Revised Itinerary

All,

I am also sailing to the Eastern Carribean in February 2018 on another cruise line so I have been watching websites with interest to determine the pace of recovery.

As many have said, the hurricanes were a terrible tragedy for the folks that lived there. However, it is remarkable to me how quickly folks have pulled together to rebuild, truly an inspiring story to come out of that region.

Here’s an example of one of the websites I am following with updates on St. Martin: www.sxmstrong.com. According to that website, St. Martin is looking at 11/11/2017 to begin receiving cruise ships and tourists.

I hope that if you are interested, you find that website useful.

Jack

Our destinations team is actively finalizing the new shore excursions for our new calls and will open them in the next coming days.

We understand that San Juan and St. Maarten had to be dropped for our Jan. 3rd cruise but very disappointed that only Martinique has been added. Instead we have another sea day.

I chose that cruise because it had a higher ratio of port days to sea days than most Caribbean cruises. Oh well.

I hope that Regent will make an effort to add more activities for the sea days.

We also have San Juan and St Maarten changed for St Kitts and a sea day, and we're not going till 11 March next year! It means we have only four ports in a ten day cruise - not very happy about it

We also have San Juan and St Maarten changed for St Kitts and a sea day, and we're not going till 11 March next year! It means we have only four ports in a ten day cruise - not very happy about it

OK people. Get a grip. They can't go to these places because they are not habitable. It isn't Regent's fault. Or any other cruise lines fault. And I'm guessing they're doing their best to scramble and find somewhere for us all to go Am guessing it is a scheduling nightmare

OK people. Get a grip. They can't go to these places because they are not habitable. It isn't Regent's fault. Or any other cruise lines fault. And I'm guessing they're doing their best to scramble and find somewhere for us all to go Am guessing it is a scheduling nightmare

Well said!

OK people. Get a grip. They can't go to these places because they are not habitable. It isn't Regent's fault. Or any other cruise lines fault. And I'm guessing they're doing their best to scramble and find somewhere for us all to go Am guessing it is a scheduling nightmare

I think Regent doing a great job of helping their guests. Crystal is not!! we had no updates and wish i was on Regent. So be happy

OK people. Get a grip. They can't go to these places because they are not habitable. It isn't Regent's fault. Or any other cruise lines fault. And I'm guessing they're doing their best to scramble and find somewhere for us all to go Am guessing it is a scheduling nightmare

I understand all that, of course, and didn't mean to sound callous. I was surprised that a change was made so quickly to a cruise still six months away, by which time those two original venues may be able and willing to take cruise visitors. Still, first world gripe...

Just read today in Seatrade Cruise News that requests from cruise companies to make port stops on islands that were not damaged by the hurricane is really high. Antigua alone has had 158 new port calls. This may be more concerning for luxury passengers since Regent tries to dock/tender in ports with the least amount of other ships. With so many mega-ships that sail the Caribbean, this season may be a zoo in the unaffected ports.

Another side to this that was mentioned in the article was that the affected islands, once open, will be in dire need of tourists. Hopefully Regent will wait a couple of months before finalizing visits to ports next year that are currently not open. I believe that they will since they will be visiting St. Barts just a couple of weeks after they open for cruise ships.

An update about San Juan, Puerto Rico from Cruise Critic https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8157

While Regent is apparently not comfortable going there yet, it is interesting that some cruise lines may have visited there already. Based on the information on the news, this is quite surprising!

Even if a lot of these places are, once again, technically able to "accept" cruise ships to dock there, even several months from now, just think about what you're going to be looking at and encountering. Large barren areas where trees used to be (obviously, a past stand of beautiful lush 40-foot trees, bushes, and parks don't just magically "reappear" in a couple of weeks or even a couple of months). Remember, these were very poor countries to begin with. In the lower Fl. Keys (including Key West), nearly 75% of the houses were destroyed.

Where are the "locals" now going to be living? - The same folks who were previously tending bars, waiting on tables in restaurants, driving cabs and tour buses, collecting trash and making deliveries, and working in local art museums and trinket shops? A lot of them - who were financially "stressed" to begin with (before the devastation), have now left. How about the infrastructure of these places - roads, bridges, sidewalks, restaurants, shops, etc.? It may take years for many of those things to be rebuilt. Mudslides, rushing water, and high winds destroyed sewer/water/electrical systems in many of the islands and didn't leave these places in any type of good condition to service thousands of passengers disembarking from mega-cruise ships (or even smaller one). Many of those areas were not in "top shape" before the storms!

I Don't mean to be "Mr. Doom & Gloom" here, but when I'm looking at potentially/actually spending $20K - $30K for a cruise with a duration of 10-20 days, I would not be very eager to cruise to a place (for at least 2-3 years) that had been "wacked" this hard by hurricanes. I think an Atlantic TA cruise would be looking "pretty darn good" at the moment! Best Regards.

I'm just looking forward to passengers being able to spend money in the ports that were devastated by the hurricanes. We'll be in St. Barths a week or so after they reopen for cruise ships. IMO, supporting the local economy is the most important thing!!!

More important than having a good cruise experience? I guess if "money is no object", than fine....."There's always the next cruise"......right?

You need to keep in mind that the entire Caribbean was not effected. Puerto Rico, Dominica, BVI and the American Virgins are probably the worst. St. Barths got it pretty bad, but they are a moneyed island....think MANY Richard Branson type folks and the full support of the French government. They're almost back to normal. Will it be like it was before...nope. I'm sure that some of the Caribbean reefs suffered so much damage that in my lifetime, they won't be the same. I don't think Regent is going to take us anywhere where the infrastructure is dicey. I do wish I could dump some tourist dollars into the badly hit areas but that just isn't going to happen.

As far as I know St Barth is not yet open for cruise ships, hopefully soon. Of course, many of the hotels are destroyed ( Eden Rock) or have significant damage and are closed (Guanahani) .Pretty much the same story for damage in Anguilla. From what I have been reading SXM remains in serious condition.

So I pretty much am in Pingpong's column but perhaps w a shorter time frame. Folks who wish to throw tourist dollars can do so through contributing to various funds.

I also read an article about the dramatically increased cruise ship visits to unharmed islands. We sail Regent

In Jan and have had st kits and Antigua substituted. I do expect a zoo. I would have been so much happier w sea days..the kind where the ship is mining and the breeze misses your hair.

More important than having a good cruise experience? I guess if "money is no object", than fine....."There's always the next cruise"......right?

It isn't about money being no object. Wouldn't it be great if every person that visited Puerto Rico spent $5 on a trinket? I personally hope that cruise ships return to ports that are currently closed just as soon as they open and it is safe to dock there.

We likely enjoy different cruise/vacation experiences. We appreciate developing cities/countries and some of the places we have been are not in much better shape than parts of the Caribbean at the moment. There is a Regent excursion in Namibia where Regent guests didn't want to get off of the bus ....... or even eat the food presented by the locals. We enjoyed every. moment of the excursion -- it was part a a great cruise experience (so good that we repeated it when we returned to the area on another Regent ship).

pingpong, in a way I agree with your comment "there is always the next cruise" but likely not in the way you meant it. No one is promised another cruise or another day so we may as well make each day the best it can be (and what is right for one person may not be for another) and hope that there is another cruise in our future.

Sorry for post..this auto correct is killing me..ship is moving (not mining).

I truly understand wanting to help the people but have questions whether the $5 will do it. I keep having visions of some poor countries where they put their children out to dance frenetically to drum music to garner tourist dollars. If not to a reputed organization, perhaps a donation to a local church or center? Of course, for each person to decide.

Paula - +10! My sentiments exactly, and was one of my thoughts, as well.

If you want to help some of these places, simply make a contribution to charitable organizations that are providing on-the-ground short and long term support to reestablish these areas as viable tourist destinations, and more importantly, are providing immediate help and comfort to the impacted local residents to rebuild their respective local infrastructures.

I'm somewhat skeptical about any immediate financial and public benefits that are supposedly to be gained from large cruise ships pulling into recently-devastated islands and disgorging hundreds/thousands of gawking passengers, who are all looking for/expecting fun, scenic, and exotic experiences in return for the vacation dollars/pounds/euros that they are spending to cruise to these particular destinations for their own amusement.

Your example/image of poor 3rd-world children, being put on public "display" by their poor 3rd-world parents, (for the amusement of rich 1st-world cruising vacationers), in order to barely afford basic necessities of life, really gave me something to ponder. Thanks, and best regards!

Sorry for post..this auto correct is killing me..ship is moving (not mining).

 

I truly understand wanting to help the people but have questions whether the $5 will do it. I keep having visions of some poor countries where they put their children out to dance frenetically to drum music to garner tourist dollars. If not to a reputed organization, perhaps a donation to a local church or center? Of course, for each person to decide.

I was thinking $5 per passenger on one of the huge ships that sail the Caribbean (3,000 - 5,000 passengers per ship). Of course, more money would be great but every little bit helps.

My concern about donations - especially clothing and other household goods is that the organizations cannot get them to the people that need them. My friend worked with a legitimate organization that sent truckloads of clothes for one of the recent hurricanes and the entire shipment ended up in a storage building. I really admire people that have been going to Puerto Rico to personally hand out food and/or are helping the people in other ways.

Agree with what has been said about overcrowding of other ports. I suspect that the Caribbean islands that can accept cruise ships will be very busy places this season. I checked how many ships are in port while we are on the way to and from the Amazon and fortunately, there are not many. I suspect that it is a bit early in the season.

I checked how many ships are in port....

TC: What is the website you are using to do that for the Caribbean ports?

SS//

TC: What is the website you are using to do that for the Caribbean ports?

 

SS//

I'd love to know that as well. Could be really interesting

cruisett.com

We always check this site ... It is so helpful:D

TC: What is the website you are using to do that for the Caribbean ports?

 

SS//

cruisett.com

 

We always check this site ... It is so helpful:D

I have used cruisett.com in the past but now use cruisetimetables.com. They keep track of many more ships than cruisett.com. So their results are more accurate and complete.

Today's New York Times has an excellent article which summarizes the conditions in the various Caribbean islands most impacted

by the the hurricane. It also says a few words about increased cruise line visits to St Kitts and Antigua.

I have used cruisett.com in the past but now use cruisetimetables.com. They keep track of many more ships than cruisett.com. So their results are more accurate and complete.

Thanks Dave!