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Grand Suite photo tour on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas

In:
08 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Staying in a suite is a wonderful way to splurge and enjoy some of the finest accommodations available on a cruise ship.  The Grand Suite staterooms on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas are a popular choice with guests who want to enjoy the benefits of the Sky Class level.

Photos of this room come to us from stateroom 11242.

The Grand Suite can accommodate up to 4 guests. It features a living area that includes a sofa that converts to a double bed, entertainment center and writing desk.

The large closet near the entrance is one of many spots in the room that provides storage.

The bedroom area has two twin beds that convert to a Royal King (measures 72.5 inches wide x 82 inches long), separate dressing area and an entrance to the bathroom.

There is another desk in the bedroom area.

The Grand Suite on Anthem of the Seas has a full bathroom with tub, two sinks, and second entrance that opens to living room.

The Grand Suite measures 351 square feet in size, with a 109 square foot balcony.

Friday Photos

In:
07 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Friday is here and that means two things: the weekend is beginning and we have some terrific Royal Caribbean photos to share from our readers. Each week, we invite our readers to share with us their favorite Royal Caribbean photos in a kind of virtual escape for everyone.

We begin Friday Photos this week with a photo by Crystal taken on Labadee, looking out to Harmony of the Seas.  Just another day in paradise.

Mike Wagner took this photo from the east coast of Cozumel. He rented a jeep and explored the east side of the island while on an Oasis of the Seas cruise.

RBRSKI sent in this photo of the family's New Years cruise, which was on Independence of the Seas.  They had a corner aft balcony and were definitely in the holiday mood.

Speaking of Independence of the Seas, here is a photo by Anne M. from March 2017.  Few things are as calming and beautiful as the wake from a cruise ship on the ocean.

We are headed back to Labadee for this photo by Denis Beauchemin, and it is also of Harmony of the Seas docked in Royal Caribbean's private destination. Looks like it was taken from an over the water cabana at Nellie's Beach

Matthew Reed sent this photo of Harmony of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas docked next to each other in St. Maarten. 

Our last photo this week comes to us from Emily Knab, and it is of Liberty of the Seas arriving in Roatan, Honduras.

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos this week. We welcome your best Royal Caribbean cruise photos too, and you can send them in by using this form. Have a great weekend!

Royal Caribbean's 100 hour sale offers bonus onboard credit this weekend only

In:
07 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

For 100 hours this weekend, Royal Caribbean is offering bonus onboard credit on top of its current Every Third Night Free sale.

The 100 hour sale is valid on new Royal Caribbean cruises booked between April 7, 2017 at 7:00am EST and April 11, 2017 at 11:59 EST on sailings that depart on or after May. 7, 2017 (excluding China departures).

The total offer includes

Free Nights Savings

  • 3-5 Night Sailing – 1 Free Night
  • 6-8 Night Sailing – 2 Free Nights
  • 9-11 Night Sailing – 3 Free Nights
  • 12-14 Night Sailing – 4 Free Nights
  • 15-17 Night Sailing – 5 Free Nights
  • 18-20 Night Sailing – 6 Free Nights
  • 21-23 Night Sailing – 7 Free Nights
  • 24 Night Sailing – 8 Free Nights

The savings amount for each free night is calculated by dividing the total stateroom cruise fare by the number of cruise nights. Savings is deducted from cruise fare at time of booking.

Onboard Credit

  • $25 OBC per stateroom for interior and ocean view on sailings 5 nights or less
  • $50 OBC per stateroom for balcony and suite on 5 night sailings or less
  • $75 OBC per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 6 nights or longer
  • $150 OBC per stateroom for balcony and suite on 6 night sailings or longer

Anthem of the Seas Bonus Onboard Credit

Bonus OBC total value per stateroom for Anthem of the Seas sailings departing May 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 determined by sailing length and stateroom category booked:

  • $100 OBC total per stateroom for interior and oceanview
  • $200 OBC total per stateroom for balcony and suite.

Oasis class Upgrades

Bookings made between April 7-11, 2017 on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas sailings departing June 1, 2017 through September 30, 2017 are eligible for a free upgrade from Ocean View to Balcony. Free upgrade refers to booking a balcony room at the price of the ocean view room. All other charges including, but not limited to, taxes, fees and port expenses, are additional and apply to all guests.

1-2-Free is combinable with adjoining OBC, Bonus Anthem OBC, Crown & Anchor discounts, NextCruise offers and Shareholder Benefits. OBC and Bonus Anthem OBC are not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts or Shareholder Benefits. 1-2-Free, OBC and Bonus Anthem OBC are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including but not limited to, restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, and Military), Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates.

Offer available to residents of the United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean announces partnership with Puerto Rico to improve San Juan pier

In:
06 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Governor Ricardo Rosselló, along with the executive director of the Ports Authority, Lic. Omar Marrero Díaz, announced Thursday improvements to San Juan's Pan American II Pier, in partnership with the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The announcement comes as Royal Caribbean announced its intention to homeport Freedom of the Seas in San Juan in May 2018.  To do this, investments will be made in this port facility to optimize the infrastructure and in turn improve the experience of the passengers at the dock.

As part of the agreement between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the Ports Authority, a number of works will be carried out including: improvements to the boarding bridge, improvements and reconfiguration of safety checkpoints, adding passenger registration desks, The capacity of the baggage inspection area, improvements to the bathrooms, dredging to the dock area of ​​the Pan American Wharf II, improvements to the mooring structure of the ships and other miscellaneous improvements to the building.

The economic impact is expected to be momentous and have an increase in Ports Authority revenues of $2.8 million.

For fiscal year 2015-2016 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. brought a total of 574,140 passengers and is expected to increase to approximately 700,000 passengers by 2018.

Royal Caribbean updates dining room dress code again and removes shorts

In:
06 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Royal Caribbean has revised its dress code suggestions on its website and removed shorts from the list, a little more than a week after shorts were discovered as acceptable attire.

The website now lists suggestions for casual, smart casual and formal dress codes.  Under the casual dress code, shorts, tees, and tank tops have been removed from the list.

Royal Caribbean generated a lot of discussion early last week when the web page included shorts as acceptable attire.  That decision drew the ire of many traditionalists, who did not think it was appropriate.  This latest website update reverses the policy and clarifies the cruise line's stance on the issue.

Top 10 Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas hidden secrets

In:
05 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Do you have a cruise booked on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas? If so, there is so much to see and do onboard that is not to be missed.  Of course, with a ship of this size and as many activities onboard as there are, it is easy to overlook some aspects of the ship.

We present our list of the top ten hidden secrets and gems that you should not overlook if you get the chance to sail on Anthem of the Seas.

10. Secret door to the Solarium

The adults-only Solarium at the front of Anthem of the Seas is a popular destination for guests who love the enclosed windows, always warm temperatures and incredible pool.  Did you know there is a secret door that leads directly into the Solarium without having to go back out to the stairwells first?

On deck 13 forward, if you walk all the way forward past all the staterooms, there is a door that leads right out to the lower level of the Solarium.

9. Thermal spa pass

Royal Caribbean's Vitality Spa has always been the perfect place to indulge in a little, "me time," and on Anthem of the Seas, you will find one of the best ways to relax ever in the thermal spa.

Guests can purchase a pass to the thermal spa for $99 per person ($179 per couple) that gets guests access to

  • Heated stone chairs
  • Rainforest shower room
  • Infrared sauna
  • Steam room

The price quoted is for the duration of the cruise and is not just a tremendous value, but also a great way to forget all of your troubles.

8. The "Hershey kiss" chair

If you want to score points for taking a selfie in the coolest chair onboard Anthem of the Seas, check out this chair that reminds us of a Hershey Kiss.

Located in the Via, near Vintages Wine Bar, this chair is a large pear shaped chair that has an opening for one or more guests to jump in and relax.

The chair is more show than function, but we dare you not to take photos of yourself in there to share with others!

7. Open play room for kids

If you have younger children that need to get burn some energy (especially before nap time), there is an open play area in Adventure Ocean that is available for use throughout the day stocked full of toys.

On Anthem of the Seas, the open play area is available for all young children, and features a slide, building blocks, tunnels, toy kitchens and much more.

Parents will find seating around the edge of the play area to monitor the kids (and likely stream something on Netflix via Royal Caribbean's amazing Voom internet).

6. Bridge wings

Looking for the best view of Anthem of the Seas? Then you want to check out the wing viewing areas that are located all the way forward, near the Solarium.

There are wing viewing spots on both sides of the ship, and they are small platforms that extend away from the ship, giving guests amazing views every time.

These wing viewing areas are perfect for sailaways or just getting a great photo of Anthem of the Seas.

To get to the wing viewing areas, go all the way forward on deck 14, then walk through the Solarium all the way to the front and go left or right to find a door that leads to them.

5. Beer selection at Brass & Bock

If you are a beer lover, and especially enjoy craft beers, the spot onboard Anthem of the Seas for you is the Brass & Bock pub.

Unfortunately, craft beers are a rare commodity on Royal Caribbean ships but the Brass & Bock pub is stocked full of some wonderful microbrews.

While you are enjoying a great beer, be sure to order something off the pub food menu.  Their burger and fried pickles are outstanding.

4. Planks at Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian specialty restaurant is a real winner with guests, who continuously report back glowing reviews of the food offered here.  If you are wondering what the best thing is on the menu: it is the meat planks.

The menu is comprised of Jamie’s Italian Famous Plank piled high with cured meats, pickles and tempting cheeses. It is perfect for sharing with everyone at the table and you will really find it is the perfect way to start any meal at Jamie's Italian.

3. Best uncrowded spot for breakfast: Cafe @ Two70

If you want to have breakfast somewhere on Anthem of the Seas without a large crowd, try Cafe @ Two70.  Royal Caribbean describes this as a "European" style breakfast, and you will find a bagel bar, yogurts, fruit, pastries and some breakfast sandwiches too.

The best part of breakfast here is the view, because you can take your food out to Two70, and enjoy a wonderful view of the ocean.

2. See through floor

It can be easy to forget just how large a ship Anthem of the Seas is, so head to deck 13 aft and walk up to deck 14, where you will get a pretty good reminder.

Royal Caribbean added this see-through floor for one of the steps, which allows guests to peer down more than 10 decks to the Royal Esplanade.  Be sure to bring your camera, especially when kids see this for the first time.

1. The best views of NYC are on the port side

If you are booking a balcony or oceanview stateroom and want to ensure you get a great view of New York City while docked in Cape Liberty (and on your way out to sea), then very likely you will want to book a room on the port side of the ship.

We should mention that Anthem of the Seas does not always dock in the same way, but most often we see the port side of the ship facing the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Manhattan.

Regardless of which side the ship docks or where your stateroom is, be sure to go to the bridge wing that we noted in secret number 6 to get the perfect vantage point of this iconic skyline.

Did we miss any Anthem of the Seas secrets? Share them in our comments!

5 rules for getting a deal on Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

In:
05 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

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

Episode 192 is available for downloading, in which we share with you our five rules for getting the best price on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

A Royal Caribbean cruise represents an excellent value, and this week we share our strategy for getting a great deal on any Royal Caribbean sailing.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 192. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSSStitcher 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!

Spotlight: Tapas plate at Vintages on Navigator of the Seas

In:
04 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Vintages is well-known across Royal Caribbean ships as being the spot onboard to grab a glass (or bottle) of wine, but they also serve up tapas for guests to enjoy.

Vintages has offered tapas for a while now, but in the name of "research," we wanted to try it out for ourselves to see what is offered.

Tapas are small plates of food that originated in Spain.  Traditional tapas are mix of appetizers or snacks, but they are served closer to a small plate in style.

On Navigator of the Seas, we tried the tapas option, which costs guest $5 for a plank full of meets, cheeses and fruit.

Tapas are available each evening in Vintages, beginning at 5pm.  It takes just a few minutes to prepare, at which point the server brings out your serving.

You will find grapes, prosciutto, salami, brie and more.

Do you want to try the tapas at Vintages? Let us know in the comments!

Video: Harmony of the Seas' Ultimate Abyss Vinfographic

In:
04 Apr 2017
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Towering over 150 feet above sea level, the Ultimate Abyss on Harmony of the Seas launches thrill seekers into a serpentine of twists and turns on the world's biggest ship. Guests climb to the slide's glass platform, taking in the view from the top of the tallest slide at sea. From there, sliders launch into 216 feet of tunnels, whizzing past multi-sensory effects and blast onto the Boardwalk 10 decks below.