Regal Princess 11/15/17 Port Change

We received the e-mail notifying us that our Grand Turk port of call has been changed to Princess Cays. My frustration with this change is that we paid for a family of 6, staying in 3 balcony cabins to 'cruise' to Grand Turk and the port is open and operational beginning first week of November, according to schedules posted by Carnival. We would understand the change if the port were not open due to the hurricane damage. This clearly would not be the case. As I look at similar itineraries, the fares for a four night cruise to the Bahamas would have cost less than the fares we paid for Grand Turk. Further adding to the disappointment: We have cruised a 4 night cruise to the Bahama's and there is not much sailing. The ship basically putts around. We contacted Princess to express our disappointment and get answers on why the change was made. We spoke with 6 different people and basically were told that we agreed to the terms and conditions. This in my opinion is a very poor approach from Princess, right off the bat. Bottom line, we would not have chosen a 4 night cruise to Princess Cays. If it were my choice to cruise to the Bahamas, I would have planned accordingly and paid a much less fare or planned a land trip there. This will be our first cruise with Princess that unfortunately is starting out with a degree of let down.

Unfortunately, cruise lines have discretions based on Passage Contract. But I share your disappointment as there are really a lot more to do and enjoy at GT than its replacement.

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I don't really think that Grand Turk is really open for business. Look at the path of the hurricane. It was a Cat. 5 when it passed Cockburn Town. Maybe the Cruise ship made port might be fixed, but the rest of the island? I have google Grand Turk and the pictures show lots of damage. Do you have ins that lets you cancel for any reason?

Grand Turk was badly damaged because it was hit by both Irma and Maria. However Carnival is planning on making calls with their ships so I' not sure why they canceled Princess from going.

Here is an article about the port.

http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/grand-turk-rebounding-after-hurricanes-to-take-ships-in-november.html

Consider yourself lucky...

If you were on the 20 day 11/5 royal b2b, you would have double the disappointment. I don't mind hitting st croix twice? But not princess cays.

I understand if the port is not open, but if carnival ships are not canceling why is princess?

I know we agreed to any changes, but maybe there needs to be a cruise passenger "bill of rights" put into the contract like they did with the airlines; it's all one sided.

I understand when for safety or weather a port is changed or cancelled, but these cruises are changing into a completely different cruise that many of us would not of chosen if given their current itinerary.

Does that contract have forced arbitration too? Can a class action be formed? When significant changes are made a month or more in advance either credit or an option to back out without penalty should be given.

Princess cay is not grand Turk or even close and the way they redid our stop it's from 7am till 2 pm, so not much of a stop at all unless you're ready to hit the beach at sunrise. We will be feeling like that movie Groundhog Day. St croix to princess cays to FLL then back to princess cay the next day and st croix again after that; its crazy! For the first leg of the b2b, 3 out of 6 of the ports change.... not the cruise any of us signed up for.

What's the big deal go and enjoy.

We received the e-mail notifying us that our Grand Turk port of call has been changed to Princess Cays. My frustration with this change is that we paid for a family of 6, staying in 3 balcony cabins to 'cruise' to Grand Turk and the port is open and operational beginning first week of November, according to schedules posted by Carnival. We would understand the change if the port were not open due to the hurricane damage. This clearly would not be the case. As I look at similar itineraries, the fares for a four night cruise to the Bahamas would have cost less than the fares we paid for Grand Turk. Further adding to the disappointment: We have cruised a 4 night cruise to the Bahama's and there is not much sailing. The ship basically putts around. We contacted Princess to express our disappointment and get answers on why the change was made. We spoke with 6 different people and basically were told that we agreed to the terms and conditions. This in my opinion is a very poor approach from Princess, right off the bat. Bottom line, we would not have chosen a 4 night cruise to Princess Cays. If it were my choice to cruise to the Bahamas, I would have planned accordingly and paid a much less fare or planned a land trip there. This will be our first cruise with Princess that unfortunately is starting out with a degree of let down.

Hi Gigi,

I had replied earlier that it could be worse like our b2b... but I was wrong, yours is way worse.

In fact you cruise is titled "getaway to grand Turk" with grand Turk being the only port! They in effect changed the entire cruise to something much cheaper. Spending a day and a half puttering in circles to get the short distance to princess cay and then the same thing coming back.what if princess cay got hit bad too? Would they still send you out to circle around the Bahamas for 4 days?

I'm so sorry that your entire cruise changed to something you didn't bargain for...hopefully everyone in your group can tender. Think of those on the ship who can't and just get to go for the ride and can't get off until back in FLL.

Grand Turk is approximately 7 miles x 1 mile or 6.9 sq miles with a maximum elevation of maybe 50 feet ASL. Irma and later Maria simply swept over the island. I have wondered where the locals went to survive the storms. While the ship pier may not have been "damaged" it may be that it can now only handle one ship. I imagine there was a lot of damage to the island not just the cruise center. While the cruise center may be "open", it makes one wonder how many venues will be open next month in the cruise center. The rest of the island will also need to be rebuilding and not with the economic power of Carnival Corp. Princess may well be in a more conservative mode than CCL. Mother Nature does what she wants and we just have to live with it.

First may I say welcome to Cruise Critic. Do you have Princess Platinum Insurance? If you do you can cancel for any reason. That what I would do.

Tony

The Crystal Serenity and Carnival Conquest still show GC on the their itinerary and they are both docking on the 22nd.

Also the following is being written about recovery and bringing back the ships.

http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/grand-turk-rebounding-after-hurricanes-to-take-ships-in-november.html

https://www.visittci.com/weather-and-astronomy/hurricanes

This is the link to the GT port info.

http://www.grandturkcc.com/Port-Schedule.aspx

Happy Trails!

:whiskey-glass:

What's the big deal go and enjoy.

I totally agree - we are going on the Regal on Nov 25th and if the itinerary is changed - so be it......Princess cannot control hurrricanes.

We spoke with 6 different people and basically were told that we agreed to the terms and conditions.

Basically that's the answer and there's not much anyone can do about it.

I realize your disappointment but what would you have Princess do in that situation? Obviously they didn't change just to irritate people so just make the best of it & don't book any more cruises during hurricane season- on any cruise line.

This is the link to the GT port info.

 

http://www.grandturkcc.com/Port-Schedule.aspx

 

:whiskey-glass:

This schedule is not up-to-date. We are sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam which was to call on Grand Turk on 10/30. That has now been changed to Nassau on 10/29.

I can understand your disappointment. I have been to both Princess Cays and Grand Turk. I enjoy Princess Cays more than Grand Turk.

I can understand your disappointment. I have been to both Princess Cays and Grand Turk. I enjoy Princess Cays more than Grand Turk.

Every time we've been to Grand Turk it's always been an hour or so after a Carnival ship has arrived & you lucky to get a broken down chair jammed in the middle of a row. :(

At least with Princess Cays you know that everything will be top notch and not have to fight for a chair.

I totally agree - we are going on the Regal on Nov 25th and if the itinerary is changed - so be it......Princess cannot control hurrricanes.

Could you possibly mean the 26th?

every time we've been to grand turk it's always been an hour or so after a carnival ship has arrived & you lucky to get a broken down chair jammed in the middle of a row. :(

at least with princess cays you know that everything will be top notch and not have to fight for a chair.

agreed!!!!

My understanding is that while Grand Turk is open....it is open to only one ship at a time. They are not ready for a full schedule of ships. I am on the 11/15/17 cruise and while I was looking forward to going to Jacks Shack I understand how important it is that the island get everything back in order before turning loose 4 or 5 ships full of people who will then have nothing to do. I am sure if they were able to accommodate more ships they would welcome the revenue.

I don't really think that Grand Turk is really open for business. Look at the path of the hurricane. It was a Cat. 5 when it passed Cockburn Town. Maybe the Cruise ship made port might be fixed, but the rest of the island? I have google Grand Turk and the pictures show lots of damage. Do you have ins that lets you cancel for any reason?

UPDATED AS OF 10/9/17, 2:30PM PDT

Below is a summary of all our Caribbean itinerary changes for 2017 that we are changing:

• All calls to St Maarten and Marigot for voyages departing in 2017
  
• All calls to Dominica for voyages departing in 2017
  
• All calls to Grand Turk through December 3, with the first call now on December 15
  
• All calls to St. Thomas through November, with the first call now December 13
  
• The call to Virgin Gorda on Pacific Princess
  

The following will remain the same, until further notice:

• Our San Juan call on Dec 20 on Regal
  
• All calls to St Maarten and Dominica on voyages that depart in 2018
  
• 
  

We're on the Regal in Feb. and the last time I checked the personalizer there wasn't a port change. We're still listed for St. Thomas and St. Maartin also. Not sure if it will change.

Happy cruising!

What's the big deal go and enjoy.

The right way to compensate would be to refund some of the money.

We're on the Regal in Feb. and the last time I checked the personalizer there wasn't a port change. We're still listed for St. Thomas and St. Maartin also. Not sure if it will change.

Happy cruising!

UPDATED AS OF 10/9/17, 2:30PM PDT

Below is a summary of all our Caribbean itinerary changes for 2017 that we are changing:

• All calls to St Maarten and Marigot for voyages departing in 2017
  
• All calls to Dominica for voyages departing in 2017
  
• All calls to Grand Turk through December 3, with the first call now on December 15
  
• All calls to St. Thomas through November, with the first call now December 13
  
• The call to Virgin Gorda on Pacific Princess
  

The following will remain the same, until further notice:

• Our San Juan call on Dec 20 on Regal
  
• All calls to St Maarten and Dominica on voyages that depart in 2018
  

Looks like you will go to St. Thomas but not to St. Martin based on the October 9 port update.

UPDATED AS OF 10/9/17, 2:30PM PDT

 

 

 

Looks like you will go to St. Thomas but not to St. Martin based on the October 9 port update.

Thanks Mapu!

the big deal is that a person paid a boatload of money for a Lexus, but when the car is delivered, it's a Corolla. Sure, a Corolla is also a car and it will deliver you from point A to point B, but it's not a Lexus and it's not worth the money that was paid for it.

The right way to compensate would be to refund some of the money.

Sorry but that's a poor example. They didn't substitute such a difference in ports at all.

Maybe I'd say that the they had to deliver a different color of car but certainly not a different model.

Sorry but that's a poor example. They didn't substitute such a difference in ports at all.

Maybe I'd say that the they had to deliver a different color of car but certainly not a different model.

I disagree. Princess Cays is not a super attractive port, otherwise, Princess would have a cruise solely devoted to traveling to Princess Cays, just like it did with "Grand Turk Getaway" for this sailing. People paid premium money to go to Grand Turk, and ended up going to a non-premium Princess Cays. It's not just a difference in color - but a totally different model.