Transfer flights of of the UK

[Whiteowl]

Latest news - all flights cancelled until 1.00 am at the earlist but BA have announced all short haul flights are now cancelled until Monday morning. They will announce what is happening to Long haul flights at 3.00 pm.

[Pochahontas]

David&Heather

I am so so sorry about your wedding plans being put on hold, and your dream cruise cancelled. I hope you can get another one put into place - you will be talking about this years to come as natures way of trying to thawt you getting married! and hopefully you will both be able to laugh about it together.

 

I have a friend who is stranded in Israel. The chaos is awful - I hope that the ferry company's and Euro Star settle down soon to make Europe accessible to travel across by land rather than flying. Maybe sea travel will increase. The planet seems to be going into some kind of seismic meltdown lately.

[spongerob]

Maybe next post you could engge brain before applying fingers to the keyboard and have a bit of consideration for those affected by the aircraft being grounded in Europe - your post does not help and does nothing other than increase your pointless post count:mad:

 

We are actually glad that we paid a bit more and have the protection of UK consumer laws which oblige Princess and our TA to at least make the best of a bad job for us.

The post I responded to was ahead of your own in the queue, so there is no need to take umbrage with me. I do sympathize with you, but you are just one among thousands who are affected and are no more or less important than anyone else.

 

I also listen to all the complaints about how people in the UK pay more versus the US. But how can you pass a law that "obliges" anyone to defeat the forces of nature without incurring additional cost? You can ban fog but it won't stop fog. Essentially what you are saying is that you want companies you do business with to insure you against every eventuality and make you whole. There's a cost associated with that. Personally, I'd rather avoid the cost and accept the risk.

 

Good luck to you. I hope that things work out.

[David&Heather]

Maybe spongerob can afford to loose the £12k our cruise & wedding are costing us, wish we were in that fortunate position.

 

On the positive side his pointless post count is up by another one post, would appear to us that the ones who have the highest counts have very little to say in terms of advice and help:mad:

[donna5]

Maybe next post you could engge brain before applying fingers to the keyboard and have a bit of consideration for those affected by the aircraft being grounded in Europe - your post does not help and does nothing other than increase your pointless post count:mad:

 

We are actually glad that we paid a bit more and have the protection of UK consumer laws which oblige Princess and our TA to at least make the best of a bad job for us.

 

Spongerob was making a comment about my post. Cruisers from the U.K have been complaining that they pay more than the US, but when we ask questions about what you get for your price we don't get very many answers. But after the post about Princess sells the cruise in a package and has to provide so many things if things go wrong. That brings up the cost of cruising. Like you say your TA is apparently worthless. It may be that the travel consortium in the UK also get bigger commissions, etc. Maybe Princess has to set up a "bond" type fund for doing business there. We just don't know.

 

Now to get on to your trip. We do have sympathy for you all, especially you. I know for you it is not just a vacation but also was to be a wedding.(I do know about wedding plans not going to plan, been there--done that) I also hope things change soon over there, I feel sorry for the health concerns that you will also have with the ash. I know how hard it is to change vacation plans once you have your time off approved. Also just like when we were going to go to Sandals in the Bahamas and hurricane Floyd screwed that one up, there were no options. (Yes we were going to get our money back, but it would take time. Where would we go, since all the southeast and caribbean flights were cancelled and would be backed up for over a week.) So we have all had problems with trips and don't wish them on anyone.

 

I do hope you find a way to get married that will be great.

 

So to all our UK friends, we love you and wish you well.

Tonight I'll have a dram of The Glenlivet and toast you all.

[shoreham01]

So sorry to read about your spoilt plants. I know it would not be the same, but maybe Princess could let you swap over to a cruise out of Southampton instead. It would be better than nothing.

[Shogun]

Hi David and Heather,

 

Do you have a contact at Princess or are you dealoing with a TA,

 

chances are knowone high up in Princess knows about your wedding plans

 

as you will be lost in the hundreds caught up in this mess.

 

However like others have said may move to a Ship from Southampton

 

if this was of interest I would E mail the VP of Fleet direct and tell him

 

your story, as he would have the power to fix all the issues for you.

 

He has been a great help to me in the past, when all others said no, can

 

not be done etc.

 

yours Shogun

[David&Heather]

Hi David and Heather,

 

Do you have a contact at Princess or are you dealoing with a TA,

 

chances are knowone high up in Princess knows about your wedding plans

 

as you will be lost in the hundreds caught up in this mess.

 

However like others have said may move to a Ship from Southampton

 

if this was of interest I would E mail the VP of Fleet direct and tell him

 

your story, as he would have the power to fix all the issues for you.

 

He has been a great help to me in the past, when all others said no, can

 

not be done etc.

 

yours Shogun

 

We are certain that Princess are doing all they can for us in a very difficult situation. I have posted previously that I simply cannot get through to my TA and airline but Princess have answered our calls and provided good and helpful customer care.

 

Just dont need antagonistic posters who only want to annoy and boost their silly post count.

[Pia1913]

We are certain that Princess are doing all they can for us in a very difficult situation. I have posted previously that I simply cannot get through to my TA and airline but Princess have answered our calls and provided good and helpful customer care.

 

Just dont need antagonistic posters who only want to annoy and boost their silly post count.

 

Heather, or is it David? I think you are over-reacting to Spongerob's post, since it wasn't directed at you at all. I do understand however that you both are under enormous stress and the best I can do is wish you well. I still hope to meet up with you on the Ruby and also hope you don't chastise me for increasing my post count.

[Shogun]

Hi David and Heather

 

Nice to hear Princess is trying to help, I have found them hard work at times but have aleays come good in the end.

 

 

yours Shogun

[David&Heather]

Heather, or is it David? I think you are over-reacting to Spongerob's post, since it wasn't directed at you at all. I do understand however that you both are under enormous stress and the best I can do is wish you well. I still hope to meet up with you on the Ruby and also hope you don't chastise me for increasing my post count.

 

No I am not over reacting (and it's David btw), a bit of thought and consideration for the position some of us are in through no fault of our own is not too much to expect. The bloke is a mennace and he makes many similar antagonistic posts on this board.

[Pochahontas]

Hi David and Heather

 

Nice to hear Princess is trying to help, I have found them hard work at times but have aleays come good in the end.

 

 

yours Shogun

 

I agree with you, when I booked my first cruise on the Sea Princess, I cancelled and rebooked virtually every stateroom category on that ship, with no penalties! in the end Princess did advise on an Ocean View cabin to really get a good feel for the ship and what it offered, they also recommended we go and view other staterooms to get a good feel of stateroom size as we were spoilt for years with land based holidays with huge rooms.

 

I have to say though we do have some odd things happen in the UK don't we? its always the wrong kind of "something" that causes disruption - wrong snow, wrong rain wrong sun, wrong Autumn leaves! I think us UKer's and with the true British grit we have become accustomed to - we will get over this.

 

David and Heather again - I am so sorry you are facing this don't let a few posters on here drag you down xxx

[David&Heather]

I agree with you, when I booked my first cruise on the Sea Princess, I cancelled and rebooked virtually every stateroom category on that ship, with no penalties! in the end Princess did advise on an Ocean View cabin to really get a good feel for the ship and what it offered, they also recommended we go and view other staterooms to get a good feel of stateroom size as we were spoilt for years with land based holidays with huge rooms.

 

I have to say though we do have some odd things happen in the UK don't we? its always the wrong kind of "something" that causes disruption - wrong snow, wrong rain wrong sun, wrong Autumn leaves! I think us UKer's and with the true British grit we have become accustomed to - we will get over this.

 

David and Heather again - I am so sorry you are facing this don't let a few posters on here drag you down xxx

 

Thanks for your kind words, just had a call ftom our TA to say the holiday is cancelled, full; refunds thanks to UK consumer protection.

 

Not sure about the wedding costs as they had to be booked direct with the US and checking our insurance it has the usual 'excepting acts of god' get out clause. Hopefully we can re-schedule for a cruise ex Southampton and get the wedding at sea transfered as well.

[HomelessBear]

David and Heather - so very sorry to hear about the cancellation. Just wanted to say that I hope that you are able to get a wonderful cruise from S'ton soon and that your wedding is fanatstic when it happens! So very disappointing for you both and for your families and friends. Keep your chins up! Best wishes.

[thariq]

Thanks for your kind words, just had a call ftom our TA to say the holiday is cancelled, full; refunds thanks to UK consumer protection.

 

Not sure about the wedding costs as they had to be booked direct with the US and checking our insurance it has the usual 'excepting acts of god' get out clause. Hopefully we can re-schedule for a cruise ex Southampton and get the wedding at sea transfered as well.

 

 

Hi David. Good to hear that you will be refunded in full. My wife and I are amongst those unlucky ones who could not fly out of Gatwick today to join the Sea Princess. So far all we have is that we will be contacted on Monday with further details but realistically this is not looking good.

 

You mentioned a full refund thanks to UK Consumer Protection. Could you please provide any info on how this works ? Everyone here, including our Travel Insurance is very vague :(

 

Many thanks

 

Thariq and Noorie

[David&Heather]

Hi David. Good to hear that you will be refunded in full. My wife and I are amongst those unlucky ones who could not fly out of Gatwick today to join the Sea Princess. So far all we have is that we will be contacted on Monday with further details but realistically this is not looking good.

 

You mentioned a full refund thanks to UK Consumer Protection. Could you please provide any info on how this works ? Everyone here, including our Travel Insurance is very vague :(

 

Many thanks

 

Thariq and Noorie

 

If you booked cruise and flights as a package you will probably be ok, if you boooked cruise only and independant flights you may loose money on at least your flights

[moiragirl]

Hi all,

I am due to fly from Heathrow on Tuesday to Miami, to join the Coral Princess, on Wednesday, as I have purchased both air and cruise fare from Princess I have been told by my travel agent to-day , that in the event of not being able to fly, Princess will do their best for me even if it means catching the ship at the first port of call. Looking on the dark side if that is not possible I will be entitled to a full refund. Hope everyone else is as fortunate.

Jackie.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I have a question and please excuse me for not understanding, but why don't people in the UK take a ferry to Ireland, LeHavre, Cherbourg or Calais (or to any location that is relatively nearby) and then take a flight out from an airport that isn't on lockdown? Is it just too inconvenient or is impractical? :confused:

[caribill]

Latest info on Princess web site: http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1092

 

4/17/2010

 

 

Update on Flight Cancellations Due to Volcanic Eruption

11 am Pacific Standard Time/7 pm British Standard Time

 

The most recent announcement from the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is that the airport closures across the UK and Europe will remain in effect until at least 7 am (British Standard Time) on Sunday, April 18. Many major airlines have cancelled all flights through Sunday, and have announced they do not expect to have flights operating until at least Monday. Updates from NATS can be accessed at the below link:

http://www.nats.co.uk

 

C009 -- SEA PRINCESS IN BARBADOS -- UK CHARTER CALLS ONLY

 

As previously advised, your charter flight to Barbados to join Sea Princess today will not be operating. Our current plan is to sail from Barbados today to St. Lucia as planned. The charter carriers now expect that the earliest they could re-route the aircraft is on Thursday to Aruba. Of course, these plans are fluid as we gather new information. Once we have confirmation of plans from the charter carriers, our UK office will contact all charter passengers. Based on this current plan we will maintain our original scheduled itinerary and will be in Aruba on April 21.

 

We will contact you with your specific flight date and time once it has been confirmed by our charter operator. Upon arrival to the ship you will receive a per diem refund for the number of days missed. This refund will be to your onboard account.

 

C009 -- SEA PRINCESS IN BARBADOS -- 17 APRIL -- CRUISE ONLY PASSENGERS

 

Our current plan is to sail from Barbados today on our regularly scheduled itinerary. Once you have rescheduled your flights to arrive at a later port, please contact us with your new travel plans. Upon arrival to the ship you will receive a per diem refund for the number of days missed. This refund will be to your onboard account.

 

Please be advised that all cancellations will be subject to normal cancellation policies. We recommend you contact your travel coverage provider for information on filing a claim.

 

ALL OTHER SHIPS IN FLEET -- EXCEPT C009 - CALLS REGARDING VOLCANO RELATED FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS FOR EMBARKING PASSENGERS

 

It may be possible for you to join in a port on your itinerary, but you must first contact us to confirm your request. Upon arrival to the ship you will receive a per diem refund for the number of days missed. This refund will be to your onboard account. Please understand we cannot guarantee our ports of call due to conditions outside our control, like adverse weather and seas.

 

We recommend you continue to monitor NATS and advise us of your revised travel plans.

 

For UK passengers who have booked as part of a Princess package, Princess in the UK will be in contact with you to determine next steps. Please be advised that all cancellations will be subject to normal cancellation policies.

[Dorset Cruiser]

I have a question and please excuse me for not understanding, but why don't people in the UK take a ferry to Ireland, LeHavre, Cherbourg or Calais (or to any location that is relatively nearby) and then take a flight out from an airport that isn't on lockdown? Is it just too inconvenient or is impractical? :confused:

 

 

All ferries and trains to the continent are completely fully booked and also most airports in Europe are in the same situation as UK airports. Latest is that flights are grounded in the UK until at least 1pm Sunday and people who are stuck abroad will have to wait until at least Friday next week to get any flights back to the UK. There was a warning that this situation could carry on for months:eek:

[DrivesLikeMario]

All ferries and trains to the continent are completely fully booked and also most airports in Europe are in the same situation as UK airports. Latest is that flights are grounded in the UK until at least 1pm Sunday and people who are stuck abroad will have to wait until at least Friday next week to get any flights back to the UK. There was a warning that this situation could carry on for months:eek:

 

I didn't realize all the ferries and trains on the continent were booked! :eek: Guess there are a lot of other people trying to do what I would do if in the same situation. Thanks for explaining.

[moiragirl]

Hi DrivesLikeMario,

Two reasons really, the ferries are completely booked up and most airports in Europe are in lockdown. Also when you have purchased your cruise with airfare with Princess it is up to them how you will travel, if at all. At the end of the day it is impratical Hoping this helps with your understanding of the problem. I actually live in Northern Ireland and Ireland itself is also on lockdown.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Hi DrivesLikeMario,

Two reasons really, the ferries are completely booked up and most airports in Europe are in lockdown. Also when you have purchased your cruise with airfare with Princess it is up to them how you will travel, if at all. At the end of the day it is impratical Hoping this helps with your understanding of the problem. I actually live in Northern Ireland and Ireland itself is also on lockdown.

 

Yes, it does help, thank you for that moiragirl, I appreciate it. Last I heard, Dublin was open. :( Very sad!

[moiragirl]

Hi DrivesLikeMario,

Yes it is very sad because the information is changing every couple of hours, I don't want a refund I want to go on my cruise as I have been looking forward to it all winter, and what a winter we have had.

[Pochahontas]

All ferries and trains to the continent are completely fully booked and also most airports in Europe are in the same situation as UK airports. Latest is that flights are grounded in the UK until at least 1pm Sunday and people who are stuck abroad will have to wait until at least Friday next week to get any flights back to the UK. There was a warning that this situation could carry on for months:eek:

 

Blimey Chris! I hope it isnt for months :eek: hopefully though if it is; contingency plans for our forth coming Cruise will have to be done on land options.