Warning about using ship's services to send postal mail

[celem]

Giving pre-stamped mail to the ship's Customer-Service will, probably, be mailed at the next port, but I urge caution in giving un-stamped mail to the ship's Customer-Service and paying for postage that the ship will purchase, apply and mail. My recent experience makes me suspect that a ship employee tasked with purchasing stamps and posting at the next port's post office may actually be discarding the mail without posting.

 

My wife and I were aboard the Ruby Princess from October 19 to November 6 on its transatlantic voyage. We mailed multiple postcards (approximately 15) from the Customer Service desk on three occasions.

• On October 23rd we paid $16.10 for Italian postage that the representative said would be purchased and applied to the postcards that then would be mailed in Livorno, Italy by ship personnel.
  
• On October 28th we paid $6.00 for Portuguese postage that the representative said would be purchased and applied to the postcards that then would be mailed in Lisbon, Portugal by ship personnel.
  
• On October 29th we paid $1.20 for one Portuguese stamp which the representative handed to me, I applied the stamp to a postcard and handed it to the representative who said it would be mailed in Ponta Delgada, Azores by ship personnel.
  

 

None of the unstamped but postage-paid postcards given to Customer Service on October 23 or 28 were ever delivered. The pre-stamped postcard given to Customer Service on October 29 was delivered.

 

It appears to me that, at the best, there was gross incompetence on two separate occasions and, at the worst, there was corruption or fraud. If a ship's employee was given cash to purchase the foreign stamps at a post office, then I suspect that the cash was pocketed and the postcards discarded. If cash was not involved, then I suspect that the postcards were discarded to merely avoid work.

[Coral]

I have also had several friends who have sent mail from the ship that never arrived (on multiple occasions).

[1 HappyCruiser]

And you positive that it was the cruise line fault that your items were never received.

[LaCal]

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[cruisemom42]

This also happened to my parents numerous times on both Princess and HAL cruises. When my son was younger, they used to try to mail him postcards from various ports (but by handling it on board ship, not ashore). I'd say the postcards actually arrived less than half of the time. I finally convinced them to stop wasting the money and just bring the cards home to him.

 

I'm glad you thought to raise this topic. I'd forgotten about it since it's been several years.

[Ginnyfyr]

On our first ever cruise (with Princess) I purchased stamps from the guest services desk and gave them about 5 postcards to mail home. 4 of 5 arrived, but several months later (we're talking 5/6 months after our cruise!) It was kindof funny to get emails and phone calls from friends asking if we'd gone on a second cruise...at least most of the postcards arrived. Now if I want to send a postcard home, I'll write it out on the ship and date it but wait till I'm home to mail it. They always arrive when I do that :p

[pris993]

We were on a Mediterranean cruise in October on Cunard. We mailed post cards from our hotel the Hilton in Rome at the beginning of our cruise and then a number of cards from the ship throughout the cruise.

 

All cards took a very long time to arrive. Even the ones mailed from the Hilton in Rome. They actually arrived last, even though mailed first. Eventually the cards did arrive, generally about 6-8 weeks later, so it may be the general state of the mail delivery services around the world.

 

When I arrived home I discovered a bill I mailed here before I left never arrived either, so even the US mail service is not what it use to be. Had another bill that was mailed and delivered late in August of this year.

[Immebsmom]

On a couple of cruises to Europe I have mailed post cards home. I always have typed up address labels, purchase the postage in port going to a tobacconist shop (why tobacco shops? I don't know, just how it is done there) and put them in a post office box. They all arrived weeks AFTER we returned home. We do them for scrap booking purposes and address them to the dogs!

[lafngas]

I agree that even with stamped post cards using the ship to mail them just doesn't work.

Rome is probably the most unreliable city worldwide to mail postcards from anywhere in the city EXCEPT at the Vatican-it is the only place in the entire city that has reliable mail service.

I was in Edinburgh for 9 days in May on a pleasure/business trip and every single postcard we sent home arrived at its intended location regardless of which postal drop box we mailed them from.

[Hulagirl]

Never mail post cards from the ships anymore. It was a total hit or miss if they ever made it to anyone. On our cruise to the Med in 2001 I would say 2 out of the 5 I sent actually made it and they were all mailed the same day. I agree, it was a waste of money and we just don't even try anymore. Even out of the Caribbean they didn't make it to my friends. Frustrating, so I don't bother anymore.

[kruisey]

No one received their cards. In the Pacific Islands they have local folks selling cards and stamps on board in the lobby.Those all arrived

[Sunviking]

We've mailed many postcards from ships and they have almost all arrived, although sometimes very long after we've returned home. I don't think a ship staff member is in charge of getting stamps and mailing them. I actually think they are given to a port agent to be mailed at the next opportunity. That's why we've had postcards from one place that wind up having stamps from another country. We've found post offices on land to be just as bad at getting things delivered quickly.

[capriccio]

Rome is probably the most unreliable city worldwide to mail postcards from anywhere in the city EXCEPT at the Vatican-it is the only place in the entire city that has reliable mail service.

 

We lived in Rome in the mid-70s and would walk to the Vatican to mail letters. We were back this summer with our grown children and told them about our one mile hike to the post office. While visiting St. Peter's they mailed postcards to friends and family - only about 75% were received. So even the Vatican mail has deteriorated!

[celem]

We always mail cards to ourselves and we didn't receive them. We also asked the other people to whom we mailed cards and they also never received them, except for the one card that had a pre-applied stamp. Since multiple post offices were involved in multiple countries and the only common denominator was the ship's personnel, it is a reasonable assumption that the ship is at fault - as I described initially.

 

And you positive that it was the cruise line fault that your items were never received.

[katisdale]

We were in rome about 7 or so years ago and decided to experiment with mailing postcards. We mailed each of our two grandchildren a card from a Rome post office. That same day we sent two cards from the Vatican. We were gone a little over two weeks on the vacation with the stay in Rome before a cruise and then post cruise stay in London. The Vatican mailed cards arrived in NC before we did. We are still waiting for the Rome mailed cards.

[Loonbeam]

One thing to note. Postcards and letters sent non air-mail rate are transported by the next available cargo ship when a container is full, THEN into the US mail system.

 

It's entirely possible items mailed in October 2011 will arrive in Feb 2012 or later.

[celem]

At $2 per postcard, I am pretty sure that the Italian postage was AIR. The one card mailed with a stamp has long since been received. Over the years we have mailed many postcards from foreign countries, from Post Offices, and have had 100% delivery, even from Viet Nam where we gave a guide cash to buy stamps and mail a stack of postcards. This is the first time that we have used the ship to mail. Sorry, but I remain very doubtful about the whole thing and still suspect that the postcards were tossed into the trash.

 

One thing to note. Postcards and letters sent non air-mail rate are transported by the next available cargo ship when a container is full, THEN into the US mail system.

 

It's entirely possible items mailed in October 2011 will arrive in Feb 2012 or later.

[Loonbeam]

Hard ti read the website for sure in italian but right now it looks like the econonomico rate for a postcard is around 1.2 euros. That's the slow boat rate. Premiere looked to be about $3.

 

I'm not saying that what you are claiming is not the case, I am saying its too soon to be SURE that was case.

 

And as a side note, if you have had 100% success, more power to you. It's never worked that well for me..

 

At $2 per postcard, I am pretty sure that the Italian postage was AIR. The one card mailed with a stamp has long since been received. Over the years we have mailed many postcards from foreign countries, from Post Offices, and have had 100% delivery, even from Viet Nam where we gave a guide cash to buy stamps and mail a stack of postcards. This is the first time that we have used the ship to mail. Sorry, but I remain very doubtful about the whole thing and still suspect that the postcards were tossed into the trash.

[Armchair Cruiser]

Was onboard Sea Princess last month. Three posted from the ship took varying times to arrive (NZ to Australia and the UK). One probably the right amount of time, second a week later than the first (same state) and the UK one took nearly 3 weeks.

 

Some time ago I posted a card in Europe, it turned up six months later. The mail is hit and miss.

[celem]

Priority Mail - Prices and rates for foreign zone 2 (USA) is 1.60 Euro, which is $2.14. It doesn't define what Priority Mail is except that its is "to send letters to quickly, easily and cheaply in Italy and worldwide.". Priority, to me, doesn't sound like accumulation for bulk shipment in a ship's hold.

 

http://www.poste.it/postali/prioritaria/tariffe_estero.shtml

[celem]

Remember - three post offices in three countries for ~15 cards - none arrived except the one that I put a stamp on.

 

Was onboard Sea Princess last month. Three posted from the ship took varying times to arrive (NZ to Australia and the UK). One probably the right amount of time, second a week later than the first (same state) and the UK one took nearly 3 weeks.

 

Some time ago I posted a card in Europe, it turned up six months later. The mail is hit and miss.

[Hulagirl]

I guess the postcard I mailed from the Golden in 2001 must be at the bottom of the cargo hold then since it hasn't gotten here yet!

[Johanna7]

I have mailed post cards from the ship from time to time and they have always eventually arrived. I get the stamps from them, pay for them, put them on myself and put them in the box. Yes, it does seem to take a month or so.

 

In June, on a Baltic cruise, I bought some postcards in a tourist shop, bought the stamps there as well and could not find a mailbox in all of St. Petersburg, Russia. I gave the cards to the guide and asked her to mail them. She did but it took awhile as well as WE here in Canada had a postal strike.

[cormike1]

We were on the Golden last year and I wrote up lots of postcards and bought the postage also on the ship. I handed them in at the Purser's desk for mailing and was told that they would be mailed at the first port in Hawaii. Everyone received them of course after we had got home. I brought our ones from the Baltic countries home and mailed them and most people did not even notice they had Canadian stamps on them lol.

[A1A]

I know this sounds rather cheesy but we buy tons of post cards while sailing and mail them upon arrival from our home port with US postage, they usually get there in 3-4 days and no one seems to be the wiser. Yes the do use US postage and a Ft. Lauderdale cancellation stamp, but who cares? This method is foolproof, unless you just gotta have a foreign stamp on your post card!

Ken