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SPIRIT How old is too old for a ship

sludger

By sludger,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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sludger

sludger

Posted
Posted

Just interested in your comments,

Given the avalanche of new superliners lately, how long do you think ships like the Spirit can viably be sailing under the Carnival banner in the US before being handed down to other cruise lines in the group?

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sludger

sludger

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Interestingly enough Spirit is to be based permanently in Australia from Oct 2012, is this because of the demand for newer ships is greater in the US?

There is talk that it will be rebranded under the P&O banner as previously has happened.

 

Paul

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G'ma

G'ma

Posted
Posted

There is really no age for a well-kept and maintained modern cruise ship. S/S Norway was almost 20 years old when she entered the NCL fleet, for instance. She underwent many transformations, for sure.

 

The Carnival ship Mardi Gras was 20 when Carnival acquired her and she sailed until 1993, another instance. Tropical, built in 1982 is still plowing away as the Ocean Dream...in 2008 anyway.

 

I think the main thing that "retires" a ship..or causes a company to sell it off is a radical change in design, such as the popular "superliners" and other ships such as Oasis and Allure, Dream and Magic.

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sharecruises

sharecruises

Posted
Posted
Just interested in your comments,

Given the avalanche of new superliners lately, how long do you think ships like the Spirit can viably be sailing under the Carnival banner in the US before being handed down to other cruise lines in the group?

 

The Spirit class serve a nice niche as they are able to fit thru Panama Canal and they are also "faster" than the other ships

 

IMHO they should get rid of Destiny...there is only ONE Destiny class ship, the Destiny with all it's flaws

 

Destiny has almost as many people as the Conquest group of ships and yet it has less than 1/2 the buffet area...horrible lines, and when I was on it 2 x a messy and nasty eating area

 

The smaller Imagination has a much better set up, and the Conquest ships have another whole buffet plus extra "restaurants" fish and chips etc

 

 

I have not been on any of the Spirit ships but would like to go on Miracle to Aruba.southern (but of course Carnival is not very friendly now to groups/singles so I don't know)

I would also love to go on Spirit to Alaska

A lot of people seem to love the Spirit class?

 

I heard the Holiday was an older ship that had problems and they did sell it off to some Spanish company who redid it to look very modern.

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DarthGrady

DarthGrady

Posted
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The poor little Regal Empress was 56 years old and still cruising daily until 2009. I imagine she still would be if it wouldn't have been so costly to get her into compliance with new SOLAS regulations.

 

The Carnival Spirit has many more years of service in her. She is still a relatively new ship. I certainly hope they don't re-brand her under P&O. The Spirit class ships are the best, and we can't afford to lose any!

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PCHENG

PCHENG

Posted
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I don't consider the Spirit class as old. Its age, tonnage and dimensions is right smack in the middle of the pack for a modern liner. Above the Spirit you have the new megaliners such as the Oasis, QM2, Epic, Solstice, and Voyager class. Below you have the older Fantasy, Sovereign and Century class. Spirit is comparable with the Vista, Radiance, Jewel or the Millennium class which made up the bulk of cruising fleet currently on the high seas.

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MrPete

MrPete

Posted
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What does age have to do with anything? Asthetics? Or sea worthiness?

 

Being the Spirit class are the forerunning favorite, I suspect they'll be around a while.

 

I would sail the Jubilee again if she were still up here.

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skittl1321 Great Review Rare

skittl1321

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I hope the Spirit class ships have many many more years in them. We greatly prefered the Spirit to the Freedom, so our next cruise will likely be on that class.

 

The new megaliners don't appeal to me, no matter how the crowd control is, it's just too many people.

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jgmpuma

jgmpuma

Posted
Posted

I drive a 1999 Honda Civic with just over 200k miles on it, and it runs like a top. My mechanic tells me that as long as I change the oil regularly and fix the little things that break, there is no end in sight.

 

I'm guessing that the same principals apply to a cruise ship.

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Heirloom

Heirloom

Posted
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The only thing in MY lifetime that will retire a Spirit class ship is:

 

How LESS profitable they are to Carnival vs their new OVERLOADED ships like Dream.

 

Just got off Pride again......previously sailed Dream......it's like night and day. Spirit class you feel free to roam. Dream style ship, you're part of the cattle herd !

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tonit964

tonit964

Posted
Posted
There is really no age for a well-kept and maintained modern cruise ship. S/S Norway was almost 20 years old when she entered the NCL fleet' date=' for instance. She underwent many transformations, for sure.

 

The Carnival ship Mardi Gras was 20 when Carnival acquired her and she sailed until 1993, another instance. Tropical, built in 1982 is still plowing away as the Ocean Dream...in 2008 anyway.

 

I think the main thing that "retires" a ship..or causes a company to sell it off is a radical change in design, such as the popular "superliners" and other ships such as Oasis and Allure, Dream and Magic.[/quote']

 

Totally off subject and sorry for this. G'ma, where have you been???

This is the first post of yours Iv'e seen in almost a year.

Toni

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G'ma

G'ma

Posted
Posted
I drive a 1999 Honda Civic with just over 200k miles on it, and it runs like a top. My mechanic tells me that as long as I change the oil regularly and fix the little things that break, there is no end in sight.

 

I'm guessing that the same principals apply to a cruise ship.

.

 

Ditto. I have a 1997 Pontiac Sunbird with 160,000 miles. Still runs like a top----and gets 38 MPG on the highway, 25 locally.

 

Mechanic told me the same thing: keep the oil changed regularly and mind the small stuff. Take care of any repairs immediately, rotate the tires and "Lil Skippy" will run forever.

 

I hope so....I will never have car payments again...what a waste of good money that could otherwise be used for fun, games and cruising.

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richstowe Great Review Rare

richstowe

Posted
Posted
Just interested in your comments,

Given the avalanche of new superliners lately, how long do you think ships like the Spirit can viably be sailing under the Carnival banner in the US before being handed down to other cruise lines in the group?

 

Just wondering what these other cruise lines the Spirit class would be handed down to are?

I thought Carnival was CCL's entry level brand ?

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