Prima...Islafjord

[ontheweb]

46 minutes ago, SakeDad said:

Thanks for the clarification. I had not heard that. I am on the July 16 sailing and hopefully we make the port. But in any case I will make sure I talk with an Officer and get the REAL DETAILS about why the lifeboats can't tender. As former crew on other ships this is the first I have ever heard of this. I don't doubt you but I want to know the actual reasons for it. I will post once I get those details.

Please do post those details (if they actually let you know). I am sure I am not the only one curious about this.

[chillyw]

I know someone who got on the Prima today and a letter was awaiting them saying Islafjord was cancelled and they had an overnight in Akureyri instead.

[robinium]

14 minutes ago, chillyw said:

I know someone who got on the Prima today and a letter was awaiting them saying Islafjord was cancelled and they had an overnight in Akureyri instead.

Ah, here we go again. Another cancellation announced at embarkation despite NCL knowing for weeks and weeks, and allowing people to book shorex etc. 

 

Corporate are completely ignoring me over this issue despite my continuous follow up attempts to press them on why they continue to sell and mislead people on a port visit they know is going to be cancelled. 

[ontheweb]

But if you go to this forum:

 

Northern Europe & Baltic Sea - Cruise Critic Community

 

And click on the thread Is Isjsfordur ALWAYS CANCELLED and then go to post #46, you will see the dock being used!

Edited June 25, 2023 by ontheweb

[bluesea777]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

But if you go to this forum:

 

Northern Europe & Baltic Sea - Cruise Critic Community

 

And click on the thread Is Isjsfordur ALWAYS CANCELLED and then go to post #46, you will see the dock being used!

 

And I responded to that post. Still a lighter and narrower ship (HAL Zuiderdam) than Prima, and it had to reverse all the way up, past the town before it turned around to head out of fjord forward.

 

Prima????

 

 

 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

 

And I responded to that post. Still a lighter and narrower ship (HAL Zuiderdam) than Prima, and it had to reverse all the way up, past the town before it turned around to head out of fjord forward.

 

Prima????

 

 

 

And when I called a few days ago and asked if they were actually going to Isafjordur, I was put on hold and connected to excursions. They said they were still selling the excursions. Try to justify that if they either have no intention of using tenders or are unable to use the dock. 😒

Edited June 25, 2023 by ontheweb

[bluesea777]

5 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And when I called a few days ago and asked if they were actually going to Isafjordur, I was put on hold and connected to excursions. They said they were still selling the excursions. Try to justify that if they either have no intention of using tenders or are unable to use the dock. 😒

When you called you spoke to people that aren’t on the ship and usually have no idea what’s going on aboard Prima. 
 

They are land-based people who may have been on less cruises than you have. 
 

 

[ontheweb]

2 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

When you called you spoke to people that aren’t on the ship and usually have no idea what’s going on aboard Prima. 
 

They are land-based people who may have been on less cruises than you have. 
 

 

And it would be impossible for management to inform them? They have been skipping the port since May. It is not something new.

[bluesea777]

7 hours ago, chillyw said:

I know someone who got on the Prima today and a letter was awaiting them saying Islafjord was cancelled and they had an overnight in Akureyri instead.

It looks like Prima finally got the wind/idea about what Zuiderdam had to do while it was in Isafjordur yesterday. Maybe the new dock wasn’t fully finished?

 

 

[SakeDad]

35 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And it would be impossible for management to inform them? They have been skipping the port since May. It is not something new.

If they were hoping to get in and the port doesn't tell them until the day before it's still not ready there is nothing to tell.

[Phzx90]

First, a big thanks to everyone on the CC boards.  I’ve lurked and learned from everyone over the years, but, as an infrequent cruiser, I felt like I had nothing significant to contribute.

 

Wish my first post offered something more positive, but I reached out to the operator of the 3rd party excursion we had booked in Isafjordur.  He found out this afternoon that Prima plans to skip the port on July 4th (as chillyw mentioned above) and 7th (which is our sailing on the Prima).

 

NCL still has nothing to say about it on our sailing. 

[cc-riderslc]

32 minutes ago, Phzx90 said:

First, a big thanks to everyone on the CC boards.  I’ve lurked and learned from everyone over the years, but, as an infrequent cruiser, I felt like I had nothing significant to contribute.

 

Wish my first post offered something more positive, but I reached out to the operator of the 3rd party excursion we had booked in Isafjordur.  He found out this afternoon that Prima plans to skip the port on July 4th (as chillyw mentioned above) and 7th (which is our sailing on the Prima).

 

NCL still has nothing to say about it on our sailing. 

Our 3rd party vendor told me the same thing. He is the marketing manager of Arcticshorex / Wild Westfjords. He did say they expected the dock to be ready sometime in July so it sounds like it's a week by week waiting game. Most of you know the dock could only accommodate small to medium size ships. In 2022 I believe they started a project to make the dock larger and NCL took the space on the belief it would be ready, which it was supposed to be, but obviously isn't. I hope it is ready by the time we visit late August. It not only disrupts private shore excursions booked in Isafjordur but on the Southampton to Iceland itinerary it changes, or at least has so far changed the arrival time in Reykjavik. Instead of 7 am it is 1:30 pm making it very hard to do the most popular Golden Circle tour, which is 7 to 8 hours long. The tour would still be doable I guess but you would miss that final dinner and have not much time to pack and get your suitcase outside the door. Like I have said in other posts why can't NCL communicate what the situation is? Why are passengers having to wait until they board to hear of the change without explanation. I can see some justification for not making the port. None whatsoever in not communicating. 

[robinium]

5 hours ago, cc-riderslc said:

Our 3rd party vendor told me the same thing. He is the marketing manager of Arcticshorex / Wild Westfjords. He did say they expected the dock to be ready sometime in July so it sounds like it's a week by week waiting game. Most of you know the dock could only accommodate small to medium size ships. In 2022 I believe they started a project to make the dock larger and NCL took the space on the belief it would be ready, which it was supposed to be, but obviously isn't. I hope it is ready by the time we visit late August. It not only disrupts private shore excursions booked in Isafjordur but on the Southampton to Iceland itinerary it changes, or at least has so far changed the arrival time in Reykjavik. Instead of 7 am it is 1:30 pm making it very hard to do the most popular Golden Circle tour, which is 7 to 8 hours long. The tour would still be doable I guess but you would miss that final dinner and have not much time to pack and get your suitcase outside the door. Like I have said in other posts why can't NCL communicate what the situation is? Why are passengers having to wait until they board to hear of the change without explanation. I can see some justification for not making the port. None whatsoever in not communicating. 

I had a tour booked with the same company. 
 

Yes, you are absolutely right here. I also do not understand why NCL chooses not to inform passengers. At best, they’re severely inconveniencing them, but at worst, they’re falsely advertising to customers who are booking now, given they’re claiming to include a port they have absolutely no intention to visiting. I have been trying to chase them over this, but they won’t reply to me anymore. 

[ShannonSC2]

On 6/22/2023 at 2:49 AM, SakeDad said:

The other issue most are unaware of is the people you talk to are not in a call center if old days where everyone has the same information. Most are home based and in countries around the world and don't have "supervisors" in the room to reach out to. It makes it much easier to get incorrect information they will swear is correct.

 Yep one person will tell you one thing while someone else will tell you something totally different.  No one is on the same page.  And this is for all cruise lines not just NCL.  

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, SakeDad said:

If they were hoping to get in and the port doesn't tell them until the day before it's still not ready there is nothing to tell.

And that is what has been happening on every cruise so far in May and June on the Prima? You really believe that?

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, Phzx90 said:

First, a big thanks to everyone on the CC boards.  I’ve lurked and learned from everyone over the years, but, as an infrequent cruiser, I felt like I had nothing significant to contribute.

 

Wish my first post offered something more positive, but I reached out to the operator of the 3rd party excursion we had booked in Isafjordur.  He found out this afternoon that Prima plans to skip the port on July 4th (as chillyw mentioned above) and 7th (which is our sailing on the Prima).

 

NCL still has nothing to say about it on our sailing. 

I called NCL a few days ago, and inquired about were they really going to allow passengers off in that port. The rep said she did not know as she just had the itinerary. And then she did the right thing and said she would get me to someone who would have that information. She ended up transferring me to the excursion sellers. They said they were still selling excursions for July 4th. And she either couldn't or wouldn't tell me if they had sold excursions for dates prior to that.

[robinium]

13 hours ago, SakeDad said:

If they were hoping to get in and the port doesn't tell them until the day before it's still not ready there is nothing to tell.

Seems a bit of a strange coincidence then that we were told at the start of our UK to Iceland trip, despite that port being over week later, near the end… yet those on the reverse trip were also told at start of their trip, with only a few days notice. 
 

You reckon the port is repeatedly, coincidentally only telling them exactly on embarkation day of each itinerary? 

[ontheweb]

11 minutes ago, robinium said:

Seems a bit of a strange coincidence then that we were told at the start of our UK to Iceland trip, despite that port being over week later, near the end… yet those on the reverse trip were also told at start of their trip, with only a few days notice. 
 

You reckon the port is repeatedly, coincidentally only telling them exactly on embarkation day of each itinerary? 

I think someone is just reaching for excuses to make for NCL.

[Phzx90]

15 minutes ago, robinium said:

Seems a bit of a strange coincidence then that we were told at the start of our UK to Iceland trip, despite that port being over week later, near the end… yet those on the reverse trip were also told at start of their trip, with only a few days notice. 
 

You reckon the port is repeatedly, coincidentally only telling them exactly on embarkation day of each itinerary? 

if everything does hinge on the status of the port, they may give the cruise lines typical construction updates (“Will / Won’t be done by X date”). So, NCL may know only a few weeks out each time.

 

 From what I’ve seen on other threads, some people have gotten an email prior to sailing.  I wonder if NCL figures at least some advance notice is enough for people to cancel third party excursions without penalty. So if Isafjordur is at the end of your itinerary, knowing at embarkation is enough.  If it’s at the start, they let you know in advance.  I’ll see if we hear anything from NCL before our July 6 embarkation. 

 

Agree with all who said that even if the circumstances are beyond their control, NCL (and maybe all cruise lines) need to improve their transparency & communication. 

[chillyw]

I do think there's a possibility now that construction is close to done and they're in a wait and see mode, but agree with everyone on the sailings before this.

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, chillyw said:

I do think there's a possibility now that construction is close to done and they're in a wait and see mode, but agree with everyone on the sailings before this.

I hope you are right as we are on the August 6th sailing with this port near the end and do have what we hope will be a fine private excursion booked.

[chillyw]

1 minute ago, ontheweb said:

I hope you are right as we are on the August 6th sailing with this port near the end and do have what we hope will be a fine private excursion booked.

 

I'm on the sailing right after you out of Reykjavik, let's hope it opens this month and we get word before our trips!

[Phzx90]

Just looked at the Isafjordur port schedule site

 

Yesterday, the calendar view still showed Prima in port, on the 4th and 7th.  Don’t see any dates until late July now. Interestingly, the table below the calendar hasn’t been updated yet. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Phzx90

[chillyw]

18 minutes ago, Phzx90 said:

Just looked at the Isafjordur port schedule site

 

Yesterday, the calendar view still showed Prima in port, on the 4th and 7th.  Don’t see any dates until late July now. Interestingly, the table below the calendar hasn’t been updated yet. 

 

That's the next time Prima would attempt it right? 10-day reverse, it'll take a while to get back there. Let's hope it's successful this time!

[Phzx90]

2 minutes ago, chillyw said:

 

That's the next time Prima would attempt it right? 10-day reverse, it'll take a while to get back there. Let's hope it's successful this time!

Yes