Vision Class supposedly will be around at least 3 more years

[Hoopster95]

Per Capt Artem (I think that’s his name… never met him and he’s new on board this week) on Grandeur, he just announced that Royal is putting “some money” into keeping the remaining Vision Class ships for a few more years …  “3-4 years”. No clue as to where he received this info and his ability to confidently mention it during the Top Tier event. He also mentioned Grandeur is in dry dock in March. 
 

Thought I’d pass this along to those of you who like the smaller ships, hoping that they don’t get sold or scrapped anytime soon. 

[PhillyFan33579]

What made you think Vision class ships would be gone shortly? Or am I reading too much into your post? 

[smokeybandit]

"At least 3 more years" means they are investing in the next drydock because they have to.

[gallagher123123]

Good. I want to sale on one at least once. 

[Jimbo]

😞

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

"At least 3 more years" means they are investing in the next drydock because they have to.

What do you mean they have to? Somebody have pictures?

[smokeybandit]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

What do you mean they have to? Somebody have pictures?

Pictures of the last time the ship drydocked. If they're committing to the cost of a drydock and that 6+ weeks of no revenue from the ship, then they basically have to run it for at least the next 3 years until a the next drydock period for a ship that age.

[Jimbo]

7 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Pictures of the last time the ship drydocked. If they're committing to the cost of a drydock and that 6+ weeks of no revenue from the ship, then they basically have to run it for at least the next 3 years until a the next drydock period for a ship that age.

Maybe not pictures then 🙂 , maybe someone lost a bet.............

[wolfcathorse]

1 hour ago, Hoopster95 said:

Per Capt Artem (I think that’s his name… never met him and he’s new on board this week) on Grandeur, he just announced that Royal is putting “some money” into keeping the remaining Vision Class ships for a few more years …  “3-4 years”. No clue as to where he received this info and his ability to confidently mention it during the Top Tier event. He also mentioned Grandeur is in dry dock in March. 
 

Thought I’d pass this along to those of you who like the smaller ships, hoping that they don’t get sold or scrapped anytime soon. 

my chart says its Capt Antun Regjo. What day did your cruise on Grandeur start.

[Mum2Mercury]

2 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

Thought I’d pass this along to those of you who like the smaller ships, hoping that they don’t get sold or scrapped anytime soon. 

I sailed Grandeur recently.  It was our first time on a small ship, and the experience had its pros and cons; overall, we agree that we prefer the midsized ships, but we'd love to sail Grandeur (or one of the other small ships) again -- if the price were right.  Specific thoughts: 

Sailing from Tampa:

- We enjoyed Tampa and the smaller ship.  The smaller crowd made boarding easier /none of the frantic behavior (and crazy traffic) that exists in Miami -- or at least we didn't see it.  We arrived too early (we always do ... we're just excited), and we were directed to take a seat in the small park across the street at the Aquarium.  

- The terminal staff really knew what they were doing.  Instead of allowing a "free for all" when our times were announced, she "dismissed" 5-6 rows of chairs at a time.  Definitely made for a less frenzied entrance.

- Parking was cheaper (though paying to park my car is a pet peeve of mine).  

- Tampa seems to lack inexpensive hotel rooms within 30 minutes of the port.  

The ship's amenities & condition: 

- Grandeur is generally well-kept but it showing its age.  A bit of rust here, etc. -- just a bit.  The worst thing we saw was two actual leaks in the Windjammer (with buckets under them); of course, it rained cats and dogs for about two days of our cruise.  

- The smaller sized ship makes for less walking.  This could be a real plus for elderly or people with mobility issues.  

- Because the ship is smaller, we went under a bridge (about two hours after Sail Away), and that was more cool than I expected.  My husband, the engineer, just about died from excitement.  

- The Centrum is especially nice /has an ocean view on each side.  It's almost always busy, often has live music.  Lots of seating on upper decks ... we preferred those, as they're a little more quiet.  

- We had a lot of rough weather, and we felt the "rocking and rolling" of the ocean much more than we had on previous ships.  I suspect this was because of the ship's smaller size AND the nasty weather that was just our bad luck.  We have no problem with sea sickness, but everyone's not so blessed in that way.  They closed off Deck 10 on the last day because of high winds -- that's how bad it was!  

- The hallway had a slight sewage smell on the first day.  We saw a maintenance man working in a hidden /locked door, and the problem was fixed; however, since it came back towards the end of the cruise, it must be an ongoing thing.  The smell was only in the hallways /not in the rooms.  

- The pools and hot tubs were in good condition and were just what I expected ... except that it was easier to find a seat!  Oh, the pools were busy in the afternoons, and we didn't always have the choice of a prime chair -- but chair hogs weren't a problem!  LOVED IT.  

- The elevators were spread out in a wider hallway, which made it a little more difficult to keep an eye on all of them.  

- The gym was smaller than I'm used to, but it was not heavily used.  I enjoyed the track on Deck 10.  

- Disembarking at the islands was quick and efficient ... probably because of the smaller crowds.  

Rooms: 

- We did an Inside Guarantee and ended up in a handicapped room.  LOVED the space and extra storage.  We didn't love the curbless shower (water seeped out), but it was large.  

- We did not particularly enjoy Deck 3.  It always seemed so far away from everything.  We almost always sail on Deck 6, which (though not particularly popular) is centrally located.  

Food:  

- We enjoyed the food.  Everything we had was at least good and served at an appropriate temperature.  The Windjammer was especially good, though it was smaller than other ships we've sailed.  We particularly liked sitting at the "counter" facing out towards the ocean.  

- We LOVED the Park Cafe.  We loved that it's located in the Solarium, where we spent a lot of time.  They served breakfast sandwiches (different each day), cups of cut fruit, parfaits ... then later in the day pizza, small sandwiches and the roast beef sandwiches.  Also cookies and other small desserts.  Oh, and salads ... really good salads.  The pizza was kinda like the good-quality frozen stuff.  

- Grandeur has only three spots for no-cost food:  Windjammer, Park Cafe and MDR.  This wasn't a problem, as the ship carries fewer people.  

Service: 

- Top notch at every turn ... our wait staff and cabin steward were efficient and fun, as were the staff in the Windjammer and the Park Cafe. 

- We had a problem with our safe, and someone was at our door in only about 5 minutes.  

- I'm used to luggage being delivered to our HALLWAY, but Grandeur has a lot of empty space outside the stairs.  When we headed to our room, we saw A SEA OF LUGGAGE all in that space ... and ours was allll the way at the back /behind 5-6 other suitcases.  Later in the day we saw the staff was delivering the bits and pieces that weren't picked up to specific rooms.  Not quite what I was used to, but it was okay.  

Entertainment: 

- The shows were a bit lacking.  I get it; smaller crowds = less money for entertainment.  

- The ship offered an afternoon matinee in the theater (we enjoyed the little loveseats in the theater) and MUTS each evening.  

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

What made you think Vision class ships would be gone shortly? Or am I reading too much into your post? 

I had heard specifically that Grandeur was scheduled for retirement in 2025. 

[ONECRUISER]

29 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I sailed Grandeur recently.  It was our first time on a small ship, and the experience had its pros and cons; overall, we agree that we prefer the midsized ships, but we'd love to sail Grandeur (or one of the other small ships) again -- if the price were right.  Specific thoughts: 

Sailing from Tampa:

- We enjoyed Tampa and the smaller ship.  The smaller crowd made boarding easier /none of the frantic behavior (and crazy traffic) that exists in Miami -- or at least we didn't see it.  We arrived too early (we always do ... we're just excited), and we were directed to take a seat in the small park across the street at the Aquarium.  

- The terminal staff really knew what they were doing.  Instead of allowing a "free for all" when our times were announced, she "dismissed" 5-6 rows of chairs at a time.  Definitely made for a less frenzied entrance.

- Parking was cheaper (though paying to park my car is a pet peeve of mine).  

- Tampa seems to lack inexpensive hotel rooms within 30 minutes of the port.  

The ship's amenities & condition: 

- Grandeur is generally well-kept but it showing its age.  A bit of rust here, etc. -- just a bit.  The worst thing we saw was two actual leaks in the Windjammer (with buckets under them); of course, it rained cats and dogs for about two days of our cruise.  

- The smaller sized ship makes for less walking.  This could be a real plus for elderly or people with mobility issues.  

- Because the ship is smaller, we went under a bridge (about two hours after Sail Away), and that was more cool than I expected.  My husband, the engineer, just about died from excitement.  

- The Centrum is especially nice /has an ocean view on each side.  It's almost always busy, often has live music.  Lots of seating on upper decks ... we preferred those, as they're a little more quiet.  

- We had a lot of rough weather, and we felt the "rocking and rolling" of the ocean much more than we had on previous ships.  I suspect this was because of the ship's smaller size AND the nasty weather that was just our bad luck.  We have no problem with sea sickness, but everyone's not so blessed in that way.  They closed off Deck 10 on the last day because of high winds -- that's how bad it was!  

- The hallway had a slight sewage smell on the first day.  We saw a maintenance man working in a hidden /locked door, and the problem was fixed; however, since it came back towards the end of the cruise, it must be an ongoing thing.  The smell was only in the hallways /not in the rooms.  

- The pools and hot tubs were in good condition and were just what I expected ... except that it was easier to find a seat!  Oh, the pools were busy in the afternoons, and we didn't always have the choice of a prime chair -- but chair hogs weren't a problem!  LOVED IT.  

- The elevators were spread out in a wider hallway, which made it a little more difficult to keep an eye on all of them.  

- The gym was smaller than I'm used to, but it was not heavily used.  I enjoyed the track on Deck 10.  

- Disembarking at the islands was quick and efficient ... probably because of the smaller crowds.  

Rooms: 

- We did an Inside Guarantee and ended up in a handicapped room.  LOVED the space and extra storage.  We didn't love the curbless shower (water seeped out), but it was large.  

- We did not particularly enjoy Deck 3.  It always seemed so far away from everything.  We almost always sail on Deck 6, which (though not particularly popular) is centrally located.  

Food:  

- We enjoyed the food.  Everything we had was at least good and served at an appropriate temperature.  The Windjammer was especially good, though it was smaller than other ships we've sailed.  We particularly liked sitting at the "counter" facing out towards the ocean.  

- We LOVED the Park Cafe.  We loved that it's located in the Solarium, where we spent a lot of time.  They served breakfast sandwiches (different each day), cups of cut fruit, parfaits ... then later in the day pizza, small sandwiches and the roast beef sandwiches.  Also cookies and other small desserts.  Oh, and salads ... really good salads.  The pizza was kinda like the good-quality frozen stuff.  

- Grandeur has only three spots for no-cost food:  Windjammer, Park Cafe and MDR.  This wasn't a problem, as the ship carries fewer people.  

Service: 

- Top notch at every turn ... our wait staff and cabin steward were efficient and fun, as were the staff in the Windjammer and the Park Cafe. 

- We had a problem with our safe, and someone was at our door in only about 5 minutes.  

- I'm used to luggage being delivered to our HALLWAY, but Grandeur has a lot of empty space outside the stairs.  When we headed to our room, we saw A SEA OF LUGGAGE all in that space ... and ours was allll the way at the back /behind 5-6 other suitcases.  Later in the day we saw the staff was delivering the bits and pieces that weren't picked up to specific rooms.  Not quite what I was used to, but it was okay.  

Entertainment: 

- The shows were a bit lacking.  I get it; smaller crowds = less money for entertainment.  

- The ship offered an afternoon matinee in the theater (we enjoyed the little loveseats in the theater) and MUTS each evening.  

I had heard specifically that Grandeur was scheduled for retirement in 2025. 

Agree, enjoying this Sized Ship(Vision/Radiance) long as I can. Haven't done anything larger in 22-23yrs. Usually have had only 1600-2050 passengers a Sailing, few Families & 20-30 Kids

Edited November 7, 2023 by ONECRUISER

[sowhat]

6 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What do you mean they have to? Somebody have pictures?

Dry Dock Survey

Two of such inspections in a period of five years must be carried in dry dock and the maximum intervals between these inspections should be 3 years.

[little britain]

On Enchantment now and it’s already very evident that the furniture is new in VCL or Spotlight Lounge; unlike the threadbare saggy scuffed chairs on Brilliance or Jewel.

The art in my cabin isn’t sun faded either. 

[chengkp75]

11 hours ago, Jimbo said:

What do you mean they have to? Somebody have pictures?

 

11 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Pictures of the last time the ship drydocked. If they're committing to the cost of a drydock and that 6+ weeks of no revenue from the ship, then they basically have to run it for at least the next 3 years until a the next drydock period for a ship that age.

Regardless of what the intermediate or long term life of Grandeur is with RCI, if she is scheduled for dry dock in March, then in order to sail at all after March, she has to have the dry dock.  If a ship misses the statutory dry dock intervals, she loses her "certificate of class" (think of your car's state inspection tag), and loses insurance coverage.  So, even if RCI were to find a buyer for Grandeur in February, unless the deal closed before the end of March, the buyer would require RCI to dry dock the ship before the sale finalizes, in order to keep the certificates valid.  The only way to avoid the dry dock cost is to sell before the required docking date.

[Ourusualbeach]

In my opinion you won't see any of the Vision class leaving the fleet until the new class of ships under Project Discovery start to be delivered and as they have not even announced that yet I would think that is still 5 years away.  Once those ships start to enter into service I would look to see the Vison class retired and Radiance class take over their itineraries with Discover replacing Radiance class

[HERDFAN]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

In my opinion you won't see any of the Vision class leaving the fleet until the new class of ships under Project Discovery start to be delivered and as they have not even announced that yet I would think that is still 5 years away.  Once those ships start to enter into service I would look to see the Vison class retired and Radiance class take over their itineraries with Discover replacing Radiance class

I don't think a Radiance class ship can home port in Baltimore. They won't fit under the bridge. 

[Ourusualbeach]

58 minutes ago, HERDFAN said:

I don't think a Radiance class ship can home port in Baltimore. They won't fit under the bridge. 

Unfortunately I think that even with the newer smaller ships there will be ports that ultimately Royal will have no choice but to drop. 

Edited November 7, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[BillB48]

47 minutes ago, HERDFAN said:

I don't think a Radiance class ship can home port in Baltimore. They won't fit under the bridge. 

While I don't have "proof" a Radiance class ship can call on Baltimore, I don't think the bridges would be the stumbling block.  The info I have is the air draft on those ships is 173'.  The Radiance class clear the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa which has a clearance of 181.  The Bay Bridge and the Key Bridge are 182' and 185' respectively.

[shipgeeks]

Captains have stated, over the years, that RC is committed to Baltimore for the long term/indefinitely. It's a very popular departure port, and ships invariably sail full.

NCL has added several Baltimore sailings this year and next.

[HERDFAN]

36 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Captains have stated, over the years, that RC is committed to Baltimore for the long term/indefinitely. It's a very popular departure port, and ships invariably sail full.

NCL has added several Baltimore sailings this year and next.

Yes. On their oldest, smallest ships. If Baltimore is to remain a home port for any cruise line 5 to 8 years from now, cruise lines are going to have to build new constructions to fit, or do major renovations on 30 year old, inefficient ships.

[HERDFAN]

3 hours ago, BillB48 said:

While I don't have "proof" a Radiance class ship can call on Baltimore, I don't think the bridges would be the stumbling block.  The info I have is the air draft on those ships is 173'.  The Radiance class clear the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa which has a clearance of 181.  The Bay Bridge and the Key Bridge are 182' and 185' respectively.

That would be good news. I would love to see a Radiance class ship in Baltimore. But I question why they haven't done it up until now.

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, HERDFAN said:

Yes. On their oldest, smallest ships. If Baltimore is to remain a home port for any cruise line 5 to 8 years from now, cruise lines are going to have to build new constructions to fit, or do major renovations on 30 year old, inefficient ships.

Or work a deal to move the cruise terminal.

[Jimbo]

38 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Or work a deal to move the cruise terminal.

Bring it further south to Virginia 🙂

[Another_Critic]

12 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Bring it further south to Virginia 🙂

Better yet, move it to Philly ... there's already a cruise terminal. 

 

Disclaimer: I have no idea if larger ships can clear the Delaware River bridges.

[Jimbo]

15 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Better yet, move it to Philly ... there's already a cruise terminal. 

 

Disclaimer: I have no idea if larger ships can clear the Delaware River bridges.

Walt Whitman Bridge has a  153' clearance

Delaware Memorial Bridge  174' clearance

 Benjamin Franklin Bridge only 135' clearance

 

Bayonne, NJ, NY

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge  228' clearance

Edited November 7, 2023 by Jimbo