Celebrity we need more Pacific Coastal Itineraries!

[cle-guy]

Not breaking any laws. US built, US flagged, US crewed vessel so PVSA does not apply. There were exemptions made adjusting how many of the crew and how much of the building work had to be American, but I can't recall off-hand exactly what the final proportions were (75% maybe?) but NCL could sail that thing from any US port to any US port permanently as long as they don't change flag or lose too many US crewmembers.

 

 

POA I had read was granted special permission.

 

Reading further, her build was started in US, then towed to Germany to be enlarged and finished. So she didn't classify as a US built ship, but got a special waiver.

[cle-guy]

The PVSA may be annoying but it is by far the biggest factor in bringing lots of US cruise money here to Vancouver so personally I'm all for it;-) .

 

Gotta love how our US laws passed to help our economy are instead helping our wonderful neighbors to the north... :D

 

Sounds like our government for sure.

[BEAV]

As long as the PVSA exists as it does today, we can all be thankful that a country called Canada lies in between Washington state and Alaska. Without Canada any cruise to Alaska would be illegal from any West Coast U.S. city (Seattle, SF, LA, San Diego) because there would be no foreign ports to qualify/legalize the sailings.

[cle-guy]

As long as the PVSA exists as it does today, we can all be thankful that a country called Canada lies in between Washington state and Alaska. Without Canada any cruise to Alaska would be illegal from any West Coast U.S. city (Seattle, SF, LA, San Diego) because there would be no foreign ports to qualify/legalize the sailings.

 

What about Russia, Sarah Palin sees it right out her window!

[BEAV]

What about Russia, Sarah Palin sees it right out her window!

 

LOL :eek:

 

Yes, book your Choice Air ticket to Petropavlovsk then board cruises to Juneau departing weekly May-Sept!

[CoffeHound]

After many years of strict loyalty to X, I (my whole family really), finally took a cruise on Princess because we really, really wanted a west coast itinerary. I have to admit that we had a good time, and that we now have several more cruises booked with Princess, but I also have to say that I would absolutely rather be sailing with X.

 

I believe that some other posters have hit it on the head when they've said the secret to making it profitable for X is to mix up the itineraries. Our last coastal on X I think was full, but I do remember being shocked at how low the prices got after final payment. I don't think they would have had to hold such a fire sale if the itinerary hadn't been exactly the same as almost every other coastal cruise they did that season.

 

For now, I will continue to sail Princess as the allure of a quick get away that doesn't require so much flight time trumps my overall preference for X, but if X ever comes back to the west coast in any consistent fashion, I'd be more than happy to spend my money with them.

[maggie.1008]

I will cruise 5 times this year. 3 on X and 2 on Princess. All 5 would be with X if they did more on the West Coast.

[martincath]

POA I had read was granted special permission.

 

Reading further, her build was started in US, then towed to Germany to be enlarged and finished. So she didn't classify as a US built ship, but got a special waiver.

Just checked the suuuuuuper dry wording of the Omnibus Appropriations Act 2003. PoA was granted 'US Flag with coastwise endorsement' status, which usually requires full US build to be granted, as was her sister ship (parts were in US, but not yet assembled) and 1 other to be constructed entirely abroad was pre-approved for the same status. I guess the best Plain English description is a waiver of a requirement for the coastwise endorsement.

 

Glad I did, for while I was aware of the rider that all maintenance had to be completed in the US (hence the upcoming San Francisco trip) I did not realise that the PoA is actually forbidden to charge for passage to US ports in Alaska, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. So I was wrong to say PoA could sail between any US ports. Always a good day when you learn something new!

[Cruise Raider]

I will cruise 5 times this year. 3 on X and 2 on Princess. All 5 would be with X if they did more on the West Coast.

 

Same here but only 1 on X (my favorite) and 4 on Princess -- the Princess ones are all west coast cruises as was the Celebrity one.

For me, all 5 would also be with X if they did more West Coast itineraries.

[norwegianwood57]

I have learned from some of you here that the reason Celeb does not do many Pacific Coast itineraries is that it is not profitable for them.

 

Our cruisetour on the Infinity sold very well , even 2 years out, we booked it as soon as it came out. Much of the ship was sold out when they decided to cancel in favor of a Charter.

 

I hope it is being noticed, how many of you have booked cruises with competitors in order to be able to get west coast itineraries.

 

We dont wish to do Princess, but have looked at some Royal Carib options.

[LuAnn]

cruises? We have done that several times on X as we live in SD...and the cruise just had a brief stop in Ensenada on the final night and we disembarked in SD the next day. I don't understand why X discontinued them?? Any clue? LuAnn

[davekathy]

We did an 8 night US and Canada Pacific Coastal Cruise 18 September 2015 on the Jewel Of The Seas. Vancouver to Long Beach. Great ports of call. We looked into doing a Pacific Coastal Cruise with Celebrity for that time of year but nothing. Our next Pacific Coastal Cruise will be on the Explorer Of the Seas 16 September 2016. Round Trip from Seattle.

Edited October 7, 2015 by davekathy

[BEAV]

cruises? We have done that several times on X as we live in SD...and the cruise just had a brief stop in Ensenada on the final night and we disembarked in SD the next day. I don't understand why X discontinued them?? Any clue? LuAnn

 

We sailed Century to Hawaii round trip from San Diego and loved it. I think the reason =X= didn't continue was because they could command higher per diems sailing elsewhere around the globe. I know the fare we paid for that cruise was truly bargain basement, so it stands to reason they can make more money elsewhere.

 

As to the few West Coast cruises =X= does operate, it's not hard to fill just one or two sailings per year. I think it's home porting a ship somewhere in California even seasonally (let alone year-round) that Celebrity contends will not be profitable for them. Somehow Princess does it, but I just think Celebrity has their eyes on other areas of the globe where they believe they can make higher profits than in California. And I believe Princess has twice the number of ships as Celebrity, so that may also be a factor why we see a strong presence by Princess.

[ORV]

I have learned from some of you here that the reason Celeb does not do many Pacific Coast itineraries is that it is not profitable for them.

 

Our cruisetour on the Infinity sold very well , even 2 years out, we booked it as soon as it came out. Much of the ship was sold out when they decided to cancel in favor of a Charter.

 

I hope it is being noticed, how many of you have booked cruises with competitors in order to be able to get west coast itineraries.

 

We dont wish to do Princess, but have looked at some Royal Carib options.

 

Royal has lots of children, just saying:rolleyes:

 

FYI, I've seen this same exact topic come up every few months for the last 4 or 5 years, with no change in what Celebrity offers each year. They know the numbers and what is profitable for them. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on Celebrity to have regular West Coast itineraries.

[maggie.1008]

I think the reason this topic comes up so often is that there is a very large population of people that live on the west coast that do a lot of cruises. Europe and Florida are long and dreaded airplane rides. We live near Palm Springs Ca. and no non stops anywhere to the East Coast. Plus Europe is 12 hour flight. A quick get away cruise would be great for many of us. That`s why people are leaving X and going to Princess. I am Elite plus on X and really miss my perks when I cruise on Princess. Maybe when the new builds come out there will be more West Coast. My Pacific Coastal on X in May is sold out in CC and AQ, Suites are $$$ so glad we booked AQ when they were first release . People who live in Florida can cruise on X easy. DH won`t move. Oh well.

[norwegianwood57]

Yes you are right. Many more kids on Royal Carib. That is why all our cruises have been with Celeb.

 

We have never done the west coast. Have done the med, many , many times. Right now there are several issues that make Europe less attractive to us. Would really like to see some different itineraries for North America.

 

But as you say, if this topic has come up so often over the last few years with no change, then not sure there will be a change soon. Except that now there are issues in Europe that were not there before. Celeb is not doing an overnight in Istanbul. Several people using European Airports, namely Frankfurt are saying it is now a nightmare of huge proportions due to the migrant crisis.

 

Perhaps with less wishing to do European ports, Celebrity will look elsewhere.

[cle-guy]

Yes you are right. Many more kids on Royal Carib. That is why all our cruises have been with Celeb.

 

We have never done the west coast. Have done the med, many , many times. Right now there are several issues that make Europe less attractive to us. Would really like to see some different itineraries for North America.

 

But as you say, if this topic has come up so often over the last few years with no change, then not sure there will be a change soon. Except that now there are issues in Europe that were not there before. Celeb is not doing an overnight in Istanbul. Several people using European Airports, namely Frankfurt are saying it is now a nightmare of huge proportions due to the migrant crisis.

 

Perhaps with less wishing to do European ports, Celebrity will look elsewhere.

 

Likely 2017-2018 itineraries are "already on the books" and just awaiting their announcement, likely end of Nov/Early December based on last year.

 

Anything can happen between now and when it's time to determine 2018-2019 itineraries.

 

If they leave Europe, it's more likely they move more to Asia, as the biggest growth is coming in that region anyway. Princess/Carnival has to have the west coast tied up in a neat little bundle already. Europe HAS been a big revenue producer, not sure if there is any real impact yet, which is why they are going the TA's up to get to Europe sooner each season.

[Cruise Raider]

I think the reason this topic comes up so often is that there is a very large population of people that live on the west coast that do a lot of cruises. Europe and Florida are long and dreaded airplane rides. We live near Palm Springs Ca. and no non stops anywhere to the East Coast. Plus Europe is 12 hour flight. A quick get away cruise would be great for many of us. That`s why people are leaving X and going to Princess. I am Elite plus on X and really miss my perks when I cruise on Princess. Maybe when the new builds come out there will be more West Coast. My Pacific Coastal on X in May is sold out in CC and AQ, Suites are $$$ so glad we booked AQ when they were first release . People who live in Florida can cruise on X easy. DH won`t move. Oh well.

 

OMG -- you stole the words right out of my mouth. While we are right here in the bay area and can find some non-stop flights to Ft Lauderdale, it is still a huge hassle to spend 2 days (1 there, 1 back) flying. And, to be on the safe side, we really need to fly in a day early and spend the night -- now making the trip 3 days longer and several hundred dollars more.

Even though we are also elite on Princess, we do miss the elite benefits that are offered by Celebrity. I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth by any means with the perks offered by Princess, it is just that the ones on Celebrity work better for us.

[maggie.1008]

We Are Platinum on Princess. That get`s us a $5.oo drink of their choice in their Elite Happy Hour. X benefits beats Princess hand down !

[CoffeHound]

We Are Platinum on Princess. That get`s us a $5.oo drink of their choice in their Elite Happy Hour. X benefits beats Princess hand down !

 

I am Elite on X and well nothing, OK gold, on Princess. I was really starting to believe I was missing something because everyone talks about how Princess has "the best" perks for their high level members. Don't get me wrong, I think they offer some good things, but after reading through the list, I didn't really see anything that I thought was more appealing than what X offers to loyal cruisers.

 

I feel so much better now that I know someone who has really has a chance to compare agrees with me :)

 

Circumstances at the moment just make it really hard for me and my family to go on cruises that require long flights and extra days off work. Thank you to Cle-Guy for the heads up on the release of the new cruise schedule. I should pay more attention to these things so I can jump on the few west coast possibilities with X!

[casandbliz]

Yep, we'll be traveling with Princess in the future for their West Coast itineraries. We are Elite with Celebrity, but even Elite perks (not THAT special), don't make up for the hassle and expense of air travel.

[Bruin Steve]

I am Elite on X and well nothing, OK gold, on Princess. I was really starting to believe I was missing something because everyone talks about how Princess has "the best" perks for their high level members. Don't get me wrong, I think they offer some good things, but after reading through the list, I didn't really see anything that I thought was more appealing than what X offers to loyal cruisers.

 

I feel so much better now that I know someone who has really has a chance to compare agrees with me :)

 

I am Platinum on Princess, Diamond on RCCL and Elite Plus on Celebrity...

I find Princess' perks virtually worthless so far...At Platinum, I get to go to that lounge during happy hour and buy a drink of the day I don't like for $5 (rather than the $6.95 it may otherwise cost)...oh, and they pass around appetizers (on a ship where there's unlimited food anyway)...At Elite on Princess, you get free laundry (compared to my Celebrity Elite Plus perk of 2 free loads each)...How much laundry am I bringing with me on my cruise anyway?

 

But, one big factor nobody ever seems to mention is what it takes to get to "Elite" on Princess compared to other lines...

 

Now, I became Elite on Celebrity and Diamond on Royal Caribbean before the recent points conversion...So, I got to Elite on Celebrity in just FOUR cruises (Actually three--because of an accounting error, they put me there one cruise early)...Of course, I did long cruises and sailed in a couple of suites...But, it was entirely reasonable to get there in four cruises...

 

Now, with the new rules, it's a little tougher. You need 300 points to get to Elite...So, let's say you always book Concierge or Aqua...You get 5 points per night...Take three 12-14 night cruises and three 7 night cruises...and you are there! In Six cruises...

 

What does it take on Princess? FIFTEEN cruises! Or 150 cruise days...

Okay, maybe those cruise days are the short cut if you take longer cruises? Well...take those same three 13 nighters and three 7 nighters you would have taken on Celebrity to get to Elite...That's 60 nights...You are not even close to Elite! You could take TEN 13 night cruises and three 7 night cruises...and you would just make it to Elite...and booking suites or mini-suites won't help you one bit...

 

So, not only are the perks not as good, you also have to cruise a whole lot more to get there...

 

Like I said, we are Platinum on Princess...If we cruise with them nine more times after this next one, we'll be "Elite" on their system...we'll get free laundry...and still pay $5 for a happy hour drink of the day--can you say "Rum Punch"?

Edited October 8, 2015 by Bruin Steve

[maggie.1008]

To me the only thing that Princess does better is letting you stack OBC. You can have 4 or 5 perk OBC. Nice to be able to drive to the port. We can`t do that with X.

[Cruise Raider]

To me the only thing that Princess does better is letting you stack OBC. You can have 4 or 5 perk OBC. Nice to be able to drive to the port. We can`t do that with X.

 

Exactly the reasons we like Princess as well but I would add, their specialty restaurants are half the price and just as outstanding if not a little better than those on Celebrity. I know the quality of food is a personal taste issue but you cannot argue the pricing.

Princess has referral rewards as well...have saved $50 off referring others for both them and myself many times now. It is such a great perk!

The free laundry is equal on Celebrity and Princess in my opinion, as we never send out more than what Celebrity offers having elite status anyway.

The cocktail hour and coffee house breakfast on Celebrity is the best thing ever! For us, it has more value than the mini bar set up from Princess -- although I never look a gift horse in the mouth -- EVER!! We usually trade in all the sodas for water, drink the beers and maybe a bottle or two of the liquor....so really doesn't go to waste.

One more thing in which Princess beats all, you can take as many bottles of wine / champagne as you like and you just pay the $15 corkage upon boarding for any bottles over your 2 bottle free limit. So nice!! I even saw people bringing it down to the bar and to the MDR.

While they are both very good cruiselines and we have been able to get to elite status on both ... I like Celebrity the most but sail on princess more often because of their itineraries....especially those out of and into San Francisco. I never tire of sailing under the beautiful Golden Gate bridge.