Early in May, Crown Princess resumed service with her first cruise since the global pause in operations. However, the vessel has been plagued by several issues that have affected her itineraries. Those issues come mostly from ongoing engine problems, which affect her maximum speed.
Although Princess Cruises has known about the issues for several months, the company continues to operate the vessel, leading to constant itinerary changes.
Guests onboard the July 9 sailing were already surprised by Ketchikan being removed. Now the cruise line announced Crown Princess would arrive much later in Juneau than scheduled.
More Itinerary changes for Crown Princess
Due to technical issues restricting the vessel’s maximum speed, Princess Cruises has been forced to make even more changes to the ship’s itinerary in Alaska. On May 7, when the vessel set sail for the first time in two years, the cruise line introduced several changes.
Since then, it seems the world’s largest cruise operator, Carnival Corporation, and the second-largest cruise line under Carnival, Princess Cruises, have been unable to correct or fix the engine issues. These issues have been causing guests to lose valuable time in port and miss out on key stops along the way.
In a letter to guests booked onboard the ship for the July 9 sailing, the cruise line advises them of the second itinerary change after the removal of Ketchikan from the itinerary:
“Please be advised that due to technical restrictions affecting the ship’s maximum speed, Crown Princess will now arrive in Juneau, Alaska at 4:00 PM on Monday, July 11, 2022, rather than at 2:30 PM as previously scheduled.”
The itinerary, as it currently stands, means Crown Princess will sail from Seattle, Washington on July 9. She will then arrive in Juneau, Alaska, on July 11 at 4 PM.
The ship will then set sail to Skagway, for a call between 6 AM and 2030 PM on July 12. Other calls include Glacier Bay and Icy Strait Point, on July 13, and Victoria, British Columbia on July 15.
For now, Princess Cruises has not made any changes to voyages through August, however, guests should be ready for possible alterations.
What’s Wrong With Crown Princess?
In an email sent to guests before the start of the season, the cruise line stated that one of the vessel’s diesel generators required servicing, while another was already out of commission for maintenance.
The email said, “Crown Princess is currently experiencing a technical issue with one of her diesel generators. This is in addition to the diesel generator that is currently out of service for scheduled maintenance. While this in no way affects the safety of our guests or crew, which is our highest priority, it does restrict our ability to operate at full speed.”
Princess Cruises has so far been unable to correct what had been reported as standard maintenance issues and what now seems to be a much more complicated and time-consuming issue.
Princess Cruises Offering Goodwill Gesture
To remedy the disappointment many guests will feel with further changes to the itinerary, Princess Cruises is offering guests an onboard credit of $100 applied to their shipboard account.
The onboard credit may be used toward all purchases in the bars, boutiques, and photo gallery, as well as specialty dining, spa treatments, and shore excursions.
Whether this goodwill gesture will be enough for guests who have seen their chosen itinerary go through several changes remains to be seen. Then again, guests are warned ahead of time when booking their cruise that itineraries can and often will change.
