Royal Caribbean Blog

Happy Sunday! We hope you’re having a wonderful weekend and are ready to catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from this week!

Royal Caribbean announced this week a list of changes coming to Independence of the Seas in an upcoming refurbishment.

Independence of the Seas is scheduled for a refurbishment in April 2018, at which point she will receive several new features including a trampoline park, water slides and more.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will offer cruises to Cuba on Majesty of the Seas.
• DNCE will perform on Oasis of the Seas Total Eclipse cruise.
• Our full review of the Royal Caribbean ultimate dining package.
• Royal Caribbean will use Virtual Reality in its marketing in Asia.
• We posted a photo tour of a Central Park balcony stateroom on Harmony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean selected WeatherOps software for fleetwide decision support.
• Royal Caribbean Asia celebrated its 10 year anniversary this week.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 206th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we are answering your Royal Caribbean emails

In this episode, Matt reviews his recent sailing on Harmony of the Seas and shares the different experiences onboard and onshore that he tried.

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 Fever has a look at how Oasis of the Seas changed cruising forever.

Cruise Habit has a look at how cruise ship design impacts guest expectations.

Royal Caribbean is celebrating 25 years of saving the ocean.

Blog reader Jason Percival took a stateroom tour of his Royal Family Suite on Anthem of the Seas.

MarineLink shares how Royal Caribbean will install NavBox across the entire fleet.

Travel Pulse lists some major headaches your travel agent can remedy.

PR News shares how Royal Caribbean's Communications Team handles a real-time crisis on social media.

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has a lot to offer, including a number of staterooms.  Today, we will look at the category 2J Central Park View Balcony Stateroom, which will take you through the cabin to provide an idea of what to expect if you book this category stateroom.

On Harmony of the Seas, we reviewed stateroom 12629, which is located on Deck 12 nearly in the middle of the deck.  The room was very convenient since it was roughly equidistant to both elevator banks.

Entry to the room is by RFID scanner, which is above the door handle.

Like all staterooms on Harmony of the Seas, the light controls require a SeaPass card to be inserted into a slot near the entrance.

The decorations you see hanging from the ceiling and around the room are not a standard amenity to staterooms on Harmony of the Seas. They are an optional decoration package that you can purchase to celebrate a special event.

The bed is joined together but can be split apart if need be. There's a large, flat screen television across from it and two night stands on opposite sides of the bed. Access to the balcony is also on the other side of the bed.

The room also has a rather large sofa to sit on during the day.

The best feature of this stateroom is the extra large balcony, which provides a private space to enjoy the view of Central Park.  This balcony is roughly double that of a standard Central Park balcony room, but does not cost any more than any other Central Park room.  It is a bit of a secret among Royal Caribbean fans, and something we have shared on the blog before.

A 2J stateroom features a full bathroom, including a stand up shower.

When the calendar says it is Friday, that means we are sharing our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos.  Sit back, and enjoy this week's batch of Royal Caribbean photo goodness!

Our first photo this week is from Dan, and it is of Empress of the Seas in Havana, Cuba. Dan took this photo from El Morro fort.

Randy Wilson took this photo in San Juan while sailing on Freedom of the Seas.

This photo is from Independence of the Seas, taken by Elaine Scotti.

Here is another photo from San Juan, this one of Anthem of the Seas taken by Jason Nolan.

Here is a shot of Adventure of the Seas taken by Mark Harrison while docked in St. Maarten.

Laura took this photo of Tim on Serenade of the Seas.  The resemblence is uncanny!

Our final photo this week is by Jeff L.  It is a photo of the Royal Promenade on Navigator of the Seas on embarkation day.

That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos.  If you would like to share your own Royal Caribbean photos with us, send them in via this form.  Have a great weekend!

Royal Caribbean's new offer this weekend allows guests to get 50% off the second guest, plus a bonus of up to $250 instant savings and up to $100 onboard spending money.

To qualify for this deal, the cruise must be booked between 7/14/17-7/17/17 on sailings on or after 8/14/17. Offer excludes China departures.

The Summer Seeker Sale includes

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest and 25% cruise fare savings for 3rd and 4th guests booked in the same stateroom as first two qualifying guests.
• Deck the Holidays Deals offer provides savings for guests who book a holiday sailing.
  • Sailings departing from 12/19/17 through 12/31/17 and 12/18/18 through 12/31/18.
  • Instant savings determined by category booked and sailing length
    • $25 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 5 nights or less
    • $50 off per stateroom for balconies and suites on sailings 5 nights and less
    • $50 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 6 nights and longer
    • $75 off per stateroom for balconies on sailings 6 nights or longer
    • $100 off per stateroom for suites on sailings 6 nights or longer
• Additional savings determined by category booked and sailing length
  • $25 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 5 nights or less
  • $50 off per stateroom for balconies and suites on sailings 5 nights and less
  • $50 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 6 nights and longer
  • $100 off per stateroom for balconies on sailings 6 nights or longer
  • $150 off per stateroom for suites on sailings 6 nights or longer.
• Non-refundable deposit bookings that are booked six months or more prior to the cruise departure date are eligible to receive a per stateroom onboard credit in the following amount
  • Sailings 5-nights and less
    • $25 OBC for interior and oceanview,
    • $50 OBC for balcony and suite
  • Sailings of 6-nights and longer
    • $50 OBC for interior and oceanview
    • $100 OBC for balcony and suite

 Offer open to residents of U.S. or Canada. 

Refer to royalcaribbean.com for complete terms and conditions.

Royal Caribbean has added a second cruise ship that will call on Cuba, Majesty of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Majesty of the Seas will depart Port Canaveral on March 25, 2019 for a 4-night cruise that will visit Havana, Cuba.  Thus far, this is the only sailing to Cuba on Majesty of the Seas available for booking on Royal Caribbean's website.

Until now, Empress of the Seas has been the only Royal Caribbean ship to offer cruises to Cuba, having begun service in April 2017.

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley had indicated the cruise line had plans to send Majesty of the Seas to Cuba in an interview earlier this year.

Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT) announced that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) has selected WDT’s WeatherOps risk mitigation system to implement on all of the ships in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, as well as in the emergency operations centers in Miami as of November 2017.

WDT’s WeatherOps platform was chosen to support RCL’s global cruise line operations after real-world validation and the approval of each captain in each division. RCL’s shore side team in Miami will also utilize WeatherOps to support captains across the fleet and ensure that logistics and weather safety across all aspects of the company’s operation are handled with respect to any weather hazards or delays.

"We are extremely excited to be using WDT’s innovative technology to ensure that our ships and Captains can plan the safest route possible for our guests and crew members," said James Van Fleet, Chief Meteorologist, Royal Caribbean International. "Our goal is always to make sure our guests have the best vacation possible, and this technology helps us do that."

Royal Caribbean announced a list of changes coming to Independence of the Seas that will be added in an upcoming refurbishment.

Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society confirmed the list of changes that will occur in April 2018. During the revitalization the ship will receive several new features including

• a trampoline park
• water slides
• escape rooms
• laser tag

These ideas were proposed by travel agents in the UK and Ireland as part of a contest held with Travel Weekly UK. 

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

Episode 206 is available for downloading where Matt shares his thoughts on his recent cruise aboard Harmony of the Seas.

Matt experienced a lot onboard Harmony of the Seas, and this week, he dives into what makes Harmony of the Seas unique and discusses the aspects of dining, entertainment and accomodations that stood out and why.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 206. 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!

Multi-platinum selling band DNCE will perform aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas for the cruise line's Great American Eclipse cruise.

On August 21, DNCE will headline Royal Caribbean’s solar eclipse viewing party with a surprise guest for an out-of-this-world performance aboard the exclusive 7-night Total Eclipse Cruise on board Oasis of the Seas, one of the world’s largest and most adventure-packed cruise ships.

DNCE frontman Joe Jonas and all-star bandmates, including bassist and keyboardist Cole Whittle, guitarist JinJoo and drummer Jack Lawless, will perform the band’s heart-pumping hits like “Kissing Strangers,” “Body Moves” and, of course, “Cake by the Ocean.” Guests booked on the Total Eclipse Cruise can visit Royal Caribbean’s website and reserve their complimentary seats for the concert by logging on to their reservation.

DNCE live from world's largest cruise ship!

A post shared by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:23pm PST

“When we were invited to headline this once-in-a-lifetime event, we didn’t think twice. What could be more out of this world than witnessing a full solar eclipse at sea? ” said Joe Jonas. “We’re stoked about coming back on board with Royal Caribbean to put on a lights-out performance with a very special guest. It’s beyond exciting to be able to celebrate this crazy moment in history out in the middle of the ocean.”

This will be DNCE's second live performance on a Royal Caribbean ship. The band played on sister ship Harmony of the Seas in November 2016 to celebrate Harmony's arrival in the United States.

In addition to the viewing party, guests on Oasis of the Seas will be treated to other eclipse-themed activities, including dance parties, trivia, interactive science fun for kids and their families, and tasty cocktails and dishes.

The 7-night Total Eclipse Cruise on board Oasis of the Seas will set sail on Aug. 20, 2017 from Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida, and visit Caribbean destinations in the Eastern Caribbean. Those interested in booking this sailing can book now by visiting RoyalCaribbean.com/TotalEclipse, calling (800) ROYAL- CARIBBEAN or contacting their travel agent.

With ships around the world, Royal Caribbean welcomes guests from nearly every country. When it comes to dining, while their appetites and tastes differ, their expectations remain the same– fresh, delicious and authentic cuisine. Traveling chefs from across the fleet collaborate to perfect new menu items, but guest feedback ultimately determines which dishes make the cut. Every aspect of the ships’ main dining rooms, from the menu to the atmosphere to the service, sets the table for an unforgettable experience.