I live on the west coast (So. California). I wish one of the cruise lines would do, on a weekly or monthly basis, a 7 day round trip up the coast. Start off in San Pedro or San Diego. Go to San Francisco, spend over night then go to Monteray, Catalina and Ensenda. We were on a 6 night on the Grandeur about a year ago, same itinerary (except overnight in Frisco) as i just mentioned. It was great. It seems that every Pacific Coastal sells out early. Any one else want to see this on a regular basis, I'm getting tired of Mexico.
Try HAL's 3-day repositioning cruises between San Diego and Vancouver. They are inexpensive and uncrowded. The Pacific coastline is beautiful and unspoiled. You'd think the region was uninhabited! The only downside is that these are entirely at sea cruises - no landfall between the start and end points.
I understand, been there, done that. What I mean is a round trip out of So. California, 7 days that does not require air for us down here in the lower part of the state. The 3,4,and 7 day cruises to Mexico (12 in all) are getting mighty old.
The Celebrity Mercury does 7 night coastals out of SFO. This is when she is not in Alaska. The ports change but often include Monterey, Santa Barbara, Catalina, Cabo San Lucas, etc.
Chuck, your right. What I'm talking about is a NEW itinerary round trip to the north from either L.A. (San Pedro) or San Diego on a regular basis. If one lives in So. California, you either have to fly or make a long long drive to San Francisco.
It doesn't go North, but HAL does a 7 day cruise round trip San Diego to the Sea of Cortez. l did it last year in May. We stopped in La Paz, a small little town that I can't remember the name of, and Cabo. Not the usual cruise ship stops.
I've also sailed up to San Francisco several years ago at teh end of a Panama Canal cruise and as soon as we rounded the point at the end of Baja it was too cold out side to enjoy the pool or sit in the sun without being bundled up.
<<The Celebrity Mercury does 7 night coastals out of SFO. This is when she is not in Alaska. The ports change but often include Monterey, Santa Barbara, Catalina, Cabo San Lucas, etc.>>
Name one time when Celebrity Cruises has not only planned, enticed and sold an itinerary to Santa Barbara, but actually anchored there. Has anyone actually sailed there via THAT cruise line?
The problem with that intinary and what some others are wanting is that it is ILLEGAL! Blame it on the Passenger Sercives act which states that unless the ship is BUILT and REGISTERED and STAFFED by United States of America then it must visit a 'distant foreign port'. I would love to see this Act recinded but the Unions are still welding enough power to prevent it it seems.
Jim
The unions have nothing to do with it. Pure economics. American ships=American wages AND American labor laws, working conditions, health and safety laws. I have no problem with American working conditions becoming the norm on cruise ships. Off course then a 7 day cruise would cost about $3000 for an inside cabin.
Yes, Jim's right. This silly, arcane law makes your itineraries illegal.
Here's just how silly it is: Last year we were sailing from Ensenada to Hawaii. We spent a couple days in San Diego first, and on sailing day we went to the airport to meet relatives who would be sailing with us, and to catch the shuttle to Ensenada. As we drove to the airport to drop off the rental car, we saw our ship leaving San Diego harbor and heading for Ensenada to pick us up. It had disgorged in San Diego (apparently having made its distant foreign stop earlier in that cruise), and was forced to schlep down the road to pick us up, and Celebrity had to arrange for enough busses to carry a shipload of people down there in order to execute this ludicrous fire drill.
i'm a bit confused here about that maritime law. How is that some cruise lines are now doing all Hawaii itineraries? last time i checked Hawaii was part of the US.
I like the idea but it most likely comes down to demand, what the market will bear, is there enough demand to add this type of cruise??
Harry, thanks. you are the 1st person to actually know what I was talking about. A west coast cruise, roundtrip out of So. Cal. going northbound then one Mexican port to satisfy the law. Good man!!!!
Celebrity offers five round trip cruises out of San Francisco between September 28th and November 5th, stopping at Monterey, Catalina Island and one or more Mexican ports. After that it's all round trip cruises from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. Silversea includes Santa Barbara and San Diego in the same SFO-SFO itinerary. It looks like your stuck with starting up north for the California coast, however.
I think the cruise lines are missing an untapped market with not offering a coastal cruise from LA or San Diego -- I know a lot of California/Arizona people would love it. It could be a good one for the ships moving to Alaska for a couple weeks prior instead of the Mexican Riviera.
What does it take to become a sovereign nation anyway? Could a remote island off the Pacific coast be bought by the cruiselines, as they do in the Bahamas, and establish it as a foreign port for the purpose of satisfying the Jones Act?
The main problem with the PVSA (passenger vessel services act) often erroneously refered to as the Jones act (which is a different act affecting crew-people) is that it forbids any foreign vessel from transporting passengers between two US ports. That is why you have to do round-trip or else embark or disembark in a foreign port.
There is a rule that allows you visit more than one domestic port on a cruise but oly during repo cruises. Otherwise it just isn't allowed.
I don't know if a cruise line could embark passengers in Ensenada and go up the coast to Vancouver and back - but that would make a great cruise as far as I am concerned.
Ensenada
San Diego
Catalina
San Franciso
Vancouver
Day at sea
Day at Sea
Ensenada
Or alternating
Ensenada
San Diego
Catalina
Los Angeles
Day at Sea
San Francisco
Day at Sea
Vancouver
with
Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
San Francisco
Day at Sea
Santa Barbara
San Diego
Ensenada
I would sail this itinerary very happily. Even back to back.
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