Princess APP error on B2B cruises

[Mumpurple]

We have made upcoming B2B (back to back) bookings with Princess. 

When completing our check-in on their APP (as per the re-direction published on their webpage), we were offered an upgrade to Princess Plus for what we felt was a reasonable amount for the duration of BOTH cruises (the cruises were combined into one on their APP). 

After we made the purchase, we checked our booking on their APP which CONFIRMED (and still confirms) that the Princess Plus has been purchased for the full duration of BOTH cruises.  Later we receive an email from Princess stating we have purchased the upgrade for the second cruise only and need to pay an additional amount to have BOTH cruises as Princes Plus. 

This is NOT what was sold to us in the APP (we have photographic evidence) and NOT what the APP currently shows us as having purchased.  Whilst we live in New Zealand, the bookings were made through an agent in America.  When we log into the Princess.com website, we are geolocated to the Australian webpage. 

Can anyone advise which legal statute applies here? Is it America (where the original bookings were made by a large travel agency, paying in US Dollars), or New Zealand since that's where we reside or Australia since that's where the webpage geolocates to? 

Princess is telling us we either pay the additional sum to get the Plus package for both cruises or request a refund of what has already been paid.  We believe they should honor their APP (which we now know to have been at fault) and apply the package to BOTH cruises as per what was presented at time of sale and is STILL represented on our APP when looking at the Package purchased under our profiles. 

Does anyone have a legal statute we could present please?

Does anyone have an email address for someone in Senior Management that might actually be able to make this happen?

Has anyone else experienced this error?

Many thanks

[MicCanberra]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I suggest you take it to the complaints area of Princess, it may be under feedback.

[arxcards]

4 hours ago, Mumpurple said:

We have made upcoming B2B (back to back) bookings with Princess. 

When completing our check-in on their APP (as per the re-direction published on their webpage), we were offered an upgrade to Princess Plus for what we felt was a reasonable amount for the duration of BOTH cruises (the cruises were combined into one on their APP). 

After we made the purchase, we checked our booking on their APP which CONFIRMED (and still confirms) that the Princess Plus has been purchased for the full duration of BOTH cruises.  Later we receive an email from Princess stating we have purchased the upgrade for the second cruise only and need to pay an additional amount to have BOTH cruises as Princes Plus. 

This is NOT what was sold to us in the APP (we have photographic evidence) and NOT what the APP currently shows us as having purchased.  Whilst we live in New Zealand, the bookings were made through an agent in America.  When we log into the Princess.com website, we are geolocated to the Australian webpage. 

Can anyone advise which legal statute applies here? Is it America (where the original bookings were made by a large travel agency, paying in US Dollars), or New Zealand since that's where we reside or Australia since that's where the webpage geolocates to? 

Princess is telling us we either pay the additional sum to get the Plus package for both cruises or request a refund of what has already been paid.  We believe they should honor their APP (which we now know to have been at fault) and apply the package to BOTH cruises as per what was presented at time of sale and is STILL represented on our APP when looking at the Package purchased under our profiles. 

Does anyone have a legal statute we could present please?

Does anyone have an email address for someone in Senior Management that might actually be able to make this happen?

Has anyone else experienced this error?

Many thanks

It isn't an error of the app. It is just how it is with B2B cruises. If you have separate booking numbers, you may be able to logout of the 1st cruise and log in with the name/DOB/booking number for the 2nd cruise - can't be sure, but worth a try.

 

Ring Princess. It is something they should be able to resolve over the phone or via web chat, and it is nothing that can be resolved by the app.

[Mumpurple]

8 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I suggest you take it to the complaints area of Princess, it may be under feedback.

Tried emailing and calling several times, call handlers have been 100% ineffective. I need an email address or phone number or WhatsApp number for someone in their senior management team.

[Mumpurple]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

It isn't an error of the app. It is just how it is with B2B cruises. If you have separate booking numbers, you may be able to logout of the 1st cruise and log in with the name/DOB/booking number for the 2nd cruise - can't be sure, but worth a try.

 

Ring Princess. It is something they should be able to resolve over the phone or via web chat, and it is nothing that can be resolved by the app.

We've tried all of the above. This boils down to Princess not honoring what we have been sold at time of purchase. We need an email address for someone in Senior Management as they are opening themselves up to legal retribution. 

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, Mumpurple said:

Tried emailing and calling several times, call handlers have been 100% ineffective. I need an email address or phone number or WhatsApp number for someone in their senior management team.

Have you actually had an email response? If so, then reply for an escalation. You could also try fb as a last resort.

[Mumpurple]

20 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Have you actually had an email response? If so, then reply for an escalation. You could also try fb as a last resort.

Nope, no email response despite trying several email addresses. Tried FB also and no response there either. It's like they're burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will just go away 😕 

[d9704011]

5 minutes ago, Mumpurple said:

It's like they're burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will just go away 😕 

Of course it will go away.  Eventually, you'll give up in disgust and just leave them alone.  Problem solved.

[Mumpurple]

My middle name is Tenacity 😆 

[arxcards]

5 hours ago, Mumpurple said:

We've tried all of the above. This boils down to Princess not honoring what we have been sold at time of purchase. We need an email address for someone in Senior Management as they are opening themselves up to legal retribution. 

For the Australian office, it isn't much more than a sales office at present. If you have paid $AU65 each for the plus packages X the total number of nights, it should be simple fix via their booking bunnies. I guess you can blame a somewhat automated system, but suspect the US booking is looking for a $US50 payment for plus and would have come up short. 

 

I am unable to offer a management email. Try the Princess forum. Unless you can find a class action for this, the legal path could be long-winded and expensive, with much more at stake than a few hundred dollars of plus package. 

 

If you can't find resolution soon, my tip would be to get a refund on the package you have purchased, then book the identical packages on the ship on embarkation day then on turnaround day for the 2nd leg.

[Mumpurple]

34 minutes ago, arxcards said:

For the Australian office, it isn't much more than a sales office at present. If you have paid $AU65 each for the plus packages X the total number of nights, it should be simple fix via their booking bunnies. I guess you can blame a somewhat automated system, but suspect the US booking is looking for a $US50 payment for plus and would have come up short. 

 

I am unable to offer a management email. Try the Princess forum. Unless you can find a class action for this, the legal path could be long-winded and expensive, with much more at stake than a few hundred dollars of plus package. 

 

If you can't find resolution soon, my tip would be to get a refund on the package you have purchased, then book the identical packages on the ship on embarkation day then on turnaround day for the 2nd leg.

Thank you for your advice.

[mum and son]

@Mumpurple I get exactly how you feel. I'm confused how the app "appears" to combine B2B bookings into one long cruise and you can book dining for the second cruise when only logged into the first cruise, but yet if you purchase anything (like a Plus Package or a Thermal Spa pass) it only gives it to you for the first cruise. It should be all in or all out. They've really blurred the process.

 

Also, are you being offered the package at the AUD price of $65 per day? When I cruised over Xmas/NY and booked through a US agency, I had to buy the package at the US$60 per day price. Maybe because it was a cruise departing the US, but if I'd booked in Aus I could upgrade to the package at the AU$65 price?

 

[Mumpurple]

13 minutes ago, mum and son said:

@Mumpurple I get exactly how you feel. I'm confused how the app "appears" to combine B2B bookings into one long cruise and you can book dining for the second cruise when only logged into the first cruise, but yet if you purchase anything (like a Plus Package or a Thermal Spa pass) it only gives it to you for the first cruise. It should be all in or all out. They've really blurred the process.

 

Also, are you being offered the package at the AUD price of $65 per day? When I cruised over Xmas/NY and booked through a US agency, I had to buy the package at the US$60 per day price. Maybe because it was a cruise departing the US, but if I'd booked in Aus I could upgrade to the package at the AU$65 price?

 

We booked ours through a US agency so being charged US rates. Not understanding why it"s sooooo much cheaper in AUD

On 3/2/2024 at 8:44 AM, MicCanberra said:

Have you actually had an email response? If so, then reply for an escalation. You could also try fb as a last resort.

Nope, no email response despite trying several email addresses. Tried FB also and no response there either. It's like they're burying their heads in the sand and hoping the problem will just go away 😕 

[MicCanberra]

I would get your TA to chase it up then, they will have contacts directly.

[Belmont Babe]

I recognize that you have asked the same question/made the same complaint on the Princess Cruises Passenger Complaints Forum on FB. I asked you a question there about the onboard currency for both cruises. If the first cruise (SYD - Van) is in AUD, I think the problem may lie there, in that you were offered the package at the USD price ( without it stating that, because it is the default currency)and seeing the second cruise is the only USD cruise that's what you got.

Do you think that may be the reason for the mix-up?

[mum and son]

14 minutes ago, Mumpurple said:

We booked ours through a US agency so being charged US rates. Not understanding why it"s sooooo much cheaper in AUD

 

If you booked through a US agency the daily gratuities won't be included in the fare. When you upgrade to the Plus Package in USD they will then be included.

Edited March 3 by mum and son

[Mumpurple]

11 hours ago, Belmont Babe said:

I recognize that you have asked the same question/made the same complaint on the Princess Cruises Passenger Complaints Forum on FB. I asked you a question there about the onboard currency for both cruises. If the first cruise (SYD - Van) is in AUD, I think the problem may lie there, in that you were offered the package at the USD price ( without it stating that, because it is the default currency)and seeing the second cruise is the only USD cruise that's what you got.

Do you think that may be the reason for the mix-up?

Both cruises were booked at the same time through the same agent so I'm not sure of how the APP got it all so wrong.  Now finally have a conversation going with them through 'X', we will wait and see how that pan's out.  Sent them the video of what our APP is showing us so pretty much irrefutable evidence right there.

[Belmont Babe]

3 hours ago, Mumpurple said:

Both cruises were booked at the same time through the same agent so I'm not sure of how the APP got it all so wrong.  Now finally have a conversation going with them through 'X', we will wait and see how that pan's out.  Sent them the video of what our APP is showing us so pretty much irrefutable evidence right there.

[Belmont Babe]

I was fiddling around in the app looking for something else, and it appears I may have the same glitch as yourself. (See screenshot on the above post) It shows that I have bought the package, when I haven't. There must be a glitch in the system.

I won't be trying to benefit by it.

Edited March 4 by Belmont Babe
clarity

[arxcards]

The app is but an online tool GI-GO.

[Yehootu]

On 3/1/2024 at 9:18 AM, Mumpurple said:

Tried emailing and calling several times, call handlers have been 100% ineffective. I need an email address or phone number or WhatsApp number for someone in their senior management team.

 

[Mumpurple]

After many emails, phone calls and X posts, this has now been resolved.  thank you for your input everyone.

 

[Mumpurple]

On 3/4/2024 at 1:42 PM, Belmont Babe said:

I was fiddling around in the app looking for something else, and it appears I may have the same glitch as yourself. (See screenshot on the above post) It shows that I have bought the package, when I haven't. There must be a glitch in the system.

I won't be trying to benefit by it.

Except we HAD purchased it but our Cruise Summary on the wesite wasn't showing it. We were not trying to benefit from something we hadn't paid for.

[Mumpurple]

On 3/6/2024 at 2:40 AM, Yehootu said:

 

 

[Mumpurple]

Thank you for your help.  No responses to emails, but got there in the end with 'X' (Twitter)