Topic: It's a record! RCI reveals giant deployment into Europe...

No less than TEN Royal Caribbean ships will sail from Europe in 2011.

ONE HUNDRED itineraries ranging from 3-18 nights will visit 27 countries and 78 ports.

Liberty and Grandeur of the Seas will sail for the first time from Barcelona and Palma respectively.

Independence of the Seas will remain based from Southampton.

For more information, here's the official press release:

LONDON – 17 March 2009:

The 2011 European deployment will be an increase from eight ships in 2010 and offer over 100 unique itineraries, ranging from three to 18 nights and visiting 27 countries and 78 ports. Two ships, Liberty of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas, will sail their maiden European seasons from Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, respectively. Independence of the Seas will continue its year-round service from Southampton and, together with sister ship Liberty of the Seas, brings for the first time to European waters, two Freedom-class ships.

To coincide with the new 2011 deployment schedule, Royal Caribbean International have featured popular Spanish/Italian Mediterranean and Canary Island breaks throughout the new Europe and Mediterranean brochure. The new brochure, packed with cruise options for summer 2011, also highlights a number of exciting cruises all-year-round from Southampton for Independence of the Seas. Most 2011 Royal Caribbean International Europe cruises and cruisetours are now open for sale.

The brochure is broken up into sections dedicated to different holiday choices such as short breaks, traditional 14-night main summer holidays, Northern Europe and winter sun.

Highlights include:

· Continuation of Independence of the Seas sailing all year round from Southampton as well as offering short cruises to Le Havre (Paris) and Cork, as well as 14-night Italian Mediterranean and Mediterranean Treasures options, 11-night Spain and Canary Island cruises and the Ultimate Mediterranean cruises for 18-nights. Prices from £299 per person for a three-night short cruise including an overnight stay in Le Havre (Paris)

· Confirmation of Liberty of the Seas sailing for the first time in Europe from Barcelona offering a number of short fly/cruise to the Western Mediterranean and two short itineraries to the Italian Riviera, as well as 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from £1,089 per person.

· New for 2011 sees Grandeur of the Seas undertaking consecutive 7-night fly/cruise to the Italian Mediterranean and Spanish Mediterranean and home porting for the first time from Palma de Mallorca, Spain from £949 per person.

· Adventure of the Seas offering short Mediterranean cruises based from Malaga (Spain) for the second season. Cruises start at £689 per person for 5-night French Riviera fly/cruise as well as 7-night Western Mediterranean fly/cruise which visits for the first time, Valencia (Spain) from £949 per person.

· Continuing its popular itinerary, Brilliance of the Seas will return to weekly 8-night fly/cruise Arabian Adventure cruises from Dubai around the Arabian Peninsula from £1,189 per person. As well as 13-night Dubai and India fly/cruise featuring Goa and Bombay for £1,779 per person.

· 7-night Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Islands and Turkey from Navigator of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas. A seven-night Greek Isles and Turkey fly/cruise starts from £1,159 per person onboard Voyager of the Seas

· 12-night Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean winter sun options onboard Brilliance of the Seas featuring an overnight in Alexandria (Egypt), as well as Sicily, Greece and Malta. Prices start from £1,089 per person for a fly/cruise with cruise departing Barcelona

· Onboard Vision of the Seas discover St Petersburg & the Baltics with a 7-night fly/cruise for £929 per person, or two short 5-night fly/cruises to the Norwegian Fjords or Amsterdam and Bruges

· Scandinavia and Russia cruises including overnight in St Petersburg from Harwich onboard Jewel of the Seas. Prices for a 12-night fly/cruise itinerary start from £1,619 per person.

Any surprises? Any Royal Caribbean regular?

The only suprise is that is only half the fleet, I expected maybe 12 ships instead of 10. Nothing new in the itineries but with LOTS porting out of Barca at least we now have an option to skip the BOB but only 7 nights in length. Would have liked to have seen 10/11 or even a 14 night option. Looks like we will have to wait a little longer for Oasis or Allure.

Hi
Love it!!
Easyjet to Barca/Palma,,i much prefer 7 nights (try and get 3 cruises in then).Just been in TA,no brochures in yet.
JC

It looks as though loads of ships will be doing the usual ports in the Western Med but not many in the Eastern Med and still fewer in the Eastern Med offering 7 day itineraries.

As someone who is looking for a 7 day Eastern Med cruise for 2011 it looks as though my choices will be as limited as ever

There are no brochures out for a couple of months but all is on the web if you want to check things out

Interestingly the short breaks to Cork and Le Harve fall outside the kids school holidays, unlike previous years. Not sure if this was planned or a marketing slip-up!

With all these ships plus extra from Princess, Costa, MSC and others the Med ports will be like Hyde Park Corner at mid-day, it fills me, an avid cruiser with dread. We have seen it in the Caribbean and places like Santorini, where so many ships are in the same day it spoils it for tourist & locals alike.

We will all end up sitting in tenders, waiting to be ferried ashore by numbers.

QUOTE:

With all these ships plus extra from Princess, Costa, MSC and others the Med ports will be like Hyde Park Corner at mid-day, it fills me, an avid cruiser with dread. We have seen it in the Caribbean and places like Santorini, where so many ships are in the same day it spoils it for tourist & locals alike.

We will all end up sitting in tenders, waiting to be ferried ashore by numbers.

Hi
This happened to us in Cannes last year + there was only 2 ships in.
It was a Sunday + the traffic lights on harbour wall were against us.
It seemed all the yachties going out for the day had priority to come out of the harbour + we sat in tender bobbing about for 40min until we could get in.
JC

Hi

I agree with the comments about too many ships in the Med. Once you have done a couple of cruises in the Med does anybody feel it all gets a bit repetitive ? they are visiting the same old places...I mean how many times can you visit Rome or Venice or Barcelona ? If you look further afield in Asia the cruise companies just send 1 or 2 old ships and do not seem to exploit the area that should be the next growth area.

QUOTE:

With all these ships plus extra from Princess, Costa, MSC and others the Med ports will be like Hyde Park Corner at mid-day, it fills me, an avid cruiser with dread. We have seen it in the Caribbean and places like Santorini, where so many ships are in the same day it spoils it for tourist & locals alike.

We will all end up sitting in tenders, waiting to be ferried ashore by numbers.

I thought we did that already
EDNA
WE WANT A BADGE