Jumping Cruiser

10 hours ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

When was the last time you were on an MSC cruise? I was on the Meraviglia in January and the food was the same, if not better quality, than Royal. A little more European but very good quality.

Everyone will have their own opinion on things, especially food related. One of the main comments regarding MSC is about food and service quality, so I was referring to this generally. Also, I was talking about before recent changes in dining on Royal, where there was a clear difference in the quality that both lines offered, but that gap is becoming ever smaller now.

4 hours ago, scooby1 said:

Yeah it wasn't the best from that prospective, never ever had anything similar before but that sort of behaviour was daily. Really took the edge off the cruise that should have been special, nobody at RCL seemed to give a damn from those that raised it with them which was a shame. 

 

Some seemed to have taken the Adults only Solarium to be there's and many passengers were frustrated that RCL team didn't want to tackle it. We just avoided it in the end but the shouldn't have had to. 

 

We won't be going on that sailing from the UK again. 

I wish they did this itinerary outside of school holidays, where it would be much more relaxed, even if it was on an older ship. I would never cruise inside of these dates due to some of the reasons above, but like the convenience of sailing from UK. I’m not blaming the kids for anything and some are actually really pleasant, but I just prefer a calmer experience overall.

We did the 2-week Mediterranean Cities cruise in June and it was busy, but not overrun by kids. The pool deck was incredibly quiet of a night, including the solarium, and we somehow always managed to find sunbed, but I think that was just pure luck!

1 minute ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Same thing happened at Disney….they hired a new guy and he was all about money, and was so bad that he got fired and Bob Igor had to come back from retirement to fix the mess.

I hope someone has got Richard Fain on speed-dial! 😂

22 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

I do however, agree with Jumping Cruiser.  But where do you go?  All of them are doing that.

Good point, but others aren’t inflating prices to the extent of Royal, so it is somewhat understandable for them. I have seen some great deals with Celebrity for example, yet they haven’t slimmed down their offering, but also for Princess who have recently reduced complimentary options. Put it this way, If I paid less for the cruise fare I would be willing to spend more onboard (e.g. Specialty Dining/Activities), but at current rates it’s just a complete NO!

This is what happens when one of the longest serving CEO’s steps down and is replaced by a CFO (Chief Financial Officer), everything becomes all about money. I can’t help but think that when Richard was CEO of RCG, he actually cared about the guests and feedback was very important to him and was careful to balance guest experience with finances. Nowadays, Jason Liberty is just trying to squeeze every last penny out of you, while trying trying to keep his pennies in his pocket! Cruise prices are going one way and the experience is going the other! If they carry on with all of these cut backs, then they will just dilute the brand and start to build a bad reputation like MSC, where food and service quality becomes poor and every activity and dining venue is at an additional cost.

We booked Anthem for June 23rd this year about 8 months out. Our 2 guarantee balconies were assigned within seconds, actually before we even got the booking confirmation! 😂

42 minutes ago, huntnewt said:

Is there one site that you go to see these port bookings or is it just on each port's respective website?

Each port individually, but keep in mind that some are in their local languages.

Key West, Florida - Port Bookings (Correct as of 07/08/23)

There are a few bookings currently scheduled for Jewel OTS in Key West, throughout the Summer 25 season. Port of origin for all bookings is marked as Port Everglades, suggesting this will be her likely homeport, with destinations set in the Bahamas.

10th May 2025 - Jewel OTS

26th August 2025 - Jewel OTS

7th October 2025 - Jewel OTS

Also, Scarlet Lady will remain in Miami throughout Summer 25, as she has multiple calls scheduled in Key West (Florida) throughout the season.

4 hours ago, jamesv92 said:

Saw scarlet lady listed for 2024 in Haifa Israel but wonder if that's place holding for Brilliant Lady 

As far as I can see, SL has been removed from Haifa’s schedule in 2024. The only VV ship with bookings is Resilient Lady, which is scheduled a few times over Summet 25.

5 hours ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

Where did you see Iceland? 

I couldn’t find those port schedules for 2024

 

edit: found it! It’s there in June! 

There are also calls for Scarlet Lady in 2024, which I imagine will be placeholders and eventually get changed to Brilliant Lady.

1 minute ago, Freelancer3 said:

Great job!

 

Elsewhere I have seen Scotland, Iceland and Netherlands listed as ports under contract by VV. Im really looking forward to seeing an official announcement!

Thanks! Yes, I listed some of the different ports in Scotland, Iceland and the Netherlands that I have seen above. Also looking forward to an announcement, but they’re taking their time! 😅

On 7/12/2023 at 2:43 PM, jamesv92 said:

Interesting 🤔 Also hoping for some new itineraries/areas as have done a few of what they offer and would love to see them venture somewhere different.

Brilliant Lady is currently booked into several European ports throughout Summer 2024 and 2025, in addition to Iceland. These bookings are often the closest you can get to predicting future itineraries, but keep in mind that they can change. Despite this, it’s definitely looking like VV are planning to add Northern Europe to their destination list.

Here is the full list of ports where BL is currently booked in 2024/2025:

- Lerwick, Scotland

- Reykjavik, Iceland 

- Akureyi, Iceland

- Bergen, Norway

- Amsterdam, Netherlands (Homeport?)

- Zeebrugee, Belgium

- Leixoes (Porto), Portugal

Amsterdam appears to have the most calls, suggesting that this will be her homeport. There looks to be a varying length for cruises, between 4 and 12 nights from what I can tell, as a result of the wide variety of destinations she is planned to cover. 

1 hour ago, Saab4444 said:

MSC just replaced Euribia with Preziosa for the 2024/25 season, trust they are all not able to fill this big ships year round in cold weather with boring itineraries. 

I get the appeal for a cold weather Northern Europe cruise in Winter isn’t great, especially when there are no Christmas Markets on, but there still isn’t a new ship premium like Royal would charge. Preziosa is coming out a lot more expensive compared to Euribia, despite the ship being over 10 years old. 

2 minutes ago, Polition67 said:

I am, take my money royal. No long haul flight!!! I can dream 😂

Count me in! The flight would cost over £2000, so I might actually save! 🤑😂

2 minutes ago, Trixie21 said:

That would be fantastic- I can't imagine they haven't looked at or are looking at the idea.

I do think given the hype and excitement around Icon that they could easily command premium pricing in the Med. 

Maybe I'm a bit silly bit I would pay it - my wife can't do long flights any longer and I would love to try Icon. I can't remember this type of buzz around the launch of a new ship on any line recently. 

Agreed! Plus the fact that there isn’t as much competition in the med, in the sense that not every line operates the exact same itineraries calling at the same ports, like in the Caribbean. Icon Class would stand out for all of the right reasons, compared to other lines (e.g. MSC, NCL, Princess), and I think Royal could truly cash-in on those passengers this side of the pond and that’s something they definitely like to do! 🤑

3 minutes ago, adolfo2 said:

Agreed! I can't believe all the "pandering" to the Texas crowd by Carnival, Royal, etc!

I think they’re just bored of Florida! 😂

11 minutes ago, eel said:

 

 

On the President’s Cruise in the Q&A session, Michael Bayley was asked if they ever might have some sort of private island where cruises from Galveston could stop. In response, he gave a knowing smile and said “Very Interesting, what a great idea!” Of course that means something is in the works.

I believe Royal have got some longer sailings from Galveston to the Bahamas and PDCC, so maybe this is a test to see what the demand is like before committing to a project?

It would be nice if Royal had a private destination somewhere in the Mediterranean, as it would add a relaxing day to an otherwise quite intense city/sightseeing itinerary and be especially great for Oasis/Icon Class.

11 minutes ago, Polition67 said:

When would royal announce allure is being amp’d? I suspect she is because she’s going in between Feb and April. We are hoping to do the TA Europe to US. 

I also believe she will have a full amp. Personally, I think they would announce the amplification alongside the Summer 2025 deployment release, around Nov/Dec time. It would be good for marketing and potentially help bookings, as many elements of the ship would be ‘new’ and might appeal to people who have already sailed her pre-amplification.
 

11 minutes ago, Polition67 said:

When would we expect announcement about the second ship IOS was available for booking more than 2 years out. 

I would like to say around October/November, just like Icon. This would also be close to the deployment release too. However, I can’t help but think that they might wait until Icon has launched in January, just so hype isn’t taken away from the first ship. Even if they wait till early next year, they still won’t have a problem selling it, that’s for sure! 

8 hours ago, twangster said:

I haven't tracked other lines new builds in Europe like MSC or AIDA.  Do they charge outrageous new ship premiums for their new builds as well? 

The are slight new ship premiums with MSC, but nowhere near the ridiculous prices Royal charge, although you do have to keep in mind that there is much less ‘fun’ included in the cruise fare. Lots of activities are extra cost and complimentary eateries are limited. 
 

For example, we are doing a 7-day Christmas Markets Cruise from Southampton onboard MSC Euribia, their latest flagship which just launched last month. The total cost for 5 adults split across 2 unobstructed mid-ship balcony cabins was just under £2400, including gratuities and £50 onboard credit per room. I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I can’t see much of a premium on that! That would be the pp cost on Icon! 😅

11 hours ago, Trixie21 said:

I still think Icon 2 could do a med season if she is out in time for 2025 summer?

I know it’s not Icon Class, but that’s what I thought would happen with Utopia and it’s ended up going straight to the US, despite having an early Summer delivery. Unless Icon 2 is delivered in March/April, I think the chances are slim. 
 

11 hours ago, Trixie21 said:

maybe Allure goes to Southampton along with Indy? IMHO that would blow all the other competition in Southampton out of the water. Could do a really great set of itineraries between the 3 ships. I know it’s wishful thinking but not impossible.

The only routes that I think Oasis Class would be capable of from Southampton is the ‘7 Night France & Spain’ itinerary and possibly a new Northern Europe route (e.g Rotterdam, Hamburg, etc.), but I’m not sure how popular that would be in the Summer. Despite not having a great itinerary, I think the ship would act as the destination for many and the ports would just be a ‘bonus’. Plus, if Allure doesn’t end up with a full amp, Royal could charge a slightly lower pppd cost to attract custom. This would definitely be some fierce competition for MSC and NCL. However, I still think it’s unlikely, at least until we have a Icon Class permanently doing a Summer season in the Med. The way it’s looking, we’ll be lucky to have one ship in 2026! 😅

27 minutes ago, Gerbilicous said:

😲

This has been top of list and figured 2025 so been waiting to book. Sad to hear if true. While I could handle other line or even doing it backpack style. My wife would not 😆

 

side question: you guys are looking up public info for ports for schedule bookings? Thats how seeing what is planned since nothing on RCL to actually book?

There is one Royal ship booked into Norway for 2025, likely to be a placeholder for Brilliance from Amsterdam. There is hope! 🤞

1 hour ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Where would brilliance starting port be? Southampton or Amsterdam?

Amsterdam, replacing Jewel.

Akureyri, Iceland - Port Schedule (Correct as of 03/08/23)

Lots of bookings currently for Jewel of the Seas, which I belive are likely to be placeholders for Brilliance while others will be removed entirely.

17th May 2025 - Jewel OTS

23rd June 2025 - Jewel OTS

28th July 2025 - Jewel OTS

30th July 2025 - Brilliance OTS

17th August 2025 - Jewel OTS

7th September 2025 - Jewel OTS

Definitely look up the current schedule on the app, but here is a full 7-day Cruise Compass from July for you to have a look at.

https://issuu.com/hochmania/docs/allure_of_the_seas_07162023/2?ff