suzyed

Yes, since it takes so long to get the FCCs, we may have missed the opportunity to rebook. We've just resigned ourselves that we will be enjoying the most expensive "Cruise to Nowhere" ever! Nuff said.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

July 9

More details....over $16000 was paid( $12,000 of which was paid by our kids) for our Crown sailing on which we will celebrate my DH's 70th birthday. The logistics of changing ships, dates, airline tickets, pre-cruise hotels, and vacation days for 6 people in 4 cabins was just overwhelming. And even if we cancelled, we would have only gotten FCCs, not cash.

We've done many different cruise lines and there are always some disappointments. Our goal in choosing who we sail with is who disappoints us the least. What problems can we over look? And for 12+ years that has been Princess. We love the Princess product....loveED. What they are doing now cannot be overlooked at least not by us.

I agree with every one of your points...especially your second paragraph. We were the loyal Princess passengers who are using up our FCCs, which most have to be used by year end and a few that have to be used by February or are lost. However, our daughters paid for our Crown cruise for the celebration of my DH's bday....well over $12,000. I understand the struggle that Princess is going through but they are not doing a thing to help us through the struggle. How can you sell a cruise/product at full price and only deliver partially on what was promised. These are not unforeseen circumstances, these are planned unsatisfactory changes, without regard to how the faithful passengers are going to deal with it. (yes, yes, I know the passenger contact....I am well aware) We are shopping other cruise lines now.

Yeah, except that they already have our thousands of dollars!!

I am right there with you! We thought we were going to celebrate as a family, my DH's 70th Birthday with a wonderful Alaska cruise on one of our favorite ships....the Crown. We have booked 4 cabins and our daughter's have paid for the whole thing as a gift to their Dad. It will be their first time to Alaska and I was so excited to share all the wonders of Alaska. We love the ports and the experiences we have had in the past. And now it seems they won't get to experience many of them. They take away a port months in advance of our cruise and replace it with another, that it seems they have no intention of getting to....all this just to placate us. Now we're going to get to another port at 4:00...our excursion is booked for 4:15...I guess that will go by the wayside since they are now telling us they will post excursions for us to book "in the next two weeks or onboard" Sheesh! Another port, we are getting to at 7:30Pm. There is only one port (at this point) that has not changed. Waiting on that one. And for all this, we are getting a total of $200 OBC?! Probably non-refundable. If they at least provided FCCs as they did for us on the Coral, we would sail again with Princess using those and continue sailing. But it seems they are not interested in our business and are just blowing us off. So much for working up to Elite status and being a share holder. So I think we reached the point that we are not going to let this slide.

Well your second sentence points to the difference in cruise experience. The Royal is very different than the Crown at this point.

We are looking to other cruise lines after this year when we use up our FCC from the Coral, before they expire. Enough is enough!

NO. There is no way you can expect in advance that you would miss most of the ports on a cruise. They took Ketchikan off and replaced it with Icy Strait and as far as I can discern, no one has made it to that point yet. They did that just to placate us. We have sailed on the Crown 4 times before without any issues.

I agree. It makes me sick to my stomach. Our daughters paid for all 6 of us to take this cruise as a gift to their Dad for his 70th Birthday....over $12,000!!! We were stuck on the Coral during the covid "pause" and Princess stepped up and at least compensated us for all the ports and countries we couldn't dock in....and those were unavoidable and unanticipated. So even with that we booked more cruises "knowing" that Princess does the right thing. Once we use our FCCs from the Coral sailing, we will be booking with other cruise lines. We're done with Princess....It pains me to say that.

Yup. Bait and switch. Very disappointed with Princess.

Oh I know! Icy Strait Point is the replacement for Ketchikan and I have yet to hear of anyone on the Crown getting there. For many reasons it wasn't feasible to cancel this Birthday Celebration Cruise with our family. And I am now accepting that it will be more like a cruise to nowhere, but I think the compensation for problems that they are aware of well in advance should be more than $100.

Just got an email from Princess with yet another itinerary change! Just ridiculous! We've paid the same or similar amount for our 7 day Alaska cruise as the other Alaska cruises but it seems like we are getting half a cruise. First they remove Ketchikan and now we get about 2 hours in most ports. IMPORTANT NOTICES ITINERARY CHANGE Please be advised that due to technical restrictions affecting the ship's maximum speed, Crown Princess will now arrive in Juneau, Alaska at 4:00 PM on Monday, July 11, 2022 rather than at 2:30 PM as previously scheduled. Due to this change and as a gesture of goodwill, each guest will receive an onboard credit of $100 USD applied to their shipboard account. The onboard credit may be used toward all purchases in the bars, boutiques and photo gallery, as well as specialty dining, spa treatments and shore excursions. This $100 credit will be in addition to any previously provided credits, promotions, or amenities on your booking. Updated shore excursion information will be available in the Cruise Personalizer in the next two weeks or on board.

The last M&G that I organized was on the Sky NYE sailing. I contacted Group Services and they set up the day/time/location for the M&G, which is usually the first sea day. The date had to be changed once because the Captain and Crew had a conflict (a meeting) with the appointed time. They just rescheduled it for another day. They contacted the Loyal Ambassador on our ship and she offered to invite the Captain and crew, so I didn't have to do it.(In the past, I have written out the invitations, added the names of the officers and Capt. etc when I got on board and brought them to Guest Services and asked them to distribute them.) I bring a supply of sticky name tags and sharpies and folks fill them out before they come in to the venue. Once the officers arrive, I welcome everyone and hand it over to the Captain or the Hotel General Manager or the Loyalty ambassador and let them take over. On the Sky it was really easy because we had Captain Tuvo and he took the ball and ran with it. He introduced all the officers and crew and he is such a chatter box and so entertaining that we had a great M&G!!!

It was a different table each night when we were on the Sky earlier this year.

Gosh no....never got anything even close to that! I think most of us have not! I gamble but not near enough to get anything like that. Enjoy!

unfortunately not! They might get even more participants if it was!

The tests are certainly available, but some places are not giving them for free any more.

How much do you have to gamble to get these offers? And is it for Slots as well as the tables?

Our TA's OBC does not usually show or only a small portion of it shows until we are onboard.

We liked him....funny, approachable, fun!

You may be right....will have to try that and see what it says. The test we need is not at all Walgreen apparently but we have a zillion Walgreens here!

Are you sure? What if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan? It asked if we have in insurance and asked if we had Medicaid but as you said, no questions about travel.