Emerald Princess to Join Australian Fleet

[Gishua_]

Its just change and change brings complaints. I for one never cruised Princess before until Regal/Royal. Grand class ships seemed closed in and unattractive but now I am a loyal fan. Being in my early 30's maybe princess has the formula for the next generation of mid aged cruisers correct. I for one won't be cruising carnival, RCCL ever again nor am I old enough for HAL. I am also not interested in cruising on a small or in my opinion on an attractive Grand class ship. I remember lurking on these boards in my late teens and the older generation complaining about the big grand class ships. Seems like another page is turning in the generation book and the cruising industry. Maybe in 15-20 years ill be here complaining about the phase out of the Royal class ships.

[shellyfronk]

This is so upsetting. Emerald is our favorite ship of all. We are thankful we will be able to cruise on her February 2016 one last time.

 

Are we alone that we love the Emerald and the grand glass ships? Why is Princess doing this and making the new ships like Regal and Royal? We love the aft suites with covering...I have had skin cancer and can't be in the sun so much. We love the shaded area and the privacy.

 

We just wonder why Princess is not listening? We have been very loyal to Princess for years. We have all the benefits with RCCL because we used to cruise with them...maybe time to revisit.

 

What a sad day.

 

 

no you are not! We love Emerald and Ruby!

[UpcountryTravelers]

To all the detractors out there: You do know that the Crown and Ruby are EXACT carbon copies of the Emerald, right???

 

......

 

Uh, actually, having sailed on Ruby and then Emerald "almost b2b", I have to say, NO, not right. Ruby and Emerald, although built similar, are definitely not exact copies. Liked Emerald MUCH better then Ruby.

 

But with Princess in the Caribbean becoming mostly Royal and Regal, we will be looking to X for our winter escape from the cold.

[Colo Cruiser]

Uh, actually, having sailed on Ruby and then Emerald "almost b2b", I have to say, NO, not right. Ruby and Emerald, although built similar, are definitely not exact copies. Liked Emerald MUCH better then Ruby.

 

But with Princess in the Caribbean becoming mostly Royal and Regal, we will be looking to X for our winter escape from the cold.

 

 

The only difference between the 3 ships is the Ruby has 4 balcony aft facing cabins on Riviera deck We have sailed all 3 many times, they are the same.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[golfb4cruzing]

We enjoy the Ruby and Caribbean and are trying the Emerald in 4/16. Better late than never I guess.

[msmoger]

Uh, actually, having sailed on Ruby and then Emerald "almost b2b", I have to say, NO, not right. Ruby and Emerald, although built similar, are definitely not exact copies. Liked Emerald MUCH better then Ruby.

 

But with Princess in the Caribbean becoming mostly Royal and Regal, we will be looking to X for our winter escape from the cold.

 

I disagree with this also. Of course there are a few differences between the Crown, Emerald and Ruby but the similarities vastly out number the differences.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

Can't they have the Royal/Regal instead? :(

 

Why not send Regal or Royal? I just don't understand why when so many people like the grand class ships that they are placing them other areas and not making what the customers want.

 

I think the Royal/Regal are tooo big for many of the Ports around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

[Colo Cruiser]

I think the Royal/Regal are tooo big for many of the Ports around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

 

 

They can always tender. ;)

[ccrain]

Sapphire in SIN; Diamond splitting between Japan and Australia; Sun, Sea, Dawn already down under; Golden headed that way. Island being Venicified.

 

Now the Emerald goes waaayyy south!

 

The only glimmer of hope is a fantasy FLL to SYD 90+ day cruise via South America, HI, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, etc....or the other direction with Africa and India would be fine with me!

 

Congratulations to the Aussies and Kiwis! Your bellying up to the bar, pun deliberately intended, is paying off!

Edited January 7, 2015 by ccrain

[icat2000]

They can always tender. ;)

 

She be tendering at a lot of stops then. Wouldn't be practical or very efficient. I'm trying to think what ports in Australia or NZ could handle a ship like Royal or Regal Princess size.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

She be tendering at a lot of stops then. Wouldn't be practical or very efficient. I'm trying to think what ports in Australia or NZ could handle a ship like Royal or Regal Princess size.

 

in New Zealand:

 

Auckland.

Tauranga (maybe, depends if she can handle the tight channel).

Wellington.

if she can handle Tauranga then she might be able to handle Port Chalmers.

 

and maybe Picton as well.

 

in Australia:

 

Melbourne

Fremantle

 

there are just a few I think she could fit in.

[rkmw]

She be tendering at a lot of stops then. Wouldn't be practical or very efficient. I'm trying to think what ports in Australia or NZ could handle a ship like Royal or Regal Princess size.

 

i think if the QM2 at 150,000 ton could tender at the Bay of Island & Akaroo then the Royal and Regal are smaller they could tender there too plus do a couple of laps around AUS

[AE_Collector]

With Ocean leaving and potentially Pacific as well, we haven't heard if Princess will just abandon most of the itinerary's that can only be done with the smaller ships.

 

They have been adding a lot if "cabins" to Asia and Australia but maybe one or more of the older Sun class ships will be leaving when Emerald arrives. Or might they do a massive reno to one or more of them to pick up some of the itineraries currently being done by Ocean and Pacific. If uneconomical to renovate that extensively they may instead trade some ships around within Carnival. Lots of "what ifs".

 

No ships are lost as someone else mentioned, just new opportunities to explore new locations on your favourite ships. If Princess didn't sail Asia and Australia, Princess wouldn't have 18 ships. So some would be lost anyway, maybe to Norwegian!

 

Just my thoughts....Terry

Edited January 8, 2015 by AE_Collector

[cruisequeen4ever]

I am one who love the Regal but have wanted to sail the Ruby or Emerald because they're second newest. Yes, I'm sad there's now no chance of bringing the Emerald to the west coast, but I'm also excited. DH and I have been waiting for the newer ships to redeploy to Australia for us to take an Australia cruise. I have no interest in sailing on the aging Sun, Sea, or Dawn. The Dawn wasn't that interesting to me when I sailed her in 1999, and she's certainly not interesting to me 15 years later. My hope is that the Emerald, Diamond, and/or Sapphire will offer summer sailings in Australia.

 

 

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[Aussie Gal]

We deserve to get some newer ships down here. Princess has been having trouble engine wise with the Sun, Sea and Dawn for quite some time and even have had to cancel a couple of cruises on the Sea.

 

Celebrity has been sending the lovely Solstice down here for the past 2 years, as well as RCCL with their lovely ships and I think that Princess has finally woken up that we Aussie's don't want the dregs anymore and therefore, unless we get some newer ships they are going to lose a huge market. Apparently after the U.S. we are the fastest growing area for cruising and we have the money to spend.

 

Jennie

[Colo Cruiser]

i think if the QM2 at 150,000 ton could tender at the Bay of Island & Akaroo then the Royal and Regal are smaller they could tender there too plus do a couple of laps around AUS

 

 

Exactly. :D

[dave_k58]

Is Princess leaving Houston altogether, or is another ship coming to replace the Emeralc.

[MCC retired]

From opinions I read here on CC , I have nothing against The Aussies , but give them the Royal or Regal and keep the Emerald in North America .

 

 

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[OCruisers]

We are booked on Emerald out of FLL in January 2016 so we will at least get to sail on her one more time.

LuLu

[satxdiver]

Is Princess leaving Houston altogether, or is another ship coming to replace the Emeralc.

 

The Caribbean is coming back for the 2015-2016 winter.

[Marseydotes]

For anyone who has cruised Princess AND Princess Australia, are there substantial differences? I assume cost may be different, and perhaps food? Anything else?

We are sailing Emerald for the first time in September, and would love our next cruise to be down under. If we fall in love with Emerald, she may be our answer!

[icat2000]

For anyone who has cruised Princess AND Princess Australia, are there substantial differences? I assume cost may be different, and perhaps food? Anything else?

We are sailing Emerald for the first time in September, and would love our next cruise to be down under. If we fall in love with Emerald, she may be our answer!

 

They may put more food on that Australians like i.e salmon. Australian bacon not that rubbish American style bacon. Vegemite and a larger selection of Australian and NZ wine and beers.

 

Hopefully, they get better trained barista who know how to make a decent coffee.

 

Other that that, gratitude s will be included in the price only if the cruise is booked within Australia/and or NZ otherwise you pay the $11.50 per day or whatever it is.

[MauiLvrs]

Can't they have the Royal/Regal instead? :(

 

That is EXACTLY what we were thinking :(

[Hobart Hurricane]

I love how the USA have all the bigger, newer ships, yet we get something a bit newer down here and they complain. More to the world than just the U.S ;). You can come and cruise down here now on the Diamond, Emerald and Golden. I know I'd love to go on the bigger ships that sail from the US, but the cost of getting there is rather expensive. So know I will have the opportunity to go on the bigger ships down here :)

[Aussie Gal]

What is so wrong with the Regal and the Royal? Is it their size, layout or something else? We found the Emerald to be too big when we cruised on her in 2012 as we love the two little ones, the Ocean and Princess.

 

I cannot believe that you are all upset that we are at last getting a decent ship down here from Princess that isn't beyond the use by date. For too long we have had the cast offs and now that we are finally being recognised as a country that is taking to cruising in a big way, you are all being so unsporting and acting like spoilt children. Princess has a lot of ships and yet you begrudge us one of them! After all, we are only getting her for our summer months from November to April and then not until 2016!

 

Jennie