Is this new?

[NYcruzzer]

10 minutes ago, Old & Retired said:

I wouldn't count your chickens just yet.  The Joy and Jade were on track to sail and poof, gone.  Supposedly because NCL didn't have the crew to staff them.  Suddenly NCL has crew to staff BA a month earlier?  I smell a rat.

Definitely not counting my chickies yet. Until I actually see ships sailing from US ports I'll remain cautiously optomistic and hope for the best. Worst case I go on a later cruise. 

[Sand and Seas]

5 minutes ago, NYcruzzer said:

Definitely not counting my chickies yet. Until I actually see ships sailing from US ports I'll remain cautiously optomistic and hope for the best. Worst case I go on a later cruise. 

Adding more cruises earlier from US ports is making me more optimistic for our October cruise.    (If not, there is always January!) 

Edited June 2, 2021 by Sand and Seas

[JamieLogical]

This is turning into a tough choice for us. We were booked on the Joy for Sept 4 through Sept 18 and we had persuaded my parents to join us for the first week by bribing them with a Haven upgrade. We were devastated when the Joy was canceled to staff up the Bliss (no Encore) for Alaska. We decided to replace that sailing with the Sky, because the dates were the same and the itineraries were actually different for the two weeks, so a better B2B experience. But my dad was uninterested in joining us on the Sky because he is concerned about having to wear a mask while flying still and he wasn't excited about the smaller ship with fewer amenities.

 

Now that the Breakaway is sailing from NYC to Bermuda, he is VERY interested. We can and have all driven together to the NYC cruise port, so no need for a mask. My dad loves Bermuda (who doesn't!??!). And the Breakaway has more of the amenities my dad is used to on the Escape. Plus the price is right (he's a cheapskate).

 

So, if we switch our cruise dates and go with the Breakaway, my parents will join us, which would be nice. However, we lose out on the much more interesting itinerary for our B2B. Plus, we aren't as excited about sailing on the Breakaway. At least the Sky would be a new experience for us, even though it is an older ship. But then again.... with the uncertainty around any sailings being able to happen out of FL with their moratorium on vaccine mandates, the Breakaway to Bermuda seems more likely to actually sail.

 

Another thought I had was to go ahead with the Sky sailings with my SO and then book a studio on one of the later Breakaway sailings and go with my parents. I have plenty of vacation time to pull that off, but my SO does not, which is why he wouldn't be able to join me for the later Bermuda sailing. The obvious downside to this plan is that I would be giving more money to NCL, which I am disinclined to do!

[Beach Life 1]

7 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

This is turning into a tough choice for us. We were booked on the Joy for Sept 4 through Sept 18 and we had persuaded my parents to join us for the first week by bribing them with a Haven upgrade. We were devastated when the Joy was canceled to staff up the Bliss (no Encore) for Alaska. We decided to replace that sailing with the Sky, because the dates were the same and the itineraries were actually different for the two weeks, so a better B2B experience. But my dad was uninterested in joining us on the Sky because he is concerned about having to wear a mask while flying still and he wasn't excited about the smaller ship with fewer amenities.

 

Now that the Breakaway is sailing from NYC to Bermuda, he is VERY interested. We can and have all driven together to the NYC cruise port, so no need for a mask. My dad loves Bermuda (who doesn't!??!). And the Breakaway has more of the amenities my dad is used to on the Escape. Plus the price is right (he's a cheapskate).

 

So, if we switch our cruise dates and go with the Breakaway, my parents will join us, which would be nice. However, we lose out on the much more interesting itinerary for our B2B. Plus, we aren't as excited about sailing on the Breakaway. At least the Sky would be a new experience for us, even though it is an older ship. But then again.... with the uncertainty around any sailings being able to happen out of FL with their moratorium on vaccine mandates, the Breakaway to Bermuda seems more likely to actually sail.

 

Another thought I had was to go ahead with the Sky sailings with my SO and then book a studio on one of the later Breakaway sailings and go with my parents. I have plenty of vacation time to pull that off, but my SO does not, which is why he wouldn't be able to join me for the later Bermuda sailing. The obvious downside to this plan is that I would be giving more money to NCL, which I am disinclined to do!

Maybe you could book a cabin for your parents and  a cabin for your SO and yourself on the Breakaway.  If the Sky doesn't sail,  you have this cruise to go on.  If it does sail, have your SO be a "no show" on the Breakaway?  I don't know how much more this would cost you,  but that could be an option.

[JamieLogical]

5 minutes ago, jezabel80 said:

Maybe you could book a cabin for your parents and  a cabin for your SO and yourself on the Breakaway.  If the Sky doesn't sail,  you have this cruise to go on.  If it does sail, have your SO be a "no show" on the Breakaway?  I don't know how much more this would cost you,  but that could be an option.

 

The problem there is that my SO and I want to do a B2B. If I did a solo sailing with my parents, it would only be for one week.

[Summerstravel]

I would considering doing both life is short and it has been a tough a year. These prices on the Bermuda cruises are great. I am thinking of changing my plans as well. lol I would talk with your SO and see what you both think is best. I love Bermuda it is beautiful. 

[JamieLogical]

Just now, Summerstravel said:

I would considering doing both life is short and it has been a tough a year. These prices on the Bermuda cruises are great. I am thinking of changing my plans as well. lol I would talk with your SO and see what you both think is best. I love Bermuda it is beautiful. 

 

We talked about it a lot last night. Even made a spreadsheet comparing the Sky sailings to the Breakaway. Still didn't come to a solid decision after agreeing to sleep on it. 😋

[Cruising Lynne]

21 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

This is turning into a tough choice for us. We were booked on the Joy for Sept 4 through Sept 18 and we had persuaded my parents to join us for the first week by bribing them with a Haven upgrade. We were devastated when the Joy was canceled to staff up the Bliss (no Encore) for Alaska. We decided to replace that sailing with the Sky, because the dates were the same and the itineraries were actually different for the two weeks, so a better B2B experience. But my dad was uninterested in joining us on the Sky because he is concerned about having to wear a mask while flying still and he wasn't excited about the smaller ship with fewer amenities.

 

Now that the Breakaway is sailing from NYC to Bermuda, he is VERY interested. We can and have all driven together to the NYC cruise port, so no need for a mask. My dad loves Bermuda (who doesn't!??!). And the Breakaway has more of the amenities my dad is used to on the Escape. Plus the price is right (he's a cheapskate).

 

So, if we switch our cruise dates and go with the Breakaway, my parents will join us, which would be nice. However, we lose out on the much more interesting itinerary for our B2B. Plus, we aren't as excited about sailing on the Breakaway. At least the Sky would be a new experience for us, even though it is an older ship. But then again.... with the uncertainty around any sailings being able to happen out of FL with their moratorium on vaccine mandates, the Breakaway to Bermuda seems more likely to actually sail.

 

Another thought I had was to go ahead with the Sky sailings with my SO and then book a studio on one of the later Breakaway sailings and go with my parents. I have plenty of vacation time to pull that off, but my SO does not, which is why he wouldn't be able to join me for the later Bermuda sailing. The obvious downside to this plan is that I would be giving more money to NCL, which I am disinclined to do!

Do you think either the Sky or Breakaway trips in September are really going to happen? Keep in mind there are plenty of trips on the Norwegian website that can be booked that already are not going to happen. I am also excited about the possibility of sailing out of New York or Boston so that we don't have to fly, but we are still in the wait and see mode. Maybe you could wait and see if the Alaska trips go before you change your plans. Then you know NCL can get it together enough to actually sail again.

 

Hopefully someone gets to sail out of the US soon. Otherwise, a better bet may be to wait until after November first when the CSO is supposed to expire.

 

 

[JamieLogical]

15 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

Do you think either the Sky or Breakaway trips in September are really going to happen? Keep in mind there are plenty of trips on the Norwegian website that can be booked that already are not going to happen. I am also excited about the possibility of sailing out of New York or Boston so that we don't have to fly, but we are still in the wait and see mode. Maybe you could wait and see if the Alaska trips go before you change your plans. Then you know NCL can get it together enough to actually sail again.

 

Hopefully someone gets to sail out of the US soon. Otherwise, a better bet may be to wait until after November first when the CSO is supposed to expire.

 

 

 

I don't think the CSO is much of a limiting factor on cruises sailing out of the US now, maybe just out of FL....Under the current guidelines of the CSO, requiring passengers and crew to be vaccinated alleviates almost all of the other protocols. That's we are starting to see CDC approval for some sailing now, even prior to any test sailings. NCL has already stated their intention to require vaccinations for ALL passengers with NO exceptions though October 31 (when the CSO is set to expire), so I don't anticipate that being the barrier to sailing. Right now, it seems like getting enough crew and getting enough bookings are the limiting issues for NCL.

 

My major concern with the Sky's ability to sail is the law in FL fining companies $5000 per person for requiring proof of vaccination. If that doesn't get resolved between the cruise lines and the state, that could prevent any sailings out of FL for NCL. The Sky is a small ship, so I don't think staffing will be as much as a concern as with the larger ships. And bookings seem quite strong on those sailings (balconies and suites sold out), so I would not expect the sailings to get pulled by NCL for low bookings.

 

My major concerns with the Breakaway's ability to sail are staffing and bookings. The sailings have only been available to book for less than 24 hours and haven't been advertised yet, so I don't think we can gauge just yet. Prices are definitely right to get quick bookings and there is clearly a LOT of pent up demand to sail out of NYC. But the Breakaway is a big ship, so I could see crew being a challenge. I don't have any concerns about NYS or NYC preventing sailings out of the port of New York for fully vaccinated cruises. I could see them putting the kibosh cruises allowing for unvaccinated passengers.

[Cruising Lynne]

All good points by Jamie. It is definitely hard to make plans. Especially since some of NCLs decisions seem to defy all logic , LOL.

[NYcruzzer]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I don't think the CSO is much of a limiting factor on cruises sailing out of the US now, maybe just out of FL....Under the current guidelines of the CSO, requiring passengers and crew to be vaccinated alleviates almost all of the other protocols. That's we are starting to see CDC approval for some sailing now, even prior to any test sailings. NCL has already stated their intention to require vaccinations for ALL passengers with NO exceptions though October 31 (when the CSO is set to expire), so I don't anticipate that being the barrier to sailing. Right now, it seems like getting enough crew and getting enough bookings are the limiting issues for NCL.

 

My major concern with the Sky's ability to sail is the law in FL fining companies $5000 per person for requiring proof of vaccination. If that doesn't get resolved between the cruise lines and the state, that could prevent any sailings out of FL for NCL. The Sky is a small ship, so I don't think staffing will be as much as a concern as with the larger ships. And bookings seem quite strong on those sailings (balconies and suites sold out), so I would not expect the sailings to get pulled by NCL for low bookings.

 

My major concerns with the Breakaway's ability to sail are staffing and bookings. The sailings have only been available to book for less than 24 hours and haven't been advertised yet, so I don't think we can gauge just yet. Prices are definitely right to get quick bookings and there is clearly a LOT of pent up demand to sail out of NYC. But the Breakaway is a big ship, so I could see crew being a challenge. I don't have any concerns about NYS or NYC preventing sailings out of the port of New York for fully vaccinated cruises. I could see them putting the kibosh cruises allowing for unvaccinated passengers.

I'm booked on the 9/26 sailing. I'd imagine they can up bookings by offering a bunch of "free cabins" to CAS customers if bookings are light. 

[CaptainWoody]

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Another thought I had was to go ahead with the Sky sailings with my SO and then book a studio on one of the later Breakaway sailings and go with my parents. I have plenty of vacation time to pull that off, but my SO does not, which is why he wouldn't be able to join me for the later Bermuda sailing. The obvious downside to this plan is that I would be giving more money to NCL, which I am disinclined to do!

This sounds like a perfect plan!  Keep in mind, quality time with family is more important than "punishing" a corporation.  It may not seem 100% logical, but you may wish to let your right brain make this decision. 🙂

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, CaptainWoody said:

This sounds like a perfect plan!  Keep in mind, quality time with family is more important than "punishing" a corporation.  It may not seem 100% logical, but you may wish to let your right brain make this decision. 🙂

 

I definitely agree that time with family is incredibly valuable. If we have learned nothing else from this pandemic, I hope we have learned that much! My dad will be turning 80 in November. He is in great shape. Remember, he was the one complaining there are no go-karts on the Sky! But one thing I know from witnessing a lot of my older relatives is that things can turn quickly once you are past certain age. My uncle was in great shape the last time I saw him pre-COVID and now he has too many health issues to travel.

[cruiserbear55]

5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Plus the price is right (he's a cheapskate

I hope your father doesn't read these boards!!!

[JamieLogical]

1 minute ago, cruiserbear55 said:

I hope your father doesn't read these boards!!!

 

Ha! I think he would be the first to agree. He has no illusions about his frugality. He has fielded criticism of it from my entire family his whole life.

[Nclgetawaymenhoney]

Jamie, thanks for the info about these added sailings. Just so happens we were booked on one of our many canceled sailings now when the Ncl Joy was still scheduled out of New York for Sep and early Oct to Bermuda.  As we know that was canceled, and I have been loosely keeping an eye on the end of Oct sailings on the Breakaway but oh boy I’m tempted to book that same week I originally wanted in early October.  We shall see, I just want to see one cruise successfully sail from the US first

[YankeeFan4Ever]

My wife and I are booked for the October 10 cruise. Fingers crossed it happens!

 

We’ve had 4 cancellations since March 2020 including an amazing 14 day cruise on the Breakaway from New York (was scheduled for October 2020) that included the ABC islands...losing that one was a real bummer as we’ve been on 21 cruises from NYC and we’ve never seen an itinerary that included those islands.

 

The Breakaway is our favorite ship and we can’t wait to spend most of our time sipping cold drinks at Spice H2O.

[MsTabbyKats]

Thanks for this info.  I'm currently on the Gem...11/21...with a OV guarantee.  Got the assignment today....not the best cabin (acceptable...but could have done better).  For just about the same price I can book BX on the Breakaway.  And, the cancellation policy is a lot better!

[MaryZ]

5 hours ago, NYcruzzer said:

I'm booked on the 9/26 sailing. I'd imagine they can up bookings by offering a bunch of "free cabins" to CAS customers if bookings are light. 

lol that's every cruise.

[MsTabbyKats]

56 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Thanks for this info.  I'm currently on the Gem...11/21...with a OV guarantee.  Got the assignment today....not the best cabin (acceptable...but could have done better).  For just about the same price I can book BX on the Breakaway.  And, the cancellation policy is a lot better!

Eh...I thought it thru...and Bermuda in the fall isn't for me.  Price isn't everything...lol.

[summercruiser20]

We moved our cruise up so hopefully with everything opening up we are a go!

[reeinaz]

I'm glad I came across this thread. I was booked on the original BA sailing to Canada 9/26 that was cancelled. I jumped on this one today for the same dates. Fingers crossed. Luckily I hadn't even cancelled my vacation request at work!

[JamieLogical]

16 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

I'm glad I came across this thread. I was booked on the original BA sailing to Canada 9/26 that was cancelled. I jumped on this one today for the same dates. Fingers crossed. Luckily I hadn't even cancelled my vacation request at work!

 

Glad to help. I managed to get my Sky bookings moved over to the Breakaway during my lunch break this week, so hopefully I will see you on the Breakaway on 9/26!

[aubreyc1988]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Glad to help. I managed to get my Sky bookings moved over to the Breakaway during my lunch break this week, so hopefully I will see you on the Breakaway on 9/26!

 

I'm torn between 9/26 or an Alaska cruise

 

Pros for Alaska: Beautiful new ship, closer date, alaska is always beautiful

 

Cons for Alaska: Cost is high, haven't went on a tropical vacation for a while, did Bliss to Alaska in 2019

 

Pros for Breakaway: Can get a much better price for a higher cabin category, goes to Bermuda

 

Cons for Breakaway: Smack dab in the middle of hurricane season, no other islands around to divert too, have to wait longer to sail

 

 

[JamieLogical]

15 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

 

I'm torn between 9/26 or an Alaska cruise

 

Pros for Alaska: Beautiful new ship, closer date, alaska is always beautiful

 

Cons for Alaska: Cost is high, haven't went on a tropical vacation for a while, did Bliss to Alaska in 2019

 

Pros for Breakaway: Can get a much better price for a higher cabin category, goes to Bermuda

 

Cons for Breakaway: Smack dab in the middle of hurricane season, no other islands around to divert too, have to wait longer to sail

 

 

 

You left off:

 

Pros for Breakaway: Sailing with JamieLogical