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Royal Caribbean cancels Majesty of the Seas sailing to provide relief efforts to Hurricane Irma victims

In:
09 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean announced it has cancelled the September 15 sailing of Majesty of the Seas so that the cruise line can utilize the ship for humanitarian efforts in areas of the Caribbean with urgent need.

Hurricane Irma has caused Royal Caribbean to alter and even cancel a number of sailings, including the previous September 11 sailing of Majesty of the Seas.

Guests who were scheduled to sail on Majesty of the Seas on the September 15th sailing will receive a 100% refund of the cruise fare and fees to the original form of payment.  Plus, Royal Caribbean is also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

Hurricane Irma is a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose’s strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

Royal Caribbean delays Oasis of the Seas sailing further due to Hurricane Irma

In:
09 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean announced today that Oasis of the Seas next sailing will be delayed by one additional day, and will now sail on Wednesday, September 13.

Oasis of the Seas had been scheduled to sail on September 10th, but Hurricane Irma has forced Royal Caribbean to keep the ship at sea to avoid the storm. As a result of the delay, Oasis will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel instead. 

Guests scheduled to sail on the shorted sailing will have an increased refund of 50% of their cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, as well as an additional 50% future cruise credit.

Also due to Hurricane Irma, Royal Caribbean cancelled a chartered sailing of Majesty of the Seas that was scheduled to depart on September 11. Thirty One Gifts has made the decision to cancel this sailing. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Hurricane Irma is a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose's strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

Friday Photos

In:
08 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

We love sharing Royal Caribbean photos that our readers send in because they are so much fun to look at.  We want your photos too, so send us your best Royal Caribbean photos to share with the world.

We start things off with a photo by Marie Isbell from a day at sea.  Sign me up for one of these right about now!

Next is a photo of Oasis of the Seas in Labadee, taken by Paul Collins.

Here is a lovely sunset photo, taken aboard Liberty of the Seas, by Kyle Ritch.

Mike took this photo of Freedom of the Seas from the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Check out this photo of the sun rising on a Harmony of the Seas transatlantic cruise, taken by Susan Widdowson.

Speaking of Harmony of the Seas, here she is in Palma Majorca, as seen from the bridge of Independence of the Seas.  Suzanne took this photo.

We wrap things up this week with a photo by Ken of Navigator of the Seas in Cozumel.

If we didn't include your photo this week, then that means you need to send it in to us for use on a future Friday Photos post.  We want to see your favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos and you can use this form to send them to us.

Royal Caribbean delays Enchantment of the Seas departure date and skips St. Maarten for Adventure of the Seas due to Hurricane Irma

In:
07 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean announced more changes to its scheduled itineraries due to Hurricane Irma.

Adventure of the Seas will depart as planned on Saturday, September 9, but will skip a port stop in St. Maarten due to the damage caused by Hurricane Irma.  Instead, the ship will replace this port with an overnight in Aruba.

The Enchantment of the Seas sailing scheduled for September 11th has been delayed and will now depart on Tuesday, September 12th and will sail a 3-night itinerary to the Bahamas. Given the unpredictability of Irma, Royal Caribbean will advise if there are any changes to the itinerary as soon as they know. Guests opting to sail on Enchantment will receive a refund of 25% of your cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit.

Guests who are unable to travel and need to cancel their cruise can receive a 100% future cruise credit. Pre-booked shore excursions will be refunded to your original form of payment.

Royal Caribbean is still monitoring these sailings, and will provide an update at 6pm EDT:

  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise
  • Majesty of the Seas (charter cruise): September 11 Bahamas cruise

Hurricane Irma is a category 5 storm with sustained winds of 180 mph. Irma passed just north of San Juan, Puerto Rico and is currently located just north of the Dominican moving west at 17 mph. The current forecasts suggest that Hurricane Irma is tracking towards southeast Florida and should arrive Sunday morning, and then proceed to Port Canaveral Monday morning. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailings are canceled:

  • Empress of the Seas: September 9 Cuba cruise
  • Enchantment of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise
  • Majesty of the Seas: September 8 Bahamas cruise

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call 1-800-256-6649.

Going from curb to ship on Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

In:
06 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 214 is available for downloading, where Matt discusses everything you need to know between when you arrive at the port to when you actually board your ship.

Matt shares what guests can expect when they arrive at the pier for embarkation day and share tips for parking, porters, check in and more.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 214. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

Hurricane Irma forces Royal Caribbean to delay ship returns and cancels another sailing

In:
05 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean announced a new batch of itinerary changes and even a cancellation due to Hurricane Irma.

The September 9th sailing of Empress of the Seas is now cancelled, which joins the September 8th sailings of Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas announced earlier today.

Moreover, Royal Caribbean announced delays for a return for a few other ships.  Oasis of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will be delayed returning to their homeport until the storm passes.

"Due to the unpredictability of the storm, we plan to keep all of our guests currently sailing on these ships safely out of harm’s way, " Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

As a result of the delayed return, the following sailings are being modified:

  • Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will be on Wednesday, 9/13 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Nassau, Bahamas.
  • Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, Mexico.
  • Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise
    • The new departure date will now be on Tuesday, 9/12 and we will sail a 5-night itinerary to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Adventure of the Seas: September 9 Southern Caribbean cruise
  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailing is still being evaluated and Royal Caribbean will provide further details in the 11 AM EDT update:

  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise

Royal Caribbean cancels Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas sailings due to Hurricane Irma

In:
05 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean announced it has cancelled two sailings due to the forecasted path of Hurricane Irma.

The September 8th sailings of Majesty of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas are now cancelled. Royal Caribbean emphasized the decision was made with the safety and comfort of our guests and crew in mind.

Guests scheduled to sail on either sailing will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment, and we are also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days. Guests with questions can call 1-800-256-6649.

Watching Irma

Royal Caribbean provided additional information on other sailings that may be potentially affected by Hurricane Irma.

The following sailings are departing as scheduled:

  • Adventure of the Seas: September 9 Southern Caribbean cruise 
  • Grandeur of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise
  • Liberty of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Serenade of the Seas: September 10 New England/Canada cruise
  • Vision of the Seas: September 7 New England/Canada cruise

The following sailings are currently being evaluated and we will provide our next update at 6 PM EDT:

  • Allure of the Seas: September 10 Western Caribbean cruise
  • Anthem of the Seas: September 9 Bermuda cruise 
  • Empress of the Seas: September 9 Cuba cruise 
  • Harmony of the Seas: September 9 Eastern Caribbean cruise
  • Oasis of the Seas: September 10 Eastern Caribbean cruise

Hurricane Irma is a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds around the center at 180 mph and is currently located about 225 miles east of Antigua. The storm continues its westerly track at 14 mph. While it is difficult to predict the path of the storm outside of 72 hours, it is likely that Irma will impact Florida at some point this weekend. 
 

Restaurant Review: Chops Grille on Harmony of the Seas

In:
05 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

On a recent Harmony of the Seas cruise, we took the opportunity to try Chops Grille.  With dining packages becoming so popular, we decided to visit the Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant of all time (historically speaking).

Chops Grille is located on deck 8 in Central Park.  Having dined at Chops Grille on a number of other ships, it has always been a reliable and delectable restaurant.  The ambiance alone is worth the reservation.

Guests have the option to dine inside or outside, although the weather may dictate how viable the outdoor seating is for your enjoyment.  

The Chops Grille menu on Harmony of the Seas features the "classic menu", as opposed to the new Chops Grille menu that is starting to make its way around the fleet. The differences are mostly minor, but it is worth noting that the dinner menu may change soon too on Harmony of the Seas (if it has not already).

Every Chops Grille meal begins with a serving of breads and butter. I enjoyed the different choices, with the hard roll being a favorite.

My favorite appetizer is the French Onion Soup, which is served with a generous amount of onions underneath a cheese and bread topping.  You can find French Onion Soup in the main dining room, among other places, and I really think the French Onion Soup from Chops Grille is the best.

We also tried the mesculun salad, which has a very good balsamic dressing.  Not too rich or overpowering, and the greens were fresh and crunchy.  

Of course, the star attraction at Chops Grille are the steaks.  Guests have the choice of a number of cuts of meat, including dry age steaks that cost extra.  Having tried the dry aged steaks on Anthem of the Seas, I felt confident in sticking with a tried and true Chops Grille favorite: the filet mignon.

While I might sometimes prefer the NY Strip steak for the flavor, the tenderness and lean cut of the filet mignon always makes it a great choice.  Like so many other times at Chops Grille, the steak was cooked exactly the way I wanted it.  Your waiter will also provide a choice of steak sauces to add, such as a bearnaise sauce.

Of course, the sides you can order at Chops Grille really enhance the main course.  We tried the roasted mushrooms and Gruyère Cheese Tater Tots. I could probably be satisfied with a meal consisting just of the mushrooms, so combining the mushrooms with the steak is a recipe for one happy blogger.

For dessert, I traditionally order the red velvet cake, but decided to try something different this time.  The Huckleberry Cheesecake is a relatively new dessert option that many really enjoy.  I opted to have my Huckleberry sauce on the side just so I could manage the cake to sauce ratio (I prefer a hint of sauce, rather than a dousing).

Conclusion

Having dined at Chops Grille for many years, on many ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet, I can safely say that the Chops Grille experience remains a quality dining experience. The consistency of the food and service is excellent, and dining at Chops Grille in Central Park adds another level to the overall experience.

While I may have preferred the beef tenderloin from 150 Central Park, I certainly did not regret my Chops Grille meal in the least bit.

There is one consideration about dining at Chops Grille on Harmony of the Seas, and that is the price.  These days, dinner at Chops Grille will run $49 per person, which is a lot for any specialty restaurant. If you have sticker shock about it, the best strategy is to consider a dining package to help bring the cost down.  Dining packages will cost you more in total out of pocket, but the per dinner experience is typically slashed considerably and that makes the value of Chops Grille far better.

If you have dined at Chops Grille many times as well, you will find Chops Grille to be a familiar choice and very similar to other Chops Grille restaurants across the fleet. If you are new to Royal Caribbean, Chops Grille is a solid choice for anyone that wants a really good specialty restaurant experience. 

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: September 2, 2017

In:
03 Sep 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a wonderful weekend and we cannot wait to share with you all the exciting Royal Caribbean news from this week!

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas returned to Galveston this week, following a week-long detour to avoid Hurricane Harvey.

The Port of Galveston re-opened to cruise ship traffic earlier in the week, and Liberty of the Seas arrived on Friday.  

Liberty of the Seas is planning to depart on September 3rd for her regularly scheduled sailing.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 213th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we share a first-time Royal Caribbean cruiser's review of Oasis of the Seas.

In this episode, Mike and Michelle talk about their first Royal Caribbean cruise experience after years of cruising with Disney Cruise Line.

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 Habit shared the reason why power strips are not allowed on cruise ships.

US Business Leadership Network named Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd one of the best places to work for disability inclusion.

USA Today compared Harmony of the Seas to the Norwegian Escape.

Cruise Critic wrote about the drop in drink package prices for Australians.

Moms of the Seas answered the question if Oasis of the Seas is toddler friendly.