Big Announcement About Two Special West Coast Sailings

[Phamer55]

I've been told that within the next couple of days there's going to be a special announcement about a Celebrity ship coming to the West Coast for two special sailings. Anyone know what this is about? Could it be bringing the Solstice out here for the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010?

[Karynanne]

I don't think that Solstice was designed for Panama Canal transit. Maybe one of the M-Class ships.

[Phamer55]

Yeah, the Solstice is too wide to fit through the Panama Canal. I highly doubt they would bring her around South America. I wonder what the announcement will be?!?!

[Schplinky]

Maybe they're re-deploying an M class there?

[pete_coach]

If it is during the Olympics you are speaking, there has been talk that the Vancouver Olympic Committee is contemplating "renting" several cruise ships for accommodations for the security personnel and others. Hotels, as you can imagine, are at a premium and there are a lot of people being brought in to help out.

Other than that, I thought there was already Celebrity ships doing the Alaska trips?

[FortyNinerLiz]

I've been told that within the next couple of days there's going to be a special announcement about a Celebrity ship coming to the West Coast for two special sailings. Anyone know what this is about? Could it be bringing the Solstice out here for the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010?

 

That would be so exciting!! We did a repo cruise on the Summit that was great (West Coast) We are doing a Princess one in May. A full time West Coaster would be great, especially an M Class!!! Keep this rumor going!!

[Infi]

If it is during the Olympics you are speaking, there has been talk that the Vancouver Olympic Committee is contemplating "renting" several cruise ships for accommodations for the security personnel and others. Hotels, as you can imagine, are at a premium and there are a lot of people being brought in to help out.

Other than that, I thought there was already Celebrity ships doing the Alaska trips?

 

Very interesting! I wonder if this means we'll see west coast sailings for next spring. It doesn't make any sense to send a ship over just for 2 sailings in February. Also, we won't know until March what Celebrity ships will be doing the Alaska runs in 2010, so it's anybody's guess if this ship will also end up in Alaska for summer. I think the sailing is just "special" for the Olympics.

 

OP, where did you hear this information?

[Karynanne]

If I were to guess, they will probably pull one of the "Alaska" routed ships out of it's usual itinerary, and use it as a Hotel for that two week period. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Phamer55]

My TA told me - she was told by her Celebrity rep. It's only 2 sailings - not a full deployment of a ship. I only guessed the Olympics, but it could be something else. Another theory I have is that a ship is going to go into drydock in San Francisco, and so there could be a cruise into SF and a cruise out of SF. I'm thinking SF because that is where my TA and I live.

[Putterdude]

There are very definitely plans a foot to charter two cruise ships as floating hotels for security and others connected with the Winter Olympics next February. However I would believe the period of the charter will have to be longer than just 2 weeks just to get people in the right places and knowing what they are doing. To my knowledge there has been no annoucement yet as to which ships the Olympic Committee is going to charter.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I really wish they would add sailings other than Alaska out of seattle. Something for fall, spring & winter - it's kind of a shame to always need to fly to another city to cruise when we have a port here.

[Schplinky]

But then the cruise would have to at least stop in Canada anyway (due to an arcane American law that precludes cruises from only visiting US ports if they are not US staffed).

[Infi]

My TA told me - she was told by her Celebrity rep. It's only 2 sailings - not a full deployment of a ship. I only guessed the Olympics, but it could be something else. Another theory I have is that a ship is going to go into drydock in San Francisco, and so there could be a cruise into SF and a cruise out of SF. I'm thinking SF because that is where my TA and I live.

 

Oh, I see. Thanks for letting us know your source on that one - I think you're on the right track with the SF/drydock theory. The Olympics plan would have been neat though :)

[scottbee]

Olympic Winter Games: February 12 to 28, 2010

 

That would mean they would need to get a ship to Vancouver for somewhere around the 3rd of Feb, as they had planned to use the ship for holding media.

 

So, perhaps the sailings will be (approx)

1) Jan 31 San Diego->Vancouver

maybe drydock, post olympics

2) Mar 3rd Vancouver -> San Diego (maybe later if drydocked)

 

While it's possible they'd start Alaska a couple of months early, I suspect it's HIGHLY unlikely.

[Norcal Cruiser]

We will book any cruise departing or embarking from San Francisco.We don't even care where it goes.Or comes from.Celebrity : PLEASE COME BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO!!! We are not the only ones.Everyone else please let your voice be heard!We don't want to take a chance on Princess but we are considering it based on our homeport.

[fernem]

Oh, let me chime in. I've done so before. I sincerely, with great humility at the largeness of your decision-making compared to my palty concerns, Celebrity person in charge ... but I would really like to take a Celebrity cruise out of San Francisco. I leave this week to fly all the way from SFO to MIA to get on the Constellation ... and that's far more of a hassle than I like. I would like to cruise out of San Francisco and will go practically anywhere you want to take me. (I, in fact, booked a Princess cruise to Mexico at first, reluctantly, and then gave in and cancelled it in favor of a ten day experience on the Constellation. But I can't continue to do that.)

 

Thank you for listening.

 

fern

[florisdekort]

Olympic Winter Games: February 12 to 28, 2010.

 

All X ships have a full schedule already for this period, so unless they are going to cancel sailings that are open for bookings as we speak, this won't happen.

 

More likely: two roundtrip Alaska cruises ex LA (they are doing one in 2009 that sold very well) and/or one or two Mexico cruises.

 

Best Regards,

Floris

[Albert Ross]

Maybe they're re-deploying an M class there?

 

Summit.

[pamkev]

Summit.

 

 

I thought Summit was going to Bermuda or is just for these 2 sailings?

[Lynnees]

A contract has already been signed or in the process of negotiations for 2 RCL ships to be housed in Vancouver for 2 months over to be used for the Olympics.

 

I understand there was also a contract that had been signed and then reneged on my CCL.

 

I haven't heard anything else recently.

[florisdekort]

Summit.

 

X already announced Summit will be sailing Bermuda and Canada/New England cruises during the summer of 2010.

[gogy]

I totally agree, I wish there is something we could do to encourage Celebrity back to the Bay Area. I used to enjoy the short trips to Mexico in the spring. We have taken at least 4 cruises, mostly on the Mercury out of S.F. I don't care where the cruise goes, I just like the convenience of leaving from my home port. I contacted Celebrity regarding cruises to Mexico (which they no longer do), the representative said that the cruise line is more interested in exotic destinations, well excuse me, not everybody can afford or take longer vacations.

 

 

We will book any cruise departing or embarking from San Francisco.We don't even care where it goes.Or comes from.Celebrity : PLEASE COME BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO!!! We are not the only ones.Everyone else please let your voice be heard!We don't want to take a chance on Princess but we are considering it based on our homeport.

[Schplinky]

Would love to sail out of SFO!!!! For us, the port city has to be a little interesting and SFO is more than a little interesting to me.

[ocngypz]

Looks like Constellation. There's a 15 night Hawaii added for March 13th 2010 rt from San Diego.

 

I'm not seeing the second one yet.

[Andy]

Looks like Constellation. There's a 15 night Hawaii added for March 13th 2010 rt from San Diego.

 

I'm not seeing the second one yet.

 

Hi Ocngypz !

 

I've noticed the 3/13/10-3/28/10 hole in Constellation's schedule for quite some time. I suspected it was being held open for a Drydock. Apparantly, that's not the case. As for anything else involving Constellation, it doesn't seem likely, as she has a Panama Canal sailing back to Miami on 3/28/10.

 

I am wondering if this supposed Celebrity news, is not Celebrity news at all, and has to do with the 2 ships that Royal Caribbean was supposed to send to the Olympics. From what is being said on the Royal Caribbean board, that does not appear to be happening.

 

We will have to wait and see if Celebrity has anything special planned, but as Floris said, the Celebrity schedule is fully booked during this time period. The only way this can happen, is if a ship is being re-deployed, and a small handful of sailings are about to get cancelled. Other than the Hawaii sailing, I wouldn't expect too much, if anything.