ROYAL Caribbean International has three more giant cruise ships on order for delivery between now and 2009, the company revealed as it prepared to show off its latest ship, Freedom of the Seas, in Southampton today.

One of these planned new ships will weigh in at 220,000 tons, dwarfing Freedom, which is the world’s largest cruise ship at 160,000 tons.

Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International (RCI), told The Times that the 220,000-ton ship, whose name and design is still a closely guarded secret, will be delivered to the company in the autumn of 2009.

“The reason why big is better is because we can put more features in. We have put some incredible options into our products,” Mr Goldstein said.

RCI has a reputation for introducing new leisure activities to its ships and features a rock-climbing wall on every vessel. Freedom of the Seas, which takes 3,600 guests, boasts the world’s first onboard surf park that generates real waves, as well as an indoor ice rink and full-size boxing ring.

“We are very optimistic for the next few years,” Mr Goldstein said. “The growth rate in the industry is sustainable, it’s still below the double-digit growth we saw from 1999 to 2003.”

The possibility of a consumer-led recession, which might prompt travellers to cut back on luxury spending, does not unduly concern Mr Goldstein. “Cruises represent excellent value for money. There’s so much included in the package with food and board, entertainment, and the opportunity to travel between different locations, which would cost a fortune if you flew,” he said.

After the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, there were fears that customers would desert the cruise market, but this has not happened. In recent years Royal Caribbean has also been able to show yield growth as well as turnover growth.

Now the main challenge to the cruise industry is the high oil price. Steps are being taken to mitigate the impact of oil at more than $70 a barrel, focused on reducing the consumption of power for lighting and cooling on each ship, as well as smarter sailing.

Europe is a strategic target for RCI, and the UK cruise market, which has about a million cruisers, is the most dominant single market within it. In recognition of this, RCI has decided to base one of its largest ships, Navigator of the Seas, in Southampton. The ship, which can carry 3,500 passengers, is used primarily for 14-day cruises of the Mediterranean.

The company will also be targeting the City of London’s fund managers when it shows off Freedom of the Seas this weekend — although Mr Goldstein said that it had no plans to change its Oslo and New York listing.

MAKING WAVES

Royal Caribbean has ordered a 220,000-ton, unnamed vessel for 2009

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