World Renaissance: Now the oldest vessel in the Royal Olympic fleet. This ships looks quite tired. Don't forget that Epirotiki sold her to the now defunct Awani Dream Cruises already in 1995.

Monterey: With the arrive of the brand new Msc Lirica in 1994 this ship will be probably put for sale. The Monterey is a great ship, carefully manteined, but the number of public lounges is very limited.

Atalante: This ship is getting old and tired. With many ships currently avalaible in the second hand market the Atalante will be probably laid up or sold for scrap.

Princessa Marissa: This isn't a real cruise ship, but a ( badly ) converted ferry. She lacks even a pool. I don't understand why Louis hasn't purchased the wonderful Costa Riviera.

The Topaz: Thompson cruises hasn't renewed the charter of the ship. She will be probably laid up.

Regal Empress: Another older ship. I think that her days in the american cruise market are counted. Regal Cruises could purchase the Noordam from Hal.

Noordam: This ship isn't old ( built in 1984 ), but with her traditional layout she doesn't fit well in the resplendent Hal fleet. I believe that the Noordam will be put for sale in 1994. I hope she could join the Costa fleet.

SuperStar Capricorn: She's getting old and doesn't fit well in Star fleet.

Star Pisces: This converted ferry will probably leave soon the Star fleet as her sistership Star Acquarius.

Sovereign of the Seas: Now the oldest vessel in Rccl fleet. She is a great ship but lacks private balconies, so she doesn't fit well in the glitzy Rccl fleet. The company has an imposing program of newbuildings so the Sovereign could become a surplus. She should join Island Cruises.

Caronia: A wonderful tradition vessel, in the finest tradition. With the arrive of the new ship ( a good name could be Queeen Victoria )currently under costruction at the Fincantieri yards, she will leave the Cunard fleet. Another possible fleetmate for the Saga Rose ?

Regarding Princesa Marissa, I really would not be suprised if Louis retires a number of ships in the near future. Cyprus has a rather short cruise season, even in the best of times it is very difficult for a cruise line to make money there. Now, with the economic downturn, and wave of violence in the Middle East, I would not be shocked to see Princesa Marissa, Princesa Victoria, and possibly others going the way of La Palma.

Other ships that may be available in the near future are:

Holiday
Jubilee
Celebration (though not old, these ships do belong to a different era of cruising, and just don't fit into the Carnival fleet)

Queen Elizabeth 2 (though I personally doubt it, it has been rumoured that her days with Cunard are numbered)

Norway- already confirmed, she's on her way out

Stella Solaris- now in use as an accomodation ship, wouldn't be suprised if she left the ROC fleet entirely.

Horizon & Zenith, many already believe these ships are for sale.

Nordic Empress- a misfit in the RCI fleet, she would do well with Island Cruises.

Any other suggestions?

[ 08-29-2002: Message edited by: Britanis ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Cruiseny:Actually I have read that Stella Solaris is going back into active service with ROC...

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quote:

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Originally posted by italian cruiser:
These cruise ships will be probably put for sale in the near future:

Sovereign of the Seas: Now the oldest vessel in Rccl fleet. She is a great ship but lacks private balconies, so she doesn't fit well in the glitzy Rccl fleet. The company has an imposing program of newbuildings so the Sovereign could become a surplus. She should join Island Cruises.

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The MONARCH and MAJESTY have balconies, right? The designs are practially identical, right? I am sure either RCI can install them, or if they sell her, another company could. Airtours added balconies to the SUNBIRD. Maybe they would be interested in the SOVEREIGN and could refurbish her in kind. I mean, the ship is only halfway through her life span.

[ 08-29-2002: Message edited by: Rex ]

To Rex:

quote:

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Originally posted by italian cruiser:
Nordic Empress will remain with Rccl. It's their only ship allowed to perform seven days long cruises to Bermuda ( for reasons of tonnage I believe ).

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Not necessarily, as Carnival has a much bigger ship (Legend) going to Bermuda...

I don't know if that ship will dock at Hamilton or elsewhere though...

quote:

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Originally posted by Cruiseny:The Bermudan government seems to be getting a bit less stubborn with its restrictions.

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They're almost 20,000 GRT smaller than Carnival Legend...

Goodness knows what it must be like, hell I imagine, to live on a tiny island and be swamped with thousands of tourists daily in the season.

quote:

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Originally posted by PamM:
I thought it was more of a case of the Bermuda Government limiting the number of passengers visiting on any one day to lessen the impact on the environment?

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Yes, it is. When I said that they could handle Carnival Legend, I mean handle that quantity of passengers, etc.

It doesn't just have to do with ship size - until recently they wouldn't let Carnival go to Bermuda, period, because they felt it wasn't upscale enough. Ditto Norwegian Sea.

Pride will be sailing from New York, and Legend from Baltimore and Philadelphia, in 2003.

The catch is that these ships indeed must dock at King's Wharf, at the West End, and not at Hamilton, as Nordic Empress, Horizon, and Zenith can.

As for RCI, they wont commit a large ships such as Legend or Splendour to the Bermuda market at this time as the ships are profitably employed in Europe & Alaska.

Additionally, the dockyard can only handle so many ships at once so there's little chance that RCI would want to commit a ship to Bermuda as a "Dockyard Only" ship.

The largest ship to ever berth in Hamilton was Century but she docked with no other ships present.

The restrictions are based on the width of Two Rock Passage (Century and Stendam barely fit through), the turning basin and the berthing arrangement at the Hamtion Docks as the ship in Berth 1 may overhang into the adjecent berth astern.

Hence, that is why the Royal Princess (@ 757) could not be used for the Bermuda run as she would only have a few feet of clearance between her and the ship (Horizon) docked astern of her.

Untimately, that is why you have seen ships built for the Bermuda run that have optimumly been built with a length of around 680 feet.

I got the newest Cruise Compas from Cruisetravel for Winter Season 2002/2003, with more than 100 Ships offered.

For MSC they offer Rhapsody, Melody and Lirica, the new built in Spring 2003.

You are right. I intended that the fitness facilities of the Rhapsody are excellent if compared with the modest size of the ship ( 1 pool, 2 jacuzzis, a gymnasium, a sauna and even a small tennis camp ).

To Amerikanis:

About Louis:
Well, I really have know idea what they are thinking of doing with their fleet.

Princesa Victoria
Princesa Cypria
Princesa Amorosa
Ausonia
are all docked in Limassol port (west side)

Since Israel is not available as a cruise destination the only destinations remaining are Egypt and Lebanon.

Don't know anything about the future.

By the way Princesa Marissa was used for cruises to the Greec islands instead of Ausonia...probably because she can accomodate 300 more people.