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Royal Caribbean finalizing Australia plans for 2012/2013

In:
09 Feb 2011

Royal Caribbean is close to finalizing plans to send three of its cruise ships back to Australia for the 2012/2013 cruise season.   Royal Caribbean managing director for Australia, Gavin Smith, said he is certain that Royal Caribbean will have three ships in Australia.

The decision was easy to make after strong bookings for the 2011/2012 seas have made Rhapsody of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Celebrity Century quite popular.  It's expected that all three ships will return for the following season to build upon its success down under, so far.

Smith said adding more ships to the area this year has created challenges, but nothing Royal Caribbean cannot handle, “The pressure is maintaining strong forward booking patterns to give the company confidence that they can continue this level of deployment. The continued success of our deployment and our pricing gains us confidence with the parent company. They are continuing to support our operation with the required level of investment. Without question we will have three ships in Australia in 2012/13 and have made the port bookings."

Smith expects to have the plans for Australia in 2012/2013 finalized by March.

Single cabins coming to Royal Caribbean ships

In:
25 Jan 2011

Royal Caribbean is going to try out adding cabins for solo travelers in the spring of this year on Radiance of the Seas, according to a report by USA Today.

Radiance of the Seas will add three windowless "inside" stateroom cabins specifically for guests who are traveling alone.  To accommodate this change, Radiance of the Seas will enter dry dock in late May, have the new cabins installed and depart in early June. She will then spend the coming summer sailing in Alaska.

Single cabins are a new fad in some cruise lines and until now, Royal Caribbean did not have any.  The reason for this is because the the cruise business model revolves around cabins designed for two or more people.

Frommer's names Allure of the Seas best ship of 2011

In:
14 Jan 2011

Frommer's travel guide has named Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas as one of the Best Cruise Ships of 2011.  Judges cited Allure and her sister Oasis of the Seas as, "undoubtedly the best entertainment ship at sea, with truly exceptional programming for both adults and kids."

Judges were impressed by many aspects of the Oasis class ships, especially the innovations Royal Caribbean introduced on these vessels, "The biggest innovation is the vessels' split superstructures, with the top eight decks bisected lengthwise by a long canyon that contains an open-air garden and a boardwalk-like entertainment zone. Besides letting light and air into the center of the ship, this makes the whole vessel feel more 3D -- like you're walking the streets of a high-rise city, not shuffling blindly from one horizontal deck to another."

The list of ships only surveyed ships in the Western Hemisphere, so ships in Europe and Asia were not included.

In addition to taking the top honors, a few other Royal Caribbean ships made the "notables" list.  Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas were all mentioned for scoring highly. 

Judges enjoyed the Radiance class of Royal Caribbean ships because. "These four sisters combine sleek, seagoing exteriors with nautically themed interiors and acres of windows."

Illness strikes Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas

In:
10 Jan 2011

Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas was delayed on January 3rd after an outbreak of illness struck the ship, causing 150 passengers to become sick.

Royal Caribbean reports a gastro-intestinal illness marked by diarrhea and vomiting affected some passengers, including three crew members.  Royal Caribbean took measures to ensure the ship was ready for its next voyage by remaining in port five hours longer than normal to undergo a ship-wide cleaning.

The cruise terminal was also sanitized and the ship is scheduled to depart on another cruise Saturday night.

During the voyage, crew took precautions to prevent the spread of the virus such as banning menus and silverware from meals.

Royal Caribbean making progress in Australia

In:
06 Dec 2010

Royal Caribbean is reporting travel agents and consumers in Australia have become more familiar with the Royal Caribbean brand in recent time, but there are still challenges ahead as the cruise line looks to gain an even larger share of the cruise market down under.

Royal Caribbean Cruises managing director, Gavin Smith, said the increased capacity planned over the next 12 months, including the return of Celebrity Cruises and the debut of Radiance of the Seas, will coincide with Royal Caribbean putting on more field sales staff to drive its message home to agents.

Just how far has Royal Caribbean come?  One year ago, there were about 40,000 beds available but today that number is closer to 100,000 beds to sell.

Helping increase the inventory is Radiance of the Seas, which features 50% of its cabins having a balcony, which is important to the Australian cruise market.  Gavin Smith cites that Americans and British cruisers that go to Australia demand the balconies.

Royal Caribbean to overhaul two more ships in 2011

In:
08 Nov 2010

Two more ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet will receive upgrades in 2011.  Radiance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas will receive ship wide enhancements.

Radiance of the Seas will enter dry dock in mid-2011 and will add a Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse as well as a Mexican-themed restaurant caled Rita's Cantina.  Both restaurants will debut on Allure of the Seas later this month.  In addition, Radiance will get a new Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members, a Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, interactive flat-panel televisions in all cabins, and wireless Internet throughout the ship.

Splendour of the Seas will recieve the same upgrades that Radiance has, which includes the two new specialty restaurants, the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, a new Diamond and Concierge Lounge, flat-panel televisions in every cabin, and wireless Internet throughout the ship, as well as adding new balcony cabins to Splendour of the Seas and also enhance select cabins and public areas, including the Windjammer Marketplace.

Also receiving updates in 2011 are Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas

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