jonesboy

If anybody pays brochure price for a cruise I would think they either live under a rock or are too wealthy to care. We have been RC Diamond for years now and have never paid brochure prices nor even close and have never received weekly emails with special deals from Miami for Quantum out of Brisbane...What's the secret to get these emails ? Care to share ?? If you track prices as I do, then they do fluctuate but trend upwards closer to sailing. You may get a last minute deal if you can pack'n'go but few people have this luxury if working. We jagged one deal like this on NCL Getaway out of Miami when on holidays off a random phone query when in town with 3 days to sailing and got a great deal. That was pure luck and ability to alter plans on the spot. Voyager capacity is not that much less... Passengers (double occupancy) 3,602 4,180 Voyager V Quantum If selling capacity is the issue then a 15 % drop is not that much. Other things at play, maybe the ability to fit at island docks to avoid tendering or fitting into places like Isle of Pines. Quantum just visits 3 islands + Qld coast and NZ. Maybe Voyager, if coming, can expand ports of call. PO certainly does and this is why we are sailing to PNG in August and Fiji in 2025. Encounter had a nice makeover but still shows its age, but no choice. Would love it if Quantum/RC followed PO port destinations.

I have just arrived back from an 8 night cruise on Quantum...our 7th trip on a ship of this class and without a doubt trumps any other ship for quality in terms of facilities, decor and features for those home ported out of Brisbane. Of course more people/busy and you do need to look for your quiet spaces but they are around and need to be organised to get off for port days. IF you like a smaller ship built last century with poorer layouts, cheaper cabin decor ( eg nothing like green laminate bathrooms to inspire modern styling !! ) and lower activity options and food then by all means try Billiance, PO Encounter/Explorer or Luminosa. I have been on similar ships over the years and welcomed a more modern quality ship to Brisbane. It looks that from 2025-26 Brisbane will be given the backwash of older ships and we will be forced to suck it up. While Voyager would be a step above the others it is still 20+ years old and cannot match the style of the newer ships. Every time we have gone on Quantum from Brisbane it has been very full indeed so I would need some hard data around not being able to fill the ship. Our latest cruise had no discounts as I tracked prices monthly post booking almost 2 years earlier to see if I could jag a lower price. Our particular extended balcony cabin went up 60% by the week before sailing. Overall it would be nice to at least have the choice between smaller older ships and the style of a Quantum class. Just my opinion but not loving RC, Carnival and PO for thinking Brisbane not worthy of newer ships. Maybe too many local decision makers live in eastern Sydney !!

Around 3+ years ago RC Australia commented that the desire was to port an Oasis class ship into Australia…probably Brisbane which can handle this size ship. Where has this option gone ? Porting Voyager to Brisbane will join other current ships as the oldest group of ships home sailing as a collective out of Qld. Looks like cruise lines see Qld. as a dumping ground for old ships and the public will suck it up. https://cruisepassenger.com.au/news/royal-caribbean-says-worlds-largest-ship-could-be-on-its-way-to-australia-and-brisbanes-ready/