What Happens?

[hensghan]

What happens during inclement weather such as we are now experiencing? Conceivably, hundreds of passengers might not be able to make it to an embarkation. Although I realize the cabins will have been already paid for, doesn't the cruise derive a majority of its profit from on board expenditures? Does the cruise line make an effort to re-sell cabins to local residents who won't have travel problems, or do they go ahead and sail with potentially hundreds of unoccupied cabins?

 

It would seem like such a situation might be great for those passengers who do make it to embarkation and get to sail on an incredibly uncrowded ship, and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced such a sailing.

[RuthC]

Unless passengers notify HAL that they won't be able to make it to the ship before sail-away, how could the cabin be resold? Until the gangway is pulled up, with passengers not boarded, they can't know it's all right to resell the empty cabins.

 

And yes, from everything I have read here, the profit is made from on-board sales. The cruise fare barely covers costs (or maybe less).

[cbr663]

The ship will sail with empty cabins. In some cases, it is difficult to fill last minute no-shows as some people are stuck in transit and the ship has no way of knowing whether or not they will board.

 

FYI - around 76% of Carnival's income is from ticket sales, with about 22% from onboard activities and less than 2% from tours. This according to its 2012 Annual Report. Onboard sales are a significant number, at $3.513 billion in 2012.

[sppunk]

My parents last night booked a 7 day balcony cruise on Carnival Breeze for mid March for $300.78 TOTAL. That is for both, all in, port fees and taxes inclusive. They aren't huge CCL fans but they will pay more for gas + parking for their cruise so it was a no brainier.

 

To say they make money w/ onboard spending is an understatement! Too bad they'll not make any off them ...

[rjrpar]

My parents last night booked a 7 day balcony cruise on Carnival Breeze for mid March for $300.78 TOTAL. That is for both, all in, port fees and taxes inclusive. They aren't huge CCL fans but they will pay more for gas + parking for their cruise so it was a no brainier.

 

To say they make money w/ onboard spending is an understatement! Too bad they'll not make any off them ...

 

There has to be more to that story. Doesn't make sense!

[K&RCurt]

We were on a cruise out of ft. Laudredale when a major winter storm hit the day before and lasted through the day of departure from the Mid Atlantic to New England. We had booked flights out of Philly early the morning before the cruise. It was just starting to snow when the plane went "wheels up" at 9:30 AM. By the time we got to FLL the place was a mad house, all of the flights going North were delayed and cancelled, PHL, LaGuardia, Newark, Reagan, BWI, logan were all closed.

 

When the ship sailed the next afternoon it was half empty. The MDR had most tables with several empty chairs, no problem finding a place to sit by either pool, show room full of empty seats.

 

A few folks caught up to the ship at the first stop in Nassau and a couple more in Tortola, but that was it.

 

They won't wait and as others said, can't sell a cabin someone else has paid for not knowing if or when they might show up.

[sail7seas]

We were booked on Volendam when a hurricane closed FLL and Miami Airports as well as Port Everglades. Last minute, HAL announced the ship would board in Port Canaveral. We got 'the word' from an on board crew person who called us so we managed to get flights. :) Many people joined the ship at later ports as they could not get flights into Orlando to make it to the ship. Some never arrived.

 

[POA1]

FYI - around 76% of Carnival's income is from ticket sales, with about 22% from onboard activities and less than 2% from tours. This according to its 2012 Annual Report. Onboard sales are a significant number, at $3.513 billion in 2012.

 

It's true that tickets / fares are the bulk of the revenue, but that's not the same thing as profit. Does your annual report talk about profit by line of business?

[POA1]

There was only one ship leaving port today. It was the Celebrity Constellation. It left on time.

[jtl513]

When a major storm shuts down an area, even if everyone unable to reach the ship by sailing time notified HAL, it is unlikely that they would be able to get enough local residents to fill the cabins. Besides, even relatively local people might not be able to get there either.

 

We've asked many times over the last 10 years to be included on a "last day" list for anything sailing out of FL, and have never been called. :)

Edited February 13, 2014 by jtl513

[startwin]

We were booked on Volendam when a hurricane closed FLL and Miami Airports as well as Port Everglades. Last minute, HAL announced the ship would board in Port Canaveral. We got 'the word' from an on board crew person who called us so we managed to get flights. :) Many people joined the ship at later ports as they could not get flights into Orlando to make it to the ship. Some never arrived.

 

 

Do you mean other passengers were not notified of the change by HAL? Or did they contact everyone?

[djhsolara]

Do you mean other passengers were not notified of the change by HAL? Or did they contact everyone?

 

 

I had the same question...

[Randyk47]

What happens during inclement weather such as we are now experiencing? Conceivably, hundreds of passengers might not be able to make it to an embarkation. Although I realize the cabins will have been already paid for, doesn't the cruise derive a majority of its profit from on board expenditures? Does the cruise line make an effort to re-sell cabins to local residents who won't have travel problems, or do they go ahead and sail with potentially hundreds of unoccupied cabins?

 

It would seem like such a situation might be great for those passengers who do make it to embarkation and get to sail on an incredibly uncrowded ship, and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced such a sailing.

 

The days of last minute sales, due to the security and immigration issues that grew out of 9/11, are basically gone. My late parents lived in Orlando and my uncle in Miami. They'd drive down to Miami and would literally drive from terminal to terminal and put their names on a waitlist for a unsold cabin. Amazingly they did quite well and I don't remember them going more than a day or two waiting to catch a cruise at a significant discount. In the meantime they'd stay with my dad's brother so no expense there. Even with the "standby" aspect gone I kind of wish we could live in Florida and at least forego the ever increasing airfares.

[sail7seas]

Do you mean other passengers were not notified of the change by HAL? Or did they contact everyone?

 

 

Certainly, every guest was notified.

We just heard a tiny bit sooner and were lucky to get alternative flights booked. ;)

 

[oo7 Bond!]

A lot of good reasons to leave home at least 1-day early.

[DaveOKC]

A lot of good reasons to leave home at least 1-day early.

 

So true - hate to be flying out of the NE today.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Even planning to get to the embarkation port 2 or 3 days early isn't a guarantee that you will make it to your cruise.

Trust me -- I know.

[sail7seas]

Even planning to get to the embarkation port 2 or 3 days early isn't a guarantee that you will make it to your cruise.

 

Trust me -- I know.

 

We always travel at least two days in advance of our cruise but there is no gurantee that day will be storm/delay free. Could be for any given cruise that day of cruise would have been the better choice. Travel has risks! By planning to travel in advance gives some opportunity for flexibility and change if necessary.

Edited February 14, 2014 by sail7seas

[Randyk47]

We always travel at least two days in advance of our cruise but there is no gurantee that day will be storm/delay free. Could be for any given cruise that day of cruise would have been the better choice. Travel has risks! By planning to travel in advance gives some opportunity for flexibility and change if necessary.

 

This winter has been particularly brutal and even the typically or normally "safe" airports here in Texas, like our small San Antonio and the huge Dallas airports, have experienced weather delays and shutdowns. Add the interruption of flights not being able to move in and out of airports up north and we've had some significant delays.....like days not hours....this winter. Hard to plan and second guess but two days early this year, in retrospect, seems smarter and smarter. Of course I have to smirk or chuckle a bit as this past fall this winter was forecast to be warmer than normal....yet right. :rolleyes: :)

[WayneFougere]

We were booked on Volendam when a hurricane closed FLL and Miami Airports as well as Port Everglades. Last minute, HAL announced the ship would board in Port Canaveral. We got 'the word' from an on board crew person who called us so we managed to get flights. :) Many people joined the ship at later ports as they could not get flights into Orlando to make it to the ship. Some never arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

I realize this was probably the only way the cruise ship could sail on schedule (and those on board could actually get off the ship) but I'm surprised a cruise line can make such a change unless they are responsible for compensation. Assuming most people leaving the ship (and the new ones arriving) have booked flights long in advance, can I assume the cruise picked up the tab for the changed destination, flights to connecting ports and the cost of the cruise for those who missed it altogether?

 

Do the cruise lines have a clause in their contracts about this?

[Randyk47]

I realize this was probably the only way the cruise ship could sail on schedule (and those on board could actually get off the ship) but I'm surprised a cruise line can make such a change unless they are responsible for compensation. Assuming most people leaving the ship (and the new ones arriving) have booked flights long in advance, can I assume the cruise picked up the tab for the changed destination, flights to connecting ports and the cost of the cruise for those who missed it altogether?

 

Do the cruise lines have a clause in their contracts about this?

 

That's kind of an open-ended question. It all depends on the circumstances. Cruise itineraries are sometimes changed because of weather, mechanical issues, political situations, etc. In some cases the line assumes responsibility for changes and other times not. Heaven forbid it happens but when it does the best circumstances are when, as the passenger, you've booked the whole vacation package (pre and post cruise flights, hotels, cruise, etc.) through the cruise line. The line clearly has more responsibility to get you to and on the cruise if you've booked everything through them. Now sometimes there's a price to be paid for that kind of line responsibility. For instance, while not with HAL, we're flying to Greece to catch our cruise this coming May. The cruise line wanted approximately 30% more for their air than we could book it ourselves. So we booked it ourselves and by doing that understand it's our responsibility to get to Greece not the cruise line's. That might sound risky but it's a risk we're willing to take and, with the back up of travel insurance, we're okay with that.

[jtl513]

Assuming most people leaving the ship (and the new ones arriving) have booked flights long in advance, can I assume the cruise picked up the tab for the changed destination, flights to connecting ports and the cost of the cruise for those who missed it altogether?

In the case of changing between Port Everglades and Port Canaveral, I would expect that the majority of both debarking and embarking passengers would be bused from one to the other - about a 3.5 hour ride - and compensation given for the cost of changing missed flights.

[WayneFougere]

... by doing that understand it's our responsibility to get to ... not the cruise line's.

 

 

That's an obvious risk and not what I was trying to ask. Obviously I was too verbose without enough clarity.

 

I'm only asking about start and end port locations. If the cruise line must change these two ports, is your loss (for example: rebooking flights and hotels) their responsibility or do their contracts shift the responsibility to the passenger?