Liberty Europe Cancelled; How do You Cruise in a Tough Economy?

[editor@cruisecritic]

You're spot on JT1436; did you see a recent story on the differences between pricing for various countries? It's here: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=759.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

 

here in the uk we dont get the same rates as you do in the us, i priced a july cruise it was roughly 1000 english pounds(a balcony) most cruises are more expensive when we book this side of the pond

[s & h]

Very depressed about the cancellation!! We just booked the last cruise before TA a week ago and were excited as we have never been to this part of the world. Now have to start researching a replacement trip.

 

Our travel plans have not changed a bit. In the next 18 months we are scheduled to cruise W Carib, S Carib, Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and several land trips. Relaxation is still a must.

[lateforthemillennium]

I agree I didn't like the choices in the poll that is being taken. I also chose other because the economy won't affect me, I'll still cruise, just somewhere else. I am curious what other options there are for cruising in the med next summer/fall. At any rate I plan to spend to help the economy.

LFTM

[spleenstomper]

I can still afford a Cat. 12, but a Cat 12 AND airfare for 5..... not right now..

[SunFunCruiser]

wow, that is amazing. I was booked on the CCL Freedom for 6 months before they canceled those sailings. I feel bad for the people that rebooked on the Liberty after the Freedom was canceled. It always seemed odd to me that they canceled the Freedom sailings in Europe over the Liberty sailings. I would think the med would eb more popular and more affordable than the Baltic sailings.

I was mad that they were holding $9,000 of my money for 6 months and we didn't get any compensation for that. We should have gotten interest back on our money.

I think the Europe sailings are still a great value, it's the flights that are killing us!

[toad455]

My family & I just booked whatever 7 day cruise was the cheapest for mid-January. That was the Legend out of Tampa. We've done all the ports except Roatan Is., but we're just happy to be cruising in 83 days.

[Darkwolfe]

By good fortune, DW and I budget out for a cruise months in advance. We both work in healthcare as well so the downturn hasn't hit us very hard.

 

It's still a stress when you see people on your block loose their homes (though at least one couldn't have cared less), but the goal is to weather the tough times and keep right on going.

 

Keep your eye on the goal and don't let the Wall Streeters freak you out. At the risk of going political, don't vote for a tax and spend politician either. I'll stop there before CC throws a rock at me. :)

[MrsLeo]

Well that is unfortunate and I understand how disappointed many of you must be that have cancelled cruises..

 

I am taking a Med. Cruise in a few weeks, Not on Carnival (even though I am a fan of Carnival) but all my friends have been laughing at my decision to go to Europe during the past year, giving me a rough time because prices and exchange rates were so bad. Well the whole time I said, I just have a feeling things will work out, and the dollar can't stay like this forever. I shopped hard for decent airfare, and planned to cruise back to the states on the NCL Jade Transatlantic, well NCL made a decision to keep the Jade in Europe and cancelled the Transatlantic (a move they will probably regret I think) so I was stuck either cancelling the whole thing or doing something else, so I went ahead and found a good deal on return airfare and a nice 7 day western med. cruise on yet a different cruise line combined with a land adventure involving London, Rome and Ireland. So there you have it. In the long run I think this trip will turn out to be a pretty good bargain since the USD is gaining against the GBP and Euro. I think if people want to go to Europe, now is a great time to go, if you are in a position financially. Shop until you find the price you want to pay, deals are out there if you look hard enough. I booked one way air for four people for $1084 Chicago to London on Virgin, and then found a similar deal returning on Air Lingus from Dublin. Get creative and think outside the box.

 

One man's obstacle is another's opportunity.

[JamesEM]

We are skipping our cuise out of PR this fall due to high air fares, and the constant nickle and diming by the cruise lines.

[jessemon]

Living in Tampa works well for cruising but, I do a cruise with a group also. The price is great. The bennies many and the company wondrful. That being said I did something different this time. Instead of driving to Miami and paying $100 plus dollars for a room. paying for gas. Paying $180 to park.:eek: And of course meals and fun I booked a flight with SW for the early AM of the cruise for $130 RT. Taking a shuttle from FLL airport to pier in Miami and back for $20 each way.....

It saved me a bundle......;)

[hansi]

We're very disappointed that we won't be cruising with Carnival out of Dover. We had only just booked last week too!

[calicruise74]

We would really, really like to do a Med Cruise next Summer....looks like we will need to look at another cruiseline besides Carnival. However, unless airfare comes down a bit, we may be cruising closer to home.

 

Our DD graduates high school in 2010 and taking her to Europe in 2009, during our last "real" summer with her home, before college, was something we were really looking forward to.

 

Who knows, we may just bite the bullet (hard!) and do it....but I dont think we will book until after the first of the year.

[jessemon]

Great question, CruisePup, sorry we didn't answer it outright. Carnival Liberty is going to stay Miami-based (as it is through the winter) but will shake up its rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean routes a bit for the spring and summer....

 

Starting April 25, the "exotic Eastern Caribbean cruise" will call Half Moon Cay, a private Bahamian island; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands. The western route will visit Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel.

 

But "exotic" is clearly marketing speak here. There's nothing exotic about those ports. So ignore the hyperbole and have fun if you go but Carnival must think we're all rubes to buy its "exotic" positioning.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

Mexico

Agreed...Exotic is a laughable marketing speak for this itin.

Exotic is more like...St Kitts, Dominica, Martinique, Grenada or St Lucia...;)

[hansi]

Will Carnival be offering compensation for passengers booked on the Liberty out of Dover?

[SunnyinMA]

I'm very happy I took the Splendor cruise this summer in the Baltic now. By planning early and doing lots of research it really wasn't that much more than any other cruise we've taken.

 

I wonder what John Heald will do now....in his blog and in person he has made it sound like he does not want to CD in the Carib ever again.

[valancy1]

Will Carnival be offering compensation for passengers booked on the Liberty out of Dover?

 

From what I've read on the boards, they are trying to accommodate passengers--refunding air fare/rebooking them on a sister cruise line, etc.

 

I don't know about "compensation" as far as giving them extra money--I don't think that's necessary or gonna happen. JMHO

[valancy1]

I'm very happy I took the Splendor cruise this summer in the Baltic now. By planning early and doing lots of research it really wasn't that much more than any other cruise we've taken.

 

I wonder what John Heald will do now....in his blog and in person he has made it sound like he does not want to CD in the Carib ever again.

 

Don't forget that the Dream is still over there some. Splendor has some European itineraries, too.

 

When I was on Liberty a Carnival employee told me (this was in September--before these changes) that Liberty was going over to Europe so John Heald could base out of London and sail her until he retires. Now, that wasn't John Heald telling me this, so it's 2nd-hand information. I read somewhere yesterday that John Heald will be CD on the Dream. Maybe he'll just stay over in Europe on whichever ship is there. I don't know how long before he retires, so that could be a possible solution; maybe not.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Don't know if you've seen our home page poll for today (Tuesday) but Dan Askin came up with a pretty wacky one...on how cruise lines could save money. It's all in good fun. Check it out.

 

Carolyn

[Minoushka]

Somehow I am not surprised by this news Even if cruise prices go down ,the Euro and excursions in Europe become prohibitivaly expensive .

I read a review from someone who did an excursion in Egypt and Israel and spent 600$ pp for each one.... WOW Who has that kind of money for 2 excursions on a 12 day cruise???How much did the rest cost!!!!

To me that is WAY over the top...and now that my poor dollar went KERPLUNK it makes it even more expensive .I have wanted to take my family to Europe for a LONG time as I use to spend summers there when I was in my 20's.....however it does not look feasable for many years .

When I am told coffee and a sandwich can set you back 50+$ pp how can I manage with 4 of us ?

I hope cruise lines bring back the summer Hawaii trip for 14 days out of LA as a substitute.Caribbean is nice Hawaii is DEFINITELY nice -LOved it in summer-07 and would love to do it again ..Nice option from just Caribbean

Europe will just have to wait till things get better for us in North America

 

Michele

[mom&me_cruising]

I just started research on next year's Baltic cruises and was going to reserve Liberty this week. Well, with the Liberty not sailing Baltic, I now have to look at other cruise lines. :eek: Norwegian Jewel is similar in pricing as Liberty; just not sure I want the anytime dining with the waits and reserving times, etc. :(

 

Really would have loved to stick with Carnival and get the Liberty pin. :mad:

[FlaMilkman]

I think Carnival was hit by a double whammy. First, with the world economy is the state that it is in, far fewer people from the U.S. (compared to the prior 5 or so years) would be willing to commit the $$$ for the airfare, cruisefare, shore excursions at this point. I am sure that the Carnival brass think that they have a far better chance of filling the ship on trips closer to home than by taking the risk of leaving the ship in Europe. Second, believe it or not, the American Dollar has been making a strong recovery against foreign currencies (especially the British Pound). Consequently, the significant price advantages Europeans have had has quickly diminished. I'm sure that this fact wasn't lost when Carnival made their decision.

[hansi]

Well, we don't have an air fare as we're from the UK but we did book and paid for non refundable hotel accommodation in London overnight, as it's too far to travel in one day, so I would expect them to refund that.

[Cuizer2]

Well, we don't have an air fare as we're from the UK but we did book and paid for non refundable hotel accommodation in London overnight, as it's too far to travel in one day, so I would expect them to refund that.

Unfortunately I doubt that Carnival will refund anything other than monies paid to Carnival.

 

This is the reason it is not a good idea to book non-refundable you name it (hotel, air ...) more than 100 days out. And then it is a good idea to purchase insurance.

[Dan Askin]

Don't forget that the Dream is still over there some. Splendor has some European itineraries, too.

 

When I was on Liberty a Carnival employee told me (this was in September--before these changes) that Liberty was going over to Europe so John Heald could base out of London and sail her until he retires. Now, that wasn't John Heald telling me this, so it's 2nd-hand information. I read somewhere yesterday that John Heald will be CD on the Dream. Maybe he'll just stay over in Europe on whichever ship is there. I don't know how long before he retires, so that could be a possible solution; maybe not.

 

Sadly for those wanting to cruise Carnival in Europe, Carnival Dream's three cruises are all you've got (for now, at least).

 

Splendor just concluded its stint in Europe. It's heading across the Atlantic as we speak, and it'll eventually reach it's homeport in California (sailing Mexican Riviera cruises).

[hansi]

Somehow I am not surprised by this news Even if cruise prices go down ,the Euro and excursions in Europe become prohibitivaly expensive .

I read a review from someone who did an excursion in Egypt and Israel and spent 600$ pp for each one.... WOW Who has that kind of money for 2 excursions on a 12 day cruise???How much did the rest cost!!!!

To me that is WAY over the top...and now that my poor dollar went KERPLUNK it makes it even more expensive .I have wanted to take my family to Europe for a LONG time as I use to spend summers there when I was in my 20's.....however it does not look feasable for many years .

When I am told coffee and a sandwich can set you back 50+$ pp how can I manage with 4 of us ?

I hope cruise lines bring back the summer Hawaii trip for 14 days out of LA as a substitute.Caribbean is nice Hawaii is DEFINITELY nice -LOved it in summer-07 and would love to do it again ..Nice option from just Caribbean

Europe will just have to wait till things get better for us in North America

 

Michele

 

Have you ever booked your own tour rather than taking the ship's tour> Would be a third of the price. Also, where do you pay £25 for coffee and a sandwich?? That's a bit of an exaggeration!