I heard a totally unconfirmed rumor

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

At the Royal Caribbean Park in Madrid I mention in another thread I posted today, I heard a rumor from one of RCCL's top selling travel agents here in Spain.

 

She said the Oasis would come to Barcelona for the 2013 or 2014 season.

 

While I have my doubts about that, it could be feasible for the standard 7-night western Med run -- all of the ports (except Villefranche) are major cities that could handle the Oasis. In keeping with the ship-destination policy of adding an additional sea-day, RCCL could skip Villefranche or could probably use Marseilles instead.

 

The ship would fit in Barcelona and in other ports such as Livorno, Civitavecchia. I have my doubts about Naples, though -- so maybe that port would be skipped. Or it could alternate itineraries and do the extra Italian port one week and the French port another week.

 

Please don't flame me -- it's just a rumor -- all of the "newer" class ships eventually make it over here sooner or later (NCL sent Epic here and we now have RCCL Liberty here) so there just might be some truth to it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Cruising89143]

I don't think that you can ever count out a ship being moved. The biggest issue that I see is finding a port that can handle the embarkation/debarkation process. FLL built a special terminal to handle up to 12,000 guests arriving and leaving at the same time. Something like this would have to be built/modified across the pond.

[CruisinGerman]

The terminals in Barcelona are all basically brand new and there is still space to expand or build a bigger terminal.

 

The standard terminals in Barcelona handle NCL Epic and RCCL Liberty flawlessly -- no crowds or waiting beyond normal times.

 

RCCL itself has a huge operation in Spain which would make it easier to use Barcelona as a home port, as it does with Liberty.

 

The ships in Barcelona feed from Madrid (train and plane), Barcelona itself, and all major European cities, so Barcelona would be a good hub for this type of ship, in my opinion.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[cruisinfanatic]

Aren't all rumors unconfirmed?

[cruisinfanatic]

Dear friends:

 

At the Royal Caribbean Park in Madrid I mention in another thread I posted today, I heard a rumor from one of RCCL's top selling travel agents here in Spain.

 

She said the Oasis would come to Barcelona for the 2013 or 2014 season.

 

While I have my doubts about that, it could be feasible for the standard 7-night western Med run -- all of the ports (except Villefranche) are major cities that could handle the Oasis. In keeping with the ship-destination policy of adding an additional sea-day, RCCL could skip Villefranche or could probably use Marseilles instead.

 

The ship would fit in Barcelona and in other ports such as Livorno, Civitavecchia. I have my doubts about Naples, though -- so maybe that port would be skipped. Or it could alternate itineraries and do the extra Italian port one week and the French port another week.

 

Please don't flame me -- it's just a rumor -- all of the "newer" class ships eventually make it over here sooner or later (NCL sent Epic here and we now have RCCL Liberty here) so there just might be some truth to it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

And the Liberty was replacing Explorer in Bayonne.

Said by many on the ship including the captain and cruise director only days before the release of the 2012-2013 itineraries. So much for reliable information.

No way in the world a TA could know so far in advance No way!

Why would RCL tell them anyway

[Elizanessie]

I can't really see Oasis on the Med...especially with Central Park etc...but maybe Project Sunshine could sail in Europe/Med?...especially if she is built in a more "closed in" style of ship than the "open" style of Oasis class?

[Aquahound]

I seriously doubt it. The new class (Sunshine) won't even be out yet, so I really don't think they are going to move one of the 2 new big boys away from an area where so much infrastructure had to be built to support them.

[CruisinGerman]

I thought the same thing about the open ship. Yet on the Liberty ten days ago in Barcelona we already had 32 degrees and we all know how hot it gets here in the heat of the summer. The problem would probably be the shoulder months of April and May; October and November.

 

But the Oasis and Allure also float around the Caribbean in hurricane season, and the open feature of the ship seems to hold up during rainstorms.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[negc]

Not sure I can see much sense in moving an Oasis Class ship to Europe when they are doing so well with their current Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries and there are other ports in the Caribbean which are interested in improving their infrastructure so that they can qualify for visits by those ships. With Sunshine Project ships on the horizon, there will be more than enough options for deploying their fleet throughout the world while still leaving Oasis and Allure in Florida. Certainly almost anything is possible, but the likelihood that a Spanish TA has some reputable source who has fed him or her this goody seems extreme to say the least. Rumors are the lifeblood of these boards, but I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this particular one without something more to back it up.:rolleyes:

[CruisinGerman]

The Spanish TA happens to be the new CEO of a brand new agency that just opened in Spain that opened 200 storefront locations and an online engine in just one day and is a joint venture between RCCL Spain and the former senior executives of a major travel agency conglomerate that went bankrupt last year.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[LBcruzman]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. I fully expect Oasis and/or the Allure to end up sailing in Europe at some point. What modern class of Royal Caribbean ship hasn't ended up sailing Europe?

[setsail]

And I thought lawyers delt with only facts...LOL

[isujim]

Not sure I can see much sense in moving an Oasis Class ship to Europe when they are doing so well with their current Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries and there are other ports in the Caribbean which are interested in improving their infrastructure so that they can qualify for visits by those ships. With Sunshine Project ships on the horizon, there will be more than enough options for deploying their fleet throughout the world while still leaving Oasis and Allure in Florida. Certainly almost anything is possible, but the likelihood that a Spanish TA has some reputable source who has fed him or her this goody seems extreme to say the least. Rumors are the lifeblood of these boards, but I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this particular one without something more to back it up.:rolleyes:

 

Bill I agree I wouldn't put much stock in this.......UNLESS......contracts have been signed. What we don't know (and wouldn't based on rumor) is what promises have been made for the new port in return for RC to place a ship (any ship) in place by a certain date.

[littlesteelo]

I think the only chance of an oasis class in europe would be when the new terminal opens in 2013 in Southampton. That would probably be able to handle it. Speaking of which, isn't Sunshine supposed to be finished then... Sunshine out of Southampton and Indy moved to Barcelona? Probably not! :D

[Twickenham]

I suspect that Barcelona wants Oasis to cruise out of Barcelona, with negotiations/campaigning underway. I suspect we will eventually see Oasis in Europe at some point, for a shortened 2-3 month season perhaps.

[wg6530]

I suspect that Barcelona wants Oasis to cruise out of Barcelona, with negotiations/campaigning underway. I suspect we will eventually see Oasis in Europe at some point, for a shortened 2-3 month season perhaps.

 

Well, if that happens I will try to be on both transatlantic segments and sightsee in Europe at the end and start respectively.:)

For a port intensive Med cruise, I will probably select a smaller ship.

[wednesday]

Dear friends:

 

At the Royal Caribbean Park in Madrid I mention in another thread I posted today, I heard a rumor from one of RCCL's top selling travel agents here in Spain.

 

She said the Oasis would come to Barcelona for the 2013 or 2014 season.

 

While I have my doubts about that, it could be feasible for the standard 7-night western Med run -- all of the ports (except Villefranche) are major cities that could handle the Oasis. In keeping with the ship-destination policy of adding an additional sea-day, RCCL could skip Villefranche or could probably use Marseilles instead.

 

The ship would fit in Barcelona and in other ports such as Livorno, Civitavecchia. I have my doubts about Naples, though -- so maybe that port would be skipped. Or it could alternate itineraries and do the extra Italian port one week and the French port another week.

 

Please don't flame me -- it's just a rumor -- all of the "newer" class ships eventually make it over here sooner or later (NCL sent Epic here and we now have RCCL Liberty here) so there just might be some truth to it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

That would be awesome! I hope it is true and the prices are not too astronomical, if so I will be all over that! :D

[Merion_Mom]

First of all, Royal Caribbean has a 10 year agreement with Port Everglades:

 

"An economic impact study conducted by Martin and Associates as part of the Port Everglades Master/Vision Plan, projects that by 2012, the fifth-year of the 10-year agreement between Broward County and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) to homeport the Oasis-class and other RCL brand ships at Port Everglades, an estimated 8,012 jobs will be supported. These jobs are anticipated to generate $356.5 million in personal income and $32.8 million in state and local taxes." -from the Port Everglades website - just the quickest place I could grab this info from.

 

Second of all, such transatlantic cruises would sell out so fast your head would spin!

[CruisinGerman]

I don't think the city of Barcelona could care less about an Oasis ship coming over here. Barcelona is already noted for receiving up to 50,000 cruise ship passengers on any given day.

 

I don't think the prices will be cheap -- in fact if it does happen it looks like it will be happening at a point in time when RCCL may have no choice than to lower the prices on Oasis and Allure in the United States.

 

I agree about a translatlantic both ways being a fabulous experience and I also agree about visiting ports on a smaller ship.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[CruisinGerman]

If RCCL pulls one Oasis ship and puts two other ships whose capacity might even exceed Oasis, I am sure there is no problem in re-negotiating that type of agreement.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[ARCruisinNana]

While on the Navigator TA earlier this month I took an engine room tour with the Chief Engineer. One of the things we discussed was ships going into drydock. Several cruise lines went together and bought a floating drydock in the Bahamas. He said Freedom was so large that it hung over the front by 40 ft and they brought in a barge in the back to make it big enough. We asked about what they would do about Oasis. He said there weren't any drydocks large enough to handle it and that it would probably have to go back to the yards in Europe. That's about the right time frame. That would be an interesting crossing!

[Ocean Boy]

One thing about the Oasis class is that the experience really looses something when the weather doesn't cooperate. The Caribbean really does suite these two ships. However, do folks remember some time ago how we used to talk about how the Voyager class ships would most likely not leave the Caribbean because they do not have covered solariums and they were really designed for warm weather cruising? Now they sail out of N.J. and they regularly cross the Atlantic.

[centurycruiser]

They could always put snow shovels out in Central Park just in case!

 

I expect Oasis or Allure to eventually move to Port Canaveral but, the dry dock in Europe makes sense.

[Ocean Boy]

They could always put snow shovels out in Central Park just in case!

 

I expect Oasis or Allure to eventually move to Port Canaveral but, the dry dock in Europe makes sense.

 

Why should they move to Port Canaveral? It most certainly is logistically easier to get people from FLL to Port Everglades than it is from MCO to Port Canaveral. Except for people who may be driving I think the process of flying to a cruise is easier departing from Ft. Lauderdale.

[Cruising89143]

Why should they move to Port Canaveral? It most certainly is logistically easier to get people from FLL to Port Everglades than it is from MCO to Port Canaveral. Except for people who may be driving I think the process of flying to a cruise is easier departing from Ft. Lauderdale.

 

I agree. RCI markets the two ships internationally(especially South America) more than any other ships in the fleet. Right now RCI has two airports servicing guests for both ships. Air travel is a pain with the distance to PC from Orlando. I don't see either ship moving here.