9/1 Breakaway Cancelled

[cruisinsc1]

5 minutes ago, dincus said:

NCL website with Dorian info is back up and updated at 9pm and says that Breakaway IS sailing tomorrow with early checkin starting at 0900.

Clear your cookies and refresh the NCL site.

 

Hurricane Dorian – UPDATE: August 31, 2019 - 9:00 PM EST (1:00 AM UTC)

We continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean and are in constant communication with the United States Coast Guard.  While it is our every intention to maintain the original itinerary as much as possible, the safety and security of our guests and crew always takes precedence. Due to the storm, the following itineraries for Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Sun have been modified. 

Norwegian Breakaway – August 25, 2019 Sailing
Due to Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, the United States Coast Guard are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for the storm and have made the final decision to close PortMiami this evening, August 31, 2019.  As such, Norwegian Breakaway’s scheduled return on September 1 has been postponed.  We are working closely with government and local port authorities to confirm the ship’s anticipated return of September 4. 

We are in constant communication with the United States Coast Guard, as we continue to monitor the storm and will provide an update by Sunday, September 1 at 8 p.m. or earlier.  

Norwegian Breakaway – September 1, 2019 Sailing

Due to Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, the United States Coast Guard are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for the storm and have made the final decision to close PortMiami this evening, August 31, 2019.  As such, Norwegian Breakaway’s seven-day Western Caribbean cruise will be modified.  She will no longer call to Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; nor Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.  Instead, she will sail a modified four-day itinerary, which will include a sail date of Wednesday, September 4, pending approval by government and local port authorities.  If confirmed, she will spend a day at sea on September 5, call to Cozumel, Mexico on September 6 and remain at sea on September 7 before returning to Miami, Florida on September 8, as planned.

We are in constant communication with the United States Coast Guard, as we continue to monitor the storm and will provide an update by Sunday, September 1 at 8 p.m. or earlier.  

[oliver35]

The breakaway is delayed till the 4th

[tiggrbaby]

So what do they expect people to do until Wednesday?

[blueslily]

I'm guessing that some travelers might have made their own decision to not travel regardless of what is posted on the NCL website. With so much uncertainty during the past 36 hours, it makes sense to consider a Plan B. Hopefully many opted to make decisions that might help them be safe and not be stuck somewhere they dont want to be stuck. And allow their travel insurance or whatever plan from NCL to kick in after this weather emergency has cleared. 

[dincus]

I'm on hold with NCL right now checking on my cruise on the Sun on 9-2. I told her about the Breakaway situation and that their website says they are boarding at 0900 tomorrow. She told me that cruise has been cancelled and a new 4 day cruise is leaving on Wednesday and passengers will have the opportunity to chose to sail on that cruise.

As for my cruise on the Sun, she told me it is on schedule to arrive at Port Canaveral on 9-2 in am. I told her the Sun is in Cozumel and is scheduled to leave 9-1 at 6pm which she confirmed. I told her it was not possible to leave Cozumel at 6pm and be in Port Canaveral the next morning. She had no explanation other than they are waiting on Coast Guard to tell them what they could do.

[cruisetheworld67]

Umm...I know it sucks to have a cruise cancelled....but....why book a Caribbean cruise in the heart of hurricane season?

 

Prices drop this time of year (usually)   for this very reason.

 

You roll the dice and sometimes you lose.

[Mike_DeA]

On 9/1/2019 at 10:48 AM, cruisetheworld67 said:

Umm...I know it sucks to have a cruise cancelled....but....why book a Caribbean cruise in the heart of hurricane season?

 

Prices drop this time of year (usually)   for this very reason.

 

You roll the dice and sometimes you lose.

What does your post even mean? Serves these people right for booking in Sept? What a nice person you are....

 

Prices drop because summer is over, school starts and many people can't travel now.  If demand was high, prices would be too.

[newmexicoNita]

11 hours ago, Mike_DeA said:

What does your post even mean? Serves these people right for booking in Sept? What a nice person you are....

 

Prices drop because summer is over, school starts and many people can't travel now.  If demand was high, prices would be too.

It is obvious the poster is not filled with a lot of sympathy, but he also has a point if you think about it Anyone who books at the height of the hurricane season does have to think about the possibility of itinerary change or cancellation. Aug and Sept particularly Before that and after early Oct it is a bit different. 

[Oakman58]

To be honest, I know a number of people who have no clue when hurricane season is and what the prime months are.  Not everyone hangs on every word about hurricanes and not everyone reads cruise critic and for that matter, not everyone even keeps up with current events.

 

I was talked into taking my first cruise many years ago by some friends, it was a September cruise.  They told me that if there is a storm at sea the ships just sail around it.  We had perfect weather for that cruise and it wasn't until I joined cruise critic that I got a real education about storms and cruising in general.  Although my friends had cruised a number of times, I think they were pretty clueless too.  I think a little empathy is in order for the folks on the Aug 25th cruise and the cancelled Sep 1st cruise.

 

 

[biker@sea]

On 9/1/2019 at 10:48 AM, cruisetheworld67 said:

Umm...I know it sucks to have a cruise cancelled....but....why book a Caribbean cruise in the heart of hurricane season?

 

Prices drop this time of year (usually)   for this very reason.

 

You roll the dice and sometimes you lose.

 

 Because some of us have no choice!

 

All NCL ships sailing out of Boston basically sail in hurricane season.

We get named storms in  May before the first ship come’s to town.

 

.

[Mike_DeA]

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

It is obvious the poster is not filled with a lot of sympathy, but he also has a point if you think about it Anyone who books at the height of the hurricane season does have to think about the possibility of itinerary change or cancellation. Aug and Sept particularly Before that and after early Oct it is a bit different. 

Sounds like you're piling on too.  I notice you have 34,000 posts, so you obviously are a seasoned cruiser and very familiar with hurricane season.  How many does the OP have?  The answer is 10. I don't know if it means it is their first cruise or not.  As Oakman58 points out very nicely below, many people have no idea when hurricane season is, let alone when it peaks. 

 

2 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

To be honest, I know a number of people who have no clue when hurricane season is and what the prime months are.  Not everyone hangs on every word about hurricanes and not everyone reads cruise critic and for that matter, not everyone even keeps up with current events.

 

I was talked into taking my first cruise many years ago by some friends, it was a September cruise.  They told me that if there is a storm at sea the ships just sail around it.  We had perfect weather for that cruise and it wasn't until I joined cruise critic that I got a real education about storms and cruising in general.  Although my friends had cruised a number of times, I think they were pretty clueless too.  I think a little empathy is in order for the folks on the Aug 25th cruise and the cancelled Sep 1st cruise.

 

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

3 minutes ago, Mike_DeA said:

Sounds like you're piling on too.  I notice you have 34,000 posts, so you obviously are a seasoned cruiser and very familiar with hurricane season.  How many does the OP have?  The answer is 10. I don't know if it means it is their first cruise or not.  As Oakman58 points out very nicely below, many people have no idea when hurricane season is, let alone when it peaks. 

 

 

We know we are  pushing the button, but mid Oct is very different from late Aug to late Sept. It is true that many people do not realize how long the hurricane season is. On the other hand, know the exact season or not, anyone knows most of them hit from mid Aug to late Sept. My main gripe more than anything are those who won't stop griping. We are all aware of the nightmare this last few days have been to those traveling. We also or most of us do have an idea why rates are lower this time of year unless you are cruising New England and Canada 

[ducklite]

On 8/31/2019 at 7:39 PM, tiggrbaby said:

I refer to it as the cone of confusion. 🙂

 

I am wondering how they will compensate people who used the free airfare/hotel.  I know last night my sister called Delta to try and get on a later flight today, and they told her she would have to go through the booking agent.  The agency NCL used only had regular M - F business hours...

And that is why I don't use a travel agent.

[Oakman58]

It's kinda funny, I'd bet those who are saying it's dumb to book a cruise during hurricane season would also criticize anyone for taking a winter cruise if they got stuck in an airport because of a snowstorm and missed their ship.

All travel has some element of risk and when poop hits the fan I think empathy is in order for those hit with it, not criticism and name calling.

 

I'm booked for the Sep 8th cruise on the Breakaway so hopefully she'll be back in Miami by then.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Oakman58

[DaCruiseBug]

Hurricane season lasts for 6 months. To suggest that you avoid cruising during hurricane season is plain stupid.

[cruisetheworld67]

1 hour ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Hurricane season lasts for 6 months. To suggest that you avoid cruising during hurricane season is plain stupid.

 

True but the peak  of  hurricane season is  Aug. 15 - Oct.15....not the entire 6  months.  Why book a Caribbean cruise in the heart of the hurricane season?  Seems  foolish to me.

[cruisetheworld67]

18 hours ago, Mike_DeA said:

What does your post even mean? Serves these people right for booking in Sept? What a nice person you are....

 

Prices drop because summer is over, school starts and many people can't travel now.  If demand was high, prices would be too.

No. Doesn't serve them  right. But if you book a  cruise in the CAribbean in Sept.;  don't be shocked if it gets cancelled.  I  know that is difficult for you to understand....but to most it is just common sense. Just one more thing that can  go  wrong.

Edited September 3, 2019 by cruisetheworld67

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

True but the peak  of  hurricane season is  Aug. 15 - Oct.15....not the entire 6  months.  Why book a Caribbean cruise in the heart of the hurricane season?  Seems  foolish to me.

Ships on every cruise line sail full every week to the Caribbean. I suppose, by your definition, there are a lot of foolish people.

 

We book any time of the year. Our cruise this week that was cancelled.  A couple of years ago, we sailed the week before hurricane Irma and got back to port just in time. Last year, our cruise to Bermuda ended up in Halifax because of a hurricane. We are one of the foolish people. This time of year, we are prepared to sail any time (changed dates) for any duration (extended cruises waiting for ports to reopen).

[DaCruiseBug]

 

Well...why book a cruise in the winter then? There's just as high of a risk of a snowstorm shutting down an airport for 1-2 days and you missing your cruise. So basically, we're left with April-June to cruise. 3 months out of 12. Sounds ridiculous right? That's because it is.

Edited September 3, 2019 by DaCruiseBug

[cruisetheworld67]

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Ships on every cruise line sail full every week to the Caribbean. I suppose, by your definition, there are a lot of foolish people.      Yes.......there  certainly  are.

 

We book any time of the year. Our cruise this week that was cancelled.  A couple of years ago, we sailed the week before hurricane Irma and got back to port just in time. Last year, our cruise to Bermuda ended up in Halifax because of a hurricane. We are one of the foolish people.  Well,  unlike others.....at  least you  realized you are one of the foolish people. It is a  good thing to learn from one's  mistakes.       This time of year, we are prepared to sail any time (changed dates) for any duration (extended cruises waiting for ports to reopen).

 

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

Well,  unlike others.....at  least you  realized you are one of the foolish people. It is a  good thing to learn from one's  mistakes.

No "mistakes" to learn from. We accept that our cruise was cancelled this week (and went to the beach instead) and that we totally enjoyed a New England cruise vs. Bermuda.

[cruisetheworld67]

3 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Well...why book a cruise in the winter then? There's just as high of a risk of a snowstorm shutting down an airport for 1-2 days and you missing your cruise. So basically, we're left with April-June to cruise. 3 months out of 12. Sounds ridiculous right? That's because it is.

I have booked plenty of  Caribbean cruises in the winter. We  ALWAYS fly to the embarkation port at least one full day  (many times two days)  prior to the cruise.  And if flying the day before,  we book the first morning flight   and pay extra for a direct non stop  flight (less chance of lost luggage). And before you say  "Well  some of us can't afford to do that!"   (because I know that's coming).....one needs to do everything possible to make sure that things go smoothly.

 

It is the same scenario  trying to fly to a port in the middle of winter the day of a cruise. A recipe for disaster!

 

Another scenario is people booking their flight home on  disembarkation day for 10 am.  Like that  is  going to work!  Then they get delayed by customs  or  security at the airport and miss the flight  home and wonder what happened.

 

Or the people that book a private shore excursion at a port ( cuz  they know better or their friends told them  they can get a better deal that a ship booked tour)   and then of course the private tour  does not get them  back to the ship in time and they  wonder why the ship did not wait for them.

 

Many, many people just do not properly plan. They don't plan for their cruises,  for their retirement,  and then  "stuff" happens.

C'est la vie.

[DaCruiseBug]

17 minutes ago, cruisetheworld67 said:

I have booked plenty of  Caribbean cruises in the winter. We  ALWAYS fly to the embarkation port at least one full day  (many times two days)  prior to the cruise.  And if flying the day before,  we book the first morning flight   and pay extra for a direct non stop  flight (less chance of lost luggage). And before you say  "Well  some of us can't afford to do that!"   (because I know that's coming).....one needs to do everything possible to make sure that things go smoothly.

 

It is the same scenario  trying to fly to a port in the middle of winter the day of a cruise. A recipe for disaster!

 

Another scenario is people booking their flight home on  disembarkation day for 10 am.  Like that  is  going to work!  Then they get delayed by customs  or  security at the airport and miss the flight  home and wonder what happened.

 

Or the people that book a private shore excursion at a port ( cuz  they know better or their friends told them  they can get a better deal that a ship booked tour)   and then of course the private tour  does not get them  back to the ship in time and they  wonder why the ship did not wait for them.

 

Many, many people just do not properly plan. They don't plan for their cruises,  for their retirement,  and then  "stuff" happens.

C'est la vie.

 

For a vast majority of people it isn't financial restraint. Most people can't go down 2-3 days early because they have something called "LIFE" going on. That could be work, kids in school etc. I've seen airports closed for 48 hours. If you sail on a Saturday most people will fly down on Friday after work and stay overnight before they sail out. Just because some people don't have any life obligations doesn't mean that we can all fly down 2-3 days in advance.

 

Every season has it's challenges. Telling people not to cruise during hurricane season is idiotic.

[PTC DAWG]

I suppose put me down with the other DA's that book cruises in September...sailing on Celebrity Equinox 11 day southern Caribbean Sept 23...let it rip.  

[KarlChilders]

I think the key here is sail whenever you want to or can afford to, but be mentally prepared to accept that hurricane season may mean itinerary changes or more, and winter sailings your travel to the ship may be hampered by weather.  If you can't deal with these things, as clearly some of our posters can't, then choose another vacation.  I suspect I know PTC Dawg would just order another bourbon and roll on.