Escape Late Departure - Is the Story Chaning?

[BirdTravels]

Received today. Sounds different from letters sent to TAs earlier this week.

 

 

Dear Valued Guests & Travel Partners,

 

Norwegian Cruise Line has important information for you regarding Norwegian Escape's 7-day Eastern Caribbean sailings departing from Miami from May 7, 2016 through July 16, 2016 and from September 3, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Guest booked on these sailings need to be aware of this change and travel professionals are asked to forward this information to their clients.

 

We have made a change to the ship's itinerary and she will now depart from Miami at 7:00 p.m. instead of the previously communicated time of 4:00 p.m. We invite you to board the ship at your regularly scheduled time and begin enjoying all the exciting amenities Norwegian Escape has to offer.

 

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-327-7030 (Monday through Friday from 8am to midnight ET and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 9pm ET). We look forward to welcoming you on board Norwegian Escape.

 

Sincerely,

 

Vivian Ewart

Vice President, Passenger Services

[mayapapaya51]

I just checked my itinerary and departure is 7 pm. I have not received an email from my TA yet.

[Prada Cowboy]

WHO CARES?????

You are on the ship! You are enjoying the amenities! Doesn't matter really as long as it gets to the next port in time!

 

I guess it is about a lot of delayed flights and luggage by airlines!

2 sea days after Miami

NCL just want to make sure everybody and everything is on board!

Can also thing about provisions!

[BirdTravels]

WHO CARES?????

You are on the ship! You are enjoying the amenities! Doesn't matter really as long as it gets to the next port in time!

 

I guess it is about a lot of delayed flights and luggage by airlines!

2 sea days after Miami

NCL just want to make sure everybody and everything is on board!

Can also thing about provisions!

 

We've done 10 NCL cruises over the past 2 years, so we are well aware of what a cruise ship has to offer. This is our second voyage on the Escape, so we even know what this ship has to offer.

 

We enjoy the sailaway out of Miami. 7 pm puts the sailaway at night and in the middle of our dinner reservation. And, NCL normally does muster 30 minutes before departure, which would also put it in the middle of dinner.

 

Not really sure what provisions has to do with a departure time. Ships around the world can dock in the morning, and be fully provisioned for an afternoon departure.

[bruadhin]

How exactly did the story change? Yes, the other one had a reason while this one doesn't. Also, this seems to tighten up the dates and excludes high summer. Which further would seem to support the previous letter. I suspect high summer is almost exclusively Americans, versus Europeans coming over for vacation.

[CP3o]

Maybe many will board later and the first couple of hours will be the time to enjoy a less crowded ship (more than usual). Hope they open the things that develop lines right away..........slides and rope course.

[KeithJenner]

And, NCL normally does muster 30 minutes before departure, which would also put it in the middle of dinner.

 

When departure is in the evening, NCL usually do the muster drill earlier in the day. For a 7pm departure I would expect it to be at about 4.30pm.

 

They certainly take into account restaurant times in the evening and will have the drill done before the scheduled time for the restaurants to open.

[beerman2]

The only issues I see with the 7p.m. Departure is for those that have already booked flights/hotels.

 

They could have maybe flown in the day of and saved on hotel.

 

Paying taxes on drinks while in port! Minimal expense.

 

Muster Drill, don't you have to be onboard 2 hrs before sailing? That means muster can begin at 5 p.m. Takes 15-20, so will have minimal affect on dining times.

[cot427]

I guess we will have to wait until May to find out officially, but I would think the muster would take place around 4:30 or 5. No way they would tamper with dinner times because half of the muster stations are in the dining rooms. The staff needs the time to set up the dining room and get prepared, after finishing muster.

 

For those who arrive late, they will simply do the make up muster like they always do for people who don't show up. I'm thinking it may be a larger percentage of people, but who knows.

[Jenjer]

I was wondering about Muster also. Usually its a 4 for a 5 pm sail away but they cannot do it at 6 can they? That's dinner time. Maybe 5 pm.

 

Can someone refresh my memory but do they use the deck 8 restaurants for Muster. Mine on getaway was O'sheehans.

[UKLloyd]

We are over from the UK for this cruise on 3rd December, Doesnt show in my itinerary that anything has changed, First I have heard of it.

 

Doesnt change much though, still very excited.:D

[KeithJenner]

Regarding the Muster, it should be remembered that a 7pm departure is unusual at all. In fact, I have only ever departed before 5pm a couple of times in all my cruises. Most of my cruises have departed at 6pm or 7pm.

 

In those cases, we generally have muster at 4.30 and anyone not onboard at that time goes to the make up drill the next day.

 

The only thing I would say is that the two 4pm departures I have had are for the cruises I took from the US, so perhaps there is some regulation that effects US sailings. However, as a rule there is absolutely nothing unusual about a 7pm departure.

Edited March 3, 2016 by KeithJenner

[LMaxwell]

I guess we will wait to see how NCL handles it. 4pm muster with a make up for late arrivals is better than a dinner time muster

[Zena2005]

"We have made a change to the ship's itinerary and she will now depart from Miami at 7:00 p.m. instead of the previously communicated time of 4:00 p.m. We invite you to board the ship at your regularly scheduled time and begin enjoying all the exciting amenities Norwegian Escape has to offer."

 

I guess it depends on how you interoperate this: Is the change in the itinerary from 4:00 to 7:00 or is there an actual change to the itinerary that is forthcoming? Meaning a change to ports or port times that is forcing the departure time.

 

I can see why some people are concerned as NCL doesn't always communicate changes well or in a timely fashion. I too received this letter from my TA yesterday as well. Although I did speak with her on Monday evening and she was already aware of the change, but according to her no real reason was given by NCL to the TAs.

 

I look at it this way, I'm going on vacation no matter what, right? Now I would potentially welcome and actual change that would shake up the ports. Nassau won't change, but maybe St. Maarten reenters the mix...That would be great f it did. We'd be heading to Le Tropicana for lunch, guaranteed!

 

Yeah, wishful thinking, I know....

[Minoushka]

Great ..no more. Rushing to ge t to POM b e fore 4pm

Works for me

[Prada Cowboy]

Actually those extra 3 Port of Miami hours cost a lot for NCL! They would be rather on the ocean!

[Prada Cowboy]

We've done 10 NCL cruises over the past 2 years, so we are well aware of what a cruise ship has to offer. This is our second voyage on the Escape, so we even know what this ship has to offer.

 

We enjoy the sailaway out of Miami. 7 pm puts the sailaway at night and in the middle of our dinner reservation. And, NCL normally does muster 30 minutes before departure, which would also put it in the middle of dinner.

 

Not really sure what provisions has to do with a departure time. Ships around the world can dock in the morning, and be fully provisioned for an afternoon departure.

 

Really you have done 10 cruises...this is inconvenient for you???? Whooowww:D

[NCLfamily]

Each to their own but I can't imagine eating at 5 anywhere on vacation. Let alone on a cruise, I'll be lucky to have finished lunch by then [emoji5]

 

 

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[buckeyefrank]

Really you have done 10 cruises...this is inconvenient for you???? Whooowww:D

 

Why is it so hard for you to believe that this could be inconvenient to someone??? We are traveling with 10 in our group in May including young children. We have dinner reservations at 5:30 currently and yes, a 6pm muster would be highly inconvenient for our group. Is it a deal breaker, no. But the kids in our group get fussy if they don't eat right around 5.

 

Give me a break. I will never understand why other people's schedules, or what other people wear or what other people do, have any bearing on one's vacation enjoyment.

[KeithJenner]

There won't be a 6pm muster, so it's all irrelevant

[BirdTravels]

Really you have done 10 cruises...this is inconvenient for you???? Whooowww:D

 

 

Wow Cowboy,,,,, why do you take such pleasure cyber bullying people.

 

I never, ever used the word "inconvenient".

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CP3o]

It changed to give the crew a little time in Miami to buy condoms. ;)

[Prada Cowboy]

Why is it so hard for you to believe that this could be inconvenient to someone??? We are traveling with 10 in our group in May including young children. We have dinner reservations at 5:30 currently and yes, a 6pm muster would be highly inconvenient for our group. Is it a deal breaker, no. But the kids in our group get fussy if they don't eat right around 5.

 

Give me a break. I will never understand why other people's schedules, or what other people wear or what other people do, have any bearing on one's vacation enjoyment.

 

Because regardless it will be always inconvenient for some! HOW CAN YOU PLEASE SUCH A BIG CROWD?

[Prada Cowboy]

wow cowboy,,,,, why do you take such pleasure cyber bullying people.

 

I never, ever used the word "inconvenient".

 

 

Sent from my iphone using tapatalk

 

lol!!!!

[jcathers1]

We've done 10 NCL cruises over the past 2 years, so we are well aware of what a cruise ship has to offer. This is our second voyage on the Escape, so we even know what this ship has to offer.

 

 

 

We enjoy the sailaway out of Miami. 7 pm puts the sailaway at night and in the middle of our dinner reservation. And, NCL normally does muster 30 minutes before departure, which would also put it in the middle of dinner.

 

 

 

Not really sure what provisions has to do with a departure time. Ships around the world can dock in the morning, and be fully provisioned for an afternoon departure.

 

 

Really hard to believe NCL would inconvenience you like this. Especially since you sound like someone who is pretty easy to get along with....