Smaller Ships

[LJJQ]

I just heard this afternoon the Royal Caribbean expects to build smaller ships! For those of us who remember smaller ships were part of the Celebrity Fleet! They would sail to Bermuda and not just the Dockyards! It would be great if Royal Caribbean Corporation could build a couple of these ships for Celebrity

[1025cruise]

What's the definition of smaller ship? I doubt they are going to be building something small enough that can go to Hamilton. Most likely, they mean not something as big as Oasis or bigger.

[mom says]

Yeah, I'd like to know what they consider smaller, too

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I think Hamilton and St. Georges banned most cruise ships even before Zenith quit sailing. I don't see RC or Celebrity building ships this small. The $$$ is in bigger and "better". 

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

What's the definition of smaller ship? I doubt they are going to be building something small enough that can go to Hamilton. Most likely, they mean not something as big as Oasis or bigger.

Yes, based on comments from Royal's executive management team, "Project Discovery" is likely to be somewhere around the size of Radiance or Voyager classes. In other words, similar to much of the existing Celebrity fleet. 😉 

 

Of course, nothing official has been announced yet, so only time will tell.

[markeb]

I remember a time when Radiance was considered a large ship...

 

The current S/E class are probably Celebrity's sweet spot. You don't necessarily get a proportionate reduction in cost or staffing below that level. I'd see them concentrating more on shipboard experience and fuel efficiency (and types for destinations restricting emissions and fuel types) than reducing size. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

@LJJQ, you can get exactly what you're looking for IF you're willing to sail to the Galapagos Islands

 

My WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) is the new leadership will want to make a splash with a ship around the size of the stretched E-Class.  We have to remember the new leadership created many short Caribbean sailings, added CoCo Cay and Port Canaveral.  I personally don't think that's a bad thing but know many around here do

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

Yeah, I'd like to know what they consider smaller, too

Smaller, Google is your friend…replacing older ships

[NMTraveller]

I would guess that they are going from their large large megaship size to the E class megaship size ...

 

Smaller, but still too large IMHO.

[NMTraveller]

I might consider Royal if they got rid of the waterslides and actually did build an M class ship size.

[canderson]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

We have to remember the new leadership created many short Caribbean sailings, added CoCo Cay and Port Canaveral.  I personally don't think that's a bad thing but know many around here do

Not bad, but nothing we'd ever have any interest in doing.  I'd have to go back a LOT of years to find a cruise where we've been aboard less than 13 nights.

Edited August 2 by canderson
typoz

[Southern Dan]

In four years time all four Vision Class ships will be at the 30 year mark, in ten years time time the same can be said for the five Voyager Class and four Radiance Class ships so although this new class won't be as small as the Vision Class they need to start building replacement ships in the next few years.

[TeeRick]

According to the scuttlebutt going around on the RCCL board, comments from ship's officers presumably in the know, the Discovery Class will be around 90,000 T which is M-Class size.  But it is all unconfirmed at this point.  I personally hope it is true!

[hegal]

21 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I think Hamilton and St. Georges banned most cruise ships even before Zenith quit sailing. I don't see RC or Celebrity building ships this small. The $$$ is in bigger and "better". 

Hamilton and St. George have not banned ships. Small ships from Oceania and other cruise lines still call there. I have been to both since Zenith. It is size that matters. The new ships RCI builds are likely going to be too large to dock at Hamilton and St George. 
 

 

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

19 minutes ago, hegal said:

Hamilton and St. George have not banned ships. Small ships from Oceania and other cruise lines still call there. I have been to both since Zenith. It is size that matters. The new ships RCI builds are likely going to be too large to dock at Hamilton and St George. 
 

 

 

 

To piggyback off this, ports are wanted to limit overall capacity, if all the big cruise lines start sailing with smaller ships, they'll likely tighten the rules to further reduce capacity

[nycruiser80]

Hamilton and St. George have size restrictions due to geographic landforms. Max tonnage and length for Hamilton is around 700 feet long with a max tonnage around 55K. St. George max tonnage around 50K or less with a length of around 700 feet. Sadly, I highly doubt Celebrity will ever design a ship with those dimensions again. Instead , you will find those size ships with the higher end brands.

[Nado44]

I heard a senior officer recently say that Project Discovery would be focused on the new build of two smaller ships primarily for the Port of Tampa. One RCL and one X.

[NMTraveller]

Well I think that over time some of the more popular ports are going to restrict the size of ships going in.  Perhaps this is a consideration...

Edited August 3 by NMTraveller

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Have been blessed to cruise since 1971 and with Celebrity since its inception.  As many have posted, countless cruise to Bermuda years ago included docking on Front Street for a few days. It was really special but of course times have changed as the larger ships preclude this pleasure. The smaller luxury lines can fit which we also enjoy but unfortunately I doubt Celebrity will build a Zenith class vessel again for such purpose. But who knows. Have been sailing the QM2 since 2004 and I remember that prior to her launch everyone said the QM2 was the last liner. Smooth sailing.

[hcat]

8 hours ago, Nado44 said:

I heard a senior officer recently say that Project Discovery would be focused on the new build of two smaller ships primarily for the Port of Tampa. One RCL and one X.

That would be welcome news..Connie is/ was a great ship but aging  with no major updates.  We would def book a newer ship!

Hope this comes to fruition.

[mark46]

On 8/1/2024 at 7:59 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I think Hamilton and St. Georges banned most cruise ships even before Zenith quit sailing. I don't see RC or Celebrity building ships this small. The $$$ is in bigger and "better". 

Oceania has cruise that go into Hamilton and St George, some out of Boston and some out of New York.

[CTCruiser76]

3 hours ago, mark46 said:

Oceania has cruise that go into Hamilton and St George, some out of Boston and some out of New York.

We are trying Oceania on this itinerary next July. 

[D. B.]

On 8/2/2024 at 6:12 AM, TeeRick said:

According to the scuttlebutt going around on the RCCL board, comments from ship's officers presumably in the know, the Discovery Class will be around 90,000 T which is M-Class size.  But it is all unconfirmed at this point.  I personally hope it is true!

They may be M class size but if so they will accommodate 3000 guests and not 2100.

[canderson]

6 minutes ago, D. B. said:

They may be M class size but if so they will accommodate 3000 guests and not 2100.

How about something 2/3 the physical size of the M class, but with only 1/4 the number of passengers and more crew per passenger?  Silversea 'Muse class'.  Pretty nice way to travel, and now X and SS tiers cross over.  Something to consider.  Our first was on Silver Dawn, built 2021.  Very nice design.

 

[D. B.]

I just sailed on Silversea's Silver Muse and that description fits it.

I didn't care for that ship and will not be sailing on Silversea again.