Coastal Cruises?

[Roz]

Don't know if anyone else has noticed this. Ever since HAL revamped their website, which has been quite a while now, there's a category called "Coastal" that appears when you click on Destinations. But there are never any Coastal itineraries. Almost the same thing with Pacific Northwest. The same 2 Sept., 2004 itineraries have been appearing forever.

Anyone care to share any insight as to why HAL even bothers to have these categories?

Roz

[jhannah]

They probably leave it up there in case they decide to reposition a ship and can get 2 or 3 days of revenue in while they do it.

[sail7seas]

Maybe they're getting everything ready to post itineraries if Congress ever changes the Jone's Act.....Passenger Carriage Act.

[FlorenceItaly]

Roz - Speaking of a Pacific Northwest Cruise...my sister and I are booked on one, April 17, 2005, Celebrity, on the Mercury. We would love to see you on board :).

Marie

[peaches from georgia]

Don't know about Coastal, but they keep the Pacific Northwest up there because they do offer two short PNW cruises on the Amsterdam that are very popular. ;)

[Roz]

Marie and Peaches,

Last year, I booked one of those 4-day Pacific Northwest cruises way in advance. A group ended up booking up the entire ship, so HAL gave me 2 choices - a refund of my deposit, or a 7-day Alaskan cruise for about $100 more. So of course I opted to go back to Alaska. But I'd still like to do a cruise that includes Victoria, Seattle, Astoria, etc.

My TA is the local Cruise West specialist and they have a very interesting British Columbia itinerary on one of their small ships. So I may eventually end up doing that.

Roz

[FlorenceItaly]

Roz - What a generous offer...Alaska for only $100 more.

You know after I posted I realized ours is a Pacific COASTAL, not Pacific Northwest. But, the Pacific Coastal is also a very nice intinerary. It's the California Coastal:

San Francisco
Monterey
Santa Barbara
Catalina Island
Ensenada
San Diego

I am also very anxious to try Celebrity. So many cruises, so little time :).

Marie

[Roz]

Marie,

I'm very happy with HAL, but will probably give Celebrity a try in the near future.

Roz

[terrascape]

I have also wondered why HAL does not post the Coastal Cruises on the site. However, that being said, HAL continues to offer West Coast coastal cruises during the spring and fall repositioning between Alaska and Mexico & the Caribbean. In their 2005 sailing schedule they are currently showing the Oosterdam, Ryndam & Statendam doing "Coastal Cruises" from San Diego to Vancouver, BC on April 30, May 5 & April 20. They don't show the Caribbean to Vancouver ships as "Coastal", but as long as there is space available you can board in a California port & off in Vancouver. The same is true in the Fall but in reverse. We are fortunate on the West Coast to have the ability of the short "quick get-away" 3 and 4 day cruises by having Vancouver BC as a home port for 5 of HAL ships. These Coastal cruises are not to be confused with Pacific Northwest Cruises which usually leave and return from Seattle with a stop in Victoria and/or Vancouver. Coastal cruises are not so easy on the East Coast with only1 ship repositioning to the Canada-New England route.