Where do you think the new ships will sail?

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Would love the British Isles itinerary We did this three years ago on Princess and it was one of our most memorable. We have this itin. on our radar for 2013. Would love to do it on NCL but I always enjoy Princess.

[cruisendave]

Really wish the caribbean was a summer option, we can only vacation in the summer with kids and a teacher in the house. We have done everything you can out of NY and can't afford Europe :(

[TSUmom]

I for one just wish they would move a ship, any ship to Galveston. I don't like the only option being Carnival.....

[newmexicoNita]

So where do you think the new ships will be sailing. I know there are a lot of you who look at the itineraries of ships way into the future' date=' so know where each ship will be when. Therefore do you have any educated guesses as to where they will put the new ships into service?[/quote']

 

It is anyone's guess at this time, maybe even NCLS> One thing I am sure of, they will be sziling in the ocean and not the Rio Grande or the Mississsippi. One market they haven't entered is the Asian or Australia. I guess that is a possibility. One ship will probably do something pretty exotic and one stay in the western hemophere.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Where ever the most lucrative markets are at the time they go into service. I know that's not much of an answer, but look at what's going on right now, with many cruise lines (including NCL) pulling out of summer Caribbean service and going to Europe.

 

I think they'll put the ships wherever they feel the economy is the strongest, and will provide them with the largest pool of potential customers who have discretionary income to spend.

 

Most lines have pulled out of the Caribbean market for the summer trade, you are right, In fact they started this about 15 years ago. Maybe NCL will decide to re-enter it. The Caribbean is a popular distination for families and right now families do not have a lot of choices.

 

Nita

[Feelin' Nauti']

I'm hoping the new ships sail out of New York all year round.

[DebbieCruises]

I for one just wish they would move a ship, any ship to Galveston. I don't like the only option being Carnival.....

Me, too! I've been asking for YEARS!!!

[nu2cruzin03]

I hope that one of the new ships would sail from New York for at least 6 months out of the year. My guess (hope/dream) is that the first ship, due in April 2013, will sail out of Europe for a few months, then out of Florida until December 2013, then from New York starting in January 2014.

[bonvoyagie]

Back in 2001-3 or so NCL promoted Homeport sailing - where they focused on USA ports - I thought Galvaston was one of those ports. They cruised down Mexico way from there.

 

Also I can't find any reference to the new ships being too big for the Panama Canal I know that the Epic is too big, but I thought the two new ships were going to be in a different class and smaller.

[Viesczy]

I would love a round-trip cruise from LA to Hawaii. All those wonderful sea days, plus NOT having that flight would be fantastic!

 

AGREED!

 

I'd love to see them do a 30 day run from LA to HI to the South Pacific and back to LA (or San Diego).

 

Our next major cruise is next fall on HAL doing 30 days what I just described and we had only HAL or Princess to pick from to do the cruise. NCL, Princess, and HAL are our preferred lines & if there'd've been a cruise like the 10.12 Westerdam cruise on NCL I'd've taken that in a heart beat.

 

Derek

[Froggitt]

Is it not probable that two of the older ships may be sold, as happened when the Jewel class fleet arrived (Crown, Majesty, Wind) leaving the same itineries? eg Sky/Spirit?

[newmexicoNita]

Is it not probable that two of the older ships may be sold, as happened when the Jewel class fleet arrived (Crown, Majesty, Wind) leaving the same itineries? eg Sky/Spirit?

 

I might agree but remember they were really old, none of the ships in the fleet now are over 10, well the Sky and SUn are about to turn 10. Add to that NCL is trying to build up their fleet so they can better compete with the other, larger lines. They are the smallest of the mass marketed lines. I think a sale would be possible in maybe 5 years but not in 2013 or 14.

[Single Cruiser]

I reckon one will be based out of the UK. NCL is the only mainstream line not running a ship out of Southampton. They did have one out of Dover. On my Epic cruise over 1000 onboard were British and I know there is a big demand for less formal Cruising!

 

Runs to Ireland, France, Portugal down to Canaries are popular.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Me, too! I've been asking for YEARS!!!

Crown will be sailing out of Galveston

[Feelin' Nauti']

I hope that one of the new ships would sail from New York for at least 6 months out of the year. My guess (hope/dream) is that the first ship, due in April 2013, will sail out of Europe for a few months, then out of Florida until December 2013, then from New York starting in January 2014.

I'm voicing my say over on Princess's Facebook page.

If more do the same, maybe they will listen. ;)

[radzer0]

Ive read rumors that there waiting to see all the economy stuff and how it goes to decide on anything more for europe than whats scheduled. Im hoping when the new ships come out maybe they will put the epic for winters in new orleans. Since the spirit is moving to europe and all.

 

I know theres a very slim chance of the epic coming here but cant hurt to hope. Having the largest ship in a port does help. And with carnival doing 2 ships and rccl doing 2 ships when the star would be done its posible

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I reckon one will be based out of the UK. NCL is the only mainstream line not running a ship out of Southampton.

 

I would love it if this happened. I was tempted to book the "14-day Norway, Iceland, and Faroe Islands from Copenhagen" itinerary that sails in September 2012 mostly because it also goes to Dublin and Glasgow. If they had multiple itineraries that sailed from Southampton, I would travel to the UK much more frequently.

[Froggitt]

NCL used to have Sun/Jewel do Baltics from Dover and Jade to Canaries from Southampton. Why did they pull out of UK?

[Froggitt]

Most lines have pulled out of the Caribbean market for the summer trade, you are right, In fact they started this about 15 years ago. Maybe NCL will decide to re-enter it.

 

RCCL seem to earn a nice living running 6,000 passengers twice a week all year round to the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale. Plus their ships from other ports.

[Jeebs]

Maybe it will go to South Florida and one of the ships there will move to LA/SD. Options out here are drying up for sure. I also would not mind a trip from SD up the coast to Vancouver, stopping in Catalina, SFO and Seattle

 

Personally, I think one will sail Caribbean and the other out of NY on longer trips (like 10 days)

 

I want to second this.

 

I'm guessing that if one comes to the US, it will go to Miami for sailings to the Caribbean. I would love it if they positioned a ship on the west coast for sure. We have HAL or CCL out of San Diego. I think Pacific coastal cruises would be very popular. I know I would go!

[dexddd]

NCL used to have Sun/Jewel do Baltics from Dover and Jade to Canaries from Southampton. Why did they pull out of UK?

I can't say I've seen the exact reason, but consider that they turned a 12 day trip into 9 going from Copenhagen instead of Dover. We went last year out of Dover and it is pretty busy with all the ports.

 

We had at least 3 sea days which was nice - two of those were at the end I think. Now there are only two. So they basically squeeze in an extra cruise every three trips and they probably didn't make a lot of money on the sea days. On our sea days it was cooler and there wasn't much action at any of the bars other than people drinking coffee.

 

I also noticed this year (in general) they are selling the 9 day trips for roughly what our 12 day was going for last year (or more).

[Froggitt]

We also did Baltics from Dover last year. We are from the UK, and with the flying to Copenhagen and back, plus the time and the cost, we would have taken another cruise line rather than take the nine day cruise from Denmark.

[Bars7816]

I had a dream. The new NCL ship on a Pacific Coastal, round-trip Seattle. Astoria, Vancouver, all around Vancouver Island, Victoria, Port Alberni BC, Prince Rupert, etc. Totally scenic. It has to happen someday! :):):)

 

And I wish itineraries starting in Seattle would end in Seattle -- not Canada!! What's up with that? Take me back where I started! Please!!

[mitsugirly]

I just wish they would release the itineraries soon. I'm buying 2 cruise certificates on my upcoming cruise...I hope to use one of them on the new ship...if it's in the right location.

 

Our roll call for the Epic from last year are planning a reunion cruise on one of the new builds. So, it needs to be somewhere that we can all go to. Hopefully Miami or NY. That would be awesome.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I had a dream. The new NCL ship on a Pacific Coastal, round-trip Seattle. Astoria, Vancouver, all around Vancouver Island, Victoria, Port Alberni BC, Prince Rupert, etc. Totally scenic. It has to happen someday! :):):)

 

I just took my Mom on the Pacific Coast repo on the Pearl in May and we had much more fun than I expected to. (It was her first cruise, and I think she was freaked out by the news coverage of the Carnival Splendor "disaster!!:eek:", so we stayed close to home.) With stops in Astoria, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Vancouver, it was definitely NW intensive. This sounds like its as close as you'll get to your dream cruise for now with NCL.