Odyssey Rome inaugural season moved to Israel

[Bobal]

Apologies if this has been mentioned already, did a search and couldn't find it. 

 

Just had notification that our cruise on Odyssey from Rome has been cancelled and they are moving the inaugural season to Israel due to their success with the vaccines.

 

No doubt there will be some very disappointed people with lots of plans to be changed

Edited March 1, 2021 by Bobal

[zjc]

Just had an email come through that my Odyssey cruise in late May 2021 is cancelled as this ship is moving to homeport in Israel for residents only!

 

 

[zjc]

2 minutes ago, Bobal said:

Apologies if this has been mentioned already, did a search and couldn't find it. 

 

Just had notification that our cruise on Odyssey from Rome has been cancelled and they are moving the inaugural season to Israel due to their success with the vaccines.

 

No doubt there will be some very disappointed people with lots of plans to be changed

 

I'm not sure why but it makes me feel less valued as a customer, that I'm not good enough anymore because my country isn't a raving success story with vaccines. 

[Bobal]

Will be interesting to see if they decide to do the same with cruises from the UK if our vaccine success continues to be so successful 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Bobal

[FionaMG]

15 minutes ago, Bobal said:

Will be interesting to see if they decide to do the same with cruises from the UK if our vaccine success continues to be so successful 

 

I could totally imagine Anthem doing British Isles cruises for UK based cruisers. I think I read she's parked off the UK coast at the moment?

[zjc]

36 minutes ago, Bobal said:

Will be interesting to see if they decide to do the same with cruises from the UK if our vaccine success continues to be so successful 

 

For people age 40 below though could potentially be October before we can get onboard. 

[cublet]

20 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

I could totally imagine Anthem doing British Isles cruises for UK based cruisers. I think I read she's parked off the UK coast at the moment?

Hello,

 

0900 on 1st March Anthem is berthed in Southampton - presumably for provisions.

 

Usually in the bay off Bournemouth,

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[atgood]

1 hour ago, zjc said:

Just had an email come through that my Odyssey cruise in late May 2021 is cancelled as this ship is moving to homeport in Israel for residents only!

 

 

Wow.  Didn’t see that coming. 
https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/royal-caribbean-says-shalom-israel-with-odyssey-of-the-seas-debut/article_e3e4f171-7334-5b3f-a810-8ee3fc723d12.html

[Cruise Wonderland]

Press release here:

 

https://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/press-release/1498/royal-caribbean-says-shalom-israel-with-odyssey-of-the-seas-debut

Edited March 1, 2021 by Cruise Wonderland

[sgmn]

55 minutes ago, zjc said:

 

For people age 40 below though could potentially be October before we can get onboard. 

They are aiming for end July for everyone over 18 to have had one jab with high level of effectiveness.  As us oldies get our second jab I think that they will be able to offer the second to 18-40s age group earlier than 12 weeks.  Also more types of vaccine will be offered, i.e. Moderna and the one jab Janssen which should increase the rate of the rollout  

 

There could be a chance of a truncated season out of Southampton, maybe from July or August, cruises around Britain and for the colder months to The Canaries 

  

Edited March 1, 2021 by sgmn

[sgmn]

1 hour ago, Bobal said:

Apologies if this has been mentioned already, did a search and couldn't find it. 

 

Just had notification that our cruise on Odyssey from Rome has been cancelled and they are moving the inaugural season to Israel due to their success with the vaccines.

 

No doubt there will be some very disappointed people with lots of plans to be changed

Disappointing for those booked ex Rome, but in all honesty unlikely Royal Caribbean cruises will happen in Europe, at least for the first part of the season. Perhaps later in the year.

 

Would be interesting if our Dani @dani negreanu books and gives us a live report 👍

    

Edited March 1, 2021 by sgmn

[Bobal]

2 minutes ago, sgmn said:

Disappointing for those booked ex Rome, but in all honesty unlikely Royal Caribbean cruises will happen in Europe, at least for the first part of the season. Perhaps later in the year.

 

Would be interesting if our Dani @dani negreanu books and gives us a live report 👍

    

 

Agree. There are too many countries on too many different timescales for vaccinations/lockdowns etc. I also thought about dani - one of the few people I have seen on here posting from Israel.

[little britain]

I've got (had) 2 cruises booked on Odyssey but I have only received one email and I have no idea which cruise the email refers to; as my cancellation/refund requirements on both are very different!!!  One I had paid a lot off and one I had paid with a previous FCC.....

 

[Trixie21]

2 hours ago, Bobal said:

Will be interesting to see if they decide to do the same with cruises from the UK if our vaccine success continues to be so successful 

This was my exact first thought when I read this.

I see no reason why not if things can be agreed with the relevant agencies.

Would be fantastic to have a relaxing cruise around the UK with a fully vaccinated ship of crew and passengers.

Royal are obviously confident they have enough crew (vaccinated) to staff Odyssey .

[Biker19]

You would think that if high vaccination rates is the criteria, Dubai might be in the running, but that is unlikely to happen.

 

Biker, who wonders how many threads on this topic will be started.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Biker19

[Ourusualbeach]

As Royal Caribbean continues to navigate an environment that is ever-changing, our commitment to each of you, our valued travel partners, is one area where transparency and support prevail. For this reason, we are reaching out today to ensure you are among the first to learn of a new development.

Our newest ship, Odyssey of the Seas, will now sail from Haifa, Israel beginning May 2021, offering a combination of 3-to-7-night escapes visiting the Greek Isles and Cyprus. Residents of Israel will be the first to experience this Quantum Ultra Class newcomer during an inaugural season that offers a variety of new and signature onboard experiences. Highlights onboard include a two-level pool deck designed for downtime under the sun and stars, SeaPlex - the two-level indoor and outdoor activity complex that is a high-adrenaline playground for all ages, and a lineup of complimentary and specialty restaurants primed to please every palate with cuisine from around the world. Itinerary details for these new sailings will be available in the coming days, at which time Israeli residents can begin making reservations.

“We are thrilled to debut Royal Caribbean cruises from Israel with our newest and most innovative ship, Odyssey of the Seas. Israeli travelers will be looking to get away, relax with total peace of mind, and enjoy the travel experiences they are missing dearly; and that is what we do best,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “Sailing from Israel is an opportunity we have had our sights on for quite some time. We greatly appreciate the government of Israel for their collaboration and confidence in us to deliver memorable cruise experiences to their residents, and look forward to delivering on that promise aboard our newest ship – the first ‘Green Island’ at sea.”

Additionally, in conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, these will be the first fully-vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of 16 will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to boarding. Details on the additional health and safety measures to be implemented by Israel and Royal Caribbean will be announced at a later date.

As you can imagine, it's never an easy decision when our guests’ vacation plans are disrupted. Much thought and planning went into moving Odyssey’s debut to Israel, resulting in the cancellation of a planned Europe season. Guests currently confirmed on an impacted European cruise departing May 9 — October 28, 2021 will have the option to request a refund of the funds paid or leverage Lift & Shift to move to any 2022 sailing of their choice; otherwise, a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be automatically administered. Plus, knowing that your clients were eagerly awaiting Odyssey’s inaugural season, a special $100 Onboard Credit per stateroom will be issued to those guests selecting a Future Cruise Credit or the Lift & Shift option. All affected guests and associated travel partners will soon receive an email notification to outline the compensation options in greater detail.

Your partnership means the world to us and, little by little, we are making strides toward crafting vacation memories on the high seas once again!

Stay safe!

[MrBoccia]

What does this mean for our TA starting in Rome on Oct 28th?

[Biker19]

Just now, MrBoccia said:

What does this mean for our TA starting in Rome on Oct 28th?

RCI will likely won't tell for you a while, but assume it's cancelled - likely all TAs will be for the fall.

[Ourusualbeach]

It will be interesting to see the details of this lift and shift option below. 
 

 

 

 

Guests currently confirmed on an impacted European cruise departing May 9 — October 28, 2021 will have the option to request a refund of the funds paid or leverage Lift & Shift to move to any 2022 sailing of their choice;

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, MrBoccia said:

What does this mean for our TA starting in Rome on Oct 28th?

The cancellation looks like it already includes Oct 28.

 

 

Guests currently confirmed on an impacted European cruise departing May 9 — October 28, 2021 will have the option to request a refund of the funds paid or leverage Lift & Shift to move to any 2022 sailing of their choice;

[pstone1]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The cancellation looks like it already includes Oct 28.

 

 

Guests currently confirmed on an impacted European cruise departing May 9 — October 28, 2021 will have the option to request a refund of the funds paid or leverage Lift & Shift to move to any 2022 sailing of their choice;

 

I wondered the same.  Any Odyssey sailing or any sailing, no matter the ship?

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, pstone1 said:

 

I wondered the same.  Any Odyssey sailing or any sailing, no matter the ship?

Just saw the detail on another thread. Any sailing +/- 1 day in length, any ship med cruise. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[Jobe20]

Interested in that L&S “any sailing” bit. Where does it say Med sailing please Ourusualbeach?

I called RC earlier and the operator said from Rome only...But I know last year when I L&S to this cruise I just called back and got another operator who didn’t make me stick to same port...

[ace2542]

3 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

I could totally imagine Anthem doing British Isles cruises for UK based cruisers. I think I read she's parked off the UK coast at the moment?

Wouldn't Anthem be too big to get into places like I dunno Liverpool, Newcastle, Shetland, Harwich, Belfast? 

Edited March 1, 2021 by ace2542

[Ourusualbeach]

14 minutes ago, Jobe20 said:

Interested in that L&S “any sailing” bit. Where does it say Med sailing please Ourusualbeach?

I called RC earlier and the operator said from Rome only...But I know last year when I L&S to this cruise I just called back and got another operator who didn’t make me stick to same port...

It doesn’t say Med sailing, I shouldn’t have added that .  It says any open sailing but who knows how they are interpreting that.  I would call back or wait a few days and hear what others have been able to shift to.  

Edited March 1, 2021 by Ourusualbeach