While not gourmet, Royal Caribbean's food is usually good enough to please most of their passengers. Royal Caribbean ships offer the choice of traditional two-seating dining schedule or flexible dining for dinner, with open seating in the dining room for breakfast and lunch. Passenger who opt for "My Time Dining" have to pre-pay gratuities. Passengers can now pre-book tables in the main dining room online before they cruise.
The Windjammer Cafe aboard all the line's ships offers the popular breakfast and lunch buffets, and a casual alternative for dinner. On some ships, Jade, a special section of the Windjammer, offers Asian-themed dishes during the day and fresh sushi at night.
Most Royal Caribbean ships (exceptions are all the Vision-class ships but Enchantment of the Seas) have at least one alternative restaurant, the Italian-themed Portofino; many also have the Chops Grille steakhouse. In all cases, the cover charge is $20 - $25 and the food and service is a notch above those in the line's standard dining areas. Reservations are required.
The Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, as well as Majesty of the Seas, also have a seagoing branch of the Johnny Rockets fast-food franchise, with a $4.95 cover charge (and some menu items are priced on an a la carte basis). The Cafe Promenade on the Voyager- and Freedom-class ships offers Continental breakfast and around the clock sandwiches and other snacks; the Seaview Cafe aboard Radiance-class ships offers fast-food items like fish and chips at lunchtime and late at night. Sorrento Pizza and Compass Deli are new entries into the RCI brand name game. Compass Deli sandwiches/wraps carry a $3.50 price tag. Sorrento pizza is consistent -- never meant as a gourmet meal, it is fast and fairly good.
Daytime activities aboard Royal Caribbean ships tend toward the active. Every Royal Caribbean ship has a rock-climbing wall; the Freedom-, Voyager- and Radiance-class ships and Legend and Splendour of the Seas have mini-golf courses. All ships have vast main pool areas; the luxurious adults-only Solarium is featured on all Freedom-, Voyager-, Radiance- and Vision-class ships. All ships have a wide variety of spa and fitness facilities. You'll find ice skating on the Freedom- and Voyager-class ships.
Evening entertainment on Royal Caribbean comes in two types: splashy Vegas-style production shows that are among the most impressive at sea, and passenger-participation favorites like the "Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed Game." There's also a wide range of musical entertainment in a variety of public rooms; the new Latin-themed Boleros on many of the newer (and more recently refurbished) ships is especially popular. If you're sailing on a Freedom- or Voyager-class ship, don't miss the ice show: it's one of the most spectacular and unique performances you'll ever see on a cruise ship. These ships even have parades and "street performers" in the Royal Promenade -- another unique entertainment feature not found on any other ships.
Accommodations range from standard inside and oceanview cabins, to standard balcony cabins (on most ships), with a wide range of suites, from mini-suites to huge Royal Suites with bars and grand pianos. On most ships, suite passengers gain access to a private concierge lounge (concierge privileges are also accorded to the line's most frequent passengers, Crown & Anchor Diamond Members). Freedom- and Voyager-class ships also have unique "promenade view" cabins overlooking the Royal Promenade; their inhabitants have a birds-eye view of the "city life" along this virtual indoor street, and of course the parades that occur several evenings per cruise. These unique cabins cost more than insides, but less than oceanview cabins, and along with the suites are often the first cabins to be booked up on each cruise.
Nobody should have trouble "connecting" on a Royal Caribbean cruise. All RCI ships feature Wi-Fi hot spots (cabins included), and the Freedom-class vessels have Wi-Fi throughout the ship. This CyberCabin service costs $70 for a four- to five-night cruise, $100 for a one-week cruise, and $130 for nine- to 10-night sailings. In addition, for 55 cents a minute, passengers can connect at Internet Cafes equipped with one to two dozen terminals, and at the more private business centers on the Freedom-, Voyager- and Radiance-class ships.
Fellow Passengers
Ships cruising to, from or within Australia in 2012-13
(Source Wikipedia) Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 22 ships in service under, it controls a 17% share of the world cruise market.[2] All ships under the Royal Caribbean International brand have names ending in "of the Seas" since 1991. Sister brands are Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Pullmantur and CDF Croisières de France.
Royal Caribbean International was founded as Royal Caribbean Cruise Linein 1968 by Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, I.M. Skaugen & Company, andGotaas Larsen, Norwegian shipping companies. The newly created line put its first ship, the Song of Norway, into service two years later. The next year, the line's capacity was doubled with the addition of the Nordic Prince to the fleet. Continuing to expand, the line added the Sun Viking in 1972. After four years of successful operation, Royal Caribbean's Song of Norway became their 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 procedure, Nordic Prince was stretched in 1980. Royal Caribbean finally received widespread global recognition when in 1982 it launched the Song of America, over twice the size of Sun Viking and at the time the third largest passenger vessel afloat (after the Norway and the Queen Elizabeth 2)
Royal Caribbean innovated once again with its 1986 lease of a coastal property in Haiti for use as a private destination for its guests.[3] This destination is now called Labadee. After a corporate restructuring in 1988, the line launchedSovereign of the Seas, the largest passenger vessel afloat at the time. Two years later, Nordic Empress and Viking Serenade entered service for the line, continuing a rapid growth trend within the company. In the same year Royal Caribbean purchased its second private destination, Little Stirrup Cay, an island in the Bahamas, which they rechristened "Coco Cay."
Monarch of the Seas, the second ship of the Sovereign class, entered service the next year. The third ship of the Sovereign class, Majesty of the Seas, was delivered one year later. With a large passenger capacity and a growing market share, Royal Caribbean finally went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993. Over the next two years the company experienced extreme growth. A new corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida was completed, and the Nordic Prince replaced by a new vessel, the Legend of the Seas.
The next year brought more growth. Two more Vision class vessels entered service, the Splendour of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. Also in 1996, the company finalized its contracts for 130,000-ton vessels with Aker Finnyards in Finland. The trend of growth and change continued into 1997. The line's oldest ship, Song of Norway, was sold, and two new Vision-class ships entered service as Rhapsody of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. The company also merged with the Greek cruise lineCelebrity Cruises and changed its name from "Royal Caribbean Cruise Line" to "Royal Caribbean International." The next year marked a transition to a more "strictly modern line", when the last of the company's older vessels, Song of America and Sun Viking, were retired. In 1998, Vision of the Seas came into service, the last of the Vision Class Ships. In 1999 the Voyager of the Seas, the line's newest and world's largest cruise ship entered service with much attention from the news media. The next two years saw the delivery of Voyager's sister ship, Explorer of the Seas, and the first of a new class of more environmentally friendly cruise liners, Radiance of the Seas, as well as the introduction of Royal Caribbean's "cruise tours Alaska", featuring glass-domed train cars to scenic destinations within the state and Canada. During Adventure of the Seas' christening ceremony in November 2001, Royal Caribbean made a $50,000 contribution to the Twin Towers Relief fund.[4]
2002 saw the debut of the Navigator of the Seas, as well as the Brilliance of the Seas, the second ship of the Radiance class.Serenade of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas were introduced the next year, and rock-climbing walls were made a feature of every Royal Caribbean ship. Jewel of the Seas followed in 2004, and the line's ship Nordic Empress was refurbished and re-christened as Empress of the Seas, which was later sold to Pullmantur Cruises in 2008. Construction commenced on Freedom of the Seas, the line's newest ship, at Aker Finnyards in 2005 and the vessel launched the next year as the largest passenger vessel in the world. In 2005, Royal Caribbean made history again with the massive refurbishment of Enchantment of the Seas, cutting the ship in half and adding a 74-foot (23 m) midsection. Grandeur of the Seas was rumored to be the next to have the massive refurbishment sometime in early 2008, but that never took place.
Freedom of the Seas' sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, was launched in 2007, and Independence of the Seas was delivered in 2008. An even larger class, the Oasis Class, featuring the 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 2012, twelve ships of RCCL's fleet will sail in Europe. The Serenade of the Seas will make her European debut and will behome ported at Barcelona for cruises to the Mediterranean. Brilliance of the Seas will be home ported at Amsterdam andCopenhagen for a new series of Northern Europe cruises. She will visit the Norwegian Fjords, the North Cape and the Baltic. TheJewel of the Seas will continue with her sailings to the Baltic, but she will also offer a new cruise to Norway and Iceland. All cruises start and end in Harwich.
Other ships in Europe are Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas,Voyager of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas (all Mediterranean), as well as Vision of the Seas which will sail to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Royal Caribbean International has used the services of The Boyd Company, Inc., for its coverage of corporate location trends and the economy.
[edit]Royal Caribbean cruise ships
Each Royal Caribbean ship includes a top-of-ship lounge called the Viking Crown Lounge offering sweeping panoramic views, onboard rock climbing walls, bars, lounges, spas, gyms, a main dining room and alternative dining venues. The line has a special kids and youth program known as Adventure Ocean.
[edit]Oasis class
Main article: Oasis class cruise ship
The first ship of this class, Oasis of the Seas surpassed the Freedom-class ships as the world's largest cruise ship in December 2009. It is able to accommodate up to 5,400 passengers, has a registered tonnage of 225,282 tons and cost the line around US $1.4 billion. It is anticipated that the Oasis-class of vessels will primarily sail the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, but Royal Caribbean may also choose to deploy these vessels in other parts of the world. A second Oasis-class ship was ordered on April 2, 2007, and was constructed at STX Europe's Finland Yards (formerly Aker Finnyards), Turku, Finland. It was delivered on October 28, 2010 and went into service December 1, 2010.[5]
| Ship | Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oasis of the Seas | 2009 | December 5, 2009 | 225,282 | Port Everglades, Florida | Worlds largest cruise ship when built. |  |
| Allure of the Seas | 2010 | December 1, 2010 | 225,282 | Port Everglades, Florida | Currently the world's largest cruise ship. |  |
[edit]Freedom class
Main article: Freedom class cruise ship
Freedom of the Seas left Aker Finnyards shipyard in Turku, Finland on April 24, 2006. With gross tonnage of 154,410 tons, they surpassed Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 as the largest ships in the world even though they are five meters shorter than theQueen Mary 2. Freedom of the Seas includes two new features, the Flowrider and the H2O Zone for kids. The Freedom of the Seas continues the traditions of the Voyager-class ships with a 400-foot (120 m) mall named the Royal Promenade, featuring pubs, shops, arcades, bars, and a 24 hour Cafe Promenade.
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of the Seas | 2006 | June 4, 2006 | 154,407 | Port Canaveral, Florida | Largest cruise ship in the world, 2006-2009 |  |
| Liberty of the Seas | 2007 | May 19, 2007 | 154,407 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida Barcelona, Spain beginning late April 2012 | Largest cruise ship in the world when built, originally supposed to be namedEndeavour of the Seas |  |
| Independence of the Seas | 2008 | May 2, 2008 | 154,407 | Southampton, England | Largest cruise ship in the world when built |  |
[edit]Radiance class
Main article: Radiance class cruise ship
Radiance class ships have a gross tonnage of 90,090 gross tons. All ships have environmentally friendlier gas turbine engines. The Radiance class ships have over 3 acres (12,000 m2) of glass, glass exterior viewing elevators, over 700 balcony staterooms, two-level glass windowed dining rooms, alternative restaurants, a retractable glass roof over a pool, an outdoor pool, as well as the first self-leveling billiard tables at sea. The Radiance class ships were constructed at Meyer Werft, Papenburg,Germany.
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiance of the Seas | 2001 | March 10, 2001 | 90,090 | Sydney, Australia | First cruise ship to feature pool tables that are stabilized by a computer-controlled gyroscope |  |
| Brilliance of the Seas | 2002 | July 19, 2002 | 90,090 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  | |
| Serenade of the Seas | 2003 | August 1, 2003 | 90,090 | San Juan, Puerto Rico |  | |
| Jewel of the Seas | 2004 | May 8, 2004 | 90,090 | Tampa, Florida |  |
[edit]Voyager class
Main article: Voyager class cruise ship
The fifth largest passenger ships at sea (behind the Oasis class, Freedom class, Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Epic andCunard's Queen Mary 2), the Voyager class ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards' (now STX Europe) facility in Turku, Finland. They have a gross tonnage of around 137,000 tonnes. These ships include a 350-foot (110 m) indoor mall known as the Royal Promenade, featuring indoor pubs, shops, cafes, and bars. Activity options on board include: basketball courts, skating rinks, at least 3 pools, a mini-golf course, and a rock wall.
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager of the Seas | 1999 | November 21, 1999 | 137,276 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Voyager of the seas was the first vessel ever to have an ice skating rink onboard. |  |
| Explorer of the Seas | 2000 | October 28, 2000 | 137,308 | Bayonne, New Jersey |  | |
| Adventure of the Seas | 2001 | November 18, 2001 | 137,276 | San Juan, Puerto Rico |  | |
| Navigator of the Seas | 2002 | December 14, 2002 | 138,279 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | First of the second generation of Voyager-class vessels |  |
| Mariner of the Seas | 2003 | November 16, 2003 | 138,279 | Galveston, Texas | Due to dry dock April 2012 |  |
[edit]Vision class
Main article: Vision class cruise ship
Technically speaking the Vision class consists of three pairs of sister ships and is not a "class" of ships in the same sense as the Radiance, Freedom, Voyager, or Oasis classes. Legend and Splendour, built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, France have a gross tonnage of approximately 70,000 and are the only ones which have a golf course. Grandeur andEnchantment were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki, Finland and have a tonnage of approximately 80,000 gross tons (after lengthening). The final pair, Rhapsody and Vision were also built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and have a tonnage of 78,000 gross tons. All ships of this class feature over 2 acres (8,100 m2) of glass.
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legend of the Seas | 1995 | May 16, 1995 | 69,130 | Asia | Legend is the most-traveled ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, having been based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Alaska, Central America, Caribbean, the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Middle East during her 14 year career at sea | .jpg) |
| Splendour of the Seas | 1996 | March 31, 1996 | 69,130 | Santos, São Paulo | .jpg) | |
| Grandeur of the Seas | 1996 | December 14, 1996 | 73,817 | Colon, Panama,Cartagena, Colombia | A collision occurred in 2005 where a long hole was torn in the hull of the ship |  |
| Rhapsody of the Seas | 1997 | May 19, 1997 | 78,491 | Singapore |  | |
| Enchantment of the Seas | 1997 | July 13, 1997 | 82,910 | Baltimore, Maryland | In 2005, a 74-foot (23 m) midsection was added to Enchantment of the Seas, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort. |  |
| Vision of the Seas | 1998 | May 2, 1998 | 78,340 | Santos, São Paulo |  |
[edit]Sovereign class
Main article: Sovereign class cruise ship
At approximately 73,000 GT (gross tonnage), these were the first "mega-ships" in the industry (with the exception of the SSNorway, an ocean liner converted into a cruise ship), built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The first one, Sovereign of the Seas, was launched in 1988. The Sovereign-class ships were the first ships ever to have an open atrium area.[citation needed] Like larger Royal Caribbean ships, the Sovereign Class ships have pools, open bars and lounges inside, and grand theaters.
In October 2008, Sovereign of the Seas was transferred to the fleet of Pullmantur Cruises.[9] The Monarch of the Seas will depart the fleet in 2013 and will be transferred to Pullmantur Cruises like her sister ship the Sovereign of the Seas.[10][11]
| Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch of the Seas | 1991 | November 17, 1991 | 73,937 | Port Canaveral, Florida | Retrofitted in 2005 and again in 2011 with new features such as enhanced staterooms, public areas, Compass Deli, Jade, addition of rock walls, re-painted pool floors, new carpeting and more spaces enhanced for guest comfort. She will leave the fleet in 2013. |  |
| Majesty of the Seas | 1992 | April 26, 1992 | 74,077 | Miami, Florida | Retrofitted in 2007 with new features such as enhanced staterooms, public areas, Compass Deli, Jade, addition of rock walls, re-painted pool floors, new carpeting and more spaces enhanced for guest comfort |  |
[edit]Future fleet
| Ship | Year Built | Capacity | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unnamed | Summer 2014 | 4,200 | 158,000 | TBA | Project Sunshine[12] | |
| unnamed | Spring 2015 | 4,200 | 158,000 | TBA | Project Sunshine[12] |
Great post! I am actually getting ready to across this information, is very helpful my friend. Also great blog here with all of the valuable information you have. Keep up the good work you are doing here.
ReplyDeleteAirbnb Nuremberg
I propose merely very good along with reputable data, consequently visualize it: IS CBD FOR PETS LEGAL?
ReplyDelete