Grand princess changes - fleet wide?

[LARGIN]

On our last cruise on the Grand in May we arrived at the port around 11:15 and checked in. Since we were in a full suite we were told to go to a small area, given our cards and was told that someone would be by shortly to take us on the ship. No more than 10 minutes later a white gloved crew member took our carry-on and escorted us onto the ship. We were told that the rooms would be ready around noon so we could get lunch in the Horizon if we wished. We opted to wait in the International. I checked with our room steward and he told me to give him 15 minutes which we did. We were in our room before noon and eating lunch in one of the MDRs. As we were leaving I saw several people eating lunch with their carry-ons in tow so I guess there rooms were not ready.

[elliair]

I fail to follow your rationale for that idea. You complain because you are not allowed to get into your stateroom for a half-hour or hour or so, and your solution is to keep you and everybody else off the entire ship for 2 1/2 hours or more? Can't figure out the logic there!

 

Tom

 

The rationale is simple. Board at 1:00 pm - no one allowed on the ship until 1:00 pm when the rooms are ready. Why board early? Did you miss my reasoning why Princess wants to get you on board ASAP? Revenue generating. What I choose to do does not impact anyone, never has, and never will. They sure do want you out of your cabin on debarkation day - 8:00 am. What hotel does that? NONE! BTW. We stay at the El Rancho Best Western in Millbrae. We can leave our car for free and they give us a ride to the airport. We often get to the hotel around 11:00 am. There's always a room available, and we're always accommodated. It's called good customer service. BTW, I don't complain or whine about anything, I just do what I'm going to do.

[1emerald1]

I don't mind contributing to Princess' bottom line at all! Can't wait for a glass of Champagne or a Mai Tai and people watch!

[Vineyard View]

Our bus arrives at 12:45 so it sounds like most of you will already be enjoying! My question is will the MDR still be open for lunch when we get on board?

[MTJSR]

Thanks for the updates, Mark. (y)

 

You bet! Nice to hear from you. :D

[capriccio]

Our bus arrives at 12:45 so it sounds like most of you will already be enjoying! My question is will the MDR still be open for lunch when we get on board?

 

The MDR is open from noon to 1:30.

[Vineyard View]

The MDR is open from noon to 1:30.

 

Thank you. I would think it unlikely we will make that timeframe, but one never knows!

[Pierlesscruisers]

Tom, unfortunately...some staff guiding people to check in lines at pier 91, assume that every pax is on their first cruise.....I was very disappointed how I was treated with priority boarding by a few employees. And on an Alaska cruise out of Seattle it certainly can save you time in line.

 

But, back to OP , same thing happened on Ruby in May...rear or forward elevator entrance, sending everyone up to the buffet...again so many new cruisers so many were clueless.

 

 

However, when I boarded it was about 12:15, I mentioned I wanted to go to the MDR..I was told I needed to go to the middle elevator bank.

 

 

I had to use the stairs as all the mid elevators were "busy"

 

 

I was just thinking is it possible they have decided to use some of the guest mid elevators for getting baggage to cabins, just a thought......

 

EDIT..forgot to mention.....the MDR on that Ruby sailing was totally dead...servers just stood and talked to me....they were all going on breaks and they were wondering where all the people were this was about 12:30. Even the MD came over and chatted.

 

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed as to how you were handled during check-in. I'm not trying to excuse or make light of anything that happened but since you did feel that it had to do with being treated like you were treated as if you were on your first ever cruise, there are 2 things that I would like to say in this regard. First of all, please realize that many of the people working at the pier are either 1. holding their first job dealing with customers, or 2. have never in their lives ever been on a cruise. Actually, some fall into both categories. While I'm not trying to excuse anything that might have happened, it may explain, to some degree why it might have happened. That said, I would ask you to do one thing. please drop me an email at peerlesscruisers at gmail dot com and let me know exactly what happened in as much detail as you can remember. If you can do that, I will do what I can to bring this to the attention of the proper person at the pier so that the proper steps can be taken to see if we can't do what is necessary to try and prevent any similar situations occuring in the future. While I can't promise that what happened to you will never happen again, I can promise that I will do what I can to improve our future service to the passengers that we serve.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Tom

[Belle]

B2B out of San Francisco....Have to meet in a room between around 10:30 when everyone off the ship.

Get off ship for passport check, Nice in SF on top floor go through check then back on ship. Go to your

cabin, whatever. Doors aren't locked. Nice to be in line for lunch a noon in MDR.

 

B2B in LA (San Pedro)...Have to meet like above but have to get off and go downstairs where all

the passengers are waiting to get on. Sit in different spot and suppose to get on first. Works most

of the time.

 

B2B Europe done a few didn't have to get off the ship, just new keys and pictures. Last time 2015.

Don't think had to go to a room. Could of changed with everything going on.

 

Heard in Florida you have to get off the ship .I'll find out this year.

 

If changing rooms, throw things in suitcase, leave hanging clothes. They will move things to new cabin.

Just keep things from the safe with you.

If keeping same room don't have to pack anything, your lucky.

 

You'll get papers to tell you what to do. Also get a transit card if want to get off.

[Coffeeluvr05]

The MDR is open from noon to 1:30.

 

 

 

Which DR?

 

 

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[Belle]

Lunch in the MDR is usually... at check in and sea days is on deck 6 midship.

Been that way on 7, 10, 14 day cruises that I've been on but that could change.

One cruise lunch was on deck 6 aft. All through the cruise. That was on a 28 day.

[Coral]

Lunch in the MDR is usually... at check in and sea days is on deck 6 midship.

Been that way on 7, 10, 14 day cruises that I've been on but that could change.

One cruise lunch was on deck 6 aft. All through the cruise. That was on a 28 day.

 

On the Sapphire Princess - it is the aft dining room. I have been on this ship many times and it is always the aft dining room.

[cruiselover05]

We do a few B2B2B cruises each winter. We have found that they alternate the 2 lunch menus...that’s how it has been the last few years on the Royal Princess. I enjoy the extended menu as I don’t really care for the beef tips or trout...but hey there’s always dessert!

When we got on this past winter they said the rooms wouldn’t be ready until 1 but they were checking bags in Club 6 or there were passengers pulling their carry ons to lunch.

We were on the ship by 11 a.m. and were told that they were letting people on early but the rooms wouldn’t be ready until 1. We were happy to be on the ship. My dad was on the ship from the previous sailing so we left our bags with him otherwise we might have checked to see if our room was ready enough to just drop off the carry ons.

 

 

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[downsmead]

We are on a Sapphire sailing from Southampton this October and this thread has reminded me to try the MDR for lunch when we embark, many thanks 👍😀

[land lover]

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed as to how you were handled during check-in. I'm not trying to excuse or make light of anything that happened but since you did feel that it had to do with being treated like you were treated as if you were on your first ever cruise, there are 2 things that I would like to say in this regard. First of all, please realize that many of the people working at the pier are either 1. holding their first job dealing with customers, or 2. have never in their lives ever been on a cruise. Actually, some fall into both categories. While I'm not trying to excuse anything that might have happened, it may explain, to some degree why it might have happened. That said, I would ask you to do one thing. please drop me an email at peerlesscruisers at gmail dot com and let me know exactly what happened in as much detail as you can remember. If you can do that, I will do what I can to bring this to the attention of the proper person at the pier so that the proper steps can be taken to see if we can't do what is necessary to try and prevent any similar situations occuring in the future. While I can't promise that what happened to you will never happen again, I can promise that I will do what I can to improve our future service to the passengers that we serve.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Tom

 

Tom..If I do respond......I'll drop an email to you as well as CCing Princess. I can appreciate what you wrote about the staff at the pier.

 

Seeing it was the first time for me boarding at Pier 91, I was clueless on the procedure, so assumed I did not have to announce at every station Priority here...but that day May 12th it seemed I had too.

 

 

Was surprised when I wanted to show my boarding pass and stated I was priority, it was just ignored(because person was to busy chatting with another employee) so just waived me into a long line, as I was proceeding on saw another staff member and asked if this was the priority line...was told no, so back tracked... went by the first employee who was still chatting, I interrupted her .....told her pleasantly about her mistake sending me to the incorrect line and was shocked at her rude response and attitude..."well, it doesn't matter both the lines are just as long."

[capriccio]

land lover - what was the procedure? On June 30th everyone entered the terminal together to drop off their luggage on the ground floor (we had arrived by taxi) then at the bottom of the elevator to the check-in counter there were 3 or 4 folks checking the boarding passes and one of the lines was definitely marked priority. At the top of the elevator the priority check-in counters were the first on the right at the top of the elevators and clearly marked. As I think I said in an earlier post we arrived around 11 am and there were no lines anywhere (the rest of our party had no priority and they were processed as quickly as we were).

 

Maybe the process or the signage was changed after the beginning of the season?

[Eaglecw]

The last couple of cruises we have taken I've ordered from the children's menu on Embarkation day lunch. I wonder if I can still do that on next cruise in September?

[MTJSR]

From Above: Quote: The last couple of cruises we have taken I've ordered from the children's menu on Embarkation day lunch. I wonder if I can still do that on next cruise in September? Children's menu?

I have never seen that before, so my guess is no?

 

 

After I went on this BVE, A charged of 100.00 showed up to my credit card. First thing I thought was Princess charged me for a Future Cruise Credit...but I did not fill out the form or buy one. I also didn't use my blue BVE boarding card for anything anywhere on the ship.

 

I called Princess on Saturday when I saw the charge and was told the help desk is closed on weekends.

 

This is a stray charge and of course I will dispute it thru Citibank if necessary, but does anyone have a clue or seen this before?

[1emerald1]

From Above: Quote: The last couple of cruises we have taken I've ordered from the children's menu on Embarkation day lunch. I wonder if I can still do that on next cruise in September? Children's menu?

I have never seen that before, so my guess is no?

 

 

After I went on this BVE, A charged of 100.00 showed up to my credit card. First thing I thought was Princess charged me for a Future Cruise Credit...but I did not fill out the form or buy one. I also didn't use my blue BVE boarding card for anything anywhere on the ship.

 

I called Princess on Saturday when I saw the charge and was told the help desk is closed on weekends.

 

This is a stray charge and of course I will dispute it thru Citibank if necessary, but does anyone have a clue or seen this before?

Yes, it happens to me every time I do a BVE and on different ships. It will drop off in a week, not to worry, but it is a pain.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like pending and not a charge.

 

 

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[MTJSR]

Yes, it happens to me every time I do a BVE and on different ships. It will drop off in a week, not to worry, but it is a pain.

 

Interesting...first time for me and good to know, thanks.

 

Sounds like pending and not a charge.

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Pending yes, but I'm interested in why. Princess initiated a very specific "swipe" on my account and like I said, a first for me after 8 previous BVE's. Just caught me off guard!

[FLCruise7]

Have done several B2B at FLL. The most recent (in June) was on the Caribbean Princess. We met in the MDR and walked off the ship together to the terminal. After everyone had "cleared" we walked right back on. The doors to our cabin had the sign about rooms not being ready, but we just ignored it & returned to our room. Our steward was a great one - we had told him we were B2B and to worry about our cabin until after he'd serviced his other cabins. When we got back after the short walk-off, he had already done our room!

[1emerald1]

Interesting...first time for me and good to know, thanks.

 

 

 

Pending yes, but I'm interested in why. Princess initiated a very specific "swipe" on my account and like I said, a first for me after 8 previous BVE's. Just caught me off guard!

I've had 2 charges for $100 appear, one for the Ruby Princess followed by Princess Cruises, so beware. I had only ordered a Pina Colada while on the ship. A week later the two charges for $100 disappeared and the actual charge for $12 showed up. I used a debit card, so it was kind of a pain waiting for the authorizations to drop off and having to monitor my checking account every morning.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Tom..If I do respond......I'll drop an email to you as well as CCing Princess. I can appreciate what you wrote about the staff at the pier.

 

Seeing it was the first time for me boarding at Pier 91, I was clueless on the procedure, so assumed I did not have to announce at every station Priority here...but that day May 12th it seemed I had too.

 

 

Was surprised when I wanted to show my boarding pass and stated I was priority, it was just ignored(because person was to busy chatting with another employee) so just waived me into a long line, as I was proceeding on saw another staff member and asked if this was the priority line...was told no, so back tracked... went by the first employee who was still chatting, I interrupted her .....told her pleasantly about her mistake sending me to the incorrect line and was shocked at her rude response and attitude..."well, it doesn't matter both the lines are just as long."

 

Not sure what happened with your priority check-in as I thought that everything was pretty clearly marked and have no idea what happened, but that's really beside the point as it's obvious that something happened that shouldn't and I do apologize for that. The bit about the chatty employee definitely should not have happened, neither the original chatting and especially not the snarky comment about the length of the lines. That part really bothers me and Ido ask that you drop me a line at my previously mentioned email address as I want to see if I can discover who that might have been in a less public environment such as this message thread. I do ask that you please contact me so I can maybe prevent something like this happening again.

 

Tom

[caribill]

 

Pending yes, but I'm interested in why. Princess initiated a very specific "swipe" on my account and like I said, a first for me after 8 previous BVE's. Just caught me off guard!

 

They treat the BVE participant just like a regular cruiser. Everyone has a pre-authorized amount sent to their credit card as pending. Princess does this so they know charges you make while on the ship will go through. For example, you could have made a beverage purchase or gelato at the IC.

 

So as an above post said, do not worry about it. It will disappear in a few days. If you had made any purchases, only the actual amount of those purchases would end up being posted to your credit card account.

 

I see no need to call Princess about it.