Frustrated Crown Princess cruise ship passengers were left upset about having to wait hours to set sail on a voyage from San Francisco to Mexico.
Crown Princess departed San Francisco early Wednesday morning, but before that happened, passengers took to social media to voice their disappointment and frustration with how the cruise line handled the scheduled delay of the cruise.
One person posted a video showing her 82-year-old father and family, plus thousands of other people, waiting in a drafty warehouse. The person continued on to say there was no food available and water was limited.
Food delivery was not an option, and people did not want to leave or else they would lose their place in line.
Another person said the company should do better for disabled guests, who waited for hours in the night.
The original delay was no surprise to passengers. According to Princess Cruises, it received notification from San Francisco port officials of an increased accumulation of silt in the vicinity of the designated cruise berth that would affect embarkation scheduled for Tuesday. That buildup, in conjunction with unusually low tidal levels in San Francisco Bay, meant the ship would not have the required keel clearance to dock and embark at the originally scheduled time.
Guests were notified via email and given a letter explaining the situation when they arrived at the terminal.
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Passengers planned for the original delay, but they were not expecting that to be pushed back even more. Crown Princess departed San Francisco at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, almost five hours more than the original delay.
Passengers were given a $25 credit, but there were plenty of people who felt that did not cut it for their troubles.
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Princess Cruises released the following statement:
"Over the weekend Princess Cruises received notification from San Francisco Port officials regarding an increased accumulation of silt in the vicinity of the designated cruise berth affecting the embarkation schedule for Crown Princess on Tuesday, December 12. This buildup, in conjunction with unusually low tidal levels in San Francisco Bay, resulted in the ship not having the required under keel clearance to dock and embark at its originally scheduled time Tuesday morning.
Guests who were scheduled to embark were informed via electronic notification on Sunday of the new embarkation time of 6:30 pm and requested they delay their arrival at the terminal accordingly. Additionally, those who arrived at the terminal at the initially scheduled check-in time were provided with a letter explaining the situation.
Several hundred guests who could be accommodated in the terminal were provided with snacks and refreshments while they waited. In addition, Princess Cruises worked with the nearby Hyatt hotel to arrange an alternative space in the hotel's convention area for more than 1500 guests. This arrangement included transportation to and from the hotel, as well as snacks and refreshments. Many other guests opted to explore San Francisco. All guests have received a $25 onboard credit.
Although this delay was beyond our control, we do regret the inconvenience it caused. Crown Princess departed San Francisco at 1:15 am PT Wednesday morning."
