Live from the Caribbean Princess mystery cruise.

[A.S.]

A Future Cruise Credit is applied to your next cruise fare, reducing the final amount due.

 

I did the BVE last May and the $39 paid for the BVE was applied to my Royal Maiden Passage cruise that I booked right after the BVE as a Future Cruise Credit. My booking summary shows a $39 credit towards the final fare.

 

Thank you for you quick response.

[caribill]

Saw the credit on my account and created one for my husband to verify he had received the credit as well. Next time I book, is there a way to combine the credits since there will be one card (prob. mine) making the booking?

 

The credit can only be used in the name of the person for whom it was issued.

 

But if you are booking the next cruise for both of you, then both credits will be applied, one for each person.

[Proudairborne/RangerMom]

No one is trivializing the destruction, death, and misery caused by this unprecedented storm. Princess could have relaxed their cancellation policies but chose not to. The above mentioned poster was affected by that decision, and they have every right to express their frustration with the situation. No chastising is required or warranted.

 

Tony

ci66774

 

Thank You Tony, for taking what I wrote for exactly what it was and defending me.

I have much compassion for those suffering and have been very involved in gathering clothes, personal items and food that us Military Moms have been boxing up to send to those in NJ, NY, CT and Rhode Island.

I am one of the most compasionate people I know and how rude of CI66774 to assume and attack my character. I care not about not being on a cruise I had planned as I am too busy trying to do what I can in any small way or big way to help those so greatly affected by hurricane Sandy.

 

I am not aboard the ship CI66774 and had to cancel because Amtrak could not get us to NY. I am NOT complaining at all about not making my cruise , I was however not pleased at how Princess talked to us and others who had to cancel, as we had NO other choice. I am also not aboard constantly bugging Princess about where is my credit, or complaining to them about how rough the seas are.

 

I have no patience for anyone trying to get onboard quickly or about how smooth their cruise is, what did you expect?? I think it is awful that ALL the ships went into NY taking away time from those that needed help. The ships had NO business going there when NY had their hands full tending to those in devastation. No one should have cared at all about how the poor cruisers were going to get on the ship!!!! And I have a right to my feelings as does anyone here, and even when I don't agree with what they say I don't Flame them.

 

Again thank you

Tony

[Proudairborne/RangerMom]

I finally arrived home at 1:30 am after my son picked me up from the airport in Burlington. It was a long day but I was grateful not to have had to spend the night in the airport. Been there done that! The Jet Blue terminal in JFK is awesome, great restaurants and plentiful plug-ins for computers and cell phone charging.

 

Final thoughts.

 

1. The Caribbean Princess is in great shape, the staff mostly great as usual. We ate in the Coral dining room and had great service from Roland and John.

 

2. Because so many passengers had debarked in Boston the Island dining room was closed for the last two nights and all the waiters from the Island came up to the Coral so you can imagine the service we got. We even were entertained with singing and guitar playing. On Wednesday when Mary Kay and I went into Boston I bought a nice 1.5 liter bottle of Italian wine because I didn't know how long we would be on the ship. The bottle was more than half full the last night and I brought it to the dining room, no corkage charge, lots of laughs with the waiters laughing about the size of the bottle. We even offered tastes and one of the asst. head waiters did sample.

 

3. Sabatini's for breakfast was great but they do not know how to make a Bloody Mary, so stick with the Mimosa, more than one if you wish. I loved that they serve your food on a heated plate. The berries and seasonal fruit and the fresh squeezed orange juice were a highlight, as well as the specialty coffees.

 

4. Casino. The casino staff, dealers, pit bosses and waiters/waitresses were all friendly and helpful. I came out a little ahead and had a great time. It should be noted that the casino was closed while we were in Boston from 8:30 pm Sunday night until it reopened at 10 am on Thursday.

 

5. I went to the Thermal Suite once and if you enjoy it this was the perfect cruise for it. The heated stone loungers are nice but some people were taking their nap and snoring, disregarding the 20 minute requested time limit. The steam room was way too hot, and I mean HOT! The fog shower was not a fog, not even a mist. It was just a shower with sprays coming from different directions. I prefer the no charge steam and sauna in the changing rooms.

 

6. One of the best-kept secrets on the ship was the jacuzzis at the Lotus Spa pool, nice and hot and protected from the wind and rain.

 

7. I have nothing but good things to say about my room steward Ricardo from the Phillipines. I was shocked to hear that he had all the window suites and also some cabins on Plaza deck. He deserved his extra tip.

 

Thank you Princess for keeping us safe. Not all ships were so lucky. We had power, very calm seas (in my opinion) (no barf bags in sight), good service, food and entertainment, easy debarkation, safe home.

 

I strongly agree that the people who are complaining about compensation need to get a grip. I understand the disappointment but it was your choice to cancel and not to purchase proper insurance, a lesson learned. That is what insurance is for. Would it be fair if you were compensated the same as someone who paid for insurance? The thought of the 106 people who died in this storm, including several children, and the utter widespread devastation that occured as a result of Sandy makes these complaints seem very petty. If you are in your home uninjured and living your life as usual, you are luckier than many people who were left with nothing but their lives if they were lucky. Yes, get a grip! :mad:

 

Lastly, if you haven't already, don't forget to vote!

 

See you on Cruise Critic. :)

I have a far better grip then most, as I posted to the other rude flamer WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CANCEL AS AMTRAK COULD NOT GET US TO NY AS PLANNED. I AM NOT UPSET ABOUT CANCELLING I WAS HOWEVER UPSET ABOUT HOW PRINCESS HANDLED US AND OTHERS. AND FOR YOURS AND ANYONE ELSES NEED TO KNOW OF COURSE I HAD INSURANCE I ALWAYS DO. BUT I FELT BAD FOR THOSE THAT DON'T AND HOW PRINCESS SHOULD INCLUDE THEM IN A FUTURE CRUISE CREDIT AS IT WOULD BE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.

 

I AM TOO BUSY DOING WHAT I CAN TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT TO BE COMPLAINING ABOUT ROUGH SEAS AND WHERE IS MY CREDIT WHILE ONBOARD. LIVING MY LIFE AS USUAL???? YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW I LIVE MY LIFE! JUST SO YOU KNOW I ALWAYS PUT OTHERS BEFORE MYSELF AND DO ALL I CAN TO HELP THOSE IN NEED! I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH OTHER MILITARY MOMS PREPARING PKGS TO SEND TO NJ, NY, CT AND RI RATHER THEN CRUISING, AND COMPLAINING TO STAFF. I HAVE SAID NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT STAFF, I KNOW DURING THE ENTIRE VOYAGE THAT PER USUAL THEY HAVE PROBABLY GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND. IT IS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND THEIR RESPONSE THAT I HAD ISSUE WITH I HAD EVERY RIGHT TO SAY HOW i FELT ABOUT PRINCESS BEING RUDE WHEN I HAD TO CANCEL. KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU ATTACK SOMEONE OR BE RUDE TO THEM PLEASE.

[framer]

I have a far better grip then most, as I posted to the other rude flamer WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CANCEL AS AMTRAK COULD NOT GET US TO NY AS PLANNED. I AM NOT UPSET ABOUT CANCELLING I WAS HOWEVER UPSET ABOUT HOW PRINCESS HANDLED US AND OTHERS. AND FOR YOURS AND ANYONE ELSES NEED TO KNOW OF COURSE I HAD INSURANCE I ALWAYS DO. BUT I FELT BAD FOR THOSE THAT DON'T AND HOW PRINCESS SHOULD INCLUDE THEM IN A FUTURE CRUISE CREDIT AS IT WOULD BE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.

 

I AM TOO BUSY DOING WHAT I CAN TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT TO BE COMPLAINING ABOUT ROUGH SEAS AND WHERE IS MY CREDIT WHILE ONBOARD. LIVING MY LIFE AS USUAL???? YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW I LIVE MY LIFE! JUST SO YOU KNOW I ALWAYS PUT OTHERS BEFORE MYSELF AND DO ALL I CAN TO HELP THOSE IN NEED! I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH OTHER MILITARY MOMS PREPARING PKGS TO SEND TO NJ, NY, CT AND RI RATHER THEN CRUISING, AND COMPLAINING TO STAFF. I HAVE SAID NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT STAFF, I KNOW DURING THE ENTIRE VOYAGE THAT PER USUAL THEY HAVE PROBABLY GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND. IT IS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND THEIR RESPONSE THAT I HAD ISSUE WITH I HAD EVERY RIGHT TO SAY HOW i FELT ABOUT PRINCESS BEING RUDE WHEN I HAD TO CANCEL. KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU ATTACK SOMEONE OR BE RUDE TO THEM PLEASE.

 

 

Shouting just makes your post hard to read...

 

framer

[BratDet]

Of course the cruise ships had to come back to NY so the people on the ships could get back to their homes and damage assessment!

 

Where should we have gone?

 

Please make sure your packages are wanted... as in most disasters, CASH is what is needed most.

redcross.org

 

Work with a local group who guides you on what specifically is needed, and where, example garbage bags might be a huge need or cleaning supplies.

 

PLEASE maximize your wonderful efforts by guaranteeing what you are sending is actually needed or wanted where you are sending it!

 

 

Bernadette

[tgmtgm]

ci66774

 

Thank You Tony, for taking what I wrote for exactly what it was and defending me.

I have much compassion for those suffering and have been very involved in gathering clothes, personal items and food that us Military Moms have been boxing up to send to those in NJ, NY, CT and Rhode Island.

I am one of the most compasionate people I know and how rude of CI66774 to assume and attack my character. I care not about not being on a cruise I had planned as I am too busy trying to do what I can in any small way or big way to help those so greatly affected by hurricane Sandy.

 

I am not aboard the ship CI66774 and had to cancel because Amtrak could not get us to NY. I am NOT complaining at all about not making my cruise , I was however not pleased at how Princess talked to us and others who had to cancel, as we had NO other choice. I am also not aboard constantly bugging Princess about where is my credit, or complaining to them about how rough the seas are.

 

I have no patience for anyone trying to get onboard quickly or about how smooth their cruise is, what did you expect?? I think it is awful that ALL the ships went into NY taking away time from those that needed help. The ships had NO business going there when NY had their hands full tending to those in devastation. No one should have cared at all about how the poor cruisers were going to get on the ship!!!! And I have a right to my feelings as does anyone here, and even when I don't agree with what they say I don't Flame them.

 

Again thank you

Tony

 

Don't mention it. I could clearly see that you were upset at how the situation was handled by Princess, and that you needed to vent. It's unfair for people to immediately jump to conclusions and start calling others selfish or uncaring for expressing their disappointment in how certain aspects of customer service was handled. And for the record, I am one of those who feels Princess should have allowed passengers to cancel and receive a future cruise credit for the full amount- not a cash refund. If you wanted a cash refund, then file with travel insurance if the individual policy provides for that. It would have been the right thing to do given all the turmoil that Sandy caused.

 

And a special thanks to your son/daughter for serving and protecting our country and it's freedoms. We owe all that serve the greatest of gratitude for doing what they do.

 

Tony

[Proudairborne/RangerMom]

Of course the cruise ships had to come back to NY so the people on the ships could get back to their homes and damage assessment!

 

Where should we have gone?

 

Please make sure your packages are wanted... as in most disasters, CASH is what is needed most.

redcross.org

 

Work with a local group who guides you on what specifically is needed, and where, example garbage bags might be a huge need or cleaning supplies.

 

PLEASE maximize your wonderful efforts by guaranteeing what you are sending is actually needed or wanted where you are sending it!

 

 

Bernadette

 

One...for those who needed to get back to NY then when it was safe and not an inconvenience to anyone in NY then and only then should the ships have gone into NY

 

Uhmm ...I guess you didn't read where I am a military mom and this is not my first time gathering items and knowing where they are needed. I have been doing this for over twenty years and for many other times when needed. We have already donated genoursly to the American Red Cross....as for the food, clothing, cleaning items etc that are being gathered we are working specifically with families that we know who have lost everything.

 

I am a 60 year old women and I think before I act and I am sending exactly what is needed an exactly where it is needed.. But thank you for taking the time to tell me how and what to do.

[MoonPet]

One...for those who needed to get back to NY then when it was safe and not an inconvenience to anyone in NY then and only then should the ships have returned to NY.

 

Our arrival at pier 88 wasn't, as far as I could tell, an inconvenience for anyone. Manhattan had power north of 39 street, some main roads were open, taxis were running, limited subway service was restored, and, most importantly, the port was open. Pier 88 is a cruise passenger terminal, so our arrival was not taking the space of a tanker or any other kind of cargo ship.

[Carolyn R]

Now that my thread has been hijacked by persons critical of the way Princess handled the cruises affected by Sandy (the bad one) I have a few last comments.

 

Where and when we docked during and after the storm was out of Princess' control and solely in the hands of the Coast Guard. We were held in Boston for two extra days until New York Harbor was open. Also of note everyone had to debark with their luggage as there were no dock workers to unload. The Princess Cruise staff had a bucket brigade going to help everyone with their luggage down the bumpy metal ramp onto the pier. The terminal was also without power so the normal ramps and escalators could not be used.

 

I think Princess handled things to the best of their ability and have no complaints except for wishing we had more announcements from the captain even if it was just to say there is no new news. A great many people on board were safer on the ship than they would have been at home. Many people I spoke to were from the NY/NJ area and had no power at home. One couple lived in Manhattan in a high rise with no power. The were in no hurry to get off the ship!

 

I understand the disappointment of missing a cruise but you can never rely on Mother Nature especially during hurricane season. It is one of the reasons that cruises on the east coast and Caribbean are cheaper in the fall. Anyone with insurance who was unable to make the cruise following ours will be reimbursed. Would it be fair if people who took a chance and didn't buy cruise insurance were reimbursed at the same rate as people who did buy a policy? Buy cruise insurance. I cannot believe the amount of people who do not! I also think that Princess has been very generous with their compensation. :)

[kaceyisme]

I totally agree Carolyn!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[5326jan]

Carolyn, Thank you for carrying on an enlightening "live" from your wayward cruise adventure. I admire your level headed "reporting" and it's obvious that you live your life with a glass half-full mentality. It is always so refreshing in times of hardship and turmoil. While I understand the frustration and angst others feel about the storm and it's effect on their plans, their homes and their lives, you gave us a clear accounting of your experience and that's all you can do. Others will just have to work out their own issues and no one will be able to mitigate how they feel. I hope time will. :)

[blazerjan]

Carolyn.... I would also like to thank you for your "live" from report. I checked back often during your adventure to see what was going on and how people were coping. That being said.... I have always purchased cruise insurance but today called my TA and upgraded the insurance for our 2013 cruise to Platium Plan..... it cost us about $80 more each... the way I look at it, that's $8 a day per person for our ten day cruise. A small price to pay for some peace of mine... IMHO.... Thanks again for the reports.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Carolyn.... I would also like to thank you for your "live" from report. I checked back often during your adventure to see what was going on and how people were coping. That being said.... I have always purchased cruise insurance but today called my TA and upgraded the insurance for our 2013 cruise to Platium Plan..... it cost us about $80 more each... the way I look at it, that's $8 a day per person for our ten day cruise. A small price to pay for some peace of mine... IMHO.... Thanks again for the reports.

 

I just put final payment on a cruise and did the same thing...bought the Princess Platinum insurance...a few $ more but the cancel for any reason is a nice feature...

[compozer]

Well said Carolyn.

 

Good to see you post again.

 

It's the last night of the cruise and i am sad but also anxious to get home especially to my fur babies. People are still complaining like mad. The poor future cruise gal is taking most of it. Lines like mad outside and the computer system has been down so often. One thing that people are mad about is that they did not get the tax back from the ports we missed and many other things. I guess people don't realize that if they book a cruise during hurricane season, something might happen to change your plans.

 

But we had a great time and have met some really neat people.

[caribill]

I have a few last comments.

 

 

I want to join the chorus of thanks.

 

You did a great job of keeping everyone on this Cruise Critic board informed as to what was going on.

 

May your next cruise be in perfect weather.

[Pam in CA]

I want to join the chorus of thanks.

 

You did a great job of keeping everyone on this Cruise Critic board informed as to what was going on.

 

May your next cruise be in perfect weather.

Me, too, Carolyn. Can't wait to meet you on our Royal cruise next year. ;)

[RNGALNG]

Ditto of all of the above. You kept us all informed but never lost your cool. You were on a real adventure and I enjoyed going on it with you!

[sallybrown2012]

Just wanted to add my thanks to the list. I enjoyed your posts and appreciate the time you took to let us all know what was going on. Take care.

[Roxymax]

Just wanted to add my thanks to the list. I enjoyed your posts and appreciate the time you took to let us all know what was going on. Take care.

 

Ditto!!!!