Royal Caribbean’s current South Pacific sailing from Australia is being cut short due to propulsion problems with ship Brilliance of the Seas. The ship is expected back in Australia this evening four days early. The technical malfunction became apparent while sailing to New Caledonia. Initial work to fix it there while in port was unsuccessful. The ship returns to Sydney and the following cruise has been cancelled. “Brilliance of the Seas is experiencing a technical issue resulting in sailing at a much slower speed. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to make our scheduled calls for the remainder of the cruise,” it told guests onboard the ship. These guests have been told they will receive a 50% refund and a 50% future cruise credit. The next scheduled cruise on 30 March to Tasmania has been cancelled and booked guests will receive a full refund and reimbursement for extra travel costs where appropriate. “We understand that this change impacts your cruise holiday, and we’re truly sorry,” the cruise line said. 

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This summer, two Royal Caribbean Group ships take a big step toward sustainable cruising. Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Apex and Royal Caribbean International's Symphony of the Seas will sail in Europe with sustainable biofuel for part of the ships' fuel needs. The sustainable cruising trial will contribute critical data and research on the fuel's capabilities and supply chain infrastructure.  During the three-month test, Celebrity Apex will depart from the Port of Rotterdam and Symphony of the Seas will depart from Barcelona, using a biofuel blend. The biofuel is produced from renewable oils and fats and combining it with fuel oil. "Biofuels will play an increasingly important role in the entire maritime sector's decarbonization goals,” said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO. “We take great pride in continuing to push our industry forward in exploring innovative fuel solutions." After the trials, Royal Caribbean Group plans to scale up the use of alternative fuels on European summer sailings. "Our hope is to advance our ships' ability to meaningfully reduce emissions," Liberty added. Recently, Navigator of the Seas became the first cruise ship to sail from a US port using renewable diesel fuel. The biofuels trial takes the company a step closer to its Destination Net Zero mission. This aims for net-zero emissions by 2050.

After more than four years, Royal Caribbean will resume China cruises in April 2024. Spectrum of the Seas will offer short sailings from Shanghai. The four- and five-night China cruises call at various ports in Japan including Fukuoka, Okinawa, and Osaka. Spectrum will also be deployed in Hong Kong from December 2024 sailing to Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Spectrum of the Seas is currently in Singapore. The ship was specially designed for the Asia market. Anthem of the Seas will sail from Singapore in late 2024. It is the ship’s first time in Asia. “This is the moment we, along with Chinese holidaymakers, have been waiting for,”' said Bert Hernandez, Royal Caribbean’s International SVP. “Our return to China is an exciting milestone.” Bookings for both ships will open in the coming weeks

Group partners with World Fuel Services for first bunkering of lower carbon fuel, a vital step in its Destination Net Zero decarbonization strategy

  Today, Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) became the first major cruise line operator to sail a cruise ship from a U.S. port while using renewable diesel fuel to meet part of the ship's fuel needs when Navigator of the Seas set sail from the Port of Los Angeles. Part of the Group's award-winning cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, the use of renewable fuel will reduce the ship's carbon emissions.   This key step in the Group's pursuit of alternative fuels comes less than a year after the unveiling of Destination Net Zero, Royal Caribbean Group's comprehensive decarbonization strategy.   "We are committed to investing in technologies and innovations that will help us reduce emissions and fulfill our purpose to deliver great vacations responsibly," said Laura Hodges Bethge, Royal Caribbean Group's Executive Vice President, Shared Services Operations. "As we celebrate this milestone, we continue to set our sights on other leading alternative solutions to meet our net zero goals."   The renewable fuel being used by Navigator of the Seas contains less carbon than traditional marine fuels. While this fuel is produced from renewable raw materials, the production process for this fuel makes it molecularly identical to traditional marine gas oil — creating a "drop in" fuel that can be safely used with the ship's existing engines.   The cruise company plans to continue using lower carbon fuel to meet part of the Los Angeles-based ship's fuel needs as it evaluates the feasibility for long-term use, with ambitions to expand its usage to other ships across the fleet. This follows a similar trial by the Group's joint venture partner, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which is exploring a different process for developing a sustainable biofuel.   For the trial, Royal Caribbean Group has partnered with World Fuel Services to supply the renewable fuel to Navigator of the Seas. The Jankovich Company will deliver the fuel on behalf of World Fuel Services to the ship while at the Port of Los Angeles. Once fueled, Navigator of the Seas will set sail to Mexico.   "We are extremely proud to be a part of Royal Caribbean Group's journey toward making the cruise industry more sustainable by leveraging our renewable fuel distribution capabilities and technical expertise to facilitate the use of renewable fuel in a marine application," said Michael J. Kasbar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, World Fuel Services Corporation.   In addition to testing the use of biofuel aboard Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Group is set to debut the cruise industry's first hybrid-powered ship in summer 2023, as part of Silversea Cruises newest class of ships, the Nova class. The Group is also working to reduce emissions while at port by investing in shore power on its ships and collaborating with key cruise ports for its use. For example, in 2021, Royal Caribbean Group signed an agreement to bring shore power to PortMiami, which will enable ships to use electricity at port instead of burning fuel. The company also is introducing a new zero-energy cruise terminal in the Port of Galveston, Texas, that builds on its sustainable design efforts and will be a LEED-Gold certified facility.   To learn more about Royal Caribbean Group's sustainability efforts, visit https://sustainability.rclcorporate.com/.