Please improve 7 night Caribbean itineraries CCL!

[Spike2000]

We miss the W. Caribbean itinerary out of Miami that visited Cozumel, Belize, Roatan & Grand Cayman. Please consider bringing that one back.  We honestly feel many of the 7-night itineraries are quite lame now-a-days. (Nassau stops are tired)  Step up your game CCL so you can get this industry rolling again.  Also, please get a decent ship ported in San Juan…We are not feeling the Fantasy Class ships anymore. 

[JaxsMama]

[Spike2000]

Yup...Because if they ever want to see us cruise again, we have to see value. Unfortunately, they don't offer that itinerary in the summer where we can utilize it. We have 3 kids.

 

BTW...Don't beat me up because the cruise lines try to maximize profits in sending people to 3 ports (in many cases) on a 7-night cruise. (including their private islands etc) I am wanting to book another cruise for my family however many of the itins that we see…well suck. If it doesn't change, no biggie...we rent beach homes all the time. I posted this in case reps from CCL actually care what is going to prompt families to embrace cruising when this mess is over. 

[MsTabbyKats]

I would like to see the ships dock earlier in the day at Port Canaveral....so it would be worthwhile to go the space center.  Also...earlier in San Juan.

Currently most ships pull in early afternoon.

[firefly333]

I'm figuring fewer open ports... not more and yep changes to itineraries but probably not for the better.

 

Some just want to cruise again, to whichever ports are open. 

 

Money will be tight, I doubt carnival is going to add or change to ports that take more fuel to reach, just my two cents. Not at going prices with carnival forking over $600 obc. They will be in survival mode. 

[ULCajunCruiser]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

I'm figuring fewer open ports... not more and yep changes to itineraries but probably not for the better.

 

Some just want to cruise again, to whichever ports are open. 

 

Money will be tight, I doubt carnival is going to add or change to ports that take more fuel to reach, just my two cents. Not at going prices with carnival forking over $600 obc. They will be in survival mode. 

Darn you with your logic and facts!!!   😁     You're right of course, but we can dream!!!

[TooManyWakeUpsTilWeSail]

2 hours ago, Spike2000 said:

Also, please get a decent ship ported in San Juan…We are not feeling the Fantasy Class ships anymore. 

Not sure if you mixed up your message or really should have posted a 2nd topic.  Carnival Fascination is the only CCL that cruises out of San Juan & it’s placement value is MUCH discussed ad Infinitum on these boards & doesn’t go Western Caribbean anyway (why would it?).  Just a hint anyway, NCCL has a larger ship out of San Juan that has a similar itinerary as Fascination.  But yeah, you’ll probably pay more (at least in the past).

[georgiacruizer]

1 hour ago, ronbe65 said:

How about Miami - HMC - St.Thomas - San Juan - Grand Turk-Miami ?

 

 

 

Yes!  This was our favorite itinerary!  Not loving the substitution of Amber Cove...

[UGACamper]

Remove Nassau from any itinerary. That'll improve it!

 

Seriously though, agree with this is the time to freshen things up. It's the cruisers with many under their belts who are going to be the ones on ships to start. 

 

I'd like to see a Western that includes Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and either Mahogany Bay or Belize.

 

Eastern to include HMC, Grand Turk, St. Thomas, San Juan

 

Southern- make it a 9 day ABC plus one (HMC, GT, AC)

 

More Bermuda options from Florida. 

 

[ULCajunCruiser]

3 minutes ago, UGACamper said:

Remove Nassau from any itinerary. That'll improve it!

 

Seriously though, agree with this is the time to freshen things up. It's the cruisers with many under their belts who are going to be the ones on ships to start. 

 

I'd like to see a Western that includes Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and either Mahogany Bay or Belize.

 

Eastern to include HMC, Grand Turk, St. Thomas, San Juan

 

Southern- make it a 9 day ABC plus one (HMC, GT, AC)

 

More Bermuda options from Florida. 

 

Great ideas!!

[Tapi]

I wonder if Carnival would increase itineraries that call in places like Limón, Costa Rica, a partial Panama Canal transit, or even look at new ports, like Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala, or Trujillo, Honduras, that currently appear on a few itineraries from Holland America, Seabourn, and Royal Caribbean. 
 

I’m guessing that these more “off the beaten path” and less developed ports of call may not be attractive to majority of cruisers who seek the comforts and ease of mass market ports of call with well developed and tourist friendly welcome centers, but it may be nice if Carnival offered a handful of itineraries with these and other ports of call for those cruisers who do have an appetite for something different.  
 

My next Carnival Cruise (with a stop in Costa Rica and a partial Panama Canal transit) was chosen exactly because it’s not the same ol’, same ol’ itinerary. 

[MsTabbyKats]

MSC has a 10 day "Round Trip to Quebec" from NYC.  I'd love to see that.  Or, more variation in the Canada cruises would be good...there are some small interesting towns.

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, Tapi said:

I wonder if Carnival would increase itineraries that call in places like Limón, Costa Rica, a partial Panama Canal transit, or even look at new ports, like Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala, or Trujillo, Honduras, that currently appear on a few itineraries from Holland America, Seabourn, and Royal Caribbean. 
 

I’m guessing that these more “off the beaten path” and less developed ports of call may not be attractive to majority of cruisers who seek the comforts and ease of mass market ports of call with well developed and tourist friendly welcome centers, but it may be nice if Carnival offered a handful of itineraries with these and other ports of call for those cruisers who do have an appetite for something different.  
 

My next Carnival Cruise (with a stop in Costa Rica and a partial Panama Canal transit) was chosen exactly because it’s not the same ol’, same ol’ itinerary. 

I've been looking at these. Priced the cheapest 9 day out of Galveston at over 1700, idk. But this is what I'm hoping for tbh. 

[crusinpsychRN]

A change in itineraries is definitely in order. Include Key West more often.

(Typing with a band-aid on my thumb. You should have seen what this said before I corrected it!)

[HxFx]

5 hours ago, Spike2000 said:

Also, please get a decent ship ported in San Juan…We are not feeling the Fantasy Class ships anymore. 

We are thinking about scheduling another cruise out of San Juan because we love all the port options and the fewer number of sea days. I have the cancelled cruise OBC with Carnival but I have no interest in Fascination, especially with the expensive balconies! I understand they don't have very many but why do I want to pay more when either one of RCI's ships would be okay. 

[HxFx]

Just now, crusinpsychRN said:

A change in itineraries is definitely in order. Include Key West more often.

(Typing with a band-aid on my thumb. You should have seen what this said before I corrected it!)

I would love that but it seems their stops in Key West are so short most of the time.  I wonder why that is.

[IcanSeaclearlynow]

Totally agree with OP. Need new itineraries. We were surprised of the itinerary for the Mardi Gras & decided to not rebook after it was cancelled b/c of delay & instead book Panorama.  Thought for sure Mardi Gras would have maybe an 8 day southern or more eastern.  

[sanmarcosman]

45 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

MSC has a 10 day "Round Trip to Quebec" from NYC.  I'd love to see that.  Or, more variation in the Canada cruises would be good...there are some small interesting towns.

Carnival used to anchor in Bar Harbor and Newport and those were excellent summer and fall itineraries. I hope they will start those again. 

[scpirate]

53 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I've been looking at these. Priced the cheapest 9 day out of Galveston at over 1700, idk. But this is what I'm hoping for tbh. 

I got quoted on that itiniary but not on carnival.im waiting a bit longer  .it's an 11 day out of miami.i think the prices will drop if the ships don't fill up like they want.plus I kind of mentioned it to the wife but she's making me a custom facemask to fit my pumpkin head now as I write this.so I know she's not receptive to cruising right now.

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, IcanSeaclearlynow said:

Totally agree with OP. Need new itineraries. We were surprised of the itinerary for the Mardi Gras & decided to not rebook after it was cancelled b/c of delay & instead book Panorama.  Thought for sure Mardi Gras would have maybe an 8 day southern or more eastern.  

The Mardi Gras can't do an 8 day southern because it's home port is Port Canaveral.  It would have to be home based in either MIA or FLL in order to do it.  The other southern choices are based out of San Juan and usually are done with a Fantasy Class ship.

[IcanSeaclearlynow]

3 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

The Mardi Gras can't do an 8 day southern because it's home port is Port Canaveral.  It would have to be home based in either MIA or FLL in order to do it.  The other southern choices are based out of San Juan and usually are done with a Fantasy Class ship.

Miami would be a great place to have her.  We took an 8 day southern on Horizon last year & loved it.  

[Doggielover68]

Itineraries are a little repetitive, but I think the majority of cruisers either A) don't cruise all that frequently or B) don't care about the ports.

 

Try changing your port of departure to find what you're looking for or try one of the other Carnival brands, or another cruiseline all together. 

 

 

[SNJCruisers]

Just now, IcanSeaclearlynow said:

Miami would be a great place to have her.  We took an 8 day southern on Horizon last year & loved it.  

She is being home ported in Port Canaveral because of the proximity of refueling.  The Mardi Gras is the first Carnival ship to use LNG (liquid natural gas) and I believe that the Mardi Gras will have 2 sister ships in the future,  but the timing will probably be pushed back or maybe even having the third one cancelled because of all of the things going on now. 

No one knows how the industry will look on the backend.

[Spike2000]

Wow...I am the OP...this has been a busy thread today! (ha) I was simply looking for vacation options for my family and wanted to share my thoughts on why I won't been looking at CCL at the present time. Hopefully they won't limit port stops even more! I personally enjoy 4+ (good) stops on a 7 night cruise. ...and call me old school but I want to be able to truly enjoy what the islands naturally have to offer.

For example, I imagine that there are quite a few visitors to Roatan that don't realize they have world class reefs that you can reach via snorkeling.  They don't realize it because CCL doesn't want passengers to even leave their port area.(I have been to Roatan twice and it’s obvious) Similar to the private island stops, I am tired of feeling like this a captive money grab situation. I had to chuckle today when I noticed an 8 day RCCL run with TWO of their private islands in the itinerary. I know that CCL isn’t going to change anything on my account (haha). I can tell you that from my experience, I have had better itinerary’s in the past. I will continue to look for what we enjoy and hopefully we will find the right match. My whining is not limited to CCL, all of the lines are playing the same game. 😊

[ULCajunCruiser]

1 hour ago, Spike2000 said:

Wow...I am the OP...this has been a busy thread today! (ha) I was simply looking for vacation options for my family and wanted to share my thoughts on why I won't been looking at CCL at the present time. Hopefully they won't limit port stops even more! I personally enjoy 4+ (good) stops on a 7 night cruise. ...and call me old school but I want to be able to truly enjoy what the islands naturally have to offer.

For example, I imagine that there are quite a few visitors to Roatan that don't realize they have world class reefs that you can reach via snorkeling.  They don't realize it because CCL doesn't want passengers to even leave their port area.(I have been to Roatan twice and it’s obvious) Similar to the private island stops, I am tired of feeling like this a captive money grab situation. I had to chuckle today when I noticed an 8 day RCCL run with TWO of their private islands in the itinerary. I know that CCL isn’t going to change anything on my account (haha). I can tell you that from my experience, I have had better itinerary’s in the past. I will continue to look for what we enjoy and hopefully we will find the right match. My whining is not limited to CCL, all of the lines are playing the same game. 😊

Well I thought it was a good post.   Nothing wrong with a wish list or a good reason for not cruising.   Didn't feel it warranted the criticism (I thought) you received.   Wasn't planning on starting a war, but wasn't going to be bullied either.   As you can see, the vast majority of posters lined up behind you!!   Thanks, it was a fun day