Why is Grand Cayman still showing on 2021 itineraries?

[micheleg]

I just booked a November 2021 sailing on the Edge.  Grand Cayman is still showing as a stop.  In the meantime, the government of the Cayman Islands does not expect to allow cruise ship passengers back on the islands until sometime in early 2022.  So...another sea day, plop the anchor in and just spin around as if we were tendering in, jump up and down from the upper decks to get views of 7 mile beach?  Anyone recently have a westbound cruise that still showed Grand Cayman?  What did you end up doing?

 

I'll be honest...I wish Celebrity would add a Perfect Day at Coco Cay instead of Nassau, or as a replacement for Grand Cayman.  I haven't seen Labadee offered in ages.  All reports from our pals at RCL is that this is one fabulous day, and I could see myself at the Beach Club without blinking an eye. 😉

 

Thanks all!

Michele

[keesar]

23 minutes ago, micheleg said:

I just booked a November 2021 sailing on the Edge.  Grand Cayman is still showing as a stop.  In the meantime, the government of the Cayman Islands does not expect to allow cruise ship passengers back on the islands until sometime in early 2022.  So...another sea day, plop the anchor in and just spin around as if we were tendering in, jump up and down from the upper decks to get views of 7 mile beach?  Anyone recently have a westbound cruise that still showed Grand Cayman?  What did you end up doing?

 

I'll be honest...I wish Celebrity would add a Perfect Day at Coco Cay instead of Nassau, or as a replacement for Grand Cayman.  I haven't seen Labadee offered in ages.  All reports from our pals at RCL is that this is one fabulous day, and I could see myself at the Beach Club without blinking an eye. 😉

 

Thanks all!

Michele

 

I would expect a sea day.  But hope for Coco Cay or Labadee...

[Tee & Chilli]

11 minutes ago, keesar said:

 

I would expect a sea day.  But hope for Coco Cay or Labadee...

Those are islands Celebrity does not stop at. I wish they visited CC, however that’s Royal only.

[D C]

23 minutes ago, keesar said:

 

I would expect a sea day.  But hope for Coco Cay or Labadee...

 

11 minutes ago, Tee & Chilli said:

Those are islands Celebrity does not stop at. I wish they visited CC, however that’s Royal only.

Celebrity used to stop at Labadee routinely, but rumours suggest it wasn't popular.   They've also scheduled Coco Cay in extenuating circumstances (post-hurricane).

 

Grand Cayman alternatives have been discussed/speculated in the past.  Could be a sea day, another port, or an RCL-owned resort.   I think an overnight in Cozumel with a sea day the next day would be a neat option (if Cozumel is the day before Grand Cayman).

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, micheleg said:

I just booked a November 2021 sailing on the Edge.  Grand Cayman is still showing as a stop.  In the meantime, the government of the Cayman Islands does not expect to allow cruise ship passengers back on the islands until sometime in early 2022.  So...another sea day, plop the anchor in and just spin around as if we were tendering in, jump up and down from the upper decks to get views of 7 mile beach?  Anyone recently have a westbound cruise that still showed Grand Cayman?  What did you end up doing?

 

I'll be honest...I wish Celebrity would add a Perfect Day at Coco Cay instead of Nassau, or as a replacement for Grand Cayman.  I haven't seen Labadee offered in ages.  All reports from our pals at RCL is that this is one fabulous day, and I could see myself at the Beach Club without blinking an eye. 😉

 

Thanks all!

Michele

Good question to ask Celebrity. 

[micheleg]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

Good question to ask Celebrity. 

Asked...Reservation Agent had no clue.  That's why I'm trying to get an answer from someone that has recently sailed.  No point spending additional time in Cozumel if you can only do ships excursions.  Coco Cay would be the ultimate.  More revenue in RCL's pocket...only makes sense, especially with the Beach Club which is an additional charge which Celebrity pax would most likely want since it's more upscale.

[DCPIV]

I expect that they still are sorting it all out and that we'll hear "soon." 🙂

 

I'm on a November sailing that goes only to Grand Cayman.  Honestly, I don't much care what happens.

[twins_to_alaska]

I'm on that Nov sailing as well... I just hope that FL gets their covid situation under better control before then.

[Jeremiah1212]

RCL ships get priority at Cocoa Cay. Since Celebrity dropped Labadee, I doubt Cocoa Cay is even on the radar. I'm sure it's a nice stop, but most of what Cocoa Cay offers is what most Celebrity cruisers don't want. The further we get into the restart, the more difficult it's going to be to find suitable replacement ports that have workable (or no) testing requirements, etc. It'll take a while to sort out and nothing will be announced until those plans are finalized. 

[LB_NJ]

Itineraries have always been subject to change, per the contract.

 

However, at the moment I don't think itineraries are worth the paper they are printed on (worth even less if not printed 🙂.  They just give you a general idea of the part of the world the ship is traveling to.

 

You will probably get a good idea of the actual itinerary once you board.

 

We have a 12 day cruise on Royal scheduled for Dec and I am counting on them docking at at least one foreign port for legal reasons.  I am ok with the rest being sea days.

[NMTraveller]

2 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

RCL ships get priority at Cocoa Cay. Since Celebrity dropped Labadee, I doubt Cocoa Cay is even on the radar. I'm sure it's a nice stop, but most of what Cocoa Cay offers is what most Celebrity cruisers don't want. The further we get into the restart, the more difficult it's going to be to find suitable replacement ports that have workable (or no) testing requirements, etc. It'll take a while to sort out and nothing will be announced until those plans are finalized. 

Coco Cay and Labadee were always one trick ponies.  Would you like to go to the beach, the beach, or the beach?  Ah yes, I think that I will go to the beach.

[phoenix_dream]

We also just asked an agent today. He thought a likely substitute would be Roatan (ugh) or Costa Maya but he didn’t know for sure.  But I’ll be happy just to be onboard!

[DCPIV]

2 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

We also just asked an agent today. He thought a likely substitute would be Roatan (ugh) or Costa Maya but he didn’t know for sure.  But I’ll be happy just to be onboard!

 

I can't say I'm thrilled about either of those, but I agree that it'll be good just to be aboard! 

[Saturngrl]

Our November Reflection sailing has us following Cozumel with  Grand Cayman the next day.   A longer day in Cozumel would be wonderful and/or stop at Roatan (which I love to visit after taking a private tour the last time we were there).  If it's another sea day, I'm okay with that as well.  

[phoenix_dream]

7 hours ago, Saturngrl said:

Our November Reflection sailing has us following Cozumel with  Grand Cayman the next day.   A longer day in Cozumel would be wonderful and/or stop at Roatan (which I love to visit after taking a private tour the last time we were there).  If it's another sea day, I'm okay with that as well.  

The only issue with that is in Cozumel you can only do Celebrity excursions.  But who knows what the situation will be like in November.  We are on Reflection in early December so will keep an eye on how this goes.

[DCPIV]

15 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

The only issue with that is in Cozumel you can only do Celebrity excursions. 

 

I'd be willing to bet Grand Cayman, should they reopen early, would also require curated excursions. 

[D C]

13 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

The only issue with that is in Cozumel you can only do Celebrity excursions.  But who knows what the situation will be like in November.  We are on Reflection in early December so will keep an eye on how this goes.

 

13 hours ago, DCPIV said:

 

I'd be willing to bet Grand Cayman, should they reopen early, would also require curated excursions. 

Hoping that policy changes before our Nov sailing.   We'd likely stay onboard in Grand Cayman anyway, but not in Cozumel.

 

Can't imagine they would have that policy in Key West, but maybe?  Everyone on the ship was literally in Florida less than 24 hrs earlier. Seems silly to corral them at that point. 

[DCPIV]

21 minutes ago, D C said:

Hoping that policy changes before our Nov sailing.   We'd likely stay onboard in Grand Cayman anyway, but not in Cozumel.

 

So does DW, and before November.  She's on a "divas cruise" in October.  All her group does is get off and go to Senor Frog's for a while (not quite her thing, but she likes being with her friends, and it's fun enough).

[Saturngrl]

We want to go to Mr. Sancho's in Cozumel.  If we sailed Royal Caribbean, we could go on our own via taxi, because RC allows independent excursions, versus Celebrity's requirement for cruiseline-only excursions.   Thus we now have the choice to pay $250+ for Celebrity private car excursion to anywhere we want to go in Cozumel (i.e. Mr. Sancho's) OR Playa Mia via Celebrity. 

 

I hope Celebrity will change their policy to match their owner company RC.   

 

[D C]

10 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

 

So does DW, and before November.  She's on a "divas cruise" in October.  All her group does is get off and go to Senor Frog's for a while (not quite her thing, but she likes being with her friends, and it's fun enough).

I do wonder if the 'captive' port area will be an exception to the excursion rule.  Senor Frog's is in that area in Cozumel, right? I know Margaritaville is.    (I'll have to poke around the other threads).

 

Having been there a lot, all we do in Cozumel is walk a few hundred yards down the road to Ernesto's for lunch.   Good food, good Margaritas.

    

[DCPIV]

2 minutes ago, D C said:

I do wonder if the 'captive' port area will be an exception to the excursion rule.  Senor Frog's is in that area in Cozumel, right?

 

DW says it's not.  They take a taxi.  (I've never been, so I had to ask.)

 

She added that Three Amigos is.

[D C]

3 hours ago, DCPIV said:

 

DW says it's not.  They take a taxi.  (I've never been, so I had to ask.)

 

She added that Three Amigos is.

You (she) may be thinking of the Senor Frogs downtown.  It's moved to the International Pier area. 

 

[DCPIV]

44 minutes ago, D C said:

You (she) may be thinking of the Senor Frogs downtown.  It's moved to the International Pier area. 

 

 

Ah!  I'll be sure they know (although I'm confident her cruising buddies do).  Thanks!