Brilliance of the Seas making her way to Dubai for second season and record number of 11 ships deployed in Europe
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL), with its three global brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, reported that early indications for 2011 are encouraging. Whilst early in the booking cycle, 2011 yields are trending positively in all four quarters and the company expects yield increases in 2011 comparable to 2010. First quarter 2011 Net Yields are currently expected to improve by two to four percent.In the Middle East Royal Caribbean International has had a regional office since 1993 working successfully on outbound cruise sales. They started inbound bookings last year when the company deployed its first ship in the region with the homeporting of Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai. After a very successful first season, Brilliance of the Seas is currently sailing from Barcelona to Dubai, docking in Alexandria, Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan on January 14 and 17 respectively, leading up to her second consecutive Gulf season which starts on January 24th. In addition to nine 7-night sailings from Dubai around the region, the new plans for 2011 includes two longer 12 night sailings, calling in to three Indian ports – Mumbai, Goa and Cochin.
“For the first time we will call into India and we are very excited, because the market has great potential and we believe the interest from the GCC will be high,” says Lakshmi Durai, Executive Director for Royal Caribbean Cruises in the Middle East.
Due to Brilliance of the Sea’s successful first season and a very promising booking status for the second, the ship will return in November 2011 for an even longer season until April 2012.
While the majority of guests of the regional sailings come from UK followed by Germany, Mediterranean itineraries are highly favored by Middle East guests.
“European sailings are very popular, over the last years we have had constant booking increases from both within the region and also from other parts of the world; which is why Royal Caribbean International deployed a record number of 11 ships sailing from 11 popular and historic European ports in summer 2011”, she explains.
The cruise line’s 2011 Europe cruise and cruise tour season is the biggest ever European deployment and will offer 109 unique itineraries, ranging from three to 15 nights and visiting 27 countries and 78 ports.
Liberty of the Seas will sail her maiden Europe season from Barcelona and Grandeur of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean’s first ship to homeport at Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Independence of the Seas will continue its year-round service from Southampton, U.K. and, with Liberty of the Seas, make two Freedom-class ships to sail European waters as the largest and most innovative cruise ships. Navigator of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas (summer season after sailings in Dubai), and Splendour of the Seas will sail a variety of Mediterranean itineraries, while Jewel of the Seas and Vision of the Seas will sail in Northern Europe.
Dedicated to providing unique travel experiences, Royal Caribbean’s enhanced offerings will empower guests to create European cruise vacations that meet their individual style, needs and preferences. Royal Caribbean also will be expanding its existing shore excursion services by nearly doubling the number of “Easy” tours for accessible sight-seeing throughout the 57 unique itineraries currently available. 
To accommodate multigenerational travels, the global cruise line is debuting new half-day excursions designed specifically with families in mind. Examples include gastronomic experiences such as “Pizza Making for Families” in Sorrento, Italy, featuring a city tour followed by a pizza making class and lunch to enjoy the family’s culinary creations, as well as “Sea Kayaking” in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where guests can explore the outdoors and admire the historical city walls from a unique perspective, a kayak at sea level.
“If families and couples have been waiting for the right time to cruise in Europe, it has arrived. With so many great itineraries and ships, Royal Caribbean International cruises and cruise tour land packages offer the best value for vacationers to experience vibrant cultures and compelling destinations throughout Europe,” concluded Durai.
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 22 ships currently in service. The line also offers unique cruise tour land packages in Alaska, Canada, Dubai, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand
