Royal Caribbean International

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U.S. headquarters in Miami, Florida.
U.S. headquarters in Miami, Florida.

Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian-United States cruise ship company based in Miami, Florida. It is a brand of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. All the ships have names ending in "of the Seas." Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. also operates Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, Azamara Cruises and has a stake in Island Cruises.

Contents

Company and brand history

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded in 1968 by Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, I.M. Skaugen & Company, and Gotaas Larsen - all Norwegian shipping companies. The newly created line put its first ship, the Song of Norway, into service two years later. The next year, the line's capacity was doubled with the addition of the Nordic Prince to the fleet. Continuing to expand, the line added the Sun Viking in 1972. After four years of successful operation, Royal Caribbean's Song of Norway became their first passenger ship to be lengthened. This was accomplished via the insertion of an 85 foot section to the vessel's severed center. Following the success of this procedure, Nordic Prince was stretched in 1980. Royal Caribbean finally received widespread global recognition when in 1982 it launched the Song of America, over twice the size of Sun Viking and at the time the third largest passenger vessel afloat.

Royal Caribbean innovated once again with its 1986 purchase of a coastal property in Haiti for use as a private destination for its guests. This destination is now called Labadee. After a corporate restructuring in 1988, the line launched Sovereign of the Seas, the largest passenger vessel afloat at the time. Two years later, Empress of the Seas and Viking Serenade entered service for the line, continuing a rapid growth trend within the company. In the same year Royal Caribbean purchased its second private destination, Little Stirrup Cay, an island in the Bahamas, which they rechristened "Coco Cay".

Monarch of the Seas, the second ship of the Sovereign Class, entered service the next year. The third ship of the Sovereign Class, Majesty of the Seas, was delivered one year later. With a large passenger capacity and a growing market share, Royal Caribbean finally went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993. Over the next two years the company experienced extreme growth. A new corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida was completed, and the Nordic Prince replaced by a new vessel, the Legend of the Seas.

The next year brought more growth. Two more Vision class vessels entered service, Splendour of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. Also in 1996, the company finalized its contracts for 130,000 ton vessels with Aker Finnyards in Finland. The trend of growth and change continued into 1997. The line's oldest ship, Song of Norway, was sold, and two new Vision-class ships entered service as Rhapsody of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. The company also merged with the Greek cruise line Celebrity Cruises and changed its name from "Royal Caribbean Cruise Line" to "Royal Caribbean International". The next year marked a transition to a more "strictly modern line", when the last of the company's older vessels, Song of America and Sun Viking, were retired. In 1998, Vision of the Seas came into service, the last of the Vision Class Ships. In 2004, Royal Caribbean made history again with the massive refurbishment of Enchantment of the Seas, cutting the ship in half and adding a 74 foot midsection. Grandeur of the Seas is rumored to be the next to have the massive refurbishment sometime in late 2007 or early 2008.

In 1999 the Voyager of the Seas, the line's newest and world's largest cruise ship entered service with much attention from the news media. The next two years saw the delivery of Voyager's sister ship, Explorer of the Seas, and the first of a new class of more environmentally friendly cruise liners, Radiance of the Seas, as well as the introduction of Royal Caribbean's "cruise tours Alaska", featuring glass-domed train cars to scenic destinations within the state and Canada. The year 2000 saw the formation of a joint venture with British First Choice Holidays to form a joint venture for the informal British and Brazilian markets, Island Cruises.

2002 saw the debut of the Navigator of the Seas, as well as Brilliance of the Seas, the second ship of the Radiance class. Serenade of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas were introduced the next year, and rock-climbing walls were made a feature of every Royal Caribbean ship. Jewel of the Seas followed in 2004, and the line's ship Nordic Empress was refurbished and re-christened as Empress of the Seas. Construction commenced on Freedom of the Seas, the line's newest ship, at Aker Finnyards in 2005 and the vessel launched the next year as the largest passenger vessel in the world. Freedom of the Seas' sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, was launched in 2007, and Independence of the Seas was delivered in 2008. An even larger class, the Oasis Class, will be launched in 2009, guaranteeing Royal Caribbean the ship size lead for years to come.

In November 2006, Royal Caribbean finalized the purchase of Pullmantur Cruises in Madrid, Spain. Onwards from that point the company expanded radically with the creation of new cruise lines. Azamara Cruises was created in May 2007 as a subsdiary of Celebrity Cruises. In September 2007 Royal Caribbean unveiled plans for a new cruise line, Croisières de France, aimed at French-language customers. The new company will start operations in Spring 2008, initially with one ship, the Bleu de France, which currently sails for Pullmantur Cruises as the MS Holiday Dream.


Current Ships

Ship Built Refurb. Registry Tonnage Pax
(Basis 2) 		Pax
Decks 		Crew Notes
Adventure of the Seas 2001 - Bahamas 142,000 3,114 15 1,185 Voyager Class
Brilliance of the Seas 2002 - Bahamas 90,090 2,110 12 848 Radiance Class
Enchantment of the Seas 1997 2005 Bahamas 74,140 1,950 11 840 Vision Class
Explorer of the Seas 2000 - Bahamas 142,000 3,114 15 1,185 Voyager Class
Freedom of the Seas 2006 - Bahamas 160,000 3,630 15 1,360 Freedom Class
Grandeur of the Seas 1996 2001 Bahamas 74,140 1,950 11 760 Vision Class
Independence of the Seas 2008 - Bahamas 160,000 3,630 15 1,385 Freedom Class
Jewel of the Seas 2004 - Bahamas 90,090 2,110 12 859 Radiance Class
Legend of the Seas 1995 2000 Bahamas 69,130 1,804 11 726 Vision Class
Liberty of the Seas 2007 - Bahamas 160,000 3,630 15 1,360 Freedom Class
Majesty of the Seas 1992 2007 Bahamas 73,941 2,356 14 812 Sovereign Class
Mariner of the Seas 2003 - Bahamas 142,000 3,114 15 1,185 Voyager Class
Monarch of the Seas 1991 2003 Bahamas 73,941 2,390 14 856 Sovereign Class
Navigator of the Seas 2002 - Bahamas 142,000 3,114 15 1,185 Voyager Class
Radiance of the Seas 2001 - Bahamas 90,090 2,110 12 857 Radiance Class
Rhapsody of the Seas 1997 2002 Bahamas 78,491 1,998 11 765 Vision Class
Serenade of the Seas 2003 - Bahamas 90,090 2,110 12 891 Radiance Class
Sovereign of the Seas 1988 2004 Bahamas 73,192 2,298 14 840 Sovereign Class
Splendour of the Seas 1996 2001 Bahamas 69,130 1,804 11 720 Vision Class
Vision of the Seas 1998 2000 Bahamas 78,491 1,998 11 742 Vision Class
Voyager of the Seas 1999 - Bahamas 142,000 3,114 14 1,176 Voyager Class

Each Royal Caribbean ship includes a top-of-ship lounge called the Viking Crown Lounge offering sweeping panoramic views, onboard rock climbing walls, bars, lounges, spas, gyms, a main dining room and alternative dining venues. The line has a special kids and youth program known as Adventure Ocean. The line's first ship was the Song of Norway, now International Shipping Partners' Clipper Pearl. The current fleet consists of:

Oasis Class

The first ship of this class is expected to surpass the Freedom-class ships as the world's largest passenger ship in autumn 2009. It will be able to accommodate up to 5,400 double-occupancy passengers (up to 6,400 when third & fourth passengers are included), will have a registered tonnage of approximately 220,000 tons and will cost the line around US$1.24 billion. This would make it “the most valuable ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding” as per a Royal Caribbean spokesperson. It is anticipated that the Oasis-class of vessels will primarily sail the waters of the Caribbean Sea, but Royal Caribbean may also choose to deploy these vessels in other parts of the world. Like the Freedom class ships, it will be constructed at Aker Finnyards, Turku, Finland. A second Oasis-class ship was ordered on April 2, 2007, to be delivered in August 2010.

Freedom Class

Freedom of the Seas left Aker Finnyards shipyard in Turku, Finland on April 24, 2006. The third ship of this class is currently under construction at Aker Finnyards in Turku, with a scheduled delivery of May 2008. With gross tonnage of 154,407 tons, they surpassed Cunard Line's RMS Queen Mary 2 as the largest passenger ships in the world even though they are five meters shorter than the Queen Mary 2. Freedom of the Seas includes two new features: the Flowrider and the H2O Zone for kids. The Freedom of the Seas continues the traditions of the Voyager Class Ships with a 400 foot mall named the Royal Promenade, featuring pubs, shops, arcades, bars, and a 24 hour Cafe Promenade.

Voyager Class

The largest passenger ships at sea only behind the Freedom Class and Cunard's RMS Queen Mary 2, the Voyager class ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yard’s (now Aker Finnyards) facility in Turku, Finland. These ships include a 350 foot indoor mall known as the Royal Promenade, featuring indoor pubs, shops, cafes, and bars. Activity options on board include: basketball courts, skating rinks, at least 3 pools, a mini-golf course, and a rock wall.

Radiance Class

Radiance class ships have all the features of RCI, as well as grand public rooms such as on the Queen Mary 2. All ships have more environmentally-friendly gas turbine engines. The Radiance Class ships have over 3 acres of glass, glass exterior viewing elevators, over 700 balcony staterooms, two-level glass windowed dining rooms, alternative restaurants, a retractable glass roof over a pool, an outdoor pool, as well as the first self-leveling billiard tables at sea. The Radiance Class ships were constructed at Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany.

Vision Class

Technically speaking the Vision Class consists of three pairs of sister ships and is not a "class" of ships in the same sense as the Radiance, Freedom or Voyager classes. The Legend and Splendour, built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, France have a gross tonnage of approximately 70,000 and are the only ones which have a golf course. The Grandeur and Enchantment were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki, Finland and have a tonnage of approximately 81,000 gross tons. The final pair, Rhapsody and Vision were also built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and have a tonnage of 83,000 gross tons. All ships of this class feature over 2 acres of glass.

In 2004, a 74 foot midsection was added to the Enchantment of the Seas, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort.

Sovereign Class

These were the first "mega-ships" in the industry (with exception of the SS Norway, an ocean liner converted into a cruise ship), built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The Sovereign Class ships have an open atrium area. Like larger Royal Caribbean ships, the Sovereign Class ships have pools, open bars and pools, bars and lounges inside, and grand theaters.

In 2004, the Monarch of the Seas went into drydock for an extensive refurbishment, followed by the Sovereign in 2005, and the Majesty of the Seas in 2007. New features include enhanced staterooms, public areas, Johnny Rockets, addition of rock walls, new pools, and more space for guest comfort. In October 2007 it was reported that the Sovereign of the Seas will transfer to the fleet of Pullmantur Cruises in late 2008.

Retired ships

Former RCI ships no longer in the fleet:

  • Song of Norway - Now operating with International Shipping Partners as Clipper Pearl
  • Nordic Prince - Now operating with Transocean Tours as MS Arielle
  • Sun Viking - Now the casino-cruise ship Omar III
  • Song of America - Now operating with Thomson Cruises as MS Thomson Destiny
  • Viking Serenade - Now operating with Island Cruises as Island Escape
  • Empress of the Seas - Now operating with Pullmantur Cruises as Empress

Private resorts

Royal Caribbean operates two privately owned resorts that are used as stops on some Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. They are Labadee, a resort on the northern coast of Haiti; and Little Stirrup Cay, a private island in the Berry Islands region of the Bahamas. Each island features beaches, canopies for eating, lounge chairs, palm trees, and white sand beaches.

Onboard security

Following several incidents on cruise ships that have claimed media attention, Royal Caribbean and other cruiselines have worked to increase security in order to make the cruising experience safer for all passengers. This includes the use of closed-circuit cameras and other technology, and an increase in security personnel.

Some security measures include:

  • Metal detectors and x-ray. Similar to those found at airports, these are used to prevent passengers from bringing aboard contraband.

External links

Retrieved from "http://cruise.travel.com/guide/Royal_Caribbean_International"
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