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Independence of the Seas to sail from Southampton
Royal Caribbean International’s latest $900 million mega ship Independence of the Seas is to sail in Europe from Southampton next summer.
TravelMole can reveal that the 3,600-passenger vessel is scheduled to make five calls in Madeira en route from Southampton to Tenerife on May 10 and 20 and October 7, 18 and 28, 2008. Details of the calls appear on the Port of Madeira website.
The ship also has nine calls at the port of Gibraltar between June and September 2008. No details of the full itineraries have yet been made public.
Independence of the Seas is thought to be part of a mass deployment of six ships in Europe by Royal Caribbean in 2008 with Navigator and Voyager, Brilliance, Legend and Splendour of the Seas all scheduled to make calls in Madeira.
Independence of the Seas is the third in the company’s trio of 160,000 gross tonne Freedom-class ships. The largest cruise ships in the world, they carry 500 passengers more than Voyager-class vessels.
The line’s chairman and CEO Richard Fain is due in London on February 26 to make a “major news announcement” about a “major increase in European deployment and new-build ships”.
It is thought he will confirm the European itineraries by Independence of the Seas, currently under construction at the Aker ship yard in Finland in preparation to enter service in May 2008.
Royal Caribbean is bringing 3,114-passenger Voyager-class ship Navigator of the Seas to operate ex-UK cruises from Southampton this summer and will showcase Independence sister ship Liberty of the Seas to the UK travel industry at the port in April.
Royal Caribbean signed a £10 million, seven-year deal with the Port of Southampton last September to enlarge the port’s City Cruise Terminal.
Port owner Associated British Ports said at the time the agreement to expand the terminal was “so it can accommodate the new generation of large cruise ships,” including Navigator of the Seas.
Freedom of the Seas made its debut in Southampton last year before starting seven-night Caribbean itineraries out of Miami where it will be joined by Liberty from May 19.
Royal Caribbean International sales and marketing director Jo Rzymowska declined to comment, other than to say that “all will be revealed on the 26th”.
by Phil Davies
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