Oasis To Europe in 2014?

[Diamondfly]

Just off Oasis last week, interesting comment from Capt Thore Thorolvsen was that the ship needed dry docking in 2014, there is no yard big enough in the Americas, I think he said that a yard at Norfolk could accomodate ship, but the US Navy can have priority at any time and this would not be acceptable to RCCL. At a meeting he attended the previous week on a Freedom Class ship with other Captains and Management, it was stated that it was likely that the ship would do a summer season based in Europe 2014 as well as the dry docking. In 2015 Allure would have its dry docking done under the same arrangements. This very exciting for us Europeans!

[kruzerci]

Just off Oasis last week, interesting comment from Capt Thore Thorolvsen was that the ship needed dry docking in 2014, there is no yard big enough in the Americas, I think he said that a yard at Norfolk could accomodate ship, but the US Navy can have priority at any time and this would not be acceptable to RCCL. At a meeting he attended the previous week on a Freedom Class ship with other Captains and Management, it was stated that it was likely that the ship would do a summer season based in Europe 2014 as well as the dry docking. In 2015 Allure would have its dry docking done under the same arrangements. This very exciting for us Europeans!

 

Hopefully that so true. It would make sense. But that is a long ways off and 99% of ship talk like this never happens.

[negc]

Just off Oasis last week, interesting comment from Capt Thore Thorolvsen was that the ship needed dry docking in 2014, there is no yard big enough in the Americas, I think he said that a yard at Norfolk could accomodate ship, but the US Navy can have priority at any time and this would not be acceptable to RCCL. At a meeting he attended the previous week on a Freedom Class ship with other Captains and Management, it was stated that it was likely that the ship would do a summer season based in Europe 2014 as well as the dry docking. In 2015 Allure would have its dry docking done under the same arrangements. This very exciting for us Europeans!

 

It is an interesting piece of speculation, but does anyone know how many and what European ports can actually accommodate an Oasis class ship? That would be an essential part of the decision process before scheduling a summer itinerary for Oasis or Allure.

[bajathree]

I have heard this same thing last year from senior staff...we also talked about ports in Europe for her doing an abbreviated short season abroad....since a number of the ports of call are industrial docks it seemed that it shouldn't be hard to fit her in a few ports.

[Atty]

On thing that the guy in charge of the plants on Central Park told us during our recent Allure cruise is that all the plants were picked with the Caribbean in mind and that if they ever moved to another location, a lot of Central Park would need to be changed.

[Cruising89143]

I could see them going over to Europe for a short season plus dry dock. I would love to do a TA on one of the ships.

[Diamondfly]

This is being actively worked on, it has a high chance of happening. Yes some ports will need work, some can already already take ship, no different to what happened in the Caribbean, hence the need to make final decision in very near future. Watch this space!

[bajathree]

I could see them going over to Europe for a short season plus dry dock. I would love to do a TA on one of the ships.

 

I am right there with ya;)

[Elizanessie]

I would love to do a TA on one of the ships.

 

I am right there with ya;)

 

And me :D

 

Someone posted about this the other week..and I told my TA I want on that sailing if it happens :D

[Cruising89143]

I am right there with ya;)

 

This would probably be one of the times where RCI would receive much higher fares for a TA. The suites would be gone in a minute. Sign me up.

 

I wish that either the Oasis or Allure would do a couple of special two week sailings per year without making a trip back to FLL. They could combine/tweak the eastern/western sailings. Just one time a year would work for me. No turn around day.:)

[Puffinater]

This would probably be one of the times where RCI would receive much higher fares for a TA. The suites would be gone in a minute. Sign me up.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I would guess it would not take very long to sell the ship out.

[Ocean Boy]

This would probably be one of the times where RCI would receive much higher fares for a TA. The suites would be gone in a minute. Sign me up.

 

I wish that either the Oasis or Allure would do a couple of special two week sailings per year without making a trip back to FLL. They could combine/tweak the eastern/western sailings. Just one time a year would work for me. No turn around day.:)

 

A two week sailing without a turn a round day would be great and I would have a lot of interest in that. And I think that Oasis and Allure would be the only two ships that I could take doing a TA on. I would need a lot of real estate on all of those sea days to support my hyperactivity level.:D

[Ashland]

On thing that the guy in charge of the plants on Central Park told us during our recent Allure cruise is that all the plants were picked with the Caribbean in mind and that if they ever moved to another location, a lot of Central Park would need to be changed.

Job security for the "plant guy" if anyone knows anything it's him :D

[Minoushka]

If EPIC fits should'nt Oasis and Allure fit as well in most European ports????

[bajathree]

On thing that the guy in charge of the plants on Central Park told us during our recent Allure cruise is that all the plants were picked with the Caribbean in mind and that if they ever moved to another location, a lot of Central Park would need to be changed.

 

I don't think they would have to change much if anything since we would only be talking a very abbreviated season.

[Topo Gigio]

On thing that the guy in charge of the plants on Central Park told us during our recent Allure cruise is that all the plants were picked with the Caribbean in mind and that if they ever moved to another location, a lot of Central Park would need to be changed.

 

But if she goes in the summer the temperatures will be more or less the same as in the Caribbean.

[SandyAtSea]

If EPIC fits should'nt Oasis and Allure fit as well in most European ports????

 

Epic is closer to Freedom class than Oasis class. 153,000 tons vs. 220,000, not as wide. Not sure if the draft would be any different.

[Dave85]

Epic is closer to Freedom class than Oasis class. 153,000 tons vs. 220,000, not as wide. Not sure if the draft would be any different.

 

Yeah, Epic is a substantially smaller ship. Wouldn't draw any comparisons there.

[Diamondfly]

Since my original post, thinking about the different nationalities on my Oasis cruise end of January, there were only 84 British passengers out of 5,840 total and quite low totals from other European countries. I think the increasing cost of long haul air travel, particularly in the UK, which now has the highest aviation taxes in the world is causing this. Already UK cruise lines that winter ships in the Caribbean are being brought back to Europe, at least 3 ships less in Winter 12/13. A family of 4 now pay in Economy sterling 260 to USA and 324 to the Caribbean for Air Passsenger Duty alone and its going up again in April and this before the new EU Emission Trading Scheme which started this January is taken into account. This I think would create a big demand in Europe to cruise on this ship, especially as it has to come to Europe for dry docking anyway, and would command a nice price premium for RCI similar to the premium any new ship design can expect in its first few years in service. This occured in the past when Voyager and Freedom class ships first came to Europe. On a different topic I was suprised at the high number of passengers from South America on my cruise, this seems to be becoming an important market for RCI.

[Mines]

It would have to stick to the major ports, so tiny Greek Islands would be out. I guess it would take over the current itineraries of Liberty.

[MorganVFP]

But if she goes in the summer the temperatures will be more or less the same as in the Caribbean.

 

Last month the horticulturist on Oasis also said it would be in Europe in 2014, but would have to go in the warmer weather ato keep the plants alive. He seemed confident in his information, but acknowledged there was nothing definite yet.

[CAT GIRL]

This would probably be one of the times where RCI would receive much higher fares for a TA. The suites would be gone in a minute. Sign me up.

 

The good news is that there are many more suites on this ship

than your normal ship. Just the same, let's try to keep this

information on the down low and hope the prices are reasonable.

[Sinppu]

I've also heard that the palm trees would die in colder temperatures. June-August is the only guaranteed time there's enough warmth in the Mediterranean.

But sign me UP if it ever happens!!! As I happen to live in Europe already :D

 

Plus I can't get my mother to Florida, she hates flying. She'd fly to the Mediterranean though... Oh I vote for Oasis to Europe 2014!

[heatherb1958]

When we had lunch with the training and development officer on board Allure in December last year this was one of the topics discussed, Oasis's first dry dock.

We told Marie we would be first in line on any advertised sailing for an Oasis class TA and wouldn't be bothered if there weren't any ports of call which she said was the major problem, no itinerary to offer due to lack of ports big enough to accept the ship's size.

With the number of RCI royalists who regularly do crossings and rarely get off the ships, us included, I think with interest already the sailing could be sold at least twice over;):D

 

We do have palm trees that grow quite happily on the south coast of the UK:)

[SoBe2010]

This would be a blast for us. Always nice to have Celebrity and RCCL over here in Europe.