Anyone reschedualing or cancelling a Caribbean cruise this winter due to storm damage

Oct 26th 10 day repo from NY to FLL

 

Antigua, St Maarten, and Bonaire.

 

Should be interesting to see where we end up. :)

Booked on that one too...Gonna predict Antigua, St. Kitts and Bonaire. Just a good a guess as anyone's...

Looking forward to our Nov 5th cruise, even though we may or may not miss a couple of ports. Whatever Princess decides is fine with me. I am more than happy to do my share to pump some money into the economy down there.

I've been watching the video of the devastation in the US Virgin Islands. It's stunning. I saw an interview with an American couple who were able to get off St. Maartin, their story is harrowing. The people there are desperate, it looks worse than a war zone. There will be nothing to pump travel money into - just about everything is destroyed. Projections are it is going to take years to recover. Anyone thinking of going on a cruise there needs to look at the news videos. This is not a place you would want to take a vacation to.

We have a Western Caribbean cruise with Princess in November but our first stop is supposed to be Princess Cays. Haven't heard if they had any damage, but we're taking the cruise no matter what (already had final payment).

Then we are taking a cruise on Oceania to Cuba in December. Also haven't heard whether the cities we'll be visiting there will be ready for passengers (Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba). We already made final payment for this one too. We'll continue on this cruise also; have heard that Oceania ships give a wonderful experience. We love sea days so if we end up with more of these it will be OK.

If I knew we would go to the Eastern Caribbean, I would be happy. My fear is Princess would change to a Western Caribbean itinerary. This has happened to me the last 2 times I tried to go to St. Martin and St. Thomas. Now Princess tells me my deposit is non refundable and non transferable. Final payment is due now. Decisions to make.

We have three East Caribbean cruise on Regal Princess this winter. I don't believe that if they have to change the ports of call,,that Princess would do the same western that the Regal is doing also this winter. They still have to sell cabins, and doing the same western cruise all winter may not sell out their cabin at the price they want.

Princess also books these cruise as a B2B for 14 nights. Not many people want to do the same cruise B2B. So, if they change their eastern route it will be different ports that the western one. It could still be western, but different ports.

We're booked on the March 18 Circle Caribbean on CB. We don't plan to cancel the cruise but will almost certainly be spending more money ashore than we would have before. The cruise industry dollars are extremely important to the islands and any extra spent there can only help to restore their economy.

Greetings from Southwest Florida. I am fortunate, my house is in tact, my electric is on, and I just got cable. I have a very different outlook on many things going through this experience. Total electric in SW Florida may not be until 10 days from now.

Stopping at an island buying lunch or a few drinks isn't going to make it. What they need as do Florida and Texas is BIG support NOW. If you can take a couple of cruises a year, would you consider cancelling one and donating that money to an appropriate source that would help others.

Look at the pictures, it will take cruse lines a long time to determine where or when they can go.

We are just happy here to know Tampa Bay just opened so maybe we can get gas.

Please do whatever you can to help.

-mk

We have several crises booked in Dec and Jan that include these ports. Fortunately for us we have been to them all several times and just cruise to be away from winter up here but I do feel for those that want a particular port and have to pay before knowing if the ship will be going there.

St Thomas and St Martin are both very popular ports so if they are closed for any length that means a lot of rescheduling for several cruise lines - they can't all just reschedule for the same western ports. If the ships reschedule to more southern Eastern Caribbean ports that would add an extra sea day.

I spoke to someone with a home in St. Thomas tonight. His friends are all safe but all their homes were wrecked. He said it's going to be a long recovery. Ports are opening, airport is still closed. Can't get in construction supplies. Going to be 3-6 months before getting power outside of downtown.

I'd cancel. That's not how I wish to vacation. I'd make a donation instead and go elsewhere.

We are on the Dec 9th Crown sailing. Final payment is due 9/25. The itinerary includes 3 totally devastated ports and one very badly damaged port. We are also booked on the Jan 13th Circle Caribbean on the Caribbean which also includes 2 devastated and one very badly damaged port.

 

The following islands have been totally devastated:

 

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; St. Martin; St. John; St. Thomas; St. Barts; Barbuda

 

The following islands have significant damage but not total devastation:

 

Antigua - bad, but not as bad as Barbuda; but being used as a relief/recovery staging location for Barbuda so not exactly an attractive vacation spot; St. Kitts/Nevis; Puerto Rico

 

 

 

Princess HAS to make some decisions soon because many people like us have final payment dates approaching and would like to know what we'd be paying for, ie., what ports will be on the itinerary. I spoke with Princess Customer Relations (on their direct number) yesterday and again today. I was told:

 

1) They are not extending final payment dates.

 

2) They may or may not change itineraries (this is nonsense -- they absolutely have to for many of these islands).

 

3) If they do change itineraries, no decisions have been made as to where.

 

 

 

I asked them, as I also posit here, in what other situation in life would you toss a few thousand dollars over to someone and not know what you're going to get in return for that money? I doubt there would be any such situations where any of you would be willing to do that. It is ridiculous for Princess to hold hard and fast to non-refundable final payments without advising people where they will be going. It is also disingenuous on the part of those of you who see no problem with it.

 

 

 

In my opinion, it is not acceptable to be put on a Western Caribbean itinerary for the same money as a Lesser Antilles itinerary. I don't necessarily want to cancel; I’d just like to know where I'd be going BEFORE I pay for it. If they say, for instance, Barbados, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, etc. as replacement ports for our itineraries with St. Kitts, St. Martin, Antigua, Turks and Caicos and St. Thomas, that'd be fine. Montego Bay, Cozumel and Costa Maya, wouldn’t. At least not at the current fares we’re paying for the cruises.

 

 

 

For those of you who are saying that we have to go to these islands to spend money to support them, I ask simply: how? Spend money on what? And where would you spend it? There won't be any stores in which to spend money. There won't be any restaurants in which to eat or bars at which to drink. It is a nice sentiment to want to support them, but not realistic.

 

 

 

These islands have been totally wiped out, not just damaged. Most of them will not be re-built within THIS Caribbean season and some maybe not for a season beyond that. Certainly St. Martin, St. John, Barbuda, and Grand Turk will not be “open for business” this year. These ports don't have, and won't have for a long time to come, any electricity, running water or working sewers. The airports and hospitals were wiped out. All the materials they need to rebuild have to be shipped in and the shipping lanes may need to be re-dredged.

 

 

 

And, I'm sorry to say this, but it is already the case that widespread desperation is setting in for the residents of these islands, and violence is already breaking out. It may very well not be safe for well-intentioned, but vulnerable, tourists.

 

 

 

We live in Southeast Florida, the original anticipated target of Irma’s wrath. So, unlike most of the country, we've had nothing but wall to wall 24/7 coverage of the hurricane on every station (even on PBS) for over a week. All we watched as we shuttered up our homes and did the final prep of our hurricane kits was what was coming our way and what it did to these islands. If we were aware of what took place in these islands, so was Princess.

Good post. Very realistic pov.

We are visiting Florida Dec 2-16. I was tracking a couple cruises and was just going to pick something last minute that was a good deal. Usually easy to do that time of year.

But there's too much uncertainty right now as to where ships will be going. Ports might be open but in a condition that I would not want to visit. Too many ports that might be closed so other ports will be more crowded.

We've committed to staying in Florida. Next Caribbean cruise will be Dec 2018.

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Did anyone else see this on Princess Website under Notices and Advisories?

Hurricane Irma Communication

Princess Cruises and its parent company Carnival Corporation are working to provide extensive relief to those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Princess has created a matching fund for employee donations to support hurricane relief via the American Red Cross.

Princess Cruises has no ships in the Caribbean until Caribbean Princess departs Ft. Lauderdale on October 7, 2017. We look forward to continuing to provide the great cruise experience our guests expect and the economic support that the region relies on, now more than ever. Only a few ports visited on Princess Cruises itineraries this coming season were impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Our staff will continue to assess recovery efforts and conditions in affected destinations. Should any adjustments be required to future sailings as a result of storm damage, booked guests and their travel professional will be notified.

Our parent company, Carnival Corporation, has begun outreach and support for those islands already impacted on behalf of the family of cruise lines. They have been in communication with officials in many of the Caribbean islands and have activated a plan to begin delivery of supplies on both an immediate and sustained, longer-term basis. These deliveries will be worked into ships’ cruise itineraries as part of ongoing operations. Carnival Corporation Foundation is also beginning to evaluate the best channels for support in the Caribbean, as well as Florida.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted.

Itinerary Update as of 9/13/17, 7:30pm PDT

At this time, there are no changes to report on our itineraries. As we work with the local ports in the Caribbean and affected areas, we will communicate any changes directly to our booked guests and also make updates to this page.

I'm scheduled on a cruise Jan 7th to St. Martin and St. Thomas. Personally a cruise is a cruise take me anywhere. I hoping they will only take us there if we will be able to enjoy it. If not then anywhere else will do. My heart goes out to those effected and I hope they get the help they need.

framer

I received an email from a well know travel agency and it stated that the ports that have heavy damage are: St.Thomas, St. John, St. Martin, St. Martin and Barbuda. The ports that will be opened at some point are: Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Dominica Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nevis, St. Bart's, Antigua, Haiti, St. Kitts and Turk and Caicos. Those ports that were not affected are: Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curaco, Grand Cayman, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent , Trinidad and St. Croix.

I do not know if this is written in "stone" but that is what I received today.

I received an email from a well know travel agency and it stated that the ports that have heavy damage are: St.Thomas, St. John, St. Martin, St. Martin and Barbuda. The ports that will be opened at some point are: Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Dominica Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nevis, St. Bart's, Antigua, Haiti, St. Kitts and Turk and Caicos. Those ports that were not affected are: Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curaco, Grand Cayman, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent , Trinidad and St. Croix.

 

I do not know if this is written in "stone" but that is what I received today.

St. Barts got hit pretty bad but not many ships stop there anyway. It's the 7 day St Maartin/St. Thomas that will be most affected

One couple from our Roll Call, Pacific Princess Dec. 23, has pulled out.

I read a news report today that Royal Caribbean cruise line is substituting St. Croix for St. Thomas and St. Kitts for St. Maartin. I would speculate that other cruise lines will do the same until St. Thomas and St. Maartin have recovered enough to become viable cruise ship ports of call.

I'm scheduled on a cruise Jan 7th to St. Martin and St. Thomas. Personally a cruise is a cruise take me anywhere. I hoping they will only take us there if we will be able to enjoy it. If not then anywhere else will do. My heart goes out to those effected and I hope they get the help they need.

 

framer

I totally agree!!! We go for the cruise, the ports are an added treat!

Our three grandchildren are anxiously looking forward to their first cruise.

They love rainy days, stomping in puddles, making mud pies and just being kids

Even rain on the beach does not disappoint them.

We will all have a great time no matter where the Regal stops.

 

Howard

LOL, however rain and wind on a ship are not fun and when outside public decks are limited access or if you miss a port it can be down right miserable. Just sayin'...but as u said u will have wonderful cruise regardless.

We are on the Regal repo Oct 26th from NY to FLL

Ports of call were to be St Maarten, Bonaire, and Antigua

Waiting to hear what will replace St. Maarten. I assume maybe Aruba.

Not sure about Antigua.

I met a Canadian who travels to Cuba a lot. He always brings school supplies, cloths, etc.

We did that in Apia, Samoa!

It's not easy to get stuff off the ship without customs being involved. We had to put stuff back in our room when our back pack looked so big.

 

 

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Hmmm? We had no problem.

I totally agree!!! We go for the cruise, the ports are an added treat!

Ditto!

We have a Western Caribbean cruise in Nov. Final payment has been made. We were going to Mexico and pretty much decided we would probably stay on the ship and hang by the pool, so nothing changes for us!

If I knew we would go to the Eastern Caribbean, I would be happy. My fear is Princess would change to a Western Caribbean itinerary. This has happened to me the last 2 times I tried to go to St. Martin and St. Thomas. Now Princess tells me my deposit is non refundable and non transferable. Final payment is due now. Decisions to make.

Same problem, same answers from Princess. Same fear of garbage Western itinerary.

We're booked on the March 18 Circle Caribbean on CB. We don't plan to cancel the cruise but will almost certainly be spending more money ashore than we would have before. The cruise industry dollars are extremely important to the islands and any extra spent there can only help to restore their economy.

If your ports are the same as my Jan 13 Circle Caribbean, half of your ports will not be cruise-ready for you to spend any money in! For sure, no St. Thomas or St. Martin, probably no Grand Turk.