Vision from Bermuda cancelled

[spunks]

we were going to book out of Bermuda but the logistics were damned near impossible. The hotels alone were outrageous.air fare was high, etc.

[kearney]

We considered a Bermuda cruise vs a Nassau cruise.... we settled for the latter. 1) fares to Bermuda were much higher than those to Nassau 2) If we were flying to Bermuda, we would want to stay a day or two there...since it is one of our favorite places.... but hotel rooms were outrageously expensive... a few days nearly equals the cost of a short cruise... 3) Going to Bermuda to sail to Coco Cay... was not exciting... at least with the Nassau cruise we hit Cozumel.  Plus I suspect the cost of provisioning a ship sailing out of Bermuda ..with fresh fruits and veg. would be high and perhaps difficult to pull off....while Nassau is a smaller place...it close enough to Miami to bring in supplies... easier and less costly than shipping them to Bermuda.

 

Plus Bermuda can be difficult to deal with... I suspect Bahamas was anxious to bring back tourist support... Bermuda, which used to be heavily dependent on tourism...has become a financial center with much less dependence on tourist dollars... so they may not be interested in giving too much to bring in tourists who are actually just touching base before leaving 

[3kidsncats]

My sympathies to those who have had yet another cruise cancelled.  It’s incredibly disappointing. I know if our now fully paid AOS cruise out of Nassau is cancelled, we will be very disappointed as well.  BUT, I don’t book anything right now with the “it’s certain” mindset.  For every aspect of our trips (we somehow managed to book several) I have made sure that everything is refundable or “cancel without penalty” at least within a few days of travel.  We also are investing in an annual travel ins plan for the first time.  
 

ETA:  I’m actually more concerned about hurricane disruption at this point 😑

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by 3kidsncats

[Another_Critic]

 

51 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Wrong!    We were excited for the b2b we had booked out of Bermuda for August!    Not good to make statements like that...

To be fair to Joseph, you missed/ignored this part of his quote ... "People around me that cruise have been waiting to see what happens in Bahamas.....but no one had a slightest interest in Bermuda."

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, NightOne said:

 

It literally sails in 23 days.

 

If they cancel it this late in the game there is going to be at least one person going full postal.

 

I'm with you! 

[mek]

4 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

True, it’s hard to make travel plans with so many unknowns.  It’s wise to have a plan B. 

Plan A - B - C for me is to not book any cruises until they actually start sailing and have been sailing successfully for a couple of months.

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

The flights to Bermuda were very cheap too.   I was booked with A2S for $149 pp RT with American airlines and the exact same flight was $770 if I had booked direct with AA.   So I guess they were subdizing a large amount of money for these flights to be this cheap.     Probably part of their decision to cancel.   

It's a very easy flight to Bermuda for us.     Flight out of PHL is just over 2 hrs - non stop.

The fact they are not giving a lift and shift option is annoying.   

Can be Hit/Miss when you Book it but few times have found real cheap A2S for TA, this even for First Class

[Sunshine3601]

5 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Bermuda is the star on that itinerary. I can't see people spending money to fly to Bermuda to sail to Coco Cay. Bermuda is the destination for me. I can't wait until they start the regular Bermuda itineraries on Celebrity. 

Airfare was $99 per RT out of Newark or $149 pp RT out of PHL (other airports were available at these rates too).    It was cheaper for me to fly there than to park my car in a port for a week.

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Airfare was $99 per RT out of Newark or $149 pp RT out of PHL (other airports were available at these rates too).    It was cheaper for me to fly there than to park my car in a port for a week.

Feel bad for you, I think if I remember right you switched from another B2B you had for this B2B on Vision didn't you? What ship and sailing was that, who knows that one may even have a chance of sailing afterall.

[jerseyjjs]

5 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Bermuda is the star on that itinerary. I can't see people spending money to fly to Bermuda to sail to Coco Cay. Bermuda is the destination for me. I can't wait until they start the regular Bermuda itineraries on Celebrity. 

 

 

Exactly.  If I were to spend $2000 to cruise OUT of Bermuda, then I'd rather just put that money on a hotel and STAY in Bermuda.

[orville99]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

They're deep in construction as we speak of a pretty impressive terminal complex.

Just pulled up the Port webcam from Nassau, and they’re still only halfway done with landfilling the base for the new dock. The new terminal structure doesn’t appear to be going “vertical” yet either. Essentially they’re where the construction of Terminal 1 in PC was two years before it was ready to welcome passengers.

[Sunshine3601]

15 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Feel bad for you, I think if I remember right you switched from another B2B you had for this B2B on Vision didn't you? What ship and sailing was that, who knows that one may even have a chance of sailing afterall.

Yes, you have a very good memory.    I did switch from a Freedom OTS b2b sailing out of NJ to Bermuda to the Vision b2b.     

Even though they are not offering lift and shift option for this cancellation.   I am wondering too if I can simply switch to another bermuda sailing when they make their announcement of future sailings planned for this summer.   

If not, then I will just take the full refund option and figure something else out.

[MarkBearSF]

6 hours ago, 100viper said:

Makes sense. Flights for Bermuda seem like a lot more planning than a flight to Nassau. 

And harder to get. I'm on one of the Viking Ocean cruises around Bermuda this summer. These ships are small, 1000 pax and are sailing these itineraries at 50% of capacity. Yet, there are big problems accommodating the 490 passengers on the few scheduled flights. (On our Roll Call, a couple of pax had Delta change their flights to 2 days later - they had overbooked the A319 plane by 20 seats. ...the affected pax were rebooked by Viking onto another itinerary on JetBlue and comped an overnight hotel stay in EWR). There are about six daily flights to Bermuda. I can't imagine the impact of even a smaller Royal Caribbean ship, even at 50% capacity on a non-shared day.

[keyboardjunkie]

For bookings, the first sailing that shows now (that isn't closed) is the Vision's Sept 5 sailing from San Juan.  I wonder if they will consider a repo cruise to move her from Florida to San Juan.  She is currently sailing around/floating near Coco Cay.

[SilkySal]

10 minutes ago, keyboardjunkie said:

For bookings, the first sailing that shows now (that isn't closed) is the Vision's Sept 5 sailing from San Juan.  I wonder if they will consider a repo cruise to move her from Florida to San Juan.  She is currently sailing around/floating near Coco Cay.

Hope not (unless we're moved to another ship)! We're booked on Vision for a B2B next April, 2022 from FLL for a total of 21 nights.

[Empehi]

With the vaccines rollout beginning very early this year and estimates that  a very large percentage of adults will be vaccinated by this summer, the CDC really did a disservice by offering muddled directions to the cruise companies concerning sailing this summer.  The protocols up until a few weeks ago were ridiculous and I'm sure RCL thought they could never comply by the summer. Now with the 180 degree turn around by the CDC it looks like sailing will be possible this summer (maybe even a short Alaska season). RCL has been burning cash and needed cash flow ... thus the Bermuda and Nassau sailing. So if there is blame for the confusion in the cruise industry put it on the CDC and their total incompetency when dealing with the cruising protocols and stringing the companies along month after month since March of 2020. 

[keyboardjunkie]

6 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

Hope not (unless we're moved to another ship)! We're booked on Vision for a B2B next April, 2022 from FLL for a total of 21 nights.

 

The first sailing showing for the Vision is currently Sept. 5, 2021.  What the Vision will do between July 1 and Sept. 5, 2021 is a guess.

[Sunshine3601]

58 minutes ago, jerseyjjs said:

 

 

Exactly.  If I were to spend $2000 to cruise OUT of Bermuda, then I'd rather just put that money on a hotel and STAY in Bermuda.

That is easier said than done.     Take a look at hotel prices for this summer and food on the island is very expensive.    a regular breakfast of eggs, toast, coffee and maybe a breakfast is something like $30 for 2 and that's at a little cafe, not anywhere expensive.    breakfast at some hotels costs $40 and up.   Dinner is an easy $100 per night.     So meals alone would cost a couple over $200/day plus a hotel.

 

AA is offering flight to Bermuda are currently $800 pp and A2S was only $99 or $149 pp

I think last time we stayed there (slightly off season - end of May or early June) we spent an easy $6000 to $8000 for the week for hotel, food, beverages and airfare. 

 

[SeaHunt]

 Ugh, I really hate it for all the Vision people who were ready to sail. I know it's so disappointing. 😪

 

1 hour ago, MarkBearSF said:

I'm on one of the Viking Ocean cruises around Bermuda this summer. 

 

It looks like you're still a go on Viking 🤞

 

"Viking lines’ cruise ship Orion will drop anchor tomorrow to complete quarantine before it homeports in Bermuda.

 

Lawrence Scott, the transport minister, said today the ship will remain in the Great Sound for six days so the 460 crew members can complete a 14-day quarantine."

 

https://www.royalgazette.com/tourism/news/article/20210519/viking-cruises-home-port-cruise-ship-to-arrive-on-friday/

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, Empehi said:

So if there is blame for the confusion in the cruise industry put it on the CDC and their total incompetency when dealing with the cruising protocols and stringing the companies along month after month since March of 2020. 

No. Just no.

 

There's plenty to blame on the CDC but RC made a bet on the timing of resumption to U.S. cruising and decided to the risk deploying Vision to an expensive, remote port with limited infrastructure and an unattractive itinerary rather than waiting for U.S. cruising to resume. 

 

They sold it like "welcome back to cruising, this ship is actually going to sail"! Then they lost their bet and out of selfish economic interest are screwing passengers who trusted them at their word.  

 

If I was on one of these sailings I would be livid, even moreso if I had bought nonrefundable air and hotel outside of RC.

[death_star]

5 hours ago, jerseyjjs said:

 

 

Exactly.  If I were to spend $2000 to cruise OUT of Bermuda, then I'd rather just put that money on a hotel and STAY in Bermuda.

Right? The poor souls that can't get out of their airfare or hotel reservations could have to bite the bullet and actually just stay in Bermuda.

[Sunshine3601]

If any of us learned anything with this pandemic, book refundable anything.  

[HUNKY]

Unfortunately, refundable air tickets are usually very expensive.  Hotels charge less for prepaid or non cancellable reservations.  It's a gamble you take.

[Casino Comp Chick]

18 hours ago, Heavenly Rain said:

They just told me June 18 is the projected refund date

 

They haven't refunded my port fees from a sailing cancelled on March 9th. It still shows in my cruise planner so don't count on it. I wonder if I could go over 28 days and counting without making final payment as they are doing........

You have 1 upcoming cruise and 1 canceled cruise

[mpdog42]

19 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

In other words, they were willing to do these sailings for business, but need to get back to Normal! ASAP.  I think it's looking even better with this news.  These ships are ready to sail now, get them back to US home ports and lets commence!

No,

They being RC should Honor their commitment