New class being possibly revealed “very soon”

[FamilyCruiserUK]

19 hours ago, SUgwoz said:

Making a class of ships adult only would cause so many headaches on top of the amount of marketing required to explain.  Would be like Virgin Voyages having a kids friendly ship, and watching how many adults go on the ship confused as to why kids are on it.

Not really.

It would be more down to the stupidity of the people booking. Not difficult to do a little bit of research, helps having the google web.

 

Plenty of other cruise lines manage it. Hold on i forgot we are talking about royals IT..... 😂

[RobInMN]

4 hours ago, Tolkmit said:

 

No, you've been making assumptions. The vast majority of reports are the class is "smaller." You assume that to mean what your subjective opinion classifies as "small" when in fact it simply means not as big as Oasis/Icon.

The ship could designed for anywhere from 500 to 5000 passengers, and it would still be "smaller."

No. I've never said small (others may have). In my opinion, there is a 100% chance it will be bigger than the Radiance class. Most comments from captains seems to put it around the size of a Voyager/Freedom class.

There is no way they can fit in the expected amenities with a passenger count that makes economic sense in the size of a Radiance. They will have to balance that with size restrictions on where they want this ship to go. New Panamax? Bridge heights for ports they want to go. If they use LNG, will they want to go back to Flam? Geiringer? How about Honnignsvag? The pier there was already about 1/3 the size of Jewel. 

Yes, smaller just means smaller than Oasis and probably Quantum. 

 

My comment was the fact that Michael Bayley, and many captains have all made comments about a new "smaller" class of ship and there are some people that post here (like the person I was responding to) that don't seem to believe that RC will ever build a smaller sized ship, only going larger with every new class. It's to those people that I am asking, "So Michael Bayley and many RC Captains are all lying?"

 

[Airbear232]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:28 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Possibly, but you still have the 7th Oasis class ship coming plus Star and the 3rd Icon class ship. Just my two cents opinion, and probably not worth that much, but I think the majority of RCI cruisers won’t get excited about a new, smaller class ship (if/when it happens). 

But, if smaller ships mean better itineraries, new ports and more world cruises then a lot of us are happy. 

[fenton04]

On 5/1/2024 at 11:11 AM, F27TW said:

Wouldn't it be nice if, for this next class, the rumors of smaller were actually true?     And that they would go back to  taking more of a dignified approach ?

 

Like ..  no roller coasters or waterslides hanging off the sides?   And no giant cartoon characters and balls and shapes and bumper cars and ropes courses all over the upper decks?  No gimmicky silliness like observation capsules that rise to the heavens.     Just more aesthetically pleasing ..  and maybe even (gasp!) more  'traditional/classic' cruise ship looking design .. unlike the shapes of the behemoths that have been coming out with all the cruise lines this past few years?  Maybe back to a more traditional bow design again, as opposed to that ugly Icon-style/Celebrity Edge/Norwegian Prima barge-like bow.  (Yes, I know, i know .. more efficient, but still .. ugly).

 

And a smaller more manageable size .. and not as heavily family oriented as these last classes have been?

 

Just wishful thinking on my part, but i'm hoping for a little of this! 

 

Just wanted to say that we were on the Costa Rivera June 1987.  By far our best cruise ever!

[smokeybandit]

On 5/1/2024 at 10:11 AM, F27TW said:

Maybe back to a more traditional bow design again, as opposed to that ugly Icon-style/Celebrity Edge/Norwegian Prima barge-like bow.  (Yes, I know, i know .. more efficient, but still .. ugly).

 

 

What is a "traditional" bow design?  Bow designs are not aesthetic art designs. They have practical uses. And with technology evolutions, bow designs change, too.

Besides, Icon' bow design *is* traditional since it looks much more like early ocean liners.

[fenton04]

On 5/1/2024 at 5:13 PM, alfaeric said:

Talks about a 3-4k class has been going around a lot. We heard the same. But, IMHO, the ships it’s most announced on are 2k ships with pretty specific height limits. Which this new class won’t likely meet. So I don’t really understand why it’s made such a big deal on the ships from Baltimore and Tampa. 

The captain on explorer said new class would have retractable smoke stacks!

[F27TW]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

What is a "traditional" bow design?  Bow designs are not aesthetic art designs. They have practical uses. And with technology evolutions, bow designs change, too.

Besides, Icon' bow design *is* traditional since it looks much more like early ocean liners.

 

 

Ok, the long-used "raked bow" is what I was referring to.  See how pretty?     As opposed to the second 2 ... just hideous.

 

 

[SUgwoz]

3 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

Not really.

It would be more down to the stupidity of the people booking. Not difficult to do a little bit of research, helps having the google web.

 

Plenty of other cruise lines manage it. Hold on i forgot we are talking about royals IT..... 😂

Royal has spent the last few years if not longer selling a family brand, from the ships to private Island. Currently investing substantially more on new family ships and private family beach resorts in Cancun and Nassau.  Just like Virgin and Viking establishing a brand and sticking to it. 

 

Just don't see Royal pivoting, nor see the advantage of them trying to take on Cruise lines that can 100% focus on adults only.  

 

[alfaeric]

57 minutes ago, fenton04 said:

The captain on explorer said new class would have retractable smoke stacks!

Would need a retractable deck to fit into Baltimore and Tampa. 

[smokeybandit]

24 minutes ago, F27TW said:

 

 

Ok, the long-used "raked bow" is what I was referring to.  See how pretty?     As opposed to the second 2 ... just hideous.

 

 

Now go look at the Queen Mary or QE2 or Mauretania or other classic ocean liners of that era that had similar bows.

[RobInMN]

In the "Project Discovery" thread, @Jumping Cruiser posted this:

I would tend to agree. Project Discovery may look something similar to this. Yes, it's a parabolic bow.  Anyway, to me it does have a slight Royal Caribbean vibe to it. Looks like the bridge may be deck 10 (like Voyager/Freedom class) or 11. For reference, Radiance is 9, Odyssey, Oasis and Icon are 12. and a pool deck maybe at 14 (counting a deck 13). So might need to drop a deck or 2 depending on where they decide they want to be able to take her?

 

[fenton04]

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

Would need a retractable deck to fit into Baltimore and Tampa. 

Don't shoot the messenger but Captain named the Tampa port, he did not mention Baltimore.  

[Biker19]

16 minutes ago, fenton04 said:

Don't shoot the messenger but Captain named the Tampa port, he did not mention Baltimore.  

If it fits in Tampa, it will likely fit in Baltimore.

[smokeybandit]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If it fits in Tampa, it will likely fit in Baltimore.

Skyway Bridge in Tampa is 190 feet. Key Bridge (RIP) and Bay Bridge in Baltimore are 186 feet. Gotta think they would ensure the ship fits at both if they're going to do but one.

[AC Stew]

If a "Discovery Class" ship is added, I would hope that it would live up to its title. That is ... a ship small enough to "discover" new ports without disgorging thousands of passengers into smaller, less-traveled destinations. 

 

More intimate travel adventures with RCI would be welcomed by a great many of us. IMHO, the absence of floating theme park/carnival rides would not necessarily discourage families. I know a heckuva lot of people who would love to introduce their kids to new cultures, archaeological sites, and nature conservancies. Maybe a nice beach experience without 5000 of your new best friends? I for one, would welcome a diversity of passengers on a "discovery" sailing. Kids included. 

 

And if this proposed ship class simply means a replacement for Radiance or Vision Class, then I'll be satisfied with that. The floating behemoths are not for us! (No offense to those who like them.)

 

In any event, all the speculation is entertaining, but speculation is all it is.

[cruiselvr04]

Royal is a family cruise line and that’s not going to change.  However I do wish they’d build a smaller class of ships with longer and better itineraries. We really like the Royal product and would like to stay with them but other cruise lines are getting our interest due to itineraries.  We still cruise the Caribbean some but really want to see more of the world. The big ships just don’t interest us for more than a one time thing. And we certainly aren’t flying across the country for a 3/4 night cruise. Right now they seem to targeting families in Florida vs. Disney. 

Edited May 3 by cruiselvr04

[fenton04]

On 5/1/2024 at 11:11 AM, F27TW said:

Wouldn't it be nice if, for this next class, the rumors of smaller were actually true?     And that they would go back to  taking more of a dignified approach ?

 

Like ..  no roller coasters or waterslides hanging off the sides?   And no giant cartoon characters and balls and shapes and bumper cars and ropes courses all over the upper decks?  No gimmicky silliness like observation capsules that rise to the heavens.     Just more aesthetically pleasing ..  and maybe even (gasp!) more  'traditional/classic' cruise ship looking design .. unlike the shapes of the behemoths that have been coming out with all the cruise lines this past few years?  Maybe back to a more traditional bow design again, as opposed to that ugly Icon-style/Celebrity Edge/Norwegian Prima barge-like bow.  (Yes, I know, i know .. more efficient, but still .. ugly).

 

And a smaller more manageable size .. and not as heavily family oriented as these last classes have been?

 

Just wishful thinking on my part, but i'm hoping for a little of this! 

 

Out of the archives.

[DJLDRUMS]

On 5/1/2024 at 12:15 PM, smokeybandit said:

Voyager class may be "small" for RC's fleet, yet still larger than all but 3 Carnival ships.

Voyager and Freedom class just seem to have a good fit for a lot of people too. 

[DJLDRUMS]

On 5/2/2024 at 11:23 AM, RobInMN said:

All correct statements. I also thought the "big" announcement would be Project Discovery since Michael Bayley has said they hope to announce it this year. It does seem like it's being mentioned more frequently at the Captain Q&A's (and maybe just because more people are asking), so I'm hoping that is a good sign.

But correct. No official announcements have been made up to this point.

When Royal builds new ships, people will come no matter what. Can you imagine the day that the Discovery class bookings open up? And you thought Icon beat all booking records..lol..lol..

[DJLDRUMS]

On 5/1/2024 at 5:36 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

I agree with you about Celebrity. On Apex right now, which is probably my favorite ship. I like Oasis class ships and enjoyed Icon, but Apex is the perfect size ship in my world. Also helps that you rarely see kids on most Celebrity cruises. No doubt there will be lots of people happy if RCI announces a new smaller class ship, but I still believe the majority of RCI cruisers, which by definition only has to be 51% (using whole numbers), will not care too much about a new smaller class ship. If/when they officially announce Project Discovery, I will be curious to see how many “features” they can fit on a smaller ship and what the price point will be with cruise fares. 
 

Just an FYI, l like all classes of RCI ships. Over the next few months I have cruises booked on Freedom, Independence twice, Radiance, Grandeur and Enchantment. 

You can be certain that the Planning Department in Miami have been kept busy in designing the Discovery class ships.

[DJLDRUMS]

5 hours ago, F27TW said:

 

 

Ok, the long-used "raked bow" is what I was referring to.  See how pretty?     As opposed to the second 2 ... just hideous.

 

 

And that design was supposed to, in part help the ship to operate smoother in rough water. A very technical term was used when it was fist announced. But, anyone that's travelled on a ship with this different bow design care to comment as to if you've found a difference in the different sea conditions.

[DJLDRUMS]

4 hours ago, RobInMN said:

In the "Project Discovery" thread, @Jumping Cruiser posted this:

I would tend to agree. Project Discovery may look something similar to this. Yes, it's a parabolic bow.  Anyway, to me it does have a slight Royal Caribbean vibe to it. Looks like the bridge may be deck 10 (like Voyager/Freedom class) or 11. For reference, Radiance is 9, Odyssey, Oasis and Icon are 12. and a pool deck maybe at 14 (counting a deck 13). So might need to drop a deck or 2 depending on where they decide they want to be able to take her?

 

Quite the interesting artist's rendition for sure ! 

[Tolkmit]

2 hours ago, AC Stew said:

If a "Discovery Class" ship is added, I would hope that it would live up to its title. That is ... a ship small enough to "discover" new ports without disgorging thousands of passengers into smaller, less-traveled destinations. 

 

More intimate travel adventures with RCI would be welcomed by a great many of us. IMHO, the absence of floating theme park/carnival rides would not necessarily discourage families. I know a heckuva lot of people who would love to introduce their kids to new cultures, archaeological sites, and nature conservancies. Maybe a nice beach experience without 5000 of your new best friends? I for one, would welcome a diversity of passengers on a "discovery" sailing. Kids included. 

 

And if this proposed ship class simply means a replacement for Radiance or Vision Class, then I'll be satisfied with that. The floating behemoths are not for us! (No offense to those who like them.)

 

In any event, all the speculation is entertaining, but speculation is all it is.

 

Attempting to read into the name might be a mistake. It's not even "Discovery Class" it's "Project Discovery." Much like Quantum Class was originally "Project Sunshine" the lead ship and class could be named just about anything, and the internal project name we are all using is not necessarily indicative of anything, it's just one possible name it might end up having.

To make it worth building new ships, Royal is going to want the return on investment to be at least within spitting distance of their other new ships. A ship around 40% of the size of Icon would cost around 40% of Icon and hold around 40% of the passengers. Meaning prices similar to the range of Wonder, Star, and Icon. (Utopia is a different animal, short cruises can be cheaper because they make far more in onboard sales.) Yes, there are some people interested in the sort of stuff you are talking about. The question is, are there enough of them willing to pay significantly more to take that cruise on a newer, Royal ship instead of an older ship or one on another line.

Royal can charge more for the same cruises to Alaska on a Quantum class ship than they can on a Radiance class ship. If the majority of that price difference is just because Quantum class is newer, then new Radiance/Vision size ships makes sense. But if the majority of that is because there is significantly more to do, more bells and whistles, on Quantum class, then a new class in the Quantum range makes sense. And I think it's likely mostly the latter. People won't pay as much for ships that don't have as much to do, and smaller ships can't have nearly as much to do.

[Tatra603]

Why are some people assuming this new class of ship will replace the Radiance class rather than the Voyager class?

If it's likely to be a similar size to Voyager and the Voyager class ships are older than the Radiance class, then surely it makes sense to move on the older vessels, especially as they are so similar in design to the Freedom's.

Radiance class is my favourite. 

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, DJLDRUMS said:

You can be certain that the Planning Department in Miami have been kept busy in designing the Discovery class ships.

You assume there is actually a Discovery class ship, which I would bet a lot of money that there won’t be a ship class called Discovery.