Is RCI planning any new ports of call, or new itineraries?

[BillOh]

We'll see Cuban destinations no later than 2017. My guess, anyway.;)

 

Thye're all guesses and probably none are better than others, but based on nothing but a hunch I agree with this. If it is accurate, we will probably see occasional updates, news storie and press released in late 2015 and 2016. Good thing I don't have my 2017 cruise figured out yet.

 

On a barely related note, when I last did Freedom on the Western itinerary we sailed from Miami to Labadee we came with in a few miles of some barrier islands right off the coast of Cuba. I assume they belong to Cuba, they look like they would make a wonderful Coco Cay type stop. I'm betting the fishing/snorkeling/scuba potential would be great.

Edited December 17, 2014 by BillOh

[ivanrocko]

Respectfully..."so what?" That's the companies problem. I don't need to worry about logistics or fuel economy. As guests we're allowed to have opinions on more varied ports of call. Some itineraries cost more, so be it.

 

 

I agree.

 

If cruise companies want to keep their loyal customers, they will listen to them, take their ideas and opinions, and later offer their "new" product; or they will start to lose their customers to the other companies that really listen, and deliver.

The new ships are great, but remember that travel basics is about going places, so new ports or new itineraries really makes sense.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[OTownNick]

We sail Celebrity Eclipse only because the 14nt goes to wonderful ports-Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Curacao, Aruba, etc... There should be NO REASON Royal Caribbean couldn't offer a 10, 12 or 14 nt sailing out of Florida like Celebrity does!!! Really, just how many times can you go to St Thomas, St Martin and Nassau?? Get with the program RCL!!! Too expensive to fly to San Juan but FLL and Miami are workable for most of us! Also, please put Tortola back on a ship that leaves out of Florida!! PLEASE CONSIDER THESE SUGGESTIONS! Than You!

 

3/18/16 we are doing a 10-nt out of FLL that includes Tortola on Serenade of the Seas.

[negc]

Respectfully..."so what?" That's the companies problem. I don't need to worry about logistics or fuel economy. As guests we're allowed to have opinions on more varied ports of call. Some itineraries cost more, so be it.

 

But you need to be concerned about, or at least be aware of, any problems you might experience in those new ports if they are not up to the standards that you are used to - infrastructure, sanitary facilities, safety etc. All of those factors, and many more, have to be considered by the companies when they are deciding to add new ports to their itineraries. Otherwise you may be among the loudest critics when that new port that you were lobbying for doesn't provide you with the pleasurable experience you wanted. And if those itineraries cost more, expect that added expense to be reflected in your cruise fare.

[dsvd79]

I wish RC did a trip like this one offered on Celebrity

 

11

Nights

Ultimate Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Equinox

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Sailing to:

George Town, Grand Cayman

 

Cartagena, Colombia

 

Colon, Panama

 

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

 

Belize City, Belize

 

Cozumel, Mexico

 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

or

 

14

Nights

Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Eclipse

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Miami, Florida

 

Sailing to:

Oranjestad, Aruba

Willemstad, Curacao

St. George's, Grenada

Bridgetown, Barbados

Castries, St. Lucia

St. John's, Antigua

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Miami, Florida

[UNV-IT!!!]

Living in south Florida I'll be on whatever ship goes first to Cuba no doubt. I would say with 100% assurance that will be a new point within the next few years.

[Raxter54]

I would also like to see some different departure ports. Charleston would be lovely for Bermuda. I would like to try New Orleans. I know they have some out of New Orleans but has been difficult to mesh my schedule with theirs. Galveston is just hard to get to from the East Coast.

 

I would prefer to be cruising than having the 35 degrees and rain we are having today

 

If you want to sail RCI out of NOLA better book quickly. RCI is leaving New Orleans when the Serenade departs at the end of April.

[Lazirus65]

Living in the UK in would love to see Africa or Indian Ocean cruises on their Itineraries.

[pspercy]

I'd like to see longer ( >7dys ) trips out of Galveston, or even Houston.

[Bailey & Sophie]

I wish RC did a trip like this one offered on Celebrity

 

11

Nights

Ultimate Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Equinox

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Sailing to:

George Town, Grand Cayman

 

Cartagena, Colombia

 

Colon, Panama

 

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

 

Belize City, Belize

 

Cozumel, Mexico

 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

or

 

14

Nights

Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Eclipse

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Miami, Florida

 

Sailing to:

Oranjestad, Aruba

Willemstad, Curacao

St. George's, Grenada

Bridgetown, Barbados

Castries, St. Lucia

St. John's, Antigua

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Miami, Florida

We've done these cruises. These ports are fabulous!

[bigque]

Are you thinking of Samana, Dominican Republic? I went on a 9 night from Bayonne on the Explorer in February 2013, and it was one of our ports of call. It was a really interesting place, and the zipline excursion was one of the best excursions I have experienced. Perhaps we just got lucky with weather and our tour!

 

There is a zipline excursion in Antigua that is real good also that I did. You have 11 or 12 zip lines of various lenghts and heights over a mountain with a "Leap Of Faith" jump at the end. The longest and jighest zip line they allow you do do twice. The only thing is it requires a great deal of walking up the mountain to get to the highest zip lines and it is a long walk back up to the building you started at after you take the leap of faith jump! Of course you are offered some Free Rum Punch after it is over! :cool:

[negc]

I wish RC did a trip like this one offered on Celebrity

 

11

Nights

Ultimate Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Equinox

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

Sailing to:

George Town, Grand Cayman

 

Cartagena, Colombia

 

Colon, Panama

 

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

 

Belize City, Belize

 

Cozumel, Mexico

 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

 

or

 

14

Nights

Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise

Celebrity Eclipse

 

Cruise Ports

Departing from:

Miami, Florida

 

Sailing to:

Oranjestad, Aruba

Willemstad, Curacao

St. George's, Grenada

Bridgetown, Barbados

Castries, St. Lucia

St. John's, Antigua

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Miami, Florida

We've done similar itineraries on RCI ships in past years and our Brilliance's repo cruise out of Boston next October stops in several of the ports (Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts), so if you look carefully you can find them. Why people seem to believe that there are a large number of Caribbean ports not visited by RCI is difficult to understand. As they seek to attract new cruisers to their ships they will offer many cruises to those ports which are most attractive to newbies, (San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau) but they also have a good number of sailings that visit the less common ports.

[twopats]

Frustrating that neither RCL or Celebrity sail at all from New Orleans anymore. I also agree that corporate planners are stagnant in their choice of ports, and we need some new ones like Tortola and Belize. Is anyone listening at RCL from cruisers who love the line but are bored with the same old islands? Trish

Edited December 18, 2014 by twopats
Left out period.

[MaritimeR&R]

It will be interesting to see if any new ports will be added once Tourtrek is launched. RCI has stated that this subsidiary will coordinate land-based vacations in over 90 countries.

 

I know that I would thoroughly enjoy booking both a cruise and a land-based vacation together.

[Crystalkrt]

Due to the same repetitive itineraries Royal keeps offering, I was forced to switch to Princess and Disney next year. Princess offers two different 10 days caribbean routes that Royal cannot match. Princess is also offering different dates and ships.

Even though Royal is our favorite cruise line, I am tired of same old eastern/western routes and we are refusing to do them again.

[smalltimecruiser100]

I agree. The same old east and west ports. They are offering a 9 & 10 day out of FLL on the Serenade nest year. The 9 on Dec,14, and the 10 on Dec4th. The 9 goes to Bonair, Aruba, Curacao, and Key West. I don't know what the 10 is.

 

I know the Serenade in 2016 is going on an 11 night out of Ft Lauderdale to Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia & Antigua

[TheMastodon]

I was told Oasis is getting 9 night itineraries in early-mid 2016 that will visit two new islands - straight from Next Cruise department while on the Oasis last month.

 

Something to keep in mind.

[TravelerThom]

Why are there no cruises to Bermuda departing from a Florida port??

Not many, but Vision of the Seas had several this year.

 

Thom

[negc]

Frustrating that neither RCL or Celebrity sail at all from New Orleans anymore. I also agree that corporate planners are stagnant in their choice of ports, and we need some new ones like Tortola and Belize. Is anyone listening at RCL from cruisers who love the line but are bored with the same old islands? Trish

 

And yet they sail mostly full each and every week and seem to be quite profitable, so perhaps they know what they are doing. I frequently read complaints that RCI only sails to the "same old islands" but I have yet to see Caribbean ports suggested that RCI has not visited at one time or another in the past several years. However, if you feel that strongly you should write to the new president of the line and let him know. If there is sufficient interest I doubt he would ignore your suggestion, but you should be prepared to back up your suggestion with your support should they make the changes you want. All too often we believe that we know more than the people whose job it is to make these decisions but our opinions are sometimes colored by our own preferences and don't really reflect what the majority of potential passengers want or will support.

[ivanrocko]

Ideas for

New Ports of Call:

1) Havana, Cuba

2) Turks And Caicos

3) Puerto Plata or Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

4) Cancun, Mexico

5) Barranquilla, Colombia

6) Maracaibo or Caracas, Venezuela

7) Trinidad and Tobago

 

New itineraries departing from FL (Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Port Canaveral) to:

1) Bermuda, San Juan PR, Turks And Caicos, Nassau

2) Havana, Cancun, Key West

3) Havana, Puerto Plata or Punta Cana, San Juan

 

Departing from San Juan, PR to:

1) St Maarten, St Lucia, Caracas, Curacao, Aruba, Barranquilla

[tidygirl]

@ivanrocko- Those all sound awesome, we are tired of the same old ports we did venture to the Medittarenean but the flights are so expensive can't do it all the time!

[dsvd79]

I know the Serenade in 2016 is going on an 11 night out of Ft Lauderdale to Aruba, Bonaire, Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia & Antigua

 

Yep we are doing that sailing Jan 2016. I really want to do the trip on Celebrity that goes to Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, etc.

[Folk Singer]

Not many, but Vision of the Seas had several this year.

 

Thom

 

Thanks Thom.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Folk Singer

[Debde]

I really want to do the trip on Celebrity that goes to Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, etc.

 

YES!!!! Royal used to have this itinerary. Love to see it return.

And what about that partial canal cruise? Bring that back to!!! please!!!:)

How about an overnight at Labadee??

[springaussie]

I was told Oasis is getting 9 night itineraries in early-mid 2016 that will visit two new islands - straight from Next Cruise department while on the Oasis last month.

 

Something to keep in mind.

 

Asian media are reporting Oasis of the Seas or similar could be calling at the Taipei Island of Penghu and Philippines Islands from April 2016.

Edited December 19, 2014 by springaussie