Wehwalt

I don't think either the Campbells or the media are interested in further exploration of the circumstances of what happened. Both got what they wanted out of there being a story. The Campbells got pressure on NCL to make a full reimbursement, which either will work, or it will not (right now it's the latter) and since no one is ever the villain in their own head, they are happy to have dinged the cruise line. The media filled a few minutes or webpages, and they aren't totally unhappy to ding the cruise industry, with its "privilege" and it's (in their minds) environmentally questionable way of travel. As for the cruise line, it gets free publicity that it goes to exotic ports and people who would take NCL on an African cruise are going to be understanding that the cruise line is not going to wait.

Regarding whether the company would have a "get you to next port" guarantee. I doubt that catering to cruise passengers is a huge part of the company's business. I see there are only eight more days on which a cruise ship is scheduled to dock in Principe in 2024, and only five in 2025. Most likely the greater part of their business is people who fly in, for example from Portugal.

If all they had was a credit card, then most likely they flew. Overland travel in Africa is gonna require cash. Senegal pictures? Here's one from my visit on the Amsterdam in 2018. You know how they call a speed bump a sleeping policeman in some countries?

Mike, thanks for taking us along. Quick question for you. Is the Explorations Cafe the only place you can get specialty coffees in the morning?

Even though the island is only thirty miles long, the fact that you're dealing with a not-very-developed African country screams for allowing ample time. The up side is that the island is getting lots of publicity. Readership of the Wikipedia articles has tripled. Perhaps that will translate into increased tourism. https://pageviews.wmcloud.org/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&redirects=0&range=latest-20&pages=São_Tomé_and_Príncipe|São_Tomé

That is what happened when I broke my arm in Tahiti. The port agent came to my hospital room with my passport and baggage and was helpful in getting me a hotel room and a medical service to assist me for a week until the bone had knit enough for me to fly back to the States.

There is a rather lengthy discussion on the NCL board that seems to be generating as much heat as light.

I got my platinum on the Noordam in July, which I finished with 702 nights. On our next cruise guest services got in touch to ask if I had gotten mine on my previous cruise, and I assured them that I had.

The HAL GWV last year left a passenger in hospital in Angola, who later died. At least this passenger was well enough to fly home. It is regrettably the nature of cruising that there are medical issues and sometimes the ship does not feel they can treat aboard.

I think all Princess ships are Medallion class and have been for some time. Platinum is 700. I got mine on the Noordam last summer. DW got her medallion too. I'm not sure I could put my hands on all four that I've been given.

I bought daffodil bulbs in Holland and England, they had certificates, I declared them, the customs officer didn't want to see them, they were still blooming as of the time I sold the house two years ago.

I believe there is a special price for the package on Grand Voyage segments of 50 or more days. That may be what is being described in post #21.

Baltimore is an attractive cruise port despite being relatively far from open ocean because it is very drivable. If you are going to fly then for an hour or at most two more you can be in FLL and take a cheaper ship that leaves from a port much closer to the action. Norfolk is less attractive not because of flight connections but because it is further from DC and other cities within a hour or so drive of the Baltimore cruise port.

I would suspect that the cruise lines do not want to be in the business of busing people from Baltimore to Norfolk. I anticipate generous cancellation policies, but it won't be their job to bus passengers except for returning from the voyages that have already started.

Far off-site parking, such as at MetLife, is certainly not going to attract people to keep the cruise even though it's not in Baltimore anymore. The bags are going to be another issue. And I probably left my car in a Meadowlands parking lot overnight sometime in my New Jersey career, I would not have liked to do it if people could tell no one's coming back for the car for ten or twelve days ...

Somewhere upthread it was mentioned that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (U.S.-50), under which cruise vessels leaving Baltimore must pass before reaching the open sea, has clearance of 186 feet. There was some discussion that this might be replaced in the future, though. Today won't speed that up, I'd guess. First things first.

Agreed. The question is, is it worth putting an additional RCCI ship in there if it's going to be months or longer, say if it's going to be all summer, or is there somewhere else it could more profitably go?

Major problem I see is that if they are both in Bayonne for any length of time, they're going to compete with each other. If RCCI felt it was worth having another ship there, they already would. But I would think immense resources are going to be devoted to getting a channel open to reopen the Port of Baltimore. Once it is, the problem goes away.

There's space for at least five to dock at Manhattan at the same time, but I don't know if they have the facilities for four of them to turn around (customs, baggage, check-in, etc).

You're still going to be limited by the clearance under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (US 50) which I find to be 186 feet. That's going to rule out the newest ships.

Also 895. I used to drive quite often from DC area to NYC area in the wee hours and it was routine to have one tube of the tunnels closed. Look, we can discuss all we want about people calling. Many people are not as adept with communication as we are and hearing there is a problem they are going to call the cruise line. That's just the way it is. I don't think any less of them for doing it. Possibly Royal can head off some of it by being proactive with communications.

One of the big attractions of Baltimore is that they have a nice big surface parking lot right by the cruise terminal. It's easy. I cruised out of there three times before I moved too far south, and each time I'm out and on I 95 in no time.

As you way, we knew it would happen. Also I have no doubt that onboard the Vision, people are seeking information where they can. It's human nature. People will ask until they have the information they desire. I don't fault them.

Yeah, I considered the airport but really you'll get to Baltimore quicker with a direct bus than with a bus to a plane (or a train) to a bus. There are large numbers of buses in the NY/NJ area. I think the limiting factor would be the number of properly-licensed drivers.

I think more likely they'd just run the shuttle buses from Bayonne to Baltimore. Amtrak's already busy this time of year so you'd probably be asking hundreds of people to stand and control their baggage. Then cancel sailings until the dry dock and afterwards run the ship out of Florida for a few months until the channel's clear and Baltimore's OK with cruise ships coming back. Be even better if you can alter the Vision's schedule. Cancel the last two ports, re-enter the country at Fort Lauderdale, get all the people who are using the cruise line's air off there and anyone else who wants to. Assume everyone will get at least a partial refund. Sure, this is an expensive solution but there are no cheap solutions and someone's insurance is paying.