Earthquake near Santiago Chile -- Princess Sailings and Passengers

[Tradewind40]

If anything - I think many of us have learned a valuable lesson from Doug and others who are booked on this trip and I appreciate that. These posts have been extremely helpful in many of our eyes.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=81224.blog

 

 

" Princess says passengers who booked affected flights in and out of Santiago through Princess are being re-booked, and any needed modification to pre- or post-cruise packages are being handled by the line."

 

 

I agree, and given Princesse's press release quoted above, it will be interesting, seeing as they say flights are available and Santiago airport is open, how many of the "re-bookings" they've promised are followed through on!

 

I think their PR has been abysmal on this.

[Pam in CA]

UPDATE: Revised itinerary has the ship bypassing Punta Arenas, and instead heading to Ushuaia on March 8, 2010. Skipping Cape Horn and Port Stanley to arrive in Montevideo on March 12, 2010.

Thanks for the update. When I heard there was a revised itinerary, I assumed they'd drop the Falklands as the weather can make any stop there iffy. Sorry to hear about Cape Horn as that's one reason why some people take this cruise and it's a magnificent sight.

[DougH]

Thanks for the support of several members, yes I am mainly venting my frustration on a forum that I hoped would have an understanding of my and other passengers frustration. What I was trying to point out was the difference between the Princess press releases and what they were or were not tellng me. I figured out several days ago that getting to Santiago/Valpariso or any of the next couple scheduled ports was next to impossibe and changed plans to meet the ship in Buenos Aires.

 

i am still looking forward to an almost 3 week cruise and several days in BA, and am hopeful that Princess will eventually take care of me. I've sailed with them 27 times already and enjoy their product. I understand they are in a difficult position but all I've wanted since the start is some contact that tells me they are aware that my trip is in jeopardy and they are working to help it continue. Like someone mentioned if it was a 7 day cruise I wouild have given up long ago but a 32 day cruise I've looked forward to for almost a year is hard to just throw away even if insurance covers all expenses.

 

I sailed on the Star Princess twice last year and am looking forward to being aboard again, if not todayy then in about 10 days.

[marylandcrab]

We have been looking for alternative arrangements since we learned of our cancelled flight on Saturday. We thought we had our bases covered as we were flying into Fort Lauderdale a day early to catch an Avianca flight to Santiago on Sunday and then spending the night in Santiago on Monday to be able to board the ship on Tuesday.

 

We have been trying to get a flight out to join the ship, first for March 2, then for March 3, and now for March 4. There have been no flights available for March 2 and March 3 and now very limited flights are available. They have convoluted flights and are charging $4000+ one way EACH. That is an awful lot of money to spend for an abbreviated cruise that will miss most of the ports that we had been longing to see.

 

Therefore we have decided that we had no option but to cancel the first leg of our cruise which our TA has recommended that we do, and book a

flight to Rio for the last 18 days of our cruise.

 

This has been frustrating for all involved. Princess has not contacted us and the only way I have been able to learn their plans has been on CC or their web site. I just saw the lastest update on Princess.com

 

It will be interesting to see what Princess will do from a PR point of view. :confused: This was to be our first cruise with this cruise line.

 

Our hearts go out to the people of Chile as they try to recover from this devastating blow to their country.

 

Barbara

[YYC F/A]

I've been posting in this thread since Saturday morning. I can confirm that as a TA with several guests on this voyage, Princess has not made any outbound contact with me as the agent at any time. Not once. There have been no emails, no emergency notifications, and no telephone calls. Our company has an out of hours emergency line, and over the weekend we diverted our main number to it for any clients trying to reach us - so we've been fielding calls but there's been none from Princess. So please do not be upset with your TA or assume they have been not passing on information - they probably haven't been given any in the first case.

 

In any event, I think when all is said and done that Princess would be well advised to do a detailed post-event analysis on this entire event. I know, heck we all know, that natural disasters happen and it can be difficult at first getting all the information on the impact it can have. Of course you cannot hold Princess in anyway accountable for the disaster or the damage.

 

What they should be held accountable for however is their contingency plans, and how they react in the days following the event. There should be some long hard looks at how communication was handled, not too mention the decision making process itself. Continuing to say "business as usual, see you in Valparaiso" - this official company line in direct light of travel advisories from both the US and Canadian government advocating against tourism travel or any non-essential travel to Chile... I have my own very distinct views on that, and I'll let you draw your own.

 

I too saw the press release about Princess Air. I will preface my next comments by saying that my intent is NOT to slam Princess here. However I can confirm that experiences such as what DougH posted with regard to being "left to figure it out with the airline'" are not surprising. There have been exhaustive threads on these boards about the benefits of cruise air vs. independent air (or that booked with your TA). All I can add to this is that in my professional capacity as a TA, I no longer recommend Princess Air to my clients because I have countless, documented situations where clients with Princess Air where actually disadvantaged over clients whom had independent air.

 

We also have an admin agent in our office that also works part time for a major airline, and they too confirm that the airline they work for cannot get involved with rebooking passengers on cruise line air in many cases, because they are bulk contract rates that the ground agents and reservation agents are not able to touch in most cases - especially for more complex international itineraries or those involving multiple airlines. This means that the passengers get referred back to the cruise line, and while they are then trying to figure out options with the cruiseline, the few seats left on other flights are being snapped up by others. I can fully understand how people trying to get on this cruise are running into this difficult situation.

 

I wish everyone all the best in getting to where they need to go safely. For those booked with Princess Air, be both patient but persistent in getting answers. Not for a second do I think that Princess is being knowingly obstructive or malicious, of course not. It's just that they are being very reactive rather than proactive here and it's unfortunately been a frustrating experience for many with conflicting information.

 

Whether you are a die-hard Princess lover or not, we can all learn from our experiences, and I think Princess would be well served to evaluate everything that transpired throughout this saga, once the situation finally settles down, and find ways to improve their processes when the unexpected happens.

 

Good luck and safe travels.

[irwinler]

We were told by Princess on Saturday that they would call us later that day with information. Here it is Tuesday and we have not heard a word from them. DH has been on the phone with them several times and also with Expedia, American, and Avianca. Princess told our TA that since we had paid 100% our group of 6 can't cancel, we'll be considered "no shows" and we should make insurance claims, which we are currently trying to do (what a hassle). We have booked an alternative 15-day cruise on HAL. If Princess doesn't come back to us in the near future with some sort of good offer on a future cruise, we will probably avoid that cruise line for quite a while.

Nancy et al

[FLACRUISER99]

Airport getting back to normal http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-03/03/content_9527580.htm

[Princess Chatterer]

Airport getting back to normal http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-03/03/content_9527580.htm

 

Note the word "gradually" in the article. Gradually over the next week or so?

 

If Princess doesn't issue cruise refunds to those who can't reach the ship due to the Santiago airport being closed and then turns around and resells that same cabin to someone else forced to do a back to back because of the airport being closed then Princess is double charging. This just isn't right.

[PescadoAmarillo]

In any event, I think when all is said and done that Princess would be well advised to do a detailed post-event analysis on this entire event. I know, heck we all know, that natural disasters happen and it can be difficult at first getting all the information on the impact it can have. Of course you cannot hold Princess in anyway accountable for the disaster or the damage.

 

What they should be held accountable for however is their contingency plans, and how they react in the days following the event.

I couldn't agree more. This is Princess's business...it's what they do. It is no different than after the Crown tilt, when many people posted on this board that the ship was in chaos and that many people couldn't find family members (I can't imagine anything worse, given that there was a very real concern that people might have gone overboard). These are precisely the events for which the ship should be prepared. Every emergency is going to result in chaos...it's the nature of the beast. And it is no different for Princess now. Yes, every disaster, natural or manmade, is different, and will have to be handled differently. But preparation, in the form of communication training and determining logistical alternatives is vital, and it appears that it is with regard to these things that Princess is failing. It's easy to be in the business when each cruise runs similar to the cruise before and the cruise after...it's in a time like this when it's hard-for passengers, for TAs and for Princess- and it seems like the first two groups have done everything they can to deal with and alleviate the situation and Princess has failed miserably.

 

And, of course, prayers to the people of Chile. I would certainly hope that no one is any longer doubting that passengers, even in their frustration, comprehend that this whole thing is bigger than themselves and their cruise. Looking out for themselves does not detract from their concern for those who are suffering.

[Princess Chatterer]

Here's the latest from Rich and Joan on the Star Princess

 

"we left valpariso dock at 130 pm and are anchored in valpariso - vina del mar harbour. reason - they needed dock space for other ships. we cannot tender tomorrow since tusnami destroyed tender docks. we are stuck on ship. we will dock tommorrow night and probably sail thursday afternoon. this will be last chance for people to join the ship. also, for passengers to get off and make their way home."

[sackman]

I don't envy Princess in this situation. Pretty much anything they do is going to be wrong for somebody. I don't know how you can put a positive spin on this from their standpoint. Princess is in a really difficult spot on this one. Their hands are tied just the same as everybody elses are.

 

No winners, only losers in this situation.

[Princess Chatterer]

He who loses the least is the winner in this situation.

 

Princess should step up and immediately issue refunds to ALL who were prevented from flying into Santiago. Why? Because Princess is reselling many of those cabins, even at a discount, to those who either have to or just decide to remain on the ship.

[BridgeMates]

Similar thing happened to us on RCCL in 08 when AA grounded all their MD 80's the day before we were to leave. We were booked through the cruise line from DFW to Miami and were told if we "couldn't get there, we'd get our money back" but we were on our own to get to the ship. They couldn't (wouldn't) help us rebook anything else. Luckily AA was very helpful & we had to rush & go a day early. My trip insurance (Travel Insured) covered the motel and some miscellaneous expenses.

[sackman]

From what I can gather, Princess is allowing the current passengers to stay on for as long as Buenos Aires. What happens if enough people do manage to get to Santiago and demand to get on the ship? I suppose it's unlikely to happen, but they have to take that into consideration.

 

Nothing about this situation is as simple as it seems on the surface. At the end of the day, Princess is running a business. This earthquake, while truly awful, wasn't their fault. They still have bills to pay. They have some very difficult decisions to make and the people making them are thousands of miles away from where the problem is. Like any large organization, nobody at the local level is empowered to make any decisions, so response time is going to slow down in a way commensurate with the distance the decision has to go.

 

It sucks. There's no getting around it. We can sit here all day long and say "Princess should do this or that", but the reality is that they are not equipped to work that way. No company is.

[hightownCO]

We have been trying to get a flight out to join the ship, first for March 2, then for March 3, and now for March 4. There have been no flights available for March 2 and March 3 and now very limited flights are available. They have convoluted flights and are charging $4000+ one way EACH. That is an awful lot of money to spend for an abbreviated cruise that will miss most of the ports that we had been longing to see.

 

Barbara

 

First, want to say my heart goes out to those in Chile and what they are dealing with right now. Secondly, I hope everything works out for those on the Star now and those trying to get there.

 

What bothers me about the situation is apparently what the airlines are trying to do to folks like Barbara who had valid tickets and are now just trying to get there for their cruise. Why are the airlines wanting 4k each to get these folks to a place they were ticketed to in the first place? I know the earthquake is not the airlines fault but are they trying to make a hugh profit out of this? Seems like the goal would be to get ticket passengers in any seat via any route and not look for $$$$.

 

My 2 cents. Best wishes, thoughts and prayers for all.

[AlanAllyn]

Similar thing happened to us on RCCL in 08 when AA grounded all their MD 80's the day before we were to leave. We were booked through the cruise line from DFW to Miami and were told if we "couldn't get there, we'd get our money back" but we were on our own to get to the ship. They couldn't (wouldn't) help us rebook anything else. Luckily AA was very helpful & we had to rush & go a day early. My trip insurance (Travel Insured) covered the motel and some miscellaneous expenses.

 

There seems to be a big difference in attitude here. Carnival Corp. (i.e. Princess) has not told anyone that has reported here or on the roll call that they could get their money back. Hopefully, they will eventually decide to do this, but not yet -- more than three days after the problem was clear.

[anzt888]

Luck me. Air Canada has open new flight Toronto -> Santiago tonight and arrive Santiago 9am on Mar 03. If everything ok, we will be onboard on time. Going to airport now. Good luck.

[sackman]

Luck me. Air Canada has open new flight Toronto -> Santiago tonight and arrive Santiago 9am on Mar 03. If everything ok, we will be onboard on time. Going to airport now. Good luck.

 

Good luck to you. I hope you have a cabin waiting for you when you get there.

[Cruise Junky]

Luck me. Air Canada has open new flight Toronto -> Santiago tonight and arrive Santiago 9am on Mar 03. If everything ok, we will be onboard on time. Going to airport now. Good luck.

 

Excellent News - good luck

[yelp]

We can sit here all day long and say "Princess should do this or that", but the reality is that they are not equipped to work that way. No company is.

 

They're not equipped to give passengers credit so that passengers will book on Princess again? They're not equipped to send a mass email to passengers with the updates they give reporters? Sorry, but good businesses think these kinds of things through before an emergency.

[YYC F/A]

They're not equipped to give passengers credit so that passengers will book on Princess again? They're not equipped to send a mass email to passengers with the updates they give reporters? Sorry, but good businesses think these kinds of things through before an emergency.

 

Agreed on that. There has been no formal communication from Princess to any of my clients on this voyage. It's up to the passenger or the TA to go 'hunting' for it. Even Princess' Customer Relations team on Sunday said that they were finding out stuff about the ship on the Princess consumer website before they were told about it internally. For someone whom works for the company in a supervisory capacity and has to talk to customers - to find out important updates only after it's posted on the consumer website - this is just very very poor. So the communication issues appear to have been internal and external - and that IS something that Princess has control over.

[sackman]

They're not equipped to give passengers credit so that passengers will book on Princess again? They're not equipped to send a mass email to passengers with the updates they give reporters? Sorry, but good businesses think these kinds of things through before an emergency.

 

Yes, they're equipped to give passengers credit - at the corporate level. That's a decision that will be made (and probably given). It's not something that a kid working the pursers desk or a port agent can do. I would be shocked if everybody who was impacted by this doesnt receive some kind of future cruise credit.

No, they're not equipped to send everybody a mass e-mail. Who do they send it to? The people on this voyage? The next? Who puts together the e-mail distribution list? They're running around trying to figure out what to do next, not who to send e-mails to. Their immediate priority is for the safety and well-being of the passengers and crew on board their ship. After that, they can start worrying about other stuff. It's not an ideal situation, for sure. I can completely understand the frustration that the passengers are experiencing. I'd be upset, too.

The best businesses in the world don't have contingency plans for when the most powerful earthquake in recorded history strikes. This idea that they should have some kind of contingency plan in place for an event like this is crazy. Nobody plans for stuff like this. You deal with it as best you can when it happens. Tell me, when was the last time a cruise line had to deal with an earthquake shutting down a turnaround port? You can't have a contingency plan in place for every possible thing that may go wrong. As much as Princess is obviously struggling with this, I'm not going to condemn them for their response or lack thereof. I'm sure they're doing the best they can given the resources they have at their disposal.

[PescadoAmarillo]

They're not equipped to send a mass email to passengers with the updates they give reporters? Sorry, but good businesses think these kinds of things through before an emergency.

Princess has no trouble emailing both DH and I as soon as we put a $100pp deposit on a cruise more than a year out; they could obviously use email to keep passengers updated now.

[Coral]

Yes, they're equipped to give passengers credit - at the corporate level. That's a decision that will be made (and probably given). It's not something that a kid working the pursers desk or a port agent can do. I would be shocked if everybody who was impacted by this doesnt receive some kind of future cruise credit.

No, they're not equipped to send everybody a mass e-mail. Who do they send it to? The people on this voyage? The next? Who puts together the e-mail distribution list? They're running around trying to figure out what to do next, not who to send e-mails to. Their immediate priority is for the safety and well-being of the passengers and crew on board their ship. After that, they can start worrying about other stuff. It's not an ideal situation, for sure. I can completely understand the frustration that the passengers are experiencing. I'd be upset, too.

 

I think you are underestimating what Princess can actually do.

 

Princess has dealt with hurricanes around FLL on turnaround day (and were pretty quick in dealing with such) and seemed far more lenient compared to how they are treating those in the Chile situation. It would be far easier for people to make it to port in FLL (flying into other parts of FL) compared to flying into Santiago. While not an earthquake - they have dealt with delays on turnaround days.

 

Princess has the ability to do mass emails to the travel agents and/or passengers. I have received emails and phone calls from Princess saying the ship is going to be delayed and embarkation would take place later then normal. They have phone numbers and email addresses in their records and also have their agents information.

 

Most importantly - Princess can actually follow through with what they said they were going to do - call their passengers with status updates. Even if it is to say "we are working on it".

 

People spent thousands on this cruise. They need some confidence that the tour company that they paid actually cares about them and not just their profit margin.

[sackman]

I think you are underestimating what Princess can actually do.

 

Princess has dealt with hurricanes around FLL on turnaround day (and were pretty quick in dealing with such) and seemed far more lenient compared to how they are treating those in the Chile situation. It would be far easier for people to make it to port in FLL (flying into other parts of FL) compared to flying into Santiago. While not an earthquake - they have dealt with delays on turnaround days.

 

Princess has the ability to do mass emails to the travel agents and/or passengers. I have received emails and phone calls from Princess saying the ship is going to be delayed and embarkation would take place later then normal. They have phone numbers and email addresses in their records and also have their agents information.

 

Most importantly - Princess can actually follow through with what they said they were going to do - call their passengers with status updates. Even if it is to say "we are working on it".

 

People spent thousands on this cruise. They need some confidence that the tour company that they paid actually cares about them and not just their profit margin.

 

I agree that people have expectations as to a certain level of communication from Princess. I get that. But I think we're dealing with something here that is much larger than we realize. Princess has to deal with a lot of stuff going on all at once here. First, they have to figure out what to do with the passengers that are currently on board. Then they have to figure out whether they can disembark them safely and get them home, then they have to figure out if they can get provisions, fuel, etc for their own return voyage, then they have to figure out what to do with the passengers that DID make it to Valpariso, then they have to figure out what to do with people who couldn't make it. That's a lot of stuff to deal with. Oh, and they also have 12 other ships to deal with, too. I'm sure they're doing everything they can, it's just not going to be enough for most people. They can communicate better, I'll freely admit that. I'm not trying to be a huge apologist for them, I just know that these things aren't ever nearly as simple as we think they are from 6,000 miles away.