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Has anyone taken a repo cruise (i.e. transatlantic or Panama Canal)?

I've been looking at going on Norwegian Epic again but transatlantic. I really need a vacation and I think 2 weeks on a ship may be just what the doctor ordered.

New boats for all of you out there this year.
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-cru ... story.html

I have never been on a cruise ship.

einsteinboricua wrote:

Has anyone taken a repo cruise (i.e. transatlantic or Panama Canal)?

I've been looking at going on Norwegian Epic again but transatlantic. I really need a vacation and I think 2 weeks on a ship may be just what the doctor ordered.

Yes, I have taken 2 re-position, 1 transatlantic cruise and 2 panama canal cruises... Let me give you some feedback...

Re-Position Cruise:
Really do your research when it comes to this, because there are some real gems in between at amazingly low prices, with very exotic destinations you usually don't get to see with a cruise.
One of my best cruise itineraries I ever did was a 20 day reposition cruise from Italy to Dubai, crossing the Suez Canal with near daily stops for example in Jerusalem, Jordan etc etc... And the cruise was just USD 900 per person on Costa Cruise Line. Even though I loved the itinerary, the cruise line was really bad (my first Costa cruise), but looking at the price, I cannot complain at all...
But look out, there are also Re-Po cruises where the ships try to get from one place to the other as fast as possible, and those have a lot of sea days and then it isn't that special anymore...

Transatlantic Cruise:
I did 1 transatlantic on the Pacific Princess and I really enjoyed the cruise, but be beware that it can get boring very fast and choose a ship with lots of activities, otherwise you will just end up eating, drinking and sleeping... Which we enjoyed at that time, since we could properly socialize with other guests and crew during the "drinking periods"
One other concern you should watch out for is, that the sea can be very rough out there especially between Bermuda and the US east coast.
If I would do another transatlantic crossing, I would try to go on the Queen Mary 2 from NYC to South Hampton, to have a nostalgic ocean liner experience...

Panama Canal Cruise:
I did 2 full Panama Canal crossings on a cruise... Let me start here, because Panama Canal cruises are not all the same... there are some that make the full crossing, going from the Atlantic to the Pacific side (or vice a versa) and then you have Panama canal cruises, that enter on the Atlantic side, turn around on the Gatun Lake and then exit on the Atlantic side again.
If you want the real experience, you should make a full crossing (just my opinion)... When I did my first crossing on the Island Princess, we had an expert commenting the whole crossing on the PA system and made me feel that you were in a real life documentary, very nice... The second time I went on the Celebrity Infinity and we didn't had the commenting going on, but they had a long presentation by an expert from the Smithsonian Inst. the day before and I took his advice to also watch a lock chamber passing from the lower deck cabins through the porthole.
Other comment... usually the panama canal cruises are somewhat more diverse and exotic then your typical Caribbean cruise, but also take a good look at what the cruise line have to offer. My personal experience is, it is something very special to pass with a large cruise ship through the country side, but you should be very interested in this topic, otherwise it can get boring. I really enjoyed every second of the passing, while my wife was impressed but at some point she has seen it all

In general, all of the above cruises are nice, but it really depends on what you like that you should choose... Currently I am looking for another RePo cruise, but this time a transpacific cruise at a good price with a decent itinerary, from Japan/China to Alaska (or vice a versa), but they get sold out very quickly...

Hi folks, just came across this thread and for what it is worth I tender my comments on two recent cruises. 2016/2017.
The Cruise Line was Regent Seven Seas, the liner was the Seven Seas Voyager,on both occasions.
2016 cruise was from Stockholm to Copenhagen and points in between (St.Petersburg was an eye opener)
I have never been so indulged upon in all my years.The cabins spacious ,all with balconies,the restaurant selection superb,the crew and choice of ground tours excellent.
What can I say,an absolutely brilliant cruise.
2017 cruise was from Barcelona to Lisbon and points in between.
Again could not fault the service that this cruise line offer. As an aside if you get the chance before the rest of the world awakens,spend some time in and about Lisbon. Beautiful country and people.
I know this sounds like an "unpaid commercial" but honestly check this cruise line out. They travel all the seas .Oh and by the way passenger numbers are around the 750 mark. Not overcrowded and not a child/teenager in sight!
Cheers and enjoy your next cruise no matter what company.

How advanced, or basic, are the medical facilities on cruise ships? Or does it vary widely? In a book I have about QE2, it shows an operating theatre just like those on land, in the QE2 medical centre.

On my recent cruise (5-11 January aboard NCL Jade for the charter cruise "Star Trek: The Cruise II"), I experienced a life-threatening medical emergency that had me confined overnight in the Jade's medical facility. I had choked on a piece of meat during dinner in the Grand Pacific dining room, undergone the Heimlich maneuver, and been rushed away to the medical facility on the lowest deck (4). With my tiny throat and jaw deformities due to Treacher Collins syndrome, I have an unfortunate tendency to choke on my food.

I found out from my shipmates later that there had been a Code Alpha sounded, meaning a medical emergency, throughout the ship that evening, when I had my emergency.

The medical facility I was in appeared very basic--first I was taken to a room labelled "Operating Theatre" but that was really like a small-town emergency room with an articulated table or bed, life signs monitors, a portable x-ray machine, and cabinets on the walls full of medical supplies (IV saline bags, syringes, needles, airway-management supplies, pneumothorax supplies, etc). I had an IV started, was given drugs IV, and x-rayed (both chest and cervical) to make sure the piece of meat hadn't gone down into my lungs. There was a ship's doctor (in a naval doctor's epauletted uniform) in attendance along with nurses. The meat had become stuck fast, or impacted, in my upper esophagus just outside the glottal opening to my trachea (so I had air, but was choking on accumulating saliva and the food wouldn't dislodge despite gulping down water, which came right back up). Next, I was taken to "intensive care"--a simple hospital-type room with 2 beds with monitors and a bathroom. I was kept there all night, not released until 8:30am the next morning, because the pork was still firmly impacted in my throat. It was 7 hours before the meat finally broke down and dislodged, even after retching and gagging and repeated attempts to force it down with gulps of water. The doctor even talked about removing me from the ship the next morning (at our first port stop, Roatan, Honduras) and sending me to a hospital ashore. I'm sort of surprised they didn't talk about using an instrument to go down into my throat and remove the impacted meat, or just push it on down the esophagus (my shipmates, including those in the medical field, told me that is a procedure done to dislodge food, for example with a Magill forceps). Perhaps if they had indeed sent me to a hospital ashore, the doctors there might have tried to remove the food? Fortunately, the pork did finally dislodge after 7 hours (at 4am) and I did not need to be offboarded.

My trip insurance I had purchased beforehand when booking this Star Trek cruise is reimbursing me for the $3238.51 bill for this time in "sickbay" (as we Trekkie cruisers would call it), fortunately.

It would not have been too bad a way to die--on a nice cruise... (By the way, there are morgues aboard cruise ships; they don't bury dead passengers at sea anymore.)

Are there shipboard "hospital" facilities more advanced than these now, or are they all just for stabilizing patients for later treatment ashore?

SmithAir747

SmithAir747 wrote:

How advanced, or basic, are the medical facilities on cruise ships? Or does it vary widely? In a book I have about QE2, it shows an operating theatre just like those on land, in the QE2 medical centre.

On my recent cruise (5-11 January aboard NCL Jade for the charter cruise "Star Trek: The Cruise II"), I experienced a life-threatening medical emergency that had me confined overnight in the Jade's medical facility. I had choked on a piece of meat during dinner in the Grand Pacific dining room, undergone the Heimlich maneuver, and been rushed away to the medical facility on the lowest deck (4). With my tiny throat and jaw deformities due to Treacher Collins syndrome, I have an unfortunate tendency to choke on my food.

I found out from my shipmates later that there had been a Code Alpha sounded, meaning a medical emergency, throughout the ship that evening, when I had my emergency.

The medical facility I was in appeared very basic--first I was taken to a room labelled "Operating Theatre" but that was really like a small-town emergency room with an articulated table or bed, life signs monitors, a portable x-ray machine, and cabinets on the walls full of medical supplies (IV saline bags, syringes, needles, airway-management supplies, pneumothorax supplies, etc). I had an IV started, was given drugs IV, and x-rayed (both chest and cervical) to make sure the piece of meat hadn't gone down into my lungs. There was a ship's doctor (in a naval doctor's epauletted uniform) in attendance along with nurses. The meat had become stuck fast, or impacted, in my upper esophagus just outside the glottal opening to my trachea (so I had air, but was choking on accumulating saliva and the food wouldn't dislodge despite gulping down water, which came right back up). Next, I was taken to "intensive care"--a simple hospital-type room with 2 beds with monitors and a bathroom. I was kept there all night, not released until 8:30am the next morning, because the pork was still firmly impacted in my throat. It was 7 hours before the meat finally broke down and dislodged, even after retching and gagging and repeated attempts to force it down with gulps of water. The doctor even talked about removing me from the ship the next morning (at our first port stop, Roatan, Honduras) and sending me to a hospital ashore. I'm sort of surprised they didn't talk about using an instrument to go down into my throat and remove the impacted meat, or just push it on down the esophagus (my shipmates, including those in the medical field, told me that is a procedure done to dislodge food, for example with a Magill forceps). Perhaps if they had indeed sent me to a hospital ashore, the doctors there might have tried to remove the food? Fortunately, the pork did finally dislodge after 7 hours (at 4am) and I did not need to be offboarded.

My trip insurance I had purchased beforehand when booking this Star Trek cruise is reimbursing me for the $3238.51 bill for this time in "sickbay" (as we Trekkie cruisers would call it), fortunately.

It would not have been too bad a way to die--on a nice cruise... (By the way, there are morgues aboard cruise ships; they don't bury dead passengers at sea anymore.)

Are there shipboard "hospital" facilities more advanced than these now, or are they all just for stabilizing patients for later treatment ashore?

SmithAir747

Thats some story glad it worked out ok. Also reinforces the need for good travel insurance that covers cruise ship vacations and that people pre declare any medical conditions at time of purchase.

Celebrity Edge float out



.

einsteinboricua wrote:

Has anyone taken a repo cruise (i.e. transatlantic or Panama Canal)?

I've been looking at going on Norwegian Epic again but transatlantic. I really need a vacation and I think 2 weeks on a ship may be just what the doctor ordered.

I've sailed on Norwegian Epic probably 5 times now, the first being it's inaugural transatlantic to New York from Southampton. Is a great ship for sea days as there's loads of stuff to do ( it won awards for best ship for sea days.)
Since the upgrade, the food is so much better, particularly noticeable in the included dining options. Great entertainment, a few well-hidden quiet areas to relax if you need and a nice gym and spa.
On a long trip like that, I'd recommend getting a pass to POSH. Sea days on most large ships cam be fairly busy around the pool area and Norwegian Epic is no exception. POSH doesn't give you your own pool but takes away a scramble for a lounger as there's plenty of plush loungers for the numbers they let in, lounger service with water spritzers, frozen fruit slushies etc and a water mister for when you need to cool down. I love it up there.

Mark

kasimir wrote:

South Hampton,

Southampton...One word.....

einsteinboricua wrote:

Has anyone taken a repo cruise (i.e. transatlantic or Panama Canal)?

I've been looking at going on Norwegian Epic again but transatlantic. I really need a vacation and I think 2 weeks on a ship may be just what the doctor ordered.

NCL does offer some really good deals on their repo cruises, certainly worth a serious look, the route they take (along with a bunch of other lines) works for us, enough sea days to relax, but with an island thrown in to break it up, I should add we are booked on the QM2 at the end of this year which is 6 straight sea days, I would probably go for the repo cruise next time but I am taking something off the bucket list so the QM2 it is for us.

One thing I have found on the repo cruises is there are a lot of high status passengers, so lines can get a little long if you don't have status with that line.

SmithAir747 wrote:

How advanced, or basic, are the medical facilities on cruise ships? Or does it vary widely? In a book I have about QE2, it shows an operating theatre just like those on land, in the QE2 medical centre.


Are there shipboard "hospital" facilities more advanced than these now, or are they all just for stabilizing patients for later treatment ashore?

SmithAir747

The only ship I know that has good medical facilities is the QM2, other than that it is pretty basic, as you say, they just try to stabilize the passenger until they can get to port.

Norwegian Cruise Line celebrates first construction milestone for newest ship - EU-EN -

Named Norwegian Encore, the new vessel will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019





Norwegian Cruise Line marked the start of construction for its newest ship. Named Norwegian Encore, Norwegian's latest addition to its young, modern fleet will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019.

"Norwegian Encore will be the fourth ship in the successful Breakaway Plus class of Norwegian Cruise Line," says Christian Böll, Managing Director Europe at Norwegian Cruise Line. "Like all ships in our fleet, our newest one will have an excellent entertainment program, a variety of dining options and surprising on-board activities our guests can look forward to."

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MEYER WERFT executives gathered at the MEYER WERFT Laser Center in Papenburg, Germany and cut the first plate of steel, marking the ceremonial start of construction of Norwegian Encore, which is due for delivery on October 31, 2019. "We are excited to start production for Norwegian Encore and to create another floating destination for Norwegian Cruise Line", said Stephan Schmees, Executive Board Member Project Management Ships, MEYER WERFT.

Norwegian Encore will be the seventeenth ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and the line's fourth and final ship in the Breakaway Plus Class, the most successful Class in the brand's history. At approximately 167,800 gross tons and accommodating 4,000 guests, Norwegian Encore will sail weekly seven-day Caribbean cruises each Sunday from PortMiami, offering guests the superior service, world-class entertainment, signature dining and onboard experiences that Norwegian Cruise Line is known for around the globe. The ship will be available for reservations in March 2018.

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/press-release ... ewest-ship

OA260 wrote:

Norwegian Cruise Line celebrates first construction milestone for newest ship - EU-EN -

Named Norwegian Encore, the new vessel will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019





Norwegian Cruise Line marked the start of construction for its newest ship. Named Norwegian Encore, Norwegian's latest addition to its young, modern fleet will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019.

"Norwegian Encore will be the fourth ship in the successful Breakaway Plus class of Norwegian Cruise Line," says Christian Böll, Managing Director Europe at Norwegian Cruise Line. "Like all ships in our fleet, our newest one will have an excellent entertainment program, a variety of dining options and surprising on-board activities our guests can look forward to."

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MEYER WERFT executives gathered at the MEYER WERFT Laser Center in Papenburg, Germany and cut the first plate of steel, marking the ceremonial start of construction of Norwegian Encore, which is due for delivery on October 31, 2019. "We are excited to start production for Norwegian Encore and to create another floating destination for Norwegian Cruise Line", said Stephan Schmees, Executive Board Member Project Management Ships, MEYER WERFT.

Norwegian Encore will be the seventeenth ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and the line's fourth and final ship in the Breakaway Plus Class, the most successful Class in the brand's history. At approximately 167,800 gross tons and accommodating 4,000 guests, Norwegian Encore will sail weekly seven-day Caribbean cruises each Sunday from PortMiami, offering guests the superior service, world-class entertainment, signature dining and onboard experiences that Norwegian Cruise Line is known for around the globe. The ship will be available for reservations in March 2018.

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/press-release ... ewest-ship

Will Encore have bow art, like all the other NCL Breakaway Plus class of ships (and other classes)?

Will there be Studio cabins, as on all the other Breakaway Plus class ships?

(I cruised on the Escape in August 2016, and am booked on her again for November 2018. I loved the Studio cabin I had on this ship, and have booked the same cabin type again.)

SmithAir747

SmithAir747 wrote:

OA260 wrote:

Norwegian Cruise Line celebrates first construction milestone for newest ship - EU-EN -

Named Norwegian Encore, the new vessel will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019





Norwegian Cruise Line marked the start of construction for its newest ship. Named Norwegian Encore, Norwegian's latest addition to its young, modern fleet will sail The Caribbean from Miami seasonally beginning fall 2019.

"Norwegian Encore will be the fourth ship in the successful Breakaway Plus class of Norwegian Cruise Line," says Christian Böll, Managing Director Europe at Norwegian Cruise Line. "Like all ships in our fleet, our newest one will have an excellent entertainment program, a variety of dining options and surprising on-board activities our guests can look forward to."

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MEYER WERFT executives gathered at the MEYER WERFT Laser Center in Papenburg, Germany and cut the first plate of steel, marking the ceremonial start of construction of Norwegian Encore, which is due for delivery on October 31, 2019. "We are excited to start production for Norwegian Encore and to create another floating destination for Norwegian Cruise Line", said Stephan Schmees, Executive Board Member Project Management Ships, MEYER WERFT.

Norwegian Encore will be the seventeenth ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet and the line's fourth and final ship in the Breakaway Plus Class, the most successful Class in the brand's history. At approximately 167,800 gross tons and accommodating 4,000 guests, Norwegian Encore will sail weekly seven-day Caribbean cruises each Sunday from PortMiami, offering guests the superior service, world-class entertainment, signature dining and onboard experiences that Norwegian Cruise Line is known for around the globe. The ship will be available for reservations in March 2018.

https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/press-release ... ewest-ship

Will Encore have bow art, like all the other NCL Breakaway Plus class of ships (and other classes)?

Will there be Studio cabins, as on all the other Breakaway Plus class ships?

(I cruised on the Escape in August 2016, and am booked on her again for November 2018. I loved the Studio cabin I had on this ship, and have booked the same cabin type again.)

SmithAir747

Yes the ship will have hull art. I wouldn't expect them to announce the artist and design before Norwegian Bliss has been christened in Spring. Their ship will have the Studio staterooms and Studio Lounge that is found on the other Breakaway Plus class ships.


Mark

Cruises I have taken so far this year and have booked for this year and next; all special or theme cruises:

Cruise I have taken so far:
January 5-11, 2018: Star Trek: The Cruise II (Norwegian Jade): Miami, Roatan (Honduras), Harvest Caye (Belize), and Costa Maya (Mexico), back to Miami

My upcoming cruises for 2018 and 2019, all special or theme cruises:
November 4-11, 2018: Cher Crew Cruise (for Cher fans, and to benefit the Children's Craniofacial Assocation, with which I am involved) (Norwegian Escape): New York City, Port Canaveral FL, Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas), and Nassau (Bahamas), back to New York City

January 4-10, 2019: Star Trek: The Cruise III (Norwegian Jade): Miami, Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas), Grand Cayman (Grand Cayman Islands), Falmouth (Jamaica), back to Miami

May 11-18, 2019: Craniofacial family group cruise on Disney Fantasy (my first Disney experience ever): Port Canaveral FL, Cozumel (Mexico), George Town (Grand Cayman), Falmouth (Jamaica), and Castaway Cay (Disney's private island in the Bahamas), back to Port Canaveral

My dream cruise for the future: Cunard QM2 transatlantic NYC-Southampton UK

SmithAir747

SmithAir747 wrote:

My dream cruise for the future: Cunard QM2 transatlantic NYC-Southampton UK

SmithAir747

You should just book it. Some good deals recently. Saw a balcony for GBP749 pp with $400 OBC. Pretty impressive.

OA260 wrote:

SmithAir747 wrote:

My dream cruise for the future: Cunard QM2 transatlantic NYC-Southampton UK

SmithAir747

You should just book it. Some good deals recently. Saw a balcony for GBP749 pp with $400 OBC. Pretty impressive.

Thanks! I just need to find a time that I can go. Ever since I lived in London (2004-2007 as a student at King's College London), I have made it a point to go back whenever I can. In 2016 I made my first return visit, and in September 2017 I spent a good fortnight in the UK (mostly London); these have been "workation" trips. I'd love to go back maybe this year, or more likely next year. Living in Denver, I have two convenient nonstop options (BA to LHR and DY to LGW); soon UA will offer a nonstop 787 service to LHR from DEN.

I'd love to take the QM2 over at least once. A friend of both me and my mother would love for the three of us to go together and visit London (she wanted to bring my mom over when I was living in London, but neither could afford it at that time). She and my mom both live in Fort Wayne, IN (where I grew up), so we would have to go together from Indiana and get to NYC to get on the ship. We would need to allow for the week aboard ship, then a week or so in London, then likely fly back. Maybe later next year or so.

SmithAir747

325i wrote:

Hi folks, just came across this thread and for what it is worth I tender my comments on two recent cruises. 2016/2017.
The Cruise Line was Regent Seven Seas, the liner was the Seven Seas Voyager,on both occasions.
2016 cruise was from Stockholm to Copenhagen and points in between (St.Petersburg was an eye opener)
I have never been so indulged upon in all my years.The cabins spacious ,all with balconies,the restaurant selection superb,the crew and choice of ground tours excellent.
What can I say,an absolutely brilliant cruise.
2017 cruise was from Barcelona to Lisbon and points in between.
Again could not fault the service that this cruise line offer. As an aside if you get the chance before the rest of the world awakens,spend some time in and about Lisbon. Beautiful country and people.
I know this sounds like an "unpaid commercial" but honestly check this cruise line out. They travel all the seas .Oh and by the way passenger numbers are around the 750 mark. Not overcrowded and not a child/teenager in sight!
Cheers and enjoy your next cruise no matter what company.

My wife and I are huge fans of Regent. The Seven Seas Mariners was almost like a second home. Now that we have kids, we have had to switch to Disney Cruises. We'll be on the Disney Fantasy this March.

Well, I just booked a week on Windstars Wind Spirit in Tahiti next year.

I had been half halfheartedly looking in that area when I stumbled across a deal I couldn't pass up. $2999 pp, not a great deal I will admit, till you factor in they include flights from LAX and hotel rooms before and after the cruise in the price, the flights run about $1500 and the hotel about $250 a night, so all in it's about $1000 for the cruise....And honestly, I love the idea of sailing around the Islands under sail.

Disney Cruise Line have ordered 3 new ships to be launched in 2021, 2022, and 2023. These new vessels have no names yet.

What are your guesses as to the new ships' names?

Ideas for names that have come up (from my own guesses and others' guesses) include Imagination, Wish, Star, Enchantment, Adventure, Believe, Animation, Serendipity, Spirit, Marvel, and others. Some of my fellow cruise enthusiasts have even suggested character names (Huey, Dewey, and Louie) or even Millennium Falcon!

SmithAir747

SmithAir747 wrote:

Disney Cruise Line have ordered 3 new ships to be launched in 2021, 2022, and 2023. These new vessels have no names yet.

What are your guesses as to the new ships' names?

Ideas for names that have come up (from my own guesses and others' guesses) include Imagination, Wish, Star, Enchantment, Adventure, Believe, Animation, Serendipity, Spirit, Marvel, and others. Some of my fellow cruise enthusiasts have even suggested character names (Huey, Dewey, and Louie) or even Millennium Falcon!

SmithAir747

They're gonna be triplets (i.e. same class and same configuration). I'll bet they'll use a theme so that they're a class all on their own. However, even after the 2nd generation of ships came out, they stuck to the "dream" theme, so my guesses are Disney Marvel, Disney Vision, and Disney Joy/Bliss.

Silver Spirit getting a prebuilt 49-foot-long and 800 gross tonnage midsection extension.

I used to work for a cruise line (Bermuda Star Line) way back in the day, and have been on about 30 cruises of various lines. None in the last ten years though (I felt cruised-out), so my opinions aren’t up to date.

I had a medical emergency on the Celebrity Zenith, an episode of ventricular tach, and yes, I have an implanted ICD. The medical staff seemed to be moonlighting from the salons. They wanted to put me off the ship as fast as possible, in Bermuda, and I was happy to oblige. Nonexistent medical support. The hospital in Bermuda was even worse. Truly third world. It took over 12 hours for a cardiologist to show up, Natl Cricket Day or something. I finally discharged myself, over their objections. Optional medical insurance, absolutely.

I cruised a few times on Carnival when my kids were little, and I thought Carnival did a good job.

My wife and I once found a dead person in the adjoining cabin. It would take too long to explain, but that story hasn’t faded with time!

Overall, I’ve been most pleased with Holland America.

Least pleased with Norwegian, for the same reason many people like it. I like a regular dinner assignment and waiter. The Norwegian flexibility is like queuing up for Applebee’s, with the same level of service.

I love the idea of smaller ships with lower passenger counts. These new mega ships couldn’t attract me with any discount.

At my point in life though, I just want to fly to my destination and enjoy/explore it without karaoke nights and hairy chest contests.

There’s currently 96 new vessels in construction or ordered at the moment for for delivery before 2026. For the life of me I can’t see how this can continue unless there are a lot of older vessels heading to a beach in India.

DaveFly wrote:

I love the idea of smaller ships with lower passenger counts. These new mega ships couldn’t attract me with any discount.

I agree that there are mega ships that are just too big, even if you never bump into passengers. The only problem I have with smaller ships is that they're also old and have less amenities. My boss suggested I take a Bermuda cruise from Baltimore. RCCL's Grandeur of the Seas sails the itinerary, yet I don't think I'd want to sail aboard if only for the low number of amenities it'll have compared to its larger sisters like the Radiance and Voyager class ships.

Kiwirob wrote:

There’s currently 96 new vessels in construction or ordered at the moment for for delivery before 2026. For the life of me I can’t see how this can continue unless there are a lot of older vessels heading to a beach in India.

I expect some of them to be refurbished and end up in the mass package holiday market like TUI etc..

--

As for smaller ships there are plenty of new builds. Take Silversea Muse for example and Viking Star. Very decent ships but of course no waterpark or ice skating rinks but that is a plus.

Tui are building new vessels, they have launched 4 vessels since 2014 with 2 more to be delivered by 2019.

Kiwirob wrote:

Tui are building new vessels, they have launched 4 vessels since 2014 with 2 more to be delivered by 2019.

TUI was an example other package holiday companies around the globe might be interested and if there are a lot going out of various lines fleets then the prices will be keen.

Kiwirob wrote:

There’s currently 96 new vessels in construction or ordered at the moment for for delivery before 2026. For the life of me I can’t see how this can continue unless there are a lot of older vessels heading to a beach in India.

Yes and no ... I agree that supply is massively increasing, but also demand is going up from people all over the world and there is much more demand for more diverse itineraries than just your typical Caribbean cruise. Things have massively changed in the past 10 years alone. We have seen the introduction of mainstream Asian/Australian/Pacific cruises that are not considered exotic cruises anymore, but every cruise line is now offering cruises over there with their newest ships.
The Chinese (the real ones from China) crowd is now very visible everywhere. Here in Curacao, you see Chinese getting off the ship and exploring the island, something that didn't happen years ago. Europeans now cruise much more and cruising has become very mainstream and European cruise lines also have very large cruise ships.
South America is becoming a big market in the past years also and ships are stationed in Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro during the winter season. Ultra luxury cruising is also growing strong and with the introduction of the yacht cruising, things will get interesting.

Things might stay like this as long as the world economy doesn't hit a wall, because then we will see a lot of cruise ships going to the scrappers...

96 new vessels just became 102, Viking cruises just ordered 6 new vessels from Fincanteri. Which means Viking will operate 16 vessels all of the same class design; 4 vessels have been delivered with 12 more on order. This would be the largest single class of cruise vessels ever by my reckoning.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) have announced their new terminal to be built at PortMiami.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/f ... story.html

SmithAir747

The newest stats for the German cruise market were released and 2017 was the strongest year ever with 2.19 million German cruise passengers (+8.4% compared to 2016).

The most amazing statistic is that the number of Germans taking a cruise has tripled from 2007 to 2017.

I think this technically counts as a 2019 discussion...but Norwegian announced sales for its newest ship Norwegian Encore. They have $1 deposits until tomorrow. Already reserved a cabin on her maiden voyage on November 2019 (and I'll be aboard for my birthday). Itinerary takes me from Southampton to Miami for an 11-day cruise.

einsteinboricua wrote:

I think this technically counts as a 2019 discussion...but Norwegian announced sales for its newest ship Norwegian Encore. They have $1 deposits until tomorrow. Already reserved a cabin on her maiden voyage on November 2019 (and I'll be aboard for my birthday). Itinerary takes me from Southampton to Miami for an 11-day cruise.

Exciting! They kept that quiet here in the UK but saw it pop up in the systems yesterday. Will take a closer look today.

Will be going on Norwegian Bliss in a few weeks - they're doing a trade / press 2nt pre-inaugural sailing from the finishing yard in Bremerhaven to Southampton. Can't wait. Have been on loads of ships over the past couple of years but just visits, so whilst not a holiday, will be nice to see ghetto latest from them and get out on the ocean.

Three (ocean) ship launches in April - the boss is going to see Symphony in Barcelona and I had invite to Carnival Horizon but it clashed with Bliss. I'd like to see a new Carnival ship as well as Oasis class but Bliss does have some fun things I'm looking forward to trying. #firstworldproblems


Mark

bananaboy wrote:

Mark

Ive turned down Bliss and Symphony Too close to other things I have already signed up for. Had there been an overnight in SOU I might have made it but Ive done nearly all the previous launches so not too bothered.

Slightly off topic, but it looks like the old Marco Polo is going on to a new life as a condos at sea venture

https://storylines.com/

jetwet1 wrote:

Slightly off topic, but it looks like the old Marco Polo is going on to a new life as a condos at sea venture

https://storylines.com/

Oh no! I have such a soft spot for that ship. I can't see an announcement from Cruise & Maritime on her leaving the fleet but she can't go on forever and as they are expanding their fleet, it has to happen at some point.

I shall have to make sure I go visit her before she leaves.

Mark

jetwet1 wrote:

Slightly off topic, but it looks like the old Marco Polo is going on to a new life as a condos at sea venture

https://storylines.com/

Seems they will have a few ships first entering service August 2019 but I thought Marco Polo recently announced their Summer 2019 sailing schedule through to May so maybe they are going into dry dock then and handing over to this new company.

I sailed Southampton to Lisbon on the Marco Polo when it was with Orient Lines. Lovely ship .

QE2 hotel now open. The cabins I guess are what it would look like today if it were still in service with Cunard after a refurb .

www.qe2.com

Hi Folks, guess what? Yes back on board with Regent Seven Seas(Again the Voyager) from Rome to Monte Carlo.
Am looking forward to be indulged upon ,again.
This trip is a rather special one,taking my two adult daughters as a special treat for being such good women (biased!)
They are leaving their family in the hands of their respective husbands,I guess you could say they, the husbands, would deserve a trip after caring for the offspring for ten days?
My only quabdry is ,after flying QF to Europe for the last twelve years J class,any suggestions as to what airline I might consider.
QF have been good but I think it is time for a change.
Look forward to hearing from fellow travellers.
Kind regards, 325 i

.

Recently back from two cruises. One with Cunard QV and another on the revamped Independence of the Seas.

Cunard as good as ever and really like what they did during the refurbs.

RCI did a good job with Indy too and some nice new places to dine.

Here are some images from both.


















And some from Indy.

Couple of things...

Viking is now adult only, which sucks as I was about to book 7 cabins for a family trip, but one of the family members will only be 17 at sailing...Back to the drawing board on that one.

Also, more info is out about the Ritz-Carlton yachts, all I can say is wow....BIG WOW

https://www.ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com/experience

Please continue your discussion and to post your updates in thread for 2019 which can be found here:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1413367