What's with the new overnights?

[Essiesmom]

The ports that will have ON will be Cartagena, Curacao, Aruba, St. Maarten, Barbados, and Cozumel. but don't know dates. EM

[hcat]

Our 9/10 day ABC Island itin on Infinty for 10/17/16, is listed with an overnight in Curacao....we were very excited about this....now no new bookings are being accepted and no info is given about whether it is on hold for a charter or will return......hoping it will return

 

there's an alt itin still open for booking with an overnight in Aruba but not as interested in that one...but it is there if anyone else is looking!

[gryffin123]

We are booked on the Equinox in March 2016 and I am excited about the new overnight! We booked a 2017 Summit itinerary a few months ago because of the overnight stay in Aruba!

[MVPinBoynton]

We just got a notice that our Jan 8, 2017 Eclipse itinerary added an overnight in Curacao and took away our Antigua stop. Since we were already in Curacao until 11:00 PM, we were almost there overnight anyway. Having never been to Antigua, I am a bit disappointed; but I am sure there is plenty to do in Curacao for an extra day.

[Can'tstopcruising]

When they do overnights, I hope they bring in local folkloric shows. That would be great. They did that in Hawaii and St. Petersburg.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Can'tstopcruising

[WEGL81]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea? My March 2016 Equinox 10 day southern Caribbean dropped Dominica in favor of an overnight in St Maarten. Dominica is one of the reasons I booked that cruise. I've been to St Maarten 3 times and can't fathom what I'm going to do sitting there for another day (other than sit on the ship, I guess). Plus, their reasoning is that they got such great feedback from the overnights on European cruises, Well, duh, who wouldn't want to stay an extra day in a European port? They've had hundreds of years to build up cultural and archeological history that you just can't see in an 8 hour stop. Plus, stopping at one port in Europe for more than a day gives you access to points in Europe farther than the port, so you can plan a long excursion to a place not normally accessible during a normal port stop. On a Caribbean island, none of those apply. You're still on an island and they are geared towards beach activities and short excursions. So what, now I'm going to tour twice around St Maarten and hang out for 4 hours on the same beach I would've spent an hour and a half on before? And now I should spend 3 hours in Diamonds International instead of 5 minutes? Ok, that last one was a joke. You get my point, though. European cities have much more to do at night than Caribbean islands. Think about what this does to each area as well in terms of having to upgrade the infrastructure to account for hundreds or thousands of tourists now wandering around at night when normally the ports close down after the ships leave. And is anyone really going to want to be walking around a Caribbean island at 1 AM? Heck, I hardly feel safe walking around some of them in the middle of the day. I hope I read more about the positive side of this change, but right now I am not a happy cruiser.

[macaroni]

I agree...I don't want an overnight and lose a port....what do you really need to do on an island at night that you can't do on a ship....Europe is different....you can sightsee later and not rush back. I hope my itinerary does not change.

[Cindy]

I called Celebrity this morning and had them send me a copy of my booking summary showing the new itinerary. It appears that all longer (10+ days) Caribbean itineraries starting in January will now have the overnight. On the Equinox 11-Night, they dropped Belize/Costa Maya, and added an overnight in Cartagena.

[holech]

I agree with WEGL81. Europe is totally different than a Caribbean port. Safety is my primary concern in the Caribbean. My other concerns: are the cruise lines paying more in port charges to stay longer and will these costs be passed on to us; it will certainly save the cruise lines on fuel since they won't be going in circles to reach the next port only a few hours away; as I understand it, the AC isn't as effective while we're idle in port and is more efficient when we're moving, sometimes the cabins are too warm for my tastes while in port; I love watching the ports as we sail away (nighttime won't allow this as well); how late are we departing each port (times aren't listed yet) as my wife falls asleep better as the ship is moving. These are my initial thoughts. Waiting to read more from my fellow cruisers.

[TLCOhio]

My March 2016 Equinox 10 day southern Caribbean dropped Dominica in favor of an overnight in St Maarten. Dominica is one of the reasons I booked that cruise.

 

Although much on this thread is about the Caribbean, I did want to give a strong shout-out to an overnight "adventure" that we did a year ago while on the Celebrity Solstice for Australia and New Zealand. It was an overnight that stayed in NZ's Queenstown (the crazy capital of the world where bungee jumping was invented 26 years ago). Loved it!! This allowed us two days to see and explore these scenic and very interesting interior areas of NZ's famed South Island as the ship sailed around the southern part of this country. This excursion was not cheap, but it allowed us to see and do much in a time-efficent manner. About 8% of those on our ship did this tour and most seemed very happy with this option. Details and lots of pictures for this excursion and other aspects for "down under" can be seen on my live/blog that is connected below.

 

On Dominica, we were there earlier this year and this island proved to be one of our super, top favorites. Compared to the somewhat and predictable "same old, same old" of an overdeveloped St. Maartins, Dominica had more character, charm, history, etc. We were luck to be there when their Carnival was going on, plus we enjoyed a wild time of riding the tubes on a scenic river area of Dominica. Below are three of my Dominica visual examples to prove its worth from our experiences. Called the "Nature Island", dominica measures 29 miles long by 16 miles wide and encompasses about 290 square miles of untamed rain forest; dense, lush vegetation; waterfalls; freshwater pools and bubbling hot springs, heated by the active underwater volcanoes surrounding the island. Much of the interior can only be reached on foot. Producers selected Dominica as a backdrop for two sequels in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. As you drive the coastline on roads hacked out of the mountainside, jagged edges plunge into the ocean, while mango trees and ginger root cascade down into the sea.

 

Trade-offs?? More islands visited . . . versus . . . a better in-depth experience for the locations visiting? That's the question!! From our visits to a number of locations in the Caribbean earlier this year (as detailed in my live/blog below), it is a personal choice. BUT, we personally like more of the different and unique!! Glad we had more time in Barbados, as an example. Glad that Celebrity is offering more choice and options. We did visit all three of the ABC island, including Bonaire. It was nice to have visited each of these islands, but not sure that we would want to go back to all three, again.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 108,313 views for this posting.

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 22,938 views for these postings.

 

 

After being on very dry and river-less islands in the Dutch ABC's, we got to enjoy river fun in Dominica. Had a Nikon water and shock-proof camera model that worked very well . . . and survived. I was the first to tumble out of my yellow tube and get stranded in this wild and rocky river. For the sixteen of us, there were four very agile staff members to help us, keep us from serious injury, etc. Yes, we needed these protective helmets and vests.:

 

 

 

Here are two of my photo samples from Dominica's wonderful Carnival parade and celebration yesterday. One of the super big pluses was having it done and twisting in and around their old, historic area of their downtown. So much unique history to bring back there from the "old days" feel that was apart of this island's past.:

 

 

 

[davekathy]

Hi Siora,

 

Just as an FYI, Azamara has been doing overnights for some time, so it's not a new idea. I'm fairly certain other cruise lines have overnights as well.

 

RCCL does overnights on their West Coast sailings. San Francisco is an overnight.

[chamima]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea? My March 2016 Equinox 10 day southern Caribbean dropped Dominica in favor of an overnight in St Maarten. Dominica is one of the reasons I booked that cruise. I've been to St Maarten 3 times and can't fathom what I'm going to do sitting there for another day (other than sit on the ship, I guess). Plus, their reasoning is that they got such great feedback from the overnights on European cruises, Well, duh, who wouldn't want to stay an extra day in a European port? They've had hundreds of years to build up cultural and archeological history that you just can't see in an 8 hour stop. Plus, stopping at one port in Europe for more than a day gives you access to points in Europe farther than the port, so you can plan a long excursion to a place not normally accessible during a normal port stop. On a Caribbean island, none of those apply. You're still on an island and they are geared towards beach activities and short excursions. So what, now I'm going to tour twice around St Maarten and hang out for 4 hours on the same beach I would've spent an hour and a half on before? And now I should spend 3 hours in Diamonds International instead of 5 minutes? Ok, that last one was a joke. You get my point, though. European cities have much more to do at night than Caribbean islands. Think about what this does to each area as well in terms of having to upgrade the infrastructure to account for hundreds or thousands of tourists now wandering around at night when normally the ports close down after the ships leave. And is anyone really going to want to be walking around a Caribbean island at 1 AM? Heck, I hardly feel safe walking around some of them in the middle of the day. I hope I read more about the positive side of this change, but right now I am not a happy cruiser.

 

I agree...I don't want an overnight and lose a port....what do you really need to do on an island at night that you can't do on a ship....Europe is different....you can sightsee later and not rush back. I hope my itinerary does not change.

 

 

 

I agree! :(

We just got an email from our TA that our Feb. 5, 2017 cruise has dropped Antigua (which we love) for an overnight in Aruba (which bores us).

Glad it's for 2017 so I have time to find something else.

Dear Travel Partner,

 

Please be advised the Celebrity Eclipse 14 Night Exotic Southern Caribbean itinerary has been modified as detailed below.

 

14 Night Exotic Southern Caribbean Voyage: February 5, 2017

 

The call into St. Johns, Antigua has been replaced with an additional day into Oranjestad, Aruba.

 

The vessel will now leave Aruba on Saturday at 5:00 PM.

 

The call into Bridgetown, Barbados has shifted to call on Tuesday, February 14, 2017.

 

The call will be from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

 

The call into Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis has shifted from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM to 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

 

These changes are being made at the request of the CEL Executive Committee.

 

 

And WHAT does that last sentence even mean? :confused:

[Azulann]

I love overnights no matter what the itinerary is for the particular sailing.

One can do a later afternoon excursion or have dinner on shore etc in early evening.

[Junebug1]

Am I the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea? My March 2016 Equinox 10 day southern Caribbean dropped Dominica in favor of an overnight in St Maarten. Dominica is one of the reasons I booked that cruise. I've been to St Maarten 3 times and can't fathom what I'm going to do sitting there for another day (other than sit on the ship, I guess). Plus, their reasoning is that they got such great feedback from the overnights on European cruises, Well, duh, who wouldn't want to stay an extra day in a European port? They've had hundreds of years to build up cultural and archeological history that you just can't see in an 8 hour stop. Plus, stopping at one port in Europe for more than a day gives you access to points in Europe farther than the port, so you can plan a long excursion to a place not normally accessible during a normal port stop. On a Caribbean island, none of those apply. You're still on an island and they are geared towards beach activities and short excursions. So what, now I'm going to tour twice around St Maarten and hang out for 4 hours on the same beach I would've spent an hour and a half on before? And now I should spend 3 hours in Diamonds International instead of 5 minutes? Ok, that last one was a joke. You get my point, though. European cities have much more to do at night than Caribbean islands. Think about what this does to each area as well in terms of having to upgrade the infrastructure to account for hundreds or thousands of tourists now wandering around at night when normally the ports close down after the ships leave. And is anyone really going to want to be walking around a Caribbean island at 1 AM? Heck, I hardly feel safe walking around some of them in the middle of the day. I hope I read more about the positive side of this change, but right now I am not a happy cruiser.

 

I agree! Europe, yes to overnights. We like our sea days & waking up in the morning some where new. I'll go to an all-inclusive if I want to stay overnight.

[chamima]

Here is the email:

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

So now they've messed up our 2016 cruise as well.

Goodbye beautiful snorkeling in Bonaire. :(

 

Not sure what to do for a second day in Curacao (maybe we can get a ferry to Bonaire) and what is there to do on a Sunday night in Barbados? :(

Edited May 21, 2015 by chamima

[MVPinBoynton]

So now they've messed up our 2016 cruise as well.

Goodbye beautiful snorkeling in Bonaire. :(

 

Not sure what to do for a second day in Curacao (maybe we can get a ferry to Bonaire) and what is there to do on a Sunday night in Barbados? :(

 

Go to dinner in the main dining room. :D

[Cindy]

I finally got an e-mail (two actually) from Celebrity advertising the new itineraries. When I "click here to see itinerary" it takes me to the old one. Sigh...SMH at Celebrity's IT department.:rolleyes:

 

I still haven't gotten any direct communication concerning my booking.:( If it wasn't for Cruise Critic and Facebook I'd be blissfully unaware that my itinerary had changed and I needed to contact tour providers.

[chamima]

It's going to be interesting.

Twice when we were supposed to dock in Curacao we couldn't because it was too windy.

Can anyone say 3 sea days in the middle of a 14 day cruise.

[Calebo]

I called Celebrity this morning and had them send me a copy of my booking summary showing the new itinerary. It appears that all longer (10+ days) Caribbean itineraries starting in January will now have the overnight. On the Equinox 11-Night, they dropped Belize/Costa Maya, and added an overnight in Cartagena.

 

 

I also talked to Celebrity this morning, and was told that we will still stop at Belize, so who knows for sure !!

[hcat]

So now they've messed up our 2016 cruise as well.

Goodbye beautiful snorkeling in Bonaire. :(

 

Not sure what to do for a second day in Curacao (maybe we can get a ferry to Bonaire) and what is there to do on a Sunday night in Barbados? :(

 

Wow...that's an awful switch....if ourABC Island itinerary itin drops Bonaire we'll cancel....unless they cancel us first....this is whacky,.,.we have 3 booked cruises into 2017 to now look into for itin changes...and have to use the awful website to do it!

[cle-guy]

These cruises are a year away...give them some time to get the communications out.

 

These things always hit the news first then the mechanics of it follow.

[WEGL81]

These cruises are a year away...give them some time to get the communications out.

 

 

 

These things always hit the news first then the mechanics of it follow.

 

 

Dangit. Stop with the common sense. I want to know NOW :)

 

Actually, the worst thing to me is that if I do cancel or move the reservation to another cruise that goes where I want to go instead of where they want to send me, I will lose the onboard booking perks I received.

[chamima]

Wow...that's an awful switch....if ourABC Island itinerary itin drops Bonaire we'll cancel....unless they cancel us first....this is whacky,.,.we have 3 booked cruises into 2017 to now look into for itin changes...and have to use the awful website to do it!

 

I'm going to check into getting a ferry from Curacao to Bonaire.

[waterbug123]

I like the way you think. Celebrity should be advising us effected by this change.

 

I agree, but somewhere in the fine print of the T&C it states that ports are subject to change at any time. So if there's a port that is on your "must see" list, perhaps consider a land-based vacation there.

 

Am I the only one that thinks this is a terrible idea? My March 2016 Equinox 10 day southern Caribbean dropped Dominica in favor of an overnight in St Maarten. Dominica is one of the reasons I booked that cruise. I've been to St Maarten 3 times and can't fathom what I'm going to do sitting there for another day........

 

And is anyone really going to want to be walking around a Caribbean island at 1 AM?

 

Re: Dominica vs. St. Maarten...For every person who prefers port A to port B, there is probably someone else who prefers port B to port A.

 

As for walking around at 1am, I doubt there are many cruise ship passengers walking around town at 1am anywhere. I think the benefit of an overnight is not so that you can actually be out and about in the middle of the night, but rather so that you can do longer excursions that might run into the evening, enjoy dinner ashore and that type thing.

 

Best advice for anyone who isn't happy with a change to their itinerary is to vote with their dollars and cancel the cruise if the change is that big of a deal.

[helen haywood]

I got an email from my TA today that my April 4, 2016 Equinox 11 night sailing would be dropping Belize and overnighting in Columbia.