laktex

Table swappingincident.

As we depart our cabin for breakfast each morning we alwaysslip the “make up room” card into the key card slot and every morning withoutfail by the time we return the room is made up – excellent service by the cabin steward we think.

However, one morning we returned and to our total amazement aswe entered our cabin we saw two stewards moving our nicely varnished balconytable through the adjoining balcony partition to the adjacent balcony havingleft us with a well-worn table that certainly did need a major sanding down andvarnish. I have to say after initialamazement at what was going on I was then quite livid. Excuses were given –first we were told that they would be coming around to re-varnish this table –why change them round I asked? – then an excuse that there was to be a filmshoot next door and they wanted our better looking table for the filming !! – Iwas not at all pleased so popped down to the front desk to ask for the HotelManager but the guy at the desk phoned around and just said a supervisor would meetme back in my cabin. There wereapologies but no one could explain why we just happened to see this process of table swapping andthere was no prior communication to us. Our original table was replaced immediatelybut no one higher up the chain responded to my disapproval of this action. I suppose I was somewhat upset that thiscould happen but hey ho we are on vacation let’s get on with the holiday.

On the Crown Princess the Port side entrance to the dining room is exclusively for Club Dining with its own Maitre 'd - very efficiently operated in my opinion. If you are happy with the price differential it is definitely worth it for the more relaxed atmosphere - in my opinion.

General view from SkyLift

Crown Princess taken from SkyLift

As we awoke on Tuesday morning we were cruising along the Innviksfjorden towards OLDEN and it was enchanting to watch the little villages / communities along the shoreline and up high on the hills and wonder how life would be when winter comes along with all that snow - how do they get around, do their shopping etc - but at this time of year what appears to be an idyllic location away from the rush of everyday life (and I live in a small village in Northamptonshire).

Just after 6:30 am there is the knock on the door and the orange juice and tea arrives from room service, bang on time, a couple of dollars tip and its out on the balcony watching the scenery again enjoying the early morning cuppa. The ship starts its berthing procedure against a small dock area and a small boat comes out with two men on board to collect three of the aft ship's ropes and loop them over a yellow floating mooring buoy - incredible to think of this 113,000 ton vessels being secured in this way. I presume the same is happening up at the bow so switch on the TV to see what the webcam will tell me. You can see clearly the glaciers in the distance.

I had checked previously online what to do here in Olden and we fancied the Loen Skylift which was online at NOK 480 but not advertised on the Princess tour list. I hadn't booked so went to purchase the tickets shoreside and they were over NOK 600 so if you are interested to do this - get your tickets online!. A shuttle's took us to Loen and the base of the Skylift and everything, including the carpark, looked very new and indeed the SkyLift only opened in May THIS year. I quote from the leaflet:-

This was a superb trip, magnificent views, possibilities for walks higher up, the sound of sheep with bells around their necks, a lovely restaurant - I guess Princess will feature it within their tours in future years. I recommend getting there early as it did start to get very busy as the day progressed. Amazing to watch the climbers ascending the rock faces as we descended the Skylift

After the Skylift we wandered in Loen to the lovely Hotel Alexandria - it is worth reading about the history of this hotel - and stopping off for a drink in their outside area - would be a fabulous place to stay for a couple of nights.

Back to the ship after a weary day with plenty of steep walking.

Mention has been made on this board about Princess Club Dining. Personally I think it is a great feature - giving a more relaxed personalised dining experience - albeit with the same MDR menu. It is easy to say it is an expensive system but there is a definite market for it and it is (as far as I know) only available to some mini suites and full suites. If you compare it with Cunard's Britannia Club, which is often fully booked, one can see that there is positively a market for this initiative - in fact Cunard have expanded their Club facility on the QM2 and just introduced it on the Victoria.

As we sail away its more of those great Fjordland views as you have those long long daylight hours to enjoy the facilities of the Crown Princess as we wine and dine once more.

Monday morning saw our arrival into Stavanger and as wereversed (is that the correct nautical term?) to dock at Skagenkaien it wasquite amusing to see the promotional BMW Mini ostensibly floating at the end ofthe dock. We had booked online for the RodneLyseford cruise at NOK 490 per person and their location for boarding wasliterally a few yards aft of the Crown Princess – fabulously convenient. Thecruise is roughly half the cost of the Princess price – we were fortunate totake the third of 3 boats leaving at 10:00 am and had lots of spare seating,and a good open space on the bow – very good trip. Afterwards we had time for a visit to thePetroleum Museum and a walk around the town before getting back to the ship fora bite to eat.

A good sailaway viewed from our balcony before dinner in theBotticelli dining room where we were perfectly happy with the MDR food and thestaff. What is really enjoyable is the long daylight and the opportunity to view the surroundings during the evening hours - the Adaggio bar was once again our location for after dinner drinks at seating near the window.

We were feeling very pleased that we had chosen this cruise on the Crown Princess.

Despite the many worrying reviews about the Crown Princess we thought we would give her a try as the itinerary and dates were just what we wanted. We travelled to Southampton the preceding Friday and stayed at the Holiday Inn as usual which was fine except that only one lift was working creating a bit of chaos on the Saturday morning.

Checked in at QEII terminal with CPS and their usual efficiency and sued a few minutes before check-in began, a short sit down before boarding began and we were straight to our cabin. Within 5/10 minutes the luggage arrived and we were unpacked and off for a bite to eat in the Horizon Court which was very busy but perfectly satisfactory. Every crew member we had encountered was most friendly and polite and to us the ship seemed in pretty good condition. Life Boat drill was also a busy affair and there were quite a few more children on board than we expected for a Fjord cruise but schools had of course broken up for the holidays.

We dined first night in the Crown Grill with two friends and between us we had a New York Strip, a Filet Steak and two Rib-Eyes - we were all very pleased with the steaks, the portions were ample and the service pretty good but perhaps a little too casual at times. The show was pretty good and I think we just managed to get the last four adjacent seats. With absolutely no complaints so far we retired early and had an excellent nights sleep in a very comfortable bed as we continued our journey northwards to Stavanger.

First morning we had breakfast in Sabatini's and the staff were absolutely brilliant - warmly welcoming you and explaining everything that was available - a very nice relaxing start to a sea day where we would explore the ship and try to get to know the layout and facilities. Once again we were pleased with the appearance of the ship and I think our only negative observation was the insufficient space / tables around the International Cafe - this was a very popular area of the ship serving good coffee (we purchased a coffee card) and snacks but every time we used it there was a bit of a search for a table - there was always an overspill into the Vines Bar area which helped. For a sea day we were a little disappointed with what was on offer around the ship and in fairness I am probably comparing with the sort of programme that is available on the Cunard ships with lectures/talks etc but we still had an enjoyable day.

We decided to order afternoon tea for four on our balcony which arrived promptly at 3:30 p.m. and was excellent with sandwiches, scones, cakes and a selection of teas. I would have preferred a tea-pot rather than a tea bag in the cup and of course there would have been no clotted cream if I had not thought to bring a pot on board with us.

A spruce up for the first formal night where we did the show first at which we arrived only a few minute before the start so we had to stand. The show was not quite so good this evening and afterward there was a potential long wait for dinner so we all went to Sabatini's for a delightful dinner - I took a bottle of Laurent-Perrier and were just charged the usual $15 corkage which was fine. A nice after dinner drink in the adjacent Adagio's bar but a bit surprised to see that they stopped serving at 11:00 p.m.

... ... ... more to follow

Is a 'rant' any post you disagree with?

Absolutely not. I respect peoples views. In fact I am a champion of consumer rights having been involved in Airline Consumer rights for many years.

A rant is "to disclaim in a violent, loud or vehement manner" and that is how the respondent came over in this posting and in my opinion it achieves very little - does it help other cruisers, I doubt it.

10005 was fine for me on a pretty rough Transatlantic in January. But, we all respond differently to rough seas so if in doubt ask if they have any alternatives nearer midships.

You're 100% right. Had it with Princess too. They add NOTHING new and interesting, just dumb crap like Club Class, Medallions, Norman Love chocolates, Curtis Stone (fail), and dancing fountains. Other lines all add unique and cool venues and dining options. Sure, some are bit ridiculous (really don't care about a bubble ride! lol), but at least it's NEW. New Princess "specialty" options that are nothing more than roped off areas of an existing dining area, and, charge for it. Crab Shack... was hard to justify when it was $19, but at $29, and limited to one entree, it's a total waste unless you have OBC to burn. Princess has become boring and stale. I kept coming back because Elite benefits were still nice, but I too just canceled two booked cruises and am also trying NCL for the first time with friends that also are tired of the same old, same old. I've seen more declines in the last few years than I have in the many before. $4600 for a mini I used to pay 2K les for... but now they add a new mattress and another roped off section that reviews have generally said were nothing special. Not a special venue like Blu on X or exclusive dining on NCL's haven... but a giant upcharge for pretty much NOTHING. You don't even get the Enclave with Club Class or even suites! Crown Grill was terrible last three times, and now they just started charging $10 more for an extra entree too! Jan Swartz is wrecking this brand, and with all the less than favorable things I've seen and heard lately, it's starting to cost them because even their long-time faithful are looking for something new. If the ship under construction is just another copy of Regal, I won't bother anymore. The best thing about Royal and Regal was the greatly improved Horizon Court... very nice. X's new "Edge" class looks very nice! At least they see NCL, RCCL, and even MSC coming out with all kinds of cool things, many specialty options (real ones), and are doing the same with Edge. Not seen that at all with Princess... it's a shame. I may just hate NCL, who knows? But I saved $2600, have a spa balcony cabin that INCLUDES the thermal suite (with heated chairs that actually WORK, and ocean facing windows vs. being buried down on deck 5!!), the unlim. drink package, and same 250m internet I get with Elite. For $84 ($21 per for 4 dinners) I can grab a dining package, or for $95 get 5 (only $19 per), and you get to choose from like 8 different specialty options! Some have small upcharges for dinners that include shows... but even with the upcharge it will be the same or less than the $29 on Princess with nothing more. I'll miss the nice MUTS, especially on NFL nights, but even with MUTS, how many years have they shown the same Billy Joel and Tina Turner concerts??? Since it came out on the Grand?? LOL Entertainment?? Cruise-Ship corny, and just poor. Nothing changes. Same old comedians, and magic shows. How about SOMETHING close to Cirque, Broadway, Blu Man, ANYTHING beyond the stagnant cruise ship sing & dance shows.The demographic is getting older and older, and even my 84 year old dad thought it was pretty blah, not to mention almost getting run over by the endless number of scooters!! :rolleyes:

Another rant.

I know perspective in photos can be misleading but check out this one from the Northern Times.

http://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/Famous-meeting-of-two-Queen-Elizabeths-07072017.htm#

Does anyone have any actual experience with this situation? This is a well-travelled group, and would just like recommendations and actual stories of what has occurred in real life situations. My plan is to try to encourage him to renew the passport, but if he continues to refuse, then I will have him prepare a notarized letter allowing me to travel out of the country with our 10 year old son, who is most excited about this trip. We'd love for (DS) SO to be with us on this trip, but I can't see us all having to stay home because of this preventable, unpredictable problem.

 

Sorry this is so long, and appreciate any input. TIA!

Why on earth take the risk. Renew the passport!! - I presume the authorities extend the validity of the passport in a similar manner to the UK? - if so there is nothing lost and peace of mind to gain.

I feel very sorry for all concerned - the poor passenger who had a medical situation (someone said a broken back, is this certain?) , !

That's what was stated on Dover Marina.com Facebook pages.

According to marinetraffic.com Crown Princess does not stop at Stavenger, currently sailing in Sognefjord heading to Olden.

Cruise No 3717: Sou/Stavenger/Skjolden/Olden/Bergen/Sou.

They omitted Stavanger because of the medical situation.

Great photos, thank you very much for sharing them. It looks very smart but it's a shame those amazing balconies have gone.

Have to agree that the depth of the balcony is a bit meagre now.

Hi folks. You good people normally manage to advise me as a result of your previous experiences. Does anybody have the details of any reputable and reliable private Company that we can approach for "doing our own thing" when in Venice in September. Any details would be more than welcome. Thanks in advance, David.

I let my Hotel do the arrangements but make sure you get a firm price.

Actually it's section 7.

Apologies, I am reading the UK Booking Conditions, which are categorised differently.

 

We had a cruise cancelled after it's first day due to mechanical problems...we were sure it covered by our travel insurance. Guess what.....mechanical breakdown/problems with the ship after the cruise has started is not a covered event.

But surely the cruise company had obligations under the booking conditions. eg. Princess has a condition (38) relating to alteration/cancellation after departure.

I would like to repeat my comment about what actually are the Terms and Conditions for this particular OP when they are boarding "within a cruise schedule". Does article 35 - Alteration & Cancellation prior to departure - actually apply in their particular case. If it does, it would appear to me that the passengers have a claim against Princess.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I thought the purpose of a site named "Cruise Critic" is to post our experiences, both good and bad. I am doing just that. I am obviously a new poster, and if I am mistaken, please let me know.

 

While it will help my situation out this time, on average, I think paying $145 per person for extra insurance is a poor investment, given that the maximum possible payout is $500 per person. I thought this was the proper venue to alert others to properly evaluate the risk/ reward coupled with paying so much for trip insurance that pays out so little should one need it.

 

And, furthermore, while I understand that travel emergencies do happen, at the very least, Princess should have alerted us as soon as they knew. Instead, they never alerted us at all. No matter how one looks at the overall situation, this failure to give any notice is absolutely a failure on Princess.

 

Mark

Of course you were inconvenienced by the poor guy who broke his back!! I would imagine most people on the ship will have been inconvenienced - some will have booked and paid for "private" tours and probably will not get their money back. Two days at Sea was not their schedule!

According to AIS the Crown was originally going to arrive very late into Stavanger but then obviously things have changed. To suggest everyone else should rebel and not travel with Princess again certainly will not help your case with Princess - have you checked your terms of travel with Princess?

Look forward to following your trip - you had a good start from your Southampton base.

Looking at AIS Monday morning it would appear she is missing Stavanger altogether and heading to Skjolden.

Not a very good start to the New Chart Room onboard Queen Victoria.

 

With effect from this week there is now a charge for 'lunch items' in the new Chart room, I believe it's approx $16 :confused: ( I haven't seen what is on offer yet) However, breakfast pastries etc are still complimentary.

 

 

 

:(

So long as the lunch items are Caviar and Champagne that's OK.

Firstly our thoughts are with the person(s) concerned.

It looks as if the Crown went off course around 02:30 this morning before turning round. I do not know what the implications were but I wonder if it had been daylight if there may have been a medical lift off by helicopter or other boat because it was about 7:00 when the Crown got into Dover, so some 4/5 hours later. No doubt all will be revealed - the ETA for Stavanger is presently 11:15 Monday 5th.

In the USA it's blended assuming the drinker will leave the teabag in the cup the entire time they're drinking it.

That is pretty disgusting - even most builders take the tea bag out!!! :D

Yes the balcony divider has the usual door that the room steward can unlock.

So you could connect your Owners suite to a Penthouse suite and have half the width of the ship to yourselves - just like a Q1 on Cunard's Victoria & Elizabeth.