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Royal Caribbean News Round-Up: June 11, 2023

In:
11 Jun 2023
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend and ready to talk a little Royal Caribbean.

Icon of the Seas construction aerial photo from June 2023

Icon of the Seas is coming together nicely, and we have a new photo update of the progress being made.

Under construction in Turku, Finland, Icon of the Seas is looking more and more like a cruise ship (instead of a construction site). If you're like me, you want to see every update possible of what's happening there.

More water slides have been installed, the siding of the ship has been better revealed, and the ship looks to be getting prepared for her upcoming sea trials.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 501st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a local's guide to planning an Alaska cruise.

In this episode, Mollie live in Alaska and shares ideas for what to do in each Alaska cruise port.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! 

New RCB Video: Why you should eat at the buffet instead of the dining room

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Why you should eat at the buffet instead of the dining room on your cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Inside a cruise ship captain's living quarters

Captain Kate shows what her cabin looks like

Have you ever wondered what the Captain's quarters look like on a cruise ship?

Being in charge of the cruise ship, the Captain has many responsibilities along with a rather large stateroom.

Captain Kate McCue, the current captain of Celebrity Beyond, showed what her living quarters were like while she was the captain of Celebrity Edge. 

The costly mistake not to make planning a cruise

Mariner of the Seas sailing away

There are plenty of mistakes someone could make planning a cruise, but we picked one that would really be an expensive oopsie to overlook.

Of all the cruise mistakes to avoid, booking a flight the same day your cruise departs is probably among the worst.

Travel delays could mean a cancelled or delayed flight, and if you miss your cruise embarkation window, there goes your entire vacation cost.

Why I prefer Alaska cruises over the Caribbean

Ovation of the Seas in Hubbard glacier

Would you rather take a Caribbean cruise or an Alaska cruise?

Jenna has done many cruises in both regions, but prefers an Alaska cruise because of how different it is from a traditional Caribbean sailing.

Despite the colder weather, she found 8 reasons why an Alaska cruise is her preferred cruise.


Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis.  He has become one of the foremost expert on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Over the years, he has reached Pinnacle Club status with Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

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