Cutbacks?

[MATHA531]

Beginning to think about my winter cruises. Have started to do a January cruise to warmer climates after xmas which is a fairly slow season and not as many screaming kids travelling as they're back in school (no offense meant to anybody). Also have begun to at least think about next June.

 

In any event, I was looking for the standard NYC-Canaveral-Bahama 7 day cruise in January. Guess what? There don't seem to be any...the January cruises out of NYC do the southern route including San Juan both on the Breakaway and I think the Gem (I can check that again). Also, I thought about repeating the Baltics; there's still so much to see in St. Petersburg. No, that seems to have been cut back also.

 

Carnival has pulled out of Europe and doesn't seem to be going back nor do they have the January itinerary out of NYC any more, at least not in 2015. Are all these cutbacks economy related? Any opinions out there.

Edited July 5, 2014 by MATHA531

[aubreyc1988]

Beginning to think about my winter cruises. Have started to do a January cruise to warmer climates after xmas which is a fairly slow season and not as many screaming kids travelling as they're back in school (no offense meant to anybody). Also have begun to at least think about next June.

 

In any event, I was looking for the standard NYC-Canaveral-Bahama 7 day cruise in January. Guess what? There don't seem to be any...the January cruises out of NYC do the southern route including San Juan both on the Breakaway and I think the Gem (I can check that again). Also, I thought about repeating the Baltics; there's still so much to see in St. Petersburg. No, that seems to have been cut back also.

 

Carnival has pulled out of Europe and doesn't seem to be going back nor do they have the January itinerary out of NYC any more, at least not in 2015. Are all these cutbacks economy related? Any opinions out there.

 

i think alot of this has to do with ships the cruise line has, ports, fees, etc. Certain bigger ships can only go to certain ports. and certain itineraries are more popular than others. I think there are a lot of different factors that go into itineraries, and I'm sure cutbacks/economy is only a small factor.

 

I know Carnival is getting a new ship in 2017 so maybe they will go back to Europe after that...and especially since RCI now has one of their newest ships doing Asia, they might feel pressure to go back!

 

I always cruise in Jan/Feb to get away from the cold weather, and usually, I don't care where I go so long as there are warm beaches involved. I tend not to be super concerned about itineraries...this is my second time going to the virgin islands and I think I could go 5-6x and still not have done everything there is to do! But to each their own.

 

Maybe try to get a cheap flight to a port where you can do the destinations you want?

[garycarla]

Cutbacks?

 

Not at all. In fact, a number of new (additonal) ships have been coming on the market. So, there are even more cruise options available.

 

They do change ports they sail from of course depending on the demand, or anticipated demand.

 

But - a long way from any cutbacks.

[negc]

Carnival may have cut back some due to their specific problems and lower profitability because of their problems, but their latest projections show a more favorable climate for the line than they have experienced since the Triumph debacle. Other lines regularly adjust their itineraries to reflect current economic conditions which may explain some reduction in European and Caribbean itineraries, and the increase in the number of ships being moved to Asia. These things are, to some degree, cyclical and the continued construction of newer and bigger ships would indicate that prospects are looking up for the cruise industry as a whole. One of the cruise industry's great strengths lies in its ability to move its ships to whatever regions promise the best chance of profitability.

[JohnIreland]

People who cruise in January/February tend to have more time on their hands. So tend to want longer cruises.

 

So they do offer some longer itineraries after Christmas.

[KeithJenner]

Also, I thought about repeating the Baltics; there's still so much to see in St. Petersburg. No, that seems to have been cut back also.

 

 

The Baltics cruise on the Star is available this summer and next. No cut backs there.

 

 

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Edited July 5, 2014 by KeithJenner

[MATHA531]

The Baltics cruise on the Star is available this summer and next. No cut backs there.

 

 

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It wasn't meant as a complaint just an observation. But let me show you what I'm getting at. This year, the Star was running a 9 day cycle out of Copenhagen doing the standard Russia itinerary (Germany, Estonia, Russia, etc.).

 

Looking at the June 2015, there is only one departure of the Star doing that itinerary in late June. There are two other Northern Europe cruises listed, both to Norway. So if I wanted the cruise to include St. Petersburg, I have only one choice next June. Perhaps cutback is too strong a word. Adjustment?

 

Same is true of the January departure I was hoping for. I wanted 7 days on the Canaveral, Bahamas route which they have been doing with the Gem while the Breakaway does the southern Carib. That itinerary seems to be missing next January. Again for me, an inconvenience of what I wanted to do. Again not complaining. More or less just wondering

[KeithJenner]

I see what you mean about the Baltics in June (I thought you were saying that the Baltics had gone totally).

 

I think that they have previously had Norway cruises in June. They go then because of the long evenings (midnight sun and all that). I haven't looked in detail for a while, as June cruising isn't an option for us, but we have previously noticed really good itineraries that we would have liked if we could go then.

 

It's a result of the number of ships that NCL have available and their wish to be able to offer different itineraries. They can't do midsummer Norway cruises and still offer St Petersburg at the same time without bringing another ship over, which would affect the options elsewhere. It isn't cutbacks, but that doesn't help you.

 

 

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