Visit our travel agent friends at MEI Travel

Royal Caribbean changes Shore Excursions Cancellation Policy

In:
13 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean has changed the Shore Excursions Cancellation Policy. The new cancellation policy will transition from a 24-hour prior to tour departure deadline to a 48-hours prior to port arrival deadline.

Excursions can be modified or cancelled up to 48 hours prior to port arrival without penalty. Tours involving flights, trains, special events, overnight stays, hotel stays and Private Journeys must be cancelled 30 days prior to sailing to avoid cancellation penalties. Other restrictions may apply.

The new policy goes into effect fleet-wide on June 15, 2017.

If guests have booked before June 15th and wish to cancel before 24 hrs., they will be allowed to do so. If they booked their Shore Excursions after June 15th, the Cancellation will fall under the new policy.

The deadline for exchanges is 48 hours before port arrival. In the event a tour is cancelled, a full refund will be provided to the guest’s onboard account.

Things not to worry about on a Royal Caribbean cruise

In:
12 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Many first time cruisers have concerns about what a Royal Caribbean cruise is all about, and what it entails.  There is certainly a fair amount of pre-trip planning that can be beneficial to improving a trip, but there are also a few aspects of cruise planning that one should not concern themselves with prior to sailing.

Here are five parts of any Royal Caribbean cruise that you should not worry about before getting onboard.

Getting sea sick

If there is one thing many first time cruisers ask a lot of questions about it, it is about getting sea sick.

Let us be clear, going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is nothing like going out on your buddy's fishing boat.  Royal Caribbean ships are massive vessels, equipped with precise GPS and stablizing technology. Moreover, the Captain will regularly plot courses that take optimal routes for guest comfort.

There are certain steps you can take to mitigate the risk of getting sea sick, such as over the counter medications and homeopathic treatments

The bottom line is while one could get sea sick on a cruise, it is a very low risk.  In fact, if you ask veteran cruisers, they will likely tell you their concern over getting sea sick is ranked somewhere around the feature film selection shown onboard.

Hurricanes

Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs between June 1 - November 30, and poses a significant threat each year to people all around North America. Despite the ferocity of hurricanes, a Royal Caribbean cruise is a very safe vacation choice, even if there is a possible hurricane.

First and foremost, Royal Caribbean sends its ships well out of the path of known storms. While hurricane forecasting is not always precise, once a storm forms, it will affect a certain region of the Caribbean or Atlantic, and Royal Caribbean makes proper plans to alternate itineraries when necessary to steer clear of these storms. The cruise line wants its guests and crew to remain safe, its equipment out of harms way, and maintain a high level of guest satisfaction.  So changing from an Eastern to a Western itinerary or dropping a scheduled port stop is an easy to achieve that.

First time cruisers should also be aware that bad weather can happen throughout the year, and storms occur outside of hurricane season too. In addition, no one can control the weather or with any definitive knowledge tell you any sailing will be free of weather concerns.  Your best bet is to book a sailing that works for you, and have trust in the cruise line and the ship's crew to provide an excellent vacation experience, rain or shine.

Handing out gratuities

In years past, one responsibility of guests were to hand out gratuities to crew members onboard.  Not only was this time consuming, it was awkward.  These days, Royal Caribbean has simplified the whole process with automatic gratuities.

Each day of your cruise, guests are charged an automatic gratuity that goes towards their dining room staff and stateroom attendant.  Onboard purchases at bars, restaurants and lounges also include an automatic gratuity to simplify things as well.

Guests have the option of pre-paying their gratuities before the cruise to help break up the cost of the cruise.

All of this means guests can focus on enjoying their vacation, rather than having to be concerned with who gets what tip and for how much.

Having enough to do onboard

When someone who loves going on a cruise tries to encourage a friend or colleague to try a cruise, all too often they will hear a response of, "I'm worried there won't be enough to do," or even worse, "I think I would be bored."

These sort of statements will likely give a cruise fan a good chuckle, because they know a Royal Caribbean cruise is anything but mundane or boring.  In short, there is so much happening onboard that the most likely result will there being too much to do, rather than not enough.

Royal Caribbean designs its cruise ships to be a destination, with lots of activities, dining, shows and more.  Between the ports your ship will visit and the seemingly non-stop options listed in the ship's Cruise Compass, there is plenty to choose from.

Of course, all the activities and events onboard are optional, which means you can do as much or as little as you like.  Most guests prefer to sprinkle in activities alongside old fashioned relaxing.

Being hungry

There is so much food available throughout the day and night on a Royal Caribbean cruise that being concerned with there not being enough to eat is one less thing to worry about.

On a Royal Caribbean ship, guests will find a lot of food included in their cruise fare, along with specialty dining options that augment the standard fare.

Complimentary food is available for all meals, and time inbetween. Simply put, there is plenty of great food included in the cost of your Royal Caribbean cruise. One can easily go an entire food and enjoy nothing but food that has no additional cost from morning to night. After all, that is what the concept of a cruise has been for a long time.

In addition to all the food that is included in your cruise fare are specialty dining options, that carry with it an extra cost to enjoy the food there. The exact amount extra will vary from restaurant to restaurant, and ship to ship.

In most cases, the specialty dining options offer a greater variety of food choices than what is available at complimentary dining locations. Royal Caribbean has designed its specialty restaurants around themes or cuisines (Italian, steakhouse, sushi, etc).

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017

In:
11 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend and ready to talk a little Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean made headlines this week when Symphony of the Seas was floated out.

The important construction milestone took place at the STX France shipyard. With the exterior now complete, Symphony of the Seas was floated out of her dry dock to begin the next phase of interior construction.

Symphony of the Seas will remain at this position until her delivery date in mid-April 2018.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 201st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are sharing our best tips for first time cruisers.

In this episode, Matt and Billy each share two aspects of a Royal Caribbean cruise that everyone else seems to enjoy, but not them.  It is a tribute to unpopular opinions.

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

AmyUrquhart.com shared three activities they skip on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean celebrated World Oceans Day with a peek at the most eco-friendly destinations.

Cruise & Ferry reports Port Everglades will refit Terminal 25 as part of a new deal with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Cruise Radio has a review of Wonderland.

Video: Symphony of the Seas Float Out

In:
10 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

The newest member of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class of ships, Symphony of the Seas, is now one step closer to full completion as her April 2018 debut approaches. With the exterior now complete, Symphony of the Seas was floated out of her dry dock on June 9th, 2017 to begin the next phase of interior construction.

Friday Photos

In:
09 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! Each week, we share our reader's favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos for everyone to enjoy.

Our first photo this week is from Jeff L, taken on Independence of the Seas.

Our next photo is from Tamara, and it is of Vision of the Seas in Skagen, Denmark.

Here is a photo of the water slides and FlowRider on Adventure of the Seas, taken by Pamela.  

Cris Gomez took this photo of Harmony of the Seas made out of Lego, posing with Harmony of the Seas' Cruise Director, Abe Hughes.

Here is a shot of Harmony of the Seas and Empress of the Seas docked in Cozumel, taken by Jon.

Next up is a photo of the sun setting over Cozumel while Lisa Kessler was on Brilliance of the Seas.

Brian Robinson brings us full circle with a photo of the sunrise in CocoCay, from aboard Empress of the Seas.

Thanks to everyone who shared photos with us this week. You can always send in your favorite photos to be shared on a future edition of Friday Photos!

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas floated out for first time at shipyard

In:
09 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas reached an important milestone today, when she was floated out for the first time at the STX France shipyard.

Following its float out in the construction area, Symphony of the Seas was transferred to basin C.  About fifty people were onboard Symphony of the Seas during the maneuver.  Three pilots and eight tug boats assisted in moving Symphony of the Seas, since the ship's engines were not not being used.

To assist in the positioning, the port of Saint-Nazaire provides a sophisticated, portable and autonomous GPS system, which allows to give a position down to the centimeter.

Symphony of the Seas will remain at this position until her delivery date in mid-April 2018.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has released new photos from the float out of Symphony of the Seas.

Symphony of the Seas will spend her inaugural summer season exploring destinations in the Mediterranean calling on ports in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Provence, France; Florence/Pisa, Rome and Naples, Italy. She will then arrive to Miami in early November to begin 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

6 things you may not have tried on a Royal Caribbean cruise

In:
07 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

A Royal Caribbean cruise is the kind of vacation experience where fond memories are made. We all have our favorite restaurants, spots onboard, and entertainment to experience, but why not try something new the next time you go? Here are a few out-of-the-box experiences you may not have tried yet.

Izumi Hibachi

On Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships, Izumi has expanded to also offer a Hibachi experience where guests can enjoy Teppan-style dining. Izumi's Hibachi option is as much about the experience as it is about the food.

Izumi's chefs cook the food in front of guests surrounding a cooking table. If you have never done hibachi, it is a must-do and if you have, then you need to check out the great food (and show) Izumi offers.

Labadee cabana

Sometimes you just have to pamper yourself, and staying in a cabana at Labadee is the perfect way to do just that.

Labadee is Royal Caribbean's private destination, and while just sitting at the beach is a perfectly good way to spend your day there, renting a cabana makes the visit extra special. A cabana is your own private space that can accommodate up to six guests. Each cabana is equipped with two lounge chairs and a large seating area inside the cabana. A cabana attendant is also assigned to you, who can assist you with any requests you may have. Cabana guest also get to enjoy complimentary bottles of water (in a cooler), two floating beach mats, snorkeling gear and towels.

Cabanas are available for rent at Barefoot Beach and Nellie's Beach, and can be reserved before the cruise and during the sailing.

See the Quest

Have you heard about a game on Royal Caribbean ships called The Quest?

The Quest is an adults-only scavenger hunt that is big on laughs, friendly joking and competition.  When someone asks what the Quest is exactly, it is never easy to answer except to say, "you have to see it for yourself."

The Quest is an unique Royal Caribbean show that involves guests either actively participating in teams or watching the action.  You do not have to participate, but it is worth seeing for yourself at least once for the spectacle that is this show.

The Quest is an adult-oriented show, so the kids will have to grow up before checking this one off their list.

Get your hair styled at the salon

Royal Caribbean's Vitality Spa is best known for the wonderful massages and treatments, but it also features a high-end spa, that is the perfect place to have someone make you look a little extra special.

Whether for formal night, or just a fun evening out, you can make an appointment to have your hair cut, treated or just styled.  Men can get a shave or hair cut as well.

Be sure to make a reservation early, because spots tend to go quite quickly (especially for formal night).

Take a repositioning cruise

Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise that embarks at one port, but disembarks at another port at the conclusion of the cruise is a very different, and rewarding experience.

Each season, Royal Caribbean offers repositioning cruises that take ships between continents.  Not only is a repositioning cruise longer than most other sailings, but they offer the opportunity to visit ports of call not normally included in a Royal Caribbean itinerary.  Plus, there is lots of time to enjoy what the cruise ship has to offer with the bonus sea days.

Take a behind the scenes tour

Royal Caribbean now offers fairly regularly a behind the scenes tour for guests to reserve, which will bring guests to many areas not normally accessible.

These tours include visits to the ship's bridge, galley, engine room and more.  It is the only means of seeing these off-limits areas, as well as extremely interesting to see how a Royal Caribbean ship operates.

Check your Cruise Planner for something called the "All Access Tour".

Your thoughts

Which of these activities have you tried before?  Any you think should be included in this list?  Share your ideas in the comments below!

Two (wrong) things on Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

In:
07 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

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

Episode 201 is available for downloading, where we pick two things that lots of people like about a Royal Caribbean cruise and explain why they are wrong.

Just for fun, Matt and Billy each pick two things about a Royal Caribbean cruise they see others enjoying, but they do not enjoy. It is a whimsical look at sharing some unpopular opinions.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 201. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSSStitcher 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!

First time cruiser's guide to Royal Caribbean's onboard activities

In:
06 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

When you are onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, there is a wide array of activities and events taking place every day of your sailing. Any notion of there not being enough to do is quickly dismissed once you take a glance at what is offered onboard.

Royal Caribbean's activities staff plan a variety of events to fill your time onboard the ship. These activities are optional for anyone to enjoy, and first time cruisers will find a great deal of options to pick from.  From trivia contests to dance lessons, exercise programs to dodge ball games, wine-tasting to surfing, there really is something for everyone.

Type of activities

From start to finish, your Royal Caribbean cruise will be filled with different activities to take part in.  Each activity is optional.  Think of them like a restaurant menu: you only enjoy what you want.  

Most of the activities listed for guests to enjoy are complimentary, which means there is no additional fee.  There are, however, certain events that have an additional cost associated with them.  It will be clearly labeled whether an event is complimentary or costs extra. 

In general, Royal Caribbean tries to offer its guests a wide variety of choices.  Having thousands of guests onboard its ships means the staff will try their best to have something for everyone.  The exact activities offered will vary from ship to ship, and sailing to sailing.  Royal Caribbean does not publish its activities prior to a cruise, but if you learn about the most common activities available onboard, it should provide a good idea of what to expect once onboard.

Physical activities

  • Rock climbing wall
  • Mini golf (not available on all ships)
  • FlowRider surf simulator (not available on all ships)
  • Sports court activities (basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc)
  • Water slides (not available on all ships)
  • Zip line (not available on all ships)
  • Ice skating (not available on all ships)
  • Fitness classes
  • Skydiving simulator (not available on all ships)

Educational

  • Trivia contests
  • Napkin folding demonstrations
  • Towel animal folding
  • History and port lectures
  • Dance lessons
  • Wine/alcohol tasting
  • Escape rooms (not available on all ships)
  • Culinary classes
  • Behind the scenes tours

Gambling

  • Bingo
  • Casino gaming lessons

Shows

  • Poolside games
  • Theatrical performances
  • Live music
  • Comedians
  • Acrobatic/dive shows
  • Karaoke

Family activities

  • DreamWorks character meet opportunities
  • Parades
  • Movies
  • Teens-only events
  • Dance parties

Cruise Compass

If you are wondering how to find out which events will happen and when, then you will want to consult the daily publication provided each day to guests, known as the Cruise Compass.  

Each evening, your stateroom attendant will deliver a paper copy of the Cruise Compass to your stateroom.  Inside, you will find a list of the next day's activities, shows and entertainment.  It also lists the times venues such as restaurants, shops, bars and the spa will be open.  There is even a weather report and information about the port you will be visiting.

Most importantly, there is a chronological listing of events from the early morning to the late evening. Each event has a time, event name, location and possibly brief description listed.  There will also be an indication if this event costs extra.

As mentioned earlier, Royal Caribbean does not provide a copy of its Cruise Compass in advance of a cruise, but we keep an archive of past Cruise Compass' on this website, so that you reference them.  While a past Cruise Compass will not provide an exact list of events for your cruise, it does serve as a "ballpark overview" of what to expect.

On Royal Caribbean ships that offer the Royal iQ smartphone app, a copy of the Cruise Compass can also be referenced there.  In fact, the app provides the ability to select events from the Cruise Compass and add them to your own personal calendar.  Royal Caribbean also announced that it is working on a new smart phone app, which should debut later this year.

Tickets and shows

Most activities and entertainment on a Royal Caribbean cruise require no reservations or tickets in advance.  Guests simply show up at the designated time and location and an activities crew member will be present to coordinate the function.

Certain events do offer advance tickets for the performances.  Oasis and Quantum class ships will even offer tickets for its theatrical products prior to the cruise, via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website.  Tickets are complimentary, and guarantee a seat in the show, but not a specific seat.  Royal Caribbean also requires guests with tickets arrive to the show a certain amount of time before show time or risk losing that guarantee.

Activities such as exercise classes, wine/liquor tastings, or culinary demonstrations may require and/or offer advanced tickets to secure a spot.  The nature of these events are that there is a limit on how many guests may attend. You can certainly show up at the given time and hope for a spot, or speak to a crew member about reserving them.  Tickets to certain events are even available online via the Cruise Planner, where guests may purchase the tickets before getting onboard. 

If tickets are available prior to a cruise for an event, we generally recommend guests take advantage of the option to secure a spot for them.  Once onboard the ship, admission to certain events gets quite competitive, so taking advantage of pre-cruise reservations is a good practice.

Pools and water slides

During the daytime, the pool deck tends to be a hub of activity for guests of all ages.  Depending on the ship, guests will find a variety of pools and even water slides to enjoy.  Royal Caribbean designed their pools to be fun, relaxing and most of all refreshing experiences. Whether you are there for the ambiance, the cooling effect or the activities, time at the pool is a great idea.

Pools

Royal Caribbean's pools are a hub of activity on most cruises.  It is where the activity staff will hold many events and you will find by just spending time at the pool, you will encounter a lot of the ship's going-on's. 

Nearly all the events happening at a pool will occur at the main pool. Exact activities differ depending on your ship and sailing but here are some common ones 

  • Belly flop competition
  • World's sexiest man competition
  • Scuba classes
  • Fitness classes
  • Poolside bingo
  • Dance classes
  • Poolside movies

Water slides

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has begun adding water slides to its cruise ships.  Guests of most ages can enjoy the slides, which are complimentary and the kind of activity guests can enjoy as many times as they want.

Currently, water slides are available on

  • Harmony of the Seas
  • Symphony of the Seas
  • Liberty of the Seas
  • Adventure of the Seas

Some other ships feature slides for kids, such as the Radiance Class ships, as well as Majesty of the Seas.

Fitness Center and Gym

One popular onboard activity is staying physically fit while onboard.  Whether you love spending time at the gym, or are just looking for a way to work off the delicious food served onboard, Royal Caribbean's fitness center is the right place for you.

The fitness center is usually located near the ship's spa, and is open for most hours of the day.

Fitness center aboard Harmony of the Seas

Inside the fitness center are a variety of choices, ranging from cardio to strength-training equipment.  The equipment in Royal Caribbean's fitness center are complimentary and available on a first-come, first served basis.  There is no cost to use the machines and free weights at the fitness center.  In fact, Royal Caribbean tends to stock its gyms with top equipment for guest use.  

In addition, there are spaces for fitness classes, such as spin, yoga, and Pilates. These classes have limited capacity, and there is usually a sign up sheet near the entrance to the fitness center where guests can write down their name and stateroom number for a particular class they want to attend. Guests are charged for each class they attend, so you can attend as few or as many as you like, provided there is space available.

Family and children's activities

The heart of things to do on a Royal Caribbean ship for kids is centered around the Adventure Ocean program.  Adventure Ocean is the supervised children's program, which is kind of like camp, where parents drop the kids off and pick them up anytime while Adventure Ocean is in operation.

Adventure Ocean is available for children who are at least three years old and fully potty trained, all the way through the age of seventeen.  Counselors lead the Adventure Ocean programming while the children are in attendance, and activities are age appropriate.  These activities include art, dance parties, games, scavenger hunts, supervised play and more. Adventure Ocean is complimentary, unless your child stays in Adventure Ocean past 10pm, at which point an hourly charge is assessed. Kids may remain in Adventure Ocean until 2am during the after-hours time.

Children are split up into groups based on their age.  Older children and teenagers will find their own dedicated areas of Adventure Ocean that include lounges and teen-only events listed in the Cruise Compass.

On sea days, Adventure Ocean usually is open

  • 9am - noon
  • 2pm-5pm
  • 7pm-10pm
  • 10pm-2am (Extra cost after hours)

During port days, Adventure Ocean will be open as long as the ship is docked in port, allowing parents to leave their children in Adventure Ocean while they enjoy a time on shore.

Royal Caribbean publishes a special daily version of the Cruise Compass, just for kids and teens.  Your stateroom attendant will deliver a copy of this if there are kids in the room, and it lists Adventure Ocean programming for the coming day.  The regular Cruise Compass will also list teens-only events as well.

For children younger than three years old, Royal Caribbean's Royal Babies & Tots Nursery offers infants and toddlers supervised care for an hourly charge. 

The nursery has limited space, and it is recommended to make reservations for the times you wish to bring your child.  You can always call the nursery and inquire if there is open space to drop off at the time, but ideally you will want to make reservations. Like Adventure Ocean, the nursery is has set hours, and opens in the morning, going late into the night.  If it is a port day, the nursery can open earlier to match the time the ship is in port.

Beyond Adventure Ocean, many of the activities listed in the Cruise Compass are open to kids, as well as adults. 

Nightlife

After the sun sets, Royal Caribbean ships are filled with lots of evening activities. 

Music is a big part of Royal Caribbean's nightlife.  Guests will find live performances around the ship (primarily at bars), along with the opportunity to dance at many of them.  Dance parties on deck and in select venues are common as well, with usually a music event lasting well into the early hours of the next morning.

Each evening, there will be theatrical performances offered in the Royal Theater, as well as other venues such as Two70, the AquaTheater and/or ice skating rink.  Depending your ship, the variety and scope of nighttime entertainment will vary, but there will be something going on each evening that is clearly the primary performance.  In addition, there will be alternate times provided for most of these productions, to allow guests time to enjoy dinner without having to sacrifice seeing the show.

Royal Caribbean's shows are its signature activity, with some ships even offering full Broadway shows.  The shows are included in your cruise fare, and seating is provided on a first-come, first served basis.  We recommend arriving to any show at least 15 minutes early to secure a (good) seat.

Royal Caribbean will also regularly show feature-length films near the pool, provide sing-along music at the pub, offer karaoke performances, and much more.

Video: Culinary Creativity in Royal Caribbean’s Test Kitchen

In:
06 Jun 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

At Royal Caribbean’s test kitchen, located at the cruise line’s Miami offices, great culinary minds come together to experiment with tasty ideas. From concept to reality, many signature Royal Caribbean dining experiences first came to life in the kitchen. The recipes that rise to the top are tested on board, where guests can get a taste and offer feedback until they have been tweaked and perfected, resulting in mouthwatering fare that thrills travelers at sea.