Royal Caribbean International will begin sailing from Israel for the first time this summer, with the arrival of brand-new ship, Odyssey of the Seas.
The vessel will offer three- and seven-night trips to the Greek Isles and Cyprus in May.
The itineraries, roundtrip from Haifa, will include visits to idyllic isles and destinations in the Mediterranean, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.
“We are thrilled to debut Royal Caribbean cruises from Israel with our newest and most innovative ship, Odyssey of the Seas.
“Israeli travellers will be looking to get away, relax with total peace of mind, and enjoy the travel experiences they are missing dearly; and that is what we do best,” said Michael Bayley, president and chief executive, Royal Caribbean International.
“Sailing from Israel is an opportunity we have had our sights on for quite some time.
“We greatly appreciate the government of Israel for their collaboration and confidence in us to deliver memorable cruise experiences to their residents, and look forward to delivering on that promise aboard our newest ship.”
Residents of Israel will be the first guests to cruise on Odyssey during its inaugural season.
The innovative ship is designed to make for a memorable holiday for every kind of traveller, with a variety of new and signature experiences from bow to stern.
In conjunction with the health and tourism authorities of Israel, Royal Caribbean will be the first to offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of 16 will be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The country is currently in the process of reopening its economy as the number of Covid-19 vaccinations continues to grow.