Earthquake near Santiago Chile -- Princess Sailings and Passengers

[juventus]

Princess made more profit than if it would have sailed normally on the 2nd of March with full capacity. And this is how:

1- They kept all 2000 people ( who didnt make it to valapraiso ) money in their pockets

2- They are feeding less 2000 people ( Less expenses )

3 - THEY RENTED OUR PAID CABINS TWICE TO RETURNEES FOR $50 TO $75 a night ( MADE EXTRA MONEY FOR DOUBLE RENTING )

4- Not paying ports fees in Punta Arenas and Falkland Islands

 

SO WHAT DID THEY LOSE?

THEY LOST CUSTOMERS AND RESPECT

[juventus]

See post 550

You mean they took off all the misleading and false info they announced I guess

[Princess Chatterer]

2/27 Earthquake in Chile and Tsunami Warnings #na1077

 

We are aware of various tsunami warnings as a result of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile this morning. Any potential impact to our fleet has been reviewed thoroughly. As a result, some changes to port calls today and tomorrow have been made to ensure the safety of our passengers and crew. Passengers are being kept updated onboard.

 

Voyage 9005 -- Star Princess

 

Our shoreside offices have been in constant communication with management onboard Star Princess, and, where possible, our contacts in Chile. We have assessed the situation based on the information we currently have.

 

At this time, we do not anticipate any changes to our arrival in Valparaiso, Chile on Tuesday, March 2. We are currently reviewing the scheduled call to Puerto Montt tomorrow and will advise passengers who are onboard as we learn more.

 

Our best information at this point is that the Santiago airport will be closed through Monday. This is a very fluid situation and could change at any time. When we have additional information we will provide updates to our passengers onboard.

 

Voyage 9006 -- Star Princess

 

Star Princess is still scheduled to arrive on Tuesday in Valparaiso, Chile on Tuesday, March 2. Based on the statements that the Santiago airport will be closed for the next 72 hours, at this time we expect embarkation to commence as planned.

 

This is a very fluid situation and could change at any time. We encourage passengers to make any necessary adjustments to plan their flight to arrive in Valparaiso on Tuesday, March 2."

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1077

[Princess Chatterer]

2/28/2010

Earthquake in Chile - Star Princess

 

Star Princess is currently sailing in South America and is en route to Valparaiso, Chile, where the cruise is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, March 2.

 

Voyage 9005: Arriving Valparaiso Tuesday, March 2

 

We have been in close communication with management onboard Star Princess and, where possible, our contacts in Chile. Based on the information we currently have obtained, we do not anticipate any changes to our arrival in Valparaiso on March 2.

 

We are aware that the airport in Santiago is currently closed and appears to be closed through Monday, March 1. We are reviewing the impact of that closure and will provide updates as they become available.

 

Voyage 9006: Departing Valparaiso Tuesday, March 2

 

Star Princess is still scheduled to arrive on Tuesday in Valparaiso, Chile on Tuesday, March 2. Based on information that the Santiago airport will be closed for the next 72 hours, at this time we expect embarkation to commence as planned.

 

However, this is a very fluid situation and could change at any time. We encourage passengers to make any necessary adjustments to plan their flight to arrive in Valparaiso on Tuesday, March 2.

 

As we receive new information, we will continue to keep our passengers advised of any changes to their cruise itineraries. In the meantime, our thoughts are with those in Chile who are affected by the devastating earthquake.

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1080

 

Editor: There is no significant airport in Valparaiso

[Princess Chatterer]

"3/1/2010

 

Update on Star Princess Turnaround in Valparaiso, Chile -- March 2

 

Star Princess will end its current cruise in Valparaiso, Chile as scheduled on Tuesday morning, March 2. The cruise terminal is open and operational.

 

The airport there is operating on a very limited basis, and the vast majority of inbound and outbound flights have been cancelled. We are closely monitoring the situation.

 

Should the airport remain closed on Tuesday, we plan to keep Star Princess in Valparaiso for at least another 24 hours so our passengers who are unable to fly out, will be able to stay onboard until flight operations resume. Passengers who are already in Valparaiso will also be able to embark and stay on board the ship.

 

At this point we plan to operate the following cruise, which is sailing to Rio de Janeiro. We will keep passengers informed of any changes to the itinerary, but the earliest we would sail from Valparaiso would be Wednesday, March 3 at 6 pm.

 

Passengers who have booked their outbound or inbound air through Princess are being re-booked, and any modification to pre- or post packages have been taken care of.

 

For passengers onboard who had made independent travel plans in Valparaiso, we have assisted them by checking on the status of their hotel, and have provided them with this information.

 

This is a fluid situation and can change at any time. We are continuing to provide updates to our passengers as we receive new information."

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1080

[Princess Chatterer]

"3/2/2010

Star Princess in Valparaiso, Chile - Update

 

Star Princess arrived in Valparaiso, Chile -- the terminus of a 12-day South America/Cape Horn cruise -- as scheduled this morning, Tuesday, March 2.

 

Because air flights are continuing to operate in and out of Santiago on a limited basis over the next several days, we recognize that passengers are having difficulties reaching Star Princess as planned. Therefore we will hold the ship in Valparaiso until noon on Thursday, March 4, giving arriving passengers additional time to meet the ship.

 

At that time, Star Princess will depart on a revised itinerary for the next cruise, calling at the ports of Ushuaia, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and ending in Rio de Janeiro on March 16. Passengers who are able to embark Star Princess in Valparaiso at the time of sailing on March 4 will sail on the revised itinerary, and will be advised after departure on their cruise details.

 

Passengers who are currently onboard Star Princess and are unable to fly home because of limited air flights, have two options. They can disembark the ship as planned on March 2, or they can remain onboard for the next cruise, and can disembark from any of the ports on the sailing up to and including Buenos Aires.

 

We are providing updates to passengers as we receive new information, and we appreciate their patience and understanding as we manage this unforeseen situation. In the meantime, our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic earthquake in Chile."

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1084

[Princess Chatterer]

3/2/2010

 

Important information for passengers on Star Princess March 2nd voyage from Valparaiso.

 

 

We have appreciated your patience over the past few days. We wish to confirm that Star Princess will sail from Valparaiso on Thursday, March 4 at 12:00 noon. We have made the decision to delay embarkation in order to provide additional time for our passengers to reach the ship. Embarkation will begin 8:00am on Thursday, March 4 and the ship will leave midday Thursday on a journey to Rio de Janeiro. Once the departure time is confirmed and the ship is underway, the Captain will make announcements as to the impact on the remainder of the itinerary.

For passengers still at home, we encourage you to continue to work with the airlines to rebook your flight to arrive in Santiago on or before 8:00am on Thursday, March 4. For those passengers with Princess Air, we're working with the availability given by the airlines to attempt to book flights when they become available.

For passengers in Chile, please arrive at the pier in Valparaiso at 8:00am on Thursday for embarkation. Due to earthquake-related port congestion, Star Princess has moved from the pier to an anchorage position in the port of Valparaiso. The ship will remain at this anchorage position for the remainder of Tuesday, March 2 and for the full day of Wednesday, March 3. Therefore, we kindly request you arrive for embarkation at 8:00am on Thursday morning. If you have any questions or require additional information, please call our Chilean ground handler at 09 7 897 27 85. Again we thank you for your patience and understanding and we hope you are able to join us onboard Star Princess.

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article...ticleId=na1085

[Princess Chatterer]

3/4/2010

 

Update on Star Princess Departure from Valparaiso, Chile

 

We can confirm that all passengers able to reach Star Princess are now onboard and the ship has prepared to sail from Valparaiso. Our decision to remain in Valparaiso was a necessary one due to the closure of the airport over the weekend and subsequent reduced flight schedules through today, and allowed many additional passengers to reach the ship.

 

This delayed departure does require us to alter the remainder of the itinerary. Regrettably, we will be dropping the ports calls of Punta Arenas and Stanley, and the scenic cruising of Cape Horn. The new itinerary will continue to call in Ushuaia on March 8, Montevideo on March 12 and Buenos Aires on March 13. For details of the times in each port, please contact Princess Reservations.

 

Passengers who were unable to join Star Princess in Valparaiso may continue to secure alternate flight arrangements and join the ship at one of the ports on the new itinerary. Princess Reservations is in the process of making call-outs to passengers, advising of this option. If you have made plans to join the ship, please contact Princess Reservations with your flight schedule and planned port of embarkation.

 

Again, we thank you for your patience and understanding and we hope you are able to join us onboard Star Princess.

 

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1086

[billet]

You mean they took off all the misleading and false info they announced I guess

 

All I meant was read post 550! :)

[Tradewind40]

You are correct-still poor insurance, IMHO

 

I haven't read the Princess policy recently. But I know when I did read it word for word, I was shocked at how poor it was. I have had other dealings with Berkely with horrible results. OT They were writing a lot of policies for one of our large customers-a catering company in NY who offered insurance in case of wedding/event cancellations. I fought with Berkely for over a year to get our freight money/storage charges paid-wedding canceled, our customers client filed a claim. We wanted our freight/storage money as did our customer. Berkely was going to pay the client and neglect to pay us for shipping and our customer for the cost of food, wine, etc. We finally got our money, our customer got their money and they immediatey QUIT writing Berkely policies to cover cancellations.

 

Interesting comments I just saw about insurance coverage on CCL stock board!

 

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_C/messagesview?bn=3213&vmode=1

 

More grist for the mill if lawsuits are initiated. Insurance would not be valid if those covered did as Princess encouraged them to and came to Chile. That's really all for me!:)

[DizzyDallasDi]

Hello all - I've been following the posts here and on the roll call board for the 3/2 Star cruise for some time now. I just wanted to express my sympathy to all those passengers who had been looking forward to this fabulous cruise. I can't imagine your heartbreak given the circumstances.

 

As an outsider, I think the thing that appalls me the most is the "communications" from Princess and the misleading information about when the Star would set sail. As I understand it, on 2/28 Princess mandated that passengers must get to the port or would be considered "no shows" because the Star would be leaving on 3/2 as scheduled. If you didn't have insurance, too bad so sad. I can't imagine what a nightmare it would be trying to find flights into a city where there weren't any. And, coupled with travel advisories telling people not to travel there. That was a PR disaster for Princess and I hope the fur is flying at their headquarters for making that kind of statement.

 

The ensuing changing of sail dates and lack of communication from Princess to its passengers was deplorable. It's inexcusable. I think the final straw in this whole mess is the last statement made by Princess that they decided to delay sailing until 3/4 "in order to give their arriving passengers time to get there." Really??? I don't think so!! They were scrambling to right the PR nightmare they'd created by making it sound like they were being "thoughtful" by delaying the departure date. I don't buy this crap for a minute. :mad:

 

My first cruise was on Princess in 1983 and I was hooked on cruising from that moment. (I haven't sailed on Princess again but that's neither here nor there.) I know how much we all look forward to our cruises not to mention the cost involved. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm so sorry for what you've been through. And, I'm afraid that Princess' treatment of its passengers during this trying time has pretty much closed the door on any future bookings by me.

 

Smooth sailing to all,

Diane

[Tradewind40]

Letters to the editor from passengers and family of cruisers on Princess Star in Valparaiso!

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/05/1513492/star-princess-to-leave-chile.html

 

03/08/2010 12:41:11 PM:

 

My husband and I were aboard the Star Princess impacted by the earthquake and have one word for Princess...LOUSY!!! This is our third cruise with Princess in so many years and certainly the last.

 

We did NOT buy our airline reservations or insurance through Princess and were able, with the help of our travel agent in Chicago, to fly home Friday night. Many onboard the ship were being given false and misleading information that prompted them to continue back around "The Horn". From what we could ascertain, Princess did little to nothing to help passengers make other arrangements to stay in Santiago and await a flight when the airport re-opened. What a shameless money grab on Princess' part.

 

We have already shared our story with our travel agent who is advising other clients of Princess' undesireablity as a cruise line. Maybe we can hit them in the wallet!!!

 

3/06/2010 09:40:03 PM:

 

My mother was on this cruise. The princess Cruiseline was most unprofessional in the way that they handled the trauma of the passangers and thier saftey and protection. I appeal to all other passangers to make comments to them to at least change some of thier policies. I know my family did not understand thier options and even though I requested multiple times for the to give them in writing they did not. I spoke to thier chief counsel, she was heartless and unconcerned in policy changes to make the trauma easier. I will be following up and I hope others will also. I also hope to see more governmental oversight of the industry.

 

 

From the people involved and really that is it for me!:cool: