Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.  entered into a deal with Madrid based  private equity firm  Springwater Capital in May to  sell a 51% stake in Pullmantur  and Croisières de France (CDF)  cruise brands. Under the agreement,  the two parties will form a  joint venture dedicated to bringing  cruise experiences tailored  to Spanish and French tourists  through the management of the  two brands. Furthermore, RCL  will have a 49% stake, and  retain full ownership of the ships  and aircraft currently operated  by Pullmantur and CDF, which  will be leased into the joint venture.  RCL will also provide  marine operations services to  Pullmantur and CDF through a  management agreement. The  joint venture is expected to be  completed later in 2016, subject  to customary conditions and  regulatory approvals. Just three  days after the Harmony of the  Seas had made her debut at  Southampton, Royal Caribbean’s  Strategic Operation  Officer, Mike Jones and  Managing Director of UK and  Ireland, Stuart Leven, announced  a seven-year deal with the  port of Southampton, worth  £200 million to the local economy,  at the official Plaques and  Keys ceremony aboard the  Harmony of the Seas. The deal  secures Southampton’s City  Cruise Terminal as the official  UK home of Royal Caribbean  International and secures £5.5  million’s worth of investment  from the cruise company. The  investment has so far enabled  Associated British Ports (ABP),  owner and operator of the  Southampton port, to prepare  the terminal for a new generation  of ships heralded by the  arrival of the Harmony. The  improvements made to the terminal  have been designed to  enhance the embarkation experiences  for both passenger and  crew. New paperless check-in  for passengers and a kerb-to gangway  processing of only 10  minutes makes it the fastest  route from home-to-international  holiday for holidaymakers.