? Left in the dark.

[chromered7]

It’s hard to believe that Celebrity were so left in the dark about not being able to dock in Venice that it had to suddenly find alternative ports for their ships. The impact on passengers and their cruise’s has resulted in reduction in cruise days and in some cases significant changes to intinerary . It would be useful to know when Celebrity actually knew the situation in Venice , it has not been helped by the woeful telephone helpline that results in you waiting hour’s for any response.

 

[canderson]

Venice announced July 14th.

[cruisemom42]

I've posted in another thread on this same topic -- Venice (and Italy) have played this game for years -- promising a major change/announcement and then walking it back.

 

I'm not surprised that most cruise lines waited to find out if this year's announcement would "stick".  I had a feeling early on that it would, based on the fact that it was backed not just by one but by several key ministers in the country's government -- but Italian politics can always surprise one.

 

No time would be a good time to make this change, but perhaps the absence of ships during COVID fully brought home what a difference they make in the waterways and lagoon. And many of the cruise lines' schedules are in a shambles now anyway due to ships being in the wrong parts of the world and continued cancellations and re-jiggering of schedules. Might as well just add this to the mix.

 

The bottom line is that this is a needed change. There are no great "other options" at this point. Such is life.

[LGW59]

28 minutes ago, chromered7 said:

It’s hard to believe that Celebrity were so left in the dark about not being able to dock in Venice that it had to suddenly find alternative ports for their ships. The impact on passengers and their cruise’s has resulted in reduction in cruise days and in some cases significant changes to intinerary . It would be useful to know when Celebrity actually knew the situation in Venice , it has not been helped by the woeful telephone helpline that results in you waiting hour’s for any response.

 

Are you calling them because you want to know when they knew they'd be canceling Venice as a port? As previous posters have said, this has been in discussion for years by the Italian government, when Celebrity knew is IMO irrelevant as it will not change the fact that  ships can no longer port there.  Change happens, perhaps when your cruise ends at another Italian port, take the train and spend a few days in Venice, this is what we plan to do now that we won't be stopping there.  Good luck...

[canderson]

29 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I've posted in another thread on this same topic -- Venice (and Italy) have played this game for years -- promising a major change/announcement and then walking it back.

Had a feeling that it would stick this time once UNESCO got more involved.  Looks like that could have pushed it over the edge.

[chromered7]

31 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Are you calling them because you want to know when they knew they'd be canceling Venice as a port? As previous posters have said, this has been in discussion for years by the Italian government, when Celebrity knew is IMO irrelevant as it will not change the fact that  ships can no longer port there.  Change happens, perhaps when your cruise ends at another Italian port, take the train and spend a few days in Venice, this is what we plan to do now that we won't be stopping there.  Good luck...

That’s ok if you have the money and not everybody has.

not everybody has

[LGW59]

15 minutes ago, chromered7 said:

That’s ok if you have the money and not everybody has.

not everybody has

Very true but does not change the fact of not being in Venice port.

[cruisemom42]

47 minutes ago, chromered7 said:

That’s ok if you have the money and not everybody has.

not everybody has

 

Realistically, if you are spending the money to fly to Europe and take a cruise, would it be so hard to save enough in coming months to pay for a couple nights in a hotel in Venice? Your flights are same expense either way. Rooms can be had (not deluxe and not on the Grand Canal but well located) for around 200 euro. Most Italian hotels include breakfast. Venice is easy to self-tour with a guidebook. It doesn't have to break the bank. And from a cost perspective, you might as well get the most out of your expensive overseas flight by amortizing it with a few more days in Europe...

 

[Jeremiah1212]

What is gained from knowing the exact moment when Celebrity 'knew' of the changes regarding Venice? This is totally out of their control. They provided multiple options to impacted cruises in many cases a year or more in advance. This applies to all cruise lines and unfortunately you can't just snap your fingers and accommodate cruise ships in small European ports on a whim. While it may cause a snag in your plans, there was plenty of time to get refunded or find an alternate itinerary.  

[chromered7]

If Celebrity had know with enough certainty on July the 14th that they would have to find an alternative port why not inform the passengers of the possibility then ?

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, chromered7 said:

If Celebrity had know with enough certainty on July the 14th that they would have to find an alternative port why not inform the passengers of the possibility then ?

Because they obviously needed time to make other port arrangements.  It is what it is.

[Jeremiah1212]

23 minutes ago, chromered7 said:

If Celebrity had know with enough certainty on July the 14th that they would have to find an alternative port why not inform the passengers of the possibility then ?

 

In all my time dealing with any cruise line I have never seen a communication go out saying changes may happen. They making announcements when the new plan/ports/etc are confirmed and options are ready to go out. I would also keep in mind that on any of these cruises 9, 10, 14+ months away, there is absolutely no certainty any of the ports of port order will remain the same as it is today. At the current time I would not book a cruise anywhere in world with the mindset that any port scheduled is a must-have on the intinerary.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

In all my time dealing with any cruise line I have never seen a communication go out saying changes may happen. They making announcements when the new plan/ports/etc are confirmed and options are ready to go out. I would also keep in mind that on any of these cruises 9, 10, 14+ months away, there is absolutely no certainty any of the ports of port order will remain the same as it is today. At the current time I would not book a cruise anywhere in world with the mindset that any port scheduled is a must-have on the intinerary.

and they can and do change port stops mid-cruise.

 

 

[peanut head]

Do you think that all Celebrity ships will have to find a port other than Venice?  Will the smaller vessels, like Connie, be allowed to dock in Venice?

[mom says]

6 minutes ago, peanut head said:

Do you think that all Celebrity ships will have to find a port other than Venice?  Will the smaller vessels, like Connie, be allowed to dock in Venice?

Connie isn't small enough. Very, very few(if any) of the mass market ships will be able to dock there.

"The ban, which will go into effect on Aug. 1, includes any ship that weighs more than 25,000 tons or is longer than 530 feet"

And it's way past time for this, IMO.

Edited September 18, 2021 by mom says

[Guppy99]

On 9/18/2021 at 12:22 PM, chromered7 said:

If Celebrity had know with enough certainty on July the 14th that they would have to find an alternative port why not inform the passengers of the possibility then ?

Toward what end? You're expressing your disappointment (which is understandable, but your blaming the wrong party.

[Goldensea]

Hi. How far of a drive is the Port in Ravenna from Venice??

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, Goldensea said:

Hi. How far of a drive is the Port in Ravenna from Venice??

Google can tell you 

[kathynorth]

1 hour ago, Goldensea said:

Hi. How far of a drive is the Port in Ravenna from Venice??

About 2 hrs

[CHOPPERTESTER]

It's all about the benjamins... RCL Corp is investing in the port at Ravenna, making it a departure port. More dollars for excursions to Venice etc. Other cruise lines will still be sailing into Venice after 1 August. They've tried in the past to get rid of cruisers and are trying to add a tourist "tax" to enter Venice. It's not going to work.

 

 

[zitsky]

Viking has smaller ships.  Maybe they can still go in?

[Covepointcruiser]

What other cruise ships are docking in “Venice”?    This is not a money issue but a Venice government requirement.   I am no even sure that the Azamara and Silver Seas ships are small enough to actually dock in Venice