Beating a DEAD Horse from a So Cal Guy!

[pscruzinboyz]

OK Royal, This has been discussed so many times....But no Pictures were involved. Now I have Proof! Went on a 40 mile Bicycle ride along the coast from Huntington Beach to Long Beach and this is what I saw......

OLDEST AND THE ELDERLY!

There has to be something you can do to make us Happy on the West Coast? And no, just not for one or two sailing a year....maybe a Season once the new Panama Canal opens.

I Just got off the Navigator and she is now the WOW ship of the fleet!

PLEASE BRING WOW back to Los Angeles....PLEASE!

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

 

[joepeka]

In fairness regarding your photo, the Queen Mary is permanently docked in Long Beach and not sailing anywhere. But maybe that's your wry humor at work? Regardless, living close to the West coast I have to agree with you - the choices from LA/San Diego/etc. have shrunk to almost non-existent levels. I understand the economics of it from the cruise lines perspective but it's still frustrating. Almost makes me wish we lived in Florida...... almost. ;)

[Beachin2]

In fairness regarding your photo, the Queen Mary is permanently docked in Long Beach and not sailing anywhere. But maybe that's your wry humor at work? Regardless, living close to the West coast I have to agree with you - the choices from LA/San Diego/etc. have shrunk to almost non-existent levels. I understand the economics of it from the cruise lines perspective but it's still frustrating. Almost makes me wish we lived in Florida...... almost. ;)

 

I wouldn't go that far ...:D

[impatientlywaiting]

We were quick to book the Serenade 9/18/2015 Vancouver, B.C. to Los Angeles when it opened up! :)

Edited June 10, 2014 by impatientlywaiting

[Priusprof]

We've sailed twice from LA and there just is not enough interest to make us want to fly back to LA to cruise. The Mexican ports have gained a bad reputation for violence and the Jones Act prevents California coast cruises. Unfortunately, for you west coasters the majority of the US population lives east of the Mississippi and Florida and the Gulf Coast are more attractive cruise ports for the lines. If it was just RCCL it would be one thing but, that's not the case. During the summer months a lot of the cruise ships go to Europe and the Med. During the winter months the ships go, in part, to the southern hemisphere. Then there is the whole Asian market development scheme. There are a lot of factors working against you.

[LindaO]

Royal tried the west coast a few times... Remember the Mariner? Those cruises sailed with empty cabins and ridiculously low prices. Port fees in LA are HIGH. If they can't make the $$$ work... they won't sail. If they can't fill the ships... they can't port a ship there. Get the city behind a cruise port... and maybe Royal will be able to make a good showing on the west coast. I hate it.. because we loved sailing the Mexican Rivera... but those ports now have so many problems I'm glad we did it years ago. We stayed in the Long Beach area for 3 days prior to sailing... and a few days after. It was a great vacation... Tax relief and incentives by the port would be a good start. The port needs to court the cruise ships. That is one way the game is played!

[ace1zoe2]

We were quick to book the Serenade 9/18/2015 Vancouver, B.C. to Los Angeles when it opened up! :)

 

 

Come join us on the very active Roll Call thread! We've already had over 500 comments in the last 4 months & 42 cabins on the roll call mostly aft & hump booked really early!

 

Looks like it's going to be a fun group :)

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Actually the cruise port picture is Carnival's port in Long Beach. The LA cruise port that all other ships sail from including when Mariner was still there, is on the other side of that harbor a couple miles away. NCL, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America and Carnival all still sail the mexican riviera and in fact Carnival has just added another ship so they will be doing year round mexico cruises.

 

The pacific coastal is popular so I suspect they are testing the water with that ship. The Jewel is doing a pacific coastal cruise (including Ensenada to make it legal) October 2015. It's darn near sold out already.

 

Mexican ports have done a lot lately to bring the ships back and make it worth it to the industry. I suspect RCI will join eventually but it may be another couple years. Carnival & some others have just re-added Mazatlan to their port stops.

Edited June 10, 2014 by AZ Karaoke Girl

[cruzsnooze]

One of the problems as I see it is that to get anywhere from Los Angeles except Mexico and the Coastal they would have to go through the Panama Canal. Many sailing do that from the west coast but they are one way so you have to fly home. Hawaii is another option from the west coast and Alaska in the summer also leaves from the west coast.

[la2kw]

I feel your pain. I just got off that old Carnival ship. It was a fun cruise, but man that ship was ugly and old.

 

Princess, HAL, and Carnival are all starting to do Mexican Riviera again. I recently read an article about how Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta are all cooperating to upgrade facilities and attract cruises again. http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5864

 

We love the Mexican Riviera cruises and are looking to sail one again next year.

[la2kw]

We've sailed twice from LA and there just is not enough interest to make us want to fly back to LA to cruise. The Mexican ports have gained a bad reputation for violence and the Jones Act prevents California coast cruises. Unfortunately, for you west coasters the majority of the US population lives east of the Mississippi and Florida and the Gulf Coast are more attractive cruise ports for the lines. If it was just RCCL it would be one thing but, that's not the case. During the summer months a lot of the cruise ships go to Europe and the Med. During the winter months the ships go, in part, to the southern hemisphere. Then there is the whole Asian market development scheme. There are a lot of factors working against you.

 

There are California coastal cruises. They just need to stop in Ensenada once. Princess does them regularly.

[emilygrace]

We were quick to book the Serenade 9/18/2015 Vancouver, B.C. to Los Angeles when it opened up! :)

 

It's the Jewel that will be here next year, and we are booked on that cruise. Really looking forward to this one since the Jewel is my all time favorite ship (well, sharing the #1 spot with the Solstice).

[jcc1025]

We are very loyal RCL members, Diamond and close to DP. We have only sailed out of LA a couple of times but when we moved back here 7 years ago one of the things we liked was the idea of being able to drive to a cruise. About that time RCL pulled out of LA. I understand their reasons but wish they could figure it out. If the others can do it I don't understand while RCL can't. Their sister company seems to be able to so some west cost cruises.

The problem now is that air fare to FL is now almost more than the cruise. So we are thinking about changing ships and going with a competitor so we can sail more often. We are sad that it has come to this but it looks like this year might be our last RCL cruise due to the increase in air fares.

[bwaz]

There may be hope for the west coast. Disney is coming to San Diego in 2015.

 

Sent from my LG-D801 using Forums mobile app

[tahqa]

The Mexican ports have gained a bad reputation for violence and the Jones Act prevents California coast cruises.

 

Just a quibble, but it's the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (sometimes abbreviated to PVSA, Passenger Services Act, or PSA) that is in force here, not the Jones Act. The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly referred to as the Jones Act is a similar law that applies to cargo transportation. :)

[mjldvlks]

. . . the majority of the US population lives east of the Mississippi . . .

 

From my point of view, the distance to either is coast about the same. But my OCD requires me to point out that this statement is inaccurate. The center of US population is now in Missouri which [while east of me] is west of the Mississippi. It continues to move west and south.

 

Personally, I enjoy the west coast sailings. However, DW enjoyed a girls cruise this spring on Princess from LA -- so options remain.

[time4u2go]

From my point of view, the distance to either is coast about the same. But my OCD requires me to point out that this statement is inaccurate. The center of US population is now in Missouri which [while east of me] is west of the Mississippi. It continues to move west and south.

 

Personally, I enjoy the west coast sailings. However, DW enjoyed a girls cruise this spring on Princess from LA -- so options remain.

Actually the original statement is correct - that a majority of the US population is east of the Mississippi. While the center of US population is west of the Mississippi, that location is affected by distance. In other words, most of the people living west of the Mississippi live a lot further from it than those that are east of it.

 

As of 2011, 58% of the US population lived east of the Mississippi:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_United_States

[maitaiguy]

We are very loyal RCL members, Diamond and close to DP. We have only sailed out of LA a couple of times but when we moved back here 7 years ago one of the things we liked was the idea of being able to drive to a cruise. About that time RCL pulled out of LA. I understand their reasons but wish they could figure it out. If the others can do it I don't understand while RCL can't. Their sister company seems to be able to so some west cost cruises.

The problem now is that air fare to FL is now almost more than the cruise. So we are thinking about changing ships and going with a competitor so we can sail more often. We are sad that it has come to this but it looks like this year might be our last RCL cruise due to the increase in air fares.

 

I agree that airfare is getting to be a problem coming from California. We have enjoyed several Caribbean cruises, from Florida and Texas, but most of our cruises have been from LA.

 

It is nice being able to drive to the port. I thought it was Christmas when Mariner came to LA. I was so happy. We were on Mariner for a 7 day Mexico cruise in May 2010. What a ship....especially after going on some of the oldest ships in the fleet from LA previously.

 

I was so upset when RC pulled out of LA I wrote them a letter. IMHO they were leaving the LA market to Carnival who was still sailing 3, 4 and 7 day cruises year round. Many people have their first cruise experience on one of the shorter cruises and stay with the cruise line they know. RC is our line of choice, although we have also been on NCL, Carnival and Princess.

 

FYI, our RT air on Southwest to Galveston was higher priced by almost $100 than our DD RT flight to Miami later this month. We flew May 24 and she is flying at the end of June which should be peak summer pricing. It makes Galveston much less appealing than flying to Miami. (And we LOVED cruising with the Texans!!!!)

 

We can't cruise during most of the year. We are pretty much stuck with summer and that leaves out most options out of LA.

[ASeaPrincess1]

I agree.......bring us a ship!

Since Vision and Mariner have left Los Angeles, I have defected to Princess. They are doing quite well with Mexico, Coastals and Hawaii.

I did just get off Serenade from New Orleans, and will be going back next April for the NOLA/Boston repo. Airfare does get costly, though........as well as hotels.

I did jump on the Jewel coastal for next October. :D:D

Trying to show support for Royal to bring back a ship to the west coast....:)

[pollux]

Why worry about RCL.

Between San Pedro and Long Beach you can sail everyday somewhere with HAL, Princes,

NCl, Disney, Celebrity and yes sometime Cunard.

[dadroy]

We used to cruise more often, but with RCCL moving off the west coast, I have to fly to Alaska (been there 5 times) or way east to use them. The airfare makes it twice as expensive.

 

I know NCL goes out of LA, but good friends who know my likes and dislikes have told me I would not be happy. These same friends did do Princess, and I think I will give them a try. Who knows, maybe they will become my line of choice

[maitaiguy]

Why worry about RCL.

Between San Pedro and Long Beach you can sail everyday somewhere with HAL, Princes,

NCl, Disney, Celebrity and yes sometime Cunard.

 

I agree.....in the fall, winter and spring. Summertime those piers are pretty empty. I know that Carnival has some options out of Long Beach but they are their really old ships and after going on several Voyager class ships with RCI the old Carnival ships have little appeal.

 

Now maybe if Carnival would bring one of their newer ships back I would try them again. I know Carnival Splendour was here for awhile but we had Mariner here then.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I agree.....in the fall, winter and spring. Summertime those piers are pretty empty. I know that Carnival has some options out of Long Beach but they are their really old ships and after going on several Voyager class ships with RCI the old Carnival ships have little appeal.

 

Now maybe if Carnival would bring one of their newer ships back I would try them again. I know Carnival Splendour was here for awhile but we had Mariner here then.

 

Splendor came after Mariner left I believe. I didn't sail on Splendor until long after RCI pulled out. Carnival is bringing a 2nd Spirit Class ship. It currently has the Miracle and is bringing the Legend. If you like the Radiance class ship, you would probably like these ships as they are similar type layouts. Yes they are old.....2002 for the Legend but it was just refurbished this year.

[squadron]

We were quick to book the Serenade 9/18/2015 Vancouver, B.C. to Los Angeles when it opened up! :)

 

Isn't it the Jewel 9/18/2015? Hope so because that's what I am booked on!

[rubrrick]

Splendor came after Mariner left I believe. I didn't sail on Splendor until long after RCI pulled out. Carnival is bringing a 2nd Spirit Class ship. It currently has the Miracle and is bringing the Legend. If you like the Radiance class ship, you would probably like these ships as they are similar type layouts. Yes they are old.....2002 for the Legend but it was just refurbished this year.

 

Lisa......I really hope that you get your ships that Royal Caribbean sailed from the West Coast correct.

 

The Splendor never has been a West Coast ship. We are not long time sailors with Royal Caribbean, but they had a full time ship fro many years, the Monarch of the Seas, doing 3/4 night sailings. They sailed full, and according to some of the old time top dogs, including Jack Williams, who was the President of Royal Caribbean before AG, said that the "cash cows" of Royal Caribbean were the Sovereign OTS, the Majesty OTS, both sailing out of the East Coast, and the Monarch OTS, sailing out of Los Angeles.

 

This is from the year 2006, and I know that much has happened since then, from California fees, and environmental issues, but they just plain made a mistake by bringing the Mariner to the West Coast.

 

They need to take a lesson from Carnival......who is laughing all the way to the bank, and has been for years, as they command the West Coast market.

 

Notice, that all of the posters here, have talked about the ships that sail from the West Coast.........Carnival, Princess, HAL.........all belong to Carnival.

 

We too, have switched to Princess, and are enjoying the West Coast....Mexican Riveria, Sea of Cortez, and Wine Country cruises.

 

There are as many shootings in Denver, DC, and other areas as there are in Mexico. Yet many are afraid of Mexico, but not the U.S. Why?

 

I still own property in Mexico, and happen to love it!

 

There are deaths all around the world........and many places that I would not travel in......but Mexico is not one of them.

 

We all take our chances, in any travel. For some of you, it may be safer to travel to Mexico than to your local supermarket.

 

Think about it!!

 

Rick