Royal Caribbean Showcases Bold New Vision at Exclusive Travelbiz Dinner in Powerscourt

Travelbiz reporter Marian Benton was privileged to attend a very special evening on Tuesday in the salubrious surroundings of the Powerscourt Hotel, Enniskerry, as a guest of Royal Caribbean. Aaron Langford, Senior Sales Director, UK & Ireland, ably supported by Jennifer Callister, Head of Sales Ireland and John Booty, Key Account Manager Ireland, hosted media and their top agents to a magnificent dinner in the Sika Restaurant.

Beforehand, Aaron took the opportunity to thank everyone for joining this celebration in such a beautiful setting and to appraise us of all the exciting new developments in Royal Caribbean and the direction in which they are going in the future.

As a family brand they recognise the change in family dynamics and that the definition of family is now much broader and includes extended, blended and multi-generation families. Royal Caribbean are repositioning the brand to cater for this market and are taking this into account in their new ship designs. They see themselves transitioning from being purely a cruise company to a holiday company and believe that families who normally book land-based holidays will find everything they want on board a Royal Caribbean ship.

New destinations, new ships, bolder experiences

The record-breaking Icon of the Seas will make its star-studded debut in Galveston in August 2027, after kicking off the season in Miami in April. Taking vacationers on the boldest adventures from Texas, Icon will deliver 6- to 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean getaways to Royal Caribbean’s award-winning destination Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, along with Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, where vacationers can visit Royal Beach Club Cozumel after the ultimate beach day destination opens late 2026. From thrills like Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea, to unmatched chill across seven pools on board and more than 40 places to dine and drink, families are in for a combination of the best of every vacation with experiences for all ages.

Two new Beach Clubs will be added in 2026

Cozumel in Mexico is a game changer which will elevate the classic beach day into a curated, resort-style escape. It will transform a simple port stop into a personalised all-day getaway that is both luxurious and effortless fun.

Santorini will open in Summer 2026 and will be Royal Caribbean’s first European Beach Club. Access comes via an ‘Ultimate Santorini’ Day package and will offer a quieter, more comfortable alternative to Santorini’s crowded tourist hotspots.

Innovative new ships coming on stream that continue to push the boundaries are

Legend of the Seas in 2026

The Icons IIII in 2027

Oasis VII in 2028

Amongst their extensive amenities will be 8 new neighbourhoods, award winning private islands and live entertainment to rival anything on offer in any major city theatre.

Aaron stressed the importance of support from, and building a future with, the travel trade and restated their manifesto that providing best-in-class support and tools to the Irish travel trade is central to everything they do, whether through sales or office-based teams. Their commitment to innovative thinking and exceptional delivery extends across all departments and they are constantly looking for ways to improve their services and enhance the value they offer to partners. This includes robust support, meaningful connections, comprehensive education and attractive rewards. Amongst the many supports they will provide are

• Virtual and face-to-face training
• Seminars at Sea
• Upgraded ship visits
• Panels for feedback
• Immersive podcasts
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Aaron’s final message was that he would like Royal Caribbean to be seen as a holiday company, not just a cruise company, and that there will be lots of tools and support available to the Irish travel trade. Following pre-dinner aperitifs we retired to the Sika Restaurant for dinner. Many thanks to Aaron, Jennifer and John for a very informative and truly enjoyable evening.