Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
Royal Caribbean Cruises will be expanding its fleet size by adding four ships by 2020. The company will induct Anthem of the Seas in April 2015, the Ovation of the Seas in 2016, while two ships under the Celebrity Cruises brand will be inducted in 2018 and 2020. The Anthem of the Seas and the Ovation of the Seas will be part of the Quantum class of ships. Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Ratna Chadha, CEO, TIRUN Travel Marketing, the India representative of Royal Caribbean International stated, “These will be futuristic, highly technologically advanced cruise ships. For instance, the Quantum of the Sea has a capsule called the North Star that ascends over 300 feet above sea level to offer 360 degree views of the sea and our destinations; the ship also comes equipped with a robotic bar and has a lounge that transforms into an entertainment area at night. The newer ships will come with more advanced features to enable guests to experience entertainment, cuisines, recreation in a form and manner that is unique. The investments are in the region of a billion dollars for each ship.” The Quantum of the Seas will be deployed in Asia in June 2015 and Anthem of the Seas will sail in Europe in summer 2015 and will move to the Caribbean in winter. The destinations to be covered by the other new ships have not yet been finalised.
When asked about the growth of the brand in the India market, Chadha stated, “The growth is at a nascent stage and we are still trying to expand our presence in the India market. Since we pioneered the concept of cruising in India, the brand has more visibility. From a zero base we have been growing steadily over the years. In 2014, we have grown about 17 per cent as against 2013 and as we bring ships closer to our home base, India, the brand will get more exposure and more people will travel and this growth should get expedited.”