NCL Suspended Sailinigs?

[BermudaBound2014]

9 minutes ago, sweetbasil57 said:

I called NCL about my cruise November 13th, YES cancelled. She said my travel agent should be getting an email, well called my TA and NO she still didn't have anything from NCL. Someone tell me Why it was cancelled please. This is the 4th time cancelled, they should do more for us then a lousy 10% off and showing off a new ship. Sorry to rant.

 

 

Having snowbirded in Maui last winter, I feel like I can speak to POA cancellations. Of course, this is just my opinion. There are many obstacles to restarting in Hawaii. First, each island has different covid requirements. Yes, they are starting to open up and ease restrictions, but there is a lot of public backlash against re-opening among concerns of medical availability. Also, Getting employees to go back to work on the islands has been challenging. Super long lines in grocery stores, gas stations, and many restaurants are booking months in advance. As with other places, locals have stated they do not want to return to work for hospitality wages. There have been protests against visitors at OGG. And finally, there is a group with some momentum promoting sustainable tourism in the Hawaiian islands. Bottom line, many locals simply do not want to see Hawaii return to pre-covid tourist rates in general, and they are adamantly opposed to cruise ships. Whether or not all this factored into NCL's decision to cancel POA is unknown, but I do suspect politics in Hawaii has played some role. 

[ClevelandCruisin]

Staffing issues?

[ClevelandCruisin]

New cancellations have to be due to staffing issues and vaccinations. Smaller countries I'm sure can not get vaccinations and have travel bans in place.

[JamieLogical]

42 minutes ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

New cancellations have to be due to staffing issues and vaccinations. Smaller countries I'm sure can not get vaccinations and have travel bans in place.

 

The US is vaccinating cruise ship crew. But, of course, that's only really effective for ships sailing out of the US. Doubt NCL is going to send crew to ship in/near the US to get them vaccinated and then fly them back to the Med or something.

[podgeandrodge]

I wonder will the Getaway still 'getaway' for it's Med cruises, and the Transatlantic in early December...

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

They canceled because they cannot staff the ship before Thanksgiving. Also, they need to make sure that entire staff has a vaccine. Some of the countries where the staff is coming from do not have vaccines as available as in our country. I’m sure it is a logistical nightmare. I am on my fourth cancellation as well. I Feel your pain

If NCL is like Royal, Royal has been getting their crew vaccinated once they report onboard because many countries do not have vaccines available.

 

We were in the Bahamas last week and their vaccination rate is still in the single digits. Curfews in major cities. Washy Washy people in every store as you enter. One of our drivers told us that they were praying that the current US administration would send some of the "free vaccine" their way. 

[mking8288]

That could well be, apparently (from what I read on crew-center news blog) ... at least two of the employment agencies that specialized in crew recruiting & staff in Manila/Philippines, had, apparently shut down (gone out of business ??)   Perhaps, cruise lines will need to run their job fairs abroad to bring in newcomers, train them, clear their medical history and put them thru the drills & processes, etc.   

 

Not exactly a good time for crews with homes from Indonesia until they are declared healthy and ... (without getting into details, to comply with CC's policy on "discussions" - Google latest data trends from WHO)

Edited June 23, 2021 by mking8288

[ChiefMateJRK]

It looks like NCL just saved me a phone call.  I was booked on Sky out of Miami this fall, but later booked Alaska when those cruises were reinstated.  I was holding onto the Sky booking "just in case," but as long as AK sailed was going to cancel it.  I received the email on the cancellation, offering a 10% discount through next Dec.  I already have 10% off applied to a POA Spring cruise but will see if I can apply another 10% off to our fall cruise (I don't believe that will be allowed).

[trivimp]

5 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

It looks like NCL just saved me a phone call.  I was booked on Sky out of Miami this fall, but later booked Alaska when those cruises were reinstated.  I was holding onto the Sky booking "just in case," but as long as AK sailed was going to cancel it.  I received the email on the cancellation, offering a 10% discount through next Dec.  I already have 10% off applied to a POA Spring cruise but will see if I can apply another 10% off to our fall cruise (I don't believe that will be allowed).

When was your Sky booking?  

 

Edit:  AUUUGHHHH I just got my notice for 10/17 cancellation 😭

Edited June 23, 2021 by trivimp

[ChiefMateJRK]

24 minutes ago, trivimp said:

When was your Sky booking?  

 

Edit:  AUUUGHHHH I just got my notice for 10/17 cancellation 😭

Yep.  That was mine as well.

[WarfRatWA]

3 hours ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

Staffing issues?

I think this the likely culprit.  Former crew were not gonna sit around and wait for cruising to start up. They undoubtedly had mouths to feed.  Perhaps its lack of trained/qualified crew.

 

The Joy is the only BA/BA+ ship on that list, seems odd.  Its also getting dangerously close to my January sailing. 

[Sand and Seas]

58 minutes ago, WarfRatWA said:

I think this the likely culprit.  Former crew were not gonna sit around and wait for cruising to start up. They undoubtedly had mouths to feed.  Perhaps its lack of trained/qualified crew.

 

The Joy is the only BA/BA+ ship on that list, seems odd.  Its also getting dangerously close to my January sailing. 

Yes, I was getting confident that our Joy Oct 19th would sail.     This cancellation hurts more than our earlier ones that were before we were vaccinated.

 

We were at 118 days and everything was looking positive for the Joy as so many other ships are set to sail earlier than October.

[fin]

That's 2 great cruises in a row gone.

[casofilia]

Have you noticed the change?

 

The wording about the 10% certificate has changed with the latest cancellations.   The statement is now:-

 

Additionally, a 10% off coupon will be automatically added to the guest's account, if the guest has not already received one for a previously cancelled sailing or an account that currently has a 10% coupon.

 

That now means that no matter how many cruises they cancel you will only ever get ONE 10% off certificate.

[mking8288]

27 minutes ago, casofilia said:

Have you noticed the change? if the guest has not already received one for a previously cancelled sailing or an account that currently has a 10% coupon... means that no matter how many cruises they cancel you will only ever get ONE 10% off certificate.

 

That stinks ... are those freely transferable as we don't have one (or any in our accounts) - surely can use an offset against the inflated pricing scheme. 

[CroozFanatic]

Imagine the discussions....No, only one 10% for each customer per LIFETIME.

 

"Why give them anything?"

 

But, we're raising prices 20-30% next year and again the year after that.

 

"Let them eat cake"

[RaftingJeremy]

I don’t think any of these suspensions are unexpected.  

[ECCruise]

2 minutes ago, RaftingJeremy said:

I don’t think any of these suspensions are unexpected.  

I think the crossings on the Star and the Dawn were unexpected.  Both ships are still in the Med. and will be spending the winter in the Caribbean.  Which means the ships need to cross, either with or without pax.

I do think it indicates that there are having issues with crew levels or the ability to have vaccinated crew levels.

[RaftingJeremy]

4 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

I think the crossings on the Star and the Dawn were unexpected.  Both ships are still in the Med. and will be spending the winter in the Caribbean.  Which means the ships need to cross, either with or without pax.

I do think it indicates that there are having issues with crew levels or the ability to have vaccinated crew levels.

I was originally booked on the star. I fully expected it to cancel 

[ChiefMateJRK]

48 minutes ago, CroozFanatic said:

But, we're raising prices 20-30% next year and again the year after that.

 

"Let them eat cake"

I'm sailing next year, and again the year after that, and even the year after that.  They can't raise my prices!!!

[ECCruise]

34 minutes ago, RaftingJeremy said:

I was originally booked on the star. I fully expected it to cancel 

We were on the Dawn and I spent all day unscrambling all the arrangements we had made, since we truly expected it to sail.  That's why I said that the cancellations were unexpected, at least to us. 

[ALD18]

Not sure if 100% correct, but coworkers wife is from Philippines and her family is just now saying vaccines are becoming available.  Plus they only have access to a Chinese vaccine that only has a 50% efficiency.  May have a bearing on hiring practices from that country and whether company gives those staff better vaccines.   

Edited June 23, 2021 by ALD18
typo

[casofilia]

I have again compared the cancellation notices I received after the last round with what I posted from today's NCL advice.

 

If you have received more than one cancellation notice prior to the one issued in the last 24 hours could I suggest you read those very critically and logically as a pedantic lawyer would and then compare with what has been promulgated today. 

 If you do that you will see that there is a whole new meaning in "today's".   While they had intended to say what they said "today" in the previous one they didn't.

[ChiefMateJRK]

17 minutes ago, casofilia said:

 If you do that you will see that there is a whole new meaning in "today's".   While they had intended to say what they said "today" in the previous one they didn't.

Isn't a clarification of their policy a good thing?

[casofilia]

@ChiefMateJRK

 

Isn't a clarification of their policy a good thing?

 

I agree but only if they honour the incorrect wording that they have now changed.