11 CCL ships out of FL - 3 in CA???

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

West coasters are having little cruising options without having to fly long distances. Now that the Elation is gone, we have the Paradise from LA, Splendor from LA and the Spirit that splits San Diego, Seattle and Hawaii. I counted a total of 11 CCL ships that leave from either Miami, Port Canveral, Ft Lauderdale, Jacksonville or Tampa which are all not that far apart. 4 alone sail from Miami.

 

I understand H1N1 is having an effect on Mexico cruises as well as the violence in Mexico that isn't necessarily in tourist areas. I would certainly be willing to have a cruise to nowhere or go from San Diego northward or something. This just stinks.

[Kurbanfan]

West coasters are having little cruising options without having to fly long distances. Now that the Elation is gone, we have the Paradise from LA, Splendor from LA and the Spirit that splits San Diego, Seattle and Hawaii. I counted a total of 11 CCL ships that leave from either Miami, Port Canveral, Ft Lauderdale, Jacksonville or Tampa which are all not that far apart. 4 alone sail from Miami.

 

I understand H1N1 is having an effect on Mexico cruises as well as the violence in Mexico that isn't necessarily in tourist areas. I would certainly be willing to have a cruise to nowhere or go from San Diego northward or something. This just stinks.

 

Isn't the Paradise a cruise to nowhere:confused::p:D

[halos]

Why not try a different line?

[yogi2929]

I could see a ship splitting it's time going doing 3/4/ day cruises (something like- San Francisco/Seattle/Victoria or Vancouver) in the summer and then the 4/5 day San Diego/Cabo itin in the winter.

 

We like the PNW cruises, we are going on our third one in April.

 

What I do know is the price of the Paradise is sure to go up because there is NO more competition out here.

[firefly333]

I think Carnival had no choice but to pull a ship due to lack of interest. Splendor wasnt pulling down decent prices, too low compared to other ships... what would you have Carnival do. If you guys really wanted to save the ship, should have been talking up booking from Calif more.... like us Texans talk up going out of Galveston.

 

Iv seen some ridiculously low prices out of Calif, so you cant blame Carnival, blame the lack of Calif's booking Carnival ships.

[luv2cruise777l]

West coasters are having little cruising options without having to fly long distances. Now that the Elation is gone, we have the Paradise from LA, Splendor from LA and the Spirit that splits San Diego, Seattle and Hawaii. I counted a total of 11 CCL ships that leave from either Miami, Port Canveral, Ft Lauderdale, Jacksonville or Tampa which are all not that far apart. 4 alone sail from Miami.

 

I understand H1N1 is having an effect on Mexico cruises as well as the violence in Mexico that isn't necessarily in tourist areas. I would certainly be willing to have a cruise to nowhere or go from San Diego northward or something. This just stinks.

 

I agree! It would be nice to have more options from California!

 

I think I will have to retire in Florida! ;):)

[yogi2929]

Why not try a different line?

 

Our only option for the short cruise IS Carnival. Royal pulled the Monarch a while ago. They are doing a very few, but not many short cruises. I could find no RCCL short cruises past November 2009.

 

The only other option for a short cruise is the Spirit. 4/5 day Cabo itin in April 2010.

[Kurbanfan]

I think Carnival had no choice but to pull a ship due to lack of interest. Splendor wasnt pulling down decent prices, too low compared to other ships... what would you have Carnival do. If you guys really wanted to save the ship, should have been talking up booking from Calif more.... like us Texans talk up going out of Galveston.

 

Iv seen some ridiculously low prices out of Calif, so you cant blame Carnival, blame the lack of Calif's booking Carnival ships.

 

LOL! Since when is it up to the public to do marketing for a business:p

 

Fuel prices, swine flu, bad economy, bad marketing.....like Cruiser 2 mentioned Cabo is a heck of alot farther away then all the other short itinerary cruises.......

If they can't fill up the ship why would they spend more money on fuel?

[LemurCat]

I would wager the guess that cruising out of SoCal just isn't as profitable as cruising out of Miami if two major lines have pulled the majority of their business out of that market.

[luv2cruise777l]

I think Carnival had no choice but to pull a ship due to lack of interest. Splendor wasnt pulling down decent prices, too low compared to other ships... what would you have Carnival do. If you guys really wanted to save the ship, should have been talking up booking from Calif more.... like us Texans talk up going out of Galveston.

 

Iv seen some ridiculously low prices out of Calif, so you cant blame Carnival, blame the lack of Calif's booking Carnival ships.

 

I have seen the same low prices but there are alot of people here in California that don't have jobs (as in alot of other places) and therefore can't book vacations right now. Maybe, when and if the economy turns around, people will start booking again and Carnival will send us a new ship!

[firefly333]

LOL! Since when is it up to the public to do marketing for a business:p

 

Fuel prices, swine flu, bad economy, bad marketing.....like Cruiser 2 mentioned Cabo is a heck of alot farther away then all the other short itinerary cruises.......

If they can't fill up the ship why would they spend more money on fuel?

 

Obviously supply and demand do make a difference. If Carnival didnt think they could pull down more money by moving Elation to Charleston (instead of pulling a ship from Florida which would have been a whole lot easier), it wouldnt be doing it.

 

How many bookings and how profitable a particular ship is do have some bearing on which ships stay in a market. Calif obviously isnt pulling down the right numbers.

[LemurCat]

LOL! Since when is it up to the public to do marketing for a business:p

 

It's not, but if the public doesn't respond to several marketing strategies, why should a business saddle itself with losses just to please a few customers?

[Warm Breezes]

I think you have 2 factors here. Demand is low (thus the low prices) and there just aren't as many ports for them to offer as opposed to sailing from Florida.

[templed]

I'm sure you could make the same arguement for NYC...

 

A VERY large cruise market... and Carnival has 2 ships here (I think)... NCL has 1 ship here, RCCL has 1 ship here, Princess has 1 ship that summers here... and those cruises demand and get premium pricing...

 

Potential options... Baltimore (3 hour drive)... Sometimes Philly (small Bermuda bound ships)...

 

Granted... we don't have to fly as far as you would from CA....

 

Ya... it stinks... but... you still have more cruise options locally (without flying) than we do.

[Kurbanfan]

It's not, but if the public doesn't respond to several marketing strategies, why should a business saddle itself with losses just to please a few customers?

 

I never said they shouldn't pull out if they were not making profit......

I live about 2 hours from San Diego.......the only way I found out about the Elation coming to San Diego to do the Cabo run was from being on cc.......I do know they had big billboards in San Diego right next to the port:rolleyes: That is the extent of their several marketing strategies that I am aware of........

But we all know there is much more to it then marketing.......

[lvtotrvl1]

I think you have 2 factors here. Demand is low (thus the low prices) and there just aren't as many ports for them to offer as opposed to sailing from Florida.

 

I agree...there are not that many ports to see from CA..and cruisers get tired of the same ports...which results in lower occupancy and lower rates to try to fill the ship...

[firefly333]

I agree...there are not that many ports to see from CA..and cruisers get tired of the same ports...which results in lower occupancy and lower rates to try to fill the ship...

 

Ecstasy does the same ports over and over and people get tired of them, but it still pulls down better numbers than other cruises, more $$$ per day even than Conquest, ... go figure. A 4A early saver was $279, Jan 2010, $299 for Jan 2011...compared to much lower for Elation. Ecstasy is a favorite of mine because of the CD and service. ...but the prices still surprise me. There was only about $50 total difference to cruise for 7 days on Conquest out of Galveston.

[G'ma]

West coasters are having little cruising options without having to fly long distances. Now that the Elation is gone, we have the Paradise from LA, Splendor from LA and the Spirit that splits San Diego, Seattle and Hawaii. I counted a total of 11 CCL ships that leave from either Miami, Port Canveral, Ft Lauderdale, Jacksonville or Tampa which are all not that far apart. 4 alone sail from Miami.

 

I understand H1N1 is having an effect on Mexico cruises as well as the violence in Mexico that isn't necessarily in tourist areas. I would certainly be willing to have a cruise to nowhere or go from San Diego northward or something. This just stinks.

 

There are hundreds of islands in the Caribbean and 3000 miles north to south...not including destinations along the Yucatan, Belize, etc.

 

There are no warm weather destinations from the west coast except Mexico......

 

Stands to reason, there would be more ships to the Caribbean than to the Mexican Riviera.....

[Warm Breezes]

I know the reason I don't even look at doing a cruise out of CA is the time change for us. I don't think I could handle having a scheduled time to eat at 6 or 8:30 which would be 9 or 11:30 our time. I wouldn't be able eat in the MDR room because my stomach would force me to eat way before dinner time :oand I'd be so tired at night I'd miss all the shows:(. The only good thing would be I'd be awake early enough to beat the chair hogs out.:D I just don't think my body could adjust fast enough to make a cruise out of CA worth it.

[sharecruises]

Florida is probably easier for more people to combine a vacation or to get to and stay overnight...cheaper than California...easier to get to ports...you start off in warm weather in Miami and Fort Lauderdale most all year round

 

Plus lots of places and ways to sail....I wish they would add a 10 night southern carrib cruise from South Florida..that would be neat

 

Bottom line ...they are watching their bottom line and their number crunchers are probably the ones who decide what ship will sail out of which port

[candigirl41]

If you don't like the set times for dinner they now offer anytime dining.

 

Candi

[LemurCat]

And I guarantee you the decision to pull out was made last October or November and they were just waiting for their contracts to run out.

[LHP]

The same reason Carnival did not bring 2 ships back to New Orleans...

 

the bottom line.

 

Carnival tried to give California more ships and you folks did not support it.

 

Can't blame Carnival for that.

[LorrieB]

[/b]

 

I have seen the same low prices but there are alot of people here in California that don't have jobs (as in alot of other places) and therefore can't book vacations right now. Maybe, when and if the economy turns around, people will start booking again and Carnival will send us a new ship!

Flights into Florida are much cheaper than into California. That could also have something to do with it. Remember, for most everyone, it isn't just the cruise fare. It's also the flight. So, flying into Florida is easier on the wallet than into California.

[Kurbanfan]

Ecstasy does the same ports over and over and people get tired of them, but it still pulls down better numbers than other cruises, more $$$ per day even than Conquest, ... go figure. A 4A early saver was $279, Jan 2010, $299 for Jan 2011...compared to much lower for Elation. Ecstasy is a favorite of mine because of the CD and service. ...but the prices still surprise me. There was only about $50 total difference to cruise for 7 days on Conquest out of Galveston.

 

I have noticed prices coming down for the Conquest....granted not as low as Calif. but they have lots of dates for balcony cabins in the $700 range......even down to $669 for a sailing in Oct......

Believe me I am keeping my eye on Galveston:D

You wouldn't have seen it this low a year ago........and you have to remember that they only have one Mexican port (Cozumel)......

The Mexican Riviera was hit really hard with the swine flu.....we talked to many of the locals and resort employees a couple of weeks ago and they said their resorts and hotel occupancy is still way down.....

And let's face it Texas was not hit as hard by the economy as Calif.....