ALASKA ?????-Why are we NOT hearing from Princess!

[Omega1]

Princess should release an unequivocal statement, such as:

‘Here at Princess cruises we have been investing heavily in crystal balls. Unfortunately, we have bought a duff batch and the unknown is still the unknown. We promise to inform our loyal customers that when the unknown becomes the known, you will be the first to know. However, we do know that the unknown will be unknown for some time. We would like to thank Donald Rumsfeld in the preparation of this statement.’

[Mom_of_Al]

We're scheduled for a June Alaska cruise. I just got an email from Princess expecting it to be notification of cruise cancellation, only to find they had upgraded us to a balcony!

[voljeep]

8 minutes ago, Mom_of_Al said:

We're scheduled for a June Alaska cruise. I just got an email from Princess expecting it to be notification of cruise cancellation, only to find they had upgraded us to a balcony!

easy to upgrade on cruises that may not happen … regardless, congrats !!

[frugaltravel]

3 hours ago, nooptere said:

The likelihood Seattle is going let shiploads of newly infected passengers port in a few months is zero. I guess people in other parts of the country just don't get it what kind of problem we're having here now, or that Alaska has no interest in picking up this problem.  

Alaska already has 3 confirmed cases last i looked. Maybe more now. So they have already 'picked up this problem.'

[nooptere]

2 hours ago, frugaltravel said:

Alaska already has 3 confirmed cases last i looked. Maybe more now. So they have already 'picked up this problem.'

Sorry to hear it has started in Alaska with 3 cases. Update: 52 deaths among at least 1,012 cases of the virus in Washington State. Few here today are thinking about Alaska cruises porting from Seattle anytime soon.

[Dunk]

They put this out two days ago. They're doing the best they can to keep their head above water, so to speak. 

 

[Roberto256]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:54 AM, cruising deacon said:

When it was announced last week that Canada was not allowing any cruise ships until July 1, the whole world knew the news.  I wonder why by now (4 days later) that Princess hasn't said anything about Alaska cruises. 

 

I don't think anyone knows what the course of coronavirus will be 2-3 months from now...

I don't think anyone knows what ports will be open / closed 2-3 months from now...

I don't think anyone knows if air travel will be possible 2-3 months from now...

 

What could princess say?

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Roberto256

[Prolificc]

Does anyone thoroughly understand the contract? If they cancel the cruise, are we entitled to full refund to the original payment method? I'm sure most of us are stuck here wondering if we should wait for Princess to cancel it and hopefully get a FULL refund, or we should pull the trigger ourselves and be stuck with a FCC for the deposit amount. The FCC is pretty much useless to me since my wife and I are beginning to start a family this year and this was likely the last time we'd be able to cruise for a while.

[Moonstruck1115]

 

5 minutes ago, Prolificc said:

Does anyone thoroughly understand the contract? If they cancel the cruise, are we entitled to full refund to the original payment method? I'm sure most of us are stuck here wondering if we should wait for Princess to cancel it and hopefully get a FULL refund, or we should pull the trigger ourselves and be stuck with a FCC for the deposit amount. The FCC is pretty much useless to me since my wife and I are beginning to start a family this year and this was likely the last time we'd be able to cruise for a while.

We are scheduled to leave Vancouver on May 20 for our Alaskan cruise.  We are cancelling regardless of whether or not Princess is still sailing simply because of the unknown.  The reason we haven't cancelled yet is because my travel agent just told me yesterday that there was no way I could get a full refund at this point, only FCC.  Is that not correct?  We were just waiting on Princess to cancel so we could get a full refund and not the FCC.  Is what my TA said incorrect??

[pseudoswede]

Per our Passage Contract (Coral Princess 5/27/2020 sailing), we have until 57 days until departure (so roughly 3/30/2020) to cancel and receive everything paid back as a refund to our payment method (credit card) MINUS the deposit ($200 per cabin).

 

The $200, which you would normally say goodbye to, will be converted into Future Cruise Credit, which expires on 12/31/2021.

 

The only real difference I see is that, instead of 14 days to cancel before you lose everything, it's now 48 hours (updated yesterday from 72 hours previously) prior to departure.

 

My personal guess is that they are hoping for a certain number of people to accept FCC (so they can keep the cash) before cancelling sailings.

[jennybenny]

I think Princess is trying to figure it out. They are working on it. We are also booked on an Alaska cruise (June)  that will likely be cancelled. I welcome a redeployment of some type as we are cruising as a big family group and we booked the dates everyone is available before heading off to college and camps, etc. It’s possible cruising will be halted for longer than 60 days, camps may not happen and school may not resume in person this year, Canada has already said no cruise ships until a certain date. We are patiently waiting notifications from the CDC, government bodies, Princess.

 

It sucks but these are unprecedented times. I think Princess has done a good job of being fair but for us, if things are still uncertain at the extended final payment time next month, I’ll take the deposit loss. I’m not paying for a cruise to Alaska I know can’t happen in June.
 

I think everyone has to take risks that work for them. If it’s already too risky to keep waiting in limbo people should just cancel and get their cancellations in order. If you are willing to wait it out, wait it out. 

[Prolificc]

I guess there is also the real possibility they run a ship with <500 on board?

• For the Grand, their guest capacity is 2600, and crew is 1150, which is 2.2 guests per crew member.
• To keep that same ratio, that's 350 guests and ~150 crew members.
• If we assume $900 per person, that's $315K revenue.
• Some dude on a google search estimates fuel would be $100K for 7 days
• Crew salary would be ~$150K, assuming $150 per person/day.
• Assume each passenger consumes $30 of wholesale priced food and drink a day for 7 days, that's another ~$75K...I don't have to go any further, they are already losing money, odds of this getting cancelled are looking good.

[pseudoswede]

I could see Windstar being able to do that, but even the smallest Princess ship would probably operate at a pretty significant loss if it only had 300-350 pax. Unless they tripled/quadrupled the fare. 

[npcl]

9 minutes ago, Prolificc said:

I guess there is also the real possibility they run a ship with <500 on board?

• For the Grand, their guest capacity is 2600, and crew is 1150, which is 2.2 guests per crew member.
• To keep that same ratio, that's 350 guests and ~150 crew members.
• If we assume $900 per person, that's $315K revenue.
• Some dude on a google search estimates fuel would be $100K for 7 days
• Crew salary would be ~$150K, assuming $150 per person/day.
• Assume each passenger consumes $30 of wholesale priced food and drink a day for 7 days, that's another ~$75K...I don't have to go any further, they are already losing money, odds of this getting cancelled are looking good.

Why would they even want to?  They will not cruise until the virus is a non-issue.  That means ports open, countries accepting cruise ships, airline restrictions lifted.  No way they will try and work around the edge to cruise while major concern exists.

[Cruise Raider]

For me, Alaska is so gorgeous that I wouldn't even care if they didn't stop at any port ... just cruise around the fjords and inside passage there and back.  I'd be happy as a clam.  I'm sure I am not in the majority but all sea days up in Alaska would be a cruise I would book in a heartbeat.  Now, if only a stop where we aren't allowed to debark while in port would be allowed .....  

 

[frugaltravel]

1 hour ago, Prolificc said:

Does anyone thoroughly understand the contract? If they cancel the cruise, are we entitled to full refund to the original payment method? I'm sure most of us are stuck here wondering if we should wait for Princess to cancel it and hopefully get a FULL refund, or we should pull the trigger ourselves and be stuck with a FCC for the deposit amount. The FCC is pretty much useless to me since my wife and I are beginning to start a family this year and this was likely the last time we'd be able to cruise for a while.

If the FCC is worthless to you then your dilemma is solved. Wait for the cruise to be cancelled. Then you get a full refund.

 Patience is key.

 

[bandgbasset]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

For me, Alaska is so gorgeous that I wouldn't even care if they didn't stop at any port ... just cruise around the fjords and inside passage there and back.  I'd be happy as a clam.  I'm sure I am not in the majority but all sea days up in Alaska would be a cruise I would book in a heartbeat.  Now, if only a stop where we aren't allowed to debark while in port would be allowed .....  

 

I had to laugh at this :).  We’ve been to Alaska so many times..  we’re booked on the June 2 on the star princess.  My husband doesn’t fly so it’s Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska.

 

we don’t plan on getting off the ship at all.

[Cruise Raider]

27 minutes ago, bandgbasset said:

I had to laugh at this :).  We’ve been to Alaska so many times..  we’re booked on the June 2 on the star princess.  My husband doesn’t fly so it’s Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska.

 

we don’t plan on getting off the ship at all.

 It sounds like us ... we don’t care if they cancel all the ports of call.  We book for being on a ship!  
We live in the Bay Area and also don’t care to fly so the SF sailings work out so nicely for us.  

[pseudoswede]

Question: if you cancel now and they keep your $200 deposit as FCC, and then Princess cancels the cruise at the later date, do you have the right to get the $200 refunded? If not, it wouldn't surprise me to see them not cancelling cruises until T-28.

[PrincessLuver]

3 hours ago, npcl said:

Why would they even want to?  They will not cruise until the virus is a non-issue.  That means ports open, countries accepting cruise ships, airline restrictions lifted.  No way they will try and work around the edge to cruise while major concern exists.

 

I agree......they are more worried about even keeping their ships afloat.....this is going to be a marathon not a sprint if you listen to the experts.....

[Aus Traveller]

4 hours ago, Moonstruck1115 said:

 

We are scheduled to leave Vancouver on May 20 for our Alaskan cruise.  We are cancelling regardless of whether or not Princess is still sailing simply because of the unknown.  The reason we haven't cancelled yet is because my travel agent just told me yesterday that there was no way I could get a full refund at this point, only FCC.  Is that not correct?  We were just waiting on Princess to cancel so we could get a full refund and not the FCC.  Is what my TA said incorrect??

The statement from Princess says that you cancel a cruise departing between April 4 and May 31, up to 3 days prior to departure and receive a future cruise credit for 100% of the cancellation fee. If you cancel now, that is all you will get unless Princess cancels your cruise and back-dates its more generous cancellation policy. That is exactly what happened with our 7th April 35-night cruise - we cancelled and two days later Princess announced that people who had cancelled after a certain date would be eligible for the choice of full refund + 100% FCC or 175% FCC. We have no way of knowing if that will happen.

 

If I was in your position I would not cancel. You have made up your mind you are not cruising. OK. That decision is made. There is a fair probability that Princess will cancel the cruise but there is no benefit to you to cancel now.  Wait until four days prior to departure, and if Princess hasn't cancelled the cruise, that is the time to do it. All the best.

[cherylandtk]

People keep confusing 100% of the penalty amount with 100% of the fare.

Moonstruck has another day or two to cancel and receive cash for all but the deposit penalty, which will be given in FCC. At 57 days prior to sailing the penalty amount becomes 50% of the fare.  

[Roberto256]

 

19 hours ago, Moonstruck1115 said:

 

We are scheduled to leave Vancouver on May 20 for our Alaskan cruise.  We are cancelling regardless of whether or not Princess is still sailing simply because of the unknown.  The reason we haven't cancelled yet is because my travel agent just told me yesterday that there was no way I could get a full refund at this point, only FCC.  Is that not correct?  We were just waiting on Princess to cancel so we could get a full refund and not the FCC.  Is what my TA said incorrect??

 

1 hour ago, cherylandtk said:

People keep confusing 100% of the penalty amount with 100% of the fare.

Moonstruck has another day or two to cancel and receive cash for all but the deposit penalty, which will be given in FCC. At 57 days prior to sailing the penalty amount becomes 50% of the fare.  

 

I think moonstruck should cancel right now, while she is outside final payment.

 

Right now, she should get deposit as FCC, and everything else as cash.

 

By waiting, FCC goes up, and cash goes down.

 

 

[Moonstruck1115]

cherylandtk and Roberto256  that's what I was thinking too, but everyone keeps telling me otherwise INCLUDING my TA!!!  That's why I'm so confused.  Of course, you call Princess and they don't want to hear from you if you're cruise leaves outside of the 60 day cancellation they just announced.  So frustrating!

[Guindalf]

If you have a TA, Princess will only refer you back to them anyway. They will not talk to you directly!