Anyone waiting to book their next cruise until the oil is contained??

[firefly333]

Final payment for my cruise is due in July. I have some idea that we'll see some price drops after that time as people are likely waiting until the last minute to "see what happens". I hope 75% of the ship cancels, IMHO. That's what happened last year when we got the $200pp rate. I'd be perfectly ok with a week vs. 4 days :D

 

My cruise is Sept 26th, but its out of Galveston, and what Im thinking is they might have a large percentage of ES bookings (like me) who cant cancel without losing money. I would have changed to a cheaper date that did go down if I wasnt tied to ES rates and terms. (not stayed home, just done a different date perhaps).

 

My rate would have to drop more than $50 pp for me to get a price drop, it aint looking too good for me. ...but hope remains eternal and all that good stuff. I hope you are right and people cancel .. :D

[LambKnuckles]

Nope... I'll book my cruise as soon as I hear about the MAGIC... and I just may book the CONQUEST for this December. If the cruise is just sailing for a week and can't make a port... I'll be HAPPY!!! But I don't think that will ever be the case. Carnival and the Captains will find places for us to go!!!

[TMWTim]

Yep, barring a major hurricane in the Gulf, we are heading out of Galveston 9-05-2010 to the Bahamas/Key West and back.... oil or no oil. Like what was said, Carnival's captain and staff will find us somewhere to go if Florida is 'closed'. I am not worried at all about the oil (cruisewise) and semi worried about the weather.

[Crystalbast]

I don't mind sailing out of Miami or Ft Lauderdale because I would not be going to the beach, just sailing away. I wouldn't want to book any cruise in the near future leaving from New Orleans, Mobile, Port Canaveral or Tampa. A co-worker just came back from a vacation to Florida and the oil tar balls seemed to be following them along the beaches as they traveled to the Everglades. There were shrimpers that found oil tar balls mixed in with their catch and they were just dumping the shrimp back in the water.

 

I have three cruises already booked before the oil disaster and really am not planning on booking anymore for a while. There are so many other places to see and things to do.

[Fat Boy]

We're looking at 7-day cruises out of New Orleans and Galveston next March. I'm hoping to book something in the next couple weeks while people are still a little gun-shy about booking from these ports. Whatever happens, I'm confident it'll be contained and the clean-up will be well underway by March.

[luv2gonow]

Happy to see so many people who are still booking....well at least Carnival is real happy:cool:

 

Maybe I'll do the Southern Caribbean....or go to the West Coast on the Splendor.....Decisions:D

[ChinaClipper]

The spill has not affected ANY cruises out of N.O or Mobile so far in a huge way...just minor course corrections / delays on selected sailings. I'm not sure what the issue is. In fact, going into New Orleans, only something like two tankers have had to be cleaned since the spill started. On a cruise, there's really nothing to worry about...really no reason to avoid sailing from N.O or Mobile...if it wasn't safe, Carnival wouldn't do it. Now if you're going to the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast beaches between Gulf Shores and Panama City, that's another story...but on a cruise...nothing to be concerned about.

[Vanessa L]

My cruise is Sept 26th, but its out of Galveston, and what Im thinking is they might have a large percentage of ES bookings (like me) who cant cancel without losing money. I would have changed to a cheaper date that did go down if I wasnt tied to ES rates and terms. (not stayed home, just done a different date perhaps).

 

My rate would have to drop more than $50 pp for me to get a price drop, it aint looking too good for me. ...but hope remains eternal and all that good stuff. I hope you are right and people cancel .. :D

 

As long as the media stays with this story (and they will), I'd be willing to bet the bank that there are going to be several cancellations. I know this situation is horrific. It is effecting the wild life and well being of all who live on the Gulf Coast from LA to Panama City Beach, FL. The environmental impact will not be known for years, maybe decades. All that being said, this is NOT effecting any cruises out of any Gulf Coast location and likely will not. As others have pointed out, the Gulf is HUGE. Carnival is all about the bottom line. The ONLY way they would stop sailing out of the Gulf is if the federal government made them. As we know, ships sail around hurricanes all the time, there is no reason they cannot sail around the oil if necessary. However, to hear the media tell it, all life as we know it is grinding to a halt in the Gulf Coast area. THIS is why so many resort towns are now running ad campaigns assuring tourists that all is fine.

 

As with the swine flu fiasco, the media can (and does) make everything sound like it is the end of the world. Just like the swine flu fiasco, the media is creating this "everyone's gonna die so stay away from the Gulf Coast" fear in Americans and THAT is causing a loss of livelihood to residents of that area. Not the oil itself.

 

In the end, just as we saw with the swine flu, I think that there are still enough people in this country who buy into the media garbage without actually doing one iota of research to see what the FACTS are. The swine flu outbreak and all the cancellations that resulted prove that unequivocally. I believe that, as this situation continues over the next several months to (God forbid) years, we will see those who believe the media hook, line and sinker stay away from that area, be it vacations or cruises. It will bode very well for those of us who can ascertain fact from media fiction in reduced prices not only at land based resorts, but on cruises as well.

 

Obviously, this is 100% speculation on my part based solely on evidence from what happened last April and May when the swine flu broke out in Mexico. Time will tell if it comes to fruition, but some of it already has (reduced rates at resorts to attract visitors).

[Vanessa L]

Happy to see so many people who are still booking....well at least Carnival is real happy:cool:

 

Maybe I'll do the Southern Caribbean....or go to the West Coast on the Splendor.....Decisions:D

 

Just curious why you wouldn't book a Gulf Coast based cruise? Are you one of the people who believe the media garbage, or is there some other reason? I'm just wondering. Since the title of your post seems to infer that you would not sail out of that area "because of the oil", I'd like to hear your take on it.

[firefly333]

I don't mind sailing out of Miami or Ft Lauderdale because I would not be going to the beach, just sailing away. I wouldn't want to book any cruise in the near future leaving from New Orleans, Mobile, Port Canaveral or Tampa. A co-worker just came back from a vacation to Florida and the oil tar balls seemed to be following them along the beaches as they traveled to the Everglades. There were shrimpers that found oil tar balls mixed in with their catch and they were just dumping the shrimp back in the water.

 

I have three cruises already booked before the oil disaster and really am not planning on booking anymore for a while. There are so many other places to see and things to do.

 

Vanessa ... there you have it ... some people aren't booking that would. So, there is hope of prices staying low. One person among many on CC

[flynnsport]

why would anyone cancel a cruise because of the oil? unless you are anchoring around the rig to go suba diving or a pelican diving for fish there are no problems for cruise passengers. No Oil at ANY of the ports of call...and no problems where ships are leaving homeports. I can't see the logic.

But there are lots of folks watching CNN and Fox News 24hr a day hype so there will always be some...

[Vanessa L]

Vanessa ... there you have it ... some people aren't booking that would. So, there is hope of prices staying low. One person among many on CC

 

EXACTLY!!! I truly do see this playing out just like the swine flu "disaster" last year. The ultimate irony of course, is that the media fright fest is doing far more harm to the economies of the Gulf Coast than the oil itself. Wonder if anyone will hold them as accountable as BP is?????????? Perhaps they can split the difference of the billions of dollars it's going to cost to clean this up AND revive the economies being tanked as a result of their sensationalism. :rolleyes::p

[gtalum]

The oil spill is going to be a massive environmental disaster, but people don't grasp that there are going to be very few noticeable effects on the surface. The slick covers only a tiny piece of the GoM. The only departure ports that will even possibly be affected are New Orleans and Mobile, and those possible effects amount to the ship needing cleaning before entering the ports. The effects on cruise passenegrs will be negligible.

[Vanessa L]

The oil spill is going to be a massive environmental disaster, but people don't grasp that there are going to be very few noticeable effects on the surface. The slick covers only a tiny piece of the GoM. The only departure ports that will even possibly be affected are New Orleans and Mobile, and those possible effects amount to the ship needing cleaning before entering the ports. The effects on cruise passenegrs will be negligible.

 

You read it here first, folks. The very, very, very sad fact though is that of the millions watching the hype on TV news, only a very small fraction of that will come here or any other cruise board or even do some of their own research for that matter. You absolutely nailed it gtalum. How sad for the people of that area that the resulting media circus is causing so many people to avoid the area and causing so many businesses to struggle already. What is this going to look like when the media has had 6 months, 9 months, a year to continue their circus??? As someone who spent every available moment on Panama City Beach as I was growing up, and now vacations in the Ft. Walton Beach area with my family, it breaks my heart to see what the media can get away with. Sad and nauseating all at the same time. :(

[Grits53]

Nope. I'm waiting till my funds are right. ;) In the meantime, I'm hoping to see some bargains pop up as people determine whether or not they want to book due to the oil spill. :cool:

[chachi]

No, who knows when that will be.

[scchasgal]

I don't mind sailing out of Miami or Ft Lauderdale because I would not be going to the beach, just sailing away. I wouldn't want to book any cruise in the near future leaving from New Orleans, Mobile, Port Canaveral or Tampa. A co-worker just came back from a vacation to Florida and the oil tar balls seemed to be following them along the beaches as they traveled to the Everglades. There were shrimpers that found oil tar balls mixed in with their catch and they were just dumping the shrimp back in the water.

 

I have three cruises already booked before the oil disaster and really am not planning on booking anymore for a while. There are so many other places to see and things to do.

 

Ummm you do know where Port Canaveral is I hope? If you are worried about PC then you need to be even more worried about Miami and Ft Lauderdale as they would get it way before Port Canaveral.

[MississippiMom]

Amen sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last year, due to the swine flu fiasco, we were able to get a 7 day cruise out of NOLA for $200pp tax inclusive. I sincerely hope that there are more like the OP also!!!!!

 

I can't believe you got a 7 day cruise for $200 pp. I wish I'd been paying better attention to the rates back then, because I would have put my parents on a cruise in a heartbeat. Looks like it might be worth keeping an eye out, soon, in case the cruise lines have a problem filling their ships this Fall.

[ehfl]

What? Is this a joke?

[spleenstomper]

You read it here first, folks. The very, very, very sad fact though is that of the millions watching the hype on TV news, only a very small fraction of that will come here or any other cruise board or even do some of their own research for that matter. You absolutely nailed it gtalum. How sad for the people of that area that the resulting media circus is causing so many people to avoid the area and causing so many businesses to struggle already. What is this going to look like when the media has had 6 months, 9 months, a year to continue their circus??? As someone who spent every available moment on Panama City Beach as I was growing up, and now vacations in the Ft. Walton Beach area with my family, it breaks my heart to see what the media can get away with. Sad and nauseating all at the same time. :(

 

Ft. Meyers Florida has been running (I think) effective commercials here (Louisiana). There is a guy and he has a mike and it's like he is "reporting" from the area.... he says he's going to be there for the next 9 days. And he shows the beach and water and he jumps in full body to "prove" there is no oil there.

[Cruzman]

Not no, but hell no! As long as the ship shows up, I'm on it!

[Vanessa L]

I can't believe you got a 7 day cruise for $200 pp. I wish I'd been paying better attention to the rates back then, because I would have put my parents on a cruise in a heartbeat. Looks like it might be worth keeping an eye out, soon, in case the cruise lines have a problem filling their ships this Fall.

 

In all fairness, that was a military rate, not sure if you qualify but if you do, or heck, even if you don't, call Carnival every day. When the media got a hold of the swine flu story last year and it started showing up on the boards here, my first thought was, "People are going to believe this bull caca and start cancelling. I can feel it in my bones." So, from that moment on I started calling Carnival every single day. Also keep in mind, IF this happens to Gulf Coast cruises it will be quick--last year we booked that $200pp rate on Monday and sailed Saturday. There will likely not be any huge advanced notices so you gotta stay on it every single day. For what it's worth, none of those prices showed up on the Carnival website last year. I called every day (sometimes 2-3 times a day, morning, noon and again at bedtime), until they finally said the magic words, "$200pp inside tax included." My response, "SOLD!!!!"