Rhapsody 01/09/04 Cayman Cancelled??

[RMILLER4292]

Has anybody heard about GC being cancelled for the month of Jan. for the Rhapsody?? RCCL website still says GC, but Caymanport.com website shows that the Rhapsody will not be back until Feb. Does anybody have any info about this?? Thanks

 

Ryan

[Blizzard54]

Last I heard GC was on for January.If not I can live with it. I am sailing the week after you.

[mrtravel123]

Ryan,

 

I noticed this same thing tonight and have no clue what's up. I e-mailed the Cayman Islands Port Authority about this (css@caymanport.com) and hope to hear back within a couple of days. I figured that I'd get an answer from them faster than from RC. I could be wrong.

 

Oh, by the way. A thread for the 1/9/05 Rhapsody sailing has been started. But, it's like a ghost town thus far. Surprising since this sailing is sold out. 8 people are signed up for mix and mingle to-date. Did you get registered?

 

- Patrick

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=88518

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do

 

.

[lvcruiser]

Don't know one way or the other, but FYI, I just talked to someone last night who recently got back from GC and they said it still looks devastated. Not a pretty sight at all. They suggested that if it could be skipped, it should, at least for a while longer until they can rebuild a bit more.

[laginog]

I'm curious about this too. We're on the 1/29 Splendour sailing. The Caymanport site still shows us as coming so far. My Mom has been scheduled to sail to see GC 3 times but has never been able to get in due to swells. We were hoping this would be the "magical" trip!! But...if the hurricane damage is still that bad, maybe it's not a good time for her to see it anyway.

[TexasTwoSteps]

We are on the Rhapsody 1/9/05 sailing too, but having just been to Cayman last July, we wouldn't be upset to miss the port. Having seen the damage in some pictures, the beach is likely all we would do anyway. Tendering at any port makes it a little of a hassle anyway, so I would prefer a stop where you simply can walk off the ship at your own discretion and return the same way.

 

We signed up for the M&M, but were suprised how long it has taken for any others out there to surface on this sold out sailing. I hope we don't have a large number of groups who think us odd few left out are party crashers.

[mrtravel123]

I just called Royal Caribbean (twice) this morning to inquire. Both reps were unaware of any changes to the Rhapsody January itineraries and neither rep knew why the Port Authority's website shows otherwise. One of the reps mentioned that occassionally RC has abandoned Grand Cayman and has gone to Costa Maya instead. I asked when we'd hear about this change & she said we could check the RC website occassonally... but that we many not find out until we're actually on this ship.

 

According to the Port Authority's website other RC ships are stopping in GC in January (and beyond). However, Rhapsody doesn't appear at all in January... but it does show in February and beyond. I'm unaway of any cancellations in December to Grand Cayman. Anyone know differently?

 

Personally, I hope that the stop in GC isn't cancelled. I've already done my planning for Grand Cayman and am looking forward to the visit. It'll be disappointing if Royal Caribbean knows about this change already and they're not telling anyone until they sail. If they have other ships scheduled for GC then I'm not sure what explanation there could be.

 

Again, hopefully I'll hear from the Cayman Islands Port Authority about my e-mail inquiry I sent yesterday. Maybe they'll say that their website is in error? :)

[Aprille]

I'm unaway of any cancellations in December to Grand Cayman. Anyone know differently?

We were on the 12/5 sailing of Rhapsody and we went to Costa Maya instead of Grand Cayman. The RCCL website showed our change of itinerary (on the excursion booking page) about 10 or 12 days out. We also had a notice waiting in our cabin telling us of the itinerary change.

 

As far as I know (from reading these boards regularly) Rhapsody has not returned to Grand Cayman at all since Hurricane Ivan devastated the island.

[TexasTwoSteps]

Hey MrTravel....Its strange that RCCL is still letting you book shore excursions to Grand Cayman if they plan to no go there. I know that they still could change, but why create the red tape. I would guess that they will head back there now and since its only 13 days to our cruise, they shoudl have decided upon the change by now. I will cross my fingers for you that we make it Cayman.

[Aprille]

Hey MrTravel....Its strange that RCCL is still letting you book shore excursions to Grand Cayman if they plan to no go there.

I booked a shore excursion in Grand Cayman for our cruise. Granted I did it a couple of months out but would have still been able to do so up until they showed the itinerary change at 10 or 12 days out. At that point it showed Costa Maya but couldn't book an excursion there. Got a message saying something about updating the excursion list. Had to wait until we were on board to book an excursion in Costa Maya. The credit for the Grand Cayman excursion showed up on our Sea Pass account during the cruise.

 

Check for itinerary changes by going to the excursion booking section on RCCL's website. Check it daily. Once you're inside 10 days and it's still showing Grand Cayman then chances are you're going there. It's still no guarantee though.

[KaC-Cruiser]

We were hoping this would be the "magical" trip!! But...if the hurricane damage is still that bad, maybe it's not a good time for her to see it anyway.

Just visited Grand Cayman in November (on the Grand Princess) and although the hurricane damage is devastating to see in areas, I would still recommend going ..... the downtown area suffered only minor damage and the shopping is great, 7 mile beach actually gained sand, the water is still absolutely gorgous .... and the people are doing all they can to bring the island back to it's former glory. Cruisers help with the influx of tourist dollars, and they use limited island resources as they're only on island for a short time. We're on the 2/13 Rhapsody, and I really hope we're still going to Cayman ..... would like to get some wall diving in this time!!

[mrtravel123]

I'm actually handling my excursions on my own at this point (per the recommendation of many cruise critic fans). Since I've never been to Grand Cayman I wasn't too sure what to do at first. However, just yesterday I decided to book a snorkeling tour through Captain Marvin. GC seemed like a good choice for snorkeling.

 

According to the Cayman Islands Port Authority Website other Royal Caribbean ships are scheduled for Grand Cayman. Why not the Rhapsody? Strange.

[Aprille]

According to the Cayman Islands Port Authority Website other Royal Caribbean ships are scheduled for Grand Cayman. Why not the Rhapsody? Strange.

If you look at the Cayman port schedule there are never more than 5 ships in port at a time. Rhapsody would make 6 ships on the day of the week she is scheduled to be there. It appears that until they feel they can handle more than 5 ships at one time Rhapsody won't be returning.

 

I think it's amazing they're able to handle as many ships as they are this soon after Ivan. Plus they had an earthquake a couple of weeks ago. That may also have something to do with them holding back on more ships at this time.

 

Hey, I hope you get to go (I wanted to go too!) but I don't think it's a good sign that the Cayman port schedule showed Rhapsody going back in January and has now taken her off the schedule until February.

[mrtravel123]

If you look at the Cayman port schedule there are never more than 5 ships in port at a time. Rhapsody would make 6 ships on the day of the week she is scheduled to be there. It appears that until they feel they can handle more than 5 ships at one time Rhapsody won't be returning.

But, the December schedule shows a handful of days with 6 ships scheduled in on the same day. So, I'm not sure GC has a 5 ship limit right now unless I'm missing something.

[starq1]

I went to the cayman port website about a month ago and it showed the Rhapsody in port for that day????? Maybe they have decided to change. Maybe too many other cruisers on past sailings have complained and that is why they do not have us listed?????

[Aprille]

But, the December schedule shows a handful of days with 6 ships scheduled in on the same day. So, I'm not sure GC has a 5 ship limit right now unless I'm missing something.

Okay. I went back and looked at December. The 3 days that show 6 ships in port are Thursdays which is the day Rhapsody would be scheduled to be there. That would make 7 ships.

 

I have no idea how they decide which ships get to make the cut but it seems obvious Rhapsody is at the bottom of the list. And only 3 days out of 31 in December did they take in 6 ships (if the Cayman port schedule is accurate).

 

As I stated in a previous post to this thread I'm pretty sure Rhapsody has not been back to Grand Cayman since Ivan.

[m00k3y]

recently was on Rhapsody and for us, the stop in Costa Maya was our favorite of all the ports. We went to Mahahual and absolutely loved it. I wrote a review on the port board there. If you want a nice relaxing day by the beach, then this is paradise!

[MomtoCCC]

I would like to know what is up also. We are scheduled for Feb 13 cruise. I have my own excursion planned for GC with Nativeways. We planned on doing snorkeling in GC and relaxing at beach in Cozumel. If we are going to Costa Maya instead then I want to reverse and do snorkeling in Cozumel and do beach day in Costa Maya. I guess I will have to keep checking GC Port site to see what is up with Rhapsody. Too bad we are at the bottom of the list! :(

 

Kellye

[Chrissie]

I just checked and it lists the Rhapsody for the cruise that I am taking the week of February 20th. I hope we do get to Grand Cayman as we just took a cruise at the end of October with Princess and we missed Grand Cayman due to the hurricane. We were really looking forward to SCUBA diving with the stingrays. This trip we are bringing our kids so we won't be SCUBA diving but are planning on snorkeling with them.

 

Chrissie

[mtchg]

..Folks emailing, calling.....don't waste your time. Because of a devastating

hurricane, Cayman is day to day. And any "answer" you get either way is subject to change. You will not know definatively until you board the ship. Cayman (pre-storm) is wonderful, but Costa Maya is an exciting new port with an incredible day resort built just for cruisers, and some pretty good

"get-away- from the crowd" excursions as well. Either way and either port, you'll have a great time. Don't worry, be happy.

 

Mitch

[sbpdkp]

sailing. It was our FAVORITE stop by far. We booked the Captain Bryan catarmaran and there were ONLY 9 people on the boat total (including 4 of us) which took us to Stingray City (fantastic) and snorkeling (where we actually saw a very large moray eel!) Between doing shopping and this excursion we weren't able to see 7 mile beach, turtle farm and the stop at Hell - however, the shopping areas and boat trips were fine. Yes, there are still many downed trees and roofs tore off - but the attitude of the islanders and the ease and safe feeling one has at this stop - I really hope everyone gets to have their stop at the Caymans!

And it's not that I am not sensitive to the damage caused by hurricanes as we live in Tampa - driving through Punta Gorda - one still sees a lot of damage but the general consensus is that people want the tourists to return!

[mrtravel123]

..Folks emailing, calling.....don't waste your time. Because of a devastating hurricane, Cayman is day to day....Costa Maya is an exciting new port... Mitch

Well, there isn't anything wrong with calling or e-mailing. If it's a glitch with a web page or if there is confirmation that Grand Cayman is cancelled then people can plan accordingly. I originally booked this cruise in anticipation of visiting Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman offers opportunities that Costa Maya does not offer, regardless of Costa Maya being a favorite stop of some cruisers. I'll definitely make the necessary changes (either now or later) if we end up going to Costa Maya. Again, it DOES come across as odd that RC advertises that we're going to Grand Cayman and yet the Cayman Islands Port Authority isn't showing the Rhapsody coming until February. That's why this thread was started.

 

If we end up going to Costa Maya I think I'll likely do some shuffling of plans for Cozumel. My Key West plans will likely stay the same. I guess the uncertaintly of GC is convincing me to always have a definite "Plan B."

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

Grandeur's Dec. 4 trip skipped Grand Cayman (substitued Key West) ... for December, at least, Grandeur was alternating weeks in Grand Cayman (so the final November sailing as well as the Dec. 11 trip stopped at Grand Cayman, but our did not and presumably the Dec. 18th did not, either).

 

My wife and I first learned of the change through cruisecritic boards ... RCI never officially notified us until we were on board. Several people we spoke with onboard were complaining that they only learned of the change when they boarded in New Orleans ... while some other folks said they'd gotten e-mails from RCI in the week or two before the cruise.

As best we could tell from the Grand Cayman port Web site, there were only 5 major cruise ships in port at one time in December. On a few days, a sixth was listed -- but it was always a smaller ship from an off-brand line.

 

January might be a different story -- perhaps RCI is waiting to decide on Grand Cayman in hopes that the five-ship limit will be lifted by then.

 

In either event, I absolutely don't blame RCI for not making the advertised Grand Cayman stops. As with everything on a cruise, that kind of change is something you need to take in stride (assuming you genuinely want an enjoyable vacation.)

However, RCI should do a better job of providing notice & shouldn't knowingly advertise inaccurate itineraries.

[rebecca1]

We were in Grand Cayman on the Mariner of the Seas on Dec. 9, the Thursday with six ships in port. All I can say was the tender situation was mass chaos and I don't know how they could then handle another ship. Maybe that is why they aren't allowing 7 at this time. The tender ride took approximately 45 min. because there was no dock space open. While just idling and waiting for all the tenders to unload another tender from another ship actually hit us trying to get in front of us. The workers on the dock flagged him away so we were then finally able to unload. We had a tour booked with Nativeway and even though we left the ship on I believe the first or second tender we almost missed it. They were already signing up another family when we got there but when he saw us he said the other family would have to wait until the next tour. Overall I think the island could handle another ship but I think there isn't enough dock space to handle all the tenders. When we finally got off there were around 5 others waiting to get in and I said it is a good thing we got off when we did. The delays looked even longer.

 

Rebecca

[mrtravel123]

I was shopping at the mall tonight and decided to step into the travel agency located there. I asked about the Grand Cayman stop for Rhapsody in January. The TA made a couple of phonecalls to RC. She was told that this port is currently only handling so many ships right now and that they're rotating a "pecking order." She then said that January must by Rhapsody's turn to be at the bottom of the list. She also said that some captains don't even know if they're going to GC until they're actually sailing.