With 22 cruise ships, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is the second largest cruise line in the world. There are six classes of vessels in their fleet. And all of them introduced exciting new features and amenities that resulted in sleepless nights for their competitors.

Sovereign of the Seas, which launched in 1988, was cruising’s first megaship. And RCI has never looked back. Sovereign’s atrium lobby influenced nearly every cruise ship that followed. And the bragging rights that come with having the biggest ship at sea, more often than not rest with RCI. Read more…

Royal Caribbean has a long history of introducing bigger, shinier cruise ships with amenities and activities that turn out to be game changers in cruising. They’re the ones to thank for rock-climbing walls, skating rinks, FlowRider surfing simulators, and boxing rings.

Maybe that’s why the introduction of their Oasis of the Seas was so eagerly awaited. And why pretty much everyone believes it was worth the wait, and the $1.4 billion price tag. Read more…

When Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Freedom of the Seas launched in 2006, she was the biggest cruise ship in the world. With a capacity of 5,400 passengers, Oasis of the Seas has since overtaken her, but Freedom is still one of the best cruise ships for families, especially those with older kids.

Read more…