What a Waste of RCCL Money

[The Big Booper]

The Explorer has no trouble when it docks here.

 

 

 

 

Neither does the Solstice

 

 

I am consistent, almost the same picture of the two ships.

[Cruising89143]

Really, last time I checked, San Juan is a lot farther south than Nassau.

 

Do you also know that San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten are ALL easily reachable on a seven night cruise from south Florida? Not going to argue as RCI has done this itinerary many times as have other cruise lines such as Carnivore.

[The Big Booper]

I think that it has to do with the number of ships that have been pulled and moved to Europe. When RCI moved Freedom to Pt. Canaveral, they dropped San Juan and added Coco Cay to the eastern itinerary. I guess the only ships going there now are the ones out of San Juan for the southern. Celebrity is still calling there.

 

Interesting, the 2 week Explorer holiday cruise out of Bayonne dropped San Juan (and St. Kitts) and added Labadee and Samana. Is that part of the scheme to de-emphasize San Juan as an RCI stop?

[Cruising89143]

Interesting, the 2 week Explorer holiday cruise out of Bayonne dropped San Juan (and St. Kitts) and added Labadee and Samana. Is that part of the scheme to de-emphasize San Juan as an RCI stop?

 

Who knows but I will take SJ over some of the other ports down there. I can understand why they added Labadee. More revenue with selling cabanas, zip lines, alpine coaster and drinks.

[bajathree]

That would be a nice option in place of Nassau. I thought about the same thing as all of RCI's other ships have no issues with docking there. I think that they would have to add a dolphin to make it work for Oasis/Allure. I thought that it looked cool. I remember when the Carnivore ship could not dock. No one from Carnivore thought about checking it out first. Go figure.

 

A dolphin is easy stuff....me thinks there may be more to to this than meets the eye;)

[The Big Booper]

Who knows but I will take SJ over some of the other ports down there. I can understand why they added Labadee. More revenue with selling cabanas, zip lines, alpine coaster and drinks.

 

NY and Florida departures that have their first stop at San Juan usually get in at 2 PM. I guess enough people complained about the truncated time here to cause the change in itins.

 

We had this on the 2009 Explorer Holiday and the Solstice E.C. run.

[negc]

Of course they will knock down that ugly thing for Carnival, as they will do whatever for the #1 cruise line.:cool:

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if you look at some of Radio's photos you can see the graceful sail like aspect of this piece of sculpture. It certainly is more tasteful than the designs of Joe Farcus, who apparently is no longer enamored of the executives now running Carnival. :)

[Texas Teen]

What's wrong with RCCL making San Juan a Carnival repellent? :D I think San Juan would be much prettier without Carnival! Okay, I admit it: The port of San Juan would probably have a big problem if Carnival left... Just like Galveston would. :eek:

[lovemylab]

Do you also know that San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten are ALL easily reachable on a seven night cruise from south Florida? Not going to argue as RCI has done this itinerary many times as have other cruise lines such as Carnivore.

 

Agreed. Our first cruise was on the Explorer out of Miami in 2005. Ports were San Juan, St. Martin, St. Thomas and Nassau.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Strange that RCCL ships dock here with no problem, and because a Carnival ship, on a once only visit, could not dock, there are tearing it down.:confused:

 

Actually when we were on Independence, I believe, or Liberty, I forget which, our captain grumbled about that statue and said it is very hard to position the big ship just right because the points of the statue are difficult to avoid scraping up against the ship. The ship has to be maneuvered just right to miss those points. Our cabin commented on the "intelligence" of the designers.

 

As it was, the points were just outside my balcony. At that close-up position, I could see scrathes on the staute, so I know some ships did scrape against it. Also, much of the statue obscures the view of Old San Juan.

 

For me, the statue was both ugly and impractical. It might be OK on land somewhere, perhaps a park, a place where its size is not an impediment to the view or to shipping.

[The_Big_M]

I hadn't seen that before... pity I won't see it in future either.

[SRQfireman]

Yes MrPete. . . I remember reading about how Carnival Dream was unable to dock there while on her Maiden voyage to San Juan. . .

 

Here are a few pics I took when I sailed the Liberty of the Seas in Jan 2008. . . (in San Juan)

 

 

Radio

;);)

 

 

 

View from Liberty of the Seas of Radiance OTS at Pier 3 in San Juan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from Pier 3 while Liberty OTS and Radiance OTS are docked. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

I see another money making opportunity for RCCL. For a price you disembark on about deck 11.....you jump into the "slide" and you've get your monies worth on early disembarkation in SJ :D:) So you get the excitment of using the "slide" and you've beat the crowds in the port!

[DarthGrady]

Heres hoping that they start Oasis and Allure calling on PR instead of Nastysau. Please please please let it be before next year when we cruise on Allure!!! :rolleyes:

 

I must have missed it on the Carnival boards; why did the Dream need to pull up to RCI's pier? When we were in San Juan last year on Carnival Liberty we were at the pier next door. I thought that was the one CCL usually uses. :confused:

[The Big Booper]

Heres hoping that they start Oasis and Allure calling on PR instead of Nastysau. Please please please let it be before next year when we cruise on Allure!!! :rolleyes:

 

I must have missed it on the Carnival boards; why did the Dream need to pull up to RCI's pier? When we were in San Juan last year on Carnival Liberty we were at the pier next door. I thought that was the one CCL usually uses. :confused:

 

There was another Carnival ship docked at Carnival's spot so the Dream tried to get into RCI's usual spot but couldn't since the metal thing would have bashed in the lifeboats which hang outside the Dream. RCI's lifeboats are recessed into the body of the ship and hang over the outside promenade deck. No obstructed views for the most part and the ships can get get all snuggly next to the pier.

 

Look at the pics earlier in the thread.

[UNV-IT!!!]

Wow thats a shame. i've been there a few times and i always loved that thing. :(

[Ocean Boy]

Interesting, the 2 week Explorer holiday cruise out of Bayonne dropped San Juan (and St. Kitts) and added Labadee and Samana. Is that part of the scheme to de-emphasize San Juan as an RCI stop?

 

It seems more like a plan to emphasize RCI's private stops. There is nothing like being held captive and having any money that you spend go right into RCI's bank account. I very much dislike these stops and much prefer a real port of call where I have the option of doing what I want.

 

RCI has invested quite a bit of money on Labadee over the past couple of years and I am sure that they would like to maximize the return on that investment. That means getting more ships there.

[MrPete]

There was another Carnival ship docked at Carnival's spot so the Dream tried to get into RCI's usual spot but couldn't since the metal thing would have bashed in the lifeboats which hang outside the Dream. RCI's lifeboats are recessed into the body of the ship and hang over the outside promenade deck. No obstructed views for the most part and the ships can get get all snuggly next to the pier.

 

Look at the pics earlier in the thread.

 

In fact, if memory serves, they had to drop their lifeboats, and then dock.

 

Meanwhile, this was a one time only stop, on its inaugural sailing. Not sure if it, or its sister, once launched, is planning a return.

[dfishner]

Do you also know that San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten are ALL easily reachable on a seven night cruise from south Florida? Not going to argue as RCI has done this itinerary many times as have other cruise lines such as Carnivore.

 

Gordon, no sense arguing when you are right since I can tell you I have been on that Itinerary several times and it was my favorite Eastern caribbean route and miss it.

[Ocean Boy]

Really, last time I checked, San Juan is a lot farther south than Nassau.

 

Oasis has to sail right by Puerto Rico to get to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Why does it seem unreasonable to you that instead of stopping at Nassau they could stop at San Juan? It would rewuire no diversion from the track that they are already sailing.

[jmraggs]

Further away?? Don't think so. Many RCI ships have sailed seven night cruises to San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten out of south Florida. Oasis and Allure could easily do this by dropping Nassau and picking up San Juan. Would be no different than the itinerary that the Freedom sailed when she was cruising out of Miami.

 

On every Eastern Caribbean cruise we have been on stopped at St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan. We don't care for Nassau as we have been there done that. We don't even get off of the ship anymore if it stops there, but that's our personal taste, someone else may like Nassau.

 

Oasis has to sail right by Puerto Rico to get to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Why does it seem unreasonable to you that instead of stopping at Nassau they could stop at San Juan? It would rewuire no diversion from the track that they are already sailing.

 

They could easily do that instead of Nassau, if it can fit that is. I think Nassau gave RCCL a better port charge deal, so that's why they chose to go there because even the port of Nassau had to do a lot of dredging to get Oasis in there. Perhaps the dock at San Juan isn't large enough.

[jmraggs]

Who knows but I will take SJ over some of the other ports down there. I can understand why they added Labadee. More revenue with selling cabanas, zip lines, alpine coaster and drinks.

 

They also added another day at Sea for the larger ships so you can spend more of your money onboard instead of the ports receiving it. I just miss my Duty Free liquor store on the dock where Carnival docks now in Old San Juan. All we got was the "paper airplane" dock and that's even going away now!:D

[UNV-IT!!!]

san juan is not deep enough to hold oasis class ships. thats why they dont sail out of miami and are both in ft lauderdale

[waterrats]

I do like the sculpture but it definitely juts to the edge of the peir. With todays new builds, the balconies are pushed outward past the bottom portion of the hull.

 

Joe

[cruisecrasy]

I wonder......could this be a possible future set-up for docking Oasis/Allure

 

Nah - RCL just feels like being accommodating & generous to Carnival!! :D

[Ocean Boy]

san juan is not deep enough to hold oasis class ships. thats why they dont sail out of miami and are both in ft lauderdale

 

Oasis is listed as having a draft of 30 ft. Independence is listed as 28 ft. Adventure is listed as 29 ft. So, exactly, what are you talking about?