Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean unveiled its August cruise offer, where guests can get 50% off the second guest, discount on kids and a special offer code.

The August Offer is valid on sailings booked between August 1 – August 29, 2018 on sailings departing on or after September 1, 2018.

The offer includes:

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full-fare paying guest.
• 25% off cruise fare for third guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualified guests.
• Fall/Winter Sailings Promo Code Driven Promotion:
  • Up to $50 instant savings for any Empress, Enchantment, Majesty, Mariner, Liberty and Freedom of the Seas sailings determined by category booked:
  • $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View and $50 savings for Balcony and Suites for those guests’ sailing between September 1, 2018 and December 17, 2018. Must be added through promo code: SAVE.
• Free Upgrades Promo:
  • Includes free upgrades from ocean view to balcony when sailing on Anthem of the seas for all sailings departing on or after September 1, 2018.
  • Free upgrades refer to purchasing a Balcony at the price of an ocean view at standard/full fare.

BOGO and Deck the Holiday Deals are combinable with each other as well as with as Fall/Winter Sailings Promo Code Driven Promotion, NRBD OBC, promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. 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, Net Rates.

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

Royal Caribbean is now offering a new type of zipline experience at its private destination of Labadee.

The Furious Flyer Zipline has popped up as an excursion to reserve prior to a Royal Caribbean sailing that offers guests a tandem zip line course to experience. Royal Caribbean Blog reader melski94 spotted the new option.

The excursion is described as, "Take a thrilling leap into sky-high adventure as you race head-first on a tandem zip line course that shoots you along 2,800 feet of cables dangling above the forested mountains and tropical seascapes of Labadee. Atop a launch tower in the middle of the forest you’ll meet expert trainers who will deliver a safety briefing before gearing you up with a helmet and cable harness. Then feel the adrenaline rush of flying head-first, like a soaring superhero, through a tunnel of tall trees along a zip line that opens up over craggy cliffs plunging to the bright-blue ocean below. This unforgettable flight whizzes you over Labadee’s powdery sands, crystalline seas, and coral reefs — all before touching down safely on an elevated landing deck."

There is a minimum weight of 75 pounds, and a maximum weight of 275 pounds.  Guests must also be at least 48 inches tall.

Royal Caribbean announced today a change to its non-refundable deposit program, where beginning November 1, 2018, guests that book non-refundable deposit fares will no longer receive onboard credit for staterooms booked. Instead, the cruise line promises lower pricing on the cruise fare.

The decision to remove the onboard credit for non-refundable bookings has to do with onboard credit not being a factor in the booking process for many guests, "Over the past year, we regularly monitored booking analytics and conducted research which identified that the onboard credit was not influencing the consumer's buying decision. Based on these findings, the decision was made to sunset the onboard credit and to ensure that the non-refundable deposit program continues to offer the lowest pricing. This change will take effect for all new bookings made on-or-after November 1st, 2018."

Unless a change occurs to an existing reservation that forces a reprice to the booking, no impact will be seen to existing reservations. The amendments that lead to a reprice include, but are not limited to, amending the ship, sailing, or category of an existing reservation, as well as converting to a different fare or promotional offer. Should a reprice occur on-or after November 1st, 2018, the onboard credit will no longer apply.

Non-Refundable Deposit reservations made prior to November 1st, 2018 qualify to earn an onboard credit of up to $100 per stateroom.  Those who book non-refundable deposit fares on-or-after November 1st, 2018 will no longer qualify to earn an onboard credit of up to $100 per stateroom.

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

Episode 261 is available for downloading, where we share the story of a frequent Royal Caribbean cruiser who reached the highest level of Crown and Anchor Society recently.

What is it like to become a Pinnacle Club member in Crown and Anchor?  Many of us dream of reaching this goal, and on this week's podcast, we talk with Nick Vitani about his recent ascension to Pinnacle.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 261. 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 Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet shared photos of the construction progress being made on the cruise line's new cruise terminal in PortMiami.

Van Fleet joined Royal Caribbean's International Marine Ops Team and took some behind the scenes photos of what will become the new home for Symphony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.  

The new terminal, Terminal A, would house an angular glass center and a parking garage with about 1,000 parking spaces at the northeastern side of the port, designed by England-based global architecture firm Broadway Malyan. 

Here is a look at the exterior work being done, as taken by Royal Caribbean Blog reader Twangster.

The 170,000-square-foot terminal is nicknamed the ‘Crown of Miami’ because of its distinct shape. The design evokes the points of the symbolic headgear when viewed from the water; the ‘M’ of Miami when viewed from the east or western approaches; and a sense of waves rising or ships passing when viewed from the terminal side. 

Royal Caribbean Asia is calling out to budding designers to submit their vision of a cruise ship of the future in its first ever nationwide design competition, and stand a chance to win cruise holidays and cash prizes up to SGD $5,000

Open to tertiary students nationwide till September 28, Royal Caribbean’s ‘Brainwaves: Reimagining the Future of Cruising’ invites contestants to conceptualise and develop never before seen, innovative ideas for a cruise ship that would appeal to the next generation. Submissions need to showcase futuristic features covering the three key aspects of a cruise holiday – entertainment, activities and accommodation..

Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Angie Stephen said, “Cruising has transformed well beyond the basic pools, buffet restaurants and theatres. Skydiving at sea, robotic bartenders, virtual balconies and smart features are just a few of the latest innovations you can expect today from a Royal Caribbean cruise, and we believe nothing is impossible when it comes to the holiday of the future.”

“Which is why with Brainwaves, we are excited to see what the youths of today can come up with in terms of innovative and creative features, and showcase where their imagination can take them when it comes to the cruise holiday of tomorrow.  Our ship is their canvas.”

The inaugural competition has also appointed local architect and TV host, Khairudin Saharom, as Brainwaves’ ambassador and face of the competition. Mr Khairudin will also be part of the final judging panel to determine the winning design.

From all the submissions, five finalists will be selected to go forward in pitching their ideas before a judging panel consisting of Royal Caribbean’s senior management and Mr Khairudin on 15 October. The Grand Prize will feature an Asian cruise for two on Royal Caribbean’s upcoming new ship Spectrum of the Seas and a SGD$ 5,000 cash prize.

To find out more, visit www.brainwavessg.com for competition details.

Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on August 2, 2018 at 10am to discuss its second quarter 2018 financial results.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

It appears Royal Caribbean's drink packages now include milkshakes at Johnny Rockets as part of the package benefits.

Recently we heard reports that guests were being informed that their drink package benefits included milkshakes at Johnny Rockets, and now we see Royal Caribbean's website has been updated to indicate that milkshakes are indeed included.

Recent email shared on Liberty of the Seas Facebook Group

Dining at Johnny Rockets still comes with an additional surcharge, milkshakes have historically cost extra on top of the cover charge.  With this drink package policy change, guests with the Deluxe Beverage Package have the opportunity to enjoy milkshakes that are included with the cost of their beverage package.

Australian comedian Celeste Barber accepted a thrill-seeking challenge by Royal Caribbean to complete as many as possible onboard Royal experiences in one day. The clincher is, Celeste is on dry land.

Royal Caribbean Australia has partnered with the Instagram star to show how fun the activities are onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

“How could I resist this challenge? On a Royal Caribbean cruise you have so many great activities all in close proximity. I was totally up for the challenge of attempting to do all the awesome things you can do on a Royal Caribbean cruise but doing them all in one day on dry land. Bring it on!” said Celeste Barber.

Celeste attempts to replicate a variety of Royal Caribbean’s unique onboard activities including RipCord by iFLY, FlowRider, and a show-stopping stage show performance. The Bionic Bar, and Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver also feature in the series. Celeste puts her own comical twist on the activities, and takes her family along for the crazy challenge.

“I worked out pretty quickly that trying to do all these activities on land with my family was completely exhausting and was going to leave me broke so the idea of doing them all on a fancy cruise with a glass of wine nearby was far more appealing. Also, you had me at free kids club!” said Barber.

Thrilling activities, game-changing technology, unparalleled entertainment, and vibrant dining options come together to create the ultimate, contemporary cruising experience – only found on Royal Caribbean.

“My husband, kids and I all get excited by different things and activities on family holidays and on a Royal Caribbean cruise #hothusband can surf and skydive, my kids can run riot in the pools and games arcade while I can grab a cocktail from a robot mixologist (I know, what?!), and watch a live show. Then we can all meet up and eat all the carbs at our favourite Jamie’s Italian.  I can’t imagine any of us ever getting bored on a Royal Caribbean cruise!” said Barber.

“As demonstrated by Celeste, endless experiences await guests onboard our ships, allowing travellers to holiday like never before. We’ve got you covered in terms of diversity, abundance and value. And the best part – as I’m sure Celeste would attest to – everything is conveniently located right at your fingertips,” said Susan Bonner, VP and Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Australia & NZ.

It seems like it is heating up everywhere with summer upon on us, and we have the best reading material to enjoy while sitting by the air conditioning.

Royal Caribbean issued a new update on the status of San Juan, Puerto Rico following the hurricane damage of last year.

The cruise line reports that, "tremendous progress has been made with recovery efforts across the island," and that rebuilding tourism and consumer confidence is a top priority.

In addition, the cruise line answered some frequently asked questions about the island's recovery and how it pertains to cruise ship passengers.

Royal Caribbean News

• Top tips for taking a Royal Caribbean family cruise vacation.
• Our full review of Paradise Beach Cozumel.
• We shared a photo report of the progress being made on the new PortMiami cruise terminal.
• Voyager of the Seas made her maiden call at Manila, Philippines.
• Here is why you should ignore online reviews of cruise ships.
• Royal Caribbean won some big awards at the AFTA National Travel Industry Awards.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 260th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt talks about rebooking another cruise while onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

In this episode, Matt talks about how Royal Caribbean's NextCruise program works, and how to best take advantage of the program.

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

Eat Sleep Cruise shared why they are excited to cruise on Mariner of the Seas.

Forbes wrote about how Royal Caribbean is spending a lot of money to attract first time cruisers.

Porthole Magazine shared what a week onboard Harmony of the Seas was all about.

CNBC reported on how cruise lines are trying to win over millennials.

USA Today shared new cruise routes in its latest Cruise Route Roundup.

Cruise Fever shed some light on 9 former Royal Caribbean cruise ships and where they are now.

Travel Weekly hosted a Q&A with Royal Caribbean's Chief Meteorologist.