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Wednesday, 19 October 2016
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Hi Don. Have you ever done a piece on disability on cruise ships. My wife has a wheelchair for long distances but there doesn't seem to be much detailed information when booking excursions on how good access is on various trips in ports
Hi Don, Always enjoy your videos, your recent sessions on Holland America are making me wish I hadn’t given them a thumbs up on a fall Alaska Cruise after hearing those 3. I really got upset when you relayed about the passengers sent home for an unproven altercation. The stroke incident was horrific & they should definitely be suing for a lot more than $75,000.00 I’m a fellow Canadian from Kelowna, BC.
Hi Don. Love your videos and helpful info. Would love to go on a group cruise but have already booked an Alaskan cruise on Holland America leaving from Vancouver next month. My first cruise was from New York to the Caribbean by Cunard. I think on the SS Franconia. It sailed on the very day President Kennedy was assassinated. Most recent cruise was on the Royal Caribbean to the western Caribbean with my daughter and grandkids (10 and 12). Kids loved it. I haven't been to the Mediterranean yet. Do you have anything planned for that in the future? p.s. I tried the flow rider and managed to stay on for about 20 seconds. Age.........what the heck is that?
Hi again Don. Forgot to add that we came to Canada in 1954 on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth. I think we were probably in steerage but nevertheless a beautiful ship. Sailed from Southampton to NewYork. Then took train to Toronto.
Hi Don, My wife and I are annual cruisers on Princess Cruises its the only cruise line I have experience with (12 cruises) with only one semi-bad problem. I just got back from a 21 day Baltic/atlantic crossing which I loved except for the fact that I had arranged with Princess to leave the ship in Dublin and rejoin in Cobh taking a private excursion in Ireland. The day we docked in Dublin I found that my cruise was terminated together with all credits wi-fi and that from Cobh I would be essentially booking a new cruise across the atlantic. Since I had arranged this with Princess six(6) months in advance and no one said anything about closing the cruise I was "very upset" However, after talking with the supervisor (I did have to insist on a quick answer as we were docked in Dublin) on me having to cancel my plans or not, she talked to management and sorted it all out. I should have been told about this procedure before the last minute but the service was very good and I did commend the desk supervisor in my cruise review. I thought this kind of situation might fit your reviews, which BTW I watch and recommend to friends.
Hello there Don. Good to see your healthy and happy. I had received a brochure from Norwegian Cruise Lines on Dec 20th, 2019. In this brochure I was interested in booking a 14-Day Hawaii & French Polynesia cruise from Papeete to Honolulu for April 15, 2021. The cruise was advertised at $2,799.00 p.p. for balcony. When I had called to book they stated that they were unaware of the brochure and that the price was $4,296.00 p.p. My question is how can a cruise line advertise in print and not comply. Do you have any suggestions on I should or on how you would proceed. Thank you kindly, Sharon
Hello there Don. Good to see your healthy and happy. I had received a brochure from Norwegian Cruise Lines on Dec 20th, 2019. In this brochure I was interested in booking a 14-Day Hawaii & French Polynesia cruise from Papeete to Honolulu for April 15, 2021. The cruise was advertised at $2,799.00 p.p. for balcony. When I had called to book they stated that they were unaware of the brochure and that the price was $4,296.00 p.p. My question is how can a cruise line advertise in print and not comply. Do you have any suggestions on I should or on how you would proceed. Thank you kindly, Sharon
Don tell Norwegian Cruise they don't need animal towels put them in bathroom folded. You save labor that is no big deal. I like saving the sea from water bottles not so good its from NJ ha. They could find a lot of ways you can save money a lot.
I rebooked with carnival and had 1500 credit from the cancilation. They called and said I need to put down another 408 dollars deposit. I am furious. I don't want to risk more money. What if they go under? They already have 1500 of my money. My final payment is not due till dec.
Don, A thought: Due to the Jones Act, the US is tied to the whims of Canada. Due to international maritime law, all non-US flagged cruise ships must dock in at least one foreign, non-US, port. For Alaska cruises, there is only one country where the ships can dock and fulfill the terms of the Jones Act - Canada. Canada is again telling the US that no US citizens can enter Canada. That puts the skids on Alaska cruising. As I see the situation as it now stands concerning the US and Canada: • Cruise lines are losing a lot of money due to not having Alaska cruises. • Canada is losing a lot of tourist trade revenue and therefore tax revenues from that trade. • I’m probably looking at this situation with naive eyes, but why not have a deal with Canada that cruise ships will dock, but will not let people off the ship to go into Canada. That will let the ships get their book stamped that they docked in a Canadian port. • The Jones Act does not state that people must get off the ship in Canada, just that the ship must stop in a foreign port. And, let’s be honest, how many people actually look forward to getting off the ship and seeing Victoria? Not many. For most passenger, the Victoria stop is just down time for packing and getting their luggage in the hallway. • To stroke Canada, the cruise line will pay the local Canadian tax agency a certain amount, to be decided later. • That way, everyone is happy. • The literal terms of the Jones Act are satisfied. • The cruise lines make money from booking Alaska cruises. • Victoria and Vancouver, Canada make money they would not otherwise make.
Princess have today cancelled all cruising out of Southampton, UK until September 25 2021 See https://www.princess.com/plan/impacted-and-cancelled-cruises/?cid=dm_email_info_internal_announcement_precruise_rf1ms017b_210303_uk_25OCPXIIV4K2DJW7TVDZK3NRYY&eccn=25OCPXIIV4K2DJW7TVDZK3NRYY&rrid=8604544832&mi_u=8604544832
I hope this finds you safe and healthy. All of us at Princess are looking forward to the future when we will once again be able to share our world, share our hearts and create lasting memories with you aboard our cruises.
As we continue to assess our operations following the recent UK Government announcement on the roadmap to allowing domestic travel within the UK and easing lockdown restrictions, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all cruises sailing roundtrip from Southampton on Sky Princess, Regal Princess, and Island Princess through 25 September 2021.
Regretfully, as a result your cruise has been cancelled. Click here ❯ for full details.
We will soon be announcing a series of new short cruises departing in late summer on Regal Princess and Sky Princess from Southampton that will go on sale later this month. These will be available to UK guests only.
We know you were looking forward to sailing with us in the coming months, and we apologize and share in your disappointment over this cancellation as we continue preparing our ships for return to service. While we maintain our optimism for the ultimate restart of cruising, we know we must take a practical approach.
We hope you will sail with us again by accepting this special higher-value Future Cruise Credit (FCC) offer:
100% value of cruise fare paid as a refundable FCC Bonus non-refundable FCC equal to 10% of the cruise fare paid*
*Bonus FCC minimum of £25 per person (minimum varies by FCC currency: £25GBP, €25EUR, $25USD, $25CAD, $25AUD, $25NZD, ¥2,500)
This requires no action from you and gives our team a chance to shine at a later date by using the Future Cruise Credit above on any voyage booked by and sailing by 31 December 2022.
Alternatively, you can forfeit the bonus FCC and request a refund for all money paid on your booking by using this online form ❯. If we don't hear from you by 15 April 2021, you will automatically receive the default FCC Offer.
Money paid to Princess in excess of the cruise fare for Princess Air or hotel packages will be refunded, as will any prepaid shore excursions and/or special service items.
If any portion of your travel was not booked through Princess Cruises, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. Most airlines and other travel-related services such as hotels, transportation, and tours are allowing refunds or waiving change fees due to COVID-19; please work directly with those operators regarding their charges.
Please note that due to the significant volume of bookings impacted by these changes, we ask for your patience in affording us the time to work through processing refunds and FCCs. We are working hard to make sure every booking is handled accurately and efficiently.
When it's time to set sail again, to see the world, and to get away together, we'll be here to take you there.
Although not a subscriber to your channel, I am a very consistent viewer of your productions and have enjoyed your comments, especially those pertinent to the management of the various cruising companies. I am a princess Elite Status member with over 20+ cruises on Princess ships, at the present time I have received eight (8) cruise cancellations from Princess. The cancellation #8 would make a fine topic for one of your YouTube presentations. I booked the Princess Regal for the Europe Odyssey Cruise for July 30th - Aug. 13th of 2022, this booking was made early of 2021 and all deposits were received as was the confirmation. Yesterday I received a cancellation notice from Princess because of a full ship charter. This is a difficult for me to fully comprehend, how can Princess cancel the entire cruise and book the cruise to a charter? Princess lost a ton of creditability in my book and most likely lost a long term client. Thanks for listening my complaint concerning the Carnival Corporation . Just plain corporate greed! To compound the situation, I am a Carnival stock holder!
Hi Don, really enjoy your YouTube videos. We are going on Celebrity cruise 5 days to visit Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas and back to Lauderdale. Is this a safe one ?Hear mysteries of the Bermuda triangle. Cruise starts mid May on the Reflection. Thank you.
Hi Don. Have you ever done a piece on disability on cruise ships. My wife has a wheelchair for long distances but there doesn't seem to be much detailed information when booking excursions on how good access is on various trips in ports
ReplyDeleteWe are interested in a tour of Norway. Can you recommend a tour company with guide? Please use my email address kb_composite@outlook.com. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Don, Always enjoy your videos, your recent sessions on Holland America are making me wish I hadn’t given them a thumbs up on a fall Alaska Cruise after hearing those 3. I really got upset when you relayed about the passengers sent home for an unproven altercation. The stroke incident was horrific & they should definitely be suing for a lot more than $75,000.00 I’m a fellow Canadian from Kelowna, BC.
ReplyDeleteThe Galapagos Islands are in Ecuador and not Australia
ReplyDeleteHi Don. Love your videos and helpful info. Would love to go on a group cruise but have already booked an Alaskan cruise on Holland America leaving from Vancouver next month. My first cruise was from New York to the Caribbean by Cunard. I think on the SS Franconia. It sailed on the very day President Kennedy was assassinated. Most recent cruise was on the Royal Caribbean to the western Caribbean with my daughter and grandkids (10 and 12). Kids loved it. I haven't been to the Mediterranean yet. Do you have anything planned for that in the future? p.s. I tried the flow rider and managed to stay on for about 20 seconds. Age.........what the heck is that?
ReplyDeleteHi again Don. Forgot to add that we came to Canada in 1954 on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth. I think we were probably in steerage but nevertheless a beautiful ship. Sailed from Southampton to NewYork. Then took train to Toronto.
ReplyDeleteOops just getting to figure out how this all works. Comments above didn't show name.
ReplyDeleteHi Don, My wife and I are annual cruisers on Princess Cruises its the only cruise line I have experience with (12 cruises) with only one semi-bad problem.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from a 21 day Baltic/atlantic crossing which I loved except for the fact that I had arranged with Princess to leave the ship in Dublin and rejoin in Cobh taking a private excursion in Ireland. The day we docked in Dublin I found that my cruise was terminated together with all credits wi-fi and that from Cobh I would be essentially booking a new cruise across the atlantic.
Since I had arranged this with Princess six(6) months in advance and no one said anything about closing the cruise I was "very upset" However, after talking with the supervisor (I did have to insist on a quick answer as we were docked in Dublin) on me having to cancel my plans or not, she talked to management and sorted it all out.
I should have been told about this procedure before the last minute but the service was very good and I did commend the desk supervisor in my cruise review. I thought this kind of situation might fit your reviews, which BTW I watch and recommend to friends.
Hello there Don. Good to see your healthy and happy. I had received a brochure from Norwegian Cruise Lines on Dec 20th, 2019. In this brochure I was interested in booking a 14-Day Hawaii & French Polynesia cruise from Papeete to Honolulu for April 15, 2021. The cruise was advertised at $2,799.00 p.p. for balcony. When I had called to book they stated that they were unaware of the brochure and that the price was $4,296.00 p.p. My question is how can a cruise line advertise in print and not comply. Do you have any suggestions on I should or on how you would proceed.
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly, Sharon
Hello there Don. Good to see your healthy and happy. I had received a brochure from Norwegian Cruise Lines on Dec 20th, 2019. In this brochure I was interested in booking a 14-Day Hawaii & French Polynesia cruise from Papeete to Honolulu for April 15, 2021. The cruise was advertised at $2,799.00 p.p. for balcony. When I had called to book they stated that they were unaware of the brochure and that the price was $4,296.00 p.p. My question is how can a cruise line advertise in print and not comply. Do you have any suggestions on I should or on how you would proceed.
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly, Sharon
Don tell Norwegian Cruise they don't need animal towels put them in bathroom folded. You save labor that is no big deal.
ReplyDeleteI like saving the sea from water bottles not so good its from
NJ ha. They could find a lot of ways you can save money a lot.
I rebooked with carnival and had 1500 credit from the cancilation. They called and said I need to put down another 408 dollars deposit. I am furious. I don't want to risk more money. What if they go under? They already have 1500 of my money. My final payment is not due till dec.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the status of your Panama Cruise In April I responded to your daughters email but have not heard anything.
ReplyDeleteDon,
ReplyDeleteA thought:
Due to the Jones Act, the US is tied to the whims of Canada. Due to international maritime law, all non-US flagged cruise ships must dock in at least one foreign, non-US, port. For Alaska cruises, there is only one country where the ships can dock and fulfill the terms of the Jones Act - Canada.
Canada is again telling the US that no US citizens can enter Canada. That puts the skids on Alaska cruising.
As I see the situation as it now stands concerning the US and Canada:
• Cruise lines are losing a lot of money due to not having Alaska cruises.
• Canada is losing a lot of tourist trade revenue and therefore tax revenues from that trade.
• I’m probably looking at this situation with naive eyes, but why not have a deal with Canada that cruise ships will dock, but will not let people off the ship to go into Canada. That will let the ships get their book stamped that they docked in a Canadian port.
• The Jones Act does not state that people must get off the ship in Canada, just that the ship must stop in a foreign port. And, let’s be honest, how many people actually look forward to getting off the ship and seeing Victoria? Not many. For most passenger, the Victoria stop is just down time for packing and getting their luggage in the hallway.
• To stroke Canada, the cruise line will pay the local Canadian tax agency a certain amount, to be decided later.
• That way, everyone is happy.
• The literal terms of the Jones Act are satisfied.
• The cruise lines make money from booking Alaska cruises.
• Victoria and Vancouver, Canada make money they would not otherwise make.
Princess have today cancelled all cruising out of Southampton, UK until September 25 2021 See https://www.princess.com/plan/impacted-and-cancelled-cruises/?cid=dm_email_info_internal_announcement_precruise_rf1ms017b_210303_uk_25OCPXIIV4K2DJW7TVDZK3NRYY&eccn=25OCPXIIV4K2DJW7TVDZK3NRYY&rrid=8604544832&mi_u=8604544832
ReplyDeleteI hope this finds you safe and healthy. All of us at Princess are looking forward to the future when we will once again be able to share our world, share our hearts and create lasting memories with you aboard our cruises.
ReplyDeleteAs we continue to assess our operations following the recent UK Government announcement on the roadmap to allowing domestic travel within the UK and easing lockdown restrictions, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all cruises sailing roundtrip from Southampton on Sky Princess, Regal Princess, and Island Princess through 25 September 2021.
Regretfully, as a result your cruise has been cancelled. Click here ❯ for full details.
We will soon be announcing a series of new short cruises departing in late summer on Regal Princess and Sky Princess from Southampton that will go on sale later this month. These will be available to UK guests only.
We know you were looking forward to sailing with us in the coming months, and we apologize and share in your disappointment over this cancellation as we continue preparing our ships for return to service. While we maintain our optimism for the ultimate restart of cruising, we know we must take a practical approach.
We hope you will sail with us again by accepting this special higher-value Future Cruise Credit (FCC) offer:
100% value of cruise fare paid as a refundable FCC
Bonus non-refundable FCC equal to 10% of the cruise fare paid*
*Bonus FCC minimum of £25 per person (minimum varies by FCC currency: £25GBP, €25EUR, $25USD, $25CAD, $25AUD, $25NZD, ¥2,500)
This requires no action from you and gives our team a chance to shine at a later date by using the Future Cruise Credit above on any voyage booked by and sailing by 31 December 2022.
Alternatively, you can forfeit the bonus FCC and request a refund for all money paid on your booking by using this online form ❯. If we don't hear from you by 15 April 2021, you will automatically receive the default FCC Offer.
Money paid to Princess in excess of the cruise fare for Princess Air or hotel packages will be refunded, as will any prepaid shore excursions and/or special service items.
If any portion of your travel was not booked through Princess Cruises, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. Most airlines and other travel-related services such as hotels, transportation, and tours are allowing refunds or waiving change fees due to COVID-19; please work directly with those operators regarding their charges.
Please note that due to the significant volume of bookings impacted by these changes, we ask for your patience in affording us the time to work through processing refunds and FCCs. We are working hard to make sure every booking is handled accurately and efficiently.
When it's time to set sail again, to see the world, and to get away together, we'll be here to take you there.
Sincerely,
Jan Swartz signature
Jan Swartz
President
Don,
ReplyDeleteAlthough not a subscriber to your channel, I am a very consistent viewer of your productions and have enjoyed your comments, especially those pertinent to the management of the various cruising companies.
I am a princess Elite Status member with over 20+ cruises on Princess ships, at the present time I have received eight (8) cruise cancellations from Princess. The cancellation #8 would make a fine topic for one of your YouTube presentations. I booked the Princess Regal for the Europe Odyssey Cruise for July 30th - Aug. 13th of 2022, this booking was made early of 2021 and all deposits were received as was the confirmation. Yesterday I received a cancellation notice from Princess because of a full ship charter.
This is a difficult for me to fully comprehend, how can Princess cancel the entire cruise and book the cruise to a charter?
Princess lost a ton of creditability in my book and most likely lost a long term client.
Thanks for listening my complaint concerning the Carnival Corporation . Just plain corporate greed!
To compound the situation, I am a Carnival stock holder!
Hi Don, really enjoy your YouTube videos. We are going on Celebrity cruise 5 days to visit Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas and back to Lauderdale. Is this a safe one ?Hear mysteries of the Bermuda triangle. Cruise starts mid May on the Reflection. Thank you.
ReplyDelete