Why the Fascination out of SJU

[Tapi]

A newbie cruiser gets on board one of these relics and looks across the harbor at a modern, up to date ship and says what am I doing here? Especially if he/she did some comparision shopping and found out they could sail for comparable pricing or less on a newer, better ship. Plus get a booze package or free gratuities or free specialty dining all week as add ons?

 

 

I hear ya. And I agree with a lot of what you said. But I'm also guessing that many new cruisers are not as savvy as frequent cruisers so they many not comparison shop, or know about the differences between perks or ships amenities, etc.

 

Until their ship is docked next to one of the newest and largest, they probably won't know the difference. But by then it will be too late to swap ships. This "revelation" may give them something to look forward to for a future cruise but I don't think that it will ruin their present cruise besides a brief moment of "cruise ship envy".

Edited March 15, 2016 by Tapi

[jtdlmc]

Sparks,

 

 

 

No, she got the 2.0 Lite version. No Guys or Blue Iguana. She has a waterslide and the Punchliner I believe and maybe a few smaller things.

 

 

 

A side note, I see you are another VTer! We are an hour or so away from you in Lake Elmore!

 

 

 

D

 

 

Someone complained on JHs FB page about this and he said "l will have more news on this ship in the future so please stand by". I wonder if she's getting more upgrades or what the "news" could be?

 

We are considering sailing out of San Juan as well. There is only one sea day on the 7 day in 2018 we are looking at so I am thinking we won't have much time/energy for doing much else on the ship if it were a bigger ship. We are all disappointed there is no Guy's though [emoji853]

[dltvermont]

I may not be an experienced, "savvy" cruiser yet but Ive wanted this specific itinerary for a long time, with these specific islands as I have friends that have done it multiple times, so this is the cruise I booked. When Im looking at the area again, and want to do Martinique, or BVI, or Grenada, or Dominica, I will check the other lines. Which when I checked yesterday for the same cruise Im doing, were right about the same price as I paid. Some more some a bit less depending on the exact week.

 

I dont even look at the ship at first. I find the itinerary I want on the cruise line I want (no dedication to any line as of yet) for the price Im willing to pay.

 

 

I hear ya. And I agree with a lot of what you said. But I'm also guessing that many new cruisers are not as savvy as frequent cruisers so they many not comparison shop, or know about the differences between perks or ships amenities, etc.

 

Until their ship is docked next to one of the newest and largest, they probably won't know the difference. But by then it will be too late to swap ships. This "revelation" may give them something to look forward to for a future cruise but I don't think that it will ruin their present cruise besides a brief moment of "cruise ship envy".

[sparks1093]

Sparks,

 

No, she got the 2.0 Lite version. No Guys or Blue Iguana. She has a waterslide and the Punchliner I believe and maybe a few smaller things.

 

A side note, I see you are another VTer! We are an hour or so away from you in Lake Elmore!

 

D

 

Thanks! I've survived 50mumble years without a Guys Burger so I guess I can wait until we board the Glory. Always nice to see a naybah on the boards:D.

[sparks1093]

I'm pretty sure none - just general maintenance. I can tell you for sure after I cruise in April.

 

I probably confused it with something else which is not unheard of, just ask DW;). I look forward to your review!

[dltvermont]

I hear ya! With only one sea day, we wont have much time to wander the ship anyway! Mornings will be spent getting ready to leave the ship anyway then evenings will be cleaning up for dinner then a bit of time to enjoy the ship after dinner.

 

I was on the Breeze last year with Guys and it was a go to spot. So good!

 

Will I be jealous if the Oasis is docked next to us? Not at all. Someday Id love to try a cruise on her but Im enjoying what I have in the present! When we were on the Dawn we docked next to a Disney ship. Beautiful to look at but I wasnt spending my time wondering if the passengers were picking on us for being on a smaller older ship!

 

 

 

Someone complained on JHs FB page about this and he said "l will have more news on this ship in the future so please stand by". I wonder if she's getting more upgrades or what the "news" could be?

 

We are considering sailing out of San Juan as well. There is only one sea day on the 7 day in 2018 we are looking at so I am thinking we won't have much time/energy for doing much else on the ship if it were a bigger ship. We are all disappointed there is no Guy's though [emoji853]

[jazm2011]

This is a premium itinerary. Unfortunately for Carnival, they couldn't charge premium prices for it. The way to address that was by artificially adjusting demand by decreasing supply. With considerably less cabins to sell each week, Carnival can now charge as much (if not more) than its competitors out of San Juan which include Royal, NCL, Celebrity, and Disney. This is similar to what Carnival does in Alaska where they have a lonely ship during the season which allows them to charge as much as premium cruise lines in this market.

 

Also, Carnival needs their newer ships in the US mainland in order to compete with other cruise lines in markets where the ships are the main attraction and not the itinerary (most notably in Eastern and Western Caribbean ones where the ports are secondary in importance). NCL and Royal are currently providing some stiff competition with their newbuilds.

 

We may not like to see an older Fantasy class ship out of San Juan, but it's better than the alternative which would've been to eliminate Southern itineraries from there altogether. Carnival is banking on people who are loyal to Carnival no matter what, people who always assume that Carnival has the lowest prices and will not compare prices with other cruise lines, and on a very loyal local passenger base.

 

Great reply!

[OntarioTraveller]

We just returned from our Liberty cruise. Love, love, love this itinerary!

This change in ship caused me to look beyond Carnival for our next cruise.

I just booked the Jewel of the Seas for this time next year, almost an identical schedule. Cost a bit more but I was not going to settle for the Facination. The Celebrity Summit is not sailing this itinerary next February (it would have been our first choice).

[TheTravelista]

I've sailed a handful of times out of San Juan and it's probably one of the best cruise itineraries I've ever experienced. I'm so confused why Carnival would put one of their oldest ships in the fleet on this itinerary? I'm really disappointed, older ships like the Fascination, Ecstacy, Imagination, etc need to be for short runs, not the 6-9 itineraries.

 

Don't get it either. I was pretty upset when they decided to homeport the Fascination in San Juan. Its the best Caribbean itinerary they offer and deserves a way better ship.

 

Ship ALWAYS matters to me as I've been to every country/island in the Caribbean at this point. I pick the ship first, then I look at the itinerary. I'll never sail a Fantasy class ship again (I left those in the 90s) so its disappointing. Its a route I'd take at least once a year otherwise. It really should be a Conquest class ship at the bare minimum.

Edited March 23, 2016 by TheTravelista

[TheTravelista]

Tapi, I usually agree with you, but not on this one. Ten years ago, these ships were old and they are 10 years older now. Yes, one time, long ago and far away, they were "state of the art", but so was dial up internet. Remember that? Today's 2 and 3 year old toddlers would walk away from a dial up connection.

 

A newbie cruiser gets on board one of these relics and looks across the harbor at a modern, up to date ship and says what am I doing here? Especially if he/she did some comparision shopping and found out they could sail for comparable pricing or less on a newer, better ship. Plus get a booze package or free gratuities or free specialty dining all week as add ons? While Carnival pushes FTTF sales in San Juan where it is basically useless with a 10 pm sailaway?

 

I was on the Disney Dream in Port Canaveral and it was brutal to hear comments from those Disney cruisers as they looked down on the puny Carnival Fantasy class ship below it with its plastic lawn grass and plastic palm trees. This was after we had baby lamb chops, king crab legs and unlimited jumbo shrimp for lunch. Some things you can't compare because there's no basis for comparision, it's not even apples to oranges, or diamonds to zirconium. The Fantasy class ships should be sold to Costa or another European cruise line. Good Riddance to them.

 

I agree with this 1000%

 

I can't take the Fantasy class ships seriously at this point.

[sjn911]

We booked Fascination because of the price. At the time we booked NCL Gem was $800 more. The last time I looked that difference had spread out to $1100. Since we booked Fascination has been scheduled to receive the upgrades and will have Guys onboard when we sail. We booked this cruise more for the itinerary than the ship but I don't expect that we'll hate the Fascination at all. From all that I've read she has a great crew and is well maintained. (And we got lucky on airfare- $260 each out of Boston.)

Have a great time...It's my Brirthday week and would love it...I love it all...get temporarily miffed at the "less than used to be's" but often find surprises..I think the size and ease getting on and off, and good service on these ships are cool and I like the steam and sauna and showers for anyone in the spas and a window to out side sea in ladies area there...just so cool. Will it have the Alchemy bar too?? That is what confused about of Fantasy class..they all have a little different. Plus Chef's Table, able to take ship tour for less, and upsale to better steak in main if you like..all good.

[cricketmk3]

I've sailed a handful of times out of San Juan and it's probably one of the best cruise itineraries I've ever experienced. I'm so confused why Carnival would put one of their oldest ships in the fleet on this itinerary? I'm really disappointed, older ships like the Fascination, Ecstacy, Imagination, etc need to be for short runs, not the 6-9 itineraries.

 

Call me weird but I like the smaller ships better (meaning older because I don't think they build small ships any more, do they?). Even though the ships that hold 5000 people are larger, there are areas that don't seem much larger to me...like the casino and the lounge where they have shows. I was on a large ship once that had two buffet areas but they only ever had one of them open. Too many people for me!

Edited June 30, 2016 by cricketmk3

[dltvermont]

Call me weird but I like the smaller ships better (meaning older because I don't think they build small ships any more, do they?). Even though the ships that hold 5000 people are larger, there are areas that don't seem much larger to me...like the casino and the lounge where they have shows. I was on a large ship once that had two buffet areas but they only ever had one of them open. Too many people for me!

 

Im with you. We sailed this ship/itinerary in May. We were so worried because of all the bad things we were reading. We LOVED it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[sparks1093]

Have a great time...It's my Brirthday week and would love it...I love it all...get temporarily miffed at the "less than used to be's" but often find surprises..I think the size and ease getting on and off, and good service on these ships are cool and I like the steam and sauna and showers for anyone in the spas and a window to out side sea in ladies area there...just so cool. Will it have the Alchemy bar too?? That is what confused about of Fantasy class..they all have a little different. Plus Chef's Table, able to take ship tour for less, and upsale to better steak in main if you like..all good.

 

Thanks! Not sure how I missed your post before. I will have to check into the Alchemy Bar if it's onboard.

[Staceelvls]

I was disappointed as well. The ship is half the fun for us, so we won't be going on this. :rolleyes:

[Pyrate13]

I was disappointed as well. The ship is half the fun for us, so we won't be going on this. :rolleyes:

 

We're with you, we loved this itinerary when we did it on the Valor. We want to do it again sometime but won't even consider it on a Fantasy class ship. We are pretty loyal to Carnival (just shy of platinum, not that it's that important to us) but if need be we will look at another line for this one.

[jwjax]

The answer probably has to do with capacity and not the age of the ship.

 

Royal Caribbean sails the 15 year old Adventure Seas year round and the 12 year old Jewel Of The Seas seasonally.

 

Celebrity sails the 15 year old Summit seasonally.

 

None of the above are the newest and largest in their fleets.

 

I agree with this entirely! We sailed the Victory out of SJ a few years ago. The boarding was a very bad experience, which I am sure is rare, but does occur. :)

 

First, the rumor among some of the TA's we knew that were onboard was that CCL couldn't always sell out on the 8 day S. Caribbean on the Victory , out of SJ, so on the last few days prior to sailing they opened the cruise to locals for a "very reduced" price??:confused: This can not be confirmed! Just a rumor!:rolleyes:

 

That being said, bringing in a smaller ship will probably enhance CCL's profits, by not having to offer reduced priced bookings to locals. Once, again, this is only a RUMOR I heard while onboard the Victory. :)

 

While our cruise to the S. Caribbean on the Victory was great, it was obvious that we should have known how to speak PR or Spanish!:eek:

 

IMHO.....just saying.... I wish they would sail the S. Caribbean out of MIA or FLL, as the flight costs to SJ are almost as much as the cruise fare. Add a few days, charge more, but I think a long S. Caribbean cruise out Florida would be a hit for any cruise line. :)

[Stinger-pr]

I agree with this entirely! We sailed the Victory out of SJ a few years ago. The boarding was a very bad experience, which I am sure is rare, but does occur. :)

 

First, the rumor among some of the TA's we knew that were onboard was that CCL couldn't always sell out on the 8 day S. Caribbean on the Victory , out of SJ, so on the last few days prior to sailing they opened the cruise to locals for a "very reduced" price??:confused: This can not be confirmed! Just a rumor!:rolleyes:

 

That being said, bringing in a smaller ship will probably enhance CCL's profits, by not having to offer reduced priced bookings to locals. Once, again, this is only a RUMOR I heard while onboard the Victory. :)

 

While our cruise to the S. Caribbean on the Victory was great, it was obvious that we should have known how to speak PR or Spanish!:eek:

 

IMHO.....just saying.... I wish they would sail the S. Caribbean out of MIA or FLL, as the flight costs to SJ are almost as much as the cruise fare. Add a few days, charge more, but I think a long S. Caribbean cruise out Florida would be a hit for any cruise line. :)

 

Carnival ships sail with a good concentration of Puerto Ricans due to the fact that they sell at prices more appealing to us (and our current economy) than RCCL and the seasonal alternatives from NCL and Celebrity. But I assure you that no last minute, bargain-bin price drops are made on the last few days. Despite what people think, cruise sales in Puerto Rico are extremely healthy. If that weren't the case SJ wouldn't have a total of 5 ships home ported seasonally (only two are year round). Remember that cruise lines consider a cruise "full" if the amount of passengers in the ship average 2 per room (or what they call double occupancy). Even if they leave with empty rooms, they might have a "full" ship in their books if the "double occupancy" criteria is met. Heck... not ONE cruise line even offer "resident rates" in Puerto Rico. I'm not a TA but I work in the hospitality industry and know people that work closely with cruise ships.

[Tapi]

...so on the last few days prior to sailing they opened the cruise to locals for a "very reduced" price??:confused: This can not be confirmed! Just a rumor!:rolleyes:

 

That being said, bringing in a smaller ship will probably enhance CCL's profits, by not having to offer reduced priced bookings to locals. Once, again, this is only a RUMOR..

 

There should be a Snopes entry for this popular Cruise Critic "rumor". It's simply not true. Ships out of Puerto Rico attract a lot of Puertoricans for the same reason that cruises out of Texas attract a lot of Texans. It's convenient. Cruising is one of the most popular means of vacationing in Puerto Rico and resident discounts are rarely offered on cruises out of San Juan.

 

While our cruise to the S. Caribbean on the Victory was great, it was obvious that we should have known how to speak PR!

 

It's always a good idea to be familiar with the local language. It's good to know Australian when sailing from Australia, British when sailing from Great Britain, and American when sailing from the USA. [emoji6]

Edited July 2, 2016 by Tapi

[53flygirl]

There should be a Snopes entry for this popular Cruise Critic "rumor". It's simply not true. Ships out of Puerto Rico attract a lot of Puertoricans for the same reason that cruises out of Texas attract a lot of Texans. It's convenient. Cruising is one of the most popular means of vacationing in Puerto Rico and resident discounts are rarely offered on cruises out of San Juan.

 

 

 

It's always a good idea to be familiar with the local language. It's good to know Australian when sailing from Australia, British when sailing from Great Britain, and American when sailing from the USA. [emoji6]

 

Well said lol! I love the idea of flying to and sailing from PR and am truly excited to be doing so March 2017. As for the Fascination itself - I admit I was a bit concerned about the ships age at first, but after reading the wonderful reviews I am excited to be onboard her soon. This cruise is totally about the ports and not how fancy the ride is

[MCFTJCH2V]

I've sailed a handful of times out of San Juan and it's probably one of the best cruise itineraries I've ever experienced. I'm so confused why Carnival would put one of their oldest ships in the fleet on this itinerary? I'm really disappointed, older ships like the Fascination, Ecstacy, Imagination, etc need to be for short runs, not the 6-9 itineraries.

 

I actually took the Fascination out of San Juan when she was new. We were off the ship more than in, so we never even had a chance to enjoy the ship other than sleep or eat and shows, due to it being so port intensive.

 

The ship is just a little over 20 years since she was launched and is hardly old.

[jwjax]

Carnival ships sail with a good concentration of Puerto Ricans due to the fact that they sell at prices more appealing to us (and our current economy) than RCCL and the seasonal alternatives from NCL and Celebrity. But I assure you that no last minute, bargain-bin price drops are made on the last few days. Despite what people think, cruise sales in Puerto Rico are extremely healthy. If that weren't the case SJ wouldn't have a total of 5 ships home ported seasonally (only two are year round). Remember that cruise lines consider a cruise "full" if the amount of passengers in the ship average 2 per room (or what they call double occupancy). Even if they leave with empty rooms, they might have a "full" ship in their books if the "double occupancy" criteria is met. Heck... not ONE cruise line even offer "resident rates" in Puerto Rico. I'm not a TA but I work in the hospitality industry and know people that work closely with cruise ships.

 

Hmmm...no residence rates for PR? Really?? FL, TX, and many other states and ports offer resident rates on several cruise lines!:confused:

As I stated, it was a rumor, but.....one has to wonder?:)

 

Anyway, I was pointing out my reasoning for why CCL brought in a smaller ship for an excellent itinerary:) $$$ If the demand is there, then they can charge more.

 

I do however, admit I have not checked the latest prices out of SJ on any cruise line, but if most lines are sailing smaller ships, there is a message there.:confused::confused:

[jwjax]

It's always a good idea to be familiar with the local language. It's good to know Australian when sailing from Australia, British when sailing from Great Britain, and American when sailing from the USA. [emoji6]

 

 

:rolleyes::rolleyes::)

[Tapi]

Hmmm...no residence rates for PR? Really?? FL, TX, and many other states and ports offer resident rates on several cruise lines!:confused:

As I stated, it was a rumor, but.....one has to wonder?:)

 

Anyway, I was pointing out my reasoning for why CCL brought in a smaller ship for an excellent itinerary:) $$$ If the demand is there, then they can charge more.

 

I do however, admit I have not checked the latest prices out of SJ on any cruise line, but if most lines are sailing smaller ships, there is a message there.:confused::confused:

 

 

Resident rates are supply and demand driven, and very rarely is there a need to offer these in the San Juan market. It's always been like this.

 

About the size of the ships: There are markets where the cruise lines generate profits based on volume (for example, cruises from Florida ports where the largest ships with the most capacity sail from), and there are markets where profits are generated based on higher per person pricing. San Juan in particular attracts less cruisers than Miami/Ft Lauderdale, but they attract passengers that are willing to spend more. This is why during the last few years, San Juan has seen an influx of smaller, premium cruise lines like Seabourn, Azamara, Oceania, and Windstar, in addition to seasonal sailings on premium priced Disney.

 

Carnival, knowing the potential to charge premium prices for cruises out of San Juan decided to downsize their ship to artificially increase demand and thus give them the opportunity to charge more for a premium market.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Tapi

[ontheweb]

We will be on this ship in August and are not at all worried about the lack of bells and whistles. We are doing the cruise for the ports, none of which have been experienced by us.

 

The ship we were on with the most bells and whistles was the NCL Epic. I'll admit the entertainment was great, but it was by far the unfriendliest ship we were ever on. On the first night we were asked if we wanted a table for 2 or to have tablemates. We said we would like tablemates and were put at a table for four. After waiting forever for others who wanted to meet other cruisers, we said make it a table for 2.

 

The smallest ship we were ever on was the former Ocean Princess with about 700 passengers. It may have lacked all the bells and whistles of the EPIC, but it was a wonderful cruise. And with far fewer passengers, it was a ship that everyone, fellow passengers and crew, were extremely open and friendly.

 

Looking forward to the Fanstasy.