Rhapsody gone!! Whats next???

What ship is coming in after the Rhapsody leaves? Has anyone heard when ships will be docking in the new Bayport terminal?

I say we fight for the Rhapsody by starting an email campaign to corporate. It is never too late to change schedules.. or maybe get her back at least.

Suzan and I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on that! I know she is 9 years old. I know she has no consierge. I know she has no specialty restaurants. I know she has no flowrider. I know there is no ice rink.

We don't care!!!!

We love that Ship!!!

As for the new Bayport terminal. Knowing Houston politics, it should open on the 12th!!!

The 12th of never.....

I am going to email them this week. I want time to compose a really well stated letter, I will also follow it with a print out hard copy mailed. I heard one of the reasons they pulled Rhapsody was when they announced it, no one complained, formally! Sure we all complained on here to each other, and to the reservations department or to the people working on the ship, but we did not start a real campaign to keep her here.

We know schedules can be changed and ships moved around pretty often so I say we at least try.

rfain@rccl.com

agoldstein@rccl.com

Richard Fain

Royal carribean cruise line

1050 Caribbean way

Miami fla. 33132

replace the Richard Fain with Adam Goldstein to send a copy to him via snail mail.

I had just barely found RCI and just gone on Rhapsody for the first time in April of this year...I want my chance to go on her again and again. Add my name to your letter.

some of us just found cruising.

I have heard that one reason that Rhapsody is leaving is because the number of cruise bookings out of Galveston has increased. So to that end they're bringing Voyager in which holds a few more passengers. When it all comes down to it, it's all about PROFIT.

But I absolutely agree that Rhapsody is a great ship. The crew is the best and the service outstanding. DW and I have been wanting to do an Alaskan cruise, and with Rhapsody scheduled for Alaska out of Seattle in summer 2008, we're probably going to book for sure! :rolleyes:

Ooops. I meant to put another point in my previous post. Though Voyager is coming to Galveston, it's not staying there all the time. It heads to Barcelona for Med cruises in May 08 and then is currently scheduled to return to Galveston in December 08.

One can only wonder what RCI is going to do for the summer of 2008 from the Galveston port, if anything at all?!

Absolutely nothing as of now. We could possibly get Rhapsody back if we try but there has to be a real effort. Not just one person writing, Im talking about a lot of folks sending those emails and letters, flood them with mail.

Rhapsody crew is all changing, by time she is in Alaska, it will be the Asian crew.

The crew wants her back here too, said they know almost everyone that worked on her before would transfer back in a heartbeat if she was in Galveston again. They would transfer to Voyager but she is only seasonal, so now most are just going on to other ships.

I love Rhapsody, and okay if we cant have her then I would not mind a Radiance class even.

If the number of bookings from Galveston is so high then why pull all ships for almost 4 months this year, and most of next year? We will have no choice on RCCL, except Voyager for a few months, and I have NO desire to do that ship or one of its size again. One time was more than enough for me.

I know how you feel, we lost a good ship down here. But, maybe you guys will get one of the Genesis(?) ships. Wouldn't that be cool? Too big?

Suzan and I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on that! I know she is 9 years old. I know she has no consierge. I know she has no specialty restaurants. I know she has no flowrider. I know there is no ice rink.

 

We don't care!!!!

 

We love that Ship!!!

 

As for the new Bayport terminal. Knowing Houston politics, it should open on the 12th!!!

 

The 12th of never.....

Nitra, how hard would it be to get the former Rhapsody crew to also send in letters and email? I'll do my part in writting letters and sending e-mail. I love that ship, and can never see my family happy with Voyager. Just too large for my taste. I'll do anything and everything to get RCI to bring her back...with her orginal crew.

Brenda

I know how you feel, we lost a good ship down here. But, maybe you guys will get one of the Genesis(?) ships. Wouldn't that be cool? Too big?

Speaking for myself, I find the prices on even the Voyager to be awfully high, so wouldnt the genesis ship be even more expensive?

Id like to cruise every couple of months and we just sit around and dont need fancy, but would prefer to do it on RCI in a reasonable balcony.

I think the other complaint is we dont have a year round ship period!!!! Id go 3 or 4 times a year if we had a nice small reasonably priced ship, dont need frills. By the end of this September we will have been on 5 cruises in a year (but having to get to Port Canaveral to do so), so having a huge expensive ship doesnt thrill me. We dont do the rock climbing wall or those other things, just relax, read, watch the shows and enjoy seeing new ports and shopping.

Speaking for myself, I find the prices on even the Voyager to be awfully high, so wouldnt the genesis ship be even more expensive?

 

Id like to cruise every couple of months and we just sit around and dont need fancy, but would prefer to do it on RCI in a reasonable balcony.

 

I think the other complaint is we dont have a year round ship period!!!! Id go 3 or 4 times a year if we had a nice small reasonably priced ship, dont need frills. By the end of this September we will have been on 5 cruises in a year (but having to get to Port Canaveral to do so), so having a huge expensive ship doesnt thrill me. We dont do the rock climbing wall or those other things, just relax, read, watch the shows and enjoy seeing new ports and shopping.

I see your point and it was well taken. I know what you mean about the cost of a cruise and that the mega-mega-ship may not be a blessing to many of us. I didn't consider that end of it - sorry. I guess we are spoiled here in Florida.

On the Liberty a few weeks ago at the Common Ground meeting, a TA stood up and asked about a ship year round out of Galveston. Adam Goldstein stated that it would be a while before that happened. His words are there are simply not enough ships to go around to all ports. I doubt that you see the old girl back in Texas for quite a while.

I know how you feel, we lost a good ship down here. But, maybe you guys will get one of the Genesis(?) ships. Wouldn't that be cool? Too big?

I dont like Voyager, too big for my taste, so there is no way I will ever go on anything bigger. Okay better not say never, but not because I choose to do so. If it comes down to big ships being my only option, I will stop cruising or find a line that offers smaller ships.

Nitra, how hard would it be to get the former Rhapsody crew to also send in letters and email? I'll do my part in writting letters and sending e-mail. I love that ship, and can never see my family happy with Voyager. Just too large for my taste. I'll do anything and everything to get RCI to bring her back...with her orginal crew.

Brenda

They wont listen to the crew, they already had their say.

I know from talking to them many would request to go back if she was in Galveston. They really do like the passenger base from that port. Many that came from other ships even say that passengers from other ports are great but there is something about leaving from Texas, just a different passenger base on board. I think if we could get a ship year round again, many would come back. A lot of them do not like the big ships either but it is a paycheck so they go where they can work.

Did I read somewhere that Rhapsody would be going to New Orleans after Alaska? Is that a sure thing or just rumor? If worse comes to worse we would drive the La. though we still prefer Galveston.

I will certainly be sending email and letters.

I have not seen anything about it. Probably a rumor. It would be okay, I have driven to NO to sail her before. Not a bad drive, about 5 hrs from Houston. I would do that again but would still prefer her here.

I have not seen anything about NOLA. Last I checked, nothing going out of there at all.

I hate that they don't have a ship leaving in the summer months after this year. Those of us that have children in school really can't do trips any other time.

I finally get to where we can do a couple a year, now we don't have a ship.

Did I read somewhere that Rhapsody would be going to New Orleans after Alaska? Is that a sure thing or just rumor? If worse comes to worse we would drive the La. though we still prefer Galveston.

 

I will certainly be sending email and letters.

Do you mean after spring of 2009 there is a rumor Rhapsody is coming back to the gulf? Schedules are out thru April 2009, so it would have to be after that. Which year did you hear the rumor about?

Id take either port too. Hope it comes back.... eventually...

Suzan and I stand shoulder to shoulder with you on that! I know she is 9 years old. I know she has no consierge. I know she has no specialty restaurants. I know she has no flowrider. I know there is no ice rink.

 

We don't care!!!!

 

We love that Ship!!!

 

As for the new Bayport terminal. Knowing Houston politics, it should open on the 12th!!!

 

The 12th of never.....

Here's our shoulders .......hey, lets not write letters. Let's just buy the company :rolleyes:

Let's see, at current prices; 2000 guests every week; at $2000 per cruise

that's 4,952,380 shares per year. Why, we could have the Rhapsody back in just a few years. :D What do you Jim?

On the Liberty a few weeks ago at the Common Ground meeting, a TA stood up and asked about a ship year round out of Galveston. Adam Goldstein stated that it would be a while before that happened. His words are there are simply not enough ships to go around to all ports. I doubt that you see the old girl back in Texas for quite a while.

Well, that apparently confirms the contents of this article from yesterday's Galveston Daily News.

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=856161787002b7cc

I am really bummed....we will still cruise, but we will not cruise as often....mostly because we take so much stuff on the ship, that it will not all fit on a plane!

1. Lower cruise air income because all Texans can drive to the port :confused: ;

2. lower alcohol income because all Texans smuggle booze :D ;

3. lower average fares because of the soft Caribbean market and limited itinerary options... :cool:

Hmmm.... Maybe that's why Tampa, Galveston and New Orleans are going to be begging for ships in the next few years???

Just an observation... Don't get mad, Bevo...we loved Rhapsody, too.

LL

My first cruise was on the Rhapsody, and I had an enjoyable time. We've already booked the Voyager, but I really hope we can get a year round RCL presence in Galveston. I'll fly to Miami to sail RCL before I go Carnival, though.

Give us back our ships!!!!:D :D

I dont like Voyager, too big for my taste, so there is no way I will ever go on anything bigger. Okay better not say never, but not because I choose to do so. If it comes down to big ships being my only option, I will stop cruising or find a line that offers smaller ships.

Our family will never sail a Voyager Class ship. We have tried Grand Princess and Carnival Conquest, and felt crowded galore. I am totally not into the crowd seen, and ports seem to be such a nightmare. The Rhasody was the perfect ship for us, we are just so sad to see it go :( We tried the similar ship Grandeur a few years before but didn't have quite the Wow factor we felt with Rhapsody. I guess we will just have to follow the smaller ships around, but the Orient is just too far. I am with you Nitra, if all we have are the Mega ships, I will just have find some good all inclusives instead :) If we are signing anything, please let me know.

I know how you feel, we lost a good ship down here. But, maybe you guys will get one of the Genesis(?) ships. Wouldn't that be cool? Too big?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO too big

On the Liberty a few weeks ago at the Common Ground meeting, a TA stood up and asked about a ship year round out of Galveston. Adam Goldstein stated that it would be a while before that happened. His words are there are simply not enough ships to go around to all ports. I doubt that you see the old girl back in Texas for quite a while.

well that is not good news. why does Miami have them all. I really do not liek going out of Miami--RUDE pax. I'm with you Nitra, I won't say NEVER, but I really don't want to go out of Miami ever again. Twice was enough.

Did I read somewhere that Rhapsody would be going to New Orleans after Alaska? Is that a sure thing or just rumor? If worse comes to worse we would drive the La. though we still prefer Galveston.

 

I will certainly be sending email and letters.

Actually if you go on RCCL site and look uip Rhapsody's schedule, there is a cruise out of NOLA in March 08, but all is NA. Before they announced Asia, ROS was going to NOLA (according to the web-site back then) so I am wondering if that is just left over. not sure tho.

We went on the Voyager in Dec. I liek VIsion class better, BUT it grew on us. WE have actually booked 3 cruises on her between Dec and Feb 09, doesn't mean we couldn't change that tho.

Nitra, thanks for the e-mail addresses. I will definately write and get my cruising cohorts to do the same.