Genoa bus tour

[Marirose]

We took the excursion called Easy Genoa. It was described as a bus tour for people who prefer not to walk. Unfortunately soon into the tour it was announced there were two stops that would require everyone to leave the bus and walk about 8 minutes. Very disappointing. We did report this on the Enchanted Princess to the Excursion desk when we returned.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Marirose Thanks for providing this feedback. I find it bizarre that Princess Cruises advertises this bus tour for people who don't enjoy walking, but then force them to walk. That objective sets everyone up for disappointment. Thanks to you, hopefully, the onboard Excursion desk won't advertise these options as such anymore. I mostly find it rare that the bus forces all guests to get off. I don't see why guests on the bus couldn't just choose to stay on and not get off. An option to do either would make the excursion more accommodating to everyone! 

[3Sisters]

@Marirose This is good to know! Thanks for the heads up. I would totally assume that a bus tour is for guests who want to sit down the entire time and not walk around. There are walking tours for that! Overall, what did you think of your cruise experience onboard Enchanted Princess? 

[PaulB]

Happy enough to take your money though for a bus tour. Guess they don't see the irony about making people walk and I'm guessing they didn't refund you either. Every company seems to be cutting corners and no care or pride seems to be at the forefront. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

That's right! Unfortunately, some agents will just overpromise to get you to book and meet a quota. It's like a box checked in the sales world. I would prefer that the excursion desk be more transparent, but then again the crew member probably hasn't experienced this excursion and probably has no idea what it is actually like. 

[PaulB]

I read about in general complaints and disappointment in guests as there are more and more problems occurring from travel companies. Each cruise has cut costs and it's a shame that people aren't as happy as they once were because the overall cruise experience is dwindling compared to how it once was. All I think of is: is it that the cruise lines are not as attentive as it once was and staff shortages have affected this? Are there more people now going on cruises and the expectations are higher? Are people fussier than they once were? 

[3Sisters]

I totally believe that cruise lines are not as attentive and crew members are overworked. When someone is overworked, it's very noticeable. Lots of guests are complaining about the lack of genuine care from customer service but they are likely just burnt-out crew members. There are always difficult guests onboard a ship that just nitpicks everything, but the quality of cruising has gone down some. The little acts of kindness have sort of gone out the window. Especially with the popularity of mega-ships, everything is just mass-quantified and the specialty/personal touches no longer exist. Sometimes the smaller cruise lines cost a bit more but you are getting a more personalized/quality experience instead of a mass-produced cruising approach. 

Edited June 22, 2023 by 3Sisters

[PaulB]

I understand that cruising has become more popular and years back, it was always the realm of only the wealthy would go on cruises, certainly in the UK. It was a foregone conclusion that if you were told someone had just been on a ship around the Mediterranean, then they had lots of money. Now that perception have moved on, and everyone seems to be cruising, which is a good thing. And where before, the customer service and the overall quality would be high, maybe now it's not as much, because it's regarded the same as another vacation?

[Cruising Caribbean]

Cruising used to be more exclusive and not as popular as it is today. I feel like now everyone has the opportunity to cruise (which is nice), but the whole way to cruise and cruise experience has been tainted as the industry has expanded. Cruising is just a more "normal nowadays, anyone can cruise and it's not an elite thing to do. The epxiernce has become more processed/standardized versus an intimate upper scale experience. I do, however, like the fact that there are so many cruise lines to choose from, and each cruise line has its own qualities that are sometimes more refined than others. 

[PaulB]

It's getting popular no doubt which is lovely to see as everyone deserves to have been on a cruise at least once. I've noticed the tides have changed (no pun) and cruises seem to be more popular than normal vacations. But the downside of that, what first made the cruise experience out of this world, some feel have been tarnished.

[Cruising Caribbean]

Cruises are totally more popular now than before. It's due to so many factors from reasonable pricing to overall relaxation. So many people took living normally and having the opportunity to take vacations for granted. Cruising has become so systematic. I remember when cruising was more unique and personalized, but now it's like the same old same old situation. I still enjoy cruising but I miss the old style of special soups of the day and themed parties where everyone participated!