Missed ports?

[Vitamin Sea Addict]

I've seen reports that several upcoming itineraries are canceling Bonaire and/or Bonaire & Curacao stops. While I'm not worried about my ABC cruise this summer, I've seen a lot of people who are asking for more info and trying to get insight from Carnival about why the sudden change (and replacing Curacao and Bonaire with Amber Cove and La Romano 😞 ) but aren't getting real answers. Anyone have any insight about these changes?

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Vitamin Sea Addict said:

I've seen reports that several upcoming itineraries are canceling Bonaire and/or Bonaire & Curacao stops. While I'm not worried about my ABC cruise this summer, I've seen a lot of people who are asking for more info and trying to get insight from Carnival about why the sudden change (and replacing Curacao and Bonaire with Amber Cove and La Romano 😞 ) but aren't getting real answers. Anyone have any insight about these changes?

Where are you seeing these reports?

[rjrice1]

 

11 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Where are you seeing these reports?

I booked the ABC cruise on Horizon for Feb 2021;  got an email Thursday am saying due to unavailability port; we were not going.   To me this is a down grade since Aruba was in port from 8a to 11p,  Bonaire almost the same and Curacao 9 to 5.   I booked this cruise for the ABC islands..  

[KmomChicago]

3 hours ago, rjrice1 said:

 

I booked the ABC cruise on Horizon for Feb 2021;  got an email Thursday am saying due to unavailability port; we were not going.   To me this is a down grade since Aruba was in port from 8a to 11p,  Bonaire almost the same and Curacao 9 to 5.   I booked this cruise for the ABC islands..  

 

Surprising they are changing ports for a cruise more than a year out. I would have to wonder if this means Carnival is backing out of the ABC market overall?

[Jamman54]

3 hours ago, rjrice1 said:

 

I booked the ABC cruise on Horizon for Feb 2021;  got an email Thursday am saying due to unavailability port; we were not going.   To me this is a down grade since Aruba was in port from 8a to 11p,  Bonaire almost the same and Curacao 9 to 5.   I booked this cruise for the ABC islands..  

We are booked on the 4/3/21 Horizon ABC cruise and so far the itinerary on ours hasn't been changed. It's still being sold as an ABC cruise. 😎

[Aplmac]

44 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Surprising they are changing ports for a cruise more than a year out.

I would have to wonder if this means Carnival

is backing out of the ABC market overall?

 

Something significant happened, I think we can bank money on that.

Just what happened is another story!

 

This sort of on-again/off-again thing happens with Antigua and Dominica
on Carnival's Southern Caribbean route, every few years

depending on unsavoury incidents, politics, whatever...

[JaxsMama]

5 hours ago, rjrice1 said:

 

I booked the ABC cruise on Horizon for Feb 2021;  got an email Thursday am saying due to unavailability port; we were not going.   To me this is a down grade since Aruba was in port from 8a to 11p,  Bonaire almost the same and Curacao 9 to 5.   I booked this cruise for the ABC islands..  

Did they offer you anything for the change?  That's a total downgrade from a southern Caribbean cruise.  I'm supposed to be doing ABC's in May and I'm worried now.  I'm too close to cancel if it happens to me.

[Bases5]

I agree   We have a southern booked on the Magic Aug 2020.  The ABC was the reason for booking this cruise. 

I would be very disappointed.   I would hope the would notify all involved sooner rather than later. This sucks

[mustardgirl]

We are booked in Aug too on magic, and picked this cruise because of Aruba and Bonaire , if they change it I'm gonna be super mad! I understand in august you run the chance of hurricanes, that's different then hooking people w a cruise to certain islands than, wham, guess what now you don't get to go there! You can go to these islands that no one is booking to go to. And we have you cause you signed up for a cruise to wherever the h*ll we want to take you. 

When you book a cruise and spend your hard earned money, vacation time, you expect to receive what you were told you would have! 

Whatever this is, it's not a natural disaster, it's money or politics. And we the paying customers shouldn't suffer cause carnival wants to pay less 😤

[Joebucks]

6 minutes ago, mustardgirl said:

Whatever this is, it's not a natural disaster, it's money or politics. And we the paying customers shouldn't suffer cause carnival wants to pay less 😤

 

Lots of assumptions there

[mustardgirl]

2 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Lots of assumptions there

Not really... Carnival can't know there is a national disaster a year out. 

If it was just 1 island you could throw in possibly of problems with the pier or something but 2 or 3 islands.... no that isn't a problem with the pier...

So that leaves money or politics... 

you can call it assumptions if you want, I call it common sense.

[dan-o 1]

It's for your safety. Venezuela is not a stable country.

[mustardgirl]

5 minutes ago, dan-o 1 said:

It's for your safety. Venezuela is not a stable country.

ABC islands are part of the Netherlands. Although they are located north of Venezuela, Aruba is considered one of the safest Caribbean islands.  So not really thinking safety is a factor. 

[rjrice1]

16 hours ago, JaxsMama said:

Did they offer you anything for the change?  That's a total downgrade from a southern Caribbean cruise.  I'm supposed to be doing ABC's in May and I'm worried now.  I'm too close to cancel if it happens to me.

No offers just due to unavailability;  very disappointed since I wanted to go to the ABC esp. Bonaire.  Was looking forward to meeting someone.  

I do plan on calling Carnival and ask for a better explanation and transfer us to a different ship.  I am not concern about dates either.  My goal was to go to ABC islands and not those other ones that do NOT interest me one bit

Did reason out to John Hearld and he stated "contact you TA or carnival."  When I did a search of what ships are in port and says "Horizon" 

I can understand canceling San Juan with all the disaster in the area... 

Edited January 20, 2020 by rjrice1

[rjrice1]

15 hours ago, mustardgirl said:

ABC islands are part of the Netherlands. Although they are located north of Venezuela, Aruba is considered one of the safest Caribbean islands.  So not really thinking safety is a factor. 

I have been to Aruba several times and stayed on the most "happiest island" felt so safe; even traveled on city bus at night time.  All the ABC islands are safe... no place to hide or run.. lol

[mustardgirl]

8 hours ago, rjrice1 said:

No offers just due to unavailability;  very disappointed since I wanted to go to the ABC esp. Bonaire.  Was looking forward to meeting someone.  

I do plan on calling Carnival and ask for a better explanation and transfer us to a different ship.  I am not concern about dates either.  My goal was to go to ABC islands and not those other ones that do NOT interest me one bit

Did reason out to John Hearld and he stated "contact you TA or carnival."  When I did a search of what ships are in port and says "Horizon" 

I can understand canceling San Juan with all the disaster in the area... 

Please let us know what you find out. 😃

[JaxsMama]

I have sluthed online with an outdated Bonaire port schedule and found the following to be true for 2020:  every  time the Horizon is docked alone in Bonaire the itinerary has not changed.  Everytime (except 12/30 stop) 2 ships are listed Horizon changed it's itinerary.  So I'm guessing one dock is closed in Bonaire. 

[rukkian]

1 hour ago, JaxsMama said:

I have sluthed online with an outdated Bonaire port schedule and found the following to be true for 2020:  every  time the Horizon is docked alone in Bonaire the itinerary has not changed.  Everytime (except 12/30 stop) 2 ships are listed Horizon changed it's itinerary.  So I'm guessing one dock is closed in Bonaire. 

So it is just bonaire that is the problem?  Somebody earlier said it was also Curacao.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

20 minutes ago, rukkian said:

So it is just bonaire that is the problem?  Somebody earlier said it was also Curacao.

I guess if they have to replace Bonaire with a different port, they have to change the entire port schedule, as the ports can only be so far apart without increasing the total number of days.

[rukkian]

17 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

I guess if they have to replace Bonaire with a different port, they have to change the entire port schedule, as the ports can only be so far apart without increasing the total number of days.

That makes sense.  We are going to AC in March, and got worried.

[JaxsMama]

So I checked the Curacao schedule.  Every Southern Caribbean route in 2020 on Horizon has at least 2 of the ABC's as a stop. If they took Bonaire away they added 2 other stops. When doing that they switched Curacao to the 2nd stop (previously Bonaire).  But according to the Curacao schedule online the 9/5 and 11/14 sailings are no where to be found. 

[Bases5]

Carnival Magic starts doing ABC islands in 2020  We are doing A,B on Aug  29 2020

When I looked we are the only ship in port 9-3-2020

So what I'm reading is if there is only 1 ship in port then things should be good?

[rjrice1]

33 minutes ago, JaxsMama said:

So I checked the Curacao schedule.  Every Southern Caribbean route in 2020 on Horizon has at least 2 of the ABC's as a stop. If they took Bonaire away they added 2 other stops. When doing that they switched Curacao to the 2nd stop (previously Bonaire).  But according to the Curacao schedule online the 9/5 and 11/14 sailings are no where to be found. 

Feb 6 2021 It is as follow

2 sea Days

Aruba 8-4 (was supposed to be 8a -11p) shorten time by 7 hrs..  

LaRomana 1p - 6p (supposed to be Bonaire 9a -10-p) Bonaire is beautiful like Aruba... such a friendly island.

San Juan 8a-4p (Cucarco  8- 5)  not a fan been there several times.  

Amber Cove (private island) 9-5

two sea days.

I truely do think this is a downgrade... Yes we go to an extra stop they say.. 

Upset yes.... and I am  still going undecided.   My heart was set for ABC islands and the extra long time their.  Can explore.  Even had my shore excursions all planned out 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by rjrice1

[JaxsMama]

13 minutes ago, rjrice1 said:

Feb 6 2021 It is as follow

2 sea Days

Aruba 8-4 (was supposed to be 8a -11p) shorten time by 7 hrs..  

LaRomana 1p - 6p (supposed to be Bonaire 9a -10-p) Bonaire is beautiful like Aruba... such a friendly island.

San Juan 8a-4p (Cucarco  8- 5)  not a fan been there several times.  

Amber Cove (private island) 9-5

two sea days.

I truely do think this is a downgrade... Yes we go to an extra stop they say.. 

Upset yes.... and I am  still going undecided.   My heart was set for ABC islands and the extra long time their.  Can explore.  Even had my shore excursions all planned out 

 

That really stinks.  I know that they can change ports etc but how can you charge for the ABC's and then do that.  I would be seriously considering cancelling if it didn't cost me too much and pick a different sailing.  If mine changes I'm so close that I'll suck it up. I'm finally about to try Havana and we have insurance that will pay $500 pp for port of call change. That will ease my pain. 

[coevan]

On 1/19/2020 at 7:45 AM, dan-o 1 said:

It's for your safety. Venezuela is not a stable country.

 

 

What does Venezuela have to do with the ABC's?