Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines 2006 Annual Report Download - page 5

Since her introduction last May, Freedom of the Seas has been a resounding success and has more than exceeded our marketing and
financial expectations, helped by an unprecedented alliance with America’s top-rated morning show, NBC’s “Today Show.” Today sponsored
our Godmother search and broadcast the entire show from our new ship in New York Harbor. During the three-hour broadcast, Today’s
personalities brought nearly 5 million viewers an all-access pass to the cruise ship. Altogether, the show and the rest of her introduction
was a marketer’s dream.
In June, we premiered the revitalized
Celebrity Century . After five weeks of renovation, the ship now has the luxurious amenities and
sophisticated touches of the Millennium-class fleet. The effort is already paying off, as the 2006 return on investment exceeded our target.
The recent Condé Nast Traveler readers’ poll again placed all four Celebrity Millennium-class vessels in the top four spots. We are particularly
gratified that Traveler readers continue to view Celebrity as the top premium cruise brand.
Travel agents voted Royal Caribbean Best Overall Cruise Line in the survey taken by trade publication Travel Weekly. This is a true testament
to the outstanding service we provide our travel partners and our guests.
Innovative Hardware
Turning to 2007, we have a number of newbuilds and revitalizations in progress that will offer our guests enhanced amenities, new itineraries
and state-of-the-art features.
Building on the great success we had with
Freedom of the Seas , her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas , is on track for a May start-up.
Independence of the Seas , the third in the class, will follow a year later. Liberty of the Seas will enter service in the seven-night Caribbean
market and beginning in the spring of 2008,
Independence of the Seas will become our first ship launched specifically for an international
market when she debuts in the U.K.
Celebrity’s stylish Solstice class is under development in Papenburg, Germany, with
Celebrity Solstice planned for 2008, Celebrity
Equinox
for 2009, and Celebrity Eclipse for 2010. We will soon begin to market these exciting new ships which are larger,
equally sophisticated version of the very successful four-ship Millennium class. They will offer an exceptional range of guest-inspired
services, larger staterooms, and verandas on over 80 percent of staterooms.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s bold Project Genesis is under way in Turku, Finland. The first steel-cutting was in March, and she will make
her debut in fall 2009, followed by a second ship in the fall of 2010. While we are keeping the new features of these amazing ships close
to our vest, we are confident that they will be the most innovative and most exciting new ships ever built.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. 3
NBC'S "TODAY SHOW" TELEVISED THE NAMING CEREMONY
FOR
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS TO NEARLY 5 MILLION VIEWERS.
FORMER CO-HOST KATIE COURIC, CHAIRMAN AND
CEO RICHARD FAIN, CAPTAIN WILLIAM WRIGHT
AND CO-HOST MATT LAUER WATCH AS GODMOTHER
KATHERINE LOUISE CALDER CUTS THE CEREMONIAL RIBBON