Royal Caribbean has announced it will eliminate the use of gestation crates, which are used to breed pigs, from its pork supply chain.  Royal Caribbean joins a growing list of major food companies to address the issue.

“Royal Caribbean is committed to keeping the treatment of animals in consideration when supplying our fleet with food,” said Michael Jones, vice president of supply chain management for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Royal Caribbean supports the pork industry’s work to eliminate gestation crates from operation by 2022, and our company has set that date as our target for having a gestation crate-free pork supply chain.”

The Humane Society of the United States applauded the effort by Royal Caribbean.

“Royal Caribbean has a long-standing animal welfare program and has been a good partner in working toward improved conditions for animals,” stated Matthew Prescott, food policy director for The HSUS. “By eliminating gestation crates, Royal Caribbean is taking a positive step away from a practice that people and companies worldwide have condemned.”

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas has completed its three week $29 million overhaul.  As part of Royal Caribbean's revitalization program, the cruise ship was serviced at the Navantia Ship yard in Cadiz Spain where Serenade received new new dining concepts, entertainment options and technology advancements.

Serenade of the Seas has almost doubled the amount of dining options onboard including

• Giovanni’s Table: An Italian trattoria featuring Italian classics served family-style (open for lunch, $15, and dinner, $20)
• Izumi Asian Cuisine: A pan-Asian restaurant with an authentic dining experience featuring mouthwatering flavors and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking (open for lunch and dinner, $3.00 cover charge for lunch and $5.00 for dinner, plus a la carte menu pricing)
• Park Café: An indoor/outdoor gourmet market featuring made-to-order salads, sandwiches including the signature Kummelveck beef sandwich, soups and pastries (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complimentary)
• Rita’s Cantina: A casual yet vibrant restaurant, catering to families by day, and adults by night; offering Mexican appetizers and a comprehensive selection of margaritas (open for lunch and dinner, a la carte menu pricing)
• Chef’s Table: An exclusive and private experience co-hosted by the executive Chef and Sommelier for a wine pairing dinner of five courses (open for dinner, $95 per person) 

In addition, Serenade saw its Centrum reimagined into a new public space that features the new Centrum experience, such as the 60's-inspired R Bar and new entertainment.  Acts such as daytime activities, dazzling nighttime entertainment and a new high-flying entertainment experience where aerialists glide through the atrium will occupy the Centrum throughout the day.

Royal Caribbean has also added a new Concierge Club for suite guests, a Diamond Club for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members, the Crown and Castle Pub and the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery.  Wi-Fi has also been rolled out to the entire ship along with flat-panel televisions in all staterooms, an outdoor LED movie screen on the pool deck and a digital way-finding system.

Many of the changes to Serenade of the Seas are ideas that were originally introduced on Oasis of the Seas.  Serenade is just one of many ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet that has or will receive an upgrade since 2011.

Royal Caribbean has awarded Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore a Favored Customer Contract (FCC) to provide ship repair, revitalisation, upgrading and related marine services.

The contract allows for repairs, revitalization and upgrades to Royal Caribbean's fleet of ships that cruise in the Singapore region.  The contract also commits to joint planning, information and experience sharing, thus leveraging complementary resources to achieve sustainable targets in the areas of HSE (Health, Safety and Environment), logistics management, quality, cost-efficiency and onschedule deliveries, which are key performance indicators for high quality cruise vessels maintenance.

Sembawang was selected in part because of its work in the past with Royal Caribbean, such as the successful revitalization of Rhapsody of the Seas.

The contract was signed at Royal Caribbean's headquarters in Miami, Florida by Royal Caribbean Vice President of Technical Projects and Newbuildings Kevin Douglas, Vice President of Marine Operations Svein Taklo and the Executive Director of Sembawang Shipyard Wong Lee-Lin.

Royal Caribbean has begun its seasonal "wave campaign" sale in the United Kingdom, with up to $1,000 on-board credits available.

The sale begins on December 10 and runs through February 28, 2013 and includes flights starting at £59 to connect to ships sailing from other European ports.

Those that book into the sale can find free balcony upgrades on select European and worldwide cruises. 

Head of trade sales Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said: “We are offering up to $1,000 for bookings made during the turn-of-year campaign, which is massive and the largest added-value booking incentive we’ve ever done.

Promotional cruise prices lead in at £1,149 for a 12-night Baltics cruise on Adventure of the Seas in June 2013, including up to $1,000 on-board credit per cabin.

Royal Caribbean has been honored with a number of awards by Cruise Critic for its 2012 Editors' Picks.

Royal Caribbean won awards for the United States and United Kingdom categorizations.  Royal Caribbean won the award in the following categories:

Best for Families (USA)

Royal Caribbean's appeal ranges from casual dining venues and cabins that sleep five or more to family-friendly recreational activities, such as ice-skating and simulated surfing. But its real gem is its kids programs, which are divided into five age classifications, entertaining kids from six months to 17 years old. 

Best Entertainment (USA)

While Royal Caribbean's already-iconic Oasis and Allure of the Seas -- with their comedy clubs, jazz bars, evening promenade parades, nighttime high-diving performances, ice-skating shows, pubs with folk music and actual Broadway productions -- deserve the nod, we also applaud the line for incorporating a similar variety of options on its (somewhat) smaller vessels. 

Best Suites (UK)

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas set the bar high with their outstanding Loft Suites and Family Suites, but the three ships in Royal’s Freedom class -- Independence, Liberty and Freedom -- also boast some outstanding suite accommodations, including the Presidential Family Suite (1,215 square feet, balcony 810 square feet), which is unique in the industry. 

The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards are selected by the team of editors at Cruise Critic.

Royal Caribbean announced today that it is expanding its relationship with DreamWorks Animation to include the DreamWorks Experience to a sixth-ship, Mariner of the Seas in May 2013.

Royal Caribbean first formed a partnership with DreamWorks in November 2010 to bring their characters to Royal Caribbean's ships.  These include Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and recently Voyager of the Seas.

The DreamWorks Experience offers passengers parades, themed activities and events based on DreamWorks Animation’s popular feature-film characters, including Po of “Kung Fu Panda;” Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots of “Shrek;” and Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, and the Penguins from “Madagascar.” Each ship also is equipped with a 3-D movie theater playing the latest DreamWorks Animation films.

“Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line to offer the DreamWorks Experience to vacationers throughout the world and we are delighted to expand our partnership with DreamWorks,” said Lisa Bauer, executive vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, Royal Caribbean International. “The DreamWorks Experience really resonates with our guests since we launched it aboard Allure of the Seas. We worked with DreamWorks Animation to create an incomparable entertainment experience for our guests, no matter what their age, and their feedback has been nothing short of stellar.”
 

Royal Caribbean has confirmed that it is testing an an all-inclusive alcohol and unlimited internet packages.

Royal Caribbean confirmed packages are being tested but added, "We do not have final details on which ships would receive the packages at this time or what those packages would look like."

According to passengers aboard Allure of the Seas, the unlimited alcohol package is being offered currently for $55 per person plus 15% gratuity and both of the people in her cabin had to sign up for it.  

Reports are the package includes all house wine, beers under $6.25, fountain sodas, well/call or premium brands of liquor and frozen drinks. It does not include room service, specialty coffee, minibar items, canned sodas, bottled water or bottled juices.  

Another passenger reports that the unlimited internet usage package is available onboard Allure of the Seas for $149 a week.

Royal Caribbean confirmed Allure is testing such a package but wouldn't offer additional details on which ships are part of the trial, which ships might eventually get the package or what the package will ultimately cost. 

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas is drawing crowds everywhere she sails "down under" and today, she sailed into Auckland, New Zealand.  Royal Caribbean Blog reader David O'Rourke stopped by the port to snap up these photos of Voyager docked in the city.  Enjoy!