Updates on Sovereign and Monarch (merged)

[smalltimecruiser100]

For me, I decided to wait to hear from officials at RCI(official word) before stating opinions on Sovereign future. Right now RCI shows until end of mar/2009. Rumors can only prove to be very upseting. Lets wait for the facts!:) I'm planning on my 3/17/08 cruise on the Sovereign and looking forward to it.

[Jsme]

I booked April 2009 last week with no problems. Now I know this does not mean a thing if they sale or move the ship. I know they will cancel my crusie but dang it we booked that ship for a reason. It is the ship our children chose to go on and we are surprising our DD for her 16th birthday. If they are going to cancel and move the ship I hope it is sooner verses later. That way I can get another game plan.

[Chriz]

I can't seem to get the link to open that is in the OP. Does anyone have this posted elsewhere?

 

Thanks

[berwyn]

It worked last week. Now it's down.

[NJBill]

MIAMI, Oct 12, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Royal Caribbean

Cruises Ltd. announced today that Royal Caribbean International's Sovereign of

the Seas will be reassigned to the company's Pullmantur fleet, and the Los

Angeles- based Monarch of the Seas will assume Sovereign of the Seas' sailings

out of Port Canaveral. These changes will take place in October and November

2008.

 

"We are fortunate that our mix of brands allows us the flexibility and

opportunity to expand in key strategic markets and to diversify in existing

ones," said Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Adam Goldstein. "We

thank our partners at the ports of Los Angeles, Ensenada, Catalina and San Diego

for our outstanding and ongoing relationship. We look forward to providing our

Monarch of the Seas guests with exceptional vacations as we visit those

locations through next fall."

 

Sovereign of the Seas' last scheduled sailing for Royal Caribbean International

will be on October 31, 2008. Two subsequent cruises, scheduled for November 3

and 7, will be canceled, and guests booked on those cruises will receive a full

refund and an onboard credit for rebooking an earlier Sovereign of the Seas

sailing during 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by

December 31, 2007. All guests currently booked on Sovereign of the Seas on or

after November 10, 2008, will be re-accommodated onboard Monarch of the Seas.

 

Monarch of the Seas will make its last regularly scheduled sailing out of Los

Angeles on October 13, 2008. All guests currently booked on a subsequent sailing

will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking a three, four or

five-night Caribbean sailing, or a seven-night Mexican Riviera sailing, onboard

Royal Caribbean International in 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must

be made by December 31, 2007.

 

On October 17, 2008, Monarch of the Seas will reposition to the East Coast when

it departs Los Angeles on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise to Miami. The ship will

then undergo a scheduled, weeklong dry-dock before welcoming its first Port

Canaveral guests for three and four-night Bahamas sailings starting November 10,

2008.

 

Royal Caribbean International has established a special help desk to assist its

guests and travel agents impacted by these changes. The toll free phone number

is 1-888-281-9344.

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates

Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises

and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 35 ships in

service and seven under construction. It also offers unique land- tour vacations

in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Latin and South America and New

Zealand. Additional information can be found on http://www.royalcaribbean.com,

http://www.celebrity.com, http://www.pullmantur.es, http://www.azamaracruises.com, or

http://www.rclinvestor.com.

 

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

[SherriZ366]

I just got the press release also. Glad to see that RCI is keeping a 3/4 day ship in Port C. Hope this an indication for support of the port overall. I have been pretty vocal on Cruise Critic on the inmportance of the port -- I have also sent some correspondence to RCI. Seems like there is pretty short gap here -- SOS's last sailing is October 31, 2008 and the Monarch's first sailing is November 10.

[sdcruiser]

Does anyone know which ship, if any, will replace the Monarch in LA for short sailings?

 

Thx

SDCRuiser

[karena1]

Our very first cruise ship!!!! It will be like going home. So I am excited. Just glad they are keeping something here. DH and I have 2 more booked on SOS and then my good-bye cruise on SOS will be next Aug when I cruise with the girls. She has been a fabulous ship and I will miss her, but I am totally okay with Monarch.

 

Does anyone know when Monarch was refurbished?

[3213dev]

 

Does anyone know when Monarch was refurbished?

 

not sure when it was refurbed but, they will be dry docking her before she begins sailing out of PC

 

DEV

[duncanmaria]

2003. Same year as the Sovereign.

[dirtgirl]

I am curious as to what, if anything, will replace the Monarch. She almost always sails full.:confused:

[karena1]

Cool. I am sure she will be just fine. Just looked at the floor plan and we can get the exact same room in the exact same location as we do on SOS so it won't even seem any different.

 

Now I wonder when we will hear what is taking the place of Mariner?

 

And what are they going to put in CA in place of the Monarch?

[louanne93]

I am curious as to what, if anything, will replace the Monarch. She almost always sails full.:confused:

 

I agree!! What will we do with out her??:eek: There are going to be a lot of sad:( people out here on the west coast.

 

Guess I will just have to book a couple of trips on her before she leaves!

[dontpanik]

This will be great! I can't wait to sail on the Sovereign, but since the Monarch is a Sovereign class ship and has the sushi bar...well this will be fun! To me, its all about the ship, not the destination.

[dirtgirl]

I agree!! What will we do with out her??:eek: There are going to be a lot of sad:( people out here on the west coast.

 

Guess I will just have to book a couple of trips on her before she leaves!

 

I have two already booked for April and August next year. Just slipped in under the wire.

 

I imagine a lot of people are going to want to go on her before she goes, so I see prices rising in the near future.

[traveler/]

Cool. I am sure she will be just fine. Just looked at the floor plan and we can get the exact same room in the exact same location as we do on SOS so it won't even seem any different.

 

Now I wonder when we will hear what is taking the place of Mariner?

 

And what are they going to put in CA in place of the Monarch?

Mariner OS arrives in Feb 2009 to LA.

We are booked on Mariner's repositioning voyage, last leg from Chile to LA 2/3/09 to 2/19/09.

My guess that is the new ship for LA.

[dirtgirl]

Mariner OS arrives in Feb 2009 to LA.

We are booked on Mariner's repositioning voyage, last leg from Chile to LA 2/3/09 to 2/19/09.

My guess that is the new ship for LA.

 

 

The Mariner will be doing the Mexican Riviera in place of the Vision, going to Cabo, Mazatlan, and PV. LA also had the Monarch doing 3 and 4 day itineraries, and they are very popular.

[dirtgirl]

Mariner OS arrives in Feb 2009 to LA.

We are booked on Mariner's repositioning voyage, last leg from Chile to LA 2/3/09 to 2/19/09.

My guess that is the new ship for LA.

 

 

darn double post!

[cruzr4vr]

It will be a sad day for the west coast when we lose the Monarch and our 3 and 4 day sailings to Mexico. I know the Mariner will be doing the 7-night Mexican Riveria cruises in place of the Vision but until they announce another ship for Los Angeles we're stuck with Carnival..and I'll never ever do another Carnival cruise.

[eroller]

Press Release Source: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Transfers Royal Caribbean International Ship to Pullmantur; Replaces Ship Serving Port Canaveral

Friday October 12, 11:03 am ET

 

MIAMI, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced today that Royal Caribbean International's Sovereign of the Seas will be reassigned to the company's Pullmantur fleet, and the Los Angeles- based Monarch of the Seas will assume Sovereign of the Seas' sailings out of Port Canaveral. These changes will take place in October and November 2008.

"We are fortunate that our mix of brands allows us the flexibility and opportunity to expand in key strategic markets and to diversify in existing ones," said Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Adam Goldstein. "We thank our partners at the ports of Los Angeles, Ensenada, Catalina and San Diego for our outstanding and ongoing relationship. We look forward to providing our Monarch of the Seas guests with exceptional vacations as we visit those locations through next fall."

 

Sovereign of the Seas' last scheduled sailing for Royal Caribbean International will be on October 31, 2008. Two subsequent cruises, scheduled for November 3 and 7, will be canceled, and guests booked on those cruises will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking an earlier Sovereign of the Seas sailing during 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007. All guests currently booked on Sovereign of the Seas on or after November 10, 2008, will be re-accommodated onboard Monarch of the Seas.

 

Monarch of the Seas will make its last regularly scheduled sailing out of Los Angeles on October 13, 2008. All guests currently booked on a subsequent sailing will receive a full refund and an onboard credit for rebooking a three, four or five-night Caribbean sailing, or a seven-night Mexican Riviera sailing, onboard Royal Caribbean International in 2008 (excluding holidays). All rebookings must be made by December 31, 2007.

 

On October 17, 2008, Monarch of the Seas will reposition to the East Coast when it departs Los Angeles on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise to Miami. The ship will then undergo a scheduled, weeklong dry-dock before welcoming its first Port Canaveral guests for three and four-night Bahamas sailings starting November 10, 2008.

 

Royal Caribbean International has established a special help desk to assist its guests and travel agents impacted by these changes. The toll free phone number is 1-888-281-9344.

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 35 ships in service and seven under construction. It also offers unique land- tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Latin and South America and New Zealand. Additional information can be found on http://www.royalcaribbean.com, http://www.celebrity.com, http://www.pullmantur.es, http://www.azamaracruises.com, or http://www.rclinvestor.com.

 

 

Source: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

[RevSmith]

Looks like it is all but official. Pullmantur, the Spanish arm of Royal Caribbean will be getting SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS. See the link below for an advance brochure for Pullmantur. It may take a minute or two to download as it's a large file. Scroll to the very bottom and you will see a surprise.

 

Pullmantur is also receiving EMPRESS OF THE SEAS, which I thought was being renamed BLUE MOON but this brochure has her listed as EMPRESS. The name they have for SOS? Just SOVEREIGN. Whether that remains or not I don't know.

 

Here is the link:

here.

 

Ernie

 

thanks for the info...all things change...all of the ships I sailed on when I first started sailing are gone now...but I still have the fond memories.

[louanne93]

It will be a sad day for the west coast when we lose the Monarch and our 3 and 4 day sailings to Mexico. I know the Mariner will be doing the 7-night Mexican Riveria cruises in place of the Vision but until they announce another ship for Los Angeles we're stuck with Carnival..and I'll never ever do another Carnival cruise.

 

I agree!! Our first cruise was the Carnival 3 day and let me tell you...It was something else. I have never seen so many drunk people in my life:eek: . And we like to toss a few back as well,but this was crazy. So no Carnival for us.

I assume RCI wouldn't want to lose all the money they get from the 3/4 day cruises from the Monarch:confused: I have faith that RCI won't leave us hangin...knowing they are going to be giving all that business to Carnival.

[emilygrace]

I seriously doubt that RCL will give up the lucrative 3/4 Baja market to Carnival. I'm sure they have something in mind. I just checked the cruise calendar and right now it looks like just the Mariner after the Vision leaves. But you never know what they have in store for us. I was thinking it might be the Rhapsody, since that is replacing the Vision in Alaska, but it looks like the Rhapsody is going to Australia/NZ.

 

This should be fun.......

[firefly333]

Good to hear. Monarch is a newer ship and should be a nice replacement.

 

...........now if they would only say which ship will replace the Mariner?

[SherriZ366]

Good to hear. Monarch is a newer ship and should be a nice replacement.

 

...........now if they would only say which ship will replace the Mariner?

I totally agree.