Deployment 2017/18 - first guesses and implications

[MADflyer]

Anyone have any guesses if the Explorer will do Seattle - Sydney in fall 2017, like it is doing in fall of 2016?

 

Hawaii does not have 2017 bookings up on their website. Sydney is showing Explorer returning in the fall, but that would not assist in knowing the exact type of repositioning sailing they are planning.

 

I would think if the fall and spring sailings are successful that they would consider doing the same sailing again in 2017.

[springaussie]

Ovation should be doing a full season in Sydney 17/18. It will be interesting to see if Royal keeps 4 ships in Sydney full season. Voyager, Radiance, Explorer and Ovation. The other thing to factor in is the new cruise terminal for Brisbane which has not been officially announced but Carnival have made media comments they want to base bigger ships in Brisbane also 17/18 season.

[Clarea]

Ovation should be doing a full season in Sydney 17/18. It will be interesting to see if Royal keeps 4 ships in Sydney full season. Voyager, Radiance, Explorer and Ovation. The other thing to factor in is the new cruise terminal for Brisbane which has not been officially announced but Carnival have made media comments they want to base bigger ships in Brisbane also 17/18 season.

I keep hoping they send one of the Voyager class ships back to the US when Ovulation gets to Australia.

Edited December 14, 2015 by clarea

[John&LaLa]

I keep hoping they send one of the Voyager class ships back to the US when Ovulation gets to Australia.

 

I hope that was auto correct :eek:

[CRUISEBOY305]

I hope that was auto correct :eek:

 

Ovulation is the official name ;)

 

lol

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

While the first new bookings for Empress under the name Empress of the Seas have shown up in Grand Cayman for April, May and June 2016, they have not booked calls there past those dates as of yet for the 2017-18 deployment.

 

1. Empress of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruises 2,005 2,005 Apr 19 2016 7:00AM Apr 19 2016 3:00PM

 

2. Empress of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruises 2,005 2,005 May 17 2016 7:00AM May 17 2016 3:00PM

 

3. Empress of the Seas Royal Caribbean Cruises 2,005 2,005 Jun 14 2016 7:00AM Jun 14 2016 3:00PM

 

Interesting. So at least we know she'll be staying in the Caribbean area. Maybe an assortment of different Caribbean sailings. Maybe some of those longer sailings that Celebrity does, where they go down to Panama, but not through the Canal. Maybe regular Panama Canal cruises? Who knows. Can't wait to hear what they're actually planning on doing. With sailings confirmed for April, I would assume that they will be releasing details fairly soon.

[MADflyer]

While Empress starts with a premier season with the first cruise scheduled most likely for the 2nd of April, 2016, she enters her long term pattern from June.

 

This pattern includes Empress sailing every other Saturday from Miami, calling on every other Sunday at Key West.

 

The pattern then will include sailings from Miami every other Monday, calling on Tuesdays at Key West.

 

This may indicate a 9 day / 5 day pattern.

[Midwestgal]

I want to book for Feb 2018 southern itinerary, right now it shows Adventure doing this for Feb 2017, I can't wait to see what ship I'll be booking on.

[Mott1086]

Is empress open to book yet?

[Clarea]

Is empress open to book yet?

No.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Celebrity just opened a few 2018 Sailings :eek::eek::eek:

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

While Empress starts with a premier season with the first cruise scheduled most likely for the 2nd of April, 2016, she enters her long term pattern from June.

 

This pattern includes Empress sailing every other Saturday from Miami, calling on every other Sunday at Key West.

 

The pattern then will include sailings from Miami every other Monday, calling on Tuesdays at Key West.

 

This may indicate a 9 day / 5 day pattern.

 

Where do you see this?

[MADflyer]

Where do you see this?

 

Caribe Nautical, the agent at Key West, that schedules all port activity for Key West has Empress posted on their calendar for Key West port calls.

 

This is the same place I first found Enchantment calls for Miami deployment and Vision calls for Tampa deployment previously.

[MADflyer]

Celebrity just opened a few 2018 Sailings :eek::eek::eek:

 

Almost same pattern as last year. It is the same office that finishes booking Celebrity and then wraps up RCI bookings.

 

They even have Azamara booked almost through the end of 2019.

 

They are way early with many RCI bookings this year, so hopefully we might see earlier official deployment.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Almost same pattern as last year. It is the same office that finishes booking Celebrity and then wraps up RCI bookings.

 

They even have Azamara booked almost through the end of 2019.

 

They are way early with many RCI bookings this year, so hopefully we might see earlier official deployment.

 

or at the very least, on schedule. ;)

[MADflyer]

Whatever plans RCI has for Empress seem to be long-term. Slots for Empress and Enchantment have been secured with the Port of Key West through April of 2019.

 

This would indicate a double deployment with 2 years of full deployment.

 

The every other Tuesday, Brilliance calls from Tampa have also been secured through April of 2018 for the next seasons deployment.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Whatever plans RCI has for Empress seem to be long-term. Slots for Empress and Enchantment have been secured with the Port of Key West through April of 2019.

 

This would indicate a double deployment with 2 years of full deployment.

 

The every other Tuesday, Brilliance calls from Tampa have also been secured through April of 2018 for the next seasons deployment.

 

Wait, are you saying that Royal might release 2 full years of deployment this year?

[Mott1086]

Two years of deployment would be awesome... But I don't see Royal releasing two years at a time!

[MADflyer]

Wait, are you saying that Royal might release 2 full years of deployment this year?

 

I doubt they will release 2 years of deployment.

 

They are 'securing' space at key ports well in advance. They have Enchantment and Empress booked at Key West for 2 seasons.

 

They also had booked Liberty for 2 seasons from Galveston at Grand Cayman last deployment, even though they only released one year at a time. There they have now booked Brilliance and Freedom up to the same time, but they have not yet extended Liberty for another year.

Edited December 15, 2015 by MADflyer

[Mott1086]

Does it say where Freedom is going? I heard she was leaving Florida

[MichaelCMTX]

I can start a rumor of my own.

 

On the Serenade last month, the Food & Beverage Manager (who is a wonderful guy) told me that Empress and possibly Majesty are intended for Cuba.

 

So there.

 

On the Navigator last month, during the Top Tier event the Captain himself suggested Cuba was The Very Reason for the return of the Empress.

[MADflyer]

Does it say where Freedom is going? I heard she was leaving Florida

 

Freedom currently is showing Europe deployment from Barcelona from May to October 2017 and then returns to Port Everglades for the usual East/West deployment. I think she gets the 8/6 deployment that includes St. Maarten on East and Grand Cayman on West. She is booked through the end of the deployment season on these runs with no indication beyond that.

[MADflyer]

On the Navigator last month, during the Top Tier event the Captain himself suggested Cuba was The Very Reason for the return of the Empress.

 

While the real reason for the return of Empress may have been a very smart financial maneuver to write down an asset during a quarter of record profits for RCL and allowing the execs to make million$, the positive result of this maneuver might well be Cuba sailings. *eventually.

[kkorman]

While the real reason for the return of Empress may have been a very smart financial maneuver to write down an asset during a quarter of record profits for RCL and allowing the execs to make million$, the positive result of this maneuver might well be Cuba sailings. *eventually.

 

I'd agree that the former might have caused the latter.

 

Someone on one of the FB pages also rumored that monarch would be coming back. Of course, it is rumors, but maybe pullmantur will be eliminated as someone mentioned earlier. This is a lot of speculation, but that is what is fun about this thread!:D

[CRUISEBOY305]

I'd agree that the former might have caused the latter.

 

Someone on one of the FB pages also rumored that monarch would be coming back. Of course, it is rumors, but maybe pullmantur will be eliminated as someone mentioned earlier. This is a lot of speculation, but that is what is fun about this thread!:D

 

It wouldn't really surprised me if RCCL dismantled Pullmantur, but you gotta love those fb rumors.

 

BYE FELICIA;);););)