Sapphire Princess May 11, 2024 Cruise Delayed - Propulsion Issues

[Joe Denver]

I suppose the real moment of truth will come on Saturday. Princess either knows the full extent of the problem and believes they can fix it while in Whittier or they don't know and will find out as they attempt to fix it. I don't see them intentionally setting sail on Saturday and then announcing missed ports while on board. If the problem can't be fixed quickly, I presume they would either have to delay with planned missed ports and an option for refunds/cruise credits or cancel the Saturday trip. But I doubt they would want to cancel the Saturday sailing entirely since they have to get back to Vancouver regardless for the next sailing. And I do think if they knew with certainty that this would be a lengthy repair they would already have announced cancellations/delays - why make the situation worse by delaying the announcement?

[cruisingrob21]

I had been booked on the coastal repositioning voyage before this one, that was supposed to make a port call in Victoria on 5/10.  Maybe a year ago they cancelled that call citing "port congestion".  Based on the schedule in Victoria that day, they could have easily had the sapphire depart around 5pm for Vancouver and make the berth space for either the Bliss or Eurodam arriving around 7pm.  Maybe it was just a coincidence.  

[dizgal64]

Yes, Ruby, which sails 2 days later is sold out. 
I get what you’re saying but this isn’t like a port cancelled because of weather or something unforeseen. They are dealing with it right now so they can’t claim ignorance. But I agree with you. I don’t think they will cancel and we will be at their mercy. Can’t cancel because I’d lose all my money. And there is another couple with us also. Good grief, what a mess. 

[Gretchendz]

3 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Meh.  When you put numbers to it, it becomes pretty clear that this isn't true.  At the end of the day, if a person spent $1,000 to be on this cruise to nowhere, they will have spent $250 for 7 days enjoying the ship's food, drinks and entertainment.  Assuming that there isn't one other single redeeming factor of this cruise, that comes to $35 per day for only those things that I mentioned.  Of course, during the course of that week, there was angst, anger and uncertainty, and that surely eats into the overall enjoyment, but those are intangibles.  And as they say on TV...But wait!  There's more!  That same person gets to book a replacement cruise that presumably will hit all the places that this cruise did not and their $1,000 cruise will cost them $250 of new money. Add it all up, and that is 14 days on a ship with full use of the ship's services and entertainment, of which around 7 days are sea days (some on this cruise and some on the next cruise) and around 7 days are spent enjoying the ports on this itinerary.  All this for $500, or $35 per day.  Yes, there is the inconvenience of having to travel all the way back to Alaska, but if that is a hardship, the replacement cruise can be to any location.  I truly feel for the people who are missing out on this cruise, but it's not as if they were spending it on a ship that was dead in the water with no electricity, plumbing or food.  When the 75% refund and 75% FCC is overlaid on top of this, I'd say that this is pretty good compensation.  

 

I have clients on this sailing who are satisfied with the compensation...they are already planning an expensive sailing to Japan with the offer.

[startedwithamouse]

43 minutes ago, Joe Denver said:

I suppose the real moment of truth will come on Saturday. Princess either knows the full extent of the problem and believes they can fix it while in Whittier or they don't know and will find out as they attempt to fix it. I don't see them intentionally setting sail on Saturday and then announcing missed ports while on board. If the problem can't be fixed quickly, I presume they would either have to delay with planned missed ports and an option for refunds/cruise credits or cancel the Saturday trip. But I doubt they would want to cancel the Saturday sailing entirely since they have to get back to Vancouver regardless for the next sailing. And I do think if they knew with certainty that this would be a lengthy repair they would already have announced cancellations/delays - why make the situation worse by delaying the announcement?

Are you on the next sailing?

[SailorJack]

Sorry to hear about the delays. We got off in San Pedro and (absent the Noro Virus) had a great cruise. As a previous poster mentioned, our Captain on that cruise was very good about communicating problems.Hope things get better.

 

Jack

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, dizgal64 said:

Sorry, at this point, I don’t even want to chance it. (I’m on the may 25th sailing) But I’m forced to go if Princess doesn’t cancel ahead of time because as a NY resident we cannot purchase CFAR travel insurance. We’ve got insurance, just can’t have that kind. 
If we get on that ship and we don’t get the full tour…while Princess KNEW 2 WEEKS before that Sapphire was in trouble? 😡

TWO WEEKS AGO Sapphire had SIX MORE SEA DAYS, and we were doing 19 and 20 kts and arrived on time to San Pedro. We were on that sailing and nothing was mentioned about trouble? What did Princess know?

[startedwithamouse]

4 hours ago, ernnnn said:

What is good for you, may be not good for someone else. For example, in my case, I have to travel from Spain to Vancouver to take the cruise. If the cruise company does that to me, I wouldn't mind about getting all those perks, as getting to Alaska, spending my one and only yearly vacation time, and coming back, would be equally expensive and useless. Maybe your cup of tea is not mine. Remember, there are many factors behind every single passenger, and not all of them are the same.

This is when the CFAR insurance should be used. 

[dizgal64]

12 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

TWO WEEKS AGO Sapphire had SIX MORE SEA DAYS, and we were doing 19 and 20 kts and arrived on time to San Pedro. We were on that sailing and nothing was mentioned about trouble? What did Princess know?

I mean, on may 25 they will have known the ship had problems 2 weeks prior. 

[fpsphil]

On the ground in Fairbanks boarding on Saturday… rumor has it amongst some people we talked to who were in contact with some people they knew coming northbound is they may come into Whittier a day early. Guess we’ll find out when the ship leaves Skagway what it’s eta into Whittier is

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, fpsphil said:

On the ground in Fairbanks boarding on Saturday… rumor has it amongst some people we talked to who were in contact with some people they knew coming northbound is they may come into Whittier a day early. Guess we’ll find out when the ship leaves Skagway what it’s eta into Whittier is

Northbound ships generally port in Whittier around 1am and the leave southbound at 8:00 pm to Ancona people coming off of land tours

[SCX22]

19 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

TWO WEEKS AGO Sapphire had SIX MORE SEA DAYS, and we were doing 19 and 20 kts and arrived on time to San Pedro. We were on that sailing and nothing was mentioned about trouble? What did Princess know?

 

The propulsion issues occurred on the 05/07/24 sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver with no ports, just to reposition.  Princess was overly optimistic about the fix to the Sapphire propulsion issue when the ship got to Vancouver.  At least RCCL with the Radiance of the Seas played it safe and cancelled the subsequent sailings to have the propulsion problems fully fixed instead of proceeding with an abbreviated cruise that missed many highlights of Alaska.

[startedwithamouse]

13 minutes ago, dizgal64 said:

I mean, on may 25 they will have known the ship had problems 2 weeks prior. 

understood. 

 

We had no speed issues sailing 8 straight sea days from Moorea to LA and arrived on time.

[dizgal64]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

understood. 

 

We had no speed issues sailing 8 straight sea days from Moorea to LA and arrived on time.

I can only pray for the same 

[Richncomp]

For those of you on this sailing and not continuing on a cruisetour, try to see if you can postpone your return flight and stay a night or two in the Whittier/Seward area and take a day cruise into College Fjiord (Phillipstours 26 Glacier Tour - $189 pp plus tax or a Kenai Fjiord National Park day cruise (several offered from Seward).  At least then you'll be able to see the glaciers and some great scenery!

 

 

[EDVM96]

46 minutes ago, fpsphil said:

rumor has it amongst some people we talked to who were in contact with some people

🤣🤣🤣

[frugaltravel]

8 hours ago, Alaska05 said:

I’m on the B2B. Hope we have at least 1 glacier day next week. That’s what I come for. 

You can take a day cruise with 26 Glaciers during your layover in Whittier. You will get closer to glaciers than you get on the cruise ship. Well worth it. 

[Princess Chatterer]

I talked with a customer service rep. at Princess in the U.S. this afternoon about another matter.  He knew that the Sapphire (which will be used for 4 days at a time Antarctic scenic cruising) was having some problems but hadn't been given any details about the problem or the Whittier turnaround.  Here's a link to see the live Sapphire bridge cam. 

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/bridgecams

[STLCARDS82]

4 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

The math works out the same on a proportionate sliding scale.  When you pay more, you get more back.  If you paid $2,800 per person for the 7 day cruise, then in your mind, this experience of being on the ship and seeing the ports was worth $400 per day.  Impossible to know how you allocate that amount as between the ship experience versus the port experience.  But if you allocate it $375 for the ports per day and $25 per day for the ship experience, why take a cruise at all?  Just book a series of legs on the Alaska Marine Highway System instead and see the ports that way since the cruise ship offers so little value.  But having opted not to do that, one can assume that you place some value on the shipboard experience.  After getting your 75% credit, then the week on the ship cost you $100 per day for a stay in (presumably) a suite, with all the food, drinks and entertainment that the ship has to offer, and you get $2,100 to play with for a future cruise.  Play your cards right and that covers 100% of your future cruise.  14 days on a ship, one to nowhere and one to all the ports you want to see, for a grand total of $700.  Not bad for $50 per day.      

Are you on board currently?

[STLCARDS82]

How about the people that aren't on board and you're not currently in the situation with the Sapphire quit trying to justify to the people that are ...what a good deal they're getting!!!..You're not in the situation!!!!!

[beerme1]

4 hours ago, dizgal64 said:

Sorry, at this point, I don’t even want to chance it. (I’m on the may 25th sailing) But I’m forced to go if Princess doesn’t cancel ahead of time because as a NY resident we cannot purchase CFAR travel insurance. We’ve got insurance, just can’t have that kind. 
If we get on that ship and we don’t get the full tour…while Princess KNEW 2 WEEKS before that Sapphire was in trouble? 😡

 

We can't? I'm in Buffalo and we have CFAR with Allianz. No issue.

[fpsphil]

Just received

[Auntiejo]

14 minutes ago, fpsphil said:

Just received

Wonderful news! Hoping it proves true! 

[TRLD]

There are really only 4 possible outcomes.

 

1. Everything fixed no problem

 

2. Same problem exists. No Glaciers. Same compensation

 

3. Some problem still exists but glacier cruise bys and most stops made probably much smaller if any compensation. This is likely out come if they get the parts in Whittier, but it takes a day or 2 to install them.

 

4. They cancel the next 2 cruises.

 

Out of all of them 4 is probably the lowest probability.

 

So it really comes down to how one would feel about each of the other 3.

[TRLD]

24 minutes ago, Pingpong27 said:

I'm on the sapphire now. If our ship is indeed fixed, why aren't we scenic cruising? We are in touch with guest relations for a full cruise fare refund and flight compensation. The cruise credit is not something I or anyone in my party can use anytime soon. We can't afford another vacation like this in the near future. Once Princess trapped us on the ship, only then did they disclose there were propulsion issues. We asked why we were delayed but no one could give us a response. A test was conducted on the engine the next morning once we finally left port 8+ hours late, and the issue still wasn't fixed. In my opinion we should have returned to Vancouver at that point. We really shouldn't have even left Vancouver with a faulty ship. In my opinion Royal Carribean properly handled a similar situation last month. I understand other people may be happy with the compensation Princess is offering, but for my situation, it's not an acceptable offer. This was totally in Princess control and there was no communication. Good luck to those on the next sailing or anyone on this ship in the near future. Princess likely won't tell you anything until it's too late. 

The difference is Royal was doing loop cruises. They only had to cancel 1. The Sapphire is doing one way cruises. As a result they would need to cancel 2 cruises at a minimum.

 

Also the Sapphire is taking people to Alaska for land tours and bringing people back from those tours. Another complexity that Royal did not have.

 

About the only alternative even if the problem remains, would be to allow people for the next cruise to cancel for full refund with other expenses refunded, but little or no FCC, of some FCC in place of covering other expenses. That is what they have done during similar cases in the past.

 

It was indicated when the problem started that they were waiting for parts and specialists to fix the problem. Best case is that they will show up in Whittier. If so it might be fixed early in the next cruise. 

 

I suspect that they really expected to be able to make Glacier Bay which would have ment making over half of the itinerary in which case the compensation would have been much lower when they left Vancouver. It clearly had more impact then they expected.

 

I suspect that if they knew then what they know now they would have offered the full refund option before the ship left Vancouver.

Edited May 16 by TRLD