I have never seen such a lack of interest ...

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, ChipLondon said:

Even the Royal marketing machine has been very quite on this one, is there something they don’t want us to know ?? 

 

Maybe its behind schedule. 🤔

[bigeck]

11 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'm looking forward to touring Arabia next year on Jewel.  

Will we have to start calling you Lawrence

[3monkeys4me]

I'm interested. But we travel frequently enough in Asia that I wouldn't mind cruising the area as well.  But after our next (short) Japan trip we likely wont be back to Asia for a couple of years. Currently planning a land or land/sea vacation in Europe and then we will likely do something in South America, just to mix things up a bit. Aside from Australia next week our last 5 vacations have been in Asia, with one more planned early summer. 

[John&LaLa]

55 minutes ago, bigeck said:

Will we have to start calling you Lawrence

 

Actually watched Lawrence of Arabia the day before we got to Aqaba last year. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by John&LaLa

[matj2000]

If I ever go to China.

 

I am not going to do a Royal Caribbean cruise there.....

[rimmit]

This reaction was the same when the Ovation launched.   Minimal fanfare and no coverage from any US news outlets

[Andy C]

4 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'm looking forward to touring Arabia next year on Jewel.  

 

Good for you.  

 

[CruisingNole]

4 hours ago, Andy C said:

  Frankly, I think it's sad to see the world through an RCI ship.  The occasional Caribbean cruise (to a bunch of lousy islands) to unplug and unwind is it for us.  

 

Amen. We are going to Europe in May and will be traveling through Germany, Spain and France. Briefly considered a TA but then realized how limiting and boring that would be.

[CruisingNole]

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Actually watched Lawrence of Arabia the day before we got to Aqaba last year. 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the purpose of wearing that on a cruise ship?  

[Andy C]

10 minutes ago, CruisingNole said:

 

Amen. We are going to Europe in May and will be traveling through Germany, Spain and France. Briefly considered a TA but then realized how limiting and boring that would be.

 

This.  My wife and I laugh at the whole thing.  The things people will do for mediocre food, free drinks made with cheap hooch and loyalty status recognition.  Now for the occasional mindless, Caribbean cruise - you usually can't go wrong.

[CruisingNole]

2 minutes ago, Andy C said:

 

This.  My wife and I laugh at the whole thing.  The things people will do for mediocre food, free drinks made with cheap hooch and loyalty status recognition.  Now for the occasional mindless, Caribbean cruise - you usually can't go wrong.

 

But if you do enough of them, you get a participation name tag 😉

[Andy C]

2 minutes ago, CruisingNole said:

 

But if you do enough of them, you get a participation name tag 😉

 

For some the loyalty recognition is such an intoxicating elixir that even if their significant other can't sail, they will sail alone.  I can't even begin to imagine my wife saying, "I know you can't go on this cruise so I will just go by myself and see you soon!"

 

But, back on topic - some of the things they are doing on Spectrum look quite interesting.  

[John&LaLa]

25 minutes ago, CruisingNole said:

 

What is the purpose of wearing that on a cruise ship?  

 

It was formal night, some of us still wear formal attire. 😉

[John&LaLa]

51 minutes ago, CruisingNole said:

 

But if you do enough of them, you get a participation name tag 😉

 

Indeed 😎

 

 

[AL3XCruise]

13 hours ago, spookwife said:

they are marketing it.  to CHINA.  

 

12 hours ago, CruisingNole said:

As a marketing professional, I would market the ship to the market that will actually be buying tickets

 

I agree.  Why spend money touting a ship in a region it won't sail in for several years, if ever?  I'm sure that RCI evaluated the number of US/European travelers it expects to get and determined there wasn't a good ROI on a marketing campaign.

 

If/when the ship moves to a western targeted route, its is likely it will undergo major modifications at that time (see NCL's Joy refurbishment) in order to make sure it is competitive.  I'm sure they will bombard the target market with news of the upgrades and improvements should that come to pass.

[Mikew0805]

1 hour ago, Andy C said:

 

For some the loyalty recognition is such an intoxicating elixir that even if their significant other can't sail, they will sail alone.  I can't even begin to imagine my wife saying, "I know you can't go on this cruise so I will just go by myself and see you soon!"

 

But, back on topic - some of the things they are doing on Spectrum look quite interesting.  

I now get 7 weeks of PTO and my partner gets 2 plus 1 unpaid. That leaves 4 that I have to take, (can't take a payout, and certainly would not want to) and you think one should sit around the house because their significant other can't go? After 23 years, I think we can handle a few days apart here and there... not to mention the fact that we are well adjusted, non co-dependent adults. Not sure how what I just said has anything to do with loyalty recognition. 

 

Oh and still not interested in Spectrum. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Mikew0805

[mcatmcat]

It wont surprise me, I was surprise on the lacks of reviews or online video for the Symphony when she sailed for the first time from MIA even in a brand new port. I remember when the allure came for the first time people were so excited

[bigeck]

8 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Actually watched Lawrence of Arabia the day before we got to Aqaba last year. 

 

 

 

 

Looks like you had a good time. I'm looking forward to Jewel next year and a visit to Petra.

[dani negreanu]

5 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

I now get 7 weeks of PTO ... and you think one should sit around the house because their significant other can't go? After 23 years, I think we can handle a few days apart here and there...

 

Though I had to look up "PTO" (😀), I couldn't agree more...(in my case ... double years😅)

[pstone1]

12 hours ago, Andy C said:

Frankly, I think it's sad to see the world through an RCI ship.  The occasional Caribbean cruise (to a bunch of lousy islands) to unplug and unwind is it for us.  

 

Some people actually enjoy doing both, a nice long cruise with extended land time when they vacation.  Everyone is different and their choice of vacation certainly doesn't make them "sad".

[Andy C]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

 

Some people actually enjoy doing both, a nice long cruise with extended land time when they vacation.  Everyone is different and their choice of vacation certainly doesn't make them "sad".

 

Quaint?

[poncho1973]

12 hours ago, matj2000 said:

If I ever go to China.

 

I am not going to do a Royal Caribbean cruise there.....

 

So bold.  So emphatic! 

 

Although, I've done a land/air trip all over China and not a cruise there.  I would agree, as a Westerner, it seems like the better choice.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

 

Some people actually enjoy doing both, a nice long cruise with extended land time when they vacation.  Everyone is different and their choice of vacation certainly doesn't make them "sad".

Yup...we were not "sad" at all when we flew that long flight over and spent 4 days in Sydney before a 10 day cruise to New Zealand on Ovation in December - in fact ( 2100 photos later whittled down to 600) - it was a trip of a lifetime.

[xxHadleyxx]

Iteneraries on Spectrum sailings in Asia were not even available for booking or looking at ON Quantum here in Asia earlier this week.  We tried.  We wanted to book. 

Hard to get super excited when you can't plan yet.

[Biker19]

Just now, xxHadleyxx said:

Iteneraries on Spectrum sailings in Asia were not even available for booking or looking at ON Quantum here in Asia earlier this week.  We tried.  We wanted to book. 

Hard to get super excited when you can't plan yet.

China itinerary releases don't follow the normal RCI schedule - it's not unusual to only have about 6 months of itineraries available.