Royal Caribbean to bring another Freedom Class ship to UK instead of Mariner of the Seas next year

The 3,926-passenger Freedom of the Seas ship will replace the line's smaller Voyager Class vessel which has capacity for 3,114 passengers.

Royal said the change reflected "the continued strength of the UK and Ireland market".

"The move represents an upsizing of capacity and brings a Freedom Class ship – long regarded as a favourite among British and Irish guests – back to the region," the line added.

"Onboard vacationers of all ages can kick back and adventure at the resort-style Caribbean pool deck, enjoy The Perfect Storm duo of high-speed waterslides, a vibrant Caribbean poolscape, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, alongside reimagined spaces for kids and teens and more."

This year, Liberty of the Seas – a sister ship to Freedom of the Seas – will be based out of Southampton. Another Freedom Class vessel, Independence of the Seas, operated ex-UK cruises from Southampton last summer.

So Freedom of the Seas will be the third Freedom Class ship to be based in the UK in three years when it arrives here in 2027.

Aaron Langford, Royal Caribbean senior sales director UK & Ireland, said: “The UK and Ireland is an incredibly important market for Royal Caribbean, and as a result, we’re excited to announce that we'll be upsizing our Southampton deployment in 2027 with Freedom of the Seas following our long standing success here with this class of ship.

"Freedom Class has consistently resonated strongly with British and Irish guests, and following a recent amplification, Freedom of the Seas offers a fantastic mix of scale, innovation and guest-favourite features that deliver the ultimate family holiday."

Royal Caribbean International Cancels More Calls at Labadee

Royal Caribbean International Cancels More Calls at Labadee

Independence of the Seas in Labadee photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr

Royal Caribbean International is canceling additional visits to Labadee, its private destination in Haiti.

In different statements, the company has confirmed that its ships will no longer be visiting the port of call over the next few weeks.

After suspending visits to Labadee earlier this month, the company has decided to evaluate the situation in Haiti on a continuous basis, said Royal Caribbean International’s President and CEO Michael Bayley.

“We’ll continue to suspension on a rolling basis with three days advance notification for our guests sailing on itineraries impact and changed as we monitor and evaluate the situation in Haiti,” he explained in a social media post.

Newly affected sailings include Independence of the Seas’ March 21 departure. Instead of going to Labadee, the four-night cruise will now visit Grand Turk on March 23.

The April 6 sailing of the Symphony of the Seas has also been impacted and will now include a visit to Falmouth, Jamaica on April 12.

For its April 7 departure, the Oasis of the Seas will now be visiting St. Maarten instead of Royal Caribbean’s private destination in Haiti.

Other vessels affected by the cancellations include the Adventure of the Seas, the Mariner of the Seas, the Explorer of the Seas, the Grandeur of the Seas and the Odyssey of the Seas.

Serving as a private destination for Royal Caribbean International ships since the 1980s, Labadee is located in Haiti’s Cap-Haïtien region.

After receiving significant upgrades in 2009, the fenced-off resort offers various features, including a flea market, a roller coaster, and a zip-line.

In addition to several beaches, Labadee also has a two-berth pier capable of receiving some of the world’s largest cruise ships.

In addition to Royal Caribbean, the destination is also scheduled to host ships from Celebrity Cruises during the 2024-25 winter season.

Royal Caribbean International Trimming Housekeeping Services

Royal Caribbean International Trimming Housekeeping Services

Royal Caribbean International is adjusting the housekeeping services onboard its fleet. According to different passenger forums on the internet, several ships have seen a reduction in how many times a cabin is serviced per day.

“In an effort to be more sustainable and to align with global hospitality trends, we will be adjusting our stateroom services to one per day,” the company said in a daily cruise program onboard one of the ships that saw the change.

According to the document, passengers are welcome to work with their housekeeping staff to ensure their needs are met. It’s understood that guests are able to select whether they prefer morning or evening service in their staterooms.

While most cabin categories are set to move to the new service schedule, Junior Suites and above will maintain two services per day, the message added.

The change has been spotted in different ships, including the Quantum of the Seas, the Spectrum of the Seas, the Independence of the Seas, the Ovation of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas.

It’s unknown whether the service reduction will be applied to Royal Caribbean’s 26-ship fleet.

In 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line also moved its stateroom cleaning services to a once-a-day basis for select cabin categories. According to a letter sent to the crew at the time, the change aimed at consolidating crew roles while saving energy and water.

Other cruise lines that have moved to a once-a-day cabin service include Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and more.

Royal Caribbean Newbuild Outlook: ‘Market Underpenetrated’

Royal Caribbean Newbuild Outlook: ‘Market Underpenetrated’

Royal Caribbean Group and its portfolio of cruise brands will launch 11 new ships between 2023 and 2026, culminating in the third Icon Class ship in 2026 being delivered from Meyer Turku to Royal Caribbean International, and a newbuild for TUI Cruises from Fincantieri, according to the cruise ship orderbook.

In the near term, Jason Liberty, president and CEO, said that the business would grow capacity by 10 per cent in 2024, 5 per cent in 2025 and 6 per cent in 2026.

“I think the first thing to point out is, that’s not just one brand in one market, in one destination,” he said. “So this reflects our three wholly owned brands and how they’re going to grow in their different segments and also for these ships to be in other parts of the world.

“If you look at the orderbook, as you get into ’27 and ’28, it’s lighter orderbook. We believe that at Royal Caribbean that the addressable market is underpenetrated, especially in all the different markets in which we operate. We work very hard to create global brands that attract guests from all over the world and build revenue management systems to effectively harvest that quality demand. And we think that apparatus more than supports our expected supply growth over the coming years.”

Royal Caribbean Proposes Refinancing on High-Interest Debt

Royal Caribbean Proposes Refinancing on High-Interest Debt

Independence of the Seas in Southampton, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Toady announced that it has commenced a private offering of senior guaranteed notes due 2029 for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion and a concurrent private offering of senior secured notes due 2029, for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Senior Guaranteed Notes and the Senior Secured Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem all its outstanding 9.125% Priority Guaranteed Notes due 2023 and 10.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2023, respectively, concurrently with the respective closing of the Senior Guaranteed Notes and Senior Secured Notes offerings (including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such redemptions).

The Senior Guaranteed Notes will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by RCI Holdings LLC, which owns 100% of the equity interests of certain of the Company's wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries.

The Senior Secured Notes will be guaranteed by Celebrity Cruises Inc., Celebrity Cruises Holdings Inc. and certain of the Company's wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries. The Senior Secured Notes and the related guarantees will be secured by 26 of the Company's vessels and material intellectual property of the Company in an amount not to exceed permitted capacity under the Company's existing indebtedness.

The closing of each offering is not contingent upon the closing of the other offering.

Royal Caribbean Upsizes Fundraising, $1.25 Billion at 11.625 Percent

Royal Caribbean Upsizes Fundraising, $1.25 Billion at 11.625 Percent

Independence of the Seas in Southampton View Independence photos click here, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr  

Royal Caribbean Group today announced that it has priced its private offering of $1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount (up from the previously announced $1 billion) of 11.625% senior unsecured notes due 2027 (the "Notes").

The Notes will mature on August 15, 2027. The Notes are expected to be issued on or around August 18, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.

According to a press release, the Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Notes to repay principal payments on debt maturing in 2022 and/or 2023 (including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such repayments). Pending such uses, the Company may temporarily apply the proceeds to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facilities or other borrowings.

Royal Caribbean Group Raising $900 Million to Refinance Debt

Royal Caribbean Group Raising $900 Million to Refinance Debt

Royal Caribbean Group announced on Monday that it has commenced a private offering of senior convertible notes to be issued by the company due 2025 in an aggregate principal amount of up to $900 million.

In addition, the company intends to grant the initial purchasers an option to purchase up to an additional $135 million principal amount of Convertible Notes.

"The purpose of the offering is to replace some of the existing near-term maturities of convertible bonds with new longer-term convertible bonds in a manner which is non-dilutive to shareholders as described," said Naftali Holtz, Chief Financial Officer of Royal Caribbean Group.

The cruise company said it intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Convertible Notes to repurchase a portion of its 2.875% convertible senior notes due November 15, 2023, and 4.25% convertible senior notes due June 15, 2023, through open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers or otherwise. The Company intends to retire any Existing Convertible Notes so purchased.

"The proposed transaction proactively addresses the near-term maturity of our existing convertible notes," said Holtz. "With the proceeds of this offering, our intention is to opportunistically repurchase the existing convertible notes, and we have the option to settle the remaining notes in cash to address our convertible debt maturities in a manner that is net neutral to our outstanding shares and share equivalents."

The Convertible Notes will be convertible at the holder's option in certain circumstances. Upon conversion, the company may satisfy its conversion obligation by paying or delivering, at its election, as applicable, cash, shares of its common stock or a combination of cash and shares of its common stock.

 

Mask Requirement Dropped for Vaccinated Guests on Royal Caribbean

Mask Requirement Dropped for Vaccinated Guests on Royal Caribbean

Independence of the Seas Photo credit for Spacejunkie2

Face masks are soon to be optional for fully vaccinated guests sailing from the U.S. on cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International.

The cruise line made changes to the Healthy Sail Center section of its website following the news it will participate in the CDC's new voluntary program for cruise ships,.

The mask mandate becomes optional on sailings from the U.S. and Puerto Rico on Feb. 25.

The company said it expects unvaccinated children to continue wearing masks indoors and in crowded settings. Masks are required for all children while at the Adventure Ocean youth program. Guests under 2 do not have to wear a mask at any time.

Masks are also optional at the company's private destinations, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee. Royal Caribbean said that at other ports, guests are advised to follow local regulations. Masks should also be worn at the cruise terminal during the boarding and screening process, as well as during disembarkation. Guests under 2 do not have to wear a mask at any time.

As for sailings in Europe, which are set to start this spring, Royal Caribbean said it has yet to determine its health and safety protocols for cruises in that region, with news coming soon. 

 

Royal Caribbean Details Low COVID-19 Case Numbers

Independence of the Seas in Southampton, UK. Photo credit Spacejunkie2

Since restarting operations in 2020, Royal Caribbean Group has carried approximately 1.3 million guests, with about 2,500 guests testing positive for COVID-19, for a positivity rate of 0.19 per cent.

Those numbers were shared by President and CEO Jason Liberty on the company's year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call on Friday.

"This positivity rate is still a small fraction of what it is in society at large, and nearly all cases onboard were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms," Liberty said.

"Our rigorous health and safety protocols with 100% per cent vaccination rate among our crew and close to 100 per cent vaccination rate among our guests provide a safe environment where we can fulfil our mission of delivering amazing vacations. And our guests are responding by providing record Net Promoter Scores for us, exceeding their expectations," he added.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean International brand, also said that while the Omicron variant did impact crew aboard, most crews had no symptoms.

"99 per cent of the crew positivity was asymptomatic and the 1 per cent was extremely mild symptoms. I mean, it really was remarkable in many ways. But the impact on the crew was effectively 0, except to take them out of operation for the period of their quarantine," Bayley said.

Royal Caribbean's Ships: 44 Percent Full in Q3 But Cash Flow Accretive

Independence of the Seas in Southampton Photo Credit Spacejunkie2

How full are Royal Caribbean Group's cruise ships?

The company reported on Friday that ships in its core deployment regions in the third quarter saw a load factor of 44 per cent occupancy.

Despite the low load factor, the company said that those ships were cash flow accretive excluding start-up costs.

Total revenue per passenger cruise day was up 12 per cent versus record levels seen in 2019 based on strong onboard revenue performance.

The company said in its third-quarter earnings release it hopes to ramp up to load factors of 65 to 70 per cent during the fourth quarter and expects ships in the fourth quarter will be cash flow accretive even when including start-up costs.  

By the end of the year, the company expects that 50 out of 61 ships will have returned to service, representing almost 100% of core itinerary capacity and approximately 80% of worldwide capacity. 

The remaining ships are expected to return by the spring of 2022 and return to historical load factors in the third quarter of 2022.

Royal Caribbean Group Restart: Eight Additional Ships Resuming Service Soon

Royal Caribbeans Anthem of the Seas photo credit Spacejunkie2

As the winter approaches, the Royal Caribbean Group brands are expanding their restart plans, adding destinations and new homeports.

In November, eight more ships are resuming service for the corporation, bringing its brands back to Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Antarctica, the Middle East and more.

Here are the latest plans, brand by brand:

Royal Caribbean International
Status: 14 ships currently in service; three more set to follow by Dec. 1
Ships: Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas currently in service; Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas set to follow in November
Regions: Asia, Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean, United Kingdom and West Coast

With 14 cruise ships in service, Royal Caribbean International currently has the most capacity back in the market.

Sailing in North America, Europe and Asia, the brand is set to reactivate three additional vessels by Dec. 1, relaunching service in additional destinations.

Debuting on the West Coast, the Navigator of the Seas is welcoming guests back in Los Angeles on Nov. 19.

A few weeks earlier, on Nov. 7, the Explorer of the Seas is resuming service in San Juan, bringing the brand back to its Puerto Rico homeport.

Currently, in a European shipyard, the Adventure of the Seas is also returning to revenue operation soon. On Nov. 29, the ship is set to return to Galveston for a series of four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises.

While the balance of the Royal Caribbean fleet is poised to return to guest operations until May 2022, the brand has also resumed service from Hong Kong recently, launching a program of short cruises to nowhere from the Asian port.

Celebrity Cruises
Status: Eight ships currently in service; two more set to follow by Dec. 1
Ships: Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Xpedition currently in service; Celebrity Constellation and Celebrity Reflection set to follow in November
Regions: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Galapagos, West Coast and Panama Canal

In November, Celebrity Cruises is launching a new phase of its restart program. After several months with eight vessels sailing revenue cruises, the brand is adding two more ships into active service by Dec. 1.

Marking Celebrity’s return to Tampa, the Celebrity Constellation is set to welcome guests back on Nov. 7.

A day earlier, the Celebrity Reflection is resuming service after a 20-month operational pause, offering a series of Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.

In October, Celebrity also returned to the West Coast and the Panama Canal with the Celebrity Millennium. After a season in Alaska, the vessel is offering a couple of California cruises from San Diego before crossing the Panama Canal on its way to the Caribbean.

TUI Cruises
Status: Six ships currently in service
Ships: Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 3, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5 and Mein Schiff 6
Regions: Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Emirates

Based in Germany, TUI Cruises currently has six cruise ships sailing with guests in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Preparing for the winter season, the brand is planning to expand its restart to new destinations over the next months.

While a season in Southeast Asia was recently cancelled, cruises to the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and the Emirates are on the plans through the end of the year.  

Silversea Cruises
Status: Four ships currently in service; three more sets to follow by Dec. 1
Ships: Silver Moon, Silver Origin, Silver Shadow and Silver Spirit currently in service; Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer and Silver Whisper set to follow in November
Region: Galapagos, Mediterranean, Western Europe, Atlantic, Caribbean and Antarctica  

After months of negotiation, Silversea Cruises is ready to relaunch its expedition sailings in Antarctica. With the Silver Cloud and the Silver Explorer, the brand is returning to the seventh continent in November, offering departures from Chile.

On Nov. 17, the Silver Whisper is also returning to revenue operations, offering Caribbean cruises from San Juan and Fort Lauderdale.

Currently, four Silversea ships are sailing with passengers, cruising in the Mediterranean, the Galapagos, Western Europe and more.

The luxury brand welcomed its passengers back in June with the inaugural cruises of two newbuilds, the Silver Moon and the Silver Origin.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
First sailing: Five ships in service
Ships: Europa 2, Europa, Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Inspiration and Hanseatic Spirit
Region: Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Atlantic

In November Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is completing yet another month with the entire five-ship fleet in service.

While, during the summer, the German brand sailed in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, new cruises are now being offered, including itineraries to the Atlantic Archipelagos and the Emirates.

Symphony of the Seas Welcomes Cruise Passengers Back in Miami

The world’s largest cruise ship is welcoming the passengers back today. Sailing from Miami, the Symphony of the Seas is relaunching service for Royal Caribbean International with a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

On its first cruise in 17 months, the Royal Caribbean International ship is visiting four ports in three different countries. After leaving Miami, the vessel is set to visit Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico, before arriving in Honduras, with a call in Roátan.

A stop in Perfect Day at CocoCay concludes the itinerary, which also features two days at sea. A popular port of call, the private destination is located in the Bahamas and features unique attractions, including North America’s tallest waterslides.

The destination will be a regular stop for the 2018-built vessel during the year. Through December, the ship is set to sail alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises from Miami.

An enlarged and improved version of the original Oasis-class ships, the Symphony of the Seas is currently the biggest cruise vessel in the world. With a capacity of over 5,400 passengers, the vessel has several distinctive features, including the ten-deck drop Ultimate Abyss slide.

Other highlights are the AquaTheater – an open-air, fountain-filled show lounge – and the Central Park – a park at sea, with real plants and its own set of shops and restaurants.

With its first cruise about to be underway, the Symphony is the tenth Royal Caribbean International vessel in service.

It also became the second of four ships to resume operations for the company this week.

On August 13, the Ovation of the Seas welcomed the passengers back, kicking off a shortened Alaska season.

On Sunday, both the Harmony of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas are marking their service restarts. While the former is set to sail from Barcelona for a Mediterranean cruise, the latter is departing Galveston on a Western Caribbean itinerary.

The Oasis of the Seas is reentering service next, with its first cruise departing Cape Liberty.

Royal Caribbean: Cash Flow Positive in Six Months

Independence of the seas photo credit Dave Jones 

The Royal Caribbean Group expects to be cash-flow positive in about six months, Jason Liberty, senior vice president and CFO, said on the company's Q2 earnings call.

Liberty noted that the third and fourth quarters of this year will continue to be “painful” and cautioned that 2022 will not be a normal year although trends to normalcy should be picking up during the year.

Going from four ships in service at the end of April, the group now has 29 out of 68 ships sailing and will introduce seven more this month.

By the end of the year, Liberty said, 85 per cent of the Royal Caribbean fleet should be sailing.

As for the newbuilds, Liberty said they will be introduced on 10-month delays from when they originally were expected to enter service.

Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, noted how Royal Caribbean is focused on operating their cruises safely and safer than other vacation alternatives, while still exceeding pre-pandemic guest expectations, and doing so in a fiscally prudent manner.

He underscored that their safety protocols are working and that the ships allow them to control the environment to an unusual extent: 100 per cent of the crew is vaccinated, and in July, 92 per cent of the passengers were vaccinated.

“We have had people test positive, but since people around them have been vaccinated, it means these have been isolated cases,” Fain said. “The vaccines are the ultimate weapon and they work.

“In light of the Delta variant, we have strengthened our protocols further.

“Cruises have become the example of how best to deal with COVID-19,” Fain added.

Here Are the 13 Ships Approved for Test Cruises

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has approved 13 ships for simulated voyages, also known as test cruises, using volunteers as passengers.

With ships completing a test voyage successfully, each vessel is then issued a Conditional Sailing Certificate, allowing it to sail from U.S. homeports with less than 95 per cent of guests aboard being vaccinated. 

Ships Approved For Test Cruises:

• Bahamas Paradise / Grand Classica
• Carnival Cruise Line / Carnival Ecstasy 
• Disney Cruise Line / Disney Dream
• Disney Cruise Line / Fantasy 
• MSC Cruises / MSC Meraviglia
• Royal Caribbean / Allure of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Independence of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Mariner of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Oasis of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Odyssey of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Ovation of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Serenade of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean / Symphony of the Seas

 

Royal Caribbean Announces Sweeping Updates to 2021 Summer Cruises

Independence of the seas in Southampton photo credit Dave Jones

Royal Caribbean International has announced a number of upcoming changes in itineraries and homeports to its summer 2021 cruises. 

Highlights of the updated summer cruises for 2021 include new four- and five-night Mediterranean getaways from Barcelona, and more time in the Caribbean with ships sailing from additional  U.S. cruise ports next summer including Tampa, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

New Itineraries and Homeports

Europe
• Adventure of the Seas, which was previously scheduled to sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm, will head for Barcelona to sail a mix of new 4- and 5-night Mediterranean itineraries.
• Jewel of the Seas, originally planned to homeport in Amsterdam and Barcelona, will now sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm on 7-night cruises calling on Northern Europe’s ports.

The Caribbean
• Independence of the Seas, originally sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. offering 3- and 4-night cruises, will now make Miami her home for the summer season and offer a combination of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Southern and Western Caribbean.
• Vision of the Seas, which was previously planned to sail from Barcelona, will sail from San Juan, offering a new summer program. She will offer 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
• Brilliance of the Seas will stay in Tampa for the summer offering a new drive to port for guests. She will sail 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to the Caribbean.

In Europe, the Odyssey of the Seas will join Anthem and Harmony of the Seas and make its debut in Rome to kick off its inaugural Europe season.

In Alaska, the region will see the cruise line’s biggest season yet with four ships, including the Quantum of the Seas.

The Caribbean also includes the Mariner and Navigator of the Seas sailing 3-night weekend and 4-night weekday itineraries to The Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Oasis of the Seas cruising from the New York area for the first time. In Asia, guests can sail aboard the region’s newest ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, offering 4- and 5-night sailings from Shanghai and visiting Japan.

Buffet Not Going Anywhere at Royal Caribbean

Buffet Not Going Anywhere at Royal Caribbean

“We will continue to have a buffet at Royal Caribbean," commented Linken D’Souza, vice president of food and beverage operations, on a recent webinar aimed at travel agents.

The company's iconic Windjammer venue, however, could look a bit different across the 26-ship Royal Caribbean International fleet. 

Scenarios, said D’Souza, range from employee service to individual portions to individual (i.e.disposable) tongs, among many options.

"We're continuing to work through a lot of the deals. Rest assured the buffet will exist," he said.

"There will be (modifications) that ensure we have a healthy return to service," continued D’Souza. "Your favourites and what you’re used to at the Windjammer will be there.”

The Windjammer has also gone through dramatic changes, even before COVID-19.

The big adjustments come in the breakfast lineup, now featuring an avocado toast bar, a carving station and improved bakery and pastry options.

Meyer Turku Announces 450 Permanent Layoffs

A cruise ship under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Photo: Meyer Turku

HELSINKI, April 28 (Reuters) – German shipyard Meyer Werft’s Finnish subsidiary on Tuesday started statutory talks to lay off up to 450 of its roughly 2,000 employees because of a hit to business from the coronavirus pandemic.

The shipyard, in Turku on Finland’s west coast, had initially started talks over temporary layoffs but said the market situation had now forced it to look for permanent cuts.

“These negotiations will include the permanent layoff of 450 people and another 900 are affected by other measures. These include temporary layoffs of different length, work time adjustments and other arrangements,” the company said in a statement.

Instead of ramping-up from one to two large ships delivered per year until 2023, the assumption is now that the Turku yard will build just one large cruise ship per year, it added.

“The corona pandemic has changed the situation unexpectedly and totally. We are facing the fact that the corona-caused pause in cruising requires to stretch the order book,” said Meyer Turku Chief Executive Jan Meyer. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Editing by Mark Potter)

When Royal Caribbean Ships May Start Sailing Again

When Royal Caribbean Ships May Start Sailing Again

Royal Caribbean International has announced an extension of its pause of service through mid-June, also making changes to the Alaska and Canada/New England seasons.

A look at the expected first sailing of each Royal Caribbean ship as the cruise industry gets back into service (all information is subject to change due to the COVID-19 crisis):

Adventure of the Seas
Date: June 13, 2020
Homeport: Cape Liberty
Length: 5 nights
Itinerary: King’s Wharf

Allure of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Barcelona
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia, Civitavecchia and Naples

Anthem of the Seas
Date: June 20, 2020
Homeport: Southampton
Length: 8 nights
Itinerary: Lisbon, Vigo, La Coruña and Bilbao

Brilliance of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Amsterdam
Length: 10 nights
Itinerary: Dover, Belfast, Greenock, Holyhead, Cork and Le Havre

Empress of the Seas
Date: June 29, 2020
Homeport: Cape Liberty
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Hamilton and St. George Island

Enchantment of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Galveston
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Key West, CocoCay and Nassau

Explorer of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Civitavecchia
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Santorini, Kusadasi, Mykonos and Naples

Freedom of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: San Juan
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire and St. Maarten

Grandeur of the Seas
Date: June 20, 2020
Homeport: Baltimore
Length: 5 nights
Itinerary: King’s Wharf

Harmony of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Port Canaveral
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: CocoCay, San Juan and St. Kitts

Independence of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale
Length: 3 nights
Itinerary: CocoCay and Nassau

Jewel of the Seas
Date: June 18, 2020
Homeport: Copenhagen to Stockholm
Length: 10 nights
Itinerary: Warnemunde, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Visby and Riga

Liberty of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Galveston
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatán

Majesty of the Seas
Date: June 13, 2020
Homeport: New Orleans
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Key West, Nassau and CocoCay

Mariner of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Port Canaveral
Length: 3 nights
Itinerary: Nassau and CocoCay

Navigator of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Miami
Length: 3 nights
Itinerary: CocoCay and Nassau

Oasis of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Cape Liberty
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Port Canaveral, CocoCay and Nassau

Ovation of the Seas
Date: July 3, 2020
Homeport: Seattle
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Inside Passage, Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier and Victoria

Quantum of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Tianjin
Length: 5 nights
Itinerary: Nagasaki and Fukuoka

Radiance of the Seas
Date: July 3, 2020
Homeport: Seward to Vancouver
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan and Inside Passage

Rhapsody of the Seas
Date: June 13, 2020
Homeport: Venice
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Kotor, Corfu, Piraeus, Mykonos and Argostoli

Serenade of the Seas
Date: July 5, 2020
Homeport: Vancouver
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Tracy Arm Fjord

Spectrum of the Seas
Date: June 14, 2020
Homeport: Shanghai
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Osaka, Kobe and Yokohama

Symphony of the Seas
Date: June 13, 2020
Homeport: Miami
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: St. Maarten, St. Thomas and CocoCay

Vision of the Seas
Date: June 13, 2020
Homeport: Barcelona
Length: 12 nights
Itinerary: Santorini, Kusadasi, Mykonos, Piraeus, Civitavecchia, La Spezia and Marseilles

Voyager of the Seas
Date: June 12, 2020
Homeport: Singapore
Length: 3 nights
Itinerary: Penang

Anthem of the Seas to return to Southampton in 2021

Anthem of the Seas to return to Southampton in 2021

Royal Caribbean International’s Anthem of the Seas will return to Southampton in 2021 as part of the line’s new European programme.

The Quantum-class ship will offer ex-UK itineraries to a range of destinations including Norway, the Canaries and the Western Mediterranean.

Prices for the nine-night sailing, departing from Southampton on June 11, 2021, calling at Stavanger, Kristiansand and Geiranger, all Norway, lead-in from £1,187.

Oasis-class ship Harmony of the Seas will sail seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona alongside Vision of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.

The lead-in price for Harmony’s seven-night Western Mediterranean sailing departing from Barcelona on July 11, 2021, is £1,000. Ports of call include Palma de Mallorca, Marseille and Naples.

Royal Caribbean to Amplify Freedom of the Seas

The reimagined poolscape of the Freedom of the Seas. (photo via Royal Caribbean International)

WHY IT RATES: The newly amplified Freedom of the Seas will feature guest-favorites amenities to change island-hopping in the Southern Caribbean. – Mackenzie Cullen, Editorial Associate

A bolder and reimagined Freedom of the Seas will redefine island hopping in the Southern Caribbean, following a $116 million amplification. Royal Caribbean International has announced the high-energy features and guest favorites that will come aboard, including The Perfect Storm duo of waterslides, a redesigned Caribbean poolscape, a new take on a signature venue with Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and completely transformed kids and teens spaces. Starting March 2020, the newly amplified Freedom will set sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico on 7-night Southern Caribbean cruises to idyllic destinations, from Saint Lucia and Antigua to the ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

All-day Thrills on Deck

Vacationers can up the ante with more ways to play joining fan favorites like the FlowRider surf simulator, mini-golf, and the rock-climbing wall.

The Perfect Storm, the heart-pumping duo of racer waterslides, is three stories of adventure that will take excitement off the charts. On Cyclone and Typhoon, guests are in for the ultimate race as they go head to head through twists and turns for bragging rights

A reimagined poolscape comes to life with all-day Caribbean vibes, a larger variety of seating and shade with casitas, daybeds, and hammocks, and the Splashaway Bay aquapark for the youngest travelers. For downtime, guests can escape to the renewed, adults-only Solarium

The Lime & Coconut, Royal Caribbean’s new, poolside signature bar, is at the center of it all. The three-level spot serves up live music, a lineup of cocktails and a rooftop deck for a bird’s eye view of the action

Next-level Culinary Delights

Freedom’s amplification will also introduce more dining venues, spanning Italian, Asian and Mexican cuisine, tantalizing guests’ taste buds more than ever.

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen is a fresh, new twist on a guest favorite. Vacationers can have their pick from authentic Italian dishes with a contemporary flair, including made-to-order pizzas hand-tossed front and center, and baked in the new, in-house pizza oven. With a wide selection of wines and limoncellos on the reimagined menu, it’s “Sunday supper” Royal Caribbean style

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, the Asian-inspired restaurant with teppanyaki tables and a sushi bar, features a variety of hot and cold appetizers, entrees, desserts and more

Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, where everybody wins. Guests can catch their home team on more than 80 TV screens, hit “play” on any one of the arcade games, and refuel with a menu of classic bar bites and ice-cold brews on tap

El Loco Fresh will sit poolside and offer fresh grab-and-go Mexican fare, from tacos and burritos to quesadillas, along with an array of salsas for an extra kick. For the first time, the venue will include a full-service bar with a selection of tequilas on offer

Playtime Reimagined

Adding to the roster of activities onboard, Royal Caribbean will offer glow-in-the-dark laser tag adventure Clash for the Crystal City, and the debut of a floor-to-ceiling redesign of Freedom’s dedicated teen's spaces and award-winning Adventure Ocean.

Adventure Ocean takes on a whole new look after a makeover that will touch every inch of the spaces specially designed for babies and kids. The imaginative layout encourages young vacationers to venture into a world of interactive experiences, from thought-provoking exploration at Play Place to art, science, and tech activities at Workshop, and friendly challenges at Arena. Kicking back is just as fun with gaming consoles and places to chill at Hangout. Babies and 3- to 5-year-olds will each have personalized areas with AO Babies and AO Junior

Teens will rejoice at their exclusive hangout, entirely transformed to feature the latest in movies, gaming, and music, plus a new, private outdoor deck

Beginning March 8, 2020, the reimagined Freedom will sail 7-night, roundtrip Southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan. The year-round itineraries are set to visit tropical locales in the region, including Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Castries, Saint Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; Saint Johns, Antigua; and Kralendijk, Bonaire.

Freedom joins her sister, Independence of the Seas, as part of the Royal Amplified fleet modernization effort. An investment of more than $1 billion across 10 ships in four years, Royal Caribbean’s program touches every facet of the guest experience and introduces a wide range of new adventures spanning one-of-a-kind attractions and experiential dining and nightlife.