These are promised pricing from my Ports and Bows column running nationally on November 5 in Postmedia papers across Canada. The column is re-printed below the pricing noted here. Some are tremendous value, others have interesting itineraries. All are based on per-person, double occupancy and do not include fees and taxes.
December 10
Miami return
Oceania’s Marina (above)
12 days
Ports: Key West, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Puerto Limon, Colon, Cartegna
Starting price: $2,199 (oceaniacruises.com)
This is under the heading of “interesting cruises”…
January 5
Port Canaveral return
Norwegian Sun
7 days
Ports: Cozumel, George Town, Ocho Rios, Great Stirrup Cay
Starting price: $399 (ncl.com)
January 7
Fort Lauderdale return
Holland America Eurodam
7 days
Ports: Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay
Starting price: $520 (hollandamerica.com)
January 8
San Juan return
Caribbean Princess
7 days
Ports: St Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados
Starting price: $499 (princess.com)
January 14
Fort Lauderdale return
Celebrity Constellation
14 days
Ports: Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; St. George’s, Grenada; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; St. Johns, Antigua; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.
Starting price: $1,467 (celebritycruises.com)
A chance to sail on the Queen Victoria in the Caribbean…
January 15
Fort Lauderdale return
Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas
7 days
Ports: Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico.
Starting price: $898 (royalcaribbean.com)
For Allure, the largest cruise ship in the world, this is a good price. In most cases, the starting price exceeds $1,000
January 19
Fort Lauderdale return
Cunard’s Queen Victoria
11 days
Ports: St. Thomas, Antiqua, Grenada, Bonaire, Panama Canal
Starting price: $2,269 (cunard.com)
January 22
Miami return
Carnival Glory
7 days
Ports: Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, Grand Cayman
Starting price: $429 (carnival.com)
January 29
San Juan, Puerto Rico return
Carnival Victory
7 days
Ports: St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten
Starting price: $410 (carnival.com)
Photo by Tomás Fano
Here is the column…
Royal Caribbean’s European commitment has been well-documented in this space. More than half its fleet of 22 ships spends the summer sailing out of Europe.
So it came as something of a surprise when Royal announced last month that one of the line’s largest mega ships, Independence of the Seas — which had been sailing year-round out of Southampton — will be returning to the this side of the Atlantic for the 2012-13 winter season.
Independence, one of the three Freedom Class ships (Liberty and Freedom are the others, all at 4,100 passengers) was the largest to home-port in England. The ship first arrived on the European scene in 2010, among much fanfare and a commitment to serve the English market year-round.
Currently this season, the Independence is sailing routes that include Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands and with starting prices in January close to $100 a day on 12-day cruises.
There is a hint of why this ship is leaving the United Kingdom in Royal Caribbean’s third-quarter financial report. When discussing the highlights, the cruise line emphasized its success in the Caribbean and Alaska markets. Yield is up 15% in the Caribbean, and that figure is good enough to bring Independence back to Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) next winter.
What’s more, this is not the only Royal Caribbean ship to cancel cruising year-round in Europe. Last April, the line announced that Navigator of the Seas was leaving the Mediterranean to return to the Caribbean for this winter.
When Independence of the Seas returns, it will sail alternating eight-night Eastern Caribbean and six-night Western Caribbean itineraries out of Fort Lauderdale, starting in December 2012. The Eastern Caribbean route will stop in San Juan (Puerto Rico), St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Labadee — Royal Caribbean’s private enclave in Haiti. The Western Caribbean will visit ports in Falmouth (Jamaica), Grand Cayman and Labadee.
With the return of Independence, the six largest cruise ships in the world will sail in the Caribbean out of southern Florida. Out of the six, five are owned by Royal Caribbean with Norwegian laying claim to the third-largest with its mega ship, the Epic.
These six ships alone represent over 26,000 beds per week on ships in the Caribbean.
As for those UK passengers missing out on winter cruising, I am sure many will find their way to the Caribbean.
All for now.
