Possible change in embarkation port - need clarification

[nicecruiser]

On roll call for Emerald Princess sailing in South America starting on January 31, 2018 there is a talk that embarkation port changed from Valparaiso to Saint Antonio. Valparaiso cruise terminal does not have Emerald on list of the ships visiting that port too in 2018. Cruisers from sailing contacted Princess representatives, but got a message that nothing change. Whom we need to talk to clarify the situation? 100000000 thanks in advance for your help. Irina

[koolforkatz]

I was told this a couple of days ago by a tour operator in Valparaiso. My TA knows nothing about it. I have contacted Princess for clarification and have yet to receive a response. However, if you Google this there are several local newspaper articles from the area written last week (you can have them translated by Google) and it sounds like a done deal. HAL, Norwegian and Princess are all pulling out from Valparaiso in favour of San Antonio. I am very disappointed by this.

 

 

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[azbirdmom]

Well that's interesting. We are on the cruise right after your's and someone posted about this on our roll call a couple of days ago. As of that time the port schedule for Valparaiso still had all of the Princess ships listed. They are gone now http://www.vtp.cl/ingles/itinerarios.html . No changes in what is published on the Cruise Personalizer yet though. We will all have to wait for Princess to announce the replacement port.

[skynight]

On roll call for Emerald Princess sailing in South America starting on January 31, 2018 there is a talk that embarkation port changed from Valparaiso to Saint Antonio. Valparaiso cruise terminal does not have Emerald on list of the ships visiting that port too in 2018. Cruisers from sailing contacted Princess representatives, but got a message that nothing change. Whom we need to talk to clarify the situation? 100000000 thanks in advance for your help. Irina

I checked a bunch of port sites. Every one shows the Emerald Princess in Valparaiso on February 14th. If there is a change Princess will inform you I'm certain. You might try to contact Princess through Facebook to see what answer they give.

[Steelers36]

I was told this a couple of days ago by a tour operator in Valparaiso. My TA knows nothing about it. I have contacted Princess for clarification and have yet to receive a response. However, if you Google this there are several local newspaper articles from the area written last week (you can have them translated by Google) and it sounds like a done deal. HAL, Norwegian and Princess are all pulling out from Valparaiso in favour of San Antonio. I am very disappointed by this.

 

 

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Did any of the articles you saw mention the effective date for the change?

[koolforkatz]

Did any of the articles you saw mention the effective date for the change?

 

 

 

Yes, it was the upcoming 2017/2018 cruises. There are several newspaper articles discussing this. Obviously a huge upset for Valparaiso. It sounds like it became a done deal about a week ago.

 

 

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[azbirdmom]

Yes, it was the upcoming 2017/2018 cruises. There are several newspaper articles discussing this. Obviously a huge upset for Valparaiso. It sounds like it became a done deal about a week ago.

 

I couldn't find any newspaper articles on this topic. Did they give a reason why this change is being made?

[koolforkatz]

I couldn't find any newspaper articles on this topic. Did they give a reason why this change is being made?

 

 

They are all mostly Chilean papers so it took a bit of searching and then translating. Sounds like they (the port and stevedores ?) were becoming less cruise friendly and were making things more difficult for cruise ships and had been for a while.

 

 

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[azbirdmom]

I did a bit more searching and found a reference so my question is answered! https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/epv-chiles-tps-proposal-for-cruise-terminal-unfeasible1/?position=709078

[Colo Cruiser]

The only ones that know and the only ones that count is Princess themselves. ;)

[nicecruiser]

Thank you very much for replies. What is the email addresses for Princess corporate head quarters and/or Jan Swartz office? Sometimes it's take a long long while for cruise company to notify cruisers of the change. By sending email to the top we could speed up a process.

Thanks again,

Irina

[Re-tired]

Pressure is mounting on Valparaíso port to build an exclusive terminal for cruise ships, after two cruise lines said they will not call on the Chilean city during the upcoming October-April cruise season.

 

In a statement, port operator EPV attributed the decision of Holland America and Princess Cruises, both owned by the Carnival Group, to a labor dispute with its workers, who disrupted the operations of the cruise liners in the 2016-17, leaving passengers stuck on the ships.

 

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/privatization/valparaiso-under-pressure-to-build-cruise-terminal/

[nicecruiser]

Interesting article conforming rumors. Now we need official confirmation from Princess rather sooner than latter.

 

Irina

[Colo Cruiser]

Its a very fluid situation..........

Your cruise is a long way away and things will change many times before you sail.

It was a mess last year.

[caribill]

I couldn't find any newspaper articles on this topic. Did they give a reason why this change is being made?

 

http://www.mundomaritimo.cl/noticias/empresa-portuaria-valparaiso-lamento-decision-de-dos-lineas-de-cruceros-de-recalar-en-san-antonio

 

and the reasons for the change

 

http://www.bnamericas.com/news/privatization/valparaiso-under-pressure-to-build-cruise-terminal

[ConnyR]

Most ships disapeared from the Valparaiso Port timetable

VTP - Season cruise schedule

[koolforkatz]

I asked Princess yesterday through their social media page whether they could confirm the possibility they were moving from Valparaiso to San Antonio. They told me today that they are in the process of "making changes to these voyages" and I would be receiving notification shortly. And that these changes wouldn't affect flights in or out of Santiago.

[Loonbeam]

It's worth noting that Princess may still be trying to make Valparaiso work but there is no contract in place at this time, which means they would not appear on the schedule. Until there is a final contract signed somewhere, Princess is not going to announce or tell their reps much of anything.

[railman]

Pressure is mounting on Valparaíso port to build an exclusive terminal for cruise ships, after two cruise lines said they will not call on the Chilean city during the upcoming October-April cruise season.

 

In a statement, port operator EPV attributed the decision of Holland America and Princess Cruises, both owned by the Carnival Group, to a labor dispute with its workers, who disrupted the operations of the cruise liners in the 2016-17, leaving passengers stuck on the ships.

 

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/privatization/valparaiso-under-pressure-to-build-cruise-terminal/

 

We experienced the issue this past February boarding the Crown. Valparaiso was by far the WORST embarkation experience we have ever had due to the labor issue and having to ride a bus from the check in terminal to the ship. We stood in the priority check-in line for close to three hours. If the port is closed to cruise ships in the future they did it to themselves.

[Steelers36]

I asked Princess yesterday through their social media page whether they could confirm the possibility they were moving from Valparaiso to San Antonio. They told me today that they are in the process of "making changes to these voyages" and I would be receiving notification shortly. And that these changes wouldn't affect flights in or out of Santiago.

 

That's more than I got with a phone call yesterday, even when asking the rep to run it up the flagpole to backup support. Basically, answer was status quo as they had no info, or nothing to provide.

 

Google has it as an hour drive from Valparaiso city center area to San Antonio. We have Val as a stop around S.A. this winter. No boarding issues, but we were thinking of seeing Val and checking out Vina Del Mar. More time on the road for something like that if it changes. Is Val city worth a 1/2 day look? (I will check out the port call thread).

[Steelers36]

FYI, I was just browsing on the S.A. port call thread and posters are reporting notifications from HAL for port change, so maybe Princess will be along soon.

E.G. Zaandam in March.

[koolforkatz]

FYI, I was just browsing on the S.A. port call thread and posters are reporting notifications from HAL for port change, so maybe Princess will be along soon.

E.G. Zaandam in March.

 

HAL has even updated the itineraries on their website to show the change from Valparaiso to San Antonio.

[RDC1]

As someone mentioned earlier in Valparaiso the ship is in the middle of a major industrial port that is very active. All travel to from ship is by bus.

 

 

San Antonio is a similar distance from Santiago. Might even be a bit closer. Smaller town and port.

 

I would prefer the change.

[susiesan]

I had a transfer tour from Santiago to Valpo wit ha drop off at the dock planned for Feb. 14 Emerald princess cruise. My tour operator knows about the change to San Antonio and has offered the same tour with a drop off in san Antonio. But it now costs $40 more per person.

 

I am assuming the local tour operators will be rearranging their tour offerings to accommodate the people now coming and going from San Antonio. They will react far faster than Princess.

[azbirdmom]

Does anyone have a link to the port schedules for San Antonio? I can't find anything long range and was hoping someone might have a link similar to this one for Valparaiso: http://www.vtp.cl/ingles/itinerarios.html

 

Princess still has not made it official about the change in the embarkation port and I was just curious if the Emerald Princess was on the San Antonio port schedule yet. Looking for clues until Princess finds the time to communicate the changes to their passengers - and I fully appreciate that they have their hands full with changing schedules due to the situation in the Caribbean so I'm not going to pester them!