the newest ships are NOT sailing from FL

[molsonschooner]

FALSE :) You have Several sailing from Vancouver (Radiance as a Royal Ship) and some from Quebec each year....

The post said "Where we live in Canada". You do realize there is more to Canada than Vancouver and Quebec

[Ocean Dancer]

I've sailed on Anthem, and she was awesome, but she was built for cooler weather. She is more of an indoor ship with pools, bumper cars, clubs, all the bells and whistles. She is lacking public windows and seems to be inner, as let's say the Serenade.

 

We cruised in early March of 16. We had 3 sea days to get to Labadee, then 6 ports in a row, then 3 sea days to get back. We loved the cruise and will sail this class again, but she does belong to the North. She would be nice if repoed to Seattle for Alaska. This class would also be perfect for Boston or Canada.

 

Even though the outside temp is cold, it does't matter.......you feel as if you are in the Caribbean, people wear shorts and sandals.

 

That's my opinion!:D

[Merion_Mom]

Yep, lots of snarky comments to my O.P. So yes, it's clear I've become spoiled by cruising.

 

A couple rebuttals:

Symphony: Hasn't launched. Maybe a year or 2 from now? For now, it's not available.

Harmony: Thankyou, I'll look into it. Sailing right now. Prices are quite high, yet ports I've already been to & are somewhat unpleasant. Maybe it's worth bad itinerary for a good ship? I'll give this ship good consideration. I'm disappointed that every single Harmony cruise includes either Jamaica or Haiti, where you are harassed when you try to shop... guess it goes with the territory.

Freedom class ships: Looks like there are some good choices if I go to ports I've been to already.

 

Thank you everybody for the responses. I do appreciate your comments. There are some good options if I go a lower class ship, or switch cruise lines. I simply wanted the biggest/newest RCCL to sail from FL, lol.

 

P.S: Why do so many people say that Quantum class is for cold-weather places?

 

The Quantum class ships are much more closed-in and inwardly focused. There is one large swimming pool that is completely indoors/enclosed. (with a retractable roof for when the ship is in warmer climates). No outside greenery like Central Park on Oasis class ships. The Two70 venue at the aft of the ship is absolutely awesome, but again, completely inside.

[lbjen]

The biggest and newest are sailing out of FL! Symphony is also available to book, even though it's not sailing yet. And the big ships are a lot more restricted in where they can visit, because of their size.

[tx121]

Royal Caribbean is following the trend as well as other cruise lines to send their newest ships to Asia. NCL and Princess have designed new ships that is catered to the Chinese market.

The advantage for cruise lines is that they have floating hotels. They can move their ships to a location in the world that is more profitable. Right now that place seems to be China.

The Chinese cruisers spend most of their money on shopping and the casino. If you look at the new ships that the original poster listed, they are Quantum class ships that are headed to Asia. Compared to other ships in the fleet, the Quantum class ships have more of a higher end retail which is what the Chinese go for. They don't buy the cheap Logo store items, they go for the expensive jewelry and watches. On my first cruise in Asia during the sales, it was like Black Friday! The buffet was worse. Lol! The casino was always crowded. The shops and casino combined is more profitable than other areas like the bar and specialty restaurants which are popular in the US based ships.

In my opinion, if you look at the Anthem of the Seas reviews on here, it does not seem like a popular ship among the Americans. The British did not enjoy the ship either. The problem is that there are lines and reservations needed for everything on these class of ships; The north star, bumper cars, rip chord, restaurants (even more with dynamic dining which is now gone), etc. RCL has been charging for some of these attractions which the Chinese are willing to pay, while we think it should be included in the cruise fare. It is true the Quantum class is built to handle colder climates when need be, but I don't think RCL's decision is based on that. They would have sent one of the newer ships to South Hampton again if that was the case.

Right now it seems Oasis Class = US based, Quantum Class= Asia based. Hopefully the Icon of the Seas is based in the US. :)

[JMG]

P.S: Why do so many people say that Quantum class is for cold-weather places?

 

Explorer OTS was home based in Bayonne, NJ. In the colder weather months, passengers had to stay indoors until the ship got farther south. The Solarium pool is indoors but that pool tends to be restricted to Adults. The ship itself needs to be low enough to pass under the Varrazano bridge.

 

Royal paid attention to those conditions and built the Quantum class to address indoor activities that could be enjoyed by passengers in those colder months while keeping the ship low enough to pass under the bridge. These requirements are not necessary for ships home based in Florida.

[Hopetotravel]

The post said "Where we live in Canada". You do realize there is more to Canada than Vancouver and Quebec

Yeah, you probably wouldn't get many cruise ships in Belleville. My brother lives in Brockville and we've visited many times. Now I live along the coast in Nova Scotia and it would be nice to have a ship sail out of Halifax for a Bermuda / eastern US cruise during the summer months.

[John&LaLa]

Solarium pool is not indoors, and yes it is restricted to adults.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

[alfaeric]

Harmony: Thankyou, I'll look into it. Sailing right now. Prices are quite high, yet ports I've already been to & are somewhat unpleasant. Maybe it's worth bad itinerary for a good ship?

 

Question- what makes you think that IF a Quantum class ship sailed out of Florida, that would be different?

 

First the cost- new ships have always gotten the premium prices. I've been sailing since 2001, and that's always been the case. So the prices will be high.

 

Second the ports- Freedom did the same Western Itinerary as Oasis, Allure, and Harmony does- just adds Grand Caymen. Since Quantum ships are pretty much the same as Freedom ships in terms of size and ability- it makes sense that IF they were in Florida, you would get the same itineraries. So you would have already been there and they would be unpleasant.

 

Basically, I don't understand the idea that new, non-Oasis ships would be that big of a shift from what you have problems with on Oasis ships.

[cruiserking]

You have a ton of ships sailing out Florida from a variety of cruise lines.

 

We loved Explorer of the Seas but, are pretty thrilled to finally have a new ship sailing out of NY/NJ. We hope Anthem stays here for a long time.

 

Jonathan

[mcatmcat]

The reason why RCCL left Miami was because of the exorbitant increased port charges they were proposing & the way immigration treated guests & crew.

 

 

Before oasis class ship we only sailed from miami and I never found a rude employee or immigration agent. In fact I believe people in miami port are nicer than Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[kknorr0320]

Quantum class ships are not warm weather ships. Oasis class are, therefore Florida gets Oasis class ships.

 

I'm pretty happy with our choices out of Florida aside from Majesty. Can you beat Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony, and seasonal Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class ships? Not in my mind.

I'd actually prefer they sent an Oasis class ship away in the summer instead of the others so we had a less expensive option for taking the kids.

I've sailed on Anthem, and she was awesome, but she was built for cooler weather. She is more of an indoor ship with pools, bumper cars, clubs, all the bells and whistles. She is lacking public windows and seems to be inner, as let's say the Serenade.

 

We cruised in early March of 16. We had 3 sea days to get to Labadee, then 6 ports in a row, then 3 sea days to get back. We loved the cruise and will sail this class again, but she does belong to the North. She would be nice if repoed to Seattle for Alaska. This class would also be perfect for Boston or Canada.

 

Even though the outside temp is cold, it does't matter.......you feel as if you are in the Caribbean, people wear shorts and sandals.

 

That's my opinion!:D

 

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

[styxfire]

Royal Caribbean is following the trend as well as other cruise lines to send their newest ships to Asia. NCL and Princess have designed new ships that is catered to the Chinese market.

The advantage for cruise lines is that they have floating hotels. They can move their ships to a location in the world that is more profitable. Right now that place seems to be China.

The Chinese cruisers spend most of their money on shopping and the casino. If you look at the new ships that the original poster listed, they are Quantum class ships that are headed to Asia. Compared to other ships in the fleet, the Quantum class ships have more of a higher end retail which is what the Chinese go for. They don't buy the cheap Logo store items, they go for the expensive jewelry and watches. On my first cruise in Asia during the sales, it was like Black Friday! The buffet was worse. Lol! The casino was always crowded. The shops and casino combined is more profitable than other areas like the bar and specialty restaurants which are popular in the US based ships.

In my opinion, if you look at the Anthem of the Seas reviews on here, it does not seem like a popular ship among the Americans. The British did not enjoy the ship either. The problem is that there are lines and reservations needed for everything on these class of ships; The north star, bumper cars, rip chord, restaurants (even more with dynamic dining which is now gone), etc. RCL has been charging for some of these attractions which the Chinese are willing to pay, while we think it should be included in the cruise fare. It is true the Quantum class is built to handle colder climates when need be, but I don't think RCL's decision is based on that. They would have sent one of the newer ships to South Hampton again if that was the case.

Right now it seems Oasis Class = US based, Quantum Class= Asia based. Hopefully the Icon of the Seas is based in the US. :)

Informative post, very informative, thankyou. Ultimately the Chinese markets are more lucrative. It is what it is. Money rules. Americans don't do the work, Americans can't spend like the Chinese can.

[Aquahound]

But it appears that Floridians are going to have to wait a long time to get a ride on the newest ships again.

 

So Floridians can't get on airplanes? Why would you have to wait? :confused:

[mcatmcat]

So Floridians can't get on airplanes? Why would you have to wait? :confused:

 

 

 

We can but since we have more than 3 ports nearby why fly?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CRUISEBOY305]

 

:'):'):'):')

[poncho1973]

So Floridians can't get on airplanes? Why would you have to wait? :confused:

 

Duh. Everyone knows there are no airplanes in Florida!

[Tatka]

We can but since we have more than 3 ports nearby why fly?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

So you are spoiled!

We also want to have three warm ports in north east, and we have 3-4, but it is are limited. At least we got some ships with covered pools like Anthem and sometimes Radiance class. I would gladly switch to Oasis class if it was warmer here. :)

[Aquahound]

We can but since we have more than 3 ports nearby why fly?

 

Because the newest Quantum Class ships aren't there.

 

But yeah, you're right, there's nothing like pulling into Cozumel for the 20th time. Why leave Florida to cruise anywhere else? ;)

 

(former Floridian here, by the way)

[alfaeric]

We can but since we have more than 3 ports nearby why fly?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Do you really expect people not to be snarky in the reply to that?

 

You can fly to see the new ships, just like many of us do....

[actuarian]

So Floridians can't get on airplanes? Why would you have to wait? :confused:

 

Of course, there is no problem for people who have unlimited budgets. They can get on airplanes, cruise on Oasis Class ships in Star Class, or just cruise on Seabourn or another luxury cruise line. However, for the rest of us Floridians, there has been a reduction in the options that are available. During the warmer half of the year, our only remaining choices on RCCL are Oasis-class ships or 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas. Not everyone wants to be on a ship the size of the Oasis and, even if that is not an issue, the cost often is. A cruise on an Oasis-class ship almost always costs more than a cruise in the same category cabin on a Freedom-class, Voyager-class or Radiance-class ship. I realize that people in other states usually have even fewer options. Nevertheless, if price is the issue, only Marie Antoinette would suggest airplanes as the solution!

[MacMarauder]

It would be nice if RCI put a Quantum-class ship in Florida. True Quantum has a lot of indoor space but I think the design is similar to Celebrity S-Class which work fine out of Florida. I prefer the layout of the Quantum to Oasis but that is just personal preference, they both are great.

 

Also, Florida is getting the Celebrity Edge later this year so that should count for something since it's under the RCI corporate umbrella.

[Ocean Boy]

Of course, there is no problem for people who have unlimited budgets. They can get on airplanes, cruise on Oasis Class ships in Star Class, or just cruise on Seabourn or another luxury cruise line. However, for the rest of us Floridians, there has been a reduction in the options that are available. During the warmer half of the year, our only remaining choices on RCCL are Oasis-class ships or 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas. Not everyone wants to be on a ship the size of the Oasis and, even if that is not an issue, the cost often is. A cruise on an Oasis-class ship almost always costs more than a cruise in the same category cabin on a Freedom-class, Voyager-class or Radiance-class ship. I realize that people in other states usually have even fewer options. Nevertheless, if price is the issue, only Marie Antoinette would suggest airplanes as the solution!

And during the colder half of the year to you know what my options are if I want to take a cruise? I can get on a plane and fly to Florida or I can not get on the plane and stay home. I think that you still have more options than I have.

[alfaeric]

Of course, there is no problem for people who have unlimited budgets. They can get on airplanes, cruise on Oasis Class ships in Star Class, or just cruise on Seabourn or another luxury cruise line. However, for the rest of us Floridians, there has been a reduction in the options that are available. During the warmer half of the year, our only remaining choices on RCCL are Oasis-class ships or 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas. Not everyone wants to be on a ship the size of the Oasis and, even if that is not an issue, the cost often is. A cruise on an Oasis-class ship almost always costs more than a cruise in the same category cabin on a Freedom-class, Voyager-class or Radiance-class ship. I realize that people in other states usually have even fewer options. Nevertheless, if price is the issue, only Marie Antoinette would suggest airplanes as the solution!

Are you being forced to cruise?

 

I don't know anyone who is not constrained by money when going on vacation. Given the prices I am aware of- cruising on the Oasis vs. the Adventure when you can fly from Orlando- I bet the difference isn't that much.

 

Heck, the cost to drive down to FLL isn't *that* much.

 

Still, I just can't have any sympathy for someone complaining about the choice of cruises they have within a short drive. You can deal with it just like so many people who have no choice but to fly.

[grnyel05]

Of course, there is no problem for people who have unlimited budgets. They can get on airplanes, cruise on Oasis Class ships in Star Class, or just cruise on Seabourn or another luxury cruise line. However, for the rest of us Floridians, there has been a reduction in the options that are available. During the warmer half of the year, our only remaining choices on RCCL are Oasis-class ships or 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas. Not everyone wants to be on a ship the size of the Oasis and, even if that is not an issue, the cost often is. A cruise on an Oasis-class ship almost always costs more than a cruise in the same category cabin on a Freedom-class, Voyager-class or Radiance-class ship. I realize that people in other states usually have even fewer options. Nevertheless, if price is the issue, only Marie Antoinette would suggest airplanes as the solution!

 

From my perspective it's somewhat unrealistic to expect much traction with the complaint when Royal Caribbean has 6 ships sailing out of Florida during the summer. By my count, that's 5 ships more than the ships sailing out of any other state during the summer.