Ever since it was founded, Royal Caribbean has set the global standard for family cruises. Today, the company has about 17% of the global cruise market share. The company also operates a number of well-known cruise brands like Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF Croisières de France.

The major reason for Royal Caribbean’s dominance in the cruise industry is its fleet of world-class ships that provide some of the most fascinating and innovative cruise experiences, with nearly 700 itineraries to hundreds of destinations. Known for its best-in-class passenger experience and on-board entertainment, Royal Caribbean has been awarded ‘The Best Overall Cruise Line’ by Travel Weekly for thirteen years in a row.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships offer some of the highest standards of luxury, entertainment, and innovation. With over six hundred itineraries to choose from, there is a wide range of options for anybody who loves cruising or wants to experience a cruise vacation for the first time. If you prefer to sample a cruise or combine your cruise with a land holiday, Royal Caribbean offers a range of 3 to 5 night short duration cruises as well.

Royal Caribbean operates seven different classes of cruise ships, each with its own unique features and entertainment options.

Oasis Class: The Oasis Class includes three ships that are the largest in the world. Each has a capacity of over 6,000 passengers. The ships provide some of the finest entertainment at sea.

Quantum Class: The ships under the Quantum Class are second only to the Oasis Class, with a passenger capacity of around 5,000. The Quantum Class has brought a revolution to the cruising experience with on-board iFly simulators and an observation capsule that offers a 360 degree view of the sea

Freedom Class: From ice skating on board to surfing, meeting DreamWorks characters to enjoying great nightlife, the Freedom class of ships have it all. With a maximum capacity of 4,500, these are also some of the largest ships in the world.

Voyager Class: The ships under the Voyager class have a special ‘Royal Promenade’ mall across the length of the ship. They were also the first ships to have an on-board ice rink.

Radiance Class: With a capability of 2,100 passengers, the Radian Class of ships uses acres of glass in its architecture, which gives you a feeling of being outdoors, even when you are indoors.

Vision Class: These ships provide a feel at home kind of cruise that gives you the best experience in Alaska, the Caribbean and Europe. They also offer a wide variety of adventure sports options.

Sovereign Class: Enjoy exciting casinos, sunny pool sides and much more on a getaway to the Caribbean and Bahamas aboard the Sovereign class ships. Among its most exciting innovations are Royal Caribbean Shore Excursions which give passengers an opportunity to experience the world and not just see it. You have a range of excursion options to choose from - whether you are a food lover, culturally and historically inclined or an adventure seeker. Some popular excursions include aerial adventures in the forests of Liguria, pasta making in Tuscany (part of Europe Excursions), or swimming with the sea life and exploring stunning reefs on Snorkel Excursions. Passengers can also explore the underwater on their own with PADI scuba diving, which is part of the Royal Caribbean’s Scuba Diving Excursions. Finally, passengers can also take a Destination Insider package, where you get a tailored experience using Royal Caribbean’s extensive travel knowledge.

Royal Caribbean offers special land inclusive packages to Alaska and Canada, called Cruise Tours. Vacationers can explore the beauty and serenity of Alaska or marvel at the ice-capped peaks of the Canadian Mountain Range (famously known as the Canadian Rockies). Cruise Tours give you an excellent combination of both land and sea experiences. With packages starting at US $1,510 p.p. for May sails, this is a great way to experience the Gulf of Alaska. Cruise Tours are of different durations and you can choose either a Pre-Cruise or a Post-Cruise Tour.

To motivate you to book a Royal Caribbean cruise, they have introduced a number of offers that is great value for money. The WOW Sale is a yearly event that offers a 50% discount on the second guest + upto US $200 to spend as onboard credit + 50% off on your deposit with a minimum of $50 per person. The onboard credit spend varies based on the duration of the cruise - a US$50 onboard credit is offered for 3-5 night cruises,US$100 onboard credit is offered for 6-8 nights cruises and US$ 200 for 9+ night cruises. In addition to the WOW Sale, currently Royal Caribbean has additional offers like BOGO60, a 60% discount on the second guest and 30% discount on the third and fourth guests, for select cruises.

Listed below are the some of Royal Caribbean cruise packages for 2017:

• Bahamas Cruises and Western Caribbean Cruise (3 or 4 nights), starting at USD 249 p.p.
• Key West and Havana Cruise (4 nights), starting USD 499 p.p.
• Bermuda Cruise (5 nights), starting at USD 568 p.p.
• Paris and Bruges Cruise (3 nights), starting at USD 603 p.p.
• Canada / New England Cruise (5 or 7 nights), starting USD 627p.p.
• French and Dutch Adventure Cruise (5 nights), starting at USD 699 p.p.
• Croatia and Greece Cruise (6 or 7 nights), starting at USD 699 p.p.
• Adriatic and Italy Cruise (8 nights), starting at USD 816 p.p.
• Alaska and Hubbard Glacier Cruise (7 nights), starting at USD 859 p.p.
• Barcelona and Venice Cruise (7 nights), starting at USD 887 p.p.
• Western Mediterranean Cruise (7 nights), starting at USD 949 p.p.
• 7 night Scandinavia and Russia Cruise (7 nights), starting at USD 1,049 p.p.

Author The author tracks and covers holiday packages and popular tourist places. He has recently forayed into coverage of cruise packages and alternative holiday destinations. In this particular article, he provides his views on Royal Caribbean cruise packages.