New York News

[H82seaUgo]

I hope so much that you are all wrong not because I care about the NY cruises but because it would show once again how negative and self important some of you are here. Why dont you wait until you hear the news then blast away? You must all have nothing better to do than spend your lives being negative. Cruise Critic is the perfect name for you. If it was called Cruise Happy some of you would not be here I bet.

 

if i'm wrong (not that i uncovered the speculated news), i'll be happy to find it's wrong.

 

make you any happier?

 

it's a speculation discussion. first time ever on cruise critic, right?

[kristy29]

Well you were right. This sucks!

[dmwnc1959]

From John Healds Facebook page:

 

MIAMI (June 15, 2011) – Carnival Cruise Lines will launch a year-round program of eight-day cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas from New York beginning in April 2012 – the line’s first year-round sailings from that port by the Carnival Miracle. On this schedule, Carnival Miracle will offer three uniquely different eight-day itineraries that visit a diversity of beautiful islands throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas. The itineraries include:

 

• Eastern Caribbean departures to San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk, offered on a rotating basis April through October

 

• Bahamas sailings featuring stops at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Nassau, offered on a rotating basis April through October

 

• Bahamas/Florida cruises with port calls to Port Canaveral (Orlando), Nassau and Freeport, offered November through April

 

These cruises also offer the convenience and affordability of sailing from New York on a year-round basis. Residents throughout the Northeast can simply board the Carnival Miracle in New York and start their vacation right away. This program also represents a tremendous savings in airfare cost for these consumers who avoid the inconvenience often associated with air travel today.

 

According to Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill, Carnival has offered seasonal voyages from New York for more than a decade but the convenience of sailing from the Big Apple on a year-round basis, combined with its unique appeal as a pre- and post-cruise destination, strongly influenced the decision for the new year-round program.

 

New York is one of the highest-rated homeports for ‘Fun Ship’ cruising. Carnival Miracle’s new year-round eight-day departures offer consumers the best of both worlds -- a choice of three attractive year-round Caribbean and Bahamas itinerary options with the opportunity to depart from one of the world’s great cities,” he said.

 

“The cruise industry continues to be an economic boon for the City, and today’s announcement that the Carnival Miracle will start offering year-round cruises from New York City will do even more to stimulate our economy, bringing additional visitors and generating nearly $13 million in direct spending,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky.

 

So there you go. NY wanted a year round ship and you have the beautiful Carnival Miracle. Three great runs and prices that the beards think will excite opur target guests. There will be more news at 2:00pm EST and I will be back then. Cheers.

[soulsistah007]

I'm not impressed. More sailings to Bermuda, especially from NY, would have been wonderful.

[dmwnc1959]

I'm not impressed. More sailings to Bermuda, especially from NY, would have been wonderful.

 

I think Bermuda is seeing a bit of an overload and all her quotas may have been already accounted for? RCI has quite a few on Enchantment of the Seas (Baltimore) and Explorer of the Seas (Bayonne), NCL from Boston (Norwegian Dawn) and NYC (Norwegian Star), Holland-America (Veendam) from NYC, and Celebrity Summitt from Bayonne.

 

I do think Carnival should think a little more outside the box and offer longer cruises to the Caribbean from NYC. Alternating 9-day or 12-day cruises similar to what RCI and Celebrity offered last year would have been sweet.

 

I don't think I would book a Florida/Bahamas cruise again unless it was a really good deal, and maybe not even then.

[Irishlinny]

Looks like there will be plenty of room for the cars on Fifth Ave today:rolleyes:

Glad they're keeping the HMC, GT, Nassau and the St T, SJ, GT itineraries, but that other itinerary for winter is awful! It's not even necessarily warm in those ports during the winter, let alone you have to freeze for a couple of days each way to boot:mad: Big news my arse....wait til they see how few bookings they get:rolleyes:

I can't really think of any WORSE ports than Pt Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport...YUCK!

Their only hope is that they will attract some first-time cruisers who don't know any better:rolleyes:

[dmwnc1959]

Looks like there will be plenty of room for the cars on Fifth Ave today:rolleyes:

Glad they're keeping the HMC, GT, Nassau and the St T, SJ, GT itineraries, but that other itinerary for winter is awful! It's not even necessarily warm in those ports during the winter, let alone you have to freeze for a couple of days each way to boot:mad: Big news my arse....wait til they see how few bookings they get:rolleyes:

I can't really think of any WORSE ports than Pt Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport...YUCK!

Their only hope is that they will attract some first-time cruisers who don't know any better:rolleyes:

 

I did a cruise last December out of Baltimore. It was 47 degrees when we pulled into Key West! It did warm up to about 80 in Nassau.

[BSUGrad]

Looks like there will be plenty of room for the cars on Fifth Ave today:rolleyes:

let alone you have to freeze for a couple of days each way to boot:mad:

I can't really think of any WORSE ports than Pt Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport...YUCK!

 

You may dislike the itinerary...that is fine, but I believe this would be true for any itinerary out of New York in the winter.

[wiskt]

what other itinerary could you get from NY? There aren't many choices.

 

I personally don't see what the more Bahamas can offer as a draw any longer. Nassau got boring to me after 2 cruises. If I happen to be on a ship that stops there its only by chance not by choice. I'm guessing simply because it is closer and most of the ships are registered there it becomes a cheaper port-of-call choice.

 

I wouldnt mind If there was even if it was a mixture of:

 

1- The best option would be when CUBA is opened as a port of call and becomes the new cheaper Bahama cruise. When this country becomes an option they are going to be overwhelmed with cruise ships and I think it is going to offer a huge tourist income to the country of Cuba.

 

2- Some US cities along the East coast (Baltimore, Va, SC, etc) Like how the west coast sometimes offers down the MX border.

 

3- I would prefer to do San Juan, PR or Key West over Bahamas

 

4- Even additional longer 3 day "CRUISE to NOWHERE"

 

5- Perhaps another affordable shorter Burmuda option.

 

East coast really doesnt offer too much distance-wise that without having a day or two of cooler climate before you begin to feel the warmer weather.

[CwuzCwazy]

Once again the Great Huckster has sucked everybody in with his promise of spectacular news........which according to what I am reading, has been met with little exuberance. Wonderful itinerary during those cold winter months....are all of the folks naked and skipping down 5th Ave yet? The Big Brit Bloke sure has a way of getting everyone hyped up, then let down with his less than exciting news from the "Beards". When will we all learn......he's some what like a Sears Catalog.....big, thick, and full of cheap crap!!!!!

[HappyHappy1]

Their only hope is that they will attract some first-time cruisers who don't know any better:rolleyes:

 

If they are looking for the first cruiser market for the winter cruises out of NYC, they will loose them to NCL...whos winter cruises are pretty cheap for the market and have better ports. Most First time cruisers are looking at Price first.

 

I'm not a fan of NCL...nor am I a fan of the NYC itinerary that Carnival decided to go with. Oh well...I'll reduce my number of cruises and do a land vacation, fly to Florida for my cruises, or consider RCCL.

[HappyHappy1]

Once again the Great Huckster has sucked everybody in with his promise of spectacular news........which according to what I am reading, has been met with little exuberance. Wonderful itinerary during those cold winter months....are all of the folks naked and skipping down 5th Ave yet? The Big Brit Bloke sure has a way of getting everyone hyped up, then let down with his less than exciting news from the "Beards". When will we all learn......he's some what like a Sears Catalog.....big, thick, and full of cheap crap!!!!!

 

 

LOL! You are so right!

[Sargent_Schultz]

IF that is THE announcement,

 

 

I AM DISAPPOINTED. Carnvial, to compete with RC, HAS to do 9, 10, 12 day itineraries. I really think if they offered this instead of PC, Nassau and freeport that the MIRACLE would be booked all year.

 

When I go on the GLORY and the MIRACLE(in JULY and SEPT respectively) I WILL write on those comment cards about the new itineraries and what they should do.

 

God knows if they will listen, but will try anyway

 

Good luck finding those comment cards.

[cruzeluver]

I can't believe you guys aren't excited about sailing to the exotic ports of Florida and the Bahamas!:rolleyes:

 

I agree that it will probably attract a lot of first-timers who only care about price point.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Fuel prices are already hitting Carnival's bottom line. It will be interesting to see if Carnival tacks on a fuel surcharge and/or includes it in the base price of NYC cruises.

 

If cruisers don't like the price of parking in other ports, it will be interesting to see what they think of NYC prices.

 

I won't be flying to NYC to catch a cruise - especially in Winter. or Summer. or...

[MrsBlair]

I'm just curious, what exactly were all of you expecting? I mean, what more could Carnival do than give you a year-round ship? I understand if the itineraries may not be all that great, but you also have to factor in the additional time it takes to get to ports. It probably takes too long to get to the southern and western ports from NYC and with Carnival wanting to keep the itineraries to 8 days it's probably just not possible.

 

How about this, if you don't like the itineraries, you can just still fly to FL and go on one you do like. :p

 

That's what we have to do out here in California...

[wiskt]

What's Cayman Islands like in the winter? Or is that too out of the way?

 

We need to have a BIG EARTQUAKE or something on the east to sprout up a couple more islands around Bermuda.... LOL

Perhaps the 2012 Armageddon thing can take care of that.

[dmwnc1959]

Once again the Great Huckster has sucked everybody in with his promise of spectacular news...When will we all learn......he's some what like a Sears Catalog.....big, thick, and full of cheap crap!!!!!

 

I don't know Mr. Heald personally nor have I ever met him. Another case of shoot the messenger. I am sure I wouldn't ever address him as such and that he is simply doing his job. More news at 2pm I hear?

[HappyHappy1]

I'm just curious, what exactly were all of you expecting? I mean, what more could Carnival do than give you a year-round ship? I understand if the itineraries may not be all that great, but you also have to factor in the additional time it takes to get to ports. It probably takes too long to get to the southern and western ports from NYC and with Carnival wanting to keep the itineraries to 8 days it's probably just not possible.

 

How about this, if you don't like the itineraries, you can just still fly to FL and go on one you do like. :p

 

That's what we have to do out here in California...

 

NCL & RCCL do 9 night itineraries with 4 ports. How about 8 nights with three good ports. I'd do this in a heart beat.

[Crazy4Koko]

NYC port is only 200 miles, or about 4 hours, give or take Hartford commuter traffic....

 

that said..I like the idea of an 8 day cruise out of NYC..but timing is the difference. 8 days in an inside is a 'bit' more expensive, but not so much that it would be more expensive than flying 2 folks to FLA..

 

 

but when you add $30 a day for parking! ( yep, already checked!)..you start to question is it better to spend the $$ on airfare to be warmer that much sooner...

[wasiii]

.....Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport is the "dancing down 5th Avenue naked" itinerary?

 

It looks like I'll be going on a different cruise line out of NY if this is what Carnival is offering us.

 

:eek:

 

wasiii

[dmwnc1959]

NYC port is only 200 miles, or about 4 hours, give or take Hartford commuter traffic....

 

that said..I like the idea of an 8 day cruise out of NYC..but timing is the difference. 8 days in an inside is a 'bit' more expensive, but not so much that it would be more expensive than flying 2 folks to FLA..

 

 

but when you add $30 a day for parking! ( yep, already checked!)..you start to question is it better to spend the $$ on airfare to be warmer that much sooner...

 

Shame you couldn't take Amtrak down. Its $27 each way.

[jimbo5544]

Looks like there will be plenty of room for the cars on Fifth Ave today:rolleyes:

 

Glad they're keeping the HMC, GT, Nassau and the St T, SJ, GT itineraries, but that other itinerary for winter is awful! It's not even necessarily warm in those ports during the winter, let alone you have to freeze for a couple of days each way to boot:mad: Big news my arse....wait til they see how few bookings they get:rolleyes:

I can't really think of any WORSE ports than Pt Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport...YUCK!

 

Their only hope is that they will attract some first-time cruisers who don't know any better:rolleyes:

I would not sail out of New York in the winter anyway. I and happy with the April through October schedules.

[jimbo5544]

I don't know Mr. Heald personally nor have I ever met him. Another case of shoot the messenger. I am sure I wouldn't ever address him as such and that he is simply doing his job. More news at 2pm I hear?

Yup

[Cruiser_SG77]

Port Canaveral sucks. Key West would have been a better option.