RCL Empress Feb 2019 cruises cancelled

RCL has cancelled Feb cruises on RCL Empress. The following email has been sent:

Empress of the Seas is undergoing an extended renovation which means, we must regrettably cancel our February 18th, 2019 sailing.

There are no longer any cruises listed for Feb 2019 for Empress on the RCL website. Anyone have any additional information?

We are scheduled to sail on the March 3 (8) nt Cuba sailing. Makes me nervous that renovations won't go as planned and at the last minute they will have to cancel our week too! It's one thing if they cancelled me now with 6 months left to plan, but not with short notice! Especially when I am coordinating all details of this trip for 10 people coming from 3 states! This is a first time cruise for 8 of our travelers and want to make sure it's a great experience for them so they want to cruise again!

Will be nervous until the day we sail.....

It is extremely rare that extra sailings after a scheduled drydock are cancelled due to the drydock being extended.

The only one that comes to mind was unfortunately on the Empress however that was when she first rejoined Royals fleet and they uncovered some serious issues that they did not expect.

I’m hoping someone has information soon. It’s out of the ordinary and concerning....

It is extremely rare that extra sailings after a scheduled drydock are cancelled due to the drydock being extended.

 

The only one that comes to mind was unfortunately on the Empress however that was when she first rejoined Royals fleet and they uncovered some serious issues that they did not expect.

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Although I have moved the daughter & I to the Freedom, still haven't heard anything official regarding the Allure for April 2020.She has been off the booking for all of April 2020 for 2 months now at least.

Wonder what will be done to Empress. Will they add rooms?

Wonder what will be done to Empress. Will they add rooms?

The cruise line has not publicly released any plans for Empress.

I know this does not help you specific worry- but we had the exact same note for an Adventure cruise scheduled for Feb this year. Most know that much of it's 2017 dry dock didn't happen due to hurricane issues, so it did a wet dock from Jan-Feb- and our cruise was the last week of that schedule.

None of the alternatives looked that great to us, but we saw that the ship was actually being finished the Sunday of when we were supposed to go, and it was doing a repo cruise from Miami to San Juan the rest of that week.

So we decided to take a chance that the ship would be ready exactly on schedule, and just did the repo cruise from Miami back to San Juan.

Turned out great. All of the huge work they needed to do was easily on time, and the ship was in great shape.

Your sailing is a few weeks after the scheduled finish, so I'd bet that you will be ok.

IMHO, if it was related to the emergency repairs that took long when it first came back to the fleet- they would have been doing them as live as possible- as they were that serious. I would not lest the past work influence the future decision. But that's just me.

I know this does not help you specific worry- but we had the exact same note for an Adventure cruise scheduled for Feb this year. Most know that much of it's 2017 dry dock didn't happen due to hurricane issues, so it did a wet dock from Jan-Feb- and our cruise was the last week of that schedule.

 

None of the alternatives looked that great to us, but we saw that the ship was actually being finished the Sunday of when we were supposed to go, and it was doing a repo cruise from Miami to San Juan the rest of that week.

 

So we decided to take a chance that the ship would be ready exactly on schedule, and just did the repo cruise from Miami back to San Juan.

 

Turned out great. All of the huge work they needed to do was easily on time, and the ship was in great shape.

 

Your sailing is a few weeks after the scheduled finish, so I'd bet that you will be ok.

 

IMHO, if it was related to the emergency repairs that took long when it first came back to the fleet- they would have been doing them as live as possible- as they were that serious. I would not lest the past work influence the future decision. But that's just me.

As best I can tell our sailing will be the 1st sailing after the dry or wet dock is complete. I think I’m most nervous bc I’m planning this for a group of 10. If they cancel our sailing last minute that’s a lot of scrambling for me. None of the others have sailed before and so want to make this a great experience for them!

Wonder what will be done to Empress. Will they add rooms?

I hope they are not adding any more rooms. If they are, they will have to liberally coat passengers in oil and have them sleep head to toe and in layers.

For those of you not familiar with the ship, it was once nicknamed the Royal Caribbean "Yacht." It was a lovely jewel of the ship that featured an atrium (Centrum). From the Centrum it was opened up through the middle of the ship with a glass sky light on the pool deck.

Open lounges lined this area on both sides of the ship with large windows giving a view of the ocean. The lounges were a lovely area to sit on each passenger cabin deck.

There were separate areas for the library, card (game) room, and other facilities.

When we cruised on her (off season), there was usually around a thousand passengers on the cruise. Total passenger capacity was not much larger.

In the mid aughts, Royal Caribbean started to "improve" the ship. More cabins were added (good bye open deck space at the aft of each passenger deck to sit and stare at the wake) and speciality restaurants added (good bye library, game room and the lovely lounge areas around the open Centrum ). Keep in mind that while the passenger load increased, the open public area space decreased. There was no way to expand the Windjammer, the main dining room, the theater, and the deck space around the single pool on board. The Centrum lounge area on each passenger decked now became the library, game room, computer center. etc.

After the ship was transferred to Pullmantur, more cabins were added. I see now that the passenger capacity is 2020 on a ship that was originally designed to hold around 1200 passengers.

One can only hope that the extensive dry dock will remove cabins and restore public space.

I hope they are not adding any more rooms. If they are, they will have to liberally coat passengers in oil and have them sleep head to toe and in layers.

 

For those of you not familiar with the ship, it was once nicknamed the Royal Caribbean "Yacht." It was a lovely jewel of the ship that featured an atrium (Centrum). From the Centrum it was opened up through the middle of the ship with a glass sky light on the pool deck.

 

Open lounges lined this area on both sides of the ship with large windows giving a view of the ocean. The lounges were a lovely area to sit on each passenger cabin deck.

 

There were separate areas for the library, card (game) room, and other facilities.

 

When we cruised on her (off season), there was usually around a thousand passengers on the cruise. Total passenger capacity was not much larger.

 

In the mid aughts, Royal Caribbean started to "improve" the ship. More cabins were added (good bye open deck space at the aft of each passenger deck to sit and stare at the wake) and speciality restaurants added (good bye library, game room and the lovely lounge areas around the open Centrum ). Keep in mind that while the passenger load increased, the open public area space decreased. There was no way to expand the Windjammer, the main dining room, the theater, and the deck space around the single pool on board. The Centrum lounge area on each passenger decked now became the library, game room, computer center. etc.

 

After the ship was transferred to Pullmantur, more cabins were added. I see now that the passenger capacity is 2020 on a ship that was originally designed to hold around 1200 passengers.

 

One can only hope that the extensive dry dock will remove cabins and restore public space.

I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s just nowadays whenever there is an extended dry dock I pretty much expect more rooms and less public space. :eek:

I am on the February 18 sailing and have not received any email. Is this cruise really cancelled? How will I find out?

Can't imagine much will be spent on Empress in drydock. Her last drydock was over projected cost and time out of service was extended when galleys had to be gutted after Pullmantur neglected them.

Empress is almost 30 years old. Royal is not spending money to upgrade Vision class ships which are younger. Carnival is investing more on their ships that are older than Vision class on upgrades. Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana venue additions as well as extensive renovations of interior areas. Royal seems more content on focusing on new ships and letting their older tonnage become dated and transferring them to other lines they have a financial interest in or selling them outright.

Disclaimer: Our cruise in May of 2016 was cancelled on Empress a few weeks prior due to last minute extended dry dock.

Can't imagine much will be spent on Empress in drydock. Her last drydock was over projected cost and time out of service was extended when galleys had to be gutted after Pullmantur neglected them.

 

Empress is almost 30 years old. Royal is not spending money to upgrade Vision class ships which are younger. Carnival is investing more on their ships that are older than Vision class on upgrades. Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana venue additions as well as extensive renovations of interior areas. Royal seems more content on focusing on new ships and letting their older tonnage become dated and transferring them to other lines they have a financial interest in or selling them outright.

Disclaimer: Our cruise in May of 2016 was cancelled on Empress a few weeks prior due to last minute extended dry dock.

But one of only 2 ships able to do the very popular Cuba sailings. Bigger ships are not able to dock in Cuba. It makes sense for the most to keep Empress and Majesty in the fleet, and in good condition.

But one of only 2 ships able to do the very popular Cuba sailings. Bigger ships are not able to dock in Cuba. It makes sense for the most to keep Empress and Majesty in the fleet, and in good condition.

I was lucky enough to sail to Cuba on the first ship from the US to Cuba on Fathom Cruise Lines’ Adonia last year. Ship was close to half the size of Empress. 400 passengers on a ship that could hold 700. I was extremely happy!

Now you have Norweigian Sky and Sun sailing now or very soon to Cuba. Also, Carnival’s Triumph, Sensation, Paradise and Sunshine which are all larger than Empress. Smaller ships such as Empress are no longer necessary for sailings to Cuba.

Can't imagine much will be spent on Empress in drydock. Her last drydock was over projected cost and time out of service was extended when galleys had to be gutted after Pullmantur neglected them.

 

Empress is almost 30 years old. Royal is not spending money to upgrade Vision class ships which are younger. Carnival is investing more on their ships that are older than Vision class on upgrades. Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana venue additions as well as extensive renovations of interior areas. Royal seems more content on focusing on new ships and letting their older tonnage become dated and transferring them to other lines they have a financial interest in or selling them outright.

Disclaimer: Our cruise in May of 2016 was cancelled on Empress a few weeks prior due to last minute extended dry dock.

You mix up upgrading with adding cabins and suites, water slides and pay restaurants. Unfortunately Royal and Carnival both do not invest in real upgrades like e.g. improving the look of the existing cabins, the service and the quality of food in existing and free options.

Also had one of the cancelled cruises in May 2016. They did give us about a 4 week notice and we were able to rebook on Enchantment. I think we also received some onboard credit.

Bigger ships are not able to dock in Cuba.

Majesty sails to Cuba and other lines use Vision class sized ships on Cuba runs. The market and ports can handle bigger ships than Empress.

Majesty sails to Cuba and other lines use Vision class sized ships on Cuba runs. The market and ports can handle bigger ships than Empress.

Literally the next line of my post after what you have quoted mentioned Majesty :confused:

I very clearly didn’t say they only only Empress, but when it’s half of the resources you have for Cuba and they’re both doing very well it seems to me you’d keep investing in them.

Anyone know when they will START repairs on Empress?

I have a cruise booked for mid January 2019 and have not heard anything.

We are scheduled for the January 27th cruise and just last week I changed cabins through my TA, no issues. An accessible ocean view became available, had a regular ocean view- very happy! (Husband uses a medical scooter that would fit through a regular door, but accessible bathrooms are so much better for him)

I would hope we would have been notified us like the others in February already.

Anyone know when they will START repairs on Empress?

 

I have a cruise booked for mid January 2019 and have not heard anything.

Not announced yet.

I very clearly didn’t say they only only Empress, but when it’s half of the resources you have for Cuba and they’re both doing very well it seems to me you’d keep investing in them.

Or, get rid of Empress for good and up the volume even more by using a Vision class ship on the Cuba runs.

They will sail but may not be totally ready.

I got an email about my 2/25/19 cruise being canceled. Gave me 2 options, 2/21 or 3/2 on Majesty of the seas. Traveling solo, I got the same cabin category for the same price. An OV at the very front of the ship. With an extra $200 OBC. It is one day less than the original Empress sailing. So unless the dry dock is finished that week, Unfortunately I have a feeling the OP's sailing on 3/3 will be canceled also.