China is new home for royal caribbean international's quantum of the seas

[Irene7]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I think you're missing the point. It's not the fact that the ship is being relocated. It's how it was handled. It's clear that this was not RCI's original intent to place this ship in China. Many people were waiting for bookings to open as RCI had announced that they would be opening soon up soon for both QN and AN FLL. I have seen no one comment that the U.S or North America is the only civilized place in the world. What I see are people disappointed after being told something else.[/QUOTE]

I read your response to the poster after I wrote mine. You said it better and I agree 100%.

[SherriZ366]

[quote name='gstewart']We also should remember that in Asia Royal needs to differentiate itself from the other cruise lines by doing exactly what it has done in the west - sending its most innovative ships there. This will work a treat in China as I believe the Chinese will flock to travel on Quantum. Anyone that's been to China will understand this.


Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app[/QUOTE]This article with quotes from Adam Goldstein sounded like RCI was also reacting to the competition. [url]http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2014/04/16/royal-caribbean-quantum-china/7781397/[/url]

[SherriZ366]

[quote name='negc']Could it be possible that Bermuda is the party most responsible for this sudden and unexpected change? It seems very possible that the island's reluctance to commit to the dredging of the harbor to accommodate larger cruise ships forced RCI to change its plans. If that is the case, it would explain RCI's original promotion of Quantum sailing out of Bayonne year-round and their dramatic turnaround today. Only time will tell whether this move is successful or a financial disaster. At the very least it is thought provoking and it will be interesting to see what, if any, reaction this move evokes in Hamilton, Ft.Lauderdale etc.
With all the talk about the necessity of changing the menus on Quantum to accommodate an Asian clientele, how is this matter handled on all of the other cruise ships of various lines which have been redeployed to Asia and why should it be any more of a problem on a ship not even sailing yet than it has been on ships already in service?:confused:[/QUOTE]Agree that Bermuda Govt. and the delay in dredging a huge reason for this sudden switch. It will be interesting to see if Bermuda is content with Liberty -- similar number of passengers without excessive dredging costs. Bermuda could still drag their feet on dredging and Liberty in Bayonne for summers could last awhile.

[SherriZ366]

[quote name='Dave85']Makes me wonder if they will reconsider sending one of the other ships over to Asia and will instead add a ship to So.Fla. to replace Anthem.[/QUOTE]I hope they reconsider sending Explorer or Navigator. EX is based in Port Canaveral from 11-14 to 3-15 and it is booking well. They added sailings, delayed dry dock and raised prices. We would love to have a 3rd ship in Port. C.

[The Grumpus]

[quote name='SherriZ366']Agree that Bermuda Govt. and the delay in dredging a huge reason for this sudden switch. It will be interesting to see if Bermuda is content with Liberty -- similar number of passengers without excessive dredging costs. Bermuda could still drag their feet on dredging and Liberty in Bayonne for summers could last awhile.[/QUOTE]I've been thinking that too. The start of this is eerily similar to Havensight in 2008/09, RCI never got their dredging there. It worked out okay since the other pier was available. Might not be so lucky this time.

[70SS350]

."Consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard like no other ship," said Adam Goldstein, President and COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imagination of travelers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience."
What's up with this comment. I guess the rest of us do not expect the best the world has offer. LOL

[Pushka]

[quote name='Irene7']Mainly China.[/QUOTE]


And India. Korea. Taiwan. Indonesia. Malaysia. That's where growth will be in the next 20 years.

Asia has pretty much been ignored until now. It's where the $$ are now. I don't think Shanghai is the best port but certainly an Asian one is. Edited April 17, 2014 by Pushka

[eroller]

[quote name='cruisingator2']I think you're missing the point. It's not the fact that the ship is being relocated. It's how it was handled. It's clear that this was not RCI's original intent to place this ship in China. Many people were waiting for bookings to open as RCI had announced that they would be opening up soon for both QN and AN FLL. I have seen no one comment that the U.S or North America is the only civilized place in the world. What I see are people disappointed after being told something else.[/QUOTE]



Well said! Exactly how I feel.

[smoosh21]

[quote name='Elizanessie']Yes I saw the text you have made bold thanks, but I wondered if perhaps they will still take her to FLL as they have been selling the TA for a while now...and then maybe do a repositioning up to Cape Liberty?[/quote]


Except they cant do that, as you can't sail between two US Cities if you are foreign flagged. They would have to sail to Canada, then stop. And then start a new cruise from Canada to New York.

Or, they could sail from Florida, down to South America and then back up to New York.

[belkin]

[quote name='Yorkvillain']Clueless, party of one. Clueless, party of one.[/QUOTE]

Double Like! :D :D

[smoosh21]

[quote name='BND']Not everyone can or wants to go to China, for a variety of reasons. I'm in the neither want to nor can I. I can say, DH and I will be happy to cruise on Liberty as we absolutely love Freedom, but I do not like the game that RCI has played about this whole thing.[/quote]

Royal isnt expecting American's to fly to China to sail on this. They are going to be marketing this for the Asian Market.
It is going to be very interesting to see how this changes plans on the Quantum.
Since it is so early they are going to have plenty of time to do some redesigns on things like shops and Casino to meet the needs of the Asian market.

[smoosh21]

[quote name='Elizanessie']Don't they usually make the casinos bigger also ?[/quote]
Biggest change is more tables and way less slots. Especially Baccarat tables.

[eroller]

[quote name='cruisingator2']Ernie I think the terminal not being ready could have played into this decision. I just don't think the Asian market has had time to develop fully to support not only three very large RCI ships but also competition from the other lines. I think RCI will struggle at first to fill the three large ships unless they are discounting. I do feel that this was a last moment forced decision as RCI had to get bookings open.[/QUOTE]


I agree on all accounts. By relocating QUANTUM last minute I think Royal Caribbean is sending a message to both Bermuda and the Port Authority of NY/NJ. It could be brilliant move or it could completely backfire. One thing is for certain, it's risky.

The China cruise market is in its infancy. The cruise brands are pretty much unknown and I would say that generally Chinese consumers will have no clue what differentiates QUANTUM OF THE SEAS with say DIAMOND PRINCESS. Most don't even know what cruising is all about. The challenge will be for Royal Caribbean to educate the Chinese market and that won't be easy considering the short lead-in time before QUANTUM arrives. Its taken decades of established distribution channels to build the brand in North America and elsewhere. Travel agents, media, internet, and word of mouth from decades of past passengers. This is exactly why the common strategy is to send older hardware to emerging markets as it's less risky. The newest ships are sent to established markets as that is where they can garner the highest yields. Australia is a great example. It's finally matured enough that cruise lines are now willing to send their biggest and best hardware, but its taken years and years for this to happen. Will people in China be willing to pay a higher yield to sail the newest and best if they don't really understand the differences? It's true that the Chinese like the newest things, but they are also very price conscious consumers, especially the new middle class that can afford to take cruises. I doubt the really wealthy elite Chinese will have any interest in a mass-market cruise ship, no matter how new it is. Anyway it remain to be seen if Royal Caribbean can achieve the consistant high yields and occupancy levels with QUANTUM that will be required for a positive ROI. The other challenge is that Asia in general tends to book very last minute, again making traditional yield strategies obsolete.

In any case it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Edited April 17, 2014 by eroller

[Royalty X]

[quote name='70SS350']."Consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard like no other ship," said Adam Goldstein, President and COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imagination of travelers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience."
What's up with this comment. I guess the rest of us do not expect the best the world has offer. LOL[/QUOTE]You already have easy access to the best the world has to offer, Australasians don't. Which is why RCI is sending Quantum this way.

[quote name='cruisingator2']I think you're missing the point. It's not the fact that the ship is being relocated. It's how it was handled. It's clear that this was not RCI's original intent to place this ship in China. Many people were waiting for bookings to open as RCI had announced that they would be opening up soon for both QN and AN FLL. I have seen no one comment that the U.S or North America is the only civilized place in the world. What I see are people disappointed after being told something else.[/QUOTE]I think you're missing my point. If itineraries had actually gone on sale and they cancelled the sailings to move the ship to China, I could understand why people would be annoyed. But until the itineraries go on sale, nothing is set in stone. Does FLL really need another ship? The possibilities from FLL are already endless it would seem. With Anthem based out of NY, you still have a realistic opportunity to sail on her. RCI have obviously seen the potential in Asia (which is mainly being met by Princess) and have given the rest of the us an opportunity to experience a world class vessel like Quantum. Don't get me wrong, if you'd like to keep Quantum for FLL and send Allure or Oasis over this way, we wouldn't be upset with decision... Edited April 17, 2014 by Royalty X

[Ethanol95]

Then if you're ranting about how they handled the situation, don't go all ape wall on us Asians. Many of us do not just cruise for the sake of gambling nowadays. It may have been like that a while back but not anymore. We are probably as "civilized" as ya'll Americans if you can't see that. I can't judge about mainland Chinese people but here in Singapore, many of us have adapted to cruising as a leisure vacation and not a gambling den. I would assume though, that they aren't very far behind in catching up with the logic behind the cruising and how it has transformed.

[Irene7]

[quote name='Pushka']And India. Korea. Taiwan. Indonesia. Malaysia. That's where growth will be in the next 20 years.

Asia has pretty much been ignored until now. It's where the $$ are now. I don't think Shanghai is the best port but certainly an Asian one is.[/QUOTE]

That is true, the others have had a lot of growth over the past decades. I guess I'm just so used to reading everything - Made in China.

[smoosh21]

[quote name='Ethanol95']Then if you're ranting about how they handled the situation, don't go all ape wall on us Asians. Many of us do not just cruise for the sake of gambling nowadays. It may have been like that a while back but not anymore. We are probably as "civilized" as ya'll Americans if you can't see that. I can't judge about mainland Chinese people but here in Singapore, many of us have adapted to cruising as a leisure vacation and not a gambling den. I would assume though, that they aren't very far behind in catching up with the logic behind the cruising and how it has transformed.[/quote]

I don't know why they didnt base the ship in Singapore. it would seem to make more sense as it would be better able to cover both China and Australia, not to mention Malaysia and Indonesia.

I am still hoping to do a sailing out of Singapore sometime in the next 5-6 years

[eroller]

[quote name='smoosh21']I don't know why they didnt base the ship in Singapore. it would seem to make more sense as it would be better able to cover both China and Australia, not to mention Malaysia and Indonesia.

[/QUOTE]


Plus Singapore has a wonderful new cruise terminal that could easily accommodate QUANTUM. It's a little tough to get into town from it but that is changing.

I'm guessing that China was chosen as this is really the market that Royal Caribbean wants to conquer moving forward. It probably has the most revenue potential in the world long term.

Star Cruises, which is a known brand in China and Asia in general is building two purpose built mega cruise ships for the mainland China market. Of course Royal Caribbean knows this so perhaps sending QUANTUM is also a way to get established with state of the art hardware before the Star Cruises new builds arrive? I think the difference is that the Star Cruises new builds will really be custom built for the Asia market, where as the Quantum Class wasn't. Sending one to China seems to be a reactionary measure to arrangements in Bermuda and perhaps Bayonne not going as planned.

[JPEvans]

Must be a very long cruise to get the Quantum to China? No mention
Of that one yet.

[gkbiiii]

So we will be among the few Americans to be on Quantum for the near future, wow!!

[I-Cruiser]

First World Problems or what. Some people need to realise that Florida is not the centre of the universe and still has plenty choice. Other areas of the world have had little choice for years and it's great to see this being addressed by cruise lines such as Royal.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

It's disappointing reading some of the comments on here. I have nothing against North America, but some people act like it's the only civilised place in the world. This is great news for Australians and New Zealanders! The newest ship we've had access to (without having to travel for over 24 hours to get to) is the Celebrity Solstice (which has just turned 5 y/o). We've never had easy access to Freedom or Oasis class ships. Why is it so unreasonable of RCI to send a new ship out this way...?

 

Very well said. Totally agree.

 

This is one of the best business moves Royal has done in a long time.

Smell the money - smell the money:)

[I-Cruiser]

That poor ship will become a floating cigarette butt after 6 months.

 

Sorry but that's just the culture in China...they almost all chain smoke and it won't be any different on board ship, regardless of designated smoking sections.

 

You are way out of line here. Where is that triangle button...

[Ethanol95]

ERoller and Smoosh21 I think i know then reason why they didn't base it in Singapore. Recently, actually last night, the Marina Bay Cruise Center came out in a local article saying how many passengers were complaining of how inefficient disembarking procedures were when two big ships, Voyager of the seas and Queen Mary 2 docked. Both of them make up more than 5,000 passengers and this caused a major breakdown in the efficiency of the procedures carried out.

 

If this terminal can't serve two ships at once with just a capacity of 5,000, how are they going to be able to serve Quantum smoothly especially if another ship docks at the same time. They really need to sort this out quick if they want to dock Oasis 3 here or even Quantum of the seas. I wish that Quantum would sail to Singapore from Shanghai though. Hope its in one of the itineraries! :D

 

Here's the link: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/transport/story/marina-bay-cruise-centre-plagued-gridlock-due-swell-passengers-when-s

[dmwnc1959]

Must be a very long cruise to get the Quantum to China? No mention

Of that one yet.

 

Can't wait to see THAT itinerary! Or the prices that go with it!!! :D

[Jacs]

That poor ship will become a floating cigarette butt after 6 months.

 

Sorry but that's just the culture in China...they almost all chain smoke and it won't be any different on board ship, regardless of designated smoking sections.

 

Wow, what a completely ignorant, bordering on racist remark! I don't know any Chinese people in my circle who smoke, and of my interactions with other Chinese people, I haven't noticed any higher percentage of smokers than any other cultural background.

 

As to other comments about having to change restaurants etc to suit "Chinese appetites", get real people. Do you really think the only thing Asian people eat is fried rice and lemon chicken? China is a very cosmopolitan country nowadays, with plenty of the population traveling worldwide and experiencing the culture other countries have to offer. They would want to cruise for the experience of cruising, just like everyone else. Sure a couple of things might be tweaked to suit the overall target audience, just like Australian based ships are tweaked to have things like Vegemite at breakfast, but I really don't see all that much changing, Asian people still eat and enjoy "western" food :rolleyes: