Anyone reschedualing or cancelling a Caribbean cruise this winter due to storm damage

[LoriPhil]

Princess is doing something much more useful for hurricane victims than providing discounted cruises to holiday-makers. Per the website, Carnival Corp pledging $10 Million in Hurricane Relief and collecting donations on-board from crew and passengers that will be matched by Carnival.

[SteelMagnolia9]

It's going to be at least a year before some of the islands are really ready for visitors and I would also include the Florida Keys.

 

I don't have a cruise booked in the winter season, but have a 10 day Eastern Caribbean Voyager cruise booked for May 2018. Before Hurricane Irma, there was an itinerary change from Barbados to St. Marten due to propulsion issues with the Caribbean Princess. Would not be surprised to see one or more itinerary changes. With the propulsion issues along with the devastation on some of the islands, it may be a "No" for me. I'll wait until final payment in Feb. to decide.

 

In the meantime, I'm doing my own post hurricane cleanup at my home in Florida. Still many in my county are without power and some are struggling with flooded homes and structural damage. It's ugly enough here and I can only imagine the recovery necessary on some of the islands and in the Keys.

[floridalover5623]

I'm actually looking forward to visiting replacements for the damaged islands this season. Maybe they'll return to some of the older stops they haven't been to in many years even if they do have to tender.

[Presto2]

I'm actually looking forward to visiting replacements for the damaged islands this season. Maybe they'll return to some of the older stops they haven't been to in many years even if they do have to tender.

 

Not sure if this helps the islands that are currently being battered by yet another level 5 hurricane as I type. Good on the cruise company for supporting those poor people. What utter devastation.

[suzyed]

Princess is doing something much more useful for hurricane victims than providing discounted cruises to holiday-makers. Per the website, Carnival Corp pledging $10 Million in Hurricane Relief and collecting donations on-board from crew and passengers that will be matched by Carnival.

That's great!!

[Host CJSKIDS]

It's going to be at least a year before some of the islands are really ready for visitors and I would also include the Florida Keys.

 

I don't have a cruise booked in the winter season, but have a 10 day Eastern Caribbean Voyager cruise booked for May 2018. Before Hurricane Irma, there was an itinerary change from Barbados to St. Marten due to propulsion issues with the Caribbean Princess. Would not be surprised to see one or more itinerary changes. With the propulsion issues along with the devastation on some of the islands, it may be a "No" for me. I'll wait until final payment in Feb. to decide.

 

In the meantime, I'm doing my own post hurricane cleanup at my home in Florida. Still many in my county are without power and some are struggling with flooded homes and structural damage. It's ugly enough here and I can only imagine the recovery necessary on some of the islands and in the Keys.

 

 

Key West won't be a year before they are ready to receive visitors! All About the Keys did a live from today to show that Duval Street was still standing and there is also one from Mallory Square. The clean up that they have accomplished is amazing! The Coast Guard has been working constantly to make sure the channels are safe and boating can resume.

Hopefully Cruise Ships will be able to return in a month or two.

 

Many hotels in Key Largo are up and running and Playa Largo has emergency personal staying there so they aren't taking guests yet but sustained no damage.

 

It's the middle keys that will have a struggle to open anytime soon.

 

https://www.facebook.com/allaboutfloridakeys/?hc_ref=ARQOTo18MjswlxruiG292L_33kfQqLi9oSFo9QisXJwvHKAzsCU2gV27WmgnO5h2GBM

[tothemall&beyond]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you, our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Update on Caribbean Port Calls

All of us at Princess share your concerns about the affects the recent hurricanes had in the Caribbean. The islands are part of our community, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts there.

We know that your cruise vacation visits affected areas of the Caribbean, and we are working with local officials in these ports to assess the situation before determining if any changes are needed to your itinerary. Should any changes be necessary, we will let you know immediately and we assure you that we will do all we can to include similar Eastern Caribbean ports so your voyage will be just as enjoyable. We encourage you to continue with your plans until we know more.

Thank you for booking with Princess; we look forward to welcoming you on board.

[geocruiser]

I have a Eastern cruise on Regal on 12/10/17. No E-mail yet. I guess Princess will not let me know until they have a replacement port/s pick out. Cause I could just see me getting a E-mail saying "we canceled the ports of St Thomas and St. Maarten. But we don't as of yet have a replacement port lined up"!

I believe they are waiting until all is set up to replace the ports.

[floridalover5623]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you, our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Update on Caribbean Port Calls

All of us at Princess share your concerns about the affects the recent hurricanes had in the Caribbean. The islands are part of our community, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts there.

We know that your cruise vacation visits affected areas of the Caribbean, and we are working with local officials in these ports to assess the situation before determining if any changes are needed to your itinerary. Should any changes be necessary, we will let you know immediately and we assure you that we will do all we can to include similar Eastern Caribbean ports so your voyage will be just as enjoyable. We encourage you to continue with your plans until we know more.

Thank you for booking with Princess; we look forward to welcoming you on board.

 

I can understand your frustration but just what would you like Princess to do in this situation. If going to those exact islands is that important to you, then cancel & rebook for next year or select another itinerary that hasn't had a hurricane.

[Mom33]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you, our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Update on Caribbean Port Calls

All of us at Princess share your concerns about the affects the recent hurricanes had in the Caribbean. The islands are part of our community, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts there.

We know that your cruise vacation visits affected areas of the Caribbean, and we are working with local officials in these ports to assess the situation before determining if any changes are needed to your itinerary. Should any changes be necessary, we will let you know immediately and we assure you that we will do all we can to include similar Eastern Caribbean ports so your voyage will be just as enjoyable. We encourage you to continue with your plans until we know more.

Thank you for booking with Princess; we look forward to welcoming you on board.

 

We got the same email today for our December Caribbean cruise.

[bluegiraffe]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you, our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Update on Caribbean Port Calls

All of us at Princess share your concerns about the affects the recent hurricanes had in the Caribbean. The islands are part of our community, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts there.

We know that your cruise vacation visits affected areas of the Caribbean, and we are working with local officials in these ports to assess the situation before determining if any changes are needed to your itinerary. Should any changes be necessary, we will let you know immediately and we assure you that we will do all we can to include similar Eastern Caribbean ports so your voyage will be just as enjoyable. We encourage you to continue with your plans until we know more.

Thank you for booking with Princess; we look forward to welcoming you on board.

 

We got that email today, and I'm fine with it. They can't know yet (our cruise is in December) whether our itinerary is doable - and they won't know for some time yet. So we may have substitute ports, or more at sea days. I've been seeing photos from Dominica that would break your heart; the devastation is terrible. Would I be sorry to miss that port? Sure, but far sorrier for the Dominicans dealing with such an awful experience. My cruise itinerary seems pretty small potatoes in comparison.

 

 

For those for whom the itinerary is their main reason for their cruise, perhaps this is just not the year for your eastern Caribbean cruise. :(

[denims]

I glad you got an email. We are sailing 11/5/17...haven't heard anything yet.

No big deal!!! We'll go where they take us!:):cool:

Let princess help with the needy first!

[pjo]

We are on the Dec 9th Crown sailing. Final payment is due 9/25. The itinerary includes 3 totally devastated ports and one very badly damaged port. We are also booked on the Jan 13th Circle Caribbean on the Caribbean which also includes 2 devastated and one very badly damaged port.

The following islands have been totally devastated:

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; St. Martin; St. John; St. Thomas; St. Barts; Barbuda

The following islands have significant damage but not total devastation:

Antigua - bad, but not as bad as Barbuda; but being used as a relief/recovery staging location for Barbuda so not exactly an attractive vacation spot; St. Kitts/Nevis; Puerto Rico

 

Princess HAS to make some decisions soon because many people like us have final payment dates approaching and would like to know what we'd be paying for, ie., what ports will be on the itinerary. I spoke with Princess Customer Relations (on their direct number) yesterday and again today. I was told:

1) They are not extending final payment dates.

2) They may or may not change itineraries (this is nonsense -- they absolutely have to for many of these islands).

3) If they do change itineraries, no decisions have been made as to where.

 

I asked them, as I also posit here, in what other situation in life would you toss a few thousand dollars over to someone and not know what you're going to get in return for that money? I doubt there would be any such situations where any of you would be willing to do that. It is ridiculous for Princess to hold hard and fast to non-refundable final payments without advising people where they will be going. It is also disingenuous on the part of those of you who see no problem with it.

 

In my opinion, it is not acceptable to be put on a Western Caribbean itinerary for the same money as a Lesser Antilles itinerary. I don't necessarily want to cancel; I’d just like to know where I'd be going BEFORE I pay for it. If they say, for instance, Barbados, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Martinique, etc. as replacement ports for our itineraries with St. Kitts, St. Martin, Antigua, Turks and Caicos and St. Thomas, that'd be fine. Montego Bay, Cozumel and Costa Maya, wouldn’t. At least not at the current fares we’re paying for the cruises.

 

For those of you who are saying that we have to go to these islands to spend money to support them, I ask simply: how? Spend money on what? And where would you spend it? There won't be any stores in which to spend money. There won't be any restaurants in which to eat or bars at which to drink. It is a nice sentiment to want to support them, but not realistic.

 

These islands have been totally wiped out, not just damaged. Most of them will not be re-built within THIS Caribbean season and some maybe not for a season beyond that. Certainly St. Martin, St. John, Barbuda, and Grand Turk will not be “open for business” this year. These ports don't have, and won't have for a long time to come, any electricity, running water or working sewers. The airports and hospitals were wiped out. All the materials they need to rebuild have to be shipped in and the shipping lanes may need to be re-dredged.

 

And, I'm sorry to say this, but it is already the case that widespread desperation is setting in for the residents of these islands, and violence is already breaking out. It may very well not be safe for well-intentioned, but vulnerable, tourists.

 

We livze in Southeast Florida, the original anticipated target of Irma’s wrath. So, unlike most of the country, we've had nothing but wall to wall 24/7 coverage of the hurricane on every station (even on PBS) for over a week. All we watched as we shuttered up our homes and did the final prep of our hurricane kits was what was coming our way and what it did to these islands. If we were aware of what took place in these islands, so was Princess.

I could not agree more. You are fortunate in that you can still cancel. Why let Princess dictate where you are going? To help the islands out you can simply make a donation to many of the charities out there. But to say you are going on a cruise to help the Caribbean out is nonsense. That money is going in Princess' pocket. This is your vacation and you need to know where you are going. I would never leave my vacation up to the whim of the cruise company.

 

Paul

[senior lady]

I could not agree more. You are fortunate in that you can still cancel. Why let Princess dictate where you are going? To help the islands out you can simply make a donation to many of the charities out there. But to say you are going on a cruise to help the Caribbean out is nonsense. That money is going in Princess' pocket. This is your vacation and you need to know where you are going. I would never leave my vacation up to the whim of the cruise company.

 

Paul

Wow you guys are harsh!!! I'm quite happy to be on a cruise, and will happily go where they take me. My cruise in Nov 5th and so far it looks like St Thomas and Dominica are going to be a 'no" not sure about the Turks yet.

Just calling it the "mystery cruise":D

[floridalover5623]

Wow you guys are harsh!!! I'm quite happy to be on a cruise, and will happily go where they take me. My cruise in Nov 5th and so far it looks like St Thomas and Dominica are going to be a 'no" not sure about the Turks yet.

Just calling it the "mystery cruise":D

G. Turk sound like a go. :)

[suzyed]

I could not agree more. You are fortunate in that you can still cancel. Why let Princess dictate where you are going? To help the islands out you can simply make a donation to many of the charities out there. But to say you are going on a cruise to help the Caribbean out is nonsense. That money is going in Princess' pocket. This is your vacation and you need to know where you are going. I would never leave my vacation up to the whim of the cruise company.

 

Paul

If I was going to be mostly unhappy with a replacement port and didn't want to take a chance that we would be going to the Western Caribbean and I hadn't made final payment yet, I would cancel and rebook another time.

[suzyed]

Did anyone else get a survey from Princess today? It asked questions about our feelings on visiting the Caribbean in light of all the devastation.

 

We have a cruise booked in November but it's Western Caribbean and will remain the same unless something else happens in the meantime.

[floridalover5623]

Did anyone else get a survey from Princess today? It asked questions about our feelings on visiting the Caribbean in light of all the devastation.

 

We have a cruise booked in November but it's Western Caribbean and will remain the same unless something else happens in the meantime.

 

I didn't but it sounds like Princess is looking mighty hard at who might not book or those that will cancel with possible reductions of prices to follow very shortly on some routes.

 

This might be the time to sit back & wait out some deals. ;)

[KevintheIrishDJ]

We are on the Pacific Princess Dec. 22. As of today, 65 cabins are unsold. Unusual for the Pacific (Love Boat). We are going regardless of what the ports are. We enjoy sea days,

[CineGraphic]

I didn't but it sounds like Princess is looking mighty hard at who might not book or those that will cancel with possible reductions of prices to follow very shortly on some routes.

 

 

 

This might be the time to sit back & wait out some deals. ;)

 

 

 

I’m hoping that Princess offers upgrades and upsells to those of us who didn’t cancel, before they offer low-ball deals to everyone else.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone while I should be working, using Forums

[floridalover5623]

I’m hoping that Princess offers upgrades and upsells to those of us who didn’t cancel, before they offer low-ball deals to everyone else.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone while I should be working, using Forums

They might but I would think there's more money to be made on new sales than up sells.

More bodies on board are always a better option.

[antmaril]

I am on the January 7th sailing of the Regal. Original itinerary was Princess Cays, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. I haven't been to the Caribbean in 35 years. This cruise has three sea days, which we love. From what I've read on CC and online, it sounds like changes will be made for sure, but I haven't heard anything from Princess yet. I understand they are assessing the situation. What I fear is a Western Caribbean cruise. I have no interest in that at all.

 

Final payment is due on October 24th. I already booked the air and the deposit I made ($200) is non-refundable.

 

I guess we will just have to take our chances. We could cancel, but that would be expensive due to the airline tickets.

 

Maybe there will be a price reduction prior to final payment. I will keep my eye on that.

[TheBirdistheWord]

We are going to the Bahamas, not badly damaged and we would not cancel. We paid.

 

 

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[cherylandtk]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

Princess is unlikely to have an answer to your question within the next 48 hours. Given that you have a need to know where you will be going before you make that payment, your best option is to cancel.

 

Others who have already made payment and will be boarding in a few weeks don't have the option you do; they are stuck with whatever is going to happen or lose their fare.

[whitecap]

Here is an email we just got from Princess. Mind you, our final payment is due in 2 days. Pretty peeved with Princess.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Update on Caribbean Port Calls

All of us at Princess share your concerns about the affects the recent hurricanes had in the Caribbean. The islands are part of our community, and we are committed to supporting relief efforts there.

We know that your cruise vacation visits affected areas of the Caribbean, and we are working with local officials in these ports to assess the situation before determining if any changes are needed to your itinerary. Should any changes be necessary, we will let you know immediately and we assure you that we will do all we can to include similar Eastern Caribbean ports so your voyage will be just as enjoyable. We encourage you to continue with your plans until we know more.

Thank you for booking with Princess; we look forward to welcoming you on board.

I would assume (ass u me) that Princess recognizes that your final payment is due shortly (since your post was yesterday and you had 2 days to final payment it is due tomorrow) and that they would send out a notice today however, with that said, if it were me, if I had no notice by the end of the day today, I would search for another cruise departure date and cancel this one. It is hard to imagine what all the cruise lines must be going through, each trying to get their ships into open ports knowing the limitation of each port, how many ship can it handle at one time, time of docking and departing etc etc. And while we all consider changes to our vacation plans, let us not forget all those who have lost their lives, family members, their homes and businesses and are having to deal with months and months of hardship. Easy to sit at my desk and reschedule my vacation, not so with having to reschedule their entire lives. God bless them all!!