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DISTINGUISHED MEMORY ARTIST BRINGS ROYAL CARIBBEAN PORTS-OF-CALL TO LIFE

Stephen Wiltshire Creates Panoramic Montage of Mediterranean Coastal Cities

MIAMI, Dec. 17, 2015 – To celebrate the upcoming debut of the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International unveiled a panoramic view like no other.  Created entirely from memory by distinguished British artist Stephen Wiltshire MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire, appointed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 in recognition of his services to the art world– the drawing perfectly captures the coastal cities of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Marseille, three of the six destinations guests will experience when sailing on Harmony of the Seas.  Wiltshire’s drawing gives a taste of the views, in startling detail, that discovery-driven travelers will see while sailing the Western Mediterranean next summer.

Utilizing his unique ability to sketch entire cityscapes from memory, Wiltshire merged the three distinct cities into one seamless coastal montage that is anchored by landmarks such as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, Palma de Mallorca’s Castillo da Bellver and Marseille’s neo-Byzantine cathedral.  Wiltshire sketched the panoramic view in his London studio with astounding accuracy after committing each scene to memory by carefully scanning the coastline from the top-deck of Allure of the Seas this past summer. 

Stephen Wiltshire is a British-born and -based artist who draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He has a particular talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities, sometimes after having only observed them briefly. Wiltshire began his distinguished career at the age of seven, sold his first work by the time he turned eight years old, and received his first commission from the British Prime Minister to create a drawing of Salisbury Cathedral that same year.  Referred to as "possibly the best child artist in Britain” by Hugh Casson, a former president of London's Royal Academy of Arts,” Wiltshire pursued formal studies in Fine Art at City & Guilds Art College. Currently, Wiltshire’s work is popular all over the world and held in a number of important collections, including London's Royal Opera Arcade, London's oldest shopping arcade, where he has a dedicated art gallery, and as part of the National Collection of Singapore, which displays a panoramic drawing of the city that was commissioned to celebrate the nation's 50th birthday. 

Debuting in May 2016, Harmony will showcase the custom artwork onboard throughout her inaugural summer season traveling to Europe’s most popular cruise destinations on seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries.  Ports-of-call include Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence, France; Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy.  In November 2016, Harmony will arrive to her homeport of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. offering seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings.

Thirty-four sailings of the Western Mediterranean are scheduled from Harmony’s homeport in Barcelona, Spain, starting on June 7.  During the summer season guests onboard Harmony will travel a total distance of 11.6bn nautical miles, making it the ultimate destination for adventurers looking to explore some of Europe’s most beautiful locations. Whether it’s fine wine enthusiasts discovering the extensive collection of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot at La Cote de Boeuf, culture junkies enjoying the medieval architecture at the Barri Gotic, or art lovers marveling at the Catalan Modernista form of Gaudi’s celebrated works, there are innumerable sites to see both off and on the ship.

“It was the first time I’ve ever been on a cruise and the whole experience and range of activities onboard completely took me by surprise,” said Stephen Wiltshire.  “The views were absolutely breathtaking. I spent quite a lot of time visualizing the different coastlines of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Marseille and to create the final panorama. It was a pleasure to be given the opportunity to create the piece and I’m thrilled that so many people from all over the world will be able to view my work while on the ship.”

Harmony of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship ever built.  Therefore, we wanted to capture something truly extraordinary that reflects the ultimate views people will experience onboard Harmony – and the best destinations they can explore off the ship too,” said Stuart Leven, Managing Director – UK & Ireland, Royal Caribbean International.  “The Mediterranean coastline is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring places to visit by sea. We just couldn’t wait to give our passengers a taste of its beauty and diversity ahead of the launch of Harmony of the Seas.”

Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 46-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea.  The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean including, jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. Onboard, guests are catered to with the cruise line’s world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service by every staff and crew member. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 13 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.

The cruise line sails 23 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. Media can stay up-to-date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should call their travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.

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