Celebrity Cruises announced on Tuesday it will require children 5 years and older to be fully vaccinated in order to go on their cruise ships.

In an update to travel agents, Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Dondra Ritzenthaler announced the policy change that affects guests between the age of 5 and 12.

Effective February 1, 2022 all guests 5 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated, at that time unvaccinated children between the ages of two and four years old will be required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding. 

Previously, children between the ages of two and eleven years old were required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding.

There has been no change to the Royal Caribbean International vaccination policy.

"The COVID-19 global pandemic has not only changed the way we all do business, it has altered operating protocols and safety expectations in almost every aspect of the travel industry," Ms. Ritzenthaler explained in an email.

"Since the beginning of this crisis, Celebrity Cruises has kept one goal tantamount above all others: to offer the safest cruise vacation options in the industry. That's why we enlisted a panel of experts to advise up on adjusting our already exemplary health and safety protocols to new industry-leading standards. That's why we continually update our protocols to ensure we are staying ahead of global situations. It's all in an effort of leadership in safety, ensuring our guests and your clients will enjoy their bucket list vacation with zero worries. With these enhanced protocols, we've transported hundreds of thousands of guests across the globe safely."

Celebrity joins Disney Cruise Line in requiring kids to be vaccinated in order to cruise.

Starting on January 13, 2022 guests on Disney Cruise Line between the ages of 5-11 must be fully vaccinated to be eligible to cruise.

Celebrity was already requiring 95% of its passengers be fully vaccinated in order to sail, which is a step beyond what Royal Caribbean required.

Royal Caribbean did not require that many passengers to be vaccinated so that it could allow families to cruise with them.

In April 2021, the CDC gave cruise lines two choices: skip test cruises if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated, or conduct simulated sailings first.

Royal Caribbean decided to go with the simulated sailings because of its commitment to families.

Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, said the decision to allow families to cruise was an easy one, "Once there were two clear paths, 95% or under 95%, it wasn’t even really a consideration."

According to Tamis, more than 1 million children sail on Royal Caribbean ships each year, "We're the largest family cruise brand in the world, so it was pretty obvious that we would just go down this path."

Will Royal Caribbean change their vaccine requirements?

No change has been announced by sister company Royal Caribbean International regarding their vaccine policy for kids.

As of right now, Royal Caribbean only requires guests age 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley was asked about a policy change during a question and answer session.

"if and when we do make the changes, we need to give everybody time. So when we announce we give people obviously plenty of time."

"What we do know is that for 12 to 17, where we we do say that everybody has to be vaccinated, still in the United States, only 48 percent of 12 to 17 year olds have been vaccinated."

"From 5 to 12, everything that we've learned and seen statistically is only currently thirty five percent of parents are going to get there five to 12 year old vaccinated, currently. We think that's going to change. So we want to move to five and up. We're just kind of looking at the data and we'll probably continue to look at the data for a little bit longer before we make the decision."

"We're watching it and as soon as we think we've got a sensible way forward, we'll obviously down everybody, you know, we'll give everybody time as well."

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said on December 1 there is no update to Royal Caribbean's policy.

During a webinar, she reiterated that no change in policy has been made, "At this time, we have not made any decisions on the vaccine requirements for children 5 to 11."

"We are still just in a wait and see, we're evaluating it....no decision has been made."

Specialty dining is a popular option for cruise passengers who want to indulge in different cuisines, and Royal Caribbean offers a one-meal sampler package where you can try the best of many different restaurants.

Known as the Taste of Royal, it gives guests the chance to have various dishes from different Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants, even if those restaurants are not on the ship they are sailing aboard.

Whether the appeal is for someone to get a sampling of what specialty restaurants are all about, or to pick and choose an "all star selection" of the top rated foods, Taste of Royal sounds like an intriguing option.

I decided to sample Taste of Royal myself while sailing aboard Odyssey of the Seas. The meal was held in Wonderland.

What is Taste of Royal?

Royal Caribbean has quite a few specialty restaurants across its fleet of ships, and each is known for certain dishes. Over the years, each restaurant develops a reputation for a must-try dish or two.  So it looks like Royal Caribbean wanted to offer guests one meal that hits all of those high notes.

Taste of Royal is a fixed-price meal that consists of four courses.  Unlike a specialty restaurant where your meal begins when you arrive, Taste of Royal is more like the main dining room, where everyone that books the lunch shows up at the same time, and each course is served at the same time for everyone.  Not to worry, you are not seated with others.

When I sampled Taste of Royal on Odyssey of the Seas, it cost $34.99 per person.

There is also an optional add-on where you can tie in a wine flight for $19.99 per person. There is a 25% discount on the wine flight if you have a drink package.

Taste of Royal is not included in any dining packages.

Taste of Royal menu

The menu is fixed, which means if a course or two are not something you would order, there is not much leeway in terms of changing things.  They can modify dishes if you are allergic or prefer not to a certain part of it, but you are limited to the printed menu.

Speaking of the menu, it draws on a few different restaurants, including Hooked, Wonderland, Chops Grille, and 150 Central Park.

When I dined there, the menu consisted of:

Signature Cocktail from Hooked

Saint Peter's Spritzer
St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur. Aperol, fresh lemon juice, topped with prosecco 

First Course from Wonderland

Citrus Seas Tuna Tartare
Fresh spicy tuna, wasabi tobiko, yuzu mayonnaise, phyllo Parmesan crackers 

Second Course from Giovanni's Table

Mascarpone Cheese Risotto with Crab Meat
Carnaroli rice, crab meat, lemon, mascarpone, peas, aged Parmesan 

Third Course from Chops Grille

Filet Mignon and Spicy Jumbo Shrimp
Grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, red pepper flakes, creamy garlic butter 

Fourth Course from 150 Central Park

Fried Cheesecake
Nutella, whipped cream, caramelized popcorn 

Is it worth it?

I think the appeal of Taste of Royal is two fold: getting to sample the best dishes from across different specialty restaurants if you are either brand new to specialty dining, or an aficionado that really enjoys the courses on the menu.

Royal Caribbean picked the most popular courses from across its restaurants, and delivers on the promise of a special meal that gives you the "best of" these selections.

If there is a course or two that you do not care for, the appeal of Taste of Royal could be diminished since it's a fixed menu offering. Picky eaters will almost certainly look elsewhere for lunch.

In terms of value, it is cheaper than most specialty restaurants to dine at, and you get to sample various dishes rather than just a single cuisine. For someone who will not buy a dining package, but wants to get some of the best options, this could be quite compelling.

I enjoyed my meal, and appreciated it for what it was: a quick lunch where I got to enjoy food from some of the top specialty restaurants on any Royal Caribbean ship. If the menu looks good to you, you're in store for a satisfying lunch.

The last day of our cruise brings us to Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

Ideally, I prefer to have my last day onboard be a sea day, but I will never complain about spending time at CocoCay because of how much fun it is spending time there.

While this may have been my fourth time visiting CocoCay in two weeks, the weather last week was far from perfect, so today looked to be a way to end on a high note.

We did not arrive to CocoCay until almost 10am, which meant there would be a rush among guests to get off the ship at the same time. Moreover, we were sharing the island with Independence of the Seas.

What does two ships mean? There are 4100 passengers on Harmony and 3000 passengers on Independence, so while far from a full capacity day (CocoCay can handle 9-12,000 guests), it certainly would be busier than earlier this summer.

We started off with breakfast at Park Cafe, partially because I neglected to put a breakfast order in with my Genie the night before. I certainly don't mind a bagel and schmear to start my day.

By the time we finished eating, the gangway was open and we were on our way downstairs. 

Walking down the pier, it certainly looked like a great day. Not oppressively hot and low humidity meant a comfortable outdoor experience.

We had nothing reserved, so grabbed a chair near Oasis Lagoon and then hopped into the pool.  The pool was indeed very cold. We all braved the temperature and shivered a bit before getting used to it. 

Later in the afternoon, the sun came out more and that helped make being in the water a bit warmer.

The kids went to Splashaway Bay for some kiddy slide time. While not the CocoCay water park by any means, it got some energy out for the kids.

For lunch, I had to go to Snack Shack for my favorite complimentary food: mozzarella sticks and the "secret sandwich".

To my surprise, the line for Snack Shack was really long and moved slowly. I'm not sure if they were just overwhelmed with a lunch rush, or something else, but it was the longest line I've ever experienced there. Regardless, they got the line moving and I had my food soon enough.

The afternoon was spent at the pool, and it was an opportunity to hang out with friends from the group cruise one more time.

All aboard was 4:30, so we headed back to the ship in mid-afternoon. 

Since it was a 7-night cruise, unvaccinated kids needs to get a covid test done prior to disembarkation. Our genie escorted us in and got the tests complete quickly.

Back in the room, we showered, changed, and snuck in a quick nap.

Chips and dips from Sabor were waiting for us in the room, which was a nice pre-dinner snack.

We were not sure which restaurant to go to for dinner, but decided on going back to 150 Central Park.

I was glad we went back, because their entrees are really good. I really liked combining the halibut with cauliflower to combine flavor and texture.

After dinner, we said our goodbyes to friends in the pub before calling it a night.

Overall, it was a fantastic group cruise and it felt so good to see friends and make new ones along the way. After two other cancelled group cruises, this was an especially important sailing that I am glad happened without any incident.

If you'd like to join us for a group cruise in 2022, we have two more scheduled.

Thanks for reading this live blog. Our next live blog begins in a month when we fly to California to sail on Navigator of the Seas!

It appears Royal Caribbean is going to increase the size of the name on the side of it's newest cruise ship.

While docked in Marseilles, France, Wonder of the Seas is getting some painting done on her hull to increase the size of her name.

When the ship departed the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard, Wonder of the Seas' name was painted like nearly all ships have in the fleet. Now, it appears Wonder's name will move to a large size that is similar to Odyssey of the Seas' name.

The Ready for Cruise Facebook page noticed the change in a video posted by Instagram user victoriabalabaeva, where the outline for the new name can be easily seen.

The new name is positioned lower on the hull compared to other Oasis Class ships so that the larger size letters can fit better.

In the case of Odyssey of the Seas, the "O" alone measures 11.2 meters (36 feet) in height.

When Wonder of the Seas debuts next year, she will become the new largest cruise ship in the world.

The inaugural sailing of Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for March 2022, when Wonder of the Seas departs from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

She will then transition to the Mediterranean, beginning May 2022.

Our last sea day on Harmony of the Seas isn't our last day onboard, but it does give us a nice break after two port stops in a row.

While part of my wishes I could have spent the day sleeping in and lounging, there was plenty of fun in store.

I started off my morning with breakfast in the main dining room, where I ran into two crew members that were on Adventure of the Seas earlier this summer.  It was great to see these two again, and both on the same ship again.

Just like yesterday, the ship was still rocking quite a bit due to the ocean swells. The crew even deployed the vomit bags in stairwells.

Luckily, the motion would calm as the day progressed.

After breakfast, I grabbed Starbucks coffee and went to Dazzles for our first group meet of the day: a Royal Caribbean Blog podcast recording.

In this episode that will air next week, we listed our favorite things we really like on Harmony of the Seas.

After the recording was complete, I went back to my suite to enjoy lunch arranged by my genie.

The other day I was talking about favorite foods with him, and he heard that I really like Indian food, so he sent up a few different types of curry to sample.

Since the weather was so comfortable out, we had lunch on the balcony and it was a wonderful break.

After lunch was over, we spent some time in the cabin before our genie's next wish was granted.

Bertie had the idea to have an ice cream sundae cart brought to the room. I think my kids thought it would be two or three flavors of ice cream, but there were a half dozen flavors and just about every topping they could want.

Little things like this are a fun part of what makes staying in a Star Class suite so much fun.

While my kids burned off all that ice cream energy, I went back to Dazzles for another group cruise meetup to play the card game Moniker.

Moniker is a game where two teams compete in a cross between charades and Scattegories, where you take turns trying to describe people or things listed on the card. 

As afternoon turned into evening, we spent a little bit of time on the Boardwalk before getting changed for dinner.

Dinner tonight was back in Izumi for another round of hibachi.

We had the same chef as earlier this week, and it was another tasty meal.

We rounded out our evening with music before calling it a night.

Tomorrow is our last day on Harmony, and we will be visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our next stop is St. Thomas, where we get to enjoy a port day along with celebrating Thanksgiving.

I had booked a snorkel and beach excursion to take us to St. John. The last time I tried to get to St. John, I failed when I could not get a taxi.  This time, I booked a tour through Royal Caribbean so there would be no problems.

I was a little surprised when I noticed our meet time for the tour was 6:45am, which as you might imagine is very, very early.

Everyone met in the Royal Theater before heading off the ship to board a bus. 

The bus ride took about a half hour to get us to the marina on the east side of the island, where our catamaran was waiting.

We boarded the Stars and Stripes catamaran, where Captain Matt (great name, but not me) and First Mate Paul took us out.

Almost as soon as the boat departed the marina, it began to rain. While the rain was unwelcome, luckily it only rained for the duration of the trip out to St. John.

After about a half hour, we reached Honeymoon Beach on St. John. Almost immediately the rain stopped, which allowed us to enjoy time outside and in the water. In fact, the weather continuously improved as the morning went on.

Guests had the choice of snorkeling around or taking a dinghy to shore. My oldest went snorkeling while we went to the beach. 

In terms of snorkeling, there was an area between the beach and our catamaran where there was sea grass that was home to many types of marine life, including sea turtles.

Over on the beach, you could sit on the sand as you saw fit. There was a vendor renting chairs, but I did not inquire how much they were.

According to Captain Matt, we had 90 minutes of time once we arrived in St. John to be in or around the water.

What I love about St. John is the beautiful water colors and clarity, and today did not disappoint. While it would have looked better if the sun was shining, the clouds kept the temperatures comfortable and it felt great just wading in ocean.

All too quickly, our time came to an end and we took the dinghy back to the catamaran for our ride back.

On the return journey, complimentary snacks, drinks, champagne, and rum punch was served.

The tour was fun, and my kids really liked the beach time.  In fact, my oldest now wants to snorkel again as soon as possible. 

I wish we had more time at St. John, but that's a problem to consider for my next visit.

Upon returning to the ship, we grabbed lunch at the Windjammer.

By now the early morning wake up and beach time caught up with all of us, and it was time for a nap.

Our ship departed Harmony of the Seas around 3, but I was still sleeping when that happened. I woke up to a beautiful ride out of St. Thomas.

Almost as soon as we departed, the motion in the ocean returned.  In fact, all night the ship was rocking quite a bit.  The notion that Oasis Class ships don't really feel motion has been quickly dispensed.

Being Thanksgiving, we got changed for dinner to enjoy a family meal together. Rather than feeding the kids first and then dropping them off at Adventure Ocean, we opted to have a family Thanksgiving dinner together.

You may be wondering what Thanksgiving on a cruise ship is like, and there were all sorts of special add-ons. There were decorations around the ship, arts and crafts activities, and a special Thanksgiving menu.

Our group enjoyed a celebratory drink together at Dazzles, before heading to dinner.

This evening, we went to Coastal Kitchen for dinner. In addition to their regular menu, they also had Thanksgiving offerings.

This was my first time eating at Coastal Kitchen for dinner. It's a lovely location on deck 17, although I prefer the Coastal Kitchen set up on Quantum Class ships because it does not share a space with the Suite Lounge.

After dinner, I went down to the pub for live music.  A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Our first port stop is in St. Kitts.

Originally, we were supposed to go to Antigua, but Royal Caribbean informed us that work on dredging the port will not be complete in time. As a result, Royal Caribbean swapped out Antigua for St. Kitts.

Our tour was not until 11:45am, so we had time to sleep in and take things easy.

I would have slept in longer, but my phone jumped ahead an hour to match local time, so my alarm went off an hour early. Oh well.

Our Genie delivered Starbucks coffee to the room, and then after the kids managed to get up, we went up to the Windjammer for breakfast.

We then took a short walk around the Boardwalk before heading back to the room to get ready for our plans ashore.

I booked the Safari Island Drive tour, which is a 3 hour tour in an open-air truck around the entire island. 

Once the tour got underway, we drove up one side of the island, and made three stops along the way.

Our guide narrated the entire journey and pointed out various points of interest. There were lots of goats, chickens, cows, and horses to see, in addition to beautiful flora and very scenic views.

Our first stop was at an estate where we got to walk the grounds and do some light shopping.

We then made our way to the point where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet.

There was even time to grab a beer at a shop.

Our final stop was near Frigate Bay, where you got a fantastic view of St. Kitts and Nevis.

I enjoyed the ride, and it was just long enough to see the countryside without feeling too long. Luckily there was a nice breeze for most of the ride, which made it comfortable. I'm not sure how comfortable it would be in July, but our weather was great.

Once we got back to the pier, we got onboard the ship to relax and recuperate before our evening plans.

Our Genie had chips, salsa, and guacamole from Sabor waiting for us in the cabin when we got back.  Since we didn't eat lunch during the tour (only water was provided), it was a welcome surprise.

After relaxing in the cabin, we headed out for dinner.

This evening, we went to 150 Central Park for dinner. 

As usual, the assortment of modern American fare did not disappoint. Between the various dishes, it had a sort of Thanksgiving feel to it all, with the mashed potatoes, pumpkin bisque, and various vegetables.

We decided to call it an early night because we have to wake up super early for our excursion tomorrow in St. Thomas.

Another day on Harmony of the Seas, another sea day to enjoy.

We started off our day with our first group cruise event: water slides!

Our group rented out the Perfect Storm water slides for an hour in the morning, meaning only our group could ride the slides as many times as we wanted.

Having the water slides to ourselves meant minimal waits to try each of the slides.  I found the champagne bowl slide to be much faster than I remembered.

After the slides, we transitioned over to the pool for some time to relax. The weather was great today, and very comfortable to be outdoors.

For lunch, we decided to go to Izumi for sushi.

While the Izumi hibachi is for vaccinated guests only, the sushi side is available to all guests.

After lunch, a few of us in the group went down to the casino for a few rounds of blackjack.

While lady luck did not shine upon any of us for this go-around, we did have a good time trying our best.  Plus, having a table at the casino just for our group made it far more enjoyable to lose our money.

Our other group event today was the bar crawl, where we try a number of bars around the ship.

We managed to visit 4 bars along the way:

1. Bionic Bar
2. Schooner Bar
3. Wipeout Bar
4. Ride down Ultimate Abyss
5. Sabor

The real fun in any bar crawl is getting to know everyone in the group as you go from bar to bar and share a drink together.

Tonight is formal night, so it was back to the room to change and get ready.

Dinner took us to Jamie's Italian, where our genie, Berty, was waiting for us.

Jamie's Italian rarely disappoints, and while I prefer the updated Giovanni's Italian Kitchen menu, I did not leave Jamie's disappointed.

After dinner, we went down to the comedy show. Once again, Berty had reserved seats for us.  I was happy they were not in the first row so that I could avoid becoming part of the show.

After the comedy show wrapped up, I had a couple drinks in the pub before calling it a night.

Tomorrow is our first port stop in St. Kitts.

Our first full day on Harmony of the Seas is a sea day, which means an opportunity on an Oasis Class ship to knock out a few favorites.

We slept in a bit, but I was too excited to stay in bed for long. After getting the family up and going, we headed down to Park Cafe for a quick breakfast.

After bagels for breakfast, it was over to the Boardwalk to stop by Starbucks for coffee.

Starbucks drinks (but not food) is included with Star Class. There are few things not included with Star Class, in terms of places you can spend money. The arcade is another area where Star Class does not cover the charges there.

Speaking of Star Class, so far it's been a bit of a different experience than I thought it would be.  Our genie is great, but the onus is on the guest to reach out and make requests.  While the genie can sometimes surprise you with things based on conversations they've had with you, ultimately it is up to you to ask for things.

I think the "learning curve" behind Star Class just means to not assume as much and simply ask. It has become a quick lesson for me so far.

Our first group cruise event today was a Royal Caribbean version of the classic game show, "Match Game".

As an example, here is one of the questions. Please share your best answers in the comments below: "Michael just invented a talking scale. After going on a 9 night cruise it yells, '_____!'"

My kids wanted to do the Ultimate Abyss, so we headed to try it. My youngest was too short last time to try it, so we had a chance to all do it.

This time, I actually scraped my knee on the side of the slide on the way down as I tried to avoid rolling over. Luckily the scrape was not too bad, although I haven't tried swimming yet.

For lunch, we decided to go to the main dining room since sea day lunches there are always so nice.

After lunch, I took my oldest daughter ice skating during an open skate session. 

Another nice Star Class perk is our genie was able to sign us up for a session without having to wait in line for it. Saving a few minutes here or there is a major source of value for what the genie provides.

Ice skating went well, although the bottom of my feet always hurt me after a bit. 

Being a sea day, I decided to enjoy a time-honored cruise tradition: an afternoon nap.

After my wonderful nap, it was time for our welcome aboard party in Dazzles.

We rented out Dazzles for an hour to serve everyone drinks while getting a chance to officially say hello and thank you for cruising with us.

This is an event we typically do on every group cruise because day one can be a bit rushed, but by this point on the second day, everyone is ready to get to know each other.

Dinner this evening is in Izumi hibachi, to enjoy one of my favorite meals on every ship.

I love teppanyaki because of the combination of great food and entertainment.

We wrapped up our evening with a few rounds at the roulette table, followed by music at the pub.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray Observations

The ocean conditions steadily improved throughout the day. It was still fairly rocky in the morning, but the movement onboard seemed to subside as the day progressed.

I spotted the stowaway piano player onboard Harmony.

Royal Caribbean has revealed its Black Friday sale details ahead of the major shopping holiday.

Anyone looking to book a cruise between Black Friday and Cyber Monday can save up to $550 in savings when you combine the Cyber Week sale with the month-long kicker of up to $150 instant savings.

The new offer includes 30 percent off every guest and instant savings on cruises departing in 2022.  

Royal Caribbean will change the name of the promotion between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, but the promotion is exactly the same.

Beginning on Tuesday, Crown & Anchor Society members can take advantage of the Cyber Week promotion. Then on Wednesday, it opens up to the general public.

This offer is in addition to the sale that begins on November 23 for drink packages, wifi and other add-ons.

Here's the details for Royal Caribbean's 2021 Black Friday offer:

The Cyber Week sale is valid on new bookings made between November 24 – 30, 2021.

Up to $400 off Cyber Monday Extension Sale provides instant savings of up to $400 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after December 23, 2021.

Savings amount varies by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $75 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $100 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $150 for Balconies and $400 for Suites

2022 Kicker applies to new bookings made between November 2 – 30, 2021.

2022 Kicker provides instant savings of up to $150 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing between January 1 – December 31, 2022.

Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies, and $150 for Suites

Combinability: 30% Off Every Guest and 2022 Kicker are combinable with each other as well as promotional OBCs, Next Cruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Up to $400 off Cyber Monday Extension Sale is combinable with 30% Off Every Guest and 2022 Kicker as well as with promotional OBCs, Next Cruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Shareholder Benefits, but not combinable with Ultimate World Cruise and Crown and Anchor discounts.

Offer available to residents of United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and select countries in the Caribbean. 

How to check if the price is lower

The most straight forward method for seeing if there is a price drop is to go to Royal Caribbean's website and do a mock booking. 

Be sure to go through as much of the checkout process as you can to ensure you are comparing exactly what you have booked, as things like cruise fare (refundable vs non-refundable), gratuities, taxes and other fees may not be levied until later in the checkout.

Another option is to let you travel agent handle this for you.  Some travel agents (the really good ones) will take it upon themselves to check for lower prices on behalf of their clients.

I recommend this travel agency for booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, and they will reprice for you during sales like this. If you are not convinced using a free travel agency right for you, read this post discussing the benefits travel agents offer.