jbobst

Thanks for the great photos. I will be on the Grand in May 2013 from SF to Alaska and wonder if the Grand will look similar to the Sapphire.

 

Tom:)

Tom, we are going on the Sapphire in about three weeks, and we were on the Grand in 2006. Looking at the Sapphire pictures, I think the Grand is very similar with a few few exceptions. The same? Not exactly, but similar in many ways. The Grand is slightly smaller, they removed the Skywalkers lounge, the mid ship dining rooms are broken up into four rooms instead of two (to just name a few of the differences). The Grand also has the International Cafe now and the Vines wine bar and Pizza place in the Piazza (atrium). I was hoping to go back on the Grand again why she is in the West coast, but not sure I can make it this year. I am sure you'll love the Grand.

This was just asked on another board, and a cruise line employee you often posts with great info stated 3 reasons. First, fuel regulations along the west coast requiring much more expensive and cleaner burning fuels.

 

Second, a long history of low spending by cruisers sailing out of west coast ports. Lastly, due to laws, a ship sailing from a US port has to end at a foreign port.

Sailing from a foreign port allows the cruise to end at a US port.

 

So, the combo of these makes it not profitable.

I was the cruise line manager being quoted by the other poster.

 

You need to realize that it is ALWAYS about the money.

You also need to realize that fuel is the highest cost (money again) we have - anywhere.

Finally you need to realize that California forces us to burn even more expensive fuel than in any other place in world.

 

So with those ideas in mind, why would a cruise ship ever want to sail off the California coast?

Answer: We don't. The weather off the California coast is miserable far more often than nice, seas are usually rough with passengers puking instead of spending money, pool bars are empty, casino is empty, and California regulations force us to sail so far off the coast that you never see California. California immigration and customs officers treat our passengers like criminals, the union stevedores are the laziest, most corrupt, and most expensive in the world, the outdated cruise terminals are falling down around our ears, and we are forced to employ outrageously expensive tugboats in California ports, wiping out any chance of profit. Just sailing a ship into and out of San Francisco Bay costs us $176,000 in tugboat fees - even though the tugboats never touch my ship.

 

But there are times when it is LESS COSTLY (money again) than the other alternatives.

Those times are in the Spring and Fall, when it is too cold and nasty to sail in Alaska, and the fuel cost (money again) to get the ship to another warmer location is greater than the money we lose sailing off the California coast.

 

Remember that it is ALWAYS about the money.

 

So far as the studies on passenger spending habits, my employers spent big money for that data, and they have no interest in giving it to you. But having read the data, I can tell you that people sailing out of California spend less money onboard EVERY month of the year, compared to people sailing out of any other ports. There are just a few times every year when the cruise lines are willing to put up with that - in order to avoid losing even more money doing it another way.

 

In the Summer months, where we sail is a no-brainer.

Alaska cruisers spend an average 600% more money every day onboard than California Coastal cruisers.

It is ALWAYS about the money.

BruceMuzz, You must not work for Princess or Celebrity. Not counting the repositioning cruises to and from Alaska this year, there are 13 different cruises that just do California Coastals (with the one stop in Ensenada) this year alone! Not sure who you work for but while "you don't" cruise out of California, other lines certainly do. The prices for these cruises are also quite a bit higher than I have paid doing the traditional Mexico West Coast cruises in the past. From the way it seems on the cruise boards, and the way these ships appear to be filling up (and the way they filled them up last year), these cruises seem to be popular.

I completely understand that it's about money, and I would imagine that if other cruise lines started doing it in competition with Princess and Celebrity, the demand might not be there. I think a few of the things listed in the thread aren't quite true though. If everything you said were true, Princess and Celebrity would not be doing these cruise, but they are doing them. 13 of them in the next 10 months. Empty Casino's and Cruise terminal falling down around your ears? Custom's officers treating passengers like criminals? (I've done 9 cruises out of California, and the Custom's offices are no different or worse than anywhere else). Come on now...

Oh, and how do you know that Grand Princess is one of their poorest performers? Not saying they aren't, but curious why you think that.

CruiserBruce: "due to laws, a ship sailing from a US port has to end at a foreign port." This is completely false. Every week, there are probably hundreds (at least dozens) of cruises leaving US Ports on ROUND TRIP itineraries...are they all breaking the law? My past 11 cruises all originated in a US port and they all ENDED in the same US port!

The OP was simply asking why they don't have these cruises in the Summer when many of us in the west coast (or anywhere in the US for that matter) have kids on summer break or are only able to take vacations in the Summer. The answer seems to be that Alaska simply has the demand for those months as a TON of ships are doing the various Alaska itineraries. I think one or two Coastal cruises would be absolutely perfect during the summer and I know I would pay quite a bit for them if even one was offered. But, I don't decide where ships sail from. All I know is that I would pay a premium for my family to be able to take a summer vacation cruise without having to fly somewhere and to escape the Arizona heat to the coast of California. Can't speak for the rest of the population though, so maybe I am in a very small minority. It does seem like every Summer there are heavily discounted last minute Alaska cruises for sale. It's no wonder they have to have these sales as there are SO many ships in Alaska. It would seem to me that there would be a huge response from West coast/Southwest people if they offered one or two options out of Southern California in the Summer.

Thanks for the info. But I'd like to know why it's safer to park in the port parking than at the DoubleTree Hilton? Neither parking area looks secure, like with a fence. Just wondering what you get for the $12 a day at the port's parking lot?

 

Thanks for the help.

Brigid-

I have parked my car (and motorhome once) at the Doubletree and the Cruise terminal. I am not sure which one is safer, but we never had a problem at either one. The doubletree is not secure in the sense that there isn't even a fence around the property. However, because it's a decent hotel, I think they have security that makes their rounds around the parking lot, and during the day, there are plenty of people around (not sure if that really matters or not). We left our motorhome parked in the Doubletree for one of our cruises and it was fine when we returned (as well as our car once). I think the cruise terminal had a fence, and of course the exit has the security guy who you pay. It's probably more secure, but also more expensive. We usually wan to get to the area a day before the cruise anyway, so if we were already paying for the hotel, we got the "free" parking too (not that it's free...as they charge your more for your room to include the parking).

Can someone explain how they make coffee from a syrup? Where does coffee syrup come from?

Personally, I've never been able to tell a difference in coffee on a ship. It all tastes fine to me, but I don't have a trained coffee sense.

If the Crown ends up in Los Angeles after the South America cruise, have they announced where she will be going once she arrives in Los Angeles? Hopfully they have a year round (especially during the summer months) Pacific Coastal Cruises. I don't think they will do that, but I can hope! It's very frustrating that once Summer arrives, all of us here on the West Coast (including Arizona, Nevada, Utah) who have kids on their summer breaks, can't escape the heat and do a nice coastal cruise for summer vacation. They put a ton of ships in Alaska, and there is nothing in the California Market. It seems like each summer I see last minute Alaska cruises discounted to around ~$300. If they are discounting last minute Alaska cruises, it seems that they are having a hard time sailing full (it's no wonder they aren't full when there are SO many ship in Alaska!). I could be wrong about them not sailing full, but I am not sure what to make of the last minute discounts they offer. Seems to me that a Pacific Coastal cruise a couple of times during the Summer departing out of San Diego or LA would be absolutely perfect for all of the families in the Southwest/Coastal areas. With flying being so expensive and such a hassle, we love being able to drive to the Southern California area for a cruise...but we are tired of Mexico and summer time is just too hot down there anyway.

It seems like Princess is charging a decent amount of money for the few Pacific Coastal cruises they offer, and that they fill up pretty quick. Could be wrong about that too, but it just seems like a market segment (especially during summer months) that could be huge for them.

Not to ask the same question over and over again, but we have cruises a bunch of times out of San Diego and San Pedro, and once out of Galveston. At those ports, they have a regular cruise terminal...i.e. a big building where you go through security, check in at an agent booth, then sit around on benches or seats until the boarding zone is called. Having never sailed out of the Carnival facility in Long Beach, it seems like alot of people check in at the Queen Mary, then end up waiting in an outside area??? Do they not have a regular cruise terminal where you can check in and then not have to wait in the sun or rain?

I wear mine on a lanyard around my neck. I use the kind that requires a hole punched in the card. I don't carry a purse around during the day on board the ship. At night when going to dinner the card is in my purse.

 

I find the lanyard especially useful when getting off and back on the ship while in port. I'm not digging around in my pocket or camera bag or whatever looking for it. Once I'm off the ship I take it off and put it in whatever bag I'm taking ashore then put it back on just before getting in the line to get back on board.

What!?! You wear your seapass card like a necklace??? You wouldn't do that with a hotel room key, would you!?!

(Just kidding)

I don't carry a hotel room key around my neck, and I wouldn't do it on a ship!

I couldn't imagine wearing a seapass card as a necklace. Yuck.

A Seapass card is much more than a hotel room key...it's also the way to purchase anything and everything on a ship...it also is your life line to the ship (getting back on the ship in port). Life line may be a stretch, but it certainly is more than room key. As you can probably tell, we use lanyards. And we certainly don't think of it as a necklace!?! That's a strange comment... And, the line at guest relations is awful long sometimes...I find I don't loose my key with a lanyard and therefore don't have to wait in line to get a new key! :)

Anyway, to the OP, it looks like you have kids, as we do. Our kids would loose the sea pass card much easier if they didn't have it on a lanyard. My wife and I also use lanyards. It makes the card so much easier to carry, find, store in your room, etc. I keep my card "hidden" under my shirt, so it's usually not out there for everyone to see (as it seems some people are offended by it???). We also find that when we get back to our room, the first thing we do is hang up our lanyard on the coat hook. That way, we aren't searching around the room for it when we leave. Using the lanyard really makes it nice (well, it helps the kids mostly!). Not sure why people seem to be offended at the lanyard.