Royal Caribbean International's CEO Richard Fain is due in London on February 26 to make a "major news announcement" about a "major increase in European deployment and new-build ships". There has been speculation for some time as to what is going to happen to "Independence of the Seas", the third of the Freedom class ships, currently under construction at the Aker ship yard in Finland and due to enter service in May 2008.

Royal Caribbean, last year, signed a £10 million, seven-year deal with the Port of Southampton to enlarge the port's City Cruise Terminal. Associated British Ports (owners of Southampton's Cruise Terminal) said at the time the agreement to expand the terminal was "so it can accommodate the new generation of large cruise ships." With "Navigator of the Seas" imminent arrival, one could imagine, this was why the agreement was signed. However it now seems that the expansion could be to enable a larger ship than "Navigator" to use the Terminal. With the Freedom class being the current largest cruise ships, then it may be right to speculate that Richard Fain's announcement will be that "Independence of the Seas" will cruise out of Southampton after its inauguration next spring.

If this does happen, then Royal Caribbean International could have 6 ships in Europe, assuming that "Navigator of the Seas" stays in Europe. The others being Voyager, Brilliance, Legend and Splendour of the Seas.

For reference, Freedom class ships weigh 160,000 gross tonnes and can carry 3,600 passengers compared to the Voyager 138,000 gross tonne ships (3,114 passengers). However this monster class ship will soon be surpassed as Royal, are due to unveil a 220,000 gross tonne ship, currently known as "The Genesis Project" in the fall of 2008.

David Edbrooke-Stainer is Web Administrator for The Cruise News and Royal Caribbean Cruise

Source: www.isnare.com