Royal Caribbean Blog

Cruising with Royal Caribbean is a family affair, as my kids really love when we take them on a cruise vacation. On today's RoyalCaribbeanBlog video, my 8-year-old daughter shares her top five things to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Gabriella loves watching Teen Titans Go, dancing to her favorite music, playing with friends and, of course, going on Royal Caribbean cruises.  She has her list of the top five things kids love to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise to share in this video.

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!

Do you have kids? What is your kids favorite things to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Share their top picks in the comments!

In the days since Hurricane Dorian devastated The Bahamas, Royal Caribbean has mobilized its cruise ships to begin bringing much needed supplies to affected areas.

Yesterday, Empress of the Seas became the first to activate the company’s disaster relief operation to bring relief supplies and 20,000 daily meals to the Freeport, Bahamas community.

Crewmembers prepared sandwiches, proteins with rice and fruits and snacks for the company’s first distribution at noon today. Over the next few days additional ships from its fleet — Symphony of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, Mariner of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas — will repeat the process.

Guests sailing on Navigator of the Seas were informed their ship would spend Sunday morning in Grand Bahamas Island to assist with disaster relief, followed by its regularly scheduled visit to Nassau. In addition, Navigator of the Seas will bring aboard evacuees like, children, elderly, or those that need immediate medical attention, that will be transported to Nassau hospitals via tenders.

Thanks to Skyler for providing this letter

Mariner of the Seas will also perform similar relief efforts on Saturday, when she spends her morning in Grand Bahamas Island to assist with disaster relief.

Thanks to Amy for providing this letter

Along with Empress, the company is deploying container ships with much needed supplies including 47,000 bottles of water, 362 generators, 250 tarps, 25,000 square feet of plywood, 55,400 diapers and 7,500 pounds of pet food.

Royal Caribbean is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief and matchingevery dollar of guest and employee donations. To make sure those donations go where they can do the most good, they are collaborating with the Bahamian government and its non-profit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.

“We can’t make every bad memory of Dorian go away. But we can start making things better—today,” said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Are you curious how much a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation will cost? In this RoyalCaribbeanBlog video, we share how much it actually costs to go on a cruise.

There are quite a few considerations when it comes to calculating the total cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation, from cruise fare to gratuities to drinks to shore excursions and more. Our video will help break down the major costs of a Royal Caribbean cruise so you can budget for it properly!

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!

Royal Caribbean will reopen Perfect Day at CocoCay after its survey teams inspected the private island in The Bahamas on Wednesday.

Travel Weekly reports Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said, "a preliminary team landed on the island late on Sept. 3 and that three teams with different specialties were there on Sept. 4. He said they estimated the winds from Hurricane Dorian reached the Category 2 or 3 levels of 96 to 129 miles an hour."

Damage to CocoCay was most significant on the north side of the island, near the dock that was recently added.  Hurricane Dorian's counter-clockwise winds had a tendency to steer the greatest amount of debris, while the south side of the island was relatively spared.

Up, Up and Away helium balloon will remain temporarily closed for an undisclosed amount of time. Bayley said the decision was taken to deflate the balloon, even though its ground rigging is built to hold it secure in winds of up to Category 2 strength.

Navigator of the Seas will be the first ship to resume calls to Perfect Day at CocoCay, when she arrives there on Saturday.

Shipbuilder Meyer Werft released photos of engines being delivered for Royal Caribbean's next cruise ship that is currently under construction.

The engine module was delivered to Papenburg, Germany last night for installation on Odyssey of the Seas. The engine module consists of four systems with a total power of 67,200 KW.

Set to debut in fall 2020, Odyssey of the Seas will sail from the United States. Additional details on Odyssey will be revealed later this year.

Royal Caribbean announced hours after Hurricane Dorian devastated The Bahamas it would pledge $1 million in aid to the island, and the cruise line is already making good on that promise with the first batch of supplies loaded onto Empress of the Seas.

Guests sailing on Empress of the Seas were informed their ship would deliver much needed food, water, equipment and supplies to the people on Grand Bahama Island. Empress of the Seas was loaded with 10,000 meals, 10,000 bottles of water, as well as medical supplies, generators and other necessities.  The ship will dock off the coast of Grand Bahama Island to make the delivery, before resuming its cruise itinerary.

Thanks to Brad Garfinkel & Skip Bebout for providing this photo

Letters to guests were delivered to their stateroom to explain the extra stop.

We’re with you Bahamas. In the wake of Dorian, we’re mobilizing our fleet to help those who need it. In partnership with the Bahamian government & The Bahamas Feeding Network tomorrow we’ll deliver +43k water bottles, 10k meals, generators, supplies & we’re just getting started. pic.twitter.com/inTc7RDAJn

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) September 5, 2019

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

Episode 318 is available for downloading, where Matt talks about his recent experience having a cruise impacted by a hurricane.

Matt's cruise on Mariner of the Seas was interrupted by Hurricane Dorian, and this week, Matt shares the lessons learned in the days leading up to, and since, his planned cruise and what anyone cruising during hurricane season needs to know.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 318. 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!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Royal Caribbean announced it is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, and ITM—our partner in the Holistica joint venture that is developing the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport—is also donating an additional $100,000.

Royal Caribbean will collaborate with the Bahamian government and non-profit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean elaborated on their relief effort plans, "We are loading all kinds of goods onto our ships— generators, water, cleaning supplies, clean sheets, towels, and more—for direct delivery to the Bahamas. The trained employee volunteers we call the GO Team are on their way to assist with relief efforts. And we’re taking special care of coworkers and their families who were affected by the storm."

"And we’re matching every dollar of guest and employee donations to PADF so they can help our friends as well."

If you want to contribute please follow this link (https://www.padf.org/hurricane-dorian-royal) and get started.

Royal Caribbean sent an email to guests on upcoming sailings with an update on its plans to reopen its private island in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.

On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean will send a team to CocoCay to assess damage. Once on the island, the cruise line's team of experts will determine the extent of any damage and debris, and will advise when we can reopen.

Royal Caribbean's current plan is to be up and running on Saturday, September 7th, but they will not really know until the entire property is evaluated.

Guests sailing on Navigator of the Seas have already been informed their scheduled visit this weekend has been replaced with a visit to Nassau, Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean shut down CocoCay last week in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian.

Ever since Royal Caribbean amplified Mariner of the Seas, it has become a very popular cruise ship with new cruisers and veteran cruises alike.  There is so much to see and do onboard, and we decided to list the five things about Mariner of the Seas that we think are just so darn cool that they deserve some recognition.

5. Bamboo Room

Lounges are not new to Royal Caribbean, but Royal Caribbean hit a homerun with the Bamboo Room lounge.  Mariner of the Seas was the first ship in the fleet to get the Bamboo Room and it offers a laid back Polynesian throwback vibe, featuring kitschy-cool craft cocktails like the Island Old Fashioned and Tiki Tea.

What makes the Bamboo Room so darn cool is the combination of decor, great menu, and fun times.  When you are looking for a spot to grab a few drinks, the Bamboo Room is a must-visit place.

4. Escape Room: The Observatorium

Often people associate certain activities with being on a cruise ship, but the Escape Room: The Observatorium game breaks all those molds.

The Observatorium is an immersive escape room game, where guests work together to solve a series of clues and riddles before time runs out so that they can "escape" the room they are in.

Royal Caribbean teamed up with a leader in the escape room experience to create a dedicated space on Mariner of the Seas where guests can try their best to find all the clues and figure out a way to beat the game before time runs out.

It is a great challenge, and a ton of fun in the process.

3. Izumi Hibachi

One of our favorite specialty dining options on any ship is Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, which is Asian-inspired dining featuring hibachi, sushi and sashimi and more.  A hibachi meal is fun for the whole family, and offers authentic flavors, the freshest ingredients and impeccable presentation.

Chefs show off their meticulous cooking skills entertaining guests with playful tricks, all while preparing an Asian-inspired meal to perfection. Not only is the food really good, but the entire experience of preparing the meal makes for a fantastic show.

2. Sky Pad

The Sky Pad, a bungee trampoline experience, combines virtual reality with the energy of a trampoline experience. It is a compelling combo, and what it leads to is a really fun sea day activity.

While you bounce up and down on the trampoline while tethered to bungee cords, you will enter a video game virtual reality experience that takes you to moon craters or to compete in intergalactic games.

1. Perfect Storm water slides

It is hard to overlook the water slides on Mariner of the Seas, known collectively as The Perfect Storm. The pair of water slides serve up thrills every day of your sailing on Mariner of the Seas, and it is something families seemingly cannot get enough of while onboard.

 Located at the rear of the ship, Typhoon and Cyclone will intertwine as sliders race down towards a final plunge at the conclusion of the slide. It is something you will want to try again and again.