Photo by Dayle Drinkwater

CruiseLineFans posted an article that is looking at the effects of cruising on Europe and the overall trend that cruise lines are experiencing to move their ships to Europe to meet the growing demand there.  In the article, there's a mention about Royal Caribbean's strategy of increasing their presence in Europe and competing against not only their traditional counterparts (NCL, Carnival) but also stalwarts of European cruising such as P&O, Thomson and others. 

Royal Caribbean International will have eleven ships in Europe in 2011, with the latest addition being Mariner of the Seas, having left Los Angeles for Rome. Mariner will sail from March to November 2011, while the Liberty of the Seas will be based in Barcelona and the Independence of the Seas now will sail year-round from Southampton, England.

Royal Caribbean will also base a ship in Palma, the traditional base for tour operator ships (such as TUI/Thomson, with whom they halve a half interest in TUI Cruises) and also to take on Aida Cruises.

Stephen Sinfield of the Burton Mail Travel returned from another cruise aboard Independence of the Seas and to say he is impressed by his experiences on this ship would be an understatement.  Sinfield wrote a review of his time on the ship and more than anything else, it's the amenities and sheer size of the ship that continue to impress him the most.

What makes the ship so special is its size.
Because it is so huge, it has the space to offer 15 decks of activity, entertainment and accommodation.
These 15 decks include everything from an ice skating rink through to a rock climbing wall, surf simulator, miniature golf and full-size basketball court. Not forgetting the gym, swimming pools, whirlpools, three-tier theatre and casino.

If you're considering a cruise on Independence of the Seas, Sinfield writes a good overall review of the ship, outlining the various options available to the cruise guest from entertainment to food to what to do onboard.

The size of the Independence enables it to create an atmosphere suitable for everyone. Yes it has everything needed to create a high-energy fuel-filled adventure at sea, yet at the same time it can be relaxing and cultural.

It's not all positive as at the end of the article, Sinfield can only muster up enough criticism that there are bigger ships out there, such as Oasis of the Seas, and perhaps he needs to go on that ship next time.

Royal Caribbean has announced that Dominic Paul will become the managing director for the UK and Ireland. Paul, who is now chief operating officer at bmi will join the cruise giant in September 2010.  In addition to his other duties, Paul will be responsible for the management of Independence of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s year-round UK and Ireland dedicated ship.

Michael Bayley, executive vice president, International Royal Caribbean Cruises said Paul would compliment the skills of UK and Ireland general manager Jo  Rzymowska, and the pair would be a “successful force” in the industry.

Southampton, England is called the cruise capital of the United Kingdom and for good reason.  The BBC is reporting that business here is booming with lots of cruise ships calling the port home as well as making stops here.  Royal Caribbean is no different, having Independence of the Seas and Vision of the Seas call this port home.  With steady business from Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines, the people of Southampton are reaping the benefits of having so many cruisers come through their city.

"Every cruise ship brings in the average of £1.2m per ship, so you're talking in terms of £350m benefit to the local economy."

It's no secret that Royal Caribbean has been favoring sending their ships from North America to Europe to help quench the demand for cruises that many Europeans have been seeking.  This seems to be just one of many popular ports in Europe that is benefiting from an upswing in Europeans' desire to go on a cruise vacation.

Royal Caribbean announced today it would be partnering with Ecospec to install a pilot test of the CSNOx system on Independence of the Seas.  The CSNOx system is the world's first abatement technology reported to remove sulfur dioxide (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from engine emissions in one process. Royal Caribbean is the first cruise operator to initiate a feasibility study with Ecospec to explore the potential for installation of CSNOx systems on a cruise ship.

The move by Royal Caribbean is part of an overarching plan to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint by one-third per available passenger cruise day by 2015.  The Royal Caribbean pilot test is expected to be complete by the spring of 2011.

If you're curious as to how effective this CSNOx system can be, the technology was previously installed and tested in 2009 on White Sea, a Tanker Pacific vessel.  The results of this test, revealed a 99 percent reduction of SOx, 66 percent reduction of NOx, and a 77 percent reduction of CO2.  Additionally, wash water test results also surpassed the International Maritime Organization's exhaust gas cleaning discharge criteria.