J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Independence of the Seas 2020 – changes to sailings Responding to strong booking interest in our exciting new Caribbean private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean International has announced a 2020 deployment change for Independence of the Seas. The ship will now sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida rather than Southampton. Guests affected by the itinerary change will be offered full refunds and a ‘Future Cruise Credit’ for use on alternative sailings. The popular Quantum Class ship Anthem of the Seas will return to the UK market for 2020, adding more options for guests sailing from Southampton. Please click on the following FAQs for more information. IMO a very bold move, but seeing what @twangster had put in another thread about slow sales in Europe it wasn't a surprise Baked Alaska and The Cruise Junkie 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princevaliantus Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 19 minutes ago, J_Keeble said: Please click on the following FAQs for more information. Invisible link ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 https://help.royalcaribbean.co.uk/hc/en-gb/sections/360004499552-Independence-of-the-Seas-2020-changes-to-sailings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Very, very bad idea. Complete slap in the face to the UK market. And we get stuck with the cr*p Anthem instead. There go my plans to do a Scandinavia cruise on ID. Which ship to sail now? 3trinitythree 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 I'm not sure royal are even doing the fjords this season now? Also I just thought maybe odyssey might come to Southampton for a couple of months before it goes to the US. im not sure when she is due for delivery though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princevaliantus Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Wow!! That is just not right!!! Joe01 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 10 minutes ago, J_Keeble said: I'm not sure royal are even doing the fjords this season now? Also I just thought maybe odyssey might come to Southampton for a couple of months before it goes to the US. im not sure when she is due for delivery though. Jewel has a few Fjords sailings in 2020 out of Copenhagen and Brilliance offers 1 from Amsterdam. J_Keeble 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Joe01 said: Very, very bad idea. Complete slap in the face to the UK market. And we get stuck with the cr*p Anthem instead. There go my plans to do a Scandinavia cruise on ID. Which ship to sail now? Why is the anthem cr*p? We were thinking of doing the ovation.. i think a change is good the Indy as been here for ever now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 1 minute ago, Jason12 said: Why is the anthem cr*p? We were thinking of doing the ovation.. i think a change is good the Indy as been here for ever now.. Narrow, creaky, bad design. Not enough outdoor pool space, the Royal Esplanade was a con. I did like the Bumper Cars and North Star, but both had insanely long queues. Quantum Class are my least favourites in the fleet. Glad I tried Anthem but wouldn't sail her again. Jason12 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 So I’m guessing the Ovation is coming to the UK 2021 as it’s repositioning from Sydney to Singapore March 21 and not to Hawaii as usual.. the Voyager is also doing its usual repositioning to Singapore in April 2021 for the season so I cannot see the Ovation staying in Singapore.?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Money money money.......3 ships a day in Coco Cay.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3trinitythree Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Joe01 said: Very, very bad idea. Complete slap in the face to the UK market. And we get stuck with the cr*p Anthem instead. There go my plans to do a Scandinavia cruise on ID. Which ship to sail now? We were thinking to do the Fjords this year, but decided to do western Mediterranean this year and leave Fjords for 2020. So that’s our plans out the window Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 5 minutes ago, Jason12 said: So I’m guessing the Ovation is coming to the UK 2021 as it’s repositioning from Sydney to Singapore March 21 and not to Hawaii as usual.. the Voyager is also doing its usual repositioning to Singapore in April 2021 for the season so I cannot see the Ovation staying in Singapore.?? So That Leave A Huge Question If That Is True. What Ship Will Replace Ovation In Alaska? Just A Thought But It Would Be Cool To See Spectrum Over There In Alska For The Summer And Spending The Winter In China? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, 3trinitythree said: We were thinking to do the Fjords this year, but decided to do western Mediterranean this year and leave Fjords for 2020. So that’s our plans out the window Indeed. They've affected thousands of cruisers for this when they already have enough ships to call at CocoCay for the Summer season. It's only Radiance Class doing the Fjords now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mworkman Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 This sure isn't going to make a lot of people happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 1 minute ago, mworkman said: This sure isn't going to make a lot of people happy. It certainly won't - I can already see some angry customers on Twitter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 I feel for them who have book air independently and lost out, its so wrong especially for them loyal guests who booked up early and now have to start over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floski Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 11 minutes ago, monctonguy said: Money money money.......3 ships a day in Coco Cay.... This is the answer. By pushing everything to Coco Cay, that is a butt ton of money they don't have to pay someone else. It's perfect - we will pay ourselves! I don't begrudge the company (well, too much) for trying to make absolute top dollar, but I hate the thought of that little island being slammed full of people. And I hate that they appear to be dissing the folks in England. But as badly as ManU have been this season, I'd want to leave country, as well!! The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3trinitythree Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 5 minutes ago, Jason12 said: I feel for them who have book air independently and lost out, its so wrong especially for them loyal guests who booked up early and now have to start over again Really is a disgusting move to be honest. Seems this CocoCay is going to be rammed The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Hey The Only Go Part About This Is That We Have A Freedom Class Ship In Florida Year Round !!! coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, Jaymac Radio said: Hey The Only Go Part About This Is That We Have A Freedom Class Ship In Florida Year Round !!! At least the Caribbean had 2 already. Now Europe has 0. I was kind of hoping to do one in 2020, but that's now out the window. The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 So The Next Move I Guess Is To Start Perfect Day Phase Three? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just seen a comment from RCI on twitter that the 25% fcc is only 25% of the deposit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 @Matt Just Wrote About It https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/05/09/royal-caribbean-redeploys-independence-of-the-seas-2020-away-uk J_Keeble 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 The facebook group page is going off! there are a lot of angry customers that's for sure! 1 ship out of the UK is surprising, they used to go out of Harwich England too but that stopped. 3 down to 1 ?! I cant help but think the pricing was just far too high. The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpete Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 5 minutes ago, J_Keeble said: I cant help but think the pricing was just far too high. Yes, 12k for 4 people on a cruise is a bit much.... The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 As mentioned in the other thread bookings are off in Europe. Of course they are moving ships where they'll make money, keeping a ship in a region that isn't booking well would be foolish. They are a business. They have shareholders they are accountable to. https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/05/08/what-royal-caribbean-wants-investors-to-know.aspx Geographic hits and misses It's rare that booking patterns are strong in all regions of the world and like most years, we are seeing some variation this year. -- Liberty (on the call) The cruise line operator noted strong demand in the core Caribbean geography that accounts for about half of its global business. Volumes were surprisingly weak in Europe, meanwhile, likely due to economic uncertainty around Brexit. The company is responding by shifting some assets toward the U.S., and that move highlights a key advantage of Royal Caribbean's diversified approach to deploying its ships. "We've built a business model that can play in the rain," Liberty told me, so sluggish demand in any one area isn't likely to drag down overall results. The Cruise Junkie and J_Keeble 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 At this rate, I would be better moving to the States! The Cruise Junkie and 3trinitythree 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, bigpete said: Yes, 12k for 4 people on a cruise is a bit much.... SInce I began cruising on Anthem in 2015 the prices have increased by around 40% I would say. and with so much competition from other companies, the demand was not there Traveler and The Cruise Junkie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 1 minute ago, twangster said: As mentioned in the other thread bookings are off in Europe. Of course they are moving ships where they'll make money, keeping a ship in a region that isn't booking well would be foolish. They are a business. They have shareholders they are accountable to. https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/05/08/what-royal-caribbean-wants-investors-to-know.aspx Geographic hits and misses It's rare that booking patterns are strong in all regions of the world and like most years, we are seeing some variation this year. -- Liberty (on the call) The cruise line operator noted strong demand in the core Caribbean geography that accounts for about half of its global business. Volumes were surprisingly weak in Europe, meanwhile, likely due to economic uncertainty around Brexit. The company is responding by shifting some assets toward the U.S., and that move highlights a key advantage of Royal Caribbean's diversified approach to deploying its ships. "We've built a business model that can play in the rain," Liberty told me, so sluggish demand in any one area isn't likely to drag down overall results. it was strange that I read your posts this morning and then 2 hours later we get this announcement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 @twangster It has nothing to do with Brexit. It was due to them having extremely high prices and not enough people booking. 3trinitythree, Traveler, The Cruise Junkie and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Keeble Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, Joe01 said: @twangster It has nothing to do with Brexit. It was due to them having extremely high prices and not enough people booking. Although I think having both Anthem and Independence is asking too much of the market. They are both very big ships. Last time Anthem came it was joined by Navigator I Believe and that worked. But maybe as Anthem was brand new it had more pulling power. just on a side note P&O are bringing out a new ship IONA next year at Southampton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, J_Keeble said: Although I think having both Anthem and Independence is asking too much of the market. They are both very big ships. Last time Anthem came it was joined by Navigator I Believe and that worked. But maybe as Anthem was brand new it had more pulling power. just on a side note P&O are bringing out a new ship IONA next year at Southampton. They had Anthem with Explorer in 2015. Independence isn't much larger than Explorer. I can't see why Anthem would appeal more to the market anyway - it's nowhere near Indy's league and wasn't received particularly well in 2015. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, Joe01 said: @twangster It has nothing to do with Brexit. It was due to them having extremely high prices and not enough people booking. I think Brexit is a factor, albeit maybe not the primary one this journalist decided to blame. It's the easy scapegoat but at the same time you can't dismiss Brexit completely either. Don't mean to insult you Brits, but it is wreaking havoc with money and many different companies that operate globally with a presence in the England. It's a mess. Uncertainty breeds instability. What else would one expect? It's not going to be a smooth ride through this for you folks. Have family there, wish you all the best. The Cruise Junkie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpete Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Also, for about 2 or three cruises Carnival has their ship leaving out of Dover. Could that have drawn away customers from Indy? This might shift up the way that other lines deploy in the Caribbean with another ship in Fort Lauderdale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe01 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, twangster said: I think Brexit is a factor, albeit maybe not the primary one this journalist decided to blame. It's the easy scapegoat but at the same time you can't dismiss Brexit completely either. Don't mean to insult you Brits, but it is wreaking havoc with money and many different companies that operate globally with a presence in the England. It's a mess. Uncertainty breeds instability. What else would one expect? It's not going to be a smooth ride through this for you folks. Have family there, wish you all the best. I'm not here to talk politics, but I can't really see how Brexit would affect ship bookings. J_Keeble, Jason12 and 3trinitythree 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 7 minutes ago, Joe01 said: @twangster It has nothing to do with Brexit. It was due to them having extremely high prices and not enough people booking. Also P&O have scrapped gratuity’s and it’s a big draw along with cheap beer prices and the ££ is used onboard.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, Joe01 said: I'm not here to talk politics, but I can't really see how Brexit would affect ship bookings. It business. All businesses that operate globally with a presence in the UK are facing repercussions from Brexit, travel operators included. Faced with uncertainty people are holding on to their money and not booking vacations in the same manner they have previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason12 Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, twangster said: It business. All businesses that operate globally with a presence in the UK are facing repercussions from Brexit, travel operators included. Faced with uncertainty people are holding on to their money and not booking vacations in the same manner they have previously. I don’t see any uncertainty whatsoever in the UK we are thriving The Cruise Junkie, Joe01 and J_Keeble 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Just now, Jason12 said: I don’t see any uncertainty whatsoever in the UK we are thriving That's great. Why are cruise bookings off in the UK? Oliver and The Cruise Junkie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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