Deployment Schedule 2016-2017. Let the guessing begin

[geoff2802]

Well whatever makes you feel better, this is a forum to bost your opinions as that is what I am here for.

 

Florida is the largest cruise market, not New York, Boston, or even Baltimore and floridians expect the best from cruising we don't need to settle for anything as all cruise lines put their best.

 

 

With the overcapacity of cruise ships in the Caribbean, as evidenced by relatively low prices and fierce competition, Royal and other lines can achieve higher yield by placing ships elsewhere. I don't wish this on Floridian cruisers, but you might find a lot of new capacity goes elsewhere. Quantum is the first case. There will be more.

 

 

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[Paulette3028]

The pricing is low because the market calls for it, 3 day cruises get filled mainly by locals, they want a good deal, what the cruise line gets out of it is a lot of onboard spending on alcohol

 

There are a lot of people on Her Majesty, from lots of places....not just 'local S. Floridians'. We were on her this past Thanksgiving Weekend (and yes as S. Floridians we can and have gone on her many times), but at our table were two families (new to cruising) -- one from Baltimore, MD and another from Georgia. One family was from North Florida (a 5 hour drive or so) and then us.

 

People go on her for a short cruise, because she is easy to get to with two airports close-by and where they can get reasonable airfares.

 

Other ships that call S. Florida their home port, will also have many Floridians and many, many others.

[Paulette3028]

While I was very impressed with Majesty and she is a very well run ship, Splendour or any of the options will give RCI many more revenue options.

 

The Splendour public rooms have the following capacities: *Revenue centers

 

Public Rooms Capacity

King & I Dining Room 991

Windjammer Café 550

Chops Grille 52

Izumi 38

Chef's Table 12

Park Café 42

Izumi 38 Boardwalk Dog House 28

Latte'tudes 12

42nd Street Theater 802

Top Hat Lounge 338

Casino Royale 240

 

Public Rooms Capacity

Schooner Bar 104

Viking Crown Lounge/Nightclub 67

R Bar 33 Diamond Club Lounge 35

Concierge Lounge 35

Britto Gallery

Adventure Ocean Youth Area 40

Royal Babies & Tots Nursery 8

Optix Teen Disco 30

Conference Center 106

 

 

Compared to Majesty

 

Johnny Rockets 72

Compass Deli 52

Casino Royale 302

A Chorus Line 1,027

 

Public Rooms Capacity

Spectrum Lounge 257

Viking Crown Lounge 229

Schooner Bar 142

Boleros 257

Latte'tudes 26 Adventure Ocean 83

Fuel Nightclub/The Living Room 40

The Back Deck 44

Conference Center 239

 

Every other ship in the fleet has more revenue generating opportunities than Her Majesty....but Splendour has a max capacity that is 700 cruisers less. They would have to charge more per person per cabin and those cruises would have to "GENERATE a lot more revenue through those additional revenue generating venues" -- if I were a betting person....that is not what I would bet on, as well as it being a poor business approach.

[springaussie]

Why wouldn't they? It's not like it would be something revolutionary. She's just an older Independence and Liberty.

 

 

Royal would not want the market to know in advance that Oasis class was going to Port Canaveral.

[SherriZ366]

With the overcapacity of cruise ships in the Caribbean, as evidenced by relatively low prices and fierce competition, Royal and other lines can achieve higher yield by placing ships elsewhere. I don't wish this on Floridian cruisers, but you might find a lot of new capacity goes elsewhere. Quantum is the first case. There will be more.

 

 

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Part of the reason that QN is going to China is that Bermuda will not have dredged sufficiently to accommodate her this summer (2015). Liberty is taking over the itineraries that QN would have sailed in the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2015 and then AN comes to Bayonne.

 

RCI's promotions of QN were very New York themed with tastings in the city and a Broadway star as Godmother -- the company always intended to have a Caribbean and Bahamas ship sailing from the NYC area.

Edited February 7, 2015 by SherriZ366

[DutchCruiseFan]

Royal would not want the market to know in advance that Oasis class was going to Port Canaveral.

 

Ooooooh now i get it, that makes sense!

[John&LaLa]

Why wouldn't they? It's not like it would be something revolutionary. She's just an older Independence and Liberty.

 

Technically, Indy and Liberty are newer Freedoms

[molly361]

Royal would not want the market to know in advance that Oasis class was going to Port Canaveral.

 

Why not?

[Paulette3028]

Royal would not want the market to know in advance that Oasis class was going to Port Canaveral.

 

Marketing execs will say, that 'speculation' fuels interest....no company wants the public to know things in advance of when the company feels it is in their best interest to 'release' info.

 

Even 'leaked' info is leaked on purpose many times.

 

For example, when people say that Vision was planned to replace Her Majesty, because they see her listed on a port report.....all that says to me, is that listing is a 'place holder' and Royal has no intention of giving up that port as an embarkation location.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Paulette3028

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Ovation to Alaska in 2017 out of San Francisco. Mark my word. I've seen hints given from royal on Twitter and Richard fain when he did the technology reveal. I'm willing to bet money on it!

 

 

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Now that is a cruise I'd love to book! However, it seems like stretch, and IMO, I don't see a Q Class ship going to Alaska. But I would love if Royal added Alaska itineraries from San Francisco!

Edited February 8, 2015 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[shipfriend_max]

Ovation from SFO to Alaska??? :eek: Sorry to break euphoria, but I can hardly believe - is Ovation able to pass Golden Gate Bridge? Can the Alaskan ports handle such ships?

Also I think, in markets such as Alaska, no ships which are actually "the destination itself" are deployed.

 

For me the big question for 2016 is:

 

If

-Radiance and Jewel to Alaska

-Brilliance, Vision and Rhapsody in Med

-Navigator and Ovation from Southampton,

which sip should sail out of Harwich? I cannot see Splendour sailing on that itinerary, since RCI would be down capacities there.

Serenade also is unlikely IMHO, since she seems to be deployed from Copenhagen and Stockholm.

MAYBE Adventure otS from Harwich? But would she be too large for Stockholm?

[Paulette3028]

Ovation to Alaska in 2017 out of San Francisco. Mark my word. I've seen hints given from royal on Twitter and Richard fain when he did the technology reveal. I'm willing to bet money on it!

 

 

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If the hint came from Richard Fain, then he was 'intentionally leaking something' - companies do it for a variety of reasons say marketing execs:(1) to gauge consumer reaction -- if reaction isn't what the company expects, they can still scrap the idea or (2) to really wet the appetite of their customers to keep them from going to the competition or (3) perhaps for some other reason that Fain himself had.

 

Time will tell.

[norcalemt02]

Ovation from SFO to Alaska??? :eek: Sorry to break euphoria, but I can hardly believe - is Ovation able to pass Golden Gate Bridge? Can the Alaskan ports handle such ships?

 

Also I think, in markets such as Alaska, no ships which are actually "the destination itself" are deployed.

 

 

 

For me the big question for 2016 is:

 

 

 

If

 

-Radiance and Jewel to Alaska

 

-Brilliance, Vision and Rhapsody in Med

 

-Navigator and Ovation from Southampton,

 

which sip should sail out of Harwich? I cannot see Splendour sailing on that itinerary, since RCI would be down capacities there.

 

Serenade also is unlikely IMHO, since she seems to be deployed from Copenhagen and Stockholm.

 

MAYBE Adventure otS from Harwich? But would she be too large for Stockholm?

 

 

Ahhhh that's where you're wrong my friend. If you go you YouTube and watch the technology announcement at 7:30 where Richard is talking about lowering the smoke stacks he gives two examples. The Verrazano bridge (which quantum currently crosses) and the Golden Gate Bridge. So it can go under it.

[shipfriend_max]

Ahhhh that's where you're wrong my friend. If you go you YouTube and watch the technology announcement at 7:30 where Richard is talking about lowering the smoke stacks he gives two examples. The Verrazano bridge (which quantum currently crosses) and the Golden Gate Bridge. So it can go under it.

 

Ok, thank you! Can you tell me the exact name of the video, what to type in on YouTube?

Did he give any hints about Ovation being transferred to Alaska in 2017?

 

But nevertheless, shouldn't we focus on summer 2016 here? :)

[norcalemt02]

Ok, thank you! Can you tell me the exact name of the video, what to type in on YouTube?

 

Did he give any hints about Ovation being transferred to Alaska in 2017?

 

 

 

But nevertheless, shouldn't we focus on summer 2016 here? :)

 

 

Just search quantum of the seas technology reveal its by cruiseguy.com

 

From being someone that lives in California this would be an amazing reveal for us.

[3dog]

Ahhhh that's where you're wrong my friend. If you go you YouTube and watch the technology announcement at 7:30 where Richard is talking about lowering the smoke stacks he gives two examples. The Verrazano bridge (which quantum currently crosses) and the Golden Gate Bridge. So it can go under it.

 

Possibly. The GGB has more than 2m less clearance (67.1m) than the Verrazano Narrows bridge (69.5), so using the SF Bay as a port (ether of call or embarkation) for Q-class would depend on how close to the 67.1m clearance the ship actually has (been looking for Quantum's height, but haven't found it yet).

 

Also, the Lions Gate Bridge (Vancouver) has only 61m, so if Q-class is significantly taller than Celebrity S-class, Vancouver is out as either a PoC or PoE, limiting the places she can visit.

 

Further, no Q-class is coming to the west coast any sooner than the Panama Canal expansion is complete, as they are unlikely to take the ship either around the cape or around the world (though that would be an interesting itinerary). And though the expansion is slated to be complete by 2016, it has been delayed often, so I don't expect any schedule that requires the expansion to be available till after it is finally open.

 

 

As much as it would be cool to see a Q-class on the west coast, I don't see it in the 2016 deployment schedule.

[westcoasttech]

...

 

Also, the Lions Gate Bridge (Vancouver) has only 61m, so if Q-class is significantly taller than Celebrity S-class, Vancouver is out as either a PoC or PoE, limiting the places she can visit.

 

Further, no Q-class is coming to the west coast any sooner than the Panama Canal expansion is complete, as they are unlikely to take the ship either around the cape or around the world (though that would be an interesting itinerary). And though the expansion is slated to be complete by 2016, it has been delayed often, so I don't expect any schedule that requires the expansion to be available till after it is finally open.

 

 

As much as it would be cool to see a Q-class on the west coast, I don't see it in the 2016 deployment schedule.

 

But remember the Quantum is heading to China in a few months, so IF China didn't work out for that class of ship (huge "if"), she would be on "that side" of the planet anyway - just a straight sail across the Pacific! [being in total fantasy planning mode here!]

 

That being said, I can't imagine (and not sure if I want to imagine) a ship that size wandering around Alaska. Pretty sure she would not fit under the Lions Gate Bridge here in Vancouver - they are managing to squeeze the Soltice in (but only twice a year, at beginning and end of season - last time I looked), but not sure the market would need or support anything bigger than her. I haven't checked the Port Authority schedule for the coming season, but Vancouver has been pretty well served in recent years with the existing ships.

 

However, I would love to see some new ships down at Canada Place, it would make my lunchtime "ship-spotting" walks all the more interesting...

Edited February 8, 2015 by westcoasttech

[3dog]

Good point, could very well be discrepancies within the schedule regarding port calls of the three Oasis class ships. What would your guesses be about which ship goes were? If your speculation is right, here are my guesses...Oasis I to Asia, Allure staying in Fort Lauderdale, Oasis III to Canaveral.

 

I think these are nice guesses, but I have almost totally different ones.

 

Though possible that one of the Oasis class ships goes to Asia, I suspect more that it will be deployed to the Mediterranean. These are big ships, and not that many ports or dry docks can handle them. So part of choosing a Pacific itinerary is not only what ports to visit, but also would include where might she get service if needed.

 

As for an O-class ship in PC, I personally think this is wishful thinking, as where would she go that is unique to PC. If she is expected to do the same east/west caribbean, it would cost much more in fuel to go from PC than PE. So to have any O-class ship in PC, you would need to come up with an itinerary that is best served from that port.

 

So my guess is two O-class out of FLL and one out of Barcelona.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I think these are nice guesses, but I have almost totally different ones.

 

Though possible that one of the Oasis class ships goes to Asia, I suspect more that it will be deployed to the Mediterranean. These are big ships, and not that many ports or dry docks can handle them. So part of choosing a Pacific itinerary is not only what ports to visit, but also would include where might she get service if needed.

 

As for an O-class ship in PC, I personally think this is wishful thinking, as where would she go that is unique to PC. If she is expected to do the same east/west caribbean, it would cost much more in fuel to go from PC than PE. So to have any O-class ship in PC, you would need to come up with an itinerary that is best served from that port.

 

So my guess is two O-class out of FLL and one out of Barcelona.

 

Barcelona year round?

[3dog]

But remember the Quantum is heading to China in a few months, so IF China didn't work out for that class of ship (huge "if"), she would be on "that side" of the planet anyway - just a straight sail across the Pacific! [being in total fantasy planning mode here!]

 

Indeed, she would be close. But again, I doubt she would come to the west coast any sooner than she can fit through the Panama Canal, otherwise, she could be stranded here.

 

That being said, I can't imagine (and not sure if I want to imagine) a ship that size wandering around Alaska. Pretty sure she would not fit under the Lions Gate Bridge here in Vancouver - they are managing to squeeze the Soltice in (but only twice a year, at beginning and end of season - last time I looked), but not sure the market would need or support anything bigger than her. I haven't checked the Port Authority schedule for the coming season, but Vancouver has been pretty well served in recent years with the existing ships.

 

However, I would love to see some new ships down at Canada Place, it would make my lunchtime "ship-spotting" walks all the more interesting...

 

Not sure that any coastal protection agency would like a ship that size cruising around Alaska. And environmental protection groups in the Pacific Northwest are pretty powerful.

 

I could, though, see the scenario (as suggested, she doesn't workout in the South Pacific or China) that after the PC expansion is complete that Quantum make a Pacific trip that goes through the canal on a return to the east coast. But this is a single sailing, rather than a deployment.

[3dog]

Barcelona year round?

 

Sure, why not? Certainly as good a guess as China or the South Pacific year-round.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Sure, why not? Certainly as good a guess as China or the South Pacific year-round.

 

Not against the idea at all. I was just making sure I was understanding your scenario correctly.

[3dog]

Not against the idea at all. I was just making sure I was understanding your scenario correctly.

 

It appeared as if Oasis visit before her dry-dock was well enough received that Allure is making a longer trip as part of her dry-dock plan. I fully suspect this is to further test the waters (pardon the pun) for a longer term Oasis class deployment.

[Ourusualbeach]

It appeared as if Oasis visit before her dry-dock was well enough received that Allure is making a longer trip as part of her dry-dock plan. I fully suspect this is to further test the waters (pardon the pun) for a longer term Oasis class deployment.

 

I think that the lengths of the stays in Europe had more to do with the timing of the drydock and the ability of the ship to stay in Europe more than the apparent success of Oasis's limited season as both itineraries were released at the same time.

 

Any decisions on deploying an Oasis class ship for the 2016 season would only be based on the results of Oasis's sailings and the bookings on Allure so far.

[MADflyer]

RCI had never seen as many advance bookings for the European season as when they released Oasis of the Seas for sale. She opened for sale on April 12th. 2013 and was announced on February 7th, 2013.

 

I was onboard the Liberty of the Seas TA sailing and there were lines of Crown and Anchor members some waiting hours to make sure they claimed their cabin for the Oasis Europe short season.

 

While everyone suspected that Allure would do a similar sailing due to the dry dock schedule, the Allure sailings were announced on February 5th 2014 in the last deployment.

 

While I do not suspect year round Oasis class to match NCL's deployment of the Epic year round, I do think Oasis class will return to Barcelona for the April to October season.

 

If Barcelona gets the expected Low Cost Norwegian Air hub, I think this year round air space will make it a very attractive home port in the future.

 

I do think that Oasis class could be year round in Barcelona when Oasis IV is out in 2018 though. There is a lot of mega ship competition coming with 2 ships from MSC along with a Costa mega ship though.