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Over half Royal Caribbean fleet calls Europe and Med home in 2011

An incredible 11 Royal Caribbean International ships will be based in Europe and the Mediterranean in summer 2011 for the largest ever deployment of its kind for the cruise line.

To support the sales push, a new Worldwide brochure featuring Europe and Mediterranean holidays has now been released.

The bumper season sees new sailings designed to target more first time cruisers than ever before such as Grandeur of the Seas from the popular holiday resort of Palma de Mallorca. Two of the family resort style Freedom-class ships based in Europe (Independence of the Seas from Southampton and Liberty of the Seas from Barcelona), and three and four-night taster cruises onboard Independence of the Seas to Le Havre (Paris) and Cork, increase the appeal for new cruisers.

Royal Caribbean has introduced a series of offers to support agents looking to secure early bookings for the 2011-2012 season including free car parking in Southampton on selected Independence of the Seas sailings, regional flights from throughout the UK and Ireland to Southampton from just £70 and savings of up to £500 per stateroom available on various cruises in Europe and the Mediterranean. An 8-night fly/cruise from Dubai onboard Brilliance of the Seas costs from £874.00 per person based on an inside cabin; and a 14-night cruise to the Italian Mediterranean onboard Independence of the Seas from Southampton costs from £1,116 per person based on an inside cabin.

Jo Rzymowska, RCCL’s UK associate vice president and general manage, commented: “The deployment of half our fleet in Europe and the Mediterranean for the first time in 2011 reinforces our commitment to international growth and to the UK and Irish markets in particular.  ”

Highlights and changes

New overnight stays in Palma de Mallorca on 14-night Mediterranean cruises from Southampton onboard Independence of the Seas

Vision of the Seas offering ten and 11-night Holy Land cruises from the new home port of Istanbul

New Adriatic Sea seven-night sailings from Voyager of the Seas calling at Bari and Ravenna in Italy, and Koper in Slovenia - firsts for Royal Caribbean International

La Spezia in Italy featured for the first time by Royal Caribbean International and included on seven-night Italian Mediterranean cruises from Grandeur of the Seas or can be extended into a 14-night Italian and Spanish Mediterranean cruise

Adventure of the Seas increases the number of seven-night western Mediterranean cruises from the homeport of Malaga

Offering cruises in the Mediterranean for the first time, Liberty of the Seas will spend summer 2011 based from Barcelona with a series of four, five and seven-night options

Also a new addition to the Europe-based fleet, Mariner of the Seas will offer Holy Land, Egypt and Mediterranean cruises from six to 13-nights from Rome (Civitavecchia)

Based from Rome (Civitavecchia), Navigator of the Seas will replace its previous Western Mediterranean cruises with a series of sailings dedicated to the Eastern Mediterranean featuring destinations such as Athens (Piraeus) and Chania (Crete)

Longer Greek Islands and Turkey cruises of ten and 11-nights from Splendour of the Seas including overnights in Venice

British Isles and Normandy sailing from Vision of the Seas, pictured above, featuring Dublin, Liverpool and Edinburgh, in addition to range of Scandinavia cruises from four to seven-nights

Plus, following a very successful reaction from UK and Irish guests, Brilliance of the Seas returns to Dubai in November 2011, two months earlier than her season in 2010. In addition to a longer season, the ship will offer a series of revamped itineraries featuring even more of the Middle East and India. The new 12-night Dubai and India cruises features destinations such as Mangalore (India) for the first time.

For winter 2011-2012 new developments for Royal Caribbean include two ships - Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas - in Australia and New Zealand, the new homeport of New Orleans for Voyager of the Seas and the addition of Allure of the Seas to the fleet based from Fort Lauderdale.

New for Australia, the 2,501-guest Radiance of the Seas will be the largest Royal Caribbean ship ever deployed to the region. Itineraries range from 12, 14 and 16-night cruises to New Zealand and the South Pacific from Sydney, to an 18-night Australia and New Zealand adventure, and an 11-night Hawaii cruise.