Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean is doubling down on the private island experience by announcing a new, bigger and bolder beach day, and this one is in Mexico.

Perfect Day Mexico will open sometime in 2027, transforming the port of Costa Maya.

Royal Caribbean has hinted it has big plans to develop an ambitious cruise day experience for its passengers, and it's positioning it in the Western Caribbean to compliment the already popular Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Perfect Day at CocoCay was the cruise line's expansion of its existing private island, but it overhauled the beach day experience to offer so much more.  Multiple beaches, pools, adults-only areas, new dining offerings and more were all added, and it was an instant home run with cruise ship passengers who loved the variety of choices and high quality offerings.

Now Royal Caribbean wants to expand that magic with a second offering.

Where will Perfect Day Mexico be located?

When Perfect Day Mexico opens in 2027, it will be where cruisers currently refer to the port of Costa Maya.

The port was originally built specifically for cruise ships to have another place to go in Mexico's Caribbean coast. Mahahual is the name of the village adjacent to the port.

Royal Caribbean has signed an agreement to acquire the Port of Costa Maya, and they've also been on a journey to buy lots of adjacent land for about about a year. 

According to the cruise line, the total project will encompass 90 hectares, with is about 220 acres. That's roughly double the size of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Not all the land is developable, and Royal Caribbean is paying special attention to preserve environmental protected areas, such as nearby mangroves. About 100 acres is in development under the current plan, and the rest is for conservation.

Royal Caribbean wouldn't talk number of passengers, but today, Costa Maya can accommodate up to four megaships.  While other cruise lines will still be able to dock there, there are days where four Royal Caribbean ships could conceivably be there at once.

Given that berthing capacity, it stands to reason Perfect Day Mexico will have a higher capacity than Perfect Day at CocoCay, and thus, be bigger in size.

During construction, the port will remain open to other cruise lines, and remain open to other lines even after Perfect Day Mexico opens. Only Royal Caribbean passengers will have access to Perfect Day Mexico, while other lines will proceed to a transportation center to go off on shore excursions.

Activities and things to do during a visit

It's too early to get details of what exactly Royal Caribbean will have inside Perfect Day Mexico, but suffice to say, the popular parts of CocoCay will be brought over.

Specific details will be coming in the "coming months", but they did say in a statement that you can expect "an all-new, thrilling waterpark; jaw-dropping pools and beaches; restaurants, bars and more spots for all tastebuds; music; and more."

Expect a bigger reveal with more details sometime in Spring 2025.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said their research shows customers want a place that feels like it's part of Mexico. In the same way Royal Caribbean leaned into a Bahamian flair to CocoCay, they'll want to evoke a Mexican vibe to this Perfect Day experience.

There will be different areas around Perfect Day, similar to the neighborhood concept on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.  They are bringing over everything that is core to Perfect Day at Cococay: adults-only area, a chill area, a thrill area, and a family area.

This means there will be beaches, pools, and even a water park, among many other ideas the team is dreaming up.

One area we know is being acquired is the Mayan water park located near Costa Maya today. That land will be part of the future site, although Royal Caribbean will develop its own water park.

"There will be new experiences inside of that. Some, to be honest, we're literally still exploring," Mr. Schneider said while discussing what cruisers can expect.

He said his team is "obsessing right now" over what cruise ship passengers would want in a day in Mexico, "we stay highly in touch with our customer and we design and build with our customer."

Suffice to say, Royal Caribbean wants to build on the success of what's already successful at CocoCay, but make it bigger and better in Mexico.

Mr. Schneider admitted plans for the project are still being finalized, and design work is still in the "preliminary" phase. Royal Caribbean has been working with the Government of Mexico for the past nine months leading up to today's announcement.

Mr. Schneider confirmed Celebrity Cruises will be welcomed to have their passengers visit Perfect Day Mexico, just as they began doing this year at CocoCay.

Something else shared is a passenger could opt to do their own shore excursion outside of Perfect Day Mexico if they preferred. In fact, Royal Caribbean will sell shore excursions.

When Perfect Day Mexico opens in 2027, the initial ambition is it will open in once, and not in phases like CocoCay did.  

Building up their Western Caribbean portfolio

It's no coincidence that Royal Caribbean has chosen the Western Caribbean for the site of its next private destination.

Perfect Day Mexico will compliment the previously announced opening a Royal Beach Club in nearby Cozumel.  It's quite common for Royal Caribbean ships to visit both Cozumel and Costa Maya currently, and that would add a one-two punch of great experiences for their customers.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel will open sometime in 2026, and this is an extra-cost option exclusive to Royal Caribbean customers where they can find great views, with great access to water.

Unlike Perfect Day Mexico, the beach club is not included with the cruise fare.

Admission into the beach club will include access to swim-up bars, pools cabanas to rent, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

More details on what experiences will be offered there are still forthcoming.

Royal Caribbean also built a massive new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas that opened in 2022. Cruises from Galveston almost exclusively visit ports in the Western Caribbean.  The terminal is capable of handling Royal Caribbean's biggest ships, including the Icon class.

Of course, cruises from Florida go to Mexico too, adding to the value of a strong playbook of exclusive and enticing Royal Caribbean properties.

Hurricane Milton's wrath has changed so many cruise ship itineraries, even as the storm approaches landfall in Florida.

Cruise ships have been altering their plans for a few days now, but because of the storm's enormous size and changing forecasts, more changes are still occurring.

Forecasters say Hurricane Milton will make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm.

The storm is expected to cross central Florida while heading toward the Atlantic Ocean. 

Royal Caribbean already modified the itineraries for 8 of its cruise ships, and one ship has had to change their plans twice to avoid the hurricane.

Harmony of the Seas, which is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world, departed Galveston, Texas on October 6 and had to skip a port call in Honduras. They replaced it with a stop in Costa Maya, Mexico.

Yesterday, passengers were informed that plan had to change again because the widening storm meant a visit to Costa Maya would be impossible.

"To maintain a safe distance from the storm, and its widespread impacts, we've decided to adjust our heading and find smoother seas before resuming our original course towards Cozumel, Mexico," a letter distributed to passengers read.

Instead, Harmony will skip Costa Maya and remain at sea. That means just one port visit in total for the entire cruise.

Royal Caribbean will do everything it can to avoid the impact of a tropical system to their passengers, crew, and ship.

While under no obligation to do so, Royal Caribbean also provided passengers extra onboard credit worth one day's value of their original cruise fare price.

Harmony's change is emblematic of what's happening to many other ships as they change course to avoid Hurricane Milton.

More ships avoiding Hurricane Milton

Even the world's biggest cruise ship has had to change its plans because of the storm. Here's what's changed so far:

Icon of the Seas will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island on Friday and instead stay out to sea.

However, Icon will stay docked in port longer in St. Thomas and St. Kitts until sunset.

Adventure of the Seas originally was to spend Wednesday at Sea and visit CocoCay on Thursday. Instead, the ship will visit Turks & Caicos on Wednesday and have a sea day on Thursday.

Mariner of the Seas dropped a visit to Cozumel, Mexico on Tuesday and remained at sea instead.

Symphony of the Seas re-arranged their itinerary. It was supposed to visit Port Canaveral, Florida, Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay. Insted, Symphony will go to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Wonder of the Seas skipped a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder will visit Cozumel on Day 6 and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Utopia of the Seas swapped it's schedule to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay on Tuesday and then wait to visit Nassau until Thursday.

Grandeur of the Seas went from a cruise to Mexico to a cruise that just visited The Bahamas. Instead of visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel, the ship is visiting Nassau as the only port destination.

Independence of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Cozumel and instead go to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

More changes possible after the storm passes

Even as Hurricane Milton is on the brink of making landfall and cruise ships are well out of the path, there are question marks that remain for what will happen in the coming days.

The hurricane will cut across Central Florida, and that means its rain and winds will affect four of the major cruise ports in Florida in one way or another: Tampa, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) and PortMiami.

The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for managing access to any cruise port in Florida, and they control if ships of any size can enter the port. This depends on the weather conditions.

Once the storm passes and a port is closed, the Coast Guard will conduct an inspection of the waters to verify it's safe to reopen to ships. That could take a few hours or days, depending on the damage.

Port Tampa Bay and Port Canaveral are already closed, and that has a potential impact to a few ships.

Adventure of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas are both scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Friday to conclude a sailing and start the next one. No word yet on any changes to either ship's plans.

Guests on Adventure of the Seas received a letter in their cabins the ship will have a slightly delayed scheduled arrival of 8AM on Friday (delayed from 6AM) into Port Canaveral.

We were suppose to have a sea day on Wednesday and be at CocoCay on Thursday, but that's been cancelled with a new stop at Turks & Caicos on Wednesday (tomorrow) and a sea day on Thursday with a slightly delayed scheduled arrival of 8AM on Friday (delayed from 6AM) into Port Canaveral (assuming the port is open). 

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) and PortMiami remain open for the time being.

After six months on pause, Royal Caribbean is now cruising to Labadee, Haiti again.

In March 2024, the cruise line cut visits to its private beach due to internal strife within Haiti.

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach area, is a walled-off, exclusive beach on a peninsula in northern Haiti. 

Located 130 miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Labadee has been closed out of "an abundance of caution," according to the cruise line.

Photo by Andrew Lyon

Royal Caribbean announced that the decision was intended to prioritize the safety of its guests and crew members.

"Please know that the safety and comfort of our guests are always our highest priority," it announced. "Our Global Security and Intel Team is closely monitoring the evolving situation in Haiti."

The cruise line has teams that carefully observe the geopolitical situations in all its destinations to ensure guest and employee safety.

After closely monitoring the situation in Haiti, Royal Caribbean has prepared for a return to Labadee this fall.

Cruise ships will begin sailing to the region on October 8th.

"We have no further changes to our sailings at this time," the cruise line confirmed.

Adventure of the Seas visited first

Adventure of the Seas departed from Port Canaveral, Florida on October 5th on a a 6-day, round-trip, Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise.

She visited Labadee, Haiti today, October 8th.

Adventure of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean ship to visit Haiti since March 2024.

Guests on the sailing reported things looked great, and no concerns.

Photo by Andrew Lyon

"Labadee was beautiful. The staff was great and super appreciative to see us," Tom Knotek wrote on Facebook.

Koritney Ashmore wrote, "We went and ventured around. Feels safe to me! Nothing alarming at all!"

Lisa Hively-Knotek added, "Felt safe and it's beautiful."

Other Royal Caribbean ships scheduled to visit the port soon include Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Freedom of the Seas is currently on a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing, scheduled to call upon Labadee on October 9th and to return to Fort Lauderdale on October 13th.

Independence of the Seas will visit Labadee on October 12th as part of a 4-night short Caribbean cruise out of Miami, Florida.

Royal Caribbean currently has no plans to cancel cruises to Haiti.

Haiti is still under a Do Not Travel advisory

Haiti has been under the U.S.'s highest travel advisory possible since March when unrest in the form of crime, kidnappings, and killings began. The U.S. State Department renewed its Level 4 Travel Advisory this September, still telling citizens the country can not help if they fall victim to a crime.

According to the State Department, protests, demonstrations, and road blocks are common.

"Do not travel to Haiti due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care," the website states.

"The U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti. Local police and other first responders often lack the resources to respond to emergencies or serious crime."

Earlier this year, armed gangs protesting the political unrest coordinated attacks on police stations, prisons, and the international airport in Port-au-Prince.

Violence has besieged the area since, causing over 53,000 people to flee the capital city.

Haiti declared a state of emergency on March 3rd, and the country's Prime Minister resigned on March 12th.

Since then, food shortages and violent crimes are still taking place across the island.

Is it safe to cruise to Labadee?

These warnings and news reports mostly center around the capital of Port-au-Prince, which is more than a six-hour drive away from Labadee.

Labadee is a private beach located in a remote area on the northern coast of Haiti.

Most of the unrest is occurring further south, near the capital and other populated cities.

Read more: The crew member only beach at Labadee and it's where no passengers can go

Royal Caribbean also employs a private security force on its private beach area and promises guests that safety is a priority.

Guests aren't permitted to leave the area, and won't be able to book third-party excursions.

Guests visiting ports such as Nassau, Bahamas, or Cozumel, Mexico can book outside shore excursions or even explore on their own. However, Labadee is more similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

All excursions in Labadee must be reserved directly through Royal Caribbean, but that doesn't mean options are limited. Passengers can experience waterslides, roller coasters, beach cabanas, kayak adventures, and speedboat tours on the 260-acre site.

The cruise line also brings all its food and supplies onshore from the ship, rather than importing them from elsewhere on the island.

Less than one year after their last gratuity increase, Royal Caribbean is set to increase gratuities for passengers once again.

Starting November 1, 2024, the cruise line will raise the daily gratuity rate by 50 cents per day, bringing the new rate for standard cabins to $18.50 per person, up from $18.00, and suites to $21.00 per person, up from $20.50. It is the same amount for all passengers, regardless of age. 

However, if you've already booked your sailing, you can prepay your gratuities in advance to lock in the current rate and save money. If you wait until you're onboard and are cruising after Nov. 1, you will be subject to the higher fare. 

Standard staterooms include interior, ocean-view, and balcony cabins, as well as Junior Suites. Sky Junior Suites, Grand Suites, and above are considered full-scale suites and will be subject to the higher gratuity rate.

Travel agents were informed of the change in a weekly newsletter sent via email. 

"Starting November 1st, Royal Caribbean will increase gratuities by $0.50 per person per day. The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, and other hotel services teams," the notice reads.

"Guests booked prior to November 1st, 2024, can opt to add prepaid gratuities before sailing to take advantage of the current rates. If they'd prefer to pay onboard, their gratuity charge will be applied to their onboard account at the new rate."

Royal Caribbean last raised their gratuities in Nov. 2023. Before that, the daily charge was $16.00 per person for standard cabins and $18.50 for suites. 

All Royal Caribbean sailings booked on or after November 1, 2024, will automatically reflect the increased rate. 

Moreover, Royal Caribbean quietly increased the service charge for salon and spa services. According to their website, an 18% gratuity will automatically be added to beverage and beverage packages, room service and mini-bar purchases, and specialty dining and specialty dining packages. 

However, pre-cruise and onboard spa and salon purchases are subject to a 20% service charge. This matches Celebrity Cruises' salon/spa policy. 

What are gratuities?

Daily gratuities are to ensure hardworking crew members are tipped throughout the voyage. Rather than carrying around spare dollar bills and being responsible for managing tips, major cruise lines automatically add a daily gratuity to passengers' onboard accounts to simplify the process. 

Guests also have the option to prepay them in advance to help split up the cost of their vacation. Since the gratuities are added to your overall cruise cost to be paid by the final payment date, you can better budget for your vacation and avoid any surprises once onboard. 

As exemplified by the second increase within the past year, prepaying gratuities can also help save money. If Royal Caribbean does increase the cost, those who have already prepaid their tips are grandfathered in, meaning they won't have to pay anything extra. 

If you are booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise and wish to lock in the current pricing, call 866-562-7625 before Nov. 1. Guests who made their reservation through a travel agent should contact them as soon as possible. 

Are passengers required to pay gratuities? 

Royal Caribbean stipulates that gratuities are at the discretion of each guest. To make the process easier, they automatically add the suggested daily gratuity amount to each passengers' folio account; however, guests may visit Guest Services once onboard to adjust the amount. 

"We hope guests find these suggested amounts to be an accurate reflection of their satisfaction and are grateful for their generous recognition of the Royal Caribbean staff," reads their FAQ. 

What's the gratuity rate on other cruise lines?

Guests in standard staterooms on Celebrity pay $18.00 per person, per day; $18.50 for Concierge and Aqua Class cabins; and $23.00 for The Retreat. 

Carnival Cruise Line charges $16.00 per person, per day, for standard cabins, while suite guests pay $18.00 per person, per day. 

Norwegian has some of the pricey gratuities for a mainstream cruise line, with passengers in standard and Club Balcony cabins charged $20.00 per person, per day. Suite guests (including those in The Haven) pay $25.00 per person, per day. 

The recommended daily rate for Disney Cruise Line passengers in standard cabins is $14.50 per person, per day. The rate for guests booked in a Concierge stateroom or suite is $15.50 per person, per day. 

The adult-only Virgin Voyages includes gratuities in their cruise fares.  

Related reading: 

• Should you prepay gratuities for a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

I recently spent 4 nights in an inside cabin while aboard Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, the Utopia of the Seas.

Just launched this summer, Utopia of the Seas is the latest iteration in the record-breaking Oasis Class ship.

The seventh Oasis Class vessel is breaking new records of her own: Utopia is the first Royal Caribbean mega-ship to debut offering only 3 and 4-night cruises. 

A sailing on Utopia promises 'The World's Biggest Weekend' on one of the largest cruise ships in the world.

My cabin for the voyage was a small, windowless interior cabin that was assigned to me because I opted for a guarantee cabin instead of picking my own room.  This saved me some money, while giving up the specific choice in cabin location,

The total cost was $1342 with gratuities included, which breaks down to $167 per person, per night.

A few weeks before the sailing, I was assigned cabin 11415, an interior connecting stateroom that spans about 150 square feet.

Typically, I avoid booking connecting rooms because you're liable to get noise leakage from the strangers next door.

This cabin was assigned to us as one of the unsold staterooms, proving that connecting cabins are less desirable if you're not booking with another group.

I was concerned about hearing noises or sounds coming through the connecting door, but, by the end of the sailing, my fears were assuaged.

We didn't hear many loud noises from the next door—the only noise bleed occurred when people were walking in the hall and we could hear them from the stateroom.

The cabin itself provided a comfortable, dark spot to sleep in. Here's a look inside.

Although the room looked the same size as many other interior cabins I've stayed in, I noticed this can had newer amenities.

All of the lights were bright, the air conditioning and television had modern touches, and the entire cabin felt clean and new.

I appreciated the layout, which made it easier to share a small stateroom between two people.

When I first opened the door, I was greeted with the bathroom door to my right and the closet on the left. 

The bathroom was a small space decorated with light blue flowers and purple tiles. It held a long sink, a toilet, and a tall shower with a glass door.

The bathroom was super small, and only accommodated one person at a time—you and your travel buddy won't be brushing teeth side by side.

However, it had plenty of storage space, from shelves to hooks, that made it easier to spread out and not feel cramped.

While I liked the length the sink offered for me to spread out my belongings, the curved, smooth surface made it easy for water to spill. The counter area seemed to be wet for the majority of the cruise.

The four large shelves to the left of the sink, and a long shelf underneath it, ensured that I had plenty of other locations to place toiletries.

I'm always impressed by the water pressure and temperature on Royal Caribbean ships, but Utopia of the Seas had a particularly fancy shower attachment.

These modern amenities made showers an enjoyable experience, even within a tiny bathroom space.

Read more: 5 things to know before sailing on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas

Opposite the bathroom, I slid the doors open to the closet.

The closet featured two sliding doors with separate sides.

Read more: I spent $2,223 for 3 nights in a 191-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin

The left half held a hanging space with hangers and an extra rod at the bottom. The right half had a series of six shelves and the stateroom's securely locking safe.

Beside the closet was the television, installed above a set of drawers and table. 

The TV had around 20 free channels, as well as movies available at an extra cost.

I appreciated that multiple channels would stream or show re-caps of events happening onboard, which was a great way to take advantage of a short sailing.

When I got back to the stateroom after dinner or late at night, I could turn on the television and see the highlights of events I missed or had to leave early.

Each of these five drawers was deep and wide, leaving me plenty of space to store all my clothes and books.

The largest bottom compartment held the stateroom's mini-fridge/cooler, which doesn't have a cooling component but can keep food and drinks fresh.

Usually, Royal Caribbean's stateroom coolers are too thin to hold a wide plate or glass fully. Utopia of the Seas appears to have solved that problem: I found that this cooler was the perfect shape to store all my drinks and wider dishes.

Next, the end of the stateroom held the two twin-sized beds. If we wanted to, we could have requested these to be pushed together into a King size bed, but my sibling and I preferred separate beds.

These beds were small, but super comfortable, with plush pillows and cooling sheets.

The stateroom also had... wait for it... charging ports next to the beds!

Older Royal Caribbean staterooms tend to lack charging space, especially right next to the beds. Usually, I'll have to charge my phone and other devices across the room. 

On Utopia, each bed featured its own three-shelf bedside table, complete with a lamp, two USB ports, and one two-prong charging port.

I also chose the bed that featured the stateroom's phone, which guests can use for free to contact crew members and venues, or at an extra cost to make international calls.

Facing the beds—in a corner of its own—was the stateroom vanity. The mirror featured a bright ring light above a desk space, charging ports, a comfortable chair, and a trash can under the table.

The vanity held even more charging ports, offering a range of options to plug in at least five devices.

These stateroom changes made me think of Royal Caribbean's recent ban on multi-outlet plugs. On ships like Utopia of the Seas, guests might not have a problem charging devices on single plugs. 

While the cheaper price is a good reason for booking interior cabins, I also genuinely enjoy sleeping in them. The simple, windowless spaces make for the perfect quiet space to crash after a long day of cruise ship activities.

I could sleep through the morning in the dark stateroom.

Changes coming to Royal Caribbean may offer you new ways to vacation, or shake up the cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean is never content maintaining the status quo when it comes to their product. I'm reminded of Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain's comments about how there is no "new normal" when it comes to cruise.

"When we design our ships, we talk about a design formula of one third tradition, one third evolution and one third revolution," he said in a video a few years ago. 

"As I said, our mantra is continuous improvement. And it means just that everything gets better. Every chance we get."

To that point, there are four big changes that we know about already for Royal Caribbean in 2025 that you should be tracking now. 

The line will undoubtedly add other changes during the course of the year, but these are significant evolutions you can expect in the coming year.

Opening the first beach club

The first of three beach clubs in Royal Caribbean's portfolio will open in 2025.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in Nassau, Bahamas and be unlike a private island experience.  It will be limited to just Royal Caribbean guests, but there will be an admission cost to it and not every passenger will have the opportunity to go because there is a maximum capacity.

It's essentially a Royal Caribbean run shore excursion, built to the standards their customers expect from them.  It incorporates some of the best features from Perfect Day at CocoCay, along with some new improvements.

The beach club is conveniently located where the cruise ships dock.  It will offer three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, and four restaurants.

There is no official opening date, but Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said last month he expects the opening to happen sometime between October-December 2025.

Two more beach clubs will open in the next few years in Cozumel, Mexico and Vanuatu.

It's a bold plan to offer something no other cruise line has, separating it from other vacations.

Major upgrades to Allure of the Seas

After delaying improvements to Allure of the Seas in 2020, one of the biggest cruise ship's in the world is about to get some serious enhancements.

In March 2025, Allure of the Seas will take a break for a month and undergo significant changes.

The ship is getting all sorts of additions:

• Redesigned Caribbean pool deck
• Ultimate Abyss slide
• New waterslides
• Kids aquapark
• Pesky parrot tiki bar
• Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade (specialty)
• Mason Jar southern American food restaurant (specialty)
• El Loco Fresh Mexican restaurant (included)
• Escape room
• Laser tag
• Upgraded kids & Teens spaces
• New suites

The total cost of all this work is $100 million-plus, and it will breathe new life into Allure.

Cabin recategorization

Beginning with cruises in 2025, Royal Caribbean will implement its new cabin codes.

These became visible when the 2025-2026 deployment was released, but we'll now have new room codes for certain cabins.

Part of the reason to make this change is to simplify the choices for travel agents as well as add new room types meant to appeal to certain types of people that cruise.

The goals of the room recategorization are:

• More options & configurations for guests with large families
• Separated Triple and Quad occupancy interior & oceanview staterooms
• New high occupancy guarantee staterooms
• New Junior Suite & Balcony categories

What this really means is this will be the first year the new room categories are in effect as it relates to the actual cabins on a ship. Most of this is changing the cruise lexicon, but it's important to be aware of these new sorts of cabins, especially if you're used to booking a certain room.

A prime example of this are the aft balcony cabins.

The aft facing balconies and Junior Suites are now going to be separated out as new categories new categories, starting with the Sunset Junior Suite.

Royal Caribbean says they are making the change so that guests can quickly and easily find these cabins.

Star of the Seas launch

It doesn't get more exciting than welcoming a new cruise ship, and the second Icon Class ship joins the fleet in 2025.

Star of the Seas will begin offering cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida in August 2025.

Star is the follow-up to Icon of the Seas, and considering how popular Icon has been, this will be Royal Caribbean's attempt to match their success.

While the ship will be more similar to Icon than not, there are a few tweaks, updates, and changes we can expect on Star.

There will be a couple revamped and new dining choices. Pier 7 is getting completely replaced, while Empire Supper Club is getting a new motif.

It also looks like Star will have a Broadway show onboard, with Back to the Future: The Musical.

The launch of Star of the Seas has a side effect, in that it will shift Wonder of the Seas to offer short cruises from Miami. This is significant, because Wonder will become the second Oasis Class ship to sail weekend cruises.  And with Icon and Star offering weeklong cruises, and Utopia and Wonder doing short cruises, it sets up Royal Caribbean's proverbial chess pieces exactly where they want to be.

When Toby Keith sang his hit song about loving a bar, I feel the same thing about the Mason Jar bar.

Royal Caribbean created the first Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas when that ship debuted in 2022, and followed it up with a second on Utopia of the Seas. A third location will be added next year to Allure of the Seas when she gets a major update.

On any ship, there are dozens of bars you could visit, but I think the Mason Jar combines great music, a special drink menu, and energetic staff to create an experience I haven't found elsewhere.

Over the years, I've been fond of spending time at the English Pub or Schooner Bar for the great live music. Even Playmakers has a great setup with the sports coverage, and the new Pesky Parrot bar on Utopia deserves some attention for creativity. But I don't head to any of them as quickly as the Mason Jar.

Music and the band

The Mason Jar is a country bar, which may seem like a polarizing choice.  Heck, I don't even consider myself a fan of country music in the sense while at home I never listen to it.

But just like the Schooner Bar performer picks the well-known hit piano classics to sing, the Mason Jar band tends to lean heavily into popular songs that just so happen to be country music tunes.

I never thought I'd be that into country music until I started to realize a lot of the songs they sing there are songs I like:

• "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
• "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker
• "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver
• "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band
• "I Love This Bar" by Toby Keith
• "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood

There's also more traditional country songs too, but I find the majority of songs played are the tunes I've not only heard before, but probably know the chorus too.

And I can't talk about the music at the bar without mentioning the Country Trio band that perform there. In particular, the trio that include Bryan, Jeff, and Colin/Josh are my top favorite.

They embody the ideal stage performer on Royal Caribbean: talented musicians that have a great personality and get the crowd into the show while they perform.

There have been many evenings that I have re-arranged my plans to see their sets.

The unique drinks

Royal Caribbean's Food & Beverage team has been waging a secret war on clichéd cruise drinks, and you'll find one of their crowning achievements in the Mason Jar.

Sure, you can get a pina colada or daiquiri there, but there is an entire menu of special drinks developed just for the Mason Jar.

Many of the drinks source specific liquors that you don't usually find on a Royal Caribbean ship. The beverage team came up with 8 new cocktails to try, only available at the Mason Jar.

My absolutely favorite drink is the PB&J Old Fashioned: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey mixed with Kentucky Bourbon, strawberry jelly and walnut bitters, garnished with a mini crustless PB&J.

It tastes amazing, and I can easily drink a few of these any evening. It's single handily a reason for me to get a drink package given it maxes out the per-drink value allocated by the package.

My wife's go-to drink is the Mississippi Moonlight: Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, fresh blackberries, topped with lemonade.

For Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean added an Apple Pie Old Fashioned cocktail to the menu, which is served with an apple turnover.

I really like that the drinks here are not "more of the same", and it adds to the appeal to stop by for something special.

Mason Jar drink menu

The secret ingredient: crew members

Crew members across any ship work hard, but it seems like the bar staff at the Mason Jar really love their jobs.

It's kind of funny to think about crew members from Romania, Ukraine, and the Philippines getting so into a bar designed around the American south, but they bring an energy to the experience.

They know the drink menu quite well, but they also sing and dance during the performances.  They're quick to share a laugh, and on a rare occasion, come up on stage for a song.

As you get to know Effy, Claudia, Cristian, Michael, "Sexy" Rex, or Herbert, you'll quickly see what I'm talking about.

Mason Jar menus

Brunch menu

Dinner menu

Happy Sunday, and welcome back to our round-up of all the latest Royal Caribbean news. It's been a busy week for the cruise line, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship is closer to completion.

Star of the Seas just reached an important milestone in her construction: sitting in water.

Amid a huge celebration, Star of the Seas was floated out on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland this week.

The second Icon Class ship will officially launch in August of 2025, offering 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises out of Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean gives critical update on repair progress to world's biggest cruise ship
• Why you should always check these cruise ship policies before you sail
• Royal Caribbean cancels sailings and redeploys cruise ship away from Middle East
• Best Cabins for First-Time Royal Caribbean Cruisers
• A Royal Caribbean cruise ship in Alaska is having the worst luck and had to skip almost all of its port stops
• What experienced cruisers do differently during hurricane season
• Two Royal Caribbean megaships in drydock at the same time
• Royal Caribbean updates: 167 sick from gastrointestinal illness, strike won't affect cruise ships, and more
• The worst time to cruise to Bermuda
• 10 annoying habits that will make you the least popular person on a cruise
• Cruise ships change itineraries to avoid Hurricane Milton
• Royal Caribbean’s new Bahamas Beach Club looks ready to start building

New RCB Video: Royal Caribbean banned an important cruise item (DON'T bring it onboard!)

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: Royal Caribbean banned an important cruise item (DON'T bring it onboard!).

Don't forget to like and subscribe!

Rude things people do during a show on a cruise ship

Among the unwritten rules of going on a cruise are things you shouldn't do during a show.

Royal Caribbean has made a name for itself by offering the best entertainment at sea, and these shows are just as intricate and formal as Broadway or West End production.

Being on vacation isn't carte blanche to do whatever you want.

Loyalty Perks Beyond the Cruise: Using Crown & Anchor Society Rewards on Land

Smart cruisers can use their Royal Caribbean loyalty program rewards on more than just Royal Caribbean cruises.

Crown and Anchor Society members receive special benefits on land as well.

From Las Vegas casinos to Hertz car rentals, here's how to take advantage of these perks.

I tried a Celebrity cruise again and the loyalty benefits blew me away

Matt recently tried sailing Celebrity Cruises, taking a 3-night cruise on Celebrity Reflection. 

While there were aspects he didn't like, the loyalty benefits amazed him. 

Since Royal Caribbean now matches loyalty programs across all brands, Matt could enjoy the highest level of rewards on just his third Celebrity cruise.

How to choose the perfect cabin on Royal Caribbean's newest ships

Want to sail on Royal Caribbean's newest and biggest ships?

The latest iterations for the cruise line—whether that's Wonder of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, or Utopia of the Seas—feature some innovative, luxurious cabins. Cruisers can choose between dozens of cabin categories to find the stateroom that best fits their preferences.

Here's how to choose the perfect cabin for your needs.

Royal Caribbean is making changes to avoid Hurricane Milton.

UPDATED: October 08, 2024 9:40 AM

The storm is a massive hurricane, expected to reach Category 5 before making landfall in Florida midweek.

In anticipation of the storm, Royal Caribbean has changed the itineraries for eight ships so far to avoid the storm.

The world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island because of the major hurricane.

"In order to steer clear of any adverse weather, we'll need to skip our visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, and enjoy a Sea Day instead."

The ship was scheduled to go to CocoCay on Friday.

To make up for the change, Icon of the Seas will stay docked in port longer in St. Thomas and St. Kitts until sunset.

Mariner of the Seas is also skipping a port day.

Because Cozumel, Mexico is closed to sea traffic, Mariner of the Seas will remain at sea and enjoy a sea day.

Mariner was sailing from Galveston, Texas on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise.

Harmony of the Seas, which will leave Galveston, Texas on Sunday, will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and visit Costa Maya, Mexico on Wednesday.

In addition, Harmony will enjoy a Sea Day on Day 3, and depart Cozumel, Mexico, at 5:00 PM on Day 5.

Symphony of the Seas is departing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey on Sunday and will now skip a scheduled visit to Port Canaveral, Florida and replace it with a sea day.

Symphony has also decided to skip visits to Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay and head to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Another megaship, Wonder of the Seas, had made changes to avoid the widespread effects of Milton.

Wonder will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder will visit Cozumel on Day 6 and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Utopia of the Seas has re-ordered its itinerary due to the storm.

Utopia will swap the days the ship will visit Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay. They will visit CocoCay on Tuesday and then wait to visit Nassau until Thursday.

One of Royal Caribbean's ships sailing from Tampa, Florida is completely changing its itinerary.

Grandeur of the Seas was originally scheduled to offer a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, she will sail to The Bahamas and visit Nassau on Day 4.  

Independence of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Cozumel and instead go to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

"We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority. Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather," the cruise line said in a statement.

What about other ships?

If you have a cruise on another ship this coming week, expect updates if the occur to be communicated by the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean advised passengers with cruises in the projected path of the storm to keep an eye on their emails.

Given the uncertainty of where exactly the storm will hit, the precise strength, and path, other changes will take a little longer to come to fruition, especially cruises that depart or return to Florida mid-week.

Royal Caribbean employs its own meteorologist to help track storms.

Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer works with cruise ship Captains to determine the best plan when a tropical storm hits.

Milton expected to be a major hurricane

Forecasters believe Milton will wallop the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane.

As of Monday morning, Milton is about 735 miles southwest of Tampa with winds now sustained at 150 mph with a forward motion to the east-southeast at 8 mph.

Most cruises depart on weekends, and the storm should be impacting Florida between Wednesday and Thursday.

The storm is forecast to possibly reach Category 5 before making landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday afternoon.

Models are not in agreement yet which part of Florida will be directly in the path of the storm. But it appears all but certain to be a problem for Central Florida.

Mr. Setzer wrote on X/Twitter, "The cone represents where the center is expected to track 2/3’s of the time.  Because the system is still coming together there may be some larger track shifts, especially at days 4 and 5.  It’s not impossible but also lot highly likely."

That's part of why Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines may take time to determine further changes to itineraries.

With it looking likely Florida will see a major hurricane next week, many cruisers are eager to know how the storm will impact their cruise.

It's quite early, but Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer is already tracking the storm's development and working with ship Captains to determine the best approach.

Mr. Setzer provides expert advice, but ultimately the Captains decide the best and safest voyage plan.

Mr. Seztzer took to X/Twitter to share that Royal Caribbean is actively looking at options, but no changes have been announced yet.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has begun changing ship itineraries due to Hurricane Milton.

"Thanks for all of the cruise questions. I have spent nearly the entire day working with Captains and teams discussing safely altering itineraries where needed to avoid dangerous weather.  The Captain has the final say, and until he makes the decision, I don't know anything firm."

Cruise ships will seek new itineraries to avoid any tropical storm.  Certainly there's a lot of variables involved, especially with the timing of a storm and where it will actually hit worst.

Mr. Setzer added, "One thing I do know is Royal is very proactive with their guest communications, and as soon as a plan is finalized, the message goes out to the guests right away."

Based on the information available today, Mr. Setzer replied to questions he received on expectations. For cruises on the east coast of Florida, such as Port Canaveral, he expects strong winds, "It will likely weaken crossing the peninsula but still be quite powerful."

A strong storm going west to east

The latest update on Tropical Storm Milton is to call for an intensity forecast of category 3 near landfall on the west coast of Florida.  

Mr. Setzer noted it's different with the path of this storm and the effect it has on both land and the intensity, "Unlike a storm moving north & along the coast where little track shifts make large up/down the coast differences, little shifts will not change landfall location as much, bigger shifts matter and that's what we will watch for."

He believes there will be a "potentially significant hurricane event on Sunday."

Tracking Milton

The National Hurricane Center said on Saturday that Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and will strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida.

As of 5 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, Milton was centered 245 miles north of Veracruz, Mexico, and 385 miles west-northwest of Veracruz, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was inching north-northeast at 3 mph. 

After rapid intensification, the storm is expected to, "bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the west coast of Florida next week."

The forecast also calls it for Milton to be a major hurricane, because it will reach category 3 status.

What should you do if you have a cruise next week?

Based on my experience cruising during hurricane season, you shouldn't change or make any new plans yet.

It's too early to cancel your trip because the exact path of the storm is unknown, and cancelling now will incur change fees and cancellation fees.

As Mr. Setzer said, Royal Caribbean will contact you when there's a change made to your itinerary or sailing. Until that time, you're best off waiting.

That can be agonizing because it feels like you're limbo, but cancelling before Royal Caribbean makes a change not only means lost money, but you also won't qualify for any onboard credits or future cruise credits if the line later makes a change.

Perhaps the top question you have is, "will my cruise be cancelled because of Hurricane Milton?" and it's simply too early to know.

Royal Caribbean will make every effort to get the cruise out, as long as it's safe. A sailing might be lengthened or shortened in order to avoid having the ship in port during a storm.

Cancelling a cruise is usually the last option, and quite rare.  But it could occur.

As was the case during Hurricane Helene, no cruises were cancelled due to the storm.  But many were re-routed and itineraries changed.

Read more: What experienced cruisers do differently during hurricane season