Are there no Princess ships in the Caribbean in May/June?

[ellie1145]

We don't seem able to find any Princess ships sailing in the Caribbean in May or June.

 

Is that correct?

 

Having sailed on Royal over New Year we would love to book another Princess cruise in May/June but it looks like we will have to go back to Oasis!

 

What a shame!:(

[cruisequeen4ever]

Sadly, there aren't any. 😢 Princess offered them last year, but they usually don't. I wish they did!!

 

 

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[Madame B]

We don't seem able to find any Princess ships sailing in the Caribbean in May or June.

 

Is that correct?

 

Having sailed on Royal over New Year we would love to book another Princess cruise in May/June but it looks like we will have to go back to Oasis!

 

What a shame!:(

 

They all go to Alaska, Europe, and other exotics during the Summer months. Same for a few other lines.

[Colo Cruiser]

Supply and demand, they usually skip a summer Caribbean season or 2 then come back again. :(

Edited January 21, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[nukesubsailor]

We don't seem able to find any Princess ships sailing in the Caribbean in May or June.

 

Is that correct?

 

Having sailed on Royal over New Year we would love to book another Princess cruise in May/June but it looks like we will have to go back to Oasis!

 

What a shame!:(

 

My guess is that, until Princess gets more ships, they will use the ones they have in regions that aren't as prone to hurricanes and tropical storms as is the Caribbean during the summer.

[MCC retired]

There are more exotic itineraries that Princess and all cruise lines , can make more $$$ during the Summer .

 

 

 

 

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[ellie1145]

Thanks, all.

 

I guess I was just hoping I was wrong.

 

I am afraid that we like the Mediterranean far less than the Caribbean, but obviously Princess make more money bringing their ships across the pond.

[shipfriend_max]

Having sailed on Royal over New Year we would love to book another Princess cruise in May/June but it looks like we will have to go back to Oasis!

 

Yeah, Princess has deployed Caribbean Princess year-round in Caribbean in 2014, but in 2015, there are no Caribbean sailings between April and October!

 

If you do not want Oasis, book Independence or Freedom of the Seas - we have been sailing on Liberty of the Seas, sister of those two ships, and had a great time - book one of those ships, I just can recommend them, if you do not want to sail on monsters such as Oasis or Allure otS... :D

Edited January 21, 2015 by celebrity_fan

[Essiesmom]

They had Emerald in the Caribbean in 2010, Caribbean last year. They have to discount too much to fill the ships, so they follow the money elsewhere. Hurricane season has nothing to do with it. EM

[TomCruises]

We don't seem able to find any Princess ships sailing in the Caribbean in May or June.

 

Is that correct?

 

Having sailed on Royal over New Year we would love to book another Princess cruise in May/June but it looks like we will have to go back to Oasis!

 

What a shame!:(

 

Princess is in the Caribbean January - April and September - December :)

[AZbeachboy]

It is very disapointing. Even from the West Coast there is nothing but Alaska. I take vacations for Fun and Sun and not ice glaciers. My wife wanted to go there at one time and I almost gave in, but luckly she gave in and we went to Tahiti instead.

[JimmyVWine]

They had Emerald in the Caribbean in 2010, Caribbean last year. They have to discount too much to fill the ships, so they follow the money elsewhere. Hurricane season has nothing to do with it. EM

Odd conclusion. You note that they have to discount too much to fill the ships but then dismiss the notion that hurricane season has anything to do with it. Riddle me this, Batman. Why do they have to discount the cruises so much? Answer: because people aren't interested in, or are reluctant to book during these months. And what causes this disinterest and reluctance? Hmmm. Maybe in part because it is hurricane season.

[Wehwalt]

Odd conclusion. You note that they have to discount too much to fill the ships but then dismiss the notion that hurricane season has anything to do with it. Riddle me this, Batman. Why do they have to discount the cruises so much? Answer: because people aren't interested in, or are reluctant to book during these months. And what causes this disinterest and reluctance? Hmmm. Maybe in part because it is hurricane season.

 

It's possible. My theory on it is that people can get sun and fun closer to home, so aren't as willing to pay to get on a ship for it.

[JimmyVWine]

It's possible. My theory on it is that people can get sun and fun closer to home, so aren't as willing to pay to get on a ship for it.

That's part of it. But the occupancy of land-based fun-in-the-sun places like Disney World, Hawaii or Hilton Head suggest that there are plenty of people willing to travel to sunny places in the Summer. But they are willing to do so where evacuation and cancellation are easier if the weather turns nasty. But who wants to be caught in a hurricane while out at sea? The idea that hurricanes don't factor into peoples' decision not to cruise the Caribbean in August is fairly myopic.

[fishywood]

Odd conclusion. [Essiesmom] note that they have to discount too much to fill the ships but then dismiss the notion that hurricane season has anything to do with it. Riddle me this, Batman. Why do they have to discount the cruises so much? Answer: because people aren't interested in, or are reluctant to book during these months. And what causes this disinterest and reluctance? Hmmm. Maybe in part because it is hurricane season.

 

A decade ago in the immediate post-911 era with all the reluctance to fly to Europe Princess successfully filled up Summer cruises from Ft Lauderdale and New York without the need to discount. Easier to stay close to home, hurricanes or not. Princess made this coming summer's Europe-heavy schedule with no ship in the Caribbean based in part on increased willingness to fly--not anticipating how much airfares would increase in the interim. But demand from European passengers has been at an all-time high for a couple years, so Princess still ends up following the money.

 

As for hurricanes again, with the ability to reroute itineraries around bad weather--barring the very remote possibility of infrastructure destruction at the home ports--cruiselines consider potential demand without considering the weather, knowing that only the most obsessively paranoid passenger lets hurricanes worry them. Demand for any cruises is often cyclical and has nothing to do with the weather (other than their common trait of general unpredictability)

Edited January 22, 2015 by fishywood

[Wehwalt]

Perhaps you should make it clear the obsessively paranoid passenger is purely hypothetical!

[JimmyVWine]

As for hurricanes again, with the ability to reroute itineraries around bad weather--barring the very remote possibility of infrastructure destruction at the home ports--cruiselines consider potential demand without considering the weather, knowing that only the most obsessively paranoid passenger lets hurricanes worry them. Demand for any cruises is often cyclical and has nothing to do with the weather (other than their common trait of general unpredictability)

 

1. Summer family cruisers, (the real market for Summer cruises) are not interested in being re-routed and missing the ports that they paid to see. Well-seasoned, repeat cruisers can roll with those punches. Not the family of 5 that is going zip lining. They aren't as willing to buy into the whole "Well, we missed that port. But we'll have fun floating around in 15 foot swells".

 

2. Family cruisers can be obsessively concerned with the weather.

 

It's not complicated. Ask any group of potential vacationers if they are willing to spend thousands of dollars with the risk that their cruise could be altered by a hurricane and I guarantee that the majority won't say "yes". It is often said here that one should follow the money. If cruises have to be discounted down to $499 per person in order to sell a balcony, it is because people don't want to sail on that itinerary. The reason isn't solely because St. Thomas is less interesting in August. The weather absolutely plays a role.

 

Here's an article from this website.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=146 It provides comfort that passengers aren't in danger, but it also provides support for the notion that weather is a factor in deciding whether or not to book a cruise at all.

Edited January 22, 2015 by JimmyVWine

[caribill]

Odd conclusion. You note that they have to discount too much to fill the ships but then dismiss the notion that hurricane season has anything to do with it. Riddle me this, Batman. Why do they have to discount the cruises so much? Answer: because people aren't interested in, or are reluctant to book during these months. And what causes this disinterest and reluctance? Hmmm. Maybe in part because it is hurricane season.

 

RCCL and Carnival have Caribbean cruises in the summer and have no problem filling them without deep discounting.

 

The Princess problem is that after several years of not having those cruises, they tried to re-enter the market and found the competition was too much at that time of year.

 

If RCCL and Carnival (and others) can sail full in the Caribbean in hurricane season, the problem with Princess bookings is not the possibility of hurricanes.

 

And it is hurricane season in the northern hemisphere, not just in the Caribbean. Princess had voyages affected by hurricanes (typhoons) in the Pacific region last year. This has not stopped Princess from scheduling voyages there during the 2015 hurricane season.

Edited January 22, 2015 by caribill

[IECalCruiser]

I really believe they are following the $$$. The per day cost of European cruises are significantly higher than the non discounted winter Caribbean cruises. Princess has many choices in the summer including Europe, Alaska, Asia and Australia.

 

 

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[JimmyVWine]

RCCL and Carnival have Caribbean cruises in the summer and have no problem filling them without deep discounting.

 

The Princess problem is that after several years of not having those cruises, they tried to re-enter the market and found the competition was too much at that time of year.

 

These two paragraphs contradict one another. If the other cruise lines can fill ships without discounting them, then Princess, who competes head-on with them at all other times, would be able to take its market share on the same basis. There is no logic to the argument that Princess and RCCL compete at the same price points in March and April but cannot do so in May. Does something magical happen on May 1? Of course not. In reality, these other cruise lines are discounting their cruises to fill them and are reaching price points that Princess has no interest in matching when it could redeploy elsewhere.

[go sea]

Hurricanes have nothing to do with it. When did you hear of a hurricane in the summer ? They don't start till Sept thru the end of Nov.

[stormynow]

Hurricanes have nothing to do with it. When did you hear of a hurricane in the summer ? They don't start till Sept thru the end of Nov.

No hurricanes in the summer, u better move to south Fl and see.

[Colo Cruiser]

Hurricanes have nothing to do with it. When did you hear of a hurricane in the summer ? They don't start till Sept thru the end of Nov.

 

 

 

Princess has been sailing to the Caribbean in the summer for many many years, I doubt hurricaine season plays apart in their decision. Its all about $$$ and marketing.

[Corfe Mixture]

knowing that only the most obsessively paranoid passenger lets hurricanes worry them.

 

I am an offshore yachtsman and would suggest that this has been written by a person who has never been at sea in a real hurricane where the height of the waves can reach 30m (deck 10) - and windborne water can be even higher.

 

A modern flat bottomed flat sided cruise liner is actually quite vulnerable in a hurricane, particularly if the wind gets onto the beam. Imagine the ship being hit side on by a wave which is higher than the promenade deck - all the balcony windows on the next deck up would be smashed, which is why, on trans ocean passages cruise liners will make extensive detours to avoid any seriously bad weather.

 

Hurricanes by the way, are a summer feature and normally occur from June to October and if you go to the Caribbean during this period, you are unlikely to see many ships lying to anchor in a secluded bay or even outside large ports.

 

Why?

Well, except for designated 'hurricane holes', e.g. Marigot Bay in St Lucia and English Harbour in Antigua, their insurance will not cover them in the Caribbean in hurricane season which is why most yachts either come ashore or head south to Trinidad, Aruba and Curacao for the summer.

 

Hurricane aide memoire:

June - Too soon

July - Stand by

August - A must

September - Remember

October - Its over

 

Actually over simplistic, as hurricanes can and do occur in June and November, but nevertheless a useful aide memoire.

 

Remember also the saying:

"There are old sailors and there are bold sailors, but there are very few old, bold sailors"

Edited January 22, 2015 by Corfe Mixture

[kimlovesfl]

Hurricanes have nothing to do with it. When did you hear of a hurricane in the summer ? They don't start till Sept thru the end of Nov.

 

Official hurricane season is June 1-Nov 30, but hurricanes can, and do, occur any month of the year. Busiest months for hurricanes are August and September. Obviously you don't live anywhere close the an area affected by hurricanes.