Royal's ships 2023/24

[fairywren]

AUD is below 64cents this morning

[Chiliburn]

2 hours ago, fairywren said:

AUD is below 64cents this morning

I wonder what the exchange rate will be onboard this season.
A few people said the casino was only paying 50cents last season .

[Auscruisefam]

From what I am reading standard cocktails like a mojito are $14USD but that was last season it may be more now. In AUD that is about $22 at least and who knows what exchange rates will be like. It could be up to $25 AUD and that’s a basic cocktail. Can of soft drink is $3.50USD but I don’t know if any of this includes gratitude. Coffee is $5USD so about $8AUD and that’s a basic coffee. Ultimate dining package is $647 AUD per person so $1300ish and internet is $29.50 per day AUD per guest. Drinks package is $124 AUD per person. We are booked for 11 nights drinks alone would be $2728. I wouldn’t pay for dining but we need internet due to work/family. These are just prices for our specific cruise but Im sure they only change by a few dollars. Individual drinks will add up very quickly especially for families. 
At this rate we might just fly to brissy and sail Luminosa back to back at literally a fraction of the price.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Auscruisefam

[Chiliburn]

The ships should be here in a couple of months, I believe these menus and prices are current.

 

 I don’t know about the 18% gratuity if it’s included or on top .

 

[Auscruisefam]

I have to laugh at the exchange rate, 2 coronas for $26AUD. Thanks for the list. 
I still can’t justify the drinks package. 

[arxcards]

7 hours ago, Auscruisefam said:

I have to laugh at the exchange rate, 2 coronas for $26AUD. Thanks for the list. 
I still can’t justify the drinks package. 

I can't justify drinking at all.

 

The al-inclusive Star Class loft suites are looking better now, unless they have boosted those prices as well.

[arxcards]

I love the old drink list. For that time, those prices aren't all that special either.

[Chiliburn]

5 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I love the old drink list. For that time, those prices aren't all that special either.

The Fosters oil cans have 2 schooners for $9.75

Edited August 19, 2023 by Chiliburn

[arxcards]

6 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

The Fosters oil cans have 2 schooners for $9.75

$US. And it is eeew Fosters. Generally though, I will only drink beer from cans at the footy when I have no choice.

 

Note, the fine print on the bottom of the price list does say that prices are inclusive of grats.

[mr walker]

The falling $A vs USD is certainly becoming a significant factor in doing RC cruises. The extra cost from Fx rate will certainly send some elsewhere. Prediction on news tonight of 60c 😳 Oh for the times a decade ago where the A$ was above USD. We had final accounts that were less in A$ than in USD.

 

Luckily for me & some other posters on here, D (& soon D+) make a big difference to our onboard cost & we have a USD kitty that we have put aside just for RC cruises.

 

[Chiliburn]

It looking like a price rise in drinks for the Australian season and the rest of the fleet.

A few people are reporting one $U.S. dollar  extra on cocktails and more on premium drinks.

I don’t know if the diamond vouchers will go up . I think it’s $14 at the moment and if there’s a price rise. A cocktail or mixed drink will be $15.

 

 

[Cruisers47]

52 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

It looking like a price rise in drinks for the Australian season and the rest of the fleet.

A few people are reporting one $U.S. dollar  extra on cocktails and more on premium drinks.

I don’t know if the diamond vouchers will go up . I think it’s $14 at the moment and if there’s a price rise. A cocktail or mixed drink will be $15.

 

 

Just came back from RC cruise from Tokyo to Singapore.   Was surprised that the prices for drinks were quite reasonable, compared with the RC cruises in Oz.   not the drinks package.   I do not know if it was because there were a lot of Asian on board and I got the impression that they are not big drinkers.    Saw the big Fosters cans there but there was a lot of Aussies on the cruise and they ran out of them,

 

Us being Diamond and soon to be D+ makes an enormous difference for us.   no drinks bill at all. They also left lots of bottles of water in our cabin and $10 of a bag of washing.  Free Wifi for a day each. 
 

really I wonder if any other brand matches this.

 

eileen

 

 

 

 

 

Eileen

 

 

[Chiliburn]

38 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Just came back from RC cruise from Tokyo to Singapore.   Was surprised that the prices for drinks were quite reasonable, compared with the RC cruises in Oz.   not the drinks package.   I do not know if it was because there were a lot of Asian on board and I got the impression that they are not big drinkers.    Saw the big Fosters cans there but there was a lot of Aussies on the cruise and they ran out of them,

 

Us being Diamond and soon to be D+ makes an enormous difference for us.   no drinks bill at all. They also left lots of bottles of water in our cabin and $10 of a bag of washing.  Free Wifi for a day each. 
 

really I wonder if any other brand matches this.

 

eileen

 

 

 

 

 

Eileen

 

 

I believe prices are standard across the fleet.

Those few Perks make the difference when you hear people debating weather they can afford to get the booze package for the annual holiday.

 

 

[springaussie]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

I believe prices are standard across the fleet.

Those few Perks make the difference when you hear people debating weather they can afford to get the booze package for the annual holiday.

 

 

Chilli enjoy it while it lasts!

it will not be around for ever! 

[springaussie]

Brisbane Ports have just opened up on the website for another 12 months of cruising out of Brisbane up until September 2026.

Nothing shown for Royal Caribbean yet. 

[Chiliburn]

4 hours ago, springaussie said:

Brisbane Ports have just opened up on the website for another 12 months of cruising out of Brisbane up until September 2026.

Nothing shown for Royal Caribbean yet. 

How long do you think Spectrum will be in Shanghai for @springaussie  ?

 I think a season if they are lucky,Shanghai economy is pretty bad and getting worse by the month.

Some are predicting Quantum will going there but I don’t think so .

[springaussie]

2 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

How long do you think Spectrum will be in Shanghai for @springaussie  ?

 I think a season if they are lucky,Shanghai economy is pretty bad and getting worse by the month.

Some are predicting Quantum will going there but I don’t think so .

Chilli

Singapore doesn’t have a Royal Ship for a reason during the Australia Winter 2024.

There would be a list of cruises somewhere in Miami for Spectrum from Singapore Mid 2024. 
Hopefully it all works out for Royal from China. But I have my doubts.  
 

[Chiliburn]

[Chiliburn]

We have the coming season just around the corner with Ovation and Brillance in Sydney.

The 2 ships are pretty heavily booked if not sold out.

Something that doesn’t add up to me ,is we only have Ovation in Sydney for the  24-25 season and it’s booking up .

There must be another ship for Sydney in the 24-25 season but what?

[springaussie]

12 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

We have the coming season just around the corner with Ovation and Brillance in Sydney.

The 2 ships are pretty heavily booked if not sold out.

Something that doesn’t add up to me ,is we only have Ovation in Sydney for the  24-25 season and it’s booking up .

There must be another ship for Sydney in the 24-25 season but what?

Chilli
Nothing besides Celebrity Edge!

25//26 looks like only 2 Quantum ships also. 

[arxcards]

46 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

We have the coming season just around the corner with Ovation and Brillance in Sydney.

The 2 ships are pretty heavily booked if not sold out.

Something that doesn’t add up to me ,is we only have Ovation in Sydney for the  24-25 season and it’s booking up .

There must be another ship for Sydney in the 24-25 season but what?

This season should be technically sold-out. There are still passengers using up old cancellation credits to help that happen. Brilliance is far from sold-out though. Final payment for Christmas & NY cruises is just about due, yet I could still book pretty much any category at a decent price.

 

They used to hand over their shoulder season to charters, but after this year they have been lost to Carnival Luminosa. That doesn't help.

 

They used to be able to fit 2 ships in Sydney. Now that Princess ships won't go under the bridge, it is harder to book 2 ships into Sydney and they don't want to be stuffed around. No 3rd cruise terminal yet - that doesn't help.

 

The $AU is low enough that there is no value to spend our money aboard a $US cruise. Passengers leaving their cruise cards in their pockets doesn't make for a profitable cruise season - that doesn't help.

 

Princess is dropping a ship in 2025/26. P&O usually operate 2 ships out of Sydney in the peak of summer, but now only have one. Things are getting tight out there.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

This season should be technically sold-out. There are still passengers using up old cancellation credits to help that happen. Brilliance is far from sold-out though. Final payment for Christmas & NY cruises is just about due, yet I could still book pretty much any category at a decent price.

 

They used to hand over their shoulder season to charters, but after this year they have been lost to Carnival Luminosa. That doesn't help.

 

They used to be able to fit 2 ships in Sydney. Now that Princess ships won't go under the bridge, it is harder to book 2 ships into Sydney and they don't want to be stuffed around. No 3rd cruise terminal yet - that doesn't help.

 

The $AU is low enough that there is no value to spend our money aboard a $US cruise. Passengers leaving their cruise cards in their pockets doesn't make for a profitable cruise season - that doesn't help.

 

Princess is dropping a ship in 2025/26. P&O usually operate 2 ships out of Sydney in the peak of summer, but now only have one. Things are getting tight out there.

I don’t know if they could get Kembla up and running in a year ,it would relieve some congestion.

Your Christmas cruise is still 3 months away, plenty of time to fill up.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

I don’t know if they could get Kembla up and running in a year ,it would relieve some congestion.

Your Christmas cruise is still 3 months away, plenty of time to fill up.

Point is that Christmas & New Years cruises are normally sold out or only a handful of cabins available, and that isn't the case for Brilliance. If there is no money in it for them, they will find somewhere else until things pick-up again.

 

It won't be my Christmas cruise. Onboard charges are way too high for me at present. Happy to jump on Splendor on Boxing Day for the super cheap cruise to use up my cancellation credits & OBC. No special pricing on that now, and but a handful of cabins left.

 

[Chiliburn]

There’s some pretty good prices for Brilliance repo in April.

For two,interior $100 a night and balcony $200 a night.

[fairywren]

A new high for the alcohol package on 2 of our cruises, due to the tanking AUD and coming off a sale price - $138.94 pppd 😲