Breakaway departure time from Bermuda changed to 3 PM?

[mizLORInj]

:eek: AGAIN why is NCL not informing its customers other than making changes on the Vacation Summary.

 

Thanks for this post; I hadn't noticed the arrival and departure changes but if I were booking a daysail (as we usually do) in St. Thomas I'd be :mad: that my day is being cut short.

 

So, for our Bermuda cruise next month I wonder if Celeb Summit is also leaving Bermuda early or if we'll just end up together outside Ambrose (NYC channel) waiting for the pilots to board on the day we return from Bermuda.

[waxing witch]

this is the first cruise i've booked with NCL and it's definitely leaving a bit of a poor taste in my mouth. we booked in january for a cruise this october (final payment is tomorrow) and have a group of 9 going. since we booked, they've increased the daily service charge *twice*, instituted a $7.95 charge for room service, discontinued allowing you to take food out of the restaurants, and now this.

 

some things i get - prices increase, so the first increase in DSC i just made sure to prepay them while they were still $12/pp per day. but the room service charge PLUS not taking food from the restaurants was upsetting as a few of us have health issues and i was concerned because if we have to miss dinner or leave early, we could be penalized and have to pay for room service. this latest change is really not a huge thing - like other said, our cruise contract stipulates that they can change itineraries at any time without notice - but it's the lack of communication that really bothers me. if i didn't come on these boards, i wouldn't know anything about many of these changes. bad show, NCL.

[Freckle53]

this is the first cruise i've booked with NCL and it's definitely leaving a bit of a poor taste in my mouth. we booked in january for a cruise this october (final payment is tomorrow) and have a group of 9 going. since we booked, they've increased the daily service charge *twice*, instituted a $7.95 charge for room service, discontinued allowing you to take food out of the restaurants, and now this.

 

some things i get - prices increase, so the first increase in DSC i just made sure to prepay them while they were still $12/pp per day. but the room service charge PLUS not taking food from the restaurants was upsetting as a few of us have health issues and i was concerned because if we have to miss dinner or leave early, we could be penalized and have to pay for room service. this latest change is really not a huge thing - like other said, our cruise contract stipulates that they can change itineraries at any time without notice - but it's the lack of communication that really bothers me. if i didn't come on these boards, i wouldn't know anything about many of these changes. bad show, NCL.

 

The 'not being allowed to take food away' policy was changed back to normal.

[Diver2014]

...and there are still free items on the room service menus, not everything has a $7.95 charge.

 

It's not just the Breakaway, several other NCL ships are changing arrival and departure times, ie Escape in St Thomas. I don't think the changes have anything to do with fuel and slowing down, especially since the Escape's next port after St Thomas is only 25 miles away in Tortola. It seems more logical to me that NCL wants its passengers to spend more time on the ships so they can spend more money on board. Just a thought as an amendment to my earlier post #39 since I believe the ships are charged per passenger volume, not the amount of time spent in port. By the way, we received the email from NCL on July 16 about the change in the DSC but probably because we haven't paid the gratuities yet - it said any guest who had booked by July 31 won't be subject to the new rates.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Diver2014

[dcipjr]

Point still stands -- NCL has been absolutely terrible at communicating these changes.

 

I still haven't received an email about the new DSC charge—though I did already prepay mine at the old rate, so maybe I won't get one.

 

Some notification and explanation—even something lame like "we're doing this to serve you better"—would have been appreciated. I shouldn't have to rely on the CruiseCritic boards to find out about these changes.

 

Keeping things in perspective: I get a couple hours less on the island on Friday (we usually get back to the boat early on Friday anyway). DSC went up, but that doesn't affect me since I prepaid, and even if I did, it's another few bucks—my cruise rate was still a good deal. I got $200 OBC in an earlier version of the Freestyle Choice promo, so I can handle upped gratuities and dining. These changes aren't going to cause any significant change to my overall vacation.

 

Still, communication is so important. I'd rather hear about the changes from them instead of through the virtual grapevine.

[mizLORInj]

Point still stands -- NCL has been absolutely terrible at communicating these changes.

 

. . .

 

Some notification and explanation—even something lame like "we're doing this to serve you better"—would have been appreciated. I shouldn't have to rely on the CruiseCritic boards to find out about these changes.

 

. . .

 

Absolutely agree. An email to those who are booked (and affected) is not too much to ask or expect from NCL.

 

Edited July 20, 2015 by mizlorinj

[beachcomberbill]

I think that besides saving fuel, NCL is also looking at this as a revenue-making opportunity. The more time spend onboard, the more you spend.

 

That's possible. It gives them two extra hours to open the casino once they get into international waters.

Last time we took this cruise, this past September, we spent the last day in port exploring the Royal Dockyard. You certainly don't need until 5 pm to see all of that. If you enjoy naval history, or exploring Bermuda history, or war history, the exhibits at the fort are excellent.

There is a small beach behind the fort which is excellent for little kids as the water is very shallow and calm, and if you take bread off the ship, you can feed the little fish that swim in schools around you. This beach has shower facilities, restrooms, food stands and a bar (of course).

There are tacky souvenirs galore at a mall just down the road, and there is an excellent pub just a walk from the ship.

There is still even time to go into Hamilton via the ferry and do some more upscale shopping there (the store featuring the signature Bermuda rum is just a few steps from the ferry landing). They are very proud of their Bermuda shorts worn with knee high socks and shoes. The shorts are pricey but of excellent quality. I didn't see anyone other than Bermudan businessmen wearing them. American tourists can be spotted immediately, and we know who we are. :-)

We leave this Sunday with the entire family on the same cruise.

[NauticalSmile]

This is just pure BS... I just traveled in June and the departure was 5pm.. I booked again for Aug and now 3pm.. You have to be up and out at crack of dawn in order to get a full day in.. When the hell are the changes going to stop????

[waxing witch]

The 'not being allowed to take food away' policy was changed back to normal.

 

not as far as i know - my friend got off the breakaway two weeks ago and was given some trouble. she has a 7 month old and each night tried to leave her family after appetizers, taking her entree back to the room with her. she encountered some issues and had to run up the chain of command in the MDR to be able to bring her dinner back to her cabin.

 

anyway, the lack of communication is, like others have said, the biggest issue. i haven't heard anything directly from NCL since the last DSC increase a couple of months ago.

[travelady65]

My 10/11/15 cruise was changed to 3:00 - WTH?

 

My cruise on the Breakaway going to florida/bahamas on December 13, 2015 ...orginal time getting into Port Canaveral was 12:00 .....just was changed getting into Port Canaveral 1:00.... just noticed this when i went into my vacation summary..... feel bad for the passengers taking excursions to either Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, or Sea World..... not alot of time to enjoy the parks..... i dont have anything special planned...maybe just take the shuttle into Ron Jon's...and get some things i need at walgreens.... then go back to ship and enjoy the pool area for the rest of the afternoon...

[richg35]

Yesterday morning I wrote my NCL "cruise consultant" about the time change in Bermuda - specifically asking him to address the changes and why booked passengers weren't notified by the cruise line.

 

In the past he has responded to me in about an hour or so. On this issue so far, no response.

 

Anyone else submit any inquiries about this and get any replies?

[calmpets]

Yesterday morning I wrote my NCL "cruise consultant" about the time change in Bermuda - specifically asking him to address the changes and why booked passengers weren't notified by the cruise line.

 

In the past he has responded to me in about an hour or so. On this issue so far, no response.

 

Anyone else submit any inquiries about this and get any replies?

 

I emailed public relations on Sunday and have heard nothing yet.

[nancynana9950]

I sent an email to public relations yesterday about our October Breakaway cruise and I have heard nothing.

[calmpets]

So I received a reply to the email I sent public relations on Sunday about the lack of notification. Here is what they responded with:

 

Thank you for email regarding the itinerary changes for your Bermuda Itinerary coming up this October. We are in the process of sending out letters advising all of our guest of said changes. You should be receiving your notification very soon. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

 

We thank you for being a valued latitude member and look forward to welcoming you onboard.

 

So while they may or may not have intended to notify people initially, they apparently are going to soon.

[antsnanny]

So I received a reply to the email I sent public relations on Sunday about the lack of notification. Here is what they responded with:

 

Thank you for email regarding the itinerary changes for your Bermuda Itinerary coming up this October. We are in the process of sending out letters advising all of our guest of said changes. You should be receiving your notification very soon. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

 

We thank you for being a valued latitude member and look forward to welcoming you onboard.

 

So while they may or may not have intended to notify people initially, they apparently are going to soon.

 

So, there going to notify us but why are they doing this? The Veendam is currently staying an additional night in Bermuda, why can the Dawn and Breakaway do that? Instead there taking more time from peoples vacations on the islands.

I cruise a lot and love NCL, I have always said NCL always seems to be striving to be better while others are cutting corners. NOT SO MUCH ANY MORE. It seems things are willy nilly in corporate these days, if they needed to raise service charges, thats ok if the money is going to the awesome crew but to do so and to do it again in less than 6 months is just bad planning in my opinion. The issue over food in cabins, they say it, don't enforce it and then take it back. Is anyone thinking before making new changes? God only knows what cost cutting is going on that we don't know about.

[coaster]

Casino can open earlier. Less fuel required for transit. Brilliant cost savings and revenue maker. Unhappy passengers are a minor factor under Del Rio's game plan for NCL.

Edited July 22, 2015 by coaster

[CarolinaMamma]

I respect their right to modify to an extent -- weather, safety, sickness, overboard, issues with the port,etc. --- provided they attempt to perform the itinerary I booked. My respect evaporates when they modify w/o notice because they want to get more/spend less money.

 

Agreed. Especially when fuel is cheaper than it has been in years and after I have made final payment.

[Squirty27]

Even though I already knew of the departure change out of Bermuda, got an email from my TA this morning to let us know of the change; we leave two weeks from tomorrow. The email that she got from NCL said effective July 26 through September 20.

[dexddd]

Even though I already knew of the departure change out of Bermuda, got an email from my TA this morning to let us know of the change; we leave two weeks from tomorrow. The email that she got from NCL said effective July 26 through September 20.

 

I guess their effective date of July 26 sailing going forward would be true but they left Bermuda yesterday at 3 so the real effective date was the 19th. Nothing like surprising the people when they got to the pier to embark last week, classy act NCL.

[CTBob]

Sailing on the Breakaway tomorrow, still haven't heard anything :mad:

[ryukin88]

Even though I already knew of the departure change out of Bermuda, got an email from my TA this morning to let us know of the change; we leave two weeks from tomorrow. The email that she got from NCL said effective July 26 through September 20.

 

We leave on the Breakaway tomorrow and I just got the email from my TA which she forwarded from NCL (she received it at 5:25AM this morning). Very poor communication on NCL's part.

[spidybabe]

Got our email today for an Aug 9 departure on the BA. Felt like getting very old news. CC is such a wealth of info. Can't leave it up to NCL to inform us of changes in a timely manner.

Safe sailing

[janetz]

Even though I already knew of the departure change out of Bermuda, got an email from my TA this morning to let us know of the change; we leave two weeks from tomorrow. The email that she got from NCL said effective July 26 through September 20.

 

Sept 20th? Well that is not right. We sail on September 27th to Bermuda. Our time to leave Bermuda is 3pm.

[ImADaneFan]

Sept 20th? Well that is not right. We sail on September 27th to Bermuda. Our time to leave Bermuda is 3pm.

 

 

And our BA cruise to Bermuda is October 18th and I received notification from NCL this week that we are now leaving @ 3pm :(

[jackiefitz@comcast.net]

Well don't this just stink! It sure would be nice if NCL would notify people of these changes instead of everyone always having to find out things from here or the social media sites or passengers on board.

 

I absolutely love NCL and have had great experiences with them, but the way things are being handled lately is just putting a sour taste in my mouth.

 

Our upcoming Bermuda cruise...also shows the changes of now not arriving until 9am and then leaving at 3pm. That's a total of 3 hours we will lose. Do they not consider telling people that may have things booked? :(

 

I got an email from NCL today on the changes, but no explanation. Very odd