When is a ship too old?

[joramrose]

I have sailed that grand old dame, the QE2, four times in the last five years and loved every minute on her.

 

I sail on Horizon in two weeks.

 

Now I am looking at Galaxy for next fall. Can anyone tell me about her?

 

love

joan

[Druke I]

If a ship has been well maintained, there is no reason for it to leave service before age 30.

 

Back when the ships did line voyages, as opposed to to today's cruising, ships 25 yrs old were very common.

[benjamins]

A great product is a great product. It has to do with inspiration and just how things came together at the time it was created. Great products can reflect their time as well as be timeless. Take a look at your favorite singers, television shows, movies, hotels, are the newest the best?

 

Yes, the product shouldn't be neglected. If it is then it reflects negatively on the products operators and owners, not necessarily the product.

 

I think it is utterly irrelevant the age of the ship. How well the size, layout, style of the ship fits the cruiser should matter much more than the age. The problem is, I don't think it is and a good amount of cruisers want the newest ship.

 

And there must be some problem as many on the Celebrity boards keep asking for new ships. Why isn't nine enough? Why do they need more or something new when the newest ship is only 2 years in service?

[flamingosun]

Benjamins-

 

Agree with you on the age thing... I happen to love vintage cars, old houses, classic and classically aged music, and old men!

 

Though I still look forward to booking my first X cruise, I don't think the age of the ship will be a factor in which one I choose first...

 

RCL's Mariner of the Seas is new (2003) and shiny and very nice, and the Radiance of the Seas (2001) is absolutely beautiful, but my favorite RCL ship is still the good ole' Sovereign of the Seas. Launched in 1988, she's a BIT old by the standards of many of today's cruisers, but she's a love of an 'old' ship with a wonderful crew and a great feel to her.

[98Charlie]

We disembarked the Norway only 3 weeks before the boiler went. It was a great cruise. Maintainance in the public areas was fine and the ship was kept clean. No view from the dining room but, we had great tablemates so it didn't really matter. We would book her in a minute if she were still sailing.

 

We have also stayed in hotels over 80 years old. September after the LOS we stayed over in the Marriott Courtyard Downtown San Diego. Originally a bank (14 stories tall) built in 1920. Same thing goes. If it is kept up it can be a great experience.

 

If a ship (or any other property) is maintained it's a looong time before it's to old.

[FreesiaE]

Ok, so from the posts I've read above it is all about:

1. cleanliness

2. upkeep of physical areas

3. having certain features (like handicapped accessible cabins, balconies, etc)

 

So the question I would like to ask is why do we see so many brand new ships enter the market? Would it not make more sense to better maintain the older ones? Is it a matter of being the biggest, or a matter of being the best at this point? I'm afraid we may be seeing a lean towards the first......

[98Charlie]

FreesiaE - My guesses:

 

Possibly it has to do with the economics of scale. You can make more profit sailing with 3000 passengers vs.1700. You have more staff but the majority of staff increase would be at the lower end of the pay scale. There would still be one captain, cruise director, head chef, etc.

 

Modern engines are probably more efficient. Even if not, it probably takes less fuel per passenger to move the larger ship (Newton's First Law - a body in motion tends to stay in motion).

 

If the customers (passengers) are willing to fill the new ships they will be built. Also, new ships are not always replacing an older ship. Some older ships stay with the line, some are transferred to sister lines (NCL Sea going to P&O next year for the Oriental market).

[wieslaw]

How old and what is old???

 

Perhaps to me "old" means something different than to most. My "High school" dates back to 1180 and I actually had some classes in part of the school that goes back to the original structure .....and at that time of my attendance (1956/9), I did not even think that it was 'old'.

So some things that are even few hundred years old are not old to me and I mostly like old things and admire their quality, beauty and ingenuity.

 

But ships that use US ports and carry passengers and generate revenue for its owners (mostly stock owners) is a different story. The oldest ship that I cruised on for a week ( 1959) was build in 1936......and at that time of cruising, I did not think it was old.

 

But now in the present US market/seas, I think that a cruise ship is old when:

Does not meet (or won't in the short future) the SOLAS requirements,

Does have old engine and communication technology,

Burns too much fuel (for its size) and produces too much dirty air.

Does not produce proportional revenue for its size of crew,

Does not provide (to its expected customers) the 'modern' amenities,

Does cost too much for its maintenance,

And it would cost too much to correct all of the above problems.........

The ship is OLD and it is time to sell it to some other market that can have better use of it.........just like saying 'Good bye' to your 'old' and 'faithful' car, regardless how great it was and how much we love it.

 

Wes

[bpear1600]

Opinions vary, FLAMINGOSUN. We were on the Sovereign twice, once when it was brand new and a couple of years ago with our girls' dance troupe. Of the almost 20 ships we've been on we rank the Sovereign second from the bottom especially in the space per passenger and food service areas. We thought the Mariner of the Seas was great.

[radstom]

We just finished a Norfolk to Bermuda cruise on the Horizon. The staff was superb, the ship itself could use new carpet and some new decor to spruce things up. The Howard Johnsons Orange in the Deck 4 cabins was a bit much. She was clean, just worn. It was a great trip despite the rough crossings.

[98Charlie]

Guess when it comes right down to it, those who are looking for something that looks like it has never been used will buy new cars off the lot, travel to new all-expense paid resorts and travel on new ships. Others are O.K. purchasing a slightly used car; living in hmes they renovated ``a year or so ago'' and enjoying vacation time on a ship that resembles their lifestyle.

 

Personally, our family has been to Disney World many, many times since it opened in the '70s. Took our oldest child there when she was three - she's now 31. Park was ``almost'' brand new when we first saw it. Each time we went back to the park with our younger children we realized it didn'g look the same as the first time we saw it when it was ``new,'' but we won't have a problem taking our toddler grandsons to the aging, renovated park when we have a chance. Won't be the same as the first time we saw it, but it will still be an experience we'll cherish for a lifetime - just like every cruise we take together.

[superjerryw]

Ok, so from the posts I've read above it is all about:

1. cleanliness

2. upkeep of physical areas

3. having certain features (like handicapped accessible cabins, balconies, etc)

 

So the question I would like to ask is why do we see so many brand new ships enter the market? Would it not make more sense to better maintain the older ones? Is it a matter of being the biggest, or a matter of being the best at this point? I'm afraid we may be seeing a lean towards the first......

It's like any other business. If your competition introduces something new you have to offer it yourself to keep your customers. When one cruise line says it will launch a ship with facilities not previously found on a cruise ship everyone else has to build a similar ship ( or something even more unique) just to keep market share. Passengers can be very fickle. They may love the experience they just had on a particular ship, but if someone boasts of another ship that will give them everything they just got, plus more, for the same price they will probably go with the new ship.