Star Refurb---This just in

[LARGIN]

DH and I will be on the final sailing of the Alaskan season of the Star next week. I'll try to get the scoop on the drydock ;)

Chris

 

Chris.. Let me know too... :)

[TucsonRick]

I just heard from my friend at Princess that they are canceling a very large part of the revitalization project on the Star Princess. The big swap of the Casino and the Steak house along with the new suites has been cancelled due to immigration issues with the laborers. The big screen and other amenity upgrades will continue. My friend says that this shouldn't effect the passengers so not to worry. It's just a major mulit-million dollar problem for them to sort out.

Something does not ring true here. San Francisco, where the work is to be done, has always been a strong union town. In addition, BAE Systems, who will be doing the work, has a unionized workforce. I can't believe that foreign workers would be involved in this project.

 

Also, it seems to me that for such a major renovation to take place in such a short time, many of the new parts and pieces would be pre-ordered and prefabricated. It would be very costly for Princess to abandon these parts and pieces at this time. This doesn't make sense.

 

Rick

[cruzinchris]

Chris.. Let me know too... :)

 

Will do. Just think, Larry. You might not get to experience MUTS after all ;) :D In the meantime, Mike and I are look forward to using the covered pool during our Alaskan cruise.

Chris

[hightownCO]

With all the corporate cut backs, reductions in force, hiring freezes, doing whatever they can to keep profits up in a market of increasing costs...don't you think it's much more probable that Princess/Carnival decided to cut some of the upgrades simply to save $. Makes much more sense to me.

[49er]

Since the Star was going into Dry Dock in San Francisco, I wonder if this issue will also affect the Golden when it is scheduled for next April.

 

49er

[aaerobear]

I agree with TucsonRick, there is something else afoot. BAE has a large drydock here and a major contract with Princess for several years (made with the port of SF) so the "immigration" excuse does not hold water.

[DanJ]

Something does not ring true here. San Francisco, where the work is to be done, has always been a strong union town. In addition, BAE Systems, who will be doing the work, has a unionized workforce. I can't believe that foreign workers would be involved in this project.

 

Also, it seems to me that for such a major renovation to take place in such a short time, many of the new parts and pieces would be pre-ordered and prefabricated. It would be very costly for Princess to abandon these parts and pieces at this time. This doesn't make sense.

 

Rick

 

I'm with you. Until word comes down from Princess, people shouldn't jump to conclusions. Although we may never know exactly what the reasons are if there is a change in the modifications being made. I doubt it will have anything to do with imported laborers.

[Colo Cruiser]

Something does not ring true here. San Francisco, where the work is to be done, has always been a strong union town. In addition, BAE Systems, who will be doing the work, has a unionized workforce. I can't believe that foreign workers would be involved in this project.

 

Wow BAE systems!! The fine craftsmen that put in the Denver airport infamous baggage system which cost millions and never came on line and was ripped out. :rolleyes:

[vickie_bernie]

I too thought this sounded a little strange, but we are sailing on the Nov 10 sailing and I see that they are no longer offering the Ocean view mini suites that they were going to put in where the casino currently is.

 

any thoughts??

[senior lady]

mmmmmmmm, well if their going to do the upgrades in stages that works for me.

 

We're doing a 10 day Mexican cruise this November on the Star and then in October /09 we're doing a 30 day Sidney Australia/ South Pacific cruise to LA on the Star So it would be like going on 2 different ships;)

[LARGIN]

So I guess no rock wall and ice skating rink either.. :D:D

[Solara]

So I guess no rock wall and ice skating rink either.. :D:D

LOL.:D

[cactusrose]

I too thought this sounded a little strange, but we are sailing on the Nov 10 sailing and I see that they are no longer offering the Ocean view mini suites that they were going to put in where the casino currently is.

 

any thoughts??

 

I am still seeing the WS Suites (not mini suites) listed on all sailings from November on. They are waitlisted on most sailings.

 

Update. . . when I looked for the WS Suites on cruises in 2010 they are listed but show a small na next to them.

[jsiegel]

So I guess no rock wall and ice skating rink either.. :D:D

 

They are going ahead with the bowling alley, right?

[Latitude 20]

Something does not ring true here. San Francisco, where the work is to be done, has always been a strong union town. In addition, BAE Systems, who will be doing the work, has a unionized workforce. I can't believe that foreign workers would be involved in this project.

 

Also, it seems to me that for such a major renovation to take place in such a short time, many of the new parts and pieces would be pre-ordered and prefabricated. It would be very costly for Princess to abandon these parts and pieces at this time. This doesn't make sense.

 

Rick

 

Maybe the immigration issues have to do with the Princess employees, not the drydock employees. What do all the waiters, stewards, etc. do when ship goes into drydock? Does everyone's contract just end then and they start-up fresh after drydock? Or do they hang out on the ship (which might cause immigration issues)?

[sultan_sfo]

This opinion is based on detailed discussion at various times during our Dawn Princess Cruise which was the last cruise before 2-week dry dock.

 

The almost full complement of crew is still on board. Meals are provided to all the officers on board. The rest are assigned duties associated with the refurbish that does not conflict with union rules for dry dock repairs. Only senior contract ship employees (cabin steward, waiters, asst. waiters, some kitchen crew, deck crew etc) can arrange to have their contracts adjusted so they can use the dry dock period for their required break between contracts. Remember that the crew that depend on gratuities for their income do not earn much during dry dock. But they get meals and are on-board. The dry dock is planned way ahead of time to book the repair facilities and all paper work is done ahead of time.

 

Maybe the immigration issues have to do with the Princess employees, not the drydock employees. What do all the waiters, stewards, etc. do when ship goes into drydock? Does everyone's contract just end then and they start-up fresh after drydock? Or do they hang out on the ship (which might cause immigration issues)?

[roudy1]

My husband and I have just booked our first Princess cruise on the Star for September 6, 2009 really excited about it. :D

 

Hope to hear from those who sail on her right after dry dock and hearing what you have to say. Tho' we won't have anything to compare still exciting to hear about what they will do during dry dock. :)

[Latitude 20]

This opinion is based on detailed discussion at various times during our Dawn Princess Cruise which was the last cruise before 2-week dry dock.

 

The almost full complement of crew is still on board. Meals are provided to all the officers on board. The rest are assigned duties associated with the refurbish that does not conflict with union rules for dry dock repairs. Only senior contract ship employees (cabin steward, waiters, asst. waiters, some kitchen crew, deck crew etc) can arrange to have their contracts adjusted so they can use the dry dock period for their required break between contracts. Remember that the crew that depend on gratuities for their income do not earn much during dry dock. But they get meals and are on-board. The dry dock is planned way ahead of time to book the repair facilities and all paper work is done ahead of time.

 

Interesting info--thanks Sultan! I feel for the crew with no tips and a ship half ripped apart. Probably because we're going through our own "drydock" (day five of the bathroom remodel). ;)

[Travelrd]

I agree with Tucson Rick. Something doesn't sound right. Plans for this type of dry dock are made very far in advance so I think someone needs to find out the true story. I am not jumping to conclusions.

[RSWBADGER]

I found this on another site dated, August 20, 2008 regarding Dry Dock Schedules, no mention of delays. He said, she said.:rolleyes:

 

***********************************index.php?topic=452.0

 

Yesterday I met with my Princess sales rep. One of the topics that came up was my frustration in not knowing with the ships in the fleet were going to have the promised redos. For example, all Grand-class ships will be redone with Crown Princess' Piazza-style Atrium, and all ships will have the Sanctuary, and I think all will have Movies Under The Stars (MUTS). (Still not sure if they're adding MUTS to the Sun-class ships.)

 

There are apparantly other improvements, such as flat-screen TVs, new lamps, and other 'software' changes to cabins that will happen also. WiFi in all cabins for example. And all ships will have the SeaMobile cell service and WiFi in public areas by the end of the year. You can probably figure this stuff out from a hodgepodge of other Princess press announcements.

 

Anyway, Princess has put out press announcements of the first two major redos of the Grand-class ships - they are Star Princess 10/08 and Caribbean Princess 1/09. However, I didn't know Caribbean's dry dock DATES and we didn't know about the rest of the fleet. So, while meeting with the rep, we looked through the currently-announced sailing schedule (until 4/10) trying to find the wet and dry docks. Here is the list I gleaned. I don't know about other ships not listed. I do not know the ending date of the wet and dry docks. I only looked up the start date. And Mike probably already has this in his schedule, but I haven't downloaded that in a while so I thought I'd list this from my meeting yesterday anyway.

 

 

 

Caribbean 1/4/09 drydock

Coral 10/9/09 drydock

Crown 12/7/08 drydock

Dawn 6/7/09 drydock

Emerald 12/6/09 drydock

Grand 10/13/08 1-week wetdock

Golden 4/15/09 drydock

Sea 9/11/09 drydock

Ruby 12/14/09 1-week wetdock

Tahitian 11/19/09 drydock (conversion to Ocean Princess also)

 

Sapphire and Diamond will be the last to be redone - sometime in the 2010 year is guessed. And Island had a major redo in May of this year. It already has the Sanctuary.

 

Cheers!

 

~Suzy

[CruisinChris]

POtential immigrations issues could pertain to reps or engineers from Fitcantieri in Italy - the ship's builder. Certainly they would need to be involved in major structural changes.

[Sea Hag]

What I'd like to know is if anybody who visits CC booked the suites that won't be there for upcoming cruises. Anybody? We're booked on the 10/31 sailing, and that looks pretty full (yes, I know you don't see everything that's available), so if they already booked people into those suites and they aren't there, then what will they do with those people? Cancel them? Offer move-overs to other people? Both?

[skellis]

I just talked to a friend who is a crew member on the Star. He said that one of the contractors backed out of the project, and as far as he knows there are no crew immigration problems. He said that they have not been told if the drydock will be 10 days or 21 days as originally scheduled. He has also been told that there is a chance that they may do travel agent minicruises if they are only in drydock for 10 days. He will contact me as soon as there are some definitive answers.

[Philip217]

In the past month, three large American dry dock projects have been "sabotaged" by US Immigration. One Disney Ship, one Carnival Ship, and one Princess Ship.

The rules for foreign shipyard workers entering the USA, that have been in place for many years, have suddenly changed without notice.

 

The foreign workers who were scheduled to perform most of the renovation work on these three ships were informed - last minute - that they will not be allowed to enter the USA.

 

It is too late for the cruise lines to ask for new bids from other subcontracting companies. Even if there was time, American subcontractors are far too expensive and take far too long to do the same work.

 

It is too late for the cruise lines to move to dry docks outside the USA. Those yards are booked years in advance.

 

This new immigration policy has guaranteed that the major cruise lines will no longer consider US shipyards for their dry docks.

[abbydancer2003]

What day is the Star scheduled to start the drydock? Also, anyone know exactly where the facility is? We're scheduled to go on the Star in just over a year, and I'm toying with the idea of driving up to SF for dinner and to take a peek at the ship before we leave for Disneyworld on the 26th.

 

Also, what is now going to be done during the drydock?

 

thanks!