Is Princess the only one in upheaveal?

[Yehootu]

Since the restart of cruising we've cruised on Carnival and Princess, and had zero problems, except Covid. For those that use other cruise lines, are you seeing the amount and type of cancellations that seem to plague Princess? I know that a RCCL ship is having propulsion problems in the Alaska cruises so the Crown isn't alone. Just seems that the ship should be getting righted by now, and instead a lot of floundering. Forget the marketing crap and put the money where your mouth is and fix the ships and do what other industries are doing. Pay a higher wage and pay a sign on bonus. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Just my 2 cents worth...I think ALL of the lines (at least those that have been able to "weather the storm") have been severely affected and have such a high level of debt load that they cannot just immediately put everything/everybody back in place as if the pandemic never happened.  I'm not an economist and I don't look at cruise line balance sheets...but why else would the lines be dragging there feet with both the maintenance issues and staffing?  They know that the current mode of operation is causing issues, both with their passenger base along with their bottom line.

[Bobbiegentry]

Read some of the forums of the other cruise lines. 
There you will find the very same, “I hate (fill in the blank) because of (fill in the blank)” as you do here. 

[jwattle]

It's not just Princess, and it's not just money that is contributing to shortage of staffing; it's shortage of people wanting to work on cruise ships. While cruising was "on pause" the former staff went out and found other careers; the new up and comers aren't being enticed to work away from home. That 18 months to two years was a lifetime in terms of cruise line employees, and once people spent that much time at home with families it's hard to convince them to leave...

I'm not going to say put yourselves in their shoes, because some will argue the $$$, but money isn't everything.

[Paula_MacFan]

We're longtime Princess cruisers who are trying NCL's Pride of America Hawaiian cruise in January 2023 for the unique itinerary.  They have been sailing at 40% capacity since the restart and have been regularly cancelling passengers around 60 days out due to ongoing staffing issues.  Right now only 2 of the many specialty dining options are open, despite pushing the specialty dining package when booking.  NCL has done hiring fairs all over the country -- in fact here in middle America I saw one recently in KCMO.  That shows you they are looking all over the place for help!  I keep reading report after report of people getting cancellation notices.  Yesterday I read one where the cruisers who had been waiting months for air assignments, finally got that email, only to get the cruise cancellation email within 24 hours.  Many people are frustrated. 

 

So yeah, other lines seem to be having issues too! 🙂

[PacnGoNow]

31 minutes ago, jwattle said:

It's not just Princess, and it's not just money that is contributing to shortage of staffing; it's shortage of people wanting to work on cruise ships. While cruising was "on pause" the former staff went out and found other careers; the new up and comers aren't being enticed to work away from home. That 18 months to two years was a lifetime in terms of cruise line employees, and once people spent that much time at home with families it's hard to convince them to leave...

I'm not going to say put yourselves in their shoes, because some will argue the $$$, but money isn't everything.

So true!  And many problems getting visas, etc.

[PacnGoNow]

4 hours ago, Yehootu said:

Since the restart of cruising we've cruised on Carnival and Princess, and had zero problems, except Covid. For those that use other cruise lines, are you seeing the amount and type of cancellations that seem to plague Princess? I know that a RCCL ship is having propulsion problems in the Alaska cruises so the Crown isn't alone. Just seems that the ship should be getting righted by now, and instead a lot of floundering. Forget the marketing crap and put the money where your mouth is and fix the ships and do what other industries are doing. Pay a higher wage and pay a sign on bonus. 

It’s not just one cruise line.  I have family and friends on different lines and they are all struggling with staff shortages, mechanical issues, covid etc.  It’s going to take a while.

[twprincessfirsties]

The entire travel industry (airlines, cruises, hotels, car rentals)  are taking a severe hit getting back to staffing levels pre-pandemic. It's a function of survival of the fittest, however. Employers who treated their staff well before and during the pandemic will have more people willing to come back. Paying people more, giving them more perks and benefits, and improving working conditions goes a long way. What we will end up seeing is fewer and fuller ships (and planes, cars, and hotels), and more expensive sailings (and flights, hotels and car rentals) and poorer service until this all balances itself out in a few years and new recruits appear. 

 

As passengers, we will need to take all of this with a very large dose of patience. 

[toofewcruises]

2 minutes ago, twprincessfirsties said:

The entire travel industry (airlines, cruises, hotels, car rentals)  are taking a severe hit getting back to staffing levels pre-pandemic. It's a function of survival of the fittest, however. Employers who treated their staff well before and during the pandemic will have more people willing to come back. Paying people more, giving them more perks and benefits, and improving working conditions goes a long way. What we will end up seeing is fewer and fuller ships (and planes, cars, and hotels), and more expensive sailings (and flights, hotels and car rentals) and poorer service until this all balances itself out in a few years and new recruits appear. 

 

As passengers, we will need to take all of this with a very large dose of patience. 

The problem is that a lot of passengers only care about their convenience and self-interests, thus the number of complaints,  some of them petty, and some relatively serious.  But the main point seems to be staff shortages and thus not so great service, hold times, cancellations, etc.  I'm in the same boat so to speak...  I've had two cancellations yesterday, cruises I have waited for a long time...  I did contact Princess via chat, the first agent was terrible, but on the second try, I did get someone who really worked hard to rebook and issue an FCC.  So, kudos to Cindy B.

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We're longtime Princess cruisers who are trying NCL's Pride of America Hawaiian cruise in January 2023 for the unique itinerary.  They have been sailing at 40% capacity since the restart and have been regularly cancelling passengers around 60 days out due to ongoing staffing issues.  Right now only 2 of the many specialty dining options are open (NCL?), despite pushing the specialty dining package when booking.  NCL has done hiring fairs all over the country -- in fact here in middle America I saw one recently in KCMO.  That shows you they are looking all over the place for help!  I keep reading report after report of people getting cancellation notices (NCL?).  Yesterday I read one where the cruisers who had been waiting months for air assignments, finally got that email, only to get the cruise cancellation email (NCL?) within 24 hours.  Many people are frustrated. 

 

So yeah, other lines seem to be having issues too! 🙂

 

I am unclear if the above was NCL specific or what is happening to Princess.  

 

I've done the NCL Hawaii cruise and the itinerary is unique.  BUT, I would never do it again.  I didn't have to pay for airfare or hotel/food prior to cruising.  American staff just isn't as good as international crew.  Very little happening in the theaters at night.  No casino.  Food was just so-so (very subjective).

 

Parking near the pear for overnights is expensive or non-existing.  

[Paula_MacFan]

59 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I am unclear if the above was NCL specific or what is happening to Princess.  

 

I've done the NCL Hawaii cruise and the itinerary is unique.  BUT, I would never do it again.  I didn't have to pay for airfare or hotel/food prior to cruising.  American staff just isn't as good as international crew.  Very little happening in the theaters at night.  No casino.  Food was just so-so (very subjective).

 

Parking near the pear for overnights is expensive or non-existing.  

We're treating the POA as a floating hotel and nothing else -- just a means to enjoy multiple islands in a short time.  Not worried about night life, casino, etc.  I think going in with realistic expectations is the key for that ship 🙂  All of my comments were about NCL and I was simply chiming in that other lines are also having staffing, capacity, and cancellation issues, not just Princess -- per the OP's original question.

Edited August 9, 2022 by Paula_MacFan

[MissP22]

19 hours ago, jwattle said:

That 18 months to two years was a lifetime in terms of cruise line employees, and once people spent that much time at home with families it's hard to convince them to leave...

Especially when most of the crew has now found jobs at home where they don't have to be away from families for 8 months at a time.

 

[SantaFeFan]

20 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We're longtime Princess cruisers who are trying NCL's Pride of America Hawaiian cruise in January 2023 for the unique itinerary.  They have been sailing at 40% capacity since the restart and have been regularly cancelling passengers around 60 days out due to ongoing staffing issues.  Right now only 2 of the many specialty dining options are open, despite pushing the specialty dining package when booking.  NCL has done hiring fairs all over the country -- in fact here in middle America I saw one recently in KCMO.  That shows you they are looking all over the place for help!  I keep reading report after report of people getting cancellation notices.  Yesterday I read one where the cruisers who had been waiting months for air assignments, finally got that email, only to get the cruise cancellation email within 24 hours.  Many people are frustrated. 

 

So yeah, other lines seem to be having issues too! 🙂

 

NCL's Pride of America is an American registered cruise ship. That is why it is allowed to cruise US ports without having to visit at least one foreign port, a requirement of ships with foreign registry. It is also required to have only US citizens as crew on board - no foreign staff allowed. Their staffing problems are worse than other ships due to that US worker requirement. Finding people willing to work on her has proven to be quite difficult in our current environment. 

Edited August 10, 2022 by SantaFeFan

[msmoger]

12 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

NCL's Pride of America is an American registered cruise ship. That is why it is allowed to cruise US ports without having to visit at least one foreign port, a requirement of ships with foreign registry. It is also required to have only US citizens as crew on board - no foreign staff allowed. Their staffing problems are worse than other ships due to that US worker requirement. Finding people willing to work on her has proven to be quite difficult in our current environment. 

 

I was not aware of this.  I had always thought the requirement was that they had to pay wages commensurate with U.S. wage standards.  It seems kind of discriminatory and restrictive but I guess I see the purpose.

[SantaFeFan]

1 hour ago, msmoger said:

 

I was not aware of this.  I had always thought the requirement was that they had to pay wages commensurate with U.S. wage standards.  It seems kind of discriminatory and restrictive but I guess I see the purpose.

 

The Passenger Vessels Services Act of 1886 (PVSA) ensures that only U.S. built, owned and documented vessels are allowed to transport passengers between coastwise points within the United States. Since the NCL Pride Of America only visits US ports around Hawaii, it must honor these restrictions. Foreign flagged vessels must always stop in a foreign port when beginning and ending a cruise in US ports. That is why a cruise from the US mainland to Hawaii and back will make a stop either in a Mexico or a Canadian port before arriving at the final destination. 

 

According to a reference on Marketplace.org, it describes that having an all U.S. crew IS a requirement because it's an U.S. flagged ship. 

 

 

In order to ferry passengers to a number of different ports in the Hawaii Islands, the Pride of America sails under a U.S. flag. As such, it has to have a crew that consists only of U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.

 

“What makes it very unique is that it is an exclusively U.S. workforce on board that ship,” explained Brian Perez, a manager of fleet recruitment at NCL, which owns 15 ships and is in the process of building another. “So we travel throughout the country doing domestic recruitment. Whereas for the other ships in our brands, we do international recruitment in the global market.”

Edited August 10, 2022 by SantaFeFan

[msmoger]

3 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

The Passenger Vessels Services Act of 1886 (PVSA) ensures that only U.S. built, owned and documented vessels are allowed to transport passengers between coastwise points within the United States. Since the NCL Pride Of America only visits US ports around Hawaii, it must honor these restrictions. Foreign flagged vessels must always stop in a foreign port when beginning and ending a cruise in US ports. That is why a cruise from the US mainland to Hawaii and back will make a stop either in a Mexico or a Canadian port before arriving at the final destination. 

 

I also need to make a correction: after just now reading the full text of the PVSA, I see no requirement that all crew must be US citizens. I believe I read on a past thread here years ago that it was a requirement on the Pride, so I cannot verify if this is an NCL requirement or not. Your belief that their requirement was that they had to pay wages commensurate with U.S. wage standards is most likely correct. 

 

Sorry for the possible misinformation. 

 

I know about the PVSA, I was just questioning the crew requirement which you have now clarified. 😃

 

Thanks!!

[SantaFeFan]

4 minutes ago, msmoger said:

 

I know about the PVSA, I was just questioning the crew requirement which you have now clarified. 😃

 

Thanks!!

 

I just edited my comment to include information from the manager of fleet recruitment for NCL that indicates that the crew does indeed have to be U.S. citizens. 

[GonzoWCS]

No.

 

Cheers