Year round cruises from Northeast

[Texed]

Only the M - class ships and the Radiance class ships of RCCL have the gas turbine engines with no visible pollution.

Kel:)

 

But, the "M" class ships have added a diesel engine for "in port" functions, so you will see some smoke.

[ArtM]

As big as the metro NYC population is, that may be it as far as a customer base for cruises out of New York City.

 

We live in Buffalo in western NY so we are 500 miles away and driving to a cruise is not feasible especially in the winter. Hence, flying is the only option, and when flying is the way to go, a southern port such as Fort Lauderdale is preferred.

 

We can reach FLL on low cost non-stop flights on JetBlue, AirTran and Southwest. The options for New York City include Delta into their Third World terminal at JFK and Continental (known around here for flight 3407) into Newark. We do have JetBlue flights into JFK, but they are noted for long delays.

 

Add in the itinerary limitations imposed by the distance from NYC to the Caribbean, and other than passengers that can drive to NYC for a cruise, cruises originating in NYC just aren't that attractive for the rest of us northerners.

 

In other words, the cruise line marketing people know that there is a finite number or people who will accept an inferior itinerary at a higher price specifically because the ship leaves from NYC. They will put as many ships in NYC as they think they can fill at the rates they need to make as much or more profit than if the ships were sailing from the next best alternative port.

 

Art

[smeyer418]

Interesting. How long ago was this? We were talking with a ship's officer at the CC party on our last cruise and got the impression that days at sea were substantially more profitable than days in port. Between gambling, drinks, and shopping, they have many more opportunities to separate pax from their $$$ than while in port. And I can't believe they're going full tilt when there are 3 sea days to/from Baltimore.

 

I suspect there's been a change in the management philosophy. While in the past (like when BridgeMaven took her cruises in the 70's) the shipboard activities were more engaging, the current mindset is on profits. Bingo / charades / bridge = no revenue. Auctions / charging for cooking demos/tours/etc = revenue. Oasis is going to be one HUGE profit generator, especially if they use their own port facilities to keep more pax money even while on shore.

 

Also - I used to ski and the bars were always crowded despite the cold temps. :D

 

j

 

I was on the Noordam November 2007. HAL had announced on our cruise that they were canceling the fall and winter 2008 cruises on the Noordam out of NY. The Captain told me how much extra fuel they had to purchase and the cost, both of which I can't recall now but it was substantial. He also said approximately how much fuel they would need if they did the same itinerary out of Florida which was substantially less. He explained that there was still a profit made on the NY cruises but not nearly as much if they sailed from Florida. It was basically a corporate decision made for HAL's bottom line in light of the fuel costs at the time.

 

NCL was the first to schedule trips year around from NY to the Carribean/Florida/Bahamas(as opposed to transatlantic). It was and remains highly profitable. They can charge more per person than the same cruises out of Florida-where there is much more competition. They tend to get people who gamble and drink more as well(and they provide some comps for their Casino at sea guests). They tend to be at sea more so more gambling(although some ports in the Caribbean do allow them to keep the Casinos open in port- the Bahamas and Barbados to name two-before you ask) is allowed. When NCL first announced this they were called nuts. HAL followed but didn't stay. it does kick the heck out of the engines as they have to run pretty much full speed for a couple of days(they have rotated out the first ship to do this and replaced in with a newer ship). Yes fuel prices are high - but they either hedge them or add a fee in the price of the cruise. I would add more about the Florida originating sailings but don't want to stir the pot too much(like the home of the early bird special)

[Bridge Maven]

 

NCL was the first to schedule trips year around from NY to the Carribean/Florida/Bahamas(as opposed to transatlantic). It was and remains highly profitable. They can charge more per person than the same cruises out of Florida-where there is much more competition. They tend to get people who gamble and drink more as well(and they provide some comps for their Casino at sea guests). They tend to be at sea more so more gambling(although some ports in the Caribbean do allow them to keep the Casinos open in port- the Bahamas and Barbados to name two-before you ask) is allowed. When NCL first announced this they were called nuts. HAL followed but didn't stay. it does kick the heck out of the engines as they have to run pretty much full speed for a couple of days(they have rotated out the first ship to do this and replaced in with a newer ship). Yes fuel prices are high - but they either hedge them or add a fee in the price of the cruise. I would add more about the Florida originating sailings but don't want to stir the pot too much(like the home of the early bird special)

 

Did you ever take this cruise? My husband and I are taking a cruise on NCL's Gem from NYC next month?

[smeyer418]

 

Did you ever take this cruise? My husband and I are taking a cruise on NCL's Gem from NYC next month?

 

 

I have taken at least four in January and February. I took the one week cruise twice and a 10 and 11 day cruise as well. I have been on the Gem once. Its the newest ship(until the EPIC is launched) in the NCL inventory.

 

I don't like the seven day ones. They are too short and rushed-IMO....

 

I like the Gem its a nice ship with good restaurants and yes I like freestyle better than traditional seatings on a ship....

[jgnova]

We live in Northern Virginia and drove to Brooklyn for our Princess cruise in May 2008. Like others who have posted here, we don't find the idea of flying to and from a cruise to be an enjoyable part of our vacation (not that driving 95 is much better).

 

Baltimore is our ideal embarkation port. It's less than 90 minutes from our house, the weather is usually not as extreme as NY, and we're that much closer to the Caribbean. We were disappointed when Celebrity pulled out a few years ago after our Galaxy cruise and are excited that they're giving it another try. Given the population and demographics within a few hours of the port (the entire DC area, Philly, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Norfolk) and the number of flights to Baltimore at good prices, I don't understand why it isn't more popular.

 

We're doing the 12 night Mercury and are really looking forward to 3 days at sea in each direction. I guess what I don't understand is the HAL comment about the same itinerary being more profitable out of Florida than from NY. If it's the same itinerary, then it's missing those 6 at-sea days - and the passenger revenue (both the daily charges and the on-board sales). I honestly can't accept that the cruise lines don't make more money on every sea day than the cost of the fuel burned. So let them charge a little more or goose the slots to compensate. Given the cost of airfare to Miami, they could charge another $100-200 per cruise and still be competitive with the cost of flying.

 

Not that I think that cost is the factor in these decisions. I guess there are those of us for whom the cruise is the vacation and time spent getting to the ship is not, especially when you fly out the day before to be safe. And there are those who want the Caribbean warmth and the ports as quickly as possible. I'm happy so long as I have the choice. :)

 

j

[kelmac]

The nice thing about the Queen Mary 2 is the ship is so fast it can make the run from NYC to the Caribbean in two days. The first port stop in the Caribbean is at 8:00am.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[madelinerose]

Baltimore is our ideal embarkation port. Given the population and demographics within a few hours of the port (the entire DC area, Philly, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Norfolk) and the number of flights to Baltimore at good prices, I don't understand why it isn't more popular. :)j

 

 

The Baltimore cruise terminal is extremely popular. :confused:

http://www.cruisemaryland.com/

[Bridge Maven]

The nice thing about the Queen Mary 2 is the ship is so fast it can make the run from NYC to the Caribbean in two days. The first port stop in the Caribbean is at 8:00am.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

 

Another nice thing about Queen Mary 2 for cruises from the Northeast is that she was built as an ocean liner and was designed to handle rough seas much better than the typical cruise ship. If we ever do a trans Atlantic crossing this is the only ship I will consider for that reason.

[jgnova]

The Baltimore cruise terminal is extremely popular. :confused:

http://www.cruisemaryland.com/

 

But it seems to come and go with the lines. For the current year, we have Celebrity, NCL, and RCI. Will X keep a ship there?

 

I also don't get why there hasn't been more consistent marketing in the DC area. I read the Washington Post travel section every week and don't recall seeing any consistent ads from any of the lines promoting Baltimore-based cruises. Considering that this is one of the areas in the country least affected by the recession and how many baby boomers have been working for the feds for decades with good pay and leave accumulations, you'd think someone would be targeting this market heavily.

 

j

 

j

[Bridge Maven]

But it seems to come and go with the lines. For the current year, we have Celebrity, NCL, and RCI. Will X keep a ship there?

 

I also don't get why there hasn't been more consistent marketing in the DC area. I read the Washington Post travel section every week and don't recall seeing any consistent ads from any of the lines promoting Baltimore-based cruises. Considering that this is one of the areas in the country least affected by the recession and how many baby boomers have been working for the feds for decades with good pay and leave accumulations, you'd think someone would be targeting this market heavily.

 

j

 

j

 

Carnival also has a ship which is using Baltimore as its year round home port - Carnival Pride.

[ISEA]

We live in Northern Virginia and drove to Brooklyn for our Princess cruise in May 2008. Like others who have posted here, we don't find the idea of flying to and from a cruise to be an enjoyable part of our vacation (not that driving 95 is much better).

 

Baltimore is our ideal embarkation port. It's less than 90 minutes from our house, the weather is usually not as extreme as NY, and we're that much closer to the Caribbean. We were disappointed when Celebrity pulled out a few years ago after our Galaxy cruise and are excited that they're giving it another try. Given the population and demographics within a few hours of the port (the entire DC area, Philly, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Norfolk) and the number of flights to Baltimore at good prices, I don't understand why it isn't more popular.

 

We're doing the 12 night Mercury and are really looking forward to 3 days at sea in each direction. I guess what I don't understand is the HAL comment about the same itinerary being more profitable out of Florida than from NY. If it's the same itinerary, then it's missing those 6 at-sea days - and the passenger revenue (both the daily charges and the on-board sales). I honestly can't accept that the cruise lines don't make more money on every sea day than the cost of the fuel burned. So let them charge a little more or goose the slots to compensate. Given the cost of airfare to Miami, they could charge another $100-200 per cruise and still be competitive with the cost of flying.

 

Not that I think that cost is the factor in these decisions. I guess there are those of us for whom the cruise is the vacation and time spent getting to the ship is not, especially when you fly out the day before to be safe. And there are those who want the Caribbean warmth and the ports as quickly as possible. I'm happy so long as I have the choice. :)

 

j

I've been on three cruises from NY, one on HAL and two on NCL. On all three cruises it was two sea days out and two back. Is the Mercury going out of Baltimore? Three sea days seems long unless the ship is going directly to an Island farther south in the Caribbean.

I also agree that if the cruise lines charge $100-$200 more per passenger to leave out of a Northeast port it would be worth it. The benefit of not having to fly and the aggravation that goes with it makes that a great deal.

[jgnova]

Yup, Mercury is going out of Baltimore, just like Galaxy in 02. First port on this one is St. Thomas - last is St. Martin. And Galaxy also had 3 days in transit as well (albeit broken up with stops and early departures).

 

Maybe that class of ship is slower? Fine with me. I love being at sea - must be something in my blood - my grandfather was a manager for Bull Lines and then got grabbed to help with the SeaBees in WWII and a distant cousin was in the Merchant Marine.

 

j

[B-Anne]

Yup, Mercury is going out of Baltimore, just like Galaxy in 02. First port on this one is St. Thomas - last is St. Martin. And Galaxy also had 3 days in transit as well (albeit broken up with stops and early departures).

 

Maybe that class of ship is slower? Fine with me. I love being at sea - must be something in my blood - my grandfather was a manager for Bull Lines and then got grabbed to help with the SeaBees in WWII and a distant cousin was in the Merchant Marine.

 

j

 

Just as you're partial to sailing from Baltimore, there are many more of us who prefer sailing from the NY Metro area.

 

Personally, I have sailed from Baltimore on the Galaxy, N.Y. and N.J. and my favorite port to sail from is N.Y. Nothing like it, sailing down the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty!!!

However for convenience, I like sailing from Cape Liberty because of the close proximity.

I can get to Bayonne in about 20-25 minutes, whereas it might take a while longer to get

to the N.Y. port, especially on a Saturday.

 

I also have a little sailing in my blood (indirectly). My father-in-law was a Master Mariner (Captain) for the previous Esso line (now Exxon). He was instrumental in rescuing a crew from another ship that was sinking. He received numerous awards for their heroic efforts.

[madelinerose]

But it seems to come and go with the lines. For the current year, we have Celebrity, NCL, and RCI. Will X keep a ship there?

 

I also don't get why there hasn't been more consistent marketing in the DC area. I read the Washington Post travel section every week and don't recall seeing any consistent ads from any of the lines promoting Baltimore-based cruises. j

 

And, Carnival. Not sure what you mean about the cruise terminal's popularity and "come and go with the lines"? Carnival was the first at the previous terminal location and during the first year, 2004, cruises were so overbooked that pax were getting bumped. This caused a huge uproar on CC. ;)

 

I have no idea if Celebrity will keep a ship in Baltimore and also can't answer why the Post doesn't advertise Baltimore based cruises. Why not email the travel editor?

 

The Roll Calls and East Coast Departure boards are loaded with pax driving from all four Mid-Atlantic states, PA, NJ, etc. etc. Not sure how they're becoming aware of the Baltimore cruises, but I guess it's not from the Post. ;)

[madelinerose]

oops, sorry!

[jgnova]

[quote name='B-Anne']Just as you're partial to sailing from Baltimore, there are many more of us who prefer sailing from the NY Metro area.

Personally, I have sailed from Baltimore on the Galaxy, N.Y. and N.J. and my favorite port to sail from is N.Y. Nothing like it, sailing down the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty!!!
[/quote]

[COLOR=Green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Actually, our preference is a port we can drive to in under 2 hours. Right now that's Baltimore. Several years ago, a local travel agent arranged for a few cruises out of Alexandria that went down the Potomac - that was before we started doing this, unfortunately.

And yes, there's nothing like going past the Lady Liberty and then under the Verrazzano to the Atlantic and seeing Coney Island off in the distance. Although Baltimore does include going under the twin spans near Annapolis and then going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and watching the cars/trucks come towards the ship and then going under water!

I'm really just advocating for more sea time and less travel time/hassle to get to the ship - for all of us outside Florida.


j[/FONT][/COLOR]

[jgnova]

[quote name='madelinerose']And, Carnival. Not sure what you mean about the cruise terminal's popularity and "come and go with the lines"? Carnival was the first at the previous terminal location and during the first year, 2004, cruises were so overbooked that pax were getting bumped. This caused a huge uproar on CC. ;)

I have no idea if Celebrity will keep a ship in Baltimore and also can't answer why the Post doesn't advertise Baltimore based cruises. Why not email the travel editor?

The Roll Calls and East Coast Departure boards are loaded with pax driving from all four Mid-Atlantic states, PA, NJ, etc. etc. Not sure how they're becoming aware of the Baltimore cruises, but I guess it's not from the Post. ;)[/quote]

[COLOR=Green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Right - I forgot about Carnival - sorry. Not sure if they were first out of Baltimore, though. We took Galaxy from the Dundalk Terminal in 2002. Was Carnival doing it then?

Yes, I've seen several people talk about driving to Baltimore. It just seems that since we've been more interested in cruises, the lines have been experimenting with various mid- to north-Atlantic ports. Norfolk spent a bundle building a new facility and the lines seem to run some departures sporadically. Right now, Baltimore is blessed with the four lines but will that last? I hope so as that gets us the drive-to port.

Hmm - maybe I will email the Post travel editor and ask why they don't push the Baltimore cruises more.

j
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Bridge Maven]

[quote name='jgnova'][COLOR=Green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Right - I forgot about Carnival - sorry. Not sure if they were first out of Baltimore, though. We took Galaxy from the Dundalk Terminal in 2002. Was Carnival doing it then?

Yes, I've seen several people talk about driving to Baltimore. It just seems that since we've been more interested in cruises, the lines have been experimenting with various mid- to north-Atlantic ports. Norfolk spent a bundle building a new facility and the lines seem to run some departures sporadically. Right now, Baltimore is blessed with the four lines but will that last? I hope so as that gets us the drive-to port.

Hmm - maybe I will email the Post travel editor and ask why they don't push the Baltimore cruises more.

j
[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Since my daughter and her family live in Virginia I am hoping that they continue to offer cruises from Baltimore and Norfolk.

[madelinerose]

[quote name='jgnova'][COLOR=green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Right - I forgot about Carnival - sorry. Not sure if they were first out of Baltimore, though. We took Galaxy from the Dundalk Terminal in 2002. Was Carnival doing it then?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=green]Yes, I've seen several people talk about driving to Baltimore. It just seems that since we've been more interested in cruises, the lines have been experimenting with various mid- to north-Atlantic ports. Norfolk spent a bundle building a new facility and the lines seem to run some departures sporadically. Right now, Baltimore is blessed with the four lines but will that last? I hope so as that gets us the drive-to port. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=green]Hmm - maybe I will email the Post travel editor and ask why they don't push the Baltimore cruises more.J[/COLOR][/FONT][/quote]


I stand corrected. Galaxy was before the Carnival Miracle. How quickly we forget. So sorry, my mistake.

Well, the 2010 schedule shows 3 lines, Carnival, RCI and X, no NCL. Who knows what 2011 will bring? ;)

[URL]http://www.cruisemaryland.com/2010Calendar.pdf[/URL]

[jgnova]

[quote name='madelinerose']Well, the 2010 schedule shows 3 lines, Carnival, RCI and X, no NCL. Who knows what 2011 will bring? ;)
[URL="http://www.cruisemaryland.com/2010Calendar.pdf"][/URL][/quote]

[COLOR=Green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]DW just told me we should immediately book several X next year to convince them to stay. She hasn't told me which lottery she won. :)

j
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[madelinerose]

[quote name='jgnova'][COLOR=green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]DW just told me we should immediately book several X next year to convince them to stay. She hasn't told me which lottery she won. :)[/FONT][/COLOR]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=green]j[/COLOR][/FONT]
[/quote]

I'm in search of that same winning ticket. :D

From the Baltimore Sun:

[URL]http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/sns-ap-us-port-of-baltimore-cruises,0,4474178.story[/URL]

[jgnova]

[COLOR=Green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Now that article is good news and shows hope for the future. Maybe it just takes the critical mass of back-to-back years of multiple cruises. Our kids used to live in a condo in South Beach that had a great view of the Miami port and it was a (frustrating cause we weren't on one) treat to see at least one ship every day! Would be nice if Baltimore got there. :)[/FONT][/COLOR]

[madelinerose]

[quote name='jgnova'][COLOR=green][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Now that article is good news and shows hope for the future. Maybe it just takes the critical mass of back-to-back years of multiple cruises. Our kids used to live in a condo in South Beach that had a great view of the Miami port and it was a (frustrating cause we weren't on one) treat to see at least one ship every day! Would be nice if Baltimore got there. :)[/FONT][/COLOR][/quote]


DH lived in South Beach many moons ago and still comments about the ships.

Well, the new state-of-the-art ships will never homeport here because they're too tall for the Bay Bridge. We can dream. ;)

[Bridge Maven]

We basically take two types of cruises - travel oriented ones to memorable places such as Russia, Greece, etc and relaxing ones to either Canada during the summer or the Caribbean/Bahamas during the winter, where the ports aren't that important to us. Now that there are good options in the Northeast and Baltimore for our winter cruises I will think twice about flying to take a Caribbean cruise unless it is to accommodate other family members on a family reunion cruise.