Are you happier with the new overnight on the cruise you had booked?

[Oville]

Celebrity said they did a survey and asked people if they wanted an over night.

 

I don't know how the question was couched. If it was, "would you be happy to be on a Caribbean Island until 11 pm (like we were before the next day Island was cancelled for an over night after booking) and sail overnight to a close Island?

 

Or, their question could have been, would you prefer to overnight to allow passengers to party in the local bars to the small hours and give up an Island the next day"?.

 

I doubt either. Can we assume your choices are tongue in cheek?;)

Edited July 2, 2015 by Oville

[Cindy]

I did not like Cartagena at all. They kept wanting to split our family of 5 in to two taxis and we had been warned before by staff on the ship to avoid this at all cost. Took us 20 minutes to get a van taxi from the old town.

 

I bet that they got lots of phone calls complaining about this switch.

 

Its good to take lemons and make lemonade though and I do applaud you for that. Enjoy your cruise.

 

I'm not particularly concerned about taxis. We're touring with a guide who has an excellent reputation both on Trip Advisor and here on Cruise Critic. Part of the service we're paying for is pick up and drop off inside the port area, so all our transportation is included. That was one of the things I looked for, and was a reason I didn't consider some companies when I was doing my port research.

 

The U.S. State Dept. has warnings for their staff who might want to venture out of urban areas after dark in Cartagena.

 

I haven't checked warnings recently for Caribbean Islands but one is wise to check with their respective Foreign Affairs Dept. before travelling anywhere, to ensure loved ones are not put at risk.

 

Every year I seem to travel to places with warnings or alerts. I think people need to take reasonable precautions, stay with their tour guide if applicable, not stray from heavily populated attractions into rural areas or parts of town where crime is known to be a problem, etc.

 

I think I'm pretty cautious and I'm not going to put myself in a situation if I think there's a high risk of trouble. At the same time I'm not going to stay on a ship out of fear...in the last year alone I would have missed several wonderful experiences if I heeded every warning.

 

That's just my opinion...you're certainly entitled to yours, and I know from your posting history on this topic that you're vehemently opposed to the overnights -- so much so that you have a negative or dismissive comment for for any positive statements or suggestions.

 

I think the itinerary changes are final, at least for the cruises for which passengers have been contacted and new itineraries have been published. I suspect the planning and preparation for these itinerary changes was long and complicated. Celebrity is not going to just contact the port authorities and tell them they changed their mind!:rolleyes: Perhaps it's time for everyone to figure out how to make the best of their situation, whether they like Celebrity's decision or not. The alternative is to stay on the ship and complain about it, which doesn't sound like a very fun way to spend vacation!

[GottaKnowWhen]

I did not like Cartagena at all. They kept wanting to split our family of 5 in to two taxis and we had been warned before by staff on the ship to avoid this at all cost. Took us 20 minutes to get a van taxi from the old town.

 

I am always curious when I see this sort of post - I wonder what the rest of the story is. You say "they" wanted to split your family. Who is "they"? I am guessing it is a taxi dispatcher that recognized that 5 people plus driver is too many for a four-person car?

 

And, apart from maybe paying double fare, what would be the problem with going in two cabs? What had you been "warned" to "avoid at all costs"?

 

And you say it took 20 minutes to get a van taxi from the Old Town. I am assuming you were trying to return to port. My first visit to Cartagena will be this December, I've been reading up on the city; my impression is that the port is no more than a 15-20 minute walk from the Old Town. Is a cab even necessary? As I say, haven't been there, am just going by what I've read so far.

[Karysa]

I am always curious when I see this sort of post - I wonder what the rest of the story is. You say "they" wanted to split your family. Who is "they"? I am guessing it is a taxi dispatcher that recognized that 5 people plus driver is too many for a four-person car?

 

And, apart from maybe paying double fare, what would be the problem with going in two cabs? What had you been "warned" to "avoid at all costs"?

 

And you say it took 20 minutes to get a van taxi from the Old Town. I am assuming you were trying to return to port. My first visit to Cartagena will be this December, I've been reading up on the city; my impression is that the port is no more than a 15-20 minute walk from the Old Town. Is a cab even necessary? As I say, haven't been there, am just going by what I've read so far.

 

I suggest that you do MORE reading.;)

[milesfromu]

We agree the decision is final, and totally disagree with X's communication strategy about the itinerary changes. Whining does not help, nor does it change anything. We simply turned in the towel and canceled our Eclipse sailing, and we did not rebook either of the two Infinity sailings we had that were cancelled. The value of our options, including the revised Eclipse itinerary was not comparable to what we originally booked. In the end, we canceled four the the five sailings we had booked with X and are not likely to rebook again. Never thought we would say that six months ago, but it is what it is.

 

For everyone's benefit, I hope X does get the message and reconsider how it jockeys its loyalists around. Best of luck to all.

[wwcruisers]

We just off the Summit to Bermuda. Frankly, we really didn't like the three days in port. We too like the sail away, nights at sea, docking in a new port the next day. We're not one to venture out at night for what, to pay for a meal I've already paid for? To drink overpriced drinks we already have via the bev package? We like St. Marteen and have been there several times, including staying at resorts multiple times. We have rented cars and feel comfortable driving around the island. That said we wouldn't go out there at night.

 

The main question I have is why?

 

We've done that Summit itinerary twice, and loved the two overnights in Bermuda -- but, that's Bermuda. It's clean, safe, and has great public transportation. We had no trepidation at all about going into Hamilton for the Harbor Nights celebration, and taking the late ferry back to Dockyard.

 

That being said, we've been all over the Caribbean, and I can't think of many places that I would want to stay overnight.

[luv4cruises]

I was very upset when I recently checked my two future cruises on the Eclipse to see that my favorite snorkeling port, Bonaire,had been replaced with an overnight in Curaçao. Celebrity did not notify me of the change.

These two cruises will be my 4th and 5th cruises on the Eclipse, my once favorite southern Caribbean itinerary. I can't change my 2016 cruise, but will most likely switch to HAL's new Konigsdam in 2017 that has a wonderful itinerary including Half Moon Cay, my favorite private island, and Bonaire! The Royal Princess is a close second.

 

Sadly HAL and Princess only offer 10 day cruises! Bonaire is worth it for us!

 

We have been to the ABC islands many times and Curaçao is our least favorite!

 

Bring Back Bonaire!

Edited August 29, 2015 by luv4cruises
Typo

[riredsox]

I filled out a survey and said I wanted to overnight in port. We are overnighting in St Martin and this makes for a great day before hand with no worries of missing the ship going to the French side of the island. I can't wait. We are also overnighting in Cartigina next March, can't say much about that it will be my first time there but am looking forward to it! Like alot of people here I have been to many of the islands so anything new is good for me...

[luv4cruises]

Not only did Celebrity remove Bonaire from my two future Eclipse sailings, but has added a second day to Curaçao- offering as of today only 2 excursions on day 2 in the same boring port.

 

I am beyond upset for this bait and switch that Celebrity has pulled on so many guests who take itinerary seriously when they book a cruise.

 

Bonaire is unique in that it has the finest protected marine park in the Caribbean!

 

Instead on my 2016 and 2017 Eclipse cruises I get boring Curaçao for 2 days.

Just like with the Dynamic Dining on RCI- the management has made a drastic change with no customer input and no trial run!

 

RCI management needs some serious managerial training!

[mdcelebrity]

Not only did Celebrity remove Bonaire from my two future Eclipse sailings, but has added a second day to Curaçao- offering as of today only 2 excursions on day 2 in the same boring port.

 

I am beyond upset for this bait and switch that Celebrity has pulled on so many guests who take itinerary seriously when they book a cruise.

 

Bonaire is unique in that it has the finest protected marine park in the Caribbean!

 

Instead on my 2016 and 2017 Eclipse cruises I get boring Curaçao for 2 days.

Just like with the Dynamic Dining on RCI- the management has made a drastic change with no customer input and no trial run!

 

RCI management needs some serious managerial training!

 

We are also affected by the itinerary change (without notification) on the 2016 Eclipse journeys (7Feb2016 in our case). :mad:

We, too, are curious that X has made such a big deal of evenings but have really given NOTHING so far re. ShoreX that was not available with the original itinerary. The second day in Curacao: seriously, what's up with that?!

 

Also curious is--given the emphasis on "Evenings in the Caribbean"--that the ShoreX Web page does not display correctly when "Evenings" are selected from time of day check box.

 

Does anyone else think that this whole remove-a-port-and-pretend-it-is-for-customers'-benefit thing was rather rushed and poorly thought out? Interesting that Bonaire has been restored on some itineraries in 2017: too late for some of us who (for work/personal schedule as well as fiduciary reasons) cannot easily make other arrangements.

 

Is Celebrity listening???? At least fix the Web site and align your shore excursions with your STATED intentions. Sigh.

[tbmrt]

I think I'd enjoy overnighting at certain ports, but surely not in Curacao or ports that may be a bit dangerous when walking around at night.

 

Thankfully, we weren't affected by Celebrity's changing an itinerary after a cruise was already booked. I would definitely have been annoyed if Bonaire had been removed and a Curacao overnight substituted.

[mdcelebrity]

I think I'd enjoy overnighting at certain ports, but surely not in Curacao or ports that may be a bit dangerous when walking around at night.

 

Thankfully, we weren't affected by Celebrity's changing an itinerary after a cruise was already booked. I would definitely have been annoyed if Bonaire had been removed and a Curacao overnight substituted.

 

What is interesting about overnights on some Eclipse itineraries is that X already provided late departures in the ORIGINAL itinerary for two of the stops: Curacao, ironically (11PM departure) and Aruba (8PM departure), whilst still including the Bonaire stop. Thus, anyone who wanted an evening experience certainly already had that opportunity (sunset, dinner, walk-around) in Curacao and in Aruba one didn't have to rush back after an afternoon excursion and/or could experience the Aruban sunset.

 

So ... as things stand, at least for 2016, this is really appears to be just an X-money-grab, nothing more. An interesting discussion as to WHY Celebrity might go this route is in the post (in this forum): "From Celebrity's Eyes" (search for "eyes" in this forum) which describes possible motivation from the supplier; the responses show some of the effects on actual travelers.

[wwcruisers]

I think I'd enjoy overnighting at certain ports, but surely not in Curacao or ports that may be a bit dangerous when walking around at night.

 

I think you nailed it here. We have booked cruises, specifically to have a "floating hotel" in our favorite ports -- Bermuda and San Francisco come to mind. When X had to remove Wales from this spring's British Isles cruise, they replaced it with an overnight in Le Havre (Paris) -- not too shabby ;).

 

So, some of these overnights are clearly a very good idea. But, if I had port canceled -- and replaced with an overnight in the Caribbean, I might not be quite as thrilled.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Our sailing next year on the Equinox lost a port in favor of an overnight in St. Maarten.

 

My big question now is... have they made some type of arrangements with the local authorities to have their casino open in the evening? I know that ships staying late in Nassau regularly do this

 

Interestingly enough, we experienced this while overnighting in Key West on the Constellation a few years ago. Granted, those were exceptional circumstances, as we were unable to leave port due to high winds (could not pull away from the pier!) and were docked at the Navy pier. Nobody was allowed to leave the ship after our failed afternoon departure attempts, since there were no provisions to transport guests to town through the base in the evening. Around 7 pm they made an announcement that the casino was open.

 

I still wonder if they asked for some type of permission - or if they just made the call themselves!

 

Tom

Edited October 16, 2015 by Tom-n-Cheryl

[koolforkatz]

I was very upset when I recently checked my two future cruises on the Eclipse to see that my favorite snorkeling port, Bonaire,had been replaced with an overnight in Curaçao. Celebrity did not notify me of the change.

These two cruises will be my 4th and 5th cruises on the Eclipse, my once favorite southern Caribbean itinerary. I can't change my 2016 cruise, but will most likely switch to HAL's new Konigsdam in 2017 that has a wonderful itinerary including Half Moon Cay, my favorite private island, and Bonaire! The Royal Princess is a close second.

 

Sadly HAL and Princess only offer 10 day cruises! Bonaire is worth it for us!

 

We have been to the ABC islands many times and Curaçao is our least favorite!

 

Bring Back Bonaire!

 

Royal Caribbean also has 10 and 11 day Caribbean cruises now. We booked the one that includes Tortola. One if our fav ports.

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited October 17, 2015 by koolforkatz

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Our sailing next year on the Equinox lost a port in favor of an overnight in St. Maarten.

 

My big question now is... have they made some type of arrangements with the local authorities to have their casino open in the evening? I know that ships staying late in Nassau regularly do this

 

...

 

Tom

 

Onobard the Eq now and, sorry Tom, the answer to your question is NO... :(

 

At the Connections party the HD did state that "we listen to you guys" and said "for example, we've added overnight ports to some itineraries". I suppose that if this is stated often enough, they'll actually start believing the company line !!

 

Tom

Edited March 10, 2016 by Tom-n-Cheryl

[K.T.B.]

Onobard the Eq now and, sorry Tom, the answer to your question is NO... :(

 

At the Connections party the HD did state that "we listen to you guys" and said "for example, we've added overnight ports to some itineraries". I suppose that if this is stated often enough, they'll actually start believing the company line !!

 

Tom

 

So was the overnight stay worth it then?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

So was the overnight stay worth it then?

 

St. Maarten is within view now. So I can't honestly answer that question yet. But my gut feeling is a resounding no...

 

I prefer "normal" evening shipboard activities (shows and casino). I'm not an "out on the town" evening club/bar person, which I'd suspect is the main draw for people here... and, looking at the average age of guests on this sailing (easily 70+), I don't see many of them taking in the St. Maarten nightlife - but I could be wrong!

 

Tom

[Cruise Raider]

An overnight in San Francisco, YES!

An overnight in Cartagena and canceling Belize, a resounding NO!!

[Fouremco]

Our overnight will be Barbados on Easter Sunday/Monday, in exchange for which we lose the originally scheduled stop in Grenada. Hard to see how Celebrity views this as a plus, particularly as many tourist attractions close down for Easter. For example, the very popular Harrison's Cave "is closed to the public on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 1st Monday in August (Kadooment Day) and Christmas day"

(website and confirmed by email), yet Celebrity seems unaware of the closure as it continues to offer a shore excursion for Easter Sunday.

 

Barbados is on many cruise itineraries, but Grenada far fewer, so we were looking forward to visiting for only our second time. We will make the best of our time in Barbados, but remain miffed that Celebrity arbitrarily made the change well after we had booked.

[jagoffee]

Onobard the Eq now and, sorry Tom, the answer to your question is NO... :(

 

At the Connections party the HD did state that "we listen to you guys" and said "for example, we've added overnight ports to some itineraries". I suppose that if this is stated often enough, they'll actually start believing the company line !!

 

Tom

 

Must vary by port. I am fairly certain that on our overnight stay in Curaco the casino was open at night. I thought it was a nice addition. No worry about getting back to the ship on time on day one.

 

From what I can tell Celebrity is having no trouble booking the new cruises with the overnight stays. There are plenty of cruises on Celebrity and other cruiselines that do not include overnight stays. Once the implementation challenges are behind us I think it will work out.

Edited March 10, 2016 by jagoffee

[hcat]

Overnight in Cozumel... one day there is more than enough.

 

Overnight in Aruba, losing full day in Belize....we won't even get off the first night as we arrive at 2 pm Halloween ..

 

.most overnights do not yield 2 full port days...seems folks book because they like the ships and itins, but most overnights are not a big draw...at least not for us,,,the evening excursions are not very exciting...and could be enjoyed with an 11 pm sailaway!

[Ozzmund]

The only plus for our overnight in Cozumel is that it gives us more time to take a trip to Tulum. Won't have to worry about missing the ship unless we get really lost.