Royal Caribbean Adds 3 Ships to 2013 Europe Lineup

Royal Caribbean International said Liberty of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas will be among its Europe ships in 2013, joining the previously announced Independence of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas, both sailing from Southampton. Additional deployments to Europe will be announced this month.

During 2012, the RCI brand has a record dozen ships in Europe, up from 10 in 2011.

The 2013 Europe cruises and cruise-tours for the five vessels are open for booking. Cruise-tour choices include a five-night Venice, Florence and Rome offering followed by a sailing aboard Navigator of the Seas, and a four-night Madrid and Barcelona program coupled with a sailing aboard Serenade of the Seas.

RCIs Betsy ORourke, svp marketing, cited the DreamWorks experience on Liberty of the Seas, the ice skating shows on Navigator of the Seas and the self-leveling pool tables on Serenade of the Seas as distinctive brand features. She added that Liberty of the Seas will be the only European sea-going venue to air Madagascar 3 in 3-D, making it a perfect option for families.

Also, RCI will offer interporting options from Toulon, Naples and Sicilys Messina.

Liberty of the Seas will sail round-trip Barcelona from April through October next year, beginning with five-night cruises that call at France and Italy. Then the ship will depart every Sunday to ports on the French and Italian rivieras, including Toulon, Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples. Passengers may choose to sail round-trip Toulon or Naples instead of Barcelona.

Navigator of the Seas will operate seven-night eastern Mediterranean round-trips from Civitavecchia to ports including Messina, Turkeys Kusadasi and Greeces Piraeus and Souda (Crete). Passengers may instead sail round-trip Messina.

Serenade of the Seas offers 12-night Mediterranean Greek Isles and Mediterranean Venice itineraries, both round-trip Barcelona. There are several itinerary variations, but nearly all Mediterranean Greek Isles cruises call at Cannes, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Salerno (Naples), Piraeus, Santorini and Kusadasi.

The Mediterranean Venice itinerary also has variations, but all cruises overnight in Venice and visit Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples and Ravenna, plus a call at Cannes or Monte Carlo.