Royal Caribbean Kicks Off Construction on New LNG-Powered Ship 

By: - April 22nd, 2022
royal caribbean cruise lng

Royal Caribbean has launched construction on its newest ship, the first Oasis-class vessel to be powered by liquefied natural gas. 

The new Utopia of the Seas, which began construction this month in Saint-Nazaire, France, is slated for completion in the spring of 2024. 

“We are excited to begin construction on Utopia of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “On the sixth Oasis Class ship, vacationers can look forward to the signature combination of Royal Caribbean experiences and many brand-new adventures that has and will continue to make the Oasis class of ships the ultimate vacation for guests of all ages.”

Royal Caribbean will be debuting its first-ever LNG ship, Icon of the Seas, in fall 2023. 

Royal Caribbean first launched its Oasis class in 2009. 

“The use of the cleanest fossil fuel available to cruise ships today and additional environmentally friendly applications on board Utopia will boost energy efficiencies andfurther reduce emissions overall,” the company said in a statement. 

News

Bermuda Projecting Surge in Visitors 

 bermuda tourism ceo beach rocks

Bermuda is seeing strong tourism numbers after two years of low demand that crippled the destination’s tourism industry.  Buoyed by the upcoming SailGP events in May, the island is projecting stellar occupancy and a surge in visitors in the coming months, according to Charles Jeffers II, CEO of Bermuda Tourism.  “We haven’t seen this kind […]

News

The Bahamas’ Atlantis Paradise Island Is Making “Massive” Upgrades 

 atlantis paradise island flights from los angeles

The Bahamas’ Atlantis Paradise Island resort is making major upgrades, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The resort is going “bigger and bolder in 2022,” with plans for multimillion-dollar renovations and a number of new partnerships at Nassau and Paradise Island’s signature resort.  In what the property is calling “massive upgrades and striking enhancements,” it is redeveloping […]

News

Curacao Nears Pre-Pandemic Tourism Levels 

 curacao tourism levels

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao is continuing its broad tourism recovery.  The island welcomed 111,000 visitors in the first quarter of 2022 – representing around 88 percent of tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2019.  That was buoyed by strong numbers out of the Dutch market — which actually sent 38 percent more travelers […]

msc caribbean cruises

MSC Is Launching Another New Caribbean Cruise Ship

 MSC Cruises is set to launch its newest cruise ship for the Caribbean, with plans to ultimately homeport in New York. The MSC Seascape will hold its naming ceremony in Manhattan on Dec. 7, 2022, with film legend Sophia Loren as its godmother. MSC Seascape will head to Miami immediately following ceremony for an inaugural […]
jamaica mystic

Jamaica’s Mystic Mountain Is For Sale

 Mystic Mountain, the Ocho Rios-area adventure attraction in Jamaica, is on the market, Caribbean Journal Invest has learned. Wilfred Baghaloo, the licensed trustee from PricewaterhouseCoopers Jamaica, was appointed the receiver-manager of the project in February. The property has a total of 100 acres, with 10 acres occupied by Mystic Mountain itself. To learn more, we […]
bonaire testing requirements lifted

Bonaire Just Lifted All of Its Testing Requirements

 MSC Cruises is set to launch its newest cruise ship for the Caribbean, with plans to ultimately homeport in New York. The MSC Seascape will hold its naming ceremony in Manhattan on Dec. 7, 2022, with film legend Sophia Loren as its godmother. MSC Seascape will head to Miami immediately following ceremony for an inaugural […]
tobago caribbean

Caribbean Airlines to Launch Tobago-Barbados Flights

 Caribbean Airlines is launching yet another new route, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The Trinidad-based airline is set to kick off a new route between Tobago and Barbados, adding more connectivity to the Southern Caribbean island.  The route creates a new connection option for United Kingdom travelers in particular, who can fly to Barbados and for […]