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Princess Cruises brings back the good old days of saying bon voyage to friends on the ship
Princess Cruises just announced the return of a great nostalgic cruise feature - embarkation day "bon voyage" visits. With the return of this service, friends and family can come on board with you on departure day to say their goodbyes.
The "Bon Voyage Experience" will roll out to the Princess fleet starting on March 6th on the Sapphire Princess making its way to the other vessels by June 1st.
For just $39, guests can join passengers for the day. Their $39 gets them a lunch with wine, a ship tour and even a souvenir photo. And best of all - the $39 can be applied towards a future Princess cruise.
Seriously - how brilliant is this? You get to entertain your friends or family for a day, and they get to see just how awesome a cruise ship is. Chances are, once they see the fun, they'll be booking their own cruise as soon as they can.
Passengers can book a Bon Voyage experience beginning 120 days before the cruise, up to six days before departure. Of course, guests will need to go through the same security procedures as the passengers. If you are sailing on a Princess Cruise, you'll receive an email telling you about the program, and how to make reservations.
Filed under: Cruises
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gerri Feb 15th 2010 2:34PM
I dont think this is a good idea with all the security issues at this time, also, the buffett served before you sail is already crowded enough, you do not need more people there and the problem of finding seats.
ronnie Feb 15th 2010 2:51PM
I agree, unless they open the dining rooms, which I doubt. It takes long enough to get through security witout the extra people.
Steven Feb 15th 2010 3:02PM
FYI -- Princess is only rolling this out for certain U.S. ports for a maximum of 50 guests per embarkation ... with 3000 people on a ship, 50 will not impact embarkation. And, the ship's guest who have guests will receive priority check-in, so it will not affect the masses. The guests will have to surrender their passports before boarding, which will be returned when their visit is over, and go through the same security screening as all passengers. And lunch will be served in the dining room, one of which is always open for embarkation, not the buffet.
JoJo Feb 15th 2010 5:36PM
I agree. Security would be a nightmare. Plus, you know there will ALWAYS be SOMEONE that feels that the rules to get off the ship a "X" hour does not apply to them and hold up the departure.
Janice Feb 15th 2010 5:25PM
I totally agree. It's mayhem for the new passengers when we embark. Although we probably wouldn't know a visitor from a passenger.. I am thinking It only leaves open an opportunity for possibly problems.. whether it may be detaining the ship from leaving port, or something the "visitor" may have done before they left the ship. Say goodbye's at home!
Robert Feb 15th 2010 2:47PM
While this is a great idea and I'm sure people who bring guests on will definetly help boost the cruise lines bottom line, it's just another way for the company to nickel and dime you to death.
Over the past 15 years or so, cruise lines have tried just about everything to help boost revenue. With everything from anytime dining and alternative resturants (which now cost as much as $25 to $30 per person), to automatic $10 per day charge per person for gratuity just to name a few. And don't forget the photos, all you can drink (fountain) soda stamps for another $29 per week, it money really starts to add up.
Even though I'm in my early 40's and have been blessed with taking over 20+ cruises since the mid 1990's, things onboard have changed so much, the ships have gotten so big it feels more and more like your cattle roaming the decks with 3000 to 6000 other passengers. I guess I still like the good old days of 1st & 2nd seating for dinner when passenegers actually dressed up on formal nights and you sat w/ the same people every night and saw the same people at the disco and your favoritive bar on board. Now, you might not even see someone you met early in your cruise as the ships are floating Vegas type resorts (which are great don't get me wrong), I just miss what cruising was all about before it became a nickel & dime the guest to dealth vacation..................But it still is the best way to travel the world hands down. And since all my cruises have been w/ Princess, I will always have a speacial in my heart for "The Love Boat"!
Oldman469 Feb 15th 2010 6:33PM
I started cruising in the 70's so if you think you have seen changes, I suspect I have seen a few more. You can away from the hustle but booking some of the smaller lines. While more expensive they do bring back the glamour of the past. Most cruisers today don't know what cruising could be so their perspective is different. That's why they go to the all inclusive resorts. It's not about the ports, it's about the experience and frankly, the big ships have hurt the experience.
Steve Feb 15th 2010 4:07PM
I have to agree with many of you. It's chaotic enough during the boarding process. Having to deal with looky-loo guests will be a pain. They'd do better having an open house prior to the boarding just for those people who wants to see the ship and charge them $25 each.
Chris N. Feb 15th 2010 4:52PM
If the cruise lines need to increase their bottom line, there are three ways they can do it. Raise the cost of the fare, lower the level of service, or charge for add-ons such as this one. At least with the add-ons you can opt out.
Kitten Feb 15th 2010 4:56PM
I'd rather spend my time at a beautiful all inclusive resort and take a day trip to explore the area. Spending time bouncing around the ocean for a partial day to see a few different ports is a waste. All inclusive resorts include your meals, drinks (alcoholic and non), hotel and entertainment. You can book airfare and resort through most resort websites.
David Foster Feb 16th 2010 8:25PM
Kitten, have you ever cruised before? It is, to me, WAY better than being at an all inclusive resort. The fact that you can experience multiple ports while only packing and unpacking once is one reason. The quality and variety of the experience is another. I am a beach junkie and I still prefer cruising over a land vacation...and to me cruising is a better value. Try it before you pass judgment!
tom Feb 15th 2010 10:00PM
I notice a similarity in all the negative comments.
These people shouldn't be on a cruise ship in the first place
They worry about security, crowds, and picky little things like
the buffet line crowd. If someone wants to bring a guest
on board, let them. It's their $39, and their choice of how they
spend it. Good for Princess
Laughing Lady Feb 15th 2010 5:17PM
I love cruising but I'd rather spend more time in fewer ports than a few hours here and there. As for the guests on board, it only makes sense if you live in port city. How many people are going to benefit from it?
Terry Feb 15th 2010 7:03PM
The great thing about cruises is that there are ship sizes and levels of service for every type of passenger. You just have to choose the right size ship at the right price level and you will have a great experience, although there is always one group that refuses to be satisfied with anything and does their best to ruin the experience for everyone. I have taken several cruises on several lines and for the money, you can't beat Crystal Cruise Lines. Smaller ships, higher prices, and great service add up to the best experience for me. Others might prefer a larger ship with all the amenities. It gets back to personal preference.
dee Feb 15th 2010 8:08PM
I feel security is ok because you can check us out with our passport etc before we get on. what will they do to ensure the safety of a person entering from another country? A terrorist can easily get on as it is without this lax boarding for $39.00.
Flotsam Feb 15th 2010 8:30PM
As frequent cruisers (often on Princess, but also on other lines), we rate this onboard Bon Voyage party idea as WORSE than ridiculous.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
But first, a quick Reality Check: Perhaps seeing your family and friends off on a cruise made some sense in the days when ships were much smaller, rampant shipboard viruses were rare, and suicidal terrorists were not a daily threat.
That is not today!
It is painfully obvious that cruise lines are searching high and low for ways to make a few bucks in additional revenue, and to inrease their customer base. They have to pay for these huge fleets of megaships which continue to flood the cruise market with.
Therefore, we can understand why they might try to run this silly idea up the flagpole, to see if anyone salutes it. As you can see from this comment section, some folks have already embraced it. . . and others have not.
Princess has to remain competitive in ALL ways, in an increasingly dog-eat-dog marketplace. So, why make what has always been a hassle even worse? The initial boarding of passengers on a large ship is already frustrating, time consuming; and is usually one of the things that your cruisers dislike the most.
Now, you add the potential of hundreds - or conceivably even thousands - of additional "Bon Voyage" guests - who will have to pass through X-ray and metal detector-based security, going on and then off the ship . . .
Wow, pure genius. What were you thinking?
It really doesn't make much sense to any seasoned Princess cruiser, as you can say your good-byes at any number of venues at the departure port.
Sorry, Princess, although we rate you better overall than the other lines; there are PLENTY of others to choose from; so we will probably be returning to them if you expand this folly to your entire fleet.
Skip Apr 20th 2010 7:59PM
The Bon Voyage guest plan sounds like a very good idea, giving one or more friends or relatives a chance to see the cruise ship and to enjoy a meal on the ship. It would be fun for both the booked passenger and guests. Those who are complaining come across as a bit picky and frankly sound a bit selfish. The numbers allowed in the program are so few that there would be no inconvenience to other boarders.