Royal Caribbean has done well in recent years in Australia but its plans for further growth may be running into a problem come 2014/2015 but there's still hope for the future.

Cruise ship capacity constraints in Sydney will impact Royal Caribbean come 2014 according to managing director Gavin Smith, who indicated that rival Carnival Cruise Line is holding slots for an additional, unnamed cruise ship.

Smith said itineraries are currently being developed for 2014/15 with Port Botany a potential solution to the problem.

"There are periods in February 2015 when there is no berth space and that is the summer when our growth plans could face material curtailment,” Smith told Travel Today. “It gets very tight from December to February so you finish up with sub optimal itineraries of 16 or 17 nights because you can’t get back to Circular Quay. That is certainly a limitation to our plans. We are working through that at the moment to see how we can get around it."

Royal Caribbean dodged this issue for 2013/2014 when Carnival booked a berth for an unnamed ship, but subsequently withdrew that berth and allowed Royal Caribbean to take up the extra spot.

While declaring it was “unhelpful” for a cruise line to book for a vessel which ultimately doesn’t materialize, Smith refused to condemn Carnival.

"We are all masters of the slow reveal. I can understand what Carnival is doing but it’s certainly unhelpful if they don’t ultimately deliver the ship."

"The potential at Port Botany is for us to say ‘we’ll commit to this ship if you commit to helping us work one of the container terminals.  But for us to make that commitment we’ve got to be very clear on what our deployments need to be."

Royal Caribbean also revealed it was in "active discussions" over developments in Brisbane for 2015/16 that would allow the company to expand into Queensland. Although Royal Caribbean already calls at Brisbane, it does not have permission for a full turnaround.

Royal Caribbean has seen its growth in the Italian cruise market triple in the last two years.  Despite stiff competition by Costa and MSC, Royal Caribbean has managed to experience significant growth.

Royal Caribbean General Manager for Italy, Gianni Rotondo, commented on the news, "In two years we have invested a lot in Italy and we have gone from 23 thousand to 70 thousand Italians on board."

Rotondo also mentioned that Italy is the number one country in Europe for transit and Royal Caribbean accounts for 7-8% of the domestic market accounts.

In terms of the effect the Costa Concordia disaster has had, Rotondo noted that "we have lost something on the average income per person is an average decline of about 10 percent."   While the average cruise fare has fallen, Royal Caribbean has managed to see "a simultaneous increase of 300 percent of the customers".

We're hearing that as of November 1, 2012, Royal Caribbean is allowing passengers to bring two bottles of wine per cabin onboard their cruise.

Passengers can bring the wine with them as they board the ship at embarkation.  The wine must be consumed in your cabin or balcony.  If you choose to drink the wine elsewhere on the ship, such as at a restaurant or at a bar, a $25 corkage fee will be applied.  

If you receive wine as a gift via Royal Caribbean, guests may consume the wine in their stateroom or at any of the public areas onboard the ship without incurring a corkage fee.

Guests are not allowed to bring any other alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from Shops On Board will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the sailing.

No open liquor bottles will be permitted to be brought into the dining areas or public areas.

Following the devastation by Hurricane Sandy, Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey is open again for departures and arrivals.

Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas is in port today for an eight night cruise to the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean spokesperson Cynthia Martinez said the Cape Liberty sustained some water damage as a result of Hurricane Sandy.  Once the storm passed, the Cape Liberty staff began working to prepare the terminal for the arrival of passengers today. All of the port's power is being produced by backup generation because the electricity has not been restored to the terminal building.

Royal Caribbean is dealing with refunds and rescheduling tickets for those who can't get to the port because of Hurricane Sandy on a case-by-case basis.

People who can't make their scheduled departure are encouraged to call (866) 562-7625. 

Hurricane Sandy went through Royal Caribbean's private island of CocoCay and despite some damage, the oasis for Royal Caribbean cruise passengers is open again.

Royal Caribbean spokesperson Cynthia Martinez talked about the damage the storm did to the island, "The island of Coco Cay was impacted by the storm, with damage being sustained to some of our facilities and the beach areas. Our Coco Cay team has been working diligently to prepare the island for our guests arrival."

Despite the damage, Majesty of the Seas called on CocoCay yesterday as scheduled and Monarch of the Seas is expected to also call on CocoCay today.

Bahamas Ministry Of Tourism director of cruise development, Carla Stuart, claims that Hurricane Sandy had cost Nassau alone a collective $927,000 in lost cruise spend and taxes.

Ms Stuart noted that vessel cancelations between Thursday to Saturday last week cost Nassau an estimated $742,000 in passenger spending, plus $185,000 in likely departure tax.

For a limited time, you can give the gift of a Royal Caribbean cruise for a future birthday, holiday or anniversary with Royal Incentive Rewards cruise certificates.

From November 1 through December 15, 2012, you can buy Royal Incentive Rewards certificates, which can be redeemed for a future cruise of your choice.  These certificates are essentially pre-paid cruise certificates that offer flexibility for the recipient to plan a trip at their convenience with the  ability to upgrade or transfer their certificate, and no expiration date.

Certificates come in increments of $50 USD, $100 USD, $250 USD, $500 USD, $1,000 USD, $1,500 USD, $1,700 USD and $2,000 USD.

Those purchasing the certificates can choose choose among a variety of Royal Incentive Rewards certificate levels for different cruise regions and itinerary lengths. Once the recipient is ready to redeem their certificate and book a cruise, they simply call the Royal Incentive Rewards Desk, and the cruise line will handle the rest.

Certificates can be purchased from your travel agent or at https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com.

Royal Caribbean is putting its 2013 cruises on sale for the month of November in an effort to spur holiday gifts of a cruise vacation.

Throughout the month of November, Royal Caribbean is offering $50 to $1,000 savings on all 2013 Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean, Canada, Europe and trans-Atlantic sailings.

For more information about eligible sailings and savings amounts, please visit http://www.RoyalCaribbean.com/together. Cruise must be booked from Nov. 1 through 30, 2012, and vacationers should state promotion code “SKC9” at time of booking or apply it to their booking by Nov. 30, 2012. Limit one offer per stateroom and additional restrictions apply.

Royal Caribbean is now offering weddings and vow renewals in a new program called "Sweethearts at Sea".  The Bahamas has cleared Royal Caribbean to conduct legal weddings aboard their cruise ships while at sea.  

Couples wishing to share this special moment with friends and family can enjoy the Sweethearts at Sea promotional offer, inclusive of a ceremony performed by the Captain, photography and more, when booking 12 or more staterooms on a 2013 Royal Caribbean International sailing during the special introductory offer.

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein commented on the news, "Thanks to the support of the Bahamas, our guests can now be married during the course of their Royal Caribbean cruise and bask in the romance of the sea as they exchange their vows. Royal Caribbean's staff and crew will cater the affair with our world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service to help make the day extra special for the couple and their guests.”

Couples will work with the Royal Romance team of wedding specialists that will work with you to create an event that reflects the desires of the bride and groom.The Royal Romance team assists in wedding planning services, including any legal requirements pre-departure, and once onboard, the Royal Romance Coordinator ensures every last detail is taken care of for the special moment.

Brides and grooms looking to marry onboard a Royal Caribbean ship will be married in a manner that is legally recognized by the Bahamas through the newly passed Marriage Act. The act allows for marriages while in international waters, which is defined as outside the 12-mile limit of the territorial waters of any nation. The actual location of the ship when the marriage takes place is then recorded in the Marriage Record book of the Bahamas.

Couples have several customizable Royal Romance Package options that celebrate their big day and include all the essentials for creating the perfect wedding. For example, the Royal Romance at Sea package includes: the ceremony performed by the ship’s captain, a groom’s boutonniere, a rose bouquet for the bride, freshly-made cake, recorded music and a live soloist during ceremony, wine at the ceremony, dinner for the bride and groom at an onboard specialty restaurant, photography services, plus champagne and strawberries in the couple’s stateroom.

The Sweethearts at Seas promotion offers couples a complimentary Romance at Sea package when they share their happy memories with family and friends and their wedding party books 12 or more staterooms on a 2013 cruise of five nights or longer. Those couples booking 25 or more staterooms can enjoy the above, plus a complimentary stateroom upgrade, bar service and an hors d’oeuvres reception.

The Sweethearts at Seas is now available to be booked for cruises starting January 1, 2013. For more information about the Royal Romance Programvisit us at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/weddings or call 888-WED-RCCL (888-933-7225).

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas stopped at the port of Boracay in the Phillippines for the first time this past Saturday, which was celebrated with an official ceremony welcoming the ship.  

The Philippine Governor of Aklan, Helen Catalbas met with Legend of the Seas' Captain  Yngvar Knutsen to give Legend of the Seas a traditional plaque and key during a ceremony held on the ship.  

Ms Marilen Sandejas-Yaptangco, Royal Caribbean’s International Representative in the Philippines said, “Boracay is a vibrant island which is rising in popularity amongst tourists in recent years. We are proud to add yet another destination in the Philippines to Legend of the Seas’ Asian itineraries, which will give our international guests more ways to discover this country.”

Legend of the Seas, which is conducting her final Asian season, stopped at Boacay as part of an 8-night Southeast Asia itinerary with calls at Xiamen, Manila and Kota Kinabalu.

Following Boracay, Legend of the Seas also called at Kota Kinabalu for the first time today. After this sailing, Legend of the Seas will be returning to Singapore for her final season, to complete her long-running Asian deployment in next April.