Early this morning, before they disappeared, I was able to peruse Voyager, Mariner, and Navigator schedules for 2006. Very disappointing. Made me think that Radisson has been backed so far into a corner by having only three ships, that they have limited originality on cruises.

The highlights, or should I say lowlights.

Voyager same as usual. One differnce, at least one I noticed, is that the Canal trip is now over both Christmas and New Years.

Mariner has a spring trip SFO to FP instead of a fall trip. Also, as Ngaire reported, Alaska season is a little longer. The fall Pacific trip is not in schedule. After that, one Mexican Riviera cruise over Christmas and the Canal to FLL over New Years.

Navigator is spending most of spring in San Juan replicating Diamond 4 and 5 day itineraries. She then goes to the Med then to Baltics. Two ships in Baltics for July and August. Didn't notice any Norwegian or British Isles trips (didn't go into each itinerary and check ports so I may be wrong here). No New York sailings. She then returns to FLL, sailing 7 day trips with a 10 day trip over Christmas and 11 day trip over New Years.

NO CIRCLE Caribbean for Christmas and New Years like they have had every year recently. I am extremenly bummed. I am very disappointed. I want to email Mark Conroy. I don't know what to sail.

With only Europe and Alaska for summer and just standard Caribbean itineraries with the same Canal trip in the winter and spring, Radisson loses some luster, at least in my opinion.

Can you tell I am upset? :(

Marc, what particular itinerary are you wishing for after ROAR?

My first cruise on Radisson was Ft Lauderdale to Aruba to Ft Lauderdale on the Mariner. 19 nights. Many ports. No airports. Christmas and New Years onboard.

Since then, Radisson has been running similar itineraries on Navigator Ft Lauderdale San Juan Ft Lauderdale over the holidays.

We just want to do that again. Our Canal trip in 2003 didn't start until after Christmas so we just had New Years on board. Also, since pax had just joined, it was a different feeling than on Mariner where we all had been on board for 12 days before New Years.

There is the Canal trip over both holidays next year. However, we just did same ports on last canal trip and we have to fly (some of the people that we are planning to cruise with may not want the flights).

We will have to check the Navigator ports. However, it is 21 days and leaves on Monday so not vacation efficient. Also, may have large turnover of pax and repeat on meals since it is not a natural back to back. Also, more expensive than past holiday cruises.

If all else fails, we just need to talk Radisson into a South Georgia Island Itinerary over Christmas New Years on Hanseatic! :D

Marc...I am in the same boat (so to speak). The new itineraries don't fit our schedule very well nor do the go to places we are looking at. Of course having only 3 ships puts a real crimp on how Radisson can cover the world and thus has caused me to look at some other alternative lines for solutions. Not that these lines have any more ships than Radisson, but they go where we are interested at the time we are interested. Pricing has also taken a turn for the worse and with the 2005/2006 increases we are further limited.

One thing I disagree with is the notion this somehow "vindicates" Aaannnthony. As I recall his comments were made when Radisson still had its original allotment of ships. He simply did not care for where they went. His comments may have eventually proven to come true, but even a broken clock is right two times a day. I take his comments as more whining than prognostication.

Amen!!! Joanna

Okay guys lets drop Aaanthony please or I will remove the thread. No need to say anything about Aaanothony please. Lets focus on the schedules.

Marc & Michael, maybe you are ready to try Silversea? They have a 14 day cruise out of FLL just before Christmas, and Ngaire can probably get you a good deal! www.silversea.com/Calendar/frames/04_main_frame.asp?VoyageNumber=3636

Olivia:

Timing looks great....and a couple of new ports....but I would rather stay with Radisson.

Theres the familiarity of being with Radisson. Theres knowing that they will have Cinammon ice cream onboard. I like the choice of restaurants on the Voyager/Mariner; and no charge for wine when eating in specialty restaurant.

Theres trivia and daily quiz...and all the token games. Theres the passengers who, on whole, have been fantastic. Theres the staff that have always been fantastic.

I like the fact that they recognize you as a returning guest. I like being recognized for my loyalty to them. I like that they have gone out of their way to help us even if it violated their own rules.

In other words, I really don't want to move on....at least not yet.

Marc: I think I undertand as we are new cruisers and have ONLY cruised Radisson (5 cruises) - I am afraid to "rock the boat" as it as been perfect for us so why switch????- Joanna

I, too, can understand your reasoning. We are loyal and "devoted" RSSC cruisers. Radisson has been our cruise line of choice for so many reasons. However, when new itineraries don't offer what you are specifically looking for, when dates for itineraries you are interested in simply don't gel with vacation times you are able to allocate, and/or when pricing may be more than what you are able to afford, change may be necessary if you wish to cruise.

As I've stated in another thread..Change is not necessarily a bad thing. We may be pleasantly surprised!

I also wish they would come up with new ports and some new itineraries. The more you cruise the more want new places to go. Based on what Marc says it does sound pretty much the same as before.

On the Voyager 2006 world cruise they did some new things so I had high hopes for some diversity in 2006.

Silversea does have some itineraries with new ports for me. Then I must also say I went to a couple of new ports on Silversea and really excited about going there and they were really DUDS. San Francisco de sol (that is not right but something like that) - on the itinerary between Buenos Aires and Rio - the big attraction was a bicycle museum and a tree hit by lightning. Anyone been there. Then Zannibar and Mombassa. TERRIBLE places.

There must be some new and good ports. Even if they are not as great as the old favorites at least one new place in a cruise would be helpful.

I understand how you feel Marc. We do get comfortable with a cruise line and develop friendships with the staff and enjoy seeing them again. There are so many staff members I just enjoy seeing when I go on a Radisson cruise.

I saw an ad in a magazine for Silversea and there is one bartender named Marilyn from the Phillipines. She is REALLY lovely. She was in the ad. Just seeing her face in that ad made me smile.

Marc,

I know how you feel. We are thinking of doing a crossing in Spring 2006. The Voyager goes a little too early for us - 1st week of April. The Diamond is going the right week for us but this year and we're booked (PIP).

I'm waiting for 2006 itinerary but right now I did find a Crystal going when I can go, April 23rd and the price is okay too. So if Navigator doesn't head that way after April 20th, I will try out Crystal.

I can't imagine it would be as much fun as you and Arlene had this past year on RSSC. The idea of the classes and lectures on Crystal might be really good for that itinerary. But, I love the familiar suites, the tea and trivia, the open seating and mostly the warm welcome back. We will have to see.

I'm a "Me, Too-er."

A major part of the problem is that we have been "there" and are getting jaded. It is sad.

I'm still waiting for a "real" British Isles Cruise. Somebody had one last year, but it was during the time that Mark's partner's son was getting married so Mark couldn't be gone.

I would have had that in my sights also Pam and been right there with you had there been one offered. I did one on the Song it was great and then the Voyager did a British Isles trip too and it was sold out. I wonder why they dont offer that. I know the seas can be very rough around the British Isles, my Song trip was and the last Voyager trip experienced that. Perhaps that is the reason.

I should add that Navigator did have a port visit to London on the Monte Carlo to Copenhagen cruise.

Olivia...Thanks for the suggestion. It is one that I will have to look into.

Marc, have not been able to pull up the 2006 schedule. Do you remember anything else about the Copenhagen to Monte Carlo trip. How long? Which ports? Etc. Thanks in advance, Linda & Larry

I suspect we're not really inveterate cruisers. Have loved the PG and really liked the Diamond, but can't really say I would cruise again in Europe, unless it happened to be combined with an interesting land trip, i.e., serendipity. If we go back to Greece, for instance, it won't be on a cruise, I think.

I want to do the Norwegian fjords, but would probably choose Norwegian Coastal Voyages for that, just because it's traditional--for Norwegians it's like taking the train across Canada--something every Canadian's supposed to do in their lifetime (and I haven't.)

I'd also like to do the Panama Canal, and Alaska, but those are both itineraries that Radisson still covers nicely.

Wendy,

The Panama Canal and Alaska, both, are extraordinary trips. Are you on the Mush list?

Larry/Linda:

IIRC, it was a 14 night trip from Monte Carlo to Copenhagen. I looked it up because it was unique at 14 days instead of the normal 10 or 11 repositioning cruise. The other ports included, Malaga, Cadiz, Lisbon, a bunch of french ports, and Hamburg in addition to London.

Thanks, Marc! Sounds like one we may be interested in if the price is right! Linda & Larry

No, no MUSH for us. I was originally interested, and Ngaire had me on the list, but we can't travel at that time of year. The university term starts just after Labour Day, so that's David's busy time. He won't even go up to the cottage after the third week of August.

Another time. He's the one that really wants to do Alaska, so we'll manage it another year, maybe in June, or maybe the CA to Alaska cruise that seems to happen in May.

Marc, I know how you feel about loyalty, but sometimes you have to try it. That being said, I keep trying to do RSSC, but things just haven't worked out.

First time was my schedule and we moved our cruise back to July on the Diamond, you all know the story there, then we booked the Voyager for November because we had our cruise certificates, however Silversea came out with a better itinerary, longer cruise, and same price even after our discounts.

I say, if you find the right cruise at least try it. If you like it, then you have loyalty discounts with both lines and you have much more flexiblity. If you don't, then you know who to stick with.

We love Silversea and as far as the specialty restaurant, that was fine to do once, but the food throughout the ship is good, so no need in my estimation to do it again. The one thing I do like about SS is no signing for drinks at any other time, except in Le Champagne.

Hey, you can even go with one of us on a Venetian Club sailings and we can get you the same discount.

I want to do them all. RSSC, SS, SD, and SB.

Schedules are up....although they still don't have the ports for the Navigator holiday sailings. :(