Royal Caribbean has introduced a new Alaskan experience on it’s newest and largest ship to visit Alaska Ovation of the Seas.  The North Star Alaskan Experience is offered in addition to the customary and complimentary North Star Experience offered to guests on some Quantum class ships.  The new North Star Alaskan Experience is offered when the ship calls on Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier during the summer Alaska cruise season. 

The Alaskan edition of the North Star Experience is offered at an additional charge and timed to occur during the ship’s visit to Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier.   Unlike the complimentary North Star experience the Alaskan experience ride extends over the sides of the ship giving participants unparalleled views of the ship and the surroundings.  Float over the side of the ship as pieces of glaciers float by below you.  

The North Star Alaskan Experience begins with complimentary hot chocolate in an exclusive area of the North Star Bar for participants while they wait for their North Star Alaskan Experience.

The initial offering of the North Star Alaskan Experience is priced at $49 per person for adult or child with up to fourteen guests per ride. The experience is shared with any other guests who book the same time.

The North Star Alaskan Experience lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes and begins by rising to a height of approximately 250 feet above sea level where the North Star turns and extends over the side of the ship.  This position is held for a few minutes giving participants an incredible view of the ship and surroundings before the North Star climbs to a height of approximately 300 feet above sea level.

 After several minutes the North Star lowers and extends over the opposite side of the ship at approximately 250 feet above seal level before eventually returning to center and gently lowering back to it’s starting position.

The North Star Alaskan Experience is available while the ship is within Endicott Arm during the approach and departure from Dawes Glacier and it is available while the ship is at Dawes Glacier.  Both offer a unique and different perspective.  On the Ovation of the Seas initial visit to Dawes Glacier the rides starting between 9am and 10am offered views of Dawes Glacier while the rides before and after featured views of Endicott Arm.  This will vary from sailing to sailing depending on time of arrival and ice conditions.

Guests interested in the complimentary North Star Experience will find the North Star available based on reservations at certain times and purely on a walk up basis at other times.  A standby line is available during reservation based times for last minute guests on a space available basis.  The complimentary North Star Experience does not extend over the sides of the ship.  

Limited reservations are usually offered in the Cruise Planner before sailing while the majority of North Star reservations are offered only on board once the cruise has started.  Reservations can be made by visiting the temporary Box Office kiosks upon boarding on embarkation day.

The North Star Alaskan Experience is only offered on Ovation of the Seas and it’s a unique perspective to an Alaska cruise available on no other ship or cruise line.  

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas has begun her inaugural season in Alaska this year, and guests sailing on her can enjoy an incomparable view of the glaciers.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared with us a new activity to reserve via the Royal iQ app or the shore excursions tablets onboard, North Star Alaska Experience.

For $49 per person, you can take a ride up in North Star while the ship visits a glacier and take in a view of this natural wonder 300 feet above sea level.

This North Star experience is available while the ship visits Hubbard Glacier or Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.

Royal Caribbean's North Star observational pod on its Quantum class ships has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. 

The North Star is a one-of-a-kind and intimate experience that takes guests on an exhilarating journey high above the sea. This glass observation capsule gently rises more than 300 feet in the air and rotates upwards and over the sides of the ship to provide the most breathtaking, 360-degree views imaginable. These views helped the North Star break the record for “Highest Viewing Deck on a Cruise Ship.”

North Star is available on three Royal Caribbean ships Quantum of the Seas from Beijing (Tianjin), China and Ovation of the Seas from Shanghai (Baoshan), China; Sydney, Australia; and Singapore. The third, Anthem of the Seas, cruises from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New York Harbor to Bermuda, The Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean is adding additional time for guests to enjoy two of the premier attractions on Anthem of the Seas.

In an effort to enhance the overall guest experience, Royal Caribbean is adding support staff onboard to accommodate expanded hours of operation at Ripcord by iFly and North Star attractions.  This will allow more guests to experience these popular attractions than ever before.

The expanded hours for these attractions will be in place for sailings beginning November 27, 2016.

Royal Caribbean is also adding more convenient line-up of show times that complement the evening dining options. For guests in the early dinner seating at 6:00pm, their evening show will be at 8:30pm.  For guests in the late dinner seating (8:30pm), their show time will be at 10:30pm.

The additional hours are part of the changes Royal Caribbean is making to Anthem of the Seas that were announced this week, including a notable change to dinner.

It appears that Royal Caribbean is beginning to charge guests for rides on some of its signature attractions onboard Quantum of the Seas.

Guests on Quantum of the Seas will now be charged $20 for a ride on North Star or $26 for a 1 minute Ripcord by iFly flight.

Quantum of the Seas, the cruise line's first Quantum class cruise ship, is offering cruises in Asia and Australia and is now charging for rides made in advance via the Cruise Planner web site.

Rides on North Star and Ripcord had been complimentary until now on all Quantum class ships.

There is no indication of a pricing change for these experiences on sister ship Anthem of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's North Star takes guests in an observation pod 300 feet above sea level for amazing views of the area around the ship.  RipCord by iFly is a skydiving simulator that allows guests to get the sensation of skydiving without the incredible risk of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

It is not clear yet if the change to charge for these experiences is a test or a permanent change.  In addition, it is unknown if guests that opt to skip advanced reservations and wait in a standby line will also be charged for the experience.

Would you pay extra to reserve a spot on North Star or Ripcord? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Few innovations on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas are as impressive to look at and take part in, as the North Star.

North Star is an observation pod that is attached to a giant arm on top of Quantum class ships, such as Anthem of the Seas.

North Star takes guests 300 feet above sea level and gives them views that have never been available until now.

Understandably, North Star is quite popular and long lines have been known to develop.  Luckily, we have five secrets to share with you for the best possible experience!

5. Shortest lines for North Star

In general, you will find the shortest lines for North Star on days when your ship is docked in port.

Since most guests are off the ship and exploring the port of call, there are far less guests to compete with.  This means shorter lines compared to sea days.

Lines may still exist on port days, but there tends to be ideal in the morning hours before many guests start returning to the ship after their shore excursions are complete.

4. Second shortest lines for North Star

If you need the absolute, positively best time to go for a ride on North Star with short lines, go for the first ride of the day.

Check your Cruise Compass for what time the first North Star ride will be, and then plan on arriving 10-15 minutes before that time to get in line.  

By arriving a little early, you will ensure a minimal wait.  In fact, you will likely be in the first ride given most guests start arriving after the North Star star rides begin.

3. Voom works in North Star

While you are enjoying the amazing views from North Star, you can use Royal Caribbean's Voom high speed internet to share the experience with friends and family onboard.

Just like anywhere else on your ship, Voom works throughout the entire experience, so feel free to post photos or video on your favorite social media networks or call someone on Facetime and share the experience live.

2. North Star is limited while in port

Remember our first tip about there being shorter lines while your Royal Caribbean ship is in port?  There is a small catch.

While your ship is in port, North Star is restricted in how far it can go over the side of the ship.

Experiencing North Star while in port is still a very fun experience, but keep in mind you will not move all the way over the side of the ship like you would while at sea.

1. You can prebook North Star online

Recently, Royal Caribbean started allowing guests to book North Star rides online via the Cruise Planner.

Once you have Anthem of the Seas (or any Quantum class ship) booked, log into your My Cruises section of Royal Caribbean's web site and head to the Cruise Planner.

Look for activities under the Cruise Planner and you will spot North Star.

With this option, you can assure yourself of a front-of-the-line spot to experience North Star.

Are you excited to try North Star?  Tell us about why in the comments!

Explore Anthem of the Seas’ North Star from a new angle. Go behind the scenes with the North Star Operator on Anthem of the Seas as she takes guests on a 300 feet above sea level adventure.

One of the highly touted experience on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas is the jewel-like capsule that takes passengers more than 300 feet above sea level for stunning views of the area around you. Today we review this new onboard activity and look at why you might want to try it too.

North Star is available on Quantum-class cruise ships.

Experience

Checking in

To ride North Star, you just have to get in line for it. Unlike some other onboard experiences, Royal Caribbean offers no means of pre-arranging North Star time, unless you happen to book it as part of a special event (like a wedding).

The line for North Star begins on deck 15 and there is an extended queue that can be used if the line gets long enough. Royal Caribbean provides signs at different intervals in the line to let you know about how long your wait is from that point.

Getting onto North Star is a first come, first served basis.  You will climb a set of spiral stairs to the loading area on deck 16 (there is a handicap elevator as well) where the doors to North Star open and you may enter.

Going up

Once inside the 3.6 meters x 4.5 meters space, you can move around to any vantage point you can find.  There are no seats and you will stand the entire time.  

North Star accommodates 13 guests, plus there will be room to accommodate a wheelchair passenger as well, for a total of 14 guests, and one operator.

It's North Star time! #QuantumoftheSeas

A photo posted by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 12, 2014 at 9:28am PST

Once the doors close, North Star will begin to ascend, giving you a wide view of your ship as well as the area around you.  The North Star pod is attached to a 135 foot arm that can extend up to an 80-degree angle and move around.  When the ship is in port, the arm only goes up and down due to local laws and will not move over the side of the ship.  While this limits the views somewhat, it does make for quicker ride experiences, which is good if you are waiting in line.

North Star going up! #QuantumfotheSeas

A video posted by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 12, 2014 at 12:31pm PST

Hyper lapse of North Star #QuantumoftheSeas

A video posted by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 12, 2014 at 9:39am PST

At its apex, North Star delivers some really amazing views of the area around you.  You're free to bring cameras to take photos or video and there's enough room in the pod to move around to get a view of everything.

The entire ride lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.

Comments

North Star is one of the highlights of any Quantum of the Seas cruise and it seems like it's a must-do experience given how popular it is. We think Royal Caribbean delivers a really cool opportunity to see not just your ship but the area around you in a way that could only be replicated by taking an airplane or helicopter.

Considering North Star is complimentary, it's something we recommend doing at least once for the fun.  North Star moves quite slowly and despite the 300 plus foot statistic, it's hardly a thrill ride.  Unless you have a crippling fear of heights, this should be a great bit of fun for all.

The issue many guests run into are the lines for North Star.  Long lines will develop for North Star, especially on sea days.  It's a testament to its popularity and we've seen lines for upwards of two or three hours. 

Our tip for avoiding these lines is to see North Star right as it opens in the morning or try for port days when there are less passengers onboard to compete with.  The line will also move faster on port days because North Star is restricted to only go up and down while in port.

Unlike anything on land or at sea, Quantum of the Seas' North Star offers guests the ability to view the world from over 300 feet above sea level providing unparalleled 360-degree views.

There's less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's brand new Quantum of the Seas debuts and we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about this amazing ship. Check into the blog every day for something new to read about Quantum of the Seas.

Installing Quantum of the Seas' North Star

We've got a brand new video to show off all about what it took to install the North Star on Quantum of the Seas.

The video focuses on the engineering process of constructing such an amazing piece of equipment onboard Quantum of the Seas as she gets ready to make her world debut.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!