Athem going to Miami not CocoCay

[reallyitsmema]

7 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Still it's a positive thing.

 

Of course it is a positive thing, I didn't say it wasn't.😕

[alfaeric]

So the issue is the dock is REALLY close, but not close enough.  And one can also conclude that the tenders are no longer able to operate as well- as that's not a viable back up plan right now.

 

To me, that's really bad news for people in the next few weeks (including us, since we like Coco Cay), but really, really good news just after that.

[Arzeena]

11 hours ago, lulugirl68 said:

Such a bummer!  We are on the ship the next week, and would be really disappointed with a stop in Miami instead.

Also on the 3/23 cruise. I will be thoroughly disappointed too, but will make the most of what Miami has to offer. Will go have some Cuban food!😁

Edited March 8, 2019 by Arzeena

[Edhoff]

4 hours ago, cementhands said:

We feel your pain. We’ve been on a cruise or 2 when because of the weather entire itineraries were changed. Just before the cruise. This left little time for research of new ports. TripAdvisor helps.

However we have enjoyed the hop on hop off bus in Miami on 3 different occasions. It’s a great way to visit south beach and little Havana. The bus does a separate loop to both areas. We usually eat at the News cafe south beach where the designer Versace was killed. Clevelander is nice for drinks. The shopping center where you get the bus has a little Cuban cafe with real Cuban coffee and sandwich excellent next to the Polo shop. Miami can be fun! Coco Cay was a port we missed also a few years ago.

Wife just read your reply, made her feel better, THANK YOU

[leisuretraveler223]

Any port can be potentially nixed on any cruise at any port for a myriad of reasons.  As such, I would never consider any port a "given" until I set foot on the pier.

 

As for Miami, over the years, most times Cococay has been nixed, it's been another sea day.  I think a Miami day (especially with free shuttles to South Beach) would be an AWESOME alternative.  Want a beach? You're now on one of the nicest and most expansive anywhere.  Want to shop, eat, sightsee? All at your disposal.  Want to stay on board and enjoy the ship? You can do that too!

 

Honestly a cruise stop in Miami might be a really great way to see some of the city.  A lot more accessible from the cruise port than the airports!

[Edhoff]

Can hardly wait to see how long the shuttle lines will be.🚎

[ryano]

Honestly, I would be tickled with a stop in Miami and would rather do that instead of Coco Cay.  I have never been there.   Ive been to Coco Cay and Ive had Coco Cay cancelled before.    Wheelchairs and Coco Cay did not get along well.   Yeah, they have "beach wheelchairs" but when you dont have anyone to push you, they are worthless.     I will not be upset in the least if our Coco Cay stop in September is changed to Miami.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Of course it is a positive thing, I didn't say it wasn't.😕

If it seemed like I implied that, that wasn't my intent.

[Croozin Soozin]

1 hour ago, Arzeena said:

Also on the 3/23 cruise. I will be thoroughly disappointed too, but will make the most of what Miami has to offer. Will go have some Cuban food!😁

I’m on both - the 15th and 23rd. Was looking forward to Coco Cay, but I’ll get over it!  LOL. Just happy to be on the Anthem for 15 nights - solo!   It’s going to be nice getting away from the snow!

[JohnSpo]

22 hours ago, Edhoff said:

Can hardly wait to see how long the shuttle lines will be.🚎

Seeing how RCI purposely screwed up on missing Coco Cay, I don't have much faith they will effectively manage a ship full of passengers going to 2 locations by shuttle buses.  I hope they prove me wrong and the lines won't be too bad.  

[leisuretraveler223]

14 minutes ago, JohnSpo said:

Seeing how RCI purposely screwed up on missing Coco Cay.

 

I'm sorry you are way too cynical to enjoy life....

[JohnSpo]

45 minutes ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

I'm sorry you are way too cynical to enjoy life....

Well, this was not a surprise to RCI.  They should have arranged for a better cruise port change.  Miami is not an acceptable alternative especially since the prior port is Port Canaveral, another Florida port.  I don't think I am being overly cynical.  RCI made a calculated financial decision which has resulted in terrible customer service/satisfaction.  This is a forum and I am just discussing what RCI has done.  I have looked forward to this cruise for a long time and I still plan on enjoying this cruise and my life.

Edited March 9, 2019 by JohnSpo

[lizzy911]

I am on this cruise and there has been robust discussion in a group of 300+ who will be on this sailing. Overall,  everyone agrees that as described within the cruise contract, Royal CAN do this (caveat: EU citizens potentially have more protection as this was advertised as a Bahamas cruise).

 

However, two points also noted:

1) Mariner sailing received compensation for this same situation a few days before we dock. The claim by Royal Caribbean is this is because 50% of their ports will be missed. But for this sailing, 33% of the ports will be missed, so that is not incredibly convincing as an arguably to me. Arguably Grand Bahama Island (Mariner replacement port) is much better than Miami (note that Grand Bahama is not an option for our ship due to size), so the Mariner receiving a day's refund for their cruise is making people upset when we are facing the same situation.

2) Unlike a change due to weather, this change is Royal's "fault". They didn't properly account for pier and Perfect Day time overruns and now are scrambling to finish. Our sailing's docking at Coco Cay is collateral damage.

Because of #2, it is BAD BUSINESS to offer little in the way of compensation (a shuttle ride, cool). Can they do this, of course. But in the age of social media, we know about item #1 and that justifiably makes people upset. 

 

Also note - I personally am not particularly upset about the change. I love South Beach and don't have the drink package. I already have plans for Miami that I am more excited about than my Coco Cay plans.

 

The follow was suggested as fair compensation:

1) Refund a day of drink package for those who purchased (they planned on using on Coco Cay and cannot in Miami - of course CAN be used on the ship but that is not the same as at port)

2) Refund a day of Internet for those who purchased as we will be in the US an additional day

3) Token OBC ($25 a person?) to cover lunch at Miami (once again we COULD eat on board but this would be a nice offer of Royal Caribbean)

 

Of course being Cruise Critic people are focused on the contract language, could be worse, etc. That's fine for people to be that way. I understand. I have missed many ports due to weather and had itinerary changes due to hurricanes. I do think it would be in Royal's best interest to offer more, but if they don't oh well. It doesn't matter much to me but it does to others and Royal will have to make that calculation for themselves.

[Jasukkie]

Coco Cay gets missed all the time. People on this sailing have the advantage of knowing ahead of time. Miami is an awesome substitution. Miami Beach is beautiful, clean, and free. Chairs and shade for a fee. Great food and shopping. There's a free google maps walking tour of the art deco architecture that gives you the history behind the buildings. 

 

I would not wait around for a free ship's motor coach to Miami Beach if there was a line. Uber is quick and cheap. We did the North Star during sail away from Miami just after sunset, so beautiful!

 

An extra day in Nassau has been another option when Coco Cay has been unavailable, would people prefer that?

[LMaxwell]

Miami instead of CocoCay is a lousy substitute.  Royal provides a gorgeous beach day with meal versus being dropped at a commercial port in a hectic and overpriced city with nothing provided.  Actually they may run shuttles to Bayside Marketplace. 

 

Still.  Lousy replacement. 

[lizzy911]

I believe Nassau was not an option for this sailing because of the number of ships already there. Some would have preferred it; some (me) prefer Miami.

 

All of this misses that unlike a weather issue, this was Royal's fault. Which yes they are in their rights to make a change for whatever reason or no reason at all, but we have the right to be unhappy and wish they had a better alternative.

[orville99]

On ‎3‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 10:18 AM, alfaeric said:

So the issue is the dock is REALLY close, but not close enough.  And one can also conclude that the tenders are no longer able to operate as well- as that's not a viable back up plan right now.

 

To me, that's really bad news for people in the next few weeks (including us, since we like Coco Cay), but really, really good news just after that.

Based on all of the prior threads on this topic, my take is that the cruises next week were rerouted so they could hoist the footbridge into place, and since that process would consume the area where the tenders operate, there would be no way in or out, and no way to disembark passengers safely. I presume once the bridge is in place, the tenders will operate from the completed portion of the pier to shuttle pax between the ship and the beach. As for Mariner, the pictures look like she was just testing the positioning maneuvers and bollard fitness for proper docking.

[gerig]

On 3/8/2019 at 10:58 AM, leisuretraveler223 said:

Any port can be potentially nixed on any cruise at any port for a myriad of reasons.  As such, I would never consider any port a "given" until I set foot on the pier.

 

As for Miami, over the years, most times Cococay has been nixed, it's been another sea day.  I think a Miami day (especially with free shuttles to South Beach) would be an AWESOME alternative.  Want a beach? You're now on one of the nicest and most expansive anywhere.  Want to shop, eat, sightsee? All at your disposal.  Want to stay on board and enjoy the ship? You can do that too!

 

Honestly a cruise stop in Miami might be a really great way to see some of the city.  A lot more accessible from the cruise port than the airports!

I don''t mind ports being replaced due to mother nature but this issue is the fault of royal caribbean planners.  I paid for a bahama cruise and they are now providing a US cruise.  Adding insult to injury is the fact that the cruisers on Mariner of the Seas are receiving much more in compensation than the cruisers on Anthem.  What is fair practice for one cruise should hold true to another cruise.

[gerig]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Miami instead of CocoCay is a lousy substitute.  Royal provides a gorgeous beach day with meal versus being dropped at a commercial port in a hectic and overpriced city with nothing provided.  Actually they may run shuttles to Bayside Marketplace. 

 

Still.  Lousy replacement. 

I sure hope all the Anthem cruisers let Royal know they are not happy with their choice of a substitute port and their compensation of free shuttles which is insulting.

[leisuretraveler223]

4 minutes ago, gerig said:

I paid for a bahama cruise and they are now providing a US cruise. 

 

Going to Cococay and thinking you're 'experiencing the Bahamas' is like going to Epcot and thinking you've traveled the world! LOL!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

22 minutes ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

Going to Cococay and thinking you're 'experiencing the Bahamas' is like going to Epcot and thinking you've traveled the world! LOL!

Life's a Beach.

[gerig]

39 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Life's a Beach.

The itinerary was bahama cruise with 1 us port now it is 2 us ports and 1 bahama.  Coco cay beach has a totally different atmosphere than Miami beach.  The real point is royal royally screwed up the renovation of coco cay and the passengers shouldn't have to pay the price.  Anthem passengers should receive the same compensation as the mariner of the seas passengers.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

14 minutes ago, gerig said:

The itinerary was bahama cruise with 1 us port now it is 2 us ports and 1 bahama.  Coco cay beach has a totally different atmosphere than Miami beach.  The real point is royal royally screwed up the renovation of coco cay and the passengers shouldn't have to pay the price.  Anthem passengers should receive the same compensation as the mariner of the seas passengers.

I guess some of us see things a bit differently.

 

We see nothing "screwed up", rather, a non-surprise of construction delay at Coco Cay. 

 

Booking a cruise near a dry dock time or for a new destination opening is just as much as risk as booking during hurricane season - its a risk, with the potential for things to change. What's surprising is how people are "surprised".

 

Coco Cay's opening has been published as May 2019 (except for the South Shore Cabana area) for several months - their brochure from year end 2018 (2019-2020 seasons) had that date right on the front cover for months now.

 

So perhaps there's a lesson learned that folks should do their homework on potential schedule-change cruises. I can see if suddenly there's something changed at the last minute...but this doesn't fit that mold...it's a construction delay announced a while back...and avoidable knowing that Coco Cay might be subject to such a delay.

 

I sure wouldn't consider it a "screw up" by them. We intentionally didn't book until near year-end for this very end...practicing what we preach.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001

[gerig]

9 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

I guess some of us see things a bit differently.

 

We see nothing "screwed up", rather, a non-surprise of construction delay at Coco Cay. 

 

Booking a cruise near a dry dock time or for a new destination opening is just as much as risk as booking during hurricane season - its a risk, with the potential for things to change. What's surprising is how people are "surprised".

 

Coco Cay's opening has been published as May 2019 (except for the South Shore Cabana area) for several months - their brochure from year end 2018 (2019-2020 seasons) had that date right on the front cover for months now.

 

So perhaps there's a lesson learned that folks should do their homework on potential schedule-change cruises. I can see if suddenly there's something changed at the last minute...but this doesn't fit that mold...it's a construction delay announced a while back...and avoidable knowing that Coco Cay might be subject to such a delay.

 

I sure wouldn't consider it a "screw up" by them. We intentionally didn't book until near year-end for this very end...practicing what we preach.

 

 

I booked this cruise 18 months ago and at that point there was no coco cay renovation.  When they discussed a pier being built if you did your homework the pier was supposed to be completed in the fall of 2018 not spring of 2019.  Then it was to be completed December 2018.  At that point royal already had my money.  I am very seasoned cruiser and diamond plus member however when delays of construction are made which is not the fault of mother nature  but the general manager of the construction site who evidently didn't  project timing correctly.  There is no need to be so snippy.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

5 minutes ago, gerig said:

I booked this cruise 18 months ago...

 

...the pier was supposed to be completed in the fall of 2018 not spring of 2019.  Then it was to be completed December 2018.  At that point royal already had my money.  I am very seasoned cruiser and diamond plus member however when delays of construction are made which is not the fault of mother nature  but the general manager of the construction site who evidently didn't  project timing correctly.  There is no need to be so snippy.

Nobody's being snippy...but as a seasoned traveler...you would (should) know that construction jobs are commonly delayed...and you apparently booked within 6 months of the original completion date. Risk is risk.

Edited March 9, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001