Liberty: Pricing Higher in Caribbean Despite Capacity Increase
Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, said that the company’s pricing for Caribbean voyages was up despite the industry’s significant capacity increase in the region.
He said this was for all three company brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
“We’re seeing high demand wanting to go to the Caribbean. We’re not only seeing good volume, but our pricing is higher in the Caribbean than it was last year,” Liberty said.
Speaking on the company’s year-end and fourth quarter earnings call, Liberty made sure to mention the cruise line expected positive yield growth for key products, including the Caribbean, as its investments continued to differentiate it from its peers and strengthen its leadership position, despite elevated capacity in the Caribbean.
“And I know that may not feed into what maybe some groups want to hear, but that is a reality that we continue to see strong demand for the Caribbean, and we continue to see strong demand for our broader organization,” he added.
Liberty said company capacity was up 6.7 percent year-over-year, driven by the new Legend of the Seas launching this summer plus full-year service from the Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel.
Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the Legend of the Seas’ schedule, which includes seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean, as well as six- and eight-night itineraries departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
First Cruise Date: August 2, 2026 Length: 7 nights Homeport: Barcelona (Spain) Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona (Spain); La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples (Italy)
According to Royal Caribbean’s website, the Legend of the Seas is scheduled to enter service in early August 2026, with a cruise to the Western Mediterranean.
Sailing from Barcelona, the seven-night maiden voyage features visits to destinations in Spain and Italy, such as Palma de Mallorca, La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples.
Seven-Night Cruises in the Mediterranean Dates: Multiple sailings between August and October 2026 Length: 7 nights Homeport: Barcelona (Spain) and Civitavecchia (Italy) Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Marseille (France); La Spezia and Naples (Italy)
Later in August, the Legend of the Seas kicks off a series of regular seven-night cruises to the Western Mediterranean that sail to ports of call in France, Spain and Italy.
With departures scheduled through October, the itinerary sails from Barcelona and Civitavecchia and features visits to Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia and Naples.
Maiden Trans-Atlantic Date: Oct. 25, 2026 Length: 13 nights Homeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Fort Lauderdale (United States) Itinerary: Alicante, Málaga and Cádiz (Spain)
Upon completing its inaugural season in the Western Mediterranean, the Legend of the Seas offers a trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.
The 13-night repositioning voyage sails from Barcelona and features visits to three additional destinations in Spain: Alicante, Málaga and Cádiz.
Eight-Night Cruise to Southern Caribbean Dates: Multiple sailings between November 2026 and April 2027 Length: 8 nights Homeport: Miami (United States) Itinerary: Oranjestad (Aruba); Willemstad (Curaçao); Cabo Rojo (Dominican Republic); and Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas)
Sailing from its homeport in Fort Lauderdale, the Legend of the Seas offers different itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including this eight-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean.
Offered between November 2026 and April 2027, the itinerary includes visits to Aruba, Curaçao, and Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic. The LNG-powered ship is also scheduled to stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
Six-Night Cruise to Eastern Caribbean Date: Multiple departures between November 2026 and April 2027 Length: 6 nights Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States) Itinerary: Labadee (Haiti); Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas); and Falmouth (Jamaica)
The Legend of the Seas also offers cruises to the Eastern Caribbean that sail to ports of call in Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
As part of the six-night itinerary, the ship sails to two of Royal Caribbean’s private destinations in the region: Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay. The Legend is scheduled to visit Falmouth before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
The construction of Royal Caribbean International’s new Star of the Seas is making progress at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
Part of the company’s Icon Class, the 250,800-ton ship is scheduled to enter service in the Caribbean in mid-2025.
According to a recent update shared by Meyer Turku, a significant milestone was reached with the lifting of the ship’s AquaDome.
The feature, added to the top deck of the ship, is the single largest glass and steel structure lifted onto a ship in one piece, the shipyard said.
The lifting process took several hours to complete, Meyer Turku added, and required extreme precision, as the entire structure had to remain level.
After debuting onboard the Icon of the Seas earlier this year, the AquaDome became a hallmark feature of Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, the shipyard said.
The space offers 220-degree ocean views and houses a selection of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including the company’s signature AquaTheater.
According to Royal Caribbean, the 363-ton dome is one of the most anticipated features of the Star of the Seas, standing at 82 feet tall and 164 feet wide.
Sailing to both the Western and the Eastern Caribbean, the seven-night itineraries feature visits to Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as other destinations, including Cozumel and Puerto Rico.
Following the Star of the Seas, a third yet-unnamed Icon-class ship is set to debut in the spring of 2026.
Royal Caribbean recently confirmed its plans to build a fourth ship in the series at the Meyer Turku in Finland.
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