Royal Caribbean is poised to move its home port in Australia from Sydney Harbor to Port Botany as a way to get around the cruise ship overcrowding issue in Sydney.

Photo by ebroh

Cruise Critic reports that Royal Caribbean regional vice president Asia Pacific, Gavin Smith, believes Port Botany was "more commercially confident" of a solution because of a drop in traffic at Port Botany.

Syndey Harbor has been the homeport for Royal Caribbean ships but the fact there is only one berth that can handle mega-sized cruise ships means Royal Caribbean needs more options.  

If Port Botany was selected as homeport, Royal Caribbean ships would leave Port Botany at 4pm and then sail into Sydney Harbor at around 6pm to give a great view of the city before heading out to sea.

Earlier this month Royal Caribbean had expressed interest in having ships leave from Wollongong, but according to Smith it does not make sense to split the ships across multiple ports.  

Royal Caribbean kicked off today a special 72-hour sale on Anthem of the Seas cruises, where guests can get a free upgrade to a balcony stateroom and $200 in onboard credit.

Guests that book a qualifying cruise can get

• Free Upgrade – from Interior to Balcony (starting at $799 per person).
• An additional $200 onboard credit per stateroom for all categories.

The cruise sale runs from September 21 through 23, 2015 and is for all Anthem of the Seas sailings departing November 10 – December 19, 2015.

Free Upgrade offers are combinable with the adjoining OBC offer, Crown & Anchor discounts, Next Cruise offers, and Shareholder Benefits. Free Upgrade offers are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO). OBC offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO, Free Upgrades, Free Gratuities) as well as Next Cruise offers. OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Neither offer is combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, weekly Sales Events, Net Rates.

Offer open to residents of the United States or Canada.

When the days until your next Royal Caribbean cruise start to tick down to the point where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, that means it is time to pay off your Royal Caribbean cruise in full.

Royal Caribbean requires guests pay the full fare by a certain point in advance of embarkation day. 

Guests only have to put a deposit down well in advance to reserve a stateroom and price but a good two months before your Royal Caribbean cruise, you will have to make a final payment.

When is payment due

Final payment for your cruise will due on a specific date prior to your cruise. The exact date depends on the length of your cruise:

• Cruises over Christmas or New Years day: 90 days prior to sailing
• 7+ night cruise: 75 days prior to sailing
• 3-6 night cruise: 60 days prior to sailing

If you fail to make final payment on time, you risk jeopardizing your stateroom you reserved and the rate you had locked in.

How to make final payment

If you booked your Royal Caribbean cruise directly with Royal Caribbean, you can either call Royal Caribbean directly and give payment over the phone or you can log onto the Royal Caribbean web site and provide payment there.

If you booked through a travel agent, you can simply contact your travel agent and provide payment to them.  Some travel agents will require final payment a few days before final payment date because the agents want to make sure there are no slip ups.

How to make final payment easier

Let’s face it, no one likes having to lay out thousands of dollars at once because, well, most folks prefer to make smaller payments than a large lump sum.  Larger lump payments mean it is more of a hit on your family’s personal finances.

Make smaller payments

One option you have is to spread out payments between when you make a deposit and the cruise itself.

Royal Caribbean will allow guests to make payments of any amount in the interim period before final payment.  This will require some pro-active work on your part but it will mean less of a “big hit” once you have to pay the cruise. 

Guests may make payments of $500 or more online or call Royal Caribbean directly to make payments of less than $500.

Save money on your own

Another option if you would prefer to keep your money with you but avoid that “big hit”, is to stash the money in a “piggy bank” of sorts.

Many banks allow automatic transfers between accounts, so conceivably one could have a little bit of money stashed away at specific periods so when final payment date shows up, you are prepared.

Sit back and catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news. We've gone through and hand-picked some fun articles for you to take a look at in case you missed any of it.

Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean moved one step closer to a deal that would bring the cruise line back to the port of Miami in a big way.

Plans for a brand new $100+ million cruise terminal at PortMiami got an early approval by county commissioners.

Royal Caribbean's proposed plan will result in a $100+ million cruise terminal. Port officials estimate that the new berth and terminal will generate about $8 million in new rent to the county, and boost overall cruise traffic by 20 percent with an additional 1 million passengers a year.

Royal Caribbean News

• DreamWorks Experience is coming to Anthem of the Seas.
• How Royal Caribbean provides medical care aboard its ships.
• Photo tour of a secret Royal Caribbean stateroom on Freedom of the Seas.
• 5 things you will love about Sabor Modern Mexican.
• You can get up to $200 in onboard credit for cruises booked this month.
• Video of Royal Caribbean's award-winning entertainment.
• Best advice for first time cruisers on a 7-night cruise.
• 5 tips for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise by travel agents.
• 6 important tips to know about Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package.
• 5 Royal Caribbean inspirations to prepare for your cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 111th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we look at everything there is to do on Adventure of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt and Don talk about what Adventure of the Seas offers and goes over the various restaurants, entertainment and activities available on this Voyager class ship.

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

Royal Caribbean shared the recipe for "Across the universe" cocktail.

Eat Sleep Cruise has a look at all the drinks of the day from their Adventure of the Seas cruise.

Cruise Critic has a photo tour of Freedom of the Seas.

It is being reported that reality television star Judith Jackson was kicked off Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas after "getting into an altercation" with her travel companion.

Judi Jai was on Season 7 of the "Bad Girls Club" and its spinoffs.

The Chicago Tribune reports "Judi Jai" met with Royal Caribbean cruise officials, where the company, "explained that her behavior was in violation of our guest conduct policy, which states 'inappropriate or abusive behavior, including violence, is strictly prohibited.'"

Judi Jai was asked to leave the ship at the ship's next port of call, which was Falmouth, Jamaica.

pic.twitter.com/zatFkH2Dwk

— IG: missjudijai (@JUDiJAiKRAZi) September 13, 2015

Tip of the hat to Travel Pulse for finding this story.

In the days, months (and sometimes years) leading up to your Royal Caribbean cruise, there is going to be a lot of excitement about your vacation and there are some fun ways to prepare and bring a little Royal Caribbean to your home.

Taking a cruise vacation has never been more popular, and when the "cruise bug" bites you, here are some great ways to get in the mood for a cruise that will have a Royal Caribbean touch to it!

Anchors Away Luggage Tag

Royal Caribbean requires you to affix luggage tags to your luggage but you can also add some style to your luggage with these "Anchors Away" luggage tags that look a whole lot like Royal Caribbean's logo.

These 4.5 inch luggage tags are nice and big, so it makes spotting your luggage easier at the airport and in baggage claim.  

Plus, it will show everyone that you are a big cruise fan!

The Captain

To get in the mood for your cruise or to maybe understand how a cruise ship works, check out this great read by Royal Caribbean captain Johnny Faevelen, "The Captain".

The book details Captain Johnny's life and how he became a Royal Caribbean cruise captain.  It's an intriguing look at what it takes to become the master of one of these amazing cruise ships.

Bonus points if you can sail on a ship Captain Johnny commands these days and get it autographed!

Slim Cruise Line Luggage Tag Holders

Royal Caribbean provides luggage tags that guests can print out and they work well enough but why not protect your luggage tags from being accidently ripped with these Slim Cruise Line Luggage Holders by Shacke.

The concept is simple: print out your luggage tags and then insert them in here and affix them to your luggage.  These luggage holders give you piece of mind that the flimsy printer paper you used wont get ripped during the embarkation process (or by your husband when it all gets loaded into the car).

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad

So you are going to the Caribbean or Mediterranean, Southeast Asia or anywhere else where it can get downright hot and need a way to cool down?  You need to check out the Chilly Pad!

All you do is moisten the towel with water, wring out the excess and then drape it around your neck.  It really does work at making you feel a heck of a lot cooler and it is perfect for those shore excursions where air conditioning is not an option.

It works instantly and it is a great way to cool down when the sun (and humidity) are really hitting you hard.

Waterproof case for your smartphone

Everyone uses their smart phones as cameras because they really do have a great camera inside, but why worry about getting it wet or full of sand?

The JOTO smartphone case will protect your phone against water, sand, snow, your toddler trying to eat it and more.

Just drop your phone in the case, seal it up and you can use your phone to take photos in the ocean, pool, beach and anywhere else you want.  

Do you have something that gets you ready for your cruise? Share in the comments!

When it comes to picking a cruise, often folks will consider different cruise lines in their decision of the right cruise for them.  We often receive questions about how Royal Caribbean compares to other cruise lines, especially Disney Cruise Line.

It is a natural comparison since both cruise lines target families and both cruise lines sail out of the same ports.  We wrote an extensive comparison between the two lines but today we have the top 5 ways Royal Caribbean is different than Royal Caribbean.  

If you are considering cruising on Royal Caribbean instead of Disney Cruise Line, here are some reasons why it makes sense.

5. Big emphasis on onboard activities

Royal Caribbean has focused on offering more and more onboard activities on its cruise ships over the years, with an emphasis on activities with a "WOW" factor.

Royal Caribbean ships have an ice skating rink, FlowRider surf simulator, mini-golf, rock climbing wall, sports court, bumper cars, sky diving simulator, X-Box gaming room and that is just scratching the surface.

At night, Royal Caribbean really pours it on with Broadway shows, game shows, trivia, comedians and more.

While Disney Cruise Line does offer things to onboard its ships, Royal Caribbean seems to offer a lot more on its cruise ships.  The Disney Tourist Blog put it best, "On our cruise, 'After Hours' was pretty much a ghost town every night after 11 p.m."

4. Many more specialty dining choices

Royal Caribbean has really invested heavily in specialty restaurants over the last couple of years and that means you will find many more dining options onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

Granted, these specialty restaurants have an additional cost but so do Disney Cruise Line's specialty restaurants. The difference is often Royal Caribbean ships offer much more variety in the scope of specialty dining offerings.

If you relish in trying different cuisines and having a greater variety of selection, a Royal Caribbean cruise can offer you a lot to choose from.

3. Many more itineraries

This comes down to simple math, Disney Cruise Line only has 4 ships in its fleet so the itineraries offered are limited but Royal Caribbean has 23 ships in its fleet, so this means you can cruise to places all over the world nearly year-round.

Royal Caribbean has cruises to the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, China, Southeast Asia, Australia and more. And many of those itineraries are available for a larger portion of the year.    

Disney Cruise Line does serve some of these areas but in far less frequency, so for those looking for a cruise to somewhere beyond the usual, odds are there will be more to choose from on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION BETWEEN ROYAL CARIBBEAN & DISNEY CRUISE LINE

2. Mega ships

Disney Cruise Line boasts the size of its Dream class ships, but their ships are no where near as large as Royal Caribbean's ships.

The Dream class comes in at 129,690 GT and a passenger capacity of 2,500 passengers at double occupancy.  On the flip side, Royal Caribbean has ships like the Oasis class that is 225,282 GT and can handle 5,400 passengers at double occupancy.

Then there's the Freedom, Quantum and Voyager class ships that are all significantly larger than anything Disney Cruise Line offers.

Size is not everything, but with a larger ship you get more to do onboard for kids, teens and adults.  These larger ships include so much to see and do onboard, having access to it all makes a big difference.

1. Price

Perhaps no difference between these two cruise lines is as pronounced as the price.

Disney Cruise Line charges a premium for its brand name, but on average, a Royal Caribbean cruise will cost you significantly less for a very similar experience.

I conducted a few checks for prices between the cruise lines to illustrate the differences.  I tried to pick sailings on the same date and same or nearby ports with the same stateroom category at the lowest price I could find.

These prices were accurate as of the date this blog post was posted.

Disney Fantasy 7-night Western Caribbean (April 2, 2016) - Verandah (11A): $4,683.38
Freedom of the Seas 7-night Eastern Caribbean (April 3, 2016) - Balcony (E3): $3,194.32

Disney Fantasy 7-night Eastern Caribbean (July 16, 2016) - Inside (11C): $4,791.00
Allure of the Seas 7-night Eastern Caribbean (July 17, 2016) - Inside (N): $2,536.06

Disney Wonder 7-night Alaska Cruise Itinerary A (August 1, 2016) - Verandah (07A): $6,851.38
Explorer of the Seas 7-Night Alaska Sawyer Glacier Cruise (August 5, 2016) - Balcony (E3): $4,334.02

Disney Magic 12-night British Isles Cruise Itinerary A from Dover, UK (June 5, 2016) - Verandah (07A): $13,185.56
Navigator of the Seas 10-night Canaries Cruise from Southampton, UK (June 6, 2016) - Balcony (D3): $4,325.12

Disney Magic 7-night Western Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary B (August 27, 2016) - Verandah (07A): $4,922.80
Harmony of the Seas 7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise (August 28, 2016) - Balcony (D8): $3,976.98

As you can see, the price difference between the two cruise lines is often thousands of dollars.  

You can tout all the things you can get on Disney Cruise Line gives you for free that Royal Caribbean may charge you for but I think most cases, the price difference more than makes up the difference.

Having sailed both cruise lines extensively, I can tell you that both cruise lines offer a very similar experience: great dining, terrific crew and fun onboard.  So why pay so much more for one over the other?

Taking your first Royal Caribbean cruise is such an exciting opportunity and naturally, there are plenty of questions and concerns first timer cruisers may have.

One of the best resources for planning a Royal Caribbean cruise is a knowledgeable travel agent, who can guide you through the process and not just get you a low rate for your cruise, but also offer advice and assistance in making the planning part of your cruise super simple.

We asked a few travel agents what their advice would be for someone that is going to taking their first Royal Caribbean cruise.

Jason Poole of Cruise Planners: "Book early. The days of last minute deals are quickly coming to an end. Don't assume the price on the website is the price you will pay. Travel agents have access to special rates for their clients."

Stephanie Miller of MEI Travel: "Each sailing can be different due to the ship, itinerary, activities, ports visited and time of year. Be sure to ask an agent or educate yourself as to which sailing is best for you! Once you have the right expectations you can sit back and just enjoy."

Missy Geary Bonnice of Storybook Destinations: "Best tip-use an agent. Not only do they have knowledge of each ship (and with Royal Caribbean, there is a lot to know!), but they can also make sure you're getting the best deal possible, and it won't cost you anything! But if we are talking an onboard tip, I would say not to plan too strict of an itinerary. There is so much going on each day, just go with the flow and enjoy!"

Christy Pudyk of Vacations by Christy: "Read the Cruise Compass each night- it will be delivered in your cabin each night. Most things in it do not have an additional charge- it will be indicated if there is a charge. And you can't possibly do everything offered. Take the pictures with the photographers. They don't charge for them unless you want them! Take advantage and get family shots."

Michelle Cunningham of MEI Travel: "Take photos on your smart phone of the following things: Your passport your drivers license kids birth certificates. Line up and take a picture of all medicine that you're on and then tell your love ones that you've done that in case they need it

What tips would you offer to a first time Royal Caribbean cruiser? Share them in the comments!

Royal Caribbean moved one step closer to making Miami its home base for its cruise ships after plans for a new PortMiami cruise terminal got an early approval.

The Miami Herald reports the proposed plan was "embraced" by county commissioners because it means a reversal of the trend Royal Caribbean has had of sending its biggest and best cruise ships to nearby Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean COO Adam Goldstein spoke to county commissioners on Wednesday, "It’s not that we’re leaving Port Everglades.  But the majority of our business will now shift here to PortMiami for the foreseeable future."

Royal Caribbean's proposed plan will result in a $100+ million cruise terminal.  Port officials estimate that the new berth and terminal will generate about $8 million in new rent to the county, and boost overall cruise traffic by 20 percent with an additional 1 million passengers a year.