Royal Caribbean Transfers Ship to Pullmantur

Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas will be shipped out to the company's Pullmantur fleet and Monarch of the Seas will assume the ship's sailings out of Port Canaveral, the cruise line announced on Friday. The changes will go into effect in October and November 2008. "Our mix of brands allow us the flexibility and opportunity to expand in key strategic markets and to diversify existing ones," said Royal Caribbean International president and CEO, Adam Goldstein.

Sovereign of the Seas bon voyage sailing will be on Halloween 2008 and two subsequent November sailings have been cancelled. Guests booked on those sailings-Nov. 3 and 7-will receive full refunds and an onboard credit toward an earlier Sovereign of the Seas sailing. All rebookings must be made by Dec. 31. Monarch of the Seas will make its last regularly scheduled sailing out of Los Angeles on Oct. 13, 2008, with guests booked on subsequent sailings receiving refunds and credits toward rebooking an earlier Caribbean or Mexican sailing. On Oct. 7, 2008, Monarch of the Seas will reposition to the East Coast when it departs L.A. on a 16-night Panama Canal cruise to Miami. There, the ship will undergo a scheduled week-long dry dock before welcoming guests at Port Canaveral. To assist guests and travel agents impacted by the changes, Royal Caribbean has set up a special help desk, reachable at (888) 281-9344. (DE)