Amber Cove or Taino Bay

[TominNC]

I keep reading different and conflicting info.

 

Is NCL, particularly Encore using the Taino Bay port?  I believe our cruise leaving Miami Dec 18 is scheduled for Taino, but I'm reading about NCL ships, including Encore, going to Amber Cove instead.  Sometimes, all the time, randomly?

 

Is there a pattern or reason?  Is there firm info on the Dec 21 stop?

[PATRLR]

Cruisemapper has Encore at Amber Cove on Dec 21.  

 

The Amber Cove web page shows two Carnival ships there on Dec 21.  The pier at AC fits two ships.

 

Sorry to say, it's probably going to be vague until NCL tells you where they plan to go.  My sailing on Encore on Nov 13, we were notified by letter in our stateroom on embarkation, although I suspected  a change to AC because it was on their web page.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by PATRLR

[MNcruisingcouple]

Does anyone know what the issue is with using Taino Bay?  I thought NCL purpose built this port, why are they not using it?

[BirdTravels]

3 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

Does anyone know what the issue is with using Taino Bay?  I thought NCL purpose built this port, why are they not using it?

We sailed on the Encore after the Escape “incident” (a.k.a. Grounding the ship at Taino Bay, poking a hole in the hull, dumping all the passengers in the DR, and incurring a 3 week wet dock in Port Canaveral followed by another 3 week dry dock in Europe - all lost revenue and the need to compensate the displaced passengers). 
 

The Captain of the Encore commented that the channel was very narrow and not much ability to maneuver in windy conditions. On our departure, our bow thrusters and azipods were running to try to keep us away from the shallows. 

[Uff da]

I don't know about the Encore, but the Getaway docked at Amber Cove on our cruise mid November. 

 

[bortman23]

We were on the Encore 11/27 sailing and I assumed we were going to dock at Amber Cove since I had seen most large NCL ships stopping there. We got a notice in our room the night before with a "port change"

 

Seems like ncl is sending larger ships to amber cove because of what happened with the Escape 

[asmit4]

I have read on another popular board that they are currently dredging Taino more to make it possible for the larger ships to get in there more easily. Until then- expect the larger ships to head to Amber Cove. How long? Anybody's guess. With that said? ---I doubt NCL wants to pay Carnival for access to AC any longer than they have to. I'd expect them to be fixing it ASAP.