Re: Princess itineraries

[cjm66]

[quote name='jannandjohn']this is the point I was trying to get across, if we did a bus tour and it was changed to something totally different to that planned,
I would also feel the same way..why would I feel like it was ok? ..if it wasn't what I paid for?
I may not be able to change the weather,etc, etc..
but I CAN feel disappointed in missing out on the reason I chose to do a particular trip...

we are fortunate that we can afford other cruises,
[B]but many others have saved and done without for a long time, [/B]
[B]plus put in many hours organising tours etc, only to be denied what they had saved for[/B]!

(I for one do not think that $31 each refund compensated for the loss of 5 ports on our last cruise !!
the ship certainly did not suffer, they would have made more money onboard)



I don't care which cruiseline does it..Princess or others...it bugs me.[/quote]

The difference with a bus tour is that being stuck on it somewhere out the back of beyond due to a flood, fire or breakdown leaves you with community singing or the droning monologue of the bus captain to entertain you and the dubious food options at servos and Macdonalds. I am not slinging off at the Princess Pop choir or any Cruise Director in particular.

Colleen

[luvtheships]

the way I see it...many cruisers seem to think that a cruise is something that visits carib. islands....and don't realize that cruises also go the Med, Alaska and Easter Island and the Galapagos.

OK...so take a deep breath before you resond...and yes, I do know that many people on this board have cruised the world and are experts..like myself:D....but there is certainly a difference with missing say..Cozumel and substituting..Costa Maya in its place...than say....having to miss Easter Island...or porting in Istanbul on a day where PCL has pretty much made tourism that day..their little monopoly. And yes, I know that DYIers can handle anything and nothing ever bothers them...and quite frankly...doesn't bother me either...because I do massive research before any cruise...and always..I mean always...have a Plan B at the ready....

so, yes...changing cruise ports and dates...makes a big difference to some...and is a non issue to others.....


Pax can at times choose to go with it..or if given the opportunity...can cancel.....

what is most important...and many newbies..on their cruise of a lifetime...just do not realize..but they will realize it eventually...is that a cruise...and a TA..be in PCL or brick and mortar..or online...cannot and for the most part...do not...hold your hand these days....and in this age of instant info...it is the cruiser who is ultimately responsible for their trip....

When I book with my online agent..because I want him to do my fighting for me..not me....I tell him very clearly that I monitor the cruise every day and I will let him know immeaditely when there is a price reduction so I don't have to wait for him to email me.....yes, I am doing his job to a certain extent...but he is the big agency guy and has the best OBC's and prices....so I am no fool..I stay with him...and thus far...have saved $1400 for the next cruise...and had the OBC raised by $100....oh yes...I have also learned not to prepay any nonrefundable tour tix in Europe either..because when the cruiseline inevitably changes your itin by a day or so you will be out the money...as they really do not bend over backwards at certain museums in Italy....however, when itin is changed thru no fault of your own...insureance covers the losses.

again..it takes experience..patience and research...and having a backup plan.....
of course not all carib cruisers feel the need to do this on that type of a relaxing vacation...but the Med cruisers are all too well aware of the need for this kind of planning.:)

[jannandjohn]

[quote name='luvtheships']and [B]always[/B]..I mean [B]always[/B]...have a [B]Plan B[/B] at the ready....

again..it takes experience..patience and [B]research[/B]...and having a [B]backup plan.....[/B]
.:)[/quote]
there is NO back up plan if the ship keeps sailing past the ports!
(we missed 5 out of 8, one being Fiordland National Park,
eg..if you have not done NZ yet, then it's like a ship avertising
a trip to Alaska via the inside Passage, but it DIDN'T GO TO the Inside Passage.)
doesn't matter how much research you do....

[Aussie Gal]

JannandJohn,

Have you sat down and emailed a really good letter to Princess detailing what you saw and what you missed out on. I know you received a small amount back but I think that was only a refund on a Port Charge. I am sure that if your letter is a good one you will be surprised at the response. I know it has worked for us though it was more to do with running out of wine, closing of shops early etc on our cruise rather than missing ports as Princess pointed out that it is written on their contract that ports can be missed. Anyhow, I would give it a go as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Jennie

[caribill]

[quote name='jannandjohn'](I for one do not think that $31 each refund compensated for the loss of 5 ports on our last cruise !!
the ship certainly did not suffer, they would have made more money onboard)



[/quote]


On a Princess cruise two years ago we missed three ports completely and had missed another port, but had an alternate port substituted for it.

Every passenger was given $250 OBC + a credit of 10% of the cruise fare to be applied to their next booking within a year.

[toberman]

The OP stated that the change had been in effect for over a year, in which case I believe Princess would have adjusted their web site to show the change. But this next post shows it was a last minute change - obviously made while the ship was at sea, therefore no TA could possibly notify their clients, so no need to bash TAs.

[quote name='SusieO']I am on this cruise and I am also a TA (who doesn't appreciate how we get bashed so much) and just rec'd this email this morning:
[LEFT][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial][B]ITINERARY CHANGE[/B][/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=Arial][B]Please be advised that due to ship congestion in Antigua on December 14, the calls to Antigua and Tortola have been reversed. Caribbean Princess will now call to Antigua on December 13 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and to Tortola on December 14 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. The revised itinerary displays in full at the end of this notification.[/B][/FONT][/COLOR]

[/quote]

Thanks for clearing that up. I was confused about the timeline. I guess the OP was mistaken.

[MHMarkL]

[quote name='weebles']
Today, December 7th, one of our fellow Cruise Critics discovered that our itinerary had changed and NO ONE had been notified!
[/QUOTE]

My question about this post is: If NO ONE had been notified then how did you know? Obviously someone was notified.

[jannandjohn]

[quote name='MHMarkL']My question about this post is: If NO ONE had been notified then how did you know? .[/quote]

you needed to read the first post..

[quote name='weebles'], December 7th, [B]one of our fellow Cruise Critics discovered [/B]that our itinerary had changed and NO ONE had been notified! .[/quote]

[MHMarkL]

[quote name='jannandjohn']you needed to read the first post..[/QUOTE]

[quote name='weebles']
Today, December 7th, [B]one of our fellow Cruise Critics discovered[/B] that our itinerary had changed and NO ONE had been notified! [/QUOTE]

Yes, read it and quoted it. How did a "fellow Cruise Critics" discover it if "NO ONE" had been notified? The information had to come from somewhere. I suspect from the Princess website or from their TA. Obviously someone was notified.