Royal Caribbean Blog

We hope everyone reading this is having a wonderful Sunday and enjoying some time this weekend with friends, family and some good food too.  There was a lot of Royal Caribbean news this week, and we have summarized all up into one easy-to-read blog post for your convenience!

Royal Caribbean revealed its fifth Oasis Class ship will be named Wonder of the Seas and it will sail from Shanghai, China.

Under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France, Wonder of the Seas will be the next ship in Royal Caribbean's lineup of innovative ships.  She will debut in 2021 as the world's largest cruise ship and the first of the renowned Oasis Class to sail the Asia Pacific.

More information on Wonder’s itineraries and brand-new adventures will be announced soon. 

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean held its first late night visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Quantum of the Seas will get laser tag and an escape room in its upcoming refurbishment.
• Royal Caribbean is creating its own branded beer for Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver visited his restaurant on Navigator of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Helping friends take a Royal Caribbean cruise is always a great pleasue, and on this week's podcast, Sheri and her family just went on Harmony of the Seas for their first Oasis Class experience.

Sheri shares what her first Royal Caribbean cruise in quite a few years was like 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

New RCB Video: Why you NEVER want to buy a drink package on a Royal Caribbean ship

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 — Why you NEVER want to buy a drink package on a Royal Caribbean ship — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Tips TV shared a video if the Thrill Waterpark Cabana is worth it.

Eyewitness News reported that Royal Caribbean crew, staff and volunteers have served almost 600,000 meals for the people of Grand Bahama.

HospitalityNet wrote about how Royal Caribbean pricing tactics are utilizing AI.

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas will undergo a multi-million dollar month-long renovation later in October in preperation for her new Southeast Asian season out from Singapore from this November.

The ship will enter dry dock upon arrival in Singapore to give Quantum a new look and feel, as well new features such as the laser tag game and escape room that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. 

Every five years, Royal Caribbean ships undergo routine maintenance work.  Quantum is ending her four-year plus deployment in China and she will next undergo renovation to prepare for her new Southeast Asian season out from Singapore from this November.

This week, Quantum of the Seas visited Keelung Port, as she is making her way from Tianjin to Singapore over a 12-night one-way journey which also includes Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Hue/Danang and Ho Chi Minh City as ports-of-call. 

Quantum of the Seas will first offer 34 Southeast Asian cruises over six months from November 2019 to April 2020.  The ship will then return for a longer season in October 2020, with a total of 40 sailings over seven months till April 2021– the cruise line’s longest ever deployment in the region for a Quantum Class ship.

Her itineraries include 4-night cruises to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) and Penang or Phuket, 5-night cruises to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang and Phuket and a 7-night cruise to Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (with an overnight) and Ho Chi Minh City.  This will also be the ship’s first time in the region for festive cruises of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year.

"The potential of the Taiwan cruise market is tremendous, being the second largest in Asia.  There is stronger awareness here for our international style of cruising and our world’s most innovative ships thanks to our trade partners’ efforts in the recent years.  Now with our best and newest in the region namely Quantum of the Seas, we are confident of attracting even more Taiwanese to cruise with Royal Caribbean," said Josh Wen.

Friday is here and that means it is time to share our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos! Each week, we invite our readers to send us photos from their past Royal Caribbean cruises to be showcased on the blog.

With the weekend nearly upon us, here is this week's batch of fabulous photos!

We begin with a photo by Martin of Symphony of the Seas, as seen from Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Next, we have a photo of the Parade of Flags on Brilliance of the Seas. Photo by Bill Barber.

Lynne Anderson took this photo of the 80's pool party on Rhapsody of the Seas.

Misty Meredith snapped this photo of Harmony of the Seas docked at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Here is a shot of Grandeur of the Seas in Bermuda, taken by Dave Horn.

Ken Janson grabbed this photo of Radiance of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas docked near each other in Skagway, Alaska.

Our last photo this week is by Ernest Enchia, and it is of the Ultimate Abyss at night on Symphony of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone for their great photos, and we invite everyone reading to send in their photos too.  Use this form to submit your photos to be included in an upcoming Friday Photos post!

The next of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships will be named Wonder of the Seas and set sail from Shanghai – its year-round home.

The next ship to join the leading cruise line’s innovative lineup will be named Wonder of the Seas and set sail from Shanghai – its year-round home.

Under construction in Saint-Nazaire, France, Wonder of the Seas will be the next ship in Royal Caribbean's lineup of innovative ships.  She will debut in 2021 as the world's largest cruise ship and the first of the renowned Oasis Class to sail the Asia Pacific.

Wonder of the Seas also reached an important milestone at its shipyard, where the ship's keel was lowered into place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, marking the start of the ship’s physical construction. During what is known as the keel-laying ceremony, a 970-ton block, measuring 155 feet by 65 feet, was lifted onto the building dock with a 1,400-ton crane.

"Royal Caribbean is known for its innovation and constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and an Oasis Class ship in China is proof of that," said Bayley. “Wonder of the Seas will redefine the ultimate vacation and be revolutionary in her own right, and she marks one of Royal Caribbean’s most exciting chapters to come."

More information on Wonder’s itineraries and brand-new adventures will be announced soon. 

Royal Caribbean is offering bonus onboard credit with its weekend Great Escapes Sale.

The Great Escapes Sale runs between October 10 - 14, 2019 and applies to all sailings departing on or after November 10, 2019.

Here is what the offer includes:

• 30% off cruise fare for all guests in the stateroom.
• Kids Sail Free
  • Applies to new bookings made between October 10 – 14 2019.  
    • Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger on select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, and Repositioning sailings departing between September 1, 2019 – May 15, 2020 and August 31, 2020 – December 17, 2020.
    • Offer excludes 2019 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 23 – 30, 2019), Holiday sailings (Sailings between December 15, 2019 – January 3, 2020), President’s Day sailings (Sailings between February 14 – 17, 2020), Spring Break sailings (Sailings between March 14 – 23, 2020), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Sailings between April 3 – 17, 2020) and 2020 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 – 27, 2020). 
• Great Escapes Sale offers up to $150 per stateroom to spend at sea on select sailings departing on or after November 10, 2019
  • OBC amount determined by category booked and sailing length:
    • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
    • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites
• Deck the Holiday Deals
  • Applies to new bookings made between October 10 – 14 2019.  
  • Deck the Holiday Deals offers instant savings of up to $100 per stateroom on select sailings departing between December 2 – 31, 2019 and November 30 – December 31, 2020. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:
    • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $50 for Suites
    • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $100 for Suites

30% Off Every Guest and Deck the Holiday Deals are combinable with each other as well as promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. 30% Off Every Guest and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits.  Kids Sail Free and Deck the Holiday Deals are combinable with each other for sailings departing December 2 – 14, 2019 and November 28 – December 17, 2020 only. Great Escapes Sale is combinable with 30% Off Every Guest, Deck the Holiday Deals, Kids Sail Free, as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, and Shareholder Benefits, but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts. Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates.  Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking, limit one promo code per booking. 

Offer available to residents of United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and select countries in the Caribbean. 

Royal Caribbean has teamed up with Oakland Park, Fla.-based Funky Buddha Brewery to create an exclusive beer which will be available only the cruise line's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay and at the Funky Buddha taproom.

Royal Caribbean filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 8, 2019 for the name of the beer, "Chilla Thrilla".

Tenemu reports it discovered labels for the beer filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau that list Chilla Thrilla with a 5 percent ABV.  It will be packaged in 12-ounce cans and will feature a number of different labels, each highlighting a different area of Perfect Day at CocoCay:

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

Episode 323 is available for downloading which has a review of Sheri's first Oasis Class experience on Harmony of the Seas.

Sheri has cruised a lot, but never on an Oasis Class ship. This week, she joins Matt to talk about her first Oasis Class experience, as well as what she thought of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 323. 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!

Are you interested in buying an unlimited alcohol package on your Royal Caribbean cruise? Here is why you should not buy it onboard your ship!

Drink packages are quite popular and I usually buy one when I go on a cruise, but it is a mistake to buy it onboard.  In this new video, you can learn why it is not a great idea to buy onboard, and what you should do instead!

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: What is the best price you have gotten for the deluxe beverage package?

Royal Caribbean is offering up to 30% off certain Cruise Planner purchases during its Deals on Deck sale.

The new promotion applies to purchases made between October 8, 2019 – October 17, 2019, and applies to select sailings departing between October 19, 2019 – April 30, 2020. It is valid on all ships, except for Spectrum of the Seas.

BEVERAGE: Up to 40% off on select sailings.

• NEW! Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship (excludes Charter Sailings + SC)
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC)
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC)
•  Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices. (Excludes SC)

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 25% off on select sailings.

• Save up to 25% on select tours on select sailings. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC).

INTERNET: Up to 60% off on select sailings

• NEW! The Key. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes Charter Sailings + Mj, SC)• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC).
• VOOM Surf & Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s). Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC)

DINING: Up to 50% off on select sailings.

• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s). Discount varies by ship. (Excludes SC)

DINING: Up to 55% off on select sailings

•  Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes MJ, SC)

ACTIVITIES: 10% off on select sailings

• All Access Ship Tour: 10% off onboard prices. (Excludes SC)

GIFTS & GEAR: 20% off

• NEW! Inky Beach Set: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)
• Inky Travel Set: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)
• Red Wine & Cheese: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes, QN, SC, VY)
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varied by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)
• Strawberries with Champagne: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)
• White Wine & Cheese: 20% off onboard prices. Discount varies by ship. (Excludes QN, SC, VY)

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 20% off on select sailings.

• Prints – 10: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AD, AL, AN, BR, EN, EX, FR, HM, JW, LB, OA, OY, RD, RH, SC, SR, SY)
• Prints – 15: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AL, BR, EN, FR, HM, LB, MA, MJ, NE, NV, OA, OY, QN, RH, SC, SR, SY)
• Prints – 20: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes All Ships + Charter Sailings except AL, BR, EN, EX, FR, GR, ID, JW, MA, MJ, NE, NV, OY, QN, RD, RH, SC, SR,VI, VY)
• Prints – All: Discount varies by ship. (AD, AN, EX, HM, ID, LB, MA, NV, OV, QN, SC, SY)
• Digital – 15: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AL, BR, EN, FR, GR, HM, JW, LB,MA, MJ, NV, OA, OV, OY, QN, RD, RH, SC, SR, SY, VI)
• Digital – 20: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AL, BR, EN, EX,FR, GR, ID, JW, MA, MJ, NE, NV, OY, QN, RD, RH SC, SR,VI, VY)
• Digital – All: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AD, AL, AN, BR, EN, EX, FR, HM, ID, LB, MA, NV, OA, OV, OY, QN, RH, SR, SY, VY)
• All Digital + Prints: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes AD, AN, EX, GR, HM, ID, JW, LB, MA, MJ, NE, NV, OA, OV, OY, QN, RD, SC, SY, VI, VY)

The Cruise Planner sale promises savings on certain shore excursions and drink package purchases.  Guests can check which discounts, if any, are available for their upcoming sailing by visiting the Cruise Planner site. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

Jamie Oliver visited Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas in Miami on Monday for a stopover at one of his namesake restaurants onboard.

Photo by Linken D'Souza

Navigator of the Seas is home to one of Oliver's restaurant at sea, Jamie's Italian.  The specialty restaurant's menu is based on tasty, simple Italian food, made from fresh ingredients with a casual dining experience, designed to be welcoming to everyone. 

Since the launch of Quantum of the Seas in 2014, Royal Caribbean has offered guests the opportunity to dine at  Jamie's Italian specialty restaurant on many of its ships.