Royal Caribbean International announces 274-night world cruise

Royal Caribbean International has revealed its inaugural Ultimate World Cruise for 2023.

The 274-night voyage will visit all seven continents, across more than 150 destinations in 65 countries.

Serenade of the Seas will depart from Miami on 10 December 2023, sailing through to 10 September 2024.

Bookings can be made by phone with an exclusive one-week window through to 26 October for Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society Diamond status members and above.

Guests will sail to 57 destinations that are new to the cruise line, with highlights including Casablanca, Morocco, Greenland, and Simizu, Japan, to see Mount Fuji.

Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley said: “This is the world cruise of world cruises. Now more than ever, people have resolved to travel the world and make up for the lost time.

“Royal Caribbean is making that a reality with the ultimate holiday that welcomes those seeking adventure and exploration to taste, dance and dream with us around the world. To travellers asking themselves where they should go next, we say everywhere.”

Following its departure from Miami, Serenade of the Seas will visit a range of Caribbean destinations before heading to Antarctica and Cape Horn.

The ship will then travel to Central and South America, finishing the Americas and Antarctica expedition portion of the world tour.

From 11 February to 9 May 2024, Serenade of the Seas will continue its tour in Asia and the Pacific, visiting the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Bali, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Tokyo and more.

The Middle East and the Mediterranean portion of the cruise will feature calls in Dubai, Egypt, Turkey, Rome, Greece, Split, Croatia and France, from 9 May to 10 July 2024.

The voyage will end with Serenade of the Seas visiting Barcelona, Morocco, Russia, Norway, Iceland and New York before the ship heads back to Miami.

Onboard Revenue Up for Royal Caribbean Group

Onboard revenue is considerably up across the Royal Caribbean Group ships back in service, with guests ready to spend.

“We are also seeing pent-up demand for our onboard revenue experiences,” said Jason Liberty, CFO and executive vice president, on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“Guests are really enjoying our shore excursions, casinos, spas and restaurants after spending a year in isolation,” he said.

“We are also seeing an increased demand for our WiFi services as more and more consumers have the flexibility to take vacations and work remotely.”

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean International brand, added he was incredible encourage by the spend onboard the ships that are back into operation.

“In fact, the numbers have been very impressive,” Bayley added.

Galveston Set to Break Ground on New Royal Caribbean Terminal

Officials will break ground for the brand new $110 million cruise terminal at Galveston Wharves for Royal Caribbean International on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time. 

Galveston Wharves will be represented by Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees, who will be joined by Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Destination Development Joshua Carroll and Ceres CEO Craig Mygatt.

Also expected are Craig Brown, Mayor, the City of Galveston and Albert Shannon, Chairperson, Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves.

The new cruise terminal will cover approximately 170,000 square feet on ten acres of land in the southeast section of the Port of Galveston known as Pier 10.

The facility, which is anticipated to open in fall 2022, will feature state-of-the-art technology to enable mobile check-in and facial recognition to create an expedited arrival experience for guests, according to a press release.

The terminal will be designed and developed sustainably to meet LEED certification standards.