Empress OTS to be home-ported at Miami

[RFerrington]

Some of those Insides must be truly tiny.

Did a TA on Vision in an Inside and that was small but looks like Empress has even smaller offerings !

 

Yeah, even the "big" suites on the Empress are small by comparison to similar cabins on the bigger ships. While the balcony on the OS (5604) is larger than the balcony on the Freedom Class OS balcony (288 ft sq on Empress vs 160 ft sq on the Freedom Class), the room itself is much smaller (272 ft sq for Empress OS vs 622 ft sq for the Freedom Class OS).

[Sunkissed Mommy]

The April 4 rates are just as good, if not better. With the C&A discount, a JS for 2 is $680.

 

 

Sounds like great pricing all around! My mom is an accountant so January through April are no go for travel.

[Garavar]

Yeah, even the "big" suites on the Empress are small by comparison to similar cabins on the bigger ships. While the balcony on the OS (5604) is larger than the balcony on the Freedom Class OS balcony (288 ft sq on Empress vs 160 ft sq on the Freedom Class), the room itself is much smaller (272 ft sq for Empress OS vs 622 ft sq for the Freedom Class OS).

 

Someone good at photoshop should overlap a Empress OS on top of Freedom OS deck plan and an Empress OS on top of Freedom GS.

 

See how much different their truly is.

[LMaxwell]

Someone good at photoshop should overlap a Empress OS on top of Freedom OS deck plan and an Empress OS on top of Freedom GS.

 

See how much different their truly is.

 

Sorry I did not get you that pricing sooner, but glad someone else did.

 

I will see if the ships are both on cruise deck plans dot com. they have a drag deck feature to overlay within one ship. I will see if I can cut and paste like you suggested would be interesting. I have no photoshop skills so can't do it well though.

[riclop]

Thanks for the info.

[John&LaLa]

Sorry I did not get you that pricing sooner, but glad someone else did.

 

I will see if the ships are both on cruise deck plans dot com. they have a drag deck feature to overlay within one ship. I will see if I can cut and paste like you suggested would be interesting. I have no photoshop skills so can't do it well though.

 

The scale would have to match up for this to work.

[Tapi]

We sailed on the Empress back in 2004 for our wedding anniversary. I'm very tempted to book her since she's such a special ship for us.

 

5 night on May 28th for an OV is coming up at about $202 per person plus tax after BOGO and C&A discounts. I placed a courtesy hold to think about it overnight, but it seems like a no brainer.

[Garavar]

The scale would have to match up for this to work.

 

Aren't all the deck plans drawn to same scaling? Would be counter productive for them to vary.

[LMaxwell]

The scale would have to match up for this to work.

 

I couldn't do a shaded overlay but I did put Empress Decks 5 and 6 next to Freedom Decks 4 and 5. I *think* the scale matched up properly, but not 100% sure.

 

My photo host is down, I sent it to Mpoole and asked him to host it, but if anyone else wants it let me know and I will send it.

[John&LaLa]

Aren't all the deck plans drawn to same scaling? Would be counter productive for them to vary.

 

Seriously doubt it. They are drawn to fit web pages and brochures.

[overama]

I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

[emmy]

I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

 

I called for the May 14 sailing and asked about specific cabins Cat I on deck 7. I have one on the forward area starboard deck 7

 

I could not get the ones I wanted to show on the RCI website

[DJan07]

I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

 

I thought the same thing for the 5/19 sailing, but if you click "View or Change Location" on the Guest Info page when making a reservation, you can search for specific cabins. I typed in a few and all were available. I assume that Royal Caribbean is trying to get rid of the obstructed cabins, but at least for my sailing, there are more/slightly hidden options.

[overama]

I thought the same thing for the 5/19 sailing, but if you click "View or Change Location" on the Guest Info page when making a reservation, you can search for specific cabins. I typed in a few and all were available. I assume that Royal Caribbean is trying to get rid of the obstructed cabins, but at least for my sailing, there are more/slightly hidden options.

Thank you - I hadn't even noticed that option. I've now entered a few room numbers and see more availability. This seems like such a great deal for me and my family (we are going to scrunch into an OV room with 2 pullman beds)

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

 

 

They did the same thing with 1/2 the JS. I grabbed a room on the day it opened and suspiciously an entire block of 10 rooms was already gone in a row.

[undercat]

Really not sure that Empress is an upgrade. Good luck.

 

Shipwise probably not, itinerary-wise yes, IMHO. :) I'd love to see CocoCay someday, but it seems like making it there is a crapshoot.

[Tapi]

I am only seeing obstructed OV rooms left for the 5/14 sailing - nothin unobstructed possibly left already?

 

 

Same thing here for the 5/28 sailing. Only obstructed OV category I's were showing. So I checked on a different TA website and all other OV categories appeared.

 

I did go back to the Royal website in order to apply my Crown and Anchor discount, and manually changed the stateroom number. We are now booked! Couldn't really justify not booking it at those prices! $202pp for 5 nights during summer vacation!

[Tapi]

Here's my major takeaways from last time she sailed with Royal.

 

 

Deck Five:.....Carousel Pub turned into the Schooner Bar. Conference Centre and unknown area turned into Chops"

 

 

There are some differences from that Nordic Empress deck plan and when she first became Empress of the Seas. When we sailed on her in 2004, She had been retrofitted with Portofino's (I want to say where the Conference Room was in the old Nordic Empress). Also, I think that the Schooner Bar was in a different location and not where it will now go (replacing the Carousel Pub).

 

Seems like Chop's will be the only significant addition.

[undercat]

I dug up what I *think* are some photos of Empress cabins, along with some cabin dimensions. I don't know how closely these mirror the cabins' current appearance, or the future appearance when RCI rolls her back out as Empress OTS.

 

First, a general search link: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pullmantur+empress+camarotes&iax=1&ia=images

 

Category A (RCI Category F1) https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/a/349-243px/camarote-categoria-a-exterior-lujo-barco-empress-1.jpg and https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/a/349-243px/camarote-categoria-a-exterior-lujo-barco-empress-2.jpg

 

Category B (RCI F2 and F3 on Dec 9)https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/b/349-243px/camarote-categoria-b-exterior-superior-barco-empress-2.jpg

 

Category C (RCI F2 and F3 on Deck 8) https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/c/349-243px/camarote-categoria-c-exterior-superior-barco-empress-3.jpg

 

Category D appears to be RCI F2 and F3 on Deck 7, and I non-obstructed

 

Category E (RCI G & H?) with bright lighting in the photo https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/b2bbrasil/barco/empress/camarotes/e/349-243px/camarote-categoria-e-exterior-superior-barco-empress-1.jpg

 

Category F (RCI G & H?)https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/f/349-243px/camarote-categoria-f-exterior-barco-empress-2.jpg

 

Category G appears to be RCI Small Oceanview (SO on the Empress deck plans although SO on Majesty's deck plans means Superior Oceanview - a larger, not smaller, cabin!) and some of the I obstructeds

 

Other categories:

Category I interior https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/i/349-243px/camarote-categoria-i-interior-superior-barco-empress-1.jpg

 

Junior suite https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/jt/349-243px/camarote-categoria-jt-junior-suite-con-terraza-barco-empress-2.jpg and https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/barco/empress/camarotes/jt/349-243px/camarote-categoria-jt-junior-suite-con-terraza-barco-empress-1.jpg

 

Royal suite https://www.pullmantur.es/media/images/b2bbrasil/barco/empress/camarotes/rt/349-243px/camarote-categoria-rt-royal-suite-con-terraza-barco-empress-2.jpg

 

Cabin sizes https://www.pullmantur.es/en/barco/EMPRESS/camarotes.html (note that the title for category A on this page is not correct as Category A/RCI Category F1 is an OV with Window, as the descriptor text shows, and the photo appears to be for a suite not for a Cat A OV)

 

According to Pullmantur's website, OV sizes range from 18.18 square meters for a Cat A/F1 (~206 sq ft) to 10.08 square meters (~109 sq ft) for a Cat G/Small Oceanview. Some categories come in a range of sizes - Category Es may be 11.40m2 or 12.96m2 or 13.38m2. Category Cs may be 10.31m2 or 13.12m2 or 13.20m2 or 15.12m2

That's quite a size range within a single category!

 

More cabin size info: http://www.cruisenation.com/cruiseship/pullmantur-cruises/empress?sid=8218#, click on Cabins

[MADflyer]

Empress of the Seas was the ship of the month for Cruise Travel Magazine in their August 2005 edition. This article provides some interesting insight to the adaptions made to the ship during the refit that transformed the Nordic Empress to the Empress of the Seas at that time.

 

Pullmantur only converted Portofino's to an Asian fusion venue that will now be converted to Chops. I had not realized that the lounge was positioned previously as a Boleros.

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=GjEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=empress+of+the+seas+cruise+travel+magazine+august+2005&source=bl&ots=B3W3k8Q5sx&sig=w5-WeCPFB2m_KBahkDTubgT9guU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjH3vWF8PPJAhXF7yYKHc0HD9YQ6AEIMzAE#v=onepage&q=empress%20of%20the%20seas%20cruise%20travel%20magazine%20august%202005&f=false

 

If the link does not work just google 'empress of the seas cruise travel magazine august 2005' to find the magazine article.

[Tapi]

I dug up what I *think* are some photos of Empress cabins, along with some cabin dimensions.

 

 

The JS is an identical pic of what ours looked like when we sailed on the Empress in 2004. From what I remember, it wasn't much bigger than a standard balcony stateroom on newer ships.

[John&LaLa]

The JS is an identical pic of what ours looked like when we sailed on the Empress in 2004. From what I remember, it wasn't much bigger than a standard balcony stateroom on newer ships.

 

But it was big back in the day. ;)

[Tapi]

Someone good at photoshop should overlap a Empress OS on top of Freedom OS deck plan and an Empress OS on top of Freedom GS.

 

See how much different their truly is.

 

Not an overlay, but here's a photo that I found of the Empress (in Pullmantur colors) next to the Liberty of the Seas. :eek:

 

The day of my sailing, there will be 5 ships at the port of Miami, including Norwegian Escape, MSC Divina, and Carnival Glory. Something tells me that the Empress is going to look like a tiny tugboat next to those, but I'll be proud! :D

 

[jeditden]

Man, the deal for 4/4-4/7 is looking mighty tempting. Under $340 after taxes/port for the 3 NT Bahamas in an INT cabin. Gotta visit my in-laws in West Palm this spring anyway. Hmm...

[ZoeyVictoria]

I thought the same thing for the 5/19 sailing, but if you click "View or Change Location" on the Guest Info page when making a reservation, you can search for specific cabins. I typed in a few and all were available. I assume that Royal Caribbean is trying to get rid of the obstructed cabins, but at least for my sailing, there are more/slightly hidden options.

 

Thank you for that tip. I was able to change my obstructed OV to unobstructed.