Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean announced that Mariner of the Seas will begin her upcoming Southeast Asian season a month earlier, adding 10 roundtrip sailings from Singapore in September 2017.

Mariner of the Seas will be returning to Singapore on September 10th this year for her 2017/18 season, instead of October as originally scheduled. The sales for her new September cruises open for sale today. They include the nine-night one-way cruise from Shanghai to Singapore on September 1st with calls at Xiamen and Ho Chi Minh City plus an overnight in Hong Kong which coincides with the Singapore one-week school holidays; and a mix of three- to five-night Southeast Asian itineraries.

Following her Singapore season, Mariner of the Seas will then be deployed to Miami, Florida in April 2018, after having homeported year-round in Asia out of Singapore and China since 2013.

Sister ship Voyager of the Seas is expected to bring several thousands more tourists to Southeast Asia’s ports for her 2018/19 winter/spring season. Itineraries will be revealed later this month when the season opens for sale.

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

Royal Caribbean made a lot of people living near the Gulf Coast states very happy this week with the announcement of new options to the Caribbean from New Orleans, Galveston and Miami in 2018.

Royal Caribbean will offer once again cruises from New Orleans when Vision of the Seas in the winter of 2018-2019. Vision of the Seas will also offer a pair of Panama Canal cruises prior to her arrival in New Orleans.

Enchantment of the Seas will move to Galveston, Texas, to offer cruises alongside Liberty of the Seas.

Mariner of the Seas will call PortMiami home in 2018, and offer 3- and 4-night itineraries beginning on June 21, 2018.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean began a new sales promotion for May, with 30% off all guests.
• We had two different Symphony of the Seas construction updates this week.
• Here are 10 Royal Caribbean dining mistakes to avoid.
• Our five favorite dishes from Sabor.
• There is a new Explorer of the Seas sailing from Tasmania added for later this year.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 196th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, focusing on Royal Caribbean's specialty dining packages.

In this episode, Matt talks about the specialty dining packages that are available on most sailings and what they offer guests from a savings perspective.

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

CruiseMiss has a guide to Caribbean islands that Royal Caribbean ships visit.

Royal Caribbean celebrated 10 years of offering cruises in China.

CruiseBe shared 7 facts you probably did not know about Radiance of the Seas.

Cruise Hive shared a look at the ship formerly known as Legend of the Seas.

TTG Media has a look at the changes in the sales operations for Royal Caribbean in Europe.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, we decided to countdown our favorites at Royal Caribbean's Sabor restaurant. Whether you prefer Sabor Modern Mexican or Sabor Taqueria & Tequila Bar, either choice is the perfect way to celebrate.

1. Chicken-Stuffed Jalapeños

Appetizers are the first part of any meal, and the Chicken-Stuffed Jalapeños are a crowd-pleasing favorite at Sabor.

If you are looking for something with plenty of flavor and a good kick, then the Chicken-Stuffed Jalapeños are the perfect choice. Chicken, wrapped in bacon, glazed with a sweet chiptle tomatillo salsa makes for one amazing appertizer. Plus, they are great for sharing.

2. Tacos

When you think of Mexican food, inevitably tacos come to mind.  Sabor's tacos are more than what you might find at a typical fast-food chain that incorporates a large carillon in its logo.

The tacos at Sabor come in a variety of options: barbacoa, pollo, pork and tuna.  Personally, I cannot get enough of the tuna tacos, but whichever variety you choose, Sabor's tacos blend fresh ingredients in a crispy tortilla shell.

3. Banana and Chocolate Chimichanga

The desserts at Sabor tend to be underrated in terms of what most guests talk about, but the dessert tray is something you not to be missed.

Specifically, the Banana and Chocolate Chimichanga is, well, incredible.  Melted chocolate with warm bananas, fried makes for one tasty dessert. It is the kind of dessert you eat a few of, right after declaring there is no possible way that you can eat anymore.

4. Avocado margarita

The hand-crafted margaritas at Sabor are a staple of any meal.  In fact, some guests go just for the margaritas.  Of all the choices, we pick the avocado margarita as our favorite.

What makes the avocado margarita so good? It is a smooth and tarty blend that is as refreshing as it is flavorful. The avocado margarita is the perfect accompaniment to anything on the Sabor menu.

5. Guacamole

When considering the full scope of the Sabor menu, it is hard to overlook the highlight of the entire meal and one dish nearly everyone cannot get enough of: the guacamole.

The handmade guacamole put Sabor on the map when the first Sabor restaurant debuted on Navigator of the Seas in 2014. Since then, legions of Sabor fans have made reservations at Sabor specifically to enjoy this heavenly dish.

What is your top five favorites at Sabor? Share your countdown in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society has released a new batch of construction photos, highlighting the progress of Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean shared the photos on the official Crown and Anchor Facebook page, as well as with members of the media.

Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Oasis-class ship, under construction at the STX shipyard in France. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2018.

Happy Cinco de Mayo and happy Friday! To celebrate the weekend, a Mexican victory over the French, and any other excuse we can think of to get a virtual Royal Caribbean "fix", we are sharing our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos.

Appropriately enough, we begin with a photo that Kyle Ritch sent in from Cozumel, Mexico.  It is of the top decks of Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas next to each other.

Here is another photo from Cozumel of Liberty and Freedom docked next to each other, taken by Cristina Myers.

Katie Kaus shared this photo of her and her husband in Nassau, Bahamas with Majesty of the Seas right behind them.

Here is a night photo from Independence of the Seas, taken by George Alcazar.

Rich Weiss took this photo of Harmony of the Seas in St. Thomas.  It is incredible how these ships look at night.

Jill Snyder took this photo from her Aquatheater Suite, onboard Harmony of the Seas.

Our final photo this week is by Paul O Connor, and it is of Serenade of the Seas docked in Olden fjord, Norway.

Thank you to everyone who shared their photos with us this week. If you would like to submit your favorite Royal Caribbean photos, you can use this form to send them in.

Royal Caribbean has released a new six-night Tasmania cruise onboard Explorer of the Seas for later this year.

Departing Sydney on Saturday, December 9, 2017, the six-night round-trip cruise includes two port days and three days at sea. The voyage calls to Hobart, Tasmania and Melbourne, Australia.

“Many of our new customers opt for shorter cruises of up to six nights for their first time at sea, and once they get a taste for the fun, convenience and value of ocean cruising with Royal - they’re hooked!” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia and NZ.

“This cruise offers guests the perfect way to explore our own beautiful backyard, while treating themselves to the huge range of dining, entertainment and activities onboard,” Armstrong concluded.

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

Episode 196 is available for downloading, in which we provide an overview of the specialty dining packages.

Royal Caribbean has a few different dining packages available that promise significant savings on its popular specialty restaurants. In this episode, we look at how these packages work and if you should get one for your next cruise.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 196. 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's WOW Sale begins today, with 30% off all guests and up to $200 to spend at sea, plus bonus savings on Oasis Class ships.

The WOW Sale applies to cruises booked between May 3-7, 2017 on all sailings departing on or after June 3, 2017. Offer excludes China departures.

The offer includes:

30% off all guests Maycation offer.

• Onboard credit per stateroom depending on the length of your cruise
  • $50 for 5 nights or less
  • $100 for 6-9 nights
  • $200 for 10-nights and longer
• 50% reduced deposit.

Oasis Class Bonus

If you choose to sail on an Oasis Class ship on sailings departing June 3, 2017 through September 30, 2017, you can qualify for additional savings.

Offer includes dollars off for bookings made on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas determined by stateroom category booked:

• $50 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview
• $150 off per stateroom for balcony
• $250 off per stateroom for suite

WOW Sale is combinable with Maycation 30%, standard/full fare rates and Next Cruise offers. WOW Sale is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, etc.), Crown & Anchor discounts, Shareholder Benefits or Loyal to Royal Sales. All 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, and Net Rates.

After the Offer Period, the Offer will be removed from the booking if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking or rebooks into a new booking on the same ship and sail date, applies a fare change, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking; certain other changes to the booking may also result in removal of the Offer.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada. 

Construction on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is progressing, and we have a new bundle of photos to share.

Our friends at Saint Nazaire, une ville à la mer posted these photos, which were taken this week.

© Hervé GLAIS

Symphony of the Seas will be the cruise line's fourth Oasis Class ship.  

Royal Caribbean announced today a number of new sailing options to the Caribbean from New Orleans, Galveston and Miami.

After a three-year hiatus, Royal Caribbean will return to offering cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana with Vision of the Seas in the winter of 2018-2019. Beginning on December 15, 2018, Vision of the Seas will offer 7-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula.  

Before making her way to New Orleans, Vision of the Seas will offer two 16-night sailings through the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles, California. This will be the first time in three years that Royal Caribbean has offered a cruise through the Panama Canal.

Lastly, Mariner of the Seas will call Miami, Florida home in 2018, following a transpacific cruise.  Mariner of the Seas will be the first Voyager Class ship to offer short Caribbean sailings. Before she offers cruises from her new home, Mariner of the Seas will undergo an extensive 32-day revitalization. Once back in service, Mariner of the Seas will offer 3- and 4-night itineraries from PortMiami, beginning on June 21, 2018.

Enchantment of the Seas will join Liberty of the Seas in Galveston, Texas, offering 4- and 5-night Caribbean cruises. She arrives in Galveston on June 23, 2018.  Guests currently booked on Enchantment for sailings departing Miami after June 23 will be contacted individually to transition the original booking to Mariner of the Seas.

Sailings onboard Mariner of the Seas will become available to book on May 1, 2017.  Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas sailings will be available to book as of May 5.