Would you sail an itinerary like this if Carnival offered it?

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

Quite!!!   Can you imagine the gangways as people stumble in from Bourbon St!!   

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. If you have a balcony on that side just pull up a chair and enjoy the show.

[Wennfred]

3 hours ago, mbglib said:

I sailed a similar itinerary on the Celebration in 1997.  It was excellent, but seems there was some problem with the embarking at two U.S. ports although I don't remember what it was.  I would definitely like it again when we feel safe to sail.

It’s called the Jones Act. of 1920, Most of their ships are registered by Panama or other countries so they are not allowed to hit 2 US ports in a row.

 

The Jones Act treats U.S. cruise ships and passengers differently from foreign cruise ships and passengers. While the act allows U.S. ships to travel directly from U.S. port to port, it prohibits foreign shipsfrom traveling directly from U.S. port to port.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Wennfred

[firefly333]

25 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

New Orleans is a much bigger tourist attraction than Galveston. And for the people that don’t like to stray far from the ship there’s a mall right next to the port. The only thing that close to the Galveston port is a whole bunch of cruise parking lots.

Just a matter of taste. I knew 2 people who got pick pocketed in new orleans too. My cruise roomie flew in from England and her purse ripped off her arm. Her passport gone. She had no money and had to get help from embassy to get home.

 

Lol I also see why so many here asking about majesty OTS. Feb prices discounted, especially for seniors. Feb 20, 2021. Deal. I'd book it but already b2b 14 days booked next february. What's the deal with February being so cheap.

 

Solo cabin

[Joe817]

12 minutes ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

Texas is home to my children, so no feathers ruffled at all!!   Thanks for the read, fascinating.   I had never heard Laffite's name associated with Texas so i found it very interesting.   

 

But I still think your liquor laws are stupid!!  😉

 

No doubt it.. Texas liquor laws are past  their time.  👍

[Wennfred]

NOLA isn’t a choice I would select.

 

Fred

[firefly333]

23 minutes ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

Texas is home to my children, so no feathers ruffled at all!!   Thanks for the read, fascinating.   I had never heard Laffite's name associated with Texas so i found it very interesting.   

 

But I still think your liquor laws are stupid!!  😉

 

But our liquor taxes are quite low.

 

A bottle of wine costs double in florida what I can buy it for here in texas.

 

No point in buying scotch etc onboard I found out the hard way, I can easily beat those prices by $20 or $30 for a good bottle of scotch.

 

Dont think our liquor taxes are stupid. I'm happy with them.

[ULCajunCruiser]

Just now, firefly333 said:

But our liquor taxes are quite low.

 

A bottle of wine costs double in florida what I can buy it for here in texas.

 

No point in buying scotch etc onboard I found out the hard way, I can easily beat those prices by $20 or $30 for a good bottle of scotch.

 

Dont think our liquor taxes are stupid. I'm happy with them.

I'm by no means an expert, but I do know of several quirks caused by Texas' law.

    1)  While in port or in Texas waters, can only buy certain drinks.   (Can't recall exactly, but I think it has something to do with the distributors?)

     2)  No point in buying duty free liquor cause I have to pay tax on it when I return to port!!!

     3)  Costco can't sell it's own brands of liquor (most of which are very good)

 

None of those things will happen if you sail out of New Orleans!!

[Joebucks]

As much as I would love to go to all of those cities, I wouldn't be rooting for such an itinerary. Going to these cities during the day just isn't the same, especially in NO. Going overnight in NO defeats the purpose of a cruise too. If I had a magic wand, Key West, Cozumel, and Havana would be golden. Due to current restrictions, Cayman would be fine to swap with Havana as well.

[Illbcruzn4life]

New Orleans is a much bigger tourist attraction than Galveston. And for the people that don’t like to stray far from the ship there’s a mall right next to the port. The only thing that close to the Galveston port is a whole bunch of cruise parking lots.

Think its the Riverfront if not mistaken. A ship crashed into one year back in late 90’s or early 2000’s.

Also Harrahs casino is right down that way.


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[Saint Greg]

27 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Just a matter of taste. I knew 2 people who got pick pocketed in new orleans too. My cruise roomie flew in from England and her purse ripped off her arm. Her passport gone. She had no money and had to get help from embassy to get home.

 

 

Well I don't know anyone who has been robbed there and I've spent over 100 nights down there.

[Saint Greg]

8 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

Think its the Riverfront if not mistaken. A ship crashed into one year back in late 90’s or early 2000’s.

Also Harrahs casino is right down that way.


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Riverwalk Mall if that's what you're talking about. NCL/RCL cruise port is there. And yeah Harrah's right across the street.

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Saint Greg

[BlerkOne]

34 minutes ago, Wennfred said:

It’s called the Jones Act. of 1920, Most of their ships are registered by Panama or other countries so they are not allowed to hit 2 US ports in a row.

 

The Jones Act treats U.S. cruise ships and passengers differently from foreign cruise ships and passengers. While the act allows U.S. ships to travel directly from U.S. port to port, it prohibits foreign shipsfrom traveling directly from U.S. port to port.

 

The Jones Act deals with cargo, not passengers. Perhaps you are thinking of the passenger vessel services act of 1886 which prohibits transporting passengers from one US port to another without a stop in a distant foreign port, but that doesn't apply if just a port stop.

 

There are cruises that stop in consecutive US ports. Princess routinely does them on the left coast

 

 

[BlerkOne]

Not exactly  barge crash

 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Riverwalk Mall if that's what you're talking about. NCL/RCL cruise port is there. And yeah Harrah's right across the street.

 

 

Yeah that's the one. Turns out it was December 14, 1996 that the MV Bright Field crashed into the mall.  I think there was a Hilton around there too but not sure. I remember we went somewhere and bought all day passes to ride the trolley from Julia St.

[keywest1]

Love the idea.  New Orleans and Key West are two of our favorite places to visit.  What would really be great for us would be 

later arrival/departure in NOLA, Key West, and Cozumel.  Sunset cruises, highly entertaining ghost tours, pier runners.  Add that

to sleeping in every morning...pretty much my ideal cruise 😁

[PhillyFan33579]

This itinerary would be limited to Fantasy and Spirit class ships because of Tampa. I would do it on a Spirit class ship but not on a Fantasy class ship. My first several Carnival cruises were on Fantasy class ships but my last cruise on a Fantasy class ship was years ago. 

[Honolulu Blue]

13 hours ago, Tapi said:

Thinking here about what things from the past we may see again, and I thought about this. 
 

Carnival used to offer a 7 night itinerary that allowed embarkation at both New Orleans and Tampa (I believe it was on the Tropicale, and then on the Sensation). It looked something like this:

 

1. New Orleans
2. At Sea
3. Tampa
4. Key West
5. At Sea
6. Cozumel
7. At Sea
8. New Orleans

 

or

 

1. Tampa
2. Key West
3. At Sea
4. Cozumel
5. At Sea
6. New Orleans
7. At Sea
8. Tampa

 

Now, I know that it’s not the most fascinating itinerary, but I was thinking that bringing something like that back could provide some temporary advantages as cruising ramps up again:

 

• It may be logistically advantageous to have one ship serving two ports of embarkation while demand builds back up again and crews can be repositioned back to work, and while new protocols are established.
• Two ports of embarkation means that the number of embarking passenger will be split in half, creating less congestion on embarkation and debarkation day, and making it easier to abide by any separation protocols that may be in place.
• A simple itinerary with mostly U.S. ports of call could address the potential issues concerning a reduced number of ports throughout the Caribbean that, initially, may be willing to receive cruise ships. I do believe that Cozumel will be a very viable port once cruising resumes as Cancun and Riviera Maya will begin receiving passengers by air on June 1st.
• Should there be an outbreak on board, it may be easier to process passengers and proceed somewhere where medical protocols can be in place.

 

So, would you sail on an itinerary like this if Carnival offered it? I think I would, at least to keep me happy until cruising options expand again. 

 

I'm intrigued.  I like your logic.  I really like Key West, but I'm not so sure they want us "dirty" cruise passengers yet (a few hundred people coming by car and staying in a local hotel is much easier to control, should they want to do that).  New Orleans was really hot for a while, but that was six weeks or so ago and things are much better there now.  And what is there to do for day travelers to Tampa.

 

Put it this way... if they replaced my October cruise with either of your suggestions, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

 

Also, if Mexico is willing to open up Cozumel, they might be willing to open up Costa Maya and/or Progreso (though most of the reviews I've seen of that port aren't very good).  

[mbglib]

14 hours ago, bafinegan said:

Didn't the Victory when it was out of Puerto Rico do something similar?  I think the other embarkation port was Barbados and it went in the Eastern/Southern Caribbean route.  ANd yes, I would do this itinerary.

 

baf 

delete = repeated what someone else had already said

Edited May 19, 2020 by mbglib
delete

[mbglib]

59 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

I'm intrigued.  I like your logic.  I really like Key West, but I'm not so sure they want us "dirty" cruise passengers yet (a few hundred people coming by car and staying in a local hotel is much easier to control, should they want to do that).  New Orleans was really hot for a while, but that was six weeks or so ago and things are much better there now.  And what is there to do for day travelers to Tampa.

 

Put it this way... if they replaced my October cruise with either of your suggestions, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

 

Also, if Mexico is willing to open up Cozumel, they might be willing to open up Costa Maya and/or Progreso (though most of the reviews I've seen of that port aren't very good).  

When we sailed to from New Orleans to Tampa in 1997, there was an excursion to Busch Gardens (among others).  I also know a few years ago, a trolley went very near the port and took you to various areas in Tampa and it was either low cost or free.

[Anyislandwilldo]

11 hours ago, Trueblueky said:

Overnight in NOLA.  Not 8-5.

 

During Mardi Gras!!

[sanmarcosman]

10 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Not exactly  barge crash

Not too "Bright."  

[PhillyFan33579]

7 minutes ago, mbglib said:

When we sailed to from New Orleans to Tampa in 1997, there was an excursion to Busch Gardens (among others).  I also know a few years ago, a trolley went very near the port and took you to various areas in Tampa and it was either low cost or free.

The trolley is still there. 

[Butterbean1000]

Um, don't think so.  I've been to NO.  Once was enough.  Nothing appealing about Tampa.  But I do love Key West.

[Tapi]

2 hours ago, Butterbean1000 said:

Nothing appealing about Tampa.

As a former Florida resident, Tampa isn’t where I would’ve taken a land vacation to. But it does have some attractions to keep day trippers busy. The Florida Aquarium and Riverwalk are steps from the cruise terminal. Ybor City is a fun and picturesque place. The beaches in St. Pete/Clearwater are nice. For amusement park enthusiasts there’s Busch Gardens. And for fans of Winter (from the movie Dolphin Tale), they can head to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 
 

Tampa wouldn’t be on my list of top destinations, but I’d find plenty to have an enjoyable day. 

[sparks1093]

Yes, I would consider that type of itinerary.