Discovery Princess

[DiRonT]

Does anyone have info as to how the build is going and whether she will be ready to sail as scheduled?

[Astro Flyer]

38 minutes ago, DiRonT said:

Does anyone have info as to how the build is going and whether she will be ready to sail as scheduled?

 

The most recent update I’ve read was on 7/21/21 announcing the senior officers and that Discovery would be sailing from LA on Mexican Riviera and CA Coast cruises in less than 200 days in Spring 2022 which would indicate that the inaugural cruise will sail as scheduled on 3/5/22 

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., (July 21, 2021) – In fewer than 200 days, the newest Princess Cruises ship – Discovery Princess– will debut at the Port of Los Angeles in spring 2022, for an inaugural season of Mexican Riviera and California Coast cruises.

 

https://www.princess.com/news/news_releases/2021/07/princess-cruises-announces-discovery-princess-senior-officers.html

[dides]

9 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

 

The most recent update I’ve read was on 7/21/21 announcing the senior officers and that Discovery would be sailing from LA on Mexican Riviera and CA Coast cruises in less than 200 days in Spring 2022 which would indicate that the inaugural cruise will sail as scheduled on 3/5/22 

 

Isn't it on due to sail on 1st March?  I hope so as I booked it for my other half's milestone birthday on the 2nd! 😀

 

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by dides

[DiRonT]

1 hour ago, dides said:

Isn't it on due to sail on 1st March?  I hope so as I booked it for my other half's milestone birthday on the 2nd! 😀

 

 

Yes, you are correct, the first West Coast sailing is your cruise on 3/1.  So I am assuming that means she will be departing Italy a few weeks before that date.  We are booked on the 3/13 sailing - so keeping our fingers crossed.

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, dides said:

Isn't it on due to sail on 1st March?  I hope so as I booked it for my other half's milestone birthday on the 2nd! 😀

 

My apologies…I should have refreshed my memory before posting. ☺️
 

We’re scheduled a month after you…enjoy you other half’s milestone birthday. 🎂

[MileHighAko]

I saw these two photos online about a month ago, no context but appears to be a christening, so I imagine that means good progress.

 

[dides]

3 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

My apologies…I should have refreshed my memory before posting. ☺️
 

We’re scheduled a month after you…enjoy you other half’s milestone birthday. 🎂

No worries - anyway,  it all seems like an impossible dream at the moment. Us Brits haven't been able to fly direct into the States since lockdown started! 

[EDVM96]

It seems that the Discovery Princess is sending AIS data now for the first time from Fincantieri.

 

[Gretchendz]

Posted on the Princess site:

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/plan/impacted-and-cancelled-cruises/cancelled-cruises-discovery-march-2022.pdf

 

I'm booked for April 10-hope it holds 🙂

[abbydancer2003]

I was booked on 3/1, now November, but also on 4/3 and 4/10.  Hopefully the current start date stays.

[HeinBloed]

Greetings from Monfalcone, Italy

[EDVM96]

 

 

 

The Discovery Princess left the Fincantieri shipyard for the first time

[Astro Flyer]

59 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

 

 

 

The Discovery Princess left the Fincantieri shipyard for the first time

Thanks for the update & in just over 4 months I’m booked on the inaugural cruise from LA on 3/27/22 to the Mexican Riviera and the next cruise along the CA Coast. 😊

[CruzinNoony]

54 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

Thanks for the update & in just over 4 months I’m booked on the inaugural cruise from LA on 3/27/22 to the Mexican Riviera and the next cruise along the CA Coast. 😊

Us too!!  Looking forward to being on the inaugural!

[tonit964]

California Coastal on April 17th for me! So darn excited.

[DiRonT]

On 11/20/2021 at 8:53 AM, CruzinNoony said:

Us too!!  Looking forward to being on the inaugural!

We will be right along with you.  Moved over from the cancelled Mar. 5th sailing.  We are still waiting for a cabin assignment - looking like we will have to make final payment before we know.

[Astro Flyer]

27 minutes ago, DiRonT said:

We will be right along with you.  Moved over from the cancelled Mar. 5th sailing.  We are still waiting for a cabin assignment - looking like we will have to make final payment before we know.

Unfortunately this cruise & the next 3 Discovery cruises are scheduled at the remote temporary Berth 46 located 2.5 miles from the other terminals & parking lot. NCL’s Bliss got the other pier (B92) long enough for these ships. Several years ago passengers were shuttle from the main parking lot to B46 but no word yet from Princess about their procedure.

 

https://www.portsamerica.com/operations/cruise-los-angeles-terminal-schedule

[1emerald1]

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

Unfortunately this cruise & the next 3 Discovery cruises are scheduled at the remote temporary Berth 46 located 2.5 miles from the other terminals & parking lot. NCL’s Bliss got the other pier (B92) long enough for these ships. Several years ago passengers were shuttle from the main parking lot to B46 but no word yet from Princess about their procedure.

 

https://www.portsamerica.com/operations/cruise-los-angeles-terminal-schedule

I wonder if buses will be ordered or if they will use the the open air parking lot trams.  Guess we'll find out at some point.

[DiRonT]

2 hours ago, 1emerald1 said:

I wonder if buses will be ordered or if they will use the the open air parking lot trams.  Guess we'll find out at some point.

Wow - just imagining the chaos of trying to get luggage and passengers from main terminal onto buses and over to B46.  There are absolutely no facilities for loading passengers at B46.  When we sailed Majestic on Nov. 6th we stayed ay Hilton Doubletree and we could see the Crown at B46.  The whole thing just sounds crazy to me and am definitely not lo ok king forward to this especially with the additional "hullabaloo" that can be expected with an inaugural sailing.

[RSS from SF]

  

1 hour ago, DiRonT said:

Wow - just imagining the chaos of trying to get luggage and passengers from main terminal onto buses and over to B46.  There are absolutely no facilities for loading passengers at B46.  When we sailed Majestic on Nov. 6th we stayed ay Hilton Doubletree and we could see the Crown at B46.  The whole thing just sounds crazy to me and am definitely not lo ok king forward to this especially with the additional "hullabaloo" that can be expected with an inaugural sailing.

 

 

We've only had one experience at B46, and let's just say it was UNFORGETTABLE!

 

HOWEVER this was in 2015 on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.  (We embarked from Berths 92-93, and disembarked at Berth 46.)

 

I HOPE everything's improved significantly since then!

-----

. . . .

 

 

Oh Look! -- I was able to dig up some roll call post-cruise comments from that sailing regarding Berth 46, from my friends!:

• "What a great cruise. Beautiful weather, fun people, good food. Couldn't ask for more."
  . . . .
  ==> "That's because you didn't have to spend the extra time getting off the ship today [emoji16] . . .  Our 9 am prepaid shuttle left before we were finally allowed to disembark and claim our luggage at 11. It's 12:22 now and we just got on a replacement shuttle after standing in the sun for over an hour [emoji53]. We talked to many who missed flights. Overall a really lousy end to an otherwise nice week. [emoji37] "
   
• ==> "Supposedly the problem was that the baggage handlers wouldn't let anyone cross to the tent while the fork lifts were moving. Then the handlers decided to stage a "mini strike". We were group 2, missed the call and ended up leaving the ship with the people on shore excursions. Stood between ship and tent for approx 45 mins till we could pass the "magic line" only to be told we could not approach our luggage until all the luggage was in the tent. After quite a bit of back and forth between guest services, shoreside personnel and dock management people just surged forward and got their bags. We were in the car close to 10. Many people in line had shore excursions or flights and they still had to wait to get where they needed to go.
  
  We had friends who boarded and it took them close to 2 1/2 hours to go through check in and board. They said it was the worst boarding they have ever experienced."
   
• "So sorry the cruise ended on such a bad note for you. When we cruised passed Pier 46 last week I told someone it had 'ugly' written all over it. Just didn't expect it to be that bad. :eek:"

 

--- So YES our only previous experience at B46 was pretty bad!

And yes after disembarking we needed to pick up our luggage at B46 outdoors, then later get on shuttles, to go back to the Berth 92 & 93 area.

 

-----

Edited December 10, 2021 by RSS from SF

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, DiRonT said:

Wow - just imagining the chaos of trying to get luggage and passengers from main terminal onto buses and over to B46. 

 

I think the best option is what we experienced on Princess in Buenos Aires:

 

• Check-in & drop off luggage at the terminal
• Transported to the ship with luggage delivered to cabins.

 

Since B93 doesn’t have a ship docked on 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17 when NCL’s Bliss is at B92, Princess could use the same procedure as in BA by checking in passengers/luggage at the empty B93 & transporting both to the ship. That would provide a better organized embarkation process & be easier for their passengers to make the best out of a chaotic situation.

[Astro Flyer]

1 hour ago, RSS from SF said:

And yes after disembarking we needed to pick up our luggage at B46 outdoors, then later get on shuttles, to go back to the Berth 92 & 93 area.

On another 2015 discussion passengers embarked at B93 & disembarked at B46. At the end of the cruise they advised passengers to have 1 person take the shuttle to the parking lot & to return in their cars to get other passengers & luggage. Few people followed that procedure & most got on the buses with luggage which resulted in an even longer delay to get to the parking lot 2.5 miles away.

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Astro Flyer