Any Negatives - Cruise b4 Drydock?

[1cruiselvr]

I am thinking about booking a Caribbean cruise on the Infinity Oct-5th 2015 sailing. From what I've been reading, it sounds like the ship will be going into dry dock right after this cruise. Are there any negatives to being on the last cruise before a dry dock is scheduled? Like are the crew just ready to get off and service suffers? Or are supplies limited because they want to get rid of everything before the dry dock refresh starts? I will be saving for over a year to go on this cruise so it's important that it is memorable. I don't expect everything to be perfect on a cruise, but I also don't want to get a substandard cruise because the focus is on the forthcoming dry dock. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[cruisingsince94]

We have done 2 cruises that were final ones before drydock and had no issues. Food was just as good and there were no shortages that we could tell. As for service we saw no decline in service for us personally but you could tell from the vibe throughout the cruise that the crew was preparing for drydock as they have certain duties to perform during it.

We now try to book for after a drydock to experience the new things added but would not hesitate to book just before if the timing and price was right.

[sddsddean]

We did a cruise on the Explorer of the Seas immediately before she went into drydock in Jan 2010 and it put us off doing one again. We did the Carribean and were ending at Cape Liberty. At our last port of call (sorry, can't remember where....its my age!), we took on some contractors and in the 2 cruising days up to Cape Liberty, several areas were re-carpeted; like the Champagne Bar and the Sports Bar and some other areas. As such this wasn't a problem as it was done during the day, but the Champagne Bar (which is at one end of the Royal Promenade) had all its furniture piled up in the walkways around the centrum end of the Promenade opposite Guest Relations, which made access very awkward (bordering on unsafe) for everybody (bearing in mind this was a Xmas/New Year cruise, lots of kids etc). Also, they closed all the pool area so they could rip up the artifical 'grass' around the pool. OK, it was winter, just above freezing and the guys were wearing survival suits(!), but thats not the point...I had paid to use the pool if I wanted to! Upshot was, we wrote a bit of a snotty letter to RCI and they gave us $150 each back, but I still wouldn't go on a cruise before (or after) drydock again!

 

Simon

[hcat]

We also experienced work starting while on our cruise.....nothing too najor but we felt it should have waited fir the actual drydock...we avoid ones just before and just after....

 

but if it fits your schedule and you are flexible then try it...also depends on the work that is planned...

[A Sixth?]

We were on the Summit's last cruise before dry dock January 2013 and while we had a good time wouldn't book another like it again.

 

Just enough construction and no-go areas to notice. And as a side, the cheese selection was down to nothing...

 

[CRUZBUDS]

Looks like we'll be doing the last Eclipse in the spring before drydock -- We've also done them before and observed work that seem more appropriate to be done without paying passengers aboard. Also nothing major, but noticeable.

 

It would have to be very special circumstances that would entice us to book the first one out of dry dock. We've seen a Royal Caribbean ship that was nowhere near complete.

 

Also as Hcat said - it depending on the work. Our bad experience was after a major drydock/remodel. There were still 40 dumpsters on the pool deck.

[CRUZBUDS]

Here are a few pictures of the Monarch of the Seas the day before the first sailing -- it was a T/A thing. I'm sure it wasn't finished the next day. Hard hats were required to tour the buffet :eek:

 

 

 

 

They were unloading furniture from the shipping container on the upper level from the non-working pool.

 

Maybe they should have gotten started on the last cruise!

Edited May 15, 2014 by CRUZBUDS

[1cruiselvr]

Thx to everyone that responded. Based upon your comments, I think I will try to find another cruise. Can't book the first one after the drydock even if I was willing to take the risk that it was all done in time because the dates conflict with a work convention my husband attends every year. I guess my common sense told me that booking the last cruise before a dry dock wasn't a good idea but thought maybe I was just being paranoid. Your comments confirmed that it's too much of a risk considering how much $ we would be spending.

Edited May 15, 2014 by 1cruiselvr

[A Sixth?]

Thx to everyone that responded. Based upon your comments, I think I will try to find another cruise. Can't book the first one after the drydock even if I was willing to take the risk that it was all done in time because the dates conflict with a work convention my husband attends every year. I guess my common sense told me that booking the last cruise before a dry dock wasn't a good idea but thought maybe I was just being paranoid. Your comments confirmed that it's too much of a risk considering how much $ we would be spending.

 

FWIW sometimes those B4drydock cruises are sold off for cheap cheap.... may be a good call if you don't mind some minor inconveniences... while I said I wouldn't book one again... if the price was right.... it wasn't as if the toilets didn't work or the food and drinks ran out!:p

 

[1cruiselvr]

FWIW sometimes those B4drydock cruises are sold off for cheap cheap.... may be a good call if you don't mind some minor inconveniences... while I said I wouldn't book one again... if the price was right.... it wasn't as if the toilets didn't work or the food and drinks ran out!:p

 

 

Good point...however, the pricing that's currently listed on X's website doesn't seem to be cheap to me. Maybe as time gets closer they might drop their pricing, but we are talking about Oct 2015 so they have time. I was trying to use the OBC being offered if you book any 2015 sailing by May 31st. There doesn't seem to be many Caribbean cruises being offered during the fall of 2015 which is why I was considering the Oct 5th Infinity sailing.

[Drico]

Thx to everyone that responded. Based upon your comments, I think I will try to find another cruise.

 

I think that is a good decision. Over the years I have read several accounts that there was either work going on during the last sailing before dry dock or even during the first sailing after dry dock. I'll pass, thank you!

[cruisingsince94]

Guess we were lucky on ours as we didn't experience any disruptions. There was some staging going on in preparation but nothing compared to what you experienced. I did however notice the worst posts were about RCI ships and not Celebrity.