- Report: #286944
Complaint Review: Princess Cruise Lines - Santa Clara California
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Princess Cruise Lines
24844 Ave. Rockefeller Santa Clara, 91355 California, U.S.A.
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Princess Cruise Lines Increased cruise price months after deposit was made and confirmed. Santa Clara California
Customer relations
Princess Cruises
24844 Ave. Rockefeller
Santa Clara, Ca. 91355
Dear Sirs,
Several months ago I booked a cruise on the Sapphire Princess through my travel agent, Mary Ann Van Woerkom, with Travel World Cruises in Visalia, California. This particular cruise leaves Sydney, Australia on March 21, 2008 for 12 days.
I received a letter today from my travel agent informing me that there has been an additional charge levied against my reservation in the amount of $60.00 per person,($120.00 for my wife and I) for fuel fees because of the recent escalation in fuel prices. I admire the bold stance you took when your organization unilaterally required me to bear a portion of the burden your company faces with todays high fuel prices. I very seriously doubt that had the fuel prices and other costs of doing business gone down, that your company would have passed along the savings to my wife and I.
The reason we booked ahead of time was to avoid price fluctuations such as this. I can understand that you might charge more for a reservation made today and possible even more for reservations made in the coming weeks. However, I made our reservations several months ago in good faith with the express knowledge and expectation that my fare was what it was and would not change once my deposit was accepted.
Would you please arrange to have the new fuel surcharges removed from my bill.
Bill
Fresno, California
U.S.A.
Princess Cruises
24844 Ave. Rockefeller
Santa Clara, Ca. 91355
Dear Sirs,
Several months ago I booked a cruise on the Sapphire Princess through my travel agent, Mary Ann Van Woerkom, with Travel World Cruises in Visalia, California. This particular cruise leaves Sydney, Australia on March 21, 2008 for 12 days.
I received a letter today from my travel agent informing me that there has been an additional charge levied against my reservation in the amount of $60.00 per person,($120.00 for my wife and I) for fuel fees because of the recent escalation in fuel prices. I admire the bold stance you took when your organization unilaterally required me to bear a portion of the burden your company faces with todays high fuel prices. I very seriously doubt that had the fuel prices and other costs of doing business gone down, that your company would have passed along the savings to my wife and I.
The reason we booked ahead of time was to avoid price fluctuations such as this. I can understand that you might charge more for a reservation made today and possible even more for reservations made in the coming weeks. However, I made our reservations several months ago in good faith with the express knowledge and expectation that my fare was what it was and would not change once my deposit was accepted.
Would you please arrange to have the new fuel surcharges removed from my bill.
Bill
Fresno, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Michael
Summerland Key,Florida,
U.S.A.
Bad PR
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, April 11, 2008
I understand the need for the fuel surcharge. But when the cruise lines started with it, they should have only applied the charge to new bookings. I believe it was legal, but to add the charge to pre-existing bookings was horrible PR, in my opinion. Some cruise lines are realizing that and they are crediting people for the charge on already booked fares, even on cruises already sailed. Hopefully Princess is one of those lines, and hopefully the OP will be refunded.
Cory
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
FYI
#3Consumer Comment
Tue, December 25, 2007
They hit everybody for the extra money, a fuel surcharge, even if you had paid in full, in advance. They do give you the option to cancel the cruise. Some folks have stated that they have waited up to five months to get a refund. Dad told me they got hit for that extra $120 on one of their upcoming cruises. I asked him how much the cruise was. He said he couldn't remember, $3 or $4,000. They were debating on whether to cancel or not. I laughed. What is that, 3 or 4 %?
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
You only paid a deposit?
#4Consumer Suggestion
Mon, December 24, 2007
I'm sure in the small print someplace it says that prices may flutuate until final payment is made. The way to nail down your fare is to pay all of it in advance. If you simply pay a deposit the final price can change in the interim before your balance is due.
