Guests aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas were unable to visit the cruise line's private destination of Labadee today due to political protests in the area.

Video posted to Facebook shows Freedom of the Seas was able to dock at Labadee, but groups of protestors staged a demonstration in small boats.  This caused Freedom of the Seas' captain to decide not to let passengers off the ship.

Video by JC Roy

Cruise Critic member Nado44 estimated there were 10 motorized and colorful island watercraft carrying about 15-20 protesters each. Several non motorized row boaters also joined in.

The protests appear to be a result of protests as a result of local elections.

Royal Caribbean offered this statement regarding the situation in Labadee.

Today, when Freedom of the Seas arrived to Labadee, Haiti, the ship encountered a number of locals in small boats staging a protest.  Although this protest was peaceful in nature, it was clear that if the protest continued, there would be a significant impact on our guests’ ability to enjoy Labadee.

Therefore, Royal Caribbean cancelled Freedom of the Seas’ port call to Labadee.  Instead, the ship will remain at sea and call to Falmouth, Jamaica, tomorrow, as planned.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and are in close communication with local and government officials in Haiti. At this time, we have not made any decisions regarding future port calls to Labadee.  The next schedule call is Navigator of the Seas, on Thursday, January 21.

Royal Caribbean has released new photos, showing the construction progress of two of its newest cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and and its fourth Oasis class ship.

Harmony of the Seas is under construction at the STX ship yard in France and will debut in May 2016.

Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis class ship is under construction at the STX shipyard in France.

All photos are copyright Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean and the Chinese Imperial Palace Museum (the Palace Museum) held a joint press conference today at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement in the Forbidden City’s Jianfu Palace. 

As part of the agreement, experts from different research fields selected by the Palace Museum will be invited to give lectures of Chinese history and culture to guests on Ovation of the Seas. 

The Palace Museum also will provide professional consultation of the ship’s interior décor and art program. In addition, signature pieces from the collections of the Imperial Palace Museum will be on display to promote the traditional culture and arts of China. Paintings and art pieces created by artists from the Palace Museum will be available for guests to purchase at auctions held onboard.

Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship that debuts in April, will be the first to homeport in China immediately after its delivery and will begin service from Tianjin beginning June 2016.

The signing ceremony officially launches the “2016 – Let’s Ovation” campaign in China and marks the countdown to Ovation of the Seas’ maiden voyage in China.

“We are proud of the extensive collection of art and relics that represent the imperial treasures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and it is our goal at The Palace Museum to showcase the traditional Chinese culture to people all over the world,” said Shan Jixian, Director of the Imperial Palace Museum. “This partnership with Royal Caribbean International and our programs on Ovation of the Seas will help to further these objectives. We are excited to promote the rich heritage of the Forbidden City and China to the guests of the world’s largest global cruise line and we hope to continue to expand on these efforts.”

Dr. Zinan Liu, President of North APAC and China, Royal Caribbean International said: “Cruising is becoming increasingly popular with Chinese travelers and Royal Caribbean’s award-winning and state-of-the-art ships with features found only on Royal Caribbean are very appealing to those consumers looking for a high quality vacation experience. Quantum of the Seas has been very well received by our Chinese guests and we are excited to now bring Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin. Sailing two of the world’s newest and most technologically advanced ships in China demonstrate our leadership and commitment to the market and this partnership with the Palace Museum showcasing China’s rich heritage will bring yet another unique element to our vacation offering.”

Ovation of the Seas will be officially launched in April 2016, when she departs Southampton for Tianjin, China on a 53-day Global Odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin in June 2016. Ovation of the Seas, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.

Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas is currently under construction at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Watch to see how the construction process is coming along on the third Quantum class ship.

Royal Caribbean has decided not to implement some of the previously announced changes coming to Majesty of the Seas during an upcoming refurbishment later this spring.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed to Royal Caribbean Blog that the scope for Majesty of the Seas' refurbishment has been finalized and not everything that was initially announced is going onboard.

Specifically, it now appears Majesty of the Seas will not be receiving a new waterslide, new specialty restaurants in Sabor Modern Mexican or Izumi, as well as not receiving the DreamWorks Experience.

Other planned upgrades, including Voom internet, poolside movie screen, family jacussis and an update to the casino, are all still planned.

A guest initially reported the news on Cruise Critic's message boards, after receiving an email from Royal Caribbean customer relations.

Royal Caribbean originally announced the refurbishment plans in July 2015 after changing its mind and keeping Majesty of the Seas in the fleet, rather than transfer her to sister brand Pullmantur Cruises.

Can you believe January is half way over? That means we are all getting closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!

This week, there was plenty of Royal Caribbean news, including the big entertainment reveal for Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean pulled back the curtain on all the entertainment planned for Harmony of the Seas, which includes two musicals: Grease and Columbus, The Musical!

There are also new shows in the AquaTheater, Studio B ice skating rink and new parties and shows across the ship (the 90's party really has us excited).

There was plenty more Royal Caribbean news, so let's jump right in.

Royal Caribbean News

• Sadly, 21 guests were involved in a car accident during a shore excursion in Falmouth.
• Deck-by-deck look at the changes coming to Liberty of the Seas.
• Our guide to enjoying specialty restaurants for lunch.
• We shared the top 5 different staterooms you should consider for your next cruise.
• Royal Caribbean announces its 2015 travel partners of the year award recipients.
• Answers to the most common Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package questions we see.
• Four Royal Caribbean features that were inspired by something outside the company.
• Our five best money saving tips for getting a Royal Caribbean deal.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 128th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we are previewing our upcoming group cruise on Allure of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt and Annette share the plans for the second Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise and why they think, this will be a really fun event.

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.

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Deals App shared 18 money saving cruise secrets, including one from us!

Royal Caribbean has 4 cruise experiences for any budget.

If you want some extra space on your next Royal Caribbean cruise and do not mind a little extra price, then be sure to check out a Category TS Two Bedroom Suite on Brilliance of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Deborah Wolfe shared with us these photos of her stateroom from her recent cruise in December.

Photos of this room come to us from stateroom 7672.

Walking in, guests will find a spacious living room includes dining table, vanity, chairs, and double sofa bed.

Each suite also has floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors leading to your expansive private veranda.

There is a guest bedroom with two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, two upper Pullman-style bunk beds, dresser, and private bathroom with shower.

Two Bedroom Suites have a master bedroom with two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, walk-in closet, and large private bathroom with tub and shower.  

The two bedroom suite measures 532 square feet in size with a 195 square foot balcony.

Royal Caribbean is kicking off a special weekend sale that promises fares starting at just $799 for three of its most popular cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

The three day Special Weekend Spring Sale runs between January 15 - 18, 2016 and is valid on Oasis, Allure and Anthem sailings departing April 1-June 30, 2016.

For eligible sailings on those ships, guests can enjoy

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest who must be booked in the same stateroom as a first guest who books at full fare
• 50% reduced deposit
• Onboard credit for bookings made Jan. 15-18, 2016 on Oasis, Allure and Anthem of the Seas sailings departing April 1-June 30, 2016
  • $75 for interior
  • $125 for ocean view
  • $250 for balcony
  • $350 for suite categories
• All other sailings (excluding China sailings) will receive this onboard credit
  • $50 for interior
  • $100 for oceanview
  • $200 for balcony
  • $300 for suite
• ​25% cruise fare savings for 3rd and 4th guests booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests

​BOGO is combinable with the adjoining OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers; BOGO and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). OBC Offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO) and NextCruise offers. OBC is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. All 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, Shareholder Benefits.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Picking the stateroom for your Royal Caribbean cruise means picking your home for 3, 4, 7 or even more nights and there are plenty of options to choose from onboard, but there are some categories that can be easily overlooked that are worth your time.

Over the last few years, Royal Caribbean has been adding different kinds of new stateroom categories to its offerings and these options give guests a greater variety of choice and flexibility in where they choose to stay.

The next time you are booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, consider one of these different stateroom categories, if they are available, that offers something different from the usual.

Panoramic ocean view

Ocean view staterooms are typically known for giving guests a porthole view to the ocean outside, but Royal Caribbean's Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom gives much more of a view.

These staterooms offer a floor to ceiling wrap around panoramic window that is 76 inches high by 103-321 inches wide.  That is a big window.

As you might imagine, the reason to book a stateroom like this is for the amazing views without the balcony view price.  

Panoramic ocean view staterooms are found on Navigator of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Virtual balcony

Royal Caribbean rethought what an inside stateroom could be when it came up with its virtual balcony staterooms.

A virtual balcony stateroom is an interior stateroom with an 80-inch LED screen that shows live video from outside the ship in ultra high definition.

The screens are 4K ultra high definition capable screens that stretch from floor to ceiling and receive a video feed from the ship's cameras that are mounted at the stem and stern of the ship.

With virtual balcony staterooms, guests can enjoy a balcony experience without the balcony price.

Virtual balcony staterooms are offered on Navigator of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.

Promenade view

Many Royal Caribbean fans absolutely love the Royal Promenade for everything it offers, and Royal Caribbean capitalizes on this by offering Promenade staterooms.

These Promenade view staterooms have bowed windows overlooking the Royal Promenade, creating an interior room with a view, and they offer the amenities of a standard stateroom.

The bowed windows give the room more room as well as the perfect vantage point for people watching and checking out what is happening on the Royal Promenade.  It doubles as the perfect spot to view the parade!

Promenade view staterooms are available on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Family ocean view

Royal Caribbean recognizes some families are more than just 3 or 4 guests and all families can always benefit from some extra space.  Enter, the family stateroom, which serves up a ton of extra space that is perfect for the family that needs to spread out.

Family ocean view staterooms can accommodate up to six people, with two twin beds, sofa and/or Pullman beds. Other amenities include a minibar (except on Vision of the Seas) and sitting area. 

These special rooms are perfect for larger families that want to stay in one room or families with older kids that just need some extra living space.

Family ocean view staterooms are available on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Vision of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Studio stateroom

Royal Caribbean has recognized the growing trend of solo cruisers by offering guests studio staterooms on select ships.

These rooms are designed for just one guest and do not carry with them the single supplement that drives up the cost for single cruisers.

There are studio virtual balcony staterooms as well as super studio ocean view stateroom with balcony.

Studio staterooms range in size from 101 square feet to 199 square feet and is the perfect option for someone who wants to cruise alone.

Various studio stateroom options are available on Brilliance of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas.

Have you stayed in any of these stateroom categories? Share your experience in our comments!

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Photos, where we share our readers' Royal Caribbean photos with all of you.  You can send us your photos by using this form.

To me, this weekly feature is an opportunity to enjoy a quick "mental escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.  Let's get started with this week's batch!

Our first photo this week is from Michael Brady and it is of Radiance of the Seas anchored off Mystery Island in the South Pacific from January 2016.  I could use this kind of a cruise right about now!

Here is a classic shot of Oasis of the Seas' Boardwalk and Aqua Theater by Shawn Crossley.  It does not matter how many times I see this angle, it never gets old.

Here are Mitch and Donna Smith posing for a photo on the Centrum of Radiance of the Seas.  Photos always come out great when the Centrum is your backdrop.

Let's hop in the Solarium hot tub with this photo by Robert Carpenter from Voyager of the Seas when the ship was in Beijing (Port of Tianjin).  This is the kind of scene I imagine when I need a mental escape.

Rounding out this week's photos is this photo of the view from Anthem of the Seas of New York City, by Frederic.  It's a wonderful town!

Thank you to everyone who sent in their photos this week. Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your photos so we can post them next week by using this form.