FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Despite a drop in business from agents,
Renaissance Cruises has filled many of the early voyages of its new
ship, the R1, industry sources said.
Renaissance will enter the 684-passenger R1 into year-round
service in Europe on July 17. It took delivery of the $180 million
vessel on June 30.
The line also is taking bookings on its sister ship, the R2,
which is slated for delivery ahead of schedule in late November.
Its maiden voyage in Europe is set for Dec. 13.
The two vessels are the first of four identical ships being
built for Renaissance at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in
St.-Nazaire, France, at a total cost of $720 million. The R3 and R4
, which are to be based in Tahiti, are slated for delivery in early
and late 1999, respectively.
The transition to ships that each accommodate about 700
passengers is a major step for Renaissance, which has sailed a
fleet of eight 100- and 114-passenger ships. Only three of the
smaller ships remain in its fleet.
Renaissance was slated to operate the first of two positioning
cruises for the R1 on July 17, before the ship launches its
year-round program between Athens, Greece, and Istanbul, Turkey, on
Aug. 1. The standard program consists of one-way voyages of 10 days
between ports, with calls in Cyprus, Rhodes, Kusadasi and Crete,
and a three-day stay in Israel. It also includes a 16-day package
with two nights in both Athens and Istanbul.
The cruise line has angered the trade by its actions, including
a Web promotion that questioned whether agents are worth the
commissions they are paid and the implementation of a flat-fee pay
policy offering a maximum $500 per cabin.
Although cruise line chairman Edward Rudner said bookings from
agents have declined as a result, industry sources said the R1's
initial voyages are well booked.
American Express, which was exempted from the flat-fee policy
and is believed to be one of the few major U.S. agencies still
booking Renaissance, said R1 sailings were sold out for September
and October. Renaissance's reservations department reported some
availability in November.
Regarding the R2, Renaissance reported availabilities, starting
with its maiden voyage.
Rudner has said the decline in agency bookings did not affect
its Mediterranean business this summer but had seriously impacted
bookings for the end of the third quarter and the fourth
quarter.
The R2 is scheduled to sail until March 23 on 10-day, one-way
voyages between Barce-lona, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal, with
two-night stays in each city during the 16-day program.
Next April, it will join the R1 on Istanbul-Athens sailings.