Royal Caribbean International Takes Delivery of Independence of the Seas

Third in Famed Freedom Class of Ships, Independence is the First to Sail in
Europe

MIAMI, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing its legacy of
creating revolutionary vacation experiences, Royal Caribbean International
took delivery of its newest innovative ship - Independence of the Seas -
during a ceremony at Aker Yards in Turku, Finland, today. Just days away from
her debut in Europe, Independence of the Seas, is the third of the line's
Freedom class of ships and will be the largest cruise ship ever to be
home-ported in Europe, when she sails out of Southampton, United Kingdom, for
her inaugural season. Independence shares the title of world's largest and
most innovative cruise ship with sister-ships Freedom of the Seas and Liberty
of the Seas, which launched in the U.S. in May 2006 and 2007 respectively, and
which offer Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080417/CLTH096 )
In the first nationwide search of its kind in the United Kingdom, Royal
Caribbean is bestowing the title of Godmother of Independence of the Seas to
an ordinary woman who has done extraordinary things to further the well being
of youth in her community. The search was conducted with the cruise line's
charity partner and British five-time Olympic gold medalist, Sir Steve
Redgrave. The four Godmother finalists - who were nominated by peers or
family members - joined Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and CEO, Richard
Fain at Aker Yards, to welcome Independence into service. The four finalists
are Barbara Natasegra, Elizabeth Hill, Madeleine Henry and Sue Stones. The
Godmother, who will be announced on April 18, will be selected by a
distinguished panel of judges, including Sir Steve Redgrave; Royal Caribbean
executives and guest judges. She will have the honor of participating in the
inaugural celebrations and official naming ceremony in Southampton on April
30.
"We are delighted to welcome Independence of the Seas to our fleet and to
introduce her to vacationers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe," said
Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "Positioning
one of our largest and newest ships in Southampton reaffirms Royal Caribbean's
strong commitment to the region and will provide the opportunity for more
European guests to experience the distinctive and award-winning vacation our
brand has become recognized for throughout the world."
Following a series of preview sailings in Oslo, Norway and Southampton,
Independence will embark on her maiden voyage on May 2. Through the summer of
2008, she will sail 14-night 'Mediterranean Treasures' and 'Italian
Mediterranean' itineraries round-trip from Southampton. Ports of call include
Gibraltar.; Barcelona, Malaga, Vigo and Seville, Spain; Nice and Cannes/Monte
Carlo, France; Florence/Pisa and Sardinia, Italy; and Lisbon, Portugal.
Guests also can enjoy two, four-night getaways from Southampton to Cork,
Ireland and St. Peter Port, Channel Islands. Three, 11-night Canary Islands
itineraries, also roundtrip from Southampton, will close the fall season,
calling on Madeira, Portugal; Tenerife, Las Palmas and Lanzarote, Canary
Islands; and Vigo, Spain. Independence then heads to the United States to
begin a series of warm weather Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. starting in November 2008.
At 160,000 GRT and a capacity of 3,634 guests, Independence of the Seas
will feature all of the industry-first amenities which are trademarks of the
Freedom-class ships: a FlowRider surf simulator; the H20 Zone water park with
its interactive sculpture garden for families; cantilevered whirlpools
suspended 112 ft. above the ocean in the adults-only Solarium; a full-size
boxing ring and a 14-person family suite. Unlike her sister-ships, all pools
and the water park on Independence will be heated.
Independence also will feature some of the other distinctive offerings the
global cruise line is known for including, an ice-skating rink; a rock-
climbing wall; an award-winning children's program; fine to casual dining
venues; Broadway-style entertainment and the Royal Promenade - an
entertainment boulevard stretching the length of the ship with its shops,
restaurants, bars and lounges, which provides guests with an endless variety
of choices and experiences to suit their taste and preference.
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 21 ships
currently in service and two under construction. The line also offers unique
cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America
and New Zealand. For additional information or to make reservations, call
your travel agent, visit www.royalcaribbean.com or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.
For travel professionals, go to www.cruisingpower.com or call (800) 327-2056.
SOURCE Royal Caribbean International

Tracy Quan, +1-305-539-6577, tquan@rccl.com; or Harrison Liu, +1-305-982-2363,
hliu@rccl.com, both of Royal Caribbean International