Stops at San Juan cancelled for 2020/2021 season!

[brillohead]

2 hours ago, Aviator of the Seas said:

Anita Latte is on to something, and there is a big perception here in the industry that the company that supposedly is winning the San Juan port management contract, Global Ports Holdings, is detested by many cruise lines which will result in cancellations.  The locals are in an uproar over this because GPH allegedly takes over the ports and all of its related services, including port agency, sightseeing tours, shopping, dining, etc., displacing the locals.  That's the allegation.

 

1 hour ago, Anita Latte said:

Yes...I was reading that a major local concern was that the port would attempt to be one of those ports that tried to provide for all cruise passenger needs at the port. I was picturing the Costa Maya port...where there is a pool, the bird thing, restaurants and shops and the attempt seems to keep passengers solely in the port area spending $$$ there and not just facilitating the movement of passengers into the town and deeper into the island...spreading passenger $$$ around. 

OMG, I absolutely DETEST the Costa Maya port (as do the locals)!

The port company owns virtually all the shops (with all their "made in China" wares), and they make it darn near impossible to get out of the port to get a local taxi or take a private tour.  

Clarification:  Love Costa Maya as a port stop, but hate the PORT COMPANY itself!

Edited November 26, 2019 by brillohead
clarification

[kruzerci]

44 minutes ago, cube1982 said:

Just got this as a response.....

 

Their customer service representatives are going to be the last ones to know... they won't know/give a reliable answer until there is a press release. 

[palmettostatecruiser]

57 minutes ago, mommao729 said:

I also heard back from royal. I have a cruise out of San Juan March of 2020. 

 

I read the articles and it says 30 cruises from San Juan will also be cancelled. So I sent a Facebook message to them asking why we aren’t being informed by royal. That I am booked and expected to make final payment December 30th. Have airfare & hotel reserved. They responded with my cruise isn’t cancelled 

 

i wouldnt bet on that. So I will be watching this and waiting to see if royal explains how it will impact those of us who are booked. 

 

They also said that after drydock freedom will be going back to San Juan where she will stay till going to cape liberty. We will see. 

 

We cruise out of San Juan in June 2020  and already have airline tickets so I'll be keeping a close eye on this situation as well. IF they do cancel our cruise from San Juan, wonder if they will cover the cost to change our airline tickets...

[bouhunter]

1 hour ago, mommao729 said:

I also heard back from royal. I have a cruise out of San Juan March of 2020. 

 

I read the articles and it says 30 cruises from San Juan will also be cancelled. So I sent a Facebook message to them asking why we aren’t being informed by royal.

 

Odds are your cruise is going ahead as scheduled.  What would they "inform" you of?

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, Anita Latte said:

 

Yes...I can imagine how frustrating it would be from Royal's perspective to be shut out of the planning process. That's why I wonder if the announcement to cancel stops there is just strategy on Royal's part. ...

 

You probably hit the nail on the head.

[BND]

3 hours ago, Aviator of the Seas said:

I checked and they are moving the Freedom to Cape Liberty for the summer of 2021 and 2022.  Not sure if theis adds up to the supposed "90 cancelled stops", but locally, the travel/cruise industry in San Juan is being whipped into a frenzy over this.  More in my next post.

Ships from CL  go to the Caribbean, including San Juan.  We're scheduled on our 21 May 2020 AOS cruise to go to San Juan, so we'll see.  We've been there 5 or so times and really had no plans for the port.  Someone on FB reported their Anthem cruise that is supposed to go to OSJ is going to Coco Cay instead in Jan.

Edited November 26, 2019 by BND

[kag19]

Our Allure 2020 cruise was changed from St. Maarten to San Juan because of propulsion issues.  Wondering if they will have to change it again.  Two "Perfect Days" instead of one??  We have a cruise out of San Juan through Celebrity in 2021 so we will be following closely.

[Aviator of the Seas]

37 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

You probably hit the nail on the head.

My whole issue with these "news" and the uproar it has created, especially in San Juan, is that Royal Caribbean has always been a great partner for Puerto Rico, especially after the hurricanes of 2017, and using them as cannon fodder for mostly local politics is unfair. 

 

I'll admit that when they took the Adventure out of San Juan in favor of Europe I was equally vociferous against it, but that was before I understood many things about the industry which I now do, and prior to witnessing their humanitarian sea lifts after Irma and María.  

[The Grumpus]

I read at a different site:

 

"Roughly 90 cruises would be affected by the cancellations through the end of 2020. If the cancellations go through, the port would see roughly 360,000 less passengers next year and would represent a loss of $44 million to the area."

 

Perhaps at the moment, these cancellations have not yet been implemented.

[MrLacox]

Increasing rumors point to CCL and MSC  following suit.

[LookingForward2]

Updated report at noon today....  who know what will be until we hear it from Royal

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=https://www.elnuevodia.com/&prev=search

 

[island lady]

Am I missing something here?  Freedom does not "stop" at San Juan for a visit....it is a based home embarkation port for winter 20-21 season.  I am booked for B2B on January of 2021.  

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

Am I missing something here?  Freedom does not "stop" at San Juan for a visit....it is a based home embarkation port for winter 20-21 season.  I am booked for B2B on January of 2021.  

 

Sounds to me that this situation applies to both ships based out of San Juan (Freedom) and those making day stops.

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Sounds to me that this situation applies to both ships based out of San Juan (Freedom) and those making day stops.

 

Uh-oh!! 

 

And now I suppose John is now laughing his butt off?  😮 

 

And I am also booked and paid for B2B2B on Vision this coming January/February 2020.  Yikes!  Hotel and flight paid for as well for Vision.  😬

[palmettostatecruiser]

6 minutes ago, island lady said:

Am I missing something here?  Freedom does not "stop" at San Juan for a visit....it is a based home embarkation port for winter 20-21 season.  I am booked for B2B on January of 2021.  

The article also mentions based cruises

[island lady]

7 minutes ago, palmettostatecruiser said:

The article also mentions based cruises

 

My upcoming Vision cruise is in 6 weeks, B2B2B.  All three weeks paid for...flights paid for, hotel paid for, shore excursions paid for.  No word from RCI.  

 

Pulled up some of those articles...they seem awfully vague.  

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by island lady

[bouhunter]

8 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

My upcoming Vision cruise is in 6 weeks, B2B2B.  All three weeks paid for...flights paid for, hotel paid for, shore excursions paid for.  No word from RCI.  

 

Pulled up some of those articles...they seem awfully vague.  

 

Highly doubt any cruises leaving from SJU in the next few months would be affected, but I guess anything is possible.

 

We have reservations on Freedom January 2021 also but not really sure we are going to keep them.  I guess maybe RCCL will make that decision for us

[EmmasNana]

I am booked on Enchantment B2B for Feb/March 2021. If this does get cancelled, would we get a full refund or what would be offered?

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, EmmasNana said:

 If this does get cancelled, would we get a full refund or what would be offered?

Full refund or move to another sailing and OBC.

 

Biker, who has doubts any current sailings would  be affected for the next 18 months.

[island lady]

34 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

Highly doubt any cruises leaving from SJU in the next few months would be affected, but I guess anything is possible.

 

We have reservations on Freedom January 2021 also but not really sure we are going to keep them.  I guess maybe RCCL will make that decision for us

 

Yeah, won't break my heart if Freedom January 2021 B2B is cancelled.  Nothing but deposits on those, but will really be a mess is they cancel anything that is paid for "with all the sides" upcoming cruises.  

[island lady]

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Full refund or move to another sailing and OBC.

 

Biker, who has doubts any current sailings would  be affected for the next 18 months.

 

Me too.  Not just the cruises themselves, but all the packages and shore excursions that are dollars on the line booked and paid for.  I can just hear major howling now on both ends if that were to happen soon.   

[Ivy86]

3 hours ago, palmettostatecruiser said:

They stated sailings FROM and cruises DEPARTING, not stops, so did they really even answer your question?

Nope they didn’t I noticed the same thing . It’s verified that they will stop coming to PR if it doesn’t get resolved. Something about San Juan port being privatized.

[Tony O]

4 hours ago, Aviator of the Seas said:

Where is this comment from, again?

Wow I don't know how I did that

It was another social  media  site 

 

[bouhunter]

45 minutes ago, Ivy86 said:

Nope they didn’t I noticed the same thing . It’s verified that they will stop coming to PR if it doesn’t get resolved. Something about San Juan port being privatized.

At this point nothing is "verified".  Much too early for that.

[ONECRUISER]

6 hours ago, orville99 said:

We will be booking a September 2021 Western on Allure next week when we're on Rhapsody that has both Labadee AND Coco Cay on it.

Happen's, and has in past. Did it couple times myself