Cancelled our 14 day Feb cruise due to Irma

[troy510]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

[Cruise or Lose!]

You'll love Bermuda - especially if your ship docks in downtown Hamilton (I've never been on an NCL ship, so I don't know if they dock there).

 

And if you like the longer itineraries, why not do a back-to-back?

 

 

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Edited September 13, 2017 by Cruise or Lose!

[casofilia]

It is a pity that you have cancelled 4 months out. By then all the places will NEED as much assistance financially as possible and the presence of cruise liners and cruise passengers would be a real boon to their economies.

[shof515]

You'll love Bermuda - especially if your shop docks in downtown Hamilton (I've never been on an NCL ship, so I don't know if they dock there).

most cruise ships from the major cruise lines only dock at Dock Yard by Kings Wharf. Only the smaller luxury cruise ship lines (Silver Seas, Regent) dock at Hamilton and sometimes St George

[Cruise or Lose!]

Holland America docks at Hamilton :-) I've been there three times with HAL.

 

 

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[txagfan]

It is a pity that you have cancelled 4 months out. By then all the places will NEED as much assistance financially as possible and the presence of cruise liners and cruise passengers would be a real boon to their economies.

 

 

 

They can always wait and rebook... no need to guilt.

 

 

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[don't-use-real-name]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

 

2 Comments:

 

While the port stops will not be as pristine and in a condition as you planned and dreamed about - the resident

folks of those ports need the tourist income to continue to eck out a living.

Please consider visiting and spending some cash to foster the return and restoration of the island ports.

 

If possible consider changing your itinerary to i.e. the western or southern Caribbean - see if NCL will help

you rebook your cruise to a suitable alternative. Wait and see what alternate port calls will be available -

possible for a repositioning cruise - don't give up easy on taking that cruise you set your plans on !

[garycarla]

I get that folks may want to cancel. Their choice. Their money.

 

I do hope they come back in a month or so to see what is happening down there. I think some of the port areas will be back in business sooner than some expect. Then again.. what the hell do I know?

 

Hope for the best.

[mcmomny]

I can understand the OP concerns, we were booked for a February trip to Cancun and then Wilma hit causing massive destruction, we went back and forth on if we should cancel or change our destination but we decided to stay with Cancun and were glad we did.

 

The locals were so happy to see us and welcomed us with such warmness and excitement. Yes many places were still a mess and we were saddened to see our favorite place in such disrepair but we felt like others have said, these areas depend upon tourism for their bread and butter.

 

Where we stayed right outside of Cancun still had areas of damage but the resort did everything possible to keep us comfortable and to be honest, the few things and areas we couldn't do did not ruin or change our vacation.

 

We were just so happy to be together as a family, to be in our beloved Mexico and to be out of minus 20 degree weather :)

 

I will say that it still amazes me on how quickly Mexico jumped into action to bring Cancun back from the brink of destruction

 

Now we have been booked for months already for a cruise in February to St Thomas and Tortola, which is a dream trip for me.

 

I have braced myself for the possibility of our cruise being changed up if they aren't ready for tourism yet. I will be disappointed but will understand, we are not cancelling our cruise.

 

We will go where they take us even if we have been there before, as my sister in law who is traveling with us said when I told her it looks like our plans might change "We have fun no matter where we are or what we are doing" and she is right!

[CateW]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

 

We are on this sailing as well. I have been looking at one alternative only (not the Caribbean) but I am not cancelling yet. We've done Bermuda a number of times, you will definitely enjoy it!

[zqvol]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

 

If those ports matter to you then it was a very smart thing to do in canceling. St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Tortoal will not be accepting cruise ships for the foreseeable future. It will probably be at least 8 -10 months for St. Thomas, and over a year for the other two. San Juan will be ready sooner, maybe by Christmas. These islands won't be in the "normal" condition for years.

 

 

People that suggest that the islands need the money that the cruise ships bring in have certainly not seen or read about teh utter devastation that Irma inflicted on the islands. What the islands need now is food, water, shelter and electricity. It is going to take months to these basics back, and until that happens they are not even going to consider cruise ship passengers.

[Bootman4U]

I really would like someone to DEFINE the term "foreseeable future" as I am certain any cruise line would. NOBODY HERE has any idea when any ship is going to call that I am aware of.

[pe4all]

I am hoping the islands get the aid they need to quickly get back on their feet and rebuild, as tourism is a main source of the people's income. We are due to go to St. Thomas in January on a CCL cruise (along with SJ and GT) and (besides already donating to our local red cross) would love to spend some $$ there to support their economy! BTW - we did NCL to Bermuda, and had a great time, so if you decide to go that route, the only downside I can see is potentially cooler weather in February than the Caribbean would have.

[Laszlo]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

 

 

Sorry to hear that, I bet will still go to San Juan. St Kitts, Barbados, St Lucia and Dominica are fine. My guess is NCL will add St Vincent and Martinique and or Aruba to the schedule. Our final payment is not until the end of October for or Feb 2nd cruise on the BA

[cheersforbeers]

We are booked to go in January, and we are still going. I could only hope these ports would be open and NCL would offer an excursion to help the islanders for whatever time we were there.

 

 

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[zqvol]

I really would like someone to DEFINE the term "foreseeable future" as I am certain any cruise line would. NOBODY HERE has any idea when any ship is going to call that I am aware of.

 

I don't know what the foreseeable future is, because it is a dynamic term. What I do understand is that the islands of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Tortola were not damaged, they were destroyed. People here who have done research, and followed things do have any idea when ships will begin returning to these destroyed islands, and it is measured in months, if not years. If people thin otherwise they are kidding themselves.

 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/hurricane-irma-survivors-caribbean-fear-they-will-be-forgotten-after-n800806

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/virgin-islands-irma.html

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/10/549981547/the-rubble-and-recovery-of-u-s-virgin-islands-will-we-survive-the-aftermath

 

 

If cruisers want to help these economies they need to donate to appropriate relief agencies, and not think that getting ships back in so that passengers can spend money at shops owned by the cruise lines so that they money can be sent back to the corporate coffers. The mom and pop stores have been destroyed and will be the last ones rebuilt because they don't have the resources to rebuild.

[BirdTravels]

It's a shame you made a snap decision before you know what the itinerary and port conditions will be.

 

Bermuda is great. We'll be going there for the second time this year this week, hurricane Jose permitting. NCL uses the Royal Navy dockyard. And offers a free ferry to st George. NCL has also ordered a ferry to offer service to Hamilton, but for now, the public ferry for $4.50 works fine.

[Cafedumonde]

I don't know what the foreseeable future is, because it is a dynamic term. What I do understand is that the islands of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Tortola were not damaged, they were destroyed. People here who have done research, and followed things do have any idea when ships will begin returning to these destroyed islands, and it is measured in months, if not years. If people thin otherwise they are kidding themselves.

 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/hurricane-irma-survivors-caribbean-fear-they-will-be-forgotten-after-n800806

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/virgin-islands-irma.html

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/10/549981547/the-rubble-and-recovery-of-u-s-virgin-islands-will-we-survive-the-aftermath

 

 

If cruisers want to help these economies they need to donate to appropriate relief agencies, and not think that getting ships back in so that passengers can spend money at shops owned by the cruise lines so that they money can be sent back to the corporate coffers. The mom and pop stores have been destroyed and will be the last ones rebuilt because they don't have the resources to rebuild.

This is overly dramatic.

[davy jones]

Me, my wife, our son, and my mother just booked a 14 day Eastern Caribbean cruise about 5 weeks ago. It is set to leave in NY and visit about 8 islands including, St. Thomas, St. Marten, Tortola. Puerto Rico, and others. We were really looking forward to going, but after the images and video of the hurricane, we just don't want to go. It's depressing enough to see on TV and we know that, realistically, those islands wont be close to anywhere near ready and in their normal condition come February.

 

We love cruising, but if we are going to go, it wont be that one. At this point, we're thinking about settling for a 7 day Bermuda.

 

We're on that same itinerary in January. We plan to stay on the sailing. I fully expect the ports to be accepting ships by then. If not, we will just sail the alternate itinerary.

[cruzeluver]

Some of the hyperbole and factual incorrect info in this thread is alarming. "Destroyed" implies they no longer exist. St Maarten has significant damage to infrastructure and a lot of rebuilding to do but it was hardly "destroyed". St Thomas has quite a bit of damage as well but a lot of businesses are open and operating already including our favorite restaurant, Gladys' Cafe. Puerto Rico suffered only the most minor of damage and is open for business.

[Billteg]

It is a pity that you have cancelled 4 months out. By then all the places will NEED as much assistance financially as possible and the presence of cruise liners and cruise passengers would be a real boon to their economies.

Agreed casofilia... I'm not canceling my Feb 2 Breakaway cruise. I went to St Thomas after Hugo to help reopen the hospital and I know first hand what these hurricanes do to the islands. They will need our help and tourist dollars more than ever.

 

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[QuickieGlenn]

I have a deposit on a Cruise in January and suppose to go to St Thomas & Tortola & Nassau

I am going to closely watch these boards before I make my final payment to see where the cruises go

I have been to St Thomas and Tortola before many times and for me seeing the Palm trees and different vegetation is what I enjoy on a cruise

I do not want to go and see it all ruined, also I am a full time wheelchair user and cannot tender, so that problem could happen

An to go just to give them money, does not work for me

[carol54]

The first thing these destroyed islands need to do is rebuild homes, hospitals, transportation, supermarkets, gas stations...not souvenirs shops and bars for tourists. The people who live on the destroyed islands need food, electric, plumbing. The cruise lines need to step up and pour some money into these islands that keep them in business!

 

 

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[geegee1]

2 Comments:

 

While the port stops will not be as pristine and in a condition as you planned and dreamed about - the resident

folks of those ports need the tourist income to continue to eck out a living.

Please consider visiting and spending some cash to foster the return and restoration of the island ports.

 

If I'm on vacation, I don't want to go somewhere that is in bad shape. Want to forget about that and live in a fantasy world that vacation brings

[ColeThornton]

The first thing these destroyed islands need to do is rebuild homes, hospitals, transportation, supermarkets, gas stations...not souvenirs shops and bars for tourists. The people who live on the destroyed islands need food, electric, plumbing. The cruise lines need to step up and pour some money into these islands that keep them in business!

 

 

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The cruise lines bring in billions of tourist dollars to the Caribbean on an annual basis. Infrastructure rebuilding is the responsibility of the countries that these colonies/territories/countries belong to, i.e: the U.K, France, U.S, Netherlands, etc.

 

The cruise lines will continue to bring money in. It's a symbiotic relationship.