Thoughts on changing Eastern to Westerns for November on

I was thinking that no way will Eastern ports be ready in November. St Thomas and Tortola were hit hard and if you read about those going to ports after hurricanes it takes way longer than 2 months to recover.

With Thanksgiving week being the beginning of the busy winter cruise season in the Caribbean and all the cruise lines repositioning ships from Alaska and Europe, that will be a lot of ships trying to get into Western ports.

For instance, Cozumel only has ability to dock 5-6 ships. That week of Thanksgiving most days already have 5-6 ships scheduled to be in port with exception of the beginning of the week.

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Mexico/155-Cozumel/November_2017/

So now you have to figure that all the cruise lines that have to switch to Western from Eastern (Disney, NCL, Princess, Celebrity, RCCL, Holland America and Carnival ships)

I think that the cruise lines will have to great creative with itineraries and may not follow previous weeks outline and may include ports that aren't listed on current itineraries like going Costa Maya instead of Cozumel.

We are suppose to do Epic at Thanksgiving and have embraced the idea of going anywhere but hoping NCL gives us 2 to 3 weeks notice so we can plan excursions.

Just thinking out loud

I was thinking that no way will Eastern ports be ready in November. St Thomas and Tortola were hit hard and if you read about those going to ports after hurricanes it takes way longer than 2 months to recover.

 

 

With Thanksgiving week being the beginning of the busy winter cruise season in the Caribbean and all the cruise lines repositioning ships from Alaska and Europe, that will be a lot of ships trying to get into Western ports.

 

For instance, Cozumel only has ability to dock 5-6 ships. That week of Thanksgiving most days already have 5-6 ships scheduled to be in port with exception of the beginning of the week.

 

http://ports.cruisett.com/schedule/Mexico/155-Cozumel/November_2017/

 

 

So now you have to figure that all the cruise lines that have to switch to Western from Eastern (Disney, NCL, Princess, Celebrity, RCCL, Holland America and Carnival ships)

 

I think that the cruise lines will have to great creative with itineraries and may not follow previous weeks outline and may include ports that aren't listed on current itineraries like going Costa Maya instead of Cozumel.

 

 

We are suppose to do Epic at Thanksgiving and have embraced the idea of going anywhere but hoping NCL gives us 2 to 3 weeks notice so we can plan excursions.

 

 

Just thinking out loud

My honeymoon is 10/31 on the Gem to 5 Eastern Islands. Now that we'll be Western, I am so curious where we'll end up. I hadn't booked excursions yet but we knew what we wanted to do at each stop. I hope we find out sooner than later!

We're honeymooning on the Escape on 12/9. We've done Cozumel, Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya and Harvest Caye at least once each, so I was looking forward to St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau. But we will have fun no matter where we go!

My first choice would be to go to one somewhat southern port, maybe St. Lucia or St. Barts, then do a stop at one of our original ports (St. Thomas or Tortola) for some kind of volunteer opportunity, and then have an extra sea day to catch up on the extra miles.

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I don't know if any are available during the winter months, but you might consider a partial transit of the Panama Canal. We did it a few yrs ago, and had a blast......they are longer cruises, so less kids, if that is important to you. :D

Why would your itinerary be changed? You are already going western. I assume western itineraries would stay the same.

Our 14 day Western Caribbean cruise is in January and I was wondering the same thing. I have no problem with them changing the itinerary but I would like to know what that will be ahead of time if it's possible. Till then we won't be booking any excursions.

Been watching all the reports out of the islands that I can. They are still trying to evacuate a lot of people from Tortoal, and St. Thomas, and I am not talking about visitors, these are residents. These islands have no water, no power, no communications and dwindling food supplies. In order to even begin rebuilding, they first heve to clean up the mess, then they have to bring in supplies and tradesmen. They can't build the business infrastructure until they they get water power and housing back. It is going to be a very very long road. While I could be wrong I think that it is incredibly naive to think that St. Thomas, Tortola, or St. Maarten will accept cruise ships any time in the next year.

I have a client who owns a home in St Thomas. The physical structure is good but there are no services that are functional. I would surmise in a best case scenario the cruise ports would reopen for tourists come February. It's an ultimate catch 22. They need tourism dollars but they also need bare necessities like Running water and sewer treatment systems. It's going to be a very long arduous and expensive rebuild.

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When it comes to the Leeward Islands there is no there there. When we say Eastern Caribean we mean the Leeward Islands. I do not think that there are any 7-day cruises that include the Windwards or the ABC Islands.

When it comes to the Leeward Islands there is no there there. When we say Eastern Caribean we mean the Leeward Islands. I do not think that there are any 7-day cruises that include the Windwards or the ABC Islands.

That would be called Southern Caribbean, and unfortunately they take cruises of 9 or over days to do that. Cruises from San Juan can take 7 days to cover the Southern Caribbean islands but not from Miami.

I think Carnival has cruise(s) departing Barbados (as a embarkation port) going to the lovely windward islands. I have Bajan friends there who have done so.

We have an 8 day on carnival Vista next February that goes to Aruba and Curaçao, Dominican and Turks . Saturday-Sunday.

I am booked on Escape to Eastern Caribbean in March 2018. I don't expect we will make it to St. Thomas or Tortola, sadly. Would love to see some different ports though like San Juan, St. Croix and/or somewhere in Dominican Republic, but I don't know how feasible they are for Escape. A day in Great Stirrup Cay would be ok too.

When it comes to the Leeward Islands there is no there there. When we say Eastern Caribean we mean the Leeward Islands. I do not think that there are any 7-day cruises that include the Windwards or the ABC Islands.

If NCL can do Boston Bermuda and NYC Bermuda - certainly it can be done doing San Juan to Barbados and

the ABC islands and one more on a 7 day cruise - thus less ports more sea days. Some folks sail/cruise just for

being on a ship to get away-from-it-all and others prefer the port intensive route. That is why there have been

cruises to nowhere and cruises between ports that seem ridiculous like a repositioning cruise I was on a few

years back from Santa Catalina to Los Angeles - 26 miles across the sea and we putt putted all night from the

Mexican border to Long Beach harbor forth and back or maybe it was back and forth 6pm to 7am. At routine

cruise speed a lot of sea can be covered - put the pedal down and even more can be covered and of course

so goes the fuel economy.

Another option I have not seen yet is the round-trip transatlantic market - yes it would be longer than the 7 day

traditional cruises - in concert with the airlines fly one-way cruise the other there are options out there.

Something to note the airlines will be able to restore their service on a much faster scale but flying and cruising

to island destinations with no accommodations is not productive to both - but with 7 day cruises and return by

air maybe the answer to this for the short term. For the immediate future one may have to forgo that dream

cruise or look for alternatives yet to be considered at this time.

Wake Up Cruise Industry there are OPTIONS out there !

The Canada/New England market is seasonal (autumn) but maybe a summer time venue also - winter not much !

We're scheduled for Nov. 27th. on a 10 day Southern Caribbean leaving from Miami with stops in PR, St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Marteen. We haven't heard of a change to our itinerary but if they do, I hope it's not for a Western Caribbean. I know 2 of the ports have been severly damaged, it would be nice if they'd do the ABC islands.

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We're scheduled for Nov. 27th. on a 10 day Southern Caribbean leaving from Miami with stops in PR, St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Marteen. We haven't heard of a change to our itinerary but if they do, I hope it's not for a Western Caribbean. I know 2 of the ports have been severly damaged, it would be nice if they'd do the ABC islands.

 

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Are you on NCL for the 10 day? Princess has updated passengers on their 10 southern Caribbean in October that they will be sailing to St. Croix, Martinque and Grenada instead of St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Tortola.

It would be great if NCL were able to use some ports that aren't frequented as much anymore. The typical Roatan/Harvest Caye/Costa Maya/Cozumel route is so easy to book already. Would love to be able to get to Jamaica/Caymans or other eastern islands not nearly as affected.

So much easier said than done though

This is a Weather Alert on the Norwegian Web site

Weather Alert

September 14th at 3:00 PM (7:00 PM UTC)

Our ships sailing from Miami will resume their normal operations this weekend. Norwegian Sky will depart as scheduled on Friday, September 15 for a three-day cruise to the Bahamas; the ship's ports-of-call, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, were unaffected by Hurricane Irma. Norwegian Sky's four-day cruise to Cuba departing on Monday, September 18 will sail as scheduled. We have received confirmation that the port facilities in Havana were not impacted by the storm and our tour operators are ready to receive cruise guests.

Norwegian Escape will depart as scheduled for a seven-day Western Caribbean cruise on Saturday, September 16.

We are working with our partners to assess impacts to the ports we visit in the Eastern Caribbean. Currently, we have changed all of our Eastern Caribbean itineraries to Western‎ Caribbean cruises for the next two months. As it's still early, we will continue to keep in close contact with our partners on the ground and have the flexibility to alter future itineraries to ensure a great guest experience, if needed.

I will be on the Norwegian Star Transatlantic and we are expected to go to Saint Thomas on Nov 17/17, just outside of the 60 day window.

I HATE the west itinerary-

I'm on the sept 23 escape cruise

Not happy it got changed at all.

I'm wondering if the 12 night eastern out of NYC is going to west ports also? If that's the case I'm not booking :(

I HATE the west itinerary-

I'm on the sept 23 escape cruise

Not happy it got changed at all.

I'm wondering if the 12 night eastern out of NYC is going to west ports also? If that's the case I'm not booking :(

Soooo you still wanted to go to st. Thomas and Tortola?

I am booked on Escape to Eastern Caribbean in March 2018. I don't expect we will make it to St. Thomas or Tortola, sadly. Would love to see some different ports though like San Juan, St. Croix and/or somewhere in Dominican Republic, but I don't know how feasible they are for Escape. A day in Great Stirrup Cay would be ok too.

I would think Great Stirrup Cay would be an option for a substitute port. We've been on NCL a lot but have never been there. It fits with the other ports as does San Juan. Not sure how many San Juan can dock on one day however...or GSC.

We're scheduled for Nov. 27th. on a 10 day Southern Caribbean leaving from Miami with stops in PR, St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Marteen. We haven't heard of a change to our itinerary but if they do, I hope it's not for a Western Caribbean. I know 2 of the ports have been severly damaged, it would be nice if they'd do the ABC islands.

 

That would be a great substitution....also Grenada. We are on the same cruise. I'm hoping the Jade will have options as we have four ports left. I would hope those four will keep us in the Eastern itinerary.

unwanted--Western Caribbean was unaffected and itineraries have not changed.

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Darn auto correct--that was for uneamie

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I just read this morning that 4 ports are closed to cruises indefinitely, and they are Tortola, St Thomas, St Maarten, and Key West.

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I'm sure they could change to other ports in the Eastern Caribbean that were unaffected.

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