Bring ships back to the US

[negc]

I was a bit uneasy with the Navigator and Freedom leaving Miami Port (not sure when both left) but now we get to go to Canaveral which I am now excited about after doing some research about it. I have no problem with some ships leaving for Europe but I sort of do with some of these older ships no longer doing the 7 night trips. If I take a cruise, I am going to take my time on one as a 3-4 night cruise is not worth it after paying for the airline tickets (flying from Iowa). So saying that, it would be nice to catch a cheap cruise on an older ship instead of paying top dollar for the Allure or Oasis (and yet cheaper than Freedom). But we still have the Freedom which is great and affordable!

 

What really bothers me is when I scroll down the cruise listings and see a 7 night cruise for $349, get excited, and then notice its YET ANOTHER ONE going out of San Juan, PR... These ports it goes on are awesome too (Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Roseau, Dominica; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas).. So why not have that ship come back to Miami or Canaveral, price it up $100 and let us fill that one (currently Adventure) and allow RCCL to profit more. Just saying.. I think it would be fun to fly to PR but why not add this same ports from FL where we can fly to for far less, add another night to it, and good sailings we go! Thats my wish. I know these are much older ships, but for somebody that enjoys a cruise no matter what, as long as the ship still functions correctly and is clean, I'm happy.

 

Perhaps because it is difficult, if not impossible, to reach those ports from Florida on a seven night cruise, and 8 night cruises create their own scheduling problems. The distances involved and the added fuel consumption alone would require them to "price it up" much more than $100. Your issue is as much with the airlines and their pricing practices as it is with the cruiseline. If you could convince the airlines to increase their airlift to San Juan and set airfares that are more reasonable, your cruising options might be greater.

[klingoncruiser]

After 911, all the cruise lines scattered the fleets across the U.S. Since then they have pretty well moved them back to the east coast or across the globe. They have to make money. We are NOT spending like we used to.

[wattmhite]

We definitely want more West Coast cruises as well as other destinations aside from Western/Eastern Caribbean cruises that have been going to the same ports for years... give us some variety Royal!!

[Merion_Mom]

Maybe the cost of using the US ports is prohibitive, but I think a neat and different itinerary would be East Coast cities, with a day in Bermuda to satisfy the Jones Act. There could be stops in Florida, Charleston, Norfolk, Savannah, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Boston, Newport and so on. I know some ports, like Philly and Baltimore, are a problem because it takes to long to sail in and out of them (keeping the bars and casinos closed). But I think it would be of interest to cruisers that have seen the Caribbean more than a few times, and perhaps to Europeans wanting to see a bit of the US.

 

That would only work if it returns to the same port from which it left. It would violate the Jones Act, for instance, if it embarked in Boston and ended in any other of those cities. And it's already a five night cruise just to go from Bayonne to Bermuda and back.

[negc]

We definitely want more West Coast cruises as well as other destinations aside from Western/Eastern Caribbean cruises that have been going to the same ports for years... give us some variety Royal!!

 

Check out RCI's website and you will find plenty of variety. It isn't really difficult to find them, if you take the time to look. As far as having more West Coast cruises, they tried that with the Mariner and there wasn't enough support for those cruises to justify leaving a ship there. RCI isn't the only line to find the West Coast not to be profitable and not the only line to be withdrawing their ships from California and the limited itineraries that are available from there. If you are tired of the western/eastern caribbean cruises that "have been going to the same ports for years", how often can one cruise to Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco before it becomes old and tired? Given the problems in Mexico that are so prominent in the news, public demand for cruises to those ports, even though most are far from the areas where violence is being reported, has fallen dramatically.

[trailercruiser]

I don't want more ships out of Florida in the summer doing the Caribbean. Last place I want to go in July or August.

 

Americans need to broaden their horizon and cruise Europe and other parts of the world. Summer is a good time to do that. Many will see that we are not as exceptional as many of us unfortunately imagine.

Yes we all know we americans are the worst,most terrible people in the world ,even though we donate more time. more money , and more aid to other countries than all other countries combined. Thats sad isn't it. Another america basher at his best.;)

[Charles4515]

Yes we all know we americans are the worst,most terrible people in the world ,even though we donate more time. more money , and more aid to other countries than all other countries combined. Thats sad isn't it. Another america basher at his best.;)

 

You said that not me....

[seaofwonder]

You may get lots of visiting relatives, but summer is the low season for So. Florida. Airfare and hotel costs are 50-70% cheaper in the summer than they are in January-February. WE always enjoy Miami, but we really like it in January.

 

Yea, not sure why anyone would spend hard earned money to come to Miami in the summer. It's just an awful sauna. We hide in our AC all summer long.

 

Living in Miami it's been great to have a cruise port here....but we are broadening our horizons. Already sick of the Caribbean.

 

We want to do Oasis/Allure but summer prices are too expensive to do it before we move this summer.

 

I'm curious to see how this Europe experiment works. I'm on a cruise on 5/22 and we're almost at final payment and the ship is half empty.

 

If summer is a slow time for the Caribbean why are the rates so darn high? I wish Oasis/Allure would come down to a reasonable rate in the summer and we'd jump on it in a heartbeat for one last "farewell Florida" cruise.

[Texas Teen]

Dear friends:

 

Just on RCCL alone, you are left in the U.S. during the summer with Oasis, Allure, Freedom, Explorer, Enchantment, the 3 and 4 night Bahamas puddle jumpers, the ships that do the Alaska run, as well as a few Celebrity ships.

 

And they don't fill up well...

 

...Contrary to the opinion that seems to float around on Cruise Critic, the summer is not at all a popular season to go to the Caribbean. Because of the hot weather, people tend to go to the local beaches along the New York, New Jersey, Virginia coasts, etc. and do things at home that they normally can't do in the winter...

 

Except for Disney World (school vacation), nobody goes to Florida in the summer. And people who live in Florida try to leave in the summer. So what is all the talk about wanting more ships there?

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

Where did you hear that ships departing from the US don't fill up well in the Summer?

 

Prices for ships departing from the US are higher than for ships departing from Europe in most cases. For interior cabins in July, 9 night cruises on Explorer OTS are more expensive than 11 and some 12 night cruises departing from Europe! And 5 night Bahamas cruises on Explorer/Enchantment are more expensive than 7 night cruises on Adventure, Grandeur, and Voyager in Europe! In fact, minimum prices for all ships departing from the US in July (Except Monarch/Majesty) are more expensive than the minimum prices for Adventure/Grandeur/Voyager in July. And the minimum price for Oasis/Allure in July is more expensive than the minimum price of any ship doing 7 night cruises in Europe for July.

 

 

 

 

 

And as for the Caribbean not being popular in the Summer, Carnival's prices tell a different story. (Royal Caribbean doesn't leave me many examples for the summer.)

 

7 nt. Pride cruise - Baltimore (Bahamas)... April 2011- $669 / July 2011- $779.

7 night Conquest cruise from Galveston.... April 2011- $529 / July 2011- $769.

5 night Ecstasy cruise from Galveston...... April 2011- $379 / July 2011- $609.

5 night Elation cruise from Mobile............ April 2011- $379 / July 2011- $469.

7 night Triumph cruise from New Orleans.. April 2011- $399 / July 2011- $649.

7 night Victory cruise from San Juan........ April 2011- $369 / July 2011- $599.

 

You may get lots of visiting relatives, but summer is the low season for So. Florida. Airfare and hotel costs are 50-70% cheaper in the summer than they are in January-February. WE always enjoy Miami, but we really like it in January.

 

I don't understand how Summer would be the low season in Florida. That's when all the schools are out, and I would imagine that there are more kids, parents, and teachers go to Florida in the summer when school is out than there are adults who want to escape the winter who aren't stopped by a school schedule. And there's more demand for the Caribbean in the summer than in the winter. (See above prices.)

[cruisegal96]

RCL continues to change their itinararies & it looks like less ships cruising the caribbean during the summer :eek:. Really wanted to go on a Freedom Class for 2012, but when I look for a June cruise to caribbean all I find is Oasis & Allure. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they are awesome ships, I'm just not sure I'm ready for that size yet, really would enjoy more Voyager & Freedom class before making that jump. I also wish they would bring back the 5 night southern caribbean out of San Juan that they had several years ago. I don't show any cruise out of San Juan for summer 2012. :confused::confused:

[Merion_Mom]

Where did you hear that ships departing from the US don't fill up well in the Summer?

 

Prices for ships departing from the US are higher than for ships departing from Europe in most cases. For interior cabins in July, 9 night cruises on Explorer OTS are more expensive than 11 and some 12 night cruises departing from Europe! And 5 night Bahamas cruises on Explorer/Enchantment are more expensive than 7 night cruises on Adventure, Grandeur, and Voyager in Europe! In fact, minimum prices for all ships departing from the US in July (Except Monarch/Majesty) are more expensive than the minimum prices for Adventure/Grandeur/Voyager in July. :) And the minimum price for Oasis/Allure in July is more expensive than the minimum price of any ship doing 7 night cruises in Europe for July.

 

Explorer commands high prices because millions (yes, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS) of people live within driving distance of the embarkation port.

 

And those five night cruises go to Bermuda, not the Bahamas. Bermuda charges HUGE port fees, and those cruises are in high demand, thus the high fares.

 

Many families want to cruise on the Oasis and the Allure in the summer because they are very family-friendly and it's summer vacation.

 

It's all very direct and easy to understand.

[Merion_Mom]

Oh, and another thing about the profitability of ships in Europe: the profit from ship's excursions in Europe is HUGE.

 

ENORMOUS.

 

GIGANTIC.

[Texas Teen]

RCL continues to change their itinararies & it looks like less ships cruising the caribbean during the summer :eek:. Really wanted to go on a Freedom Class for 2012, but when I look for a June cruise to caribbean all I find is Oasis & Allure. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they are awesome ships, I'm just not sure I'm ready for that size yet, really would enjoy more Voyager & Freedom class before making that jump. I also wish they would bring back the 5 night southern caribbean out of San Juan that they had several years ago. I don't show any cruise out of San Juan for summer 2012. :confused::confused:

 

They haven't released the itineraries for the summer of 2012 yet except for Oasis & Allure. Freedom has a charter cruise out of Port Canaveral in late 2012, so she should be staying there next year. Not sure what will happen to San Juan in the summer of 2012, because Serenade is moving to Europe. (Confirmed on a Norway port schedule.) Hopefully Adventure will be staying there, but with the way Royal has been taking ships away from us and sending them to Europe, it doesn't look too good. Hopefully I'm wrong since they haven't released the itineraries yet!

[bmore cruiser]

I think that not only does the economy but the hassle of air travel has led to the cruise industry spreading out thier fleets. It seems like they are trying to bring the ships to the people.

 

The cruise industry has always been big in Florida. Now the cruise lines have been trying to find other ports to work for them. It looks like they found that in Charleston and Baltimore. I know that Baltimore's cruise terminal has exceeded everyones expectations. To the point of being maxed out for cruises this year and the possibility of expansion in the near future. From what I have heard Charleston has done well too. By having ships in these locations, it makes it easy for many people to drive to the ports. With airfare being so expensive and all the trouble it is to fly anymore, this makes cruising more appealing to more people.

 

As for the west coast I am speechless. I know California was one of the hardest hit states (if not the hardest) by the bad economy. Then with all the crime issues in Mexico now, it makes it almost impossible to fill ships.

 

As for the oasis and the allure. I do think the sizes of these ships are getting a little crazy. Its neat to have one as a show piece but to make a whole class?When I go on vacation I want to get away and take it easy. With ships this big it makes it hard to do. Big ship but still too many people. I have heard it's a neat one time cruise but that is enough

 

I guess all in all, what I am trying to say is let's share. There are plenty of options out there. As long as they change itineraries around and cycle different ships in it's still what weblove to do, CRUISE! :)

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friend:

 

Greetings from Madrid

 

First of all, any cruise that you are quoting from the U.S. which includes Bermuda as a port (whether or not it also goes to the Caribbean) is considered a high-season cruise, because the only season for Bermuda is the summer.

 

July is not a good month to demonstrate "high" cruise prices for ships based in Spain (Liberty, Adventure, Grandeur). July is a low season for the Spanish market (the majority who fill these three ships). Here in Spain, RCCL offers free train (with baggage checked directly from Madrid to your cabin), free air, 2 for 1 and all kinds of specials and perks to fill the ships in July. August is another story. Royal Suite on Liberty 7 night in August is 6,000 euros per person while Royal Suite on Explorer 11 night Thanksgiving cruise out of New Jersey is 2,800 euros per person.

 

Anyway -- all of the cruise lines now send the majority of their ships to Europe in the summer, so obviously that is where the money is.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Murphy]

I say use Quebec City as an embarkation port in the summer!!! so central and eastern provinces in Canada could drive to a port easy :)

 

Oh, I vote for that too! We did one cruise that started in QC and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! It was the 1st Enchantment cruise after the "stretch" and was the repo to FLL. LOVED QC and Loved the itinerary!

[Charles4515]

As for the west coast I am speechless. I know California was one of the hardest hit states (if not the hardest) by the bad economy. Then with all the crime issues in Mexico now, it makes it almost impossible to fill ships.

 

 

There is basically one itinerary for cruises out of California. From the East or Gulf coasts there are many more itinerary options.

[Mark_K]

There is basically one itinerary for cruises out of California. From the East or Gulf coasts there are many more itinerary options.

You could easily do a weekly San Diego-Vancouver, then reverse, itinerary.

[Charles4515]

 

Anyway -- all of the cruise lines now send the majority of their ships to Europe in the summer, so obviously that is where the money is.

 

 

That is where the money is now. If that changes the cruise lines will pull ships out of Europe in a heartbeat. Like they did with Alaska.

 

Another thing that many don't take into account is that by having ships in Europe, Alaska during the summer Royal Caribbean is able to fill the ships they keep in the Caribbean easier and sell those at higher prices. Royal's deployment seems like it has worked well for them. Allure and Oasis cabins sell at high prices because of the awesome ships, the ships out of the northeast sell at high prices in the summer and they sell well in Europe.

 

If you want a very cheap cruise out of Florida you have a choice, go on Carnival or NCL. ick. double ick.

[CruisinGerman]

Don't knock NCL (RCCL is very similar anyway, so I don't get the point of knocking NCL).

 

Best cruise we were ever on in our life (and it even beat Silversea and Seabourn) was the Garden Villa on the NCL Gem out of Barcelona.

 

There was no experience in cruising like that, and it made any RCCL Royal Suite appear like an inside cabin on deck 2.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Desert Cruizers]

For all of us on the West Coast, we really need variety but there isn't any. Alaska, Mexico or Hawaii. Amazingly for living on the West Coast, we have yet to do an Alaska cruise, and have no desire to repeat a Mexican cruise and the cost of flying to the East Coast, isn't practical for a 7 day cruise. Hopefully one of these days, a market will develop again here.

[pvmkmyer]

From what I have read, it is not so much the crime wave in Mexico that was the reason for the pull-out. It was simply the economy. California's unemployment is way above the already horrible national rate. People simply don't have the money they used to have to spend on vacations.

[Charles4515]

Don't knock NCL (RCCL is very similar anyway, so I don't get the point of knocking NCL).

 

Best cruise we were ever on in our life (and it even beat Silversea and Seabourn) was the Garden Villa on the NCL Gem out of Barcelona.

 

There was no experience in cruising like that, and it made any RCCL Royal Suite appear like an inside cabin on deck 2.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

I don't doubt it but I was talking about a cheap cruise on NCL, not a Garden Villa on NCL.

[negc]

From what I have read, it is not so much the crime wave in Mexico that was the reason for the pull-out. It was simply the economy. California's unemployment is way above the already horrible national rate. People simply don't have the money they used to have to spend on vacations.

 

I believe that it was actually a combination of all the factors and while the state of the economy was a large part of the decision, the crime and disease incidents in Mexico, and the limited itineraries available also played a role in the decision of several lines to reduce or, as in RCI's case, eliminate their presence on the West Coast. Hopefully things will improve in the future and there will be more justification for offering cruises out of California, but until then all the entreaties in the world will probably fall on deaf ears at the cruiseline headquarters. Perhaps when the new locks in Panama open and it becomes less of a problem to redeploy even the largest ships to the West Coast, things will improve.

[DancingGypsy]

Us West Coasters and loyal Rccl/Celeb cruisers wont miss Mexico that much, however we want a few cruises from here. We have a great LA port/San Diego, so it would seem if they dont want to go to Mexico, we could go to Hawaii, Alaska, Maybe even a coastal cruise. Also why not a Chile to SFO and reverse? Even though Ca has been hit hard.......a lot of out-state want to come to Ca, San Francisco / LA , San Diegoand thats not counting Disneyland etc.......do you know Disneyland was sold out New Years Eve/Day that they had to stop selling tickets? So people are spending money in Ca! Maybe the ships dont want to spend "their" money because the ports are high in Hawaii, LA & San Diego.