TRAVEL: Harmony ships out in great shape

AFTER years of anticipation and hype, Royal Caribbean proudly launched the world’s largest ship in Southampton on May 20.

Costing more than $1 billion, Harmony of the Seas is the 25th ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet and it took two and a half years to build.

The 18-deck ship has set new records for length (1,1187ft and over four times longer than the pitch at Croke Park), gross tonnage (227,000), width (215.5ft), passenger capacity (6,780) and staterooms (2,747). 

With a crew of 2,100 from 77 countries, the floating city boasts seven ‘neighbourhoods’, a 10-storey slide that is the tallest at sea, 23 swimming pools, 20 dining venues, surf simulators, robot bartenders, a casino, climbing walls, 11,252 works of art and a Central Park with 10,587 living plants and trees!

This latest venture by Royal Caribbean is just one more reason why over 40,000 Irish are choosing to cruise in 2016.

Irish cruise specialists e-Travel are currently offering packages for Harmony of the Seas from €1,350pps for a seven night Mediterranean cruise, including flights and a special bonus of $100 per cabin on-board spend.

This has been a good year so far for Irish travel bookings and sales are up as much by as 46 per cent for some agents, with many holidaymakers now cruising the luxury end of the market.

Irish cruise specialist e-travel.ie says almost 58 per cent of cruise sales are for four-star ships and 35 per cent for five-star ships, but the luxury cruise liners are fast becoming the preferred option for customers.

According to latest figuresfrom e-travel, 42 per cent of Irish cruisers are now under 40. This represents a 20 per cent increase since 2014 and shows the rapidly changing profile of cruise passengers from Ireland.

The average price paid in 2016 for a fly cruise package was €1,476 versus €1,383 in 2015 and stateroom sales breakdown to approximately 65 per cent balconies, 28 per cent inside and seven per cent ocean view. 

Harmony of the Seas will homeport in Barcelona, Spain and embark on the first of 34 seven-night sailings in the western Mediterranean on June 7, exploring some of Europe’s most beautiful locations.

In November 2016, Harmony will arrive at a second homeport in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from where she will offer seven-night eastern and western Caribbean sailings.

The newest member of the fleet will join sister-ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, sailing from Port Canaveral and Port Everglades respectively, on the east coast of Florida.  

Established in 1997, e-travel is now one of Ireland’s leading independent travel agents, specialising in cruising as well as flights, long-haul and online bookings.

A seven night Western Mediterranean Cruise with e-travel departing on September 11 costs from €1,350 per person sharing, including flights.

The cruise takes in Palma de Mallorca – Marseilles (Provence) – Las Spezia (Florence/Pisa) – Rome (Civitavecchia) – Naples, Italy – and Barcelona.

A 14 night Atlantic Voyage Cruise departing on October 23 costs from €2,090pps, including flights.

The e-travel Cruise department can be contacted on 01-4081999 or see more options online at www.e-travel.ie.