Just off Royal - southbound Alaska

[ceilidh1]

33 minutes ago, Coral said:

No it hasn't.

 

I wish they had never put that ship along that route. Or at worst, put it out of Seattle RT.

 

Sometimes large ships are not the answer to everything. I wish Princess knew that. I agree -it is a much more scenic route.

I wonder if this is the reason folks are "jumping ship" (literally). I had no desire to go to Alaska this year, and certainly no desire to go back on Royal...but when I saw the price of the 14 day in August I couldn't refuse! I figure the worst day on a cruise has to be better than the best day at work/home....so why not!

[Kingofcool1947]

9 hours ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Just off Royal yesterday, lots of unhappy cruisers. Went west of Vancouver Island missing the best part of the inland passage. Heard many people saying that they wanted money back.

 

Of course. Right. And good luck with that. 😁

Edited June 24, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Colorado Coasty]

8 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I’m sorry you were disappointed. I was on this cruise and had a fantastic time. I never heard any passengers complaining, and I was out and about a lot on Friday. Friday’s day at sea was smooth. I’ve sailed the Inside Passage, too, and though it is pretty, I don’t feel like we really missed out. 

I was not disappointed, I have made this trip many times before and it really didn't matter to me. However, I spoke to several people who expected to sail the inside passage to Vancouver. Some were extremely upset and they expected some sort of compensation.

I enjoyed the cruise as usual and thought I got my money's worth. OF COURSE I DID!!

[Coral]

17 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I wonder if this is the reason folks are "jumping ship" (literally). I had no desire to go to Alaska this year, and certainly no desire to go back on Royal...but when I saw the price of the 14 day in August I couldn't refuse! I figure the worst day on a cruise has to be better than the best day at work/home....so why not!

I think there are a lot of large ships in Alaska and many cruise lines are having a difficult time filing them. It is not just a Princess issue.

[ccruzer123]

We had brunch with an officer on Royal Princess while doing the southbound route in Alaska.  The topic of the Royal not sailing through the Inside Passage came up and he stated that they were hoping to start sailing that route sometime in July.  Seems like the Alaska Pilots are becoming more familiar with the ship.  Keep your fingers crossed.  

[Cruiserkenn]

As I mentioned earlier, the Alaska cruises from Seattle go west of Vancouver Island, and these are good cruises, too.  I like all of the Alaska routes.  

[tetleytea]

I was on both that southbound cruise and the northbound before that.  My single biggest issue with the Royal Princess bridge is being lied to.  

 

On the northbound before that, they told us we had to embark half an hour earlier because we had the unusual opportunity to sail the Seymour Narrows.  They already knew beforehand that we were in fact not going to sail the Seymour Narrows--they were not going to sail inside at all.  They needed the half hour in order to sail around the island.  

 

Then on the southbound at Hubbard glacier, they told us they could not get close to the glacier due to a combination of wind (there was none), and ebbing tide (they knew the tidal schedule before they set sail).  However, for the low, low price of $99pp, we could purchase an excursion that let us get on a smaller ship, and they got to see Hubbard for real.  

 

Then in the Patter for the final day, they misleadingly implied they had sailed the inside passage.  No, they didn't.  We paid for a portside balcony expecting to sail the inside passage--not to hear the bridge talk ABOUT the inside passage.

[Kingofcool1947]

28 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

I was on both that southbound cruise and the northbound before that.  My single biggest issue with the Royal Princess bridge is being lied to.  

 

On the northbound before that, they told us we had to embark half an hour earlier because we had the unusual opportunity to sail the Seymour Narrows.  They already knew beforehand that we were in fact not going to sail the Seymour Narrows--they were not going to sail inside at all.  They needed the half hour in order to sail around the island.  

 

Then on the southbound at Hubbard glacier, they told us they could not get close to the glacier due to a combination of wind (there was none), and ebbing tide (they knew the tidal schedule before they set sail).  However, for the low, low price of $99pp, we could purchase an excursion that let us get on a smaller ship, and they got to see Hubbard for real.  

 

Then in the Patter for the final day, they misleadingly implied they had sailed the inside passage.  No, they didn't.  We paid for a portside balcony expecting to sail the inside passage--not to hear the bridge talk ABOUT the inside passage.

 

Wow.  What a disappointment.

Since the Royal Princess bridge (the captain?)  lied to you,  did you, or are you, going to ask for a full or partial refund of your cruise?   Or what compensation from Princess do you expect?

Good luck.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[tetleytea]

7 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Wow.  What a disappointment.

Since the Royal Princess bridge (the captain?)  lied to you,  did you, or are you, going to ask for a full or partial refund of your cruise?   Or what compensation from Princess do you expect?

Good luck.

 

I expect Princess not to give us anything, and to deny they ever lied about anything.  However, as a platinum, I need to re-evaluate my loyalty level.  If that answers your question? 

 

The live entertainment was still better than other cruise lines I'd been on. 

[gagenie]

13 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I'm not disagreeing with that at all and, as I said, it makes no difference to me. However, from what I've read the Royal hasn't made the Inside Passage at all thus far...so it would make more sense to show the route West of Vancouver Island. That way, no one is disappointed and, on the contrary, it's a huge bonus if they make the Inside Passage. Just my opinion....

 

I agree, they shouldn't be stilling selling and showing to route for which they are not taking! I was upset too because I was on June 1st sailing and we went West of Vancouver Island. I have been on the Coral and went the inside passage and that's what I thought I booked this time. If I wanted to go west of Vancouver Island I would have booked round trip out of Seattle as I done before also. I have complained to Princess when we got home and no response whatsoever from them. We was not given any notice that this was the route they was taking even while onboard the ship.

 

[tetleytea]

I will say that, in spite of me being on the same cruise as the OP, that we have never met.  We never spoke about this beforehand.  Yet I still have the same exact issue as the OP.  I booked a portside balcony, on Princess, expecting an Inside Passage sailing, and they did not.  They knew at the time of booking that they were not going.  I have a serious problem with that.

[Colorado Coasty]

9 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Wow.  What a disappointment.

Since the Royal Princess bridge (the captain?)  lied to you,  did you, or are you, going to ask for a full or partial refund of your cruise?   Or what compensation from Princess do you expect?

Good luck.

Kingoffool, thanks as always for your positive contributions.😉

[Colorado Coasty]

1 minute ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Kingoffool, thanks as always for your positive contributions.😉

Oops, sorry about the typo.😇

[Kingofcool1947]

12 minutes ago, Colorado Coasty said:

Oops, sorry about the typo.😇

 

😁Some will jump to another cruise line.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[BarbinMich]

15 hours ago, Coral said:

"Inside passage" is a very vague term - it can technically be the route from Juneau to Skagway.

That's what I always thought it was and we've sailed in Alaska multiple times.

[BarbinMich]

Don't know if this will settle the question of "what is the inside passage", but here goes.  First, it's important to realize that SE Alaska is a skinny "panhandle" made up of numerous islands and some mainland North America and stretches from Skagway south to Ketchikan.  The inside passage is where a ship "weaves" among those islands.  Ketchikan is on the large island of Revillagigedo, which is very close to and east of Prince of Wales Island.  Juneau is on Alaska's mainland, but close to the large Admiralty Island and one goes by numerous islands between Ketchikan and Juneau.  Skagway and Haines are also on the mainland.

Edited June 24, 2019 by BarbinMich

[Jeremiah On a Cruise]

While expecting a lot of compensation for the re-routing is probably not reasonable, I think the OP has a legit gripe.  The E side of Vancouver Island is one of the highlights of the cruise for us.  It's incredibly scenic, calm, and probably the best chances to see orca anywhere on the cruise.  

 

I know that Princess is within their rights to take a route that is different from what was posted, and the info in the links/threads above makes me think it's not entirely their call and based largely on safety.  But if I were booked on a Royal AK cruise this year (and I'm not), I'd be a bit grumpy - and would probably be asking to change to different option.

[Kingofcool1947]

5 minutes ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

While expecting a lot of compensation for the re-routing is probably not reasonable, I think the OP has a legit gripe.  The E side of Vancouver Island is one of the highlights of the cruise for us.  It's incredibly scenic, calm, and probably the best chances to see orca anywhere on the cruise.  

 

I know that Princess is within their rights to take a route that is different from what was posted, and the info in the links/threads above makes me think it's not entirely their call and based largely on safety.  But if I were booked on a Royal AK cruise this year (and I'm not), I'd be a bit grumpy - and would probably be asking to change to different option.

 

And what change to a different option might that be?

Edited June 24, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[ceilidh1]

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

And what change to a different option might that be?

I'm guessing any of the other ships out of Vancouver that ARE sailing that route!

[Jeremiah On a Cruise]

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

And what change to a different option might that be?

 

Well, I meant swapping to a different Princess AK cruise that either did go E of Vancouver Island, but looking at the options, the Royal itinerary is 14 days meaning there aren't a ton of options to switch to.  

Edited June 24, 2019 by Jeremiah On a Cruise

[Lido deck main]

I feel your pain and I would be upset as well.  We have sailed from Vancouver to Alaska four times, the Vancouver route is much more scenic than leaving from Seattle as their inside passage is as below someone stated.

"Inside passage" is a very vague term - it can technically be the route from Juneau to Skagway.

People who have just visited Alaska on cruise ships leaving from Seattle don't know what they are missing.  We sail mostly on both Holland America and Princess and once in awhile Norweigian Cruise Lines, we have sailed three times to Alaska on Holland America and once with Norweigian Cruise.  On one trip with Holland we went the inside of the inside passage.  It was the Captain's last trip before his holiday, cruise companies don't like to do it as it costs the cruise lines more in fuel. I am sorry for your disappointment, it should have been a very memorable and positive experience.  

[Coral]

3 hours ago, Jeremiah On a Cruise said:

 

Well, I meant swapping to a different Princess AK cruise that either did go E of Vancouver Island, but looking at the options, the Royal itinerary is 14 days meaning there aren't a ton of options to switch to.  

There are a few other ships that are doing that same route. You can easily pick (2) 7 night cruises to do a 14 night cruise.

 

 

[karatemom2]

I sympathize - the reason many people go to the expense of cruising out of Vancouver is to experience the true Inside Passage which includes Seymour Narrows out of Vancouver. It is truly an amazing experience. We did B2B cruises out of Vancouver on the Diamond Princess several years ago and went inside as advertised both leaving Vancouver and coming back. It was truly some spectacular scenery and I would have been disappointed if it had not taken the route that was advertised to me when I booked the cruise, despite any disclaimer. I'm sorry that it is not working out for those cruising on the Royal.

[Kingofcool1947]

4 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

I sympathize - the reason many people go to the expense of cruising out of Vancouver is to experience the true Inside Passage which includes Seymour Narrows out of Vancouver. It is truly an amazing experience. We did B2B cruises out of Vancouver on the Diamond Princess several years ago and went inside as advertised both leaving Vancouver and coming back. It was truly some spectacular scenery and I would have been disappointed if it had not taken the route that was advertised to me when I booked the cruise, despite any disclaimer. I'm sorry that it is not working out for those cruising on the Royal.

 

What do you mean “went inside”?  

 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[karatemom2]

2 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

What do you mean “went inside”?  

 

 

See the map below - we traveled "Inside" of Vancover Island through the Seymour Narrows instead of "Outside" of Vancouver Island on the Pacific Ocean side - and it was magnificent!

 

We