Why Princess Cays first now on most itineraries?

[kywildcatfanone]

When we started cruising with Princess in 2006, the Caribbean itineraries included a stop at Princess Cays and it was always the last day of the cruise.  My wife loved that, could get out in the ocean while on the cruise (without taking an excursion at another port).  For the last few years all of the itineraries we have booked have Princess Cays as the first stop.  Any idea why that is?

[neverbeenhere]

They want your money before you spend it in another location?

[FloaterBoat]

No clue. What kind of Caribbean itineraries are you booking?  Princess Cay isn't on our itinerary for our upcoming CB sailing at all.

[richmke]

25 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

 a stop at Princess Cays and it was always the last day of the cruise.

 

"last day" or "last stop"? I like a Sea Day for the last day. Then I can have a leisurely day hanging out and packing up. I don't know how I would feel about Cays on the last day, get back to the ship, and then have to pack everything up while getting ready for dinner.

[skynight]

Some guesses.

Easier to take on the food supplies day one and use them on day 2 than to carry them for an entire cruise and use them on the last day. Also gives Food & Beverage the entire cruise to be ready to take on the new Princess Cays supplies.

On the last day passengers don't want to tender and then have to return to the ship to pack.

Passengers would rather have a more relaxing sea day.

Other Carnival Corp. Lines also use Princess Cays so it can be scheduling issue.

[Husky61]

As far as I am concerned they can skip Princess Cay all of the time.

[nukesubsailor]

No one wants to pack a wet swimsuit.

[richmke]

1 hour ago, skynight said:

 

Easier to take on the food supplies day one and use them on day 2 than to carry them for an entire cruise and use them on the last day. Also gives Food & Beverage the entire cruise to be ready to take on the new Princess Cays supplies.

 

 

On the Eastern Caribbean cruise, they take on all the food for the week at FLL. It would be expensive to take on supplies (other than local alcohol) at St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

 

They actually have enough non-perishables/refrigerated/frozen foods for 28 days. They rotate stock. Don't have to worry about a supplier missing a container. They can pick it up next time around.

[thinfool]

We started with Princess in 2006...our first port of call was Princess Cay.

[richstowe]

We were very happy that Princess Cay was our first stop on the Regal . Escaping  Canadian winter and enjoying a nice beach day was just wonderful .

[metairiegal]

2 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

When we started cruising with Princess in 2006, the Caribbean itineraries included a stop at Princess Cays and it was always the last day of the cruise.  My wife loved that, could get out in the ocean while on the cruise (without taking an excursion at another port).  For the last few years all of the itineraries we have booked have Princess Cays as the first stop.  Any idea why that is?

Dh and I were just wondering the same thing.

[Colo Cruiser]

First or last it works for me either way.

I enjoy a nice relaxing day!  😎

[kywildcatfanone]

2 hours ago, richmke said:

"last day" or "last stop"?

Both actually.  If the cruise was Saturday to Saturday, you would stop at PC on Friday.  Did that on multiple cruises those first 3-4 years.

[kywildcatfanone]

3 hours ago, FloaterBoat said:

What kind of Caribbean itineraries are you booking?

It's part of most of the Eastern Caribbean itineraries. 

[kywildcatfanone]

2 hours ago, skynight said:

Easier to take on the food supplies day one and use them on day 2 than to carry them for an entire cruise and use them on the last day. Also gives Food & Beverage the entire cruise to be ready to take on the new Princess Cays supplies.

Hadn't really thought about it this way, but it does make sense.  

[Lucky TGO]

3 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

They want your money before you spend it in another location?

Neverbeenhere you always have a good answer to most questions. 😁

The Captain of The Rowboat,

Tony

[mek]

3 hours ago, richmke said:

 

"last day" or "last stop"? I like a Sea Day for the last day. Then I can have a leisurely day hanging out and packing up. I don't know how I would feel about Cays on the last day, get back to the ship, and then have to pack everything up while getting ready for dinner.

I agree.  I would always prefer to have a sea day as the last day on any itinerary.

[KreinKrunker]

3 hours ago, Husky61 said:

As far as I am concerned they can skip Princess Cay all of the time.

DITTO!

1 hour ago, Colo Cruiser said:

 

I enjoy a nice relaxing day!  😎

We have a very relaxing day, the ship is almost empty.  

[Thrak]

We've only sailed the Caribbean once. (Yeah, yeah... Whatever) We did a 14 day Circle Caribbean (true 14 day not a B2B) and we didn't even stop there. I was surprised. We kind of wanted to check it out. I actually thought that "first" was the norm.

[CruiseVA]

Either way is fine, but, having a sea day to get ready to get kicked off works for us.

[Steelers36]

I like to finish with a sea day.  Been to Princess Cays so many times, I'd rather get there and have the beach day and get on with the cruise.

 

[PescadoAmarillo]

We’ve done those Caribbean itineraries many, many times, and Princess Cays was the first day of the cruise as often as the last day. I think it all comes down to scheduling and revenue.  Obviously, the 7-day cruises typically depart Fort Lauderdale on Saturday or Sunday, so their Princess Cays options are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The 10-day cruises have to fit in there, too, and I think they are what mixes up the exact day for all cruises. 

 

Plus, of course, Princess Cays is a big photo day and the photo department sells more photos when they have an entire sea day as the last day, compared to just the last evening of the cruise. We once had formal night on St. Thomas day when we still had two full sea days remaining in the cruise. The (honest) reason given by the CD was that it gave the photo department one additional day to sell the formal portraits. 

[PMGS247]

I like it as a warm-up to the cruise.  Kind of a half-stop.  Easy access to dip in the blue water; difficult to complain. Either Princess Cays or a Sea day works for the first full day for me.  Seems too close to FLL to have it be anything other than the first or last full day unless they want to sail around in a circle to kill time.  I've only ever had it early in the cruise and have never experienced it as the last full day and while I wouldn't hate the idea of one last dip in the water before dropping the vacation in the history books, as others mention the concept of tendering and then getting back on to pack up, that doesn't sound ideal....I definitely like the idea of a warm-up stop better.

 

The point about having it early so you're more liable to be spendy probably doesn't hurt...photos make sense as well.  I'd be surprised if it wasn't their preference to have it early rather than later, but I'm sure if they want to bill a cruise as X+1 ports rather than X and Princess Cays is open & reachable in time on the last day they don't hesitate to schedule it.

[MissP22]

17 hours ago, FloaterBoat said:

No clue. What kind of Caribbean itineraries are you booking?  Princess Cay isn't on our itinerary for our upcoming CB sailing at all.

They do stop there on certain cruises. 

16 hours ago, nukesubsailor said:

No one wants to pack a wet swimsuit.

Use the hair dryer.

Works for me. 

[Doug R.]

14 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It's part of most of the Eastern Caribbean itineraries. 

It was our first stop on our Regal cruise to the Eastern Caribbean this year and will be the first stop on our Southern Caribbean 10 day on the Crown next March.