Royal Caribbean Blog

Our newest RoyalCaribbeanBlog video is now available, where Matt shares a few aspects of a Royal Caribbean cruise Matt has changed his mind about.

Things change over the years, along with my opinion on certain offerings, and we have five specific examples of options, destinations, add-ons and more that Matt thinks about totally differently now.

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: Have you changed your mind about anything on Royal Caribbean?

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

Episode 306 is available for downloading where Matt interviews author Paul Thornton about his newest book.

Paul wrote a book about people who have had their lives change because of cruising.  Matt talks to Paul about the stories and insight he found while talking to a number of cruise enthusiasts about how cruising changed their life.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 306. 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!

Royal Caribbean announced today announced Chris Perry will serve as its new Vice President of Operations - Private Destinations. 

Perry will oversee hospitality and managerial operations, as well as provide input on the design and best practices for the cruise line’s private destinations, including Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. He joins the Hotel Operations team, led by Mark Tamis, Senior Vice President, Royal Caribbean International.

“I’m thrilled to join Royal Caribbean and create great vacations at our game-changing private destinations where friends and families have both ‘thrill’ and ‘chill’ experiences to create memories they will relish long after they’re home,” said Chris Perry, Vice President, Royal Caribbean International. “I can’t wait to show my family, especially the kids, the immersive, innovative features Royal Caribbean brings to the vacation experience on land and at sea.”

 Perry joins Royal Caribbean from Icon Global Partners Limited, where he served as CEO for the amusement operational consulting and management firm, focused on developing and managing amusement facilities in emerging economies. Prior to joining Icon Global Partners Limited, he spent time with Club Med, WhiteWater West Industries Ltd. and 17 years at Dubai-based Jumeirah Group’s Wild Wadi Waterpark – with 11 years at the helm. Under Perry’s leadership, Wild Wadi was the first waterpark to achieve International Standards Organization (ISO) certification and Green Globe certification, among numerous quality, training and safety awards within the amusement industry.

As a theme park ambassador, Perry has maintained a multifaceted presence in the dynamic industry, often speaking at global trade shows and holding leadership positions across various organizations, such as: director of the Ellis & Associates International Aquatic Safety School; member of the board of directors of the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA) and global chairman of its Waterpark Committee; and founding member of the Middle East & North Africa Leisure and Attractions Council (MENALAC).

While living in Dubai, Perry hosted Travel Channel’s amusement series “Epic Attractions,” where he provided viewers with an all-access, backstage pass to the world’s most epic attractions.

Perry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA from London Business School.

Perry is moving from Bangkok, Thailand and will be based in Miami with his wife and two children."

On Royal Caribbean International’s newly opened private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, an unrivaled combination of first-of-their-kind thrills and ways to chill make their debut. At the center of the destination’s $250 million transformation is an iconic helium balloon that vacationers can’t miss, Up, Up and Away. Guests of all ages will score the best and highest vantage point in The Bahamas, literally taking adventure to new heights – up to 450 feet to be exact. Securely tethered to the ground and manned by two trained pilots and a team of experts, go under the hood to see how this intricate system works.

Royal Caribbean will offer overnight stays in Tokyo, Japan during the summer 2020.

In summer 2020, Spectrum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas will each sail two special cruises into Tokyo’s brand-new cruise terminal, Shinkyaku Pier. Spectrum will depart on July 25 and August 2 from Shanghai, China to Tokyo, and Voyager will offer itineraries beginning July 26 out of Hong Kong and August 2 from Tokyo, each staying overnight. Adding to the excitement, Quantum of the Seas will begin sailing from Singapore in 2019, and with both Spectrum and Quantum sailing from Singapore this year, this marks the start of Royal Caribbean’s Double Quantum Year in the region.

“Our ships are designed and created to deliver unforgettable vacation experiences to our guests, and we are proud to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience in Tokyo next summer,” said Bert Hernandez, President, Royal Caribbean China. 

Royal Caribbean announced guests who live in the Asia Pacific region can now bid for a stateroom upgrade via RoyalUp. 

RoyalUp is Royal Caribbean's stateroom bidding program, where the cruise line may offer guests the opportunity to bid for a higher stateroom category by inviting them to submit an offer of their choice. If the offer is accepted, the guests will be automatically charged and upgraded.

Accepted offers will be automatically charged, and the guests will be upgraded to their desired staterooms, marking the perfect start of their Royal Caribbean holiday. In the case of unsuccessful bids, the guests will keep their original staterooms without incurring any charges.

The program is currently available for most Royal Caribbean International ships, including Voyager of the Seas in Singapore, Ovation of the Seas in Alaska and Oasis of the Seas in the Mediterranean.  Guests will have a chance to bid for upgrading to a variety of higher category staterooms including the luxurious two-storey Loft Suites on available sailings of the Oasis and Quantum Class ships. 

Angie Stephen, Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said, “We are seeing very strong response for ‘RoyalUp’ from our other markets because of the great value it brings to our guests, and we believe that many guests in our region will likewise take advantage of this programme to pamper themselves even more on our cruises, starting from their accommodation.”

Royal Caribbean launched the program in North America in November 2018, and Australia/New Zealand in February 2019.

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

The big news this week came when the U.S. government announced it would no longer allow cruise ships to travel between the U.S. and Cuba. As a result of this policy change, Royal Caribbean cancelled all scheduled visits to Cuba.

The two ships that were offering cruises to Cuba, Majesty of the Seas and Empress of the Seas, have had alternative ports secured.

In addition, Royal Caribbean is offering the option of guests on affected sailings remaining on the cruise and receiving a 50% refund, or they can cancel their cruise and receive a full refund.

Royal Caribbean News

• Spectrum of the Seas made her debut in China.
• Royal Caribbean provided a look at the financial impact of the Cuba travel policy change.
• Independence of the Seas summer 2020 sailings are now available to book.
• We shared our top ten Royal Caribbean dining tips.
• What to know before booking a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• The best waterproof cases for your phone to use at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Kids Sail Free is back with Royal Caribbean's June sales promotion.
• There is still some time to take advantage of the pre-cruise purchase sale.
• How to check-in online for your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 305th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are sharing our best tips for first time cruisers.

In this episode, Matt interviews Claudia Diaz-Gonzalez about her work in making the Perfect Day at CocoCay transformation into a reality. Claudia provides a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work she and her team engaged in to bring Perfect Day to CocoCay to life.

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.

New RCB Video: Royal Caribbean cruise mistakes that are not really a mistake

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Royal Caribbean cruise mistakes that are not really a mistake  — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Readers Digest listed the cruise lines that have a private island.

Shack News provided the history and evolution of CocoCay.

Travel Pulse looked at the culinary delights on Oasis of the Seas,

diginomica reported on Royal Caribbean's digital tools that aim to enhance the customer experience.

Cruise Habit shared information on cruising during hurricane season.

Royal Caribbean has kicked off a weekend cruise planner sale, where guests can save up to 30% off pre-cruise purchases.

The Splash into Savings sale runs between June 6 – 10, 2019 and is valid on sailings from June 12, 2019 – December 30, 2019. It is valid on all ships, except for Spectrum of the Seas and Empress of the Seas.

BEVERAGE: Up to 30% off on select sailings.

• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings). •Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings).
• Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings)

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 25% off on select sailings.

• Save up to 25% on select tours on select sailings. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings)

INTERNET: Up to 60% off on select sailings.

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings).
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings).

DINING: Up to 50% off on select sailings.

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3 Night – 9 Night sailings. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, MJ,  SC + Charter Sailings)
• 3 Night Dining Package: Save up to 50% off on select sailings. Discount varies by ship. (Only on OA 8/22/19 + SY 9/3/19)

ACTIVITIES: Up to 10% off on select sailings.
•All Access Ship Tour: 10% off. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes NE, SC + Charter Sailings).

We have a brand new RoyalCaribbeanBlog video to share with you, all about the important things to know BEFORE you book a Royal Caribbean cruise!

We love going on Royal Caribbean and freely advocate others try it out as well, but it is important to know a few things before you put down a credit card to book that first cruise. Between logistics, saving money and learning about what each ship offers, we have some essential advice for anyone looking to book a cruise vacation.

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: What is your top tip for anyone booking their first cruise?

Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! Each week, we share our reader's favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos for everyone to enjoy.

Our first photo is by Beth Bean and it is of chocolate cake from room service, along with Starbucks on Beth's balcony on Adventure of the Seas.

Our next photo is by Khadijah Ahmad and it is of Symphony of the Seas in Malaga.

Next up is a beautiful photo by Mike Sperduto of the Boardwalk on Harmony of the Seas.

Adventure of the Seas makes another appearance in this week's edition, with a shot of her in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada by Philip Catarella.

Next up is a photo by Jeff L. of Brilliance of the Seas docking in Cozumel next to Independence of the Seas.

Luca Mifsud shared this photo of Symphony of the Seas docked in Palma de Mallorca.

Our final photo comes to us from Spectrum of the Seas. Brendan Glynn took this photo of The Silk Road show.

Thanks to everyone who shared photos with us this week. You can always send in your favorite photos to be shared on a future edition of Friday Photos!