Royal Caribbean Blog

When Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas launches in early 2024, you're going to see a new look to its Royal Promenade that is filled with entertainment, places to chill, and lots to do all around.

Every new Royal Caribbean cruise ship since 2004 have had a Royal Promenade as the main thoroughfare and entryway onto the ship.

With Icon of the Seas, that tradition continues, but the cruise line has grandiose plans to evolve the concept and make it a destination.

It will have full glass views of the ocean for the first time ever in this space, and a host of new venues.

I was invited to come to Royal Caribbean's Miami headquarters to walk through their Innovation Lab and see how cruise line executives are previewing the venues on the Royal Promenade of Icon of the Seas.

Construction is still taking place around Icon of the Seas as it undergoes her second set of sea trials, but mocking things up is actually one of the best ways Royal Caribbean has found to get things right when the ship is ready.

The Innovation Lab is a place where Royal Caribbean constructs life-size replicas of structures, signage, and mock-ups to get a better sense of what their plans on paper will actually look like once built.

The team wanted to answer questions related to what does the Royal Promenade feel like, and how does it operate.

I was walked through the area by Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, who explained what anyone sailing on Icon of the Seas can expect when they get onboard.

"We do research early on, we brief everybody on what we want based on that research. But having it come to life isn't just a picture on a screen. It's also how are you actually going to experience this product? And those are a lot of the debates we have at this stage."

The hard work to get the Royal Promenade right is already paying off with early walkthroughs of the ship from the shipyard.

Mr. Schneider said this version of the Promenade has "seamless connectivity" to make it easier to get around. This means you can easily get between deck five and deck six, or head up stairs to Central Park on deck eight. Plus, there's an escalator from the Promenade to get you down to the casino and gangway on port days.

The Pearl

As guests walk aboard Icon of the Seas, they'll first be drawn to The Pearl, which Royal Caribbean calls an "arrival moment".

Mr. Schneider says the Pearl encompasses four things, "A gorgeous way to introduce the ship as you walk into it; It's an engineering marvel; It creates gorgeous views and it has an experiential moment inside of it that's different for everyone."

In short, it creates a visual and sense of awe that Royal Caribbean wants to give guests as they first walk in.

But what we didn't know is there's an unique space behind The Pearl that Royal Caribbean has developed.

"Behind the Pearl will be what we're calling kind of a service lounge experience, as well as gorgeous lounge space."

Mr. Schneider said they are still tinkering with exactly how this space will look and act, but it will blend both "high touch services" along with a lounge feel.

Previous renders of this area had multifunctional kiosks, but that idea has been scrapped. Instead, it will be a lounge.

Pearl Cafe

Something else that is new to this area is the giant whale sculpture that will be above Pearl Cafe.

Pearl Cafe is the evolution of the Cafe Promenade concept, that has complimentary casual bistro cafe experience with elevated bistro food.

There will be some extra-cost options in addition to the food included. As an example, there will be Starbucks brewed beverages that you can order, but are also covered by a Royal Caribbean drink package or Diamond drink voucher.

There will be the traditional coffee, water and juice beverage station that is complimentary, along with grab and go food.

"We're tinkering with grab and go, which has come through in our research really strong that our guests are looking for," Mr. Schneider explained.

"It's been one of the core complementary strategies for Icon is more grab and go."

"The idea of more casual access grab and go for guests was something that came through in the creation of Icon's research. And so you'll see, grab and go, you'll see complimentary sandwiches, and then you'll see some us tinkering with some for pay, like elevated dessert options that we think will resonate with people because they actually sell very well elsewhere on the fleet."

Royal Caribbean isn't sure what the food will be, but the ideas is to make it easier to grab something quick that isn't a slice of pizza, or require a trip up the Windjammer.

"They want quick, easy, grab and go options, and we don't have a lot of really quick, easy grab and go options that don't include a Windjammer plate. And so this is in response to that."

1400 Lobby Bar

When you walk onto Icon of the Seas, you'll pass through the 1400 Lobby Bar, which is a brand new concept for the cruise line.

"We internally think this is going to be probably the most home run of a bar that we have," Mr. Schneider said.

He believes it's location at the entrance when you walk in positions it such that it sets the stage for The Pearl, is adjacent to the escalators going down to the casino, and is at the heart of the ship.

The team thinks the 1400 bar will be a gathering place that has very comfortable chairs and provides a relaxed, indoor environment without music playing, "it's really meant to be that you can have a conversation... We're not trying to shout over music somewhere."

Dueling Pianos

A brand new venue for any Royal Caribbean cruise ship is a Dueling Pianos bar.

Located on deck six, this bar features Royal Caribbean's first double-pianist bar where the two performers take requests and involve guests in the musical fun.

There will be two 90-minute shows per night, and the entertainment team is still working out what else will happen here during the rest of the day.

The location of Dueling Pianos right next to The Attic comedy club on the Royal Promenade is deliberately to bring more entertainment and more energy into to Royal Promenade.

Nearly all of the venues (except The Attic) are fully open, so music can be heard from all over the Royal Promenade and for it to be more enticing for passengers to want to experience it all.

With all that music, it's also why there are no Promenade view cabins on Icon of the Seas.  Unlike Oasis Class ships that have cabins facing the Promenade, Royal Caribbean removed them so that they don't have to worry about noise bleed.

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Thanks to that open layout, there will be bar service from technically the Royal Promenade into the bar while walking past Dueling Pianos.  Great if you want to grab a drink and hear a tune without having to go inside.

To get an idea of layout, Royal Caribbean mocked up a scale rendition of the pianos and the bar, so they could get a sense of how far from the pianos the bar would be located.

Drink menus are still be worked out as well, but there's an idea for a cocktail that includes pop rocks candy.

Potentially called "Snap, Crackle, Pop!", the new cocktail would be one of many new drinks you could try on a cruise. The idea follows up on the fun drinks Royal Caribbean's beverage team created for Wonderland.

Read more: I spent $60 to eat at Royal Caribbean’s most bizarre restaurant. I thought I would hate it, but it was one of the best meals of my cruise.

Lots of programming

Icon of the Seas will be packed with plenty of activities and entertainment, and part of this exercise was to show the thought process that goes into working through an event schedule.

In just considering the Royal Promenade, there's a lot of entertainment, from the Royal Theater, to the ice skating rink, to the dueling pianos, Boleros music, and more.

"If you think of entertainment in the Royal Promenade, this is more than we've ever done on a Royal Promenade before and really gives us really amazing entertainment," Mr. Schneider pointed out.

Sorrento's

Royal Caribbean's well-known complimentary pizza will have one change that aims to make it easier to get a slice.

The plan is to get away from having switchbacks and queues to handle the lines that form for pizza. Instead, they're hoping to improve the flow of guests with a larger footprint so the line can keep moving.

That isn't to say there won't be a line, but that there won't be a large line that requires the crew to set up stanchions to manage the line.

Sorrento's on Icon will also introduce a new beer experience, where crew members can pour you a glass of draft beer.  

A change as small as adding beer to Sorrento's is what Mr. Schneider describes as "little bets", which are essentially ideas that might not make headlines, but they are intended to improve the guest experience overall.

Other examples will include a mobile bar cart near the Flowrider, "Little things like that that you'll continue to see us do that are really meant to meet the needs identified by guests as they want more complimentary grab and go or for-pay grab and go depending on the type of experience."

Replacement for the library

You won't find a library on Icon of the Seas, as on other ships the venue was under utilized.

Instead, Royal Caribbean is experimenting with a take a book, put it back experience.

In Pearl Cafe you will find a pillar with books available to borrow, and evaluate how it performs, "this idea of grab a book in lieu of a library, we thought we'd try it. We'll see how it goes."

Just like the beer at Sorrento's, this is an example of something small Royal Caribbean is experimenting with on Icon.

Beverage center 2.0

The complimentary coffee and water station will look different than from other ships.

On ships today, you find a big carafe of coffee that eventually runs out, and somebody eventually comes over because they have to keep an eye on it and take it.

With the new beverage center, they make it easier to manage and all you have is a dispenser, with the refill functions at behind of house.

"And so the more you can move the guts back of house, the more you can monitor it and have a continual supply of whatever that liquid is for your guests."

You can now book a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in 2025. 

Royal Caribbean released its Alaska cruises for the 2025 cruise season, and they're now available to book on the Royal Caribbean website. You can also speak with your travel agent.

Like in previous years, the cruise line will have four ships in Alaska during the 2025 season: Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas.

The ship lineup for Alaska is a bit different this year, as Anthem of the Seas begins her first Alaska run ever, and Serenade of the Seas returns to the Alaska region.

Here's a look at Royal Caribbean cruises to Alaska in 2025

The new Alaska 2025 cruises are available to book between May and September 2025.

Anthem of the Seas will sail from Seattle and offer 7-night Alaska cruises.

Quantum of the Seas will also sail from Seattle, sailing 7-night cruises.

Both ships will visit popular Alaska ports, such as Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, and Icy Strait Point.  They also feature glacier viewings of Dawes Glacier, weather permitting. Depending on which sailing you pick, the itinerary will vary slightly.

Both Radiance Class ships will offer cruises from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Radiance of the Seas will offer 7-10 night Alaska cruises that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali. 

Radiance is sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward.

Serenade of the Seas will sail primarily 7-night roundtrip cruises, including cruises that visit Hubbard Glacier.

Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking.

Related: 50 Best First Time Alaska cruise tips for a perfect vacation

What's the difference between open-jaw and round-trip cruises?

If you choose an open-jaw cruise, you will have different embarkation and disembarkation ports. This allows you to visit ports that you would not be able to on a round-trip cruise from Seattle. 

Cruisers who sail to Alaska claim that the more remote ports offer a more authentic view of Alaska, with more dynamic scenery and varied wildlife.

Rather than booking airfare to and from Seattle, you will have to book two one-way flights, which can often be more expensive. Plus, Anchorage is about 125 miles from Seward, so you will have to account for a 2+ hour drive from the airport when you either begin or end your one-way cruise. 

Related: How to choose the right Alaska cruise itinerary

Something else you should know about an open-jaw sailing is you must have a passport for an open jaw cruise. You cannot use a birth certificate and government ID for these types of sailings.

Related: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Booking early is key if you want to score the lowest pricing

The lowest pricing for Alaska cruises tends to be when itineraries are released. While you can usually find a good deal on shoulder season sailings, if you have hopes of sailing during the peak of the Alaska cruise season (i.e., June-July), you should book as early as possible. 

Additionally, some highly desirable cruise cabins sell out quickly. If you want to book a specific stateroom, like a suite or aft balcony cabins on Radiance Class ships, you will not want to wait too long to place your initial deposit. 

Related: Pros and Cons of booking a cruise early vs last-minute

More about Alaska cruises

• How to choose the right Alaska cruise itinerary
• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
• What to pack for a cruise to Alaska?
• Best things to do on an Alaska cruise

The biggest drawback to booking a Royal Caribbean specialty dining package is about to go away.

Royal Caribbean is experimenting with a new way to allow guests that purchase a specialty dining package to make reservations pre-cruise.

Guests have the choice to augment their cruise ship dining experience by spending extra on specialty restaurants.

There's an option to book individual restaurant reservations and pay for the cover charge to dine there, or buy a dining package that includes more than one restaurant at a discounted rate if you're willing to commit to more than one restaurant.

Up until now, guests that had booked a dining package had to wait until they got onboard the ship to make a reservation, and that created a pain point for them and added stress to the first day of the cruise as they would scramble once onboard to make reservations.

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Royal Caribbean's Unlimited Dining Package

Instead, you'll be able to book reservations pre-cruise for specialty restaurants if you buy a dining package.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider confirmed the change while brainstorming ways to make the embarkation day experience easier, "all dining, including dining packages will be reservable so that guests don't have to do that on day one. And people who book the dining package can actually have the same experience as people who book a specialty restaurant."

There isn't an exact date, but he indicated a probably first half 2024 launch, after the launch of Icon of the Seas. Sometime in the first half of 2024 is “likely”.

Don't worry, it's coming to the whole fleet, not just Icon.

It's part of a new dining system Royal Caribbean is devising for the three Icon Class ships and Utopia, "It's for our new dining system, which is currently coming for one, two, three and Utopia. And then we'll roll out to the rest of the fleet."

This would be a major improvement as up until now, guests that bought a dining package had to wait until they got onboard the ship to make a specific reservation.

This meant they would have the last chance to grab a dining time, as well as add a task once onboard the ship to do instead of relaxing and enjoying the start of their vacation.

Read more: Should you book a Royal Caribbean dining package?

Testing on Wonder of the Seas

Royal Caribbean is already testing the option for those with a dining package to pre-book on one of its ships, Wonder of the Seas.

In fact, Wonder of the Seas is being utilized as a "test bed" for Icon of the Seas before it launches.

Mr. Schneider talked about this process, "We designed Wonder to have all of the technology that Icon will get. And so everything you see on Wonder is actually purposely being tested on Wonder because we won't do testing of new software on a new ship."

Other changes Royal Caribbean has rolled out to Wonder of the Seas already include notifications from the Royal Caribbean app when your dining room table is ready with My Time Dining, and the ability to chat with Guest Services in the app instead of waiting in line.

The new changes culminated last week.

"All the different pieces and parts as you see getting tested on Wonder are proof points for Icon."

The advantage is Royal Caribbean can work out any issues early, and have it ready to go for Icon of the Seas knowing it works.

Making boarding day easier

Royal Caribbean is making the change to allow pre-cruise dining reservations for two reasons.

First, it reduces crowding on the Royal Promenade when guests first board the ship.

"We spent a lot of time researching with guests what their day one experience is, " explained Mr. Schneider.

"And what we've learned in that journey is that there is a lot of heavy lifting that the Royal Promenade today takes, that we wish it didn't."

To that point, they learned a lot of guests were running around trying to make dining reservations because they couldn't do it online.

The second reason is to make it easier for guests, because Mr. Schneider reported his team found having to wait until the day of the cruise to book reservations generated a great deal of "angst".

The feedback from guests was to make it easier by not having to go to various booths that Royal Caribbean would set up only on day one of the cruise on the Royal Promenade.

How reservations will work with a dining package

Once the new change gets rolled out, you'll be able to reserve a restaurant with a dining package very similarly to how you book an individual restaurant.

The idea is to allow guests to make reservations via the Royal Caribbean app or Cruise Planner website before the cruise begins.

Royal Caribbean is increasing its daily gratuities that its passengers pay for crew member service on its ships.

Each passenger pays a daily gratuity that covers the services of the crew members they interact with the most, and this daily rate is charged automatically unless the guest pre-pays it prior to the cruise.

As of November 11, 2023, the automatic daily gratuity charge will increase:

• Standard cabin (Junior Suites and below) going from $16.00 to $18.00 per day, per person
• Suite gratuity rate will change from $18.50 to $20.50 per day per person

Royal Caribbean last raised gratuities over a year ago on September 7, 2022.

The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams.

Royal Caribbean stipulates in the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services onboard up until the morning of their departure.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Gratuities: What you need to know

For new reservations, the adjusted gratuity amounts are effective as of November 11, 2023.

Guests who booked prior to November 11, 2023 can opt to prepay gratuities prior to sailing to take advantage of the current rates. On or after November 11, 2023, regardless of when the booking was created, gratuities paid while onboard are subject to the new, increased rates.

Pre-existing bookings confirmed prior to November 11, 2023 will not be subject to the increased guidelines as long as gratuities are paid in advance of sailing. Should guests opt not to pay gratuities until onboard, they will be subject to the newly suggested gratuity amounts.

Other onboard gratuity policies remain the same – an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to purchases for beverages, spa & salon services, room service, and mini bar items. These will be itemized on your receipt at the end of each purchase.

Matching Celebrity

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises raised gratuities earlier this summer, and it's not uncommon for cruise lines to follow each other.

In July, Celebrity Cruises announced it would raise its gratuity rates:

• $18.00 USD per person, per day for inside, ocean view, and veranda staterooms, increasing from $17.50.
• $18.50 USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms, increasing from $18.00. 
• $23.00 USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat, increasing from $21.00. 

How much are gratuities on other mainstream cruise lines?

In case you're wondering, here's what other cruise lines charge for their daily gratuities.

Carnival

The daily rate for standard staterooms increased to $16.00 per person, per day. Suite guests pay $18.00 per person, per day.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Passengers staying in standard and Club Balcony staterooms are charged $20.00 per person, per day, while the rate for Suites and guests staying in the The Haven is $25.00 per person, per day. 

Disney Cruise Line

The recommended daily rate for all guests in standard cabins if $14.50 per person, per day, while the rate for passengers booked in a Concierge stateroom or suite  is $15.50 per person, per day.

How gratuities work on a cruise

If you do absolutely nothing, then you can expect an automatic charge on your SeaPass account each day of the cruise.

The exception is in certain markets where tipping is not as ingrained as part of their culture, so Royal Caribbean includes daily gratuities as part of the price of the cruise.  This occurs in the Australian cruise market.

Each guest, regardless of age, will be assessed the daily gratuity as recognition for the hard work crew members do each day.

An alternative is to pre-pay the gratuity before the cruise begins.  When this opted into by the guest, then you'll pay the full gratuity amount before the cruise begins at final payment date.  It will show up as a line item on your final payment.

Pre-paid gratuities can be added to an individual reservation at any time outside of 48 hours of the sail date.

Guests that booked directly with Royal Caribbean can pre-pay gratuities by calling 866-562-7625 or logging into www.royalcaribbean.com before their sailing.

Guests that booked through a travel agent can request their agent add pre-paid gratuities to the guests' booking prior to sailing.

More info:

• Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

I've never experienced what it feels like to win the lottery, but this cruise hack made me feel pretty close.

For my latest cruise on Freedom of the Seas, I chose to book with a guarantee cabin, allowing Royal Caribbean to assign a room location instead of choosing my own.

By selecting this option, I gave up the option to pick a specific room, but it saved me a couple hundred dollars.

In retrospect, I think this was a really smart decision!

What is a guarantee cabin?

A guarantee state run offers a cheaper cabin option in exchange for you allowing Royal Caribbean to assign your stateroom closer to the sale date. 

If you choose to book a guarantee stateroom you won't have the room assignment until later on, but you will receive one when Royal Caribbean assigns it. 

This usually falls somewhere between 5-30 days before the cruise.

You don't get the opportunity to choose your cabin but the cruise line states that you should receive the stateroom category you booked or higher.

There's also a chance you could receive an upgrade like I did.

Read more: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide

The guarantee stateroom process is intended to fill in the gaps of unsold staterooms. So, rooms that are less likely to get booked are more likely to be assigned to a guarantee cruiser. 

Since cruises are usually booked up further in advance and sailing at full capacity, it was a rare opportunity for me to get such a big upgrade on my guarantee stateroom. 

This option saved me about $240, ending up with a total price of $2,021.68, or $336.95 per night per person.

My cabin assignment

Since guarantee rooms are usually assigned at some point between 5 to 30 days before the cruise, it takes some time before you know where your stay room will be located.

Most of the time, a stateroom is assigned a few weeks before the cruise.

Royal Caribbean does not notify you when you are assigned a stateroom, so you have to log into the cruise line's website or continue checking the app to verify.

I received my cabin assignment a couple weeks prior to the cruise and saw that we were located on Deck 8, midship, in room number 8388.

I was already grateful to see I received the prized midship location—which prevents seasickness and allows proximity to elevators, stairs, and other amenities in the middle of the ship.

This location also gave us enough proximity to the Windjammer and pool on deck 11 and the Royal Promenade on deck 5 that we barely had to use the elevators. 

We only had to take a few flights of stairs to reach our destination. 

In addition to the convenient location, I had been assigned a spacious, deluxe oceanview balcony room for the same low price!

After I got my assignment, I felt like I had won the stateroom lottery.

Stateroom #8388 impressions

When we first opened the cabin door, we were greeted with a spacious room—214 square feet in total. 

The stateroom’s space was most visible in its length, stretching from the cabin’s front door to the back door leading to the balcony.

The room features a long couch, a spacious queen bed, and a desk and vanity.

The floor between the couch and the deck/vanity was wide enough that we could leave our luggage right there. 

To the right of the stateroom door was the small bathroom. Where the stateroom had surprised me by its size, the bathroom definitively felt pinched, similar to the size of a bathroom in an interior cabin. 

And the shower was even smaller, with only enough space for one person to stand in. However, I was satisfied with the water pressure and hot temperatures.

The sink and counter, although small, did have enough shelf space for our 3-night cruise. Two cups under the mirror served to hold our toothbrushes and toothpaste. 

The mirror was wide, and the counter was thin but long enough that we could spread our items out. However, I think we would have struggled to fit all of our toiletries if we had been on a longer trip.

To the left of the stateroom door, we found a large closet with several shelves, a safe, and hangers for our larger clothes. There was enough floor space in the closet to store several pairs of shoes.

Directly behind that closet faced a floor-length mirror, and opposite that stood the desk and vanity space.

The desk was long enough to hold makeup, jewelry, and multiple bags during our cruise. We also found shelves behind the vanity mirror.

Facing the desk was the long couch, large enough that I could have laid down to nap on it. However, the bed was so comfortable that we never felt the need to.

The highlight of this room was its large, comfortable bed. Although I did find a few stains on the sheets, it was soft and restful for the length of our stay.

Two large paintings above the bed brightened the room, adding to an already relaxing atmosphere, thanks to the cabin’s natural light.

On either side of the bed were two nightstands, with lamps above them. 

Lastly, at the very end of the room was our balcony door. Although heavy, and hard to push open and closed, the door led to a beautiful view.

The balcony held a small, round table and two deck chairs that could be adjusted to recline. 

The view itself was unbeatable: ocean water during the day and clear, starry skies at night. I also loved that we could wake up on port days and see the island right outside our window.

We also found that the cabin was peaceful and quiet: even when we sat on the balcony, we barely heard noises from other cabins. 

I’m someone who loves sunlight and natural views, so having the balcony attachment made the room so much more enjoyable. After experiencing my first balcony room, I don’t know if I could go back! 

Overall

The room felt large and luxurious. I loved this stateroom, from the size of the cabin, the beautiful balcony, and its convenient location in the middle of deck 8. 

I found that I didn’t experience any seasickness in the middle of the ship, and we enjoyed spending time relaxing in our room and on the balcony. 

For me, booking a guarantee stateroom was worth it. For the money I saved, I got a lucky cabin location.

But this location wasn’t a requirement for my cruise, so in the future, I would book a guarantee and hope for the best again. 

Just because you're on a cruise ship doesn't mean you can't get in on the spooky fun of Halloween.

You might think going on a cruise vacation over October 31st would forgo the holiday, but Royal Caribbean gets in on the fun too, and encourages its guests to do the same.

With Halloween already passed in Australia, we got a look at how Royal Caribbean celebrates Halloween aboard Brilliance of the Seas.

Brilliance of the Seas is sailing from Sydney, Australia to offer a South Pacific itinerary to New Caledonia & Vanuatu.

All Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing over October 31st will have special holiday decorations and events. Unlike Christmas, there aren't decorations or events offered on cruises that are near, but don't go over Halloween.

Costumes welcome

Dressing up in costume is at the heart of any Halloween celebration, and you can dress up on a cruise ship too.

Ships offer Halloween costume contests, as well as generally encouraging its passengers to bring a costume.

You'll see lots of guests getting in on the fun too, with traditional ghost or vampire costumes, along with super heroes, skeletons, princesses and more.

Decorations

It doesn't feel like Halloween without a lot of cob webs, pumpkins, and signs to make it very clear which holiday you're celebrating.

Royal Caribbean puts Halloween decorations around the ship, primarily in public venues.

In the case of Brilliance of the Seas, the Centrum was decorated with lots of Halloween decorations.

In the Windjammer, there are Halloween decorations around the buffet stations to help set the mood.

Special events

Depending on your ship, there could be a variety of activities to choose from.

Music is at the heart of so many Royal Caribbean events, so on Halloween, you could have a Halloween Monster Bash.

This is when the DJ plays music for everyone in costume.

Speaking of costumes, you can also expect a costume contest to judge the best dressed. There are prizes for the winners.

On Wonder of the Seas last year, there was a Halloween parade down the Royal Promenade, and Halloween movies shown at the pool.

Trick or treating is also available in Adventure Ocean, along with arts and crafts too.

Check the activities once you get onboard the ship

If a Halloween cruise sounds like a great vacation, just keep in mind the exact activities will not be announced until you get onboard the ship.

Once you board the ship, activities are loaded on the Royal Caribbean app, or listed in the daily Cruise Compass.

The activities staff will determine the exact offerings, so remember that what's offered on your cruise ship could be different than another.

Royal Caribbean wants to make it clear why top-tier members aren't allowed inside loyalty lounges on some cruises.

Royal Caribbean members have reported incidents on certain sailings when Diamond members haven't been allowed in the Crown Lounge, which is a dedicated space for top-tier members.

Those reports have compelled Royal Caribbean to respond to its members in a newsletter update.

Royal Caribbean sent out an email announcing that on sailings with a high number of top-tier members, Suite, & Pinnacle Club guests, access to the Crown Lounge, Suite/Concierge Lounge, Suite Sun Deck, and Coastal Kitchen will be limited. 

However, this is not a fleetwide policy change for all sailings.

Related: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks

(Thanks to Royal Caribbean Blog reader OCSC Mike for the above picture of the Crown Lounge logo on Allure of the Seas)

If there are a lot of Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club cruisers on your next sailing, you may find that access to the Crown Lounge will be limited at certain hours of the day. 

"On sailings with a high number of top-tier members, the Crown Lounge will be reserved for Diamond Plus & Pinnacle Club members during the evening, with beverage service from 5 - 8 p.m," read the email.

"However, the lounge and its services will remain fully accessible to all Diamond and above members at all other times. This includes continental breakfast in the morning, snacks throughout the day, and entry during dedicated concierge service hours."

There are no changes to the number of daily drink coupons that eligible Crown & Anchor members will receive. Diamond members will still get four complimentary drinks per day, while Diamond Plus will get five and Pinnacle six. 

Diamond members unable to go to the Crown Lounge between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. can still use these coupons at other bars throughout the ship, whether it's Boleros, Schooner Bar, etc. 

Related: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

These changes will only apply to sailings with a high number of top-tier Crown & Anchor members

At this time, Royal Caribbean is not making any other changes to its Crown & Anchor program. Additionally, the above adjustments are not permanent; they're based on the number of top-tier cruisers on each sailing. 

Possible sailings that could be impacted include but are not limited to charters, crossings, repositioning cruises, inaugurals, and President's Cruises.

Suite and Concierge Lounges, Suite Sun Deck, and Coastal Kitchen

When a sailing has a high number of Suite & Pinnacle Club guests, access to the Suite/Concierge Lounge, Suite Sun Deck, and Coastal Kitchen will be limited to guests staying in qualifying Suites, as well as to our top Pinnacle Club members onboard, based on cruise points," the email said. 

"Access will also extend to the guests in their stateroom. The number of top Pinnacle Club members granted access will vary depending on space and availability."

More members than ever

The top tiers of Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor loyalty program have increased by 30% within the last year, according to Royal Caribbean International's CEO, Michael Bayley. 

The result has been overcrowding in loyalty and suite lounges. 

Royal Caribbean is not the only company seeing overcrowding in lounges. Recently, Delta Airlines has made changes to who can access their Sky Clubs in order to combat the issue. American Express Platinum cardholders, for instance, will no longer have unlimited annual visits. Instead, they'll be limited to ten per year. 

Rather than completely ban certain loyalty members from accessing the onboard lounges, Royal Caribbean sent out an email announcing that on sailings with a high number of top-tier members, Suite, & Pinnacle Club guests, access to the Crown Lounge, Suite/Concierge Lounge, Suite Sun Deck, and Coastal Kitchen will be limited. 

News comes just weeks after Royal Caribbean announced that the Diamond Lounge will be renamed

Courtney Brant, Director of Loyalty for Royal Caribbean announced that "...over the next few weeks, the Diamond Lounge — beloved by our Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members — is being specially renamed as the Crown Lounge across our fleet."

When this change was announced, Royal Caribbean Blog readers had numerous theories as to why they were implementing this fleetwide change.

"Seems like a no brainer to me that this is the first step to ultimately removing Diamonds from having lounge access," wrote Margaret. 

Reader Rackham said, "I'm speculating that with the name change, Diamond access could be determined on a cruise-to-cruise basis depending on how many Diamond and up C&A members are aboard." 

While just a theory at the time, his prediction ended up becoming reality within a month! 

It is important to keep in mind that Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members will still have access to the Crown Lounge on every sailing.

If the lounge ends up being reserved for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club passengers between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m each night, Diamond guests will still be able to access it at any other time. It may be the case that one sailing you're on sees a temporary adjustment, with the next having no restrictions whatsoever. 

Related: Royal Caribbean to rename Diamond Lounge to Crown Lounge

The demand for an adults-only beach has blown away Royal Caribbean's wildest expectations.

Within three weeks of bookings opening, the company has already increased the price for this brand-new experience that's set to open in January 2024. 

"Hideaway Beach is our newest adult-only ultimate beachfront paradise at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Pre-cruise sales for Hideaway Beach and premium offerings are exceeding our expectations," said Jason Liberty, CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, on October 26 during the company's third quarter earnings call. 

If there was any doubt there was demand for an adults-only area, the sales thus far even before it has opened says everything we need to know.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told investors, "we opened for sale for this one product about three weeks ago, and it's going gangbusters. I mean, we're delighted with the product."

Royal Caribbean was so delighted they've already started to increase the price due to demand, "We've already started pushing up the pricing for that experience."

He believes the new beach will make a huge difference, "It's going to be really a game changer, and the demand has been exceptional."

In addition, Royal Caribbean is seeing an elevated demand for ships sailing to CocoCay, meaning that this may result in a price increase for sailings with the private island on their itineraries. 

3 million guests are expected to visit the island in 2024, which is up from 2.5 million in 2023. 

Related: Royal Caribbean reveals adults-only beach expansion in The Bahamas featuring in-water hammocks, cabanas and more

What is Hideaway Beach?

Hideaway Beach was first announced back in September 2021 by Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley. 

Located at Perfect Day at CocoCay, this adults-only escape will be accessible to those who are 18 and older. 

This experience is not included, and the exact cost to enter is priced dynamically based on your sailing and what time of year you're going. 

Pricing for Hideaway Beach during a Celebrity Reflection cruise departing on April 21, 2024 currently costs $52.99 per person on the Cruise Planner, while the price on Icon of the Seas' inaugural voyage slated for January 27, 2024 is $88.99. 

In addition to a private beach, the adults-only area includes two pools, 20 extra-cost cabanas, seven open-air bars, places to eat, and more. 

One of the pools will feature a DJ and swim-up bar. There are also in-water seating and loungers, as well as poolside loungers for those who don't want to be in the water all day. 

Note that if you purchase a cabana, it includes eight passes to Hideaway Beach. You're able to add up to two more people for $50 extra, plus the cost of a Hideaway Beach Full Day Pass. 

Related: 10 things you didn't know about Perfect Day at CocoCay

Why does Hideaway Beach matter?

While you can go ahead and make your booking, Hideaway Beach officially opens for guests at the same time Icon of the Seas launches in January.

Just seven months later, Utopia of the Seas sets sail, too. Both ships, which will be the two largest in the world, are set to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay during every sailing, with Utopia visiting twice per week on her 3- and 4-night short cruises. 

Whether you're a devoted Royal Caribbean fan who is looking forward to the launch of Icon or someone who is new to cruising and doesn't want to commit to a longer sailing but wants to experience the best of the best, you'll get the chance to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on a one-of-a-kind ship and visit the brand-new Hideaway Beach. 

"...strength in volume allows us to continue to improve on the rate side, and you combine all that with incredible hardware coming into place next year, especially Icon of the Seas, as well as more volume on to places like Perfect Day because of Hideaway, we feel very good about our yield projections for next year," remarked Liberty during the earnings call. 

"...Hideaway, which delivers incredible margins, which will improve our yield profile, but also has costs with no APCDs, So all in all, we feel very good.”

Mr. Bayley talked about the opening of Hideaway Beach coinciding with the launch of Icon of the Seas is going to be a great fit, "all of that comes online with Icon of the Seas, which is by far the best-selling product we've ever launched in the history of our business, and it continues to perform at an exceptionally high level."

"So, the combo of Icon with Hideaway is really for us exceptionally exciting. And then, of course, we've got Utopia going straight into the shorts market, to Perfect Day in the summer."

Related: Royal Caribbean has a plan to dominate short cruises with a new ship and private destinations

Other changes coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay

Thrill Waterpark at CocoCay will see a new addition in 2024, too, as a new water slide is going to be joining the Splash Summit tower, which is currently home to the Sling Shot family raft slide, Splash Speedway mat slide, and Twister tube ride.

The new Family Flume Water Slide will be able to accommodate groups of 2-4 people and will use the same rafts as the Sling Shot. 

Like Hideaway Beach, Thrill Waterpark costs extra, with the average admission price ranging from $89 to $169 per person. Note that if you purchase a pass to Hideaway Beach, you will not be able to access Thrill Waterpark. 

A person that went overboard from a cruise ship in Europe was successfully rescued.

A person was reported going overboard while sailing on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas shortly after departing Barcelona, Spain. 

Just hours after setting sail, guests reported hearing "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar" over the ship's PA system, which is the code for man overboard. 

X user @landonb94 posted that he could see spotlights and rescue boats from his balcony. 

Thankfully, the individual was rescued and taken to the ship's medical facility. 

The incident occurred on the first night of Symphony of the Seas' 14-night transatlantic cruise

Symphony of the Seas' 2023 European season has come to an end. She departed Barcelona on Sunday, October 29 to begin her repositioning sailing to Florida, where she will remain until May 2024. 

The individual fell overboard after departing from Barcelona while en route to Valencia. 

Other scheduled ports of call during the voyage include Cadiz, Spain and Nassau, Bahamas. She'll arrive in Fort Lauderdale on November 12. 

The ship turned around, and after about an hour of search and rescue efforts, the Captain made an announcement that the person had been successfully recovered.  

No details have been given about the individual who went overboard

Royal Caribbean has not announced whether the individual who went overboard was a crew member or passenger. They also have not disclosed their gender, age, or any other details, such as why they went overboard in the first place. 

A full investigation will need to happen to determine if there are any safety violations. 

This is not the first time someone has gone overboard during a Royal Caribbean cruise

Back in April, an Australian man went overboard while sailing onboard Quantum of the Seas from Australia just two days before the ship was scheduled to arrive in Hawaii. A few months later in July, a woman cruising to Singapore on Spectrum of the Seas went overboard. 

On August 29, a 19-year-old guest sailing onboard Wonder of the Seas went overboard on a Caribbean cruise. 

According to CruiseJunkie's website, there have been 60 passengers who have gone overboard on Royal Caribbean ships since 2000, not including this recent incident on Symphony of the Seas. 

Oscar, Oscar, Oscar

Cruise ships have a variety of code words for different situations to avoid alarming guests. "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar," for instance, lets other crew members know that someone has gone overboard.

"Alpha" means there's a medical emergency and is typically followed by a location, such as Deck 11 Aft. 

Royal Caribbean also uses "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie," to alert the crew of a security threat onboard.

Not all cruise lines use the same codes. If you hear "Alpha Team, Alpha Team, Alpha Team" on a Carnival ship, there is a fire onboard, rather than a medical emergency. 

I had put off a Canada and New England cruise for years because it seemed like a secondary itinerary, but I wish I had done it sooner.

Cruise ships can visit so many places, and while the amount of ships heading north is relatively small, it's a destination you shouldn't sleep on any more.

I went on a 7-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas to four ports across Maine and Nova Scotia.  

I was excited to try something new, but I wasn't prepared for how much I would love spending time in this part of the world.  It was even more eye-opening for me considering I grew up in New England, so this wasn't my first foray into the area.

From the beautiful landscape, to the terrific dining, and welcoming people, I not only had a great cruise, I really fell in love with the area.  

Many parts of the seven-night cruise surprised me, like how gorgeous everywhere we visited is and how I wanted to spend as much time as possible on shore.

Wild weather

Planning what to wear or how cold or hot it would be proved much more difficult than I anticipated. 

If someone is going to Alaska, it's very common knowledge the weather shifts a lot there, but I didn't get any sense of the same dynamic in the northeast.

Looking at the forecasts in just the last few days before the cruise, the forecast shifted a lot and I wasn't sure if it would rain, be cold, or hot in any of the places.

It wasn't until the day we set sail or so that the weather picture finally cleared up (literally and figuratively).

In speaking to crew members, they told us how lucky we were with the weather because rain has been dominant this cruise season.

The day before the cruise in Boston there was heavy rain all day, but the next day on embarkation day it was clear.  In Sydney, Nova Scotia, the temperature barely creeped above 60, while we were wearing shorts in Portland, Maine because it was 75 degrees.

My advice is wait to pack until just a few days before the cruise, but bring an extra pair of shorts and rain gear, just in case.

Read more: 7 best Canada and New England cruise tips

Maine was so much better than I expected

If you had asked me on embarkation day which ports I was excited to visit, I would have told you any day in Canada because I thought Maine was going to be more lackluster and familiar.

It turned out I was completely wrong about at least Maine.

Nova Scotia was beautiful and I enjoyed it, but I found I enjoyed Maine even more.

We visited Bar Harbor and Portland, and in both cases, our ship was located right in the heart of both towns. It enabled us to see and do more with less effort.

Bar Harbor's quaint town along with Acadia National Park within a mile and a half provided much more to see and do than I thought.  I was expecting a sleepy town with a few restaurants and pretty trees.  Instead, I found so many ways I could spend my day there and I loved it all.

Portland is a city, and that means a great deal of dining and shopping. There's also a number of beautiful lighthouses and just about every aspect of New England you'd want to see.

If I could do the cruise over again, I would plan out more of my time in Maine in order to maximize my time.

Boston was super easy to sail from

I had heard some horror stories about embarkation in Boston, namely long lines with no distinction between suites, Crown and Anchor status or anything.

As it turned out, embarkation was smoother in Boston than some cruise terminals in Florida.

The staff had everything set up from the start, and it was clear where to go and what to do for each step.

Sorry California, but Los Angeles still holds the title as worst embarkation experience in the United States in my opinion.

We did customs immigration halfway through the cruise

Every cruise I've taken up until now would have the immigration process occur at the conclusion of the cruise, but this time was different.

Because our cruise began in the United States, then went to Canada, and then returned to a US port midway through the cruise, we had to go through immigration on our visit to Bar Harbor.

Royal Caribbean made the process quite simple. If you had a cruise line shore excursion booked, they would escort you first through the customs process and then onto your tour.  

If you were going on your own into Bar Harbor, you got a time to report for customs interview process, and then could go on your way.  Think of it like when your luggage is ready to disembark the ship after the cruise.

I was expecting a super slow and backed up process, but it went incredibly quick.  Walk through the Main Dining Room, show your passport when it was your turn and go on your way.  In nearly all cases, the agents just waived you through.

The best part of this was because we had gone through the immigration process in Bar Harbor, we didn't have to go through it again at the end of the cruise in Boston.

This is a beer lover's dream cruise

I love a good craft beer, and both Nova Scotia and Maine had so many great choices.

No matter which port we visited, almost any restaurant would have at least a half dozen local brews to choose from on their menu.

If you went to a bar, there was a nearly overwhelming selection of local beers and I loved it.  Royal Caribbean's onboard beer selection is underwhelming, especially if you like hoppier beers.  

The next time I go on this itinerary, I'd be quite tempted to skip an unlimited beverage package because I'd much rather spend my money enjoying beers around the ports.

In case you're wondering, Tubular IPA by Orono Brewing Company, was my top choice during the cruise.

Staying solo in a Junior Suite felt palatial

I booked a Junior Suite for this cruise because at the time I thought it would be me and my wife without the kids, and wanted a nicer cabin to enjoy.

Unfortunately, she couldn't join me for this cruise so I ended up in the Junior Suite as a solo cruiser and the extra living space made the cabin feel just as big as other full suites without the price tag.

I stayed in cabin 1044 on deck 10 of Serenade of the Seas and it had 293 square feet of space, along with a 41 square foot balcony.

There was not only more walking space, but a full sofa and a blue chair and ottoman that I used as my office every day.

I know some people would point out that almost any cabin when you don't have to share it feels big, but I was surprised by just how big a Junior Suite felt with just me there.

Read more: I tried a Junior Suite to see if it’s worth it

Bar Harbor was so pretty, I would move there if I could

Within 15 minutes of disembarking my tender in Bar Harbor, Maine, I texted my wife that I wanted to move there.

Between the small town feel and fact it backed up against Acadia National Park, I really loved my time in Bar Harbor.

Admittedly I thought I was onto some kind of a secret until I learned every millionaire from the Gilded Age discovered Bar Harbor about 100 years ago.  You know what they say, good taste never goes out of style.

While I doubt we're moving to Maine anytime soon, I really could envision myself spending more time in Bar Harbor on some future summer vacation. Maybe I'm just a sucker for New England, but it had just the vibe I was looking for.