Any idea why NCL dropped Costa Rica as a port?

[mooshipalmdale]

Our new updated itinerary on the February 24 Joy cruise LA - Miami cruise now shows no stop in Costa Rica!  We were so looking forward to that port, any idea why they dropped it?

[BettyCruiser]

It was also dropped from our January 6 Joy canal cruise. I don’t know why.

[Wink87]

From our Dec 4 as well.

[kelib]

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica

 

could be a reason 

[complawyer]

we're booked on the jewel from panama city,  jan 26,2023.  i just checked and port limon is still listed as a port of call

[kelib]

On the Bliss Jan 27.  We miss  Costa Rica, a day in Panama, and canal transit is overnight with Cartagena the next morning. Also miss  Nicaraqua but that was not a surprise. Substituted Acapulco and Ocho  Rios .  Personally not real happy.

[auie2]

our dec 3 on the jewel still shows Costa Rica

Edited October 12, 2022 by auie2
dte

[Cruise5life]

2 hours ago, BettyCruiser said:

It was also dropped from our January 6 Joy canal cruise. I don’t know why.

I’m on this cruise.   Was a little bummed.  Really wanted to see Costa Rica.  

[kelib]

1 hour ago, kelib said:

On the Bliss Jan 27.  We miss  Costa Rica, a day in Panama, and canal transit is overnight with Cartagena the next morning. Also miss  Nicaraqua but that was not a surprise. Substituted Acapulco and Ocho  Rios .  Personally not real happy.

Revision…we have a sea day between Canal and Columbia…

[njhorseman]

5 hours ago, kelib said:

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica

 

could be a reason 

 

4 hours ago, kelib said:

On the Bliss Jan 27.  We miss  Costa Rica, a day in Panama, and canal transit is overnight with Cartagena the next morning. Also miss  Nicaraqua but that was not a surprise. Substituted Acapulco and Ocho  Rios .  Personally not real happy.

We still have Puerto Limon on our January and February cruises on the Gem.

If NCL'S reason for canceling Costa Rica on your cruise is concern about crime, the last port they should be adding is Acapulco, which is about as crime-ridden a port as I've ever been to. 

[Travelling2Some]

6 hours ago, kelib said:

Revision…we have a sea day between Canal and Columbia…

Where are you seeing this revision? 

[Travelling2Some]

3 hours ago, njhorseman said:

If NCL'S reason for canceling Costa Rica on your cruise is concern about crime, the last port they should be adding is Acapulco, which is about as crime-ridden a port as I've ever been to. 

Agree!  Substituting Acapulco and Ocho Rios to avoid crime?

[Montanagirlalways]

cruising on 12/4 on the joy.  Not happy about the changes either and don't know why. But I've never been to panama and we are only there for 3 hours.  What can you do in only 3 hours. I would love to shop but its a tender also.  Won't  be enough time!

[kelib]

47 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Where are you seeing this revision? 

Sorry, my revision…I was mistaken on my comment

[zmmrzm]

Limon still showing on our Feb 6 Gem cruise.

[Homosassa]

10 hours ago, kelib said:

https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/costa-rica

 

could be a reason 

There is nothing in this link that is not the reasonable precautions that anyone should take when traveling anywhere in the world.

 

Some people must be totally oblivious if they need to be told these precautions.

[Wink87]

2 hours ago, Montanagirlalways said:

cruising on 12/4 on the joy.  Not happy about the changes either and don't know why. But I've never been to panama and we are only there for 3 hours.  What can you do in only 3 hours. I would love to shop but its a tender also.  Won't  be enough time!

It is 12am - 3 pm. Midnight to 3pm

[fenny7cats]

Still showing as a stop on our Pearl cruise 2nd Jan

[BA_FLA]

Acapulco is no prize when it comes to crime….

 

https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2022/05/homicides-and-extortions-unstoppable-in-acapulco-mexico/

[AtlantaCruiser72]

It sounds like the changes have been primarily on Joy and Bliss. We’re all the cancelled port calls for Puntarenas on the Pacific side or are some for Puerto Limon on the Atlantic side?  If all for Puntarenas there could be construction, dredging, tidal issues, lack of available support services (dockworkers or tour operators) the list goes on. Cruise lines rarely drop a port “just because”. There is almost always a legitimate reason for the change, even though it may not be transparent to the consumer. 

[farringtonb]

On the Joy on 30th April but now revised to 1st May. Limon was on this. New itinerary still not on NCL website though. Don't want to lose Cayman and Limon

[farringtonb]

Just noticed the other Joy sailing in April to Curaçao, Limon and Great Stirrup Cay amongst others in April 23 isn't showing on the NCL UK website too.

[Sand and Seas]

14 minutes ago, farringtonb said:

Just noticed the other Joy sailing in April to Curaçao, Limon and Great Stirrup Cay amongst others in April 23 isn't showing on the NCL UK website too.

I can still see the 12 day April 15-27 available on Joy. 

 

US site also has the 7 day Joy cruises for April 1-8 and April 8-15.       

[kapper]

We sail the Panama Canal cruise on the Bliss from Miami on Feb. 25. We were advised that Nicaragua was taken off the itinerary about a month or so ago, and this morning we were advised that Costa Rica is gone now, and Acapulco has been added to the schedule.

 

It's not a safety issue - if it was, we wouldn't be going to Acapulco when the governments of Canada, US and UK all advise against travel to the Guerrero (where Acapulco is) region of Mexico. So, if there's several government advisories against going there, why are we? Is NCL going to take responsibility/liability if something happens there and our travel insurance is null and void?

 

This boils down to NCL not wanting to have to deal with unvaccinated travellers. Costa Rica will not allow unvaccinated travellers to leave the ship, and NCL doesn't want to be put in the position of having to verify vaccination status of their passengers - so screw safety.

[beachmiker]

My Panama Canal cruise on the Encore April 16th has also dropped Costa Rica from its itinerary. This might be a game changer for me.