What will Island Princess look like after May 2015?

[LabGuy64]

Good for you lauren....hope you have a GREAT trip

 

I'm absolutely sure that it won't be the ONLY good thing about our cruise !!! Such doom and gloom in this thread . I'm sure I will be happy those who will be boycotting the ship wont be sailing with me !! Vacations are happy times . I'm intending to relish every minute and enjoy myself to the max .This being my first cruise I wont miss what ive never had and from what I read of the 2016 Mediterranean itineraries here on Cruise Critic it seems it's a great thing I booked my Grand Med cruise this year as it will be no more . That alone makes me want to enjoy it even more as it was the itinerary above everything else that enticed me to book the trip over the scores of other European and Mediterranean vacation itineraries.

[JsEscape2]

Oh NO

I just told my TA to book a Panama Canal Cruise on the Island for February 2016. We have been on crowed ships and it is miserable. We had to cue-up to get into the buffet on one ship in the Baltic. Disembarking for shore excursions and at the end of the cruise was a mess. We haven't done Princess and I was looking forward to the experience.

 

Even though we will have a balcony, I still thought it would be great to view the transit from a forward deck. Not if it is elbow to elbow.

 

Maybe it is not too late to switch to HAL that was our second choice. :(

[Astro Flyer]

Oh NO

 

I just told my TA to book a Panama Canal Cruise on the Island for February 2016. We have been on crowed ships and it is miserable. We had to cue-up to get into the buffet on one ship in the Baltic. Disembarking for shore excursions and at the end of the cruise was a mess. We haven't done Princess and I was looking forward to the experience.

 

Even though we will have a balcony, I still thought it would be great to view the transit from a forward deck. Not if it is elbow to elbow.

 

Maybe it is not too late to switch to HAL that was our second choice. :(

 

I am not happy about the changes however doubt if the scenarios you describe will be that bad. While definitely not my 1st choice, if the itinerary & price were right I'd sail on the modified Island.

 

The Island is about 15,000 tons larger than the Sun-class ships but carried the same number of passengers. Adding an additional 10% of passengers should make the ratio about the same as the Sun-class ships,

Edited March 6, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[waltd]

Oh NO

I just told my TA to book a Panama Canal Cruise on the Island for February 2016. We have been on crowed ships and it is miserable. We had to cue-up to get into the buffet on one ship in the Baltic. Disembarking for shore excursions and at the end of the cruise was a mess. We haven't done Princess and I was looking forward to the experience.

 

Even though we will have a balcony, I still thought it would be great to view the transit from a forward deck. Not if it is elbow to elbow.

 

Maybe it is not too late to switch to HAL that was our second choice. :(

 

Been on the Island twice. Got news for you. No matter what ship you are on the forward decks will always be crowded when you go through the canal. The Island modifications will not change that one way or another. For me the best views of the canal were standing on the Promenade deck and there were no crowds. Something about being able to almost touch the locks and be up close and personal with the trains that pull the ship through were interesting. Watching the ship go up and down in the lock and seeing the ships next to you do the same thing were great. You don't get that from the forward decks.

[caribill]

No matter what ship you are on the forward decks will always be crowded when you go through the canal.

 

The forward viewing as it used to be going through the Canal on Princess (not the Island). Five decks with forward viewing.

 

[waltd]

What a great photo. :)

[gbldcl]

I was booking a 2016 Alaskan cruise this morning and looked at the Island Deck plan. They have added yet another deck plan option if the cruise is going to be after May 2016??? So now there are three options for deckplans: Between now and May of this year, After May of this year, but before May of 2016, and after May 2016 2016.

 

What can Princess be up to now???? :confused::eek: Maybe just a mistake on the page?

 

And yes, I went ahead and booked the Island anyway because the itinerary and the date was what I wanted.

[Thrak]

I was booking a 2016 Alaskan cruise this morning and looked at the Island Deck plan. They have added yet another deck plan option if the cruise is going to be after May 2016??? So now there are three options for deckplans: Between now and May of this year, After May of this year, but before May of 2016, and after May 2016 2016.

 

What can Princess be up to now???? :confused::eek: Maybe just a mistake on the page?

 

And yes, I went ahead and booked the Island anyway because the itinerary and the date was what I wanted.

 

I booked on Island this morning as well. Like you I was surprised to find a third listing for deck plans. Since my cruise falls within the time period listed for the third alternative I clicked on the deck plan to see what the difference was. It didn't work. It pulled up the deck plan for Promenade deck but the rest of it was broken and I was unable to select any other deck. I went in and out several times to see if it was just a glitch but it never did work for me. I went back and checked again just now (6 hours later) and it's still that way.

[Pushka]

I booked on Island this morning as well. Like you I was surprised to find a third listing for deck plans. Since my cruise falls within the time period listed for the third alternative I clicked on the deck plan to see what the difference was. It didn't work. It pulled up the deck plan for Promenade deck but the rest of it was broken and I was unable to select any other deck. I went in and out several times to see if it was just a glitch but it never did work for me. I went back and checked again just now (6 hours later) and it's still that way.

 

And it seems Coral has removed the aft decks as well. From May 2016.

[caribill]

A number of the ships now show this choice of by or after 5/11/16.

 

The last time Princess did this it was strictly so they could change cabin categories around.

 

Considering that they are now booking cruises for after 5/11/16, it would be nice to either list whatever the changes will be or just not give the by/after option at all.

 

This is at least the second thread on the subject (different ships), and I expect many more such threads to start. Princess does not seem to realize how much confusion this type of partial posting on their web site causes.

[crystalspin]

Thanks for a reasonable explanation, caribill! Certainly more probable than another physical overhaul one year after the this coming one.

 

My observation is that all the major cruiselines treat the Internet and having to maintain and present a website as basically a nuisance, that it doesn't hurt their bottom dollar no matter how poorly they do it and they won't improve on that (except incrementally and almost inadvertently) until they perceive that it does.

 

I guess it will take one line with a superior site to rocket ahead in bookings because of it, to motivate a change in the industry.

 

(P.S. if there IS such a line/website, please inform me!)

Edited March 13, 2015 by crystalspin

[Wehwalt]

Thanks for a reasonable explanation, caribill! Certainly more probable than another physical overhaul one year after the this coming one.

 

My observation is that all the major cruiselines treat the Internet and having to maintain and present a website as basically a nuisance, that it doesn't hurt their bottom dollar no matter how poorly they do it and they won't improve on that (except incrementally and almost inadvertently) until they perceive that it does.

 

I guess it will take one line with a superior site to rocket ahead in bookings because of it, to motivate a change in the industry.

 

(P.S. if there IS such a line/website, please inform me!)

 

I'm not sure that's quite the case. If I recall correctly, until sometime in 2013, Princess did not give you that very handy map of what cabins were available. It could certainly be improved (Expedia has long had a nicer one) but it's something.

[mjrTom]

We have just finished a B2B on the Island Princess through the Canal (FLL to LA and Back). Removing the Universal lounge and if they are removing the viewing areas on the Baja and other decks to simply add more staterooms is profit driven. I think though they are adding an International Cafe. Having said that we will not be cruising on the Island in the foreseeable future. It's just as bad as the Regal and Royal with no centre stairwells and promenade decks for the passengers (money, money money). I understand they have to make a profit but why not give the paying customers something in return.

[caribill]

We have just finished a B2B on the Island Princess through the Canal (FLL to LA and Back)......Having said that we will not be cruising on the Island in the foreseeable future. It's just as bad as the Regal and Royal with no centre stairwells and promenade decks for the passengers (money, money money).

 

There is a center staircase for passengers that goes from deck 5 to deck 14.

[Bazz100]

I think you may have misunderstood mjrTOM caribill, my understanding is that he is not saying there is no central staircase on the Island but merely comparing the imminent refit and consequent loss of communal space for more cabins to the lack of a central staircase for the sake of more cabins on Royal and Regal.

[caribill]

I think you may have misunderstood mjrTOM caribill, my understanding is that he is not saying there is no central staircase on the Island but merely comparing the imminent refit and consequent loss of communal space for more cabins to the lack of a central staircase for the sake of more cabins on Royal and Regal.

 

The lack of a public staircase above deck 7 on the Royal and Regal has nothing to do with having more cabins instead.

 

The staircase is there on the Royal and Regal, but is restricted to crew use only except during emergencies and the muster drill when passengers can use it.

 

Main speculation on why it is not normally available for passengers is that Princess saved several million $$$ in construction costs by not finishing it to their standards for everyday public use.

 

You are correct. I did misunderstand what mjrTOM was saying.

[akswimmom]

Our friends were just on the Island princess ( they flew out of Venice yesterday). They reported the Universal Lounge was not available during the cruise as it was being gutted in preparation for its dry dock and upcoming changes!

[mjrTom]

Thanks for the heads up about the Universal Lounge being gutted. I called the 1-800 number and they said they do not have any info until about a month before the drydock. Stay Tuned.

[Astro Flyer]

Our friends were just on the Island princess ( they flew out of Venice yesterday). They reported the Universal Lounge was not available during the cruise as it was being gutted in preparation for its dry dock and upcoming changes!

 

This is the type of thing that keeps me from booking the last cruise before a major overhaul and also the 1st cruise afterwards. Too often work begins enroute to a major drydock & is being completed during the post-drydock cruise. :(

[Thrak]

Without debating the pros or cons of the refit I can say I definitely find it wrong to sell people a cruise without advance notice that a major venue will be unavailable. People should be told in advance and the cruise should be discounted. When I book a cruise I expect to be able to use all the venues normally available.

 

Disneyland has a list of attractions that will be closed during certain times of the year so you can check in advance if something important to you will be closed. Princess could easily do the same.

[Astro Flyer]

Without debating the pros or cons of the refit I can say I definitely find it wrong to sell people a cruise without advance notice that a major venue will be unavailable. People should be told in advance and the cruise should be discounted. When I book a cruise I expect to be able to use all the venues normally available.

 

Disneyland has a list of attractions that will be closed during certain times of the year so you can check in advance if something important to you will be closed. Princess could easily do the same.

I agree & want to know in advance about things that affect my cruise.

 

However just like not informing passengers about large group bookings it's doubtful to me if their marketing department wants to disclose things that could adversely affect pricing. :(

 

Thus it's buyer beware & something to consider when booking a cruise. Sadly there are many passengers who are unaware of this situation. I considered that cruise sailing from LA to Venice (only a one-way flight home :)) but didn't want to risk pre-drydock work adversely affecting our cruise. :(

[mreasier]

Our friends were just on the Island princess ( they flew out of Venice yesterday). They reported the Universal Lounge was not available during the cruise as it was being gutted in preparation for its dry dock and upcoming changes!

That is one reason why we canceled our booking on that cruise. We were on the La to FLL before it and were going to continue on to Venice. It seems to me that people who did go on the cruise should be due some compensation. They booked with the expectation of a Universe Lounge and the great On the Bayou show that goes with it. They did not book a construction site. We all expect to miss a port now and then but that is beyond Princess's control. Princess closed it for their own convenience, not for any mechanical or safety concerns. Shame on them.

[RickEk]

Thanks for the heads up about the Universal Lounge being gutted. I called the 1-800 number and they said they do not have any info until about a month before the drydock. Stay Tuned.

 

Interesting, since she's in Trieste now for the drydock...

 

Without debating the pros or cons of the refit I can say I definitely find it wrong to sell people a cruise without advance notice that a major venue will be unavailable. People should be told in advance and the cruise should be discounted. When I book a cruise I expect to be able to use all the venues normally available.

 

Disneyland has a list of attractions that will be closed during certain times of the year so you can check in advance if something important to you will be closed. Princess could easily do the same.

 

But then again, Disneyland doesn't discount the admission price either if a venue is closed... :)

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the heads up about the Universal Lounge being gutted. I called the 1-800 number and they said they do not have any info until about a month before the drydock. Stay Tuned.

 

 

Why would you think Santa Clarita would know anything?

They have a hard enough time keeping up with the basic information about their cruises.

 

Got news for ya 1 month before was 1 month ago! :rolleyes:

 

[Cruise Arizona]

I got a call from a client who is booked on Island for Panama Canal, he choose Princess over Celebrity because the price was over $1000 less for Princess in a mini suite over Celebrity st balcony.

 

He called yesterday because he heard about this and is concerned. We talked about it and decided that he would stick with the Island because he really wants to do the canal and the Celebrity price is just out of his range and their balconies are all sold out. He said if it is too crowded he can just order room service. (That doesn't sound fun) But he's got his balcony and the Panama canal so he is happy about that.

 

I did offer to cancel it for him. Hopefully with it being 6 months after the completion of the drydock it will give Princess enough time to make adjustments in the entertainment, activities, dining ect, that will allow guests to enjoy the cruise with-out feeling crowded and under served.

 

So I am trying to figure how behind the loop I am on the plans for this dry dock. When did it become know that Princess was replacing several public areas with hundreds of cabins? I feel like a crummy agent finding out about this from the client instead of proactively calling him with the information.

 

Are they adding crew cabins too? Because if they don't then service is going to suffer and this ship is going to feel crowded and under served.