Summit Bermuda Question

[ackieboy]

Hi!

 

I will be sailing on the Celebrity Summit on July 15 to Bermuda. I have cruised to Bermuda many times before, but never on Celebrity. Each time, if you left on Saturday from the New York area, you arrived in Bermuda on Monday morning and stayed three nights. If you sailed on Sunday, you arrived on Tuesday, but still stayed the three nights. On our sailing, it appears as if we are sailing on Sunday, but not arriving until Wednesday, and only staying two nights. My question is, why does it take the Summit an entire additional day to make the trip? I have checked similar itineraries on Holland America and they seem to make the trip in a day and a half. Just wondering if anyone had an answer. Happy cruising to everyone!

 

 

Dean

[dmwnc1959]

I'm not sure if this is an accurate observation but it may have something to do with the fact the VEENDAM is the only ship docking downtown Hamilton, where as the other much larger ships coming from NYC, Bayonne, Boston, and Baltimore that dock at Kings Wharf are competing for the small number of berths.

 

So VEENDAM can just head right to Bermuda knowing no other ship will be tied up there, and the other ships going to Kings Wharf have to alter their sea days to arrive when a berth is freed up.

 

If you also notice even though it takes the NY ships two days to get down there, it only takes one day getting back. The opposite holds true for the Norwegian Dawn from Boston; takes one day to get down there and two days to get back.

 

All those ships that depart on weekends from NY, Boston, and Baltimore, as well as the ones that just run shorter cruises to Bermuda (i.e. 5-nts) have to alternate so they don't all arrive and depart Kings Wharf on the same days.

 

Hope this makes sense?

 

.

[dkjretired]

We are doing 6 day on summit in September and they are only taking one day down and one back. Believe the answer to your question Is more revenue from drinks and in casino.

[librarylady19]

Congrats on reaching 10,000 posts Don!!

[cyntil8ing]

My guess is there is limited dock space. Excluding Veendam, there are five ships making regular weekly calls, but only two dock spaces. Here is the schedule for this year.

 

http://www.marineandports.bm/Img/downloads/BMOC/Cruiseship%20Schedule%202012.pdf

[miched]

First explanation:. You are paying to go on a cruise. The Itinary is shown. It is how the cruise is scheduled.

 

2nd explanation: They have a head wind and sailing against the current on the way there and they have a tail wind and going with the current on the way back.

 

3rd explanation: They sailed the best way that they know there and on the way back they discovered a short cut.

 

Conspiracy theory: They want the extra sea day to increase profits.

 

Most logical is the post number 5 above.

 

 

.

[dmwnc1959]

My guess is there is limited dock space. Excluding Veendam, there are five ships making regular weekly calls, but only two dock spaces.

 

That's pretty much what I said in Post #2 but a heck of a lot more condensed! ;)

 

2nd explanation: They have a head wind and sailing against the current on the way there and they have a tail wind and going with the current on the way back.

 

I'm booked on a 4-nt Bermuda Getaway on Caribbean Princess at the end of October. It's one day down, one day there, and one day back. So I'm guessing the 'headwinds' aren't really much of a factor?

[reginab1979]

On the first two days out, Summit is doing 11 knots (snails pace) on their way to Bermuda. I'm thinking it's a way to keep those stores and Casino open and bring in a bit more $$$$.

 

Gail

[Charles4515]

On the first two days out, Summit is doing 11 knots (snails pace) on their way to Bermuda. I'm thinking it's a way to keep those stores and Casino open and bring in a bit more $$$$.

 

Gail

 

Yes they could get to Bermuda in less time. But since Summit has to dock at the Dockyard as it is too large to dock at Hamilton or St. George there would be no space for the Summit to dock at the Dockyard the way ships are currently scheduled. There would have to be fewer ships going to the Dockyard for any of the ships to have the extra time. I would guess the cruise lines prefer the extra time because the shops and casino remain open at sea and Bermuda prefers more ships docking at the Dockyard. So I doubt the current arrangement for ships at the Dockyard would change unless one or more of the cruise lines, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean or NCL decides to pull ships out of their Bermuda runs in combination with Bermuda allowing the casino to stay open.

[SANDY823]

lets not forget the port fees the cruise lines pay to dock each day /night---...

 

they have to figure that into their budget !

[reginab1979]

lets not forget the port fees the cruise lines pay to dock each day /night---...

 

they have to figure that into their budget

 

This is very true. It's quite expensive to dock in Bermuda. And there is an extra fee, per cabin, per day, to dock at the Navy yard. I also read that Bermuda actually "awards" docking privileges to particular cruise lines. Summit cannot fit at Hamilton or St. Georges as someone already said, so they are at the most expensive place on the island. Years and years ago Celebrity didn't having docking at Bermuda and had to compete to get in there. I wonder....did Carnival ever dock there on a regular basis? Hmmmm...

 

Gail

[Charles4515]

This is very true. It's quite expensive to dock in Bermuda. And there is an extra fee, per cabin, per day, to dock at the Navy yard. I also read that Bermuda actually "awards" docking privileges to particular cruise lines. Summit cannot fit at Hamilton or St. Georges as someone already said, so they are at the most expensive place on the island. Years and years ago Celebrity didn't having docking at Bermuda and had to compete to get in there. I wonder....did Carnival ever dock there on a regular basis? Hmmmm...

 

Gail

 

Carnival wanted to get in for years but Bermuda thumbed their nose at Carnival as not being the type of passengers they thought they wanted for Bermuda. Carnival finally got some fall and weekend slots, not very good slots that they used for a few years. But last year Carnival dropped Bermuda and forgot to tell Bermuda.....

 

Holland America also is dropping Bermuda. The Veendam was the almost perfect ship as it could dock at Hamilton and would have been able to dock at St. George if HAL had not modified it in a refit just before they started doing Bermuda. Today most cruise lines even if they have ships that can call at Hamilton and St. George will not send them there as they can make more profit using the smaller ships on exotic itineraries. Profit and revenue is made with large ships so unless Bermuda balsts and dredges at Hamilton and St. George the Dockyard is where the ships are going to be docking.

[reginab1979]

Carnival wanted to get in for years but Bermuda thumbed their nose at Carnival as not being the type of passengers they thought they wanted for Bermuda. Carnival finally got some fall and weekend slots, not very good slots that they used for a few years. But last year Carnival dropped Bermuda and forgot to tell Bermuda.....

 

Holland America also is dropping Bermuda. The Veendam was the almost perfect ship as it could dock at Hamilton and would have been able to dock at St. George if HAL had not modified it in a refit just before they started doing Bermuda. Today most cruise lines even if they have ships that can call at Hamilton and St. George will not send them there as they can make more profit using the smaller ships on exotic itineraries. Profit and revenue is made with large ships so unless Bermuda balsts and dredges at Hamilton and St. George the Dockyard is where the ships are going to be docking.

 

Thanks for this update info. I was really curious about the Carnival situation. (We're not Carnival ppl however). I see that in 2013 Carnival has a one day docking in Bermuda on one ship but that's it.

 

Gail