If you are taking a Mediterannean cruise, Royal Caribbean has a new shore excursion for those stopping in Rome.

Royal Caribbean rolled out a new shore excursion to the Pope's private summer residence estate, along with stops at other well-known landmarks such as the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

Since 1626, the estate has served as a second home to the pope. View majestic gardens and a working farmhouse set amid Roman ruins of the ancient Amphitheatre and Villa built by Emperor Domitian and dating back to the 1st Century A.D.

This is the first time this residence has ever been opened.

Royal Caribbean guests will also visit the Pontifical Villas in Castel Gandolfo, the estate’s majestic gardens and the on-site working farmhouse, a panoramic drive across Rome, and an in-depth tour of the world-famous Vatican Museum.

Following the tour, enjoy a panoramic drive through Rome—passing by the Colosseum—before arrival in Vatican City.

The price for the Pope's Summer Residence and Vatican City - CVR2 shore excursion is $165 per adult and $129 for children.  The tour is approximately 10 hours.

Royal Caribbean announced its 2016-2017 deployment schedule for Europe and Alaska and with it, where its cruise ships will be located.

Royal Caribbean’s 2016 Europe itineraries will open for booking starting March 19, 2015, and 2016 Alaska will open on March 26.

Here's a breakdown of the deployments by ship

Harmony of the Seas

Harmony of the Seas, will homeport at Barcelona and sail a round-trip, seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary. Harmony of the Seas will also offer cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia), but guests must sail round-trip for seven nights.

Brilliance of the Seas

Alternate 12-night Italian Mediterranean and Greek & Italian Mediterranean cruises.

Independence of the Seas

Will sail mostly 10- to 14-night Mediterranean or Canary Island cruises from Southampton.

Navigator of the Seas

From Southampton, Navigator of the Seas will offer new six- to 14-night Norwegian Fjords, Baltic, Mediterranean or Canary Island itineraries.

Serenade of the Seas

Seven-night Norwegian Fjords and seven- to 13-night Scandinavia and Russia itineraries, round-trip from Copenhagen, Denmark, in early summer and August, and from Stockholm, Sweden, in June and July.

Jewel of the Seas

Alternate brand new 10-night Greece & Adriatic and 11-night Greece, Turkey & Croatia itineraries from Venice

Vision of the Seas

Alternate seven-night Greek Isles and Greek Isles & Turkey cruises from Venice.

Rhapsody of the Seas

Will homeport at Rome (Civitavecchia) and sail nine-night Greek Isles cruises in early summer and autumn months. From late June through August, the ship will alternate seven-night Greek Isles and Greek & Turkey cruises.

Explorer of the Seas

Based in Seattle, Explorer of the Seas will offer seven-night round-trip itineraries up Tracy Arm Fjords for an incomparable view of Sawyer Glacier.

In September, the ship will sail three Pacific Coastal cruises, seven nights in duration, which feature an overnight in San Francisco, California.

Radiance of the Seas

Alternate seven-night northbound and southbound Alaska cruises between Vancouver, B.C., and Seward.

Earlier this year Royal Caribbean announced Rhapsody of the Seas was to sail to the Black Sea in summer 2015 but Royal Caribbean is now changing those plans.

Royal Caribbean will instead be offering Rhapsody of the Seas sailing an Aegean Sea itinerary, calling on a variety of ports throughout Greece and Turkey.

Rhapsody of the Seas will now offer a 9-night Eastern Mediterannean cruises out of Istanbul along with a 7-night Greece and Turkey itinerary out of Rome.  In addition, there will be 7, 8, 9 and 10-night Greek isles cruises from Rome.

Sister ship Splendour of the Seas is also sailing a similar itinerary during the Summer 2015 season.

Previously the ship was to visit ports in Russia and the Ukraine along the Black Sea.  It's assumed the change in plans is a result of the political unrest in that area.

Rhapsody of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas offer cruises in summer 2015 to Greece, Turkey and – for the first time for Royal Caribbean – Black Sea itineraries. Rhapsody of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas’ summer 2015 Europe seasons also are now open for bookings. 

In June 2015, Rhapsody of the Seas will mark Royal Caribbean’s first time in the Black Sea, offering passengers three round-trip sailings, 10- and 11-night in duration, from Istanbul, Turkey. Guests will join the ship in making maiden port calls at Burgas, Bulgaria; Odessa, Yalta and Sevastapol, Ukraine; and Sochi, Russia, with overnight stays in Odessa, Sochi and Istanbul. Rhapsody of the Seas’ arrival at Istanbul will be preceded by a series of sailings that will reposition the ship from Sydney, Australia, to the Black Sea on Apr. 17, 2015. The ship will sail Australia’s north coast to Singapore; follow the Indian sub-continental coast to Dubai; and transit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean to arrive for the summer season on June 1. 

From July to mid-November, Rhapsody of the Seas will homeport at Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, and sail seven- to 11-night Greece and Turkey itineraries. The seven- and nine-night itineraries focus on smaller ports such as Katakolon, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini in Greece; and Bodrum, Turkey.  Rhapsody of the Seas will then reposition to Sao Paolo, Brazil, for the winter season on a Royal Caribbean trans-Atlantic Ocean Voyage, departing from Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 19. 

Rounding out Royal Caribbean’s summer 2015 Europe season, Splendour of the Seas will return to homeport at Venice, Italy, for the 10th consecutive summer season, and sail seven-night Adriatic and Greek Isles round-trip itineraries for an extended season through November. A special 12-night itinerary from Barcelona to Venice will kick off the season and sail on May 4 to the French and Italian rivieras as well as Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia. 

It's possible Royal Caribbean will be sending the largest cruise ship in the world. Allure of the Seas, to Europe in 2015 according to port information.

According to a ship docking schedule for cruise ports in Italy, Allure of the Seas is scheduled to dock in Naples in October 2015.

The news of Allure of the Seas going to Europe at all has not been confirmed nor announced by Royal Caribbean but cruise schedules are often produced well in advance to secure a spot.  

One possible scenario is Allure of the Seas is going to Europe for routine drydock maintenance and will offer a few cruises while "in the area", which is similar to what Oasis of the Seas has planned for next summer.

Royal Caribbean is offering a "Kids Tour Free" offer for its 2014 Europe cruises, where new reservations for 2014 Royal Caribbean European cruises will recieve free shore excursions for kids 12 and under when two adults in the same stateroom book the same excursion.   In order to take advantage of the Kids Tour Free offer, guests must purchase their Europe cruise from August 24 through September 30, 2013 and can book their shore excursion through December 15, 2013.  

In addition, Royal Caribbean is offering guests $1,000 off any balcony or higher stateroom when they book their seven-night or longer Europe 2014 cruise between August 24 through September 30, 2013 and theirair travel through Royal Caribbean’s ChoiceAir program from August 24 through December 15, 2013. Royal Caribbean is also giving vacationers the opportunity to book their cruise with a 50 percent reduced stateroom deposit.

Guests interested in taking advantage of the “Kids Tour Free” offer should visit RoyalCaribbean.com/KidsTourFree for more information.

Royal Caribbean Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Lisa Bauer, commented on the new sale, "As kids head back to school, it’s the perfect time for families to start planning their next vacation, especially when you can take advantage of a value driven offer like Kids Tour Free.   Europe cruise vacation is the ideal itinerary to bring text books to life as young minds explore one of our many educational and enriching ports and shore excursions. Plus, the best way for families to enjoy all that Europe has to offer is to combine it with a diverse array of onboard activities from the Flowrider surf simulator and rock climbing wall to a Broadway show and spectacular entertainment for an experience only found on Royal Caribbean."

Royal Caribbean Italy general director Gianni Rotondo says that Naples, Italy plays a strategic role in Royal Caribbean's 2013 cruise plans with 84 ports of call, which will bring more than 250,000 cruise passengers through the city.

Liberty of the Seas will be one of four Royal Caribbean ships to call on Naples this year.  In 2014, Naples will be a port of call when Oasis of the Seas arrives for a short European cruise season as well. All of this is "a great opportunity for the city in terms of economic return and tourism development."

The company has bet their cruise strategy on Naples, in the belief that "the whole South of Italy", said Rotondo, "has great potential and we hope to increase more and more our presence in the area thanks to the significant synergies with the local authorities" .

Through August 30 guests aboard Liberty of the Seas can take a seven-day cruise with stops in Barcelona (Spain), Toulon (France), Villefranche (France), La Spezia, Civitavecchia and return to Naples.
 

Royal Caribbean is planning to make more reductions to its fleet of cruise ships offering European sailings in 2014.

Included in Royal Caribbean's first quarter financial results, the company indicated it plans to reduce 2014 year-over-year capacity in Europe by an additional 10%.  This change will mean in 2014 its European cruises will account for 25% of its capacity.

Royal Caribbean has steadily been scaling back the number of cruise ships it sends to Europe after a few years in a row of mediocre sales thanks in part to financial instability in the region as well as negative media related to the Costa Concordia tragedy.

Royal Caribbean did report demand for its "micro-deployment" of Oasis of the Seas to Europe in 2014 is showing "exceptionally strong" demand.  The two-month adventure to Europe for Oasis of the Seas centers around a scheduled drydock stop in Rotterdam.