No matter how many times I have been to Coco Cay, I just never get tired of it. Coco Cay is Royal Caribbean’s private island, which requires a tender ride to get there.

Majesty of the Seas was ready for tenders around 8:00am, and were off the ship by 8:30am. The tender process is not as painful as many report. I think the key to avoid all the crazy lines is go early right when they start the process.

For those that have never been over to Coco Cay before they have a towel station right before you get off, so that you are able to check-out (with sea pass card) some beach towels.

They also have a full lunch set-up on the island that you can enjoy, so that you don’t have to go back to the ship for lunch. 

Once we arrived over to the island all we did was explore and check out all the new changes that are happening. Coco Cay is undergoing quite a bit of changes if you compare it to a few years ago. They have added beach cabana beds for rent and the floating bar has returned since the recent hurricane.

If you are wanting to spend a lot time at the floating bar, I would recommend renting the beach shells for $45, as they are right in front of the floating bar now.

We ended up laying in a beach cabana for around an hour, since we were over there so early. I really enjoyed them and these might be really great for families so the kids have some shade.

Lunch on the island 

We were invited to have lunch on the patio over beside the jet skis and boat area. They had some lite options, which is good since I’ve felt like all we have done is eat! I had 8 or so shrimps and that’s about it, they were so yummy.

I also enjoyed my favorite island drink, a Coco Loco. If you ever visit the island they have a signature frozen drink on the island called a Coco Loco. After some snacks we deiced to head back over to the ship and enjoy some pool deck sunshine. 

Afternoon on board 

Once we were on board I experienced my first issue with Voom internet. They were conducting some maintenance and it was offline for around an hour. I suppose they conduct these maintenance when most of the guests are off the ship. Since we are talking about Voom Internet, this is the fastest internet I’ve ever experienced on a ship. 

The pool deck ended up being very busy as the afternoon went on. Everyone was watching the football games in the water. The Majesty of the Seashas a new pool deck TV that was installed during her last dry dock. The quality of the TV looked very clear just like watching HD at home, so they are using an upgraded TV now compared to other ships. 

Evening on board 

Tonight we started our evening in the Crown and Anchor Diamond event like every evening.

I went early so I could watch the sunset from the Viking lounge. This ship is the only ship in the fleet that has wide-open 360-degree views that’s open for all. We talked with a lot of new friends about their day and experience on board since it was the last night of the cruise.

At 7:30pm we decided to see our first show on board called Boogie Wonderland. This is the longest running show in the fleet and was outstanding. It was the singers and dancers last performance of the ship, as a new crew boards tomorrow. They even had the CD get up there and dance with them as a farewell. 

Tonight in the dining room it was Italian night, so you know what that means… Lasagna! We asked them to use a red sauce on the lasagna vs their standard white sauce and it made it taste that much better. We also ordered chicken marsala and this was a first for me.

The chicken was very tender and gravy on top really brought the flavor out. I think I’m still stuff as I write this, no breakfast for me tomorrow. 

 After our dinner we said our goodbyes to the staff and I let them know I was staying on board the next sailing too. 

Random Thoughts on Majesty of the Seas

• Ship is in great condition: new carpet everywhere, new chairs in schooner bar, and doesn’t have that “older” feeling like Monarch did when I was on her.
• Voom Internet works great, no issues at all, stayed connected throughout the day.
• Crew: They really make this ship, everyone always smiling and always looking happy.
• Entertainment was great; my only wish is there was a venue to listen enjoy the centrum music in the evenings. 

 This wraps up my first 3-day cruise, but we still have 2 more to go. My next cruise leg is the 4 days sailing going back to Nassau and Coco Cay!

Welcome to this week's round-up of all the Royal Caribbean news and happenings.  Hope you are staying warm and are ready to cozy up to some great Royal Caribbean fun.

Royal Caribbean highlighted what is new and notable for 2017, including new several new itineraries.

While there is no new cruise ship joining the fleet this year, Royal Caribbean fans will be delighted to see changes to offerings in many different markets.

Chief among the changes for 2017 are cruises to Cuba (finally!). Empress of the Seas will provide vacationers with the opportunity to discover the timeless sights, sounds and culture of this island nation. The newly revitalized Empress of the Seas will make history for the cruise line with its first visit to Cuba during a 5-night sailing departing Miami on April 19, 2017.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will operate the three largest cruise ships in the world out of the state of Florida.

Royal Caribbean News

• Guests can support the World Wildlife Fund while on their Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Royal Caribbean announced their top travel partners of 2016.
• We spotted a new drink menu design.
• 10 ways to save money on your 2017 Royal Caribbean vacation.
• Michael Poole is LIVE blogging from Majesty of the Seas this week (and next week too).
• How to eat healthy while on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• 6 cool things for kids to do on your Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Our photo tour of the Grand Suite on Oasis of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 180th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we take an in-depth look at going on a Royal Caribbean cruise with young children.

Bringing toddlers and babies on a Royal Caribbean cruise is something many families choose to do, but there can be some unique challenges associated with traveling with kids of that age.  This week, Matt and Christy discuss their strategies and share tips for parents looking to cruise with the very young.

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

Porthole Magazine has a full review of Harmony of the Seas in this month's edition.

Everything Zany shared a helpful list of cruise ship terms that you should know.

Cruise Critic shared their list of favorite drinks on Harmony of the Seas.

Chris Cruises shares an ode to sunsets at sea.

Eat Sleep Cruise has a list of the best hotels near Port Everglades.

Morning on board 

Today was our first stop in Nassau, Bahamas from noon-midnight. So this morning we had our “sea morning” as we made our slow approach into the Bahamas.

I started my day in the main dining room with breakfast. I am sad to report I forgot my camera in the cabin, so no food porn of my ham & cheese omelet. We sat in the Diamond section, which the only real perk does not have to wait for a table; you just simply walk in and seat yourself. Breakfast was fast and we were on our way to start enjoying our day. 

After breakfast, we attended the top-tier Crown and Anchor event, which started at 10:30am. The on board officers introduced themselves and what their role was on the ship.

They also presented some guests receiving their loyalty cruise block. Once you reach 140 C&A points, you receive a crystal block and again every 70 points after. During the event they have free cocktails, champagne, and wine so that’s reason enough to attend right? 

Nassau, Bahamas 

At 11:45am we made our approach to the pier in Nassau. I noticed while we were docking a tug boat was pushing us, so the high wind didn’t take us off course.

Around 12:30pm we made our way down to exit the ship for our day in Nassau.

I was really looking for something new while we were here, since I’ve been coming here a lot recently. We walked past Senor Frogs, down to McDonald’s to catch the local city bus. For $1.25 per person each way this public transportation will take you all over the island.

My friend Nick wanted to visit one of his favorite places called The Daiquiri Shack over on Cable Beach. The bus ride over took 8-10 minutes and was a unique experience to say the least. Once we arrived we quickly noticed the shack was closed down for a few days. We were so excited by the time we arrived it was a little let down. That being said, we were across the street from a beautiful resort Melia. We decided to walk over to the resort to check it out, since we already made our way out here. The resort was absolutely breathtaking when we walked in.

We inquired about their day passes and it seems it’s $45, but doesn’t include anything with it just access to the property and their free Wi-Fi (which works great). 

After we explored the resort we decided to head back to the port area and visit one of my favorites Pirate Republic Pub. If you have read my live blogs recently you know I’ve been coming here every visit in Nassau. It’s the only craft brewery on the island and it’s the first thing you see coming off the ship. We had a few beers before we got back on board, average price here for beers are $5-$8 each.

As we were walking back to the ship we decided to check out this restaurant we have been hearing a lot about. The place is called Café Matisse and I’ve often heard about it from crew members eating here. They were very inviting and let me come in to take pictures. 

Evening on board 

Tonight around 5pm I watched the Empress of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas dock in Nassau. I really love both of those ships and the excitement level was pretty high watching them dock during sunset.

Dinner this evening is at the Captain’s table at 8pm. I was lucky enough to get an invite due to my friend going, so a new experience for me. 

Our invitation for dinner said to meet at 8:15pm at the Schooner Bar. Once we arrived they had a section reserved for us, with card note that said VIP on the tables.

I have never been called a VIP before but I will pretend I am one! We had a round of drinks with the hotel director and then headed to our table at 8:30. During dinner I actually thought, "how am I going to explain this dinner in the blog post."

Of all my dinners at sea, I will remember this one forever. The level of service was outstanding. Even when they brought our food over it we always received it at the same time. I ordered the filet, think Chops Grille but better! I won’t go on and on about the dinner, but I felt so lucky to experience that meal. 

After dinner we went up to the pool deck party for our sail away out of Nassau. I can’t remember a sail away party this packed before, but I had a blast. 

Well friends, that was my full day in Nassau, tomorrow we tender in Coco Cay.

Suites on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are a wonderful way to indulge with extra space and level of service. The Grand Suite stateroom category on Oasis of the Seas is a popular choice for guests that want to enjoy the Sky Class level of benefits in the Royal Suite Class.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Michael C. shared with us these photos of his stateroom from his recent cruise.

Photos of this room come to us from stateroom 12660.

This Grand Suite can accommodate up to 3 guests and features a spacious living room with desk, drawer space, vanity, sofa bed, and chairs.

Each suite also has its own flat-screen LCD television with stereo and DVD/CD player, thermostat controlled air-conditioning, internet access, direct-dial telephone, radio, mini bar, individual safe, 24 hour room service, and concierge service.

Grand Suites have floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead to your private veranda with lounge chairs and tub, two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, large closets, marble entry, private bathroom with tub and shower,

The Grand Suite measures 371 square feet in size, with a 114 square foot private balcony.

Pre - Cruise 

My cruise day is finally here, and as much as I wanted to sleep in that just did not happen. I always wake up very early on cruise morning with so much excitement, usually watch the ships pull in on webcam.

Since I live in Tampa, Florida now, I decided to drive the 120 miles over to the port the morning of the cruise. My travel over to the port was uneventful, I arrived at 10:00am and many people were still getting off the ships.

I was in no rush really, so I drove through the drop-off section and dropped my one backpack off. Then I parked at the terminal for $64 (you pre-pay when you park here). After parking I walked over for some pre-cruise drinks at Grills, which is right beside the terminal. Once I sat down, I thought to myself that was the easiest arrival I’ve ever had, from dropping bag off, to parking and my walk over all took less than 10 minutes. 

Embarkation 

At noon I decided to walk back over to the terminal, which was almost the same distance as walking to your car from leaving a restaurant.

The line to check-in for security was extremely long, however the Diamond and up Crown and Anchor line was completely empty, so off I went. Since I am on board for 3 sailings, I could have brought on board up to six bottles of wine. After thinking about it, I decided to only bring four bottles. When I went through security they question me a little, called a supervisor over, but he said no problem taking them all now! 

Lunch 

I explored around the ship for an hour then off for some lunch at Johnny Rockets. On Majesty of the Seas they have Johnny Rockets in the back of the Windjammer. Here is a tip, when you arrive they have a table set off handing out 20% off the cover charge, it will save you a few dollars. The standard cover charge here is $6.95 per person and that covers everything you would want to eat.

The service was outstanding, but to be honest we were the only ones in there. They showed us some card tricks that just blew us away, just really enjoyable lunch.

The food was also great, they put so much bacon on my burger, need I say more! 

 Cabin 

For the first leg, on deck 9 superior ocean view cabin - #9500. This cabin is all the way forward and very quiet. I have never stayed in a larger ocean view cabin and it’s quite nice. Often I will see them for a little more than the standard ocean view cabins, and always wondered if it was worth the few extra dollars, after now I would say so.

I had pre-purchased the bottle of rum and cokes for $40 online in the cruise planner and it was in my cabin waiting for us. 

Sailaway 

For sailaway we went to the spa for the raffle they hold to give out prices. My cruise count is at 33 now, and this was the first time I’ve ever been in the spa for sailaway. It was actually pretty fun to see people win prizes, though we only won a NextCruise bag.

If you are ever looking for a different activity or if you have a rainy sailaway, I’d recommend this as an option, hey someone has to win! 

Evening 

This evening we went up to the Diamond lounge, which on Majesty is the Viking Crown Lounge. They had new large menus at the table explaining what was included for free diamond drinks and what is not included.

Since I did not have a drink package on this cruise, I made sure to take full advantage of this benefit. Tonight was a full moon and we just looked at the moon for quite some time, really a beautiful site to see at sea. 

 Dinner 

We have my time dining for dinner, and reserved a table for 6:45pm each evening. Dinner was fun because my friend is on this ship almost every weekend, so people kept coming up to him to say hello. The quality of the food seems to have greatly improved since my recent sailings. The prime rib was so tender, just an amazing cut of meat.

For desert for had the carrot cake and it reminded me of the cake in Chops Grill. 

That wraps up day one on board Majesty of the Seas. Tomorrow we are in Nassau from noon-midnight.

Royal Caribbean celebrated its valued travel agent community with its annual Travel Partners of the Year Awards for North America.

The awards recognize travel agencies that do show a commitment to selling Royal Caribbean cruises, and this year's accolades recognized more than 10 top performers.

"2016 was a standout year, and that has everything to do with our travel partners and their incredible dedication to planning unforgettable Royal Caribbean adventures for our guests," said Vicki Freed, senior vice president, Sales and Trade Support and Service, Royal Caribbean International. "Passion, commitment and innovation are three of our guiding principles, values that travel agents appreciate and embody, making for some of the most meaningful partnerships in our industry. Recognizing these experts, who continue to work with us and go above and beyond to achieve success for their businesses, is an honor every year. Huge congratulations go to our well-deserved returning and first-time Travel Partners of the Year recipients."

Royal Caribbean’s 2016 Travel Partners of the Year winners are as follows:

Chairman's Award for Overall Achievement          
Vacations To Go
 
President's Award for Overall Achievement          
Cruise Planners – American Express Travel Representative
 
National Account Partner of the Year                      
Expedia CruiseShipCenters
 
Home-based Partner of the Year                              
Travel Planners International *First-time winner
 
Online Partner of the Year                                        
World Travel Holdings
 
Consortia Partner of the Year                                   
Travel Leaders Network
 
Corporate Incentive Partner of the Year                  
Morris Meetings & Incentives
 
Marketing Partner of the Year                                  
WMPH *First-time winner
 
Southeast Partner of the Year                                    
Palm Coast Travel/SmartCruiser.com *First-time winner
 
Northeast Partner of the Year                                    
Cruise Brothers *First-time winner
 
Central Partner of the Year                                        
Magical Moments Vacations *First-time winner
 
West Partner of the Year                                             
Montrose Travel
 
Canada Partner of the Year                                        
Expedia CruiseShipCenters Montreal *First-time winner

Happy Friday, and welcome to another edition of Friday Photos, where we share with you some wonderful Royal Caribbean photos that our readers sent in.  As always, you can share your photos with us to be posted on an upcoming Friday Photos post.

Our first photo this week is from Jorge Toache of a peaceful day on Independence of the Seas.  Yup, just another day in paradise.

Ashlie shared this photo of her family heading back to Liberty of the Seas after a fun day in Cozumel.

Next is a photo by Nick from onboard Anthem of the Seas, where he was able to meet the ship's Captain.  Meeting the Captain of any Royal Caribbean ship is always such a treat!

Speaking of Anthem of the Seas, here she is again, as seen from Coco Cay.  Ken "CookingYo" Licwinko shared this beautiful photo of Anthem between two palm trees.  

If you wanted to see even more photos of Anthem of the Seas, your wish has been granted. Eric Hoefman took this photo of Anthem in Nassau, Bahamas along with many other cruise ships.

Staying with Nassau, here is Navigator of the Seas and Allure of the Seas docked in Nassau.  I love when you get to walk down a "ship canyon" like this!

Our final photo this week is from Frank Battiston of a stunning sky in Fort Lauderdale. Frank took this photo from onboard Freedom of the Seas in Port Everglades, and it looks like a great start to an even better cruise!

That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos. Thank you to everyone who contributed photos this week, and if you want to share your photos, use this form to send them in!

Royal Caribbean is offering bonus onboard credit on top of its current WAVE season deal, which means more savings for guests across the board.

The Winter Wanderer Bonus will provide up to an extra $50 per stateroom for guests to spend at sea. Cruise must be booked Jan. 13-16, 2017 to sailings on or after Feb. 12, 2017 (excluding China).

• 30% off standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom
• 50% reduced deposit
• Up to $150 instant savings per stateroom
  • Sailings 5-nights or less
    • Interior/oceanview: $25 per stateroom
    • Balcony/suite: $50 per stateroom
  • Sailings 6-nights or longer
  • Interior/oceanview: $50 per stateroom
  • Balcony: $100 per stateroom
  • Suite: $150 per stateroom
• Bonus onboard recit per stateroom
  • Interior/oceanview: $25 per stateroom
  • Balcony/suite: $50 per stateroom.
• Anthem Free Upgrade - From Ocean View to Balcony on Anthem sailings on or after March 1, 2017. Please note that the "upgrade" will be reflected as "purchase a balcony at the price of an ocean view"

30% Savings is combinable with adjoining Instant Savings, OBC, Anthem Upgrade, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers. 30% Savings, Instant Savings, OBC and Anthem Upgrade are not combinable with restricted rates. Instant Savings and OBC are not combinable Crown & Anchor discounts.

Offer open to residents of U.S. or Canada.