Summer in the Caribbean?

[RuthC]

I surely hope it clears for you, Ruth. I just checked what will be our flight from Newark to Tel Aviv, and it's in the air right now ... taking a more southern route. Looks like we'll be fine UNLESS the cloud is carried farther east and south. If we end up not being able to make it, the blessing will be that we're HOME, not having to worry about how to get there.

Thanks, Jim.

Glad to read that your plans still look good to go. I'd love to hear all about your impressions when you get back.

[Koshlong]

I hope everyone gets safely to their cruises and that this will not be a long, drawn out problem!

 

If a curious Canuck can ask a question.........why do people WANT to go to the Caribbean when it's HOT? I can see if you live in Florida and it's a drive-to, but if you're travelling any distance, why not go somewhere where summer is, well, summer?

 

By the way, the year we went to Alaska (in mid-August), the temp never got above 60 and the only day it didn't rain was in Glacier Bay...which I'll admit was probably the best day to have dry.

[RevNeal]

I surely hope it clears for you, Ruth. I just checked what will be our flight from Newark to Tel Aviv, and it's in the air right now ... taking a more southern route. Looks like we'll be fine UNLESS the cloud is carried farther east and south. If we end up not being able to make it, the blessing will be that we're HOME, not having to worry about how to get there.

 

When are you going to Israel, Jim?

I lead a pilgrimage/tour group there in November. :)

[Tamaracboy]

I am starting to get a tad worried about my flight to Venice, via Zurich, in two weeks.

 

Ruth, is there any water born means of transport that can get you to Venice on time, "just in case" ??

We really don't want you to miss your trip. And I doubt you would mind a few more sea days ;)

 

With the news that, historically, this eruption might be the precursor for an even bigger one:::::

 

Has anyone thought that if this does continue for a long time we might just be needing LOTS of ships on transatlantic runs ?? :confused:

 

As far as the effect on European ship placement in the case of a prolonged ash cloud, the Americans that can not fly to Europe for their scheduled cruises could be replaced by the Europeans who can not fly out for their vacations. This no fly business works both East and West bound. JMHO

These ship placements are planned out years in advance, and are not easily changed.

If it does come to that, the cruise lines will have to do some serious re-think of their cancellation fees.

 

r.

[Kathyh1313]

I'd love for HAL to have a ship or 2 in the Caribbean for the summer. For many years our summer vacation was a cruise. Yes, its hot, but its summer! :) Some of us like hot in the summer, yes and humid too!

[HeatherInFlorida]

In the 80's, before I knew any better, we would cruise the Caribbean in summer because it was so much less expensive. But then I learned why.

 

It's way too hot and you're dodging the threat of hurricanes and all sorts of tropical rains, etc. Then you have to hear the nitter natter complaints about ports changing because of hurricanes!!! It's just crazy. There's a very good reason HAL and others decided it wasn't worth it.

 

Living in Florida where we suffer enough with the summer heat, I'm not drawn in the slightest to the Caribbean where it's even hotter. And summer is so wonderful in so many parts of the country, why leave? If you want to cruise in the summer, there are so many wonderful alternatives.

 

Of course if this terrible volcanic action continues, who knows what will happen? My heart breaks for everyone stranded where they don't want to be and for those whose long planned cruises and vacations have been disrupted by this for who knows how long.

[sail7seas]

Has anyone thought that if this does continue for a long time we might just be needing LOTS of ships on transatlantic runs ?? :confused:

 

 

 

Topsham (Captain Card) posted on a thread I started yesterday re: How Long Would it Take to Reposition the European bound ships to other itineraries that it might be a good idea for the speed queens, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, to do transatlantics, Boston or New York to Southampton and back. That sure would be the only way I'd be tempted to return to Europe. :)

 

 

 

 

As far as the effect on European ship placement in the case of a prolonged ash cloud, the Americans that can not fly to Europe for their scheduled cruises could be replaced by the Europeans who can not fly out for their vacations. This no fly business works both East and West bound. JMHO

These ship placements are planned out years in advance, and are not easily changed.

If it does come to that, the cruise lines will have to do some serious re-think of their cancellation fees.

 

r.

 

Even the Europeans would need the air between countries. Trains are jammed packed and they've put on as much added capacity as they can apparently. It is possible enough are near enough (and willing) to drive to various ports to board/disembark. Many European cruises are not roundtrip to same port so their cars would be in the wrong city for the ride back to their homes. (Maybe use rental cars?) If this keeps up much longer, we'll soon learn the answers to all our speculative questions.

 

 

HAL did not pull ships from the Caribbean because of heat/humidity of summer. Nor were the ships repositioned because of threat of hurricanes. They sailed successfully through many summers in the Caribbean along with other cruise lines. They pulled the ships to Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England for spring/summer/fall because they get a much higher per diem on those routes, they get better on board spending and have there is a difference from what they had started to attract. It is all about the money. While I miss the summer ships, I certainly understand they are in business to make money. It is a for profit business as we all realize. ;) :)

 

 

 

Oh..... not everyone hates the heat. Some of us from cold weather states love getting our bones warmed. When we've had enough of heat and humidity, we stay in the air conditioning. A wonderful invention. :D

 

 

 

 

 

[haligonian37]

I hope everyone gets safely to their cruises and that this will not be a long, drawn out problem!

 

If a curious Canuck can ask a question.........why do people WANT to go to the Caribbean when it's HOT? I can see if you live in Florida and it's a drive-to, but if you're travelling any distance, why not go somewhere where summer is, well, summer?

 

By the way, the year we went to Alaska (in mid-August), the temp never got above 60 and the only day it didn't rain was in Glacier Bay...which I'll admit was probably the best day to have dry.

 

From one curious Canuck to another.....I have no idea! I went to Puerto Rico/Vieques last June to visit a friend and let me tell you, it was the hottest weather I've ever experienced. It didn't impact my impression of the islands (can't wait to go back to Vieques!) but I would definitely not go back in the summer months....and this is coming from someone who only gets two months of summer weather. ;)

 

But it is totally a personal preference....my BIL loves any kind of weather. On our stop in Curacao last Feb, he deemed it a "warm" 92, while my sister and I were painfully searching for an air conditioned store!

[Oceanwench]

 

It's way too hot and you're dodging the threat of hurricanes and all sorts of tropical rains, etc. Then you have to hear the nitter natter complaints about ports changing because of hurricanes!!! It's just crazy. There's a very good reason HAL and others decided it wasn't worth it.

 

Living in Florida where we suffer enough with the summer heat, I'm not drawn in the slightest to the Caribbean where it's even hotter. And summer is so wonderful in so many parts of the country, why leave? If you want to cruise in the summer, there are so many wonderful alternatives.

 

I can't agree more! I doubt I would ever book a Caribbean cruise in the summer. In addition to the heat/humidity, I would anticipate a lot of kiddies on the ships as well. :eek:

 

Arthur Frommer's column today addresses the number of ships in the Caribbean this summer and predicts price drops. He notes that last summer there was one cruise ship operating weeklong Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, while this year there will be five.

 

He estimates as many as 60,000 berths a week leaving from Florida ports this summer.

 

Of course none of them is HAL ...

 

According to Frommer, Port Everglades has Oasis of the Seas [5,600 berths], Celebrity Solstice [2,800], the Emerald Princess [3,100], Grandeur of the Seas [1,950] and Carnival Freedom [3,000]

[sail7seas]

We spent nine days at Hyatt Pier 66 in a room facing Port Everglades, June 2008. We saw two cruises ships the entire time we were there.

 

[RuthC]

Ruth, is there any water born means of transport that can get you to Venice on time, "just in case" ??

We really don't want you to miss your trip. And I doubt you would mind a few more sea days ;)

Thanks for your thoughts, Reuel. This time I'm going with my older grandgirl, and she's on a pretty tight schedule. She completes her college semester on Friday, and we are scheduled to fly out Sunday. In the meantime she has to move out of her dorm, into the apartment she'll be in when she returns, get home, pack---it's a full weekend.

We have a little wiggle-room in that we arrive on Monday, board on Tuesday, but don't sail until Wednesday. Hopefully, this will all work out, not only for me, but for everyone.

[sail7seas]

Ruth....... REALLY, REALLY hope it works out for you and your grandgirl. (I love you call her that...... she, indeed, sounds like a 'grand girl'. :) )

[HeatherInFlorida]

HAL did not pull ships from the Caribbean because of heat/humidity of summer. Nor were the ships repositioned because of threat of hurricanes. They sailed successfully through many summers in the Caribbean along with other cruise lines. They pulled the ships to Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England for spring/summer/fall because they get a much higher per diem on those routes, they get better on board spending and have there is a difference from what they had started to attract. It is all about the money. While I miss the summer ships, I certainly understand they are in business to make money. It is a for profit business as we all realize. ;) :)

 

Oh..... not everyone hates the heat. Some of us from cold weather states love getting our bones warmed. When we've had enough of heat and humidity, we stay in the air conditioning. A wonderful invention. :D

 

I'm sure you would know far better than I why they pulled them.

 

Still, it did coincidently happen after a couple of horrendous hurricane seasons that really messed things up for cruise lines. Celebrity also pulled ships from the Caribbean around the same time. There was pretty much a 20 year lull when ships could cruise calmly and safely through the Caribbean without a worry in the world. But then all "heck" broke loose.

 

They get higher per diem rates in the other venues because they are preferable itineraries for that time of year ... sort of what I said.

 

I said nothing about "hating the heat". I wouldn't have chosen Florida over Connecticut if I did!:D:D That would be just a little bit dumb. Still, it would seem to me that if you want to warm up from the cold, winter would be a much better time to cruise the Caribbean rather than summer when it's so magnificent in the North.

 

Personally, while I'm extremely grateful for A/C, I much prefer non conditioned air and get out in it whenever I can:).

 

Oceanwench, of course you are right. There's still lots of Caribbean cruising in summer months because families do love to cruise when the kids aren't in school.

[navybankerteacher]

HAL is resuming Bermuda cruises this year, so I have no reason to think that they will not bring back Caribbean cruises in a year or so. The Alaska market has to be pretty well saturated with all the lines/ships up there in the summer -- and I am inclined to think that people are more likely to want to repeat Caribbean cruises than Alaska ones -- which means that the linew will start to rethink their deployment.

[navybankerteacher]

Just a quick scan shows that NCL has two, HAL has eight, Celebrity has three, Carnival one, RCCL has two and Princess has six -- that's twenty-two mass market ships, plus the six smaller ships operated by Silver Sea Cruise West and Regent in Alaskan waters next month. The market there has to be close to saturated -- and unless a lot of people want to repeat more than once, a number of ships are likely to be redeployed in the future.

[peaches from georgia]

I can't agree more! I doubt I would ever book a Caribbean cruise in the summer. In addition to the heat/humidity, I would anticipate a lot of kiddies on the ships as well. :eek:....

 

Absolutely, Oceanwench. A summer Caribbean cruise is a comparitively cheap family vacation and popular with younger parents. Precisely why many (most?) adults and seniors prefer to cruise other months in addition to the excessive heat and humidity in the Caribbean during the summer months. (And yes, I love kids and have 7 grandkids, but don't choose to cruise with hundreds of rugrats on the ship. Let's not open up that subject again.)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Granted that the 7 day cruises will be cheaper in the Caribbean in the summer -- but HAL could make some 10 day itineraries.

[HeatherInFlorida]

.................

Arthur Frommer's column today addresses the number of ships in the Caribbean this summer and predicts price drops. He notes that last summer there was one cruise ship operating weeklong Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, while this year there will be five.

 

He estimates as many as 60,000 berths a week leaving from Florida ports this summer.

 

Of course none of them is HAL ...

 

According to Frommer, Port Everglades has Oasis of the Seas [5,600 berths], Celebrity Solstice [2,800], the Emerald Princess [3,100], Grandeur of the Seas [1,950] and Carnival Freedom [3,000]

 

I was a little late reading my Sunday paper!:) It's interesting that this article should appear this weekend given the topic on this thread.

 

But you're absolutely right and it appears if people are willing to sail other lines than HAL (which we all know many are not) then it looks like there's tons of availability and with so many berths, they will be very affordable for families with children and those who like cruising the Caribbean in summer:)

 

Here's a link to the article ... many might be interested: Frommer: Expect prices to drop as cruises from Florida increase - Just In! | Travel News - MiamiHerald.com

[sail7seas]

I'll continue to hope for HAL to return a ship to the Caribbean 12 months.

Choices folks........ it's all about choices.

 

I don't have to like what you like and you don't have to like what pleases me. ;) We will never all agree about anything.

 

The more choices, the better.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I was a little late reading my Sunday paper!:) It's interesting that this article should appear this weekend given the topic on this thread.

 

But you're absolutely right and it appears if people are willing to sail other lines than HAL (which we all know many are not) then it looks like there's tons of availability and with so many berths, they will be very affordable for families with children and those who like cruising the Caribbean in summer:)

 

Here's a link to the article ... many might be interested: Frommer: Expect prices to drop as cruises from Florida increase - Just In! | Travel News - MiamiHerald.com

 

Thanks for the link!!

[Oceanwench]

 

I'm sure you would know far better than I why they pulled them.

 

Still, it did coincidently happen after a couple of horrendous hurricane seasons that really messed things up for cruise lines. Celebrity also pulled ships from the Caribbean around the same time. There was pretty much a 20 year lull when ships could cruise calmly and safely through the Caribbean without a worry in the world. But then all "heck" broke loose.

 

 

Several years ago I bumped into the captain in the Lido - I think it was on the Zuiderdam - and I asked him why HAL was pulling out of the Caribbean for the summer. His answer to me: hurrricanes.

 

We had a very bad hurricane season in 2004, as we can both attest to, and 2005 was bumpy too!

[sail7seas]

Several years ago I bumped into the captain in the Lido - I think it was on the Zuiderdam - and I asked him why HAL was pulling out of the Caribbean for the summer. His answer to me: hurrricanes.

 

We had a very bad hurricane season in 2004, as we can both attest to, and 2005 was bumpy too!

 

 

:rolleyes: Can you imagine Captain standing in Lido saying something like, "Well, we can charge higher per diems in Europe and make more money blah blah blah???? ":D

 

HAL sailed the Caribbean year after year after year, ship after ship after ship and certainly can still if they wish.

Itineraries/ports can be altered when necessary. We all know there are itinerary changes for any number of reasons.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Several years ago I bumped into the captain in the Lido - I think it was on the Zuiderdam - and I asked him why HAL was pulling out of the Caribbean for the summer. His answer to me: hurrricanes.

 

We had a very bad hurricane season in 2004, as we can both attest to, and 2005 was bumpy too!

 

I sure do remember!!! And in 2005 we had Wilma in October ... the worst yet! We happened to be cruising at the time from CA, through the Panama Canal and back to Ft. Lauderdale. There were massive problems at Port Everglades as a result of that nightmare.

 

The timing is such that it's fairly obvious that while there may have been other considerations, the sudden onslaught of hurricanes for 2 years in a row was most certainly one of the big ones!!! Not a big stretch to imagine the Seattle meeting .....

 

"hmmmmm .....what shall we do?" Battle the hurricanes in the Caribbean at a low price point, everyone asking for refunds because of tropical storms? Or try other itineraries like Alaska where we can charge more?"

 

"hmmmm ... that's a toughie! What to do, what do do???":confused:

 

:D:D:D

[SpringStein51]

As one who is going not only a Caribbean cruise this summer, but a southern Caribbean one, let me tell you why.

 

First of all living in cool, dry Colorado, I wilt when I hit the heat and humidity of Florida. How does anyone survive there anyhow?! :p

 

We enjoy traveling with friends and this summer are going with two other couples, one from OK and one from VA. My wife is a school teacher as is the wife of the VA couple. Since we have different spring breaks, our window of going on a cruise together is late June (the VA school teachers often get out close to June 20 or so) and early August when my wife has to go back here in CO.

 

And all three couples wanted to do a southern route, so we are meeting in San Juan about 3 days prior to the cruise and going out on July 4. I've done the Caribbean in the summer before and wouldn't recommend many inland excursions, but staying near the water is usually moderate. At least I've convinced myself of that fact - so please don't try to change my mind's perception! :D

 

I would have loved to convince my friends - who have not cruised on HAL - to take a Hal cruise. But of course that isn't an option. So we are going on RCCL's Serenade of the Seas. The price of our balcony is 50% higher than the balcony we just had on the Oosterdam going to the MR in March. So I haven't seen the bargains being talked about. (Although our rates did drop $250 p/p from the time we booked it, the most recent price is the 50% higher comparison I made.)

[Steve Q]

After 5 HAL cruises in the last 5 years, we are sailing on the Solstice this July. This will be our first Celebrity cruise as HAL had no ships sailing here during the summer.