Royal Caribbean Blog

Happy Sunday! I would like to wish all the dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day! Hope you get to have a relaxing and fun-filled day with your family!

Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the latest Royal Caribbean news!

The big news this week is the apparent extension of cruise cancellations from U.S. ports through September 15, 2020.

The Cruise Lines International Association made the announcement that its member lines will voluntarily extend the suspension of U.S. cruise passenger operations until September 15, 2020.

Royal Caribbean has not announced the change on their end, but the cruise line has already taken down those likely cancelled sailings from its website.

Royal Caribbean posted on their website it will share more details about this announcement with guests early next week.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will shift its cruises from Venice to Ravenna in 2021.
• The CDC is not sure when it will be safe for cruises to resume.
• One Wall Street analyst thinks the CDC is to blame for cruises not starting back up sooner.
• The new Allure of the Seas sailings from Port Everglades in winter 2021 are available to book.
• New Odyssey of the Seas construction photo update was posted this week.
• A look at what was added to each ship during its Royal Amplification refurbishment.
• What is the best Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant? Our readers weighed on which one they like the most.
• The top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation.
• Royal Caribbean trademarked video game characters.
• How do I pick the perfect first cruise?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 359th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring Pippa's story of taking her kids on their first cruise

The transition from cruising as adults to cruising with kids is always significant, and Pippa shares the story of when she took her kids on their first cruise and what her experience was like.

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

Richard Fain speaks out on racism & cruises starting up

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman & CEO Richard Fain posted a new video this week, talking about what his cruise line is doing behind-the-scenes to ensure cruise ships are safe, as well as comment on the George Floyd death.

From his home in South Florida, Mr. Fain started out talking about Royal Caribbean's commitment to working with government authorities in crafting a safe and balanced approach to returning to service. 

In addition, Mr. Fain took time to address the issue of racism, and how important it is for everyone to start conversations on this topic and address the challenges, with the hope it leads to real change.

While Royal Caribbean has not formally announced it will cancel cruises through September 15, it has begun taking steps to prepare for what seems like an inevitable announcement by removing the sailings from its website. 

On Friday, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) trade group announced its member cruise lines would extend its voluntary cruise suspension and cancel all cruises from U.S. ports until September 15, 2020.

The news came as a surprise to many, especially since it came from CLIA before the cruise lines announced it. As expected, many cruisers immediately began contacting Royal Caribbean for confirmation.  While there has not been an announcement, it looks like the cruise line is beginning to take steps to that end.

Visitors to Royal Caribbean's website will find all of the cruise line's sailings have been removed for booking between August 1 - September 15, 2020, except for cruises sailing from Asia.

The only sailings available to book in July or August 2020 are from Beijing (Tiankin) and Shanghai (Baoshan), China.

Royal Caribbean took a similar measure in May 2020, when it pulled Alaska and Canada cruises from its website following an announcement from Canada that its borders would remain closed to cruise ships.

No announcement yet

While the update to booking cruises in July and August seems to be the proverbial nail in the coffin for those cruises, Royal Caribbean has not informed guests booked on affected sailings their vacations are cancelled, nor have they corroborated CLIA's announcement.

Royal Caribbean did post on their Health and Travel alerts section this note that a formal announcement is forthcoming.

CLIA has announced the voluntarily suspension of U.S. cruise operations until September 15. We will share more details about this announcement with our guests early next week.

Officially, Royal Caribbean's date of return remains August 1, 2020, but CLIA's announcement and Royal Caribbean's promise of an update next week seems to indicate it is a mere formality before more cruises are officially cancelled.

What should you do if you have a cruise booked?

If you have a cruise booked in August or early September, you should hold on and wait for the formal announcement from Royal Caribbean.

Contacting your travel agent or calling Royal Caribbean this weekend to cancel will not garner you the full options available once Royal Caribbean makes the announcement. Namely, you will miss out on bonus Future Cruise Credit, or the opportunity to get a full refund.

When Royal Caribbean cancels a cruise, they will notify guests and their travel agents directly. Of course, I will be sure to share that news on this blog as well.

You can expect at the very least an email to the reservation holder, as well as the travel agent to inform them of the cruise cancelation, as well as refund options. 

In short, until Royal Caribbean cancels your cruise, you have less lucrative options to consider, and should wait for the cruise line to notify you that the sailing is cancelled.

More information

• What should you do if Royal Caribbean cancels your cruise?
• What happens if I want to cancel my Royal Caribbean cruise?
• How to postpone your Royal Caribbean cruise until later
• Royal Caribbean Lift and Shift information FAQs

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) trade group announced on Friday that its member cruise lines will extend its voluntary cruise suspension and cancel all cruises from U.S. ports until September 15, 2020.

A statement was issued by CLIA President & CEO Kelly Craighead that the CLIA Global Board of Directors voted to extend the suspension.

Earlier today, the Global Board of Directors voted to voluntarily extend the suspension of U.S. cruise passenger operations until 15 September 2020 for all ships that are subject to the CDC's current No Sail Order (vessels with the capacity to carry 250 or more). We will continually evaluate the evolving situation and make a determination as to whether a further extension is necessary. 

CLIA represents cruise lines, including  Royal Caribbean, Carnival Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line.

At the posting of this announcement, Royal Caribbean has not issued any statement to corroborate CLIA's announcement. 

Prior to this announcement, Royal Caribbean had August 1, 2020 as its intended date of resuming service (except for China, which could begin in July).

Earlier this week, Norwegian Cruise Line made the announcement it would cancel sailings, but Royal Caribbean said it had not made any decision yet.

CLIA issued a similiar statement on March 14 when the global cruise suspension went into effect for the first time.

"Due to the ongoing situation within the U.S. related to COVID-19, CLIA member cruise lines have decided to voluntarily extend the period of suspended passenger operations.  The current No Sail Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will expire on 24 July, and although we had hoped that cruise activity could resume as soon as possible after that date, it is increasingly clear that more time will be needed to resolve barriers to resumption in the United States."

CLIA hopes this additional time without sailings will provide opportunity to "consult with the CDC on measures that will be appropriate for the eventual resumption of cruise operations."

This voluntary suspension applies to all CLIA members to which the No Sail Order applied (vessels with capacity to carry 250 persons or more). CLIA member cruise lines will continually evaluate the evolving situation and make a determination as to whether a further extension is necessary.

Cruise lines being singled out?

Today's announcement by CLIA specifically mentions the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as playing a key role in the decision and ability of cruise lines to resume cruises again. While cruise ships are waiting for permisison to resume operations, other aspects of travel has reopened.

At least one Wall Street analyst publicly commented that an bias may exist within the U.S. Government that has prevented cruise lines from restarting. 

Despite cruise ships facing government restrictions, casinos, theme parks, movie theaters and many other "high risk" businesses have not only resumed operations, but faced little to no Federal government oversight.

On Tuesday, the CDC updated its website and stated they do not have enough information to say when it will be safe to resume sailing with passengers.

Royal Caribbean is kicking off summer with its Summer Cyber Sale, which offers 60% off second guest, kids sail free and up to $350 off 2021 sailings.

The Summer Cyber Sale applies to new bookings made between June 19 – June 23, 2020 and is valid on select sailings departing on or after August 1, 2020.

It includes:

60% savings off the price of cruise fare of the second guest booked in the same stateroom as first, full-fare paying guest. BOGO60 also provides 30% cruise fare savings for third guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests.

Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple or quad-occupancy stateroom.

Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all 2020 Serenade of the Seas sailings departing between September 1, 2020 – December 17, 2020 and January 8, 2021 – May 17, 2021.

Offer excludes 2020 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 - 28, 2020), 2021 President’s Day Sailings (Sailings between February 12 – 15, 2021), and 2021 Spring Break and Easter sailings (Sailings between March 13 – April 4, 2021). Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and apply to all guests.

2021 Kicker Sale offers instant savings of up to $150 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing between January 1 – December 31, 2021. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites

Summer Cyber Sale offers instant savings of up to $200 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after August 1, 2020. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites

BOGO60, Kids Sail Free and 2021 Kicker are combinable with each other as well with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Summer Cyber Sale is combinable with BOGO60, Kids Sail Free and 2021 Kicker as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, and Shareholder Benefits, but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts.  Offer are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates.  Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking; limit one promo code per booking.

Offer available to residents of United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and select countries in the Caribbean. 

A week after Royal Caribbean revealed Allure of the Seas would sail from Port Everglades instead of Galveston in winter 2021-2022, the cruise line has put the new sailings on sale.

The cruise line announced that a delay in building its new cruise terminal meant Allure of the Seas would be unable to sail from Galveston, as the old terminal is incapable of supporting an Oasis Class ship.

The first Allure of the Seas sailing from Port Everglades will take place on November 8, 2021.

Allure of the Seas will offer Western and Eastern Caribbean sailings, including visits to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. 

There are a variety of sailings offered, including 4-, 6-, 8-, 7- and 9- night sailings.

Prior to Allure's winter 2021-2022 season, Allure of the Seas will start out in Miami, then transition to Port Canaveral and then remain there until she moves to Port Everglades.

In late March, Royal Caribbean proposed delaying the new cruise terminal in Galveston by a year due to the global crisis. Neither the Port nor Royal Caribbean wanted to cancel the contract and felt the best option was the one year delay.

The new target completion date for the terminal is September 1, 2022.

Liberty of the Seas will take the place of Liberty of the Seas in Galveston until the new terminal is complete.

Guests with Allure cruises from Galveston

In the case someone had a cruise booked on Allure of the Seas from Galveston, Royal Caribbean has provided a few options for these passengers.

• Original cruise fare paid for Allure of the Seas will be price protected at the original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items.
  • Guests who were already paid in full and qualify for a cruise fare rate decrease will be provided with a refund if there is any difference in pricing. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment 45 days after you submit your refund request. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
• Royal Caribbean is also waiving any non-refundable deposit change fees associated with the move.
• Please know, if you weren't previously booked on a holiday sailing (Christmas, New Year's, and Easter), sailings during that timeframe are excluded from your options.
• Lastly, if you opted into the Cruise with Confidence 100% Future Cruise Credit prior to this email, you will be able to take advantage of this new offer.

Guests have until July 7, 2020 to take advantage of this offer. If nothing is changed by July 7, 2020, Royal Caribbean will automatically keep that reservation booked on Liberty of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has sent letters to guests booked on sailings from Venice, Italy in summer 2021 that their cruise will now depart from nearby Ravenna, Italy.

Citing "increased concerns regarding the future of cruising in Venice", emails sent to travel agents and guests booked on Rhapsody of the Seas sailings that depart from Venice in 2021 an update that the cruises will now depart and end in Ravenna.

"There have been increased concerns regarding the future of cruising in Venice, Italy due to port congestion and the ability to control port traffic. And, while it's not yet clear how cruise operations will be affected there, it's important to us that we continue to do everything we can to provide you with a great experience and plan ahead, whenever possible."

"As a result, instead of Venice, we've changed our departure and arrival ports to Ravenna, Italy - a city located just a couple hours south of our original cruise port. We're terribly sorry for any inconvenience caused by this change. However, to ensure you have the smoothest experience possible and that you still get to experience Venice as planned - we're providing complimentary shuttle services before and after your sailing."

Guests who already purchased airfare will be able to take advantage of complimentary shuttle services both before and after your sailing. Guests an optionally purchase transfers leaving directly from the airport or pier. The trip will take us around 2 ½ hours, depending on local traffic.

On embarkation day, the complimentary shuttles will be waiting at the Arrivals area of the Venice Marco Polo Airport. 

Once the cruise is over, after collecting luggage, guests proceed to Customs and then will be directed to board either a complimentary shuttle bus headed to the Venice Marco Polo Airport, or to board a pre-purchased transfer headed directly to the next destination. 

Future of cruises from Venice

There has been speculation and discussion of banning or limiting cruise ships from Venice for years.

In late 2019, an accident involving a MSC Cruise ship in Venice sparked a new backlash against cruise ships. 

While policies have not shifted, Royal Caribbean decided to make the proactive change to guard against the possibility of a new ordinance or prohibition.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman & CEO Richard Fain published a new video update to travel advisors that comments on what the cruise giant is doing to return to service, as well as touching on the senseless death of George Floyd and the issue of racism.

Mr. Fain has produced a series of videos from his home in South Florida, speaking to travel advisors about what the cruise line is doing during this global cruise suspension, and words of encouragement to the travel agent community.

Returning to service

Mr. Fain began his talk reiterating Royal Caribbean's commitment to working with government authorities in crafting a safe and balanced approach to returning to service. There were no specifics shared, but he talked about the guidance from a Blue Ribbon panel of experts to guide their return.

"We are working to make sure we are doing it properly, and that we're working to do it quickly. On the question of doing it properly. I've been unequivocal that we will raise the bar on all our health and safety protocols. Our industry has long had some of the highest hygiene and health procedures on planet Earth. But in a COVID-19 world, we need to do even better, and we are determined that we will do so."

"And on the question of doing it fast, we're working as diligently as we know how. Our operations will start small and they will start carefully, but we will start as soon as we and the relevant authorities are satisfied that all the appropriate health processes and procedures are in place."

"We've established a blue ribbon panel made up of some of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the world. These are leading experts in all the relevant fields, including epidemiology, infectious diseases, public policy and regulation, engineering and general health safety. They really are the best of the best. We think they will help us with a faster and more comprehensive analysis and we will be announcing more about this in the near future."

Racism

Towards the end of the video, Mr. Fain took time to speak out on the issue of racism and the impact of George Floyd's senseless death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.

Mr. Fain hoped this tragedy would spark an opportunity to implement real change in our society.

"The senseless death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police has forced us all to confront the harsh reality that our country just hasn't made nearly the progress we thought we had, and that we need to have, in order to protect the lives and the rights of people of color. It's a time to listen to the experience of our friends and neighbors. It's a time to learn, and it is a time to act."

"We've started conversations about this topic with our employees at the Royal Caribbean Group, and some of those conversations are difficult. I hope you're having these same kind of conversations in your community as well. We have to have them, because we will get past this virus. But getting to a place of real change in the fight against racism will be an even longer and more difficult battle, nd we all need each other's help."

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was named by Forbes to the America's Best Employers for Diversity 2019 list.

Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have suspended all of their cruise ship sailings since March, and at least one Wall Street analyst thinks the delay in ships returning to service is the fault of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Instinet analyst Harry Curtis wrote in a note to clients that he thinks the problem with cruise ships not starting up again faster is not the fault of the company, but a bias on the part of the government.

"This issue is NOT that the industry has been passive in developing health protocols. Quite the contrary. In our view, the hurdle lies with the CDC’s unwillingness to discuss, debate and mutually implement the highest standards of passenger and crew health care." 

Curtis indicated the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has for many weeks, submitted suggestions for new protocols, but the CDC has shown “limited interest” in holding discussions about resuming cruises. Yet the company has little recourse but to wait for approval, as Curtis said the CDC has the power to impound or quarantine ships.  

"It would seem that the cruise industry, its passengers and employees have been viewed by the CDC in the same vein as meat packing plants, nursing homes and prisons. In our view, there is something unjust about such unilateral treatment."

While the cruise ships sit idly by, Las Vegas casinos, major theme parks, movie theaters, and water parks around the country are able to resume operations.

The airlines have been operating without impunity throughout the crisis.

According to Curtis, he estimates it could take three to six months for the CDC to respond to the cruise lines proposals.

On Tuesday, the CDC updated its website and stated they do not have enough information to say when it will be safe to resume sailing with passengers.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced on Tuesday it will extend its cruise cancellations through the end of September (minus Seattle-based ships), but Royal Caribbean has not made any decisions yet to follow suit.

Nearly as soon as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings made the announcement it would cancel all of its sailings through August 30th, 2020 and select cruises in September and October, many were wondering if Royal Caribbean would do the same.

During a webinar with travel agents, Royal Caribbean Account Executive Brittany Yochum commented on the news, saying that Royal Caribbean had no announcement to make at this time.

"I know that we have other lines that have obviously extended their cancellations and there are changes daily, and each line does look at the situation individually and makes their own decision. So we are constantly looking at this situation."

"As soon as we have an update on any sort of communications, we will be sure that you are the first to know, as you have been with a prior cancellation. So we are continually looking and just stay tuned for additional updates."

Royal Caribbean's current global cruise suspension expires at the end of July, with an August 1, 2020 date to resume operation for the majority of the fleet.

Since the cruise lines have shut down operations in March, the "big three" cruise lines of NCLH, Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. have had a tendency to match each other with cruise cancellation announcements. While this pattern is far from an absolute guarantee, it has been the dominant pattern.

Thus far, Royal Caribbean has engaged in four separate phases of cruise cancellations, beginning in March.

Royal Caribbean's return to service depends largely on its work with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and in conjunction with the CDC.

One of RCCL's controlled cruise lines, SilverSea, has already pushed back its operations into September, October or November. Silver Explorer, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will start sailing again at the earliest in the the second half of October or November. Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Muse and Silver Spirit have had their sail dates pushed back to September. Silver Origin and Silver Moon are now scheduled to debut on Aug. 22 and Oct. 2, respectively.

When will Royal Caribbean cruises resume?

The question every single cruise fan is asking is when will cruises resume again, and there are plenty of opinions out there.

I recently posed this question in a poll on Facebook, with the most popular vote being Q1 2021 with 36% of respondents feeling cruises will not resume this year (with another 5% thinking it will take until the second quarter of 2021).

Of course, Royal Caribbean has repeatedly said all of its ships will not resume operations at once. While the cruise line's plans are not completely certain, executives have commented they believe cruises will resume with just a handful of ships at first, with a phased approach to bringing the entire fleet back.

In these months without cruises, Royal Caribbean has been hard at work on putting together a plan that addresses a higher standard of health, safety, sanitation and medical care.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has said they want to have a good plan in place before starting back up.

"Well, I think we have said that we're not sure when we're coming back. We won't come back until we're absolutely sure that we've done everything we can to work to protect the safety of our guests and crew."

"We said when we we won't be back before the end of July, but we we haven't gone to the next step of saying we're absolutely confident that we're starting on August one."

"We will work with the authorities. We will work with all the experts that we have asked to help us on this, to make sure that we are doing everything we can to protect our guests and crew."

The Royal Amplification project added a bunch of new activities, entertainment, dining and more to a variety of Royal Caribbean ships over the last few years.

While the Royal Amplified program is on hold at the moment, six Royal Caribbean ships were updated and refurbished in the first few years of the program, and here is a look at what was added to each ship.

Ships that have been updated offer a tremendous value, as guests can enjoy brand new features often found on the Royal Caribbean's newest vessels, but at much less of a cost than sailing on a new ship.

What is Royal Amplified?

While the range of upgrades varies by ship, the goal was to add innovative attractions, pools, bars, and dining to each ship.  In addition, new staterooms were introduced on most vessels.

The Royal Amplified program focused on three main areas:

Pool Deck & Attractions: A re-imagined outside pool deck to discover everything under the sun – from pools specifically designed with prime ways to lounge, to those programmed with diverse activities day and night, plus the boldest attractions and first-of-a-kind thrills on deck. Examples of these experiences are: Sky Pad, The Perfect Storm, Laser Tag and Escape Room.

Bars & Nightlife: We will give your clients the chance to drink, clink and live it up in distinct new bars and nightlife spots that deliver on the three tenets of a great night out: unique drinks, ways to be entertained, and good food. Examples of these experiences: The Bamboo Room and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade.

Dining Mission: We will make delectable strides in delivering the cornerstone cuisines that guests have told us they crave – like great seafood, Mexican food, and Italian food – while upping our game in the fast, casual, grab & go category to keep our guests fueled between their adventures. Examples of these delicious culinary options are: El Loco Fresh, Hooked and Jamie’s Italian.

Amplified Ships

Freedom of the Seas

Freedom of the Seas was the last Royal Caribbean ship to be amplified, and it was completed in early 2020. In total, Royal Caribbean spent $116 million on her work, which added many new features, including water slides, a new Caribbean pool deck look, the cruise line’s first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and new, dedicated spaces for kids and teens. 

What's new on Freedom of the Seas

• Resort-style Caribbean poolscape
• The Lime & Coconut pool bar
• Splashaway Bay kids aqua park
• Renewed adults-only Solarium
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen
• El Loco Fresh
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Clash for the Crystal City Laser Tag
• Revamped Adventure Ocean
• New Social033 teen club
• App updates
  • Expedited arrival
  • App can control stateroom TV

Freedom of the Seas refurbishment photos

Oasis of the Seas

Oasis of the Seas underwent her Royal Amplification in late 2019 that added a number of changes, including the cruise line’s first barbecue restaurant, Portside BBQ; and guest favorites, from the tallest slide at sea–the Ultimate Abyss–to popular live music venue Music Hall, and a reimagined, Caribbean pool deck. 

What's new on Oasis of the Seas

• Caribbean-style pool deck
• Lime & Coconut signature bar
• Ultimate Abyss slide (dry slide)
• The Perfect Storm water slides
• Splashaway Bay aqua park
• Portside BBQ specialty restaurant
• El Loco Fresh complimentary Mexican restaurant
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Sugar Beach candy shop
• Spotlight Karaoke venue
• Music Hall venue
• Bionic Bar
• Revamped Adventure Ocean
• Mission Control: Apollo 18 escape room

Oasis of the Seas refurbishment photos

Voyager of the Seas

In October 2019, Royal Caribbean completed the Royal Amplification for Voyager of the Seas, which cost $97 million and took 41 days to complete.

Voyager of the Seas received a number of upgrades, including The Perfect Storm water slides and Battle for Planet Z laser tag. 

What's new on Voyager of the Seas

• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• Battle for Planet Z laser tag
• Reinvigorated Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
• Redesigned kids and teens spaces
• 72 new inside and balcony staterooms
• Support for Royal Caribbean's app

Voyager of the Seas amplification photos

Navigator of the Seas

Arguably one of the best updates to any Royal Caribbean ship as part of the Royal Amplified program, Navigator of the Seas had a $115 million bow to stern refurbishment in February 2019.

Royal Caribbean added water slides, dining venues, activities and more to the ship.

What's new on Navigator of the Seas

• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• To Dry For Blow-dry bar at sea
• Reimagined poolscape
• The Lime & Coconut pool bar
• Hooked Seafood specialty restaurant
• Bamboo Room
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Jamie’s Italian specialty restaurant
• Upgraded Windjammer furnishings
• El Loco Fresh
• Solarium upgrades
• Laser tag in Studio B
• Starbucks

Navigator of the Seas refurbishment photos

Mariner of the Seas

Royal Caribbean invested $120 million into the refurbishment of Mariner of the Seas and the results are astounding.

From the bright yellow globe at the top of the ship that houses the virtual reality trampoline experience Sky Pad to the addition of two restaurants, two bars, FlowRider surf simulators, the Perfect Storm water park and an escape room, Mariner's got plenty to keep you entertained.

What's new on Mariner of the Seas

• Sky Pad bungee trampoline experience
• The Perfect Storm waterslides 
• Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z
• Escape Room: The Observatorium
• The Bamboo Room
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Jamie’s Italian specialty restaurant
• Izumi Hibachi and Sushi specialty restaurant

Independence of the Seas

The first Royal Caribbean ship to be amplified was Independence of the Seas, which boasted a number of new and exciting activities.

• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z
• New escape room
• New lounges
• New Panoramic Oceanview staterooms 
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi
• Fish & Ships
• Sugar Beach candy shop

Independence of the Seas refurbishment photos

Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas was the first Royal Caribbean ship to have her Royal Amplification delayed, and then postponed.

Allure of the Seas did undergo a "technical dry dock", which means the propulsion and navigation was repaired.

Once the Royal Amplification is undertaken again, the ship was scheduled to undergo a 58-day, $165 million transformation to add the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Music Hall.

Explorer of the Seas

Like Allure, Explorer of the Seas had her Royal Amplification delayed and then postponed.

Explorer will get a "technical dry dock" to repair the vessel's propulsion and navigation.

Explorer of the Seas was scheduled for a $110 million Royal Amplification that would have added a number of changes from bow to stern. However, the closure of shipyards and disruption to the supply chain around the world has delayed the work from being done on time. 

Postponed Amplifications

Due to Royal Caribbean's financial situation, the cruise line postponed scheduled Royal Amplifications for Adventure of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas in 2021.