Panama to San Juan, Jan 4th

Hi all,

 

Just about to book the Jan 4th Panama to San Juan sailing.

 

It happens to be the cheapest week on the SD website now, but I have a query.

 

Why is it cheaper with SD direct than with a 90-day company, or indeed any of the others? In fact, the 4th Jan date does not even appear on many websites!

 

Does this mean SD have a big party on board, or does it mean it might be cancelled because a charter is looming. (But then, why price it so cheap on their own web site and not even have it listed on other people's?)

 

I have one-way reward points flight booked from Madrid to Panama, Panama to Madrid and Miami to Madrid. So I can cancel one of the retunr optons. But I would like to get the SJU-MIA booked up pretty soon and at around 100USD it would be a waste to use reward points!

I certainly can't answer all of your questions, and I only look at the voyages on the SD website and not those of tour operators. But we have taken SD voyages very early in January in the past, several of them, and in fact we are now looking at one for early January, 2015. I think that it is the cheapest voyage because it is in general a cheap time to travel. Right before and right after the holidays there are very low prices everywhere because there is low demand. While I'm no expert, I think it unlikely that there would be any kind of business charter that week because it is too close to New Years. When we have taken trips at this time in past years we have experienced a pleasant, childfree environment. IMO, I don't think you need to worry about the price or the timing.

I am pretty sure from talking to several travel agents that SD pays close to, if not the, lowest commissions in the industry. And SD does its own "mass discounting" e-mail distributions to those on its marketing lists (sometimes I get one, sometimes I don't) but I have been on a SD voyage that had a light load and was filled during the last week with heavily discounted fares.

 

I agree with Zimmy-kids are going back to school, businesses are working on year end results so a charter would seem unlikely and repositioning increases airfare as split jaw tickets can be expensive if you don't know how to work the system. I would book this one if the time worked for us.

Go for it.

 

FT

Yippe!

 

We are now booked. Direct with SD. Could have got 100USD cheaper with someone else if we had waited a day or two, but it was agreat price anyway and we are so happy!

 

Shame the Haiti stop has been dropped - we were on SD (in Montserrat) when the earthquake struck three and a bit years ago, and would have liked to see how things are going and spent a bit of cash there..

Very excited to be heading to Panama right after New Years, perfect time to be leaving New Jersey. Travel Dreams has booked the first four of our group and we have had excellent experience working with the Seadream team. Hoping the engine is quickly fixed and expecting another fabulous sailing. Anyone else onboard?

Welcome aboard!

 

We will be in Panama for a week before, so will do the partial transit on the Pacific Queen just after we arrive. But it might be an idea to do this on the 4th as you make your way to Colon.

 

Although Colon doesn't get great reviews (!), we will be at the Radisson Colon the night before so as we can take the train from Panama on the Friday (it only runs weekdays).

 

On the Saturday, we will visit Portobelo I think.

 

At the other end, we are going from SJU to Vieques for a week of heat before setting off back to Scotland (which is north of Moscow!)

 

But we have no ideas yet for what to do at Seadeam's ports of call.

 

Have you any "not be me missed" thoughts?

Yes, We are arriving in Panama a couple days early and staying in a lovely hotel in San Felipe then have transfers for Saturday noon. Looks like it will be warm. We have never been to Island San Andres so I am looking for any info? See you in the New Year.

 

 

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Hi SC,

 

Sorry, haven't been able to find out much about San Andres other than what is on wikipedia.

 

I thinkwe are going to try and track down one of the hired golf carts. We want to see the place, landscape and buildings. Not the souvenir shops. I think the SD trip looks too touristic for us.

 

But, see my other recent post, I have a feeling we may be skipping that stop if the broken engine isn't fixed.

 

Shame, because Isla San Andres and Haiti were the two ports I was really looking forward to when this itinerary first came out. Haiti was dropped a while ago.

 

But we are bracing for 80-90mph winds tomorrow in Scotland and there is sleet.

 

So SD in the warmth - bliss!

Yes, the engine problem is going to force a change in our trip :(

 

 

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Oh well, what did I say!

 

Letter (email) from SD this morning - no Isla San Andres and no La Romana.

 

Discounts on future voyage bookings and some spa credit to make up for the extra Flygoddess will spend on two more sea days.

 

Not really sure what I think.

 

Can see where they have been stuck with the knackered engine, but also not so sure about so many sea days. Me, I like swimming in the sea. So even four hours at Isla San Andres was a big deal.

 

Buy hey! Relax, be happy! Nothing we can do and I'll still have a whole week at the beach in Vieques to swim off the SD weight gain!

flygod: I like your attitude. A week on SD going nowhere in the Caribbean is better than a winter's day in Chicago or Scotland. Relax and enjoy. the DH

Is anyone else sailing? Are you concerned that our voyage will be further disrupted? We are traveling from England and considering cancelation. Very disappointed in the port situation and worried it could get worse. Very poor communication and timing from Seadream.

4 days at sea is a lot. And they are not offering any discount on the trip.

Have you been in touch with them? We had very little notice. Discount on future cruise??? Not what we expected from them

Have you been in touch with them? We had very little notice. Discount on future cruise??? Not what we expected from them

 

We have, and their response has been terrible. You should call and make a fuss too

Sorry to say our group is "jumping ship," it's just to far a sailing with engine trouble and 4 days at sea with a crowded boat and possibly no internet. Very fortunate we were able to set up another trip.

 

 

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good move. We jumped too

Let us know how Seabourn is. I am trying to get out too

OK, back in Blighty and ready for my take on the full saga!

 

We had our first ever cruise (apart from when I was a child!) on SeaDream four years ago. Well, what can I say. It was fabulous!

 

We thought of taking up the future voyage discount, but decided not to. Wise move, as it turned out, since a neighbour set fire to the new hangar at our airfield by accident in May. The insurance claim has been on-going for three and a half years and the amount settled so far - most in the past four or five months - has come to over a million dollars! So you can see why we needed every penny and were glad not to have committed to a future voyage!

 

In anticipation of the payments, I had been looking at going back on SeaDream once more. This trip looked to have some really interesting ports - some hard to get to, like Isla San Andres, some like Jamaica that might tempt us to go on a holiday there (Jamaica gets some bad press in the UK). We were also quite keen on Haiti, advertised a year ago as a stop, since we were on SeaDream four years ago when the earthquake struck. I know things have still not been sorted out there, so visiting on a boat for a day - knowing that you would be no drain on their limited resources - was an attractive idea.

 

However, as time went by, Haiti was dropped from the advertised schedule. Had we only known, it was a foretaste of things to come ;-)

 

We first booked direct with SD, then saw a great deal advertised 90-odd days before. SD - to their credit - said we support out travel agents, so if you want their deal, you'll have to rebook with them. Which we did. As well as a few hundred dollars saving, we also got 400 dollars credit.

 

Then I read on CC about the crankshaft failure. I even joked that we would be so slow, I might get an extra week on SD! Then Jim Avery, I think, did some calculations and I checked them. With one engine, we wouldn't make all our ports. It was physically impossible.

 

In the meantime, SD emailled on Dec 13th (yes, it was a Friday the 13th!!):

 

Dear Flygod and Flygoddess,

 

We would like to advise you of a change in pier name and location for your embarkation in Colon, Panama on January 4th. The yacht will now be docked at the Colon Container Terminal which is just alongside the Manzanillo International Terminal and almost in front of the Home Port terminal.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions. Bon voyage!

 

Of course, I had made a non-refunable booking for the Radisson right at the cruise pier :-( While not one of the best - or worst - hotels in Colon, it was right next to where SD was meant to be!

 

Anyway, back to the engine! I just emailled SD and said:

 

Hi,

 

Two questions.

 

I note boarding starts at 2pm. What is your last preferred time?

 

I also hear that one of the engines is out of action. So will you be hoping for everyone to board promptly at 2pm, or will you be skipping a few ports to catch up or do you think it will be fixed by then?

 

Don't mind if it takes two weeks to get to Puerto Rico!

 

Very best to all the staff for Xmas,

 

Regards

 

Of course, next day came the famous letter:

 

We are writing to advise you of some engine maintenance on board the SEADREAM I. Regrettably, this required maintenance has reduced the speed and will slightly affect the voyage plan. We've had to cancel the 4 hour call to San Andreas, Columbia as well as the port of La Romana. Cancellation is never our intention, nor our desire. Please know we commiserate with you and apologize for the situation. We are however certain you will enjoy the voyage with exceptional food, service and amenities on board the yacht.

 

New Itinerary:

 

Date Port of Call Arrive Depart

Jan 04, 2014 Colon, Panama Evening

Jan 05, 2014 at Sea

Jan 06, 2014 at Sea

Jan 07, 2014 Ocho Rios Morning Afternoon

Jan 08, 2014 at Sea

Jan 09, 2014 at Sea

Jan 10, 2014 Punta Cana Morning Evening

Jan 11, 2014 San Juan, Puerto Rico Morning

 

 

As a result of the changes, a $400 onboard credit has been added to each stateroom. Additionally, you are being provided a 35% future voyage savings which is combinable with the 15% (or 10% for open booking) onboard booking savings. In other words, if you reserve a specific future voyage while aboard you'll obtain 35% + 15% savings. If you reserve a future open-booking, you'll receive 35% + 10% savings. If you are not ready to deposit a future booking while onboard, you may take home the 35% savings which is valid towards a new reservation traveled by December 31, 2015. Savings is taken from the Book Today & Save fares as seen on our website.

So, while we managed to miss seeing SD in the Gatun locks, we at least heard officially of the "engine maintenance" that would "slightly affect the voyage plan".

 

Not much notice to change things. Did look at flights to Havana, but then we would have had to fly back to Panama, then to Miami and back to Puerto Rico, since we had paid for a Villa Vienti on Vieques for eight days and had booked flights home from VQS-SJU-MIA-MAD-EDI.

 

Also looked at a yacht charter in Panama, but nothing was really available and flight from Panam to SJU weren't cheap either. Altogether, just too much hassle to get sorted in 48 hours since we were leaving Scotland on Boxing Day, the 26th, for Madrid and then Panama.

 

So we were stuck with SD - for better or worse!

 

Next installment in a few hours.

Thanks for taking the time to post, Flygod. Glad you made it home to the Frozen North safely.:eek: Looking forward to your next installment.:D

Part two!

 

Big day arrives. Some showers around, so we take a taxi for a few hours and go and see the town and Gatun Locks. Gosh, Colon is a filthy place, but under the grime it could be a fabulous town - fantastic Art Deco buildings and a fine central paseo, a small-scale version of Las Ramblas in Barcelona. But filthy, covered in grime and poorly designed signs for low quality shops and cafes. And the people - in contrast to those in Panam City - looked fed up and ready for trouble.

 

Oh to arrive on SeaDream and be cossetted! Which we did about 3:30pm.

 

Greeted by Captain and senior officers, into the lounge for cocktails and then through to the lobby for check-in. Politely asked if we had received the letter. Replied that we had, were a little disappointed, but all set to make the most of our SD experience - and booked the outside bed at the front for the only night left and started booking 90 minute massages for Flygoddess (who says Thai massages are the best ever).

 

At dinner that night - we asked for the rear balcony, we like outside - discovered old friends among the waiters. Filet steak was sublime. Ah, the joys of being pampered!

 

Away from the coast, the seas started to get rougher. To our disappointment, TOY bar was dead - and to be frank, the barman was more interested in tidying and cleaning the bar (which must surely have been spotless anyway) than being the centre of activity. Oh well, early to bed.

 

Well, a bumpy night, with the odd bang and thump every so often. Not many at breakfast! The thump was the propeller cavitating as the pitching took it out the water: ie it is spinning in air rather than water so races ahead and then "bites" the water again. That's the rough idea, experts will put it better and more accurately! The bang, never found out.

 

We like the sea and enjoyed the movement and the quiet yacht. Was told 80 passengers, and at least one of those was a SD consultant on board for routine training and review. Captain seemed to be very sociable and make a point of walking around the ship very morning and afternoon.

 

Lunch was quiet and we were told at cocktails that there were changes to the schedule. We would be skipping Jamaica and having four straight days at sea. We would be getting to stop at La Romana now, and with the scheduled stop at Punta Cana this would give us two stops, as promised in the 24 Dec letter, even if not the same ones!

 

The thought of four whole days at sea for those passengers still suffering in their cabins was ghastly, according to reports from the crew and fellow passengers.

 

But what could anyone do. Too late to get off!

 

That evening, we were invited to dine with the Captain. Maybe it was because we are positive people, maybe because we were some of the few not in their cabins!

 

The captain explained that he had looked at our overnight progress at 10am that morning, and we had being doing about five knots. Not much above walking speed! He had also been looking at two areas of low pressure on either side of us. He felt, although the forecast wasn't certain, that they might merge. And if they were to merge, we would be in for heavy weather for the whole trip - and at slow speeds we would have a problem.

 

Our planned route was like two sides of a triangle. Straight north to Jamaica and then east to San Juan (with stops in the Dominican Republic).

 

If the low pressures merged into one system, then we might make Jamaica (and at 5kts we would have been as quick walking!) only to change direction (ie not land) and then battle our way direct to San Juan (ie no stops in the DR). So seven days at sea!

 

So at 10am that day, the Captain took the decision to cut the corner and head straight for La Romana and "guarantee" us two port calls. Yes, as he mentioned, he was due to fly off on leave from Jamaica, so he would now be on board for an extra two days. And the new captain would have to divert too, to meet us in the DR.

 

In my view, it was a brave "command" decision. It is what Captains are paid to do. The weather forecast was not certain. And if it developed as he feared, not making that decision would have committed everyone to seven days at seas.

 

As it happened, he was right and the weather forecasters wrong. The lows merged. So it was bumpy right through to La Romana. But we got ashore.

 

One question, perhaps. Should he have made that decision the evening before as we left Colon? I am a pilot and I saw the later forecasts - one benefit of an open bridge - and the Captain was happy to talk them over with us. But I didn't see the progression of earlier forecasts and have the knowledge our captain did. So it is only a perhaps. But the decision he did make was spot on.

 

His mention of his delayed leave was an attempt to sympathise/empathise with us. Instead, it now appears some people took it that his decision to divert was simply made so as his leave wouldn't be delayed too much.

 

Second day at sea. Yacht pitching. Cavitation. Would be have been able to go faster with two engines? Probably not. I suspect the 20ft swells meant we had to go slow to reduce the cavitation. Again, I am not an expert. Would two engines have allowed us to take a faster route around the weather? Again, I doubt it due to the size of the low pressure. But I am no expert.

 

Gareth had organised a Walk a Mile at 7:30am, trivia and films. Usual "at sea" activities. No-one at the TOY bar after dinner.

 

Third day at sea. Some very pale looking people appear on deck. Food demand still low! TOY bar deserted after dinner. Marta sang in the piano bar!

 

Fourth day at sea, people start "smelling" land. You could feel the atmosphere picking up. People really started partying - singing, dancing, having a great time. Gareth organised a disco. Well, people were dancing! Really having a laugh - although a good bit of the music came from a passenger's ipod! Finally, the yacht came alive. This is what we remembered about SD. TOY bar buzzing afterwards.

 

La Romana was reached about noon, rather than the 9am promised the night before. Nice enough little town to stretch the legs in. Someone went on a golf trip and got to play some fantastic golf course (which they had been told was closed for the day) and there was a nice hotel with beach nearby.

 

At 6pm that evening, we were promised a fabulous day at Punta Cana - with the marina open, the jet skis and all the toys. No sign of the new captain at the previous passengers' reception. Another great night began. A concert with one of the cabin crew singing. Great voice, great fun. Things buzzing, but ..... and then as a group all went up to the TOY bar, it was closed!

 

Yes, although everyone had left the lounge, the bars open that night were the piano bar and the lounge. So party spirit began to evaporate fast. Yes, someone offered to get drinks from the other bar - but some passengers were so frustrated they were simply trying to break into the TOY bar cabinets! Where was the staff flexibility. People were having FUN - yes, it's true. But the staff didn't seem able to adapt.

 

Oh well, we had the front dream bed, so were not too upset at a quiet top deck! Told you, we are easily pleased! We watched the sailaway from La Romana and went to bed. No plate of chocolates, no ice bucket with champagne by the bed. Didn't we get that four years ago? (Had actually meant to ask for the champagne to be replaced by San Pelligrino, getting old!)

 

Fabulous sky - of course - small shower of rain and we woke at 3am and went below. I decided to lie in bed until I heard the anchor drop at 8am before going for breakfast. I awoke at 9:30 to find no land in sight!

 

As I left for breakfast, a note came under the door. Due to the adverse weather conditions, it was unsafe to moor at Punta Cana and tender ashore. And you certainly couldn't operate the marina in those seas.

 

At breakfast, someone said to me: Just as you told us a couple of days ago.

 

Yes, I had said I couldn't see us stopping at the most easterly point of the DR and tendering with the constant 20-25 mph easterly winds that were forecast. Of course, I might not have known anything. There might have been some sheltered headland or something that I didn't know about. But no, once again, the passengers knew before the crew!

 

So we headed off to San Juan. We could see Puerto Rico by mid-afternoon, but with only one engine we couldn't reach it in time to be in its shelter before nightfall. Would have been nice to have found a calm spot for a few hours! Maybe a good sheltered bay to get the marina out? Perhaps with two engines we could have gone straight from La Romana to a sheltered spot on PR? Maybe we could have left La Romana at 6pm instead of 11pm?

 

Well, the atmosphere on board that last day. You could have cut it with a knife. This was now a very very unhappy ship.

 

At one stage, Flygoddess had to tell a senior member of staff to sit down while she gave him a shoulder massage. He was in such a state about the lack of support he was getting from head office, he didn't know what to do. His words were just running one into the other as he tried to express himself. As he said: it is now too late to say sorry. I want to do more, I keep contacting head office but they don't reply. I suggest things to them, but they don't give me the approval. I need to do things for my passengers, saying sorry just isn't cutting it any more. But I am getting no help.

 

For other members of the crew in day-to-day contact with grumpy and fed-up passengers, most of whom were being kept in the dark until the last minute (sometimes because they were so uncomfortable they simply didn't want to leave their cabins), the strain was also beginning to tell. They were no longer so relaxed and helpful.

 

It did not help that the internet was pathetic. So slow that the crew had been banned from using it at all. So other than a quick hour ashore in La Romana at the chinese cafe to use its wi-fi, they had no time "off the ship" - ie on land or on the internet - to get away from the stressed passengers.

 

At dinner, we could see the lights of San Juan drift by as we motored up and down the coast to keep the stabilisers working. Of course, at 5kts they don't work as good as they might at 10kts!

 

Someone asked me, in desperation, do you know why we couldn't have moored in San Juan for the night and gone ashore. Yes, the idea of any more "luxury" was right out the window. Just get me off!

 

Oh yes, did I mention that the new captain who got on at La Romana wasn't seen once. Not even at disembarkation (which was in just a 60 min window). Yes, maybe he was very very busy. But....

 

Well, that was the trip. Our compensation? We got a $400 credit, and I had $80 left unspent so now own two baseball hats and a T-shirt.

 

We can get 35% off a future cruise, if we sail before December 31 in 2015. Since we go on a "big" holiday just once a year immediately after Xmas - and the yachts are charted over New Year - then that means January 2015. So really not much use to us. Although I am sure that if we ask they might let us travel in January 2016. Thing is, we have already planned on Cuba and Burma for the next two winters. (and we'd like to go there fast before things change too much in those countries. There's a limit as to how long Fidel can live, for instance.)

 

We were tempted by a trip through the Corinth Canal at "half price". But then it turned out that "our 15%" is not the same number of dollars as other people's 15%, since it is taken off the 65% fare (ie after deduction of the 35%.) And the 35% is off the Book Today and Save fare - but will that cover GTY fares? (We are happy on deck two). No-one knew.

 

But the final day fiasco left us cold, and not in the mood to even put down the refundable 10%. Sorry, SD. We really, really, tried to keep our spirits up - as anyone on board will testify. I was the only guy apart from Gareth to Walk a Mile with a Smile! But that last day's atmosphere. Urgh!

 

So, what should have been done by SeaDream?

 

In my opinion, it all went wrong after SD arrived from Barbados. As we know, the engines are old, spares are hard to find. It must have been obvious right then that there would be problems getting from Colon to SJU if the new crankshaft wasn't tracked down, purchased, sent for testing to ship's certifier's standards, flow to the yacht, installed and run it.

 

So the question is: how long would it take after the spare shaft was tracked down to do all that. Let's say five weeks?

 

So five weeks back from January 4th would be December 1st. If they hadn't tracked a crank down by then, there was no way SD1 was going to keep her schedule. So Head Office should have been writing emails and letter in November and firing them out by December 1st at the latest. Not on Xmas Eve. Of course, many more might have chosen to take refunds - not that they were actually offered (although the beauty of credit cards is that they will often just pay out and do the arguing for you!).

 

Next question. Why did the captain make his decision at 10am on Day 2, rather than 3pm on Day 1 and allow people to get off? Well, to be fair, as outlined above, I think he made the only choice.

 

Now, was it a good idea to change captains in mid-cruise? There may have been reasons - ie family celebrations, or tragedies - but this led to further problems. First, it must take a new captain a good number of hours to simply take over command and read his way into the ship's situation. Second, since we had to change ports, did the new captain arrive after the old one left? Inbound aircraft from Europe often arrive late afternoon/early evening and leave very quickly. So was this why we left La Romana at 11pm - to give the new captain time to get aboard. And once aboard, had he so much paperwork to do that he was unable to make a command decision to leave La Romana early at 6pm, say, so as to find a sheltered spot in Puerto Rico before sunset. That five hours could have made all the difference!

 

Next would be staff morale. This was the one in 5,000 cruise, as a senior crew member described it to me. It really required leadership from department heads. In some, it was lacking. The collapse in crew morale was obvious on the last day. I suspect there is an underlying problem, since quite a few crew had mentioned they had their eye on jobs elsewhere. Never a good sign when people talk about it to strangers. (Thinking of a new job can be a good sign that people are ambitious, but moving jobs should not be discussed with customers in my opinion). The end result, however much a happy passenger one wants to be, it affected my experience.

 

Communications are key. Why, oh why, were full and proper explanations not given timeously? How can the passengers know more than the crew. This is a yacht, not a city on water!

 

And final big one. INTERNET!! INTERNET!! INTERNET!!

 

I go on holiday to escape it. So I didn't pay the $20 a day, or whatever. Felt a little peeved when it was suggested those who had paid for it, despite the warnings I heard given by the concierge, might not be charged as a "sorry" gift. So what "sorry" gift would I get?

 

A word to the wise, SD. This is the 21st Century. The definition of Luxury now includes "free" internet. Yes, many big name hotels might not have caught up with this, but one doesn't have to be a follower, you can be a leader! But while it is important for your customers - one got up at 2am to do his work since no-one else was using it then (sorry, setting an alarm for 2am to be able to file on the internet on a luxury holiday! eh!!) - it is now also vital for the staff. Like it or not, Facebook and email are probably THE major social interactions for travelling staff, away from home, family and friends for months on end. To ban staff from the net on a trip with almost no port stops makes it like being in a submarine!

 

With 100 passengers a yacht and 50 weeks a year, I make that 10,000 bunk nights a year. Charge everyone $100 a cruise more and give "free internet" and all would be happy. 10,000 x $100 is a cool million. Surely we can get decent intent for a $1,000,000 a year?

 

Now for the little stuff. As someone senior said: when it all goes wrong, even the little things become big. Stuff that people would have said: oh, it doesn't really matter, now becomes important.

 

Yes, I think there is a dodgy batch of Perrier on board. Of course, San Pellegrino is preferable, but the "silent! Perrier seemed to be on offer too much. Did waiters not notice the lack of "whoosh" when opened? Or did they not get briefed to listen for it? Or were bosses too busy with all the other hassles (see what I mean, the big things can swamp you so the little things get ignored).

 

Yes, the bed linens were worn and tired. I know they will all be replaced at dry dock in April/May. But you don't need a dry dock to change sheets and towels!

 

Yes, there were some worn areas and stained/worn seats. I am sure they'll be fixed in dry dock. But easy chairs can be swapped out anytime. Mind you, I have seen worse in five star hotels.

 

Yes, the weather was unusually bad for the time of year. Just as well we weren't in Vieques that week, it rained every day! Would having the extra speed of two engines have helped, can't say. But we can't blame SD for the weather (although the risk did put me off the Corinth Canal trip - too much money for our home turf at that time of year if it rains).

 

Yes, someone had to tell Gareth not to say: "To be honest" and "I cannot lie to you". Sorry Gareth, that either means you are not telling the truth right now, but want to fool us, or that you have previously been telling us lies and now you aren't. Either way, it implies you have been lying!

 

In conclusion, what should SD have done?

 

Perhaps - as suggested by a senior crew member - way back last year decide to market this as a repositioning cruise, and thrown in a few stops if they could. IE a pleasant surprise. Promising four, then two and delivering on just one created major disappointment.

 

SD should have written earlier in December.

 

SD should have offered:

 

A full refund, if you wanted it.

 

50% off any future booking (just off one booking - there were people on board this trip who booked five trips, with back-to-backs, getting their 35%, 15% advance discount and 10% back-to-back. Quite a saving!)

 

Reasonable recompense for any airline/hotel booking lost if you chose to cancel.

 

And a token $1,000 fare for those who decided to continue anyway.

 

To be frank, the way it has worked instead is that some people have saved five figure sums in future bookings.

 

Others, like me, may have saved nothing. Apart from the $400 cabin credit which, it turns out, might just be a refund of port fees for some of the ones we did not visit.

 

Sorry, it is like getting a luke-warm coffee at the end of a gourmet meal.

Wow! I am blown over how they handled it. Let me see if I get it right. They offered no cash refund/discount to those on board who endured this mess; The ones that chose to bail out of this cruise did get a full refund but no help with airline fees, prepaid hotel charges, etc.; You were offered a $400 OBC (when past passengers get a $200 Spa Credit anyway); You were offered a promise of a discount on a cruise some time in the future. Is that about it? Wow again. That is so totally different from the way SeaDream has handled problems or charter booking disruptions in the past. Most people, including SD management, knew in advance this voyage was not possible on one engine. The voyage should have been cancelled and the ship repositioned to San Juan with crew only. Since they did not do that, they really let you passengers down IMHO. Not to mention heading out into known stormy conditions with one engine down and passengers aboard seems a bit risky.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Jim Avery

Yep Jim, you got it.

 

Now, as regards air travel, with EU carriers and flights arriving and departing the EU - and SD is Norwegian, so not in the EU; a cruise line, not and airline; and the Caribbean is on the other side of the Atlantic, but.........

 

EU Reg 261/2004 provides for up to 75% rebate when downgraded a class, ie First to Business, or Business to Economy.

 

Perhaps an idea of what SD should be thinking off?

 

As it is, I have been doing some calculations on Repositioning Fares, ie non-stop voyages!, and they average about 272 USD pp pn. We paid quite a bit more than that!

 

Just doing the background before writing to Oslo and American Express card services with my request for what will me me "happy".

Flygod, I'm so sorry to hear of all the issues on your cruise. We had so much fun with you four years ago and I had hoped all would work this time. Apparently not. One can't control the weather (though it seems the captain made the correct decisions with the info at hand) and the loss of the engine would have faced its biggest test on your cruise. I was onboard when it broke, which is why we missed a couple of really anticipated ports. But, like you, we are fairly positive people and understand that #@%I&^ happens. I was on a BIG ship off the coast of California several years ago in a typhoon and the props kept coming out of the water -- talk about disconcerting!! So, after days of being in a cabin, I imagine there was a lot of pent-up frustration among the other guests that just kept building.

 

Couple of comments -- When we left Barbados, it was Capt Remi's first stint as Capt. Capt. Bjarne was on board for several days for the transition and left in Curacao (not long after the engine broke); since I think they are on a two month on/off, it was about time for Capt. Bjarne to come back and the change in ports might not have given them physical time together? The whole engine issue has been very fluid, with no one knowing until recently what the final outcome would be. Now that they have found the part, tested it and are apparently now installing it, this unpleasant saga may be nearing its end.

 

To my knowledge, there is no "safe harbor" near PR -- I have always hated sailing in and out of San Juan, as it is always rough and unpleasant. I'm not sure there was a place you could have holed up that would have been any better.

 

You would have been fine with a Corinth Canal cruise -- I've booked regular deck 2 and then converted to GTY with no problem -- and the Corinth isn't long enough or wide enough to have weather issues :)

 

The worst part of your report is the impact on crew morale. Now, most of the crew has no idea where we are at any given point (just try asking, do you know what that island is? Duh. In fairness, they are too busy working), but senior staff should have had the information and the ability to make decisions and share info that they apparently did not have. Makes it pretty clear that Miami was immobilized as well and that's the real question? Does all information have to flow through Oslo? Is there a bottleneck there? I can't believe the land staff was callous about any of this -- they obviously didn't have the authority to do anything and that is a much bigger issue. And one that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

 

At any rate, thank for your honesty -- oh, they don't give you the champagne, but you can ask for it at the front bed. I always take my Baileys :)

 

I am reminded that you and FlyGoddess are class acts -- hope to sing with her at the piano bar again one of these days! Take care back in the frozen north!!

 

Vandrefalk

Wow. What a shame flygod. We cancelled after the email arrived on Christmas Eve about the port deletions, and the final blow was when Mr. Lepisto informed us the $400 credit was the final deal. He assured us of working internet, excellent food and service. We did get a full refund but no compensation for the air penalties and hotel charges, as we were too late to cancel in time once we heard final word from Lepisto. I keep hoping they follow up to try to make amends. Let us know if any response comes your way.

 

 

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