Video of the Princesse Ragnhild/Bahamas Celebration

[Tapi]

I received an email from Imperial Majesty today with the title "We're Back!" (I didn't even know they were gone until I checked out Cruise Critic and read more about what's been going on since the last time I read this board).

So I was curious to see if I could find more information on this "new" ship, and indeed, everywhere I look, it says that it's been chartered to Imperial Majesty. I found this YouTube video of the ship, and it shows a little bit of the interiors.

Ok, it's not the Carnival Liberty or Liberty of the Seas, but the ship has an atrium with glass elevators! For a quick 2 night getaway, it doesn't look like a bad ship...

Click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v2GOAvPktU

And here's a picture:

[mbisson]

I'll be waiting to see photos after the 'new' ship comes out of renovation.

You may also notice that they now have some 3 night trips scheduled.

[robsvacation]

...just not particularly hopeful!

While I know technically IM is not owner of the new ship, the renovations on the RE have been minimal. Regal Cruises did the last big upgrade to the ship, I think all IM may have done are needed mechanical upgrades, changed the carpets on the pool deck from green to brown, and thrown up some cheap dividers in the restaurant so they could have an extra charge dining area.

A couple of concerns

1) This is a north sea ferry with TINY cabins, can't see how they can do much about that (I doubt they'll start combining adjoining cabins into larger rooms)
2) Were is the pool going to go? You can't see it in the picture above but there's a glass dome in roughly the same spot as the pool on the RE and again this is a north sea ferry so deck space was not a primary concern

You can do a good job renovating a ship. When Carnival moved the Tropicale over to their sister line Costa, the transformation touched almost every aspect of the ship, right down the cabin walls! Saddly, I don't think that will happen here.

I could be wrong, and actually kinda hope I am since I'd try like to them again. Course there is the issue of my old review on this site, if they know it's me I'm pretty sure I'm ending up overboard!

[mbisson]

Hey Rob!

I didn't have any problems with your review. We noticed many of the same things you did, but I guess at $59 (+tips & fuel) we were willing to forgo some of the shortcomings
(especially since we didn't have to do a tour)

I don't think they'll hold that review against you. In fact they should give you another cruise just to see if they can change your mind

[robsvacation]

Mbisson

If I happened to be in the area for longer trip, if I had reason to think the experience was improved (a new ship might be reason enough) and it was free, well then, I might try 'em again. Is that enough qualifiers?

But honestly if I did travel with IM again I would write another review, I kinda feel like I'd have to.

I'm hoping with the new ship we'll see some better reviews. Truth be told the cabin you stay in on the RE is important. End up on A or B decks and you're in a poorly assembled white formica box. Get one of the cabins in the old first class area (even the insides) with all that wood and a shower you an turn around in and you'll think this ship has character.

[mbisson]

That might explain something else then...we weren't in the cabin a whole lot LOL

[robsvacation]

Originally Posted by mbisson

That might explain something else then...we weren't in the cabin a whole lot LOL

My first cruise on the ship, actually my first cruise ever, I was in a little outside cabin on the sundeck (S3 I believe). This little room was carved out of an old suite. The room was small but not horribly so; the shower actually had its own stall and was small but workable. The closet was one of the nice wood ones. The staircase outside my cabin was wood-lined, the outdoor promenade right outside, the Mermaid and Piano lounges just off to the back. Being in the former first class area of the ship had its advantages!

Last cruise on RE I was buried on B deck, Formica and melamine everywhere, the ceiling looking like it was about to fall on my head, the room oddly arranged, etc.

It's not that I spent much time in my cabin other than to sleep and shower, it's just if you walk down a nice old wood hallway to a decent cabin you'll have a better impression of the ship as a whole. If you need to crawl through a narrow corridor that's more akin to a navy ship than a cruise ship to get to your Formica closet (that's being held together with drywall screws!) it effects how you see everything else. Honestly if the upgrades weren't so much I bet I would have had a much better time on my cruise if I had upgraded to one of better cabins.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I can't hardly wait for them to put this ship into service. Without any renovations this ship is already better than the Regal Empress. But renovations they must do nonetheless in order to turn it into a cruise ship instead of just a cruise ferry. Rates will have to be low to compete against RCI and Carnival.

It will also be quite interesting to see what they do with the car deck and the tiny C-class cabins below the car deck. The Bahamas has allowed ferry service between the U.S. and Freeport but has never allowed it to Nassau. Such service would devastate local businesses in their capitol city. So this is all quite interesting.

BobK/Orlando

[mbisson]

Originally Posted by KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

It will also be quite interesting to see what they do with the car deck

BobK/Orlando

Welcome to the Grand Ballroom

[cable]

Originally Posted by KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

Rates will have to be low to compete against RCI and Carnival.

They can't compete on price. No matter how nice the warm weather renovations of the ferry turn out, the Carnival and RCI megaships will blow them away and you can go on a 3 or 4 day cruise on those lines for as low as $99 now! It is my bet that IM will continue to get most of their passengers through timeshare pitches, vacation packages, and other marketing associated with Ramada.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Originally Posted by cable

They can't compete on price. No matter how nice the warm weather renovations of the ferry turn out, the Carnival and RCI megaships will blow them away and you can go on a 3 or 4 day cruise on those lines for as low as $99 now! It is my bet that IM will continue to get most of their passengers through timeshare pitches, vacation packages, and other marketing associated with Ramada.

You're probably right about that. But I think that as we get into the Spring Break and summer season again, cruise pricing at Carnival and RCI will get back into the $200's per person for the 3-night cruises and that presents some undercutting opportunity for IM.

BobK/Orlando