First cruise after ship is dry docked

[smartlady25]

Hi,

I am a well seasoned cruiser but another couple and my husband and I just realized that the cruise is the first after the ship is in a 10 day dry dock. Has anyone had bad experiences with cruising after dry dock such as shortened sailing, unfinished work that effects onboard services, continued construction during the sailing, etc. Any help would be appreciated so we have a better picture of what we might have to deal with.

Fern

[SuiteTraveler]

There are several threads on the Azamara Journey after a dry dock and all that the first sailing encountered. Basically, a bunch of furniture was missing, some of the toilets didn't have toilet seats (but a simple call to the cabin steward solved that), the gym and spa were not ready, some of the suites were not finished. Sometimes the dry dock is extended and the first cruise after the drydock is shortened. Sometimes workmen stay onboard and complete the work.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6848

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2238260

 

Think about the situation and decide what is best for you. Some people don't want to be on a ship that is not 100% ready. Others don't care. Only you know how you might feel about it.

[Clarea]

I know on Royal Caribbean, there have been tasks they have not been able to finish during the dry dock, so the work continued during the next cruise or two.

[easyboy]

I have sailed on a cruise after drydock. I just noticed some "cosmetic" work being done on the cordoned off interior area that could be part of a post-drydock checklist for rework. It did not affect nor restrict our movements around the ship. Neither was it mechanical in nature.

[easyboy]

On a dry dock last year, my ship went back into service with 11 more days of work to complete. Entire areas of the ship were closed to passengers, and some venues could not be opened. Many passengers were quite upset about this. When the ship's management reported the many problems to our bosses in Miami, the answer was simple. "Buy them off". We gave many refunds, comped many dinners in specialty restaurants, and gifted many bottles of wine. Quite a few passengers claimed they would never cruise with us again.

 

The response from Miami: "Remaining in dry dock long enough to properly finish the work would have cost us an additional $10 million in costs and lost revenues. Refunding cruise fares and losing a percentage of our loyal customers will cost us less than $1 million. This exercise has saved us over $9 million. We can easily replace the lost customers." Case closed.

Quite a disturbing corporate philosophy! I wouldn't mind being inconvenienced, but not deliberately.

I hope safety is not compromised in favor of profitability.

Thank you for your anecdote.

[Nana4x]

Which cruise line was this with?

 

So far in my career, I have worked through 14 dry docks, 8 of them in the past 10 years.

Dry docks are always difficult.

But in recent years, the bean counters have become more involved. They don't like us sitting there with no revenues coming in.

So dry docks have become shorter - but the work involved has become more extensive. Something has to give in this situation. The easiest solution is to start the renovations during the last voyage before the dry dock. Contractors come aboard and start tearing things apart during the cruise. Many passengers complain. They are given some sort of compensation and an apology.

Then after the dry dock, renovations are typically not entirely completed. It is far too expensive to keep the ship in the dry dock long enough to finish, so we go back into service with the contractors still working. Many passengers complain. They are given some sort of compensation and an apology.

 

On a dry dock last year, my ship went back into service with 11 more days of work to complete. Entire areas of the ship were closed to passengers, and some venues could not be opened. Many passengers were quite upset about this. When the ship's management reported the many problems to our bosses in Miami, the answer was simple. "Buy them off". We gave many refunds, comped many dinners in specialty restaurants, and gifted many bottles of wine. Quite a few passengers claimed they would never cruise with us again.

mers."The response from Miami: "Remaining in dry dock long enough to properly finish the work would have cost us an additional $10 million in costs and lost revenues. Refunding cruise fares and losing a percentage of our loyal customers will cost us less than $1 million. This exercise has saved us over $9 million. We can easily replace the lost custo Case closed.

[JawjaFatBoy]

So far in my career, I have worked through 14 dry docks, 8 of them in the past 10 years.

Dry docks are always difficult.

But in recent years, the bean counters have become more involved. They don't like us sitting there with no revenues coming in.

So dry docks have become shorter - but the work involved has become more extensive. Something has to give in this situation. The easiest solution is to start the renovations during the last voyage before the dry dock. Contractors come aboard and start tearing things apart during the cruise. Many passengers complain. They are given some sort of compensation and an apology.

Then after the dry dock, renovations are typically not entirely completed. It is far too expensive to keep the ship in the dry dock long enough to finish, so we go back into service with the contractors still working. Many passengers complain. They are given some sort of compensation and an apology.

 

On a dry dock last year, my ship went back into service with 11 more days of work to complete. Entire areas of the ship were closed to passengers, and some venues could not be opened. Many passengers were quite upset about this. When the ship's management reported the many problems to our bosses in Miami, the answer was simple. "Buy them off". We gave many refunds, comped many dinners in specialty restaurants, and gifted many bottles of wine. Quite a few passengers claimed they would never cruise with us again.

 

The response from Miami: "Remaining in dry dock long enough to properly finish the work would have cost us an additional $10 million in costs and lost revenues. Refunding cruise fares and losing a percentage of our loyal customers will cost us less than $1 million. This exercise has saved us over $9 million. We can easily replace the lost customers." Case closed.

 

 

This is more than a little disturbing, but after working in the retail arena for the better part of 20 years I do understand the concept. However, I'm still a firm believer in putting people ahead of profits.

 

We're booked on the Elation for November 4, which will be the 6th cruise (38 days) after her MONTH long dry dock. I've heard some borderline horror stories about the cruises following dry docks, especially long ones. We're REALLY hoping that we have allowed enough time for them to get any kinks ironed out.

[Sequim88]

Our last TA was immediately post-drydock and there was a lot of work still going on. RCCL's Mariner of the Seas had extensive renovations (seriously - they showed a video of the work) and a lot of the electronics (TV, internet) were still being worked on so no cabin TV for a couple days and very spotty wireless internet. They had a hundred technicians along for the cruise with a deadline to be done by the Canary Is. to fly home from there. There was other work (mostly painting and touch up) going on all over the ship but it really did not affect our ability to enjoy the cruise and gradually it returned to normal.

 

The upside to being "the 1st" is all the new features. That cruise the introduced the touch screen information panels all over the ship which included that evenings MDR menu. They also introduced the reformatted Italian up-charge restaurant which opened a few days late but was very good.

[cb at sea]

They never finish ALL the work in Drydock..I once took the last cruise BEFORE a DD...and they started the demolition before we got off the ship.

I would NEVER do the 1st or last cruise before a dry dock again.

[Nic6318]

Hi there

 

There is currently a few threads on the Carnival thread.

 

Ship just out of dry dock. Waterslides are still being worked on during cruise. The passengers are being offered OBC or the option of no fee cancellation with refund or rebooking. Of course this isn't going to make everybody happy.

 

I am sure that often they get it right, but you know what they say. Sht happens.

[rccampbell]

Our first cruise ever will be on Caribbean Princess next week to S. Caribbean. I understand she then goes into dry dock after that. I suppose we can expect some demo or things not working right or areas closed off to passengers? Not exactly the way I wanted to initially experience cruising. :-(

[bob brown]

One upside boarding the first cruise after a dry dock is you may not have to wait to get in to your cabin, as there are no previous passenger's to clean up after...along with less chance of lingering norovirus or other outbreaks...

 

The earliest I have ever boarded a cruise, was around 10 AM, although that was not after a dry docking, but rather a repositioning without passengers (the Liberty OTS at Bayonne, after its empty arrival from Miami, a couple of years ago)...

[WupperAV]

Was on Diamond 3 wk after in 2010. Still painting inside, railings, 1 restaurant was not open whole cruise. Ship was beautiful, crew impeccable, food good.

[easyboy]

Our first cruise ever will be on Caribbean Princess next week to S. Caribbean. I understand she then goes into dry dock after that. I suppose we can expect some demo or things not working right or areas closed off to passengers? Not exactly the way I wanted to initially experience cruising. :-(

If there are area closed off, you won't miss it for not having used it as first time cruiser. I've been on several, and it has not spoiled our cruise.

 

Nothing you can do but just hope it won't be the worse that you can expect, and enjoy the most that will be available. Look forward to the fun on your port activities.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[bob brown]

Interesting concept Bob.

Where do you think those thousands of construction workers were sleeping and eating during the dry dock?

 

Your cabin was occupied by 2 dirty, greasy shipyard workers who did their best to trash that cabin for 2 weeks.

On the morning of the day you are boarding, those 2 guys still have not moved out. They are very busy working, trying to finish their section of the ship that still is not ready.

 

After several threats from the Captain and Hotel Manager, they finally move out one hour before boarding begins. The cabin steward is hopelessly behind, and can only manage a superficial cleaning of that cabin.

He will have to wait until later in the week, when you are living there, to clean it properly.

Well, I had not considered that....the only time I boarded after a dry docking (the NCL Gem a few years ago), the ship was in Boston getting its azipod(s) repaired, and I did not encounter any of those problems you mentioned....

guess I was lucky.....;p