Independence Summer 2021 sailings modified again?

[Kokomo91165]

Noticing the summer Independence sailings that are 8 nights have most categories closed?  Anyone have an detail?  I wonder if this has to do with the 7 night maximum rule?

[JT1962]

I expect that many sailings will be modified and probably more than once. The new regulations will probably be modified based on how things go when sailings resume, ports may re-open or close, etc.

[Mikew0805]

29 minutes ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Noticing the summer Independence sailings that are 8 nights have most categories closed?  Anyone have an detail?  I wonder if this has to do with the 7 night maximum rule?

Maybe it was a glitch. I see all categories, excepts suites open right now. (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept)

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, Mikew0805 said:

Maybe it was a glitch. I see all categories, excepts suites open right now. (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept)

Categories are open but there is only one cabin category in each supercategory.

 

So for all the balcony categories (1B,2B,3B,4B1D,2d,4D,5D and CB) only the 2D can be booked, the rest are closed.  Same with insides and oceanviews.

 

This means that changes are imminent in most cases

[Mikew0805]

7 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Categories are open but there is only one cabin category in each supercategory.

 

So for all the balcony categories (1B,2B,3B,4B1D,2d,4D,5D and CB) only the 2D can be booked, the rest are closed.  Same with insides and oceanviews.

 

This means that changes are imminent in most cases

Seems a little soon to make changes to the length of the cruise this far in advance with a dynamic policy. Oh well.

[rockmom]

I'm on one of those 8 night sailings and have been doing daily checks for price drops. Last night I noticed the huge drop in availability.  I have been hoping that they'll let us know soon than later if they are swapping us to 7 nights, making all the Indy sailings 7 night rather than alternating 6 and 8 night runs.  I know that means losing my southern ports (again!), but at this point, I'll take what I can get.  I do hope if they cut it to 7 nights that those of us losing a night get some sort of price adjustment or OBC (a girl can dream, right?)  

[rockmom]

23 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Categories are open but there is only one cabin category in each supercategory.

 

So for all the balcony categories (1B,2B,3B,4B1D,2d,4D,5D and CB) only the 2D can be booked, the rest are closed.  Same with insides and oceanviews.

 

This means that changes are imminent in most cases

and for us non TA's, the only balcony option for the July 3rd sailing is 'guarantee', no choices.  

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, rockmom said:

and for us non TA's, the only balcony option for the July 3rd sailing is 'guarantee', no choices.  

On that date that is the only option for TA's as well.  Different dates have slightly different options, the one I gave was from a September sailing

[jtintex]

The alternating 6 day cruises would have to be changing as well and they haven't locked them down. I think the 8 days are filling up due to all the folks with FCCs they need to use.

We booked a GTY balcony cabin for the June 19th sailing and they've already assigned us one. Doubtful they would do that if they were planning to make changes.

[RFerrington]

34 minutes ago, jtintex said:

The alternating 6 day cruises would have to be changing as well and they haven't locked them down.

I wonder if that’s actually the case though.  It occurs to me that there is no way to do turnaround the same way they have done it in the past - particularly at the beginning.  Maybe they will cut the 8 days down to 7 and leave the 6 days as-is with the “extra” day as a buffer to complete all the testing, cleaning and social distancing (embarkation and disembarkation) that’s needed.

[MaritimeR&R]

24 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

I wonder if that’s actually the case though.  It occurs to me that there is no way to do turnaround the same way they have done it in the past - particularly at the beginning.  Maybe they will cut the 8 days down to 7 and leave the 6 days as-is with the “extra” day as a buffer to complete all the testing, cleaning and social distancing (embarkation and disembarkation) that’s needed.

That will make things difficult for those who do B2B.  We still don't know how those will be handled.

 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, jtintex said:

The alternating 6 day cruises would have to be changing as well and they haven't locked them down. I think the 8 days are filling up due to all the folks with FCCs they need to use.

We booked a GTY balcony cabin for the June 19th sailing and they've already assigned us one. Doubtful they would do that if they were planning to make changes.

I can tell you the 8 day cruises are no5 filling up.  There is virtually no difference in booking patterns between the 6 day and 8 day.

 

Since Royal already has bookings on all these ships it would be easiest for them to jus5 change them all to 7 day cruises.  Offer the 8 day people 1/8 refund and maybe a token OBC and the 6 day people get an extra sea day.  That’s a whole lot more efficient than cancelling a rebooking everyone. 

[RFerrington]

55 minutes ago, MaritimeR&R said:

That will make things difficult for those who do B2B.  We still don't know how those will be handled.

 

I completely agree.  We are on an 8 day Indy (July 17) followed by a 6 day (July 25).  7 + 7 would be fine with me.

[rockmom]

59 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I can tell you the 8 day cruises are no5 filling up.  There is virtually no difference in booking patterns between the 6 day and 8 day.

 

Since Royal already has bookings on all these ships it would be easiest for them to jus5 change them all to 7 day cruises.  Offer the 8 day people 1/8 refund and maybe a token OBC and the 6 day people get an extra sea day.  That’s a whole lot more efficient than cancelling a rebooking everyone. 

That would make sense to do it that way.  However, I'm not confident in Royal's 'sense'.  lol  

[MaritimeR&R]

On 11/6/2020 at 5:15 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

I can tell you the 8 day cruises are no5 filling up.  There is virtually no difference in booking patterns between the 6 day and 8 day.

 

Since Royal already has bookings on all these ships it would be easiest for them to jus5 change them all to 7 day cruises.  Offer the 8 day people 1/8 refund and maybe a token OBC and the 6 day people get an extra sea day.  That’s a whole lot more efficient than cancelling a rebooking everyone. 

I can tell you this, RC wasn't generous when I had to lift and shift my Anthem sailings from 2021 to 2022. Instead of allowing me to move my 8 night sailing to a 9 night sailing (there were no 8 nighters out of Bayonne during the "allowed" time frame.), I wound up having to L&S it to an 8 night Odyssey sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, so now I have to add a flight and a hotel to my expenses instead of just simply being able to stay on board (I was booked for the three 11 night cruises in January - the 9 night follows those.)  They would not budge. So, I booked Odyssey and added another 6 night to make it a B2B because, for me,  it's simply not worth flying down to Fort Lauderdale for one cruise I don't think RC will be that generous to give an extra day to everyone booked on a 6 night, esp. when they need revenue.

.

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, MaritimeR&R said:

I don't think RC will be that generous to give an extra day to everyone booked on a 6 night, esp. when they need revenue.

I guess we will see however it’s a completely different situation than what you were in and I look at it like they already have sailings booked.  Better to keep that revenue than to cancel all those people and hope they rebook.  

[Vera/Lee]

On 11/6/2020 at 2:20 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

Categories are open but there is only one cabin category in each supercategory.

 

So for all the balcony categories (1B,2B,3B,4B1D,2d,4D,5D and CB) only the 2D can be booked, the rest are closed.  Same with insides and oceanviews.

 

This means that changes are imminent in most cases

Thanks for your information! I agree. I have a balcony cabin booked on Indy in May for 8 nights. (Would love to upgrade to a Jr. Suite, but it looks like they are sold out.) I have a Jr. Suite booked in August for the same ship and 8 nights. I am hoping for a vaccine by then. With all the celebrations yesterday across the country for Biden and for the college football games, numbers may shoot up next week. I hope we're not locked back down again in January. I'm so ready to cruise and truly believe Royal could do it safer than what's going on in other places around this Country. 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Vera/Lee

[Tall-Cruiser]

On 11/6/2020 at 5:15 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

I can tell you the 8 day cruises are no5 filling up.  There is virtually no difference in booking patterns between the 6 day and 8 day.

 

Since Royal already has bookings on all these ships it would be easiest for them to jus5 change them all to 7 day cruises.  Offer the 8 day people 1/8 refund and maybe a token OBC and the 6 day people get an extra sea day.  That’s a whole lot more efficient than cancelling a rebooking everyone. 

Ken - How about those cruises to S. Caribbean? Doesn’t RCI usually keep those as 8 Nights if sailing from Florida? I’m asking since I have a Symphony 8 night next summer 2021. Thanks 

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, Tall-Cruiser said:

Ken - How about those cruises to S. Caribbean? Doesn’t RCI usually keep those as 8 Nights if sailing from Florida? I’m asking since I have a Symphony 8 night next summer 2021. Thanks 

I can’t recall seeing a 7 day that did the southern ports including some or all of the ABC islands.

 

Hopefully the 7 day is a starting point and will be lengthened if they show they can safely sail. 

[Ourusualbeach]

17 minutes ago, Vera/Lee said:

Would love to upgrade to a Jr. Suite, but it looks like they are sold out.

They aren’t sold out, Royal is just not currently taking bookings as those sailings are now questionable. 

[Tall-Cruiser]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I can’t recall seeing a 7 day that did the southern ports including some or all of the ABC islands.

 

Hopefully the 7 day is a starting point and will be lengthened if they show they can safely sail. 

Thanks Ken. Yeah hopefully the 8 days are still in play for Summer 21.

[hloakes]

We are on the July 17 Southern Caribbean cruise. I sent a message to RC asking what they planned. Of course I got a message saying nothing. 

[hotwheels920]

I have May 22nd (May 22-30th) booked on Independence.  I tried to do a mock booking and May 28th 3-day popped up.  

 

Clearly they are rearranging things.

[rockmom]

56 minutes ago, hotwheels920 said:

I have May 22nd (May 22-30th) booked on Independence.  I tried to do a mock booking and May 28th 3-day popped up.  

 

Clearly they are rearranging things.

I'm not seeing that now.  Still shows the 8 night southern for that date.  

[RFerrington]

7 hours ago, hloakes said:

We are on the July 17 Southern Caribbean cruise. I sent a message to RC asking what they planned. Of course I got a message saying nothing. 

We are also on this cruise and the following 6 day (July 25)