think you can expect

him to risk a warning.

 

But I would expect him to relay the message up his supervisory chain.

[shredie]

But I would expect him to relay the message up his supervisory chain.

 

Exactly. When things get so complicated that I must find the officer at the top of the chain before I can lodge a complaint, I'm giving up.

[Loonbeam]

Unfortunately, without a complaint management system, what you end up with is usually a version of a game of telephone, where the message is garbled if it makes it at all, and no way for them to follow up with the original sender.

 

(To use the waiter as an example. The server will need to either find the headwaiter in the middle of dinner service or remember till later. Then the headwaiter, depending on who they are familiar with, may escalate to the MD. The MD (now possibly hours later) will talk to his counterpart on the hotel side, who will tell a supervisor to deal with it, who will assign a worker when available.)

 

In a perfect world, the MD would flag down a member of the right staff and ask them to do it, but very often people get upset about people 'poaching' their employees time.

 

If you think of each ship as a mini-corporation with up to 2000 employees and 3 or more separate divisions it helps visualize the red tape that can be involved.

 

But I would expect him to relay the message up his supervisory chain.

[The Captain90]

On the 18 November last I wrote a email to Princess outlining some concerns I had with my Cruise I completed a couple of days earlier. I received the auto response that my query was important to them etc etc.

 

Despite sending 4 follow up emails requesting a response (and getting the auto response each time) I have not yet had a response to my original email.

 

I realise they would have to seek information from the ships personnel but surely it doesn't take almost 3 months.

 

Funny that before my cruise I asked via email for the details of their bank account so I could deposit the final amount owing and got a response to this within 24 hours.

[susiesan]

I came off my cruise over 2 weeks ago. My passenger folio showed a credit to me of around $400 to be put on the credit card used to pay for the cruise.

 

I have called Princess customer service to inquire as to when the credit will be posted 4 times. All I get is a runaround and excuses. No one can tell me when the credit will post. I am sure if it was charges with Princess getting money from me they would be there already.

 

I called the credit card and put the credit due in as a dispute. I now have a provisional credit

that should have appeared by now. Sometimes you have to be your own customer service agent and do things yourself.

[pablo222]

I have called Princess customer service to inquire as to when the credit will be posted 4 times.

 

Wouldn't they just post it once?

 

My personal experience has been that these things go at whatever speed princess wants.

When they wanted me to move over, they refunded my credit card by the next day.

Edited February 10, 2015 by pablo222

[susiesan]

My personal experience has been that thee things go at whatever speed princess wants.

When they wanted me to move over, they refunded my credit card by the next day.

 

I suspect once Princess has the $400 taken away from them by the credit card, called a chargeback, they will respond to me. The best way to get someone's attention is through their wallet.