Deployment 2023-24 booking season begins

[woodscruise]

23 minutes ago, meg1021 said:

How are you determining that the port bookings would indicate a circumnavigation of Australia?  The reason that I ask, is that we were booked on the Serenade circumnavigation for February/March of 2021, which was obviously cancelled.  I would really be interested on rebooking a circumnavigation, if one becomes available again, although I was told at Next Cruise that these sailings aren't offered on a regular basis.   Clue me in to your thinking on this!

Rhapsody has port bookings in Brisbane on 16 February, Darwin 22 February, Adelaide 02 March and Melbourne 08 March. Fremantle has a booking for Radiance on 01 March, which would be a place holder for Rhapsody or which ever ship is doing the round Australia trip.

[meg1021]

Is this for 2022, 2023 or 2024?

[woodscruise]

4 minutes ago, meg1021 said:

Is this for 2022, 2023 or 2024?

This is for 2024

[meg1021]

1 minute ago, woodscruise said:

This is for 2024

Perfect!  Thanks for your response.  We'll be on Odyssey in January 2022, and it would be great if we can book this, if available, since Next Cruise usually offers reduced deposit and OBC. We've already booked the Crystal Serenity World Cruise 2023, which makes 4 stops in Australia, but I have always wanted to do a circumnavigation.

[Biker19]

43 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I've never been on a vision class.  What are your doubts?

RCI doesn’t use them in Alaska and I don’t see them starting - too small and not conducive for it (lack of balconies, etc). 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Biker19

[woodscruise]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

RCI doesn’t use them in Alaska and I don’t seem then starting- too small and not conducive for it (lack of balconies, etc). 

Rhapsody used to do Alaska, when it first came to Australia (it alternated between Australia summer, then Alaska summer). When Radiance came to Australia, it then became the ship for the rotation, and Rhapsody went off to Europe. In Australia, it was reported  that Rhapsody could not continue in Alaska due to some environment act that did not permit the vision class to return to Alaska, maybe the fuel that it was burning at the time.

Edited November 20, 2021 by woodscruise
additional comment

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, woodscruise said:

not continue in Alaska due to some enviroment 

It may have been simply money. The Radiance class sailings were cheap enough as it is, Vision class may not have the draw to make RCI much money. Of course anything is possible. 

[springaussie]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It may have been simply money. The Radiance class sailings were cheap enough as it is, Vision class may not have the draw to make RCI much money. Of course anything is possible. 

Rhapsody has bookings in overnight Adelaide November 2023 and  Melbourne.

Is this Rhapsody’s entrance from Fremantle after Cypress?

I realise no booking appears Fremantle. 

Edited November 21, 2021 by springaussie

[Ethanol95]

7 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

 Nothing has happened 

This is the 23-24 thread and RC Australia said by 2024 .

I won't be surprised if it's delayed further 🤣

[geoff2802]

15 hours ago, Biker19 said:

It's a really long haul from Auckland to Lelepa, don't see it happening.

If they home port a ship in Auckland, I think it will go to Lelepa for sure.  As Chilli pointed out, it’s a similar distance to Sydney - Lelepa.  
Surprisingly (to me) the distance Cairns - Lelepa is also roughly the same. 

[geoff2802]

3 hours ago, springaussie said:

Rhapsody has bookings in overnight Adelaide November 2023 and  Melbourne.

Is this Rhapsody’s entrance from Fremantle after Cypress?

I realise no booking appears Fremantle. 

Yes, although SummerinKefalonia reported the following in post 170…    

 

Rhapsody of the Seas (New port bookings)

Limassol (Cyprus): Weekly from 7 May to 29 October 2023.

Haifa (Israel): 1/9, 8/9, 15/9, 19/9, 22/9, 27/9, 29/9, 4/10, 9/10, 13/10, 18/10, 23/10, 27/10, 1/11 & 6/11 2023.

Piraeus (Greece): 13/6, 11/7, 8/8, 30/8, 4/9 & 11/9 2023.

 

[geoff2802]

8 hours ago, meg1021 said:

How are you determining that the port bookings would indicate a circumnavigation of Australia?  The reason that I ask, is that we were booked on the Serenade circumnavigation for February/March of 2021, which was obviously cancelled.  I would really be interested on rebooking a circumnavigation, if one becomes available again, although I was told at Next Cruise that these sailings aren't offered on a regular basis.   Clue me in to your thinking on this!

There is usually one circumnavigation on a Royal ship each season.  In recent years they have been Radiance class.  We thoroughly enjoyed doing the top half a few years ago and will do the lower half when it’s offered. 
Coral Princess is an alternative to consider.  

[springaussie]

15 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

Yes, although SummerinKefalonia reported the following in post 170…    

 

Rhapsody of the Seas (New port bookings)

Limassol (Cyprus): Weekly from 7 May to 29 October 2023.

Haifa (Israel): 1/9, 8/9, 15/9, 19/9, 22/9, 27/9, 29/9, 4/10, 9/10, 13/10, 18/10, 23/10, 27/10, 1/11 & 6/11 2023.

Piraeus (Greece): 13/6, 11/7, 8/8, 30/8, 4/9 & 11/9 2023.

 

Geoff as you realise Royal will have Quantum,  Ovation and Radiance from North America to Oz September 2023. 
Sister company  has port bookings to suggest Celebrity Solstice is going from Alaska to Singapore via Australia October 2023.

My thinking is Rhapsody via Fremantle from Cypress and will home port Sydney working 14 night NZ cruises Sydney to Auckland then Auckland to Sydney. This way Rhapsody only uses Circular Quay every 28 days. 

Where  Rhapsody goes in April 2024 remains to be seen. With no port bookings suggesting anything probably Alaska unless she stays for the Winter. 

 

[Chiliburn]

40 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

If they home port a ship in Auckland, I think it will go to Lelepa for sure.  As Chilli pointed out, it’s a similar distance to Sydney - Lelepa.  
Surprisingly (to me) the distance Cairns - Lelepa is also roughly the same. 

I was surprised Cairns is the same distance as Auckland from Lelepa.
 

 Auckland being 3 hours less in air travel from the U.S.A.is something definitely going for it. 
LAX-SYD 13 hours.  and   LAX -AUK 9 hours that much more bearable.

[geoff2802]

1 hour ago, springaussie said:

Geoff as you realise Royal will have Quantum,  Ovation and Radiance from North America to Oz September 2023. 
Sister company  has port bookings to suggest Celebrity Solstice is going from Alaska to Singapore via Australia October 2023.

My thinking is Rhapsody via Fremantle from Cypress and will home port Sydney working 14 night NZ cruises Sydney to Auckland then Auckland to Sydney. This way Rhapsody only uses Circular Quay every 28 days. 

Where  Rhapsody goes in April 2024 remains to be seen. With no port bookings suggesting anything probably Alaska unless she stays for the Winter. 

 

If they want a Vision ship in the Aussie market, It makes some sense to be Rhapsody, being familiar to loyal Aussie cruisers.  
Don’t know about Syd - NZ and reverse one way cruises… this isn’t Royal’s preferred way of operating.  
I hope a Royal ship comes through the Suez, whether it’s Rhapsody or another.  We’re keen to cruise the ME. 

[SummmerInKefalonia]

I don't wanna crush your hopes about Rhapsody going to Australia but I'll do.

It is also booked in Palma De Mallorca on 11/11/2023 & 13/11/2023 from Ibiza to Barcelona (it will use one of them eventually but they are holding these 2 bookings to secure a berth until they choose the itinerary)

AND booked in Funchal, Madeira on 17/11/2023 from Malaga to Miami.

Edited November 21, 2021 by SummmerInKefalonia

[geoff2802]

5 minutes ago, SummmerInKefalonia said:

I don't wanna crush your hopes about Rhapsody going to Australia but I'll do.

It is also booked in Palma De Mallorca on 11/11/2023 & 13/11/2023 from Ibiza to Barcelona (it will use one of them eventually but they are holding these 2 bookings to secure a berth until they choose the itinerary)

AND booked in Funchal, Madeira on 17/11/2023 from Malaga to Miami.

Thanks for sharing these port entries.  
Wondering if the Rhapsody entries in Aus might be a placeholder for another ship…  Is there a Royal ship in the Med for 2023 that isn’t exiting to the Atlantic at the end of the season?  

[SummmerInKefalonia]

6 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

Thanks for sharing these port entries.  
Wondering if the Rhapsody entries in Aus might be a placeholder for another ship…  Is there a Royal ship in the Med for 2023 that isn’t exiting to the Atlantic at the end of the season?  

It is possible that Rhapsody replaces Brilliance. So if that happens, we don't know where Brilliance will be. It could take over the itineraries from Rhapsody.

Also there is a possibility of Explorer. It was planned to do the itineraries from Ravenna but after the mix up of Rhapsody and Brilliance, we don't know where it will end too (possible for Brilliance to replace it and do the itineraries it will do in 2022).

[geoff2802]

7 minutes ago, SummmerInKefalonia said:

It is possible that Rhapsody replaces Brilliance. So if that happens, we don't know where Brilliance will be. It could take over the itineraries from Rhapsody.

Also there is a possibility of Explorer. It was planned to do the itineraries from Ravenna but after the mix up of Rhapsody and Brilliance, we don't know where it will end too (possible for Brilliance to replace it and do the itineraries it will do in 2022).

Makes sense.  Thanks for the insights.  
 

[SummmerInKefalonia]

Rhapsody of the Seas (Updated)

Limassol (Cyprus): Weekly from 7 May to 29 October 2023.

Haifa (Israel): 22/5, 5/6, 19/6, 3/7, 17/7, 31/7, 14/8, 1/9, 8/9, 15/9, 19/9, 22/9, 27/9, 29/9, 4/10, 9/10, 13/10, 18/10, 23/10, 27/10, 1/11 & 6/11 2023.

Piraeus (Greece): 13/6, 11/7, 8/8, 30/8, 4/9 & 11/9 2023.

Highlighted the new bookings I noticed today. So it is not just substituting Brilliance. It will be based in Cyprus as it seems from early May doing 7 to 14-night cruises until late August. Then it takes over Brilliance cruises from Cyprus and finishes early November.

 

Also Explorer of the seas new booking:

Villefranche 6/5/2023 07:00 18:00

Probably the relocation voyage to Ravenna.

Edited November 21, 2021 by SummmerInKefalonia

[SummmerInKefalonia]

Villefrance 2023 (Updated)

Serenade of the seas: 21/5, 3/6, 1/7, 16/7, 29/7, 26/8, 10/9, 16/9, 1/10, 7/10 & 22/10.

Brilliance of the seas: 4/6, 8/6, 6/7, 3/8, 31/8, 28/9 & 26/10.

Odyssey of the seas: 5/5 & 29/10.

Anthem of the seas: 29/6.

Explorer of the seas: 6/5.

Edited November 21, 2021 by SummmerInKefalonia

[SummmerInKefalonia]

Palma De Mallorca 2023 (Updated):

Symphony of the seas: Weekly from 17 April to 23 October.

Serenade of the Seas: 19/5, 13/6, 11/7, 9/8, 6/9, 27/9 & 18/10.

Anthem of the Seas: 27/7 & 19/8.

Explorer of the Seas: 4/5.

Rhapsody of the Seas: 11/11 or 13/11.

Brilliance of the Seas: 12/11.

[Harmony of the seas: 3/4, 10/4, 17/4, 24/5 & 1/5 (Old bookings)]

[Vision of the Seas: 14/5 (Old booking)]

 

Ibiza 2023 (Updated):

Anthem of the Seas: 29/7 & 21/8.

Edited November 21, 2021 by SummmerInKefalonia

[meg1021]

10 hours ago, geoff2802 said:

There is usually one circumnavigation on a Royal ship each season.  In recent years they have been Radiance class.  We thoroughly enjoyed doing the top half a few years ago and will do the lower half when it’s offered. 
Coral Princess is an alternative to consider.  

Thanks for the information.  I hope that Royal opens their circumnavigation bookings for 2024 soon.  Very few offerings are available currently on Royal's website for Australia sailings.  I realize that's probably because Covid restrictions are just easing in Australia.  The cancelled Serenade circumnavigation from February/March 2021 had very little availability when we booked onboard in January 2020, so I'd like to book as soon as it's listed on their website

[PerferWarmWeather]

Following to find out when the Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruises are released.  Plus anything else of interest.  🙂

[Ashland]

6 hours ago, PerferWarmWeather said:

Following to find out when the Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruises are released.  Plus anything else of interest.  🙂

We booked our Panama Canal cruise Oct 2, 2022 (full transit Los Angeles-Tampa) the day it opened and that was March 3, 2021. Certain categories booked up quickly. Hope this helps with the time frame you're considering.

 

So far the schedule posted is:

Alaska...Nov 29th

Europe...Dec 6th

Carib...Dec 13th

New England, LA & short Carib...coming soon

 

Remember these are week of not specific

Edited November 27, 2021 by Ashland