Princess Diamond tender issue in Phuket

[Bill B]

Perhaps now Princess has realised the pirates in Thailand wear uniforms.

[Pushka]

So an update. The ship tenders were lowered on arrival around 8.30am and the early excursions were put into one of the four tenders or one of the two larger island boats. They got to shore and off on their excursion. Our long excursion was cancelled which given the other excursion was similar and that went, this was personally annoying and shorex closed after the cancellation notification so boo to Princess for the way they handled ours. These people knew nothing about the later issues.

 

About 30 mins later the Captain announced in a very frustrated voice that the use of tenders was now not allowed and they had to 'find' other boats at a moments notice. There was a backlog of 700 pax and excursions had been sent to the tender stations only to have to return to the bar. Magically though, 2 large local boats appeared. The Captain used words like 'this is not what was agreed to' and 'this has never happened before' and this is 'extremely inconvenient' etc. an hour later he said they had cleared 1000 pax but still 700 backlog. This was around four hours after arrival and last tender in four hours. Excursions ran very late in the day and we were 2 hours late departure due to delayed ship excursions.

[RDC1]

This is not the only port that local boats are used for tendering.

 

Belize is another example.

 

In Belize they use local boats because of the distance to tender and how long it would take using the ships boats.

 

Some cruise lines have purchased their own boats (NCL for example) that they use there instead of contracting with locals.

[TracieABD]

Thank you, Pushka, for the update. This does sound a bit ominous- and I think I will need to manage expectations for our stop in Phuket. I don't want to risk a serious event...

[ricethief]

I was on the first tender and there were already 3 local boats moored several metres from the Diamond Princess on top of the one that was operating at the time. Not sure if they were for shore excursions or premeditated for what was to come.

 

I got my tender ticket earlier than what was on the patter, at 8.10 rather than the 9am listed.

[Chris86]

A very expensive tender port for Princess today.

Particularly when this 12night new year cruise was discounted to $599 aud for 12nights. I wonder how the whole SE asia market is going for the cruise lines. I often see huge discounts for exceptionally decent boats. Interesting how australia receive the older boats and SE asia the diamond/ sapphire while we are paying 3times the cost.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I completely agree with Bill B. We lived in Thailand for 3 years and there is absolutely no maintenance on anything so I would not get on any boat in Thailand. They are famous for overloading and ignoring safety of any kind. They don't care about the water or weather conditions and the people that call themselves "Captain" are not trained and there is no license.

 

Also, they do not care about customer loyalty. All they are worried about is right now. Tomorrow doesn't exist and they only want money right now. They saw the ship and the mafia who run Phuket saw an opportunity to make money today. High season is coming to a close. I hope Princess is prepared for the possibility of casualties. Just because Princess hires a company to transport you on a bus, boat or whatever doesn't mean that you are safe especially since they had no idea that some official was going to change the agreement.

 

I am not exaggerating, remember no matter how many fancy malls they have in Bangkok the rest of the country is still a 3rd world country.

 

I totally agree with you and that was my very first thought - uh oh, what about the safety of those 3 "big boats" that showed up at the last minute? Princess doesn't have the time to inspect the boats, check paperwork (which could be fraudulent anyway) and make sure they're safe for their passengers. Definitely a risky move in a country that while beautiful and worth visiting, still has some kinks to work out.

[Pushka]

I totally agree with you and that was my very first thought - uh oh, what about the safety of those 3 "big boats" that showed up at the last minute? Princess doesn't have the time to inspect the boats, check paperwork (which could be fraudulent anyway) and make sure they're safe for their passengers. Definitely a risky move in a country that while beautiful and worth visiting, still has some kinks to work out.

 

 

The new arrivals seemed quite safe but I take your point. There was no chance for inspection as it was getting a bit desperate.

 

Those who disembarked early knew nothing of the later issue.

 

For those going into Langkawi to do shopping - take the ship shuttle. Just returned from the ship excursion - shopping on your own - and it was dreadful. 6 buses of people dumped in a hot street where most shops closed (Friday) and some refused alcohol purchase because the ship retained our passport. Then on the bus on the way back to the port we passed the drop off area for the ship shuttle and it looked excellent. Lots of shops cafes and restaurants. Our trip cost something like $40 for an awful trip whereas the return shuttle and fun location was $16. Multiple complaints from all passengers. And they are going to shorex to complain.

 

Edited January 6, 2017 by Pushka

[OzKiwiJJ]

I hope you all get some recompense for that tour. I'd be spitting mad in that situation. :mad:

[Pushka]

I hope you all get some recompense for that tour. I'd be spitting mad in that situation. :mad:

 

 

A group of people from our bus met randomly when shorex opened. Of course it will be of no surprise that they blamed the vendor and didn't want to take responsibility. Do they not understand that the contract and payment was made to Princess so they do have responsibility. I showed them the photos and all they said was that Friday was a holiday and so the shops were shut. To which my response was 'then don't offer the tour and take our money'. So clearly they knew at the get go the shops were going to be closed but they proceeded anyway.

 

So bad it was actually laughable now.

[kenexx]

I'm assuming you never had to iron out a problem with the police or immigration officials. :eek:

 

No and nor would I expect to.

[Pushka]

No and nor would I expect to.

 

 

I'd normally agree but things have a way of going in a direction here we would not expect in Australia (USA etc) and nothing to do with anything 'you' might think you are doing wrong. There are many rules and laws of which we might be blithely unaware of.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Pushka

[Bill B]

There are many rules and laws of which we might be blithely unaware of.

 

In Thailand, they don't enforce the laws they have (especially with respect to driving) and will make up laws they don't have in order to extract 'tea money' from tourists.

 

My experiences:

 

Police: "It's your choice... 500 baht (no receipt) and on you way... or, several hours in 'lock-up'."

 

Immigration: "It's your choice... 2000 baht (no receipt) and you can 'come in'... or, several several hours in lock-up waiting to be deported at your expense."

[TracieABD]

No and nor would I expect to.

 

I am super law-abiding- and have been detained twice. Once in Dubai (for rechargeable batteries) and once in Chengdu- on my way to Tibet. The detention in Dubai was annoying- but I probably saved myself a lot of issue- I had my head covered, was respectful, and maintained compliance.

The detention in Chengdu- very, very scary. Once again, I did my best to keep it together and maintain compliance.

 

It can happen- even to the most travel savvy.

[Pushka]

I never realised that Singapore has no duty free allowance for even just 1 cigarette. Have to declare and pay duty. Also if coming from Malaysia last exit there is no duty free allowance on alcohol either into Singapore.

[RDC1]

A group of people from our bus met randomly when shorex opened. Of course it will be of no surprise that they blamed the vendor and didn't want to take responsibility. Do they not understand that the contract and payment was made to Princess so they do have responsibility. I showed them the photos and all they said was that Friday was a holiday and so the shops were shut. To which my response was 'then don't offer the tour and take our money'. So clearly they knew at the get go the shops were going to be closed but they proceeded anyway.

 

So bad it was actually laughable now.

 

Are you certain that the information about the excursion or the port did not mention the fact that the day was a holiday?

 

I know on several trips that have covered holidays I have encountered notes on excursion information that have stated that the day in port is a holiday and as a result some venues, including shops might be closed. In a recent cruise back to LA from BA the ship posted very clearly in some of the ports that due to the Easter Holiday season the ports would be impacted. Though in some cases it was the roads jammed by people coming to the coast for the holiday.

 

When you sign up for an on your own tour all the excursion is responsible for is dropping you off at the location and picking you up where stated. As the saying goes you are responsible for your own research and plans. Did the excursion say where you were going to be dropped off and were you dropped off there? If they did what was listed in the excursion description then they provided what was stated.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Here is the blurb from the Princess website about the Langkawi On Your Own excursion:

 

"Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 tropical islands (with five more revealed at low tide!) off the northwestern coast of mainland Malaysia. As the first Southeast Asian landmass to rise from the seabed more than half a billion years ago, the islands have a spectacular geological landscape, which includes caves, sea-arches, ancient fossils, flat plains, forested mountains, and dramatic limestone and sandstone outcroppings. It is also a land of myths and folklore, and many towns, mountains and other natural features have an origin story based in legend.

 

The name "Langkawi" is believed to be a combination of two Malay words, helang (shortened to lang), meaning eagle, and kawi, meaning reddish-brown ? and indeed, the majestic sea eagle is a treasured resident of these spectacular islands.

 

This half-day tour begins with a motorcoach ride to the park at Eagle Square, also known as Dataran Lang, where the enormous statue of a red eagle taking flight welcomes you to the main island in the group, Pulau Langkawi. With beautiful fountains, bridges and a spectacular view of the harbor, Eagle Square is the perfect place to snap some postcard-perfect photos and be introduced to this island treasure.

 

From here, re-board your motorcoach for a short ride to vibrant Kuah Town, a shopper's paradise, where you will have two hours of free time to walk and explore. The name "Kuah" comes from the Malay word for gravy - the ancient legend behind the name is that there were two battling giants (who have the names of the island's two largest mountains) that overturned a pot of gravy, or curry, at the spot where Kuah now stands!

 

In Kuah Town, you will quickly notice that duty-free shops can be found everywhere, as Langkawi is a tax-free island, and many items, such as alcohol, chocolates, perfumes and some kitchenware, are especially good deals here! There are also many shopping outlet stores featuring major brand names. Take a stroll and pick up some souvenirs for friends (or yourself!), and stop into one of the restaurants to sample the delectable local cuisine. As you might imagine on a chain of islands, fresh seafood is abundant and delicious. And, in a nod to the town's name, you might want to try the curry!

 

With a full belly and a full bag of duty-free goodies, head back to your motorcoach for the relaxing ride back to the ship."

 

I imagine this was the tour Pushka went on. No mention of shops being shut on Fridays. In fact they make a point of stating how many shops and restaurants there are.

Edited January 7, 2017 by OzKiwiJJ

[Bill B]

I never realised that Singapore has no duty free allowance for even just 1 cigarette. Have to declare and pay duty.

 

That's correct and duty on cigarettes is exorbitant -

38.8 cents for every gram or part thereof of each stick of cigarette. You are probably better off buying cigarettes in Singapore rather than paying the duty.

 

That being said, if you declare an open pack (with less than 20 cigarettes left), the Customs officers will (usually) waive the duty because the time and paperwork it takes to collect the tax is not worth their while. However, there is no guarantee of this happening; and if it does, you are walking around Singapore with illegal cigarettes for which people get 'busted' (I'm not kidding). There is also a chance you will be sent to an automated, self-declaration kiosk where you will have no choice but to pay by credit card.

 

The penalties for failure to declare, or making an incorrect declaration of cigarettes are harsh -

1st offence: S$200 per packet or per 20 sticks or part thereof

 

- See more at: https://www.customs.gov.sg/individuals/going-through-customs/offences#sthash.gNTlOR99.dpuf

[shepp]

No and nor would I expect to.

 

In one case I dropped my passport on the plane while disembarking and Thai Customs held me incommunicado, except for calls to the consulate, and basically treated me like a criminal. The consul would have vouched for me and issued a temporary passport. But the Thais refused and were just hours from putting me back on the first plane to Bombay, until my passport was found after the plane arrived at Narita.

 

Second time some of my stuff was stolen at a hotel, including a hard copy plane ticket. (Remember those?) I spent an entire day chasing around Bangkok trying to file a police report to show to Continental. Again, rude, and this time inefficient.

 

I neither case did I "expect to" have to deal with Thai officialdom.

Edited January 7, 2017 by shepp

[Pushka]

Great post OzKiwiJJ. That is indeed the trip we booked. In fact we stopped at a Batik factory first - taking up time we weren't interested in, although a couple bought big bags there to put their later purchases in. Sadly they never got to use them. The vendor should have changed the itinerary as there was a very large shopping centre that was open just next to the Eagle. He knew that it was a worship day. But we just drove on past it to the deserted street a few k's away.

 

Next to the deserted streets there was also a market with fixed shelters for stalls. I'd say 40 or so. Completely deserted.

Edited January 7, 2017 by Pushka

[OzKiwiJJ]

Great post OzKiwiJJ. That is indeed the trip we booked. In fact we stopped at a Batik factory first - taking up time we weren't interested in, although a couple bought big bags there to put their later purchases in. Sadly they never got to use them. The vendor should have changed the itinerary as there was a very large shopping centre that was open just next to the Eagle. He knew that it was a worship day. But we just drove on past it to the deserted street a few k's away.

 

Next to the deserted streets there was also a market with fixed shelters for stalls. I'd say 40 or so. Completely deserted.

 

Princess (and possibly other cruise lines) needs to do quality control on its excursions by the sound of things. Sounds like the operator didn't give a damn.

Edited January 7, 2017 by OzKiwiJJ

[TracieABD]

Question for Pushka (that is a total thread-hijack)

 

Do you know what book they are reading for the book club?

 

Thanks!

TL

[iancal]

We have spent the past three winters in Thailand. Always independent travel, never on a cruise. We never encountered any issues whatsoever from Ko Lippe up to Chiang Mai, from Sumui to Phuket/Kao Lak. Not even issues when we were in Bangkok in Jan three years or so ago when they had the mini uprising.

 

Wonderful country, wonderful people. It think one's view and experiences in Thailand would be very different on a cruise than they would be from a land based stay of any duration. It has become our favourite country in SE Asia.

Edited January 7, 2017 by iancal

[Pushka]

Question for Pushka (that is a total thread-hijack)

 

 

 

Do you know what book they are reading for the book club?

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

TL

 

 

Sorry. I didn't even see a book club agenda item from memory?

[TracieABD]

Sorry. I didn't even see a book club agenda item from memory?

 

Thank you for attempting... I hope you are loving your cruise! I hope the rest of it perfect!