Should Corpus Christi Become the Next Major Port?

[jimbo5544]

Savannah's problem is in how many home ports there are close by that go to the same location. How many ships do you need to sail to the Bahamas ?

 

 

 

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I'm surprised they keep both Jax and Charleston.

 

Thanks for fixing my post.;)

[Texana]

San Antonio has a population of 1.4 MILLION people. Austin has 750,000 and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Combined with a fast growing cruise industry, I think we have a substantial amount of people to fill the Victory without making Carnival lose a profit.

 

Agree..!!

[Ontario_Cruiser]

Just based on some rough numbers, Carnival has 23 ships with (guessing) an average capacity of some 3000 people. So at any given time there are about 69,000 passengers at sea, give or take. This represents 0.0002% of the US population. If this percentage holds, then roughly 400 of the 2million residents in the area would be on any Carnival ship. This is far short of the thousands needed to fill a ship.

 

So if a ship were to be based in CC, it would NEED to draw significantly on passengers from elsewhere. And why would they choose to go to CC, when Florida is certainly cheaper and easier to get to, has better (or least more options) itineraries, and more competition to keep pricing low?

 

Of course, if a ship was in CC, then the locals would be more likely to sail it. But I would think that there is nowhere near the local population needed to support a ship on its own, and CC does not have the flights needed to bring more people in.

[jimbo5544]

Of course, if a ship was in CC, then the locals would be more likely to sail it. But I would think that there is nowhere near the local population needed to support a ship on its own, and CC does not have the flights needed to bring more people in.

 

Which is exactly the way that it works for most cruisers (Florida as example....do you think the majority of cruisers that sail from there are from there?). How many flights does go in and out of CC (I have no idea)? How many people live within a 3 hour drive? These are the questions that Carnival asks in putting a home port in.

[EZ4]

Right after 9/11 a drive to port was an important factor, but I think that those days have passed. Much more important is a major airport in close proximity and the appeal of the port city as a destination in and of itself, as well as the logistics of a workable and popular itinerary.

[PlanoTim]

There was talk not too long ago about them expanding the Galveston port to be able to berth more ships. Not sure what the final verdict was though.

 

Houston Chronicle article from Feb, 2014: Galveston invests in design for new, third cruise terminal

 

The Galveston Port approved up to $100,000 for designs for a new, third cruise terminal. They are also spending $10 million for expansion of the terminal used by Royal Caribbean.

[EZ4]

Houston Chronicle article from Feb, 2014: Galveston invests in design for new, third cruise terminal

 

The Galveston Port approved up to $100,000 for designs for a new, third cruise terminal. They are also spending $10 million for expansion of the terminal used by Royal Caribbean.

 

You gotta love a reporter with their finger on the pulse of their topic.

 

" Galveston lost out when Princess Caribbean chose to sail from Bayport"

Edited June 20, 2014 by EZ4

[Tapi]

How many flights does go in and out of CC (I have no idea)?

 

Looking at today's Flight Stats, a grand total of 15, all of which go to either Houston or Dallas. Out of the 15, 12 are in small, regional jets. Pretty slim pickings! :eek:

 

How some people think that Corpus Christi's airport has the capacity to support cruise ship traffic, or that it's a better option than Houston Intercontinental & Hobby combined, is beyond dumbfounding! :confused:

 

For comparison purposes, Charleston is Carnival's homeport with the smallest airport. Today's stats show 67 departures, and nonstop service to Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Washington, DC, New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Nashville, Boston, Cleveland and Newark. At least you can get places from there.

 

 

 

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Edited June 21, 2014 by Tapi

[Aplmac]

Since we're all wish-listing...

 

Carnival needs to homeport a ship out of faraway Barbados

so they can do The Spanish Main

 

Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Isla Margarita, Tobago, Grenada..

 

 

Sure the air fares and flying times involved might kill it

but I can hope, can't I?

 

.

[jwalk03]

Since we're all wish-listing...

 

Carnival needs to homeport a ship out of faraway Barbados

so they can do The Spanish Main

 

Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Isla Margarita, Tobago, Grenada..

 

 

Sure the air fares and flying times involved might kill it

but I can hope, can't I?

 

.

 

Sounds like a great idea to me! I really really wanna go to Isla Margarita, but don't really wanna deal with The headache that would be going to Venezula to get there. At least as a cruise stop it would b much easier! Are there any current cruises that go there?