RCL CEO Bayley Q&A on Allure President's Cruise

[FLSteve11]

 

7. Again, I trust the bean counters at a company as large as Royal know what they are doing. If you look at studies that show the travel market for various regions of North America you will see that those in the west coast states spend the majority of their travel dollars in Asia on land based travel vs cruising of any type.

 

They have tried both itineraries in the past and obviously made an educated decision to discontinue them.

 

My memory may be off, but I think one of the big things for RCCL leaving Cali wasn't just that there wasn't a lot of demand for the cruises, but that also the on-board spending was terrible. They make a lot of money on that, and the cali cruisers just did not spend money on the ship, so RCCL found they make more money elsewhere.

 

In some ways, makes sense. Where a lot of people will fly to Florida from all over for both the tropical climate and the variety of locations, not as many will fly to Cali just to make multiple stops in Mexico. Certainly not to the same places repeatedly.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Love your suggestions. We're left coasters who enjoyed Jewel's California Coastal itineraries last year. They were very popular and well supported. To me it's insulting to those who are Loyal to Royal to say that West Coast itineraries are "low demand".

Indeed...it's also misleading.

[ccotting]

Actually Radiance only does one Hawaii cruise next May as the second part of their repositioning from Sydney, Australia to Vancouver, Canada where it does Alaska cruises for the summer season. First cruise from Sydney across the South Pacific goes only thus directly to and ends in Honolulu.

This one repositioning Hawaii cruise has been a regular event Fall and Spring for a while now. Since this cruise ends in a foreign port, Vancouver, the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 and Jones Act does not come into play here.

 

Yes, twice a year, once coming to Vancouver and once going. A lovely cruise and worth doing. Rhapsody also used to do this cruise. I could do this one every year. But it is 5 sea days between Vancouver and first Hawaiian port, not to everyone's taste but we love it.

[John&LaLa]

The problem with California is not the number of people, but rather the number of potential cruises. For a seven day Mexican Riviera cruise, the choices are:

 

1) PV, Mazatlan, Cabo

2) Mazatlan, PV, Cabo

3) Cabo, Mazatlan, PV

4) Ensenada, Cabo, PV

5) PV, Cabo, Ensenada

 

I've been to Ensenada, Cabo, and PV at least five times each. I've been to Mazatlan twice. I have truly "been there, done that". And the bad press that the Pacific Coast of Mexico is getting is not helping things any.

 

There is one other good choice which Princess is doing, and that is a California Costal with a PVSA stop in Ensenada. The only problem with this is, how many Californians want to cruise to - - - - - wait for it - - - - - California. Most can truly say, "I've been there". Though I must admit, I really did enjoy my California Coastal and would be willing to do another.

 

Caribbean cruises out of Florida simply have more options (unless you are on an Oasis class ship).

 

There are more options, but most go to the same 8-9 places. I went and looked up my history and my existing bookings. By the time we complete out current backlog i will have been to the following.

 

Cozumel - 28

St Maarten - 25

Labadee - 22

Nassau -22

Coco Cay - 22 (scheduled, not sure how often we made it)

St Thomas - 16

Grand Cayman - 13

San Juan - 12

Falmouth - 10

 

So, even in Florida we repeat, repeat, repeat, on 7 day trips. We do have more than twice the number of popular ports, so that's something to our advantage.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It takes at least 30 hours to navigate the canal, and delays are common, so figure in at least two full days to navigate the canal in its entirety.

 

Trips though the entire canal are more attractive to the clientele of HAL as they are all generally retired. Cruises 15-18 days are not attractive for Royal, if you did a B2B for Canal, it would be a month... show me a working couple who could get off a month?

 

Have done a complete transit and I guaranty it was not 30 hours.

 

From the Panama Canal website.

 

The length of the Panama Canal is 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the deep waters of the Atlantic to the deep waters of the Pacific. How long does it take for a complete transit? A ship takes an average of 8 to 10 hours to transit the Panama Canal.

 

https://www.pancanal.com/eng/general/canal-faqs/physical.html

 

I sailed the Panama Canal on the Celebrity Constellation. We did a transit from west to east. we picked up the pilot and someone that narrated the transit early in the am. [6-7am or so] We made it to Colon on the other end of the canal around 6pm and had a 3 hr port stop. So, it was around 11 hours for us. . . . no way near 30 hrs.

 

Also, I was still working at the time. [sailed over Easter, so saved a couple of days vacation] San Diego to Miami, 14 days

 

PS --I think the west to east is the best route. There are 2 locks on the Pacific side [old canal]. It is very interesting to watch this process in both locks. By the time we got to the Atlantic side [1 lock] I was less interested going outside to view this. It was VERY hot and humid. We spent the afternoon in the top lounge [do not remember name] listening to the commentary and having a chill time with a 360 view and a cocktail.

Edited September 22, 2016 by DragonOfTheSeas

[MichaelCMTX]

Actually Radiance only does one Hawaii cruise next May as the second part of their repositioning from Sydney, Australia to Vancouver, Canada where it does Alaska cruises for the summer season. First cruise from Sydney across the South Pacific goes only thus directly to and ends in Honolulu.

This one repositioning Hawaii cruise has been a regular event Fall and Spring for a while now. Since this cruise ends in a foreign port, Vancouver, the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 and Jones Act does not come into play here.

 

Exactly, the foreign port issue is covered. Otherwise you're looking at something like my folks did on the Celebrity Century out of San Diego years ago, 15 nights including to and from Hawaii, plus the stop in Ensenada. That they were using the Century for that route seemed to indicate they didn't need a ton of capacity, or that larger capacity ships were better utilized elsewhere. Now I notice Celebrity is only doing Hawaii like RCL does Hawaii... as part of the Alaska Repo.

 

I'm surprised that of all people Bayley does not know that the "Jones Act" has NOTHING to do with foreign flagged passenger vessels going to Hawaii, or any foreign flagged passenger vessels operating out of the USA!

 

Then again, these folks are just bean counters to begin with. :cool:

 

No, not correct. Jones act says only a US flag vessel can depart and arrive back at a US port without stopping at a foreign port. That's the reason for the little "Ensenada detour" on the Celebrity trip my folks took (that Celebrity no longer runs), or Carnival's, or Princess's current route out of LA, or HAL from San Diego. This doesn't apply to Hawaii to/from Vancouver routes. NCL gets around this because the Pride of America IS U.S. flagged and just does 7-day trips departing and returning to Honolulu.

 

I dug into this one pretty deep when looking at our own 2013 Hawaii trip, the old "Well why is it like that?" curiosity kicking in.

 

For a beancounter, he seems pretty clear on the Jones Act.

[gkbiiii]

When I did the Disney Wonder Panama Canal Crossing LA--Galveston, I was told that Disney paid extra $$$$ to have "express sailing" through the canal. True, we did not have to stop and wait and went straight through, with no delays. It was really a quick & magical journey!

[MichaelCMTX]

Nonetheless, the three Jewel California Coastals (with Ensenada) were sold right out and very quickly as I was looking at them hard later in the year for maybe last minute/post final payment deals and there were none to be had at all.

 

Also had my eye on these. My guess is supply/demand was a big factor and if they did these regularly it wouldn't have been as big a deal.

 

Hawaii's gotten a little weird now because you can only book the usual Hawaii to/from Vancouver on Radiance. Explorer is shown only as a 24-night Repo from Seattle to Sydney. If we could get that many days away from the office, and book a decent flight from Koalaland, plus stay a few days down there because it's a long way to go to not see it, the pets would forget who we were. I'd always thought considering the demand it'd be a clever move to do one more Vancouver to Hawaii / Hawaii to Vancouver pairing before repositioning for the season; but RCL doesn't appear to be having trouble paying the bills so I'll leave that to their wisdom.

[BillB48]

The 30-48 hours figure may have been the time in Canal waters estimation when a ship shows up and takes a number. Cruise ships and many container ships in particular will take advantage of the option of a reservation for a date certain. Granted this reservation is not the Holiday Inn type where if you call by 6PM you are off the hook for any financial liabilities. For the large ships to book a resie, it's just a petty cash entry of $35000.

[Cuizer2]

It takes at least 30 hours to navigate the canal, and delays are common, so figure in at least two full days to navigate the canal in its entirety.

 

Trips though the entire canal are more attractive to the clientele of HAL as they are all generally retired. Cruises 15-18 days are not attractive for Royal, if you did a B2B for Canal, it would be a month... show me a working couple who could get off a month?

 

It does not take 30 hours for a cruise ship to make a full transit. I was on the NCL Jade in February 2008. We were in the Pacific Ocean in the morning and in the Caribbean before the sun went down that very same day.

 

 

 

Beginning ...

 

 

Middle ...

 

 

End ...

 

 

Day nine - the Panama Canal

 

I wake up at 5:00am. I look out the window, which doesn’t even have the sheer curtain drawn (I turned out all the lights and opened all the curtains) and I notice the running lights. Wait a minute; I haven’t seen running lights from my cabin before. Those are city lights. We are here! Well almost, the lights are in the distance, but after two and one half days of nothing but ocean (okay, plus a few dolphins and birds) we are definitely near land. We are not scheduled to do anything until 6:00am and I still have a wake up call scheduled, so I go back to sleep. In a few minutes the phone rings. How do you answer a phone when you know it’s a wake up call?

 

I put the camera outside so it can warm up (I keep my cabin as cold as possible and until the camera warms up, water will condense on the lens and ruin the shot). I shower and dress, then prop my door open (so the family from Canada I invited to join me can come right in). Most likely I will not hear the door bell (yes, I have a door bell) while on the balcony. I told them to come right in, so hopefully they will not be shy. It's 5:50am. In ten more minutes the pilot boat should bring the pilots and guest lecturer.

 

There is a speaker on the balcony, but I’ve never heard it, so most likely I have to get the sound off of channel 23, which is the forward view camera channel. I’m on a forward facing balcony, what do I need with a forward view TV channel? Besides, the music on channel 23 is not as good as the music on the travel channel. Nonetheless, I am stuck with what they offer. So I switch from the travel channel to the forward view channel. Hey, I can see my neighbor on TV. I tell her and everyone watching this channel at 6:30am gets a big wave from my neighbor.

 

Meanwhile we should have passed under the Bridge of the Americas fifteen minutes ago and we haven’t yet. Hey, I’m up at 5:00am, I want to see the locks, but we are dead in the water, along with a dozen other ships. Nonetheless, I’m not worried, I know the cruise lines pay a premium to get a preferred transit time. I am looking forward to the captain weaving between all these ships like the cars in the commercials going through the cones. LET’S GET GOING! Give me a paddle, I’ll help. Finally around 7:00am I notice our view is starting to change. WERE MOVING! Okay, we are moving, but not very fast. Where is that paddle?

 

The guest lecturer starts to speak and guess what; he is not as loud as the music. Now I have to increase the volume so I can hear him, which is no big deal. But every time he stops talking that awful music comes on, and now I have it at close to full volume. Hopefully nobody will complain, because I want to hear the guest lecturer. Turns out I’m not the only one who has the TV volume turned way up, so I guess we are all in the same boat - literally.

 

At any rate we are approaching the Bridge of the Americas. Nice, but we’ve already passed under a bridge on this ship. We went under the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, spun in the turning basin, and then passed under the bridge on the way out. Neat. Where are the locks, and step on it, we’re late.

 

As far forward as I can see there is nothing but channel. Where is the lock? I see a cargo ship in front of us, but that ship is no higher than we are. Where is the lock?? The ship in front of us isn’t moving very fast, hopefully we will pass it.

 

Wait a minute that ship is next to something. It’s getting ready to enter the Miraflores Lock. At last, it will soon be our turn. Oops, sooner than I think. In a strange twist of rules, day time transits through the Gaillard Cut are one way. Night time transits are two way. I guess as long as the two captains cannot see how close they are when they pass each other it is okay, when they can it is not. So what does this mean, it means we get to enter the other side of the Miraflores Lock and while we are tying up to the mules (the little trains that keep the ship centered in the lock - the ship moves through under its own power) we can watch the other ship. Neat!

 

About this time I realize all work aboard the ship has likely stopped, because there must be one hundred crew members on the deck in front of us. Apparently the passengers and captain are not the only ones who are looking forward to this portion of the cruise. Soon the gates behind the other ship begin to close. This is when I notice it. Did someone plan this? The other ship belongs to Yang Ming. Its name is YM Los Angeles and it is registered in Panama. Gee, we left from Los Angeles and we are now in Panama.

 

Slowly the other ship starts to rise. The neat thing is I am already higher above the water than the top of the second lock, but just barely. I can see everything. This is why I paid extra for this cabin. I don’t know who is fighting for what view in the Spinnaker Lounge, or along the other observation spots along the ship, but I’ve got a front row seat and I don’t have to fight for it. The family I invited to join me hasn’t shown up yet. They don’t know what they are missing. This is great.

 

Now we are starting to move forward and the ship is going to tip forward if any more crew shows up on the bow. I can imagine the engineer is busy transferring a few tons of fuel to the rear tank to keep the ship level. We move very slowly, but finally we stop. About this time the ship next to us starts moving forward. We are all busy waiving. And then the sound of ears popping all over the ship signals that we have started to rise. Soon we are in the rarefied air 28 feet above sea level.

 

Okay, nobody’s ear’s popped, the air is not noticeably thinner and each lock does not raise us the same amount. But since I was too busy taking pictures (over 760) to take notes, I don’t remember how much each lock raises us, so I’ll just use the average of 28.33 (or just 28, because it is easier to type) feet each. As we start to move forward I notice that there must be a visitor center across the way, and we have drawn a crowd. Looks like we will be the only passenger ship going through the canal today and since passengers wave more than cargo containers, we seem to have drawn a big crowd.

 

Well, the crew having seen it once, have now seen it all, and most head back to work. I can’t describe how neat this is to me. Yes I know, we are in a big bathtub and by filling it with water (I hope the people in the lower decks got everything off the floor) the ship rises. Big deal. But it is special, and all I can say is WOW! The process repeats itself and soon we leave the Miraflores Locks headed for the Pedro Miguel Locks.

 

About halfway there the family from Canada that I met while hiding from all the taxi drivers in Acapulco shows up. Good. Most of the people with forward facing balconies, realizing what a good thing we have, have invited people to join them. One couple has a couple from the Garden Villa visiting them. Someone paying $25,000 a week for their cabin has joined us for this portion of the trip. Does that tell you how special these balconies are?

 

The family from Canada is a couple with three children, two boys and a girl (the girl is the youngest). The two youngest look like fifth and sixth graders, while the oldest looks like he is in high school. They are staying in inside cabins, and I hope this opportunity to experience a fantastic front row seat to the eighth wonder of the world makes their trip just a little more special.

 

They tell me about what they have seen so far. However, they could not hear the speaker and stand at the rail edge. So they had to choose one or the other. Truth is, I can‘t stand at the rail and hear the speaker (over the TV) either. The difference is I can see just fine while standing closer to the door so I can hear the speaker, and I haven’t missed a thing.

 

The only disadvantage of this cabin is I cannot look down along the side. I am in an AC penthouse cabin. For double the money I could have gotten an AA owner’s suite, which has both a forward facing balcony and a side facing balcony. Okay, for $7000 less, I’ll live. For $4,000 I can get a side facing balcony and do this again, and still be $3,000 ahead.

 

My guests are taking it all in. They watch as the YM Los Angeles begins to rise. Then we begin to rise and they ooh and awe as much as I did in the prior lock. Soon we pass under the Centennial Bridge (which actually is a very good looking bridge, at least from below) and enter the Gaillard Cut. We look in amazement as we pass through a mountain range, 85 feet above sea level, in a ship that spends most of its time at sea level. Finally we reach Gatun Lake.

 

My new friends decide to take a dip in the pool, while I am not moving from this balcony - not even for BBQ chicken. I invite them back for the trip through the Gatun Locks. Hopefully they will return. I get the feeling they will.

 

The guest lecturer has pointed out two crocodiles along the banks. They all would really like to see one, but by the time he points out the reptiles, they are behind us, and one thing I cannot do from this balcony is look backwards. Finally he points one out before we get to it (about two minutes after the family left) and I get a few good pictures. I’ll show my new friends when they return.

 

Sailing through Lake Gatun is nothing special, except we do it at half speed and every few minutes another ship passes us on the port side. After a couple of hours I note a gathering of ships. We will soon be entering the Gatun Locks. And just as we do the family returns. Good, this means they enjoyed the view earlier. I tell them I have a surprise for them and show them a photo of the crocodile. They at least saw it themselves. The girl needs some photos for of the cruise for a class project. I have asked several times if she would like me to burn a CD with some of the photos I have taken (over 1500 so far) but she has never responded. Finally Mom says that she would, but she is too shy to say so. Okay, now I have a project for the day at sea between Cartagena and Grand Cayman.

 

The Gatun locks are three in a row and it takes about two and one half hours to transit. I figure we could save a lot of time if they just open all the gates and we’ll go down just like the log ride at Magic Mountain. However, for some reason the captain does not seem too interested in my suggestion.

 

I notice the wife and younger boy have both found that the lounge chairs in the shade under the overhang are very comfortable. I comment to the husband that I was thinking of sleeping out there last night myself.

 

I comment that February is definitely the right time to do this. By April it would be stifling hot and the sun would be directly overhead (we are less than 10 degrees north of the equator). As it is, since we are headed northwest (yes, we go from west to east by traveling northwest) the sun is behind the ship most of the time.

 

The husband, the older boy and I are the most active as we descend through the locks. Okay, granted two of the three others are napping. The girl is taking it all in also, but at a slower pace. Mom does wake up in time to see us descend through the final lock.

 

While they are here the butler brings back my laundry (t-shirts on hangers?) and his usual edible gifts - chocolates this time. I offer the chocolates to my new friends. Meanwhile, unknown to me, the butler sees I have guests and comes back with seconds. Apparently the girl, like me, is a chocoholic. Somehow all eight pieces disappear.

 

The guest lecturer mentions that the average toll paid to cross the canal is around $40,000 to $45,000. It is based on gross tonnage, which is a space rating, not a weight rating. Also only enclosed areas are counted. Therefore, all that space occupied by the containers stacked four high above the deck of a container ship do not count. Only the enclosed area does. The guest lecturer says the old record holder was the NCL Pearl at over $300,000. However, we just set the new record, at $313,800 plus some change. At 92,000 tons this may be as big as it gets until 2014, when the new bigger locks will be completed.

 

After we pass through the locks the family leaves to make a dinner appointment. Two minutes later another crocodile sighting. Meanwhile my neighbors offer me some of their Champagne. We are celebrating making it across Central America and tonight is Oscar night. Okay, that is as good an excuse as any to drink. I have a glass and we toast a fine cruise so far. Perhaps that was a mistake.

 

I go inside. I have been standing on my feet in the warm sun for ten straight hours. Either my feel will never speak to me again or they are going to speaking to me all night. I am not sure which. I lie down for a while and finally decide to go to the buffet for dinner. There is no way I will survive a sit down dinner. I will consider it a success if nobody finds me asleep in my dinner plate.

[Cuizer2]

Request Royal Caribbean to home port a ship in LA before the 2018 schedules are released. ;)

 

https://www.change.org/p/michael-bayley-request-royal-caribbean-to-home-port-a-ship-in-la-before-the-2018-schedules-are-released

 

Done. :)

[troykahack]

Have done a complete transit and I guaranty it was not 30 hours.

 

From the Panama Canal website.

 

The length of the Panama Canal is 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the deep waters of the Atlantic to the deep waters of the Pacific. How long does it take for a complete transit? A ship takes an average of 8 to 10 hours to transit the Panama Canal.

 

https://www.pancanal.com/eng/general/canal-faqs/physical.html

 

And just how many days was your cruise... on what ship/cruise lines

[troykahack]

There are Panama Canal cruises every week that go in, turnaround in Lake Gallum, and go back out - a 1/2 day event. They are part of a 10-day roundtrip itinerary...and they are both popular and usual filled to capacity. Until this time, the ship sizes have been limited based on the width/length of the canal sections...the new canal sections support longer and wider ships...make it possible for more passengers to enjoy this cruise choice.

 

Looks like RCI is missing the boat on this (pun very much intended). :D

 

Yes, a 10 day turn around, but not on Royal... what ship and cruise lines

[troykahack]

I sailed the Panama Canal on the Celebrity Constellation. We did a transit from west to east. we picked up the pilot and someone that narrated the transit early in the am. [6-7am or so] We made it to Colon on the other end of the canal around 6pm and had a 3 hr port stop. So, it was around 11 hours for us. . . . no way near 30 hrs.

 

Also, I was still working at the time. [sailed over Easter, so saved a couple of days vacation] San Diego to Miami, 14 days

 

PS --I think the west to east is the best route. There are 2 locks on the Pacific side [old canal]. It is very interesting to watch this process in both locks. By the time we got to the Atlantic side [1 lock] I was less interested going outside to view this. It was VERY hot and humid. We spent the afternoon in the top lounge [do not remember name] listening to the commentary and having a chill time with a 360 view and a cocktail.

 

But still a 14 day cruise, and your point is?

[Cuizer2]

There are more options, but most go to the same 8-9 places. I went and looked up my history and my existing bookings. By the time we complete out current backlog i will have been to the following.

 

Cozumel - 28

St Maarten - 25

Labadee - 22

Nassau -22

Coco Cay - 22 (scheduled, not sure how often we made it)

St Thomas - 16

Grand Cayman - 13

San Juan - 12

Falmouth - 10

 

So, even in Florida we repeat, repeat, repeat, on 7 day trips. We do have more than twice the number of popular ports, so that's something to our advantage.

 

The difference is, every time I go to the Mexican Riviera I know I will visit three of four ports; PV, Cabo, Mazatlan or Ensenada.

 

I can mix and match ports in the Caribbean. I've only done the same itinerary in the Western Caribbean once and the same itinerary in the Eastern Caribbean twice.

 

My next two cruises are in the Caribbean. I will visit ports I have not been to before on cruises and some ports that I have been to before.

 

If I drove instead of cruised, I would have earned reserved parking spots in PV, Cabo and Ensenada.

 

I was in Ensenada in the December 2007. Went back in July 2008. Went to a restaurant that made tacos near the blow hole. Ask if the lady remembered me. Yes. Of course part of the reason is that I bought some churros and ended up with a lot more then I expected. I gave more than half to her daughter.

[troykahack]

Ok, I am sorry for giving misleading info.... Google said to expect 30-48 hours.... but the minimum cruise length that completes the canal is still 14-18 days... too much for the husband/wife worker...... give me a shorter cruise length, than 14 days, and it is one way.....

[Cuizer2]

No, not correct. Jones act says only a US flag vessel can depart and arrive back at a US port without stopping at a foreign port. That's the reason for the little "Ensenada detour" on the Celebrity trip my folks took (that Celebrity no longer runs), or Carnival's, or Princess's current route out of LA, or HAL from San Diego. This doesn't apply to Hawaii to/from Vancouver routes. NCL gets around this because the Pride of America IS U.S. flagged and just does 7-day trips departing and returning to Honolulu.

 

I dug into this one pretty deep when looking at our own 2013 Hawaii trip, the old "Well why is it like that?" curiosity kicking in.

 

For a beancounter, he seems pretty clear on the Jones Act.

 

The Jones Act does not apply to cruise ships, it applies to cargo ships. Do you consider yourself cargo? The PVSA applies to cruise ships.

[Cuizer2]

When I did the Disney Wonder Panama Canal Crossing LA--Galveston, I was told that Disney paid extra $$$$ to have "express sailing" through the canal. True, we did not have to stop and wait and went straight through, with no delays. It was really a quick & magical journey!

 

ALL of the passenger ships do that so that they can make a daylight run through the Canal.

[Cuizer2]

And just how many days was your cruise... on what ship/cruise lines

 

My full transit was 13 nights. The canal portion of the trip was about ten hours, all during daylight.

 

My next cruise is a partial transit. Eleven nights including about seven hours or so in the canal.

[troykahack]

My full transit was 13 nights. The canal portion of the trip was about ten hours, all during daylight.

 

My next cruise is a partial transit. Eleven nights including about seven hours or so in the canal.

 

Ok, I agree, but the fact remains, a PARTIAL transit is best a 10-13 day cruise, and the best full passage is still 13 nights to 18 nights... too many days to take off

[John&LaLa]

Done. :)

I saw that, gaining traction

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

[Cuizer2]

Ok, I am sorry for giving misleading info.... Google said to expect 30-48 hours.... but the minimum cruise length that completes the canal is still 14-18 days... too much for the husband/wife worker...... give me a shorter cruise length, than 14 days, and it is one way.....

 

Most people get two weeks vacation. I was working at the same place before and after I went through the canal.

 

Princess used to offer full transits in ten days starting or ending in Acapulco. I forget where the other end of the cruise was, might have been San Juan.

[CAT GIRL]

I'm also waiting for the Cuba itineraries too. I also know I'll be sailing Empress for just that - the itinerary and not the ship. Here on Allure, a Pinnacle who recently sailed Empress described her as being "scummy".

 

Pinnacle member here and I don't think the Empress is "scummy" at all.

I do admit that I was apprehensive about sailing on such a small ship

but we were pleasantly surprised. I will have no hesitation to book

the Empress when Cuba opens up.

[karmacats]

show me a working couple who could get off a month?

 

right here. and plenty of our friends do it, too. some (like us) actually save up vacation days and then really take a month off. many others work from the road, or from a cruise now that ship internet is fast enough on many vessels.

 

DH and i are mid-40s with full-time jobs. in the last 10 years we have done three long trips - one for a month, one for 6 weeks, and one for almost 8 weeks. we arranged it with our employer, and worked our tails off before and after to make up for the lost time. it was totally worth it.

 

next fall, we are in fact doing a PC. we gave up on holding out for royal and instead are doing it on disney. had royal been available, they would have been our first choice. between travel time and hopefully going to disneyland before, we will again be gone 3-4 weeks.

 

so, count me in with the people who would have been pleased if royal went back to PC cruises. and i've shown you a working couple who pretty regularly take a month or so off. ;)

[robtulipe]

Lou, the Jones Act does have a section that apply to the protection of the crew of cruise and other passenger ships.

That's why I quoted both it and the PVSA in my post above.

 

http://www.jonesactlawyers.pro/how-does-the-jones-act-apply-to-cruise-ships/

 

The Jones Act does not apply to cruise ships, it applies to cargo ships. Do you consider yourself cargo? The PVSA applies to cruise ships.

 

As my link in the post above shows the Jones act may not apply to the passengers but does apply to the crew of cruise and other passenger vessels so both it and the PVSA come into play here.

Edited September 23, 2016 by robtulipe