Princess Seattle to Alaska this Summer...

[azbirdmom]

50 minutes ago, BlameCanada said:

 

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  And this can be rescinded at any time by the minister.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??   

 

 

Agree with you on the date.  Stating that it expired on September 30, 2021 or February 28, 2022 would have the same impact.

 

Also agree on the US sailing date start.  The CDC still hasn't issued technical instructions about how lines can start sailing including how the mock cruises should be run.

[dobiemom]

On 3/5/2021 at 1:02 AM, Cruising Forever! said:

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). 

Your TA should have known about the new final payment date. Does your money go directly to Princess, or to the TA who then pays Princess? Might want to consider getting a new TA. 

[John99]

•  

Please Check Princess Web site for additional information on final payment.  Also, there is a Q&A for review.

Book with Confidence

Giving you the flexibility to change your plans

We don't think finances should affect decisions about your health, so if you feel ill and need to change your plans, we'll protect your cruise investment. Under our temporary Book with Confidence policy, we’ve taken the worry out of booking your next cruise:

• Cancel up to 30 days before you sail, and get your cancellation fees back as a Future Cruise Credit¹.
  • Applies to bookings made through April 30, 2021.
  • Applies to voyages departing through October 31, 2021.
• Final Payment has been moved to 60-days prior to sailing.
  • Applies to voyages departing through June 30, 2021.

More Details about our Book with Confidence Policy

• FCCs can be used on any sailing made by and sailed by December 31, 2022.
• Cruises after July 1, 2021, retain their original Final Payment² date.
• Book with Confidence only modifies our policy within final payment — the date when balance is due. Outside of final payment, our standard policies apply.

---

¹A Future Cruise Credit is like a voucher for a vacation at a later date, the promise of another adventure at sea. FCCs will automatically be applied to your Captain’s Circle account on the bookings cancelled in this time frame. Note, FCCs will not be available instantly and may take up to 60 business days to be processed.

² Final Payment varies by voyage length. Cruises through June 30, 2021, have a 60-day final payment deadline. For cruises sailing July 1, 2021, and later, review our standard policies for cancellations, refunds & final payment for more details.

See Full Terms & Conditions

[Potstech]

3 hours ago, skynight said:

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. 

The CDC is as political as any other agency in government.  They threw science out the window several years ago.

[azbirdmom]

On 3/5/2021 at 2:02 AM, Cruising Forever! said:

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). 

 

I hadn't responded to this part of your post when I mentioned the 60 day final payment policy.

 

Based on the latest cancellation policy that they offered for Southampton cruises, Princess is offering to move folks to the same cruise in 2022 even if they only had a deposit on the cruise.  Things seem to change with every new offer.

 

I'm wondering if your TA gets commission if you pay in full but nothing if you only have a deposit down.  I know that Princess was doing that with the early cancellations but I'm not sure if that is still their policy.  If it is still in place, that may be the motivation for your TA to encourage you to make final payment early.

[memoak]

And how can they promise the same price in 2022 ?  If you booked a vista suite in 2021 and for 2022 all suites are already booked where would they put you ?

[jrblach]

Princess web site lists all Alaska cruises from Seattle as NOT AVAILABLE. you cant book one. call Princess or have your TA call Princess. how can someone pay final payment if the cruise is not for sale.

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/6/2021 at 10:56 AM, BlameCanada said:

 

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. 

So, no I didn’t say that at all.  You just showed exactly what I said.  It’s Princess that is looking to strike some deal with Canada or the US government (that could take all sorts of directions without Canada doing a thing.  That’s the point that the cruise industry has been peddling for the past month.  I think it’s just corporate bluster to keep money they desperately need).  I never said anything about Canada needing to change its laws or rules or anything of the kind.  I personally think Canada should stay closed as long as needed (apparently the government there isn’t ready to open its ports to cruises, and that’s just fine.  The US hasn’t really done so either as I write this).  Maybe you have some chip on your shoulder with the “Blame Canada” monicker, but I never did.  Maybe Canada will get its vaccine roll out going (I hope so!) and decide to rescind its order.  I want Canada to do what’s best for Canada.  But my thread here has nothing to do with placing blame on Canada and everything to do with blaming Princess for pretty shoddy policies on this Alaska cruise final payment business.
 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Cruising Forever!

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/6/2021 at 3:59 PM, azbirdmom said:

 

I hadn't responded to this part of your post when I mentioned the 60 day final payment policy.

 

Based on the latest cancellation policy that they offered for Southampton cruises, Princess is offering to move folks to the same cruise in 2022 even if they only had a deposit on the cruise.  Things seem to change with every new offer.

 

I'm wondering if your TA gets commission if you pay in full but nothing if you only have a deposit down.  I know that Princess was doing that with the early cancellations but I'm not sure if that is still their policy.  If it is still in place, that may be the motivation for your TA to encourage you to make final payment early.

Actually, when I told my TA I don’t want to be moved (arbitrarily in my opinion- I think Princess should ask first!) to a 2022 cruise, he told me it would be best to not make a final payment.

 

I’m not sure when he gets his commission from Princess (I always thought it was after a completed cruise?) but his tactics were all based on me not losing out on a possible deal coming from Princess if they do (well, when they do... let’s be honest) cancel.  I’ve seen the deals given to other Alaska cancels and it really didn’t impress me enough.  But I think it’s a great thing when a TA makes sure all my bases are covered.  I’m happy with him.

[Cruising Forever!]

On 3/6/2021 at 6:11 PM, jrblach said:

Princess web site lists all Alaska cruises from Seattle as NOT AVAILABLE. you cant book one. call Princess or have your TA call Princess. how can someone pay final payment if the cruise is not for sale.

Yes- exactly my point.

[Cruising Forever!]

Some good news: I pointed out the Princess change to 60 days out for final payments to my TA.  He called Princess, and apparently, Princess has been “quietly” updating people about this.  So I now have till mid-April for my final payment!  Thank you to all of you who pointed this change out!

 

I still think it’s snarky for Princess to even expect a final payment on my Alaska cruise when they’ve decided to halt sales on it to everyone else who doesn’t have a deposit in already.  Suspend final payments till you open this cruise back up, Princess.

 

Also, CDC foot dragging is making any June 2021 cruises look unlikely.  My luck will be that Princess does solve all of this fracas on Alaska cruises in 2021 (yay!) but then cancels my cruise anyway because the CDC didn’t get their guidelines/permissions for test cruises, etc, out fast enough for regular June cruises to start.  (Booo!) 

 

At any rate, I will ride out another month and see what happens.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Its the cruise lines doing the foot dragging, not CDC.  Months ago the CDC requested cruise lines provide them with the protocols they intend to use and so far, none have.  

[caribill]

16 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Its the cruise lines doing the foot dragging, not CDC.  Months ago the CDC requested cruise lines provide them with the protocols they intend to use and so far, none have.  

 

And Princess said last Thursday that they were waiting for instructions from the CDC.

 

I guess it is about time that one of the parties should contact the other one.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

And Princess said last Thursday that they were waiting for instructions from the CDC.

 

I guess it is about time that one of the parties should contact the other one.

Or, it is about time each of the parties did not point at the other and say it is their fault.

[deliver42]

The cruise lines can give the same protocols as they have in Europe and Asia, even adding vaccine requirements to them, and the CDC will still do nothing except warn people against cruising.

[Potstech]

22 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Its the cruise lines doing the foot dragging, not CDC.  Months ago the CDC requested cruise lines provide them with the protocols they intend to use and so far, none have.  

And you know none has how?

[GonzoWCS]

On 3/6/2021 at 12:11 PM, Potstech said:

The CDC is as political as any other agency in government.  They threw science out the window several years ago.

This

[Ride-The-Waves]

1 hour ago, GonzoWCS said:

This

Actually, no.  Government agencies are staffed with career government employees who are required to be apolitical.  About 2,000 seniors are appointed to run most (not all) agencies and departments.  Those are the political animals.  During the previous administration many CDC reports and policies became politicized by their appointees.  For the CDC this especially related to directives and reports on COVID-19.  Those reports and edicts reflected the administration's unscientific claims that COVID-19 was a hoax in addition to other obfuscations.  Today the CDC is out from under those restrictions.

[GonzoWCS]

5 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Actually, no.  Government agencies are staffed with career government employees who are required to be apolitical.  About 2,000 seniors are appointed to run most (not all) agencies and departments.  Those are the political animals.  During the previous administration many CDC reports and policies became politicized by their appointees.  For the CDC this especially related to directives and reports on COVID-19.  Those reports and edicts reflected the administration's unscientific claims that COVID-19 was a hoax in addition to other obfuscations.  Today the CDC is out from under those restrictions.

Good one

[Ride-The-Waves]

“CDC and the cruise industry have the same goal: A return to passenger sailing, but only when its safe. Under the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, cruise lines have been given a pathway to systematically demonstrate their ability to sail while keeping passengers, crew and their destination ports safe and healthy,” said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel.

 

During the initial phases, cruise ship operators must demonstrate adherence to testing, quarantine and isolation, and social distancing requirements to protect crew members while they build the laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers. Subsequent phases will include simulated (mock) voyages with volunteers playing the role of passengers to test cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk, certification for ships that meet specific requirements, and return to passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers, crew members, and communities.

 

CDC summarized guidance.  

[Potstech]

2 hours ago, GonzoWCS said:

This

'This" what?  

[Potstech]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Actually, no.  Government agencies are staffed with career government employees who are required to be apolitical.  About 2,000 seniors are appointed to run most (not all) agencies and departments.  Those are the political animals.  During the previous administration many CDC reports and policies became politicized by their appointees.  For the CDC this especially related to directives and reports on COVID-19.  Those reports and edicts reflected the administration's unscientific claims that COVID-19 was a hoax in addition to other obfuscations.  Today the CDC is out from under those restrictions.

BUt the heads of the agencies are appointed by political entities that make the decisions and approve the directives.  This makes the outcome of them politcal.  Yes the government employees are required to be apolitical but their bosses are not. 

[GonzoWCS]

3 minutes ago, Potstech said:

'This" what?  

That

[Bgwest]

13 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Actually, no.  Government agencies are staffed with career government employees who are required to be apolitical.  About 2,000 seniors are appointed to run most (not all) agencies and departments.  Those are the political animals.  During the previous administration many CDC reports and policies became politicized by their appointees.  For the CDC this especially related to directives and reports on COVID-19.  Those reports and edicts reflected the administration's unscientific claims that COVID-19 was a hoax in addition to other obfuscations.  Today the CDC is out from under those restrictions.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Potstech]

12 hours ago, GonzoWCS said:

That

What "That"?