Ocean Princess to use Miami for 3 turns in 2015-2016

[Modern_Viking]

I just noticed this on the Princess web site: the Ocean Princess is scheduled for 3 turnaround calls in Miami from December 2015 to early 2016.

 

For example, the 2015 Christmas cruise on the Ocean was scheduled out of Ft. Lauderdale, but is now scheduled round trip Miami.

 

I wonder if this is a limited time thing, or if Princess is considering using Miami in place of Ft. Lauderdale/Port Everglades for at least some ships (in this case, their smallest)? It seems Miami has a small pier set aside for smaller ships, so perhaps they gave Princess a discount to help keep that pier busy.

 

Otherwise Carnival Corp. recently seems to have spent a bunch of money at Port Everglades to renovate 4 terminals (2, 19, 21, and 26) so their brands (Princess, Cunard, HAL, Seabourn, Carnival, etc.) get priority booking those.

 

Does anyone know any more about this?

[kuldalai]

Well it will be Ocean Princess last season at both Miami and Fort Lauderdale (sadly) as Princess have sold her to Oceania who will do a big upgrade before she re-enters service as SIRENA . Oceania smart operators with four of the popular R class boats from 2016 in Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and from 2016 Sirena . Don't be surprised if Oceania also finally end up with Pacific Princess also in due course .

[Wehwalt]

There was a thread on this some weeks ago, apparently congestion for one of the three dates at Fort Lauderdale caused Princess to switch to Miami. If it was one of the first two times (December 20 and January 3 I think), they would have to go and return to the same port or risk a PVSA violation as the Caribbean Connesieur cruise does not touch a far foreign port. If it was the March 7 final call of the Ocean Princess, it wouldn't matter as the last cruise is a South American one and doesn't have to go and return to the same U.S. port.

[foflocruiser]

port everglades has no available berths on these dates

[Modern_Viking]

There was a thread on this some weeks ago, apparently congestion for one of the three dates at Fort Lauderdale caused Princess to switch to Miami. If it was one of the first two times (December 20 and January 3 I think), they would have to go and return to the same port or risk a PVSA violation as the Caribbean Connesieur cruise does not touch a far foreign port. If it was the March 7 final call of the Ocean Princess, it wouldn't matter as the last cruise is a South American one and doesn't have to go and return to the same U.S. port.

 

Thanks for the explanation. It makes good sense that if could have been just port congestion on one day coupled with the need to operate a closed loop Caribbean cruise for the holidays that then forced multiple changes.

[dmwnc1959]

There's a smaller cruise terminal on the backside of Dodge Island (Terminal J) that's primarily used by ships like Seven Seas Navigator and Regatta when they embark on Miami. Chances are Ocean Princess will use this instead of the larger cruise terminals on the main ship channel side.

 

http://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/library/portmiami-map.pdf

 

:D

[Wehwalt]

Thanks for the explanation. It makes good sense that if could have been just port congestion on one day coupled with the need to operate a closed loop Caribbean cruise for the holidays that then forced multiple changes.

 

Two days, it would have to be, with one of them March 7, because it does not matter where the Ocean Princess docks on March 7 because it has been to South America that voyage. Or they could be staying with Miami for simplicity's sake.

[piper28]

When I did some exploring it looked like the Jan 3rd day was likely the day that caused the problems, which made things easier to do all of the 3 stops in Miami instead.

 

I am kinda curious whether Miami and Fort Lauderdale are close enough that they'd be considered to be the same port for a round trip cruise. (Kinda like Miami and FLL are largely considered to be equivalent airports for booking purposes for airlines). Even if that was true, obviously the logistics of people on the round trip cruises would be easier if they came and went from the same port.

 

I figure it'll be interesting to leave from a different port for a change, although it really screws up my planning. I'm used to knowing where to stay and how to get to the port for FLL, not as used to it for Miami.