lfdemt

20 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

Can anyone help this person? Their Turks and Caicos stop was already cancelled and I’m hoping they’ll keep their dr stop.    

 

IF they are on the FEB 27 Gem sailing,  they should be in DR on March 2nd.  AS of TODAY there are zero ships at Amber Cove, so they have that dock as a possibility but there are a lot of factors that go into it.  I would say they have a very good chance of making it to the DR.  Me on the other hand I have slim to none and slim is on a bus heading out of town. 

27 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Are we looking at the same thing?  Here's a screenshot of the Taino Bay schedule for January, which I just visited, and it shows what it's been showing -- NCL Dawn, Pearl, Sky and Gem docking there on several dates this month. 

 

 

Yes. I corrected my post to indicate the larger ships escape encore and getaway have been removed. The smaller ships have been docking at Taino bay but not the larger ones. Those are the ones they removed 

21 hours ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

Anyone know if the Escape docked at TB or AC?  Or maybe skipped the stop all together?

Escape docked at Amber cove this week.  

Also Taino Bay schedule updated and no longer shows any NCL ships there for the month. Or at least the big ones.  escape encore and getaway

I was just trying to find this in the app and it’s not easy to see. I would recommend logging into your account on an internet browser and looking at the summary. Maybe someone else can help with the app but I had no luck. 

3 hours ago, LittleJAF said:

. They are dredging Taino Bay maybe if it's completed we will be the first to dock there? Not sure I want that lol!

Other cruise lines mega ships have been docking at Taino bay recently. It’s just NCL large ships that aren’t allowed to. You would be the first from NCL but wonder of the seas has been there with zero problems. 

44 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

i think once you get the airfare tickets, you can't cancel and get partial refund.  I believe you can choose not to use the tickets, but you will not get a refund.  You will be throwing away the price you paid plus adding on the new airfare.  That was my understanding after talking to someone at NCL in the air department.  I think all changes have to be made before final payment.

Had you taken the time to read the responses before you, You would have been able to avoid given out wrong information.  The OP is past final payment date and by using the cancellation fee schedule was able to receive 50% refund. All of which had been discussed before your misinformation.

46 minutes ago, truckswain said:

Thank you Ifdemt!!

 

You are welcome. The only reason I know is that I called after final payment to link the reservations between my cabin (myself, hubby and minor son) with my sisters cabin (sister and my two minor daughters) and was told they no longer off the “travel with” program and that it’s possible we won’t be on the same flights. No care that it’s my minor children. So I asked what happens if I cancel and was given that information.  We have not received our airfare yet but I may be doing exactly what you just did.  So I’m glad to hear you were able to do it. Thanks. 

If you are not going to use the air. Cancel it.  You can get some money back depending on your sail date.  If you are closer than 60 days you can get back 25%  more than that 50%.  I have never done it but I would call and cancel.  

https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

2 hours ago, CruisingBeans said:

This is us. Cruising on Epic out of San Juan in March. 

When is your sailing? We cruise end of March and at anxiously awaiting the flight arrangement. Just wondering how much longer we might have to wait. 

This is a new one. Someone in our cruise group March 25th escape. Said they called and were told we would be docking at la romana. Which is on the other side of the island. Not sure the validity of that. 

21 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

Do they never substitute Puerto Plata with GSC? Our Joy cruise stops at GSC on the sailing before, on our sailing we are (supposed) to stop in Puerto Plata. We have already had Grand Cayman cancelled and replaced with a sea day so do not want another!

Not knowing when you are sailing, I can't answer very surely.  But GSC and Puerto Plata are not close enough to make a swap unless there is a sea day next to it.  The escape itinerary starts with a sea day and then Puerto Plata, so they have time to switch that around and do Nassau (which is close enough to the home port to make in a night) and then the sea day to get to the next port in time.  

2 minutes ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

While I hope they do not cancel DR on my cruise in 10 days I really hope that they don't make it a sea day.  I had been going with one of the two Western Caribbean itineraries instead of the Eastern because of the 4th stop.  I'd prefer to make the stop at DR because I have never been there and have been to San Juan a few times.

NCL will use the Amber Cove dock at Puerto Plata if it is available If you are sailing on the Escape it is scheduled for Amber Cove on Jan 23rd so that sailing should be fine.  If you are on the Encore that is scheduled at Amber Cove on Jan 27th so again that should be good.    If you are supposed to be in Puerto Plata  on the Escape on Jan 30th you are not good, there is no room at Amber Cove and will most likely be a change to the itinerary. 

2 hours ago, speedyjane said:

We are a group flying to Rome in September. We were told that we would have to pay $100 pp, if we wanted to be on the same flight. Has anyone had this experience. Never had this problem with Princess. This is our first NCL cruise. Seems a little much to push a few buttons.

NCL used to have a program called “travel with”  and you could pay to link reservations to be together. They cancelled that program and refunded those that had paid back in September??  Anyway they won’t guarantee that my minor children are on the same flight as their parents, so you might want to consider cancelling the air fare through them and book it yourself. 

Then NCL should stop selling these cruises as Dominican Republic cruises. Be proactive and change the  itinerary. So that people can actually book the cruise they want to go on based on ports that the ship ACTUALLY goes to. 

More evidence that it’s not the weather but something about the policy/politics. 
 

Wonder if the seas is at Taino Bay today.  So Royal has docked their mega ships there but NCL just won’t even try. 

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

But you are talking about Taino Bay and Amber Cove.

 

Mostly because changing a cruise ship port of call is a lot harder than deciding to pull into a different Motel 6 along the highway. Securing a dock is one of many step including clearing the stop with the local government, clearing the stop with the US government, local security, local agent to manage shore side, contracting with local vendors to provide shore excursions, hiring a local pilot, etc. etc. etc. It is not done until it is done. Until then, you are going to the DR or spending the day at sea. 

 

We called at Taino Bay after the Escape incident last year. It is still a viable port,,, just have to make a decision on whether the weather will permit docking (which is done closer to cruise time).

 

FWIW, I am scheduled to call at DR shortly,,, so I also have a vested interest. 

You can say that all you want. But they don’t even try to dock at Taino bay. And while they might have used it right after the accident. They haven’t used it in a long time. I think as do a lot of people that they are not allowed to by their insurance company or by company policy.  So they switched every docking this month to Amber cove from Taino bay that they could. The dates that they can’t dock at amber cove they don’t even try at Taino. So why not just say that and tell the guests on the escapes January 28th sailing that they are not going to Puerto plata.  

I guess I didn't want to talk about amber cove and Taino bay so much as why NCL won't tell the guests of the change up front.  The other threads are about the docks themselves so I guess I thought this one was different but sorry to have bothered you. 

Why doesn't NCL just admit that they are not using the Taino Bay Dock with the larger class ships and be proactive in allowing their guests to research and book in alternate ports???  Taino bay port schedule has  NCL Escape, NCL Encore and NCL getaway on the schedule for the month of January.  The current sailing of the Escape wasn't able to go to Puerto Plata since Amber cove was full with carnival ships.  They subbed in Nassau.  Escape was on the Nassau dock schedule at least 3 days before the sailing took place and yet guests were not informed until they were already onboard.  Amber cove dock recently updated January to include escape, encore and getaway on any itinerary that there wasn't already two ships at the amber cove dock.  I have strong feelings that the scheduled docking at Taino Bay for the escape on the 30th is going to be either canceled or routed elsewhere like the current sailing, since there isn't room at Amber Cove.   Why doesn't NCL just make the change early and be done with it?  Stop selling the cruise as a Dominican Republic cruise.  There are more conflicts in February and March that stand a good chance of being changed.  Give the guests some time to plan for a different port if that's the plan.  Or is it being done this way to avoid people trying to change ships or dates.  Feels a bit like a bait and switch.  Come sail on this Dominican Republic cruise that we have zero intention of actually going to Dominican Republic. (and yes I know the contract says they can change ports at will, I feel like that is more acceptable when its unpredictable  due to weather or rough seas  and not something this predictable). 

41 minutes ago, Southerngal410 said:

What is the link to the Nassau calendar? 

https://www.nassaucruiseport.com/schedule?fromDate=01/08/2023&toDate=03/31/2023&cruiseLine=0&pageIndex=1&pageSize=10&pageLastDate=undefined

2 hours ago, Figg1437 said:

What website are you all using? Looking for the February docking plans to see if we will likely miss or make it on the Escape Feb 11th sailing (13th currently scheduled for Puerto Plato)

https://www.ambercove.com/Port-Schedule.aspx  

Right not there is only one carnival ship at amber cove the 13th.  The Taino Bay schedule doesn't go out that far but as of right now there is room at Amber cove for the Escape if needed.  

https://www.porttainobay.com/es/arrivals

5 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I'm not sure that's true, since it's been reported here on CC that one of the larger ships (I forget which) has docked at Taino Bay since the grounding.  So perhaps the decision is dependent on the tides, weather/wind forecast, etc.  

True but that is always a possibility at any dock.  The fact that they made the change to itinerary before even sailing anywhere close to it indicates to me that the change is not due to tides, weather/wind.  They have been on the Nassau schedule for several days ahead of the sailing.  Weather/wind is always a factor, I think there is more to this dock than that.  SO perhaps I shouldn't have said unaffected.  And instead say If the larger ships start using Taino bay then it is much more likely that future sailings will as well.

5 hours ago, Southerngal410 said:

We will be on the Escape next weekend and scheduled for the DR on the 16th. Guess we will see. 
 

Is the stop getting canceled because of it being grounded last year in that area? 

I think you might be good to go to DR for your cruise.  Amber Cove only has one ship in port that day so NCL could possibly use that dock.  The Amber Cove dock doesn't have room for the Escape on 1-9 or 1-30.  They just announced the current sailing will not go to Taino Bay and instead go to Nassau tomorrow.  I will be be paying close attention to the rest of the month.  IF any large NCL ship docks at Taino Bay then it would indicate future sailings to DR will be unaffected, until a Large ship docks there it will remain a mystery,

I think they might be getting cruises mixed up.  The Escape is scheduled to port in Nassau on Sunday instead of Puerta Plata on Monday but they are on the Taino Bay schedule for Monday as well as the Nassau port schedule for Sunday.  Maybe that is where the confusion is 

Amber cove has the encore on January 10th as well as being in Taino Bay.  Also the escape is on the port schedule at Nassau on January 8th as well as Taino bay on the 9th.  Seems tricky to me. 

Thank you to everyone that has responded.  Ugh I am now even more confused.  It sounds like the Escape is the better ship for my family but now I am torn on ports.  GSC sounds good with the included food and beverages but tender means possibly missing port and waiting on tenders.  Harvest Caye sounds better but additional costs of food and drinks.  So torn...

Any thoughts on whether Roatan, Cozumel and costa Maya are better than Puerta Plata, Tortola and St. Thomas?? 

Cozumel would probably just be a beach resort for us,  We did the ruins at Costa Maya last time we were there.  Never been to  Roatan.

Never been to Puerta Plata.  Last time in Tortola we did a dophin meet but our youngest was too young and doesn't even remember it.  and I Think we did an island tour in St. Thomas. (with overlooking views of Magen bay???)

I never realized how wishy washy I was before this trip.  lol