"RCCL needs to Keep Voyager or Freedom class in Port Canaveral!!

[cruisinisforme]

By all means the west coasters deserved a voyager class ship, I mean I love them so much I imagine they will too so I am glad they are getting one....but with as much business as comes out of the east coast, how can they not leave one here? honestly I dont have the interest in the freedom class ships so I see the amount of times I cruise going down in the next couple of years...its RCCLS loss...none of us will put them out of business but they will lose some business thats for sure.

[flamingosun]

Poer Canaveral is a wonderful port... and a MAJOR attraction nearby (in addition to the obvious theme parks) is the Space Center, which is a GREAT family attraction.

 

The folks at PC have made embarkation / disembarkation there a breeze, compared to the relative nightmare in Miami. RCL surely knows all this . . .

 

The Sovereign has a loyal following, as does the Mariner. But then, why wouldn't a Freedom, Radiance, or Solstice class at PC develop an equally loyal following?

 

Come on, RCL - let us know WHAT (not if) something is coming here to replace Mariner.

[SherriZ366]

Now finish things and fill PC's empty spot before Carnival takes the place from you.......

Really good point because I think that Carnival has a lot of control of Port C.

[dagadget]

Really good point because I think that Carnival has a lot of control of Port C.

 

 

Interesting I have a cruise consultant that works carnival. I asked him what they (Carnival) thinks about RCI not putting something in the place of Mariner and I was surprised by the response. But in short Carnival will pounce on any extra available departure times out of PC (With Mariner gone they will get an extra slot) RCI Needs to step up to the plate and announce something before Carnival negotiates RCI totally out of PC. That would be a shame if it happens.....:eek:

[Nliedel]

Interesting I have a cruise consultant that works carnival. I asked him what they (Carnival) thinks about RCI not putting something in the place of Mariner and I was surprised by the response. But in short Carnival will pounce on any extra available departure times out of PC (With Mariner gone they will get an extra slot) RCI Needs to step up to the plate and announce something before Carnival negotiates RCI totally out of PC. That would be a shame if it happens.....:eek:

 

I would be amazed if that happened. I don't think, for one second, that RCI is going to dump, PC, or that they do not have a plan in place. They may not have announced, said plan, but I bet there's a plan. I strongly suspect a Genesis ship. The Mariner is running almost, or full on all her sailings. I'm trying to get a cabin on a fall cruise and I am having a heck of a time. I don't think they're dumping this little money maker, anytime soon.

[big al]

What is all this about "I really don't want to sail a Freedom class ship-I love the Voyager class"??? When I sailed the AOS in May '05,I was impressed..then we cruised the Mariner last August '06,and we loved her even more! Especially Becky Luv,our CD was the best so far we'd had.Service,food was terrific....then we cruised the Freedom last Thanksgiving-and WOW! What a ship-she was MUCH more beautiful than both the AOS and MOS.Newer,nicer & longer Royal Promenade,but the best & biggest difference was the pool deck area.RCI made the pool deck 40% larger than the Voyager ships and IMO,it needed it.I always thought the pool areas on Voyager ships for a ship that large,was too small for all those people.The Adult Solarium is 100% better on the Freedom ships than Voyager ships.Those canti-levered hot tubs are THEE coolest hot tubs on the seven seas,bar none!! Sports bar also is bigger,nicer on the Freedom.A point to be said:The difference in size between the Freedom & Voyager ships is minimal-imagine the wonderful Mariner,but with improvements!! Everything else is the same-cabins,dining room,Chops & Portifinos,Casino,Boleros,Schooner Bar,Viking Crown Lounge (but with no Sports Bar,which didn't belong there anyway!),etc...the ONLY time I really noticed a difference was at the pool areas,and as I stated,I thought that was a 100% improvement anyway...

 

So,if a Freedom ship comes to PC,welcome it with open arms..I live about 50 minutes from Ft.Lauderdale and 75-80 min. from Miami,so I will LOVE the IOS coming to FLL....now,there will be big ships in Miami,FLL and PC-isn't that great?

 

Big Al

[SherriZ366]

What is all this about "I really don't want to sail a Freedom class ship-I love the Voyager class"??? When I sailed the AOS in May '05,I was impressed..then we cruised the Mariner last August '06,and we loved her even more! Especially Becky Luv,our CD was the best so far we'd had.Service,food was terrific....then we cruised the Freedom last Thanksgiving-and WOW! What a ship-she was MUCH more beautiful than both the AOS and MOS.Newer,nicer & longer Royal Promenade,but the best & biggest difference was the pool deck area.RCI made the pool deck 40% larger than the Voyager ships and IMO,it needed it.I always thought the pool areas on Voyager ships for a ship that large,was too small for all those people.The Adult Solarium is 100% better on the Freedom ships than Voyager ships.Those canti-levered hot tubs are THEE coolest hot tubs on the seven seas,bar none!! Sports bar also is bigger,nicer on the Freedom.A point to be said:The difference in size between the Freedom & Voyager ships is minimal-imagine the wonderful Mariner,but with improvements!! Everything else is the same-cabins,dining room,Chops & Portifinos,Casino,Boleros,Schooner Bar,Viking Crown Lounge (but with no Sports Bar,which didn't belong there anyway!),etc...the ONLY time I really noticed a difference was at the pool areas,and as I stated,I thought that was a 100% improvement anyway...

 

So,if a Freedom ship comes to PC,welcome it with open arms..I live about 50 minutes from Ft.Lauderdale and 75-80 min. from Miami,so I will LOVE the IOS coming to FLL....now,there will be big ships in Miami,FLL and PC-isn't that great?

 

Big Al

I will welcome a Freedom Class ships with open arms, hugs and kisses etc.

 

My parents used to live in Greenacres in Buttonwood. Nice area.

[derftegel]

It would only be good business to replace the Mariner with a ship as big or bigger. Give PC a Freedom class with Capt Johnny and crew from the Mariner so the east coast can be as happy as the west coast. RCI is in the habit of doing good business.

[papakaiser]

Hey Bill, tell Cindy I said hello! Maybe we should plan a reunion mariner cruise before it leaves! I would love to get back on her next january if I can.

 

Personally I think a freedom class ship will be put into that port, they do have to make some port changes and I agree I think that is what they are waiting for.

 

Will Do. We're booked on Mariner for 10-26-08, if you're interested. So are Terry and Rick. There is one little hitch that Cindy would have to fill you in on, though. But that would be great to get the group together again before Mariner goes west.

[SherriZ366]

I emailed Adam Goldstein and got the following response back:

 

Thank you Sharon. We are committed to operating out of Port Canaveral and will look for opportunities to fill in for Mariner of the Seas. Unfortunately we do not have a ship available to substitute in early 2009 when Mariner of the Seas goes out west.

 

Best regards,

 

Adam

 

 

 

THIS WAS MY ORIGINAL EMAIL TO ADAM GOLDSTEIN:

Subject Port Canaveral -- Replacement for Mariner of the Seas

 

Dear Mr. Goldstein--

 

This email is in support of Royal Caribbean keeping a large ship (Voyager class or higher) in Port Canaveral after Mariner of the Seas is being transferred to the West Coast.

 

I know that you have received emails from fellow Cruise Critic posters in support of keeping a large ship in Port Canaveral after Mariner leaves. Mariner pulls passengers from many southern states, like the Carolinas and Georgia, in addition to Florida. It is an easy port to drive to for so many people. Port Canaveral is also one of the most efficient places for embarkation and disembarkation for a large ship.

 

We live in South Carolina and have sailed on Mariner three times and are considering a fourth cruise on her before she departs. One cruise was for a family group of 22 people from Georgia and South Carolina.

 

I hope Royal Caribbean will keep a large ship in Port Canaveral. It would be a shame to let Carnival and its brands get a marketing advantage in that port.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration

[PH8]

Wow...looks like a gap,:eek: but Im sure in time,there will be one(mega ship) there.....

[cruisinisforme]

Bill I would love to have done that cruise with you guys again but Kim and I are booked on the voyager a couple of weeks earlier in europe. I am very sure I will be back on her again before she leaves though.

 

Wow...that is an amazing response...to have no ship in port canveral will amaze me and I think a big mistake on RCCL's part. I have said one of the things that drew me to the mariner was sailing out of port canaveral as it was the only airport i could get a direct flight into, and as you can see I have done it quite often!

[SherriZ366]

Wow...that is an amazing response...to have no ship in port canveral will amaze me and I think a big mistake on RCCL's part. I have said one of the things that drew me to the mariner was sailing out of port canaveral as it was the only airport i could get a direct flight into, and as you can see I have done it quite often!

I hope they are not ceding the field to Carnival and their brands.

[cruisinisforme]

I was thinking that too, I really think rccl would make a big mistake. I was looking at the schedules for the other ships and I didnt see one available so I was wondering what they were going to do, but that response seems to fit in with all the schedules.

 

I have made cruising my vacation of choice it seems more and more over the last couple of years...most of them had to do with the mariner and port canveral. I plan a lot of thing well in advance and this changes many things for me in the future. Like I said I dont believe we will put RCCL out of business, but I truly see it as a loss for them one way or another

[cruiseman_tx]

I emailed Adam Goldstein and got the following response back:

 

Thank you Sharon. We are committed to operating out of Port Canaveral and will look for opportunities to fill in for Mariner of the Seas. Unfortunately we do not have a ship available to substitute in early 2009 when Mariner of the Seas goes out west.

 

Best regards,

 

Adam

 

So then, why move the Mariner before a replacemant ship can be ready to take over in PC??? I have absolutely no problem with moving a Voyager class ship to the left coast, and I'm glad the cruisers out there will finally get their wish. However, leaving a such a gap without a ship is really shocking. :eek:

[SherriZ366]

I was thinking that too, I really think rccl would make a big mistake. I was looking at the schedules for the other ships and I didnt see one available so I was wondering what they were going to do, but that response seems to fit in with all the schedules.

 

I have made cruising my vacation of choice it seems more and more over the last couple of years...most of them had to do with the mariner and port canveral. I plan a lot of thing well in advance and this changes many things for me in the future. Like I said I dont believe we will put RCCL out of business, but I truly see it as a loss for them one way or another

adam's reaply said EARLY 2009 so maybe when Genesis comes out in the fall of 2009 they will move Liberty or Freedom to Port C. --they won't have room for both of them in Miami.

[nlcentralchmps03]

So then, why move the Mariner before a replacemant ship can be ready to take over in PC??? I have absolutely no problem with moving a Voyager class ship to the left coast, and I'm glad the cruisers out there will finally get their wish. However, leaving a such a gap without a ship is really shocking. :eek:

My thoughts exactly. Wow.

[mike45orlando]

Spread this rumor. Port Canaveral will get the first Project Genesis ship and there is a gap because:

 

#1 Too early to know the exact deployment date of new ship

#2 Gives the port time to knock out that section of land for wider turning

#3 Doubling size of Mariner Terminal and Parking with no guests in the way

[SherriZ366]

Spread this rumor. Port Canaveral will get the first Project Genesis ship and there is a gap because:

 

#1 Too early to know the exact deployment date of new ship

#2 Gives the port time to knock out that section of land for wider turning

#3 Doubling size of Mariner Terminal and Parking with no guests in the way

Wish the rumor could make it so. But in regards to terminal -- I think Carnival uses the terminal on Saturday for Glory.

[papakaiser]

adam's reaply said EARLY 2009 so maybe when Genesis comes out in the fall of 2009 they will move Liberty or Freedom to Port C. --they won't have room for both of them in Miami.

 

That would make sense. The port of Miami can only handle so many ships on any given day. I can't see them placing a Genesis ship in PC right out of the chute. As noted earlier, every new class of ship has always started in Miami.

 

Janet... Cindy mentioned to me that you and Kim were scheduled for a cruise a couple weeks before our Mariner trip. Too bad the dates didn't match up. Maybe another time.

[cruiseman_tx]

Spread this rumor. Port Canaveral will get the first Project Genesis ship and there is a gap because:

 

#1 Too early to know the exact deployment date of new ship

#2 Gives the port time to knock out that section of land for wider turning

#3 Doubling size of Mariner Terminal and Parking with no guests in the way

 

Verrrrrrrry interesting, and definately possible. But do you think the big shots will let Genesis homeport anywhere other than Miami?

 

[mamacat3]

I am in agreement with those who have said that the left coast deserves a Voyager class ship. However, to leave PC with no ship does not seem like a wise choice, IMHO. :eek:

[dagadget]

So then, why move the Mariner before a replacemant ship can be ready to take over in PC??? I have absolutely no problem with moving a Voyager class ship to the left coast, and I'm glad the cruisers out there will finally get their wish. However, leaving a such a gap without a ship is really shocking. :eek:

 

 

As I have said all along my contacts at Carnival are salivating over this and they WILL jump in and take that sailing time from RCI. RCI IS making a big mistake by vacating and not filling in for Mariner. I have no problem with a voyager on the West Coast but as you stated evacuating PC is not good policy and I hope that the Carnival People start showing RCI that they want that sailing time slot....Maybe some common sense will prevail and RCI will plug this gap and Fast......

[PH8]

Ok,this may be a dumb question(since I dont know how it all works),but does RCCL have a contract or lease of some sort to secure their spot while there isnt a mega ship there??:confused:

[dagadget]

I am in agreement with those who have said that the left coast deserves a Voyager class ship. However, to leave PC with no ship does not seem like a wise choice, IMHO. :eek:

 

 

Is RCI taking Sovereign away from us as well? No RCI ships in PC wow :mad: Talk about stabbing the Orlando area in the back............