Mariner leaving :( West Coast is sad

[Bobal]

At least book now........you can always cancel before final payment is due.....

 

....and that's one of the many advantages you have in the US. We were also booked on the Mariner for April next year. I discovered via these boards that the cruise was cancelled. Spoke to my TA in the UK at the weekend who had heard nothing, he range RCL reservations dept in the UK - Guess what they didn't know anything about it :eek: and he can't find out about rebooking as the relevant department isn't open until Monday.

 

We've lost our Easter cruise with our kids as we wanted to do this cruise not any cruise. We've spent the weekend looking for alternatives for later in the year so we can get OBC but we don't have the luxury of booking a number of cruises and then pulling out way down the line without losing our deposit. There's a particular Transatlantic we like the look of but all the suites are sold out and most of the D1s. I'd be willing to bet that many of these come back on the market somewhere down the line as US customers change their minds but that's a luxury you have and we, outside the US, don't.

 

It amazes me that they're moving all these ships to Europe where they clearly see a big market but we still get treated as second class citizens. We can't even see our C&A status online :rolleyes:

[Cruise Cat]

Nevermind

[Bargeo]

Come join us on the January 9th cruise.......I believe it will turn out to be the reunion cruise........and when enough people have signed up.....they will jack up the rates.

 

At least book now........you can always cancel before final payment is due.....and join a swelling group of the ATH group.

 

Rick

 

Hey Rick, are you considering doing the reverse ATH cruise? We might be interested in that. Wonder when they will post the itinerary and prices? We met you last Jan in Cobo at Don's delicious fish lunch.....remember?

Barbara

[klingoncruiser]

I figure they will put a ship back in California. We know your pain in Texas as they pulled the Rhapsody and only gave us a part time ship and seem to move the fleet to Florida and Europe.

[babies12]

I have to object to your "yuck" because you didn't dignify it with an explanation. I hear the term "yuck" in the mouths of toddlers who can't explain themselves well, but on CC? Please, what do you mean?

 

Ok, here is my "dignified" explanation since you required one, it's an UGLY ship.

[oldmedic]

Hey Rick, are you considering doing the reverse ATH cruise? We might be interested in that. Wonder when they will post the itinerary and prices? We met you last Jan in Cobo at Don's delicious fish lunch.....remember?

Barbara

 

I presume you are referring the transatlantic, from Europe back to Galveston... when do you think that might be open for booking? my dw and I want to take it to celebrate her retirement in 2011...

[caribbeanboy]

Passengers booked on cruises after Jan 9 2011 got till the 6th of May to rebook, so my guess is that from that date on (or a few days later) they will announce the itineraries and will open bookings for the Mariner.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

And remember Mariner recently had a bomb threat. Plus there is a lot of political unrest in Mexico now, even in the touristy areas. Add to that the fact that us West Coasters spend less when we are on the ship and in MX it is easy to arrange your own tours and BOOM, you have a no win situation! I am very sad as well (and rebooked for Thanksgiving because we love the Mariner so much).

 

Sigh. Maybe someday they will actually LISTEN to us and do Pacific Northwest cruises too...

 

Katherine

 

Its upsetting that they didn't even TRY to do a season on a PNW cruise!

 

 

***

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

It figures... just after we discover the joy of sailing out of L.A.

 

I'm fantasizing that RCI will move Serenade to LA or SD, and do a northbound 9-day (San Fran, Astoria, Seattle, etc). I can dream...it's all I've got now!

 

 

Our cruising just got more expensive with added air fares to the east coast. From PHX its a all day adventure. :eek:

[tonit964]

So does anyone know why Disney Wonder thinks they will be profitable with the prices they are charging doing the Mexican Riviera, when there are four ships leaving the west coast? I just can't figure that one out. :confused:

Toni

[Puffinater]

So does anyone know why Disney Wonder thinks they will be profitable with the prices they are charging doing the Mexican Riviera, when there are four ships leaving the west coast? I just can't figure that one out. :confused:

Toni

 

Just the Disney brand alone will draw folks. Also as ships leave so do your options. I think (just my opinion) folks cruise Disney for a very different reason than those who cruise RCI.

[sharpie13]

This is really bad news. We are still moning the loss of the Monach, now the west coast is losing the Mariner too. Will LA get another ship? How about the Radiance? At this point I would settle for the SS Minnow

[PacificJack]

Nature... and competition... abhors a vacuum. Adam Goldstein may be short sighted from his limited Florida vantage point... and I imagine that it's been years since he's sailed with a West Coast crowd on a competitor's ship, where there is an understanding of the West Coast market.

 

Maybe his RCI corporate competitor from Celebrity will decide that it's time to show Richard Fain and the Board that he should be the heir apparent, rather than the myopic Adam Goldstein. We can hope.

 

Otherwise, loyal royals have no choice to go elsewhere. RCL doesn't view loyalty for itself in the same way as the loyalty it wants from its customers.

 

I've never sailed on Carnival because of its rowdy reputation but reputations change with time. What cruise lines do board members recommend to supplant Royal Caribbean for those of us who live on West Coast and hate the get up at 3 in the morning to fly in painful discomfort to RCL's favored markets?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I've never sailed on Carnival because of its rowdy reputation but reputations change with time. What cruise lines do board members recommend to supplant Royal Caribbean for those of us who live on West Coast and hate the get up at 3 in the morning to fly in painful discomfort to RCL's favored markets?

I have never sailed Carnival, but you are right, reputations change. I have several friends who have sailed on the Splendor and (besides decor) they have really liked the ship. I think Carnival is going after more of the family friendly market to be in more direct competition with the RCI market. I would not count that ship out for the MR.

 

I have booked the Carnival Spirit for July. The reviews are excellent and the reviews for Alaska on Carnival are not the rowdy image we all came to vision with Carnival in the past. So, after July I will be able to speak about Carnival from first hand experience!

 

Also, I would check out some of HAL's MR itineraries. They have several itineraries with some unique ports. I would like to try one of those in the near future.

[FireIce0010]

Lets try to push them into letting us know what ship is coming and how upset we all are.

Talking this website alone is not gonna give them the pressure.

Cruise critic is a large pressure group. Lets make em talk

 

Brenda

Peoria, AZ:eek:

 

LOL. Maybe if all the energy being placed into this thread was actually placed into the booking of the Mariner then it would not be leaving. The same can be said for the Monarch.

 

By the way, Cruise Critic is a very, very small group when compared to the overall number of cruisers worldwide.

[kath00]

You are assuming that Mariner bookings were low. Multiple people on the ship told me that the ship never sailed under 3000 passengers (as they were told by the executive staff repeatedly for the last 2 years) and they took pride in this. I don't think it's a booking issue. I think it's the safety in Mexico, higher taxes and fuel charges and less $$ being spent on board.

 

Katherine

[COMBOY]

FYI-just doing a quick search not all cruise lines are abandoning the west coast. Here are the cruises in 2011:

 

Carnival Splendor: 7-day LA to Mexico Cruises (Year round)

Carnival Spirit: 8-day San Diego to Mexico

Sapphire Princess: 7-day LA to Mexico Cruises (alternating 14-day Hawaii cruises)

Disney Wonder: 7-day LA to Mexico Cruise

Holland America Oosterdam: 7-day San Diego to Mexico

Holland America Zaandam: 10/11 San Diego to Mexico (alternating 14-day Hawaii cruises)

 

All of these ships other than the Carnival Splendor go to Alaska in the summer.

 

Clearly there's demand and money to be made on the west coast cruises, but probably not enough to fill the Mariner year round (at least at higher price levels) and it just didn't make financial senses to keep the Mariner sailing year around from LA. That's not to say RCCL won't come back to the West coast in the future. Time will only tell. Interesting to note that the Disney Wonder starts west coast cruising as of Jan 23, 2011. I'm wondering if that had any bearing on RCCL decision to pull the Mariner from the west coast. Interesting??

[jbobst]

Just an update that the Carnival Spirit (out of San Diego) is now doing 4 day and 9 day itineraries starting in December it appears. We were booked on the Dec 6th 8 day cruise, but as of today, they now have a 4 day cruise starting on Dec 6th. We are now booked on the following 9 day cruise departing on the 10th. The new ports for the 9 day cruise are: Cabo 2 days (overnight), La Paz, Mazatlan, and PV.

[novalab]

Just off Mariner where we heard the sad news during the Captain's question & answer session a few days ago. We are so sad to be loosing Mariner. She is a wonderful ship! Also sad that RC will not be replacing her in the foreseeable future for the MR itineraries. This also forces us to look at other cruise lines for our future MR cruises. We had at least 2 more planned.

 

While in Mazatlan, we got to check out Sapphire Princess. Pretty ship. Talked to a few of her passengers, they were positive on their reviews. Guess there will be alternitives.......but still sad.:(

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

I hear lots of us West Caosters say we have always sailed on Royal, but have not yet tried Carnival, so they can't speak on Carnival's quality.

 

Well I have tried Carnival, THREE times, and I still hate it (three strikes and you are out, right?). I tried the Splendor, yuck. The only way I can explain it for you guys, it's like trying to explain the difference between Vegas and Laughlin.:eek:

 

Enough said, I will miss RCCL and I guess from now on I will be doing lots more flying to Houston/Galveston, NO, and Florida. Not because of my loyalty to Royal, but because no matter how hard I try, I cannot get myself to like Carnival.:mad:

[mommabean]

Just an update that the Carnival Spirit (out of San Diego) is now doing 4 day and 9 day itineraries starting in December it appears. We were booked on the Dec 6th 8 day cruise, but as of today, they now have a 4 day cruise starting on Dec 6th. We are now booked on the following 9 day cruise departing on the 10th. The new ports for the 9 day cruise are: Cabo 2 days (overnight), La Paz, Mazatlan, and PV.

 

How did you get your 9 day Spirit cruise booked? They new itineraries still aren't showing up on their website?

 

Gina

[Capn Cabo]

Hi Peggy...........you are correct......but here is the kicker. The port of LA raised it's port charges..........so that no one wants to dock there anymore.

 

Need I say more?

 

Obama care......California care......I don't think either one cares!!:eek:

 

Rick

 

I am sure the Port of Long Beach would not mind the extra business in the future. The City of Los Angeles, and the state of California for that matter are being administered by absolute morons. They have spent themselves into oblivion, and even on the doorstep of ruin, their answer is to jack up taxes, not spend less money.

 

These fees could have had more than anyone realizes with this decision. And the posters have been correct, letter writing, and talk of customer loyalty will fall upon deaf ears with these guys. If you want to have an impact, send your last letter to RCI, opting out of Crown and Anchor, and take your money someplace else, because feeling sad and betrayed by a corporation just looks pathetic.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

I am sure the Port of Long Beach would not mind the extra business in the future. The City of Los Angeles, and the state of California for that matter are being administered by absolute morons. They have spent themselves into oblivion, and even on the doorstep of ruin, their answer is to jack up taxes, not spend less money.

 

These fees could have had more than anyone realizes with this decision. And the posters have been correct, letter writing, and talk of customer loyalty will fall upon deaf ears with these guys. If you want to have an impact, send your last letter to RCI, opting out of Crown and Anchor, and take your money someplace else, because feeling sad and betrayed by a corporation just looks pathetic.

 

I personally am not "sad" because I feel "betrayed" by Royal, I'm sad because I hate flying but love cruising, so now I will have to do more of the one to do the other.:eek::mad:

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Which reminds me...anyone on the West Coast ever try taking an Amtrak sleeping car to Houston, NO, or Florida to catch their cruise?? I'm considering doing so to Houston for my 2011 cruise. It's pretty expensive to get a bedroom, but it could be fun?

[mommabean]

Which reminds me...anyone on the West Coast ever try taking an Amtrak sleeping car to Houston, NO, or Florida to catch their cruise?? I'm considering doing so to Houston for my 2011 cruise. It's pretty expensive to get a bedroom, but it could be fun?

 

I can't answer completely. But I have taken Amtrak and been in a sleeping car. It is fun....but do NOT count of being on time. As with flying, be sure to give yourself at least one extra day. And from that far away, make it two days. Amtrak has a horrible on time record. They can fall hours behind just getting out of FL.

 

Gina