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Showing posts with label Voyager of the Seas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Voyager of the Seas. Show all posts
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas Completes 25 Years
After being delivered to Royal Caribbean International on Oct. 29, 1999, the Voyager of the Seas has completed 25 years in service.
Built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland, the 142,000-ton vessel was the first in a series of ships originally known as the Eagle Class.
Then the world’s largest cruise ship, the Voyager of the Seas spent its inaugural season in the Caribbean, offering week-long cruises from Miami.
To accommodate the 3,115-guest vessel, a new 250,000-square-foot cruise terminal was built by Royal Caribbean at the South Florida port.
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean with no guests onboard, the Voyager arrived homeporting Miami on Nov. 11, 1999.
Following a series of pre-inaugural activities, the ship was christened by godmother Katarina Witt, a two-time Olympic gold medal skater.
The ceremony was designed to highlight one of the various new features introduced by the vessel: the first permanent ice-skating rink at sea.
The Voyager of the Seas then departed on its maiden voyage on Nov. 21, 1999, offering a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.
Sailing to Jamaica, Mexico and Haiti, the itinerary featured visits to Ocho Rios and Cozumel, as well as Royal Caribbean’s private destination in Hispaniola, Labadee.
The vessel continued to sail from Miami until 2004 when it repositioned to Cape Liberty for a summer deployment sailing out of the New York City region.
In 2006, the Voyager of the Seas kicked off a series of summer programs in the Western Mediterranean before debuting in Galveston in late 2007 and in New Orleans in late 2011.
A few months later, the ship repositioned to China, becoming the largest ship to sail in Asia on a year-round basis.
After completing another summer program in the Mediterranean, the Voyager is scheduled to return to Florida in November for a winter season sailing to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
PHOTO: Kate Spade onboard Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas. (photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International, Copyright, Simon Brooke-Webb Photography)
Gone are the days where the primary retail experience on a cruise ship consisted solely of logo items, sundries and a small collection of clothes and jewelry.
Now, cruise lines are ramping things up to the level of premium outlets and internationally-recognized brands.
One could argue that things really changed when Royal Caribbean International launched the Voyager of the Seas.
Photo Credit; Dave Jones. Independence of the Seas Royal Promenade.
As the first of its ships with a Royal Promenade, it effectively crafted a shopping mall at sea, one that stretched the better length of the vessel. At the time, the ship was like no other. It was wide enough that a voluminous space could exist between inside staterooms with such cabins now featuring a window that overlooked the internal activities.
The Royal Promenade connected the ship’s forward and aft atriums with lounges and bars, eateries and, most importantly for this discussion, boutiques. Royal Caribbean has only made this feature bigger on newer ships with the grandest example on the Harmony of the Seas.
Of course, corporate cousins, as well as competitors, have copied the model since.
As the current largest ship in the world, the Harmony has managed to attract retail brands like Kate Spade, Hublot, Cartier, Omega and Bulgari with shops onboard. Even Starbucks is a premium purveyor with its own storefront. Although aboard a different class of ship, Hublot and Bulgari have similarly set up shop on the Anthem of the Seas.
In some cases, the premium retail approach does not require scale but cachet.
Also in the Royal Caribbean family, Celebrity Cruises has partnered with Apple for the fleet’s as the first authorized Apple reseller at sea. Here, guests cannot only learn about the company’s digital products with dedicated courses but also buy them and take them home. The Solstice-class, in particular, does still have a bit of a mall atmosphere thanks to its sleek double-decker galleria of boutiques.
MSC Cruises is using technology to enhance the shopping experience in a different way.
In collaboration with Samsung, its upcoming MSC Seaside will let guests try on clothes digitally with a virtual mirror. It will also recognize them upon entering the photo gallery to automatically display their images without the need to search for them.
Meanwhile, some lines do take it smaller with just a singular standout store.
Disney Cruise Line recently introduced an exclusive Tiffany & Co. luxury jewelry shop on the Disney Fantasy. The signature Tiffany T collection offers special diamond pieces to treat loved ones with an extra helping of pixie dust.
It’s true that diamonds never go out of fashion, and high-end retailers often extend to jewelry these days. International tastes are also headed that way with Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Joy, which is dedicated to the Chinese market, being fuller of such vendors than even their North American equivalents. An immense amount of square footage is committed to brands such as Bulgari, Omega and Cartier again, as well as Gucci and even Godiva in the upscale chocolatier category.
Just as a number of the watch and jewelry brands have made inroads with more than one company, Godiva is additionally featured on Cunard Line as well.
Royal Caribbean building another ship for Asia deployment
Royal Caribbean International said a ship it is building for delivery in 2019 will be deployed in Asia.
The first of the line's "Quantum Ultra" vessels will be the "next evolution of the groundbreaking Quantum class," Royal Caribbean said. Two Quantum-class ships, Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, currently sail in China.
As part of a series of deployments announced for 2019, the Mariner of the Seas will reposition to a new home in Miami, embarking on a "Global Odyssey" from Asia that features three long sailings from Singapore to Dubai; Dubai to Barcelona; and Barcelona to Miami.
The Global Odyssey opens for sale on May 2. Voyager of the Seas will have its first full season in Singapore in 2018-19, offering cruises throughout Southeast Asia.
In addition, 2018-19 brings new 10-night open-jaw itineraries between New Zealand and Melbourne or Sydney on the Radiance of the Seas. During the winter, the Ovation of the Seas will reposition to Sydney for its longest season in Australia, reclaiming the title as the largest ship based in the region, Royal Caribbean said.
Inside a floating city: Take a tour of mega Voyager of the Seas
Voyager of the Seas in Sydney Harbour.
‘IT’S a biggie,” a weather-worn old Darwinite in a battered bush hat observes dryly as the enormous Voyager of the Seas eases into Darwin Harbour.
The “floating city” is pausing for a day on a repositioning cruise from South-East Asia to Sydney where it’ll be based for the 2015-16 summer-autumn season.
Voyager truly is a “biggie”; it is one of the world’s largest cruise ships, 311m long, weighing almost 138,000 tonnes and accommodating 3989 guests in total in 1724 staterooms and suites with 1176 crew to pamper them.
The 2m-high HDTV Virtual Balcony.
Cushy lodgings include ocean-view staterooms, balcony staterooms, sumptuous suites and inside staterooms equipped with novel “virtual balconies” to inhibit claustrophobia. These 2m-high HD television screens mimic windows on to balconies and are linked to cameras placed around the ship to screen real-time sights and sounds of the passing ocean and port manoeuvres.
After checking in to a balcony stateroom, it’s time to check out the rest of the glamorous goliath on a journey that turns out to be a tasteful blitzkrieg of unadulterated razzle-dazzle.
Pools, whirlpools and sunbathers on the pool deck.
At Voyager’s heart is an enormous atrium rising through four decks and, intersecting it on Deck 5, the Royal Promenade extends about three-quarters of the ship’s length, a bustling boulevard with a marble “pavement”, pumping cafes and bars, name-brand duty-free shops full of jewellery, clothing and perfumes, upbeat music and evening dance parties.
Part of the Royal Promenade stretching some 240m. Picture: David May
Swarovski is holding a sale with 40 per cent off jewellery and figurines not far from a trio of masseuses delivering a trio of neck massages. Nearby, the Pig & Whistle is a well-patronised pub with tables spilling out onto the marble. In the background, Bobby Day (remember him?) reprises the profound 1958 lyrics of Rockin’ Robin, mercifully Bobby’s only hit.
Pastries, pizzas, sandwiches and brewed illy coffee are on offer at Cafe Promenade with its red British phone booth and a glistening red 1954 Morgan sports car parked outside.
Cafe Promenade on the Royal Promenade. Picture: David May.
At the ’60s-style R Bar, just off the Promenade – the tasteful venue for fancy cocktails – a mixologist is demonstrating how to make a perfect martini and form guides are front and centre at the Tavern, outside the Casino Royale, a sports-themed bar with the obligatory wide-screen TV. “They’re racing at Randwick …”
The 60s-style R Bar. Picture: David May
Casino Royale is a red and gold contradiction of flashing slot machines with names such as Hoot Loot, Kitty Glitter and Rembrandt’s Riches blasting out electronic noises and set against the sober, studied concentration of the blackjack and three-card poker tables. A few players tackling Texas Hold’em frown and seem confused. It turns out they’re Australians. Malaysian croupier Chris confides that many Australians have no idea how to play the card game: “I have to teach them first,” he whispers, “but they do learn quickly.”
At the nautical-themed Schooner Bar, Claudette from the Philippines, pours a Boddington’s Ale, the first of several on this eight-night cruise and in the background it’s 1958 again with the Everly Brothers belting out Bye Bye Love.
The sports deck with basketball, rock wall, mini golf and Flowrider.
Meanwhile, it’s all go outside on the sports deck with walkers and joggers wearing gym gear and serious expressions forming a continuous procession around the fitness track.
The nine-hole mini-golf course with ocean views. Picture: David May
There’s a full-size basketball court, a nine-hole mini-golf course with infinite ocean views, an inline skating track and a golf simulator recreating some of the world’s best courses. For those seeking more challenging thrills, Voyager has a rock-climbing wall rising 9m. That’s 61m above sea level.
Voyager's 9m-high rock wall. Picture: David May
But the stellar attraction is Flowrider, a 12m wave-maker that generates a 72km/h rush of water surfed on a flowboard and, as Australian flowboarding champion Adam Wildman testifies: “One of the best experiences you can have in the middle of an ocean.”
Flowrider champ Adam Wildman, in action.
Kids and teens gravitate to Deck 12 for the Outdoor Youth Area, a video arcade and a teen disco. One deck below is the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre with more than 100 treatments, the pool deck with two pools, six whirlpools, an adults-only solarium pool, tiers of sun decks and a huge 67sq m cinema screen.
Pools, whirlpools and sunbathers on the pool deck. Picture: David May
Like the buoyant background music, the entertainment just goes on. There’s a new 3D cinema and at Voyager’s Ice Skating Rink, guests can rent skates and take lessons between the dazzling regular ice shows starring top international skaters.
Ice show on the Voyager Ice Skating Rink.
On this voyage diverse performances in the La Scala Theatre encompass Broadway-style shows, electric rock violinist, Jane Cho, singer Michael Falzon, comedy hypnotist Mark Anthony, ballroom dance classes and, of all things, an enrichment lecture on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Dining demands daunting decisions. Designed like an opera house, the tasteful Sapphire Dining Room, with chandelier and included meals, revives the golden age of cruising. Also included are the buffets in the extraordinary Windjammer Cafe. Imagine a sort of swish Scandinavian-designed street-food market with wraparound windows and “stalls” serving a healthy choice of international food which, incidentally, is some of the ship’s best tucker.
The Sapphire Dining Room over three decks.
Specialty dining restaurants include Izumi, an Asian but essentially Japanese restaurant with a la carte pricing and the prixe fixe, Italian cuisine Giovanni’s Table for $US25 ($A35), Chops Grille, a ritzy reef’n’beef with premium steaks, seafood and lobster ($US35) and the ’50s-style burger bar Johnny Rockets Diner ($US6.95).
Chops Grille, a ritzy reef n beef restaurant.
Chops Grille also offers special cruise hot pot lunches self-cooked at the table for $US20 and a tasting menu with wine pairings from their exclusive cellar ($US45). At Giovanni’s Table, try the almond-crusted scallops with red bell pepper pesto and pan-seared sole fillets over parmesan roasted potatoes.
My pick is Izumi; for example, miso soup, seasoned wakame salad with sesame oil, tasty miso ramen noodles with chasu pork slice, menma fermented bamboo shoots and nori seaweed and the wonderful mixed seafood on a hot rock.
One of Voyager's Royal Suites.
Meanwhile, poolside on Deck 11, tastefulness takes a brief back seat as cruise director Mitch celebrates “the glamour, the prestige, the recognition of the belly flop” with the popular Men’s International Belly Flop Contest.
“Enough,” I cry, withdrawing to the Schooner Bar for a creamy, cold Boddington’s Ale and a nostalgic toe-tap to Rock Around the Clock courtesy of Bill Haley & His Comets.
The writer was a guest of Holidays of Australia.
The Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre.
ESCAPE ROUTE
The 13-night Ghan and Voyager of the Seas Top End Escape departs Sydney on April 16, 2016, and includes seven nights aboard Voyager of the Seas cruising from Sydney to Darwin with a port call in Brisbane, on-board meals, entertainment, pre paid taxes and gratuities.
Also included are a four-night stay in Darwin at DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade Darwin with breakfast, a “Charles Darwin” Sunset Buffet Dinner Cruise, a half-day Darwin City Sights tour, full day Kakadu National Park tour of Nourlangie rock art site, Yellow Water Billabong and Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre plus two nights aboard The Ghan travelling from Darwin to Adelaide in Gold or Platinum Service including all meals, drinks and off-train experiences.
A Family Panoramic Suite on the Voyager of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean signs deal with China's Forbidden City Imperial Palace to showcase Chinese culture on Ovation of the Seas
Royal Caribbean and the Chinese Imperial Palace Museum (the Palace Museum) held a joint press conference today at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement in the Forbidden City’s Jianfu Palace.
As part of the agreement, experts from different research fields selected by the Palace Museum will be invited to give lectures of Chinese history and culture to guests on Ovation of the Seas.
Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship that debuts in April, will be the first to homeport in China immediately after its delivery and will begin service from Tianjin beginning June 2016.
The signing ceremony officially launches the “2016 – Let’s Ovation” campaign in China and marks the countdown to Ovation of the Seas’ maiden voyage in China.
“We are proud of the extensive collection of art and relics that represent the imperial treasures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and it is our goal at The Palace Museum to showcase the traditional Chinese culture to people all over the world,” said Shan Jixian, Director of the Imperial Palace Museum. “This partnership with Royal Caribbean International and our programs on Ovation of the Seas will help to further these objectives. We are excited to promote the rich heritage of the Forbidden City and China to the guests of the world’s largest global cruise line and we hope to continue to expand on these efforts.”
Dr. Zinan Liu, President of North APAC and China, Royal Caribbean International said: “Cruising is becoming increasingly popular with Chinese travelers and Royal Caribbean’s award-winning and state-of-the-art ships with features found only on Royal Caribbean are very appealing to those consumers looking for a high quality vacation experience. Quantum of the Seas has been very well received by our Chinese guests and we are excited to now bring Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin. Sailing two of the world’s newest and most technologically advanced ships in China demonstrate our leadership and commitment to the market and this partnership with the Palace Museum showcasing China’s rich heritage will bring yet another unique element to our vacation offering.”
Ovation of the Seas will be officially launched in April 2016, when she departs Southampton for Tianjin, China on a 53-day Global Odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin in June 2016. Ovation of the Seas, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.
Multimillion-dollar makeover for Voyager of the Seas
After undergoing an extensive makeover, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas has returned to Sydney.
For the first time since its $80 million (£51 million) renovation, the vessel embarked on a 14-day journey from Singapore and arrived in Australia on Monday morning.
Deemed the country’s biggest passenger ship, the Voyager weighs in at around 138,000 tonnes and is over 300 m in length, with 15 levels.
With the capacity to accommodate up to 4,000 passengers, the Voyager of the Seas more than matches the Sydney Opera House in bulk.
Captain Charles Teige, Voyager of the Seas’ Norwegian skipper, first started working in the cruise industry more than 20 years ago, where the main attractions for passengers simply involved a Broadway-style show, sunbathing on the deck and dining.
Now, Royal Caribbean has pulled out all the stops to produce a luxurious, entertainment-filled sailing experience to be enjoyed by all.
Although the Voyager travels to many exciting destinations around the world, Captain Teige explains that it is in fact the ship itself that passengers look forward to experiencing most.
He said: “Now the ship has become the destination. In Brisbane [which Voyager of the Seas visited during its journey to Sydney] we had 1,100 people who decided not to go ashore.”
One of the vessel’s attractions is the FlowRider a modern surf machine, which comes as part of Royal Caribbean’s plan to appeal to younger passengers and extended family groups. but the ship also includes a 3D cinema, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, mini shopping centre and a full-size basketball court.
And Captain Teige ensured a piece of his heritage was incorporated into the design, with a collage of landscapes that capture Norway’s natural beauty hung just outside the bridge room.
Last month, the cruise line also launched its first Quantum class ship, Quantum of the Seas. The New York-based vessel is the third largest ship ever built and boasts a range of innovative features, such as simulated sky diving and robotic bartenders.
Starting next year, the 19-year-old Century will sail for a new venture owned by Ctrip, a Shanghai-based online travel agency (OTA) that also supplies travel products and services.
In a statement, Ctrip said an affiliate will own the Century and that the affiliate will form a joint venture with RCCL to manage the ship’s operations. The companies have a memorandum of understanding to set up the venture “and potentially broaden the relationship,” the statement said.
While RCCL will recognize a $20 million loss on the ship’s disposal, company Chairman Richard Fain nevertheless called the sale “an excellent business opportunity for both Royal Caribbean and Ctrip” that will generate “strong value for both companies’ shareholders.”
RCCL had previously decided to get rid of the Century, the last remaining ship in Celebrity’s Century class. At one point, it appeared bound for a French cruise line owned by RCCL that operates two other former Celebrity ships.
RCCL already is marketing several ships to Chinese passengers, including the Mariner and Voyager of the Seas. It is raising the ante in the Chinese market next year by deploying its newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, for year-round sailings from Shanghai.
Having the Century in China at the same time will offer a lower price point on a smaller ship for the new joint venture, which will take delivery of the ship in April after it completes its scheduled cruises for Celebrity.
Matt Jacob, an analyst with ITG Research in New York, said the sale of the ship into a less-developed market makes sense at this point in its life.
“Royal Caribbean is looking at this deal as allocating its ships in the best possible manner,” Jacobs said. “They believe the Chinese market represents a great opportunity, and this is another way to get exposure to that market.”
As Europe has evolved over the past decade, older tonnage sent there is competing against new ships. But that’s not the case in China.
“There’s an opportunity to take a ship that might not be viewed as competitive in the more saturated markets and position it for the Chinese market where the requirements and desires of that clientele at this stage are not as developed or as stringent,” Jacob said.
RCCL did not disclose the sale price, but one analyst estimated it at $157 million.
If the price was at or above the market for such ships, disposal at a loss could still be a win, Jacob said. “Although they’re taking an accounting loss, this I imagine is the highest-yielding use they have for that ship at this time.”
Ctrip offers RCCL established connections to Chinese consumers. Founded in 1999, it provides hotel reservations, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China.
In 2012, Priceline invested $500 million in Ctrip, calling it the “clear leader in online travel in China.” The OTA offers an English-language version of its website to promote U.S. travel to China and is already active in selling cruises to Chinese passengers.
In announcing the acquisition of the Century, Min Fan, vice chairman and president of Ctrip, said, “As the largest cruise agency in China, Ctrip has sent over 120,000 guests to cruise trips so far and acquired more than 10% of market share in China.”
Addressing this deal specifically, he added, “Ctrip will capitalize on our strong brand, large customer base and superior service quality, as well as our partner’s extensive cruise operating experience to generate great value to our customers and shareholders.”
The Ctrip deal resembles one RCCL formed with German travel conglomerate TUI AG in 2009. The two companies formed TUI Cruises after TUI acquired the Celebrity Galaxy, another Century-class ship, to cater to the growing German market under the name Mein Schiff (My Ship).
TUI Cruises later acquired the Celebrity Mercury and this year took delivery of its first newbuild, the 100,000-gross-ton Mein Schiff 3.
RCCL’s deal with Ctrip is in the early stages and hasn’t gone beyond an agreement to jointly manage the Century. An RCCL spokeswoman said the companies are still in discussion about what else their cooperative venture might entail.
Peter Whelpton, a consultant in Gainesville, Fla., and a former RCCL executive, said that in his experience, Chinese companies prefer becoming partners with U.S. businesses rather than selling them services.
Whelpton said he was part of a group that raised money in China to start a cruise line there. “Everything we attempted to do in China, we were told, ‘We’ll be your partner,’” he recalled.
Whelpton added that RCCL is pursuing a familiar model by selling the aging Century to a foreign buyer. “They started the same way with Pullmantur,” he said.
The Century will continue its scheduled sailings through the March 22 itinerary. A final 15-night trip from Dubai to Rome is being changed to a 14-night sailing ending in Singapore. From there, the ship will be renovated and altered for the Chinese market before redeployment later in the year.
If there's one feature of Royal Caribbean's next-generation cruise ship that is just starting construction, Quantum of the Seas, that is capturing people's imagination the most, it's likely the virtual balconies. These 80-inch LED screens attached to a wall are promising to deliver an innovative take on the inside cabin.
Understandably, there's a lot of intrigue regarding this new kind of cabin and people want to know what it is exactly and what to expect. We don't know everything quite yet, but here's a listing of all the information on virtual balconies that we do know in one place.
What is a virtual balcony?
The virtual balconies will be 80-inch LED projection screen that stretches from floor to ceiling. They will offer digital real-time views of the ocean and destinations visible from the ship’s exterior.
It will be displayed in high-resolution color on a giant 80-inch LED screen on the wall of an otherwise windowless stateroom. It will work at sea and in port.
Will virtual balconies cost extra?
When they were announced, Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein said there will not be a specific surcharge for interior cabins with virtual balconies, but added that he hopes they will bring higher yields.
How many inside cabins on Quantum of the Seas will have virtual balconies?
There will be 373 inside cabins on Quantum of the Seas that will offer the virtual balcony feature.
Will any ships other than Quantum of the Seas have virtual balconies?
It's a safe bet sister ship Anthem of the Seas will have virtual balconies along with the unnamed third Quantum-class cruise ship Royal Caribbean has on order.
In addition to those ships, Navigator of the Seas will receive virtual balconies as part of a previously planned refurbishment. Navigator of the Seas will go for its refurbishment in December 2013. It is scheduled to sail from Galveston when the upgrades are complete. Royal Caribbean will use Navigator of the Seas as the "testing ground" for this brand new innovation.
In addition to Navigator of the Seas, virtual balconies will be included as part of scheduled refurbishments for Voyager, Adventure and Explorer of the Seas. Those ships are set to undergo the revitalization process in 2014-15.
Will the virtual balcony projection be on all the time?
No, you may turn the virtual balcony feature on or off at your convenience.
Where did Royal Caribbean come up with the idea for the virtual balconies?
According to Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain, they got the idea from Disney Cruise Line's virtual portholes that debuted on their ships a few years ago.
"We actually had looked at the idea, and we didn't think that the technology and the receptivity from the public was there," he says. Disney "proved that the public does value something like this."
Voyager of the Seas to spend next summer in Hong Kong
By Tom Stieghorst
Royal Caribbean International will homeport Voyager of the Seas in Hong Kong for the summer of 2015.
The 3,138-passenger ship will sail 22 cruises of three to 10 days between the end of June and October.
Destinations include Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and ports in China.
“Hong Kong has immense potential as a homeport for Chinese vacationers to board a Royal Caribbean cruise,” said Zinan Liu, RCCL's regional vice president of Asia and managing director of China.
He added that Voyager will get an extensive revitalization before it arrives in Hong Kong next summer.
To support the ship’s operations, RCCL has opened a fully staffed Hong Kong office, augmenting the Asia offices it now maintains in Beijing and Shanghai.
Voyager’s move to Hong Kong will coincide with the arrival of Quantum of the Seas to do year-round cruises from Shanghai.
Royal Caribbean is a partner in the company that operates the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong, which opened last year.
China and the cruise industry's ongoing globalization
By Tom Stieghorst
The news that Royal Caribbean International is putting its new ship in China made a big splash. But sometimes it takes a surprising development to show an underlying trend that has been slowly taking shape for years.
The North American share of the world cruise passenger base has been declining, even though in absolute terms it is growing and it still remains far larger than any other source market.
Cruise lines are hungry for new growth, and China is the current gravy train that everyone is hoping to ride. But it isn’t only China. While the Quantum of the Seas is headed for Shanghai, Royal’s Voyager and Rhapsody of the Seas are spending a good part of the year taking Australians on vacations from Sydney.
And Royal is hardly alone. Carnival Cruise Lines is sending its Legend of the Seas to Australia later this year too.
Some higher-end cruise lines, such as Azamara Club Cruises, draw more than 50% of their passengers from outside North America.
The international sourcing of passengers is drawing industry attention and resources away from its historical roots in the U.S. and Canada. Cruise officials take pains to assert that North America remains a vital interest for the cruise industry and takes a back seat to no region.
It is obviously true, and yet there is a shift going on that can’t be ignored. It has implications for passengers, for travel agents, suppliers and employees of the cruise lines.
Driving the decision to diversify internationally is the public ownership of the big North American lines. The loyalties of the management of those companies isn’t to country, region or tradition as much as it is to the shareholders that they work for. As Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. President Adam Goldstein told me, it is the shareholder’s interest in long-term profit growth that was the primary factor in deploying the Quantum full time to China.
Ironically, as Royal and other U.S.-based cruise lines are looking abroad, privately owned MSC Cruises is knocking on the door, trying to gain more purchase in North America.
MSC is the line adding to its sales force, making its pitch to travel agents here to funnel clients to its small but growing North American capacity. So even as the U.S. loses a new ship (after a short season in New York) it may soon gain a new ship from a Swiss company with an Italian product.
Call it two faces of the same coin, both manifesting the further globalization of the cruise industry.
Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas bound for Asia, Australia
By Rebecca Tobin
Royal Caribbean International's Legend of the Seas will cruise to Asia and Australia during the 2015-2016 season, a move that gives the line a year-round presence in Singapore.
The Legend will operate cruises to Southeast Asia from Singapore during summer 2015. It will shift to a new homeport for the line, Brisbane, Australia, in November 2015 for cruises to Australia and the South Pacific.
The Mariner of the Seas, which also will operate seasonally from Singapore, rounds out Royal Caribbean's year-round offerings in that port.
Royal Caribbean has been steadily increasing its offerings in Asia and Australia. Last month it announced it was commiting its newest ship, the 4,200-passenger Quantum of the Seas, year-round in Shanghai; it joins the Mariner and the Voyager of the Seas in that market.
It also will operate the Explorer of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas in Australia in addition to the Legend, which it said was a "record" deployment there.
The Legend will depart for Asia after an April Panama Canal cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego, and it will offer three sailings across the Pacific: a 10-day cruise from Ensenada, Mexico, to Honolulu; a 17-day cruise to Sydney via French Polynesia, Fiji and New Caledonia; and a cruise from Sydney to Singapore.
Quantum’s China deployment reflects a new economic reality
By Tom Stieghorst
The decision to make Shanghai the home for Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas has immediate implications for U.S. travel agents who had been looking forward to selling the ship’s originally scheduled cruises from South Florida and New Jersey.
The Shanghai deployment is the clearest sign yet that the U.S. and Europe will have to compete for the future attention of a cruise industry they’ve grown accustomed to thinking of as their own.
“We were in a two-theaters-of-operation mode for the last 20 years,” said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Now, its North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.”
In addition to China, Australia is getting strong support from North American cruise companies.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president for operations, said the plan had always been an Asia deployment for one of its upcoming ships.
“We have clearly accelerated that with the decision to send Quantum to Asia,” she said.
In its announcement, Royal Caribbean said Quantum would sail year-round from Shanghai on three- to eight-day cruises to Korea and Japan.
Details about the itineraries will be available in a month or two, said Christopher Allen, Royal Caribbean’s assistant vice president of global deployment and itinerary planning.
Goldstein said the Chinese market has evolved from being in research-and-development mode to one that is contributing to the company’s profitability.
He said that even without the ability to sail to Japan from China, due to political tensions between the two countries, 2013 was a profitable year for China-sourced business.
Royal Caribbean has been sailing the Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas from China. Although the addition of the 4,200-passenger Quantum will increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in the market by 66%, Goldstein said he’s confident it will sell.
“This year, there’s more of a desire by [Chinese] travel agents and tour operators to go to Japan,” he said.
China has grown at a blistering pace, as has its outbound tourism, Goldstein said. “The Chinese have a very strong belief that they have emerged as an economic powerhouse,” he said, adding that the feeling they should be at the forefront of every industry comes along with that.
Goldstein said that the tourist experience in Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Shanghai is world-class, so the positioning of a top-of-the-line ship there is seen as only natural.
Although he has said several times that Caribbean countries need to take heed of the global competition for ship calls, Goldstein said the Quantum announcement was less a reflection on the Caribbean market than a sign of the new world economic order. That order might not be good news for U.S. travel agents, who typically profited from the power of a line’s newest ship to fill fast and command premium prices.
U.S. agents, particularly those in South Florida, benefited from that effect when Royal Caribbean introduced its last new Oasis-class vessels, the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, based in Fort Lauderdale.
The move of the Quantum to Asia means a new lineup of Royal Caribbean ships in important East Coast ports.
After the Quantum leaves New Jersey in May 2015, it will be succeeded by the Liberty of the Seas until November.
The Anthem of the Seas, which will debut in the summer of 2015 doing European cruises from Southampton, England, will then take up the New Jersey routes to Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales, trade support and service, said she had already heard from some agents in the Northeast U.S. who want to have clients sail on all three New Jersey-based ships in one year.
“They feel like they’re getting the trifecta,” Freed said.
But Fort Lauderdale, which had announced itself as the winter home of the Anthem, will have to make do with the Navigator of the Seas, along with its monopoly on the Oasis-class ships.
Royal Caribbean officials took pains to say that New York, South Florida and China are all important markets. As Royal Caribbean becomes more global in its deployment, the key will be to strike the proper balance, said Lutoff-Perlo.
“North America is always at the forefront of everything we think about because it is such an important market for us now. Always has been and always will be,” Lutoff-Perlo said.
One area that has lagged in Royal Caribbean’s deployment is the U.S. West Coast, particularly Los Angeles. Freed said that the line hoped to be back one day, but noted that itinerary options were somewhat limited.
Allen added: “I think that that’s a market we will continue to review and continue to look at the opportunities, and when the time is right we’ll be excited to come back to the West Coast.”
The decision to move the Quantum to China shed new light on the announcement of “Dynamic Dining,” which eliminates the main dining room on the Quantum for five smaller, alternate dining venues, a style more in tune with Asian preferences.
Lutoff-Perlo said that during a 50-day repositioning cruise from New Jersey to Shanghai in 2015, workers would modify the retail, gaming and galley areas of the ship to adjust for Chinese tastes.
She said that a press conference in Shanghai to announce the Quantum’s commitment to China was heavily attended and lasted a long time.
“The world is changing. How our ships are sourced is changing,” Lutoff-Perlo said. “The fact that these ships are popular all over the world is much different now than it has been in the past.”
Quantum of the Seas headed to China after inaugural season
By Tom Stieghorst
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will take the unprecedented step of putting its newest ship in China, following a 2015 winter season of cruising from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J.
Starting in May 2015, Quantum of the Seas will be repositioned to Shanghai, where it will offer a series of three- to eight-day cruises to Korea and Japan.
“Every trend we are seeing in China tells us we can achieve real long-term competitive advantage and appealing returns on our investments in this fast-growing market by accelerating our presence there,” said RCCL President Adam Goldstein. “We will have to be nimble, but the ability to move fast is one of our strengths.”
Quantum will join Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas, increasing capacity in the region by 66%.
To fill the void left by Quantum’s departure from New Jersey, Royal Caribbean will move Liberty of the Seas to Cape Liberty for the 2015 summer schedule of sailings to Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada/New England.
Quantum’s sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, will reposition to New Jersey after an inaugural summer season sailing from Southampton, England. It will begin cruises from Cape Liberty in November 2015.
Goldstein said that consumers in China have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard.
“We are ready to accelerate the growth of this vital market with a ship that will capture the imagination of travelers looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience,” he said.
Royal Caribbean International said it will station three ships in Australia/New Zealand for the winter of 2015-16, adding Explorer of the Seas to a lineup that already includes the Radiance and Voyager.
From November 2015 through April 2016, Explorer will primarily sail from Sydney on 11- and 14-day New Zealand cruises, with up to seven ports of call in the South Pacific country.
During its inaugural Australia season, Explorer also will offer three- and four-day cruises in November 2015 and in February and March 2016.
Voyager of the Seas will sail eight- to 12-day South Pacific and Fiji cruises, all roundtrip from Sydney, while Radiance of the Seas will sail a variety of South Pacific itineraries.
Explorer is cruising in the Bahamas and southern and western Caribbean this winter.
Each of Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class ships will gain about 75 additional cabins during revitalizations scheduled to begin in the next few months.
Royal Caribbean International CEO Adam Goldstein disclosed the capacity increase in a call with Wall Street analysts to discuss third-quarter earnings.
The Voyager class started in 1999 with the introduction of Voyager of the Seas. Each of the five Voyager-class ships currently have capacity for 3,114 passengers at double occupancy.
Goldstein said that when Voyager was introduced, it was never expected to sail outside the Caribbean, but the ships have led expansions into Europe and Asia. He said the five ships account for about 25% of the cruise line's total capacity.
During Royal Caribbean's third quarter financial results conference call, Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein mentioned that as part of the fleet-wide revitalization program, all Voyager class ships will receive 75 new staterooms.
Voyager class ships are the next batch of Royal Caribbean's ships to get the upgrades that will roll out many new amenities and upgrades, first seen on the Oasis class. These new staterooms, however, are a departure from other ship upgrades and unique to the
Voyager class.
The order of upgrades is currently scheduled as follows
Navigator of the Seas: February 2014
Adventure of the Seas: April 2014
Voyager of the Seas: May 2014
Explorer of the Seas: February 2015
Mariner of the Seas received her upgrade back on May 2, 2012 and did not receive a stateroom upgrade at that time.
