Ocean Cay~ The Final Countdown

[CUontheC]

20 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I don't think the issue is with disappointment so much as it is certain people seeming to think that a cruise line is never, under any conditions, allowed to depart from the agreed-to itinerary. I hate reading the fine print as much as the next guy, but the cruise lines are pretty well insulated from any legal backlash under the Terms & Conditions we all agree to. I don't begrudge anyone the sense of disappointment, but the somewhat overheated rhetoric (use of words such as "cheated, scammed, lied to, unfair") go beyond disappointment. And that is, I think, why some on CC are quick to remind those who use such terms that there was always the possibility of things changing. I, like you, am not 100% convinced that the December 5 opening will happen, either, tho' I do give MSC props for actually putting out a press release with a firm date.

If you are a cruiser you know that there is always the possibility of not stopping at a port.  Heck our cruise on the Escape in 2018 had the entire itinerary changed due to hurricanes.  We still had a blast.  They gave us no compensation.  And also on that cruise the new itinerary had us stopping at Great Stirrup Cay and due to weather we could not stop there.  We ended up in Nassau for a day and a half.  Not my favorite cruise port.  And when we got to Grand Cayman we had snorkeling plans and due to weather that was also cancelled.  It was still a great cruise!  No they are not cheaters.  I thinnk MSC wants to get this port up and running.  I am sure they have been bombarded with tons of angry phone calls.   And the compensation given is costing them quite a lot of money.  It will eventually open and it looks like it will be nice.  I am going in February and hope I get the chance to see it. 

[BermudaBound2014]

45 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I don't think the issue is with disappointment so much as it is certain people seeming to think that a cruise line is never, under any conditions, allowed to depart from the agreed-to itinerary.

reference needed. I am on multiple Facebook pages along with cruise critic and I have NEVER read anyone even remotely claiming that cruise lines are never allowed to depart from the agreed to itinerary- let alone “under any circumstances.” Where in the world are you reading such non-sense??

 

If you are going to make such accusatory statements, I think it’s fair you back them up with a link, otherwise perhaps it is you who is using the overheated rhetoric?
 

if you can supply a link, my apologies. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by BermudaBound2014

[NameThatFunnel]

14 minutes ago, CUontheC said:

If you are a cruiser you know that there is always the possibility of not stopping at a port.  Heck our cruise on the Escape in 2018 had the entire itinerary changed due to hurricanes.  We still had a blast.  They gave us no compensation.  And also on that cruise the new itinerary had us stopping at Great Stirrup Cay and due to weather we could not stop there.  We ended up in Nassau for a day and a half.  Not my favorite cruise port.  And when we got to Grand Cayman we had snorkeling plans and due to weather that was also cancelled.  It was still a great cruise!  No they are not cheaters.  I thinnk MSC wants to get this port up and running.  I am sure they have been bombarded with tons of angry phone calls.   And the compensation given is costing them quite a lot of money.  It will eventually open and it looks like it will be nice.  I am going in February and hope I get the chance to see it. 

The main problem is that MSC has done a poor job of managing their guests expectations, and this is not the first time. They must have known these issues at OC were going on much earlier than we were told, yet, even up to a day ago, I was getting emails promoting going to Ocean Cay next week.

[BermudaBound2014]

47 minutes ago, NameThatFunnel said:

The main problem is that MSC has done a poor job of managing their guests expectations, and this is not the first time. They must have known these issues at OC were going on much earlier than we were told, yet, even up to a day ago, I was getting emails promoting going to Ocean Cay next week.

exactly! And MSc is not the only one Mis-managing expectations. I know the MSc fan club (for lack of better word) means well, but I think they often set unrealistic expectations also. You don’t get Champaign on a beer budget. MSc is an excellent value, but there are trade offs. Trade offs many of us are more than willing to make btw 🙂

[CUontheC]

1 hour ago, NameThatFunnel said:

The main problem is that MSC has done a poor job of managing their guests expectations, and this is not the first time. They must have known these issues at OC were going on much earlier than we were told, yet, even up to a day ago, I was getting emails promoting going to Ocean Cay next week.

There must really be some big reason that they are not going there.  Guest did have expectations and I really think MSC wanted to make it happen.  Especially with the head guy saying they would absolutely be going there on Thanksgiving.  I don't think he would have put that on the line if he did not think it was possible.  Something happened that I think was beyond their control.  I may be wrong but this is what I think.  And they are trying to give compensation to the cruisers.  Which is a good thing.  I actually read on a facebook MSC page that people were happy about getting the compensation and not going to the island.  I am not yet a fan of MSC as I have not yet been on their ships.  My cruise with them is scheduled for February on the Seaside.  I have though been on 17 other cruises.  I also see some changes being made with the yacht club and I am booked in there.  So that may make me not a fan.  Just not sure yet.  

[gimletgal]

Deleted

Edited November 15, 2019 by gimletgal

[gimletgal]

On 11/13/2019 at 5:57 PM, BoundForSea said:

I truly don’t believe anyone knowingly gave a false answer. I’ve learned over the past couple years that MSC doesn’t do well with consistent messaging among its various departments and even out in the field among ships. I can see a bunch if people on the 8th floor in a conference room discussing a November opening while another group in some cubicles on the 5th floor are discussing a December 5th launch, and they don’t communicate and thus speak with one consistent message. Heck I can call and speak to 3 reservationists in the same building in Ft Lauderdale and get three completely different answers on any given issue or topic. They are improving on these things I and others have noticed, which is good. 

I love it! Celebrity has been operating this way for years and years and years!!  Miami usually has no clue as to what is going on on the ships. Communication is horrid, and not just in the cruise industry.

[emmas gran]

I don't know if this has been posted but we were on 28th Oct cruise supposedly the first to OC.

The voucher (we have been told by MSC) is for 20% of the fare we paid for that cruise not 20% off a future cruise or a cruise you have already booked.

USA people already receiving vouchers in UK we are told 10 to 14 days

[gkbiiii]

It is much worse than you all are saying, being that this opening is over five years late!

[sidari]

2 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

It is much worse than you all are saying, being that this opening is over five years late!

Erm MSC only signed the letter of agreement in 2015 and it was due to first be open for our Inaugural Seaside sailing out of Miami in 2017. 

[hamrag]

13 hours ago, CUontheC said:

There must really be some big reason that they are not going there......

Yep, nice call.....the 'big reason' is the island is not yet ready to have passengers invade! 😉

[citizenfrank]

42 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Yep, nice call.....the 'big reason' is the island is not yet ready to have passengers invade! 😉

That's the only reason and frustration plus disappointment to one side ...who wants to visit something that is less than its goal and eventual best!

I'm sure once father time has allowed the location will be every bit all that it promised.

[DCGuy64]

2 hours ago, sidari said:

Erm MSC only signed the letter of agreement in 2015 and it was due to first be open for our Inaugural Seaside sailing out of Miami in 2017. 

I hope @gkbiiii will consider modifying that post, based on the above.

[slei15]

When we initially booked the Seaside Inaugural cruise (Xmas 2017) in January 2016, the itinerary was St. Maarten, San Juan, and Ocean Cay. It was supposed to be the initial visit to Ocean Cay, and the other two were ports we had never been to and were excited. Ocean Cay was the first to go, I believe sometime in late 2016, and was replaced with Nassau. Very disappointing, but ok, it is still the inaugural sailing of a brand new ship and will be very exciting.  Then came hurricane Maria, and St. Maarten and San Juan practically wiped off the map.  By the time we ended up sailing over Christmas, the itinerary was Antigua, St. Thomas, and Nassau.  Not a single port the same from the original booking. Was it disappointing? Yes. Was it the end of the world and did we let it ruin our vacation? Not at all.  On another sailing on NCL, they made what seemed like a very simple change a week prior to sailing, switching the order of Costa Maya and Cozumel in order to have less ships in port in Costa Maya when we were there. The problem was that the private tour vendor we were using in Cozumel could not do the tour the day we were switched to. This tour was the biggest thing my DW was excited for on the trip. NCL offered absolutely no recourse for this, as it is fully within their rights to change the port. We made the best of it, worked with the tour vendor on a way to do it ourselves, and had a great time.

 

Changes happen. That's life. If you are booking a vacation for a specific destination, don't book a cruise. Book a trip that solely goes to the place you want to go, and that will ensure you don't miss it. Sure, you can't book a trip to a cruise lines private island and stay in a hotel, but you can certainly find very comparable destinations with the same activities and amenities.

[sidari]

Slei ... I remember it well ... 😁

 

These minor changes though have nothing on our first ever Xmas cruise in the Med on the Costa Deliziosa, the cruise was extended by an extra day due to all the changes of port and it was lucky my other half had booked an extra day off work, in all there were 5, yes 5 itinerary changes between booking and sailing with two of the ports being Tunis which was removed and replaced with Libya some 3 days after war broke out there! that was hastily changed to I think Ajaccio. The weather behaved for the most part and we had a great time despite all the port changes.

[hamrag]

3 hours ago, slei15 said:

.....Then came hurricane Maria, and St. Maarten and San Juan practically wiped off the map....

.....If you are booking a vacation for a specific destination, don't book a cruise. Book a trip that solely goes to the place you want to go, and that will ensure you don't miss it.

Really!!.....so hurricane Maria, or it's equivalent, couldn't impact that 'place'?

[slei15]

40 minutes ago, hamrag said:

Really!!.....so hurricane Maria, or it's equivalent, couldn't impact that 'place'?

Touche...Except, that if you had the trip booked to the specific place, your travel insurance would then cover the loss and allow you to rebook when it was open again.  So when you have saved for years for this trip, it isn't completely "lost", just delayed.  Travel insurance doesn't cover a missed or changed cruise port.

[emmas gran]

32 minutes ago, slei15 said:

Touche...Except, that if you had the trip booked to the specific place, your travel insurance would then cover the loss and allow you to rebook when it was open again.  So when you have saved for years for this trip, it isn't completely "lost", just delayed.  Travel insurance doesn't cover a missed or changed cruise port.

Our insurer offers missed port insurance, not sure of the cost but seem to remember $50 US per cruise. 

[hamrag]

5 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Our insurer offers missed port insurance, not sure of the cost but seem to remember $50 US per cruise. 

As does ours....£50 for a missed port!

 

 

 

 

[slei15]

7 minutes ago, hamrag said:

As does ours....£50 for a missed port!

 

 

 

 

Maybe that is a UK thing?  I have never seen that on US based policies.  And either way, $50 isn't going to go very far on making up for that vacation for thousands of dollars that you won't be able to repeat. 

[emmas gran]

Although we have not claimed for missing OC on Nov 9th missing a port happens.  One time around Tasmania the pilot could not return to port with us due to rough seas

[emmas gran]

2 minutes ago, slei15 said:

Maybe that is a UK thing?  I have never seen that on US based policies.  And either way, $50 isn't going to go very far on making up for that vacation for thousands of dollars that you won't be able to repeat. 

These things happen see my previous post

[slei15]

3 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

These things happen see my previous post

Agreed.  That's why I was saying a while back (post 364) that if the one destination is that important to you, you are safer booking a trip to that destination and not counting on a cruise to get you there! I understand that you can't book a trip to Ocean Cay, however; there are numerous places in the Caribbean with the same amenities and activities that you could go to for the same experience. If your whole vacation is planned around that one specific place, you are better off finding somewhere to go that you can just travel to!

[hamrag]

27 minutes ago, slei15 said:

....I understand that you can't book a trip to Ocean Cay, however; there are numerous places in the Caribbean with the same amenities and activities that you could go to for the same experience....

And yet, we have 15 pages with much whining from some whose cruise is not landing at a beach which you suggest is far from unique!! 🤣

[DCGuy64]

Those of you who speak Spanish might want to consider reading this interesting article I just found from yesterday, which gives some of the reasons Ocean Cay's opening was delayed. Of particular note is the mention of climate-related issues such as strong winds and waves, along with leveling of the sand. Are these the "operational issues" they spoke of? Who knows, but at least it helps to read something more specific. I do not take responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this article, FYI.

https://cruceroadicto.com/ocean-cay-msc-marine-reserve-abre-el-5-de-diciembre.html