After spending almost ten years in Asia and the Pacific, and the last two years sitting idle during the pandemic, Voyager of the Seas finally resumes operation again. Today, April 15, she sails from Barcelona, Spain, on a repositionings cruise to Northern Europe, specifically Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 3,602-passenger Voyager of the Seas will be sailing from the Danish capital and the Swedish capital of Stockholm this summer, from where she will be sailing seven- and eleven-night cruises in the Baltic and Scandinavia. In September, she will be making her long-overdue return to the United States, sailing from Boston.
Voyager of the Seas Starts Operations From Barcelona
After sailing in Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, and China most recently, Voyager of the Seas will be setting sail on her first cruise in Europe. The Voyager-class cruise ship has been sitting idle for the last two years and is one of the last Royal Caribbean cruise ships to resume service after the global pause in operations.
She will be operating a 9-day cruise from Barcelona, which calls in Cartagena, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark, on April 24. She will then set sail on her first-ever Northern European cruise.
After leaving Copenhagen, Voyager of the Seas will be overnight in Oslo. The following day she will call in Kristiansand in Norway. Skagen and Aarhus in Denmark are next before returning to Copenhagen on May 1.
First Time In Northern Europe Before Heading to the US
It is the first time in 10 years that the former biggest cruise ship in the world has sailed in Europe, and the first time she is operating in Northern Europe.
The repositioning to Europe follows a negative outlook for cruising in Asia, where ‘normal’ cruising still seems a long way off. The ship was 137,276 gross tons at the time of launch, but after a 2014 refit, this changed to 138,194 gross tons.ย
In September, Voyager of the Seas will set off on a 14-day Arctic repositioning that will sail from Copenhagen to Norway and Iceland, followed by an overnight stay in Icelandโs capital city Reykjavik.
The cruise ship will then sail to Greenland, where guests will spend three days exploring Prins Christian Sund, Qaqortoq, and Nuuk. The end of the voyage will mark the long-awaited return to the United States, arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 18.
Royal Caribbean’s Summer In Europe
Now the continent has returned to relative normality once again; Royal Caribbean is deploying eight ships to the Mediterranean, Northern- and Western Europe. It includes the biggest cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas, which is sailing from Barcelona and Rome on 7-day cruises around the western Mediterranean between May 8 and October 23, 2022.
Other Royal Caribbean International ships operating in Europe this summer:
- Odyssey of the Seas sailing the Eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, Turkey, Israel, Italy, and Cyprus, from May 7 to October 19, 2022.
- Anthem of the Seas will offer UK-based cruises to Western Europe, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Norway, the Canary Islands, and more between May 13 and October 5, 2022.
- Jewel of the Seas will be cruising Northern Europe, visiting Iceland, the UK, Norway, and several ports in Western Europe and the Mediterranean from May 13 until October 17, 2022.
- Brilliance of the Seas is sailing the sunny Greek Islands and beautiful cruise destinations in Montenegro and Croatia from May 15 until October 23, 2022.
- Vision of the Seas is sailing the Western Mediterranean and Greek Islands between May 13 and October 27, 2022.
- Lastly, Rhapsody of the Seas visits the Greek Islands, Israel, and the Eastern Mediterranean from May 23 to October 31.
Royal Caribbean has started to release the health and safety protocols that will be in place for these European cruises. While generally similar in nature to those in place in the United States, there are some differences specifically in relation to how long vaccines are valid.ย ย