Royal Caribbean Cruises are based in Miami, Florida and was formed in 1969 operating a global fleet of ships offering cruises to over 130 destinations worldwide. These include the largest cruise ships in the world, the Freedom class. At 158,000 tons these monsters offer many cruise industry innovative firsts with lots of activities and entertainment to suit families, couples and singles. Including a rock climbing 200ft above the ocean, if that does not grab your fancy, then try Surfing 13 Decks high! Also onboard is an ice skating rink, in-line skating or the chance for a round of Golf on the putting green.

Another first was the introduction (on Royal Caribbean Cruises slightly smaller 138,000 ton Voyager class ships and repeated on the Freedom class ships) of a promenade shopping mall with staterooms 3 decks high on each side offering a view onto the internal Promenade.

Cruising resource sites are numerous, however many focus just on their own content in a race to try and keep web users happy. However, most users like to look at different sites in their quest for cruising information. This is probably why Royal Caribbean Cruise Links has created a resource page with links to its competitors in a quest to have its page bookmarked as the cruising enthusiast's home page. By throwing in a Google search box, it could prove to be a popular choice. It offers links to cruise news sites, cruise forums, cruise articles and other cruise resource sites. If you were to hazard a guess as to how many pages Google has indexed for the word "Cruise," what would it be? Well about 98.5 million and growing. So why is it that there are so many cruising sites? The answer to this may well be found "over the pond".

Cruising has become so popular these days, so much so that in Europe and especially the UK, it is one of the fastest growing industries. The growth has led to no fewer than six cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Cunard, Fred Olsen, Norwegian Cruise Lines and P&O all having new ships cruising from the British shores in 2008.

Two of the new ships are Balmoral for Fred Olsen and Norwegian Jade (formally Pride of Hawaii) for Norwegian Cruise Line are refurbished, the other four being straight off what seems to be the never ending new build production line of cruise ships.

Because of the growth in the UK, Carnival has surprised everyone by announcing that Carnival Splendor, which will be the biggest Carnival ship of all, will cruise out of Dover when she is built. However she is a lot smaller than the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship Independence of the Seas which as a Freedom class ship is the joint largest ship in the world along with Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. She is set to cruise out of Southampton; this news first broke on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Newsline site about a week before the official announcement in London. Though smaller, (however still large) the other two new builds are Queen Victoria for Cunard, which is now replacing the old lady Queen Elizabeth 2 as she retires off to Dubai to become a hotel aka Queen Mary 1 and last but by no means least is P&O's Ventura.

With the new ships, the UK alone has something like 13,000 or more new berths to fill. With many people seeking better deals on the price of the cruises and cruise lines desperate to put "Heads on Beds," many are turning to the net to source these cruises. This is happening the world over and not just in the UK. So in order to feed this need for cruising prices and information, more and more pages are being created including many free pages set up by cruising individuals on pages like this one.

Adventure of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Explorer, Mariner, Navigator, Voyager of the Seas, she is a large, floating leisure resort with a whole host of activities including an ice rink and rock climbing wall, carrying 3,114 passengers. She entered service in November 2001.

Brilliance of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Jewel, Radiance, Serenade of the Seas, she has a sleek, contemporary yacht like profile carrying 2,112 passengers with many industry firsts including exterior glass fronted lifts providing views of the ocean. She entered service in July 2002.

Empress of the Seas - 3*+ rating

A modern contemporary ship designed specifically for shorter cruises, she is the smallest vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet carrying 1,600 passengers. She entered service in June 1990.

Enchantment of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Grandeur, Legend, Rhapsody, Splendour and Vision of the Seas, she has had a completely new mid-section added in 2005 following a multi million pound refurbishment. A mid-sized vessel carrying 2,252 passengers she entered service in July 1997.

Explorer of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Adventure, Mariner, Navigator, Voyager of the Seas, she is a large, floating leisure resort with a whole host of activities including an ice rink and rock climbing wall, carrying 3,114 passengers. She entered service in October 2000.

Freedom of the Seas - not yet rated

The new flagship of the Royal Caribbean fleet is an extension of the highly successful Voyager family of ships. She is now officially

the biggest ship in the world carrying 3,600 passengers. A floating leisure resort providing a whole host of activities with the "wow" factor being built around a water theme park including a wave rider surfing machine. She entered service in May 2006.

Grandeur of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Enchantment, Legend, Rhapsody, Splendour and Vision of the Seas, a mid-sized vessel carrying 1,950 passengers she entered service in December 1996.

Independence of the Seas - not yet rated

Due in 2008 this will be the third Freedom class ship to be built. She will sail out of Southampton during the summer and offer all the latest innovations in cruising. At 160,000 tons she can carry 3,600 passengers and will be the joint largest cruise ship afloat.

Jewel of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Brilliance, Radiance, Serenade of the Seas, she has a sleek, contemporary yacht like profile carrying 2,112 passengers with many industry firsts including exterior glass fronted lifts providing views of the ocean. She entered service in June 2004.

Legend of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Enchantment, Grandeur, Rhapsody, Splendour and Vision of the Seas, a mid-sized vessel carrying 1,800 passengers, she entered service in May 1995.

Liberty of the Seas - 3* + rating

Sister ship to Freedom of the Seas, entering service in 2007 the second of the three Freedom class ships to be built, she can carry 3,600 passengers.

Majesty of the Seas - 3* + rating

Sister ship to Monarch and Sovereign of the Seas, entering service in 1991 the second of the three Sovereign class ships, she can carry 2,350 passengers.

Mariner of the Seas - 4* rating

A large Voyager class ship she can carry 3,114 passengers and weighing in at 138,000 tons. She tends to Cruise the Caribbean all year round.

Monarch of the Seas - 3* + rating

Sister ship to Majesty and Sovereign of the Seas, entering service in 1991 the second of the three Sovereign class ships, she can carry 2,350 passengers.

Navigator of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Voyager of the Seas, she is a large, floating leisure resort with a whole host of activities including an ice rink and rock climbing wall, carrying 3,114 passengers. She entered service in April 2003

Radiance of the Seas - 4* rating

The first in the Radiance family and sister ship to Jewel, Radiance, Serenade of the Seas, she has a sleek, contemporary yacht like profile carrying 2,112 passengers with many industry firsts including exterior glass fronted lifts providing views of the ocean. She entered service in April 2001

Rhapsody of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Enchantment, Grandeur, Legend, Splendour and Vision of the Seas, a mid-sized vessel carrying 2,000 passengers she entered service in May 1997

Serenade of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Brilliance, Jewel, Radiance of the Seas, she has a sleek, contemporary yacht like profile carrying 2,112 passengers with many industry firsts including exterior glass fronted lifts providing views of the ocean. She entered service in August 2003

Sovereign of the Seas - 3*+ rating

Sister ship to Monarch and Majesty of the Seas, a modern contemporary mid-sized ship designed specifically for shorter cruises carrying 2,276 passengers. She entered service in January 1988

Splendour of the Seas - 4* rating

Sister ship to Enchantment, Grandeur, Legend, Rhapsody and Vision of the Seas, a mid-sized vessel carrying 1,804 passengers she entered service in March 1996

Vision of the Seas - 4* rating

The first in the Vision family and sister ship to Enchantment, Grandeur, Legend, Rhapsody, and Splendour of the Seas, a mid-sized vessel carrying 2,000 passengers she entered service in May 1998

Voyager of the Seas - 4* rating

The first in the Voyager family and sister ship to Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Navigator of the Seas, she is a large, floating leisure resort with a whole host of activities including an ice rink and rock climbing wall, carrying 3,114 passengers. She entered service in November 1999