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                                                                     Exhibit 5.1

(212) 922-2200


February 16, 2001


Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, Florida 33132

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel as to matters of Liberian and maritime law to
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., a Liberian corporation (the "Company"), and in
such capacity we have assisted in the preparation and filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act"), of a Registration Statement on Form F-3 (such registration
statement and any additional registration statement filed pursuant to Rule
462(b) is referred to as the "Registration Statement") in respect of the
contemplated issuance by the Company from time to time of up to $1,000,000,000
aggregate public offering price (or any such further aggregate public offering
price as may be registered pursuant to Rule 462(b)) or the equivalent thereof in
one or more foreign currencies, currency units or composite currencies of (i)
senior debt securities (the "Debt Securities"), which may be issued pursuant to
an Indenture dated as of July 15, 1994, as amended, between the Company and The
Bank of New York, successor to Nationsbank of Georgia N.A., as Trustee (the
"Indenture"); (ii) shares of preferred stock of the Company, par value $.01 per
share (the "Preferred Stock"); and (iii) shares of common stock of the Company,
par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"). The Debt Securities, Preferred
Stock and Common Stock are hereafter referred to as the "Securities."

As such counsel, we have examined (i) the forms of underwriting agreements for
debt and equity securities among the Company and representatives of the
underwriters to be named in a terms agreement (the "Underwriting Agreements"),
(ii) the Indenture and (iii) such other papers, documents and certificates of
public officials and certificates of officers of the Company as we have deemed
relevant and necessary as the basis for the opinions hereafter expressed.

In such examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as conformed or photostatic
copies.

This opinion is limited to the laws of the Republic of Liberia. In rendering
this opinion, we have relied on opinions of counsel in Liberia rendered in
transactions which we consider to be sufficiently similar



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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.                                              Page 2
February 16, 2001


to those contemplated hereby in order to afford a satisfactory basis for such
opinion, and upon our independent examinations of the Liberian Corporation Law
of 1948 (Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the Liberian Code of Laws of 1956, effective
March 1, 1958 as amended to July, 1973), the Liberian Business Corporation Act
of 1976 (Title 5 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised, effective January 3, 1977
as amended), and the Liberian Revenue and Finance Law (Title 37 of the Liberian
Code of Laws Revised, effective July 1, 1977), in each case as contained in
pamphlets delivered to us by Liberian Corporation Services, Inc. and our
knowledge and interpretation of analogous laws in the United States. Based upon
the foregoing and having regard to legal considerations which we deem relevant,
we are of the opinion that:

1.       Upon the fixing of the designations, relative rights, preferences and
         limitations of any series of Preferred Stock by the Board of Directors
         of the Company and proper and valid filing with the Minister of Foreign
         Affairs of Liberia of a statement setting forth a copy of the
         resolution of the Board of Directors establishing such series of
         Preferred Stock and the number of shares of such Preferred Stock to be
         issued, all in conformity with the Company's Restated Articles of
         Incorporation and upon the approval by the Board of Directors of the
         Company of the specific terms of the issuance, all necessary corporate
         action on the part of the Company will have been taken to authorize the
         issuance and sale of such series of Preferred Stock proposed to be sold
         by the Company, and when such shares of Preferred Stock are issued and
         delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the applicable
         Underwriting Agreement or other agreement or upon conversion or
         exchange in accordance with the terms of any other Security that has
         been duly authorized, issued, paid for and delivered, such shares will
         be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

2.       The shares of Common Stock, when the terms of the issuance and sale
         thereof have been duly approved by the Board of Directors of the
         Company in conformity with the Company's Restated Articles of
         Incorporation and when issued and delivered against payment therefor in
         accordance with the applicable Underwriting Agreement or other
         agreement or upon conversion or exchange of any Security that has been
         duly authorized, issued, paid for and delivered, will be validly
         issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

3.       When the specific terms of a particular Debt Security have been duly
         authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company and established in
         accordance with the Indenture and such Debt Security has been duly
         executed, authenticated, issued for value and delivered in accordance
         with the Indenture, such Debt Security will be a binding obligation of
         the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
         terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy,
         insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance or other laws
         relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and subject to
         general principles of equity, including application by a court of
         competent jurisdiction of principles of good faith, fair dealing,
         commercial reasonableness, materiality, unconscionability and conflict
         with public policy or other similar principles.



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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.                                              Page 3
February 16, 2001



We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement and to the reference to our name in the prospectus contained therein.
In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of
persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

This opinion may not, without our prior written consent, be used or relied upon
by any person other than (i) Company and (ii) solely with respect to the
opinions expressed herein under the laws of Liberia and Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Very truly yours,


WATSON, FARLEY & WILLIAMS