RCCL to reduce emissions from 19 ships

Posted on 23 December, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

RCCL said that the move will position it “ahead of all forthcoming International Maritime Organization Emission Control Area emissions standards, and will ensure compliance with existing European Union standards.”

Beginning in January, installation will take place on 13 Royal Caribbean International ships and six Celebrity Cruises ships, during scheduled drydocks and while ships are in service.

Preliminary work has begun on several of the ships, RCCL said, but most work will take place between 2015 and 2017. Each installation will take approximately eight months.

Two ships that entered into service this year, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3, had scrubbers installed during initial construction. Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas has been operating one of its six engines with a retrofitted scrubber system for two years.

Royal Caribbean said the system “scrubs” exhaust gases by injecting a high volume of water spray into the exhaust stream.

No Freedom of the Seas cancellations, just free onboard credit

Posted on 22 December, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

Several days ago Royal Caribbean had to inform passengers on Freedom of the Seas that they were unable to call at the private island of CocoCay, and also reduce the amount of time spent in St. Maarten due to an issue with it propulsion system. The cruise company has not cancelled the cruise or any future one, although they did issue free onboard credit.

Royal Caribbean has said the issue is due to the ships center fixipod, which is the same that affected Allure of the Seas, and that one of the bearings is not in good condition. The company made the decision to remove the propeller blade from the center pod and cruise 5 knots slower than usual, which will have repercussions on future sailings and their itineraries.

With the ship only being able to travel at 18 knots she will not be able to make all ports of call, and the time spent in certain ports will need to be adjusted. If this is the case, then Royal Caribbean will have to issue more onboard credit for free.

Royal Caribbean Blog reports that Freedom of the Seas is due a dry dock session in January 2015, which will be the perfect time for repairs to be made to the propulsion system. Once again, there will be no cancellation, just readjustments due to the ship moving at a slower speed.

Multimillion-dollar makeover for Voyager of the Seas

Posted on 15 December, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

After undergoing an extensive makeover, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas has returned to Sydney.

For the first time since its $80 million (£51 million) renovation, the vessel embarked on a 14-day journey from Singapore and arrived in Australia on Monday morning.

Deemed the country’s biggest passenger ship, the Voyager weighs in at around 138,000 tonnes and is over 300 m in length, with 15 levels.

With the capacity to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers, the Voyager of the Seas more than matches the Sydney Opera House in bulk.

Captain Charles Teige, Voyager of the Seas’ Norwegian skipper, first started working in the cruise industry more than 20 years ago, where the main attractions for passengers simply involved a Broadway-style show, sunbathing on the deck and dining.

Now, Royal Caribbean has pulled out all the stops to produce a luxurious, entertainment-filled sailing experience to be enjoyed by all.

Although the Voyager travels to many exciting destinations around the world, Captain Teige explains that it is in fact the ship itself that passengers look forward to experiencing most.

He said: “Now the ship has become the destination. In Brisbane [which Voyager of the Seas visited during its journey to Sydney] we had 1,100 people who decided not to go ashore.”

One of the vessel’s attractions is the FlowRider a modern surf machine, which comes as part of Royal Caribbean’s plan to appeal to younger passengers and extended family groups. but the ship also includes a 3D cinema, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, mini shopping centre and a full-size basketball court.

And Captain Teige ensured a piece of his heritage was incorporated into the design, with a collage of landscapes that capture Norway’s natural beauty hung just outside the bridge room.

Last month, the cruise line also launched its first Quantum class ship, Quantum of the Seas. The New York-based vessel is the third largest ship ever built and boasts a range of innovative features, such as simulated sky diving and robotic bartenders.