ROLL CALL: 2/25/07 Caribbean Princess

[MattInFLL]

I just finished the last of Christopher's chocolate... Happy Easter! :)

[M&D]

Has anyone seen/heard/received the DVD from the Caribbean Princess cruise yet? Or is there one even on the way? :) Looking forward to the Queen Mary and Zuiderdam next year! :)

 

Mark and Donny

[dendren]

Has anyone seen/heard/received the DVD from the Caribbean Princess cruise yet? Or is there one even on the way? :) Looking forward to the Queen Mary and Zuiderdam next year! :)

 

Mark and Donny

 

 

The last 3 cruises I was on it took somewhere between 2 and 3 months to get the dvd. Doesn't make any sense to me at all that it would take so long especially considering they used to hand you the video as you walked off the ship.

 

The only thing I'm wondering is RSVP is VERY tight lipped about next years cruises, including the Zuiderdam (this is very odd to me). I've heard not to expect much by way of announcements (including our dvds which always have the loooong house ad at the end selling the next year of cruises) until about the time all booking closes for Queen Mary 2 in mid to late May. They are hurting bad on the QM2 cruise and I think they won't try to sell much of anything until they can close that one out.

[Typhoon1]

I hate to sound like an alarmist, but I often wonder if the QM2 will be the death of RSVP.

 

Jeff Soukup got RSVP in over their heads with the last two charters. One was too large for the market, the other was just too pricey for a one way trip. I remember asking former RSVP President Paul Figlmiller if he could fill the Caribbean Princess, and he replied "no problem."

 

Just another reason both of them are departed from RSVP/PlanetOut. Of course, Paul took his marching orders from Jeff.

[dendren]

I hate to sound like an alarmist, but I often wonder if the QM2 will be the death of RSVP.

 

Jeff Soukup got RSVP in over their heads with the last two charters. One was too large for the market, the other was just too pricey for a one way trip. I remember asking former RSVP President Paul Figlmiller if he could fill the Caribbean Princess, and he replied "no problem."

 

Just another reason both of them are departed from RSVP/PlanetOut. Of course, Paul took his marching orders from Jeff.

 

I don't think RSVP is going anywhere, but they are going to be hurting for some time to come I think. I understand the issues with the QM2 but what I truly don't understand is why RSVP had such a hard time selling the 2 princess cruises (especially the Feb one). Atlantis pulls off 3000 passenger cruises easily, why can't RSVP? Personally I prefer the 1800 size to the 3000 but it's still curious to me as to why this has become a problem when 5 years ago RSVP was easily selling out almost a year in advance.

 

Will be interesting to watch where RSVP goes over the next few years as a company. I suspect if they didn't have the Planet Out backing they do they'd be gone by now, but hopefully Planet Out will stick with them through the ummm... rough seas they seem to be in now.

[Typhoon1]

Phil:

 

Does Atlantis really sell out their 3,000-4,000 passenger ships? I know their website claims they do, but so did the RSVP website for the February cruise. Just another PR game between the two competitors.:confused: :confused:

[dendren]

Phil:

 

Does Atlantis really sell out their 3,000-4,000 passenger ships? I know their website claims they do, but so did the RSVP website for the February cruise. Just another PR game between the two competitors.:confused: :confused:

 

 

I can only go by what my friends who travel on Atlantis say, but from what I've understood many of their cruises are sold out and wait listed long before the cruise, the way RSVP *used* to be. Also, the fact that Atlantis keeps booking bigger and bigger ships each year for their January cruise (last January they were on the 3700 passenger Freedom of the Seas) indicates to me that they are doing well enough to keep with the huge ships. I suspect one of Atlantis' major selling points is that they are really doing many different itineraries... the South America one the last 2 years has been huge and I'm drooling over the baltic seas one they will do this summer. Altho, rumor has it that RSVP is going to do a baltic cruise in June 2008.

 

Personally, I'm *very* happy to have RSVP scale back to 1800 passenger ships (altho a little sad to see them step back to the oldest of the HAL vista class ships instead of something equivelent and new). I did enjoy being on different ships and experiencing Princess on the October and Feb cruises... but 3100 passengers, it just lost something in my opinion.

[Typhoon1]

Not 3,100 only 2,600. Remember they wanted us to thnk it was sold out, but it was only 2,600. Still too many for my taste too.

[dendren]

Not 3,100 only 2,600. Remember they wanted us to thnk it was sold out, but it was only 2,600. Still too many for my taste too.

 

True... was mainly only referring to the ship size and not exact number of passengers. I suspect the RSVP trips on the HAL vista class ships really run around 1500 or so at most instead of the max 1800. You have to factor in all the folks traveling alone in cabins like myself, last minute cancels and other stuff like that.

 

I do think RSVP has tried hard to shake things up a bit in order to remain competitive with Atlantis (not to mention the Rosie and RFamily cruises) but so far they haven't come up with the right formula (I certainly don't think emulating Atlantis is it). Can't wait to see how they play things on the zuiderdam cruise next year, hopefully they will figure out what works to find their own niche again.

[QUALITYINLIFE]

I went on line with a place I shop for cruises cheap " Vacations to go.com", and they sell the Q2 cruises also. I find that a good shopper can find some better buys on line, but they are all STRAIT cruises.

 

One has to pay extra for all that expensive entertainment and parties. Nothing is free in life. I had a blast on Carrib. Princess and have already reserved for next Spring 2008.

 

I do find that the gay community does not generally support gay businesses and many gay men can not afford this type of travel. Atlantis or RSVP, they all have exposure to the same gay groups/populations.

 

I would love to know if any of you know of any discount cruise or vacation sites for gay men; I don't believe it exists...

 

Hugs,

Robert

[MattInFLL]

Robert there really is no such thing. Right now the only deals are because of RSVP's mis-steps in booking the QM2, and probably too big a ship for europe.... You can get an amazing deal on QM2 right now - and I mean amazing... but then airfare and london hotel might wipe that away. And I've had a few emails with specials on the Med....

 

But as for a general gay discount travel site - probably won't exist for some time.

[Boytjie]

Time for some memories

[monumax]

I just sent them an email YESTERDAY asking them about it, so I will take credit for it being posted. :^)

Max

[Boytjie]

I just sent them an email YESTERDAY asking them about it, so I will take credit for it being posted. :^)

Max

 

Thanks Max! I guess my email last week did not have much effect. :D

 

I think there is a glimpse of you and Bob dancing.

[monumax]

Yes, Peter, that was us dancing in our so-wrongs! We downloaded the video, then burned it on a DVD, but it turned out very poor in quality. If they don't want to go to the expense of sending out a DVD to all cruisers, they should give us an option of buying one. I can see RSVP also doing away with the free knapsacks/gym bags, but I just hope they let us know in advance so we bring along our old ones for excursions.

Say hello to Richard!

[Typhoon1]

>>>>