A MERS outbreak in South Korea has prompted Royal Caribbean to cancel planned cruise ship stops until the health situation improves.

Royal Caribbean canceled stops in South Korea for Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean replaced the stops with an alternate port or a sea day.

Royal Caribbean commented on the change to TravelPulse, "We’ve been closely monitoring all developments regarding the increase in the number of cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome, also referred to as MERS in South Korea.  Health authorities from a variety of nations are investigating the situation and we remain keenly attuned to their progress."

Royal Caribbean has also taken preventative measures to screen its passengers that are sailing in the area. Anyone onboard who shows symptoms can be isolated and treated with anti-viral medications that are stocked on all ships.

Royal Caribbean is also issuing letters about MERS to its passengers that describe the symptoms and suggestions on ways to prevent the spread of MERS.  Additionally, Royal Caribbean is asking passengers to wash hands with hot water and soap.

Royal Caribbean has released new photos that show off the construction progress of its third Oasis class cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

The photos were taken earlier this month at the STX shipyard in France.  All photos are copyright Royal Caribbean International.

One of the biggest issues cruising Royal Caribbean from Galveston is simply getting from Houston's airports to the cruise port. To help readers out, we've asked an expert -- our friend from GalvestonCruiseTips.com -- to share some details on what travelers should know about getting to and from the port.

Let's put it up front: Unless you have a really good friend in Houston, there just isn't a cheap way for cruisers to get to Galveston from the airports. Every option is going to cost at least $150 round trip (for two passengers) and take at least an hour.

You can save some money, however, if you pick the appropriate mode of transportation for the number of people in your group. We usually suggest one of three ways: a cruise line shuttle, an independent shuttle, or a private car service.

Cruise lines shuttles offer the most convenience. You can buy a ticket when you book your cruise and don't have to get a ride from a third party. However, you will pay for that convenience.

Royal Caribbean charges $77 round trip per person from Hobby and $92 per person from Bush Intercontinental (IAH). If you're traveling solo or as a couple, you aren't likely to beat these prices. Larger groups, however, may wish to find a cheaper option.

A number of independent shuttles have popped up in recent years, usually offering a less expensive way to the port if traveling with a larger group. These shuttles almost always charge a higher cost for the first passenger, but a much smaller fee for each additional person.

For example, Cool Tours in Galveston offers a shuttle from Hobby Airport for $180 round trip for the first passenger, but only $30 for another rider. If you're traveling in a large group, the savings per person add up quickly.

Finally, there are a number of private car services that can provide a ride. A quick Google search will bring up dozens of options. Prices can range from $150 to several hundred dollars, depending on which you go with and what sort of car you'd like to pick you up.

One tip -- be sure to always get an "out the door" price on the car service before you book so there are no surprises. We suggest private car services for those wanting a little more privacy and comfort than riding in a shuttle van or charter bus.

As we said, no matter how you plan to get there, expect to pay a decent sum to get to your cruise. We have more details about all your options for getting from the Houston airports to the Galveston port (including taxis, car rentals, and ride-share services) on GalvestonCruiseTips.com.

Hey everyone! Episode 97 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available for your listening pleasure.

This week, Matt talks about a fan favorite class of Royal Caribbean ships, the Radiance class.  Radiance class ships may be smaller than many of their siblings, but they offer a lot of great onboard activities and can go to ports of call around the world that larger ships may not be able to.

Matt looks at what makes the Radiance class special and why you shouldn't judge a cruise ship by size alone.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 97. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS 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!

Being healthy and active onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship is easy with activities such as rock climbing, roller skating, and even simulated skydiving. Biggest Loser and award winning chef, Devin Alexander stays active with all these activities and more onboard Anthem of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's private island of Labadee is considered by many to be a true paradise.  From the water color to the lush surroundings, there is a lot to love about a day in Labadee.

One of the most sought after amenities on Labadee are the cabanas that are available to rent at Barefoot Beach Club and Nellie's Beach.  Today, we're showing off exactly why so many guests love to rent one for themselves and secure their private part of paradise.

Cabanas in Labadee come in a few different varieties and this one is an over the water cabana.

Each cabana can accommodate up to 4-5 guests comfortably.

Despite not being on the beach, there is direct access from the cabana to the ocean.

Cabanas come with waiter service, so you are never too far from a Labadoozie!

The views from the cabana are hard to beat!

There are cabanas all around and guests in the ocean, so you are never far from the fun.

We hope you enjoyed this little tour of the Labadee cabanas!

Have you stayed in a cabana on Labadee? Do you want to stay in one? Please let us know in the comments!

Royal Caribbean kicked off a 72-hour weekend cybersale today that can save you an additional $50 on top of Royal Caribbean's other current offers.

Begining June 5 and running through June 7, 2015, guests can save up to $50 per stateroom on all sailings departing on or after July 5, 2015, excluding China departures.

Guests will receive

• $25 off per stateroom for Interior & Ocean View staterooms
• $50 per stateroom for Balcony and Suites

The deal is combinable with Royal Caribbean's current offer of up to 30% off select accomodations that launched earlier this week.  Anyone that booked a sailing under the 30 FOR 30 deal should look at if this deal can save them a little bit more.

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. 

Offer available to residents of the United States or Canada.

Royal Caribbean has reversed a change on its newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, by going back to a cover charge at its Jamie's Italian specialty restaurant.

The cover charge for a meal at Jamie's Italian will be $30 per person.

Cruise Critic is reporting Royal Caribbean brought back the cover chanrge instead of an a la carte pricing structure.

When Jamie's Italian first debuted on sister ship Quantum of the Seas, the restaurant featured a cover charge but when Anthem of the Seas debuted, the restaurant pricing shifted to an a la carte structure.

According to Cruise Critic, the decision to go to an a la carte pricing in the first place was made by Jamie Oliver's team.

Royal Caribbean released new photos that show off the construction progress being made on its third Oasis-class cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

Harmony of the Seas is under construction at the STX shipyard in France and should be ready for her maiden voyage in about a year.

The photos were taken between late May and June 4, 2015 and are all copyright Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean has a flexible dinner option called My Time Dining that is perfect for someone that wants to be able to have dinner at different times of the evening.

It's a simple program where you get to eat in the main dining room on your own schedule.  All of the mainstream cruise lines offer something like this, but Royal Caribbean has its own twist.

Here's what you need to know about My Time Dining.

What is My Time Dining?

Essentially, My Time Dining is a program where for dinner in the main dining room, you can select times to eat between the hours of 6:00 and 9:30 p.m.

It differs from traditional dinner, where you have the same time, table, and waiters every night of your cruise.

With My Time Dining, you can choose a different time each day, so you can fit dinner around the rest of your onshore and onboard plans. You can pre-book a time or show up and wait for an available table.

For example, you could have dinner at 8:30pm on the first night of the cruise and then have dinner at 6pm on the second night. Just like traditional dining times, you can skip the main dining room all together and eat at a specialty restaurant or the buffet.

There is a maximum of 10 guests per reservation.

Are the menus the same for My Time Dining as they are for traditional dinner?

Yes, it's exactly the same menu for both traditional and My Time Dining.

How to opt-in for My Time Dining

Booking My Time Dining is simple, you can select it as your dining option when making your cruise reservation or at any time prior to your cruise by contacting Royal Caribbean or your travel agent.

When selecting My Time Dining, you must pre-pay all gratuities in advance.

How to book a reservation

It is recommended that you make reservations in advance of your sailing if you prefer to dine at the most popular times, between 6:30pm and 8pm.

You can make reservations onboard your ship, although there will be less reservations available by that time and typically the crew members will try to steer you to keeping the same time each night.

In general, the larger the group, the less flexibility you have to modify your dining time.

If you don’t get the time you prefer initially, keep checking back to see if you can change your dining time.  Even during the cruise, time slots open up.

Read more: How to book My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean

Onboard your cruise

On your Royal Caribbean ship, there is one deck of the main dining room dedicated to My Time Dining.  

You arrive at the main dining room at your reserved time to be seated.  You can optionally arrive without reservations, but you should be prepared to wait for a table. Often, this wait can be up to an hour.

If you are more than 5 minutes late, your table may be given away to a stand by group

Who is My Time Dining good for?

Generally speaking, My Time Dining is great for those that think dinner before 6pm is too early and 8pm as too late. Additionally, My Time Dining is good for those that may want to change their time for dinner depending on their plans for the day.

The evening shows aboard the ship are more structured for those in early and late traditional seating.

The challenge is to try and book way ahead to get the limited number of slots available between 6:30pm and say 7:45pm.

Does My Time Dining "favor" small groups or large groups?

Smaller groups provide the greatest flexibility. There is usually just a few tables for 6 or more when you’re asking for a table for just your group.

As an example, on a cruise on Independence of the Seas last year, there was only one table for 10 guests, so there was not much wiggle room for changing times.

How important are reservations? 

Without reservations, how important reservations are depend on your table size.

If you are up to two guests, you may not have much of a wait to get a table.  Groups of 4 or more and you have to wait 30-60 minutes until a table is ready.

The crew members will give you a pager to let you know when your table is ready but going to dinner without My Time Reservations is a gamble in terms of how long you will be seated, especially if you are trying to eat during the prime hours of 6pm to 8pm.

Is it possible to get the same waiters every night with My Time Dining?

If you make reservations for the same time every night, it is more likely you will have the same wait staff.

You may request a certain waiter each night, although it may increase your wait time, even if you have a reserved time.

Altering your dinner time will increase the change substantially of getting a different pair of waiters in our experience.

Can I request a table for two people?

Yes! That does not mean you will get a table for two, but the crew members will try their best to accommodate your request.

Just like at a restaurant at home, you may need to wait for a table for two to open up. 

Your best bet is to make reservations in advance, as those with a reservation already seem to get preferred treatment over people that show up and ask for a specific table.

If you want to have a table for two every night of your cruise, my advice is to ask the head waiter to assist.

Can I change to early or late dinner during my cruise if I don't like My Time Dining?

Possibly, but it all depends on availability. 

You could certainly book the same time every night of your cruise and effectively re-create the traditional dinner experience.  The "catch" is My Time Dinner starts later than early seating, so you would not be able to replicate quite as early a time window.

If you're not liking My Time Dining, the first thing to do is speak to the head waiter and address the problem.  In many cases, there could be a simpler solution that changing you to another type of dining.

A big thank you to Ken Slusser for assisting in writing this blog post!