Where did San Diego go?

[Treven]

It went on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera.

[stalco]

I just got back from the 4 day on the Monarch last month. Allthough I do love San Diego,, having a day at sea on this 4 day cruise would have been wonderful. I really missed a day at sea to relax!!!!

[ccletzgo]

The Monarch is a cash cow for RCCL. She wont be replaced until she is ready to be sunk, like the Viking Serenade was. (didn't really sink her) I could not believe the horrible shape of the cabins on the Viking and she kept going for a few years after I sailed her in 2000. :eek:

[critterchick]

Rick, we are indeed on the 9/1 sailing together! Looking forward to it!

[Dockman123]

I stand corrected. April 23, 2007 is the last Monarch sailing that stops at San Diego! Mea culpa:mad:, I have found two different sites that showed this info. I then went back to RCI and changed my search parameters and sure enough, San Diego is history....Hmmm does that mean RCI might put another ship in San Diego....or is that too much to hope for:confused:???

 

PhoenixCruiser (hi neighbor) I could not agree with you more. It is time to let the Monarch go the way of the Viking Serenade. I think they will find that they are not going to have sold out cruises once people find out that they dropped San Diego but kept Catalina:eek:.

 

The Port of San Diego's website shows through the end of May 2007 and the Monarch is listed through the end of May. Here is the link http://www.portofsandiego.org/sandiego_maritime/cruise/schedulesearch.asp#visitation

[rubrrick]

When was she in dydock?

 

January 20th thru about the 28th, of this year.

 

Rick

[FitzLA]

I don't think Catalina is a foreign port tho. It's part of california. Ensenada is the foreign port.

 

Being from Los Angeles, I understand that. I never said it was. It is actually a part of Los Angeles County. However, all ships that leave out of Los Angeles, whether or not they visit Catalina or San Diego, visit at least 1 mexican port. For the reason I stated. What makes you think that I said that Catalina was a foreign port?

[pcur]

The Monarch is a cash cow for RCCL. She wont be replaced until she is ready to be sunk, like the Viking Serenade was. (didn't really sink her) I could not believe the horrible shape of the cabins on the Viking and she kept going for a few years after I sailed her in 2000. :eek:

 

LOL....we were on her in 1992!!!!!...and she was in pretty bad shape then, too!! So, let's not hold our breath that she will be replaced anytime soon, as RDeagazio posted.

[Ericknow32]

Don't bad mouth the Viking Serenade. She was a great, ugly, but again great little ship. All she needed was a little sprucing up like RCI is now doing with their older ships.

[Treven]

Just like Hawaii is a foreign port?

[Ericknow32]

Just like Hawaii is a foreign port?

Celebrity sails the Summit there on a regular basis. I took the trip in January.

[lawsoncd3]

LOL....we were on her in 1992!!!!!...and she was in pretty bad shape then, too!! So, let's not hold our breath that she will be replaced anytime soon, as RDeagazio posted.

 

I was on her twice before - 1995 and 1996. I haven't sailed since, so I'm curious as to how the "newer" ships are like.

[sgttami]

Can't help it but when I read the title of the thread...all I thought was

 

"I thought San Diego was still in California"

[rvrgirl]

January 20th thru about the 28th, of this year.

 

Rick

If she was in drydock Jan 20-28, I sure would like to know what they did to her. My father in law was on her over Memorial Day weekend and they said she was in horrible shape:p We sailed her in 2004, and he said she was in worse shape now.

[mohavemommy]

Just like Hawaii is a foreign port?

 

Please correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the ship also stop in Ensenada if it does Hawaii?

 

 

I will also be sorry to see San Diego go and would MUCH rather have it than Catalina. I just LOVE San Diego and even vacation there when I am not cruising. :D I hope RCI re-thinks this one. :p

[Bruin Steve]

Does San Diego really make or break a cruise. I don't get it. If you are in the LA area you can take a day trip there to see it.

Lets be honest, most people sailing the Monarch are local Californians. San Diego is close enough to visit on our own, we don't need to go there on a cruise.

Eric...You hit it on the nose why they'd drop San Diego rather than Catalina...

San Diego is a 0-4 hour drive for 90%+ of the passengers on the ship...Heck, a good portion of them already live there...Most of the rest of us are in San Diego several times a year as a routine matter...

For me, I have business in San Diego, I have a daughter in La Jolla and I have a brother in Rancho Santa Fe...I have unlimited use of a beach house in La Jolla Shores (In fact, I'll be there this weekend)...

 

There is absolutely very little special about a port stop in San Diego for a lot of us...

 

Catalina, OTOH, though only 26 miles from San Pedro, is a PAIN to get to...

Most of us don't have our own yachts...

You certainly can't drive there...

Yeah, you can take one of the ferries, but, honestly, very few of us ever do...

 

I think I'm typical of SoCal residents...In 50 years, I've been to San Diego maybe 500-600 times...I've been to Catalina three times...

 

I believe Carnival did away with the San Diego stop long ago...

And, when I took the old Viking Serenade on a 4-nighter years ago, they didn't stop in San Diego either...

 

I think the cruise line saves the port charges...and they sell more booze, souveniers and gambling if they're at sea for the day...

 

Frankly, two ports is enough...

I wouldn't know what to do for a port stop in san Diego anyway...visit my brother? Zoo? Done that...Sea World? Done that...and so on...

 

I am also on board with replacing the Monarch...Sure there are a couple of older ships in the line...So, get rid of one of those, repalce it with the Monarch and bring us a new ship...

 

Sure, it's a cash cow and runs full...But, a larger ship would likely run full as well...There are almost 50 million people in California, Arizona and Nevada...and millions more here on vacation...

 

Here's my other bright idea:

RCCL, you don't have ANY ships but the Monarch here in the Summer, leaving the Mexican Riviera business ALL to Carnival...So...take that one new, bigger ship to replace the Monarch...run the 3/4 night routes UNTIL the other ships go up to Alaska...THEN, ALTERNATE the one ship 3/4/7 all summer...Do a 3 nighter, then a 4-nighter, then a SEVEN NIGHTER, then back to a 3 nighter...

 

You'd be offering more variety and giving people another option to Carnival...You'd have even larger demand with the 3/4 night cruisers compressed into half the sailings and the folks wanting a 7-night Cabo/Mazatlan/PV cruise on RCCL rather than Carnival having at least a sailing every other week...

 

Who's with me on that one?

[critterchick]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the ship also stop in Ensenada if it does Hawaii?

 

I believe they do - the Island Princess drags her anchor in the harbor (OK, it's a 4-hour stop), and I think the other ships do, too.

[suziehmkr]

Don't bad mouth the Viking Serenade. She was a great, ugly, but again great little ship. All she needed was a little sprucing up like RCI is now doing with their older ships.

I agree! She was our first cruise and our honeymoon ship in 1992. Maybe we just didn't know any better, and didn't cruise again for 12 more years - be she will always be a fond memory for us. I love it that she is still in business!! Would have never known she was a hauler if one of the crew hadn't told us. Yes, we were cruise virgins, but we loved her! Monarch has many fans also... character!

[suziehmkr]

I believe they do - the Island Princess drags her anchor in the harbor (OK, it's a 4-hour stop), and I think the other ships do, too.

Or if you are super lucky like us - you get a full day because you had to skip Kona! Ughhhh! At least the beer was cold, tequila good and the tacos were spicy!

[Tedson]

I believe they do - the Island Princess drags her anchor in the harbor (OK, it's a 4-hour stop), and I think the other ships do, too.

Most do, except our Serenade of the Seas Cruise in October of this year, which ends in Ensenada. Believe me, I'm NOT looking forward to that 3-hour bus ride from Ensenada to San Diego. What really gripes me is that after dumping us off in Ensenada, the ship will sail empty to San Diego! :mad:

[FitzLA]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the ship also stop in Ensenada if it does Hawaii? :p

 

They either begin or end their cruise in Ensenada, or they make a stop there. Unless it is an NCL ship that is registered in the U.S. and is manned by a mosly U.S. crew. NCL has the only ships that do not have to make a stop in a foreign port.

[critterchick]

CCL, you don't have ANY ships but the Monarch here in the Summer, leaving the Mexican Riviera business ALL to Carnival...So...take that one new, bigger ship to replace the Monarch...run the 3/4 night routes UNTIL the other ships go up to Alaska...THEN, ALTERNATE the one ship 3/4/7 all summer...Do a 3 nighter, then a 4-nighter, then a SEVEN NIGHTER, then back to a 3 nighter...

 

You'd be offering more variety and giving people another option to Carnival...You'd have even larger demand with the 3/4 night cruisers compressed into half the sailings and the folks wanting a 7-night Cabo/Mazatlan/PV cruise on RCCL rather than Carnival having at least a sailing every other week...

 

Who's with me on that one?

 

I AM!!!!! I AM!!!

 

Most do, except our Serenade of the Seas Cruise in October of this year, which ends in Ensenada. Believe me, I'm NOT looking forward to that 3-hour bus ride from Ensenada to San Diego. What really gripes me is that after dumping us off in Ensenada, the ship will sail empty to San Diego! :mad:

 

It comes too late for you, but RCI has realized the error of its ways in time for the 2007 season. It's too bad they can't do that SD-LA cruise as a cruise to nowhere, which would be exempt from the PSA, from what I've read. I guess the nowhere cruises have to start & end in the same city or some other such stupid rule.

[sharpie13]

Build a ship and they will come, :D

[Ericknow32]

I AM!!!!! I AM!!!

ME TOO!!! ME TOO!!!

[NancyIL]

dirtgirl, I hate to mention this...but Carnival doesn't stop in San Diego either. That will probably eliminate our attraction for the itinerary, too. :)

 

The lack of a San Diego stop was one main reason I chose the Monarch over Carnival Paradise for our cruise this past March! I am sorry to see San Diego go.