Ocean Cay closure 04/2024-05/2024?

[sbcs5390]

12 minutes ago, frankhi said:

Right, but you would cancel the one you have and rebook. MSC actually rebooked this one for, and it is showing in my MSC account.

Strange, I thought they were offering everyone the ability to lift and shift. They were using the term “reschedule” rather than “cancel” but I guess it is different for yours?

[cellfree]

Okay puzzled - we are booked on Seashore out of Port Canaveral for seven nights - itinerary we booked has first two days with an overnight at Ocean Cay - have not received any kind of communication from MSC yet - someone on this thread said that March 31, 2024 is now an 11 night cruise. Is that true? Do we know for sure? If we agree to this suggested change is MSC saying we will get 11 nights on March 31 for price we booked for the seven for? (When I search cruises for March/April 2024 no changes have been made yet, our original seven night is still being offered.)

[freeon]

3 hours ago, cellfree said:

Okay puzzled - we are booked on Seashore out of Port Canaveral for seven nights - itinerary we booked has first two days with an overnight at Ocean Cay - have not received any kind of communication from MSC yet - someone on this thread said that March 31, 2024 is now an 11 night cruise. Is that true? Do we know for sure? If we agree to this suggested change is MSC saying we will get 11 nights on March 31 for price we booked for the seven for? (When I search cruises for March/April 2024 no changes have been made yet, our original seven night is still being offered.)

For march 31 2024 there was 2 bookings available. A 7 night and a 11 night. the 7 night is before the closure so your cruise shouldn't be affected. Were booked for the 11 night. On the 7th day(when you are disembarking) were staying on for an additional 4 night with a stop at ocean cay which will be during the closure so were definitely affected. I believe our 11 night will now be 14 but your 7 night should not be affected as it's before the island closure. 

[frankhi]

9 hours ago, sbcs5390 said:

Strange, I thought they were offering everyone the ability to lift and shift. They were using the term “reschedule” rather than “cancel” but I guess it is different for yours?

Yeah, you're right. What was I thinking? Lift and shift is way different than cancelling and rebooking, and a way more common description.

[sidari]

8 hours ago, cellfree said:

Okay puzzled - we are booked on Seashore out of Port Canaveral for seven nights - itinerary we booked has first two days with an overnight at Ocean Cay - have not received any kind of communication from MSC yet - someone on this thread said that March 31, 2024 is now an 11 night cruise. Is that true? Do we know for sure? If we agree to this suggested change is MSC saying we will get 11 nights on March 31 for price we booked for the seven for? (When I search cruises for March/April 2024 no changes have been made yet, our original seven night is still being offered.)

Don't expect MSC to let you know, they change things around and don't even tell their staff who continue to sell the original cruises. They expect you to just notice when you check your booking.

[freeon]

Just checked the MSC app and the itinerary for our 11 night on Seashore from port Canaveral for March 31, 2024 has been update and is now 14 night. Guess were getting 3 free extra nights, and 2 extra ports which I have never been to. We had already booked our pre flights but not our return flights so everything works out.  

[coscab]

Our 4/14/24 western on the Seashore has changed to eastern, we are very disappointed, I don"t understand why they didn't just drop OC and keep the rest, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel.  I will be canceling.

[cellfree]

12 hours ago, freeon said:

For march 31 2024 there was 2 bookings available. A 7 night and a 11 night. the 7 night is before the closure so your cruise shouldn't be affected. Were booked for the 11 night. On the 7th day(when you are disembarking) were staying on for an additional 4 night with a stop at ocean cay which will be during the closure so were definitely affected. I believe our 11 night will now be 14 but your 7 night should not be affected as it's before the island closure. 

You must be seeing something I cannot see. On the mscusa site there are no cruises showing up on Seashore for April 7. But our March 31 is still there with no changes. 

[freeon]

1 hour ago, cellfree said:

You must be seeing something I cannot see. On the mscusa site there are no cruises showing up on Seashore for April 7. But our March 31 is still there with no changes. 

Your correct that there are currently no sailings showing up on the website for April 7th. Because those sailings will be affected MSC have temporarily taken them down. When we first booked our 11 day we were return to Canaveral on the 7th and other groups were embarking for a 4 night and we were staying for those additional 4 night to make up the 11 nights total. Our 11 night has now been changed to a 14 night so and additional 7 night leaving on April 7th is likely to be added to the site at some point. Your March 31st sailing is still on the website because it's not affected by the closing which is only starting the following week. Since your sailing is not affected MSC has not taken it down. 

[cellfree]

1 hour ago, freeon said:

You’re correct that there are currently no sailings showing up on the website for April 7th. Because those sailings will be affected MSC have temporarily taken them down. When we first booked our 11 day we were return to Canaveral on the 7th and other groups were embarking for a 4 night and we were staying for those additional 4 night to make up the 11 nights total. Our 11 night has now been changed to a 14 night so and additional 7 night leaving on April 7th is likely to be added to the site at some point. Your March 31st sailing is still on the website because it's not affected by the closing which is only starting the following week. Since your sailing is not affected MSC has not taken it down. 

Interesting, ty. Have two Yacht Club Cabins booked for March 31 and glad all appears to be good. (Several posts ago someone suggested the March 31 seven night had an itinerary change and was becoming an 11 night.) I see you are from Canada, turning an 11 night into a 14 night for you is nice, hope that works for you, long trip and all. 

[Cruising Lynne]

The day before this closure was announced I booked our first MSC cruise on the Meraviglia. Ocean Cay is going to be closed until May 22, 2024, and we are scheduled to be there on May 23. I really hope that the enhancements are completed on time after telling my husband how awesome it looked, and showing him a picture of how close the ship docks to a nice beach. We enjoy NCLs Great Stirrup Cay, but it is a tender port which is a nuisance. A little nervous about going out of Brooklyn instead of Manhattan which we are used to, but excited to try something new.

[cellfree]

7 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

The day before this closure was announced I booked our first MSC cruise on the Meraviglia. Ocean Cay is going to be closed until May 22, 2024, and we are scheduled to be there on May 23. I really hope that the enhancements are completed on time after telling my husband how awesome it looked, and showing him a picture of how close the ship docks to a nice beach. We enjoy NCLs Great Stirrup Cay, but it is a tender port which is a nuisance. A little nervous about going out of Brooklyn instead of Manhattan which we are used to, but excited to try something new.

Ocean Cay is lovely, we have been there several times, booked March 31, 2024 as it offers an overnight at Ocean Cay, so we made it just under the wire. It is so very convenient to be able to simply walk off and onto the ship however often you want. Not sure what enhancements they are planning to do. If you were there today you wouldn’t really see anything that needed to be done. Set up is great, food trucks convenient, buffet nice, beverage package works. 

[MsTabbyKats]

I'm hoping they do something about the YC beach.  Maybe use the less rocky one across the road!

[CTRobin]

Seven of us were booked on the 4/14 Bahamas/Florida trip for 7 days. We have been moved to the 11 night, which only two people would be able to do.  Since we are in the Yacht Club, and those deposits are normally non-refundable, I wonder if I will run into a problem if we decide to cancel.  Looking into moving to May but that means we have to change our accommodations since it would now be $400 more per person for the same.

I called but she said nothing could be done until after July 5 when their computer systems catch up with the actual changes.

[sbcs5390]

18 minutes ago, CTRobin said:

Seven of us were booked on the 4/14 Bahamas/Florida trip for 7 days. We have been moved to the 11 night, which only two people would be able to do.  Since we are in the Yacht Club, and those deposits are normally non-refundable, I wonder if I will run into a problem if we decide to cancel.  Looking into moving to May but that means we have to change our accommodations since it would now be $400 more per person for the same.

I called but she said nothing could be done until after July 5 when their computer systems catch up with the actual changes.

Canceling with full refund is one of the options in the email they sent me. Certainly that would include deposits. You can lift and shift (or reschedule) to any sailing April to Oct of same length which for the 7 days, there are many. MSC would eat the price increase. I’m also on the 5/4 8 night and there’s only one other 8 night so that’s kind of crummy for us. 

[MsTabbyKats]

@CTRobin.....you should be able to cancel YC without a penalty,

Are any of your cabins in an interior?  I]m hoping one becomes available on that sailing.....

 

Other lines give people some sort of compensation to make up "for things" such as increased price of new cruise (obc).  

[CTRobin]

MsTabbyKats - No interior. We have two Duplex Suites. 

[MsTabbyKats]

On 6/29/2023 at 12:36 PM, sbcs5390 said:

Or the 11 for another free day! Or both, haha. 

I believe I made lemonaide out of lemons.......

My choices were:

Book same itinerary (8 days) and cabin...no rate increase.  That would have been a YC Interior in August...too many kids and hurricanes

Book a shorter (7 days) and not as good itinerary...YC interior...in May...costing a couple hundred more than my original booking

Book the 11 day Caribbean April...YC/Balcony...at a cost of pp/per day...just a couple of dollars more than the YC interior 7 day

 

So...as you suggested...I took the 11 day.  I guess it's a win/win....MSC is getting more of my money, but I'm getting the best of the options available  

[CTRobin]

We have seven people so I was able to change to a June original itinerary. Then a couple of people decided they didn't want to go in June. After an hour and a half on the phone to actually make the change I was not so thrilled.  I was able to cancel the next day and still get our deposits back, thankfully, even though I changed the date.

[REOVA]

From Travel Weekly November 2023

 

"MSC will add excursion centers to support watersport activities and island tours, a dive and snorkel center, and additional food and beverage outlets.

Also coming to Ocean Cay: the MSC Foundation's Marine Conservation Centre, a facility that will be a base for biologists, coral reef experts and students. It will house interactive pavilions, a lecture hall and coral exhibition tanks, providing educational opportunities to guests on the importance of the marine ecosystem and the need to protect oceans.

Plus, MSC will install a third solar farm as part of its aim to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions for Ocean Cay and an advanced wastewater treatment plant. It will plant native and adaptive trees, grasses and shrubs as part of a landscaping plan to further diversify the landscaping and reduce erosion. New accommodation buildings will provide amenities for island staff, which will increase in numbers from 150 to 280."

[Fogfog]

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/msc-cruises-reportedly-plans-100m-ocean-cay-upgrade

 

yes true

was announced last year

Edited January 26 by Fogfog

[MemawP]

Does anyone know for sure if the Ocean Cay closure is still on track for April 7 to May 2? We're due there next week and again end of May. So, hoping we did get lucky to miss the closure!

[exm]

23 hours ago, MemawP said:

Does anyone know for sure if the Ocean Cay closure is still on track for April 7 to May 2? We're due there next week and again end of May. So, hoping we did get lucky to miss the closure!

 

It looks like it.

 

You mentioned to be lucky? My April 21st 7 day cruise was changed to an April 18th 10 day cruise with a much better itinerary (original: Port Canaveral, Nassau Ocean Cay). So I consider myself lucky with the closure!

[MemawP]

18 minutes ago, exm said:

 

It looks like it.

 

You mentioned to be lucky? My April 21st 7 day cruise was changed to an April 18th 10 day cruise with a much better itinerary (original: Port Canaveral, Nassau Ocean Cay). So I consider myself lucky with the closure!

Thanks for the reply. THAT does sound like a lucky change ~ enjoy!

[bruce85]

On 6/27/2023 at 7:18 PM, kelleherdl said:

As one would expect, no one told MSC Cruises USA website. Ocean Cay remains on the itineraries for April and May 2024.

We sail end of April, and don't stop at the island. It was never on the schedule. We booked 3 months ago. Been to the island 3 times already, that was one the reasons we booked the cruise.