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Goodbye to best Southern Caribbean 14,day Itinerary!


luv4cruises
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I have been an annual booker of the best 14 day Southern Caribbean itinerary on the Eclipse for the pat several years. I am booked in Nov, 2017, and March, 2018. Unfortunately when I booked March, 2018 while on board the Eclipse last year I forgot to check the date of Easter. Eager to reschedule I started looking at 2019.

Much to my shock and dismay, not only has the Eclipse been reassigned, but the best and only true 14 day Caribbean itinerary has been eliminated. Of the cruise lines I regularly book, Princess, HAL, and RCCL Celebrity had the only true 14 day that wasn't essentially a B2B.

This itinerary has been very popular. I can't understand why they have eliminated it . At the least I would have thought the itinerary would have been assigned to another ship.

Bring back the true 14 day Southern Caribbean itinerary, please!

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...This itinerary has been very popular. I can't understand why they have eliminated it . At the least I would have thought the itinerary would have been assigned to another ship.

 

Bring back the true 14 day Southern Caribbean itinerary, please!

 

 

Edge. Wait for it.

 

 

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It seems all the cruise lines are drastically reducing the number of longer cruises. Shorter cruises attract a younger passenger demographic that are more inclined to spend for ancillary services like shore excursions, specialty dining, spa treatments etc. Celebrity seems to think that a pattern of 9/12 nt cruises in lieu of 14 nt cruises will result in higher overall revenues. A publicly held company like RCI is more interested in attracting new customers that help increase profit margins and pleasing Wall Street than retaining long term customers that may potentially be less profitable on a per diem basis.

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Travelling from the UK with anything less than a 14 night cruise is not worth the hassle of a long haul flight and don't like B2B cruises, too many sea days. Reflection in December 18 would appear to be our last Celebrity cruise unless they introduce something similar. We took a P&O cruise on Britannia last year, 14 night out of Barbados with a fabulous itinerary with 2 less sea days than Eclipse. Although we love Celebrity, Britannia does offer a welcome change which is likely to become an annual event, love the Caribbean, hate Miami airport.

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It's all about the bottom line. I would imagine that over the last couple of years, it's been harder to fill the 14 day cruisers. I would guess that many Canadians have chosen not to do this cruise due to the falling dollar. The cost for that cruise is prohibitive for many in light of the fact that the cruise tends to draw a more "senior" crowd. Add to that the aging of that particular cruise demographic. The future of cruising is in attracting the younger passengers. No doubt it's much more cost effective for Celebrity to shorten their cruise lengths and expect that those who want longer cruises to do B2B's.

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. Of the cruise lines I regularly book, Princess, HAL, and RCCL Celebrity had the only true 14 day that wasn't essentially a B2B.

!

 

 

Since you also cruise with Princess, perhaps you are already aware, but they do have a true 14 day now. To other comments about declining popularity of a 14 day, I can report that it was immensely popular when first released, and has increased significantly in price since then, so I assume it continues to be popular .

 

Granted, the Caribbean Princess is a poor substitute for the Eclipse, but if the 14 days is important to you, have a look.

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It's all about the bottom line. I would imagine that over the last couple of years, it's been harder to fill the 14 day cruisers. I would guess that many Canadians have chosen not to do this cruise due to the falling dollar. The cost for that cruise is prohibitive for many in light of the fact that the cruise tends to draw a more "senior" crowd. Add to that the aging of that particular cruise demographic. The future of cruising is in attracting the younger passengers. No doubt it's much more cost effective for Celebrity to shorten their cruise lengths and expect that those who want longer cruises to do B2B's.

 

Also keeps on board costs down - few guest entertainers needed because the on board entertainment only has to last 7 days. Lower food costs (possibly) as you only have to run a 7 day menu rotation.

 

Interestingly, The Eclipses schedules to the Canaries have all been trimmed to 10 days or so this year which is not ideal for us. but from next year it is changing - Silhouette replaces The Eclipse and the Canary cruises are getting longer back up to 13 and 14 nights and the overnight stays (that we were told everyone wanted) are pretty much gone. They are also mixing up their Western Med 14 nighter (ex Southampton) which for years seems to have had the same itinerary - Provence (replacing Villefrance), Corsica (replacing Genoa), Barcelona (replacing Malaga)

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It's all about the bottom line. I would imagine that over the last couple of years, it's been harder to fill the 14 day cruisers. I would guess that many Canadians have chosen not to do this cruise due to the falling dollar. The cost for that cruise is prohibitive for many in light of the fact that the cruise tends to draw a more "senior" crowd. Add to that the aging of that particular cruise demographic. The future of cruising is in attracting the younger passengers. No doubt it's much more cost effective for Celebrity to shorten their cruise lengths and expect that those who want longer cruises to do B2B's.

 

 

Agreed, but us up and coming Canadian seniors about to retire should be their next focus... and I for one like the 14 day cruising and plan on doing more of them.

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In 2014, this cruise was based in Fort Lauderdale and included 8 island ports. By 2016, it had been moved to Miami and reduced to 7 ports with Celebrity's very late and very questionable decision to include an overnight stay at one of the ports. Still, this remains our favourite Caribbean itinerary and we will be sad to take our cruise next March knowing that it will be our last.

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In 2014, this cruise was based in Fort Lauderdale and included 8 island ports. By 2016, it had been moved to Miami and reduced to 7 ports with Celebrity's very late and very questionable decision to include an overnight stay at one of the ports. Still, this remains our favourite Caribbean itinerary and we will be sad to take our cruise next March knowing that it will be our last.

 

We discovered a long time ago that this cruise was cheaper than renting a condo on the beach, with a rental car and restaurant meals 3x day and we will miss it. We don't even care what ports it makes, we've been to most of them and enjoy going ashore for lunch and sitting on our balcony in the sun. We will miss it. :(

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We discovered a long time ago that this cruise was cheaper than renting a condo on the beach, with a rental car and restaurant meals 3x day and we will miss it. We don't even care what ports it makes, we've been to most of them and enjoy going ashore for lunch and sitting on our balcony in the sun. We will miss it. :(

 

Agree. We pay $2200 each week for the Florida beachfront condo stay in Feb. So when we take the Eclipse in January every year, the two weeks IS a bargain. Will have to rethink winter of 2019.

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14 night Eclipse faithful cruisers are old...and getting older. Older people have time and money to book a 14 day cruise. Younger working people have limited vacation days and don't usually book a 14 night cruise. Shorter cruises attract a larger group of people. It's good business sense. In 2001 I booked my first 14 night cruise on the Galaxy. I was really young compared to other people on that cruise. When we got on the transfer bus, we were the only people without a mobility aide. I had never seen so may canes, walkers, and wheelchairs on a cruise. Fast forward to 2017. We are now in the older slower group. My spouse has mobility aides. Since we are both retired, we have enjoyed the Eclipse 14 day cruise. We tried doing a b2b on the Summit in 2016. It wasn't nearly as good as the 14 day on the Eclipse. On the b2b Summit, everything was repeated...menus, entertainment, jokes, etc. Second week was a complete repeat except for the ports. The turn around day was interrupted by having to turn in old sea pass and get a new sea pass. Unlike other lines that I have done b2b, Celebrity doesn't offer much for the inconvenience. Some cruise lines give discounts for booking b2b cruises. When we tried to book the Eclipse for winter 2018, we were amazed at the prices and at how few cabins were available. Instead we booked a 12 night on the Silhouette. Maybe I will extend by staying in Florida before and after the cruise.

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Since you also cruise with Princess, perhaps you are already aware, but they do have a true 14 day now. To other comments about declining popularity of a 14 day, I can report that it was immensely popular when first released, and has increased significantly in price since then, so I assume it continues to be popular .

 

Granted, the Caribbean Princess is a poor substitute for the Eclipse, but if the 14 days is important to you, have a look.[/q

 

The 14 day is new to Princess this yesr.

I would be fine if it were on the Royal or Regal - but the Caribbean Princess is as you say a poor substitute for the Eclipse. Odd that Princess would introduce a true 14!day just as Celebrity is discontinuing it.

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Just curious. We are booked on the Eclipse 14-night Caribbean cruise in April of 2018. Is that itinerary still being held or when is the wonderful itinerary stopping. LIke the OP, the end of this wonderful cruise is a huge disappointment to us because we do this at or near Easter every year.

Also, like the OP, we don't like the idea of a B2B. For one thing, the shows repeat. For another thing, you go back to the home port midway. And yet another thing, it is harder to book the same cabin for both parts of a B2B.

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Lower food costs (possibly) as you only have to run a 7 day menu rotation.

 

Interesting point, which got me thinking.

 

Personally, I find I eat less food toward the end of my cruise as I've been eating non stop for days [emoji12] . If this is something common, then the cruise lines would actually spend more on food on short cruises, as people are going crazy eating in their first few days...?

 

Just a thought ..

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Agreed, but us up and coming Canadian seniors about to retire should be their next focus... and I for one like the 14 day cruising and plan on doing more of them.

I'm nowhere near retiring, but I like the way you think!

 

Someone else mentioned waiting for the Edge to do 14d cruises.... Won't that be quite a while before that happens... Don't newer ships stick to shorter itineraries at the onset?

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14 night Eclipse faithful cruisers are old...and getting older. Older people have time and money to book a 14 day cruise. Younger working people have limited vacation days and don't usually book a 14 night cruise. Shorter cruises attract a larger group of people. It's good business sense. In 2001 I booked my first 14 night cruise on the Galaxy. I was really young compared to other people on that cruise. When we got on the transfer bus, we were the only people without a mobility aide. I had never seen so may canes, walkers, and wheelchairs on a cruise. Fast forward to 2017. We are now in the older slower group. My spouse has mobility aides. Since we are both retired, we have enjoyed the Eclipse 14 day cruise. We tried doing a b2b on the Summit in 2016. It wasn't nearly as good as the 14 day on the Eclipse......

 

Some generalisations there I think.

 

My wife and I are not that old - I'm 50 my wife is mid 40s. We regularly take 2-3 week vacations from work and have done since our 20s. We both think you never feel as though you are benefitting from the break until you get into the second week. We are not going to get on a plane and fly half way around the world for 7 days.

 

In the U.K. (And I think it applies to Europe as well) we usually get quite a generous paid annual leave entitlement. We are fortunate that my wife and I both get 6 weeks annual leave (I actually 6.5) plus bank holidays, Plus we can accrue flexi leave and bank leave from one year to the next. Plus many employees now allow flexible working and the option to take unpaid leave and career breaks.

 

When a cruise line say chops a 14 night cruise into two 7 night ones I wonder what the extra costs are associated with

(1) marketing and selling twice the number of cabins

(2) paying for an extra day in the turnaround port (all the contract staff that have to be brought in to facilitate the changeover)

(3) the extra fuel costs for the cruiseline having to get back to port and back out again (on longer cruises some of our overnight hops have been very short distances )

Edited by DYKWIA
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I wouldn't know what to do with all the time off that people receive in the UK and Europe, but I would sure like to try! After working as a nurse for 37 years, I get a little over three weeks off. Unfortunately this also includes any sick time and the holidays. Next year we will be doing a European cruise, eight nights on Oceania, with a couple of days pre-cruise in Venice, then a couple of days post cruise in Athens. This is the longest vacation I have taken in all the years that I have worked. So I do understand why cruise lines are offering shorter vacations. I will be trying Viking and Oceana in the next year, but unfortunately they do not offer very many short cruises. Those 9-11 night cruises on celebrity are very attractive to someone like me for an occasional splurge, but unfortunately most of my vacations will remain one week for the time being.

 

 

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Sometimes...

 

As a perennial B2Ber, 7 to 8 weeks at a time, I'm curious. Let me know which itineraries and ships offer that extra perk..

 

I think you have to request it at booking and it's $100 off the second cruise - or at least it used to be. Haven't booked any Celebrity back2backs for clients in a while so

 

Sort of like the Captains Club upgrade benefit - if you don't ask they don't automatically offer it to you and it has to be done at time of initial booking

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