By late 1996, Royal Caribbean will have more capacity and itineraries from San Juan than any other cruise line; Five ships, six different itineraries and 300,000 passengers annually.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 1995--Royal Caribbean Cruise Line announced Tuesday that when its winter 1996-997 cruise programs take effect, it will have more annual berths available on cruises from San Juan to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal than any other cruise line.

With the ability to carry roughly 300,000 passengers a year, Royal Caribbean will be the single most dominant force in Southern Caribbean cruising. It will have a total of five ships sailing from San Juan, more than any other cruise line, and will be the only cruise line with three megaships departing San Juan, including two of the newest in the world.

Royal Caribbean also will offer six different itineraries from San Juan ranging from three to 11 nights, the most variety of any cruise line sailing from that port. "The Southern Caribbean's importance as a destination has grown through the years," said Rod McLeod, Royal Caribbeans executive vice president of sales, marketing and passenger services. "Though other cruise lines will be offering an impressive number of San Juan departures, Royal Caribbean's five ships, six itineraries and annual capacity for 300,000 passengers will make us the market leader by any definition."

Currently, the lines 2,350-passenger Monarch of the Seas is based in San Juan year-round for weekly Southern Caribbean cruises to Martinique, Barbados, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Thomas departing every Sunday. It is the largest ship sailing the Southern Caribbean route. Beginning in December 1996, Royal Caribbean's 1,600-passenger Nordic Empress will sail three-night cruises from San Juan to St. Thomas and St. Maarten every Friday and four-night cruises from San Juan to St. Croix, St. Maarten and St. Thomas every Monday. The cruises, which will operate for nine months of the year, mark the first time a major cruise line has offered short Southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan.

In addition, Royal Caribbean's brand new 1,800-passenger Splendour of the Seas will be based in San Juan for the winter of 1996-1997 for seven-night cruises to Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. The line's 1,000-passenger Song of Norway will sail a winter season of 11-night Southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan to Miami calling at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Barts, St. Croix and Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private destination on the north coast of Haiti. The 1,800-passenger Legend of the Seas, the sister ship to Splendour of the Seas, will offer a winter season of 10-night Southern Caribbean/Panama Canal departures from San Juan. Highlights are St. Thomas, Santo Domingo, Curacao, a daylight transit of the Panama Canal, and Costa Rica; the cruises end in Acapulco.

The spectacular Monarch of the Seas, one of the world's first megaships, can carry roughly 122,000 passengers a year; Nordic Empress, with two weekly departures nine months a year, can show the Southern Caribbean to about 118,000 vacationers a year. Splendour of the Seas, which Royal Caribbean has dubbed Ship of Light because of its more than 65,000 square feet of glass, can offer Southern Caribbean cruises to about 38,000 passengers a year. Its equally magnificent sister ship, Legend of the Seas, can carry about 16,000 passengers out of San Juan on 10-night Southern Caribbean/Panama Canal voyages. Song of Norway's 11-night Southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan to Miami can accommodate another 9,000 passengers. In total, Royal Caribbean will be able to show more than 300,000 people the vacation of a lifetime in the beautiful Southern Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean's fleet also will be one of the youngest offering Southern Caribbean cruises. The average age of the Royal Caribbean fleet from San Juan will be eight years, versus the 13-year average age of the ships of its largest competitor. Splendour of the Seas enters service in 1996, Legend of the Seas began sailing in 1995, Monarch of the Seas in 1991, Nordic Empress in 1990 and the classic Song of Norway in 1970.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is one of the world's largest cruise lines and operates nine modern ships with a total capacity of 15,020 passengers. Between 1996 and 1998, Royal Caribbean will introduce five more ships with a total additional capacity of 9,700 passengers. In 1996, the award-winning vessels of the fleet offer passengers 54 different itineraries and 134 destinations and attractions in the Caribbean, Mexico, Bahamas, Alaska, Panama Canal, Bermuda, Europe, the Far East and Hawaii.

CONTACT: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Miami

Rich Steck or Jim Lida, 305/539-6573