When you are ready to experience Royal Caribbean's suite life, the Grand Suite is the first category of stateroom eligible for the full suite experience and we thought it would be useful to look at what this type of stateroom offers you and why you might want to consider booking it for your next cruise.

Grand Suite on Freedom of the Seas - Photo by Royal Caribbean

What are the benefits of having a Grand Suite?

Staying in a suite on a Royal Caribbean ship gets you a few important benefits

• Extra space in your stateroom
• Larger balcony
• Bathroom with tub
• Suite level benefits

Grand Suite on Oasis of the Seas - Photo by Lisa Cancade Hackett

The exact size of a grand suite varies from ship to ship, anywhere from 349 square feet to 401 square feet.  

The size of balconies range as well, from 93 square feet to 452 square feet.  Most balconies are between 100 and 110 square feet.

The benefits for staying in a suite are what many guests relish about the experience.  Suite perks include

• Priority check-in at the pier
• Personalized attention by concierge staff
• Access to Concierge Club on select ships
• Reserved prime seating in the main theater for shows
• Private breakfast and lunch seating in specialty restaurants
• Priority tender tickets
• VIP pool deck seating
• Full menus for in-room dining for all meals
• Complimentary pressing service on formal night
• Complimentary luggage valet service
• Access to reserving cabanas at Royal Caribbean's private islands
• Special cocktail hours and receptions

There are other benefits as well that depend on your ship and itinerary.

The big benefit is access to the Concierge Club lounge as well as the Concierge staff.  The staff will do anything Guest Services can do and more and are a tremendous asset.  They can book cabanas, specialty restaurants and excursions for you.

The concierge lounge also provides complimentary food and alcoholic beverages.

Staying in a Grand Suite will also get you double Crown and Anchor Society points for the duration of your sailing.

How much more will a Grand Suite cost?

Grand Suite on Quantum of the Seas - Photo by Royal Caribbean

The exact difference in cost between a Grand Suite and another category below will differ depending on the ship, sailing and some other factors.

Suite staterooms are a perk, and if you can afford to spend extra for a Grand Suite, it is the entry point to Royal Caribbean's exclusive level of staterooms.

In addition, your daily automatic gratuity amount will be increased to include the concierge service.  The gratuity cost for suite guests is $15.95 per person, per day.

Summary

Grand Suites are the first level of suites that Royal Caribbean offers and if you can afford it, is a wonderful way to get more space and service while onboard.

The key is the cost associated with suites.  Staying in a suite is about paying extra to get the exclusive benefits that come with that status, but it may not be a financially sound choice when you compare the price of a Grand Suite to a lower stateroom category.

What guests really enjoy about a Grand Suite is the level of service they receive, which to them is well worth the additional cost.  In addition, the extra Crown and Anchor points helps move you up in Crown and Anchor Society much faster.

As part of my next Royal Caribbean cruise, I want to take you along for the planning process as we make decisions and plan our Royal Caribbean vacation.  I hope this will give you some insight into my thought process and perhaps this will assist you for planning your next Royal Caribbean cruise too.

Today we are going to look at excursion ideas for one of the stops on our Freedom of the Seas 7-night cruise, St. Thomas.

Background

I've been to St. Thomas about four times now and I am struggling with what to do here.

St. Thomas is quite beautiful and we have always done some sort of beach excursion.  We may work in some shopping or a tour, but inevitably we end up at the beach.  And that beach is always Magens Bay.

The reason I am conflicted is because going to the beach is easy and works well for my family.  It is low key and because I have two young kids (4 and 6 months), we cannot do something adventurous even if we wanted to.  

The other problem with finding new things to do in St. Thomas is I have come to the conclusion that a lot of the popular things to do in St. Thomas are tourist traps. 

On our last trip to St. Thomas, we did a group tour so that we could see more of the island and expand our horizons.  I felt like we just went from one tourist spot to another, so while I am always looking for new ideas, I have resigned myself to the conclusion there may simply be no escaping the touristy nature of things to do there.

The Options

After careful research, I cam up with these excursion ideas.

Magens Bay

Why mess with something that works, right? Magens Bay is beautiful and provides the kind of Caribbean beach experience most folks want when they go on a cruise.

The cost to getting to the beach and the beach itself are minimal and there aren't a lot of big waves here either, which is good for my older daughter.

The biggest negative I can say about Magens Bay is that we have been here before.  Many times. 

Pros: Known entity; Great for kids; Beautiful setting

Cons: Been here many times

Skyride to Paradise Point

Photo by Mike LaMonaca

While browsing Royal Caribbean's shore excursions, I ran across the Skyride and it sounds pretty interesting.  Take a tram up 700 feet to mountaintop Paradise Point and enjoy the view.  

This will not be an all day excursion, but it sounds like a fun little thing to do in addition to something else on the island.

On our last trip to St. Thomas, our tour brought us to a different peak (Mountain Top) and we had a great view there, so this would be similar but from a different perspective.

Interestingly enough, everything I have read indicates it is cheaper to purchase this excursion through Royal Caribbean than going to the tram directly. It also seems like when you purchase a pass, it is good for anytime that day, so it gives us flexibility.

Pros: Great view; Easy for kids

Cons: Moderately expensive ($21.75 for adults / $10.75 for kids)

Lindquist Beach

Just like Magens Bay, Lindquist Beach is another beach option and the appeal here is it is not Magens Bay!

Photo by David Marriott

Based on reviews and photos posted online, it looks quite beautiful as well.  I will not waste more time waxing poetically about the virtues of a beautiful beach.

The only negative I can think of is we might go here in spite of Magens Bay and then regret not going to Magens Bay if this beach does not feel as good as Magens Bay.

Pros: Beautiful beach

Cons: Might regret not going with the #1 beach in St Thomas

Charlotte Amalie

​Photo by Andrew Love

It's been a number of years since I went to downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas' capital, and explore the city.

In other ports, we usually enjoy wandering the streets and doing some shopping along with having lunch at a local spot.  It is the kind of adventure I really enjoy.

The problem with walking around Charlotte Amalie is it will be July in the Caribbean and walking around outside sounds like a recipe for being tired and sweaty, with a pinch of whiny kids.

I could see us going here first in the morning to get some exploring in and then taking a cab to the beach to cool off.

Pros: Been a while since we explored Charlotte Amalie; Like exploring

Cons: Hot weather may make this a bad idea; Using stroller could make walking around tricky

The Decision

After considering our options, we ended up choosing.... the skyride and a beach.

We are not sure which beach we will go to yet but we are going to keep things up in the air and make a decision closer to our day.

The skyride does sound pretty neat and it is something new that we can try, so we will likely book that and check it out early in the day and then make a decision about which beach to go to.

If we were going to St. Thomas in the winter, I think there would be some other choices to consider but summer in the Eastern Caribbean means it will be simpler and more relaxing to sit at the beach.

What would you do if you were going to St. Thomas? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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.

This week, Royal Caribbean announced it decided to keep Majesty of the Seas in the fleet, rather than transfer her out as previously announced.  

In addition, Royal Caribbean will send Majesty of the Seas to a dry dock, where she will receive a number of major upgrades that will offer guests much more to see, do and eat onboard.  Following her upgrades, Majesty of the Seas will offer 3 and 4 night itineraries out of Port Canerval, Florida in 2016.

Reservations for the Majesty of the Seas’ inaugural Port Canaveral season are now available for sailings beginning May 27, 2016.

More Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announced it will add high-speed internet to all Caribbean ships by mid-2016.
• Here's what you need to know about taking an infant on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Want more Majesty of the Seas? Here's 19 BEAUTIFUL photos to enjoy.
• A complete guide to picking the perfect shore excursions.
• Matt explains why he doesn't buy Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol packages.
• A look at Royal Caribbean's Love & Marriage Game Show.
• The top was to cool off on a Royal Caribbean cruise this summer.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 101st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are reviewing a podcast listener's recent cruise aboard Liberty of the Seas.

Rob Chang took a 9-night cruise aboard Liberty of the Seas with his family and he joins Matt on the podcast to discuss his experiences onboard the ship as well as what he did onshore and what he would recommend to do for others going on her.

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.

If you are taking a Mediterannean cruise, Royal Caribbean has a new shore excursion for those stopping in Rome.

Royal Caribbean rolled out a new shore excursion to the Pope's private summer residence estate, along with stops at other well-known landmarks such as the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

Since 1626, the estate has served as a second home to the pope. View majestic gardens and a working farmhouse set amid Roman ruins of the ancient Amphitheatre and Villa built by Emperor Domitian and dating back to the 1st Century A.D.

This is the first time this residence has ever been opened.

Royal Caribbean guests will also visit the Pontifical Villas in Castel Gandolfo, the estate’s majestic gardens and the on-site working farmhouse, a panoramic drive across Rome, and an in-depth tour of the world-famous Vatican Museum.

Following the tour, enjoy a panoramic drive through Rome—passing by the Colosseum—before arrival in Vatican City.

The price for the Pope's Summer Residence and Vatican City - CVR2 shore excursion is $165 per adult and $129 for children.  The tour is approximately 10 hours.

Summer is here and that means temperatures are going up and Royal Caribbean has some great ways to cool off and avoid getting over heated.

H2O Zone

Royal Caribbean's H2O Zone was designed to cool off in a fun way.  

This colorful aquatic play area is filled with plenty of ways to get wet and it's a big hit with kids and even adults who dare to venture in.

Guests can run around, stand under, on top of and in between many different spouts of water.  The result is all the same: drenched before you know it!

Ice Skating

How about cooling down with some ice?

Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class cruise ships offer ice skating rinks onboard, where the temperature inside have to be right around freezing.  

Besides stopping the sweat, it's undeniably fun putting on a pair of skates and testing your skills in the rink.  From first timers to those people that can skate backwards (we envy and admire you at the same time), ice skating at sea will cool you down while you have fun.

Water slides

In 2016, two Royal Caribbean ships will begin offering water slides and according to our very unscientific research, water slides are a guaranteed way to cool off fast.

Starting with Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's brand new third Oasis class cruise ship, guests can choose from three different three multi-story water slides to ride down.

There will be a water slide with a champagne bowl that swirls riders around as they approach the end of the slide, as well as two racing water slides.

Majesty of the Seas will also be getting the "slide treatment", when she undergoes a refurbishment and will have water slides added too.

Private island swimming

Pools, slides and even ice are great but it is tough to be a dip in the ocean.  At Royal Caribbean's private destinations of Labadee and CocoCay, you can do just that (and a whole lot more).

Both destinations are located in the warm waters of the Caribbean and are perfectly suited for a great beach day.

Lather up the sun screen and then jump in the water for a day full of sun, sand and swimming.

What is your favorite way to cool off on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Share your tips in the comments!

Royal Caribbean has some very fun shows onboard its ships, and one of my favorite shows has to be the Love and Marriage game show.  Over the years, the Love and Marriage show has become a fan favorite event and we are going to dive into the essentials of what you need to know about this show.

Love and Marriage show basics

Let us begin with describing the Love and Marriage game show and what it is.  

Most Royal Caribbean cruise directors that I have heard talk about the show, describe it as being similar to the The Newlywed Game television show.

The cruise director picks three couples from the audience:

• A couple that recently been married
• A couple that has been married for around 10-20 years
• A couple that has been married the longest (usually 20+ years)

There are two rounds, and in each round, one spouse is taken backstage to be in isolation while the other spouse is asked a series of questions about their relationship.  The questions are usually about the circumstances in which they first met, dates they have gone on and even some personal questions about their relationship.

After the first spouse gives their answers, the other spouse returns and asked the same questions.  Each question that both spouses answer the same results in a point for that couple. 

The spouses then switch and the next round repeats similar to the first round, but with new questions.

At the end of both rounds, the couple with the most points wins.

Why the Love and Marriage game show is entertaining

Before the show even begins, the ship's cruise director will ask for volunteers and usually there are quite a few couples vying to be picked.  As a sort of audition, each couple must perform a quick demonstration of their passion for each other by repeating a phrase.  After each couple auditions, the audience votes for their favorite based on applause.

The couples who really go over the top with their enthusiasm are usually the ones that get the most votes, so off the bat, you get some very fun folks who give it their all to be picked.

The real fun is when the show begins and we hear the answers and then the reaction of the other spouse to each answer.  

What makes the show fun is when one spouse is very wrong or a spouse reveals something embarrassing about themselves.  The cruise director certainly plays a part in encouraging the couples to be honest and then poking fun at the answers. 

The show is kept family friendly for the most part, although there are references to each body parts and past sexual experiences.  It's presented in good fun and older children that are mature enough for these kinds topics will also find the show amusing.

How to see the Love and Marriage game show

The show is usually held in the Royal Theater on one evening of the cruise.

You will have to check your Cruise Compass for the exact day and time.

The show is also shown live and subsequently in re-runs on the stateroom televisions.  This can be a good option if you have other plans or perhaps you have to be in your stateroom for some reason.

Auditioning for the show

If you are feeling in the mood to participate in the show and poke a little fun at yourself, any married couple can audition for the show.

You should plan on arriving at the theater well before the show is to begin.  At least 30 minutes before show time and sitting close to the stage are good ideas.

As mentioned earlier, the cruise director will ask you and your spouse to repeat a phrase and demonstrate for the audience why you really deserve to be there.  This is when being creative helps.  

Over the years, couples have screamed, kissed passionately, swept each other off their feet and otherwise demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm to differentiate themselves from the other couples.  There is no guaranteed way to be picked, but try to be as excited and enthusiastic as possible when auditioning.

For this weekend only, Royal Caribbean is giving guests up to an extra $50 in onboard credit that is combinable with the Rock Your View upgrade offer on Anthem of the Seas and BOGO Holidays on a variety of holiday sailings.

Royal Caribbean is offering

• Book an Interior or Ocean View stateroom and receive $25 onboard credit
• Book a Balcony or Suite and receive $50 onboard credit

This onboard credit offer is on top of Royal Caribbean's Buy One Guest, Get Second Guest 50% Off + Free prepaid gratuities on sailings departing Dec. 15-31, 2015 or 2016.

This Weekend WOW Sale applies to new bookings made July 10-12, 2015 for all sailings departing on or after August 9, 2015, excluding China departures and Ovation of the Seas sailings departing between December 15, 2016 and January 23, 2017. 

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

Offer available in the United States and Canada.

Ever since Royal Caribbean debuted its unlimited alcohol packages in late 2012, they have become quite popular with many guests who love the idea of locking in the price of something that can get very expensive, very quickly: alcohol.

For a lot of folks, having drinks on their Royal Caribbean cruise is a big reason they enjoy taking a cruise and I completely understand.  Heck, I love having drinks too while I am onboard.  It is really hard to top having a fruity drink with an umbrella in it while sitting by the pool on a beautiful day in the Caribbean.

The reason why I do not purchase the unlimited alcohol packages and why I often advocate to take a second look at them is because I do not feel I can get the value out of them to make it worth the cost.

Why (not to) buy the package

The number one reason anyone would want to purchase a Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package is because they want to be able to drink an unlimited amount of drinks without running up a crazy bill.  It sounds like a perfectly good idea, right?

The package is simple: pay a fixed cost for every day of your cruise and you never have to worry about a bar bill again.  Royal Caribbean gets a flat fee and you get the freedom to order whatever you want.

By most estimates, you have to drink around 5 to 6 drinks per day, depending on what you order and which package you get, to essentially "break even" on the package's cost.  After all, why would you purchase something if you are going to over pay, right?

This is why I don't buy the package.

For me, five to six drinks per day, every day of my cruise is a lot.  Can I do it one or two days in a row? Heck yea! But on a seven night (or longer cruise), that's a lot to drink and I wont want that much to drink every day.  

Do not forget about port days, where a vast majority of the day I am not even onboard, so there is little time that day to drink enough to meet my daily quota to get my money's worth.  And if I am drinking for the sake of drinking to get my money's worth, then why buy the package?

What I do instead

Instead of buying the drink packages, I opt to pay for my drinks a la carte.  

In my mind, even if I drink three to four drinks per day, I am still coming out ahead of the drink package cost.  And when I am in port, usually alcohol is less expensive than on the ship and I can really reap the savings.

If I can reference something I learned in middle school English class, I would like to quote an ancient Greek aphorism, "know thyself".  It means you should remember your limits and when it comes to having drinks, some people can easily have a lot to drink and others not so much.  For me, I recognize that I'm happy with just a couple of drinks per day at the most.

By purchasing drinks a la carte, I feel like I am ordering drinks when I really want one and not ordering them just because I can with the package.  

Wine!

The other reason why I do not get the alcohol packages is because Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring up to two bottles of wine per stateroom.  

I bring the wine to dinner and this will get me through a few evening meals without having to pay for drinks.

Not everyone drinks wine but the fact this is something I can do to keep costs down and at the same time indulge in having a drink means the value proposition of an unlimited alcohol package is much less for me.

Find out for yourself

Obviously these are all my opinions and I recognize everyone is different. Forgetting about breaking up the cruise cost or having the ability to experiment with drinks, the real reason to buy the drink package is to be able to pay a fixed price for your drinks and save money on them in the end.  

If you have been on a cruise before, you probably know about how much you typically drink, so you can figure out if the unlimited alcohol packages make sense for you.  

I recommend looking at a calendar of your itinerary and consider if you really can drink enough to make the package work for you.  If it seems like the decision is too close to call, I recommend opting not to get the package off the bat.  See how a few days go, because you can always order the package at any point in your cruise, as long as there are at least 4 days left in your cruise.

In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is just assume the package is a good or bad deal without really understanding what it takes to get the value out of it.  Everyone is different, so take a few minutes to "do the math" and perhaps you will come to the same conclusion as me.  Or maybe you will call me crazy, in which case I will toast my next drink I buy (on my SeaPass account) to you!

Do you buy the unlimited alcohol packages? Or do you avoid them too? Share your thoughts in the comments!