Carnival to start outside of US ports

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Tapi said:

Hey,

 

 

 

 

Granted, you can’t compare the Vision with the Allure or Symphony, but under the current circumstances I’d be willing to go on the Vision, specially at those prices. 

 

 

Not bad prices. I've cruised on Vision before. I thought it was pretty nice (in 2000). Last time was a few years ago, and probably my biggest complaint was the Internet service. I can;t see paying premium prices for behemoths.

 

The reasonable cruise prices suggest the cabins aren't selling super fast. It might be a steal if you end up with a ship only a 1/3 full!

[Tapi]

3 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

The reasonable cruise prices suggest the cabins aren't selling super fast. It might be a steal if you end up with a ship only a 1/3 full!

If the prices hold steady, I can see myself pulling the trigger at the last minute. Got the vaccine, got the passport, got the mask. I’m ready to go! 😂

[SNJCruisers]

2 hours ago, luvsboozecruises said:

A little more money but comes with drink package and 3 specialty restaurants..

Down to 2 nights now with specialty dining on 7 night cruise.

[BlerkOne]

With NCL free drinks and specialty dining still costs a 20% gratuity even on port days. For the drinks, looks like almost $20pp/per day. For good drinks, you might want to tip extra per drink.

[scpirate]

On 4/6/2021 at 4:07 PM, asalligo said:

Cozumel! 

My wife says she is tired of cozumel but I could go for that.depends on the ports of call.

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

With NCL free drinks and specialty dining still costs a 20% gratuity even on port days. For the drinks, looks like almost $20pp/per day. For good drinks, you might want to tip extra per drink.

Don't know what port days have to do with it, but the 20% grat is based on their over priced 99.00 per day drink package.  If you pick this as an included perk, then you pay the 20%, plus the increase over their perks free base fare. As usual, nothing is free and you get what you pay for.

[BlerkOne]

58 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Don't know what port days have to do with it, but the 20% grat is based on their over priced 99.00 per day drink package.  If you pick this as an included perk, then you pay the 20%, plus the increase over their perks free base fare. As usual, nothing is free and you get what you pay for.

Assuming you get off the ship, fewer hours to get sloshed.

[xDisconnections]

8 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Yikes, how many people and what are you booking.

 

I got $1200 plus about $500 airfare solo. For sept, the lowest date. Let the kids go back to school and cruise after labor day.

 

Nassau has the much better route and port taxes and fees. 2 days at coco cay vs only one day there from Bermuda. To get the 449 pp x 2 price out of Bermuda I have to book a fake person. It's a gty. 

 

Though I got at least one trip to the beaches of florida and got sept booked in a hotel out of Galveston. If vista doesn't go I'll probably go down to Galveston and enjoy the beach.  But I cant help looking. 

Two days at Coco Cay would probably bother me.

[SNJCruisers]

44 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Assuming you get off the ship, fewer hours to get sloshed.

Getting sloshed is usually done on the 3 day weekend booze cruises or by the 20 somethings that don't  know how to handle their alcohol. 

Never saw someone inebriated at the Alchemy Bar.

[firefly333]

33 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Two days at Coco Cay would probably bother me.

Why?  Each has 3 ports, just nassau does 2 days at coco cay the private island. The ship will pull out at night for gambling. 

 

Clearly it's the more popular route, but nassau has 99 fees and taxes, bermuda has 175. Also a factor.

 

Nassau starts at 596 pp plus taxes, Bermuda 430 pp. Seems most want the 2 days at the private island. 

 

I'm still booked for sept on vista, waiting. 

[BlerkOne]

19 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Getting sloshed is usually done on the 3 day weekend booze cruises or by the 20 somethings that don't  know how to handle their alcohol. 

 

I see some 2 or more times that age determined to get their 15 drinks on Cheers every day. One was perspiring so heavily by dinner I was worried they might drop dead.

 

19 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Never saw someone inebriated at the Alchemy Bar.

I certainly have. Maybe next time ask the bartenders if they ever cut someone off.

 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Why?  Each has 3 ports, just nassau does 2 days at coco cay the private island. The ship will pull out at night for gambling. 

 

Clearly it's the more popular route, but nassau has 99 fees and taxes, bermuda has 175. Also a factor.

 

Nassau starts at 596 pp plus taxes, Bermuda 430 pp. Seems most want the 2 days at the private island. 

 

I'm still booked for sept on vista, waiting. 

Didnt want to mislead people about costs. I see a lot suggested carnival also leaving from Nassau.

 

To leave from nassau you also have to download a bahamian visa thing that costs $60. It's like insurance and covers you up to 2 weeks if you test positive for covid. I think you also have to present a negative covid test to fly into nassau to board which is another cost possibly.

 

You wouldnt want to stick around long after your cruise either or would need yet another test. To reenter usa you need a test within 3 days. Rcl is giving you a test at the end of the cruise that you can use to reenter the USA.

 

Not everyone wants the additional whatever I'd think. All I hear here is people might not have passports, but there are other considerations to me. 

Edited April 11, 2021 by firefly333

[xDisconnections]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Why?  Each has 3 ports, just nassau does 2 days at coco cay the private island. The ship will pull out at night for gambling. 

 

Clearly it's the more popular route, but nassau has 99 fees and taxes, bermuda has 175. Also a factor.

 

Nassau starts at 596 pp plus taxes, Bermuda 430 pp. Seems most want the 2 days at the private island. 

 

I'm still booked for sept on vista, waiting. 

My local beach is just as nice, if not better. Pools are dime a dozen in my area... and heated (not sure if Coco Cay is). Not interested in the water park at all but I have many awesome options for that in Orlando.

 

I’m not two days at Coco Cay desperate enough to cruise right now.

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, firefly333 said:

 

Not everyone wants the additional whatever I'd think. All I hear here is people might not have passports, but there are other considerations to me. 

The additional whatever for many Carnival cruisers would be the additional costs involved.  First are the additional visa cost and negative covid test for Nassau as you mentioned and of course the higher taxes associated with Bermuda.  Then add in the passports needed for many that don't have them since a certain percentage of Carnival cruisers as you know use birth certs and driver's licenses.  Then add in the extra expense incurred for the percentage that usually drive to their embarkation port and they now have to fly.

The bottom line is that many Carnival cruisers are frugal.  If things stretch past the November 1 CSO expiration date for some reason and Carnival makes the decision to embark outside of the US, then possibly a small percentage will adjust their thinking, but in general, I think the frugal Carnival cruiser that primarily drives and doesn't have a passport will just wait things out until carnival comes back to embarking from the US.

[mredandchis]

On 4/8/2021 at 10:42 PM, kona_wahine said:

I just hope the ports are opened up when cruising starts. Our march cruise will be to HMC, amber cove, and grand Turk. I figure that’s good as the 2 are private ports so hopefully no issue. I was just reading that most poorer countries probably won’t even be 20% vaccinated by the end of the year. 

I have been watching a number of Caribbean ports of call as far as vaccinations go and the supply isnt there.  They start doing jabs for a few days and then run out.  Many are waiting on the WHO and COFAX.  The Caymans seem to have a good supply and are ahead of the US as is Bermuda also.  St Maartin is getting some supply from the Netherlands and they want to get as many shots as possible before hurricane season but it isnt looking good day to day.  They may make it in 2 1/2 months.  Some of the islands I cant find reliable data on but one issue remains,  we dont have a lot of choices to sail too.  And CDC is against any travel to any island, period, end of statement.  The eight balls we have in the CDC have the power and we WILL obey.  

[BlerkOne]

16 minutes ago, mredandchis said:

 And CDC is against any travel to any island, period, end of statement.  The eight balls we have in the CDC have the power and we WILL obey.  

 

Not sure where you are getting that info, period.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

 

[mredandchis]

4 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

Not sure where you are getting that info, period.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

 

Any time I am out digging for covid and vaccine figures.  Always get the CDC propaganda that every place is high to very high .  Even when the new cases are single digits.  

The message goes like 

"Because of the current situation in  XYZ even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to XYZ."

You could put any major city in the US into the XYZ and then it would have some semblance of truth. 

[BlerkOne]

10 minutes ago, mredandchis said:

Any time I am out digging for covid and vaccine figures.  Always get the CDC propaganda that every place is high to very high .  Even when the new cases are single digits.  

The message goes like 

"Because of the current situation in  XYZ even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to XYZ."

You could put any major city in the US into the XYZ and then it would have some semblance of truth. 

I was thinking you could provide a link to current info on the CDC website to support your assertion concerning island travel.

[mredandchis]

9 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I was thinking you could provide a link to current info on the CDC website to support your assertion concerning island travel.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-bermuda

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-3/coronavirus-the-bahamas

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-saint-martin

it goes on and on, always the first thing on Google tp pop up.  

[xDisconnections]

On 4/11/2021 at 11:42 AM, SNJCruisers said:

The additional whatever for many Carnival cruisers would be the additional costs involved.  First are the additional visa cost and negative covid test for Nassau as you mentioned and of course the higher taxes associated with Bermuda.  Then add in the passports needed for many that don't have them since a certain percentage of Carnival cruisers as you know use birth certs and driver's licenses.  Then add in the extra expense incurred for the percentage that usually drive to their embarkation port and they now have to fly.

The bottom line is that many Carnival cruisers are frugal.  If things stretch past the November 1 CSO expiration date for some reason and Carnival makes the decision to embark outside of the US, then possibly a small percentage will adjust their thinking, but in general, I think the frugal Carnival cruiser that primarily drives and doesn't have a passport will just wait things out until carnival comes back to embarking from the US.

If Carnival targets the same person as other cruise lines like Royal and NCL, according to you, why are the other cruise lines able to pull this off? Seems like your post doesn’t paint the best picture for the cruise line and its onboard demographic.

Edited April 14, 2021 by xDisconnections

[BlerkOne]

16 hours ago, mredandchis said:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-bermuda

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-3/coronavirus-the-bahamas

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-saint-martin

it goes on and on, always the first thing on Google tp pop up.  

I don't have to depend on google to know that Covid cases are surging in Bermuda and the island is under a stay at home advisory. They have even closed the golf courses, FFS.

[BlerkOne]

19 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

If Carnival targets the same person as other cruise lines like Royal and NCL, according to you, why are the other cruise lines able to pull this off? Seems like your post doesn’t paint the best picture for the cruise line and its onboard demographic.

How many cruise lines are under the Carnival Corp umbrella vs Royal or NCL and you answer your question. Why should they?

[SNJCruisers]

13 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

If Carnival targets the same person as other cruise lines like Royal and NCL, according to you, why are the other cruise lines able to pull this off? Seems like your post doesn’t paint the best picture for the cruise line and its onboard demographic.

Christine Duffy already announced that the primary reason that Carnival will not be embarking outside the US is because there are a high percentage of Carnival cruisers that do not have passports and also drive to the  embarkation ports.  I mentioned this as describing the frugal cruiser on Carnival.

If by some chance this thing extends into 2022, then maybe Carnival will have a change of mind.  But in the short term Carnival Cruise Line is in a better financial position because many Carnival Corporation ships will be cruising from 5 out of their 9 divisions.  NCL and Royal are not as lucky, so they need to generate revenue quickly and that is why they have opted to do what they're doing over the summer with their new sailings

Edited April 14, 2021 by SNJCruisers

[NightOne]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Christine Duffy already announced that the primary reason that Carnival will not be embarking outside the US is because there are a high percentage of Carnival cruisers that do not have passports and also drive to the  embarkation ports.  I mentioned this as describing the frugal cruiser on Carnival.

If by some chance this thing extends into 2022, then maybe Carnival will have a change of mind.  But in the short term Carnival Cruise Line is in a better financial position because many Carnival Corporation ships will be cruising from 5 out of their 9 divisions.  NCL and Royal are not as lucky, so they need to generate revenue quickly and that is why they have opted to do what they're doing over the summer with their new sailings

 

Where did she announce that "Carnival cruisers that do not have passports"?

 

Also, where did she use the phrase "primary reason"?

[TNcruising02]

Even if many Carnival cruisers don't have passports, there are many who do.I think there are enough Carnival cruisers who have passports to make it worth it to have some Carnival ships sail from foreign ports. Maybe it won't come to that.