No sailings for NYC 2014??

[jimbo5544]

I have always been a little surprised that New York is a year round home port. I understand the ecomonics of having the amount of people within short drive to the port, but the itins are so compressed. Northbound for the southern months and Florida and Bahamas for the remainder (Bermuda for limited months as well and not very open minded about expanding their cruise slots).

[batman4279]

I somewhat agree on the lack of itinerary choices, but to me the ship is the real destination. All the islands are kinda pretty much the same deal for the max 10 hrs you could be there. I don't need a ship with a christmas tree ornament hanging off of it either (Koala of the Seas), gimmicky & ugly, and not what cruising is about. But to each his own if you like that, just not my cup of beer. I wouldn't care if Carnival raised the Festivale and homeported it in NYC ha!

[jimbo5544]

That would be interesting..... (The Festivale)

 

It is really interesting as well the tactic Royal has taken. Keep their two super large builds in the Caribbean during summer months and migrate the majority of their fleet to other places (read that as Med mainly), to kepp up demand for the higher priced AOTS and OOTS. Quantum takes this to a new level. It furthers your point ofthe ship being the destination (as opposed to ports).

[Jamman54]

I have always been a little surprised that New York is a year round home port. I understand the ecomonics of having the amount of people within short drive to the port, but the itins are so compressed. Northbound for the southern months and Florida and Bahamas for the remainder (Bermuda for limited months as well and not very open minded about expanding their cruise slots).

 

Only Carnival, NCL, & RCCL hang around all year. Everyone else (except for the occasional Cunard) heads to the hills after October. This past winter was the first for Carnival out of NYC. It wouldn't surprise me if they go back to seasonal cruises out of NYC, unless they start to sprinkle in some 10 & 11 day cruises. The 10 day cruise on the Miracle before she headed west was very popular. Next winter shapes up like this - Carnival Splendor will do the same lame 8 day cruises. (lame meaning the Florida / Bahamas itinerary).NCL Gem will do 9 day cruises further south. NCL Breakaway will do mostly 7 day lame cruises, but with a few 12 day cruises deeper south. RCCL Explorer of the Seas will do some 7 & 8 day lame cruises, but will also do some 9 & 10 day cruises deeper south. If I could cruise in the winter out of NYC, the Splendor would be my last choice!

[jimbo5544]

Only Carnival, NCL, & RCCL hang around all year. Everyone else (except for the occasional Cunard) heads to the hills after October. This past winter was the first for Carnival out of NYC. It wouldn't surprise me if they go back to seasonal cruises out of NYC, unless they start to sprinkle in some 10 & 11 day cruises. The 10 day cruise on the Miracle before she headed west was very popular. Next winter shapes up like this - Carnival Splendor will do the same lame 8 day cruises. (lame meaning the Florida / Bahamas itinerary).NCL Gem will do 9 day cruises further south. NCL Breakaway will do mostly 7 day lame cruises, but with a few 12 day cruises deeper south. RCCL Explorer of the Seas will do some 7 & 8 day lame cruises, but will also do some 9 & 10 day cruises deeper south. If I could cruise in the winter out of NYC, the Splendor would be my last choice!

Which brings me to my original point. If that is true, would they not be better to move her to other regions and NY be more of a seasonal port? Do they have contractual committments to the port for year round?

[Jamman54]

Which brings me to my original point. If that is mtrue, would they not be better to move her to other regions and NY be more of a seasonal port? Do they have contractual committments to the port for year round?

 

Don't know Jimbo. I was surprised Carnival decided to go year round this past year, even though the Pride is doing the same itinerary out of Baltimore. Made no sense to me. :eek:

[big_duck]

Which brings me to my original point. If that is mtrue, would they not be better to move her to other regions and NY be more of a seasonal port? Do they have contractual committments to the port for year round?

 

But then they would have to have all those New Yorkers take back their 5th Avenue dance.

[GaNavy]

Well, maybe Splendor = sorta lame itinerary...my family lives an hour from Port Canaveral, I've sailed from there several times, and Nassau/Freeport snooze again...but it's a new ship for me and the price is most definitely right for going solo. A good excuse to get out on the ocean and let them wait on me hand and foot for 8 days...a big deal when you live by yourself and so have to do everything for yourself.

 

You could say the same thing about Baltimore as a home port, but folks who live in my part of the country love having a ship there year-round (and a RCI ship seasonally).

[jimbo5544]

But then they would have to have all those New Yorkers take back their 5th Avenue dance.

It is still on my 10 most fav things.....

[Tapi]

I just don't agree... Ability to afford cruising is not tied to basic social skills.

 

Let me explain further. Where did you get that "ability to afford cruising" is what's tied to having basic social skills (as you understood). Being able to afford a cruise, and choosing to cruise are two different things.

 

You can be the most affluent person in the world, but choose to spend all your money on other things. You may have the "why waste my money on vacation" mentality. Yet, one day, you see an ad online advertising 8 night cruises out of NYC for $299, and you happen to live in NYC. You tell yourself "Huh! Why not?"

 

Without giving it a second thought and doing any further research, you are on a cruise, bound for the Caribbean. You haven't allowed yourself to experience other cultural settings or taken the time to learn some basic ettiquette, so you find yourself on the cruise being loud and obnoxious, smoking in non smoking areas because normally you smoke wherever you want, grossing out the people at the table next door at MDR because you eat like a pig, playing loud music in your balcony because that's what you normally do at home, overindulging in alcohol, etc, etc.

 

No, you don't have to be poor to be the fellow cruiser from hell...

[RRLLAL]

Let me explain further. Where did you get that "ability to afford cruising" is what's tied to having basic social skills (as you understood). Being able to afford a cruise, and choosing to cruise are two different things.

 

You can be the most affluent person in the world, but choose to spend all your money on other things. You may have the "why waste my money on vacation" mentality. Yet, one day, you see an ad online advertising 8 night cruises out of NYC for $299, and you happen to live in NYC. You tell yourself "Huh! Why not?"

 

Without giving it a second thought and doing any further research, you are on a cruise, bound for the Caribbean. You haven't allowed yourself to experience other cultural settings or taken the time to learn some basic ettiquette, so you find yourself on the cruise being loud and obnoxious, smoking in non smoking areas because normally you smoke wherever you want, grossing out the people at the table next door at MDR because you eat like a pig, playing loud music in your balcony because that's what you normally do at home, overindulging in alcohol, etc, etc.

 

No, you don't have to be poor to be the fellow cruiser from hell...

 

So you disagree with the guy who said cheap rates attract cheap cruisers?

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

[ibcnusoon]

Only Carnival, NCL, & RCCL hang around all year. Everyone else (except for the occasional Cunard) heads to the hills after October. This past winter was the first for Carnival out of NYC. It wouldn't surprise me if they go back to seasonal cruises out of NYC, unless they start to sprinkle in some 10 & 11 day cruises. The 10 day cruise on the Miracle before she headed west was very popular. Next winter shapes up like this - Carnival Splendor will do the same lame 8 day cruises. (lame meaning the Florida / Bahamas itinerary).NCL Gem will do 9 day cruises further south. NCL Breakaway will do mostly 7 day lame cruises, but with a few 12 day cruises deeper south. RCCL Explorer of the Seas will do some 7 & 8 day lame cruises, but will also do some 9 & 10 day cruises deeper south. If I could cruise in the winter out of NYC, the Splendor would be my last choice!

 

Throw in RCL's new Quantum of the Seas debuting in November 2014 across the river on the Jersey side and you have Carnival REALLY freaking out as to what to do.

[Tapi]

So you disagree with the guy who said cheap rates attract cheap cruisers?

 

No. Once again, you can have all the money in the world and still be cheap.

 

A $299 cruise would be the perfect way to bait someone who is cheap to go cruising... :)

[big_duck]

No. Once again, you can have all the money in the world and still be cheap.

 

A $299 cruise would be the perfect way to bait someone who is cheap to go cruising... :)

 

They will also endeavor to walk off the ship having tried to keep their total cost as close to $299 as possible. More likely to smuggle booze, less likely to buy photos or excursions, removing tips and stiffing the staff, no steakhouse or Chefs Table.

 

Reducing fares just to fill the ship can reach a price point that results in diminishing returns.

[jimbo5544]

Throw in RCL's new Quantum of the Seas debuting in November 2014 across the river on the Jersey side and you have Carnival REALLY freaking out as to what to do.

From a ship perspective (whats on the ship and how much does that have to do with people sailing on it) I would agree. This problem (if that is what it is) is symtematic for any port, but more emphasized in a port like NYC where ports of call might take a lower preference.

 

For whatever the reason, Carnival has taken a much differnet approach on new builds than RCI and NCL. Not only from size and feature perspective, but also taking into consideration of the Destiny/Sunshine re-do. I was very much waiting to see what I thought was a new build announcement to see how they would address that (other than the yet to be named/feature rich (I hope) 2016 new build) or were they going to take the next three in line and re-do them. They still have the entire Fantasy class which is getting long in the tooth.

 

Depending on how you look at it, they either are positioned well or worked themsleves in a corner. Will be interesting to see what happens.

[GaNavy]

From a ship perspective (whats on the ship and how much does that have to do with people sailing on it) I would agree. This problem (if that is what it is) is symtematic for any port, but more emphasized in a port like NYC where ports of call might take a lower preference.

 

For whatever the reason, Carnival has taken a much differnet approach on new builds than RCI and NCL. Not only from size and feature perspective, but also taking into consideration of the Destiny/Sunshine re-do. I was very much waiting to see what I thought was a new build announcement to see how they would address that (other than the yet to be named/feature rich (I hope) 2016 new build) or were they going to take the next three in line and re-do them. They still have the entire Fantasy class which is getting long in the tooth.

 

Depending on how you look at it, they either are positioned well or worked themsleves in a corner. Will be interesting to see what happens.

 

Interesting indeed. But I gotta tell ya, having cruised on Ecstasy 3 times in the last couple of years, those Fantasy-class ships are really pretty nice...easy to get around on, plenty of features for the 3-5 day itineraries they sail, friendly crews...sure they're not new and have a scratch here and a nick there, but they're clean and fun and it's the same ocean for everyone. Carnival keeps filling them up, and not necessarily at bargain basement prices either - check out the prices for 2013 and later. Don't underestimate them.

 

That said, I hope the new builds (when they come) are snazzier too - the newer RCI/Celebrity ships (maybe even Princess) have set the bar pretty high for style. They ought to take a shot at the Epic-style studio/solo cabins, too - the studios on Epic are sold out all the way through 2014 already...I know because I just checked.

[Jamman54]

Throw in RCL's new Quantum of the Seas debuting in November 2014 across the river on the Jersey side and you have Carnival REALLY freaking out as to what to do.

 

I don't know, but maybe you do, is the Quantum replacing the Explorer in Bayonne, or will the Explorer remain there also?

[jimbo5544]

Interesting indeed. But I gotta tell ya, having cruised on Ecstasy 3 times in the last couple of years, those Fantasy-class ships are really pretty nice...easy to get around on, plenty of features for the 3-5 day itineraries they sail, friendly crews...sure they're not new and have a scratch here and a nick there, but they're clean and fun and it's the same ocean for everyone. Carnival keeps filling them up, and not necessarily at bargain basement prices either - check out the prices for 2013 and later. Don't underestimate them.

 

That said, I hope the new builds (when they come) are snazzier too - the newer RCI/Celebrity ships (maybe even Princess) have set the bar pretty high for style. They ought to take a shot at the Epic-style studio/solo cabins, too - the studios on Epic are sold out all the way through 2014 already...I know because I just checked.

You make good points about the Fantasy class and they most def. have a niche. I was not saying they should scrap them, just that they do have an end of life. Significantly less people and a lot of nice features (fantail being one of them we really enjoy). Main drawback for us is balconies, or lack there of. I know they have added some, but not a lot. As a class of ship, the Spirit class is still our favorite. Big enough with lots of nice features. Small enough to feel way less crowded than COnquest or Dream class.

 

For a while I thought Epic would put NCL out of business. They certainly have turned things around. Kudos to them. Royal has also done some very interesting things. We have seen Rock climbing walls, flow riders, zip lining, and now sky diving and whatever they call that pod thing on the articulating arm. Not my cup of tea (I tease my son in law who is Diamond plus with Royal) that they have changed their name from RCCL to six flags and movved from the cruise industry to amusement parks.

[Tapi]

I don't know, but maybe you do, is the Quantum replacing the Explorer in Bayonne, or will the Explorer remain there also?

 

The Explorer is leaving. Her new home hasn't been announced yet, but a USA Today article from the Port Canaveral Port Authority indicates that a 3rd Royal Caribbean ship will be based there beginning with the 2014-15 winter season (which happens to be when the Quantum arrives) :cool:

[jimbo5544]

I don't know, but maybe you do, is the Quantum replacing the Explorer in Bayonne, or will the Explorer remain there also?

It is replacing EOTS

[djwood24]

After you sail the same itineraries 5-6 times..I don`t care what ship...what line

 

It just gets old....I like not having to fly...but can`t see spending my money doing the same things...same islands...

 

Once the Miracle left....I knew right away I wouldn`t be cruising from NY...and I have yet to be dancing for Pt Can...Freeport and Nassau

[heatherandfred]

HEATHER!!!

We've been waiting for 2014 itineraries as well - as much as we love sailing out of NY, we were thinking of sailing out of FL as the NY itineraries are just too same old-same old. We've been waiting for the Breeze sailings to be announced.

 

Hey Vicki D! Just trying to plan something and looking at all options. I'm thinking Florida, but want to wait and see.

[newcruiser08820]

Received the call from my PVP just an hour ago. She knows I am advance planner and waiting for the Breeze or Splendor prices for November 2014. She said there are problems with scheduling some ports ( overcrowded already with other ships). She said to check every day or even twice a day if I want specific date, ship, and cabin