Bad idea to take last sailing date before repositioning?

[Sun&Sand52]

DH and I are in our late 50s and looking for an R & R cruise but will be sailing in March or April. Trying to avoid the possible "Spring Break" congestion that could be on the Reflections or Silhouette during March or April so I am considering the last sailing date for the season. I have heard mention that taking the last sailing before a reposition may not be the best because the crew is looking forward to being elsewhere. So service might be an issue.

 

Anyone know if this is true or if there is a downside to taking the last sailing before repositioning?

[CRUZBUDS]

I don't think re-positioning has anything to do with the crew -- they come and go constantly. Their contracts don't run as a ship, they're individual.

 

They are sometimes excited about a new itinerary. I remember one time we did the last Alaska of the season -- our waiter was looking forward to the upcoming Hawaii schedule.

 

We've done many last trips and first trips -- we've never noticed an difference from any other cruise.

 

The first cruise out of dry-dock is a different matter :eek:

[TeaBag]

We did the last Equinox trip before the TA and the TA also. The difference between the two was remarkable. A lot of the crew got off after the last sailing in Europe and the service was good on the TA but not outstanding as it had been on the final Europe sailing.

 

There might be some good sales in the shops on the last trip. Go for it and enjoy your R&R.

[wallie5446]

None what so ever, it is just another sailing to the crew. The Reflection is wonderful. After 25 yrs of cruises, the wifesters now favorite ship.

[Terpnut]

1. We sailed Silhouette last year immediately before she repositioned and later the same summer in the Med so we had the perfect comparison with the same ship and most of the same crew. The pre-repositioning cruise was perhaps our BEST cruise ever. Conclusion: No problems with the last regular sailing before repositioning.

 

2. Many school systems in the US have spring breaks to either end of Easter, and this year, Easter is very late--on April 20th. So Silhouette's last E. Caribbean cruise IS a spring break cruise! With that said, the sailing is not selling well, there are good discounts to be had, and I don't anticipate a ship full of screaming kids (except for mine :))!

 

3. Reflection's final Caribbean sailing is the week that includes and follows Easter so you may have fewer kids on this sailing but this may also be Spring Break for some schools.

 

But again, few of this year's sailings around spring break are selling well anyhow so I do not think there will be any "spring break congestion" unless you book a newer and/or kid-friendly ship like RCI Allure OTS or Oasis OTS. All the other sailings seem to be selling poorly due to massive overcapacity in the industry.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Terpnut

[akowilm]

We sailed on the Reflection last April 13th, the last sailing of her Inaugural season before her TA. Service, food, cleanliness, etc were all well above par. No issues at all. We spoke with lots of staff that were excited for the TA, but said the European sailings were very different from the Caribbean sailings, and the ships took a 'harder beating' in Europe. Would I book a final sailing again? In a heartbeat!

[vedettes1]

We sailed Equinox final Med cruise in 2012. For some, it is the end of a contract; for others a transition to another part of the world. Either way, the crew all seemed to be in a good mood and we had a wonderful time.

[Maligator]

We sailed Equinox final Med cruise in 2012. For some, it is the end of a contract; for others a transition to another part of the world. Either way, the crew all seemed to be in a good mood and we had a wonderful time.

 

We were also on that sailing. The ship was not too crowded and we got bumped from S1 to RS, which I attribute to it being very late in the season. I doubt that would have happened during the peak.

 

Another benefit was the ports were often nearly deserted. We were the only ship in Messina, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. While we were alone in Kusadasi, Costa Pacifica was up the coast and sent a few to Ephesus. That being said, Ephesus was NOT elbow-to-elbow as I have heard it described by others who went when there were half a dozen ships. We'd have been alone in Rhodes, but Costa Pacifica adjusted their itinerary due to violence in Israel. Still, I never felt crowded, except for the Grand Masters' Palace.

 

On the other side of that late-season coin, while it was a dream come true to have Santorini to ourselves, I estimate more than half the shops, galleries and restaurants were shuttered for the season. I heard we were the second-to-last ship before the winter break. That being said, we weren't there to shop. We went for the scenery and history, so it was perfect.

 

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[wallie5446]

Oh, I guess it would be considered the same thing, our sailing on the Reflection last Nov was the first one after the return from the Med. The wifester said it was our best cruise in 25 years!