Before you book any cruise, I think this is the important things to know and do (especially if you're new to cruising)
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The price to eat at a few of Royal Caribbean's extra cost restaurants appears to have gone up recently.
Specialty restaurants are an optional add-on passengers can indulge in that is not included with a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Depending on the restaurant, there could be a cover charge to dine there that includes all the food, or a la carte pricing.
Read more: Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
It seems some of the restaurants have had price increases this summer that point to a trend in the change.
Across at least 4 restaurants, we've spotted new prices to dine there.
It's not clear exactly when the prices went up because Royal Caribbean does not announce these sort of changes. At the very least, it seems prices were raised at some point over the summer.
Of course, the cost of food in general has been going up around the world, and is not just a cruise ship issue. Last year, U.S. consumers saw the largest annual increase in food prices since the 1980s.
Due to global disruptions to the food supply chain and inflation, food prices have gone up overall, so it's likely these fiscal pressures had an effect on what Royal Caribbean had to charge.
The U.S. Labor Department reported earlier this year restaurant prices outpaced grocery prices on a 12-month basis.
Walt Disney World increased prices across-the-board on countless food & beverage items in late 2022.
During Royal Caribbean Group's first quarter earnings call with investors, Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz said inflation was impacting the cost of food, "We continue to actively manage persistent inflation across categories, including food and beverage, airfare, and shoreside human capital."
He added the company was taking measures to find ways to mitigate inflation, and that work was mentioned by Chief Executive Officer Jason Liberty in the second quarter earnings call, "the actions that we took to position ourselves to really kind of outperform and to grow our margins. A lot of all that work really helped absorb the vast majority of -- a pretty significant inflation that we saw across a lot of the items that impact our product."
Here's a look at the recent price increases we've noticed when comparing menus on Wonder and Oasis of the Seas to older copies of the menu we could find elsewhere.
Read more: What's included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
In comparing prices of food at Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade on Wonder of the Seas, it's clear prices have gone up.
Food is served a la carte, and its known for offering bar food that you can enjoy while watching one of the many television screens to catch a game.
All the entrees went up from $9.00 to $11.99.
The wings went up too:
Appetizer prices were increased:
Old menu
New menu
It is important to note that Playmaker's menu prices hadn't changed since at least 2019.
There's only one Portside BBQ, and it is on Oasis of the Seas, and it also had a price jump.
bayportkat on the Cruise Critic message boards posted a photo of the new dinner menu, which indicates the prices changed in the past sailing.
Here's a look at changes for the Portside BBQ dinner menu.
The Signature combo went from 2 cuts for $12.49 and 3 cuts for $15.39 to $16.99 and $21.99, respectively.
The Pitmaster Special price was changed from $9.99 to $14.99.
Old menu
New menu
Just like Playmakers, the menu prices at Portside BBQ had not changed since the restaurant opened in 2019.
Whereas the other restaurants are priced a la carte, it looks as though the cost for brunch at the Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas has also gone up.
Last month, Royal Caribbean Blog message board user OCSC Mike reported the normal price had gone up from $24.99 to $34.99.
This is the onboard price for brunch, and Royal Caribbean usually provides a discount if pre-purchased before the cruise on the Cruise Planner website.
In comparing prices on Wonder of the Seas, our team also noticed a price change for sushi at Izumi for its sushi offerings.
All the appetizers have gone up one dollar in cost when comparing today's menu to a menu from earlier this year.
All the signature rolls are now $15, whereas some had been $13 or $14 previously.
Chef's Signature Rolls are now $18. Previously they had been priced between $15 and $17.
Chef's Sushi Selection went from $16 to $17 and the assorted sashimi went from $21 to $22.
Bowls & More
Desert prices at Izumi have not changed.
Old menu
New menu
When Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship starts sailing, it will have its most ambitious and expensive extra-cost restaurant ever.
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas is being designed from the water line up as a brand new evolution in cruising, and there are plenty of firsts, including 20 unique dining options.
One of the new restaurants on Icon of the Seas will be a high-end specialty restaurant that offers a "taste of old New York" and it wont be cheap.
The cruise line calls it the Empire Supper Club, and this throwback restaurant is unlike any other dining venue on its ships so far. Top quality food along with entertainment in a paced meal is what Royal Caribbean hopes will be a very cool idea that provides another option for those seeking a refined meal.
Icon's most elegant dining establishment is something brand new and has a lot of people curious what we can expect.
The Empire Supper Club looks to be the most elegant restaurant created by Royal Caribbean to date.
Guests will enjoy an eight-course meal, all paired with with cocktails that have been specially created for Royal Caribbean by a world renowned mixologist. Tony Abou-Ganim has worked with James Beard Award-winning chefs, Bellagio and more.
When you eat at the Empire Supper Club, expect an experience, not just dinner.
The venue can only seat 38 people and there will be only one seating per night, which means this will be a hot ticket to get into given its low capacity.
Each meal will take approximately three hours, and there will be a three-piece band playing, which means guests get not just a top quality meal, but entertainment too.
Royal Caribbean hopes it will be a throwback to old New York. Appropriately enough, you'll find the New York-themed restaurant in the part of the ship that is also inspired by the same city, Central Park.
While no prices have been listed yet, Royal Caribbean did give a ballpark estimate for how much a meal will cost.
In talking with travel agents recently, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said she expects the price to be right around $200 per person.
"It'll probably be about $200 a person," she explained in talking about the restaurant. "We haven't landed exactly on the price, but it's going to be worth it because it's going to be a beautiful eight course meal paired with the mixologist, the cocktails and the wines."
Royal Caribbean has plenty of specialty restaurants that have cover charges, but none that have a per-person price tag approaching the Empire Supper Club.
In comparison, here are prices for other specialty restaurants from the upcoming inaugural sailing of Icon of the Seas (with a 10% discount off onboard prices):
While the price is higher than other restaurants, it's also different from any other specialty restaurant the cruise line has come up with.
While the Chef's Table experience on other ships is also a curated meal experience, The Empire Supper Club is taking things to a new level with the menu and drink pairings.
Royal Caribbean said caviar and wagyu beef would be among the items that we can expect to see on the menu (the full menu has not been released yet).
The high price tag isn't without merit, as Royal Caribbean wanted to come up with something that is substantially different from anything else.
Royal Caribbean Vice President Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza, spoke about the Empire Supper Club a few months ago and he is excited to bring something so different to guests to try, "Empire Supper Club is what I would say is the most elevated dining experience we've created at Royal Caribbean."
"Food will be paired with cocktails, and then we'll pair it with music as well. So it'll be a full immersive dining experience."
From the sounds of it, this will be an intimate setting.
Just as food and drinks get commonly paired together, Royal Caribbean thinks pairing music to the meal will add to the sensory experience.
As mentioned earlier, the menu isn't set yet, but Mr. D'Souza's team is working on a variety of concepts for the menu, including an elevated oyster course, butterflied Caesar salad, and even testing out a rabbit dish. Don't worry, even if the rabbit course makes it to the menu, Mr. D'Souza said there will be other meat options too to pick from.
"It's really a set menu that allows you with a couple of choices around entrees."
Almost all the ingredients will be American sourced ingredients to match the New York menu they are aiming for.
He used the word "elevated" a lot to describe the meal at Empire Supper Club because of how fundamentally different it will be from other restaurants, "it really is an elevated food experience that's tied together with a really elevated beverage experience."
"It's really challenging us to come up with food and now figure out how to pair it, because you can pair wine easily. But, we're saying how do we pair a cocktail in a really meaningful way so that it's really an experiential combination between the food and the cocktail, and now you're layering music."
Royal Caribbean has a new weather expert on staff who's job it is track bad weather and ensure cruise ships aren't near potential problems.
Craig Setzer is the company's new Chief Meteorologist, and as as we know, the only chief meteorologist working in the cruise industry.
Mr. Setzer took on his new role in August, and has over 25 years of experience in the field. He's an Emmy-winning former TV Meteorologist, having worked at CBS News and a few local television stations. In fact, he was CBS' Chief Meteorologist.
He also remains involved with the National Hurricane Center, teaching at World Meteorological Organization workshops, and presenting at American Meteorological Society conferences around the country.
Following his television career, he spent considerable time in providing his expertise in court cases related to marine weather, atmospheric lighting and visibility, storm-related damage and losses, wind drift, and human exposure in extreme conditions.
Mr. Setzer posted on his Twitter account that working with Royal Caribbean is a dream role, "It’s a dream job utilizing my tropical & marine meteorology experience and allowing me to explore/advance operational maritime science in a way I couldn’t before."
According to Royal Caribbean Group's job posting for the Chief Meteorologist position earlier this year, Mr. Setzer will be responsible for providing expert analysis of weather systems, such as hurricanes, typhoons and any other kind of severe weather that could impact cruise ship sailings.
His guidance to the fleet with weather-related support and guidance is what ensures ships can alter itineraries, or simply take a different route to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for passengers.
Royal Caribbean was the first line to create the role of a meteorologist following a weather-related incident involving a Royal Caribbean ship in 2016.
Historically, cruise lines used outside vendors to provide them with forecasts.
After an internal investigation of the unsettling event, the cruise line decided they needed an in-house, dedicated resource.
Since then, the cruise line decided it was time to mitigate the chances of that sort of event from happening again by hiring someone in-house to provide better direction.
Royal Caribbean's first Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, also came from a television background, and worked in the role from its inception until earlier this year when it was announced he was leaving the position.
If Mr. Setzer's social media postings are any indication, he's been busy tracking weather events in just the first few weeks on the job.
Hurricane Hilary is headed towards California, and he's been sharing key details about the intensity of the storm and what people can really expect.
He debunked some headlines related to the storm, sharing that he expects the storm to be much weaker by the time it reaches the United States.
"Some folks see this headline,
...HILARY IS A LARGE AND POWERFUL CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE...
& see the center point cone headed toward California, thinking cat 4 is going to hit California. That's not correct."
"Looking at the forecast details reveal Hilary will be a much weaker but very wet storm by the time it reaches the US. Flooding will be main threat for Calif, AZ, much of the western US."
Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas had her itinerary changed, and Mr. Setzer was involved in that decision.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader YoungFamilyExplorers shared a photo of a letter sent to passengers onboard the cruise ship with the new times in port, and the decision was made with the assistance of the Chief Meteorologist.
Of course, he's also focused on the Atlantic for tropical storm development. Hurricanes in the Atlantic are usually where the greatest impact to itineraries occur.
The U.S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) originally predicted a "near-normal" year with 12 to 17 named storms for the 2023 hurricane season, with five to nine would become hurricanes.
NOAA increased its forecast on August 10 to a prediction of an "above normal" year for hurricanes, because of record-warm sea surface temperatures.
The new prediction is for 14 to 21 named storms for the season as a whole, of which six to 11 could become hurricanes. Two to five could become major hurricanes, according to NOAA.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs between June 1 and November 30.
Craig has never cruised Royal Caribbean, but gave it a try after sailing other lines.
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Fear not, Royal Caribbean won't be charging you for pizza on your next cruise.
A customer survey made its way around the internet that posed the question if people would consider paying extra for the pizza that is currently free onboard.
Cruise fans erupted in an avalanche of condemnation that the cruise line would even consider charging cruise ship passengers for pizza.
The controversy reached Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley's desk, as he took to social media to calm concern over such a change.
Last week, a RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader shared a copy of an email survey he received from Royal Caribbean asking about many topics, including opinions on making the free pizza an extra charge item.
Royal Caribbean surveys are a commonly used tool for the company to evaluate and get feedback on all aspects of its operations. However, the question of charging for pizza was something new, since the Sorrento's Pizza onboard has always been a complimentary option.
The question on the survey was, "If Sorrento's Pizza was offered for a fee, would you still dine there?".
It then asked if changing Sorrento's from complimentary to an extra cost venue would stop them from cruising with Royal Caribbean, "How would Sorrento's Pizza being offered for a fee impact your likelihood to choose Royal Caribbean in future?"
As word spread about this question, a lot of cruise fans began to worry that charging for pizza was a step on the slippery slope of higher cruise costs.
In fact, it seemed many people were more upset with the precedent it sets, rather than actually paying for the food.
Dawn Thompson's comment on social media exemplified many people's thoughts ont he matter, "I understand cruise ships lost a lot of money during Covid, but trying to make up all that money at once by putting an up charge on everything! They will lose their base and limit the amount of new customers and lose more!"
Mr. Bayley posted on his Facebook page an update that addressed the pizza survey and to assure guests there will not be a change.
He first explained how the survey question came to be, "A couple of weeks ago we conducted one of frequent small group guest surveys. As usual we asked questions on this n that! Including customer thoughts on $ charges for Pizza! The question was posted with the result that many emails and comments were sent! "
According to him, 80% of the respondents said they were against Royal Caribbean charging for pizza onboard its cruise ships.
"The survey said 80 per cent of guests were opposed, 20 per cent of guests said they would still go for Pizza with a charge."
He also said about a quarter of the people would consider changing other cruise lines if Royal Caribbean began charging for pizza.
Most importantly, Mr. Bayley assured cruisers the free pizza isn't going anywhere, "To calm all our Pizza lovers don’t worry we are not charging for Pizza."
For many cruise fans, this update was a welcome sigh of relief.
Nancy Bridges posted, "Thank you for listening, Michael."
Tracey Garner added, "Thank you for listening to your loyal customers! It is very much appreciated!"
Mike Barngrover joked, "That's a relief Michael. I did not want to move my cruises to Carnival."
Russel Lomas suggested working on the surveys so they aren't as easily misconstrued, "You may want to think about how the question was worded in the survey so that in future people to do not get into an uproar on social media about issues or questions like this."
Don't mess with the pizza is the message Royal Caribbean cruise fans are saying loudly back to the cruise line.
UPDATE: Royal Caribbean CEO says pizza will remain free
In the days since it became public that Royal Caribbean asked select customers what they think about paying extra for the pizza that is currently complimentary from Sorrento's pizza.
The question was part of a survey that wanted to get customer feedback about many aspects of the cruise experience, but this particular question struck a nerve with so many of our readers and viewers.
"Charge for pizza? If that happens I’m out, that’s the last straw," is what Scott North wrote after reading about the question, and his sentiment was shared among many other readers.
The survey wanted to know if Royal Caribbean decided to charge for pizza, would people still pay for it and would it impact their choice in cruising with Royal Caribbean.
While nothing has actually changed in terms of the price of pizza on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the very notion of thinking of charging for something as basic as a slice of pizza on a cruise has so many readers up in arms.
Over 300 Facebook comments along with 600 YouTube comments illustrate a growing frustration with potentially higher prices to cruise.
Most readers seem to be upset about the direction Royal Caribbean seems to be headed in, rather than actually paying extra for pizza.
"Charging for pizza?? This is starting to get out of hand," is what Andy Pope wrote and a lot of people seem to agree that they see the slippery slope of adding more costs to an already expensive cruise cost.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog YouTube viewer MikeyAtTheBar is also worried about what charging for pizza leads to, "Were they to start charging for Sorrento's and were it to be successful, what's next? How many other things could they start charging for? Shows? Water slides? Windjammer? MDR? It's a slippery slope."
Twitter user @Williamson_KB posted this meme as a way to poke fun at the idea of charging for pizza.
Dawn Thompson understands the bigger picture, but thinks the cut backs since cruising restarted in 2021 is getting out of hand, "I understand cruise ships lost a lot of money during Covid, but trying to make up all that money at once by putting an up charge on everything! They will lose their base and limit the amount of new customers and lose more!"
What Dawn is referring to is something a lot of readers pointed to as well in their comments. In 2023, Royal Caribbean introduced a new main dining room menu that reduced the amount of options on the menu and limited each passenger to one lobster.
They also changed cabin service for non-suites from twice a day to once a day, which came after increasing automatic crew member gratuities in 2022.
Andy Januse doesn't like the direction either, "I am Loyal to Royal but lately they way they are nickel and diming everyone to death is really leaving a sour taste in my mouth and might even make me consider switching lines altogether."
Many people that commented on the survey question questioned their choice in cruise line.
"I am a Diamond member and after September cruise I’ll be Diamond Plus.I have started for the first time in my life looking at other cruise lines like NCL, where some sales offer for free a lot of the things Royal Caribbean charges for," is what Theodore Jones wrote. "Too much nickel and dimming and I’ll be out."
"I'll take my 3-5 cruises a year to another line. Enough of this silliness," wrote Matt Bender.
Marc Razz Sr. is also considering other options, "RCCL seems like the are pushing us loyal clients to try other companies. As MSC is attempting to make a splash in tristate area, this may be my final straw."
Then there's the comments by Royal Caribbean Group executives to Wall Street that they want to raise prices even higher.
Royal Caribbean has always charged extra for certain add-ons, like drinks or shore excursions, but the possibility of charging for pizza comes at a time when the price for a cruise is already on the rise.
While Royal Caribbean Group is still saddled with billions of dollars of debt that it took out in the form of loans since 2020, it is slowly beginning to pay those loans back thanks to higher cruise fares.
In short, people in 2023 are paying more for their cruises than in 2019, which was the previous high water mark for cruise revenue.
The company disclosed cruise rates were up 17% in the second quarter compared to 2019.
Capacity overall was at 105% and net yields up 12.9% comparted to 2019 numbers.
After releasing the earnings, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty told CNBC he thinks prices will go even higher in talking about the value gap between a cruise and land vacation.
"In the earlier part of this year, that value gap was somewhere around 45%. And today, we've closed that value gap by about ten percentage points, so we still think there's a lot of runway that is still there to close," he said.
"We always want to be as competitive as we possibly can be, but of course, we want that gap to be much smaller."
"We were able to close that gap to about 10-15 points pre-covid, we think there's a lot of opportunity for us to close that gap even further."
Welcome to this week's edition of the Royal Caribbean post round-up, where we summarize all of the Royal Caribbean news and information from this week into one handy-dandy post! There is plenty of great content to enjoy, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's round-up!
Is Royal Caribbean considering starting to charge for its free pizza?
An email survey sent to some cruisers asked if Sorrento's Pizza was offered for a fee, would they would still dine there.
No policy has changed, but the survey wanted to get cruiser feedback on this possible change.
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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video: 10 Reasons people leave their cruise ship vacation disappointed
Ready to take a walkthrough tour of Icon of the Seas while it's still under construction?
The next new Royal Caribbean cruise ship doesn't begin service until January 2024, but we have a batch of new photos to share from the shipyard.
You can see the progress being made on adding water slides, the different neighborhoods onboard, and many of the signature venues.
Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley took to Facebook to ask cruise fans how they would solve the issue of overcrowding in the Diamond Lounge.
"I’ve been hearing from a lot of our guests about overcrowding in our Diamond lounges and in the Suite lounge," he posted on social media. "What do you think we should do?"
Hundreds of responses followed with plenty of ideas for how to deal with the issue.
There are lots of rules to follow on a cruise ship, and if you break some of them, you could be kicked off the ship.
Every cruise line has a code of conduct that is outlined in the cruise contract that every passenger agrees to when they book a cruise. The cruise contract outlines what you can and cannot do onboard, as well as consequences.
In reading through the cruise contract for U.S. guests, there's a few rules that could get you taken off your cruise ship if you break them.
Are you wondering when is the best time to book a cruise?
There's many considerations, such as time of year, sailing length, itinerary and much more that factor into how early you should book a cruise.
Are you ready to escape to the warm blue waters of The Bahamas?
Quite a lot of Royal Caribbean cruises will make a stop in The Bahamas due to its convenient location and natural beauty.
Whether you make one stop or spend the entire cruise in their waters, here's your guide to a Bahamas cruise so you know what to expect.
Royal Caribbean is in the final months prepping what will become the largest cruise ship in the world.
Icon of the Seas won't launch until early 2024, but the ship is already generating incredible hype with an unmatched level of fascination for a new cruise ship yet unseen.
The 20-deck high ship comes in at 250,800 tons and will take away the title of biggest cruise ship in the world from sister vessel, Wonder of the Seas. In fact, it will be the first time in about 5 years that an Oasis Class ship hasn't been the biggest in the world.
At the Turku, Finland shipyard, Royal Caribbean gave a hard hat tour to travel agents to help familiarize the new ship with some of the top sellers of all things Royal Caribbean.
Beci Mahnken, president and CEO of MEI-Travel, had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the not-yet-completed ship while it's being worked on. Unlike our visit to the ship in May, Icon is in a far more complete stage of construction now.
Icon already completed her first set of sea trials, and is expected to complete work on her sometime later this year before being readied to start offering cruises.
If there's one thing apparent about Royal Caribbean's new ship, it's that it's anything but ordinary.
Royal Caribbean calls Icon of the Seas a "white paper" ship, because it has been designed from the ground up with new concepts.
There's been a lot of attention for this new ship, and rightfully so, as it represents the single biggest chance of being a game changer to the cruise industry in the same way the Oasis of the Seas was when it launched.
Royal Caribbean is building on its legacy of not just building big cruise ships, but innovating and leading the industry at the same time. Royal Caribbean sets the bar all other new cruise ships are judged against.
With five months left before the first passenger steps onboard Icon of the Seas, there's still plenty to do. In the meantime, here's a look at the latest progress and how much closer to completion the ship is.
You wont run out of things to do on Icon of the Seas, especially if water slides are your thing.
Icon will introduce the first water park at sea, with six different water slides that will draw your attention within a mile of arriving to the ship.
Thrill Island is the name of a brand new neighborhood coming to the first Icon Class cruise ship, and it is a new approach to aquatic fun on a cruise ship for Royal Caribbean.
Because Royal Caribbean wants Icon of the Seas to rival any family land resort, the amount of space dedicated to water slides is not something you will find at any old hotel complex.
Related: Royal Caribbean's next-gen cruise ship will have the largest water park to thrill all ages
In combination with their private island, Royal Caribbean thinks they have a one-two combo that will draw people to Icon like never before.
"The Icon product, along with Perfect Day, with the kind of experiences that we're offering, with the kind of new accommodations that we have on Icon and the experiences that we have for young families, older families and of course couples and singles and what have you, is really squarely standing shoulder to shoulder with Orlando and those kind of destinations," is what Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said about his company's plans.
The water slides, known collectively as Category 6, take up the back of the top deck of the ship, and are flanked by mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, and a brand new thrill "walk".
Crown's Edge is a combination ropes course, sky walk, and obstacle course.
Guests are strapped in and walk 154 feet above the ocean for this experience. It lasts about two and a half minutes and culminates with drop through portion, which Royal Caribbean described as "pretty scary".
Icon of the Seas is not the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to have a Royal Promenade thoroughfare on its ships, but it will be the first to introduce an expanded and evolved version.
At 362 feet long, the Royal Promenade onboard Icon of the seas is longer than a football field, and for the first time, it incorporates ocean views.
As you walk onto the ship, you'll see a giant multi-deck high glass wall that will provide natural light and a way to still see the beautiful ocean that surrounds the ship.
The Pearl is a likely focal point of the Royal Promenade, which the cruise line describes as a multi-sensory experience built with 3,000 kinetic tiles.
Behind The Pearl, guests will find the Pearl Cafe, which serves freshly toasted croissants, hot chocolate croissants, croissant sandwiches, sweets, and other specialty desserts.
You will find Giovanni's Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar on the Promenade, which is a new location for this restaurant. There will also be a Dueling Pianos bar, Sorrento's pizzeria, Point and Feather pub, Spotlight Karaoke, Boleros and Schooner Bar.
On one end of the Promenade will be the new ice skating rink, Absolute Zero, with over 2,850 square feet of ice.
Absolute Zero will host two different shows: "Starburst" and "Once Upon A Time."
Casino Royale is located just one deck below the Promenade.
A connection to the water was one of the guiding principles to Icon of the Seas' design, and you'll find a pool deck that exceeds anything else the cruise line has offered.There's 62% more water surface area than on the Oasis Class cruise ships.
Chill Island is the name of its massive resort-style relaxation zone where you'll find the largest pool at sea, an adult only pool, and the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Five of the seven pools on Icon of the Seas are located in Chill Island.
Whether it's sitting by the pool, listening to the Caribbean band, or enjoying time at the ship's swim-up bar, the idea behind Chill Island is you can pick from different ways to take it easy.
Like most of the ship, the pools are under construction and will be among the last things to be completed (no need to add pool water this early).
There will be pools for adults, pools for families, and pools to simply enjoy the views all around you, including the ocean.
You can't miss the AquaDome as a feature, given that there is a giant glass dome adorned to the front part of the ship. Inside, Royal Caribbean hopes to deliver a jaw-dropping experience.
Instead of an outdoor theater that is subject to weather conditions, Royal Caribbean built a dome it placed on top of the theater, along with enough space to add bars, food hall, and even cruise ship cabins.
Photos simply do not do the AquaDome justice, because it is truly massive. It weighs 363-tons and has over 600 glass panels of cables. It was no simple feat to hoist it into position, as the team in Turku had to use 1,600 feet of cables to lift it into position. The length of cables is longer than the height of the Empire State Building.
Of course, the AquaTheater is at the heart of this neighborhood. Royal Caribbean has a show that that will feature aerialists, acrobatics, high dives, and the tallest waterfall at sea at 55 feet tall.
There will be two shows that passengers can see in the AquaTheater: "Aqua Nation!" and "Pirates vs Mermaids."
You'll find the Overlook inside the dome, which has 220-degree views from pods you can sit in and enjoy time with friends.
If there's one major focus Royal Caribbean has with its new ship, it's it wants to up its family cruise game to a whole new level.
Icon will have an entire neighborhood dedicated to young families, known as Surfside. It's located at the back of the ship in an open-air space that is somewhat similar to the Boardwalk neighborhood on the Oasis Class ships.
Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay are the focal point of the new neighborhood, which is an aquapark and pool designed for families to enjoy together. Royal Caribbean added the Water's Edge pool so adults can lounge in the pool too. It is located at the aft of the ship, complete with in pool lounge chairs and gorgeous views of the ocean.
As part of Royal Caribbean's plans to attract families away from theme parks and other land destinations in Florida, this part of the ship is all about appealing to not just kids, but their parents too.
Instead of a place to take your kids, Surfside is meant to be enjoyed alongside your kids.
There's lots of dining choices too, including Surfside Bites. This quick eatery has burgers, popcorn chicken, cinnamon sugar donut holes, and, of course, soft serve!
You'll also find new cabins in Surfside designed to accommodate more people, which is perfect for families.
There are new categories of cabins on Icon, with over 50% of Icon's room types new to the cruise line.
Related: Royal Caribbean designed first-of-its-kind cabins for its new cruise ship
The ocean view infinite balcony that allows you to expand your indoor living space or invite in the sea breeze with the touch of a button.
One new cabin type is the Family Infinite Balcony room, which has in-room games, a split bathroom, and even a bunk area for children that can be closed off with a curtain for privacy. Plus, each bunk has their own television!
And then there's the epic suite that cannot be overlooked.
The Ultimate Family Townhouse is a mind-blowingly epic, 3-story stateroom extraordinaire that features its own back yard with a private entrance into Splashaway Bay.
Demand is so strong for these rooms that it's selling for $80,000 per week in 2024.
There's an in-suite slide to bring you into "the coolest living room ever", which has hidden nooks too.
A fan-favorite neighborhood will make it on Icon of the Seas in the form of Central Park.
In the heart of the ship is an open air garden with living plants that create a peaceful atmosphere amongst various dining and entertainment venues.
When it's complete, Central Park will have a jazz club, walkup champagne bar window, and new restaurants too.
Related: The Ultimate Icon of the Seas Dining & Lounges Guide
Bubbles is the walkup champagne bar window where glasses of mimosa, prosecco, and Bellini, and bottles of Champagne are available all day.
If elevated dining is your thing, you'll need to check out the new swanky supper club coming to Icon of the Seas.
Empire Supper Club is is meant to be reminiscent of the 1930s in New York City, and it has two seating for guests to experience the extravagant eight course menu.
The menu will feature premium American cuisine and offer selections such as caviar and wagyu. Plus, each course will be paired with a beverage.
Royal Caribbean has billed Icon of the Seas to be not just a major player in the cruise industry, but the likely heir apparent to the title of most coveted cruise ship.
The first sailing is scheduled for the end of January, and Icon will be the first of at least three new cruise ships in this class.
While it's likely inevitable for Icon to be compared to her Oasis Class sisters, there's little doubt Royal Caribbean isn't up to the task considering their track record of introducing game-changing ships time and time again.
Related: 11 reasons Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas will change the cruise industry
The next step for Icon are around round of sea trials scheduled for later in 2023 to ensure Icon of the Seas is ready to be delivered to Royal Caribbean prior to her January 27, 2024 maiden voyage.
The first sailing of Icon of the Seas will be a 7-night cruise from Miami on January 27, 2024.
The ship will sail year-round out of Miami in 2024, alternating between Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries, with four different routings available for departures between January 2024 and April 2025.
More information
Royal Caribbean is experimenting with a new chat bot that can answer some basic questions customers might have before they get on a ship.
We spotted a new chatbot on select pages of the Royal Caribbean website that provide an option to engage with and get answers.
A customer service chatbot is a bot that uses AI and machine learning to answer basic customer questions via a business messenger. For example, you could ask "how do I book a cruise" or "when can I check-in for my cruise?".
Chatbots use existing knowledge base articles to help answer customers’ questions. They can recognize and answer multiple forms of the same question and can be trained to give instant responses using your preferred voice and tone.
Chatbots are a popular mechanism for ecommerce sites to get answers to customers 24/7 on topics that are very commonly asked. AI chatbots have really risen to prominence since 2020, providing 24/7 support, and automatically resolving questions without any human intervention.
The chatbot is in a pop up that appears on select pages of the Royal Caribbean website, such as the frequently asked questions section. It is not available on the Royal Caribbean app.
If you opt to click on the "Chat with us" pop-up, the Virtual Agent greets you with the option of inquiring about an existing booking or if you have no booking.
The chatbot allows you to type your questions and it will try its best to find you an answer.
I was curious as anyone to know how helpful the chatbot could be, so I fed it some questions that are commonly asked in Google searches.
Below you'll see the question in bold, followed by the chatbot's response.
How much do you tip a cruise waiter?
As of September 7th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Gratuities are shared among dining, bar, culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience.
Read more: Tipping on a cruise ship: what you should and shouldn't do
Can I bring a 12 pack of water on Royal Caribbean?
Yes, guests are allowed to bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles, or cartons per stateroom.
Read more: What food or drinks you're allowed to bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise
Do I need a passport or birth certificate to take a Royal Caribbean cruise?
Yes, as a US citizen, you will need a valid US passport book that is valid for at least 6 months after your cruise ends to board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. If you are sailing from a US homeport, an official US state-issued birth certificate is also accepted. Guests age 16 and older who present an official US state-issued birth certificate will also need to provide a valid driver's license or government-issued picture ID.
Read more: Passport card vs book: Which should you choose?
Do I need a Covid test to enter US after a cruise?
Vaccinations, face masks, and pre-cruise testing are no longer required to sail, with the following exceptions: transpacific sailings ending in Australia (pre-cruise testing & vaccines required), cruises from Australia (vaccinations, face masks and pre-cruise testing required), and the Ultimate World Cruise (vaccination required).
Can you split a drink package on Royal Caribbean?
I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that at the moment.
Read more: Royal Caribbean Drink Package guide
Will my phone work onboard a Royal Caribbean ship?
Yes, Royal Caribbean works with cellular networks to provide the ability to connect your device through "cellular at sea". These roaming rates to utilize your device are determined by your cellular provider. Prior to your sailing, it is recommended to contact your cellular provider for more information on these rates and special packages available. Additionally, another option for staying connected without utilizing your cellular data is connecting to VOOM, the fastest internet at sea. VOOM allows guests to stay connected via wifi, with a variety of packages to choose from.
Read more: Cellphone Use Onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise
Where can I smoke on a Royal Caribbean cruise?
For the comfort and enjoyment of our guests, our ships are designated as non-smoking; however, we recognize that some of our guests do smoke. To provide an onboard environment that meets all needs, we’ve designated certain areas of the ship as smoking areas. Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas, must be properly disposed of, and never be thrown overboard. We’ll have visible signage posted in areas where smoking is permitted, and ashtrays that are provided for use. Cigar and pipe tobacco are limited to designated outdoor areas and Cigar Bars. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or use tobacco on sailings beginning in U.S. ports. For sailings beginning in all other ports, the minimum age is 18 years old.
Where can I eat on embarkation day at the start of a Royal Caribbean cruise?
On the first day of your Royal Caribbean cruise, you can enjoy a meal at our different available venues before heading to your stateroom.
I've been assigned My Time Dining, what does this mean?
My Time Dining is one of the options you’ll get to choose from when you book your cruise. Unlike traditional dining — where a dining time is assigned to you — guests who opt for My Time Dining can eat in the Main Dining Room anytime they like during dinner hours, according to availability. Reservations are strongly recommended. My Time Dining uses the same menu as traditional seating. The wait staff will have your table ready for you so can avoid a delay in seating. If you would like a specific waiter or table, they are more likely to be able to accommodate your request with advance reservations (however, please note this is based on availability). Guests who have signed up for My Time Dining will have their SeaPass card designated with the dining room and deck number. They will be seated in one of the main dining rooms. There will be a My Time Dining check-in desk at the entrance to the dining room with wait staff to greet guests. My Time Dining is now a choice within the booking process. When making a reservation you will be offered “My Time” or traditional dining times* (i.e., 5:30 pm 8:00 pm). *Traditional dining times may vary by ship and itinerary.
Read more: What you need to know about Royal Caribbean's My Time Dining
In addition to the chatbot, you can now find cruise ship ratings for all of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.
In visiting any of the ship landing pages, you'll find at the bottom a list of ratings.
In fact, there's a lot of reviews listed for each ship.
For Wonder of the Seas, there were 51,409 reviews. Ovation of the Seas has 27,366 reviews. Mariner of the Seas has 37,647 reviews.
Moreover, the reviews don't seem to be filtered, if at all. There were as many glowing positive reviews and one star negative reviews.
Read more: Why you can't trust online reviews of cruise ships
In case you're wondering, here's how the fleet stacks up based on average review score:
4.7 Stars
4.6 Stars
4.5 Stars
4.4 Stars