Royal Caribbean Blog

With 2019 nearly over, this seemed liked the perfect opportunity to look back at the Royal Caribbean news stories that generated the most interest.  After all, 2019 was a super busy year for Royal Caribbean, with plenty of new offerings, ships, ports and more.

This year's top ten list is based on the Royal Caribbean stories we feel generated the most buzz and interest.  There are some stories that made the top ten list that surprised me and others I'm more surprises did not make the list.  Let's dive in!

Perfect Day at CocoCay opens

If there is one accolade for Royal Caribbean in 2019 that stands out above the rest, it has the be the mega-succesful opening of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

In May 2019, Royal Caribbean officially opened Perfect Day at CocoCay following a $250 million transformation of the cruise line's private island.

Guests visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay enjoyed a new water park, freshwater pool, refreshed beach areas, new dining choices and more.

Navigator of the Seas may have been the first ship to officially call on Perfect Day at CocoCay, but so many guests have visited the new destination in the months since then and the reviews have been excellent across the board.

Accidental $18 drink package

Many guests were shocked to see Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol drink package offered for just $18 per day. This was a price mistake that lasted for just a few hours, but during that time quite a few people were able to lock in the price.

Usually, the Deluxe Beverage Package runs somewhere between $40 - $52 per person, per day when purchased in advance.

At first, Royal Caribbean said the price mistake was an error and the purchases would be cancelled.  However, following a lot of guest feedback, the cruise line decided to honor the "computer glitch" for anyone that booked it.

Oasis of the Seas crane accident

While undergoing some routine work at a shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas struck by a construction crane.

Oasis of the Seas was in the Bahamas for a short period of work. No passengers were onboard the ship at the time of the accident.

The accident did cause a few sailings to be cancelled in the weeks that followed in order for the ship to be fully repaired.

Oasis of the Seas $165 amplification

Speaking of Oasis of the Seas, Royal Caribbean completed a massive $165 million refurbishment that added new amenities, activities and more.

Oasis of the Seas had a lot of changed to it, including the cruise line’s first barbecue restaurant, Portside BBQ; and guest favorites, from the tallest slide at sea–the Ultimate Abyss–to popular live music venue Music Hall, and a reimagined, Caribbean pool deck. 

Now that Oasis of the Seas is amplified, the ship is offering sailings from Miami, and will transition to the New York City area for summer 2020.

Royal Caribbean's Hurricane Dorian relief efforts

Following the devastation Hurricane Dorian inflicted upon The Bahamas, Royal Caribbean stepped up in the hours following the storm's departure to pledge $1 million in disaster relief.

The cruise line delivered much-needed supplies to the people of Freeport, Bahamas by ferrying in supplies as each of its cruise ships passed through the area.

Teams of volunteers onboard Royal Caribbean ships worked for hours to package up meals and bottled water to be delivered once the ship arrived in Freeport.

In the first few days, the cruise line delivered 20,000 daily meals to the Grand Bahama Island community.

Grandeur of the Seas will leave the fleet

Royal Caribbean announced it plans to transfer Grandeur of the Seas out of its fleet and will join sister brand, Pullmantur Cruises in spring 2021.

Grandeur of the Seas’ final sailing with Royal Caribbean will take place on March 26th, 2021. Thereafter, she will transition to Pullmantur.

Enchantment of the Seas, will return to Baltimore to replace Grandeur in spring of 2021.

Grandeur's final sailing for Royal Caribbean International will be March 26th, 2021.

Toddler death on Freedom of the Seas

One of the saddest news of the year was the death of a toddler from Freedom of the Seas in July 2019.

An 18-month-old girl died after falling on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas while docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday. The toddler fell after she fell out of her grandfather's grasp at a window on deck 11 of the ship.

Tragic and disturbing, the story has transformed in recent months with the gradfather being charged in the accident, and tabloid-level coverage of the aftermath.

Royal Caribbean purchases resort in Grand Bahama

In March 2019, Royal Caribbean signed a letter of intent with the government of The Bahamas for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort and redevelopment of the Freeport Harbor.

The cruise line has been fairly quiet with details on what it intends to do with the property. Royal Caribbean's CEO hinted the resort could become a multi-million dollar, multi-phased project on par with CocoCay in Freeport.

The development will take place over a 24-month period, with $65 million of the purchase price for the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Social apprentice search

Royal Caribbean went viral with their search in February 2019 for a social media apprentice, who would be paid to go on cruises and share the experience online.

The role was open to British and Irish citizens which garnered 37,000 applicants.  After a lengthy search, Harry McNulty was chosen to become the Shore Explorer.

The Shore Explorer's job is to discover fun and incredible experiences around the world that will ultimately influence the brand’s shore excursion offerings.

No more cruises to Cuba

Following the United States travel ban to Cuba in June 2019, Royal Caribbean had no choice but to cancel all scheduled visits to Cuba.

The two ships that were offering cruises to Cuba, Majesty of the Seas and Empress of the Seas, had their sailings cancelled and visits to Cuban ports replaced with other ports of call.

While Cuba cruises were never a major destination for the cruise line, many guests were disappointed with the news and inability to visit.

Your thoughts

What did you think was the biggest Royal Caribbean news of 2019? Did we miss one? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This week's batch of beautiful Royal Caribbean photos is here and it's always fun to share with all of you the great photos our readers take while on their cruise vacation.

The photos we have to show this week are fun and of course anyone can send us their Royal Caribbean photos to use as well!

We kick off this Friday Photos edition with a sunset photo from Rhapsody of the Seas, taken by Ethel Crawford. Love a good sunset photo!

Next up is a photo of Navigator of the Seas next to Mariner of the Seas in Nassau, with another awesome sunset shot by Liz Laird.

Scott Schuman snapped this photo while walking in the countryside  in Lerwick of the Shetland islands with the Serenade of the Seas in the background.

Next up is a little Texas pride on Enchantment of the Seas. Photo by Francine Brown.

Khadijah Ahmad sent in this photo of Ovation of the Seas in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Alex H. shared this timely photo of his Royal Caribbean tree! 

Our final photo this week is by Peter Slinger, and it is of Liberty of the Seas docked in Cozumel.

Thank you to everyone that sent in their photos this week and if you have Royal Caribbean photos, well, we want to see them!  You can use this form to send us your photos and we will feature them on an upcoming Friday Photos blog post!

Shipyard Meyer Werf has released a set of new photos that show off the construction progress being made on Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship, Odyssey of the Seas.

The ship is actually being constructed in two different places at once: the shipyard harbor, and the indoor building dock.

Odyssey of the Seas will be delivered to Royal Caribbean in Autumn 2020.

In addition to the the 7-night Caribbean cruises that were released a month ago, a few new sailings are now available for booking in 2021-2022.

As we previously reported, Allure of the Seas will be sailing for the first time from Galveston, Texas beginning in November 2021.  Sailing 7-night adventures in Winter 2021-2022, Allure will be freshly Amplified and the biggest ship to ever sail from Texas.

Majesty of the Seas will be sailing year-round from New Orleans, and offering a variety of 6-, 7- and 8- night Caribbean sailings. Her cruises will take her to a variety of Caribbean ports, including Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Jewel of the Seas will offer cruises from Miami, following a 12-night transatlantic repositioning cruise from Barcelona. Jewel of the Seas will sail a mix of 6-Night Western Caribbean and 8-Night Eastern Caribbean itineraries, some with overnight stays in Aruba.

Odyssey of the Seas will return to Fort Lauderdale for 6-night sailings to the Western Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay, plus 8-night sailings to the Southern Caribbean. 

Here is a look at all the new itineraries released today:

• Allure of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Majesty of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas

The new cruises are available to book immediately.

Just a week after Royal Caribbean announced it would homeport its first Oasis Class ship from the port of Galveston, guests can now begin booking Allure of the Seas sailings in 2021.

Royal Caribbean released new sailings for sale beginning in November 2021, and going through April 2022. 

The sailings are all 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries, with the sole exception of her first sailing that is a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise on November 10, 2021.

The newly released sailings are available to book immediately.

Prior to Allure of the Seas' arrival in Galveston, she will undergo a major renovation in summer 2020, that will add a variety of new upgrades and enhancements.

Meanwhile, Galveston is constructing a brand new $100 million state-of-the-art cruise terminal to perfectly accommodate Allure of the Seas. The facility will feature mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival. The terminal will be designed and developed sustainably to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental) certification standards.

Oasis of the Seas is not only one of Royal Caribbean's most popular cruise ships and one of the largest ship in the world, it is also a real trailblazer. 

In this video, I have seven surprising facts you may not have known about Oasis of the Seas.

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 video!

So check out the video and then let us know: Which of these facts was the most interesting or surprising?

A Royal Caribbean cruise booked this weekend may qualify for up to $150 instant savings, in addition to the current monthly promotion.

The Dashing Deals promotion applies to new bookings made December 19 – 23, 2019 on select sailings departing on or after January 19, 2020.

It includes:

• 30% off cruise fare for all guests in the stateroom
  • Cruise must be booked between December 4 - 26, 2019 & applies to select sailings departing on or after January 4, 2020.
  • Instant savings do not apply to China departures.
• Instant savings of up to $150 per stateroom
  • 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 $75 for Suites
    • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites.
    • Instant savings do not apply to China departures.  
• Kids Sail Free
  • Applies to new bookings made between December 4 - 26, 2019.
  • Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple of quad-occupancy stateroom.
  • Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all Serenade of the Seas Alaska 2020 sailings departing between January 4, 2020 - December 17, 2020.
  • Offer excludes Odyssey of the Seas Europe sailings, 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), Peak Summer sailings (Sailings between May 15 – August 31, 2020) and Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 - 28, 2020).
  • Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and apply to all guests.   

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. Dashing Deals Sale is combinable with 30% Off Every Guest and 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.

Royal Caribbean has effectively rebranded the Bottomless Galley Brunch tour and relaunched it as the Sip Tour Brunch.

Available to pre-book on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site, the Sip Tour Brunch offers guests a tour of the galley, along with brunch in the dining room that comes with unlimited champagne. 

The tour promises to give guests an inside look at how Royal Caribbean prepares three meals a day for thousands of guests.

If you are looking for a mix of privacy, luxury and excellent service while at Perfect Day at CocoCay, one of Royal Caribbean's cabanas are the perfect solution.

Royal Caribbean offers guests the opportunity to rent cabanas at Perfect Day at CocoCay for the day during the ship's visit to the private island.

What's included with the cabanas?

The cost of a cabana rental at Perfect Day at CocoCay includes a variety of amenities:

• Private cabana for use during the day
• Towels
• Complimentary water bottles
• Sofa and resort-style chairs
• Complimentary food delivery options from Snack Shack
• Complimentary use of two floating beach mats
• Lockable storage
• Charging outlets
• Cabana concierge service to deliver food and beverage orders
• Thrill Waterpark cabana only: Complimentary admission for up to 6 guests to Thrill Waterpark
• Coco Beach Club cabanas only: Include full day pass to Coco Beach Club.

If you are wondering what is not included with a cabana rental, WiFi access and alcoholic beverages are extra, although if you purchased a package for either on your ship, these will be honored at no additional cost on CocoCay.

How much are the cabanas?

CocoCay cabana pricing will vary from sailing to sailing, and you can get specific pricing once you have a deposit placed for your cruise.  Simply log into Royal Caribbean's site and access the Cruise Planner.

Prices for the Chill Island cabanas, Thrill Waterpark cabanas and Oasis Lagoon cabanas can run anywhere between $799 and $1,899 for the day. Pricing is per cabana, not per person. Pricing is per cabana, not per person.

The Coco Beach Club cabanas and Hideaway Beach cabanas are priced much higher, with the Coco Beach Club Cabana starting at $1299, and the Coco Beach Club Overwater Cabanas at around $2500. 

The reality is you'll probably pay a lot more for the cabanas.

Chill Island Cabanas

The Chill Island cabanas are a great choice for families wishing to spend a lot of time in and around the beach. Located on the north side of the Chill Island area, these cabanas are separated from the rest of Chill Island to provide a sense of exclusivity.

Chill Island cabanas can accommodate up to 8 guests and feature resort-style chaise lounges, a lush sectional sofa, complimentary towels, nearby snacks at Chill Grill, and a Cabana Concierge. Additionally, a cocktail table that houses conveniences like a personal Bluetooth speaker upon request to play your own music, a combination lock lid for storage and a USB outlet. Two floating mats and snorkeling gear available upon request.

These cabanas are conveniently located near the jet ski and snorkel tours.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for purchase.

Thrill Waterpark Cabanas

If you plan to spend the day enjoying the slides and pools included at Thrill Waterpark, then the Thrill Waterpark cabanas are a great choice.  These cabanas provide a private enclave during the day, just steps away from the the tallest waterslide in North America, biggest wave pool in the Caribbean and raddest obstacle course around.

There are a few different cabana locations throughout Thrill Waterpark, and Royal Caribbean will assign one to you. The three areas are:

• Near Daredevil's Peak
• Near Family Tower
• Near the wave pool

If you prefer a specific location, speak to the shore excursion team onboard your cruise ship at least 24 hours prior to your arrival at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Thrill Waterpark cabanas can accommodate up to 6 guests and offer a lush sectional sofa and 2 resort-style chairs, as well as power outlets.

Perhaps the most lucrative perk of these cabanas is the fact it includes admission to Thrill Waterpark for up to six guests in the price. Factoring the price of a full day pass to Thrill Waterpark pass into the cost of the cabana, it provides one of the best values of any cabana on CocoCay.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for purchase.

Oasis Lagoon Cabanas

The Oasis Lagoon cabanas are just steps away from the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean.  It is also convenient to the swim up bar and DJ music played throughout the day. In short, these are the most centrally located cabanas on the island and provide convenient access to the beaches, restaurants and Oasis Lagoon pool nearby.

Oasis Lagoon cabanas can accommodate up to 8 guests and offer a lush sectional sofa, chaise lounges, a Cabana Concierge, secure space for your belongings and more. There is also a cocktail table that doubles as a personal Bluetooth speaker upon request to play your own music, a combination lock lid for storage and a USB outlet.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for charge.

Coco Beach Club Cabanas

Located in the Coco Beach Club, the Coco Beach Club Cabanas provide a private space for your family to enjoy, along with a full day pass to the Coco Beach Club for up to eight guests.

The Coco Beach Club cabanas are larger than the cabanas outside of the Coco Beach Club, with 4 lounge chairs and a sectional sofa, unlimited bottled water, as well as your own dining area, a ceiling fan and lockable storage.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with eight premium, complimentary towels and stock your cooler with an unlimited supply of bottled water. You can order from the menu in your cabana upon arrival for complimentary food from the upgraded restaurant at Coco Beach Club.

Coco Beach Club Overwater Cabanas

If you want to enjoy a Bora Bora-style day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, then the Coco Beach Club Floating Cabanas are for you.  The Floating Cabanas are good for up to 8 guests to enjoy, along with access to the Coco Beach Club.

The Floating Cabanas feature an overwater hammock, as well as private slide into the ocean.

Your Floating Cabana includes a sectional sofa, dining area, lounge chairs, lockable storage, charging outlets, eight premium towels, overwater hammock, cabana-to-sea slide, and unlimited bottled water.

Hideaway Beach Cabanas

There are two types of cabanas you could rent in Hideaway Beach, which is the adults-only area.  All guests need to be at least 18 years old to enter.

The Hideout Cabanas are located in area known as, "The Hideout", and each poolside cabana has in-water loungers, outdoor shower access, Bluetooth speaker, floating beach mats, resort-style seating, a cooler, sink, mini fridge, charging outlets, ceiling fans, and private lockable storage space.

You'll also get access to the infinity plunge pool, exclusively for The Hideout guests.

Slightly cheaper are the Hideaway Cabanas, and these are located closer to the beach.

A Hideaway Cabana also includes entry to Hideaway Beach for up to 8 adults. 

Your Hideaway Cabana includes unlimited supply of bottled water, private lockable storage, sink and mini fridge, cooler, ceiling fan, charging outlets, resort-style seating, and floating beach mats.

How to book a cabana at CocoCay?

The easiest and best way to reserve a cabana is to book it online via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.  Cabanas can be reserved in the months leading up to a cruise, and it is not uncommon for cabanas to sell out even before the cruise begins. Another advantage of booking cabanas before the cruise is there are sometimes sales that bring the price down.

You can also opt to wait to reserve a cabana once onboard the ship at the Shore Excursion desk.

If having a cabana is important to you, definitely prebook them as early as you can to have one reserved.

Are the cabanas at CocoCay worth it?

A cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay is not cheap, but they provide exactly what they advertise: a private enclave on the island for your family to enjoy, with upgraded service and options to enjoy.

The Thrill Waterpark cabanas offer the best value, since they are the only ones to include waterpark admission with the cost of the cabana. If you have four to six guests and were planning to do the cabana anyway, a cabana is arguably a good investment for the day.

The other cabanas are, as advertised, private enclaves for a splurge-worthy day at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Just like upgrading your seat on an airplane to first class, a cabana is about treating yourself to additional service and comfort.

Since cabanas can handle six to eight guests, if you can split the cost of the cabana with another family, that can greatly assist in making the value of a cabana worth it.

Royal Caribbean released additional new 2021 European sailings for booking on two ships, Odyssey of the Seas & Adventure of the Seas.

Odyssey of the Seas will offer a transatlantic sailing in April 2021 from Fort Lauderdale to her summer homeport of Rome, Italy.  Odyssey will then offer a variety of Mediterranean cruises from Rome, to destinations in Italy, Greece and Israel. Royal Caribbean is highlighting the fact Odyssey will offer overnight stays in Athens, as well as late night stays in select ports on select itineraries.

View Odyssey of the Seas 2021 European sailings

Adventure of the Seas will offer an 18-night transatlantic sailing from Galveston to Copenhagen in April 2021.  Once she arrives in Europe, Adventure will sail in summer 2021 to Scandinavia & Russia.  Adventure will alternate homeports between Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden.

View Adventure of the Seas 2021 European sailings

These new sailings are open for booking to Crown & Anchor Society members on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, and the general public on Thursday, December 19, 2019.