NCLH Bringing Up the Rear

[mrlevin]

Crystal has cancelled all cruises until April; Silversea (except for Silver Origin to Galapagos) has cancelled all cruises until at least April; Seabourn (except Odyssey to Caribbean) has cancelled all cruises until at least April.  Regent is still selling January South Pacific and South America itineraries and Asia itineraries in February.  

 

Why is it that Crystal, Silversea, and Seabourn parent companies can set up different rules for their luxury brands but not NCLH?

Edited November 11, 2020 by mrlevin

[tripperva]

The answer is always the same. Money.

[Rivercruisevirgin]

They are also still selling Caribbean cruises out of Miami in early Feb in excess of the 7 day limit.

I am booked on the Splendor and for the life of me cant see how this cruise can go ahead!!!

[fizzy]

We were accidentally fortunate to not have $$ tied up with Regent this year. While they do offer a great product, the company is blessed with an extremely loyal and positive customer base.....so far. I believe this lack of transparency is disrespectful to people who have invested huge amounts of money and attempts at travel planning. Maybe those with loads of nights sailed will hang in there indefinitely for the benefits but that isn't everybody and Regent isn't the only quality product around. Mr. Levin said it quite well.

[Pcardad]

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people do not see. The process to resume cruising has already begun. It will become more obvious at the end of the month.

[mrlevin]

5 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

There is a lot going on behind the scenes that people do not see. The process to resume cruising has already begun. It will become more obvious at the end of the month.

 

Which month?  FdR clearly stated in the conference call that he doesn't want to start "simulated" cruises until January.

[Pcardad]

The "process" will become more obvious around the end of November...you can already see signs of it in some FB posts. If you want to play detective with me, I made a list of 10 things that have to be done in order to resume sailing. Then I started looking for signs that some were taking place. The earliest ones are happening as we speak. I think my April 10 date is going to be pessimistic.

[mrlevin]

Is one of your steps Splendor leaving Europe full of European crew to man multiple ships?  And NCL Joy et al leaving Manilla with Filipino crew to man multiple ships?

 

I really don't care what happens to Explorer or Voyager or Splendor or Mariner; I just care about Navigator leaving NYC on 31 May for the Grand Arctic.  Currently final payment is 1 January and involves over $75K to provide to Regent and insurance company.  There are a lot of steps (many involving the other ships) that need to happen before I feel ready to make that payment and purchase air.

 

I really want to see a plan.

Edited November 11, 2020 by mrlevin

[Pcardad]

I hope they share one with you.

[SusieQft]

7 hours ago, mrlevin said:

I just care about Navigator leaving NYC on 31 May for the Grand Arctic.  Currently final payment is 1 January

I agree, except I am 15 days ahead of you on May 16 and December 17.  @Pcardad, do you think they are going to extend the final payment to keep Marc and me from bailing out prematurely? 

 

And it makes sense that they will start with Splendor.  Do you have any opinion about in what order the other ships will start?

[Pcardad]

I would start Explorer 2nd if it were me. Bring the newest ships back first. Easiest to bring up to spec (whatever that actually turns out to be).

 

I have no opinion with regard to payments as there aren't any outside clues I can look at to base a theory on. Personally, I am paid in full my my own trips through September. I am confident this with sort itself out in 6 months (Vaccine, etc.).

[SusieQft]

Okay, if we ignore the currently published itineraries and go in order of age and they launch one ship per month:

January, simulated voyage(s) on Splendor

February, restricted voyages on Splendor, simulated on Explorer

March, restricted on Splendor & Explorer, simulated on Voyager

April, simulated on Mariner

May, simulated on Navigator

June, restricted on all ships

 

Maybe they can get Navigator sailing by June for itineraries of 7 days or less.  😕

Anything more would take some major progress that seems unlikely but not impossible at this point.  I still think they really should extend the final payment dates to avoid major cancellations.

[Pcardad]

I would stretch that out to 1 ship every 6 weeks and I would toss the 7 day limit after May.

[mrlevin]

I still think Mariner will be one of the first ships; much larger public spaces.  In addition, a lot more flexibility on Mariner and Voyager in Constellation theater as Explorer and Splendor have fixed tables and electrical so not as easy to reconfigure (and change back when ready).

 

Mariner and Voyager (and especially Navigator) have ability to have dedicated area for isolated cabins; no real area to naturally do this on Explorer or Splendor.

 

Navigator has (reportedly) larger crew area so might be easier to single up crew.

 

Lots of moving pieces; I trust that Jason Montague will come up with the optimal plan under the circumstances.

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, mrlevin said:

Lots of moving pieces; I trust that Jason Montague will come up with the optimal plan under the circumstances.

................ and keep customers informed as the plan evolves.

 

Personally, I think that a return to cruising for most of us is more dependent on the approval & worldwide deployment of reliable vaccines, rather than cruise lines trying to  operate successfully under the latest CDC convoluted restrictions.
 

I am still hopeful for next Spring, but IMO a Summer 2021 cruise looks more likely.
 

[Rivercruisevirgin]

So here`s my question to those more expert than me (although i do have 67 cruises under my belt)

If the Splendor in February is going to be one of the first ships to sail how are they going to get around the 7 day limit (ours is 10 days).......or can they just change mine to 7 days??

A bit pointless for those of us flying across the pond and also i would have to change my flights booked independently.

Finally, its my opinion that with limited capacity on the early cruises, they will look to embark local (US) passengers rather than those especially from the UK (we are currently in lockdown and cant travel anyway)

Any thoughts??

[rallydave]

11 hours ago, Pcardad said:

I would stretch that out to 1 ship every 6 weeks and I would toss the 7 day limit after May.

Don't believe anyone including Regent can put together an accurate schedule at this point as there will be so many ships to be approved for simulated or restricted cruises especially on an every so many days or weeks schedule.  With the 7 day limit along with limited docking at US ports schedules are subject to change on a regular basis.  And, lok at Seadream that has had to go back to the embarkation port on their first Caribbean cruise.  Yet to be determined if it is a false positive but, believe the rules require this return to embarkation port  on any positive whether or not it is proven false at a later date.  Believe the schedules will be in flux for many many months and approvals will come when they come.

 

As far as removing the 7 day limit after May, strongly believe that restriction will be in place until well after May as not all ships will be approved for restricted cruising by that time  so will continue until all are satisfied that the upcoming vaccines and safety requirements are being met so that return to port does not occur when many days from any port.  We just need to be patient and any and all guesses at schedules whether from the public or cruise lines need to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Pcardad]

If I were you, I wouldn't listen to my guesses at all. They are obviously guesses are are not meant to be a substitution for info from Regent. However, it is fun to guess based on the little data we do get and I get a kick out of doing so. I think time has shown I am fairly accurate with a couple and if that provides anyone with entertainment then that's great. But's it's only entertainment.

[rallydave]

4 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

If I were you, I wouldn't listen to my guesses at all. They are obviously guesses are are not meant to be a substitution for info from Regent. However, it is fun to guess based on the little data we do get and I get a kick out of doing so. I think time has shown I am fairly accurate with a couple and if that provides anyone with entertainment then that's great. But's it's only entertainment.

Well then, why don't you say IMHO or "my opinion" or something like that?  Otherwise people take what you say as the gospel or from Regent contacts and it is far from that and just an opinion and not what at least one lost soul thought was because you were a TA which many of us know not to be true based on your comments.

[Pcardad]

1 minute ago, rallydave said:

Well then, why don't you say IMHO or "my opinion" or something like that?  Otherwise people take what you say as the gospel or from Regent contacts and it is far from that and just an opinion and not what at least one lost soul thought was because you were a TA which many of us know not to be true based on your comments.

 

 

I, very often, say my comments are just my opinion. Probably far more than any other poster does. Even what you just quoted said I was no substitute for Regent info and my posts should be taken as entertainment. No one takes my posts as gospel...you under-estimate the intelligence of your fellow posters. I have posted that while I am a TA, I am not a normal TA in the sense that my services are not available to the general public. I have access to standard TA information (not much) but my primary job is something else. I never share information under the guise of speaking for anyone other than myself nor am I in a position to learn proprietary information.....and if I was, I certainly would not break confidence and share it.

 

I've found posters to this forum to be, with few exceptions, intelligent, kind people who understand that I am not a secret Regent employee posting secret information....just a guy playing Sherlock Holmes with tiny clues we glean from press releases, FB posts and ship tracking websites. Obviously many of us do this and we enjoy it so please put me on ignore and stop trying to make my Cornflakes soggy.

 

 

[bennett2005]

I could be wrong but think controlling COVID on the ship is very doable.  The big issue in my view is how to deal with the excursions and controlling COVID getting on the ship from people getting off and coming into contact with COVID.   We like sea days but not all sea days.  

[mrlevin]

2 minutes ago, bennett2005 said:

I could be wrong but think controlling COVID on the ship is very doable.  The big issue in my view is how to deal with the excursions and controlling COVID getting on the ship from people getting off and coming into contact with COVID.   We like sea days but not all sea days.  

 

The CDC Framework does not require a ship to curtail a sailing for just one positive case; they are required to return if they meet some yet unstated level.  I agree that controlling on ship should be relatively easy if they are not looking for zero tolerance.  As for shore excursions, ships are trying to set up bubbles but I wonder how that will work even on Regent where excursions are included.  For example, in Kirkwall I want to go to Highland Park distillery but there is not a Regent tour; however, if you hire a Regent provided driver/guide you can actually go off on your own; does that pay lip service to the bubble?

 

Marc

 

PS Did you have any problems from the fires?

[Guerncruising]

35 minutes ago, bennett2005 said:

I could be wrong but think controlling COVID on the ship is very doable.  The big issue in my view is how to deal with the excursions and controlling COVID getting on the ship from people getting off and coming into contact with COVID.   We like sea days but not all sea days.  

And that is the biggest issue for us. You may never catch it on the ship but when you’re ashore then what are the chances?

At the moment, on our small island, we have 14 active cases mainly from a known venue. Eventually students will be coming back from the UK for Christmas and then see what happens. We have been Covid free for over 160 days, hopefully we will get there again. 

We can’t wait to cruise again but only when it is safe to do so. 

[Jimmcdaniel]

37 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

 

As for shore excursions, ships are trying to set up bubbles but I wonder how that will work even on Regent where excursions are included.  For example, in Kirkwall I want to go to Highland Park distillery but there is not a Regent tour; however, if you hire a Regent provided driver/guide you can actually go off on your own; does that pay lip service to the bubble?

 

Marc,

Has Regent confirmed that Regent-provided driver/guides will satisfy the bubble requirements? We were wondering the same thing about doing a tour in Japan where Regent doesn’t offer a tour to the spot we want to visit.  I don’t see how Regent could know that guests wouldn’t be exposed to something bad if they hadn’t inspected and approved the destinations. They could control the driver/guides but beyond that I don’t get it. 
 

Jim

[mrlevin]

23 minutes ago, Jimmcdaniel said:

Marc,

Has Regent confirmed that Regent-provided driver/guides will satisfy the bubble requirements? We were wondering the same thing about doing a tour in Japan where Regent doesn’t offer a tour to the spot we want to visit.  I don’t see how Regent could know that guests wouldn’t be exposed to something bad if they hadn’t inspected and approved the destinations. They could control the driver/guides but beyond that I don’t get it. 
 

Jim

 

I remember reading this but now I can't find it; however, I did a filter on "Featured" cruises which used to include all 2021 cruises; now it a shows a lot fewer cruises more in line with what pcardad has been stating; first Navigator cruise is not until September 12th Montreal to New York.  Splendor and Explorer start in late May followed by Mariner with Voyager joining in August.  These are not the tea leaves I was hoping for.

 

Marc