Sun Princess Problems

[BajaSteve]

Our local NBC station (Los Angeles) had a news item about a couple that were booked on the Sun Princess departing on August 18th for a 26 day cruise. In their itinerary they read that the ship has propulsion problems and cannot go as fast as originally planned. Because of this Princess eliminated one port-of call. The couple was worried about their safety and wanted to cancel. Princess wouldn’t give then a refund. They called the TV station and Princess came through with the refund.

 

Has anyone else heard about the propulsion problem?

 

If this couple are experienced cruisers (40+) why didn’t they have Travel Insurance?

[Thrak]

I know that Sea Princess has been having problems but haven't heard anything about problems on Sun.

[Colo Cruiser]

Are you sure thats not the "SEA" Princess?? :confused:

The Sea has been having all the propulsion problems.

 

 

Yes have insurance!

[Pam in CA]

The Sea Princess has been having propulsion problems, not the Sun Princess.

 

However, the Sun Princess experienced a fire in the main laundry room yesterday. It was put out quickly and all is well.

 

Plus, if anyone wants to cancel at the last minute for whatever reason, they should contact their insurance company for the refund or credit, not Princess.

 

I get very tired of the media making a big deal about how cruise lines won't refund or move over passengers and how wrong that is. What's "wrong" is people deliberately choosing to self-insure and reject the option for insurance.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Colo Cruiser]

However, the Sun Princess experienced a fire in the main laundry room yesterday. It was put out quickly and all is well.

 

Too many Elites sending out clothes.

[BajaSteve]

You guys are right. I recorded the news broadcast and just looked at it again. It is the Sea Princess.

[Bizziecruzer]

The Sea Princess has been having propulsion problems, not the Sun Princess.

 

However, the Sun Princess experienced a fire in the main laundry room yesterday. It was put out quickly and all is well.

 

Plus, if anyone wants to cancel at the last minute for whatever reason, they should contact their insurance company for the refund or credit, not Princess.

 

I get very tired of the media making a big deal about how cruise lines won't refund or move over passengers and how wrong that is. What's "wrong" is people deliberately choosing to self-insure and reject the option for insurance.

The "cancel for any reason" is not an option in Australia. There is no Princess insurance offered either.

Princess really needs to get their act together regarding the Sea Princess - I know for a fact that the are losing business as a result. It has been very poorly managed.

People shouldn't have to go to the media to get a fair deal when it is clearly Princess and their executive's decisions that are causing the customer grief.

[JimmyVWine]

I get very tired of the media making a big deal about how cruise lines won't refund or move over passengers and how wrong that is. What's "wrong" is people deliberately choosing to self-insure and reject the option for insurance.

 

It's because the cruise industry stands alone when it comes to enforcing its "no refund" policies. If you booked a discounted, pre-paid, "no refunds" stay at a hotel and arrived to check in only to find out that the hotel had plumbing issues and the air conditioning wasn't functioning, and that the hotel would not be ready for guests for two more days, you would be allowed to cancel your stay and would get your money back, irrespective of the non-refundable rate that you paid. If the same thing happened to a cruise ship, the cruise line would put you up at a hotel for two days, and on the third day would expect you to board the ship with no offer of a cancellation refund. You might get some sort of future cruise credit to account for your lost days. But you wouldn't be able to cancel and get your money back. To most outside observers (like the media), this sounds pretty Draconian. Lots of vacation/transportation providers have "no refund" policies that they elect to override when they themselves are the cause of not being able to deliver on their promises. Cruise lines don't. Contractually, they don't have to. But the media is in the "do what's fair for the consumer" business, not the "contractually obligated" business.

Edited August 6, 2014 by JimmyVWine

[islandatsea]

Too many Elites sending out clothes.

 

:D :D Good One :D :D

[alolewis]

I agree with Pam, we usually do not take the insurance knowing the risk that there is a possibility we will have to cancel, it is a risk we are willing to take. After all the insurance companies are betting, and make money, that they will take in more in premiums then they pay out. However, if the itinerary changes and is not what you contracted for, then I would think they would have a liberal policy of allowing changes or cancellations. It is kinda like me saying, I know my cruise leaves on Sunday but I will get there Monday, that's okay right? A contract should not be one sided. My opinion.

[JimmyVWine]

However, if the itinerary changes and is not what you contracted for, then I would think they would have a liberal policy of allowing changes or cancellations.

 

If the "they" in your sentence is intended to mean the cruise line, they do not. A "liberal policy of allowing changes or cancellations" is never a phrase that one can ascribe to a cruise line.

[Christine Frances]

The "cancel for any reason" is not an option in Australia. There is no Princess insurance offered either.

Princess really needs to get their act together regarding the Sea Princess - I know for a fact that the are losing business as a result. It has been very poorly managed.

People shouldn't have to go to the media to get a fair deal when it is clearly Princess and their executive's decisions that are causing the customer grief.

 

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/Couples-Anniversary-Cruise-Goes-Awry-270080001.html

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I am sure they will fix it ..

[rkmw]

I am sure they will fix it ..

 

yes they will fix it but when, been going on for nearly 3 months

[windsor26]

yes they will fix it but when, been going on for nearly 3 months

 

I am booked on the stated cruise and they are giving us sea days to commence having cancelled Lombok and Vietnam and they are Fixing the Problem (they say) on the 72 hour stop in Singapore. We arrive at 8pm on one day and leave at 8am on the 4 day. Hope this gives them enough time to finish the repairs which have been going on slowly since January 2014.

 

Some of the other stops have been shortened but we will still have a fantastic holiday and we have a good roll call going and a meet and greet organised I will invite the engineer - I wonder if he will come:):):p

[Pam in CA]

It's because the cruise industry stands alone when it comes to enforcing its "no refund" policies. If you booked a discounted, pre-paid, "no refunds" stay at a hotel and arrived to check in only to find out that the hotel had plumbing issues and the air conditioning wasn't functioning, and that the hotel would not be ready for guests for two more days, you would be allowed to cancel your stay and would get your money back, irrespective of the non-refundable rate that you paid.

Very different from a mechanical issue on a ship that doesn't affect hotel services. If the hotel has one elevator out of service, that doesn't affect your room, restaurants, room service or other amenities. Same for a ship. You are paying for the hotel services regardless of itinerary. If you miss a port, you still have your cabin, bathroom, dining rooms, restaurants, buffet, entertainment, etc. That's in the Passage Contract that you read and sign electronically. No port is ever guaranteed whether it's weather, social/political conditions, etc. You are getting what you paid for. Thus, no refund. I've been on many cruises when a port was missed and the only thing refunded were the port fees. I never expected anything further.

 

Even though this is an ongoing issue, it takes a lot of planning and organization to find a shipyard near or on the itinerary with a slot available for drydock. It's not like the ship can pull in to the nearest service station. Shipyards are often booked solid for months/years in advance. To fix the problem, the ship has to offload all passengers, sail to the shipyard, go into drydock and be repaired, and hopefully the parts are available. Ships don't use "off the shelf" parts but they often have to be manufactured. This can cause delays because not only do the parts have to be manufactured but they have to be transported to the shipyard.

 

I'm sure Princess would like to see the problem fixed but they may not have many options.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Pam in CA

[beg3yrs]

Very different from a mechanical issue on a ship that doesn't affect hotel services. If the hotel has one elevator out of service, that doesn't affect your room, restaurants, room service or other amenities. Same for a ship. You are paying for the hotel services regardless of itinerary. If you miss a port, you still have your cabin, bathroom, dining rooms, restaurants, buffet, entertainment, etc. That's in the Passage Contract that you read and sign electronically. No port is ever guaranteed whether it's weather, social/political conditions, etc. You are getting what you paid for. Thus, no refund. I've been on many cruises when a port was missed and the only thing refunded were the port fees. I never expected anything further.

 

Even though this is an ongoing issue, it takes a lot of planning and organization to find a shipyard near or on the itinerary with a slot available for drydock. It's not like the ship can pull in to the nearest service station. Shipyards are often booked solid for months/years in advance. To fix the problem, the ship has to offload all passengers, sail to the shipyard, go into drydock and be repaired, and hopefully the parts are available. Ships don't use "off the shelf" parts but they often have to be manufactured. This can cause delays because not only do the parts have to be manufactured but they have to be transported to the shipyard.

 

I'm sure Princess would like to see the problem fixed but they may not have many options.

 

Well said!

[USN59-79]

Our local NBC station (Los Angeles) had a news item about a couple that were booked on the Sun Princess departing on August 18th for a 26 day cruise. In their itinerary they read that the ship has propulsion problems and cannot go as fast as originally planned. Because of this Princess eliminated one port-of call. The couple was worried about their safety and wanted to cancel. Princess wouldn’t give then a refund. They called the TV station and Princess came through with the refund.

 

Has anyone else heard about the propulsion problem?

 

If this couple are experienced cruisers (40+) why didn’t they have Travel Insurance?[/quote]

 

If they bought travel insurance for 40+ cruises, what would that cost? I am guessing $50K or more. We have never bought travel insurance and I don't see the need for it. I have obviously already paid for the cruise, so that money is already gone. So if for some reason we don't make the cruise, no biggie, we will just stay home and enjoy our self some other way - like enjoying a $10 bottle of wine that didn't cost $35 plus 15% for opening it and not paying the DW $11.50 a day to make the bed and cook the meals. I enjoy cruising, but it won't ruin my life if for some reason we have to cancel one and don't get our money back.

[BajaSteve]

(quote) If they bought travel insurance for 40+ cruises, what would that cost? I am guessing $50K or more. We have never bought travel insurance and I don't see the need for it.

 

We have only been on about 6 cruises plus the same number of land tours (Trafalgar, Insight) and always get travel insurance. We get it mostly for medical reasons and we have had to use it. It was completely worth it.

 

All insurance companies are in business to make money. We could save a lot by not having house/car/medical insurance. Living in California we also get to pay about $1000/year for earthquake insurance.

[Pam in CA]

If they bought travel insurance for 40+ cruises, what would that cost? I am guessing $50K or more. We have never bought travel insurance and I don't see the need for it. I have obviously already paid for the cruise, so that money is already gone.

Insurance is always a gamble and it's not just in case you want to cancel the cruise.

 

Accidents and illnesses happen on a cruise far more often than you realize. I see it all the time. Once, a woman was walking on the sidewalk in Acapulco and tripped on the uneven pavement, falling and breaking her arm in four places. She had to fly home for surgery. In my case, my BIL got sick on a cruise, spent 24 hours in intensive care in the Medical Center ($8,000) and was disembarked in FLL. He spent a month in the hospital and we stayed at a hotel (during the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl) plus living expenses. We finally got him flown home to CA in a medical jet since he was still in critical condition. Insurance covered everything except $200 in my case and $1,000 in my sister's. The costs covered were astronomical.

 

I truly hope you never have an accident or have any problems while on a cruise but I have to say, penny wise pound foolish. :( You never know when something will happen and when it does, the last thing you or your traveling companion is going to want to think about is how you're going to pay for it all.

[shredie]

I truly hope you never have an accident or have any problems while on a cruise but I have to say, penny wise pound foolish. :( You never know when something will happen and when it does, the last thing you or your traveling companion is going to want to think about is how you're going to pay for it all.

 

I think of all the times I've seen someone medically removed from the ship, sometimes in foreign countries. During a Panama canal voyage, a passenger near us was taken off because of a heart attack, and they took his entire family with him, about six people in all. I hoped at the time that there was insurance to get all those people home. Cruise cancellation insurance is the least of it. I don't want to be stranded somewhere with a serious illness and no way to get home.

[WpgCruise]

To me this story isn't about insurance, it's about Princess selling a product they know full well they can't deliver.

 

For about 3 months they have been selling a cruise on a ship with mechanical problems that preclude it being able to do the itinerary. To me, that's just immoral.

 

Contractually are they delivering? I don't know the answer to that question but the place to determine the answer would be the Courts, not an opinion board.

 

All of us I think would agree that on an individual cruise, things can happen, weather, emergency medical issues, a host of other things that can change an itinerary.

 

This is not the case here, Princess has been selling cruises knowing that they can't keep the itinerary, and worse, they are selling into a market that prevents cancellation without loss of deposit.

 

To me, that just isn't a fair business practice, and it is the Court of Public Opinion that Princess will first be judged.

[Bizziecruzer]

To me this story isn't about insurance, it's about Princess selling a product they know full well they can't deliver.

 

For about 3 months they have been selling a cruise on a ship with mechanical problems that preclude it being able to do the itinerary. To me, that's just immoral.

 

Contractually are they delivering? I don't know the answer to that question but the place to determine the answer would be the Courts, not an opinion board.

 

All of us I think would agree that on an individual cruise, things can happen, weather, emergency medical issues, a host of other things that can change an itinerary.

 

This is not the case here, Princess has been selling cruises knowing that they can't keep the itinerary, and worse, they are selling into a market that prevents cancellation without loss of deposit.

 

To me, that just isn't a fair business practice, and it is the Court of Public Opinion that Princess will first be judged.

Well said - that is exactly what it's about. I can have this opinion as I am directly affected by their business decision to wait until after final payment to let people know that they are decimating the cruise they have booked and paid for. AND - they continued to advertise and sell the original cruise itinerary after they had made major change the cruise itinerary.

We have been allowed to cancel the cruise and Princess advised they were "doing us a favour" by doing this, but we are still waiting for our refund - cancelled cruise on 26 July - still no money.

Court of Public opinion has already come to a verdict - I personally know of people (other than myself) who have either cancelled an upcoming cruise prior to final payment on the Sea Princess or decided not to book as they don't like Princess' current business practices.

[Pam in CA]

To me this story isn't about insurance, it's about Princess selling a product they know full well they can't deliver.

 

For about 3 months they have been selling a cruise on a ship with mechanical problems that preclude it being able to do the itinerary. To me, that's just immoral.

 

Contractually are they delivering? I don't know the answer to that question but the place to determine the answer would be the Courts, not an opinion board.

You are getting what you paid for: a cabin, food, entertainment, activities, etc. That's what you booked and paid for and what they are delivering. That's the contract. If you want to cancel, you can always cancel which is what insurance is for. Edited August 7, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Bizziecruzer]

I am booked on the stated cruise and they are giving us sea days to commence having cancelled Lombok and Vietnam and they are Fixing the Problem (they say) on the 72 hour stop in Singapore. We arrive at 8pm on one day and leave at 8am on the 4 day. Hope this gives them enough time to finish the repairs which have been going on slowly since January 2014.

 

Some of the other stops have been shortened but we will still have a fantastic holiday and we have a good roll call going and a meet and greet organised I will invite the engineer - I wonder if he will come:):):p

Princess must not have much faith in repairing the issue as the cruise following yours (we were supposed to be on) has been decimated and also cruises following the one we were booked on have had itinerary time changes as a result of the "ship travelling slow".

 

I really hope you enjoy your holiday and that you receive value for your dollars you have spent.