Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Photos, where we showcase our readers favorite Royal Caribbean photos.  If we all cannot be on a Royal Caribbean cruise at the moment, then the next best thing is to look at photos of a cruise longingly as a means of getting a "cruise fix."

If you want to submit your photos for a future Friday Photos post, be sure to send them to us via this form.

Our first photo this week is from Julie and it is of Empress of the Seas.  A quick anecdote about Empress of the Seas, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley mentioned earlier this week that in its internal guest satisfaction surveys, Empress of the Seas scored at the top of the list recently.  It is a fun little ship!

Next, we have a photo of Dan's daughter & son-in-law ice skating on Freedom of the Seas.  Cruising is such a great multi-generational vacation experience and ice skating at sea is just plain fun for everyone!

I absolutely never get sick of sunset photos, and here is one from Vision of the Seas as taken by Krisztina Benko.  Beautiful!

Matt shared this photo of his kids, Matty and Kennedy, in Falmouth while cruising on Liberty of the Seas.  Balloon animals and a cruise on a ship with amazing water slides equals an awesome vacation!

Bill Higgins sent us this photo of the Aqua Theater sign on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas.  Check out the diver in mid-jump behind the sign!

Todd Raucci sent us this photo from CocoCay, waiting to head back their Royal Caribbean ship.  Looks like another beautiful day in CocoCay!

Our last photo this week is from the behind-the-scenes Culinary Tour on Anthem of the Seas. Lauren Ogonowski sent it in, and this is a shot of where all the bread on the ship is made fresh daily.  Pass me a savory bite!

That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos. If you want your Royal Caribbean photo featured here, use this form to send them in!

Guests aboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas were treated to a special performance by Grammy award-winning legendary artist Patti LaBelle.

The VIP performance was for guests on the first-ever Royal Caribbean President's Cruise that featured President and CEO Michael Bayley

LaBelle was onboard to treat members of the cruise line’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program to an exclusive performance of her best hits including “Lady Marmalade,” “New Attitude,” “On My Own” and “You Are My Friend.”

During the special seven-night Caribbean cruise, sailing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, FL,  guests onboard Allure are visiting popular ports of call including Nassau, The Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

Today is the first full day of fall, and Royal Caribbean is celebrating by offering guests up to $100 instant savings combined with their current offer of up to 30% off all cruises.

The Fall Escapes Sale is valid on cruises booked September 22 - 26, 2016 on all sailings departing on or after October 23, 2016 (excluding China departures).

Here are the details of the sale

• 25% off the standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom for 2016 sailings and 30% off the standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom for 2017 and 2018 sailings; all stateroom categories.
• Sailings 5 nights or fewer
  • Interior/Oceanview: $25 off per stateroom
  • Balcony/Suite: $50 off per stateroom
• Sailings 6 nights or longer
  • Interior/Oceanview: $50 off per stateroom
  • Balcony/Suite: $100 off per stateroom
• For eligible holiday sailings 5 nights or less departing Dec. 22-31, 2016 and 2017, savings are $50 per stateroom for interior and oceanview and $100 savings per stateroom for balcony and suite categories, For eligible holiday sailings 6-nights or longer, departing Dec. 15-31, 2016 or 2017, savings are $75 per stateroom for interior and oceanview and $200 savings per stateroom for balcony and suites.

Instant Savings Offer is combinable with adjoining Save Now –Sail Later Savings, Holiday Offer, and NextCruise offers. Instant Savings and Save Now – Sail Later Savings are not combinable with Canada Resident Sale or restricted rates (for example, seniors, Residents, and Military). Instant Savings is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Crown & Anchor Discounts, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Shareholder Benefits. Save Now –Sail Later Savings is combinable with Crown and Anchor Discounts.

Offer available to residents of the United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean has seemingly reversed course with one aspect of its newly revamped unlimited beverage packages by now stating Starbucks beverages are not included in any of the packages.

An updated Royal Caribbean document clearly states that Starbucks beverages are not included in any drink package.

Here is a copy of that same document as it appeared earlier this month, with an indication that Starbucks beverages were included.

Earlier this month, Royal Caribbean completely overhauled its drink package offerings in an effort to simplify their offerings to guests and make it easier on crew members to understand as well.

Please welcome Christie McLarty as our guest blogger today, with her first-hand review of Chef's Table on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.

When we booked Freedom of the Seas for our anniversary trip, we knew we had to book Chef’s Table. We had eaten at Chef’s Table on Oasis of the Seas in December, and it was one of the highlights of the trip. While the experience was slightly different this time, it still lived up to our expectations of a delicious meal paired with great wines.

The Chef’s Table seats 10-16 people and is usually priced between $80-$90 depending on the ship. On our sailing they had a low number of bookings, so they were advertising a discount of 20%. This discount makes the dinner an exceptional deal, because you probably drink that much in wine alone. The location of the Chef’s Table varies per ship. On Oasis it was held in an alcove between Coastal Kitchen and the Concierge Lounge and on Freedom it was held in a closed off portion of the Windjammer. They did a great job of decorating so that we did not feel like were in the Windjammer. They asked us to arrive a few minutes early and greeted us with a glass of champagne.

Once we were seated at the table, the chef came out and introduced himself and prepared us for the evening. He presented an amuse-bouche that was not included in the menu. This “little bite” was made with a gelatin made from an ice-wine reduction topped with Alaskan king crab and seaweed.

Each subsequent course was paired with a wine. Chef Andre would first present the dish and go over in extreme detail how they prepared the dish. Our waiter then would discuss the wine and why it paired with the particular dish. Who knew you could cook a beef tenderloin in the oven while wrapped in plastic wrap? (Apparently it was a particular kind of oven, but my goodness was that beef tender). The menu appears to be the same fleet wide, but each ship can choose the wine they pair with the particular courses.

Dinner lasts about three hours, and it is fun to get to know the people sitting at the table as well. We had a slight issue with one of the guests at our table being disruptive, and the host handled the situation perfectly. They even presented a dessert with a candle for someone who was celebrating their birthday, which was a nice touch.

My husband and I both agree that this experience is something we will continue to enjoy on Royal Caribbean. If we were to attend an event similar to this on land, we would pay well over $100 per person. The food truly can’t be beat onboard and experiencing this with other guests makes each dinner unique.

At Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee, guests can reserve a cabana at Nellie's Beach to enjoy a secluded beach experience. The cabanas have become very popular with guests, and we had the chance to try the beach cabanas on a recent visit.

There are two types of cabanas available: over the water and beach cabanas. In the past, we have rented the over the water cabanas, but wanted to try the beach cabanas.

The beach cabanas are recessed at the rear of the beach, in a secluded area.  Beach cabanas cost $395 (for up to six guests).  Unlike the beach cabanas at the suite-only Barefoot Beach, the beach cabanas at Nellie's Beach are located in a private area, separated by a short wall.

There are two sub-types of beach cabanas: regular and handicap accessible.  The handicap accessible cabanas feature a ramp instead of stairs that lead to the cabana.

All the Labadee cabanas are equipped with two lounge chairs and a large seating area inside the cabana that features a fan and electric outlets. Cabana guest also get to enjoy complimentary bottles of water (in a cooler), two floating beach mats, snorkeling gear and towels. A cabana attendant is also assigned to you, who can assist you with any requests you may have.

Part of the reason we booked the beach cabanas instead of the over the water cabanas is because the over the water cabanas have a private staircase leading to the water, which is a bit too steep for my young children to navigate. The beach cabanas lead to the ocean via the beach, which was very easy for the kids.

Cabana guests at Nellie's Beach also have access to private golf cart transportation. Simply indicate to your cabana attendant that you would like to go somewhere (back to the ship, to the buffet, shore excursions, etc) and a golf cart will be brought to your cabana for your comfort and then you will be driven to your destination.

In short, we really enjoyed the beach cabanas at Nellie's Beach.  The over the water cabanas offer arguably a better view, but the beach cabanas still provide privacy and come in $100 cheaper.  For families that want a private beach experience, the beach cabanas at Nellie's Beach are a great choice.

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

Episode 164 is available for downloading, where we discuss the overhaul of Royal Caribbean's drink packages.

It seems like everyone is curious about Royal Caribbean's drink packages, and this week, Matt shares what has changed in the beverage package lineup and if you should buy one for your next cruise.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 164. 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!

Earlier today, Royal Caribbean confirmed the second President's Cruise and provided which sailing guests can begin booking.

The second President's Cruise will be a 7 Night Mediterranean Cruise on Freedom of the Seas, September 17, 2017 out of Barcelona, Spain.

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley made the announcement while onboard the first President's Cruise on Allure of the Seas.

The President's Cruise is centered around celebrating its most loyal customers, who get the chance to cruise with Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley, as well as attend special events just for them.

A really big photo is being planned by Royal Caribbean that involves all three of its Oasis-class cruise ships in one place very soon.

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley confirmed that the company will take photos of the three ships together in coordination with Harmony of the Seas' arrival in the United States in a few short weeks.

"We're trying to arrange all three Oasis-class to be next to each other, off the coast of Florida on November the 4th in the afternoon," Bayley said at an event aboard Allure of the Seas earlier today.

The plan is for Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas to appear together on November 4, 2016.  Royal Caribbean will also invite guests up to the helipad for additional photo opportunities.

Royal Caribbean held a similar event back in 2010, when Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas met at sea.

Royal Caribbean's Michael Bayley provided an update as to when its guests can expect to take a cruise to Cuba.

Speaking at a Crown and Anchor Society event aboard Allure of the Seas, Bayley provided an update to the likelihood of Royal Caribbean offering cruises to Cuba.

Bayley indicated the company is ready to offer cruises to Cuba on Empress of the Seas from Miami, but is being held up waiting for government approvals from Cuban and American authorities.

"Originally, we thought, that the various permissions [from the American and Cuban government]... we felt pretty good about going in at April, but we didn't get the permission," Bayley said during the event.

"We don't know all the reasons why, but part of what we think is happening now is because of the elections everything is kind of stopped. We think until that is finished and everybody knows who is doing what and what the position of the various countries will be, this all slowed down. "

Nonetheless, Bayley indicated that the company is firmly prepared to offer cruises to Cuba once the proper approvals are in place, "We're ready to go. Empress is going, but we can't go until we are approved to go by the Cuban government and the American government, and that's out of our hands."

"We brought Empress back specifically to operate to Cuba, to Havana. We have itineraries ready. The ship is prepared to go. The ship fits into Havana. The ship fits into the pier that we wanted to sail into. We are ready.