The destinations Royal Caribbean brings you to are fantastic ports of call that are fun to explore each and every time you stop there.  For us, the local cuisine is a major attraction and it reminds us of the old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and that means sampling the culture of the area you are visiting by enjoying their food.

Each Caribbean port offers something different with influences from around the world. Dining at the restaurants locals frequent is a great way to get an authentic look at what the port offers, as well as pick up some new favorite dishes.  

We selected five restaurants across our Caribbean travels on Royal Caribbean ships to share with you as our top picks to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

5. Cuzzin's Restaurant - St. Thomas

When we look for the best local food in a town we are new to, we always look at crowd sourcing reviews for a good idea of where to go, and the top ranked restaurant in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas was a little place called Cuzzin's Restaurant.

A short walk from the ample shopping of Charlotte Amalie, Cuzzin's offers some of the best Caribbean food available.

Curried chicken, conch, BBQ ribs, fried shrimp and more are just some of the authentic dishes that draw on the restaurant's local specialties.

In addition, there is a full bar that serves up something called, the lambada boomer drink.  Drink and enjoy the rest of the day!

4. Fish Fry's - Nassau, Bahamas

Many Royal Caribbean cruise ships make stops in Nassau, and if you are in the mood for something local, head over to Fish Fry's for reasonably priced local cuisine.

Fish Fry's is actually the name of a row of restaurants to choose from.  Most of the restaurants here have similar menus, with dishes like lobster, chicken, conch salad, shrimp, burgers and other of course, fresh fish.

You will find a wide selection of food made by locals and pretty good prices too.  The heart of these restaurants is offering fresh and authentic Bahamian food.

3. El Jibarito - San Juan

Old San Juan is full of wonderful restaurants, but if you want the best Puerto Rican food in the old city, you need to stop by El Jibarito.

What El Jibarito lacks in stately decor, it makes up for in its freshly made dishes. Mofongo, shrimp, yellow rice, tamales and more are all available here and it is the place to sample Puerto Rican food.

The word is out on El Jibarito, as there are often lines around meal times but it is worth a stop for the great food.

2. La Sucrière - St. Martin

The island of St. Maarten/St. Martin is half Dutch, and half French and that means there are lot of great spots to enjoy food from both cultures.  If you happen to be craving a traditional French breakfast, look no further than La Sucrière in the French capital.

Set right on the Marigot waterfront, La Sucrière bakes fresh breads, quiches, sandwiches, croissants and other French specialties each day for its customers.  There is nothing fresher without crossing the Atlantic.

Starting your day with breakfast or brunch at La Sucrière is the right way to experience St. Martin!

1. Comida Caseras Tonita - Cozumel

The holy grail of great authentic food is something made with pride and love, and at Comida Caseras Tonita, you will find a family run restaurant that will frankly ruin all other Mexican food for you.

Just a few short blocks from the Cozumel waterfront is this hidden gem that has a menu full of fresh and authentic Mexican food. If you are looking for the kind of food the locals eat, Tonita is the place for you.

The staff really do not speak any English, but you can easily point to what you want on the menu and shortly thereafter enjoy some incredible dishes. We have visited Tonita on multiple occasions and it never disappoints.  Come hungry!

Your recommendations

Have you found a great local restaurant that you swear by? Share the details in the comments!

Royal Caribbean has released its newest cruise deal today, offering 30% off all passengers, on all ships, along with a kids sail free offer on select dates.

The 30% off offer allows guests to save 30% off standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom. It is available on bookings made between August 4 - 31, 2016 and is valid on all sailings departing on or after September 4, 2016.

Guests can also take advantage of the kids sail free deal on bookings made between August 4 and 18, 2016, where Royal Caribbean will offer free cruise fare of third and higher guests who are 12 years or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two offer qualifying guests in a triple or quad occupancy stateroom.

Kids Sail Free is eligible in 5 nights or longer Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Dubai, and Europe sailing that departs Sept. 6, 2016-May 15, 2017. Kids Sail Free Offer excludes sailings departing between 11/17/16- 11/24/16, 12/15/16-1/05/17, 2/16/17-2/23/17, 3/10/17-3/20/17, 4/06/17-4/16/17 and Harmony of the Seas. Offer excludes China departures.

If you happen to book a holiday cruise, there is one more deal you might be able to take advantage of, where guests can get up to $200 onboard credit per stateroom for eligible Bahamas, Bermuda and Caribbean holiday sailings:

• $200 OBC per stateroom for eligible holiday sailings 10 nights or longer departing December 15-31, 2016 and December 15-31, 2017
• $100 OBC per stateroom for eligible holiday sailings 6-9 nights departing December 15-31, 2016 and December 15-31, 2017
• $100 OBC per stateroom for eligible holiday sailings 3-5 nights departing December 22-31, 2016 and December 22-31, 2017

Offer open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. 

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

Episode 157 is available for downloading, and this week we have an exclusive interview with the Godmother of Anthem of the Seas, Emma Wilby.

Hear about how Emma was chosen to become Anthem's Godmother, what she did to prepare for the role and what her favorite aspects of Anthem of the Seas are.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 157. 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!

Guests visiting Royal Caribbean's private destination of Coco Cay in the Bahamas will have something new to try on their next visit.

Royal Caribbean added a new swim up bar for guests to enjoy while out for a swim.  It is located near South Beach/Barefoot Beach.

The new bar is floating in the ocean, which means guests have to swim to it in order to get a drink.  Michael Poole reports the new bar was added just a few weeks ago.

The rules of the bar are posted at the bar

• Adult Only Bar - No children under the age of 18
• Must be able to swim
• No diving, flips, horseplay, stunts, trucks or pushing allowed
• No diving or swimming under bar

Royal Caribbean is in the midst of upgrading a number of experiences on the island, including new cabanas and even a dock for the island.

Do you want to try this bar on your next cruise stop in Coco Cay? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

During Royal Caribbean's second quarter earnings call with investors, Royal Caribbean reiterated it had absolutely no plans to reduce or transfer capacity from the Chinese cruise market.

Royal Caribbean Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty summarized the quarter's earnings and provided guidance for the future, where he mentioned there has been some "softness in close-in demand in Shanghai in recent weeks". 

Royal Caribbean Ltd Chairman Richard Fain added, "Softness in China is being driven by huge capacity growth rather than faltering demand."

Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley spoke more about the role of China within Royal Caribbean's business, "With the softness we've seen, still, China continues to generate above-average yields and it's accretive to our business."

"Certainly, we are optimistic about the overall future in terms of the market potential, and we have been very actively engaged in the broadening and broadening of channels in the marketplace.  There is no issue with demand. The demand is there and the market is there. It's the building of the distribution quickly enough to handle the capacity."

When concerns arose from investors about a shift in capacity from China to the Caribbean, Richard Fain flat out ruled out any such change in the foreseeable future, "We are a long-term industry. This is an industry where our horizon is long-term, we plan long-term. We see a very powerful market and don't see any real change in that.  The idea that because of relatively modest discounting in one year, and in the face of a more profitable environment even with that discounting, that we would suddenly change the way we've operated forever in the industry just doesn't seem to me to be realistic."

"There are concerns that if China doesn't develop, all the capacity will turn left and head towards the Caribbean and saturate the Caribbean. It would require an enormous change in the fundamentals of China to even begin to contemplate that.  I will just tell you, within our company, the subject has literally never arisen in any deployment discussion that I am aware of.  We are so far from it that we just think that would require a level of change that none of us think is likely or remotely likely."

Royal Caribbean reported its second quarter 2016 earnings today, with US GAAP Net Income of $229.9 million or $1.06 per share, compared to $185.0 million or $0.84per share in 2015.  

Adjusted Net Income for the second quarter of 2016 was $235.2 million, or $1.09 per share, up over 25% versus the same quarter last year.  The outperformance for the quarter was primarily driven by better than anticipated fuel expense. 

"Our business remains strong and we continue to improve our return profile," said Richard Fain, chief executive officer. "This keeps us solidly on our path towards the Double-Double."

The company's booked position for the remainder of 2016 remains strong, similar to last year's record levels.

"While there are always puts and takes in our key markets, our portfolio is performing as expected, our booked position remains strong, and our newbuilds are entering their markets to great fanfare," said Jason T. Liberty, chief financial officer. "These factors are driving another year of record earnings."

You can see the full second quarter financial results here.

Royal Caribbean's next promotion will offer 30% off every ship and every guest.  Plus, kids will sail free on select sailings.

The 30% off discount is valid on bookings made between August 4 and 31, 2016, on all sailings departing on or after September 4, 2016.

The 30% off the standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom; all stateroom categories. All other charges, including, but not limited to, taxes, fees and port expenses, are additional and apply to all guests.

Kids Sail Free is valid for bookings made between August 4 and 18, 2016, for free cruise fare of third and higher guests who are 12 years or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two Offer qualifying guests in a triple or quad occupancy stateroom.

Kids Sail Free is eligible in 5 nights or longer Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Dubai, and Europe sailing that departs Sept. 6, 2016-May 15, 2017. Kids Sail Free Offer excludes sailings departing between 11/17/16- 11/24/16, 12/15/16-1/05/17, 2/16/17-2/23/17, 3/10/17-3/20/17, 4/06/17-4/16/17 and Harmony of the Seas. Offer excludes China departures.

30% Savings Offer and Kids Sail Free are combinable with adjoining Holiday OBC, Crown & Anchor discounts, NextCruise offers, and Shareholders benefits.

30% Offer and Kids Sail Free are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). Holiday OBC is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) and NextCruise offers. Holiday OBC is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts.

All Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion.

Offer open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. 

Royal Caribbean was forced to change the scheduled itineraries for two of its cruise ships today, due to the predicted path of a tropical disturbance.

Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres told Royal Caribbean Blog the change was made, "to ensure our guests enjoy a safe and comfortable cruise. Given the storm’s current location and projected path, we had no other option but to revise itineraries for Empress of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas."

Empress of the Seas revised itinerary will be

Monday, August 1: Miami, Florida
Tuesday, August 2: Key West, Florida
Wednesday, August 3: At Sea
Thursday, August 4: Nassau, Bahamas
Friday, August 5: CocoCay, Bahamas
Saturday, August 6: Miami, Florida

Liberty of the Seas revised itinerary will be

Sunday, July 31: Galveston, Texas
Monday, August 1: At Sea
Tuesday, August 2: Cozumel, Mexico
Wednesday, August 3: At Sea
Thursday, August 4: Nassau, Bahamas
Friday, August 5: At Sea
Saturday, August 6: At Sea
Sunday, August 7: Galveston, Texas

Royal Caribbean will continue to monitor the path and progress of the tropical disturbance in the Western Caribbean.

You may have heard about Royal Caribbean's drink packages and even the drink cards, but here is a new drink card especially for those that enjoy a little "pep" in their day.

On Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, guests were able to purchase a specialty coffee drink card, where if 6 coffee drinks are pre-purchased, they get one for free.

Photo by Dr. Kris L-C

These pre-paid punch cards area available at three different price points, so you can choose one that is right for you.

• $24 for 7 coffee drinks priced at $4 or less
• $30 for 7 coffee drinks priced at $5 or less
• $36 for 7 coffee drinks priced at $6 or less

There is no indication that this kind of a drink card will be available on any particular sailing or ship. Royal Caribbean has experimented greatly with the concept of pre-paid drink cards that did include specialty coffees over the last 12 months or so, but this is the first we have seen of a pre-paid card specifically for coffee.

Would you buy one of these coffee cards? If so, which one appeals to you? Tell us in the comments below.

Today was our first sea day on board Empress of the Seas and once again I woke up at 6:30am to check out the sunrise. I headed up to the pool deck just in time to catch the sun coming up, once again wow.

Breakfast – Chops Grill

For top tier Crown and Anchor members (Diamond Plus/Pinnacle) and those staying in suite you can enjoy breakfast in Chops Grill.

They offer made to order eggs, omelets, and fresh fruit bar. The breakfast is very similar what you would find in the main dining room on any Royal Caribbean ship.

The real advantage is fast service and we were the only ones in there at 8am when they opened. I went with the basic Ham and Cheese omelet and I really enjoyed it. By now the staff in Chops Grill are starting to feel like family, it seems I’m starting to have most meals in here.

Pool Deck

After breakfast, I headed out the pool deck to soak up some sun rays while my girlfriend enjoy her spa morning. My gift to her for letting me live blog, Periscope, take endless pictures was to treat her to a spa treatment. She gave very positive feedback on the spa and it sounds like she is hooked for future cruises, oh no what have I done?!

Okay, back to the pool deck… This morning from 9:00am-10:30am they had a helicopter flying over us, beside us, and around us filming.

Many guest were asking staff what was going on, but I knew they were filming the brand new Empress of the Seas.

Brunch – Main Dining Room

Okay now I feel like all I am blogging about is food, but that’s all you really want to hear about Anyways, right? Well today they had their famous “Sunday Brunch” in the main dining room. Every sea day on Empress of the Seas, they have a big brunch from 11am-1pm in the dining room.

They had a large variety of breakfast and lunch options, so no matter what you were in the mood for they had it. During the Empress brunch, they also serve bottomless mimosas and Bloody Mary’s.

Afternoon on board

After our brunch, we decided to head back to pool deck and it was very full. Since Empress of the Seas has just one pool it can get very packed, but I never had a problem finding a deck chair.

We lounged in the water for quite sometime with the Caribbean band playing music. Pretty typical sea day with games around the pool deck and everyone enjoying themselves. I did notice they were selling the beer coolers at the bar, so if you don’t have a drink package this is a great value.

At 3:45pm we had a bridge tour for the Crown and Anchor group. We met on deck 9 forward and were greeted by security and did metal detector scans on us before we went into the bridge.

Once we were on the bridge they did a quick talk about what their roles are on the bridge.

We were aloud to take pictures of everything, just no video.

Dinner – Chops Grill

Tonight we were headed back to Chops Grill, again. We are feeling like family in here, but it was a great experience. We requested our waiter from night one and he took great care of us. I went with shrimp cocktail, which might be the largest shrimp I’ve ever seen.

Followed by the mushroom soup and 9oz filet. We were dining at 6pm tonight so the restaurant only had a few tables eating and the service was extremely fast.

Evening on board

Tonight was the white pool deck party, if you are coming on board Empress you should plan on packing white attire, though it’s not required. Many guests, including myself were not in white.

The staff started the party off and it quickly became very full and went on for hours. The guest were really enjoying the music and dancing the night away. I might have danced once or twice too…

That’s a wrap on day 3, stay tuned because tomorrow we are headed to Key West, Florida!

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West