Royal Caribbean Blog

Hi Royal Caribbean Blog fans, it is Michael Poole here again for another live blog coming from Majesty of the Seas. If you recall, I did a live blog on Majesty of the Seas in October of 2015 - let that hold you over until I set sail this weekend.

This is such a unique cruise for me, because Majesty of the Seas sails 3 and 4 days cruises. As you know, these are quick Bahamas getaways and I really enjoy them. However, on this cruise I’m actually staying on board for three consecutive sailings. The first leg is 3 days, then 4 days, and ending with another 3-day weekend cruise.

Why I booked this sailing

I booked the first sailing (1/13) with a friend of mine sharing a cabin for a great rate. Who does not enjoy a nice weekend getaway to the Bahamas. As time got closer, I started looking at my vacation time and thought to myself, "Why don’t I book the 4-day sailing after to have a back-to-back cruise?"

So I booked the next sailing solo and could not be more excited to have a longer cruise. About a month ago, I talked to my friend who is sailing with me on the first cruise about the 1/20 weekend cruise. He is a casino VIP and was actually able to get that cruise free under his recent casino play.

So, very long story short, I will be on 3 sailings for a total of 10 days!

Cabin

Well, I suppose the only negative part of having 3 cruises in a row, is that I’m in a different cabin every sailing. I tried to upgrade my leg 2 – 4 day solo cruise to the same cabin but the cost was too much for me going solo. I’ve changed cabins on back-to-back sailings before and the crew actually moves everything for you. In fact, they tell you to leave everything on hangers and they move it into the next closet for you. I would recommend just talking with both cabin attendants prior to the change. 

1. Cruise 1 Deck 9 in a Superior Ocean View Stateroom - #9500
2. Cruise 2 Deck 4 Inside Stateroom (solo cruise) - #4565
3. Cruise 3 Deck 9 in a Superior Ocean View Stateroom - #9582 

Itinerary

All 3 sailings are going to the same places, so I will have 3 trips to Nassau, Bahamas and 3 “planned” trips to Royal Caribbean’s private island Coco Cay. I say "planned trips", because usually in the winter months, they tend to miss stopping at Coco Cay more due to high wind.

I will also have 1 sea day on my 4 day sailing which is leg 2 Monday – Friday. My plans in Nassau are to visit my favorite local pub and enjoy some beach time at Junkanoo beach. For Coco Cay, just enjoy the private island and relax in the sun and explore the backside of the island where you can find the new floating bar. 

Drink Package

If you have followed my live blogs before you know I usually purchase the drink package, as I find it a great value. However, after thinking about the cost of 10 days and actually drinking that much for 10 straight days – I’m not getting the package. I have pre-purchased a bottle of rum with the new in-cabin bottle service for leg 1, which was $40. I will also be carrying on six bottles of wine, likely 3 reds and 3 bottles of champagne. Royal Caribbean allows each guest to carry on 2 bottles per cabin and since I’m on 3 sailings, I can carry up to 6 bottles. 

I look forward to taking you along with me over the next ten days. This will be such a different experience for me, so it should be a great live blog. Have you ever sailed on Majesty of the Seas? 

For the Royal Caribbean mixologists at Harmony of the Seas’ Wonderland, cocktails are more than just drinks – they are masterpieces. These artists use innovative flavors and artisanal ingredients to create cocktails that are almost too stunning to drink!

Guests on a Royal Caribbean cruise can help save the Earth between time at the pool and or enjoying a show.

Last year, Royal Caribbean announced it was teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to create a global partnership to support ocean conservation, and those efforts are spreading to onboard the cruise ships for guests to get involved too.

On Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean allows guests to walk or swim as a group to support the efforts of the WWF.  T-shirts and plush dolls are available for sale, with proceeds from every sale going to WWF's global ocean conservation work.  

The plus doll available is a sea turtle, which is indicative of the type of animals the WWF is working to protect.

Check out this new drink menu design that is available on Independence of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

These photos come from the Olive or Twist bar on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. This appears to be a new design for the generic bar menu that is available at a number of different locations onboard the ship.  It offers a variety of cocktails, liquors and beers. 

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend and staying warm! Brew yourself a cup of tea or cocoa and get ready to check out this week’s summary of Royal Caribbean news!

If you happen to be a resident of the United Kingdom or Ireland, there is a job opening at Royal Caribbean that you definitely want to check out.

Royal Caribbean UK is looking to hire a summer "intern" to showcase all the fun of a Royal Caribbean cruise on a daily basis.

Royal Caribbean describes this "intern-ship" as a hybrid between being a photographer, documentary maker and a storyteller. A typical day will see the successful candidate immerse themselves in the extraordinary moments, experiences and stories that take place on land and at sea, and share them with the world via Instagram.

Royal Caribbean News

• Some drink prices have increased beyond being included in the drink package.
• Royal Caribbean is working on a new mobile app.
• Royal Caribbean began a new WAVE season sales promotion this month.
• Our photo tour of a category CV Central Park view stateroom.
• Here is what to do when there is a new Royal Caribbean promotion announced.
• Our in-depth comparison of Harmony of the Seas versus Anthem of the Seas.
• Six ways to make the most of a Royal Caribbean cruise as a family.
• Answers to five questions about what to wear on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 179th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where our podcast listeners share which Royal Caribbean ship is their favorite.

In this episode, listeners call into the podcast to talk with Matt about which Royal Caribbean ship is their favorite and why.

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

Royal Caribbean showcases the career of its SVP of Global Marine Ops.

This Time Tomorrow shares a look at a day in Santorini while aboard Jewel of the Seas.

Eat Sleep Cruise shares why they are excited to cruise on Harmony of the Seas.

E-deliciou-S has a tour of Explorer of the Seas.

Disney Cruise Line Blog has a full review of the 2017 Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line.

Many Royal Caribbean Blog readers have reported recently prices of certain alcoholic beverages have increased to the point they are no longer included with the unlimited alcohol package.

This first reports occurred on Royal Caribbean cruises that sailed around Christmas and New Years, and it was thought the price increase was a result of holiday demand.  Yet, the drink price changes remain in effect on cruises beginning after the holidays.

Royal Caribbean's deluxe drink package only covers beverages that are $12 or less ($13 on Oasis class ships).  Drinks priced higher than the included threshold are charged the difference to the guest.

Pub drink menu on Allure of the Seas. Photo taken January 4, 2017

Pub drink menu on Independence of the Seas. Photo taken January 5, 2017

Olive or Twist bar menu on Independence of the Seas. Photo taken January 6, 2017

Pub drink menu on Adventure of the Seas. Photo taken January 7, 2017

The drink package policy may change in the days or weeks to come to match these drink price increases. However, this is the first time since Royal Caribbean introduced its drink packages that we are seeing a notable amount of drinks priced outside the drink package allowances.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, with many different categories of staterooms onboard this magnificent ship.

Today, we have a photo tour of the Category CV Central Park View Stateroom.  Somewhat similar to the Central Park Balcony staterooms, these rooms offer a view of the Central Park neighborhood, but without the balcony experience.

On Allure of the Seas, the stateroom used for this tour is stateroom 9593, which is located closer to the forward elevators on deck 9.

Walking into the room, you will immediately notice the light shining through the large window.

The layout of the room is very similar to a Promenade View stateroom, with a bay window at the end of the room.

Central Park View staterooms measure 194 square feet in size and have two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, considerable closet space, a private bathroom with shower, as well as an expanded living area with desk, drawer space, vanity, and sofa. Each stateroom also has its own flat-screen television, thermostat controlled air-conditioning, internet access, direct-dial telephone, radio, mini bar, individual safe, and 24 hour room service.

The Central Park View staterooms offer a seating area to view Central Park from, which doubles as a couch.

Thanks to Dr. Kris Leppien-Christensen for providing these photos.

The new year is here, and with it comes our first Friday Photos of 2017!  Each week, we invite our readers to share with us their favorite Royal Caribbean photos so that we can showcase them right here.

Our first photo this week is from Susan Widdowson, and it is from the bridge wing on Harmony of the Seas.  Definitely a great spot for photos!

Next we have a photo of Harmony of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas in St. Maarten, taken by Ken.  Two giants in one port!

Here is a photo by Ethel Crawford of Adventure of the Seas in Barbados.  Ethel took this shot while onboard Jewel of the Seas.

Our next photo is of Anthem of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas in Cozumel.  Thomas Lemmer shared this photo, and you can see North Star is in the raised position too!

Check out this amazing shot by Bob Carpetner from onboard Harmony of the Seas, when all three Oasis class ships met in one spot.  

We go from the largest ship in the world to one of the smallest in Royal Caribbean's fleet.  Here is Majesty of the Seas, as seen from CocoCay.  John Kreidermacher shared it with us and it is a great perspective!

Navigator of the Seas is playing "peek-a-boo" in this photo by Jose Pena, taken while in Labadee.

That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos. If you would like to share your best Royal Caribbean photos with us, use this form to send them in!

Royal Caribbean is working on revamping its customer's mobile experience with a new mobile app.

Skift is reporting Royal Caribbean is working on a new mobile app that will launch by "mid year" that enables passengers to, "better control their cruise before and during the trip." Speaking with Royal Caribbean CIO Michael Giresi, Skift reports later in 2017, the app is expected to include more features for e-commerce, itinerary planning, conflict management and other options.

Royal Caribbean developed a smartphone app, Royal iQ,  in conjunction with the launch of Quantum of the Seas back in 2014, and has since expanded to a handful of other Royal Caribbean ships.

We reached out to Royal Caribbean for further information on which ships will receive the new app, and if the new app is truly new or an extension of the Royal iQ app that already exists. They declined to provide any details at this time.

Royal Caribbean regularly comes out with a number of new promotions throughout the year, aimed at getting folks to book a cruise. Whether it is their first or fiftieth cruise, these promotions will vary in different ways to incentive guests to give a Royal Caribbean cruise a try.

When a new promotion is announced, here are a few things you should do to ensure you get the best possible deal.

Look at the booking incentives offered

Each promotion Royal Caribbean releases is going to be different, and each promotion has its own set of booking incentives included with the offer.  It is important to understand what the deal offers, and if it might be of benefit to you or not.

As mentioned earlier, Royal Caribbean trots out a number of booking promotions throughout the year, and no one deal will be of great benefit to everyone.  In our experience, different deals benefit different folks, so it is important to evaluate each offer for which benefits mean the most to you.

There are lots of possible booking incentives that Royal Caribbean can include, but the most common kinds are

• Reduced deposit
• Onboard credit (money credited to your SeaPass account to be used onboard the ship)
• Instant savings (money taken off the cost of the cruise fare)
• Percentage discount off cruise fare
• Kids sail free (third and fourth passengers are free when sailing with two other passengers in same stateroom)

There are plenty more booking incentives out there, but depending on your cruising party, time of year you choose to cruise, and whether you prefer to get savings off the cruise fare or onboard the ship, the various promotions will be more or less valuable.

Book a cruise (that you've been considering)

The most common step is to put down a deposit to take advantage of a new promotion and it is what often compels many people to jump on a given deal. 

Whether you have been considering a cruise in the past and a new promotion is the "final straw" in convincing you to book, or you ran across a deal and think it is too good to pass up, booking a new cruise reservation with the promotion can make a lot of sense. 

Royal Caribbean's cruise deals are largely regional, with specific offers aimed at residents of certain countries.  The good news is in most of these cases, there are no special discount codes to remember.  Rather, the promotion is automatically applied at the time of booking.  The only booking promotions that may require a special code are discounts offered to residents of certain states or guests in certain occupations that qualify for a discount.  Keep in mind these sorts of discounts are often incompatible with national promotions Royal Caribbean runs, which means you will have to pick which works best for you.  Check any promotion offer's terms and conditions to see combinability rules.

Re-price an existing cruise

Residents of certain countries (such as the United States and Canada) are able to re-book an existing cruise reservation under a new sales promotion, without penalty up until final payment date.

This can sometimes be referred to as "re-pricing", or "price adjustment", or "applying the new promotion" but in reality your previous reservation is being canceled and a new booking is made.  The reason for this is most sales promotions Royal Caribbean releases are for new bookings only, so a quick cancelation and booking gets around that deal.

Keep in mind that if you do cancel and rebook, you may only do so up until the final payment date without incurring a penalty. After the final payment date, Royal Caribbean incurs a penalty for cancelations that often offsets any savings from a new booking promotion.  In addition, any booking incentive made under the prior reservation will be lost and replaced with the new booking incentives that come with the current promotion.  Be sure to evaluate the total cost savings, especially when onboard credits are involved.

The secret weapon: use a travel agent

Regardless of if you are brand new to Royal Caribbean or been on many cruises, this entire process is much simpler if you leverage a good travel agent to help you out.  

A good travel agent is the one that can crunch the numbers, provide options to you and advice on what might be the best course of action.  When it comes to re-pricing a cruise, there are so many factors involved and many guests worry about making a bad decision.  Having a travel agent to provides peace of mind to you, as well as quality service. Here is one such recommended travel agency that specializes in Royal Caribbean. If you are not convinced using a free travel agency that is recommended by Royal Caribbean is right for you, read our post discussing the benefits they offer.

If you are wondering, a travel agent should cost you nothing extra to use.  Royal Caribbean pays their commission, which means their services are complimentary to you.  When choosing a travel agent, be sure to look out for agents that charge any kind of reservation change fees.  It is not a widely used practice, but it can occur in some cases and frankly, you should steer clear of them and rely on knowledgeable travel agents that are here to help you every step of the way, regardless of how many questions or changes you have.