BVE San Pedro – Thoughts

[goodie2shoes]

In the last two weeks we have done the Bon Voyage Experience twice in San Pedro. They were very different and neither was like any experience Pam has talked about here. I would like to give you my thoughts about each of them, in the hopes that if you are wanting to do one you will have a better idea of how different they can be.

 

Wednesday, April 16th we scheduled our first BVE on the Island Princess. This was the first Princess ship we ever sailed on, and we wanted to say hello to the “old girl” and see how she was looking after nearly 10 years. She was beautiful, and we felt as much at home as we did when we first sailed her to Hawaii. We arrived at the port to check in at around 11:00 a.m., having been instructed to be there by 11:30 a.m. by Princess. There were no lines anywhere. We walked in and were directed to the check in where we were quickly given our cards, a map of the ship, and a letter. We then went to a special seating area to wait until it was time to board. We sat and chatted with others who were also doing the BVE. Everyone had a different reason for being there, and sharing those reasons made the time go quickly. Shortly after 11:30 a.m. the Future Cruise Consultant came and joined us and checked everyone off on her list. We were missing two people, so we waited. They arrived near noon, and we all were then escorted on board. We stopped and had our pictures taken as we boarded, just as usual, and were told to come to the photo gallery to pick them up before we left the ship. Since it was time for lunch, the FCC suggested that we go eat and then tour as we desired, and if we had questions to come ask her and she would assist. So that’s what we did. The menu is the one that Pam has mentioned – the normal embarkation day lunch, with lots of choices and yummy food. After wandering around and seeing all the areas we remembered, we collected our pictures (they gave each of us one) and since it was near time to disembark, we did. While the service at lunch was not up to par, we excused it as we knew it was possible that there were new people in the positions who were still learning their duties. My biggest complaint was that when I asked what wines they were serving the best answer I could get was “red and white.” Over all, though it was a shorter time on board than we had expected (less than 3 hours), we were happy we did it.

 

Saturday, May 3, we were booked on the Crown Princess. This is a new ship to us, as we have never sailed on her or any of her class. Since she is going to be on the West Coast for a while, and ships we know and love are leaving, we figured we needed to get acquainted to see how we liked her. This time traffic was very light, and we arrived at the port early. We parked, and watched people getting off at the end of their cruise. There was a second ship in port that day (actually 3, but the third one was not at this pier), we noticed that those who were wanting a taxi were waiting a very long time for one. There seemed to be a lot less available than what we are used to seeing. But everyone seemed in good spirits and had a smile on their face. We noticed that they were letting people enter the building so we decided to get out of the heat and go inside to wait for check in to start. We were inside the building a little after 10:00 a.m., and check in started around 11:00 a.m., but we didn’t mind. It was cool and the seats were comfortable. We were happy. Our check in didn’t go as smooth as the last time, as the machine that reads your passport didn’t want to read mind. Finally it did, and we were ready to go. Again we got our cards and a letter plus a full size brochure with the ship schedules through March 2015. It was nice, but awkward to try to handle. You couldn’t fold it and put in anything. Mine ended up on a chair and stayed there when we finally boarded. We were not given a map of the ship, so my husband had to try to get back through security to get one. Not easy, but he managed.

 

It seemed everything was running late. There was nothing set up in the Elite waiting area. No coffee, water or anything. I’m sure there were a lot of unhappy people because of that. Not a good start to the cruise for many people.

 

So we were seated in “our special area” and watched people, and there were plenty of watch. We were told there were about 60 people on our BVE, and in addition there were 64 travel agents doing lunch and a tour as well. Of course we talked to lots of people, and enjoyed hearing their experiences and sharing some of ours. Time passed, and I was looking for the Future Cruise Consultant to show up, but she didn’t come. We asked if anyone knew why no one was boarding. No one knew (and I still don’t know). Noon came and passed. Still no one and no information. Finally, about 12:30 p.m. they called the TAs and they quickly boarded. Then they called us, and we followed. It was 12:45 when we stepped foot on the ship. Still no one with us to tell us where to go. We went inside, and finally, across the ship we spotted the Future Cruise Consultant. She was trying to catch everyone and tell them to just go do whatever they wanted and have a good time. We asked which dining room we were to have lunch in, and she told us where it was and how to get there. So we headed straight there, were quickly seated, and looked forward to a good lunch.

 

There was no photo area set up before you boarded, so after we were seated in the dining room a photographer came around and took our picture, but didn’t tell us where or when to get it.

 

When the menu was brought we couldn’t believe what we saw. I wish I knew how to attach a picture, but I don’t, so here is what the choice was:

 

Menu

 

Cold Smoked Salmon and Crayfish Tails

bloody mary marinated crayfish served with dilled cucumber salad

 

OR

 

Fettuccine Alfredo in Crisp Parmesan Basket

An All-Time Princess Favorite

rich, comforting, and entirely satisfying

 

Trout Amandine

toasted almonds and brown butter, creamed leeks and parsley potatoes

 

OR

 

Chateaubriand of Beef Tenderloin

truffle-madeira essence, market-fresh vegetables and berny potatoes

 

Milk Chocolate-Hazelnut Souffle’

amaretto sabayon

 

Coffee or Tea with Homemade Gourmandises

 

That is the entire menu. Note that in each case where there were two options it was "OR" with "both" not an option. No substitutions, though they did ask if we wanted the Fettuccini Alfredo in an appetizer portion or a full serving. Of course, it was very good, and the Chateaubriand was cooked exactly the way we ordered it, and was very tasty. The lady next to us ordered the same thing cooked differently, and it appeared to be cooked to the temperature she ordered. At the end of the meal we asked for the Gourmandises (the waitress called them “a plate of little cookies”) and waited and waited for them. I finally reminded her and she said she hadn’t forgot. Finally the plate came, and she said they ran out and had to go make up another for us. It was different from what the next table got earlier in the afternoon.

 

There was a mother with her pre-teen daughter sitting next to us, and she asked if there was a children’s menu, as the girl did not want anything that was offered. After much discussion the waitress went to talk to someone and finally came back and said they could fix her a hot dog or hamburger or spaghetti, but she did not have a menu to show them. The girl finally said she would eat a hot dog, but she was obviously not happy about it. When they finished they left and headed to the pizza bar to get the girl something she would like. This was a poor start to what the mother hoped would be an experience that would convince the girl that she would enjoy a cruise. It seems the girl was afraid of sailing, and the mother hoped to entice her with this experience. I sure hope it worked and they found some things she would enjoy.

 

So, we finish lunch, and it’s 2:30 p.m. We went looking for the photo gallery, figuring that would be where we would find the picture. There was a photographer taking pictures of people as they came by that way, so I assume they were trying to catch as many people as they could after they boarded. We asked him about the pictures and he said they would be at the counter when they were ready, and that they were working on them. We thanked him and walked away, to leave the ship without our picture because we were not going to hang around and wait. People were already heading to their Muster Stations with their life vests. We got off the ship about 2:45 p.m., and it was like a salmon swimming upstream. People were pouring on. We looked down and saw cages full of luggage everywhere (except on the ship). We hoped that it all got on before the ship left port for the sake of the people on board, heading for Vancouver.

 

When we got back into the building there were still hundreds of people sitting in the waiting areas, hoping that their group would be called soon. I hope they were, as I am sure they were exhausted and more than ready to get on board, into their cabin, and maybe even get a bite to eat.

 

So now I want to ask Pam just what magic she works to be on board long enough to relax with friends, have a drink, and feel good about her day. We were exhausted by the time we got off. The noise level in the waiting area was very high, and I have never been in a dining room that was so loud as well. I guess noise bothers me more than it does some people, but I was wishing I had a cabin to go to and get away from it all. Over all the BVE gave me what I wanted. I had a chance to see a little bit of the ship, and form an opinion about whether or not I would enjoy a cruise on her. But the time was so short – only a bit over 2 hours total with lunch taking most of that time because of slow service – that it was not the experience I had hoped for.

[Pam in CA]

Your first BVE experience was more like mine have been. Sounds like the Crown wasn't very organized. I'll find out for myself in October as I've booked a BVE then.

 

It's unfortunate that Princess is implementing a severely limited embarkation day luncheon. When we boarded the Sapphire March 1st, we went to the dining room for lunch and were presented with those awful menus after being seated. When told there was nothing else, we got up and left. Had a delicious pizza at Alfredo's. This went on my comment card at the end of the cruise.

 

A suggestion is to ask Princess on FB which ships have this limited menu, and why.

[goodie2shoes]

We were on the Sapphire in January, and the embarkation lunch menu was terrible. It had several different choices but the food was just plain bad. I wish we had done what you did. But we sat there and tried to eat what they served us. Thank goodness the food was better for the rest of the cruise! It seems they are really trying to discourage people from using the dining room.

 

Our next cruise is June on the Pacific. We'll see what happens there. And then in the fall, when the ships start moving out of Alaska, we will do some more BVE's. With new ships coming to our ports and the ones we know and love leaving, we need to see what looks good to us for future cruises. How better to do that than spend a few hours on board and check it out. We may run into each other one day.

[hpeabody]

It was not at all the way way it is supposed to be.

 

Here is my post from my current roll call.

 

Today was not the best BVE experience. There was a delay (hearsay is that people were held up from disembarking the previous cruise due to lack of immigration personnel) We did not get called to the gangway until about 1:00 PM. At that point it was total chaos as people just started flooding towards the gangway ignoring instructions. The Future Cruise consultant really fell flat on this one. There was no organization whatsoever. She did not come speak to us, she was inside near the elevators and just said it's best to go directly to lunch. That was that last I saw of her. There was supposed to be included photos taken as we board, No photos. We were just let loose on our own, fine by me, but just seemed wrong. I have done BVE before, it is not supposed to be quite like it was today.

 

As far as the Crown, she seemed fine, well kept up, but in some ways not as modern as they have made some of the other ships. Basically like pretty much any Princess ship. As I noted, they seem to be making more menu cutbacks. Hmmm, how much more will they go???

 

All in all it was still a nice way to spend a Saturday :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

Your first experience was almost identical to mine. We had less than 4 hrs. for sure because we didn't get on until 12:30. The FCC really does dictate how these are run. If she's disorganized, late or busy, it throws your timing off. This just goes to prove that so much of the BVE experience varies from ship to ship.

[Cruisin' Along]

I appreciate everyone sharing their BVE experiences. We are thinking of doing a BVE in Seattle. I'd be really disappointed to go - as our first exposure to Princess - and have it turn out to not be disorganized and not a good experience.

[SingerEsq]

Just an FYI -- We got off the Crown on Saturday, 5/3. It was a miserable disembarkation, and probably had something to do with your BVE. According to the announcements on board, the ship was late in getting cleared by customs and then immigration was running at least 30 minutes behind. By 8:30 a.m., the "Platinum / Elite" lounge (in the Explorers Lounge) was crammed to the point of having to sit on the stage to find a place to sit. No one from Captains Circle was monitoring the entrance, so it was a free-for-all. We did not end up disembarking until around 11:30 a.m. and we were not the last to leave!

 

Aside from that, we had a great California Coastal cruise on the Crown.

 

By comparison, we had guests on a BVE out of Brooklyn a couple of years ago, and it was a lovely experience for both us and our guests.

[elcydcruiser]

I also disembarked on May 3rd and totally agree with SingerEsq...disembarkation was miserable. Nothing "Express" about it...We were finally off around 11:00am.

BUT, I did the BVE (with my cabin mate's husband as the guest) on April 26th and it was sweet. Checked in around 11:15 (no lines or crowd [and our cruise was sold out]), sat in the waiting area until 12noon when they finally boarded the B2B's and BVE's. The lunch in the dining room was fine. It was my 2nd BVE and both went smoothly.

[caribill]

A suggestion is to ask Princess on FB which ships have this limited menu, and why.

 

Why?

 

I suspect they are trying to make the product so bad that passengers weill avoid it.

 

Then Princess can eliminate the dining room lunch on embarkation day claiming it was not used enough to justify continuing it.

 

One question about the limited menu. Were the always available items such as hamburger not also included?

[goodie2shoes]

Why?

 

I suspect they are trying to make the product so bad that passengers weill avoid it.

 

Then Princess can eliminate the dining room lunch on embarkation day claiming it was not used enough to justify continuing it.

 

One question about the limited menu. Were the always available items such as hamburger not also included?

 

I think you are very correct about them wanting to get rid of the dining room lunch on embarkation day. They have always made it difficult to get in or even to find out which dining room it is going to be in.

 

As for the limited menu, the answer to your question is NO. Nothing other than what I listed was offered. My husband had almost decided before we got on board that he was going to have a hamburger. Didn't happen. I really wish we had got up and left when we saw the menu. There are other places to eat available, and since we were among the first on board they shouldn't have been too crowded yet.

[PurpleHays]

We are doing the LA-FLL Panama Canal cruise Feb. 4. My DD and DGS are going to be living in Orange County by then. If we wanted to do a BVE with them, would we also have to pay, or would that be included since we are going on the cruise?

 

She's sort of interested in cruising, but wants to do Disney, so we are tentatively planning that for 2016. However, I think she might like a taste of what to expect. Not to mention we can spend a few more hours spoiling the GS.

[Pam in CA]

No, if you are going on the cruise, you don't have to pay the $39. When the BVE reservations are made, give the TA or Princess rep your names and booking # so the bookings can be linked.

 

Once booked for the BVE, make sure they write down the booking #. They then go to Princess.com and fill out the PIF the same as if sailing. Then print out their boarding passes.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the BVE review.

 

We have not seen any drinks etc in the Elite waiting area for a few years now. Last time was March 2014.

When they started the lounge they had a nice array, not that I really wanted anything anyway.

[PurpleHays]

Thanks for the quick response, Pam. I won't officially be able to request the vacation time until August (we can only request six months out) but I'll visit her in July. I'll see if she's interested then.

[jrzebird]

I've done the BVE three times, all out of Brooklyn. We had a limited menu on all of them, but surely enough to satisfy everyone. The first one did have a hamburger, but I'm not sure about the other 2. I only remember that one because the head waiter teased my adult daughter about having a burger when there were many other choices, a bit more exotic.

 

Our first BVE was very well run, with the FCC meeting us, explaining the protocol, walking on board with us and staying with those who wanted to have a tour. I just wanted to drop my stuff in my cabin and go to lunch. I gave my daughter a tour after we ate. I don't remember much about the second one, for some reason, but last fall I did the third. I will say that it wasn't as well run as the others. We had a wedding waiting with us and it seemed chaos. The FCC finally showed up but then disappeared. When we were told we could board (before anyone else), I was stopped because I didn't have a sticker on. It took a supervisor to let me on (I was sailing and my friend was my guest for the BVE). Lunch, while limited, was very good and we had a great time chatting with our table mates. We went to the photo area and each of us got a copy of our boarding picture.

 

I wasn't happy with the FCC, and we did have to wait until almost 12:30 to board but, honestly, that didn't ruin my experience (after all, what control did the ship or I have over that issue). In the end, we had a lovely time and I didn't let the small stuff get to me. Plus I was staying on for 2 weeks, so what could be bad?

 

Maureen