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ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
OVERVIEW:  Royal Caribbean
International has been setting cruise industry standards since its creation over a quarter of
a century ago. The Miami-based innovative cruise line continues to offer its guests many
"firsts," including a rock-climbing wall, an ice-skating rink and windows that face inward
onto the Promenade on its Voyager-class ships. Royal Caribbean's ships sail to worldwide
destinations, offering guests many diverse onboard amenities. Some of these include fine
dining, exciting shows, full service spas and fitness centers, dancing and much more. It is
easier now than ever to experience a Royal Caribbean adventure, experiencing whatever you like
to do: including swiming with stingrays, glacier-trekking or biking through Copenhagen.
The Fleet
The cruise line has 22 ships in service
and several more under construction or on firm order. Royal Caribbean's fleet
includes the world's largest cruise ship Oasis of the Seas and Allure of
the Seas (220,000 tons and 5400 passengers ) and many other cruise ships that are
amongst the largest in the world: 160,000 ton, 3600 passenger Freedom of the Seas
and Indepence of the Seas, and the 142,000-ton, 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas
and her sister ships, Explorer of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Mariner of the
Seas and the Adventure of the Seas. Royal Caribbean's vessels appeal
to those with an active lifestyle. Royal Caribbean's signature elements onboard include
rock-climbing walls, in-line skating track, basketball courts, shipboard ice-skating rinks,
golfing greens at sea and even a Flowrider Surfing pool aboard Freedom of the Seas
and Liberty of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean's "Radiance-class" ships,
are 88,000-tons, and host 2,100-passengers. The Radiance class includes Radiance of
the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas.
These sleek new ships, with their mega-yacht exteriors, boast an abundance of windows,
all-glass elevators facing the sea and the fleet's highest percentage of staterooms with
balconies.
New ships, exciting new itineraries and an ongoing
commitment to providing the best cruise vacation experience available anywhere, make a Royal
Caribbean cruise one of the most exciting vacations on land or sea. Following are just a few
ways RCI helps its guests "Get Out There."
More Caribbean
Sailings
Royal Caribbean is offering more options than ever in the
Caribbean, giving travelers the freedom to choose their perfect vacation. Royal Caribbean
guests can choose from more than 19 different ships, including Brilliance of the
Seas and Navigator of the Seas. The cruise line is offering nine close to
home departure ports: Miami, San Juan, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Galveston,
Baltimore, New York and New Orleans. These sailings are three- to 11 nights.
Adventure
OceanTM
Family cruising becomes pure enjoyment for parents and
their children on every Royal Caribbean ship. The Adventure Ocean program for young
cruisers is free and has long been recognized as one of the industry's best. All children's
activities are supervised by male and female Youth Staff, professionally certified in
education, recreation and/or preschool, or having qualified experience in working with
children ages three to 17.
ShipShape
Program
Royal Caribbean's ShipShape program, facilities and spa
treatments offer some of the most advanced exercise options afloat, plus luxurious
body-pampering amenities and a view of the sea.
Each Royal Caribbean ship features special ShipShape
areas designed for fitness. On the six Vision-class ships, the ShipShape facilities are
located behind the indoor/outdoor pool area called The Solarium. Voyager-class ships boast
Aerobics and Health Centers each span over 15,000-square-feet of workout, aerobics and spa
facilities, in addition to 10,000-square-feet of Solarium relaxation.
Cruise and Golf
Vacations
Royal Caribbean International, offers challenging golf
during, before or after cruises. With the line's popular Golf Ahoy! program, Royal Caribbean
guests can enjoy golf almost anywhere a Royal Caribbean ship sails, from the Caribbean to
Bermuda, from Mexico to Hawaii, from Australia to Indonesia, 41 courses in all.
Dining
Royal Caribbean guests can enjoy award-winning cuisine
and food service on every ship throughout the line's global fleet. Food preparation covers a
gamut of dining options, including ShipShape healthy menus, vegetarian menu choices, ethnic
and regional specialties, as well as traditional fine-dining choices. Fast foods are
available late into the night, along with in-cabin off-menu service and casual open-seating
dinners in the Windjammer Café.
Royal Caribbean is experimenting with "My Time Dining" to
allow cruisers to have a new flexible dining experience in the main dining room (currently
test is on Freedom of the Seas only). "My Time Dining" does require pre-paid gratuitites, and
allows the consumer the flexibility to dine anytime between 6 and 9:30 PM in the main dining
room.
Royal Caribbean can accomodate Kosher diets if notified
in advance. Vegetarian selections are available as well to meet the growing demand.
Vegetarian menu options are available at lunch and dinner, with vegetables and fresh seasonal
fruit always available. Royal Caribbean attempts to meet requirements of all
vegetarians.
There is also 24-hour In-Cabin Service fleetwide with a
variety of hot food choices. A full breakfast menu with egg dishes is offered in cabin and
full dining room menus are available for in-cabin service during lunch and dinner.
For Guests with Special
Needs
The industry leader in accessibility, Royal Caribbean's
Accessible Seas program ensures that every vacationer is as comfortable as possible,
both on and off the ship. All of the company's Voyager-class and Radiance-class ships offer
special accessible features including spacious corridors to accommodate 180 degree turns for
wheelchairs, gradual incline entrances into all public spaces, accessible staterooms with
roll-in showers, hydraulic pool lifts and much more.
Labadee and
CocoCay
Private places visited only by Royal Caribbean guests,
Labadee and CocoCay. Both offer a variety of beaches, tropical landscapes, native crafts,
water sports, sunshine and relaxation. Each is uniquely different from the other. Labadee is
a 260-acre wooded peninsula at Pointe Ste. Honore about six miles from Cap Haitien on the
mountainous and secluded north coast of Hispaniola. CocoCay has all the fun of Labadee with
an interesting twist -- it's a 140-acre island rather than a peninsula. It's in the Bahamas'
Berry Island chain between Freeport and Nassau.
Royal Caribbean Online Internet
at Sea
Royal Caribbean ships provide Internet access to its
guests. Each center provides 24-hour access to e-mail and the Internet, with connections to
popular web sites for updates on stocks, sports, and entertainment. Royal Caribbean guests
can also send virtual postcards in ports-of-call worldwide. The system currently uses English
and Spanish, and plans are underway for service in German, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Through the latest IBM hardware technology, the centers offer a new level of communication
options for even the most sophisticated traveler. The charge is 50 cents per minute, and a
flat surcharge of $4.95 per transmission to send a digital postcard.
Cybercabin is a new Internet
initiative, available on Voyager-class and Radiance-class ships. The service provides Internet
access via the guest cabin from the guests' laptop.
Destinations
Royal Caribbean offers over 160 exciting destinations.
They include the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Baltic, Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Canada/New
England, Bahamas, Bermuda, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Australia, New Zealand and the South
Pacific. The company also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe
through its cruisetour division.
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