Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas will move to Barcelona in 2011, joining two other large cruise ships sailing from the Spanish port city that year.
Norwegian Cruise Line's 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic and the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic also are scheduled to spend summer 2011 in Barcelona. The Epic will make its debut this summer, and the Magic is scheduled to enter service in 2011.
The 3,600-passenger Liberty has been based in Miami since its debut in 2007. Royal Caribbean said the Barcelona move demonstrates its commitment to the Spanish market.
"In such a pessimistic economic environment, we are proud to continue our commitment to the Spanish market and to keep investing in it," Belen Wanguemert, managing director of Royal Caribbean's Spanish division, said in a statement.
Royal Caribbean said the Spanish cruise sector has grown 8% to 10% annually despite a fall in general tourism there. The line predicts 60% growth in passenger volume from Spain in 2010, compared with 30% growth in 2009.
The Liberty will be the second Freedom-class vessel to be based in Europe. Its sister ship, the Independence of the Seas, will homeport year-round in Southampton, England, beginning in late April.
In March, Royal Caribbean said, it will reveal the Liberty's itineraries from Barcelona as well as how long the ship will be based there. The ship is scheduled to sail from Miami through March 2011.
New Orleans will also get a boost in 2011, with the Norwegian Spirit becoming the second ship to homeport there year-round.
Norwegian Cruise Line said the Spirit would operate the line's first year-round cruise program from the Big Easy. Currently, Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Triumph also sails from New Orleans year-round.
The president of the Port of New Orleans, Gary LaGrange, said in a statement that the announcement was a "huge vote of confidence" in the city.
The Norwegian Spirit has been based in New Orleans seasonally since 2007. Year-round, the Spirit will operate weekly, seven-day, western Caribbean cruises from April 2011 through April 2012.
The 2,000-passenger Spirit will call in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Belize City.
