Will NCL pull a "ROYAL" with the Gem and Joy??

[Seany527]

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Good luck....I moved my Sept 18 cruise over to Celebrity sailing out of Lauderdale.  2 aft cabins booked so far.  Transportation to Lauderdale from ATL is a breeze.  

Me too! I’m excited to try the Edge. The ship looks beautiful. Prices were pretty much on par with what I was paying for the Joy. 
 

I don’t have future cruise credits with Celebrity but I also don’t have to pay for expensive airfare or a $500 per night hotel in Jamaica. So I guess it’s a wash. I’m still disappointed about what happened, but I’ll move on. 

[Seany527]

I contacted NCL to express my disappointment. The response-

 

[SSFun]

Just now, Seany527 said:

I contacted NCL to express my disappointment. The response-

 

Ha! Exact same letter I got from them! Really shows how much they care for us doesn't it!

[Seany527]

3 minutes ago, SSFun said:

Ha! Exact same letter I got from them! Really shows how much they care for us doesn't it!

LOL. Someone is sorting the NCL mailbox by subject “Norwegian Joy” and copying and pasting that message over and over again. Sounds like a rewarding day of work. 

[SSFun]

5 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

LOL. Someone is sorting the NCL mailbox by subject “Norwegian Joy” and copying and pasting that message over and over again. Sounds like a rewarding day of work. 

I'm guessing they need more than one person sorting these! 🤪

[DanMartin8602]

It appears the Gem from Punta Cana is gone now.

Reserv is on hold and all cruises are showing SOLD OUT.

 

Our Oct on the Gem and Jan on Jewel both gone this week.

 

Pissed off!

 

dan

[TerryNJon]

Suspect there is something going on with Gem now.  All categories on my August 15 are showing sold out and get the “we’re sorry” message when I look at excursions.  

 

[kimandtim]

Per NCL rep, all Gem itineraries are frozen as of 4:50pm today

[mpdog42]

1 minute ago, kimandtim said:

Per NCL rep, all Gem itineraries are frozen as of 4:50pm today

any more info?

[BirdTravels]

I feel really sorry for those on the soon-to-be cancelled Gem cruises. We got our final cancellation notice on the Joy yesterday. We were all trying to help NCL with their restart efforts... and have got a form letter and an insulting offer of compensation. 

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, mpdog42 said:

any more info?

Other than a cancellation, is there any OTHER reason the Gem itineraries are showing SOLD OUT? 

[mpdog42]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

Other than a cancellation, is there any OTHER reason the Gem itineraries are showing SOLD OUT? 

No, Just was curious....

[DCGuy64]

Well I guess NCL doesn’t plan to have any Caribbean cruises at all this summer. Wow. Depressing but at least we’ll get our money back. What a bummer! Ironic since they LITERALLY said yesterday that the Gem was one of only 5 ships still to be sailing. Maybe we’ll check out one of the European itineraries instead. 
BTW I did a quick chat with an NCL rep 10 minutes ago and she said Gem was NOT suspended. 🤷‍♂️ 

[DanCait]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

BTW I did a quick chat with an NCL rep 10 minutes ago and she said Gem was NOT suspended. 🤷‍♂️ 

I tried to book the GEM just now, and was told by NCL on the phone they are cancelled.  

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, DanCait said:

I tried to book the GEM just now, and was told by NCL on the phone they are cancelled.  

Any reason given why? Lemme guess: more $ in Alaska? LOL 😂 

[JamieLogical]

Oh no! I am so so sorry. I had really hoped the cruisers who booked the Gem had escaped the chopping block. Guess I'll be seeing you all on Celebrity!

[BermudaBound2014]

16 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Other than a cancellation, is there any OTHER reason the Gem itineraries are showing SOLD OUT? 

I have noted  (several times) where a ship shows sold out for a very short period of time- perhaps itinerary change?

 

If ncl cancels gem after yesterday’s announcement it’s a sign of poor planning/management. Incompetence comes to mind. Not an image they need right now. 

[DCGuy64]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

I have noted  (several times) where a ship shows sold out for a very short period of time- perhaps itinerary change?

 

If ncl cancels gem after yesterday’s announcement it’s a sign of poor planning/management. Incompetence comes to mind. Not an image they need right now. 

Now I’m wondering about doing this: switching to the Jade in Europe and taking our FCC with MSC and doing a Caribbean itinerary with them instead. 

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Oh no! I am so so sorry. I had really hoped the cruisers who booked the Gem had escaped the chopping block. Guess I'll be seeing you all on Celebrity!

Celebrity is too $ for us. 😞 

[DanCait]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Any reason given why? Lemme guess: more $ in Alaska? LOL 😂 

Lol, i felt I was being kind by not saying that!  But I asked if it was Crew related, he said "thats why the joy, but they didn't say for this one.  Why don't you look at one of our great Alaska itineraries"  

 

lol, so yes, over $1,000 more for Alaska Itinerary (a sub-par itinerary at that in my opinion, because I think one ways are better), compared to a very good Caribbean Itinerary.  In their defense, once you take out the cost of airfare and apply their cruise first certificate savings, I only paid $1181 for 2 people for a Balcony, including the Drinks package and stuff, and getting $280 from the travel agent, so their commission had to be a good chunk of the $1181 for them to give me back $280.   After travel agent and port expenses, that leaves them $40 a day pp for food, alcohol, diesel, and everything else.  They can't be making a ton of money.  (I know on board Spending is a big money maker, but these shore excursions were cheap, and a $50 credit on top of that!).

[BermudaBound2014]

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Now I’m wondering about doing this: switching to the Jade in Europe and taking our FCC with MSC and doing a Caribbean itinerary with them instead. 

We spent 10 nights on the Jade - I think she is a nice sized ship for a heavy itinerary. Not the bells and whistles but lots of nice touches. I’m hesitant heading to Europe - especially since “seasonal mask wearing” was put one the table by Fouci. 

 

My advice would be to wait just a bit and see if celebrity and rcl get off the ground in the Caribbean. Neither ncl or msc have cdc approval yet. Soooooo much is unknown, but I feel like the next 4 weeks will provide lots of answers.

[DCGuy64]

Not interested in Alaska. My money, my time, I go where I want to go. And that’s not Alaska. 
Sorry. I don’t like the Celebrity Edge itinerary at all. It literally goes to the same ports we went to on our last cruise in December 2019. I’ll pass. This sucks. 1st world problems, but still it stinks. 

[BamaCruiser39]

Just got off the phone with a CAS rep who said my Gem sailing on the 15th was temporarily "frozen" for new bookings while they are exploring departing from other ports. Other people on the same cruise have been told it has been cancelled via website chat and others have been given different answers on the phone.

 

Who knows what NCL is doing at this point other than making fools out of themselves and irritating their most loyal customers by cancelling their first "RETURN TO CRUISING" sailing on the Joy and doing this to the Gem after announcing yesterday it was still going as scheduled.

Edited May 28, 2021 by BamaCruiser39

[timf2001]

Is anyone else still seeing banner ads promoting the Joy return to cruising all over this page and the NCL forums in general?  Talk about insulting.  I feel sorry for everyone who fell for this.

[Alegeeter]

18 minutes ago, BamaCruiser39 said:

Just got off the phone with a CAS rep who said my Gem sailing on the 15th was temporarily "frozen" for new bookings while they are exploring departing from other ports. Other people on the same cruise have been told it has been cancelled via website chat and others have been given different answers on the phone.

 

Who knows what NCL is doing at this point other than making fools out of themselves and irritating their most loyal customers by cancelling their first "RETURN TO CRUISING" sailing on the Joy and doing this to the Gem after announcing yesterday it was still going as scheduled.

I literally just booked Gem 8/15 a few hours ago and the CAS rep let me after my Joy cruise was cancelled. This is nonsense!