So sad - Our Sun cruise from Sydney to SFO has been cancelled..

[S&D]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=363635&page=128

 

See link above for our roll call...we have just been informed the Syd to SFO cruise on the Sun has been cancelled, as the ship will stay in Australia, due to demand for better quality cruising in this area.

 

We have 129 page roll call, with many good friends on there too, and we will all be very disappointed of course.

 

I am optimistic that we will find other Sun or Princess cruise available that we can book.

 

Any idea if there will be any type of compensation or discount, - has anyone

had experience with this? What sort of discount could we expect on another cruise?

 

Thanks to everybody on these pages, you are always so helpful, we enjoy reading all the news on the Princess pages.

 

I am sure this will now be a lively thread, as the Sun is a popular ship, and will be doing some wonderful cruises in the Pacific area from now on.

 

Hoping for some helpful replies and suggestions for other cruises.

 

Very sincerely

 

S&D

 

:)

[woodmill100]

I don't have any tips or advice for you but that's such a shame for them to cancel. I hope you get a new cruise booked soon. Good luck.

[Aussie Gal]

S&D,

 

I am sorry that your lovely cruise has been cancelled. I know I would be very disappointed if our one in April next year went the same way.

 

I have just read a post stating that the Sun Princess is to stay in Australia. We have friends from the U.S. booked on this particular cruise so they will be very disappointed as they were looking forward to revisiting Australia.

 

I am not sure about any compensation as the cruise is nearly 12 months away. If it had of been much closer, you may have had more chance of receiving either a good shipboard credit or a discount on another cruise. But as I am no expert, I am sure that others with more experience will give you the correct advice.

 

I hope you find something else that appeals to you. One thing though, at last we are getting a couple of decent ships down here. Not before time!

 

Jennie

[NSWP]

Sorry to hear that..hope you get another one, not many ships go right across the Pacific these days:mad:

[Coral]

I heard the news last night. I am so sorry.

 

I assume that means Princess will not have a ship out of SFO to Alaska for next summer....

[GottoCruise]

I am so sorry for all my good CC friends (D.U.S.T.S.) that were able to 'jump' on the fabulous cruisefare (thanks to Sandra & Dave) :eek:

Any possibility of getting on the Sapphire?

I would hope that Princess would do something for such a huge change in plans........

Hopefully no one already got non-refundable air!

Sending along our best wishes.............Renee & Lyman

[S&D]

Hi Renee,

 

Sapphire is way full and waitlisted already..we will have to find another Princess cruise, ao I am working on it at the moment.

 

We hope to keep some of the group together at least!!!:o

 

Hope you and Lyman are both well, thanks for the kind thoughts..

S&D:)

[spongerob]

That's a real bummer for all of you. It doesn't look there are any alternatives, either. I regret what appears to be the loss of (yet another) "smaller" ship from the N. Am. market. Celebrity and HAL have smaller ships, right? :(

[jayevee44]

I assume that means Princess will not have a ship out of SFO to Alaska for next summer....

 

My guess is that the Dawn will do the SFO to Alaska cruises as her schedule for summer 2008 had not been announced. If so, look for her May 4 and May 7 cruises to be cancelled.

 

Jim

[Druke I]

Yes, that is a shame.

 

It has been rumored that Sun Princess would stay "down under", and I believe that at one point it had been announced, and then reversed. It is not that unusual to have Princess change its mind - Regal Princess was scheduled at least twice before to leave the fleet, and once to have a major refurbishment and stay with the Princess fleet.

 

We did a reverse of that trip, on the last voyage of Sky Princess, San Francisco to Sydney, 9-00, and it was a wonderful trip.

[Toto2Kansas]

Awful News S & D. I have friends that have this booked, I know they are going to be sooooooooo disappointed. So sorry to hear the news. :(

[Druke I]

Failed to note in my previous post that there might be an "upside" to having Sun Princess stay "down under".

 

We had tried to book Sun Princess' Circumnavigation of Australia, 3-08, but Captain's Circle benefits would not apply, as she was sailing under the P&O flag. (Yes, I do consider the Elite benefits to be fairly important!)

 

If I read the press release correctly, her new deployment will be under the Princess flag, so Captain's Circle benefits should apply.

 

Time to book that Circumnavigation of Oz for 09, perhaps!

[Pam in CA]

I'm very sorry to hear that your cruise has been cancelled. What a bummer! Unfortunately, I doubt you'll receive any compensation since the cruise is almost a year away and you'll receive your deposit back. I once had a holiday cruise cancelled two weeks before sailing and all Princess did was return my money (final payment had obviously already been made.)

 

You are right about the Sapphire. A lot of people looked at both cruises, which were similar and cruising at about the same time. The Sapphire has been fully booked for months -- heck, except for inside cabins, I think it was full six months ago.

 

Good luck in your search for an alternative.

[Toto2Kansas]

Sorry to say, but I think Pam is correct on this one. I would not be looking for any compensation for this cancelled cruise, unfortunately, as it is so far away. The passenger contract covers cancellations totally. It would be nice if Princess would do something for all those that have this 'sold out' cruise booked, as a good will gesture. But I really doubt they will.

Again, so sad for those that had this booked and were looking forward to such a great holiday onboard. :(

[cindiedee]

How odd! Just received a flyer from Princess yesterday in the mail - has the Sun and the Sapphire sailings for April 2008 on sale! Both 31 days and the inside cabins are on sale for $2997 - DH and I chatted and decided to book the Sun today. I checked many online sites to see if I could get it any less but nada, so I went on Princess site an hour ago to book - it doesn't say it is cancelled, it says "pricing is not available at this time - please try again later" - now mind you I did this last night (to find out our airfare cost) and it all went through. How disappointed we are! Have been to Oz several times but just love that place and were happy to go back and then sail home at bargain prices! I would be interested in the Circumnavigate Australia cruise someone mentioned - we were on the Sapphire last Christmas/NY (Singapore-Sydney) and a lot of us were talking about how we would love to find one to go 'round Oz since none go to the western part.

 

One other note - on the Sapphire for April '08, according to my sale flyer it is sold out EXCEPT for inside cabins, so there are at least some available.

 

Oh disappointed we are this morning!!!!!!!!!! Cindie

[sonomaphil]

My guess is that the Dawn will do the SFO to Alaska cruises as her schedule for summer 2008 had not been announced. If so, look for her May 4 and May 7 cruises to be cancelled.

 

Jim

 

This would explain why Princess delayed releasing the 10 day SF route until the 24th. I guess we might find out tomorrow!

[Toto2Kansas]

Anyone cancelled on the Sun sailing, check your account on Princess. I just got an email from a friend saying she has a rather large shipboard OBC as a good will gesture from Princess for the cancellation.

I am surprised they are offering any compensation, but pleased to hear that it is being offered.

[pmcrusta]

This is really not funny...I guess...I'll just have to decide...which part of the world is calling me now...:(

Don't forget if you got Travel Insurance...don't forget to call when you figure out what your next cruise is and transfer what you've paid for.

[Ephraim]

Hmm... considering the depressed US dollar, I'm surprised it's not happening more often. There is a lot more money to be made by selling the ship in foreign ports.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Hi Sandra and Dave!

 

I can't believe this news! I feel so badly for all our Diamond Dusters who booked that cruise as soon as it opened last year. Did you waitlist for the Sapphire, or is it a hopeless cause? Keep watch for a 2009 eastbound transpacific crossing to open for booking. We may end up on that one also, having cancelled our cabin on the Sapphire for 2008...Australia is calling us back!!! Best regards to you both...Jeannie (and Greg).

[JotWorld]

S&D, So very sorry to hear the bad news for everyone on that trip!:(

That route is truely unique.;) They may add a ship to that route, as they did with the Pacific Princess, when the Sapphire filled up so quickly. I'm currently on Day 29 Sydney to Anchorage & it is truely a Voyage of a Lifetime, don't miss it, if you can find another;)

My Best!

Jot Bill:)

Live on the Pacific Princess

[bdjam]

That's a real bummer for all of you. It doesn't look there are any alternatives, either. I regret what appears to be the loss of (yet another) "smaller" ship from the N. Am. market. Celebrity and HAL have smaller ships, right? :(

Yes - and according to Cruise News Daily (www.cruisenewsdaily.com) Dawn Princess will also be joining Sun Princess in Australia in the winter of 2008 - 2009. So that's a loss of two smaller ships.

 

Princess keeps saying that they are going to keep the smaller ships so that their passengers have a choice of big or small, but if all of the smaller ships are out of the North American market, what good does that do us? I'm afraid a strongly worded letter once things settle is in order - including the fact that HAL has smaller ships. Celebrity is getting big ones remember...since big and new seems to be better for the North American market, I bet their smaller ships will be out of reach too.

[Phamer55]

I'm more concerned with the loss of itineraries than the loss of small ships. With Sun leaving, does that mean no more roundtrip cruises out of SF to Alaska? The Sun was scheduled to do those cruises next summer. We'll likely either lose that cruise or round-trip Hawaii cruises next summer out of LA. Very sad day indeed.

[bdjam]

I'm more concerned with the loss of itineraries than the loss of small ships. With Sun leaving, does that mean no more roundtrip cruises out of SF to Alaska? The Sun was scheduled to do those cruises next summer. We'll likely either lose that cruise or round-trip Hawaii cruises next summer out of LA. Very sad day indeed.

The concern should go hand in hand...smaller ships allow for more varied itineraries and less overcrowding in port.

[earljr]

To our pals from prior cruises and to all who had booked this Sun cruise --

 

We are sorry to hear of this cancellation as the cruise is truly a great experience.