Will the new Margaritaville at Sea take market share from RCI?

[livingonthebeach]

Some seem to think Jimmy Buffet's new venture with Paradise Cruise Lines will take away some market share from Royal for the short Florida cruises.  The ship will leave from the Port of Palm Beach.   This will definitely attract more of the Palm Beach County folks that sail the short cruises.  Margaritaville is known for its resorts / travel leisure businesses as well as gated community developments and now....the cruise industry. 

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/margaritaville-sets-sail-with-margaritaville-at-sea-301440340.html

[bigmoose7563]

Yeah I'm sure Royal is shaking right now losing 0.00000000000000000001% of the market lol

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

This will definitely attract more of the Palm Beach County folks that sail the short cruises.

The same ones that were taking BPCL and will continue to do so under the new name?

[Fairsailing]

Yeah it’s a 30 year old ship with few, if any, balcony cabins. It will attract the parrot head die hards but that’s about it.  

[livingonthebeach]

5 minutes ago, bigmoose7563 said:

Yeah I'm sure Royal is shaking right now losing 0.00000000000000000001% of the market lol

 

You're funny.  The Florida short cruise market, while not a big percentage of total cruising revenue, represents 1/3 of the Caribbean cruise market. 

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, Fairsailing said:

Yeah it’s a 30 year old ship with few, if any, balcony cabins. It will attract the parrot head die hards but that’s about it.  

 

The ship is being refurbished but you might be right about the die hards. 

[Tapi]

With one old, small, refurbished ship operating 2 night cruises to Freeport, I think that the impact to Royal's bottom line will be minimal, almost unoticeable. This is not a new player, just a rebranded player offering the same itineraries already in existence.

 

If this new venture is successful and they expand to add newer ships and longer itineraries, I can see them becoming a more significant player in the cruise industry down the road, but not at the present time or any time soon.

 

There may be some hardcore "Parrotheads" who may become loyal to this new product, but I don't think that too many Royal cruisers will "jump ship", at least permanently. I'm personally curious about it, and may even give it a try for a quick getaway, but the overall Margaritaville concept isn't that attractive to me. They have a niche clientele and I'm not it. 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Tapi

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I hope so.  If Royal has problems filling their ships (because cruisers are going elsewhere), then prices drop.  That's good for the consumer. 

[bigeagle12]

It may help all the cruise lines.  People that like the 2 day cruise will want to take longer cruises and start booking future cruises on the major lines. 

[HicksRA]

Might be a bigger threat to Carnival…. 

[loman]

29 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I hope so.  If Royal has problems filling their ships (because cruisers are going elsewhere), then prices drop.  That's good for the consumer. 

competition is good 

[ryano]

Im pretty sure this is the Bahamas Paradise cruise line that uses an old Carnival Holiday class ship.   I doubt it will effect Royal at all.  They have already been sailing for 7 or 8 years, just not under the Margaritaville branding

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, ryano said:

I’m pretty sure this is the Bahamas Paradise cruise line that uses an old Carnival Holiday class ship.

They went down to just one ship due to COVID, the former Costa ship Grand Clasica (which is in dry dock in Freeport for her make over). Grand Celebration (the former Carnival ship) was scrapped in Alang earlier this year. 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Biker19

[SECdawg]

If it is like everything else, the prices will triple once you put the Margaritaville name on it. I am a diehard Parrothead, but not interested in that ship. Everyone I know that has taken it only did so for the cheap price.

[smplybcause]

I went on the Grand Celebration years ago when my friend got a discount for us for $75 per person.

 

We overpaid. 

 

 

[brillohead]

3 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

You're funny.  The Florida short cruise market, while not a big percentage of total cruising revenue, represents 1/3 of the Caribbean cruise market. 

I don't think you understood the person you quoted.  

They were stating that if Royal loses ANY business to Marg-at-Sea, it will only be 0.00000000000000000001% of their total business, so like four people a year.  

[deliver42]

While I think Marg will be an upgrade from the Bahamas  paradise, I doubt it will put a dent in any of the majors. Maybe later when word gets around about the cruise, and they upgrade the itinerary, they may take a miniscule portion.

[John Reid]

I like turtles.

[DirtyDawg]

Market Share, Smarket Share. 

I want to know how much Jimmy got paid for this deal!

 

(Thank you Google. My first draft was;  "I want to know how much Jimmy's estate got paid for this deal! "🤫) 

 

[livingonthebeach]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

I don't think you understood the person you quoted.  

They were stating that if Royal loses ANY business to Marg-at-Sea, it will only be 0.00000000000000000001% of their total business, so like four people a year.  

 

I understood perfectly.  It wouldn't be significant but neither would it be all those zeros.

[monorail81]

6 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

The ship is being refurbished but you might be right about the die hards. 

Empress was refurbished, too.  But it was still an old ship lacking a lot of the modern amenities. Had it not been going to Cuba, I would not have picked that refurbished ship to sail on…

[LGW59]

6 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

Some seem to think Jimmy Buffet's new venture with Paradise Cruise Lines will take away some market share from Royal for the short Florida cruises.  The ship will leave from the Port of Palm Beach.   This will definitely attract more of the Palm Beach County folks that sail the short cruises.  Margaritaville is known for its resorts / travel leisure businesses as well as gated community developments and now....the cruise industry. 

 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/margaritaville-sets-sail-with-margaritaville-at-sea-301440340.html

Well it’s Paradise, nuff said 

[livingonthebeach]

1 hour ago, monorail81 said:

Empress was refurbished, too.  But it was still an old ship lacking a lot of the modern amenities. Had it not been going to Cuba, I would not have picked that refurbished ship to sail on…

 

I know what you mean about Empress.  I was scheduled for Cuba but my cruise was cancelled due to administration policy with Cuba.  I was offered Mexico and took it.  If you're used to Oasis and Quantum Classes, Empress did disappoint - maybe the reason she was sent to the scrapyard.

[PhillyFan33579]

To everyone responding, I don’t think the OP was being serious. The number of ships cruising from US ports has declined due to multiple ships being scrapped by the major cruise lines. This one little, old ship isn’t a concern to RCI or any major cruise line for that matter. 

[twangster]

Two night cruises?  Super cheap 2 night on Freedom right now.