Please improve 7 night Caribbean itineraries CCL!

[Cruising_Addict]

Carnival added an itinerary out of San Juan that added Grenada, Dominica and Antigua to St Thomas and Barbados. So they definitely are working on more diverse itineraries. And yes, it’s on the Fascination. But honestly, who cares? It’s still a one sea day cruise. You are hardly on the ship anyway, if you really don’t like Fantasy class ship. Personally, I love cruise ships no matter what size. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Cruising_Addict

[vicky3vicky]

I am a big Sea Days fan. I would be fine with only 2 ports on a 7 day cruise. Even with only one. I wouldn't even care if a couple of those extra Sea Days had no special activities on them in order not to overburden the crew. 

And if were able to go on a one port cruise, and was able to choose the port, it would be either Roatan, because I think it is the most beautiful place in the world, St. lucia, because I think it's the second most beautiful place in the world, or else Cozumel, because I don't even know how many times I've been there, but there is still so much I haven't yet experienced there. 

To tell the truth, I wouldn't care if there were no ports. I just want to go on a [safe] cruise.

[HxFx]

9 hours ago, Cruising_Addict said:

Carnival added an itinerary out of San Juan that added Grenada, Dominica and Antigua to St Thomas and Barbados. So they definitely are working on more diverse itineraries. And yes, it’s on the Fascination. But honestly, who cares? It’s still a one sea day cruise. You are hardly on the ship anyway, if you really don’t like Fantasy class ship. Personally, I love cruise ships no matter what size. 

I would agree if Fascination were the only option, or at least if a balcony were cheaper. Both of the RCI ships are showing cheaper balconies (for the times I am looking at). The ports are pretty similar so I would take the newer ship at a better price. It's odd because the newer RCI ship, Freedom of the Seas, with more to do on it is the one with no sea days. The Enchantment of the Seas has one sea day like Fascination. I don't need all the bells and whistles of Freedom but would prefer a bit newer than Fascination for the price (I would surely miss Guy's Burgers though!)

[ULCajunCruiser]

9 hours ago, vicky3vicky said:

I am a big Sea Days fan. I would be fine with only 2 ports on a 7 day cruise. Even with only one. I wouldn't even care if a couple of those extra Sea Days had no special activities on them in order not to overburden the crew. 

And if were able to go on a one port cruise, and was able to choose the port, it would be either Roatan, because I think it is the most beautiful place in the world, St. lucia, because I think it's the second most beautiful place in the world, or else Cozumel, because I don't even know how many times I've been there, but there is still so much I haven't yet experienced there. 

To tell the truth, I wouldn't care if there were no ports. I just want to go on a [safe] cruise.

Exactly, couldn't agree more!!

[Jamman54]

15 hours 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.

Why not? I've done two 8 day southern cruises from Port Canaveral. The  Magic and Radiance have 8 day Southern cruises scheduled from PC.😎

Edited April 27, 2020 by Jamman54

[jperry2011]

On 4/26/2020 at 11:25 AM, Spike2000 said:

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 

I would to go Nassau anyday over Freeport.. all they have is a bunch of junk made in china nic nacs with a "made in the bahamas" sticker over it..

 

We prefer the one stop cruise (Bermuda) over stopping at 3 different places anyways. Then you have roughly 2 1/2 days to actually explore the island.

 

[jsglow]

15 hours ago, Cruising_Addict said:

Carnival added an itinerary out of San Juan that added Grenada, Dominica and Antigua to St Thomas and Barbados. So they definitely are working on more diverse itineraries. And yes, it’s on the Fascination. But honestly, who cares? It’s still a one sea day cruise. You are hardly on the ship anyway, if you really don’t like Fantasy class ship. Personally, I love cruise ships no matter what size. 

 

We've got that exact cruise teed up for December 2021.  

[amyjoy202697]

 

22 hours 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.

 

Radiance has 8 days scheduled out of Pt Canaveral... I am currently booked Thanksgiving week

[JasperCruiser]

I’m very excited about our Mardi Gras cruise set for next year but I’m not as happy about the itinerary. We picked the eastern and sure we’ll have a good time but I was hoping for better stops. Oh well... I’d rather be a sea than stuck at home any day.

[Dave0311]

I would love a 6 or 7 day cruise that just goes to HMC and Princess Cays. I don't recall seeing an itinerary that included both of those ports. If they have to throw in another port, give me a throwaway port (in my opinion) like Freeport so I can have the ship to myself😂 or a stop in Cuba would be great.

[dillydilly]

On 4/26/2020 at 3:58 PM, 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. 

 

Tortola Please!!!! 

[Cruising_Addict]

14 hours ago, jsglow said:

 

We've got that exact cruise teed up for December 2021.  

Same here! Dec 5, 2021. 

[Cruising_Addict]

20 hours ago, HxFx said:

I would agree if Fascination were the only option, or at least if a balcony were cheaper. Both of the RCI ships are showing cheaper balconies (for the times I am looking at). The ports are pretty similar so I would take the newer ship at a better price. It's odd because the newer RCI ship, Freedom of the Seas, with more to do on it is the one with no sea days. The Enchantment of the Seas has one sea day like Fascination. I don't need all the bells and whistles of Freedom but would prefer a bit newer than Fascination for the price (I would surely miss Guy's Burgers though!)

I just booked a balcony on this itinerary for $1,889 for 2 people for 7 days. That’s pretty cheap in my book. Anything under $2K is, in my opinion. 

[deadmoney]

On 4/26/2020 at 4:46 PM, HxFx said:

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

Have you been to Duval Street?

Any more port time and a lot of folks wouldn't make it back to the ship.🍺

[xDisconnections]

On 4/26/2020 at 11:25 AM, Spike2000 said:

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. 

Ehh, that itinerary is tiresome and not the best. If it's allegedly on its way out per you, consider me happy to see a change of pace.

 

As for San Juan, you'll get a better ship as soon as Carnival is able to see increased occupancy levels that exceed forecasted demand combined with a higher ADR and RevPAR. Cruises out of San Juan have been deeply discounted in the past and you can expect that to continue. At one point, you had the Victory then two Conquest class ships (Valor/Liberty) and now back to Fantasy class. The occupancy levels don't warrant a newer ship as of yet. For those willing to pay a higher rate to have a more immersive experience, the Freedom of the Seas prior to Covid-19 has done a fantastic job in capturing that market segment.  For San Juan, you have options if the Fantasy class ship is not able to meet your accommodations.

[xDisconnections]

On 4/26/2020 at 4:46 PM, HxFx said:

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

The sunset is very important to the locals and they do not want obstructed views. If I remember correctly from when I used to visit Key West very frequently (stopped going when SPG lost the Westin Key West Resort & Marina to be flagged as Margaritaville Resort), there is a city ordinance that requires ships to depart two hours prior to the sunset and are permitted to return after the sunset is finished. Every now and then you'll find the occasional port stop that is a little later but they are hard to find.

 

I'd rather to go Key West via land for a few days than on a cruise but that's my opinion. It's been several years since I last visited sadly.

Edited April 28, 2020 by xDisconnections

[Joebucks]

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

The sunset is very important to the locals and they do not want obstructed views. If I remember correctly from when I used to visit Key West very frequently (stopped going when SPG lost the Westin Key West Resort & Marina to be flagged as Margaritaville Resort), there is a city ordinance that requires ships to depart two hours prior to the sunset and are permitted to return after the sunset is finished. Every now and then you'll find the occasional port stop that is a little later but they are hard to find.

 

I'd rather to go Key West via land for a few days than on a cruise but that's my opinion. It's been several years since I last visited sadly.

 

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to the terrible 7-1 Key West dock times. I asked the same question years ago and was given the sunset answer. Upon further investigation, plenty of ships leave Key West between 4-6pm. That particular 1-1:30 departure was to give enough time to get to Cozumel allegedly.

 

As far as the improvement to the itinerary piece, you will never ever make everyone happy. I can't even count how many times I've seen someone ask for a route that already exists. Often, they think an exotic route should just be taking a cheap route and swapping out Nassau or Cozumel. It doesn't work that way. There is a lot that goes into ports of call like contracts and capacity, to name a few. Then people complain about routes they say should exist, that used to, and weren't popular.

 

I am very excited to see the Fascination going to ports like Grenada, Tortola, and Dominica again. My last Fascination cruise was outstanding. I definitely appreciate the desire for more exotic ports, and I'll take port days over sea days.  I'll admit though, I do wish there was a bigger ship in PR. Give me a conquest class, and I might be there every year. Sure there are lots of port days, but 7 nights on a Fantasy class isn't quite the same as a bigger ship.

[HxFx]

2 hours ago, deadmoney said:

Have you been to Duval Street?

Any more port time and a lot of folks wouldn't make it back to the ship.🍺

Good point! I'm originally from Florida (will repatriate in retirement!) and have been there many times. Leaving at 1PM would not give me enough time in the water though 😞 Not the best port for diving/snorkeling but better than Virginia!

[HxFx]

20 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to the terrible 7-1 Key West dock times.

Yes, I was talking about those. I've seen a few at the 5-6PM time and that would be fine. I think those have mostly been Celebrity. For Carnival, I usually see the 1PM departures for the dates I've looked. I've been there several times so not getting up early enough to get off the boat before 9!

[Tapi]

29 minutes ago, HxFx said:

Yes, I was talking about those. I've seen a few at the 5-6PM time and that would be fine. I think those have mostly been Celebrity. For Carnival, I usually see the 1PM departures for the dates I've looked.

On the Carnival itineraries that I’ve seen with a 1pm departure from Key West it’s because the ship is racing to make it to Cozumel at a decent time the following day. 
 

On our last stop in Key West (HAL’s Niew Statendam) a few months ago we departed at 7:00pm (sunset was at 6:30pm) but we were docked at the Outer Mole. Viking Sky and Norwegian Sky who were docked at Mallory Square left two hours before us.

 

I haven’t departed Key West late since we sailed there pre 9-11 aboard the Dolphin IV. We were docked until midnight 

[xDisconnections]

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to the terrible 7-1 Key West dock times. I asked the same question years ago and was given the sunset answer. Upon further investigation, plenty of ships leave Key West between 4-6pm. That particular 1-1:30 departure was to give enough time to get to Cozumel allegedly.

 

As far as the improvement to the itinerary piece, you will never ever make everyone happy. I can't even count how many times I've seen someone ask for a route that already exists. Often, they think an exotic route should just be taking a cheap route and swapping out Nassau or Cozumel. It doesn't work that way. There is a lot that goes into ports of call like contracts and capacity, to name a few. Then people complain about routes they say should exist, that used to, and weren't popular.

 

I am very excited to see the Fascination going to ports like Grenada, Tortola, and Dominica again. My last Fascination cruise was outstanding. I definitely appreciate the desire for more exotic ports, and I'll take port days over sea days.  I'll admit though, I do wish there was a bigger ship in PR. Give me a conquest class, and I might be there every year. Sure there are lots of port days, but 7 nights on a Fantasy class isn't quite the same as a bigger ship.

 

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

On the Carnival itineraries that I’ve seen with a 1pm departure from Key West it’s because the ship is racing to make it to Cozumel at a decent time the following day. 
 

On our last stop in Key West (HAL’s Niew Statendam) a few months ago we departed at 7:00pm (sunset was at 6:30pm) but we were docked at the Outer Mole. Viking Sky and Norwegian Sky who were docked at Mallory Square left two hours before us.

 

I haven’t departed Key West late since we sailed there pre 9-11 aboard the Dolphin IV. We were docked until midnight 

Interesting — good to know. Like I said, it’s been several years since I’ve been there as I stopped going by land and a Princess simply doesn’t visit Key West. I wonder if what I’ve been told was true at one point or if it only referenced Mallory and the Westin pier leaving OM out.

[BlerkOne]

6 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Ehh, that itinerary is tiresome and not the best. If it's allegedly on its way out per you, consider me happy to see a change of pace.

 

As for San Juan, you'll get a better ship as soon as Carnival is able to see increased occupancy levels that exceed forecasted demand combined with a higher ADR and RevPAR. Cruises out of San Juan have been deeply discounted in the past and you can expect that to continue. At one point, you had the Victory then two Conquest class ships (Valor/Liberty) and now back to Fantasy class. The occupancy levels don't warrant a newer ship as of yet. For those willing to pay a higher rate to have a more immersive experience, the Freedom of the Seas prior to Covid-19 has done a fantastic job in capturing that market segment.  For San Juan, you have options if the Fantasy class ship is not able to meet your accommodations.

 

At one point Destiny.

[BlerkOne]

I'll be happy when cruising starts again. Who cares about ports. I think most people prefer 3 ports max on a 7 day cruise with some sea days tossed it.

[BlerkOne]

On 4/27/2020 at 8:41 AM, ronbe65 said:

MIA or FLL is where the Mardi Gras should have been home based BTW.

 

Happy cruising!

 

 

With Mardi Gras for a name, New Orleans is the only port that makes sense.

[Tapi]

6 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

As for San Juan, you'll get a better ship as soon as Carnival is able to see increased occupancy levels that exceed forecasted demand combined with a higher ADR and RevPAR. Cruises out of San Juan have been deeply discounted in the past and you can expect that to continue. At one point, you had the Victory then two Conquest class ships (Valor/Liberty) and now back to Fantasy class. The occupancy levels don't warrant a newer ship as of yet.

Ever since Carnival switched to the Fascination out of San Juan, I’ve wondered what other cruise lines operating larger ships (like Norwegian Epic, Freedom of the Seas, and Celebrity Summit) are doing to capture more passengers at higher fares to fill up their San Juan based ships while Carnival struggles with that market.