Cruise before dry dock

[jojokay]

Is it best to stay away from cruises scheduled immediately before dry dock? What are the cons? Thanks!

[joepeka]

I've never done that but anecdotal evidence from stories I've read over years indicate that sometimes the cruise line will use that last cruise to begin getting ready for the dry dock. Of course it depends on the cruise line, the intent of the maintenance period (not necessarily a "dry dock") and other factors. Personally, based on what I have heard/read, I would stay away but I would be interested in the experiences of RCI veterans who have sailed the last cruise before a scheduled RCI ship maintenance as well.

Edited February 24, 2015 by joepeka

[Clarea]

From reading here, I'd be more wary of the first cruise after dry dock.

[constantcruiser]

I've sailed on a few cruises immediately before and after dry dock (different ships). We were inconvenienced far more aboard the cruises immediately prior to dry dock than those immediately afterwards. Once when we boarded the ship, crew had already begun to pack large pallets of boxes that were left in plain view throughout the cruise. About 3 days in, they began removing carpet and shrink-wrapping furniture. They also drained the pools a couple of days before the end of the cruise. The last morning passengers had to maneuver around mattresses that were lined up in the hallways!

 

On the cruises immediately following dry dock, there were a few carpenters and other tradesmen aboard making final improvements...but nothing that really affected us.

[Colorado Babe]

I agree with Clarea. We were on Enchantment right after dry dock. We had a balcony cabin and couldn't use the balcony due to all the debries on the balcony, my husband and daughter are scuba divers and use the balcony to dry off all there gear. Needless to say, they weren't very happy especially on a port intensive cruise.

[BillB48]

We had booked a cruise on the Jewel a couple of years ago at least a year in advance only to find out that would be the last cruise before it went into the yard. Since I knew our cruise was going to be the "last" cruise before, I was on the lookout for any shortfalls in appearance, service etc. Happy to say there was not one little thing that would have caused any concern whatsoever. Of course that is just one person's experience on one cruise and what is planned for the trip to the yard could certainly impact the "last" sailing in some instances. I agree with others, I think the first trip out of the yard has the possibility to be more iffy.

 

I hind sight while I would not remove consideration a cruise just before or just after a trip to the yard... I would look for other convenient dates that might work for what I wanted in a cruise as my first choice. In the end if that was the cruise best for us I would go regardless if it were immediately before or after the drydock.

[UKWLDCruise]

Because it costs so much to have ships out of service I have more than once had to step around a carpet fitter when a dry dock was not in sight.

 

I have had experiences with new ships, years ago when legend was new I was on a cruise with French dock workers trying to trouble shoot loads of problems like the doors not opening.

 

On Celeb I had a average/poor cruise which some people blamed on it being the first after a TA/spell in Europe.

 

All in all there are a few cruises you might like to avoid.