A Cruise Through Royal Caribbean’s History
* Introduction *
Ever heard of a luxury hotel that moves every half hour?
You guessed it: it s a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, a mass of one hundred thousand tons, that glides on the ocean between Florida and the islands of the Caribbean on a regular basis.
Royal Caribbean International is the second largest cruise ship operator in the world with revenues in excess of $4 billion. It owns 28 ships with more than 65,000 berths on them and is growing. Here s their story.
Flash back to 1969. An idea suddenly struck Arne Wilhelmsen and Edwin Stephan (Arne was a Harvard-educated investor and Edwin a famous Floridian businessman). The idea was that there was a large
...in Cozumel is one of the main event during the year. Similar to Mardi Gras, the Cozumel Carnaval is a colorful fiesta! Carnaval starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Daytime street dancing and nighttime parades take place on Thursday ...
Arne and Edwin marketed this brainwave to some of the shipping magnates in Norway who readily bought it and came up with large investments. After a short gestation period, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (and an entire new industry) was born.
By the next year (1970), the infant company could speak of it s first possession: The SONG OF NORWAY, a splendid cruise ship, weighing 18,500 tons and equipped for 700 passengers, custom-built in Finland. The most stunning feature of it was a cocktail lounge cantilevered around the smokestack (Edwin Stephen got the idea
...idea of heaven, make sure you take a cruise in the Caribbean. If you like being outdoors, you might enjoy one of the northwest coast cruises that sail all the way up to Alaska. If you're a history buff, take ...
* Growth, Growth and More Growth *
The founders of the Company pursued their vision of achieving market dominance through a continual program of adding ships and services. A consolidated record of this, which is very difficult to find elsewhere in the media, is presented below:
1971
Cruise ships NORDIC PRINCE and SUN VIKING arrive
1978
SONG OF NORWAY cut in half, 75-foot piece with 164 cabins introduced in between
1980
NORDIC PRINCE augmented the same way
1982
SONG OF AMERICA arrives with a larger, more luxurious lounge around the smokestack
1988
SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS, the largest cruise
...Vermont), you will also find plenty to do in the winter months. Maine offers one of the nicest ski resorts in the country in Sugarloaf USA, or you can try the beautiful White Mountain area of New Hampshire where you ...
1990
- NORDIC EMPRESS arrives
- The Company expands beyond the Caribbean: Mexico, Alaska, and Europe are added as destinations;
- Industry s first computerized booking system introduced
1991
- MONARCH OF THE SEAS arrives, ready for 2,354 passengers
1992
- MAJESTY OF THE SEAS delivered, equipped for 2,354 passengers
1993
- The Company goes public
1995
- LEGEND OF THE SEAS arrives, built for 1,804 passengers
1996
- GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS arrives at 74,000 tons and for 2,440 passengers
- SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS, in the same class as GRANDEUR, delivered
1997
- Name changed to Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited (RCCL)
- RCCL buys Celebrity Cruises and its four working ships
...Barrier Reef, which is one of the best fishing areas in the world. Whether you want to go out for a couple hours or all day, Sydney has no shortage of fishing cruise companies ready to ensure that you have ...
- RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS, at 79,000 tons and for 2,435 passengers, is delivered
- ENCHANTMENT OF THE SEAS, at 74,000 tons and for 2,440 passengers, arrives
1998
- Enter VISION OF THE SEAS, 79,000 tons and to carry 2,435 passengers
- Joint ownership agreement signed with Chicago s Pritzker family (that has $15 billion in assets) and Haifa s Ofer family (that owns one of the world s largest shipping companies, Ofer Brothers Shipping Co)
1999
- VOYAGER OF THE SEAS comes in at a whopping 140,000 tons for 3,114 guests
2000
- EXPLORER OF THE SEAS arrives; in the VOYAGER class, it has marine laboratories on board as well
2001
- ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS arrives:
...ceremonial purposes and as a branch of Poland's National Museum. What's more, many of the castle's original works of art are still available to view. This is because, during the Siege of Warsaw in 1939, much of Royal Castle's art ...
- RADIANCE OF THE SEAS delivered: 2,100 passenger capacity at 90,000 tons, with gas turbines, it is the first in it s class
- The company buys 20% of UK tour operator First Choice and launches a joint venture cruise line. It offers land-based tours in Alaska through Royal Celebrity Tours.
2002
- BRILLIANCE OF THE SEAS, a vessel in the RADIANCE class, arrives and is ready for duty
2003
- SERENADE OF THE SEAS, the third RADIANCE class vessel, is delivered
2004
JEWEL OF THE SEAS, RADIANCE class, makes its debut
and of course, more ships, even larger that the earlier ones, are on order!
* Conclusion *
With revenues in excess of $4 billion, RCCL is
...had dinner. It was like a huge shopping mall with restaurants and clubs in it and it was very crowded. After dinner we drove back into Lancaster and called it a night. I d get to see more on my ...
Its ships are floating cities, boast amenities such as rock climbing walls, miniature golf courses, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, sun decks, basketball courts, beauty salons, exercise and spa facilities, gaming facilities, lounges, bars, cabaret performances, cinemas, shopping arcades, multiple restaurants and casinos.
Most importantly, when on a cruise, one experiences some priceless bonuses: unpolluted air and a virtually noise-free environment. These are truly, in the modern context, balm for the soul.
If you can afford the entirely reasonable average fare of $400 per person for a 3-night cruise in a luxury stateroom don t think twice about it, sign up for a cruise and gain the experience of a lifetime!
Copyright
...to take a hike, go on a short trip to the Catskill Mountains, or even cross the border to get a different view of the falls. 3. When looking for fun and sun, do not forget Florida. There is so ...
Lucky Balaraman has a Master s degree from a prestigious US university and writes on several subjects. To learn more about Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, please visit the website http://royal-caribbean-world.info