ldubs

The answer to your last question is your opening sentence! I agree about there being a lot of good info on these forums and should be careful to not downplay that.

Hey, that isn't fair! I put a lot of time and energy into finding things to complain about.😀

I have often wondered if these forums might be best avoided by first time cruisers. Like you say, wrong info, negatively, rudeness. Filtering is needed to get to the good stuff. On the other hand, it must be true because I read it on the internet! 😀

Might not have been initially deliberate, but is that a criteria? It is deliberate the minute they know they are offering a thing with the intention of not providing it. It is incredibly intentional. I have no need to sugar coat shady business practices.

When traveling with our minor kids, they never went through customs without us by their side. Who knows what they might say. Probably the same reason Mrs Ldubs doesn't let me go by myself. 😀

It doesn't matter if the reason is valid. If the cruise line withholds notification of the change, then they are being dishonest. The longer they withhold material changes it is likely fewer people will cancel. Intentionally withholding past the final payment date is incredibly dishonest. I agree with your point and it appears that is exactly what some lines are doing. If they know ahead of time but continue to collect fares for an itinerary they know they won't do, then they do have the intent to change to something different -- bait and switch.

If the cruise line knows ahead of time, the itinerary change should be communicated as soon as it is known. I think basic customer service would include providing the reason for the change. So other than timely notification, what would be included in a Passenger Bill of Rights? Refund regardless of timing for changes without good reason? Will need to fully define good reason. I have some hesitancy about this if it would result in any pressure to not make safety the #1 priority. A passenger bill of right should have the same priority.

When the cruise line knows that it will not being doing the advertised itinerary but still sells tickets then I would call it deceptive.

I don't really have anything to complain about, but I'll take the 50 smackeroonies if they want to give it to me!

Nothing wrong with that. Gee, I must have been important! 😀

Seems odd they would take this approach. I suspect many who say "never again" don't really mean it. The $50 might just edge them to another booking. Maybe they waited two years to see if folks were serious. 😀 Either way, it is a pretty meager carrot.

I think that is very true and not just for less advertised things. We have used Princess enough to have elite status, and yet have never attended a pub lunch. We have yet to attend an afternoon tea on any cruise line. Nothing against either. We just haven't done them. Maybe next time.

Pre-retirement our work responsibilities required we stay connected. That no longer applies. If just the two of us traveling, we usually get one wifi purely for personal use. If with a group, we will get more so our travel mates can take advantage of our discount, and sometimes I get it just for the convenience of communicating with the group. BTW, even with ship wifi, our phones stay in airplane mode while onboard.

Yup, that is the benefit of a la carte pricing. There could be an issue on where to draw the line I suppose. For the mainstream lines, including specialty dining venues would require a major remodel as the current spaces would be completely overwhelmed. Instead, I would support adding a few bucks per day to the fare and upgrading the quality of the food in the public dining places. One or both of us always gets the wifi. Back when we were working, our employers footed the bill. For some reason, after we retired, they won't do that anymore. I only get it when we travel with a group. They need a way to find me if I get lost. 🙂

Oh man, hard to think but it is true that reading the back of the cereal box was a thing.

I think having that option is good. My comment was about other things provided that not everyone uses. Take room service for example. Many if not all mainstream lines have now unbundled it and charge a fee (continental breakfast orders excluded). Those that use room service are unhappy with the change and feel they are being nickel and dimed.

I would look at it as an excuse to take another Princess cruise so I could get an exchange. 😄

That is a good point, but could it not apply to almost anything included in the fare?

They (mainstream insurers) can, but they will be very reluctant to deviate from underwriting/loss control rules. Maybe insurers domiciled in Canada operate differently, IDK.

Everything working for me. Thanks.

Take a look at water saddles. Would be less obtrusive in the pool and probably easier to pack too.

Your comments go beyond "curious". According to your comments , it was a mood changing experience. Clearly a complaint about keeping a schedule. Then it changed to an incredible negative about the content of the shows. I can't imagine the lines you have used over the past two decades don't also keep pretty close to schedule.

Sorry to hear. We have enjoyed the main theater entertainment on our last 4 or so Princess cruises. We feel in has improved over the past attempts at loud glitzy production shows.

That would be a solution. Even 3 or 4 at 45 minutes would work. I guess I'm just wondering why they built what they know up front to be inadequate seating.

I'm getting a lot of "something went wrong try again" messages in the Princess forum. Is says error code EX0. Is this something I can address, or do I just wait it out? Thanks.