Minor Glitches in Printing Boarding Pass

[Tom O.]

For my upcoming cruise in December, I can go online and print my own boarding pass. This is the first time I have done this, and I thought I would share my experience with it.

First, you will need to go to your personalizer, and when the time comes (I think it is 70 days before departure) you will see a link "Print your boaring Pass" appear.

You will not be able to print the boarding pass unless you have entered a credit card into the database on your profile for the personalizer. There are some glitches that you may encounter here. I previously had entered a credit card many months ago, and now wanted to change that card to another. I found no place on the website where I could edit my credit card info. So, I had to call Princess C.S. and they changed the credit card info for me. Now all is well for me.

I understand that if you don't want to use a credit card for you onboard expenses, you still have to enter a credit card in order to print your boarding pass. Then you can change how you pay for your expenses when you check-in. I think you can also just not print the boarding pass and show up with I.D. - but I am not sure about this - you better check with Princess first.

I always use a credit card for my on board account, seems like anything else is a hassle.

Perhaps others who like to pay cash, etc. would share their experience with printing the online boarding pass.

[WeBeGone]

We printed our boarding pass last week for our Tahitian cruise Nov 17 without putting any credit card information in.

[Toto2Kansas]

We printed our boarding pass last week for our Tahitian cruise Nov 17 without putting any credit card information in.

 

Same here for our Sea Princess cruise in December. Never entered a CC number. Are you an Elite member of the captain's circle? That is the only thing I could think of that would make us different then others that had to put in their CC number before the boarding passes were accessible.

[Ula]

Tom, There are some glitches that I am sure will be worked out. I had a dickens of time getting my husband in the system. Did get it done as I was telling him I may be waving to him on the dock as the ship leaves.

We always used the Princess web site to do that pre registration stuff that they asked for in advance. Something I learned, it is very simple to change credit card numbers at the ship.

Something I did discuss with our TA is how are they going to handle the people who are not comfortable with giving information out online. I hear you can call Princess and they just input it from their side. And then also the people who do not use computers.

The site does save your passport number, so it was nice to have that already in there. I have to remember I do not have to drag those out again when we do this in the future.

I do prefer booking with our TA she is nice and we went to the same grade school, she was a few years behind me.

[TBR]

If your are platinium or elite you are not required to enter a cc#

[iancal]

Printed mine this am for a 12/2 sailing. No problems. Immigration details and credit card data was complete prior to printing. We really like edocs.

[Toto2Kansas]

If your are platinium or elite you are not required to enter a cc#

 

I wondered if that didn't have something to do with it since most on our roll call are neither and they had to put their CC number in before they would be able to print them off.

Mystery solved!

[Ula]

The platinum thing is interesting. Just need one more cruise after Mexico under our belts for that. Looking into a Pacific Coastal to be platinum on our RT Hawaii cruise in 07.

[johnmik1]

How do you get the luggage tags under the new system?

[BaumD]

I also had to enter CC info to print the boarding pass.

 

Luggage tags are sent in the pre-cruise package along with the shore excursion book and the Cruise answer book.

[Tom O.]

OK, I think we have discovered the way it works.

If you have Elite or Platinum standing, you don't need to enter a credit card. (I am still a lowly gold:( ).

If you want to change cards from what shows up on the boarding pass, you will need to call Princess.

If you have any problems entering a credit card or you don't want to enter it online, call Princess.

You can also switch to another credit card or pay by other means during check-in at the pier.

 

Since this system is new, I am sure it will get better in the future.

[mom2tcdx2]

If you wish to change the credit card # you just go back to it in the cruise personalizer and change it. We just did it for my mother last week as she changed the card she wanted to use, our cruise is for Nov. 26. Also several Princess reps told me that you don't need to print or bring the boarding passes as they have everything electronically and this is just for our records if we wished to print it out. On my last cruise having the credit card just makes check in quicker but you can still pay cash instead if you wish. I just paid up my balance the night before and then there was nothing left to go on a credit card. We also tend to put a credit on there before hand to cover tips, shore excursions etc so I don't have as much to pay in the end.

[Tom O.]

If you wish to change the credit card # you just go back to it in the cruise personalizer and change it. We just did it for my mother last week as she changed the card she wanted to use, our cruise is for Nov. 26.

 

I spent about 1 1/2 hours searching every possible link on my personalizer and could find no way to change the credit card. I went through every page of my profile - no credit card information. Yet the old card still showed up on my boarding pass. That is why I called Princess and had them change it. Maybe this was because I had entered the credit card information in so long ago. No matter, it is a small detail that was easily taken care of, and as you say, everything can be taken care of at checkin at the pier.

[bjboothman]

Tom, check out the 4th screen on Passenger Immigration (keep clicking "continue" at the bottom of each screen. It should take you to Shipboard Account. That's where the credit card info is on my personalizer. I know it's too late - but if you are curious to know where we are seeing it, you could try.

[flynrph]

Maybe this was because I had entered the credit card information in so long ago. No matter, it is a small detail that was easily taken care of, and as you say, everything can be taken care of at checkin at the pier.

 

When you first start filling out your cruise personalizer, under passenger immigration, about the fouth page is where I can change my credit numbers. Is this area not available to you?:confused:

 

oops look likes a duplicate, bjbooth beat me to it!

[flamomo]

We are booked for a cruise in Febriary. We booked directly with Princess, and I did the actual booking by phone for myself and my cousin that I travel with. When the confirmation for both of us was mailed, it came to me since I did the booking.

 

My question is: when it comes time to print the boarding passes, should I be able to print my cousin's (she lives in a different state, and won't come to Florida till a day before we cruise). She is not very computer savvy and probably would be afraid to try to print hers at home.

 

I'm no computer whiz, but I can usually figure out how to do most things I need to do.

[Tom O.]

flynrph, bjboothman, mom2tcdx2: You guys are so right. I could have changed it on the last page of the immigration forms. But who would have guessed it would be there of all places? The immigration forms was the only place I didn't look for it. It should really have been under my personal profile. I think Princess just needs to reorganize this part of the personalizer, so it is easier to find things like that.

Thanks for your help.

 

Flamomo: I think you will have to have access to your cousin's personalizer to do that.

[flynrph]

Flamomo: I think you will have to have access to your cousin's personalizer to do that.

 

And she can do just that if they are booked in the same cabin.:cool:

[bjboothman]

Tom - I agree, you don't find it where you would expect to find it

 

Flamomo -- as long as you have their booking number, I don't see why you can't sign in and complete all their immigration info and print the boarding pass for them.

 

Anyone? I thought it said that after final payment, the boarding pass was available for printing --- or is it at 70 days? I've made final payment which was due last weekend (for December 22) but the boarding pass is not available. Not that I need it today, I'm just curious as to what's up with the procedure.

[Cptnkirky]

I went through and did the same thing a few weeks ago for our Nov 26th cruise. I am in a room with my BF, therefore our CC are not the same. When I tried to print the boarding passes, it would not let me print until I entered the CC numbers. So I added them and printed out the boarding passes. However, when I did, they had the incorrect person linked with the incorrect CC and such (there are 3 names/numbers as I am using my mothers CC as a gift to me). I was linked to my BF CC with his number under my moms name, and my BF was linked to my mothers CC number :eek: What a mess!!! I called princess and they assured me it was correct in the system and they will have us sign for the correct name/card when we embark....

just another glitch in the personalizer...

 

Oh, and ours was availible right after final payment, which was Sept 11 for the Nov 26th cruise. I am not sure if that is 70 days, it seems a little longer. I hope that helps.

[flynrph]

Anyone? I thought it said that after final payment, the boarding pass was available for printing --- or is it at 70 days? I've made final payment which was due last weekend (for December 22) but the boarding pass is not available. Not that I need it today, I'm just curious as to what's up with the procedure.

 

It was available for printing immediately after I made the final payment 95 days out.

[jlp20]

Our next cruise happens before the e-ticket goes into effect.

 

So for information only, what is the purpose of the boarding pass?

 

As I understand it, even now all you need is your booking number and ID when you show up at the port. The whole ticket book, for the cruise part of your trip, is to have the booking number. There has been no actual ticket for years.

 

Would this boarding pass have your booking number in "plain" English along with some type of bar code?

[dean8844]

the magic number is 75 days out ( same as when finilly payment is due ) :D

 

Dean

[Tom O.]

So for information only, what is the purpose of the boarding pass?

 

As I understand it, even now all you need is your booking number and ID when you show up at the port. The whole ticket book, for the cruise part of your trip, is to have the booking number. There has been no actual ticket for years.

 

Would this boarding pass have your booking number in "plain" English along with some type of bar code?

 

I think this is the first step in the process of changing over to a complete paperless system similar to what the airlines do. I am sure it costs a lot of money to print and mail out documents.

The boarding pass has your booking number, room number, check in time, etc. It also has a section with your credit card info (most of the numbers are Xed out) and a place to sign for shipboard credit. It looks like if you have this boarding pass, all you have to do at check-in is sign it, show your ID, and then they hand over your key card.

I suspect that not far into the future there will be no documents mailed. It will all be online. The only slight problem with that is the luggage tags. But the luggage tags could be attached by the porters at the pier. In fact porters already have a pocketful of these tags for the people who forgot to put theirs on and for those last minute cases of bottled water, etc.

[flynrph]

The only slight problem with that is the luggage tags. But the luggage tags could be attached by the porters at the pier. In fact porters already have a pocketful of these tags for the people who forgot to put theirs on and for those last minute cases of bottled water, etc.

 

Yeah that might be a problem for the Alaska cruisers. You need the tags for the air to cruise customs bypass in Vancouver.