kiwi57

It would be nice if Princess stepped up with the (well-deserved) full flight refunds, hotel money, food money, etc. that they are giving to the folks who were on their way or already in Europe when they heard the cancellation news of the Feb. 18 sailing to those of us who were in the same boat (in flight or already in Europe) having been cancelled for the Feb. 8th sailing. As someone mentioned, people frequently add to their vacations on the front or back end to Europe. We did the front end add-on time and were on the plane one hour into the flight when we saw the cancellation email that was sent right after we took off. Our offer was a refund of what we paid, and some casino free play on our next cruise since it was a casino booking. $200 for airline change fees which we had to support with evidence. Even though we paid $2600 more for an upgraded cabin, that was not eligible for FCC. Not much. We are still in Europe, after spending numerous jet-lagged hours upon arrival making arrangements on the fly and spending more than we originally paid Princess to cover new hotels, extra (last minute) flights, food, etc. waiting out our original return flight from Rome on the 18th. Of course, we had a good time, but not the amazing, relaxing new-ship vacation we were expecting. I am so sorry for all of those affected by this. I know just how you feel and Princess really dropped the ball here. Especially with the “yes, it will be sailing on the 8th” reassurances we were given more than once by Princess in the weeks leading up to it. Best of luck to everyone who is dealing with this right now.

According to my email it was only the inability to finish on time so the decision was made between the Princess partners and the shipyard. There was no mention of a strike, and the accident happened with a worker on a different ship. I feel that the lack of any press releases, news, postings from crew over the last many weeks made all of us on this inaugural feel a little nervous. Just my two cents, but if the shipyard was under a strike or it was due to injury, Princess would have mentioned that as it takes some of the heat off them when they cancel this late. They definitely made a point of telling us it was the Santorini tram repair that caused our deviation to Crete on this cruise.

I am currently on the airplane flying over to Barcelona for two weeks pre-cruise before the Inaugural Feb.8th sailing, where I just received the cancellation message via email. Adding insult to injury, right before boarding I received a Princess mailer telling me all about the great upcoming entertainment and things to look forward to on the cruise. Absolutely no reason to wait this long to let us know. Of course, I understand that inaugurals can change and cancel, but 15 days out seems ridiculous.

What ship are you sailing on? I have been in D727 on a few Royal class ships. The balcony is excellent; largest on the ship I think. It has a bit of cover, depending on the time of day and the direction of the ship. Often, sunbathing should be no problem; you might have to move your lounger around a bit, which is no problem as I feel that balcony is big enough for 15 or 20 loungers. 🙂 You do get all the same suite perks with the casino comped cruise. Priority embarkation, special dinner seating, etc. as noted on the website. The 360 experience is only on the Enchanted and Discovery. Suites will be getting an automatic invitation, and besides some casino perks, it was not open to the public until it finished the beta testing. When I was on the Enchanted two weeks ago, they were rolling out the 360 to the public at the end of my cruise (Oct. 14th), for a price of $150 each. It was a very cool experience, and delicious. A small group of about 20 people, in the round with immersion effects, videos and multiple courses. Honestly, I think that The Catch by Rudy was better for me (Dover sole was amazing) since I don't drink and there was a specialty cocktail pairing with every dish at the 360.

We did the Diamond Princess 17 day Festivals cruise July 10-27th. The temps were generally in the low-high 90s at many ports. Humidity was atrocious. It was extremely uncomfortable to sit out on the balcony during the day, and the ports were stifling. We found out early to carry a sun umbrella, a cooling wet towel, sunscreen, water, mini-fans, and patience. Frequent stops into air conditioned restaurants or department stores was key. The sad part was that the heat took so much out of us (even with young adults in our group) that we left early from the festivals because of the oppressive temps and crowds, as well as not even attempting longer walks to sites in the cities as it was simply exhausting. That said, Japan was an amazing country. The food, culture, experiences with local people....so great. We have vowed to return again....between October and April.