There are many great stateroom choices when booking a cruise, and certainly a room with private balcony is one of the most intriguing options. Having your own private space to enjoy the view of the ocean, a gentle breeze and the activities in port are a fabulous way to spend any cruise.

In addition to just the view, there are some really fun things to try when staying in a balcony room.  Here are some of our top picks for favorite things to do on a balcony while on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Enjoy a meal

Royal Caribbean puts tables on the balcony for a reason, and enjoying a meal outdoors is always a really fun way to enjoy a meal while onboard.

Room service is included in the cruise fare, so you might consider ordering a snack or full meal to be delivered to your stateroom.  When the waiter brings the food, direct them to bring it to the balcony and they will be happy to set it up for you there. In fact, if you are staying in a Grand Suite or above, meals from the main dining room can be delivered to your room as well.

Another option is to bring something back from elsewhere on the ship to enjoy on the balcony. A few slices of pizza from Sorrento's, or just a plate of goodies from the Windjammer are always good options.  Guests can bring food from pretty much anywhere onboard and take it to go for enjoying on the balcony.  We really love bringing Izumi sushi back to the balcony to eat with a fabulous view.

Watch a show

On Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, there are balcony rooms that offer a full or partial view of the AquaTheater, which has some truly impressive physical feats on display in a variety of shows.

Each ship has rather large suites that overlook the AquaTheater perfectly.  Granted, these suites are not inexpensive, but many guests love having an unfettered and private area just for them to enjoy the view of the ocean and the AquaTheater.

Likewise, there are standard Boardwalk Balcony staterooms towards the rear of the ship that also provide a view of the AquaTheater.  Some of these rooms will offer partially blocked or full views of the AquaTheater action too.

Bring drinks back

Just like food, enjoying a few cocktails on your balcony is a great way to take advantage of having a private balcony.  It is easy enough to grab some drinks from somewhere onboard and bring them back to your stateroom to enjoy.

Whether it is sailaway and you are enjoying a toast to the best cruise ever, or just want to get away from the rest of the crowd and sip some bubbly while you watch the waves pass by, enjoying a drink on a balcony is a wonderful way to spend time onboard.

Read a book

You can read a book anywhere on a Royal Caribbean ship, but there is something extra relaxing about pulling up a chair, propping your feet on the balcony and opening up a great book to enjoy.

Reading a book while the ocean breeze passes you by is nearly as relaxing as one of the services offered by the Vitality Spa, and usually quiet enough to become immersed in the story unfolding between the pages.

Go in the hot tub

Certain suites on Royal Caribbean ships actually come with their own hot tub, which means you always have a reserved spot to enjoy the calming warm waters of your own Jacuzzi.

Just like the AquaTheater suites, suite staterooms that have a hot tub are not going to come cheap, but if you value having the best kids of accommodations onboard, it is hard to go wrong with a hot tub that only you can get to use.  Our scientific research team assures us that nearly any view is better in a hot tub.

Watch the sun rise and set (many times)

If you are not enjoying the spectacle of the sun rising and setting at least a few times during your cruise, you are missing out.  When you have a balcony stateroom of your own, you can see one of nature's most beautiful events with the utmost convenience.

Granted, your balcony will need to be facing the east or west to witness this occurrence, but if things do line up, be very certain to take advantage of it. 

Happy weekend before Valentine's Day! We hope you are having a fun and relaxing weekend. The perfect compliment to any Sunday is our round-up of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news.

Royal Caribbean announced, and then subsequently extended a new WOW Sale promotion, where guests can take advantage of a number of great offers.

The WOW Sale includes 60% off the second guest, up to $200 in onboard credit and 50% reduced deposit for bookings made through February 13.  This offer is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

The WOW Sale is combined with the February Wave Season offer that is going on, and we have heard from lots of readers who have been able to take advantage of this latest promotion.

Royal Caribbean News

• Enjoy this photo tour of the water slides on Adventure of the Seas.
• If you were wondering, here are the pros and cons to Royal Caribbean's drink packages.
• Our comprehensive guide to Royal Caribbean's Voom WiFi internet options.
• We' are counting down the top 5 Harmony of the Seas bars and lounges.
• We spotted new tiki mugs for sale on Labadee and on Royal Caribbean ships.
• The secrets to taking great photos on your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 184th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and have an overview of the main dining room on Royal Caribbean ships.

In this episode, Matt discusses what the main dining room offers guests, and shares tips and strategies for a great time dining there throughout the cruise.

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.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

The Miami Herald looks at how Ovation of the Seas caters to the Chinese guest.

Royal Caribbean has a look at the "where" and "when" of sailings.

One Boston Herald writer is enjoying cruising after years of avoiding it.

TimeOut London has a look at 10 awesome robots (including one on Royal Caribbean).

Condé Nast Traveler shares 10 amazing Caribbean gems that are sure to move higher up on your travel list.

Royal Caribbean has a list of the coolest new 2017 cruises.

No visit to Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee is complete without the official drink of this oasis, the Labadoozie. And now, Royal Caribbean is offering new tiki cups that will let you toast to good times in style.

Thanks to Melinda for sharing these photos!

This new cup design is available as a souvenir cup and sold at many locations in Labadee. The cups come filled with a Labadoozie, and cost $15.28 with alcohol, or $10.18 without alcohol.

Like all souvenir cups, these are not included in any Royal Caribbean drink package, but can be purchased a la carte with the SeaPass card.

Do you like these tiki cups? Will you buy one on your next visit? Share your thoughts in our comments!

Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages have been available for a few years and are quite popular with guests who are intrigued by the idea of having most of their beverages included, rather than having to pay for each drink.  The beverage packages promise convenience and a fixed cost to ensure one less worry. 

The common question cruisers ponder is to whether the drink packages are worth the cost.  Of course, the answer depends on you and your family.  Take into consideration some pros and cons that might help you decided if you want to add a drink package on your next cruise.

Pros

Drink as much as you want

By far the best advantage of any drink package is you get to enjoy as many drinks that are included with the package, with no limit.  When people pay for drinks individually, often the cost of running up a large bill enters into their minds, but drink packages assuage that concern.

Royal Caribbean beverage packages have no daily limit, so guests can enjoy as much or little as they want every day of their cruise. The Deluxe Beverage Package and the Royal Refreshment package also offer a good variety of beverages that are included with the packages, which means added opportunity to mix up the sort of drinks that can be enjoyed.

One of the best reasons to get a drink package is that you can enjoy all the drinks available, including some new ones. You can order something and not be worried that you might not like it and have to "suffer" through it, simply because you paid for it.

Use almost anywhere onboard and onshore

Royal Caribbean drink packages work pretty much everywhere onboard the ship and even in Royal Caribbean's private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee. This means whether you are in the dining room, hanging by the pool or at a specialty restaurant, you can enjoy the drink package benefits at any time.

There are a few exceptions to where you can use the drink packages, but most guests seem to find plenty of opportunity to take advantage of the benefits. 

The convenience of being able to get a drink virtually anywhere on your Royal Caribbean cruise means being able to enjoy a refreshment anytime you want.

Control costs

By purchasing a drink package, you are capping the maximum cost for drinks during your cruise.  

Most families like to be able to budget their vacations and not come home to a monster bill.  The drink package is an easy way to ensure the SeaPass account does not get out of hand.

Additionally, guests that pre-purchase their drink package prior to the cruise can take advantage of discounts and the opportunity to break up the total cost of the cruise. Royal Caribbean charges guests for the drink package at the time of purchase when booked before the cruise, which means guests can potentially pay off parts of their cruise experience on different billing cycles. 

If you can drink enough every day of your cruise, a Royal Caribbean drink package can definitely save you money. With the ever increasing cost of drinks, many guests have found the drink package to be a good value. Those that enjoy cocktails will find prices regularly $10-13 per drink, which makes a drink package investment much easier to "break even."

Souvenir cup

All unlimited drink packages come with a souvenir Coca-Cola cup that not only provides an easy way to get refills, but it can be taken home as a souvenir from the cruise. Souvenirs are rarely cheap, and having a good sized mug back home will provide another reminder of the vacation fun and potentially a new favorite cup at work or home.

Since the souvenir cups come with the drink package, there is no added cost to get one and the current mugs feature fun Royal Caribbean inspired designs that are sure to put a smile on your face each time you pull it out of the cabinet.

Cons

Drinking for the sake of drinking

It is not uncommon to discover when you have a drink package, you start getting a drink just because you have the package and not because you really want one.  

Certainly on the first couple days of a cruise, the opportunity to enjoy plenty of cocktails is novel, but there might be a point where you are ordering drinks simply as a means of getting your package investment back.

The principle reason to purchase a drink package is that it will save you money over purchasing drinks individually.  Royal Caribbean provides a value proposition to the equation with the drink packages, but often guests find themselves having a drink just because they can, just to "break even." 

Anyone can drink 5-7 drinks in one day, but 5-7 drinks every day of the cruise could possibly get old.

Large up-front cost

Royal Caribbean's drink packages are priced per person, and per day, so the longer your cruise, the more you will have to pay in advance for the drink package. Depending on the length of your cruise and the amount of people that want to get a drink package, that can be a lot of money to shell out.

Theoretically you will recoup that value over the course of the cruise vacation, but there is a risk of that not happening, and moreover, a big charge to start things off.  

Pre-purchasing the drink packages before your cruise can help take the sting out a bit, since they are charged at the time of purchase, but spending $400+ for an unlimited alcohol package per person on a 7-night cruise is never easy.

Still need to pay for drinks on land

Your Royal Caribbean cruise will bring you to some amazing ports of call, but your drink packages will not work there. Outside of Labadee or CocoCay, your drink package benefits stop, which means when visiting these different cities and countries, you will still have to pay extra for drinks.

Moreover, drinks are often much cheaper to purchase while onshore than on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Some guests prefer to drink very little onboard and then spend their money on drinks while on shore.  Certainly the itinerary you are on may dictate how practical this idea is, but drinking on land might be able to satisfy your drinking needs without the cost of a drink package.

Loyal cruisers receive complimentary drinks

Believe it or not, Royal Caribbean does offer complimentary beverages on their cruise, including alcohol. Royal Caribbean includes quite a few non-alcoholic beverages with your cruise fare, and for members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society customer loyalty program, there are even complimentary alcohol each evening.

Crown and Anchor Society members that are Diamond or above, can enjoy complimentary beverages in the Diamond lounge onboard the ship, plus the added option of drink coupons to use each evening around the ship. Guests that have access to these beverages will have a subsidy of included alcoholic beverages, which may negate the value of purchasing a drink package. 

Conclusion

Overall, whether Royal Caribbean's drink packages make sense for you is a highly personal decision based on a lot of variables.  Depending on your priorities, there decision will greatly sway in one direction or another.  The drink packages absolutely can save you money and time, but it depends on the person and it would be misleading to recommend it for everyone.

Discounts on drink packages bring down the cost when purchased before a sailing begins, and they money off is enough to push some folks "over the fence" to make it a worthwhile investment. In fact, anyone considering a drink package should absolutely pre-purchase a package for the discounts that show up from time to time.  

Keep in mind if you are unsure about purchasing a drink package, you can always opt to purchase the drink package after your cruise begins. Royal Caribbean will prorate the package based on the remaining days of your cruise, which means you can take a couple of days to see how much you really want to drink before deciding to try the package out.

Your thoughts

What is your experience with the Royal Caribbean drink packages? Thinking about using it? Please to share your thoughts about Royal Caribbean's drink packages and how it works (or does not work) for you in the comments.  If you have comments, ask them there as well.

Friday is here and we are sharing our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos, because who does not enjoy a "virtual escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise? 

Put your sunglasses on in your cubicle, and enjoy this week's edition of Friday Photos.

Our first photo is from Fatima of sunset in the Mediterranean while aboard Rhapsody of the Seas.

Here is a great shot of the water slides on Harmony of the Seas by Sarah Plazak, which was taken shortly after Harmony of the Seas left port in Port Everglades. 

Lynn Thomas sent this photo of Oasis of the Seas while docked in Falmouth, Jamaica.  Look at the size of the ship relative to the buildings in the port!

Here is the view from Cynthia Barbour's cabana in Labadee, which looks like the perfect way to spend the day. In fact, it is my favorite spot on Labadee!

Our next photo is of Susan Widdowson dipping her toes in the Mediterranean, right before Harmony of the Seas made her transatlantic crossing.

Here is a photo from a gondola excursion through the canals of Venice that D J Ep took last year. 

We wrap up this week's edition with this photo by Mark Reed and his girlfriend on their first day on Harmony of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone who shared their Royal Caribbean photos this week, and if you want to share yours, please use this form to send them in for a future Friday Photos post. Happy weekend!