Hello everyone
my friend just booked an online cruise with vacationstogo sailing through the Panama canal in March of 2007. The itenary stated they would visit the port of Punta Arenas, Chile, but now as it turns out according to Princess they are visiting
Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Who should she go after for compensation and what do you think is reasonable?

The cruise hasn't even happened yet. Why would she expect some sort of settlement for a future event? There is no compensation warranted. The lines have a right to alter the itinerary according to the cruise contract. Either she accepts the new route or she can cancel. Simple as that!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Beers:
The cruise hasn't even happened yet. Why would she expect some sort of settlement for a future event? There is no compensation warranted. The lines have a right to alter the itinerary according to the cruise contract. Either she accepts the new route or she can cancel. Simple as that!

Normally i would agree with you - but i this case vacationstogo made the error on their website, advertising the wrong port.

Ahh, you didn't mention that in the original note. There probably isn't much that can be done about it though. Here is their terms and conditions.

Did your friend book the cruise to go to Chile?

The logistics of getting from Panama canal to Chile & back to Guatamala in 3 days is just not possible.
Chalk it up to a mistake from VTG and enjoy the cruise.

I hate to say it but I bet they have a sentence in their fine print about ommisions & mistakes..... The only thing the passenger can do is cancel if they are still outside the penalty phase. Did they just want to go to Chile? Why the big deal were they planning on meeting someone there?? If that is the case well then they could try and sway the TA into cancelling without cost and finding them an alternative which includes Chile (of course it would probably be at a different time and might not include the canal...)

I have just completed my ninth cruise with princess. I have missed 10 ports in these travels and I have complained. I havefamily in the Caymen Islans and arranged to visit them on 4 of my trips. It seems Princess always finds a reason not to go to the Caymens. Four trips in W. Caribbean resulted in four missed dockings...questionable...yesss. Compensation $25 after being promissed $125. DO NOT BELIEVE PRINCESS WHEN THEY SAY THERE IS A REASON NOT TO REACH PORT!!! A senior cre member told us they do whatever suits the captain or the line.

Most excuses are lack of passenger interest or medical emergency. I was told this is B.S. They just want you to go to the ports where they can make the most money. Got a whole day in Costa May or Play del Carmen...guess what... Princess has major holdings in both areas, in fact, they own Costa Maya.

So, if you don't make the Caymens...you know why. They have no connection to Princess

I have to think your particular problem is unique. I have completed 16 Princess Cruises as a passenger and another 35 as a guest entertainver since 1974 and I have missed one port in all those years and it was due to an engine failure. And yes, I have been to the Caymen Islands.
I find your whole story questionable and your motives suspect.

I don't think Princess is the only one who has to occasionally miss ports, we've been on other lines as well and when the ocean swell is too high they just can't do it. Its disappointing yeah, but I always look at this way, (I saved money today!) (No Shopping, HAHAHA)

If she booked it online with a tour provider, she most likely used a credit card. she should look into whether she can cancel it and dispute the charge.

Questionable and suspect? Try reading the reviews and see how many people have complained about missing ports. Once it was a stabilizer, next it was a generator, the third time it was a "lack of passenger interest". I spoke to the cruise director on my last trip "Panama Canal" December 18 on Regal Princess, and was told they skip ports on a regular basis and not to believe what the captain says all the time. I mean really...who wants to hear the ship has a problem, but all the same if you promise a port, go there. And yes, our insurance reimbursed us, but money does not replace family.

Now go on and suspect someone else. You know, maybe someone who claims to have gone on over forty cruises...

If you have missed 10 ports in 9 cruises why do you keep going back to Princess?
If you are so suspicious of their motives why don't you just try another line?

Well, I happen to have gone on over forty cruises. If someone cared and wanted to see their family so bad maybe they should fly down to see them. Instead of only stopping into a port for 6-8hrs.

Thank you!