Robin Robinson posted a summary of the excursions on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas Adriatic Sea itinerary.  This cruise itinerary is a departure from the traditional Mediterranean cruises most people consider so Robinson decided to see what it was like.

Some highlights if the cruise include

• Koper, Slovenia
  A peek into a medieval town, Koper and nearby Piran offer an authentic look at these seaside villages.  
• Ravenna, Italy
  Famous for its mosaics and World Heritage sites, Ravenna has a lot to offer from historical sites to Royal Caribbean's Racing Legends shore excursion, this tour also visits the Ferrari Museum in nearby Modena.
• Venice, Italy
  Royal Caribbean offers an overnight stay in Venice so you can experience this historic city by day and by night.

At the first stop of Genoa, Italy, Mariner of the Seas, flagship of Royal Caribbean in Italy, was presented the new programs of the Society of Genoa and the Italian market. "The first departure is tomorrow and the ship is full, "explains Lina Mazzucco, general manager of Royal Caribbean Italy, "When I joined the company spent only from Genoa, but this year we will do the next 7 loadings and even 14".

"In the port there have been many interventions to allow their ships like ours to have access and we are very pleased," continues Mazzucco , "Our goal is not only to bring Americans and other foreign tourists in Italy and Genoa, but also French and German just to embark from the port of Genoa. We are already working on that. "

The regional governor in Italy, Claudio Burlando, has proposed today better synergy between Genoa and Savona on the arrival of cruise passengers.  

"The collaboration with Royal Caribbean is very important, since it is a group among the largest in the world with next to Carnival and MSC, which incidentally is growing very well," said the president, during the first arrival in Genoa of Mariner of the Seas, flagship of Royal Caribbean in Italy.

"Last year, we met with Royal Caribbean officials on a cruise, and from there began a relationship that has led to increased calls. Next year we will already be at 60,000 passengers, so a number of all respect, then it may be that collaboration is being extended to become a customer and Caribbean ports of Liguria. And who knows not form a relationship with the company for construction at this time are the thorn in our side. It 'obvious that if we found a new party prepared to build here, the situation would change profoundly. "

Royal Caribbean has already bet on the port of Genoa to grab a share of the Maritime Station, the company that operates the passenger traffic. "When he left Genoa to Savona Coast had 500 to 600 000 cruise passengers in 2012 we will have as many 1 million in Savona and Genoa. It is about four times as much - still Burlando - The huge amount of passengers waiting to Savona places a high level of importance and necessity, more than double its terminals, while Genoa opened the new west pier, and you start works for the Ponte Parodi ".

"The movement hotel in Liguria attendance records 10 million and 3 million arrivals, with average attendance of 3 days - is the reflection of the regional governor - If we consider only to cruise passengers who arrive in Genoa, which this year will be 1 million and 800 thousand, it is a stream that does not deviate much from the classic hotel network users. This means that the cruise is a very valuable way to raise awareness of Liguria and should prompt us to promote a more articulate and attentive host, adapted to the needs of cruise passengers who decide to leave here because they want to spend a part of the journey. We can have a closer relationship with these people in Genoa tourism next year will have 2 million people. "

The number of cruisers in the port of Malaga in Spain has grown 33 percent in the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year, doubling the average growth for the rest of the Mediterranean. Specifically, a total of 243,794 passengers have passed through Malaga, compared to 182,927 in 2010.

Specifically, the average cruise passenger was of 2,050, up from 900 in 2010 as "fundamentally" the commitment of the Royal Caribbean in Malaga, "without doubt the largest cruise company in the world," although, however, Linde has stated that the rise in the number of vessels has not been "spectacular", a three per cent. During this period, eight ships have docked for the first time in the port, two more than last year.

Linde has pointed out to reporters that in addition to Royal Caribbean, there are more companies interested in Malaga port, but stressed that it is "the big client hoped to achieve with the opening of the second phase of the Sea."

Thus, Malaga is positioned at number 13 of the European rankings, with figures very close to the ports of Marseille (France) and Copenhagen (Denmark), as highlighted on Thursday during a press conference the president of the Port Authority Malaga Enrique Linde, who has called the balance sheet "in almost all traffic very positive."

Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas could not dock in Piraeus, Greece as a result of the continuing strike among taxi drivers in Athens, Greece.  

Instead, Splendour of the Seas made a stop in Heraklion, Crete after making a port call in Chania, Greece.

Splendour is the second Royal Caribbean ship in a row not able to dock in Piraeus after Voyager of the Seas skipped the port on Monday.

Very little is missing for the Genoa, Italy debut of Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. From July 23 to September 3, Royal Caribbean will have Mariner of the Seas docked in Genoa for guests to board for its seven night itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, to Cannes, Ajaccio, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.

Aboard Mariner, the Italian spirit is everywhere: from entertainment (activities and TV programs) to food and wine, to the staff - with a team dedicated to the Italian guests - to the guaranteed excursions in each port of call in Italian. On board the attractions that have revolutionized the cruise product: the climbing wall at 60 meters above sea level, the regulation basketball court, the ice rink.

The first departure from Genoa will be celebrated as early as July  22 with a major event dedicated to the trade, called Friday Night Fever for more than 500 travel agents and journalists. On July 23, in Genoa, Mariner will be celebrated with the exchange of crest and plaques - officiated by the Captain of the ship - between city and port authorities and ship's officers, as tradition dictates for the first stop of a ship in a harbor.

Emmanuel Joly, Royal Caribbean's group commercial director in Spain, spoke with Cruecero10 about issues and product developments in Spain's cruise market.

Royal Caribbean Spain is based in Barcelona and has positioned the largest ship in the Mediterranean for this season, the Liberty of the Seas. Emmanuel Joly explains the particularities of the cruise giant, which has dramatically grown from one in Spain's market, becoming one of the leading brands in the sector, but there's still a lot of work left.

What advantage does Royal Caribbean have over your competition? Why would you recommend one of your future cruises to passengers?

On Royal Caribbean we have always differentiated by going further than the other cruise lines. Our commitment to constant innovation and want to stay one step ahead of the rest has allowed us to become the shipping industry benchmark of the cruise.

The experiences you can live aboard our ships make us unique. In no other company can climb, ice skate at sea or surf a wave in the Mediterranean Sea infinite.

Royal Caribbean would recommend to any passenger of any age because we are the only shipping company that has a cruise for everyone, regardless of age or type of holiday you want and the company's innovative vessels offer a multitude of facilities and activities with each member of the family gets to live a unique vacation experience. In addition, all those who have never done a cruise and would like to try it, I assure you would come not only satisfied but pleasantly surprised.

We are most proud are the opinions of our Spanish passengers: 9 out of 10 we recommend, and 8.5 in 10 to sail with us again. This is the best guarantee we can offer.

The offer of Mediterranean cruises is enormous. How well are the revenues this year compared to previous ones in the Mediterranean? Are targets are being met or not by now?

So far in 2011 the reserves are evolving more than favorable, so we are satisfied with the development they are having. We are in line with our ambitious goals in Spain. One of the significant data that leads to this prediction, are also anticipated sales, which have experienced significant growth over the previous year.

The incorporation of Valencia as a port of embarkation of the Adventure of the Seas and the arrival of the largest ship in the Mediterranean, the Liberty of the Seas, the port of Barcelona, ​​have contributed to this year's growth curve 2011 and a healthy reserve.

And in the rest of Europe?

It is true that the Mediterranean has been the place where we have very strong lately, but we also see a lot of interest in more remote areas, confirming that the Spanish public not only makes cruises from Spain, but is encouraged to try more advanced products and exotic.

The outlook for the rest of Europe are also positive and our aim is to promote Northern Europe with 7-night cruises through the fjords, Baltic and the midnight sun and cruise from Venice and the Adriatic, the Greek Isles and Holy Land. We have new programming at these destinations for 2012, and we offer all the facilities to be easy access to ports of embarkation, from regular flights to charter their own. We know these destinations work fine in 2012 naturally.

The product "cruise" is the one that continues to grow in the tourism sector in Spain, but travel agencies struggle to survive the general financial crisis. Your company is committed to the sole travel agency sales channel or other types of channels to market their products? What tools / benefits you offer to travel agencies?

Royal Caribbean offers an excellent product based on three pillars: innovation, quality entertainment and service, these values ​​are that we are growing all the travel agencies, and Royal Caribbean is one of the brands preferred by consumers. In a recent study we conducted more than 1,000 agencies, Royal Caribbean is positioned as the recommended brand on the market in Spanish travel agencies. We have no words of thanks to the travel agencies that have been, are and will remain our distribution channel, which has bet heavily on us from the start and that allowed us to be today one of the largest companies in the Spanish market, something it was almost unthinkable not more than 5 years.

Royal Caribbean has no other channel's own travel agency, in its physical or virtual.

The agencies we offer, plus a good product, a commercial and reservations departments considered among the best in the industry, always ready to advise, assist and answer questions. Also a website, only for professionals, agile and modern.

Do you think what is important online communication to reach your customers?

At Royal Caribbean we understand the importance of online communication and with it we get a more direct, close and personal with our customers. Something that we are getting and that allows us to be aware of the concerns of our cruise and meet your needs almost immediately.

There is much talk that the new era of "Communication 2.0", Social Networks, etc ... What does your company in the world 2.0?

We are present on Twitter, and Facebook, tools that allow us to track direct and personal users. These tools not only to detect the needs of our cruise, but also that they create a community where they exchange views. We also have a Youtube channel where we show the different services and activities of our company. And this is only the beginning. We have prepared big surprises in this sense that we will reveal soon!

Royal Caribbean has named Louise James the new head of Royal Caribbean's Public Relations division in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

James' responsibility will be to take charge of the communications division for Royal Caribbean UK, which includes its press office and marketing communications.

Royal Caribbean Associate Vice President & General Manager, Jo Rzymowska, thinks James will be a good fit, "The marketing and communications need for the RCL Cruises Ltd business has evolved significantly in recent years. As well as celebrating new ships, we are investing in increasing our brand awareness within the overall holiday sector. The new PR appointment is a key development to aid this area of our communications strategy and I’m excited to welcome Louise James to the team."

Representatives from Royal Caribbean and four other cruise lines (Norwegian Cruise Lines,Residensea, Silversea and Oceania Regent Seven Seas) visited the port of Bilbao, Spain and other points of interest in the region. They were accompanied by a representative of the Tourist Office of Spain in Miami.

The cruise line representatives have also been accompanied by officials from the Port Authority of Bilbao and Bilbao Tourism Office. They visited, among others, the cruise terminal port, the Bridge, Getxo, Bilbao, Laguardia and the blind. They have also enjoyed the Basque cuisine and have been able to see first hand the commercial area. In 2011, it is planned at the port of Bilbao fifty cruise ships belonging to twenty different companies.

Royal Caribbean, a member of the European Cruise Council (ECC), has pledged to help develop the Greek cruise market in an announcement by Royal Caribbean's Vice President of Commercial & New Business Development John Tercek to the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism.  The ECC has offered to act as a hub to interact with the Ministry to inform member companies of Greek developments and issues of common interest.

On behalf their companies represented by the ECC. Giora Israel (Vice President of Carnival Cruise Line), and John Tercek confirmed the participation of their companies to the commission and the offer to provide expertise to Greece and expressed interest to develop and to extend the routes of cruise in the Greek seas and to add new ports of call. 

Last Wednesday, Greek Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism George Nikitiadis met with Tercek, in Thessalonicawhere  they discussed the possibilities of the port, and the government's efforts to capitalize on important cruise market, which, as the figures show it has an important role in the coming years the development of tourism in Greece.