Royal Caribbean Blog

Check out Carlos PenaVega as hangs ten, onboard the world’s largest ship, Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean made its return to the Port of New Orleans when recently when Vision of the Seas homeported at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal for its inaugural cruise Dec. 15, 2018.

“Royal Caribbean is a valued cruise line partner that we are excited to welcome back to the Crescent City,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans President and CEO. “Our commitment to top-notch service combined with the vibrant sights and sounds of the Big Easy will add another dimension to the dynamic Royal Caribbean cruise experience.”

The 2,514-passenger ship will sail seasonal, seven-night itineraries from Port NOLA to culture-rich destinations across the Bahamas, Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula through March 2019.

Royal Caribbean was named the “Best Cruise Line Overall” and “Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean” in the Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards for the sixteenth year in a row.

At the 2018 awards ceremony, Royal Caribbean also won “Best Cruise Line Sales & Service” for the eleventh year in a row. In addition, Royal Caribbeantook home the “Best Entertainment” award, while Harmony of the Seas was named“Best Overall Individual Cruise Ship” – both honors received for the second consecutive year.

“All year, we make it a point to hear from and collaborate with our travel partners – their feedback is invaluable. Sweeping the top cruise categories in Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Awards is such an honor and a testament to the powerful relationships we have with advisors,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Royal Caribbean International. “Being recognized as ‘Best Cruise Line Overall’ and ‘Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean’ since the inception of the awards, as well as the best in sales and service, entertainment and individual ships year after year shows our connections with the community continue to build. We thank Travel Weekly and our valued advisors for their ongoing support, and will continue to deliver on our commitment and promise to seeing them succeed.”

Travel Weekly recognized the honorees at its sixteenth annual Readers’ Choice Awards held at the Conrad New York. Winners were selected in 78 categories in the airline, car, hospitality, rail, GDS, agent education, tour, cruise, destination, loyalty program and theme park sectors. The awards are presented to suppliers considered by Travel Weekly readers who led the way in product and service during the past year.

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

Royal Caribbean made headlines this week when it announced its 2020-2021 Northeast sailings and revealed Oasis of the Seas will sail from the New York City area in 2020.

Oasis of the Seas arriving to Cape Liberty on May 6, 2020 and staying through October 25, 2020.  Oasis of the Seas will return to Florida on November 4, 2020.

When Oasis arrives in Cape Liberty, she will offer a quick 4-night Canada Getaway cruise on May 6 before offering 7-night sailings down to the Bahamas, with stops in Port Canaveral, Nassau and CocoCay.  On August 1, 2020, she will offer an 8-night sailing that adds a stop in Miami.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean released 2020-2021 itineraries for Northeast, Bermuda and Caribbean.
• Check out these funnel cakes that are now available in CocoCay.
• We reviewed the DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay in Miami.
• Our full review of Mr. Sanchos Beach Club in Cozumel.
• Royal Caribbean treated breast cancer survivors to a cruise vacation.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 280th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt talks with Colleen from Cruise Critic about the awards Royal Caribbean recently won.

In this episode, Colleen shares what catapulted Royal Caribbean ahead of other cruise lines to win three distinct awards at the Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards.

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.

Cruise with Matt to New England and Canada!

We are so excited to announce the next group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Brilliance of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on a fantastic Brilliance of the Seas sailing on an 7-night cruise to Canada & New England.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying a fun Royal Caribbean cruise along with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the amazing ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Eyewitness News reported Royal Caribbean hired more than 200 Bahamians.

Beyond Ships reviewed Terminal A cruise terminal in PortMiami.

Cruise & Ferry shared why Royal Caribbean worked with Elation Professional to provide lighting to Symphony of the Seas.

Marine Insight reported that Royal Caribbean was named Best Cruise Line at the 2018 National Geographic Traveler Awards Russia.

Eat Sleep Cruise shared their restaurant menus on Symphony of the Seas.

If it's Friday, that means we are sharing our reader's best Royal Caribbean photos in this week's Friday Photos showcase.  As always, we want to include as many of our readers photos as we can, so be sure to send us your best Royal Caribbean photos too!

Joe Moran starts us off with a look at the Solarium at night while on Freedom of the Seas.

Kinny Lee took this beautiful photo of a calm and clear night on Liberty of the Seas.

Ken shared this classic view of Oasis of the Seas docked in Labadee.

Check out this photo by Drew Christy of the sun rising in front of Oasis of the Seas, while the ship was docked in Port Canaveral.

Here is a photo by Angela Sarcone taken during the lobster catamaran lunch excursion in Antigua.

Greg Seah shared this photo while on Voyager of the Seas.

Our final photo this week is by Susan Garrett, and it is of Navigator of the Seas while in Labadee.

Do you have Royal Caribbean photos that you want to share?  We'd love to feature them so send them in by using our nifty submission form and maybe your photos will show up in next week's edition!

Royal Caribbean's Season's Savings Sale is offering 30% off all guests, plus bonus instant savings of up to $150 off the cruise fare.

The Season's Savings Sale is valid on new cruises booked December 13, 2018 – December 17, 2018 on all sailings departing on or after January 13, 2019. 

The promotion includes:

• 30% off cruise fare for all guests in the same stateroom
• Up to $150 instant savings per stateroom determined by category booked and sailing length:
  • On sailings 5 nights or less, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
  • On sailing 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $150 for Suites

30% Off All Guests is combinable with Season’s Savings Sale, 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. Season’s Savings Sale is combinable with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers and Free Upgrades but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Offers 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, 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. 

The DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida is located in the heart of downtown Miami, a mere few miles from PortMiami.  We tried out this hotel as a pre-cruise hotel stay before a Royal Caribbean cruise and have our thoughts on what the hotel offers and our experience staying here.

Being in downtown Miami, the DoubleTree is located quite close to PortMiami.  In fact, many of the rooms in the hotel offer a view of the port. The proximity to PortMiami makes this a compelling choice for a pre- or post-cruise stay.

This particular hotel is a waterfront condominium hotel located next to Sea Isle Marina.  What this means is as you enter the building, you will notice two entrances.  One entrance is for hotel guests and the other for condo residents.  Evidently this is a thing in Miami, where the building owner can invest in multiple revenue streams (hotel guests and tennants).  

The DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay offers 152 guest rooms, along with 50 condominiums for short or extended stays. Since it is downtown, you can easily walk out the hotel and explore some nearby attractions and restaurants.  Miami is more spread out than some other major American cities, so expect to rely on taxis or ride sharing to truly get around town.

One nice aspect of the hotel is attached to the lobby area is a small shopping plaza, which has coffee shops, restaurants, convenience store, hair stylist and more.  There was a surprising amount of shops in this area, and it is extremely convenient to not have to leave the hotel building and have access to a lot of services.

The hotel does have a large outdoor pool for guests to use during their stay, along with a fitness center and 24-hour business center.

The room itself is quite large, with lots of living space.

The bathroom is large as well, and offers a great deal of space for toiletries and a shower/tub that does not feel confined at all.

The rooms have a balcony, and if you are lucky enough to have a room that faces the water, you not only get extra living space to enjoy, but a fantastic view of the ships in port.

Thanks to John Bamber for providing these photos

Overall, the DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay is a clean, safe and well-appointed hotel suitable for anyone that needs a hotel before or after their cruise.  It may not be the least expensive hotel in downtown Miami, but it is likely to be a mid-range priced hotel and not one you have to be concerned about compromising on the quality.

If you are just staying one night, I think this hotel is just fine for a place to rest and relax until you depart on your cruise. 

Your thoughts

Have you stayed at DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay? Is this a hotel you’d consider? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!

Royal Caribbean announced today its 2020-2021 Bermuda, Northeast and 7-night Caribbean sailings.

As we reported earlier, Oasis of the Seas will become the first ship in her class, and the world's largest, to sail from the Northeast.  Oasis will arrive in May 2020 and  transport travelers to the clear blue waters of The Bahamas all summer with 7-night itineraries, as well as a select number of short cruises north to New England and Canada.

Adventure of the Seas will return to Cape Liberty, sailing a variety of 5- and 9-night summer and fall itineraries to Bermuda, New England and Canada, The Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Vision of the Seas will offer three 10- to 11-night open-jaw itineraries between Bayonne and Quebec City with an overnight in Quebec’s capital.

Symphony of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas will return to PortMiami and Port Canaveral, Fla., respectively, offering 7-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Both ships will feature visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Brilliance of the Seas will sail 7- to 10-night cruises to Canada starting in September 2020, while Grandeur of the Seas continues to offer 9-night itineraries to Canada and New England for fall foliage from her year-round homeport in Baltimore, Md. Grandeur will embark on a combination of 5- and 9-night itineraries to Bermuda and The Bahamas in the summer months, and transition to 9-night Southeast Coast & Bahamas and 12-night Southern Caribbean cruises for the winter. Northeast, Canada and Bermuda itineraries will be available to book as of Dec. 13, 2018.

In 2020, San Juan, Puerto Rico will welcome what will be the newly modernized Freedom of the Seas. Freedom will return for the third consecutive year to sail 7-night itineraries year-round throughout the Southern Caribbean, traveling to destinations like Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis; St. Johns, Antigua; Castries, St. Lucia and Bridgetown, Barbados.

Liberty of the Seas  will continue to sail from Galveston to the Western Caribbean ahead of her own highly anticipated amplification in early 2021. 

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members can begin booking sailings on December 12, 2018, with the general public available to begin booking on December 13, 2018.

Northeast

• Adventure of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas

Bermuda

• Adventure of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

7-night Caribbean

• Allure of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas

For the first time ever, an Oasis Class ship will offer sailings from the New York City area when in 2020 Oasis of the Seas spends the summer offering cruises from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

Royal Caribbean's 7-night 2020 itineraries for Caribbean and Canada were posted to the website yesterday, and it shows Oasis of the Seas arriving to Cape Liberty on May 6, 2020 and staying through October 25, 2020.  Oasis of the Seas will return to Florida on November 4, 2020.

When Oasis arrives in Cape Liberty, she will offer a quick 4-night Canada Getaway cruise on May 6 before offering 7-night sailings down to the Bahamas, with stops in Port Canaveral, Nassau and CocoCay.  On August 1, 2020, she will offer an 8-night sailing that adds a stop in Miami.

Oasis will sail one New England & Canada sailing on June 21, 2020 when she offers a 6-night cruise to Portland, St. John and Halifax.

Adventure of the Seas will also sail from Cape Liberty and alternate between 5 and 9 night itineraries to Bermuda and the Caribbean.  Adventure of the Seas will also offer a nine-night New England/Canada sailing a few times during the summer and fall 2020.

Royal Caribbean is offering up to 30% off pre-cruise purchases made this weekend with the Deck The Deals offer.

Dates: December 11, 2018 - December 20, 2018
Sailing Window: Sailings from December 22, 2018 - May 31, 2019

BEVERAGE: Up to 30% off on select sailings.

• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship.

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Save up to 25% off

• Save up to 25% on select tours on select sailings. Discount varies by ship.

INTERNET: Up to 60% off on select sailings

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4, Device(s): Discount varies by ship

DINING: Up to 50% off on select sailings.

• 3 Night Dining Package. Discount varies by ship.
• 3 Night, 4 Night and 5 Night Ultimate Dining Package. Discount varies by ship.