Language used for ships in Med

[Regan]

What is the primary language (announcements, speakers, entertainers, etc.) used on Princess Ships sailing in the Mediterranean? Is it English? This is probably a silly question, but it does concern me since we are considering booking a Med cruise. Also, abandoning ship is got to be really scary, but I cannot imagine how frightening it would be if you could not understand any directions being given. Thanks for any info you can provide me.

[paul929207]

English is not just th eprimary language, it is the only one on the Princess Med cruises I have taken.

[Regan]

Wow -- that was really quick! Thanks so much for the info. It makes me feel a lot better about booking the cruise.

[Times Prince]

Because Princess Cruises is a US based company the official language onboard is English.

[Pam in CA]

Plus the safety briefings are continuously broadcast on the TV in English on embarkation day, and the directions posted on the back of the cabin door with instructions of what to do, where to go and a diagram is also in English. Every Princess cruise I've been on holds Muster before sailing, not the next day.

[paul929207]

Also, all the Princess tours will be only in English, at least that has been my experience.

[katisdale]

I have been on Princess ships where excursions can be booked with German or Spanish language guides. These cruises had large numbers of cruisers from countries that spoke those languages. There were not as many choices for them however as there were choices for English speakers. Last spring we were on a Baltic cruise with lots of asian cruisers (I don't know if they were from China, Japan or elsewhere). There were information desks set up near the purser's area and I think they had private excursions for every port.

[Ethel5]

As a bit of information.....ALL airline pilots and ship's masters MUST speak English.

[piper28]

The South America cruise that I just did is the only cruise I've had on Princess so far that did announcements in anything other than English. For that cruise, all announcements were done in both English and Spanish. (Muster drill took a lot longer as a result of this, and didn't use the canned speech for it.)

[antsp]

Plus the safety briefings are continuously broadcast on the TV in English on embarkation day, and the directions posted on the back of the cabin door with instructions of what to do, where to go and a diagram is also in English. Every Princess cruise I've been on holds Muster before sailing, not the next day.

 

We sailed on the ruby out of venice last year, the muster was held at 1pm, we sailed from venice at 6 am that morning.

[Pam in CA]

We sailed on the ruby out of venice last year, the muster was held at 1pm, we sailed from venice at 6 am that morning.

Thanks for the info. Nice to know as I'll be sailing out of Venice next October. :)

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Princess does a lot to assist non english speakers or those whose first language is not english.

 

have done a number of cruises were things were done in two languages

 

slows things down though,

 

yours Shogun

[Lookingforfacts]

Also, all the Princess tours will be only in English, at least that has been my experience.

 

I was reading the list of excursions (Greek Island cruise--Venice to Rome) and most ports seem to have at least one tour in Spanish.

[CRUZER2012]

I have been on Princess ships where excursions can be booked with German or Spanish language guides. These cruises had large numbers of cruisers from countries that spoke those languages. There were not as many choices for them however as there were choices for English speakers. Last spring we were on a Baltic cruise with lots of asian cruisers (I don't know if they were from China, Japan or elsewhere). There were information desks set up near the purser's area and I think they had private excursions for every port.

 

 

 

Interesting. Private excursions at every port for Asian travelers. BUT, for us with mobility issues, there are very few excursions on a sailing for those needing wheelchair accessible tours. Even so, many ports have no excursions with wheelchair accessible tours. Why is that I wonder. Could it be money-related?

[paul929207]

Interesting. Private excursions at every port for Asian travelers. BUT, for us with mobility issues, there are very few excursions on a sailing for those needing wheelchair accessible tours. Even so, many ports have no excursions with wheelchair accessible tours. Why is that I wonder. Could it be money-related?

Sure it is money related. If a tour does not sell, they will cancel it. If it repeatedly does not sell they will stop offering it.

[Pia1913]

As a bit of information.....ALL airline pilots and ship's masters MUST speak English.

 

But, can you understand their English? :rolleyes: Donna, have you ever traveled with Capt. Manfuso?

[katisdale]

Interesting. Private excursions at every port for Asian travelers. BUT, for us with mobility issues, there are very few excursions on a sailing for those needing wheelchair accessible tours. Even so, many ports have no excursions with wheelchair accessible tours. Why is that I wonder. Could it be money-related?

 

I don't think it is money related (although lots of stuff is money related). I have found accessible tours (not every tour by any means) where the ADA applies. Alaska was excellent. Puerto Rico had choices. Europe and most of the caribbean have poor choices not based on what Princess offers but what that culture offers. There were NO accessible choices in any of the ports in Europe we have been to. I am fortunate I can still walk a bit and did have an excursion at each stop but it was by and large private. I think Princess would sell such tours if they could find someone to offer them. Even the "easy" tours through the ship required climbing into a large bus which is hard for me and impossible for others.