Princess Cruises
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Princess Cruises: Poor Service, Lack of Accountability, and an Insulting Gesture of "Good Faith"
On 16 August 2024, I confirmed, booked, and paid a deposit for a 7-day cruise for 2 departing from Sydney on 30 November 2024 and returning on 7 December 2024, covering stops in Hobart, Port Albert, and Melbourne. What started as an exciting holiday plan turned into a frustrating and unacceptable ordeal due to the abysmal customer service and lack of professionalism from Princess Cruises. On 25 September 2024, I received an email from reservations at princess cruises cruises stating: "Our records indicate that a refund is due to you. Refund details are as follows: AUD 2,229.25." Despite confirming the legitimacy of this refund on 26 September 2024, following numerous calls and emails, the refund process became a nightmare. From 26 September to 31 December 2024, I spent countless hours trying to follow up on the promised refund, only to face conflicting statements and unhelpful responses from the Princess Cruises team. On 31 December 2024, I was finally notified by a Customer Liaison Representative that the refund of AUD 2,229.25 had been processed incorrectly against my booking and would not be credited to my account. It took over three months for this information to be conveyed, during which Princess Cruises failed to communicate adequately. Adding to the frustration, their own records indicated multiple attempts to process the refund on the following dates: 20 September 2024 2 October 2024 9 October 2024 27 November 2024 These repeated errors and conflicting updates demonstrate a severe lack of organization and professionalism. Throughout the whole process, the communication was appalling, and the customer service team seemed disjointed, offering no resolution or accountability for their mistakes. To add insult to injury, in a so-called gesture of "good faith," the Customer Liaison Representative offered a $250 per person credit for a future cruise with Princess Cruises, valid only for 12 months. This offer was not only insufficient, but also insulting given the time, stress, and energy spent on trying to resolve their mistake. Expecting a customer to rebook with them after such an experience is audacious and completely tone-deaf. This experience has left me with no confidence in Princess Cruises’ ability to manage customer service effectively or handle even the most basic administrative processes. Based on my experience, I strongly advise potential travelers to consider alternative cruise lines that prioritize professionalism customer satisfaction, and excellence. Princess Cruises’ extremely poor online reviews speak for themselves. I regret booking with them and urge others to avoid the same mistake.