Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of RCCL, said to Cruise Critic "While the company has not entered into any agreement at this time, it hopes to do so before year's end... The Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas have proven themselves to be exceptionally attractive ships by generating the highest guest satisfaction ratings in the fleet coupled with very compelling financial returns."

This is a change in direction for Royal Caribbean as they previously announced they wouldn't be adding to the Oasis class ships when they confirmed their order of two new ships — currently under construction in the Meyer Wreft shipyard in Germany. The ships currently on order are 158,000 tonnes and carry 4,100 passenger ships, which is much smaller than the Oasis class as Royal felt they needed a change in direction and to offer something new. .

The return to the Oasis class ships shows there is a real thirst for these 5,600 passenger super ships, which truly offer a world class, floating resort feel. If a contract can be agreed, the new ship would be expected to arrive in 2016.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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The Southampton-based Independence of the Seas will not only be joined by the aforementioned Adventure of the Seas, but also the newly refurbished Brilliance of the Seas will sail from Harwich throughout the summer months. The Radiance class ship is one of the most attractive ships in the fleet, designed to make the most of Alaska, and will visit the Baltic and Northern Europe, offering 11 & 12 night cruises.

Brilliance of the Seas is set for a bit of a facelift before she arrives in the UK as part of Royal Caribbean's Royal Revitalization programme, which has seen them modernise their fleet. Brilliance of the Seas is set to benefit from a brand new, large outdoor cinema screen, a new speciality sushi restaurant, a new steakhouse and a Mexican restaurant. The ship will also boast a traditional English pub and flat screen TVs in all cabins.

The 90,000 tonne Brilliance of the Seas carries 2,112 passengers and will be the smallest ship of the three based in the UK, mean Royal Caribbean will have a 2,100 capacity, a 3,100 capacity and a 4,200 capacity ship sailing from our shores. With the choice of destinations and very different ships sailing from the UK in summer 2013, it has never been a better time to jump onboard a cruise from the UK with Royal Caribbean.

Written by Stephen Adam
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All 31 games of the tournament will be shown live onboard the 11 Royal Caribbean ships sailing in Europe during the tournament, both on ex-UK cruises and fly cruises.

Dominic Paul, Vice President of Royal Caribbean, said: "Often, holidaymakers are put off from going away when the big tournaments are on as they don’t want to miss the action. This way they can enjoy a fantastic cruise and, hopefully, cheer their team to victory."

The ships that will be showing matches are Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas and Vision of the Seas.

Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean's 5* sister brand, have announced that they will be broadcasting the quarter finals, semi-finals and the final onboard five of their ships that are cruising in Europe during the tournament. Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Solstice are all expected to show the latter stages games onboard.

Written by Stephen Adam
© Iglucruise

The 3,114 passenger Adventure of the Seas, will sail from Southampton from May 2013 until October 2013, offering a variety of 12, 13, 14 & 16 night cruises, along with a selection of short cruises. The ship will visit popular destinations in the Med and Baltic, and will compliment the Independence of the Seas itineraries.

Adventure of the Seas, at 3,114 passengers is a fantastic ship, and with carrying around 1,000 less passengers than Independence of the Seas, offers cruisers looking to experience Royal Caribbean, a smaller ship to enjoy. The Voyager class ships offer a great selection of entertainment, dining and all round fun onboard.

Independence of the Seas, was launched in 2008 and has offered cruises from Southampton to the Med and the Canary Islands since. This winter will be the first time the ship won't be based in the UK, as she heads to the Caribbean for a season, before going into dry dock.

Indie will return to Southampton for her fifth summer season in 2013, boasting a facelift and some new venues, and will continue to offer a variety of Med sailings from the popular UK port.

With Royal Caribbean announcing plans for sister cruise line, Celebrity Cruises, to bring the Celebrity Infinity to the UK in 2013, the cruise line are showing real commitment to British based cruising.

Written by Stephen Adam
© Iglucruise

Project Sunshine was announced last year, with Royal Caribbean confirming a new class of cruise ships had been ordered from Meyer Werft. They confirmed that the first ship would be due for delivery in 2014 and that they had an option for a sister ship to be built for a 2015 launch — this option has of course, just been taken.

The new ships will carry around 4,000 passengers and are expected to be quite different from their last new ships, the 5,600 passenger Oasis class ships. The two new ships are expected to cost in the region of $936 million per ship.

Royal Caribbean released a short statement on Friday in regards to confirming plans for the new ships. The cruise line said: "[Project Sunshine] incorporates new and exciting features that take advantage of the best of Royal Caribbean's experience and imagination."

Royal Caribbean have yet to announce any further plans on the new ships, but the new ships could see the cruise line combine the best parts of the Freedom class ships with the Oasis class ships. I'd like to see the neighbourhood themes and the dining options done on a smaller scale for the new 4,000 passenger ships, but we'll have to wait and see.

Written by Stephen Adam
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The 137,000 tonne Voyageur of the Seas, is among the 10 largest and most innovative cruise ships in the world and she will begin her inaugural Asian season in May 2012. The ship will offer a wide variety of itineraries from three and four night sailings in the region to 14 and 18 night cruises.

Dr. Zinan Liu, Group Managing Director of China and Asia for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, said: "We have a leading market position in China. Customer demand is strengthening and we’re responding by increasing our commitment to the region with an additional, bigger ship, to offer a wider range of itineraries to even more ports."

"Voyager of the Seas deployment to Asia is another milestone for Royal Caribbean International, and a mark of our confidence and commitment to the region’s potential, as well as part of our global growth strategy," says Michael Bayley, executive vice president of International, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean's strategic relationship and chartering of the Legend of the Seas to the Xiamen municipal government and China World Cruises highlights the growth of the Chinese cruise market in recent years.

Dr. Zinan Liu said: "This is an incredible opportunity for Royal Caribbean International, the Xiamen municipal government and China World Cruises, and is truly unique to the fast growing cruise industry in Asia. We are the first cruise brand to bring together the support of the government and local private industry."

George Buge Zhang, President of China World Cruises explained: "We believe Royal Caribbean International is the right cruise brand to work with in developing the cruise industry in China. In just a few years, they’ve established themselves as the market leader and proven they understand local market conditions and Chinese guests’ needs and preferences."

Combined, Voyageur of the Seas and Legend of the Seas will offer 49 sailings out of China in 2012, with Xiamen becoming Royal Caribbean's fourth home port in the region after Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong.

Written by Troy McGuire
© Iglucruise

"The Royal Advantage revitalisations takes many of the best features that we have created in recent years and introduces them across our fleet, offering our guests enhanced vacation choices around the world," said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. "We never stop trying to make the experience even better, and no other cruise line can offer the same high quality vacation experience with such an array of choices that cater to every guest."

The Royal Advantage will see Radiance of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas join the revitalisation program that has already seen Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas benefit from similar upgrades.

"We are thrilled that the ongoing Royal Advantage revitalisations will result in a virtually brand-new fleet that offers the most contemporary experience, no matter which ship or itinerary vacationers choose," said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International. "From new dining concepts to cutting-edge entertainment to technological advancements, we are raising the bar across the fleet to offer guests our signature Gold Anchor Service and the world’s most innovative cruise ships that sail to exciting destinations worldwide."

The ships will benefit from new innovations and upgrades that include Wi-Fi, interactive flat-screen TVs in staterooms and oversized video screen on the pools decks. There will be new staterooms, including those ideal for families will be added and a new Royal Babies and Tots Nursery will feature on the ships.

New Dining Options:

• Chef’s Table — an exclusive dining experience co-hosted by the Executive Chef and Sommelier for an intimate five course meal paired perfectly with wine.
• Izumi — the popular pan-Asian restaurant featuring mouth-watering flavours and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking.
• Chops Grille — Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse featuring a menu of prime cuts prepared a la minute.
• Park Café — relaxed dining venue offering gourmet salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries.
• Rita’s Cantina — a casual yet vibrant Mexican restaurant offering a traditional, comprehensive selection of margaritas along with live evening entertainment.
• Boardwalk Doghouse — a casual dining venue that offers specialty hotdogs.

Written by Troy McGuire
© Iglucruise

Lisa Bauer, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, Royal Caribbean International, said: "The Royal Advantage comprises some of the industry’s most innovative onboard amenities, programs and Gold Anchor Service that make up the most contemporary cruise vacation. By introducing almost all of the same specialty restaurants that can currently be found onboard Allure of the Seas as well some of the Oasis-class ships’ most popular concepts to Radiance of the Seas, guests can enjoy a variety of brand new onboard experiences."

The ships revitalisation includes several new facilities, from great dining venues to improved childcare venues — Royal Babies and Tots Nursery. The ship includes 12 new accommodations, including new family, interior and outside staterooms, a new Concierge Lounge for suite guests and a new Diamond Lounge for Crown and Anchor Society members. The ships also includes ship-wide Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs in all the staterooms.

Dining options onboard Radiance of the Seas have almost doubled and the ship also boast a new lounge bar, the Quill and Compass Pub. The new dining options offer everything from hot dogs and sushi to fine dining and the Chef's table:

• Boardwalk Dog House: Guests can choose from traditional hot dogs, wieners, brats, sausages and other delicious linked meats and a variety of toppings to split a long bun (open for lunch and dinner, complimentary).
• Giovanni’s Table: An Italian trattoria featuring Italian classics served family-style (open for lunch, $15, and dinner, $20).
• Izumi: Featuring mouthwatering flavours and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking, the pan Asian cuisine restaurant is a no-hassle, authentic dining experience (open for lunch and dinner, $3.00 cover charge for lunch and $5.00 for dinner plus a la carte menu pricing).
• Park Café: An indoor/outdoor gourmet market featuring salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complimentary).
• Rita’s Cantina: A casual yet vibrant indoor/outdoor restaurant, catering to families by day, and adults by night; offering traditional Mexican fare, a comprehensive selection of margaritas and live guitar music and dancing for evening entertainment (open for lunch and dinner, $3 cover charge and a la carte menu pricing).
• Samba Grill: Styled after popular Brazilian steakhouses, the churrascaria is an interactive experience where guests choose from a variety of meats, chicken and seafood brought table-side by servers, ready to slice and serve upon request (open for dinner, $25 per person).
• Chef’s Table: An exclusive and private experience co-hosted by the executive Chef and Sommelier for a wine pairing dinner of five courses (open for dinner, $95 per person).

Radiance of the Seas is the third ship to enjoy the Royal Advantage treatment after Liberty of the Seas in January and Freedom of the Seas back in March, with one more ship, Splendour of the Seas due for the upgrades and a polish this coming October. Now she is out of drydock Radiance will return to Alaska for the summer, where she will be offering seven night alternating Northbound and Southbound itineraries, before heading to Australia and New Zealand for the winter 2011 season.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
© Iglucruise

The cruise line prepared a statement regarding the incident yesterday, which we received this morning:

"Today [31/05/2011], at approximately [15:37], as Independence of the Seas was docked in Gibraltar there was an explosion on the pier.  Immediately after the explosion, the ship retracted the gangway and moved a safe distance from the dock.

Ten guests sustained minor injuries and have received medical treatment onboard.  Two guests were still ashore when the incident took place and were not injured during the explosion. Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to our guests onboard.

Independence of the Seas is currently on a 14-night itinerary that departed Southampton on Saturday, May 28."

Written by Stephen Adam
©Iglucruise

The cruise line has come up with a three tired system that they will offer onboard the Grandeur of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Legend of the Seas. The packages will be available from 13th March 2011 on the Grandeur of the Seas and from 14th March on the two other ships.

• The Beer Package consists of all beer brands onboard, by draft, can or bottle and house wines by the glass, for $29 per person per day.
• The Classic Package includes all of the benefits of the beer package as well as a list of spirits; brand names include Smirnoff, Beefeater and Johnny Walker and cocktails using the selected spirits available, for $39 per person per day.
• The Premium Package includes all of the benefits of the classic package as well as a list of premium spirits; brand names include Absolute, Bombay Sapphire and Johnny Walker Black and cocktails using the selected spirits available, for $49 per person per day.

The packages must be booked for the duration of the cruise and any passengers who wish to add any of these great drinks deals to their stay after the first day will still have to pay for the duration of the cruise, for example a ten night cruise with the Beer Package will cost $290 regardless of when it is purchased. Passengers who book the packages will also enjoy a 25% discount off the non house wines.

Soft drinks and specialty coffees are not included, though there is also the onboard soda package for the fans of fizzy drinks. Drinks ordered from room service and the stateroom's mini bar are not included in the package.

The move into drinks packages offers great value with the prices of onboard drinks often discussed in cruise forums, and also adds to the ease of mind when collecting your bill at the end of the cruise, especially as the 15% gratuity is included in the price.

Written by Troy McGuire
© Iglucruise