Indy's 2012-13 winter season could be a coy PR move by RCL!

[Andy72]

Firstly, I recall reading the gorgeous Indy was built with heated pools as she was sailing from Southampton and is the only ship in the RCI fleet with this & those kettles in staterooms as we love our tea!

 

Fact, RCI has to carry out the “Oasis style enhancements” on Indy and this will be done somewhere over the pond in a warmer climate. Hence a winter season in warmer climate.

 

P & O have now doubled their UK 2012-13 winter season I think RCI will re-locate Indy back in the UK after 2012-13 winter season following the enhancements offering year round sailing again.

 

I don’t understand why RCI would just give away all the winter season business to their main rival? Some of these passengers will be first time cruisers and bring repeat bookings or recommend RCL to friends.

 

I think this could be a coy PR move by RCL to get people talking about Indy’s 2012-13 winter vacation, glam her up & then bring her back saying we have listened to our UK guests knowing they’ll be lots of people will make bookings to see the improvements made.

[Kokomo91165]

She may come back with a glass roof over the solarium - you never know. It has been said many times that the new "Project Sunshine" ships are being bit with certain regions in mind.

[dln929]

We are booked on the Indy this February. Since we've booked the prices for balconies have risen and a few categories have sold out already. The suite prices have remained constant. I think all the Europeans who are afraid they'll never have another chance to sail on the Indy are keeping me from getting any price drops--I bet they're the ones who are booking like crazy! :D

[uksimonusa]

Firstly, I recall reading the gorgeous Indy was built with heated pools as she was sailing from Southampton and is the only ship in the RCI fleet with this & those kettles in staterooms as we love our tea!

 

Fact, RCI has to carry out the “Oasis style enhancements” on Indy and this will be done somewhere over the pond in a warmer climate. Hence a winter season in warmer climate.

 

P & O have now doubled their UK 2012-13 winter season I think RCI will re-locate Indy back in the UK after 2012-13 winter season following the enhancements offering year round sailing again.

 

I don’t understand why RCI would just give away all the winter season business to their main rival? Some of these passengers will be first time cruisers and bring repeat bookings or recommend RCL to friends.

 

I think this could be a coy PR move by RCL to get people talking about Indy’s 2012-13 winter vacation, glam her up & then bring her back saying we have listened to our UK guests knowing they’ll be lots of people will make bookings to see the improvements made.

 

P&O have not doubled their season, they have added 1800 berths on the Oceania that is adult only, Indy is a family ship so no comparison.

 

I see no breaks in ID schedule where she could get a make over, it makes more sense to me to bring the first project sunshine ship to S'ton, as it is rumoured that they are being built for colder climates

[marielco]

This is the news article about P&O increasing their capacity out of Southampton

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4648

[deltatango]

Firstly, I recall reading the gorgeous Indy was built with heated pools as she was sailing from Southampton and is the only ship in the RCI fleet with this .

 

I have read on here that the pools are not heated, maybe they will be after the refit ?

[mjldvlks]

She may come back with a glass roof over the solarium - you never know. It has been said many times that the new "Project Sunshine" ships are being bit with certain regions in mind.

As I recall, there were structural reasons [too much weight too high] that led to the decision to not put a roof over the solarium on the Freedoms. So if they try to refit it now, they will have to do something to redistribute weight -- it is not just a matter of installing a roof. Probably much easier and cheaper to build this capacity into a new ship as part of the original design. That is one reason I like the theory that this is a move that will lead to one of the new Sunshines being home-ported in England year-round.

[mjldvlks]

I have read on here that the pools are not heated, maybe they will be after the refit ?

 

From RCI's 2008 press release regarding Independence's inaugural season:

 

Unlike her sister-ships, all pools and the water park on Independence will be heated.

[nelblu]

She may come back with a glass roof over the solarium - you never know. It has been said many times that the new "Project Sunshine" ships are being bit with certain regions in mind.

 

 

New York/New Jersey metro area is a great possibility for the Sunshines.:D:D

[will773]

There could be a possibility of the Independence going back over to the UK, but as others have said, this could be a clue as to if one of the new Sunshine class ships will be homeported in Southampton year round.

[deltatango]

From RCI's 2008 press release regarding Independence's inaugural season:

 

Thats interesting as all the reviews I have read have said the pools are freezing, maybe they have them switched off to save money, our in laws will be with us and they like swimming will let you know when we get back how effective there heaters are

[besberry]

Thats interesting as all the reviews I have read have said the pools are freezing, maybe they have them switched off to save money, our in laws will be with us and they like swimming will let you know when we get back how effective there heaters are

The pool in the solarium was really warm on my September cruise. I was tempted to go and get a bar of soap! :rolleyes:

[deltatango]

Thanks for that will let my in laws know

[Andy72]

P&O have not doubled their season, they have added 1800 berths on the Oceania that is adult only, Indy is a family ship so no comparison.

 

I see no breaks in ID schedule where she could get a make over, it makes more sense to me to bring the first project sunshine ship to S'ton, as it is rumoured that they are being built for colder climates

 

My point is P & O have increased capacity with 2 ships to try & get RCL lost bookings. Nothing to do with adult only ship. 2 ships = more space

[Andy72]

This is from the P&O press release taken from Cruise Critic. States P&O will be sailing Oriana 1800 passengers alongside Oceana 2016 passenger for the 2012-13 winter season. from Southampton. If sailing 2 ships is not doubling their capacity, what is?

 

 

Rival P&O, however, is doing the opposite: It's gradually reducing its fly-cruise operation in the Caribbean as air fares and Air Passenger Duty continue to rise and steadily increasing its programme out of Southampton in winter. Having started with just one ship sailing from its homeport in winter, P&O is now at the stage where both the 2,016-passenger Oceana and the adults-only, 1,800-passenger Oriana will sail from October 2012 to April 2013 offer a mishmash of Christmas markets voyages, mini-cruises, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Canaries cruises.

[bajathree]

No coy move PR move ....this is just a matter of profitability...they send the ship where they feel they will be most profitable....that doesn't mean that they are always correct in their decisions.

[Galaxy]

In summer 2013 is a Freedom and Voyager class ships booked in Norway,so far Brilliance is also booked there,Jewel will sail from/to Gøteborg like she do next year and this year ( 2011 )

The Freedom class ship im sure is Independence and Voyager class im not sure but hope its Adventure :) i will come back whit more as soon i have the name on Voyager class ship.....

 

regards

 

Galaxy

[Topo Gigio]

Her last caribbean cruise ends on April 7 2013. So by the end of April she will be back in Southampton. So just 5 months she will stay away!

 

Another reason is that she might be going to dry dock (pre transatlantic) in the Bahamas and this is probably much cheaper than doing so in europe.

[ctcontrol]

I will be sad to see no RC ships in the wintertime from here. They are pretty popular so it is sad that Royal have taken this decision. I understand Indy does have to have her upgrade but I thought they would just swap her with Liberty or Freedom for the season this is being done.

 

Looking on Celebrity's website it looks like Eclipse will be doing year round cruises now. Is that new or is it the owing company's way of keeping the year round sailings from the UK?

[dz9yvr]

There's only one reason RCCL does anything, to increase their profits. The Indy is leaving England for the winter because the Brits don't spend enough money on-baord in the winter. Just filling the ship isn't enough, RCCL needs a lot of on-board spending to be profitable. Not enough drinks by the pool or Flowrider rentals when you are sailing the North Atlantic during the winter. This is a failed experiment by RCCL. If you think that a Sunshine ship or any other large investment is coming to the UK any time soon, then I think you are drinking more than tea.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

P&O have not doubled their season, they have added 1800 berths on the Oceania that is adult only, Indy is a family ship so no comparison.

 

I see no breaks in ID schedule where she could get a make over, it makes more sense to me to bring the first project sunshine ship to S'ton, as it is rumoured that they are being built for colder climates

 

 

 

Just to clarify, Oceana is a family ship, Oriana is adults only from December 2011.

 

I'm sure P&O seek to benefit from this, as a lot of people who want to cruise out of Southampton during Winter who can't cruise RCI now will choose P&O.

[deltatango]

There's only one reason RCCL does anything, to increase their profits. The Indy is leaving England for the winter because the Brits don't spend enough money on-baord in the winter. Just filling the ship isn't enough, RCCL needs a lot of on-board spending to be profitable. Not enough drinks by the pool or Flowrider rentals when you are sailing the North Atlantic during the winter. This is a failed experiment by RCCL. If you think that a Sunshine ship or any other large investment is coming to the UK any time soon, then I think you are drinking more than tea.

 

I think you are wrong regarding the spend, might be right about not tipping enough as UK are more inclined to tip 10%, i don't think RCL would leave their ship in UK all this time because its not profitable, I will bet it will be back after the refit and or replaced by a sunshine project ship, remember its all about introducing the UK to RCI concept and I for one are trying this out.

[dz9yvr]

No "new" ships for the UK anytime soon. I was talking with one of the original crew members on the Indy and she confirmed that on-board spending by the Brits is sub par. They'll continue to move the Indy to the UK in the summer because they don't need her in the Caribbean during the summer. London seldom sees any sunshine and Southhampton never will. Sailing in the North Arlantic in the Winter isn't any fun.

[telboy18]

No "new" ships for the UK anytime soon. I was talking with one of the original crew members on the Indy and she confirmed that on-board spending by the Brits is sub par. They'll continue to move the Indy to the UK in the summer because they don't need her in the Caribbean during the summer. London seldom sees any sunshine and Southhampton never will. Sailing in the North Arlantic in the Winter isn't any fun.

London seldom sees any sunshine and Southhampton never will. Sailing in the North Arlantic in the Winter isn't any fun.

 

 

To say that London seldom sees sunshine. and Southampton never will is a little bit nieve on your part. I don't know where you are from, I assume somewhere in the states, but the statement you have made is bordering on the rediculous. Also, neither London nor Southampton are in the North Atlantic.

[The Big Booper]

We did a TA in Nov. 2008 on the Indy from Southampton to Florida and let me state that the pools were heated, including the H20 kiddie pool. With only 60 kids on board, the adults took over the H20 pool and it was nice, on the 2nd day out, to have the nice warm water from the mushrooms sprinkling over us.

 

A dome over the top deck pool has to be engineered from inception; can't have all that weight at the top of the ship without design changes. The Celebrity M and S class ships have lighter weight fixed domes over the Solarium pools and the design works.