Which senior Princess executive made the decision to CARNIVALIZE Princess?

[californiagirl]

We are on the Discovery cruise after OP.  Our room steward told us yesterday that this cruise is MUCH quieter than last week.  He said last cruise most of his rooms had 3 or 4 people in them and lots of kids.  He said it was difficult to finish his work in a timely manner.

[deultgen]

On 3/2/2023 at 5:58 PM, Jagajak1 said:

Which one of those senior Princess executives and leaders on the list made the decision to CARNIVALIZE Princess.  Just got off the Discovery (Discovery from he@@) with almost 700 kids.  Tripping people, all over the adult only areas (we tried to complain but were told staff was overwhelmed with the number of kids and couldnt do anything)  SO MUCH for there being separation between Carnival and Princess.  I have been sailing with Princess for decades...this was the first time I nearly lost my MIND over the changes.   I get that you are 30BILLION in debt.  but come on.  Figure out a different model that allows for middle age adults to cruise without the insanity of what is supposed to be Carnival.    I have 5 more cruises all over the world booked on princess, including the new SUN.  None of them, however, cannot be canceled.  For whomever on the list of execs is pushing for "fill the ships 3 and 4 bed in the room no matter what:"  PLEASE fire them and get back to the sanity that was Princess.  🙂  

 

If having few children on a cruise was important to me, I would not book a short (5 day) cruise over a school holiday weekend.  Same goes for a cruise over Easter, summertime in the Caribbean, or spring break.  For goodness sake, what did you expect?

[KarmaCruisers]

Simple fix..only book 7 day+ cruises that are $$$$.

These type of ignorant parents wouldn’t bring their damn kids on a cruise that cost six and seven thousand dollars.

 

also, on the comment on an adderall shortage..the real tragic part is; that many kids need to be medicated..

[JimmyVWine]

OP: When booking a cruise, always do the following (if one or more demographics will offend or irritate you):

 

1) Research school calendars for major population centers across the country to see if many schools are on break. Had you done this you would have found that there were many districts on break. 
 

2) Do an internet search to see if any large groups have booked your cruise. If the “Peoria Polka Posse” has booked 500 cabins and you don’t want to hang with that group, don’t book. 
 

You cannot blame Princess or any executive thereof. What do you want them to do? Refuse a booking once the person making the reservation indicates that one or more cruisers is under 18?  It is your obligation to do your homework and avoid cruises that will sail with people you want to avoid. It is not Princess’ obligation to lay down a red carpet for you by refusing bookings that people you do not like attempt to make. 
 

And if this does not work for you, then sail on Virgin Voyages. 

[Hlitner]

I am not sure it makes sense to blame the cruise line for a lot of kids.  That is generally a factor of when you cruise  (more kids during vacation and spring break time).  If you want to cruise with zero kids you can book a line like Viking Ocean or Virgin Cruises which allow nobody under 18.  Most cruises on the luxury lines (i.e. Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent, Sea Dream, etc) have very few kids because of the cost and lack of extensive kids programs.

 

Hank

[Over from NZ]

Meh. They posted on Friday and haven't replied since. Just an out of date, out of touch whinger would be my initial thoughts. Probably did one of those few-days long, teaser cruises during school-holiday time.. and surprise, surprise.. there were lots of families on. Lots of families on is good.. means the average age ain't 100+ like some princess snooze-cruises.. 😆

[Incognito1]

Not sure what the true average age is on Princess, but it has seemed to me that the "average" Princess cruiser is an active person in their 50s or 60s.  Now, HAL on the other hand lives up to its 'newly wed or nearly dead' reputation 😉.

[SCX22]

What I'm more concerned about on Princess is not children, but the number of guests using assistive medical devices to ambulate, like wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters.  These guests can't really rush.  What would happen in an emergency evacuation?

 

There were far too many people using these devices on a Royal Princess cruise I was on to Hawaii.  It took the crew 10 minutes to load 1 wheelchaired guest onto a tender and the tender departures were always being delayed to accommodate the disabled. 

 

In an emergency situation at sea where, knock on wood, there needed to be an evacuation onto lifeboats, how long would it take for these people to get evacuated and would that put other guests lives at risk?  No time to waste in an emergency, like the the Costa Concordia or the Titanic.  I'm sure when they did the evacuation testing in sea trials, the participants were able bodied.

[startedwithamouse]

On 3/2/2023 at 4:58 PM, Jagajak1 said:

Which one of those senior Princess executives and leaders on the list made the decision to CARNIVALIZE Princess.  Just got off the Discovery (Discovery from he@@) with almost 700 kids.  Tripping people, all over the adult only areas (we tried to complain but were told staff was overwhelmed with the number of kids and couldnt do anything)  SO MUCH for there being separation between Carnival and Princess.  I have been sailing with Princess for decades...this was the first time I nearly lost my MIND over the changes.   I get that you are 30BILLION in debt.  but come on.  Figure out a different model that allows for middle age adults to cruise without the insanity of what is supposed to be Carnival.    I have 5 more cruises all over the world booked on princess, including the new SUN.  None of them, however, cannot be canceled.  For whomever on the list of execs is pushing for "fill the ships 3 and 4 bed in the room no matter what:"  PLEASE fire them and get back to the sanity that was Princess.  🙂  

Which passenger made the decision to go on a short cruise over a holiday winter break weekend with kids sail free?  Ah, yes: you. 

[damiross]

1 hour ago, SCX22 said:

What I'm more concerned about on Princess is not children, but the number of guests using assistive medical devices to ambulate, like wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters.  These guests can't really rush.  What would happen in an emergency evacuation?

 

There were far too many people using these devices on a Royal Princess cruise I was on to Hawaii.  It took the crew 10 minutes to load 1 wheelchaired guest onto a tender and the tender departures were always being delayed to accommodate the disabled. 

 

In an emergency situation at sea where, knock on wood, there needed to be an evacuation onto lifeboats, how long would it take for these people to get evacuated and would that put other guests lives at risk?  No time to waste in an emergency, like the the Costa Concordia or the Titanic.  I'm sure when they did the evacuation testing in sea trials, the participants were able bodied.

<start sarcasm>Yea, we shouldn't allow the mobile impaired to enjoy a cruise for the one in a gazillion chance that the ship needs emergency evacuation.  After all, this world would be better with only non-handicapped people traveling. </end sarcasm>
 

You are wrong about them doing evacuation drills with only non-handicapped passengers. 

 

By the way, it's not only people using assistive devices that can't be rushed. There are people that have a hard time walking but can do it with assistive devices.

 

Here's the answer I got when I posed the question about evacuation of handicapped passengers on a cruise ship to openAI.  (emphasis are mine)
 

Cruise ships are required to have procedures in place for emergency evacuations, including for passengers with mobility impairments. These procedures may vary slightly depending on the specific cruise line and ship, but generally, they will include the following:

Emergency personnel will be alerted: If an emergency occurs, crew members will be notified and emergency personnel will be dispatched to assist with the evacuation.

Evacuation plan for mobility-impaired passengers: The cruise ship will have a specific evacuation plan in place for passengers with mobility impairments, which may include designated crew members to assist with evacuation, the use of special evacuation equipment such as ramps or lifts, or priority access to lifeboats.

Communication with passengers: Passengers with mobility impairments will be notified of the emergency and given instructions on what to do. In some cases, crew members may go directly to the passenger's cabin to provide assistance.

Priority in evacuation: Passengers with mobility impairments will be given priority in the evacuation process, meaning they will be among the first to be evacuated from the ship.

It's important to note that cruise ship companies are required by law to have emergency procedures in place to ensure the safety of all passengers, including those with disabilities or mobility impairments. Before embarking on a cruise, passengers with mobility impairments should inform the cruise line of their needs so that appropriate accommodations can be made in case of an emergency.

Edited March 5, 2023 by damiross

[LibertyBella]

I took my first cruise as a child, and I have always enjoyed having children on cruises.  The sense of enjoyment and discovery they experience is extremely precious and special.  Additionally, parents more or less have peace of mind that their children are safe and meeting new friends.

 

Yes, some cruise lines definitely cater mainly to families, but every time we go on RC my DH has to attempt the rock wall, etc., as he is a big kid at heart.

 

I agree with all the other comments that if you book a (short) cruise during a holiday time you will DEFINITELY run into lots of children and families.  It is the same with Spring Break college students--they can be loud and boisterous, so stay clear of their destinations if that bothers you.

 

Hopefully you still had a great cruise, as being on the water and wined and dined is always a great time for us!

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, Incognito1 said:

Not sure what the true average age is on Princess, but it has seemed to me that the "average" Princess cruiser is an active person in their 50s or 60s.  Now, HAL on the other hand lives up to its 'newly wed or nearly dead' reputation 😉.

funny thing is that HAL has been successful in getting its average age down by about 5 years. Princess is now running higher than HAL.  Celebrity has also been successful in getting its average down.

[RedIguana]

2 hours ago, SCX22 said:

In an emergency situation at sea where, knock on wood, there needed to be an evacuation onto lifeboats, how long would it take for these people to get evacuated and would that put other guests lives at risk?  No time to waste in an emergency, like the the Costa Concordia or the Titanic.  I'm sure when they did the evacuation testing in sea trials, the participants were able bodied.

Cruise ships are BIG! Even the very diminutive Titanic by todays standards was decent sized. Emergency situations on these ships, including the titanic and Costa Concordia, developed over HOURS, not minutes. Plenty of time for evacuations, the issues on those ships was lack of a way to evacuate (Titanic), and the will to order said evacuations. Big ships do not sink quickly.

[SCX22]

@damiross

All that language is fluff when push comes to shove, and there is an emergency.  Look at the Costa Concordia, even though it's tradition for the Captain to sink with the ship, he abandoned ship with people still on board.  Yes, he got prison time, but at least he's still alive.

 

My point is this:  If the crew can't even get their act together loading a handicapped person onto a tender, what more in an emergency?  

 

Also, there are some who leave their assistive devices in the hallways, blocking part of the exit route.  This is a no, no, but some still do this.

 

It's all speculation.  Hopefully an emergency requiring evacuation on ANY cruise ship never happens.  

 

[stevenr597]

I do not think that any "executive" has made a decision to "Carnivalize" Princess.  But cruising is changing.

1) More people are cruising with their families.  Increasingly the majority of the lines, including Princess and Celebrity are making an attempt to attract younger cruisers with their families.  They are the future.
2) If one travels at a time when school is out, be prepared to have a lot more children on the ship

3) Also look at the type of cruise.  Caribbean cruising will often be children heavy.

4) There has been a cut back in all services on the majority of the cruise lines who are trying to keep costs down.  

[billco]

On 3/4/2023 at 6:30 PM, SCX22 said:

@damiross

All that language is fluff when push comes to shove, and there is an emergency.  Look at the Costa Concordia, even though it's tradition for the Captain to sink with the ship, he abandoned ship with people still on board.  Yes, he got prison time, but at least he's still alive.

 

My point is this:  If the crew can't even get their act together loading a handicapped person onto a tender, what more in an emergency?  

 

Also, there are some who leave their assistive devices in the hallways, blocking part of the exit route.  This is a no, no, but some still do this.

 

It's all speculation.  Hopefully an emergency requiring evacuation on ANY cruise ship never happens.  

 

Recently watching the crew of the Discovery Princess testing the Marine Evacuation System

[WAvoyager]

On 3/3/2023 at 3:14 PM, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I’m not sure, but didn’t princess have a kids sail free promotion?  That said, I’ve only had one Princess cruise where children were behaving badly and yes, that is the parents fault.

I don’t remember seeing one.  I remember Carnival having one.  But I could be mistaken about Princess.  We always get our cruises comped by the casino, so never really look out for their promos.  We were looking to book a Carnival cruise under one of the promotions, but even with the huge discounts the cost was $$$$.

[warren buffet]

On 3/3/2023 at 12:05 PM, CeeCee59 said:

You only lhave to look at those new desserts to see that decisions are being made to attract a different crowd.

with the sugar in the desserts hyperactive kids and the desserts might very well be connected