Royal Caribbean has effectively rebranded the Bottomless Galley Brunch tour and relaunched it as the Sip Tour Brunch.
Available to pre-book on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site, the Sip Tour Brunch offers guests a tour of the galley, along with brunch in the dining room that comes with unlimited champagne.
The tour promises to give guests an inside look at how Royal Caribbean prepares three meals a day for thousands of guests.
Royal Caribbean packs its cruise ships with so many fun things to do, and many have no additional cost to enjoy.
In this video, we have a look at some of my favorite things to do on a Royal Caribbean ship that is included with your cruise fare.
And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!
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So check out the video and then let us know: What is your favorite free activity on a Royal Caribbean ship?
Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are designed to be destinations that offer a ton for family and friends to enjoy while onboard. Each ship offers different activities, dining and entertainment, so today we have one must-do on every ship in the fleet.
It is not easy picking just one thing to do, but if you were going to go on any ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, you will want to make sure you check off one particular onboard offering that we have listed in this video.
And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!
By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!
So check out the video and then let us know: What are your top picks for must-do activities on any Royal Caribbean ship?
It appears Royal Caribbean has temporarily shut down its SkyPad bungee trampoline experience on its cruise ships pending a review of the safety of the ride.
Guests who recently sailed on Independence of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas reported the SkyPad was closed for the duration of their cruise. Royal Caribbean confirmed via Twitter that the SkyPad is indeed closed for now.
Photo by Michelle May
Hi, Becky. The SkyPad is temporarily unavailable. We're currently conducting a review as the safety as part of our commitment to safety for all of our guests. I'm very sorry for any disappointment this has caused. -Alexis
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) April 7, 2019
We're still running reviews and inspections. We'll be sure to reach out if there's an update.
— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) April 7, 2019
Royal Caribbean's review of the experience follows recent litigation that was filed against the cruise line that involved a guest who was injured while on the SkyPad.
The SkyPad is currently available on Independence of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean filed a U.S. federal trademark registration with the U.S. patent and trademark office for something called the Fly Rider.
The trademark filing was filed on December 18, 2018 and is described as, "Entertainment services, namely, providing an amusement park ride in the nature of a zip line roller coaster ride".
The trademark reveals little details, but does give an indication of what may be announced at a future date.
Introducing Royal Caribbean’s glow-in-the-dark laser tag experience, Battle for Planet Z has families, friends and strangers go head to head for control of the galaxy’s last planet. Guests of all ages can gear up for a stellar time on board with this total intergalactic adventure, complete with state-of-the-art technology and special effects.
For a few years, Royal Caribbean has offered guests the opportunity to try making sushi in a special class. There is no doubt that making sushi seems like a daunting task, but Royal Caribbean promises a fun and informative experience.
As an avid sushi fan, I look for any excuse to enjoy sushi on sea or on land. Believe it or not, there was a sushi experience on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I had never tried before, so I sought to rectify that on a recent Brilliance of the Seas cruise.
The sushi class is offered on most Royal Caribbean ships, but I had resisted trying it primarily because I do not eat shellfish and I knew many of the rolls made used shellfish. While dining at Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas, my waiter informed me the chef could adjust my offering for something I could eat, so I decided to give it a try.
There is no cooking experience required to try the class. In fact, that is the appeal of the class.
You will arrive to the class and be required to wash your hands prior to doing anything. Once everyone arrives, an Izumi chef begins the class by introducing what sushi really is, its origins, and what type of sushi you will make.
In our class, we made three kinds of sushi:
The sushi chef introduces each roll, and goes step by step in showing everyone how to create the roll.
During the class, one of the Izumi waiters will be happy to use your phone or camera to take photos of your progress.
Following creating the various rolls, you get to eat everyting your created. Considering you we made three rolls and two pieces of nigiri, that was a lot of food.
On our cruise, the sushi making class included a complimentary tour of the ship's galley. It is always fascinating to see how the ship prepares so many meals for its guests, and to have a galley tour part of the class price is an added bonus.
The sushi making class was just about an hour long (including time to eat the sushi), and the galley tour was an additional 30 minutes.
I really enjoyed the sushi making class, perhaps even more than I anticipated. Part of the enjoyment comes from the fact the Izumi chef helped us make the sushi so well. Frankly, I was expecting to butcher my attempt at creating sushi, so when the final product actually looked like something I might order, I was impressed.
The pace of the class worked well, and I feel like we all were able to pick up the key concepts quickly. The chef was always quick to walk around and provide assistance where necessary, and offer guidance to improving the techniques applied.
At $33 per person, the price is an excellent value when you consider you are getting three rolls, a few pieces of nigiri and a tour of the galley. I felt that we got a lot for the cost.
Overall, I think the sushi making class is a fun opportunity for anyone to try. It is great to do alone, or invite friends and family to do it together. Be sure to come hungry!
Cost: $33 per person on Brilliance of the Seas.
Part of every Royal Caribbean cruise are days spent at sea, which means you have the entire day to enjoy the vast array of things to do onboard. Sea days provide ample opportunity to see and do many things to do onboard, from dawn to dusk.
Sea days on a Royal Caribbean cruise are fairly open-ended, with you setting your own pace for what to do. Some guests elect to do a ton of activities, while others take it slow and enjoy pure relaxation time. Regardless of what you pick to do on a sea day, there is lots to consider and here are the sort of activities it seems most people opt to try.
Sea days are the perfect day to sleep late, just because there is no port to arrive to and no excursions to be ready to experience. While sleeping is not the most exciting activity to tell your friends about, it is no less an awesome feeling.
Many guests like to take things easy while on a cruise, and nothing says a laid back kind of day than sleeping into double digit hours!
Perhaps no onboard activity is as synonymous with a sea day than spending time at the pools onboard. Whether you choose to sunbathe, swim or just go back and forth, you will find ample opportunity to enjoy pool time on a sea day.
Royal Caribbean ships have more than one pool, with some ships having dedicated pool areas for kids. These kid-friendly pool areas often feature colorful splash zones, water slides, and of course pools and hot tubs. While there is plenty of swim opportunities for kids on all Royal Caribbean ships, the newest ships in the fleet offer the latest and greatest choices. Voyager, Freedom, Oasis and Quantum class ships offer the largest and most extravagant pool facilities for kids.
Royal Caribbean also has a dedicated area on its ships for adults only, known as the Solarium. The Solarium is the adults-only pool that is open to guests that are at least 16 years old. It is usually located in the front of the ship's pool deck and is often indoors or with a retractable roof. Because of the indoor nature of the Solarium, it tends to be warmer and more humid in the Solarium than the main pool. Royal Caribbean also tends to have cushioned lounge chairs that differ than the loungers available in the main pool.
While specialty restaurants are not that new an option on Royal Caribbean ships, offering lunch is becoming a new trend. Typically, specialty restaurants are open for dinner, with lunch overlooked. These days, more and more specialty restaurants are open for lunch and sometimes at a reduced price.
Advanced reservations for lunch are not normally available prior to your cruise, but one onboard, some restaurants take lunch reservations.
The Cruise Compass will list operating hours, but enjoying lunch at a specialty restaurant can provide an indulgent meal at a restaurant you might not otherwise have time to dine at.
Royal Caribbean ships are full of things to do on a sea day, including movies, live performances and competitions. Throughout the day and night, there are regularly scheduled entertainment to enjoy all around the ship.
During the day, you will find lots happening by the pool. Pool games, line dancing, food demonstrations and more occur on each sea day. Plus, you will find live music performed right by the pool. There is something so relaxing and enjoyable about hearing a reggae or steel drum band play music on a sunny sea day afternoon.
At night, Royal Caribbean puts on its best performances in the Royal Theater. Broadway shows, original productions and comedy/magic acts are lined up for guests to enjoy each evening.
In addition, Royal Caribbean has added large screens near its pools in recent years, which means you can enjoy the latest films while taking in a swim (or from the comfort of a nearby chair).
A time honored tradition on the beach has always been to read a good book, and being on a cruise ship is no different. Many guests take advantage of their time onboard to finally get to that book (or books) they have been meaning to read.
During a sea day, there are a lot of great places onboard to read a book. Depending on your style, one or more of these may be just the spot for you
Royal Caribbean markets its cruise ships as floating destinations, and you would be remiss if you did not check out some of the signature activities available on your ship.
Royal Caribbean first made a name for itself by adding rock climbing walls to its ships, and these days, they offer much more than just that. Depending on the class of ship you sail on, there are many really fun (and complimentary) activities to enjoy. Surfing on the FlowRider, ice skating, taking the view in aboard North Star, having a jump in the jump zone trampoline park, going down water slides and much more.
Whichever cruise ship you book, be sure to look into the activities available on the ship. Sea days are a popular time for many guests to enjoy these activities, but a little bit of research ahead of time can mean you can beat the crowds and get a few turns in.
Whether you go to the gym to maintain your regular exercise regiment, or just want to off set the delicious food you are enjoying onboard, Royal Caribbean's fitness center is a great way to keep fit on your sea day.
The equipment in the fitness center is complimentary for guests to use, and opens very early and stays open for much of the day and evening. There is ample opportunity to work out while on your Royal Caribbean cruise, and a sea day is a great time to stop by.
Royal Caribbean also offers fitness classes for an additional fee, where guests can partake in activities such as yoga, Pilates, spin and more. There are sign up sheets in the gym, and it is open on a first-come, first-signed up basis. Your best bet is to sign up early in the cruise for the class(es) you want.
A sea day can be super relaxing with just one visit to the Vitality Spa. Whether you choose a massage, facial, or another service, there is plenty of choices.
If you are new to the spa, you should consider taking a complimentary tour of the spa facility. We have found the spa tours to be low sales pressure, and a good way to learn about the services offered.
Sea days are quite popular for spa appointments, so be sure to book yours early in the cruise. Better yet, book it ahead of time prior to your cruise on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.
What is your favorite sea day activity? Did we neglect to mention something you love to do while at sea? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Royal Caribbean recently added a second escape room experience to Harmony of the Seas (as well as some other ships in the fleet), called A Royal Mystery.
Royal Mystery is an onboard activity offered to guests, where they must solve a series of puzzles based on clues hidden throughout the room to help solve a whodunit murder case. Unlike Escape the Rubicon, Royal Mystery has no cover charge and is held in a public spot (for our game, it was in the On Air Lounge).
Guests participating have a set amount of time to comb over the details provided, as well as clues and puzzles they will discover until they can solve the case.
If you are unfamiliar with an escape room game, essentially it is a timed challenge, where you and those in your group have a set time limit to figure out various puzzles and clues to solve an overall solution that provides the means of "escaping" the room. Royal Mystery was created by Royal Caribbean's partner company, Puzzle Break.
When you arrive, the crew members will instruct everyone in attendance to form teams. Teams can be between two and six people in total, which often results in teaming up with your fellow guests. Afterwards, a crew member will explain the basics of the game, play a short video introduction and provide the opening clues for all teams.
Once the game begins, all teams must work to solve the puzzles in order to figure out who the murderer is, with the first team that comes up with the correct answer being the winner.
When you start out, your team will receive a packet full of information. Some of this information includes puzzles, biographies on all the suspects, and pieces to puzzles that will be important later. Teams must review the information in their possession, and then try to solve the various puzzles. Once a team has a possible puzzle solution, they bring it to the crew member for review. If correct, the crew member provides a new clue for the team to use.
During the course of the game, crew members will share tips, advice and hints with all teams. Most of these hints are suggestions or manners in which to investigate that aim to narrow down possibilities for teams.
The key to success is for teams to work together, but also delegate the various work. Some puzzles can be solved by one or two team members, while others may need the whole team's input. Clues are hidden throughout the room, which team members may not take with them, but they can take pictures. Bringing a phone that can take pictures is a good strategy.
Cost: Complimentary
On select Royal Caribbean some kids can spend part of their cruise learning to swim (better) with some new swim lessons available for booking in the Cruise Planner.
On Harmony of the Seas, two shore excursions listed under the Cruising location offer two PADI Swim School options, for level 1 and level 2.
A team of professionals teaches beginning stroke techniques and more to little swimmers ages 6-8 and cost $49 per child. Up to 6 children can attend the class per swim instructor.
Little ones from 6-8 years old can learn safety skills and enjoy water thrills during PADI Swim School’s Aqua Stars course. Within the safe hands of a friendly and highly qualified team of professional instructors, young swimmers can get a feel for the water while learning resting positions and forward movement techniques in a small-group setting. Before the lesson, swimmers will be assessed to ensure they can jump into the pool, completely submerge, recover for air and return to the pool’s wall. They will then learn how to tread water, float, swim, rest and breathe properly. After successfully rolling over to rest and breathe, they’ll be taught side breathing and the survival float. The shallow waters of your ship’s pool is the ideal space for new swimmers to learn the basics — all while having some splish-splash aquatic fun.
At course’s end young swimmers will know how to float, tread water, swim, and rollover to breathe.
Calling all little swimmers, ages 6-8: Here’s your chance to soak up new aquatic skills with PADI Swim School instructors during our Splash Pros course. Enjoy an interactive in-water swimming lesson amid the safe hands of professional trainers and the shallow waters of your ship’s onboard pool. For this small-group, intermediate-level lesson, your instructor will first evaluate your skills to ensure you can jump into the pool, completely submerge and swim at least 15 feet. Then learn how to properly reach, pull and roll to the side for rest and to catch your breathe. You’ll get a feel for the freestyle and backstroke while focusing on maintaining correct techniques for swimming short distances. Not only will you build confidence in the water, but you’ll also have tons of fun along the way.
At the end of the lesson young swimmers will know how to freestyle and backstroke around the water.
If your kids are old enough for the classes, is this something you would consider? Share your thoughts in the comments below.