Embarkation Port Question!

[80sGal]

We are brand new to RCI, but not to cruising.  Last week, I booked Symphony OTS for June 1 out of Rome.   It still shows on my bookings page.  Was just doing some price checking today, and that's not even an offered sailing now.  Instead, I see Symphony sailing out of Barcelona on June 4.  Is this how RCI works?  Will it pick up more passengers while we are docked in Barcelona for the day, where those guests will begin a 7 day journey?  Just trying to make sense of this, as we have only cruised closed loop cruises in the past.  Why has the Rome departures (which had been listed for June 1, 8 and 15) all disappear?   Did RCI make an itinerary change and forget to notify us??   Any words of wisdom will be appreciated before I start making calls and sitting on hold!  

[neverbeenhere]

2023? 

[neverbeenhere]

Current search on royal site

[80sGal]

1 minute ago, neverbeenhere said:

2023? 

Yes ... and now, just five minutes later, the June 1, 8 and 15 sailings are back on the site from Rome.   That has to be a glitch with their system, but the Barcelona sailings all still show as well.   Thursday to Thursday from Rome, and Sunday to Sunday from Barcelona.   Is that right?  Or a system error with booking options? 

[smplybcause]

A lot of cruise lines do interporting on 7 day Mediterranean cruises that hit both Barcelona and Rome. The main home port is Barcelona - this is where the majority of passengers embark and the day x of cruise will be based on that (but really would only notice it on printed cruise compass). 

 

Since the ship has passengers embarking at two points they have to make sure they don't double book cabins, and as Rome isn't the main port it would make sense that that one can sell out yet the Barcelona is still on sale. 

[80sGal]

28 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

A lot of cruise lines do interporting on 7 day Mediterranean cruises that hit both Barcelona and Rome. The main home port is Barcelona - this is where the majority of passengers embark and the day x of cruise will be based on that (but really would only notice it on printed cruise compass). 

 

Since the ship has passengers embarking at two points they have to make sure they don't double book cabins, and as Rome isn't the main port it would make sense that that one can sell out yet the Barcelona is still on sale. 

Now that you've given it a name ... interporting... I see there are a couple of other threads on here about it.  Glad to know I wasn't the only one confused by this concept!  Thanks!  

Edited May 22, 2022 by 80sGal
Typo

[pcur]

32 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

A lot of cruise lines do interporting on 7 day Mediterranean cruises that hit both Barcelona and Rome. The main home port is Barcelona - this is where the majority of passengers embark and the day x of cruise will be based on that (but really would only notice it on printed cruise compass). 

 

Since the ship has passengers embarking at two points they have to make sure they don't double book cabins, and as Rome isn't the main port it would make sense that that one can sell out yet the Barcelona is still on sale. 

Princess does a lot of this: used to drive me a little batty.  They especially segment their World Cruise into smaller segments (much smaller than RCCL's current selling one).  

[CaroleC]

3 minutes ago, pcur said:

Princess does a lot of this: used to drive me a little batty.  They especially segment their World Cruise into smaller segments (much smaller than RCCL's current selling one).  

MSC do it all the time 

[CruiseMH]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

A lot of cruise lines do interporting on 7 day Mediterranean cruises that hit both Barcelona and Rome. The main home port is Barcelona - this is where the majority of passengers embark

 

Actually almost all cruise lines operating in the mediterranean do exactly that.(at least MSC, Costa, Princess, RCI, NCL,) There are only a few exceptions(like AIDA and TUi for german market which only embark/disembark in Palma de Mallorca)