RCI to $300 Million Cruise Facility in Freeport!!

[FlowBroTy]

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22528-holistica-to-build-new-300-million-cruise-facility-in-freeport.html

 

[Ocean Boy]

Pretty soon ships will just call at contrived destinations in the Bahamas and Caribbean and we will no longer get to visit island nations with their varied cultures.

[schmeed]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Pretty soon ships will just call at contrived destinations in the Bahamas and Caribbean and we will no longer get to visit island nations with their varied cultures.

Yep, absolutely agree!  It's a pure money grab (make more money at their own destination than an ordinary port).  Why does RCI think we want theme parks at every single port?  I don't get it.

[orville99]

28 minutes ago, schmeed said:

Why does RCI think we want theme parks at every single port?

Because they generate a boatload of recurring high-margin revenue, and once the sunk costs of development are covered, the impact on the bottom line is very positive

Edited March 3, 2020 by orville99

[Bradison]

44 minutes ago, schmeed said:

Yep, absolutely agree!  It's a pure money grab (make more money at their own destination than an ordinary port).  Why does RCI think we want theme parks at every single port?  I don't get it.

 

Vertical integration.  Same reason ball parks have concession stands and charge an arm and a leg for a hot dog and a beer.  As long as cruise lines try to deliver a great customer experience that people want and will return for then does it matter how profitable.  There is no such thing as price gouging for luxury items.  The market will determine the appropriate value.  

 

Profit is not an evil concept.  You have the right to buy stock and be part of the "money grab".

[vettecruiser1]

I look forward to RC going to freeport, which I don't think they currently do.  I will not be going to this resort but to another part of the island called Banana Bay.  It is heaven on earth, every time we have gone there is maybe 10 people on the whole beach, plus the restaurant and bar.  This place is awesome it has a 300 yard long sand bar that feels like you are in the middle of the ocean

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, orville99 said:

Because they generate a boatload of recurring high-margin revenue, and once the sunk costs of development are covered, the impact on the bottom line is very positive

The question was why does RCI think WE want that at every single port. The question was not why is RCI doing it. 

[mtu_huskies]

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

The question was why does RCI think WE want that at every single port. The question was not why is RCI doing it. 

Exactly, and it's a fair question.  I already find myself avoiding sailing that stop in both Labadee and Coco Cay.  Too much of not experiencing new places, people and culture.

[orville99]

13 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

The question was why does RCI think WE want that at every single port. The question was not why is RCI doing it. 

The answer to that one is easy - they don’t care what any of us thinks as long as their ships sail full every week - which they do, week in and week out.

[orville99]

16 minutes ago, mtu_huskies said:

Exactly, and it's a fair question.  I already find myself avoiding sailing that stop in both Labadee and Coco Cay.  Too much of not experiencing new places, people and culture.

And i just booked an Allure cruise specifically because it stopped in both of those ports - two free beach days and two been there, done that, not getting off the ship days. 0$$ spent at tourist trap ports = priceless😀

Edited March 3, 2020 by orville99

[leisuretraveler223]

6 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Pretty soon ships will just call at contrived destinations in the Bahamas and Caribbean and we will no longer get to visit island nations with their varied cultures.

 

That's laughable.  Go on a Caribbean cruise and you're in ports for eight hours. Eight hours and every port is basically the same.

 

"Oooh look! Diamonds International!"

 

"Hey! Let's go to the divey looking bar and get some rum drinks!"

 

"I'm going on a catamaran cruise to snorkel and eat a terrible lunch on a beach!"

 

"On the way back can we stop at the gift shop? Or maybe buy some fake Cuban cigars because we're idiots?"

 

Yeah, you experience "island nations with their varied cultures" on a cruise! LOL!

[fred30]

Oh Great!  That will be just 1 step above having to go to Port Canaveral from just about every cruise out of the Northeast.

 

Like we want to cruise to Freeport any more than cruising to Florida. 

[Bearsfan82]

49 minutes ago, orville99 said:

And i just booked an Allure cruise specifically because it stopped in both of those ports - two free beach days and two been there, done that, not getting off the ship days. 0$$ spent at tourist trap ports = priceless😀

Hell yeah, I want to take a cruise that does both those stops so bad.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Bearsfan82 said:

Hell yeah, I want to take a cruise that does both those stops so bad.

After 70+ cruises, we prefer to find the cruises that give us the most relaxing times. It doesn’t hurt that the cost for a JS on this cruise is less than a regular balcony on a port-intensive cruise on the same ship.

[mtu_huskies]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

And i just booked an Allure cruise specifically because it stopped in both of those ports - two free beach days and two been there, done that, not getting off the ship days. 0$$ spent at tourist trap ports = priceless😀

 

It's all about why people cruise.  I stand corrected, we cruise to see new places, meet the locals.  The demand for manufactured beach days is there I see, I might be in the minority.

[KsucAts]

2 minutes ago, mtu_huskies said:

 

It's all about why people cruise.  I stand corrected, we cruise to see new places, meet the locals.  The demand for manufactured beach days is there I see, I might be in the minority.

 

Yup.  There is definitely a variety of reasons people cruise.  After our 3rd cruise, we no longer cared about seeing new places and new cultures.  When we want those, we fly to those places and stay for 5-7 days.  For us, we need multiple days to get that experience.

 

Now, we cruise mostly for the experience on the ship and a couple beach days.  

[Sunshine3601]

Based on article sounds like it will be beautiful and definitely a money maker for RCL.    They are making some great investment decisions and I like the way they do business.     I look forward to visiting this new port as I am sooo tired of Nassau.    

[waxing witch]

I've only been to Freeport a couple of times, but I really enjoyed it. It was years ago - we went to Port Lucaya I think, there was a beach next to a resort that was public (of course, chairs and umbrellas for a cost) and a little marketplace. There were jewelry shops and trinket shops, a few bars and a Greek restaurant - am I remembering correctly? And a Subway where I bought some juice for a guy in a Junkanoo costume because I didn't have any cash for a tip after taking a photo with him! So this will be revamped into a new resort/destination for Royal? 

[orville99]

45 minutes ago, mtu_huskies said:

 

It's all about why people cruise.  I stand corrected, we cruise to see new places, meet the locals.  The demand for manufactured beach days is there I see, I might be in the minority.

We like to see new places and meet new people as well, which is why we booked on cruises that go to St. Barts and St. John as soon as they were released. We have friends in St. Thomas so any cruise that goes there is a good way to catch up on those friendships. As far as the rest of the Caribbean cruise ports, you only get to actually meet real locals if you avoid the excursions and get away from the pier as quickly as possible. Sometimes we just hire a cab and ask them to show us their island. Made some good friends that way.

 

Some people are exactly the opposite, and immerse themselves in excursion after excursion and only take port-intensive cruises. To each his own.

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

That's laughable.  Go on a Caribbean cruise and you're in ports for eight hours. Eight hours and every port is basically the same.

 

"Oooh look! Diamonds International!"

 

"Hey! Let's go to the divey looking bar and get some rum drinks!"

 

"I'm going on a catamaran cruise to snorkel and eat a terrible lunch on a beach!"

 

"On the way back can we stop at the gift shop? Or maybe buy some fake Cuban cigars because we're idiots?"

 

Yeah, you experience "island nations with their varied cultures" on a cruise! LOL!

You are the one who is laughable. You don't have the slightest idea what I do when in port, where I go, or who I meet. When you have been someplace enough times you don't need to be in port too many hours to reconnect with people you have met and take part in their activities. You ever spent a Sunday morning in Nassau in church experiencing how the Bahamians celebrate in their culture? Probably not. Maybe that is why I love Nassau when there is so much hate for the place on these boards. The locals are awesome.

 

You ever spent time in St. Maarten just sitting and talking to the ladies that sell t-shirts and hats and asked them about living on the island and how their kids get their educations and make a living? They love to chat if you show some interest.

 

You ever spend time in St. Kitts sitting on a bench in the park that is not to far from the port chatting with some locals about their lives? 

 

I don't need to be in port for days to make connections.

 

Try losing some of the smugness. It would go far.

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, mtu_huskies said:

 

It's all about why people cruise.  I stand corrected, we cruise to see new places, meet the locals.  The demand for manufactured beach days is there I see, I might be in the minority.

Maybe in the minority but I am right there with you.

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

As far as the rest of the Caribbean cruise ports, you only get to actually meet real locals if you avoid the excursions and get away from the pier as quickly as possible. Sometimes we just hire a cab and ask them to show us their island. Made some good friends that way.

I agree with you 100%.    sure sometimes we book ship excursions but we love to wander around on our own, use public transportation - buses, taxi's, etc. to get to know the real locals and the not the touristy stuff at the ports.    Sure, I will stop in a shop and buy a souvenir, buy a T-Shirt or shot glass to add to my collection, but we love to go explore as every island has something different to experience.    And yes, we have made some very nice people and have phone numbers and emails for a lot of special people from various islands.  

[vickisteve]

I believe the goal here is to allow customers to have the combination of a cruise and land based Bahama vacation.  RCI has always enabled people to shoulder their cruise with land based stays. This reverses that formula with the cruise as the shoulders, but with RCI controlling the entire vacation.  I feel RCI will review how profitable this becomes.  If profitable, I then think that they will then build the hotel that they have discussed on CoCo Cay.  Just my thoughts. 

[Erik101]

9 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

The question was why does RCI think WE want that at every single port. The question was not why is RCI doing it. 

I see your point but from the Bahamian government’s viewpoint (according to that article), the cruise facility will create lots of jobs for the Bahamian people.  I see this as a win-win for everyone.  While there will be many tourist taking advantage of the facility’s entertainment, the rest of the tourist can still explore the island as they wish.  All of which will increase Freeport’s economic growth. 

[John Reid]

8 hours ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

 

That's laughable.  Go on a Caribbean cruise and you're in ports for eight hours. Eight hours and every port is basically the same.

 

"Oooh look! Diamonds International!"

 

"Hey! Let's go to the divey looking bar and get some rum drinks!"

 

"I'm going on a catamaran cruise to snorkel and eat a terrible lunch on a beach!"

 

"On the way back can we stop at the gift shop? Or maybe buy some fake Cuban cigars because we're idiots?"

 

Yeah, you experience "island nations with their varied cultures" on a cruise! LOL!

As Ocean Boy said, you are the one who is laughable. How the h...  do you know what every person wants to do in a port? Is the list your previous preferences? And LOL is so pedestrian.