Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships that operate on ocean or rivers and which markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with transportation of passengers. Though ...
brand founded in 1968 in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
and organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival C ...
since 1997. Based in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, it is the largest cruise line by revenue and second largest by passengers counts. In 2018, Royal Caribbean International controlled 19.2% of the worldwide cruise market by passengers and 14.0% by revenue. It operates the five largest passenger ships in the world. As of January 2022, the line operates twenty-six ships and has four additional ships on order.
History
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded in 1968 by three
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
shipping companies: Anders Wilhelmsen & Company,
I.M. Skaugen & Company, and
Gotaas Larsen. The newly created line put its first ship, ''
Song of Norway
''Song of Norway'' is an operetta written in 1944 by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Edvard Grieg and the book by Milton Lazarus and Homer Curran. A very loose film adaptation with major changes to both the book ...
'', into service two years later. A year later, the line added ''
Nordic Prince'' to the fleet and in 1972 it added ''
Sun Viking''. In 1978, ''Song of Norway'' became Royal Caribbean's first passenger ship to be lengthened. This was accomplished via the insertion of an section to the vessel's severed center. Following the success of this work, ''Nordic Prince'' was also stretched in 1980. During the stretching of both ships, their sterns were modified to create more open space, however ''Sun Viking'' was neither stretched nor modified. In 1982, Royal Caribbean launched ''
Song of America
MS ''Celestyal Olympia'' is a cruise ship owned by the Cyprus-based Celestyal Cruises, formerly Louis Cruise Lines. In April 2012 she was named ''Louis Olympia'' after operating as the Thomson Destiny for Thomson Cruises. She was built in 198 ...
'', over twice the size of ''Sun Viking'' and at the time the third largest passenger vessel afloat (after
''Norway'' and ''
Queen Elizabeth 2'').
In 1986, Royal Caribbean leased a coastal property in
Labadie, Haiti
Labadee (french: Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. It is a private resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for the exclusive use of passengers of ...
, to be used as a private destination for its guests, renamed as
Labadee
Labadee (french: Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. It is a private resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for the exclusive use of passengers of its ...
. After a corporate restructuring in 1988, the line launched
''Sovereign of the Seas'', the largest passenger vessel afloat at the time. That same year, Royal Caribbean also merged with
Admiral Cruises
Admiral Cruises was a cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships that operate on ocean or rivers and which markets cruises to the public. Cruise lines are distinct from passenger lines which are primarily concerned with t ...
.
Two years later in 1990, ''
Nordic Empress
''Empress'' (formerly ''Nordic Empress'' and ''Empress of the Seas'') is a cruise ship owned by Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise line. She is the sole ship of her class. She entered service with then-Royal Caribbean International in 1990, tran ...
'' and ''
Viking Serenade
MS ''Viking Serenade'' was launched as the cruiseferry MS ''Scandinavia'' in 1981. In 1985 she was renamed MS ''Stardancer'' and in 1990 MS ''Viking Serenade'' before being converted to a cruise ship in 1991. She became MS ''Island Escape'' in 200 ...
'' entered service and Royal Caribbean purchased a second private destination,
Little Stirrup Cay
CocoCay or Little Stirrup Cay is one of the Berry Islands, a collection of Bahamian cays and small islands located approximately 55 miles north of Nassau. It is used for tourism by Royal Caribbean Group exclusively. Little Stirrup Cay is adjace ...
, an island in the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
, which they branded as
CocoCay
CocoCay or Little Stirrup Cay is one of the Berry Islands, a collection of Bahamian cays and small islands located approximately 55 miles north of Nassau. It is used for tourism by Royal Caribbean Group exclusively. Little Stirrup Cay is adjacent ...
.
![Monarch and Majesty in Nassau, Bahamas (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Monarch_and_Majesty_in_Nassau%2C_Bahamas_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The second and third s ''
Monarch of the Seas
MS ''Monarch'' (formerly ''Monarch of the Seas'') was the second of three s owned by Royal Caribbean International. Beginning on April 1, 2013, ''Monarch'' was operated by RCCL's Pullmantur Cruises, before being sold for scrap in 2020 following th ...
'' and ''
Majesty of the Seas'' were delivered in 1991 and 1992 respectively.
Royal Caribbean went public on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...
in 1993. Over the next two years, the company experienced rapid growth, and it built a new corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida, and replaced the ''Nordic Prince'' with a new vessel, the ''
Legend of the Seas''.
Following these events, two new vessels entered service, ''
Splendour of the Seas
''Marella Discovery'' (formerly ''Splendour of the Seas'' and ''TUI Discovery'') is a former Royal Caribbean International Vision-class cruise ship now sailing for Marella Cruises. The second in the line of the Vision-class ships, she features a ...
'' and ''
Grandeur of the Seas''. In 1996, the company contracted with Finland's
Aker Finnyards for the construction of 130,000-ton vessels and, in 1997, the line's oldest ship, ''Song of Norway'', was sold and two new Vision-class ships entered service, ''
Rhapsody of the Seas'' and ''
Enchantment of the Seas''.
Reorganisation and renaming
In 1997, it merged with the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
cruise line
Celebrity Cruises and changed its name from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to Royal Caribbean International. At the same time,
Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival C ...
was formed as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to serve as a holding company that owned both Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. The next year, the last of the company's older vessels, ''Song of America'' and ''Sun Viking'', were retired. In 1998, ''
Vision of the Seas'' came into service, the last of the Vision-class ships.
In 1999, ''
Voyager of the Seas
Voyager may refer to:
Computing and communications
* LG Voyager, a mobile phone model manufactured by LG Electronics
* NCR Voyager, a computer platform produced by NCR Corporation
* Voyager (computer worm), a computer worm affecting Oracle d ...
'', the line's newest and
world's largest cruise ship entered service with much attention from the news media. Two years later, the line took delivery of a second
''Voyager''-class ship, ''
Explorer of the Seas
''Explorer of the Seas'' is a owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International, completed in 2000. She can accommodate over 3,000 guests, including scientists making use of a built-in atmospheric and oceanographic laboratory operated by the U ...
'', and the first of a new
''Radiance'' class of more environmentally friendly cruise liners, ''
Radiance of the Seas''.
In 2000, Royal Caribbean operated a series of land-and-sea-based "cruise tours" in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, featuring
glass-domed train cars to scenic destinations within the state and Canada. Over the next two years, they also introduced cruise tours to destinations throughout Europe.
The ''Voyager''-class ''
Navigator of the Seas'' and the ''Radiance''-class ''
Brilliance of the Seas
Brilliance of the Seas is a cruise ship belonging to the Royal Caribbean's . ''Brilliance of the Seas'' is operated by RCL UK Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Brilliance of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 2,543 passengers ...
'' were put into service in 2002. ''
Mariner of the Seas'' and ''
Serenade of the Seas
GTS ''Serenade of the Seas'' is a operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was completed in 2003.
History
The ship was built at Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg, Germany and is Ship registration, registered in Nassau, Bahamas. Her Ship spons ...
'', another pair of ''Voyager'' and ''Radiance''-class ships, were introduced the next year, and
rock-climbing walls were made a feature of every Royal Caribbean ship that year. A fourth ''Radiance''-class ship, ''
Jewel of the Seas
GTS ''Jewel of the Seas'' is a operated by Royal Caribbean International, Royal Caribbean. The ship was completed in the spring of 2004 with her maiden voyage in May of that year.
History
''Jewel of the Seas'' initially operated cruises from ...
'', followed in 2004, and the line's ''Nordic Empress'' was reconditioned and re-christened as ''
Empress of the Seas
''Empress'' (formerly ''Nordic Empress'' and ''Empress of the Seas'') is a cruise ship owned by Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise line. She is the sole ship of her class. She entered service with then-Royal Caribbean International in 1990, tran ...
'', which was later sold to ''
Pullmantur Cruises
Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U. ...
'' in 2008. In 2005, ''Enchantment of the Seas'' underwent a massive renovation including enlarging the ship with a midsection.
Construction commenced on , the line's newest ship, at
Aker Finnyards in 2005, and the vessel launched the next year as the largest passenger vessel in the world. ''Freedom of the Seas''s sister ship, ''
Liberty of the Seas
''Liberty of the Seas'' is a Royal Caribbean International which entered regular service in May 2007. It was initially announced that she would be called ''Endeavour of the Seas'', however this name was later changed. The 15-deck ship accommod ...
'', was launched in 2007, and ''
Independence of the Seas'' was delivered in 2008.
An even larger class, the ''
''Oasis'' class'', featuring ''
Oasis of the Seas'' and ''
Allure of the Seas'', was launched in 2009 and 2010, guaranteeing Royal Caribbean the ship size lead for years to come. In December 2012, Royal Caribbean announced that they had ordered a third ''Oasis''-class cruise ship from
STX France, which would be larger than the previous ships in the class.
[Royal Caribbean Orders Third Oasis-Class Ship from STX France](_blank)
Cruise Industry News, 27 December 2012. In March 2014, Royal Caribbean announced that they had ordered a fourth Oasis-Class ship from
STX France.
In February 2013, Royal Caribbean announced the first two ships of their newest
''Quantum'' class, ''
Quantum of the Seas'' and ''
Anthem of the Seas
''Anthem of the Seas'' is a owned by Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the second ship of her class. The ''Quantum'' class is the third largest class of cruise ships behind MSC Cruises's ''Meraviglia'' class and Royal Caribbean Internat ...
'', which were being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard.
[Royal Caribbean announces names for new cruise ships](_blank)
baltimoresun.com In May of that year, Royal Caribbean announced that they had signed a contract for a third ''Quantum''-class ship for delivery in mid-2016.
In September 2014, Royal Caribbean announced that the third ''Quantum''-class ship would be named ''
Ovation of the Seas
''Ovation of the Seas'' is a owned by Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the third ship of her class. The ''Quantum'' class is the third largest class of cruise ships behind MSC Cruises's ''Meraviglia'' class and Royal Caribbean Intern ...
'', and in February 2015 they announced that the third ''Oasis''-class ship would be named ''
Harmony of the Seas
''Harmony of the Seas'' is an built by STX France at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, for Royal Caribbean International. With a gross tonnage of 226,963 GT, she is the third largest passenger ship in the ...
''.
In March 2015, Royal Caribbean announced that they had agreed to sell ''
Splendour of the Seas
''Marella Discovery'' (formerly ''Splendour of the Seas'' and ''TUI Discovery'') is a former Royal Caribbean International Vision-class cruise ship now sailing for Marella Cruises. The second in the line of the Vision-class ships, she features a ...
'' to
TUI Cruises
TUI Cruises is a cruise line based in Germany. It was formed in 2007 as a joint venture between the German tourism company TUI AG and the American cruise line operator Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., both of whom hold a 50% stake in the company. ...
in the second quarter of 2016.
In June 2016, Royal Caribbean announced that they had agreed to sell ''
Legend of the Seas'' to
TUI Cruises
TUI Cruises is a cruise line based in Germany. It was formed in 2007 as a joint venture between the German tourism company TUI AG and the American cruise line operator Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., both of whom hold a 50% stake in the company. ...
in the second quarter of 2017.
The company lobbies in various jurisdictions in which it operates. In the United States of America, lobbying expenditure records are held by the Senate Office of Public Records. In South Australia, the company is represented by lobbying company Richardson Coutts Pty Ltd.
In 2017, Royal Caribbean agreed to use
Port Everglades as a preferred berth for its ''Oasis'' class ships.
The new agreement extended the past contract with Port Everglades until 2026, contingent upon a $100 million remodeling of Cruise Terminal 25, and approved by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
On 15 March 2018, Royal Caribbean announced that they will conduct a huge renovation for their private island, Coco Cay, which is halfway done with parts opening in December 2018 and early to late 2019 with its first opening in May 2019 and its official opening with everything completed by November or December 2019.
In December 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Royal Caribbean suspended sailings across its fleet. It also sold ''
Empress of the Seas
''Empress'' (formerly ''Nordic Empress'' and ''Empress of the Seas'') is a cruise ship owned by Cordelia Cruises, an Indian cruise line. She is the sole ship of her class. She entered service with then-Royal Caribbean International in 1990, tran ...
'' and ''
Majesty of the Seas'',
with the former going to
Cordelia Cruises
Cordelia is a feminine given name. It was borne by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' (1606), a character based on the List of legendary kings of Britain, legendary queen Cordelia of Britain, Cordelia. The name is of uncertain origi ...
.
, its first and only ship to resume sailing was ''
Quantum of the Seas'', which began sailing from Singapore in December 2020 under health and safety regulations formulated by the Singapore government.
On 29 June 2021, Royal Caribbean International's ''Ovation of the Seas'' became the first cruise ship to return to the Port of Seattle since the
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
began.
Partnerships/capabilities
In August 2022, the company announced that it would partner with
SpaceX to use its Starlink technology across all its ships, in an effort to improve historically weak internet connections. This comes on the heels of the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdicti ...
authorizing SpaceX to provide its services to boats, planes, and trucks.
Fleet
Current fleet
Since ''
Sovereign of the Seas ''Sovereign of the Seas'' may refer to one of these ships:
* , an English Royal Navy warship of 102 guns; later renamed ''Sovereign'' and ''Royal Sovereign''
* Sovereign of the Seas (clipper), ''Sovereign of the Seas'' (clipper), an 1852 clipper sh ...
'' entered service in 1987, all subsequent Royal Caribbean ships have names ending with the phrase "of the Seas".
Vision class
The Vision class consists of three pairs of sister ships. ''Legend'' and ''Splendour'', built at
Chantiers de l'Atlantique,
Saint-Nazaire, France have a
gross tonnage of approximately 70,000. ''Grandeur'' and ''Enchantment'' were built at
Kvaerner Masa-Yards,
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and had an original tonnage of approximately . The final pair, ''Rhapsody'' and ''Vision'' were also built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and have a tonnage of . In 2005, a midsection was added to ''Enchantment of the Seas'', bringing its tonnage to over . All ships of this class feature over of glass. Royal Caribbean sold both ''Splendour of the Seas'' and ''Legend of the Seas'' to
Marella Cruises
Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) is a British cruise line operated by TUI UK, offering cruise holidays around Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
History
The company had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fu ...
. ''Splendour of the Seas'' last sailed for Royal Caribbean on 4 April 2016, and the final ''Legend of the Seas'' sailing for Royal Caribbean left port on 13 March 2017. In October 2019, Royal Caribbean announced a plan to transfer ''Grandeur of the Seas'' to
Pullmantur Cruises
Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U. ...
after its last scheduled sailing on 21 March 2021. However, following Pullmantur's filing for bankruptcy, Royal Caribbean later announced in August 2020 that ''Grandeur'' would remain in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
''Voyager'' class
The ''Voyager''-class ships were the largest class of cruise ships in the world when constructed and were the first ships to have an ice rink at sea and the first to have Royal Caribbean's "Royal Promenade" mall concept, a main thoroughfare extending most of the length of the ship, flanked by bars, cafes, and shopping venues. They were built at
Kvaerner Masa-Yards
STX Finland Oy, formerly Aker Yards Oy, was a Finnish shipbuilding company operating three shipyards in Finland, in Turku, Helsinki and Rauma, employing some 2,500 people. It was part of STX Europe, a group of international shipbuilding companie ...
' (now
Meyer Turku
Meyer Turku Oy is a Finnish shipbuilding company located in Turku, Finland Proper. The company is fully owned by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft GmbH. The main products are cruise ships and cruiseferries.
The shipbuilding facility is Perno shipy ...
) facility in
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
, Finland. They have a
gross tonnage of around 137,000 tonnes. Activity options onboard all five ships include a
basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with -high rims on each basket. Outdoor sur ...
, at least three pools, a
mini-golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
course, a rock wall, an
ice skating rink
An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...
and, originally, an
inline skating
Inline skating is a multi-disciplinary sport and can refer to a number of activities practiced using inline skates. Inline skates typically have two to five polyurethane wheels depending on the style of practice, arranged in a single line by a ...
track. ''Navigator of the Seas'' replaced the inline skating track with a
Flowrider surf simulator in 2014, and similar changes are planned for ''Voyager'' and ''Explorer''.
''
Navigator of the Seas'' and ''
Mariner of the Seas'' are second-generation ''Voyager''-class vessels, and feature glass stateroom balconies that extend out from the superstructure of the ship and a larger Windjammer buffet area.
''Radiance'' class
All ''Radiance''-class ships have a gross tonnage of 90,090 and
environmentally friendlier
Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directio ...
engines. The ''Radiance''-class ships have over of glass, glass exterior viewing elevators, over 700 balcony staterooms, two-level glass windowed dining rooms, alternative restaurants, a retractable glass roof over a pool, an outdoor pool, as well as the first self-leveling billiard tables at sea. The ''Radiance'' class ships were constructed at
Meyer Werft
Meyer Werft is one of the major German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg at the river Ems. Founded in 1795 and starting with small wooden vessels, today Meyer Werft is a builder of luxury passenger ships. 700 ships of different types have be ...
,
Papenburg,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Unlike the preceding ''Voyager'' class, these ships are built to the
Panamax form factor, allowing them to pass through the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...
.
''Freedom'' class
The ''Freedom''-class ships are lengthened versions of the second-generation ''Voyager''-class ship, and contain a Royal Promenade mall running much of the length of the ship, an ice skating rink, basketball court, several pools, a mini-golf course, and a rock wall. New features on the ''Freedom'' class include the
FlowRider surfing
simulator
A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...
, the
H2O
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...
Zone kids water play area, a
boxing ring
A boxing ring, often referred to simply as a ring or the squared circle, is the space in which a boxing match occurs. A modern ring consists of a square raised platform with a post at each corner. Four ropes are attached to the posts and pulled p ...
, and
hot tubs cantilevered over the side of the ship. At 154,407 gross tons, the ''Freedom''-class ships were the largest ships in the world from 2006, until the debut of the
Oasis class in 2009.
''Oasis'' class
The ''Oasis''-class ships are the largest passenger ships ever built, having surpassed the ''Freedom''-class ships. They can accommodate up to 5,400 passengers at double occupancy and they have a maximum capacity of 6,296 passengers. Furthermore, the ships have a
gross tonnage of at least 225,282 tons, and cost the line around US$1.4 billion each.
The first two ships in the class, ''
Oasis of the Seas'' and ''
Allure of the Seas'',
were delivered in 2009 and 2010 by
STX Europe Turku Shipyard, Finland. The third and fourth ships in the class, ''
Harmony of the Seas
''Harmony of the Seas'' is an built by STX France at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, for Royal Caribbean International. With a gross tonnage of 226,963 GT, she is the third largest passenger ship in the ...
'' and ''
Symphony of the Seas
''Symphony of the Seas'' is an owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built in 2018 in the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the fourth in Royal Caribbean's ''Oasis'' class of cruise ships. At , ...
'' were built at
Chantiers de l'Atlantique in
Saint-Nazaire,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. They were the first to also come with the Ultimate Abyss.
Royal Caribbean International, in conjunction with
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
, sponsored a contest to name the first two vessels.
On 18 February 2019 Royal Caribbean announced the order of a 6th Oasis class vessel from
Chantiers de l'Atlantique for delivery in 2024 with a double occupancy of 5,714 and gross tonnage of 231,000.
''Quantum'' class
The ''Quantum''-class of ships debuted as the second largest class of cruise ships in the world. The ''Quantum''-class ships were the first ships built for Royal Caribbean by
Meyer Werft
Meyer Werft is one of the major German shipyards, headquartered in Papenburg at the river Ems. Founded in 1795 and starting with small wooden vessels, today Meyer Werft is a builder of luxury passenger ships. 700 ships of different types have be ...
since the ''Radiance'' class and share many features with those ships, including indoor pools with retractable roofs, vast expanses of glass, outdoor seating in the "Windjammer" buffet, and self-leveling
pool tables
A billiard table or billiards table is a bounded table on which cue sports are played. In the modern era, all billiards tables (whether for carom billiards, pool, pyramid or snooker) provide a flat surface usually made of quarried slate, that ...
.
Other distinctive features of the ''Quantum''-class include the "North Star" observation capsule mounted on the end of a crane arm,
"RipCord by iFLY" a
skydiving simulator
A vertical wind tunnel (VWT) is a wind tunnel that moves air up in a vertical column. Unlike standard wind tunnels, which have test sections that are oriented horizontally, as experienced in level flight, a vertical orientation enables gravi ...
,
the three-deck-high Two70° lounge and performance venue at the aft of the ship featuring panoramic windows that convert into projection screens,
and the multi-purpose SeaPlex facility which hosts activities such as basketball,
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
,
bumper cars, and a
trapeze school.
The ''Quantum'' class was the first class designed specifically for Dynamic Dining, and feature several separate complementary dining facilities instead of a single main dining room.
Each venue will maintain the same menu and staff throughout the cruise.
Unlike the earlier ''
Voyager'', ''
Freedom'', and ''
Oasis'' class, ''Quantum''-class ships do not feature a
Viking Crown Lounge
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
or ice skating rink, and the Royal Promenade mall down the center of the ship is not featured in its traditional form.
Four ships, ''Quantum of the Seas'', ''Anthem of the Seas'', ''Ovation of the Seas'', and ''Spectrum of the Seas''
were built as of 2019. A fifth ship, ''Odyssey of the Seas'' was delivered in March 2021.
Future fleet
Former fleet
Private resorts
Royal Caribbean operates two privately owned resorts that are used as stops on some Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. They are
Labadee
Labadee (french: Labadie) is a port located on the northern coast of Haiti within the arrondissement of Cap-Haïtien in the Nord department. It is a private resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., for the exclusive use of passengers of its ...
, a resort on the northern coast of Haiti, and
Coco Cay
CocoCay or Little Stirrup Cay is one of the Berry Islands, a collection of Bahamian cays and small islands located approximately 55 miles north of Nassau. It is used for tourism by Royal Caribbean Group exclusively. Little Stirrup Cay is adjacen ...
, a private island in the
Berry Islands
The Berry Islands are a chain of islands and a district of the Bahamas, covering about of the northwestern part of the Out Islands.
The Berry Islands consist of about thirty islands and over one hundred small islands or cays, often referred t ...
region of the Bahamas. Each resort features canopies for eating, lounge chairs, palm trees, white sand beaches, and a number of activities.
The company is planning to open additional private resorts in Asia and on
Lelepa Island,
Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
.
Ports of call
Royal Caribbean operates internationally and has many
ports of call.
US ports
United States ports for Royal Caribbean include
Port Everglades in
Fort Lauderdale
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
, Florida,
Cape Liberty Cruise Port
The Cape Liberty Cruise Port is one of three trans-Atlantic passenger terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located in Bayonne, New Jersey at the north side of the long pier of the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, a former military ...
,
Honolulu Harbor,
PortMiami, the
Port of Seattle, the
Port of Galveston
The Port of Galveston is the port of the city of Galveston, Texas. It was established by a proclamation issued by the Congress of Mexico on October 17, 1825, while the land known today as Texas was still part of Mexico. The Port of Galveston is ...
in Galveston, Texas, the
Port of Los Angeles, the
Port of New Orleans
The Port of New Orleans is an embarkation port for cruise passengers. It is also Louisiana’s only international container port.
The port generates $100 million in revenue annually through its four lines of business – cargo (46%), rail (31%) ...
, the
Port of San Diego
The Port of San Diego is a seaport in San Diego, California. It is located on San Diego Bay in southwestern San Diego County, California, and is a self-supporting district established in 1962 by an act of the California State Legislature. In addi ...
, the Port of Seward in Seward, Alaska, the
Port of Baltimore
Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's largest port facilities fo ...
, the
Port of Boston
The Port of Boston ( AMS Seaport Code: 0401, UN/LOCODE: US BOS) is a major seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston. It is the largest port in Massachusetts and one of the principal ports on the East Coast of the Unite ...
,
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo, and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with 4.5 million cruise passengers passing through during 2016. Over 5.4 million tonnes of bulk car ...
in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and
Port Tampa Bay in
Tampa, Florida,
Port of San Juan
The Port of San Juan ( es, Puerto de San Juan) is a seaport facility located in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The "Port of San Juan" is the general name used to call various passenger and cargo facilities located in lands aro ...
in
San Juan, Puerto Rico.
International ports
Among these are the
Port of Amsterdam
The port of Amsterdam ( nl, Haven van Amsterdam) is a seaport in Amsterdam in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the 4th busiest port in Europe by metric tonnes of cargo. The port is located on the bank of a former bay named the IJ and the Nor ...
, the
Port of Barcelona
Managed by Spanish Government The Port of Barcelona ( ca, Port de Barcelona, ; es, Puerto de Barcelona) has a 150-year history and great contemporary commercial importance as one of Europe's major ports in the Mediterranean. It is also Spain's th ...
, the
Port of Quebec
The Port of Quebec (french: Port de Québec) is an inland port located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest port in Canada, and the second largest in Quebec after the Port of Montreal.
History
In the 19th century, the Port of Quebec ...
, the
Port of Shenzhen
The Port of Shenzhen is a collective name of a number of ports along parts of the coastline of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. These ports as a whole forms one of the busiest and fastest growing container ports in the world.
The port is h ...
, the Port of Stockholm, the
Port of Vancouver
The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and the fourth largest in North America by tonnes of cargo, facilitating trade between Canada and more than 170 world economies. The port is managed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, whic ...
, the
Port of Auckland, the Port of Beijing, the
Port of Civitavecchia, the
Port of Singapore, the
Port of Sydney, the
Port of Venice, the
Port of Copenhagen
The Port of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Havn) is the largest Danish seaport and one of the largest ports in the Baltic Sea basin. It extends from Svanemølle Beach in the north to Hvidovre in the south. Along with Malmö harbour, Copenhagen Por ...
, the
Port of Hong Kong
The Port of Hong Kong (), located by the South China Sea, is a deepwater seaport dominated by trade in containerised manufactured products, and to a lesser extent raw materials and passengers. A key factor in the economic development of Hong ...
, the
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is the largest port for containerised and general cargo in Australia. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria, and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phi ...
, the
Port of Shanghai, and the
Port of Southampton
The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. The port has been owned and op ...
.
Marmagao
Mormugao is a seaport city situated in the eponymous Mormugao taluka (municipality) of the South Goa district, South district, in the Goa state, India. It has a deep natural harbour and remains Goa's chief port.
Towards the end of the Indo-Po ...
Port, Goa.
Awards
2019 and 2020 Awards
The cruise line has been presented with more than 100 notable awards during the course of 2019 and 2020.
Previous Travel awards include
* "Best Cruise Line Overall" 2016 by ''Travel Weekly''
*"Cruise Line of the Year 2018" by Cruisedaily
Incidents and controversies
As of 2008, Royal Caribbean had 22% of the market share in cruise line operation. Cruise line operators are criticized for using this large economic impact to cut deals with home ports, ports of call, and agencies.
Norovirus outbreaks
In January 2014, an outbreak of
norovirus
Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may also occur. Symptoms usually devel ...
aboard ''Explorer of the Seas'' sickened 689 of 4,237 passengers and crew (16.3%), causing the ship to return to port two days early. The outbreak reportedly marked the greatest number of cases of illness aboard a cruise ship in two decades, barely exceeding a 2006 outbreak aboard the
Carnival Cruise Lines' ''
Carnival Liberty
''Carnival Liberty'' is a operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Built by Fincantieri at its Monfalcone shipyard in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy, she was christened by actress Mira Sorvino in Civitavecchia, Italy, on July 19, 2005. ''Carn ...
'' that sickened 679 of 3,970 passengers and crew (17.1%). Royal Caribbean offered all passengers aboard that cruise a 50% refund of their cruise fare, an additional 50% (plus 10% for each day sick passengers were quarantined) of their cruise fare as a credit towards another cruise, and reimbursed extra travel expenses for guests returning home early.
Docking in Haiti
In the aftermath of the
2010 Haiti earthquake
A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...
, Royal Caribbean continued docking cruise ships at the Labadee resort, located approximately 60 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, during the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Royal Caribbean vice president John Weis defended the decision, citing relief supplies delivered through the ships and proceeds from the call going towards relief efforts. The decision to continue docking was criticized nonetheless and created concern among passengers.
George Allen Smith case
On 5 July 2005, passengers on board ''
Brilliance of the Seas
Brilliance of the Seas is a cruise ship belonging to the Royal Caribbean's . ''Brilliance of the Seas'' is operated by RCL UK Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Brilliance of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 2,543 passengers ...
'' reported what appeared to be blood on a part of the ship below the passenger balconies. After a search,
George Allen Smith was discovered to be missing and thought to have fallen overboard. A criminal investigation into possible foul play was conducted, and a brief press release on the company's investor relations website announced the settlement of the case, later revealed to be more than $1 million.
Environmental record
In 1998 and 1999, the company was fined US$9 million because one of its ships, ''
Sovereign of the Seas ''Sovereign of the Seas'' may refer to one of these ships:
* , an English Royal Navy warship of 102 guns; later renamed ''Sovereign'' and ''Royal Sovereign''
* Sovereign of the Seas (clipper), ''Sovereign of the Seas'' (clipper), an 1852 clipper sh ...
'', had repeatedly dumped oily waste into the ocean and tried to hide this using false records, including fake piping diagrams given to the
US Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
. Because the company was and is incorporated in
Liberia, Royal Caribbean argued that this case was not in the jurisdiction of US courts. Despite their argument, they were unsuccessful.
Whakaari / White Island eruption
On 9 December 2019, a volcanic eruption occurred killing 21 people from . It occurred on New Zealand's
Whakaari / White Island while ''Ovation'' was docked in the nearby
Port of Tauranga
The Port of Tauranga is situated in Tauranga, New Zealand. It is the largest port in the country both in terms of total cargo volume, and in terms of container throughput with container volumes exceeding 1.2 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equival ...
. Despite an increase in seismic activity in preceding weeks 47 people, including 38 passengers and crew from the ship, were on the island when it erupted. , 44 of the 47 were injured, missing, or killed. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said the line was "devastated by today’s events", and the ship remained in port until 10 December to assist with recovery efforts. In April 2020, legal action was commenced in Australia on behalf of relatives and ''Ovation'' passengers against Royal Caribbean.
Death of Chloe Rae Margaret Wiegand
On 7 July 2019, 18-month-old Chloe Rae Margaret Wiegand was dropped to her death from an open window by her grandfather Salvatore Anello on while docked in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...
. He was later arrested on counts of homicide by authorities in Puerto Rico. The family attempted to file a civil suit against Royal Caribbean claiming that Anello did not know the window was open. Royal Caribbean later released several videos from surveillance cameras showing the incident. As of 25 February 2020, Anello took a plea deal with authorities, however the civil lawsuit was still approved by a judge.
COVID-19 pandemic
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the ''
Miami Herald'' reported that, after cruises were cancelled worldwide and they had disembarked all passengers, Royal Caribbean Cruises had refused to repatriate many of their crew members due to the associated costs, with many crew members turning to desperate measures, such as
hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
s, as a result.
As part of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), Royal Caribbean has volunteered to pause operations through 31 October 2020. Previously, the pause was to end on 15 September 2020.
At the end of October 2020, Royal Caribbean extended its global sailing suspension through December 2020. That suspension was then extended through 30 April 2021.
On 16 June 2021, Royal Caribbean International announced that it was delaying the inaugural sailing of their newest cruise liner, ''
Odyssey of the Seas
''Odyssey of the Seas'' is the second Quantum-class cruise ship, ''Quantum'' Ultra-class cruise ship and the last of the class operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is the 3rd newest ship out of the Royal Caribbean fleet, and primarily ...
'' after eight crew members tested positive for
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
–
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
. Six of the crew members were without showing signs of symptoms while the other two were experiencing mild symptoms of the disease. The delay was extended until 31 July 2021.
References
External links
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{{Use dmy dates, date=November 2016
Cruise lines
Royal Caribbean Group
Companies based in Miami
Norwegian companies established in 1968