Cancelled shore excursions on Joy, Panama canal

[jgreenwo17]

We just returned home from a partial transit to the Panama canal and and the western Caribbean.  It was one of the better cruises I've been on, and the first with NCL.

We were sad to learn that ALL shore excursions in the canal zone were cancelled.  The reason given was not enough tenders from the Panama yacht club.  We had booked a railway tour that goes the entire length of the canal.

 

The Island Princess was also doing a partial transit the day we were there and guess what?  Their excursions were not cancelled that day. 

 

This was the Joy's first foray in this region after spending the Summer in AK.  Why would Princess have the upper hand on excursions that day?

 

Otherwise this was an awesome cruise.

 

[BirdTravels]

Because Princess' corporate offices did there job and secured tendering services. While NCL did not (or tried to "negotiate cheaper services and were left in the cold. 

[bonvoyagie]

Could have been many factors - including who booked first and who paid the most $$. Could have also been logistics of getting everyone off a mega ship like the Joy had not been fully thought out, 

 

On the flip side we were on a New England cruise a few years ago and in Prince Edward Island there were three ships in town and one dock. our NCL ship got the dock - I overheard people in town from the Celebrity ship that had to tender, grousing about how the NCL ship got the dock and they didn't. 

[shof515]

7 minutes ago, bonvoyagie said:

On the flip side we were on a New England cruise a few years ago and in Prince Edward Island there were three ships in town and one dock. our NCL ship got the dock - I overheard people in town from the Celebrity ship that had to tender, grousing about how the NCL ship got the dock and they didn't. 

to get off topic, Prince Edward island is expanding their port so that 2 ships can dock at the same time. I cant wait to visit that island on the Norwegian Encore in September

 

back on topic, if there is only one tour operator with a limited number of tour boat/buses then unfortunately there is not that much that can be done.

[karinad]

We were on this cruise and booked on the same Panama Canal Tour. It was very disappointing and with little explanation given by NCL!

[BillB48]

Since you mentioned it was the Joy's first venture on this type cruise, it could have possibly been in the lack of planning end of things.  From what I can see, the Joy does not have any combination tender/lifeboats and the Gatun Yacht Club has never had any tenders.  Meanwhile the Island Princess uses her own tenders to land guests at the GYC.

[wilmingtech]

1 hour ago, BillB48 said:

Since you mentioned it was the Joy's first venture on this type cruise, it could have possibly been in the lack of planning end of things.  From what I can see, the Joy does not have any combination tender/lifeboats and the Gatun Yacht Club has never had any tenders.  Meanwhile the Island Princess uses her own tenders to land guests at the GYC.

 

We are on the Joy in December and our stop in Cabo is tendered.  Will be interesting to see how they manage if they dont have Lifeboats as tenders. 

 

Last time we were there in Cabo was on the Jewel and the Jewel used its lifeboats for tendering.

Edited November 23, 2019 by wilmingtech

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

Could have also been logistics of getting everyone off a mega ship like the Joy had not been fully thought out, 

The Bliss, Joy’s twin sister, has made multiple canal transits. So, that is not an excuse. 

[robsmom]

13 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The Bliss, Joy’s twin sister, has made multiple canal transits. So, that is not an excuse. 

I agree.  Logistics is not an excuse, it is a management failure.   Some Department did not do their job.   I hope NCL compensated people in some way for this.   Weather, Local Strikes, etc. are not NCL’s fault.  Selling a port for which they can not deliver you to the port due to poor planning is entirely on NCL.  

[hallux]

@wilmingtech I was in Cabo on the Bliss a month ago.  We arrived a few hours before a RCI ship did and were using what I believe to be every tender available from the port, there must have been a dozen of them.  It seems NCL managed to secure the majority of them for the duration of the visit, or left it to port management as to how many tenders would service each ship once both were anchored.

 

The RCI ship was definitely using the combo lifeboat/tender boats available on that ship.

[Trimone]

Better be sorted by the 14th February, there is some very travel influential people from the U.K. travelling on that cruise...Not us!

[mugtech]

5 hours ago, robsmom said:

  I hope NCL compensated people in some way for this.     

This is the time when someone tells the people to read their contract, NCL don't owe nobody nothin.

[BBlake43]

6 hours ago, robsmom said:

I agree.  Logistics is not an excuse, it is a management failure.   Some Department did not do their job.   I hope NCL compensated people in some way for this.   Weather, Local Strikes, etc. are not NCL’s fault.  Selling a port for which they can not deliver you to the port due to poor planning is entirely on NCL.  

It's amazing how many experts are on here that know exactly what the issue is with little to no information

[bonvoyagie]

16 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The Bliss, Joy’s twin sister, has made multiple canal transits. So, that is not an excuse. 

Transits yes with stops on either side but not in Panama. I believe that to date only jewel class ships have done the partial transit. 

[UFMOM]

On our Bliss Panama transit there were multiple port changes after final payment. Lack of tenders due to them being used by other cruise lines was one of the excuses going around. It seems like missed and changed ports seem to be a staple of NCL Panama cruises.

 

Mary Ann

[Roxxy]

I believe this was the sailing where over 100 PX were sick with the Norovirus?  That could possibly have had something to do with it?

[timf2001]

1 hour ago, Roxxy said:

I believe this was the sailing where over 100 PX were sick with the Norovirus?  That could possibly have had something to do with it?

 

The norovirus cruise was the full transit back to LA.  The cruise with the cancelled excursions was the partial transit before it.  Full transits don't offer separate Panama Canal excursions, since you are already on the ship for the full length of the canal.