Not looking good for Galveston 2012

[Jimnbigd]

I would love it if they would just bring a ship back to Galveston in September instead of waiting until November!

 

I wonder if hurricane season is also a factor. It is probably easier to go around a hurricane in the Atlantic that it is the Gulf of Mexico -- especially a category 4 or 5.

[jewopaho]

Port Canaveral has less to offer than Galveston as ships sail a short schedule and only go to the Bahamas. They are all "quickies".

FYI: The shuttle takes a lot longer than 30 minutes.

I think this is inaccurate. Carnival (Dream), Royal Caribbean (Freedom) and Disney (Magic) all sail 7-nighters from Port Canaveral. We've shuttled from Orlando to PC ... about a half-hour, plus a little longer to unload.

 

If it were feasible, I'm certain that there would be more than one ship homeported year-round. I'd love to have as many options as I could. But it's all about the numbers ... and moving ships to short-season (and highly profitable) venues just makes more economic sense for RCI (and now Princess). Remember ... Carnival has more ships in the water than any other cruise line, so it's a bit more flexible.

[KITKAT0229]

I don't think Galveston has anything to worry about. Princess is moving a ship their in the coming future and Carnival is increasing compacity.

[time4u2go]

Port Canaveral has less to offer than Galveston as ships sail a short schedule and only go to the Bahamas. They are all "quickies".

 

That is anything but true. I just did a quick search, and there are 19 cruises out of PC to the Caribbean (not the Bahamas), all at least 7 nights (we've done 3 of those:D). You might want to do a little research before making statements like that.

 

One thing I find amusing is the cruises that are out of Galveston that are called "Eastern Caribbean". They don't go to the Caribbean at all...they go to the Bahamas!

[deborahjo]

The TA ends in Rome May 2012. If you search "Mariner" you can find Julie's post.

 

So are you saying it was confirmed to you that the Mariner will not be coming back to Galveston at all?

[Galveston Cruiser]

I apologize as the Freedom and Dream offer longer cruises; but the majority are 3, 4 & 5 day.

Jamaica is considered the Caribbean. Nothing out of Galveston goes to the Bahamas.

We still like our port and trust there will be addtional ships on the horizon. At one time we had Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and RCCL. There were times 18,000 passengers were arriving and departing on the same day.

 

Our shuttle, waiting for it and additional passengers and drive to PC was 3 hours.

[klingoncruiser]

I really doubt we will see a ship out of Galveston year round for quite a while. All the cruise lines are fighting for space in Europe and other countries. I am happy to have what we have now. Just ask the west coast about that and any who remember when everyone pulled out of Galveston for a while.

[jewopaho]

I think the reason they are leaving the West Coast is due to the problems in Mexico for those itineraries.

It's got more to do with the California economy going in the tank. The #1 demographic for the Mexican Riviera cruises is southern Californians; #2 is northern Californians. Cruise lines often advertised fire-sale prices just to fill the ships. Add the facts the the itinerary is the same old same old, and that Mexico hasn't exactly had the best public relations lately, and it's cause for concern. There's money to be made in Europe right now, and that's where the concentration is.

 

I never understand why some people suggest sailing out of Galveston is difficult, or that it isn't airport friendly. I live in Los Angeles, and I've taken a few crusies out of Galveston and I love it. The drive form Hobby airport is less than an hour, there are nice hotels very close to the port, and the boarding process there is one of the quickest of any port I have been to.

 

I really like it, and it's closer to LA than Florida.:)

Agreed ... but only Southwest flies directly into Hobby from LAX. JetBlue has great flights from the east coast, but that's about it. The others (Frontier, Delta, AirTran and American) do not have schedules that are favorable to cruise ship departures. They all require plane changes and layovers ... and for not-so-hot itineraries, most cruisers would opt for other homeports. The main air terminal (IAH) is 90 minutes to two hours away from Galveston, and the cost of getting to and from the ship can be pricey ... again, for an ordinary itinerary, it's not the first choice of cruise passengers.

[time4u2go]

I apologize as the Freedom and Dream offer longer cruises; but the majority are 3, 4 & 5 day.

Jamaica is considered the Caribbean. Nothing out of Galveston goes to the Bahamas.

We still like our port and trust there will be addtional ships on the horizon. At one time we had Celebrity, Princess, Carnival and RCCL. There were times 18,000 passengers were arriving and departing on the same day.

 

Our shuttle, waiting for it and additional passengers and drive to PC was 3 hours.

 

First of all, the NCL Sun, Disney Magic, and Disney Fantasy also have 7 night PC cruises.

 

Second, you stated "Nothing out of Galveston goes to the Bahamas." Not true. The Carnival Conquest goes to Nassau and Freeport (which they refer to as their "Eastern Caribbean" cruise:confused:).

 

Third, you stated that your shuttle was 3 hours from the airport to PC, but that the time included waiting for other passengers. That's hardly a valid comparison to anything! The distance is 45 miles, and it typically takes 30-45 minutes.

 

I'm certainly not saying that Galveston isn't a good option for many, it's just that I think most cruisers would agree that PC offers significant advantages that Galveston simply does not. It has more destination options (Bahamas, Western Caribbean, and true Eastern Caribbean), and it is a quick and easy drive from a major airport that offers flights to practically anywhere.:D

[GORDONCHICK]

We sailed on Celebrity Galaxy for a fabulous partial transit of the Panama Canal - out of Galveston. We also did another good cruise on the Grand Princess, where we visited Belize for the 1st time - also out of Galveston. I for one, would love more options out of Galveston. The Oklahoma and Texas economies are solid, especially when compared to other states. We've driven to New Orleans for a wonderful cruise on the NCL Spirit, and would do that again in a heartbeat.

 

I get the feeling that some posters are kinda snobby about Galveston, but I don't get it. The processes of boarding and disembarking were 10X better in Galveston than Miami, NOLA, and Vancouver. Galveston is easy to get around, charming and friendly. Didn't care or Miami and while NOLA is kinda cool, I like Galveston much better. I'm also okay with those of you who don't like Galveston not going there.

[pspercy]

The main air terminal (IAH) is 90 minutes to two hours away from Galveston,

 

How far from the new & unused Houston terminal ? Pretty close if I remember right. Not been on the east side for ages as I always take the west-about tollroad.

[Texas Teen]

You KNOW Royal Caribbean has too many ships in Europe during the summer when they can't send anything at a port where a rival is sending their newest, largest ship! :(

 

You also know Royal Caribbean has too many ships in Europe during the summer when the Southern Caribbean isn't even an option! :eek:

 

You would think that Royal Caribbean would at least send something to compete with their rival's newest & largest ship, even if it were a lame vision class ship. The fact that Carnival is bringing their newest, LARGEST ship should mean that demand for Galveston is very large and growing even more! Otherwise, they wouldn't be bringing the Magic. I don't see how it's so drastically different for Royal Caribbean.

 

To vettecruiser1, Serenade shouldn't be leaving San Juan. When she leaves, there won't be any ships going to the Southern Caribbean in the Summer, which is just as bad if not worse than our situation. I guess it would be okay for Serenade to be here if Adventure stayed in San Juan, but I think it would be easier to keep Mariner here.

[CruzinMonkey'sMom]

So are you saying it was confirmed to you that the Mariner will not be coming back to Galveston at all?

 

I am booked on the Mariner for March 2012 out of Galveston! I hope its

coming to that port.

[Pacruzer]

01 May 2012 Transatlantic C 15 RCI Mariner Of The Seas MIA view N/A —

16 May 2012 Eastern Mediterranean C 12 RCI Mariner Of The Seas ROM view N/A —

28 May 2012 Eastern Mediterranean C 12 RCI Mariner Of The Seas ROM view N/A —

09 Jun 2012 Western Mediterranean C 7 RCI Mariner Of The Seas ROM view N/A —

10 Jun 2012+ Eastern Mediterranean C 7 RCI Mariner Of The Seas GOA view N/A —

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02 Nov 2012 Transatlantic C 16 RCI Mariner Of The Seas ROM view N/A —

 

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[Pacruzer]

Fri 02 Nov 2012 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 05:00 PM Boarding

Sat 03 Nov 2012 Ajaccio, Corsica 08:00 AM 04:00 PM Docked

Sun 04 Nov 2012 Palma De Mallorca, Spain 11:00 AM 07:00 PM Docked

Mon 05 Nov 2012 Cartagena, Spain 09:00 AM 05:00 PM Docked

Tue 06 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Wed 07 Nov 2012 Lanzarote, Canary Islands 10:00 AM 06:00 PM Docked

Thu 08 Nov 2012 Tenerife, Canary Islands 07:00 AM 03:00 PM Docked

Fri 09 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Sat 10 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Sun 11 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Mon 12 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Tue 13 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Wed 14 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Thu 15 Nov 2012 Nassau, Bahamas 09:00 AM 06:00 PM Docked

Fri 16 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Sat 17 Nov 2012 Cruising Cruising

Sun 18 Nov 2012 Galveston, Texas 06:00 AM Departure

[GORDONCHICK]

RCCL's somewhat recent history in Galveston is that one of their ships is only there from late November to late April, so this is not new.

[jewopaho]

You KNOW Royal Caribbean has too many ships in Europe during the summer when they can't send anything at a port where a rival is sending their newest, largest ship! :(

 

You also know Royal Caribbean has too many ships in Europe during the summer when the Southern Caribbean isn't even an option! :eek:

 

You would think that Royal Caribbean would at least send something to compete with their rival's newest & largest ship, even if it were a lame vision class ship. The fact that Carnival is bringing their newest, LARGEST ship should mean that demand for Galveston is very large and growing even more! Otherwise, they wouldn't be bringing the Magic. I don't see how it's so drastically different for Royal Caribbean.[/b]

Those "too many ships" are making money hand over fist ... that's why they're in Europe. Sail dates sell out months in advance, there is no need to drop prices just to fill the ships, and those transatlantic repositioning cruises are among the most popular itineraries. It really has nothing to do with the competition. The Voyager is a consistent sellout, as the Mariner will be (yes, it's coming to Galveston in November ... it will be drydocked before beginning its European season, so it should be in outstanding condition). It's all about the bottom line, and for the five months that the RCI ship is here, it does well. Add in the two transatlantics, and sailing at capacity in Europe all spring and summer, and there's absolutely no reason to alter the schedules.

 

The Southern Caribbean summer itineraries (or any venue closer to the Equator) aren't the popular options that many think they are. Simply put, it's just too hot! Yes, there are some who like it, and the number of ships doing those runs seems to accommodate them. The other cruise choices of the season (Alaska, Canada/New England, Bermuda) along with the theme parks, and destinations such as Yellowstone, provide a varied vacation menu.

 

This thread has really gotten out of control ... to get back to where we should be:

 

Galveston is a terrific option for those of us who can drive to the port. Vacationers lucky enough to be able to fly into Hobby can also take advantage of cruising out of there. Because of its limited logistics and itineraries, its appeal is relatively narrow ... but that's OK. One ship year-round is about all the traffic will bear. Bringing in others for the winter season has proven sccessful ... so much so that Princess will be returning in 2012. The likelihood of another year-round ship sailing out of Galveston is remote at best. Everyone's making money right now ... it ain't broke, so they're not gonna fix it.

[Galveston Cruiser]

Carmen: Thanks for the vote of confidence. There are cruisers that prefer certain ports for dismebarkation. That is what makes horse races.

I just get tired of all the negativity about Galveston.

[BonTXNY]

Carmen: Thanks for the vote of confidence. There are cruisers that prefer certain ports for dismebarkation. That is what makes horse races.

I just get tired of all the negativity about Galveston.

 

No negativity here. Our Jan. 2012 Mariner cruise will be our 4th W. Carib. itinerary from Galveston. Although a change would be nice, we always anticipate having a wonderful cruise. We work hard all year long, as most of the posters do, and we look forward to a relaxing week at sea, visiting foreign ports, making new friends, cruising with old friends, etc., etc. We love it. We'll never tire of sitting on a beach in Mexico or Grand Cayman :D Plus we have our first hump balcony cabin in Jan!! Can you see me smiling? :):D

[jewopaho]

We feel the same way. Thankfully, we can cruise a least three times a year. Galveston is always on the schedule ... hey, why not? We can get there in less than an hour, there's no hassle with airports, and it's a wonderful week away. We've been to the ports dozens of times ... and if the mood strikes us, we'll do something. Otherwise, staying aboard (or just poking around the port) is fine. We cruise elsewhere at least twice a year (Alaska coming up in May, and we're looking at transatlantics for next fall) ... but we never leave Galveston out of our plans.

[Texas Teen]

Those "too many ships" are making money hand over fist ... that's why they're in Europe. Sail dates sell out months in advance, there is no need to drop prices just to fill the ships, and those transatlantic repositioning cruises are among the most popular itineraries. It really has nothing to do with the competition. [sNIP] Add in the two transatlantics, and sailing at capacity in Europe all spring and summer, and there's absolutely no reason to alter the schedules.

 

The Southern Caribbean summer itineraries (or any venue closer to the Equator) aren't the popular options that many think they are. Simply put, it's just too hot! Yes, there are some who like it, and the number of ships doing those runs seems to accommodate them. The other cruise choices of the season (Alaska, Canada/New England, Bermuda) along with the theme parks, and destinations such as Yellowstone, provide a varied vacation menu.

 

Those ships are making money hand over fist? No price drops are needed to fill all those ships in Europe? :confused: Have you even checked prices in Europe lately? Prices are cheaper in Europe than they are in the U.S.

 

Here, I checked prices for both the U.S. and Europe for this July. Prices have dropped for just about every ship in Europe since I last checked about a month ago. Prices have gone up for Serenade from San Juan since I last checked. (as well as for Enchantment and Explorer.)

 

 

Minimum prices per person for July; rounded up to the nearest 10th:

UNITED STATES / N. AMERICA........... EUROPE / MEDITERRANEAN

 

NINE (9) NIGHTS: ................................ ELEVEN (11) NIGHTS:

Explorer of the Seas... 2,090 ............... Splendour of the Seas... 1,300

Enchantment of the Seas... 1,280 ........ Mariner of the Seas... 800

 

SEVEN (7) NIGHTS: ............................. SEVEN (7) NIGHTS:

Allure of the Seas… 1,150 ................... Liberty of the Seas... 1,000

Oasis of the Seas… 1,100 ................... Mariner of the Seas... 900

Serenade of the Seas… 1,050 .............. Navigator of the Seas... 900

Freedom of the Seas… 1,000 ............... Grandeur of the Seas... 810

........................................ .................. Vision of the Seas... 760

FIVE (5) NIGHTS: .................................Voyager of the Seas... 720

Enchantment of the Seas… 1,010 ......... Adventure of the Seas... 700

Explorer of the Seas… 970

[lovemylab]

Those ships are making money hand over fist? No price drops are needed to fill all those ships in Europe? :confused: Have you even checked prices in Europe lately? Prices are cheaper in Europe than they are in the U.S.

 

Here, I checked prices for both the U.S. and Europe for this July. Prices have dropped for just about every ship in Europe since I last checked about a month ago. Prices have gone up for Serenade from San Juan since I last checked. (as well as for Enchantment and Explorer.)

 

 

Minimum prices per person for July; rounded up to the nearest 10th:

UNITED STATES / N. AMERICA........... EUROPE / MEDITERRANEAN

 

NINE (9) NIGHTS: ................................ ELEVEN (11) NIGHTS:

Explorer of the Seas... 2,090 ............... Splendour of the Seas... 1,300

Enchantment of the Seas... 1,280 ........ Mariner of the Seas... 800

 

SEVEN (7) NIGHTS: ............................. SEVEN (7) NIGHTS:

Allure of the Seas… 1,150 ................... Liberty of the Seas... 1,000

Oasis of the Seas… 1,100 ................... Mariner of the Seas... 900

Serenade of the Seas… 1,050 .............. Navigator of the Seas... 900

Freedom of the Seas… 1,000 ............... Grandeur of the Seas... 810

........................................ .................. Vision of the Seas... 760

FIVE (5) NIGHTS: .................................Voyager of the Seas... 720

Enchantment of the Seas… 1,010 ......... Adventure of the Seas... 700

Explorer of the Seas… 970

 

You left out a few for Europe...Brilliance (1200), Independence (2000) and Jewel (1900). Can't help but notice how you omitted the most popular and expensive European itineraries from your post :rolleyes:

 

All your post shows is that for inside cabins, Europe currently has lower prices. Keep in mind the heavy price drops for Caribbean sailings usually happens after final payment.

 

When I look at balcony prices for Caribbean in July I'm seeing a range of $1400-$2200, and $1800-$3100 for suites. For the Europe sailings, balconies range from $750 to $3200 and suites range from $1000 to $6000. On average, the price of a balcony or suite is more for Europe compared to the Caribbean.

 

Several of the Europe sailings are sold out of balconies and/or suites. All the Caribbean sailings had balconies and suites available. So based on that, it appears that the Europe sailings are selling better...especially in the higher priced categories ;)

 

The RCCL execs know more than you do. If they weren't making money in Europe they wouldn't have so many ships there.

[jewopaho]

Well, you got me! What you need to do is immediately get hold of Royal Caribbean's CEO (agoldstein@rccl.com) and let him know that, despite a healthy bottom line and virtually every cruise sailing at capacity, he's got it all wrong. You have the answers and the figures to back them up. What he needs to do is get a new year-round ship to Galveston before Carnival's Magic takes all RCI's business, and the Mariner sails half-empty. Sheeeesh!! Incidentally, I also looked at the numbers ... glad you're not doing my taxes!

[boingy300]

I'd be more interested in comparing airfare to Europe than Fl. or Texas. $1400 round trip is ridiculous for our family to even consider with college looming. I was really looking forward to a So. Caribbean in June 2012 out of SJU (Air $550). May have to stray from Royal as they apparently strayed from the Caribbean......

Karen

[time4u2go]

Well, you got me! What you need to do is immediately get hold of Royal Caribbean's CEO (agoldstein@rccl.com) and let him know that, despite a healthy bottom line and virtually every cruise sailing at capacity, he's got it all wrong. You have the answers and the figures to back them up. What he needs to do is get a new year-round ship to Galveston before Carnival's Magic takes all RCI's business, and the Mariner sails half-empty. Sheeeesh!! Incidentally, I also looked at the numbers ... glad you're not doing my taxes!

 

Lol my thoughts exactly. I'm sure once RCI sees Texas Teen's analysis they'll rethink their strategy and reposition ships accordingly!;):D