Escape november 5 Not availablr

[Tinyturtle22]

I was told that it's out of service for the opening of Harvest Caye. Dont know if that means its going to be a floating hotel or if it's a charter.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Tinyturtle22

[LrgPizza]

LrgPizza: Do you know what % it says for our sailing of the Escape?

 

I think it was 91%? It's been several hours since I looked, so I might remember wrong. I did a mock booking today to see if our rate for party of 3 has dropped, and no balcony cabins were available for party that size, so we are clearly pretty full. The last time we sailed this week of May (Getaway in 2014) it was a completely full cruise.

[Heather1972]

I was told that it's out of service for the opening of Harvest Caye. Dont know if that means its going to be a floating hotel or if it's a charter.

 

Who told you?

[newcastlemam]

Following along

[Demonyte]

I could see that filling up the New York area ships, but the Escape..?? The Breakaway is at 40%.

 

According to that fishy travel site, it was at 60% capacity when they crossed/greyed it out as being no longer for sale.

 

Those are not capacity or cabin availability percentages but percentages of categories having at least one cabin available. You can have a cruise with only one cabin available in every category and still showing 100% category availabilty.

 

So that percentage does not tell anything comparable about the actual capacity or booking %, only that some categories have already sold out (or reserved for groups etc).

 

For example theoretically when selling out the two or couple of more cabins in any X ending category drops the category percentage significantly (maybe somewhere 5-10%) even though that is only less than half percent of actual capacity.

[backsbanny]

Most probably its been chartered we have to wait and see

[LrgPizza]

Those are not capacity or cabin availability percentages but percentages of categories having at least one cabin available. You can have a cruise with only one cabin available in every category and still showing 100% category availabilty.

 

So that percentage does not tell anything comparable about the actual capacity or booking %, only that some categories have already sold out (or reserved for groups etc).

 

For example theoretically when selling out the two or couple of more cabins in any X ending category drops the category percentage significantly (maybe somewhere 5-10%) even though that is only less than half percent of actual capacity.

 

I see. Well, regardless, my point was that a school holiday in the New York area isn't going to fill up a Miami ship before it fills up the Breakaway.

[Mancmum]

Most probably its been chartered we have to wait and see

Hi I am new to this forum, and cruises in general so any information will be greatly appreciated.

I am also booked with my family for this cruise on Nov 5th. If it is chartered, how will that affect us? Will NCL just put us on another cruise that week, or bump us to another week?

Thanks!

[Demonyte]

Hi I am new to this forum, and cruises in general so any information will be greatly appreciated.

I am also booked with my family for this cruise on Nov 5th. If it is chartered, how will that affect us? Will NCL just put us on another cruise that week, or bump us to another week?

 

If/when the generally available cruise is officially cancelled, you will be contacted days or weeks (NCL isn't too prompt about this) later either directly (if you booked direct with NCL) or via your travel agent and usually given few alternative choices to choose from (not necessarily the same week) to protect your original price/perks, or the ability to book any other cruise with current pricing/promos.

 

On top of that they usually offer $50 OBC ($100 for full suites) per reservation for the inconvinience caused by the cancellation.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Demonyte

[dboff123]

I started planning a back up plan because I didn't want to be on a ship that was 100% of capacity or have a bad experience because the staff was concentrating on accommodating for the large party that apparently bought the remaining 40-50% of the ship. After speaking with an NCL rep who assured me the entire ship was sold out, I checked one more time at 11:00pm PST last night and it miraculously had reappeared with all categories available with the exception of the studios being sold out (which they had been when I looked earlier this week). Whew, crisis averted. :) Yeah right, this morning the entire date is missing once again.:confused: Based on the changes continuously made by NCL with little or no communication to the customer. I'm going to proceed with my back up plan.

[Demonyte]

I checked one more time at 11:00pm PST last night and it miraculously had reappeared with all categories available with the exception of the studios being sold out (which they had been when I looked earlier this week). Whew, crisis averted. :) Yeah right, this morning the entire date is missing once again.

 

Yep, unfortunately this (one specific cruise going missing randomly) is pretty common and unlike somebody earlier said, this is more likely explanation for why the cruise isn't available.

 

Only when a cruise hasn't been available for public for a week or two continuously, then one might have to start wonder if it will be cancelled.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Demonyte

[rvsullivan]

I started planning a back up plan because I didn't want to be on a ship that was 100% of capacity or have a bad experience because the staff was concentrating on accommodating for the large party that apparently bought the remaining 40-50% of the ship. After speaking with an NCL rep who assured me the entire ship was sold out, I checked one more time at 11:00pm PST last night and it miraculously had reappeared with all categories available with the exception of the studios being sold out (which they had been when I looked earlier this week). Whew, crisis averted. :) Yeah right, this morning the entire date is missing once again.:confused: Based on the changes continuously made by NCL with little or no communication to the customer. I'm going to proceed with my back up plan.

 

I'm hoping you know that most/all cruises sail full? Very rarely they will have a cabin or two empty, but it is not very common. Sailing on a ship at 100-120% is very common.

[Heather1972]

If/when the generally available cruise is officially cancelled, you will be contacted days or weeks (NCL isn't too prompt about this) later either directly (if you booked direct with NCL) or via your travel agent and usually given few alternative choices to choose from (not necessarily the same week) to protect your original price/perks, or the ability to book any other cruise with current pricing/promos.

 

On top of that they usually offer $50 OBC ($100 for full suites) per reservation for the inconvinience caused by the cancellation.

 

Another option is them refunding our deposit right? I can't spend more on airplane tickets than my cruise. :mad:

[marcopaulo]

Jersey Week, always sold out. Most schools are closed the entire week, if they aren't, the kids only have 2 days of school because of election day and teachers convention.

[LrgPizza]

Jersey Week, always sold out. Most schools are closed the entire week, if they aren't, the kids only have 2 days of school because of election day and teachers convention.

So Florida has Jersey week? Hunh. Who would have guessed? My kid goes to school 5 days that week.

Edited April 20, 2016 by LrgPizza

[Demonyte]

Another option is them refunding our deposit right? I can't spend more on airplane tickets than my cruise. :mad:

 

Yes, of course, but if you cancel completely you won't get anything extra for your trouble. :)

[dboff123]

I'm hoping you know that most/all cruises sail full? Very rarely they will have a cabin or two empty, but it is not very common. Sailing on a ship at 100-120% is very common.

 

I wouldn't necessarily agree. I can look at every other sailing for Escape from next week's sailing through the end of December 2016 and still see available staterooms and only the Nov 5 sailing is completely sold out? I don't care if it's Jersey time off for kids, I know that the Thanksgiving, Christmas and other peak dates still have rooms.

[purpletequila]

Never been on NCL, but have been cruising for over 20 years.

Seems pretty obvious it's been at least partially chartered.

If you're not locked into airfare, I'd personally consider canceling and finding a different date or cruise.

Even if it is only partially chartered--causing the sell out--people have been telling me for quite some time that it is common for these cruise lines to limit access to certain parts of the ship while the groups' "private events" are being held.

After paying my fare too, that would drive me batty.

[BDsquared]

Following along...

[Heather1972]

Has anyone besides me and one other called to see what NCL says?

[cruisingagentone]

I have called. I am a travel agent and my sister and I are booked on here and I got the same song and dance the others have gotten. Not showing a charter or partial so they aren't saying yet and we have bought our air already. If its a full charter there might be compensation for air changes but if its a partial there will not be.

We are probably going to cancel, I've been on a ship with a partial charter and it was awful never again.

[Heather1972]

I have called. I am a travel agent and my sister and I are booked on here and I got the same song and dance the others have gotten. Not showing a charter or partial so they aren't saying yet and we have bought our air already. If its a full charter there might be compensation for air changes but if its a partial there will not be.

We are probably going to cancel, I've been on a ship with a partial charter and it was awful never again.

 

Nice to get an answer from a travel agent that has called. I'm not canceling yet until I know more of what is going on. That is if they don't cancel me first!

[dboff123]

We called NCL and they said it was just completely sold out. I definitely don't want to be on the ship if it is filled to capacity or if there is any possibility of it getting cancelled because it was chartered. Decided to cancel our reservations and booked RCCL Freedom of the Seas instead. Maybe now there will be 2 interiors and 1 balcony available.:D Good luck to all!

[newcastlemam]

I've just called been told it's a mistake that it's missing and they would let it know so everyone's on different story's

[nyc12345]

No way it's all booked this far ahead for a November cruise. I would say it's either a computer glitch or a charter...