Tag Archives: Miami

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas Turns 20 Years Old

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The Navigator of the Seas completed its 20th year in service this month. Part of Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager Class, the 132,000-ton vessel departed on its maiden voyage on December 14, 2002.

At the time as the world’s largest cruise ship, the Navigator debuted in the Caribbean, offering week-long cruises departing from Miami.

Sailing to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean, the itineraries featured visits to popular destinations, including St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

The program also included regular calls to Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in Haiti.

After losing the title of the world’s biggest ship to the Queen Mary 2 in 2004, the Navigator continued to sail year-round cruises in the Caribbean through 2007 – when it debuted in Europe.

For its first season in the Old World, the ship offered a series of Northern and Western Europe itineraries departing from Southampton, England. After sailing in additional destinations over the years, the Navigator of the Seas marked the return of Royal Caribbean International to regular operations on the West Coast in 2021.

For the first time in the region, the 3,100-guest ship started a year-round program of cruises to the Mexican Riviera and Baja California sailing from the World Cruise Center in Los Angeles.

The deployment features a variety of short three-, four- and five-night cruises to Catalina Island and Ensenada, in addition to week-long itineraries to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and more.

Last drydocked in mid-2021, the Navigator underwent a large modernization in 2019. Part of the Royal Amplified program, the $115-million refit added new attractions to the ship, including a resort-style Caribbean pool deck, the three-level signature bar The Lime & Coconut and the first blow-dry bar at sea To Dry For.

One of the vessel’s most iconic features, the Royal Promenade was also reimagined with the creation of new restaurants, retail and nightlife.

Carnival Celebration Visits Mahogany Bay for the First Time

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Continuing its first cruise to the Western Caribbean, the new Carnival Celebration arrived at the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center for its maiden call on Thursday.

The call also marked the first time the new Carnival Cruise Line vessel visited Honduras.

After entering service with a transatlantic crossing in early November, the Celebration started its debut season on Nov. 21.

Following a special christening ceremony in Miami, the LNG-powered kicked off a series of week-long cruises to the Caribbean. After leaving Miami on Nov. 27, the ship’s current sailing also included the maiden visits to Mexico’s Cozumel and Costa Maya.

The 5,200-guest ship is now set to make regular visits to Mahogany Bay as part of its year-round schedule of Caribbean cruises.

Departing from Port Miami every Sunday, the itineraries also include visits to ports in the Eastern Caribbean.

Developed by Carnival Corporation in partnership with a local businessman, the Mahogany Bay Cruise Center opened in 2009.

A popular cruise destination in the Western Caribbean, the facility serves the Roatan island in Honduras Bay Islands.

In addition to a two-ship cruise pier, the cruise terminal offers a welcome centre and a variety of retail outlets, including two themed bars, a restaurant and several shops.

A chair lift system takes guests from the welcome centre to Mahogany Beach, a 10-acre private island featuring an 825-foot-long white-sand beach with a beach volleyball court and water sports opportunities.

Along with the new Celebration, the Carnival Pride also visited Mahogany Bay on Dec. 1. The vessel is presently offering a seven-night cruise to Mexico, Belize and Honduras departing from Tampa.

A third ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, was also docked at a different cruise terminal in Roatan. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is offering week-long Western Caribbean cruises departing from New Orleans.

Icon of the Seas: More Space, Innovative Design for Royal Caribbean

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“We’ve over-scaled the amount of lounge space for guests on the icon of the Seas versus any other ship. That is purposeful to give more space,” said Jay Schneider, senior vice president and chief product innovation officer for Royal Caribbean international.

“You’ll find more share and more deck chairs,” he added.

The 250,800-ton ship will have a capacity for over 5,600 guests at double occupancy, becoming the largest cruise ship in the world when it debuts in Miami in January 2024, sailing week-long cruises.

Guests will first be “wowed” by a massive multi-deck pearl structure when boarding the ship, which Schneider said would provide a jaw-dropping moment.

Royal Caribbean’s neighbourhood concept will also be back, with new five areas and returning favourites, plus some tweaks.

The popular Central Park will be lusher, said Schneider, with 20 per cent more greenery.

“Guests will also be able to see the ocean for the first time,” he said. Currently, on Oasis-class ships, Central Park sits in the middle of the superstructure, without ocean views.

Central Park will also feature a dedicated entertainment venue and Izumi, the company’s sushi and hibachi restaurant will be in its biggest-ever form in Izumi on the Park. Guests can dine in and there will also be a takeout window for a bento-box-style experience.

In addition, the cruise line has worked hard on passenger flow, Schneider said, really trying to eliminate dead ends.

“There are dead ends on every cruise ship,” he continued. “We’ve tried to solve that here. The upper deck six mezzanine of the promenade is a complete 360.”