Is Royal Caribbean building any small ships?

[Charles4515]

8 hours ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

 

I’ve heard mainly older people on my cruises and my parents say they want smaller ships. But apparently, they’re in the minority these days. 

They should probably move on to cruise lines that are geared to older people and have smaller ships. As an older person I primarily book those lines.

[Charles4515]

49 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

The term discovery does lead its self to ship that are port intensive. Visiting smaller ports more unique places. Now i imagine they may not be full of slides and all the whistles of royals big ships. If they build them people will use them. Its almost like royal will have two streams going

The class will be shared with Celebrity. I don’t think they will be small enough to visit more unique places. Smaller not small. Royal will be able to continue to go to ports they go to now that can’t take the big ships. 

[RCTransatlanticLover]

54 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

They should probably move on to cruise lines that are geared to older people and have smaller ships. As an older person I primarily book those lines.

Yeah. I want to stick with Royal Caribbean because I’m Diamond in their loyalty program and I want to keep racking up points. I’m fortunate that I have a job that is more flexible than many and that I can go on transatlantic cruises. I’m single and have no family of my own, so I think I’ll enjoy the transatlantic cruises principally because there won’t be a lot of families with young children aboard. I’ll try to avoid the short Bahamas and Caribbean cruises. Plus, the longer cruises give you more value for your money. 

[smokeybandit]

Discovery will be "small" as compared to other RC ships, but still medium sized in the general cruising world.

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

Yeah. I want to stick with Royal Caribbean because I’m Diamond in their loyalty program and I want to keep racking up points. I’m fortunate that I have a job that is more flexible than many and that I can go on transatlantic cruises. I’m single and have no family of my own, so I think I’ll enjoy the transatlantic cruises principally because there won’t be a lot of families with young children aboard. I’ll try to avoid the short Bahamas and Caribbean cruises. Plus, the longer cruises give you more value for your money. 

I am Diamond Plus. The loyalty program is not worth it as a reason to book more Royal Caribbean cruises. I only book them now because of family and friends. 

[RCTransatlanticLover]

Just now, Charles4515 said:

I am Diamond Plus. The loyalty program is not worth it as a reason to book more Royal Caribbean cruises. I only book them now because of family and friends. 

I respectfully disagree. I love Royal Caribbean and I want to eventually reach Pinnacle status. I want to reside on cruise ships, like Super Mario does. 

[TeeRick]

11 minutes ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

I respectfully disagree. I love Royal Caribbean and I want to eventually reach Pinnacle status. I want to reside on cruise ships, like Super Mario does. 

I suggest that you have lots of choices if sticking with the cruise corporation (RCG- Royal Caribbean Group).  Both Celebrity and Silversea have smaller ships, and Royal does too.  Now with the loyalty reciprocity, you have a large number of options.

[PhillyFan33579]

10 minutes ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

I respectfully disagree. I love Royal Caribbean and I want to eventually reach Pinnacle status. I want to reside on cruise ships, like Super Mario does. 

There are a lot of cruise lines out there. If you like the RCI experience I would continue cruising with them. But I wouldn’t cruise on RCI just to chase loyalty status. If you are interested in perks, the casino program offers a lot better perks. As for Super Mario, I feel sorry for him living on ships full time. I have met him several times and he is a nice enough guy, but I couldn’t imagine living on a ship full time. I have a very busy and very enjoyable life on land that I could never give up. 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

16 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I am Diamond Plus. The loyalty program is not worth it as a reason to book more Royal Caribbean cruises. I only book them now because of family and friends. 

Yeah i agree with you. Awe are only emerald, never had any double points or done kess then 7 night cruises so happy with that. Go to diamond after 2025 cruses but dont stay loyal to royal. For the rooms we choose (inside) and spends onboard ( next to bothing) and the fact we dont drink ( been there dont that) the loyality programme for us is pointless. I think you should be able to pick benefits depending on your level for each cruise. So you may want a free specality meal or wifi or something for one cruise and discounted drinks or tours on another cruise etc

[RCTransatlanticLover]

1 minute ago, TeeRick said:

I suggest that you have lots of choices if sticking with the cruise corporation (RCG- Royal Caribbean Group).  Both Celebrity and Silversea have smaller ships, and Royal does too.  Now with the loyalty reciprocity, you have a large number of options.

That’s true and I have considered those options. However, I do still prefer Royal Caribbean. I guess beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll continue booking the longer cruises. As I said, I enjoyed the Harmony a lot, so I’m not against the larger ships. It’s just that some prefer smaller. 

[TeeRick]

5 minutes ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

That’s true and I have considered those options. However, I do still prefer Royal Caribbean. I guess beggars can’t be choosers. I’ll continue booking the longer cruises. As I said, I enjoyed the Harmony a lot, so I’m not against the larger ships. It’s just that some prefer smaller. 

Royal still has Vision Class and Radiance Class ships sailing everywhere.

[RCTransatlanticLover]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

As for Super Mario, I feel sorry for him living on ships full time. I have met him several times and he is a nice enough guy, but I couldn’t imagine living on a ship full time. I have a very busy and very enjoyable life on land that I could never give up. 

I’m in my late thirties, have never been married and never had children (and have zero desire to do so). So, I think the life of Super Mario is something I want. I just need to figure out how to make it work financially. 
 

I have no life on land that I enjoy. I’m only at peace when I’m at sea. 

[latebuyer]

Isn’t silverseas really expensive? Is that really a viable option? Is celebrity building smaller ships?

[alfaeric]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

Discovery will be "small" as compared to other RC ships, but still medium sized in the general cruising world.

It’s always amusing to hear that. When we sailed for the first time on the Adventure of the Seas, she was the largest ship in the world. 
 

At the same time, the adventure itinerary the Jewel is on right now, the Voyager did 2 years ago. So it can go to Iceland and Greenland. 

[Charles4515]

32 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Isn’t silverseas really expensive? Is that really a viable option? Is celebrity building smaller ships?

Their larger ships which they are still building new ships are about the size of Voyager Class at about 130,000 tons. It is expected that they will share the Discovery Class builds. They have smaller ships the same size and age as Radiance Class. Matter of fact those share the same hull as Celebrity Millennium Class. Celebrity also has a later class than Millennium , Solstice Class about 120,000 tons which are my favorite Celebrity ships. 
 

Silversea is expensive and an option for me but I have never booked. I prefer non RCG ships in that category. One thing about more expensive cruise lines is that on many the perks you are fighting for in the loyalty program are included. 

Edited September 3 by Charles4515

[smokeybandit]

48 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Their larger ships which they are still building new ships are about the size of Voyager Class at about 130,000 tons.

I don't see anything to suggest Silversea is getting into the large ship market.

[Charles4515]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

I don't see anything to suggest Silversea is getting into the large ship market.

Nothing suggests that. They asked if Celebrity is building smaller ships. 

[Airbear232]

5 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

They should probably move on to cruise lines that are geared to older people and have smaller ships. As an older person I primarily book those lines.

The consensus in our family is that our best cruise was on the Grandeur for Xmas and New Years 2018.  The kids were 11, 13, 15, and 21.  Beach days on St. Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua and Ste Maartin ranked higher with them than numerous Oasis class cruises and trips to Coco Cay.  Please don’t think all families want to go on Great Wolf of the Seas.  The beauty of the Caribbean is the Caribbean and not the ship.

[Charles4515]

11 minutes ago, Airbear232 said:

The consensus in our family is that our best cruise was on the Grandeur for Xmas and New Years 2018.  The kids were 11, 13, 15, and 21.  Beach days on St. Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua and Ste Maartin ranked higher with them than numerous Oasis class cruises and trips to Coco Cay.  Please don’t think all families want to go on Great Wolf of the Seas.  The beauty of the Caribbean is the Caribbean and not the ship.

My reply was more about older people where the family has left the nest or are childless. Royal Caribbean wants families to go on the mega ships as there is more opportunity to suck revenue from them on those ships. There are also fewer ports as the ship is the destination so more revenue opportunity. That is not to say families can’t have a great time on smaller or small ships. 

[lovesthebeach2]

2 hours ago, RCTransatlanticLover said:

I respectfully disagree. I love Royal Caribbean and I want to eventually reach Pinnacle status. I want to reside on cruise ships, like Super Mario does. 

Does your job allow you to work from home, because if so you could live on a ship now like Mario?  He works on the ship.

Personally I LOVE cruising but I know I couldn’t live on a ship. Just for an example, We did 2 segments of the World Cruise this summer and we were on for 20 days and during that time we got to see a lot of people that were doing the whole thing. I asked some if they were ready to go home. Many said yes.  Imagine your home - your personal space -  the size of a ship cabin. That’s the only place you have to yourself.  And the only choices you have to eat are limited to what’s served, the only places you get to see are where the ship takes you. 
To me in some ways that would be the same as being incarcerated ..not the same of course, but similar, except you will have a chance to leave now and then to visit the outside. 

but again, I do LOVE to cruise…and although we can see the P status getting closer, we are branching out now to Celebrity. The Royal perks are ok, but that’s not why we cruise.

[RCTransatlanticLover]

5 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Does your job allow you to work from home, because if so you could live on a ship now like Mario?  He works on the ship.

Currently that is not an option for me, big I hope to be able to work remotely eventually like Mario does. Until that time, I am going to use my existing PTO for cruising and build up my C&A points that way. I would love to be able to work remotely, though! 
 

I appreciate your responses. Thank you! 

[Airbear232]

49 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

My reply was more about older people where the family has left the nest or are childless. Royal Caribbean wants families to go on the mega ships as there is more opportunity to suck revenue from them on those ships. There are also fewer ports as the ship is the destination so more revenue opportunity. That is not to say families can’t have a great time on smaller or small ships. 

I understand, my point is that while big ships do have things to offer, our best time was on a smaller ship that had many beach days.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Airbear232 said:

I understand, my point is that while big ships do have things to offer, our best time was on a smaller ship that had many beach days.

I undertand that. I am a beach loving person myself and in the Caribbean we do beaches at the ports. 

[Hoopster95]

8 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Royal will be able to continue to go to ports they go to now that can’t take the big ships. 

 

Which ports are those?

[Hoopster95]

5 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Royal still has Vision Class and Radiance Class ships sailing everywhere.

 

Vision Class.. not for long in my humble non-official uninformed "just taking a guess" opinion.

 

Radiance Class ... will be around for a lot longer than many think again in my humble non-official uninformed "just taking a guess" opinion. The likelihood that Royal builds a "small" ship under 130,000 GT is minimal. Jewel is only 20 years old this year, 5 years newer than Voyager of the Seas for example and only 5 years older than Oasis of the Seas.... I feel that Radiance Class will continue to service Baltimore, Tampa and Vancouver into the next decade while RC continue to build large(er) ships in order to make the highest profits for their shareholder.

 

4 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Isn’t silverseas really expensive? Is that really a viable option? Is celebrity building smaller ships?

 

Yes... Silversea is expensive. Have you priced SilverSea out in comparison to Icon or Utopia sailings lately? Are Icon or Utopia viable options? They seem to be for thousands and thousands of RC customers every single week at incredibly expensive prices that are close to equal to the luxury lines.

Edited September 3 by Hoopster95