Royal Caribbean's new Star of the Seas is almost ready to welcome passengers onboard, and I can't wait to see it myself.

The first official cruise departs Port Canaveral on August 16, followed by a series of short showcase sailings leading up to the official maiden voyage on August 31st.

Star of the Seas is the second Icon Class ship, and it's Royal Caribbean's follow-up to the mega hit that has been Icon of the Seas.

A new ship launch is always exciting, but the sequel to a truly game-changing ship is going to be something not to miss.

When I embark Star of the Seas and start exploring, I've already come up with a six things I'll be looking for to see how this ship stands out from her big sister.

Lincoln Park Supper Club

Royal Caribbean exceeded my expectations when it opened its first supper club on Icon of the Seas, so I can't wait to see its follow-up.

The supper club on Icon had a New York theme, and the one on Star of the Seas will have a Chicago theme to it.

If you haven't tried the Empire Supper Club yet, it's a fine dining experience that combines food, cocktails, and live music. Trust me, it's an experience you don't find on cruise ships.

Each course matches what you're eating and drinking to the music played, and I liked it much more than I expected when I tried it on Icon.

In fact, I went back for a second time because I liked it so much.

I also really like the fact it has a strict dress code, so everyone going in to dine has an elevated look.  Sometimes, it's fun to dress up and look fancy.

I booked a seating on Star so I can check it out for myself and see how this version measures up to the original.

New Aquadome Market

Another follow-up restaurant hit is the complimentary food hall on Star of the Seas.

When Royal Caribbean announced it would open its first food hall, I was sold immediately.  Freshly prepared food that leaned into various regional offerings in a quick service manner sounded like the perfect idea.

Sure enough, Aquadome Market quickly became my favorite restaurant, and it sounds like the version on Star of the Seas could be even better.

Royal Caribbean is keeping a few of the food halls from Icon, but swapping out some others.

• NEW: Pig Out BBQ: Serves smoky pulled pork and beef brisket
• NEW: Mai Thai: Specializes in Southeast Asian favorites like pad Thai and beef panang
• NEW: La Cocinita: Offers South American staples such as empanadas and arepas
• Crème de la Crêpe: Serves sweet and savory French crêpes
• Feta Mediterranean: Features fresh pitas and bowls with Mediterranean flavors

Not only did they add three new halls, but they kept the two best ones from Icon.

Part of the reason I like Aquadome Market so much is it's included in your cruise fare, conveniently located near the pool deck, and it's open late.

You can bet I'll be headed to Aquadome Market on embarkation day for lunch.

Back to the Future: The Musical

I was really surprised when Royal Caribbean confirmed they'd have a full Broadway musical on Star of the Seas, especially a brand new show.

It has been a number of years since Royal Caribbean added a Broadway show to one of its ships and I feared they might have moved past that trend.

So when Back to the Future: The Musical was revealed as the show for Star, I was really excited. Not only was it a new show, but a crowd pleasing musical that even casual theater fans could appreciate.

I don't need to recap what this musical is about because I think everyone has seen the film, but it should be a real hit with guests.

The Wizard of Oz is performed on Icon of the Seas, and I think that quickly impressed a lot of people.  So now with a show that has even more pizzazz, I think it's going to be a hot ticket.

Crowd management

If there's one thing Royal Caribbean really got right with Icon of the Seas, it's the crowd flow.  So I'm hoping it's just as good (if not better) on Star of the Seas.

One of the early takeaways on Icon was that it felt so much less crowded than the Oasis Class ships.

Initially I thought this might have been a fluke on my sailing, but I've been on Icon a few more times and it's incredible a ship that can handle up to 7,000 passengers can feel as uncrowded as it does.

When the ship feels uncrowded, I think it makes a significant difference in how passengers enjoy the experience overall.  It feels less contentious and almost liberating because you're more at ease with everything.

I'm going to pay special attention to a few areas, such as the Royal Promenade and it's improved Pearl.  I also want to see how the change to adults-only at Swim & Tonic impacts the venue, as well as the entire pool deck vibe.

Aquadome show

If there's one must-see on any Royal Caribbean ship, it's their aqua show.

I don't care which ship it is, I'll always make a point to go to the Aquatheater to see the show because it's such a crowd pleaser.

Royal Caribbean has a new show for Star of the Seas, called Torque.

A revved-up aqua show featuring athletic artists, synchronized swimmers, dancers and slackliners for an action-packed show of thrilling stunts, cutting-edge tech and immersive visuals.

When it comes to the aqua shows, it's about taking in the spectacle of talented performers that dance, dive, and balance better than anyone I've ever seen.  Often, it's to some really good music too.

I got chills when I saw the Darth Vader scene in the aqua show on Icon of the Seas, so I can't wait to see how they top that on Star.

What changes (if any) to the cabin

I pay particular attention to my cabin on any cruise ship I sail on, because it's where the most tweaks tend to happen.

With Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas built right around the same time, I'm not certain how much of a difference there will be in the cabin. However, I've noted cabins get updates more easily than public areas.

Whether it's additional storage, new connectivity options, or even just an improvement to the shower, I'm curious to see what Royal Caribbean has lined up for the staterooms on Star.

Star of the Seas begins sailing in August 2025

Beginning with the August 31 sailing, Star of the Seas will sail 7-night cruises to the Caribbean from her homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Every sailing includes a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

You can book a cruise on Star through early 2027, and there are even a few last-minute rooms left on the early showcase sailings.

Could booking a cruise at the last-minute cost you more than if you booked months earlier?

This week, Royal Caribbean Group executives discussed their second quarter earnings, which were notably higher thanks to more people booking last-minute cruises.

For years, some cruisers relied on waiting to book a cruise in order to snag a great price, but that strategy might not be as effective based on the comments from executives.

Royal Caribbean executives have made it clear: close-in demand is surging, pricing is strong, and guests are spending more.

If this trend continues, it could mean you'll pay much more for a cruise booked late rather than early.

Surging close-in demand

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty opened the earnings call with this fact: Net Yield grew 5.2% in the quarter, a full 70 basis points above their original guidance.

In cruise industry terms, Net Yield includes both fare and onboard revenue per available passenger day. So if Net Yields are up because of close-in bookings, that strongly implies that those last-minute fares are coming in above average, not below.

According to Liberty, "that was driven by better than expected close-in demand across all key itineraries."

What he's essentially saying is cruisers booking closer to the sail date were booking in large numbers and at higher prices than expected.

In the past, cruise lines may have discounted their fares to fill unsold cabins. However, that's not a problem these days. The average ship in the second quarter sailed with a load factor of 110%, meaning there’s simply not as much leftover space to mark down.

Higher cruise fares holding firm

To be clear, Royal Caribbean executives didn’t say the words "last-minute fares cost more." But their commentary left little room for doubt.

As mentioned earlier, close-in bookings pushed Net Yields higher. If last-minute fares were discounted, it would have dragged this number down, not up.

They also talked about how the booking window is shortening while prices are rising.

"More than half of consumers tell us they are booking closer to their departure date than they used to… [Yet] our booked position is in line with prior years at higher rates for both 2025 and 2026," Mr. Liberty said in the earning call.

This means travelers taking longer to book a cruise, so there's more competition for those last minute bookings, and at higher fares year over year.

Younger cruisers are fueling this trend

More younger people are trying cruising, and it's this growing segment of cruisers that are waiting to book.

Royal Caribbean said during the call that millennials and Gen Z are driving this behavior.

"We are also seeing strong intent across demographics, particularly among millennials and younger, who continue to represent half of our customer base," Mr. Liberty said.

"Roughly 7 in 10 consumers in these younger generations are more likely to book closer to departure, reflecting a desire for spontaneity and flexibility."

What can cruisers do to save money?

This revelation is a warning of how to adjust your booking strategy. You don’t have to overpay, but you do need to plan better.

Book early

If at all possible, book your cruise early instead of waiting for the final months before a sailing begins.

Royal Caribbean releases sailings to book up to two years in advance, and the best pricing is often available at launch. This is especially true for new ships and high-demand routes (like Alaska, Europe, or holiday sailings).

Booking early also gives you first choice of cabins, and often better value for suites and family staterooms.

Watch for price drops

The next thing to do is take advantage of a price drop.

I recommend booking with a good travel agent that can help you find price drops, and if there is one, reprice your cruise if the fare drops before final payment.

Be flexible

It's also a good idea to look for a cruise during certain times of the year when there's less demand.

If your schedule is flexible, consider shoulder season sailings, such as:

• Late August or early September in the Caribbean
• Early May or September in Europe
• May or September in Alaska

These three strategies should net you a lower price and better stateroom choice than if you wait until closer to the sail date to book.  It will also ensure you bypass this growing trend of higher demand for a last-minute cruise.

A new round of cancellations have been announced for Royal Caribbean's private beach destination in Haiti.

Travel agents were informed on Wednesday the cruise line will extend its pause of visits to Labadee through the end of October 2025.

"We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of caution, we're cancelling our visits to Labadee through October 31st," an email from the cruise line said.

Labadee is a private beach stop exclusive to Royal Caribbean ships.

Royal Caribbean had already cancelled visits to Labadee beginning in April 2025 due to gang violence that raised concerns about safety.

Since then, there have been more cancellations periodically announced.

No visits until at least November

Up until now, visits were cancelled through early August, but Royal Caribbean has made the decision to extend those cancellations through October.

With cancellations extending into October, that will mean at least another few months of no visits there.

Any prepaid excursions will automatically refund any and reschedule any other impacted pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions.

Here's what Royal Caribbean has planned instead for affected sailings.

• Adventure of the Seas:
  • August 16
    • We're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day, and we've added a visit to Nassau, Bahamas, on Day 6. Additionally, we'll now have some extra time in Falmouth, Jamaica.
  • August 30
    • We're skipping our visit to Labadee, and we'll now visit George Town, Grand Cayman instead. Additionally, we've also adjusted our arrival and departure times in Falmouth, Jamaica and George Town. We'll now arrive in George Town at 10:30 AM and depart at 6:00 PM and we'll now arrive in Falmouth at 7:00 AM and depart at 4:00 PM. Additionally, we'll now arrive an hour earlier at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
  • September 13 and October 11
    • We're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day, and we've added a visit to Nassau, Bahamas on Day 6.
  • September 27
    • We're skipping our visit to Labadee, and we'll now visit George Town, Grand Cayman instead. Additionally, we've also ajusted our arrival and departure times in Falmouth, Jamaica. We'll now arrive in Falmouth at 8:00 AM and depart at 5:00 PM. Additionally, we'll now arrive half an hour earlier at Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas.
  • October 25th
    • We're skipping our visit to Labadee, and we'll now visit Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, on Day 5 instead.

• Freedom of the Seas:
  • August 22, August 28, September 6, September 11, September 25, October 4, October 9, October 18, and October 23
    • We'll now visit Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, instead of Labadee, Haiti.

• Icon of the Seas:
  • August 9 and September 20
    • We're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day. Additionally, we've rearranged the order and the times we'll visit our ports. We'll now visit Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas on Day 4 at 8:00 AM and depart at 6:00 PM and we'll now visit San Juan on Day 5 at 7:00 AM and depart at 3:00 PM. We've also adjusted our arrival time in Perfect Day at CocoCay. We'll now arrive at 8:00 AM instead of 8:30 AM.

• Oasis of the Seas:
  • August 17
    • We're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day, and we've added a visit to Nassau, Bahamas, on Day 6. Additionally, we have adjusted the times in which we'll visit Falmouth, Jamaica and Nassau.
  • September 7 and October 5
    • We're swapping our visit to Labadee for a Sea Day, and we'll now visit Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis, on Day 5 instead. Additionally, we've rearranged the order and the times we'll visit our ports. We'll now visit San Juan, Puerto Rico on Day 3 at 2:00 PM and depart at 9:00 PM. We've also adjusted our arrival time in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. We'll now arrive at 9:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM.
  • September 14 and October 26
    • We're skipping our visit to Labadee and we'll now visit Costa Maya, Mexico instead. Additionally, we're swapping our visit to Falmouth, Jamaica for a day in Cozumel, Mexico. As a result of this change, we've slightly adjusted our arrival and departure times. We'll now depart Cozumel at 6:00 PM and we'll arrive in Costa Maya at 8:00 AM.
  • October 12
    • We're skipping our visit to Labadee and we'll now visit Costa Maya, Mexico on Day 5 instead. As a result of this change, we're also swapping our visit to Nassau, Bahamas for a Sea Day and we'll now visit Cozumel, Mexico on Day 3. Additionally, we'll now enjoy a visit to Roatan, Honduras on Day 4 instead of Falmouth, Jamaica.

• Radiance of the Seas:
  • October 20
    • We'll now visit Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, instead of Labadee, Haiti.

The email apologized for the change, "We're sorry for any inconvenience this may cause - your safety is our top priority."  

"While we know it's not the original itinerary we planned, we appreciate your understanding and can't wait to explore these new destinations."

Why Royal Caribbean is continuing to skip Labadee

Haiti is experiencing gang violence that is targeting the country's government.

Ever since the 2021 assassination of Haiti's last president, an alliance of gangs have employed brutal tactics to grow its power.

An estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs. 

The United States recently designated Haiti's major gangs as terrorist groups, which is intended to isolate the groups, denying them access to financing from U.S. people or companies.

More than 1,600 people were killed in violent clashes in the first three months of this year while over 1 million are internally displaced, according to U.N. estimates.

The U.S. State Department has a the highest level of travel advisory against visiting Haiti for well over a year, which is “Level 4: Do Not Travel." 

Yes, someone paid $10,000 for a cabana at Royal Caribbean's new beach club coming to The Bahamas, and it's indicative of how much interest there is for the new development.

Royal Caribbean Group held its second quarter earnings call on Tuesday and it was our first public comments on how well the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is selling since bookings opened up.

The beach club is a brand new idea for the cruise industry to single-handedly build out an incredible shore excursion option, available exclusively to Royal Caribbean guests that seeks to infuse the private island experience within a tropical destination.

Michael Bayley, President & CEO, Royal Caribbean International, was quick to point out that interest and demand exceeded even their initial expectations.

"In the first hour when we opened for sale, we sold our Ultimate Family Cabana for one day at $10,000," he said during the earnings call. "And subsequently, we've sold a lot of days at $10,000."

Royal Caribbean's new Royal Beach Clubs aren’t just a side attraction, they're going to become one of the core pieces of the cruise line's future.

New beach club coming to Nassau

Opening in December 2025, the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is a new kind of cruise ship experience.

It's located in Nassau, Bahamas on a strip of land very close to where the cruise ships dock. The idea is to offer a more exclusive alternative to the lackluster options that have plagued Nassau for years.

According to the cruise line, Nassau has historically ranked very low in guest satisfaction scores because there aren't compelling activities to do.

It's been built with premium experiences in mind: private pools, fun dining, curated cabanas, and a party atmosphere.

According to Mr. Bayley, the club is set to open during a December 21 cruise.

Nassau is just the start, as Royal Caribbean will open a second beach club in Cozumel in 2026.

Why people are booking a $10,000 cabana (and more)

During the earnings call, Royal Caribbean executives talked about how they feel they've priced the beach club at a good place to balance value and profit.

"We really do think we've got the product right and it's going to deliver very high levels of guest satisfaction," Mr. Bayley said of the Ultimate Family Cabana.

The Ultimate Family Cabana has a big price tag, but it's also unlike any other cabana we've ever seen.

It includes:

• Day passes for up to 12 people
• Cabana attendant
• Private bathroom
• Private shower
• Private changing room
• Wet bar
• Reserved beach space
• Heated whirlpool
• Spiral slide
• Wooden swing
• Hammock
• Suspended net lounger
• Frozen drink machine
• TV
• Mini fridge

It's far from an inexpensive day, but it's all but guaranteed to deliver memories for a multi-gen family that wants a full-day luxury resort experience.

Pricing for the rest of the beach club is far less expensive, with day passes, cabanas, beach beds, and other ways to get in and have a fun day ashore.

Prices start at $139 per person per day, but Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for its product, so prices can easily go up from there.  As an example, my January 2026 visit is priced at $250 per person, per day.

With the beach club admission, Royal Caribbean is testing real-time pricing similar to airline seats or hotel rooms.

"We think we may experience more demand than supply… That’s where dynamic pricing will play an important role," Mr. Bayley said of the club's capacity.

When the club is fully operational and ready to admit guests, they expect it to host  about 1 in 3 Royal Caribbean guests in Nassau.

To that point, Royal Caribbean sees this as an opportunity to deliver something truly incredible.

"It's not about a question of demand. It's the question of operational excellence," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO.

He said capacity will start out lower, and then build up as they get things going and better understand the flow of an average day.

"We want to make sure the experience is flawless," Mr. Liberty said.

"We could probably make more money," Liberty added, "But the trust we establish with our customers is a priority. So it will be a slow ramp-up."

Betting big on land-based experiences

By 2027, Royal Caribbean expects to have its announced beach clubs and private destinations online and a major reason to pick Royal Caribbean for vacation.

"We’re delivering exclusive, destination-led experiences that elevate the vacation value proposition," Mr. Liberty explained during the call.

The plan is to open Royal Beach Club Paradise Island this year, followed by Royal Beach Club Cozumel in 2026, and then Perfect Day Mexico in September 2027. A new private beach in Lelepa will open in early 2027.

An interesting anecdote during the call was Mr. Liberty noted Perfect Day Mexico will be "approximately the size of the Magic Kingdom in Orlando."

Beach clubs are premium-margin products with high guest satisfaction. These experiences help Royal Caribbean differentiate itself from competitors, while giving customers something they can't get anywhere else.

They create compelling reasons to book with Royal Caribbean over another cruise line or land-based resort.

Royal Caribbean's hope is it generates high satisfaction scores, which will translate to higher guest spend and loyalty return.

You'll need to be at least 18 years old now to go to one of the pools on the world's biggest cruise ship.

Guests sailing on Icon of the Seas spotted a change as of this week's sailing that the Swim & Tonic bar is now for adults only.

Situated in the Chill Island neighborhood, Royal Caribbean claims it's the largest swim‑up bar at sea.

Initially, Swim & Tonic was open to guests of all ages. Families with kids were free to splash in the shallow water and hang near the action.

An exclusive photo provided to Royal Caribbean Blog shows a sign posted at the entrance to the pool indicates all passengers going into the pool must be at least 18 in order to access it, which is the same rule as its other adults-only spaces.

Up until now, the Swim & Tonic pool was open to guests of all ages.

A change to maintain the vibe of the pool

In a statement from Royal Caribbean, the change is part of a test, "At Royal Caribbean, we're consistently listening to guest feedback and exploring opportunities to enhance our guests' vacations." 

"Currently, we are piloting an 18+ age requirement at Swim & Tonic pool onboard Icon of the Seas. This will only be tested onboard Icon."

It makes sense a pool that is all about offering an integrated bar experience would be for only adults.

Among the different pools you'll find on Icon, Swim & Tonic is designed to offer a swim-up bar, rather than a lounging option.

There is a bar on one end of the pool, along with in-pool tables to place your beverages.

Surrounding the pool are in-water loungers.

The experience seemed to be inspired by Oasis Lagoon and The Hideaway at Perfect Day at CocoCay, which both have swim-up bars and are quite popular.

Every Royal Caribbean ship has an adults-only pool area, with the Icon Class ships having The Hideaway at the very back of the ship.

Initially, the Cloud 17 pool was going to be adults-only, but the cruise line made a last-minute change right before the launch of Icon of the Seas in early 2024.

Families with younger children will need to use the other pools on board, including:

• The family-friendly Splashaway Bay and Baby Bay (in Surfside neighborhood)
• The Cove Pool, an infinity-style option
• Royal Bay Pool, one of the largest at sea
• Cloud 17

In short: there are still plenty of options. But Swim & Tonic is now off-limits to the under-18 crowd.

Response to a problem cruisers brought up

It's possible this policy shift to make Swim & Tonic adults-only is a response to guest feedback.

During a Q&A event with travel agents aboard a preview cruise on Utopia of the Seas, one travel agent specifically brought up kids being an issue at the Swim & Tonic bar.

The travel agent said, "Icon is fantastic, but (at) the swim-up bar, there’s kids splashing into your drinks."

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, responded that the cruise line hears passengers' concerns and will look into it.

He also said they'd consider a revisit of curfew rules and bar policies, in general.

Why the Swim & Tonic pool is a must-do

The Swim & Tonic pool was one of the many innovations first introduced with Icon of the Seas.

The idea is simple: combine a pool with a bar that serves frozen cocktails and a fun atmosphere.

The space features:

• A spacious bar with submerged barstools
• A surrounding plunge pool with upbeat music and tropical theming
• Dozens of loungers around the deck area
• Access to nearby Chill Bar and Lime & Coconut for overflow service

Royal Caribbean could have changes coming to its co-branded credit card.

During the Royal Caribbean Group second quarter earning call with investors, company executives hinted at changes are coming to its credit card offering.

Royal Caribbean has a Visa credit card that is offered through Bank of America.

When asked about the card and its future, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said, "We do have a co-branded credit card. It is tied today to our loyalty program, but not in the way that fits our ambition."

That statement appears to point towards a change consumers can expect in the future.

Something coming "very soon"

Mr. Liberty didn't talk specifics, but he did elaborate a bit more on the subject, tying it into the cruise line loyalty program.

"I think you’re going to see something very meaningful coming out of that very, very soon," he said. This is the strongest signal yet that the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Card may undergo a major revamp.

While no timeline was given, the fact he said "very soon" is more interesting considering the changes rival Carnival Cruise Line made to its program.

Carnival recently rolled out controversial changes to its loyalty program, including a brand new credit card.

Royal Caribbean's Visa Signature credit card isn't tied to its loyalty program in the same way that Carnival's new co-branded credit card will be tied to Carnival Rewards.

With no annual fee, the credit card offers cardholders the ability to earn points on everyday purchases that can be redeemed for onboard credit, stateroom upgrades, cruise discounts, merchandise, and more.

Carnival's card is far more integrated and crucial to its new loyalty program. 

As part of Carnival Rewards, it allows cruisers there to earn points towards a loyalty program. 

Royal Caribbean's card is limited to simply onboard experiences and cruise bookings. It has minimal synergy with Crown & Anchor Society.

A credit card ties into its loyalty program

The credit card change appears to be part of a deeper push towards loyalty members.

Royal Caribbean is aggressively investing in its loyalty and digital ecosystem. During the earnings call, they mentioned 40% of guests now come from loyalty members and loyalty guests spend 25% more per trip than new passengers.

"Loyalty that really impacts guest behavior… keeps them inside of our ecosystem," Mr. Liberty said.

"Our guests are very focused on recognition and also being incentivized for the spend and loyalty that they provide." 

He went on to say, "Especially on the loyalty program side, we are very tuned into and have a lot of plans on what things our guests and our brands feel are a value to them that would result in them behaving even more loyal to us."

A new credit card could further incentivize high-spending guests, boost repeat bookings, and even compete with hotel and airline programs.

What could a new Royal Caribbean credit card look like?

There were no details shared during the earnings call beyond the vague ambition to change its credit card, but we might have a vision for it based on public filings.

Royal Caribbean recently filed trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office for phrases that sound a lot like they could be used for a new credit card.

• ROYAL ONE
• ROYAL ONE PLUS
• ROYAL ONE REWARDS
• ROYAL ONE RESERVE
• ROYAL ONE POINTS
• ROYAL ONE PREMIER

In fact, the description of some of these trademarks specifically say they're for a credit card.

"ROYAL ONE RESERVE™ trademark registration is intended to cover the category of magnetically encoded credit cards and loyalty cards that track customer purchases for reward purposes."

"ROYAL ONE POINTS™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of retail and online retail store reward program; Credit card reward programs services; the administration of incentive award programs related to the sale and use of credit card accounts."

Loyalty war is heating up

It remains to be seen if Royal Caribbean will go as aggressively into rebuilding its loyalty program as Carnival, but it does appear they are very keen on building its base out.

By expanding into river cruises, building new ships, and developing private destinations around the world, it's clear Royal Caribbean wants to leverage its product lineup as a differentiator among a crowded travel field.

They've made it no secret competing with land vacations is a goal of ships like Star of the Seas or Icon of the Seas, and having these best-in-class assets is a major component.

During the call, Mr. Liberty made a bold statement, "If somebody goes outside of our ecosystem… we should look at that as a fail."

By being all-encompassing, they believe they can hold onto existing customers better while at the same time appealing to new cruisers with flashy offerings that are unrivaled.

Royal Caribbean's cruise boom isn't slowing down.

The second quarter earnings results were released by Royal Caribbean Group on Tuesday, and the message is clear to consumers: cruise demand is surging, even as prices rise.

The company said its ships sailed with a load factor of 110% during the second quarter, indicating ships are sailing full.

"Demand for our portfolio of brands and our industry-leading experiences continues to accelerate," said Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty in a press release.

A stronger than expected second quarter

The posted results paint a picture of very strong consumer demand for going on one of the Royal Caribbean Group brands of ships.

• $1.2 billion net income; EPS of $4.41, beating expectations.
• 2.3 million guests served in one quarter, which is up 10% year over year during the same time period.
• Net Yields up 5.3%, driven by higher ticket prices and onboard spend.

"Guest spending onboard and pre-cruise purchases continue to exceed prior years, driven by greater participation at higher prices," the company said in its prepared statement. That's been a trend for years that is seemingly getting stronger.

What it means is more people booked on cruises than ever are spending more than ever on extras for their sailing, such as shore excursions, WiFi, spa treatments, drink packages and more.

An equally important trend is ships are selling out closer to sail dates, "Bookings have accelerated since the last earnings call, particularly for close-in sailings."

This means the rate of new cruise bookings have picked up since the first quarter, especially for last-minute cruises.

Strong demand for the newest ships and destinations

Royal Caribbean Group called out a few of its newest products that are set to come online because of how well they're selling.

They reported strong demand for new ships like Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel.

In addition, there's been an early booking surge for Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

Mr. Liberty talked about this trend in his prepared remarks, "The strong demand we are seeing across our new ships and land-based destinations reinforces that our strategy is working and resonating with today’s traveler."

Higher prices for cruises

Royal Caribbean Group said Net Yields are expected to rise another 3.5% to 4.0% for the year, and that's important for consumers to understand.

Net Yields measure how much revenue the cruise line earns per passenger, after subtracting certain costs. 

When Royal Caribbean says Net Yields are rising, it means they're making more money per guest. Usually that's from higher ticket prices, and/or higher onboard spending.

In the second quarter of this year, Royal Caribbean’s Net Yields were up 5.3%, and for the full year, they expect them to rise another 3.5% to 4.0%. That may sound like a small percentage, but across millions of passengers, it’s a huge increase in revenue.

There are three key factors pushing Net Yields higher:

• Higher cruise fares, especially for new ships and in-demand itineraries
• People spending more drink packages, specialty dining, shore excursions, and Wi-Fi
• People booking last-minute cruises and still paying premium prices

"Net Yield growth in the quarter was split evenly between new and like-for-like hardware, and was driven by both ticket pricing and onboard spend."

A pipeline of innovation to carry them forward

Another trend within today's results is that Royal Caribbean Group sees even brighter days ahead because of its upcoming lineup of new offerings.

"We see another step change in growth… with a powerful pipeline of incredible new ships, the ramp-up of our highly differentiated new destinations… and continued investments in disruptive technology," Mr. Liberty said in the press release. That's a sign they see their new ships and private destinations as leverage for being even better in the coming months and years.

Over the next two years, Royal Caribbean Group is poised to launch four new cruise ships, new beach clubs and private destinations, and even river cruises.

Plus, expect more investment in personalization and loyalty tech. There's a clear connection between having a better app and website experience and higher revenue for the company.

One big reason I use a travel agent to book my cruises is to make things easier for me.

Ever since I started using travel agents, I realized the services they provide can save me time and money, as well as simply taking the burden off of me.

I've been using MEI Travel for a couple of decades now, and by now I have a good rapport for what I look for in my cruise. Just like the waiter in the dining room that knows what drinks I like to have every night, my travel agent knows which booking preferences I have.

On any cruise I book, I always ask my travel agent to do four important things.  Truthfully, they already know to do most of these before I ask, but I think these are the things I'll always verify are done before I set sail.

Specify my Main Dining Room time and table

When you book a cruise, one of the first decisions you have is which dining option you prefer.

Guests have the choice of Traditional Dining or My Time Dining, and I always pick Traditional Dinner for the simplicity of having a table each day waiting for us.

When I started cruising, we picked the late dining time, but since we started cruising with kids, we've switched over to early seating.

One thing I never liked about late dining was when we got out of dinner, it felt like we missed all the prime evening entertainment.  But when we do early dining, it still feels like "the night is young".

As I'm writing this, I might start considering more the new middle dining time that Royal Caribbean recently added to its ships for that Goldilocks time slot.

My travel agent will always subsequently ask me if there's someone else onboard the ship I want to dine with in the Main Dining Room.

When you link reservations together, Royal Caribbean should put everyone at the same table together.  Or at least, that's what's needed to hopefully make that happen. I'll still verify the table assignment one I get onboard the ship.

Pre-pay my gratuities

Royal Caribbean offers its guests the choice of pre-paying gratuities or having them charged automatically each night of the cruise.

Personally, I prefer to pre-pay them before the cruise begins so there's one less charge on my onboard bill.

When I started cruising, I always hated having a big bill waiting for me at the end of the cruise.  To avoid this, I pre-pay as much as I can so I can budget accordingly.

Another advantage of pre-paying gratuities is it locks in the gratuity rate, even if Royal Caribbean raises it later.

I'll ask my travel agent to add the gratuities to my reservation, and then I'll go into the Cruise Planner to pre-book specialty restaurants, drink packages, shore excursions, and WiFi.

Not only does pre-booking make it easier to pay things off before my vacation begins, but it will save me money too with all the various sales Royal Caribbean runs.

A cabin near the elevator

I really cannot recall the last time I didn't ask my travel agent to pick a cabin near the elevator.

Having a cabin near the elevators and stairs means it'll be convenient to going in and out of my room when I need it.

While I can appreciate the views an aft facing balcony can have, I'd prefer to minimize the walk to and from my room.  This is especially true on Royal Caribbean's really big cruise ships.

I used to be concerned about noise from the elevator lobby, but in my experience I've never any noise from the elevators, and most guests are pretty quiet walking past.

Sure, there is the occasional couple having a loud conversation, teenager running down the hallway, or someone yelling at someone else, but that can happen anywhere on the deck.

If I want to buy travel insurance

I recommend everyone get travel insurance for every cruise they take, and it's one of the things I'll always double check with my travel agent.

Not all travel insurance policies are the same, so it's important to look into what's covered or not.

Royal Caribbean sells its own travel insurance policy, which is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company.

Their policy includes six primary benefits:

• Trip Interruption: Up to 150% of total trip cost if you can't start or finish your cruise vacation because you're sick or hurt, there's a death in the family, or another covered reason.
• Trip Delay: Up to $2,000 ($250 per day) for catch-up expenses
• Missed Connection: Up to $300 if you miss your trip departure for covered reasons by three hours or more.
• Accident and Sickness Medical: up to $25,000 if you get hurt and $25,000 if you get sick on your cruise vacation.
• Emergency Medical Evacuation: Up to $50,000 for emergency medical transportation during your vacation.
• Baggage Protection and Delay: Up to $1,500 if your bags are lost, stolen, or damaged and up to $500 to buy necessary personal items if your bags are delayed.

My advice is compare a few travel insurance policies to find the best one that fits your needs.  Don't just buy travel insurance for the sake of buying travel insurance.

In fact, your travel agent can be a good resource for recommending a good policy or company to use.  Don't be afraid to ask their opinion.

Can you believe it's the last days of July already? It is the middle of Summer and there is a lot of Royal Caribbean news to catch up from during this week.

The top story this week centered around a crew member that jumped overboard from a cruise ship after stabbing another crew member.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the male crew member stabbed a female crew member multiple times on Icon of the Seas and then proceeded to jump off the ship.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said the incident was "a personal dispute," but did not provide any further details.

Royal Caribbean News

• 4 signs an inside cruise cabin is what you need
• Cruise passengers disrupted after Celebrity Beyond suffers from a technical problem
• 11 things that surprised me about my first luxury cruise on Silversea
• What is Sky Class on Royal Caribbean?
• AT&T offers cruise ship internet passes. How well does it work?
• 6 packing mistakes I made on my Mexican Rivera cruise, and 5 things I’d bring next time

Video: 5 Things I Want on Royal Caribbean's Rumored New Small Ship Class

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 5 Things I Want on Royal Caribbean's Rumored New Small Ship Class — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

The worst cruise ports, according to Reddit

What are the cruise ports that cruisers never want to go back to again?

Travelers responded to that exact question and shared why they felt so strongly about never wanting to return to the port again.

Over 600 comments were shared, with ports ranging from Santorini to Cartagena.

What it's like to try a luxury cruise

Matt tried Silversea and his first luxury cruise was unlike anything he'd ever done before.

He sailed on Silver Dawn to the Norwegian Fjords, and it was very different from his years of sailing with Royal Caribbean.

From the level of service, to what's included, to the quality of food, the Silversea experience is a major shift.

5 small changes I made before my Alaska cruise that made a huge difference

Sometimes minor tweaks have a big impact on improving a cruise.

Jenna recently sailed to Alaska and made a few tweaks to her approach that made the cruise much better.

These changes saved her money, as well as improved her enjoyment of the trip.

6 places I avoid on a cruise ship

Matt goes on lots of cruises, but realized he tends to skip a few venues all the time.

Sometimes these areas he doesn't go to are a matter of personal preference, while other times he thinks it's a mistake to go there.

Everyone has their own cruising style, and it's easy to overlook an area or simply run out of time to get there too.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 572nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, with Matt's hot take on Carnival's Celebration Key.

Celebration Key opened this week, and it's largely being compared to Perfect Day at CocoCay.  Matt shares his initial thoughts on the new project on this week's episode.

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.

When you're trying to decide which cruise ship cabin to book, you might be better off in an inside cabin.

I go back and forth sometimes what type of stateroom is best because each room has its own advantages.  However, I've found there are signals that you should lean in one direction or another.

Picking an inside cabin can sometimes question if you're doing it for a good reason or simply to save money. Besides budget, certain considerations might be a reason to pick an inside stateroom.

Before you decide on a stateroom to reserve, here are four compelling reasons to go with an interior cabin.

You booked a ship because of all the things to do onboard

Royal Caribbean is known for having giant cruise ships packed with so many things to do.  So if you booked a ship like Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas because it has so many fun activities, perhaps an inside stateroom is a good choice.

Considering how much there is to do on the ship, how much time will you really spend in your stateroom?

I've found that when I go on the big ships, I'm instantly drawn to the activities around.  In fact, I often have a lot of FOMO when I'm in my stateroom because it seems there's a lot happening around the ship.

One of the rationales for booking an inside stateroom is in reality, you use your cabin to sleep, shower, and change.  So why spend extra on a nicer room that you won't fully take advantage of?

If one of the reasons you chose a specific ship were all the activities available to try, you might find the stateroom to be an afterthought.  And that's a good reason to stick with an inside room/

You're a light sleeper

No matter how fun a cruise ship is, if you can't get a good night's sleep, it might be frustrating.

Say what you will about the benefits of being in an larger stateroom with a beautiful balcony, but I always sleep so darn well in an inside stateroom.

First, there's no outside light to wake you up in the morning.

When I was in Europe on Independence of the Seas this summer, the sun would rise at around 4am and it messed with my brain because the light would wake me up too early.

Another advantage of an inside cabin is noise from outside the ship, especially when docking.

When our ship docked in Southampton, there was an incessant beeping noise from a truck that was backing up constantly to move items off the ship, and it began at around 5am.  

Because we were in a balcony, that truck disrupted our sleep.  But if we had been in an inside room, it wouldn't have been an issue.

You'll often hear noise on the dock when a ship docks, and it can wake you up too early. 

Without daylight pouring in, there's no natural cue to get up. If you’re the kind who loves hitting the snooze button and skipping breakfast, an inside cabin is your best ally.

There is no such thing as a room being too cold

Do you immediately crank the air conditioning to its coldest setting as soon as you walk into a hotel room? An inside cabin might be for you.

Inside rooms are easily the coldest cabins because there's no natural light or heat emanating from outside to warm it up.

During summer cruises, I'll often keep the curtains drawn in my balcony room because the ambient heat from the sun on my balcony heats up the room.

To be clear, the air conditioning works fine in balcony rooms, but some people prefer their cabins feel like a meat locker.

If you love curling up in a chilly, dark space, this is your cruise cocoon.

You’re planning a port-heavy itinerary

If you're going to book a cruise that has a lot of port visits across 7 nights, such as in the Mediterranean or Alaska, you're going to be off the ship all day.

When you have full day activities, I come back to the ship and immediately shower, nap, and get ready for dinner.

I think having 4, 5, or 6 ports on a single sailing means you'll value the itinerary over what you can see from the ship.  In my experience, balcony rooms are best on sea days primarily.  The value of having it if you're going from start to finish each day in port is kind of lost.

Speaking of places like Alaska, if you choose an early or late season cruise, that might be another reason to go with an inside room because of the weather.

Typically the shoulder seasons in Alaska or Norway can be cold and rainy, thus reducing the usefulness of the balcony.