Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean has launched CruiseFly service to its cruises that disembark in Singapore.   CruiseFly is the region’s first sea-to-air baggage transfer service that allows guests an early check-in for flights departing within the same day of the ship’s arrival into Singapore.

Passengers can book CruiseFly online or before the cruise ship arrives in Singapore.  Once signed up, guests can check-in, check their luggage and collect boarding passes without having to do it all at the airport.  CruiseFly is available on Singapore Airlines, Silk Air, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Jet Airways. It is valid on all flights departing post 2:30 pm from Changi Airport, on the day of the ships arrival to Singapore and can be purchased for USD 28.00 per person carrying up to two pieces of baggage and USD 9.00 for each additional piece of luggage.

Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN Travel Marketing, India Representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said, “This is an exemplary service designed to provide an effortless travel experience to our guests. The early flight check-in not only eliminates baggage related stress but also provides for a couple of extra hours to explore more activities and attractions in Singapore.”

With the Chinese becoming richer, Royal Caribbean is expecting the booming Asian cruise market to repeat the United States growth rate over the last three decades.

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein commented on the growth the company expects to see, "The number of Asians cruising today is very similar to the number of Americans who were cruising in 1980s. While the markets are not the same, we think that China has terrific potential to grow."

Industry data points to the global cruise market will grow an estimated 4.5 percent, with Asians making up 1.5 million of the total number.  That number looks a lot like how many Americans were cruising 30 years ago, Goldstein said. The number of U.S. voyagers has grown to about 12 million, and Asia accounts for only 6 to 7 percent of the world’s total cruises, he said.

One issue for a company like Royal Caribbean is educating Chinese consumers about cruising but Goldstein feels China will overtake the United Kingdom in two to three years in terms of demand.

The number of Chinese passengers at Royal Caribbean quadrupled to 100,000 last year from 25,000 in 2012 and is expected to double to 200,000 this year, Goldstein said.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas has been making headlines since it was formally announced and there's little doubt as to why this mega cruise ship is so popular.  For those looking to take their first cruise on Oasis of the Seas, here's a primer to get you ready for this fantastic vacation experience.

Oasis is, well, big!

Most people that book a vacation aboard Oasis of the Seas know that she's a big cruise ship.  In fact, she was the largest cruise ship in the world until her sister Allure of the Seas barely beat her out.  Regardless, saying a ship is big and seeing it for yourself are two different things.  

To help break the ship and make it easier to navigate, Royal Caribbean has created seven themed areas called "neighborhoods".  These distinct areas of the ship serve as visual cues to where you are and it's important to know about them so you can more easily get to wherever you are going.

The Oasis of the Seas neighborhoods are

1. Central Park
2. The Pool and Sports Zone
3. Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center
4. Boardwalk
5. Royal Promenade
6. Youth Zone
7. Entertainment Place

Free vs. Paid

Oasis of the Seas is packed with a lot to do and much of it is included in your cruise fare while other options cost extra.  We can't cover everything that costs extra in terms of activites and things to do, but here's a listing of the major ones

Free places to eat

• Windjammer
• Park Cafe
• Boardwalk Donut Shop
• Solarium Bistro (breakfast and lunch only)
• Wipeout Cafe
• Sorrento's
• Cafe Promenade
• Room Service
• Main Dining Room

Paid places to eat

• Chops Grille
• 150 Central Park
• Giovanni's Table
• Johnny Rockets
• Vintages
• Seafood Shack
• Vitality Cafe
• Solarium Bistro (dinner only)
• Izumi

Free activities

• Flowrider surf simulator
• "Hairspray" Broadway show
• AquaTheater
• Zipline across Central Park
• Ice skating
• 3D Movie Theater
• Gym

Paid activities

• Fitness classes
• Surf lessons
• Cooking classes
• Spa services (massages, hair styling, makeup, etc)

Cabins

We will assume you're familiar with the usual types of staterooms that are on cruise ships, such as inside, outside, balcony and suites.  But Oasis of the Seas has a few other types of staterooms you may not know about.

Boardwalk and Central Park balcony

When you hear about a stateroom with a balcony, you're probably envisioning a view of the ocean but Oasis of the Seas introduced cabins that have balconies that overlook two of their most popular neighborhoods: Central Park and the Boardwalk.  Both offer great views of their respective areas and they can be just as fun as an ocean balcony given the beautifully decorated areas.

One common question about these balconies is noise since other passengers will be who you can see and hear from your balcony.  Generally speaking the noise factor isn't a consideration and we would recommend trying either one!

Loft Suites

These suites are unique in that they have two floors with a large balcony.  It's a lot of space for a small footprint and it''s a great choice for those looking for an upscale option.

Technology!

Oasis of the Seas pioneered a few innovations to the cruise industry that have since been rolled out to many other Royal Caribbean ships.  There's lots but here are our favorites

• Wayfinders - Every deck has large LCD monitors that not only show you where you are onboard but how to get from where you are to somewhere else.  In addition they can tell you what's going on right now as well as later.  
• Royal Connect phones - Royal Caribbean offers passengers the option to rent customized iPhones for use onboard the ship.  These phones are great ways to stay connected when outside of your stateroom as well as find your friends and family with a tracking feature.  Royal Connect phones cost extra.
• Stateroom Televisions - Beyond watching TV, your stateroom TV can tell you what's happening around the ship as well as show you how busy many of the restaurants are onboard.  It's a great tool to avoid waiting somewhere to eat.

But wait, there's more!

There's a lot more to see and do on Oasis of the Seas but that's what your cruise is for!  Hopefully this guide will be enough to give you an idea of what to expect and you will be a little better prepared to enjoy everything this magnificent cruise ship has to offer.  Bon voyage!

Royal Caribbean's WOW Sale was slated to end yesterday but the company announced that it will extend the popular sale through June 14, giving it an extra two days.

To take advantage of the sale, you can reserve any cruise departing from September 1, 2013 – August 31, 2014 to enjoy up to $200 to spend onboard plus a 50% reduced deposit.

The WOW Sale is broken down as follows

• 5 Nights or Less cruise
  • $50 per stateroom onboard credit
  • $50 deposit
• 6-9 Night Cruise
  • $100 per stateroom onboard credit
  • $125 deposit 
• 10 Nights or Longer Cruise
  • $200 per stateroom onboard credit
  • $225 deposit

All bookings must be made and the required deposit must be paid by June 14, 2013, by 11:59 pm Local Time to qualify for the promotion.  Offer is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Interline, Travel Agent, Net Rates, Sales Event, Crown & Anchor Discounts, Shareholder Benefits or Next Cruise offers, promotions, or benefits.