Freedom Europe 2009 Sailings Cancelled

[faeriechick]

Yes, Im actually thinking about doing the Dream TA cruise, just waiting for details.

 

I can't say for sure, but based on some things I've heard, I think that itineraries and pricing may be coming out sometime in the next few weeks.

[SouthernCaribbean]

I can't say for sure, but based on some things I've heard, I think that itineraries and pricing may be coming out sometime in the next few weeks.

 

Im not expecting any news until after Splendor sails..by then they might raise the fuel surcharge again :o

[G'ma]

Hmmmm.

 

More inventory for the Florida ports.....wonder if that will effect the prices....maybe downward a little bit?... They are going to have to do something to fill all those cabins.

 

Of course, they could lower the cruise price and raise the fuel surcharges to equalize everything.

 

Going to be an interesting year in the cruise industry, huh?

[G'ma]

" According to Lynn C. Torrent, Carnival's senior vice president of sales

and guest services, "The Caribbean is, by far, the most popular cruising

region for North Americans. It is easily accessible and affordable, and when

combined with attractive, destination-rich itineraries such as these, a

Caribbean cruise represents the ideal vacation choice for consumers.""

 

Corporate double speak for "Airfare to Europe is too expensive for our target market"

 

I think you hit the nail on the head..... If they would only say that...look at the paper they could save...eliminate all the bs.

[SunFunCruiser]

ike Florida needs another Caribbean cruise. The Valor is the same ship.

I wouldn't mind switching ships, but there is NO alternative to this sailing.

[VolzCruiser]

I hope this doesnt' happen to the Liberty since I have it booked for 2009 leaving out of Rome.

[lulubell]

We were bookrd for next year our 20th anni-booked flights and hotels-lets see how easy that is to undo-we will loose some dough-BOO to carnival lost loyal customers[4] there!:(

[StevieG]

I guess its back to the Carribean. This sucks, I was really planning on a Europoran trip. On a positive note we will probably go sooner than April 2009.

[LadyLeo84]

Well, CARNIVAL just ruined my 40th Anniversary cruise in the Med next May on Freedom!!!!! THANKS CARNIVAL. My husband and I both talked with Carnival at some length after we got the cancellation notice. They can't even offer an alternative ship with a similar itinerary until Sept 19th, which would be on the Liberty. I wouldn't have cared if they had just switched ships, but kept the same or close to the same itinerary for the date that we had wanted to go. . . . . We feel like we have been left high and dry. Then to offer a mere $50 obc per cabin for all of our inconvenience is just a slap in the face. Also, if we want to cancel altogether, we have to wait 3 weeks for the refund of the deposits. I guess that I should be happy that we hadn't purchased our airline tickets yet.

We're booked to go on PRIDE in 2 weeks for my husband's 60th Birthday - hope they don't decide to cancel that too!

[afdds]

Ok, I can see the flames being thrown....

 

Has anyone thought about the name "Freedom". I wasn't wild about the ships name and then doing the European ports. As a military family we are told to "blend in" when traveling overseas. I don't think this name "blends in" very well.

I'm not up on European cruises so maybe most of the passengers aren't American. I think "Dream" is a much better name for a ship sailing in Europe.

 

I'm sorry that everyone has to change their plans. Hopefully, you will get it all straightened out and have a wonderful cruise!

[big_duck]

Speaking of Europe and Freedom, happy D-day everyone. :D

[SouthernCaribbean]

Hmmmm.

 

More inventory for the Florida ports.....wonder if that will effect the prices....maybe downward a little bit?... They are going to have to do something to fill all those cabins.

 

Of course' date=' they could lower the cruise price and raise the fuel surcharges to equalize everything.

 

Going to be an interesting year in the cruise industry, huh?[/quote']

 

Freedom staying is great news for FLL, they would have been without a Carnival ship. Im sure the added revenue will help the local South Florida economy.

[lizard6216]

I can't pospone our cancelled cruise due to the fact we have two teenagers and they will be in school (one high school one in college) when the Liberty goes to Rome. This was my son's graduation gift, I haven't had the heart to tell him yet. A $50 dollar cabin credit is really @#*&&! I am looking into other cruise lines that have intineraries close to this one. So Carnival has lost my money on this one!! Maybe even my business altogether. I feel a bit better if they hadn't offered a lousy $50 per cabin what a ripoff!!!

[FunDayAtSea]

I'm pretty sure it's because I canceled my Freedom TransAtl cruise and they wouldn't be able to cover the operating costs without the income from my S&S bill.....:p :eek:

 

OK, now for my real response:

 

I don't know if this had anything to do with it, but we just, last week, changed our Freedom TransAlt cruise to a Mex Riviera because the airfare cost and the weak dollar against the euro was just more than we wanted to spend. We booked our April 2009 cruise in 2007, when things weren't so bad, but as the economy has suffered, we decided to cancel and put it off one more year. I imagine that others are also doing the same thing.

 

I wonder if slow bookings, coupled with cancellations is affecting being able to support two/three ships in the Med/Europe market.

 

Jodi

[SunFunCruiser]

Freedom staying is great news for FLL, they would have been without a Carnival ship. Im sure the added revenue will help the local South Florida economy.

 

Beacuse there aren't enough of them going to the Caribbean in Florida as it is?

[Schill38]

My wife and I just got off this cruise and had a blast!

 

It really sucks that Carnival is doing this, we were talking about booking the Greece/Turkey route for next May, guess we'll be looking elsewhere...

[NotAPirate]

Hmmmm.

 

More inventory for the Florida ports.....wonder if that will effect the prices....maybe downward a little bit?... They are going to have to do something to fill all those cabins.

 

Of course' date=' they could lower the cruise price and raise the fuel surcharges to equalize everything.

 

Going to be an interesting year in the cruise industry, huh?[/quote']

Beacuse there aren't enough of them going to the Caribbean in Florida as it is?

More inventory in something would indicate to ME that there's a demand they're trying to fill. Why else would you move a 2972-passenger vessel to a port that has the greatest amount of competition within a 40 mile area (meaning the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami ports...). Add to the mix the lower cost for a 'drive to' port AND lower domestic air costs, and it's definitely a better business move for CCL.

 

In the end, yeah it svcketh for some, but nothing in Life is definite other than death and taxes. Had this been Hotel Critic and a resort shut down due to lack of draw or something similar, we'd still have disgruntled posters. Or if the airline you booked flights thru went belly-up and no other airline had comparable flights? Or, forbid, something happened in your personal life to prevent you from travelling that trip? It just is and you've got to work with what you've got. <shrugs>

[jms2362]

We did Princess last year with Princess starting with an overnight in Venice. It was great, Princess was excellent and did great shore tours. Great peaking English tourguides, Mercedes buses--can't say enough of how much we loved it.

[hubofhockey]

I bought the $200 vouchers on board on my Liberty cruise only because I wanted to do a Med cruise on Carnival in 09 or 10. This is a big letdown. We've already been on the Liberty twice and wanted to do Europe on a different ship. Well, now it will probably be either Princess or RCCL and that will cost more. :mad: Maybe we'll stick with the Liberty (and put up with the obnoxious Steve Knisely :mad: :mad: ).