Sapphire Princess May 11, 2024 Cruise Delayed - Propulsion Issues

[Princessscrewedme]

6 hours ago, Teechur said:

In 2016, we were in Buenos Aires awaiting the Crown Princess which was coming from Rio de Janeiro. A medical emergency caused the ship to divert to another Brazilian Port because it was urgent. It put the ship a day behind and we had to skip the Falkland Islands stop. Princess provided a 5-star hotel and meals while we waited.

 

A large group from Great Britain were furious because that was to be the highlight of their trip. We heard a number of them crowing about how the Falklands War was proof that GB was still a great empire and that the ship should not have diverted. They kept having daily meetings at which they whipped up anger towards Princess. First, Princess agreed to return 1 day's fare, and later announced that we would all receive half of our fare back. Of course, we were ecstatic since we had only lost one day out of 12 and loved the trip around the Horn to Chile.

 

Later we were told that the ill passenger had died at the hospital. Instead of empathy for his family, several British passengers stated loudly that this was proof that the ship should have kept going, since they were inconvenienced for nothing. Rough crowd!

 

These retired British veterans and spouses stormed around the ship in a constant state of fury. Before we reached Valparaiso, the Captain announced that we would get all of our fare back, half in cash and half in future cruise credit. This was still not enough to mollify them, while we were amazed at our good fortune! In their minds, Princess was wrong for trying to save a man's life. We disagreed!

 

The following year, we cruised around the Baltic Sea aboard the Regal Princess which was new. Another great trip, this time courtesy of Princess. 👌 It was my 3rd time to Russia, and some of the other countries, but first time to Finland and Estonia. A few months ago, we visited Iceland, and the British Isles on the Island Princess.

 

Sometimes things go wrong, but we can't wait for our next 3 Princess cruises!

 

When life gives you lemons, you can fling the acid on others, or add vodka and enjoy, your choice!

 

That really is a sad story. I'm sorry that the other passengers weren't more respectful of such a terrible situation. Things can always be worse, thanks for sharing

[wcook]

Regardless of who is to blame and what compensation is appropriate, it sucks for the passengers and I sincerely hope things get better. 

[Mar2c]

I have a question for the people who cruise regularly we leave on the sapphire Princess June 8. Is this usually a situation that should be corrected by then?

[lstone19]

4 minutes ago, JJ_Outdoors said:

Researched and paid for inside passage route to maximize coastal scenery of Alaska.  Not crawling along at a snails pace in the North Pacific missing what is looking to be possibly 3 destinations and associated excursions.  Can’t perfume the pig on the go/no go decision and resultant impact to clientele.

 

Not to minimize what JJ is saying, today's Inside Passage cruises are nowhere close to what they were years ago. Our first Alaska cruise was in 1993 on the first Sky Princess (originally Sitmar's Fairsky) and after exiting Seymour Narrows (which would have been in the middle of the night northbound most cruises as transit time is tide dependent) stayed inside past Bella Bella and Klemtu east of Princess Royal Island and then through the Grenville Channel which ends near Port Rupert (that first sea day was absolutely fascinating). Today's Inside Passage route has the ships in the Hecate Strait between the mainland and Haida Gwaii when heading to Ketchikan first and completely outside when Juneau is the first port. The main thing of today's normal cruise route the current cruise is losing is the Inside Passage between Ketchikan and Juneau (which is well worth seeing).

[cruisingrob21]

11 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

 

Not to minimize what JJ is saying, today's Inside Passage cruises are nowhere close to what they were years ago. Our first Alaska cruise was in 1993 on the first Sky Princess (originally Sitmar's Fairsky) and after exiting Seymour Narrows (which would have been in the middle of the night northbound most cruises as transit time is tide dependent) stayed inside past Bella Bella and Klemtu east of Princess Royal Island and then through the Grenville Channel which ends near Port Rupert (that first sea day was absolutely fascinating). Today's Inside Passage route has the ships in the Hecate Strait between the mainland and Haida Gwaii when heading to Ketchikan first and completely outside when Juneau is the first port. The main thing of today's normal cruise route the current cruise is losing is the Inside Passage between Ketchikan and Juneau (which is well worth seeing).

HAL has their "great bear rainforest" cruise running once in 2025 and 2026 which will trace many of the more narrow passages you are mentioning

[Paula_MacFan]

16 minutes ago, Mar2c said:

I have a question for the people who cruise regularly we leave on the sapphire Princess June 8. Is this usually a situation that should be corrected by then?

We are on the same cruise and really hope this gets fixed soon!

[Justme9998]

I am booked on the shop for the trip from Whittier back to Vancouver on May 18th.  I am concerned about possible missed ports on the trip.  Just wanted to thank everyone for the posts... good to have some advance information.  Have they announced anything about when it will be fixed?

 

[cruisingrob21]

24 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We are on the same cruise and really hope this gets fixed soon!

Radiance of the seas had a propulsion issue a few weeks back, it was fixed within one cruise.  But the crown princess had propulsion systems all summer of 2022 and it wasn't fixed until after Alaska sailings.

 

So until more is known about the issue, it's hard to give an answer based on other ships.

[Paula_MacFan]

Our last cruise in January skipped 2 of the 3 planned ports -- stuff happens.  But that doesn't mean people can't still be disappointed.  Also if people have independent tours booked then adjustments need to be made.  Asking for information is a logical expectation and if you aren't impacted by the Sapphire changes then maybe don't be nasty to those who are.  

[Princessscrewedme]

8 minutes ago, voljeep said:

exactly - not even close to the same level of disappointment.  How many cruises does it take to get that way that missed ports are meh?

I'm glad you guys can afford to take dozens of cruises, that must be great! I'm also glad you've been completely desensitized to the shortcomings of cruise companies. You sound like really ideal passengers for these cruise companies. But I'm not like that. And many other people aren't either. We don't have your privilege. I saved for years to take my husband on this cruise because it's been his dream. So maybe consider the perspective of the average individual instead of your own highly privileged viewpoint? 

[that]

@JJ_Outdoors

may I ask 

where you learned of the one non-operational engine?

[Princessscrewedme]

Just checked our speed. We are only going 13 mph at the moment

[Cruise Raider]

37 minutes ago, memoak said:

You can really tell who are the cruisers here and who are not.  After 60+ cruises I have learned to always expect the unexpected and go with the flow. Missed ports, noisy stabilizers are just part of cruising. 

I was thinking the exact same thing!  
Heck, they could skip all the ports, as far I am concerned.  The true enticement of cruising in Alaska is just that, cruising in Alaska.  Bundle up, grab a hot drink and chair outside and enjoy the slow ride up north enjoying beautiful open ocean. I would be in my own slice of heaven!  
But, I guess we are all different.  

[Sillygoosecruise]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

I was thinking the exact same thing!  
Heck, they could skip all the ports, as far I am concerned.  The true enticement of cruising in Alaska is just that, cruising in Alaska.  Bundle up, grab a hot drink and chair outside and enjoy the slow ride up north enjoying beautiful open ocean. I would be in my own slice of heaven!  
But, I guess we are all different.  

That would be true if we could see anything. We're too far from shore to have any view at all. Not to mention college fjord is cancelled, so we are getting half the ports and half the views.

[telecheck]

If there is another move over offer for the next few sailings for Sapphire Princess, people should seriously consider those offers and take them if possible. At this point, it is better to be on another ship as the full impact of the propulsion issue for this ship is still unknown. I imagine people on the current sailing are regretting not taking the move over offer last week.

[lstone19]

I'm not in "THAT" category either. Weather happens and that truly meets the "act of God" category. A 2017 TA we were on had to deviate well around a hurricane and we missed two ports (and added one if you consider a port day in New York before disembarking there the next day to be an added port - and we did cruise from Manhattan to Brooklyn before disembarking). I don't hold Princess responsible for that change but I do hold Princess responsible for the abysmal communications from the captain who was apparently keeping no one informed about what was happening - even Guest Services had no idea what the plan was).

OTOH, last year (and as I mentioned earlier) we missed Juneau after two medical evacuations as we made our way north from San Francisco. And as I mentioned in that earlier post, the airline I retired from would have considered this to be carrier responsibility yet Princess did nothing for us other than the minimal refund of port charges. I don't want to minimize what those two passengers were dealing with but Princess failed to deliver what we paid for for a reason under their control (the decision to evacuate those passengers was made by Princess and/or their contractor (the ship's doctor)).

People love to fall back on the contract and all the rights it has for Princess to make changes. Basically that contract promises the passenger nothing and a basic legal point (although IANAL) is that a contract that promises one party nothing is not a valid contract. Or, as I saw recently, that the contract only promises ocean transportation. But what value does ocean transportation have on a round-trip cruise (not true of this Sapphire Princess cruise)? Our cruise last year was San Francisco to San Francisco. Why would I need ten days of ocean transportation to get me back to where I started? So I think that we can conclude that the value of ocean transportation on a round-trip cruise is zero.

Throw in laws about advertising and marketing and Princess has an obligation, despite what the cruise contract says, to deliver something substantially similar to what they promised in their marketing. You can argue about where the line is for "substantially similar" but this Sapphire Princess cruise is, IMHO, getting close to that line if it hasn't already crossed it.

[Princessscrewedme]

1 minute ago, telecheck said:

If there is another move over offer for the next few sailings for Sapphire Princess, people should seriously consider those offers and take them if possible. At this point, it is better to be on another ship as the full impact of the propulsion issue for this ship is still unknown. I imagine people on the current sailing are regretting not taking the move over offer last week.

You got a move offer?

[lstone19]

6 minutes ago, Sillygoosecruise said:

Okay I get the sens this person isn't working arguing with, but I'll point this the Superbowl isn't responsible for maintaining my TV, but princess IS responsible for keeping their ship in working order. And weather it's due to poor maintenance or not, it's their responsibility. I can't believe this needs to be spelled out like this. 

 

 

Completely agree. But it seems a lot of people believe that if it wasn't a deliberate act, then Princess is not responsible. 

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, Sillygoosecruise said:

That would be true if we could see anything. We're too far from shore to have any view at all. Not to mention college fjord is cancelled, so we are getting half the ports and half the views.

While I can appreciate your disappointment, I still suggest making the best of every day.  There are still incredible views, maybe not the ones you’ve planned for but nevertheless, incredible ones.  I oftentimes find the best sites and sights when I’ve happened upon the unexpected.  
 

[evalencia9]

so, what’s the protocol for upcoming cruises, is sad for current cruisers, but going forward to keep schedule as original do they cancel a whole week? or do they keep missing ports? cruise season just started for this alaska ship, I’m on upcoming 5/25, first time in Alaska.

[Princessscrewedme]

8 minutes ago, lstone19 said:

I'm not in "THAT" category either. Weather happens and that truly meets the "act of God" category. A 2017 TA we were on had to deviate well around a hurricane and we missed two ports (and added one if you consider a port day in New York before disembarking there the next day to be an added port - and we did cruise from Manhattan to Brooklyn before disembarking). I don't hold Princess responsible for that change but I do hold Princess responsible for the abysmal communications from the captain who was apparently keeping no one informed about what was happening - even Guest Services had no idea what the plan was).

OTOH, last year (and as I mentioned earlier) we missed Juneau after two medical evacuations as we made our way north from San Francisco. And as I mentioned in that earlier post, the airline I retired from would have considered this to be carrier responsibility yet Princess did nothing for us other than the minimal refund of port charges. I don't want to minimize what those two passengers were dealing with but Princess failed to deliver what we paid for for a reason under their control (the decision to evacuate those passengers was made by Princess and/or their contractor (the ship's doctor)).

People love to fall back on the contract and all the rights it has for Princess to make changes. Basically that contract promises the passenger nothing and a basic legal point (although IANAL) is that a contract that promises one party nothing is not a valid contract. Or, as I saw recently, that the contract only promises ocean transportation. But what value does ocean transportation have on a round-trip cruise (not true of this Sapphire Princess cruise)? Our cruise last year was San Francisco to San Francisco. Why would I need ten days of ocean transportation to get me back to where I started? So I think that we can conclude that the value of ocean transportation on a round-trip cruise is zero.

Throw in laws about advertising and marketing and Princess has an obligation, despite what the cruise contract says, to deliver something substantially similar to what they promised in their marketing. You can argue about where the line is for "substantially similar" but this Sapphire Princess cruise is, IMHO, getting close to that line if it hasn't already crossed it.

Hey, I just want to say that your comments and insights have been extremely helpful and validating, I really appreciate everything you've shared. Thanks for all the helpful info! I've gotten a lot from these

[lstone19]

1 minute ago, Cruise Raider said:

While I can appreciate your disappointment, I still suggest making the best of every day.  There are still incredible views, maybe not the ones you’ve planned for but nevertheless, incredible ones.  I oftentimes find the best sites and sights when I’ve happened upon the unexpected.  
 

 

Really? Have you looked at where the ship is right now? It's about 25 miles from the southern tip of Haida Gwaii. There is nothing to see there except open ocean. They won't be close to land until well after dark tonight.

[that]

@Cruise Raider

May I ask did you

disembark the Sapphire Princess

May 11?

[Princessscrewedme]

4 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

While I can appreciate your disappointment, I still suggest making the best of every day.  There are still incredible views, maybe not the ones you’ve planned for but nevertheless, incredible ones.  I oftentimes find the best sites and sights when I’ve happened upon the unexpected.  
 

Love the positivity! I allowed myself to be angry yesterday, but today and forward I'm making the most of it! I'm sharing updates as I have them, and while I'm not thrilled with the situation, my time to be angry is over and I'm practicing positivity as much as I can.

[Paula_MacFan]

9 minutes ago, telecheck said:

If there is another move over offer for the next few sailings for Sapphire Princess, people should seriously consider those offers and take them if possible. At this point, it is better to be on another ship as the full impact of the propulsion issue for this ship is still unknown. I imagine people on the current sailing are regretting not taking the move over offer last week.

We fly to Fairbanks next Friday for our 8 day pre-cruise land tour prior to boarding. Wonder how that works when we're already there but they're enticing others to cancel/move. Hence my concerns and why I'm following this closely. At least we've booked air & everything with Princess so we won't be out money if it's scrapped.