CanHardlyWait Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 28 minutes ago, RestingBird said: Adventure, April 20th. Dominican, Nassau, Coco Cay. So they are now planning a month in advance. So much for 3 days at a time. From everything in the news, it looks like it's going to take time before Royal can return. WAAAYTOOO, RestingBird and PhillyLady 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastfaller Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 37 minutes ago, RestingBird said: Adventure, April 20th. Dominican, Nassau, Coco Cay. I am sailing April 20 too on Symphony, and no word on my trip yet. We were supposed to be in Labadee on the 26th I believe. I am praying for CocoCay, but with Icon being there, I doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 I’ll be holding my breath until they release the new stop for my mid-May Symphony cruise! It’s the first cruise out of Bayonne and we booked specifically because there was NO Nassau stop and Labadee and CocoCay were the only 2 ports besides the typical Port Canaveral stop! My point…I DO NOT want Nassau!!! Hoping Royal will add an additional island stop somewhere in the itinerary. jbrinkm, WAAAYTOOO and SpicyCherry 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmullins Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 12 hours ago, Fastfaller said: Ugh ... I am on symphony too but a couple weeks later. Falmouth Jamaica is not really where I would want to go. I think I'll stay on the ship if that is what they choose for us. Labadee vs. Falmouth, it's not even comparable.... I know, I know RC is trying, I get that. But it still sucks. Labadee was going to be the highlight of the cruise for me... I love Labadee. So to have Falmouth as its replacement is very disappointing. I was hoping Turks or something, but I am guessing symphony is just too big. I completely understand. I was excited about going to Labadee, never been. We all select that particular trip for a reason, any changes will inevitably not be whatever one wants. At this point I’m just thrilled to not be at work and no one being able reach me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babsy47 Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 My April 14th Oasis cruise is replacing Labadee with a sea day. I am jealous of folks who get a replacement port! PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelp1446 Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 We sail OY on 3/24 and got our email last night, after the April sailings were notified. When I saw the change I felt like Charlie Brown at Halloween..Instead of getting a rock we got Nassau. They re-arranged our DR port stop as well . Oh well, will treat Nassau like a Sea day. No updates provided in the CP for Nassau excursions or the swapping of sea day to port day. CP availability will be closing soon. I feel bad for Guest services on embarkation day PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 Talking to a few crewmembers, they liked grand turk because it's a rare port where they can get into the water and relax a bit without having to travel any distance (therefore wasting their limited shore leave time) to get there. WAAAYTOOO, jbrinkm, Neesa and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastfaller Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 Just got word via email. The April 20 sailing of symphony is going to Falmouth.... Ugh. Well I am officially disappointed. Is that better than a sea day? IDK, maybe. It certainly isn't comparable to Labadee unless of course we are talking about the pushy villagers selling their wares. In that regard Falmouth and Labadee will be similar. IMO ports of call make or break the trip. I am excited about Aruba and Curacao but Falmouth as a last stop is really ending on a low note. Labadee would have been a nice relaxing high note. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 I'm on 2 Indy 4-nt sailings that changed Labadee to Grand Turk. Never made it to Grand Turk when I used to sail Carnival, so excited to check it out. Of course folks are complaining because Labadee included food/drinks with beverage packages and obviously that's not the same situation in Grand Turk Im also on another Indy 5-nt sailing that was Nassau and Labadee. The itinerary is now Bimini, Nassau, and CocoCay. Not sure why they added Bimini and our CocoCay day will be shared with Icon. Good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkjcrew Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 Sailing on Symphony April 6th. Just got the email today. Re-routing to Falmouth Jamaica. This will be second time we've missed out on Labadee. Was on Freedom in 2016 and the captain came over the intercom and said locals were peacefully protesting and blocking the pier with boats. Sea day it was. I have yet to set foot in Labadee and have only YouTube to show me how beautiful it is. I guess I'll try again in few years. Never been to Falmouth but after watching Ben & David's video, not sure if I want to get off the ship there. Any advice for us that are going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 Falmouth has a half decent and secure port area with various vendors. Worth at least getting off the ship for a bit. Just not a great spot for excursions DoomSlayer, CrimsonCruiser and Baked Alaska 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 11 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said: I'm on 2 Indy 4-nt sailings that changed Labadee to Grand Turk. Never made it to Grand Turk when I used to sail Carnival, so excited to check it out. Of course folks are complaining because Labadee included food/drinks with beverage packages and obviously that's not the same situation in Grand Turk Im also on another Indy 5-nt sailing that was Nassau and Labadee. The itinerary is now Bimini, Nassau, and CocoCay. Not sure why they added Bimini and our CocoCay day will be shared with Icon. Good times. I would be good with the 5-night sailing adding the extra port. Why not since everything is close and they don't have to spend the time traveling to Labadee now. I actually have some comps for the Indy 5 nights, I might look into them now knowing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 For Falmouth consider a ship excursion. It's not a port to venture outside the compound to do your own thing. Hopefully they'll have the cruise planner updated at some point. Royal is very slow when it comes to updating the cruise planner for itinerary changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 8 minutes ago, DoomSlayer said: I would be good with the 5-night sailing adding the extra port. Why not since everything is close and they don't have to spend the time traveling to Labadee now. I actually have some comps for the Indy 5 nights, I might look into them now knowing this. With the Bahamas port fees it is surprising they would add another Bahamas stop was my thinking. CocoCay at least makes sense because that's a captive audience for Royal. This is the Apr22 Indy sailing, BTW. It was a casino comp I earned on a cruise in October. DoomSlayer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 2 hours ago, smokeybandit said: Falmouth has a half decent and secure port area with various vendors. Worth at least getting off the ship for a bit. Can people (me - I'm "people") who want to pick up rum, Black Mountain Coffee, jerk seasoning, etc. find those items right in the port? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 15 minutes ago, jbrinkm said: Can people (me - I'm "people") who want to pick up rum, Black Mountain Coffee, jerk seasoning, etc. find those items right in the port? Yes, definitely. That's what we shop for too. Actually I can't answer the rum question, but coffee and spices yes. jbrinkm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyLady Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 Caribbean cruises are opportunities to enjoy the sun, water, beaches, and celebrate some relaxation time. To a certain extent, one private island beach is not too different from any other beach. Yet one should take the time to learn about the culture and history of each location. Yes, a lot of folks seem to dislike Nassau, but we frequently book scuba diving and/or snorkeling trips while we are there, or we spend a day at a private hotel beach, or we just shop, so there is always something for everybody. Atlantis is a cool hotel to visit as well. The challenge with cruising to semi-stable locations is that when things collapse, there is always a scramble. When I was much, much younger I hoped to travel to Haiti to practice my French, and visit Sans-Souci Palace, the Citadelle, and the National Palace. The island had the potential to be a wonderful tourist destination, but its history of unstable governments, foreign intervention, earthquakes, high debt and high poverty has now created a major crisis. It is quite sad to see the collapse of this country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad2Cue Posted March 20 Report Share Posted March 20 17 hours ago, AshleyDillo said: With the Bahamas port fees it is surprising they would add another Bahamas stop was my thinking. I'm surprised as well but I'm happy with the changes. We have never been to Bimini ... somewhere new will be exciting. CocoCay instead of Labadee. is a good swap. I fully expect Royal may say we owe more money because of the increased port fees. Were the increased port fees for all ports in the Bahamas or just Nassau? Maybe the additional costs are offset by not going the distance to Labadee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastfaller Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 6 minutes ago, PhillyLady said: Caribbean cruises are opportunities to enjoy the sun, water, beaches, and celebrate some relaxation time. To a certain extent, one private island beach is not too different from any other beach. Yet one should take the time to learn about the culture and history of each location. Yes, a lot of folks seem to dislike Nassau, but we frequently book scuba diving and/or snorkeling trips while we are there, or we spend a day at a private hotel beach, or we just shop, so there is always something for everybody. Atlantis is a cool hotel to visit as well. The challenge with cruising to semi-stable locations is that when things collapse, there is always a scramble. When I was much, much younger I hoped to travel to Haiti to practice my French, and visit Sans-Souci Palace, the Citadelle, and the National Palace. The island had the potential to be a wonderful tourist destination, but its history of unstable governments, foreign intervention, earthquakes, high debt and high poverty has now created a major crisis. It is quite sad to see the collapse of this country. If you look at the history of Haiti it is nothing but corruption and failed governments. Maybe it's most stable time was when the US occupied Haiti from around 1915-1934. Then what happened, back to corrupted "president"/dictators. Many don't want to say it, but there is a culture in Haiti that breads violence and corruption and it will continue forever. There will never be peace or prosperity in Haiti, at least not in our life times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 On 3/19/2024 at 10:20 PM, Fastfaller said: I am sailing April 20 too on Symphony, and no word on my trip yet. We were supposed to be in Labadee on the 26th I believe. I am praying for CocoCay, but with Icon being there, I doubt it. Looks like you're going to Jamaica on the 26th now....Symphony on 4\20\24: Sat 20Apr2024Fort Lauderdale, Florida-4:30 PMBoarding Sun 21Apr2024Cruising--Cruising Mon 22Apr2024Cruising--Cruising Tue 23Apr2024Oranjestad, Aruba8:00 AM11:00 PMDocked Wed 24Apr2024Willemstad, Curacao8:00 AM6:00 PMDocked Thu 25Apr2024Cruising--Cruising Fri 26Apr2024Falmouth, Jamaica7:00 AM4:00 PMDocked Sat 27Apr2024Cruising--Cruising Sun 28Apr2024Fort Lauderdale, Florida7:00 AM-Departure PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 Maybe all of the Symphony sailings got Falmouth PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 Just now, jbrinkm said: Maybe all of the Symphony sailings got Falmouth Just the Southern Caribbean sailings, from what I have seen, have had Falmouth added to replace Labadee. Our 6 night Eastern Caribbean sailing, right after yours, already had Falmouth and we had Perfect Day added to replace Labadee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkjcrew Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 23 hours ago, twangster said: Hopefully they'll have the cruise planner updated at some point. Royal is very slow when it comes to updating the cruise planner for itinerary changes. So the cruise planner online still shows Labadee as the port. All the excursions now say SOLD OUT in the corner. In the App on my phone it has changed to Falmouth and lists a bunch of excursions but I can't select any of them to get pricing and more info. I guess they're working on it at least. Maybe a few more days until available to purchase. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 9 minutes ago, kkjcrew said: So the cruise planner online still shows Labadee as the port. All the excursions now say SOLD OUT in the corner. In the App on my phone it has changed to Falmouth and lists a bunch of excursions but I can't select any of them to get pricing and more info. I guess they're working on it at least. Maybe a few more days until available to purchase. That's progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexanTwoStep Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 I just cancelled all of my excursions at Labadee for our cruise in June so I wont get stuck with OBC. I really doubt that there will be ships going to Labadee any time soon. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Butters530 and SpicyCherry 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAYNO Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 I have no connections in the State Department, nor with Royal Caribbean, so I wont pretend to know what will happen. And I do truly hope these folks can get their lives, their livelihoods, and their country in order. But, if Labadee was cancelled, I wouldn't be broken hearted to have it replaced with Turks and Caicos, or the DR, or many other places Royal seldom stops. And I sure wouldn't want an extra day in Perfect Day. One is plenty. ScottD and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpicyCherry Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 30 minutes ago, TexanTwoStep said: I just cancelled all of my excursions at Labadee for our cruise in June so I wont get stuck with OBC. I really doubt that there will be ships going to Labadee any time soon. Our sailing is in May on Symphony and we’re thinking of doing the same thing. We booked a Cabana on Labadee and really don’t want an OBC for that. PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilley Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 I know it’s still early but I have Symphony planned April 2025 with a stop at Labadee, now I’m wondering if that will even happen. I booked it because we were going to Labedee. Oh well. Time will tell but should it get cancelled, I’m team Turks & Caicos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellu254 Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 For the Nassau haters, the Beach Club at Baha Mar is lovely. The infinity pool is heated and the beach is very nice as well. And the food is very good and offset by the entrance fee. PhillyLady and RobbieD 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelp1446 Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 1 hour ago, TexanTwoStep said: I just cancelled all of my excursions at Labadee for our cruise in June so I wont get stuck with OBC. I really doubt that there will be ships going to Labadee any time soon. Where are you seeing Labadee excursions are being refunded as O.B.C.. Our email for our upcoming 3/24 cruise states "excursions will be refunded to original form of payment..." up to 14 days blah, blah blah" PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 25 minutes ago, Gilley said: I know it’s still early but I have Symphony planned April 2025 with a stop at Labadee, now I’m wondering if that will even happen. I booked it because we were going to Labedee. Oh well. Time will tell but should it get cancelled, I’m team Turks & Caicos. Way too early to worry. However, still early enough to change dates, ships, itineraries. PPPJJ-GCVAB and Gilley 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 11 minutes ago, michaelp1446 said: Where are you seeing Labadee excursions are being refunded as O.B.C.. Our email for our upcoming 3/24 cruise states "excursions will be refunded to original form of payment..." up to 14 days blah, blah blah" If the cancelation doesn't happen in enough time before the Cruise Planner closes, the refund will appear as OBC on the ship. The most recent announcements of port changes have been well in advance of the Cruise Planner closure for their respective sailings, but the refund process could take weeks. You can jump start the process of the refund by proactively canceling your Labadee excursions if you have any booked. TexanTwoStep 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_Texas Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 13 minutes ago, michaelp1446 said: Where are you seeing Labadee excursions are being refunded as O.B.C.. Our email for our upcoming 3/24 cruise states "excursions will be refunded to original form of payment..." up to 14 days blah, blah blah" If excursions are cancelled at least 48 hours before you sail (either by you or RCL) you get refund to original payment method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_Texas Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 We've been to Falmouth twice in the last 6 months, the last time was February. Falmouth is a terrible port. Either you can go somewhere close that is poor or someplace far away like Montego Bay. We are not "stay on the ship" people but beach people. We take a taxi ($20 per person round trip) to "Blue Waters Beach Club". The journey is safe but I don't think I would take kids there. It's only 10 minutes away by taxi and inexpensive (the only selling points of the place). The entrance fee is $10 per person and incudes a beach chair. A bucket of four 9 oz Heinekens is $20. It's not a great place but it's a beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 4 hours ago, TexanTwoStep said: I just cancelled all of my excursions at Labadee for our cruise in June so I wont get stuck with OBC. I really doubt that there will be ships going to Labadee any time soon. 2 hours ago, michaelp1446 said: Where are you seeing Labadee excursions are being refunded as O.B.C.. Our email for our upcoming 3/24 cruise states "excursions will be refunded to original form of payment..." up to 14 days blah, blah blah" I sail on Saturday and got emails this morning that I was being refunded directly, not to OBC. michaelp1446, TexanTwoStep, DoomSlayer and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butters530 Posted March 21 Report Share Posted March 21 The situation isn’t going to be solved anytime soon. Since the Haiti is somewhat dependent on the cruise company RCLL payments - call off stops indefinitely to get them moving towards peace? And then give us who are cruising a solid plan. If the stops change order or something like that, it could impact excursions booked outside the cruise line. We have one booked for another port and I have seen RCLL switch port days. TexanTwoStep 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 4 hours ago, Butters530 said: Since the Haiti is somewhat dependent on the cruise company RCLL payments I'm not sure who Royal would even pay right now PhillyLady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babsy47 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, jbrinkm said: I'm not sure who Royal would even pay right now I don’t think Royal knows either . . . Likely part of the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 7 hours ago, jbrinkm said: I'm not sure who Royal would even pay right now I don't suspect Royal makes payments directly to one president or another elected official. That's like saying I don't know who to send my federal tax payments to in year when a different presidential party wins an election in the US. It will always be the IRS. There will be contracts in place with named departments or companies where payments are sent. The departments of the Haitian government haven't been dissolved. Once a transitional government in Haiti has been formed various department heads will report in and at some point the transitional government will learn of a major revenue gap absent in tourism stemming from Labadee. The transitional government will have its hands full trying to stop the gang violence. At what point they will become effective with that and can begin to focus on something less critical such as tourism revenue will influence the outlook for a return to Labadee. The problem with vigilante mob violence in a lawless and corrupt system is getting them under control. The gangs don't have a distinct leadership or direction from an organized head. The gangs are making this up as they go along. Soon they will run out of perceived enemies such as government leaders or more affluent Haitians and they will begin to turn more on the average Haitian. "The guy who charged too much to fix my broken down car last year" or "that store that charges too much for groceries" will become targets. We haven't seen the end of the gang violence and only when we do will we see a path forward for Haiti. CrimsonCruiser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 Speaking of targeting regular Haitians. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gangs-petionville-attack-violence-af4c9ffc2f94c58c6e8f3de4b289014a PhillyLady and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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