NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Royal Caribbean International hosts 2,000-plus agents on refurbished Independence of the Seas on a two- day sailing. Amie Keeley reports from Southampton


The refurbished Independence of the Seas


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Watch our video of the new highlights on Independence: go.travelweekly. co.uk/indy


Royal to double the size of Ultimate suite on Spectrum


Royal Caribbean International is to double the size of its Ultimate Family Suite on new ship Spectrum of the Seas.


The 1,346sq ft suite was first


unveiled on Symphony of the Seas, sleeps eight and features a floor- to-ceiling Lego wall, 3D cinema and slide from the children’s bedrooms to the living room. It costs £30,000 a week. The line said it had been bowled


over by its popularity and was looking to extend it to other ships on a “scalable basis”. President and chief executive


Michael Bayley said: “We’re coming


out with one twice as big on Spectrum for the Chinese market. “We will refine the design then


decide how we’re going to handle the concept across the fleet. We’ll look at what elements are popular with families and see how we can add them to other family accommodation.” The final design of the new,


larger Ultimate Family Suite is still being worked on, with details to be


announced in the coming weeks. Spectrum of the Seas, Royal


New features: Independence of the Seas Sky Pad


l Sky Pad virtual reality trampoline l Splashaway Bay water park l Perfect Storm water slides l Laser tag gun game l Puzzle break escape room l Izumi – Japanese dining l Fish & Ships poolside eatery l Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade


Caribbean’s first Quantum Ultra- Class ship, will launch in spring 2019 and be based in Shanghai.


Speaking on newly-refurbished Independence of the Seas, Bayley said the line was poised to reveal details of its new ‘Perfect Day’ private islands in Asia in July. The company is in negotiations


over “several” islands in the Asia-Pacific region which Bayley said the line planned to feature on sailings from 2022. “They are a natural progression,” he said. “Adding this to itineraries


enhances guest satisfaction.” Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first destination in the collection to be announced, is a $200 million transformation of the cruise line’s existing private island in the Bahamas and will be introduced in phases from September. The island has a 13-slide


waterpark; the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Oasis Lagoon; a 487-metre zip-line; a helium balloon which floats up to 137 metres above ground; and over- water cabanas for overnight stays.


Independence of the Seas ‘on track for best-ever year’


Sales for newly-refurbished ship Independence of the Seas are ahead of last year with no availability until August. “We are on track to have our best-ever year and the UK is absolutely playing its role in that performance,” said Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean International’s managing director for the UK and Ireland. “Since last year the


currency is more buoyant and a lot better than it was. The high street, especially the multiples, were slow to get going at the beginning of the year but they have performed well since and we are continuing to be able to charge more for our holidays. “Independence has sold


better than at this time last year. We’re sold out until the end of July.” Independence returned to Southampton last week after undergoing a multimillion- pound refresh, with a host of features added (see box). It will operate European cruises until November before relocating to the Caribbean.


12 travelweekly.co.uk 17 May 2018


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