Grand Schedule Adjustment

[cruisingrob21]

Well, we were booked on a 2020 Pacific Coastal voyage from SF to Astoria and Nanaimo, ending in Vancouver, and got notice that it was cancelled today. The Grand is due for a longer dry-dock in 2019, so its not as if they were going to do one again in 2020. I'm a bit bummed because I enjoy coastal itineraries and was really looking forward to this one. I suppose that itinerary was problematic as it would put the grand in vancouver, which would necessitate her getting back to SF if she was truly going to continue her duties from there.

 

My wife thought it was a bit strange given the timing along with the announcement of the Enchanted Princess just yesterday...almost like the Grand will be sent off to pasture?

 

Any other thoughts? We may just go on the Konigsdam re-positioning as its actually a nicely sized alternative with 2600pax and a lot of nice amenities. We sailed on her in 2017 and were impressed.

[CruisinMinnie]

Since San Francisco is our 'home' port, we have sailed the Grand many times. I wondered about that Coastal that ended in Vancouver. Thought maybe that meant we would get a different ship for San Francisco. :confused:

[cruisingrob21]

Yeah, looks like they have shuffled some things around with the Coral picking up the Star's coastal and the Star's repositioning moving to early April and going from a 3 day to 7 day voyage. Bummer - Koningsdam it is then

 

http://cruisingrobsblog.blogspot.com/p/2020-princess-coastal-re-positioning.html

Edited August 22, 2018 by cruisingrob21
spreadsheet came in garbled

[Cruise Raider]

Since San Francisco is our 'home' port, we have sailed the Grand many times. I wondered about that Coastal that ended in Vancouver. Thought maybe that meant we would get a different ship for San Francisco. :confused:

 

Same here ...

We are sailing on the Grand in a couple of weeks and was going to book that sailing while onboard. Guess that isn't going to happen now.

[JF - retired RRT]

Maybe a charter??

[cruisingrob21]

Maybe a charter??

Good point, could be.

[Phamer55]

I was also booked on the canceled cruise....So I believe the Grand is still going to sail to Vancouver as my cancelation notice mentions the "Grand Princess' 3 -day Pacific Coastal voyage departing from Los Angeles on May 10, 2020." No more details were given.

[Cruiser411]

Grand Princess will be sailing a 7-day California Coastal, a 7-day Mexican Riviera and a 10-day Mexican Riviera cruise in May 2020 from Los Angeles.

[cruisingrob21]

I was also booked on the canceled cruise....So I believe the Grand is still going to sail to Vancouver as my cancelation notice mentions the "Grand Princess' 3 -day Pacific Coastal voyage departing from Los Angeles on May 10, 2020." No more details were given.

I think that's a misquote, the Coral princess has a 3 day from LA to Vancouver on those dates, so it wouldn't make much sense to have both ships do the same route. Additionally, the grand is probably positioning for Alaska season anyway.

 

Did everyone see that the star will be going to P&O in late 2021 - I wonder how much longer the grand will be around.

[Sea Hag]

Grand Princess will be sailing a 7-day California Coastal, a 7-day Mexican Riviera and a 10-day Mexican Riviera cruise in May 2020 from Los Angeles.

Not doubting you at all, but how do you know this? TA or some such? This isn't on princess.com. San Francisco is my home port, and I'm really wondering what Princess is doing there for 2020.

[LACruiser88]

Golden going to be sold to P&O next year, followed by the Star in 2020...

[Redhaven]

New postings on Princess.com. The Grand returns to San Francisco from 15-day Hawaii cruise on May 5, then somehow appears in Los Angeles on May 6 and spends May in LA doing Mexico and Pacific Coastal cruises. Not in San Francisco in May. New mystery!! Isn't SF to LA more than a one night cruise, and it does not appear as a bookable 1-day cruise?

[pris993]

Would be nice if Princess would clarify what is doing with the Grand in 2020... we are booked on the Grand in 3/2019 and 1/2020.. will try to find out when on board, would like to know what is going on before our 3/2019 cruise... love having a Princess ship home ported in San Francisco, plan to book or buy future booking credits while on board.

[Cruise Raider]

New postings on Princess.com. The Grand returns to San Francisco from 15-day Hawaii cruise on May 5, then somehow appears in Los Angeles on May 6 and spends May in LA doing Mexico and Pacific Coastal cruises. Not in San Francisco in May. New mystery!! Isn't SF to LA more than a one night cruise, and it does not appear as a bookable 1-day cruise?

 

I think they could do it in a full day, especially without passengers as this would be a violation of the PVSA. There was a Celebrity cruise that disembarked in San Diego several years back and they came up to San Francisco empty. They arrived late in the morning but they loaded us all on that next day. So, I think it is doable at maximum speed.

 

Repositioning, maybe?? I hope Princess doesn't abandon us in San Francisco such as many other lines have done. :confused:

[fishywood]

Golden going to be sold to P&O next year, followed by the Star in 2020...

 

You're a year ahead. Golden is still in the Princess fleet through Spring 2020. And the P&O Australia posting anticipates Star arriving in "late 2021". Very likely Princess will still need Star for Alaska in Summer 2021 until the arrival of Enchanted Princess allows a second Royal-class ship to be stationed on the west coast.

 

Would be nice if Princess would clarify what is doing with the Grand in 2020... we are booked on the Grand in 3/2019 and 1/2020.. will try to find out when on board, would like to know what is going on before our 3/2019 cruise... love having a Princess ship home ported in San Francisco, plan to book or buy future booking credits while on board.

 

As smaller ships are replaced by larger ones, Princess can sell the same number of berths with fewer turnaround days. Now I am heavily speculating here but what this smells like is that by mid/late 2021 with the fifth Royal-class ship arrived and the sixth nearing completion, Princess could easily go with only six ships rather than seven for Alaska, and two rather than three for Hawaii/Mexican Riviera/California Coastals. The first cutback would almost likely be in San Francisco, going back to only seasonal sailings by a ship rotating between Australia/South Pacific and the US west coast--how it was before Grand Princess took up permanent residence in 2013.

[Micahs Grandad]

Thinking the Grand's life as a Princess ship is coming to an end, only question is will she be replaced in San Fran at all.

 

Princess seems to have a direction of getting rid of older smaller ships and replacing them with much larger ones.

 

If they think that San Fran cannot handle selling out a larger ship thinking they will stop sailing out of there.

[CruiseAdict218]

Thinking the Grand's life as a Princess ship is coming to an end' date=' only question is will she be replaced in San Fran at all.

 

Princess seems to have a direction of getting rid of older smaller ships and replacing them with much larger ones.

 

If they think that San Fran cannot handle selling out a larger ship thinking they will stop sailing out of there.[/quote']

 

With P&O pushing the Jewel out, won’t be long before the Dawn goes so, with Sea/Sun or Grand will probably replace her at the head of the arrival of Royal Class #6. Although because of her modifications and being the name sake I see them keeping the Grand long than her other two identical sisters.

[caribill]

Well, we were booked on a 2020 Pacific Coastal voyage from SF to Astoria and Nanaimo, ending in Vancouver, and got notice that it was cancelled today.

 

This is far from the first time that a cruise at the end of the announced schedule (in this case, May 2020) is cancelled as Princess figures out itineraries past the announced schedules.

 

Every year you can find threads about such cancelled cruises. Most have been relocations to Europe.

[cruisingrob21]

Interesting info about the Mexico cruises . I would be shocked to find out that princess can make more money doing longer cruises to mexico out of LA (right when it starts getting really toasty) versus Alaska cruises out of SF where they arguably had a very niche market. Perhaps the grand will sail some Alaska trips from LA in the summer of 2020 also. Does anyone know how the roundtrip LA -Alaska voyages are selling? Seemed like they only had them during the shoulder season.

[justafem]

The grand doesn't seem to have a problem filling. Our Sept 2018 cruise is a northern, not going to Alaska, but into Canada. This sailing and the next are both sold out and have been for almost a year.

 

I can't see them leaving SFO, it wouldn't be financially justified.

[Cruise Raider]

The grand doesn't seem to have a problem filling. Our Sept 2018 cruise is a northern, not going to Alaska, but into Canada. This sailing and the next are both sold out and have been for almost a year.

 

I can't see them leaving SFO, it wouldn't be financially justified.

 

Some sailings on the Grand sell out completely and some, they have a hard time filling. I believe I know which sailing you are speaking of ... Sept 23rd, right?? This did sell out very quickly and it is one I ended up canceling in lieu of a 10 night Alaska sailing instead. My cruise is in 10 days and it is nowhere near sold out. I just checked this morning and there are close to 100 cabins that show as available. These might be booked as guaranteed cabins but bookings are still being taken, unlike that one you are booked on. I think it just depends on the itinerary. The one you have booked, if it's the one I am thinking of, is a new itinerary and they opened up an identical one in October, which also sold well. But, in a few years, maybe it won't have quite the same appeal.

Celebrity used to have an occasional sailing out of SF but they pulled out ... they just couldn't fill the ship and nearly gave the cabins away towards sail date. A long time ago, Norwegian had some sailings out of SF, same thing happened! We actually sailed on a ship that was only half full ... now, haven't seen that happen since then.

I sure hope there is ever a time when we don't have a ship home ported in SF. It is one of the reasons I still live here ... so easy to catch a last minute sailing or even one I've planned for way ahead of time. It certainly isn't because I love paying such high prices for everything! :D

[SharkieRools]

:confused: Could it be that many people who would sail out of SF want to sail on a newer ship than the Grand that has been home ported there 5 or so years now (with the exception I believe of one summer when the Star was there instead)?

[pris993]

:confused: Could it be that many people who would sail out of SF want to sail on a newer ship than the Grand that has been home ported there 5 or so years now (with the exception I believe of one summer when the Star was there instead)?

 

I see you live in Vancouver... so not surprised you may think folks SF might like a newer ship... as a long cruiser... I will take any ship Princess puts in SF... we have been on the Grand about 6 times at least, we did the first cruise on the Grand when it was brand new, out of Istanbul in l998.... ship is still in good shape and I actually prefer it to the Royal which i did a TA for 15 days last year.

[Gr8Mariner]

I love a mystery...my guess is that Grand will reposition to Seattle ( for Alaska) and a larger ship will take over SF as they are almost always full.

 

Fingers crossed!

[pris993]

I guess we will all have to wait til Princess opens up schedules beyond May 2020...I am booked thru January 2020 on the Grand. Maybe some one will get the word on what is planned and pass it on to all of us wondering, hope so.