Royal Caribbean Blog

Happy Friday! We are celebrating the start of the weekend with our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos.

First up is a photo by Bob (aka Sailor_to_Cruiser) of Empress of the Seas next to Oasis of the Seas in Cozumel.

If you enjoyed the previous photo, here's the exact same set up but from a different vantage point! Matt Banville shared this photo of Empress and Oasis in Cozumel.

Next up is a photo of Labadee, as seen from deck 11 on Freedom of the Seas by Melissa.

Kinny Lee took this photo of a full moon while sailing on Allure of the Seas.

Next up is a shot of the Loft Suite on Allure of the Seas. Photo by twangster.

Gina took this photo of Vision of the Seas in Cozumel.

We wrap up with this beautiful photo of Grandeur of the Seas off the coast of CocoCay by Michael Kho.

Thank you to everyone for sharing photos.  You can submit your own questions by using this handy dandy form.

Royal Caribbean's President's Day Weekend Sale is offering guests up to $200 instant savings on cruises booked, in addition to 60% off second guest and kids sail free offers.

The President's Day Weekend Sale is valid on sailings booked between February 14 - 18, 2019 on sailings departing on or after March 14, 2019.

It includes:

• 60% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full-fare paying guest, and 30% off cruise fare for third guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualified guest.
• Up to $100 onboard credit per stateroom determined by category booked and sailing length:
  • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $25 for Balconies and $50 for Suites
  • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $100 for Suites
• Presidents’ Day Weekend Sale offers up to $200 instant savings per stateroom determined by category booked and sailing length:
  • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
  • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites
• Kids Sail Free
  • Provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger on select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Cuba, Europe and Hawaii sailings departing between March 1 – December 15, 2019.
  • Offer excludes Spring Break sailings (Sailings between March 16 – 30, 2019), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Sailings between April 13 – 22, 2019) Summer sailings (Sailings between May 15 – August 31, 2019) and 2019 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 23 – 30, 2019).

Offer open to residents of US, Canada, Puerto Rico and select countries in the Caribbean.

It looks like Royal Caribbean is exploring the possibility of developing a cruise port in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Photo by DandA

Tribune Business quoted Bahamas Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar, who indicated Royal Caribbean in partnership with Mexican port developer, ITM Group, is looking to acquire the Grand Lucayan and develop a proposed water-based, adventure-type theme park at both the resort and Freeport Harbour.

It looks like ITM Group and Royal Caribbean are looking to develop a new port in Freeport that can handle four new cruise ship berths in Freeport Harbour, which would double the port's current capacity.  The proposal has generated some concerns that the new port would come at the expense of cruise ship visits to Nassau.

D’Aguilar dismissed these concerns by stating, “Nassau will always stand on its own.”

Tribune Business quoted D’Aguilar, “I disagree with the view that, because Royal Caribbean and Carnival are building ports in Freeport, that will have a negative impact on Nassau. There are 90 ships in construction, and demand is growing significantly for cruise vacations."

Royal Caribbean announced today it has canceled the first sailing of Navigator of the Seas following a multi-million dollar upgrade, due to construction delays.

In a statement to RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, Royal Caribbean confirmed it has canceled the Sunday, February 24 sailing of Navigator of the Seas, which would have been the first sailing back for the ship. Royal Caribbean said the reason for the cancellation was due to, "poor weather conditions have affected the progress of the ship’s outer decks."

"Although it is important to complete the ship on time, it is most important to ensure that we deliver 100 percent on our promise to provide the memorable experiences our guests enjoy with Royal Caribbean."

"Any decision that disrupts our guests’ vacations is a difficult one to make, and we realize this is disappointing news. We are providing our guests with compensation for their cruise fare, prepaid onboard amenities and airline cancellation fees. "

Guests with reservations on the February 24 sailing will receive future cruise credit as well.

The new plan is for Navigator of the Seas to return to service on the previously scheduled 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise departing from Miami, FL on Friday, March 1.

Navigator of the Seas is currently receiving its major modernization in Freeport, The Bahamas, which will add new water slides, dining options and revamp its pool deck.

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas offers guests quite a bit to see and do onboard, and the ship itself is a marvel, when you consider just how large it is and how much work and coordination is required to make it run flawlessly. Here are some fun facts about Symphony of the Seas that put into perspective the sheer scale of everything on this ship.

Fast Facts

• At 1,188 feet long, Symphony is twice as high as the Washington Monument
• Weighs 228,081 gross registered tons (GRT), which is more than 17,000 African elephants
• Symphony is made up of 500,000 individual parts
• 5,518 guests (double occupancy) and 2,200 crew representing more than 70 different nationalities
• 18 total decks (16 guest decks)
• 2,759 staterooms, including 188 suites and 28 more balconies than the next largest ship in the fleet (Harmony of the Seas)
• Approximately 5,200 restaurant seats across 23 dining venues
• 7 distinct neighborhoods: Boardwalk, Central Park, Entertainment Place, Pool and Sports Zone, Youth Zone, Royal Promenade, Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
• Symphony’s Central Park has more than 20,700 lush tropical plants
• 25 pools, whirlpools, FlowRider surf simulators and waterslides are on board

Food

• 12 specialty restaurants with more than 350 different dishes served daily, including more than 40 created specifically with kids in mind
• More than 200 candies at Sugar Beach sweets and ice cream shop on the reimagined Boardwalk
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade lets guests cheer on their home team at sea across any one of 31 big-screen TVs and play out their competitive spirit at the arcade
• The Bionic Bar can serve up to 1,000 drinks per day with 21 mixers and 30 spirits from 2 robot bartenders
• 42 bars and lounges where bartenders can mix and mingle 124 specialty cocktails, including 195 spirits
• There are more than 120 different kinds of fruit and vegetables served weekly
• On a typical 7-night cruise, an average of 32,000 lbs. of tortillas 15,000 lbs. of beef, 9,700 lbs. of chicken, 5,000 dozen fresh eggs, 100 gallons of ice cream, 2,100 lbs. of lobster tail and 2,500 lbs. of fresh salmon are used on board
• 1,500 lbs. of coffee are made weekly – that’s 6 million coffee beans
• There are 1,085 culinary staff of 51 different nationalities

Activities & Things To Do

• The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, is a duo of racing slides where adventure-seekers spiral down a 92-foot drop in about 13 seconds
• The slide is 10 stories high, towering 150 feet above sea level (45.7 meters)
• About 300 LED lights shine overhead in the slide, adding to the thrill factor
• The zipline crosses the open-air Boardwalk neighborhood at nine decks high
• 2 signature rock-climbing walls flank the AquaTheater, standing at 43 feet tall (13.1 meters)

Art

• The signature, high-tech Royal Theater seats more than 1,400 guests
• New, original production “Flight: Dare to Dream” includes an impressive replica of the historic Wright Brothers plane with a 22-foot wingspan and the first replica of the International Space Station used on stage
• The AquaTheater has a secret level, deck 4.5, where performers and divers access the depths of the theater; those same high-diving acrobats use two 10-meter, Olympic-height diving boards
• More than 13,347 pieces of artwork on board, including Paradox Void, a 3-ton steel sculpture with 2,100 mirrors and 200 LED lights that interact with its surroundings, and Big Wonder, a color-changing art installation that spans 2,594 square feet in the adults-only Solarium

Ultimate Family Suite

• 1 Ultimate Family Suite (room 1733) spanning two decks at 1,346 square feet
• The suite accommodates up to eight guests across two bedrooms and living room
• A Royal Genie, the ultimate insider to surprise and delight guests during their cruise vacation
• An in-suite slide, where even the biggest of kids can slide from the top floor
• Private cinema room with a 85-inch 4K Ultra HD TV with movie streaming, a popcorn machine and the latest gaming consoles – Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, PS4 Pro
• Complete with air hockey table, a building block wall, table tennis on the balcony, and Luckey Climber kid’s vertical maze

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas made its maiden call to Port of Newcastle on Sunday, February 10.

Explorer of the Seas is the third largest cruise ship based in Australia. It’s estimated the megaliner’s visit injected more than $600,000 in a single day into the Newcastle, Hunter and Port Stephens regional economies in passenger spend alone.

Royal Caribbean’s managing director Susan Bonner said that Explorer of the Seas’ call is one of four to the Port of Newcastle for the 2018/19 cruise season by Royal Caribbean International and sister brands.

“Newcastle’s vibrant city centre coupled with easy access to world class beaches, coastal countryside and rolling vineyards makes it an incredibly popular port of call amongst both our Australian and international guests. We receive consistently positive feedback from our guests about their time in Newcastle, particularly for friendliness of locals,” said Ms Bonner.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Explorer of the Seas to Newcastle twice this season, returning on Saturday 16 February. Our sister company Celebrity Cruises has called at Newcastle twice already this summer, and looking ahead to next season, we can’t wait to bring our guests here on four occasions”.

Happy weekend! We hope you are having a wonderful weekend, now it’s time to kick back, relax, and catch up on another week of Royal Caribbean news!

The big news this week came from Royal Caribbean UK in their search for someone to get paid the equivalent of a six-figure salary to travel the world as a ‘global experience hunter’.

Royal Caribbean International opened applications for its first ever Shore Explorer ‘Apprentice-Ship’.  Candidates can apply via Instagram for the opportunity to seek out and test extraordinary shore experiences around the world.

Their only daily task will be capturing their experiences on Instagram, Insta-Stories and IGTV.  Hopeful applicants must be 21 years or over, hold a valid passport and be able to travel this year and be a resident of the United Kingdom or Ireland.

Royal Caribbean News

• We shared a sneak peek at the progress Royal Caribbean is making at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• We shared a video of how not to get seasick on a cruise.
• Here are 10 ways to save money on your 2019 Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Harmony of the Seas appears to have the chat feature added to the app.
• We posted a review of the Kayak Adventure shore excursion in CocoCay.
• There's still time to take advantage of Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner sale.
• Royal Caribbean made the list of most loved brands.
• Some new port and dock updates from this week.
• Royal Caribbean shared a look at HiRo on Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 288th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt shares the best reasons to cruise on a "smaller" Royal Caribbean ship.

This week's episode is all about the cool thing that you can only do on a smaller Royal Caribbean ship.

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 answered the important question of how much a beer costs on every cruise line.

Reader's Digest listed 12 cruise misconceptions that need to end.

CruiseHive shared 20 ways to experience Havana, Cuba on a cruise.

Quartz wrote about how Royal Caribbean is betting big on Chinese cruisers (and not just in China)

CIO Dive reported on Royal Caribbean's costly digital transformation effort.

Cruise Miss listed her top four things to do on a Caribbean cruise.

We have the first official images from Royal Caribbean of what the final Perfect Day at CocoCay experience will look like, as the cruise line makes progress towards launching the revamped private island experience.

First up is a view of the bridge over Oasis Lagoon with landscaping already added. Royal Caribbean promises Oasis Lagoon will be the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool.

Photo credit Royal Caribbean International.

In addition, the first water slides being installed on Splash Summit. Splash Summit is part of the Thrill Waterpark area, and will include six multi-rider slides, including The Twister, a winding tube slide for two sharing a raft; The Slingshot, a zero-gravity slide for four; and the four-lane Splash Speedway racing slides.

Photo credit Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean expects to open the first phase of Perfect Day at CocoCay in May 2019. Perfect Day at CocoCay is the first in Royal Caribbean's recently announced private island collection. With a $200 million makeover, Perfect Day at CocoCay will feature Thrill Waterpark, Oasis Lagoon, Up, Up and Away helium balloon, Chill Island beach, and the action-packed South Beach with sports, paddle-boarding, glass-bottom kayaking and more.

Love Royal Caribbean cruises and the start of the weekend? Then you will love Friday Photos, where we celebrate the start of the weekend with some great Royal Caribbean photos that our readers have shared with us. Sit back, relax, and let's enjoy this week's batch of Royal Caribbean photos!

We begin with a photo of a sunny day in Labadee, by Kinny Lee.

Twangster shared this photo of Oasis of the Seas departing Port Everglades after a delayed departure time due to Hurricane Matthew aftermath.

Next up is a photo by Ariella of a sunset from onboard Enchantment of the Seas.

Here is a photo of the CocoCay sign, as seen when arriving via tender.  Photo by Anoop.

Here is a shot of Anthem of the Seas by Lauren Ogonowski.

Kathy Singer stopped by the her favorite spot on Independence of the Seas while on the way to see Grease. 

We wrap up with a photo of pre-Amplified Mariner of the Seas docked in Langkawi, Malaysia. Photo by Ethan Wang.

Thank you to everyone for these wonderful cruise photos.  If you would like to share your Royal Caribbean photos with us, use this form to send them in.  Have a great weekend!

We ran across a few quick updates on port news that have some impact on Royal Caribbean in the future.

St. Croix wants to handle Quantum Class ships

Caribbean Journal reports the US Virgin Islands Port Authority is exploring an opportunity to increase cruise passenger visits to the island of St Croix so that it could handle a Quantum Class ship.

According to the Port Authority, the plan would be to modify the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted to accommodate Quantum Class cruise ships.

The largest ships that currently berth in St Croix have a max capacity of up to 2,501 passengers.

Victoria port expansion impacted by lost steel

CTV Vancouver is reporting a multi-million dollar dolphin extension destined to upgrade Victoria's cruise ship terminal has been lost at sea.

The piles were meant to extend Pier B at Ogden Point by 55 metres and allow it to serve bigger cruise ships like the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas, which has committed to stopping in Victoria beginning this May.

The B.C. Pilots Association and Royal Caribbean International carried out tests at Pier A on Friday and it has been decided that for this summer, the Ovation of the Seas will stop at Pier A.

The replacement steel is expected to arrive in late summer from China. The extension is slated to be completed in time for the 2020 cruise season.