November 2, 2009


To: Mr. Alan Buckelow and Customer Relations
Princess Cruises

From: Miriam Gordon

Booking Number- XH3X2Q


This Letter is my complaint of everything that happen and the issues and problems that occurred on the Emerald Princess during my vacation from 10-18-2009 to 10-25-2009. I will go into complete detail about everything that happens from the first day to the last.


On October 18th, 2009 it was my birthday when I called princess cruise and also my travel agency told them more then once it was my birthday when my reservations was made it was noted, I even called so many times to make sure. Once on the ship I noticed that on everyone’s door but mine had balloons. I had No balloons, No singing Happy Birthday to me at dinner and No cake they forgot me but not everyone else. They did not even realize it until I complained. I was told that my room steward was the person that forgot. I’m going to blame where the blame belongs on Princess Cruise and David Pearce the executive housekeeper who is suppose to check to make sure everything is perfect and done correctly. This room steward is a hard worker, I feel she is over worked but in spite of this she always speaks “Hello I hope you have a nice dinner or enjoy yourself always with a smile. Always good morning with a smile. Long hours but she speaks always and that smile just makes you feel to smile back. She realized once I complained she felt so bad she was sorry it happened, and I understand why over worked and long hours and I can only guess how much you pay them shame on you these poor people. So once again I Blame princess cruise. By the way my room was always spotless, clean towels. Being the cruise send me flowers after they made a mistake that admits it was the cruises fault and flowers just does not get it when the problems continued. At the end of the cruise I received a make a difference card, I say my room steward made a difference to me for the reason she showed me how sorry she was about my birthday and she is a very very hard worker. This lady is the only one that said she was sorry out of all the other problems that I had not any of your staff on the ship said they was sorry that caused the problems.


Photo Gallery the next issue and problem that I had on your ship. I’m a person with a disability on this day that I walked to the photo gallery my ankles was very swollen it was very hard for me to walk when I reached the photo gallery they just closed it which I understand however when I tried to explain my situation to Lisa to please try to understand how much my feet hurt and that I had a very hard time to walk here she could look at my feet and ankles and see how big they was. I ask her to please show my pictures to me. Lisa made the choice not to be understanding and considerate and still said NO I ask her to call her supervisor more then once as she made me wait and wait sitting on my walker I got to the point I felt I was waiting to long and I ask Lisa what should I do? She responded back in a very harsh voice and her words not nice at all and her tone of voice was very disturbing to me she said you can wait if you want to or you can leave it was my prerogative in such a nasty tone of voice basically she was saying damn if you do damn if you don’t, her don’t care attitude. I was in tears for the reason this lady has no idea how I felt with feet swollen and the pain I was in I could not excuse her for talking to me like that I really think that she could have been more understanding and should have been nicer. Later I was near the purser desk and one of Lisa coworkers came over to me and told me how sorry she felt that Lisa did that to me. But how come Lisa did not come to me and apologize.


This is the third issue Amanda Coulter was sitting at the captain circle host desk on deck six near the purser desk. I walked over to Amanda asking if she could please help me. St. Thomas has a Jewish Temple that I would like to go see so I was asking her for help and ask her for information about the Temple, she responded “I don’t know” your staff famous words “I don’t know” then I asked Amanda since you don’t know please call someone that might know and can help me the phone was in front of her never picking it up not even a attempting to try to pick it up so I asked her again she just sat there and looked at me like I was asking to much from her or I was stupid for asking her to help me. I thought that your staff was here to help us or at least try I was wrong I guess on this ship we are on our own way not only this lady Don’t know anything but there was more then a few of your staff that I asked where is this place and the answer I heard was I don’t know. Amanda was not busy I was the only person there so it could not be that she was to busy. I then asked her if she had a problem with this Temple or my religion. I felt I gave her enough time if she was going to help me she never did instead she burst out in tears at the time I had No idea why and what did I say to her I had no clue I walked away from her because this was not normal way to act when that’s all I did was ask for help when she just sat there and did nothing I ask a question that’s all and I asked her nicely to please get someone else that maybe can help me she did nothing at all. She picked up the phone then and was crying to some one I was in the pursers line to cash a travelers check I was standing in line when I looked over at her and there was a man wearing all white she was talking to him and then I saw her leave before she left she pointed me out in the line and this man came over to me name unknown and this lady named Kusan was there also he said for me to go into this office now in a stern tone in his voice and so did Kusan Furrer get in the office Now! I said I will not until I finish cashing this check then I will go not before not before and that’s what I did as this man stood there and watched me like a criminal, embarrassed me in front of other passengers all because this Amanda lied and was untruthful about what was really said she added her own words in this what I never said to her and this man and Kusan believed her even before they ask me anything I was being treated like a criminal? This was handled in a wrong manner she told this man that I called her antis emetic and I never said that to her at all she added those words on her own, she lied. When I did go into the office I learned who Kusan was the senior assistant purser when I went into the office at that time I was asked what did happen and I told them the truth what I said to her. I will say this you allow your staff to lie about what passengers say I refuse to believe you allow this type of action to happen what kind of people you hire on your ship. Two days later I went back to speak to Kusan in the office my thoughts was this lady lied about what was said because I was her escape goat I feel she really did not want work at this area where she was so she lied about what I said to her to get out of there maybe she was bored. I’m wondering what is your policy on employees that lie and are untruthful and make up and turn something around such like she did here and use her own words that she added to this. And made Kusan and the other gentleman harass me and made me feel like a criminal. At this point I wished I never went on this cruise. It will be interesting how you are going to handle this and repair this to make me see different about your cruise line and this is not how your employees are and I can have a great time and stress free like I was suppose to.


When I was in the office talking to Kusan about the pool I was telling her that I could not get into the pool because of my knees I could not climb down or up the ladder but I would love to get into the pool however no one ever let me know that there was a lift there to get into the pool no staff let me know this, a passenger let me know this however I feel this should have been told to me by your staff.


There is one more thing that I and Kusan talked about in the office I have psoriasis on my legs and before I went on your ship it was clearing up a lot but when all this stress from your employees it caused me to have a bad out break that’s what stress does when you have this, ask Kusan she knew because someone in her family has the same thing I have, and we talked about it. I’m blaming Princess cruises for my psoriasis outbreak.


I and Kusan also spoke about the other issues that I had that’s all I got was they spoke to them and how sorry they are this happen that’s not good enough for me my 3 days so far I had problems 3 separate problems my cruise was ruined I told Kusan I’m not happy at all. I went on your cruise line in good faith I heard how nice it was I say they was wrong at this point I know there is better cruise lines out there that stand behind there name.

There is one more problem that I had on your ship I will tell you about after I tell you about the food the dining room that I was in the food was very bad did not enjoy it at all I have been on other cruises and I know that it could had been a lot better. Only two times I was sitting with other people to enjoy and have a conversations the other times I had to sit alone wish I did not enjoy at all. I went to dine at Sabatini’s the food was great but even there I had a problem I had to call over the head waiter I was finished with my hot appetizers I was left to sit there for 15 to 20 minutes just waiting I was going to get up and leave I paid extra $20 to get served not to sit there and wait and being over looked terrible service.
The production shows was greattttttttttt excellent. Make sure you keep them on it was fun, enjoyable keeps you interested to the end.


I mentioned this above there was several persons on your ship that when asked by a passenger where this is or where that is there famous words are I don’t know how can a person work on this ship day after day not know? Or is it that they don’t want to tell you so they say I don’t know. Really think you poorly train your staff they have no manners, they lie, they are dishonest, they are inconsiderate, they are not nice, your ship is very poorly run and most of all you have dirty nasty help that can’t leave there hands off of passengers and touch you without permission with that said I now will tell you about this issue like they say saving the best for last.


On October 24, 2009 between 8:15pm to 9:00pm I was at the dinner buffet come to find out they ran out of Prime rib because once again very poorly ran and really should of cooked enough or did they run out then you should of cooked something equal not pork roast cook something everyone eats give a choice. I myself do not eat pork all the time. I did complain to the head man wearing a suit walking around and to the head cook.


I was sitting to my table trying to eat this terrible food that I did not enjoy I was told if I did not like it to go get a pizza or a burger I did go without dinner that night the veggie burgers are so bad I throw it in the garbage. Back to when I was sitting to my table at the buffet one of your kitchen help was talking to me about the food matter of fact he was the one and told the cook I would like to speak to him about the food. As I was sitting in my chair picking at my food I noticed that your kitchen help kept touching my shoulder I did not get his name and that was my choice after he kept touching my shoulder and many times I tried to move my chair when he was to close to the back of my chair touching my back I tried to scoot my chair forward so he would not touch my back I tried my best to not cause a scene I have a bad temper at times. Yes I could of said no and to stop but knowing me I would had raised my voice or I could of hit him but then what I would be the one in trouble I thought about it and made the choice to leave when he left and before he came back I would be gone and that’s what I did I called the man with the suit over I complained again about the food he took my plate away and I left. That does not excuse your poorly run ship and your staff to do as they please and to touch the passengers without permission it is not ok and yes I could of complained but what would I get other then I spoke to him and I’m sorry just like all the other problems I had on your ship. If you would like to pursue this matter with this person that can’t leave his hands where they belong I would and if you would like to take this to a legal level I would do that to I guess we can find out his name if you like I remember his face and we could narrow it down to the staff working that time I was there, it was only one buffet open at the time I was there so it should not be so hard. I have plenty of time to take this matter to a legal level if you like it is your choice.


I really hope that this is all the complaints I hope that I did not forget anything if something comes in my mind believe me I will send it in writing via computer right away.

I still I’m very unhappy about the cruise it was ruined and it should of never happen I went on your ship as my intentions was to relax and have fun it did not happen like a planned I was under more stress on the ship it caused health problems with my psoriasis. I feel like you took my hard earned money that I had to saved for this cruise. You do not train your staff enough to handle problems that arise in a correct manner and I hope you settle this other then a letter of we are sorry I will not accept it as all I’m going to get. After all this was your fault due to your unruly staff. I was asked what I would like to make me happy I would like my money back I’m willing to except another cruise on another ship I’m willing to give you another chance to show me all of your staff knows how to act in a civil manner and since you ruined my cruise. There is one more thing that I and Kusan agreed upon is the pictures that I picked out was supposed to go to Kusan and she is supposed to send them to Santa Clarita, CA I have no idea who she send them to or what department they went to can you please find out for me, here is all her info Kusan Furrer Senior Assistant Purser, Princess Cruises, 24844 Avenue Rockefeller, Santa Clarita, CA. 91355-1283 {661} 753-0000 who ever has the pictures please me Miriam Gordon Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.


Thank you,
Miriam Gordon