Princess NZ-Aust cruise cancelled for Oct 21

[lorri111]

How disappointing. Just informed by Princess that our NZ-Aust 8 day cruise has been cancelled - took me a while to work out why the ban on over 7 days applied to us here then worked out it was part of a longer south pacific cruise that started in Hawaii. Very disappointing - we should have been safe as part of our projected trans-tasman bubble. 

[Esilef]

My father just messaged me to state that his March 2021 repositioning cruise from Melbourne to Hong Kong had been cancelled.

 

hoping to Christmas cruise in December 2022.

[lorri111]

22 minutes ago, Esilef said:

My father just messaged me to state that his March 2021 repositioning cruise from Melbourne to Hong Kong had been cancelled.

 

hoping to Christmas cruise in December 2022.

Princess had already cancelled Aust departing cruises till end of May a month ago, so I am guessing he was cruising on another line. I am reluctant now to book anything, certainly till they refund my future cruise deposit as I have no intention of tying up actual cash as a deposit.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, lorri111 said:

Princess had already cancelled Aust departing cruises till end of May a month ago, so I am guessing he was cruising on another line. I am reluctant now to book anything, certainly till they refund my future cruise deposit as I have no intention of tying up actual cash as a deposit.

That's sensible. Luckily we had enough FCDs to keep rolling cruises forward and I got the one for the cancelled April 2021 cruise extended so that should be back on our account by the time Princess releases more 2022 cruises.

[lorri111]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

That's sensible. Luckily we had enough FCDs to keep rolling cruises forward and I got the one for the cancelled April 2021 cruise extended so that should be back on our account by the time Princess releases more 2022 cruises.

I am not even sure now I will get it back as FCD - when we went to book this now cancelled cruise it would not allow me to use an existing FCD but instead gave me even more FCC against the price (this one was from an earlier cancelled cruise) and did not require a deposit. So something went weird somewhere with all these cancellations and rebookings - I think I came out ahead but may not have anything actually labelled FCD left. But if I am confused by it I have no chance in hell in getting someone on phone at Princess to understand it so will have to just see what happens.

[OzKiwiJJ]

5 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

I am not even sure now I will get it back as FCD - when we went to book this now cancelled cruise it would not allow me to use an existing FCD but instead gave me even more FCC against the price (this one was from an earlier cancelled cruise) and did not require a deposit. So something went weird somewhere with all these cancellations and rebookings - I think I came out ahead but may not have anything actually labelled FCD left. But if I am confused by it I have no chance in hell in getting someone on phone at Princess to understand it so will have to just see what happens.

Sometimes their booking systen has problems with FCDs. I've had to phone them a few times to get an FCD applied to a booking ascthe deposit.

 

But in your case - did you have a previous cruise, that you'd used an FCD on, cancelled by Princess and was the FCD refunded as an FCC plus a bit extra, rather than getting the FCD back and the bit extra as an FCC? I'm a bit concerned that will happen to us which means we'd lose the OBC that we would get by using an FCD.

[lorri111]

6 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Sometimes their booking systen has problems with FCDs. I've had to phone them a few times to get an FCD applied to a booking ascthe deposit.

 

But in your case - did you have a previous cruise, that you'd used an FCD on, cancelled by Princess and was the FCD refunded as an FCC plus a bit extra, rather than getting the FCD back and the bit extra as an FCC? I'm a bit concerned that will happen to us which means we'd lose the OBC that we would get by using an FCD.

 

We got two seperate entries for FCC in lieu of the FCD. We didn't lose out but the terminology of the credit seems to have changed.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just now, lorri111 said:

 

We got two seperate entries for FCC in lieu of the FCD. We didn't lose out but the terminology of the credit seems to have changed.

So when those FCCs were applied to your booking you still got the OBC?

[lorri111]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

So when those FCCs were applied to your booking you still got the OBC?

No, that never eventuated. But since we got credit which was a lot more I decided not to query this- it would have been minor in the scheme of things (since I had only paid a FCD at time of cancellation). More annoying was apparent loss of FCD. But who knows, maybe when they have processed todays cancellation it will reappear, anything is possible in this current murky cancellation/refund world

[Elorac123]

53 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

I am not even sure now I will get it back as FCD - when we went to book this now cancelled cruise it would not allow me to use an existing FCD but instead gave me even more FCC against the price (this one was from an earlier cancelled cruise) and did not require a deposit. So something went weird somewhere with all these cancellations and rebookings - I think I came out ahead but may not have anything actually labelled FCD left. But if I am confused by it I have no chance in hell in getting someone on phone at Princess to understand it so will have to just see what happens.

My FCD also came back as a FCC,not happy as now I have no spares

Cheers Carole

[lorri111]

16 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

My FCD also came back as a FCC,not happy as now I have no spares

Cheers Carole

Interesting that someone else had this - haven't heard of it occurring to anyone else before. Agree it is annoying - but don't like the odds of trying to get princess to rectify it.

[Esilef]

1 hour ago, lorri111 said:

Princess had already cancelled Aust departing cruises till end of May a month ago, so I am guessing he was cruising on another line. I am reluctant now to book anything, certainly till they refund my future cruise deposit as I have no intention of tying up actual cash as a deposit.

I think it was his travel agent being behind. It was the majestic repositioning cruise which as it’s not here we guessed it would not need to reposition.

 

 

[Elorac123]

1 hour ago, lorri111 said:

But in your case - did you have a previous cruise, that you'd used an FCD on, cancelled by Princess and was the FCD refunded as an FCC plus a bit extra, rather than getting the FCD back and the bit extra as an FCC? I'm a bit concerned that will happen to us which means we'd lose the OBC that we would get by using an FCD.

That was the case with me.

Cheers Carole

[patch nine]

to get the FCD back on a cancelled cruise you need to request a refund.  They then refund by whatever method you paid the deposit.   Our Oct 2021 cruise was cancelled prior to final payment so we requested a refund and the FCD was back in our account shortly after.  I am just hoping that they allow the FCDs to be extended.

 

[lorri111]

36 minutes ago, patch nine said:

to get the FCD back on a cancelled cruise you need to request a refund.  They then refund by whatever method you paid the deposit.   Our Oct 2021 cruise was cancelled prior to final payment so we requested a refund and the FCD was back in our account shortly after.  I am just hoping that they allow the FCDs to be extended.

 

It is always easier if you manage to cancel the cruise before they do - you can get FCD back immediately. Problem is where they cancel it (unexpectedly as they sold ship) - that's where the problem comes in.

[OzKiwiJJ]

11 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

It is always easier if you manage to cancel the cruise before they do - you can get FCD back immediately. Problem is where they cancel it (unexpectedly as they sold ship) - that's where the problem comes in.

If you cancel you get the FCD back, if they cancel you get it as FCC plus a bit more. 

 

However I'm not sure what happens when you want to book another cruise. With FCD's that's all the deposit you need, ie $100 pp, but how do FCCs work? Do you have to pay more? We tend to book longish cruises which, of course, cost more. I can't even remember what the standard deposit is on Princess, I've been using FCDs for so long.

Edited November 21, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[lorri111]

7 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If you cancel you get the FCD back, if they cancel you get it as FCC plus a bit more. 

 

However I'm not sure what happens when you want to book another cruise. With FCD's that's all the deposit you need, ie $100 pp, but how do FCCs work? Do you have to pay more? We tend to book longish cruises which, of course, cost more. I can't even remember what the standard deposit is on Princess, I've been using FCDs for so long.

I agree, I have been wondering that too. I have a feeling that FCC is not the same as FCD when it comes to acting as a deposit  - that if you don't have a FCD you need to pay the full deposit, which might be 20% of cruise. That is why I can't/won't book again without a FCD.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

I agree, I have been wondering that too. I have a feeling that FCC is not the same as FCD when it comes to acting as a deposit  - that if you don't have a FCD you need to pay the full deposit, which might be 20% of cruise. That is why I can't/won't book again without a FCD.

If so, it's a bit silly on the part of Princess. If we all run out of FCDs then we won't book cruises until the last minute.

[lorri111]

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If so, it's a bit silly on the part of Princess. If we all run out of FCDs then we won't book cruises until the last minute.

I'm with you there.

[sewgood]

12 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

If so, it's a bit silly on the part of Princess. If we all run out of FCDs then we won't book cruises until the last minute.

Agreed, especially in the current situation.

[patch nine]

when Princess cancelled our cruise we got the choice of FCC (with extra credit) or a refund.  For FCC you did nothing and for a refund you filled in a form online.  We asked for a refund and got our FCD returned to our Princess a/c.   We would have got extra credit with accepting a FCC  but this didn't work out as much as the OBC we would get with the FCD and it would have meant a full deposit required which is why we went for the refund.  So we now have our FCD back ready for us to book another cruise.

[lorri111]

13 minutes ago, patch nine said:

when Princess cancelled our cruise we got the choice of FCC (with extra credit) or a refund.  For FCC you did nothing and for a refund you filled in a form online.  We asked for a refund and got our FCD returned to our Princess a/c.   We would have got extra credit with accepting a FCC  but this didn't work out as much as the OBC we would get with the FCD and it would have meant a full deposit required which is why we went for the refund.  So we now have our FCD back ready for us to book another cruise.

I don't think this will work for us as when we made the booking we were not given option of using our available FCD, instead it gave us a reduced price by applying a greater amount of FCC against it instead - and it didn't ask for an actual deposit at all. Very strange. So I think I don't have any FDC to get back though it seems to  have been absorbed in the process. Annoying.

[OzKiwiJJ]

22 minutes ago, patch nine said:

when Princess cancelled our cruise we got the choice of FCC (with extra credit) or a refund.  For FCC you did nothing and for a refund you filled in a form online.  We asked for a refund and got our FCD returned to our Princess a/c.   We would have got extra credit with accepting a FCC  but this didn't work out as much as the OBC we would get with the FCD and it would have meant a full deposit required which is why we went for the refund.  So we now have our FCD back ready for us to book another cruise.

Hmmm, maybe I need to do that. I think we have to the end of the month to request a refund. I'd rather have a spare FCD in hand than FCCs.

[Ondine]

This is what is on the Princess website.  I understand that to say that FCDs should/will be returned to your account but this doesn't seem to be happening.  I also remember reading that when you use a FCD it is treated like a normal deposit for cancellation purposes which may explain why it is being refunded as FCC.  Clear as mud!

 

I am due to get FCD refunded from a cruise they recently cancelled for Feb so I will just have to wait to see what turns up.

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If I have an onboard credit (OBC) from a Future Cruise Deposit (FCD) on a booking that is cancelled, will the OBC be honored on my next cruise?
Yes, it will. In most cases, the original FCD will automatically be available to apply to your next cruise from your My Princess account. In the event an FCD had reached its expiration date since being applied, please contact our Customer Relations team to have the OBC reinstated.

[lorri111]

Does anyone know how long it takes for FCD to be reinstated in account if a refund is requested (rather than taking the default offer of higher FCC?