Beware if you need a crib on Princess!

[workingmomof2]

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that if you are planning on travelling on Princess and you need a crib for your baby, that you need to reserve way in advance and fill out a special needs form. For example, we are sailing on the Caribbean Princess this weekend and we just learned that they never confirmed our crib request because they only have 14 cribs available (for over 3K passengers) and that they had been all assigned to other passengers. Even though I had faxed a request well in advance they did not even make an effort of getting an additional crib. My baby is paying full fare and they do not even bother to arrange for her to have somewhere to sleep.

 

If we hadn-t double checked, we probably would have realized we have no crib for our baby once we were onboard. Now we know we need to take our Pack N Play. The customer service agent said "Well, at least you will know that your crib is clean" which annoyed me even more.

 

I have gone on other cruise lines before with my oldest son when he was a baby and never had a problem getting a crib on RCCL or Disney. It seems Princess does not want to attract families with young children.

[bmgaritty]

When my daughter needed a crib, whether in a timeshare, hotel, house rental, or a cruise ship, I have always requested a crib in advance. I have always asked for a confirmation. Then I have reconfirmed a couple of times after that.

At hotels or on a cruise ship why would you expect an unlimited number??

 

A lesson learned......

 

PS- I've done the same with refrigerators in hotel rooms - just something you "gotta do" when traveling with an infant.

[PattyW]

Ironically, I had the opposite problem when trying to book a cruise on NCL. My son was going to be just shy of age 2 and because of the configuration of the room, the floorspace would not allow a pack n play and the sofa to be pulled out at the same time (I also would have had a 4 year old along).

 

I kept telling them - we don't need the pack n play. First, he'll likely be out the crib (my kids are climbers) and second, even if he's sleeping in one at home, we'll make due for the week.

 

They insisted every passenger under the age of two must be booked with a crib. We reached an impasse because without putting someone in an upper bunk - not something I wanted to do - we would have had to move up to a much more expensive full size suite to accomodate the pack n play and the pull out sofa.All of the sudden my savings for not having to pay the passenger fare for the little one disappeared and then some.

 

So, we're sailing on RCCL next May - the jr suites on the Radiance will fit both the pack n play and the pulled out sofa. They told me they could actually book 5 in the room if one of the passengers would be in a crib. They asked me if I wanted a crib, I said yes just in case.

[cruisingbug]

They insisted every passenger under the age of two must be booked with a crib. We reached an impasse because without putting someone in an upper bunk - not something I wanted to do - we would have had to move up to a much more expensive full size suite to accomodate the pack n play and the pull out sofa.All of the sudden my savings for not having to pay the passenger fare for the little one disappeared and then some.

 

I'm a little confused - why didn't you just take the crib (ie Pack n Play) and then just fold it up and not use it once it arrived? Just b/c you had to be booked with it doesn't mean you had to use it...I'm sure the room steward wouldn't have cared.

 

BTW we're cruising NCL and no one has asked us about a crib at all. We're already planning to take our PnP anyway - we're driving to the pier so it's no big deal, and at least we know it's clean. ;)

[workingmomof2]

When my daughter needed a crib, whether in a timeshare, hotel, house rental, or a cruise ship, I have always requested a crib in advance. I have always asked for a confirmation. Then I have reconfirmed a couple of times after that.

At hotels or on a cruise ship why would you expect an unlimited number??

 

A lesson learned......

 

PS- I've done the same with refrigerators in hotel rooms - just something you "gotta do" when traveling with an infant.

 

I always reconfirm (I have travelled extensively with my children since they were infants throughout South America, the US, Mexico and the Caribbean), and I had faxed the request in writing after the final payment was made. I am not expecting unlimited amount of cribs, but at least the decency to let people know when their request has not been honored. However, I do think 14 is a truly low number, especially when they know months in advance how many infants will be travelling.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to warn other parents. That's all. This is not going to stop me from going on my family cruise, but it will affect my decisions in the future regarding which cruise line to pick.

 

Good luck to everybody with their travel plans!

[PattyW]

NCL physically would not book us in the room. To them it was mandatory that the cabin we selected be able to fit three adults in beds and the pack in play open (It didn't matter whether we used it or not). To accomplish that, we either had to be in a room with upper berths or a full suite.

 

It was sort of like we were trying to book 5 in a room that would only fit four by saying - we'll just smoosh in the beds, it'll be fine. They just wouldn't book it.

 

I thought it was very odd, because I kept telling them "I DON'T WANT THE CRIB. DON'T BOOK IT WITH A CRIB. BOTH OF MY CHILDREN WILL SLEEP IN THE PULL OUT COUCH." They said, "Sorry. If a child is under age 2, we must book a room that will accomodate all passengers, and that means a child in a pack-n-play.

 

It had never come up before because we used to be a family of three traveling. A minisuite would easily fit my husband and I in the bed and then my daughter in a pack n play. Of course, this is when the sofa is folded up. Once it is folded out - a clear requirement for my daughter - there's not enough floor space for the pack-n-play.

 

Despite all my arguments that he was only a month shy of two and that this policy was silly, they held firm and I finally gave up. We had never been on NCL, but wanted to take advantage of the "no charge" policy for those under 2. It ended up not being worth it to us.

[bmgaritty]

I always reconfirm (I have travelled extensively with my children since they were infants throughout South America, the US, Mexico and the Caribbean), and I had faxed the request in writing after the final payment was made. I am not expecting unlimited amount of cribs, but at least the decency to let people know when their request has not been honored. However, I do think 14 is a truly low number, especially when they know months in advance how many infants will be travelling.

 

Final payment is due 60 days prior to cruise..you didn't fax the request until after that date!?..you mean you didn't do it at booking? Did you select your dinner seating, cabin number, even a guarantee, etc. at booking but didn't request a crib for your child? I guess a crib must have been an afterthought.....

Don't forget that many children never sleep in a crib, why should a cruiseline assume they do?

Why do you think 14 is a low number? I really don't think it's the low number that was the problem. I think your problem was the lateness of your request. You probably should have done a mea culpa on this board and the Princess board before putting all the blame for your situation on Princess.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to warn other parents. That's all. This is not going to stop me from going on my family cruise, but it will affect my decisions in the future regarding which cruise line to pick.

 

Most parents request a crib at the time of booking any type of reservation, whether it be a hotel or a cruise ship.

Again, as in my original post, a lesson learned.

[Kerry's Girls]

NCL physically would not book us in the room. To them it was mandatory that the cabin we selected be able to fit three adults in beds and the pack in play open (It didn't matter whether we used it or not). To accomplish that, we either had to be in a room with upper berths or a full suite.

 

It was sort of like we were trying to book 5 in a room that would only fit four by saying - we'll just smoosh in the beds, it'll be fine. They just wouldn't book it.

 

I thought it was very odd, because I kept telling them "I DON'T WANT THE CRIB. DON'T BOOK IT WITH A CRIB. BOTH OF MY CHILDREN WILL SLEEP IN THE PULL OUT COUCH." They said, "Sorry. If a child is under age 2, we must book a room that will accomodate all passengers, and that means a child in a pack-n-play.

 

 

I ran across a similar situation on Princess, so this must be a regulation on all ships. I travel alone with my twin toddlers so just needed a room with two beds (they sleep together), but Princess would only allow me to book a room that had at least three beds, whether we would use them or not. Must be some kind of regulation. It's been fine - once we get on board I just tell the cabin steward how I want the room and he doesn't bother pulling down the third bed.

 

I am suprised about the situation the OP had with Princess - they allowed me to fax them a list of exactly how many jars of babyfood, including being able to specify how many fruits, veggies and meat jars, plus baby cereal I'd need and it was all delivered to my cabin. I found them very accomodating, so I'd have thought with enough notice they'd just have arranged to have more pack 'n plays brought on board.

 

Best,

Mia