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

Episode 191 is available for downloading where Matt shares his thoughts on his recent cruises aboard Anthem of the Seas.

Matt experienced a lot onboard Anthem of the Seas, and this week, he dives into what makes Anthem of the Seas unique and discusses the aspects of dining, entertainment and accomodations that stood out and why.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 191. 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!

Royal Caribbean has released new photos of Symphony of the Seas' construction progress.  We can see the bow being attached to the ship's superstructure.

Symphony of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis Class cruise ship, and will debut in Spring 2018.

Guests sailing on Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas might be able to take advantage of a new service to store their carry-on bags until their stateroom is ready.

The carry-on luggage storage service was spotted on Empress of the Seas current sailing.

Photo by Brian Robinson

Guests have the option of taking their carry-on luggage to the Royal Theater and leave their belongings there from 10:45am to 1:00pm.

Guests must reclaim their bags when they want to bring them to their stateroom.

We saw something similar offered on Grandeur of the Seas on past sailings.

Harmony of the Seas is the most energy-efficient and technologically advanced cruise ship ever built. Equipped with next-generation technologies, from a multi-stream exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubbers) to an air lubrication system that allows the ship to float on air, with millions of tiny bubbles created under the hull to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Harmony of the Seas raises the bar on environmental stewardship technology.

Guests aboard Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas received a letter in their stateroom yesterday from the Captain, indicating a propulsion problem has caused an itinerary change for its current sailing.

Captain Srecko Ban sent a letter to guests, in which he states "Anthem of the Seas experienced a technical issue on one of its propulsion motors."  He indicated that the engineering team is working on the issue, but in the meantime, the ship will be sailing at a reduced speed.

Anthem of the Seas' itinerary has been revised as follows:

• March 26: Cape Liberty
• March 27: At Sea
• March 28: At Sea
• March 29: CocoCay 8:00am - 5:00pm
• March 29: Nassau arrive at 9:00pm
• March 30: Nassau depart at 6:00pm
• March 31: Port Canaveral, Florida 9:00am - 4:00pm
• April 1: Sea Day
• April 2: Cape Liberty arrive at 6:00am

Thanks to Bill Bartman for providing this letter

Captain Ban made it clear all remaining motors are fully operational, and there is no impact on the maneuverability of the ship or the safety of guests and crew.

Royal Caribbean has kicked off its "Tour More, Save More" cruise planner sale, where guests can save up to 20% off shore excursions booked through the Cruise Planner.

Guests that log into the Cruise Planner will find 10%, 15% and 20% off select tours offered on select Alaska, Caribbean, and Europe sailings departing between April 15 – November 30, 2017. Tours that qualify for the Offer vary by sailing and port of call. Offer excludes Hop On/Hop Offs, Shuttles, Private Journeys℠, overnight tours, Multi-day Adventures and other special tours.

Offer applies to tours booked March 27-30, 2017.

Royal Caribbean is holding a contest to find Instagram adventure seekers who want to travel the world and compete for the title of "World's Most Adventurous Squad".

The new social media contest will challenge explorers and aspiring Instagram stars, with one group of up to four friends to be crowned the “World’s Most Adventurous Squad,” and win trips anywhere Royal Caribbean sails to help live up to their newly minted title.

This is your shot to win a worldwide adventure. Learn how you could be crowned the World’s Most Adventurous Squad: https://t.co/naGflVpZtk pic.twitter.com/zOBhwAdUML

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) March 27, 2017

Royal Caribbean will hold five adventure-themed Instagram challenges. From highlighting hidden gems in their travels to showcasing their most epic eats, each challenge will give participants the opportunity to share their most impressive photos for a chance to win. Each challenge will run for 72 hours on Royal Caribbean’s Instagram account starting on March 29 and through April 12. To take part in the challenge, adventurers simply post their photo to Instagram, tag three friends that will comprise their squad and use the hashtag #AdventureSquad and #Contest.

Upon completion of each challenge, Royal Caribbean will select one winning squad – based on their creativity and spirit of adventure in line with the theme of the day.

The winners will then set sail on the adventure of a lifetime onboard Harmony of the Seas, the world’s largest and most adventurous ship taking over Royal Caribbean's social media channels as they go. The finalists will go head-to-head to capture and share adrenaline-pumping content both from the ship and exotic destinations, including Labadee, Haiti, Royal Caribbean’s private destination; Falmouth, Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico. At the end of their adventure, the squad that most embodies the spirit of adventure will be named the “World’s Most Adventurous Squad” and win trips anywhere Royal Caribbean sails. In addition, squads’ adventures also will be seen when they light up Royal Caribbean’s digital billboards in New York City in May.

Australian travel blogger Tyson Mayr (@tysontravel) will act as the contest host, announcing each 48-hour Instagram challenge. Mayr is no stranger to social media contests; he won one himself in 2014 and was paid to travel the globe for a year. Since then, he’s made a living as an adventurer and content creator, proving that Internet fame is within reach for social media contest winners.

Those back at home can watch the action unfold by following @RoyalCaribbean and #AdventureSquad on Instagram and Snapchat. For details on how to take part in the Adventure Squad challenge, as well as information on the winning squad, visit www.AdventureSquad.com.