Photo by Frylle Peralta

Royal Caribbean will offer an unique six-day cruise from Xiamen, China to Japan on April 2nd.  During this cruise, famous Taiwan singer-songwriter Fei Yu-ching will perform as a special guest on for a concert at sea, the first concert at sea to be held in Asia.

Legend of the Seas will visit two cities in Japan, including Kaoshima and Beppu.  Kaoshima is well known as the "Naples of the Eastern world" and Beppu is known for its geothermal hot spots.  Legend of the Seas will return to Shanghai, China on April 7th.

Legend of the Seas kick started the start of cruise travel between the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong with a 5-night cruise to Hong Kong and Taiwan from Xiamen, China on October 19th.

Two thousand passengers boarded the Vision class ship and it's the first cruise route with Xiamen as the port of embarkation.

A total of 21 cruise routes (13 start from Xiamen) will be launched from March to October next year to cover trips to Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

Royal Caribbean announced their new service called "Cruise-Fly" in partnership with SATS, that offers its guests a seamless process from the pier to the airport for flight check-in and baggage drop off.

For guests traveling on Legend of the Seas, cruise passengers who arrive in Singapore a day ahead of taking an evening flight can check-in for their flights and drop-off their bags at their convenience upon arrival.

Passengers traveling with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Qantas Airways, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and EVA Airways will be able to make use of the service.

Royal Caribbean's regional director for South East Asia, Kelvin Tan, likes the new service, "We are pleased that SATS is able to offer this innovative service to value-add to our international guests’ cruising experience.  Cruising in itself is a very hassle-free travel option and the Cruise-Fly initiative elevates this notion by bridging and shortening the distance between the pier and flight check-in services, and at the same time, bringing these guests to the doorsteps of some of the most exciting tourist destinations in Singapore. We hope that more and more of our guests can take advantage of this service whenever our ships call at Singapore.”

Royal Caribbean has entered into a strategic relationship with the municipal government of Xiamen and China World Cruises (CWC) in China including the CWC, a wholly owned subsidiary of property developer based in Beijing and the theme park of Shan-Hai-Shu, disposing of the Legend of the Seas for a total of four months in 2012.

During the four months, Royal Caribbean International operates 21 cruise, with departures from three to for eight nights from Xiamen and Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong to ports of call in Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. The five-night inaugural cruise from Hong Kong on March 20, 2012, while the first departure of the guests of Xiamen will be March 26.

The agreement with the full support of the Xiamen Municipal Government, is part of the development plan of the government of Xiamen, the fourth port-based Royal Caribbean International in China, after Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong.

"This is an incredible opportunity for Royal Caribbean International, the municipal government of Xiamen and China World Cruises, and is truly unique to the rapid growth of the cruise industry in Asia," says Dr. Liu Zinan, CEO of the group Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in China and Asia. "We are the first cruise brand to gather support from local governments and the private sector."

Working with the Xiamen municipal government, the CWC intends to invest about $ 5 billion in the Xiamen area facing the sea and the port area to develop a cruise port with an amusement park, shops, luxury hotels, condominiums and a new cruise terminal. Xiamen is located between Shanghai and Hong Kong, is less than 200 kilometers from Taipei, Taiwan, and is one of the most important ports and fastest growing along China's coast.

"China has great opportunities for the cruise industry, including the development of port infrastructure, and attracts tourists from around the world," said Michael Bayley, senior vice president of Royal Caribbean Cruises International Ltd.. "These are exciting times and we are delighted to work with the Xiamen Municipal Government and China World Cruises on this strategic partnership."

The Legend of the Seas is an award winning boat that has been operating in Asia, outside of Singapore since 2008 and in Shanghai since 2010.

"We believe that Royal Caribbean International is the right brand to work on developing the cruise industry in China," says George Buge Zhang, president of China World Cruises. "In a few years, has established itself as the market leader and have proven they know local market conditions and the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers."

The strategic agreement with the municipal government of Xiamen and China World Cruises follows the announcement that in June 2012 put the Royal Caribbean International Voyager of the Seas in the seas of China. Offering a variety of routes, between four and eight nights, the Voyager of the Seas will double the size of all cruise ships operating in China and the Asia-Pacific.

With 14 passenger decks and cabins 1556, Voyager of the Seas will begin its 2012 season in Asia with a cruise from Singapore, followed by tours of Shanghai (Baoshan) and Tianjin, including the ports of Kobe and Fukuoka, Japan, and Busan and Jeju in Korea until October. Voyager of the Seas will begin 14-night cruise departing from Sydney, Australia, November 24, 2012 to other ports in Australia and New Zealand, while the trails in early 2013 will include stops in Tasmania and the South Pacific.

The announcement of the agreement and the deployment of the Voyager of the Seas in Shanghai in 2012 as part of the strategy of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "to the diversification and global growth.

Photo by zildjian79590

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will sail out of Xiamen, China as its homeport for the first time with its maiden voyage on Oct 19, 2011.  The cruise will feature five days and four nights itineraries.

Xiamen will become the fourth Chinese city Royal Caribbean has chosen to be a homeport once it conducts its cruises in October.  For its first cruise, Legend of the Seas will visit Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Royal Caribbean will continue to serve China with regular service in 2012 and will also add Voyager of the Seas to the mix as well later in the year.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas made a stop today in Taichung, Taiwan. The city's deputy mayor characterized the passengers as mostly from Europe, China and Australia.

To welcome the passengers, Taichung City Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun greeted them at the port and gave the tourists an aboriginal-style welcome, offering them Taichung's famous sun cakes and seasonal fruits such as lychees.

In addition, the city provided ground transportation services for the Chinese tourists on board, who were visiting Taiwan under the recently introduced individual traveler program.

Legend of the Seas is scheduled to depart Taichung for Keelung Port later in the day. It was its eighth call at Taichung Port, the most recent being in March 2009.

Royal Caribbean is planning a spending spree to upgrade its fleet of cruise ships over the next three years to help keeps its older ships competitive in the cruise market.  

This $300 million revitalization called "Royal Advantage", will allow most of its Vision, Voyager and Radiance class vessels to get a series of upgrades including

• Restaurants from Oasis Class of ships
  • Chops Grille steakhouse
  • Rita's Cantina Mexican restaurants
  • Izumi Restaurant (sushi)
  • Chops Grille (Steak house)
  • Park Café (sandwiches and salads)
  • Boardwalk Doghouse (brats and wieners)
• New cabin designs
• Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Wi-fi throughout ship
• Digital Wayfinding Systems
• Oversized LED video screens on pool decks

There's more planned but no details are available quite yet.  These changes sound quite similar to the changes that have already been made to ships such as Radiance of the Seas mostly recently.

These overhauls will require each ship to enter into a lengthy drydock process where the ship will get its upgrades.  The schedule of upgrades are as follows

1. Splendour of the Seas - November 2011
2. Rhapsody of the Seas - March 2012
3. Grandeur of the Seas - May 2012
4. Serenade of the Seas - November 2012
5. Legend of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
6. Vision of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
7. Navigator of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
8. Voyager of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
9. Explorer of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
10. Adventure of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
11. Brilliance of the Seas - 2013 or 2014

We know that the overhaul for Splendour, Grandeur and Serenade of the Seas will take place in Cadiz, Spain after Royal Caribbean signed a deal to have those ships rehauled there last month.

Royal Caribbean also mentioned that Independence of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will receive smaller, less significant upgrades.

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein is excited about the changes that will help keep the cruise line competitive, "The Royal Advantage revitalizations takes many of the best features that we have created in recent years and introduces them across our fleet, offering our guests enhanced vacation choices around the world."

If you're looking to explore Southeast Asia, Royal Caribbean is set to introduce a series of  itineraries to popular ports-of-call in Malaysia, as well as new ports such as Ho Chi Minh and Bali for the cruise season of November 2011 to March 2012 aboard Legend of the Seas.

This is the second season Legend of the Seas will be operating out of Singapore and based on last year's options, there's a lot of great choices.  Legend of the Seas will offer many different types of shore excursions at each port.  There are sightseeing excursions, shopping excursions, cultural excursions and more.

Excursions can cost between 5-7 hours and cost between $25 - 52 per adult.