Sky Princess- Iceland Missed Ports

[GonzoWCS]

54 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I hope you are able to find *some* type of life recreation that satisfies you. It is obviously not cruising.  Most of us on CruiseCritic fully understand the issues with cruising and still choose to board.

Well said. 
 

Cheers

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

6 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

 

So....is there a time of year to book this where I maximize my chances of good weather? I also prefer when possible to avoid large numbers of kids onboard so typically do not sail during summer (June-Aug). Do I need to make an exception here? 

Thanks! 

You’ll be ok to sail June. If you are sailing from Southampton, England & wales school holidays don’t start until the third week of July. Scotland beginning of July. School holidays end beginning of September, 2 weeks earlier for Scotland

 

Many places on mainland Europe holidays start July too

 

if you sail in June or even early July this will massively reduce the number of kids. Or early September when kids have returned to school

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

No Travel is Guaranteed ever

 

i live next door to London Gatwick airport. Examples of cancellations there - heavy snowfall, that we don’t usually have, stupid people flying drones over the airport- yes, seriously 😳. E-gate failure, that one a few days ago. French ATC going on strike. hoax bomb threats. Fog. 
 

2010 a volcanic eruption on Iceland and some very unfortunate wind direction meant that clouds of volcanic ash shut air space across Europe for a week. Parents holiday to Turkey cancelled

 

OK OK not the best example- giving poor Iceland an even bigger bad rep 😂 

 

point is the same though. Nothing is guaranteed

 

as for Marketing you are never going to get EasyJet saying ‘fly with us across europe! disclaimer: except for the very very small chance some idiot is going to fly a drone over our aircraft, the weather misbehaves, or the French go on strike’

fly, sail, drive, it all has risks

 

plan a holiday, 99% of the time It’ll go as planned. Research first and narrow your chances of it going wrong. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by JG&Lcruisingnewbies

[Guest ldtr]

5 minutes ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

No Travel is Guaranteed ever

 

i live next door to London Gatwick airport. Examples of cancellations there - heavy snowfall, that we don’t usually have, stupid people flying drones over the airport- yes, seriously 😳. E-gate failure, that one a few days ago. French ATC going on strike. hoax bomb threats. Fog. 
 

2010 a volcanic eruption on Iceland and some very unfortunate wind direction meant that clouds of volcanic ash shut air space across Europe for a week. Parents holiday to Turkey cancelled

 

OK OK not the best example- giving poor Iceland an even bigger bad rep 😂 

 

point is the same though. Nothing is guaranteed

 

as for Marketing you are never going to get EasyJet saying ‘fly with us across europe! disclaimer: except for the very very small chance some idiot is going to fly a drone over our aircraft, the weather misbehaves, or the French go on strike’

 

Reminds me of a few years ago when I had a trip planned taking rail around the UK after flying to the UK on British Air.  Then both BA and British rail went on strike.

 

These days any trip to Europe is bound pretty likely to be impacted by one strike or another.

[deltaqueenie]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:48 AM, vsgnorwich said:

Hello. I would be very grateful if people would like to post how they found Isafjordur, especially any trips, either Princess or independent. Thanks 

We booked with ArcticShorex/Wild Westfjords in Isafjordur. The company was wonderful to work with- we had to cancel while onboard due to missing ports (received refund in a day!) and because of further itinerary changes we needed to rebook. ArcticShorex, on a few hours notice, arranged our original 18psgr minivan tour to see the Westfjords, Dynjandi Waterfalls, and Villages
I think both 5hr excursions are similar:

ArcticShorex $140.00 per person (didn’t include lunch) approx 8:15am-1:30pm

Princess $384.95 per person 

 

The waterfalls, hike, and scenery were beautiful (we would be the red circle- to show you how huge the waterfalls are). Our guide was fantastic, and it was a great tour!

 

 

 

 

 

[deltaqueenie]

18 hours ago, Nicole&Pete said:

I think this is a very good point.

 

Someone’s perception of a massive change in itinerary is very much dependent on their circumstances.

 

We have limited vacation days, we have to fight for time off work for the dates that suit us, we have to spend weeks leading up to the cruise fretting about getting our work finished or handed over to someone on time, we have to book ahead and we would have saved/ made a big sacrifice elsewhere to go on such an amazing itinerary and as a result of it being so important for us we would have planned everyday out to absolutely maximise our time in a place we are unlikely to visit again. 
 

This would have not just been another cruise or even an annual vacation, it would have involved a significant financial and time sacrifice for us and would involve probably 3 years of cheap holidays to counter the cost of this one cruise. It is also therefore very likely that if we were given the FCC we wouldn’t be able to use it.
 

My parents on the other hand go on multiple cruises a year, they often book last minute and if something doesn’t work out they don’t care because they have the next cruise to look forward to and would definitely go back to any places they missed. They would probably be saying they prefer the FCC to visiting those ports anyway because they could put it towards another cruise in a few weeks time or one they have already got booked, no worry about time off, lots of kids future inheritance to spend so easy peasy.

 

I get what people are saying that you can’t guarantee that a cruise will dock, and it is not the cruise lines fault (if they have made decisions on safety rather than financial that is) but one must understand that for some people the trip meant a lot more than for others and thus the disappointment and annoyance is justified. The FCC (whilst generous) is great for those who cruise a lot but does not compensate those people who are unlikely to use it or have to fork out more money to use it because they hadn’t planned on cruising in the next year anyway.

 

I think you did a great job explaining how people have different perspectives according to their own personal circumstances. I agree with your example of people who travel a lot probably have another trip just around the corner- so it may not be as upsetting. But, for the ‘once in a lifetime’ people- missing 3 out of 4 Iceland ports and only being compensated 20% (that they may never use) was not enough…as I’ve stated before, while the ‘goodwill gesture’ was appreciated- we all are entitled to our own opinions, and for me the 20% wasn’t even close to compensation for the planning and money that we invested in this trip.

 

 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, deltaqueenie said:

 

I think you did a great job explaining how people have different perspectives according to their own personal circumstances. I agree with your example of people who travel a lot probably have another trip just around the corner- so it may not be as upsetting. But, for the ‘once in a lifetime’ people- missing 3 out of 4 Iceland ports and only being compensated 20% (that they may never use) was not enough…as I’ve stated before, while the ‘goodwill gesture’ was appreciated- we all are entitled to our own opinions, and for me the 20% wasn’t even close to compensation for the planning and money that we invested in this trip.

 

 

Thanks. I tried to put myself in the shoes of people who did miss these ports and it isn’t just missing a few ports, it’s missing the entire reason for the trip. This is especially true if one does not go to Reykjavik when visiting Iceland on a cruise.
 

Even though it wasn’t the cruise lines fault it’s certainly disappointing, especially if you are someone like me who does not have the luxury of time to cruise that often and are unlikely to ever go back to Iceland, and I’m sorry for those this happened to. Although I am jealous about Seydisfjordur because I would love to go there!
 

I think 20% is generous and great for those that are definitely going to cruise with Princess in the next year or so, but not for those that aren’t necessarily. One thing that could have been nice would have been a choice of 15% refund or 20% FCC, that way those that can’t cruise in the next year or so do not miss out.

[vsgnorwich]

Thank you so much DeltaQueenie for the fabulous photos - that red circle gives it such perspective. From the photos on the internet we had seen, we had decided not to do this tour, but now we will relook. It would be great to hear from others too of what they did or enjoyed in town locally.

 

[Jimmys Chippy]

On 5/31/2023 at 2:00 AM, mmiicc said:

Some people here are saying missing ports is quite common and others are saying it’s rare. In either case the motivation is to absolve Princess of responsibility. So be it.

Done around 15 cruises and missed one port due to bad weather which meant we overnighted in Stavanger, which turned out great. 

[Glide]

Hi a friend of ours is looking at coming along on our next cruise, but is unsure if there are enough activities to fill her time on sea days.

 

We can't remember everything, only the stuff that we took part in

, so I was wondering if anyone remember to take pictures of any of the Princess Patter daily program for this cruise? If so - please post them many thanks.

 

 

[Cruise_Ewe]

5 minutes ago, Glide said:

Hi a friend of ours is looking at coming along on our next cruise, but is unsure if there are enough activities to fill her time on sea days.

 

We can't remember everything, only the stuff that we took part in

, so I was wondering if anyone remember to take pictures of any of the Princess Patter daily program for this cruise? If so - please post them many thanks.

 

 

Not from this specific Iceland cruise but was on Sky Princess last week to Norway/Denmark (fantastic week for our first cruise) and this is some of what was going on during a sea day.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

21 minutes ago, Cruise_Ewe said:

Not from this specific Iceland cruise but was on Sky Princess last week to Norway/Denmark (fantastic week for our first cruise) and this is some of what was going on during a sea day.

Hi, this is really useful, thank you!

 

any chance of posting the other side of this please?

 

thank you 😃 

[eclue]

Obviously some of these people do not understand the perils of sailing into storms....it is so easy to  blame Princess for everything in their little negative minds. We cruise a lot and have missed ports due to storms or high winds and have always been thankful that the captain placed the passenger's safety over getting in to a port....disappointed, yes but thankful indeed.... All the whiners need to stick to land based vacations...then they can complain about flight delays and cancellations.

 

 

[coo359a2]

40 minutes ago, eclue said:

Obviously some of these people do not understand the perils of sailing into storms....it is so easy to  blame Princess for everything in their little negative minds. We cruise a lot and have missed ports due to storms or high winds and have always been thankful that the captain placed the passenger's safety over getting in to a port....disappointed, yes but thankful indeed.... All the whiners need to stick to land based vacations...then they can complain about flight delays and cancellations.

 

 

Agree.  Very tough to miss any port when cruising on any itinerary.   No matter how often you cruise when you consider international flights, hotels, shuttles etc, everyone is out a chunk of money  and time with no guarantee that you will be able to go back to those missed ports. 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, Cruise_Ewe said:

Not from this specific Iceland cruise but was on Sky Princess last week to Norway/Denmark (fantastic week for our first cruise) and this is some of what was going on during a sea day.

Did they only have one captains champagne waterfall event time, it’s very awkward if they do and people want dinner then!

[BestGuessed]

 

Glide … I hope this helps.

We are onboard Sky Princess now and docked in Bergen this afternoon.  Yesterday was our first sea day onboard and formal night last night.  We are having a great time, this is a wonderful ship.  

 

Here is the “Patter” from yesterday.

 

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 hours ago, Glide said:

I was wondering if anyone remember to take pictures of any of the Princess Patter daily program for this cruise? If so - please post them many thanks.

Here are PDF scans of every day for this sailing.

 

 

Patters.pdf

[Rick&Jeannie]

20 minutes ago, Nicole&Pete said:

Did they only have one captains champagne waterfall event time, it’s very awkward if they do and people want dinner then!

Typically only one per cruise.  It takes quite a bit of prep to set one up.

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, Rick&Jeannie said:

Typically only one per cruise.  It takes quite a bit of prep to set one up.

Right ok, a bit annoying if you want dinner at the same time, do many people go to it?

[Rick&Jeannie]

31 minutes ago, Nicole&Pete said:

Right ok, a bit annoying if you want dinner at the same time, do many people go to it?

Always held in the Piazza, all of the railings are absolutely full of people watching as well as a full Piazza with people waiting to have their picture made with the captain pouring from a bottle.  It is *well* attended.

[Martha1974]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Typically only one per cruise.  It takes quite a bit of prep to set one up.

When we were on board last year we sat in Vines watching the crew “build” the waterfall… we were there for a good 30 mins and they weren’t finished by the time we had to leave for our dinner reservation. I think I probably found that more interesting than I would have found the champagne pouring part of the process. Will have to try and catch that part next time and compare the two 

[wolfie11]

4 hours ago, eclue said:

Obviously some of these people do not understand the perils of sailing into storms....it is so easy to  blame Princess for everything in their little negative minds. We cruise a lot and have missed ports due to storms or high winds and have always been thankful that the captain placed the passenger's safety over getting in to a port....disappointed, yes but thankful indeed.... All the whiners need to stick to land based vacations...then they can complain about flight delays and cancellations.

 

 

Princess built the Royal class ships with two propellers and a standard rudder to save a few bucks.  Almost all others ships this size have azipods that make them much more maneuverable in high winds.  This is the reason they can't sail the Inside Passage going out of Vancouver and frequently have to approach Ketchikan from the north.  Many of Iceland's ports have difficult approaches in windy weather.  While I expect to miss a few ports here and there when cruising and put up with rough seas, I truly resent that Princess knew they would have problems getting into ports with these ships, but went with the cheaper design anyway.  I have no desire to sail on any of the Royal class ships.  
 

You can read the pilot's report here:  https://krbd-org.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SEAPA_VLCS-v2.pdf

 

News article is here:  https://alaskapublic.org/2019/04/22/southeast-alaska-pilots-raise-concerns-over-royal-princess-megaship/

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by wolfie11

[nini]

4 hours ago, Nicole&Pete said:

Right ok, a bit annoying if you want dinner at the same time, do many people go to it?

It is about priorities. With so many opportunities, you can not be in more than one place at a time. It is a good thing that Princess offers variety.

[mmiicc]

All the replies I have seen recently here vindicate my positions:

- It is not the weather that is solely to blame for the disappointment of missed ports but is a systemic consequence of Princess's decisions. A case in point is the use of these huge ships that are difficult to control in winds that other ships can handle.

- People who downplay the tragedy of missing ports are those who go on lots of cruises. So for them, it is not a tragedy but a statistic. But for someone who has lost out on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Iceland, at great expense, travel distance, and exhaustion of vacation time, it is indeed a tragedy.

- Yes cruises I guess are not for me, as in the future I want to go to the place I paid for and
yearned for.

[nini]

21 minutes ago, mmiicc said:

All the replies I have seen recently here vindicate my positions:

- It is not the weather that is solely to blame for the disappointment of missed ports but is a systemic consequence of Princess's decisions. A case in point is the use of these huge ships that are difficult to control in winds that other ships can handle.

- People who downplay the tragedy of missing ports are those who go on lots of cruises. So for them, it is not a tragedy but a statistic. But for someone who has lost out on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Iceland, at great expense, travel distance, and exhaustion of vacation time, it is indeed a tragedy.

- Yes cruises I guess are not for me, as in the future I want to go to the place I paid for and
yearned for.

It is all about perspectives. There was once two little boys who were excited for Christmas morning. The parents took them outside and showed them a pile of manure. The parents told them to get to work and clean it up. The first little boy was quite upset about the task ahead. The second boy was terribly excited and started digging as fast as he could. When asked why he was diligently shoveling away, he answered, "Well, with all of this manure, there HAS to be a pony under it all!"

 

Life happens.