NCL is sailing at reduced capacity- what does that really mean?

[boomie]

Does anyone know what that really means? 75% 99% could mean anything. I can’t get a straight answer out of NCL.

[www3traveler]

Every ship is sailing at different rates.  This week I think it is somewhere between 40% and 60% depending on the ship.

[tallnthensome]

9 minutes ago, boomie said:

Does anyone know what that really means? 75% 99% could mean anything. I can’t get a straight answer out of NCL.

Like said, every ship is different and cancellations come in by the masses so it's unrealistic for NCL to give you exact numbers. You're questioning the questionable. It's not 100% so go with that.  

[julig22]

It means that they are sailing at whatever capacity the market will bear - I highly doubt that there are limits. So it is what it is when the ship sails.  You won't get a "straight" answer partially because even NCL probably doesn't know.  And that may not be information that they, as a business, wish to disclose to the public.

[BermudaBound2014]

According to DelRio at the 2nd quarter conference call, NCL has no capacity limits in place  once a ship has returned to service for 60 days. The first 60 days start at 60% and increase from there. 
 

Ships are sailing with low passenger numbers long past 60 days but it has nothing to do with restrictions in place from NCL. Ships will sail with whatever the market demands and Currently the demand for cruising remains extremely low. 

[limeyalchemist]

We just got back from the Encore in mid-January and we had around 1,300 passengers and 1,700 crew. Around 33% capacity.

 

Was very, very not crowded and very enjoyable.

[cheersforbeers]

Example, in December, NCL Getaway, total capacity 5609. 3969 passengers, 1640 crew.  We sailed with 53% passengers and 73% crew. It was great, no waiting no lines except getting on and off.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, boomie said:

Does anyone know what that really means? 75% 99% could mean anything. I can’t get a straight answer out of NCL.

It means reduced capacity, not at 100%

[ronheg]

The bliss had 1400 passengers and 1650 crew on the 1/9-1/16/22 sailing. If every stateroom had 2 passengers, capacity is 4000 passengers

[kismet618]

Current Joy cruise has 934 passengers with capacity of 3804...not sure about crew.

[ChutChut]

It means if NCL (and others) don't get the capacity way up in the near future, they may not be around in the future.

[pandncruisers]

The epic is sailing at around 1200 passengers both last week and this week

[joyy7403]

We sailed on the Gem last week. We had 601 passengers, the capacity is 2400. It was wonderful!

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

51 minutes ago, pandncruisers said:

The epic is sailing at around 1200 passengers both last week and this week

Wow!  We were supposed to be on the Epic but cancelled when Delta started surging..

[blueslily]

It is passengers choosing not to sail versus NCL limiting capacity on ships that have been sailing more than 60 days. So, folks that choose to sail, like me, get to enjoy more space since other folks are choosing not to sail. Woohoo! 

 

Plus, I want to add that the customer service staff that we talk with when we call NCL are definitely not making decisions and what's going on with these ships. So, I totally understand that when we call, we want information. But, man,  they dont always know what's going on with each ship in real time. This is a fluid situation that has things changing all the time. They just dont have the luxury of answering calls all day and knowing everything that's going on. They hear some stuff from us customers first before they have time to get caught up. Plus, each ship is different and each sailing is different. So, I hope we all are kind when we call and speak with customer service agents and even personal vacation planners or whatever NCL calls them. Many are new or just aren't in the know all the time. It's just a reality right now. I used to want to know the exact number as well. I can get that here versus a NCL rep that's busy booking cruises all day. I can have some grace for them. 

Edited January 31, 2022 by blueslily

[Not_too_sirius]

I can only speak for myself but we were on the Escape in Dec.which holds about 6,000.  They had just under 2,500.

 

Didn't matter though as Covid has no trouble FINDING people.  

 

IMHO The pre-boarding testing tents were a super spreader event all by themselves.  250 people crammed into a tent.  Yes they DID say  to keep 6' back in the line but it was right next to the line going the other way so you were shoulder to shoulder with them anyway.  

 

It gave us an extra 10 vacation days locked  in a Florida Hotel room.

 

I am SO glad that we didn't pick a crummy hotel going TO Florida as they tried to put quarantined people in the same hotel as they arrived. 

 

I've been my own victim choosing a cheep one as we are usually only there for a day or 2 pre-cruise.  Joshua Rose on top of the Market in Phillipsburgh SXM comes to mind.  3rd floor had nearly no water pressure and you had to time your shower to align with the solar heater.  It WAS under $50/nt though so I got what I paid for.  I could not imagine being there for 2 weeks though!  This time I was lucky as the Girlfriend has hotel points and we were in a beautiful Radisson Resort, so it could have been worse.

 

Come to think of it.... It can ALWAYS be worse so don't temp fate.

[blueslily]

5 minutes ago, Not_too_sirius said:

I can only speak for myself but we were on the Escape in Dec.which holds about 6,000.  They had just under 2,500.

 

Didn't matter though as Covid has no trouble FINDING people.  

 

IMHO The pre-boarding testing tents were a super spreader event all by themselves.  250 people crammed into a tent.  Yes they DID say  to keep 6' back in the line but it was right next to the line going the other way so you were shoulder to shoulder with them anyway.  

 

It gave us an extra 10 vacation days locked  in a Florida Hotel room.

 

I am SO glad that we didn't pick a crummy hotel going TO Florida as they tried to put quarantined people in the same hotel as they arrived. 

 

I've been my own victim choosing a cheep one as we are usually only there for a day or 2 pre-cruise.  Joshua Rose on top of the Market in Phillipsburgh SXM comes to mind.  3rd floor had nearly no water pressure and you had to time your shower to align with the solar heater.  It WAS under $50/nt though so I got what I paid for.  I could not imagine being there for 2 weeks though!  This time I was lucky as the Girlfriend has hotel points and we were in a beautiful Radisson Resort, so it could have been worse.

 

Come to think of it.... It can ALWAYS be worse so don't temp fate.

 

Is the testing process for the Escape currently the same as when you sailed in December?

Edited January 31, 2022 by blueslily

[Not_too_sirius]

I don't know.  We just got back 12 days ago.  I expect it is the same as it was in the lst week of December though.  They seemed pretty fixed on procedures.

 

 

PS.  Your avatar reminds me of the Logo at Sunshine's bar on the beach on Nevis.

I've got one somewhere that looks a lot like yours and reads.

"I got stung by a KILLER BEE at Sunshines"

 

Very cool place to hang out.

 

[classy_cruiser]

Encore last week had about 1600 passengers and 1700 crew 

[Julienatul]

I think this is typically a lower capacity time right now historically in the winter. We sailed Thanksgiving week and the ship sailed at 90% capacity so it really just depends on the demand. As we get closer to spring break season and summer I bet we will see more passengers sailing. 

[ontheweb]

Some cabins must be held back for possible use for quarantine. But, I believe most of the reduced capacity is a function of supply and demand. Some will not go if the protocols are too strict while others will not go unless they are even stricter.

[Crazy planning mom]

53 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Some cabins must be held back for possible use for quarantine. But, I believe most of the reduced capacity is a function of supply and demand. Some will not go if the protocols are too strict while others will not go unless they are even stricter.

Well, this is what I wonder.  What is the breakdown of people not sailing because they aren't vaccinated versus the people not sailing due to the protocols versus the people not sailing because they feel it's not safe to travel yet.

[Bartfast]

I was told the Gem was 60% when we sailed on it last August, and that number felt right. I am also told the plan is for 75% on the Epic upcoming cruises. I am also told that they try to keep an entire floor open for possible Covid patients.

I know we think of cruise ships sometimes as "petri dishes," but they do more than regular hotels and other vacation spots to offset the chance of Covid infection.

[jlseymour3]

1 hour ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Well, this is what I wonder.  What is the breakdown of people not sailing because they aren't vaccinated versus the people not sailing due to the protocols versus the people not sailing because they feel it's not safe to travel yet.

I think you file that in "The things I'd like to know, but no one knows" file.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Well, this is what I wonder.  What is the breakdown of people not sailing because they aren't vaccinated versus the people not sailing due to the protocols versus the people not sailing because they feel it's not safe to travel yet.

I agree it would be interesting to know, but I do not ever think we will know.