Carnival cancels Splendor out of NY

[SKeighley]

I am a Platimun Cruiser with Carnival. We cruise two, sometimes three times a year. They just canceled three of my upcoming 2014 and 2015 cruises. My dh does not fly which is why we love NYC and Baltimore cruising ports.

We are cruising our last two CCL cruises in March and Oct of 2014, but unless they return we are switching cruise lines. We just booked RCCL Grandeur of the Sea out of Baltimore for Feb 2015. When I compare the cost of CCL cruise plus expenses and time to drive to FL, RCCL was cheaper and I would rather be on a ship for two days then fighting weather and traffic. Sorry Carniva I was loyal to you but you are not Loyal to me.

[medic149]

I am a Platimun Cruiser with Carnival. We cruise two, sometimes three times a year. They just canceled three of my upcoming 2014 and 2015 cruises. My dh does not fly which is why we love NYC and Baltimore cruising ports.

We are cruising our last two CCL cruises in March and Oct of 2014, but unless they return we are switching cruise lines. We just booked RCCL Grandeur of the Sea out of Baltimore for Feb 2015. When I compare the cost of CCL cruise plus expenses and time to drive to FL, RCCL was cheaper and I would rather be on a ship for two days then fighting weather and traffic. Sorry Carniva I was loyal to you but you are not Loyal to me.

Did you book for Feb 2015 out of Baltimore???? I just tried RCCL and they show nothing after June 2015 for Baltimore.

[medic149]

Congrats on your first post on Cruisecritic. What was it you thought Customer Service was going to do for you?

CCL customer service rushed me off of the phone as soon as they heard I lived in NY and when I told him I had been working with a travel planner at CCL, but seems that she has left. Never gave me any options or suggestions. I had to tell him that CCL was no longer sailing out NYC. After he put me on hold for almost 5 minutes, he said there are no more cruises scheduled and hung up on me. This is just one of the reasons why I always dealt directly with the same travel planner and never just called the main number. I wish I could find her again!! :)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Did you book for Feb 2015 out of Baltimore???? I just tried RCCL and they show nothing after June 2015 for Baltimore.

 

I don't think to many cruise lines have released their ship deployments after June 2015 except for NCL.

 

Bill

[paulypride]

I really hope they bring a different ship back to NYC for the 2015 season.

[papadave]

I, too, am disappointed. I was on the Splendor in December and was pleasantly surprised -- I like the ship, the fellow passengers, the food and even the ports. Really, I didn't expect to enjoy the ports, but I went to Cape Canaveral and also to a beach in Freeport. I was hoping to book another December cruise at a bargain price.

 

The corporation made a business decision. Either they weren't making money or they think they won't make money in the future or they anticipate they may be able to make more money elsewhere. Don't expect a clear answer.

 

I'll continue to cruise out of NYC for my own reasons -- I can take a subway to a bus to the ship rather than spending an additional day or two in transit to get to Florida. If anything, this will get me to cruise from Europe next time.

 

We should all feel fortunate that these are our problems.

[Muumuu]

Spoke with my PVP yesterday about my cruise out of Miami. While talking he said no more cruising out of NY due to upcoming emission laws going into effect.

[Carnival_Brides]

Spoke with my PVP yesterday about my cruise out of Miami. While talking he said no more cruising out of NY due to upcoming emission laws going into effect.

 

My PVP stalked me yesterday since I checked rates and when I told her that I was looking at other lines because of the Baltimore/NYC pull-out (we don't fly) she told me to hold and came back on the line to say that they were not "confirming permanency" of these decisions. I guess they'll get it figured out sooner-or-later.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Carnival_Brides

[Vitamin_Sea]

Spoke with my PVP yesterday about my cruise out of Miami. While talking he said no more cruising out of NY due to upcoming emission laws going into effect.

 

THats right. The new emission laws require an expensive fix.

Thats why CCL left Baltimore as well.

 

I guess they will have to make adjustments to some of the ships, just to get back into these markets.

[Maraprince]

THats right. The new emission laws require an expensive fix.

Thats why CCL left Baltimore as well.

 

I guess they will have to make adjustments to some of the ships, just to get back into these markets.

 

 

Eventually I am sure all US ports will have to comply. This will affect other cruise lines as well. We can expect to see prices rise across all the lines. It is just a question of timing.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Vitamin_Sea]

Eventually I am sure all US ports will have to comply. This will affect other cruise lines as well. We can expect to see prices rise across all the lines. It is just a question of timing.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Well, from what I read. It involves all ships within a certain number of miles to Canada. So, it involves all cruise lines.

 

Maybe some of the other lines have the correct emissions in place.

I do not know.

[Maraprince]

How can you tell that the Quantum is successful at filling their cabins at high prices?

 

Their first cruise isn't until November?

 

Bill

 

 

 

Typically new ships enter the market at a high price. If the cabins do not sell as well as expected, price will drop.

 

 

A year ago we left on a RCCL Explorer of the Seas cruise that started around $1100 for a balcony cabin. Prices kept rising up over $3,000 plus. When the amount of bookings expected at the higher pricing didn't happen, prices started to go down. The way this sailing was priced turned out to be higher than RCCL's 2 newer ships with all the extra bells and whilses. It just didn't make sense to price a 13-14 year old ship higher than the newest ships in the fleet.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Maraprince]

That's undoubtedly true for those who are making a decision primarly on price. Many cruisers (like myself) choose the product that fits what they most want and will pay for it, within reason. At the end of the day though, Splendor was dirt cheap out of NYC... significantly less expensive than NCL or what Royal is asking for Quantum (which IMHO is not unreasonably expensive for the product offered). Carnival should reflect on why Splendor was commanding such a low price out of NYC and see how they can enhance their product in such a way that it will command a higher price in the marketplace in the future.

 

 

Last year Carnival suffered with a lot of bad press/public opinion due to various accidents, etc. They had to drop their prices to get new passengers and returning passengers to book.

 

Plus, when they did a future cruise presentation on board the Splendor they asked the audience how many passengers were from NY, NJ, CT. Almost 90% of those in attendance raised their hands. At that point, the presenter said "I know you do not want to fly so let's get right to the sailings that leave out of NYC".

 

There is a big market in NYC and I do not see this as written in stone that Carnival will not have sailings going out of NYC ever again in December or later. The emissions upgrade will be done, prices will rise and Carnival will be back in the game. Other lines are subject to the same standards. NYC may end up with a brand new Carnival ship just like the new RCCL ship sailing out of NJ next November!

 

Bringing all ships up to the new emission standards is a good thing for the cruise industry overall.

 

MARAPRINCE

[ibcnusoon]

Last year Carnival suffered with a lot of bad press/public opinion due to various accidents, etc. They had to drop their prices to get new passengers and returning passengers to book.

 

Plus, when they did a future cruise presentation on board the Splendor they asked the audience how many passengers were from NY, NJ, CT. Almost 90% of those in attendance raised their hands. At that point, the presenter said "I know you do not want to fly so let's get right to the sailings that leave out of NYC".

 

There is a big market in NYC and I do not see this as written in stone that Carnival will not have sailings going out of NYC ever again in December or later. The emissions upgrade will be done, prices will rise and Carnival will be back in the game. Other lines are subject to the same standards. NYC may end up with a brand new Carnival ship just like the new RCCL ship sailing out of NJ next November!

 

Bringing all ships up to the new emission standards is a good thing for the cruise industry overall.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Don't forget about Baltimore and Boston. Carnival pulled out of those markets, too.

[ibcnusoon]

Well, from what I read. It involves all ships within a certain number of miles to Canada. So, it involves all cruise lines.

 

Maybe some of the other lines have the correct emissions in place.

I do not know.

 

Yes they do. No other line is pulling out of the northeast market except Carnival.

 

I'm assuming Carnival doesn't want to invest the money now, as other ships have already done?

[Carnival_Brides]

Don't forget about Baltimore and Boston. Carnival pulled out of those markets, too.

 

They pulled out of Boston because the New England cruisers weren't excited about cruising exclusively to Canada in the summer. We were able to snag an 8 day b2b and a 9 day b2b two years in a row for less than $550pp with taxes.

 

That decision was made before the EPA stuff popped up.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Carnival_Brides

[Maraprince]

Yes they do. No other line is pulling out of the northeast market except Carnival.

 

I'm assuming Carnival doesn't want to invest the money now, as other ships have already done?

 

 

Or planning to replace some of their older ships with newer ones that meet the new standards?

 

MARAPRINCE

[pamrose228]

Yes they do. No other line is pulling out of the northeast market except Carnival.

 

I'm assuming Carnival doesn't want to invest the money now, as other ships have already done?

 

If they want to make money in the spring and summer of 2015 out of nyc they will have to make the investment.

[Aplmac]

Or planning to replace some of their older ships

with newer ones that meet the new standards?

Yeah but apparently not even Breeze, their newest ship

has the necessary "scrubbers".

 

Only the new (being-built) VISTA will have scrubbers from the start.

All other Carnival ships will require a retro-fit to install scrubbers.

 

This lack of insight is not encouraging.

One woulda thought that at least the Dream Class should have seen this EPA thing coming

and have scrubbers installed from day one.

 

Nobody saw this coming?? :confused:

 

.

[jimbo5544]

Yeah but apparently not even Breeze, their newest ship

has the necessary "scrubbers".

 

Only the new (being-built) VISTA will have scrubbers from the start.

All other Carnival ships will require a retro-fit to install scrubbers.

 

This lack of insight is not encouraging.

One woulda thought that at least the Dream Class should have seen this EPA thing coming

and have scrubbers installed from day one.

 

Nobody saw this coming?? :confused:

 

.

I believe there is a total of two ships in the entire industry that currently have scrubbers.

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app from my IPhone

[JMAE]

Carnival has received approval to install scrubber on 32 of it ships across all their cruise lines. Of the 32, 17 will be on Carnival Cruise Lines ships, 9 Holland America ships, 7 Princess and Cunard's Queen Mary 2 by 2016. Also, there was a report August 2013 that Carnival entered a contract in 2012 to have 2 ships outfitted with scrubber, however due to confidentiality agreement the ships cannot be named.

 

I hope this means the NE cruises will return.

[ryba]

Carnival has received approval to install scrubber on 32 of it ships across all their cruise lines. Of the 32, 17 will be on Carnival Cruise Lines ships, 9 Holland America ships, 7 Princess and Cunard's Queen Mary 2 by 2016. Also, there was a report August 2013 that Carnival entered a contract in 2012 to have 2 ships outfitted with scrubber, however due to confidentiality agreement the ships cannot be named.

 

I hope this means the NE cruises will return.

 

Thank you for the info!!!

[ibcnusoon]

Carnival has received approval to install scrubber on 32 of it ships across all their cruise lines. Of the 32, 17 will be on Carnival Cruise Lines ships, 9 Holland America ships, 7 Princess and Cunard's Queen Mary 2 by 2016. Also, there was a report August 2013 that Carnival entered a contract in 2012 to have 2 ships outfitted with scrubber, however due to confidentiality agreement the ships cannot be named.

 

I hope this means the NE cruises will return.

 

That info is from October. This article, Tom Dow, Carnival Cruises vice president of public affairs, seems to say that Seattle is first on the list?

 

Carnival plans to spend more than $180 million to install the scrubbers in its entire fleet. It developed the scrubbers as an alternative to switching to the higher grade of more expensive fuel.

 

While it’s not completely clear which ships will get the technology first, “clearly the prime candidates include the ships based in Seattle,” Dow said.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/10/09/alaska-cruise-company-to-meet-new-air.html?page=all

Edited January 10, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[Maraprince]

That info is from October. This article, Tom Dow, Carnival Cruises vice president of public affairs, seems to say that Seattle is first on the list?

 

Carnival plans to spend more than $180 million to install the scrubbers in its entire fleet. It developed the scrubbers as an alternative to switching to the higher grade of more expensive fuel.

 

While it’s not completely clear which ships will get the technology first, “clearly the prime candidates include the ships based in Seattle,” Dow said.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/10/09/alaska-cruise-company-to-meet-new-air.html?page=all

 

 

This would seem to be an on-going retro fit throughout the fleet. So, the NE may yet go back to year round sailings out of NYC once there is a ship that meets the new standards.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Aplmac]

This would seem to be an on-going retro fit throughout the fleet.

So, the NE may yet go back to year round sailings out of NYC once there is a ship that meets the new standards.

Those new EPA standards can be met two ways.

 

* Burn the nasty cheap fuel they now use, but scrub the output..

 

* Burn more expensive cleaner fuels while you're in range of the EPA laws -and not need scrubbers

...because output will already be clean enough to comply.

 

 

Which route do the bean-counters like most -is what it'll boil down to.

 

.