Royal Caribbean International's Brilliance of the Seas to depart for the Mediterranean in April

Guests from 79 different countries have sailed on board Brilliance of the Seas since the maiden call in January this year which also marked Royal Caribbean International's official entry into the Middle East. Brilliance of the Seas will continue to make her seven-night round-trip sailings to Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain from her home port of Dubai, until the end of the first season on April 19th 2010.

"Brilliance of the Seas has been well received in her first season, with full occupancy on every sailing," said Lakshmi Durai, Executive Director Royal Caribbean International, Middle East.

The majority of guests for Royal Caribbean International's Middle East itinerary at present come from traditional Western markets on fly-and-cruise packages with nearly half coming from the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, United States, Spain and Canada.

"We have been marketing the itinerary locally in the UAE and regionally with our unique marketing message 'Gulf Getaway'. The cruise around the Gulf - offering the choice of over 50 different excursions in the ports of call to our guests - provides a great opportunity for people living in the region to take a break and visit their neighbouring countries. The interest from Middle Eastern guests has been very encouraging with an equal amount of bookings from nationals and expatriates," explained Durai.

"The presence of a Royal Caribbean ship in the region has provided us with plenty of opportunities to showcase the ship to different market segments, further enhancing our outbound business, which we have established over the past 16 years. We are starting to see the results of our various activities with over 35% growth in our sales for the first quarter of 2010," she adds.

The arrival of new ships like Brilliance of the Seas is an important catalyst in driving forward regional cruise tourism growth. In 2009, Dubai played host to 100 cruise ships' calls, bringing 260,000 cruise tourists. This year, cruise ships will call 120 times into Dubai with over 325,000 passengers. Next year, the new terminal is expecting 135 ship calls with 375,000 passengers.

Henrik Loft Sorensen, Captain of Brilliance of the Seas enjoyed the first time sailing in the Middle East and is looking forward to coming back. "Our guests and crew have had the opportunity to experience the famed Arabian hospitality, the wonderful contrasts between the rich, ancient culture of Arabia and the amazing modern feats of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. We've experienced first hand a place full of mystery, steeped in history and tradition.

"Cruising is one of the few segments of the travel industry that has continued to grow throughout these challenging trading times and this, allied with the fact that our company offers a very different onboard experience and targets different markets, means continued success for Royal Caribbean International," he said.

After the successful first season in the Middle East, Brilliance of the Seas will leave Dubai on April 19th on a 14-night cruise - calling at Muscat, Oman; Safaga, Egypt; Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; Suez Canal (Passage); Alexandria, Egypt - to return to Barcelona. Once based in Barcelona for the summer season, Brilliance of the Seas will be on alternating 12-night roundtrip Mediterranean sailings. The first itinerary including Cannes, Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice, Dubrovnik and Corfu the other sailings feature the ports of call Nice, Florence, Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Santorini and Naples.

In January 2011 Brilliance of the Seas will return to Dubai. The second consecutive seasonal sailings will comprise nine round trip sailings from January through March 2011. Vacationers also can choose a four-night cruisetour extension for an unforgettable 11-night Arabian adventure. New for the 2011 season are two 12-night Dubai & India roundtrip sailings, departing on March 28 and April 9, which will include the ship's maiden port calls at India's Mumbai (Bombay), Goa (Mormugao) and Cochin.