Why aren't there more options that port out of the NE?

[aidansaunt2004]

Why aren't there more cruising "options" that have ports that depart in the Northeastern US?

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

Flying is no longer an option and we live in Ohio, so Miami is about a 22-24 hour drive (without any accidents forcing delays).

 

There are only a few decent ships (from other lines as well) that leave Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if newer ships or even updated ships left this area, making it more affordable for those of us that live pretty far away from Florida? If my dreams came true, the Dream or even the Magic would leave the northeast at least part of the year.

 

NCL's newest ship (not out yet) will be leaving from NY but it's $2,100 for an inside cabin for 2 (which is more than I want to pay for an inside).

 

Am I the only one that would be ecstatic if a "newer ship" left from either Maryland, NY or New Jersey? :D:)

[AdrenalineRush]

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

 

Im curious why its costing you that much to fly..which airports and airlines are you checking and what time of year? I live in southwestern Ohio and flying to Florida for $220 next month.

[Tapi]

What's your definition of "decent"? Currently, you have ships from Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, and Cunard sailing from northeast ports, many which are beyond decent. Some are downright wonderful. It seems like you DO have a great selection of ships and itineraries. Just expand your search options.

 

You may not be getting the Magic or similar on Carnival, but you are getting the Splendor. Not a bad ship!

 

As you mentioned, NCL Breakway is coming to town, but being the newest and largest ship sailing from NYC, it will command a premium price (just like the newest and largest ships from Florida command a premium price, like RCI's Oasis twins).

 

If you want the newest ships, you'll need to dig deeper in your pockets. If not, you still have a very wide selection of cruise lines and cruise ships to choose from (much better than from my closest "drive to" port which has ONE ship doing short cruises to the Bahamas! :( ).

[RuthlessBoss]

Ships go where there's profit. Ships from the south can carry to Caribbean destinations cheaper, as the distance is shorter, they can offer cheaper cruises. I bet it would be nice for you and others, but the cruiselines stay where they can offer more for the buck.

But, I'm sure you knew that anyway.

[SadieN]

Don't know why you are complaining. Ever check out the choices for us on the West Coast?

[newcruiser08820]

Why aren't there more cruising "options" that have ports that depart in the Northeastern US?

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

Flying is no longer an option and we live in Ohio, so Miami is about a 22-24 hour drive (without any accidents forcing delays).

 

There are only a few decent ships (from other lines as well) that leave Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if newer ships or even updated ships left this area, making it more affordable for those of us that live pretty far away from Florida? If my dreams came true, the Dream or even the Magic would leave the northeast at least part of the year.

 

NCL's newest ship (not out yet) will be leaving from NY but it's $2,100 for an inside cabin for 2 (which is more than I want to pay for an inside).

 

Am I the only one that would be ecstatic if a "newer ship" left from either Maryland, NY or New Jersey? :D:)

 

May I suggest booking far in advance ( you can always cancel before final payment). We booked new NCL from NY for next November about 6 months ago. Paid $ 770 per person for oceanview cabin. Of course, close to the sailing, especially on the new ship, will get more expensive. Also depends on the time of the travel. I also buy air tickets in advance ( at least 6 months out). We just went to Tampa for Carnival Legend and back from Orlando for $ 220 per person . Orlando only 1 hour away but it was cheaper for returned flight.

[emelvee]

Ships go where there's profit. Ships from the south can carry to Caribbean destinations cheaper, as the distance is shorter, they can offer cheaper cruises. I bet it would be nice for you and others, but the cruiselines stay where they can offer more for the buck.

But, I'm sure you knew that anyway.

They can also hit more ports than cruises from farther north due to the distance. We were looking to visit someplace new for next summer, and had to find a cruise out of Port Canaveral.

[Holders3]

Sorry you can't have the Magic, we just got her and we like her mucho.

[CharmedMom]

Im curious why its costing you that much to fly..which airports and airlines are you checking and what time of year? I live in southwestern Ohio and flying to Florida for $220 next month.

 

I was also wondering why it is costing so much - we live in NorthEastern Ohio (Canton) and it ranges from $200 pp to $320 pp depending on time of the year.

[aidansaunt2004]

I looked at United Airlines, Airtran and American Airlines. Airtran was the cheapest and it was still around $250 one way, per person. In the time frame which we're looking to go a cruise (March-May) there's a very limited selection of ships.

 

I checked flight prices from Dayton to Miami and I also checked Dayton to Orlando. I checked "host" websites and I checked the airline websites directly.

 

Out of Baltimore there are the following ships:

 

RCCL Enchantment of the Seas

RCCL Grandeur of the Seas

CCL Pride

 

Out of Bayonne:

RCCL Explorer of the Seas

Celebrity Summit

 

NY:

NCL Jewel & Gem

CCL Splendor & Miracle

NCL Breakaway

 

I wouldn't call that an extensive list. I've never cruised with RCCL, but if I'm correct, those are all older ships.

 

I guess the best way to put it is that we're looking for a ship that isn't "worn" (appearance wise) and we want a ship with a thermal suite in the spa. We really enjoyed the Cloud 9 spa on the Dream. Out of the options I listed, the Splendor would be $500 less than the Breakaway and we would have an inside spa cabin instead of a standard inside.

 

We absolutely loved the Dream. We loved the decor, the service, the options etc. I saw that the Splendor either did have a refurb (recently) or it's due to get one soon, but it isn't getting the popular 2.0 upgrades.

 

Caribbean King1, where did you find your flight? Is that roundtrip?

[gfy012]

Costs will vary for airfare depending on what month, week and even day and time you chose to fly. Yes please check out our options on the west coast, then you won't be complaining so much. :)

[paracer]

The Carnival Glory sails from Boston and NY during the warm months. It was just upgraded. My wife and I did the 5 day trip to Canada from New York. We can't wait to do it again. Sail away from Manhattan is quite a sight. Sure the cost is a bit more than sailing from Florida, but you are trading sailing time for flight time.

[AdrenalineRush]

 

Caribbean King1, where did you find your flight? Is that roundtrip?

 

Airtran Dayton to FLL roundtrip. I usually do kayak.com and click the box for nearby airports. It was actually cheaper than that if I drove to Columbus and took Airtran

[Tapi]

I wouldn't call that an extensive list. I've never cruised with RCCL, but if I'm correct, those are all older ships

 

IMHO, it is a pretty extensive list. You have just as many (if not more) ships than more popular FL ports like Tampa and Pt. Canaveral.

 

Think about it. If you want most innovative and largest, you have NCL Breakaway. If you want smaller and classy, you have Celebrity Summit, Holland America Maasdam, Veendam and Eurodam. If you want Carnival bargain prices, you have Glory and Splendour. If you want fairly new ships, you have Gem and Jewel. If you want luxury, you have the Queen Mary 2. If you want a premium cruise experience, you have Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess. If you want to sail from Baltimore, you have Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival Pride.

 

Royal's ships up north are indeed a bit older (Explorer was built in 2000 while Grandeur was built in 1996) but both ships have been renovated and aren't "worn". Royal does a great job at keeping their ships looking great and in great shape.

 

So you do have many options out of the northeast, not only with ships, but also with itinerary. If you still feel as if you have limited options, you may consider biting the bullet and purchasing airfare to sunny Florida.

[Carnival_Brides]

If you want to sail from Baltimore, the Pride is about as good as it gets for CCL. They can't dispatch any ships larger than Spirit class and with Spirit in Australia, Legend headed to Europe and Miracle headed for the west coast that leaves the Pride and the Fantasy class ships.

[Casino Player]

Why aren't there more cruising "options" that have ports that depart in the Northeastern US?

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

Flying is no longer an option and we live in Ohio, so Miami is about a 22-24 hour drive (without any accidents forcing delays).

 

There are only a few decent ships (from other lines as well) that leave Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if newer ships or even updated ships left this area, making it more affordable for those of us that live pretty far away from Florida? If my dreams came true, the Dream or even the Magic would leave the northeast at least part of the year.

 

NCL's newest ship (not out yet) will be leaving from NY but it's $2,100 for an inside cabin for 2 (which is more than I want to pay for an inside).

 

Am I the only one that would be ecstatic if a "newer ship" left from either Maryland, NY or New Jersey? :D:)

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO aidansaunt2004: We have a nice selection of ships leaving from ports in the Northeast. The Carnival Dream did a few cruises out of Manhattan in it's first season of service. It had some problems coming out of NYC. For one thing the ship was too large to use the ramps. Everyone had to go down to the lower level and board. It took a long time to board. It took a long time to get off the ship as well since only a limited number of people could get on and off at the same time. Holland America will be doing some cruises out of Boston, Montreal, and Quebec City as well as New York City. I hope that answers your question about the newer ships leaving from the Northeast.

[CRocks]

Why aren't there more cruising "options" that have ports that depart in the Northeastern US?

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

Flying is no longer an option and we live in Ohio, so Miami is about a 22-24 hour drive (without any accidents forcing delays).

 

There are only a few decent ships (from other lines as well) that leave Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if newer ships or even updated ships left this area, making it more affordable for those of us that live pretty far away from Florida? If my dreams came true, the Dream or even the Magic would leave the northeast at least part of the year.

 

NCL's newest ship (not out yet) will be leaving from NY but it's $2,100 for an inside cabin for 2 (which is more than I want to pay for an inside).

 

Am I the only one that would be ecstatic if a "newer ship" left from either Maryland, NY or New Jersey? :D:)

 

I live in OH + have driven to Tampa + Port Canaveral several times to cruise. They're each about 1000 miles + I've done Canaveral twice in one day. I agree, Miami's a stretch + always fly there to depart.

 

This time of year you'd be sailing in frigid weather leaving NE ports. Then, you're destinations would be limited due to mileage.

 

I fly SWA + never pay anywhere near that price. In fact, if you get their VISA rewards card they'll give you 2 round trip flights as a perk.

[Tapi]

Since your closest port of embarkation is Baltimore, you may want to take a look at Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. As mentioned before, she's not a new ship, but she just came out of a major revitalization which added more dining venues, entertainment options, bars, etc. Her public areas and staterooms were modernized as well. She will look and feel like a brand new ship.

 

You can learn more about the revitalization by clicking on this link: http://youtu.be/cehNs5OfUvU

[golfadj]

We live in a small town in Va and find airfare to be more than the cost of the cruise.

 

As a result we regularly drive 925 miles or so to Florida for our cruises.

 

Could do NY in half that but the itinaries are not as good as the Florida ones.

 

Also in colder weather why spend half the cruise in the cold?

[morrieb1]

 

I guess the best way to put it is that we're looking for a ship that isn't "worn" (appearance wise) and we want a ship with a thermal suite in the spa. We really enjoyed the Cloud 9 spa on the Dream. Out of the options I listed, the Splendor would be $500 less than the Breakaway and we would have an inside spa cabin instead of a standard inside.

 

We absolutely loved the Dream. We loved the decor, the service, the options etc. I saw that the Splendor either did have a refurb (recently) or it's due to get one soon, but it isn't getting the popular 2.0 upgrades.

 

Caribbean King1, where did you find your flight? Is that roundtrip?

 

 

I've been on both the Dream and the Splendor in the past few years and prefer the Splendor's thermal suite. Also, I think the Splendor is better suited for cruising from the northeast because the main pool has a retractable roof, as well as a much larger pool.

 

Decor- yes, the Dream has nicer decor (unless you love pink)......but I prefer the Splendor spa.

[Earthworm Jim]

I don't know when you are looking to go, but as a random date I checked 4/27/13 to 5/4/13 from Canton to Ft. Lauderdale on Southwest and I'm seeing $180 per person each way. That's not too outrageous these days. Might even be a bit cheaper if you were to sail out of Tampa.

[AdrenalineRush]

I don't know when you are looking to go, but as a random date I checked 4/27/13 to 5/4/13 from Canton to Ft. Lauderdale on Southwest and I'm seeing $180 per person each way. That's not too outrageous these days. Might even be a bit cheaper if you were to sail out of Tampa.

 

The OP was looking at Dayton flights, for those same dates she could fly Dayton to Fll on Airtran for $236pp round trip with one stop or $238pp round trip non stop on Airtran out of Columbus to Fll

[DirtyDawg]

I hear that one of the other cruise lines is going to base a ship out of Toledo with such exotic ports as;

Downtown Detroit

Sault Ste. Marie (BOTH!)

Thunder Bay and

Duluth

 

Ah, Duluth in December!:)

[wiskt]

Why aren't there more cruising "options" that have ports that depart in the Northeastern US?

 

We were looking at flying to Florida to go on a cruise.... until I priced flights. Last year our flights were $540 total for 2 of us. Now the flight will be close to $1,100!!! :eek:

 

Flying is no longer an option and we live in Ohio, so Miami is about a 22-24 hour drive (without any accidents forcing delays).

 

There are only a few decent ships (from other lines as well) that leave Maryland, New York and New Jersey.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if newer ships or even updated ships left this area, making it more affordable for those of us that live pretty far away from Florida? If my dreams came true, the Dream or even the Magic would leave the northeast at least part of the year.

 

NCL's newest ship (not out yet) will be leaving from NY but it's $2,100 for an inside cabin for 2 (which is more than I want to pay for an inside).

 

Am I the only one that would be ecstatic if a "newer ship" left from either Maryland, NY or New Jersey? :D:)

 

Im just outside Philadelphia, but have the option to fly from PHL, ABE and EWR. I never have my flights booked when I book my cruises because my cruises are booked too far in advance. Airfare always start out way high then drop , then go back up as it gets closer. I've always found my best flight deals about 6 weeks out from my departure date. If I looked 6-7 months prior they would be an additional $200. The most I've ever paid to fly non-stop roundtrip to any FL port is $180-250

 

Example I am flying Monday EWR-MIA 4 months ago they were $350+ for my dates, in Oct they were $249 Non Stop r/t

 

Be flexible if you can and learn their system

1- Know what airports you can choose from.

2- Know which airport is the HUB for which airlines.

3- Don't rule out Hacker fairs (2 one-way tickets) sometimes cheaper.

4- Check out options of FREE BAGGAGE if you pick up their credit card.

 

I set "watchdog airfair" (switch it & google it) alerts on my max amount and get notified when they drop.

 

Good Luck! Its all a game of knowing when to wait and when to pounce.

I VOTE to bring the cruise line industry BACK TO PHILADELPHIA.......... ANY CRUISE LINE! I wish they would build an upgraded fleet of SMALLER SHIPS that can fit under the bridges and down the less deep channels and rivers. Eventually that cruise line could have total tourist control of those unreachable ports that none of the mega-ships could get to.

[rjrpar]

RCCL's Explorer of the Seas sails out of NJ. It is an older ship but is as nice or nicer than the Carnival Magic. We've been on both and have enjoyed them very much.