Today we spent the day in Coco Cay, and if you have ever read any of my past live blog’s this is my favorite place to visit in the Caribbean.  I like Coco Cay because it’s very peaceful and such a relaxing day.

Morning Onboard

This morning, I woke up at 6:00am and decided to go explore the ship and take some photos.

I know I’m on vacation and waking up before the sunrises.  I really enjoyed the sunrise and if you haven’t woke up early on a cruise before I really recommend it.

 At 7:00am we had scheduled to have room service delivered to our cabin.  

The fruit was very fresh and by far the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had on board any cruise. They have breakfast cards behind the cabin door you fill out and place on the outside door handle the night before with your order.

Coco Cay

We had a large group scheduled to take the first tender boat over to Coco Cay at 8:15am.  We met at the Schooner bar and were quickly walked to the tender.  

The ride over to Coco Cay is 5 minutes and it’s really a great time to take some ship photos.  

Once we arrived in Coco Cay we headed over to the Cabana area.  These Cabanas are available to rent for the day at $250 and you can bring up to six guests.  When we arrived they had large Evian water chilled for us and beach towels.

This was my first time in the Cabana area and I was very surprised how nice the experience was.  

At 11:30am, they had a special lunch for us in the cabana area and it was an upgrade from the standard lunch they serve.  

They had salmon, shrimp, salads, and trays of endless fruit.

Snorkeling in Coco Cay

This afternoon we had planned to snorkel, in all my trips to Coco Cay I’ve never snorkeled here.  

We were treated to some very nice snorkel gear and the staff assisted us putting it all on.  Our group was 8 people and we headed out to a see the ship and plane wreck.  The tour lasted an hour and was very entertaining if you enjoy snorkeling.

After an hour of snorkeling I helped the production team film a spot with my snorkeling equipment.  They have a full team traveling with us doing all kind of shoots of Empress and Coco Cay.  After filming we decided to head back to the Cabana.  

By this point in the afternoon most everyone had headed back to the ship so we enjoyed some relaxing time on the island before heading back.

Coco Cay Upgrades

So right away I noticed things seem different in Coco Cay today.  

I noticed the map they gave us had sites that said closed for remodel, which I thought was strange.  However, once I got on to the island I could quickly tell what they are adding, in the water cabanas like Labadee.   It looks like they just recently started construction on them; it is the second cove when you enter Coco Cay.

Also, they have a new bar in Coco Cay and its out in the  ocean.  

This bar actually floats out in the water, meaning you have to literally swim out to the bar.  This was added around two weeks ago the staff said and it is located right where the South Beach / barefoot beach sign used to be.   

Royal Caribbean continues to push the limit, and here is another perfect example.

Afternoon onboard

This afternoon was very relaxing on board; honestly I think most people were taking naps.  

I decided to go have some of their famous Cuban coffee.  They open at 7am and stay open throughout the day.

With our drink package, the coffee is included so didn’t have to worry about paying here.  I usually just go for the standard black coffee, but they do not carry cream here so it was all black and strong which is what I needed anyway.  

We moved on to the shops and they were having their $10 table sales, buy 4 get the 5th on free.  I ended up getting my blue coffee mug and a T shirt, however they do not sell ship models yet, which is a bummer.

Dinner Chops

Tonight we decided to enjoy dinner in Chops Grill, again.  

This time was going to be different since it is just the two of us.  The steakhouse was packed tonight, almost every table was occupied, so the service was not like the night before.  

I went with the steak, onion soup, and bacon.  The meal was outstanding; again a perfect steak and I ate every bite.  However, our service was less than what you could expect, our waiter as serving the Captain’s table.  The headwaiter noticed we had empty water and wine glasses and actually invited us back tomorrow on him!  Outstanding service by Royal Caribbean once again, they know we left there with a less that perfect experience and want us to come back on them.  

I did use my Diamond Plus coupon valid night 1 or 2 and its buy one get one cover charge free, so I paid $35 for both of us.  

After dinner we decided to call it a night, that is right... we were in bed before 10pm.  We had a really long day and the sun drained us so a good night sleep was calling our name.

Tomorrow we have a sea day.  A lot of actives planned, stay tuned

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West

Every Friday, we show off the Royal Caribbean photos that our readers have sent us in a special blog post.  Each week, we invite our readers to send us their favorite Royal Caribbean photos and we post them right here.

Without further adieu, let's jump right into this week's batch of photos!

The first photo this week is from Shawn Crossley of Explorer of the Seas viewed from atop Mount Maunganui, located in Tauranga City in the Bay of Plenty - New Zealand. That is an incredible vantage point!

CruiseNAngie shared this photo of Empress of the Seas tendering off the coast of CocoCay.  She is such a distinguished looking cruise ship and we have a live blog on Empress of the Seas that is going on right now.

We are heading to Alaska with our next photo, and it is from Ricardo Chevalier of Sawyer Glacier at Tracy Arm.  Photos do not do this glacier justice.

Here is a shot of Independence of the Seas as seen from the Rock of Gibraltar, by Marleen. The kids thought it would be funny to 'shoot' at the ship with the canon.

Donald Barnett captured this rainbow as Freedom of the Seas sailed through a rain shower.  Rainbows in photos are always a welcome sight!

Danielle found this secret hideaway at the aft of Grandeur of the Seas, where she took this photo with no one else around.  Great composition in this photo!

Our final photo this week comes to us from Blake Baldwin and it is a shot of Cuba, as seen from Independence of the Seas. Perhaps in the near future we will see much closer photos of Cuba in Friday Photos.

Would you like to submit your Royal Caribbean photos for a future Friday Photos post? Use this form to send them to us and we will feature them very soon!

Royal Caribbean has released new sailings for Empress of the Seas that extends the booking window through October 2016.

The new sailings are for destinations in the Caribbean and Bahamas.

• 5-night Key West and Cozumel
  • Ports of Call: Miami, Florida; Key West, Florida; Cruising; Cozumel, Mexico; Cruising; Miami, Florida
  • October 1, 15, 29, 2016
• 4-night Key West and Nassau
  • Ports of Call: Miami, Florida; Key West, Florida; Cruising; Nassau, Bahamas; Miami, Florida
  • October 6, 20, 2016
• 5-night Key West & Cozumel
  • Ports of Call: Miami, Florida; Key West, Florida; Cruising; Cozumel, Mexico; Cruising; Miami, Florida
  • October 10, 24, 2016

The new sailings are available for booking immediately.

Michael Poole is LIVE blogging all this weekend from Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas. Follow along for the updates!

What a day I have to share with you on this live blog.  I started out my day in Tampa, Florida and drove to Miami at 6:45am.  Nothing really exciting about the drive other than it is really long, around 300 miles.  

I arrived to the Port of Miami around 11:00am, and we were dock in terminal “G”.   The parking at the terminal is $20/Day and you pay once you leave.  I must say I have never parked so close to a cruise ship in all my cruises.

Going through the pier was so easy, there were zero lines on both suite and non-suite side.  

I was handed my SeaPass card and excited to see I had the drink package sticker loaded on my card.  I have the ultimate package that includes coffee and fresh juices, along with all the cocktails and beer.  They had already started boarding so I walked right on board.

Lunch On board

 At 11:30 the Windjammer was open and we made our way to lunch.  

The first thing I noticed is they have hand washing stations once you walk in.  This was something different I have not seen on any other Royal Caribbean ship, but I really liked that home feeling.  

For lunch it was the typical lunch with burgers, fries, grilled fish, and ribs.  I grabbed a seat by the window, but boy was it hot.  That seemed to be the theme for today, just hot on the upper decks.  The décor in the windjammer was all brand new with very modern finishes.

After lunch we explored around the pool deck, the room was not open until 1pm, so we really took advantage of our time around the ship.

They had pre-arranged a photo in the Centrum at 1pm.  Shortly after I headed to my cabin, which is a Jr. Suite 9122.  

The cabin is what you would find on a standard ocean balcony across the fleet, but remember the ship is 26 years old.  I was actually very impressed with the cabin and the space it offers, again with all new décor.

Afternoon on board

After muster drill, we headed to the private crown and anchor top tier party and suites.  They hosted this party in the aft of the ship on the open decks.  

They had a live band, plenty of food options, and drinks, very nice party.  In fact, the Captain even showed up and was quite nice to talk to.

Dinner

Tonight our dinner was in the Chops Grill specialty dining.  They charge a cover charge of $30 per person, and everything is included.

Tonight we had a limited menu since our group was over 21 people.

However, they had the favorites on there, such has onion soup and filet.  The restaurant was closed off to our group, but had around 20 tables with ocean views.  

I went with the French onion soup and filet, which was outstanding.  

They bring the sides out family style for everyone to sample and refill as needed.

Thoughts about Empress of the Seas

Wow, this ship is truly beautiful, on the inside and out.  I could not believe how nice she was, with the décor all brand new.  

The air conditioning works great all over the ship, yes it was hot this afternoon but it broke 100 today.  

The Voom Internet seems to be working fine and the staff all seems very happy.  Honestly, I cannot think of any reason I would not book Empress of the Seas for a future cruise.  

If you are the type of person who enjoys the smaller ships, you will love the Empress of the Seas.  Now the questions is, where is she headed in 90 days…

Tomorrow we are in Coco Cay.  We have some fun adventures planned there!

Live Blog Index

• Pre-cruise
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Coco Cay
• Day 3 - Sea Day
• Day 4 - Key West

We are really big fans of Royal Caribbean's Sabor specialty restaurant because of the terrific and fresh food they serve, but not all Royal Caribbean ships have a Sabor restaurant on them. Nonetheless, it appears that may not stop some ships from offering a Sabor experience, minus the full restaurant.

On Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Blog reader Angie shared with us photos of the "Sabor at Sea lunch," which was held on day 6 of their cruise in Giovanni's Table.

It appears this was a one-time event on the ship, and cost $25 per guest to enjoy.

Angie reported that the lunch was, "extraordinarily good and there is a ton of food."

This is not the first experience of this kind on Explorer of the Seas. Earlier this summer season, we spotted an Izumi Asian Breakfast buffet offered onboard as well.

Would you be interested in a Sabor lunch on Explorer of the Seas? Tell us in the comments!

Royal Caribbean will offer a bonus offer this weekend, with up to an extra $50 onboard credit for qualifying cruises booked.

The July Seek and Save deal is combinable with the July BOGO offer and offers guests bonus onboard credit on all sailings departing on or after August 29, 2016 made between July 29 and 31, 2016. Offer excludes China departures.

The July Seek and Save offer details are:

• Interior/Oceanview – $25 Onboard Credit per staterom
• Balcony/Deluxe Suites – $50 Onboard Credit per stateroom

Offer is combinable with current standard/full fare rates, BOGO50, Holiday OBC, restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) and Next Cruise offers. Offer is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including but not limited to Group Standard, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Crown & Anchor Discounts, and Shareholder benefits.

Offer open to residents of the United States and Canada.

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

Episode 156 is available for downloading, where we discuss what factors should go into choosing the best time to take a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Often people want to know the best time to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise and Matt considers the different factors everyone should consider to pick that "perfect" time for a cruise.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 156. 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!

Following the success of the first ever Zumba® cruise, the dance-fitness group is organizing another group cruise aboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

The next Zumba® Cruise is planned for a 5-night sailing of Navigator of the Seas from Miami on April 23, 2017.

"We were thrilled with the incredible response we got from the success of the 2016 Zumba® cruise. There's no better way to enjoy the dance and fitness activities of Zumba® than combined with the Royal Caribbean experience, with features such as the ice-skating rinks, rock-climbing walls, delectable dining and world-class entertainment," said Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support and Service. "We're excited to host Zumba® once again, and now on Navigator of the Seas."

The exclusive event will feature Zumba® activities and experiences on the ship. These events include:

• Daily Zumba®-themed classes
• Master Zumba classes taught by Zumba® creator Beto Perez and more than 50 additional celebrity Zumba instructors
• 20 live music concerts

Those interested in more details can visit zumba-cruise.com.

Royal Caribbean announced it has extended the Summer Cyber Sale for another few days, offering guests up to $200 instant savings plus 50% off the second guest.

The Summer Cyber Sale is now good through July 28, 2016 and is valid on all sailings departing on or after August 26, 2016. Offer excludes China departures.

The deal offers

• Cruises 5 nights or less
  • Interior/Oceanview: $25 off per stateroom
  • Balcony: $50 off per stateroom
  • Suite: $100 off per stateroom
• Cruises 6 nights or longer
  • Interior/Oceanview: $50 off per stateroom
  • Balcony: $100 off per stateroom
  • Suite: $200 off per stateroom
• 50% off second guest booked in the same stateroom as the first guest
• 25% off cruise fare for 3rd and 4th guests booked in same stateroom as first two guests

Also, for eligible Bahamas, Bermuda and Caribbean holiday sailings, offer includes a per person onboard credit: $100 OBC per person up to 4 guests for holiday sailings 6 nights or longer departing 18-31, 2016, $50 OBC per person up to 4 guests for holiday sailings 5 nights or less departing December 22-31, 2016.

Offer is combinable with current standard/full fare rates, BOGO50, Resident Bonus, restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) and Next Cruise offers. Offer is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including but not limited to Group Standard, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Crown & Anchor Discounts, and Shareholder Benefits.

Offer open to residents of the United States and Canada. 

Guests looking for a larger stateroom that provides a few suite perks combined with a balcony experience often look to a Junior Suite on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.

While not a full suite in terms of the space provided or amenities included, Junior Suites do provide a lot more living space than balcony cabins.

Junior suite staterooms are available on all Royal Caribbean cruise ships and this blog post is aimed at helping everyone understand better what a Junior Suite cabin offers and why you might want to book one.

Junior Suite Basics

Junior Suites are the first type of suite staterooms that Royal Caribbean offers.  Despite its name, Junior Suites have more in common with balcony staterooms than suites.

The exact layout and size of a Junior Suite will vary between classes of ships, but they all are essentially a large cabin with private balcony that offers more perks than a regular balcony stateroom.

In most cases, you will find in a junior suite two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, a sitting area with sofa bed, private balcony and a private bathroom with a bathtub.

The exact size of a junior suite varies from ship to ship, anywhere from 112 square feet on Empress of the Seas to 299 square feet on Brilliance of the Seas.  Most junior suites are about 290 square feet.

The size of the balcony ranges as well, from 40 square feet  to 161 square feet, depending on the ship.

Junior Suite benefits

The most common question about a Junior Suite is why book this category of stateroom and what benefits does one receive by staying in one.

Without question, a Junior Suite offers more space than a regular balcony stateroom and that means more living space in your cabin.  This extra space is in both the cabin and the balcony.  When it comes to accommodations on cruise ships, every extra square foot of living space is wonderful.

In addition to the living space, Junior Suites offer a full size tub, which is is great for families or those who like having more space in their shower, as well as a walk-in closet. 

Junior Suites also offer guests double Crown and Anchor Society points, which means guests can move up the ranks of the Crown and Anchor Society levels much faster. 

If you would like to attain a higher status in Crown and Anchor as soon as possible, booking Junior Suites is one strategy to maximizing the cruises you take to accomplish that goal.

Junior suites also include tea and coffee service ensuite and terry bathrobes (for use onboard). In addition, junior suite guests receive silver SeaPass cards to distinguish themselves as suite guests to Royal Caribbean staff.

Royal Suite Class

In May 2016, Royal Caribbean ushered in a new revamped approach to its suite benefits program called the Royal Suite Class, and Junior Suites are included in this.

Available on Quantum- and Oasis-class cruise ships, Junior Suites qualify for Sea Class benefits.  These include:

• Dinner access to Coastal Kitchen (dinner only)
• Luxury Pillowtop Mattress
• L’Occitane Bathroom Amenities

What Junior Suites do not include

Despite the word, "suite" being in the name of the Junior Suite, guests staying in a Junior Suite do not receive the full suite perks.  

This means guests do not receive the same level of benefits and access that guests staying in Grand Suite or higher staterooms do.  Most notably, this includes access to the concierge lounge, concierge service or reserved suites-only areas of the ship.

How much do Junior Suites cost?

Like all cabins, the price you'll pay for a Junior Suite will vary from ship to ship, and sailing to sailing. Moreover, a Junior Suite on an older ship will cost less than one on a new ship.

The real question is how much more will a Junior Suite cost compared to a standard balcony cabin.

For a 7-night Caribbean cruise, a Junior Suite for two people could be as cheap as $2,000 or approach $10,000.  There are so many factors that influence the price of any cabin, such as:

• Time of year you sail
• How many other cabins are already booked
• Ship
• Class of ship

Are Junior Suites worth it?

The bottom line is Junior Suites are extra large balcony staterooms that provide a less-expensive means of splurging for accommodations on a Royal Caribbean cruise without breaking the bank.

The extra living space and perks of a Junior Suite are a nice to have benefit, that provide for a much more enjoyable experience while in your stateroom. Between the extra storage space, larger balcony and bathroom upgrades, many guests easily can see and appreciate the extras.

Many Royal Caribbean veterans will tell you the determining factor to if a Junior Suite is worth the price is it depends on the price difference between it and a regular balcony stateroom.  Many times, a Junior Suite upgrade cost is nominal, while on other sailings the price difference has been more substantial.  

While a Junior Suite may not offer nearly as many perks and incentives as a traditional suite stateroom, it does include enough advantages to satisfy the needs of most guests looking to enjoy something nicer than a balcony stateroom but cannot or will not opt for a more extravagant suite.