What's going to happen now the hurricanes have left a trail of destruction?

Hi,

We're booked for a February2018 Caribbean cruise from St. Maarten to Barbados and back.

As hurricanes Irma andMaria pretty much destroyed 70% of the islands we're going to visit, we werewondering if people who may have booked earlier cruises have heard anythingfrom Seabourn on what is going to happen.

I don't want to jump shipon the islands just yet, but I can image that the local population doesn't liketourists going around looking for hurricane damage.

Also, from a practicalpoint of view, we fly in to St. Maarten a few day early and the hotel we bookedhas been destroyed.

I know it's quite early andupdates will follow as time goes by, however, should we want to postpone thecruise (or rebook to a different one), we should do that before final payment,which is in a couple of months.

So I guess I was wonderingif anyone had heard something from Seabourn on their plans the coming monthsand/or can share from previous experience with that much destruction during thehurricane season.

Thanks

Boudewijn

FYI-

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/09/21/nearly-half-carnivals-fleet-now-displaced-irma-maria/689765001/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/09/21/your-caribbean-cruise-destination-still-open-port-by-port-look-after-irma-maria/685467001/

It is too early to say what things will be like out there. 6 months is a long way away.

In terms of locals being upset with you for visiting I would suggest quite the opposite. We visited the worst affected part of Thailand 3 months after the Tsunami hit in 2004. We thought long and hard before going but in the end all the locals said the same thing - we want tourists because they are our livelihood. It's bad enough getting damaged but to then have your income stream cut off would be catastrophic. The subject was never far from our minds but we enjoyed a great trip.

Many of the structures most badly damaged in the Caribbean were wooden shacks which by their nature can be rebuilt quickly. If there are genuine concerns the the beauty of a cruise ship is you can re schedule to visit less affected areas. Some of the islands were barely touched.

A ship is also autonomous, it doesn't need an umbilical connection to dry land. Think about the caviar in the surf beach days, pretty much everything bar the sun beds comes ashore in tenders.

If your cruise starts or finishes in St Martin that may be an issue but it is very early days still.

Henry :)

We visit the region in November so we shall see. I'm sure a lot of infrastructure has been badly affected so reprovisioning, fresh water, fuel in some ports might be problematic. I'm told Seabourn is keeping a close watch and will reschedule if necessary. It's tricky as many places rely on tourist $$$ anyway, let alone after such a devastating event. We certainly aren't considering cancelling.

I recognize that it is to early for Seabourn to make itinerary adjustments or cancellations but it would be nice if some acknowledgement or communication about upcoming cruises would be wise.

We had a flight into sxm for late Oct. AA refused to cancel the ticket saying that the flight would go. They did not care that the resort no longer existed!

It is too early to say what things will be like out there. 6 months is a long way away.

 

Many of the structures most badly damaged in the Caribbean were wooden shacks which by their nature can be rebuilt quickly. If there are genuine concerns the the beauty of a cruise ship is you can re schedule to visit less affected areas. Some of the islands were barely touched.

 

A ship is also autonomous, it doesn't need an umbilical connection to dry land. Think about the caviar in the surf beach days, pretty much everything bar the sun beds comes ashore in tenders.

 

If your cruise starts or finishes in St Martin that may be an issue but it is very early days still.

 

Henry :)

I don't intend to be argumentative but I just have to say that some of your comments/analysis of the situation in the Caribbean are a bit out of touch with reality. Many of the structures destroyed are not "wooden shacks" but are concrete buildings with no roofs and with interiors destroyed. And then the flooding is another issue. Have you not seen the video of Dominica, St Martin, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands? There is no power, water or food supply and things are getting worse.

Major hotels like Belmond La Samana (St Martin) , Cuisinart, Four Seasons, Cap Juluca (Anguilla) etc are closed indefinitely most not reopening until April 2018 at the earliest. So Seabourn should be able to know now what islands will be unable to receive ships but there are now many that they cannot. Cruise lines and passengers need some level of services in ports and are not fully autonomous. On top of that no one wants to stop in a devastated island to have Caviar when the locals are suffering and the landscape, trees etc destroyed.

Best thing we can do for this region is to donate to help the people now and to rebuild for the future.

The good news is time is on your side.

The cruise lines are doing a nice job making adjustments but certainly the priority has been on cruises that have already left or are leaving near term.

I am reminded that we have been on cruises where once already on the cruise that ports have been adjusted due to weather conditions. Even happened to us in 2014 on another cruise line where four ports on a 14 day British Isles Cruise were missed due to the weather.

Sometime the changes will take you to ports that might turn out to be better.

Again time is on your side.

Keith

We had a flight into sxm for late Oct. AA refused to cancel the ticket saying that the flight would go. They did not care that the resort no longer existed!

And this is the real issue for those of us with Feb cruises-- we also have to plan/pay for flights into SXM and out of Barbados-- the sooner we can get info the better or we will be forced to cancel before final payment or risk losing airfare costs-- a difficult problem without info from the cruise line

I agree, February is pretty close. I would wait a while, and I would not book air until after final payment, if you choose not to cancel. I would also keep a close eye on any news from St. Maarten, which definitely has been hit. Seabourn may choose to completely re-jig the itinerary and do something like round-trip Barbados, for instance.

I presume you will get a refund on the hotel if you paid upfront. I wouldn't count on spending time there, for sure, but again, that depends on news from the islands.

For SB, the Caribbean season begins in about 35 days. Some (most) of these islands do not move quickly under normal conditions. Lots of unpleasant surprises ahead for those flying into/out of certain locations. We have four cruises booked during fourth quarter 2017 covering this area. Bad timing if I cared about visiting islands or had to depart/arrive anywhere other than Florida or Barbados.

After crossing the Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami we will remain on board Odyssey and on 30 October will cruise the Caribbean stopping at Dominican Repuplic, BVI, Antigua, St Kitts, Dominica, St Bartelemy and Puerto Rico, some or all of which have been badly affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

I cannot believe that our cruise won't be affected by these events in one way or another, nor do we know what contingency plans Seabourn has in place, but despite repeated requests for information both via our TA and to Seabourn direct there has been a deafening silence. Zero communication. It's almost as though they won't even acknowledge there might be a problem.

We are NOT going to cancel or start demanding a refund or any other kind of compensation. These things happen and are not Seabourn's fault. But some kind of acknowledgement that the cruise itinerary may be disrupted would be a courtesy at least to these loyal customers and many others.

I don't intend to be argumentative but I just have to say that some of your comments/analysis of the situation in the Caribbean are a bit out of touch with reality. Many of the structures destroyed are not "wooden shacks" but are concrete buildings with no roofs and with interiors destroyed. And then the flooding is another issue. Have you not seen the video of Dominica, St Martin, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands? There is no power, water or food supply and things are getting worse.

 

Major hotels like Belmond La Samana (St Martin) , Cuisinart, Four Seasons, Cap Juluca (Anguilla) etc are closed indefinitely most not reopening until April 2018 at the earliest. So Seabourn should be able to know now what islands will be unable to receive ships but there are now many that they cannot. Cruise lines and passengers need some level of services in ports and are not fully autonomous. On top of that no one wants to stop in a devastated island to have Caviar when the locals are suffering and the landscape, trees etc destroyed.

 

Best thing we can do for this region is to donate to help the people now and to rebuild for the future.

I should have qualified my comments.

There are indeed some areas which have been totally devastated, substantial structures ruined and in those instances recovery will take a long time. The trouble is the media paints a picture of the whole of the Caribbean being wiped out when this clearly isn't the case. In marginal areas recovery could be swift and there are some areas barely affected.

I have a friend who lives on Marco Island, I also have a friend who lives in Cutler Bay / Biscayne Bay Miami. Both are safely in their homes, the latter was enjoying drinks and a meal downtown the day after the storm passed but from media reports you would assume it was a war zone.

The media are clearly after a good story and want the most visual graphics they can find. I am in no way demeaning the hardship some people face currently but the whole of the Caribbean is not ruined. I would hate to see people stay away unnecessarily.

I have absolutely no doubt that Seabourn will strike the right balance here and play it safe. We are still looking forward to visiting the Caribbean over Christmas and contributing to the general economy.

Henry :)

Thanks to RustyRolock,agree 100% with the comments,we travelling from Scotland for Oct 30 doing back to back,and also can get no idea of itinerary change etc either from T A or Seabourne direct.Like said,we do not want to cancel,simply would like to have an idea of what Seabourne planning to re arrange things.

Thanks to RustyRolock,agree 100% with the comments,we travelling from Scotland for Oct 30 doing back to back,and also can get no idea of itinerary change etc either from T A or Seabourne direct.Like said,we do not want to cancel,simply would like to have an idea of what Seabourne planning to re arrange things.

Seabourn probably don't know themselves, yet. It takes time to arrange alternative ports and berths and there are many other cruise lines and ships all likely to be vying for available space. They will need to forward assess the likely state of conditions over the next few months as well. I am sure they are working on it.

Perhaps a statement saying they are assessing the situation and will make announcements as soon as possible would help.... but that should be self evident.

Perhaps they could offer folks the opportunity to take part in volunteering cruises, where you call at devastated ports and take part in the relief efforts, lending a hand, donating funds, supporting local businesses?

Windstar have already announced alternative itineraries so you may like to take a look on their website to get an idea of what is happening with other lines. Seabourn should really have made some sort of statement by now.

Thank you all for your comments, insights and opinions. As our final payment date is somewhere in November, we still have time to decide. Things will also depend on the information Seabourn is going to provide.

Of course they will provide alternative ports if some ports are not suitable for visiting (the cruise will go on) however, I now have flight going into St. Maarten, including a hotel and do not know whether the cruise is going to go to St. Maarten or may change its itinerary. I wouldn’t be surprised if all cruises in those months become Barbados - Barbados 7-day cruises. Which would be a problem, we booked St. Maarten - St. Maarten for a reason.

I guess, we’ll wait another month or so and if no additional information is provided by Seabourn, we’ll rebook our cruise to another one later in the year. I do not want to make full payment and take the risk that the cruise changes completely (including departing/arriving port).

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I called Seabourn yesterday to ascertain their plans regarding changes in itinerary or cancellations as we are on a 12 day December Caribbean cruise. I was informed that Seabourn will make decisions concerning itinerary changes for the remainder of 2017 in two weeks and all persons scheduled on those cruises will be notified by email. There are no plans to cancel cruises.

First post here. My wife and I are taking a cruise for the first time, 14 day Caribbean in Feb 2018 (Exotic Caribbean In-Depth). Our cruise departs/returns to Barbados and our flights are booked. I doubt they will change the departure/return ports, however the itinerary seems likely to change. Our concern is that Seabourn charges a premium for this Caribbean itinerary and we want to ensure that they maintain that standard. We'll be keeping tabs on upcoming Seabourn cruises with a similar itinerary (ports) to see what changes they may make.

We are really looking forward to the Seabourn experience!

From the seabourn website

Caribbean Updates and Hurricane Support

All of us at Seabourn are holding close in our thoughts those who have been impacted by the recent storms. As rebuilding efforts begin, we are assessing the best way to provide on-going support. Our parent company, Carnival Corporation, has already begun outreach and support for those islands impacted on behalf of our family of cruise lines. They have been in communication with officials in many of the Caribbean islands and have activated a plan to deliver supplies on both an immediate and sustained, longer-term basis. These deliveries will be worked into ships’ cruise itineraries as part of ongoing operations. We stand ready to provide support to affected ports and communities.

Seabourn’s Caribbean cruise season begins in late October and we look forward to continuing to provide the great cruise experience our guests expect and the economic support that the region relies on, now more than ever. We’re currently assessing itinerary impacts; should any port substitutions need to be made or adjustments to shore excursions, travel agents and booked guests will be notified.

We sincerely encourage guests with current reservations and anyone considering a Caribbean cruise to move forward with their plans. There is no better show of support for the area and the people than to continue to visit.

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Honestly, I don't understand Seabourn on this. They are part of the larger Carnival umbrella and they have a whole infrastructure to deal with scheduling (and rescheduling) cruises. Any company in this day and age has Business Recovery Plans that should involve identifying upfront alternate plans for key operations. Seabourn should have alternate embarkation/disembarkation ports in the event of unforeseen events. Why Seabourn needs weeks to figure this out is beyond me. They should have already had alternate plans/options in place. Really, this is someone's full time job to do this type of work. Even worse is staying silent and not communicating with customers. And it's not exactly rocket science to realize that no one will be embarking out of St Martin this season.

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First post here. My wife and I are taking a cruise for the first time, 14 day Caribbean in Feb 2018 (Exotic Caribbean In-Depth). Our cruise departs/returns to Barbados and our flights are booked. I doubt they will change the departure/return ports, however the itinerary seems likely to change. Our concern is that Seabourn charges a premium for this Caribbean itinerary and we want to ensure that they maintain that standard. We'll be keeping tabs on upcoming Seabourn cruises with a similar itinerary (ports) to see what changes they may make.

 

We are really looking forward to the Seabourn experience!

MrCheeky - do you sail on the 3rd February? If so, we are also on this cruise, our ninth Seabourn! We are from the UK and have flights booked, accommodation in Barbados pre cruise booked, flight from Barbados to Miami booked at the end of the cruise and then stays in Florida and flights home booked. No way will we cancel! If we can put dollars into the economies damaged by the hurricanes we are very happy to be able to help, if only on a tiny scale. Margaret

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MrCheeky - do you sail on the 3rd February? If so, we are also on this cruise, our ninth Seabourn! We are from the UK and have flights booked, accommodation in Barbados pre cruise booked, flight from Barbados to Miami booked at the end of the cruise and then stays in Florida and flights home booked. No way will we cancel! If we can put dollars into the economies damaged by the hurricanes we are very happy to be able to help, if only on a tiny scale. Margaret

 

 

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Hi Margaret - we are sailing on Feb 17th. We have no plans to cancel. We are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and are really looking forward to the cruise and the Seabourn experience! We have also booked our pre and post-cruise hotels in Barbados. Having said that, we will be holding Seaboard's feet to the fire so to speak to ensure the experience matches the premium they charge. It will be interesting to see how they will balance their shareholders interests with the experience they provide their guests.

Hi Margaret - we are sailing on Feb 17th. We have no plans to cancel. We are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and are really looking forward to the cruise and the Seabourn experience! We have also booked our pre and post-cruise hotels in Barbados. Having said that, we will be holding Seaboard's feet to the fire so to speak to ensure the experience matches the premium they charge. It will be interesting to see how they will balance their shareholders interests with the experience they provide their guests.

We are sure that Seabourn will do their best by their customers. If we can't call at certain islands it will be a shame but we will still have the wonderful experience that we have always found Seabourn delivers. Hope you enjoy it too!

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I do empathize with everyone's anxieties re; their air/cruise bookings. [i am assuming that the cruises will sail but that itineraries will change or even evolve over time.] There is an interesting summary type article on http://www.forbes.com ,today's date. It speaks to the damage on various islands & presents many photos. Their emphasis is on the islands, hotels & restaurants [vs ports and airports] but one can imagine the challenges in trying to anticipate what is going to be available to a ship [docking, supplies, services] & to passengers [safety, tour services] .

It was good to learn that electricity had been restored to Gustavia.....plus Barbados has not been damaged by the storms.

At the same time we need to recognize how seriously the islands/airports must have been damaged that i

many are not yet open.

For myself, I doubt that anyone who sail the Caribbean this year is going to have the precise itinerary & experience that they had anticipated. Going forward depends on how important that is to you.