Sky Princess- Iceland Missed Ports

[Buckeye10640]

24 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

We received similar compensation for our Antarctica cruise in December.  20% of cruise fare, port fees and taxes went back to our shipboard account.  Very happy with the compensation.

I think I would be happier with refundable OBC rather than FCC, which would mean I would have to book or sail again before it expired. 

[Guest ldtr]

3 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

I think I would be happier with refundable OBC rather than FCC, which would mean I would have to book or sail again before it expired. 

Which is exactly why it is FCC.  If you use it, you are sailing with Princess.  If you do not use it, it costs them nothing.

[Buckeye10640]

13 minutes ago, ldtr said:

Which is exactly why it is FCC.  If you use it, you are sailing with Princess.  If you do not use it, it costs them nothing.

Of course. I was reacting to @kiwimum who said theirs was put on the shipboard account.  Preferable for the cruiser, but not for Princess. 

[Teechur]

We were on the Crown Princess in 2017, traveling around South America. The choice was to board in Rio, or the next port, Buenos Aires. We chose B.A. having already been to Rio.

 

Long after departing Rio, the Crown had to turn back due to a medical emergency. We sat at the B.A. port all day long with zero information. Finally in the evening, Princess reps. admitted the ship would not arrive until the next day and bused us to a 5-star hotel. No one had access to their luggage and no dinner vouchers were provided. We had everything we needed in carry-ons, but some didn't.

The next day were bused back to the port and boarded.

 

Next stop was Montevideo, Uruguay. Being a day behind, we had no empty berth to dock. We sat offshore and were refueled from a barge. In the evening when another ship departed, we were allowed into port. Our visit was two hours long in torrential rain. Most of us dashed to a liquor store, then back to the ship. No officials on board had the nerve to challenge us, toting cases of beer, etc.

The next day we were scheduled to water shuttle to the Falkland Islands. We skipped that port due to "weather". Actually, it was to get us back on our cruise schedule.

 

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we had a great time. Onboard was a huge group of English pensioners who had come on this trip specifically to visit the Falklands. They were livid and held meeting after meeting attended by ship's officers.

 

First, we were awarded 25% back. After more angry meetings, we were given 50% back. By the time we reached Chile, the captain announced that everyone on board would receive 100% back in future cruise credit and cash for port fees, etc.

 

We didn't deserve it (nor did Princess) because the debacle was caused by an old person who died enroute. We simply thanked the Captain and booked a Baltic Sea cruise a few months later. Both cruises were awesome! 👍

 

I hope we will be able to port, at least, in Reykjavik in September. If not, we will suck it up, and go somewhere else next time. I will not be saying "never again with Princess" for something outside their control. 😡

[milolii]

4 hours ago, deltaqueenie said:

 

 

Has anyone actually received FCC in this manner? This is the letter we received. It states a Future Cruise Credit of 20% of “paid cruise fare”..

 

My invoice from my travel agent reads:

CRUISE FARE $1,696 (20% of this is $340) 

NCF $700 (if this is added then my FCC is $480)

GOVERNMENT TAXES $350 (if this is added then my FCC is $550)

 

And I’m sure Princess is not going to reimburse me for airfare ($1,800) insurance or anything else…
It is a “goodwill gesture” and while I appreciate this effort, IMO $340 is not nearly enough for what we missed. Not to mention we had 8 Sea Days (originally had only 6) on a VERY crowded ship…

As far as weather conditions..really who knows? I chose the May dates because Iceland has less rain in May..Even though we have 25 cruises with Princess, this cruise has made me rethink ANY cruise itinerary…

 

Yep, we did. We were on the Enchanted in September.  We missed three ports.  Hurricane Fiona was responsible for Halifax and the other two were tender ports, Bar Harbor and Newport, earlier on the cruise. We are using the credit on our July cruise to Iceland.  It was a significant savings. The wording matches our letter exactly, except for the details of the cruise. 

Keep that printed letter handy for future communications. My CVP could see it, but it gets a bit confusing when using the gift cards, other FCCs, etc. 

 

Also you don’t insure the goodwill credit, just like you only insure  what you paid for the AARP rewards discount gift cards, not the face value. So another savings there.  I have coverage outside of Princess, so don’t know how it’s handled if you purchase  their insurance.  

Sorry you missed those ports. 

[kiwimum]

30 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Of course. I was reacting to @kiwimum who said theirs was put on the shipboard account.  Preferable for the cruiser, but not for Princess. 

Sorry my error.  The only refund on our shipboard account was the port fees.   The 20% FCC is labeled Goodwill and has a hard use by date.  Fortunately we travel 3-4 months a year so no problem using it.

[nini]

23 hours ago, mmiicc said:

Went with a large group on this cruise.

The group had arranged local (non-Princess) excursions in each original city. Because of the Iceland port changes, lost all the money we prepaid for those local tours (might be able to make trip out insurance claim). People in the tour group dedicated their annual vacation weeks to this cruise, planned and looked forward for months to see the sites of Iceland, and are now so disappointed and swear never to go on Princess against again.

 

Guest Services says sorry for your lost inconvenience but they are tone-deaf; it’s more than inconvenience: It’s lost time traveling half way round the world to get to the cruise shop, the money sunk, and the dreamed once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the unique Iceland sights. The group has now forsworn Princess, will not cruise on the line again. 

 

There are no port guarantees on ANY cruise or with ANY cruise line. Mother Nature is in charge. Also, there is the issue of humans having medical issues and crew and/ or passengers jumping overboard! We were going to miss the port of Rhodes, due to a crew member jumping overboard. This is not unique to one cruise line. This happened on the Celebrity Reflection. Maritime law requires that all ships in the area pause their routes and do a search. Sadly, the person was not found. However, the merchants in Rhodes stayed open late and we enjoyed a few hours there, when originally the Captain said that the port would be missed.

[deltaqueenie]

10 hours ago, portiemom said:

Very sorry that you missed so many ports. We hope to get to Iceland eventually, and this thread is showing me just how difficult that may be, as it seems weather concerns are common on this itinerary! But I'm not sure what the National Holidays in Norway has to do with it. Weren't they already scheduled when you booked the cruise?

I assume they were scheduled but I wasn’t informed…I included the National Holidays issue because I learned something- I should have done more research prior to booking (checking Norway National Holidays) and realized 2 of the 3 Norway port days occurred during Holidays when everything was closed, just disappointing..

[deltaqueenie]

9 hours ago, Teechur said:

We were on the Crown Princess in 2017, traveling around South America. The choice was to board in Rio, or the next port, Buenos Aires. We chose B.A. having already been to Rio.

 

Long after departing Rio, the Crown had to turn back due to a medical emergency. We sat at the B.A. port all day long with zero information. Finally in the evening, Princess reps. admitted the ship would not arrive until the next day and bused us to a 5-star hotel. No one had access to their luggage and no dinner vouchers were provided. We had everything we needed in carry-ons, but some didn't.

The next day were bused back to the port and boarded.

 

Next stop was Montevideo, Uruguay. Being a day behind, we had no empty berth to dock. We sat offshore and were refueled from a barge. In the evening when another ship departed, we were allowed into port. Our visit was two hours long in torrential rain. Most of us dashed to a liquor store, then back to the ship. No officials on board had the nerve to challenge us, toting cases of beer, etc.

The next day we were scheduled to water shuttle to the Falkland Islands. We skipped that port due to "weather". Actually, it was to get us back on our cruise schedule.

 

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we had a great time. Onboard was a huge group of English pensioners who had come on this trip specifically to visit the Falklands. They were livid and held meeting after meeting attended by ship's officers.

 

First, we were awarded 25% back. After more angry meetings, we were given 50% back. By the time we reached Chile, the captain announced that everyone on board would receive 100% back in future cruise credit and cash for port fees, etc.

 

We didn't deserve it (nor did Princess) because the debacle was caused by an old person who died enroute. We simply thanked the Captain and booked a Baltic Sea cruise a few months later. Both cruises were awesome! 👍

 

I hope we will be able to port, at least, in Reykjavik in September. If not, we will suck it up, and go somewhere else next time. I will not be saying "never again with Princess" for something outside their control. 😡

I’m so sorry this happened to you, it sounded very stressful….but, did you receive 100% of your entire “cruise fare” as an FCC? 20% and 100% are quite different…

[david63]

27 minutes ago, deltaqueenie said:

I should have done more research prior to booking (checking Norway National Holidays)

If you try to factor all eventualities you would never go on a cruise - and some things just are not known at the time of booking.

[Jeter02]

🍋 Turn those lemons into lemonade. 🍋 Sorry once again that's a trip didn't go as planned with all those missing ports. I do hope and pray that most guests are understanding and kind when it comes to these situations. As I know some can be very upset about having all these missed ports on what some people considered a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But they do need to keep in mind that this by any circumstance is not the fault of the captain of the ship nor the cruise line as it is 1000% out of their hand. Their jobs is to make sure you are kept safe at all times and not endangering their guests. It is up to the Port authorities who inevitably make those grand decisions if it is not safe to dock a ship into a port. Like I said I just hope we have more compassionate people in the world who understand this that do not throw a fit and start to pointing fingers.

[Wblotner]

13 hours ago, Glide said:

No we missed 2 out of 7 ports.

Just tough luck.

Thought they changed one in you

[Wblotner]

On 5/21/2023 at 9:54 AM, LACruiser88 said:

So sorry, we know how dissapointing this can be.  A few years back, we had all of our Iceland/Greenland ports canceled due to weather.  A big bummer!

What time of year was this?

[PacnGoNow]

3 hours ago, nini said:

 

There are no port guarantees on ANY cruise or with ANY cruise line. Mother Nature is in charge. Also, there is the issue of humans having medical issues and crew and/ or passengers jumping overboard! We were going to miss the port of Rhodes, due to a crew member jumping overboard. This is not unique to one cruise line. This happened on the Celebrity Reflection. Maritime law requires that all ships in the area pause their routes and do a search. Sadly, the person was not found. However, the merchants in Rhodes stayed open late and we enjoyed a few hours there, when originally the Captain said that the port would be missed.

So true.  Sad about the crew member. 
What ship are you on?

[PacnGoNow]

26 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

🍋 Turn those lemons into lemonade. 🍋 Sorry once again that's a trip didn't go as planned with all those missing ports. I do hope and pray that most guests are understanding and kind when it comes to these situations. As I know some can be very upset about having all these missed ports on what some people considered a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But they do need to keep in mind that this by any circumstance is not the fault of the captain of the ship nor the cruise line as it is 1000% out of their hand. Their jobs is to make sure you are kept safe at all times and not endangering their guests. It is up to the Port authorities who inevitably make those grand decisions if it is not safe to dock a ship into a port. Like I said I just hope we have more compassionate people in the world who understand this that do not throw a fit and start to pointing fingers.

Thank you.  Very well stated.

[matamanoa]

On 5/21/2023 at 12:39 PM, mmiicc said:

New to this thread. The magic show had very little magic-trick content, just childish nonsense prattle going boringly on and on. 

I am wondering if the magicians (husband and wife team from Canada) were the ones doing the show.  We saw a magic show recently on the Enchanted and the couple were so boring and there was very little magic in the show's content.  They were trying to be funny but really needed to work on their routine.

[nini]

4 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

So true.  Sad about the crew member. 
What ship are you on?

 

Currently, we are at home on land. We board the Sky Princess June 3.

[TN-Mountains]

On 5/23/2023 at 3:41 AM, mmiicc said:

Went with a large group on this cruise.

The group had arranged local (non-Princess) excursions in each original city. Because of the Iceland port changes, lost all the money we prepaid for those local tours (might be able to make trip out insurance claim). People in the tour group dedicated their annual vacation weeks to this cruise, planned and looked forward for months to see the sites of Iceland, and are now so disappointed and swear never to go on Princess against again.

 

Guest Services says sorry for your lost inconvenience but they are tone-deaf; it’s more than inconvenience: It’s lost time traveling half way round the world to get to the cruise shop, the money sunk, and the dreamed once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the unique Iceland sights. The group has now forsworn Princess, will not cruise on the line again. 

Sorry to hear this!  Do you mind sharing the name of the tour group?  We are on a similar itinerary June 3rd and booked independent excursions.  We are trying to find additional excursions at other ports, but after reading this maybe we shouldn't?!?  Also, do you mind letting us know if insurance covers the excursions?

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, TN-Mountains said:

  Also, do you mind letting us know if insurance covers the excursions?

Princess supplied insurance definitely does NOT cover independent excursions. Some have reported that third-party firms may. You'll have to read the terms carefully. 

[nini]

On 5/23/2023 at 12:41 AM, mmiicc said:

Went with a large group on this cruise.

The group had arranged local (non-Princess) excursions in each original city. Because of the Iceland port changes, lost all the money we prepaid for those local tours (might be able to make trip out insurance claim). People in the tour group dedicated their annual vacation weeks to this cruise, planned and looked forward for months to see the sites of Iceland, and are now so disappointed and swear never to go on Princess against again.

 

Guest Services says sorry for your lost inconvenience but they are tone-deaf; it’s more than inconvenience: It’s lost time traveling half way round the world to get to the cruise shop, the money sunk, and the dreamed once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the unique Iceland sights. The group has now forsworn Princess, will not cruise on the line again. 

 

I am so sorry for this. However, we have learned that if at all possible, we do not pre-pay for the excursion. We are also booked on the Sky for June 3 and have booked 4 non- Princess shore excursions for Iceland and only one asked for payment. The other 3 are Pay on Arrival.

Edited May 24, 2023 by nini
additional words

[capriccio]

7 minutes ago, nini said:

 

I am so sorry for this. However, we have learned that if at all possible, we do not pre-pay for the excursion. We are also booked on the Sky for June 3 and have booked 4 non- Princess shore excursions for Iceland and only one asked for payment. The other 3 are Pay on Arrival.

When we have to pay in advance for an excursion we always get it in writing from the vendor that should the ship not be able to dock we will receive a full refund.  We have had that happen a few times and always received our refund within a few days.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I feel very badly for you all; having that many port calls canceled is significant. I wonder if Princess may want to change the timing of this itinerary in the future to the summer; perhaps weather would be a safer bet then. 

[TN-Mountains]

23 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Princess supplied insurance definitely does NOT cover independent excursions. Some have reported that third-party firms may. You'll have to read the terms carefully. 

Thanks!  I haven't read the terms of the policy.  I read the bullet points on Princess' website, but I wasn't planning on reading the T&C unless I NEED to file a claim.  😉 We normally skip travel insurance, but given the price of Norway/Iceland itineraries and what we learned from the pandemic we purchased it for our upcoming cruise.  We got it to cover the cruise fare...anything else is a bonus for us.  I was mostly curious since I didn't expect the insurance to cover them.   That said, after seeing what happened on your cruise, I am hesitant to book any more excursions in Iceland even if I find some available (most are already sold out).

[nini]

31 minutes ago, capriccio said:

When we have to pay in advance for an excursion we always get it in writing from the vendor that should the ship not be able to dock we will receive a full refund.  We have had that happen a few times and always received our refund within a few days.

 

I understand that. However, I was specifically referring to what @mmiicc had posted in reference specifically to the Iceland ports.

[Rick&Jeannie]

This cruise just gets more and more interesting. Sadly, someone has just been evacuated by helicopter. No details...hope the person will be OK.