Each day is bringing us closer to the launch of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas and we are celebrating with a new blog post every day, all about this amazing new ship!

Let's Celebrate

Royal Caribbean has been known to throw some really fun parties on its cruise ships, but on Harmony of the Seas, there is one party designed to be the party!

"Let's Celebrate" is described as, "the ultimate celebration of celebrations" and is essentially a parade on the Royal Promenade all about partying as an excuse to celebrate something.

What does that mean, exactly? Royal Caribbean promises it's a little of Halloween, Birthdays, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, and New Year’s Eve all in one wild and crazy parade that you will never forget.

Essentially, it is every celebration of the year crammed into one event and is a parade designed specifically for Harmony of the Seas.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

Royal Caribbean is offering guests the chance to explore coral reefs, shipwrecks and underwater volcanoes with the top-quality gear of National Geographic Snorkeler.

Seventeen new Royal Caribbean shore excursions will offer these National Geographic Snorkeler tours. These tours can be reserved before you sail on Cruise Planner, the online booking tool, or onboard the ship.

National Geographic touts their equipment as, "high-quality, performance dive snorkeling equipment."

In addition, guests can purchase their own National Geographic Snorkel set onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.  Guests that book a tour featuring National Geographic Snorkeler equipment will enjoy 10% off the gear at the Dive Shop and at the Shore Excursions Desk.

Here are some examples of the National Geographic Snorkeler excursions

• CocoCay Snorkeling Explorer Featuring National Geographic Snorkeler
• Rainbow Reef Snorkel Featuring National Geographic Snorkeler
• Pinel Island Eco Escape Featuring National Geographic Snorkeler
• Buck Island Sail & Snorkel Featuring National Geographic Snorkeler
• Barrier Reef Snorkel and Island Getaway Featuring National Geographic Snorkeler
• Snorkel Park featuring National Geographic Snorkeler

Blogger Michael Poole is on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas and is sharing what he did today. Enjoy!

Morning on board

I can’t think of a better port to visit in the Caribbean than Cozumel, Mexico. 

I woke up at 7am and it was still dark outside, so I grabbed my Starbucks coffee and did a little blog work.  I happen to turn my cell phone data on just to see if it work, and it did!  I’m an employee for a wireless company so I was able to use my employee plan and do morning Periscopes of the Independence of the Seas docking in Cozumel, next to us. 

At 8am, I decided to head back to the cabin to shower up for a full day in Mexico. 

Day in Cozumel, Mexico

They were already letting passengers off the ship, so it appeared we were a half hour ahead of schedule.   I didn’t realize getting off, but Cozumel, Mexico is on central time.   

I pre-booked an all day beach day called Nachi Cocom, if you have never heard of this place I did a full blog post on what all they have to offer.

It costs $55 per person and it includes all the food and drinks.  

I arrived at Nachi at 9am ship time, but it was 8am there and most of the staff was not even there.  The nice lady, who always takes your pictures, just told me to make myself at home. 

About an hour later other guests started to arrive and that was when they came and collected my payment.  When you make reservations it’s $11 deposit per person online and $44 cash per person when you arrive. 

I noticed a few changes since my last visit in November.  First, when you arrive (during opening hours) they hand you a glass of champagne. 

Also, they added a new bar area behind all the beach chairs. 

This helps the staff bring you drinks faster, but also if you want to go grab one yourself or sit in the shade at the bar.  

For lunch, I ordered their ever so famous guacamole and I’m going to be honest with you, I ate it all!  I also ordered a chicken quesadilla, which also disappeared.  They had plenty more options, but I was just too hot to eat a large meal. 

I would also recommend ordering as soon as you can, since almost everyone places his or her order at the same time.  The food service started at 10am local time, and goes through the afternoon, in case you need lunch #2 (Matt’s style). 

Approximately, 3pm I was ready to head back to the ship, they will call a taxi for you and they always arrive within 5 minutes. 

The taxi ride takes 10-15 minutes to get back to the ship and cost $17 each way.   

Back onboard

I headed back to my room to drop a few items off and noticed I had a paper on my bed.  

It was the information explaining the back-to-back process. 

They have two options, one explains if you want to get off and explore Tampa or stay on board.  I’m not really sure why anyone would want to get off a cruise ship.  But based on the information we will meet at 9am, and will walk off together then right back on. 

They did leave a customs form for me to complete, so hopefully it’s a painless process.  I’ll be sure to take my camera and document as much of the process as I can. 

I don’t think I mentioned this but there were six ships docked in Mexico today. I noticed they had them docked together by cruise line, which I loved so I could get a close-up look on the Independence of the Seas. 

She is a larger ship than the Brilliance, so I was looking up on her.  The one thing I enjoy about the Freedom class ship is they have an H20 zone for the children to have a blast in. 

Evening on board

Tonight I enjoyed some live music in the centrum for the first time.  They were playing mostly country music, which I love being from Tennessee.  However, I’m more used to the bands playing a mixture of all types of genres. 

When the band took a break they played battle of the sexes.  I’ve never seen this type of event in the centrum and it had a little “adult theme” in the games. 

Dinner in Windjammer

So at this point, I’ve been having dinner each evening in the Windjammer and that held true tonight.  I thought I would talk about meals in here in a little more detail for you. 

If you have ever been there for breakfast you will notice almost all the options are repeated on both sides of the Windjammer.  In the evenings for dinner they have a sections with themed food items. 

They are making sure they have a different variety for everyone’s liking.  You can also find them making a unique bowl of stir-fry with the ingredients you wish.   

I won’t be dining in here for the next cruise, but I’m happy to have learned of all their options if you want a simple-casual dinner. 

Dancing under the Stars

Tonight was the pool deck party, called Dancing under the Stars. 

The party started at 10:30pm and goes until people just keep dancing.  They had the light up cups to purchase, I’m sorry I didn’t look at the price. 

The Cruise Director, Ricky Mathews, got the party started off with some the standard line dancing songs, I’m sure we have all heard before. 

It then turned to more fast pacing dancing; as much as I love to dance I sat this one out.  I noticed they had a table set-up with fruit kabobs, it was a beautify setup that went fast.

Well friends, at this point in the evening I decided to call it an evening. 

Tomorrow is our last day on the cruise and it’s a sea day.  I’m doing some first time activities for myself on a sea day and I can’t wait to share it with you.  

It appears Royal Caribbean will transfer Majesty of the Seas out of the fleet in 2018 to a combined Pullmantur/CDF Croisieres de France fleet in 2018.

Cruise Critic is reporting the change, in which Majesty of the Seas will leave Royal Caribbean's fleet following an earlier announcement in November 2014 that the ship would leave the fleet, but Royal Caribbean decided to cancel those plans.

Until Majesty of the Seas departs the fleet, she will continue offering cruises as scheduled.

Majesty of the Seas is the last of the Sovereign-class cruise ships in the fleet and has a drydock scheduled for May 2016.  The changes coming to Majesty of the Seas in this refurbishment have been scaled back, but the ship will still be getting work done this spring.

Former Royal Caribbean vessel and sister ship, Monarch of the Seas, was also transfered to Pullmantur back in 2013.

Royal Caribbean has announced it will raise its recommended gratuities for sailings that depart on or after May 01, 2016.

Effective April 14th, 2016 for all sailings departing on-or-after May 1st, 2016, a gratuity increase of $0.55 USD per guest per day will be applied. 

The new daily gratuity rates will be as follows

• Junior Suite, Balcony, Ocean View, and Interior staterooms
  • $13.50 per guest, per day
• Suite guests (Grand Suite & Above)
  • $16.50 per guest, per day

Royal Caribbean last increased their daily gratuity amount in May 2015.

The reasoning for increasing the daily gratuity amount is because Royal Caribbean wanted, "to better align with industry standards."

Money saving tip: Any guest that a cruise reservation currently, can have Pre-paid Gratuities added to their existing reservation prior to April 14, 2016 (if you have not done so already) and lock in today's current rate of gratuities of $12.95 per day, per guest for Junior Suites and below or $15.95 per person, per day for Suite guests.

Royal Caribbean is using virtual reality as a tool to showcase their newest ship, Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship while under construction at the STX shipyard.

Michael Poole is onboard Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas and is live blogging his adventure.  Follow along right here!

Early Morning onboard

It’s day 2 onboard the Brilliance of the Seas, so I thought waking up at 5:30am was a good idea.  Funny I woke up and thought it was around 8-9am, but in those inside cabins you really have no idea what time it is. 

Since, I was awake I thought I’d go explore the ship a little.  If you have never woke up early, I encourage you to do it at least once, really neat experience to feel like you are the only person on board. 

I then decided to go enjoy the Diamond lounge.  At 7am, they brought in some trays of fruits, pastries, and juices.  They also have a nice coffee maker in there that’s easy to use, with one-touch commands. 

I had decided to watch sunrise on the top decks, also a must-do at least once on a cruise.  I discovered a suite only deck all the way forward, and watched the sun come up there. 

I honestly didn’t know it was suite only area until I was leaving, they have a little sign on the staircase. 

Okay it’s almost 8am now, so I was already ready for a nap.  I rested for an hour or so to get ready for a full day in Key West at Noon.   

Key West, Florida 11:30AM – 5:30PM 

The Brilliance docked in Key West right on time, and within a few minutes they let all the guests off. 

My suggestion, unless you have a planned excursion to make, just give it 15-20 minutes to clear out downstairs.  There was a very long line to get off the ship, but it did move fast. 

I did notice, we did not have to go through United States Customs, like we did on my Majesty of the Seas cruise last October.  Since Key West was our first stop out of the USA, we were in the clear. 

My plans for the day were just to explore, do a few Periscopes and enjoy lunch at Sloppy Joes. 

When I got to the restaurant it was 11:50am, and they don’t open until noon.  There was already about 10 people waiting on the sidewalk, and it quickly grew. 

If you are looking for a casual, fun restaurant, with live music this is your place.  Someone online suggested I order the fish taco’s there, and they didn’t let me down. 

After lunch I explored the town and took some pictures, I did notice they just added Senor Frogs there, which was empty. 

Back on board

Once I got back onboard, I decided it was time I enjoy the pool deck. 

I grabbed a Stella ($6.98), which they charge Florida sales tax since we are docked here. 

The pool was full with kids playing ball, jumping and having fun.  I quickly moved into the Solarium and to find kids in this pool too!  The staff came by a few minutes later and asked the children to exit the pool area. 

Since I was already in the solarium, how can you pass by park café without getting a snack?   I stopped for a roast beef sandwich, and it was hands down the best one I’ve ever eaten.  I think the trick is a lot of the gravy!

Evening Onboard

I thought tonight was formal night, since it was day 2 and that’s when it usually is.  However, it was casual attire and I was a little dressed up. 

I again went up to the Diamond Lounge for a few free cocktails.  The staff in there is so great, when they see your drink just halfway gone; a new one is on the way, which I never turn away!

After an hour or so here, I decided to go visit the pub, which is beside the casino. 

The staff in there let me order any beer I wanted with my C&A diamond drink coupons.  In fact, they surprised me with a few different options, really great crew in there. 

Dinner

Well friends, I decided to go back to the Windjammer, and I’m glad I did.  Tonight’s dinner was so good!  They had so many options, even chicken fried rice, yum. 

Matt would be happy also, they had the main dining room lasagna. 

The service was also really great; they kept bringing me new water while I was eating.  Also, one of the main chefs came to my table to see how I was enjoying the meal; you don’t get this in the main dining room.  

After dinner, I explored the ship and enjoyed some live music which seems to be everywhere on this ship. 

That’s it for day 2, tomorrow we have our first sea day. 

Drink Package vs Non Drink Package Check Up

Today I paid for two Stella’s, one before Key West and one once I was back on board.  So a total cost of $14 for the two beers. 

However, I did have two beers in Key West at the restaurant for $5 each, but still when you factor those I’m under the daily drink package cost. 

Now let’s see if I can hold out on the package for our first sea day tomorrow. 

WiFi

I thought I’d mention the WiFi onboard; it’s $20 per day for one device.  

I used my Diamond C&A coupon, which is pre-loaded when you buy it on board.  The coupon was $40 off, so for five days the package cost me $60. 

Other than ships with Voom, the Wi-Fi is working great. I’m able to send a picture about every 60 seconds via email, and my devices are staying connected all over the ship.  

Blog writer Michael Poole is onboard Brilliance of the Seas for back-to-back Brilliance of the Seas cruises this week, and he is LIVE blogging all of it right here. Enjoy!

Hi friends, my cruise is finally here!  I woke up early and watched the Brilliance of the Seas dock in Tampa on the webcam.  Over the past year this has become a morning tradition of mine. 

Embarkation – Port of Tampa

I arrived to the port at 12:00 on the dot and my first thoughts were there are no signs that tell you where to go. 

The Vision of the Seas was beside us, so I could imagine first time cruises, not knowing which ship/terminal to pull up to. 

Once we pulled up, security asked us which ship we were sailing on, I suppose people get it mixed up often.   Once I arrived to the Brilliance terminal, there were lines out on the sidewalk.  Yikes, it was so hot and we were just standing outside. 

This was the line to go through security; it didn’t take too long approximately 20 minutes.   Once you get through security you are then asked to complete the health form, prior to approaching the check-in desk.  The only line at this point was the non-crown and anchor members, all others were wide-open. 

The ship

The ship itself is in great shape, everything still looks new from the dry dock she received two years ago. 

When you walk on, you have to walk through the shops to get to the Centrum.  The Centrum on the Brilliance is much larger than those on the Vision class.  I did notice the R Bar was a little smaller than the one on the Enchantment. 

The Next Cruise desk is now a full venue on deck 5 with the beautiful new décor.  I also noticed they have six desks in there now, so they must be seeing a lift in their on board bookings. 

The pool deck was full of passengers already enjoy their first day in the sun. 

However, there are a lot of kids and I’m talking in the masses.  But you just have to expect that around this time of year, it does make me miss the kid’s pool on the Freedom/Oasis class ships. 

My Cabin – SI Solo Cabin 4583

Since I’m sailing solo on this leg of the cruise, I booked a Solo cabin.  There are only three of these cabins on board and they were added during her last dry dock.  

First, let’s start out with the location of the cabin, it’s on deck 4 beside the centrum.  I really love having easy access to the centrum, it’s about four steps away and I’m there.  I was a little worried about possibly hearing music or the R Bar from my cabin, but so far I’ve heard nothing. 

Okay let’s talk about the cabin, it’s around 100sq feet with a twin bed.  I was expecting the cabin to feel much smaller than the standard inside cabin, however it doesn’t at all.  In fact, I feel like there is more space to walk around the cabin. 

The closet is much easier to access since it’s not beside the door when you walk in.  I would recommend this cabin’s to all solo cruisers, and will likely book them again. 

Sail Away

Almost sail away time, we had the mandatory muster drill at 3:15; they shut down all the bars down at 2:45 to prepare for the muster drill. 

As everyone knows, this is the worst and best part of the cruise.  Worst, because they pack you on the outside decks very close to others.  But best, because when it’s over you are officially on vacation!  It was over around 3:30, and I ran up to the pool deck, and yes I was almost running. 

They had a poolside lunch with hotdogs and hamburgers to enjoy during sail away. I also saw little mini bars set up all around the pool decks, I’m sure they needed these two weeks ago on college spring breakers. 

I met a bartender who said they were hit really hard with college crew for the last two weeks, but none on this sailing.   We sailed before the Vision of the Seas so I was able to take some great pictures of her.  I must be honest, seeing the Vision really made me miss the Enchantment; I just love that class of ships. 

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

After sailing for around two hours out of Tampa you get to pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  If you have never gone under a bridge on a cruise ship, it’s a really fun experience. 

I was actually enjoying a cocktail in the Diamond lounge and ran outside, just in time to see it.  We had 2-3 feet clearance from the top of the ship, so everyone was clapping once we passed. 

The captain also blows the horn as we are going under, so be sure to experience this from the outside decks. 

Dinner

For dinner tonight, I decided to do something different, this is starting to seem like the theme of this cruise.  But I dined in the Windjammer for the first time for dinner. 

I was actually surprised for two reasons.  One they have so many options and two it was very full of guest.  I enjoyed some grilled fish and 1 or maybe 2 cuts of prime rib, and maybe grabbed some pasta too!  I liked being able to sample a little of everything and leave when you wanted. 

And sadly, this is where day 1 comes to an end, after dinner I decided to get some sleep and call it a night.  After a full day on board it just finally caught up to me.  Tomorrow we are in Key West! 

Drink Cost Vs Drink Package Check – Up

As I mentioned in my first post, I didn’t purchase the drink package on this sailing.  I tried to enjoy myself just as I did have the package, and order at will. 

I ordered 3 beers before sailaway/during for a total cost $22. 

In the evening time, I used my diamond cocktails perks pre-loaded to the seapass card.  For those unaware, once you reach diamond level you get three drinks per evening at any bar from 5:00pm-8:30pm. 

So for day 1 looks like a saved a few dollars by buying them at bar price, but I didn’t enjoy post dinner entertainment. Let’s see if it holds true tomorrow…