Royal Caribbean is deploying a record 10 ships to the Baltic and Mediterranean in 2011, up from eight ships in 2010.

Two ships, Liberty of the Seas and  Grandeur of the Seas, will sail their maiden Europe seasons from Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain, respectively.  Independence of the Seas will continue its year-round service from Southampton, U.K. and, with Liberty of the Seas, make two Freedom-class ships to sail European waters as the largest and most innovative cruise ships.

Navigator of the Seas,  Voyager of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Splendour of the Seas will sail a variety of Mediterranean itineraries, while Jewel of the Seas and Vision of the Seas will ply the Baltic and North seas.

2011 Cruise Tours Announced

Vacationers also can choose a Royal Caribbean Europe cruise tour, which combines a cruise with a land package.  Options include a  three-night Italian Lakes and Venice, four-night Paris and London, four-night Madrid and Barcelona, five-night Venice, Florence and Rome, or a four-night Istanbul and Cappadocia land tour itinerary. Each land tour is escorted and ground transfers, hotel reservations, city tours and some meals are inclusive.

Freedom-class Ship in Barcelona

Liberty of the Seas will begin its first Europe season at Barcelona with nine short roundtrip sailings, four- and five-night Western Mediterranean itineraries.   Then Liberty of the Seas will offer a repeating seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary for the remainder of the season.  Sister-ship Independence of the Seas will offer year-round Europe itineraries for the second consecutive year, beginning with alternating 14-night round-trip Eastern and Western Mediterranean sailings from Southampton, U.K.   The ship will then sail 11-night Canary Islands itineraries in autumn and 18-night Ultimate Mediterranean itineraries during the winter months.

In 2011, Voyager of the Seas will offer new seven-night round-trip itineraries from the City of Canals, opening for booking at a later date.   Sister-ship Adventure of the Seas will home port for a second year in Malaga, Spain, offering a seven-night Western Mediterranean itinerary through early autumn, followed by six five-night sailings alternating a Mediterranean with Canary Islands itinerary.   Navigator of the Seas, meanwhile, will offer a seven-night roundtrip Eastern Mediterranean itinerary from Rome, which includes a call at Chania (Souda), Greece, a new port for Royal Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas will offer vacationers two brand-new alternating seven-night itineraries, Western Mediterranean and Italian Mediterranean, sailing roundtrip from Palma de Mallorca, a new homeport for the cruise line.  Brilliance of the Seas will return to Barcelona on alternating 12-night roundtrip Mediterranean sailings, which feature maiden calls at Italy’s Naples (Salerno) and Ravenna, a new port offering more choices of tours to Milan and Florence.

From Istanbul, Turkey, Vision of the Seas will offer six roundtrip sailings in autumn 2011 on new 10- and 11-night Holy Land itineraries.   Splendour of the Seas will  home port at Rome (Civitavecchia) and offer a variety of itineraries, including new 12-night roundtrip Mediterranean Holy Land and Mediterranean Egypt cruises. The Egypt itinerary features a two-day overnight call in Alexandria Egypt.

The summer Baltic season for Jewel of the Seas will offer vacationers a range of 12-night roundtrip itineraries from Harwich, England, to Scandinavia and Russia.  Ports of call include Copenhagen; Stockholm; Tallinn, Estonia; and an overnight at St. Petersburg, Russia.  Vision of the Seas, meanwhile, will offer a range of three- to seven-night Baltic and Scandinavia itineraries sailing from Copenhagen, Oslo, or Stockholm. On the June 11, 2011 sailing, Vision of the Seas will make a maiden call at Liverpool, England.