The Caribbean Princess was scheduled to be the first ship into Victoria on Wednesday and Vancouver on Thursday. The cruise started in Fort Lauderdale with 1,452 passengers. It has the capacity of 3,142, so it's less than half full. The cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver was cancelled yesterday. After departing passengers in Vancouver, she was scheduled for a major refurbish in Portland, Oregon.
Rumour has it, there are multiple cases of COVID and Canada won't let the ship in. However, reading the boards of passengers posting on board, there are a lot of problems. The ship is almost 20 years old. It's had major engine problems in the past that I thought were fixed but they are not saying what all the problems are. Passengers say toilets are overflowing and the ship needs a lot of interior updating.
Here is the letter the passengers on board received:
Caribbean Princess – Voyage B214N
April 1, 2022
Dear Princess Guest: We are very sorry to inform you that your Caribbean Princess cruise departing April 3, 2022 has been cancelled. Caribbean Princess is scheduled for an extensive dry-dock in Portland, Oregon beginning on April 7, 2022. With regret, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the coastal portion of the cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver in order to allow added time to prepare for dry-dock operations. This additional time will help assure the vessel is up to our highest standards in advance of the busy summer season.
All guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, Princess Air, Princess Cruise Plus pre- and post cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items, and taxes, fees, and port expenses. Your refund will be processed automatically via the method of payment used to pay for your cruise. As your cruise has been cancelled so close to departure, each guest will also receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit equal to the cruise fare paid on this voyage. The credit may be applied to any future Princess cruise that is booked by November 1, 2022 and sails by November 1, 2023, or any existing booking not yet paid in full and is non-refundable and non-transferable.
For Guests Already in San Francisco
• Guests booked on Princess Air If you purchased your air travel through Princess Cruises, please contact our En Route Assistance Desk at +1 (661) 284-4410 so that we may rebook your homeward flights.
• Guests who booked their own Air or have alternative homeward travel plans If you did not purchase your air travel through Princess Cruises, we are unable to change your flight arrangements. Please contact your travel advisor or the airlines directly to revise your travel plans and secure your homeward travel.
We understand this change may cause you to incur unexpected expenses. Un-reimbursable air change fees, increased flight costs, and transportation expenses will be reimbursed. Other expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Reimbursement requests may be submitted via our website at http://www.princess.com/refund-request; please complete and submit this form and any relevant receipts and documentation for our review. If you purchased Princess Vacation Protection or independent vacation travel insurance, please submit your claim through your carrier before submitting a reimbursement request. Again, we extend our deepest apologies and hope we have the opportunity to exceed your cruise vacation expectations in the near future.
Kind regards,
Princess Cruises
By cancelling, the ship can proceed directly from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon. That gives it more days in dry dock. It's unfortunate for those waiting to board, but like an airplane, you can't complain when it's getting repaired!
It wasn't scheduled to sail to Alaska but returning to Fort Lauderdale on April 26th until mid July when it will reposition to New York where it will offer Canada-New England cruises. Lexie and I were on the Caribbean Princess three years ago when we sailed from Quebec City to New York. She's a getting a little tired and needs a good refresh. Princess has certainly been fair to those affected by the cancellation.
