Regal Empress - Vacant ship may have to set sail due to FEMA not footing the bill

[Goldryder]

More here...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6085044.html

Looks like Regal could have done the cruises that IM cancelled afterall...FEMA doesn't want to pay the bill for her being in Galveston to assist with things there....bit of a mess really :rolleyes:

[mbisson]

This all confuses me. Did they send the ship there without having an agreement?

BUT-the article does confirm what many have suspected and that is that Imperial is refitting the Princess Ragnhild

[ryndam]

The ship was chartered by a private company. The private charter ended and State and/or local County officials are now in the process of negotiating with FEMA for using the ship as temporary refugee housing. There have been no FEMA funds expended at this point.

This article was in today's Galveston County Daily News.

http://www.galvestoncountydailynews.com/wire.lasso?report=/dynamic/stories/S/SHELTER_SHIP

[jla418]

They have discovered that there is too much silt for her to dock at Port Orange, Tx, so that plan is out. I wonder what will be next for her?

[cable]

They have discovered that there is too much silt for her to dock at Port Orange, Tx, so that plan is out. I wonder what will be next for her?

Very interesting situation for her. I simply refuse to believe that Imperial Majesty intends to run two ships simultaneously. I will venture a guess that would Regal Empress have remained in TX just a little while longer, she would've been sold directly to scrap when that arrangement ended, as the "new" Bahamas Celebration would by then be ready for warm weather service. Now, I think we can expect that Imperial Majesty will start cruising again with Regal Empress until Bahamas Celebration is ready. Maybe a few weeks/months longer - Cruises that otherwise would have been cancelled.

It should be noted, however, that with the recent economic downturn, steel prices are rock bottom right now and scrap merchants are trying to exit some of their current obligations, never mind buying additional ships. Of which there will be many for sale for scrap with SOLAS 2010. Saga Rose, Black Watch, etc. Finding a decent buyer, even for scrap, may not be easy. We may see Regal Empress again chartered as an accomodation ship elsewhere, maybe for troops, medical, etc. (a'la Britanis & Emerald Seas before their demise) or laid up in Freeport while IM waits for the steel market to recover.

[mymommae]

I just received a phone call from a marketing company concerning the cruise line. They are "giving away" a 2 day cruise to the Bahamas on board the Regal Empress. I don't have any details because it was all automated. I will post again if and when they phone me back.

[Luv 2 Float]

Right, they're giving the cruise away but you still have to pay taxes, tips and port fees ($59 per person plus $10 per person per day tips) AND you have to go through a timeshare shpeel for a few hours. But yes, the cruise IS free and hey - it's a cruise! My dh and I took the timeshare tour while in Vegas and got a cruise as part of the package - now my girlfriend and I (she works for an airline and gets free flights- YAY!) are going on the cruise (she's never cruised and is always jealous whenever me and the dh go on a cruise) so I decided to swap cruise for plane ticket with her.