Ethanol95

18 minutes ago, MLP12 said:

Can someone please give some advise on how to best enjoy Santorini/Oia.  I booked a tour through the ship,  but it looks like we will still have either extensive walking or use the cable cars to get back to the ship. The tour states you go by ferry and then board a bus to Oia with return to Fira .  I have read so many horror stories about large crowds, long lines, etc., I'm thinking about cancelling the tour because my husband has some issues walking long distances.  Is it as bad as I've read?  Is it worth getting off the ship to see?  I guess I'd really like to hear someone else's perspective who has actually visited there.  

Just visited yesterday! Important things to note when considering whether to cancel your tour to Oia. Yes as Biker has mentioned, check how many ships are in port. A normal day is 3-4 cruise ships. With that amount of passengers, queues will not be terrible, though you still have to queue. A bad day is above 5 cruise ships. Lines will be very long for the cable car. 

We were the 2nd or 3rd tender off the ship and when we arrived at Fira (where the cable car starts from), the queue was already snaking. We waited about half an hour to 40 minutes to get to the front. My tip is to try to be on the first tender if you do want to continue to see Oia. Oia is lovely and beautiful, Oia is also where to best see the 3 blue domed churches, but it will be crowded with narrow walkways at times. We docked when there were only 3 ships tendered that day and already crowds were an inconvenience at times. 

My advice is if there are fewer ships in port the day you are at Santorini then go for the experience. The views are breathtaking and it is easily now my family's favorite port in the Mediterranean. 

With mobility issues, I saw a young teenage girl brought by her father in a wheelchair all the way up the mountain. So if she can do it in a wheelchair, I'm sure it's possible for you too. Just maybe travel less and see Oia on your own instead of with a tour group. 

16 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

How long do you think Spectrum will be in Shanghai for. the Chinese economy is supposed to be in pretty bad shape.

 

China still has pent-up travel demand from Covid. Travelling around the med currently and do not see any Mainland Chinese touring in the peak of summer season. I would think that Shanghai would rebound stronger than Singapore. People still have money, like others, they have reserved cash from covid to travel.

6 hours ago, geoff2802 said:

Yeah, I saw that.  Guess they’re doing some re-thinking.
 Singapore must get a replacement for Spectrum.  

So where is Anthem going now? Still Singapore till any further confirmation right?

10 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Ship is too big and technically getting bigger.  Not to mention Allure is definitely not a newer Oasis class.  

 

 

 

 

 

If they are talking about Allure replacing Utopia, and then Utopia going to Asia, then it will be a newer one.

7 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Allure can't tender at all.  None of the Oasis class ships are designed for that.  

 

Only smaller ships can go to the many small ports that would justify a world cruise.   That is why Radiance class is so popular with the more exotic cruising. 

 

 

 

 

Was I wrong in hearing that the newer ships were being designed to also tender within the O class? Heard it a few times, but I don't know whether its just talk or fact.

Is there any timeframe from that C&A post to when we should hear further developments? Or anyone knows anything else?

6 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

That’s true, there aren’t many ports for an Oasis to call at on round trip cruises from Singapore.  Klang and Penang perhaps?  
China would have to be a more likely deployment.  If there is anything in this at all, I guess it’s for 2025 - not so soon.  

I don't think Allure can tender in Phuket in the newer deep water bay port.

1 hour ago, geoff2802 said:

Singapore… maybe.  
Sydney… almost no chance I’d say.  
 

That's a bit sooner than I expected, I literally don't know where it would call from SG.

8 hours ago, GlasgowCruiser01 said:

Taking over for Mariner in Canaveral.

So no chance of going to APAC either. Sighh.

9 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

Yep ,they are in business to make money for the shareholders but ovation is getting a premium price in Sydney.

A friend said to me to jump across to Carnival as the prices are a third of Ovation and showed me . They are much cheaper, so I don’t think it’s not a question of profit.

 

Odd we have only one ship in Sydney for the 24-25 season,Let’s see what happens.

I was already jumping ship to carnival back in 2020. Too bad covid didn't let me jump. Must have been fate to stick with Royal. XD

Anyone knows what Adventure is doing? Can't find her 2024/2025 deployment.

30 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

That's exactly what my older brother used to say when he realized some of the pieces might be missing.  

And so the mystery goes on...

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

I feel like we are trying to build a puzzle but someone (Royal) like a playful younger sibling has hidden some the puzzle pieces.  Until they dump the missing puzzle pieces onto the table... 

The thing is, the puzzle should have been completed. But now we might have a larger puzzle then anticipated than when we started putting it all together.

4 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I don’t know but it hasn’t bothered RC to cancel a deployment in the past.
Especially in a saturated market like Florida.

 

That is true. We will have to wait and see. If what you suggest could be right, we should expect an announcement in the next few months. Of course, I highly doubt that they would cancel their plans for ship in Florida, if they have already run the numbers including the new builds that will enter the market in the coming years.

3 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Thinking that Sydney has only one ship from November 24 till March 25 which doesn’t make sense and that one ship ,Ovation is selling out fast.

There could be another ship to move to Singapore in March and then to Sydney or Melbourne in November.

A vision class ?,or a voyager class ,possibly Adventure?

 

 

Is there any ship in RCL's fleet that currently has no deployment for that time frame? 

And if they were going to announce a ship for the earlier part of the season, they would have announced it with Anthem's announcement as it is a sooner period. 

4 hours ago, fattymcdonut said:

I am booked on a 5D4N Spectrum sailing in August. I heard that the bars and lounges are pretty dead, but was curious as to how many people on this ship take the Unlimited dining package. On other ships, you need to rush to get reservations otherwise you are shut out or can't get good times. For anyone with experience on this ship, can you tell me if there are any worries to booking right away? Hopefully reservations will be available.

UDP seems to be quite popular. During my few times on SC and QN the last 2 years, UDP was particularly popular during high seas cruisers because it was worth the money with nowhere to go. 

I would still think it's popular now, but not to the extent you have to fight for it. Maybe best to keep an eye on your cruise planner and see whether any discounts are offered to gauge how fast or slow they're selling out.

4 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I find it hard to believe Singapore won’t have a Royal Caribbean ship for 6 months.

There must be another ship to fill the gap .

They have no more ships left, so this coming season is probably true. We've been a partial deployment destination for a long time in the past, I think they could definitely afford to do it again 

9 hours ago, jldev said:

Yes, I'm a travel agent in New Zealand and the Quantum Singapore to Brisbane is indeed for sale now

Yes, it is officially on Royal's site now

2 hours ago, springaussie said:

Can anyone see Singapore to Brisbane 2024  on Quantum for sale? 

I can’t see it on Royal.

One of the travel agents claims she has cabins for sale. 

Just tried, I can't see anything as of yet. Also strangely, November 2024 is a selectable option on the calendar. Just that month, comes up with nothing momentarily though. I wonder if they're testing some new itineraries.

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

Wasn't Asia to be on the booking schedule this week?

China I would say is mostly released already. Except for knowing individual itineraries, they are out. 

Singapore was never going to come out until late July. 

Australia is also fully out. 

6 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

She may yet, just not in 2024.  She is too busy helping Royal print money at PDCC.  

Please enlighten me, what does PDCC stand for?

47 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Allure was a left over ship they had to stick somewhere.  The red headed step child no one wanted to talk about.  

 

While I personally love Allure the lack of updates is something that hasn't gone unnoticed by the cruise booking masses.

 

To your point, that Allure bookings didn't flop on 3/4 may have opened the door to put Utopia, as a brand new ship, on the same 3/4 albeit for very different reasons.

 

We've all grown accustomed to Miami being the top cruise port in the world.   It goes to show that Royal isn't so numb to reality after all.  With another port challenging and taking the title (for now) Royal has done what Royal does best.   They've placed assets where they can generate the most revenue in the bigger picture,

 

With more Icon class in process Oasis class aren't the mega ships in their own league any more.  Oasis will soon be just another class of ships that once we're the largest cruise ships in the world.  Just as Majesty once was a mega ship of the seas so goes Utopia before she even sails.  Utopia will be the first Oasis class ship that was never the largest cruise ship in the world. 

 

Maybe once Icon 2 or 3 is doing 3/4 from Florida it will be time to put Oasis as just a large class of ship at that point into the Pacific.   

That's why Allure should have come to SG instead of Anthem! Haha

30 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Quantum Ultra are the largest ships in the world that performs tendering.  

 

Singaporeans can dream of something bigger all they want but until there is another port to visit that has a pier, I don't see them putting something bigger into Singapore with only one port offered for a 3/4 rotation. 

 

If you build it, they will come.  

Technically they can go to East coast of South East Asia, to Vietnam, Thailand, HK. I don't know which ports that side has docks or tenders, but i would think itineraries there stand a better chance for anything bigger. 

33 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

We have Brilliance this coming season and what a breath of fresh air and then we are back in to Quantum class oblivion after that.It’s like ground hog day.

There must be another ship ?

 Adventure of the seas or a Oasis class of some description anything but Quantum class.

 

 

 

 

I share your sentiments on a whole other level 😂

7 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Eventually China will get an Oasis class ship.   Looking way down the road beyond the current deployments.  Maybe Wonder, maybe Utopia, or maybe the rumoured OA#7.  Maybe a future Icon class is being earmarked for China instead of something OA class.

 

Once that happens will they keep Spectrum there as well or will the future China based mega ship displace Spectrum and send her back to Singapore?

Lol if China gets a Icon or Oasis i would think it would be originally seasonal to test different homeports and markets in APAC, but obviously China first. 

I would hate to think that Singapore would be abandoned in terms of growth, and be given Spectrum. You don't know how many people were upset with the news Anthem was coming and not something larger this season. Royal can only mislead them for so long, before they move brands.