Royal Caribbean has secured the necessary funds for it's next class of ships, dubbed "Project Sunshine".  According to cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron, Royal Caribbean has secured $779.35 million.

For the price, Royal Caribbean will receive a ship that will weigh in at 158,000 tons and accommodate 4,100 passengers. 

The Project Sunshine ships will be built  with German shipyard Meyer Werft, with whom Royal Caribbean has a formal agreement already.  The first ship should be delivered in 2014. The agreement also allows for an option for a second ship for delivery in spring 2015.

Development officials from Royal Caribbean met with Savannah Alderman Tony Thomas and Acting Assistant City Manager Marty Johnston earlier this week after Royal Caribbean learned the city was interested exploring the possibility of bringing a cruise line to the city.

The meeting was merely an introduction but part of a first step.  Savannah officials are planning to meet with two other cruise companies later this month before making a decision.

City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney's thoughts on the meeting were good, “That’s very encouraging when cruise lines are trying to seek out Savannah and saying, ‘What is happening?’”.

The city of Savannah is once again interested in luring a cruise line to stop in the city after seeing the success that nearby Charleston, South Carolina has had with its foray into cruising.

For years Royal Caribbean had a policy for adjusting your cruise price that if the price dropped and you called, you could have the new price applied to your cruise.  But things have changed since last year and now there's a new policy in place that has some people confused.

Price adjustment policy

The good news is, you can still adjust the price of your cruise from when you book UNTIL final payment for your cruise is due.  So if you book your cruise a year in advance, you can rest assured knowing that if there's a sale in a few months, you can adjust the price of your cruise with a simple call. If you do notice a drop in price, you can call Royal Caribbean directly or have your travel agent ask to have the new price applied to your reservation.

Once you reach the date of final payment, which is 45 days before embarkation, you cannot change the price of your cruise anymore.  There is one caveat to this rule and that is if the price of your cruise drops to the point an upgrade in your cabin is as inexpensive or more than your current cabin, Royal Caribbean will upgrade you to that category.

Book early or late?

There's no right answer, but the overwhelming consensus is that it's smarter to book your cruise in advance, as prices tend to only go up as you get closer to booking.  Occasionally there are last minute sales but if you really want to be on a particular cruise, the smart move is to book as soon as you can and watch prices until you get to your final payment.

Photo by Puerto de Alicante

Cruising site Cruise Critic held its first annual Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, where it polled its readers on a number of topics related to cruising and Royal Caribbean did exceptionally well, especially in the large ship category.  

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas proved to be a real winner with fans as it swept the large-ship class with three category wins, as well as the top ranking for the overall category of Best Large Cruise Ship.

Royal Caribbean's winnings weren't limited to just Oasis of the Seas, it did very well in a number of category including the "Best Overall Cruisers' Choice Award", where four out of the top five ships were Royal Caribbean ships.

Here are the results where Royal Caribbean finished well in

Best Large Cruise Ships – 2,000+ passengers

1. Oasis of the Seas
2. Serenade of the Seas
3. Celebrity Equinox
4. Allure of the Seas
5. Freedom of the Seas
6. Celebrity Solstice 
7. Celebrity Eclipse
8. Golden Princess
9. Liberty of the Seas
10. Jewel of the Seas

• Freedom of the Seas (5th)
• Liberty of the Seas (8th)

Best for Dining– 2,000+ passengers

• Oasis of the Seas (4th)
• Serenade of the Seas (6th)

Best for Embarkation - 2,000+ passengers

• Oasis of the Seas (1st)
• Serenade of the Seas (2nd)
• Allure of the Seas (6th)

Best for Entertainment - 2,000+ passengers

• Oasis of the Seas (1st)
• Allure of the Seas (2nd)
• Freedom of the Seas (4th)
• Voyager of the Seas (9th)
• Liberty of the Seas (10th)

Best for Families - 2,000+ passengers

• Oasis of the Seas (1st)
• Liberty of the Seas (2nd)
• Mariner of the Seas (6th)

Best for Fitness  - 2,000+ passengers

• Liberty of the Seas (1st)
• Freedom of the Seas (2nd)
• Oasis of the Seas (3rd)
• Independence of the Seas (4th)
• Serenade of the Seas (7th)
• Mariner of the Seas (8th)
• Jewel of the Seas (10th)

Best for Public Rooms - 2,000+ passengers

• Oasis of the Seas (2nd)
• Serenade of the Seas (3rd)
• Freedom of the Seas (6th)
• Allure of the Seas (7th)

Best for Service  - 2,000+ passengers

• Serenade of the Seas (1st)
• Oasis of the Seas (3rd)
• Freedom of the Seas (4th)
• Allure of the Seas (7th)
• Mariner of the Seas (8th)
• Voyager of the Seas (9th)
• Jewel of the Seas (10th)

Best for Shore Excursions - 2,000+ passengers

• Serenade of the Seas (6th)
• Voyager of the Seas (10th)

Best for Value - 2,000+ passengers

• Monarch of the Seas (5th)
• Radiance of the Seas (6th)
• Majesty of the Seas (10th)

A 51 year old woman from the United States died yesterday after suffering complications related to a pre-existing heart condition while on a diving excursion in Bermuda.

The woman was traveling on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas when the ship stopped in Bermuda on a tour with Hartley's Bell Diving.  She had come back to the surface after a helmet dive, which is a passive form of diving in shallow water where divers wear an airtight helmet to view underwater, and complained about being short of breath.

Excursion staff gave her oxygen and called for EMTs to attend to her.

Staff gave her oxygen and called Harbour Radio, who arranged for EMTs to meet the boat at Sandy's Boat Club.  When the EMT's arrived, they attended to her but she lost consciousness and later passed away at the King Edward VII Hospital in Bermuda.

Royal Caribbean has offered ice skating entertainment for ten years now and here is a look back at the spectacular ice shows we've enjoyed in that time.

The big news today is Voyager of the Seas is going to China in 2012 but after she is done in China, Royal Caribbean is sending Voyager of the Seas to Australia for a while, where she will dwarf any other cruise ship that has ever been based in that country.

Voyager of the Seas will offer cruises for five months that will sail out of Sydney and Fremantle, Australia beginning in November 2012.  Cruises will offer itineraries that will visit destinations in the South Pacific including New Zealand and Australia.

Royal Caribbean's addition of Voyager of the Seas will add another ship to Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas, which has been offering cruises in Australia for a number of years already.

Speaking at the Shanghai International Conference Center in China, Royal Caribbean executives announced that Voyager of the Seas will be going to China in June of 2012.

The 3,114-guest mega cruise ship is double the size of any other cruise ship in the Asia-Pacific region and will offer itineraries ranging in length from four to ten nights and will address the burgeoning cruise industry in the country. Voyager of the Seas will serve to also attract cruise guests from around the world to visit China as they sail around Asia.

Royal Caribbean's CEO Adam Goldstein is excited about the move, "Our brand's strategy for China is to leverage Royal Caribbean International's leading position in the market by offering innovative ships and customized services. And we look forward to working with our travel partners and helping to grow the cruise economy in China."

In addition to Voyager of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will return to China and homeport in Shanghai in March of 2012.  Both ships will be worked on to offer products tailored to Chinese guests such as more Chinese language services, authentic Chinese food and culturally appropriate recreational activities and duty-free items.

Voyager of the Seas will depart for Sydney, Australia in October.

A guest posted a brochure from a new cabana program that is set to launch on Royal Caribbean's private island of CocoCay that would be similar to the cabanas that are available on Labadee.

The cabanas on CocoCay come in two varieties: Bamboo Cabana and Caba-Nettes

Included in the Bamboo Cabana package:

· Island CocoLimo at your service for transport to Coco Cay locations
· Enjoy your made to order lunch created by your private chef
· 1 bottle of chilled Korbel champagne
· 4 x 1L bottles of Spring Water
· 2 floating mats and 2 snorkelling sets
· Beach towels
· Personalized Service
· Photo opportunity with professional photographer (one 6x8 photo included in pkg)
· Priority for Island Spa Appointments with 15% discount
· Fruit plate

$100 per single cabana $150 Family Cabana

Caba-Nettes include:

· Island CocoLimo at your service for transport to Coco Cay locations
· Enjoy your made to order lunch created by your private chef
· 2 x 1L bottles of Spring Water
· 1 floating mat
· Beach towels
· Personalized Service
· Photo opportunity with professional photographer (one 6x8 photo included in pkg)
· Priority for Island Spa Appointments with 15% discount
· Fruit plate

$35 per Caba-nette

It appears that like Labadee, these cabana options are available first to guests staying in a suite aboard their ship and any excess inventory is then offered to members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor society based on their seniority in the program.