While Icon of the Seas may have dominated the cruise news cycle over the last week, there's other Royal Caribbean news you should know about!
Given how large a company Royal Caribbean is, there's plenty of moving parts and we wanted to make sure you were up to date with all of this week's remaining Royal Caribbean news.
If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!
First U.S. cruise ship begins using renewable diesel fuel
Navigator of the Seas is the first major cruise line in the United States to use a renewable diesel fuel.
Not only is Navigator the first ship, but Royal Caribbean Group is now the first major cruise line operator to sail a cruise ship from a U.S. port with this new kind of fuel.
The renewable fuel being used by Navigator of the Seas contains less carbon than traditional marine fuels. While this fuel is produced from renewable raw materials, the production process for this fuel makes it molecularly identical to traditional marine gas oil — creating a "drop in" fuel that can be safely used with the ship's existing engines.
Royal Caribbean will continue using lower carbon fuel to meet part of the Los Angeles-based ship's fuel needs as it evaluates the feasibility for long-term use. The cruise line's goal is to expand its usage to other ships across the fleet.
For the trial, Royal Caribbean Group has partnered with World Fuel Services to supply the renewable fuel to Navigator of the Seas. The Jankovich Company will deliver the fuel on behalf of World Fuel Services to the ship while at the Port of Los Angeles. Once fueled, Navigator of the Seas will set sail to Mexico.
In addition to testing the use of biofuel aboard Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Group is set to debut the cruise industry's first hybrid-powered ship in summer 2023, as part of Silversea Cruises newest class of ships, the Nova class.
Royal Caribbean Group is also working to reduce emissions while at port by investing in shore power on its ships and collaborating with key cruise ports for its use.
This is in addition to a previously announced deal to bring shore power to PortMiami and a new zero-energy cruise terminal in the Port of Galveston, Texas.
Royal Caribbean Group schedules third quarter business update
Royal Caribbean Group announced it has scheduled a conference call with investors to discuss its third quarter results and provide a business update.
The call is scheduled for 10am Eastern Time on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com.
Local artist partners with new Royal Caribbean cruise terminal
When Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston opens next month, you'll see art sourced from local artists.
Royal Caribbean wants to celebrate local art and culture, so they teamed up with Houston-based Piper Faust Public Art to assemble a slate of Texas artists to consider for this unique opportunity. They picked a design concept by the husband-and-wife team of Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin of Brad Oldham Sculpture.
The Galveston Beach Trio sculpture, which is forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, will welcome guests at the cruise line's new terminal facility.
The larger-than-life sculpture depicts a musical trio inspired by the rich musical heritage of the historic port city. Galveston has been home to musicians like Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone singer and songwriter Barry White, as well as local artists like Joyce Fields, who played piano for nearly 20 years at Sunday brunch at the historic Hotel Galvez, and Joe Pena, the guitarist known as the Granddaddy of Galveston Rock and Roll.
Joshua Carroll, vice president of Destination Development at Royal Caribbean Group, talked about this new deal, "Our passion lies in sharing the world's incredible destinations with our guests, allowing them to experience cultures from around the world, including the places from which their travels begin."
"Showcasing the history and culture of Galveston was our top priority in establishing this art installation in our new terminal, and we're thrilled to partner with Brad Oldham Sculpture to bring this vision to life."
Royal Caribbean's new terminal opens on November 9, 2022.
