2017-Early 2018 Caribbean cruising - the probable future

[subtchr]

My prayers go out to the family of the people of all the islands who lost family and homes. Our cruise is outta of Ft Lauderdale in December islands to be visit are San Juan,St Kitt,Labadee and St Marteen Flights paid for cruise tours, dining pkgs and drinks and voom pkg. all paid for have insurance on cruise not on flights hmmmmmm wondering how this scenario going to work out

 

 

 

No worries. The only change would be to tours, if your cruise is rescheduled for different destinations. Your currently booked excursions would be refunded, and new ones made available. The rest should stay exactly the same.

 

 

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[Getting out there]

For everyone anxious to go help out (I'd like to also), but am concerned about safety. Read in St. Maartin people are so desperate for money crime is way up. Someone stranded in a hotel was beat up and robbed

[CRUISEFAN0001]

For everyone anxious to go help out (I'd like to also), but am concerned about safety. Read in St. Maartin people are so desperate for money crime is way up. Someone stranded in a hotel was beat up and robbed

It's indeed bad on St. Maarten right now.

 

Desperate people do desperate things...a couple of reports show most of the criminal activity is about getting food and other supplies, but it's still very bad there. More than 3800 Americans remain stranded (mostly residents).

 

Most people don't realize that St. Maarten / St. Martin has enormous damage. Despite a strong push for cleanup over the next several months...it will take a year or more to recover to pre-IRMA conditions.

 

Put bluntly, it will not be a place that tourists will want to visit for some time down the road. If past hurricanes are any indication, some of the damage will not be repaired for years, some within a year, and some more quickly. Still...the island will take years to return to the great port destination we've seen 5 times to date. Very, very sad for the people living there, the economy of the island, and the conditions.

 

Other islands also sustained major damage...so it's fair to assume that for the next "x" number of months...and maybe up to a year...the Eastern Caribbean itineraries will change significantly from those in recent times.

 

While in the near term some cruises will change a port here and there...sometime before year end we'll learn about the 2018-2019 seasons in terms of overall itinerary port changes.

[poffles]

So Bob....since I love & highly respect your expertise on so many topics....add some clarity...if all the passengers would be afraid to tender...does that mean they'd have a ship full of chicken tenders? :eek::eek::eek:

 

Or tender chickens ????? Sorry couldn't help myself.

 

I am just sad and sickened over the magnitude of damage to the islands and areas that I've been to and looking forward to being there again. Can't imagine the despair to come.

[poffles]

It's indeed bad on St. Maarten right now.

 

Desperate people do desperate things...a couple of reports show most of the criminal activity is about getting food and other supplies, but it's still very bad there. More than 3800 Americans remain stranded (mostly residents).

 

Most people don't realize that St. Maarten / St. Martin has enormous damage. Despite a strong push for cleanup over the next several months...it will take a year or more to recover to pre-IRMA conditions.

 

Put bluntly, it will not be a place that tourists will want to visit for some time down the road. If past hurricanes are any indication, some of the damage will not be repaired for years, some within a year, and some more quickly. Still...the island will take years to return to the great port destination we've seen 5 times to date. Very, very sad for the people living there, the economy of the island, and the conditions.

 

Other islands also sustained major damage...so it's fair to assume that for the next "x" number of months...and maybe up to a year...the Eastern Caribbean itineraries will change significantly from those in recent times.

 

While in the near term some cruises will change a port here and there...sometime before year end we'll learn about the 2018-2019 seasons in terms of overall itinerary port changes.

 

Well said and very sad. Could be that we just see ships do more sea days for awhile, though that might mean refunded money to some but may be the only option for some near future sailings. Might be a fight for space to dock at ports nearby and even if they can tender that might flood some other islands to the point of chaos.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Well said and very sad. Could be that we just see ships do more sea days for awhile, though that might mean refunded money to some but may be the only option for some near future sailings. Might be a fight for space to dock at ports nearby and even if they can tender that might flood some other islands to the point of chaos.

With the larger ships...the options are fewer of course (for replacement destination ports).

 

One possibility is that this could spawn Royal Caribbean to juggle their current ports and accelerate their plans for some newer destinations. That's the optimistic view, not necessarily the realistic perspective. We'll see some signs in the weeks ahead, in terms of the ship-shuffling towards ports, and maybe even some announcements based on existing bookings being changed/cancelled.

 

Yes..it is very sad to see the devastation for the island residents - one report has St. Maarten listed as a 95% loss.

[The Grumpus]

Until St Maarten and St Thomas are back up and running as far as Oasis Class goes, I would think Nassau, Labadee, San Juan and St Kitts are about the only viable stops left for Eastern Caribbean. And until Allure's propulsion issues is resolved, my guess is Allure will be sticking pretty much to Nassau, Labadee and San Juan for its Eastern Route. I remember a few years ago RCI was studying Ponce, PR as a stopping point for Oasis Class ships but I don't know if it ever got past the study point.

[alfaeric]

Until St Maarten and St Thomas are back up and running as far as Oasis Class goes, I would think Nassau, Labadee, San Juan and St Kitts are about the only viable stops left for Eastern Caribbean. And until Allure's propulsion issues is resolved, my guess is Allure will be sticking pretty much to Nassau, Labadee and San Juan for its Eastern Route. I remember a few years ago RCI was studying Ponce, PR as a stopping point for Oasis Class ships but I don't know if it ever got past the study point.

 

Ponce would really need to step up to do that. For industry and making a living- there's a lot in Ponce and southern Puerto Rico. For tourism, not so much.

 

We happened to be there visiting when a Holland ship docked, and we went down to look at where she was docked. It's a serviceable location, if need be. Really- Ponce could really work with the Ponce Playa area and La Guancha to start with. But that's a long way off, realistically.

 

Recently, it seems as if Ponce is trying to become more of a shipping port- as they added two huge container cranes in the last decade. And the roads around the area are more to streamline flow in and out of the port- including coming down from Adjuntas in the mountains.

 

One thing, though, if 10 was ever finished across that part of the Island- it would offer tourists a quick route to the Arecibo Observatory and Camuey caverns.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Until St Maarten and St Thomas are back up and running as far as Oasis Class goes, I would think Nassau, Labadee, San Juan and St Kitts are about the only viable stops left for Eastern Caribbean. And until Allure's propulsion issues is resolved, my guess is Allure will be sticking pretty much to Nassau, Labadee and San Juan for its Eastern Route. I remember a few years ago RCI was studying Ponce, PR as a stopping point for Oasis Class ships but I don't know if it ever got past the study point.

Not familiar with what is in the Ponce, PR location...but any new port would require some work to support the bigger ships of course.

 

Agree with your comments above in terms of the short term.

 

One would think this could be a golden opportunity for a couple of ports to step to the plate and commit to some improvements to earn destination status. Refreshing towards a couple of new places would probably also be a welcome thing in terms of cruise passengers who have been to some of the "traditional" places 4,5,6 or more times.

[dada2199cc]

I have an RCCL cruise stop in Ponce either on the Nav in Nov or Serenade in December. Can't remember.

 

I'm always excited to try a new port even if there isn't much to do. There are always little restaurants and parks to visit.

[alfaeric]

I have an RCCL cruise stop in Ponce either on the Nav in Nov or Serenade in December. Can't remember.

 

I'm always excited to try a new port even if there isn't much to do. There are always little restaurants and parks to visit.

The central Plaza is really nice- small though, and not much outside of the immediate block. More restaurants are to the east than any other direction, although I know of one that we've not tried toward the northwest exit.

 

For sure, there will be trips to a coffee plantation- Hacienda Beuna Vista, and the Tibes Indian Ceremonial Park (which was found after a flood). Probably a trip to Castillo Serralles- who are the founders of Don Q. (which is a far better rum than Bacardi, IMHO).

 

There are some nice beaches toward the west, including one that has a bio-luminescent bay.

 

Great art museum- mostly European Art. I think it still has a great restaurant there, too.

 

The one thing you wont see what so ever- cruise shops. The tourist shops are around the central Plaza.

 

Honestly, other than that- it's a typical city. One not really needing tourism.

 

Next time we are in town (which will be two months after you) we will take a closer look near the port- it's been a few years since we really drove down there other than having dinner at a specific restaurant in Ponce Playa.

[rmf11699]

Me and the DW are booked for next May and I can live with altered destinations if problems still exist. God speed to those effected by the storms.

[Darcy03231]

We're on the Adventure next month with stops at St. Maarten, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua and Barbados. With such a port heavy itinerary I fully expect St. Maarten to become a sea day.

[rpmljm]

We are booked on a 12 day to St. Thomas, St Maartin, St Kitts, St Lucia, Antigua in March. I wish I could find out before final payment is due (Dec) what the itinerary will be so I can cancel if we want to. I know that St. Maartin is surely out. We can only afford to cruise once every few years, and I don't want to spend money on something that will not be what we wanted. I feel bad for the people living there, however I can't afford to spend money on a trip that is not worth it to us. I think lots of good deals will open up for people willing to book last minute because of people like me cancelling. :(

[Racer70]

We're on the Adventure next month with stops at St. Maarten, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua and Barbados. With such a port heavy itinerary I fully expect St. Maarten to become a sea day.

 

We sail on the Adventure of the Seas on Oct. 7th and was thinking the same thing about St. Maarten probably being a "sea day", which would be fine with us.

 

It's a shame though, because we booked a tour with Bernard's St. Maarten's Tours, as he was well recommended. I hope he and his family are doing ok.

[Getting out there]

I also am sailing to St. Maartin and St. Thomas in Feb. I guess by then there will be posts from other cruisers where they went.

[BonnieSte]

Me and the DW are booked for next May and I can live with altered destinations if problems still exist. God speed to those effected by the storms.

 

Amen to that. We feel the same with our April cruise.

[ICANDIGIT]

Of those locations, the only islands that won't be ok soo is St Maarten and St Thomas.

 

Antigua has reported very little damage, so it will be back, the Bahamas are getting a glancing blow- far less than they got directly last year, and I'm not sure how Bermuda was added. Remember a hurricane hit Coco Cay directly, and they were back open in a week.

 

St Croix can easily replace St Thomas- as it has on may itineraries, and St Maarten can be replaced by St Kitts.

 

So I don't think your "probable future" is even a possible future, let alone a likely one.

 

We are scheduled for our cruise the middle of November. I agree with you about the change of ports, the problem we have is that we not only go to St Thomas and St Maartens, but also St Kitts and St Lucia. I'm sure we wouldn't go to a port more than once. Unless they spend two days at a port or two. I could live with that.

[alfaeric]

We are scheduled for our cruise the middle of November. I agree with you about the change of ports, the problem we have is that we not only go to St Thomas and St Maartens, but also St Kitts and St Lucia. I'm sure we wouldn't go to a port more than once. Unless they spend two days at a port or two. I could live with that.

Depending on the ship- you can replace St Thomas with St Croix or San Juan- San Juan can take any sized ship.

 

St Maarten- since you already have St Kitts, that would pretty much leave Antigua. Which leaves out Oasis ships.

 

Thankfully, the news from St Croix and Antigua is good. The only issue for Antigua is that they have to deal with refugees from Barbuda (it's one country).

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Depending on the ship- you can replace St Thomas with St Croix or San Juan- San Juan can take any sized ship.

 

St Maarten- since you already have St Kitts, that would pretty much leave Antigua. Which leaves out Oasis ships.

 

Thankfully, the news from St Croix and Antigua is good. The only issue for Antigua is that they have to deal with refugees from Barbuda (it's one country).

Antigua also suffered some significant damage to buildings and other property - much less than St. Maarten - but still impeding some local traffic and also impacting local residents. No port "official" re-opening date has been announced yet.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

It appears St. Kitts is picking up some of the load as a replacement for St. Maarten for the near term.

 

More changes will likely be announced during the remainder of the year's itineraries...

[CRUISEFAN0001]

RCI announced that St. Croix will be one of the replacement port destinations for St. Thomas & St. Johns...as those islands work to repair and rebuild in the months ahead.

[SnowBird Cruzer]

We are booked on a 12 day to St. Thomas, St Maartin, St Kitts, St Lucia, Antigua in March. I wish I could find out before final payment is due (Dec) what the itinerary will be so I can cancel if we want to. I know that St. Maartin is surely out. We can only afford to cruise once every few years, and I don't want to spend money on something that will not be what we wanted. I feel bad for the people living there, however I can't afford to spend money on a trip that is not worth it to us. I think lots of good deals will open up for people willing to book last minute because of people like me cancelling. :(

 

First of all, cruise itineraries are not guaranteed, and it says so when you book, and they can change due to all sorts of things (man overboard, medical emergency) not just hurricanes. I've only had one change and that was as were actually pulling in! I could have jumped from the back deck to the pier. Then we pulled out, never to return. (but I digress)

 

 

Two, no one here can tell you if St. Maarten is in or out for March 2018. And they won't be able to for a long time. And RCCL may not know in December when your payment is due. Repairs can take longer than expected, or shorter than expected.

 

Three, I guess that is why RCCL has only announced changes on cruises only through September, so far. See the attached link direct from their website, http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/itineraryUpdates.do?cS=NAVBAR&pnav=3&snav=10

 

I have a cruise to Nassau, St Thomas and St. Kitts in February. On Allure, no less. And she has to fix her propulsion problem first too. (I wonder if they'd love to do the repairs now, but can't?) My final payment is in November. I'm not worrying about it. I'll pay and go where the ship takes me. Besides, I've already bought my plane tickets and those won't be refunded at all.

[Lazirus65]

The beauty of cruising the Caribbean is that there will always be other options islands like Martinique ,Guadeloupe and St Vincent I would love to see added to Royal's itinerary more often.

 

 

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[CRUISEFAN0001]

Further uncertainty is forthcoming in the name of Maria.

 

This will likely be the worst hurricane season on record for the Eastern Caribbean islands (loss of life, injury, and damage).

 

It's fair to say that once we get into mid-November...the effects of these horrific weather events will sift themselves out in terms of port destinations in 2018 and perhaps even into 2019.