Royal Caribbean will reduce European capacity in 2014

Posted on 25 April, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean will reduce European capacity in 2014

IN: Europe

Royal Caribbean is planning to make more reductions to its fleet of cruise ships offering European sailings in 2014.

Included in Royal Caribbean’s first quarter financial results, the company indicated it plans to reduce 2014 year-over-year capacity in Europe by an additional 10%. This change will mean in 2014 its European cruises will account for 25% of its capacity.

Royal Caribbean has steadily been scaling back the number of cruise ships it sends to Europe after a few years in a row of mediocre sales thanks in part to financial instability in the region as well as negative media related to the Costa Concordia tragedy.

Royal Caribbean did report demand for its “micro-deployment” of Oasis of the Seas to Europe in 2014 is showing “exceptionally strong” demand. The two-month adventure to Europe for Oasis of the Seas centers around a scheduled drydock stop in Rotterdam.

Royal Caribbean set to upgrade Independence of the Seas

Posted on 21 April, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Independence of the Seas

Royal Caribbean set to upgrade Independence of the Seas

24Jan2013

As part of Royal Caribbean’s Revitalization program to upgrade all of its cruise ships to include amenities first introduced on the Oasis of the Seas, Independence o the Seas has recently been scheduled to have its upgrade take place in April 2013.

Independence of the Seas will receive

Outdoor movie screen
Cupcake Cupboard
Digital Signage
Pervasive Wi-Fi
Nursery
Giovanni’s Table specialty restaurant

The $7 million refurbishment will take two weeks, at which point Royal Caribbean will deploy Independence of the Seas to Southampton, England where on May 2, 2013 she will begin her summer season. Some of the itineraries offered include some new shorter sailings such as a two-night cruise to Le Havre for Paris and three-night cruises to Le Havre for Paris and Zeebrugge for Bruges.

UPDATE; Independence has just left Southampton, and is on her way to Hamburg to start her refit.

Royal Caribbean unveils Quantum schedule from Bayonne, N.J.

Posted on 19 April, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean unveils Quantum schedule from Bayonne, N.J.

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean International’s next ship, Quantum of the Seas, will sail four itineraries from Bayonne’s Cape Liberty terminal after debuting in late 2014.

According to Royal Caribbean’s website, Quantum will do a seven- or eight-day base itinerary that includes Port Canaveral, Coco Cay and Nassau.

There will also be an eight-day Eastern Caribbean itinerary with stops in Labadee, Haiti; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Samana, Dominican Republic.

Longer itineraries include an 11-day trip that includes the three stops on the shorter Eastern Caribbean trip plus St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Kitts, and a 12-night Southern Caribbean voyage that will stop in Barbados and Martinique.

Quantum cruises are scheduled to go on sale June 4.