In an email send to its associates, Royal Caribbean announced the closure of the German office in Frankfurt. The team around Dr. Jörg Rudolph , General Manager for Royal Caribbean, responsible for the German, Austrian and Swiss market was dismissed. In the future, German market will be managed by the "Eurozone" office in Barcelona, by Belén Wangüemert, Managing Director in Spain. The company's headquarters in Spain should be "fully operational" in the summer, the cruise company said in a letter to business partners. Jacob Kock Plinius will be the interim commercial director for the industry until the final closure of the Frankfurt branch. Overall, the sales team for Europe should be enlarged, it says: "We are investing transnationally into a larger,

Stuart Leven, Vice President of EMEA and Managing Director, RCL Cruises LTD send the following letter, announcing the closure of the German branch.

I would like to inform you about some developments within the European business of RCL, which are part of the company’s long - term investments with its brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and our associated ambitions on the European Market.

We have been very enthusiastic about our latest ship announcements and introductions, you will have noticed that the interest in cruising in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is currently stronger than ever before.

Following the great success of the Harmony of the Seas in Europe last year, we can look forward to expanding our deployment of ships in this region by introducing the Symphony of the Seas in 2018 - the world's largest cruise ship. In addition, we will launch 10 more ships within the next nine years, including the recently announced Celebrity Edge, and continue to invest in forward-looking port infrastructures and shipbuilding.

We are reorienting our EMEA business after a thorough analysis of the European market and the opportunities presented here.

As part of the investment, RCL is consolidating its distribution structure from six to four regions within Europe: the UK and Ireland, the Nordic countries, the Eurozone and the EMEA International Representative. The new Eurozone includes the sales teams in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland, which have been supported by a new office in Barcelona by the new Associate Vice President and Managing Director, Belén Wangüemert, previously Managing Director for Spain and Spain France. The office will be fully operational in the summer of 2017.

The introduction of this Eurohub office means the closure of the Frankfurt office. All business processes there are taken over from Barcelona. Our current Managing Director, Dr. Jörg Rudolph, will leave the company and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his incredible commitment and great team leadership.

Jacob Kock Plinius, Interim Commercial Director, will be your contact at the Frankfurt office in the transition phase.

As a valued partner, your constant support will remain an essential part of our company and further success. We believe that the reorientation of our business will also benefit you - a broader sales team within Europe means an acceleration of the market and an improved offer from RCL.

During this phase, our primary goal is to ensure a seamless transition and create new, exciting opportunities for our proven partnership. The potential of the European market for cruises is undisputed, and I am confident that this restructuring will strengthen our alliance.