MIAMI, March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL) announced today that it has
entered into an agreement to sell its cruise ship Splendour of
the Seas to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016. The ship
will then be leased to Thomson Cruises, which will operate the
vessel.
"Splendour of the Seas debuted in 1996 and has served
Royal Caribbean International extremely well," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive
officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "The ship's sale is
in line with our strategic objective of divesting ourselves of
older hardware and keeps us firmly on the course to the
Double-Double."
Splendour of the Seas will complete all scheduled open
deployment, and no sailings will be altered or disrupted due to the
sale. "Splendour of the Seas has been a treasured member of
the Royal Caribbean International family since she entered
service," said Michael Bayley,
president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean
International. "She has offered countless guests memorable vacation
experiences and we look forward to continuing to provide the same
Gold Anchor Service our brand is known for right up to the last
sailing." Her final sailing will commence on April 4, 2016, and all officers and crew will
remain with the company and will be transferred to other vessels
worldwide after the ship leaves the Royal Caribbean International
fleet.
Splendour of the Seas joined the Royal Caribbean
International fleet in 1996, and was built by Chantier's de
L'Atlantique, now STX France, in St. Nazaire, France. The 69,130-ton ship carries 1,830
guests (double occupancy) and 760 crew.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL) is a global cruise
vacation company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity
Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisieres de
France, as well as TUI Cruises
through a 50 percent joint venture. Together, these six
brands operate a combined total of 42 ships with an additional
seven under construction contracts, and two on firm order.
They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on
approximately 480 destinations on all seven continents.
Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com,
www.celebritycruises.com, www.pullmantur.es,
www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.cdfcroisieresdefrance.com or
www.rclinvestor.com.