Royal Caribbean is negotiating a deal with Miami-Dade County in which the cruise line will pay for a brand new cruise terminal in the northeast section of PortMiami.

The Miami Herald is quoting county officials, who say a preliminary vote is set for Wednesday.

The berth will be 400 meters long and could fit an Oasis class cruise ship or something larger, according to deputy port director Kevin Lynskey.

The proposed deal would be between 20 and 60 years and there is no indication yet which ships would be coming to the port, but both sides have, "expressed interest in having one of the megaships based in Miami."

The new terminal would be called Terminal A and would be ready to open in late fall 2018.

A passenger on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas spotted a brand new self serve beer tap for guests to use onboard.

Photo by jules815

The photo was posted to Cruise Critic by the user jules815 and shows a beer tap that serves Stella beer.

These new machines have been added to the Royal Promenade as well as 3 machines on deck 11 near the main pool.

The new beer machine was added to Freedom of the Seas this on this week's cruise and jules815 stated that she heard the machines will be added to Oasis of the Seas next month.

To use the machines, guests will need to have one of the unlimited alcohol packages. Guests swipe their SeaPass cards and beer can be dispensed.

The machines appear to be from the company Draftserv, based in Suwanee, GA.

September 14 update: Guests aboard Freedom of the Seas report these machines have now been removed from all locations onboard.

It is probably no surprise to hear that my favorite kind of vacation is a Royal Caribbean cruise, but being a Royal Caribbean fan or not, there are lots of other vacation options to choose from.  Reflecting on why I really love Royal Caribbean cruises, it got me thinking about what aspects really bring me back time and time again.

Here are my top reasons why a Royal Caribbean cruise is definitely my favorite vacation destination.

9. See the world

Royal Caribbean offers cruises to ports of call around the world and taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is such an easy and fun way to visit places that offer culture, history and fun.

With 23 ships in the fleet, Royal Caribbean offers cruises to every continent (minus Antarctica) and that means it is a fantastic way to explore our world and get a sample of what each city and country is like.

You could easily spend days in any one city, but on a Royal Caribbean cruise guests can get a sampling of each stop and that can help get a sense of if a longer trip to these areas is right for you.

8. Escape winter

Anyone that lives somewhere where it snows or just gets down right frigid in the winter months knows that any escape to a warm climate is welcome

While not all Royal Caribbean cruises go somewhere hot, often many sailings explore places like the Mediterranean, Caribbean or South America, where beautiful warm sunny days come by the handful.

Being able to get away on a Royal Caribbean cruise and wear shorts again while friends and family back home are still bundled up always feels so good.

7. Superb entertainment

Something Royal Caribbean prides itself on and does exceedingly well is its live entertainment.

Broadway shows, musicals, ice skating spectaculars, live music and more are available to enjoy on any Royal Caribbean cruise and it is something we love to enjoy.

Royal Caribbean designs its shows to be something guests want to see again and again and when planning our Royal Caribbean cruises, we always look at the entertainment schedule to see which shows are not to be missed.

6. Food, glorious food

I am not going to lie, I love to eat and on a Royal Caribbean ship, it rarely gets better than the wide selection of amazing food available onboard.

Whether it is an elegant meal in the main dining room, or a plate full of everything from the Windjammer or a stop at my favorite specialty restaurant, there seems to always be terrific food served each time we sail.

Everyone has their favorites and it just seems Royal Caribbean keeps offering up something different to sample. 

Past Royal Caribbean cruisers can rattle off lists of their favorite dishes and treats onboard and it seems like the list always grows after each cruise.

5. Something for the whole family

A big reason why we choose to cruise with Royal Caribbean is because the experience caters to everyone.

Kids, adults, teenagers, grandparents and jaded friends all seem to find something that is up their alley.  

By having a vacation everyone in the family can enjoy, it makes choosing Royal Caribbean a whole lot easier and puts our minds at rest in terms of worrying if everyone will have a great time.

4. Be served and treated Royally 

I love having someone bring me bread, refill my glass, pick up the towels from the ground and turn down my bed in the evening and it is the kind of experience I can count on when I sail on Royal Caribbean.

Being on a Royal Caribbean cruise means the level of service guests receive onboard is always top notch and that kind of service always stands out.

It is not about being a diva and demanding high class service, but instead it is about guests being treated the right way, right away and without hesitation.  

3. Doing things I can't or won't do at home

In my day to day routines, I rarely (if ever) do a lot of the things I get to indulge upon on a cruise.

Spa treatments, ice skating, learning to fold towel animals, climbing rock walls and more are available to do on most Royal Caribbean cruise and when on vacation, why not try them out?

Royal Caribbean constantly is adding new experiences and activities onboard that push the envelope of what a cruise vacation can be.  As a guest, I love having that kind of variety of choice!

2. Create memories

If you were to walk around my house, you would see pictures, souvenirs and other momentos from our past Royal Caribbean cruises and there is rarely a day someone in my family brings up a memory from a past cruise.

Having somewhere like a Royal Caribbean cruise to visit time and time again that creates fun and lasting memories is such a wonderful choice and I believe it is why we return year after year.

1. Relaxing!

We have listed a lot of reasons so far why a Royal Caribbean cruise is my favorite vacation but at the end of the day, I really relish being able to sit back and just relax.

Royal Caribbean designs their cruise experience for its guests to be able to do as little or as much as you want and inevitably, I end up on a lounge chair somewhere with my eyes closed enjoying the moment.

A Royal Caribbean cruise is about escaping from reality and forgetting about the day to day problems from home.  Instead, you get to worry about which activity you will do next and which specialty restaurant you should eat at that evening (the answer is always Sabor).

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

Episode 110 is available for downloading, where Matt shares excursion ideas for cruises to Cozumel and Belize City.

Cozumel and Belize City are two common Caribbean ports that many guests will sail to and this week, we look at what to expect in each port and some of the popular shore excursion ideas to consider.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 110. 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!

We love to discover new changes aboard Royal Caribbean's cruise ships and today we have a look at the cabanas that were added to Allure of the Seas.

Photo by Rich Freudenberg

These cabanas are located on the Suite sun deck, up on deck 17.

The cabanas have no additional cost for guests to use them, but guests must be staying in a suite stateroom (Grand Suite or above) to get access to the cabanas.  

Photos by Photo by Rich Freudenberg

Cabanas are available on a first come, first served basis.

Royal Caribbean recently added a shower to the cabana area and according to the ship's Hotel Director, they are planning to add a Jacuzzi on the Suite Sun Deck to enhance the Royal Suite Program.

Would you like to spend the day in a cabana on the Suite Sun Deck? Let us know in the comments!

Guests booking Freedom of the Seas can earn an extra three points in Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, Crown and Anchor Society, when each guest spends a minimum of $450 per person on pre-cruise and onboard purchases.

If you can act fast and book a last-minute Freedom of the Seas cruise on one of the following sailings, you will qualify for the deal

• September 13, 2015
• September 20, 2015
• September 27, 2015

This is a pilot program by Royal Caribbean to award additional Crown and Anchor Society points to those that spend a certain amount of money on their cruise.

The total qualifying spend must be greater than or equal to $450 times the number of adults in the stateroom. If this is met, each guest in the stateroom will receive three aditional points.

The following purchases qualify towards the $450 threshold:

• Shore excursions
• Food and beverage
• Spa treatments
• Retail purchases
• Photo purchases
• Art purchases
• Other onboard activities.

The deal excludes these types of purchases

• Onboard charges for casino
• Air or hotel reservations
• Dining booked through the call center
• Items from the Gifts & Gear website
• Promotional onboard credit
• Gratuities

Gold status and higher Crown & Anchor members over the age of 18 will receive an additional three cruise points per sailing when each member in the stateroom makes $450 USD or more in purchases during the sailing and after all credit and refunds have been applied, if any.  Onboard credits do not count towards the $450.

All adults in the stateroom must meet the minimum amount independently. 

Amount of guest’s purchases will be calculated upon the end of the cruise.

Points will be added to eligible Crown and Anchor Society member’s account 60 days after cruise completion.

For a limited time, Royal Caribbean is offering its high speed internet service, Voom, for free to those that book qualifying Harmony of the Seas cruises.

Royal Caribbean is tacking on free Voom internet for two guests on top of its popular BOGO Plus deal that is currently available.

Guests staying in an ocean view, balcony or suite stateroom will receive Voom unlimited internet package for two devices.  A two-device Voom package would ordinarily cost $22.50 per day for the duration of the cruise.

The Harmony of the Seas cruise must be booked between August 17 and October 11, 2015.

Offer applies to all Harmony of the Seas sailings departing between May 29 - Oct 16, 2016.

Offer includes one Voom internet package for two devices. Offer applies to ocean view, balcony, and suite staterooms. Voom unlimited internet package applicable to guest 1 and guest 2.

Offer does not apply to third and higher occupancy guests.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone celebrating!  Hope many of you are getting a chance to enjoy some time with family and while you are relaxing, here are all the Royal Caribbean news from this past week!

Royal Caribbean named a new Chief Information Officer this week, Michael Giresi.

Michael joins Royal Caribbean as its new Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer and will report directly to Royal Caribbean President and COO Adam Goldstein.

Giresi was mostly recently the senior vice president and CIO for Tory Burch, where he was responsible for the implementation of new infrastructure and technology initiatives for one of the fastest growing fashion brands in the world.

Royal Caribbean News

• Some Quantum of the Seas passengers had to be removed from the ship when the cruise was over.
• Royal Caribbean study shows family time is most important reason to book a vacation.
• We previewed the family fun on Harmony of the Seas.
• Explorer of the Seas is offering a new dining package.
• 8 things you must do at Labadee.
• Everything you wanted to know about Royal Caribbean sushi.
• The first President's Cruise date has been changed.
• 6 reasons to stay in a balcony stateroom.
• Royal Caribbean will test Wollongong as a homeport alternative to Sydney.
• Our 10 favorite Royal Caribbean crew members.
• Have you tried Starbucks on Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 108th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we preview a listener's back to back cruise on Independence of the Seas.

In this episode, Susan joins Matt to preview her upcoming cruises on Independence of the Seas.  We discuss why Susan booked back to back cruises and what she has planned 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.

Join us aboard the largest cruise ship in the world!

We're so excited to announce the next group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Allure of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on a fantastic Allure of the Seas sailing on an 7-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying a fun Royal Caribbean cruise along with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the amazing 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

Royal Caribbean has a list of the most romantic spots on Anthem of the Seas.

Michael Poole posted a video of the Aqua Show on Oasis of the Seas.

Eat Sleep Cruise has a list of the top 10 things to do on embarkation day.

Guests sailing on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas can purchase a dining package that gets them access to three specialty restaurants for one low price.

Photo by sky0000547

The Fine Dine package costs $45 per person, per cruise and includes 

• 1 dinner at Chops Grille
• 1 dinner at Giovanni's Table
• Unlimited 20% off at Izumi

Royal Caribbean claims dining at these venues without the package would cost $75, netting guests a $30 savings.

Fliers for the packages are available on Explorer of the Seas and started appearing onboard earlier this summer.

Royal Caribbean has been experimenting with offering dining packages throughout this year.  Earlier this year, unlimited dining packages have been offered on a few Royal Caribbean ships.

One of the most popular foods these days has to be sushi and on a Royal Caribbean cruise, guests can enjoy sushi throughout their cruise.

Sushi is a healthy and incredibly tasty meal that seems to becoming more and more popular.  Here is where you can get sushi on a Royal Caribbean cruise, how much it will cost and everything else important to know.

Izumi

When Royal Caribbean launched Oasis of the Seas back in 2009, the cruise line added a brand new specialty restaurant dedicated to sushi and Japanese cuisine, Izumi.

Izumi specialty restaurants have spread like wild fire to many other ships in the fleet and each Izumi restaurant offers guests popular sushi rolls, sashimi, hot rock (Ishiyaki) plates, sukiyaki and more.

For sushi lovers, Izumi is the place onboard Royal Caribbean to get sushi because of the quality and variety available.

The following Royal Caribbean ships have Izumi available onboard

• Oasis of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Splendour of the Seas
• Voyager of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Legend of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

Izumi is a specialty restaurant that charges a la carte for items on the menu.  There is no cover charge, and instead you are charged for what you order.

Izumi is open for dinner on every night and lunch on sea days.

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi

Royal Caribbean re-imagined Izumi in recent refurbishments for the Oasis class ships, that combines what you would typically find in Izumi on other ships with a hibachi experience.

In addition to the sushi rolls and sashimi offered at Izumi, guests can also order from a full teppanyaki menu.

The hibachi meals have a cover charge that includes the entree. Choices include Beef, Chicken, Lobster or Shrimp.

Each meal includes soup or salad, edamame app, fried rice or lo mein noodles, cooked veggies and dessert.

Essentially, the restaurant is divided in two sections: one section for sushi and the other section for the hibachi.

Sushi is priced exactly the same at Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, with sushi priced for each individual roll or piece.

Izumi Express

As of July 1, 2016, all Royal Caribbean ships also offer an Izumi Express option, where guests can purchase take-out sushi.

Izumi Express is a takeaway service that offers packaged sushi, ready to go, at a very discounted price.

Jade

On some Royal Caribbean ships, there is a section in the Windjammer called Jade, where guests can enjoy Asian food of all kinds.

In the evenings, Jade usually offers sushi rolls to guests that are complimentary.

The selection of sushi available at Jade is more limited than Izumi, with usually a half dozen hand rolls available at any given time. There is no nigiri sushi and none of it is made to order.

The chief benefit to Jade is that it is complimentary and available in the evening for dinner.  

Jade sushi was Royal Caribbean's first foray into sushi but has largely been replaced or superceded by Izumi.  

Jade is still available on a number of Royal Caribbean ships, mostly those ships that lack an Izumi.

Which sushi have you had on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Tell us in the comments!