Bon Voyage Experience

[cellyml12]

I have a question about BVE. How do I find out if San Francisco has these & what exactly does it all entail?? Thanks for any info!!

[highheel girl]

I have a question about BVE. How do I find out if San Francisco has these & what exactly does it all entail?? Thanks for any info!!

 

Call Princess directly. :)

[cellyml12]

Call Princess directly. :)

 

Oh...ok. I was hoping maybe someone had done it out here & would know about it. I guess I'll give Princess a call tomorrow! Thank you!!:)

[highheel girl]

Oh...ok. I was hoping maybe someone had done it out here & would know about it. I guess I'll give Princess a call tomorrow! Thank you!!:)

 

It is not available on every cruise or at every port.

Kinda of hit and miss.

I think that Pam did it this year maybe? ;)

[Pam in CA]

It is not available on every cruise or at every port.

Kinda of hit and miss.

I think that Pam did it this year maybe? ;)

This is what I just posted on the other thread:

Originally Posted by cellyml12

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, how do I find out if they have a BVE?? And THANK YOU everyone!! I REALLY appreciate all the info you guys are always willing to give!! It's GREAT for new comers!!:D

If SF is an embarkation port, they may offer a BVE. Best thing to do is to call Princess to inquire and book. Check ship itineraries for the ships and dates they'll be in port. You don't need a TA to book. The cost is $39/pp and once you have a booking #, you go to the Princess Personalizer and fill in your passport and credit card info, just as you would for a standard booking.

 

When you arrive at the pier, tell the rep you're there for the Bon Voyage Experience and they'll direct you to a desk where your name is checked off. Then, you go to check in and once that's done and you receive a temporary cruise card, you are directed to a seating area right next to boarding. A rep will come and get you to lead you onboard before any passengers. You will have a photo taken and then have free time or can take a tour. Lunch is at about 12:15pm in the dining room and is delicious. You then have free time to explore the ship but must disembark before Muster. You pick up your photos at the photo desk before leaving. The photos came out great, just like a professional photo.

 

I did this in May, had a great time and plan to do it again. We hung out in the Sanctuary (for free) for an hour or more and then headed to the International Cafe to check it out. I have since booked another cruise and the $39 will be an OBC on the cruise.

[cellyml12]

Thanks again Pam!! I did catch it on the other thread. Just didn't know if anyone would read that one again, so I started this one. I left you a big thanks over there!:D I have to assume they aren't open today, so I'll call tomorrow & see what the possibilities are. I know I ask A LOT of questions, but maybe these threads will help others out too!!

[Pam in CA]

Thanks again Pam!! I did catch it on the other thread. Just didn't know if anyone would read that one again, so I started this one. I left you a big thanks over there!:D I have to assume they aren't open today, so I'll call tomorrow & see what the possibilities are. I know I ask A LOT of questions, but maybe these threads will help others out too!!

Hopefully, this'll work as I'm on my iPhone right now. Here's a link to the few photos I took while on the BVE, including a copy of the letter I received at check-in: https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer#album/101474003611782249767/5742179079870531457

[oskidunker]

It was ok. Limited menu and the tour director did not do a very good job . Very crowded as he made us hang out by the elevators waiting for more people. My son wanted to book fcc but he was nowhere to be found after the lunch.

[highheel girl]

It was ok. Limited menu and the tour director did not do a very good job . Very crowded as he made us hang out by the elevators waiting for more people. My son wanted to book fcc but he was nowhere to be found after the lunch.

 

Was that the Future Cruise person?

If it was we find the majority fail miserably at their job. :(

[billco]

Was that the Future Cruise person?

If it was we find the majority fail miserably at their job. :(

I have never had a bad experience working with the Future Cruise Consultant.

 

Last March 15 on the Sapphire, she opened at 4:00 AM, so people could book on the new Royal Princess.

 

Last October, he helped me cancel and rebook two bookings, so I could apply the Future Cruise Credit. It was all sent to my TA, so the original deposit was cancelled and the FCC was applied.

 

I don't know about the BVE, but on a cruise you drop a form in a slot for the FCC.

[Pam in CA]

I have never had a bad experience working with the Future Cruise Consultant.

 

Last March 15 on the Sapphire, she opened at 4:00 AM, so people could book on the new Royal Princess.

 

Last October, he helped me cancel and rebook two bookings, so I could apply the Future Cruise Credit. It was all sent to my TA, so the original deposit was cancelled and the FCC was applied.

 

I don't know about the BVE, but on a cruise you drop a form in a slot for the FCC.

Unfortunately, I have several times. On one cruise, they arrived to open up half an hour later than the published and posted time repeatedly, lost filled-out forms, failed to send FCC confirmations even if booked the first day or so on a 2-week cruise, etc. Even though I filled out the form and dropped it off personally with the consultant a few days into my cruise, I didn't receive the confirmation until two weeks after returning home (over three weeks from when I filled out the form.) While I was waiting, people were talking about how they'd had to come back because either they never received confirmation or it was wrong. On the Star last March, it was open for only a couple of hours every 2-3 days so that there were very, very long lines when they did open. I haven't been very impressed with the consultants. :( They have been mostly unprofessional and inefficient in my opinion. Kind of like a kid with a cushy summer job.

 

On my BVE last May, we were told the consultant would come to the dining room to fill out FCC forms. They never appeared and the forms weren't out at the desk.

[Suzy'Q]

We did it on the Sea Princess in SF on May 23rd. We didn't take the tour. The FCC forms were available, we just filled them out and put them in the slot. By the time we got home we had email confirmation.

 

Here's the link with available dates. Looks like you can do it in SF on the Sea Princess until Aug 31st, or Star Princess until Dec 5th.

https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/jsp/home/ship_visit/BonVoyageExperience.jsp

[highheel girl]

I don't know about the BVE, but on a cruise you drop a form in a slot for the FCC.

 

Thats exactly why we use the drop box, so we don't have to have any contact with them.

[lovevacadays]

It was ok. Limited menu and the tour director did not do a very good job . Very crowded as he made us hang out by the elevators waiting for more people. My son wanted to book fcc but he was nowhere to be found after the lunch.

 

Sorry to hear your BVE experience wasn't that grea tand you weren't able to find anyone to help you get a FCC. I had a great time when I did the BVE on the Sapphire. I met up with Pam and we met up with a couple other ladies, MsSoCalCruiser and her friend in the dining room for lunch. We thought the menu was good and really enjoyed the lunch. Plus, you don't have to go to the dining room if you don't want to. You can choose to eat at the IC or in the Buffet. You can also opt out of the guided tour and tour the ship on your own. That's what we did and really enjoyed it. We hung out in the sanctuary for about an hour as well. It was a really nice 4 hours.

[pris993]

We always buy FBCs while on board but we do it in person vs using the drop off. Usually early into the cruise before others start thinking about it. Do the same thing on all cruiselines we use (Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Cunard). We also insist on getting a written confirmation before we leave the ship and let that be known when we speak to the staff. If we don't receive a confirmation in a couple of days, we followup.

 

Only had one bad experience, think it may have been Princess, not sure. We asked and priced a cruise in the process we gave the staff a credit card. When we arrived home, we got a message from our TA confirming we had booked the cruise which we had not done. WE only purchased a FBC. Had the TA correct the mistake with the cruise line ASAP.

 

Generally find the staff pretty good.

Regardless we always deal with staff on a one on one basis. Feel we get the service we expect when we do so.

[compozer]

Unfortunately, I have several times. On one cruise, they arrived to open up half an hour later than the published and posted time repeatedly, it was open for only a couple of hours every 2-3 days so that there were very, very long lines when they did open. I haven't been very impressed with the consultants. :( They have been mostly unprofessional and inefficient in my opinion. Kind of like a kid with a cushy summer job.

 

Totally agree

they never seem to be around and when they are, like Pam said, you have to stand around and wait for hours.

[IECalCruiser]

We brought DS and DD onboard for the BVE before one of our cruises on the Sapphire out of San Pedro last year. As soon as we boarded we went to our cabin to show them around and drop off our carry-on bags and then to lunch. It was the standard Embarkation day menu with typical MDR lunch choices. We like both the Orange Souffle and Nutella ice cream that are among the dessert choices on the Embarkation day menu :) A glass of wine at lunch was included with the BVE but the wait staff gave DW and I a glass also which was nice :) We then gave them a tour of the ship, went to the Photo Gallery to pick up their complementary boarding photos and spent more time in our cabin until they had to leave at 3:00 PM.

[billco]

Totally agree

they never seem to be around and when they are, like Pam said, you have to stand around and wait for hours.

I can't imagine a situation so important that I would wait for any length of time to speak to the FCC. For us, there has usually been a time on the cruise when the FCC office was open, the line was small, and we have been passing by. I guess we have been lucky.