Latest news with #Oasis-class
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean shares surprising news on smaller ships
Royal Caribbean shares surprising news on smaller ships originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Royal Caribbean has been talking about smaller ships for a very long time. It seems that every time the cruise line launches a new Icon or Oasis-class ship its executives get hit with multiple questions about when they will build smaller ships. In recent years, the cruise line has not exactly done to these questions. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty and Royal Caribbean Group CEO Michael Bayley have openly admitted that a smaller class has been talked man, however, has given out much information. Passengers want new, smaller ships because these ships can stop in ports where the larger ships do not fit. Some cruise line passengers also preferred the intimacy of a few people being onboard. Some of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships are also near the end of their lifetime. All ships get repurposed and refurbed all the time, 35 years is considered a reasonable lifetime. Now, the cruise line has quietly given out some information on its plans for smaller Caribbean has been talking about the need for a new class of smaller ships for quite some time. "We're always designing the next classes of ships really for all of our brands," Liberty said during Royal Caribbean's second-quarter-earnings call. "We specifically pick segments and brands in those segments and deployments and experiences that we believe have a very long runway to generate demand globally, as each of our brands are globally sourced business." He also made it clear that the cruise line sees a need. "And, of course, the other thing I think that's important when you think about ship classes, whether they could be small, they could be larger, is kind of also a consideration that we also have ships that are reaching 30, 35 years. And so some of this is not just about we want to build same-size ships, smaller ships. It's also replacing ships that will eventually kind of reach their end of life." At the time of those comments, Liberty was just talking. The cruise line had not ordered a new class of ships or fully confirmed that one was coming. Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support Vicki Freed commented on smaller ships during a recent sailing of Ovation of the was speaking to a group of travel advisors (or travel agents depending upon the lingo) and she confirmed the new class of ships. "The Discovery Project is our next new class of ships, following the Icon of the Seas, and the Star of the Seas, and the Legend the Seas. And we're in the design process now," she said, according to Royal Caribbean Blog. "We meet on a regular basis with the architects, with the ops team and the hotel operations, food and beverage. And so it is a top secret design at this point." Freed also made some remarks that suggest that the project has moved forward internally. "It's an exciting project. It'll be a new class of ship. In true Royal Caribbean style, it will be special, it will be innovative. And I think it'll be something that'll be a home run from the beginning," she Caribbean has two classes of smaller ships, Radiance and Vision classes. The newest of these ships, Jewel of the Seas, was built in 2004. The cruise line's oldest ship, Grandeur of the Seas, first sailed in Dec. 1996. At max capacity, Grandeur holds roughly 2,400 passengers while Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, can hold 7,600. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Royal Caribbean shares key news on smaller ships
Royal Caribbean has been talking about smaller ships for a very long time. It seems that every time the cruise line launches a new Icon or Oasis-class ship its executives get hit with multiple questions about when they will build smaller ships. In recent years, the cruise line has not exactly done to these questions. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty and Royal Caribbean Group CEO Michael Bayley have openly admitted that a smaller class has been talked about. Related: US government shares 'do not travel' warnings for Mexico Neither man, however, has given out much information. Passengers want new, smaller ships because these ships can stop in ports where the larger ships do not fit. Some cruise line passengers also preferred the intimacy of a few people being onboard. Some of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships are also near the end of their lifetime. All ships get repurposed and refurbed all the time, 35 years is considered a reasonable lifetime. Now, the cruise line has quietly given out some information on its plans for smaller ships. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Royal Caribbean has been talking about the need for a new class of smaller ships for quite some time. "We're always designing the next classes of ships really for all of our brands," Liberty said during Royal Caribbean's second-quarter-earnings call. "We specifically pick segments and brands in those segments and deployments and experiences that we believe have a very long runway to generate demand globally, as each of our brands are globally sourced business." He also made it clear that the cruise line sees a need. "And, of course, the other thing I think that's important when you think about ship classes, whether they could be small, they could be larger, is kind of also a consideration that we also have ships that are reaching 30, 35 years. And so some of this is not just about we want to build same-size ships, smaller ships. It's also replacing ships that will eventually kind of reach their end of life." At the time of those comments, Liberty was just talking. The cruise line had not ordered a new class of ships or fully confirmed that one was coming. Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support Vicki Freed commented on smaller ships during a recent sailing of Ovation of the Seas. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Freed was speaking to a group of travel advisors (or travel agents depending upon the lingo) and she confirmed the new class of ships. "The Discovery Project is our next new class of ships, following the Icon of the Seas, and the Star of the Seas, and the Legend the Seas. And we're in the design process now," she said, according to Royal Caribbean Blog. "We meet on a regular basis with the architects, with the ops team and the hotel operations, food and beverage. And so it is a top secret design at this point." Freed also made some remarks that suggest that the project has moved forward internally. "It's an exciting project. It'll be a new class of ship. In true Royal Caribbean style, it will be special, it will be innovative. And I think it'll be something that'll be a home run from the beginning," she added. Related: Royal Caribbean makes key change to fix passenger problem Royal Caribbean has two classes of smaller ships, Radiance and Vision classes. The newest of these ships, Jewel of the Seas, was built in 2004. The cruise line's oldest ship, Grandeur of the Seas, first sailed in Dec. 1996. At max capacity, Grandeur holds roughly 2,400 passengers while Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, can hold 7,600. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World's largest cruise ship performs sea trials before Port Canaveral arrival
What will become the largest cruise ship in the world is set to begin sailing from Port Canaveral in August, but first Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has to complete a series of sea trials. The sister ship to current titleholder Icon of the Seas that debuted out of Miami last year ventured out into the waters off the coast of Turku, Finland, where the 248,663-gross-ton vessel has been under construction since February 2023. With less than 100 days before its Aug. 31 debut from the Orlando-area port, the ship left Monday on an 11-day series of trials to test out the vessel's navigation, naval architecture and engineering with more than 2,000 watchful eyes on board making sure Star of the Seas is seaworthy. The open-ocean trials will cover hundreds of miles before it returns to the shipyard for final touches followed by an official handover to Royal Caribbean and transatlantic sailing to Port Canaveral. The ship is the second of four announced Icon-class vessels that will each be incrementally larger than their sister ships. The class is about 15,000 more than the six existing Oasis-class vessels — five of which had previously held the title for world's largest cruise ship. Star of the Seas will have a 5,610-passenger capacity based on double occupancy — but will approach 8,000 passengers plus 2,350 crew at full capacity. Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas cruise ship performs sea trials sailing out from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on May 19, 2025 ahead of its debut in Port Canaveral in Aug.. (Courtesy/Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas seen during construction in fall 2024 at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, ahead of its 2025 debut. (Courtesy/Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has the glass-and-steel dome of the AquaDome neighborhood lifted onto the ship's bow at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on July 17, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has the glass-and-steel dome of the AquaDome neighborhood lifted onto the ship's bow at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on July 17, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas remains in dry dock in this shot from Sept. 23, 2024 ahead of its float out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on Sept. 28, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas is floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on Sept. 28, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas is floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on Sept. 28, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has the glass-and-steel dome of the AquaDome neighborhood lifted onto the ship's bow at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on July 17, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas is floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on Sept. 28, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has the glass-and-steel dome of the AquaDome neighborhood lifted onto the ship's bow at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on July 17, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas has the glass-and-steel dome of the AquaDome neighborhood lifted onto the ship's bow at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on July 17, 2024. The ship is set to debut next year from Port Canaveral. (Courtesy, Royal Caribbean) Show Caption1 of 12Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas cruise ship performs sea trials sailing out from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on May 19, 2025 ahead of its debut in Port Canaveral in Aug.. (Courtesy/Royal Caribbean)Expand The signature architectural feature of the class is the 367-ton, 82-foot-tall, 164-foot-wide glass-and-metal AquaDome that sits atop the bow of the ship. It's the signature space on board the Icon class that houses the AquaTheater, home to original productions that combine diving, aerialists and dancing with a high-energy fountain and light show. The ship also features an ice-skating rink and main stage theater, for which the marquee show will be a 'Back to the Future' musical. Star of the Seas will feature 40 food and beverage options mostly mirroring the venues found on Icon of the Seas, except Icon's Empire Supper Club themed to 1920s-era New York will become the Lincoln Park Supper Club themed to 1930s-era Chicago. The ship will sail seven-night alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, partnering alongside Royal's Utopia of the Seas that debuted in summer 2024 at Port Canaveral. It will continue three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line makes surprise move with its first mega-ship
Carnival Cruise Line has been offering short cruises of 3, 4, and 5 days for many years. But it is an area of cruising where it has lagged behind a key competitor in recent years. The short cruise strategy has been a cornerstone of Royal Caribbean's plans, and something that, quite frankly, has been a strength of Carnival's main competitor. Royal Caribbean has been offering short cruises on its massive Oasis-class ships for some time, first on Allure of the Seas. It even launched a brand-new ship (Utopia of the Seas) directly into short sailings last year, and is set to start offering 3- and 4-night cruises on its popular Wonder of the Seas in the cruises appeal to people who either can't get away for an entire week or simply don't want to be on a ship for that long. And from the cruise line's perspective, short cruises often command higher fares on a per-night basis, plus they can be a great way to attract new customers to the cruise line. However, in Carnival's case, one common complaint (among some cruisers) has been that the line typically uses its oldest and smallest ships for short cruises. Not only does it not offer short cruises on its flagship Excel-class ships, but it doesn't offer short sailings on the few classes of ships that came before it. Of course, some people enjoy the smaller ships, finding the newer ones a bit overwhelming. But Royal Caribbean has proven that there's clearly a market for short sailings on the biggest and newest ships, and it appears that Carnival has taken a recent media briefing, Carnival made several major announcements, including the name and homeport of its upcoming fourth Excel-class ship. The Carnival Festivale will debut in Spring 2027 and will call Port Canaveral, Florida home. We also now know that the fifth Excel-class ship will be named Carnival Tropicale, and will debut approximately one year later, although its home port is yet to be revealed. What's particularly significant about this news is that Carnival already has one of its Excel-class ships homeported in Port Canaveral, the first-in-class Mardi Gras. More Carnival cruise news: Mardi Gras will continue to call Port Canaveral home. But once Carnival Festivale is delivered and begins sailing, Mardi Gras will begin offering short cruises. 'With short cruises on Mardi Gras, our guests who may not have the time to take a weeklong vacation can experience all the amazing features of our Excel class," Carnival President Christine Duffy be clear, there are a lot of details yet to be revealed. For starters, we don't have any idea what itineraries Mardi Gras will be sailing once it begins its short cruise schedule. Duffy said that Carnival Festivale's itinerary details will be released this summer, so presumably we'll get a look at Mardi Gras' 2027 schedule as well. Mardi Gras will likely stop at Carnival's new private destination, Celebration Key. That port, a sort of answer to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at Coco Cay, opens in July. Whatever the particulars end up being, this is likely welcome news for cruisers who prefer short sailings but also like to consider the ship as a destination, not just the vessel taking them from port to port. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘The entire coastline will be cemented over': the tiny Italian town set to become a dock for giant cruise ships
On a cloudy day in January, Isola Sacra, a hamlet in Fiumicino, 20 miles from Rome, does not look like a place that would attract masses of tourists. Low-rise family homes with small gardens alternate with meadows and fields and life has the sedate pace of a provincial town. An old lighthouse now lies in ruins and not far away is the darsena dei bilancioni, the beach that takes its name from the stilt houses, or bilancioni, once used for fishing. But this coastal spot at the mouth of the Tiber River is at the centre of a controversy threatening its future tranquility. It is the intended site of a new port called Fiumicino Waterfront, a joint venture between the cruise company Royal Caribbean and the British investment fund Icon Infrastructure. Local authorities support the project because they believe it will bring in tourism, but many grassroots groups oppose it because of the impact they think it will have on the marine environment. 'The lighthouse and the bilancioni are a natural film set. Actors like Charlize Theron, Andy Garcia and Uma Thurman have come here,' says Gianfranco Miconi, who is nicknamed Attila. He is a retired 72-year-old who, for the past 30 years, has been living in and renovating one of the stilt houses now threatened with demolition. 'This is a lovely place,' he says. 'If it looks degraded, it's because authorities never took care of it.' For many years the area has been unloved. In 2010, plans were signed off for the construction of what would have been the largest marina in the Mediterranean, comprising four large docks, a hotel and convention centre, commercial spaces and luxury flats. But two years later, the developer, Francesco Bellavista Caltagirone, was arrested for fraud (he was later acquitted) and the project was abandoned for another decade. Then, three years ago, the land was bought by Royal Caribbean for €12m (£10m). It later sold 90% of its holding to Icon, with permission to transform the port into a facility specifically for cruise ships. Now, as well as berths for hundreds of smaller boats, there will be two docks for Oasis-class cruise liners, which were the world's largest and longest passenger ships until 2023. At 72 metres high, they are twice the height of Fiumicino's lighthouse and can carry up to 5,000 passengers. 'They say this port will bring work,' says Giancarlo Petrelli, a retired engineer who is part of the Tables of the Port, a group of local associations that has been fighting the development plans since 2010. 'But in these cases the sailors are not hired locally and the tourists won't be interested in Fiumicino, but in Rome. 'Does no one think about the traffic and pollution generated by 5,000 people going to and from Rome?' There is already a port that serves Rome – Civitavecchia – but the new facility will provide extra capacity for the cruise industry. Petrelli also worries about the impact on coastal erosion. The most significant legacy of the original port plan is an 800-metre-long breakwater. This altered the currents by taking sand from the beaches of Focene and Fregene, which lie just north of Isola Sacra. 'The breakwater has altered the marine ecosystem,' he says. 'Now there's only sand, but in the past there used to be shellfish, such as tellins, and octopuses.' Fiumicino's waters are shallow: to make room for large ships, developers would need to extract more than 3m cubic metres of sand. About a third of it will be used to replenish the beaches in Fregene and Focene, according to the project plans. Federica Giunta, an anthropologist who lives in Fiumicino and belongs to the Collettivo No Porto protest group, is concerned that the breakwater would have to be extended to 1,200 metres. On top of that, she says, 'the entire coastline will be cemented over, since a separate port to house the fishing fleet is being built not far away'. For Pietro Spirito, former president of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea Authority and professor at Rome's Mercatorum University, the issue is not so much the port itself but its ownership. Although it is not uncommon for cruise lines to own land where they dock, these are usually small private islands or beaches. 'An island is one thing; being 20km from the capital of Italy is another,' he says. 'The precedent that would be set would leave other companies free to create their private stopovers inside public places.' Opponents of the scheme are holding on to some hope. The Italian government included the project among the programme of works for the Catholic jubilee year, a celebration that happens once every quarter-century and runs until January 2026. Yet building has yet to begin, held up by further assessments and objections. Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean plans to have some ships visit by November, the company says. The idea is to have them anchor off the coast and then bring passengers ashore in smaller boats. Defending its plans, a spokesperson for Fiumicino Waterfront said it believed the port would 'provide a solution for a real need'. The company said Italy needed more berths for tourist ships and the port infrastructure in Lazio, the region around Rome, 'lags behind in quality and quantity of offerings compared with its main competitor, the Barcelona terminal'. The spokesperson added that the project would employ about 7,000 people – 2,000 in constructing the port and 5,000 when the work was completed. They said that only one cruise ship at a time would be allowed to dock in Fiumicino and to reduce emissions the ships would connect to the onshore electricity supply rather than using the diesel generators that typically power moored cruise ships. Mario Baccini, mayor of Fiumicino, views the new port as a 'historic opportunity, which will change the city for the better and at no cost to the municipality'. He believes the town will become a 'nerve centre of tourism'. Cruise ships, he says, will dock for 'less than 50% of the days of the year', adding that the 'real risk is not the ships, but not having the full potential that Fiumicino has'. Back on the beach in Isola Sacra, sunset is approaching and Attila stops to look out of the window of his stilt house. 'I don't know anything about bureaucracy,' he says. 'I just know that this is the most beautiful place in the world and I have no intention of leaving unless I am dead.'
