Royal Caribbean Reduces Europe Fleet to Nine for 2013

Royal Caribbean International, which is operating 12 ships in Europe this year, will reduce that number to nine for the 2013 season. The line announced today that Legend of the Seas and Vision of the Seas will complete the Europe 2013 deployment, joining U.K.-based Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas, Barcelona-based Liberty of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas, and Italy-based Navigator of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas. Overall, the line offers 276 sailings to 88 ports on 58 Europe itineraries.

This year, Royal Caribbean operated 11 core ships in Europe, while the Voyager of the Seas offered sailings on the continent while it repositioned to China.

In May and August, Vision of the Seas will alternate seven-night Norwegian fjords and Scandinavia/Russia itineraries from Copenhagen, Denmark. In July, the ship will offer the Scandinavia and Russia sailings from Stockholm. Two “Ultimate Scandinavia & Russia” itineraries feature two overnights in St. Petersburg. An 11-night sailing departs June 19 from Copenhagen and concludes with an overnight at Stockholm; a 10-night itinerary departs on July 28 from Stockholm and ends with an overnight at Copenhagen. Vision also will operate two other cruises from Copenhagen—a 10-night British Isles cruise departing on Aug. 7 and an 11-night sailing on June 8 that ventures up the Norwegian Coast and into the Arctic Circle.

Legend of the Seas divides its Europe summer between the homeports of Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, and Venice. From May through August, the ship will sail a seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary, calling at Genoa, Italy; Provence (Marseille), France; and Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia, Spain. A nine-night circumnavigation of the Italian peninsula, departing Aug. 31, moves Legend of the Seas to Venice, from where the ship will operate 10-night Greek Isles and 11-night Greece/Turkey itineraries in September and October.

http://www.travelpulse.com/royal-caribbean-reduces-europe-fleet-to-nine-for-2013.html