US line to deploy mega ship from Southampton

Royal Caribbean International is to operate one of its largest ships from Southampton next summer.

The line is to use 3,835-passenger Navigator of the Seas on ex-UK cruises for the first time from April 2007.

Navigator will replace Legend of the Seas which started the US company’s first programme of sailings from the UK last summer.

In a significant rise in capacity, the move will boost the number of berths available to the UK trade by more than 1,500 per sailing. Navigator has 939 ocean view cabins, 707 with balconies.

A new 14-night Italian cruise; new Baltic itineraries and a number of two and four-night short-break cruises to Cork and Le Havre for Paris will be available.

It will be the first time that one of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager-class ships will sail out of the UK, with Navigator due to arrive on April 26, 2007. The line is deploying sister ship Voyage of the Seas in Europe for the first time this summer offering fly-cruises from Barcelona.

Navigator, launched in December 2002, features an ice-rink, rock climbing wall, miniature golf course, in-line skating tracks and a shopping mall with bars, shops, and restaurants. The vessel will be compete head-to-head with Canrival UK rivals P&O Cruises and Cunard which both operate from their base at Southampton in summer.

The ship’s children and teenager's area is currently the largest in the Royal Caribbean International fleet.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines UK and Ireland managing director Robin Shaw said: "As a leading player in the fastest growing and most dynamic sector of the travel and leisure industry, we are working hard to feed the demand for our cruises from the UK market.

“It's widely recognised that our ships are the most innovative at sea and we predict that the decision to bring a Voyager class ship to the UK will be very well received by both trade partners and guests alike.

"Navigator of the Seas reinforces our commitment to invest in the UK cruise market, specifically with one of our newest and most ground-breaking ships."

Report by Phil Davies

[ 03-03-2006: Message edited by: greybeard ]

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Originally posted by Patsy:
Oh bugger! If the QE2 goes well with my friend in October and she doesn't go too green, I was hoping to persuade her to go on Legend next year.

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Originally posted by Patsy:
More than likely. My friend's already said the next cruise will have to be 2008 so I hope the price is as good as Legend.

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The 'Voyager' class with all of those cabins offer some great prices for their Carib cruises, but unfortunately the prices rise by up to 50% in Europe.

Nothing wrong with LOTS kids are getting excited now, especially after watching the DVD disc they send out that shows the Ice Skating Rink etc that NOTS has, kids asking question about things like has our boat got that, has our boat got this etc etc.

But a 2/3 day break on NOTS next summer sounds perfect for me and teh wife, especially if they do Cork, my Father works in Ireland in teh summer so a trip to Cork sounds wonderful!

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Originally posted by Pascal:
So , if I understand correctly, we europeans will have in 2007 2 Voyager class ships based in Europe... Good competition for Costa and MSC !

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Shaw talks about Navigator out of Southampton
March 3, 2006

Having Navigator of the Seas homeporting in Southampton for the summer 2007 season offers 'a real point of differentiation in the UK market,' enthused Robin Shaw, the managing director UK & Ireland of Royal Caribbean International during an interview with Seatrade Insider shortly after the announcement today.

With a full occupancy of 3,835 passengers, compared with the 2,100-passenger Legend of the Seas due to start its second summer season next month, Navigator will almost double the number of berths offered by RCI out of Southampton in 2007.

RCI/Celebrity's share of the UK cruise market currently stands around 13%, says Shaw and he confirms in the past three years the number of UK sourced passengers for both brands has been growing faster than the UK average (which is estimated at 4.9% for last year).

Shaw points out that homeporting is just one part of an overall growth strategy: 'We are the market leader for sending UK passengers to the Caribbean, uptake for Voyager of the Seas' maiden Med season out of Barcelona is exceeding our expectations significantly and Legend of the Seas is returning to Southampton next month for an extended summer season.'

Around 95% of Legend of the Seas' capacity is filled by the UK market but Shaw anticipates with Navigator's broader appeal that figure is likely to be closer to 80%+, 'with some North Americans who have experienced Voyager class in the Caribbean maybe deciding to sample a European-based product out of the UK.'

Whilst itineraries are not yet finalized there will be a sprinkling of taster cruises plus Baltic cruises and an extension of Legend's summer Med programme. According to RCI's own research British passengers are looking to explore further afield and beyond the traditional Med ports of call, 'therefore we are introducing a new 14-day round-trip itinerary which takes in more Italian ports,' says Shaw.

Today's announcement has been greeted with delight by ABP Southampton which broke a 50-year record with 702,356 passengers through the port in 2005. 'Having worked closely with RCI to successfully introduce Legend of the Seas to the UK market in 2005, ABP looks forward to welcoming the innovative Navigator of the Seas to Southampton in 2007,' a port spokesman told Seatrade.

Seatrade Insider

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
If NCL want to join in the war for a slice of the worlds second biggest cruise market (the UK) they will need to deploy a vessel which is a little more attractive than 'Norwegian Dream'.

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Norwegian Dream is really ugly. Don't they have anything that doesn't look like a futuristic (ugly) spaceship. And to think they gave up the France.

or

tough decision........

[ 03-05-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

What with QM2, Arcadia, QV coming and the new P&O, Europe will be a battle feild!

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Welcome to our world! This is the way Alaska/Mexico and the Caribbean have been for years. Now it's your turn! Prices will come down, but other things will suffer and process can't be reversed. Some Mediterranean ports will never be the same once the dust settles and the impact of the "invasion" can be fully appreciated.

Ernie

[ 03-05-2006: Message edited by: eroller ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
If NCL want to join in the war for a slice of the worlds second biggest cruise market (the UK) they will need to deploy a vessel which is a little more attractive than 'Norwegian Dream'.

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Originally posted by J.S.S.Normandie:
Norwegian Dream is really ugly.

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Unfortunately. uglyness is not a factor which influences cruise bookings for 99% of passengers.

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Originally posted by eroller:
Welcome to our world! This is the way Alaska/Mexico and the Caribbean have been for years...Some Mediterranean ports will never be the same once the dust settles and the impact of the "invasion" can be fully appreciated.

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Well we will welcome more realistic fares. Fortunately the Med cities will be more able to absorb the passengers transpaorted by big ships than many Caribbean ports. But yes Ernie, irt will not all be good news.

[ 03-05-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by J.S.S.Normandie:
Why people would sail on an ugly ship like that I really don't know.

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'Dream' offers some very good fares!

I do not think I could cruise on a ship that I though looked ugly, but the majority of passengers do not care. Afterall you do not see a ship when you are on it!

[ 03-06-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]