Royal Caribbean

Title: Royal Caribbean Category: R Clicks: 3 Listing added: Mar 1, 2009 PageRank: 6/10

Royal Caribbean International is operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, which also operates Celebrity Cruises and Royal Celebrity Tours. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was founded by three Norwegian shipping companies in 1969-Anders Wilhemsen & Co., I.M. Skaugen & Co., and later Gotaas Larsen and a year later its first ship, Song of Norway, entered service. By 1986, several ships had been added to the fleet and the company had created its own exclusive destination resort Labadee on Hispaniola.

In 1988 Royal Caribbean and Admiral Cruises merged. Anders Wilhemsen & Co. bought out its original partners and gained full ownership of Royal Caribbean. Subsequently Wilhelmsen entered into a joint ownership agreement with an entity of the Pritzker family (owner of the Hyatt hotel chain) and the Ofer family who own a major shipping company. As the company grew, adding six more ships to its fleet of four ships over the next five years, it went public, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RCL in 1993. Four years and five more ships later, the company changed its name to Royal Caribbean International in 1997 to reflect its growing global itineraries. In the same year, Celebrity Cruises merged with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. where it operates as a separate brand. By late 2004, RCI’s vessels numbered 18. The company currently is building what will be the world's largest cruise ship, the new ultraVoyager class Freedom of the Seas, with the option for a second build in this category.

SHIPS:

Adventure of the Seas 3,114 p Bahamas Registry

Brilliance of the Seas** 2,100 p Bahamas Registry

Empress of the Seas 2,020 p Bahamas Registry

Enchantment of the Seas* 1,950 p Bahamas Registry

Explorer of the Seas 3,114 p Bahamas Registry

Grandeur of the Seas 1,950 p Bahamas Registry

Jewel of the Seas 2,501 p Bahamas Registry

Legend of the Seas 1,800 p Bahamas Registry

Majesty of the Seas* 2,350 p Bahamas Registry

Mariner of the Seas 3,114 p Bahamas Registry

Monarch of the Seas 2,350 p Bahamas Registry

Navigator of the Seas 3,114 p Bahamas Registry

Radiance of the Seas 2,100 p Bahamas Registry

Rhapsody of the Seas* 2,000 p Bahamas Registry

Sovereign of the Seas* 2,250 p Bahamas Registry

Splendour of the Seas* 1,800 p Bahamas Registry

Vision of the Seas 2,000 p Bahamas Registry

Voyager of the Seas 3,114 p Bahamas Registry

*Transfer to Bahamas Registry from Norway Registry takes place in early 2005.
** Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL (UK) Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

ADDRESS:

1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, Florida 33132
Tel: 1-305-379-2601
1-800-327-6700
Fax: 1-305-536-0140