Port time change for Tortola and I'm happy!

[moesyk4]

After reading all about the port time changes, I double checked our reservation and our time in Tortola was changed from 8-4 to 7-3. I'm ecstatic because i've been fretting for weeks about the fact that the ferry times didn't fit well with that time frame and we wouldn't get much time at the baths...now we will hopefully be able to catch the 7:45 ferry and get an extra hour or two at the baths, woohoo!

That being said, our time in Nassau was changed months before from I believe it was 10-6 and is now 12-7. I understand they can change times, but it does make it very difficult to plan private excursions now that 2 of the 3 ports have changed!

[brookie848]

This is the first I've heard of Tortola times being changed. What ship are you on and when are you sailing?

[tarps14]

Just checked our September 12th cruise on the Getaway and it has indeed changed since yesterday. Looked at it yesterday because of the St Thomas time changes. These are the changes so far to our Sept cruise times and our Jan Escape times: 9/15/15-St Thomas on the Getaway-8:00a-6:00p, and 9/16/15-Tortola on the Getaway-7:00a-3:00p. 01/26/16-St Thomas on the Escape-7:00a-3:00p and 01/27/16-Tortola on the Escape-8:00a-4:00p.

[punkincc]

After reading all about the port time changes, I double checked our reservation and our time in Tortola was changed from 8-4 to 7-3. I'm ecstatic because i've been fretting for weeks about the fact that the ferry times didn't fit well with that time frame and we wouldn't get much time at the baths...now we will hopefully be able to catch the 7:45 ferry and get an extra hour or two at the baths, woohoo!

That being said, our time in Nassau was changed months before from I believe it was 10-6 and is now 12-7. I understand they can change times, but it does make it very difficult to plan private excursions now that 2 of the 3 ports have changed!

 

My info for our Jan 2016 Escape cruise is still showing 8 to 4 although St Thomas has changed.:confused:

 

But I am not so sure you are correct that the change to a 7 to 3 is a good thing for The Tortola excursions to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. Not sure how likely it is that you could even make the 7:45 Speedys ferry. If you miss that, then the next option is 9:00. For the return trip, the 2:15 is out for a 3:00 departure making the next option the 12:40. So from 9:00 to 12:40 ferry to ferry does not make for much time at the Baths at all.

 

If you can get the 7:45 over, you still have to return on the 12:40 giving you roughly 5 hours ferry to ferry, almost exactly the same time you would have on an 8 to 4:00 itinerary. Much preferable to me would be to keep the 8 to 4 and have plenty of time to catch the 9:00 and then come back on the 2:15 for the 4:00 departure.

[Tiggertastic]

Our Tortola stop in April was 7 to 1, glad they have expanded it. There wasn't much open or available that early and we were so disappointed to have to come back so soon

[punkincc]

Our Tortola stop in April was 7 to 1, glad they have expanded it. There wasn't much open or available that early and we were so disappointed to have to come back so soon

 

The 7:00 port arrival times are pretty lame. Even if you could disembark right at 7:00 am, very difficult to be ready to step off that early unless you arise at the crack of dawn. And what can you do in St Thomas at 7:00 am.? No shops open, tours probably all start at 9:00. It is just wasted time.

 

Screwed up plans for planned trip to St John from St Thomas and now it looks like we may just scrap plans for Virgin Gorda too.

 

But yes, let's leave St Thomas at 3:00 instead of 6:00 and then fart around in the water for 16 hours on a sail which you could go by ferry on from St Thomas to Tortola in less than an hour. WTH are they thinking?

Edited July 20, 2015 by punkincc

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The 7:00 port arrival times are pretty lame. Even if you could disembark right at 7:00 am, very difficult to be ready to step off that early unless you arise at the crack of dawn. And what can you do in St Thomas at 7:00 am.? No shops open, tours probably all start at 9:00. It is just wasted time.

 

Screwed up plans for planned trip to St John from St Thomas and now it looks like we may just scrap plans for Virgin Gorda too.

 

But yes, let's leave St Thomas at 3:00 instead of 6:00 and then fart around in the water for 16 hours on a sail which you could go by ferry on from St Thomas to Tortola in less than an hour. WTH are they thinking?

 

Del Rio's gotta get his extra money out of the passengers. This is just another lever for him to pull.

[Presbycruiser]

On the Gem cruise in November Tortola is listed as 7 to 1. Not sure what the point is. I'm almost afraid to get off the boat with these schedule changes. I may have send out one of those "help! I'm stranded overseas" emails for real!

[moesyk4]

For us, the time is better, I guess! We would be taking the 9:00 ferry originally and we would've taken the 12:40 bak no matter what beause the 2:15 one was just a little too skethy for me...if it was delayed at all or we had issues i just didn't want to risk being stuk on VG with no options and no time. So worst ase senario for us if we miss the 7:45 ferry, we are bak to the same option we had before. 8-5 would've been ideal, but i take this over 8-4.

Figured out whih key on my keyboard suddenly deided not to work? lol

[hpecorari]

I may have send out one of those "help! I'm stranded overseas" emails for real!

 

Thanks for the smile!

 

Harriet

[vacation44]

The 7:00 port arrival times are pretty lame. Even if you could disembark right at 7:00 am, very difficult to be ready to step off that early unless you arise at the crack of dawn. And what can you do in St Thomas at 7:00 am.? No shops open, tours probably all start at 9:00. It is just wasted time.

 

Screwed up plans for planned trip to St John from St Thomas and now it looks like we may just scrap plans for Virgin Gorda too.

 

But yes, let's leave St Thomas at 3:00 instead of 6:00 and then fart around in the water for 16 hours on a sail which you could go by ferry on from St Thomas to Tortola in less than an hour. WTH are they thinking?

 

Exactly! Totally ruined our perfect plans (for our group of 12) for St. Thomas.

[jakesnana]

Exactly! Totally ruined our perfect plans (for our group of 12) for St. Thomas.

 

That seems to be the theme here. Totally ruined our plans for 40 people for our first day in Bermuda. Originally scheduled to dock Sunday @ 11 AM. Planned for a 6 hour private tour of the island from 11:30 - 5:30.

 

Now we arrive at 1 PM, which gives us 4 hours to tour the island (1:30 - 5:30). You can barely drive round trip from the dockyard to St. George in that time.

 

Sunset is 6 PM, public transportation stops early because it's Sunday, so what are people going to do with their lousy 5 hours of daylight and limited transportation?

 

If we were further out, had other options and didn't have so many people involved, this cruise would be history :(

[jennmaybe]

Del Rio's gotta get his extra money out of the passengers. This is just another lever for him to pull.

 

My thought exactly too! He did say that he wants an extra $50 bucks per passenger now. Not going to happen with this couple!

 

The only reason we haven't canceled our 1st NCL cruise is because we booked with free UBP. If we didn't have that, we would have already canceled.