NCL Reports It Has Agreed to Purchase PCH

[Travelcat2]

Heritage Wharf was built and in use by NCL before the Breakaway was even designed. It had to be rebuilt last year to accommodate the Breakaway (and the rebuild was barely completed in time). Heritage Wharf originally could accommodate ships no larger than NCL's Jewel class. If I'm not mistaken, Heritage Wharf was opened in 2009.

 

There's nothing mysterious going on. Bermuda built Heritage Wharf and gave NCL primary docking rights there in return for NCL agreeing to send two ships per week to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda in season.

 

Apollo has controlled NCL's board of directors from the day they acquired 50% of the company from Genting for $1 billion...it was part of the agreement between Genting and Apollo. Again nothing mysterious or underhanded.

 

Just posted what I read. But, according you, there is an agreement -- to send two ships per week to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda.

[njhorseman]

Just posted what I read. But, according you, there is an agreement -- to send two ships per week to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda.

 

What you didn't do was enough research to realize this was a rebuilding of an existing pier, not a new structure built just for the Breakaway. If you read the article carefully, you'll find this paragraph for example, which should have given you a hint that Heritage Wharf was already there...with words like "an addition mooring location" and "extending the catwalk". You don't use words like "extend" and "addition", and in the last sentence "extension to the dock area" with the structure having been there already. If you had read other articles, this would have been even clearer. There were a lot of objections to spending millions to modify a pier that had just been built a couple of years earlier:

 

"The increased length of the Norwegian Breakaway means that an addition mooring location will be required to the north of Heritage Wharf, extending the catwalk by eighty feet. In time an extension to the dock area to accommodate the entrance and exit companion way locations will be required."

 

The agreement between NCL and Bermuda was signed when Heritage Wharf was first being constructed...around 2008 for opening in 2009...and I think it extends through 2018.

 

By the way, the Royal Caribbean group also a contract with Bermuda for primary use of Kings Wharf, and right now they're studying what changes may be necessary to the shipping channel and possibly Kings Wharf to allow Quantum class ships to dock there in the future.

 

NCL, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships are known as "contract ships" in Bermuda...because the cruise lines have contracts with the government. This happens everywhere...cruise lines contract with governments and port authorities for use of their facilities. There's nothing mysterious about it...it's normal business practice.

Edited September 11, 2014 by njhorseman

[Travelcat2]

Not arguing that this is not done in the cruise industry by companies that own many ships. This is not something I have seen with Oceania or Regent. Regent actually tries to avoid docking with the big ships and will plan itineraries so they are in port with as few ships as possible. (Oceania may do the same thing). This is becoming more and more difficult in the Caribbean. IMO, there is nothing worse than getting to a port with 6,000 - 8,000 passengers from 3 or 4 large ships. A big advantage to being on a smaller ship is being able to dock or anchor at ports where big ships do not go.

 

Again, all I am hoping is that Kevin Sheehan will put aside preconceived notions of what premium and luxury cruise passengers want. NCL's former small ship passengers may have loved a couple nights or more in Bermuda. This does not translate into being a destination that Oceania or Regent guests are interested in.

[njhorseman]

Not arguing that this is not done in the cruise industry by companies that own many ships. This is not something I have seen with Oceania or Regent. Regent actually tries to avoid docking with the big ships and will plan itineraries so they are in port with as few ships as possible. (Oceania may do the same thing). This is becoming more and more difficult in the Caribbean. IMO, there is nothing worse than getting to a port with 6,000 - 8,000 passengers from 3 or 4 large ships. A big advantage to being on a smaller ship is being able to dock or anchor at ports where big ships do not go.

 

Again, all I am hoping is that Kevin Sheehan will put aside preconceived notions of what premium and luxury cruise passengers want. NCL's former small ship passengers may have loved a couple nights or more in Bermuda. This does not translate into being a destination that Oceania or Regent guests are interested in.

 

Just because Regent and Oceania don't want to dock where the big ships are doesn't mean they don't have contracts with the ports where they do dock. And keep in mind that they already call on Bermuda few times a year, in the "shoulder seasons"...and Hamilton and St. George's are not where the big ships dock because they big ships can't dock there. If Regent and Oceania passengers are not interested in Bermuda, why do they currently call on Bermuda a half dozen times a year?

[Iceberg 3]

Disclaimer - I have never sailed in an NCL Haven suite.

I am sure that the suite (and the perks, food, etc) are very nice and priced well compared to Oceania's suites. However, unless you stay locked in your suite or within the haven space, you have to deal with the remainder of the ship good part of the time during your cruise, I would imagine.

It would that that part of the cruising experience that would not appeal to me, no matter how nice my Haven suite was.

JMO - maybe I will try it one day and see for myself ;).

 

Pricing for top Haven suits is not that much lower than O

[hypercafe]

Bermuda really wants to get contract ships to call at Hamalton and St George. The problem is there are few ships left that can go through the cut to StGeorge or the channel to Hamalton. That's why all the hub bub with the dockyard. I believe if NCL believed they could run a R ship or Regent ship there for the season and fill it each week at a good price they would do it in a NY minute regardless what past customers want. These are not family owned lines any more, the family just left with pockets full of cash!

[computerworks]

NCL's former small ship passengers may have loved a couple nights or more in Bermuda. This does not translate into being a destination that Oceania or Regent guests are interested in.

 

When those former NCL passengers sail on Regent or Oceania...THEY are now the Regent or Oceania guests.. who will dictate what they want with their wallets.

 

Norwegian currently fills two ships to capacity every week from May thru September with folks wanting 7 day trips to Bermuda.

 

Filling another 500 pax ship would be a walk in the park for Norwegian's Marketing group.

[njhorseman]

When those former NCL passengers sail on Regent or Oceania...THEY are now the Regent or Oceania guests.. who will dictate what they want with their wallets.

 

Norwegian currently fills two ships to capacity every week from May thru September with folks wanting 7 day trips to Bermuda.

 

Filling another 500 pax ship would be a walk in the park for Norwegian's Marketing group.

 

And I'd be first on line to sign up. We used to cruise to St. George's and Hamilton from NY all the time on smaller ships like Celebrity's Zenith.

 

I'm not a big fan of mega-ships like the Breakaway, and if Regent or Oceania were to do a couple of Bermuda round trips a year from NY they couldn't keep us away.

Edited September 11, 2014 by njhorseman

[Paulchili]

And I'd be first on line to sign up. We used to cruise to St. George's and Hamilton from NY all the time on smaller ships like Celebrity's Zenith.

 

I'm not a big fan of mega-ships like the Breakaway, and if Regent or Oceania were to do a couple of Bermuda round trips a year from NY they couldn't keep us away.

 

If Oceania and Regent did these sailings, they would surely be at a different price than the NCL cruises.

If O & R passengers are not interested in this type of a cruise, who from the NCL passengers would be willing to pay twice as much for O & R than what they already can get on NCL?

Who would fill these ships?

[pacheco18]

When those former NCL passengers sail on Regent or Oceania...THEY are now the Regent or Oceania guests.. who will dictate what they want with their wallets.

 

Norwegian currently fills two ships to capacity every week from May thru September with folks wanting 7 day trips to Bermuda.

 

Filling another 500 pax ship would be a walk in the park for Norwegian's Marketing group.

 

Don't encourage them!

[journeyfan]

We have stayed in all suite levels on Regent -- the benefits we received were not "visible". There are no areas forbidden to passengers in lower class cabins.

 

Perhaps there are no areas "forbidden" to passengers in the lower class cabins on Regent, but most of us who generally book the lower class cabins are not invited to dine multiple times at the Captain's table. Though the fact that you are routinely invited to dine with senior officers might not be "visible" to other passengers on your cruise, it certainly is "visible" to the CC members that frequent the Regent boards. You seem to delight in telling us what high-end suite you are in on each cruise and how many times you're invited to dine with the senior officers... and also how much information these officers (as well as Frank Del Rio) are making you privy to as to how the cruise line is run.

[buggins0402]

When those former NCL passengers sail on Regent or Oceania...THEY are now the Regent or Oceania guests.. who will dictate what they want with their wallets.

 

Norwegian currently fills two ships to capacity every week from May thru September with folks wanting 7 day trips to Bermuda.

 

Filling another 500 pax ship would be a walk in the park for Norwegian's Marketing group.

 

Agree. Those that want a non children experience might bite.

 

With Insignia back in the fold, there is another R to fill. These cruises might be a great vehicle to introduce the Prestige Holdings products (for that matter cruise vacations in general) to the east coast market looking for a higher end product. But, it probably won't appeal to the current Oceania client base - who are well traveled.

[pacheco18]

Perhaps there are no areas "forbidden" to passengers in the lower class cabins on Regent, but most of us who generally book the lower class cabins are not invited to dine multiple times at the Captain's table. Though the fact that you are routinely invited to dine with senior officers might not be "visible" to other passengers on your cruise, it certainly is "visible" to the CC members that frequent the Regent boards. You seem to delight in telling us what high-end suite you are in on each cruise and how many times you're invited to dine with the senior officers... and also how much information these officers (as well as Frank Del Rio) are making you privy to as to how the cruise line is run.

 

+1

Just read the Regent boards -- talk about a class system!

[njhorseman]

If Oceania and Regent did these sailings, they would surely be at a different price than the NCL cruises.

If O & R passengers are not interested in this type of a cruise, who from the NCL passengers would be willing to pay twice as much for O & R than what they already can get on NCL?

Who would fill these ships?

 

I think you'll find there are any number of NCL passengers who currently pay for suites who really don't care for the mega-ships like Breakaway and would also prefer to dock in Hamilton and St. George's (like in the good old days).

 

By the way, it seems as though I've seen a fair number of posts claiming Oceania and Regent really aren't significantly more expensive. Which is it? ;)

[pacheco18]

I think you'll find there are any number of NCL passengers who currently pay for suites who really don't care for the mega-ships like Breakaway and would also prefer to dock in Hamilton and St. George's (like in the good old days).

 

By the way, it seems as though I've seen a fair number of posts claiming Oceania and Regent really aren't significantly more expensive. Which is it? ;)

 

I just booked a suite on Allure of the Seas. Costs about what an inside cabin costs on O. Ridiculous to think that suite passengers on NCL will want to sail in an inside or even an outside. O suites are huge multiples of what suites on max market lines cost.

[May B]

... he was talking to a reporter from a Bermuda newspaper.

 

Would you have expected him to say,

 

No, I don't think Oceania and Regent cruisers will want to visit Bermuda!?

 

He said the itineraries are set far in advance, so don't expect O and R any time soon. I'm a bit surprised that so many of you are upset by that interview, to a Bermuda newspaper.

 

And with the size of Breakaway and Quantum, of course Bermuda is delighted to accommodate their visits. Or so it would seem to me, anyway.

 

I was looking at a TA that included stopping in Bermuda, which appealed to me very much. I've been there three times and enjoyed the botanical gardens, the lighthouse and a few other very low key attractions. We travel by city (island? country?) bus, now that our motor scooter days are past. I believe there's even one attraction we've yet to see, something about an old railway.

[hondorner]

I enjoyed our stay in Bermuda on Riviera, although it's too big to fit at Hamilton and there was no space available at Kings Wharf so we had to tender. That same day, we enjoyed sitting at the spa on Riviera's forward deck, watching Oceania Regatta slide past on her way to the Hamilton dock, exchanging sister ship horn salutes.

 

So, don't think for a minute Oceania doesn't go to Bermuda. The point, however, is that Oceania ships NEVER go to Any Port more than 4 or 5 times per year (OK, I know there may be the occasional exception). That's the draw; wait a couple of weeks and get an entirely new itinerary. Oceania folks tend to be retired for the most part, or not tied to a specific vacation (again, there are exceptions, but not the norm), so they are free to adjust their schedules to their desired itinerary.

 

Taking that away from even one Oceania ship completely changes the character of the cruise line. With an average of somewhere above 60% return guests on every cruise, changing the character is certain death.

 

That's why we're upset; nothing to do with Bermuda, the often repeated route could be to Timbuktu and my statement would be the same.

Edited September 12, 2014 by hondorner

[May B]

I enjoyed our stay in Bermuda on Riviera, although it's too big to fit at Hamilton and there was no space available at Kings Wharf so we had to tender. That same day, we enjoyed sitting at the spa on Riviera's forward deck, watching Oceania Regatta slide past on her way to the Hamilton dock, exchanging sister ship horn salutes.

 

So, don't think for a minute Oceania doesn't go to Bermuda. The point, however, is that Oceania ships NEVER go to Any Port more than 4 or 5 times per year (OK, I know there may be the occasional exception). That's the draw; wait a couple of weeks and get an entirely new itinerary. Oceania folks tend to be retired for the most part, or not tied to a specific vacation (again, there are exceptions, but not the norm), so they are free to adjust their schedules to their desired itinerary.

 

Taking that away from even one Oceania ship completely changes the character of the cruise line. With an average of somewhere above 60% return guests on every cruise, changing the character is certain death.

 

That's why we're upset; nothing to do with Bermuda, the often repeated route could be to Timbuktu and my statement would be the same.

 

Perhaps I did not read the article carefully enough. I did not think that an O ship would be doing a milk run, or whatever we might call it. I thought Mr. Sheehan was telling the Bermuda newspaper readers that they have a lovely home that upscale cruisers might like to visit.

 

And as you point out, they already DO visit ... sporadically. Let's talk about this again in two years. I go out on a limb to say I expect O ships to be visiting Bermuda in 2017 ... sporadically, as they do now.

[Travelcat2]

Perhaps I did not read the article carefully enough. I did not think that an O ship would be doing a milk run, or whatever we might call it. I thought Mr. Sheehan was telling the Bermuda newspaper readers that they have a lovely home that upscale cruisers might like to visit.

 

And as you point out, they already DO visit ... sporadically. Let's talk about this again in two years. I go out on a limb to say I expect O ships to be visiting Bermuda in 2017 ... sporadically, as they do now.

 

Hope you are right. Had to respond to your post because you were on Premier (The Big Red Boat) and we were as well. It was our only mainstream cruise -- 3 days out of Cape Canaveral :)

[May B]

Hope you are right. Had to respond to your post because you were on Premier (The Big Red Boat) and we were as well. It was our only mainstream cruise -- 3 days out of Cape Canaveral :)

 

We weren't sure we'd like cruising (how silly of us!), but we tolerated it fine, thank goodness!

 

It did take a few days to get our land legs back, though. Was that ship much less stabilized, or did we just have to figure the whole thing out?

 

We now have an Oceania and a Crystal booked, and we are very excited to be trying both. I actually suspect it'll be a bit difficult to decide which we prefer. How nice to have such good choices!

[Travelcat2]

We weren't sure we'd like cruising (how silly of us!), but we tolerated it fine, thank goodness!

 

It did take a few days to get our land legs back, though. Was that ship much less stabilized, or did we just have to figure the whole thing out?

 

We now have an Oceania and a Crystal booked, and we are very excited to be trying both. I actually suspect it'll be a bit difficult to decide which we prefer. How nice to have such good choices!

 

We weren't sure we'd like cruising either and now have done over 20 cruises.

 

While we have not sailed on Crystal, I think that Oceania will be quite different since Crystal is a luxury all-inclusive cruise line and Oceania is a very high level premium cruise line. We are used to Regent and it took some getting used to once we boarded Oceania. We do love the food in the specialty restaurants and find the Riviera to be the most beautiful ship we have sailed on (but hear that Crystal is also quite lovely). Hope you point a review when you return.

[May B]

We weren't sure we'd like cruising either and now have done over 20 cruises.

 

While we have not sailed on Crystal, I think that Oceania will be quite different since Crystal is a luxury all-inclusive cruise line and Oceania is a very high level premium cruise line. We are used to Regent and it took some getting used to once we boarded Oceania. We do love the food in the specialty restaurants and find the Riviera to be the most beautiful ship we have sailed on (but hear that Crystal is also quite lovely). Hope you point a review when you return.

 

Oceania next month will be our 21st. :)

 

Since I've been enjoying reading others' live reviews, perhaps if the Internet cooperates, I'll do something similar.

 

Shall definitely plan to post in the review section, also.

 

I have also heard of Riviera's beauty. From reading these boards, I think I know which line will outshine the other in which categories. I expect to thoroughly enjoy both.