Police investigating suicide aboard Allure of the Seas

In:
06 Feb 2012

Bahamas police are investigating an apparent suicide of a British man on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas that occurred this past Friday.  This investigation is related to the incident first reported about a man who fell off the ship.

Police report that at 7:10am while aboard Allure of the Seas, the man committed suicide while the ship was off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.

American Federal agents are assisting the police in the Bahamas, including Superintendent Paul Rolle, Head of the Central Detective Unit, along with officers from the Broward County Sheriff's Office and Customs and Border Protection.

"We do not have much information we can share with the public at this point. All we know is a British man is dead and it may or may not have been suicide. We are still conducting our on scene investigations and interviewing eyewitness. We are being assisted by other law enforcement agencies and expect to wrap up our investigations shortly. At that time, I will provide an update," he said.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement said the 30-year-old fell from the balcony of his stateroom on Deck 11.  The statement also said, "The ship made multiple public announcements and began a complete search of the ship, in efforts to locate the guest. When the guest did not respond to the pages and was not found onboard, the captain alerted the local authorities of the situation."

The victim suffered serious injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Five Royal Caribbean ships make best cruise ships for families list

In:
06 Feb 2012

The Today Show Travel listed their favorite cruise ships for families and five of Royal Caribbean's newest ships made the list.

First up is Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  The sheer number of amenities are notes for fun things for kids.

The two largest ships at sea each have pretty much everything you need to entertain the kids: a sprawling H2O Zone water park, a pair of rock-climbing walls, a miniature golf course, two surfing simulators, a basketball court, an ice-skating rink, and a hand-carved wooden carousel.

The Freedom-Class ships were also mentioned, including Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Aside from a huge playroom and video arcade aboard the Freedom-class ships, kids can't enough of the H2O water park, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, surfing simulator, mini golf course, and basketball court. Kids of all ages love the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream parlor and the Johnny Rockets diner on board for burgers, fries and milkshakes (both venues at an extra charge).

Royal Caribbean Goes Underground to Bring the Royal Experience to New York Commuters

In:
06 Feb 2012

Royal Caribbean International’s new brand campaign is targeting New York-area commuters, both above and below ground, by taking over the 42nd Street S line in Manhattan this February. As commuters are transported between Times Square and Grand Central Station, the award-winning cruise line is giving them a taste of the Royal experience with fully-branded shuttle cars supporting the cruise line’s new messaging. First rolled out in December 2011, the campaign is focused on reawakening consumers to the sights and sounds of the sea by communicating the decree, “The Sea is Calling. Answer it Royally.”

The subway cars, which are wrapped both inside and out, reflect actual Royal Caribbean cruise ships. The cars’ interiors are each separately wrapped as an onboard theater featuring marquees of some of the Broadway shows guests can see onboard select Royal Caribbean ships such as Hairspray, Chicago and Saturday Night Fever; an onboard spa with bamboo showers and masseuse; as well as an open deck area complete with a Flowrider surf simulator and surfer. Each car conveys the options for entertainment, relaxation and adventure that can be enjoyed on a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Commuters, who will be treated to special surprises during the month, are encouraged to take photographs and videos to share with friends through their social media channels, tagging Royal Caribbean by using the specified hashtag #RoyalShuttle. Royal Caribbean also challenges fans to find “hidden treasures” in the shuttle artwork, including characters such as Shrek and Po from the cruise line’s exclusive partnership with film studio powerhouse DreamWorks Animation.

For New York-area residents inspired to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life, Royal Caribbean offers convenient cruising options to Bermuda and the Caribbean out of Bayonne, N.J., and Baltimore, Md., onboard Explorer of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. Royal Caribbean’s innovative onboard amenities, upscale accommodations, dining and entertainment are all delivered with the cruise line’s signature Gold Anchor Service, all within a few-hours drive from home.

Legend of the Seas will cruise from China to Japan on April 2

In:
06 Feb 2012

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.

Norovirus outbreak aboard Voyager of the Seas delays departure

In:
05 Feb 2012

About 200 passengers aboard Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas contracted norovirus while the ship was still docked in New Orleans.  The outbreak delayed Voyager of the Seas' departure by two hours.

 

A report says 20 of the 200 passengers had to be quarantined due to their condition.

Crew aboard Voyager of the Seas spent an extra two hours cleaning the ship.

Royal Caribbean among first companies to join to promote Green Tourism

In:
04 Feb 2012

Royal Caribbean is among the first major companies to embrace the standards set forth by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The council recently commended companies such as Royal Caribbean for being among "the first group of global travel and tourism corporations to publicly commit to promoting sustainable tourism products and services recognized by the GSTC."

The council's mission is to foster sustainable tourism and travel practices, and the organization considers its criteria as "the worldwide minimum requirements for tourism businesses of all size to approach sustainability."

Cleveland residents undeterred by Concordia disaster

In:
04 Feb 2012

While some in the media would lead you to believe potential cruisers are shying away from taking a cruise, a report out of Cleveland, Ohio shows that most people haven't changed their potential cruise plans.

Local travel agents report their businesses have suffered no ill effects in the three weeks since the Costa Concordia incident occurred. 

Aiding in the situation is how cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean have helped convey information about safety to their customers.  Jeannette Yanuzzi, an agent with Parma's Tempo Travel, said several cruise companies, including Royal Caribbean, have supplied her with information about onboard safety protocols, should clients express any reservations. But her clients haven't asked for it.

"I think the public is educated enough to realize it's a completely isolated incident," said Joanne Shikitino, manager of Cleveland's Cruises Etc.

Search underway in Mexico for man that fell overboard Royal Caribbean ship

In:
03 Feb 2012

A British man has fallen overboard from Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas and Mexican and American officials are conducting a search of the waters nearby to find him.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that a 30-year-old man was seen going over the railing from his stateroom aboard Allure of the Seas.  Video camera footage from aboard the ship confirmed the report as well.

The incident occured as Allure of the Seas was sailing to Cozumel, Mexico and the United States Coast Guard is assisting the Mexican Navy in the search efforts.

Royal Caribbean adds ports of Bari and Messina to summer 2012

In:
03 Feb 2012

In Italy in 2012, Royal Caribbean will have five ports of embarkation in Italy, of which two are new this year: Bari & Messina.  These new ports of embarkation are in addition to Civitavecchia, Venice and Genoa.  In addition, there will be 10 ships in Italy this year, up from 8 in 2011, including Navigator of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Italy kicks off the summer season by announcing the addition of Mario Pasquero as new commercial manager, responsible for marketing departments and web operations.

Also, new cruises from Venice and the new home for Splendour of the Seas, Bari.  Royal Caribbean is also offering new "flight + cruise" packages where you can fly at reduced rates to the ports in Northern Europe where cruises aboard Brilliance of the Seas area available.

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