Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the seas experience a fire in one of its engine rooms early this morning, but luckily the incident was contained with minor injuries and no apparent damage to the ship.

Royal Caribbean announced the fire was contained and extinguished, with all systems functioning.

#SplendourOfTheSeas experienced a fire this morning in 1 of its engine rooms.Fire was contained & extinguished, all systems are functioning.

— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) October 22, 2015

In addition, there were no reported injuries to guests or crew.  

Splendour of the Seas is in the Mediterranean and is sailing to Argostoli with all systems functioning normally.

UPDATE 9:21am: Royal Caribbean has decided to skip its scheduled stop at Argostoli and proceed to its next scheduled stop of Venice.

In addition, 1 guest and 19 crew members were treated for smoke inhalation and released. 1 crew member is still being treated.

#SplendouroftheSeas update: All systems functional 1 guest, 19 crew treated for smoke inhalation and released. 1 crew still being treated.

— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) October 22, 2015

UPDATE 12:56pm: Royal Caribbean has issued a statement regarding the fire.

On October 22, 2015, as Splendour of the Seas was at sea in route to Argostoli, Greece, the ship experienced a fire in one of its two engine rooms.  The ship’s fire suppression system was activated, which contained and extinguished the fire.  However, in an abundance of caution, it was deemed necessary to evacuate some guests from their stateroom. 

The ship is currently sailing towards Venice, Italy, and all systems are functioning.

Splendour of the Seas is currently on a seven-night sailing that departed Venice, Italy, on Saturday, October 17, and includes port calls to Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; Athens, Greece; Mykonos, Greece and Argostoli, Greece.

It's time to start saying goodbye to Splendour of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell Splendour of the Seas to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016. The ship will then be leased to Thomson Cruises, which will operate the vessel.

Splendour of the Seas will complete all scheduled open deployment, and no sailings will be altered or disrupted due to the sale.

"Splendour of the Seas has been a treasured member of the Royal Caribbean International family since she entered service," said Michael Bayley, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean International. "She has offered countless guests memorable vacation experiences and we look forward to continuing to provide the same Gold Anchor Service our brand is known for right up to the last sailing." Her final sailing will commence on April 4, 2016, and all officers and crew will remain with the company and will be transferred to other vessels worldwide after the ship leaves the Royal Caribbean International fleet.

Splendour of the Seas is not the only Royal Caribbean ship that will be leaving the fleet. In November 2014, Royal Caribbean announced Majesty of the Seas will be transfered out of the fleet in 2016.

Splendour and Majesty's exit from the fleet coincides with Royal Caribbean's cruise ship building spree that is underway, with four new ships set to come online in the next few years.

Royal Caribbean is offering three themed cruises in South America for the 2014/2015 cruise season. The cruises are called Royal Life, Royal Gourmet and Royal Dance.

Royal Life will be a seven-night cruise out of Santos, Brazil on February 1, 2014 and will stop in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Punta del Este.  This cruise will offer exercise regiments as well as light and healthy food choices.

Royal Gourmet will be a cruise sailing on March 13, 2014 with stops in Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Punta del Este.  Royal Gourmet will bring together a number of major Brazilian chefs that will offer unique programming.

For Royal Dance, Royal Caribbean is partnering with the Dance Studio of Dance Fernando Campani.  The cruise will offer the studios' intense class schedule, with a 14-night trans-Atlantic itinerary that will end in Barcelona, Spain.

Rhapsody of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas offer cruises in summer 2015 to Greece, Turkey and – for the first time for Royal Caribbean – Black Sea itineraries. Rhapsody of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas’ summer 2015 Europe seasons also are now open for bookings. 

In June 2015, Rhapsody of the Seas will mark Royal Caribbean’s first time in the Black Sea, offering passengers three round-trip sailings, 10- and 11-night in duration, from Istanbul, Turkey. Guests will join the ship in making maiden port calls at Burgas, Bulgaria; Odessa, Yalta and Sevastapol, Ukraine; and Sochi, Russia, with overnight stays in Odessa, Sochi and Istanbul. Rhapsody of the Seas’ arrival at Istanbul will be preceded by a series of sailings that will reposition the ship from Sydney, Australia, to the Black Sea on Apr. 17, 2015. The ship will sail Australia’s north coast to Singapore; follow the Indian sub-continental coast to Dubai; and transit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean to arrive for the summer season on June 1. 

From July to mid-November, Rhapsody of the Seas will homeport at Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, and sail seven- to 11-night Greece and Turkey itineraries. The seven- and nine-night itineraries focus on smaller ports such as Katakolon, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini in Greece; and Bodrum, Turkey.  Rhapsody of the Seas will then reposition to Sao Paolo, Brazil, for the winter season on a Royal Caribbean trans-Atlantic Ocean Voyage, departing from Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 19. 

Rounding out Royal Caribbean’s summer 2015 Europe season, Splendour of the Seas will return to homeport at Venice, Italy, for the 10th consecutive summer season, and sail seven-night Adriatic and Greek Isles round-trip itineraries for an extended season through November. A special 12-night itinerary from Barcelona to Venice will kick off the season and sail on May 4 to the French and Italian rivieras as well as Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia. 

Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas arrived today in Salvador for her ninth season in Brazil after travelling from Europe.

Splendour of the Seas' first cruise in Brazil this season will begin on December 8th and offer three to seven night cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

As part of Splendour's return to Brazil, a small commemorative event was held announcing the ship's arrival.

Splendour of the Seas is returning after having had a revitalization that breathed fresh life into the ship, which added a number of new ammenities to the ship such as restaurants and onboard activities.

Royal Caribbean has announced the winter 2014-2015 Brazil and South America cruise schedule for Splendour of the Seas.

Splendour of the Seas will sail roundtrip out of São Paulo, Brazil and offer three- to eight-night cruises with port stops at Buzios, Ilha Grande, and Ilhabela. In addition she will offer seven-night Argentina and Uruguay cruises, calling at Punta Del Este and Montevideo, Uruguay; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Included in this schedule is a special eight-night holiday cruise that leaves on December 27, 2014 and will visit the ports of Porto Belo, Buzios, Ilha Grande and Ilhabela, and herald in the New Year at Rio de Janeiro to catch the world-famous fireworks show at Copacabana Beach.

Splendour of the Seas’s winter 2014-15 Brazil and South America cruises are now open for sale. 

Lisa Bauer, Royal Caribbean executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, commented on the news, "We are glad to bring Splendour of the Seas back to Brazil for an eighth winter season.  Splendour of the Seas combines a vast array of new and modern features and conveniences, exciting itineraries, and our world-renowned friendly and engaging GOLD Anchor Service to deliver a unique South America vacation experience that can only be found on Royal Caribbean. And our award-winning family programming will help make a vacation to the region an unforgettable experience for all ages."

Royal Caribbean is offering two themed cruises in South America for the 2013/2014 cruise season.  Royal Life will be offered in February with Royal Dance in April.

The Royal Life cruise is a 7-night cruise out of Rio de Janiero on February 16, 2014.  The cruise will offer scavenger hunts for families, spinning classes, pilates and yoga sessions.

For the Royal Dance cruise, it will be a repositioning cruise between Santos, São Paulo and Barcelona, Spain.  This 14-night cruise is a partnership between Royal Caribbean and the Dance Studio of Fernando Campani.  Onboard, the cruise will offer various music rhythm classes to passengers.

Both themed cruises will be offered on Splendour of the Seas on itineraries in South America.

The UK newspaper, The Telegraph, recently sent Jane Archer to review Splendour of the Seas after her $53 million revitalization.  Splendour is currently offering seven-night sailings around the Greek islands and Turkey, from Venice through November.

In terms of the new changes to Splendour, Archer thought the money spent helped give the ship new life but thinks, "a few more million should have been directed at paintwork and glass, which were looking very shabby in places."

In addition, the Centrum was retrofitted and given a new role but Archer wasn't that impressed, "As part of the refit, the atrium was renamed Centrum and given a new role as an entertainment area with girders installed above from which aerialists could perform. It has potential but the one show I saw during a seven-night cruise was most disappointing and over in a flash."

Archer also reported that the newly refurbished staterooms do offer new furnishings but the promise of an iPad in every stateroom has thus far only made into the suites onboard.

Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas will host the fifth annual Brazil Fashion Cruise in 2013.  The event will take place April 7th through the 11th and will tour the Brazilian coast.

The Brazil Fashion Cruise ship will bring together the top names in Brazilian fashion, businessmen, journalists and students of fashion.

"The event grows each year and, for the anniversary edition of five years plus the attractions on board, prepare actions and parade ground," says Carla Wolff, the Dreamakers Travel & Consulting, creator of the project in partnership with Alba Ferrari Facex partner of Foreign Trade.

The event features special programa for students, such as workshops with designers who will be in the line-up.
 

Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas will make a total of 40 cruises throughout Europe, with 41 stops in the summer of 2013.

Brilliance of the Seas will depart out of Harwich, England to ports in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea with 12 night itineraries.  Meanwhile, Splendour of he Seas will offer seven-night cruises to the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean out of Venice, Italy.

Brilliance of the Seas will begin its summer season on May 15, 2013 and will offer eight trips to and from Harwich to scales and in Copenhagen Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Gothenburg and St. Petersburg where it gets a night.

Splendour of the Seas, which was upgraded in November 2011 with new amenities from the Royal Advantage program, will start its summer season on May 5 with a six-night cruise from Barcelona to Venice with a stop in Marseille, Florence/Pisa and Rome (Civitavecchia).  The ship will offer four itineraries, two in the Greek islands, one in the Greek Islands and Turkey, and another in the Greek Islands and Croatia.