Princess Seattle to Alaska this Summer...

[Cruising Forever!]

So, my final payment is due on our Seattle to Alaska RT 7 day cruise (scheduled for this June) in less than two weeks.  Still no word from Princess if this cruise is really going forward or not.  They haven't canceled it, but it's becoming obvious that they will probably have to do so.  Setting aside Canada's port closures through Feb 2022, the CDC hasn't even given the go-ahead for "practice sailings" yet.  Cruise lines have started canceling through June 1.  I think it's pretty obvious that dates will probably slip back till July 1 for the end of the pause.

 

And of course, there's still no word on whether Princess could strike some deal with the Canadian or US governments to make the Alaska cruise itineraries happen this Summer.

 

And yet, Princess still expects us to make a final payment on a cruise that they probably know isn't going to happen.  After all, they've stopped cruise sales on ALL of their Alaska sailings!  If they are so sure our cruise will happen (or any Alaska cruise this Summer/Fall), why would they shut down sales for them? 

 

My TA is advising that I should go ahead with the final payment anyway since Princess will offer to put me on the same cruise in 2022 if mine does get canceled (plus a whopping 10% off FCC- wow).  But I'm not able to make any plans for 2022 at all where cruises are concerned.  So I'd basically be tying up funds to go on a cruise that will probably be canceled and then it will take 3 months to see those funds refunded. (if I'm lucky) I appreciate that Princess is in this between a rock and a hard place, too... but I'm not a billion dollar corporation.  (Princess still owes me a $200 down payment on a cruise that got canceled last year.  God only knows where that is.)

 

I wish Princess would do something civil and allow us to float our final payment a few months or until at least a point at which they can say, "yes, this cruise is going to happen!".  Since there's no sign that this will happen, I'm going to have to cancel this cruise (and probably lose another $200 deposit along the way) next week.  Sucks.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Cruising Forever!

[skynight]

??? Ask yourself, and provide yourself with a true answer.

Am I certain I really want to go on a cruise where the cruise experience will be filled with covid protocols both on board and in port?

[Grego]

Since I don't know where your previous $200 is or if it was applied to this booking.  However, you have answered your own question regarding what to do with this booking. 

 

Princess, or any other cruise line, doesn't know with any certainty whether there will be some successful negotiation between our State Department and the Canadian government to allow a "technical" stop or a change in their permission for ships to enter their ports.  That being the case, it is more probable that 2021 Alaska bookings are gone.

 

If you aren't able to make a 2022 commitment then you shouldn't make the final payment which goes to a guarantee that you will be on the same voyage on the same date in 2022.  

 

I have watched and listened to the variety of offers Princess has made for Alaskan bookings and they are being very responsible and generous in helping their customers get to a solution.  After all, Princess didn't create the issue, but they are concerned about their customers wishes.

 

 

 

[Potstech]

We cancelled our May 23 Alaskan cruise a week before final payment.  There is no reason for us to make that payment on a cruise that was not going to happen.  So much easier to just not pay then to hope it will happen or guess things for next year. Canada most likely will not change and this administration just does not care  about this issue.

[BlameCanada]

4 hours ago, Cruising Forever! said:

And of course, there's still no word on whether Princess could strike some deal with the Canadian or US governments to make the Alaska cruise itineraries happen this Summer.

 

The concession would have to come from the US Government.  Canada will not amend it's laws to accommodate protectionist American legislation.  USA needs to address the side effects of it's own legislation, that is not the responsibility of another country. 

[beg3yrs]

31 minutes ago, BlameCanada said:

 

The concession would have to come from the US Government.  Canada will not amend it's laws to accommodate protectionist American legislation.  USA needs to address the side effects of it's own legislation, that is not the responsibility of another country. 

I disagree with you here. Canada banned the cruise ships from their waters until February of 2022. They did it through a heavy-handed edict not a law and the Canadian Minister of Transportation can modify or even eliminate the edict with the stroke of a pen.

 

That said, both the USA and Canada have responsibility here. Vancouver and Victoria are missing out on cruise ship revenue as well as the Alaskan and Seattle cruise ports. Canada doesn't seem to believe that when (if?) the US CDC allows ships to sail again they will be under such a strict set of health protocols that there should be no problem. And yes, the US government has other things on their mind than to go through the machinations that would allow even a temporary and narrow exception to the PVSA.

[BlameCanada]

1 hour ago, beg3yrs said:

I disagree with you here. Canada banned the cruise ships from their waters until February of 2022. They did it through a heavy-handed edict not a law and the Canadian Minister of Transportation can modify or even eliminate the edict with the stroke of a pen.

 

 

 

Nothing heavy handed about it, it's a public health measure designed to protect Canadian citizens.  Canada has every right to do what it feels is necessary to protect it's citizens.

 

AGAIN....   It is not Canada's duty to address protectionist US laws, it's up to your country to waive that law.  With a minority government in place, Trudeau won't jeopardize the fall of the government on something like this. 

[voljeep]

what has SEATTLE stated about when their cruise port may open for cruise ships ???

[azbirdmom]

Princess isn't expecting anyone to make a final payment on a June cruise until 60 days before sailing date.  So you won't have to pay anything until sometime in April and your TA should be aware of this.  By then certainly Princess will have taken action - one way or another.  They are actively working on solutions with the Canadian and US authorities but they don't even have the technical instructions from the US CDC about how to start sailing again so it should become apparent fairly soon if they will be sailing anywhere in the USA in June.  Princess has been good thus far about announcing cancellations before final payment date so sit tight and wait for further news!

 

[skynight]

1 hour ago, BlameCanada said:

 

Nothing heavy handed about it, it's a public health measure designed to protect Canadian citizens.  Canada has every right to do what it feels is necessary to protect it's citizens.

 

AGAIN....   It is not Canada's duty to address protectionist US laws, it's up to your country to waive that law.  With a minority government in place, Trudeau won't jeopardize the fall of the government on something like this. 

Fully agree. The Canadians have the high ground on this public health issue.

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, BlameCanada said:

 

Nothing heavy handed about it, it's a public health measure designed to protect Canadian citizens.  Canada has every right to do what it feels is necessary to protect it's citizens.

 

AGAIN....   It is not Canada's duty to address protectionist US laws, it's up to your country to waive that law.  With a minority government in place, Trudeau won't jeopardize the fall of the government on something like this. 

But it is Canada's duty to determine who gets to leave and enter their country.  The cruise closure edict had nothing to do with any laws or regulations by the United States.  They could open them up by just another edict. Needs nothing from the US to do so.  

[BlameCanada]

17 minutes ago, Potstech said:

But it is Canada's duty to determine who gets to leave and enter their country. 

Correct.  Which is why the border with the USA has been closed for a year to non-essential travel. 

 

Canada is not allowing any foreign tourists to enter the country.   So even if the edict was not EXTENDED [this is not new, the ban has been in place since the start of the pandemic and is just an extension of the existing ban which expired in February] you could not enter Canada for a foreign port call.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by BlameCanada

[thinfool]

6 hours ago, Potstech said:

But it is Canada's duty to determine who gets to leave and enter their country.  The cruise closure edict had nothing to do with any laws or regulations by the United States.  They could open them up by just another edict. Needs nothing from the US to do so.  

The topic of discussion here is Seattle to Alaska.  Canada is not involved.  If the US wants to allow Seattle to Alaska cruises it can do so, legislation notwithstanding.

Canada has a responsibility to protect its citizens not facilitate various types of travel to and from Alaska or from Boston to and from the Maritimes.

Cruising is not an 'essential service'.

[AZjohn]

1 hour ago, thinfool said:

Cruising is not an 'essential service'.

You are correct about this...... it just feels kind of essential to my mental heath😊

[caribill]

16 hours ago, BlameCanada said:

 

The concession would have to come from the US Government.  Canada will not amend it's laws to accommodate protectionist American legislation.  USA needs to address the side effects of it's own legislation, that is not the responsibility of another country. 

 

100% correct.

 

The only reason ships stop in Canada on the way to/from Alaska is because of the PVSA requirement. The relatively short stop, mostly in evening hours, in Victoria would not be on the itinerary otherwise.

 

And why should Canada (or any country) be willing to accept a cruise ship with almost all the passengers coming from the country with the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the highest number of Covid-19 related deaths in the world?

[deliver42]

It's up to our legislatures to suspend the PVSA. If they did that, and our beloved CDC stopped over using their power, then Alaska can open from Seattle.

[skynight]

56 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

It's up to our legislatures to suspend the PVSA. If they did that, and our beloved CDC stopped over using their power, then Alaska can open from Seattle.

CDC is a public health agency. They issue guidance based on public health science not political power. Never say impossible for legislatures to make changes, but doubt it's one of their priority items. 

[Steelers36]

22 hours ago, BlameCanada said:

 

Nothing heavy handed about it, it's a public health measure designed to protect Canadian citizens.  Canada has every right to do what it feels is necessary to protect it's citizens.

 

AGAIN....   It is not Canada's duty to address protectionist US laws, it's up to your country to waive that law.  With a minority government in place, Trudeau won't jeopardize the fall of the government on something like this. 

Second paragraph, yes.  But the measure was heavy-handed and arbitrary setting of a date way in the future that no ones knows the situation.  And no cruise ships are heading for the Great White North in Feb in any case.  Yes, Canada could make a change to that, but if so, will do it so late, it will be too late for cruise lines to react.  

 

[BlameCanada]

26 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Second paragraph, yes.  But the measure was heavy-handed and arbitrary setting of a date way in the future that no ones knows the situation.  And no cruise ships are heading for the Great White North in Feb in any case.  Yes, Canada could make a change to that, but if so, will do it so late, it will be too late for cruise lines to react.  

 

 

Not arbitrary.  A one year extension of a previous 1 year ban.  And this can be rescinded at any time by the minister.   

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels.html

The February date is irrelevant for cruise ships as cruises to Canada stop in October, but at least they have set a date 

 

When has the US government said cruise ships can sail again??   

 

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/5/2021 at 9:01 AM, BlameCanada said:

 

The concession would have to come from the US Government.  Canada will not amend it's laws to accommodate protectionist American legislation.  USA needs to address the side effects of it's own legislation, that is not the responsibility of another country. 

I never said Canada should amend its laws.

[Cruising Forever!]

22 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

Princess isn't expecting anyone to make a final payment on a June cruise until 60 days before sailing date.  So you won't have to pay anything until sometime in April and your TA should be aware of this.  By then certainly Princess will have taken action - one way or another.  They are actively working on solutions with the Canadian and US authorities but they don't even have the technical instructions from the US CDC about how to start sailing again so it should become apparent fairly soon if they will be sailing anywhere in the USA in June.  Princess has been good thus far about announcing cancellations before final payment date so sit tight and wait for further news!

 

That’s interesting... my Princess paperwork says it’s due next week.  Is this a new update?

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/5/2021 at 6:39 AM, skynight said:

??? Ask yourself, and provide yourself with a true answer.

Am I certain I really want to go on a cruise where the cruise experience will be filled with covid protocols both on board and in port?

I’d only go on a cruise, this year, with Covid protocols on board.  

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/5/2021 at 8:24 AM, Grego said:

Since I don't know where your previous $200 is or if it was applied to this booking.  However, you have answered your own question regarding what to do with this booking. 

 

Princess, or any other cruise line, doesn't know with any certainty whether there will be some successful negotiation between our State Department and the Canadian government to allow a "technical" stop or a change in their permission for ships to enter their ports.  That being the case, it is more probable that 2021 Alaska bookings are gone.

 

If you aren't able to make a 2022 commitment then you shouldn't make the final payment which goes to a guarantee that you will be on the same voyage on the same date in 2022.  

 

I have watched and listened to the variety of offers Princess has made for Alaskan bookings and they are being very responsible and generous in helping their customers get to a solution.  After all, Princess didn't create the issue, but they are concerned about their customers wishes.

 

 

 

Except that it’s not pro-consumer for Princess to stop selling the cruise (they probably know it’s going to cancel if they halt sales) to others, but to expect a final payment from those who made a deposit and further, to tie up those funds for months and months and months if they do cancel.  

As I said, they should halt final payments until they know what’s going on with this cruise (and all their other Alaska cruises still supposedly going forward).  I’d hang in there with them if they did that.  But Princess handling things in this manner isn’t “being generous” at all.

[BlameCanada]

35 minutes ago, Cruising Forever! said:

I never said Canada should amend its laws.

 

Yes you did in post 1.   You said this. 

"And of course, there's still no word on whether Princess could strike some deal with the Canadian or US governments"

 

BTW, it's not a law just a Ministerial order which can be withdrawn at any time. 

Edited March 6, 2021 by BlameCanada

[azbirdmom]

35 minutes ago, Cruising Forever! said:

That’s interesting... my Princess paperwork says it’s due next week.  Is this a new update?

 

It is.  Over the past month they started quietly telling folks with May and June cruises about the change.  And they finally updated their website to reflect the change.  They aren't proactively sending out new paperwork but any generated today should show the new final payment date.