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BEYONDSHIPS ARTICLES
ROYAL CARIBBEAN
INTERNATIONAL PAGE
ADDRESS:
Royal Caribbean International
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132-2096
THE WINNING EQUATION - -
Focusing on Explorer of the Seas, this article
describes the history of Royal Caribbean.






Founded in 1969, Royal Caribbean International is a
subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
There are 22 ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Royal Caribbean seeks to create an atmosphere of
excitement and adventure in the cruise experiences it
offers. It emphasizes physical activity and "getting out
there" rather than formality and cultural enrichment.
It describes its passengers as "active travelers looking
for an affordable, cost-effective vacation that's
adventurous, relaxing and refined."
Royal Caribbean appeals to couples and singles in their
30s to 50s as well as family vacationers. Indeed, the
line's newer ships have extensive facilities designed for
children and teens. The median age of Royal
Caribbean passengers is in the low-40s with a slightly
lower median for shorter cruises and a slightly higher
one for longer cruises of 10 or more nights.
Approximately half of the passengers sailing with
Royal Caribbean are first time cruisers. However, the
line has a very strong following and a high number of
repeat passengers.
The lifestyle on RCI ships is casual but its cruises
normally include a formal night and the passengers
generally conform to the dress code.
Crew Friendliness and service are also emphasized by
Royal Caribbean which also adds to the atmosphere
particularly on its smaller ships.
Throughout its history Royal Caribbean has been
innovative. It has been a leader in the development of
the mega-cruise ship and operates the largest cruise
ships in service. In addition to size, it has been a
leader introducing facilities and amenities which have
included such non-traditional shipboard facilities as
rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, surfing
simulators, and boxing rings.
Furthermore, the ships are well-designed and
incorporate good quality materials. Keeping in line
with the image it seeks to project, the style is
contemporary and exciting.



The larger RCI ships have an indoor
shopping and dining area that
resembles a city street or an enclosed
mall. Above is the Royal Promenade
on Explorer of the Seas.
The Royal Promenades are decorated in a
colorful and whimsical fashion. Here, an
antique roadster is parked on Liberty of the
Seas' Royal Promenade.
A long-time trademark feature of the RCI ships is
the Viking Lounge located on the funnel of the ships.
Captain William Wright, head of Royal
Caribbean's Marine Operations
INSIDE INDEPENDENCE - -
Discusses Independence of the Seas and Royal
Caribbean's partcicpation in the British cruise
market.
BEYONDSHIPS INSIDER
INTERVIEWS
Cruise line profile - Royal Caribbean - home page
Below: The first, second and
fourth ships built for RCI: Song
of Norway; Nordic Prince and
Song of America.
QUANTUM OF THE SEAS REVEALED -
- - Richard Fain and several Royal Caribbean
International executives discuss Royal's plans
for the first ship in the Quantum class.