Royal Caribbean will reduce European capacity in 2014

Posted on 25 April, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean will reduce European capacity in 2014

IN: Europe

Royal Caribbean is planning to make more reductions to its fleet of cruise ships offering European sailings in 2014.

Included in Royal Caribbean’s first quarter financial results, the company indicated it plans to reduce 2014 year-over-year capacity in Europe by an additional 10%. This change will mean in 2014 its European cruises will account for 25% of its capacity.

Royal Caribbean has steadily been scaling back the number of cruise ships it sends to Europe after a few years in a row of mediocre sales thanks in part to financial instability in the region as well as negative media related to the Costa Concordia tragedy.

Royal Caribbean did report demand for its “micro-deployment” of Oasis of the Seas to Europe in 2014 is showing “exceptionally strong” demand. The two-month adventure to Europe for Oasis of the Seas centers around a scheduled drydock stop in Rotterdam.

Oasis of the Seas to make Europe debut next year

Posted on 28 March, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Oasis of the Seas to make Europe debut next year

By Johanna Jainchill

The Oasis of the Seas will offer its first season of Europe cruises during one month in 2014 to coincide with a routine maintenance drydock in the Netherlands.

Royal Caribbean International said the 5,400-passenger Oasis would offer five Europe cruises in total, including two transatlantic sailings to and from Europe, and three cruises out of Barcelona, during a short autumn season.

The Oasis, along with sister ship Allure of the Seas, has been operating alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale since its debut in December 2009.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2014, the Oasis will offer two transatlantic crossings to and from Europe: a 12-day eastbound sailing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona, and a 13-day westbound cruise returning to Florida from Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Oct. 14.

Travelers can also embark on the return cruise in Southampton, England, on Oct. 15.

While in Europe, the Oasis will offer two roundtrip, five-day Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and a seven-night sailing from Barcelona to Rotterdam, where the Oasis will enter drydock for routine maintenance.

Royal Caribbean said the seven-day cruise will call at Malaga and Vigo, Spain, while itineraries for the five-day cruises will be announced before they open for sale on April 11.

Carnival cancels more Triumph cruises, plus Sunshine sailings

Posted on 20 March, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival cancels more Triumph cruises, plus Sunshine sailings

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Cruise Lines said it will cancel an additional 10 scheduled sailings of the Carnival Triumph, moving back the date the ship resumes service from mid-April to June 3.

Also, Carnival canceled the first two cruises of the Carnival Sunshine, which was scheduled to emerge from drydock in April after a $155 million refurbishment of the former Carnival Destiny.

Carnival said it is pushing back the re-entry of service for both ships to install additional operating redundancies and fire-control measures, and to broaden the scope of hotel services that can be run off of emergency power supplies.

The changes are the first implementation of measures covered in Carnival’s fleet-wide operations review following the Carnival Triumph engine room fire in February.

The Sunshine’s first European cruise is now scheduled for May 5. Guests on the two canceled cruises will get a full refund, reimbursement for nonrefundable travel costs and a 25% discount on a future cruise.

Guests on the canceled Triumph cruises will get similar compensation.