Royal Caribbean is introducing a new beach club destination in Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise line’s second beach club project is set to open in 2026. Royal Beach Club Cozumel will be situated on Cozumel’s western coastline featuring a beachfront, multiple pools, private cabanas, dining and a street market. There will be opportunity for snorkeling and kayaking as well as activities like cooking classes and tequila tastings. Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group said: “The expansion of our destination offerings aligns with the growing global demand for the ultimate vacation experiences.” The cruise line will announce further details about Royal Beach Club Cozumel in the coming months. Royal Caribbean’s first Royal Beach Club Collection location is the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in The Bahamas which is slated to launch in 2025. “The anticipation for what’s next has only continued to build since we revealed Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. Now is the perfect time to announce the next iteration of this collection,’ says Royal Caribbean International CEO, Michael Bayley. The cruise line also operates private destination Labadee which remains closed to cruise guests because of current political unrest in Haiti. 

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Delivery of Royal Caribbean’s latest mega cruise liner, the Star of the Seas, has been pushed back. It means the inaugural cruise has been canceled from Port Canaveral. The cruise line says a construction delay is to blame. "After a review of the work that remains to be done, we’re unfortunately forced to delay the ship’s delivery date," it wrote in an email to booked customers. As a result, we must cancel our inaugural 7-Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day sailing." The delay is just two weeks. A revised maiden voyage is now slated for August 31, 2025. The line has offered a number of rebooking options to the impacted customers. They can opt to take the revised maiden voyage in a same category stateroom or move to either an Icon of the Seas sailing on August 16 or Wonder of the Seas departing on August 17. Alternatively, customers can rebook for any Royal Caribbean cruise subject to any cruise fare difference or apply for a full refund. The 7,600-guest Star of the Seas is powered by liquefied natural gas.

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A seventh Oasis-class ship will join the Royal Caribbean International fleet in 2028. The cruise line has confirmed an order for the new ship with French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique. The new ship order comes ahead of the upcoming debut of Utopia of the Seas this summer. “While we eagerly anticipate the debut of Utopia of the Seas this summer, we’re already dreaming up her sister ship and the next installation in the brand’s extremely popular Oasis class,” CEO Jason Liberty said. The cruise line only recently launched the world’s largest cruiseliner, Icon of the Seas. The Oasis class has been a mainstay of the Royal Caribbean big ship fleet since 2009 when Oasis of the Seas launched. The cruise company is expected to finalize financing for the ship later this year. “This order signals Royal Caribbean Group’s continued confidence in our partnership that has delivered some of the most innovative ships at sea,” said Laurent Castaing, general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique.   

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A feline cruise ship stowaway had an ocean adventure of several thousand miles and now has a new home in the US. A cat named Ovie was smuggled aboard Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas by a guest last month. The cat was thought to have been smuggled aboard in Hawaii and then first spotted by crew in Australian waters. The cat was reported to border officials in New Zealand but was not permitted off the ship. It was all set to be put down until a Guest Services team member stepped in to adopt Ovie. Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley posted the story on Facebook. Bayley said the cat remained on the ship for some time and is now at an employee’s home in Miami. Bayley said the company is unsure how the cat was smuggled aboard and hasn’t named the guest suspected to doing it. "Following local quarantine protocols, the cat was flown back to the United States where we were able to find it a forever home."

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search for a cruise guest who went overboard off the South Carolina coast. The 41-year-old man went overboard on a cruise ship just before Christmas and search and rescue operations have been unsuccessful, the Coast Guard said. Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas was 127 miles east of Charleston, SC when the incident happened. An alert was raised immediately and Coast Guard crews were sent to the area. They have since covered an area of more than 1,625 square miles. The cruise line hasn’t named the guest. "Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said. The ship departed Baltimore on Friday and called at Port Canaveral and then Bimini on Christmas Day. It has a further scheduled call at Freeport, Bahamas today before returning to Baltimore.

Royal Caribbean has taken delivery of newest ship, Icon of the Seas. The 250,800-tonne ship, boasting 20 decks becomes the new, largest cruise ship in the world. It has capacity for 7,600 guests and with crew members, adds up to nearly 10,000. “We are celebrating more than a new ship; it’s also the celebration of the culmination of more than 50 years of innovation to create the ultimate vacation experience,” said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty. Icon of the Seas will sail to Cadiz, Spain for some finishing touches before a transatlantic voyage to its new home in Miami. The maiden voyage, a week-long Caribbean cruise, is scheduled for January 27, 2024. The ship features 40 bars and restaurants, seven pools, a FlowRider wave simulator and a mini golf course. There are 28 different stateroom categories including the three level Family Townhouse.

Port Canaveral welcomed back Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas, now offering short cruises. The Oasis Class ship will sail 3- and 4-night cruise getaways to The Bahamas and private island Perfect Day at CocoCay. "Our partners see a strong demand in our market for shorter itineraries on an Oasis Class ship. We are thrilled to welcome home the Allure of the Seas," said Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. Over the past few months, Port Canaveral has prepared for the arrival of Allure by expanding the parking capacity with approximately one thousand new spaces near Cruise Terminal 1. Allure is the world's fifth-largest cruise ship. It joins other Royal Caribbean ships Wonder of the Seas and Mariner and Adventure of the Seas in Port Canaveral's homeported fleet. The ship’s amenities including a nine-story zip line and two FlowRider surf simulators as well as twin rock-climbing walls, mini-golf, ice skating, and more. Allure features over 30 restaurants, bars, and lounges.

Royal Caribbean Cruises stocks trended up following its quarterly earnings announcement. Shares were up nearly 3% higher after the company raised its full-year outlook. It posted revenues of $4.2 billion for the third quarter. Quarterly profit was $1.1 billion with net yields up 16.7%. Close-in demand remained strong and onboard sales revenue performed strongly too, it said. "The strength of our brands and the acceleration of consumer spending have propelled us towards another outstanding quarter," CEO Jason Liberty said. “Our booked load factors are higher than all prior years and at higher rates.” Royal Caribbean’s fuel costs for the quarter were lower than expected, at $272 million. The company said there was no drop-off in booking volumes throughout the third quarter which is well above 2019 levels. As of the end of September customer deposit balance was at $5 billion. Overall, the outlook for 2024 is rosy, Liberty said.

Royal Caribbean has teased a first look at its new adults-only expansion at Bahamas private island Perfect Day at CocoCay. It is set to open in set to open in January 2024. Called Hideaway Beach, it will contain two pools, drinks and casual dining, cabanas, live music and a private stretch of beach. “Hideaway Beach is a completely new vibe and experience designed for adults who want a day just for them,” said CEO Michael Bayley.  

Welcome to your adults-only beachfront paradise. 🌴 Hideaway Beach at #PerfectDayatCocoCay debuts January 2024. Tap the link to get in on the action. 🔗 https://t.co/bBAarNmXpu pic.twitter.com/tIfQChDKtG

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) September 14, 2023

It is situated on the northwest beach of the Bahamas private island and will have an entry charge. There will be a total of 20 cabanas and seven open-air bars and food spots. Entertainment and activities options consist of beach games and poolside DJ sets. The Hideout VIP area offers exclusive use of one of the pools and cabana attendant service. From 2024, up to 22 ships will call at the Bahamas private island on sailings from up to nine ports.

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.

Royal Caribbean International's is opening a Bahamas beach club for cruise guests. From 2025 guests will get exclusive use of the Royal Beach Club on the western side of Nassau's Paradise Island. Royal Caribbean says its beach clubs offer ‘a distinctly different experience’ than private islands like Perfect Day at CocoCay. It will house private cabanas on the beach, multiple pools and local artisan retail units. Bahamas beach club buildings will be designed in local Bahamian style.

Royal Caribbean Group inked a declaration with Finland to work toward climate neutral cruise ship construction. The declaration includes Meyer Turku to chart the way forward for innovative and sustainable shipbuilding. The partnership will explore a roadmap for climate-neutral ships and test new innovations and technologies. "This new partnership allows us to continue pursuing sustainability,” said Jason Liberty, CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. The partnership also advances Royal Caribbean Group's Destination Net Zero strategy for carbon neutral cruise operations. It comes as Icon of the Seas floated out at Meyer Turku shipyard ahead of its 2024 debut.. The company also has agreements to build two more Icon Class ships.