Constellation redeployed from Asia to Tampa 2020/21

[TeeRick]

5 hours ago, BillB48 said:

 

I too would be interested in the details of the transit.  The 7A to 7P times may just be for all mark on the wall for completing the partial transit within those times.  Since there will be a full day in Colon following the transit, I would think that they will not be offering any excursions while the ship is in Gatun Lake.  By not having to deal with excursions in Gatun Lake this would give the ship greater flexibility in not having to be one of the first daylight transits at the locks.  Getting through Gatun Locks and into Gatun Lake early is a major necessity in order to have sufficient time to run the longer excursions.

 

Twelve hours is not long enough for two complete transits of the Canal, besides with two complete transits the ship would incur two sets of tolls... ouch!  While it would be "possible" to cross Gatun Lake sailing towards Gamboa as there are some areas of the channel to turn the ship around, this something not normally done.  After Gamboa the width of the channel would not permit a turnaround until Balboa.  Reaching Balboa would constitute a complete transit.

 

My bet is on locking through Gatun Locks, turning around in Gatun Lake and back out the Locks sometime within the twelve hours allotted.

Agree.  It seems like a partial canal cruise with a turn back at some point.  I think Infinity is still doing the full transit.

[jmfdr]

23 hours ago, tartantiara said:

 

I was booked on a b/b from Athens to Singapore very disappointed as India is on my bucket list. OBC is only applied if you book another sailing before Monday 26th August. If you choose to cancel you get back your deposit but no OBC for future sailings or previous bookings 

I certainly don't think that is fair compensation from Celebrity-----basically no compensation if one does not rebook by August 26!  I think that some kind of future cruise certificate good for any new sailing, booked on any date should be offered.

[hcat]

On 8/12/2019 at 9:50 AM, vtcruising said:

You are right. I just read the release:

" Guests will be able to begin booking cruises on board Celebrity Constellation out of Port Tampa Bay beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, August 13, 2019. For more details on Celebrity Constellation’s redeployment and the exciting new sailings being offered, visit www.celebritycruises.com/ports/tampa."

 

At least people can review the itineraries in the flyer above and be ready to book tomorrow. 🙂

 

Thanks for the easy link.

 

Hooray!    We booked a Sky Suite for Jan 2021.

First ever suite booking for us!  It's a 10 day E Carib...includes one new port. 

 Excellent refundable price  (much less than anything suite class on EDGE and APEX) .  Current offer included 4  perks ( Premium Alcohil, grats, $150 OBC/ pp , unlim wi fi )

 

We have enjoyed Constellation in the past and looking forward to the renovations.

Best of all, Tampa is an easy drive from our snowbird nest!

 Very excited!

 

[cruise kitty]

6 minutes ago, jmfdr said:

I certainly don't think that is fair compensation from Celebrity-----basically no compensation if one does not rebook by August 26!  I think that some kind of future cruise certificate good for any new sailing, booked on any date should be offered.

 

yes, I'm sure that those of us booked aren't exactly the let's cruise out of Tampa types...  so disappointed in this, I understand that redeployments happen, I totally get that.   However, give us time to at least exchange our cruise like for like...  I'd be ok switching to a spring 2021 Scandanavia/Russia cruise, but those won't be released in time if this time limit applies to all of us (we don't know anything for sure yet, as no one on our cruise has been officially notified by Celebrity yet)

[hcat]

16 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

There is one additional little worm in the Port of Tampa apple, besides fitting under the Sunshine Skyway, and that is the heavy fogs that sometimes shut down the port for a day, leaving ships stuck inside or outside.

 

But I love sailing under that bridge and the port is just an hour’s drive, so count me in the happy column.

We  are in driving range too but will go a  up a day early to make sure we are across the bridge and  can spend some time enjoying the updated  port area,  Awesome!

[wrk2cruise]

I put a suite on hold just over an hour ago since I couldn't get my TA on the line.  There was 1 choice 4PERKS.  Now talking with TA he says that price is a NRD and for refundable it's $300 more pp.  I called Celebrity and confirmed my held cabin is a refundable deposit.  It gets a bit complicated as I'm changing a reservation I booked onboard to this sailing.  They are going to honor the pricing and the refundable deposit after my TA gets the ship/sail date changed.  We'll see how this works out!

[hcat]

36 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

I put a suite on hold just over an hour ago since I couldn't get my TA on the line.  There was 1 choice 4PERKS.  Now talking with TA he says that price is a NRD and for refundable it's $300 more pp.  I called Celebrity and confirmed my held cabin is a refundable deposit.  It gets a bit complicated as I'm changing a reservation I booked onboard to this sailing.  They are going to honor the pricing and the refundable deposit after my TA gets the ship/sail date changed.  We'll see how this works out!

 

A bit more  complicated...good luck !

 

We just took the offer of 4 perks with unref dep.  We'll cancel APEX ( sim itin fewer days) if we do not see anything diff from EDGE when  the APEX reveals come out.

We never cruised from Tampa but sounds interesting!

[wrk2cruise]

Heard back from TA, all straightened out.  We are booked on the 1/4/2021 sailing.  Maybe we are the only ones but looking forward to going back to Labadee (instead of Key West which was on the flyer yesterday).

 

Scored 6146 S1 next to PH.  Have sailed in this room before and love the bathroom.

 

We had been on 1/25 Reflection with a similar itinerary in a 1A.  This move to a S1 for about $400 pp is a great deal.

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by wrk2cruise

[carlmm]

What a disappointment. I was booked Singapore to Dubain 2021 via Sri Lanka and India.

Certainly flying from Europe to Tampa for some Caribbean Islands is not really an option.

 

Even more disappointing: No notification so far.

Did anybody in Europe get any information or offer so far?

[Cruise Junky]

11 minutes ago, carlmm said:

What a disappointment. I was booked Singapore to Dubain 2021 via Sri Lanka and India.

Certainly flying from Europe to Tampa for some Caribbean Islands is not really an option.

 

Even more disappointing: No notification so far.

Did anybody in Europe get any information or offer so far?

I've seen a few posts on another group from Brits that were notified.

[koolforkatz]

If I hadn't looked at this post I would have no idea my Feb/21 cruise is no more 😞  

 

Any idea when Celebrity is going to let people officially know? Or have they started?

 

[FlorenceItaly]

4 minutes ago, koolforkatz said:

If I hadn't looked at this post I would have no idea my Feb/21 cruise is no more 😞  

 

Any idea when Celebrity is going to let people officially know? Or have they started?

 

No idea.  Still waiting to hear.  I emailed my Celebrity agent but radio silence.  We are on the road traveling so it is okay we haven't heard.  

 

[hcat]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Heard back from TA, all straightened out.  We are booked on the 1/4/2021 sailing.  Maybe we are the only ones but looking forward to going back to Labadee (instead of Key West which was on the flyer yesterday).

 

Scored 6146 S1 next to PH.  Have sailed in this room before and love the bathroom.

 

We had been on 1/25 Reflection with a similar itinerary in a 1A.  This move to a S1 for about $400 pp is a great deal.

 

Glad it worked out..We'll miss you by a week,

I feel bad because most of the posts here  are about the disappointing news for those who have been cancelled..

 

.I am going to look for a thread about the Tampa cruises...maybe better to chat there???

[cruisemom42]

5 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

 

yes, I'm sure that those of us booked aren't exactly the let's cruise out of Tampa types...  so disappointed in this, I understand that redeployments happen, I totally get that.   However, give us time to at least exchange our cruise like for like...  I'd be ok switching to a spring 2021 Scandanavia/Russia cruise, but those won't be released in time if this time limit applies to all of us (we don't know anything for sure yet, as no one on our cruise has been officially notified by Celebrity yet)

 

Exactly. The choice of "replacement" cruises is slim and none are equivalent to what is gone, plus the timing is not similar.  I was on a BTB Venice to Athens to Dubai. I found two different cruises BTB on Constellation prior to the redeployment.... but they not on their "replacement" list and would cost me an additional $2K for a shorter time period. Not a very happy camper right now.

[gadaboutgal]

On 8/12/2019 at 7:56 AM, verizon said:

 

It will benefits the Floridian once the Brightline start operation from Miami-Fort Lauderdale -West Palm Beach -Orlando

Not really, as Tampa is over an hour + away from Orlando and there is not direct transportation othen a car.

[phoenix_dream]

I am sorry for the folks whose cruises got cancelled. I've been there.  I think your perk offerings are a bit meager because the cruises you booked are so far away.  We recently had a cruise cancelled with just a few months out and got a much better deal.  Not saying it still doesn't hurt, but they tend to be less generous this far out.  In our case, while the compensation was better, we were also dealing with a much, much shorter timeframe and cruises that were already pretty booked up and therefore quite expensive, with little choice of cabins.  

 

That said, I am happy for us.  We mainly cruise Caribbean (along with Alaska and west coast) and are very happy to have options other than FLL and MIA.  Love the Tampa area.

 

We just booked a Sky Suite for a B2B 1/4/2021 and the following cruise.  Prices for that were less than we found for our original choice - AQ - with all four perks.  So excited - haven't been able to afford suite prices in recent years!  

 

As to fog, it is definitely a consideration.  But then so are high seas in Grand Cayman and Punta Cana and other tender ports, as well as fog and rough seas in places like Monterey on west coast cruises.  Unless it happens with a lot of regularity, it is worth the chance IMHO.  It's an issue in Galveston but RCI has been cruising out of there successfully for years.

Edited August 14, 2019 by phoenix_dream

[EatonDoolittle]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

 

.I am going to look for a thread about the Tampa cruises...maybe better to chat there???

 

Its on page 2, about in the middle,  title in ALL CAPS

[Oville]

4 minutes ago, EatonDoolittle said:

 

Its on page 2, about in the middle,  title in ALL CAPS

Would you be kind enough to share the link as I can’t find it.  It is the January 15, 2021 cruise.  Thanks

Edited August 14, 2019 by Oville

[wrk2cruise]

 

[QCAZ]

We had booked a future cruise for March 18, 2021 Singapore to Dubai...... really just as a place holder while on a Hawaiian cruise in April,   Heard yesterday about the cancellation / redeployment through CC, but since really weren’t planning on cruise booked, just decided to wait and see.  We were contacted today by our CVP and advised and given options.  Since really not sure we just booked another place holder but with additional OBC due to cancellation..... fine with us.  We were impressed that we heard from celebrity today, we have a great CVP.  Know many are disappointed in the redeployment and feel bad for those who had b2b planned.  

[ShawninFL]

On 8/12/2019 at 10:15 AM, TeeRick said:

Constellation is scheduled to be revolutionized May 2020 in Cadiz.  I wonder how this Tampa change will affect these plans? 

It appears that Connie repositions from Tampa to Barcelona April 19, 2020.

[Cruise Junky]

35 minutes ago, ShawninFL said:

It appears that Connie repositions from Tampa to Barcelona April 19, 2020.

2021 not 2020. 

[ShawninFL]

2 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

2021 not 2020. 

 

Oh my bad.  Yes that is 2021.  Sorry.

[Cruise Junky]

9 minutes ago, ShawninFL said:

 

Oh my bad.  Yes that is 2021.  Sorry.

😎 I keep doing it too 

[little britain]

11 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

 

yes, I'm sure that those of us booked aren't exactly the let's cruise out of Tampa types...  so disappointed in this, I understand that redeployments happen, I totally get that.   However, give us time to at least exchange our cruise like for like...  I'd be ok switching to a spring 2021 Scandanavia/Russia cruise, but those won't be released in time if this time limit applies to all of us (we don't know anything for sure yet, as no one on our cruise has been officially notified by Celebrity yet)

48 hours later. No notifications here either. 🤬🤯😡😤