Deployment 2024-25 booking season begins

[island lady]

18 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Took a friend up to Seaside a few days ago.  The drop off and parking at T6 (Seaside) and T10 (Getaway) was a mess.  In 30 minutes we went 100' at best.   Ended up dropping him at the empty T5 drop off and he walked over from there. 

 

The days of driving to the port are over for me.  Rideshare all the time now.   

 

MCO isn't any better.  All parking is routinely full.  

 

I don't know what it is or where everyone is going but everyone is going somewhere.  

 

I hear ya.   We have a local shuttle service we use to take us to MCO.   She lives in our community and is very reliable.  No way want to deal with parking there any longer, and have done the shuttle ride for years now.  

 

Parking at T#1, arriving very early to drop bags, park and walk over to Grills for those Bloody Marys...makes it worth the effort now.  😄 

 

So, is it a done deal we are getting Utopia here at PC I assume?  

[twangster]

9 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I hear ya.   We have a local shuttle service we use to take us to MCO.   She lives in our community and is very reliable.  No way want to deal with parking there any longer, and have done the shuttle ride for years now.  

 

Parking at T#1, arriving very early to drop bags, park and walk over to Grills for those Bloody Marys...makes it worth the effort now.  😄 

 

So, is it a done deal we are getting Utopia here at PC I assume?  

 

Nothing is official until it's announced, but if I were a gambling man, I wouldn't put my money anywhere other than PCN.

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Nothing is official until it's announced, but if I were a gambling man, I wouldn't put my money anywhere other than PCN.

If she wasn't coming to PC they certainly wouldn't have moved Allure out and left no ships doing the 3/4 day sailings.

[island lady]

19 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Nothing is official until it's announced, but if I were a gambling man, I wouldn't put my money anywhere other than PCN.

 

I think you have a safe bet.  😉 

[NorthStarStateCruiser]

I was a little disappointed to see the unofficial itineraries. We're on Liberty sailing Dec 27, 2024 and were the only ship scheduled to be at Coco Cay on the 29th. Now it looks like we're going to have to share the island. 😒

[eel]

15 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Come on  give us a voyager class in Australia,don’t be so greedy,my favourite ship 

You can take a Voyager class ship from Florida. Don't take the only Royal ship on the west coast! 😂

[Chiliburn]

4 minutes ago, eel said:

You can take a Voyager class ship from Florida. Don't take the only Royal ship on the west coast! 😂

It would only be for 6 months of the year and you could have Anthem for that 6 month.

We in Australia are pretty sick of Quantum class , just something different.

[FlowBroTy]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Yup, but mostly parking at the terminal.   😮  They are already having problems even getting pax to be able to use the parking outside, let alone inside the garage.  Even the "grass" parking is getting full.  When we arrive for Wonder, the parking pax from Utopia will already be settled in.  

The port authority is actively working on that issue. They are adding a whole new lot with new spaces across the street from CT-1 before Allure arrives in the fall. 

4 hours ago, twangster said:

Nothing is official until it's announced, but if I were a gambling man, I wouldn't put my money anywhere other than PCN.

 

PCV 😉

 

[springaussie]

21 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

I know we have thrown this idea around on the ANZ forum but ?

 

What if Anthem goes to Los Angeles for the northern winter and does Alaska during the summer?

That would give 3 Quantum class in Alaska, the big cash cow $$$

Navigator could do a trans pacific to Australia October to March and return to Los Angeles to replace Anthem.

I think Miami is probably just making the deployment up on the go for Anthem.  

[Chiliburn]

10 minutes ago, springaussie said:

I think Miami is probably just making the deployment up on the go for Anthem.  

Yep ,probably the same as Lelepa no real plans ,no real idea.

 

But L.A for Anthem does have its merits. Another Quantum ,more capacity for Alaska and something a bit better to compete with carnival in L.A. 
Maybe Navigator to Melbourne, for our season ,there plenty of port bookings available and it’s just as big as Sydney now.

[twangster]

Not sure if Anthem has shore power capability required for California CARB regulations. 

 

The problem with 3 Q class in Alaska is that they have to use Seattle as the home port which limits itineraries and potential embarkation day of the week.  Seattle is a busy home port in the summer for multiple cruise lines with limited berths.  

 

Radiance class uses Vancouver and the BC Inside Passage, another waterway off limits to Q class due to power line height restrictions.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Radiance class uses Vancouver and the BC Inside Passage, another waterway off limits to Q class due to power line height restrictions.

Do they get exemptions, they said on board Ovation last week that she would be doing the inside passage from Vancouver on her first Alaska sailing of the season.  Vancouver to Seattle. 

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Not sure if Anthem has shore power capability required for California CARB regulations. 

 

The problem with 3 Q class in Alaska is that they have to use Seattle as the home port which limits itineraries and potential embarkation day of the week.  Seattle is a busy home port in the summer for multiple cruise lines with limited berths.  

 

Radiance class uses Vancouver and the BC Inside Passage, another waterway off limits to Q class due to power line height restrictions.

I haven’t thought about shore power but isn’t up for a dry dock.

[twangster]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Do they get exemptions, they said on board Ovation last week that she would be doing the inside passage from Vancouver on her first Alaska sailing of the season.  Vancouver to Seattle. 

 

The power lines can't be raised but they are in the part of the BC Inside Passage North of Vancouver.

 

Most cruisers associate the BC Inside Passage as being the route North of Vancouver on the way to or from Alaska.    Large ships can't go this way so it's a good reason to book smaller ships like Radiance class from Vancouver. 

 

If you consider the lower part of the Strait Of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca where Victoria is located to be part of the Inside Passage you can argue that to get from Vancouver to Seattle you use the Inside Passage.  Anything between the mainland and Vancouver Island I guess is technically part of the Inside Passage.

 

C-MAP.com:

 

 

[twangster]

50 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I haven’t thought about shore power but isn’t up for a dry dock.

 

I think Anthem dry docked in 2020 just as the pandemic began.  I was supposed to be on the Anthem transatlantic to Europe right after sailing on Allure's TA to Spain but that was Spring 2020 right when the world went mad.  

 

Maybe they added shore power to Anthem in 2020.  I was surprised to see Radiance accept shore power in California a few weeks ago.  Who knew little old Radiance had shore power capability?  

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by twangster

[Chiliburn]

17 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

I think Anthem dry docked in 2020 just as the pandemic began.  I was supposed to be on the Anthem transatlantic to Europe right after sailing on Allure's TA to Spain but that was Spring 2020 right when the world went mad.  

 

Maybe they added shore power to Anthem in 2020.  I was surprised to see Radiance accept shore power in California a few weeks ago.  Who knew little old Radiance had shore power capability?  

 

2020 and we are talking 24-25 ,should be another dry dock along the line somewhere.

 

 Singapore has been pretty good to Royal,I think there is something better in store for Singapore than another Quantum class.

[twangster]

5 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

2020 and we are talking 24-25 ,should be another dry dock along the line somewhere.

 

 Singapore has been pretty good to Royal,I think there is something better in store for Singapore than another Quantum class.

 

One of Singapore's primary ports of call is by tender.  Phuket.  

 

If you take Phuket away what does that do for Singapore potential OA class itineraries?  

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by twangster

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, twangster said:

 

The power lines can't be raised but they are in the part of the BC Inside Passage North of Vancouver.

 

Most cruisers associate the BC Inside Passage as being the route North of Vancouver on the way to or from Alaska.    Large ships can't go this way so it's a good reason to book smaller ships like Radiance class from Vancouver. 

 

If you consider the lower part of the Strait Of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca where Victoria is located to be part of the Inside Passage you can argue that to get from Vancouver to Seattle you use the Inside Passage.  Anything between the mainland and Vancouver Island I guess is technically part of the Inside Passage.

 

C-MAP.com:

 

 

They must be able to clear those lines then as that is the route that they put up on a map at the top tier event and said the Ovation would be taking on her first Alaska sailing

[Ethanol95]

5 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

2020 and we are talking 24-25 ,should be another dry dock along the line somewhere.

 

 Singapore has been pretty good to Royal,I think there is something better in store for Singapore than another Quantum class.

Yes, hope you guys realise we have no ship yet. And it better be Anthem, although not really keen on Anthem. It's better than nothing at this point..

[Ethanol95]

37 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

One of Singapore's primary ports of call is by tender.  Phuket.  

 

If you take Phuket away what does that do for Singapore potential OA class itineraries?  

 

Penang is becoming a primary port, they have a dock that can fit an oasis class ship by physical size. Infrastructurally, last time I was there, didn't look like they require much, its just a walk through an old building called the 'terminal'

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

They must be able to clear those lines then as that is the route that they put up on a map at the top tier event and said the Ovation would be taking on her first Alaska sailing

The blue line is the route she actually took:

 

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The blue line is the route she actually took:

 

Thanks, definitely notvyhe route they showed and made a big deal of as a one off route in the presentation they made. 

[twangster]

1 hour ago, Ethanol95 said:

Penang is becoming a primary port, they have a dock that can fit an oasis class ship by physical size. Infrastructurally, last time I was there, didn't look like they require much, its just a walk through an old building called the 'terminal'

 

Yes but you can't just go to one port over and over.  With Phuket unavailable for OA class, what other port could supplement a 4 night itinerary?

 

I'm curious why they mostly do 3/4 for Q class from Singapore.  Is that the quintessential getaway for a Singaporean?  Are longer itineraries not as popular in the region?  The 5 night are not as common and then it jumps to 12 nights.  Is it not possible to create a 7 night itinerary from Singapore?  Do other cruise lines offer anything different? 

 

I'm booked on Spectrum in 2024 and I'm looking to go again.  It's hard to make the dates work for me. 12 nights is too long but 3/4 is too short.  It's a long way for me to go for 3/4.  

 

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by twangster

[twangster]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

They must be able to clear those lines then as that is the route that they put up on a map at the top tier event and said the Ovation would be taking on her first Alaska sailing

 

They said the same in 2019 on Ovation's first ever Alaska cruise but then we went out the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Technically it is the Inside Passage, just not the Inside Passage people expect.  

[Ethanol95]

37 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Yes but you can't just go to one port over and over.  With Phuket unavailable for OA class, what other port could supplement a 4 night itinerary?

 

I'm curious why they mostly do 3/4 for Q class from Singapore.  Is that the quintessential getaway for a Singaporean?  Are longer itineraries not as popular in the region?  The 5 night are not as common and then it jumps to 12 nights.  Is it not possible to create a 7 night itinerary from Singapore?  Do other cruise lines offer anything different? 

 

I'm booked on Spectrum in 2024 and I'm looking to go again.  It's hard to make the dates work for me. 12 nights is too long but 3/4 is too short.  It's a long way for me to go for 3/4.  

 

 

Which is why for the last 10 years, Royal has been sailing the same itinerary over and over again with each deployment. Singaporeans (I would want to say) 'used' to love Phuket, back in 2010's, but recently with its development as Thailand's popular beach destination, they've over-commercialised the place ridiculously. When you compare other less popular places in Thailand, they are just as beautiful and likely a lot cheaper. I remember on my most recent royal cruise there, a grab ride was 20SGD on average for 10-15 mins ride. Ridiculous. 

 

Singapore is a country with much fewer paid vacations and public holidays compared to other western countries. Hence the market here for short getaways (not just cruising) is especially strong. That is why Royal only does 3/4 nights. It is hard for us, and uncommon for us to travel longer than 5 days at any one time for vacation. 

 

Though their itinerary evolution in Singapore over these 10 years have been super slow, they are being way more experimental in the last 5 operating years (not including covid period), where you will now start to see 2 or 3 7N cruises, and the most recently experiment of 12N. 

 

I for one think Royal doesn't have anywhere to go on a regular basis that has enough demand for a 7 night cruise the entire year. Sailing up the eastern coast towards Thailand, Vietnam offers more variety but takes likely 1 and a half sea days - 2 sea days to reach those coastlines. That would easily be 3/4 sea days on a 7 night cruise. That's why when sailing there currently, it's only offered on reposition and one way trips, not round trips.

 

Also, Singaporeans' love Japan like. LOVE. Hence why you have 2 - 12Nights one way cruises to and from Japan this year. The first 12N sold out very fast, so clearly there is demand there, so much so that they added a second one, but i have heard demand for that has dropped since. 

 

Dream Cruises was the only other cruise line Pre-covid that offered diverse itinerary round trip from SG. Some of the unique itineraries:

EG. SG - Bintan Island (Indonesia) 2N

SG - Christmas Island (Australia) 5N

SG - Bali (Indonesia) 5N

 

Now with them coming back as Resorts World Cruises, their itineraries have gotten boring again.

Edited May 14, 2023 by Ethanol95