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Miami Herald
7 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
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Royal Caribbean shifts strategy as Disney enters key cruise market
Royal Caribbean is making major moves to expand its West Coast cruise offerings from California and avoiding greater competition with Disney Cruise Line in the process. Ovation of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean's newer and larger Quantum Class ships, will lead Royal Caribbean's West Coast growth. The ship will soon become the first of its kind to sail from Los Angeles as it begins a summer season of Mexico cruises featuring overnights in popular Cabo San Lucas. Related: Royal Caribbean drops popular port from months of cruises In October, Ovation of the Seas will reposition to Singapore for a season sailing alongside the brand-new Disney Adventure - Disney Cruise Line's biggest ship yet. The Disney Adventure will become the cruise line's first ship to homeport in Asia when it launches in December. But instead of returning to Singapore for the 2026-2027 season, Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas will lead an even bigger push for Mexico cruises from Los Angeles, and the cruise line will reduce its capacity in Singapore at the same time. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. Instead of sending Ovation back to Singapore, smaller Navigator of the Seas will deploy there to sail a series of three- to 12-night cruises visiting popular destinations in Southeast and East Asia from October 2026 through February 2027. Navigator of the Seas accommodates 3,368 passengers, about half as many as Disney Cruise Line's super-sized new Disney Adventure, which will sail three- and four-night itineraries from Singapore with only days at sea. Related: Royal Caribbean casino players just got a valuable surprise Much like Royal Caribbean's newest ships, the Disney Adventure is designed to be a vacation destination in itself. It will feature seven themed areas reminiscent of the lands that make up Disney Parks. Although smaller and older than the Disney Adventure and Ovation of the Seas, which accommodates more than 4,000 passengers, Navigator of the Seas remains a popular ship for families. Highlights of the ship include two waterslides, a FlowRider surf simulator, glow-in-the-dark laser tag, the first blow dry bar at sea, original stage productions, ice skating shows, and more. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Royal Caribbean has strong ambitions to grow in California, and it chose Ovation of the Seas to lead that charge, swapping the ship's planned 2025 deployment to Tianjin, China for Los Angeles. In fall 2026, Voyager of the Seas will join Ovation of the Seas in L.A. to sail Mexican Riviera cruises. Voyager will replace Navigator of the Seas in L.A. as Navigator heads to Singapore. In addition to switching up its Los Angeles-based ships, Royal Caribbean will further expand its footprint on the West Coast by adding San Diego as a new California home port in fall 2026. Related: Royal Caribbean adds tracking feature to its app From October 2026 to April 2027, Serenade of the Seas will sail Mexican Riviera cruises from San Diego. Itineraries include two-, three- and four-night getaways, as well as longer seven-night cruises visiting popular ports like Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. Several of the seven-night sailings include a visit to La Paz, Mexico, a new port of call for Royal Caribbean. San Diego is also a seasonal home port for Disney Cruise Line, which offers spring Baja cruises visiting Catalina Island and Ensenada aboard the Disney Wonder. (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
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Cruise ship's 'naughty table' highlights common passenger mistake
Cruise passengers had to shuffle past the "naughty table" as they disembarked a Royal Caribbean liner this week, with the post-voyage ritual highlighting the common mistake that passengers make when going on a cruise. Similar to when boarding a flight, cruise passengers and their luggage are checked as a safety precaution. However, the belongings commonly taken from those hitting the open seas are more unexpected and often catch the passengers themselves by surprise. "The main concern on ships is the fire hazard so any electrical [items] may be suspect," John Harlow, a passenger who disembarked the Ovation of the Seas in Sydney this week, told Yahoo News. "Certain power boards and extension cables are suspect." This was evident on the 'naughty table', with a range of electrical items stacked side by side for collection after the cruise was over. John explained he's been shocked by the random items passengers have taken on board with them. "Other items that are strictly banned include iron and kettles. I have even seen pics of rice cookers on the 'naughty table'," he said. 💰 P&O cruise line to face class action suit after Aussies 'racked up thousands in debt' 🧭 Aussies fume after inadvertently buying $4,000 cruise tickets to nowhere 😞 Traumatic reason Aussie passenger 'will never cruise' with MSC again While extension cables are deemed valuable for passengers onboard the ship — with rooms often having limited power plugs — they are strictly prohibited as they pose a fire hazard. If detected, authorities remove them from passengers' bags and keep ahold of them until the end of the voyage where they can collect from the table. "Security goes through hand luggage with an X-ray scanner, the same as the airport and people walk through the metal detector," John said. "Checked bags are X-rayed and if any suspicious item is found, then the bag will not be delivered and the cruiser with be called to security to open the bag." Extension cords have long been banned, however, multi-plug outlets have only recently been banned last year. Any other flammable items are also banned, such as teacup immersion heaters, travel steamers and candles. Yahoo News has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean adds a convenient new homeport
Royal Caribbean has big news for West Coast cruisers. The cruise line best known for its Caribbean itineraries is expanding its offerings for West Coast cruises to Mexico in 2026 and adding a convenient new departure announcing that it would send four ships to Alaska in summer 2026, the cruise line is increasing its cruise options from California beginning in October 2026. After completing their 2026 Alaska seasons, three of the four ships will reposition to California ports. Voyager of the Seas will join Ovation of the Seas in sailing Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles. Voyager will replace Navigator of the Seas in LA, as Navigator is expected to head to routine dry dock in Asia. It's rumored that Navigator of the Seas will deploy to Australia after its dry dock, but Royal Caribbean has not confirmed that. Along with switching up its Los Angeles-based ships, Royal Caribbean will add a new California homeport in fall Caribbean will debut a new San Diego homeport in October 2026 to give passengers more opportunities to experience the Mexican Riviera. After completing its summer season in Alaska, Serenade of the Seas sail a variety of Mexican Riviera cruises from San Diego from October 2026 through April 2027. Itineraries include a mix of short two-, three- and four-night getaways, as well as longer seven-night sailings visiting popular spots like Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. Some of the longer sailing will also visit La Paz, Mexico, a new port of call for Royal Caribbean.A Mexican Riviera cruise destination also visited by Carnival and other cruise lines, La Paz is the coastal capital city of Baja California Sur. Situated on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, La Paz is known for its beautiful beaches, marine life and playful sea lions, as well as its fresh seafood and seafront Malecón promenade. Before making San Diego its new homeport in October 2026, Serenade of Seas will sail one repositioning voyage from the port in September 2025—a cruise to Miami that travels through the Panama Coast cruisers shared their excitement about the new homeport in the Royal Caribbean community on Reddit. Those familiar with the port noted its convenient location, both for those who live in San Diego and those traveling in by train, bus or airplane. 'Who's excited for a San Diego home port? Serenade will be out of San Diego starting October 2026,' posted Reddit user xjaspx. 'I can't wait because now I can literally walk to the port or take the Circuit golf cart to the ship from my place. Plus the port is across the street from the Amtrak station, public bus to the airport (with luggage racks), and it's pretty much a couple miles from the airport.' (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. 'I'm pumped. We did the Panama Canal out of SD years ago and it was sooo convenient,' agreed muy-feliz. 'It's like the only port with all sorts of transportation option right there at the port,' continued xjaspx. 'You can also see the end of the runway for the airport. The only downside is the overpriced parking but a lot of people just use airport parking and take the bus over.' Cruisers also noted that the port has convenient hotel and restaurant options nearby, and that San Diego offers plenty of fun things to do before or after a cruise. 'Easiest port for a hotel stay and sail,' wrote Minimum_Finish_5436. 'Wake up, hit the cross walk. Get on the boat.' 'There's a lot more restaurants in the area now,' noted xjaspx. 'some time they even have a street food market across from where the port is.' Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one?
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This major cruise line will homeport in San Diego for the first time in 2026
Cruise passengers will have more options out of Southern California starting next year. Royal Caribbean International will homeport a ship in San Diego for the first time. The line's Serenade of the Seas ship will sail from the city beginning in October 2026. 'San Diego is nicknamed 'America's Finest City,' and it sure lives up to the title,' the cruise line said on its website. 'With its breezy, sunny climate and laid-back, beach-town spirit, this West Coast gem beckons with unique experiences.' Cruise passengers are breaking records: See America's busiest ports The ship, which can accommodate 2,143 guests at double occupancy, will offer three, four and seven-night sailings to the Mexican Riviera, with stops including Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. The vessel will also visit La Paz, a new stop for the line. The season's cruises currently start at $467 per person, based on double occupancy, according to Royal Caribbean's website. There will also be a one-off two-night cruise departing Oct. 2, 2026. The cruises are part of the line's 2026-27 offerings, which will feature a range of itineraries from elsewhere in the state. The line's Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, and Voyager of the Seas ships will all sail from Los Angeles visiting destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan in Mexico, and California's Catalina Island. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This major cruise line will homeport in San Diego next year
