Royal Caribbean postpones Allure’s Galveston deployment

Due to the delay in construction of a new terminal at the Port
of Galveston, Royal Caribbean International will replace the Allure of the Seas’
planned winter 2021-2022 season at the Texas port with the Liberty of the Seas.

The current terminal cannot accommodate a ship as large as
the Allure, which is more than 225,000 gross tons. The Liberty is about 155,000 gross tons.

During her weekly Coffee Chat with travel advisors, Royal
Caribbean senior vice president of sales Vicki Freed said that the Allure would
instead sail from Fort Lauderdale that winter.

In April, the port approved Royal Caribbean’s request to
delay by one year the construction of a $100 million terminal, with a new
target completion date of September 1, 2022.

“I know so many of our Texan friends were looking forward to
having an Oasis-class ship out of Galveston,” Freed said. “Just hang tight.”

Royal Caribbean also said this week that in addition to the
previously announced delays of the Royal Amplified upgrades to the Allure and Explorer
of the Seas, upgrades were also being postponed until further notice for the
Liberty and Adventure of the Seas.

“I want to make sure to reiterate that they are simply being
placed on a temporary hold,” Freed said. “We look forward to amplifying these
great ships sometimes in near future. … We are always about adding new bells
and whistles and new features to our ships — so just hang tight and we’ll get
there.”

The Royal Amplified program aims to upgrade 10 Royal
Caribbean ships over four years.