Happy weekend! We hope Spring is starting to arrive where you live.  Regardless of the weather, it is time to sit back, relax, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean news!

Gather three of your closest, thrill seeking friends and you could win a free Royal Caribbean cruise as part of the cruise line's new contest.

Royal Caribbean is holding a contest to find Instagram adventure seekers who want to travel the world and compete for the title of "World's Most Adventurous Squad".

Royal Caribbean will hold five adventure-themed Instagram challenges. Each challenge will run for 72 hours on Royal Caribbean’s Instagram account starting on March 29 and through April 12. To take part in the challenge, adventurers simply post their photo to Instagram, tag three friends that will comprise their squad and use the hashtag #AdventureSquad and #Contest.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean added shorts to the approved clothing list for casual night in the main dining room.
• Anthem of the Seas had a propulsion problem, and had to alter her itinerary.
• Freedom of the Seas will call San Juan, Puerto Rico its new home in 2018-2019.
• We shared a spotlight look at the CocoCay Beach Bungalows.
• Speaking of CocoCay, we also shared a construction progress photo report earlier this week.
• Did you see Royal Caribbean's April Fools Day joke for this year?
• We shared a photo tour of the AquaTheater Suite on Harmony of the Seas.
• Check out our full review of Jamie's Italian on Anthem of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean released a new Symphony of the Seas construction photo update.
• Empress of the Seas is now offering luggage storage for guests who board early.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 191st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a full review of Matt's recent Anthem of the Seas cruise.

In this episode, Matt shares a review of his recent sailing on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas. It was a fun-filled cruise to the Bahamas, and Matt shares his experiences onboard and onshore.  

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Tips TV has a new video with Royal Caribbean tips and money saving tricks.

Flights of Fancy Mom has a review of their recent Freedom of the Seas cruise.

CruiseHabit shares helpful information about credit cards and changing currency in Cuba.

Cruise Radio listed their top 9 Royal Caribbean restaurants.

Last week was a pretty busy week with Royal Caribbean news, and this week continued that trend with lots of changes and announcements. Luckily, we have a summary of all of the news from this week to make certain you did not miss any of it.

The news that garnered a lot of attention (and even more comments) this week was the announcement Royal Caribbean will begin charging for room service.

The cruise line will charge guests a fee of $7.95 per order of room service from the All Day Menu and the American Section of the breakfast menu.

As part of the change, Royal Caribbean is also introducing a new fleet wide room service menu, The new menu features upgraded items such as the Royal Wagyu Burger, a classic Philly cheese steak with shaved rib eye, chicken wings with a choice of four sauces, and a healthy grilled salmon dish with cucumber mint yogurt, to name a few.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announced its 2018-2019 Caribbean, Alaska and Northeast itineraries.
• Royal Caribbean entered into a joint partnership to upgrade a port in Malaysia.
• Guests can begin spending onboard credit via the Cruise Planner on select ships.
• We shared a new Symphony of the Seas construction photo update.
• The azipods for Symphony of the Seas have arrived at the STX Franch shipyard.
• We will be live blogging from Anthem of the Seas beginning this weekend.
• Royal Caribbean was named one of the world's most ethical companies for the second year in a row.
• We have a photo tour of the new Chops Grille on Adventure of the Seas.
• Legend of the Seas embarked upon its final sailing as a Royal Caribbean ship.
• There are two new bottled alcohol packages to purchase.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

The 189th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are previewing Matt's upcoming cruise on Anthem of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt is about to cruise on Anthem of the Seas and he is sharing why he picked this ship, what his plans are onboard and some of the new experience he has lined up.

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

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

CruiseHabit reported on the deal Royal Caribbean's parent company signed with Port Everglades.

Cruise1st.com.au has 9 cruise dining hacks that will save time, effort and money (#2 is particularly well-written).

TTG indicated Symphony of the Seas will host travel agents from the UK next year.

Happy Daylight Savings Time! No one enjoys losing an hour of sleep, so we will make you feel better with a round-up of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news.

The big, big, big news of this week was Royal Caribbean's announcement of its newest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean revealed the name of its fourth Oasis Class ship, along with the nearly big news that Symphony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will homeport at the brand new Terminal A in PortMiami. 

Royal Caribbean also put its 2018-2019 Symphony of the Seas sailings on sale to the public, adding to another very busy week of Symphony of the Seas news.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announced a large expansion at CocoCay.
• Royal Caribbean broke ground on its new PortMiami cruise terminal.
• Five things to be excited about that will be different on Symphony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean celebrated a sustainable shore excursion milestone.
• Bolidt will provide glow-in-the-dark lighting for Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.
• A look at the Barefoot Beach cabanas in Labadee.
• Royal Caribbean signed a new deal with Singapore Tourism Board to grow the fly-cruise market.
• Our photo tour of a Family Panoramic Stateroom on Freedom of the Seas.
• Chops Grille is now open on Adventure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 188th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are sharing packing tips for a cruise.

In this episode, Matt asked packing expert, Sheri, to share some of her strategies for leaner packing before a cruise.  Overpacking is a common pitfall for cruisers, new and old, so this episode aims to help everyone bring less in their suitcases.

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

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Eat Sleep Cruise has 10 tips for using your smartphone on a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean featured a foodie blogger's favorite way to travel.

Cruise Hive has top 3 Royal Caribbean ships for shore excursions.

Welcome to March! We hope you are having a great weekend and are ready to sit back, relax and catch up with all the latest Royal Caribbean news!

Royal Caribbean announced this week it will recategorize all of its staterooms across the fleet, in an effort to make things simpler for guests and booking agents.

The new categorizations will introduce new category codes that feature intuitive category names. Stateroom category shifts are based on attributes, size, location, and occupancy.

The changes will go into effect with the upcoming 2018-2019 itineraries. With the exception of Quantum of the Seas, all ships and ship classes are affected equally.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will add lifeguards to its cruise ships.
• A new Royal Caribbean sales promotion began this week for the month of March.
• Deck plans for Oasis 4 (Symphony of the Seas) were released, but then rescinded.
• Our full review of Royal Caribbean's Private Journeys custom shore excursion in Curacao.
• Five things you can do on Anthem of the Seas (and no other cruise line).
• We reviewed dinner at Sabor Modern Mexican on Navigator of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean released a video of the escape room experience on Harmony of the Seas.
• Take a photo tour of a Grand Suite on Navigator of the Seas.
• Check out this fun souvenir drink cup that looks like the Viking Crown Lounge.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 187th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we have a LIVE review of the ABC islands.

In this episode, Matt and everyone that was aboard the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise recorded a review of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.  The group discussed their experiences at these islands, and shared recommendations and advice for someone visiting any of these Southern Caribbean destinations on a future cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Wander-Filled Life has a review of their Adventure of the Seas cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

TravelPulse reveals the top cruise trends for 2017.

Cruise Tips TV has a new video about how to pack a carry on bag only for a 7-night cruise.

Cruise Habit explains what happens if the price goes down after you book a cruise.

DuJour shares a drink recipe from the Bionic Bar.

Travel Agent Central talks about the new Royal Caribbean group tour conductor credit benefiting travel agents.

Happy Sunday and we hope you had a great week.  It was a busy week of Royal Caribbean fun, and we have a round-up of all of it in this hand-dandy blog post.

The headline many Royal Caribbean fans talked about this week was Majesty of the Seas being delayed for one night in Port Canaveral following an U.S. Coast Guard inspection.

Evidently, the Coast Guard was not satisfied with some of the safety equipment on Majesty of the Seas, and Royal Caribbean had to resolve the issues before the ship was cleared. Luckily, the ship was only delayed for one evening and was able to get underway soon thereafter.

For the delay, Royal Caribbean provided its guests with a 25% refundable onboard credit, and a 25% Future Cruise Certificate.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean decided to cancel all stops in Turkey in 2017.
• Royal Caribbean released a video about the fresh pasta made daily at Jamie's Italian.
• We are LIVE on Navigator of the Seas.  You can follow along every day of our adventure in our live blog.
• Our favorite things to do on a Royal Caribbean balcony.
• How being early is the secret to a great Royal Caribbean cruise all around.
• We spotted a change to the mini-bar procedure in Royal Caribbean staterooms.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 185th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and are previewing our Navigator of the Seas cruise!

In this episode, Matt talks about why he picked to go on Navigator of the Seas and shares what his plans are for this sailing, including some new experiences he is excited to try for the first time.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

From the Deck Chair is sharing tips for booking your cruise online.

Daily Mail has an interview with a Royal Caribbean performer about what her life and job are like on Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean shares how it is the first cruise line to customize the decarbonization approach.

Forbes has an interview with Royal Caribbean CIO Michael Giresi on how the company plans to innovate.

Happy weekend before Valentine's Day! We hope you are having a fun and relaxing weekend. The perfect compliment to any Sunday is our round-up of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news.

Royal Caribbean announced, and then subsequently extended a new WOW Sale promotion, where guests can take advantage of a number of great offers.

The WOW Sale includes 60% off the second guest, up to $200 in onboard credit and 50% reduced deposit for bookings made through February 13.  This offer is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

The WOW Sale is combined with the February Wave Season offer that is going on, and we have heard from lots of readers who have been able to take advantage of this latest promotion.

Royal Caribbean News

• Enjoy this photo tour of the water slides on Adventure of the Seas.
• If you were wondering, here are the pros and cons to Royal Caribbean's drink packages.
• Our comprehensive guide to Royal Caribbean's Voom WiFi internet options.
• We' are counting down the top 5 Harmony of the Seas bars and lounges.
• We spotted new tiki mugs for sale on Labadee and on Royal Caribbean ships.
• The secrets to taking great photos on your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 184th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and have an overview of the main dining room on Royal Caribbean ships.

In this episode, Matt discusses what the main dining room offers guests, and shares tips and strategies for a great time dining there throughout the cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

The Miami Herald looks at how Ovation of the Seas caters to the Chinese guest.

Royal Caribbean has a look at the "where" and "when" of sailings.

One Boston Herald writer is enjoying cruising after years of avoiding it.

TimeOut London has a look at 10 awesome robots (including one on Royal Caribbean).

Condé Nast Traveler shares 10 amazing Caribbean gems that are sure to move higher up on your travel list.

Royal Caribbean has a list of the coolest new 2017 cruises.

Good news, we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!  In case you missed any of the Royal Caribbean fun from this week, here is our weekly round up!

Guests looking to sail to Cuba had good news this week, when Royal Caribbean announced many more sailings to Havana for much of 2017.

Royal Caribbean announced its cruise schedule that will visit Cuba's capital city, including some itineraries that have an overnight stop. All the new sailings will be aboard Empress of the Seas out of Tampa, Florida.

There are new 4- and 5-night cruises with day and overnight visits to Havana, along with stops in Key West, FL. and Cozumel, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean News

• A new Cruise Planner sale on pre-cruise purchases runs through the end of Monday.
• Crown and Anchor Society is inviting guests to join them on Anthem of the Seas.
• Check out our first timer's guide to Oasis of the Seas.
• Here are the free outdoor activities anyone can do on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• At some point, Royal Caribbean expanded the Central Park balcony benefits.
• New video overview of the water slides on Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 183rd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt shares how to make a Royal Caribbean cruise extra memorable.

In this episode, Matt looks at ways anyone can make their next Royal Caribbean cruise stand out with ideas for special events, upgrades and splurges.  

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Hive shares tips how to keep your kids busy on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The Washington Post shares the story of how two cruise families cut costs to cruise on Royal Caribbean more often.

Beyond Ships has a photo tour of Enchantment of the Seas.

ShermansCruise has their list of seven best places to eat on Royal Caribbean ships.

Hope you had a great week (maybe one week closer to your next Royal Caribbean cruise?) and you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

The big news this week was Royal Caribbean's registering of three new cruise ship names, including the widely-rumored name for its fourth Oasis class cruise ship.

Earlier in the week, Royal Caribbean filed to trademark three ship names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  These names include Symphony of the Seas, Sunrise of the Seas and Valhalla of the Seas.

Symphony of the Seas is expected to be the name of the cruise line's next cruise ship that will debut, although Royal Caribbean has made no official announcement regarding that yet.  The other two names registered remain unknown as to which ship they will be registered to, if any.

Despite Royal Caribbean not announced the name of its fourth Oasis class cruise ship, which debuts in Spring 2018, there have been a few different convincing rumors this month that seem to point to the name of the ship being Symphony of the Seas, including a construction site photo taken of the ship's name being prepared.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean released its 2018-2019 deployment opening schedule.
• Royal Caribbean is now the only cruise line to offer a full range of PADI scuba offerings.
• Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean updated its towel rental policy.
• We know a little bit more about Royal Caribbean's new smart phone app.
• Royal Caribbean reported a 25% earnings increase for the fourth quarter of 2016.
• We picked up on five interesting facts from Royal Caribbean's earnings call with investors.
• 15 important things to do on your first day on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Here is how to get closer to an all-inclusive Royal Caribbean cruise experience.
• Did you know about these seven things that are totally free on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 182nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we have a look at what happens when you get sick on a cruise.

In this episode, Halee joins Matt to discuss what it was like to be sick while on a cruise. Everyone hopes their cruise vacation will be the best time of their life, but getting sick can happen at sea just like on land.  Halee shares what she dealt with and shares some lessons for anyone else who might end up in a similar situation.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

CNBC interviewed Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain about the company's financial results.

Cruise1st takes a look at the best cruise lines for 20-something year olds.

ShermansCruise has 5 activities that are worth the splurge on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Everything Pop Culture shared her experience on Allure of the Seas.

EatSleepCruise has some quick facts about the neighborhoods on Harmony of the Seas.

Each week we summarize all of this week's Royal Caribbean news in one post, just in case you missed any of it. Lots of things happen in your life during the week, so this is your opportunity to catch up on everything Royal Caribbean.

The big news this week came from the rumor mill, with some compelling indications of what Royal Caribbean's next cruise ship will named.

First, a blog post from the FlowRider company specifically referred to Oasis IV as Symphony of the Seas.  Then a few days later, a construction photo shows the same name being prepared on the ship's hull.

Royal Caribbean has made no official announcement regarding what its fourth Oasis class ship will be named, but many believe she will be named Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean News

• Here is how to get a discount on a Royal Caribbean drink package.
• Five things to love about Navigator of the Seas.
• All this week, we have been LIVE blogging from Majesty of the Seas.
• New photos of Ovation of the Seas in Sydney are quite beautiful.
• Want to do something besides sit at the beach in Labadee? Here are six ideas for fun activities.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 181st  episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, which provides an overview of what Labadee offers.

Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee is a highlight for any cruise, and on this episode, Matt looks at what there is to do in Labadee, what to expect on shore, and tips for a fun day.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Penn State University has a look at two Royal Caribbean crew members who graduated from Penn State.

Cruise Dudes Podcast interviewed a listener who recently sailed on Allure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean shares how its cruise ships save energy.

Welcome to this week's round-up of all the Royal Caribbean news and happenings.  Hope you are staying warm and are ready to cozy up to some great Royal Caribbean fun.

Royal Caribbean highlighted what is new and notable for 2017, including new several new itineraries.

While there is no new cruise ship joining the fleet this year, Royal Caribbean fans will be delighted to see changes to offerings in many different markets.

Chief among the changes for 2017 are cruises to Cuba (finally!). Empress of the Seas will provide vacationers with the opportunity to discover the timeless sights, sounds and culture of this island nation. The newly revitalized Empress of the Seas will make history for the cruise line with its first visit to Cuba during a 5-night sailing departing Miami on April 19, 2017.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will operate the three largest cruise ships in the world out of the state of Florida.

Royal Caribbean News

• Guests can support the World Wildlife Fund while on their Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Royal Caribbean announced their top travel partners of 2016.
• We spotted a new drink menu design.
• 10 ways to save money on your 2017 Royal Caribbean vacation.
• Michael Poole is LIVE blogging from Majesty of the Seas this week (and next week too).
• How to eat healthy while on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• 6 cool things for kids to do on your Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Our photo tour of the Grand Suite on Oasis of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 180th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we take an in-depth look at going on a Royal Caribbean cruise with young children.

Bringing toddlers and babies on a Royal Caribbean cruise is something many families choose to do, but there can be some unique challenges associated with traveling with kids of that age.  This week, Matt and Christy discuss their strategies and share tips for parents looking to cruise with the very young.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Porthole Magazine has a full review of Harmony of the Seas in this month's edition.

Everything Zany shared a helpful list of cruise ship terms that you should know.

Cruise Critic shared their list of favorite drinks on Harmony of the Seas.

Chris Cruises shares an ode to sunsets at sea.

Eat Sleep Cruise has a list of the best hotels near Port Everglades.