Royal Caribbean’s winter 2021-22 cruises tilt towards South Florida

Royal Caribbean International shuffled its 2021-22 winter schedule and will base additional ships in Florida and offer more sailings to its private island in the Bahamas.

The Allure of the Seas, which was previously set to make its Galveston, Texas, debut, will instead be based in Fort Lauderdale and offer six-day Western Caribbean and eight-day Eastern Caribbean cruises. The Radiance of the Seas, originally based in Brisbane, Australia, will now sail five- and nine-day cruises from Miami.

The Explorer of the Seas will move to San Juan from Miami and offer seven-day Southern Caribbean itineraries, while the Freedom of the Seas will move from San Juan to Miami and operate three- and four-day cruises that visit the cruise line’s private Bahamian destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

All four Oasis-class ships — the Oasis, Symphony, Harmony and Allure of the Seas — will be based in Florida next winter and offer seven-day sailings that include Perfect Day at CocoCay. Three ships that have received the Royal Amplified upgrades — the Mariner, Independence and Navigator of the Seas — will offer short Caribbean sailings.

Other ships sailing from U.S. to the Caribbean include the Anthem of the Seas from Bayonne, N.J., and the Adventure and Liberty of the Seas from Galveston.

Royal cited feedback from both passengers and travel advisors in its deployment decisions.

The line meanwhile reconfigured its Australia deployment. The Ovation of the Seas will remain in Sydney on nine- to 12-day itineraries to New Zealand; five- and seven-day itineraries to Queensland, Australia; and six- and eight-day itineraries to Tasmania, Australia. The Quantum of the Seas will move to Brisbane, Australia, and offer three- to nine-day sailings throughout the South Pacific. The Serenade of the Seas will homeport in Sydney through February 2022 and offer 12- to 15-day cruises around the South Pacific to Fiji and New Zealand, and shorter cruises to Melbourne and the east coast of Australia.