We ran across a few quick updates on port news that have some impact on Royal Caribbean in the future.

St. Croix wants to handle Quantum Class ships

Caribbean Journal reports the US Virgin Islands Port Authority is exploring an opportunity to increase cruise passenger visits to the island of St Croix so that it could handle a Quantum Class ship.

According to the Port Authority, the plan would be to modify the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility in Frederiksted to accommodate Quantum Class cruise ships.

The largest ships that currently berth in St Croix have a max capacity of up to 2,501 passengers.

Victoria port expansion impacted by lost steel

CTV Vancouver is reporting a multi-million dollar dolphin extension destined to upgrade Victoria's cruise ship terminal has been lost at sea.

The piles were meant to extend Pier B at Ogden Point by 55 metres and allow it to serve bigger cruise ships like the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas, which has committed to stopping in Victoria beginning this May.

The B.C. Pilots Association and Royal Caribbean International carried out tests at Pier A on Friday and it has been decided that for this summer, the Ovation of the Seas will stop at Pier A.

The replacement steel is expected to arrive in late summer from China. The extension is slated to be completed in time for the 2020 cruise season. 

Guests aboard Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas have reported that the highly-anticipated chat feature of Royal Caribbean's new smart phone app have been activated.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Marshall Stewart sent us a screenshot of Royal Caribbean's app while onboard Harmony of the Seas and noted that the app has enabled the chat feature, as well as the X-Ray vision app.

The features were activated during their sailing while the ship was visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The chat feature allows guest-to-guest chat on Harmony of the Seas.  Guests may link to other staterooms and chat with friends and family for free.

Previously, Royal Caribbean had been testing the chat feature exclusively on Allure of the Seas.

The app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

Royal Caribbean made the list of the top ten Most Loved Brand Offline, according to Engagement Labs' second annual TotalSocial Brand Awards series.

Engagement Labs looked at more than 500 US consumer brands in a variety of industry sectors and ranked the most loved brands based on net positive conversations happening online (via social media) and offline (via face-to-face conversations).

The awards are based on the Company's proprietary TotalSocial data and analytics platform, which continuously measures the online and offline social metrics that are proven drivers of business performance. These metrics, including both online and offline conversations against the following major conversation dimensions: net sentiment (the difference in the percent positive conversations minus negative), brand sharing (the extent to which people are sharing or talking about a brand's marketing or advertising), volume (a measure of how many conversations mention a brand) and influence (the extent to which an influential audience is talking about a brand). 

At the third position, the Royal Caribbean Cruises invested $120 million in revitalizing their ships cater to millennials and improve the customer base experience. The most loved brands offline are those which are spoken about positively during face-to-face conversations.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 288 is available for downloading, which has the top reasons to take a cruise on one of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships.

Every Royal Caribbean ship offers something a little different, but the smaller ships do have some inherit benefits that the much larger vessels cannot offer. This week, Matt picks his top five reasons to book a smaller ship.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 288. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

HiRo, Royal Caribbean’s newest aqua show, features more high-flying feats, unexpected stunts and extraordinary acrobatics than ever before. Brought to life by the world’s best extreme-sport athletes, HiRo pushes the limits of a theatrical production with cutting-edge technology and choreography. With 3D flying technology used by aerialists as they literally soar above the crowd, plus acrobats and professional divers no two shows are the same, making it worth seeing twice.

Royal Caribbean's WOW Sale begins today, with up to $400 bonus money to spend onboard the ship, in addition to 60% off second guest and kids sail free offer.

The WOW Sale is valid on bookings made between February 6 – 10, 2019 on sailings departing on or after March 6, 2019.

The WOW Sale includes:

• 60% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full-fare paying guest, and 30% off cruise fare for third guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualified guests. 
• BOGO offers up to $100 to spend at sea per stateroom determined by category booked and sailing length:
  •  Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $ 25 for Balconies and $50 for Suites
  • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $100 for Suites
•  WOW Sale offers up to $300 to spend at sea per stateroom (up to $400 to spend at sea when combined with BOGO OBC) determined by category booked and sailing length:
  •  Sailings 5 nights or less, $50 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites
  • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $75 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $300 for Suites
• Kids Sail Free: provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger on select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Cuba, Europe and Hawaii sailings departing between March 1 – December 15, 2019.
  •  ​​​​​​​Offer excludes Spring Break sailings (Sailings between March 16 – 30, 2019), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Sailings between April 13 – 22, 2019) Summer sailings (Sailings between May 15 – August 31, 2019) and 2019 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 23 – 30, 2019).   

BOGO and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as with WOW Sale, promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. WOW Sale is combinable with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers and Free Upgrades but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates. Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking, limit one promo code per booking.   

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

Guests can save up to 30% off on select pre-cruise purchases with Royal Caribbean's new Cruise Planner sale.

The Set Sail & Save sale runs between February 6, 2019 and February 11, 2019 on sailings between February 11, 2019 and August 31, 2019.

Royal Caribbean states guests can expect to see:

• Beverage Packages: Up to 30% off on select sailings
  • Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
  • Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
  • Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship.
• Save up to 25% on select shore excursions. Discount varies by ship.
• Internet
  • VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
  • VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• Dining Packages
  • 3 Night Dining Package. Discount varies by ship.
  • 3 Night, 4 Night and 5 Night Ultimate Dining Package. Discount varies by ship.
• Activities: Up to 10% off on select sailings
  • All Access Ship Tour: 10% off.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

Royal Caribbean is looking for British or Irish citizens to become a Shore Explorer Apprentice and explore the world from a Royal Caribbean cruise and get paid a six figure salary for the work!

Royal Caribbean is looking for a new employee to sail round the globe, documenting their experiences on social media.

View this post on Instagram

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN for the Royal Caribbean #ShoreExplorer Apprentice-ship! ? . Think you’ve got what it takes to be the ultimate experience hunter? ?? . Share your best travel experience as a post, story or IGTV tagging @RoyalCaribbeanUK and #ShoreExplorer to apply! . T&Cs apply.

A post shared by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Feb 4, 2019 at 12:29am PST

The role is open to British and Irish citizens aged 21 and over, and to apply you simply need to post an "extraordinary travel story, video, or image" on Instagram via Instagram stories, IGTV, or an Instagram post tagging @RoyalCaribbeanUK and #ShoreExplorer before the end of the day on March 1 2019.

The 20 Finalists will be announced on March 15, 2019 on the website and Instagram, and the overall winner will be informed by the Promoter via Instagram message by April 5, 2019 or as soon as practicable thereafter if a review is required.

View this post on Instagram

Today is the day!! @royalcaribbeanuk have just opened applications for an epic new role: the #ShoreExplorer Apprentice-ship programme. It's a search similar to the internship which ran two years ago and completely changed my life, taking me on some incredible adventures! The successful candidate will have the opportunity to seek out & test extraordinary shore experiences in the most jaw-dropping destinations across the globe - including Alaska, Japan, Dubai and the Caribbean - while getting paid equivalent to a 6 figure yearly salary. I am also happy to announce that I will be one of the judges and one lucky candidate will be accompanied by myself on part of their extraordinary journey around the world. Head over to the @royalcaribbeanuk page or search #ShoreExplorer for all the details on how to enter. Good luck! T&Cs apply. Visit @royalcaribbeanuk for more info.

A post shared by ʀᴜss ғʀᴀɴᴄɪs (@russ_francis) on Feb 4, 2019 at 1:01am PST

The Winner must be able to travel between May and August 2019 for at least three and up to four consecutive weeks if required to do so.  The winner will be able to visit

• Perfect Day at CocoCay
• Alaska, USA
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Norway
• Dubai, UAE
• Osaka, Japan

Happy weekend! We hope you are in the midst of a wonderful weekend full of friends, fun, and plenty of things to do to pass the time between cruises.  We have a summary of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news in case you missed any of it!

The big Royal Caribbean news this week was Royal Caribbean's announcement of the name for its second Quantum Class cruise ship.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the cruise line's 27th ship in the fleet and will debut in the fall of 2020.

Odyssey will sail from the United States, and Royal Caribbean has promised more details about Odyssey of the Seas later this year.

Royal Caribbean News

• Kids Sail Free offer is back for the month of February.
• During a call with investors, Royal Caribbean talked about booking trends, CocoCay and more.
• Here is when to expect more 2020-2021 sailings to be released for booking.
• We shared tips and tricks for taking a 3-night Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Royal Caribbean posted a new video all about the FlowRider surf simulator.
• We spotted a new Diamond Happy Hour drink menu design.
• Forbes named Royal Caribbean one of America's best employers for diversity.
• Victoria, Canada is expanding its harbor to accommodate Quantum Class ships.
• Michael Poole live blogged this week from Brilliance of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 287th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, friends join Matt to share a review of Independence of the Seas.

Rafael and Alanna are back from their Independence of the Seas cruise and they talk about how their first "big" Royal Caribbean ship sailing went.

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

Disney Cruise Line Blog shared a review of the Westgate Cocoa Beach Resort.

New York Times shared how cruise lines are using technology to add a personal touch.

Miami Herald wrote about new clean fuel regulations for cruise ships, including how Symphony of the Seas complies with the law.

Eat Sleep Cruise reviewed a balcony stateroom on Mariner of the Seas.

Mirror wrote about Royal Caribbean's plans to open private islands around the world.

Tom Loves Cruising shared a review of Independence of the Seas.

Departure Lounge shared cruising tips from a Royal Caribbean expert.