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Royal Caribbean to ‘maintain fleet size’
Royal Caribbean International has no plans to retire older ships as new mega liners such as Freedom of the Seas enter service.
The sister line to Celebrity Cruises will have a 23-strong fleet by 2009 with the addition of two sister ships to Freedom next year and in 2008 followed by one of the company’s projected even larger ‘Project Genesis’ vessels.
Royal Caribbean’s president Adam Goldstein, attending a series of trade previews of 3,600-passenger Freedom in Southampton (see separate story), said: “Our intention is to keep all ships in the fleet for the forseeable future.”
He added that this strategy was consistent with the company’s aim to have a “formidable” presence in North America while continuing to increase capacity in Europe and exploring other parts of the world.
Royal Caribbean will offer 60,000 berths across the fleet with the arrival of Genesis in three years time and older vessels are refurbished, Goldstein added.
The line’s European head Susan Hooper disclosed that Legend of the Seas, due to operate its second summer of sailings from Southampton this year, would be re-deployed to offer other Mediterranean itineraries in 2007 when Voyager-class ship Navigator of the Seas starts its first ex-UK cruises.
“Royal Caribbean is dead serious about getting its share of the European cruise market,” she said.
This summer, Royal Caribbean is running Voyager of the Seas from Barcelona for the first time, Spendour of the Seas from Venice and Legend from Southampton.
UK managing director Robin Shaw said more people were now taking cruises than going on ski holidays.
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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