MIAMI, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The public has spoken, and the votes have been tallied. After a six month search, Royal Caribbean International today named travel agent Donnalea Madaley godmother of the cruise line’s newest ship, Liberty of the Seas, at Cruise Lines International Association’s Cruise3Sixty conference. Donnalea, of Ontario-based Marlin Travel, was selected from among nearly 2,500 nominations of exemplary women travel agents who have demonstrated dedication to philanthropy and service in their communities. In the spirit of maritime tradition, Donnalea will participate in the naming ceremony of Liberty on May 18, 2007, and help launch the cruise ship, a prestigious role often performed by dignitaries and celebrities.“It is a great honor to congratulate Donnalea Madaley on her selection as the godmother of Liberty of the Seas. Through her, we are demonstrating our ultimate appreciation to the travel agent community; recognizing the important role they play in the success of the cruise industry; and acknowledging their service and contributions to make the world a better place,” said Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, Sales, Royal Caribbean International. “In our search, we have learned about the good works of so many women travel agents. These selfless women all deserve recognition of their deep commitment to serve their communities and beyond.”

In addition to being chosen as Liberty’s godmother, Donnalea also will receive a $25,000 check from Royal Caribbean for Hands Across the Nations (HATN), a service organization created and led by Donnalea and her husband. In addition to maintaining full-time jobs and raising a family of three children, the Madaleys have helped raise funds, provided training, and constructed essential facilities in remote communities in such places as Mali, Bolivia and countries in Western Africa since the mid-1980s. Current Hands Across the Nations (www.hatncanada.org) projects include erecting, furnishing and staffing homes for children of incarcerated parents; school dorms for women; and medical and community centers.

Royal Caribbean’s search for Liberty’s godmother began in August 2006. Three finalists were selected on March 1, 2007, by a 19-member panel of judges represented by members of the media, executives of the cruise industry and travel partners of Royal Caribbean. Donnalea was chosen by the public through online voting from March 1 through 15, 2007 on RoyalCaribbean.com. In addition to the donation to Hands Across the Nations, the cruise line also will make a donation of $5,000 on behalf of each of the two runners-up, Marie Brouard of American Express Centurion Travel Services in Miramar, Florida, and Carole Weishaar of Carefree Travel in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a charity organization of their choice.

At 160,000 GRT and holding 3,634 guests, double-occupancy, Liberty will share the title of the world’s largest cruise ship with sister ship, Freedom of the Seas. She will feature the same popular innovations already found on Freedom, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the H20 Zone aqua park, cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 feet above the ocean, an ice-skating rink, a boxing ring and the 1,215-square-foot Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps up to 14. In addition, the arrival of Liberty will introduce new innovative onboard programs to the cruise line’s fleet such as the Vitality wellness program, Explorer Weddings, the Crown & Anchor Society Youth loyalty program, as well as enhancements to the cruise line’s award-winning Adventure Ocean youth programming.

Liberty of the Seas will sail alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami. Both itineraries will call on Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Labadee, Haiti. The Western Caribbean itinerary will include the ports of Montego Bay, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico; while the Eastern Caribbean itinerary will call on San Juan, Puerto Rico and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

From the press release, my own comments follow. 

MIAMI, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Royal Caribbean International today announced plans to transfer Empress of the Seas to Pullmantur, the Madrid-based cruise and tour operator that parent company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. purchased in November 2006.”Empress of the Seas is a wonderful ship that has served our brand well,” said Adam Goldstein, president, Royal Caribbean International. “This transfer will help to increase Pullmantur’s capacity and meet demand for its distinctive style of cruise holidays in the European market.”The last voyage of Empress as part of the Royal Caribbean International fleet will be March 7, 2008. Guests booked on all sailings after this date will be contacted by Royal Caribbean International representatives to transfer existing reservations to similar accommodations onboard other Royal Caribbean ships. Royal Caribbean International has established a toll-free number for travel agents and guests with questions regarding the re-accommodated sailings. The toll-free number is (888) 281-9344.

Empress of the Seas joined the Royal Caribbean fleet in June 1990 and was built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. She was refurbished in May 2004. The 48,563 gross-registered-ton ship has a double-occupancy guest capacity of 2,020.

-End of release 

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Empress of the Seas was previously known as the Nordic Empress, a ship acquired by RCI when RCCL merged with Admiral Cruises in the early 1990s.   She had not been completed as the time of the merger, but came online shortly afterwards.  She featured a massive €œCentrum€ a signature feature of cruise ships, first pioneered by RCI€™s Sovereign of the Seas in 1988.  Indeed, despite being a €œsmall€ ship, she has a larger Centrum than Sovereign does.  RCI had to incorporate a few changes to allow for a Vikeing Crown Lounge as well.

 

Empress has been best known for sailing to and from Bermuda for RCI during her service with RCI.  She sails out of other ports, but seemed to be known for her trips into the Atlantic.  Despite being distinctly smaller than ever ship RCI has built since Sovereign, she has remained popular and highly regarded.  Were she not such an appealing and unique design, she would never have survived so long in RCI€™s service.

 

Without question this ship will remain in service for many years to come with RCI€™s newly acquired brand.

 

 

Seatrade Insider is reporting that UBS Research believes RCI will lock-in its option for a second Genesis class ship before this Saturday when it expires. 

The mammoth vessels are projected to be between 220,000 and 240,000 GRT, making them the largest cruise ships in history and by a wide margin. 

If delivered on time, the second unit in the class would come online in 2010.  Akers is the yard contracted to build both ships in the class, as they have the Freedom and Voyager class ships.  Akers is consistently the most innovative ship yard in terms of pushing the envelope of cruise ship design, due in no small part to a strong relationship with RCI. 

 

Crown & Anchor Society Youth Program and New Adventure Ocean Enhancements Take Family Vacations to Next Level MIAMI, March 26, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — In another industry-leading move, Royal Caribbean International introduces the first loyalty program specifically designed for cruisers below the age of 18. Launching on Liberty of the Seas’ maiden voyage on May 19, 2007, the Crown & Anchor Society Youth Program will offer membership benefits for younger guests every time they sail with the cruise line. Additionally, the launch of Liberty also will introduce new and exciting enhancements in Royal Caribbean’s award-winning Adventure Ocean children and teen programming.”Our dedication to provide the most enriching cruise vacation experience for families has earned Royal Caribbean many accolades year after year,” said Adam Goldstein, president, Royal Caribbean International. “With the increase of multi-generational travel, it has become even more important to provide intriguing programs that cater to young cruisers as well as to adults. The new Crown & Anchor Society Youth Program and Adventure Ocean enhancements will give our younger guests many opportunities to enjoy new experiences and earn rewards at the same time.”

Crown & Anchor Society Youth Program

Teens and children will be able to enjoy tailored benefits through Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society Youth Program, as well as earn cruise credits with the cruise line. Children will automatically attain their parent’s membership level — whether Gold, Platinum, Diamond or Diamond Plus — when enrolled in the program. Members will be welcomed at the beginning of each cruise with a Youth Ultimate Value Booklet, which includes coloring pages, puzzles, games, and special offers for onboard amenities, including Ben & Jerry’s; Airbrush Tattoo; arcade games; and Y-spa, Royal Caribbean’s teen spa treatment menu. During the cruise, members also will receive a commemorative gift of Crayola Twistable crayons or a Royal Caribbean messenger bag. Parents can enroll their children in the program via the cruise line’s website (www.RoyalCaribbean.com/youth) or through the Crown & Anchor Society customer service line (800-526-9723).

Adventure Theater by Camp Broadway

Royal Caribbean guests ages three to 17 can develop their performing arts skills and practice self-expression through Adventure Theater, an immersive program developed with Camp Broadway, New York City’s renowned children’s theater program. Camp Broadway taps professionals from the Broadway community and is credited for helping educators, students and families experience the theater in creative and meaningful ways through role-playing, interactive exercises and performances. Teens and kids soon will be able to explore the magic of the theater on a Royal Caribbean ship. Each sailing will offer a series of three 45-minute Adventure Theater sessions tailored to each of the youth program’s five age groups. Guests will learn performance fundamentals; music and dance techniques; and cultural elements from Royal Caribbean destinations through stories and folktales.

DJ For a Day (or Four)

Cruisers of all ages can learn to spin their favorite tunes at Scratch DJ 101 classes, created by New York’s famed Scratch DJ Academy. In addition, on Liberty of the Seas, teens will have their own two-hour session in Fuel — the teens-only dance club — where they will receive hands-on turntable instruction while trying out their DJ skills. At the end of the four-day course, they will be able to showcase their music-mixing talents in a graduation performance open to family and friends. Founded in 2002 by Jam Master Jay (Run DMC), Rob Principe (CEO), and Reg E. Gaines (author of Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk), Scratch DJ Academy teaches students the popular music art form of DJ’ing in its New York, Miami, and Los Angeles facilities.

Build and Grow with Lowe’s

Designed exclusively for Royal Caribbean, Build and Grow with Lowe’s brings together parents and five-to-11-year-old children to build their own cruise ship. In the Build and Grow with Lowe’s workshops, families construct and decorate a wooden cruise ship that will provide a lasting memory of their vacation. Budding builders are provided a cruise ship construction kit, which includes a Lowe’s apron and safety goggles, and are awarded a certificate and a merit patch once the children deem the ship “sea worthy.”

Play and Learn with Fisher-Price

Three to five year-old Aquanauts will explore, discover and learn about the world around them in six new classes created in partnership with Fisher- Price. For example, the Chefs on Deck program helps Royal Caribbean toddlers learn the basic skills of communicating, sharing and problem-solving by taking on the various roles in a game of preparing a meal. With stories, songs, toy table-settings and food, and Fisher-Price’s popular Dora’s Talking Kitchen — and a surprise visit by a Royal Caribbean chef — Chefs on Deck will help children explore the world around them through imagination, play and teamwork. Other new play and learn Aquanaut classes include Doodle Studio, To the Rescue, Train-O-Mania!, Zoo-Rific!, and Dino Adventure.

If you are visiting this page, you are curious about cruise vacations, or my spin on what it is like to travel with RCI.  In case I haven’t spoken to this in awhile, and for the gain of the several hundred new readers that have found our site this month, let me offer my own feelings.

Don’t take this as my final word. If you are new to this site I will warn you that it remains a work in progress. But good things come to those who wait. And so it is here.

Travel on RCI is a wonderful thing. If you haven’t cruised before, realize that each line has its on style and such. This is true of RCI. Where a more “festive” cruise line is known for garish decor and “fun,” RCI aims for a look that is easy on the eyes, mind, and body.

If you hear the term “mass market” used to describe RCI, realize also, that the term doesn’t mean what it might have ten years ago. The “mass market” now defines the cruise industry. The age of trans-atlantic ocean liners, and 10,000 GRT cruise ships carrying a few hundred people is over. The modern cruise industry began to truly emerge with the addition of Sovereign of the Seas in 1988. At least, the direction that has lead to ever larger ships began then. At the time, even the industries leaders did not know what would be the norms 12 years later.

RCI ships are generally considered the best designed in the industry. They are a pleasure to see and travel on. The line doesn’t try to beat you over the head with neon and garish/tacky decor. The ships look good, and don’t have to hide under layers of distraction.

If you have watched much TV at all, you know that RCI ships feature rock climbing walls and many other amazing things. In the 1980s when a certain red-headed woman flew down a water slide and sang an annoying ditty, people considered that very act the cutting edge of cruise ship design. Some might make the mistake of thinking every cruise line features what you will find on many RCI ships. This is not the case.

Rock climbing walls, in-line skating tracks, mini-golf, ice skating, and surfing are innovations RCI brought to the market. While not all of RCI’s fleet boast of ice skating and surfing, they all feature the core items and such.

RCI ships tend to appeal to a wider cross-section of people than do other lines. Younger than Holland America, more mature in behavior if not age than Carnival. The food is said not to be the very best of the industry, but remains excellent, and surly better than what most of us eat daily.

RCI has excellent crew service, and on-board services are top-flight.

Given the diversity of cruise experiences, its wrong to describe any one experience as “the best.” However, it is more than fair to say that travel on RCI is an expereince you won’t regret. The best way to learn that, is to view pictures and read stories of people who have traveled with the line. And it is in this way that I hope RCI Fan will help you.