Encore to replace the Bliss for 2021 Alaska Cruises?

[geino]

On 6/2/2021 at 4:48 AM, mianmike said:

The Bliss Alaska 2021 sailings could be moving to the Encore. Based on the cruise ship port calendar for Seattle the Encore will arrive in Seattle on August 6th and depart on the 7th and returning every 7 days through Oct 23rd. The Bliss is not mentioned. 

 

The Encore has also replaced the Bliss on the Port Calendars for Ketchikan, Skagway, Icy Straight and Juneau.

 

We're booked on the Bliss for the 1st Alaska sailing on August 7th.  If we move over to the Encore I'll be fine, if we stay on the Bliss I'll be fine.  Will be sailing Alaska and that's all that matters. 

Seattle Port Calendar: 

 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250

 

Why change ships

[aubreyc1988]

12 minutes ago, geino said:

Why change ships

Many reasons. Position of the ship at the time, newest ship (so they can show it off), where the ship is going AFTER Alaska, etc.

[wetcoast]

I have the November 7th sailing booked from LA, im pretty concerned, Encore is a downgrade for warm weather cruises. 

[Sailing12Away]

7 hours ago, CaptainWoody said:

Says the rat with the drink package!  🤣

 

You know I'm just poking at you my rodent sister.....

Of course, when the drinks are free I'm buying for everyone. I'm a cheap rat. Need to save my coins so I can keep up with someone else's endless bookings - think he's up to 13 different trips booked so far.

 

I haven't reached the level of pizza rat yet.

https://youtu.be/UPXUG8q4jKU

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, geino said:

Why change ships

Logistics... the cost of getting a crew and ship to Alaska. It is easier and cheaper to get the Encore to pick up crew in Asia (where she is now) and sail across the Pacific than for the Bliss (who is in the UK) to get  crew, sail across the Atlantic, then use the "toll road" (Panama Canal) to get to the Pacific. 

[Ocean Cat]

What do you mean Wetcoast?

[Old & Retired]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Logistics... the cost of getting a crew and ship to Alaska. It is easier and cheaper to get the Encore to pick up crew in Asia (where she is now) and sail across the Pacific than for the Bliss (who is in the UK) to get  crew, sail across the Atlantic, then use the "toll road" (Panama Canal) to get to the Pacific. 

Yet NCL was aware of all those factors when they scheduled the Bliss to sail to Alaska in August.....

 

NCL is like a rudderless ship at this point.

[CroozFanatic]

1 minute ago, Old & Retired said:

Yet NCL was aware of all those factors when they scheduled the Bliss to sail to Alaska in August.....

 

NCL is like a rudderless ship at this point.

 

Yup.

 

They made a slew of announcements including cancelling the Joy out of Jamaica...then less than 48 hours later cancelled all of the Gem sailings out of Dominican Republic.

 

Anything is possible.

 

Tough situation, but you have peers (Carnival, Royal) for comparison purposes as regards executive decision making - L Catterton, working with political leaders, foreign port setups, etc.

[4 cruisers]

Cruise consultant said they are asking we hold up on any changes at least until Monday.  Final payment is due Tuesday on the Aug 7th sailing.

 

It sounds like they are considering going back to using the Bliss.  Fingers crossed. That would solve our problems🍀

[Sailing12Away]

21 minutes ago, 4 cruisers said:

It sounds like they are considering going back to using the Bliss.  Fingers crossed. That would solve our problems🍀

That just doesn't make any sense at all for them to now switch back to the Bliss after having just switched to the Encore. Why piss people off twice in one week?

[CaptainWoody]

43 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

That just doesn't make any sense at all for them to now switch back to the Bliss after having just switched to the Encore. Why piss people off twice in one week?

Yeah, I think somebody just made that one up.

[drvmywifecrzy]

Cant wait to sail on the Encore

[RaftingJeremy]

Here today! Hoping to see her here in 70 days 

[ShakeDaddy]

What the Encore's not there yet?

[wetcoast]

5 hours ago, Ocean Cat said:

What do you mean Wetcoast?

On Encore they've taken away Spice H2O and replaced it with the laser tag. Only 20% of the upper deck is "Free" to lounge. Forcing everyone to pay $210 for a Vibe pass to be able to find an outdoor place to sit

[coastcat]

27 minutes ago, RaftingJeremy said:

Here today! Hoping to see her here in 70 days 

I wonder when Encore will actually arrive at the pier? I’d be tempted to drive down early just to watch that, and to Pier 91 when the other ships first arrive. If it’s not rush hour, I can be there in about 35 minutes.

 

(“Sorry boss, gotta miss that meeting.”)

[drvmywifecrzy]

Right outside Singapore currently

 

[RaftingJeremy]

Scheduled to arrive august 6

[RaftingJeremy]

7 hours ago, 4 cruisers said:

Cruise consultant said they are asking we hold up on any changes at least until Monday.  Final payment is due Tuesday on the Aug 7th sailing.

 

It sounds like they are considering going back to using the Bliss.  Fingers crossed. That would solve our problems🍀

No

[RaftingJeremy]

2 hours ago, ShakeDaddy said:

What the Encore's not there yet?

Scheduled berth aug 6

[RaftingJeremy]

7 hours ago, 4 cruisers said:

Cruise consultant said they are asking we hold up on any changes at least until Monday.  Final payment is due Tuesday on the Aug 7th sailing.

 

It sounds like they are considering going back to using the Bliss.  Fingers crossed. That would solve our problems🍀

No

[aubreyc1988]

2 hours ago, wetcoast said:

On Encore they've taken away Spice H2O and replaced it with the laser tag. Only 20% of the upper deck is "Free" to lounge. Forcing everyone to pay $210 for a Vibe pass to be able to find an outdoor place to sit

makes me wonder if DelRio had any say in the design of Encore, since Prima is all about the outdoor space

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, wetcoast said:

On Encore they've taken away Spice H2O and replaced it with the laser tag. Only 20% of the upper deck is "Free" to lounge. Forcing everyone to pay $210 for a Vibe pass to be able to find an outdoor place to sit

So,,, I have sailed on the Encore and it is really not that bad. Try it. You'll like it!

[CaptainWoody]

4 hours ago, wetcoast said:

On Encore they've taken away Spice H2O and replaced it with the laser tag. Only 20% of the upper deck is "Free" to lounge. Forcing everyone to pay $210 for a Vibe pass to be able to find an outdoor place to sit

Well, technically they can't "force everyone" because there are only a limited number of admissions available.  Besides, those sitting on a lounge in the Vibe are freeing up one elsewhere.  It's a zero sum game.  That said, I'm not too concerned about finding a place to lounge in the warm sun for my October Alaska cruise.  😛

[robcolem]

Anyone hear if NCL received the conditional sailing certificates for these Encore Alaska sailings?  When they announced the local port agreements it was mentioned that they'd receive the certs in the next few days.  Been a week and haven't seen any news on it.  I did see an article saying "the CDC has approved two conditional sailing certificates for ships using the CDC’s alternative of ensuring at least 98% of crew and 95% of passengers will be vaccinated when sailing. That includes Celebrity Edge," - june 3, 21 orlandosentinel - But no info on the second line/ship.

Edited June 6, 2021 by robcolem