Emress bookings must be strong

[coaster]

Tried to upgrade my Cat H OV to a Cat F1 slightly larger OV cabin in May. Price would be double our current rate since C&A rate is no longer available. Bookings just started last week. She must be filling up fast.

[emeraldcity]

Small ship + lots of excited chatter about the novelty. I'm not surprised those cabins are easy to sell.

[coaster]

I have thought for years that the cruise lines were shedding their older tonnage too soon. I can only hope this is a beginning of a trend. Not everyone cares about larger ships with bumper cars, wave machines and a crane that lifts people up in a capsule.

[Clarkk W Griswald]

My cabin increased by $950 since I booked last Wednesday [emoji15]

[gatour]

Carnival has kept a lot of their older tonnage around, just moved them to smaller ports.

 

I have thought for years that the cruise lines were shedding their older tonnage too soon. I can only hope this is a beginning of a trend. Not everyone cares about larger ships with bumper cars, wave machines and a crane that lifts people up in a capsule.

[Tapi]

Our sailing went up from $808 to $1,240 for a cat I OV for 4 passengers. Glad I booked when I did. Still, the higher price is a good bargain. For the same exact day, Carnival Sensation is offering a 5 nighter out of Miami for $1,666 for a similar category and same number of passengers. No offense to the Sensation, but I'll take the Empress for less money any day!

Edited December 29, 2015 by Tapi

[John&LaLa]

Our sailing went up from $808 to $1,240 for a cat I OV for 4 passengers. Glad I booked when I did. Still, the higher price is a good bargain. For the same exact day, Carnival Sensation is offering a 5 nighter out of Miami for $1,666 for a similar category and same number of passengers. No offense to the Sensation, but I'll take the Empress for less money any day!

 

Be careful what you wish for. ;)

This ship is going to be a total wild card. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[MADflyer]

RCI have offered very attractive group and incentive rates to travel agents along with a very much 'enhanced' rate of commission. I would think that this also stimulated bookings from the agent market significantly.

[RFerrington]

RCI have offered very attractive group and incentive rates to travel agents along with a very much 'enhanced' rate of commission. I would think that this also stimulated bookings from the agent market significantly.

 

That's very interesting information. Thanks for sharing.

[Tapi]

Be careful what you wish for. ;)

This ship is going to be a total wild card. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

 

Looking at what they'll be doing to the Empress to bring it back to the RCI fleet, it doesn't seem as if she will be much different than when we sailed on her 11 years ago, except for some aesthetic enhancements, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's not too much of a wild card! But yes, I'm curious to see what she will be like when we sail on her again. We've set foot on a few ships since we last sailed on the Empress, so our point of reference is quite different now.

 

About comparing the Empress and the Sensation, let's just say that the Empress would need to be an absolute dump to be worse than the Sensation. I love Carnival, I've sailed extensively on them, and I've enjoyed some wonderful cruises aboard their ships. But our experience on the Sensation was dismal. To this date, the absolute worst cruise of my life, between the cleanliness and overall condition of the ship, to the overly rowdy fellow passengers, to the indifferent crew unable or unwilling to keep up, to crusted vomit on stairwells, to the full blown brawl in the middle of the atrium, it was not a good experience. [emoji85][emoji86][emoji87]

[irishgal432]

Delete

Edited December 29, 2015 by irishgal432

[SharkCruiser24]

We're thinking about booking on Empress, but perhaps 2017 when the 'newness' dies down. I sailed on her when I was a kid, but would love to sail on her with DH.

[ShawninFL]

We booked right away and I'm glad we did. The next day we were looking at pricing for some friends and the C&A discount was gone. Still a very affordable price, but well more that what we paid.

[coaster]

RCI have offered very attractive group and incentive rates to travel agents along with a very much 'enhanced' rate of commission. I would think that this also stimulated bookings from the agent market significantly.

 

Interesting to know. This is similar to a deal I got on the Freedom earlier in May. A jazz group had chartered the whole ship and the contract fell through late last year. RCI gave travel agents incentives to fill the ship at the last minute with great rates to boot. It pays to follow postings on Cruise Critic on a regular basis. Deals like these tend to go fast.

Edited December 29, 2015 by coaster

[RFerrington]

So how long DID they offer the big C&A discounts ? I booked on 21 December and managed 62% off full price. When did those big discounts go away ?

Edited December 29, 2015 by RFerrington

[ZoeyVictoria]

I think they ended early on Christmas Eve. Just 2-3 days. Reminds me of shopping at Costco; if you see something you like, don't take the time to go home and think about it or it will be gone.

[PCWalton1]

We're thinking about booking on Empress, but perhaps 2017 when the 'newness' dies down. I sailed on her when I was a kid, but would love to sail on her with DH.

 

In January 2017 we are on Navigator for B2B (5 days - Jan 15 and 9 days - Jan 20). I would love it when the Empress 2017 schedule comes out to be able to keep the 9 day Jan 20 cruise and add Empress on either before or after.

Just have to wait and see. :)

[Sunkissed Mommy]

So how long DID they offer the big C&A discounts ? I booked on 21 December and managed 62% off full price. When did those big discounts go away ?

 

I held my room on the 21st, paid deposit on 22nd, and on the 23rd or 24th (cant remember which but it was before xmas) it was nearly double!

[Merion_Mom]

I have thought for years that the cruise lines were shedding their older tonnage too soon. I can only hope this is a beginning of a trend. Not everyone cares about larger ships with bumper cars, wave machines and a crane that lifts people up in a capsule.

 

Well, Empress couldn't be more the opposite of that if she tried!!!!!

 

:eek:

 

;)

 

:)

[coaster]

I can only applaud RCI. First the Majesty got a pass to stay stateside with her move to Port Canaveral instead of the previous plan to transfer her to Pullmantur. The last lady of the Sovereign class.

 

Now the Empress is being brought back to the States from Pullmantur. It is so refreshing to see older ships getting extended life under the RCI banner instead of being sent to a subsidiary overseas.

[The Big Booper]

Spain is right behind Greece in going over a fiscal cliff. Pullmantur must be having severe problems to transfer 2 ships back to RCI.