The Crown and outsider looking in.

[smeyer418]

I have been posting a lot on these boards because of my connection with Brooklyn and Red Hook. I have been a frequent cruiser on other lines and am seriously considering Princess for my next cruise(I already have one planned on the QM2)... I must say that I am taken aback by the people who don't feel that $200.00 per person is adequate compensation and that the food was only 2-3 stars.

People miss ports all the time. They are lucky to get the port fees back. I am not sure what happened with the fuel or whose fault it is, There have been other ships that have had fuel related problems(both the NCL Dawn and Spirit spent extra time in the NY ports because of a fuel related Problem in the past and NO compensation was given). Whether the Port Agent ordered the wrong fuel or the wrong fuel was delivered, I don't know but it is normally the ships responsibility to test a small amount before its poured so that make sure they aren't getting salt water. In any case it would be upsetting but you know that as these things unfold the information is always somewhat muddled so saying we are delayed to 9 and then having to wait longer is pretty much the norm and if you take offense to that don't listen to the news because any breaking story will have mistakes(Remember Brady- the presidents press secretary was reported as dead when Reagan was shot- PS he is still alive while Reagan isn't).

 

On the issue of food and the price of cruising. The actual cost(in dollars not adjusting for inflation) is significantly down from what it was ten years ago. I paid twice as much for a Panama Canal cruise as I would have to now and you get a much bigger room today for half the price. People have always complained about the food on ships. There have always been extra cost restaurants(the first class dining room on the Titanic was al a carte and extra cost). The difference is every one today can go to those extra costs restaurants if they want. I personally prefer if they charge extra for these than including it because no way can they accommodate everyone in these restaurants and I don't want to pay for YOUR meal.

As to the extras I do think they made a mistake in the size of the sanctuary. Its too small for any significant number of people to use it. Personally I think they should close it and only allow suite passengers into it(I am kidding).. The food however should be OK in the main dining room with good service. If for about 150 a day per person you expect a room transportation and gourmet food, you should see the prices of hotels in NY that charge that much with any food or transportation. You are much more pampered on a ship than any hotel- for much less(try a hotel in London if you want a shock).

I do think that Princess was fair on what they gave as a credit. I also understand that people can be upset and that this started the trip off on the wrong foot.

I will still try Princess and this is my opinion as an outsider looking in.

 

Please before you say I wasn't on the ship, you are right I wasn't on the Dawn when it was hit by a rogue wave or the Brillance of the Seas but please think through what I wrote before saying it doesn't count....it does.

[madelinerose]

Thanks, Sid. ;)

 

I agree that the size of the Sanctuary leaves a lot to be desired. :eek:

 

Karen

Baltimore

[roe2ship]

I must say that I am taken aback by the people who don't feel that $200.00 per person is adequate compensation

I can't believe it myself. Grant it, I would have been p!$$ed off myself but $200.00 pp, hey that would have meant $1,000.00 for us, Grand Turk is not that important. With that said, I do suspect Princess felt somewhat at fault for offering such a generous amount.

[Redsgj]

I must say that I am taken aback by the people who don't feel that $200.00 per person is adequate compensation.

I agree with you and roe2ship. They missed a port (not an uncommon occurrence at all) and had a delayed departure. While the delayed depature may have been frustrating, it did not delay boarding so they still had 9 full days on the ship. $200 per person seems more than adequate to me!

[maltesemom]

I totally agree that $200 is sufficient. Hell, I was on the Norwegian Dawn in 2003 when we were delayed leaving NYC because of a sick child on the incoming trip. We did not leave Manhattan until 9:30ish. Wanna know what they gave us? Free drinks till midnight. And beleive me as soon as the clock struck misnight, you could hear the rings of the cash register. Well DH does not drink so what did they give him -- NOTHING!!!!!!! So all those folks who did get the $200 should be thankful not greedy!

[DARNAILZ]

Most of the time when you miss a port the most they refund is your port charges and maybe an extra $25 or $50. I think $200 per person was quite generous.

[CarolN]

I think $200 was very generous of Princess. They did not have to give ANY credit at all. When we were on NCL, we missed a port due to weather and what we received was 1 hour of watered down rum punch. Furthermore, NCL did not even refund the port charge for the missed port.

[bluefintuna]

Negativity runs rampant in all facets of our society. As my dh stated for $200 they can skip all the islands. We are low maintenance and have cruised 18 times. I hope we never become jaded and we try to just go with the flow. Now if I lose at blackjack,THEN I get agitated! Sid, I have really enjoyed your posts as you go to the park and watch Crown sailaway; that made me smile. When someone posted about the fuel fiasco, I said "where was Sid when this was happening? He would post with accuracy what is going on"! Anyway, can't wait to sail on the Crown 9/30 and I think I am in the majority of future passengers who feel this way.

[Love Boat Dream]

It would have meant $600 for the three of us! We could have gone on a few really nice shore excursions for that.

 

I think things happen and you have to go with the flow like bluefintuna said!

 

We've also cruised a lot and I wouldn't care if we never went to a port! One of the most relaxing times we've had on a cruise was the 4 days we spent sailing from Hawaii back to Ensenada on the OLD Crown!

[alprzy]

I was on the 7/2 cruise and got $800 credit for my interior 4 person room, Cha-Ching!!!!!! For missing a 5 hour stop in Grand Turk it almost covered my expenses for the entire week. Missing 5 hours in port on a 9 day cruise. NO BRAINER !!!

 

By the way, the rest of the trip was awesome.

 

Al Przy