ROYAL CARIBBEAN SAYS “SHALOM, ISRAEL” WITH ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS DEBUT
1 March 2021 –
Israeli holidaymakers will set a new course for adventure this summer when Royal
Caribbean International begins sailing from Israel for the first time in May.
The global cruise line will offer
Israelis a combination of 3- to 7-night escapes visiting the Greek Isles and
Cyprus on board its highly anticipated, brand-new ship, Odyssey of the Seas. The new sailings will go on sale on Tuesday, March
9.
The itineraries, roundtrip from Haifa, Israel, will
include visits to idyllic isles and destinations in the Mediterranean,
including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol,
Cyprus.
“We are thrilled to debut Royal
Caribbean cruises from Israel with our newest and most innovative
ship, Odyssey of the Seas. Israeli
travelers will be looking to get away, relax with total peace of mind, and
enjoy the travel experiences they are missing dearly; and that is what we do
best,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean
International. “Sailing from Israel is an
opportunity we have had our sights on for quite some time. We greatly
appreciate the government of Israel for their collaboration and confidence in
us to deliver memorable cruise experiences to their residents, and look forward
to delivering on that promise aboard our newest ship – the first ‘Green Island’
at sea.”
Residents of Israel will be the first guests to cruise on
Odyssey during its inaugural season.
The innovative ship is designed to make for a memorable holiday for every kind
of traveler, with a variety of new and signature experiences from bow to stern.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, highlights on
board include a two-level pool deck
designed for downtime under the sun and stars, SeaPlex – the two-level indoor
and outdoor activity complex that is a high-adrenaline playground for all ages,
and a lineup of complimentary and specialty restaurants primed to please every
palate with cuisine from around the world. And entertainment
throughout the ship will be punctuated by high-tech signature productions in
the Royal Theater and Two70, where art and multimedia merge for
jaw-dropping performances found only on Odyssey.
“Thanks
to the millions of vaccines we have brought, I am proud that Israel
will be the first country in the world to launch Royal Caribbean’s
new flagship. Royal Caribbean's decision to come to Israel is a significant
expression of confidence in our policy. This is an important economic, touristic
moment for the State of Israel,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Israel is a global model of success. We will continue our program – the ‘green
passport’ – so that we can get out of the COVID-19 virus in peace.
Just as we made Israel the world champion in vaccines, we will make it the
world champion in economics and tourism in the post-Corona era.”
In conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, Royal Caribbean will be the first to offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of 16 will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Details on the additional health and safety measures to be implemented by Israel and Royal Caribbean will be announced at a later date.
The Greek
Minister of Tourism, Mr. Haris Theoharis, supports all the efforts for the
resumption of cruising
in Greece and the surrounding area. He said, “We are very happy with today’s
announcement as our recent travel agreement with Israel is already bringing
results, and more people will have the opportunity to have unique experiences in our beautiful
destinations and islands.”
Savvas Perdios, the Deputy Minister of Tourism for Cyprus commented, “It is an honor to be featured in Royal Caribbean’s itinerary this summer, and we are delighted to welcome their newest ship to our island. Cyprus supports the cruise industry and is pleased to help the industry on its road to recovery. We are certain that guests will have a great time, both on board the ship and when visiting Cyprus, one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean.”
GAME-CHANGING SHIP
Odyssey
will be the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to homeport in the region, touting a
distinctive new look, an action-packed top deck and a mix of record-holding
hits and groundbreaking firsts.
The state-of-the-art ship will come to life with game-changing, technological innovations like the next-generation SeaPlex, which will see the addition of this venue’s first Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade with club-level views of the competition below; a reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program, and the maxed-out Social180 teen lounge with gaming consoles, music, movies and an outdoor wraparound deck with ocean views. Guests will also enjoy a variety of dining venues, including Teppanyaki, serving East Asian flavors in a traditional Japanese style; and the cruise line’s first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, which offers rustic Italian dishes with a contemporary flair.
Up top, Odyssey’s vibrant next-level pool deck will feature two
open-air, resort-style pools and four whirlpools with shady casitas and
hammocks. Also on deck will be several guest favorites, including the FlowRider surf simulator,
skydiving with RipCord by iFly,
the iconic North Star all-glass
observation capsule that boasts 360-degree views from 300 feet above sea level,
and robot bartenders at Bionic Bar.
For more information on Royal Caribbean’s first cruises from Israel, guests and travel advisors can visit www.royalcaribbean.com/il.
About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International has been delivering innovation at sea for more than 50 years. Each successive class of ships is an architectural marvel featuring the latest technology and guest experiences for today’s adventurous traveler. The cruise line continues to revolutionize vacations with itineraries to more than 270 destinations in 72 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection. Royal Caribbean has also been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 18 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards.
Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter and visiting
RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make
reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit
RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.
Royal Caribbean International is applying the
recommendations of its Healthy
Sail Panel of public health and scientific experts to
provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation on all of its sailings.
Health and safety protocols, regional travel restrictions and clearance to
visit ports of call, are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public
health standards, and government requirements. U.S. cruises and guests:
For more information on the latest health and travel alerts, U.S.
government travel advisories, please visit
www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates
or consult travel advisories, warnings or recommendations relating to cruise
travel on applicable government websites.