Royal Caribbean is looking to attract more cruisers from Spain and has developed an interactive online cruise guide to help those new to cruising become acclimated to the process.

The guide is a series of videos that are introduced by a friendly hostess, who takes novice cruisers through various sections that address typical concerns for people who are cruising for the first time. 

Royal Caribbean representatives along with representatives from Norwegian Cruise Line met with port officials from Almuñécar, Spain as a possibility for shore excursions on future cruises.

Royal Caribbean has committed itself to serving the port of Barcelona, Spain through 2013 and will make about 50 stops next year.

Royal Caribbean will cease home porting its ships in Malaga, Spain in 2013.  Currently Adventure of the Seas is there and will complete its 28 cruises but by 2013, she will move to be ported out of Southampton, England.

The Port of Gijón, Spain will host the docking of Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas tomorrow.  This will be the first cruise of the season and will bring the city 2,435 passengers and 765 crew.

The Royal Caribbean ship will dock at North Pier Extension area, from Vigo bound for Portland (United States).

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas will visit Cadiz, Spain this year and will be the largest ship to ever dock at the port.  The ramifications of which will bring over 31,500 cruise passengers to the city and have a direct and indirect financial impact of "more than 1,800,000 euros."

Royal Caribbean is joining other cruise lines in protesting a new tourist tax that is about to go into effect in Spain.  The new tax would charge cruise operators the same rate of 2.5 Euros that is currently charged to tourists staying in 5 star hotels for every passenger.  

Spain is the fourth largest cruise market in Europe, but Royal Caribbean expects soon to occupy the third place.

Royal Caribbean is betting on the Mediterranean by announcing that they plan on expanding their presence in the region.  Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein on a trip to Milan, Italy talked about the cruise line's plans,  "In 2012 we will double our presence in Italy, France and Spain. The economic crisis is certainly not hurting our industry, but the margins for growth in the Mediterranean are still sensitive and so we want to be players to play this game. "

The Port of Alicante, Spain this week has received more than four thousand tourists arriving on board the biggest cruise ship that sailed the Mediterranean Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. Independence of the Seas arrived at 8 am and departed at 4.30pm on Monday.