Beware! Princess Shore Excursions Policy of Waiting

[Druke I]

delete - wrong thread (my error).

[A Sixth?]

For me this story Illustrates a very good reason for me to continue to cruise with Princess. On Caribbean sailings at least they do not confiscate non-USA passports as is the policy on Carnival and NCL to name two. (I’m Canadian eh)

We have copies of our passports in our wallets when we travel and never leave the ship without the original just in case something prevents us from getting back on the ship.

Traveling with other lines, we could only go ashore with copies and we hate that restriction

[flashdog_1]

I'm a little confused at the term "chaperone" not doing her job. Was this a tour group of students who were mostly under age and required an adult's presence? Or as in the case of Natalie Holloway, a school related trip. Please clarify who the chaperone was and why she was needed. Did she have any responsibility to the adults? Was there more than one bus load, meaning a whole slew of tourists?

 

Are you two adults? Although you are married, that doesn't necessarily mean you are of legal age. Having cruised x number of times before does not indicate your majority, either. You could have cruised while you were children. Please let us know your approximate ages. The only reason i ask is to understand the whole situation. Your comment about being raised to be polite so you crossed away from the bus, and that that prevented your staying with the group might be my clue that you are not very old. I do not suggest that anyone abandon good manners, but sometimes calling out, either the name of the ship, the name of the tour guide etc. is called for, even if it's not the best of manners. Regardless of your or anyone else's age, you certainly aged from the experience!

 

Also, how large was the tour group? What were you visiting in Margarita Island? Was there general chaos in this group or was it orderly? i guess I'm wondering why it was so important to take the tour when you'd already run into the safe not opening so were traveling without money and ID, and not being able to swipe your sea pass card so the ship could not know you were missing. As someone else stated, it might have been wiser, in hind sight, not to have gone on the tour and to have tried to receive financial retribution for the tour. This is not a suggestion to you. It's too late for that now. It's mentioned only for future cruisers to ponder.

 

There certainly were a string of unusual events that together created the awful circumstances of your being left.

 

Besides all the advice about carrying passports or copies of passports, I'd also suggest that during these group tours that you friendly up with at least one other couple so your presence might more easily be missed were this to happen to you.

 

Did you ever say if you had purchased insurance? I hope so that at least you will be able to get your expenses returned.

 

Please believe me that I know what it is to be separated. In '68 two women (I was one of them) were separated from the men during the Sorbonne riots in Paris. The sirens, tear gas etc. had everyone running every which way. The men were simply faster than we were, and were interested in going in the direction of the paddy wagons, whereas we women were more cautious and saught shelter in a store's doorway. The men were carrying our passports and wallets in their backpacks. We had to sit in a sidewalk cafe and order one drink the entire evening in order to be visible so our husbands could find us. Lesson learned. No one but me carries my passport. ha i could go on and on about traveling errors I've made but I'll spare you. We learn from our mistakes, and hopefully, since you've posted on cruise critic, a whole bunch more people will learn from your experience, as well. Thanks for posting.

[Snurp]

I agree. BUT.... How did the tender "get lost" from the ship to the dock? Maybe they had to circle in order to wait their turn at the dock. I also have questions about how the tour guide magically appeared at the airport and then when they missed the 1st flight, he again magically appears. Why did they miss the 1st flight that he arranged for them? And how does a taxi driver not know where the embassy is on a small island? Once back in Maimi, I would have been so happy to be "home" that I would not have spent time or money getting back on the ship at what would have been the last port.

 

I explained how the tender got lost earlier. It did not just circle around. We could hear the heated radio calls being made to the tender from the pier and from the bridge of the Sea Princess. Due to the weather, they could not figure out which way to proceed to the tender dock. This was one of the questions we asked the Chief Purser about durring our meeting. He stated that the driver of the boat will no longer be on tender service and went on even to ask if we had heard the captian calling the tender with his stern remarks. He stated the captain was very upset over this. We were the first tender to leave the ship, we were not waiting.

The tour guide was at the airport to pick up a another group flying in, he operated as a tour guide in addition to teaching at a local school. He arranged for us to get on the first flight as standby's. We waited by the desk as told, but no one ever came to get us. He came back through to see if we had made the flight. We could tell even though we do not speak spanish that he was sternally inisting that we be on the next flight. We are thankfull he did this for us. Also, when he found out we had no money as we spent the ten dollars we had to get to the airport from the port, he gave us the money he had recieved as a tip from our tour, about $18. He did get us on the next flight, however it was delayed for over an hour, causing us to arrive in Caracas late at 8:30pm. He had left us cell phone number just in case we ran into anymore problems. He really went above and beyond. He stated that he was unofficially a represenative of Princess Cruises as we were on his tour and helping was his duty. This act of kindness did not go unnoticed on our part and we have done everything that we know how to get him reconized for his very helpfull part.

The US Embassy is not on Isle Margarite. It is on the mainland of Venezula in Caracas. If you have ever been to Caracas or the international airport you would see how easy it would to become lost once there. The city is well over 2 million people and spread out over a very large area. When we took the State Departments Taxi service back to the airport, it took over an hour drive time. The taxi driver that took us the embassy was not familiar with the area and stopped several times to ask directions.

All our luggage, clothes, and ID's were on the ship. We had to get back aboard to pack up our belongings. I had only a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, backpack with raincoats and flip-flops on for over 96 hours. We also wanted to try to salvage the last day at sea, take care of our tips, and say goodby to our wait staff ect. Princess arranged for the flights from Caracas to Miami to Grand Cayman and charged my ship board account, I did not have say so in this matter. Staying off the ship was not an option at that point, we simply wanted to get on with what was left of our vacation.

[A Sixth?]

Are you two adults? Although you are married, that doesn't necessarily mean you are of legal age.

 

Snurp did say on the first page that "We have been married 9 years"... how young do you guys get married down there anyway? 8 years old? :D :D

[98Charlie]

For me this story Illustrates a very good reason for me to continue to cruise with Princess. On Caribbean sailings at least they do not confiscate non-USA passports as is the policy on Carnival and NCL to name two. (I’m Canadian eh)

We have copies of our passports in our wallets when we travel and never leave the ship without the original just in case something prevents us from getting back on the ship.

Traveling with other lines, we could only go ashore with copies and we hate that restriction

 

Thanks for your post. Have always wondered about our Canadian pax who sail out of US and are required to hand over their passports on some cruise lines.

 

Two years ago DH and I were waiting at the cruise terminal post cruise for a bus transfer to the airport. My bladder gave me a message and the only bathrooms were inside the cruise terminal. A security guard at the terminal door said the only way I could use the bathroom was to leave my passport with him and I could pick it back up from him when I was done an left the terminal building.

 

Fastest bathroom break I've ever made in my life. I don't anyone holding my passport for any reason. If it's not in my hand or on my body I feel I don't have my own identity.

 

Dianne

[A Sixth?]

98Charlie, I can't tell you how many lame and often insulting excuses I’ve heard (including “experts” on this very BB) as to why some lines confiscate Non-USA passports.

The bottom line is that some do. My passport is the property of Government of Canada and is entrusted to me, nobody has the right to hold it unless they plan to arrest me and contact the documents owner.

[Snurp]

On what seems the majority of the tours we have taken, there was always a member from the ships company with group, especially in ports in South America. They might not make themselves known, but they do keep a watch out. On this trip alone we were in the company of an Officer of the pursers desk on three seperate excursions. Even though she might have seemed bossy, she did help to keep everyone together and informed. She took head counts at all the stops and made sure everyone knew where to go once back at the cruise terminal. I went to her after getting back on board and told her our story and how we wished she had been on that tour with us as we would have known she would have not allowed the last tender to leave without finding us. It used to be regulation she informed us that a member of the ships company be on tour, but know it had become optional on the crew members part. The chaparone from the ship was a member from the photo department who's additional job was to video tape the excursion.

We are two adults aged 38 and 34 and both hold Doctoral Level Degrees in Pharmacology. We both hold jobs as Clinical Pharmacist in the hospital setting. We have started cruising when we were 28 and 24 and got engaged on the first cruise we went on. We do consider ourselves veteran travelers, even more so now. We both pay very special attention to small and large details. We were raised in the South were manners were forced into second nature when growing up and not easily given up.

Tour group was 13 people, tour was a general oversight of Isle Margarite with stops at a working farm (very muddy that day), a reconstruction of a small Venezulan village, a stop to purchase pearls. The tour was a little chaotic at each stop, especially reboarding. We had been in the rain all day and I think the majority of people were in a foul d mood. We do not mind the rain as long as we see something new though.

Hind sight is very clear. I would have never gotton off the boat if we knew the series of events that would unfold. We have discussed this at great lengths, this being our second time to Isle Magarite, and if we ever end up there on another cruise, we will not get off the boat. The boat was in port for only 6 hours, hardly worth the trouble we experienced. We did not and have never purchased travel insurance in the past. We fly down a day in advance for our cruises, and never gave getting left behind in a foriegn country a thought. We do think differently now and have learned some very valuable lessons. It is what life is about.

[jennew]

I posted eariler but it disappeared...

 

I am confused by the comments regarding passports. Passports would not have made the tour guide provide the "guidance" needed to get back to the tender.

 

In my mind, this is an matter of contract law. The OP contracted with Princess and Princess subcontracts with the tour company. If there is a violation of the contract then it needs to be addressed. The OP is correct is feeling that Princess is the one who should be held responsible. Princess can in turn hold the tour company responsible.

 

Does the contract state that the tour company will provide a chaperone? then I would like to know at which point that obligation ends. I would think it ends when the cruiser is safely on the tender.

 

Now, perhaps there is fine print in the contract that excuses Princess in such cases. If this is true then MOST of us have miunderstood the contract. How many of us thought that the ship would wait if we were on a ship sponsored tour? I know I did.

[kesamc]

We have booked the Dolphin encounter at this port, now I am worried about doing it there, especially in Venezuela

maybe we would be better off canceling it. And going another time and in another place.

[geoherb]

I sympathize with the OP's safe problems. We had a problem with the safe on a Celebrity cruise.

 

Even though we're also young, compared to a lot of cruise passengers, we purchase insurance after an incident that happened to my MIL. She had to leave a cruise in Greece for a medical problem. The insurance company was terrific at arranging everything for her and my FIL.

[spongerob]

Now, perhaps there is fine print in the contract that excuses Princess in such cases. If this is true then MOST of us have miunderstood the contract. How many of us thought that the ship would wait if we were on a ship sponsored tour? I know I did.

 

Jen, you're taking an unusual set of circumstances and drawing too broad a conclusion. In fact, my only real argument with anything the OP has said is the title of the thread.

 

IMO, Princess does bear responsibility to some extent because their system that monitors passenger flow on and off the ship was down and they had no reasonable back-up system to ensure everyone was back on board. I'm not sure if the photographer mentioned was an official escort or was just going along to take pictures, that point is a little unclear to me. My thoughts (and remember, I'm a dreaded cheerleader) are that if the staff could not monitor who had left the ship and whether or not they had returned, then tendering should have been halted.

 

This is a very unusual case, and while there is a LOT to be learned, it does not indicate that the systems in place are lax or those who operate them are incompetent in any way. What happened here is that when the system failed, there was no backup. The decision to send people ashore in spite of that failure was misguided. Admittedly the OP made some errors, too, and had some bad luck. None of us are infallible in that regard. Usually the result is a near miss or some embarassment; in this case it was the Perfect Storm of mistakes, misfortune, and mismanagement.

[jennew]

As usual I agree with SpongeRob...I feel terrible for the OP. IMHO, Princess should offer a free cruise, for the sake of being a good company, because it is the FAIR thing to do, and because they need to share responsibility for the misfortune.

[Crowsie]

Perhaps this has already been mentioned...but we've been on a handful of Princess exotic cruises where our passports were collected upon embarkation and not returned until disembarkation.

 

I think it depends where you're cruising, but there are instances (I think on at least 3 of our cruises) where our passports were held by the cruise ship for the duration of the cruise.

 

Just another reason to carry copies with you when you go on shore.

 

Also, I wouldn't put a copy of my passport in my suitcase just in case the luggage gets lost or stolen or rifled through. I do put my name and contact information inside the suitcase.

[KAJOKG]

98Charlie, I can't tell you how many lame and often insulting excuses I’ve heard (including “experts” on this very BB) as to why some lines confiscate Non-USA passports.

The bottom line is that some do. My passport is the property of Government of Canada and is entrusted to me, nobody has the right to hold it unless they plan to arrest me and contact the documents owner.

Wish I could have said that to Russian authorities when we were visiting the Soviet Union years ago. That was nervous time to us, but we had to do it if we wanted to travel inside the USSR. You are actually under the control of whatever country you are in and if they want to hold your passport, no matter how much you think you own it, you will have to turn it over. The trials, and wonders, of travel!!!!!!

[Floflegs]

What a nightmare it must have been for the OP. I totally agree with taking passports and/or a copy but if you reread the OP you will see they couldn't access their safe to get passports. I don't know about others but we have everything of value in the safe including credit cards and money so we would have been stuck too. Hope Princess comes up with some better offer

[KAJOKG]

98Charlie, I can't tell you how many lame and often insulting excuses I’ve heard (including “experts” on this very BB) as to why some lines confiscate Non-USA passports.

The bottom line is that some do. My passport is the property of Government of Canada and is entrusted to me, nobody has the right to hold it unless they plan to arrest me and contact the documents owner.

Wish I could have said that to Russian authorities when we were visiting the Soviet Union years ago. That was nervous time to us, but we had to do it if we wanted to travel inside the USSR. You are actually under the control of whatever country you are in and if they want to hold your passport, no matter how much you think you own it, you will have to turn it over. The trials, and wonders, of travel!!!!!!

[KAJOKG]

OOOOOPS! Sorry about the double post.

[AirGorilla]

My first reaction to this thread was that Princess needs to fire their current Port Agent, and hire a new one. A competent Port Agent could have solved this problem by getting these nice folks on a speedboat to catch the ship.

 

However, it appears that Princess made the gross mistake of not identifying their Port Agent for this particular port in the Patter.

 

This oversight by Princess may well be the root cause for this entire misadventure.

[bhchan]

This isn't going to be a popular question, but...

I thought cruiselines explicitly cover themselves from having to pay for "stuff happening" during a cruise, and that -that-'s why those travel insurance people have a job. I'm going to reread the pamplets my TA sent us when we booked; it included two travel insurance brochures...

[lwnbwlr]

Am I the only guy who thinks that Snurp has a very vivid imagination? I think that she should help Frey write his next novel that Oprah will immediately endorse.

Jim

[jff50]

Apperantly the last tender was held for our group, but the ship chaperrone did not take a head count before the last tender left without us.

 

On all the shore excursions that I've taken (Princess or otherwise), I don't ever recall them taking a head count once the bus/transportation returns to the pier. I'm not sure I'd expect them to.

[sultan_sfo]

Am I the only one who feels disgusted with those who continue to make snide remarks about the OP? I suggest they go back to "Formal with Jeans" postings. /Sultan

[jennew]

Am I the only one who feels disgusted with those who continue to make snide remarks about the OP? I suggest they go back to "Formal with Jeans" postings. /Sultan

 

You are not alone. The OP seems like a polite person who got a raw deal. It could happen to any of us.

[Pam in CA]

As usual I agree with SpongeRob...I feel terrible for the OP. IMHO, Princess should offer a free cruise, for the sake of being a good company, because it is the FAIR thing to do, and because they need to share responsibility for the misfortune.

Jen, I respectfully disagree. What you're saying is that anyone who wanders off while on a Princess tour or loses sight of them for whatever reason is due a free cruise. Just because you're on a Princess tour doesn't mean that you can wander off and they'll still take responsibility for you. The OP lost sight/track of their group. To me, they bear the majority of the culpability because it really is your responsibility to stay with the group. I see people go into shops, stop to buy something, etc. and constantly have to run to catch up with the group. It's so easy to lose sight of them -- easier than people think and perhaps they take it pretty cavalierly. I'm not saying that the OP was cavalier but on almost every tour, there are a few people who are constantly disappearing and keep everyone else waiting.

 

I don't think that Princess owes the OP any money since they weren't paying attention and lost sight of the group. Sometimes, the tour guide will make the extra effort to find the missing people, sometimes they don't. On our Royal Princess cruise last Spring, two people wandered off while we were in the Casbah and the rest of us were left sitting on a hot bus (no a/c, in the desert, with it about 100-degrees) for over an hour while the guide looked for them. He finally got someone else to look for them and told them where to catch up with us, which they did two hours later. We missed parts of the tour waiting for these turkeys. (Maybe I should have demanded a free cruise for being kept waiting.)

 

The bottom line is taking personal responsibility.