Will Holland expand cruise offerings from US ports?

[Cajuntraveler]

We are loyal HAL cruisers but are looking at other cruise lines for a September cruise.  HAL does not currently offer any Caribbean, Mexico or California coastal cruises during September.  We usually take 7 day cruises 4+ times per year out of US ports.  We are booked on X  in May because HAL did not offer any Caribbean cruises. HAL is currently only offering Alaska and Canada cruises until Oct. 2022.

Does anyone have any info that would suggest HAL may expand its US port offerings in the near future? 
 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I have no inside info but traditionally HAL has not cruised the Caribbean or Mexico until late October or November.  I doubt they would change that mode of operation.

[Mary229]

HAL is betting big on Alaska.  I heard in an interview yesterday that for 2022 they are deploying 6 of their 11 ships to Alaska.   
 

i usd to sail the Caribbean a ton when I lived in New Orleans and have sailed HAL in the Caribbean.  It is not my first choice for the Caribbean.  I think NCL and Carnival do a pretty good job there.   I am not a fan of Royals giant ships and I can’t get past being fairly cheap on the Caribbean - just too much competition.  My brother loves Windstar for the Caribbean but they tend to be Southern Caribbean. 

[Modern_Viking]

The destinations you listed seem to fall into what I might call commodity cruises, with lots of competition and low prices for much for much of the year.  I expect HAL feels there are people who are generally willing to pay higher fares in September for cruises to Alaska, New England / Atlantic Canada, and Europe than for cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, or California Coast (r/t from a US port).  You might be able to find a reposition cruise on HAL in September sailing one-way from Vancouver to San Diego, but that doesn't seem to be what you are seeking. 

Sorry not to have better news, but from what I have seen, HAL doesn't usually offer what you are seeking and I am not sure why they would want to change, as it seems like they might lose out on revenue if they did. 

[DAllenTCY]

Princess Cruises offers California Coastal sailings from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

 

David

[FOPMan]

HAL usually has New England/Canada cruises between Montreal and Boston during summer/early fall.

 

I don’t think they want to worry about the height of hurricane season in the Caribbean as well as lower interest in the area during summer months. 

[CruiseMark]

HAL has been in Alaska for 70+ years. That’s earned them the best docks, lodges, permits, etc. 

 

They’re not going to give that up just so they can have the 57th ship in the Caribbean. 

[Darfun]

The competition in the Caribbean and the threat of hurricanes would be my bet on why they don’t sail there during the summer. Plus they seem to focus greatly on the Alaska and Europe destinations. Since Carnival only sends 1 ship to Europe whereas HA sends half there fleet. But it all comes down to money. HA figures they will get more money from the Europe and Alaska sailing then the summer Caribbean sailing. 
 

[atexsix]

52 minutes ago, Darfun said:

The competition in the Caribbean and the threat of hurricanes would be my bet on why they don’t sail there during the summer. Plus they seem to focus greatly on the Alaska and Europe destinations. Since Carnival only sends 1 ship to Europe whereas HA sends half there fleet. But it all comes down to money. HA figures they will get more money from the Europe and Alaska sailing then the summer Caribbean sailing. 
 

Exactly.  I was told eons ago the Alaska market is their bread and butter.  My only wish would be Seattle to Hawaii sailings offered for several months of the year, there's a huge demand for not having to go to Vancouver or San Diego.

[MISTER 67]

Every mainstream cruise line sails out of Florida to the Caribbean in the summer months except for HAL, I can't understand why they can't leave a ship in Ft. Lauderdale all year round.

[12cruise2]

I honestly believe it's because of hurricane season; they don't have the number of ships other lines have as well.  One thing I've always liked about HAL is that they don't get you in a geographic area in the "wrong" time/season of the year on their cruises, where weather can play a big problem. 

[Darfun]

41 minutes ago, 12cruise2 said:

I honestly believe it's because of hurricane season; they don't have the number of ships other lines have as well.  One thing I've always liked about HAL is that they don't get you in a geographic area in the "wrong" time/season of the year on their cruises, where weather can play a big problem. 

Definitely with the sale of several ships at the beginning of Covid I can’t imagine if it’s the plan for several years. They would need to get several more ships for that to be a option.