April 2011 San Francisco voyages canceled

[Whoo]

*update* I just checked and it is the Grand and its April 14 day Caribbean itineraries are also canceled - Im keeping my fingers crossed that the Grand may be sent westward to SF!

 

It would be nice to see some new west coast itineraries - the Grand would be welcome in San Francisco! I'll keep my fingers crossed also.:)

[kath00]

It would be nice to see some new west coast itineraries - the Grand would be welcome in San Francisco! I'll keep my fingers crossed also.:)

 

Ooooh, I like the Grand! I hope you guys are right. I feel like they are totally sucking the cruising life out of us West Coasters. They better not move the Sapphire though! That would just about kill me....

 

Katherine

[4cats4me]

I don't want to sail on the Grand. She is the oldest in the Grand class

and the Star has a thermal spa and the grand does not.

The Grand doesn't even have a Grand suite like those on other ships

of its class, not that I could EVER afford a grand suite. :D

 

We too will probably end up on the Sapphire AGAIN if there is no replacement for SF. We love the Sapphire.

If we do book the Sapphire we'll wait to book until about 4 to 6 months out for the best pricing.

We only paid $700 pp for a BB balcony [including taxes and port charges] for our last sailing.

We were also looking at the Emerald Princess for early April. That's a really

nice ship too! the only thing for us is it would mean flying.

[pris993]

We are booked on the Sea Princess, SF to Mexico RT this year, September 2010.

 

Like others on this board, we would like to see MORE cruises out of San Francisco RT not less. Let's hope Princess hears us.

 

When we cruise in September I will make note of this on post cruise questionnaire.

 

I am sorry others have had their cruises cancelled.

[Cruise Junky]

I don't want to sail on the Grand. She is the oldest in the Grand class

and the Star has a thermal spa and the grand does not.

The Grand doesn't even have a Grand suite like those on other ships

of its class, not that I could EVER afford a grand suite. :D

 

 

The Grand absolutely has a Grand Suite...deck 14. Friends of ours were in it on our Greek Island Cruise...Very Nice!!

[califgary]

There are so many of us bummed about the cancellation of San Francisco - I have to believe the business is here - I did a complete check for every cruise in April (i guess i dont have a real life!) and found 3 ships with cancelled itineraries: Star, Grand and Emerald. Grand and Emerald show very similar itineraries in the Caribbean - so again Im hopeful these cancels are all related and Princess is working to keep us West Coasters happy (Princess do you read these boards?).

Wishing with all his might.......

[4cats4me]

The Grand absolutely has a Grand Suite...deck 14. Friends of ours were in it on our Greek Island Cruise...Very Nice!!

'

 

But does it have a Grand suite exactly like those on the Star, Sapphire,

golden which is on the back of the ship and is like 1,200 to 1,500 square

feet? I remember looking at the deck plans for the Grand a couple years

ago and was surprised that the Grand suites were actually more similar

to the PH, PS categories that we've had in the past:confused:

[Cruise Junky]

'

 

But does it have a Grand suite exactly like those on the Star, Sapphire,

golden which is on the back of the ship and is like 1,200 to 1,500 square

feet? I remember looking at the deck plans for the Grand a couple years

ago and was surprised that the Grand suites were actually more similar

to the PH, PS categories that we've had in the past:confused:

 

Can't compare, I haven't seen them on other ships, just the Grand. It's called the Grand Suite and was lovely! - just checked - it is smaller, not sure if it's the cabin or the balcony that's smaller or both, but there's about a 500 sq ft difference between the grand suite on the Sapphire and the Grand including balcony

[califgary]

At this point Id settle for one of my least favorite sized ships - Dawn! Please Princess dont forsake the West Coast...

[KruzPrincess]

My friends and I were in the process of booking the March 9th Star Princess cruise from Rio to Santiago when the TA got word that it was cancelled. She has a group booking. So, she has rebooked my friends for February 9, 2011, so they haven't pulled the Star out of the SA routes completely yet. I'm doubtful that I can go in Februrary, so I didn't book. I wonder what other changes are taking place.

[Working 2 Cruise]

I think Princess is going more global, as are Disney and RCI. And HAL, Celebrity, and even Carnival. Spank me or thank me, but I think the days of the same old-same old days of cruising the same-old same-old Mexican Riviera/E and W Caribbean/Southern Caribbean ports week after week are coming to an end. These ports are basically "over-cruised", and people are wanting something less familiar and more exotic. Ships are even pulling out of Alaska. I'm predicting that cruise lines will leave older ships to do the familiar itineraries, while positioning their newer and larger ships to do the "less-travelled roads". I'm just saying.

 

I just saw that an April Mexican Riviera cruise has been cancelled? I can't help wondering about our May 1st cruise... I even have a picture of the ship on my refrigerator...:(

[Toto2Kansas]

I just saw that an April Mexican Riviera cruise has been cancelled? I can't help wondering about our May 1st cruise... I even have a picture of the ship on my refrigerator...:(

 

Different ship, so far, haven't heard of any Sapphire Princess cruises being cancelled. And your May 1, 2010 cruise is showing up (with pricing) on the princess website. I don't think you have a thing to worry about here. :) Are you sure what you saw was April of this year, or was it 2011?

[Ando]

I'm predicting that cruise lines will leave older ships to do the familiar itineraries, while positioning their newer and larger ships to do the "less-travelled roads". I'm just saying.

 

I sure hope your right :D Maybe the one of the newbuilds will homeport down under....lol

[kath00]

I just saw that an April Mexican Riviera cruise has been cancelled? I can't help wondering about our May 1st cruise... I even have a picture of the ship on my refrigerator...:(

 

FuninLA:

 

Looks like you are on the Sapphire's Pacific Sampler with us on Dec 18th! come join our roll call if you haven't already.

 

I am sure it's the April 2011 cruise that's being rescheduled. PLEASE have the Sapphire do some more Pacific Coastal Cruises too, Princess ! ! ! ! ! ! !

 

Katherine

[ccrain]

Apparently Princess is simply pulling the Star out of Alaska and sending her to Europe in 2011. A look at the prices for 7 day R/T Seattle cruises versus 10-12 day Med or Baltic crusies tells you why. $150-$200PP per night in the med or baltic, vs. $100-$150PP per night in Alaska, plus there is the $50 per person cruise alaska tax. With the Euro high and the US economy not so stable and Alaska a pretty saturated market, it's simple business. Face it, Europe is a much more lucrative market right now than we are.

 

(Hey! Congress Critters! Hear that! Repeal the Passenger Vessels Services Act! Open the Gulf Coast and the West Coast to regular cruise traffic instead of giving the business to Europe!)

 

Also, by removing one Grand class from the Alaska market, they probably hope to hold the Alaska rates steady rather than having to drop them to fill ships.

 

To get her to Europe, they just can't do a repo from SFO. They'll probably take her from Rio or BA after her last SA cruise and send her to Ft Lauderdale for a couple of months and then repo her to Europe.

[Minoushka]

I am not surprised Star is being pulled out of South America.Although it IS summer the waves a rough seas make it a somewhat difficult cruise to complete as scheduled. OUr Captain Kent did not seem to care for being in these rough waters ...was rather negative prior to his vacation on the prospect of returning to South America in 2011 .

Many people were unhappy on our cruise and the previous one not to mention the one right after the earthquake.I'm sure they...Princess... received tons of letters and complaints ...noro being the cherry on top of our cruise plus the difficulties with tenders and weather.

Even South Americans seem to think our cruise was a nono because the weather is so unpredictable .I'm not sure if Star ever went to Falklands this season We did not nor did the previous cruise nor the March 2 one

Perhaps they will send another ship there There is only so much beating a ship can take NO????

[High C's]

Apparently Princess is simply pulling the Star out of Alaska and sending her to Europe in 2011. A look at the prices for 7 day R/T Seattle cruises versus 10-12 day Med or Baltic crusies tells you why. $150-$200PP per night in the med or baltic, vs. $100-$150PP per night in Also, by removing one Grand class from the Alaska market, they probably hope to hold the Alaska rates steady rather than having to drop them to fill ships.

 

The Star has been in Europe the past few years doing the Baltic during the summer season.

[Pam in CA]

I am not surprised Star is being pulled out of South America.Although it IS summer the waves a rough seas make it a somewhat difficult cruise to complete as scheduled. OUr Captain Kent did not seem to care for being in these rough waters ...was rather negative prior to his vacation on the prospect of returning to South America in 2011 .

Many people were unhappy on our cruise and the previous one not to mention the one right after the earthquake.I'm sure they...Princess... received tons of letters and complaints ...noro being the cherry on top of our cruise plus the difficulties with tenders and weather.

Even South Americans seem to think our cruise was a nono because the weather is so unpredictable .I'm not sure if Star ever went to Falklands this season We did not nor did the previous cruise nor the March 2 one

Perhaps they will send another ship there There is only so much beating a ship can take NO????

Huh? I've taken both a Princess and HAL cruise around the Horn, including going to Antarctica, and the weather/beating wasn't any worse than I've experienced on other cruises. Well, we did experience severe weather for a few hours in Antarctica but other than that, it wasn't a big deal. Sounds like the Captain shouldn't have been blowing smoke.

 

When we were waiting in Buenos Aires a few years ago before boarding the Golden, the Prinsendam had just returned that day from a harrowing voyage where they were hit by two 75' + rogue waves. Our cruise on the Golden was almost completely smooth except for some rain around Cape Horn.

 

Cruise ships better be built to take a beating... they sail all over the world and weather "happens."

[Colo Cruiser]

Huh? I've taken both a Princess and HAL cruise around the Horn, including going to Antarctica, and the weather/beating wasn't any worse than I've experienced on other cruises. Well, we did experience severe weather for a few hours in Antarctica but other than that, it wasn't a big deal. Sounds like the Captain shouldn't have been blowing smoke.

 

When we were waiting in Buenos Aires a few years ago before boarding the Golden, the Prinsendam had just returned that day from a harrowing voyage where they were hit by two 75' + rogue waves. Our cruise on the Golden was almost completely smooth except for some rain around Cape Horn.

 

Cruise ships better be built to take a beating... they sail all over the world and weather "happens."

 

 

Pam those ships were not made for the extended beating that they take.

I realized this when the CB suffered some structural damge on the last NE cruise in Oct while on our repo to SJ. I saw the large 6 foot crack in the decking that surround and overlooks the forward pool and the supports that were erected until it could be fixed in San Juan.

[Pam in CA]

Pam those ships were not made for the extended beating that they take.

I realized this when the CB suffered some structural damge on the last NE cruise in Oct while on our repo to SJ. I saw the large 6 foot crack in the decking that surround and overlooks the forward pool and the supports that were erected until it could be fixed in San Juan.

Interesting. Why would they design them this way? Doesn't make sense to me. Makes me look more seriously at the older ships as I bet they're built better. I also wonder whether there's a difference between the Sapphire/Diamond and the other Grand-class ships as they were built in Japan? Just wondering.

[Colo Cruiser]

Interesting. Why would they design them this way? Doesn't make sense to me. Makes me look more seriously at the older ships as I bet they're built better. I also wonder whether there's a difference between the Sapphire/Diamond and the other Grand-class ships as they were built in Japan? Just wondering.

 

 

I think its the flat bottom, the height, and amount of area exposed to the elements.

 

Don't think the Sapphire/Diamond are much different, same design except the way the Promanade was designed and some interior changes.

[Pam in CA]

I think its the flat bottom, the height, and amount of area exposed to the elements.

 

Don't think the Sapphire/Diamond are much different, same design except the way the Promanade was designed and some interior changes.

No matter what, I don't think a Captain should be bad-mouthing his ship or the cruiseline.

[Druke I]

It is of course a gross generalization, but cruise ships do not have the same amount of bracing, particularly in the bow section, that an ocean liner built for the Atlantic run has.

 

The lack of extra bracing does make them "more fragile" in heavy pounding seas.

 

Cruise liner hulls are built for relatively smooth sailing, and most are not capable of the higher speeds that true liners have.

 

Perhaps a naval architect will chime in, and give a better detailed reason for the differences between liners and cruise ships.

[Colo Cruiser]

Well no Captain wants to be in those kind of seas and sounds like he knew that the SA cruises were history anyway.

[Pam in CA]

Cruise liner hulls are built for relatively smooth sailing, and most are not capable of the higher speeds that true liners have.

True. The S/S United States was capable of 35.6 knots (41 mph), pretty darned fast.