Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas will be sailing out of Miami, Florida starting in March 2016 and offering 3-, 4- and 5-night cruises.

Royal Caribbean's web site is now allowing guests make bookings for Empress of the Seas and it confirms that she will be sailing out of Miami.

Sailings will begin on March 30, 2016 and are open for sale through mid-June 2016

Empress of the Seas will offer 4- and 5-night getaways from Miami to Nassau, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Grand Cayman and Key West, Florida. With longer stays in every port guests will be able to experience spectacular golden sunsets in the Caribbean. Plus, on select 5-night itineraries guest can experience overnight stays in Cozumel, Mexico.

Other itineraries include sailings to ports such as Key West, Florida; Costa Maya, Mexico, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will offer guests a "Sunday Brunch" every day, with a complimentary Mimosa or Bloody Mary, as well as offering no formal nights.

Upon her return, Empress will have a whole new look and feel that will extend to the ship's staterooms as well.

Concept drawing for a Junior Suite on Empress of the Seas by Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean announced in October 2015 that Empress of the Seas would return to Royal Caribbean's fleet after an 8 year absence.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean formally announced the news of Empress of the Seas homeport being Miami, with some additional details.

Empress of the Seas will offer guests

• New Las Vegas-style “Sequins & Feathers” show
• Newly reimagined Boleros Latin Lounge.
• Fast pier-to-ship boarding with earlier boarding times of 11:00am
• New pools and whirlpools
• Voom internet
• Chops Grille
• Stateroom Refresh
• Reimagined Casino

Christmas is right around the corner and for many Royal Caribbean fans, we all received an early present this year with some big Royal Caribbean news.

Royal Caribbean revealed the details surrounding its 10 story slide coming to its third Oasis class cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

After months of hinting, Royal Caribbean has finally revealed what guests can look forward to trying onboard Harmony of the Seas with the 10 story slide known as, "Ultimate Abyss."

The brand new slide is more than 150 feet above sea level and will send guests plummeting down 10 decks, with spontaneous audio effects within each of the slide's two tunnels that will create a multi-sensory thrill.

The Ultimate Abyss is brand new to Royal Caribbean and we also shared five quick facts about this new slide.

Royal Caribbean News

We have a lot more Royal Caribbean news to share this week, in case you missed any of it

• Ovation of the Seas will offer a new show onboard called, "The Dream".
• Royal Caribbean was named Best Cruise Line for the 13th consecutive year by Travel Weekly.
• Our preview of six big changes coming to Royal Caribbean in 2016.
• Royal Caribbean is now offering a 4 device internet package.
• Over 180 guests were sickened on Explorer of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean unveiled a montage to Mediterranean coastal cities that will be on display on Harmony of the Seas. 
• What you need to know about Royal Caribbean's internet packages.
• Check out "Leonardo's Dreams" in Two70 on Anthem of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean opened a new NextCruise office on Oasis of the Seas.
• Read our full review of Giovanni's Table on Brilliance of the Seas.
• Speaking of dining, here is our guide to dining with kids in Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants.

Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and spot something cool, new or just fun, share a photo with us on Facebook or Twitter so we can add it to our Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds each Sunday!

Tony sent us this fun photo of a towel creation on Anthem of the Seas.

Cruise Diamond UK shared this photo of a beautiful day in the Solarium onboard Splendour of the Seas.

Ron Kozlik sent this photo of Anthem of the Seas in Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 124th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, listener Brian White joins Matt to preview his Allure of the Seas cruise!

In this episode, Brian and Matt talk about Brian's upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas, including why Brian is trying Royal Caribbean for the first time and what his family's plans are once onboard.

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.

Announcing the 2017 Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise!

We are so excited to announce our 2017 group cruise plans for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboardNavigator of the Seas. This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on the beautiful Navigator of the Seas on an 9-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out this fabulous cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise & Ferry wrote about how Royal Caribbean and Eniram are cutting fuel costs and reducing emissions.

Shermans Cruise shared 7 secret off-menu dishes at sea, including a few from Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean is sharing how to sneak in learning while on vacation.

JetSetSarah offers a three minute review of Anthem of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is celebrating the impending debut of Harmony of the Seas with a new panoramic drawing that has never been done before.

British artist Stephen Wiltshire MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire created the drawing entirely from memory of the coastal cities of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Marseille, three of the six destinations guests will experience when sailing on Harmony of the Seas. 

Wiltshire’s drawing gives a taste of the views, in startling detail, that discovery-driven travelers will see while sailing the Western Mediterranean next summer.

Utilizing his unique ability to sketch entire cityscapes from memory, Wiltshire merged the three distinct cities into one seamless coastal montage that is anchored by landmarks such as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, Palma de Mallorca’s Castillo da Bellver and Marseille’s neo-Byzantine cathedral.  Wiltshire sketched the panoramic view in his London studio with astounding accuracy after committing each scene to memory by carefully scanning the coastline from the top-deck of Allure of the Seas this past summer.  

Debuting in May 2016, Harmony of the Seas will showcase the custom artwork onboard throughout her inaugural summer season, traveling to Europe’s most popular cruise destinations on seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries. 

“It was the first time I’ve ever been on a cruise and the whole experience and range of activities onboard completely took me by surprise,” said Stephen Wiltshire. “The views were absolutely breathtaking. I spent quite a lot of time visualizing the different coastlines of Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Marseille and to create the final panorama. It was a pleasure to be given the opportunity to create the piece and I’m thrilled that so many people from all over the world will be able to view my work while on the ship.”

“Harmony of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship ever built. Therefore, we wanted to capture something truly extraordinary that reflects the ultimate views people will experience onboard Harmony – and the best destinations they can explore off the ship too,” said Stuart Leven, Managing Director – UK & Ireland, Royal Caribbean International. “The Mediterranean coastline is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring places to visit by sea. We just couldn’t wait to give our passengers a taste of its beauty and diversity ahead of the launch of Harmony of the Seas.”

At the Travel Weekly Readers Choice 2015 awards, Royal Caribbean came away as being named the Best Cruise Line Overall for the 13th consecutive year.

Royal Caribbean also claimed the top spot in a few other categories including

• Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean
• Best Sales & Service
• Best New Cruise Ship (Quantum of the Seas)

“It is such a great honor to be chosen in so many categories by Travel Weekly readers, our valued travel agent partners,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president,Sales, Trade Support and Service for Royal Caribbean International. “We are very proud to have won the Best Cruise Line Overall award throughout the life of this recognition program, as well as the Best Sales & Services award for eight years in a row. We thank Travel Weekly and travel agents for their ongoing support.”

Travel Weekly honored the winners of its 13th annual Readers Choice Awards at a gala dinner and ceremony Tuesday at the Conrad Hotel in New York. Winners were selected in 67 categories in the airline, car, hospitality, rail, GDS, agent education, tour, cruise, destination and theme park sectors. The awards are presented to suppliers considered by Travel Weekly readers who led the way in product and service during the past year.

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

Episode 124 is available for downloading, where our friend Brian previews his upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas.

Brian is taking his extended family on an Allure of the Seas cruise, and we talk about why they chose to try to Royal Caribbean, some of the plans they have and what their older kids are most excited to try onboard.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 124. 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!

Australian health authorities are reporting about 182 passengers aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas have been sickened with a gastrointestinal virus during a recent cruise.

Royal Caribbean notified the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District of the virus.

No patients required treatment at a hospital, although paramedics were on hand when Explorer of the Seas docked at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at The Rocks just before 6am on Wednesday.

A representaive from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District indicated the ship would undergo extra cleaning to control the outbreak prior to new passengers being able to board.

Explorer of the Seas recently arrived in Australia to begin her cruising season just last month.

Explorer of the Seas last experienced a Norovirus outbreak in January 2014.

After months of hinting, Royal Caribbean has finally revealed what guests can look forward to trying onboard Harmony of the Seas with the 10 story slide known as, "Ultimate Abyss."

Ultimate Abyss will be the tallest slide at sea and also an epic adventure.

The Ultimate Abyss is more than 150 feet above sea level and offers side-by-side slides that send guests down 10 decks at a rate of 9 miles per hour.

Launching onto the ride from a glass platform, guests can take one last look at the Boardwalk 10 decks below before climbing onto a customized mat and taking the plunge into the depths of the daunting slides. Spontaneous audio effects within each tunnel create a multi-sensory thrill for daring guests willing to test their mettle while traversing 216 feet through the one-of-a-kind slide duo. The Ultimate Abyss is made up of two separate cylinders, a reflection of one-another, each with a diameter of approximately 2.6 feet and constructed of stainless steel.

Will you try Ultimate Abyss? Tell us if you are brave enough in the comments!

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will host a world-first dance theme cruise, featuring regional dance veteran Aleena Tan as well as world and regional renowned coaches such as Burn The Floor’s Luka Fanni from Italy, Peter Townsend and Belman Salihovic from Australia, Sunny Low, Derrick Torre and Feliz Ferlino from Singapore and Uapan Sdnivongs from Thailandi.

This special event will take place on a 4-night cruise from February 29 to March 4, 2016 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) and Langkawi is expected to attract dance enthusiasts from across the region, who will enjoy the exclusive tutelage under these world class class veterans, all brought together on this cruise.

Workshops onboard will offer guests ballroom and Latin dancing, Banchatango, New Vogue and Rock ‘n’ Roll classes, and include demonstrations from the coaches. 

In addition, the event will offer previews and dance shows on Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive, Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep, along the ship’s 136m-long Royal Promenade and in the 1,300-seater theater. Performers will include Professional Champions from Russia, Mikhail Eremeeve and Olesya Eremeeva.

Aleena Tan has previously organized four dance theme cruises with Royal Caribbean in Asia with the most recent one as “Dancesport All Champions”, the world’s first showdance competition at sea in January 2015. On her choice of Royal Caribbean again for her latest dance theme cruise, she said, “We always want to do something different and unique for every one of these dance cruises, which is very much like the innovative feel of Royal Caribbean ships. Plus, I’ve always been attracted to Mariner of the Seas’ classy ambiance, beautiful venues and excellent service, which has been a most befitting choice for all my past events, like for the upcoming one.” 

Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants are one aspect of the cruise experience many guests look forward to each sailing, but just because you have children with you does not mean you cannot enjoy these restaurants.

Royal Caribbean welcomes children younger than 13 in all of its specialty restaurants (when accompanied by an adult) and even offers them special pricing.

How much does it cost for children to eat at specialty restaurant?

Kids ages 6-12 can dine at specialty restaurants for a $12.99 cover charge.

Kids 5 years old and under eat free.

Is there a special menu for kids?

Kids 5-12 have a modified adult menu, which is a round-up of kid-friendly favorites from the regular menu.

Kids under 5 are free and have a kiddies menu similar to the kids menu in the main dining room.

Some restaurants do not have kids menus and so kids order off the regular menu.

Royal Caribbean specifies restaurants such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, 150 Central Park, and Chef's Table do not have kids menus, as those experiences are better suited for guests age 13 and older. 

What if my kids want to eat off the regular adult menu?

In this scenario, you may be charged full price for your children.

It is worth discussing with your waiter, as we have heard of situations where they still charge the children pricing.  

Your mileage may vary, but expect to pay full price for children ordering off the regular menu when there is no kids menu option.

How do I make reservations at a specialty restaurant if I am bringing children?

If you book in advance, you will pay the full price but then it will be adjusted for the children's price as a credit on your SeaPass on board.

Bookings made on board will be charged the reduced rate when booked.

Because the Cruise Planner does not offer pricing for children, we recommend making reservations for a party size that omits the children and then showing up to the reservation with the children and informing the staff your dining party has grown.

This strategy allows guests to not overpay for their dining reservations and require an adjustment later.

What is the pricing for children at a la carte specialty restaurants?

At a la carte specialty restaurants, children are charged based on what they order off the regular menu.