How many Destinations does Royal Caribbean Sail to?

Royal Caribbean is one of the largest and most extensive cruise lines in all of the world. It has a fleet of 28 ships, including both new (Star of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas) and older ships, that range from intimate ships with a capacity of 2,400 passengers to record-breaking ships with a capacity of over 7,000 passengers. Sailings are offered to more than 300 individual ports across 70+ countries/territories on all six continents.

Although the total number of unique destinations can vary slightly from year to year due to new ports being added, seasonal changes by itineraries and port availability; Royal Caribbean always ranks in the top 3 for overall geographic coverage among cruise lines. The Company has high-frequency Caribbean/Bahamas service combined with seasonal deployments to Alaska, Europe, Asia, Australia and other longer world cruises which allow travelers an incredibly wide range to choose between cultures, landscapes, and experiences.

Royal Caribbean’s Global Destination Network

The portfolio of destinations offered by Royal Caribbean is purposely varied and extensive. The company has a very broad year-round, warm weather presence (Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda), while at the same time has ships in places with the most likely high demand for cruises (Alaska, the Mediterranean/Northern Europe, Australia/New Zealand) during the warm months. The global redeployment model of the cruise line allows for a variety of flexible itineraries including:

• 3 - 5 day trips from the East Coast of the United States and Florida
• 7 day classic loops throughout the Caribbean and Alaska
• 10 - 14 day full expedition cruises (Panama Canal to/from Alaska, Northern Europe, Asia)
• 15+ day repositioning and worldwide cruise segments

This year, Royal Caribbean will be cruising to ports of call in North America, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, South Pacific. The cruise line has enhanced its reach through the development of private ports (Perfect Day at Coco Cay and Labadee) where RCCL has complete control over the guest experience and related pricing.

How Many Destinations Royal Caribbean Sails To

The number and availability of ports of call for deployment is somewhat fluid; there can be slight variants due to the addition of new ports from year to year and/or seasonal/one-time visitations:

• Port count spread by country and territories are around the range of 300–310 (which include overseas territories and island nations)
• Approximately 70+ countries/territories (with the addition of all the island nations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific)
• Across all 6 continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, African, and Australia/Oceania)

Royal does not publish an “exact” count of port calls because new ports are added every year or port calls can be gone in certain seasons. However, the port count of Royal Caribbean’s recent brochure confirms industry estimates (CruiseMapper, Cruise Critic, Cruise Industry News) and it is a known fact through these sources that Royal serves +300 ports. This is about 25%-30% more port visits than Carnival and 15%-20% more than Norwegian and gives Royal a very large geographic portfolio of ports compared to others in the mainstream cruise segment.

Major Cruise Regions Covered by Royal Caribbean

Popular & Iconic Ports of Call

Royal Caribbean has some of the most popular and most frequented ports, and they include:

• Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas): A private island featuring the tallest waterslide in North America, the largest freshwater pool, and a Hideaway Beach area only for adults.
• Labadee (Haiti): A private peninsula owned by Royal Caribbean that has zip lines, the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line, and beach party.
• Nassau (Bahamas): Access to the Atlantis Resort, the Blue Lagoon Island, and the Straw Market.
• Cozumel (Mexico): Chankanaab Park, Palancar Reef snorkeling, and tequila tastings.
• Juneau & Skagway (Alaska): The Mendenhall Glacier, the White Pass Railway, and whale watching.
• Barcelona & Rome (Mediterranean): Sagrada Familia, Colosseum, and Vatican.
• Sydney (Australia): Opera House, Bondi Beach, and day trips to the Blue Mountains.

These ports are all popular among customers because they all have a combination of relaxation, adventure, culture, and easy tendering/docking.

Private Islands & Exclusive Royal Caribbean Destinations

Royal Caribbean operates and owns two of its private destinations seen on about 75% of all cruises:

• Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas): Perfect Day at CocoCay, in The Bahamas, is the highest volume private destination that cruise ships visit, featuring Thrill Waterpark, Hideaway Beach (for adults only), a freshwater pool, cabanas, and Chill Island beach area. All of the most popular Bahamas cruises stop at this location on at least one day.
• Labadee (Haiti): Labadee, in Haiti, is a private peninsula that has Dragon's Breath Zipline, Adrenaline Beach, Columbus Cove, and an artisan marketplace. Labadee is included on many cruise itineraries from Florida sailing to the Caribbean.

Both of the private destinations offer guests safe and quality beach experiences that have many unique features that would be difficult to duplicate at public ports or beaches.

Seasonal & Itinerary-Based Destination Variations

Royal Caribbean makes seasonal adjustments to ship itinerary based on weather and customer demand:

• Winter (December-April): Primary Caribbean/Bahamas short cruises from ports in Florida, some in South America and the Panama Canal.
• Spring (April-May): Transatlantic - re-positioning from Europe to the U.S., back to Europe.
• Summer (June-August): Deployments in Alaska, Northern Europe and peak Mediterranean.
• Fall (Sept-Nov): Re-positioning back to the Caribbean after fall foliage in New England/Canada, with start of summer Australia/New Zealand.

This means within 12 months you can have a ship that has served two completely different parts of the world, giving loyal cruisers a wide variety of options without changing ships.