Empress Returning to RCCL?

Just got an email update from one the industry newsletters that stated the following:

Pullmantur is refocusing on Europe after concentrating passenger sourcing efforts on Latin and South America after the Spanish market went soft.

The company is also shedding a ship, with the Empress reportedly going back to Royal Caribbean.

Pullmantur did not respond to several inquiries for comment, but issued a press release in Spain, outlining that the Monarch will head for Europe in 2016, helping the company to concentrate on the Spanish and French markets.

The Monarch had previously been deployed on a year-round itinerary in the Southern Caribbean sourcing passengers from Latin America.

The 1990-built Empress will head back to the Royal Caribbean brand early next year, said Pullmantur.

This will be very interesting if true.

was just reading this too... maybe they need a ship to do short itineraries? maybe she'll get a refit a la Majesty of the Seas... very interesting!

If it is true, they'd have a ship that could get into Hamilton and St. George's Bermuda again.

I agree, it would be interesting to see the itineraries that Empress would do.

AWESOME! Empress was a great little ship! I'd do her again in a heartbeat....went to Bermuda out of Norfolk - speaking of that, I wonder why RCL dumped Norfolk as a cruise port?

Just a theory with no information behind it. Is it possible for Royal Caribbean to do rolling sailings like Europe does. I'm guessing the law that forces them to declare the ship empty before allowing passengers back on would be the one preventing it. But it would be cool if they could use Empress to cover Baltimore and Charleston. Both are small ports that can sail to Bermuda on longer itineraries to different areas. Problem is that unless they do half the summer at one and half at the other they would have to do a series of re-positioning sailing that would likely be at a loss. If they could do a rotating sailing that went from Baltimore to Bermuda to Charleston and back to Baltimore they could allow boarding at either and have a larger market base to use.

Cuba;)

Cuba;)

I was thinking that as well.

Just a theory with no information behind it. Is it possible for Royal Caribbean to do rolling sailings like Europe does. I'm guessing the law that forces them to declare the ship empty before allowing passengers back on would be the one preventing it. But it would be cool if they could use Empress to cover Baltimore and Charleston. Both are small ports that can sail to Bermuda on longer itineraries to different areas. Problem is that unless they do half the summer at one and half at the other they would have to do a series of re-positioning sailing that would likely be at a loss. If they could do a rotating sailing that went from Baltimore to Bermuda to Charleston and back to Baltimore they could allow boarding at either and have a larger market base to use.

What law is that?

Theron

The Empress of the Seas was our favorite RCCL ship. We were on one of the last sailing of the ship (Philadelphia to Bermuda) before she was booted from the fleet. She had already undergone "improvements" to bring her in line with other RCI ships.

Gone were the lounge areas on each cabin deck next to the open Atrium. They had been replaced by children play areas, a game area (the game room and library having been taken over by a pay for restaurant) and various other functions that had been squeezed out of their dedicated areas by an increase in the number of cabins.

She was a sad shadow of her former self and the overall cruise experience did deteriorate due the disappearance of formerly available public space and the increase in the number of passengers. No longer the "yacht" of the RCI fleet, she become the now typical RCCL cattle car with too many passengers.

So for anyone with fond memories of long ago cruises on the little beauty that was the Empress, that cruise experience will not reoccur unless a complete restoration of the ship before the "improvements" is done.

What law is that?

 

Theron

I don't know if it's a law, but it is a characteristic of US boardings.

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/13195-pullmantur-another-change-of-strategy-empress-back-to-royal-.html

I think this is great news, she would make a good ship for short Caribbean/Bahamas cruises. This means more options for cruisers!

How do you guys feel about this?

Would love to have the opportunity to sail Empress. Never had the chance when she was with Royal the first time.

Or maybe Azamara?

Link to source, via the Wikipedia article on MS Empress:

Pullmantur: Another Change of Strategy; Empress Back to Royal

Theron

Oh this is awesome news for us small ship cruisers!

Maybe they can find where the Emerald Sea is hidden. Would pay extra to sail her.

Big Ships...

Little Ships...

Either one will do for us!

Big Ships...

 

Little Ships...

 

Either one will do for us!

Don't be so sure...

If it is true, they'd have a ship that could get into Hamilton and St. George's Bermuda again.

That would have us booking cruises to Bermuda again.

Also suspect she would be a great ship for cruises to Cuba!

She was the first cruise ship to have a two deck Dining Room.

The Nordic Empress was our first family cruise in 1998 out of San Juan. 4 night to St Thomas, St Croix, St Martin. Neat little ship, only 1000-1200 passengers ( I think!). Had 5 course meals...appetizer ,soup, salad, main entre and desert. Had separate wine sommeliers in the MDR...only a few of them. Plus waiter and asst waiter. It had all the features the bigger ships of the time (2100-2500) had, only on a smaller scale. This was before rock climbing walls, outside movie screens, flowriders, ice rinks, Promenades, etc......Just a reminder of what traditional cruising was like before all the huge ships with all the bells and whistles!

While nothing surprises me, the article I saw speculated that they could be bringing her back for Cuba itineraries or that she may go to Azamara. I personally think that they could send her to Azamara. She is more in line with their size of ships. However, I haven't been keeping up with Azamara's performance. Are they selling out ships and making money?

She was our first cruise on our Honeymoon in 1998. Will absolutely go on her again if Royal does take her back.

She holds a very special place in my heart - met my husband on her in 2006.