ROYAL Caribbean International’s third and longest season in the Gulf ended on a high note with nearly all sailings fully booked. After the last 12-night voyage to India, which departed April 7th, and will visit Cochin, New Mangalore, Goa, Bombay and Muscat, Brilliance of the Seas started her 15-night repositioning cruise through the Suez Canal back to Rome on April 19th, calling at Muscat, Aqaba, Safaga, Sharm el Sheikh and Alexandria.
“We are very happy to see the success of Brilliance of the Seas sailing in the region,” says Helen Beck, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. regional director International Representatives - Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The sailings attracted large numbers of group bookings from Northern Europe, Russia, South Africa and China. With nearly every sailing fully booked we are proud that we brought around 40,000 guests to the region supporting tourism in the ports of calls,” she added.
In recent months, cruise ship safety has been discussed intensively around the world. In Dubai, the Cruise Ship Emergency Response Task Force is a body of national and local emergency response providers who ensure the maritime safety and inspects every cruise ship calling into UAE ports.
Ali Al Daboos, executive director of operations for Dubai Maritime City Authority the lead agency in the task force states: “The initial findings of the cruise sector operating out of Dubai have been very positive. All of the ships have a well-established Solas-compliant routine for directing, mustering and briefing guests during the evacuation drill. We were also impressed by the ship’s agent Wilhelmsen Ships Service because of their proactive approach to safety.”
“On Brilliance of the Seas, we observed best management practices. For example, guests are immediately informed to proceed to the emergency areas and not back to their cabins. Children who are part of the children care programme receive coloured bands immediately so that staff know to which area to bring them to in case of an emergency, while staff wear bright reflective vests and hats so that they can easily be found if someone needsassistance,” Al Daboos said.
“For Royal Caribbean Cruises safety and security are the highest priority, it is part of our culture and our DNA. We are pleased with the feedback we received from the task force and would like to express our appreciation in working closely together with the Dubai Marine Regulatory Regime and Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to make the docking process and berthing as smooth and safe as possible” explains Beck.
Royal Caribbean International announced that Liberty of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas will be among its ships in 2013 to deliver the culture, history, delectable cuisine and hard-to-resist retail opportunities that Europe has to offer. This latest deployment opening offers 121 sailings on 25 itineraries that call at 30 beautiful ports. When added to already announced Independence of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas’ deployment from Southampton, UK, RCI’s 2013 Europe vacation offerings already feature five of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships, sailing to the must-see destinations that make a most exciting and enriching Europe vacation.