Princess Slowing Trips to MR

[Broncobru]

I have been to MR and Baja a couple of times and even though it has been a few years, I have a much greater fear of going to the Caribbean. I was completely disappointed in the Caribbean, The water and beaches were beautiful but everything else was filthy. The people tried to sell you everything and anything and didn't understand the word no. The excursions were a total joke.

 

I wouldn't say by any means that MR is one of my favorite places to cruise but it also has some very beautiful beaches and a lot of history. The churches are amazing with all of their hand carvings. You need to be cautious of where you go in the MR, just like anywhere else.

 

We have cruised to Baja and MR because it leaves out of L.A. and we only have to drive an hour to get there. There are very few cruises out of the West Coast. We have cruised to Alaska twice and I plan on cruising there many more times, it is absolutely my favorite place to cruise and so much to see. I live on the West Coast, so I don't have any desire to cruise to ports on the West Coast. It is one thing to pay the cruise fare but the air fare and the inconvience, can prevent you from cruising. I like many others, cruise to the MR, just to relax and really don't even get off the ship. It's a cheap cruise at $550/pp for a balcony cabin :D

[Working 2 Cruise]

My theory is that there are probably too many people like me on these MR cruises. ;) I'm going for the 5th time. I wait until the price is low to book. I don't book any shore excursions, and just DIY. I don't really spend much onboard. I'm just not that profitable to the cruise line on these MR cruises.

 

 

You know, I just booked my second MR cruise on Sapphire Princess. Had Mariner stayed, I would have probably booked with them (taking my then 20-year old son with me)... I wonder how much business RCI is going to lose? For us, it is an easy drive to the port, then get on the ship... instead of having to book flights, etc... I mean, I really loved the Sapphire Princess, but with a 20-year old son, I assume he would have preferred RCI... then Carnival comes next. I know NCL is pulling out as well... So that leaves two choices, Carnival and Princess. Choice is easy!

[kath00]

I love the idea of a 14 day RT LA going North to Vancouver and coming back! Crystal just announced exactly that this week. They pulled their ship out of the MX itiniary and replaced it with a 7 night Northbound and 7 night Southbound from LA to Vancouver. Now that's a perfect B2B.

 

I am THRILLED that Princess listened to us on these boards (and those many comment cards after H1N1 cruises were diverted to SFO)! They created the 7n RT LA itiniary that is now called "CA Coastal" with some great stops.

 

I just wish they were not during the school year. We'll likely never get a summer cruise like this though since during the summer, the ships are all in Alaska.

 

Katherine

[Cruisin' Chick]

What I meant to say is: I hope that Princess/Carnival and Holland America keep their ships in L.A., Long Beach and San Diego just for us folks who love the cruising experience, without having to get on a !*+! airplane to do so. :(

 

I definitely would prefer a west coast cruise over dealing with a flight. Just waitin' for my hubby to feel like going on another cruise after the rough year (years, actually) he's had, then we'll book another Hawaiian RT. Just an hour's drive to the port, there's sailings when our girl is on break, lots of sea days, and it's longer than 7 days.

 

Hoping that the cruiselines realize there's plenty of people over here who want to still cruise here.

[Pam in CA]

Patty, unfortunately, it's not demand or people wanting to do a specific cruise but how much the cruiseline can charge and make a profit. They follow their noses to where the money is, not the # of people. :(

 

You, Roz, me, and whoever else is within a short drive from San Pedro should get together some time and commiserate. :)

[wizard-of-roz]

Patty, unfortunately, it's not demand or people wanting to do a specific cruise but how much the cruiseline can charge and make a profit. They follow their noses to where the money is, not the # of people. :(

 

You, Roz, me, and whoever else is within a short drive from San Pedro should get together some time and commiserate. :)

 

Hopefully, we'll still have some MR cruises from L.A., Long Beach or San Diego. And, I know I'm not alone.

Honestly, I never tire of the cruising experience. And, now that they've brought in the opportunity to go north, I'm sure they'll see how many of us will book it as to whether they'll keep it or not. So, the best way to commiserate is to spend $$$$$$. I'm booked for next year......how about you?

We always book mini-suites; I am a shopper and do spend money onboard. We don't do excursions into Mexico or the Caribbean anymore but, I do make up for it in my foo-foo drinks.

[Woobstr112G]

We have done MR a few times. It is a cruise that is easy for us to board (west coast) and there are some good prices. But, for us, this is not an itinerary to repeat every year. We like it when we really want to spend time relaxing on the ship. If we are looking for fun, interesting ports, MR isn't the one we choose.

 

I agree. We are doing a MR cruise in February of next year to give us platinmu status for our T/A in October in 2011. I'm seriously thinking about staying on the ship.....

 

Bob

[sassyredhat]

We just received a brochure from Princess that said in 2011 they are adding a 7 day "California Coastal" itinerary that goes to San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada. They only list 3 dates (Sep, Oct, Apr), but it looks like they are experimenting to keep the Sapphire busy before/after Alaska.

 

Agreed -- I was actually thinking of a round trip California Coastal. Hopefully enough folks will book the Coastals that Princess will continue them and perhaps add a few more. It'd be a GREAT summertime itinerary, I'm thinkin'. Though I'd be thrilled if Princess brought back the round trip LA Panama Canal cruise, too! We just did Hawaii on the Golden last Spring and I'm sure we'll do it again -- love the Golden and LOVE me some Sea Days!! We just have to keep voting with our pocket books and convince Princess that West Coast Sailings can be profitable for them, right?

Happy Sailing,

Becca

 

My thoughts exactly !!!! :D

 

Pat

[pdoeringer]

What about a 14-15 day trip from LA to the Panama Canel and go half way through the canal and turn around in the canal and return to LA?

This trip is done from Miami - why not LA?

 

That would be different from the basic only trip offered out of LA.

[wizard-of-roz]

We cruise at least twice a year out of L.A./Long Beach or San Diego and, will continue to do so as long as Princess/HAL and Carnival offer the great ship choices out of these ports.

Everytime we cruise (usually January/April or November), the ships are full! And, there are folks onboard from all over the world. Apparantly, Mexico is still of interest to some and these one week to 10 day cruises down south are still enticing them. The great offers and packages don't hurt either.

Pacific Coastal's will really open-up the market (hopefully!) We have friends from Europe who can't wait to be on this itinerary, I hope there's thousands of others who feel the same way!

[RickEk]

You know, I just booked my second MR cruise on Sapphire Princess. Had Mariner stayed, I would have probably booked with them (taking my then 20-year old son with me)... I wonder how much business RCI is going to lose? For us, it is an easy drive to the port, then get on the ship... instead of having to book flights, etc... I mean, I really loved the Sapphire Princess, but with a 20-year old son, I assume he would have preferred RCI... then Carnival comes next. I know NCL is pulling out as well... So that leaves two choices, Carnival and Princess. Choice is easy!

 

I doubt RCI is going to lose any money by moving Mariner of the Seas. They're moving it to make the ship profitable.

 

What about a 14-15 day trip from LA to the Panama Canel and go half way through the canal and turn around in the canal and return to LA?

This trip is done from Miami - why not LA?

 

That would be different from the basic only trip offered out of LA.

 

Princess used to offer a 19-day partial transit Panama Canal cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles a couple of times a year. Regal Princess and then Island Princess would do them... It'd be nice if they would bring those back...

[Colo Cruiser]

What about a 14-15 day trip from LA to the Panama Canel and go half way through the canal and turn around in the canal and return to LA?

This trip is done from Miami - why not LA?

 

That would be different from the basic only trip offered out of LA.

 

Not enough ships to go round.

Its all about marketing and apparently there is not enough business to justify it versus other iteniaries.

[cacy6893076]

Not enough ships to go round.

Its all about marketing and apparently there is not enough business to justify it versus other iteniaries.

dittos/////and how many are /have been wishing for other west coast itineraries rt lax ....look at the 28 day hawaii/tahiti/samoa itin for 2011....like you say only so many ships to go around....can't guess how many times folks on this forum from the west have been begging for different rt lax criuises...........I guess you can't please all of the people al of the time..i think they are trying to mix it up for folks that have been ther done that........but again no idea what mgnmt/ceos "thinks"

[Scrapchick]

It seems to me that it comes down to the cruise line's return on its investment. RCI's CEO said they were moving the Mariner OTS because it was simply more profitable to place the ship elsewhere. Crime may have something to do with this, but I think it's more complicated.

 

My theory is that there are probably too many people like me on these MR cruises. ;) I'm going for the 5th time. I wait until the price is low to book. I don't book any shore excursions, and just DIY. I don't really spend much onboard. I'm just not that profitable to the cruise line on these MR cruises.

 

In the Caribbean you probably have more people who are traveling a long way to go on the cruise, and consider it a major vacation where they will pull out all the stops and spend a lot onboard.

 

As usual, Junglejane and I think alike... We live an hour from the Port of LA and a couple of hours from San Diego. It is wonderful to be able to drive to the ship and get on with minimal hassle, and saving $2000 on airfares and hotels in the process.

 

Because there are few places to sail to from the west coast, we've done the Hawaii run several times and Mexico more times than I care to remember. The ports there hold no interest for me at all anymore and I feel I get plenty of exposure to Mexicans living in southern CA... A cruise to Mexico now for me is strictly that... a cruise... I go for the ship, the experience of being at sea but definitely not for the ports, the excursions or the shopping. I'm Mexico'd out. The cruise lines and ports don't make any money off me there...

 

My TA loves the Mariner and is very sad it's going but she said the fact is that it has become harder and harder to sell the ship because people are jaded and disinterested in sailing to Mexico, so it's mainly economics prompting the relocation.

[Hlitner]

Yep, it is all about "Yield Managment" as it should be! Cruise lines are for-profit businesses (and we are stock holders) and it is their responsibility to maximize profits. They use sophisticated "Yield Managment" programs coupled with experience and passenger demand forecasts to determine where to best place their ships. The west coast of Mexico offers a very limited number of ports and at least one of these ports (Acapulco) has some major crime issues. The Caribbean has many more options, more convenient airports, competitive air fares, and just makes more sense for winter cruises.

 

Hank

[lovevacadays]

Au contraire. Having cruised the Caribbean many times, I still prefer cruising from the West Coast. And that was before I moved from MA to 45 minutes from the Port of Los Angeles. The ports are limited and it's the same old, same old but my experience with cruisers leaving from LA has been far better. It takes a very special cruise to get me back to the Caribbean. I'd rather do the MR over and over.

 

Me too and the people in the Mexican ports are, as a rule, very friendly and helpful.

[lovevacadays]

What about a 14-15 day trip from LA to the Panama Canel and go half way through the canal and turn around in the canal and return to LA?

This trip is done from Miami - why not LA?

 

That would be different from the basic only trip offered out of LA.

 

 

Boy, I wished they would do this. I'd book in a minute!

[quincytoo]

Me too and the people in the Mexican ports are, as a rule, very friendly and helpful.

 

Me three :) We have cruised the MR twice and also fly down to Puerto Vallarta 2-3 times a year, one day we will live there part time. I have never once seen any of the violence or unrest that the Media likes to go on and on about.

 

I understand that the border towns and several others are dangerous and I won't be visting them anytime soon but really???? I wouldn't let the gang violence of LA or NYC stop me from visting Disneyland or Manhatten so why should I let the violence that is happening hundreds and hundreds of miles away stop me from enjoying a lovely cruise :)

 

FYI I feel safer in PV then I do in Vancouver BC or many cities in the States. Do bad things happen in PV, Maztlan or Cabo??? Of course but since I keep my wits about me (as I do anywhere) and don' know any drug dealers or gangsters I have never had a problem.

 

I thought the cruise lines were redirecting the ships away because of profit?? Anytime we have sailed or tried to book a MR cruise the ships have been sold out

[kath00]

I get plenty of exposure to Mexicans living in southern CA...

 

:eek: I'll just pretend that you didn't mean this nearly as derogatory as it sounds to me. :rolleyes:

 

I too love the idea of doing a Panama Canal RT from LA. I bet Princess will try it one of these days again. They had a cruise like it about 5 years ago that we booked but ended up having to cancel due to my dad getting ill. I have not seen it since...

 

Here is to hoping that at least Princess will continue to experiment with unique new itiniaries out of the port of LA or SD.

 

Katherine

[Scrapchick]

:eek: I'll just pretend that you didn't mean this nearly as derogatory as it sounds to me. :rolleyes:

 

I too love the idea of doing a Panama Canal RT from LA. I bet Princess will try it one of these days again. They had a cruise like it about 5 years ago that we booked but ended up having to cancel due to my dad getting ill. I have not seen it since...

 

Here is to hoping that at least Princess will continue to experiment with unique new itiniaries out of the port of LA or SD.

 

Katherine

 

Not meant to be derogatory... Merely stating a fact... There is an abundance of Mexican culture, day laborers, Mexican food and restaurants and Spanish being spoken everywhere around me. The Latino presence is huge in southern California. 1 in 10 Mexican nationals is said to live north of the border. I don't think it's being rude to state this. It is simply a fact. The Latino/Mexican culture is evident all around us.

[ASeaPrincess1]

We just received a brochure from Princess that said in 2011 they are adding a 7 day "California Coastal" itinerary that goes to San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada. They only list 3 dates (Sep, Oct, Apr), but it looks like they are experimenting to keep the Sapphire busy before/after Alaska.

I wish they would go to Canada instead of Mexico.

I was on a diverted "Swine Flu" cruise that went to Seattle and Victoria.

Now that would be the itinerary I would love, instead of Ensenada as my foreign port.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Patty, unfortunately, it's not demand or people wanting to do a specific cruise but how much the cruiseline can charge and make a profit. They follow their noses to where the money is, not the # of people. :(

 

You, Roz, me, and whoever else is within a short drive from San Pedro should get together some time and commiserate. :)

 

We can all get together and storm Princess HQs together!:)

 

Hopefully, we'll still have some MR cruises from L.A., Long Beach or San Diego. And, I know I'm not alone.

 

Honestly, I never tire of the cruising experience. And, now that they've brought in the opportunity to go north, I'm sure they'll see how many of us will book it as to whether they'll keep it or not. So, the best way to commiserate is to spend $$$$$$. I'm booked for next year......how about you?

 

We always book mini-suites; I am a shopper and do spend money onboard. We don't do excursions into Mexico or the Caribbean anymore but, I do make up for it in my foo-foo drinks.

 

Unfortunately we haven't been able to cruise for a few years (due to unavoidable situations, including my MIL's terminal illness). We have discussed the fact that the three of us want to repeat the Hawaiian cruise. A big factor is that we are limited to the last two weeks of December/first week of January, which of course, is the sailing most in demand.

 

Last week, we were at the post office to get the paperwork going to renew our daughter's passport, which expires this month. I mentioned that my passport expires in December, and hubby said I should get going on that renewal so that we can consider going someplace this winter. So fingers crossed that we can actually go someplace (the most we've been away from home in the past few years is two days, spent up the coast).

[wizard-of-roz]

I wish they would go to Canada instead of Mexico.

I was on a diverted "Swine Flu" cruise that went to Seattle and Victoria.

Now that would be the itinerary I would love, instead of Ensenada as my foreign port.

 

I am booked in September, 2011 and again in April of 2012 for this cruise. And, I would like to see them go to Canada too.

[wizard-of-roz]

We've spoken to folks who live on the East coast and they feel the same way we do. They've done the Caribbean over and over again. Many of our eastern friends go for the cruising itself/the high seas/the entertainment/the sea breezes and the great dining experiences.

 

There is nothing better than sitting on the Promenade Deck as the ship is moving along and the air is so fresh it can literally clean your sinuses.

 

We also like meeting new friends from all over the globe.

 

Although, we may hate the flying thing there are still people who do it and do it from very far away. I admire them! That's the part I hate the most, which is why we do the MR over and over again. On different cruiselines, sometimes, just to kick-it-up a notch.