Royal Caribbean announced a few new internal promotions today.  First, Brian Rice has been promoted to Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  Rich will continue as the cruise line's financial overseer but will also be responsible for the company's supply chain department as well as focusing on strategic issues.

In addition, Jason Liberty has been promoted to Senior Vice President – Strategy and Finance and will continue to work with Rice. Liberty will assume responsibility for overseeing Strategic Planning, Corporate Planning, Investor Relations, Deployment and Treasury functions.

Royal Caribbean also announced that Lisa Bauer has been appointed as  Executive Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo Executive Vice President of Operations.  Bauer will be responsible for Royal Caribbean International’s worldwide marketing and revenue management as well as for the corporation’s sales and marketing offices around the world.  Bauer continues to move up in Royal Caribbean, having previously been involved in Royal Caribbean International’s sales department and hotel services areas

“I am excited that these powerful leaders will further strengthen our organization and help drive our profitability into the future,” said Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain. “I’ve always believed it is our people who are the key to our success and who continue to make Royal Caribbean a leader in the vacation industry worldwide.”

As part of Royal Caribbean's Royal Advantage program, Serenade of the Seas is the next ship in the fleet scheduled to receive $300 million in enhancements to improve facilities and the guest experience aboard the ship.

The refurbishment, which will take place in November, will include more specialty restaurants, new bars, a new baby and toddler nursery, flat-screen TVs in every room, plus a giant outdoor cinema screen and more.  

Serenade of the Seas will enter dry dock in Cadiz, Spain in November 2012 and will then sail from Barcelona, Spain on an 11-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing on December 3, 2012. The ship will remain sailing from Barcelona throughout December, with a number of itineraries including a Christmas and New Year cruise departing Barcelona on Christmas Eve.

Highlights available on board Serenade of the Seas following its revitalization will include:

• An outdoor movie screen
• The new R Bar – an overhaul of the existing Champagne Bar featuring a retro 1960s vibe, complete with signature cocktails and trained mixologists
• Chef’s Table dining option - an exclusive and private experience co-hosted by the executive Chef and Sommelier for a wine pairing dinner of five courses
• Giovanni’s Table speciality Italian restaurant
• Izumi speciality sushi restaurant
• Rita’s Cantina specialty Mexican restaurant
• New Vintages wine bar
• Flat screen interactive TVs in all stateroom accommodation
• Wifi throughout the ship
• A Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members
• Various enhancements to the pool deck

In addition to the increased dining experiences on offer, Serenade of the Seas will debut a series of Specialty Dining Packages. Guests will have the option of choosing the Royal Choice Dining Package, which includes dinner at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and Izumi for $55 per guest, or the Chef’s Table Dining Package for $130 per guest, which includes all of the specialty restaurants as well as the Chef’s Table.

Serenade of the Seas will also offer additional dining deals at Giovanni’s Table. Groups of four or more can take advantage of the Celebration Dining Deal, which is valid for the first two nights of each sailing and allows groups of four or more to enjoy a delicious meal plus a $30 beverage credit at a cost of $20 per person. Groups of eight or more can opt for the Set Sail Dining Deal which includes dinner on the first night of their cruise for $14 per guest.
 

 Further enhancing its onboard culinary offerings Royal Caribbean International is expanding its partnership with renowned wine producer Domaines Barons de Rothschild by offering the exclusive Lafite Wine Tasting Experience onboard. Available for $23 to $25 per person, depending upon ship and itinerary, the experience, which was first introduced onboard Allure of the Seas, offers guests a unique tasting showcasing the renowned vintages from France’s Bordeaux region.

Developed in conjunction with Château Lafite Rothschild, the premier estate under the Rothschild name, and Master Sommelier John Blazon, the Lafite Wine Experience aims to expand guests’ understanding of growing regions within Bordeaux. A Royal Caribbean International cellar master leads the tasting, sharing details about the wines and the winemakers and the history and suggestions for food pairings. A souvenir packet allows guests to take a piece of the experience home with winemakers’ notes, recipes and more.

The Lafite Wine Tasting Experience is now available for pre-booking on select ships, including Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.
 

According to the latest issue of Seatrade Cruise Review, Royal Caribbean will pull its ships out of Dubai following the 2013 cruise season.

Royal Caribbean regional director, Helen Beck, discussed the reason for the change, "We were initially very pleased with the business development there and expected continued growth; however, the demand has declined in recent seasons and as a result we have had to make some difficult decisions, driven by strategic and financial considerations, about discontinuing our program there."

Beck said that Serenade of the Seas, will remain in Dubai as scheduled for the 2013 winter season but operate an abbreviated season of 11 seven-night cruises out of Dubai to Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Muscat starting January 28.

Royal Caribbean had initially announced 17 sailings; the upcoming Gulf season will be shortened because Serenade of the Seas is scheduled for revitalization in late 2012.

Royal Caribbean could return to Gulf waters if demand improves over time, Beck told Seatrade Cruise Review.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority approved a new plan by Royal Caribbean to use an alternate way of calculating its compliance with new air pollution rules.

Royal Caribbean had asked to start a fleet-wide sulfur averaging and banking plan to comply with new restrictions on sulfur emissions that took effect on August 1. Those rules limit the sulfur content of marine fuel to 1%, to curb emissions of sulfur dioxide. 

Low-sulfur fuel is more expensive than heavy fuel oil, which can potentially raise the price of a cruise by $15 to $18 per day.

The new pollution calculations allow some Royal Caribbean ships exceed sulfur emission rules if other Royal Caribbean ships can run a surplus under the standard, or a single ship to balance the use of high and low sulfur fuel so that when averaged it meets the new requirement. 

It also provides credits for using shore power, exhaust scrubbers and liquid natural gas.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian regulators have signed off on the plan, which has also been submitted to Malta, where other Royal Carubbean ships are flagged.

Royal Caribbean will be able to use the method for five years and can reapply after that.  

Royal Caribbean announced that it will offer a new New Orleans to Bahamas cruise in Fall 2013 aboard Serenade of the Seas.

The new itinerary will include stops at  Key West, Florida; Nassau, the Bahamas; and CoCo Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island also in the Bahamas. This route will alternate with the current Western Caribbean route sailed for the past few years. One special 9 night cruise will be available as the first cruise of the season out of New Orleans in December 2013.

In addition to this new route, Royal Caribbean will welcome Serenade of the Seas to the city in Fall 2013 for the winter season.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Alexandria, Egypt on on Tuesday, September 18 due to rising anti-American sentiment and violence in Egypt over the last few days.

Instead, Mariner of the Seas will now call to Sicily (Messina), Italy, on Sunday, September 16, and Valletta, Malta, on Monday, September 17.

The change was made for cautionary reasons after a new film was released in America that is anti-Islam.

Royal Caribbean will continue to monitor the situation in Egypt to determine if more itinerary changes are needed.

OceansTV has announced that it has reached a deal with Royal Caribbean to supply a broad ranging TV channel package covering the European and Asian regions.

The deal covers ten of Royal Caribbean's ships, including Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas, will receive the channels.  The deal will allow passengers on Royal Caribbean ships to watch in the comfort of their staterooms include RTL9, CNBC Europe and channels from the BBC, RAI and TVE.

Vision of the Seas will air a selection of Scandinavian channels including SVT1, NRK1, TV2 and Eurosport Nordic. Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas which are offering cruises in Asia are showing popular channels onboard such as KBS World, CCTV4, CNBC Asia and MTV China.

"We've thoroughly enjoyed working closely with Royal Caribbean to supply them with a rich and entertaining TV channel package tailored to the tastes of the passengers onboard," said Andy McEwan, CEO of OceansTV. "Our network of TV content suppliers is growing all the time and we're delighted to be in a position to offer cruise lines such a fantastic choice of high quality channels."