Royal Caribbean Ships in San Diego and Los Angeles

[mcrcruiser]

My 2 Cents . With the refugee problems in Europe ,the beaten down economy of many European & South American countries ,the ISIS problems in Med waters ie . The opening of the new longer & wider Panama Canal locks in 2016 ,perhaps cruise lines will rethink deployment of their ships into Pacific Ocean waters .

 

Then perhaps we will see cruises operating out of west coast ports ;)

 

In the meantime ,after our Sept Serenade of the Seas cruise from Boston ,we will favor only west coast cruises that we can drive to .We decided that we could add the cost of flying into our local cruise price for nicer cabins ie . Princess does itineraries which we are very interested in doing & they sail from the world Cruise Center ,San Pedro ,Ca near LA .We could even book after final payment & get big savings .;):D

 

We have 70 prior cruises ,many we have flown to .now at 77 we are more than reluctant to fly especially with the airport hassles .;)

[travelgoddess1]

If I remember correctly, those were special sailings of which there were only a couple. It's possible that if they had an entire season of those kind of sailings, the prices would not have been so high.

 

My point was not so much the high cruise prices but the fact that RCI was able to fill the ships in spite of the high prices. They will never know how that might translate into more frequent itineraries unless they actually bring a ship to the West Coast, even if it is seasonal.

 

My 2 Cents . With the refugee problems in Europe ,the beaten down economy of many European & South American countries ,the ISIS problems in Med waters ie . The opening of the new longer & wider Panama Canal locks in 2016 ,perhaps cruise lines will rethink deployment of their ships into Pacific Ocean waters .

 

Then perhaps we will see cruises operating out of west coast ports ;)

 

In the meantime ,after our Sept Serenade of the Seas cruise from Boston ,we will favor only west coast cruises that we can drive to .We decided that we could add the cost of flying into our local cruise price for nicer cabins ie . Princess does itineraries which we are very interested in doing & they sail from the world Cruise Center ,San Pedro ,Ca near LA .We could even book after final payment & get big savings .;):D

 

We have 70 prior cruises ,many we have flown to .now at 77 we are more than reluctant to fly especially with the airport hassles .;)

 

You are part of a very large demographic that RCI has willingly turned its back on. We are getting closer to the point where we will be joining you.

[critterchick]

My 2 Cents . With the refugee problems in Europe ,the beaten down economy of many European & South American countries ,the ISIS problems in Med waters ie . The opening of the new longer & wider Panama Canal locks in 2016 ,perhaps cruise lines will rethink deployment of their ships into Pacific Ocean waters .

 

Many of them have already done so. Princess has 4 ships sailing from LA/SF in the winter, NCL's Jewel is here and Carnival sails year round from Long Beach (3/4 year round, seasonally in the winter). And we see ships on port stops regularly, although it's not the same as throwing a bag together at 9:00 am and being onboard by noon.:)

[critterchick]

If I remember correctly, those were special sailings of which there were only a couple. It's possible that if they had an entire season of those kind of sailings, the prices would not have been so high.

 

It is possible, but I think it's unlikely. RCI needs to think outside of their narrow little box and mix up the itineraries - the cruises Karen was referencing were California coastal cruises that only had an anchor drag in Ensenada to fulfill their PVSA requirement. You would think that those of who live here would simply hop in the car and drive to Santa Barbara or take a short flight (with long checkin delays) to SFO, but we never seem to do it - cruising to those cities is an absolute delight and Princess do very well on those itineraries, from what I see. The typical Mexican Riviera, probably not so much, but throw in a CA coastal/RT Hawaii/MR (7 or even 10 nights to visit places like Zijuatenejo or Manzanillo) and I'm confident that RCI would have a winner. B2Bs wouldn't be the same old ports and people who fear Mexico would have an alternative. Just saying.

[MikeBTN]

I have made Royal Caribbean as my preferred cruise line because of their previous presence in San Diego and Los Angeles ports. RCI has 3 or 4 ships permanently originating from ports mentioned. One day they were all gone. The pacific ports have been unpopular stops to RCI ships.

 

With that said, is RCI going to ever return some of their ships to San Diego and Los Angeles?

 

Your thoughts and comments please. Thanks so much....

 

born-to-cruise

(funds permitting)

 

12 Royal Caribbean, 3 Carnival

 

This was asked of Captain Johnny on Allure 2 weeks ago. He said they averaged almost DOUBLE the revenue per cabin for Florida ports compared to California. The demand just wasn't there and Royal is, after all, in the business of making money for its shareholders. Which would you do if it was your company?

[Clarea]

It is possible, but I think it's unlikely. RCI needs to think outside of their narrow little box and mix up the itineraries - the cruises Karen was referencing were California coastal cruises that only had an anchor drag in Ensenada to fulfill their PVSA requirement. You would think that those of who live here would simply hop in the car and drive to Santa Barbara or take a short flight (with long checkin delays) to SFO, but we never seem to do it - cruising to those cities is an absolute delight and Princess do very well on those itineraries, from what I see. The typical Mexican Riviera, probably not so much, but throw in a CA coastal/RT Hawaii/MR (7 or even 10 nights to visit places like Zijuatenejo or Manzanillo) and I'm confident that RCI would have a winner. B2Bs wouldn't be the same old ports and people who fear Mexico would have an alternative. Just saying.

The point is not whether Royal can make money with ships based in California, is whether they can make as much there as elsewhere. Prices for staterooms is only one part of the equation. Another important part is expenses. I'm sure there are other parts of the equation. As long as they can deploy all of their ships in places where they make more profit than California (and now New Orleans), they will do so.

 

Perhaps with Empress (and maybe Sovereign) coming back to the fleet, the priority list of profitible bases might reach down to include California.

[wblynch]

Well, I was just in Mexico on a 7 night Princess cruise. It was great. I don't fear Mexico. Their economy and standard of living are improving rapidly and in many ways they are happier than we here in the States.

 

We recently booked another 3-nighter on Princess to Baja.

 

As reticent as I am, I have even considered trying Carnival. Or perhaps NCL.

 

These are all cruises I would prefer to take with Royal Caribbean but, alas, they have no offer.

 

 

** Also, as an aside, the current RCCL practice of disallowing the OBC for Crown and Anchor members is disappointing, making C&A benefits worthless -- another tip towards a new carrier **

[SelectSys]

...The opening of the new longer & wider Panama Canal locks in 2016 ...

 

This is something I have not thought about much. It does make it easier to redeploy some ships (up to the Freedom class?) from Florida to the West Coast.

 

...

 

You are part of a very large demographic that RCI has willingly turned its back on. We are getting closer to the point where we will be joining you.

 

Agreed, RCCL has made a conscious business decision to deploy their ships away from Southern California. All of us can redeploy our cruise spending as well. Someone, maybe not RCCL, will fill the need of SoCal cruising if they see a market need. For example, Disney is scheduling 3 cruises from San Diego next year.

 

The point is not whether Royal can make money with ships based in California, is whether they can make as much there as elsewhere. Prices for staterooms is only one part of the equation. Another important part is expenses. I'm sure there are other parts of the equation. As long as they can deploy all of their ships in places where they make more profit than California (and now New Orleans), they will do so.

 

Perhaps with Empress (and maybe Sovereign) coming back to the fleet, the priority list of profitible bases might reach down to include California.

 

100% in agreement!

Edited December 15, 2015 by SelectSys

[Clarea]

This is something I have not thought about much. It does make it easier to redeploy some ships (up to the Freedom class?) from Florida to the West Coast. ....

While the new locks will be large enough for Oasis class, there is some discussion as to whether Voyager class or larger can fit under the Bridge of the Americas.

[chengkp75]

The point is not whether Royal can make money with ships based in California, is whether they can make as much there as elsewhere. Prices for staterooms is only one part of the equation. Another important part is expenses. I'm sure there are other parts of the equation. As long as they can deploy all of their ships in places where they make more profit than California (and now New Orleans), they will do so.

 

Perhaps with Empress (and maybe Sovereign) coming back to the fleet, the priority list of profitible bases might reach down to include California.

 

As you say, Bob, expenses are the other half of the revenue equation. While in the past the fuel situation was much different (California required burning of low sulfur diesel fuel years before the rest of the US adopted the ECA), now that the ECA goes out to 200 miles (California's zone was only 40 miles), the fuel costs pretty well even out, considering that all fuel in Florida is brought in by ship. However, a major expense when considering sailing from LA is the requirement to go "cold iron" (shut down the ship's generators and plug into the shore grid). This is a multi-million dollar retrofit for these ships, so they either have to make a long term commitment or stay out of the market, since nowhere else in the US do they use this approach.

[SelectSys]

...(California required burning of low sulfur diesel fuel years before the rest of the US adopted the ECA), now that the ECA goes out to 200 miles (California's zone was only 40 miles), the fuel costs pretty well even out, considering that all fuel in Florida is brought in by ship. However, a major expense when considering sailing from LA is the requirement to go "cold iron" (shut down the ship's generators and plug into the shore grid). This is a multi-million dollar retrofit for these ships, so they either have to make a long term commitment or stay out of the market, since nowhere else in the US do they use this approach.

 

My idea for solving this is based on the recently opened exclusive border cross serving the Tijuana airport. This gives US passengers an ability to directly enter the airport and gain access to Mexican flights at a considerable discount and better service flying in Mexico than from carriers operating out of SoCal airports.

 

Something similar could be done for cruising. A crossing could be built on the ocean and a pier/terminal complex could be built to serve all of SoCal. Cheaper for all parties and a great development opportunity for Mexico. This would also open up more opportunities for HI and West Coast cruises.

[travelgoddess1]

This was asked of Captain Johnny on Allure 2 weeks ago. He said they averaged almost DOUBLE the revenue per cabin for Florida ports compared to California. The demand just wasn't there and Royal is, after all, in the business of making money for its shareholders. Which would you do if it was your company?

 

If Captain Johnny is referring to the (almost) 2 years that he was on Mariner out of LA, the Great Recession had an adverse effect on California during that time, more so than on the rest of the country. Since Royal has not tested the waters in the 5 years since they left, other than on Jewel's most recent California itineraries, there is no other way to be sure what the onboard revenue would be, other than to bring a ship out to Los Angeles.

[Sotermarler]

I just barely discovered cruising and would love to be able to drive to the port from PHX instead of have to fly. Then maybe we could cruise twice a year! Is love to try a Royal ship.

[wblynch]

...Something similar could be done for cruising. A crossing could be built on the ocean and a pier/terminal complex could be built to serve all of SoCal....

 

Royal Caribbean used to sail their Hawaii cruises to and from Ensenada. They ran buses from San Diego and back for the passengers.

[wblynch]

If Captain Johnny is referring to the (almost) 2 years that he was on Mariner out of LA, the Great Recession had an adverse effect on California during that time, more so than on the rest of the country. Since Royal has not tested the waters in the 5 years since they left, other than on Jewel's most recent California itineraries, there is no other way to be sure what the onboard revenue would be, other than to bring a ship out to Los Angeles.

 

A wonderful fact to consider!

[squadron]

An interesting note: when Jewel made ports of call on the West Coast in May and again in September/October, the cruise prices were some of the highest I've seen recently, and the ship was full on each of those sailings. (We were on all of them.) I can't believe RCI would ignore those results.[/QUO

 

Agree! They must have been successful sailings from a business point of view.

[MRRG]

We have been loyal royals for a long time, but last week we tried the NCL Jewel out of LA to Mexico. We did this because of the short flight from Las Vegas and the great suite perks offered by NCL. While the cabin was not nearly as nice as the suites on Royal, the rest of the ship and it's public spaces was amazing. We also booked one of the Cali Coast sailings on the Jewel of the Seas for this same short flight reason, but will not hesitate to book NCL out of the West Coast again. I never thought I would say that , but I'm with the group who does not want to spend a lot of time flying to a cruise port.

[Piepkorn]

Some of us were hoping that Empress would end up for a few trips on the West Coast.....but we have learned today what we all feared (and just what is needed)....another 'GD' ship in Florida. :mad:

[squadron]

We have been loyal royals for a long time, but last week we tried the NCL Jewel out of LA to Mexico. We did this because of the short flight from Las Vegas and the great suite perks offered by NCL. While the cabin was not nearly as nice as the suites on Royal, the rest of the ship and it's public spaces was amazing. We also booked one of the Cali Coast sailings on the Jewel of the Seas for this same short flight reason, but will not hesitate to book NCL out of the West Coast again. I never thought I would say that , but I'm with the group who does not want to spend a lot of time flying to a cruise port.

 

I agree - flying from Alberta to Florida has just become too expensive. My Feb flight will be the last time. Also add in CDN dollar. Many western Canadians would welcome a short and inexpensive flight to LA for a winter break. I prefer to stay with RCI. I have done the Mexican routes a few years back and the Vancouver to LA in Sept 15 and would certainly be happy to do so again.

[John&LaLa]

Some of us were hoping that Empress would end up for a few trips on the West Coast.....but we have learned today what we all feared (and just what is needed)....another 'GD' ship in Florida. :mad:

 

I guess Royal felt it was needed there. ;)

[travelgoddess1]

I guess Royal felt it was needed there. ;)

 

And gee, look at the prices. How does RCI make a profit in a saturated market with those prices? :rolleyes:

[Cruzin Carol]

It's curious to me that Royal has such an issue with the West coast when Princess doesn't seem to.

[Piepkorn]

And gee, look at the prices. How does RCI make a profit in a saturated market with those prices? :rolleyes:

 

They don't. October 2014 on Vision, those trips sailed only half full. The line listed it as sold out, but they gave the cabins away last minute to a casino - and no one showed up. I see this going the same way.

 

For Empress, there will be a flood of bookings, forcing the price up...we'll just have to wait and see what they eventually want. I was all ready to spend my money for a canal trip and then some. Not now. DW is talking about sailing with Diego again later next year....so we'll wait.

 

It's curious to me that Royal has such an issue with the West coast when Princess doesn't seem to.

 

All isn't golden with Princess out of LA right now on the short trips. My February 9th trip is less than half full 50 days out. They have already pulled a ship out and sent it to Australia.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Piepkorn

[John&LaLa]

And gee, look at the prices. How does RCI make a profit in a saturated market with those prices? :rolleyes:

 

Not my circus, not my monkee

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

It's curious to me that Royal has such an issue with the West coast when Princess doesn't seem to.

 

Exactly!

 

***