Deployment 2017/18 - first guesses and implications

[MADflyer]

Updated 2017 Summer / Winter Deployment predictions

 

Deployment confirmed to great degree. (cruise schedule and press release confirmed)

 

Adventure, year-round San Juan

Allure, Port Everglades year round

Anthem, year-round Bayonne

Brilliance, European deployment, Barcelona 12 nights / Tampa

Enchantment, year-round Miami

Explorer, Alaska Seattle home-port / Sydney deployment

Freedom, European deployment, Barcelona / PE

Grandeur, year-round Baltimore deployment

Harmony, year-round Port Everglades deployment

Indy, European deployment, Southampton.

Legend, China, returns to Hong Kong home-port / Australia

Liberty, year-round Galveston

Majesty, year-round Port Canaveral deployment

Mariner, China, returns to Shanghai from Singapore

Navigator, European deployment, Southampton / Miami

Oasis, year-round Port Canaveral

Ovation, China Beijing deployment / Sydney

Quantum, China, year-round Shanghai home-port

Radiance, Alaska Vancouver home-port / Sydney

Rhapsody, European deployment, Civitavecchia home-port. / Tampa

Serenade, European deployment, Copenhagen / PE

Vision, returns to Venice home-port / Dubai

Voyager, returns to Singapore

 

Deployment Likely (through port bookings and statements)

 

Allure, dry dock or charter for a period from late August?

Jewel, European deployment *Venice or Rome or one-way sailings?

 

Speculated deployment

 

Empress of the Seas return, NOLA or Mobile?

Edited October 23, 2015 by MADflyer

[Clarea]

Updated 2017 Summer / Winter Deployment predictions...

 

Freedom, European deployment, Barcelona likely ...

Do you think Freedom is in Europe year-round?

[MADflyer]

Do you think Freedom is in Europe year-round?

 

No, nothing dramatic for 2017 showing yet. Actually the European seasons for all ships are shortened just a little for 2017.

 

Freedom will arrive to Barcelona on May 7, 2017 following a TA and depart on a TA on October 22, 2017 from Barcelona.

 

She should return to PE again, but there are usually no port clues for that and it is pure assumption until they do the press release.

 

Indy would return as well.

 

One Freedom class would do the 4/5 sailings and the other the 6/8 sailings as usual, I would think.

Edited October 23, 2015 by MADflyer

[shipfriend_max]

I could imagine well, that Empress might be the first RCCL ships sailing the Cuba itineraries.

 

Thanks @MADFlyer for keeping us updated with the stops, regarding Villefranche and Cannes.

Jewel otS is calling at Villefranche the 27th of Oct 2017, so it looks like a repo Venice - Barcelona, or a TA from Europa to San Juan.

 

I personally would assume to see Jewel sailing from Venice in 2017, since Rhapsody is already doing a TA to Rome/Civitaveechia in April 2017 - but there's also a possibility of another repo cruise Rome - Venice.

 

IMHO which one sails from Rome and which from venice, we will see when the itineraries are finalized - even for 2016, the press release stated to have Jewel from Venice, and Rhapsody from Rome, and now it's different. [emoji5]

 

But as it looks like, no major changes, just some slightly itinerary changes, mostly, if so, regarding the sailings from Southampton.

 

I figured out that Navi does not seem to do any Norwegian Fjord cruise in 2017, but three Baltic cruises: Jun 02, 14, 26, 2017, every 12 nights.

Indy seems to sail Norw. Fjords the 28th of June to 06th of July, 8 nights.

And one cruise in July states that Indy would call at Hamburg.

But those are the only things that seem to be new.

 

It also seems like there won't be any Canada/NE sailings, including Quebec, in 2017... :rolleyes:

Edited October 24, 2015 by celebrity_fan

[yj_eugene]

I had thought they might do something with Explorer following the Alaska season, but it looks like that might not happen until 2018 now.

 

It would look good doing the 5/9-night cruises out of Port Canaveral again. :D

[MADflyer]

 

Jewel otS is calling at Villefranche the 27th of Oct 2017, so it looks like a repo Venice - Barcelona, or a TA from Europa to San Juan.

 

:

 

Jewel enters the MED at Gibraltar on the 3rd of May 2017. It looks like they will add a sailing prior to the TA in the Caribbean as they did with Navigator in 2016.

 

Jewel is not booked at Funchal or Gibraltar so the best indicator is the Villafranche call on the 27th. She does return to San Juan and appears on St. Maartin schedules for the usual every other Tuesday calls.

 

Both Navigator and Indy will do Canary Island cruises following MED sailings.

 

Navigator leaves on the TA sailing on the 28th of October from Southampton and calls at Funchal.

 

Indy seems to cross already at the end of September on her TA from Southampton.

 

Brilliance enters the MED on the 28th of April on the 11th night of her TA from Tampa the 17th of April.

 

Brilliance leaves the MED on the 12th of November from Giblraltar on her TA from Barcelona.

[shipfriend_max]

Yeah, but Indy is also booked for Olden, Norway, the 3rd of July, 2017.

And Navi offers Baltic sailings in 2016, 12 nights, so in 2017, they shall be offered as well. And between June 02 and July 10 or so, Navi is not booked in any Mediterranean or Canary Is. port.

 

Your other implications, regarding the specific dates, are interesting.

 

I am wondering what they're doing with Alaska out of Seattle. Explorer again, or Ovation. For 2016, it was more or less, a last-minute decision to send Explorer to Alaska.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Yeah, but Indy is also booked for Olden, Norway, the 3rd of July, 2017.

And Navi offers Baltic sailings in 2016, 12 nights, so in 2017, they shall be offered as well. And between June 02 and July 10 or so, Navi is not booked in any Mediterranean or Canary Is. port.

 

Your other implications, regarding the specific dates, are interesting.

 

I am wondering what they're doing with Alaska out of Seattle. Explorer again, or Ovation. For 2016, it was more or less, a last-minute decision to send Explorer to Alaska.

 

There's already a TP on Explorer available for booking in Apr 2017, so she should be sailing from Seattle again.

[Blizzard54]

I had thought they might do something with Explorer following the Alaska season, but it looks like that might not happen until 2018 now.

 

If Explorer has a successful 2016 season in Alaska they will most likely keep in in the Pacific alternating between Alaska to Australia.

[MADflyer]

Yeah, but Indy is also booked for Olden, Norway, the 3rd of July, 2017.

And Navi offers Baltic sailings in 2016, 12 nights, so in 2017, they shall be offered as well. And between June 02 and July 10 or so, Navi is not booked in any Mediterranean or Canary Is. port.

 

Your other implications, regarding the specific dates, are interesting.

 

I am wondering what they're doing with Alaska out of Seattle. Explorer again, or Ovation. For 2016, it was more or less, a last-minute decision to send Explorer to Alaska.

 

Yes. Indy and Navigator will both be available for other sailings in the peak months as the Canary Island sailings are only 3 for each ship at the end of the season. They have B2B possibilities all summer.

 

Actually now, everything has been confirmed through some actual sailing, some press release or some statement at a conference call now and the only ships open for speculation are Jewel and Empress and to some degree Rhapsody, although she will most likely be at Rome.

 

When Palma shows 2017 bookings it will be much more clear.

 

The Allure gap from the end of August for 2.5 months also leaves some room for speculation although, as you said previously, it is likely only new itineraries

 

We all know how fast all these plans can change, but this season there is not so much room for change.

[MADflyer]

If Explorer has a successful 2016 season in Alaska they will most likely keep in in the Pacific alternating between Alaska to Australia.

 

I think they are thrilled to have a ship that large in Alaska and any speculation was more geared toward Panama Canal or California Coastal sailings. That does not seem to be in the cards and she will return most likely to Australia for sure.

[shipfriend_max]

There's already a TP on Explorer available for booking in Apr 2017, so she should be sailing from Seattle again.

 

 

Of course it has. [emoji5]️

 

But Rhapsody also had a Hawaii sailing in spring 2015 to Vancouver, and than it was cancelled, because of her new Europe deployment.

And the itineraries for Explorer in spring 2016 to Asia also had been cancelled due to her Alaska deployment.

So in theory, it could also happen that the TP 2017 will be cancelled. But I would not say that this is going to happen, this cruise of course indicates, that Explorer is most likely to sail Alaska again.

 

I think the facilities of Ovation will not be transferred to the Chinese market, so it seems RCCL also plans to deploy her on other, international markets.

[BoyntonBeth]

MADflyer, I believe this is the second time you've mentioned Empress. She has been out of the Royal fleet for years. Did you really mean Empress? If so, I must have missed an announcement somewhere.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

MADflyer, I believe this is the second time you've mentioned Empress. She has been out of the Royal fleet for years. Did you really mean Empress? If so, I must have missed an announcement somewhere.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2272062

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6606

Edited October 25, 2015 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[BillB48]

MADflyer, I believe this is the second time you've mentioned Empress. She has been out of the Royal fleet for years. Did you really mean Empress? If so, I must have missed an announcement somewhere.

 

Everything old again is new again... read about here:)

 

http://www.******************.com/2015/10/23/royal-caribbean-confirms-empress-of-the-seas-will-return-fleet

 

Guess that link sells cruises or something, try this one....

 

http://www.rclinvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=103045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=977813

Edited October 25, 2015 by BillB48

[springaussie]

Sydney has had a booking for Azamara Quest for a while now 19 March 2016 while she in the Japan region. Sydney Ports has been updated many times since this booking was made.

Could it be for Empress?

[MADflyer]

MADflyer, I believe this is the second time you've mentioned Empress. She has been out of the Royal fleet for years. Did you really mean Empress? If so, I must have missed an announcement somewhere.

 

Yes, the move of Empress to the RCI fleet surprised me as well. As she was part of the RCL fleet, having been transferred to Pullmantur, it was easy for them to pull her as part of a $399 million write down on the Pullmantur brand against their record earnings for the quarter.

 

It will be interesting to see what they plan for her as she may join the RCI fleet as early as February 2016.

[Mott1086]

In the conference call with investors RCL confirmed that all three Oasis Class ships will remain in Florida year round following the inaugural sailings in Europe of Harmony.

 

Empress of the Seas has been confirmed to be joining the RCI fleet again from Q2 2016.

 

There was no mention of Cuba in the projections for 2016 or 2017 in the projections. This is, of course, subject to change.

 

It was stated that only the Caribbean would see growth to 43.6% of inventory and that Asia would see growth due to Ovation.

 

Europe would remain 'about the same' with 21.3 % of deployment, but yields were much higher than any other region.

 

It was noted that Asia and Australia will see price competition due to 'overcapacity' in the region and they would have to find a balance with deployment.

 

MAD-- with regards to all three Oasis staying in Florida for 2017/18...was that part of the conference this past week?

 

I must have missed that in the transcript. :o(

 

-Michael

[MADflyer]

Sydney has had a booking for Azamara Quest for a while now 19 March 2016 while she in the Japan region. Sydney Ports has been updated many times since this booking was made.

Could it be for Empress?

 

Part of the conference call centered on seeing some weakness in the Australian market and price activity due to overcapacity put in the region by other brands, so it would not seem to be the case.

 

It was pointed out how valuable Australian deployment was to support Asian deployment as Asia would be very weak for Q1 and Q4 otherwise.

 

The original thought was that Empress would go to Azamara, but then RCL confirmed in the conference call that it was actually RCI.

 

Azamara books very far out and they already have some bookings in Europe for 2019, so it could easily be an error.

[BoyntonBeth]

Thanks for the replies. I was on EX until 2 days ago with spotty internet and I missed the news.

[MADflyer]

MAD-- with regards to all three Oasis staying in Florida for 2017/18...was that part of the conference this past week?

 

I must have missed that in the transcript. :o(

 

-Michael

 

I did not see the Empress of the Seas in the written report, but at minute 13 of the pod cast that was mentioned. I did not record the minute for the Oasis class confirmation.

 

I had already projected all 3 ships in Florida due to port schedules and the CFO confirmed that in the conference call when I listened to the podcast.

[Mott1086]

I did not see the Empress of the Seas in the written report, but at minute 13 of the pod cast that was mentioned. I did not record the minute for the Oasis class confirmation.

 

I had already projected all 3 ships in Florida due to port schedules and the CFO confirmed that in the conference call when I listened to the podcast.

 

Thank you, kindly

 

-Michael

[shipfriend_max]

Hi @ all,

 

this article states that jewel otS is going to sail from Rome in 2017.

Jewel otS is going to offer a german gay cruise (:D) in September 2017, starting and ending in Rome.

 

Have a look here:

http://www.mcruise.eu/

 

http://www.schiffsjournal.de/mcruise-startet-in-2017-erste-deutschsprachige-gay-kreuzfahrt-auf-der-jewel-of-the-seas/

 

Sorry, everything is in german so far, but you can use the translaters, and at least, that's ahint to see Jewel sailing from Rome in 2017... :o

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Hi @ all,

 

this article states that jewel otS is going to sail from Rome in 2017.

Jewel otS is going to offer a german gay cruise (:D) in September 2017, starting and ending in Rome.

 

Have a look here:

http://www.mcruise.eu/

 

http://www.schiffsjournal.de/mcruise-startet-in-2017-erste-deutschsprachige-gay-kreuzfahrt-auf-der-jewel-of-the-seas/

 

Sorry, everything is in german so far, but you can use the translaters, and at least, that's ahint to see Jewel sailing from Rome in 2017... :o

 

Intersting, thanks for posting.

 

So i guess that means Rhapsody will be back in Venice.

[Shocked91]

Is Southampton only going to have Indy in 2017?I was hoping for an Oasis class ship or a Quantum class ship.