So many changes!

[Proudairborne/RangerMom]

Well one cannot expect there never to be any changes. some I agree with others well yes it can be disappointing, especially if it is one of your favorite dishes that has disappeared from the menu....but seriously what is all the whining about wine/beer/booze. Princess has plenty of that...but what they don't have and SHOULD be CHANGING....is their concrete horrible mattresses and pillows that are so flat and look and feel about a hundred years old!.

 

We were On the CP in May 12 day transatlantic, loved the new menu items we just got off the CP in Sept. and did not see the new items I enjoyed and liked and disliked some of the new, but there is always something you can find you like so what is the big deal with menu change.....except the quality of beef and other meats has declined...Now that should be an unexceptable change.

 

We are sailing the CP on this Oct 31 for ten days, hoping for new mattress and pillows but if not well my steward will be asked to provide me with two egg crates and two comforters which I will place on top of egg crates and then have a much more comfortable mattress to sleep on. I will not order OJ as it is now in just a few months become orange colored water with NO flavor so I either skip it or have to pay for fresh squeezed which I did when I wanted OJ again.

 

You can't please everyone, and NO one cruise line is perfect, so you go with the one that overall meets your expectations. IF Princess were to continue to make changes or not make changes that makes cruising comfortable then I woud have to check out other lines. NO big deal, more important things to worry about in what is going on in our world today.

 

I go on my cruise to escape all the complainers, angry people, and stress, and I always have a great time...not perfect but always great......nothing in life is perfect anyways.......so bring your alloted bottle of wine, purchase the rest and chill out and have a good time.

[Iamcruzin]

Most people who cruise do not cruise every year! Many people on CC do and possibly several times per year but for the most part, many people are lucky if they can cruise once every 3 years. Some people are tied to 2 weeks vacation and if they have to use some of that for family reunions, college searches, high school graduations for relatives out of town, weddings, etc....

 

If you ask most people on a ship how often they cruise, the average is probably not every year or every two years. Also, many people are not tied to one cruise line. Remember the people on the Princess board are not average Princess cruisers.

 

I feel bad as Princess put a carrot out there for benefits and it may take 10 years for some to reach the Platinum (or elite) benefits and then to have the benefits greatly reduced by the time they reach the level. Pretty sad.

 

I couldn't agree more. I am finally getting to use my FCC's and my referral reward's that I purchased and received in 2010 on a cruise sailing Nov 2013. I needed to use them before Feb 2014. The two year expiration is useless to me because I am limited to where and when I can sail. I am basically tied to Caribbean itineraries because I can only take vacation one week at a time and the best time for me and my family is between May and September. Since Princess dropped their summer Caribbean itinerary for Europe I am limited. It's not worth the airfare to fly to Europe for a week and really you need at least 10 days to allow for air travel both ways. I know Alaska is also a choice but we like warm weather activities I have no interest in hiking in the wilderness or staring at ice and snow. Princess along with other cruise lines seem to be doing everything they can to discourage repeat business by changing loyalty programs and now limiting the FCC to 2 years. I would almost prefer if the FCC was nonrefundable with unlimited time to use it. I probably won’t purchase an FCC on my next sailing if it is limited to two years. Princess will not be my first choice even though I am platinum. I am going to base my cruise line decision on itinerary, price, location to port and I won’t even allow a new ship to be part of my decision process. With this in mind and the fact that I really don’t care about my room category or location I will probably save more money than any OBC or free internet minutes I would have received from Princess. It’s going to get to the point where passengers don’t care about loyalty programs which will create real competition among the lines. Let’s face it they are all cutting back. The only thing that’s going to distinguish one from the other is price and service. People have also been complaining about lack of service so now that only leaves price.

[lcmslady]

I couldn't agree more. I am finally getting to use my FCC's and my referral reward's that I purchased and received in 2010 on a cruise sailing Nov 2013. I needed to use them before Feb 2014. The two year expiration is useless to me because I am limited to where and when I can sail. I am basically tied to Caribbean itineraries because I can only take vacation one week at a time and the best time for me and my family is between May and September. Since Princess dropped their summer Caribbean itinerary for Europe I am limited. It's not worth the airfare to fly to Europe for a week and really you need at least 10 days to allow for air travel both ways. I know Alaska is also a choice but we like warm weather activities I have no interest in hiking in the wilderness or staring at ice and snow. Princess along with other cruise lines seem to be doing everything they can to discourage repeat business by changing loyalty programs and now limiting the FCC to 2 years. I would almost prefer if the FCC was nonrefundable with unlimited time to use it. I probably won’t purchase an FCC on my next sailing if it is limited to two years. Princess will not be my first choice even though I am platinum. I am going to base my cruise line decision on itinerary, price, location to port and I won’t even allow a new ship to be part of my decision process. With this in mind and the fact that I really don’t care about my room category or location I will probably save more money than any OBC or free internet minutes I would have received from Princess. It’s going to get to the point where passengers don’t care about loyalty programs which will create real competition among the lines. Let’s face it they are all cutting back. The only thing that’s going to distinguish one from the other is price and service. People have also been complaining about lack of service so now that only leaves price.

 

I really don't have loyalty to any one cruise line (although I do have my favorite). For me, it's all about the itinerary, when I can sail, and then price. I've usually got a rule of price less than $100/day but that is occasionally broken if there is a ship or itinerary that I really want to sail.

If I get some loyalty perks, great, but those perks aren't worth enough to get me to sail on one cruise line alone.

[chamima]

I don't like any of these new changes either.

We also usually bring wine that is a step up from what you can purchase from the ship and we always have FCCs in stock for the future (and like having the 4 year option) and I LOVED being able to use my coffee card for unlimited specialty teas (although since they've changed brands I don't care about that so much - wait - I guess that's another change I don't like!)and I don't like having my aft BB changed to another , more expensive class.

BUT

Our next cruise will be on Celebrity (ONLY because Princess didn't have the itinerary)and I am coming face to face with all of the things that are SO MUCH BETTER for us on Princess.

Celebrity has a strictly enforced one bottle of wine per person policy but the corkage is $25/bottle.

I will not have my free internet or free laundry (we're Elite on Princess) and there are no self-service laundry rooms.

We cannot combine ANY benefits! Amex Platinum, FCC, stock, TA consortium. Nothing!

Cappuccino is $4.50 cup, not $2.50 like Princess. (As are their specialty teas)

These are just the things I can quickly think of off the top of my head.

Anyways, I am appreciating just how much of a good fit Princess is for us and will deal with the changes.

[dog]

R PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

Embarkation for your cruise is from 12:30 pm until 3:00pm. As many of our

guests are enthusiastic to join the ship, you may experience delays and longer

lines when trying to board before your scheduled time. For those passengers

with flexibility, the closer you arrive to your scheduled time the shorter

your wait is likely to be. All those who arrive by 3:00pm will be accommodated

and will not miss the ship. Passengers with a Preferred Boarding Pass,

Transfer and/or part of a group may check-in anytime during embarkation. Once

onboard enjoy a meal at the Horizon Court, which remains open throughout

the day to serve you. We look forward to welcoming you onboard.

 

12:30 pm - Baja & Plaza Decks / Cabins on these decks start with B and P

1:00 pm - Caribe & Emerald Decks / Cabins on these decks start with C and E

1:30 pm - Dolphin & Riviera Decks / Cabins on these decks start with D and R

2:00 pm - Aloha Deck / Cabins on this deck start with A

 

posted early enough in personalizer, before i made my arrival arrangemnts and they mention lunch.

[rcacace]

I don't like any of these new changes either.

We also usually bring wine that is a step up from what you can purchase from the ship and we always have FCCs in stock for the future (and like having the 4 year option) and I LOVED being able to use my coffee card for unlimited specialty teas (although since they've changed brands I don't care about that so much - wait - I guess that's another change I don't like!)and I don't like having my aft BB changed to another , more expensive class.

BUT

Our next cruise will be on Celebrity (ONLY because Princess didn't have the itinerary)and I am coming face to face with all of the things that are SO MUCH BETTER for us on Princess.

Celebrity has a strictly enforced one bottle of wine per person policy but the corkage is $25/bottle.

I will not have my free internet or free laundry (we're Elite on Princess) and there are no self-service laundry rooms.

We cannot combine ANY benefits! Amex Platinum, FCC, stock, TA consortium. Nothing!

Cappuccino is $4.50 cup, not $2.50 like Princess. (As are their specialty teas)

These are just the things I can quickly think of off the top of my head.

Anyways, I am appreciating just how much of a good fit Princess is for us and will deal with the changes.

 

 

Thanks for the update on Celebrity prices.....I guess since I haven't sailed them in a while I can't appreciate the differences between the two cruise lines. ;)

[swedish weave]

Smoking policy

Shows now shorter

New categories of cabins

New OBCs with the FCC

more.....??

 

What did they change on the OBC's with the FCC's ??

[rcacace]

What did they change on the OBC's with the FCC's ??

 

Sometime in March.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1670053

[swedish weave]

Sometime in March.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1670053

 

Thanks !! I thought maybe they had changed it again.

[caribill]

R PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

Embarkation for your cruise is from 12:30 pm until 3:00pm. As many of our

guests are enthusiastic to join the ship, you may experience delays and longer

lines when trying to board before your scheduled time. For those passengers

with flexibility, the closer you arrive to your scheduled time the shorter

your wait is likely to be. All those who arrive by 3:00pm will be accommodated

and will not miss the ship. Passengers with a Preferred Boarding Pass,

Transfer and/or part of a group may check-in anytime during embarkation. Once

onboard enjoy a meal at the Horizon Court, which remains open throughout

the day to serve you. We look forward to welcoming you onboard.

 

12:30 pm - Baja & Plaza Decks / Cabins on these decks start with B and P

1:00 pm - Caribe & Emerald Decks / Cabins on these decks start with C and E

1:30 pm - Dolphin & Riviera Decks / Cabins on these decks start with D and R

2:00 pm - Aloha Deck / Cabins on this deck start with A

 

posted early enough in personalizer, before i made my arrival arrangemnts and they mention lunch.

 

Note that is a list of suggested arrival times, not mandatory.

 

Arrive when you want. If you can get to the lunch dining room before 1:30, you can have a leisurely lunch and avoid the crowded buffet.

[BOATRUNR]

So you're unhappy that it's harder to smuggle? You're unhappy Princess will enforce the rules?

You mean after 28 cruises with Princess I will no longer be able to bring a 12 pack of beer in my checked luggage .

[Fairport]

FCC's are now valid for 2 years instead of 4

 

can you provide some information where it says about the FCC only being 2 years and not 4

 

I have a future cruise credit purchased September 21, 2012 and it is valid until September 20, 2016.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I have a future cruise credit purchased September 21, 2012 and it is valid until September 20, 2016.

 

Yes, so do I, but this new change is effective for those FCCs bought in October.

[dog]

caribill, this queensland cruise i board at 12:30.

last may for british isles cruise we boarded arrived after 2:30, long security line up, then early muster & early dinner.

no time for lunch then.

[deelastcre]

have internet minutes left on this voyage so I thought I would check the main Princess board. Should clear up some things

 

Yes it is a fact about on board future cruise credit purchases only now being good for one year. But if you have assigned those credits to a future sailing - Jeannie this should be good for you - they stay active. So if you bought a credit today and in one year (Oct 2013) you put on a cruise for Jan 2015 it is going to stay there. It is only applicable if you bought your credit now and Oct 2014 comes and you have done nothing with that credit. Then it would be credited back to you.

 

Re wine - we boarded in Vancouver with three bottles of wine, in San Francisco we brought four bottles from Sonoma region (thanks my Sonoma friends for buying for us). Then after finding out that the wine card would not be on this voyage because no sommolier (sorry on spelling) we bought four more bottles in Catalina. We had no problem bringing the wine on. We have brought bottles to the dining room, gladly pay the corkage, and have also enjoyed wine in our cabin, and at vines again would gladly pay corkage but they didn't charge us in Vines. Also we have bought wine a few times from the wine list.

 

Re menus, yes they have changed. No longer are the alternate every day items on their own on the left they are mixed with the rest of the menu. But there are some items missing that have been staples but new items have been added. Being a regular cruiser I am happy to see some new items on the menu and have enjoyed them. Yesterday I had a lovely apple soup with grape tempura yup that is what I said grape tempura. Lovely.

 

Watch my live thread because next sailing there will be something new again but won't post till it happens.

 

Remember everyone sometimes change is hard but it is necessary and sometimes it works out great. Keep an open mind.

 

Well have to get out of this cabin rehersal is starting and well it is very LOUD in my cabin! Praying they can move us next sailing.

Thanks for the update Vickie! Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[caribill]

2. FCC's are now valid for 2 years instead of 4, which I have no problem with. I always book a cruise with my FCC's shortly after I disembark anyway; (thank you Vickie)

 

 

Yes it is a fact about on board future cruise credit purchases only now being good for one year. But if you have assigned those credits to a future sailing - Jeannie this should be good for you - they stay active. So if you bought a credit today and in one year (Oct 2013) you put on a cruise for Jan 2015 it is going to stay there. It is only applicable if you bought your credit now and Oct 2014 comes and you have done nothing with that credit. Then it would be credited back to you.

 

Which is it? One year or two?

[Putterdude]

This FCC change must be very new or I am missing something. I am looking at two that we bought while on the Emerald last month. They are dated 9/06/12 and say that they must be used by 9/05/16 in other words 4 years. The small print at the bottom of the FCC confirms the 4 years.:confused:

[Cruise Junky]

This FCC change must be very new or I am missing something. I am looking at two that we bought while on the Emerald last month. They are dated 9/06/12 and say that they must be used by 9/05/16 in other words 4 years. The small print at the bottom of the FCC confirms the 4 years.:confused:

 

The change doesn't come into effect until the 13th of this month

[Putterdude]

The change doesn't come into effect until the 13th of this month

 

So I was missing something....thanks.:)

[hansi]

I assume that Princess will let me know all these changes to the Contract by email, as these changes were made after I made my booking, otherwise my booking comes under the rules of the contract when the cruise was booked. Correct?

[caribill]

I assume that Princess will let me know all these changes to the Contract by email, as these changes were made after I made my booking, otherwise my booking comes under the rules of the contract when the cruise was booked. Correct?

 

What did the contract you agreed to say about changes Princess might make to the contract?

[hansi]

What did the contract you agreed to say about changes Princess might make to the contract?

 

??? A contract is a contract! If there any changes after I have made a booking, they have to tell me.

[flamomo]

I hope I am correct in thinking that FCCs purchased before before the hold time decreased from 4 years to two will be grandfathered and remain valid for 4 years.

 

I REALLY hope we will be allowed to bring wine onboard in the ports on my Med cruise next week. Sure would like to enjoy the local wines of Italy and Spain in the comfort of my cabin.

[caribill]

??? A contract is a contract! If there any changes after I have made a booking, they have to tell me.

 

But it does not have to be in a message specifically about a contract change.

 

It could be in a notice that has links to ten other things and be easily overlooked.

[bjkTX]

??? A contract is a contract! If there any changes after I have made a booking, they have to tell me.

 

They did tell you - the Passenger Contract on your booking on the Personalizer now has the new wording.