Sky Princess- Iceland Missed Ports

[gottagocit]

After reading some of the posts in this thread I’m reminded of a few things:

 

- Cruising is certainly not for everyone

- Vacations can’t be truly enjoyed by everyone even when they’re in the midst of amazing experiences in amazing locations where few get to travel

- I love traveling by any means including cruising 

- I can hardly wait for our next trip to places we haven’t been to before

- I continue to be amazed how long some threads remain active

 

Did I mention I enjoy traveling?  Even while sick with covid in early 2020 onboard the Coral Princess and sitting on our balcony in awe of the icebergs of Antarctica. Life’s just too short…

[Jeter02]

2 minutes ago, gottagocit said:

After reading some of the posts in this thread I’m reminded of a few things:

 

- Cruising is certainly not for everyone

- Vacations can’t be truly enjoyed by everyone even when they’re in the midst of amazing experiences in amazing locations where few get to travel

- I love traveling by any means including cruising 

- I can hardly wait for our next trip to places we haven’t been to before

- I continue to be amazed how long some threads remain active

 

Did I mention I enjoy traveling?  Even while sick with covid in early 2020 onboard the Coral Princess and sitting on our balcony in awe of the icebergs of Antarctica. Life’s just too short…

Enjoy it while you can! Like I've said before, We are definitely very blessed and I know I'm grateful for the ability to travel

[gottagocit]

24 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

Enjoy it while you can! Like I've said before, We are definitely very blessed and I know I'm grateful for the ability to travel

 

Yes indeed! We’re at 57 countries to date with visits to 8 more later this year.  We certainly are “Blessed” to experience some much of the amazing world we live in. 

[voljeep]

wonder if the cruisers on Carnival Sunshine would feel the same to have an itinerary altered again?

[vsgnorwich]

Hello. I would be very grateful if people would like to post how they found Isafjordur, especially any trips, either Princess or independent. Thanks 

[Rick&Jeannie]

44 minutes ago, vsgnorwich said:

Hello. I would be very grateful if people would like to post how they found Isafjordur, especially any trips, either Princess or independent. Thanks 

We booked the "Boat Trip to Vigur Island" (not sure that's the exact name...) while on the ship since our ports got jumbled up a bit.  It's a bit on the pricey side but it's one of those things that you'll never be able to experience anywhere else.  It's a private island, owned by a single family who live right there on the island.  (Couple with a 5 year old son.)  See this for more detail: https://www.vigurisland.com/visit

The family runs one of the largest "puffin farms" in Iceland.  It's a pretty big operation.  The tour we took was led by the owner himself.  Thousands of Eiders and Puffins call Vigur their home.

 

 

[Jeter02]

1 minute ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We booked the "Boat Trip to Vigur Island" (not sure that's the exact name...) while on the ship since our ports got jumbled up a bit.  It's a bit on the pricey side but it's one of those things that you'll never be able to experience anywhere else.  It's a private island, owned by a single family who live right there on the island.  (Couple with a 5 year old son.)  See this for more detail: https://www.vigurisland.com/visit

The family runs one of the largest "puffin farms" in Iceland.  It's a pretty big operation.  The tour we took was led by the owner himself.  Thousands of Eiders and Puffins call Vigur their home.

 

 

This looks and sounds amazing! ❤️

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

We booked the "Boat Trip to Vigur Island" (not sure that's the exact name...) while on the ship since our ports got jumbled up a bit.  It's a bit on the pricey side but it's one of those things that you'll never be able to experience anywhere else.  It's a private island, owned by a single family who live right there on the island.  (Couple with a 5 year old son.)  See this for more detail: https://www.vigurisland.com/visit

The family runs one of the largest "puffin farms" in Iceland.  It's a pretty big operation.  The tour we took was led by the owner himself.  Thousands of Eiders and Puffins call Vigur their home.

 

 

When we were on our Iceland/Greenland cruise last August on the Celebrity Summit, we did an excursion to Vigor Island, and remember that 5-year-old boy. He had a hose and was squirting people as they tried to walk down the steps after leaving the cafe. Finally after about 5 minutes of this, an older gentleman on our excursion had enough and tried to get the hose away from the 5-year old, as the dad was around the corner talking to someone on the phone and wasn't doing anything.

 

After getting soaked by the kid, he grabbed the hose and put it down the front of the kid's shirt. Then after about 15 seconds, he pulled it out and then put it down the back of the kid's shirt. Needless to say with the kid now crying loudly, the dad finally put the phone down, came to his son's rescue, apologized for his actions, and they both walked away. Fun times on Vigor Island. But I have to say they did have some cool wildlife on that island! 

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

13 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

When we were on our Iceland/Greenland cruise last August on the Celebrity Summit, we did an excursion to Vigor Island, and remember that 5-year-old boy. He had a hose and was squirting people as they tried to walk down the steps after leaving the cafe. Finally after about 5 minutes of this, an older gentleman on our excursion had enough and tried to get the hose away from the 5-year old, as the dad was around the corner talking to someone on the phone and wasn't doing anything.

 

After getting soaked by the kid, he grabbed the hose and put it down the front of the kid's shirt. Then after about 15 seconds, he pulled it out and then put it down the back of the kid's shirt. Needless to say with the kid now crying loudly, the dad finally put the phone down, came to his son's rescue, apologized for his actions, and they both walked away. Fun times on Vigor Island. But I have to say they did have some cool wildlife on that island! 

 

Some cellphone video of that would be priceless!  We never actually saw the boy on this trip...not sure he was on the island.  They had a really nice playground for him!  That's an actual windmill in the background...one of the last and oldest windmills remaining in Iceland according to Gisli (the owner).

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Rick&Jeannie

[texswamper]

On 5/26/2023 at 2:26 AM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Well, eventually all cruises come to an end. This is the last day (sea day) before returning to Southampton tomorrow. This has definitely been an eventful trip! Missed ports, 2 medical evacuations (1 by boat, 1 by helicopter), visiting a port that had originally been canceled, visiting a port that had *not* been scheduled, at least 2 onboard medical calls... Wow!

 

I know some people are disappointed,  some really upset...and some have just "gone with the flow". While we were disappointed to miss Reykjavik since we've never been there, that just means we have to book another cruise to "make up for it"! I was surprised/glad that we received 20% FCC compensation...Princess certainly did not have to do that but it sure was nice to get. Some people have indicated that 20% wasn't enough.  I just applied it to an upcoming cruise that is not yet fully paid (actually,  a transatlantic...and on the Sky!)

 

While I did not start this thread as a "Live From" topic...it just kinda morphed into one. I hope everyone has enjoyed following along our adventure! I thought it was a good cruise. We saw some beautiful scenic sights in both Norway and Iceland. I hope our "tales of woe" regarding weather and missed ports does not dissuade anyone from considering this itinerary. After all, any day on a ship is better than being stuck at home!  

Happy cruising!

https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-cruise-lines-transatlantic-voyage-did-not-go-as-planned/102250

 

Seems that NCL's apology offer was a bit better than the offer you were given by Princess.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

3 minutes ago, texswamper said:

https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-cruise-lines-transatlantic-voyage-did-not-go-as-planned/102250

 

Seems that NCL's apology offer was a bit better than the offer you were given by Princess.  

Meh! We're happy with what we got.  Already applied it to an upcoming cruise.

[Dietemann]

2 hours ago, voljeep said:

wonder if the cruisers on Carnival Sunshine would feel the same to have an itinerary altered again?

Also the P&O Ship off Australia

[texswamper]

32 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Meh! We're happy with what we got.  Already applied it to an upcoming cruise.

Attitude is everything as the saying goes!  Being unhappy wouldn't change a thing for sure.  Hope your next cruise goes as is scheduled!

[mmiicc]

The Sky Princess has left Southampton and continued on, headed to Scandinavia. And Princess has pulled the same thing! Replaced Skaagen, Denmark,  with Zebrugge, Belgium. Less time in Copenhagen. Changed the day arriving in Oslo. The reason given this time is scheduled maintenance delay.

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, mmiicc said:

The missed ports situation is not just a captain’s decision but in my opinion a systemic failure on the part of Princess. My next cruise, whenever it happen, will assuredly not be with Princess. I dreamed of Iceland for a long time, devoted my meager annual vacation time, traveled thousands of miles. And the main objective of the trip was not fulfilled. Also the tour group I went with had arranged private excursions not through Princess because the group had special requirements. Changing the order of ports or skipping ports messed up those tours unrefundably; hopefully our travel insurance will reimburse us.

 

I disagree with all the pollyannish comments here that try to rationalize the way Princess screwed us over.

I am sorry that you missed the main reason for going on the trip. I would have been very disappointed at this. We did a similar itinerary last year and we spent ages planning for the trip, we do not have a lot of vacation days or money to do lots of cruises so it was a real investment of time and money for us so this would have been very disappointing indeed and we would have struggled to use the FCC on another cruise.

 

Whilst I am pleased they put safety first I do think they could have found more creative ways to show passengers Iceland. The most important port is Reykjavik (or rather what you can see from there) so could they have stayed in Seydisfjordur overnight and offer special shore excursions to give passengers the opportunity to see some of the south coast or Jokusarlon which you can see from Reykjavik. They also perhaps should have realised that Akureyri is a more interesting place than Isafjordur so should have prioritised trying to get in there.

 

Of course they could have explored all these options and done the best they could with what was available.

 

Ultimately it isn’t their fault but it is disappointing. 

[coo359a2]

1 hour ago, mmiicc said:

The Sky Princess has left Southampton and continued on, headed to Scandinavia. And Princess has pulled the same thing! Replaced Skaagen, Denmark,  with Zebrugge, Belgium. Less time in Copenhagen. Changed the day arriving in Oslo. The reason given this time is scheduled maintenance delay.

Biggest thing to remember for future cruising after your experience of having ports changed/cancelled, is that ports can change with hardly any notice at all.  The reasons might not be apparent but the port authority, Captain or Princess HQs makes that decision.  We were almost to Guadalcanal and had to miss the port due to a native uprising.

 

Also, a biggie is to never book a private tour without your contract stating that a full refund will be given if the ship doesn't make it into port.  Otherwise, you may lose all or a portion of what you have paid toward the tour. The private tour company makes the rules. Make sure you have the insurance that covers missing a tour due to ship not docking.

[mmiicc]

You are right, have learned my lesson. If I really want to visit a particular destination, cannot count on a cruise to get me there. The onboard experience is what I one is primarily buying, and the ports and excursions are just icing on the cake and may or not actually happen. If I am bitter, it was because I was naïve about this but now I know.

[nini]

24 minutes ago, mmiicc said:

You are right, have learned my lesson. If I really want to visit a particular destination, cannot count on a cruise to get me there. The onboard experience is what I one is primarily buying, and the ports and excursions are just icing on the cake and may or not actually happen. If I am bitter, it was because I was naïve about this but now I know.

It can very disappointing, however, the Captain of the Titanic made poor decisions too and/ or had to deal with a lack of effective communication.I would rather err on the side of safety.

Edited May 29, 2023 by nini
Additional words

[azbirdmom]

1 hour ago, mmiicc said:

You are right, have learned my lesson. If I really want to visit a particular destination, cannot count on a cruise to get me there. The onboard experience is what I one is primarily buying, and the ports and excursions are just icing on the cake and may or not actually happen. If I am bitter, it was because I was naïve about this but now I know.

 

So true!  Folks on Royal's Odyssey OTS recently missed all ports in Israel, the main attraction on that cruise and received pitiful compensation https://www.cruisehive.com/major-changes-for-unique-royal-caribbean-itinerary/101087#:~:text=Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the,itinerary due to local unrest.&text=Guests aboard Odyssey of the,changes to the scheduled itinerary .  So the moral of the story is if the destination is of prime importance, take a land trip.

[TN-Mountains]

On 5/29/2023 at 12:00 AM, mmiicc said:

The missed ports situation is not just a captain’s decision but in my opinion a systemic failure on the part of Princess. My next cruise, whenever it happen, will assuredly not be with Princess. I dreamed of Iceland for a long time, devoted my meager annual vacation time, traveled thousands of miles. And the main objective of the trip was not fulfilled. Also the tour group I went with had arranged private excursions not through Princess because the group had special requirements. Changing the order of ports or skipping ports messed up those tours unrefundably; hopefully our travel insurance will reimburse us.

 

I disagree with all the pollyannish comments here that try to rationalize the way Princess screwed us over.

What do you think Princess should have done differently?  Aside from actually stopping in the planned ports shown on the itinerary, what would make you feel whole?  (I'm assuming they couldn't stop at the ports.)  I board Sky Princess this week for a very similar itinerary, so I can sympathize with how disappointing this must be for you.  I've been on a Caribbean cruise where almost the entire itinerary changed due to a hurricane and the cruise was actually extended 1 or 2 days because all the ports in FL closed. There was nothing we could do to change anything, so hubby and I made the best of the situation.  Even knowing it can and does happen, I will be very disappointed if a similar thing happens on this next cruise.  We will still try to make the best of the situation, but it will be so much more disappointing!!!  Norway/Iceland cruises are a lot more expensive. 

[xxxCruisexxx]

The captain was aware of the weather situation long before we got to Iceland, His initial decision based on safety of passengers and crew was correct, all subsequent decisions were based on saving money for Princess cruises. On the 18th May we left Allesund enroute to Iceland and on the 19th we were told of the weather ahead and changes to the itinerary. The first mistake in my opinion, he delayed Akureyri and added Seydisfjordur. This was a tendered port which both my wife and I were unable to use. Then the following day because of 50mph winds Akureyri was not possible to either dock or tender, we along with many others had planned excursions we all had to cancel. In my opinion if we had called on the original scheduled date we possibly could have had our tours. The only other port was tendered and again not practical for us. We then spent the best part of five days in the North Sea and English Channel travelling at 10-12 knots stretching the time to ensure we didn’t arrive early. We spent nearly nine days on the ship before we got off in Southampton, bad decisions based on income for Princess. 

[david63]

27 minutes ago, xxxCruisexxx said:

all subsequent decisions were based on saving money for Princess cruises.

Not sure how you arrive at that. With the FCC I would make a rough guess that should it all be used then that will cost Princess something in the region of £1 million.

[Jimmys Chippy]

On 5/29/2023 at 6:55 PM, mmiicc said:

The Sky Princess has left Southampton and continued on, headed to Scandinavia. And Princess has pulled the same thing! Replaced Skaagen, Denmark,  with Zebrugge, Belgium. Less time in Copenhagen. Changed the day arriving in Oslo. The reason given this time is scheduled maintenance delay.

Apparently there’s a problem with a generator.

[xxxCruisexxx]

Its unlikely that everyone will use their FCC! I for one am doubtful, we have done about 20 cruises and from 18th May this became the worst cruise experience we have endured. throwing paper planes, hoopla, and giant Jenga !!!

The onboard crew shows were very good but the entertainment they brought on (a magician and Elton John tribute were dire. By far the best hour I spent was listening to a Falklands war veteran tell us of his experiences. 
Princess, maybe never again!

[mmiicc]

If someone is retired and goes on cruises regularly, then they can justify to themselves, well overall we get to 80% of the ports as we travel around the world over the years and then they're okay with things. But imagine someone who saw the advertisements and heard from friends and relatives how wonderful Iceland is and dreamed of going there, exhausting their three weeks of vacation, spending thousands of hard-earned dollars, traveling thousands of miles, and Princess omits the major Iceland ports. Yes, the immediate reason is the weather, but Princess is responsible for
- choosing the ships
- choosing the routes
- choosing the times of year the ship sails
- setting expectations via marketing and advertising

- writing one-sided contracts everybody has to sign
- dealing with foreknowledge
- making tradeoffs between profits and guest satisfaction