Sun Princess - Original

[SouKnoMe]

So sorry to hear this. I know that it is very disheartening to have this news delivered today, especially with the anticipating of vacationing and joining a new ship.

[h20skibum]

5 minutes ago, cruisedoctor said:

SEE POINTS 4, 5 & 7 

Answers 5 and 7 just mean they do not know.  Stay tuned. 

[Pixelskaya]

Sad news indeed 😞 So sorry for those who were booked on the inaugural; here’s hoping no more sailings will be affected.

[dog]

I know nothing.

 

an article is posted on fb about a 23 year old worker at shipyard being injured and possibly workers considering strike.

 

i don’t know if this is reliable, but may explain why it is short notice.

 

 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

2 hours ago, chamima said:

Strange that there are 1600 posts on this thread and only one person has received this sad notice.

I'm NOT questioning the veracity of the notice - just really wondering about why among the almost 4000 people affected only one is on this thread.

 

 

**********

My friends have all received this notice. Maybe people are working and haven’t read their email. 

[c-boy]

It's a good thing I have Dr. Phil on speed dial ..... 

 

  

[MsSoCalCruiser]

38 minutes ago, cruisedoctor said:

SEE POINTS 4, 5 & 7 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Sun Princess Ship Delay Announcement

1. Why is Princess cancelling the inaugural Sun Princess voyage? What voyages are affected by the delay?

Answer: Our dedicated teams have been working tirelessly in collaboration with our shipyard partners at Fincantieri to ensure the completion of the revolutionary Sun Princess. However, despite everyone’s best efforts, Fincantieri and Princess have mutually agreed to delay delivery of the ship which unfortunately requires us to cancel the inaugural cruise scheduled for February 8.

2. What are you doing for guests who were booked on this inaugural voyage?

Answer: Guests who were booked on the inaugural voyage that has been cancelled will receive a full refund of the cruise fare and any optional onboard services that were purchased for the cruise, along with 50% future cruise credit (*FCC must be booked by November 30, 2024 and sailed by December 31, 2025).  Bookings are being automatically cancelled and there is no need for guests to take any action. All refunds will be processed within three weeks to the original form of payment. 

Guests will also receive up to $200 per person for change fees related to air travel plans.  Guests should use this link to provide documentation of their airfare change fees - http://princess.com/refund-request

3. Will travel agency commissions be protected?

Answer: Yes, we will protect travel agency commissions. The delay was not caused by our travel agency partners, and they should be duly rewarded for their hard work and support, and it is only fair that we safeguard their commissions for the bookings they secured for this inaugural voyage.

4. Why are you just now announcing the delay so close to the original launch date? Why didn't you communicate this sooner?

Answer: Princess Cruises has just received notification from the shipyard about the delay. The shift in date of the maiden voyage is due to unforeseen challenges and delays encountered at the shipyard, where our shipbuilding partners at Fincantieri faced unexpected challenges. They are working to resolve these issues and expedite final preparations. We share in our guests’ frustration and appreciate their patience. We apologize for this unfortunate delay. 

5. When will the Sun Princess maiden voyage now take place?

Answer: The only voyage that has been cancelled due to the delayed delivery of the ship is the cruise departing Barcelona on Feb 8.

6. Do guests booked on the cancelled voyage need to call in to get their refund?

Answer: No. Booking will be automatically canceled and guests do not need to take any action to initiate the refund process.  Refund will be processed within three weeks and credited back to the original form of payment, and FCCs will be automatically added to guest accounts.

7. Are any other voyages at risk?

Answer: The current delivery delay only impacts the Feb 8 inaugural voyage.

@cruisedoctor Thank you. Where did you find this information?

[vividharp]

I’m so sorry @dides 😞

[MsSoCalCruiser]

@dides I’m so sorry that your cruise was canceled. My friends were also supposed to be on that sailing and I was so looking forward to following you on the inaugural sailing. 

[Jose Zalfadilla]

8 minutes ago, dog said:

I know nothing.

 

an article is posted on fb about a 23 year old worker at shipyard being injured and possibly workers considering strike.

 

i don’t know if this is reliable, but may explain why it is short notice.

 

 

From that same article:

"One worker at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy was seriously injured in an accident at the yard on Friday, January 19. Trade unions representing the shipyard workers called for an immediate strike as they sought to raise awareness of safety issues.

Emergency services from Monfalcone in the Trieste region of eastern Italy responded to emergency calls Friday morning. Scaffolding and an enclosed hoist used to lift material to the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax currently under construction in the shipyard had collapsed."

 

Well, the article refers to this accident as having taken place during the construction of a different cruise ship, in this case the Mein Schiff Relax, so not sure if it still had anything to do with delaying delivery of the Sun Princess to Carnival.  

[cruisedoctor]

16 minutes ago, dog said:

I know nothing.

 

an article is posted on fb about a 23 year old worker at shipyard being injured and possibly workers considering strike.

 

i don’t know if this is reliable, but may explain why it is short notice.

 

 

PUBLISHED JAN 22, 2024 2:30 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

One worker at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy was seriously injured in an accident at the yard on Friday, January 19. Emergency services from Monfalcone in the Trieste region of eastern Italy responded to emergency calls Friday morning. Scaffolding and an enclosed hoist used to lift material to the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax currently under construction in the shipyard had collapsed. The trade unions called for an immediate one-day work stoppage to raise awareness of the safety issues.

[Pixelskaya]

Isn’t a $200 refund for flight expenses very little when most of your passengers fly from the US? I mean, I just bought a two way train ticket to Barcelona that cost me 140€, and I live in Spain! 😅

[dog]

9 minutes ago, Jose Zalfadilla said:

From that same article:

"One worker at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy was seriously injured in an accident at the yard on Friday, January 19. Trade unions representing the shipyard workers called for an immediate strike as they sought to raise awareness of safety issues.

Emergency services from Monfalcone in the Trieste region of eastern Italy responded to emergency calls Friday morning. Scaffolding and an enclosed hoist used to lift material to the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax currently under construction in the shipyard had collapsed."

 

Well, the article refers to this accident as having taken place during the construction of a different cruise ship, in this case the Mein Schiff Relax, so not sure if it still had anything to do with delaying delivery of the Sun Princess to Carnival.  

 

..

Edited January 24 by dog

[cruisedoctor]

17 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

@cruisedoctor Thank you. Where did you find this information?

@MsSoCalCruiser  From the Princess Expert database available to Princess employees and travel agents.

[cruisedoctor]

The following was on the February 18th  Sun Princess Roll Call.

Edited January 24 by cruisedoctor

[vividharp]

26 minutes ago, Pixelskaya said:

Isn’t a $200 refund for flight expenses very little when most of your passengers fly from the US? I mean, I just bought a two way train ticket to Barcelona that cost me 140€, and I live in Spain! 😅

Yes, it cost more than that to fly within the US most times. 😂

[jwattle]

7 minutes ago, vividharp said:

Yes, it cost more than that to fly within the US most times. 😂

I think that the $200 was to help with the change fees, not the actual airfare 🙂

[vividharp]

2 minutes ago, jwattle said:

I think that the $200 was to help with the change fees, not the actual airfare 🙂

Ahhh, that seems better!

[kiwi57]

I am currently on the airplane flying over to Barcelona for two weeks pre-cruise before the Inaugural Feb.8th sailing, where I just received the cancellation message via email.  Adding insult to injury, right before boarding I received a Princess mailer telling me all about the great upcoming entertainment and things to look forward to on the cruise.  Absolutely no reason to wait this long to let us know.  Of course, I understand that inaugurals can change and cancel, but 15 days out seems ridiculous. 

[jwattle]

22 minutes ago, kiwi57 said:

I am currently on the airplane flying over to Barcelona for two weeks pre-cruise before the Inaugural Feb.8th sailing, where I just received the cancellation message via email.  Adding insult to injury, right before boarding I received a Princess mailer telling me all about the great upcoming entertainment and things to look forward to on the cruise.  Absolutely no reason to wait this long to let us know.  Of course, I understand that inaugurals can change and cancel, but 15 days out seems ridiculous. 

If the reason was an injury and a last minute strike...

 

[Wishing on a star]

Kiwi...  I am sure that your plans were not big on spending time in Rome, in the winter...

And, your flight 'changes' will be to. get you home.

Perhaps there are some silver linings there, somewhere in these clouds..

 

I can see that a big 'strike' could have an impact.   

Perhaps Princess was expecting to take delivery?

The ship is probably all but ready...   But, close can be heartbreaking.

[Wishing on a star]

I am no expert, but most flight bookings might have 'changes' with a FEE.

I would hate to book this kind of international travel with a totally locked-in ticket, and no insurance.

[kiwi57]

According to my email it was only the inability to finish on time so the decision was made between the Princess partners and the shipyard. There was no mention of a strike, and the accident happened with a worker on a different ship. I feel that the lack of any press releases, news, postings from crew over the last many weeks made all of us on this inaugural feel a little nervous. 
Just my two cents, but if the shipyard was under a strike or it was due to injury, Princess would have mentioned that as it takes some of the heat off them when they cancel this late. They definitely made a point of telling us it was the Santorini tram repair that caused our deviation to Crete on this cruise.

[ChutChut]

1 hour ago, Pixelskaya said:

Isn’t a $200 refund for flight expenses very little when most of your passengers fly from the US? I mean, I just bought a two way train ticket to Barcelona that cost me 140€, and I live in Spain! 😅

Their travel insurance should cover it. 

[ChutChut]

19 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

I am no expert, but most flight bookings might have 'changes' with a FEE.

I would hate to book this kind of international travel with a totally locked-in ticket, and no insurance.

That's why one gets insurance.