Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas Sails Into Port Everglades

The Independence of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International’s latest Freedom-class ship, debuted in the U.S. Wednesday at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Touted as one of the world’s largest cruise ships, it will be Royal Caribbean’s first Freedom-class ship to sail from Port Everglades.

Independence of the Seas can hold 3,634 guests, and includes Freedom-class features such as a FlowRider surf simulator, the H20 Zone water park, cantilevered whirlpools in the adults-only Solarium, a boxing ring and a 14-person family suite. Other amenities include an ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall, Broadway-style entertainment and the Royal Promenade— an entertainment of shops, restaurants, bars and lounges.

Independence will sail from Ft. Lauderdale and alternate between eight-night Eastern Caribbean and six-night Western Caribbean itineraries. Independence’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary will call at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination in Haiti. The Western Caribbean itinerary will call at Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Says Brilliance Will Sail from Dubai

Royal Caribbean International will deploy Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from January to April 2010. The company will offer seven-night Middle East sailings, but exact itineraries will be announced in the coming weeks. “Dubai is a dynamic and thriving city that shows great growth potential. Building on our reputation for introducing revolutionary cruise experiences, we are excited to provide a different cruise vacation than traditionally offered in this region,” said Michael Bayley, senior vice president-international for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. During a visit to Dubai this week, Rama Rebbapragada, regional vice president-international sales and marketing for RCCL added, “We continue to win devotees from throughout the Middle East and are pleased to have exceeded our 2008 sales target for the region, achieving significant growth over last year.” The 90,090-ton, 2,500-passenger Brilliance of the Seas has a 10-deck-high Centrum, a rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course and five dining venues. For More Information, contact SailRoyalCaribbean.com