Author Image
Facebook URL
https://www.facebook.com/royalcaribbeanblog

Royal Caribbean diverts Liberty of the Seas to Miami due to Hurricane Harvey

In:
27 Aug 2017

Royal Caribbean has diverted Liberty of the Seas to Miami, Florida after being unable to dock in Galveston, Texas due to Hurricane Harvey.

Liberty of the Seas will arrive in Miami, Florida on Tuesday morning instead to reprovision the ship. Liberty of the Seas will then return to Galveston on Friday, September 1. Guests on Liberty of the Seas will have the option to disembark in Miami, if they desire.

Due to the delays, the August 27 sailing of Liberty of the Seas is cancelled. 

Liberty of the Seas to return on Sunday, depart one day later

In:
26 Aug 2017

It appears Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas is planning to arrive back to Galveston as scheduled on Sunday, but depart a day late to provide extra time for guests to get to the ship.

Royal Caribbean indicated that Hurricane Harvey and weather conditions around the Galveston/Houston area, as well as the port's current closure, Liberty of the Seas will arrive to the Port of Galveston tomorrow later than originally scheduled. Because of this, boarding for the next cruise will now take place on Monday, August 28 between noon and 3 p.m. The cruise line is asking that guests not arrive to the port before noon.

Royal Caribbean's Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, shared a number of updates via Twitter that provided details. Port of Galveston Pilots & U.S. Coast Guard will head out at day break to confirm if it is safe for arrival. If everything is confirmed safe and cleared, Royal Caribbean would have delayed arrival around early afternoon in Port for debarkation.

Guests sailing on the next Liberty of the Seas sailing will recieve 25% off future cruise credit. They will also have an option to cancel completely and receive 100% future cruise credit (if impacted by Harvey).

Royal Caribbean updates Liberty of the Seas and Hurricane Harvey situation

In:
26 Aug 2017

Royal Caribbean issued a new update to its guests at around 3 p.m. CT today with regards to Liberty of the Seas.

The cruise line indicated that guests sailing on the next scheduled Liberty of the Seas cruise should not proceed to the Port of Galveston until instructed to by the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean will provide another update on August 26 at 9 p.m. CT.

Royal Caribbean issues Hurricane Harvey update for Liberty of the Seas

In:
25 Aug 2017

Royal Caribbean has issued a new update to guests that are onboard the current sailing of Liberty of the Seas, as well as the upcoming sailing on Sunday.

The cruise line has made no changes to Liberty of the Seas' schedule, but is actively monitoring the path of Hurricane Harvey.

Royal Caribbean's Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, provided a bit more detail into what the cruise line is seeing.

Royal Caribbean will post another update on Saturday, August 26, 2017 by 12:00 PM CT.

Friday Photos

In:
25 Aug 2017

Every Friday, we share our readers favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos because, we all can use a "virtual escape" to relive some great cruising memories.

If you want your photo featured in an upcoming Friday Photos post, be sure to use this form to send it to us.

Brian Robinson shared this photo on Royal Caribbean 1 Love of sail away.  Great start to a cruise!

FrodeofNorway took this photo of Rhapsody of the Seas, as seen from Santorini, Greece.

Here is a photo of Adventure of the Seas in St. Maarten, taken by Shana Smith.

Michael Poole took this photo in CocoCay.  He will be back there this weekend with his live blog from Majesty of the Seas!

Glenn Wildenmann took this photo on Anthem of the Seas, and caught a great angle of a lovely ship.

Hannes Scherz took this photo of the Bionic Bar on Harmony of the Seas while on his first cruise ever.

Speaking of Harmony of the Seas, Anne took this photo while docked in Labadee.

Thank you to everyone that sent in their photos that were featured this week, and we want to see your Royal Caribbean photos too! Use this form to send them in and we will feature them in an upcoming edition of Friday Photos!

Royal Caribbean monitoring path of Hurricane Harvey for Liberty of the Seas

In:
24 Aug 2017

The Port of Galveston issued an update today regarding the forecasted path of Hurricane Harvey and its impact on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.

The Port of Galveston issued an update on their Facebook Page to indicate no changes have been made yet to Liberty of the Seas' itinerary, but Royal Caribbean is monitoring the path.  At this time, Liberty of the Seas will keep her original schedule for Sunday’s turnaround in Galveston, TX. Should the cruise line make any changes to Liberty of the Sea’s itinerary, Royal Caribbean will make sure to inform their guests and travel partners.

Royal Caribbean will provide an update tomorrow, August 25th by 12:00 PM EST.

Cruise industry pricing on Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

In:
23 Aug 2017

This week's podcast episode is ready to go, as we present episode 212 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast for your downloading pleasure.

This week, Matt and Len Testa talk about Royal Caribbean's Price Integrity Policy and how it, and the cruise industry, are changing the price of cruise vacations.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 212. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS 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!

Thermal Suite on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas

In:
22 Aug 2017

If you are in the market for a fantastic guilty pleasure for your next Royal Caribbean cruise, be sure to check out the Thermal Suite in the Vitality Spa.  This ultimate adult retreat offers unlimited access to warm loungers, steam and sauna rooms, and more.  It is a fantastic way to relax while at sea.

Royal Caribbean offers a Thermal Suite on some of its ships, including Harmony of the Seas.  While aboard Harmony of the Seas, we took at tour of the venue to get a sense of what this is all about.

Royal Caribbean sells a limited number of passes to the Thermal Suite on every sailing.  Passes can be purchased onboard the ship at the Vitality Spa, and provide unlimited access to the facilities included with the spa.

The thermal suite is made up of a few areas that allow for relaxation as you see fit.  Unlike a massage, facial, or other service in the spa, guests can come as often as they like to take advantage of the thermal suite benefits.  It is the perfect way to relax and treat yourself at the same time.

What's Included

The thermal suite has the following amenities that can be used only by those that purchase a pass.

Thermal loungers

Steam room

Sauna room

Pricing

The thermal suite comes in three options:

  • Single guest: $109 and includes 1 DIY scrub of your choice
  • Couples (two guests): $199 and includes 2 DIY scrubs of your choice
  • Ultimate Pass
    • $250
    • Good for two guests and includes 2 DIY scrubs and couples bath

Keep in mind that while the pricing refers to "couples", in reality, it means any two guests can take advantage of it.  Friends can book the couples option and take advantage of reduced pricing.

Guests can purchase their thermal suite passes from the desk at the Vitality Spa.  It is best to purchase them on embarkation day.

Video: Bonnie Tyler & DNCE sing Total Eclipse of the Heart on Royal Caribbean cruise ship during an eclipse

In:
21 Aug 2017

Bonnie Tyler performed a duet with DNCE of the Welsh singer's hit song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" during a total solar eclipse.

The artists shared the AquaTheater stage aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas as part of the Total Eclipse Cruise. The performance coincided with the Great American Eclipse that was 99 years in the making.

“As if moving our ship to sail along the eclipse’s path of totality to give our guests 100 percent visibility of this phenomenon wasn’t enough, we wanted to take it to another level – just above ‘out of this world’,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Royal Caribbean is known as the most innovative cruise line, always pushing to create bigger and bolder adventures for vacationers. We’re excited to have DNCE and Bonnie on board, and even more thrilled to have seen the looks on our guests’ faces when she was brought on stage to sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart.’ This is what we live for – to make unforgettable memories. ”

As the moon made its way to cover the sun for the celestial event of the century, DNCE took center stage in Oasis of the Seas’ open-air AquaTheater, performing the band’s chart-topping hits, including “Kissing Strangers,” “Body Moves” and, of course, “Cake by the Ocean.” The concert culminated in the ultimate performance by DNCE and the Welsh-born singer. All eyes were on Joe Jonas and Tyler, alongside DNCE bandmates Cole Whittle, JinJoo and Jack Lawless, as they sang a powerful remix of Tyler’s classic, paying tribute to the solar eclipse.

Subscribe to Matt Hochberg