No Coco Cay 11/18 Freedom Cruise

[Colonialdame]

We received an email from our travel agent indicating that the day at Coco Cay will be replaced with a stop in Nassau on the FOS Thanksgiving week cruise. Sure enough the change in itinerary now appears on the RCCL website. We called RCCL and a rep indicated there was a conflict with a charter. Needless to say we are disappointed as we are traveling with extended family and were looking forward to our private island beach day. We wonder if this is an unusual occurrence and why it is announced after final payment. Overbooking an island? Why does the charter get preference? Just asking. We'll make sure we have a fun day in Nassau.

[One Morlock]

Heard it's the Bud Light Cruise that's taking Cocoa Cay that day. You'll be on a great ship so I'm sure you'll still enjoy!!

[yarlenna]

Coco Cay is a tender port. That also means that it is skiped lots of time.

Enjoy your cruise. Do look at ports as being part of the entertament. The real fun is enjoying the ship!

[Colonialdame]

We're actually okay with the change and won't dwell on it. Thanks for reminding us that Coco Cay is missed if the seas are rough. I guess I wish that RCCL had published the actual itinerary for Thanksgiving week. Surely they knew well in advance. That said, FOS is the right cruise for our family with all of the kid oriented entertainment.

[Trekker954]

This would have annoyed me as cococay is my favorite stop and nassau my least. We missed it this weekend due to high seas. We had two days in Nassau with an overnight. We didn't step off the ship. I agree, they should have announced that well in advance. Sounds like you were bumped for the Bud stop.

[Karroons]

OP, come on over to the roll call for this cruise as we have been discussing the change already, options, etc.:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1405277

 

Karen

[CP3o]

They are discounting the Allure 11/18/2012 sailing.

 

Maybe you could ask them to move you to that one since it has a private island stop (Labadee). Everyone, not just residents or seniors, can get 829 for central park balcony, 1019 for BV, 1049 for ocean balcony, cat D2-D8.

 

If those prices are less than you paid on Freedom and you aren't looking for a credit, just a swap to different ship......... you have a reasonable request, I would say, since they have known about this for a long time.

[snowbird1]

We received an email from our travel agent indicating that the day at Coco Cay will be replaced with a stop in Nassau on the FOS Thanksgiving week cruise. Sure enough the change in itinerary now appears on the RCCL website. We called RCCL and a rep indicated there was a conflict with a charter. Needless to say we are disappointed as we are traveling with extended family and were looking forward to our private island beach day. We wonder if this is an unusual occurrence and why it is announced after final payment. Overbooking an island? Why does the charter get preference? Just asking. We'll make sure we have a fun day in Nassau.

 

As mentioned you could miss CoCo anyway due to high seas. To be honest and this just my opinion, the Freedom is too big to tender to CoCo anyway. I just did that and the lines were terrible, she is just too big. Now going there on the Monarch or Majesty is another story.

[BecciBoo]

To all affected, RCCL has now updated the Excursions for our cruise. You can go and make rez now:D

[cb at sea]

We LOVE the private beach days...but when you buy a ticket on a cruise, you agree that they don't have to go where they said they would go....it's in your cruise contract. You agree to it when you purchase your fare. No, it's not fair, but their ship...their rules!

[swwake]

There happens to be an interesting group doing a "takeover" cruise the week before you on Freedom. Would this have anything to do with it?

[awboater]

When the seas were too high at Coco Cay for us to tender, we just went on to the next port. So by diverting to Nassau, you at least get a port day.

 

But, we have been to Nassau so many times, when we visit it, we usually just stay on board and have the ship to ourselves for a few hours.

[BillOh]

Coco Cay is a tender port. That also means that it is skiped lots of time.

Enjoy your cruise. Do look at ports as being part of the entertament. The real fun is enjoying the ship!

 

But that is for weather. These Budwieser trips are known well in advance. Tacky, but not the end of the world. There was a recent discussion about how many times out how many attempts people have missed this stop. While I'm 2 for 2, some people are 0 for 4 or more attempts. I hope none of those people are on this cruise! I was thinking of booking Freedom again 2014. If this happen to me I'd probably look for another week.

[aurelius180]

But that is for weather. These Budwieser trips are known well in advance. Tacky, but not the end of the world. There was a recent discussion about how many times out how many attempts people have missed this stop. While I'm 2 for 2, some people are 0 for 4 or more attempts. I hope none of those people are on this cruise! I was thinking of booking Freedom again 2014. If this happen to me I'd probably look for another week.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. If I were on this cruise, and Coco Cay were important to me, I would be slightly annoyed. RCI has known for quite some time that the Budwieser charters would be there and should have adjusted itineraries sooner. :cool:

[BillOh]

As mentioned you could miss CoCo anyway due to high seas. To be honest and this just my opinion, the Freedom is too big to tender to CoCo anyway. I just did that and the lines were terrible, she is just too big. Now going there on the Monarch or Majesty is another story.

 

I've wondered about that myself in considering my next cruise. I was in CocoCay in 2007 on a day when both Majesty and Sovereign were there as the tendering situation was a disaster. It took us to 11:30 to get to the island.

[aurelius180]

I've wondered about that myself in considering my next cruise. I was in CocoCay in 2007 on a day when both Majesty and Sovereign were there as the tendering situation was a disaster. It took us to 11:30 to get to the island.

 

I noticed in August, when we were on Coco Cay, that they have really built it out over the last year and also brought in a few more tender ships. I assumed this was due to the larger ships visiting the island. There was a noticeable difference from when we were there in June of last year.

[mjm325]

the other posters are correct, it is the Bud Light Port Paradise 5 cruise... both Majesty and Monarch have been chartered =) I've been on it the last 2 years :D Last year was awful as there was a HUGE strom coming, but there was a major concert to take place (Incubus and Pitbull) so they let us tender. Well, the strom came and the island was shutdown immediately. We waited in the rain for 2 hours trying to get on the tender back to the ship. The sea was so bad it was truly scary... I think there are some videos on youtube ;)

[twinmommy08]

I've been on three cruises that had ports at Coco Cay- Never been to the island. The port got canceled each time.

 

Either my bad luck or it really doesn't exisit and they trick you by making (yet another) stop in Nassau.

 

I avoid that route now! :D

[temple1]

On the first topic that was started about the redirect it was mentioned/implied that the problem is not the Bud cruises being there at the same time but problems contracting to clean up After the Bud cruises leave in time for Freedom's passengers.

 

:eek:

[Colonialdame]

Actually, we don't have a big problem with the change and appreciate each of your responses and information. Yes, RCCL clearly has the right to adjust itineraries. We just think they had the information well enough in advance so as to list Nassau as the port we would be visiting on this cruise. These Bud cruises aren't a new thing. We view this as a minor disappointment but worth mentioning.