Query for U.K. cruisers

[HomelessBear]

We’ve booked a Cruise Package and this includes cruise, flights from U.K. and transfers to and from the ship. The flights have just come out (not leaving until Dec) and the outbound flight they gave us was indirect and arrived the day of the cruise. As it’s a long way, Princess gave us other options and we chose a direct flight arriving the day before the cruise. We’ve paid a premium for this direct flight but at least we and our luggage will hopefully get there with a day to spare.

We were planning then to stay at the hotel at the airport for one night at our own expense (and much cheaper than Princess hotel options) and return to the airport the next day to get the Transfer, which is part of the Package.

 

On the Personaliser, I noticed it now says that we don’t have the Transfer from the airport to the port. Princess are saying that the only way we can have the transfer to the port, is to book their one night hotel and transfer package, which will cost us another £220!

 

As Transfers are part of the Cruise Package we have booked, and we have booked our flights with Princess as part of this package, I can’t see why they are now saying we have lost our Transfers from our arrival airport.

Have any other UK cruisers had any experience of changing flights and keeping transfers?

I’m asking UK cruisers as we book as a Package and our UK Terms and Conditions are very different from those of our US friends who book cruises and EZAir.

Thanks.

 

 

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[barriedavis]

Which port? Clearly, this is a question for Princess as to what you h ave been sold and not got. All I would say is that, after 61 cruises, I have taken the ships transfer only once. That was in Puerto Rico where it cost $40 each. We got on the coach and waited 45 minutes for another flight to arrive. Then we drove to the other side of the airport to wait for someone else. It took 2 hours to get to the ship. A taxi would have cost $15 altogether and would have got us checked in and on board much quicker. Don't sweat about this minor aspect. There are also reasons why I never let the cruise company book my flights and hotel.

[Reina del Mar]

Sadly we are subject to very different conditions in UK.

 

We had a similar issue with Royal Caribbean out of Galveston. They wanted to book us on a transfer that was not with them but instead a local company as we were arriving early.

 

Companies seem to have very little flexibility..it's their way or nothing.

 

Depending on which port you are using and whether you are familiar with it will sway your decision. Might be worth speaking to another Princess agent or TA as some seem able to book what you require, others are intend on following 'procedure' !!

 

In any case...check your paperwork carefully....going back to our Royal Caribbean issue, we had requested the RC transfer which they agreed to, but when paperwork came through, it was with a local company and we had to 'kick off' to sort it.

[riffatsea]

I agree that knowing the port would be helpful as it may be very inexpensive to get to the ship.

[h3rjp]

Is there not still an option to change the flights on the personaliser?

 

I know in the past (probably going back two years) I picked completely different flights arriving a day early and it didn’t change an other part of the package.

 

Other than that if you got booked via and agent, ask them to sort it out and give you what you asked for. If you booked directly with princess ask the same question of them and don’t take no for an answer!

 

 

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[HomelessBear]

Thanks to those who’ve replied. We’re arriving in Santiago and doing the South America cruise. We’ve never been there before so are unfamiliar with the city.

I’ve check our cruise conformation docs and it has transfers in the breakdown of costs. Our TA has now had an updated confirmation (after we paid the flight costs yesterday as we wanted the direct flight and to secure premium economy and book seats as it’s really important to me where I sit) but which now has our arrival transfers removed!

Our TA is going to ring again next week and hopefully speak to someone that can use their common sense and just add the transfer cost back on. As it’s Saturday you get different answers to the same question if you speak to different people.

I’ve also asked the TA to ask Princess to ushow us where it states in the brochure T&Cs that we will lose our transfer if we change the flight, as I can’t find anything.

TA said this has happened with Celebrity previously, but I’m just hoping that Princess will see common sense and just add the transfer back on.

The hotel & Transfer Package would cost us £420. A significant extra to our already once in a lifetime expensive holiday.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

Have just (4th Feb) returned from Santiago to B.A. cruise.(Emerald Princess). We chose our own flights, upgraded seats (from Cardiff via Amsterdam) but did book the pre/ post cruise transfers and hotels with Princess. Was a little concerned as we'd never been in South America previously.

 

Transfer from airport to Sheraton Hotel was via Princess sponsored minivan..with one other couple. Took about 20 mins. Did have to wait about 20 mins for other couple to collect luggage and a further 10 mins as they'd left a bag with passports at immigration ! Driver was fine and we had an English speaking escort.

 

Check in at hotel was quick and easy. Breakfast was included in the package. We were able to walk to restaurants and shopping area quite easily. Lots of security about as it was day Pope also arrived.

 

Five coachloads leaving hotel on day of cruise. We were given time and tickets when we checked in They offer (overpriced , in my opinion)excursions if you are there a few days too. We just walked and used Hop On/ Off bus which stopped outside hotel. We arrived Monday lunchtime, so had that afternoon and all day Tues before transfer to San Antonio 10 am Weds morning.

 

Check out quick.Transfer was punctual.Cabin bags taken from hotel, next seen in Cabin. Coach with English speaking escort who explained what was happening. Took about 1 hr 40 mins. Interesting chit chat on way. Port check in fairly quick and easy (Platinum) but you then take a shuttle to ship..hand baggage with you. We encountered some wheel chair users who thought they should proceed to head of line ! About 15 mins for a 3 min walk..but no choice in matter..health and safety I presume.

 

We'd booked Brick Hotel with Princess . 5* hotel.Coach Transfertoook 30 mins due to road works but probably 1-2 miles. Older hotel with bathroom, in particular, in desperate need of refurbishment. Included breakfast Ok and staff excellent. Within walking distance of most things. Again used Hop on/ Off Bus. Transfer back to airport by town car took about 50 mins.

 

We were glad we used transfers as our Spanish is limited, and it took the strain away. However, it would all be easy to do on your own. Hotel staff (both places)speak pretty good Engllish and are very helpful.

 

If you have any questions, will try to answer.

Edited February 10, 2018 by Reina del Mar
Additional Info

[HomelessBear]

Thanks very much for your reply. Really useful. How was your cruise? Did you enjoy it? What were the highlights?

They changed our ship from Emerald to Star but that’s no problem as been on Star before and loved it.

Would be good to hear your review of your cruise if possible. I’m getting excited already and its ages away. Got friends who are doing the cruise next week and looking forward to hearing their thoughts when they get back as they’ve never cruised before.

Thanks again.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

Really enjoyed cruise. Had been on Emerald previously..to Caribbean. Staff excellent. Best cabin steward we've ever had. Food pretty much standard Princess...obviously not 'haute cuisine' when cooking for that number , but we didn't go hungry.

 

Typical trying to sell wine tasting, drinks packages , art auctions etc ...especially the first day.

 

First three ports were tender...bit of a fuss queuing up in dining room but ship's boats used so no huge waits.

 

Weather and packing were my concerns..everyone said 'layers'. I took padded 3/4 jacket and Kagool. Husband took fleece and kagool. useful tip I picked up on here was to take vacuum bags to pack jackets in hand luggage at airport ..worked a treat ! We needed hats and gloves for windy conditions around Cape Horn, Amalia Glacier and doing circuits of promenade deck on a couple of days. Took thermals..totally not needed. Cape Hope was 6 degrees was coldest , apart from 0 degrees in Amsterdam on way home. Warmest was BA at 33 degrees..

 

We changed money to Chilean and Argentinean Pesos, used GB £ in Falklands, dollars in Montevideo but Uruguayan change.

 

We enjoyed all the ports and would love to do the trip again.

[HomelessBear]

Thanks so much for all your info. It’s been very useful for us. Sounds like a great trip. We’ll definitely take note and will help with the packing.

We’re elite so we apparently don’t have to que for the tenders from what I’ve read, but not tried it yet, as since we became elite we’ve not had any tender ports.

I was wondering how cool it would be around Cape Horn and in the Falklands so I’ll take hat and gloves.

Did you do any ship trips? I’ve been looking at what will be available and would like to see the penguins in the Falklands, but note there are different ones. Are there any trips you’d recommend?

I’ve read that $US could be used instead of changing to local currency (would be useful as we’ve got some already). Was that the case or are we better with local?

 

Thanks again and we appreciate your feedback and taking the time to do it.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

Being elite and having priority tender access will be a plus. We tend to avoid ships' excursions..find them vastly overpriced and we are not keen on waiting for coaches to fill etc.

 

We tend to book a taxi/ minibus at each port when we arrive. Like so many other ports, the cost is roughly $25 each (US) for 2 hours. Or we walk around if the town is close to port or if there's a shuttle.

 

We visited Gypsy Cove on the Falklands to see the Penguins. There was minibus company offering shuttles about every 15 mins..you could stay as long as you liked and take a returning shuttle when you were ready. There was no need to book beforehand. We couldn't get close enough to touch the penguins.

 

The one thing we got wrong was thinking we wouldn't need After Sun. We used sunscreen but stayed too long on the windy decks without reapplying. Ended up buying some in port.

 

 

We took our left over dollars but found the rate offered by merchants / restaurants was not good. Kept for summer holiday. Glad we had exchanged money for Chilean and Argentinean Pesos or used credit card. Ordered in M &S. ..arrived in store next day.

[HomelessBear]

That’s really useful thank you. Were there plenty of minibuses in the Falklands to see the penguins? No need to pre book? How much was the shuttle bus?

Did you do any other trips? How easy were the ports to do on your own and any other recommended places / things to see?

Thanks.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

We saw quite a lot but made sure we were back aboard well before All Aboard time.

 

Hop on/off Santiago 2 hrs full circuit 23,000 pesos pp

 

Puerto Montt 10 min tender, then 25 min walk into town along seafront.

 

Punta Arenas 10 min tender, walk into town. More expensive than Puerto Montt for souvenir scarves and 300 pesos to use not very pleasant public toilets!

 

Ushuaia walked into town, blustery..interesting expedition ships docked opposite...saw Zodiacs that go ashore in Cape Horn etc.

 

Falklands..no need to book, plenty of shuttle buses...£15 pp return. Beer and Coke in pub expensive. Plenty of toilets, very friendly people. Interesting memorials. Used GB pounds but remember to ask for change in British pounds as apparently difficult to exchange Falkland pounds at home.

 

Puerto Madryn undecided about whether to visit Trellew due to Welsh connection. Didn't in the end. 5 km beach to left of port exit. 25.7 deg C by 4 PM

 

Montevideo. Docked virtually in town. Lots of plazas. Easy to use US dollars but poor exchange rate. £1- 35 Uruguay pesos or $ US 28

 

Buenos Aires Hop on/ off $US 35 pp 3 hr, altogether but got off and on..sometimes buses full and had to wait for next one.

 

Any more questions will answer in morning. More than happy to help as have found so much info on here and would like to give back.

[newport dave]

We're looking to book this for Feb 20 when they come out. Thanks for posting all this great info. We're also from South Wales, Newport. I take it your flights were with KLM?

 

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[Reina del Mar]

We're looking to book this for Feb 20 when they come out. Thanks for posting all this great info. We're also from South Wales, Newport. I take it your flights were with KLM?

 

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Yes, we try to fly KLM whenever possible, to avoid journey back from Heathrow.

 

This time we had a very long layover in Amsterdam on return though...5 hours !!! Having said that, time passed quickly enough by the time we had a meal...not impressed with KLM food., and a wander.

 

We landed in Cardiff at 4.55pm and were in our house before 6pm. Usually 45 min drive but bags came quickly and road was quiet on Sunday evening.

 

I used to work in Newport. We live just outside Caerphilly.

[Reina del Mar]

I forgot to say.. and this was something I was glad to know before travelling

 

They collect your passports at check in and they are not returned till just before you reach Buenos Aires. Immigration or something to do with moving between Chilean and Argentinean waters. We always travel with colour photocopies of our passports to take ashore instead of passports which we keep locked in the safe.

 

They issue you with a black and white photocopy of the picture page, together with a Chilean affadavit form on the first sea day. We were not asked for any paperwork whilst ashore, but we were told to carry it just in case. Needed Seapass to board, as usual.

[HomelessBear]

Thanks Reina. I’m also forwarding your info on to my friend for her trip next week.

Few more questions if you don’t mind:

*What was the weather like in the ports? I’m expecting it will get cooler the further down we go to Cape Horn.

*Husband’s read that you get a “card” when go through immigration at Santiago that you need to carry with you when go ashore in Chile? Is this your experience?

How long did it take between landing and getting out of the airport?

 

Can’t think of anything else at the mo but I’m sure I’ll have more questions. Thank you so much. [emoji568]

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

I write copious notes on holiday, so hope this is helpful.

 

Jacket went away at Cardiff airport..vacuum bag in hand luggage. Santiago was hot, boarding was hot.. linen trousers and short sleeved T shirt for me..shorts for hardy husband. Carried cardigan but not needed.

 

First day was warm but windy. Sat on deck and even with sunscreen managed to windburn face...sat for over three hours but did nestle under towel for part of that.

 

Puerto Montt 59 degrees at 7 am. Needed jacket to tender, then carried it. 16 degrees later on. Fine

 

At sea 14 degrees Fine, breezy

 

Amalia Glacier scenic cruising..needed jacket and hat on balcony..blustery on deck with hot drinks being served. 13 degrees and cloudy at midday.

 

Punta Arenas -Strong winds forecast 8 degrees. Partly cloudy. 12 degrees by 4.30

 

Ushuaia =fine, pleasant, cold with sleet showers 7.6 degrees by 11am, 8.4 degrees by 5.30 pm

 

Cape Horn arrived before scheduled time..some people missed it as no announcement of this. Hurricane force winds according to Captain...didn't feel much Fine and dry 9.9 degrees at 8 am Port Guide said average temp was 5 deg so we were lucky. Had taken Dramamine (American ? anti seasickness med) but didn't need it

 

Falkland Islands 7.15 am - 10.9 degrees, 4,30 pm 11.9 degrees. fine and sunny. took jacket but ended up carrying it. Wind force 6, seas slight.

 

At sea = 8am 14.7 degrees blustery, fine

 

Puerto Madryn Warm by 10 am, 25.7 degrees by 4pm

 

At sea 21 degrees disembarkation info distributed

 

Montervideo Sunny and warm 25 degrees

 

Buenos Aires - 8 am 21 degrees fine and sunny. Up to 33 degrees during our stay

 

Getting off plane at Santiago took less than half an hour to go through immigration and pick up bags. Met by Princess rep. Delayed slightly as transfer was with an American couple whom we waited about 20 mins for and then an additional 20 mins as they left passport bag at immigration!

 

The card I think you may be talking about is the Chilean Affadavit form which is given to you at check in with passport no on..you fill in additional details yourself. We carried it but were not asked to show it anywhere.

[HomelessBear]

Wow Reina I am well impressed! I’d expected you to say hot, warm, cool, rain etc but to get so much detail is amazing.

It will be so much help when I get packing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

If / when we think of other questions I hope you won’t mind if I post again. It’s like having a personal Oracle to consult! Excellent. Thank you.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

You're welcome. Ask away if you have any more questions.

 

Maybe I am just sad keeping all these notes, but it is so easy to get confused between ports, ships and cruises.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did. Sorry wasn't too helpful with your original question.

[HomelessBear]

Glad you read the original post anyway as I wouldn’t have had all this great info. My friend is well impressed too and is currently packing.

Thanks again.

 

 

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[Reina del Mar]

Bon Voyage to you and your friend.

[newport dave]

Bon Voyage to you and your friend.

 

Nothing to do with S. America, but Cardiff Airport. You probably already know, but, will mention anyway. Qatar Airways are starting daily flights to Doha from 1 May 18, so they will be a great option for the Middle, Far East and Australia instead of going to Heathrow. We're using them in November for our cruise from Sydney.

[konyagiqueen]

We did this same cruise a few years ago and I agree with almost everything said, - except in the Falklsnds it was really bitterly cold! We wore fleeces Anoraks, scarves, hats thick mittens and I think even our silk long johns, and the wind was relentless and biting.

It was a great day however, we did the private jeep tour to Volunteer Point to see the King penguins. I don't think you are allowed to actually touch them anywhere, (Someone mentioned not being able to touch them) but we were incredibly close.

Have a great cruise.

[caribill]

It was a great day however, we did the private jeep tour to Volunteer Point to see the King penguins. I don't think you are allowed to actually touch them anywhere, (Someone mentioned not being able to touch them) but we were incredibly close.

 

You are not allowed to touch the penguins at any of the ports that have them (Argentina, Chile, Falklands), but the penguins have no such restrictions and can touch you if they want.