Aloha Lahaina

[bobroo]

We lost one my all time favorite port stops today due to the devastating fire on Maui.

The pictures and videos are difficult to look at. The entire harbor, The Lahaina Pizza Company, the many shave ice vendors, Fleetwoods, and the remarkable 150 year old banyan tree……..tragically erased.

[F1guynz]

This news is so sad to hear. We have been to Lahaina a few times and it is one of our favourite places to visit when we are in Hawaii.

It will take a long time to overcome the tragic loss of life and begin the rebuild process.

 

[Kate 923]

We have a cruise booked to Maui in October....so very sad this has happened.   

[MarvinS]

We'll be on Ovation in October (6th-15th - trans-pacific Vancouver, BC to Hawaii) and were supposed to have an overnight port stop in Lahaina.  Can't imagine that now, given the complete destruction and devastation of the town. 

I now wonder what Royal Caribbean will do now for a replacement port stop.  Kona or Hilo on the big island, possibly?  Government officials in Hawaii are recommending tourists to cancel any plans to visit Maui for a while...

https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1689384898958917633?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/photos-raging-wildfires-fueled-by-dora-wreak-havoc-maui/

[tonykit]

hi all 

so sad to see, we are planned to go there on billiance in sept -oct sailing. like many i wonder what rci will do and will they help the island in any way....a wonderful place just gone

[rjweber3]

Lahaina was a nice little town with lots of local color. We will miss it. 

[Kate 923]

12 hours ago, MarvinS said:

We'll be on Ovation in October (6th-15th - trans-pacific Vancouver, BC to Hawaii) and were supposed to have an overnight port stop in Lahaina.  Can't imagine that now, given the complete destruction and devastation of the town. 

I now wonder what Royal Caribbean will do now for a replacement port stop.  Kona or Hilo on the big island, possibly?  Government officials in Hawaii are recommending tourists to cancel any plans to visit Maui for a while...

https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1689384898958917633?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/09/photos-raging-wildfires-fueled-by-dora-wreak-havoc-maui/

We are on same cruise!  So devastating for the people who live there.  I hope our cruise isn't canceled and we are able to port somewhere else. 

[MarvinS]

3 hours ago, Kate 923 said:

We are on same cruise!  So devastating for the people who live there.  I hope our cruise isn't canceled and we are able to port somewhere else. 

I highly doubt they would cancel the cruise, as RC needs to reposition the ship for the Australian cruise season, and Hawaii is just a stop on the way there.  Worst case, they skip the Lahaina port stop completely (two MORE sea days) and end in Hololulu.  Best case, they replace Lahaina with something else such as Kona and/or Hilo.  I imagine RC is looking over the options now, and trying to figure out what to do for a replacement port stop.

[Marie paige]

So sad to hear of fires in Maui,we are on ovation of the seas on a repositioning cruise in October from Vancouver to Lahaina than to honolulu wondering what will happen to our booking will it be canceled or will we be going to a different island.

[jaygee2729]

The likely scenario will be that Royal will change the port we visit. Could be Kona or Hilo on the big island or Kuai. 

[FloatyBoaty]

I have heard a little whisper that Quantum will go to Honolulu instead of Lahaina, then on to Kailua-Kona as currently scheduled, and then back to Honolulu for the start of the October 10 transpacific. Ovation comes in after her and of course would not necessarily do the same thing., but just as a point of interest.... People way more experienced than me would know more about port availability etc....

[MarvinS]

Just got an email from RC on the updated itinerary for Ovation.  We will be leaving Vancouver, BC AND THEN visiting Victoria, BC for a day, followed by Seattle, WA for a day, and THEN onto Hawaii completely skipping Maui and the big island...

[born-to-cruise]

Our family is also booked to cruise on Ovation in October.  I did feel a bit of disappointment over the revised itinerary and contacted RC about cancelling.  The agent was very courteous, but told me that we would lose 75% of our cruise payment if we cancelled.  The agent spoke to the resolution team before giving me this answer.  I guess we'll see you on the Ovation of the Seas in October!

 

[JessieL]

What happened in Maui is very sad...my heart goes out to them.

My family and I are very disappointed with this new itinerary...it's skipping Hawaiian ports completely! When we booked this trip back in May, we did not want to pay tens of thousands of dollars to see Victoria and Seattle which we've been to many times. We wouldn't have booked this cruise if it's the case.

I think RC should at least give us the option for a full refund or cruise credits to be used another time, if they really care about their customers. 

[smokeybandit]

If you've invested the time and money into a repositioning cruise, I would hope swapping out a port stop due to local disaster wouldn't make you want to cancel.

[jaygee2729]

I received this email today regarding the change in itinerary due to the devastating fires in Maui.

Dear Guest, Due to the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, we’ll now visit Victoria, British Columbia instead. Additionally, we’ve added a visit to Seattle, Washington on Day 3. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused by this, nonetheless, the safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our highest priorities. Below, please find our revised Ovation of the Seas October 6th, 2023 itinerary. Date Day Port of Call Arrive Depart 10/6/23 Fri Vancouver, British Columbia   8:00 PM 10/7/23 Sat Victoria, British Columbia 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 10/8/23 Sun Seattle, Washington 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 10/9/23 Mon Cruising     10/10/23 Tue Cruising     10/11/23 Wed Cruising     10/12/23 Thu Cruising     10/13/23 Fri Cruising     10/14/23 Sat Napali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 10/15/23 Sun Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii 7:00 AM   In Victoria, enjoy a delightful blend of Victorian architecture and beautiful outdoor spaces. Stroll along the Inner Harbour and admire views of the Parliament Buildings and ornate totem poles at Thunderbird Park. Explore the colorful and aromatic Butchart Gardens and be sure to try a ride on the hand-carved Rose Carousel. In Seattle, experience new heights at the Space Needle with a 360º view of the city from a vantage point unlike any other. Check out the Museum of Pop Culture for a throwback to some of the most memorable pop culture moments throughout the decades. Whatever you decide to do, we know you’ll have a memorable time! Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Lahaina will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. In the meantime, feel free to browse all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in Cruise Planner to level up your vacation. Thanks for your understanding. We can’t wait to welcome you onboard Ovation of the Seas! Sincerely, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez AVP | Guest Experience Royal Caribbean International

[Iccup7]

41 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

If you've invested the time and money into a repositioning cruise, I would hope swapping out a port stop due to local disaster wouldn't make you want to cancel.

Royal Caribbean advertised this cruise as a "Cruise to Hawaii". Changing port from Maui to Victoria and Seattle has turned it into a "Pacific Coast & Hawaii" cruise. It has now become a totally different cruise. So it is true that Royal Caribbean did spend time and money into repositioning, but they picked the cheapest and easiest option while NOT delivering the equivalent experience (October in Victoria vs October in Hawaii). 

[Iccup7]

11 hours ago, born-to-cruise said:

Our family is also booked to cruise on Ovation in October.  I did feel a bit of disappointment over the revised itinerary and contacted RC about cancelling.  The agent was very courteous, but told me that we would lose 75% of our cruise payment if we cancelled.  The agent spoke to the resolution team before giving me this answer.  I guess we'll see you on the Ovation of the Seas in October!

 

Cancellation is probably out of the question, but in my opinion Royal Caribbean handled this poorly. Instead of finding an equivalent port in Hawaii, they took the easiest and 100% the cheapest option of Victoria and Seattle. October in Hawaii and October in Victoria and Seattle are totally different things. 

[SpeedNoodles]

Playing devil's advocate, could it be that the days they would have had to visit a Hawaiin port in order to arrive in Vancouver on time had no berthing spots?  It's not like a big ship can just decide to go to a different port and that port has room or has to accept them.

I certainly recognize that it's very disappointing, and not at all the cruise you intended to take, though.

[smokeybandit]

43 minutes ago, Iccup7 said:

Royal Caribbean advertised this cruise as a "Cruise to Hawaii". Changing port from Maui to Victoria and Seattle has turned it into a "Pacific Coast & Hawaii" cruise. It has now become a totally different cruise. So it is true that Royal Caribbean did spend time and money into repositioning, but they picked the cheapest and easiest option while NOT delivering the equivalent experience (October in Victoria vs October in Hawaii). 

You're still going to Hawaii right?

[Iccup7]

1 hour ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Playing devil's advocate, could it be that the days they would have had to visit a Hawaiin port in order to arrive in Vancouver on time had no berthing spots?  It's not like a big ship can just decide to go to a different port and that port has room or has to accept them.

I certainly recognize that it's very disappointing, and not at all the cruise you intended to take, though.

It is possible, but then that would be very poorly communicated. The email we received from RC made no mention of any unsuccessful effort to reschedule to another Hawaiian port, only that it is going to Victoria and Seattle for 1 day each instead of 2 days in Maui. It makes a huge difference when originally it is 4 days of a 9 day cruise in Hawaii, now it is only 2 of 9 days in Hawaii. And that is if you count the last day in Oahu. Very disappointing indeed. 

[Iccup7]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

You're still going to Hawaii right?

Sure still going to Hawaii. Imagine you booked a cruise to the western Caribbean's with stops 4 stops in the actual Caribbean (Mexico, Haiti, wherever), now they are telling you the cruise is changed to Orlando -> Miami -> Tampa -> 1 stop somewhere in Caribbean's. 

[SpeedNoodles]

1 hour ago, Iccup7 said:

It is possible, but then that would be very poorly communicated. 

I would never argue that they aren't great about communicating things properly!

[Iccup7]

After doing some searches, it turns out other cruise companies affected by the Maui fire have elected to change their port of call from Maui to Big Island. Royal Caribbean is the only one (as far as I know) who is downgrading. Now I know which other company to book the next time I am looking for a cruise. 

Norwegian Cruise Line Adjusts Itineraries Due to Lahaina Devastation (cruisehive.com)

[born-to-cruise]

2 hours ago, Iccup7 said:

It is possible, but then that would be very poorly communicated. The email we received from RC made no mention of any unsuccessful effort to reschedule to another Hawaiian port, only that it is going to Victoria and Seattle for 1 day each instead of 2 days in Maui. It makes a huge difference when originally it is 4 days of a 9 day cruise in Hawaii, now it is only 2 of 9 days in Hawaii. And that is if you count the last day in Oahu. Very disappointing indeed. 

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I believe that the only Hawaiian stop for the Ovation is when we disembark in Honolulu.  We are only sightseeing along the coastline of Kauai and not stopping.

[Iccup7]

Hi,

My friend, I am in the same boat (see what I did there). Unfortunately it seems Royal Caribbean doesn't really care that much about their customers. While other cruise companies change the port to another island in Hawaii, Royal Caribbean decides that Victoria and Seattle are suitable substitutes! I lived in Vancouver most of my life and I don't know anyone who prefers the pacific coast to Hawaii in October! 

Norwegian has changed to Hilo, and Princess has changed to Kona. We get Victoria and Seattle! This shows you which company makes an effort and which one doesn't. 

I strongly recommend you call Royal Caribbean customer service and if enough of us calls, maybe it will help them change their mind... low chance, but I can't take this on the chin and just lay down... Once a while we have to advocate for our own rights. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-cruise-line-adjusts-itineraries-due-to-lahaina-devastation/108486

[Terrence]

i too am on the "Hawaiian cruise", and very upset about Royal's response.  I'm sure their plans are now in concrete, but do believe we should relay our displeasure.

 

Terrence 

[Enid Aaron]

I agree that the change in itinerary for the Oct 6th sailing is unacceptable. My travel companion and I certainly understand and empathize with the situation on Maui but a different island port should have been offered. Surely tourist dollars could help with the current situation. This cruise is about Hawaii so offering Seattle and Victoria doesn't make any sense. These are starting points, not destinations. 

[Matt]

I'm not making excuses for Royal because I would be disappointed if I booked a Hawaii cruise that didn't go to Hawaii and you're now past final payment date.  There's no sugar coating that.

I do think you have to be a little understanding given that this wild fire is an act of God (unless it was arson? I havent tracked the story), and it is the very definition of extenuating circumstances.

Moreover, cruise ship stops are not a simple task to coordinate. There are limited slots for ships in a given port, and this is the time of year when a lot of cruise ships are transitioning between Alaska and Australia.

[OCSC Mike]

10 minutes ago, Matt said:

I do think you have to be a little understanding

 

Disgruntled cruisers who post on forums being a little understanding?

[Terrence]

Matt and Mike,

Yes, we need to be understanding that we won't, maybe forever be able to visit Lahaina. However, Royal has a responsibility to provide an equivalent experience.  It seems the other large cruise companies understand this, and so Princess and Norwegian have found alternate Hawaiian ports. Exchanging LAHAINA for Seattle is NOT an equivalent experience.  The result will be a totally upset passenger base, with corresponding evaluations post cruise.  The ships ranking will slide vis-a-vie comparable ships with management staff that understands their responsibilities. 

[steverk]

4 hours ago, Iccup7 said:

After doing some searches, it turns out other cruise companies affected by the Maui fire have elected to change their port of call from Maui to Big Island. Royal Caribbean is the only one (as far as I know) who is downgrading. Now I know which other company to book the next time I am looking for a cruise. 

Norwegian Cruise Line Adjusts Itineraries Due to Lahaina Devastation (cruisehive.com)

Keep in mind that Pride of America is about 1/2 the size of Ovation. That gives it much greater flexibility in ports.

Also, NCL has a much bigger commitment to Hawaii. The local authorities are probably more likely to go the extra mile for them.

[CheriK]

Ovation of Seas 

I first want to extend  my deepest sympathy to the families and businesses of Lahaina. It is a terrible loss for both their community and culture. It can be rebuilt but there's so much that can't be replaced. This was going to be my first trip there. I'm saddened that I will never experienced it. 

On another note I'm extremely disappointed in the efforts RC made to provide the equivalent experience. Other cruise lines have been able to make arrangements for an equivalent port in Hawaii. Why can't RC. I know the logistics of repositioning the many cruise ships is extremely complex. 

This has become a Pacific Coastal cruise that happens to end in Hawaii, which I also consider a downgrade. Why would they think people that booked a Hawaiian cruise from Vancouver would be ok with Victoria and Seattle ports. I feel cheated that RC seemed to chose the easiest and cheapest option. Is any of that going to be compensated back to the passengers in any way. We shouldn't have to fight for what we paid for or compensation, it's called, Customer Service. We'll never know the truth behind their decision for their choice. However, it is what it is. Ce la vie, we'll all just make the best of it cause we have no other choice and what we do. 

[Darius14]

The itinerary change that happened on the Ovation of the Seas for October departing from Vancouver to Hawaii is done in a dishonest way. 

Seattle and Victoria ports will definitely be cloudy and very likely it will be raining. I am from the area myself, so I know that for sure. It's 6 month gloom in Seattle and the area from October to April. So, people who paid for a Hawaii vacation instead of spending 2 days on Lahaina in Hawaii are now forced to spend those 2 days under gloom and rain in the Victoria and Seattle. 

Whoever decided to change this way should be fired from their job in Royal Caribbean corp. This will be a ship full of angry and wet people who will know they are sailing on a glorified flight to Honolulu that takes 9 days to arrive there. That's not going to be a vacation on Hawaii.

Norwegian cruise has re-routed their itineraries to another island in Hawaii. These guys have rerouted to cheap and rainy locations. They did not reroute to other island in Hawaii. and not even to sunny California (Catalina island or Los Angeles). They also refuse to refund the booking and refuse to put me on another date or another ship even for an extra cost. No honest accommodations at all. 

So, I intend to still come on the ship to not loose 75% of the booking cost that runs into multiple thousands of $ for booking penalty. This is the only thing they are happy to do - charge a penalty for their poor job and steal my money. And I also intend to recuperate this dishonesty by behaving in a similar way while on the ship. Like paying 0 tips, not paying for any services that they will upsell. And I will never sail with this company again.

[Matt]

36 minutes ago, Darius14 said:

Like paying 0 tips

You're punishing the wrong people. Not paying gratuities punishes the people that take of you and service you. They aren't the ones that made any decision impacting your cruise. I implore you to reconsider this.

[teddy]

There are times when it’s difficult to be good.   This is one of those times. 

[Matt]

3 hours ago, Terrence said:

Royal has a responsibility to provide an equivalent experience

Actually, they don't.

I mean, they should, but they don't have a responsibility to bring you to any port you book. If you read the cruise contract you agree to when you book a cruise, they can skip any port for any reason and replace it with any other port.

"Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. "

Being a human being, I get that is not what you want. It's not what I would want, and I completely understand why you're upset with the situation. It's a bad trade, but it's only because of an incredible and completely unforeseen situation. 

I dont think there's anything I, or anyone, can really tell you to make you feel like it's not disappointing, but when you say they have a responsibility, that's not accurate.

3 hours ago, Terrence said:

Princess and Norwegian have found alternate Hawaiian ports

That's a fair point, and I'm sure makes it feel even worse. We will never know why or how this occurred. It's quite likely those ships are smaller than Ovation, or those lines acted quicker and got the slot.

Again, I'd be just as annoyed as you to have booked a Hawaii cruise and not actually stop in Hawaii. But I really don't believe Royal couldn't be bothered to send you somewhere else if there was an option. I think there were just crappy options left.

[Darius14]

31 minutes ago, Matt said:

You're punishing the wrong people. Not paying gratuities punishes the people that take of you and service you. They aren't the ones that made any decision impacting your cruise. I implore you to reconsider this.

I have thought about that. I also was asking Royal Caribbean to reconsider their refusal to issue a refund or future cruise credit. Service personnel is indeed not at fault, but that's what I can control. If I could fire the decision makers in the RC line, I would certainly choose that instead. These are employees of the Royal Caribbean which as a company has already made a bad service. So, if not my tips - RC should offset these tips themselves to their employees and be nice with them if they don't want to be nice with me as their customer.

  

[JessieL]

I called RC Customer Service and got transferred to their resolution team. They keep saying the change of port is for security reasons which I completely understand but we are not asking to go to Maui, we are simply asking to go to somewhere equivalent (ex. Hilo or Kona). In my opinion, RC did not make the effort to find another port on another Hawaiian island. Victoria and Seattle is the cheaper and easier option for them. I don't want to pay tens of thousands of dollars to see Victoria and Seattle which I've been to many times. This is nothing compared to visit a Hawaiian port in October. If Norwegian can make arrangement to stop at Big Island, why not RC? Very disappointed...

When I asked about compensation, the person from resolution team said there's absolutely nothing they can do to compensate us in this case--no refund, no discounts, not even onboard credits....unbelievable. RC truly "cares" about their customers! 

He also suggested sending a complaint email to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com. I don't know if anyone will respond but I think we should all call them and email them so that they hear our feedback. 

[Iccup7]

25 minutes ago, Matt said:

Actually, they don't.

I mean, they should, but they don't have a responsibility to bring you to any port you book. If you read the cruise contract you agree to when you book a cruise, they can skip any port for any reason and replace it with any other port.

"Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. "

Being a human being, I get that is not what you want. It's not what I would want, and I completely understand why you're upset with the situation. It's a bad trade, but it's only because of an incredible and completely unforeseen situation. 

I dont think there's anything I, or anyone, can really tell you to make you feel like it's not disappointing, but when you say they have a responsibility, that's not accurate.

That's a fair point, and I'm sure makes it feel even worse. We will never know why or how this occurred. It's quite likely those ships are smaller than Ovation, or those lines acted quicker and got the slot.

Again, I'd be just as annoyed as you to have booked a Hawaii cruise and not actually stop in Hawaii. But I really don't believe Royal couldn't be bothered to send you somewhere else if there was an option. I think there were just crappy options left.

Hi Matt,

Yes you have valid points. If I may, I think I can summarize why we are all angry at RC as briefly as I can. There are multiple layers of our anger:

Ports. Yes this point has been beaten to death, many of us are all looking forward to spending 2 days at Maui, 1 day cruising the Napali coast, then land at Oahu. Now it is a glorified water taxi. My party consist of my parents and in-laws at 70+ years old and not the most robust health. This is their last chance to visit Hawaii before their health prevents from doing so ever again. I am sure there are others in similar situation sadly. 

Communication. Royal Caribbean's communication has been very poor. Their email can be summarized to "for your safety, we are changing ports to Victoria and Seattle, have a nice day". If you call their customer service, their agents all read the exact same statement: "safety safety safety". We all know "not going to Maui" is about safety, but going to Victoria and Seattle has absolutely nothing to do with safety. This is an insult to our intelligence. If they tried all they can and just couldn't find anymore berth for a ship this size, then no one has ever communicated it, so we can only assume it is about cutting cost. In fact, I am willing to bet a health sum that docking at Victoria and Seattle is cheaper than any Hawaiian Island. 

Refund/Reschedule/Compensation. In an ideal world we would all be able to refund and reschedule to our heart's content, but we are not unreasonable people. Refunding a massive ship like this 2 months away from sail date is probably financially unsustainable for RC. We get it, but at no point did RC show even a bit of "care" for us as customers. If they just came out and said "We tried our best and couldn't find any better ports because of "ABC" and "XYZ", tell us how we can make you feel better? As a sigh of appreciation, here is some future cruise credits because we care". I guarantee you a lot of people (not all) would have taken this as a sign of good customer service and gladly solidify their brand loyalty to RC. Or at the very least make this easier to stomach. 

 

Now, the Too Long Didn't Read summary is this, RC has not been forthright and honest in their communication and response. Port of Call may not be under their control, but how they choose to communicate and compensate for this downgrade is entirely within their control. And if they don't think this is a downgrade, then seriously I wish them good luck with their company.