Royal Caribbean Blog

This week's podcast episode is ready to go, as we present episode 221 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast for your downloading pleasure.

This week, Matt and Michael talk about Royal Caribbean's recent Symphony of the Seas reveal, where many new restaurants, entertainment, and staterooms were announced.  The guys discuss their thoughts on the new additions coming, as well as what else they think may be coming next.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 221. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS 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 the cruise line will return to two major cruise ports largely impacted by hurricanes earlier this year.

Royal Caribbean will return to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, which will be a, "major milestone towards the revival of these Caribbean gems which were impacted by recent hurricanes."

On November 30, Freedom of the Seas will be the first ship in the fleet to call on San Juan, Puerto Rico

Grandeur of the Seas will follow suit on December 17 as the first cruise ship to sail into, St. Maarten since Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas arrived to provide humanitarian relief last month.

As of November. 30, all scheduled calls to San Juan and St. Thomas across 10 ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet will operate as planned

This announcement comes on the heels of Royal Caribbean’s recent news that Adventure of the Seas will be the first ship to call on St. Thomas on November 10.  

"Royal Caribbean is encouraged by the commendable progress that has been made by the governments of Puerto Rico and St. Maarten towards the recovery of these destinations and it means a lot to us that we are heading back home. We have been part of the Caribbean community for almost 50 years, and for all of us it has been paramount that we focus on supporting our long-standing partners – who feel more like family after so many years," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "Supporting these destinations that are so reliant on tourism is key to the future of the islands and the best thing we – as travelers and businesses – can do for the islands."

Royal Caribbean has been working closely with the governments of Puerto Rico and St. Maarten, and local businesses, and plans to offer destination experiences that will allow guests to enjoy the natural beauty, historic landmarks and culture of these idyllic islands. Power and transportation is on track to be readily available in San Juan by November 30.

Similarly, the return of power and water to most of St. Maarten means that a majority of the shops, restaurants and bars, and tour operators around Philipsburg will be fully operational for guests to experience a diverse and extensive array of dining, shopping and activities in the area. The sun and vistas of the region’s best beaches, Great Bay Beach and Kimshaw Beach, will be a beacon for guests wanting to dive into the turquoise blue waters and admire the sea life, whether by boat or catamaran, or from the relaxing comfort of a beach lounger.

The scheduled visits to St. Maarten will operate as planned starting on Dec. 17 with the exception of Oasis of the Seas, which will make its first call to the island on January 1 during her New Year’s Eve cruise. Additionally, the global cruise line will return to St. Croix on January 8 with the arrival of Jewel of the Seas, which will sail from San Juan. All calls to Dominica are cancelled through June 2018 and the cruise line is working closely with the local government on a return date to the destination.

Perhaps no Royal Caribbean add-on purchase has become as popular as the Deluxe Beverage Package has.

In just a few short years, many guests have become drink package fans and it seems like more and more guests are purchasing them every cruise.

Whether you count yourself as one of the many that enjoy indulging in the unlimited alcohol package time and time again, or perhaps you are, "on the fence" about purchasing one, here are eight good reasons the unlimited alcohol package is, well, awesome!

8. Refillable mug is included

A nice little extra with Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is each person that buys a Deluxe Beverage package receives a souvenir Coca-Cola refillable mug.

This mug works with the self-serve Coca-Cola machines, and can also be given to a waiter or bartender to be filled.  This means plenty of soft drinks wherever you are on the ship.

As an added bonus, you get to take it home with you after the cruise!

7. They work at Labadee and CocoCay

All of Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol packages can be used the cruise line's private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee.

Your drink package at these two spots can be used just like onboard the ship.  Present your SeaPass card to any crew member working on the island and they will fulfill your order.

The only caveat to keep in mind is many of the roving bar servers offering a Labadoozie or Coco Loco have souvenir cups with them, so you may have to walk to the bar to get your drinks with the package.

6. You will (likely) visit more bars

Royal Caribbean ships have many bars onboard, and in addition to different ambiance and decor, many bars have their own special drink menus.

If you have a drink package, a fun activity is to try out new bars and see what makes that bar or lounge special or different.  You may find Boleros serves up the best mojitos onboard, or see how good of a drink the Bionic Bar robots can create.

Bar hopping with the unlimited alcohol package is as fun as the drinking itself.

5. Perfect for use in specialty restaurants

When you think of the unlimited alcohol package, most guests instantly envision drinks by the pool or at their favorite bar but a place where the unlimited alcohol packages truly shine are at the specialty restaurants.

Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants often offer a special menu of cocktails and beverages unique to those restaurants, that are not advertised anywhere else onboard.

Furthermore, the drinks at the specialty restaurants are rarely, if ever, discounted, so guests paying cash for these drinks will have to pay the full price.

With the unlimited alcohol package, guests can sample as many of these specialty cocktails as they like, because most are included in the Deluxe Beverage Package.

4. Less vacation stress

If you ask someone who got back from a Royal Caribbean cruise what they thought of the unlimited alcohol package, inevitably you will hear about how simple it was to order drinks and not worry about receipts.

When you take away all those bar tabs paying a la carte, the SeaPass account quickly gets shorter and easier to read.

In addition, gratuity is included with the unlimited alcohol packages (in North America), so there is no more figuring out how much to tip the bartender or waiter. 

The entire drink ordering process seems to fly by, without feeling you are doing a high school math problem at the end of your cruise.

3. One fixed cost for all drinks

One of the chief benefits of the Deluxe Beverage Package is there is one fixed cost for all your drinking onboard.

Instead of worrying about if you really should order one more mojito, the cost is already set, so it is all about what you want, when you want it.

Guests that pre-purchase the unlimited alcohol packages can not only get a fixed cost for their drinks onboard, but can also break apart the total cost of the cruise.

2. Trying new drinks

Since the cost of all your drinks is set with the unlimited alcohol packages, you can sample new drinks without fear of wasting your money.

Royal Caribbean ships offer a lot of drinks to choose from and sometimes you might be tempted to try a drink but worry you might not like it and feel obliged to finish it because you paid for it.

With the drink packages, there is no buyer remorse over drinks you do not like.  Place it to the side and order another! The cost is the same to you.

1. Money saver

By far, the best reason Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is awesome is because it can save you money.

If you do your part to consume enough drinks each day of your cruise, you should be able to come out ahead with the amount of drinks you ordered versus how much those drinks would have cost you if you paid cash.

While the previous seven reasons are all perfectly good rationale for ordering an unlimited alcohol package, the basic point of the package is to ensure you are drinking enough to break even, if not come out ahead.

With the packages, guests can enjoy as many drinks as they like and (hopefully) come home with more money left in their pocket than if they had bought those drinks a la carte.

Do you think Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is awesome? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean came away from the 2017 Travel Weekly Asia awards with two big wins.  It was named Best Cruise Line – Asia Pacific and Best Cruise Line - Family at a ceremony in Singapore last evening.

The awards recognize travel companies and individuals for their outstanding achievements and pay tribute to the top travel organizations for their commitment, contributions and accomplishments. The winners were determined by voting by the travel trade and public on 46 categories representing the different segments of the travel industry which include cruise, airline, resort, hotel, destination, travel technology and travel agent.

Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. who accepted the awards said, “These two prestigious awards represent a very significant moment of our 10th year in Asia, and the strong support of our travel partners and customers since Day One. We look forward to offering even more exciting and memorable holiday experiences with our innovative ships and excellent service in the next decade, while making cruising – and Royal Caribbean International – a top vacation choice in Asia.”

I think we have all said we wish our cruise vacation was longer, or we could stay on board another week. But can you imagine staying on board for over two decades?

That’s exactly what Super Mario does. He’s Royal Caribbean’s top cruiser, with the most nights sailed on board. I was lucky enough to sail with Super Mario during my recent Enchantment of the Seas cruise. At the time of interviewing him on October 15, 2017 he has 7,003 Crown and Anchor points.

Twenty years ago, he decided he wanted to take a cruise and fell in love with them. Before he found Royal Caribbean he spent three years exploring different cruise lines. In fact, he’s done over 150 sailings with other cruise lines before he found Royal Caribbean. He sailed with all the major cruise lines, searching for the right one he could call home.

It wasn’t until November 21, 1999 he tried his first Royal Caribbean cruise, on Voyager of the Seas. Mario described the moment he first saw her sail into Miami, Florida and how massive the ship was.

He knew right away he had to get on board that ship. Voyager of the Seas was the first ship that debuted the Royal Promenade deck. Mario said he was blown away with this ship and all she had to offer. After that sailing Super Mario never looked back, he’s been on board Royal Caribbean ships for the last 18 years straight.

While talking to Mario I tried to get him to tell me his favorite ship, but he doesn’t have one. He likes the longer sailings and always books the transatlantic and Panama Canal sailings.

So you must be thinking, well why is he on Enchantment of the Seas doing three and four night sailings. Mario has a home (he calls it his hotel) in Miami, Florida. So sailing out of Miami lets him travel home for a few hours on turn-around day. He likes to get off the ship at 7:30am, get McDonald’s for breakfast, and relax in his home.

Around 2pm he gets back to the ship to sail out again.

I asked Mario if he ever plans to stop cruising and he said no, “I’ll die on a cruise ship.”

Cruising is his passion and a way of life. It’s almost hard to believe but he works full-time at sea running a company. So during the day he’s in his “office” on the pool deck working. Royal Caribbean has made him a sign that hangs over his favorite table poolside that reads: Super Mario’s Office.

We talked about the many port of calls he’s traveled to over the years. One that stands out was traveling to China. He said, that was the one cruise that he didn’t talk to anyone because none of the passengers spoke English. Though his favorite port of call is in the Caribbean - Cozumel, Mexico.

Finally, we talked about his upcoming cruise schedule, which he books years in advance. He’s on board Enchantment for one more sailing, then a night in his “hotel” before he travels to Spain to jump on the Freedom of the Seas.

The Freedom will make her way from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale. He sure does love those transatlantic sailings; next year he’s going to bring over Symphony of the Seas to Miami, Florida.

After his Symphony cruise, he’s booked Independence of the Seas for 6 months straight!

It was such an honor to sit down with Super Mario and talk about his history at sea. I hope to cruise with him again soon, because he’s such an enjoyable person to talk to.

Have you ever sailed with Super Mario? If so, comment below when and which ship.

On the last morning of your Royal Caribbean cruise, Royal Caribbean provides an option for guests who wish to carry their own luggage off the ship that is referred to as self assist, express departure, or self disembarkation.  Regardless of what it is called, this option provides guests with a way to depart the cruise ship at their leisure.

Here is an overview of how to carry your own luggage off a Royal Caribbean ship, if you so choose.

How self disembarkation works

Guests who elect to carry their own luggage off the ship will be required to take their luggage from their stateroom, and take it all the way off the ship and through customs.

Unlike guests who have luggage transported for them from their stateroom, guests who carry off their own luggage can leave as soon as the ship is cleared by local customs.  

Guests may indicate they wish to use Express Departure by registering with Guest Relations.  In our experience, registering with Guest Relations is a suggestion, rather than a requirement.

Once you commit to carrying your own luggage off the ship, and the time window to leave your luggage outside your stateroom door for it to be delivered for you, you must stick with taking your own luggage off the ship.

Most often, the Express Departure option is preferred by guests who want to depart as early as possible due to travel plans, work requirements, or other needs.  However, if you opt to carry your own luggage off the ship, you may depart at any time.  On disembarkation day, an announcement will be made once the gangway is opened and cleared by local authorities, and at that time, guests carrying their own luggage may depart the ship.

Why carry off your own luggage

The primary reason most guests opt to carry off their own luggage is to allow them to stay on their own schedule and be among the first to depart the ship.

Some guests want to leave the ship early, and the first bags cleared by officials for pick up may not be available for an hour or more following the gangway being opened. Express Departure allows for the speediest exit from the trip and for those that want or need to get going early, this is the best solution.

Other guests simply prefer to be among the first off the ship to avoid any delays in customs, or onboard the ship.  Some ports have a reputation for having longer disembarkation lines, so being among the first means a seamless exit.

What to know before carrying your own luggage off the ship

• You need to be comfortable with taking all of your luggage off the ship without any assistance. You must be physically fit as there will be no assistance or porters.
• The exact time you can exit the ship will depend on when the ship is cleared by local authorities. There can be unpredictable delays in that process, so there are never any guarantees when guests may exit the ship.
• Often guests who want to take part in Express Departure will be directed to a specific location on the ship.  A list of locations and times will be delivered to each stateroom the night before disembarkation.
• Guests opting for self-disembarkation do not have to leave the ship immediately.  They may remain onboard for as long as they wish, up until the required time for all guests to leave the ship.
• There are usually notices in the Cruise Compass a few days into the cruise for guests who want to carry their own luggage off the ship.  The notice informs guests of the option, and to register with Guest Services.

Have you carried your own luggage off a Royal Caribbean cruise before? Do you have questions about using this in the future? Share your experiences and concerns in the comments!

The fall temperatures may be dropping, but the Royal Caribbean news from this week is as hot as ever, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round up!

Sit back, and catch-up on all of the Royal Caribbean news and happenings form this week.

Royal Caribbean announced it will resume calls to three Caribbean islands devastated by recent hurricanes, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten.

By December 1, all scheduled calls to the three islands will operate as planned.

In partnership with the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Royal Caribbean also has committed to undertaking the complete restoration of Magens Bay, one of St. Thomas’ most popular tourist attractions.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean added three new Symphony of the Seas sailings for guests to book.
• All scheduled stops to Turkey have been cancelled for 2018.
• Royal Caribbean released new Symphony of the Seas construction photos this week.
• What first time cruisers should know if it the forecast calls for rain every day.
• Our advice on how to convince someone to take a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Royal Caribbean packed so many great things to do on Harmony of the Seas, so this week we are picking our top favorites.

In this week's Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast, Matt and Billy share their list of the top five favorite things from a recent Harmony of the Seas sailing.

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 has a guide to the cabanas on CocoCay.

TradeWinds shares details on Royal Caribbean financing $5.9bn for new ships.

Cruise Radio shares the truth about cruise itinerary changes.

AdWeek highlights the original short films Royal Caribbean has produced.

Cruise Critic compares Celebrity Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean International.

Every Friday, we show off the Royal Caribbean photos that our readers have sent us in a special blog post.  Each week, we invite our readers to send us their favorite Royal Caribbean photos and we post them right here.

Without further adieu, let's jump right into this week's batch of photos!

We begin this edition of Friday Photos with a photo of Bob & Trish Kaelblein enjoying cocktails on Oasis of the Seas.

Anoop sent us this photo of Anthem of the Seas in Labadee.  It is also a great action example of tourists in their natural habitat.

David sent us this photo of a fantastic Caribbean sunset, taken on Allure of the Seas.

Speaking of sunset, Phillip Webster took this photo of Havana, Cuba, as Empress of the Seas was departing.

Austin Harris took this photo of Harmony of the Seas while relaxing on a raft in Labadee.  Beautiful!

Mr. New Jersey, John Bamber, took this photo of Anthem of the Seas docked in Cape Liberty.

We round out this week's edition of Friday Photos with a photo by Wendy Spears of Anthem of the Seas docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as seen from her plane.  The USS Eisenhower was also in port that day.

Would you like to submit your Royal Caribbean photos for a future Friday Photos post? Use this form to send them to us and we will feature them very soon!

Royal Caribbean is offering up to 30% off select Cruise Planner purchases this weekend, with its Sip, Tour, & Save sale.

The weekend Cruise Planner sale promises savings on certain shore excursions and drink package purchases.  Guests can check which discounts, if any, are available for their upcoming sailing by visiting the Cruise Planner site.

Based on the countdown timer, the sale will expire at midnight on Sunday night.

Royal Caribbean announced is cancelling all calls to Turkey for the 2018 cruise season in Europe.

Royal Caribbean made the decision, "due to the current unpredictability of Turkey, and taking our guests’ and crew members’ safety and wellbeing into account."  As a result, Royal Caribbean has decided to replace calls in Ephesus (Kusadasi) with alternate ports-of-call for the 2018 Europe season.

Instead, Jewel of the Seas will now call on Rhodes, Greece. Vision of the Seas will now call on Rhodes, Greece or Mykonos, Greece.

Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean shore excursions in Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey will be refunded to the original form of payment by the end of next week.

Royal Caribbean cancelled all its stops in Turkey in 2017 as well for similar reasoning.