Sky's and Escape's cruises cancelled

[beerman2]

NCL has officially canceled Sept. 8 (Sky) and Sept. 9 ( Escape)

Full refunds + 50% future cruise certificate

[jcathers1]

I'm wondering how (or whether) this will affect the next sailing of the Escape (9/16). We are on that sailing.

 

Will they leave the ship empty for the week of 9/9 and simply divert it away from Miami to keep it safe?

 

 

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[beerman2]

I'm wondering how (or whether) this will affect the next sailing of the Escape (9/16). We are on that sailing.

 

Will they leave the ship empty for the week of 9/9 and simply divert it away from Miami to keep it safe?

 

 

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If they can't get back to port on Sat. , they will sail around until port is cleared.

 

If they can disembark Sat. They will take the ship back out to sea. It's better at sea than docked.

[vent1020]

If they can't get back to port on Sat. , they will sail around until port is cleared.

 

If they can disembark Sat. They will take the ship back out to sea. It's better at sea than docked.

 

 

I wonder if that is a big party for the crew, since they don't have passengers to take care of.

[beerman2]

I wonder if that is a big party for the crew, since they don't have passengers to take care of.

Unless things have changed yes it is! We were on a sailing racing a hurricane back to Miami.

 

The Captain thought there was enough time to get us to port disembark and get the ship back out to sea.

 

The crew were looking forward to it. Unfortunately we didn't make it ( Port Closed) and we all spent 2 days at sea.

[SSMcruises]

The Escape is coming back into port tomorrow, allowing passengers who can make travel arrangements to disembark and then going back out to sea with the remaining passengers until it is safe to dock again. The ship wont be empty

[ColinIllinois]

Latest on the NCL website. Info on all the affected cruises:

 

Due to the current forecasted path of the storm, we will be making adjustments to the following cruises to ensure the safety of everyone on board:

 

Norwegian Escape, Seven-Day Western Caribbean cruise departing September 2 from Miami: We will be amending the ship’s itinerary to a five-day cruise. Instead of calling in Costa Maya on Wednesday and Cozumel on Thursday, the ship will sail for Miami this evening, arriving in the afternoon on Thursday, September 7. Those guests who are residents of South Florida, who drove to PortMiami or who have travel plans already confirmed that will return them safely home by Friday afternoon may disembark the ship on Thursday if they wish to do so. For those guests who did not drive to PortMiami and are unable to secure a flight back home, we strongly encourage them to stay onboard the ship. Norwegian Escape will set sail from Miami on Thursday evening on a course away from the storm. While we are unable to confirm at this time when and where the ship will return to port, we welcome all guests to remain onboard to stay safe and secure. All guests will received a refund for the missed days of their cruise, along with a 25% future cruise credit of the cruise fare paid towards a future sailing on Norwegian. Guests who need to make changes to any flights will be reimbursed for any change fees up to $300 per person.

 

 

Norwegian Sky, Four-Day Cuba Cruise departing September 4 from Miami: We will be amending the ship’s itinerary to a three-day cruise. Instead of calling in Great Stirrup Cay on Thursday, the ship will sail for Miami following her departure from Havana tomorrow, arriving in the morning on Thursday, September 7. All guests will receive a refund for the missed day of their cruise, along with a 25% future cruise credit of the cruise fare paid towards a future sailing on Norwegian. Guests who need to make changes to any flights will be reimbursed for any change fees up to $300 per person

 

Norwegian Sky, September 8 from Miami: The ship’s three-day Bahamas cruise has been cancelled. We will be providing a full refund to all guests, plus a 50% future cruise credit.

 

Norwegian Escape, September 9 from Miami: The ship’s seven-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise has been cancelled. We will be providing a full refund to all guests, plus a 50% future cruise credit.

 

All other cruises are currently sailing as scheduled. We continue to monitor the storm’s projected path and will provide any updates as quickly as they are available.

 

 

We truly appreciate our guests understanding during these unforeseen itinerary changes and apologize for any inconvenience these unexpected, but necessary, changes may cause our guests. Any further updates will be communicated here and to guests and posted on our social media channels.

[PelicanBill]

it is an interesting move to sail with passengers who cannot get arrangements - it suggests they know that airline seats will be scarce and time short to make it all happen. I hope we hear how it is handled. How they prioritize who goes, who stays. I hope they take volunteers to ride it out first.

 

Normally, if you take a ship to sea to ride out a storm, you take a minimal crew to run the ship only. You leave all other crew in temporary housing ashore. In this case, they have to be really open ended. There is time to sail NE and E to get away, but, there is Jose out there! They could hug the coast and head to other ports and try to disembark more passengers in Virginia, Baltimore or New York. And those ports are safer since the storm will only be tropical storm by then if it comes that way. In any case.... what a mess.

[Andy P 64]

Wow.

That is awesome customer service.

 

Sure, people will be bummed they aren't going on a vacation they've likely been anticipating... BUT you get ALL your money back and your next cruise is now half price! I'd get over it pretty quick! I'd spend the time figuring out where I want to go for 50% off!!

 

There's a good chance of getting credit toward a future flight from the airline as well.

[packer99]

NCL for the Escape made a good decision. Enough time for people to change their plans and not put themselves in harms way.

[LrgPizza]

it is an interesting move to sail with passengers who cannot get arrangements - it suggests they know that airline seats will be scarce and time short to make it all happen. I hope we hear how it is handled. How they prioritize who goes, who stays. I hope they take volunteers to ride it out first.

 

Normally, if you take a ship to sea to ride out a storm, you take a minimal crew to run the ship only. You leave all other crew in temporary housing ashore. In this case, they have to be really open ended. There is time to sail NE and E to get away, but, there is Jose out there! They could hug the coast and head to other ports and try to disembark more passengers in Virginia, Baltimore or New York. And those ports are safer since the storm will only be tropical storm by then if it comes that way. In any case.... what a mess.

I'm not sure what you mean by "how they prioritize who goes, who stays..." The way I read it, those who want or need to disembark may disembark. Those who want to stay can stay. There is not prioritization or forcing anyone to do anything.

[beerman2]

Wow.

That is awesome customer service.

 

Sure, people will be bummed they aren't going on a vacation they've likely been anticipating... BUT you get ALL your money back and your next cruise is now half price! I'd get over it pretty quick! I'd spend the time figuring out where I want to go for 50% off!!

 

There's a good chance of getting credit toward a future flight from the airline as well.

Spirit has already updated their web with flights into/out of Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale

[snchpnz]

Norwegian Sky, September 8 from Miami: The ship’s three-day Bahamas cruise has been cancelled. We will be providing a full refund to all guests, plus a 50% future cruise credit.

 

Soo, future cruise credits.... anyone have experience with them or know how they work? Do you get a future credit valued at 50% of what you paid for the cancelled cruise or is it more like a 50% discount on the value of a future cruise? I'm guessing it's based on what was paid for the cancelled cruise but either way I'm not complaining.

 

For me this was just a quick weekend getaway with friends on a local booze cruise. I was even planning on working until the last minute on Friday before the cruise and then Monday morning when I got back. I'm actually happy they cancelled the cruise since I was worried about being away from home during a potential hurricane. Anything NCL gives me is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

[pinbot_67]

Anyone know how soon the refund and future credit will be available?

[Sand and Seas]

NCL for the Escape made a good decision. Enough time for people to change their plans and not put themselves in harms way.

 

Agree! NCL is giving plenty of notice to those who were to sail on Sept 9th so that they can cancel. I've seen other cruise lines who waited to cancel until the day before and so many passengers were attempting to make it to the port. For those on the current cruise NCL is encouraging them to stay on board unless they have confirmed flights out or another way to safety. NCL is taking very good care of their passengers.

 

 

We are on the Sept 16th cruise (if all goes well) and hope some of those who are missing the Sept 9th cruise will be able to join us.

[garycarla]

Though I have sailed NCL many times, I am not a diehard fan.

 

Today, NCL came through with flying colors. They decided to spend millions and millions of dollars to take care of customers. Way more than they need to. They are taking a major financial hit here and doing customers right.

 

Anybody that misses that is, well... just missing it.

 

As to the process, give them some time. They are in a real hustle and bust a$$ mode right now.

 

To the person that says they would/could/should put some of the crew up ashore - that is crazy. There might not be any shore to come back to depending on where this storm hits.

[PelicanBill]

To clarify.

I am thinking there will be a lot more people wanting to go home than stay on. Limited flights and time to make arrangements. So I am wondering how they will prioritize, like ask who is planning to stay aboard, so they know how many are trying to get off, etc.

 

And my comment about taking the crew off is for when a ship is expecting to ride out a storm. Obviously they are expecting to have safe cruising zone to the north and are willing to cruise with crew and passengers. Ships leave ports to ride out storms all the time. And if they think they will be in the storm they take minimal crew. People are safer on shore than at sea in a storm. There's a cargo ship that went to the bottom of the ocean just north of the Bahamas just last year.

[VideoTech]

To clarify.

I am thinking there will be a lot more people wanting to go home than stay on. Limited flights and time to make arrangements. So I am wondering how they will prioritize, like ask who is planning to stay aboard, so they know how many are trying to get off, etc.

 

And my comment about taking the crew off is for when a ship is expecting to ride out a storm. Obviously they are expecting to have safe cruising zone to the north and are willing to cruise with crew and passengers. Ships leave ports to ride out storms all the time. And if they think they will be in the storm they take minimal crew. People are safer on shore than at sea in a storm. There's a cargo ship that went to the bottom of the ocean just north of the Bahamas just last year.

 

I think NCL is handling this really well. Not sure that I agree that they will unload any crew - after all, those crew have no homes in the Florida area to go to, and would likely be in more danger than if they just stay on the ship.

 

Personally, I'd love to sail a "cruise to nowhere" on the Escape...even with the potential of rough seas!

[Karmary]

I was booked on the Escape sailing and am very happy with NCL. I got an email, phone call from TA and then a recorded call from NCL a few hours later. I hope they keep the remaining passengers and crew safe. Kudos to NCL!

 

 

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[Okmyx]

Today, NCL came through with flying colors. They decided to spend millions and millions of dollars to take care of customers. Way more than they need to. They are taking a major financial hit here and doing customers right.

 

Anybody that misses that is, well... just missing it.

 

 

Are you sure? Don't they have insurance for these types of events? Most businesses have a form of business interruption coverage, which would apply in such circumstances. I would be very surprised if this was actually costing NCL much at all.

 

 

 

 

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[BermudaBound2014]

Ncl +1 / rcl -10

Anyone who followed rcl's immense debacle last week with Harvey will certainly appreciate Ncl's actions today. Credit where credit is due.

 

 

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[zqvol]

I'm wondering how (or whether) this will affect the next sailing of the Escape (9/16). We are on that sailing.

 

Will they leave the ship empty for the week of 9/9 and simply divert it away from Miami to keep it safe?

 

 

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Passengers on the current sailing are being given the option to stay on board. They don't know where they are going or when they will return to Miami. Return depends to a large degree on damage to Miami infrastructure. Ship might make your sailing, it might not be back in Miami for weeks. All you can do is keep checking ncl.com and the Miami airport web site for details.

[Shayhooper]

While I would never wish for a natural disaster, I do have to admit that I am envious of those on the Escape right now who can't change their travel plans. Being stranded on a ship that is safely sailing to nowhere for an indefinite amount of time sounds dreamy.

[beerman2]

Though I have sailed NCL many times, I am not a diehard fan.

 

Today, NCL came through with flying colors. They decided to spend millions and millions of dollars to take care of customers. Way more than they need to. They are taking a major financial hit here and doing customers right.

 

Anybody that misses that is, well... just missing it.

 

As to the process, give them some time. They are in a real hustle and bust a$$ mode right now.

 

To the person that says they would/could/should put some of the crew up ashore - that is crazy. There might not be any shore to come back to depending on where this storm hits.

 

Agree NCL stepped up with refund + 50% future cruise credit. Just read on Carnival Board they are only offering full refund of the 2 cruises they have just cancelled tonight.

 

Yes NCL went above and beyond.

[LD Silver]

Are you sure? Don't they have insurance for these types of events? Most businesses have a form of business interruption coverage, which would apply in such circumstances. I would be very surprised if this was actually costing NCL much at all.

 

 

 

 

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This type of insurance is very expensive. I work for an electric utility and we had storm insurance that covered losses over $25 million. After a few years, we decided to self insure as the premiums were so costly.