The World Travel Awards handed Royal Caribbean three awards at a ceremony held on January 11, 2012 at the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar.  Royal Caribbean won awards for World's Leading Cruise Line, World's Leading Cruise Brand and World's Leading Large Ship Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean's Regional Director Helen Beck spoke about accepting the awards, "Winning not one, but three awards, is truly a testament to Royal Caribbean’s continued dedication to innovation.  With a history of creativity and innovation - delivering many at-sea industry firsts, such as ice rinks, rock-climbing walls, zip lines and Broadway shows - we are committed to providing an unforgettable and rejuvenating experience that appeals to vacationers of all ages.”

Royal Caribbean's Executive Director in the Middle East, Lakshmi Durai, echoed Beck's comments, "We are very proud to have received three awards and would like to thank our travel partners from around the region for their continued and valued support over the years in spreading the word about the incredible value and satisfaction that Royal Caribbean International offers.”

Photo by Kenneth

Records show that a 25-year-old Royal Caribbean employee has been indicted on charges of sexually abusing a minor after allegations arose that he had sex with a teenage girl aboard Royal Caribbean's Enchantment Of The Seas, which sailed out of Baltimore on December 17.

The victim told police that she was alone on the deck of the ship when she met the man, Fabian Palmer, and he took her into a men's locker room where he began having sex with her.  He was stopped when another employee knocked on the door.

Video cameras captured "the likeness of Palmer," the victim, and the second employee outside the locker room around the same time that the victim said the abuse occurred, records show. Palmer was interviewed by Royal Caribbean employees and admitted having sex with the girl, but said he believed she was 16, records show. He was indicted on one count of sex abuse of a minor on Jan. 11.

Reality television star Kate Gosselin, who is best known for being the mom to eight kids, is hosting a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas August 12-19, 2012 and you can cruise with her.

Costs for this cruise range from $1900 to $5500, which gets you time with Gosselin such as

• Meet Kate Gosselin at our private welcome cocktail party
• A commemorative personalized gift from Kate (one per family)
• Capture your memories onboard with a personal photo with Kate Gosselin
• Join Kate for a private BBQ on deck with a fabulous band
• Join Kate for a morning brunch
• Fun fun family games with Kate and staff
• Charity dinner with Kate (optional)
• Got questions for Kate? Attend her Q & A session
• Check out Kate's latest book and bring it onboard for a book signing
• Doesn't Kate always have the best ideas! Learn a new craft from the professional herself
• Let's explore! Shore excursion with Kate
• Let's talk about our fabulous cruise experience! Private group farewell dinner

If you're interested in booking the cruise, you can contact Luxury Cruises & Tours for more information.

A few weeks ago Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas failed the Center for Disease Control's inspection after being cited for health-related issues such as fruit flies and food storage mistakes.

Last week, Royal Caribbean fixed the problems and Monarch of the Seas passed the test with flying colors, according to Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez. During the January 6 inspection, Monarch of the Seas earned a score of 96 (out of 100).  The examination was conducted as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

Royal Caribbean has announced its winter 2012-2013 sailings for Vision of the Seas, which will include itineraries that visit the Caribbean and Panama Canal.

Vision of the Seas will offer 10 to 15 night itineraries out of Port Everglades, Florida.  One special cruise will leave on December 24, 2012 and include stops in St Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Vincent, Martinique and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Labadee.

There are a number of options aboard Vision of the Seas including 10-night Eastern Caribbean sailings that will make calls at Tortola, St. Maarten, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Croix and Martinique, with an 11-night itinerary calling into Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Kitts, Dominica and St. Vincent, a maiden port of call for the line.

Two 14-night and two 15-night Panama Canal-transit sailings will also be offered, sailing from Port Everglades and San Diego respectively, along with two trans-Atlantic crossings sailing between Port Everglades and Southampton.

The 14-night westbound voyage will depart on 21 September 2012 from Southampton, calling into Gijo, Vigo, Lisbon and Ponta Delgada with the 13-night eastbound trip sailing from Port Everglades on 17 April 2013 visiting Lisbon, Vigo and Normandy.

For the first time ever, Royal Caribbean is offering cruises to the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean.  

Vision of the Seas will sail to the island as part of new 11-night itineraries out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Dec. 3, Dec. 24 and Feb. 4, 2013.

The St. Vincent cruise is just one of 19 new itineraries to the Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises that were announced for the 2012-2013 season.  Consumers can also choose from new 10-night Eastern Caribbean ships that include stops at Martinique.

Royal Caribbean's Vice President of Latin American Relations, Michael Ronan, met with Cozumel, Mexico's Mayor Aurelio Joaquin Gonzalez, where Royal Caribbean continues to be impressed by Cozumel's incomparable natural beauty, high safety standards and hospitality offered by the island as well as having one of the best worldwide port infrastructure, which facilitates the operation of mega ships.

Ronan went on to say that rather than looking to reduce cruise routes to Cozumel, Royal Caribbean will keep Cozumel as one of their favorite destinations around the world.

Michael Ronan added that it is not by chance that Cozumel holds a strong leadership at national and international level in cruise arrivals, under which has great natural beauty, is one of the safest destinations, offers high quality and hospitality of its people.

"But also, the island has one of the best port infrastructure in the world and under very special conditions that allow so-called mega-cruise ships, as the" Oasis of the Seas ", to operate smoothly, leading to the arrival of as many tourists to the island. For all that Cozumel is and will remain one of our destinations, "he said.  

Police in Port Everglades, Florida arrested 20-year-old Luiz Scavone for lewd and lascivious battery of a 15-year-old girl on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.

Police reported that Scavone and a teenage boy sexually assaulted the 15-year-old girl during their cruise.  Royal Caribbean reported the incident to police and the suspects were arrested once the ship returned to Port Everglades.