I like drive up(close to home) cruises ,but...... how about you .

[dolittle]

We have done more than a few close to home cruises from Baltimore and New York . We live between the two so it is very easy to get there and go. Now the BUT part where the ship can go is limited to the geography of the east coast . I know this is always true but the choices are more limited and after a few times you have done all that can be from this area. One of the things I like about cruising (and travel)is meeting people from all over, on these ships everyone is from Pennsylvania ,New York and New Jersey (''not that there's anything wrong with that'' ) but it is not the same as the random people you meet from a ship in Florida or Europe (no kidding) . To me this adds a lot to the travel experience . I know many of you have done this type of cruise what do you think, I do wish the could add some new ports for these local cruises.

[Flatbush Flyer]

50 minutes ago, dolittle said:

We have done more than a few close to home cruises from Baltimore and New York . We live between the two so it is very easy to get there and go. Now the BUT part where the ship can go is limited to the geography of the east coast . I know this is always true but the choices are more limited and after a few times you have done all that can be from this area. One of the things I like about cruising (and travel)is meeting people from all over, on these ships everyone is from Pennsylvania ,New York and New Jersey (''not that there's anything wrong with that'' ) but it is not the same as the random people you meet from a ship in Florida or Europe (no kidding) . To me this adds a lot to the travel experience . I know many of you have done this type of cruise what do you think, I do wish the could add some new ports for these local cruises.

What you are describing is limited to RT cruises (mostly “short” out and back).
 

There are plenty of OW cruises that start or end in NYC. In fact, we’re doing one composed of two OW segments starting this May: ARN-LIS-NYC (35 days). Next year we’ll do SFO-NYC via the Panama Canal. Sometimes we “tough it out” and do a trip to or from MIA (a port we’d prefer to never use) solely because of the OW itinerary that starts or ends there (e.g., Amazon River).

 

That said, remember that there are cruise lines that specialize in OW segments and multi-segments that include unusual ports (you can also do ATW cruises from/to NYC). And don’t forget that some of those cruise lines (e.g., Oceania) often include the airfare (tix or credit) making intercontinental cruising attractive (later this year we’ll do BCN-FCO-MIA).

 

The other benefit of doing OW cruises is that, if you pick favorite or bucket list start/end ports, you can add on land days at both ends! And, check out the “bottom line” per diem cost of a 30 day OW multisegment intercontinental cruise compared to three 10 day “cookie cutter” Caribbean cruises to the same old mostly boring islands. You may be pleasantly surprised!

(BTW, want exotic tropics? Go the the Pacific. But, if you really are stuck in the Caribbean “rut,” try a crewed yacht charter - not as expensive as you may think).

Edited March 23, 2022 by Flatbush Flyer

[CPT Trips]

We also like to drive to the port and do a “get away from the cold” winter cruise. If you can take the time, both Royal and NCL do some longer RT cruises to the Caribbean. Several sea days and warm sunny beach days in bet are “ruts” I can live in.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, dolittle said:

We have done more than a few close to home cruises from Baltimore and New York . We live between the two so it is very easy to get there and go. Now the BUT part where the ship can go is limited to the geography of the east coast . I know this is always true but the choices are more limited and after a few times you have done all that can be from this area. One of the things I like about cruising (and travel)is meeting people from all over, on these ships everyone is from Pennsylvania ,New York and New Jersey (''not that there's anything wrong with that'' ) but it is not the same as the random people you meet from a ship in Florida or Europe (no kidding) . To me this adds a lot to the travel experience . I know many of you have done this type of cruise what do you think, I do wish the could add some new ports for these local cruises.

With two exceptions all of our cruises have left from Manhattan,Bayonne and Baltimore.

[sanger727]

I'm curious how well these cruises sell. They are great for people who live within driving distance. But if you don't and have to fly anyway, for a caribbean or bahamas cruise it seems silly to fly to new york just to add 3-4 extra cruising day to get to the caribbean or the bahamas. When you could just easily fly to florida and already be there. Now, Bermuda or Canada cruises out of there make sense. 

[leaveitallbehind]

Longer cruises, primarily out of Bayonne or NYC, have itineraries into the Caribbean and we have done that before.  But as with you, the advantage with Bayonne and Baltimore is the easy drive proximity and, while still flying to other departure ports, we take advantage of that a lot.  I realize that in general most of the itineraries are limited, but one which we in particular enjoy is the 7-night Bermuda itinerary with three days in Bermuda.  We do that as a quick getaway fairly regularly. But geography is what it is and unless you live in FL, you have to take what you can get, I guess.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 minute ago, sanger727 said:

I'm curious how well these cruises sell. They are great for people who live within driving distance. But if you don't and have to fly anyway, for a caribbean or bahamas cruise it seems silly to fly to new york just to add 3-4 extra cruising day to get to the caribbean or the bahamas. When you could just easily fly to florida and already be there. Now, Bermuda or Canada cruises out of there make sense. 

They actually tend to sell out as with the FL itineraries.  What hasn't been mentioned is very popular fall itineraries to Canada and the NE, both from Bayonne and Baltimore.  And the Bermuda itinerary is almost exclusive to this region, so if you want to go there - as many people do - you go from here. And maybe it is from local driving range locations, but in our experience with a dozen or so cruises out of both ports, all of the itineraries have been fully booked.

[sanger727]

Just now, leaveitallbehind said:

They actually tend to sell out as with the FL itineraries.  What hasn't been mentioned is very popular fall itineraries to Canada and the NE, both from Bayonne and Baltimore.  And the Bermuda itinerary is almost exclusive to this region, so if you want to go there - as many people do - you go from here. And maybe it is from local driving range locations, but in our experience with a dozen or so cruises out of both ports, all of the itineraries have been fully booked.

 

Right, but they don't offer as many sailings as Florida does. So, the market is still smaller. Filling the ship is just good marketing and ship allocation.

[leaveitallbehind]

14 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

Right, but they don't offer as many sailings as Florida does. So, the market is still smaller. Filling the ship is just good marketing and ship allocation.

Agreed, and it certainly doesn't compare to the FL market - it is a shorter season with far fewer ships.  But RCCL, as example, has Oasis, Anthem, and Adventure all based in Bayonne in season.  Baltimore has Enchantment.  So they do offer a fair amount of capacity.

 

Likely there are far less fly-in's than drive-ins. But to the question of how they sell, they do sell well.  So they seem to have gotten it right for this market as you suggest.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[Nebr.cruiser]

Well, I would if I could.  Not too many cruises leave from Nebraska!  Having to fly everywhere makes it much more difficult.  But, I'll take where I live with no crowds, fresh air and nature any day.

[sparks1093]

42 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I'm curious how well these cruises sell. They are great for people who live within driving distance. But if you don't and have to fly anyway, for a caribbean or bahamas cruise it seems silly to fly to new york just to add 3-4 extra cruising day to get to the caribbean or the bahamas. When you could just easily fly to florida and already be there. Now, Bermuda or Canada cruises out of there make sense. 

After our cruise in November DW made it clear that she was done driving to the port because her back couldn't take the long drive any longer. So we flew to Baltimore for our February cruise (it was already booked). We've both agreed that if we are going to fly to the cruise port we might as well fly to Florida. That way it is warm when we start the cruise and it opens up much more possibilities, not only for itineraries but cruise lines as well. 

[leaveitallbehind]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

We've both agreed that if we are going to fly to the cruise port we might as well fly to Florida. That way it is warm when we start the cruise and it opens up much more possibilities, not only for itineraries but cruise lines as well. 

Agree completely and I would do the exact same thing.  And not picking, but would like to point out that in the prime of the NE season (May-Sept) it is also quite warm here for departure.  Our summers are typically in the 90's with (unfortunately) equal humidity.  November?  Yeah, not so much.  LOL  😉

[sparks1093]

4 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Agree completely and I would do the exact same thing.  And not picking, but would like to point out that in the prime of the NE season (May-Sept) it is also quite warm here for departure.  Our summers are typically in the 90's with (unfortunately) equal humidity.  November?  Yeah, not so much.  LOL  😉

Yes, I was mostly referring to when we typically book our cruises with is Feb-Apr. Baltimore was definitely warmer than Vermont this past February but it wasn't pool weather by any means and that is what DW is interested in.

[donaldsc]

8 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

After our cruise in November DW made it clear that she was done driving to the port because her back couldn't take the long drive any longer. So we flew to Baltimore for our February cruise (it was already booked). We've both agreed that if we are going to fly to the cruise port we might as well fly to Florida. That way it is warm when we start the cruise and it opens up much more possibilities, not only for itineraries but cruise lines as well. 

 

I agree but with a caveat.  My philosophy is that once I get on the airplane, it doesn't matter where I go.  Having to do airplane transfers can be a pain but it also breaks up the trip.  My point is that instead of flying to Florida and cruising the Caribbean out of there, you might as go to a place that you really want to visit instead such as the Greek Islands or Costa Rica or wherever your destination of choice is. 

 

DON

[Reina del Mar]

Would love to be able to drive to port. We have in the past driven to Southampton to do Med and Canary cruises but to go further afield we need to fly.

[TheOldBear]

The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is our 'local' port - over 70 miles of driving, but no tolls, bridges or tunnels.

 

Our past couple, and next planned cruises are multiple week sailings, with port visits in Europe between eastbound and westbound crossings. 

 

The QM2 herself is a major attraction for us, as we enjoy the crossing atmosphere of 'nothing to do, and not enough time in the day to do it'. 

[urbanhawk]

1 hour ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Well, I would if I could.  Not too many cruises leave from Nebraska!  Having to fly everywhere makes it much more difficult.  But, I'll take where I live with no crowds, fresh air and nature any day.

I agree with you 100%! (I live in AZ.). As much as I love cruising, it's not enough of a reason to move/live in CA., Texas, Florida, etc. to be close(er) to a cruise port.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 

I agree but with a caveat.  My philosophy is that once I get on the airplane, it doesn't matter where I go.  Having to do airplane transfers can be a pain but it also breaks up the trip.  My point is that instead of flying to Florida and cruising the Caribbean out of there, you might as go to a place that you really want to visit instead such as the Greek Islands or Costa Rica or wherever your destination of choice is. 

 

DON

If cost isn't an issue, of course, but for us cost is still an issue. We'd also rather cruise then do a land vacation with limited exceptions (we want to take a vacation to Rome and once the world returns to normal we will resume our vacations to Germany to visit DW's family).

[CPT Trips]

There have been a fair number of people from the UK and Europe on our longer cruises from NY/NJ. More than once we were on a cruise where announcements were also made in German. Many of the folks we met were spending several extra days in New York City pre or post cruise and much prefer that, even in winter, to a few days in Florida.
 

According to one Scouser, “Florida requires at least two weeks to visit and the parks and golf. What else is there?”

[George C]

4 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

There have been a fair number of people from the UK and Europe on our longer cruises from NY/NJ. More than once we were on a cruise where announcements were also made in German. Many of the folks we met were spending several extra days in New York City pre or post cruise and much prefer that, even in winter, to a few days in Florida.
 

According to one Scouser, “Florida requires at least two weeks to visit and the parks and golf. What else is there?”

Love cruising out of New York City , ideally spend a couple of days before and after cruise, but not in winter. 

[navybankerteacher]

8 minutes ago, George C said:

Love cruising out of New York City , ideally spend a couple of days before and after cruise, but not in winter. 

The problem with cruising out of New York is that (with very few exceptions) the market is owned by NCL (which I never want to sail again) and Carnival and Royal Caribbean - with their over-sized ships and mediocre itineraries.  
 

There are Cunard TA’s, and an occasional Oceania cruise to Bermuda (which avoids the remote and depressing Dockyard tourist trap).  But that is just a very small number of options.

 

Up to about 15 years ago HAL had great Caribbean itineraries from New York but they yielded  the  market.

 

Now spending three weeks on a Gulf Coast beach as a preferable late winter getaway given the lack of attractive itineraries from New York.

[George C]

17 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

The problem with cruising out of New York is that (with very few exceptions) the market is owned by NCL (which I never want to sail again) and Carnival and Royal Caribbean - with their over-sized ships and mediocre itineraries.  
 

There are Cunard TA’s, and an occasional Oceania cruise to Bermuda (which avoids the remote and depressing Dockyard tourist trap).  But that is just a very small number of options.

 

Up to about 15 years ago HAL had great Caribbean itineraries from New York but they yielded  the  market.

 

Now spending three weeks on a Gulf Coast beach as a preferable late winter getaway given the lack of attractive itineraries from New York.

Totally agree that’s what stopping us , did take several HAL out of Manhattan and a couple Princess out of Brooklyn,  there were a nice selection when I lived there in 70’s and early 80’s . Now we normally cruise from Florida. Occasionally do some from Galveston.

[cruizergal70]

6 hours ago, dolittle said:

We have done more than a few close to home cruises from Baltimore and New York . We live between the two so it is very easy to get there and go. Now the BUT part where the ship can go is limited to the geography of the east coast . I know this is always true but the choices are more limited and after a few times you have done all that can be from this area. One of the things I like about cruising (and travel)is meeting people from all over, on these ships everyone is from Pennsylvania ,New York and New Jersey (''not that there's anything wrong with that'' ) but it is not the same as the random people you meet from a ship in Florida or Europe (no kidding) . To me this adds a lot to the travel experience . I know many of you have done this type of cruise what do you think, I do wish the could add some new ports for these local cruises.

No. Florida and European departure ports attract a wider passenger group. I've seen folks from Europe fly over to depart from Florida. On my European departure cruise, we had folks fly in from Japan. 

 

Now, Covid may change things in the short term.

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

(BTW But, if you really are stuck in the Caribbean “rut,” try a crewed yacht charter - not as expensive as you may think).

 

Like everything else in life, when chartering a private yacht, you get what you pay for. The new yacht our son works aboard costs US $2.8 million per week to charter.

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Like everything else in life, when chartering a private yacht, you get what you pay for. The new yacht our son works aboard costs US $2.8 million per week to charter.

Different ball game than what I’m talking about. A 60 foot Cat that sleeps 8 plus 2 crew (and is provisioned) in the Caribbean wouldn’t cost much more (or less) than a balcony cabin on a premium/luxury cruise ship. Check out a broker like Ed Hamilton & Co.