Mariner OTS leaving LA - permanently

[Cruizer]

http://www.nationofwhynot.com/blog/...otRecentPosts+(Why+Not?)&utm_content=FaceBook

Today Royal Caribbean International announced significant changes to the deployment of Mariner of the Seas beginning in early 2011. This is an important announcement and it deserves comment.
First, we will not be offering 15 seven night Mexican Riviera cruises from January 16, 2011 to April 24, 2011 that until now have been open for bookings. I apologize to our customers who had booked on these sailings. We felt obligated to make this change in order to align the ship’s new itineraries with the seasonality of traveling around the southern end of South America as well as the timing of the Brazilian and European cruise seasons. For customers who are affected by this change, we are offering compensation as explained on our website under itinerary updates or you can contact your travel partner for further details.

 

[Mbandy]

I posted a different story in Cruise & Travel Chat. This one has more info. You don't really have to read between the lines to see he is saying that the LA market is not profitable, or at least profitable enough for them.

 

[Cruizer]

I posted a different story in Cruise & Travel Chat. This one has more info. You don't really have to read between the lines to see he is saying that the LA market is not profitable, or at least profitable enough for them.

In other words, the Mariner of the Seas cannot compete with the Carnival Splendor.

Well, I got my cruise on the Mariner OTS with Captain Johnny, so I have no regrets.

 

[BSeabob]

I'll see what they will be missing next week. For some reason or other RCL has never been really keen on the west coast. They took an X ship off when they took over X. They finally put this bigger newer ship there and now it's gone. I mean it's obvious that it's a money issue but really what's the trouble.
Don't Californians Cruise? There's more people in California than in my whole country.:bigsmile: or do they only like Carnival lol.

 

[Mbandy]

In other words, the Mariner of the Seas cannot compete with the Carnival Splendor.

Well, I got my cruise on the Mariner OTS with Captain Johnny, so I have no regrets.

My point about the Splendor is that the last time there was no 7 night on Royal from LA, Carnival really was pricing high. My brother bought round trip plane tickets and flew from Vegas to Miami for a seven night Princess cruise and a one night pre hotel stay for less money then he would have paid to drive to LA and go on Carnival. (But of course he has an awesome travel agent) :whistle:

 

[Cruizer]

My point about the Splendor is that the last time there was no 7 night on Royal from LA, Carnival really was pricing high. My brother bought round trip plane tickets and flew from Vegas to Miami for a seven night Princess cruise and a one night pre hotel stay for less money then he would have paid to drive to LA and go on Carnival. (But of course he has an awesome travel agent) :whistle:

I'm sure he has a fantastic travel agent. :doubleup:

However, even without Royal Caribbean Carnival will not be the only game in town. I'm replacing my April cruise with a very interesting itinerary on HAL out of San Diego. There is also Disney (arriving the same time the Mariner of the Seas leaves), NCL and Princess.

 

[Mbandy]

I'm sure he has a fantastic travel agent. :doubleup:

However, even without Royal Caribbean Carnival will not be the only game in town. I'm replacing my April cruise with a very interesting itinerary on HAL out of San Diego. There is also Disney (arriving the same time the Mariner of the Seas leaves), NCL and Princess.

Very good point. My brother's cruise was during the summer a few years ago when the other lines including Royal Caribbean had their L.A. ships in Alaska and Carnival was the only game in town for the whole Summer. Their seven night Mexico cruises were priced sky high that season. Not so for the three and four nighters since there was competition with Monarch of the Seas.

 

[Luci]

Hello BSeabob, We Californians are big time cruisers. I loved the RCL Monarch of the seas and I really miss it.
The Carnival Paradise which is a 3 or day cruise is really popular with us Californians. It is an old ship but a lot of fun.

I have cruised only once on the RCL Mariner of the seas. It is a beautiful ship but it is not a fun ship as compared to Carnival Splendor.

What RCL Mariner lacks is fun activities, fun cruisers, lacks California cruisers and has more European cruisers. Their food is so-so....nothing to talk about.

I cruise to have fun on a ship and I also like to shop on the ships and eat some fun foods.
RCL Mariner didn't have that experience for me. So I decided not to cruise on it again.

The Carnival Splendor is so much fun that I have cruised on it since it arrived in Long Beach. I have cruised on that ship 5 times and I already booked two more cruises on it.
Lots of Californians cruise on that ship.

On Monday, I am cruising on the RCL Radiance of the sea. I plan to take a amtrak train to San Diego which is so much fun. It will be my first time on the Radiance. I might like it better but it is also leaving San Diego very soon.

When the Disney Ship shows up in California.... there are going to be many families willing to pay the higher price just to cruise on that ship. Plus, we have many Californians who work for Disney studios, etc. They get major discounts to cruise on the Disney ships.

I think it will give Carnival Splendor competition for Calif. cruisers. That means I will get to cruise more often at a lower rate with Splendor. "YEAH".

Many Californians do have the money to cruise but their priorities are buying designer clothes, cool cars, mansions, and travel to Europe often. That is what most of my friends are into presently.

Moderate income families find Carnival very affordable. We also get a lot of Arizona people who like to just drive their cars to Calif. cruiseports.

My last cruise was the Celebrity Soltice out of Fort L. and it wasn't any fun at all.
It was boring, had lousy food, and Trivia games with no gifts. Very cheapskates with the quality of food, activities, and NO FUN.LOL.

I have cruised on Princess, NCL, HAL, Cunard, RCL, Carnival, Celebrity, and other.

I enjoy cruising with as many cruise companies as I can.

 

[BSeabob]

Well I'm back and indeed as I suspected the Mariner move is completely money. Capt. Johnny (who has to be the best speaking captain at sea with his patter) told us that it was just that.
Selling a cruise on the West Coast, he used the figure of an average $700 in Europe $1200. Simple as that. It's gone in January so there is still time to get on. It was a great family cruise ship. Treated us extremly well and other than the buffet being the same every day I enjoyed the grub. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the buffet and there were lots of choices but it was always the same choices.

And I agree with Luci when she says there might be a more lively bunch on Carnival. Although the average age was well below my X experiences they were not all that much more lively that's for sure.

It was way different than my Song of America cruise back in the early 90's when we all partied.

There were a lot of Europeans and other non American's onboard. Although just about everyone we met from the longtime cruiser's group was from California. The frequent cruisers from the locals were all older and for sure we don't spend (drink) like we used too.

The option of having this ship will be missed I'm sure.

The Mariner will return after it's European Season to sail from Galveston into the Caribbean.

 

[Mbandy]

Well I'm back and indeed as I suspected the Mariner move is completely money.

Same for Monarch of the Seas.

 

[Luci]

I just returned last week from the Radiance of the Seas. It was a five day cruise and it was a BLAST!! It was the best RCL fun ship I have ever cruised on.
I had fun dancing, playing trivia, meeting lots of fun people. I even played BASKET BALL.
I am a grandmother old lady who had so much fun. The basket ball players were really proud to see me play with them. They all thought I was a real cute and fun old lady.lol.
I even got hit in the head by a ball but it didn't hurt.lol.

The food was great and I did the anytime dinning so I could meet different people each night. That was fun too.

I am truly going to miss that ship that left the San Diego port to go to Alaska for the summer season. It's not coming back as a 5 day cruise either.

I may decide to cruise on the Disney ship when it comes to L.A. I love kids.