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Cruise cut short Gem Oct 31, 2017


Wizpharm2
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Captain just announced that the Gem will not be returning to NYC on the current cruise due to engine troubles. Passengers will disembark in Barbados and take a chartered flight back to New York.

Has anyone had this experience and specifically how they might deal with passengers that can't or don't fly?

 

 

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Captain just announced that the Gem will not be returning to NYC on the current cruise due to engine troubles. Passengers will disembark in Barbados and take a chartered flight back to New York.

Has anyone had this experience and specifically how they might deal with passengers that can't or don't fly?

 

 

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Are you kidding me. That's crazy. Do you know how many people they would need to get on flights. Never heard of this in my life. I can particular say that I am not a good flyer hence the reason we often cruise from a port that is manageable by driving. I wish everyone a safe ride/flight back. At least you were able to enjoy some of your cruise.

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Wow, this would be a personal nightmare. I have a bad back and am unable to sit all that long. For any flight over an hour I need to be sure I book lie flat seats.

 

There is no way I could handle a charter flight back from Barbados! So sorry to all those who had their vacation cut short and safe travels home.

 

 

 

 

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Wow, never heard of this before. We cruise because my husband won't fly, this would be like his personal nightmare.

 

I can totally relate to your husband. I would have a panic attack if I had to fly home on a chartered flight from Barbados.

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Not sure that the cruise is being cut short? From what I've heard everyone will be getting off the day they were already scheduled to (11/11)?

 

 

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According to Captain some will get off on Friday (11/10) and some on Sat. I doubt Barbados can handle all passengers getting off at one time, not to mention the airport dealing with everyone at the same time.

 

 

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Barbados can easily handle the passengers. A large number of non US based cruises, and luxury cruises roundtrip out of Bridgetown. Depending on the planes they charter they could need as few as ten flight or as many as 20, in other words, not that many flights.

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What of the cruisers without passports?

 

It will not be an issue. US CBP can make exceptions whenever they want. They will simply treat the people on the charter flights as if they returned on the ship.

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The cruise line will arrange with the proper authorities in advance for passenger clearance back in to the U.S.A. for those that didn't travel with passports.

 

Yes, much easier to do with a charter.

 

Meanwhile.. holy crap... that is going to cost some big bucks.

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What of the cruisers without passports?

 

This is what I was thinking at first. Probably won't be an issue for passengers with chartered flights by NCL, but still I'd much rather have my passport and not even have to have this concern cross my mind.

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Wow, this would be a personal nightmare. I have a bad back and am unable to sit all that long. For any flight over an hour I need to be sure I book lie flat seats.

 

There is no way I could handle a charter flight back from Barbados! So sorry to all those who had their vacation cut short and safe travels home.

 

 

 

 

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What would you do if you had to fly out on a medical emergency?

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We were on the Dawn back in 2009 that had issues. We putted back to San Juan and they flew every one back in 2 days on chartered really big planes. The cruise line was very professional. My husband said they were L1011 or DC10.

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Barbados can easily handle the passengers. A large number of non US based cruises, and luxury cruises roundtrip out of Bridgetown. Depending on the planes they charter they could need as few as ten flight or as many as 20, in other words, not that many flights.

 

Ten or twenty planes, not that many? You think there are planes just sitting around for call up on a moments notice? Whatever would be laying around would be older craft, that's like 4-747's. That's a lot of planes,pilots,crew and logistical support, far from an easy task.

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Smaller ship, but they did the same thing when an O ship caught fire in St. Lucia. In that case, they had to arrange same day charters, since the ship was uninhabitable. They also had to arrange for passenger vans for an across island transfer to the airport. When you add in crew transfers, the number of people transferred were easily over 1K.

 

This was just after the acquisition by NCL and we were met in Miami by representatives of both companies. The plane was a typical yuckky charter type jet....definitely not a Dreamliner. The lucky group were the ones (assuming high suites) that got to fly back to Miami in the corporate jet used to bring representatives from corporate down to St. Lucia.

 

I would give corporate an A+ on how they handled that situation.

 

On that cruise there was probably no fear of flying people on board since embarkation had been in San Juan.

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Ten or twenty planes, not that many? You think there are planes just sitting around for call up on a moments notice? Whatever would be laying around would be older craft, that's like 4-747's. That's a lot of planes,pilots,crew and logistical support, far from an easy task.

 

The airlines do it all the time. It is not a big deal for them. You don't get them all from the same carrier, one or two from each and you are good to go. They run these types of charters daily, and yes, they have planes and crews sitting around that do this type of thing.

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Thought some might be interested in the plan for those currently on the Gem. We are docking around 1am in Barbados. Four flights are scheduled on Friday and three flights for Saturday. All are charters flying to Newark. All guests will need to clear Immigration on board the ship on Friday. Three flights leave Friday morning, one flight Friday evening and three flights Sat. morning. Everyone was assigned a flight/departure time based on post cruise information submitted to the ship on Thursday morning. Luggage needs to be outside you room by 10pm for morning departures.

 

Now here's the kicker, the departure times (leaving the ship) for Friday flights are 3:30am, 5:30am, 6:30am and 5:30pm. Immigration processes starts 1 & 1/2 hours before departure (that's 2am for the first group).

Sat departures at 4am, 5am, and 6am...but these folks will have already cleared immigration on Friday.

 

Breakfast buffet will be available beginning at 1am

 

No news yet for those folks that can't fly.

 

 

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Thought some might be interested in the plan for those currently on the Gem. We are docking around 1am in Barbados. Four flights are scheduled on Friday and three flights for Saturday. All are charters flying to Newark. All guests will need to clear Immigration on board the ship on Friday. Three flights leave Friday morning, one flight Friday evening and three flights Sat. morning. Everyone was assigned a flight/departure time based on post cruise information submitted to the ship on Thursday morning. Luggage needs to be outside you room by 10pm for morning departures.

 

Now here's the kicker, the departure times (leaving the ship) for Friday flights are 3:30am, 5:30am, 6:30am and 5:30pm. Immigration processes starts 1 & 1/2 hours before departure (that's 2am for the first group).

Sat departures at 4am, 5am, and 6am...but these folks will have already cleared immigration on Friday.

 

Breakfast buffet will be available beginning at 1am

 

No news yet for those folks that can't fly.

 

 

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any news on repair situation?

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Thought some might be interested in the plan for those currently on the Gem. We are docking around 1am in Barbados. Four flights are scheduled on Friday and three flights for Saturday. All are charters flying to Newark. All guests will need to clear Immigration on board the ship on Friday. Three flights leave Friday morning, one flight Friday evening and three flights Sat. morning. Everyone was assigned a flight/departure time based on post cruise information submitted to the ship on Thursday morning. Luggage needs to be outside you room by 10pm for morning departures.

 

Now here's the kicker, the departure times (leaving the ship) for Friday flights are 3:30am, 5:30am, 6:30am and 5:30pm. Immigration processes starts 1 & 1/2 hours before departure (that's 2am for the first group).

Sat departures at 4am, 5am, and 6am...but these folks will have already cleared immigration on Friday.

 

Breakfast buffet will be available beginning at 1am

 

No news yet for those folks that can't fly.

 

 

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Thanks for keeping us posted. Any idea how you are getting from Newark back to NY?

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Thanks for keeping us posted. Any idea how you are getting from Newark back to NY?

 

 

 

Notification stated we would be met at Newark by NCL staff. I assume they will bus everyone back the the pier or to the appropriate airport or hotel for those with post cruise packages.

 

 

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Notification stated we would be met at Newark by NCL staff. I assume they will bus everyone back the the pier or to the appropriate airport or hotel for those with post cruise packages.

 

 

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Wishing you a safe trip home. What an ending to a vacation.

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The saga continues for those unable to fly back..an estimated 90-100 folks. NCL secured 10 cabins on a Royal Caribbean ship schedule to dock in Barbados on Monday Nov 13, 2017 and will arrive in Ft. Laud Nov 16, 2017. Amtrak back to NYC from there. All rooms now filled, with NCL looking for additional passage for remaining passengers.

 

 

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