Royal Caribbean International begins construction on fourth Oasis-class ship

Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and the third Oasis-class ship will soon have a new sister to welcome to the Oasis class family. Today marked the steel cutting for a fourth Oasis ship, scheduled to be delivered in 2018. The steel cutting, marking the official start of construction, took place at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the third Oasis-class ship also is being built.

The Oasis class took the cruise industry by storm with the introduction of Oasis of the Seas in 2009, featuring a revolutionary design with a split superstructure and the cruise line’s neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas.  At 225,282 GRT and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, the Oasis-class ships also introduced extraordinary “firsts” at sea such as an 82 foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, the Rising Tide bar, the AquaTheater high-diving performance venue, and the Central Park with more than 12,000 live trees and plants.  The Oasis class also offers amenities that can only be found on Royal Caribbean, such as twin FlowRider surf simulators, cantilevered whirlpools, an ice-skating rink, the H2O Zone kids aquapark, and the Royal Promenade, an interior boulevard that stretches nearly the length of the ship and flanked by restaurants, lounges and boutiques, among many others.

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries every Saturday and Sunday, respectively from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., visiting exciting warm-weather getaways in the Caribbean. During the 2015 Europe season, Allure of the Seas will be homeported at Barcelona, Spain, for the first full Oasis-class Europe season.

Details of the two Oasis-class ships currently under construction will be revealed in the coming months.

Unprecedented collection of suites to debut aboard Seven Seas Explorer

Regent Seven Seas Cruises revealed details on all ten categories of suites that will be offered on Seven Seas Explorer.  While each category of suite provides a unique luxurious look, all exhibit the same level of elegance, design and comfort as the ship’s premier suite, the highly acclaimed, 3,875 square-foot Regent Suite.

Seven Seas Explorer, the world’s most luxurious ship, will offer a total of 375 spacious suites featuring the largest verandas in the cruise industry.  Each suite is intricately designed with lavish details to provide guests with an ambiance that exudes luxury while also offering a warm and comfortable respite.   European king-sized Suite Slumber Beds with sumptuous linens adorn the bedrooms, and oversized bathrooms are highlighted by rich marble and decorative tile.     

All suites onboard Seven Seas Explorer include a private balcony, with a remarkable 93 percent of the verandas extending beyond 83 square-feet, offering a spacious outdoor oasis for guests to enjoy the scenic vistas and ocean breezes in total comfort.

Catering to the varied vacation needs of sophisticated world travelers, the all-suite ship features accommodations that range from the impeccably designed 307 square-foot entry-level Veranda Suite, to the exquisite and lavish 3,875 square-foot Regent Suite.  The selection of the suites on Seven Seas Explorer include:

Top Tier Suites

The Master, Grand, Explorer, Seven Seas and Penthouse Suites represent the 85 named suites aboard Seven Seas Explorer.  In addition to all the amenities currently included on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, guests booked in a named suite for the inaugural Mediterranean season are entitled to complimentary business class air, one-night pre-cruise five-star hotel package, free unlimited internet access and personal butler service.

– Master Suite:  With its chic Park Avenue style, replete with rosewood polished furniture and crystal chandeliers, this two-bedroom suite features a modern sophisticated and elegant design. Located at the bow of the ship on decks seven and eight, the four Master Suites measure between 1,900 and 2,100 square-feet and boast a spacious living area with a bar for entertaining and balconies up to 1,000 square-feet.  Adjacent to each bedroom, guests will find ornate marble and stone bathrooms with shower and tub.

– Grand Suite and Explorer Suite: Sister suites, the Grand and Explorer Suites share a common design element with striking high-contrast emerald accents blended perfectly with the rich grey, brown and cream décor elements.  Both suites feature two full baths, and living areas with rich marble mosaics, exotic woods and unique furniture pieces based on haute couture fashion.  The Grand Suite ranges up to 1,800 square-feet and offers an expansive private balcony, while the Explorer Suite stretches to 1,350 square-feet and features a slightly larger living space.

– Seven Seas Suite: Famed designer Dakota Jackson created the glamorous look for the Seven Seas Suite.  This suite offers between 825 and 925square-feet of luxurious space, and exudes a cosmopolitan apartment feel with vibrant golden colored ceiling accents that reflect on the plush and tony furnishings.   The room flows effortlessly from living room to dining area to bedroom, with sliding glass doorways leading to the spacious private balcony throughout.  A magnificent white marble bathroom sits adjacent to the oversized bedroom.

– Penthouse Suite: The sumptuous and alluring sapphire jewel inspired Penthouse Suites range up to 625 square-feet with a stylish entertainment center that separates the living room and bedroom.  A marble-topped bar and intimate dining area welcomes guests upon entering the suite, as the sumptuous living room beckons them to move further into the suite.  Sliding glass doorways in both the bedroom and living room lead to an oversized balcony with chic outdoor furnishings.  

Concierge Suites

The Concierge suites account for a majority of the accommodations aboard Seven Seas Explorer, with a total of 140 suites in this category.  In addition to all the amenities currently included on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, guests booked in a Concierge suite are entitled to one-night pre-cruise luxury hotel package, complimentary internet packages and priority access to book shore excursions and specialty dining.     

The Concierge suite provides guests with a spacious floor plan, measuring up to 460 square-feet, with a unique layout featuring a European king-sized Suite Slumber Bed that faces outwards towards the veranda.  The expansive balcony stretches the entire width of the room and comes appointed with plush outdoor furnishings.  A decorative vanity sits adjacent to the bed and the living area provides ample space to refresh and relax.

Superior Suites

The 415 square-foot Superior Suites were inspired by the regal beachfront estate homes found in the Hamptons with cool blue, brown and white color palate.  This suite shares the same design and layout as the Concierge suites with the bed facing towards outdoor veranda and looking over the spacious living area.

Veranda Suites

The Deluxe Veranda and Veranda Suites on Seven Seas Explorer are 340 and 310 square feet respectively, placing them among the most spacious entry-level staterooms at sea. The Veranda Suites feature a warm and welcoming island manor feel and boasts a separate sitting area with a couch, coffee table and a marble-top vanity.

Reservations for Seven Seas Explorer’s July 20, 2016 maiden voyage and inaugural season opened on Jan. 19, 2015 exclusively for Seven Seas Society members and will become widely available starting Feb. 4, 2015.

Freedom of the Seas completes revitalization

Re-emerging from a 24-day drydock at Grand Bahama Shipyard, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas returned into service this weekend to offer vacationers one of the best cruise ships for incredible Caribbean’s adventures. The ship showcased its new features to more than 1,700 of the cruise line’s value travel agent partners on an exclusive two-night sailing before embarking on its first regular itinerary on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The newly revitalized Freedom of the Seas will amaze guests with a range of new tantalizing dining options, new staterooms categories, the new retro-chic R Bar lounge, and a bow-to-stern refresh of the entire ship’s furnishings. Freedom of the Seas continues Royal Caribbean’s 45-year history of taking vacationers aboard the world’s most innovative cruise ships to some of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. Throughout, the cruise line keeps pushing the boundaries of cruise vacations and has been recognized with the most awards in the industry.

Freedom of the Seas is the largest and most innovative cruise ship sailing from Port Canaveral and offers seven-night Caribbean roundtrip itineraries from Central Florida’s Space Coast. Vacationers can choose an Eastern Caribbean adventure, which calls at St. Thomas, St. Maarten and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private tropical island in The Bahamas. On a Western Caribbean sailing, guests call at Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach paradise in northern Haiti.

The first of the Freedom class of ships, Freedom of the Seas also was the first to introduce a FlowRider surf simulator at sea, just one of the many features found only on Royal Caribbean. The FlowRider surf simulator still remains an icon of the cruise line, as well as the rock climbing wall, first introduced on the cruise line’s Voyager class ships. Also on the top deck, guests can enjoy the ship’s full-sized basketball court, nine-hole mini-golf course, 42-feet high rock-climbing wall, the H2O Zone kids aquapark, and an oversized LED movie screen overlooking the family pool.

Guests also have a range of nine onboard dining options offering delectable experiences, including the new specialty dining experiences like the modern, authentic and unexpected Mexican specialty restaurant Sabor; a new Chops Grille: The New American Steakhouse, offering a completed revamped and elevated menu, featuring dry-aged steak options, the finest cuts of beef available only in top steakhouses around the world; a new Giovanni’s Table serving delicious Italian favorites, family style; as well as the classic Johnny Rockets 50s-style restaurant serving gourmet hamburgers and milk shakes.

An additional 67 new staterooms also have been added to Freedom of the Seas during its recent drydock. Among the new staterooms is a new category of Panoramic Ocean View staterooms located atop the front of the ship. Panoramic Ocean View staterooms feature a floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall window to offer guests expansive, unobstructed vistas of ports and sea.

Norwegian group opens Sao Paulo business centre, acquires Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania representative

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has announced the expansion of its sales presence in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the establishment of a sales, marketing and reservations centre to support the growing demand for cruise travel in the region and the acquisition of local Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises representative.

 "The company's three lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises have all experienced growth in the number of Brazilian guests that have chosen to take a cruise vacation, particularly in Europe, Alaska and Caribbean itineraries," the company said in a statement. The group hasa total of 21 ships.

"Given its economic growth and the increasing interest of Brazilians to experience the world by taking a cruise, Brazil represents a significant opportunity to advance Norwegian Cruise Line Holding's international growth strategy," said Andy Stuart, executive vice president of international sales for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has acquired Firstar Representacoes, the local representative for Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises in Brazil. Estela Farina will lead the new office as general manager.  The company will have its main office in Sao Paulo and a satellite office in Rio de Janeiro.

The new office provides multiple benefits for local travel partners.  For Norwegian Cruise Line bookings, these include the ability to offer cruise fares in BRL (Brazilian Reais), accept payment in up to ten installments with no financing fees and an on-line booking engine in Portuguese.  

For Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Sea Cruises bookings, the sales center will allow guests to pay in up to four installments with no financing fees. The office will also offer local reservations, sales and marketing support for all three brands, providing direct access to travel partners and consumers.

The local reservation center will be available to make reservations in real time and invoice directly from the cruise line.  Additionally, individual travel agency sales will be recorded and recognized for performance and compensation based on production. Finally, travel partners will continue to be provided training opportunities, now on a more regular basis and directly by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd staff.

 

Carnival Spirit to feature marine themed children’s club

Carnival Cruise Line has announced in Australia that it will bring the excitement and wonder of the ocean onboard its local ship Carnival Spirit with the launch of a new marine-themed children’s club

“Giving little cruisers the chance to immerse themselves in all the fun of the big blue sea, the new Camp Ocean will replace Camp Carnival on Carnival Spirit during its scheduled refurbishment in August,” said the company that is part of Carnival Corp & plc group.

The new larger kids’ club areas will be splashed out in bright blue ocean hues, offering more than 200 educational and engaging ocean-themed activities such as sea salt art, sea shell craft, ocean bingo, and make-your-own sail boats.

Designed for children aged 2-11, Camp Ocean will feature three age-related areas including a new Penguin colony for two to five-year-olds and a Sting Ray camp for six to eight-year-olds, while nine to 11-year-olds will be able to sink their teeth into their new Shark enclosure.

Each area will have its own special features ranging from miniature play igloos for the smallest cruisers to interactive gaming stations for the biggest.

Carnival Cruise Lines Vice President Australia and New Zealand Jennifer Vandekreeke said Camp Ocean was a great fit for Australian children who had a natural fascination and affinity with the ocean.

“We can’t wait to introduce Camp Ocean to our Australian ship and watch our youngest cruisers dive in to the wonderful world under the sea,” Ms Vandekreeke said.

“We carry more families than any other cruise line in the world and we’re always trying to expand our horizons when it comes to ensuring kids, and their parents, have a memorable and enriching onboard experience – and a great holiday. While our current children’s programs are very popular, Camp Ocean will offer even more ways to have fun with its interactive and colourful links to the ocean.”

Camp Ocean was devised by a panel of experts including specialists in children’s engagement, toys, game play and even a mother of two who cruises frequently. The program is being rolled out across Carnival’s worldwide fleet.

Carnival Spirit’s current teen program will remain with Circle C entertaining guests aged 12 to 14 and Club O2 giving teens aged 15 to 17 somewhere to hang out.

The scheduled dry dock will also see Carnival Spirit receive a burger bar by US chef Guy Fieri, the BlueIguana Cantina bursting with Mexican flavours, a Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Rum Bar and an interactive EA Sports Bar.