Australian Cruisetour--2 couples moved to different tours HELP!

[hoopslover]

We booked 17 months ago on the Majestic Princess sailing Oct. 23 and added the land portion. In December our friends booked the exact same cruisetour and I told my TA to link our reservations, which she did. In April another couple booked with our TA and that reservation was linked.

Final payment was made August 4.

Today the other 2 couples were checking their cruise personalizer and their land tour had been changed from 1F to 011. It has a reverse itinerary from ours. Princess has no idea why it happened. Princess shows that our reservations are linked. They think that maybe the company in charge of the land portion changed 2 of the 3 reservations.

Our TA is closed til tomorrow morning. Princess opened a file with their tour department. I chose 1F but if I can change to be with my traveling companions I am willing to do that.

Anyone have this happen with Princess cruisetours? We leave in 11 days. Any ideas, encouragement or help? I was so excited and now I am just stressed. Thanks for reading.

Donna

[Host CJSKIDS]

Can’t offer any words of wisdom, just wanted to say I really hope that you get it all straightened out.

[hoopslover]

Can’t offer any words of wisdom, just wanted to say I really hope that you get it all straightened out.

 

Thanks. Hopefully good news tomorrow. Will keep everyone posted. I found the phoned # of the tour operator in Australia. That may be my next call if Princess can't get it straightened out.

Edited October 8, 2018 by hoopslover
spelling

[Cairn Mom]

We booked 17 months ago on the Majestic Princess sailing Oct. 23 and added the land portion. In December our friends booked the exact same cruisetour and I told my TA to link our reservations, which she did. In April another couple booked with our TA and that reservation was linked.

 

Final payment was made August 4.

 

Today the other 2 couples were checking their cruise personalizer and their land tour had been changed from 1F to 011. It has a reverse itinerary from ours. Princess has no idea why it happened. Princess shows that our reservations are linked. They think that maybe the company in charge of the land portion changed 2 of the 3 reservations.

 

Our TA is closed til tomorrow morning. Princess opened a file with their tour department. I chose 1F but if I can change to be with my traveling companions I am willing to do that.

 

Anyone have this happen with Princess cruisetours? We leave in 11 days. Any ideas, encouragement or help? I was so excited and now I am just stressed. Thanks for reading.

 

Donna

 

 

 

We had this happen to us last year. At least we were on parallel tours just different buses and group leaders. The tour operator in Australia refused to fix it. They said Princess had to do it from corporate. Princess said the tour operator could have fixed it.Hope you’re luckier than we were. At least you know beforehand. We didn’t find out until we got to orientation.Good luck🤞

 

 

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[hoopslover]

We had this happen to us last year. At least we were on parallel tours just different buses and group leaders. The tour operator in Australia refused to fix it. They said Princess had to do it from corporate. Princess said the tour operator could have fixed it.Hope you’re luckier than we were. At least you know beforehand. We didn’t find out until we got to orientation.Good luck🤞

 

 

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Ours is not parallel. Ours is Cairns, Ayers Rock, Sydney and they were moved to

Ayers Rock, Cairns, Sydney.

I have the phone # of the tour operator in Australia and if my TA or Princess can't fix this, I will call them. At least we found out before we left home. I will stay on Princess, both the tour office or customer relations. We didn't change anything and linked our reservations.

Thanks for the good wishes.

[hoopslover]

We had this happen to us last year. At least we were on parallel tours just different buses and group leaders. The tour operator in Australia refused to fix it. They said Princess had to do it from corporate. Princess said the tour operator could have fixed it.Hope you’re luckier than we were. At least you know beforehand. We didn’t find out until we got to orientation.Good luck🤞

 

 

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Was your tour provided by Bob Wood Cruise Group?

[Cairn Mom]

Was your tour provided by Bob Wood Cruise Group?

 

 

 

Yes, they suck! Good luck!

 

 

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[hoopslover]

Yes, they suck! Good luck!

 

 

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Thanks. At least we have a little over a week to get this straightened out.

[Cairn Mom]

Thanks. At least we have a little over a week to get this straightened out.

 

 

 

Get it fixed by Princess before you leave. Make sure that you are not just on the same tour but with the same guide as well. Do not count on the tour operator for any help. They really stink. I thought Princess might change tour operators after our debacle last year. We are two couples. We’re platinum and they’re elite.We bitterly complained to Princess about our separation. Bob Wood’s incompetence undermines the Princess brand. Make sure you have everything in writing. Even though they very easily could have, the tour group leaders refused to put us together. Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

 

 

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[hoopslover]

My TA contacted Princess and they admitted that our tour had too many people so they arbitrarily moved 2 of the 3 of us with linked reservations. They are in the process of moving my reservation so we can all be together. With that said I chose the tour I wanted and now they are moving us without consent. The flights on the tour they moved us to results in 2 flights from Ayers Rock to Cairns which has a 1+ hour layover. The worst one is when we leave Cairns for Sydney. Our flight from Cairns doesn't arrive until 8:30 pm which means we lose day 1 in Sydney. Our itinerary says "afternoon and evening at leisure." I guess that means sitting in Cairns waiting for our 4:30 flight.

Our TA asked for some kind of compensation if they didn't change us back to what we had booked. WE GOT NOTHING!

We spent $15000 per cabin and this is the customer service we received from Princess. NEVER AGAIN. I am cancelling my Alaska cruisetour.

[Cairn Mom]

My TA contacted Princess and they admitted that our tour had too many people so they arbitrarily moved 2 of the 3 of us with linked reservations. They are in the process of moving my reservation so we can all be together. With that said I chose the tour I wanted and now they are moving us without consent. The flights on the tour they moved us to results in 2 flights from Ayers Rock to Cairns which has a 1+ hour layover. The worst one is when we leave Cairns for Sydney. Our flight from Cairns doesn't arrive until 8:30 pm which means we lose day 1 in Sydney. Our itinerary says "afternoon and evening at leisure." I guess that means sitting in Cairns waiting for our 4:30 flight.

 

Our TA asked for some kind of compensation if they didn't change us back to what we had booked. WE GOT NOTHING!

 

We spent $15000 per cabin and this is the customer service we received from Princess. NEVER AGAIN. I am cancelling my Alaska cruisetour.

 

 

 

To fly from Cairns to Ayers Rock we had to get up at 3 in the morning in order to fly back to Sydney and then board a plane for Ayers Rock. We got to Ayers Rock and I was exhausted. That night they took us on a tour of Uluru. Flying dehydrates me and Uluru is in the desert. I was not well and had to drink lots of water. Luckily, I was ok. Our tour guide was cold and unfeeling.

Our Alaska cruisetour was wonderful. I think Princess does that in-house. The provider they use for Australia really stinks. Fight with Princess after you get back. Keep detailed notes. It’s an amazing trip. There are some amazing sights to see. Try and have fun. We loved the trip despite the glitches.

[Cairn Mom]

Make sure your luggage is not overweight. You will be charged a fortune. My suggestion is to bring a light-weight, soft bag in your suitcase to keep nonessentials. It good for heavier stuff. We were going to Mitford Sound so we put our coats in there along with other stuff. Princess will store it for you and deliver it to the ship. We did this and it worked out well.

PS- on the inter-Australia flights, you will board from outside and have to carry your carry-on up a flight of stairs. Be ready or that. Have stuff to read. They are short flights but only one had entertainment. It was like a bargain tour at non-bargain prices.

We love Princess cruises, but would never again take one of their land tours.

 

 

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[hoopslover]

To fly from Cairns to Ayers Rock we had to get up at 3 in the morning in order to fly back to Sydney and then board a plane for Ayers Rock. We got to Ayers Rock and I was exhausted. That night they took us on a tour of Uluru. Flying dehydrates me and Uluru is in the desert. I was not well and had to drink lots of water. Luckily, I was ok. Our tour guide was cold and unfeeling.

Our Alaska cruisetour was wonderful. I think Princess does that in-house. The provider they use for Australia really stinks. Fight with Princess after you get back. Keep detailed notes. It’s an amazing trip. There are some amazing sights to see. Try and have fun. We loved the trip despite the glitches.

 

The flights for the original itinerary were OK but now they are horrible. We miss one day in Sydney. We had dinner reservations but don't land until 8:30 and then get to the hotel. That is our "afternoon and evening at leisure."

I will keep an open mind about Alaska but they wouldn't even work with my TA. She talked to 4 people, going up the line with no results. No OBC, no apology, just blamed one of us for changing something on October 4. None of us did any changes. They finally said they had done it randomly. My itinerary still has not been updated so I can go with the ones who were changed. Maybe tomorrow...or not.

[Cairn Mom]

The flights for the original itinerary were OK but now they are horrible. We miss one day in Sydney. We had dinner reservations but don't land until 8:30 and then get to the hotel. That is our "afternoon and evening at leisure."

 

I will keep an open mind about Alaska but they wouldn't even work with my TA. She talked to 4 people, going up the line with no results. No OBC, no apology, just blamed one of us for changing something on October 4. None of us did any changes. They finally said they had done it randomly. My itinerary still has not been updated so I can go with the ones who were changed. Maybe tomorrow...or not.

 

 

 

GET IT IN WRITING Even if you have to spend the entire day on the phone!!!

 

 

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[Cairn Mom]

When you get back write a review on here and on trip advisor!

 

 

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[hoopslover]

GET IT IN WRITING Even if you have to spend the entire day on the phone!!!

 

 

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Everything matches now. Even if it wasn't what we booked or wanted we will be fine and have a good time. We are still trying to get something from Princess saying we are going to be in the same group. Not sure it will happen.

[Cairn Mom]

Everything matches now. Even if it wasn't what we booked or wanted we will be fine and have a good time. We are still trying to get something from Princess saying we are going to be in the same group. Not sure it will happen.

 

 

 

Make sure you get in writing that you’ll all be together. That is what you paid for and that is what you deserve. Have your friends call too. Really annoy them! Don’t give up until you get it! You are going to have an amazing time. It’s an incredible trip.

 

 

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[hoopslover]

OP here.  Update on our problem.  Princess told our TA that 2 of the 3 reservations were the last 2 cruisetours booked.  If there wasn't any room left on the 1F tour we booked why were they allowed to book it?  That is why they were moved and we had to move if we wanted to be with them.  We sent emails to customer service about the way it was handled.  No notification to our TA and none to us.  Just changed it in our personalizer.

The day after the email a very nice customer service representative called us.  She apologized for the problem and gave each couple a complementary dinner at the Crown  Grill.  I asked her for a letter stating that we would all be with the same tour guide for our land trip.  Instead of that she left a voicemail for my TA which will serve as proof.  I downloaded it to my cell so I will have it with me.

Flight to Auckland on Friday.  I will post review of our cruisetour on the Majestic Princess when we return.  Cheers

 

[kitkat343]

Trying to book our land tour to Alaska through princess was a mess.  They tried to sell me a cruisetour that would get to Denali before the buses started running  in June!   The phone operator had no idea what I was talking about when I told him they should never sell that tour without warning people first.    I finally booked my cruisetour independently and had a wonderful time. There are details in my signature line, but it was 8 years ago so you should check with the Alaska board.  We saved a lot of money and customized everything.  

I hope you have a wonderful trip to Australia and am so sorry for the terrible customer service on this tour. It’s too bad you didn’t have enough time to cancel and tour independently.