Royal Caribbean International announced it is pulling Serenade of the Seas out of the Alaskan market.  Among the reasons mentioned was a $50 per person tax on every ship putting into ports in Alaska, and also the fact that the ship can earn far more in other markets at present.  Rhapsody and Radiance of the Seas will both remain in the market, which across the industry is seeing rapid decline up north.

Travel costs almost certainly play a factor in the move as well.  More than a few travel agents whose comments I follow have noted as much.  Counter-marketing the announcement, Royal Caribbean also sent a note out mentioning the rail based cruise-tours offered in conjunction with sailing the northern waters.

Something is brewing at Royal Caribbean, and it has something to do with Coffee.  I received a note asking my interest in participating in a marketing event presently in the early planning stages.  The details are sparse, but suffice to say it involves Royal Caribbean and the ship-board Coffee supplier Seattle’s Best.  More on that as I learn about what is coming.

Next week I’m excited to bring you the first edition of “Ten Questions with Royal Caribbean Fan,” a feature that poses ten questions to folks within the world of Royal Caribbean International.  The first ten questions have been posed to Rachel Hancock, director of the Crown and Anchor Society for Royal Caribbean!

Want more?  Visit the member galleries, and view photos by Matthew and Ann!

As Oasis of the Seas nears completion mere feet away, Royal Caribbean International (RCL) laid the keel for her sister, the Allure of the Seas in Turku, Finland.  She will match her sister at 220,000 gross registered tons, be home ported out of Port Everglades, and generally be the envy of passengers on nearby ships!  Allure of the Seas is due to enter revenue service in 2010, likely in or around December.

Meanwhile, in the land of shrimps and barbies, kangaroos and The Wiggles, Royal Caribbean is opening a new  support office in Sydney.  Anchoring Royal Caribbean’s itineraries will be the venerable Rhapsody of the Seas, one of the six ship Vision class.  For the Royal Caribbean Fan who has wanted to see the great “down under,” New Zealand, or even the south pacific islands, the continued opportunities a highly appealing.

Today’s stock performance:

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Completed to 65% of her final form, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas was floated out to much hype and media attention.  USA Today’s cruise guru reported online of the event.  The photos were nice, but many more have long since leaked out of Turku.  They long ago gave rise to rumors of Royal Caribbean painting part of Oasis’ hull light blue.  The ship is being moved to the finishing dock, where she will remain until sea trials, the next major event.  Meanwhile, the dry dock will be prepped for the keel laying of Allure of the Seas, which is due in slight more than a year beyond her sister.  The STX yard in Turku has been building Voyager, Freedom, and now Oasis class ships non-stop since 1998.

Meanwhile, Travel Weekly has awarded Royal Caribbean International an aware as the best luxury cruise operator in the Asian market.  The aware caps a successful first year of full-time operations in Asia.  The line had a presence there before, but the deployment of Rhapsody of the Seas, to be followed by Legend of the Seas, is first long-term deployment in well over a decade.

Royal Caribbean’s stock performance for today:

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. End-of-Day Stock Quote for November 21, 2008

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