Technical issues on Caribbean Princess

[SouthernMainer]

We're booked on the Sept. 10 transatlantic cruise.Our TA explained the situation like this...

Normal speed is 21 knots

Due to technical issues, new speed 19 knots

She explained that the ships arrival at a port and parking in order for other ships is critical.

If our ship holds up the other's everyone is tangled up in a parking mess.

For those ports, CB had to rearrange to avoid chain reaction with other ships.

This is the gist of my understanding from what she said.

Still have a few days before final payment.

Because of the added sea days, and it's our first transatlantic trip, feeling boredom may be too much.

[Cruise Raider]

Most TAs are relatively expensive, yes. But this one is still overpriced.

The mini-suites, which we had booked are still showing as $2999pp.

For a shortened itinerary, I think not.

With the concerns about the quality of the food post refit and the dangers of being on a compromised ship in the Atlantic, during hurricane season, we chose to cancel.

We were lucky. We had our air through Princess. Normally I book my own but for the one way ticket I decided to give EZAir a shot. Thank goodness we did. It was canceled along with the cruise. Others were not so lucky.

 

That is pricey .. . in my opinion, for whatever that is worth. I sure hope you are able to find a replacement that you will be happy with. Glad your air was easily rectified ... sorry for the others where it wasn't!

[bananavan]

That is pricey .. . in my opinion, for whatever that is worth. I sure hope you are able to find a replacement that you will be happy with. Glad your air was easily rectified ... sorry for the others where it wasn't!

 

We already have a World Cruise on Queen Elizabeth booked for 2018. We booked that over a year ago. Now we have more money for shore excursions is how I am looking at it.

I agree that the TA was expensive. I had originally booked the 27 day cruise but when the OBCs increased during one of the sales, I changed that to two separate back to backs. I assumed that even if the first cruise never dropped, the TA most certainly would and if I had the trips books separately I could benefit from the price reduction.

[Mike147]

These changes may be port related as I'm on the June 30th cruise and our itinerary hasn't changed for Cobh, only Edinburgh for an hour. I also have friends on the current sailing, and other than weather leading to the cancellation of the first tender port, their itinerary hasn't been changed.

Keep in mind that between now and some time after Sept 22 the Caribbean Princess will be operating at less than its proper speed. Our TA on the 22 has had major itinerary changes. They are keeping this a secret from any cruiser between now and then. Sorry for your change.

[Vanctraveller]

I was on the Caribbean Princess last year for the British Isles cruise in June and we missed the port of Dublin as the ship lower propulsion for the better part of a day. The final explanation was that fuel was not being supplied to the engine for some reason. Handling of safety was good as they called a tug to tow the ship in case it was necessary and a helicopter circled the ship to try to help spot the problem. I forget the credit offered for the breakdown and missed port but it was well below the percentage of my fare represented by the missed port compared to all ports. My brother was on the Caribbean Princess in the Spring of 2017 sailing from Houston for the Caribbean and it also had engine problems on that cruise resulting in a missed port and a change of another port (swapped for a closer port).

[Grego]

According to your posts on the roll call thread you have already cancelled. So why keep flogging this thread--just to take a potshot at a ship's officer who is kind enough to provide their perspective? You also said on the roll call you book cruises solely for itinerary, but you obviously despise sea days. So perhaps you should be grateful you learned of these changes before final payment so you could cancel; I still don't get why you booked a Transatlantic in the first place.

I was wondering the same thing. Booked a TA and now thinking adding a couple more sea days would be too boring. Glad they might not be on that voyage with us so we don't have to hear their complaining.

[foodsvcmgr]

This is starting to sound like the saga of the British liner SS Northern Star of 1962, a modern passenger ship with such chronic mechanical issues that she went to the scrapyard at a mere 13 years of age.

Any ship can have engine trouble but the long history of incidents on Caribbean Princess without real resolution is concerning.

[Videopark]

I was on the Caribbean Princess last year for the British Isles cruise in June and we missed the port of Dublin as the ship lower propulsion for the better part of a day. The final explanation was that fuel was not being supplied to the engine for some reason.

 

As you know, the population system on the CC is diesel-electric. The fuel goes to the diesel engine generator which provides electricity which runs the electric motor that turns the propellors. That system also supplies all the electricity for the ship including air conditioning, lights, kitchen etc. So it's possible if the electricity was not available for the engine, you would have to depend on emergency generators to run the ship.

 

Perhaps getting more senior engineers on board might help solve the problems.

[Astro Flyer]

This is starting to sound like the saga of the British liner SS Northern Star of 1962, a modern passenger ship with such chronic mechanical issues that she went to the scrapyard at a mere 13 years of age.

Any ship can have engine trouble but the long history of incidents on Caribbean Princess without real resolution is concerning.

I am not an engineer & can only base my thoughts on what I've read about the Caribbean.

 

It was the first ship to add another deck of cabins (Riviera deck) & wonder if the propulsion system was insufficient for the extra weight of the ship. That could have been redesigned in subsequent ships to eliminate any problem they discovered.

 

The Grand was the first new design to have the elevated Skywalkers lounge before they discovered the material used created issues. Subsequent ships used different material & Skywalkers was eventually removed from the Grand. The Royal Princess being the first of a new class of ship also experienced power issues during its inaugural season which resulted in cancellation of a Med cruise.

 

On other cruise lines that have ships with azipods they initially experienced mechanical problems however I haven't read about as many problems with newer ships with azipod propulsion systems.

 

Engineers do a great job designing things however sometimes unanticipated flaws occur after construction particularly after significant design changes. And corrective measures may be limited due to the basic design.

 

Maybe that's a reason why the Caribbean seems to have more propulsion problems than other Princess ships. I don't know why the Northern Star went to the scrapyard but maybe it was a major safety factor. While the Caribbean's issues are a factor I consider, I do not believe it's so great as to end up like the Northern Star.

 

No company is likely to disclose reasons for mechanical issues so we can merely speculate on the causes & on any potential solutions.

Edited June 18, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[cr8tiv1]

I am not an engineer & can only base my thoughts on what I've read about the Caribbean.

 

It was the first ship to add another deck of cabins (Riviera deck) & wonder if the propulsion system was insufficient for the extra weight of the ship. That could have been redesigned in subsequent ships to eliminate any problem they discovered.

 

The Grand was the first new design to have the elevated Skywalkers lounge before they discovered the material used created issues. Subsequent ships used different material & Skywalkers was eventually removed from the Grand. The Royal Princess being the first of a new class of ship also experienced power issues during its inaugural season which resulted in cancellation of a Med cruise.

 

On other cruise lines that have ships with azipods they initially experienced mechanical problems however I haven't read about as many problems with newer ships with azipod propulsion systems.

 

Engineers do a great job designing things however sometimes unanticipated flaws occur after construction particularly after significant design changes. And corrective measures may be limited due to the basic design.

 

Maybe that's a reason why the Caribbean seems to have more propulsion problems than other Princess ships. I don't know why the Northern Star went to the scrapyard but maybe it was a major safety factor. While the Caribbean's issues are a factor I consider, I do not believe it's so great as to end up like the Northern Star.

 

Very interesting observations and possible issues. I see your logic. Makes sense to me.

[Astro Flyer]

Very interesting observations and possible issues. I see your logic. Makes sense to me.

I attempted to consider all aspects based on the limited amount of available information & from Princess only that it's technical" issues. :confused:

 

When flying I would troubleshoot mechanical issues to provide input to the mechanics who would turn the wrench to provide the solutions. ;)

And in the extremely rare situations where it was potentially a design issue, the engineers worked on solutions which included input from mechanics & pilots. Tragically one design flaw resulted in the deaths of 2 close friends before the problem was fixed.

Edited June 18, 2017 by Astro Flyer

[BarbinMich]

I am truly sorry to hear about all the problems the CB has incurred recently and the ensuing inconveniences that pax have had to endure. We were on the Caribbean P 3x from Apr 2016-Jan 2017 (both TAs and a Caribbean). The ship incurred none of the problems that have surfaced lately. On the eastbound TA we encountered weather delays for Houston departure and missed Holyhead, Wales (also due to weather). On the westbound TA we missed Lerwick, Shetland Islands, due to high winds (it's a tender port). On the B2B 7-day Caribbean cruises, everything A-OK. It looks like we were very lucky. Interesting that the CB's current problems are happening since the March dry-dock--I don't know if they did any mechanical work then. I'm only aware of the updates to the passenger areas plus intro of the "Medallion" system, which supplanted cruise cards.

[fishywood]

I am truly sorry to hear about all the problems the CB has incurred recently and the ensuing inconveniences that pax have had to endure [...] Interesting that the CB's current problems are happening since the March dry-dock

 

Well of course the current problems are occurring, um, currently.

 

But even I--who stands by my previous posts that all the foofaraw in this thread is a ridiculous overreaction--concede that there have been ongoing problems with the CB.Dating back to a couple seasons ago when on almost every sailing the ship went full speed to return to Port Everglades the evening before scheduled turnaround so overnight maintenance could be done. (So no speed issues at the time--but there was something going on...)

 

The only legitimate complaint is that as this is an ongoing issue Princess should have scheduled a realistic itinerary from the get-go. Beyond that, everyone on the affected sailing should either (1) say Thank You for the $100 OBC and carry on as normal; or (2) cancel. All the whining that has been accompanying the decision is a waste of time and energy and ultimately beneath those who who originally booked presumably preferring Princess and/or this particular Transatlantic sailing--and who will feel silly about their initial reaction once they return.

[puli]

Please don't flame this posting (and sorry if this is hijacking ),,but I was wondering if the same type of problem might have affected our end of May /early June 2015 C P R/T from England sailing in the North Sea.

 

We were in one of the window suites and as soon as we got into the North Sea we had acute vibrations & screaming/grating/banging sounds; so much so that engineering staff even went to the deck above to see if the slot machines directly above us had come loose.

 

This lasted 24/7 for almost 5 days of our 7 day cruise.We had a full ship so could not be moved but did get some compensation. The front desk finally told us they thought it it was the stabilizers...but we are long time cruisers (40+ years) and have never experienced such a situation....noise too loud to carry on a conversation and things flying off tables and shelves to say nothing about lack of sleep..

 

My hope is this is limited to the Caribbean Princess i.e. maybe part of the above issue.

That Window Suite was the best cabin set up we have ever had and we mostly sail in suites. We have been fearful of trying one on another sister ship but might if it is solely on the C P. and part of this problem.

[canadarocks]

Wow. We are relatively new to Princess (just sailed on the Emerald and the Royal so far). Based on the great 14 day Circle Caribbean cruise itinerary we've booked the Caribbean Princess for January 2018 and 2019!

 

If they spent 7 million refurbishing it, why on earth did they not focus on the issues discussed in this thread? :confused:

[pablo222]

Keep in mind that between now and some time after Sept 22 the Caribbean Princess will be operating at less than its proper speed. Our TA on the 22 has had major itinerary changes. They are keeping this a secret from any cruiser between now and then. Sorry for your change.

 

How so?

 

Anyone can look up the cruise, and see the itinerary.

 

Isn't this it?

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B728

[bananavan]

How so?

 

Anyone can look up the cruise, and see the itinerary.

 

Isn't this it?

 

http://www.princess.com/find/cruiseDetails.do?voyageCode=B728

 

 

This is not the itinerary we originally booked for the Transatlantic.

This is the new itinerary.

[beg3yrs]

This is not the itinerary we originally booked for the Transatlantic.

This is the new itinerary.

 

So that's a funny way to keep a secret: Publish it on the Internet ... I'll bet the new itinerary is also shown in each booked passenger's cruise personalizer.

[bananavan]

So that's a funny way to keep a secret: Publish it on the Internet ... I'll bet the new itinerary is also shown in each booked passenger's cruise personalizer.

 

That was not the "secret: that Mike was referring to. I believe he is referring to the fact that most cruisers on the upcoming Caribbean Princess cruises around the UK will not be aware that there are problems with the mechanical operation of the ship. For those who arrange private tours this can be problematic.

Your sarcasm is highly over rated.

[Bucket List Bohemians]

After much debate we've decided to not cancel Oct. 7 and sit tight. We got a great fare, the port is close to home, we like the dates etc. We're taking a leap of faith !!! We've booked all excursions thru Princess. So, excited, and hopeful !! Let the countdown begin !

[caribill]

y. On the eastbound TA we encountered weather delays for Houston departure and missed Holyhead, Wales (also due to weather).

 

Going from Houston to Fort Lauderdale after the delayed Houston departure the ship ran at full speed without any problems.

 

 

Actually, at times it was going faster than 25 knots/hour due to favorable currents. This is faster than the highest rated speed for the ship.

[pablo222]

That was not the "secret: that Mike was referring to. I believe he is referring to the fact that most cruisers on the upcoming Caribbean Princess cruises around the UK will not be aware that there are problems with the mechanical operation of the ship.

 

And?

 

As long as the ship is fast enough to meet those itineraries, why would it matter?

[chengkp75]

Going from Houston to Fort Lauderdale after the delayed Houston departure the ship ran at full speed without any problems.

 

 

Actually, at times it was going faster than 25 knots/hour due to favorable currents. This is faster than the highest rated speed for the ship.

 

"Knots/hour"?

 

And yes, in the Gulf Stream going in that direction you can pick up 5-6 knots depending on the time of year.

[spyro1952]

Please don't flame this posting (and sorry if this is hijacking ),,but I was wondering if the same type of problem might have affected our end of May /early June 2015 C P R/T from England sailing in the North Sea.

 

We were in one of the window suites and as soon as we got into the North Sea we had acute vibrations & screaming/grating/banging sounds; so much so that engineering staff even went to the deck above to see if the slot machines directly above us had come loose.

 

This lasted 24/7 for almost 5 days of our 7 day cruise.We had a full ship so could not be moved but did get some compensation. The front desk finally told us they thought it it was the stabilizers...but we are long time cruisers (40+ years) and have never experienced such a situation....noise too loud to carry on a conversation and things flying off tables and shelves to say nothing about lack of sleep..

 

My hope is this is limited to the Caribbean Princess i.e. maybe part of the above issue.

That Window Suite was the best cabin set up we have ever had and we mostly sail in suites. We have been fearful of trying one on another sister ship but might if it is solely on the C P. and part of this problem.

 

 

We were in F305 on the last east bound TA and had the same creaking etc during some rough seas. It only lasted 1 or 2 nights but it was very apparent. I've been in these WS before so I kinda knew what to expect. It does keep you awake if you are a light sleeper.

[Videopark]

And?

 

As long as the ship is fast enough to meet those itineraries, why would it matter?

 

Only if another problem occurred. Already traveling at a slower speed doesn't give any buffer if something has a new problem.