Exotic....why Empress

[golfer1966]

DW and I would like to do the 11 night exotic, but why does RCI use the Empress for this. Ive not heard too many good things about her. We heard she is outdated and old, small and in need of a facelift badly. Ive actually read that RCI may use this ship on another line they recently bought or something?? Anyway, I guess my question is, why cant they use another, more updated ship for this cruise. I know the other ships have other schedules, but.....

[superjerryw]

You sort of answered your own question. Most people want to sail on the newer, larger ships so they give the smaller, older Empress exotic itineraries to attract customers.

[critterchick]

I think one of the reason those ports are "exotic" is because they aren't overrun with mega ships each dumping 2500+ passengers into them on any given day.

 

I haven't read that Empress is run down, just that she's from another era. That's not always a bad thing.:D

[DebbieO]

We sail the Empress frequently. She is not run down and in fact last year was upgraded with extensive refurbishing and a Portafinos. We have done the 11-night exotic cruise and some ports are small, requiring smaller ships. She is small - that is also why she has the Bermuda run in the summer. She can fit into Hamilton, the Dockyards and even St. George. Many of us also feel she has the best crew in the fleet. I liked the 11-night exotic cruise because we got to see places we've never been. However, it was port intensive - I could have used a couple sea days in there. However, if you prefer voyage class ships you may not care for a smaller ship such as Empress.

[texasgirl]

Oh my! The thing that really clinched this cruise for us was the good reviews I've seen lately. Hope I was reading the right reviews. Anyway, part of the charm for us is an older, smaller ship. We cruised on the Horizon during it's last season and it was great. Course we're the kind of cruisers who go for the ports and the ship is just an added perk.

[yogimax]

It's all supply and demand. How many people are able to do an eleven night cruise out of San Juan?

 

Not as many as are able to do a seven nighter out of Florida. To put it simply, they would never fill up a larger ship on a regular basis

[sgriff17]

I'd LOVE to do this cruise :) Going on the Empress in 2 days...I'll let you know how she is!

[groovy gran]

The Empress is a great ship with a fantastic crew.We had a brilliant time on the 11 day exotic although we would have preferred a 13 day trip with a couple more sea days as it is very tiring.Mind you coming from the uk we prefer longer trips as it is not worth the long flight over for 7 days.

[abridalmaven]

The Empress was the first ship we sailed and why we are hooked on cruising now. It does have a great crew and an intimate feeling. I like bigger ships, but that is my personal preference, I would do it again if the the itinerary were right!:D

[leoandhugh]

it is just a matter of time before such an itinerary wont be available from a major cruise line they are all building megaships which either can't get in to some of the smaller, more charming Caribbean islands or if they can get in, the sheer number of passengers overwhelms the infrastructure of the island. the main drawback to theEmpress is the small size of the cabins, but out of San Juan with a different port every day, they are really just a bedroom anyhow.:)

[iluvcruzin]

I was on the Empress last week. It was fine. Sure it's small and the lounges are a bit dated but it's still a nice ship. The only thing is for an 11 day you might want to look into using packing aids as storage is minimal. The ship was designed and initially used for the bahama 3&4 day routes so it's a bit small as far as cabin size. Still, it's doable. I am going to guess they use this ship for the 11-day exotic so they can keep the ship in the carribean during the winter season. There is a high demand for 10+ day cruises during the winter months so I'm sure it will be full way before sailing.

[Stella Darling]

Yogimax is right. Not many people can afford the 11 night cruises. The 11 night Hawaiian one was on the Legend, which is also pretty small. We were the youngest onboard (35 yrs.) So rather than have a huge ship 1/2 full, the have a smaller ship completely full. The also just spent $28 million to revamp it, so that's not chump change. We'll be going March 26.

[philly50's]

Golfer we are scheduled for the 11 day "Exotic" Empress cruise in mid November and so looking forward to it. I've spoken to several people who took the Philly to Bermuda cruise this summer and loved the ship. We've been forwarned that the cabins are on the small size but we aren't too worried about that. My biggest fear is having enough energy to make the most out of our time at 8 ports in 11 days. I really believe we may need a vacation after this cruise. Bottom line is that the itinerary is great and the price was amazingingly reasonable for this cruise and too good of a deal to pass up. As far as things to do on the ship we generally make our own fun and aren't too worried about the entertainment the cruise line provides. After a long day in the Caribbean sunshine I'm happy to have a cocktail, a nice dinner and then do some people watching and a little dancing. That is what DH and I consider a good evening.

[golfer1966]

With all of these good answers to my questions, how can I not go. Now all I need to do is talk my DW into it. The only thing I am partially concerned about is the cabin size. I know we are only in them for a short time each day, but its still nice to be able to move freely and not be cluttered. I think it was Leo....who said they concider them as bedrooms anyway, and he/she is right. Weve done several cruises and a few on the Majesty. I know the Empress is even smaller than her. Are the rooms basically the same?

 

Thanks again all....

 

Keith