Royal Caribbean to Base Three Ships in Northeast in 2010

Royal Caribbean International will base three ships in the Northeast U.S. in 2010, offering cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada and New England from four homeports.

Explorer of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Baltimore; Boston; Norfolk, Va.; and Cape Liberty in Bayonne, N.J. In total, the ships will offer 84 sailings –16 more than last year- on 14 itineraries, calling at 22 ports on five- to nine-night cruises. Bookings for cruises opened March 25.

The deployment was unveiled to more than 400 travel professionals at an agent appreciation event at the Port of Baltimore. Enchantment of the Seas’ debut in the Northeast will mark the line’s first year-round deployment in the Maryland port.

The 2,252-guest Enchantment will replace the 1,950-guest Grandeur of the Seas and increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in the region by 302 berths, comprising an additional 36 balcony and 87 ocean-view staterooms. The ship also will offer more family-friendly onboard amenities, including expanded youth programming spaces and Royal Caribbean’s steakhouse, Chops Grille.

Enchantment of the Seas’ initial Baltimore deployment will include five-night Bermuda and nine-night Eastern Caribbean roundtrips in the summer and autumn seasons. The ship will first sail the same itineraries in May and June from the Port of Norfolk, exclusively offering Bermuda cruises. The winter and spring season itineraries will be announced at a later date.

Explorer of the Seas will continue its year-round service from Cape Liberty in April 2010. The ship’s fourth consecutive year of service in the New York metropolitan area will feature a five-night Bermuda cruise and two alternating nine-night “Bermuda and Caribbean” and “Bermuda and Bahamas” itineraries.

In addition, Explorer’s season kicked off with a 13-night Southern Caribbean sailing on March 28. Both Explorer of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas’ short Bermuda cruises will feature a two-day call at Kings Wharf. Explorer of the Seas’ Bermuda and Bahamas itineraries include a day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island paradise in the Bahamas, while Enchantment’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary will call at Labadee, the private beach destination on the northern coast of Haiti.

Royal Caribbean also will return to Canada and New England in autumn 2010 with sailings from Baltimore, Boston and Cape Liberty, offering 14 itineraries ranging from seven to nine nights, visiting Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Jewel of the Seas will sail seven-night roundtrips from Boston, while Explorer and Enchantment will each offer four nine-night cruises from Cape Liberty and Baltimore, respectively. Enchantment of the Seas also will offer an eight-night roundtrip itinerary on June 18, which will add extended port time in Halifax and Bar Harbor.