Of course, life is never perfect and this cruise is no exception. However, we have had a few issues which have caused frustration and Princess do not seem to have been particularly anxious to put things right. It's been the only blot on an otherwise very enjoyable trip. The first thing concerns gratuities and when I return home I might well post the issue that I have described below onto Cruise Critic and see what sort of feedback transpires.
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I know that gratuities can often be a minefield and for the nations of the world where tipping is not second nature, Princess (along with most other cruise lines), have a system whereby, if we wish, a daily gratuity amount is automatically deducted from our accounts "for our convenience". We are always happy to have this applied to our account as we always think it is helpful in the "who do we pay and how much do we pay" dilemma. We also think that it is only fair that the back room staff in the laundry and the kitchen etc. receive a share of the tips as well as the front line staff like the waiters and stewards. Of course, we are free to give an additional amount to anyone should we want to.
Now, three days before our steward was to leave the ship, he left a note in our stateroom saying goodbye and wishing us well for the future. A day later, he left a second note, saying something similar, but placing a couple of loose coins on the note. Then on the last day, he left a note saying goodbye and should we like to leave a tip (the operative word in block capitals and underlined) to find him around or to give him a call.
My questions therefore are as follows. Firstly, is it in order, or indeed common practice for a steward to be so blatant as to virtually ask for a tip?
Secondly, do the stewards know whether or not a guest has decided to opt in or out of paying the daily gratuity? If so, what right does he/she to know what transactions are being passed over a guests account?
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As well as the great Indian Visa debate, there was also a mix up with Singapore immigration. Many passengers had their passports stamped with the incorrect date, but there was no on board announcement advising how to get this resolved. We heard by word of mouth, but fortunately we were not affected. Additionally, Singapore landing cards were included in the wrong passports so that when some people got to the immigration desk, the passport name did not match the landing card name. At the time of writing I am not sure how this was resolved.
We have also been advised that the visa fee for landing in Bali is to be waived. Supposedly, this has been initiated by the Indonesian authorities, although I wonder if some pressure was put on them by Princess in order to part compensate for the costs of obtaining the Indian visa. Pure speculation of course.
We have also had a problem with Claire's cruise card. In Cochin it was not recognised on the security system for checking passengers on and off the ship. We were told to get a new card, but the same thing happened at the next port. Again, another new card was issued, assured all was okay, but it was rejected at the next port, Phuket. We went through the same process yet again...and in Singapore , surprise, surprise, it was rejected. So we have now just given up and have to go though a manual process rather than an automatic one. It's no biggie, but just unnecessary hassle.
We've noticed a few more small examples of cost cutting. No longer is there steak on the "available every night" evening menu. It's been replaced by a beefburger. Very disappointing. By common consent, the standard of the entertainment has been decidedly average.
But these minor things aside, we have no major complaints and the staff, as always, are polite and courteous. Likewise, we have no complaints about the range of food available and the evening dinner menus.
I have an update to the mysterious crate mentioned in my post number 12. It has generated much speculation amongst our fellow passengers, much of it along the same lines as our thoughts. However, the truth is that it contains engine parts as there is no room left in the engineering stores. So, nothing too exciting after all, although for the espionage fans amongst us, "engine parts" is pretty much a catch all for anything at all!
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