Tricky planning

Old Jul 7th, 2015, 11:21 AM
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Tricky planning

Hello All,
Typical cruise is fly from home to embarkation port, cruise, disembark and fly home. Easy-peazy.

Done that many times. Over last 30 years been on over 20 cruises. Best cruise line value for us we feel is Princess. We have Elite status with Princess.

I now HATE flying (last flight was year 2012, LAX to Johannesburg SA, way too long, ask me if you want a 400 word essay).

With all that said here's what I want, ideally. Embark Los Angeles/Long Beach port, cruise 21 - 45 days, disembark Los Angeles port. Consider any destination(s). Any time within next 12 months. Simple as that!!! The to and from cruise itinerary can even be the same (mirror image)!! (E.g. LA through Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale, and back through Canal to LA). Cruise ships embark and re-sail same day, so no problem with the ships just stopping in port and leaving us stranded!!

I've looked at the Princess Cruise Atlas and tried to make such matches. Doable but very very cumbersome. (I did find the Pricness 111 day world cruise, LA-LA, but too long and too $$$). I have not talked directly with Princess. But have talked with an AAA Travel Agent and she called Princess but both AAA and Princess had trouble grasping this concept. I've googled for "cruise planning" with expected agency ads results. I've googled using "cruise planning algorithm" and came up with planning for cruise missiles!! You know, I can enter into google maps 10 road destinations and in 1/2 sec come back with route, distances, time and directions. Doing such for cruises would be trivial. App, app? Someone make an app!!! (I'll take only 1 cent per sell!!).

Enough, can anyone point me to how I can work this out. Or do it for me

regards tom
ps - in desperation I maybe, might, consider a flight in one direction within USA.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 12:31 PM
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Do you have any interest in the Princess cruise in October from LA return to LA on the Crown. It is 28 days going to Hawaii, Samoa and French Polynesia. They have a good deal on that on Vacations to Go. Of course there are a lot of sea days especially on the return.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 12:43 PM
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Traveller69,

I just looked up that exact cruise. It looks like a nice itinerary, and does what the OP asked for, LA to LA, no flights. Good price too.

For tracking down cruises, I like vacationstogo, even if I do not book with them.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 02:39 PM
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Sassafrass I love their website - so much easier to find specific cruises. Then I call my cruise agent and they usually have the same price but their website isn't so comprehensive.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 02:54 PM
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Thanks T69 and Sassy. We in fact did that exact cruise in 2013. Enjoyed it a lot including days at sea. Our cabin - excuse me, Stateroom, B236 was I thought great location (balcony) mid forward and just over where the ship's bow broke the waves. A lovely sight and sound. We booked in Aug of 2013 on a California promotion (Princess regional promotions drive me crazy) and total cost including port fees (but no gratuities) was $6,700 for two us. Anyway would do it again, maybe.

I have also found you could put together back to back LA Panama cruises. (Don't recall month). But have done the Canal twice and loved it and might do it again.

Other suggestions most welcome. I will checkout vacationstop.

regards - tom
ps - I mean, Kayak can put together 4 leg stops from 20 airlines in 1 sec, with 60 choices. Come on somebody, do same for cruises!!!
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 03:07 PM
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Thanks for the post edit Fodors - NOT. And for a "Preview" that is spastic!!
Vacationstogo not vactionstop.

regards tom
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 06:35 PM
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Although it involves flying both ways you would be in North America - How about Oceana Cruise starting in Vancouver to Alaska down the coast through the canal and up to New York or Montreal. They have a few options on the number of days from 28 to 40. There are some very good prices - vacations to go again.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 06:43 PM
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Vacationstogo
I hate to complain - but - Vacationstogo YIKES
Comes back formmated in VIBRANT RED, VIBRANT BLUE, VIBRANT YELLOW, VIBRANT CHARTREUSE, Bright WHITE!!! Was my mistake was in telling them I'm a Senior Citizen so they think I'm mostly blind?!?!?

Getting past that, on a listing page they show the depature port (LA) and destination. Then I have to do another search by destination (as the new departure post)to know if that departure returns to LA. Still a maze. Things are tough all over, huh?

regards - tom
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 10:41 PM
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Cary999,

That is funny. I kind of like the bright colors, it is easier for me than some websites. If you can get past that, it is a super comprehensive website and easy to use once you do it a couple of times.

Anyway, if you care to give it another try, if you see a cruise you like and the destination port is not the same as the departure port, you do not have to go back and change the destination to the departure to search. That would be annoying and time consuming.

Just hit the ship name, then the itineraries for that ship. They will be in sequence so you see if they are doing BtB return cruises to the original departure port.
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Old Jul 7th, 2015, 11:51 PM
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The other thing you can do that immediately starts eliminating a lot of cruises is to first choose the length of cruise the longer the cruise the fewer to choose from.
Because you don't have a set time in mind leave the month to month line blank you don't have to put in a date. Then I would just choose one port in the USA and leave the other choices at "all" That would keep you away from Europe etc as you don't want those international flights. I just picked 30 days with LA as a port. It came up with a 30 day cruise out of Miami going through the canal up to Alaska and terminating in Seattle on the Norwegian Pearl. I am just using that as an example of how to do some searches. Just play with it a bit and you will get the hang of it.
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Old Jul 8th, 2015, 06:50 AM
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Tom how about this?
It is from Ft. Lauderdale return 50 nights on HAL's Maasdam to the Mediterranean.

It does St Maarten, Puerto Rico then to Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece Malta etc etc and return to Ft Lauderdale. Leaves Oct 27 return Dec 19.

You can find that on vacations to go by putting in the Oct - Holland America/Maasdam/Ft.Lauderdale.

The price is great and you can't get into too much trouble with a Ft Lauderdale/LAX flight can you???
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Old Jul 8th, 2015, 01:32 PM
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Never mind the FFL-LAX flight. Hop on a full transit canal cruise!
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Old Jul 8th, 2015, 10:36 PM
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All excellent suggestions and advice. Many thanks.

Today at AAA I picked up the Princess 2015-2016 Cruise Atlas. At the back is a cruise summary by ship. Just the basic info - ship, cruise date, ports from-to, number of days. If the cruise is a round-trip it has RT by it. With this and a couple hours study I think I can fish out all interesting possibilities.

A more complicated but possible scenario would be to take one cruise line going and a different cruise line coming back. By the time I figure that out it will be well into the next cruise year!!!

BTW I wrote vacationstogo about my problem (whining) about their colored format. Alan Fox promptly wrote me back and said he will note it. Nice to get a quick personal response, kudos Mr. Fox!!!

regards - tom
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Old Jul 8th, 2015, 11:04 PM
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Tom

Good luck on your quest!! Be sure to keep us informed when you make a decision. I wish I could do the Maasdam cruise but my faithful companion Daisy the Doxie would never let me be away for that length and the single supplement would really make in unaffordable. Glad you had a word with Mr Fox. Enjoy which ever cruise you decide on.
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