Esahuma Posted January 10, 2017 #401 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Yippee - my happy place -just printed off boarding passes for flight tomorrow to Houston - going to visit NASA Space Center - a couple DDD (Diners Drive Ins and Dives) and then board Liberty on 15 Jan B2B - probably in the rain but who cares - it is a cruise! Will try to keep in touch! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springaussie Posted January 14, 2017 #402 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Hawaii Ports show only one Royal ship using the facility after the Alaskan 2018 season Radiance of the Seas is the name. If true I don't if this is Explorer or Radiance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADflyer Posted January 14, 2017 Author #403 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Hawaii Ports show only one Royal ship using the facility after the Alaskan 2018 seasonRadiance of the Seas is the name. If true I don't if this is Explorer or Radiance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Is that not just Kauai reporting so far? They only have Radiance in 2017 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springaussie Posted January 14, 2017 #404 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Is that not just Kauai reporting so far? They only have Radiance in 2017 as well. Info sourced here Madflyer. http://hawaii.portcall.com/ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare vacationlover_mn Posted January 14, 2017 #405 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I wish Royal would add a Panama Canal cruise :( Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgoddess1 Posted January 14, 2017 #406 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I wish Royal would add a Panama Canal cruise :( Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app That is high on almost everyone's wish list. From what has been said in Q&A sessions with RCI, it is not happening in the near future. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted January 14, 2017 #407 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I wish Royal would add a Panama Canal cruise :( Just like smaller ships, RCCL leaves those to the Celebrity brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted January 14, 2017 #408 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Just like smaller ships, RCCL leaves those to the Celebrity brand. While X does have more ships sailing through the Canal than Royal as in one ship compared to 0 ships from Royal, X has cut back their Canal cruises significantly this season and last season. The Infinity used to run back and forth between FL and CA for most of the Canal season, presently it has a couple of Canal cruises before and after the Alaskan season, then it is off to other itineraries. X's second Alaska ship would also transit the Canal to FL after the Alaskan season and again prior to the Alaskan season. Right now their second Alaska ship comes from down under. Royal has many more ships that can use the legacy locks compared to X. The 5 ships in the Vision class and the 4 Radiance class are all Panamax ships which can use the old locks. On the other hand the only ships X can tap for the Canal are the 4 Millennium class which are basically the same as the Radiance class. Guess Canal itineraries could be reconsidered when the new locks take on the larger ships which doesn't start until this April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted January 14, 2017 #409 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Royal has many more ships that can use the legacy locks compared to X. With the announcement of Edge and Icon class ships, it's fairly obvious where RCCL is headed in terms of ship sizes for its brands. So while for the next few years RCI will still have more small ships than X, long term, I don't see that being the case. By the time Icon comes out, I'd be surprised to see any Vision class ships in the RCI fleet and maybe even some Radiance ships gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
internetwhiz Posted January 14, 2017 #410 Share Posted January 14, 2017 I wish Royal would add a Panama Canal cruise :( Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app You and me both Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted January 14, 2017 #411 Share Posted January 14, 2017 With the announcement of Edge and Icon class ships, it's fairly obvious where RCCL is headed in terms of ship sizes for its brands. So while for the next few years RCI will still have more small ships than X, long term, I don't see that being the case. By the time Icon comes out, I'd be surprised to see any Vision class ships in the RCI fleet and maybe even some Radiance ships gone. Unfortunately that is probably an accurate assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken at the beach Posted January 14, 2017 #412 Share Posted January 14, 2017 While X does have more ships sailing through the Canal than Royal as in one ship compared to 0 ships from Royal, X has cut back their Canal cruises significantly this season and last season. The Infinity used to run back and forth between FL and CA for most of the Canal season, presently it has a couple of Canal cruises before and after the Alaskan season, then it is off to other itineraries. X's second Alaska ship would also transit the Canal to FL after the Alaskan season and again prior to the Alaskan season. Right now their second Alaska ship comes from down under. Royal has many more ships that can use the legacy locks compared to X. The 5 ships in the Vision class and the 4 Radiance class are all Panamax ships which can use the old locks. On the other hand the only ships X can tap for the Canal are the 4 Millennium class which are basically the same as the Radiance class. Guess Canal itineraries could be reconsidered when the new locks take on the larger ships which doesn't start until this April. Isn't there height issues with the Bridge of the Americas for anything above Radience class? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DragonOfTheSeas Posted January 14, 2017 #413 Share Posted January 14, 2017 With the announcement of Edge and Icon class ships, it's fairly obvious where RCCL is headed in terms of ship sizes for its brands. So while for the next few years RCI will still have more small ships than X, long term, I don't see that being the case. By the time Icon comes out, I'd be surprised to see any Vision class ships in the RCI fleet and maybe even some Radiance ships gone. If they get rid of these smaller ships they will have to leave some of the home ports behind [i.e. Baltimore] and some of the port stops. That will make their itineraries too similar. They added the Empress back in to do the Cuba cruises. [at a pretty high price for updates] I would expect them to keep a few of the smaller ships for different itineraries. [even if they need some significant updates] unique itineraries go for a premium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted January 14, 2017 #414 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Isn't there height issues with the Bridge of the Americas for anything above Radience class? That has been kicked around some and there certainly could be an issue. The Voyager and Freedom class are slightly out of limits presently, however I think the are close enough that there could be modification to bring one of those ships into compliance or waiver if they wanted to transit the Canal. They have already done something similar with the Solstice in order for her to clear the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver which has slightly less clearance than the BoA. The Quantum class ships are at the max permitted air draft for the Bridge so there is at least one class beyond the Radiance ships that could clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgoddess1 Posted January 14, 2017 #415 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Guess Canal itineraries could be reconsidered when the new locks take on the larger ships which doesn't start until this April. See below: Isn't there height issues with the Bridge of the Americas for anything above Radience class? Yes, there is a height issue, and apparently the only way ships other than Vision or Radiance Class can fit under Bridge of Americas is to wait for low tide. It's not practical when a ship is trying to transit the canal during daylight hours at an optimal time for passengers to be out on deck and enjoying the view. The other issue, as always, is the expense of transiting the canal. RCI and the other cruise lines pass along the expense to the passenger, but they still use it as a reason to not offer the itinerary. Panama Canal cruises are my second-favorite itinerary, after Hawaii, so I wish RCI would bring them back, as well. We have done over a dozen Canal cruises, and each one has been exciting. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthousemom Posted January 14, 2017 #416 Share Posted January 14, 2017 See below:Yes, there is a height issue, and apparently the only way ships other than Vision or Radiance Class can fit under Bridge of Americas is to wait for low tide. It's not practical when a ship is trying to transit the canal during daylight hours at an optimal time for passengers to be out on deck and enjoying the view. The other issue, as always, is the expense of transiting the canal. RCI and the other cruise lines pass along the expense to the passenger, but they still use it as a reason to not offer the itinerary. Panama Canal cruises are my second-favorite itinerary, after Hawaii, so I wish RCI would bring them back, as well. We have done over a dozen Canal cruises, and each one has been exciting. :) I gave up waiting for RCI to do PC, and just booked a B2B with the new NCL Bliss. We'll do the Mexican Riviera first. It will go through the new locks. :) I love new ships and big ships, so this seemed like a perfect fit. But RCI is still hands down my favorite cruise line! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted January 14, 2017 #417 Share Posted January 14, 2017 See below: Yes, there is a height issue, and apparently the only way ships other than Vision or Radiance Class can fit under Bridge of Americas is to wait for low tide. It's not practical when a ship is trying to transit the canal during daylight hours at an optimal time for passengers to be out on deck and enjoying the view. The other issue, as always, is the expense of transiting the canal. RCI and the other cruise lines pass along the expense to the passenger, but they still use it as a reason to not offer the itinerary. Panama Canal cruises are my second-favorite itinerary, after Hawaii, so I wish RCI would bring them back, as well. We have done over a dozen Canal cruises, and each one has been exciting. :) The taller ships don't really have to wait for low tide, they would be able to clear the Bridge throughout a large part of the day... just not at a couple of hours before or after high tide. There are even some days during the month where the tide doesn't get that high at high tide. Just another scheduling variable:). I don't know why Royal is quick to say the high tolls are the reason they are not doing the Canal. I think most of us could handle that they are just positioning their ships in markets that they believe are more profitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted January 14, 2017 #418 Share Posted January 14, 2017 They added the Empress back in to do the Cuba cruises. [at a pretty high price for updates] I would expect them to keep a few of the smaller ships for different itineraries. [even if they need some significant updates] unique itineraries go for a premium. They will steer folks towards X for that. I think RCI learned its lesson with the upgrading of Empress, numerous cancellations and delays in getting to Cuba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherriZ366 Posted January 15, 2017 #419 Share Posted January 15, 2017 I wish Royal would add a Panama Canal cruise :( Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Me too!! RCI could do a round trip from Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Miami, transit the new lock with a Voyager Class ship, and not have to worry about the height of the Bridge of Americas. Princess is doing this itinerary in fall, 2017-winter 2018. Would work for me as we could drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted January 15, 2017 #420 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Any thoughts on Majesty doing Havana on the 4 day trips? Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted January 15, 2017 #421 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Any thoughts on Majesty doing Havana on the 4 day trips? Why don't you just ask the Captain to take you there now?:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molly361 Posted January 15, 2017 #422 Share Posted January 15, 2017 We did a 10 night RT Panama Canal partial transit in 2004 on the Brilliance. It went out of either Miami or Ft Lauderdale, don't remember. I don't know when or why they stopped doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare island lady Posted January 15, 2017 #423 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Me too!! RCI could do a round trip from Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral or Miami, transit the new lock with a Voyager Class ship, and not have to worry about the height of the Bridge of Americas. Princess is doing this itinerary in fall, 2017-winter 2018. Would work for me as we could drive. Sherri, we did the Jewel one time TO the locks, anchored out for the day, took a double decker ferry boat through the whole lock system. Was fabulous. Even got to reach out and touch the wall, great picture. Nice "booze cruise" with lunch, then bused us back from Panama City. Was a nice alternative anyway. :) The Bridge of Americas was very impressive indeed. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgoddess1 Posted January 15, 2017 #424 Share Posted January 15, 2017 We did a 10 night RT Panama Canal partial transit in 2004 on the Brilliance. It went out of either Miami or Ft Lauderdale, don't remember. I don't know when or why they stopped doing it We did a partial transit out of Galveston in 2003, on Splendour. While we enjoyed it, there is nothing to compare with a full transit. Having said that, I would take whatever they offered. :rolleyes: :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare island lady Posted January 15, 2017 #425 Share Posted January 15, 2017 We did a partial transit out of Galveston in 2003, on Splendour. While we enjoyed it, there is nothing to compare with a full transit. Having said that, I would take whatever they offered. :rolleyes: :) Me too!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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