Carnival vs. New Orleans

[Kittybork]

I don't see a big ship going to Gulfport/Biloxi. They are rebuilding aggressively but they've still got a LONG way to go! There really isn't a whole lot there to attract people to that port. Gaming is pretty much it, the beaches there were awful before the storm, I can't imagine what they look like now.

 

I'm not sure if the water is deep enough for a port.

 

Don't get me wrong those people have been through ALOT! But I don't think a large cruise ship is coming their way.

 

The water in Gulfport is able to take the cruise ships. They take huge tanker ships and what we always referred to as banana boats (I guess they carried bannanas.).

[Snoozeman]

I don't think Conquest will be back in NO. There would be a mini civil war if Carnival pulled Conquest from Texas. If you read all the threads and posts by Texans and their love affair with Conquest you will see just how rabid Texans are about cruising and just how defensive they get when you mention Conquest leaving. :D Besides it seems to sail full from there most everytime.

So true!:)

 

 

My money is on Freedom to NO.

 

Not Happening! FLA or maybe Galveston. Do we still have our bet?

[futaba951]

Do we still have our bet?

 

What was our bet? Actually Big Duck made a good point earlier in this thread that Glory or Valor could move to NO and Freedom would be out of Miami where they could charge premium prices for cruises. That NO might require some discounting at first to get the ball rolling again and they wouldn't want to be discounting on a brand new ship. As far as Galveston, I think Conquest is there for the long haul. No Freedom. :)

[Snoozeman]

What was our bet? Actually Big Duck made a good point earlier in this thread that Glory or Valor could move to NO and Freedom would be out of Miami where they could charge premium prices for cruises. That NO might require some discounting at first to get the ball rolling again and they wouldn't want to be discounting on a brand new ship. As far as Galveston, I think Conquest is there for the long haul. No Freedom. :)

That's pretty much the way I see it as well. At breakfast last week on Elation one of the CCL staff guys heard our table discussing the Freedom and his 2¢ was it would stay in Europe. He said never to both NOLA and Galveston if it did come over. But that's just their opinion as well.

 

Think our bet was a Sailaway, but it may never get to either place.

 

BTW--is Elation headed your way for the drydock? I've lost track.

[futaba951]

BTW--is Elation headed your way for the drydock? I've lost track.

 

It's here now. Got here last night I think. Snuck in under cover of dark.

[Snoozeman]

It's here now. Got here last night I think. Snuck in under cover of dark.

Thanks. Thought so. We'll miss her.

 

They still have a bunch of crew on board. I was told they get $10 a day while in drydock for some light duties. Most crew went home, some to the Ecstacy.

[2Ports]

There would be a mini civil war if Carnival pulled Conquest from Texas.

 

Civil war? Ahhh...you mean the War of Northern Agression!

 

Seriously - much more info on the GPT situation available here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=279991&highlight=big+news+cotton

[futaba951]

Seriously - much more info on the GPT situation available here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=279991&highlight=big+news+cotton

 

I've heard Gulfport talking about a cruise terminal for a long time now. Don Alee, your port director, said though, that he couldn't justify the expense of a terminal without a firm contract in hand with a cruise line. His words were "as a business man he couldn't take the field of dreams approach". However, Mobile built their terminal in 10 months and had it finished a week before Carnival's first sailing. So even if Gulfport waited until they had a firm deal, they could get a terminal up and running fairly quickly as most ship deployments are announced nearly a year in advance.

[tjosh7]

For those of us who have sailed out of NO, we know that ships almost always leave FULL!!! So, of course, all lines offer last minute discounts to fill the ship - we've sailed on the Holiday for less than $200 per person at the last minute. I don't think any cruiseline will have to offer a discount for people to come back and sail out of New Orleans.

 

Remember, New Orleans is an attractive cruise port because of it's history.

[selucrey]

Though I would prefer to see that big "Whale-tail" when I cross the Crescent City Connection, I don't care who puts a large ship in NOLA. Just wish they would put one there soon.:(

[LABecca]

The water in Gulfport is able to take the cruise ships. They take huge tanker ships and what we always referred to as banana boats (I guess they carried bannanas.).

Yes, the boats carried banannas! Gulfport/Biloxi was (is?) a major bannana importer!