Getaway Feb 1st 5-day Bermuda changed to Bahamas

[drevil0208]

I have friends who just boarded the Getaway in NYC for a 5-day Bermuda cruise and apparently it's being changed to Bahamas due to high winds.  I can't imagine they will get very long in the Bahamas as it's a much longer distance.

 

I wonder if they will offer any compensation due to a complete change in itinerary... I know it's beyond their control... just wondering.  

[ggTexasGal]

Not likely to receive compensation.

[kh6275]

They got a $200 OBC and 20% off a future cruise. 

[kh6275]

16 minutes ago, drevil0208 said:

I have friends who just boarded the Getaway in NYC for a 5-day Bermuda cruise and apparently it's being changed to Bahamas due to high winds.  I can't imagine they will get very long in the Bahamas as it's a much longer distance.

 

I wonder if they will offer any compensation due to a complete change in itinerary... I know it's beyond their control... just wondering.  

Someone else posted 9:45pm to 3am…

[shof515]

Here is the letter that everyone should of received onboard about this:

[PATRLR]

9:45PM Friday night to 3:45AM Saturday morning.  6 hours total during the dead of night?  I'd say "Why bother" but I understand they need to stop somewhere.  

So, essentially, this is a cruise to nowhere.  Considering NCL's track record, I suppose they should be happy they got even 20%, but, c'mon NCL you can do better than that.  A Bermuda cruise turns into a cruise to nowhere and that's only worth 20%?  OK.

[cruiseny4life]

23 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

9:45PM Friday night to 3:45AM Saturday morning.  6 hours total during the dead of night?  I'd say "Why bother" but I understand they need to stop somewhere.  

So, essentially, this is a cruise to nowhere.  Considering NCL's track record, I suppose they should be happy they got even 20%, but, c'mon NCL you can do better than that.  A Bermuda cruise turns into a cruise to nowhere and that's only worth 20%?  OK.

I think Carnival offered 50%. I suppose that midnight Nassau port walk is worth the extra 30%. 😒

[bluesea777]

I was waiting for this thread to appear .... I knew yesterday that Getaway was not going to come to Bermuda due to high winds and surf coming on Friday and Saturday which will make passage impossible (and very risky) entering to and leaving from Bermuda (Dockyard) due to reefs.

 

@PATRLR This cruise is only 5 nights long and the ship must visit (& dock) a foreign port, and the Bahamas is further than Bermuda. The only other alternative suitable for the 5 day cruise is Canada where it's also receiving high winds, according to Windy.

 

EDIT: Looking at Windy it looks like that Nassau is not much further than Bermuda, so methinks the times are typo.  The 9:45 PM should read as 9:45 AM and the 3:45 AM should read as 3:45 PM.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2023 by bluesea777

[PistolPete13]

Wow, my half working brain kept inserting a full day between the "overnight" portion but the light bulb finally went on.  

Well, if nothing else those onboard will get to see how fast one of these big ships can really go!

[PATRLR]

4 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

@PATRLR This cruise is only 5 nights long and the ship must visit (& dock) a foreign port, and the Bahamas is further than Bermuda. The only other alternative suitable for the 5 day cruise is Canada where it's also receiving high winds, according to Windy.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, but, I don't think I understand the point.  I could see from the post that it was a 5 day cruise and I acknowledged that they need to stop somewhere.  I'm not sure anyone would have considered Canada in the dead of winter, but, I guess that could have been an option.

[drevil0208]

The more I think about it, the more disappointing that compensation is.  It would be different on a 7-day cruise where they could just change the ports around, or would have time to go to something worthwhile.  But these people have just had their only port which was supposed to be 2 days in Bermuda, switched to basically nothing.  NCL planned this cruise for February knowing that the weather could be questionable, if they plan it knowing that there would be no reasonable alternative itinerary, then they shouldn't have offered it.  

 

I think these people should get more than 20% FCC....

[wcook]

I would have expected $0. While you always want more, $100/person plus 20% fcc ain’t bad. 

[sailorusvi]

Going all the way to the Nassau for 6 hours doesn't seem to fit into their Sail and Sustain campaign.  Can't imagine all the fuel they will be consuming?😬 

 

What's the over/under they will actually dock in Nassau? 

 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

NCL never had "winter cruises to Bermuda" in the past.  I wonder why now?  Does it have something to do with no covid restrictions vs other islands that may still have (or had them when they were in the planning stage) them?

 

Maybe I'm wrong....but did NCL have this itinerary in the past during the winter (last year, pre-covid)?

[PistolPete13]

14 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

NCL never had "winter cruises to Bermuda" in the past.  I wonder why now?  Does it have something to do with no covid restrictions vs other islands that may still have (or had them when they were in the planning stage) them?

 

Maybe I'm wrong....but did NCL have this itinerary in the past during the winter (last year, pre-covid)?

I was wondering the same.  I've only been a recent cruiser (May, 2019) and I remember when looking that year there we no earlier sailings out of NYC.

[zqvol]

42 minutes ago, drevil0208 said:

The more I think about it, the more disappointing that compensation is.  It would be different on a 7-day cruise where they could just change the ports around, or would have time to go to something worthwhile.  But these people have just had their only port which was supposed to be 2 days in Bermuda, switched to basically nothing.  NCL planned this cruise for February knowing that the weather could be questionable, if they plan it knowing that there would be no reasonable alternative itinerary, then they shouldn't have offered it.  

 

I think these people should get more than 20% FCC....

20% is more than generous considering they are also getting $100 pp. 

[MsTabbyKats]

2 hours ago, PistolPete13 said:

I was wondering the same.  I've only been a recent cruiser (May, 2019) and I remember when looking that year there we no earlier sailings out of NYC.

Ok...Now I remember why winter cruises started sailing to Bermuda this year.

 

The other "close-by"port, Grand Turk (part of the Turks and Caicos) still had Covid restrictions in place.  Bermuda didn't.  It was easier for passengers.  I didn't notice any cruiseships going to Grand Turk this year (again, as always, I could be wrong).

 

When I was looking for winter cruises I omitted any ship going to Bermuda.  It's not beach weather and the ocean is too rough going there.

[shof515]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I think Carnival offered 50%. I suppose that midnight Nassau port walk is worth the extra 30%. 😒

I was on that cruise. i loved the cruise to nowhere. The only thing that sucked was the outside decks were closed all the time due to winds. this is what carnival gave me:

[MsTabbyKats]

@shof515Carnival has always been more generous with FCC due to port cancellations. 

 

[luckyinpa]

my not so fav bermuda story. my gf had never cruised before. we did an oasis cruise. she loved it so we booked the breakaway while we were on board the oasis. it was set to depart the sunday after the oasis cruise got back. full week cruise to bermuda...cant wait . 2 cruises in 3 weeks. score! 

 

get there and for two days it's too windy to dock so we circle..and circle..and circle...and.....

 

captain would get close. then say cant. and rinse and repeat. casino made tons of  money!

[foodsvcmgr]

Considering there have not been regular year round cruises to Bermuda since 1966, seems like an odd itinerary.

Perhaps Bermuda has incentivized NCL in some way to contribute to additional off season tourism?

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

get there and for two days it's too windy to dock so we circle..and circle..and circle...and.....

We were on that cruise too.  (Oct. 2021.) Our first after the re-start.  We were happy to be back on a ship, and loved those extra sea days, but I do understand the disappointment in missing 2 of our 3 days in Bermuda. 

[EllieinNJ]

I am on the Getaway now.  There are 4570 people on board. A real zoo.  The lines are impossible long for anything.  During the M&G the officers are waiting to see if Nassau will let us disembark for a few hours and if the shops will stay open.  We indeed are leaving at 3 45 am.

 

We are having a tough time using up all the OBC since there are no excursions.  We ordered the regular internet, had extra lobster in Cagney's, had some capacinos in Starbucks and still have plenty left.  Will go to the shops later in the cruise.  

 

[cruiseny4life]

4 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

I am on the Getaway now.  There are 4570 people on board. A real zoo.  The lines are impossible long for anything.  During the M&G the officers are waiting to see if Nassau will let us disembark for a few hours and if the shops will stay open.  We indeed are leaving at 3 45 am.

 

We are having a tough time using up all the OBC since there are no excursions.  We ordered the regular internet, had extra lobster in Cagney's, had some capacinos in Starbucks and still have plenty left.  Will go to the shops later in the cruise.  

 

I'm so sorry about your cruise. Certainly not what you were looking forward to. I'm stunned (I shouldn't be) that the 3:45 AM printed time on that letter is correct. Ugh, I suppose seeing Nassau at night would be a cool, different experience than normal. 

[luckyinpa]

can always burn the money in the casino ..maybe even win!.  last time we got non refundable obc because of missed ports we got plenty of booze to bring home.