Captain Kate Resigns from Position at Four Seasons Yachts

Posted on 7 August, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Captain Kate Resigns from Position at Four Seasons Yachts

Captain Kate McCue is leaving Four Seasons Yachts to begin a new chapter in her career, according to a recent video update.

McCue said that her life has taken an unexpected turn, with her father undergoing major back surgery and the sudden loss of her mother.

“That was when I realized that I spent the majority of the last year away from home because I was working,” she explained.

“After 30 years at sea, delivering two new vessels, launching a new brand with a prototype vessel and sailing as captain for the last 11 years, I don’t think I have to prove anything to anyone,” McCue continued.

“I’ve made my parents proud, and I’ve made myself proud, so I made the decision to resign,” she added.

Captain Kate said this next chapter would prioritize family time while also giving her more freedom to pursue other things she loves.

McCue noted that she wants to take her father cruising and plans to board different types of vessels.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who was on this journey and all the opportunities I’ve had,” she continued, noting that her captain’s license remains active.

“Sailing again is absolutely not off the table, but for now, many new adventures lie ahead, and this time, they’ll be surprises to me too.”

Before joining Four Seasons in 2025, Captain Kate spent 22 years serving onboard Royal Caribbean Group ships.

In 2015, she became the first American female to take the helm of a cruise ship, as captain of the Celebrity Summit.

More recently, McCue took part in the construction and launch of the Four Seasons I, which was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy.

The 180-passenger luxury vessel entered service earlier this year, beginning a maiden season in the Mediterranean.

Legend of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean Ahead of July Debut

Posted on 12 June, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Legend of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean Ahead of July Debut

Royal Caribbean has welcomed the Legend of the Seas, its third Icon-class ship, to its fleet.

Following nearly two years of construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, and sea trials that started in April, the ship is ready to make its European debut in July 2026, the cruise line said in a statement.

More than 1,200 crew members and partners gathered for a ceremony led by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Casimir Lindholm.

The event marked the transfer of ownership between Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku.

“Today’s delivery of Legend of the Seas marks another important milestone in our ambition to continuously redefine the vacation experience. This new ship reflects the strength of the vacation ecosystem we are building – combining industry-leading ships, innovative technology, and exceptional experiences for our guests,” noted Liberty.

“It is an achievement only possible through the extraordinary partnership and expertise of Meyer Turku and the thousands of talented people whose creativity and commitment continue to help us design the future of vacations.”

The ship is scheduled to travel from Turku to Cadiz, Spain, soon, for finishing touches by Royal Caribbean.

After that, it will operate seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona, Spain, and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, this summer, as part of its inaugural season.

In November, the ship will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to deliver six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean cruises.

The delivery is part of the company’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku, securing shipbuilding capacity through 2036.

Under it, the shipyard will build the Icon 5, to be delivered in 2028, as well as the sixth and seventh Icon Class ships, coming in 2029 and 2030, respectively.

“Legend of the Seas is the third Icon Class ship built at our shipyard, and constructing the series has enabled us to develop our production processes in a systematic way. We have built on the experience gained from the previous vessels and further improved efficiency with the customer and our extensive partner network,” added Lindholm.

“The ship is an exceptional project in terms of both scale and technical complexity, requiring strong expertise and seamless collaboration across the entire maritime cluster. At the same time, Legend of the Seas moves shipbuilding towards more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable solutions.”

The Legend will be the company’s fourth ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it continues on its journey toward introducing a net-zero cruise ship by 2035.

Royal Caribbean Wants to Own Texas Market

Posted on 4 May, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean Wants to Own Texas Market

Royal Caribbean Group has set its sights on the Texas cruise market.

“We’re expecting to own the Texas market as it relates to cruising into the Caribbean,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, speaking on the company’s first quarter earnings call April 30.

A new terminal that opened in 2022 in Galveston will now be supported by Perfect Day Mexico, Royal Caribbean’s destination development in the Gulf, which is expected to soft-open in the fourth quarter of 2027 before fully ramping through 2028.

The project had encountered a temporary pause due to environmental permitting issues, but Bayley confirmed on the call that those issues have been resolved and construction has resumed.

“All of that is now behind us,” he said.

When complete, Perfect Day Mexico will anchor what Royal Caribbean sees as a transformational combination of assets serving the Gulf and Texas markets: Perfect Day Mexico paired with Royal Beach Club Cozumel, expected to open in early 2028.

“The combination of the hardware, the brand and the destination, we believe, is going to be a massive accelerator for overall financial performance for the business,” Bayley said.

“(Texas) is a market which is much larger than Florida and its penetration rate is much lower than Florida,” Bayley said.

CEO Jason Liberty elaborated on the geographic reach the Galveston hub has.

“It’s also going to unlock, more potential in the West, really kind of west of the Mississippi, as the cost to get to Houston and so forth is less than other parts of the country,” he said.