Will NCL pull a "ROYAL" with the Gem and Joy??

[forgotmyCCname]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I am pretty devastated.

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I am pretty devastated.

Me as well. This will be the 5th cancellation of second anniversary of our 25th anniversary cruise which has gone from Venice to Barcelona to Rome back to Venice and now the very "safe" Jamaica departure.

I said I would be happy with a week at a resort in Jamaica but I was lying to myself. Poop.

[natefish95]

14 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

When we booked this cruise, it was $699 for the first passenger and $0 for the 2nd, for an effective cost of $349.50 pp. Compared to what I found on my own, it was more than fair.

Currently it shows us flying from DC to Santo Domingo. It looks like it's approx 46 miles from Santo Domingo to La Romana cruise port. I did a dummy booking yesterday and prices are lower for our dates but higher for others. Also, the included airport transfer fees have increased from $75 pp (what we paid) to $90.

I like the flexibility of booking my own flight, so I booked Delta roundtrip from DC to Santo Domingo via NYC JFK. for less than $600 for one person in First (I also had a flight credit to use, which is why I did first haha) I'm flying down 9/9 and plan to explore Santo Domingo for a bit before heading over to La Romana. 

[natefish95]

Also, based on the conversation above, I'm able to still see my sailing on the Gem (9/12) like normal as of 1am EST. Maybe we can just chalk it up to NCL IT...

[Coastalbreezes]

6 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Don't panic yet.  My November Escape TA sailing has the same screen and my 2 Prima cruises have just white screens.  They are in the process of updating all of the Alaska bookings so I am being positive and saying it is a website 'glitch' while those changes are being made.  That was the case last time with my TA and everything went back to normal a few days later.  Hoping for all of you cruising soon that it is only Alaska that is being permanently affected.

Hope you're correct about it maybe being a glitch. My August 7 and 14 cruises from Jamaica are intact and I was able to make dinner reservations so fingers crossed.

[kimandtim]

My August 7 Joy sailing is still OK as well -used miles to book airfare but will have to pay a fee to get them reinstated if it changes (have already had to do it once when my Europe trip was cancelled this summer - $200).🙄

[BamaCruiser39]

Everything looks normal for my August 15 Gem for now....I guess I'm back in "wait and see" mode after actually booking all my specialty dinners/excursions way in advance this time 😐

[DCGuy64]

I'm nervous about booking anything this far ahead and potentially paying out of pocket only to have to settle for FCC if they cancel. And final payment isn't due until July 20. But OTOH we risk the restaurants and excursions being full if we wait too long. Not sure what to do. 🤷‍♂️ I hope everyone's cruises go ahead as planned. I did a couple of fake bookings on NCL from MB and they seem to be fine. Fingers crossed it's just an IT glitch.

[oteixeira]

9 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'm nervous about booking anything this far ahead and potentially paying out of pocket only to have to settle for FCC if they cancel. And final payment isn't due until July 20. But OTOH we risk the restaurants and excursions being full if we wait too long. Not sure what to do. 🤷‍♂️ I hope everyone's cruises go ahead as planned. I did a couple of fake bookings on NCL from MB and they seem to be fine. Fingers crossed it's just an IT glitch.

NCL stopped doing FCCs in 2020.  There is nothing to worry about, you will get your money back in 15 days or less (I have had two cruises fully refunded without asking, it is the only option with NCL).

As for the Joy/Gem, I also can get all the way to paying the payment on an August cruise, so not sure what is happening there.

[kimandtim]

Current Bookings are frozen as NCL is making a decision about what to do. Representative I spoke to said they hoped to have an answer by end of week

[oteixeira]

Just now, kimandtim said:

Current Bookings are frozen as NCL is making a decision about what to do. Representative I spoke to said they hoped to have an answer by end of week

I saw this in another thread, my only confusion is that online the bookings are in fact not frozen, and you can book right now.  It is a very mixed message.  Hopefully we get clarity soon.

[PTC DAWG]

12 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I really hope they just move it to the US and let me keep my booking...

We have 4 cabins booked on the 18th cruise, that would be my preferred move...

[DCGuy64]

10 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

I saw this in another thread, my only confusion is that online the bookings are in fact not frozen, and you can book right now.  It is a very mixed message.  Hopefully we get clarity soon.

Yes, that confused me, too. Why would existing bookings get the blank screen but new ones appear to be fine?

13 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

NCL stopped doing FCCs in 2020.  There is nothing to worry about, you will get your money back in 15 days or less (I have had two cruises fully refunded without asking, it is the only option with NCL).

As for the Joy/Gem, I also can get all the way to paying the payment on an August cruise, so not sure what is happening there.

Thank you for that information, it gives me reassurance. 😊

[PTC DAWG]

Joy is scheduled to be in Miami starting the 19th of Oct now...are they thinking earlier?  

[DCGuy64]

Pure speculation, I know, but if NCL cancels the Joy and/or Gem sailings, would they likely have the same itinerary but embarking from the US? Or reroute them somewhere else entirely? I guess there's no way to know. I may hit up my TA and see if he can get the skinny on things.

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Pure speculation, I know, but if NCL cancels the Joy and/or Gem sailings, would they likely have the same itinerary but embarking from the US? Or reroute them somewhere else entirely? I guess there's no way to know. I may hit up my TA and see if he can get the skinny on things.

See my note about the Joy above, I haven’t checked where the Gem is going, but it’s easy to do on the NCL site.  

[DCGuy64]

Just tried to do a mock booking on the Joy and it now says "Your previously chosen itinerary is no longer available. Please make another selection."

Hmmm....

 

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Just tried to do a mock booking on the Joy and it now says "Your previously chosen itinerary is no longer available. Please make another selection."

Hmmm....

 

 

This waiting is KILLING me. I just wish they would tell us what is going on. Leaving us in the lurch for any period of time seems cruel and unnecessary.

Edited May 25, 2021 by JamieLogical

[Alegeeter]

Went to mock book the 8/7 Joy sailing (which I'm already booked on) and now receive this message:

 

[SSFun]

This just stinks! Really makes me want to rethink my loyalty to NCL if they cancel and don't do something major to compensate for it. Their most loyal customers jumped at the chance to get back to cruising ASAP with them and I am (of course this is speculation) guessing that they will likely move the Joy (and maybe the Gem - although you can still book the Gem) to a US port. I am also guessing that the Jamaica cruise will be cancelled and we will have to rebook at much higher prices if we choose to jump back on that bandwagon. I am so disappointed in the limbo we are being put in once again. I know that in the past this has been a CDC/Covid thing, but this time it is a logistical thing and a choice that NCL is making. Sad day!

[SSFun]

Just now, Alegeeter said:

Went to mock book the 8/7 Joy sailing (which I'm already booked on) and now receive this message:

 

I got the same message when I tried a mock booking of mine on 9/18. 🤕

[PTC DAWG]

7 minutes ago, SSFun said:

This just stinks! Really makes me want to rethink my loyalty to NCL if they cancel and don't do something major to compensate for it. Their most loyal customers jumped at the chance to get back to cruising ASAP with them and I am (of course this is speculation) guessing that they will likely move the Joy (and maybe the Gem - although you can still book the Gem) to a US port. I am also guessing that the Jamaica cruise will be cancelled and we will have to rebook at much higher prices if we choose to jump back on that bandwagon. I am so disappointed in the limbo we are being put in once again. I know that in the past this has been a CDC/Covid thing, but this time it is a logistical thing and a choice that NCL is making. Sad day!

It's not really sad if they can move the ship to a Florida port....MIA most likely.  No need in jumping to conclusions until we really have the answers..lots of things in motion.  

 

 

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, PTC DAWG said:

It's not really sad if they can move the ship to a Florida port....MIA most likely.  No need in jumping to conclusions until we really have the answers..lots of things in motion.  

 

 

My only concern about that is that I don't see them doing the same itinerary from MIA in 7 days. I've never been on a 7-day cruise that went as far south as Barbados that didn't start in the Caribbean already, such as San Juan. MIA cruises typically do the Jamaica/Mexico/Grand Cayman route and I've done that a number of times already. I liked the Gem's itinerary a lot and I don't see it surviving a US-based sailing, which sucks. Yes, I know the cruise lines always have the prerogative to change itineraries, but I liked this one. Oh well, we must wait and see.

[PTC DAWG]

4 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

My only concern about that is that I don't see them doing the same itinerary from MIA in 7 days. I've never been on a 7-day cruise that went as far south as Barbados that didn't start in the Caribbean already, such as San Juan. MIA cruises typically do the Jamaica/Mexico/Grand Cayman route and I've done that a number of times already. I liked the Gem's itinerary a lot and I don't see it surviving a US-based sailing, which sucks. Yes, I know the cruise lines always have the prerogative to change itineraries, but I liked this one. Oh well, we must wait and see.

Agree, it will have to change...I've been to Roatan out of MIA, but not Barbados (too far south and east as you say) ...starting further south in the Caribbean has its benefits for sure.  

 

Barbados is beautiful, I have done an 11 day Southern Caribbean out of Lauderdale on Celerity, it's definitely a nice trip.  

Edited May 25, 2021 by PTC DAWG

[Alegeeter]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

My only concern about that is that I don't see them doing the same itinerary from MIA in 7 days. I've never been on a 7-day cruise that went as far south as Barbados that didn't start in the Caribbean already, such as San Juan. MIA cruises typically do the Jamaica/Mexico/Grand Cayman route and I've done that a number of times already. I liked the Gem's itinerary a lot and I don't see it surviving a US-based sailing, which sucks. Yes, I know the cruise lines always have the prerogative to change itineraries, but I liked this one. Oh well, we must wait and see.

San Juan is a potential embarkation port too so perhaps the Gem will relocate there. NCL has sailings from San Juan during winter months so it's possible, especially if NCL doesn't return to Florida because of the vaccine mandate. It's all a guessing game for now!

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Agree, it will have to change...I've been to Roatan out of MIA, but not Barbados (too far south and east as you say) ...

 

Barbados is beautiful, I have done an 11 day Southern Caribbean out of Lauderdale on Celerity, it's definitely a nice trip.  

Yes, Barbados is beautiful, my very first cruise ever (on the Norwegian ship MS Starward) went there. In fact, it might even have been my very first port, come to think of it.

Our last cruise was with MSC in December 2019 and we went to Roatan, I've already been there twice so no desire to go back again just yet. I really liked the St Maarten, St Lucia and Antigua spots, too. Oh well, it was fun to dream. The irony is that we booked this cruise as a backup for one in Europe and now we may need a backup for the backup, LOL!