With 2014 nearly complete, it's time to look back on the year and see which news stories generated the most interest.  There's no doubt that 2014 was a busy year for Royal Caribbean and so it's interesting to see which stories rose to the top of people's interest.

This year's top ten list of Royal Caribbean stories is based on our statistics of most viewed stories.  There's some stories that made the top ten list that surprised me and others I'm more surprises did not make the list.  Let's dive in!

10. Royal Caribbean confirms Quantum of the Seas will feature Royal Esplanade

There was a lot of rumors swirling but Royal Caribbean confirmed less than a month before the ship launched that there would be a Royal Esplanade instead of a Royal Promenade onboard Quantum of the Seas.

The Royal Promenade had been a staple of new Royal Caribbean ships since the Voyager Class but proving just how different Quantum of the Seas is from ships before it, the company went in a different direction.

The concept of the Royal Esplanade is similar to the Royal Promande: a central indoor area on the ship where you can find shops, restaurants and entertainment.  The difference is the Royal Esplanade had more of a shopping district feel to the Royal Promenade's canyon-like strip.

9. Royal Caribbean to bring Broadway show "Cats" to Oasis of the Seas

As part of Oasis of the Seas' refurbishment, Royal Caribbean announced the Broadway musical CATS would replace Hairspray onboard the ship.

Based on T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” CATS was one of the longest running productions on Broadway and is the winner of numerous awards including seven Tonys, two Oliviers and a Grammy.

What was interesting about this announcement was the fact CATS has been off Broadway fro many years but the show has been resurrected on Oasis of the Seas. 

8. Royal Caribbean will offer RFID WOWbands for free to all guests

Royal Caribbean changed its mind on charging money for its new RFID wristbands aboard Quantum of the Seas right around Quantum of the Seas' launch.

When the WOWbands were announced, they came with a small $2 per band fee but Royal Caribbean decided to waive the fee and give them away to all guests.

The decision to change the bands to be free is a move, in part, to increase their adoption rate. Royal Caribbean expects at least half its guests to use the WOWbands on any given cruise.

7. Giant wave hits Explorer of the Seas

Last month, cruisers aboard Explorer of the Seas reported that a 40 foot wave struck Explorer of the Seas and caused damage to a few of the ship's lifeboats.

The wave caused two life boats to be torn from their position along side the ship and struck the Promenade deck.

The wave had very little impact on the cruise and repairs fixed the damage quickly but people love reading about giant anything hitting cruise ships.

6. Royal Caribbean announces Dynamic Dining will expand to Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean announced its ground breaking Dynamic Dining program will expand to Oasis of the Seas back in August and it certainly generated a lot of opinions on the matter.

Following the Quantum-class cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas will become the first cruise ship in the fleet outside the Quantum-class to get the Dynamic Dining makeover.

I think the news was a bit of a shock considering Royal Caribbean had previously said they wanted to wait and see how Dynamic Dining was received before expanding.

5. Royal Caribbean posts updated Quantum of the Seas cutaway

Before Quantum of the Seas launched, we were all desperate for any and all information about this new ship and this released cutaway gave us all a good sense of what to expect.

The giant cutaway showed off many venues on the ship and gave us an idea of where everything is relative to the ship.

4. Royal Caribbean to send Quantum of the Seas on 53-night around the world cruise

Royal Caribbean had previously announced it would send its newest cruise ship to China but then it announced an epic around-the-world journey on its way there.

The 53-night cruise will leave Cape Liberty in the New York area and then eventually end up in Shanghai (Baoshan), China.  Along the way, guests can enjoy cruises across the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

If 53-nights is a bit too much, you can also choose from five other mini-sailings built into the 53-night affair, ranging from three to 16 nights.

3. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas suffering from propulsion problem

Propulsion problems forced Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas to skip two port calls back in March.

Oil loss from the ship's fixipod propulsion unit had to have the crew shutdown the pod.  The incident occured just before the ship's scheduled drydock later that month.

Royal Caribbean attempted to make repairs in St. Kitts but they could not fully repair the unit and had to leave the unit offline.  

Since Adventure of the Seas' drydock, the problem was fixed and there have not been any other incidents since.

2. Oil spill in Galveston delays Navigator of the Seas

Thanks to a 160,000 gallon oil spill near Galveston, Texas, Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas was delayed from getting back into Galveston port.

The unfortunate incident delayed the passengers onboard Navigator from getting off the ship and of course also delayed the new cruisers from embarking.

The oil spill was something outside of Royal Caribbean's control but luckily it was taken care of in a timely manner and things got back on schedule after the ship got back into port.

1. Royal Caribbean offering kids sail free on select May to December cruises

Back in March, Royal Caribbean offered a great promotion that allowed guests to have the third and fourth passengers sail free on select cruises along with offering complimentary upgrades and reduced deposits.

The kids sail free (which was really any third and fourth passengers) was for all triple or quad occupancy staterooms and people seemed to really get excited about it.

I think once it was established the promotion was not just for kids, people really jumped all over it.  Heck, I was able to use it for my upcoming Freedom of the Seas cruise and it saved me a lot of money too!

Enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment?  Then you'll want to check out the Royal Esplanade on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas.

Centered at the heart of the ship, the Royal Esplanade and The Via include highlights such as Cartier, Kiehl's, BVLGARI and Hublot. 

Yesterday Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made a visit to Port Canaveral and during the occasion, the head of Port Canaveral indicated the port wants Royal Caribbean to homeport a ship as big as Quantum of the Seas there.

Port Canaveral CEO John Walsh is hoping to convince Royal Caribbean that Port Canaveral is the perfect home for a Quantum or Oasis-class cruise ship.  Both the Quantum and Oasis class ships are among the largest in the world.  

Currently, Port Canaveral is home to Freedom of the Seas, which is a member of the Freedom class and small than Quantum or Oasis class.

Royal Caribbean does have a few new cruise ships coming online, two more Quantum-class ships and two more Oasis-class ships over the next few years.

Royal Caribbean offers fantastic cruise vacations and many millions get to enjoy these voyages each year.  There are, however, misconceptions about what a Royal Caribbean cruise is all about and they're just plain wrong.

We've got five of the biggest Royal Caribbean myths to debunk for you, which will set the record straight.

1. Only new Royal Caribbean ships have the cool stuff onboard

Royal Caribbean is about to wrap-up a $300 million project that brought many of the popular Oasis-class ammenities to all of the ships across its fleet.

Nearly all the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet have gotten better wi-fi access, FlowRiders on select ships, brand new restaurants, nurseries, upgraded kid facilities, giant outdoor movie screens, digital wayfinders and a lot more.

The result has been an infusion of "new life" into the fleet, which gives guests more options to choose from when they select their ship.  Just because a ship is a little older than others, does not mean it lacks those cool new features that were first found on the Oasis-class.

2. You have to get really dressed up for dinner on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Cruising has changed quite a bit over the years and today, cruising is about relaxing in all aspects of the experience.

It's quite easy to go on a Royal Caribbean ship and never dress up if you don't want to.  In fact, on Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has dropped dress codes.  

Royal Caribbean does have dress codes for dinner on most of its ships, but they are suggestions and only relate to the main dining room and specialty restaurants.

Simply put, you can go on a Royal Caribbean cruise with just something that you might wear to a religious service or an upscale restaurant at home.  

3. Royal Caribbean internet is slow

Royal Caribbean just activated high-speed internet aboard its Quantum and Oasis-class ships that deliver speeds like you're at home.

On these ships, you can not only browse the internet and check email quickly, but you can stream your favorite movies or make a video call to friends or family at home.  

Royal Caribbean also has plans to roll this new high speed internet across its fleet in the coming years.

4. Royal Caribbean isn't the best cruise line for families

I could cite all the awards Royal Caribbean wins each year for being the best at family cruises but the fact is Royal Caribbean built its ships to be the perfect family vacation.

Royal Caribbean has been a partner with DreamWorks Entertainment for many years now, which offers character meets, parades, movie screenings, character breakfasts and more onboard a number of its ships.

In addition, there's the Adventure Ocean program for children that is complimentary and offers structured supervision throughout the day and night.  Even toddlers and babies can enjoy the Royal Nursery that will allow parents to get away for a bit.

Teens have dedicated areas of the ship just for them to hang out, meet other teens and make their own fun onboard. There's also the great onboard activities such as bumper cars, surf simulator, mini-golf, ice skating and more.

In short, Royal Caribbean offers a lot for kids (and their parents) to do onboard.

5. Royal Caribbean has some of the biggest cruise ships in the world, which means it will be super crowded

A ship that carries 5000 passengers can sound like it would be crowded but Royal Caribbean has been working on making the ship seem as uncrowded as it can.

Using the latest in crowd control strategies, these massive ships help spread people around and have plenty of space per passenger along with sprawling common areas that help reduce that "sardine can" feel.

Ask someone who's been on Oasis of the Seas and they'll tell you it doesn't feel like you're onboard with the population of a small town.  Rather, the ships are designed to keep people moving and for you to feel like you can stretch out anytime you want.

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.

There's a new boss at Royal Caribbean this week.  Michael Bayley was formally introduced as the new CEO of Royal Caribbean International by Royal Caribbean Ltd Chairman Richard Fain.  

Bayley takes over for Adam Goldstein and began his duties immediately.

Cruise fans may recognize Bayley as the CEO of sister company Celebrity Cruises.  Bayley is now in charge of Royal Caribbean International and will begin his reign as head of the cruise company.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean ended Brilliance of the Seas' lease this week.
• A propulsion problem is slowing down Freedom of the Seas.
• Video of Quantum of the Seas' naming ceremony.
• Don't miss our full review of The Grande on Quantum of the Seas.
• Have you seen these color changing mugs for sale on your Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The seventy-first episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're previewing a podcast listener's upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt shares tips and strategies for getting a deal on your Royal Caribbean cruise.  From when to book, who to book with and what to look for, there's a few ways you can help save a few dollars on your next cruise vacation.

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

Cruise Dudes Podcast intereviewed Matt (yea, this guy) about his experience on Quantum of the Seas.

NewsOK interviewed Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin about the technology on Quantum of the Seas.

The Financial featured a story about how Royal Caribbean and Intel brought a lot of tablets to sea.

Royal Caribbean is informing passengers set to embark on this week's Freedom of the Seas cruise that the ship, "is currently experiencing a small restriction on her top speed."

As a result of the speed reduction, the ship will have to change the Eastern Caribbean itinerary.  The ship will skip a port call at the company's private island of CocoCay and reduce the time the ship will spend in St. Maarten.

Emails and text messages were sent to guests today informing them of the change.  Royal Caribbean assures guests that the ship is fully operational and there is no impact on the maneuverability of the ship or on the safety of our guests and crew.

There is no word on what caused the propulsion problems.  Freedom of the Seas is scheduled for a dry dock session in January 2015.

Royal Caribbean is also giving all passengers an undisclosed amount of onboard credit.  A letter with the credit amount will be delivered to each stateroom.

Passengers tha had shore excursions booked in CocoCay through Royal Caribbean will have their excursions fully refunded in the form of onboard credit, although unused money can be refunded after the cruise back to passengers.

Freedom of the Seas is set to leave Port Canaveral on December 14 as scheduled.

DEC 15 UPDATE: Blog reader Sean shared with us some more details on the problem affecting Freedom of the Seas.  There is a recorded message from Captain Tor Olsen playing in all staterooms explaining the problem.

The center fixipod is having the trouble, which is similar to the problem Allure of the Seas had earlier this year.  Captain Olsen described one of the bearings as being "in very bad shape".

As a result, the main thurst propeller blade has been removed from the center pod and Freedom of the Seas is operating only with the port and starboard azipods. The result is a reduced top speed by 5 knots, with a new max cruising speed of 18 knots.

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas just got a new FlowRider surf simulator added to her as part of an $80 million refurbishment and it's now passed its first test.

Pro surfer Paige Hareb boarded Voyager of the Seas to try out the new FlowRider while the ship was in Auckland, New Zealand.

Hareb gave it a try and commented on her experience, "I didn't know what to expect. I had heard a lot about it being completely different from other sports and from surfing and so I was a little nervous."

After getting the hang of the FlowRider, Paige showed off her surfing skills to others in attendance.

"I have been doing surfing for such a long time, so I guess it comes easy to me now."

In SEC filings,Royal Caribbean announced it had refinanced its deal in place for Brilliance of the Seas by terminating the lease and buying the ship outright for $275 million.

Royal Caribbean leased the ship when it was built back in July 2002 under a 25-year operating lease.  The move today eliminates that lease obligation by purchasing the ship.

Royal Caribbean funded the purchase through drawings under their revolving credit facilities.  Royal Caribbean also indicated they will not recognize any gain or loss in connection with this refinancing deal.

If it's Friday, that means we are sharing our reader's best Royal Caribbean photos in this week's Friday Photos showcase.  As always, we want to include as many of our readers photos as we can, so be sure to send us your best Royal Caribbean photos too!

Let's kick things off this week with a photo of a beautiful day on Royal Caribbean's private island of Coco Cay by Michael Poole.  Sign me up for someone who wishes to be there right now!

Here's a great family photo by Carol Johns from their 45th wedding anniversary cruise on Allure of the Seas.  Cruising with family is always a lot of fun!

Paul Westbrook sent in this photo of the art he found in the hallway on the way to his stateroom aboard Freedom of the Seas.

Here we have sunrise on Quantum of the Seas by Catherine Elgie-Peters.  I love how the sun is shining right into the North Star!

We will round things out with this photo of a full moon over Majesty of the Seas by John Siegmund.  Great shot!

Thank you to everyone that sent in their photos this week and if you have Royal Caribbean photos, well, we want to see them!  You can use this form to send us your photos and we will feature them on an upcoming Friday Photos blog post!

Quantum of the Seas' naming ceremony  featured godmother Kristin Chenoweth and rth Harp musician, William Close.