Empress of The Seas

[NancyIL]

1 hour ago, benjoon said:

We are currently booked on the snowbird cruise. We haven’t cancelled yet but it’s getting closer to happening. 

Unless you have a refundable deposit, you’ll get a future cruise credit rather than a refund if you cancel your Empress cruise before RCI cancels it.

[WeMissSeaView]

Empress and Majesty are docked at Souda again.

[twangster]

I imagine with a small crew it takes a long time to remove all the artwork and get it down to the lower decks ready to be offloaded.  At some point the lower decks are lined with pieces of art so it can hinder movement and presents a safety hazard.  

 

At that point you dock and move the artwork off the ship to the other ship and get ready to repeat the process.  

 

Does anyone have family on Crete?  I'd love to see what they are moving between ships...

[WeMissSeaView]

Majesty has sailed and Empress is still at the dock.

[WeMissSeaView]

Empress has now sailed and both ships are now anchored again at their new normal location.

[Saab4444]

On 9/16/2020 at 2:14 AM, notmyrealnameoremail said:

 

I wonder if staffing levels are high enough to be able to paint the hulls. 

No, they are not. Most cruise ships are currently full of rust while they are anchoring with short port stops about once a month, also the newer once. And this will not improve soon...

[snaefell]

Just been watching a video on Youtube of Carnival Immagination beaching in too small a spot with sounds of screeching metal & sights of metal buckling,not pretty!

[DHADEN]

On 9/16/2020 at 8:39 PM, NancyIL said:

Unless you have a refundable deposit, you’ll get a future cruise credit rather than a refund if you cancel your Empress cruise before RCI cancels it.

You don't have to cancel - just "move" your booking number to another cruise.  They will use your deposit for the new cruise.

[NancyIL]

5 hours ago, DHADEN said:

You don't have to cancel - just "move" your booking number to another cruise.  They will use your deposit for the new cruise.

 

The person I responded to mentioned cancelling their cruise, and that's not something I'd recommend unless their deposit is refundable.

 

If Empress manages to survive, and if RCI doesn't change the itinerary - I'll go on my Sept. 2021 cruise. However, if Empress leaves the fleet - I have no interest in replacing it with another cruise.

[benjoon]

6 hours ago, NancyIL said:

 

The person I responded to mentioned cancelling their cruise, and that's not something I'd recommend unless their deposit is refundable.

 

If Empress manages to survive, and if RCI doesn't change the itinerary - I'll go on my Sept. 2021 cruise. However, if Empress leaves the fleet - I have no interest in replacing it with another cruise.

We only have a small deposit on the snow bird cruise. We will leave it there until closer to full payment. We have also put a deposit on a transpacific.

[NancyIL]

According to an RCI Press announcement that was posted online and later removed -  RCI will be making some big changes to their April through October 2021 itineraries. It doesn’t mention Empress, but says Freedom of the Seas will be doing cruises in summer 2021 to Canada, New England, and Bermuda out of Cape Liberty (see post #1):

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by NancyIL

[NancyIL]

Correction to my post above: Freedom’s 2021 Canada and Bermuda itineraries aren’t new. The press announcement just mentioned 2021 would be its first time to sail out of Cape Liberty.  

[John&LaLa]

39 minutes ago, NancyIL said:

Correction to my post above: Freedom’s 2021 Canada and Bermuda itineraries aren’t new. The press announcement just mentioned 2021 would be its first time to sail out of Cape Liberty.  

 

There were a lot of questions with that release

[Kokomo91165]

Has anyone had any luck Lifting and Shifting an existing Empress booking to another ship?  I’m getting nervous that our Empress cruises may not happen in Jan 2021. 
 

Thanks!

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Has anyone had any luck Lifting and Shifting an existing Empress booking to another ship?

Lots of folks have done that successfully - would not wait much longer as the L&S option is due to expire at the end of the month.

[renieg813]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Lots of folks have done that successfully - would not wait much longer as the L&S option is due to expire at the end of the month.

I tried to L & S my May 17 Empress to Bermuda using the online form and it said it didn’t qualify because there was no other ship with that itinerary. Perhaps if I had asked my TA to call there would have been something that could have been done, but I’ve decided to just take the FCC if it cancels as I have other booked cruises to pay for.

[Milwaukee Eight]

8 hours ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Has anyone had any luck Lifting and Shifting an existing Empress booking to another ship?  I’m getting nervous that our Empress cruises may not happen in Jan 2021. 
 

Thanks!

My TA was successful in L&S a Royal Suite and a Owners Suite to Odyssey and Harmony Grand Suites.  It was about half the price we would have normally paid for a GS.  Great to have a good TA. 😇

 

M8

[Milwaukee Eight]

43 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

My TA was successful in L&S a Royal Suite and a Owners Suite to Odyssey and Harmony Grand Suites.  It was about half the price we would have normally paid for a GS.  Great to have a good TA. 😇

 

M8

I forgot to add, in addition to my TA, @molly361 was helpful in finding these sailings. Thank you Molly 

 

M8

Edited September 19, 2020 by Milwaukee Eight

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I forgot to add, in addition to my TA, @molly361 was helpful in finding these sailings. Thank you Molly 

 

M8

I should have said thanks Ellen @molly361  

 

M8

[RFerrington]

12 hours ago, Kokomo91165 said:

Has anyone had any luck Lifting and Shifting an existing Empress booking to another ship?  I’m getting nervous that our Empress cruises may not happen in Jan 2021. 
 

Thanks!

I've done 3 Empress L&S so far.  I'm thinking about doing 1 more.  All have been successful (if not stressful, in 1 case) but all ended well in the end.

[Sunshine3601]

8 hours ago, renieg813 said:

I tried to L & S my May 17 Empress to Bermuda using the online form and it said it didn’t qualify because there was no other ship with that itinerary. Perhaps if I had asked my TA to call there would have been something that could have been done, but I’ve decided to just take the FCC if it cancels as I have other booked cruises to pay for.

wait and see what new sailings are posted in a couple of weeks since they announced yesterday they will be revising the summer sailing schedule for some ships.    They may add Bermuda sailings on Freedom that you can do a L&S then.    You have plenty of time to figure it out.    A lot can happen from now till next May. 

[keyboardjunkie]

I am still having an issue figuring out which cruises I can Lift and Shift an upcoming Empress sailing to (I know that not all potential future 'qualify' - that it has to be the same length and to the same location and for the same category cabin).  If anyone can explain how to discover what the sailing options being offered are for a particular L&S sailing, your help would be appreciated.

[JT1962]

I am still having an issue figuring out which cruises I can Lift and Shift an upcoming Empress sailing to (I know that not all potential future 'qualify' - that it has to be the same length and to the same location and for the same category cabin).  If anyone can explain how to discover what the sailing options being offered are for a particular L&S sailing, your help would be appreciated.

If you booked through a travel agent or online website, they should be able to provide you with the options you have. We did a lift and shift on our November cruise and the online agency emailed us a complete list of sailings we could choose from. We moved our 7 day sailing from San Juan on Enchantment of the Seas to a 7 day eastern Caribbean sailing from Miami on Symphony of the Seas. The choices we had included Eastern & Western Caribbean Itineraries on multiple ships from several ports.

[DHADEN]

33 minutes ago, keyboardjunkie said:

I am still having an issue figuring out which cruises I can Lift and Shift an upcoming Empress sailing to (I know that not all potential future 'qualify' - that it has to be the same length and to the same location and for the same category cabin).  If anyone can explain how to discover what the sailing options being offered are for a particular L&S sailing, your help would be appreciated.

L&S is for your cruises that you have already made "Final Payment" on.  If you haven't paid for the cruise (only paid Deposit), then you can just MOVE your booking number (and deposit goes with it) to another cruise.  It doesn't even have to match; just pick any cruise and move it.

Hope This Helps.

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, DHADEN said:

L&S is for your cruises that you have already made "Final Payment" on.  If you haven't paid for the cruise (only paid Deposit), then you can just MOVE your booking number (and deposit goes with it) to another cruise.  It doesn't even have to match; just pick any cruise and move it.

Hope This Helps.

No, that is incorrect.  You can lift and shift any cruise that has a deposit made on it.  It is NOT just for cruises that you have made final payment on.

 

In addition to being able to do a LL&S following the guidelines you can also as you mentioned move it to any other cruise at current rates.

Edited September 19, 2020 by Ourusualbeach