Say Goodbye To Horizon And Zenith

[Richard Stein]

I do not believe that Horizon or Zenith will leave the fleet before replacement ships are found. I am now glad that Carnival won the sweepstakes for Princess because Carnival has been building the Princess fleet since they joined the fold. Lately all Jack Williams has worried about has been having the biggest ship for RCCL, putting balconies on old RCCL ships and streching RCCL ships. If he had put balconies on Horizon ans Zenith I would believe he cared about Celebrity. In the Carnival family all major lines have their own president. RCCL and Celebrity have only Jack Williams and he seems to care more about RCCL than Celebrity. If he cared we would have heard about new orders for Celebrity, Carnival just placed a big one. If you feel the same chime in.

[dmarch@islc.net]

You do have a good point Richard.

[ocngypz]

Royal Caribbean is a more popular cruiseline than Celebrity, so shouldn't the new build emphasis be placed on RC?

Why do you think there is only one company president for two lines?

As long as consumers keep harping on lowering the price points, do you think Celebrity would stand a ghost of a chance of really being a premium cruiseline... with a true premium product?

Market conditions set the price points for all cruiselines... in all catagories: Luxury, Premium, Mass Market and Budget.

I'd love to buy a new Lincoln every 3 years.. but the price points aren't in my affordability range... so I buy a new loaded Mercury every three years. I don't complain about the price points of Lincolns.

Putting balconies on Horizon and Zenith obviously was not going to show a return on investment... it was explored. So scratch that idea. These ships are not fuel efficient. They are operating on 1980's technology (designed in the 80's). They are the least like the other ships in the fleet, command lower per diems... and that is a liability to the bottomline.

RCI's old Viking Serenade.. was the least like of the fleet. They operated her from 1991 until 2001. She was originally built as a passenger ferry. RCL put $75 million into this ship and operated her for 10 years. RCI and First Choice UK entered into a joint venture called Island cruises which is marketed in the UK. RCI took a $65 million asset transfer on this vessel and she is now running 7 night low frills cruises for UK families... and at higher per diems than she was generating running the short party cruises out in California.

Bermuda cruises can be done by any ship. There's nothing writen in stone which says all ships have to leave on the weekends, have to visit St. Georges....and don't have to tender. Reducing capacity to Bermuda would generate higher per diems.......and that keeps stockholders happy. And that's the name of the game.......PROFITS.

[Windrunner I]

Ocngypz is correct. As it stands now, Horizon is scheduled to depart the Celebrity fleet at the conclusion of her 2005 Bermuda season. At that time, she will proceed to drydock at the LisNave Shipyards in Lisbon for conversion to a member of the Island Cruises fleet and start her career with them around December in South America.

Zenith can't be far behind her elder sister now that she has been relegated to the 4 and 5 night Caribbean market where she will most assuredly be 'ridden hard and put away wet'.

Celebrity's lack of commitment to these vessels and their recent interest in the Crystal Harmony speaks volumes.

[wieslaw]

Hello ocngypz,

thankYou for this and many other posts that you have posted, they bring some sensible views and factual information to this Cruise Critic board.
There seems to be here so many experts on every subject and their opinions very so much, that in most cases it is only 'entertaining reading' for me.
Your posts (and very few others) are still the ones that I have been reading in the past 2 years and I am always looking for them, to learn something about the cruising world and its sometimes complicated paths.
Thank you very much for keeping me more informed cruiser and enlightening me on many cruise related subjects.

Wes