Royal Caribbean International facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Royal Caribbean International (RCI), once known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a big cruise line company. It started in 1968 in Norway. Since 1997, it has been part of a larger company called Royal Caribbean Group.

Royal Caribbean International is based in Miami, Florida, U.S.. It is one of the biggest cruise lines in the world. In 2018, many people chose to cruise with Royal Caribbean. As of January 2024, the company has 28 ships sailing the seas. They also have three more new ships being built.

Quick facts for kids
Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas
Formerly	Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (1968–1997)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Tourism
Founded	1968; 57 years ago (1968) in Norway
Headquarters	25°46′31″N 80°10′41″W / 25.7753°N 80.1780°W / 25.7753; -80.1780, Miami, Florida , U.S.
Areas served	Worldwide
Key people	Michael Bayley (President & CEO)
Services	Cruises
Parent	Royal Caribbean Group

History of Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was started in 1968. Three shipping companies from Norway worked together to create it.

Royal Caribbean's first ship, Song of Norway

The company's first ship was the Song of Norway. It began sailing in 1970. A year later, they added the Nordic Prince. In 1972, the Sun Viking joined the fleet.

In 1978, Song of Norway was made longer. Workers added a new section in the middle of the ship. This made the ship bigger and able to carry more people. The Nordic Prince was also made longer in 1980. In 1982, Royal Caribbean launched the Song of America.

Royal Caribbean's third ship, Sun Viking

In 1986, Royal Caribbean leased a special place in Labadie, Haiti. This place became a private beach for their guests. They called it Labadee.

In 1988, the company launched the Sovereign of the Seas. This was the biggest passenger ship at that time. Royal Caribbean also bought another cruise company, Admiral Cruises.

Two years later, in 1990, the Nordic Empress and Viking Serenade started sailing. Royal Caribbean also bought a second private island. This island in the Bahamas was named CocoCay.

Majesty of the Seas and Monarch of the Seas in Nassau, Bahamas

More large ships were built in the early 1990s. The Monarch of the Seas arrived in 1991. The Majesty of the Seas followed in 1992. Royal Caribbean became a public company in 1993. This meant people could buy shares in the company.

Becoming Royal Caribbean International

In 1997, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line joined with a Greek cruise line called Celebrity Cruises. At this time, the company changed its name to Royal Caribbean International. A new parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, was formed. This company owned both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

In 2000, Royal Caribbean started offering "cruise tours" in Alaska. These tours combined a cruise with land trips. Guests could ride in special trains with glass roofs to see the beautiful scenery. They later added similar tours in Europe.

Even larger ships were built, called the Oasis class. The Oasis of the Seas launched in 2009. The Allure of the Seas followed in 2010. These ships were the biggest in the world. Royal Caribbean ordered more Oasis-class ships in 2012 and 2014.

In 2013, Royal Caribbean announced a new type of ship, the Quantum class. The first two ships were Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. A third Quantum-class ship, Ovation of the Seas, was announced in 2014. The third Oasis-class ship was named Harmony of the Seas in 2015.

Royal Caribbean sometimes sells older ships. In 2015, they sold Splendour of the Seas. In 2016, they sold Legend of the Seas. Both went to another cruise line called TUI Cruises.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020, Royal Caribbean stopped most of its cruises. They also sold Empress of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas. In December 2020, Quantum of the Seas was the first ship to start sailing again from Singapore.

In June 2021, Ovation of the Seas was the first cruise ship to return to the Port of Seattle. This happened after the COVID-19 pandemic had caused many cruises to stop.

New Technologies and Partnerships

In August 2022, Royal Caribbean announced a partnership with SpaceX. They will use Starlink internet technology on all their ships. This will help improve internet connections for guests at sea.

Royal Caribbean's Fleet

Since the Sovereign of the Seas launched in 1987, most Royal Caribbean ships have names ending with "of the Seas".

Current Ships

Vision Class Ships

The Vision class has ships built in France and Finland. They are about 70,000 to 80,000 gross tons in size. These ships have a lot of glass, including over 2 acres (8,100 m²) of glass windows. In 2005, Enchantment of the Seas was made longer. Royal Caribbean sold Splendour of the Seas and Legend of the Seas to another company. Grandeur of the Seas was planned to be transferred, but it stayed in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Grandeur of the Seas	1996	73,817	1,992	2,440	Last updated in 2012.
Rhapsody of the Seas	1997	78,878	1,998	2,416	Last updated in 2012.
Enchantment of the Seas	1997	82,910	2,252	2,730	Made longer in 2005. Last updated in 2013.
Vision of the Seas	1998	78,717	2,050	2,514	Last updated in 2013.

Voyager Class Ships

The Voyager-class ships were the biggest in the world when they were built. They were the first to have an ice skating rink on a ship. They also introduced the "Royal Promenade," a long indoor street with shops and cafes. These ships were built in Finland and are around 137,000 gross tons.

Onboard activities include a basketball court, pools, mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, and an ice skating rink. Some ships also have a Flowrider surf simulator.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Voyager of the Seas	1999	138,194	3,114	3,840	Last updated in 2019.
Explorer of the Seas	2000	138,194	3,114	3,840	Planned update postponed.
Adventure of the Seas	2001	138,193	3,114	3,807	Last updated in 2016.
Navigator of the Seas	2002	139,999	3,376	4,000	Last updated in 2019.
Mariner of the Seas	2003	139,863	3,114	3,807	Last updated in 2018.

Radiance Class Ships

All Radiance-class ships are 90,090 gross tons. They use special, cleaner gas turbine engines. These ships have over 3 acres (12,000 m²) of glass. They feature glass elevators with ocean views and many balcony rooms. They also have the first self-leveling billiard tables at sea. These ships were built in Germany. They are designed to fit through the Panama Canal.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Radiance of the Seas	2001	90,090	2,143	2,466	Last updated in 2011.
Brilliance of the Seas	2002	90,090	2,142	2,543	Last updated in 2013.
Serenade of the Seas	2003	90,090	2,146	2,476	Last updated in 2012.
Jewel of the Seas	2004	90,090	2,112	2,502	Last updated in 2016.

Freedom Class Ships

The Freedom-class ships are longer versions of the Voyager class. They have a 400-foot (120 m) long Royal Promenade, an ice rink, basketball court, pools, mini-golf, and a rock climbing wall. New features include the FlowRider surf simulator and the H2O Zone water park for kids. They also have hot tubs that hang over the side of the ship. At over 154,000 gross tons, these were the biggest ships in the world from 2006 until the Oasis class arrived in 2009.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Freedom of the Seas	2006	156,271	3,782	4,515	Last updated in 2020.
Liberty of the Seas	2007	155,889	3,798	4,960	Last updated in 2016.
Independence of the Seas	2008	155,889	3,634	4,375	Last updated in 2018.

Oasis Class Ships

The Oasis-class ships are some of the largest passenger ships ever built. They can hold up to 5,400 passengers (double occupancy) and up to 6,780 passengers in total. These ships are over 225,000 gross tons and cost about $1.4 billion each.

The first two ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, were delivered in 2009 and 2010. The third and fourth, Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas, were built in France. These ships were the first to have the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. Royal Caribbean ordered a sixth Oasis-class ship, named Utopia of the Seas, for delivery in 2024.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Oasis of the Seas	2009	226,838	5,400	6,780	Last updated in 2019.
Allure of the Seas	2010	225,282	5,492	6,780	Planned update postponed.
Harmony of the Seas	2016	226,963	5,497	6,687
Symphony of the Seas	2018	228,081	5,518	6,680
Wonder of the Seas	2022	236,857	5,734	6,988

Quantum Class Ships

The Quantum-class ships were the second largest cruise ships when they first sailed. They have indoor pools with retractable roofs and lots of glass. Unique features include the "North Star" observation capsule, which lifts guests high above the ship. They also have "RipCord by iFLY," a skydiving simulator. The "Two70°" lounge has panoramic windows that turn into projection screens. The SeaPlex facility offers activities like basketball, roller skating, and bumper cars. These ships were designed with many different dining options instead of one main dining room.

Five ships in this class have been built as of 2021: Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Quantum of the Seas	2014	168,666	4,180	4,905
Anthem of the Seas	2015	168,666	4,180	4,905
Ovation of the Seas	2016	168,666	4,180	4,905
Spectrum of the Seas	2019	169,379	4,246	5,622	First Quantum Ultra Class ship
Odyssey of the Seas	2021	167,704	4,200	5,510	2nd Quantum Ultra-class cruise ship

Icon Class Ships

The Icon-class ships are the largest cruise ships ever built. They are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). This makes them more environmentally friendly. They also use fuel cells to make electricity and fresh water. These ships are about 250,800 gross tons.

Icon of the Seas was delivered in November 2023. The second ship, Star of the Seas, is expected in 2025. A third ship is planned for 2026.

Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Year built	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Icon of the Seas	2023	248,663	5,610	7,600	1st LNG powered ship in the fleet, largest cruise ship in the world by gross tonnage

Future Ships

Royal Caribbean has more ships planned for the future.

Ship	Class	Estimated date of completion	Current status	Gross tonnage	Berths		Notes	Ship image
Ship	Class	Estimated date of completion	Current status	Gross tonnage	Double	Maximum	Notes	Ship image
Utopia of the Seas	Oasis class	Spring 2024	Keel laid in July 2022	236,860	5,668		6th Oasis-class cruise ship. 1st LNG powered Oasis class.
Star of the Seas	Icon class	2025	Keel laid in December 2023	250,800	5,610		2nd LNG powered Icon class.
TBA	Icon class	2026	Steel cutting started in January 2024	250,800	5,610		3rd LNG powered Icon class.
TBA	Oasis class	2028	Ordered	236,860	5,668		7th Oasis-class cruise ship. 2nd LNG powered Oasis class, sister ship to Utopia of the seas.

Past Ships

Royal Caribbean has operated many ships over the years. Some have been sold or scrapped.

Ship	Class	Year built	Duration in service for Royal Caribbean International	Current status	Gross tonnage	Notes
Song of Norway	Song of Norway class	1970	1970–1997	Scrapped in 2013 as the Formosa Queen.	22,945	Lengthened in 1978
Nordic Prince	Song of Norway class	1971	1971–1995	Scrapped in 2015 as the Pacific	23,149	Lengthened in 1980
Sun Viking	Song of Norway class	1972	1972–1998	Sold for scrap in 2021.	16,607
Song of America	Song of America class	1982	1982–1999	Operating as the Celestyal Olympia for Celestyal Cruises	37,584
Viking Serenade	-	1982	1990–2002	Scrapped in 2018 as the Ocean Gala 1.	40,171	Transferred from Royal Caribbean's subsidiary Admiral Cruises in 1990.
Sovereign of the Seas	Sovereign class	1987	1988–2008	Scrapped in 2020 as the Sovereign	73,192	Largest cruise ship from 1987 to 1990.
Monarch of the Seas	Sovereign class	1991	1991–2013	Scrapped in 2020 as the Monarch	73,192
Splendour of the Seas	Vision class	1996	1996–2016	Operating as the Marella Discovery for Marella Cruises	69,130
Legend of the Seas	Vision class	1995	1995–2017	Operating as the Marella Discovery 2 for Marella Cruises	69,130
Empress of the Seas	Empress class	1990	1990–2008 2016–2020	Sold to Cordelia Cruises	48,563	Sailed for Pullmantur Cruises as Empress from 2008 to 2016.
Majesty of the Seas	Sovereign class	1992	1992–2020	Sold to Seajets and renamed Majesty of the Oceans	78,941

Private Destinations

Royal Caribbean owns two private resorts. These are special stops on some of their Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.

Labadee: A resort on the northern coast of Haiti.
Coco Cay: A private island in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas.

Both places have beaches, places to eat, and activities for guests. The company plans to open more private resorts in Asia and on Lelepa Island, Vanuatu.

Ports Where Ships Sail From

Royal Caribbean ships sail from many ports around the world.

US Ports

In the United States, Royal Caribbean ships sail from:

Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Cape Liberty Cruise Port
Honolulu Harbor
PortMiami
Port of Seattle
Port of Galveston in Galveston, Texas
Port of Los Angeles
Port of New Orleans
Port of San Diego
Port of Seward in Seward, Alaska
Port of Baltimore
Port of Boston
Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Port Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida
Port of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico

International Ports

Around the world, Royal Caribbean ships sail from ports like:

Port of Amsterdam
Port of Barcelona
Port of Quebec
Port of Shenzhen
Port of Stockholm
Port of Vancouver
Port of Auckland
Port of Beijing
Port of Civitavecchia
Port of Singapore
Port of Sydney
Port of Venice
Port of Copenhagen
Port of Hong Kong
Port of Melbourne
Port of Shanghai
Port of Southampton
Marmagao Port, Goa

Awards and Recognition

Royal Caribbean has won several awards for its cruises:

"Best Cruise Line Overall" in 2016 by Travel Weekly
"Cruise Line of the Year 2018" by Cruisedaily