Royal Caribbean announced its 2014 cruise schedule for Northeast America and European cruises across six ships serving ports in New England and Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and the Baltic, North, Norwegian and Mediterranean seas, respectively. In total, Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, and Legend of the Seas will embark on 87 sailings with a total of 85 unique ports of call on two continents.
Royal Caribbean put its 2014 Canada and New England cruises open for sale today while its Northern Europe sailings will go on sale on March 20, 2013.
Europe
Independence of the Seas also will sail an eight-night itinerary to the southern fjordlands of Norway on May 17, followed by a shorter six-night cruise to Paris (Le Havre), France, and Bilbao and Gijon, Spain, departing on May 25. Vacationers also can choose a three- and four-night sampler, sailing October 25 and 28 respectively, with calls at Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium, and Paris. Furthermore, Independence of the Seas’ 2014 Europe season is bookended with a 13-night eastbound trans-Atlantic voyage from winter-homeport Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a 15-night westbound return crossing departing May 4 and Nov. 1, 2014, respectively.
Also to homeport at Southampton, Adventure of the Seas will offer vacationers a panoply of roundtrip Baltic, Iceland and Norway, and Mediterranean sailings, ranging from 12- to 16-nights. On the Baltic Sea sailings, guests will call at St. Petersburg for two days, enough time to explore the ‘Window to the West’ and a take an excursion to inland Moscow. On the Iceland-bound sailings, guests also enjoy a two-day call at Reykjavik to join in the vibrant ‘nightlife capital of the North.’
For a week-long cruise option, vacationers can chose a seven-night Southern Norway cruise, departing May 23, or a seven-night North Sea cruise to France and Spain, departing Oct. 26. Two short cruises, a four-night Belgium and France itinerary, departing May 4, and a two-night Paris (Le Havre) sailing, departing Aug. 29, will offer vacationers a taste of the Voyager-class ships, the first to introduce the cruise line’s iconic rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of restaurants, lounges and boutiques that stretches nearly the ship’s length. Vacationers also can span two continents on 14-night trans-Atlantic crossings, sailing eastbound from Miami on Apr. 20 and westbound to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 2.
In addition to Southampton, vacationers can choose 12- and 13-night Scandinavia and Russia cruises, sailing roundtrip from Harwich, England, aboard Brilliance of the Seas that also features two-day calls at St. Petersburg. A 12-night Fjords & Iceland itinerary, departing July 26, brings guests to southern Norway, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands, as well as calls for two days at Reykjavik. Fourteen-night, Trans-Atlantic crossings also bookend the ship’s Northern Europe season, with the eastbound voyage departing on Apr. 30 from Tampa, Fla., and a westbound voyage departing on Aug. 31 that follows a northerly route to Boston, Mass.
Legend of the Seas heads for the Baltic Sea on April 16 on a 16-night trans-Atlantic crossing from Port Everglades to Copenhagen. Nordic and Baltic enthusiasts then have a choice of Copenhagen or Stockholm, from where they can embark on a seven- or eight-night Norwegian Fjords or Baltic cruise. From Copenhagen, an 11-night Arctic Circle itinerary, departing June 7, calls as far north as Tromsø and Honningsvåg to bring guests into the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun.’ An 11-night Ultimate Scandinavia Russia itinerary, departing Copenhagen on June 18 features a three-day call at St. Petersburg and an overnight at Stockholm for an extensive Baltic adventure.
Canada, Bermuda, New England and Caribbean from Northeast USA
In autumn 2014, vacationers have a choice of four ships, aboard which to catch the infinite range of colors in the grand Northeast U.S. and Canada’s Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. From Quebec City, four cruises aboard Legend of the Seas will sail 10- and 11-night itineraries, calling throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A 12-night Canada and Bermuda cruise, departing Nov. 3, will include an overnight in Bermuda as the ship repositions to its winter homeport of Port Everglades. Brilliance of the Seas alternatively, will offer six autumn sailings to Canada and New England, sailing roundtrip from Boston to Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on seven-night itineraries.
Explorer of the Seas will offer two nine-night fall-foliage cruises, departing Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. on Aug. 28 and Sept. 11. The ship also will alternate a five-night Bermuda and a nine-night Bermuda & Caribbean itinerary for the convenience of vacationers from the New York metropolitan area.
From Baltimore, Md., Grandeur of the Seas will offer mid-Atlantic vacationers four convenient sailings to catch the fall foliage on an eight-night Canada & New England itinerary. These eight-night sailings will alternate with a six-night Bermuda itinerary that uniquely features a three-day call at the British overseas territory.
