Altered Itinerary by NCL

The terrible hurricanes were devastating. We all have heartfelt sympathy for the many victims. Loss of life, loss of property and loss of income bring a heavy toll on people.

HOWEVER. NCL were very quick to change the itinerary of many long booked cruises. More interesting......itineraries were altered for cruises not scheduled until March 2018.

For example the Jade 23rd March 2018 cruise has been so changed as to be unrecognisable.

I chose this cruise many months ago because of the itinerary. I did not chose to go to Grand Cayman or Bonaire, or Aruba. I have been before.

I now read that a number of ports on the original itinerary are "open" for business.

Will NCL revert to those islands now "open"? they certainly deserve the business, and faithful clients deserve to go where they wer promised now that that seems to be possible.

NCL declared "force majeure" and so avoided the cancellation possible if "significant change" is necessary to a cruise itinerary.

I wonder if anyone knows of cruises, NCL or others, which have been altered and then as ports become "open" reverted to the original which no doubt many people deliberately chose when booking.

I recognise so many of the islands have been through a very bad time, however, if they are "open" lets go and visit them again.

What do others feel.

best wishes to all cruisers and islanders.

Deeko

A port being open, and an area being ready for excursions etc are really two different things. It will take a while for all this to shake out...

It doesn't matter what we feel, they will go when they feel the ports are ready. Our 14 day cruise on the BA was changed. 8 ports now 6, we could have cancelled but we are sticking with it.

Just because a port is open, doesn't mean it can accept the same # of ships either.

This was just posted on out roll call.....

"Just an FYI. I had a conversation with someone who just returned from Saint Thomas on a military deployment. He said the island is a mess, and is still flooding. The port is open, and the restaurants, beaches, and shops near the port are open. There is still an 8 PM curfew in effect. Much of the island is still without power. He was not surprised cruise ships are starting to return soon, but indicated the island is so far from ready."

I tend to agree with the OP that changes to cruises months away may have been jumping the gun. Then again, Im not an avid planner. I'm cruising the last week of February so I would have expected them to wait until early Jan to make changes. I'm not at all happy with the ports but I'm still very excited to be on the Escape from and will make the best of it.

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We are on that Jade sailing and I'm happy with the substitutions. It could have been a lot worse. Even so, if we sailed for 10 days to nowhere, I'd still be happy to be on the ship. I get being disappointed with the change and I was surprised they made changes so far out, but I think if they had waiting and then in Jan or Feb found out the islands couldn't accommodate them, it may be too late to get other good ports. I will certainly miss St. Thomas and St. Maarten, but as a pp stated, being "open" and being back to normal are two different things. The port area of St. Thomas may be open and I read they've worked really hard to get Magen's Bay up and running, but the entire ship can't go to one beach. The catamaran I had originally looked at booking in St. Maarten did not survive the storm. So how many of those boat, taxis, buses, and jitneys are flooded, turned over, or smashed into a hill. I don't think we can really know what it's like on those islands without being there or can do we know all of the logistics it takes NCL to reserve a port and make arrangements for excursions all within the timetable of the cruise length. Count me in the "happy to be going anywhere" camp.

HOWEVER. NCL were very quick to change the itinerary of many long booked cruises. More interesting......itineraries were altered for cruises not scheduled until March 2018.

 

For example the Jade 23rd March 2018 cruise has been so changed as to be unrecognisable.

I chose this cruise many months ago because of the itinerary. I did not chose to go to Grand Cayman or Bonaire, or Aruba. I have been before.

 

NCL declared "force majeure" and so avoided the cancellation possible if "significant change" is necessary to a cruise itinerary.

 

Deeko

I'm a little confused by your post. It sounds like you are booked in March 2018 and yet are speaking further down about not being able to cancel. If you are booked in March you are before final payment and therefore can cancel without penalty, if you are not happy with the new itinerary.

Sorry if I'm reading this post wrong.

The terrible hurricanes were devastating. We all have heartfelt sympathy for the many victims. Loss of life, loss of property and loss of income bring a heavy toll on people.

 

HOWEVER. NCL were very quick to change the itinerary of many long booked cruises. More interesting......itineraries were altered for cruises not scheduled until March 2018.

 

For example the Jade 23rd March 2018 cruise has been so changed as to be unrecognisable.

I chose this cruise many months ago because of the itinerary. I did not chose to go to Grand Cayman or Bonaire, or Aruba. I have been before.

 

I now read that a number of ports on the original itinerary are "open" for business.

 

Will NCL revert to those islands now "open"? they certainly deserve the business, and faithful clients deserve to go where they wer promised now that that seems to be possible.

 

NCL declared "force majeure" and so avoided the cancellation possible if "significant change" is necessary to a cruise itinerary.

 

I wonder if anyone knows of cruises, NCL or others, which have been altered and then as ports become "open" reverted to the original which no doubt many people deliberately chose when booking.

 

I recognise so many of the islands have been through a very bad time, however, if they are "open" lets go and visit them again.

 

What do others feel.

 

best wishes to all cruisers and islanders.

 

Deeko

Cancel. We are on Nov. 27 and all happened right after final payment. We will make the best of it but would never ever have booked this itinerary. Nothing wrong with ABC islands at all but we've been there twice....thus a lot of wasted $$$ and vacation time on our part as we travel for itinerary. There are similar itineraries to the nice one the Jade had available on other NCL ships which (in my opinion) got preferable altered itineraries. Had we kept St. Lucia and Barbados which were still available and had other islands added (like the Sun and Dawn had), it would have been a much better solution for me.

Cancel while you can and find an itinerary that meets your expectations.

Hi again. Thanks for all your very reasonable replies.

I do accept that "ports open" is very different to "all facilities available".

There is no prospect of "cancellation without penalty" I would only be able to use my deposit on another NCL sailing, not on another cruise line.

In any event I am booked, since April 2 2017 on a British Airways Club World ticket to arrive in Miami in time the Jade sailing.

I do accept that NCL may have been showing "foresight" in amending the itinerary so far out. However there seems to be little recompense for clients who find a radically altered cruise less than enticing.

Bonaire for example is not a place to dream of visiting!

I know the Jade well having cruised both in the Med and also the Caribbean on her. If I go I will enjoy the experience of course.

I'm not really a complainer I just feel a little boxed in by NCL policy. I did ask for some compensation, perhaps a Dinner in Cagneys? I f we give you that we'll have hundreds wanting it once you go on CC and tell what you got!!!

Nice.

I'm in a Suite and just back off the Haven in Epic and have 8 Cruise Next vouchers!!!

Mmm makes one think!!

Thanks again for all your wise thoughts.

Deeko

So, this was a weather problem. Not a NCL problem and you want a free dinner?

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Hi again. Thanks for all your very reasonable replies.

 

I do accept that "ports open" is very different to "all facilities available".

 

There is no prospect of "cancellation without penalty" I would only be able to use my deposit on another NCL sailing, not on another cruise line.

 

In any event I am booked, since April 2 2017 on a British Airways Club World ticket to arrive in Miami in time the Jade sailing.

I do accept that NCL may have been showing "foresight" in amending the itinerary so far out. However there seems to be little recompense for clients who find a radically altered cruise less than enticing.

 

Bonaire for example is not a place to dream of visiting!

 

I know the Jade well having cruised both in the Med and also the Caribbean on her. If I go I will enjoy the experience of course.

 

I'm not really a complainer I just feel a little boxed in by NCL policy. I did ask for some compensation, perhaps a Dinner in Cagneys? I f we give you that we'll have hundreds wanting it once you go on CC and tell what you got!!!

Nice.

I'm in a Suite and just back off the Haven in Epic and have 8 Cruise Next vouchers!!!

Mmm makes one think!!

 

Thanks again for all your wise thoughts.

 

Deeko

So you have 8 cruise next certificates that makes you think about using them?

This has been the hurricane season from hell for cruiselines, unprecedented to say the least.

Cruiselines are dealing with thousands of passengers, trying to do the best they can with fewer ports/ docking berths.

It's a NO WIN situation for anyone.

The terrible hurricanes were devastating. We all have heartfelt sympathy for the many victims. Loss of life, loss of property and loss of income bring a heavy toll on people.

 

HOWEVER. NCL were very quick to change the itinerary of many long booked cruises. More interesting......itineraries were altered for cruises not scheduled until March 2018.

 

For example the Jade 23rd March 2018 cruise has been so changed as to be unrecognisable.

I chose this cruise many months ago because of the itinerary. I did not chose to go to Grand Cayman or Bonaire, or Aruba. I have been before.

 

I wonder if anyone knows of cruises, NCL or others, which have been altered and then as ports become "open" reverted to the original which no doubt many people deliberately chose when booking.

 

I recognise so many of the islands have been through a very bad time, however, if they are "open" lets go and visit them again.

 

What do others feel.

 

Deeko

Deeko: You are well within your rights to ask the questions you are asking. But, as a passenger on the NCL BA cruise leaving Dec. 3rd, I can say with some confidence, they will not revert back. Have a read of our Roll-Call thread and you will see that many of us have called, written and posted our displeasure with a 100% wholesale change of our itinerary. In our collective opinion, NCL acted prematurely to take us from ports that saw no damage (St. Kitts & St. Johns) to western Caribbean ports many of us have absolutely no interest in visiting. Since they did this after the final payment cutoff, we are trapped in our cruise with no recourse and most are resigned to making the best of a bad situation. Sitting back and watching what the other leading lines have done, CCL and RCCL stand a much better chance of earning my future cruise business. So while NCL hides behind their standard statement that "the safety and security of our guests" is their top priority, I've reminded them that customer satisfaction is essential to repeat customers!

The terrible hurricanes were devastating. We all have heartfelt sympathy for the many victims. Loss of life, loss of property and loss of income bring a heavy toll on people.

 

 

 

HOWEVER. NCL were very quick to change the itinerary of many long booked cruises. More interesting......itineraries were altered for cruises not scheduled until March 2018.

 

 

 

For example the Jade 23rd March 2018 cruise has been so changed as to be unrecognisable.

 

I chose this cruise many months ago because of the itinerary. I did not chose to go to Grand Cayman or Bonaire, or Aruba. I have been before.

 

 

 

I now read that a number of ports on the original itinerary are "open" for business.

 

 

 

Will NCL revert to those islands now "open"? they certainly deserve the business, and faithful clients deserve to go where they wer promised now that that seems to be possible.

 

 

 

NCL declared "force majeure" and so avoided the cancellation possible if "significant change" is necessary to a cruise itinerary.

 

 

 

I wonder if anyone knows of cruises, NCL or others, which have been altered and then as ports become "open" reverted to the original which no doubt many people deliberately chose when booking.

 

 

 

I recognise so many of the islands have been through a very bad time, however, if they are "open" lets go and visit them again.

 

 

 

What do others feel.

 

 

 

best wishes to all cruisers and islanders.

 

 

 

Deeko

You are not close to final payment. You should probably cancel because you won’t be happy.

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"Bonaire for example is not a place to dream of visiting!"

There are plenty of people who would disagree with this statement, my husband the scuba diver for one.

I'm also on the "I don't care we we go" side. Our itinerary was completely changed after final payment. What am I gonna do, cry about it? The people of the Caribbean have a lot more to be upset about then me, for sure.

Hi again. Thanks for all your very reasonable replies.

 

I do accept that "ports open" is very different to "all facilities available".

 

There is no prospect of "cancellation without penalty" I would only be able to use my deposit on another NCL sailing, not on another cruise line.

 

In any event I am booked, since April 2 2017 on a British Airways Club World ticket to arrive in Miami in time the Jade sailing.

I do accept that NCL may have been showing "foresight" in amending the itinerary so far out. However there seems to be little recompense for clients who find a radically altered cruise less than enticing.

 

Bonaire for example is not a place to dream of visiting!

 

I know the Jade well having cruised both in the Med and also the Caribbean on her. If I go I will enjoy the experience of course.

 

I'm not really a complainer I just feel a little boxed in by NCL policy. I did ask for some compensation, perhaps a Dinner in Cagneys? I f we give you that we'll have hundreds wanting it once you go on CC and tell what you got!!!

Nice.

I'm in a Suite and just back off the Haven in Epic and have 8 Cruise Next vouchers!!!

Mmm makes one think!!

 

Thanks again for all your wise thoughts.

 

Deeko

Check out the itineraries for other NCL ships such as the Sun and Dawn and see if any of them work out with your schedule. You are indeed a faithful customer! Perhaps your person at NCL or your travel agent can help you find something that will work better for you since it appears cancelling is not an option.

Deeko: You are well within your rights to ask the questions you are asking. But, as a passenger on the NCL BA cruise leaving Dec. 3rd, I can say with some confidence, they will not revert back. Have a read of our Roll-Call thread and you will see that many of us have called, written and posted our displeasure with a 100% wholesale change of our itinerary. In our collective opinion, NCL acted prematurely to take us from ports that saw no damage (St. Kitts & St. Johns) to western Caribbean ports many of us have absolutely no interest in visiting. Since they did this after the final payment cutoff, we are trapped in our cruise with no recourse and most are resigned to making the best of a bad situation. Sitting back and watching what the other leading lines have done, CCL and RCCL stand a much better chance of earning my future cruise business. So while NCL hides behind their standard statement that "the safety and security of our guests" is their top priority, I've reminded them that customer satisfaction is essential to repeat customers!

RCCL and Carnival have both altered itineraries to these ports, as have smaller luxury cruise lines. The Eastern Caribbean is still a mess. What exactly do you want the cruise lines to do about it?

Passengers have decided they would prefer to pay a lower price and accept the risk of itinerary changes. If you want cruise lines to carry the risk (for example, allowing you to cancel should the itinerary completely change), then you would see significantly higher prices for cruises. This is where "cancel for any reason" trip insurance comes in handy. You may choose to purchase it or not, depending on what your needs are.

I just booked the Jade when I noticed the itinerary had changed to include the ABC's. The southern caribbean usually embarks from San Juan so this was a great surprise when I found it.

Different strokes for different folks.

A day on any ship is better than a day at the office.

I just booked the Jade when I noticed the itinerary had changed to include the ABC's. The southern caribbean usually embarks from San Juan so this was a great surprise when I found it.

Different strokes for different folks.

A day on any ship is better than a day at the office.

Not when you're retired, lol! You pick your trips and budget accordingly for $$$ and time. That is what is so frustrating about the Jade itinerary.....really undesirable for me and OP (yes others may love it and that's great) and something I'd never choose since we've been there twice before. Waste of $$$ big time that could have been spent on an itinerary we haven't done before.

We are on nov 11 Gem with a stop In St. Thomas. Yes the port might be open but I have a friend who has a house there and just returned home. She told me the island is still devistated. Not one working traffic light. Houses leveled. Boats still on the bottom of the water. Beaches literally gone! So again the port may be open but I’m not looking forward to seeing the devastation on the island.

Very sad situation for the residents of St Thomas and other affected island, but not one thing NCL or any other cruise line is responsible for. The Cruise Lines are doing their best to support the islands that have been devestated by the hurricanes but it's not up to them to rebuild the infastructure.. I hope the islands receive the help they need....

St. thomas used to take 6 sometimes 7 ships a day regularly. As others have stated, the port is open, but it sounds like probably only one of the docks. And if ships were to flood the island with so many passengers in a single day, I can only assume everyone would begin to complain that the cruise line ruined the vacation by going into a disaster area too soon and there was nothing available for them to do in an island that does not even have a full power grid yet.

OP trust the cruise lines are not trying to ruin your holiday. They are very well aware that repeat customers are where they make their money. Cut them some slack, they are trying to the best they can with far less options than they previously had.

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St. thomas used to take 6 sometimes 7 ships a day regularly. As others have stated, the port is open, but it sounds like probably only one of the docks. And if ships were to flood the island with so many passengers in a single day, I can only assume everyone would begin to complain that the cruise line ruined the vacation by going into a disaster area too soon and there was nothing available for them to do in an island that does not even have a full power grid yet.

 

OP trust the cruise lines are not trying to ruin your holiday. They are very well aware that repeat customers are where they make their money. Cut them some slack, they are trying to the best they can with far less options than they previously had.

 

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Well said, just imagine all the cruise lines attempting to accommodate all the ships they have finding places to please their passengers.... it must seem like an impossible task.... be kind and enjoy your cruise... even if you spend it on the ship... it's a vacation after all...

Well said, just imagine all the cruise lines attempting to accommodate all the ships they have finding places to please their passengers.... it must seem like an impossible task.... be kind and enjoy your cruise... even if you spend it on the ship... it's a vacation after all...

Hi all I did some leg work and I found the RC and other cruise lines are not docking the same time as our original intinerary. NCL should revert back to our original intinerary that is what we booked and paid for. There is no excuse sorry.

Hi all I did some leg work and I found the RC and other cruise lines are not docking the same time as our original intinerary. NCL should revert back to our original intinerary that is what we booked and paid for. There is no excuse sorry.

That's funny, look at the RCL boards and you'll see people complaining that they're sticking to the original itinerary. Commentary is along the lines of "these places are in shambles", "I don't want to visit a disaster area", "why on earth would they send me to a war zone", etc, etc. :confused:

The cruise lines can't make everyone happy. NCL has made the decision they think will work best for their guests, and that's that.