Tin can

There was quite a 'lively' thread a couple of days ago about whether this will actually be the inaugral voyage. If you take the term as its strict definition of the first sailing with paying passengers I have my doubts personally. Irrespective of this I think the first sailing out of Miami will be celebrated and will be occasion.

Unless of course you are coming the other way like us, UK to the US 😀. We are queuing up on the gangway to get off at Nassau.... normally a queue of three, just us! We are equally as excited to be stopping at Cozumel again in April but I guess most on here have been there many times. A very good point though, Icon would not be fully experienced on a port intensive Mediterranean or Greek Isles cruise as you just wouldn't have the time to do it justice.

The UK website this morning (about 6 hours ago), it was priced GBP £ which I converted into dollars for the post. There was a post on another thread that the UK site was slightly cheaper than the US one but I'd imagine on day one of sales it will be quite volatile at the moment as PompeySailor's comment.

I think Icon's launch is not too dissimilar to Anthems in 2015 as they are both quite a radical change for Royal Caribbean. When Anthem launched in the UK there was a significant cost premium for her which was reduced when dynamic dining and no traditional promenade was not particularly warmly received. I'm not saying the more family orientated, water parks, suite decks etc of Icon will have the same effect but it is a shift more to families and suite guests by Royal. What is different though is even if it did we are still 15 months away from Icon sailing with 15 months of heavy promotion. By the time she sails she could be fully booked, you only had to look at how one of the inaugural sailing threads descended to realise that people are VERY passionate about her. I might be wrong but I don't see any lower prices coming.

We sailed on Anthems first season and I've watched with interest subsequent new ship launch prices so obviously I was expecting a significant uplift for a new and fabulous ship but a GS on Icon is 250% more than a CLS on Harmony. I have no doubt though that they will sell all the suites on her.

I'm genuinely shocked at the pricing on Icon, we (the two of us and our son) are booked in a Crown Loft Suite on Harmony doing a Western Caribbean for £6k in March 2024. A Western Caribbean in a Grand Suite on Icon at the same time is £15k. I gather the suite experience is on a different level on Icon but a £9k different level I'm not so sure.

It really is a fabulous ship and I looked this morning at possibly changing my Harmony Western Caribbean in March 2024 as its almost the same itinerary with a stop at Coco Cay. It is though $9000.00 for three (our son is 13 years old) in a Junior Suite or $16000.00 in a Grand suite 😳. I know its a 'new level' suite experience and the ship looks fabulous but I booked a Crown Loft Suite on Harmony for $6500.00 so is the Icon suite experience $10k better? The ship will sail full I have no doubt, I'm getting older though and like my comforts when cruising and Icon sadly is a bit too expensive for me.

The Explorer dry dock seems a bit of a mystery, too long for just mechanical maintenance and people sailing recently have been told in the Captains questions that it is being refurbished. Surely though if it was anything major then Royal would be advertising the fact and detailing what is happening.

Yes I realise that, docked in Southampton for media reveals and travel agent visits. Who is going to be interested though in booking Icon based on her tied up in Southampton in winter with no passenger sailings. No sailings here will mean no buzz about the ship which will be a shame. It sounds lame to me and pointless, if there are no sailings send her straight to Miami.

No one is going to be swayed in the UK to sail Royal Caribbean in the US from a ship docked lifeless at Southampton in winter with pools closed etc that isn’t taking passengers. So if she is not accepting passengers what do you think you will see from this media event in the States? You will see a lifeless ship docked in Southampton in the winter.which I think is most unlikely to get folks in the US rushing to computers dreaming of the Caribbean ready to pay a premium to sail her. If she is not accepting passengers in Southampton there is no point in her being here in my opinion, send her straight to Miami. I’m not being funny but as a share holder if she comes to Southampton she should be taking a number of ‘soft’ revenue cruises not parked up in the snow.

Point taken, a ship visit though in Southampton in January that isn't sailing and is far superior to the ship you are actually selling or ever likely to sell locally seems a tough gig to pull off. In fact I think it would have the opposite effect, client phones up and asks to book the new ship that has been in the media and you say you can't have that one but we have one 10 years old sailing and not as good with half of the attractions.... the phone would be put down and you'd take a look at MSC. Its not as if its going to get the American public excited to make a booking on Icon, would you be able to see yourself on her paying top dollar in the Caribbean whilst seeing frozen travel agents in coats in the English Channel with the pools closed! People have to sail it from Southampton or the media/travel agent event is a non starter in my opinion..... I would though hope RCI does 100% disagree with me 😀.

I agree, the interview says trade events though planned in Southampton. I was replying to the comment from the other poster about 'whining Brits' (as if we are ever that 🤣) as we should know the ship can't sail with passengers from the UK in winter. Why then would it be different for travel agents and media, you really aren't going to boost sales with travel experts in coats, hats and scarves being blown around deck in the North Sea. There must be something planned for paying passengers in Europe, personally I would base it in Madeira or the Canary Isles for a couple of weeks of short 'soft' revenue cruises, unless it is going from shipyard straight to crossing the Atlantic.

I agree, so therefore what is the point in having trade and media sailings from Southampton. The interest in this ship here (UK) in Winter is going to be very low especially if no one can sail on it. A few 25% full cruises with travel agents from Southampton and then a $2 billion ship fired into 5 days straight across the Atlantic seems a risk to me. I'd want it fully tested with the demands of paying passengers with the manufacture on the same continent to attend to any issues before embarking on the Caribbean season but maybe just me.

I would have thought they would have had a few 'soft' passenger sailings somewhere in Europe to iron out any teething problems rather than straight out the shipyard into a 5 day Atlantic crossing. Obviously not if you say its straight to Miami for her.

Wasn't it confirmed that there were sailings initially from Southampton, I might have the wrong ship though or that plan may have changed 😀

Never saw him on Anthem in May 😐

Personally I would at least go and have a look, if its not for you then you can return to the ship. I'm not sure what you are expecting to get out of trying Royal Caribbeans 'mega ships' and its theme park Island if its not for you both. Seems a strange bucket list to tick off but it may just be me. Whatever you decide enjoy 😀

Even with the cost of flights (and we are UK based 😀) we are sailing out of Galveston in 2024, booked on Harmony and looking forward to visiting Texas.

We had exactly the same on our last cruise and as my post above it was the same cruise that had to leave 6 passengers behind at a port. I'm not sure if it was the pandemic but their seems to be an increase in entitlement with passengers since then and the 'ship will wait' or 'I'll get off when I want' attitudes.

We were on a Fjords cruise in May, not exactly pier runners as two strolled back about 45 mins late and 6 passengers were actually left behind.

The same on Anthem in May, I'm guessing therefore if its 100% now that no rooms are being held back anymore for quarantine.

In May we never asked for a paper copy of the compass but but got one every night. Someone saw me reading it one morning at cafe promenade and said their room attendant had stated he couldn't get them and when she asked at customer services they didn't have them either. We were just lowly Diamonds 😀 staying in a JS so not sure why we were chosen to have a paper copy.

There were quite a few reports over the summer that Oasis on the same itinerary was often late arriving at 3pm(ish). We are on Anthem in April and note that shore excursions in our cruise planner doesn't actually show us stopping at Port Canaveral anymore. Hopefully just a glitch.

Ah yes you are right about the gratuities being included in Australia. In theory yes the gratuities included in the fare should go straight to the staff. I'm sure 'inclusive of gratuities' pricing will come here soon.

Bonus 😀