NCL Carbon footprint plan or excuse

[Sally Collura]

Extremely poor customer relations to change itinerary regarding ports of call and length of stay once cruise customers have paid for their cruise. To say that the changes are to decrease carbon footprint by canceling a port of call and lenthening the stay at another Port of call just doesn't make sense to those of us who are seasoned cruisers and would discourage some to look to other cruise lines or consider flying to a vacation destination

 

[kefthecruiser]

NCL stating the itinerary was changed to decrease carbon footprint is about as bogus as it gets and is insulting the intelligence of their customers. Compared to the total cruise, the emissions savings is minimal. SO Frank del Rio (NCL CEO) – here’s a thought, cancel all ports of call and just park the ships. Your carbon footprint will drop significantly. Wonder how many passengers will show up?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Sally Collura I completely agree with you. Cruise guests should be notified of these changes ahead of time! If you are entrusting the cruise line to deliver a particular experience and they change the experience without a sort of equivalent substitute, it's certainly a true disappointment to the cruise guest. You are not the only one that has had this sort of negative experience with the cruise line. Is this the first time you have experienced this with NCL?

@kefthecruiser This comment made me laugh. This is going to drive loyal customers to book with alternate cruise lines. It's almost insulting to give such a bogus excuse. 

[bombarc]

If NCL wants to reduce its carbon footprint - drop the Bar Harbor stop on its way from Bermuda to Boston.  What a joke!  Why in the world did NCL ever make such a ridiculous decision?  As it stands now Bar Harbor has an injunction limiting the amount of cruise passengers to 1000 per day and is being challenged in court to have it lifted.  Also, NCL has dropped its stop in Norfolk on its NY-Bermuda run claiming the carbon footprint excuse.  Why stop there anyway?  It is not warm there until the middle of the summer - just like Bar Harbor.  I want to go to Bermuda - nowhere else.  3 days in Bermuda is the cruise I took from Boston since 2000 - why change it?  

[3Sisters]

@bombarc Thanks for sharing this information! I had no idea the cruise line was going through some of these setbacks. I'm curious to know how many times you have traveled this itinerary to the Bermuda. It sounds like you are an avid cruiser to this area.

[bombarc]

My husband and I have been going to Bermuda every year since 2001 (mostly on the Boston to Bermuda trip).  We live 45 minutes out of Boston but have also taken the cruise from Manhattan - all on NCL.  Bermuda is beautiful, the ship docks for 2-3 days and it is easy to get around by bus, ferry, taxi or excursion.  The Dockyard is safe and has everything right there (shopping, restaurants, ferry and bus service. etc.).  It is also beautiful.  We have been to the Eastern & Western Caribbean and many of the ports are dumps so unless you stay on the ship, you must spend hundreds of dollars on excursions.  It is not safe to walk around these ports - everyone trying to sell you everything and armed militia everywhere.  We have also been to Nassau many times and do not get off the ship anymore.  It is not like this in Bermuda.  

NCL trimmed a day off of the Bermuda itinerary last year and added Bar Harbor, Maine before going back to Boston. It s a tender port with nothing to do there.  It is relatively cold there until July/August.  What is the point of going there?  Most of the cruisers on the Boston/Bermuda cruise are from New England and can drive to Bar Harbor.  

NCL supposedly had an agreement regarding bringing ships to increase tourism dollars - but it is a small town and cannot handle the amount of people or ships.  The concern has become the eco systems and impact on the town itself.  That is why there is a lawsuit.

NCL needs to go back to its original itineray of 3 days/2nights in Bermuda out of Boston or even Manhattan.  Forget Norfolk and Bar Harbor.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@bombarc I haven't cruised from Boston before. I'm so accustomed with the Florida ports. Have you sailed from a Florida port before? And if so, how do they compare? You are really selling me on a Bermuda cruise. Now that I no longer live in Florida, I'm ready to venture out and explore new destinations. It seems continuing to depart from a U.S. port will be the most affordable option in terms of flights.