Cruise Ships and revised itinerary change news seems to be held back

[NorthWestPassage]

It appears that there are still a substantial number of cruise ships that have not been assigned cruise itineraries for this Autumn (and are not being sold off). Also, there are still a significant number of ships that are showing itineraries for this Autumn, that still show departures/arrivals/port-calls at countries that are not viable, due to the political pandemic situation in those locations. I am referring to countries like India, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. That means news about available ships and substantially revised sailing itineraries are being held back.

 

My specific cruising interest is in south pacific, Asia, Africa and the middle east cruises. I certainly would like to book the right trip soon.

 

I understand the principal of some initial “testing the waters” before full deployment of the fleet and the hope that the COVID situation might improve in the places that I mentioned over the next few months (for business & PR reasons) but there appears to be more going on than that. What do you think is really happening in that regard across the various cruise lines (especially higher rated lines)?

[Flatbush Flyer]

14 minutes ago, NorthWestPassage said:

 

It appears that there are still a substantial number of cruise ships that have not been assigned cruise itineraries for this Autumn (and are not being sold off). Also, there are still a significant number of ships that are showing itineraries for this Autumn, that still show departures/arrivals/port-calls at countries that are not viable, due to the political pandemic situation in those locations. I am referring to countries like India, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. That means news about available ships and substantially revised sailing itineraries are being held back.

 

My specific cruising interest is in south pacific, Asia, Africa and the middle east cruises. I certainly would like to book the right trip soon.

 

I understand the principal of some initial “testing the waters” before full deployment of the fleet and the hope that the COVID situation might improve in the places that I mentioned over the next few months (for business & PR reasons) but there appears to be more going on than that. What do you think is really happening in that regard across the various cruise lines (especially higher rated lines)?

What’s going on is “flexibility and common sense” which need no explanation.

Read the T&Cs of most (if not all) cruise line ticket contracts. They reserve the right to make any and all itinerary changes necessary for the safety of passengers and crew.

 

Given the moving target of Covid restrictions, current itineraries tend to remain intact as long as possible in order to avoid cancellation and the need to substitute a significantly different itinerary requiring both refund issuance and reselling an entire ship.

[NorthWestPassage]

I understand that line of thinking by the cruise lines and have unfortunately experienced that situation personally on several occasions. However, surprise altering of the point of embarkation or disembarkation to other countries is placing a major risk on the impacted passengers. It would seem more prudent for long term business relationships to start managing itinerary change expectations openly earlier (certainly within 90 days); especially if the lines have to remarket/resell those sailings. Also, that still begs the questions about the unassigned ("keeper") ships. If cruise bookings are so good (well beyond future cruise credit rebookings), why are their other ships being held back, out of service for this Autumn?  

Edited July 8, 2021 by NorthWestPassage

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, NorthWestPassage said:

I understand that line of thinking by the cruise lines and have unfortunately experienced that situation personally on several occasions. However, surprise altering of the point of embarkation or disembarkation to other countries is placing a major risk on the impacted passengers. It would seem more prudent for long term business relationships to start managing itinerary change expectations openly earlier (certainly within 90 days); especially if the lines have to remarket/resell those sailings. Also, that still begs the questions about the unassigned ("keeper") ships. If cruise bookings are so good (well beyond future cruise credit rebookings), why are their other ships being held back, out of service for this Autumn?  

Regardless of hot or cold layup, bringing a cruise ship back online is far more complicated, time consuming and expensive than you may realize. And the last thing any cruise line is going to do is an across-the-board restart which, depending on the pandemic’s next surprise and direction, could see the fleet back out-of-service.

 

As for your concern about potentially costly “risk” placed on passengers facing flight alterations due to port changes, note that most major airlines have done away with change fees and pre/post-Cruise accommodation reservations w/o cancel penalties are readily available.

 

And though you may not want to hear it, remember that you (and I) are far less than a rounding error in any cruise line’s daily bottom line. Further, you will find that the prevalence of a cruise line’s repeat cruise business is heavily slanted toward the premium/luxury industry segment where the clientele is very well traveled, knowledgeable about the ins/outs of the tourism industry and wouldn’t “bat an eye” about your perceived issues.

[Ashland]

Looking forward to hearing if/when we might get Ovation here on the west coast.

[LocoLoco1]

I agree with FlatbushFlyer; NOBODY knows what 2022 Post-Covid cruising will look like. A great many entities (Cruiselines, Ports, Health Agencies etc.) need to be on the same page and so far they are not. CUNARD, for example, flat out cancelled many far-flung 2022 itineraries. To be fair, certain cynical observers have a valid point when wondering if Cruiselines are merely ‘keeping customers close’ by getting deposits from potential guests without much certainty as to whether to cruise will actually happen. Patience is a Virtue

[cruisemom42]

On 7/8/2021 at 2:00 PM, NorthWestPassage said:

Also, that still begs the questions about the unassigned ("keeper") ships. If cruise bookings are so good (well beyond future cruise credit rebookings), why are their other ships being held back, out of service for this Autumn?

 

One factor you are discounting is that there are a number of countries (even continents) where cruise ships are currently not allowed to call. Australia is not open for cruising, and at the moment the situation in many South American countries is somewhat dire. In Europe they are still working out details of which and how many ships can call in most countries (Greece seems to be an exception). Alaska will have a very limited season. Even some Caribbean ports are iffy.

 

So perhaps at the moment there are simply more ships in inventory than places where they can be deployed.

[NorthWestPassage]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

So perhaps at the moment there are simply more ships in inventory than places where they can be deployed.

 

 

That seems "spot on" believable and the most likely scenario. However, I do come full circle back the existing sailings, departing from or debarking at ports in the next sixty to ninety days, that have been closed to cruise ships. Wishful thinking and good intentions will not circumvent the major itinerary changes that will be needed for those sailings. The honest thing (and best long term PR) would be to just revise those itineraries sooner (and certainly before final payment is due).

 

I suspect that I am not the only one who is reluctant to book some of the more exotic sailings, at this time, when I can't trust the stated itinerary. Revising those (unlikely) itineraries sooner could restore confidence, particularly for itinerary focused passengers.

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, NorthWestPassage said:

 

That seems "spot on" believable and the most likely scenario. However, I do come full circle back the existing sailings, departing from or debarking at ports in the next sixty to ninety days, that have been closed to cruise ships. Wishful thinking and good intentions will not circumvent the major itinerary changes that will be needed for those sailings. The honest thing (and best long term PR) would be to just revise those itineraries sooner (and certainly before final payment is due).

 

I suspect that I am not the only one who is reluctant to book some of the more exotic sailings, at this time, when I can't trust the stated itinerary. Revising those (unlikely) itineraries sooner could restore confidence, particularly for itinerary focused passengers.

As aforementioned, the passengers you’re concerned about amount to a “rounding error” and significantly changing itineraries is far more complicated than you may realize.
 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[zekekelso]

On 7/8/2021 at 12:32 PM, NorthWestPassage said:

What do you think is really happening in that regard across the various cruise lines (especially higher rated lines)

I believe an organization known as “The Stonecutters” is deliberately suppressing the truth. 

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, NorthWestPassage said:

 

That seems "spot on" believable and the most likely scenario. However, I do come full circle back the existing sailings, departing from or debarking at ports in the next sixty to ninety days, that have been closed to cruise ships. Wishful thinking and good intentions will not circumvent the major itinerary changes that will be needed for those sailings. The honest thing (and best long term PR) would be to just revise those itineraries sooner (and certainly before final payment is due).

 

I suspect that I am not the only one who is reluctant to book some of the more exotic sailings, at this time, when I can't trust the stated itinerary. Revising those (unlikely) itineraries sooner could restore confidence, particularly for itinerary focused passengers.

I happened to speak to our TA yesterday, and he said almost all of his present bookings are for 2022 and 2023. He too thought that potential cruise passengers are really doing a wait and see with present cruises until they see how things work out in the new reality.

[evandbob]

itineraries are dependent on international ports accepting cruise ships, and that is quite changeable due to the latest COVID cases and vax rates.

[easternLIers]

I am on the Enchantment Nov.13th out of Baltimore, but when I try to look for the cruise on this site in "Find a Cruise"  it doesn't come up. Baltimore port doesn't come up and only up to 9 day cruises come up?? I am hoping it goes #1 and #2 that the itinerary is not changed. Our roll call is still going, but am hoping they start putting the information out and opening things up soon.