Galaxy, Mercury & Century all going?

[chessbriar]

I was reading my most recent copy of Cruise Travel magazine and notice something interesting. They have a cruise ship guide, listing all ships and ownership.

 

Ship/Owner

 

Century/ Blue Sapphire Marine(Marketed by Celebrity)

Galaxy/ Esker Marine Shipping(Marketed by Celebrity)

Mercury/ Seabrook Maritime(Marketed by Celebrity)

 

Brilliance of the Seas/ Holiday September Leasing(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

Legend of the Seas/ Cruise Vision One(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

Splendour of the Seas/ Cruise Vision Two(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

 

 

Apparently, RCI has spun these ships into their own companies to ease the transfer to their no cruise lines.

 

I found Brilliance to be the big surprise. But with Brilliance doing yearly European cruises, I guess it makes sense since they are opperating it as it's own entity.

[FinelyCruising]

Probably has its share of benefits.

[vickila]

Don't understand what you are trying to say? Could you please explain. V.

[chessbriar]

I found it intersting that the Celebrity no longer owns the C class But only markets it(sells cruises on them)

 

Celebrity no longer owns Galaxy, Mercury, or Century. They have been spun off into subsidiaries. Celebrity only markets the ships. It will facilitate the ships being removed from the fleet.

 

Until now, Mercury and Century leaving the fleet has been speculation. But this makes it looks as if RCI is moving in that direction even though nothing has been announced.

 

I know X doesn't have enough staff to adequately staff all the C, M and S class ships, so the C class needs to go.

[FinelyCruising]

Well, that is what it says, but the investment ownership level is not known based on that passage, and as stand alones if one or two ships are pulling down the balance sheet, it is easier to footnote that.

[richsea]

Very observant Rick, I didn't notice that! I guess it was inevitable that they get rid of their "smaller" ships, which were among the largest afloat when they were launched in the mid/late 90s.

 

Evidently Celebrity is not interested in expanding their horizon & we can look forward to the same old itineraries in the future, just with larger ships. Very sad to me.:(

[hcat]

Does the ownership structure mean the ships are definitely going to other lines in the near future or is that just a financial/tax mechanism? The only one that was annouced is Galaxy....

 

Does X still employ & train the on board staff ?

 

The new ships for X are very nice so I can live with that but once Radiance Class ships leave Royal C--so will we--the others are floating retail malls!

 

Can Voyager class do the Canal?

 

Hope M class will be around for awhile....

[Albert Ross]

I found Brilliance to be the big surprise. But with Brilliance doing yearly European cruises, I guess it makes sense since they are opperating it as it's own entity.

Brilliance has always been 'owned' and marketed independently by RCI UK.

[dkjretired]

I was reading my most recent copy of Cruise Travel magazine and notice something interesting. They have a cruise ship guide, listing all ships and ownership.

 

Ship/Owner

 

Century/ Blue Sapphire Marine(Marketed by Celebrity)

Galaxy/ Esker Marine Shipping(Marketed by Celebrity)

Mercury/ Seabrook Maritime(Marketed by Celebrity)

 

Brilliance of the Seas/ Holiday September Leasing(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

Legend of the Seas/ Cruise Vision One(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

Splendour of the Seas/ Cruise Vision Two(Marketed by Royal Caribbean)

 

 

Apparently, RCI has spun these ships into their own companies to ease the transfer to their no cruise lines.

 

I found Brilliance to be the big surprise. But with Brilliance doing yearly European cruises, I guess it makes sense since they are opperating it as it's own entity.

 

Rick

 

Just curious, who does the guide say owns the Mille class ships and is there any indication of when this ownership took place on the C class ships...

[woodofpine]

I don't know that ships titled into separate entities necessarily means they are sailing over the horizon. I know a couple of longstanding HAL ships (Statendam class me thinks) have been in other entities in leaseback arrangments for a long time. Not very much of the world or domestic airline fleets are actually owned by the airlines. Expensing off lease payments is often advantagious over owning and depreciating assets then dealing with taxes on recaptured gains on depreciated assets when they are sold.

 

There has seemed to be a lot of comment on these boards that the older X ships are on their way out. There are always laments in that and certainly the "X style" (whatever that's perceived as... traditional, high service) is a bit out of context in large/mega ships. But heck, maybe its brilliant! Be the only trad-service line with BIG ships then plug Azamara in the small end. Comparatively though, it seems that both HAL (with Prisendam) and Princess (with Tahitian, Pacific) have managed to command different price points and ship experiences under one flag.

[chessbriar]

It shows all the M class ships owned by Celebrity as well as tHe S class.

 

X hires most of their own employees with shoppies and spa employees hired by their contractor.

 

I got the feel on the Solstice in talking with employees there, there is concern over staffing of the new ships. Not enough experienced people for all the ships.

 

My guess is Mercury will go at the end of the 2010 Caribbean season and Century will follow April 2011

[chessbriar]

Does the ownership structure mean the ships are definitely going to other lines in the near future or is that just a financial/tax mechanism? The only one that was annouced is Galaxy....

 

Does X still employ & train the on board staff ?

 

Can Voyager class do the Canal?

 

Last year they were still owned by Celebrity.

 

With the construction going on in Panama, it's a matter of time before the Voyager class and larger can go through the canal

 

Brilliance has always been 'owned' and marketed independently by RCI UK.

I hadn't noticed. Bigger fan of X, so I pay more attention there. Thanks

[FinelyCruising]

It shows all the M class ships owned by Celebrity as well as tHe S class.

 

X hires most of their own employees with shoppies and spa employees hired by their contractor.

 

I got the feel on the Solstice in talking with employees there, there is concern over staffing of the new ships. Not enough experienced people for all the ships.

 

My guess is Mercury will go at the end of the 2010 Caribbean season and Century will follow April 2011

 

Do you think they then give up the 4-5 day runs? If not how will they fill that itin with any M Class ship?

[FinelyCruising]

No wait. Maybe Azamara makes a move over to fill this desire.

[Putterdude]

The poor Mercury...heavens it has been bought and sold so many times she probably doesn't know whose flag to fly. Right now Celebrity shows itineraries into mid-March 2010, so there goes another rumor....but stand by for the next.

[LustforLife]

What does this mean for my cruise on Mercury next January, 2010? Will I be sailing on Celebrity?

[Putterdude]

Based upon Celebrity's website site, if you are booked on the Mercury for Jan 2010 then it will be the Mercury and I think you will enjoy her to death.

[Lois R]

The poor Mercury...heavens it has been bought and sold so many times she probably doesn't know whose flag to fly. Right now Celebrity shows itineraries into mid-March 2010, so there goes another rumor....but stand by for the next.

 

Hi Putterdude, I thought it showed itineraries through

mid APRIL 2010. Did they knock it off by a month?

[LMKohler]

I'm booked on the March 29, 2010 Mercury out of Charleston, so I hope she sails through April, 2010. If the rumors are correct, I could be on the next to last trip on Mercury.

 

I would find it incredibly hard to believe that Celebrity would move Azamara into 4-5 night intineraries. It simply goes against (IMO) what I thought their philosophy (sp?) was for Asamara (smaller ship, smaller ports, longer itineraries, etc.).

 

Lucy

[lisiamc]

I'm booked on the March 29, 2010 Mercury out of Charleston, so I hope she sails through April, 2010. If the rumors are correct, I could be on the next to last trip on Mercury.

 

I would find it incredibly hard to believe that Celebrity would move Azamara into 4-5 night intineraries. It simply goes against (IMO) what I thought their philosophy (sp?) was for Asamara (smaller ship, smaller ports, longer itineraries, etc.).

 

Lucy

 

I agree. I don't think the Azamara target market is very compatible with 4-5 night cruises. I think they're after the people who like longer cruises and more exotic itineraries. That's what we like about Azamara, anyway!

 

Lisa

[cvaty]

Azamara is more smaller about 1000 passangers.

Not very sure if this is adeqate.

[chessbriar]

Do you think they then give up the 4-5 day runs? If not how will they fill that itin with any M Class ship?

 

They will take one of the M class ships, who knows which one, it's probably 2 years away before it becomes an issue

 

What does this mean for my cruise on Mercury next January, 2010? Will I be sailing on Celebrity?

Nothing, you will be sailing on your cruise. It is just likely after the Winter season the ship will leave the fleet instead of heading to Alaska.

 

With the new itineraries due out in 2 months, we can expect X to announce her fate around that time.

[woodofpine]

With the construction going on in Panama, it's a matter of time before the Voyager class and larger can go through the canal.

 

I didn't realize that they were widening the canal until this post. I knew the Gaillard Cut was being widened to allow two ships to pass; previously, Gaillard was a single track and vessels going opposite directions had to take turns. Your post prompted me to google it. I guess the original schedule would have the widening done around 2014-15. It takes loan money though so I wonder if the world financial crisis may delay it.

[Lois R]

quote by Chessbriar:

 

"They will take one of the M class ships, who knows which one, it's probably 2 years away before it becomes an issue"

 

Rick, do you think they will do 7 nights (like CENTURY used

to do?) rather than the 4/5 nighters?

[Sky Sweet]

In light of the significantly increased capacity that will be created when all of the Solstice class ships are in service, I am not at all surprised to hear that Celebrity's oldest ships will probably be leaving the fleet soon.

 

Even when they do, Celebrity will still be able to accommodate a lot more passengers than they can now.