Updates on Sovereign and Monarch (merged)

[MattInFLL]

Just because they did not announce a replacement for the Monarch yet, doesn't mean they won't replace her with another ship... After all it's been no secret that SOS was leaving Port Canaveral for some time now, causing much speculation about 3 and 4 day cruises out of there... and today we have the answer to the Port Canaveral question.

 

I doubt they are going to leave the west coast short cruise market to Carnival alone...

[traveler/]

The Mariner will be doing the Mexican Riviera in place of the Vision, going to Cabo, Mazatlan, and PV. LA also had the Monarch doing 3 and 4 day itineraries, and they are very popular.

That's right. I had forgot about that. Thanks!:)

We had many happy cruises on the Monarch. MOS sailed close to full mostly, so I'm hopeful that RCL will replace with another ship. However, Vision was not a year round ship in LA and sailed Alaska part of the year. Will Mariner be year round in LA?

We are hoping for the best!

[Ula]

Something I have been thinking about since it was announced that the Mariner was coming to CA is that the Monarch would be replaced by a larger ship. The Monarch pretty much sails full. This may just be a gap period while RCI decides what second ship to send out here.

[rclcruzer]

Just spoke with my TA and she is so bummed! She has some work to do today, she has several clients booked for Nov. 08, kinda hard to go on a cruise ship that's not in port!! :rolleyes:

I am still in mourning, I have my black veil on :(

[rclcruzer]

I hope so, no Carnival for me....

[phopte]

Maybe they will stretch Grandeur and have her do 3/4 or 4/5 out of Port C. Right now, she is doing 4/5 out of Tampa in the winter. RCCL originally was going to move Enchantment to Tampa but once she was stretched, she could not turn around in the turning basin.

 

I've heard this about the turning basin before and don't get it. While Enchantment is about 60 feet longer than Grandeur, the Carnival Spirit class ships are less than 30 feet shorter. I've sailed on both out of Tampa and there is lots of room. Both times my cabin was on the side next to the dock and I watched us come in. Grandeur headed in towards terminals 3 and 6, planted her bow right at the Liberty ship and then backed into the slip similar to backing a car into a parking place. She simply pulled straight out when we left. Miracle pulled straight in and backed out into the channel to the right and then turned left and pulled out. I wonder if the limitation is more due to clearance at the Sunshine Bridge than the turning basin.

Oh well, I'm not a harbour pilot or a ship's master even though I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express both nights before the cruises! ;)

[IBookHePays]

I was considering changing my 3 day Monarch for a longer Vision cruise, but now I'm not so sure! I'll miss knowing I can jump on a ship for the weekend...I hope they do replace her for something bigger, (or at least one that has more balconies!)

[Mark_K]

Something I have been thinking about since it was announced that the Mariner was coming to CA is that the Monarch would be replaced by a larger ship. The Monarch pretty much sails full. This may just be a gap period while RCI decides what second ship to send out here.

There are no larger ships (in terms of passenger capacity) than Monarch other than Voyager-class and above. I doubt you'll see another one of those. Most likely a Vision-class, if anything.

[critterchick]

Vision will be year round for 2008, and then currently is scheduled to go to Santo Domingo when Mariner comes here. Maybe RCI will keep her in LA and flip her to the 3/4 nighters. I'm another one who can't see them giving up those runs. I guess our Labor Day weekend 2008 cruise on her will be our last, too. Waaaah!

[AdMaven]

Just spoke with my TA and she is so bummed! She has some work to do today, she has several clients booked for Nov. 08, kinda hard to go on a cruise ship that's not in port!! :rolleyes:

I am still in mourning, I have my black veil on :(

 

I am joining you with my black veil. We just got back from our MOS 4 nighter last Friday and it was DH's first cruise.

[cruisePRN]

Vision holds 300 less passengers so the prices would likely have to go up to compensate although the cabins are bigger and nicer and there are more balconies :D

[cruiserbryce]

AHHHHH!!!! What a bummer...I love Monarch and will be sad to see her go...I'm sure Vision will be ok, but it just wont be the same:(

[wolfcathorse]

well, I've been on Sovereign so I don't have to book a quickie to get on her before she leaves the fleet like I had to for Empress. I'll welcome Monarch with open arms (and wallet), now I don't have to fly cross country to be able to say I've sailed on all 3 Sovereign class ships! But I think Monarch's and Majesty's days with RCI are numbered. I'm sure the trickle down theory is in effect. Get rid of the smallest ships and replace them with the next smallest, the Vision class ships.

[cruisePRN]

AHHHHH!!!! What a bummer...I love Monarch and will be sad to see her go...I'm sure Vision will be ok, but it just wont be the same:(

 

If they put a CL on vision it will help the pain :D

[crusinmama06]

WOOOOHOOOO we'll take her back. I remember when Monarch WAS on the East Coast. ;)

[PH8]

Was looking at prices for that last date--Oct 31st(SS)........before it said it was unavailable,,,,,,,,,NOW they dont even show it....:eek: Have a feeling they are jacking that price up!

[rclcruzer]

We're booked for this Jan, I wonder if I can talk my DH into squeezing One more cruise on our ol' friend before she leaves in Oct. Maybe we can book for September. That's 8 months apart...........that's do-able!!! :p

[attitudeda]

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. TRANSFERS

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL SHIP TO PULLMANTUR;

REPLACES SHIP SERVING PORT CANAVERAL

MIAMI -- October 12, 2007 -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced today that Royal Caribbean International’s Sovereign of the Seas will be reassigned to the company’s Pullmantur fleet, and the Los Angeles-based Monarch of the Seas will assume Sovereign of the Seas’ sailings out of Port Canaveral. These changes will take place in October and November 2008.

“We are fortunate that our mix of brands allows us the flexibility and opportunity to expand in key strategic markets and to diversify in existing ones,” said Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Adam Goldstein. “We thank our partners at the ports of Los Angeles, Ensenada, Catalina and San Diego for our outstanding and ongoing relationship. We look forward to providing our Monarch of the Seas guests with exceptional vacations as we visit those locations through next fall.”

Sovereign of the Seas’ last scheduled sailing for Royal Caribbean International will be on October 31, 2008. Two subsequent cruises, scheduled for November 3 and 7, will be canceled, and guests booked on those cruises will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking an earlier Sovereign of the Seas sailing during 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007. All guests currently booked on Sovereign of the Seas on or after November 10, 2008, will be re-accommodated onboard Monarch of the Seas.

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ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. TRANSFERS

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL SHIP TO PULLMANTUR;

REPLACES SHIP SERVING PORT CANAVERAL 2-2-2-2

Monarch of the Seas will make its last regularly scheduled sailing out of Los Angeles on October 13, 2008. All guests currently booked on a subsequent sailing will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking a three, four or five-night Caribbean sailing, or a seven-night Mexican Riviera sailing, onboard Royal Caribbean International in 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007.

On October 17, 2008, Monarch of the Seas will reposition to the East Coast when it departs Los Angeles on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise to Miami. The ship will then undergo a scheduled, weeklong dry-dock before welcoming its first Port Canaveral guests for three and four-night Bahamas sailings starting November 10, 2008.

Royal Caribbean International has established a special help desk to assist its guests and travel agents impacted by these changes. The toll free phone number is 1-888-281-9344.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisières de France. The company has a combined total of 35 ships in service and seven under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Latin and South America and New Zealand. Additional information can be found on http://www.royalcaribbean.com, http://www.celebrity.com. http://www.pullmantur.es, http://www.azamaracruises.com, or http://www.rclinvestor.com.

# # # # #

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[PH8]

Was looking at prices for that last date--Oct 31st(SS)........before it said it was unavailable,,,,,,,,,NOW they dont even show it....:eek: Have a feeling they are jacking that price up!

I just called to ask about it...........not even in the system........hmmmmmm....wonder what that means??:confused:

[TEXASMUNK]

that 10 day gap is just right for the Panama Canal sailing from west coast to FLA.

 

Rhapsody will be done in Alaska next year. We were hoping to get her back perminantly in Galveston, who knows, she might become a resident of the Left Coast

[SherriZ366]

I've heard this about the turning basin before and don't get it. While Enchantment is about 60 feet longer than Grandeur, the Carnival Spirit class ships are less than 30 feet shorter. I've sailed on both out of Tampa and there is lots of room. Both times my cabin was on the side next to the dock and I watched us come in. Grandeur headed in towards terminals 3 and 6, planted her bow right at the Liberty ship and then backed into the slip similar to backing a car into a parking place. She simply pulled straight out when we left. Miracle pulled straight in and backed out into the channel to the right and then turned left and pulled out. I wonder if the limitation is more due to clearance at the Sunshine Bridge than the turning basin.

Oh well, I'm not a harbour pilot or a ship's master even though I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express both nights before the cruises! ;)

I thought it was clearance under the Sunshine Bridge, but I think I read it here on CC that it was turning. I don't know if they added height to Enchantment which would be a problem with the bridge. We are on Enchantment on Nov. 1 and Tampa is an easier trip for us so we would have loved to have sailed out of there on Enchantment. I'd be a little more interested in Grandeur (have sailed her 2 times) if they would add a Concierge Lounge. She also gets to Tampa prettly late in the year. We looked at her pretty seriously.

[Cruising89143]

I thought it was clearance under the Sunshine Bridge, but I think I read it here on CC that it was turning. I don't know if they added height to Enchantment which would be a problem with the bridge. We are on Enchantment on Nov. 1 and Tampa is an easier trip for us so we would have loved to have sailed out of there on Enchantment. I'd be a little more interested in Grandeur (have sailed her 2 times) if they would add a Concierge Lounge. She also gets to Tampa prettly late in the year. We looked at her pretty seriously.

 

Height is not an issue with the Enchantment and the Skyway bridge.

[SherriZ366]

Height is not an issue with the Enchantment and the Skyway bridge.

That's what I thought. Last year, when RCCL drewup their scheduled, they were putting Enchantment in Tampa and then they changed her home port back to Fort Lauderdale. Wonder whether it was a marketing decision or facility decsion.

[KikiKruiser]

Wonder if they are going to replace the Monarch on the west coast? Interesting.

 

Taking a wild guess, since the Vision and Mariner will be there, how about the Vision doing the 3 & 4 nighters while the Mariner does the 7 days.

 

;)

[harleyglide]

Ya know it must be karma,this was the first ship i ever went on,and this L.A. CRUISE is one i always wanted to do guess i picked the right year and week for vacation by accident,i still remember that slot that was shaking and the ol girl that wanted to smack me as i put in three coins and won max amount.