Beware! Princess Shore Excursions Policy of Waiting

[c_galle]

The minute you said "we became separated from the group" I tuned out. Let me assure all readers of this forum that if you STAY with your late arriving Princess excusion group the ship will wait.

 

I'll try to say this nicer. I agree. If you don't know your way around the area, then you have to stay with the group. It doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan. But once seperated all means should of been made to get back to the ship. If that means pawning your watch or wife then do so. I have spent too much time in hostile 3rd World countries. Your eyes need to always be open and always have a back up plan. Thanks for the original poster for sharing this.

[Snurp]

I get tired of people making mistakes, and then turning to find someone else to blame for their own actions. Their actions caused this, not Princess. And then they want to be rewarded with a payoff......:rolleyes:

 

Nobody will take responsibility for their own actions anymore. It is always someone elses fault.

 

The only thing Princess did was have a computer malfunction that didn't clock them off. The computers are for Princess' security measures, not to babysit passengers as to whether they are back. Getting back is the Passenger's responsibility, you miss the ship, that is your problem.

 

Even if the computer worked and registered them as missing, the ship still would have left without them.

 

A more appropriate theme for this thread should be "Don't make the same mistakes we made"....rather that this...."Princes screwed us" story.:rolleyes:

 

I feel sorry you misunderstood the thread. I do not recall ever requesting a ""payoff"" from Princess nor have I ever said ""Princess screwed us"". I however did mention that we had some respondsibility in the matter of our actions if all had read the post correctly. The problems that we encountered ranged far further than just the scanning problem, the most troublesome of which was the port agent and his little offer of help for two stranded passengers in a foriegn country.

This thread was started not out for pity or out of anger at Princess, but a way to share with others the experience we had so that they could learn from it. This was the responsible think to do I believe. If one person has read this and it saves them from the terror we went through, then our hard earned lesson was not in vian. Life is a learning experience and should be shared with others so that they may learn and accumulate a knowledge base for their own use, be it good or bad, applied or not. Experience is what makes everyone human. Judging, however, is what made us mortal. It is a thin line that everyone must walk.

[TNTLAMB]

Once aboard we had to meet with the Chief Purser, the Captain and the Staff Captain, all of whom apoligezed and stated that they would back us up due to the shipboard problems.

As of now, Princess has yet to refund the over $3000 it cost to get back aboard a ship that we were certain would never leave us. probally be our last. Will post the letter I sent to the Passenger Relations Department upon our return home.

 

While I sympathize with your situation it certainly looks to me as if you are looking for some compensation. If your trip insurance won't pay, I doubt Princess will, and you have already made it clear in your OP that they have lost you as a customer so they have little to gain by "paying you off" as some have suggested and a lot to loose by admitting they are responsible for your getting seperated from your group. A number of years ago before people started sueing for anything and everything companies were far easier to work with. Now it seems thet can't even say Good Morning without having the legal department clear it. The on-board staff gave you a human response which probably reflects the feelings of any HUMAN that hear your story Princess employee or not a Corporate Response in a society such as ours will be much different for its own protection.

[TexasMom2]

Snurp, there was never any question that you were just reporting to help others and was not expecting sympathy or compensation. Thanks for sharing, we all learned a lot from your misfortune.

[waterrats]

Just count your blessings that your only out about $3000. I live in the DC area and last year some guy mooned a lady. Well he was taken to court in MD for mooning. Well some $62000 later, the judge found him NOT GUILTY. Yes, it may not be nice to moon but he will never get that money back. Just be glad you are well and your not out that much. You have taught us all a lesson to never ever lose our group if it is getting real close to departure time.

[JLC@SD]

Snurp, there was never any question that you were just reporting to help others and was not expecting sympathy or compensation. Thanks for sharing, we all learned a lot from your misfortune.

Yes there was expectation, for 3K

As of now, Princess has yet to refund the over $3000 it cost to get back aboard a ship that we were certain would never leave us. Will post the letter I sent to the Passenger Relations Department upon our return home.

[julieh]

We were on the same cruise and yes we did have a problem with the cruise cards and had to have our original cards changed. We were not swiped in or out that day. I am so sorry for the OP as I can't think of a worst place to be left and it was also a wonderfull cruise part of which they missed. I guess we can all learn from this nightmare.

 

Having personally met the Captain, Staff Captain and PSD (chief purser) I can imagine they were very concerned. They were a really great team that really cared about their passengers.

 

Julie

[Princess Chatterer]

"The no-swipe discharge of passengers is very surprising."

 

It's rare but does happen on Princess. That condition alone should have sent an even clearer message to passengers that they are fully responsible for getting to the tender pier ahead of time, Princess tour or no Princess tour. Another loud and clear message is when the ship clocks are on one time zone and the port clocks are on a different time zone.

 

Many times Princess sends a ship staffer with you and the Princess excursion group which can be comforting. The tour operator and port agent are most likely local independent contractors. Probably honest but mistakes do happen and their number one concern should be you but that probably is not the case. This is all the more reason to be very watchful about the possibility of being late back to the tenders.

 

One memory I'll always have is watching a taxi come screeching up to dock as the Grand Princess pulled away in Venice. Many of us waved goodbye to the taxi suspecting what just happened.

 

Bottom line: Cruising is an adventure in moving and sometimes more of an adventure than you expected.

[FSULB]

Well, I read all 8 pages (yes, I hate my job that much), and I'm going to try to add only something I hadn't read yet, without taking sides...

 

Snurp- There was some ambiguity in your post about Princess charging your shipboard account for flights. If you were not aware that they were charging you for those expenses at the time they were incurred, I strongly suggest calling your credit card company/bank and disputing that amount.

 

I think the lesson here, other than staying aware and prepared in terms of ID and safety, is that Princess' response isn't about financially compensating someone who did happen to make it home safely. Even without being comepensated, I would want them to be absolutely SHOCKED that a passenger had to endure those events and terrified that it could happen to someone who might not end up as well. Concern is more important than dollars, IMHO.

 

I'm surprised there aren't any lawyers on here arguing causation (typed by a lawyer).

[jennew]

I think 1/2 the people here are Lawyers (as a hobby anyway).

 

I have a business degree and all I could think of was "contract law" and wondering like crazy just what the excursion contracts say.

[FSULB]

Jennew made me do it! Lawyer's cap comes on- undoubtedly, all of our booking contracts and excursion contracts have long, all-encompassing indemnification and hold harmless clauses. However, because we are not in a position to negotiate those boiler-plate terms (imagine telling your TA "I want to go on the dolphin excursion, but they will have to delete the indemnity first"), it is not uncommon for them to be found invalid. It still largely depends upon the actual acts of the company- here, the cruise line- as to whether they would be responsible for your damages.

 

Now, whom can I bill for that gem of nonsense?

[jennew]

you can send the bill to Princess:D

 

You have given me some food for thought....

[flamomo]

I know from experience that Princess does hold the ship in port for passengers on excursions that are late returning to the ship. On the "ocean-to-Ocean" excursion at the Panama Canal in 2004, they had to hold the ship for 1 1/2 hours because our tour was delayed due to a traffic problem as we were being driven back from Panama City to the ship in Cristobal.

I also know from firsthand experience that when the computers for the "bink" machines are down, they manually record your ship card info. as you depart the ship. It was done last week when I was on the Island Princess in Hawaii. By the time we returned to the ship after our excursion, the "binkers" were functioning again. I did hear overhead paging of specific passengers on several occassions prior to the ship departing ports.

On each of our Princess cruises and Princess excursions, the driver/guides counted heads after we returned to the bus after each stop. I have observed this on every excursion and every Princess cruise we have been on.

I don't doubt the OP's story, but it is really hard to imagine how this happened with all of the processes in place by both Princess and the excursion staff/drivers/guides.

I'm just glad the OP's event had a happy ending.

[yusi1906]

I think that Snurp shouldn't be judged. Life is crazy and s%$t happens. Those that are saying to Snurp that he's not taking responsibilities from his actions and that he's looking for a 3K refund are wrong. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU? Believe it or not, there are still polite people in this messed up world and I can picture him getting lost among a big crowd. Sure, we should be more aware of our surroundings when in a strange place but when you are on vacation and having fun you tend to forget the dangers you may encounter. I know of a case that a pregnant woman got mugged in Caracas at gun point, PREGNANT!!!!!!

Snurp, I could imagine what you went through, and how frustated you and your wife must have felt. I'm sure those couple of days felt like years. I've learned from your story. I'm going on my second cruise this April and I will keep it mind. :confused: :(

[Pam in CA]

I think that Snurp shouldn't be judged. Life is crazy and s%$t happens. Those that are saying to Snurp that he's not taking responsibilities from his actions and that he's looking for a 3K refund are wrong. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU?

I really do have a lot of sympathy for the OP and I'm trying not to judge. But Isla Margarita is not an overpopulated island nor is it like being in downtown Athens. I've been there and on tour, and while it was several years ago, it would take some doing to get separated or lose sight of others on the tour. Yes, s%$t happens but if you don't stay with the tour, there's no guarantee that the ship will wait for you. Would it happen to me? Nope. Because if I got separated, I'd know to get myself back to the dock at all costs and not expect the ship to wait for me to get my butt to the pier. That's my responsibility -- either stay with the tour or get to the ship before it sails. If I fail to do that, then I bear the costs.

[Ethel5]

I really do have a lot of sympathy for the OP and I'm trying not to judge. But Isla Margarita is not an overpopulated island nor is it like being in downtown Athens. I've been there and on tour, and while it was several years ago, it would take some doing to get separated or lose sight of others on the tour. Yes, s%$t happens but if you don't stay with the tour, there's no guarantee that the ship will wait for you. Would it happen to me? Nope. Because if I got separated, I'd know to get myself back to the dock at all costs and not expect the ship to wait for me to get my butt to the pier. That's my responsibility -- either stay with the tour or get to the ship before it sails. If I fail to do that, then I bear the costs.

 

I still say that the only way they would get me off the ship without ID/money is kicking and screaming. I did learn something from this thread and that's to buy insurance.

[TexasMom2]

Weren't they stranded in Caracas, not Isla Margarita? This makes me NOT want to visit Caracas. There are safer places that offer beauty, culture, architecture, etc., in the Caribbean. I'm just wondering why the chaperone didn't do another head count at the tender. Also wondering why sea pass cards weren't logged as people walked off and back on the ship. Seems like delays are worth the liability of a disaster waiting to happen.

[LARGIN]

They were not in Caracas...

[TexasMom2]

They were not in Caracas...

 

Sorry, went back to read OP and they had to get to Caracas from Margarita, then from Caracas to Miami, then GC.

[Pam in CA]

I still say that the only way they would get me off the ship without ID/money is kicking and screaming. I did learn something from this thread and that's to buy insurance.

Yup... :) I don't always bring a lot of cash but I always bring one credit card and ID. As for insurance, I didn't buy it until an experience I had several years ago where, due to weather, I missed the ship even though I was scheduled to fly in to San Juan the day before. (It was a whole lotta snow and ice that paralyzed the entire Eastern seaboard that hadn't been predicted.) I had purchased Princess air and they flew me to Miami, put me up overnight, and flew me to Martinique, the next port, the next day. That was because I'd purchased the air -- I didn't have insurance. That taught me the lesson that no matter how much you plan ahead, s%$t does happen. Princess did take care of me but that's because I'd purchased the Princess air and I had an issued ticket, not an e-ticket. I look back on it now as an adventure but it was very, very stressful at the time.

[RocksNoSalt]

So sorry for your awful experience. I am so glad that you and your wife are safe. I know even the jaded few that have posted would never want this kind of thing to happen to them.

 

I find it troubling that the cabin steward did nothing or his superior did nothing on noticing that the cabin was vacant for three days....I certainly hope that Princess replaces that port agent....what a waste...

 

Thank you for your post. It certainly makes me want to be more vigilant on my excursions. Not only do you have to worry about being pitched overboard you have to worry about what happens on land...

 

Please keep us up to date as to whatever responsiblity Princess decides to assume. Best wishes on your next cruise.....

[sheila77]

First of all - sorry for the mishap that you experienced. But besides of not getting off the ship without ID/money, etc... If you were in a tender port - and you were right next to the bus...How did you not notice that you were separted from your group until the ship was sailing away. It seems like if you would have asked the port agent before the ship was sailing away - he would have been able to assist you in getting to the ship. With that many ships in port and others tendering, I just can not understand the complexity of being left behind.

 

On the other hand, I do think the room steward or Princess should have some sort of policy when someone (especially a couple) have not been to the room for two days/nights to look somewhere.

But what do I know, I have only been on three cruises.

Please post and let us know what has happened.

[waterrats]

I think that Snurp shouldn't be judged. Life is crazy and s%$t happens. Those that are saying to Snurp that he's not taking responsibilities from his actions and that he's looking for a 3K refund are wrong. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF IT HAPPENED TO YOU? Believe it or not, there are still polite people in this messed up world and I can picture him getting lost among a big crowd. Sure, we should be more aware of our surroundings when in a strange place but when you are on vacation and having fun you tend to forget the dangers you may encounter. I know of a case that a pregnant woman got mugged in Caracas at gun point, PREGNANT!!!!!!

 

I know this doesn't sound nice but then again it shouldn't. Snurp should take responsibility. 2 adults lose their tour that is running late. Hmmm. Why can't people take some reponsibility these days. Its crazy. Hmmm. If it happened to me, yeah I would be pissed (at myself) for missing the tender back to the ship because "I GOT SEPERATED FROM MY TOUR". Why should Princess be responsible for an adult on vacation. The others in the tour made it back ok. Maybe Snurp is a little slower (mentally) then the others and needed some additional hand holding to stay with the tour. If Snurp or wife are of age or inured, then once again they should take responsibility and make sure the tour guides are with them at all times.

 

Yes, bad things do happen to nice people. This was totally within snurps control. All Snurp had to do was follow on foot.

 

As far as someone being mugged. Hmm. Someone else doing something to you. You aren't totally in control of the situation.

[TexasMom2]

I know this doesn't sound nice but then again it shouldn't. Snurp should take responsibility. 2 adults lose their tour that is running late. Hmmm. Why can't people take some reponsibility these days. Its crazy. Hmmm. If it happened to me, yeah I would be pissed (at myself) for missing the tender back to the ship because "I GOT SEPERATED FROM MY TOUR". Why should Princess be responsible for an adult on vacation. The others in the tour made it back ok. Maybe Snurp is a little slower (mentally) then the others and needed some additional hand holding to stay with the tour. If Snurp or wife are of age or inured, then once again they should take responsibility and make sure the tour guides are with them at all times.

 

Yes, bad things do happen to nice people. This was totally within snurps control. All Snurp had to do was follow on foot.

 

As far as someone being mugged. Hmm. Someone else doing something to you. You aren't totally in control of the situation.

 

We've all read your 3 posts on this subject and know your opinion, and also the fact that you learned several things from the OP's experience. However I think this post goes WAY beyond insulting and is totally uncalled for. There are ways to get your point across, once, without insulting someone's intelligence.

[TNTLAMB]

I'm not sure, Tina, that responding to that kind of post helps or hurts. It appears that Snurp is taking full responsibility for his unfortunate situation whether he wants to or not (it didn't appear to me he was shirking that reposibility at all) There were mitigating circumstances however and if we didn't live in a black and white society in terms of corporate responsibility/liability a reasonable solution or compromise wouldn't be possible but as things are there are too many folks out there like waterrats that everything has to be someones fault and no shared responsibility. I think Snurp has learned and taught us all a wonderful lesson. It also appears that he has been mostly reasonable in his approach to all involved. I hope things work out for him.