Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: April 13, 2014

In:
13 Apr 2014

Happy Sunday and I hope you had a great week (and weekend)!  This week's biggest news was Royal Caribbean's CEO, Adam Goldstein, has been promoted and the company is now looking for a new CEO.

Goldstein is now the president and chief operating officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the parent company of Royal Caribbean International.

Among other duties, Goldstein's new position will have him working with Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain on the strategic direction for the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-sixth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available that is all about booking shore excursions.

Royal Caribbean recently announced its brand new approach to dining for the Quantum­-class cruise ships, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas and this week Matt is exploring what Dynamic Dining is and if this is a change for the best.

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

MDLblog has photos of his food from his Navigator of the Seas cruise.

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

Royal Caribbean has the top 3 tips for picking the right vacation destination.

Seatrade Insider says Royal Caribbean government relations now fall under Kalisch.

NBC Miami reports a 10-month old was airlifted from Enchantment of the Seas after having difficulty breathing.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: April 6, 2014

In:
06 Apr 2014

Sit back and catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news.  We've gone through and hand-picked some fun articles for you to take a look at in case you missed any of it.

Broadway fans will rejoice in Royal Caribbean's big announcement this week that one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time, Andrew Lloyd Weber's CATS, is coming to Oasis of the Seas.

As part of the ship's refurbishment later this year, Royal Caribbean will swap out Hairspray and replace it with CATS.

Oasis of the Seas will be going into drydock in while in Europe on October 2014.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-fifth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, answers the question of how do you figure out the right Royal Caribbean cruise for you.  Matt offers ways to sift through all the cruises Royal Caribbean offers to figure out which cruise options to choose from and ultimately make a decision.

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.

Join us for the first ever Royal Caribbean Blog Cruise!

We're so excited to announce the first ever group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Quantum of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on one of the first Quantum of the Seas sailings on an 8-night cruise to the Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the brand new cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Law News is reporting a gastrointestinal outbreak on Gradeur of the Seas.

Cruise Hive has a report of two port workers were killed during Independence of the Seas' unberthing process.

Cruise Miss shares her thoughts on Royal Caribbean's Dynamic Dining.

Jason Leppert has a new vidcast all about cruising.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: March 30, 2014

In:
30 Mar 2014

It was a big week for Royal Caribbean news and if you missed any of it, we have the full recap right here.

Any self respecting Royal Caribbean fan probably heard the big news when on Wednesday Royal Caribbean announced its new evolution of cruise dining called Dynamic Dining for its Quantum-class cruise ships.

Dynamic Dining boils down to there will be no main dining room on Quantum of the Seas or Anthem of the Seas. Instead, there will be 5 complimentary restaurants along with a slew of specialty restaurants and quick dining locations.

Needless to say, the change has gotten Royal Caribbean fans talking and there's vocal fans in support and in opposition to Dynamic Dining.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-fourth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt talks about Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society.  Matt explains how the program works and why you would want to join it.  He's also reading messages, comments and questions from all of our podcast listeners.

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.

Join us for the first ever Royal Caribbean Blog Cruise!

We're so excited to announce the first ever group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Quantum of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on one of the first Quantum of the Seas sailings on an 8-night cruise to the Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the brand new cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean News

CruiseInd has analysis of why they think Royal Caribbean did away with traditional dining.

Seatrade Insider reports on how Royal Caribbean discussed cruise safety oversight at NTSB forum.

Metro has a video of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver discussing why he opened a restaurant on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Beyond Ships has an interview with Legend of the Seas captain.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: March 23, 2014

In:
23 Mar 2014

Another week has passed and we have our recap of all the Royal Caribbean news that happened so you don't miss any of it.

Late last night (or is it early this morning), STX Europe shipyard released 3D renders of the third Oasis-class cruise ship coming to Royal Caribbean's fleet in 2016.

These are the first images of the new ship, which is being built at STX Europe and no other details were announced at the time.  

The third in the Oasis class will be ready for delivery to Royal Caribbean in mid-2016.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-third episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt talks about his favorite class of Royal Caribbean ships, the Voyager class.  It's a chance to see how the Voyager class re-defined what a cruise ship is and how it still is a great choice for anyone taking a cruise today.  

Of course, there's lots of emails, facebook messages and tweets to share this week including if there are lockers on CocoCay.

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

CruiseVoyant has a review of the revitalized Navigator of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: March 16, 2014

In:
16 Mar 2014

Happy weekend Royal Caribbean fans!

The big Royal Caribbean news of the week occured yesterday when Royal Caribbean made big changes to its future cruise booking program.

Effective immediately, Royal Caribbean revised how much onboard credit guests can get by booking a specific cruise as well as an open booking onboard their Royal Caribbean cruise.

The new promotion largely benefits those booking cruises 8-nights or longer and those staying in a balcony stateroom or higher.  In addition, the open booking onboard credit amounts have been greatly reduced across the board.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Have you listened to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast yet? Our newest episode came out this week and it's all about the most challenging aspects of planning a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Matt shares his biggest challenges and also shares challenges other Royal Caribbean Blog members ran into and tries to offer solutions to avoiding these problems or at least minimizing the issues.

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.

Join us for the first ever Royal Caribbean Blog Cruise!

We're so excited to announce the first ever group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Quantum of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on one of the first Quantum of the Seas sailings on an 8-night cruise to the Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the brand new cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Advertising Age included Royal Caribbean in a list of 15 of Marketing's Most Memorable Experiential Moves.

Royal Caribbean has solutions to five travel conundrums like planning and shopping.

Metro looks at the looming "cruise war" between Anthem of the Seas and the Britannia.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: March 9, 2014

In:
09 Mar 2014

Hope you had a great week (maybe one week closer to your next Royal Caribbean cruise?) and you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

The big Royal Caribbean news this week was the new promotion offering kids sail free on select Royal Caribbean cruises from May through December.

The deal boils down to the third and fourth person in any stateroom are free and it turns out they don't even need to be kids!  

In addition, Royal Caribbean is also offering 50 percent-reduced deposit per guest.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The thirty-first episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt looks at everything there is to do onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. It's an in-depth look at all the onboard activities Royal Caribbean offers, from bellyflop competitions to towel folding demonstrations to bingo.  On any given day there's a lot to do on any Royal Caribbean ship and these activities should definitely not be overlooked.

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 Radio has a listener review of their cruise on Oasis of the Seas.

In The Loop Travel has a review of their cruise on Navigator of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: March 2, 2014

In:
02 Mar 2014

Happy weekend Royal Caribbean fans!

The big story this week was around Royal Caribbean putting the first Anthem of the Seas sailings for sale to the public.

The new sailings range from 3 to 14 night cruises out of Southampton to Spain and the Mediterranean.

The good news is after just the first day of being on sale, Royal Caribbean saw record breaking sales for the new ship.

Early reports show that Anthem of the Seas has already seen two-thirds of bookings for premium balcony and suite accommodations in just its first day and a half on sale.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Have you listened to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast yet? Our thirtieth episode came out this week and it's all about answering our listeners' questions.

The people that listen to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast are what this podcast is all about so Matt dedicated an entire episode this week to answering their emails.  We covered topics such as virtual balconies, Crown and Anchor Society benefits and what to do on Barbados.

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

Beyond Ships talks with hotel director of Allure of the Seas.

Boot Camp has an interview with a member of the group that developed the virtual balcony.

Royal Caribbean has a behind the scenes look at the Caribbean Cup Challenge.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: February 23, 2014

In:
23 Feb 2014

Hope you had a great week (maybe one week closer to your next Royal Caribbean cruise?) and you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

This week Royal Caribbean signed a deal with the port of Port Canaveral to keep a cruise ship presence there for the next 10 years.

Royal Caribbean will also provide an additional $48 million to Port Canaveral over the next 10 years as part of an agreement to become the primary user of the new Cruise Terminal 1, scheduled to open in November.

For Royal Caribbean, the new agreement will allow for more flexibility to move ships into Port Canaveral and even open the door to the cruise line bringing even larger ships to Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The twenty-ninth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're reviewing our recent cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt is back from his cruise aboard Navigator of the Seas and has a lot to talk about.  We review the changes made to Navigator of the Seas, the ports we visited, the new restaurants we tried and lots more.  It's an in-depth review of why the changes to Navigator of the Seas are really exciting.

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 has a look behind the scenes with world-class #athletes at the Caribbean Cup Challenge

Kuki is writing about things no one knows about cruising.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: February 09, 2014

In:
09 Feb 2014

Sit back and catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news.  We've gone through and hand-picked some fun articles for you to take a look at in case you missed any of it.

Royal Caribbean dropped the news this week that it will send the largest cruise ship in the world across the Atlantic to Spain in 2015 to offer Mediterranean cruises.

Beginning in May 2015, Allure of the Seas will sail from Barcelona and offer seven night cruises with calls in Palma de Mallorca, Marseilles, La Spezia (Florence and Pisa), Civitavecchia (Rome), and Naples.

The Mediterranean cruises will go on sale to Crown and Anchor Society members Febryary 12, 2014 and then go on sale to the general public on February 18.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The twenty-seventh episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available that is all about booking shore excursions.

Matt is going on the newly refurbished Navigator of the Seas cruise this week and so he previews his upcoming adventure including why he booked the cruise, some of the plans he has onboard and on shore and why he's excited to see what Navigator of the Seas has to offer.

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 recognized National Weatherperson's Day.

Ship Monk has an interview with Royal Caribbean officials regarding Allure of the Seas going to Europe in 2015.

Cruise International has its list of the top 10 cruises for families in 2014.

Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: February 2, 2014

In:
02 Feb 2014

Unfortunately Royal Caribbean news was dominated this week by the outbreak of gastrointestinal sickness (most likely Norovirus) on Explorer of the Seas.

After hundreds of passengers got sick earlier in the week, Royal Caribbean decided to bring the ship back two days early for thorough cleaning.  Royal Caribbean also went a step further to offer 50% refunds on the cruise fare to all passengers on the ill-fated ship.

In the end, over 600 cruise passengers became sick and it created a media circus around the ship.  Royal Caribbean apologized to its guests for disappointing them and will take "several steps to compensate them for their inconvenience."

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Podcast

In the mood for a beach day? The twenty-sixth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available and we're exploring Royal Caribbean's private island of CocoCay.

In this episode, Matt gives an overview of this island paradise including what there is to do here, the dining options on the island and a look at the cabanas available to rent.  This island in the Bahamas is a popular destination for Royal Caribbean fans because of how beautiful the landscape is and how relaxing an experience it is.

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

CruizeCast has a new podcast episode out, with a review of the Caribbean Princess.

Cruise Critic has a look at what it's like to have Norovirus and be quarantined on a cruise ship.

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