Just Back From Greenland on Caribbean Princess

[awinte2]

Have cruised with Princess over 8 times and have to say this was my least favourite cruise.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the ship. Dining Room food was fabulous, service as well. 

That was the excellent.

The Good - entertainment.  Production shows very good, single entertainers ok.

Itinerary - New York was great, Halifax was very good, Sydney (cabot trail) ok , Greenland missed first port Nuuk, 2nd and 3rd port fair , Newfoundland very good.

Had 4 days day and night of heavy fog from Halifax to Greenland and another day leaving Greenland to Newfoundland.  1 day of  very rough seas.  Unless you are into geography or Inuit history there was very little to see on Greenland.  The icebergs around the island were very interesting but seen no wildlife at all. Talked to people who went on excursions who seen non at all.

We did see whales and dolphins and schools of Tuna on our way from Greenland to Newfoundland.

We had 5 sea days with 40 degree temperatures and 3 more days of total cloud cool temps  and without an enclosed pool or heated pools the upper decks were useless. You can only play so many Trivia games in the bars and Piazza. We did have 2 days after leaving New York  and 2 days on return to New York that was sunny and warm.

Please don't get me wrong I know we cannot control weather and what did I expect going to Greenland.  Some people hit it lucky with the weather but we did not.

Just want people to know it is always hit and miss on cruises however 16 days on the ship with over half of the days ugly weather was a little much.

The other thing that really bothered me about Princess was their internet.  Because I am Platinum I paid $100.00 for 16 days of internet on the ship.  However

there was no service for 6 days in Greenland waters which Princess is well aware of from the start of the cruise.  Went to guest services and they admitted they know and will consider giving rebate for the 6 days but not likely to see this. 

I love cruising and will continue  to do so but will do more research on weather and sea days so I don't make the same mistake twice.

 

[Colorado Coasty]

28 minutes ago, awinte2 said:

Have cruised with Princess over 8 times and have to say this was my least favourite cruise.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the ship. Dining Room food was fabulous, service as well. 

That was the excellent.

The Good - entertainment.  Production shows very good, single entertainers ok.

Itinerary - New York was great, Halifax was very good, Sydney (cabot trail) ok , Greenland missed first port Nuuk, 2nd and 3rd port fair , Newfoundland very good.

Had 4 days day and night of heavy fog from Halifax to Greenland and another day leaving Greenland to Newfoundland.  1 day of  very rough seas.  Unless you are into geography or Inuit history there was very little to see on Greenland.  The icebergs around the island were very interesting but seen no wildlife at all. Talked to people who went on excursions who seen non at all.

We did see whales and dolphins and schools of Tuna on our way from Greenland to Newfoundland.

We had 5 sea days with 40 degree temperatures and 3 more days of total cloud cool temps  and without an enclosed pool or heated pools the upper decks were useless. You can only play so many Trivia games in the bars and Piazza. We did have 2 days after leaving New York  and 2 days on return to New York that was sunny and warm.

Please don't get me wrong I know we cannot control weather and what did I expect going to Greenland.  Some people hit it lucky with the weather but we did not.

Just want people to know it is always hit and miss on cruises however 16 days on the ship with over half of the days ugly weather was a little much.

The other thing that really bothered me about Princess was their internet.  Because I am Platinum I paid $100.00 for 16 days of internet on the ship.  However

there was no service for 6 days in Greenland waters which Princess is well aware of from the start of the cruise.  Went to guest services and they admitted they know and will consider giving rebate for the 6 days but not likely to see this. 

I love cruising and will continue  to do so but will do more research on weather and sea days so I don't make the same mistake twice.

 

Having spent many months on "Ocean Station Bravo" (Google it), it sounds like my kind of cruise. Sorry you didn't enjoy it more.

[XBGuy]

My wife would pay serious extra dollars to cruise in conditions like that.  Like you say, though, Princess can't guarantee the weather for her.

[Guest ldtr]

43 minutes ago, awinte2 said:

Have cruised with Princess over 8 times and have to say this was my least favourite cruise.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the ship. Dining Room food was fabulous, service as well. 

That was the excellent.

The Good - entertainment.  Production shows very good, single entertainers ok.

Itinerary - New York was great, Halifax was very good, Sydney (cabot trail) ok , Greenland missed first port Nuuk, 2nd and 3rd port fair , Newfoundland very good.

Had 4 days day and night of heavy fog from Halifax to Greenland and another day leaving Greenland to Newfoundland.  1 day of  very rough seas.  Unless you are into geography or Inuit history there was very little to see on Greenland.  The icebergs around the island were very interesting but seen no wildlife at all. Talked to people who went on excursions who seen non at all.

We did see whales and dolphins and schools of Tuna on our way from Greenland to Newfoundland.

We had 5 sea days with 40 degree temperatures and 3 more days of total cloud cool temps  and without an enclosed pool or heated pools the upper decks were useless. You can only play so many Trivia games in the bars and Piazza. We did have 2 days after leaving New York  and 2 days on return to New York that was sunny and warm.

Please don't get me wrong I know we cannot control weather and what did I expect going to Greenland.  Some people hit it lucky with the weather but we did not.

Just want people to know it is always hit and miss on cruises however 16 days on the ship with over half of the days ugly weather was a little much.

The other thing that really bothered me about Princess was their internet.  Because I am Platinum I paid $100.00 for 16 days of internet on the ship.  However

there was no service for 6 days in Greenland waters which Princess is well aware of from the start of the cruise.  Went to guest services and they admitted they know and will consider giving rebate for the 6 days but not likely to see this. 

I love cruising and will continue  to do so but will do more research on weather and sea days so I don't make the same mistake twice.

 

Unfortunately the movement of Princess away from indoor pools reduces how attractive they are for  cold weather cruises.  In addition the Caribbean Princess is too large of a ship for Greenland.

 

Weather is weather you can run into fog and rough seas in many places.  

Edited September 6, 2022 by ldtr

[drowelf]

I heard a report that people were doing laps in the pool during our extended sea voyage around southern greenland. I did jump in the Hot Tub a couple of times, just to get the whirlpool effect on my back. 

 

As for the internet, if you pre-paid the internet, you should have gotten 99.90 back. I did and so did many other folks that I talked to. 

 

The fog was really eerie at times, it was so thick that at times I could not see the surface of the sea from the lido deck. Now thats thick. I really feel for this on the upper decks closer to the bridge who had to endure the fog horn going off all night at times. I could hear it down on Deck 9 at times, but only if it was quiet (no tv or talking with the DW). 

 

I was really surprised by the sea conditions for the whole cruise. I expected to encounter much rougher seas for most of the cruise. Several days the sea was totally calm and I've seen ponds and lakes with more wave action, especially on the 2 days from Greenland back to Newfoundland & Labrador. 

Edited September 6, 2022 by drowelf

[geoherb]

I was on this cruise as well. My cabin was midship on the Riviera Deck. I could hear the fog horn going off every 90 seconds some nights. The cruise reminded me of the one I took to Alaska last summer on the Majestic. We did not see the sun for the whole week on that cruise. 

 

My internet refund came automatically on the last full day of the cruise. I prepaid $80 ($5 per day) and received credit for 10 days ($50). My friends who had Princess Plus and Premier received their refunds a couple of days before those of us who prepaid did.

 

I wouldn't recommend this cruise for people who don't like sea days. Unlike you, I thought it was fairly calm the whole cruise. The rough seas the captain mentioned when canceling our port stop in Nuuk never materialized.

 

Princess should really consider putting a more suitable ship on this itinerary, but it seems stuck on sending the Caribbean Princess. The Island or Coral would make more sense--with indoor pools for those cold days at sea and fewer passengers to tender in Nanortalik and Qaqortoq. 

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, drowelf said:

The fog was really eerie at times, it was so thick that at times I could not see the surface of the sea from the lido deck. Now thats thick.

 

In a far distant past I drove school bus in Madera, CA. I would often drive to work navigating by street lights. I could see a faint glow on my left for several lights. I kept my car lined up so I would go to the side of that glow. That kept me on the street. When I saw the glow on the right I turned left and kept going until I got to the fence around the bus yard. Sometimes I would be out in the country with the bus and the fog was so thick I couldn't see the road. I couldn't pull to the side because there are large and deep irrigation ditches and I couldn't tell if there was one where I was. I opened the window by the driver's seat and, looking straight down, couldn't see the line on the road. They sometimes had "fog days" where schools started an hour late but, even then, I was occasionally stranded trying to find the road. Now that is thick fog! I always chuckle when I hear the "fog advisories" here in Butte County. They have no idea what real fog is like.

[Guest ldtr]

3 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

In a far distant past I drove school bus in Madera, CA. I would often drive to work navigating by street lights. I could see a faint glow on my left for several lights. I kept my car lined up so I would go to the side of that glow. That kept me on the street. When I saw the glow on the right I turned left and kept going until I got to the fence around the bus yard. Sometimes I would be out in the country with the bus and the fog was so thick I couldn't see the road. I couldn't pull to the side because there are large and deep irrigation ditches and I couldn't tell if there was one where I was. I opened the window by the driver's seat and, looking straight down, couldn't see the line on the road. They sometimes had "fog days" where schools started an hour late but, even then, I was occasionally stranded trying to find the road. Now that is thick fog! I always chuckle when I hear the "fog advisories" here in Butte County. They have no idea what real fog is like.

The central Valley's lovely Tule Fog

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, geoherb said:

I was on this cruise as well. My cabin was midship on the Riviera Deck. I could hear the fog horn going off every 90 seconds some nights. The cruise reminded me of the one I took to Alaska last summer on the Majestic. We did not see the sun for the whole week on that cruise. 

 

My internet refund came automatically on the last full day of the cruise. I prepaid $80 ($5 per day) and received credit for 10 days ($50). My friends who had Princess Plus and Premier received their refunds a couple of days before those of us who prepaid did.

 

I wouldn't recommend this cruise for people who don't like sea days. Unlike you, I thought it was fairly calm the whole cruise. The rough seas the captain mentioned when canceling our port stop in Nuuk never materialized.

 

Princess should really consider putting a more suitable ship on this itinerary, but it seems stuck on sending the Caribbean Princess. The Island or Coral would make more sense--with indoor pools for those cold days at sea and fewer passengers to tender in Nanortalik and Qaqortoq. 

Problem is that Princess is running out of suitable ships for this itinerary.

[cruzsnooze]

I was also on this sailing. I got my internet refund on my folio and am expecting a refund since I didn't use all my OBC.  With the exception of the production show Bravo I didn't care for the entertainment. Princess had stated they were shortening the shows to 45 minutes and going to do 3 shows so everyone could attend. Never happened and as usual you either got to the showroom 30-45 minutes early or no seats available. 

  The outbreak of covid was significant enough for the Captain to make an announcement that it was serious enough to request everyone mask when out and about. 

   The Piazza was a disaster. Remember the pool chair hogs? Well it happened at the Piazza. People would go get seats and leave sweaters and books on the chairs and leave for significant amounts of time. The cold weather drove the chair hogs indoors. 

[westcoaster]

I was also on this cruise.  We loved the two ports in Greenland.  We had stopped in Nanortalik as part of an Iceland/Trans-Atlantic cruise back in 2013, and it was our favorite stop on that cruise.  That was one of the reasons we booked this cruise.  

 

Both Nanortalik and Qaqortoq have beautiful settings, and it was cool to see the ice bergs so close to town.  I loved the colorful wooden houses everywhere, and the local people were very friendly and informative.  We spent full days in both spots just wandering all over town, up the hills, around lake, etc.

 

I heard a few people grumble about being disappointed with the Greenland stops.  I'm not sure what they were expecting - shopping malls and Diamonds International?

[westcoaster]

4 hours ago, drowelf said:

I heard a report that people were doing laps in the pool during our extended sea voyage around southern greenland. I did jump in the Hot Tub a couple of times, just to get the whirlpool effect on my back. 

 

I swam in the outdoor pool every day on this cruise.  It was cool at times, but quite swimmable.  There were really on 2 days (just after our Greenland stops) when the water temp was really cold.

[Ofmyheart]

This was an encore cruise for us having dive the exact itinerary on the exact ship in 2019. It was a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT cruise from 2019. We had beautiful weather then. We didn't purchase internet because back then we got it free due to status and didn't really get it. There is just no connection that far north.

 

As for the Greenland ports they are unique and the people are pleasant. Passengers just need to do a bit of research prior to booking to know what to expect.

 

I will say it was the worst weather of any cruise we have been on 

[BarbinMich]

17 hours ago, westcoaster said:

I was also on this cruise.  We loved the two ports in Greenland.  We had stopped in Nanortalik as part of an Iceland/Trans-Atlantic cruise back in 2013, and it was our favorite stop on that cruise.  That was one of the reasons we booked this cruise.  

 

Both Nanortalik and Qaqortoq have beautiful settings, and it was cool to see the ice bergs so close to town.  I loved the colorful wooden houses everywhere, and the local people were very friendly and informative.  We spent full days in both spots just wandering all over town, up the hills, around lake, etc.

. . .

I may have to look into this cruise for next year.  I've done several WB TA's (2009, 2010) that made stops in Greenland, but only saw an iceberg once.  So would like to see more!

[westcoaster]

35 minutes ago, BarbinMich said:

I may have to look into this cruise for next year.  I've done several WB TA's (2009, 2010) that made stops in Greenland, but only saw an iceberg once.  So would like to see more!

I'm not sure why, but we saw a lot more icebergs, and they were closer in to town than we did during our 2013 stop at Nanortalik (which was at the same time of year).  They're beautiful!

[westcoaster]

18 hours ago, Ofmyheart said:

This was an encore cruise for us having dive the exact itinerary on the exact ship in 2019. It was a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT cruise from 2019. We had beautiful weather then.

 

I will say it was the worst weather of any cruise we have been on 

I guess it's all relative.  The weather at the Greenland stops was much better this time than during our stop at Nanortalik in 2013.  That time, there was so much dense fog that they had to suspend the tender service for a couple of hours, and it was much colder than during our visit this year.

[moodyb1]

I was on this cruise as well. I bit too many sea days for my liking because of the missed port. I thought the food in the main dining rooms could have been better, but I liked the upgraded Marketplace and the entertainment. But it was what it was. 

I would like to see Princess have more atrium-style pools, like on the Majestic, on its newer ships. It gives people an opportunity to swim in cooler climes and it's another place for people to hang out. We find that even on sea days in warmer weather climates, it can be cool. We like the Celebrity ships because every ship has an atrium pool, but still go with Princess because of the benefits we receive.

 

Arlene

[Guest ldtr]

3 minutes ago, moodyb1 said:

I was on this cruise as well. I bit too many sea days for my liking because of the missed port. I thought the food in the main dining rooms could have been better, but I liked the upgraded Marketplace and the entertainment. But it was what it was. 

I would like to see Princess have more atrium-style pools, like on the Majestic, on its newer ships. It gives people an opportunity to swim in cooler climes and it's another place for people to hang out. We find that even on sea days in warmer weather climates, it can be cool. We like the Celebrity ships because every ship has an atrium pool, but still go with Princess because of the benefits we receive.

 

Arlene

The Majestic is the only one of the Royal class with an indoor pool (Hollywood pool) and that ship only has it because it was built for the Chinese market.  Other wise the space is used for the additional charge sanctuary areas. Rather unlikely that Princess would give up the Sanctuary revenue and put in pools in that area on other ships.

[westcoaster]

21 minutes ago, moodyb1 said:

I would like to see Princess have more atrium-style pools, like on the Majestic, on its newer ships. It gives people an opportunity to swim in cooler climes and it's another place for people to hang out. 

I wish Princess would at least use the ships the already have with covered pools (Majestic, Grand, Sapphire, Diamond, Coral, and Island) for the cool-weather cruises.  As I mentioned earlier, I swam every day on this cruise.  The water temperature generally wasn't too bad, but the hard part was getting out of the pool into the cold air afterward!  

 

As you mentioned, the covered pools are a great place to hang out during those colder sea days.

[donaldsc]

On 9/6/2022 at 3:09 PM, cruzsnooze said:

I was also on this sailing. I got my internet refund on my folio and am expecting a refund since I didn't use all my OBC.  With the exception of the production show Bravo I didn't care for the entertainment. Princess had stated they were shortening the shows to 45 minutes and going to do 3 shows so everyone could attend. Never happened and as usual you either got to the showroom 30-45 minutes early or no seats available. 

  The outbreak of covid was significant enough for the Captain to make an announcement that it was serious enough to request everyone mask when out and about. 

   The Piazza was a disaster. Remember the pool chair hogs? Well it happened at the Piazza. People would go get seats and leave sweaters and books on the chairs and leave for significant amounts of time. The cold weather drove the chair hogs indoors. 

 

So why didn't you remove them or have cruise staff remove them.  There have been many times when I move people's stuff if staff will not do it and then play dumb when people come back to reclaim a seat that has been left vacant for a period of time.  If you don't want to be that pushy pick up the stuff and give it to cruise staff and tell the chair hogs that the cruise staff has their stuff.

 

DON

Edited September 8, 2022 by donaldsc

[geoherb]

I never noticed the chair hogs in the piazza. The chairs were being used by people when I was there and not just being held by a book or sweater. There were usually plenty of places to sit over in Vines during port days. Many days I would stop by the International Cafe when coming back from being in port.

 

[Ofmyheart]

On 9/7/2022 at 1:36 PM, westcoaster said:

I'm not sure why, but we saw a lot more icebergs, and they were closer in to town than we did during our 2013 stop at Nanortalik (which was at the same time of year).  They're beautiful!

Way more icebergs than same cruise in 2019!