Luxury Cruising Editorial

Royal Caribbean International has announced its summer 2027 Europe season, featuring six ships sailing from ports across the continent – including an Icon-class vessel and several new itineraries.

Highlights include Mariner of the Seas’ first-ever deployment from Southampton, new ports such as Tangier, Morocco, and the debut of the Royal Beach Club Santorini, a new exclusive shoreside experience for select Mediterranean itineraries.

The season will also mark the first time guests can combine sightseeing across Santorini’s famous whitewashed villages and blue-domed churches with time at the Royal Beach Club Santorini, part of Royal Caribbean Group’s growing collection of land-based destinations.

Sales opened early to Crown & Anchor Society members on 29th October, and then opened to the general public on 30th October 2025.

New Shoreside Experiences and European Expansion

The Santorini beach club is part of the company’s “Ultimate Santorini Day,” blending guided tours of the island’s landmarks with a luxury beach retreat.

Details, including the exact location and entry costs, have not yet been disclosed, but the concept follows the model of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, opening in The Bahamas in December 2025.

Three ships – Rhapsody of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas – will visit the new Santorini club.

Royal Caribbean’s parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, confirmed earlier this month that the Santorini beach club will be open to guests sailing with both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises.

Where Each Ship Will Sail in Summer 2027

Legend of the Seas (Icon Class)

The 5,610-guest Legend of the Seas, entering service in July 2026, will spend her second summer in the Mediterranean, sailing Western Mediterranean itineraries from both Barcelona and Rome.

Rhapsody of the Seas (Vision Class)

Carrying 2,040 passengers, Rhapsody of the Seas will operate from Athens, sailing 7-night Eastern Mediterranean cruises visiting Greece, Turkey, and Egypt – including calls to Royal Beach Club Santorini.

Mariner of the Seas (Voyager Class)

Making her Southampton debut, the 4,000-guest Mariner of the Seas will offer a variety of cruises ranging from two-night short getaways to nine-night voyages. Destinations include Porto, Seville, and the Norwegian fjords, as well as stops in Denmark.

Explorer of the Seas (Voyager Class)

Based in Barcelona, Rome, Ravenna, and Athens, Explorer of the Seas will offer Eastern and Western Mediterranean itineraries, visiting Italy, France, Spain, and the Adriatic ports of Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece.

Odyssey of the Seas (Quantum Class)

Operating from Rome, the 4,284-guest Odyssey of the Seas will sail 7-night Greek Island cruises, with calls in Mykonos and Santorini, where guests can experience the new Royal Beach Club.

Brilliance of the Seas (Radiance Class)

The 2,145-guest Brilliance of the Seas will homeport in Ravenna, sailing 7-night Greek Island and Croatia cruises, also featuring the Santorini beach club as a key highlight.

Reduced European Capacity

While the line-up of ships coming to Europe has been given the typical fanfare of a new season launch, it is worth noting that 2027 actually sees a reduction in capacity for Europe, in terms of ship size at least, when compared with 2026.

Brilliance, Explorer, Legend and Odyssey will all be returning to Europe in 2027 after a 2026 season sailing the continent, but two of the ships are changes. Harmony of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas are sailing in Europe in 2026, replaced by Rhapsody of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.

That’s a drop in passenger capacity of around 5,500 berths – mainly due to the departing Harmony of the Seas, an Oasis-class ship that can host over 6,700 guests at maximum capacity.

However, the overall 2027 capacity will likely be similar, as there are more itineraries available – 51 cruises are offered for 2026, with 57 offered for 2027.

Expanding the Royal Beach Club Portfolio

The Santorini development is part of Royal Caribbean Group’s wider plan to grow its land-based experiences from two to eight destinations by 2028, following the model of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Upcoming projects include:

• Royal Beach Club Paradise Island (The Bahamas) – Opening December 2025
• Royal Beach Club Cozumel (Mexico) – 2026
• Perfect Day Mexico – 2027
• Royal Beach Club Lelepa (Vanuatu) – 2028

With the addition of Santorini, Royal Caribbean is expanding its presence in Europe while offering guests new ways to combine authentic local exploration with premium resort-style relaxation.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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An Australian family is demanding answers after 80-year-old Suzanne Rees was found dead on Lizard Island, part of the Great Barrier Reef, after being left behind by her cruise ship.

The tragedy occurred on Saturday, 25th October, when Ms Rees, from New South Wales, joined fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer on a guided hike to Cook’s Look, the island’s highest peak.

The vessel, which was on the first leg of a 60-day circumnavigation of Australia, departed the island at sunset before realising several hours later that one of its guests was missing.

When the ship returned, a large-scale search was launched involving the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), local police, and helicopters using spotlights to sweep the island through the night. Her body was discovered the following morning.

Queensland Police said a report into the “sudden and non-suspicious death” would be prepared for the coroner.

Daughter Accuses Operator of “Failure of Care and Common Sense”

Speaking publicly for the first time, Ms Rees’s daughter Katherine Rees said she was “shocked and saddened” that the Coral Adventurer had left “without my mum”, whom she described as healthy, active, a keen gardener and bushwalker.

“From the little we have been told, it seems that there was a failure of care and common sense,” she said.

She added that police had told the family it was a hot day when her mother began to feel unwell on the climb.

“She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count. At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mum died, alone,” Ms Rees said.

She now hopes a coronial inquiry will “find out what the company should have done that might have saved Mum’s life”.

Search Effort and Investigation

A spokesperson for AMSA confirmed it was first alerted to the missing woman around 9 pm on Saturday by the ship’s captain. Search crews returned to the island but called off operations in the early hours before resuming at first light on Sunday, when Ms Rees’s body was found.

Witness Traci Ayris, who was sailing nearby, told the ABC that she saw search helicopters circling the island during the night.

“We knew she was dead because they called everyone back from the search immediately,” she said. “And no-one went to the spot that the chopper was hovering over until later that day when the police arrived.”

Ms Ayris described the mood among those nearby as “very sad in this paradise to have this tragedy occur. It should have been a happy time for that lovely lady.”

AMSA said it takes the safety of passengers and crew on commercial vessels “very seriously” and is working with Queensland Police and other agencies to investigate.

The Coral Adventurer’s operator, Coral Expeditions, confirmed that staff had contacted the family and were offering support.

“While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family,” said Mark Fifield, the company’s chief executive. “We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation.”

Questions Over Cruise Procedures

The Coral Adventurer carries up to 120 passengers with 46 crew and operates small-boat tenders to transport guests to remote shore excursions.

The ship has since continued its voyage to Darwin, though an investigation will take place once it docks.

Every cruise I have sailed on has systems in place to help track guests who have gone ashore, to make sure nothing like this happens.

If someone doesn’t return to the ship, the ship may leave if it assumes they have gone exploring on their own, or via a third party tour, and not made it back to the ship.

But they would definitely make contact with the missing guest, or alert the authorities if they noticed an elderly guest hadn’t returned and was likely alone.

As the investigation continues, Ms Rees’s family says they hope her death will prompt a review of how expedition cruise operators monitor guests ashore.

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