Let’s tell Carnival to look for additional non US Port Options to restart Cruising

[Oldsweets]

I suggest that Carnival Exec’s read our comments on Cruise Critic and that using this post to let them know that at some point moving forward on non US Ports is a better start then not cruising at all.  I suspect this post will get bogged down with Vaccine vs NO Vaccine talk as well as the desires of some to do nothing.  Having acknowledged that let’s hear your thoughts and send a Cruise Critic Message to the decision makers that some are indeed ready to cruise.  

[hurricane0226]

Bahamas would be a good place to start from, not to far from the East Coast of Fl. 

[mexicobob]

Have given up on Carnival or any other cruise line leaving from the US in the future. Do not care any more. Making plans on Oceania for a cruise out of Barcelona. Looking at other options also that continually open up in other countries. We are fortunate enough to have the means and the time to travel to other countries and will take advantage of that. 

[joeyancho]

Ensenada for West Coast cruises.  Just 60 miles from San Diego.  

[Oletruckdude]

My gut feeling on this issue is that resumed cruising out of the USA is close to restarting. Maybe this summer or November latest. I could be wrong. We'll see. 

We're booked on the sunshine in Sept. Fingers crossed.

Carnival CEO just stated a couple of days ago they won't reposition US ships anyway. So I think it's a moot point.

But if they did we wouldn't fly there to cruise. We would just wait for US ports to reopen then resume our cruising.

 

 

[xDisconnections]

Carnival will do what Carnival feels is best when it is time to make that decision. Believe me, the thoughts of those on Cruise Critic or any other community board will not sway a decision in either direction. They have already considered the options available to them long before you knew it was something on the table.

 

I may not be a fan of the cruise line but they certainly have intelligent leadership.

Edited March 29, 2021 by xDisconnections

[naxer]

A message from Christine Duffy basically said it would not be worth it for Carnival and its business model. They are more about lower price point cruising, so their customer demographics probably do not support a flight expense, not to mention health testing/certifications leaving and reentering countries, including the U.S.  It may work with one of their other corporation companies though, like Princess or Holland.  But it seems with vaccinations and fatigue, we're reaching a tipping point? so it might be better for the bottom line to just wait it out.

[Oldsweets]

All very good points and well said.  I would add that its my own opinion that “Nader” said we are at a tipping point.  We also have the means but we aren’t mentally prepared for international flights but would fly to locations throughout the Caribbean. I think that that Carnival would find enough cruisers like me (low hanging fruit) to make it worthwhile and would do much for Carnival from a re-training or relaunch point of view.  Now before you say it I am not and I do mean absolutely DO NOT mean as Guinea Pig.  I agree with (Olettruchdude) as well that we are close to US Cruises starting but I believe it will take some push by folks outside the CDC to move the bubble. I think (hurricane0226) is right on target with a Bahama restart.  Thanks for your thoughts.

[Honolulu Blue]

I thought Ms. Duffy's statement last week on the subject of starting outside the U.S. was clear and her reasoning sound, if not something I completely agree with.  

 

I'd just like to take a moment to mourn the one non-continental U.S. route they had that fell in an earlier stage of the pandemic - the Barbados/San Juan route across the eastern Caribbean.  I still think it's one of the best itineraries they ever had.  They could, in theory, recreate it in Barbados (or Antigua, or St. Maarten) while skipping the U.S. ports and the ports that are having Diamond Princess flashbacks.  But they're not interested, and that makes me sad.

[Oldsweets]

Well as we have learned “everything” and I do mean everything is subject to change.  I suspect we will see a number of changes in the coming months with some expected and some coming from left field.  Not all changes will be the same for all like Vaccine requirements are for some  and not for others while mandatory Excursions through the ship for some (IE Windstar) and not for others (IE Celebrity).  

[skrufy]

Good idea, but I’m not going to spend an exuberant amount of money to go to a Caribbean Island departure port. Right now we have 5 cruises booked between now and February 2022. Think we will just wait out the delays. Hopefully no more cancellations.

[quattrohead]

Is there a technical or moral reason a cruise cannot start and finish in a non USA country but still call at a USA port ?

I am sure I know the likely answer but interested to hear from those smarter than me in these matters.

[firefly333]

4 hours ago, skrufy said:

Good idea, but I’m not going to spend an exuberant amount of money to go to a Caribbean Island departure port. Right now we have 5 cruises booked between now and February 2022. Think we will just wait out the delays. Hopefully no more cancellations.

Many are saying round trip airfare is 350 or less when nassau first came out. Not sure how much is exuberant ..

 

Cdc has said they have no plans to lift the order ending nov1, so if you are booked before then I expect cancellations. 

[asalligo]

I want to see them turn Cozumel into a Carnival home port mecca. They could include a hotel the night before and full transportation. I think this would be a great experience. 

 

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, quattrohead said:

Is there a technical or moral reason a cruise cannot start and finish in a non USA country but still call at a USA port ?

I am sure I know the likely answer but interested to hear from those smarter than me in these matters.

The requirements under the conditional sail order are what is required for a passenger vessel to receive "free pratique", which is health clearance to enter US waters.  So, regardless of whether the US port is the origination, destination, or port of call, the ship would still have to meet the same requirements.

[Mallow]

Couldn't a large ferry under the CDC guidelines just tender passengers to a cruise ship in international waters to avoid the CFC restrictions?

[Radiioman46]

2 minutes ago, Mallow said:

Couldn't a large ferry under the CDC guidelines just tender passengers to a cruise ship in international waters to avoid the CFC restrictions?

Sounds like a good idea, but there would be a ton of logistic problems that would prevent this from happening. 

[chengkp75]

27 minutes ago, Radiioman46 said:

Sounds like a good idea, but there would be a ton of logistic problems that would prevent this from happening. 

Yeah, I can see the elderly, and infirm being transferred from a ferry to a cruise ship 12 miles offshore in anything other than flat calm.  And, a mountain of luggage.  And, each ferry would only carry 250, less the crew.

[d9704011]

37 minutes ago, Mallow said:

Couldn't a large ferry under the CDC guidelines just tender passengers to a cruise ship in international waters to avoid the CFC restrictions?

To heck with that... how about UberH2O?  Works just like in town except a person comes by in their boston whaler and picks up a couple of cruisers and their luggage and runs them out to the ship.  It would be a little trickier on the return but I’m sure there are entrepreneurs out there who will figure out those details.

[firefly333]

49 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Yeah, I can see the elderly, and infirm being transferred from a ferry to a cruise ship 12 miles offshore in anything other than flat calm.  And, a mountain of luggage.  And, each ferry would only carry 250, less the crew.

Let's do the ferry transfer during hurricane weather. Sounds fun to me. 

[SNJCruisers]

21 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

I may not be a fan of the cruise line but they certainly have intelligent leadership.

Do you consider it intelligent leadership when their idiot CEO Arnold Donald is quoted as saying that vaccines would probably only be required on those cruises that are favored by seniors.  First of all, what are cruises on Carnival favored by seniors?  A handful of journeys cruises and the once in a blue moon TA?

Royal, Celebrity and Princess have all mandated that adults be vaccinated.   Why should Carnival swim upstream and allow non vaccinated people on board?  Even if it increases the possibility of an outbreak by one percent,  that's one percent too much. 

[xDisconnections]

36 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Do you consider it intelligent leadership when their idiot CEO Arnold Donald is quoted as saying that vaccines would probably only be required on those cruises that are favored by seniors.  First of all, what are cruises on Carnival favored by seniors?  A handful of journeys cruises and the once in a blue moon TA?

Royal, Celebrity and Princess have all mandated that adults be vaccinated.   Why should Carnival swim upstream and allow non vaccinated people on board?  Even if it increases the possibility of an outbreak by one percent,  that's one percent too much. 

That’s their choice. Carnival certainly has a different clientele than all of your examples.

[mexicobob]

5 hours ago, asalligo said:

I want to see them turn Cozumel into a Carnival home port mecca. They could include a hotel the night before and full transportation. I think this would be a great experience. 

 

Totally agree and would be a great experience. The only problem would be getting supplies to the ship. Since it is an island that would probably be impossible. Otherwise think this would have been done long time ago.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

Do you consider it intelligent leadership when their idiot CEO Arnold Donald is quoted as saying that vaccines would probably only be required on those cruises that are favored by seniors.  First of all, what are cruises on Carnival favored by seniors?  A handful of journeys cruises and the once in a blue moon TA?

Royal, Celebrity and Princess have all mandated that adults be vaccinated.   Why should Carnival swim upstream and allow non vaccinated people on board?  Even if it increases the possibility of an outbreak by one percent,  that's one percent too much. 

You probably should switch to a cruise line you like - perhaps Princess, which is also under genius CEO Arnold Donald.

[SNJCruisers]

35 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

That’s their choice. Carnival certainly has a different clientele than all of your examples.

Carnival and Royal have the same clientele. Just like NCL.  Those three have more in common than they have differences.

Once again, you did not bring up the "intelligent leadership" of Arnold Donald that I disputed.