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The Royal Caribbean cruises started in the late 1960s as an idea of a group of Norwegian ship owners seeking to enter the then rapidly expanding North American market for cruises. Its first ship was the Song of Norway which debuted in 1970 and was quickly followed by the Nordic Prince and Sun Viking in 1972 as well as the Song of America in 1982.

Since then, Royal Caribbean International has expanded its line from the original Caribbean destinations to worldwide itineraries. Indeed, travelling in royal style has never been easier than when Royal Caribbean came into the market.

Know the Fleet

In keeping with the excellent reputation of the Royal Caribbean cruises for extra-large and ultra-luxurious accommodations, most of the ships are truly gigantic in size from bow to port with facilities and amenities fit for a king. And with the company's commitment to being in the forefront of shipbuilding innovation and being the leader in the cruise industry, we can expect bigger ships in the future.

Let's start with the largest cruise ship in the world - the Oasis of the Seas that can accommodate 5,400 passengers in stylish luxury. Such is the magnitude of its size that only a handful of military super tankers can exceed its capacity. Most, if not all, passengers and crew members call the Oasis of the Seas as a floating city and for good reasons, too.

Next in size are the Freedom-class ships, namely, the Freedom of the Seas, the Independence of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas. These Royal Caribbean cruises may be quite a bit smaller ships than the Oasis class but their facilities are all world-class from the ice skating rink to the indoor promenade.

The Voyager-class ships include the Mariner of the Seas and the Explorer of the Seas. Although these are smaller in size, many of the features on the Oasis and Freedom classes are still included in the ships.

The three smallest cruise ships, in a manner of speaking, on the fleet are the Radiance, Vision and Sovereign classes. The Radiance fleet can easily sail through the Panama Canal while the Vision and Sovereign cruise ships all offer relatively luxurious accommodations at reasonable prices.

Enjoy the Facilities

As can be expected, the amenities, facilities and services on the Royal Caribbean cruises largely depend on the class of the cruise ship. The rule is that the Oasis class offers the most luxurious services of the entire fleet with the Freedom class closely following behind. The cheapest but still stylish ships belong to the Sovereign classes of ships.

For example, the Freedom class ships have surf parks that the Voyager class ships do not offer to the passengers. In almost all other ways, both classes of ships have similar designs, size and shape.

The amenities and facilities on the Oasis class are everything that you can possibly dream of on a cruise ship. Among a few of these amenities are an ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, surfing park and golf course for your entertainment as well as restaurants, lounges and bars for your dining needs.

The best thing about these Royal Caribbean cruises is the wide range of international destinations and number of days available. Caribbean cruises exist alongside with American, Asian and European cruises with days of stay ranging from three to seven days and nights. Choose one now and see where the cruise will take you to beautiful places on Earth.