Market21, a leading advisory firm in the use of advanced marketing tools, ranks Royal Caribbean first in the use of advanced marketing among American cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean won on overall strength of performance. Some other lines were leaders in specific areas, but Royal Caribbean posted a strong across the board performance. They will have to remain on guard to keep up with competitors moving ahead with innovations such as: Norwegian, Crystal, and Disney.

Market21 used the Cruise Line Marketing Review, which measures 12 domestic lines against 18 criteria to determine how well they were performing using the current technologies, and how well they are prepared to move up to the newer technologies as they develop.

The report shows the strengths and weaknesses of the individual lines and the opportunities that are possible for both the individual lines and the industry as a whole. Reaching out to the customer in the manner in which they expect/desire to be addressed is important for current customers and to expand the customer base.

After being delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac, Royal Caribbean's ships returned to port today.  Allure of the Seas had her seven night itinerary extended to nine due to the storm, but arrived in Port Everglades at 5:30am this morning.

Despite the delay, passengers said the staff on board did a great job handling the storm and keeping everyone safe. "Good job. They did an excellent job. They let us know in advance. I didn't hear anyone complaining," said Barbara Moore.

Meanwhile Majesty of the Seas made her way back to the port of Miami, which was closed since Saturday.  Tropical Storm Isaac forced the port to close but was reopened on Monday afternoon.

Majesty of the Seas was extended from a three-day journey to a four-day trip, and the ship did not stop at the scheduled ports of call. "They gave us back our port charges, I guess because we didn't go to any ports. But other than that, I think they made a lot of money in the casinos and the alcohol," said passenger Michael Brodie.

Royal Caribbean is announcing that Allure of the Seas will be delayed returning home by two days due to Tropical Storm Isaac.  Instead of returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday as scheduled, she will instead stay out at sea to avoid the storm until Tuesday.

This will bring Allure of the Seas back to port two days later than scheduled. The next sailing for Allure of the Seas will begin on Tuesday August 28 instead of Sunday August 26 as a result and will reduce the length of the cruise from seven to five nights. As a result, the ship will skip scheduled calls in Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee, Haiti and add a call in Nassau, Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean is making up the delay to those on the now five-night cruise by offering them onboard credit for the missing days as well as a future cruise certificate worth 10% of the fare they paid for the cruise.

Royal Caribbean is asking guests who are scheduled to sail on Allure of the Seas on Sunday, August 26, not arrive at the port until 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 28 for check-in and boarding.

If you are scheduled to sail on the August 26 Allure of the Seas cruise and cannot make the new Tuesday departure, you should call Royal Caribbean at 888-829-4050 in the U.S., and 408-926-9002 internationally.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas rescued 58 Haitans that were stranded in the Caribbean Sea and brought them to Cozumel, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez says a guest spotted the boat and immediately informed a crew member on Thursday as they were heading from St. Maarten to Cozumel.

The Haitians informed the Allure of the Seas crew that they didn't need any help but the Allure of the Seas did contact the United States Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard asked the ship to return and help them.  

A total of 47 men and 7 women were rescued and given food, water and medical treatment.

Royal Caribbean turned the Haitians over to the Mexican Navy upon arrival in Mexico.

Royal Caribbean is announcing two more of its ships are being affected by Tropical Storm Isaac.  

Both Majesty of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas will not stop at Royal Caribbean's private island of CoCo Cay this weekend due to concerns of the storm.

This change is in addition to the previous announcement that Allure of the Seas will change from an eastern Caribbean itinerary to a western Caribbean itinerary.

As of 11 a.m. ET, Isaac was 165 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and moving to the west-northwest at 14 miles per hour. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. 

Royal Caribbean Australia launched a flagship sale last Sunday and it has already broken records as the busiest sales period in the history of Royal Caribbean Australia.

Commercial Director Adam Armstrong is excited to see the sales for Royal Caribbean cruises spike, "Our phones have been ringing off the hook since the flagship sale was announced,” he said. “We know that some agents have been having trouble getting through to us due to the sheer volume of calls, so we have decided to extend the sale until Monday night to ensure we can assist everyone who would like to book with us for the coming season.”

Royal Caribbean will have three ships based in the region, starting in October and will offer itineraries that include ports of call in the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

“We’ve obviously had great interest in our megaliner, Voyager of the Seas,” continued Armstrong. “However, the Aussie favourites Rhapsody of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas have extremely strong bookings too. With Rhapsody of the Seas returning to the region after undergoing a massive refurbishment, passengers are excited to see the improvements made to the ship which is such a familiar sight to Australians.”

Voyager of the Seas will arrive in Fremantle, Australia on her maiden voyage to Australia on November 5.

Royal Caribbean has changed Allure of the Seas from an Eastern Caribbean itinerary to a Western Caribbean itinerary to avoid Tropical Storm Isaac, which is gaining strength and can move to the category of hurricane this Thursday .

Allure of the Seas will call at Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico instead of St. Thomas and St, Maarten.

No other changes have been made yet although Royal Caribbean is recommending passengers on Majesty of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas keep an eye on further updates.

Royal Caribbean held talks with the Odessa City Council to bring a cruise ship there in April 2014.  A meeting between Royal Caribbean's vice president Craig Milan  met with the vice-mayor of Odessa, Elena Pavlova on August 21st to look at the tourist infrastructure of the city.

Milan commented on the city's possibility, "Several cruise ships call at  your port. Unfortunately they are isolated cases. But feedback from our customers, who have been in Odessa, has been very positive."

Milan says regular cruises with a mandatory sunset and base parking are planned in Odessa in April 2014.  

In turn, Pavlov noted that the city is interested in such a partnership, "If everything goes as planned, our city is waiting for the next tourist boom. Royal Caribbeancan bring from 2 to 4 thousand passengers on average." 

Royal Caribbean is interested in investing in the development of the Yalta and Sevastopol seaports as well.