Encore to replace the Bliss for 2021 Alaska Cruises?

[mianmike]

The Bliss Alaska 2021 sailings could be moving to the Encore. Based on the cruise ship port calendar for Seattle the Encore will arrive in Seattle on August 6th and depart on the 7th and returning every 7 days through Oct 23rd. The Bliss is not mentioned. 

 

The Encore has also replaced the Bliss on the Port Calendars for Ketchikan, Skagway, Icy Straight and Juneau.

 

We're booked on the Bliss for the 1st Alaska sailing on August 7th.  If we move over to the Encore I'll be fine, if we stay on the Bliss I'll be fine.  Will be sailing Alaska and that's all that matters. 

Seattle Port Calendar: 

 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1250

 

[MamaMia2]

1 minute ago, mianmike said:

We're booked on the Bliss for the 1st Alaska sailing on August 7th.  If we move over to the Encore I'll be fine, if we stay on the Bliss I'll be fine.  Will be sailing Alaska and that's all that matters. 

Seattle Port Calendar: 

 

 

I couldn't agree with you more! We'll be sailing Alaska and I can't ask for more than that! 

[CroozFanatic]

Sailed both. Nearly identical. Both excellent.

 

Still, *****? Looking more and more like NCL was caught with their pants down for this restart. Carnival looking smart. Royal/Celebrity okay. NCL pathetic.

[ziggyuk]

If this happens lets just hope it's a simple change of ship and not a rebook.

 

Don't care about switching ships if that's all it turns out to be.

 

[BamaCruiser39]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

If this happens lets just hope it's a simple change of ship and not a rebook.

 

Don't care about switching ships if that's all it turns out to be.

 

Given the way NCL has handled their other "return to sailing" cruises (cancellations of the Caribbean sailings on Joy/Gem,) I wouldn't be surprised at all if NCL did a full cancel without notice instead of just switching ships causing everyone to rebook at a higher price with less offers.

 

As much as I love NCL and wanted to jump on the Alaska sailings after my Gem got cancelled, I simply cannot trust them with any more of my money until I see cruises actually go as scheduled for a few months.

[oteixeira]

Encore has an easy path to Alaska, just needs to cross the Pacific.  The issue is that she would not be passing by the Joy or Gem if she did that, so would they fly crew from Aruba to Seattle?  Trying to understand how this shift of ships would help the cause, unless the Encore is coming with a fully staffed up ship, and if that is the case, then the cancellations last week make no sense at all.

 

 

[redsox1584]

I am booked on the Bliss for September. Are there any major differences between the ships?

[WarfRatWA]

9 minutes ago, redsox1584 said:

I am booked on the Bliss for September. Are there any major differences between the ships?

Here is a thread discussing some of the differences.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2782690-bliss-vs-encore/

 

[redsox1584]

1 minute ago, WarfRatWA said:

Here is a thread discussing some of the differences.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2782690-bliss-vs-encore/

 

Thank you!

[JamieLogical]

The real question here is, how are they going to get the Joy and Gem crew to the Encore? Hopefully passengers will be mostly unaffected.

[ziggyuk]

 

CONFIRMED......

 

Well spotted  @mianmike  😀

I mentioned this to my PCC earlier while dealing with cruise next certs and he was running late for a meeting because of my call.

He literally just called me back to say that was what his meeting was about and it is confirmed the Encore will replace the Bliss in Alaska and as they are sister ships there will be no rebooking its just a room-4-room transfer.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2021 by ziggyuk

[TardisDance]

Well, this is all starting to make sense.  Those like myself who booked the Bliss last week haven't been automatically receiving the reservation confirmations.  I contacted an online rep and she tried to email it twice and still nothing came through.  They must be blocking Bliss emails until things are official.

 

Now I see a picture of the Encore on my reservation but it lists the Bliss LOL

[redsox1584]

1 minute ago, TardisDance said:

Well, this is all starting to make sense.  Those like myself who booked the Bliss last week haven't been automatically receiving the reservation confirmations.  I contacted an online rep and she tried to email it twice and still nothing came through.  They must be blocking Bliss emails until things are official.

 

Now I see a picture of the Encore on my reservation but it lists the Bliss LOL

I booked the Bliss on Monday night and asked twice for the confirmation and never received it. Then the rep said they were experiencing a delay and to wait 24 hours...now I see why

[BermudaBound2014]

Nice catch @mianmike :).

 

The Encore doesn't need to traverse the Panama Canal to get to Alaska. I know that the Panama Canal had delays early on from Covid, not sure what the situation is today. Could be a reason?

 

I suppose they could fly the Joy crew to Seattle, or bring the Encore to Alaska fully staffed. I still don't  believe the only reason they cancelled Joy was to move crew. If the Joy had enough booked guests to make a profit, I think they would have sailed her from Jamaica as planned. Getting crew seems easier than getting passengers right now.

[DCGuy64]

Wow, this is starting to resemble a Keystone Cops situation: constant cancellations, changing of ships, moving crews, etc. I just hope and pray our sailing goes ahead in September but it's looking pretty iffy at this point.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Wow, this is starting to resemble a Keystone Cops situation: constant cancellations, changing of ships, moving crews, etc. I just hope and pray our sailing goes ahead in September but it's looking pretty iffy at this point.

Maybe the joy staff is going to move to the Sky?

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Maybe the joy staff is going to move to the Sky?

Could be. We were booked on the Joy for January 3, 2021 but it got cancelled. The irony is that the Sky's itinerary is identical. I'm just hoping we get to go, everything is so up in the air right now.

[jy0ung1]

I wonder if this will carry over to the Mex Rivera in the fall/winter?

[RaftingJeremy]

Well this is an interesting development.  The 2 are nearly identical so as long it’s just a ship swap I don’t care.  Hopefully the person above who said this was the case is correct. 

[JAFA13]

39 minutes ago, jy0ung1 said:

I wonder if this will carry over to the Mex Rivera in the fall/winter?

Good question. I’m booked on the Bliss in November for a Mexican Rivera cruise. 

Edited June 2, 2021 by JAFA13

[JAFA13]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Nice catch @mianmike :).

 

The Encore doesn't need to traverse the Panama Canal to get to Alaska. I know that the Panama Canal had delays early on from Covid, not sure what the situation is today. Could be a reason?

 

I suppose they could fly the Joy crew to Seattle, or bring the Encore to Alaska fully staffed. I still don't  believe the only reason they cancelled Joy was to move crew. If the Joy had enough booked guests to make a profit, I think they would have sailed her from Jamaica as planned. Getting crew seems easier than getting passengers right now.

I wonder what the cost savings is not having to traverse the Panama Canal? 

[ziggyuk]

7 minutes ago, JAFA13 said:

I wonder what the cost savings is not having to traverse the Panama Canal? 

 

Last I read was it costs about $450,000, without passengers that's just a big cost.
I was surprised the Sun went through for dry dock in Portland and then a second time to go back to the Caribbean straight afterwards.

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2021 by ziggyuk

[oteixeira]

4 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

Last I read was it costs about $450,000, without passengers that's just a big cost.
I was surprised the Sun went through for dry dock in Portland and then a second time to go back to the arabinan straight afterwards.

Yea, that is a lot.  I am guessing it is much cheaper to fly 500-1000 crew members from Aruba to Seattle.

[lux4me]

The Aug 7 sailing that was on the bliss is now showing not available.  

I called NCL and they advised the bookings are frozen.   they have no other info

[CroozFanatic]

16 minutes ago, lux4me said:

The Aug 7 sailing that was on the bliss is now showing not available.  

I called NCL and they advised the bookings are frozen.   they have no other info

 

Ominous

 

Epic cruise history dude!