Royal Caribbean International ( RCI ), formerly Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ( RCCL ), is a cruise line founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997.
58-710: Royal Caribbean Group (1997–2019) Marella Explorer 2 , formerly Celebrity Century and SkySea Golden Era , was the lead ship of the Century class of cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises , and the co-flagship of the Celebrity fleet, along with Millennium -class ship Celebrity Constellation , and the newest Solstice class, Celebrity Reflection . Other ships belonging to the Century class include Marella Explorer (formerly Celebrity Galaxy ) and Mein Schiff 2 (2011) (formerly Celebrity Mercury ). In March 2018, it
116-517: A basketball court , at least three pools, a mini-golf course, a rock wall, an ice skating rink and, originally, an inline skating 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
174-561: A gross tonnage of approximately 70,000. Grandeur and Enchantment were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards , Helsinki , Finland and had an original tonnage of approximately 73,000 GT . The final pair, Rhapsody and Vision were also built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and have a tonnage of 78,000 GT . In 2005, a 74-foot (23 m) midsection was added to Enchantment of the Seas , bringing its tonnage to over 80,000 GT . All ships of this class feature over 2 acres (8,100 m ) of glass. Royal Caribbean sold both Splendour of
232-483: 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 and Symphony of the Seas were built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire , France . They were
290-428: 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 or ice skating rink, and
348-570: A 400-foot (120 m) 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 , the H2O Zone kids water play area, a boxing ring , and hot tubs cantilevered over the side of the ship. At 154,407 gross tons, the Freedom -class ships were
406-482: A coastal property in Labadie , Haiti, to be used as a private destination for its guests, renamed as Labadee . 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 . Two years later in 1990, Nordic Empress and Viking Serenade entered service and Royal Caribbean purchased
464-541: A cruise ship in two decades, barely exceeding a 2006 outbreak aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines ' Carnival Liberty 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. In
522-646: A former Crystal Cruise ship, for $ 275 million. The ship was renamed Silver Endeavour when it officially joins the Royal Caribbean's subsidiary, Silversea Cruises ' fleet. On February 1, 2024, Royal Caribbean Group broke ground on a new headquarters building between its two existing headquarters buildings at PortMiami . The company's new 10-story headquarters building will have about 380,000 square feet of interior space and includes on-site amenities such as "green spaces, gyms, and dry cleaning". The company will also update its existing headquarters buildings and add
580-499: 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 , which were being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard. 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
638-713: A joint investment of $ 350 million in the shipyard in 2021, partly in response to damage suffered to the facility after an incident involving the collapse of two cranes during maintenance on Oasis of the Seas and damages caused by Hurricane Dorian , both occurring in 2019. Royal Caribbean Group and iCON Infrastructure entered a partnership in 2022 to own, manage, and develop strategic cruise port infrastructure in home ports and key ports of call. The partnership includes Royal Caribbean International -operated Terminal A in PortMiami , as well as several development projects in Spain, Italy, and
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#1732898184203696-908: A joint venture with ITM Group the formation of Holistica, a company that intends to develop cruise destinations. The only known destination that the company is to develop is the Grand Lucayan Resort, located in Freeport after the hotel campus was sold to newly formed subsidiary by the Bahamian Government. On July 10, 2020, Royal Caribbean Cruises purchased the remaining shares of Silversea Cruises. That same month, it also changed its name to Royal Caribbean Group. It also adjusted its logo. Royal Caribbean sold Azamara Cruises to Sycamore Partners in March 2021 for $ 201 million. In July 2022, Royal Caribbean Group received court approval to purchase Endeavor,
754-508: A major refurbishment, in Cadiz, Spain, in order to become Marella Explorer 2 . Its first sailing for Marella Cruises was in April 2019. Century was launched in 1995 and went into a five-week drydock in April 2006 for refurbishment. Designed to incorporate a variety of Celebrity's Millennium -class attributes, the revitalization of Century was the line's most extensive refurbishment to-date, and
812-521: A multi-story parking garage. Royal Caribbean International ( RCI ), formerly Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ( RCCL ), is a cruise line founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida , it is the largest cruise line by revenue and second largest by passengers counts . In 2018, Royal Caribbean International controlled 19.2% of
870-531: A plea deal with authorities. However, the civil lawsuit was still approved by a judge. During the COVID-19 pandemic , 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 strikes , as
928-523: 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 , Papenburg , Germany . Unlike the preceding Voyager class, these ships are built to the Panamax form factor, allowing them to pass through the Panama Canal . The Freedom -class ships are lengthened versions of the second-generation Voyager -class ship, and contain
986-799: A resort on the northern coast of Haiti, and CocoCay , a private island in the Berry Islands 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 Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and on Lelpea Island, Vanuatu in the South Pacific . Royal Caribbean operates internationally and has many ports of call . Travel awards include As of 2008, Royal Caribbean had 22% of
1044-528: A result. As part of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), Royal Caribbean paused its global sailing operations 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 after eight crew members tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 – COVID-19 . Six of the crew members were without showing signs of symptoms while
1102-611: A second private destination, Little Stirrup Cay , an island in the Bahamas, which they branded as CocoCay . The second and third Sovereign -class cruise ships Monarch of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas were delivered in 1991 and 1992 respectively. Royal Caribbean went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993. In 1997, it merged with the Greek cruise line Celebrity Cruises and changed its name from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to Royal Caribbean International. At
1160-421: A third ship in the "Icon" class. Icon class ships are the largest cruise ships ever constructed. The ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) , with a gross tonnage of about 250,800 GT. Ships will contain other alternative energy features, like the use of fuel cells to produce electricity and fresh water. Icon of the Seas was delivered on 27 November 2023, and the second ship, Star of
1218-626: Is a luxury cruise line headquartered in Monaco . Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud . Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group. Holistica Destinations was formed in early 2019 as a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Group and the ITM Group with the intention of purchasing
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#17328981842031276-631: 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. As of August 2024, the line operates 28 ships; four additional ships are on order and two ships are planned but do not have a launch date. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded in 1968 by three Norwegian shipping companies: Anders Wilhelmsen & Company , I.M. Skaugen & Company , and Gotaas Larsen . The newly created line put its first ship, Song of Norway , into service two years later. A year later,
1334-462: Is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc . As of March 2024, Royal Caribbean Group fully owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International , Celebrity Cruises , and Silversea Cruises with 65 ships in the current fleet and 5 ships on order until 2028. They also hold a 50% stake in TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises . Royal Caribbean Group
1392-468: 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. In March 2014, Royal Caribbean announced that they had ordered
1450-409: The "North Star" observation capsule mounted on the end of a 41-meter-long (135 ft) crane arm, "RipCord by iFLY" a skydiving simulator , 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 , bumper cars , and
1508-746: The Caribbean. These are Costa Maya in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Grand Bahama Shipyard is a ship maintenance facility located in Freeport, the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean Group holds a 40% stake. Other investors include Carnival Corporation (40% stake) and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (20% stake). Royal Caribbean Group and Carnival Corporation announced
1566-638: The Grand Lucayan Resort and re-developing the neighbouring Freeport Harbour in The Bahamas as a cruise destinations that would benefit the local Freeport economy. However, the Government of the Bahamas withdrew support for the re-development of the Grand Lucayan Resort citing that it was 'not in the best interests of the Bahamian people'. Holistica continues to plan for a Freeport Harbour re-development. Holistica also operates three other popular cruise destinations in
1624-510: The Royal Esplanade mall down the center of the ship is not featured in the traditional form of Royal Promenades. Five ships, Quantum of the Seas , Anthem of the Seas , Ovation of the Seas , Spectrum of the Seas , and Odyssey of the Seas were built as of 2021. On 10 October 2016, Royal Caribbean and Meyer Turku announced an order to build two ships under the project name "Icon". On 2 July 2019, Royal Caribbean announced an order for
1682-584: The Seas to TUI Cruises 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
1740-529: The Seas , is expected to be delivered in 2025. The third ship, still unnamed, is planned to be delivered in 2026, one year after Star of the Seas . In August 2024 an order for a fourth ship to be delivered in 2027 was announced and planned two additional ships. A new class of smaller ships, to be named Discovery class, is planned, but not ordered yet. 2016–2020 Royal Caribbean operates two privately owned resorts that are used as stops on some Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. They are Labadee ,
1798-625: The Seas and Legend of the Seas to Marella Cruises . 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 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. The Voyager -class ships were
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1856-751: The U.S. Virgin Islands. Royal Caribbean Group holds a 10% stake. Wamos Air (formerly Pullmantur Air) is a wet-leasing and charter airline headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Royal Caribbean Group holds a 19% stake. In December 2022, Royal Caribbean announced a strategic partnership with Meyer Turku and the government of Finland to chart the way forward for innovative and sustainable shipbuilding in Finland. 25°46′31″N 80°10′41″W / 25.7753°N 80.1780°W / 25.7753; -80.1780 Royal Caribbean International Based in Miami, Florida , it
1914-479: The aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake , 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
1972-407: The company's investor relations website announced the settlement of the case, later revealed to be more than $ 1 million. In 1998 and 1999, the company was fined US$ 9 million because one of its ships, Sovereign of the Seas , had repeatedly dumped oily waste into the ocean and tried to hide this using false records, including fake piping diagrams given to the U.S. Coast Guard . Because the company
2030-507: The first to come with the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. Royal Caribbean International, in conjunction with USA Today , sponsored a contest to name the first two vessels. In February 2019, Royal Caribbean announced the order of a 6th Oasis class vessel, later named Utopia of the Seas , from Chantiers de l'Atlantique for delivery in 2024 with a double occupancy of 5,714 and gross tonnage of 231,000. The Quantum -class of ships debuted as
2088-711: The formation of CDF Croisières de France in May 2008 to serve the French-language market. Royal Caribbean also has an interest in TUI Cruises , a joint venture with TUI AG , which began operations in 2009 aimed at a German-speaking market. TUI Cruises's subsidiary, TUI Travel , had a 50% interest in Island Cruises following their merger with First Choice Holidays in 2007. In October 2008, Royal Caribbean Cruises rationalized their holdings by selling their share of Island Cruises to TUI. In early 2019, Royal Caribbean announced in
2146-505: The heels of the Federal Communications Commission authorizing SpaceX to provide its services to boats, planes, and trucks. Since Sovereign of the Seas entered service in 1987, all subsequent Royal Caribbean ships have names ending with the phrase "of the Seas". The Vision class consists of three pairs of sister ships. Legend and Splendour , built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique , Saint-Nazaire , France have
2204-527: The largest class of cruise ships in the world when constructed, were the first ships to have an ice rink at sea and the first to have Royal Caribbean's "Royal Promenade" 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 ' (now Meyer Turku ) facility in Turku , Finland. They have a gross tonnage of around 137,000 tonnes. Activity options onboard all five ships include
2262-434: The largest cruise ship modification completed by Fincantieri 's Palermo , Italy, shipyard. In late December 2013, it was rumored that the ship would transfer to CDF Croisières de France in 2015. Celebrity Cruises continued to deny the rumors until 13 February 2014 when they formally announced her departure from the fleet in April 2015, from March 2014 through April 2015, Celebrity Century visited 77 ports in 32 countries,
2320-507: The largest ships in the world from 2006, until the debut of the Oasis class in 2009. The Oasis -class ships are some of the largest passenger ships ever built, having surpassed the Freedom -class ships, and are surpassed only by the Icon-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
2378-539: 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 85-foot (26 m) 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. In 1982, Royal Caribbean launched Song of America . In 1986, Royal Caribbean leased
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2436-434: 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. In January 2014, an outbreak of norovirus 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
2494-563: The most destinations of any ship in the Celebrity fleet. The line celebrated this final season with several special events, including a 14-night President's Cruise to Asia with Celebrity President and CEO Michael Bayley . On 2 September 2014, it was announced that SkySea Cruises, a joint venture between Ctrip and Royal Caribbean, would acquire the vessel and begin operations after April 2015. On 25 March 2020, four crew members tested positive of COVID-19 and were stranded in Barbados . On 30 March,
2552-538: 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. In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , Royal Caribbean suspended sailings across its fleet. It also sold Empress of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas , with the former going to Cordelia Cruises. As of 12 January 2021 , its first and only ship to resume sailing
2610-530: The same time, Royal Caribbean Group was formed as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to serve as a holding company that owned both Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International. In 2000, Royal Caribbean operated a series of land-and-sea-based "cruise tours" in Alaska , 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. An even larger class,
2668-520: 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 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 . Other distinctive features of the Quantum -class include
2726-632: The ship was sailing along the Yucatan coast with plans to dock in Progreso, Yucatan . On 3 April, a male British passenger died from the disease while his wife had also been infected. On 19 April, out of 19 Jamaican crew members on the ship, two of them tested positive. 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 . It
2784-534: The ship) were on the island when it erupted. As of December 10, 2019 , 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. On 7 July 2019, 18-month-old Chloe Rae Margaret Wiegand
2842-412: The superstructure of the ship and a larger Windjammer buffet area. All Radiance -class ships have a gross tonnage of 90,090 and environmentally friendlier gas turbine engines. The Radiance -class ships have over 3 acres (12,000 m ) of glass, glass exterior viewing elevators, over 700 balcony staterooms, two-level glass windowed dining rooms, alternative restaurants, a retractable glass roof over
2900-463: The third Quantum -class ship would be named Ovation of the Seas , and in February 2015 they announced that the third Oasis -class ship would be named Harmony of the Seas . In March 2015, Royal Caribbean announced that they had agreed to sell Splendour of the Seas to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016. In June 2016, Royal Caribbean announced that they had agreed to sell Legend of
2958-570: The worldwide cruise market by passengers and 14.0% by revenue. As of August 2024, the line operates 28 ships; four additional ships are on order and two ships are planned but do not have a launch date. Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami , Florida , and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group . Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group , and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1997. Silversea Cruises
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#17328981842033016-746: 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 began. 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
3074-492: Was and is incorporated in Liberia , Royal Caribbean argued that this case was not in the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Despite their argument, they were unsuccessful. On 9 December 2019, a volcanic eruption occurred killing 21 people from Ovation of the Seas . It occurred on New Zealand's Whakaari / White Island while Ovation was docked in the nearby Port of Tauranga . Despite an increase in seismic activity in preceding weeks, 47 people (including 38 passengers and crew from
3132-525: Was announced that Royal Caribbean Cruises and Ctrip were to close the SkySea Cruise Line brand and that the line's sole ship SkySea Golden Era would join the Marella fleet in place of Mein Schiff 2 which would stay with TUI Cruises. Skysea Golden Era would take her final voyage on 29 August 2018. It was a 4-night sailing from Shanghai with a call at Fukuoka, Japan . SkySea Golden Era underwent
3190-416: Was criticized nonetheless and created concern among passengers. On 5 July 2005, passengers on board Brilliance of the Seas 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
3248-581: Was dropped to her death from an open window by her grandfather Salvatore Anello on Freedom of the Seas while docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico . 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 this incident. As of 25 February 2020, Anello took
3306-484: Was formed as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in 1997 when Royal Caribbean Cruise Line purchased Celebrity Cruises . The decision was made to keep the two cruise line brands separate following the merger; as a result Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was re-branded Royal Caribbean International and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was established as the new parent company of both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. A third brand under Royal Caribbean Cruises ownership
3364-486: Was formed in 2000 when Island Cruises was created as a joint venture with First Choice Holidays . Island Cruises became an informal cruise line on the British and Brazilian markets. In November 2006, Royal Caribbean Cruises purchased Pullmantur Cruises based in Madrid, Spain. From there, the company expanded rapidly with the creation of Azamara Cruises in May 2007 as a subsidiary of Celebrity Cruises . It followed this with
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