Royal Caribbean International

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Royal Caribbean International

Type	Public
Founded	1968
Headquarters	Miami, USA
Key people	Richard D. Fain (CEO)
Industry	Transportation
Products	Cruises
Revenue	USD 4,903 million (2005)
Operating income	USD 871 million (2005)
Net income	USD 715 million (2005)
Website	http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ or http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/

U.S. headquarters in Miami, Florida.

Royal Caribbean International (OSE: RCL NYSE: RCL) is a Norwegian-American cruise ship company based in Miami, Florida. It is a brand of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., with 20 ships in service and one more under construction. All the ships have names ending in "of the Seas." Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. also operates Celebrity Cruises.

1 Company/Brand History
2 Royal Caribbean cruise ships
3 Private Resorts
4 Muster Drill
5 Onboard Security
6 George Allen Smith case
7 External links

[edit] Company/Brand History

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded in 1968 by Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, I.M. Skauge & Company, and Gotaas Larsen - all Norwegian shipping companies. The newly created line put its first ship, the Song of Norway, into service two years later. The next year, the line's capacity was doubled with the addition of the Nordic Prince to the fleet. Continuing to expand, the line added the Sun Viking in 1972. After four years of successful operation, Royal Caribbean's Song of Norway became the first passenger ship to be lengthened. This was accomplished via the insertion of an 85 foot section to the vessel's severed center. Following the success of this procedure, Nordic Prince was stretched in 1980. Royal Caribbean finally received widespread global recogntion when in 1982 it launched the Song of America, over twice the size of Sun Viking and at the time the largest passenger vessel afloat.

Royal Caribbean innovated once again with its 1986 purchase of a coastal property in Haiti for use as a private destination for its guests. This destination is now called Labadee. After a corporate restructuring in 1988, the line lauched Sovereign of the Seas, again the largest passenger vessel afloat at the time. Two years later, Nordic Empress and Viking Serenade entered service for the line, continuing a rapid growth trend within the company. In the same year Royal Caribbean purchased its second private destination, Little Stirrup Cay, an island in the Bahamas, which they rechristened "Coco Cay".

Monarch of the Seas, the second ship of the Sovereign class, entered service the next year. The third ship of the Sovereign class, Majesty of the Seas, was delivered one year later. With a large passenger capacity and a growing market share, Royal Caribbean finally went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993. Over the next two years the company experienced extreme growth. A new corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida was completed, and the Nordic Prince replaced by a new (and once again largest at the time) vessel, the Legend of the Seas.

The next year brought more growth. Two more Vision class vessels entered service, the Splendour of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. Also in 1996, the company finalized its contracts for 130,000 ton vessels with Aker Finnyards in Finland. The trend of growth and change continued into 1997. The line's oldest ship, Song of Norway, was sold, and two new Vision-class ships entered service as Rhapsody of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas. The company also merged with the Greek cruise line Celebrity Cruises and changed its name from "Royal Caribbean Cruise Line" to "Royal Caribbean International". The next year marked a transition to a more "strictly modern line", when the last of the company's older vessels, Song of America and Sun Viking, were retired. in 1998, Vision of the Seas came into service, the last of the Vision Class Ships. In 2004, Royal Caribbean made history again with the massive refurbishment of the Enchantment of the Seas, cutting the ship in half and adding a 74 foot midsection. Grandeur of the Seas is rumored to be the next to have the massive refurbishment sometime in late 2007 or early 2008.

In 1999 the Voyager of the Seas, the line's newest and world's largest cruise ship entered service with much attention from the news media. The next two years saw the delivery of Voyager's sister ship, Explorer of the Seas, and the first of a new class of environmentally friendly cruise liners, Radiance of the Seas, as well as the introduction of Royal Caribbean's "cruise tours Alaska", featuring glass-domed train cars to scenic destinations within the state and Canada. 2002 saw the debut of the Navigator of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas, the second ship of the Radiance class. Serenade of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas were introduced the next year, and rock-climbing walls were made a feature of every Royal Caribbean ship. Jewel of the Seas followed in 2004, and the line's ship Nordic Empress was refurbished and re-christened as Empress of the Seas.

Construction commenced on Freedom of the Seas, the line's newest ship, at Aker Finnyards in 2005 and the vessel launched the next year as the largest and arguably the most innovative ^{[citation needed]} passenger vessel in the world, pushing Royal Caribbean well into the future of the cruise industry. Freedom of the Seas' sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas of the Freedom class are scheduled to be delivered in 2007 and 2008 respectively. An even larger class, the Genesis class, will be launched in 2009, guaranteeing Royal Caribbean the ship size lead for years to come.

Breaking Royal Caribbean News

- In November 2006, Royal Caribbean finalized the purchase of Pullmantur Cruise Line in Madrid Spain. This demonstrates the continued effort for Royal Caribbean to be a larger global cruise line.
- Asia and Australia are next for Royal Caribbean in 2007. The Rhapsody of the Seas will leave Galveston, Texas on its adventure through the Panama Canal, over to Hawaii, and then to Australia.
- Majesty of the Seas will be in drydock in January 2007. New features will be the new bedding, plasma TV's, Johnny Rockets, new pools and addition of staterooms, and refurbishment of staterooms and all public areas onboard.

[edit] Royal Caribbean cruise ships

Each Royal Caribbean ship includes the signature top-of-ship lounge called the Viking Crown Lounge offering sweeping panoramic views, onboard rock climbing walls, signature bars and lounges, first class spas and gyms, a main dining room and alternative dining venues. The line has a special kids and youth program known as Adventure Ocean. The line's first ship was the Song of Norway, now Caspi Cruises's Dream Princess. The current fleet consists of:

[edit] Genesis class

The first ship of this class, as yet unnamed, is expected to surpass the Freedom-class ships as the world's largest passenger ship in autumn 2009. It will be able to accommodate up to 6,400 passengers, will have a gross tonnage of about 220,000 tons and has cost the line around US$1.24 billion.

Freedom class ship

[edit] Freedom class

Freedom of the Seas left Aker Finnyards shipyard in Turku, Finland on April 24, 2006. The second ship of this class is currently under construction at Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland, with a scheduled delivery of May 2007. With gross tonnage of 158 000 tons, they dethrone Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 as the largest passenger ships in the world even though they are five meters shorter than the Queen Mary 2. Freedom of the Seas features two new features for Royal Caribbean Ships, the Flowrider and the H2O Zone for kids. The Freedom of the Seas continues the traditions of the Voyager Class Ships with a 400 foot mall named the Royal Promenade, featuring pubs, shops, arcades, bars, and a 24 hour Cafe Promenade. Also, Studio B Ice Skating rink is standard on the Freedom Class Ships, offering up to 800 people the most spectacular ice show at sea. Playing golf on a 9 hole miniature golf course or eating at Johnny Rockets is the "cruise life" while at sea onboard the Freedom of the Seas. For guest comfort, larger staterooms with larger balconies, new Royal Caribbean Bedding (Going Fleetwide in 2007) and plasma TV's in every stateroom only add to the Freedom Experience. Freedom of the Seas will give you "Like No Vacation on Earth."

Freedom of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas
Third unnamed ship Rumors are "Justice of the Seas" or "Independence of the Seas"

Voyager class ship

[edit] Voyager class

The largest ships at sea only behind the Freedom Class and Cunard's Queen Mary 2. The ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yard’s (now Aker Finnyards) facility in Turku. These ships include a 350 foot indoor mall named the Royal Promenade, featuring indoor pubs, shops, cafes, and bars. Also, an ice skating rink offers shows as well as hours of entertainment for those that want to give it a try. Full sized basketball courts, several pools, golf course, and rock wall are just some of the activities onboard. Signature lounges and bars are located on this ship as well as unique features.

Radiance class ship

[edit] Radiance Class

Radiance class are the ships in RCI's fleet with the greatest ocean liner feel to them ^{[citation needed]}. They still have all the signatures of RCI but have grand public rooms like on the Queen Mary 2. All ships have environmentally-friendly gas turbine engines. The Radiance Family of ships are a great alternative to the larger Voyager class ships and the smaller Vision Class ships. The Radiance Class ships feature over 3 acres of glass, including glass exterior viewing elevators, over 700 balcony staterooms, glass Dining Rooms, alternative restaurants, a retractable glass roof over a pool, an outdoor pool, as well as the first self-leveling billiard tables at sea.

Vision class ship

[edit] Vision class

These are the most well-traveled. The Legend and Splendour differ slightly from the rest of their class, as they are the only ones which have a golf course but are also 5000 tons less gross tonnage. The other Vision Class Ships do not have a golf course and are around 80,000 to 83,000 tons. These ships feature over 2 acres of glass, making passengers connected with the sea. Stunning atriums, multiple restaurants, large staterooms, and indoor/outdoor pools make the Vision Class ships one of the gems at sea.

In 2004, the Enchantment of the Seas was split open and was added a 74 foot midsection, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort.

Sovereign class ship

[edit] Sovereign class

These were the first "mega-ships" in the industry, built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, France. They were also the last of RCI's ships to feature the Viking Crown Lounge as a separate visual element as part of the design. The first ships ever to have an open atrium area, the Sovereign Class Ships are a simple yet elegant design by Royal Caribbean. Pools, open bars and pools, signature bars and lounges inside, and grand theaters allow guest to enjoy the comforts of cruising without sailing on one of the new and much larger Royal Caribbean Ships. In 2004, the Monarch of the Seas went into drydock for an extensive refurbishment, followed by the Sovereign in 2005, and the Majesty of the Seas in 2007. New features include enhances staterooms, public areas, Johnny Rockets, addition of rock walls, new pools, and more space ofr guest comfort.

Empress of the Seas

[edit] Empress of the Seas

This vessel, previously named "Nordic Empress", is smaller than RCI's other ships and is the only ship of its class in the fleet. In 2003, Royal Caribbean did a massive refurbishment of the Empress of the Seas, adding additional restaurants, restoring glass walls and windows, adding additional staterooms, refurbishment of public areas and atriums, new pools, and additional space for guest comfort.

[edit] Retired Ships

Former RCI ships no longer in the fleet:

Song of Norway - Now operating with Capsi Cruises as Dream Princess
Nordic Prince
Sun Viking
Song of America
Viking Serenade - Now operating with Island Cruises as Island Escape

[edit] Private Resorts

Royal Caribbean operates two privately owned resorts that are used as stops by some Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries. They are Labadee, a resort on the northern coast of Haiti, and Coco Cay, a private island in the Berry Islands region of The Bahamas. Each Island features beautiful beaches, canopies for eating, lounge chairs, beauitful palm trees, and beautiful blue water.

[edit] Muster Drill

International law requires a muster drill be conducted by Royal Caribbean and all other cruise lines prior to departure from port. A muster drill is a demonstration in the use of life vests and life boats, and it prepares passengers for several possible emergencies.

Attendance at the muster drill is mandatory for all passengers, even those who have previously sailed and have attended one recently. Onboard crew will strictly enforce attendance and will search for each passenger on the manifest in staterooms and other areas of the ship. Failure to attend the muster drill may result in a fine up to $500, payable to one's country of citizenship. In addition, the cruiseline reserves the right to remove the passenger from the cruise, and to bar the passenger from any future cruises.

[edit] Onboard Security

Following several incidents on cruiselines that have claimed media attention, Royal Caribbean and other cruiselines have worked to increase security in order to make the cruising experience safer for all passengers. This includes the use of closed-circuit cameras and other technology, and an increase in security personal.

Some security measures include:

Metal detectors and X-ray. Similar to those found at airports, these are used to prevent passengers from bringing aboard contraband.
Facial recognition technology. This enables security personnel to locate any passenger on the ship, except in private areas (such as staterooms and restrooms).
Child alert. Using the above, will notify security if a minor child enters a stateroom other than that of his/her parents/guardian or that which the child is otherwise registered to enter. This prevents children from being harmed in private areas on board the ship.

[edit] George Allen Smith case

Main article: George Allen Smith

On July 5, 2005, passengers on board the Brilliance of the Seas reported what appeared to be blood on a part of the ship below passenger balconies. After a search, George Allen Smith was discovered to be missing and thought to have fallen overboard. A criminal investigation into possible foul play was conducted, and a brief press release on the company's investor relations website announced the settlement of the case on June 29th.[1]