Caribbean Princess 3/22-3/29

[OhioDogLover]

We are just back from the Caribbean Princess. We will absolutely never go out of Texas again. I know that other people have had good experiences, but this is the last time for us. We aren't going to take the chance of the same issues again. Most of the issues weren't Princess's fault.

 

The experience started out just fine. We arrived in Houston by plane without incident. Our luggage showed up. We stayed at the Houston Airport Marriott, which is a nice hotel. The serious issues started the next day.

We had Princess transfers from the hotel. They gave us a paper that said, leave your luggage in your room, it will be taken to the ship. Ours wasn't. After calling the hotel about 5:00 and finding out that the luggage was still in the room, the ship arranged for the luggage to be picked up and delivered by about 7:30. If we had left on time, we would have been buying clothes in the gift shop.

 

As everyone probably knows by now, there was a significant oil spill in the channel leading out of port and we were delayed for a couple of days. Had it been about 10 degrees warmer in Houston, I think it would have been a lot better for most people. It was a bit chilly, and that coupled with not moving made some people a bit cranky. Not Princess's fault.

 

Generally, I thought Princess handled the delay well. The only complaint I have is that they first said everyone would get a 100% refund, plus 25% off the next booked cruise. Then they changed it to 50% off if you stayed on the ship. Then, they changed it back to 100% back plus 25%. All's well that ends well, but don't say one thing then take it away. There were some very angry people at that point.

 

On the plus side, the cruise staff handled things extremely well. The entertainment was terrific. Service was great. The food was okay. Even the Princess coffee tasted better to us. Desserts were (unfortunately) much better on the ship this year than last year.

 

The one stop was in Cozumel and we had a good time there, too.

 

Arriving back in port in Houston, we took the Houston highlights tour which was OK, but not great.

 

All in all, not my favorite cruise, but okay and it sure beats going to work. Future Caribbean cruises will be out of Florida for us. We aren't taking the chance of going out of Houston again.

 

Ohiodoglover

[Swappie]

Thanks for your update! I'm going on that same cruise next month and followed the story closely. Glad you were able to at least make it to Cozumel and get a full refund!

[cougaraz]

I don't want to be a total downer, but there really isn't any place you can sail in and out of without the risk of something like this happening. Wherever there is maritime traffic there is the chance that something bad will happen. However, oil does tend to be persistent and the potential damage to the ship from sailing through the slick is a huge factor.

 

I think the waffling by Princess was not a classy move, but glad they went back to the original offer. I think it was very generous.

 

I have seen the channel obstructed or blocked by various issues (spills, vessels aground or in distress or on one occasion an F/A-18 in the water) in New York, San Diego, Honolulu, Manama, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai off the top of my head.

[bluesea321]

I don't want to be a total downer, but there really isn't any place you can sail in and out of without the risk of something like this happening. Wherever there is maritime traffic there is the chance that something bad will happen.

 

True, but there is a big difference between many ports, for instance Fort Lauderdale and Houston/Bayport. I have lived in Houston since 1968 and I know the bay well. Cruise ships in Fort Lauderdale have about 1 mile to sail before reaching open waters. From Houston/Bayport the cruise ship (only one until late 2014) has to sail through 29 miles of the Houston Ship Channel which is nothing more than a ditch dug out in a large very shallow bay. The channel is 530 feet wide and 50+ ships and 300+ barges move through it every day - when meeting other ships such as the Caribbean Princess the ships pass very close to each other, about 100-150 feet apart (about 80 feet on the starboard sides as safety from running aground)

 

Princess moved from Galveston (7 miles to open sea, 5 of which are in the wider Galveston Jetties) to Houston/Bayport because of the economic incentives that were offered, however I think this was a bad move which did not help passengers. Maybe they will reconsider once the contract is up.

[cougaraz]

True, but there is a big difference between many ports, for instance Fort Lauderdale and Houston/Bayport. I have lived in Houston since 1968 and I know the bay well. Cruise ships in Fort Lauderdale have about 1 mile to sail before reaching open waters. From Houston/Bayport the cruise ship (only one until late 2014) has to sail through 29 miles of the Houston Ship Channel which is nothing more than a ditch dug out in a large very shallow bay. The channel is 530 feet wide and 50+ ships and 300+ barges move through it every day - when meeting other ships such as the Caribbean Princess the ships pass very close to each other, about 100-150 feet apart (about 80 feet on the starboard sides as safety from running aground)

 

Princess moved from Galveston (7 miles to open sea, 5 of which are in the wider Galveston Jetties) to Houston/Bayport because of the economic incentives that were offered, however I think this was a bad move which did not help passengers. Maybe they will reconsider once the contract is up.

 

I agree with you, my point was simply that bad things go wrong in ports all around the world. However, the longer you are near shoal water, the greater the chance that something can go wrong. The hydrography of the Gulf Coast is particularly challenging.

[Melcoug]

I'm sorry you feel this way. We were on the same cruise and agreed that we wouldn't have any problem sailing out of Houston despite our experience last week.

 

We flew in the day before and stayed at the airport Marriott, although we booked it on our own. I don't think I would have left our luggage in the room if it had been an option. It really was no trouble to bringing it with us to Terminal C and watching as it was loaded on to the truck. This was our first time using Princess transfers and thought the process was incredibly smooth and easy. We certainly would have appreciated warmer weather during our unfortunate stay at the pier in Houston, but had the oil spill not occurred, that would have been a non-factor.

 

Princess did pull a blunder with the offers being switched around, but that has nothing to do with the port. They shouldn't have announced the initial offer until they were more confident with what was going to happen. Since they made good on their very generous offer, I'm happy.

 

If Princess stays in Houston, we will have no problem booking a departure from their again. The chances of a similar incident occurring are incredibly slim!

[Lammy23]

Wow, while it's unfortunate that you didn't exactly get the cruise you expected, it was still a vacation of sorts with a stop in one of the ports, 100% refund for that experience plus 25% off your next cruise is an incredibly generous offer. I wouldn't be mad at all.

[BillieMomof5boys]

On the same cruise. Had a lot if fun. Would do another Princess Cruise.

 

 

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[Kmkub]

Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like you decided to make the best of it.

[lovevacadays]

Thank you for sharing. Nice to hear the final offer from Princess was as good as it was.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review, glad you at least got going after a couple of days.

[Colo Cruiser]

I don't want to be a total downer, but there really isn't any place you can sail in and out of without the risk of something like this happening. Wherever there is maritime traffic there is the chance that something bad will happen. However, oil does tend to be persistent and the potential damage to the ship from sailing through the slick is a huge factor.

 

I think the waffling by Princess was not a classy move, but glad they went back to the original offer. I think it was very generous.

 

I have seen the channel obstructed or blocked by various issues (spills, vessels aground or in distress or on one occasion an F/A-18 in the water) in New York, San Diego, Honolulu, Manama, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai off the top of my head.

 

 

This issue however rare combined with the weekly fog delays make this a bad choice for Princess. With a tight 29 mile sail to get to open ocean there are just to many issues. JMHO

We dealt with the fog once, our son dealt with the fog once on another Princess cruise. We also will not sail out of Houston again.

[jean s]

We sailed out of Houston in February and had a wonderful week. That being said I do understand the hesitation folks have in booking this cruise. Between the issues with fog and now the recent oil spill I even wonder if Princess is rethinking this port. However we have already booked a cruise out of Houston for next February.

[satxdiver]

I understand the frustration with this particular cruise and Bayport in general. This has been a really rough winter for the entire country and Houston did not escape. While Houston does indeed get fog, this winter has been brutal in that area. I have had to circle many times in an airplane due to for in Houston or worse experience cancelled flights. NCL sailed out of the old port Houston cruise terminal further up the channel for quite a few years before pulling out and did not have as many problems as Bayport has had this winter. I hope the future is better. The new Bayport facilities are head and shoulder above the warehouses that Galveston uses.

 

As for us, we drive to the port which is a big plus rather than having to fly somewhere and deal with the airlines particularly in the winter. There were a lot of cancelled flights this winter. We sailed out of Port Everglades in February minus some of our pax who were snowed in in the NE. Happy cruising.

[DannyMac]

True, but there is a big difference between many ports, for instance Fort Lauderdale and Houston/Bayport. I have lived in Houston since 1968 and I know the bay well. Cruise ships in Fort Lauderdale have about 1 mile to sail before reaching open waters. From Houston/Bayport the cruise ship (only one until late 2014) has to sail through 29 miles of the Houston Ship Channel which is nothing more than a ditch dug out in a large very shallow bay. The channel is 530 feet wide and 50+ ships and 300+ barges move through it every day - when meeting other ships such as the Caribbean Princess the ships pass very close to each other, about 100-150 feet apart (about 80 feet on the starboard sides as safety from running aground)

 

Princess moved from Galveston (7 miles to open sea, 5 of which are in the wider Galveston Jetties) to Houston/Bayport because of the economic incentives that were offered, however I think this was a bad move which did not help passengers. Maybe they will reconsider once the contract is up.[/quote

 

We live 8 miles from upper Galveston Bay, I have fished the bay for 50+ years and fog is a problem. Feb, Mar, April are usually the worst. Sorry for the delay in your cruise caused by the ship/barge collision but in a channel as busy as the Houston channel it should be taken into consideration that it could happen. We had a collision a few weeks earlier in the channel! There are no speed limits in the open bay channel and the tankers are moving pretty fast!

 

We are booked on the April 19 cruise and are looking forward to it, just hop in the Tahoe and at the terminal in 20 min!

[SeymourKopath]

The folks coming off this cruise have very little, if anything, to complain about. Yes, Princess rescinded, then reinstated, their compensation offer. But in the end, you got a free 3-night stay at a beautiful land resort plus a free 4-night cruise to Cozumel, all meals and entertainment included. Plus you get a 25% FCC that can be used well into 2017 (on a cruise booked by 12/31/2015). Christmas came early to you.

 

You spent 3 nights of a 7-night vacation tied to the pier. If Princess had offered a refund of 3/7 of your cruise fare, plus some FCC, plus a refund of port fees for ports that were missed, that would have been more than "fair."

 

Princess gave away the farm on this one. As a CCL shareholder, I'm left shaking my head.

[caribill]

The folks coming off this cruise have very little, if anything, to complain about. Yes, Princess rescinded, then reinstated, their compensation offer.

 

There are a number of people that were on this cruise that do have something to complain about.

 

At the time the offer was rescinded passengers were told they could get a full refund (and future cruise discount) only if they disembarked from the ship. They were told if they remained on the ship, there would not be a full refund.

 

Thus, a number of passengers (some posted about 10%) left the ship and did not get to sail to Cozumel.

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the review. I thought it is well-balanced and factual. :)

 

Regarding leaving your luggage in your room: that's what the instructions say and you are paying a premium for luggage handling convenience when you book the pre-cruise hotel/ transfer. Very different from, and far more expensive, than booking the hotel on your own and going back to the terminal to catch a transfer. I would have been very upset if my luggage hadn't been picked up as promised. I did the Princess pre-cruise package last year and we had problems/delays with the bus... it broke an axle about two minutes after leaving the hotel and we had to wait for another bus, the luggage offloaded and reloaded, etc. Sounds like Princess has a way to go to improve their pre-cruise package.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Pam in CA

[SeymourKopath]

There are a number of people that were on this cruise that do have something to complain about.

 

At the time the offer was rescinded passengers were told they could get a full refund (and future cruise discount) only if they disembarked from the ship. They were told if they remained on the ship, there would not be a full refund.

 

Thus, a number of passengers (some posted about 10%) left the ship and did not get to sail to Cozumel.

Good point. I forgot about that. Those people who decided to leave the ship based on the revised offer certainly do have a major bone to pick with Princess since, as it turned out, everyone got the 100% refund + FCC. And everybody who stayed on board got a 4-night cruise, while they got an unhappy ride home after 2 or 3 days.

 

How could Princess have handled the compensation side of the situation better? Perhaps have a plan in effect to refund 1/7 of the cruise fare paid for every night the ship is delayed at the dock (assuming a 7-night cruise). Make an announcement to that effect early on. There was no reason to announce a 100% refund on Sunday when the situation was so unsettled.

 

Perhaps the 2nd part of the plan would be for the passengers who choose to end their vacations early. They would receive 1/7 of their cruise fare back for every night only to the point where they left the ship. If this arrangement is communicated early, and clearly, then people can make their decisions with all the cards laid out on the table.

 

While some may complain that their vacation was ruined because they never left the dock, they should keep in mind that Princess is not required to refund anything in this situation. The decision to compensate is a business decision hoping to garner some goodwill in an unfortunate situation.

Edited March 31, 2014 by SeymourKopath

[caribill]

How could Princess have handled the compensation side of the situation better?

 

Either

 

a) Not make an offer until they are sure of the situation

 

or

 

b) Once an offer is made, do not rescind it

[SeymourKopath]

Either

 

a) Not make an offer until they are sure of the situation

 

or

 

b) Once an offer is made, do not rescind it

a) AND b) would be even better.

[BillieMomof5boys]

I agree Princess should have waited before making the offer.. But still had a blast.

 

 

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[chipmaster]

I was on this cruise and wasn't happy at all with the situation. I fully appreciate none of it was Princess's fault, but as was noted, DO NOT make an offer to only change it. Also as others have noted, then with every changing conditions make people decide in less than a few hours whether to get off the ship to get the 100% refund or stay on, only to find out later everyone gets 100% as the plans changed again.

 

I like others felt Princess was generous, but also contrary to another poster don't feel fortunant to have had free food/drink and entertainment and one port for free. We spent thousands of $ flying in and likely won't ever get around to doing this specific cruise and ports again with my family. Vacation time is precious and timeless and even free doesn't make up for what didn't happen.

 

Nothing was directly princess's fault, but again they bungled the whole refund offer, you wonder who is running that part of the company...

 

Either

 

a) Not make an offer until they are sure of the situation

 

or

 

b) Once an offer is made, do not rescind it

[Edarrich]

I live in the greater Houston area and can tell you that Princess has no chance of knowing the sea fog or ship channel weather. I have been almost to Galveston on a sunny day to run into sea fog and not get to the bay or gulf for several hours because of the fog. I am sure they reacted to an ever changing situation as best as they could and as quickly as they could. I have been out of Houston Galveston ports for over 30 years and always got a state room even on a day cruise because of the fog and delays. I am an elite cruiser with Princess and have been out on the Houston port from the first cruise in November 2013 4 times and every time I hold my breath because of the fog and ship channel. It is still better than many of the other ports I have traveled from( 18) in the last 34 months. So Princess deserves an "atta boy " for doing the best they could with a bad weather situation.

 

 

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