Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Top things you can only do on a smaller ship

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.

Royal Caribbean cut the first piece of steel for its second Quantum Ultra Class ship and announced the name will be Odyssey of the Seas.

The steel-cutting ceremony was held at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Odyssey of the Seas will be the 27th ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet. Steel-cutting is the traditional beginning of formal cruise ship construction.

Odyssey of the Seas will debut in the fall of 2020 and sail from the United States.  Royal Caribbean will reveal further details "later this year."

Odyssey of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's second Quantum Ultra Class ship, and she follows sister vessel Spectrum of the Seas.  Spectrum will debut in April 2019 and depart immediately to Asia.

Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley hinted that Odyssey of the Seas will visit the UK when she launches, and would not be headed to China like the last couple Quantum Class ships.

Friday is here, and whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not tomorrow, we have some great Royal Caribbean cruise photos to share with all of you.  

We kick off this week's edition with a beautiful photo of Harmony of the Seas in Labadee by twangster.

Next up is a photo of Navigator of the Seas in Curacao by Heidi.  

Here is an artsy shot from Majesty of the Seas. Photo by Jean Francois "Jay" Bekono.

Bob Carpenter sent this photo of him and his wife celebrating their 20th Royal Caribbean cruise in Labadee, with Oasis of the Seas in the background.

Jenn Ullram captured this photo of Explorer of the Seas, as seen from the Maritime Museum in Bermuda.

We head to Norway for our next photo, with a shot from Serenade of the Seas by Pat & Sharon Patterson.

Jonathan Quealy provided this photo of Anthem of the Seas passing under the Verrazano Bridge in New York Harbor.  

Thank you to everyone for sharing their great cruise photos with us! If you want to share your own favorite Royal Caribbean photos, use this form to send them in! Have a great weekend!

Kids Sail Free offer is back, with Royal Caribbean's February sales offer, in addition to 60% off the second guest.

Royal Caribbean is also offering additional instant savings on cruises booked this weekend during the Score More Savings event.

Cruise must be booked between February 1 – 4, 2019 and applies to select sailings departing on or after March 1, 2019.

The offer 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.
• 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).
• Up to $100 onboard credit 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
• Score More Savings offers up to $150 instant savings per stateroom 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

BOGO and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as with Score More Savings, 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. Score More Savings 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. 

Have you ever taken a quick three-night weekend cruise? We have a brand new RoyalCaribbeanBlog video filled with tips for anyone taking these quick cruises.

Royal Caribbean offer some great three-night sailings that are wildly popular with guests who want to enjoy a short cruise vacation that provides a break from the daily routine without a huge investment.  If you are considering one of these short sailings, check out this video that is filled with important things to know about short cruises!

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: What is your best tip for a quick three-night cruise?

While cruising with Royal Caribbean, travelers looking for thrills can catch waves without ever having to leave the ship! Beginners and experienced surfers are able to hang ten by boogie boarding or standup surfing on any one of 19 FlowRider surf simulators in the cruise line’s fleet. Pair that with great views and the ocean breeze, the surf is always up on Royal Caribbean ships.