Princess maternity policy change?

[Lane40]

We leave on the Golden Princess on Saturday (48 hours away) and one of the couples received a call today from their TA that Princess will deny them boarding because the wife is due in March. They had checked with Princess before booking the cruise back in the summer as to the policy regarding a pregnancy and was told that they would be ok since she would be due in March and we were cruising on December 16th-23rd. The TA said that he had received a call from Princess today letting him know that Princess had changed their policy and the couple would be denied boarding and will receive a full refund. The pregnant passenger even has a letter from her physician stating that she was ok to be on this cruise.

 

Personally, I think the cruise is overbooked and Princess found an easy target to clear up one cabin.

 

Any suggestions?

[JLC@SD]

We leave on the Golden Princess on Saturday (48 hours away) and one of the couples received a call today from their TA that Princess will deny them boarding because the wife is due in March. They had checked with Princess before booking the cruise back in the summer as to the policy regarding a pregnancy and was told that they would be ok since she would be due in March and we were cruising on December 16th-23rd. The TA said that he had received a call from Princess today letting him know that Princess had changed their policy and the couple would be denied boarding and will receive a full refund. The pregnant passenger even has a letter from her physician stating that she was ok to be on this cruise.

 

Personally, I think the cruise is overbooked and Princess found an easy target to clear up one cabin.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Does the policy below apply to your friend:

 

from

 

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage.html

 

4. RIGHT TO REFUSE PASSAGE.

You will not be allowed to board the ship or be entitled to a refund if You do not have proper documentation. Carrier may refuse to embark You if, in Carrier’s sole opinion, You are unfit for any reason or You will enter the third trimester of pregnancy by the end of the Cruise. If Carrier refuses to allow You on board for any of these reasons, any refund of the Cruise Fare will be made based on the timing of such refusal in accordance with Section 6 and Carrier will have no further liability. If You become unfit to travel for any reason during the Cruise and/or disembark early, Carrier shall not be liable for any refund or damages.

[Jacqueline]

It would seem that she is in her last trimester ? That is not a new policy as far as I can recall.

Who gave the ok for them to book initially ?

[localdeltarider]

My wife is pregnant as well and when we got home from Thanksgiving we had a message from our TA stating that that Princess had changed their policy for cruising while pregnant.

The next day i called Princess and found out that they had changed the sailing for pregnant women from 28 weeks to 24 weeks. My wife will be cruising in her 20th week so it wasn't a problem. However If i were your friend i would want a full refund plus compensation. Had she known the policy earlier she could have booked an earlier cruise.

[jennew]

I am the mother of a preemie. Trust me. NO one plans on this happening. I had given birth 3 times with no problems. Then my water broke in my 26th week, there was no warning. I spent 5 weeks in the hospital and my little guy was born at 31 weeks. He did really well, thanks to the great care we had.

 

You don't want to chance this happening to you. If you were on a cruise and went into labor there would be no NICU nearby, the baby would likely die. These rules are in place for good reason.

[Elysia]

My friend's booking got cancelled too. Think it was a new policy introduced and they called everyone. I'd be scared going anyway that close to the due date....

[Cruisin' Chick]

That is a change (28 to 24 weeks). We went on a cruise when I was in my 5th month which seemed like the best time to go for me. I was getting nervous about even working in my 9th month (my manager's wife's water broke earlier that year about 26 weeks, but she was having all sort of problems during her pregnancy (asthma got worse, gest. diabetes) while I (16 years older than her) had nary a problem, after miscarrying twice in previous tries, and went a week over full term. You just don't know. My guess is that insurance rates are going up and this is Princess's response.

[chasetf]

We leave on the Golden Princess on Saturday (48 hours away) and one of the couples received a call today from their TA that Princess will deny them boarding because the wife is due in March. They had checked with Princess before booking the cruise back in the summer as to the policy regarding a pregnancy and was told that they would be ok since she would be due in March and we were cruising on December 16th-23rd. The TA said that he had received a call from Princess today letting him know that Princess had changed their policy and the couple would be denied boarding and will receive a full refund. The pregnant passenger even has a letter from her physician stating that she was ok to be on this cruise.

 

Personally, I think the cruise is overbooked and Princess found an easy target to clear up one cabin. Any suggestions?

You do not mention when in March your friend is due. Counting back I see her being in the 25th week if due the end of Mar and 30th if due at the beginning of Mar. I think the TA got bum information for the Princess rep or she is caught in the change from 28 to 24 wks.

 

I doubt the taget theory. They just do not want the responsibility, however remote. As far as a suggestion, double check to verify it is true (and cannot be appealed), and take the refund.

[Nitemare]

I am the mother of a preemie. Trust me. NO one plans on this happening. I had given birth 3 times with no problems. Then my water broke in my 26th week, there was no warning. I spent 5 weeks in the hospital and my little guy was born at 31 weeks. He did really well, thanks to the great care we had.

 

You don't want to chance this happening to you. If you were on a cruise and went into labor there would be no NICU nearby, the baby would likely die. These rules are in place for good reason.

 

 

LOCK THE THREAD

 

I can't think of any better reason for a strict policy than this.

[Pam in CA]

Personally, I think the cruise is overbooked and Princess found an easy target to clear up one cabin.

I seriously doubt this is true. The policy changed for the protection of the mothers. As has been said, anything can happen and my guess is that based on passenger experience, cruising the last trimester carries risks too high for the insurance carrier. A change such as this, i.e., 28 to 24 weeks, isn't arbitrary. They want you to cruise with them. I'm sure there are sound medical reasons for the change.

 

Your friend is getting their money back. I feel that's sufficient compensation. Several years ago, we were booked on the inaugural sailing for the Coral Princess over Christmas. Two weeks before the cruise, it was cancelled because the ship wouldn't be ready on time. We received our money back but it was almost impossible to find another cruise for those dates and change our air. We did and at no time did I feel Princess owed me more than the cost of the cruise. Yes, it was a disappointment but we went on RCI and had a very nice time. The cruise cost was a lot less than the Coral would have been and the air change was a lot more, but it wound up being about the same total.

[Jacqueline]

It's dissapointing for sure. Now it time to make some other plans and go on.

 

I guess that Princess will change the rules for sailngs that are underbooked and allow expectant mothers to cruise at 28 weeks so that they always sail full. Putting it that way, I think that you can see that the logic is flawed in trying.

It is unlikely that the people making corporate policy had your friend's cabin in mind and found a special loop hole to get her off the ship.

 

I don't see why the thread should be locked because nitemare related her experience. It does happen that there is a premature situation with no prior indication. No one wants to think that it will happen to them. Not to mention that there are conditions that could place the mom's life in jeopardy.

[cherylandtk]

I guess that Princess will change the rules for sailngs that are underbooked and allow expectant mothers to cruise at 28 weeks so that they always sail full.

I don't see that happening; the former contract stated a specific week number, 28 weeks, the current online passage contract dated 8/06 says third trimester. Which is 24 weeks. I suspect if the contract changed in August, the earliest implementation would be for those cruises fully paid for after the date of the policy change. On a 75 day lead time that would be those starting sometime in November, at the earliest. Posts above indicate the implementation could be more recent based on the fact that several passengers are just now being called by their TA's. What is truly unfortunate is that this change was not relayed to the OP's friend, either by the TA or Princess, back in August when it occurred, instead of now, a few days before the cruise. At least they are getting a full refund because of the untimely notice. But I don't see anything that indicates the policy will be randomly applied from here on out.

[Pam in CA]

I guess that Princess will change the rules for sailngs that are underbooked and allow expectant mothers to cruise at 28 weeks so that they always sail full. Putting it that way, I think that you can see that the logic is flawed in trying.

I disagree. The posted rules are adhered to and are not adjusted based on ship capacity or # of bookings.

[Lane40]

I appreciated reading everyone’s thoughts on my original post. Just some additional information, thoughts and questions from me:

 

1. We are cruising as a family to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary and have booked 14 cabins, so you can tell we have a large party cruising.

2. When we initially began to plan for the cruise, the pregnancy did play a part in the planning of dates, cruise locations, etc. Taking this in mind, Princess was contacted early in the summer and given the information regarding the pregnancy and at what stage of pregnancy the passenger would be on a December 16, 2006 cruise. Princess told us that she could cruise as it was within their policy period.

3. Why did Princess decide on December 14th to notify the travel agent that the pregnant passenger would not be allowed to cruise on December 16th?

4. While the full reimbursement is appreciated, one could argue that Princess did make some interest off the full payment, which was made in July 2006.

5. It will be interesting to see if someone is staying in the cabin that had been reserved for this couple. As they were cancelled 48 hours before the cruise and I believe that all information has to be given to the cruise lines 5 days in advance of a cruise, there should be no one staying in the cabin.

6. I appreciate the concerns expressed regarding the complications of a pregnancy gone badly out in the middle of the water. I am willing to bet that we have passengers in our group who have more experience dealing with medical emergencies than the medical personnel serving onboard the Golden Princess.

 

Having said all the above, I come down to two issues. First, Princess should have told us back in July if the pregnant passenger would not be allowed to cruise according to the Princess policy on pregnancy. Secondly, we should have been informed more than 48 hours before a departure that the policy had been changed.

[skarletohara]

Perhaps something has happened between July and now, namely, maybe

someone went into labor in their 26th or 28th week aboard a ship, necessitating this change in policy:confused:

[Tina G]

I am sorry for the disappointment, but I totally agree with Princess on this one. I just came off the Dawn Princess. It was my 8th cruise. We hit some dicey weather. Not a hurricane, or even a bad storm, but enough to rock the boat. I found myself airborn from my bed in the middle of the night. :eek: WHAT!!! I thought I was dreaming one of those I-can-fly dreams! I've never experienced anything like it before. DH thought it was great fun, sort of like a roller-coaster. Now, what if I had been pregnant? Not so funny, now, is it? NO CRUISE IS WORTH THE LIFE OF YOUR CHILD!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness Princess understands this!

 

PS. I am the mother of a son who never would have lived, if not for the quick actions of a neonatologist and team of doctors and nurses from Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. Their quick actions (without waiting to consult their lawyers) saved his life, and I will be forever grateful.

[chasetf]

For kicks I looked up the other major line's pregnancy policies. I found them to be pretty consistent.

 

Carnival Pregnancy Policy - Please be advised that guests who are 27 weeks or more into their pregnancy at the time of the voyage will not be permitted to sail because of the risk of premature labor.

HAL Pregnancy Policy - Due to limited medical facilities on board, we will not accept reservations for women who will be 24 or more weeks pregnant at he time their travel with Holland America Line concludes.

NCL Pregnancy Policy - What if I'm pregnant? NCL will make every effort to accommodate you, providing you have not entered the 24th week of pregnancy when the cruise ends. However, you must provide the Ship Coordinator Department with a medical certificate establishing your due date prior to your cruise.

RCCL Pregnancy Policy - What is Royal Caribbean's policy on cruising while pregnant? If pregnant guests have entered or will be entering their 27th week before or during the cruise, they will be unableto travel. A physician's Fit to Travel note stating that they are in good health, not a high risk pregnancy, and not entering the 27th week is required.

[Pam in CA]

Having said all the above, I come down to two issues. First, Princess should have told us back in July if the pregnant passenger would not be allowed to cruise according to the Princess policy on pregnancy. Secondly, we should have been informed more than 48 hours before a departure that the policy had been changed.

I agree with you on these two points. Since there was a letter in her documentation that she was pregnant and her due date, Princess should have notified her as soon as the policy changed. That was definitely a lack of communication. And, they should definitely have notified her earlier than 48 hours prior to boarding. That, to me, is not OK.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I agree with you on these two points. Since there was a letter in her documentation that she was pregnant and her due date, Princess should have notified her as soon as the policy changed. That was definitely a lack of communication. And, they should definitely have notified her earlier than 48 hours prior to boarding. That, to me, is not OK.

 

I agree. As soon as a policy is made that means some people will need to cancel, Princess should communicate the new policy. If you're pregnant, this may be the last vacation you take for a while (at least that was our situation). Perhaps if the OP was given a call when the policy was first changed, she would have been able to make an alternate booking.

[Lane40]

I agree with you on these two points. Since there was a letter in her documentation that she was pregnant and her due date, Princess should have notified her as soon as the policy changed. That was definitely a lack of communication. And, they should definitely have notified her earlier than 48 hours prior to boarding. That, to me, is not OK.

 

I agree. As soon as a policy is made that means some people will need to cancel' date=' Princess should communicate the new policy. If you're pregnant, this may be the last vacation you take for a while (at least that was our situation). Perhaps if the OP was given a call when the policy was first changed, she would have been able to make an alternate booking.[/quote']

 

Thanks for your agreement with my thoughts. I believe that is all we were seeking from Princess is better communication to its passengers when something changes with regards to their cruise.

[gcsmith]

Wow! I just booked a Grand Princess cruise for March with my wife and our mothers. It is a last fling before we have children. I checked online as recently as Tuesday and it said 28 weeks! I guess we'll sneak in under the wire because my wife will be 23 and 4/7 pregnant at the end of the cruise (documented by doctor), but still, I wonder if they have changed the online policy.

 

Yes, just checked, they changed it from 28 weeks to third trimester. But looking it up on Wikipedia.org it says third trimester is 28 weeks. Webmd.com also says 28 weeks. Looking around the web (google "third trimester" weeks) seems to indicate that most sources say 27 or 28 weeks. Some do say 24.

 

Weird, people have been getting pregnant for all of history, right, but doctors, or at least people that publish pregnancy information don't agree on timing.

 

Hope they don't adjust it down to 23 weeks before March.

[gcsmith]

Now I remember where it said 28 weeks online. If you go into the cruise personalizer, click special requests, you will see pregnant. Then you can click 'see special note about this request' and it pops up a window saying 28th week. I'm sure this won't help because the passage contract has been changed to third trimester, but looks like Princess still has some editing to do on the website.

[Jacqueline]

Your second post differs in information and tone than your first. Given what you have said I see the main problem as notification ! No disagreement on that one !

I do question whether your TA is at fault. This is a very lucrative group booking for her. She should keep abreast of very basic information such as this. And you were very specific about planning around the pregnancies this summer.

So the question is , when did Princesses policy change ?

Regardless, the disapointment at being cancelled on such short notice has got to be acknowleged as crushing. You can be sure that most of the people who post here would be in a deep state of depression.

Dearest Pam- my post was in jest- the OP still has it in his head that Princess did this so that someone else could take this cabin. I was trying to point out how silly it is to think that corporate policy would be based on one cabin for one cruise ! Hence, my remark- that Princess will continually change its corporate policy based on personal circumstances and how full the ship is.

(Since this ship is not filling up, lets take eveyone that is in their last trimester ! Since we need one cabin, lets knock this woman out and solve a potential overbooking problem!). Heck, Princess is still sorting out information from last summers list on the Crown. Given that 20,000 people or so sail in a given week, one would have to be pretty special to merit so much time from the powers that be in corporate.

OP has some very legitimite issues. But Princess trying to snare the cabin is not one of them.

[Plant]

5. It will be interesting to see if someone is staying in the cabin that had been reserved for this couple. As they were cancelled 48 hours before the cruise and I believe that all information has to be given to the cruise lines 5 days in advance of a cruise, there should be no one staying in the cabin.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the cabin has someone staying in it, as Princess will probably upgrade someone from a lower category.

 

I certainly agree with you that Princess (or the TA) should have notified the couple much earlier. I think a good idea would have been for Princess to "grandfather in" women who were already booked up to a certain time limit (say 4 months from the change, whenever that was). Then couples cruising after the time limit would have time to book an earlier cruise or book with another line if possible.

 

I hope you and your group have a wonderful cruise!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I wouldn't be surprised if the cabin has someone staying in it, as Princess will probably upgrade someone from a lower category.

 

I certainly agree with you that Princess (or the TA) should have notified the couple much earlier. I think a good idea would have been for Princess to "grandfather in" women who were already booked up to a certain time limit (say 4 months from the change, whenever that was). Then couples cruising after the time limit would have time to book an earlier cruise or book with another line if possible.

 

I hope you and your group have a wonderful cruise!

 

If they were changing their policy, it should have been applied to new bookings. It seems like 24 weeks is considered second trisemester, not first trisemester. I imagine that many doctors wouldn't see a problem with those in their 6th month going on a cruise, unless they are already having a problem. I was 43 while pregnant and I had no restrictions. Most women don't.