Getaway Feb 1st 5-day Bermuda changed to Bahamas

[njhorseman]

30 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm stunned (I shouldn't be) that the 3:45 AM printed time on that letter is correct

If it were 12 hours later at 3:45 pm the ship wouldn't be able to make it back to New York on schedule. It's about 950 nautical miles

[goldmom]

1 hour 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.  

 

Sorry you had to miss Bermuda, but appreciate your post on what's happening.  One time I went to the spa and bought over priced lotion and face wash to use up the OBC.  A mani-pedi also works.  Enjoy!

[kitkat343]

If there's an arcade, you can make a kid really happy by paying for a few games for them.  On the Getaway, there was skee ball and a small bowling alley near O'sheanan's plus a bunch of claw games in the arcade.  I had a balance of 45 cents, and the front desk said they'd keep calling until I spent it so I wound up getting a little duck from a claw machine and giving it away because my kids already had too many.  

 

Sorry about the loss of Bermuda.

[styles27]

I saw something about this last night on another social media page. 
Other people were posting  that they received an email from NCL about their upcoming cruise (some in Feb and some in March) informing them that they are skipping Bermuda as well. 

I wonder what’s going on with that. Certainly it’s not weather related this far out. 

 

[NYcruzzer]

43 minutes ago, styles27 said:

I saw something about this last night on another social media page. 
Other people were posting  that they received an email from NCL about their upcoming cruise (some in Feb and some in March) informing them that they are skipping Bermuda as well. 

I wonder what’s going on with that. Certainly it’s not weather related this far out. 

 

Whomever was the genius at NCL that thought short Winter cruises to Bermuda was a good idea should be fired ! Winter cruises out of NYC always went to Florida/Bahamas or Carribean in the past. I see they are doing same itinerary next Winter as well.  2024 will be interested. MSC and Carnival will both be homeporting year round . I like choices !

[DaCruiseBug]

I'm one of NCLs biggest critic but in this instance the port change is solely due to the weather. Tomorrow the forecast calls for 25 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph. The Nassau stop is useless but I guess they have to make a stop in a foreign port somewhere and outside of Bermuda that's the only option.

 

The one area where they could have done better is with compensation. 20% isn't good enough. It should have been at least 30-40% and the option for any passenger to not embark with a full refund even if last minute.

[styles27]

32 minutes ago, NYcruzzer said:

Whomever was the genius at NCL that thought short Winter cruises to Bermuda was a good idea should be fired ! Winter cruises out of NYC always went to Florida/Bahamas or Carribean in the past. I see they are doing same itinerary next Winter as well.  2024 will be interested. MSC and Carnival will both be homeporting year round . I like choices !

Some of the itineraries these folks were referencing are 10 days with stops in Bermuda, the Bahamas and Port Canaveral. They’re now being told that they are skipping Bermuda. 

Just went back to read the post. March 18 cruise. Cancelled Bermuda and will instead stay 2 days in Port Canaveral before cruising back to NY. 
 

Strange. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by styles27

[Mlake09]

3 hours 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.  

 

Thanks for the update. 4,570 people seems like a huge undertaking, especially if the ship is understaffed. 
 

We are on this ship for Feb 18 itinerary- which is school vacation week. I have an idea of what to expect (full! Kids!) but if you are ever in a spot where you can ask how many are predicted for that trip, I would appreciate it!

 

[sailorusvi]

1 minute ago, Mlake09 said:

Thanks for the update. 4,570 people seems like a huge undertaking, especially if the ship is understaffed. 
 

We are on this ship for Feb 18 itinerary- which is school vacation week. I have an idea of what to expect (full! Kids!) but if you are ever in a spot where you can ask how many are predicted for that trip, I would appreciate it!

 

 

I'm on the same trip.  And we are kid-less 😬  I'm not banking on Bermuda and will not be upset if it's dropped.   I thought it was a little odd it was even included.   I would be annoyed (yet understand it was due to weather) if I was on a 5 day.

 

Unfortunately, it's the chance you take traveling in the winter months.

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

I saw something about this last night on another social media page. 
Other people were posting  that they received an email from NCL about their upcoming cruise (some in Feb and some in March) informing them that they are skipping Bermuda as well. 

I wonder what’s going on with that. Certainly it’s not weather related this far out. 

 

I don't think we will ever figure out what is going on, but it is also happening on the Panama Canal cruises (the mess in the Dominican Republic might be getting solved though.

 

 

 

[Lakesregion]

In reality Five days at sea in high winds. Just got off the barge from the 12 day Carib cruise in calm seas and the ship bobs up and down and sideways worse than a cork in a washing machine. The most likely have to dock in the Bahamas to meet the US rules of touching foreign soil between beginning and ending ports. And if there are really high winds out there to re stock the barf bags.

[trbarton]

6 hours 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.  

 

How about loading any extra $ onto a slot machine in the casino & then cash it out. I’ve dons this before. 
 

Tom😀

[trbarton]

What time was your stateroom available?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

[Rdr202]

Just got off Getaway they ran out of Diet Coke, pineapple, ice cream, bananas, chocolate milk, and a few other foods. Some finally got replenished four days later. Dining in the Tropicana Room, Taste and Savor we served either the wrong meals or cold food, when ordering coffee and dessert we never got both at the same time.  Clearly they were short staffed and poorly managed. Also I don't think the wait staff were even trained in their duties. The room steward did an excellent job.  Entertainment was not what I've been accustomed to and the Cruise Director must not have had a budget or staff and I couldn't point him out if offered a million dollars.

[EllieinNJ]

So the only entertainment at night has been the same two comedians (they were not funny) twice in the theatre and once in headliners.  Thank God for Million Dollar Quartet that only played one night, two shows at 7 or 9 45pm.  Burn the floor is the last two nights, one night at 7 and one night at 7 and 9 30pm.  Syd's had something last night at 8pm but we were still at dinner.

 

The food at Cagney's was great except the lobster bisque was cold and watery.  Last night's dinner in the MDR was awful.  Tonight is La Cucina.  To use up some OBC we ordered lobster rolls in the American Diner.  Just terrible.  It was baby shrimp salad and one piece of lobster.

 

The sea has been very calm.  We were able to sit outside yesterday afternoon without a jacket.  Many were in the pool and hot tubs.  This is a very young crowd.  Seems median ages 40 and under.  No one seems upset we are missing Bermuda.  Today is very warm and people like that better.

 

They are letting us off the ship from 9 30 pm to 2 45am.  We will just get off for about an hour.

[cruiseny4life]

9 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

So the only entertainment at night has been the same two comedians (they were not funny) twice in the theatre and once in headliners.  Thank God for Million Dollar Quartet that only played one night, two shows at 7 or 9 45pm.  Burn the floor is the last two nights, one night at 7 and one night at 7 and 9 30pm.  Syd's had something last night at 8pm but we were still at dinner.

Was/is there no Broadway Unplugged due to how short the cruise is? 

[Laszlo]

19 hours ago, NYcruzzer said:

Whomever was the genius at NCL that thought short Winter cruises to Bermuda was a good idea should be fired ! Winter cruises out of NYC always went to Florida/Bahamas or Carribean in the past. I see they are doing same itinerary next Winter as well.  2024 will be interested. MSC and Carnival will both be homeporting year round . I like choices !

At our meet and greet a number of weeks ago the question of stopping in Bermuda in the winter was brought up. I got the feeling the officers at there thought it was a great idea Lol

[tsahall01]

20 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

I'm one of NCLs biggest critic but in this instance the port change is solely due to the weather. Tomorrow the forecast calls for 25 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph. The Nassau stop is useless but I guess they have to make a stop in a foreign port somewhere and outside of Bermuda that's the only option.

 

The one area where they could have done better is with compensation. 20% isn't good enough. It should have been at least 30-40% and the option for any passenger to not embark with a full refund even if last minute.

I was on the December TA on the Epic.  We were first supposed to be delayed 1 night in Lisbon, which we thought was cool--more Christmas shopping.  Got on board, and it was announced later that night that we would be leaving Lisbon at 2 am and not staying over until 2am the next night.  Darn!  If I would have known that, I would have gotten back off the ship and done some shopping.  Oh well!  Of course, because of the dock strike (the original reason for delays--which they knew about long before), we missed our first port stop (out of 2) of Ponta Delgada--I am now 0 for 3 attempts to go there.  Seas were rough, weather was cold--possible hurricane headed our way (December!).  Then, the night before our second port stop, Bermuda, it too, was cancelled and another sea day added.  So our 9 day TA with 2 stops turned into a 9 day non stop from Lisbon to NYC.  I love sea days, but planned on doing Christmas shopping along the way.  We were all given $200 non-refundable OBC per cabin--as a solo traveler, I got the $200 as well.  We did NOT get any FCC %.  It was very hard to spend that $200 in just 2 days!  I really think that the gift shops removed all their lower cost jewelery and things before the announcement of the OBC--they had almost nothing to buy!  Didn't want to buy liquor as I was flying and already had two high cost bottles of port packed away in my suitcase (they didn't take away liquor when we boarded!).  My husband ended up getting cheesey NCL logo merchandice and I got a top that I would never have bought if I was paying for it ($100!!).  I would have loved to use the $200 on a future cruise and gotten a % FCC!  Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose--gotta smile!

 

[shof515]

Getaway arrived 1 hour earlier at Nassau today

[Deacon22]

On 2/2/2023 at 5:19 PM, sailorusvi said:

 

I'm on the same trip.  And we are kid-less 😬  I'm not banking on Bermuda and will not be upset if it's dropped.   I thought it was a little odd it was even included.   I would be annoyed (yet understand it was due to weather) if I was on a 5 day.

 

Unfortunately, it's the chance you take traveling in the winter months.

On that Trip and I wouldn’t mind a longer stay in the Bahamas as well. Ship is gonna be a zoo but what can you do.  Only week I could get away with the family. 

[MsTabbyKats]

On 2/2/2023 at 4:38 PM, DaCruiseBug said:

I'm one of NCLs biggest critic but in this instance the port change is solely due to the weather. Tomorrow the forecast calls for 25 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph. The Nassau stop is useless but I guess they have to make a stop in a foreign port somewhere and outside of Bermuda that's the only option.

 

The one area where they could have done better is with compensation. 20% isn't good enough. It should have been at least 30-40% and the option for any passenger to not embark with a full refund even if last minute.

There's something called "personal responsibility".

Anyone who did their homework would have known that Bermuda is not the Caribbean and that the seas are rough in the winter.

There's also "cancel for any reason" insurance.

[bluesea777]

13 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

There's something called "personal responsibility".

Anyone who did their homework would have known that Bermuda is not the Caribbean and that the seas are rough in the winter.

There's also "cancel for any reason" insurance.

More times than not during the winter the seas surrounding Bermuda are calm, the sun is out, it is warm with temps in mid to high 60’s, and we go out in either long pants & short sleeves or shorts & long sleeves.

 

It was lovely all week until yesterday and today.

 

So, it’s crapshoot. Take a chance and hope you’re lucky.

 

 

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

More times than not during the winter the seas surrounding Bermuda are calm, the sun is out, it is warm with temps in mid to high 60’s, and we go out in either long pants & short sleeves or shorts & long sleeves.

 

It was lovely all week until yesterday and today.

 

So, it’s crapshoot. Take a chance and hope you’re lucky.

 

There is a difference between being IN Bermuda and sailing TO Bermuda.   The ocean.....

 

[EllieinNJ]

Same comedians on again tonight  plus Burn the Floor and something in Syd's (no,t Rumors).  Tomorrow BTF again and a Motown group.   No Broadway Unplugged this cruise.  Disappointed.

 

 

 

[PistolPete13]

How is the crowding situation onboard?  I was up early this morning and peeked at the Nassau webcam.  The ship was there at 2:30AM but when I looked again around 3AM, she was gone. 

I was expecting a 3:45AM departure unless the island is one hour ahead of EST...

Edited February 4, 2023 by PistolPete13