Royal Caribbean Relaunches Cruise Service in North America This June

Posted on 20 March, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean International will be the first major contemporary cruise line back in service in North America, relaunching cruises in June from Nassau with the Adventure of the Seas offering weeklong itineraries starting on June 12.

“We’ve been working on the return to service for well over a year for this market,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, Royal Caribbean International. “We’ve been sailing successfully in Singapore and feel very confident about our strong protocols that are in place.”

The weeklong sailings will operate below 100 per cent occupancy to start on the 3,100-guest Adventure, and ramp up occupancy rates over time, said Freed.

All crew will be vaccinated and guests will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. Guests under 18 will need a negative PCR test.

Freed said Nassau was a great jumping-off point for people to cruise from with 24 daily flights from 13 major U.S. airports.

The cruise will call on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island and its highest-rated port globally, where the ship will spend two days.

Other port stops include Grand Bahama and Cozumel, where the company will only allow guests off the ship on Royal Caribbean-organized shore excursions.

“With our own little bubble, we can really make sure the health and safety protocols are being followed,” Freed told Cruise Industry News via phone.

The Adventure will thus join the Quantum of the Seas, sailing from Singapore, and the Odyssey of the Seas, sailing from Haifa, as the Royal Caribbean ships back in service.

As for why the company decided on the 2001-built Adventure and Freed said the Voyager-class ship was the right ship for the deployment, with all the company’s bells and whistles, having come off a major refurbishment in 2018.

Itineraries are currently scheduled from June through August, and Freed said the next logical steps were getting more ships back in service in North America, as well as increasing occupancy on the Adventure over time.

Among major product changes, Freed pointed to the company’s e-mustering system, allowing guests to attend the muster drill from their stateroom or using a mobile device on an individual basis. She also noted a more digital cruise experience, using mobile phones to access restaurant menus, for example.

Royal Caribbean ‘Out-Wowing’ Itself

Posted on 24 January, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Perfect Day at CocoCay

“We are going to keep pushing the envelope. At Royal Caribbean we are never satisfied with the status quo,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service.

“That is why, as we Royal Amplify an Oasis-class ship, people might say ‘Vicki, there was nothing wrong with it, why do you need more bells and whistles?’ But we do not build ships like cookie cutters. With the Oasis, Allure, Harmony and Symphony, we continued to innovate aboard each new ship in the class, while most cruise lines build identical ships after the first one in a class, just changing the decor,” she continued.

“Our chairman has always said ‘Do not think about cost, (instead) think about how we can make our product better and better.’ And if you push the cost aspect aside and are driven by what is going to be the best experience for the consumer, that does change how you think about your product.

“So we will keep pushing the envelope, with new features aboard our ships, a new class of ships, the Icon class, and enhancing Perfect Day at CocoCay and other islands in the Perfect Day Collection.

“Perfect Day at CocoCay is probably the most talked-about destination today,” Freed continued. “Of all the places we call around the world, this is our number one rated port of call, so it is definitely resonating with our guests.”

The island has turned out to be so popular, in fact, that on some itineraries ships call twice during the same cruise.

Royal Caribbean is also driving innovation elsewhere, its latest newbuilding, the Quantum Ultra-class, 158,000-ton, 4,100-passenger Spectrum of the Seas, introduced in 2019, is deployed in the Chinese market.

Royal Amplified

Also going to China in 2021 will be the next Oasis-class ship, the 227,626-ton, 5,448-passenger Wonder of the Seas.

Meanwhile, the Quantum-ultra class Odyssey of the Seas will be deployed in the North American market, launching service from Port Everglades in November, moving to the Mediterranean for the 2021 summer season.

In addition, the 2009-built Oasis of the Seas just underwent a $165 million renovation last fall.

“Even though the ship is only 10 years young,” Freed said, “we are adding some new features. We always want to out-wow ourselves.”

The Oasis is sailing seven-day Caribbean cruises from Miami this winter before moving to Cape Liberty for the summer season.

Added Freed: “She will be very popular in the Northeast market. Our guests will be able to get on an Oasis-class ship in their own backyard. They will also call at Perfect Day at CocoCay.”

Building a new port facility in Galveston, the port said it will be able to accommodate Oasis-class ships.

“Anytime we build brand-new facilities, we want to make sure that all our ships will fit into that facility,” Freed commented.

Freed continues to be as committed to travel agents as ever. And despite the changing industry, fewer retail storefronts, and the internet, she said that travel advisors are very important to cruise sales.

“Cruising is a complex product. You are talking about somebody’s vacation that they have worked hard for all year long, and we see the need for travel advisors becoming even more important, because people want to make sure they get it right.

“It is true they can go to the internet and find a lot of information, but at the end of the day, there can be too much information, and you get consumer confusion. That is when you need a professional who can guide you to make the right buying decision. You need someone who can be a valued interpreter.”

The new-to-cruise are asking for a shorter cruise experience, according to Freed. They are looking for a three-, four- or five-day getaway, which is a good way for them to test the waters and find out if cruising is right for them.

“This was one of the motivators that led us to flip the short-cruise market upside down. Instead of putting older hardware in the market, we put in the Royal Amplified (modernized) Navigator and Mariner of the Seas, ships that typically in the past would not have been in the short cruise market.

“Their next step may be a seven-day cruise on an Oasis-class ship. Or they can be millennials who prefer shorter vacations, but may repeat their short cruise three to four times a year.”

What are the basic selling points for Royal Caribbean? “There is so much I can say,” Freed answered, “but I like to sum it up in a few words: we are a combination of quality and energy.

“There are some beautiful quality brands out there – Celebrity is a quality brand, and then there are some lines that have energy, but nobody has the unique combination of Royal Caribbean.”

Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Winter 2019-2020

Royal Caribbean reveals new South Pacific private island destination

Posted on 15 October, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

Vanuatu in the South Pacific as been confirmed as the location for Royal Caribbean International’s latest private island destination.

Confirmation of Perfect Day at Lelepa in Vanuatu was made last night.

It is expected to be the first carbon-neutral private cruise destination in the world.

While details remain sketchy, it was revealed that the island will be created in partnership with the local community to showcase the natural ecological beauty and diverse local culture of the island nation as well as provide employment and education opportunities.

Perfect Day at Lelepa will have a different look and feel from Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Caribbean, the line’s president and CEO Michael Bayley said “because our guests around the world all have different definitions for their perfect day – and all of them are right. Our designers and nature have created the ideal South Pacific experience and we expect the results will be stunning”.

The cost and opening date were not disclosed but Perfect Day at Lelepa will be built with sustainability features designed to safeguard the island’s ecosystems.

Cox Architecture, a sustainable, design-focused contemporary architectural firm based in Australia, will serve as the lead architect on the project.

Bayley said: “We believe our destinations should be sustainably designed.

“That idea goes beyond simply protecting the ecological features of Lelepa and includes showing respect for the people and traditions that make this a special place.

“Anyone who has encountered the tremendous natural beauty of Lelepa can understand why it is the perfect setting for ‘Perfect Day.’

“Our guests who travel to the South Pacific are seeking authentic adventures and genuine relaxation, and they will find both here.”

Vanuatu prime minister Charlot Salwai added: “Vanuatu is a true paradise for both our people and the visitors we welcome to our shores each year.

“Today marks a major step forward in our island nation’s close relationship with Royal Caribbean and one that will support sustainable growth for future generations.

“The Ni-Vanuatu people look forward to welcoming Royal Caribbean guests from around the world to enjoy extraordinary adventures and relaxation during their Perfect Day at Lelepa.”