Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas is about to get a ship-wide refurbishment that will give it brand new upgrades that will enhance the guest experience and breathe new life into this ship that will be sailing in Australia.

Voyager of the Seas will get a number of new features including

• FlowRider surf simulator
• Virtual balcony staterooms
• 3D cinema
• New specialty restaurants
  • Izumi
  • New Chops Grille menu
  • Giovanni's Table
• Champagne Bar will become R-Bar
• New Diamond Lounge
• Stem-to-stern WiFi
• Digital signage wayfinders

The new refurbishment will take place in October 2014.

Royal Caribbean kicked off a new sale for residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland that offers an "all inclusive" promotion.

New bookings created between August 1 and September 30, 2014 will receive

• Free Select Drinks Package (beer, wine, non-alcoholic cocktails, fountain soda with souvenir cup)
• Free Soda Package (for kids)
• Free Gratuities

The deal is applicable to the following sailings:

• Sailings from the UK on Anthem, Explorer & Brilliance of the Seas, with a duration of 3 Nights & above: April 2015 - October 2015
• Sailings from Europe on Allure, Rhapsody, Splendour, Serenade & Vision of the Seas, with a duration of 3 Night & above: April 2015 - November 2015 
• Sailings in the Caribbean on Adventure, Allure, Freedom, Independence & Oasis of the Seas, with a duration of 6 Nights & above: October 2014 - December 2015
• Transatlantic & Repositional sailings are excluded from this offer.      

Hope you had a great week (maybe one week closer to your next Royal Caribbean cruise?) and you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

Royal Caribbean News

Here's what happened in the world of Royal Caribbean this week

• Quantum of the Seas' float out is scheduled for August 9.
• Royal Caribbean has brought back two popular sales that started this week.
• Anyone over the age of 5 will now have to pay a surcharge for the Dreamworks Character Breakfast.
• Why you should book an interior stateroom versus why you should book a balcony.
• Quantum of the Seas' lifeboats are on their way to the ship.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The fifty-second episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available that is all about booking shore excursions.

We recorded a live episode of the podcast this week to celebrate our one year anniversary of the podcast. Our listeners called in with their thoughts on booking an interior stateroom versus a balcony.

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

The Miami Herald writes about Royal Caribbean is hoping to lure new passengers with flexibile dining.

TTG Digital says Royal Caribbean to launch new travel agent incentive.

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, will leave ship builder Meyer Werft's covered building for its official float out on Saturday, August 9, 2014.  The event will occur at 7:30am local time.

Quantum of the Seas, the third largest cruise ship in the world and will be docked alongside the yard's pier for one night, before being turned on August 10 for thruster and stabiliser tests.

Following float out, the remaining tasks will be tests and trials that will be carried out on board until the ship’s conveyance down the river Ems to the North Sea, which is scheduled for the middle of September.

We will have a live webcam feed right here on Royal Caribbean Blog of the float-out broadcast.

We love to share your Royal Caribbean photos every Friday and give everyone a quick "mental escape" to look at some stunning photos.  We want your photos too, so send us your best Royal Caribbean photos to share with the world.

Our first photo this week is from Marie Coscgigano of Freedom of the Seas.  It's a beautiful ship and one of the best ships in the fleet!

Here's a photo by Karen Boerner of why she now books balcony staterooms: room service breakfast outside! Great idea and that looks like a great way to start your day.

Great sunset by Keith Davis taken from the Seaview Cafe on Jewel of the Seas while sailing out of Tampa. Gorgeous!

Speaking of sunsets, here's another one taken on Voyager of the Seas from Hobart, Tasmania by Rudi Steinmetz.  Rudi writes, "Nothing better than watching the sun rise while on a Royal Caribbean Cruise." Amen!

Lastly here is a view from the bridge of Allure of the Seas during a behind the scenes tour by Dana and Patricia Hall.  Being on the bridge is a really cool event!

If we didn't include your photo this week, then that means you need to send it in to us for use on a future Friday Photos post.  We want to see your favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos and you can use this form to send them to us.

Royal Caribbean is bringing back two very popular sales starting August 1, 2014: Buy One, Get One 50% off or Third and Fourth passengers sail free.

Guests will have the choice of

• Buy one guest, get one guest for 50% off
• Kids sail free (third and fourth passengers, regardless of age will sail for free)

Guests who book a balcony or suite may also choose to get up to $1,000 off your stateroom when also booking ChoiceAir.

The new sales are good for bookings made between August 1 and September 15, 2014 on all ships excluding Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.  The deal applies to all sailings departing on or after October 15, 2014, excluding all sailings between December 15-31, 2014

Starting September 1, 2014 Royal Caribbean will add a $10.00 per person cover charge to all guests six years and older for its DreamWorls Character Breakfast.

The DreamWorks Character Breakfast is offered on Royal Caribbean ships that have the DreamWorks Experience, including Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.

The character breakfast had been complimentary for all ages until now but the change goes into effect starting on sailings that depart on or after September 1, 2014.  It features characters from Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar during a special breakfast event.

There are no changes to the breakfast event other than the cover charge for those six years old and older.  The change could be to help ease crowding with this popular event.

Reservations are recommendaed and may be made online in the Pre Trip Planner or onboard your ship.

We love timelapse videos and this great video was taken on Allure of the Seas by Ken Slusser that was shot from deck 10 port while the ship was departing Labadee.

There's a great fade to darkness while the Aqua Theater comes to life.  Enjoy!

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

Episode 52 is available for downloading which has a look at the internet options while on your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Matt broadcasted this episode live and invited listeners to call in and share their thoughts on if booking a balcony stateroom is better than an inside stateroom.  Cost versus space and everything inbetween!

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 52. 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!

Yesterday we started a fun debate about booking a balcony stateroom versus an interior stateroom and today we get to show the other side of that debate with why you should book an interior stateroom.

Big savings

Booking an interior stateroom will save you money on your Royal Caribbean cruise, which is money you can turn around and use on the ship.

Since few of us have unlimited cruise budgets, saving a couple of hundred dollars can make a big difference to if a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation can happen or not.  Moreover, booking an interior stateroom may mean the money saved can pay for the bulk of the cruise's incidental costs.

Depending on the price difference, booking interior cabins can really add up to savings.

Sleep and shower, what else do you need?

Royal Caribbean ships offer so much these days onboard, from rock climbing walls to FlowRiders to the many activities and games offered throughout the day.  So with all that going on, who has time to actually spend in the stateroom?

Many people that opt for interior staterooms will tell you that they spend so little time in their staterooms that it's just not worth it to spend more on a balcony stateroom they just wont fully use.

Best sleep ever?

Have you ever slept in an inside stateroom? When it's time to go to sleep it's pitch black to the point you cannot see your hand in front of your face, whether it's 10pm or 10am.  

For those that like a good night's sleep, inside staterooms offer quiet and darkness no matter the time and it's been among my best nights of sleep.

Rooms with a view without the cost

Sure balcony cabins offer great views but there are inside staterooms that offer unique views themselves.

Virtual balconies, promenade view, Centrl Park view, and Boardwalk view staterooms are all available and they offer a great perspective without the balcony price. 

So which stateroom is right for you? Interior staterooms or balcony staterooms - post your vote in the comments below!