Deployment 2017/18 - first guesses and implications

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

:(:(:( Maybe I didn't have any interest in this at the time you wrote it. :( Wish I had paid attention. If the NJ-Tampa cruise is definitely going to be cancelled, I am not sure what to do. I may just book MSC/Divina...not sure yet.

 

Just trying to help you out here, but Serenade has a repo from Boston to Fort Lauderdale during a similar time frame. Stops include Aruba and Curacao, among others.

[champagne123]

Just trying to help you out here, but Serenade has a repo from Boston to Fort Lauderdale during a similar time frame. Stops include Aruba and Curacao, among others.

 

Thank you...not too bad.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Called C&A about fall Canada/NE sailings since we're on Rhapsody 9/8 and 9/20. Not surprised that they don't know anything. What I was told was that the Vision Sept/Oct 2017 sailings were place holders and couldn't be booked.

 

Like John....we were on the cancelled Rhapsody spring TA. Thinking he may be right about a curse on this class of ship. If anyone sees that Vision can be booked for Canada/NE....please post here. We have a special cabin booked on Rhapsody and, if we have to change ships, would hope to get it on Vision.

 

Thanks to folks on CC for giving a "heads up" on what is happening.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Called C&A about fall Canada/NE sailings since we're on Rhapsody 9/8 and 9/20. Not surprised that they don't know anything. What I was told was that the Vision Sept/Oct 2017 sailings were place holders and couldn't be booked.

 

Like John....we were on the cancelled Rhapsody spring TA. Thinking he may be right about a curse on this class of ship. If anyone sees that Vision can be booked for Canada/NE....please post here. We have a special cabin booked on Rhapsody and, if we have to change ships, would hope to get it on Vision.

 

Thanks to folks on CC for giving a "heads up" on what is happening.

 

I'm genuinely surprised :eek:

[Seatravelers]

Called C&A about fall Canada/NE sailings since we're on Rhapsody 9/8 and 9/20. Not surprised that they don't know anything. What I was told was that the Vision Sept/Oct 2017 sailings were place holders and couldn't be booked.

 

LOL, that's what they told me about the Canadian VI itineraries that are now appearing on our VI Sept, 2017 Greek cruises.

 

Like John....we were on the cancelled Rhapsody spring TA. Thinking he may be right about a curse on this class of ship. If anyone sees that Vision can be booked for Canada/NE....please post here. We have a special cabin booked on Rhapsody and, if we have to change ships, would hope to get it on Vision.

 

Can't book any VI Canadian cruises on website.

Thanks to folks on CC for giving a "heads up" on what is happening.

 

What in the world is wrong with RCCL?!?!?! Someone does not know what they are doing and no seems to care how they disappoint so many that book early for great itinerary or price or cabin or all 3! Shame on RCCL!

Edited June 1, 2016 by Seatravelers

[CRUISEBOY305]

What in the world is wrong with RCCL?!?!?! Someone does not know what they are doing and no seems to care how they disappoint so many that book early for great itinerary or price or cabin or all 3! Shame on RCCL!

 

When people start booking alternative cruise lines then maybe they'll start to care :rolleyes:

[AtlantaCruiser72]

RCCL need to deploy their assets where they see the strongest booking trends and revenue opportunities. When deployments are initially announced it is often predicated by the previous years bookings. As Royal has watched booking patterns for 2016 and advance bookings for the 2017 deployments for both themselves, and their competitors, it would appear they are making adjustments. Evidently they are re-assessing deployments and will be making changes based on the new data. Re-deployments are frustrating for sure, but at least it appears they are doing this 12+/- months out where it impacts the smallest number of travelers possible.

Edited June 1, 2016 by AtlantaCruiser72

[internetwhiz]

All I want to see are some Panama Canal cruises!!!

[harz99]

RCCL need to deploy their assets where they see the strongest booking trends and revenue opportunities. When deployments are initially announced it is often predicated by the previous years bookings. As Royal has watched booking patterns for 2016 and advance bookings for the 2017 deployments for both themselves, and their competitors, it would appear they are making adjustments. Evidently they are re-assessing deployments and will be making changes based on the new data. Re-deployments are frustrating for sure, but at least it appears they are doing this 12+/- months out where it impacts the smallest number of travelers possible.

Nonsense.

 

In the rest of the world outside of North America, when we enter into a contract with a company we expect that company to provide the goods so as to speak, not change their mind and sell either something else or sell to someone else. Royal's contracts reflect this

by not allowing us to cancel without penalty.

 

What they are doing is plain wrong, and as others have posted elsewhere, is affecting people who are now committed to air fares etc. etc.

 

This chasing a fast buck will in time backfire. They've already suffered huge bad publicity in the UK and Europe over their decision to offer 2 extra cruises on Harmony when the ship was nowhere near finished to carry fare paying passengers.

 

Defend their shenanigans if you wish, the rest of us know the truth.

[Piepkorn]

All I want to see are some Panama Canal cruises!!!

 

Ditto!

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Nonsense.

 

In the rest of the world outside of North America, when we enter into a contract with a company we expect that company to provide the goods so as to speak, not change their mind and sell either something else or sell to someone else. Royal's contracts reflect this

by not allowing us to cancel without penalty.

 

What they are doing is plain wrong, and as others have posted elsewhere, is affecting people who are now committed to air fares etc. etc.

 

This chasing a fast buck will in time backfire. They've already suffered huge bad publicity in the UK and Europe over their decision to offer 2 extra cruises on Harmony when the ship was nowhere near finished to carry fare paying passengers.

 

Defend their shenanigans if you wish, the rest of us know the truth.

 

To my knowledge RCCL have always offered a full refund of all monies paid when they have redeployed their ships and the customer chooses to not re-book an alternate ship/date/itinerary. I would also think it unlikely that many people have airfare booked this far out as most airlines do not accept bookings more than 330 days out, and many even less than that. In past when RCCL have announced redeployments there has always been a provision to reimburse for airline change fees.

 

ALL cruise lines redeploy ships from time to time. I have been affected more than once, by more than one line. It's part of cruising and an informed cruiser knows that when it happens to them you have to be flexible. It's frustrating, and disappointing, but a reality of the industry.

[Biker19]

 

Defend their shenanigans if you wish, the rest of us know the truth.

There's nothing to defend - that's just the way it is. Unfortunately for you, the "rest of us" is both way too small a crowd and don't follow through on their threats to take their business elsewhere.

 

Biker, who predicts plenty of full sailings for Harmony despite any bad press about the preview cruises.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

To my knowledge RCCL have always offered a full refund of all monies paid when they have redeployed their ships and the customer chooses to not re-book an alternate ship/date/itinerary. I would also think it unlikely that many people have airfare booked this far out as most airlines do not accept bookings more than 330 days out, and many even less than that. In past when RCCL have announced redeployments there has always been a provision to reimburse for airline change fees.

 

ALL cruise lines redeploy ships from time to time. I have been affected more than once, by more than one line. It's part of cruising and an informed cruiser knows that when it happens to them you have to be flexible. It's frustrating, and disappointing, but a reality of the industry.

 

Exactly.

 

If you can't stomach a redeployment from time to time, it might be best not to cruise.

[Biker19]

This is good illustration that everything is relative - anyone affected by these 2017 changes is still better off than some of the folks on recently cancelled Empress sailings.:eek:

Edited June 1, 2016 by Biker19

[Bobal]

To my knowledge RCCL have always offered a full refund of all monies paid when they have redeployed their ships and the customer chooses to not re-book an alternate ship/date/itinerary. I would also think it unlikely that many people have airfare booked this far out as most airlines do not accept bookings more than 330 days out, and many even less than that. In past when RCCL have announced redeployments there has always been a provision to reimburse for airline change fees.

 

ALL cruise lines redeploy ships from time to time. I have been affected more than once, by more than one line. It's part of cruising and an informed cruiser knows that when it happens to them you have to be flexible. It's frustrating, and disappointing, but a reality of the industry.

 

Perhaps you don't fly long-haul very much but our experience is that when booking long haul flights they book 355 days out. We are (were) due to sail on the Legend 4 May 2017 and have already booked our flights with BA. One way London to Singapore then back from Dubai to London. We have no other cruises requiring long haul flights (which we haven't already booked) and therefore no flights to change them to and thus reclaim change fees.

 

We don't want a refund we want the cruise we booked. Perhaps you could have the grace to acknowledge that some of us feel that way.

[Bobal]

This is good illustration that everything is relative - anyone affected by these 2017 changes is still better off than some of the folks on recently cancelled Empress sailings.:eek:

 

How am I better off than someone on a cancelled Empress sailing when I have a cancelled sailing and long haul flights booked :confused:

[harz99]

Bobal, I guess their both thinking hard for a way out!!

[Piepkorn]

When people start booking alternative cruise lines then maybe they'll start to care :rolleyes:

 

We out here in California can tell you that they don't care. We are holding our breath waiting to see if one of these 'redeployments' will get us a ship for a week.

[dln929]

Exactly.

 

If you can't stomach a redeployment from time to time, it might be best not to cruise.

 

That's a bit harsh. Our two cruises--one Dubai to Venice on Legend and Copenhagen to Barcelona on Vision--were unique itineraries. Absolutely not your run-of-the-mill Med cruises so yes, I am feeling a little ticked that they might disappear. It's not easy to find replacement cruises either for next spring and fall because a lot of the good cabins and good itineraries are booked up on other ships, and/or prices have risen. I know from our cancelled Rhapsody TA that RCI will offer price protection but for unique cabins (i.e., our corner aft JS suite on Legend) there's no guarantee of gaining like to like.

 

I know redeployments are a fact of life but cut us a break please!

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

That's a bit harsh. Our two cruises--one Dubai to Venice on Legend and Copenhagen to Barcelona on Vision--were unique itineraries. Absolutely not your run-of-the-mill Med cruises so yes, I am feeling a little ticked that they might disappear. It's not easy to find replacement cruises either for next spring and fall because a lot of the good cabins and good itineraries are booked up on other ships, and/or prices have risen. I know from our cancelled Rhapsody TA that RCI will offer price protection but for unique cabins (i.e., our corner aft JS suite on Legend) there's no guarantee of gaining like to like.

 

I know redeployments are a fact of life but cut us a break please!

 

I'm sorry that your cruises were cancelled. :(

 

I guess unique itineraries do make a difference when thinking about it.

[MommaBear55]

Exactly.

 

If you can't stomach a redeployment from time to time, it might be best not to cruise.

 

There is a difference between "time to time" and two 180 degree swings in under three months. Rhapsody was going to Europe 4/2017. That was cancelled March 2016, the ship was redeployed to Cape Liberty for the summer season 2017. Now, it is being deployed to Europe for 2017. That is a large number of people to inconvenience. One would have thought this decision could have been made 10 weeks ago.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Perhaps you don't fly long-haul very much but our experience is that when booking long haul flights they book 355 days out. We are (were) due to sail on the Legend 4 May 2017 and have already booked our flights with BA. One way London to Singapore then back from Dubai to London. We have no other cruises requiring long haul flights (which we haven't already booked) and therefore no flights to change them to and thus reclaim change fees.

 

We don't want a refund we want the cruise we booked. Perhaps you could have the grace to acknowledge that some of us feel that way.

 

I fly long haul frequently, but typically on US based carriers, whom typically do not offers bookings earlier than 330 days prior. BA is the exception in offering flights so early, and when booking 355 days out one takes risks that plans can change.

 

I too have been inconvenienced by redeployments of unique, one off itineraries and it's not pleasant. I'm sorry if it happens to anyone. I was disappointed when it happened to me. But I dealt with the disappointment and moved on. Life is rarely perfect and it's how we deal with life's imperfections that ultimately matters.

Edited June 1, 2016 by AtlantaCruiser72

[moopetguy]

What could "inventory maintenance" actually mean? I've heard "repricing" being speculated. But why does it seem to take so long?

 

I'm booked on Navigator in late 2017 and I've been monitoring my sailings and others in the same timeframe. There were several marked as "sold out" in mid-May. They're allegedly all still bookable over the phone, just not online.

 

Two have since returned to the web site (at higher than the original prices, possibly supporting the repricing theory), but only for U.S. bookings (searching with Canada-English selected still shows those same two as sold out). It's been that way for almost 2 weeks now.

 

Even if some of the Navigator sailings have been really popular and really are sold out, it doesn't explain why two sailings are bookable online for U.S. but not for Canada.

 

This doesn't make any sense to me. :confused:

[CRUISEBOY305]

We out here in California can tell you that they don't care. We are holding our breath waiting to see if one of these 'redeployments' will get us a ship for a week.

 

I am rooting for you. :D:D:D

 

RC does need a ship out west.

[SherriZ366]

All I want to see are some Panama Canal cruises!!!

Agree -- I want round trip Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale. Princess is deploying Caribbean Princess during 2017-2018 winter season and advertising it as a trip through the new locks. The locks can accommodate a ship over 100,000 tons and as they don't go to the Pacific, they do not have to worry about the Pan American Highway bridge.