Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Royal Caribbean International to get a new class of ship

Royal Caribbean International's parent company has signed a letter of intent with German shipyard Meyer Werft to build at least one 4,100-passenger, 158,000-ton ship for the line, with scheduled delivery in fall 2014. The order would also include an option for a second ship, with a spring 2015 delivery. "This next generation will not disappoint," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean's parent company Royal Caribbean' Cruises, Ltd., in a statement. Fain would not divulge any of the features that "Project Sunshine," as the class of ship is now code-named, might have, but he did say to expect "new activities and entertainment concepts." "It will offer features for everyone," Fain said. "From grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families." Fain also said the ships would take the leading-edge energy efficiencies and environmental technologies "one further step." The 158,000-ton ships are almost exactly the same size as Royal Caribbean's 160,000-ton, 3,600-passenger Freedom-class vessels, and significantly smaller than the line's last two new builds, the 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ships. Fain told Wall Street analysts in late January that "the time may be right" to order a new ship, and that the line had been working on a new design.

No comments:

Post a Comment