"Bon Voyage Experience" - guests can passengers onboard ship (1st day of cruise)

[bcoker]

I lifted this from the cruise review on cruise critic

 

Princess Cruises have brought back "ye olde" tradition: cruise travelers can once again invite friends and relatives to visit them onboard before sailaway and see them off on their grand voyage. Via the new program, called the "Bon Voyage Experience," passengers' guests can join them onboard for approximately four hours, including lunch and a tour. The line is charging $39 per person -- and banking on the fact that you will get enough of a taste that you'll come back for a real cruise (with or without grandma). If you bite, Princess is willing to apply the $39 toward a future cruise booking.

 

Can anybody confirm this is actually the case and is the "Bob Voyage Experience" actually available on Princess cruise ships ? My sister and husband live in the area and are seeing us off on the Ruby Princess in Barcelona on the 5th May - it would be a great experience for them if this is possible and you never know it might get them into the cruise habit ?

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes this was posted quite some time ago. ;)

 

News Article

 

 

2/11/2010

Princess Revives Nostalgic Cruising Tradition with New Bon Voyage Experience

Passengers Can Once Again Invite Friends and Family Aboard Ship On Embarkation Day

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (February 11, 2010) -- Reviving a signature tradition from the early days of cruising, Princess Cruises is debuting an innovative, new program giving passengers the opportunity to invite their friends and family aboard their ship on embarkation day to wish them "bon voyage" and get a taste of the onboard experience.

 

Called the "Bon Voyage ExperienceSM," the program is a new twist on the departure celebration of bygone days, when friends and family would routinely come aboard to see off passengers. Because of increasingly tighter security procedures, this practice disappeared more than two decades ago, but it's now back -- complete with lunch in the dining room and tour of the ship.

 

Unique in the cruise industry, the Bon Voyage Experience enables passengers to extend an invitation to their guests to join them onboard during sailing day for a four-course dining room lunch with wine, a ship tour and even a souvenir photo. Passengers and their guests can enjoy priority embarkation and will be able to spend approximately four hours together on the ship before it sets sail. The cost for the program is $39 per person, which can be applied toward a future Princess cruise.

 

The program will debut in March in the ports of Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, and then roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

 

"Long-time cruisers will recall the fun of the bon voyage send-off with their family and friends, and we're excited to re-introduce a new, modern version of this experience," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president.

 

Cruise passengers will be notified about the program through the pre-cruise emails they receive from Princess as their cruise date approaches. In-port guests can be booked through a travel agent or by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, beginning 120 days before the cruise and up to six days before the sailing date. Once registered, guests will be able to input their required security information through the line's Cruise Personalizer.

 

The number of guests who will be able to participate in the Bon Voyage Experience on any given embarkation day will be approximately 50.

 

The roll-out schedule for the launch of the Bon Voyage Experience is:

 

Sapphire Princess -- March 6 in Los Angeles

Crown Princess -- March 6 in Fort Lauderdale

Coral Princess -- March 7 in Los Angeles

Emerald Princess -- March 7 in Fort Lauderdale

Island Princess -- March 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Ruby Princess -- March 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Golden Princess -- March 14 in Los Angeles

Royal Princess -- March 27 in Fort Lauderdale

Star Princess -- April 10 in Fort Lauderdale

Caribbean Princess -- May 18 in New York

Sea Princess -- June 1 in San Francisco

 

During the Alaska season, Sapphire Princess, Golden Princess and Royal Princess will offer the program in Seattle, beginning in May.

[cattolica]

Here is a link to the Press Release that is on the U.S. Princess Website. I think you need to call Princess as it may only be available in U.S. ports.

Hope this helps.

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1074

[bcoker]

Many thanks, I will give Princess a call !

[BalconyGal]

Yes, we got a mailing to our home that had this information included. :)

[NYGirl1002]

How can i find out if it will be available on my May 27 CB Cruise? My TA is worthless so I can't ask her. Maybe there's someone I can email?

 

Never mind I found out it is available through that article. I hope I don't have to count on my TA to book it.

[Colo Cruiser]

How can i find out if it will be available on my May 27 CB Cruise? My TA is worthless so I can't ask her. Maybe there's someone I can email?

 

Call Princess directly and tell them you are not having any luck with your TA.

[NYGirl1002]

Thanks Colo Cruiser!

[brinky]

You can either call Princess or access it directly on their website. I booked this for one of my relatives for the Emerald in June and it was very easy. I think its great that Princess has brought back an older time tradition.

Enjoy!:)

[BalconyGal]

How can i find out if it will be available on my May 27 CB Cruise? My TA is worthless so I can't ask her. Maybe there's someone I can email?

 

Never mind I found out it is available through that article. I hope I don't have to count on my TA to book it.

Post #2 says CB starting May 18th. I would call princess, then dump the TA. :)

[NYGirl1002]

You don't know how I wish I could dump the TA. I was stuck going to her because they are a large company here in NY and I had almost $1000 in gift certificates which my daughter in law lobbied for at my 60th birthday party.

 

I had to find the agent that was actually good and it was no easy task. I did all the work..finding the cruise..searching the web and then telling her exactly what I wanted.

 

Recently I emailed her to check on OBC and if the price was reduced and all those other little things my other TA used to do for me without asking. She didn't answer me for 3 weeks. I had to keep forwarding her the email. It was really annoying.

 

Anyway I would love my sons to come on board and have lunch with us and see the ship and stuff so I will call Princess directly or look on the website. Thankfully this is the last time I will be using this company

[Cruizinggirl]

I brought my adult niece on the Crown in March for the "Bon Voyage Experience". The $39 was well worth it as I believe she has caught the cruising bug! It's a wonderful experience. We were treated like celebrities -- able to board the ship as soon as the last passenger left from the previous cruise (approximately 10am). We had a personal tour by the Future Cruise Consultant, were enthusiastically greeted by every staff member we saw (my niece had a sticker identifying her as a Bon Voyage Experience visitor) enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the dining room (including wine!!) and each of us were given two 8 1/2" x 10" boarding photos. ($19.99 value for EACH photo!). She was able to stay onboard with me until approximately 4pm.

:)

[RickEk]

I brought my adult niece on the Crown in March for the "Bon Voyage Experience". The $39 was well worth it as I believe she has caught the cruising bug! It's a wonderful experience. We were treated like celebrities -- able to board the ship as soon as the last passenger left from the previous cruise (approximately 10am). We had a personal tour by the Future Cruise Consultant, were enthusiastically greeted by every staff member we saw (my niece had a sticker identifying her as a Bon Voyage Experience visitor) enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the dining room (including wine!!) and each of us were given two 8 1/2" x 10" boarding photos. ($19.99 value for EACH photo!). She was able to stay onboard with me until approximately 4pm.

:)

 

Excellent... just the reaction that, I'm sure, Princess wants to get... :)

[cruisin36]

I lifted this from the cruise review on cruise critic

 

Princess Cruises have brought back "ye olde" tradition: cruise travelers can once again invite friends and relatives to visit them onboard before sailaway and see them off on their grand voyage. Via the new program, called the "Bon Voyage Experience," passengers' guests can join them onboard for approximately four hours, including lunch and a tour. The line is charging $39 per person -- and banking on the fact that you will get enough of a taste that you'll come back for a real cruise (with or without grandma). If you bite, Princess is willing to apply the $39 toward a future cruise booking.

 

Can anybody confirm this is actually the case and is the "Bob Voyage Experience" actually available on Princess cruise ships ? My sister and husband live in the area and are seeing us off on the Ruby Princess in Barcelona on the 5th May - it would be a great experience for them if this is possible and you never know it might get them into the cruise habit ?

 

Yes. On our recent Mar 10 cruise on the Ruby there was a group of about 50+ people waiting in the Elite/Platinum area for boarding with a sign indicating they were "bon voyage experience". They were allowed to board before the Elite and Platinum.

 

Generoso was welcoming them (and us) into the DaVinci dining room at lunch.

[pablo222]

Can anybody confirm this is actually the case and is the "Bob Voyage Experience" actually available on Princess cruise ships ? My sister and husband live in the area and are seeing us off on the Ruby Princess in Barcelona on the 5th May - it would be a great experience for them if this is possible and you never know it might get them into the cruise habit ?

 

We did this on Emerald Princess, the first day it was available in March.

This was in Ft. Lauderdale. There is nothing in the Princess Press release which mentions anything other than US embarcation ports. I think you might have to get the real answer from princess or your travel agent.

[candydane]

Did they offer the chance for participants to do a future booking & get the FCC perks? That would really be nice for newbies to be able to book while they're still excited about doing a cruise.

[donna5]

It is only in U.S. Ports at this time. And may not be available for all sailings.(Was informed if the crew is busy with a mandated safety exercise(Coast Guard required) Then it may not. Ask for the bon voyage dept. and they will tell you if it is available for your U.S. embarkation sailing.

 

Remember the FCC $39 is a Credit of $39 off the price of the cruise. And I believe you have to book within 3 months.

[donna5]

If anyone wants to do it on May 9 Golden Princess,(Sunday out of LAX) let me know and we can exchange e-mails or phone numbers, and if you pick us up (we will be staying either near LAX or in San Pedro) we'll pay for your parking at LAH:D.

[Buddy604]

It's a great program, and I'm really pleased to see it taking hold. I'm using it midway through my B2B to bring some friends onboard in LA for the day. I'm glad to see it being expanded to Seattle and am looking forward to it rolling out internationally. I would be great in Vancouver.

 

Another interesting tidbit, you do not need to be visiting with a passenger to partake - your travel agent can arrange a bon voyage experience so that you can tour the ship on your own, or with your agent if they happen to be visiting. Just call your agent and they can arrange it with Princess - same price, same goodies.

[NYGirl1002]

I booked it today for my son and his girlfriend. They are looking forward to the ship's tour..and I am too!

 

The future cruise credits go to them. It doesn't matter who pays, the credits go to their names.

[bcoker]

Just got this from Princess :

 

Thank you for your email. Our colleagues in the US operation the 'Bon Voyage' program. We passed your question over to them who have advised that currently the Bon Voyage experience is only offered in certain US turnaround ports (Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, New York, San Francisco and Seattle).

 

Discussion's are in hand to see if we are able to roll this program out to other ports, however at the moment we are unable to offer this to you on the 5th May in Barcelona.

[Woodmnky]

Does anyone know if any other cruise lines offer something like this?