Enchantment - DEPARTING FROM: COLON, PANAMA in 2008, 2009 (MERGED)

[BILL-WI]

Just announced today...

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/royal/Caribbean/Flyers/07008702_EN_Deployment.pdf

 

 

BILL

[cot427]

I knew RCI was doing something with the Enchantment. Just last week I posted a thread about what RCI was doing with the Enchantment. I just hoped it wasn't leaving. I love the Enchantment. It is pretty cool, but they will lose a big money maker in Fort Lauderdale. I mean, 4/5 night Caribbean are really convienient and cheap for a short trip. Wonder what will replace it. (I mean in the summer. because Navigator is doing short trips or FLL)

 

Thanks for posting.

[CL-JW]

Just announced today...

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/royal/Caribbean/Flyers/07008702_EN_Deployment.pdf

 

 

BILL

 

What an interesting itinerary. Thanks for posting this.

[Cruising89143]

RCI continues to move some ships around. Good for them. This will leave one less ship doing the shorter cruises. Now if they would just take the Navigator off of the four and five night cruises and give us a 10-12 night cruise out of south Florida to the southern Caribbean.

[cot427]

RCI continues to move some ships around. Good for them. This will leave one less ship doing the shorter cruises. Now if they would just take the Navigator off of the four and five night cruises and give us a 10-12 night cruise out of south Florida to the southern Caribbean.

 

I would love a long 10 night cruise from Florida to the soutern Caribbean. It would be awesome. I think that is an interesting itinerary, but Panama is so much worse than Puerto Rico.

[Host Kewlguy]

We suspected it was leaving Fort Lauderdale. Not surprised at all.

[GMoney]

Now if they would just take the Navigator off of the four and five night cruises and give us a 10-12 night cruise out of south Florida to the southern Caribbean.

 

AMEN!!!

[Cruising89143]

I would love a long 10 night cruise from Florida to the soutern Caribbean. It would be awesome. I think that is an interesting itinerary, but Panama is so much worse than Puerto Rico.

 

I am surprised that RCI is leaving from Colon but my guess is they are going after the folks down in South America for these cruises or at least hoping to draw from some of the South American countries.

[Host Kewlguy]

I knew RCI was doing something with the Enchantment. Just last week I posted a thread about what RCI was doing with the Enchantment. I just hoped it wasn't leaving. I love the Enchantment. It is pretty cool, but they will lose a big money maker in Fort Lauderdale. I mean, 4/5 night Caribbean are really convienient and cheap for a short trip. Wonder what will replace it. (I mean in the summer. because Navigator is doing short trips or FLL)

 

Thanks for posting.

 

My guess would be another Vision Class ship will replace it. Those short cruises out of Fort Lauderdale are big money makers.

[GMoney]

Am I the only one a little underwhelmed by these itineraries?

[Sue L]

Nice itineraries but I just checked flying into Colon and it is 600+ per person.

[Cruising89143]

Am I the only one a little underwhelmed by these itineraries?

 

 

I have no desire to leave from Colon.

[Host Kewlguy]

I have no desire to leave from Colon.

 

If you recall during the Liberty of the Seas pre inaugural Adam Goldstein stressed a big part of the future of Royal Caribbean international was overseas. He stated it was now truly an international cruise line. Enchantment moving to Panama is just another example of that fact. With the continued devaluation of the US Dollar I would expect more of the same in the near future. I think the potential future of the cruise industry in Asia is limitless.

[BILL-WI]

Another cruise I'll HAVE to do...

 

BILL

[DonnaK]

Am I the only one a little underwhelmed by these itineraries?

 

 

I'm underwhelmed too. The new/different ports are a welcomed changed, but the embarkation ports are too difficult/impractical to get to. Not to mention too expensive.

[Mark]

Panama?

 

What a stupid move by RCCL...I would never go on vacation to Panama and sure would not fly down there to catch a cruise ship.

 

Maybe there is a big demand for cruises by Panamanians that I am just not aware of!

 

My prediction...it will not last!:cool:

[Schplinky]

...but they will lose a big money maker in Fort Lauderdale. I mean, 4/5 night Caribbean are really convienient and cheap ...

 

this isn't a logical statement. If it was cheap, it's not likely to have been making them nearly as much money as the sailings out of Colon will, especially when you factor in the passengers that will now see it as an option: South Americans.

 

RCL sees a big growth in South American cruises and Caribbean sales continue to be soft. That's why more ships are being deployed to Europe, Asia, Australia and now, South America. Why would they keep a ship in a port where they can barely charge a hundred bucks a day when they can earn so much more elsewhere. Ships continue to sail full out of Florida but that is now usually a result of drastic discounting after final payments are due.

[RevSmith]

sad news to me...but then again...I just love to be on a ship...don't care where I am going...and I'm not able to fly except on rare occations...so good bye Enchantment...I will miss you.

[isujim]

Interesting. Thanks for posting Bill. Glad to see Enchantment doing 7 and 8 day itineraries again but not sure about flying into Colon..........

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I lived in South America many years. What I can't imagine, for example, is why a South American, a Colombian, for example, would want to fly to Panama to cruise to Cartagena and Santa Marta or Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. I can't see why a Venezuelan would either. Venezuelans can easily fly to the ABC islands or their own Isla Margarita. Why would they fly to Panama first?

 

Unless they are cruising just for the sake of cruising (which I must admit I do sometimes), I don't see much interest for South Americans in any of those itineraries. Maybe the Western South Americans--Peruvians and Chileans might find that itinerary compelling, but I don't see high interest from Brazilians. Maybe Argentinians might like it. That is a long, long flight for Argentinians, though. Are there many direct flights from Argentina to Colon?

 

The other consideration is that something like only 18% of North Americans have cruised. The percentage of South Americans with the financial ability to cruise must be even smaller.

 

Myself, I would have thought Caracas would be a better port because of its easy access to the many Caribbean islands, especially the southern ones, although I do recognize that political conditions in Venezuela might make such an arrangement risky.

 

The low dollar makes travel by foreigners to the US more attractive. Why would those foreigners prefer to fly to Colon rather than fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale and take advantage of the low US dollar now? Maybe Royal Caribbean is predicting that the US dollar will rise by 2008 and 2009.

 

One other thing. Perhaps Enchantment is leaving Fort Lauderdale to make room for Independence which is making Ft. Lauderdale her home port for winter sailings.

[cot427]

One other thing. Perhaps Enchantment is leaving Fort Lauderdale to make room for Independence which is making Ft. Lauderdale her home port for winter sailings.

 

Yeah, I never thought of that. Next year, Independence is doing 6/8 night Caribbean and Navigator is doing 4/5 night.

[negc]

Am I the only one a little underwhelmed by these itineraries?

 

Could be Patrick:D When was the last time an RCI ship offered Bonaire or all of the ABC islands on one of its itineraries? A number of the ports on these itineraries are places I have yet to visit, which is difficult to say about most Caribbean itineraries. Time will tell as to whether or not these itineraries draw the desired volume of passengers, but at least they are offering something new for a change.

[GMoney]

Could be Patrick:D When was the last time an RCI ship offered Bonaire or all of the ABC islands on one of its itineraries? A number of the ports on these itineraries are places I have yet to visit, which is difficult to say about most Caribbean itineraries. Time will tell as to whether or not these itineraries draw the desired volume of passengers, but at least they are offering something new for a change.

 

I must have missed the big draw that is Bonaire...:D

[skiiergirl]

We have no interest what so ever in these stops. Did Cartagena on the PC run this year and will do it again next year. Got off the ship this year just to say we did. Next year it will be a "stationary sea day" for us. No interest in doing it again. None of these ports are of interest to us.

 

I definitely vote for a 10/12 night caribbean cruise throughout the year from either south florida or san juan.

[negc]

I must have missed the big draw that is Bonaire...:D

I've never been, so can't comment.:) I do understand that it is highly regarded by scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts (neither of which I am either) but it is the only one of the three ABC islands I have yet to visit, and there are fewer and fewer islands in the Caribbean that I can say that about. Guess it may say something about how little of the Caribbean is left that hasn't been covered by frequent cruises in the region. Do you have a suggested itinerary that would be an improvement?:confused: