What Ever Happened to Royal Homeporting in Barbados?

[OceansOfTravels]

I remember a while ago reading about Royal building a port area in Barbados that could dock an Oasis Class ship, and that could be a possibly homeport for other cruise ships. Did they ever go through with these plans? If so, how far are they on this process?

[Kamloops50]

I remember a while ago reading about Royal building a port area in Barbados that could dock an Oasis Class ship, and that could be a possibly homeport for other cruise ships. Did they ever go through with these plans? If so, how far are they on this process?

 

The cost of getting to Barbados is probably prohibitive. To home port the country & harbor must the infrastructure for deal with the ships. Especially with a ship the size of Oasis.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Kamloops50

[OceansOfTravels]

The cost of getting to Barbados is probably prohibitive. To home port the country & harbor must the infrastructure for deal with the ships. Especially with a ship the size of Oasis.

 

I thought I read about them splitting it like they do with carnival, where part of the ship boards in San Juan and another part in Barbados. I think the new facility was meant to be capable of an Oasis call, and a homeport for a smaller ship.

[RSLeesburg]

I also remember reading about this new port area in Barbados. Here was one article.

 

https://journals.tdl.org/icce/index.php/icce/article/download/7524/pdf_989

 

 

 

 

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[OceansOfTravels]

I would love to see one-way cruises, like Miami or Lauderdale to Barbados, then Barbados to Miami or Lauderdale. Even from ports like Bayonne, one-way cruises ending in a hotter, destination stop would be so nice. The cruise could always be prefaced/ended with a resort stay! :)

[crosby99]

I would love to see this happen. Getting to San Juan from the U.K. is a nightmare. Barbados is much easier and makes the Souther Caribbean much more accessible.

Can't see it being Oasis though.....Can you imagine it visiting Tortola?

[OceansOfTravels]

I would love to see this happen. Getting to San Juan from the U.K. is a nightmare. Barbados is much easier and makes the Souther Caribbean much more accessible.

Can't see it being Oasis though.....Can you imagine it visiting Tortola?

 

Yeah, I never thought it would be Oasis. I thought maybe they would split Jewel between San Juan and Barbados, or maybe homeport a ship like the Vision there for a small part of the year. Or one way cruises from Florida or up north like I mentioned earlier. I would love to board the Grandeur in snowy and cold Baltimore in February and take a 10 night cruise down, and disembark in a Caribbean island to stay for some time. That way, the fun and relaxation doesn't stop when I get off the ship! :D

[WpgCruise]

Barbados is a home port for several cruise lines.

Carnival, P&O, TUI, Star, Sea Dream, Windstar all home port ships from there.

 

Charter flights from the U.K., for P&O cruises, ground transfer direct from aircraft to ship, no Customs/Immigration is a significant drawing point for many U.K. travellers as are no port calls in U.S. territories.

[OceansOfTravels]

Barbados is a home port for several cruise lines.

Carnival, P&O, TUI, Star, Sea Dream, Windstar all home port ships from there.

 

Charter flights from the U.K., for P&O cruises, ground transfer direct from aircraft to ship, no Customs/Immigration is a significant drawing point for many U.K. travellers as are no port calls in U.S. territories.

 

Would an Americans getting off Serenade or some ship need to go through customs if they cruised from Barbados? Would a day call at San Juan or St.Thomas on a cruise from Barbados warrant Customs when entering either of these ports? What is procedure when returning to Barbados after a cruise?

 

I am interested.

[kwazi07]

I would love to see one-way cruises, like Miami or Lauderdale to Barbados, then Barbados to Miami or Lauderdale. Even from ports like Bayonne, one-way cruises ending in a hotter, destination stop would be so nice. The cruise could always be prefaced/ended with a resort stay! :)

I'd LOVE this. I live in Florida so it would be reasonable to fly down and cruise back. Then you only have to pay for flights one way vs two like you do with San Juan.

 

And that resort say before or after sounds heavenly 😇

 

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[WpgCruise]

Would an Americans getting off Serenade or some ship need to go through customs if they cruised from Barbados? Would a day call at San Juan or St.Thomas on a cruise from Barbados warrant Customs when entering either of these ports? What is procedure when returning to Barbados after a cruise?

 

I am interested.

 

All I could offer would be an opinion, as I have never cruised from Barbados as a embarkation/dis embarkation point. I would suggest for the correct answer you might post the question on a Roll Call for cruises which home port there.

 

As to why the popularity of Barbados as a home port for P&O, I can offer this observation from which I draw a conclusion.

 

Many years ago we were on a Princess cruise which began in San Juan. The passenger load was mixed as is normal on Princess, with a large compliment of Brits. The cruise took in several Caribbean islands, and one stop was St.Thomas. The ship had to clear U.S. Immigration, and what a miserable process it was. U.S. Immigration sent a couple of officers to the ship, they set up in the theatre and everyone had to present themselves. It took hours, and the Brits on board were not happy. One thing about Brits as a rule, if they are not happy, they are not shy about expressing their thoughts.

 

Shortly afterwards P&O home ported a ship in Barbados, they fly charters from the U.K., the ships don't call on any U.S. territories, there are no Customs/Immigration procedures as passengers are bussed from the aircraft to the ship, and back again after the cruise.

 

I understand now P&O home ports several ships in the Barbados in the season, using this process.

 

We've priced the cruises a couple of times, the ones we considered are at the high end, but are 14 days, and some day we may well take one just for the change.

 

The lessons I took from this, was there are lots of options when it comes to cruising.

1) Not all ships leave or call on U.S. ports. Those that don't often have interesting itineraries

 

2) If government regulations/inspections become too onerous the cruise lines will simply develop alternatives. It certainly works for P&O.

[OceansOfTravels]

All I could offer would be an opinion, as I have never cruised from Barbados as a embarkation/dis embarkation point. I would suggest for the correct answer you might post the question on a Roll Call for cruises which home port there.

 

As to why the popularity of Barbados as a home port for P&O, I can offer this observation from which I draw a conclusion.

 

Many years ago we were on a Princess cruise which began in San Juan. The passenger load was mixed as is normal on Princess, with a large compliment of Brits. The cruise took in several Caribbean islands, and one stop was St.Thomas. The ship had to clear U.S. Immigration, and what a miserable process it was. U.S. Immigration sent a couple of officers to the ship, they set up in the theatre and everyone had to present themselves. It took hours, and the Brits on board were not happy. One thing about Brits as a rule, if they are not happy, they are not shy about expressing their thoughts.

 

Shortly afterwards P&O home ported a ship in Barbados, they fly charters from the U.K., the ships don't call on any U.S. territories, there are no Customs/Immigration procedures as passengers are bussed from the aircraft to the ship, and back again after the cruise.

 

I understand now P&O home ports several ships in the Barbados in the season, using this process.

 

We've priced the cruises a couple of times, the ones we considered are at the high end, but are 14 days, and some day we may well take one just for the change.

 

The lessons I took from this, was there are lots of options when it comes to cruising.

1) Not all ships leave or call on U.S. ports. Those that don't often have interesting itineraries

 

2) If government regulations/inspections become too onerous the cruise lines will simply develop alternatives. It certainly works for P&O.

 

Wow, thank you for your insight. I knew about P&O having a huge presence in Barbados, as do many European lines (Like Thomson/TUI and Fred. Olsen) but I never knew they started in San Juan.

 

But I understand about the Brits, last month I stayed in an all-inclusive in the La Romana area and a lot of Brits came through Thomson. And yes, when things got a little off-key, I even heard complaining about the sun being too hot, they surely made it known. But with that being said, I also met some great Brits that I have actually still kept in touch with.

 

But you have me thinking. I wonder why a ship coming from many Caribbean islands and stopping in St.Thomas must clear US Immigration, but I have been on cruises that went from the Dominican Republic to St.Thomas overnight and it was not needed. But then again, the Enchantment and Empress had have to go through immigration in Key West when they come from the Bahamas/Cayman Islands (I luckily did not do this due to a weather-related itinerary adjustment that changed our port order and put Key West first).

 

It is surely weird how they do CBP, but it is all for our safety, so I don't complain :rolleyes:

[crosby99]

Would an Americans getting off Serenade or some ship need to go through customs if they cruised from Barbados? Would a day call at San Juan or St.Thomas on a cruise from Barbados warrant Customs when entering either of these ports? What is procedure when returning to Barbados after a cruise?

 

I am interested.

 

Years ago I went on a cruise from U.K. starting in Dominican Republic. We stopped at US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico prior to first stop US Immigration came on the ship and we had to go through immigration on board the ship.

The world was a lot safer place back then(or at least it seemed) so rules have probably changed

[crosby99]

I would love to see this happen. Getting to San Juan from the U.K. is a nightmare. Barbados is much easier and makes the Souther Caribbean much more accessible.

Can't see it being Oasis though.....Can you imagine it visiting Tortola?

 

Well I have gone for it and I am going to get to San Juan in April...looking forward to it...just the travel is a bit of a nightmare.

[OceansOfTravels]

Well I have gone for it and I am going to get to San Juan in April...looking forward to it...just the travel is a bit of a nightmare.

 

I would imagine. I know Norwegian Air Shuttle offers nonstop flights from Gatwick to San Juan on a Boeing 787, but I'm not sure if you've booked your airfare yet.

[kwazi07]

If one way cruises were to happen (FL to Barbados or vice versa), cruisers would need passports. I'm not sure how many people use birth certificates or other form of ID instead of a passport, but I've always used a passport.

 

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[DallasGuy75219]

Would an Americans getting off Serenade or some ship need to go through customs if they cruised from Barbados? Would a day call at San Juan or St.Thomas on a cruise from Barbados warrant Customs when entering either of these ports? What is procedure when returning to Barbados after a cruise?

 

I am interested.

 

Yes, on Carnival's itineraries that embark both in San Juan and Barbados, everyone who embarked in Barbados is required to get off the ship and clear U.S. customs in San Juan, which is the first U.S. port after Barbados.

[crosby99]

I would imagine. I know Norwegian Air Shuttle offers nonstop flights from Gatwick to San Juan on a Boeing 787, but I'm not sure if you've booked your airfare yet.

 

Norwegian are seasonal...stop sometime March so just miss...school holidays dictate.

 

Got airfare directly through Royal Caribbean...I know we Brits complain about price of cruises in U.K. but Royal Caribbean were almost £1000 cheaper for the 4 of to fly than booking elsewhere...plus only had to pay a £300 deposit....they are usually very competitive with their air fares