Updates on Sovereign and Monarch (merged)

[eroller]

Looks like it is all but official. Pullmantur, the Spanish arm of Royal Caribbean will be getting SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS. See the link below for an advance brochure for Pullmantur. It may take a minute or two to download as it's a large file. Scroll to the very bottom and you will see a surprise.

 

Pullmantur is also receiving EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, which I thought was being renamed BLUE MOON but this brochure has her listed as EMPRESS. The name they have for SOS? Just SOVEREIGN. Whether that remains or not I don't know.

 

Here is the link:

here.

 

Ernie

[FloridaLaura]

I hope not before my cruise November 30th :p

[CoronaCpl]

Glad we had a chance to sail her last year! Thanks for the link.

[Host Kewlguy]

Not a surprise. I expect Majesty and Monarch to follow Sovereign to Pullmantur in the very near future.

[albertiger]

When ships are bought or transferred, many times the new owner will paint over part of the name. Sovereign xx xxx Xxxx, hence, Sovereign in order to expedite the transfer process. She must have a name to be registered and sailed/towed to her new home, or sadly sometimes her final resting place. A new name is then chosen during refurbishment.

[cruiserbryce]

with the expansion of the line and compny this isnt surprising, but if/when Monarch goes I will be sad...shes the perfect ship for a little weekend getaway

[cruisin4kicks]

So, first Mariner of the Seas is leaving Port Canaveral and so far, haven't heard anything about what is replacing her. Now Sovereign of the Seas which is based out of Port Canaveral is leaving Royal Caribbean and as a result, Port Canaveral. What's up with that? What are RCI's plans for Port Canaveral?

 

Tim

[karena1]

It will be sad to see her go. We love her for small weekend getaways. I sure hope they bring something else in, Radiance class would be great. I just don't want them to quit doing the short trips out of PC, we love our weekend trips out of there. So hopefully, they will replace her will something else. Maybe they will put a Vision class in there??

[bambam2972]

Oh no, say it isn't so!! The Sovereign of the Seas was the ship that got me hooked! :D

 

I need to book her again for sure!

 

I also hope a Radiance class comes to Port Canaveral (in addition to a rumoured (sp?) Freedom class). I've heard such great things about the Radiance class, I want to see it for myself, but PC is much more convenient.

[eroller]

It's interesting think to think of all the history that the Pullmantur fleet comprises.

 

OCEANIC - Home Lines flagship back in the 60's and 70's, one of a kind.

 

OCEAN DREAM - first new ship for Carnival Cruise Lines (the TROPICALE), one of a kind.

 

ZENITH - First new design (along with HORIZON) for Celebrity Cruises

 

HOLIDAY DREAM - Newbuild for Hapag Lloyd using a beloved name backed by tradition, the EUROPA, one of a kind.

 

EMPRESS - First newbuild for Admiral Cruises, to be named FUTURE SEAS but taken over by Royal Caribbean during the building process and renamed NORDIC EMPRESS. One of a kind.

 

SKY WONDER - First and last modern day newbuild for Sitmar Cruises, and I think the last passenger steamship ever built. Sitmar's next newbuild, FAIR MAJESTY was swallowed up by Princess Cruises (along with all of Sitmar) before she ever made her debut and renamed STAR PRINCESS. One of a kind.

 

SOVEREIGN - Brand new design for Royal Caribbean that was a trend setter for modern day ship building. Had the first multi-story atrium with glass elevators.

 

 

As you can see, Pullmantur offers a very diverse fleet. It represents the struggles and triumphs of 7 very different cruise lines, now all joined together in one rather quirky fleet.

 

Ernie

[Host Kewlguy]

It will be sad to see her go. We love her for small weekend getaways. I sure hope they bring something else in, Radiance class would be great. I just don't want them to quit doing the short trips out of PC, we love our weekend trips out of there. So hopefully, they will replace her will something else. Maybe they will put a Vision class in there??

 

An educated guess would be that the Vision Class ships would replace the Sovereign Class for the 3-4 day itineraries. These short cruises are big money makers for the cruise line.

[karena1]

An educated guess would be that the Vision Class ships would replace the Sovereign Class for the 3-4 day itineraries. These short cruises are big money makers for the cruise line.

 

I would be fine with a Vision class ship in PC. They are slightly newer than the Sovereign class but about the same size, so would be great. We have never been on a Vision class, so that would also be cool to have tried the one class we haven't yet sailed on.

 

But I am with you. Those short cruises are always full and big money makers, so I cannot see them not having something in there to take the place of SOS. Guess we will just have to wait until Royal decides to let us in on the change.

[jillybabes]

Does anyone know when the Sovereign will leave the fleet??? It will be sad to see her go, but a vision class ship would not be a bad thing:p ...Later, Jill:cool:

[Cruising89143]

An educated guess would be that the Vision Class ships would replace the Sovereign Class for the 3-4 day itineraries. These short cruises are big money makers for the cruise line.

 

I hate to see her go too but I know that RCI will announce plans for her as they will not vacate such a popular itinerary. It would be nice if RCI would annouce this type stuff and give her replacement before we the public find out. Now my bet is RCI will receive hundreds of emails wanting to know what ship will replace the SOS. I knew that she would eventually leave the fleet but the timing surprises me. I guess RCI is trying to keep ahead of Carnival since they just purchased Iberojet that only has two ships at the moment.

[Host Kewlguy]

I hate to see her go too but I know that RCI will announce plans for her as they will not vacate such a popular itinerary. It would be nice if RCI would annouce this type stuff and give her replacement before we the public find out. Now my bet is RCI will receive hundreds of emails wanting to know what ship will replace the SOS. I knew that she would eventually leave the fleet but the timing surprises me. I guess RCI is trying to keep ahead of Carnival since they just purchased Iberojet that only has two ships at the moment.

 

We're still wondering which ship will be replacing Enchantment's "short" year round cruises out of Fort Lauderdale. A lot of changes going on in the cruise industry makes for some interesting speculation.

[Disneynutbsv]

when is this supposed to happen?

[Cruising89143]

We're still wondering which ship will be replacing Enchantment's "short" year round cruises out of Fort Lauderdale. A lot of changes going on in the cruise industry makes for some interesting speculation.

 

 

My guess is they won't replace the Enchantment year round. Now that the SOS is leaving I guess the Majesty will be next since she just went through a major refurb. They won't have to do much to either ship to get them ready for the Spanish market.

 

I wonder how well the Enchantment is selling for the Panama cruises? If she doesn't do well maybe we will see her in PC in place of the SOS. That would be nice.

[wrp96]

I will miss the Sovereign. She was my first cruise and got me hooked on cruising and RCCL!!

[RM]

I'll miss her very much. We have such great memories from that ship. Hope the RCI isn't going to leave PC with nothing.......

[skyking]

ONCE again I mentioned this two weeks ago and NO one believed me!

[kittymom65]

We will miss the Sovereign very much. It was our first cruise and holds a special place in our hearts and memories.

They are still booking Sovereign out of PC first quarter of 09, we are going to be booking since the Mariner will be gone then, too.

I am very anxious now to see what happens to PC--the only place we have sailed from.:o

[FrancescaH]

Anyone else notice that brochure was for 2008 listing the Sovereign yet RCCL has Sovereign in reservations through spring 2009? I can't imagine if they pull SOS from PC before spring 2009 they won't have a plan for replacement.

[Cruising89143]

I'll miss her very much. We have such great memories from that ship. Hope the RCI isn't going to leave PC with nothing.......

 

Who knows. I read several articles on Seatrader recently that talked about how Europe continues to grow at high rates. The Spanish market was up with a huge percentage. I guess RCI is going to capitalize on that. If they can make more money over in Europe than they can here why not go for it.

[MACruisers]

This will make me very sad, but it was bound to happen.

 

First my beloved Nordic Prince (my first cruise) and now my second love Sovereign of the Seas. Sovereign was my second cruise and came 6 years after my first. I was sooo excited to be on her - it was almost like it was a first cruise.

 

As Sovereign of the Seas was also the first RCI ship to be named X of the Seas, it will certainly be the end of an era.

[cindyd100]

Hey Ernie!

Could you read that brochure in spanish? (I couldn't, evn after years of it in scholl a ways back)

 

If so, did it have an e-mail contact address so anyone could write

(en espanol) and ask them when they are getting Sovereign????:rolleyes: