It's official. Freedom to Galveston. Conquest to Fort Lauderdale. Magic stays in Gal.

[MichelleChell]

I told hubby today we really need to figure out how to do a shuttle service from the airports just for cruisers! There is a need! However we don't have the finances or the know how to do it. :(

[jimbo5544]

Carnival continues to amaze me............3 ships in Galveston. :confused: Maybe it will bring the price down, I can't imagine that is their goal.

 

We only sailed from Galveston once, once was enough.

Their goal is to fill three ships every sailing out of Glaveston. They will probably be sucessful at it as well.

[bjd2]

I agree. PLUS, Conquest does NOT have Serenity. Can't you cancel and rebook another ship?

 

Conquest doesn't have a Serenity area? Is there an adult pool then? Are we moving from a ship with Serenity to one without any adult only area on deck?

[RCT]

We were on the Magic in February. We would like to cruise out of Galveston again, but not to the same old ports. We asked the Captain why they didn't have some longer cruises to take in the southern Caribbean too and he indicated that he thought that would happen. Maybe adding this ship will allow them to do just that.

[Harrier1961]

Conquest doesn't have a Serenity area? Is there an adult pool then? Are we moving from a ship with Serenity to one without any adult only area on deck?

 

That is correct. Was on the ship last month.

While it has the 2.0 upgrades; there is no Serenity.

I do believe the aft pool is adults only (however, being next to the pizza joint, that is kinda of moot).

Of the ships I have been on, the nicest decor IMHO.

 

Very, very nice ship!

Andy

Edited April 24, 2014 by Harrier1961

[EZ4]

Their goal is to fill three ships every sailing out of Glaveston. They will probably be sucessful at it as well.

 

One can always hope, but not everything Carnival touches turns to gold.

[Tapi]

Their goal is to fill three ships every sailing out of Glaveston. They will probably be sucessful at it as well.

 

 

OR they are trying to continue dominating that market by driving the competition out.

 

Not too long ago, Carnival had very little competition in Galveston and they could charge whatever they wanted. But within the last few years, they've seen an explosion of competition from Norwegian, Royal, Disney, and Princess.

 

I just hope that they are not trying to flood the market to make the other cruise lines pull out, and THEN reduce capacity as well in order to jack the prices back up. Airlines do this all the time when they see a competing airline trying to encroach in "their turf". Initially everybody gets excited about the increased service and commitment to the community, only to get stabbed in the back by said airline.

 

I flew into Dallas/Ft. Worth a few days ago for work and, within a few miles, I saw 2 huge billboards as I exited the airport advertising Carnival's "Texas sized" FUN. They are definitely doing whatever they can to get the customers.

 

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Edited April 24, 2014 by Tapi

[BallFour4]

OR they are trying to continue dominating that market by driving the competition out.

 

Not too long ago, Carnival had very little competition in Galveston and they could charge whatever they wanted. But within the last few years, they've seen an explosion of competition from Norwegian, Royal, Disney, and Princess.

 

I just hope that they are not trying to flood the market to make the other cruise lines pull out, and THEN reduce capacity as well in order to jack the prices up. Airlines do this all the time when they see a competing airline trying to encroach in "their turf". Initially everybody gets excited about the increased service and commitment to the community, only to get stabbed in the back by said airline.

 

Good points, but for some timelines to have a look at. NCL up until Bayport has never challenged the cruise market in Galveston. The ships they brought here made the Celebration look 5 star. Both of those floating bathtubs went to scrap once they left here. They had a makeshift terminal in La Porte. The Big Red Boat tried a few sailings from the same terminal.

 

Royal brought the Rhapsody here for a long string if successful 7-night cruises and Carnival didn't respond with a like caliber ship. Royal even brought the Splendour to make 5 night runs for part of several years with only the Ecstasy and Elation as competition.

 

Mix in Celebrity for a few sailings from Galveston and the market seemed saturated.

 

Only when hurricane Katrina ravished NOLA did the Conquest come here. Some might say we stole her and I'd not argue. What the Conquest did was bring a better caliber ship than the Celebration, and two Fantasy class ships like the Ecstasy and Elation, sailing 4-5 and 7 day trips respectively.

 

Royal bailed from Galveston for bigger revenues overseas. Hurricane Ike didn't help. Carnival loaned the Port of Galveston a wheelbarrow full of money and the terminal was back up, improved and ready to go in record time. Hello Carnival Magic.

 

Royal does well here, we've sailed them a dozen times, most from Galveston. Prior to the Magic they had a superior product and charged your for it. The Magic was a game changer. Royal has responded.

 

Galveston and the infrastructure was initially slow after Ike, but it has picked up speed in the past 24 months. More hotels than we ever thought have sprung up, and the corridor from Hobby Airport to the causeway is growing like mad.

 

I'm not an economist, but my observation is Carnival is counting on many first time and return to cruising passengers to make their way to the island and step aboard. Then they can sell them on cruising and get them to Florida or other ports of departure.

 

The second set of cruisers are perhaps like my wife and I. We loved the Ecstasy, the Triumph and the Magic. I can get a run in, shower, pet the Golden Retriever and be aboard the ship for an early lunch. I have a few million fellow passengers that can do the same with less than a days drive.

 

I'm not sure about NCL, their reviews here and elsewhere are not what I expected. Carnival is predictable for every cruise.

 

See you aboard.

 

.

Edited April 24, 2014 by BallFour4

[Sparky2]

I agree. PLUS, Conquest does NOT have Serenity. Can't you cancel and rebook another ship?

 

Darn. I really enjoyed Serenity on Liberty and was looking forward to it on Freedom.

[GalvestonBear]

I do think Carnival is trying to drive out competition. I don't think they are necessarily doing it with the intent of oversupplying to drive down prices with the intent of hopefully increasing margins later when supply can be restricted. That would be a fairly large gamble as it basically means you are spending a lot of money now at slim margins for only slightly better margins later.

 

In reality, I think Carnival knows that Houston has been a consistently good and stable market for them. I was at a wedding with a person in RCCL's admin office last summer and they indicated that Houston had surpassed their expectations and was doing really well for them. If Houston is going to absorb additional capacity, I think CCL would just assume it be them and not NCL or Princess who are trying to gain a foothold.

 

To me, the big loser here will be NCL. Princess will draw a different type of passenger than CCL (generally speaking). RCCL is a solid brand and, with only 1 ship, will do well. CCL is a good product at a good value. Where does NCL fit in? It's not going to be attractive to the Princess people and it's unlikely to attract the CCL people. At best, it's competing with RCCL but RCCL's product is better, especially with Liberty coming.

[Hendricks Clan]

 

 

I'm not sure about NCL, their reviews here and elsewhere are not what I expected. Carnival is predictable for every cruise.

 

See you aboard.

 

.

 

Have you sailed on NCL? I have and they have become my preferred line. Thats not taking anything away from CCL or RCI, but NCL just appeals to me more right now. There product is outstanding since Kevin Sheehan took over and made drastic changes. NCL along with MSC are the two fastest growing lines in the industry right now. NCL is currently also the most profitable.

NCL will be just fine as will the other lines in Houston/Galveston. All the lines offer something different from one another that will appeal to all types of passengers.

[BallFour4]

Have you sailed on NCL? I have and they have become my preferred line. Thats not taking anything away from CCL or RCI, but NCL just appeals to me more right now. There product is outstanding since Kevin Sheehan took over and made drastic changes. NCL along with MSC are the two fastest growing lines in the industry right now. NCL is currently also the most profitable.

NCL will be just fine as will the other lines in Houston/Galveston. All the lines offer something different from one another that will appeal to all types of passengers.

 

Not yet, we plan to once the ship gets here and we see some reviews.

 

We toured the MSC Opera when it was brand new, what a weird ship, small dining rooms, incredible theater but not my style.

 

They got an incredible deal to come here. Reading in your name and location, love HMS.

 

.

Edited April 24, 2014 by BallFour4

[PanamaKay]

Don't see why people are upset about not being able to sail on Freedom out of Ft. Lauderdale. Cruised that ship last October and was not impressed at all. Even with the dry dock improvements, it will not be much better. Rusted out balconies, worn out furniture in the suite, I thought the whole ship was crappy. And adding a Guys Burger and an EA Sports Bar is not going to improve it in my opinion. There is no way they could do the improvements and repairs it needed in that short time at dry dock. If I were you, I would be happy that you did not have to sail on Freedom.

[cruizinisthebest]

Don't see why people are upset about not being able to sail on Freedom out of Ft. Lauderdale. Cruised that ship last October and was not impressed at all. Even with the dry dock improvements, it will not be much better. Rusted out balconies, worn out furniture in the suite, I thought the whole ship was crappy. And adding a Guys Burger and an EA Sports Bar is not going to improve it in my opinion. There is no way they could do the improvements and repairs it needed in that short time at dry dock. If I were you, I would be happy that you did not have to sail on Freedom.

 

You're thinking from your own perspective, which is selfish. People book for their own various reasons. Port location, etc. Some improvements will be made during dry dock even if it's not made over from head to toe. Give folks a chance to take the changes in. I don't care if it is in the contract. Not everyone is going to be cool with a switcheroo; especially right away. And especially when plan B is not set yet.

[mageemae]

I just received my confirmation for my Feb 2015 sailing on the Conquest instead of the Freedom. Everything is the same except the ship. Kind of disappointed was looking forward to sailing on the freedom with all the new upgrades:( , and now back to an even older ship. :( But looking on the bright side I will still be on a cruise ;):)

[Hendricks Clan]

 

Not yet, we plan to once the ship gets here and we see some reviews.

 

We toured the MSC Opera when it was brand new, what a weird ship, small dining rooms, incredible theater but not my style.

 

They got an incredible deal to come here. Reading in your name and location, love HMS.

 

.

 

If by HMS your mean Hendricks Motorsports, I wished I was related to him...I'd have all kind of money to cruise then!:D

[christyran1228]

That sucks... It really sucks to cruise out of Galveston considering that you have to fly into another city 40 minutes away, car rental is scarse. I can go on... :mad::mad::mad:

 

It really sucks to live 3 1/2 from Galveston, but still driving 9 hours to New Orleans to cruise because the same trip was $1200 cheaper for the same week for our family of 4.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[mrb1963]

they also do not have car rental offices open on Sundays, so if renting a car and cruising out on sunday you can not drop off car there.

 

Why would you rent a car in Galveston if you fly into Houston? Houston has plenty of cars and they are open at the airport on Sunday.

[crazyboutdisney]

Sorry to say but Breeze only offers 6 and 8 day sailings so you will probably be out of luck. It's always worth a try though.

 

We are booked on an 8 day sailing. Our cruise we booked on the Freedom/which is now the Conquest is 8 days out of Ft Lauderdale.

Edited April 25, 2014 by crazyboutdisney

[prattmom]

Why would you rent a car in Galveston if you fly into Houston? Houston has plenty of cars and they are open at the airport on Sunday.

 

To drop the rental off. Fortunately that issue won't exist with Freedom since its a Saturday sail...

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[picomullet]

It really sucks to live 3 1/2 from Galveston, but still driving 9 hours to New Orleans to cruise because the same trip was $1200 cheaper for the same week for our family of 4.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

I know!! Dream is less than Magic going to the same ports!!

[jonbgd]

It really sucks to live 3 1/2 from Galveston, but still driving 9 hours to New Orleans to cruise because the same trip was $1200 cheaper for the same week for our family of 4.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

Galveston is less than an hour from the house in Kingwood and we have still driven to NOLA and saved $1000

 

BTW we are paying $420 pp for our next cruise on RCCL in a balcony:rolleyes: shop around

Edited April 25, 2014 by jonbgd

[christyran1228]

Galveston is less than an hour from the house in Kingwood and we have still driven to NOLA and saved $1000

 

BTW we are paying $420 pp for our next cruise on RCCL in a balcony:rolleyes: shop around

 

We really got hooked on our first cruise last summer ... so I'm constantly pricing them. lol [emoji15]

 

I'm hoping with the addition of this 3rd ship, things will get a little more competitive across all lines out of Texas.. [emoji120][emoji41]

 

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Edited April 25, 2014 by christyran1228

[kingoftheicedragons]

I'm disappointed in the switch from Freedom to Conquest. But we did book when there were rumors going around that Freedom might be moving to Galveston, and Conquest was one of the ships being rumored to replace it (if I remember right). We just sailed Conquest a couple of months ago, and it wasn't a bad ship. I did miss Serenity since it's not on Conquest, and I was looking forward to the new shows being introduced on Freedom.

 

What annoys me is that we didn't get the email notice from Carnival. A coworker emailed me that her ship got changed, so we checked our email, nothing. Even checked the spam and junk folders in case it went there. Nothing. This isn't the first time Carnival has dropped the ball and not notified us of a change. The same thing happened when our Legend cruise was canceled a year and a half ago. And yes, we do have it set up to receive emails from Carnival. I did check our account on Carnival, and it shows up as us being on the Conquest.

 

I'm also a bit confused. The articles I read about this change said that Freedom wasn't actually leaving Ft. Lauderdale for its repositioning cruise until Feb. 2. That's the day we were scheduled to get off of Freedom, I believe. But Conquest is taking over from Freedom in mid-January. What is the Freedom doing between mid-January and Feb. 2?

 

I'm not opposed to cruising out of Galveston--but there are no good itineraries that can't also be done from Florida, and it's usually cheaper to fly to Florida, so I don't see us flying to Texas for a cruise with Carnival.

[TPFKAH]

Have you sailed on NCL? I have and they have become my preferred line. Thats not taking anything away from CCL or RCI, but NCL just appeals to me more right now. There product is outstanding since Kevin Sheehan took over and made drastic changes. NCL along with MSC are the two fastest growing lines in the industry right now. NCL is currently also the most profitable.

NCL will be just fine as will the other lines in Houston/Galveston. All the lines offer something different from one another that will appeal to all types of passengers.

 

NCL will do just fine. While Carnival continues to compete only on price, and the other lines focus on experience, those looking for cheap will get what they want, while those looking for experience will do fine as well.

 

Those that don't know the difference will think they are getting a bargain.