Royal Carribbean Announces Cruise From Galveston and New Orleans

May 7, 2010 - Royal Caribbean International announced the cruise line’s exciting winter 2011-12 Caribbean cruise season aboard Voyager of the Seas from New Orleans, La., and Mariner of the Seas from Galveston, Texas. Voyager of the Seas will debut in New Orleans as the largest and most innovative cruise ship to homeport in the city, and offer a third convenient Gulf Coast city to embark on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Vacationers can choose from 45 sailings aboard Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas from November 2011 through April 2012, which comprise seven distinct itineraries that call at eight unique Caribbean ports. The two ships augment the already-announced short Western Caribbean cruises aboard Jewel of the Seas from Tampa. Royal Caribbean’s winter 2011-12 Gulf Caribbean cruises are now open for booking.

“With our return to New Orleans in winter 2011, Royal Caribbean will offer three vibrant and convenient Gulf Coast cities to embark on a memorable family vacation or winter getaway,” said Betsy O’Rourke, senior vice president of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. “Our ships offer guests the widest array of exclusive onboard amenities and offer something for everyone and every age. Throughout, all guests will enjoy the Royal treatment, delivered by every member of our renowned friendly and engaging staff and crew.”

Guests of Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas also have a wide range of exciting shore excursions to enhance their cruise vacation for an additional charge. Guests can enjoy a fun-filled day at the beach sunbathing and swimming on the "Playa Mia Deluxe Beach Break" in Cozumel, Mexico, or swim with the graceful Southern Atlantic stingrays at the world-famous Stingray City on "Stingray City Sandbar Swim & Snorkel" in Grand Cayman. For the more adventurous, guests can soar through trees from platform to platform on the “Chukka Canopy Experience” at the new cruise port of Falmouth, Jamaica.

Voyager of the Seas begins the new season from New Orleans on November 12, 2011, offering vacationers seven-night Western Caribbean cruises sailing every Saturday from the city’s newly renovated Julia Street Cruise Terminal. Mariner of the Seas will take over for Voyager of the Seas at Galveston and offer two alternating seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries. A special nine-night Western Caribbean itinerary, departing November 11, 2011, will kick off Mariner of the Seas’ inaugural season at Galveston and an eight-night holiday cruise will depart on December 18. A six-night cruise, departing on January 2, 2012, will offer vacationers a relaxing and rejuvenating post-holiday getaway.

Voyager-class Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas are two of the world’s 10 largest and most innovative cruise ships at sea. Both ships feature the cruise line’s iconic rock-climbing wall, the Studio B ice-skating rink, nine-hole mini-golf course, an in-line skating track, a full-size basketball court, and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of boutiques, restaurants and lounges and bars. Voyager of the Seas features the cruise line’s signature Portofino Italian restaurant, while Mariner of the Seas offers a second specialty restaurant option, Chops Grille steakhouse.

Royal Caribbean Has 3 Voyager Class Ships in Europe in 2010

March 12, 2009 – Royal Caribbean International today announces the deployment of eight ships in Europe for 2010. Reinforcing the cruise line’s “Nation of Why Not” campaign, promoting guest experiences undreamed of on other vacations, Royal Caribbean is offering guests unparalleled combinations of innovative cruise ships and compelling Europe cruise itineraries, ranging from four to 14 nights, and three- to five-night cruisetour vacation extensions, in the Mediterranean, and Northern and Western Europe. In addition to the Freedom-class Independence of the Seas – the largest, most amenity-filled ship to sail in Europe – Royal Caribbean also will position three Voyager-class ships in the region for the very first time, with Adventure of the Seas to make her European debut and join sister-ships Navigator of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas. Also sailing European waters in 2010 will be Brilliance of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas and Vision of the Seas. In all, Royal Caribbean is unveiling 57 unique Europe itineraries, visiting 22 countries and 55 ports. Bookings open immediately for 2010 Europe cruises and cruisetours aboard all ships.

“Royal Caribbean International’s 2010 Europe season offers a myriad of spectacular cruise and cruisetour choices for family and adventurous vacationers,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Cruising in Europe is well-known as the best vacation value to see the continent’s historic and cultural destinations. A Royal Caribbean Europe cruise and cruisetour will combine a European vacation with some of world’s most innovative cruise ships, featuring exclusive onboard amenities that will lend to all the ‘why not’ moments guests can experience onboard.”

Although Royal Caribbean will position the same number of ships in 2009 and 2010, the 3,114-guest Adventure of the Seas will replace the 1,804-guest Legend of the Seas and boosts the line’s capacity by 1,310 berths. The 2010 season will debut Adventure of the Seas’ seven-night sailings from Malaga, Spain, and Vision of the Seas’ 12-night Holy Land voyages from Venice, Italy. Also brand new for Royal Caribbean in 2010 will be maiden port calls at Akureyri, Iceland, and Gothenburg, Sweden.

Guests also can combine their Royal Caribbean cruise with three-, four- and five-night escorted land tours to some of Europe’s more inland and culturally rich cities on a Royal Caribbean cruisetour. Four cruisetour options feature packages to Madrid and Barcelona; Venice, Florence and Rome; Italian Lakes featuring Lake Como, Stresa and Venice; and Paris and London. Royal Caribbean will take care of all the details, enabling guests to focus on soaking in the destinations visited – and affording plenty of free time for exploration and independent pursuits. A tour director will escort each group on the cruisetour itineraries, and ground transfers, hotel reservations, city tours and some meals are inclusive.

Shore excursions on 2010 Europe itineraries also will offer a wide array of unforgettable experiences, including, for example, an exclusive after-hours tour of St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum; a hike of Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, beginning at a height of 3,000 feet; and a trek that blends four miles of hiking and walking along Corfu’s magnificent beaches and coastal villages.

Sailing from Southampton, U.K., Independence of Seas will launch a third season in Europe with 14-night alternating Eastern and Western Mediterranean itineraries and 10- and 11-night Canary Island voyages. Independence of the Seas is the only ship in Europe exclusively featuring amenities that have revolutionized the modern cruise industry, with the FlowRider surf simulator, the H20 Zone water park, a boxing ring, cantilevered whirlpools, and the four-bedroom/four-bath Presidential Family Suite. With eight restaurants and more than 15 bars and lounges, Independence of the Seas offers vacationers a unique onboard experience found on no other ship in Europe.

The three Voyager-class ships – each of which offer guests ice-skating rinks, the line’s iconic rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course, and the Royal Promenade boulevard, with shops, restaurants, bars and lounges that run nearly the length of the ship – will ply Mediterranean waters on a wide-ranging slate of voyages next year. Adventure of the Seas’ inaugural season in Europe will kick-off with four- and five-night Western Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Barcelona. In late June, the ship will continue with seven-night voyages roundtrip from Malaga, Spain, on a new itinerary with calls at Italy’s Rome (Civitavecchia), Cagliari in Sardinia, and Ajaccio in Corsica; and Spain’s Palma de Mallorca. In late fall, Adventure of the Seas will conclude her Europe season with a series of five-night voyages alternating between the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, roundtrip from Malaga.

Navigator of the Seaswill feature seven-night sailings, alternating between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean roundtrip from Rome (Civitavecchia) during the summer. From April to May and September to October, she will sail from the “Eternal City” on 12-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises, the highlight of which will be a full two days-stay in Alexandria, Egypt. For its part, Voyager of the Seas will reprise its series of seven-night voyages to Rome, Naples, Florence, and France’s Nice (Villefranche) and Marseilles, from her homeport of Barcelona.

For the first time ever, Royal Caribbean will debut a 12-night voyage roundtrip voyage from Venice to the Holy Land aboard Vision of the Seas. The itinerary will feature an overnight in Venice prior to departure and boasts extended port time – until 10 pm or 11 pm – in Israel’s Ashdod and Haifa and Egypt’s Port Said and Alexandria. Other calls include Split, Croatia; Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; and Athens (Piraeus), Greece.

Reprising its 2009 cruise schedule, Splendour of the Seas will sail seven-night voyages roundtrip from Venice, alternating between a “Greek Isles” itinerary calling at Split, Croatia and Greece’s Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, and Katakolon; and a “Greek Isles and Turkey” sailing with calls at Dubrovnik, Croatia, Ephesus, and Greece’s Santorini and Corfu.

For the third consecutive year, Brilliance of the Seas will sail from Barcelona, offering “Greek Isles” and “Mediterranean Venice” cruises, both of which are 12 nights in length. In November and December the ship will sail featuring four 12-night “Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean” voyages, featuring a two-day overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt.

Jewel of the Seas will venture into Northern European waters, continuing on its 12-night Baltic “Scandinavia and Russia” itinerary roundtrip from London, the highlights of which are an overnight call in St. Petersburg and first time calls at Gothenburg, Sweden.