Why is Royal Carib taking its time with Labadee updates?

[Hucc]

it does not really take 45 hours to get there, otherwise there would be two sea days at the tail end of the trip ... which there are not

[Mark_K]

Hucc,

 

One itinerary shows leaving Grand Bahama at 3PM, an at sea day, and arriving in Cape Liberty at 12PM. By my math, that is exactly 45 hours.

 

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits" Mark Twain

 

"Nothing so needs reforming as other people's formal night attire, poolside attire, child rearing practices, walk-talkie usage, chair hogging, seat saving, line cutting ..." Mark_K

[Hucc]

ah, Mark K... good math

 

They *could* move quicker than that, though... if they wanted.

 

anyooo.... Bermuda is along the way and would made a nice diversion !!!

 

one can only hope *LOL*

[Mark_K]

It's close to 900 nautical miles, considering the slow down leaving/arriving in ports, they couldn't do it much faster.

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

"Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits" Mark Twain

 

"Nothing so needs reforming as other people's formal night attire, poolside attire, child rearing practices, walk-talkie usage, chair hogging, seat saving, line cutting ..." Mark_K

[Smile0808]

I was told by rccl on may 5 , that for the 9n western carr. from nj will be either Nassau or coco cay depending on the captains pick.or they will alternate between both > No other island has ever been mentioned. When u look at the rccl site main page , under labadee itin. change western carr., no ,matter what the ship is, those are the only 2 mentioned. we are already going to freeport(grand bahama island)

[jessmitchell98]

OK, to add confusion

 

Got my docs today. AAA, who I booked through, put a flyer in that said we would be going to Nassau.... So I called RCCL. The gal I spoke with wasn't sure. She put me on hold, and came back and said it was definately Nassau, and we could book our excursions.

 

Looked all over the website. No mention of Nassau, not under that cruise or my reservation. And I can't book excursions.

 

 

Jess

[Smile0808]

after my post I called rcl for a different reason, but asked the question and they said coco cay???. I guess it will be a surprise! They also said it was up to the cptain what night to have the 2nd formal night and we would find out on the ship. I thought for my last 2 cruises we new in advance.

[jessmitchell98]

Smile0808 - do you know which night the first formal night is?? If so, plz share

 

Jessica

[Smile0808]

They told me it was Sat. night, always the first day at sea night. The 2nd one will probably be thurs. night.Its usually a day at sea, fri there is an island stop and I hope it wouldnt be Sat night, because all luggage has to be in front of your cabins around 9 pm.

[Smile0808]

Jessmitchell cont. from last post------BUT.....I was just looking over my notes from another time I spoke w/rcl and I have written that the first formal night was on Sunday. So a good guess will be either sat or sun for the first. and probably Thurs. for the 2nd.

[yarlenna]

My two cents:

RCI has a lot invested in the Labadee port stop. They would like to use it. They did their long range planning with Labadee included.

They want to return to Labadee as soon as it is safe.

They are making alternate arrangements as well as they can be made. They must select their alternative ports (if any rather than a sea day) from ports that

1. are close enough to be included in the schedule

2. are able to accommodate an additional ship of the size of whatever ship it is.

3. Has something that a cruise ship passenger might enjoy

4. is willing to allow a cruise ship to dock

5. is not prevented (as is the case with Cuba) by some political problems

 

I am sure I am missing something. It's not like the restaurant you selected for Mother's Day was overbooked and you just had to find someplace that would take your family for dinner for the day. It is more like the restaurant where you had planned a banquet closed and you need to find a place to have supper with hundreds of people on Sunday night. The solutions are not easy to come by.

 

I am sure RCI will publish the schedule when they can. They want to be able to plan ahead too. They want their passengers to be happy. They don't like hearing people complain.

 

Remember that your cruise ship is your vacation destination. The ports are lovely diversions for a couple of hours. The cruise contract gives them the right to change or drop any port of call. If you really want to visit any specific location, fly there and book a room.

 

Work like a dog. Live like a pauper. Save all your money. Then Cruise!

[rosecitycruisers]

Well said Yarlenna, I would imagine that RCCL probably plans at a minimum 6 months to a year in advance on itineries and I'm sure they want to get back just as much as we do but the risk factor must be almost none existant before they will use it again. One day change is not going to ruin my cruise.

 

Enchantment of the Seas 1997

Grand Princess 1998

Carnival Celebration 1999

Enchantment of the Seas 2000

Enchantment of the Seas 2001

Carnival Pride 2002

Carnival Glory 2003

Sovereign of the Seas 2004

Mariner of the Seas 10/24/04

[FinelyCruising]

On a call to C&A desk for our 7/16 Voyager I was told they would know better about 20 days before the sail date.

 

At this point, I too will be stir crazy with 5 sea days. I'm good with 4, but 5 worries me, so good for everyone else who doesn't mind if it is, there are those that do and those that don't. Whatever floats you boat.

 

Hucc back when this ship came to NYC and no itinerary was planned I thought wow, Bermuda, this would be the best. And so many ont his board were excited about it an talked it up. So I would love it. I would also love Cozumel. If it's Coco Cay that will be nice. If it's Nassau, we can head over to Atlantis and check it out since heaven knows I have no desire to take a land based trip to see it or stay there.

 

Bottom line, even though on my call to C&A and they said port not another sea day, I am still a bit nervous, particulalty because of Cayman. Gosh at $8.50 a Cosmo, there is only so much I can afford to drink if I can't get off the ship!

[masterbaker]

How are they going to be able to fit a ship the size of a Voyager class into a Bermuda port? Some of you must be dreaming big time.

 

 

Panama Canal Transit 4-16-05

[cruzin2paradise]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hucc:

However, the point still is that it is poor customer service leaving customers in the dark as to what may/could/should happen. There is a rough time frame, and giving us information in drips in not really acceptable.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Before I get flammed, I'm just playing devil's advocate, but isn't it remotely possible that RCCI's Customer Service ISN'T being communicated to by their higher ups and that their lack of knowledge is real?

 

If I were leaving in a couple of weeks, I'd be anxious to know, however, I would still be thankful I'm going on a cruise - I mean how many people AREN'T going????

 

11/20/04 Voyager Roll Call

till my Voyage of the Seas

[FinelyCruising]

I have a very bad head cold and I am very cranky....

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> How are they going to be able to fit a ship the size of a Voyager class into a Bermuda port? Some of you must be dreaming big time.


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response: So???



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I would still be thankful I'm going on a cruise - I mean how many people AREN'T going????
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response: Who cares? Do you really think people need to feel guilty they have accomplished so much in life that they can cruise? The children in Biafra are not my concern, nor are those who want to take me down because I have more then they do.

I work hard to take care of my family. My hard earned dollar puts food on many people's plates and a roof over their head each and every time I cruise. I'd be happy to help the yo-yo's in Haiti who started this, but they are too dopey to see what the continuance of their anger, even after they got what they wanted, is costing them.

[yarlenna]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by masterbaker:
How are they going to be able to fit a ship the size of a Voyager class into a Bermuda port? Some of you must be dreaming big time. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[url="http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;4;16;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500"]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;4;16;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/url]

Panama Canal Transit 4-16-05<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It doesn't matter if it fits or not. Bermuda has strict limits on the size and capacity of cruise ships they will allow into their ports. They limit the number of ships as well. They don't want their island over-run with cruise ship passengers.
Also be aware that Bermuda is not even semi tropical. It is at a similar lattitude to Virginia. It is NOT close to the Florida embarkation ports like the Bahamas are.

[img]http://members.aol.com/SharonWsmn/pg5/catwalk4.gif[/img]
Work like a dog. Live like a pauper. Save all your money. Then Cruise!
[img]http://members.aol.com/SharonWsmn/pg5/catwalk3.gif[/img]

[cruzin2paradise]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FinelyCruising:
I have a very bad head cold and I am very cranky....

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> How are they going to be able to fit a ship the size of a Voyager class into a Bermuda port? Some of you must be dreaming big time.


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response: So???



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I would still be thankful I'm going on a cruise - I mean how many people AREN'T going????
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response: Who cares? Do you really think people need to feel guilty they have accomplished so much in life that they can cruise? The children in Biafra are not my concern, nor are those who want to take me down because I have more then they do.

I work hard to take care of my family. My hard earned dollar puts food on many people's plates and a roof over their head each and every time I cruise. I'd be happy to help the yo-yo's in Haiti who started this, but they are too dopey to see what the continuance of their anger, even after they got what they wanted, is costing them.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good Lord -- first if you have a bad headcold and you're cranky, maybe you should wait till your head clears before you get snitty.

Second, I'm not saying you should feel guilty about anything, instead, how 'bout being THANKFUL for what you do have!! Sorry, but I'm so tired of trying to get information off the RCCI boards and finding so many people bellyaching about stupid stuff all the time. And guesss I'm about to get it from all of the "stuffy" people now aren't I?

HAVE FUN FLAMING ME! I don't care.

[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=913106321"]11/20/04 Voyager Roll Call[/url]
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till my Voyage of the Seas

[FinelyCruising]

This board is not bad at all comapred to others. It seems to me to have more "real" people than others, and I have been on the boards for years.

Talking about belly-aching and speaking like a bleeding-heart will get you flamed. What each of us has or does't have to be thankful for are highly subjective and deeply personal issues!

I do understand that what you want to say is more of a statement for measuring what we are able to have against those who have not and simply enjoying where we are and where we go.

I sincerely hope you are not flamed, but if I as a consumer am left with less than what I bargained for, then I do have a legitimate issue. While I do not find the cruise line to be indifferent to my needs under these circumstances, for those planners like myself, I do think they can manage to finalize the ports without this kind of waivereing and say what it is without the mystery and wondering by the passengers.

This I think is something they can figure out with little difficulty. It's their business and this topic has been on this board for weeks. They can end it if they focus on it and then end the frustration of those who want to know. I think they need to.

[vikeqn]

I truely understand all of your frustration about not knowing your port of call. I love Labadee and would be really bummer if was scheduled to go there and couldn't. But RCI does have your best interests at heart. That being said I have just one common sense comment - Voyager class ships are huge ! I have been on most of them and yes, they are huge! You can't just park them anywhere, in any water and start tendering people around. The port has to be ready for them and the onslaught of 3500 people getting off of them. RCI needs a short long term plan for what to do. It is time for them to get their act together and stop bandaiding this problem.
Simply adding a Voyager class ship to a port that already has a bunch of ships docked in it wouild be a nightmare.
Example - we were in Nassau last March on the Explorer and the port was full of ships. It was so packed a person couldn't hardly move around.
Time for a new solution.
Perhaps with all the money they are making off of Johnny Rockets RCI could go buy a another island. HAHA!!!!

[FinelyCruising]

Good news, let's skip Nassau!

[jessmitchell98]

FC - What is the good news?

[momofteens]

Do you think RCL will offer excursions on an alternate port? (FIrst time cruising RCL)

[judyf]

I was hoping we would know today. I don't care where we go, I will be on a cruise and not at work!!!!

Has anybody made tenative plans for either Nassau or Coco Cay? I think I will make either port a beach day!!! Now what beach to go to?

Judy
RCCL Voyager 5/21-5/30/04
CCL Inspiration 4/4-4/11/04
NCL Sea 4/14-4/27/03
DCL Wonder 5/16-5/19/02
DCL Wonder 5/3-5/8/01
CCL Fantasy 2/15-2/18/01

[FinelyCruising]

jess - the good news was that we learned from the poster that Nassau was overrun when a voyager class ship was in port. So with that information my vote(like I can control anything about it) is to skip this port.