Canada & New England Cruise this Fall

[10XCruiser]

We are scheduled for mid Sept but since Canada is having issues with vaccinations, I'm not hopeful this will happen.  Any opinions as to possible itinerary changes that eliminates canada??? I really want to cruise....but I don't want to make final payment in July if there is no chance of sailing.  I do not want future credit.  Just venting but curious if others have thoughts on schedule changes...

[Named-Tawny]

It's *possible* to do an itinerary change, but not very realistic.

They'd either have to sail to St Pierre et Miquelon (which is tiny and doesn't have much tourism infrastructure) or redirect the cruise south to Barbados and/or the Caribbean (which would entirely change your cruise)

[don't-use-real-name]

If Canada is not open before February 2022 - Fall cruising in the New England Maritimes

is not going to happen this 2021 season -

There could be alternatives but will require a lot of wasted SEA days going and returning

to satisfy that PVSA requirement -

There are a lot of opportunities in the Caribbean - not so much in Canada New England

unless one would like to take a volcanic side trip to Iceland -

A 7 day cruise from Boston to Bermuda - 4 days are wasted at SEA -

New York not much better -

West coast sailing there is always Mexico -

Mainland to Hawaii - an AWFUL lot of SEA days and a PVSA stop at Ensenada -

Panama Canal cruises would be 9 days or better AND EXPENSIVE -

 

I keep hearing that melody:

 

"Please release me - Let me go"

(I have had my shots - I am ready !)

 

 

[tallnthensome]

NCL already cancelled all of the Alaska cruise season due to Canada. Your sailing to Canada will be cancelled  regardless of any possible itinerary change. 

[Chris_2448]

They still have all Sept/Oct cruises from NYC to Canada on the Breakaway posted. My hope is if they are allowing cruises from NYC by then that these will change to Bermuda or Bahama cruises. 

[dolphin1313]

3 minutes ago, Chris_2448 said:

They still have all Sept/Oct cruises from NYC to Canada on the Breakaway posted. My hope is if they are allowing cruises from NYC by then that these will change to Bermuda or Bahama cruises. 

This is my thought also.  NCL or other cruise lines won't change their itineraries until after the CDC allows them to start cruising from the US.

[DGP1111]

9 hours ago, 10XCruiser said:

We are scheduled for mid Sept but since Canada is having issues with vaccinations, I'm not hopeful this will happen.  Any opinions as to possible itinerary changes that eliminates canada??? I really want to cruise....but I don't want to make final payment in July if there is no chance of sailing.  I do not want future credit.  Just venting but curious if others have thoughts on schedule changes...

 

I, too, am on a Breakaway cruise (9/12) that ain't gonna happen as originally planned. ☹️

 

During my discussions with NCL, they advised no cancellations were announced after the decision by Canada since there were some options for itinerary revisions.  Although Bermuda is a possibility, it was stated to be "less likely" due to taking up limited space there for multiple days.  The potential Caribbean itinerary would include a port stop at Canaveral/Orlando (where my flight originates) & Great Stirrup, so that would be a deal breaker for certain. 

 

Unless there is internal intel that Canada could somehow have a change of heart, this clearly seems like a situation of NCL delaying any communication whatsoever in order to keep $$ in pocket.  I paid in full when booked (pre-cooties), as I tend to normally do. As they say, "It is what it is", I guess.

 

.

[darwinsrule]

1 hour ago, DGP1111 said:

Unless there is internal intel that Canada could somehow have a change of heart, this clearly seems like a situation of NCL delaying any communication whatsoever in order to keep $$ in pocket.  I paid in full when booked (pre-cooties), as I tend to normally do. As they say, "It is what it is", I guess.

.

No internal info from what the Minister of Transportation is thinking, but as someone who is working in another government dept here there is still a whole of government response going on to get COVID under control and move from response to recovery.  The February date was put in place so these questions of "when?"  or "what if?" wouldn't be constantly asked.  The focus could be on that response, and the response only.  Don't expect any changes until we are on the other side of things.

 

Now if both Canada and the U.S. have this under control by mid-summer like it increasingly look like, does that change?  Possibly, but we tend to be cautious and risk adverse. 

[Chris_2448]

7 hours ago, DGP1111 said:

 

I, too, am on a Breakaway cruise (9/12) that ain't gonna happen as originally planned. ☹️

 

During my discussions with NCL, they advised no cancellations were announced after the decision by Canada since there were some options for itinerary revisions.  Although Bermuda is a possibility, it was stated to be "less likely" due to taking up limited space there for multiple days.  The potential Caribbean itinerary would include a port stop at Canaveral/Orlando (where my flight originates) & Great Stirrup, so that would be a deal breaker for certain. 

 

Unless there is internal intel that Canada could somehow have a change of heart, this clearly seems like a situation of NCL delaying any communication whatsoever in order to keep $$ in pocket.  I paid in full when booked (pre-cooties), as I tend to normally do. As they say, "It is what it is", I guess.

 

.

I was thinking the same thing until they moved the Joy to Jamaica. There should be no reason the Breakaway can't take the slot in Bermuda that the Joy had for Sept/Oct

[DGP1111]

8 hours ago, darwinsrule said:

No internal info from what the Minister of Transportation is thinking, but as someone who is working in another government dept here  . . . . . .

 

Thanks SO much for the great insight and taking the time to post.  Very much appreciated.

 

Be well, and happy future cruising!! 😊

 

.

 

[Middleager]

Canada had announced everyone eligible to be vaccinated, would get their jabs by Sept.  As we all know, the situation is fluid.  Availability of and shipment of vaccines continues to change, there is also a surge of infections in the 3rd wave, and Ontario is having the most severe lockdowns now, with ICU rates at an alarming level.

 

The originally announced date of no cruise to Canada till Feb/2022, isn't likely to change any time soon.  We have to put out the fire in front of us first.

[10XCruiser]

I guess I will just cancel before final payment in July (again).  I am so ready to cruise as are all of us here on the boards.  I am a hospital worker (laboratory = covid testing) and in much need of a "get away" vacation.  Thanks everyone for your thoughts.  I guess I was (still am) hoping for a miracle.

[Sweetnspicy]

3 minutes ago, 10XCruiser said:

I guess I will just cancel before final payment in July (again).  I am so ready to cruise as are all of us here on the boards.  I am a hospital worker (laboratory = covid testing) and in much need of a "get away" vacation.  Thanks everyone for your thoughts.  I guess I was (still am) hoping for a miracle.

You should plan a back up vacation! You deserve one. 

[MichiganBound]

22 hours ago, Middleager said:

Canada had announced everyone eligible to be vaccinated, would get their jabs by Sept. 

Does that mean everyone eligible will have their full vaccine shots by September or just the first shot (for the two-shot regimen)?   I know that Canada is mandating a substantial delay between the first and second shots for the two-shot regimen.  They are doing this to allow as many people as possible getting the first shot as quickly as possible.   

[Middleager]

3 hours ago, MichiganBound said:

Does that mean everyone eligible will have their full vaccine shots by September or just the first shot (for the two-shot regimen)?   I know that Canada is mandating a substantial delay between the first and second shots for the two-shot regimen.  They are doing this to allow as many people as possible getting the first shot as quickly as possible.   

It's supposed to be fully vaccinated, meaning both shots, by Sept.

 

There were delays by both Pfizer in the beginning as they retool the plant.  Moderna shipment has had hiccups.   There's also AZ coming, and US isn't using AZ so is "loaning" what US has to Canada and Mexico.  The vaccine deliveries are getting ramped up to Canada.  At the same time there is a surge of cases, many with variants.  So there are several provinces in 3rd wave lockdown.  ON is having the most strict shutdown.    It's a race of vaccination, and virus spread.

 

We hope the vaccine deliveries really do ramp up vaccination rate will surge.

 

My wife and I are vaccinated.  I'm hoping we can do a driving vacation to the east coast in late Aug.

[MichiganBound]

1 hour ago, Middleager said:

It's supposed to be fully vaccinated, meaning both shots, by Sept.

 

Thanks for the info.  Much appreciated.

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 4/11/2021 at 8:23 AM, Chris_2448 said:

They still have all Sept/Oct cruises from NYC to Canada on the Breakaway posted. My hope is if they are allowing cruises from NYC by then that these will change to Bermuda or Bahama cruises. 

NCL is a very dodgy with this sort of stuff. Where other lines pull inventory that isn't likely to sail from booking, NCL is still happy to sell you a cruise that other lines won't. Royal Caribbean won't sell you a 2021 cruise to Canada/New England from NJ anymore, but NCL is happy to take your money. 

I'd say (speaking as a NYer) that it's highly unlikely that the region is going to open up cruise ports before late fall/winter. The state and city and agencies love a plan, and talking about a plan, and announcing the plan, and implanting said plan, etc. For example, in March they announced a plan to reopen Broadway theaters... in September. We'll know many months before any sort of tourist or travel-centric changes are implemented.

So far, there's not a peep or inkling publicly that the Port Authority is even formulating a plan to reopen the West Side, BK, or Bayonne terminals. They'll probably watch to see how things go somewhere else and *then* formulate a detailed and expansive plan to reopen. Considering how risk-averse the regional entities are and what a low priority cruising from the tristate region is,  it's not going to be a rushed decision.