Grand - Alaska Sept 14th to 21st, no glacier due to ice, very poor cruise

[mickeyforus]

posted earlier we did not go all the way in Tracy Arm Fjord. Just received call from princess from survey and advised captain was told there was a lot of ice in the area and little room for ship to make 180 degree turn. They had received numerous emails/calls about bad experience on this sale date. But none of it is their responsibility. The customer service agent, stated she was sorry we were disappointed in our cruise, but Princess did not have any responsibility or would offer any compensation for a passengers disappointment.

We have cruised many quite a few times and this is the first i felt we truly did not get our money's worth for many reasons etc.

No company can make everyone happy/satisfied, we do feel they should make an attempt at giving their passengers a cruise they paid for and acknowledge that some part/form is their responsibility. All i hear is "it is your responsibility" , I have no control on the captains inability to keep us informed, which head office states he should have in the case of Tracy Arm, cabins stained sheets we were assigned, the public washrooms cracked floors and disabled stalls, the temp of the food, the response of the medical team, where we dock, products sold falling apart, pricing and display of photos, meeting places of excursions, 300.00 per person markup on airline flight pricing in our case.

[Coral]

Tracy Arm is missed quite frequently. Should not be a surprise if you read these and the Alaskan boards.

 

If you really want a guaranteed glacier sighting, go to Glacier Bay.

[CI66774]

The only way to guarantee a port stop is to do a land vacation there. So the weather conditions, of course, are not Princess' fault. The other issues are and I would write a letter explaining and see if there is any thing the company can do (e.g. OBC on next cruise, etc.).

[san diego sue]

Never know if you can get into glacier areas.

A few years ago in August, couldn't get into Tracy Arm because of Ice. However we got a beautiful scenic ride up to the point where we couldn't go because of ice. Last year July, got totally in.

Princess will do what is safe for the ship and passengers.

We missed a port that I was looking forward to in St. Johns, New Foundland

last week because of storms. I was disappointed but certainly couldn't blame

Princess. Nature rules.

Now the rest of problem with ship, that is another story. We are sailing on the Grand in November. Dirty sheet etc, I will not tolerate.

[mickeyforus]

totally understand safety comes first, it was the lack of communication and also the fact that the advertising for this cruise shows all these beautiful pictures and commentary on the sawyer glacier etc. We feel that if it has gotten increasingly difficult for larger ships to get up to the glacier they should not promote it as the highlight of your cruise experience or should at least put a disclaimer that a certain percentage of sailings do NOT get all the way in. That would be helpful.

also we did complete the survey and emailed in our concerns, we were told that it is not Princess responsibility for any disappointment with our cruise experience, only items beyond their control. i listed a few of the items that we felt should be within their control. They simply do not agree. She was taking my concerns forward to crew etc to address for future cruises and thanked me for my time in helping them learn where they should focus.

Edited October 3, 2014 by mickeyforus
adding note

[Cruiserkenn]

Sorry you were disappointed.

 

I had a great time, on the Grand, in September. Discovery Center in Ketchikan and Butchart Gardens near Victoria were particularly memorable.

Had a great nature hike in Haines, where we watched a female brown bear, fishing in the river, for 90 minutes. Humpback whales were up close and personal on the whale watching tour in Juneau. Wow! So much to see.

 

I loved it!

Edited October 3, 2014 by Cruisin'Rabbit

[FishinChris]

We missed Tracy Arm on one of our cruises but we went to Endicott Arm instead.

 

 

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[Putterdude]

I can appreciate your disappointment but this can happen with early and late season sailing to Alaska, you likely got your compensation in the form of a reduced fare when you booked and thought you had done well. This is one of the reasons fares tend to be lower at this time of the year. I am not sure what you would expect in the way of communication, when Princess sold you the cruise they did so believing that they would sail the itinerary and likely still believed that up until as late as the morning the ship entered Tracy Arm. It is not unusual for ships to miss ports and while it sounds like you docked in Victoria, Victoria is often a port that gets missed due to wind and sea conditions in the shoulder seasons....and there is no compensation for that. Sorry, I would love to agree with you but you are not likely going to get much in the way of compassion on this topic.

[sherryf]

posted earlier we did not go all the way in Tracy Arm Fjord. Just received call from princess from survey and advised captain was told there was a lot of ice in the area and little room for ship to make 180 degree turn. They had received numerous emails/calls about bad experience on this sale date. But none of it is their responsibility. The customer service agent, stated she was sorry we were disappointed in our cruise, but Princess did not have any responsibility or would offer any compensation for a passengers disappointment.

We have cruised many quite a few times and this is the first i felt we truly did not get our money's worth for many reasons etc.

No company can make everyone happy/satisfied, we do feel they should make an attempt at giving their passengers a cruise they paid for and acknowledge that some part/form is their responsibility. All i hear is "it is your responsibility" , I have no control on the captains inability to keep us informed, which head office states he should have in the case of Tracy Arm, cabins stained sheets we were assigned, the public washrooms cracked floors and disabled stalls, the temp of the food, the response of the medical team, where we dock, products sold falling apart, pricing and display of photos, meeting places of excursions, 300.00 per person markup on airline flight pricing in our case.

 

If you had done your research before booking this cruise, maybe you would have known what to expect. Ships often do not get all the way into Tracy Arm to see the glacier, and this is well known and often discussed on these boards. Booking in mid-September also has a high potential for bad weather. This is also often discussed, and could be easily seen by looking at historical weather data. There's a reason the last cruises of the season are so cheap.

 

I was on the Grand this summer and did not see any cracked floors or stained sheets.

 

You can't blame Princess for where you docked in port. The port authorities assign the spots. I'm not sure what your gripe is about the excursion meeting places. I mostly book independent vendors, but when I have taken Princess excursions, I've never had issues with the meeting places.

 

Pricing of photos is another thing you could have learned in advance on these boards. If you think they are too expensive, don't buy them. I rarely do. I don't know what you don't like about the display of photos. It's been the same for years.

 

If you didn't like Princess pricing on airfare, why didn't you just book your own?

 

I think you are just finding things to complain about because you are upset about missing the glacier. We had a wonderful time on the Grand this summer, but we did our research and knew exactly what to expect. I can't say that everything was 100% perfect, but the negative things are too minor to complain about when the overall trip was great.

[mickeyforus]

Sorry you were disappointed.

 

I had a great time' date=' on the Grand, in September. Discovery Center in Ketchikan and Butchart Gardens near Victoria were particularly memorable.

Had a great nature hike in Haines, where we watched a female brown bear, fishing in the river, for 90 minutes. Humpback whales were up close and personal on the whale watching tour in Juneau. Wow! So much to see.

 

I loved it![/quote']

 

We did a lovely Whale watching and Glacier hike in Juneau, did see whales, 2 eagles and a couple of seals. did float plane in Juneau and train with bus to Yukon in Skagway, only wildlife there were mountain sheep/goats, Victoria we did 2 hour tour and saw outside of castle, parliament lit up, lots of deer and the 0 mile marker sign.

[mickeyforus]

If you had done your research before booking this cruise, maybe you would have known what to expect. Ships often do not get all the way into Tracy Arm to see the glacier, and this is well known and often discussed on these boards. Booking in mid-September also has a high potential for bad weather. This is also often discussed, and could be easily seen by looking at historical weather data. There's a reason the last cruises of the season are so cheap.

 

I was on the Grand this summer and did not see any cracked floors or stained sheets.

 

You can't blame Princess for where you docked in port. The port authorities assign the spots. I'm not sure what your gripe is about the excursion meeting places. I mostly book independent vendors, but when I have taken Princess excursions, I've never had issues with the meeting places.

 

Pricing of photos is another thing you could have learned in advance on these boards. If you think they are too expensive, don't buy them. I rarely do. I don't know what you don't like about the display of photos. It's been the same for years.

 

If you didn't like Princess pricing on airfare, why didn't you just book your own?

 

I think you are just finding things to complain about because you are upset about missing the glacier. We had a wonderful time on the Grand this summer, but we did our research and knew exactly what to expect. I can't say that everything was 100% perfect, but the negative things are too minor to complain about when the overall trip was great.

 

Unfortunately we had stained sheets in our cabin, never had that on any previous cruises.

Cracked floor tile etc in washrooms mid ship on pool deck and forward deck 7, every womans washroom i was in had 1 stall closed for maintenance, there are almost always lines for stalls, this just made them longer.

i know pictures cost and we only purchased 2, previous cruises on NCL and RC offered them at 15 and 20, or offered deal if you bought so many, also you could swipe your card and they would bring up your pictures. or on the boards they would have the deck number or mid ship type of thing. some of our pictures of dinner seating were listed under restaurants we were not even in etc. could have better organizing or something.

Airfare, we ended up cancelling the original we had booked as it went from a 1 hour layover in feb when we booked to a 6 hour one in june when we were advised by email. at that time i called and was able to cancel and book on our own for 427.50pp when princess wanted 750.00 pp for the exact same flight.

[AKman2495]

So let me get this straight...rather than disappoint you you would rather have them sail into an ice clogged Fjord in which they would have a hard time turning around....

 

Tell me...did you ever see the movie Titanic? Do you know what ice can do to hulls?

 

As I recall the story, the owner of the Titanic did not want to be disappointed and ordered the captain to sail as fast as possible through ice filled waters...with the predictable results.

 

I would much prefer that the captain acted safely and avoid the ice...but then that's I.....

[Cruiserkenn]

So let me get this straight...rather than disappoint you you would rather have them sail into an ice clogged Fjord in which they would have a hard time turning around....

 

Tell me...did you ever see the movie Titanic? Do you know what ice can do to hulls?

 

As I recall the story, the owner of the Titanic did not want to be disappointed and ordered the captain to sail as fast as possible through ice filled waters...with the predictable results.

 

I would much prefer that the captain acted safely and avoid the ice...but then that's I.....

 

Good points. On some previous Alaska cruises, I have occasionally heard icebergs scraping against the hull, and it is scary. Even if they are seemingly small icebergs. Safety first is very wise. Essential.

[Cruiserkenn]

We did a lovely Whale watching and Glacier hike in Juneau, did see whales, 2 eagles and a couple of seals. did float plane in Juneau and train with bus to Yukon in Skagway, only wildlife there were mountain sheep/goats, Victoria we did 2 hour tour and saw outside of castle, parliament lit up, lots of deer and the 0 mile marker sign.

 

Mountain goats are fun to see. For many years, they were the symbol of the Great Northern Railroad. Because of my family's history with the Great Northern, it is always a thrill to see mountain goats. :)

 

As has often been said on these boards, sometimes a cruise is what we make it. Or, in other words, fishing can be a task, a labor, or a fun sport, depending on how you look at it.

 

Often, I re-assess, and my trip seems extra fun after I am home:)

[mickeyforus]

So let me get this straight...rather than disappoint you you would rather have them sail into an ice clogged Fjord in which they would have a hard time turning around....

 

Tell me...did you ever see the movie Titanic? Do you know what ice can do to hulls?

 

As I recall the story, the owner of the Titanic did not want to be disappointed and ordered the captain to sail as fast as possible through ice filled waters...with the predictable results.

 

I would much prefer that the captain acted safely and avoid the ice...but then that's I.....

 

No, that is not what i am saying, as stated safety first, although communication would be greatly appreciated.

What i am trying to say is that due to global warming or other conditions, advertising should be adjusted to be more appropriate. If, and it seems to be the case, the Grand is unable to get near the glacier due to size, ice etc quite frequently, then the advertising should not promote that this is the highlight of your cruise and itinerary. The details and advertising should be more in tune to what a passenger can expect under average cruise conditions etc. instead of what may happen during optimal conditions etc.

[JimmyVWine]

No, that is not what i am saying, as stated safety first, although communication would be greatly appreciated.

What i am trying to say is that due to global warming or other conditions, advertising should be adjusted to be more appropriate. If, and it seems to be the case, the Grand is unable to get near the glacier due to size, ice etc quite frequently, then the advertising should not promote that this is the highlight of your cruise and itinerary. The details and advertising should be more in tune to what a passenger can expect under average cruise conditions etc. instead of what may happen during optimal conditions etc.

 

If Princess had indicated on its website that itineraries that include Tracy Arm are subject to change due to the possibility that the fjord may be unapproachable, would you have not booked? How about if that information were available to you through other sources, such as trip reports on CC?

[JJ2sail]

Just off Star Princess 10/1. Very last ship in Alaska. We missed Glacier Bay due to sailing 5 hrs late out of San Francisco. They tried for Tracy Arm but was choked with ice. So ended up in Endicott arm and very close to the Dawes glacier. I think most everyone was happy with that. Plus we were given $100 obc per passenger for all the troubles with the new port in SF, weather and changed itinerary.

[Coral]

I would assume that if one has stained sheets, it would have been addressed right away, either that night or the following morning. Was this not the case?

[Astro Flyer]

Sure it's disappointing to miss anything scheduled for a cruise but to me it's also unreasonable to get so upset when it's not like in a brochure.

 

Getting so upset reminds me of a time in Dunedin NZ where we remained at the pier overnight due to winds. A woman berated the captain about that causing us to miss our next port of Christchurch which was disappointing as it was a highlight of the cruise. He calmly explained to her "Madame, if we had sailed yesterday not only would we have missed Christchurch but the remainder of the cruise because the ship would be damaged"

 

Christchurch was prominently displayed in brochures & disappointing to miss a highlight of a cruise but I don't care about how many squeaky wheels complain about a Captain's decision. Passengers don't have a clue about what they're talking about & thankful that they will ignore upset passengers to do the correct thing. If a passenger wants to make those decisions then go to school & have decades of experience to do it. Complaints about missing things because of a decision made by a captain (sea or air) are wrong & I would expect them to err on the side of caution & to not risk safety. Sadly sightseeing crashes happen when those in command take unnecessary risks by wanting to keep passengers "happy". :(

 

Once we saw the glacier from a distance but to me sailing the narrow fjord of Tracy Arm was great but we also missed Hubbard Glacier due to the conditions.

 

I don't know why there was a lack of narration which we had in Tracy Arm. We were unhappy when there was no promised narration at the southern tip of South America viewing those amazing glaciers along the coast but later heard from others the equipment used was not working. Complaints about the cabin can be addressed on the ship but to me expecting any sort of compensation for any of these issues is ludicrous.

 

I don't know what else Princess customer relations is suppose to do with handling what to me are unreasonable complaints. Maybe Princess isn't your best choice but for many of us they are the best choice even when some things are not perfect...just like any other cruise line.

 

I'm not seeking a debate & to me these repeated threads complaining about missing Tracy Arm are a non-issue. :rolleyes:

Edited October 3, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[sherryf]

No, that is not what i am saying, as stated safety first, although communication would be greatly appreciated.

What i am trying to say is that due to global warming or other conditions, advertising should be adjusted to be more appropriate. If, and it seems to be the case, the Grand is unable to get near the glacier due to size, ice etc quite frequently, then the advertising should not promote that this is the highlight of your cruise and itinerary. The details and advertising should be more in tune to what a passenger can expect under average cruise conditions etc. instead of what may happen during optimal conditions etc.

 

It's not just the Grand, it's all cruise ships. All cruise lines that go to Tracy Arm advertise "scenic cruising" but none guarantee that you will see glaciers. They may show photos of the glaciers and imply that you will see them, but they don't make any promises, because they know they can't keep them. There are a lot of things in cruise advertising that imply you will see things that you might not see, like beautiful blue sunny skies. I've been lucky enough to have had good weather on many of my cruises, but I've also had grey skies and rain, and I don't complain to Princess about false advertising.

 

Again, this is a very widely discussed topic here, and anyone who has read much on the Alaska port of call board knows that seeing the glaciers in Tracy Arm is hit or miss, particularly early and late in the season.

[SLCfirsttimer]

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your cruise.

 

On a slightly unrelated note, you may want to consider revising your signature line to put a break between your past cruises. Right now they all appear side by side and makes it so one must scroll back and forth to read the post.

 

If you add the HTML tag below in between each one, it will make them align vertically instead of horizontally and eliminate any scrolling issues.

 

<br>

[bhopal21]

I would assume that if one has stained sheets, it would have been addressed right away, either that night or the following morning. Was this not the case?

 

I wondered that as well.

 

Did you inform the steward? I feel sure he/she would have changed them immediately if you had pointed that out.

 

Mike:)

[broncosteve]

If you had done your research before booking this cruise, maybe you would have known what to expect. Ships often do not get all the way into Tracy Arm to see the glacier, and this is well known and often discussed on these boards. Booking in mid-September also has a high potential for bad weather. This is also often discussed, and could be easily seen by looking at historical weather data.

 

Perhaps Princess should not offer this when they know they have a high chance of not being able to deliver the advertised experience?

[Cruiserkenn]

Perhaps Princess should not offer this when they know they have a high chance of not being able to deliver the advertised experience?

 

Well, Tracy Arm is quite an experience, with or without the Sawyer glaciers.

 

I have been there 8 times, and it is always a fantastic experience.

 

It is spectacular fjord cruising.

 

John Muir paddled it, in a canoe, in order to learn about the geology and the geography. The fjord walls are amazing!

 

Definitely something to see and enjoy.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Cruisin'Rabbit

[Astro Flyer]

Perhaps Princess should not offer this when they know they have a high chance of not being able to deliver the advertised experience?

 

Well' date=' Tracy Arm is quite an experience, with or without the Sawyer glaciers.

 

I have been there 8 times, and it is always a fantastic experience.

 

It is spectacular fjord cruising.

 

John Muir paddled it, in a canoe, in order learn about the geology and the geography. The fjord walls are amazing!

 

Definitely something to see and enjoy.[/quote']

I agree that even without the glaciers it's an amazing experience & all cruise lines occasionally do not get to the Sawyer glaciers.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Astro Flyer