Royal Caribbean Sets Another Record In Its 53-Year History

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It has been an incredible year for Royal Caribbean International. The cruise line revealed plans for the Icon of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship ever, Wonder of the Seas started operations in Florida, and the cruise line has seen tremendous interest in its cruises. So much so that Royal Caribbean broke all booking records in the past week.

Not only was Black Friday the single largest booking day in its 53-year existence, the entire week proved to be the brand’s highest volume booking week. 

More Bookings Than Ever for Royal Caribbean

The week around Black Friday proved guests are eager to return to sea again, particularly onboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ships. 

This Black Friday was the cruise lineโ€™s single largest booking day in its 53-year history, which marked the third time the record was broken in 2022. Black Friday proved to be the peak of what is the brandโ€™s highest volume booking week ever.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships
Photo Credit: Benjamin Clapp / Shutterstock.com

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International: โ€œThis has been a year for the books at Royal Caribbean International, from the full return of our 26 ships to the first look at Icon of the Seas, the best family vacation in the world.โ€

โ€œEvery milestone met is an accomplishment achieved; itโ€™s a wonderful start to 2023, and we are excited for what lies ahead. We could not have reached this point without our loyal guests, valued travel advisors and partners, and the Royal Caribbean International team around the world.โ€

New ships, focused on a family vacation that offers something for everyone, is proving to be a strategy that works incredibly well for Royal Caribbean.

Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas Break Records

The strong demand that Royal Caribbean is seeing comes as no surprise. The cruise line has one of the youngest fleets in the cruise industry, while the past period has been one of the most exciting in its history. The cruise line has now broken its booking records three times this year. 

In April of this year, Royal Caribbean broke its own records for the first time, followed by another record-breaking week when the cruise line revealed its most exciting cruise ship to date, Icon of the Seas.ย 

Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
Render Courtesy: Royal Caribbean

Touted as the ultimate family vacation, measuring 1,185 feet (365 meters) long and with a gross tonnage estimate of 250,800, Icon of the Seas will be an extraordinary cruise ship. The vessel has the largest waterpark at sea, with six individual waterslides, and at 40,000 gallons, the Royal Bay Pool will be the largest pool on any cruise ship in the world.

The maiden voyage for Icon of the Seas nearly sold out on the first day of bookings, while other cruises are quickly filling up. It comes as the ship is not sailing until 2024, but there is already huge demand.

It’s not just Icon of the Seas that has kept Royal Caribbean in the news. The cruise line introduced Wonder of the Seas in Port Canaveral, its fifth Oasis-class ship and currently the biggest cruise ship in the world, and it has removed nearly all pandemic-related measures that stopped many people from cruising again. 

While the global pause in operations during 2020 and 2021 placed a significant burden on Royal Caribbean, the cruise line seems to have pulled through and can look forward to a very busy 2023. It could very well be the busiest year-to-date for the Miami-based cruise line. 

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Robert McGillivray
Robert McGillivray
Robert has been involved in the cruise industry since January 2007. He joined his first ship, the Seabourn Pride, in Miami Florida, and never looked back. Robert started his cruise career as a bar-waiter and worked his way up to being a corporate trainer for the same luxury 6-star cruise line. After a short break from ships in 2013, Robert has worked as a Hotel Director onboard several different cruise ships worldwide and even in Antarctica, and on the North Pole. As a writer for Cruise Hive Robert stays on top of all current developments and brings you breaking news, facts, and special reports. As an avid traveler and photographer, Robert has visited no less than 101 countries worldwide and stepped on to his 7th continent on his 30th birthday. His photos have been published by news media like Bloomberg and The New York Times, and are used by Celebrity and Azamara Cruise lines for their promotional materials. Robert currently resides in the Philippines on the tropical island of Panglao, with his wife and two daughters. Find out more about us here.

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