Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is one of the largest and best-known cruise companies in the world. It now operates some of the largest cruise ships that sail the world’s oceans.
An American-Norwegian company, the company operates out of Miami, Florida, although the ships are normally classified as Liberian. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was originally founded in 1968 by the merger of three Norwegian shipping companies, Anders Wilhelmsen & Company, Gotaas Larsen and IM Skaugen & Company. Initially for Arctic cruises, the first ships were the Nordic Prince and the Song of Norway. It wasn’t until 1982 that Royal Caribbean Cruise Line finally entered the world’s cruise ship radar, with the construction of the Song of America, which was the third largest cruise ship afloat.
Since 1982, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has continued to sail some of the largest cruise ships. All of their ships consist of “of the seas” as a suffix. There are currently 20 ships sailing under the brand and they are divided into six types; Genesis Class, Freedom Class, Voyager Class, Radiance Class, Vision Class, and Sovereign Class. Three other ships are under construction and all are being built to ensure that the larger ships will continue to operate. The Freedom of the Seas was the largest passenger ship in the world and more Genesis Class ships are planned to maintain this style.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line isn’t all about its big ships though, and the company owns a couple of coastal retreats, Labadee in Haiti and Coco Cay in the Bahamas. Both resorts are often used in conjunction with their cruise ships, and the sandy beaches make a good comparison to a cruise ship. It also controls several brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Island Cruises, and Pullmantur Cruises. This makes it one of the largest companies, as well as operating the largest ships.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is one of the most respected cruise companies in the world. Operating the largest ships and traveling to destinations around the world, thousands of passengers board their ships every month. Passengers may be first-time cruisers, but there are also many passengers who are repeat cruisers with the company.
