Beware! Princess Shore Excursions Policy of Waiting

[kryos]

As of now, Princess has yet to refund the over $3000 it cost to get back aboard a ship that we were certain would never leave us. They did offer $150 credit toward the next cruise. (we booked another 14 day cruise for next year) however, after 12 cruises aboard Princess ships, this will probally be our last. Will post the letter I sent to the Passenger Relations Department upon our return home.

Wow! Thank God you are safe ... that sounds like a wild adventure that I sure wouldn't have wanted to be involved in.

 

Just a thought, though ... do you have insurance for this cruise? If so, you may get some reimbursement through them ... under the trip interruption section of the policy. Not saying you shouldn't pursue this through Princess, but at least you'll have something in hand to hold you until Princess comes through.

 

If you were on a Princess excursion, it would seem that the excursion operator should have been aware that you had become separated from the group. Unless I am misunderstanding you ... did you lose sight of the tender dock once the excursion operator dropped you off, and that's how you became separated? You, in essence, missed the last tender? If that's not the case, and you actually became separated from your excursion buddies while still participating in the excursion, then the excursion operator is at fault. On every ship-sponsored excursion I've been on ... especially ones involving multiple stops by bus ... the operator always does a head count before leaving any stop. He also asks ... anyone missing? ... I guess figuring that someone on the bus will realize if the person who has been sitting next to them is not there now. If someone is unaccounted for, then the excursion operator will send someone to find them. He won't just drive off and leave them.

 

Sounds to me like Princess owes you on this one, and you should be reimbursed for your expenses. Then Princess will have to recoup that money from the excursion operator who didn't properly fulfill his contractual obligations to Princess.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[c_galle]

I am sorry about your loss of time and your hectic experience.

 

I will try to keep it civil as I know you have taken some responsibility for what happened. I just subscribe to the Big Girl / Big Boy rules.

 

1. You guys were seperated from the tour. But no one else was?

 

2. The port agent doesn't have to be helpful as it is not their job to ensure you make it to the ship. Their job is making sure flow of traffic in and out of the port. That is their only job. Keeping the ships moving and ensuring safety.

 

3. You were dropped off at the tender staging area, but didn't make it back to the ship? (I'll pass on this)

 

4. I don't believe Princess would ever owe you anything. You missed the Tender. The cruise service did get you back to the tender area.

 

5. Economics. To think a 100k ton vessell with 3k paying customers would wait is silly.

 

I think a little more effort on your part could of prevented alot. A few rules to abide by. No the lay of the land (tender staging area), don't assume everyone will do everything for you, have a plan (always).

[GORDONCHICK]

I can't believe what I'm reading. Leaving a four year old behind on the ship on port days? Surely he's being supervised. :confused:

 

Of course he was supervised!!!! He was in the ship's children's program. When going into a country we are unfamiliar with and possibly on a tour that would not be condusive for a young child, we do not take our son ashore. Many do not. That is why the ships have all-day programs for children on port days. Many excursions available from the ship do not allow children under certain ages.

 

Unlike a lot of people, we vacation as a family. But there are things adults are interested in that wouldn't hold the attention of most children. Why make everyone on the tour miserable with a child acting child-like in circumstances that aren't child-friendly? Expecting better behavior from even normally well-behaved children would be foolish. Our son goes with us into most ports, but in Belize we checked him into the ship's program. That's why it's there.

[donna5]

Of course he was supervised!!!! He was in the ship's children's program. When going into a country we are unfamiliar with and possibly on a tour that would not be condusive for a young child, we do not take our son ashore. Many do not. That is why the ships have all-day programs for children on port days. Many excursions available from the ship do not allow children under certain ages.

 

Unlike a lot of people, we vacation as a family. But there are things adults are interested in that wouldn't hold the attention of most children. Why make everyone on the tour miserable with a child acting child-like in circumstances that aren't child-friendly? Expecting better behavior from even normally well-behaved children would be foolish. Our son goes with us into most ports, but in Belize we checked him into the ship's program. That's why it's there.

Then it is your responsiblity to make sure you are back on the ship on time, if you do your own excursion and to make sure you stay with the group on a princess excursion. I get really ticked off when people wander off and our tour guides have to wait on them, making the rest of us loose time at another stop or having to forego another stop.

[waterrats]

I bet if snurp had a kid in the program, they would have turned the ship around or made every effort to get them back on the ship once they realized the kids parents were no longer on board. In that type of situation with no other people staying in the same cabin, Princess would of had to provide someone to watch the kid 24/7.

 

Once again, an experience they will remember the rest of their lives and hopefully people here will learn from this experience.

[donna5]

I bet if snurp had a kid in the program, they would have turned the ship around or made every effort to get them back on the ship once they realized the kids parents were no longer on board. In that type of situation with no other people staying in the same cabin, Princess would of had to provide someone to watch the kid 24/7.

 

Once again, an experience they will remember the rest of their lives and hopefully people here will learn from this experience.

 

Depends on how much it would cost the cruise line to go in a dock again.

[waterrats]

Then the cruiseline would charter a boat to bring the parents back out to the ship. That would be horrible PR if they had a 4yo on a ship because the parents were left behind for two days. Just my opinion.

[VonS]

Of course he was supervised!!!! He was in the ship's children's program. When going into a country we are unfamiliar with and possibly on a tour that would not be condusive for a young child, we do not take our son ashore. Many do not. That is why the ships have all-day programs for children on port days. Many excursions available from the ship do not allow children under certain ages.

 

Unlike a lot of people, we vacation as a family. But there are things adults are interested in that wouldn't hold the attention of most children. Why make everyone on the tour miserable with a child acting child-like in circumstances that aren't child-friendly? Expecting better behavior from even normally well-behaved children would be foolish. Our son goes with us into most ports, but in Belize we checked him into the ship's program. That's why it's there.

 

Good for you! It's really nice to see that someone appreciates the concerns and the limits of their children. I think that it's great that you vacation as a family, and also, that you do not force your children into excursions which would not be appropriate or comfortable for them. God bless you for being "the voice of reason"!

[Michael Kays]

Now im really confused..it is my understanding that the ship takes your passport upon embarking, and retains it until you disembark at end of cruise. The ship is required to make up a Visa for all passengers on board for each port of call.

[hooked cruiser]

We are travelling on the CB on 29/10/06 and have booked 2 trips through the Princess Tours programme. I was also on the Sea Princess last Xmas when the unfortunate person who started this thread missed the boat. Having heard about it I made certain with Princess that any future tours taken with them would guarantee that we would not miss the boat, they confirmed this and it is also stated in the tours brochure sent to you before the cruise.

[Nova Scotia]

We were on the Sea in April and in Isla Margaurita a couple came back to the pier and tendering area with the tour group and instead of getting on the tender went shopping.

 

We were all back on the ship and the Captain made an announcement that there were two missing passengers. Although the platform at the ship was already moved back on and the tenders up, they lowered a boat and went in search of them. The Captain did keep everyone onboard informed and when they found them he told us they were found shopping and would soon be brought back on.

 

They made them climb the ladder lowered on the side of the ship instead of putting the platform back out, and everyone was hanging over the rails watching. I'm sure they were rightfully embarrassed and will hopefully not miss the tender again.

 

The Captain didn't leave though and I thought perhaps he would.

 

Cheers

[Pam in CA]

Now im really confused..it is my understanding that the ship takes your passport upon embarking, and retains it until you disembark at end of cruise. The ship is required to make up a Visa for all passengers on board for each port of call.

It depends on the itinerary. There are some countries that require the ship to hold the passengers passports but for the most part, particularly for Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises, you keep your passport with you.

[Pam in CA]

We are travelling on the CB on 29/10/06 and have booked 2 trips through the Princess Tours programme. I was also on the Sea Princess last Xmas when the unfortunate person who started this thread missed the boat. Having heard about it I made certain with Princess that any future tours taken with them would guarantee that we would not miss the boat, they confirmed this and it is also stated in the tours brochure sent to you before the cruise.

Princess tours will always drop you off at the dock or the place closest to embarkation. If you leave the area or don't go to the embarkation point, they are no longer responsible for you. That's what happened to the original poster. They claim they were left behind but in actuality, they didn't go to the pier or dock they were supposed to. They said they got separated but I have never been on any Princess cruise where the spot they tendered into was changed. Even if you're not familiar with the area, you'll be right near where you got off the tender.

[Princess Chatterer]

Now im really confused..it is my understanding that the ship takes your passport upon embarking, and retains it until you disembark at end of cruise. The ship is required to make up a Visa for all passengers on board for each port of call.

 

If Princess should need to take your passport at embarkation for photocopying then they'll normally return it to you very promptly.