Beating a DEAD Horse from a So Cal Guy!

[grnyel05]

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.

 

Splendor and Mariner were both sailing out of LA at the same time for at least a year and half. I mainly recall this because I went on one of the swine flu cruises in May 2009 on the Carnival Splendor and Mariner was also sailing on a modified itinerary. Splendor was still around when Mariner left in 2011.

 

My wish list would be if Royal Caribbean brought a ship back seasonally and did a few short 3/4 night cruises. I know everyone looks for different things in a cruise, but my ideal for west coast cruises is being able to get away for a weekend without having to miss work. As a result, I've been on Carnival and Princess for a number of cruises in the past year but would love if Royal Caribbean had something in that market.

[Ashland]

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

After many cruises with RCI from the west coast I did try PCL when the newly refurbished Sapphire made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I missed driving to the port of San Pedro...sorry PCL not for me..I kept comparing everything to my RCI ships...So excited to sail on the JOS pacific northwest next September and hoping that the testing of our west coast water's again by RCI will make them change their minds and come back.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

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. Rick

 

Rick: I think you misunderstood my post. The Splendor I'm referring to is a Carnival ship. The RCI Splendour of the Seas wasn't on the west coast. 2 different ships.

 

I agree about Mexico. If the ship goes to Ensenada, I think of the cruise as a cruise to nowhere and don't get off the ship. All sea days. If it goes to Cabo or Puerto Vallarta etc, I enjoy the port and I've been to Mexico a lot of times.

[bigeck]

We booked as soon as they were released. Seattle to Vancouver and tried to do a B2B down to LA but that was illegal. We decided to spend the 8 days in between and fly down to San Francisco and drive down to LA and Vegas and get on Jewel for another 7 nighter.

Want to take the opportunity to sail the West Coast with Royal just in case this a one off. If they do more the following year, then we will be back. Too much to see and do in 26 days.

 

Like you Californians, I wish Royal would do a British Isles cruise. It must be popular as Ruby Princess is sailing almost full and they are sending Royal Princess next year.

Edited June 12, 2014 by bigeck

[mjldvlks]

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

 

touché, you got me, mea culpa -- but it's relatively close to the Mississippi.

[Out to sea!]

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

 

Florida beats SoCal any day of the week! ;)

[jcc1025]

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.

 

Your right, in fact we are going out of Galveston on RCL in November with some friends. We were able to get flights, after bag fees, that were better than SW. Never sailing out of Galveston the issue now seems to be getting from Houston to Galveston. Still looking forward to a new adventure and we really like Navigator, not as much as Allure or Oasis, but still a great ship and looking forward to the remodel.

[mawmawmaw123]

Florida beats SoCal any day of the week! ;)

I disagree...

[Priusprof]

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

 

58% sounds like a majority to me.

[impatientlywaiting]

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

 

Yes, it is the Jewel. I was thinking of her sister ship Serenade which we were on last Christmas out of New Orleans!

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

[Out to sea!]

I disagree...

 

As we are all allowed to do. ;)

[Blizzard54]

I tend to agree that bringing the Mariner to the west coast was a mistake.

I would have much preferred a Radiance class. One factor that seems to have gotten lost regarding the filling of the Mariner is that the Radiance was pulled out of South America and BOTH ships were sailing out of LA in the spring of 2010. That compounded the problem they were already having with the Mariner.

 

We enjoy cruising on the west coast and have cruised 20 times to Mexico, 14 of those were on RCL but we have had to resort to other lines.

 

We have also cruised either north or south along the west coast 9 times with 4 of those on RCL. We are booked on the Jewel southbound in 2015 and hope that someday we can sail out of LA on RCL again.