[X]
Write ReviewJump to 
33
Helpful
Votes
Votes
Cruises-N-More Informative - Cruises-N-More WARNING! - Cruise Billing
Cruise Billing
Hi everyone.
I'm a brand new cruiser and my wife and I are taking the plunge on an Alaskan cruise with Princess to celebrate our anniversary and her birthday. Unfortuately I may have booked my cruise with the worst travel agent/agency I've ever encountered.
Let me explain. We agreed on a price last July for a cruise in June of '07 with Esther, yes the very same Esther that was complained about here before. The price was greed upon and I made a deposit. Fastfoward to March when the final payment was due. I received a receipt saying "PAID IN FULL" and "FINAL PAYMENT" for the agreed upon price. I noticed my wife's name was spelled incorrectly as was my mailing address. I emailed her to make the changes. Two days later I received a second receipt with the corrections. I didn't check the numbers as I was only concerned with getting my wife's name correct so it matches up with the manifest. A couple of days later, I noticed a seperate charge on my credit card for $97.xx. I emailed her and she said "I will check on it". A week goes by and I email again. She replied "I call and they will refund the card". I email again several days later to remind her and she said "OK I will". Another week or so I emailed again, this time asking again why I was charged in the first place and that I'm getting upset. That was the last time I heard from her! I emailed several times after, and left a phone message, and she NEVER got back to me. I finally looked on the SECOND final payment receipt, and there was an extra charge listed beneath the final payment amount that said $94.xx. What??? Did the charges change in the two days between the FIRST and SECOND receipt? Isn't the first receipt final, since it said PAID IN FULL for the agreed upon price? What's going on? All I wanted was for her to change my wife's name and our address!!! She never even called attention to the extra charge and I hadn't looked at it since I had no reason to believe the price would change in 2 days???
I call Princess and they gave me the "we can't discuss it because we have a contract with the company" so they won't help me, What kind of policy is that? So now I can't get my agent to return my call or emails. I've tried calling her supervisor and no response either. I finally got ahold of someone else in the agency and all of a sudden, there was a "note" in their computer system that said the extra charge was an increase in taxes to Alaska thru Princess, even though I had called 2 hours earlier and their own finance department had no idea and there was no "note" suggesting a tax. They put me on hold while they "checked with Princess" and lo and behold, Princess overcharged me the 3 dollars, and the travel agency will cut me a check for the 3 dolloars, but the $94.xx stands. Suspicious, I call Princess immediately after and the lady on the phone said didn't receive any call. She too was confused. Unfortunately, in her effort to help me, she transferred me to someone higher up who gave me a very rude and terse "We can't discuss it. All we can tell you is you made final payment. You'll have to take it up with your travel agent. Good luck to you."
C'mon. Once I got that first receipt with the PAID IN FULL on it, isn't that it? What right do they have to continue charging my card without notification and simply send me another receipt 2 days later????
Since Princess won't say anything because they're covering their butts, and my travel agent won't return my messages, what am I suppose to do??? Anything??? It has been almost 4 weeks since she promised she would refund my money and now it's become a "tax increase". Esther isn't new to the business so if it was indeed a tax, she would've known that and not promise me a refund in the first place. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT THE CHARGE WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE!! All this is so shady and deceitful. I can't believe this is how a cruise line would do business, allowing a travel agent to run rampant with your credit card and not have to explain anything from either end. I haven't set foot on a ship yet, and already I'm turned off to cruising and especially Princess.
I'm going to dispute the charge with my credit card company, but I don't know what my chances are. I may try the BBB too.
What do you all think??? Am I crazy? If this post gets someone to think twice about this company, I will gladly eat the loss. I wish I had read this complaint below before I booked with them:
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=18304
You've been warned.....
UPDATE: The supervisor has at least agreed to refund my money, although with no explanation as to what happend in the first place. We'll see if he actually makes good.
I'm a brand new cruiser and my wife and I are taking the plunge on an Alaskan cruise with Princess to celebrate our anniversary and her birthday. Unfortuately I may have booked my cruise with the worst travel agent/agency I've ever encountered.
Let me explain. We agreed on a price last July for a cruise in June of '07 with Esther, yes the very same Esther that was complained about here before. The price was greed upon and I made a deposit. Fastfoward to March when the final payment was due. I received a receipt saying "PAID IN FULL" and "FINAL PAYMENT" for the agreed upon price. I noticed my wife's name was spelled incorrectly as was my mailing address. I emailed her to make the changes. Two days later I received a second receipt with the corrections. I didn't check the numbers as I was only concerned with getting my wife's name correct so it matches up with the manifest. A couple of days later, I noticed a seperate charge on my credit card for $97.xx. I emailed her and she said "I will check on it". A week goes by and I email again. She replied "I call and they will refund the card". I email again several days later to remind her and she said "OK I will". Another week or so I emailed again, this time asking again why I was charged in the first place and that I'm getting upset. That was the last time I heard from her! I emailed several times after, and left a phone message, and she NEVER got back to me. I finally looked on the SECOND final payment receipt, and there was an extra charge listed beneath the final payment amount that said $94.xx. What??? Did the charges change in the two days between the FIRST and SECOND receipt? Isn't the first receipt final, since it said PAID IN FULL for the agreed upon price? What's going on? All I wanted was for her to change my wife's name and our address!!! She never even called attention to the extra charge and I hadn't looked at it since I had no reason to believe the price would change in 2 days???
I call Princess and they gave me the "we can't discuss it because we have a contract with the company" so they won't help me, What kind of policy is that? So now I can't get my agent to return my call or emails. I've tried calling her supervisor and no response either. I finally got ahold of someone else in the agency and all of a sudden, there was a "note" in their computer system that said the extra charge was an increase in taxes to Alaska thru Princess, even though I had called 2 hours earlier and their own finance department had no idea and there was no "note" suggesting a tax. They put me on hold while they "checked with Princess" and lo and behold, Princess overcharged me the 3 dollars, and the travel agency will cut me a check for the 3 dolloars, but the $94.xx stands. Suspicious, I call Princess immediately after and the lady on the phone said didn't receive any call. She too was confused. Unfortunately, in her effort to help me, she transferred me to someone higher up who gave me a very rude and terse "We can't discuss it. All we can tell you is you made final payment. You'll have to take it up with your travel agent. Good luck to you."
C'mon. Once I got that first receipt with the PAID IN FULL on it, isn't that it? What right do they have to continue charging my card without notification and simply send me another receipt 2 days later????
Since Princess won't say anything because they're covering their butts, and my travel agent won't return my messages, what am I suppose to do??? Anything??? It has been almost 4 weeks since she promised she would refund my money and now it's become a "tax increase". Esther isn't new to the business so if it was indeed a tax, she would've known that and not promise me a refund in the first place. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT THE CHARGE WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE!! All this is so shady and deceitful. I can't believe this is how a cruise line would do business, allowing a travel agent to run rampant with your credit card and not have to explain anything from either end. I haven't set foot on a ship yet, and already I'm turned off to cruising and especially Princess.
I'm going to dispute the charge with my credit card company, but I don't know what my chances are. I may try the BBB too.
What do you all think??? Am I crazy? If this post gets someone to think twice about this company, I will gladly eat the loss. I wish I had read this complaint below before I booked with them:
http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=18304
You've been warned.....
UPDATE: The supervisor has at least agreed to refund my money, although with no explanation as to what happend in the first place. We'll see if he actually makes good.
Comments:
Posted by Pomona Guy on 2007-04-30:
I took the Princess cruise to Alaska and loved it. So calm down and enjoy your cruise. You'd be a fool to let the extra charge ruin your cruise. And take the excursion into the Yukon. The one you ride a train back. It is so great! If you can afford the cruise your can afford to learn to never book with these bums again. And again, calm down and enjoy the cruise!
Posted by ejack053824 on 2007-04-30:
Join the Navy and see the world for free. LOL!
Posted by reefdude on 2007-04-30:
Pomona Guy: In the end I'm sure you're right. It's just at this moment that's hard to do. This is a complaint forum afterall. In the long run they will lose more than the $97 in future business just from me alone! I do hate such disregard for common decency. I hope we'll have as much fun as you did in Alaska. It sounds great!
Posted by Ponie on 2007-05-01:
I know this doesn't resolve your problem, but shouldn't your complaint be with your travel agency not Princess? Although I did see your comment that you may have booked with the worst travel agent/agency. Hope you still have a good time on the cruise. Happy anniversary and happy birthday to your wife.
Posted by rhondam718732 on 2007-05-01:
Reefdude, have you gone in person to talk to Esther?
Posted by reefdude on 2007-05-01:
Hi Ponie: Yes, my beef is with the travel agent. BUT Princess is the one that gave them a contract to act on their behalf , with a clause to NOT discuss anything financial with the customer, me, even though it's my money. That's what I'd call covering their own behind. The amount I was overcharged ended up in the pocket of Princess, with I'm sure a percentage going to the travel agency. I'm not arguing they don't have the legal right. It's simply unethical, a "dirty little secret". If you are the beneficiary in the end, how can you wash your hands of the situation? Well, easy, by saying we have a contract with the travel agent and that we are "not allowed" to discuss it because we are bound by the contract (which they gave them in the first place). How convenient for them. Thank you ponie for you well wishes. Either way, we WILL enjoy her birthday/our anniversary. I know what's important in the end. Just alittle hard to see the forest thru the trees right now...
Posted by reefdude on 2007-05-01:
rhondam: Unfortuately I live half way across the country. Believe me, I would've already if I could. The supervisor finally called back and listened to my complaint. So far he has agreed with me, but you never know. He admitted as much that the notation on their computer for the extra charge was added TWO weeks after I started enquiring, and two days AFTER I last heard from Esther. Hmmm..... If it walks like a duck.....
Posted by tinamarie2130 on 2008-06-26:
I, too, had to file a grievance with cruises-n-more for what appear to be fraudulent fees charged to my credit card after canceling a cruise. We were assured that if we canceled within a certain period of time, which we did, that we would receive a full refund. No mention of the separate fee imposed by cruises-n-more until AFTER payment was made. It appears to be a fraudulent charge and we have reported it to the appropriate agencies. if you have not yet received satisfaction as they promised, contact the Federal Trade Commission, as well as the state Consumer Affairs Division of Florida (where they are based) and your home state. Good luck!
Posted by markz on 2009-07-19:
I booked cruises-n-more and later on they raised te price, never again would I book with them.
Note: All comments are reviewed by a moderator before being published. Please be sure to read our guidelines before commenting.
Company Reps: Post your company response!
