Sun Princess and missed port Montenegro

[cr2000]

14 minutes ago, KimberlyC said:

I don’t blame you. If this wasn’t a trip coordinated with others for a specific date for a special celebration I would probably do the same. It really is leaving a bad taste in my mouth particularly since I called Princess excursions last week after a local Kotor tour operator declined a private tour saying the ship would dock in Bar instead. That’s how I found out first and then I came to the boards seeking confirmation. The Princess rep put me on hold to talk to his manager when I said “look the locals are saying the ship will not dock in Kotor but the app is saying Kotor and you have 30 Kotor excursions listed so just tell me what’s going on please.” He came back and INSISTED that the ship would go to Kotor. I’m fairly certain that was a bold faced lie. 

When you call the 800 number you're just getting dumped into a call center. I'd bet most of those people have never even been on a cruise. They are just reading the same marketing collateral that you and I have access to. Lol.

[cr2000]

12 minutes ago, Catchum said:

We are on a Croatia cruise (not Princess) with a stop at Kotor and I just wonder why anyone would cancel an entire cruise because of this. Surely we all know no port is guaranteed and Bar looks like a pleasant stop. Obviously I would be disappointed to miss the Kotor Cat museum but if I really want to visit a place I book a plane ticket and a couple of weeks on the ground.

Kotor is visually a beautiful port to cruise into, much like Norway Fjord. Bar is nothing more than a commercial container port. Waste of a port stop and $ imo.

[KimberlyC]

3 minutes ago, Catchum said:

We are on a Croatia cruise (not Princess) with a stop at Kotor and I just wonder why anyone would cancel an entire cruise because of this. Surely we all know no port is guaranteed and Bar looks like a pleasant stop. Obviously I would be disappointed to miss the Kotor Cat museum but if I really want to visit a place I book a plane ticket and a couple of weeks on the ground.

I think for some people it’s the principle of it. As consumers we have a choice of which cruise line we choose to vacation with. When ports are missed due to weather or issues out of a cruise line’s control that’s unfortunate but understandable. However, when it’s an intentional bait and switch and a cruise line refuses to update the itinerary so that passengers won’t cancel, that’s just wrong. Many people choose specific cruises based on the advertised itinerary. While half of my group haven’t been to any of the ports on the itinerary we selected, I’ve been to over half of them already and Kotor was a big selling point. It was the port I wanted to see the most and on the specific date we will be there (my 50th birthday) so I selected this cruise for that reason. I’m not canceling for the reasons previously stated, but if this was a solo cruise I probably would have. Instead my group will be wasting 4 hours commuting round trip to spend 5ish hours in Kotor during the 11 hours we are in port. Come hell or high water, I intend to see the Blue Caves. 

[Catchum]

12 minutes ago, KimberlyC said:

Instead my group will be wasting 4 hours commuting round trip to spend 5ish hours in Kotor during the 11 hours we are in port. Come hell or high water, I intend to see the Blue Caves. 

I sincerely hope you have a wonderful birthday. I had planned a special excursion in Durban for DH 75th last year which didn't happen because of stuff. I'm also going to have to plan a vacation to Namibia to see things we didn't get into port for but that is simply an excuse for another vacation. The blue caves look nice but you are missing the cat museum!

[cruisinsince75]

23 minutes ago, KimberlyC said:

I think for some people it’s the principle of it. As consumers we have a choice of which cruise line we choose to vacation with. When ports are missed due to weather or issues out of a cruise line’s control that’s unfortunate but understandable. However, when it’s an intentional bait and switch and a cruise line refuses to update the itinerary so that passengers won’t cancel, that’s just wrong. Many people choose specific cruises based on the advertised itinerary. While half of my group haven’t been to any of the ports on the itinerary we selected, I’ve been to over half of them already and Kotor was a big selling point. It was the port I wanted to see the most and on the specific date we will be there (my 50th birthday) so I selected this cruise for that reason. I’m not canceling for the reasons previously stated, but if this was a solo cruise I probably would have. Instead my group will be wasting 4 hours commuting round trip to spend 5ish hours in Kotor during the 11 hours we are in port. Come hell or high water, I intend to see the Blue Caves. 

Having been to Kotor, I would be really disappointed if the port was swapped out.  It is spectacular.  If it was missed because of weather, as you said, that is one thing, but it looks like the Sun Princess has not made Kotor even once this season and it appears that it won't.  Yet it is still on the Princess website, and even shows excursions for Kotor.  

[mikemonster]

We cruised in May, I just checked back on this thread and we were "notified" 6 DAYS before we left for Athens and we had NO excursions or information available in Personalizer so we had to look to 3rd party excursions. Since our cruise, other folks who got diverted to Bar instead of Kotor have provided lots of info on different excursion options from Bar. It seems that its about 1hr15mins each way to Kotor for those looking at that option. Something that just occurred to me which again got me  PO'ed.was missing the cruise into Kotor.(Bar is like cruising into a commercial container port, the bus ride to the drop-off outside of the dock is old/commercial buildings, ugh). In thinking about it more, with the Kotor to Bar change, Princess SHOULD BE PROVIDING FREE BUS TRANSFERS TO KOTOR since that was the "advertised port".....JUST SAYING!! 

 

Good luck to you future cruisers 

 

 

[cruisinsince75]

18 minutes ago, mikemonster said:

In thinking about it more, with the Kotor to Bar change, Princess SHOULD BE PROVIDING FREE BUS TRANSFERS TO KOTOR since that was the "advertised port".....JUST SAYING!! 

 

Good luck to you future cruisers 

 

 

Agree 100%.  Shocked they didn't.

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, KimberlyC said:

I asked a cruiser currently on the June 8th Sun sailing when Princess notified them of the change from Kotor to Bar and was told April 28th. So just shy of 6 weeks notice. 
 

I suspect each and every sailing will be switched from Kotor to Bar but Princess will NOT say so until after final payments are due. I called and asked but Princess excursions insisted the ship was going to Kotor. I don’t believe it! I have a backup plan in place but it sucks we will lose 4 hours commuting to/from Bar to Kotor plus the expense of it. To me this is an intentional bait and switch. I’m not cancelling the cruise because we have 3 couples cruising for my big birthday celebration but this is my first time sailing Princess and so far I’m not impressed with what clearly appears to be some shady shenanigans. 

Customer service only knows what their system tells them. Basically the same itinerary as the public system. It is only when they are getting final confirmations for each port that a change occurs 

[phuac]

Changes are starting to be made in the App.

July, Aug sailings have either the Kotor port removed entirely or has been replaced with Bar. 
Website is not fully updated yet.  7 day itineraries show Kotor.  But the 14 and 21 day itineraries show Bar for the same dates.

 

With that, now it's pretty much clear that what was said by the Princess Port Agent in that region a few months ago is going to happen.  Sun Princess will be at Bar for the rest of this summer.

[mikemonster]

Can anyone spell

C-L-A-S-S   A-C-T-I-O-N

[TRLD]

11 minutes ago, mikemonster said:

Can anyone spell

C-L-A-S-S   A-C-T-I-O-N

You can always book one of those cruises, then after the port change try to bring such a case, if you think it is such a great idea.  If you can get an attorney to take the case.

[AZaTaz]

Maybe lawyer would not read Cruise contract and take case?

[cr2000]

1 hour ago, phuac said:

Changes are starting to be made in the App.

July, Aug sailings have either the Kotor port removed entirely or has been replaced with Bar. 
Website is not fully updated yet.  7 day itineraries show Kotor.  But the 14 and 21 day itineraries show Bar for the same dates.

 

With that, now it's pretty much clear that what was said by the Princess Port Agent in that region a few months ago is going to happen.  Sun Princess will be at Bar for the rest of this summer.

 

Not surprised at all. I called this months ago when I started this thread. They knew damn well they were never going to get Sun Princess into Kotor after that first itinerary change, but kept it listed on future itineraries until after final payments were due, then sure enough they would update to Bar. Positively shameful, they owe everyone compensation for not being upfront about the situation and putting revenue ahead of customers. Glad I cancelled before final payment was due because I'd be pretty upset right now getting sent to a commercial container port as a substitute.

[TRLD]

Fairly normal for all cruiselines. One they set an itinerary they seldom change it prior to getting final confirmation for each port visit.

 

When Venice changed their law and basically banned cruise ships the schedules did not change for most until that same period between 30 and 90 days before the actual port call for that cruise.

 

Same thing when Bora Bora changed their laws concerning ships with over 1200 passengers.

 

Those two examples are ones where the law changed and it was obvious that visits would not occur well in advance.

 

Basically once a cruise line sets an itinerary they seldom revisit it until they reach the date in the process where they are confirming everything.

 

Occasionally a cruise line may revise a schedule sooner, but usually not.

 

[Amy G]

They have not alerted us that it was switched, but I do see it finally listed online.  They don't even have excursions posted for Bar yet.

 

Will they refund us the money for our excursions, or will they try to give us onboard credit? 

[mikemonster]

This isn’t a case of laws being changed (Venice or Bora-Bora) Princess was/is well aware of the Sun Princess changes to itinerary related to Kotor and has withheld this information from their customers and continues to mislead customers with an itinerary they know is false.

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, mikemonster said:

This isn’t a case of laws being changed (Venice or Bora-Bora) Princess was/is well aware of the Sun Princess changes to itinerary related to Kotor and has withheld this information from their customers and continues to mislead customers with an itinerary they know is false.

You are missing the point.

 

Cruise follow a process. Under that process they assemble an itinerary that they plan to do.  They market and sell that itinerary.

 

A couple of months before the itinerary is scheduled they go through and do the final verification of the itinerary and port clearance. At that point they will make any changes necessary.

 

They pretty much always follow that process, even when there are laws changed, port changes, etc.

 

Circumstances that are more clearly going to result in a change than whatever is causing the issue in Kotor. 

 

The funny thing is such a process actually does provide them with some cover as well, because Until a that exact cruise itinerary goes through that final confirmation step and they receive notice from the port for that date it is not "known".

 

The fact that there was a problem with a previous cruise may not in some cases mean that there is a problem with a later cruise.

 

All of the major cruise lines seem to follow the same process.

 

 

[LME70]

Now Bar is confirmed, I’m disappointed but just want to make the most of out time in this port. Will be trying to find taxi buddies to go to Stari Bar.

[Esprit]

2 hours ago, LME70 said:

Now Bar is confirmed, I’m disappointed but just want to make the most of out time in this port. Will be trying to find taxi buddies to go to Stari Bar.

Bar confirmed for our scheduled visit on 19th August 2024 too.

I've been to Kotor three times before but I'm still disappointed. The sail in and out was one of the highlights for me.

[Amy G]

I also find it unacceptable that Princess has not let us know about this change, and currently, no Bar excursions are posted.

[cruisinsince75]

17 hours ago, phuac said:

Changes are starting to be made in the App.

July, Aug sailings have either the Kotor port removed entirely or has been replaced with Bar. 
Website is not fully updated yet.  7 day itineraries show Kotor.  But the 14 and 21 day itineraries show Bar for the same dates.

 

With that, now it's pretty much clear that what was said by the Princess Port Agent in that region a few months ago is going to happen.  Sun Princess will be at Bar for the rest of this summer.

Yep! 

Edited June 14 by cruisinsince75

[tcigirl]

4 hours ago, Amy G said:

I also find it unacceptable that Princess has not let us know about this change, and currently, no Bar excursions are posted.

Very disappointing!  One of the reasons we picked this cruise..  😡

[macaws2]

26 minutes ago, tcigirl said:

Very disappointing!  One of the reasons we picked this cruise..  😡

Totally agree,,,on the 21 day starting 8/10 and it still shows the port of kotor but main website dies reflect the bar change so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes them to officially contact the passengers of the change and to have no port excursions planned to also not a good sign.

[tcigirl]

59 minutes ago, macaws2 said:

Totally agree,,,on the 21 day starting 8/10 and it still shows the port of kotor but main website dies reflect the bar change so it'll be interesting to see how long it takes them to officially contact the passengers of the change and to have no port excursions planned to also not a good sign.

Exactly and I am not finding any tours leaving from there unless they are very long. Even asked the company I had booked a tour with in Kotor.  Princess knew better.  4000 passengers can’t flood the small port all at once.  That will be a nightmare for everyone.  Locals and passengers alike.

[tcigirl]

Just booked a tour from Bar, Montenegro on Viator.  Even slim pickings on their site.