By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal Caribbean International is to deploy a second ship at Florida’s Port of Tampa in autumn 2014.
The line’s 2,000-guest Vision of the Seas will join Brilliance of the Seas and offer seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from the port throughout winter 2014-2015.
“It is extremely exciting to see Royal Caribbean International’s continued support of the Tampa cruise market by adding an additional vessel to our thriving home port,” said Paul Anderson, port president and CEO. “Royal Caribbean is a very important partner, offering a quality cruise experience to their guests and significant economic value to the port and our region.”
Vision of the Seas will sail a nine-night Southern Caribbean itinerary from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale to Tampa at the beginning of November, calling at Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach on Haiti’s north coast. The ship will then offer weekly Staurday sailings from Tampa to destinations in the Western Caribbean, including Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras and Belize.
Brilliance of the Seas will offer four-night and five-night Cozumel itineraries calling at Grand Cayman or Key West in winter 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
The vessel was extensively refurbished in May 2013 to offer many of the features found onboard the line’s Oasis-class ships. These include new dining and entertainment options, updated staterooms, bathrooms and suites, bow-to-stern wifi access, an LCD movie screen overlooking the main pool, Concierge and Diamond Lounges and the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery. Vision of the Seas is to undergo a similar revitalisation in September 2013
“We look forward to having two of our most recently revitalised ships, Brilliance of the Seas and Vision of the Seas sail from Tampa in 2014,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean, which has has based ships at the port during the winter season since 2002. “The Port of Tampa has been a great partner for more than a decade and we look forward to continued growth with the Tampa Port Authority in the future.”