Royal Caribbean Blog

One crew member died and four other crew members were injured on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas earlier today.

During a lifeboat drill that was conducted in Marseilles, France, an accident occurred when a lifeboat, with five people on board, broke free from the vessel and fell. 

Royal Caribbean confirmed the injury totals via social media.

Sad news to share that a #HarmonyoftheSeas crew member has died of injuries suffered during a lifeboat drill conducted in Marseille, France.

— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) September 13, 2016

Four other #HarmonyoftheSeas crewmembers received medical treatment. We're keeping our colleagues & their families in our thoughts & prayers

— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) September 13, 2016

Local news in France are reporting the accident occurred this morning when the boat detached from the fifth deck while it had five people on board.

Harmony of the Seas is cruising the Mediterranean and departed Rome on September 8.

One of the first events on every Royal Caribbean cruise is when guests get their SeaPass card to use onboard their cruise. Every guest must use one and it is your figurative and literal key to your cruise experience and here is what you need to know about your SeaPass card and account.

SeaPass basics

When you hear the word, "SeaPass," it refers to your onboard expense account that is a lot like a credit card account, where all of your onboard purchases are charged against.  Since Royal Caribbean ships are cashless, your SeaPass card is how you make purchases, gain access to designated areas of the ship and identify yourself to Royal Caribbean easily.

Each person on the ship (including kids) will receive a SeaPass card with their information stored in the account. At embarkation, you will put down a credit card (American Express, Optima, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and Diner's Club) to place against your purchases.  At the end of your cruise, all of your purchases are added up and charged to that credit card.

Royal Caribbean also allows you to use traveler's checks, debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo, or cash to activate your SeaPass charging.

Once onboard your ship, you can use the SeaPass card to do things like

• Get into your stateroom
• Make onboard purchases
• Check-in when returning back to the ship in ports
• Accessing your onboard photos

Your SeaPass card is something to bring with you anywhere you go onboard or onshore. 

Making purchases

Using your SeaPass card to make purchases online is pretty simple and identical to using a credit card. Present your SeaPass card to a Royal Caribbean crew member and they will swipe it, provide you with a receipt to sign and that is about it.

A running tab of all your purchases will be kept under separate folio numbers for each guest and an itemized statement left in your stateroom the night before disembarkation.

Normally to activate this SeaPass account, most guests provide a credit card, (American Express, Optima, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and Diner's Club), to have these purchases charged to at the end of their cruise. Additionally, the SeaPass system may be activated with traveler's checks, debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo, or cash.

Onboard credit

Often, guests have onboard credit from a variety of channels. This onboard credit is effectively free money that is credited to your SeaPass account that will offset purchases made onboard.

If you have any onboard credit, it will automatically post to your SeaPass account on the first night of your cruise.  All charges you make your SeaPass card are first deducted from your onboard credit before you start accruing a tab.

You cannot designate certain charges to go against your onboard credit in lieu of others. Rather, it's a first charged, first debted system.

Kids

Children receive a SeaPass card too and they are essentially no different from an adult account, although there can be differences if you would like.

Minors receive SeaPass cards that have a different design to easily identify them to any crew member. 

In addition, parents can opt to revoke charging privileges completely or give a daily limit.

Our next adventure is coming up on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas and we will be LIVE blogging every day of the cruise, to share with you what it is like to experience this amazing ship.

Our cruise begins later this week, but here is a cruise preview to share with you what to expect on our trip!

Our cruise

This sailing aboard Freedom of the Seas happens to be the third Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise, which is an event we set up earlier this year to invite everyone that enjoys this blog to sail together on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

We chose Freedom of the Seas because it is a very popular ship.  In fact, Freedom of the Seas is the ship I have been on the most across Royal Caribbean's entire fleet.  She is a large ship that offers a lot of great activities and options, and comes in at a terrific price.  In addition, we are sailing over Labor Day weekend in the United States, which means many of us will only have to take 4 vacation days.

Part of the reason I find myself coming back to Freedom of the Seas time and time again is the great variety of what she offers. Fabulous specialty dining, a fun pool deck and great entertainment every day of the cruise stacks up to offer one of the best values.  It is amusing to consider that despite the ship being barely 10 years old, her pricing relative to the newer ships in the fleet has lead to one of the best bang-for-the-buck anyone can find.

Sharing this cruise experience with my friends from Royal Caribbean Blog means that there will be lots of friendly faces aboard the ship. As I mentioned, this is our third group cruise, and each one has been even more fun than a normal cruise because we run into friends all over and that means we get to cruise with other Royal Caribbean fans that "get" just how fun and amazing a Royal Caribbean cruise can be.

Our stateroom

For this cruise, we are trying something new and different to us, a Promenade view stateroom.  We reserved two connecting Promenade view rooms because we wanted to keep our cruise fare low, without compromising on having a view.  

I have two children, ages 1 and 5, and I think they will love the endless viewing opportunities a room like this offers.  Plus, the bay window in Promenade view rooms provides a little extra living space with that couch near the window.

As a parent, we chose two connecting rooms instead of one larger room to provide extra living space, get an extra bathroom and get separation from our children (especially at night time). We love our kids, but need sharing a room with two young children is not always preferable, so having that extra room means they can sleep on their schedule and they also have their own space to play together.

Our itinerary

We are sailing on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas, that will take us to cruise ports we love.  While there are no ports of call that are new to us, we are getting a chance to re-visit some favorites.

Two of my favorite Caribbean ports are Labadee and Cozumel.  In Labadee, we rented a beach cabana so that the kids can have a comfortable place to relax and have easy access to the beach.  I love the cabanas at Labadee for the privacy and perks they provide.  I prefer the over the water cabanas for the added privacy, but with the kids being as young as they are, a beach cabana makes it far easier for them to get to and from the beach.

When I visit Cozumel, we just explore San Miguel and do a combination of eating, shopping, more eating and generally wandering the town (with some eating along the way).

On this cruise, we are visiting Grand Cayman for the first time in a while, and we have something super fun planned. I have invited everyone that booked into our Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise to join us on a private yacht excursion.  We found a great chartering service in Grand Cayman, that has a 55' yacht that offers three staterooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, jet ski, sun loungers, stereo and a whole lot more.  Plus, we get to go wherever we want around the island! This is going to be such an incredible experience that I get to share with my friends from Royal Caribbean Blog!

Three things I am excited to try

I have a lot of plans for this cruise, but here are the top five experiences and activities that I am most excited to do on this sailing.

3. Eat at Sabor

Hi, my name is Matt and I am a Sabor addict.

Hi Matt.

I make no apologies about how much I really, really love Sabor Modern Mexican, and cruising on Freedom of the Seas means I get yet another chance to eat here a few times. Between the amazing guacamole, hand-crafted margaritas and tuna tacos, not sure how I will be able to bring myself to dine anywhere else onboard.

2. Try the ultimate drink package

For this cruise, I booked Royal Caribbean's ultimate drink package prior to my cruise.  I generally do not buy the drink packages because I do not feel I can get my money's worth from them to make it worth my while.  But I changed my tune for this sailing for a few reasons. 

First, the drink package was discounted 20%, which means the difference in price between the premium drink package and ultimate drink package was $5 per day.  That means I have to drink just one coffee from Cafe Promenade a day to break even.  I was planning on doing that anyway, even before the drink package.  

Second, the drink package allows me to lock-in my beverage costs for this cruise, and that means my SeaPass bill at the end of the cruise will be much smaller. Breaking up the total cost of the cruise is a major benefit of all the drink packages.

Third, I have never tried the ultimate drink package, so this will be an opportunity to see how I do with it.  One of the top reasons I avoid the drink packages is because I feel that I drink for the sake of drinking when I have them, so we will see if that holds up or not.  I plan on documenting in each live blog post how many drinks I had that day to account for the value the drink package provided me.

1. Promenade view room

As I noted earlier, this will be my first time staying in a Promenade view stateroom.  While I have poked my head in a few over the years, this is the first time I will stay in one.  

My hope is the kids will really enjoy the view, especially when there is the first parade on the Royal Promenade that is often late at night. Moreover, I want them to find their own value from being able to see all the action on the Royal Promenade from the comfort of their room.

Personally, I am excited to see what the experience is like and have convenient access to the Royal Promenade. I seem to spend more time on the Royal Promenade than other places onboard, so being close by makes sense.

What's next

Our Freedom of the Seas cruise begins on Sunday, September 4th and I will be sharing the details on the blog, as well as across my social media channels.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Periscope for live updates throughout the day.

I invite you to share in this experience with me, by posting in the comments for any blog post questions and comments you may have.  I try to make these live blogs as interactive as I can, so I want everyone to feel welcome to share their thoughts.

Thanks for reading all of this and welcome aboard our next fun live blog experience!

Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, the Crown and Anchor Society, provides guests with some great rewards for being, "loyal to Royal" and cruising again and again with the company.  The benefits have always been a compelling reason to continue cruising with Royal Caribbean, and great incentive to move up the ranks of the Crown and Anchor Society to enjoy the top-tier benefits available. Of the many Crown & Anchor benefits available to guests, one of the most popular are the onboard discounts that are pre-loaded onto each SeaPass account.

How lucrative are these Crown and Anchor discounts and how much money could they save you on your next sailing? These are the sort of questions you might be wondering too, so here is our cost benefits of the Crown and Anchor Society, broken down by each level.

In order to calculate these benefits into dollars and cents, we looked at the perks available to members before and during their cruise and tried our best to assign a monetary value based on what they offer. Some benefits are a bit too intangible to assign an exact amount to, but we estimated as fairly as possible.  In many cases, there are discounts that can very greatly depending on what you actually order (internet package discounts, spa treatment discounts, etc) and we did the best job to offer a median discount, or something close to average.  We did note in these situations what we picked to be clear. For any discounts related to specialty restaurants, we picked Giovanni's Table as our example because the price is the same across the fleet.

Please note all discounts listed were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting and these discounts can change at anytime.

Gold

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Receive 25% off any coffee beverage (not valid at Starbucks): $1.06
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 1 free Jackpot Card: $6
• Buy any internet package and receive 10% off your purchase: $12.59 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 10% off any one spa or salon service: $9.90 (60 minute Swedish massage)

Total average savings: $54.18

Platinum

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Buy any coffee beverage and get a second free: $4.25 (hot latte)
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 3 free Jackpot Card: $11
• Buy any internet package and receive 15% off your purchase: $18.88 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Two free Spin to Win at the Casino: $0 (Most likely prizes are trinkets of nearly zero value like keychains, and even then getting a "prize" is unlikely).
• 20% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $5 ($25 slot tournament)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 15% off any one spa or salon service: $14.85 (60 minute Swedish massage)

Total average savings: $86.61

Emerald

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 10% discount: $0.69
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• Buy any coffee beverage and get a second free: $4.25 (hot latte)
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $3 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 25% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $6.25 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy any internet package and receive 15% off your purchase: $18.88 (7-night 1 device Surf + Stream package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off: $2.50
• Buy one photo and receive 50% off discount on a second photo: $9.99
• Get 15% off any one spa or salon service: $14.85 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Receive $5 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 5 or more nights: $5
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5

Total average savings: $102.86

Diamond

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 20% discount: $1.38
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 25% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $6.25 ($25 slot tournament)
• 1 free day of internet usage or $30 off any Internet purchase: $30
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 5 or more nights: $10
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $173.42

Diamond Plus

• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 25% discount: $1.73
• Buy one, get one free Johnny Rockets milkshake: $4.50
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Purchase one cover charge in a Specialty Restaurant on the first or second night of your cruise and the second cover charge is free: $25 (Giovanni's Table)
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 30% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $7.50 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Card: $15
• $39.98 discount off any Internet purchase: $39.98
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• One free $30 wash and fog bag on 5 or more nights: $30
• 20% off one tuxedo rental package: $17.80 (Traditional package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Book a signature spa service while in port and receive a complimentary add on treatment: $25 (Frangipani Scalp Massage)
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $272.80

Pinnacle

• Purchase one cover charge in a Specialty Restaurant on the first or second night of your cruise and the second cover charge is free: $25 (Giovanni's Table)
• Buy any wine, beer or soda by the glass and get a second free: $6.95 (beer)
• Purchase any glass of wine, beer or soda and receive a 25% discount: $1.73
• One complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee drink with the purchase of dinner in any specialty restaurant: $8 (coffees from Chops Grille)
• Three free Spin to Win at the Casino: $1 (We assume one wins a keychain with three spins, we'll give a $1 value).
• 30% off Casino tournament entrance fee (excluding Poker tournaments): $7.50 ($25 slot tournament)
• Buy a Bingo Package and get 6 free Jackpot Cards: $15
• Free unlimited internet for the length of your voyage: $125.93 (7-night Voom Surf & Stream at $17.99 per day for one device)
• Receive $10 off a $30 bag of Wash and Fold Laundry on 8 or more nights: $10
• $5 off any dry cleaning or pressing services of $25 or more: $5
• One free $30 wash and fog bag on 5 or more nights: $30
• 20% off one tuxedo rental package: $17.80 (Traditional package)
• Spend $25 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 15% off: $3.75
• Free any size photo of your choice from your existing printed photograph selection: $19.99
• Get 10% off a digital photo package or photo book: $19.90 (All inclusive digital photo package)
• Get 20% off any one spa or salon service: $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• Book a signature spa service while in port and receive a complimentary add on treatment: $25 (Frangipani Scalp Massage)
• Stateroom phone discount of $2 per minute: $11.90 (assuming a two minute phone call)

Total average savings: $354.25

Conclusions

It should be noted that very few guests will ever use every single discount on a cruise. In fact, many discounts go rarely used by guests.  However, this blog post aimed to consider how much potential savings one can take advantage of, as well as the sheer number of discounts Royal Caribbean rewards its loyal customers with.

Not surprisingly, the potential savings jump the most when guests reach Diamond level.  The lucrative savings really add up in the top-tier levels, providing further incentive to return for another cruise.  There are plenty more benefits provided by Crown and Anchor Society that are arguably more important than those listed here.

Thanks for joining us for another weekly look at all of the Royal Caribbean news from this week.  The late-summer heat is still on, and we have plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share from this week.

A tropical storm in the Atlantic caused three Royal Caribbean ships to change itineraries in order to avoid being impacted by the storm.

Royal Caribbean announced changes for Freedom of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Empress of the Seas that resulted in some variations to the pre-set plans.

The changes for each ship were made to ensure the safety of every guest and crew member aboard.  There have been no futher itinerary updates announced for other ships.

Royal Caribbean News

• A New York deli is now available on Anthem of the Seas.
• Everything about Two70 on Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships.
• 5 things to love about Independence of the Seas.
• A passenger was found dead on Granduer of the Seas.
• New beach bungalows and beach beds are available to rent on CocoCay.
• 5 beverages not included in any Royal Caribbean drink package.
• A new Starbucks pre-paid coffee card was spotted on Oasis of the Seas.
• A look at the beauty of the main dining room on Explorer ofthe Seas.
• All about the Boardwalk neighborhood on Oasis-class ships.
• First time cruiser's guide to the Vitality Spa.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 160th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we talk with travel expert Dan Moore about Harmony of the Seas.

Harmony of the Seas is generating a lot of attention with all of its amazing features and Dan Moore recently sailed on her while in the Mediterranean.  Dan shared with us his the favorite aspects of the ship, as well as his tips for a great time.

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.

Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and spot something cool, new or just fun, share a photo with us on Facebook or Twitter so we can add it to our Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds each Sunday!

First drinks of our cruise and first time DB & The Princess have been sighted on @royalcar… https://t.co/HoC5IdQung pic.twitter.com/pqZ99yre6b

— DB and The Princess (@EatSleepCruise) August 27, 2016

@theRCLblog Touring the Explorer of the Sea, pretty sweet! pic.twitter.com/DVVE888m06

— Michael Rinehart (@MikeTweetsStuff) August 26, 2016

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

My Travel Monkey shared a trip report from Independence of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean lists the reasons a balcony stateroom is the best choice for a room.

Cruise Hive is reporting 3 cruise ship passengers injured on an excursion.

Cruise Habit has a look at cruising during hurricane season.

Royal Caribbean shares a look at the Wayfinders on its ships.

Cue the lavender scented oil, because we are talking about the ultimate means of relaxation on a Royal Caribbean cruise: the Vitality Spa.

Every Royal Caribbean ship has a spa and fitness center, which offers guests services, seminars and treatments that are aimed at making you feel better, look better and be healthier.  It's a splurge for guests that want to indulge during their vacation.

The spa costs extra, and can be booked online before the cruise or once onboard the ship.

The exact size and range of services will vary from ship to ship, but there are important considerations to know before stepping foot inside.

Spa services

Royal Caribbean's Vitality Spa offers quite a variety of services.  Typically, the spa is split into three main areas: the salon, the treatment area and the fitness center.  

The salons will typically offer manicures, pedicures, waxing, hair styling, barber services for men and more.

In the treatment part of the spa, guests can choose from deep-tissue massages, acupuncture, bamboo massages, teeth whitening, Botox, detox services and much more.  

A full list of spa services will be available once onboard your ship, although you can also get a pretty good idea of what is available by browsing the spa services listed on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.

Booking spa services

Royal Caribbean allows guests to reserve spa appointments either online before a cruise or once onboard.  

Booking spa services online in advance of your cruise will help break up the total cost of the cruise, as well as guarantee an appointment for a specific day and time.  It is important to note that spa services are rarely discounted prior to the cruise.

Most guests tend to book spa reservations once onboard the ship.  Slots do tend to fill up as the cruise progresses, but if you are flexible with appointment day and times, you can often find availability.  Each day, the Vitality Spa will offer some sort of discount or package deal, with the most lucrative deals often on port days.  Regardless, these specials are only available for booking the day they are offered. 

Reservations for the spa onboard the ship can be made at the spa entrance, by calling the spa directly from a courtesy phone or by contacting suite or Diamond concierge attendants.

If you want to have a service performed on a certain day or time (such as getting your hair or nails styled prior to formal night), reservations made as soon as possible are recommended. 

Gratuities

Keep in mind that it is customary to provide an additional gratuity for services performed at the spa.  Generally, Royal Caribbean will add an 18 percent tip to the receipt when paying for the service.

You do have the option of providing an additional tip if you choose, but it is not required.

Thermal Spa

Select Royal Caribbean ships offer a thermal spa, which is a collection of services that can be enjoyed on your own.  The exact options will depend on your ship, but usually it includes

• hot stone chairs
• rainforest shower room
• infrared sauna
• steam room

Royal Caribbean sells day-passes for this service, which offer unlimited access to the thermal spa.  These passes are limited in quantity to prevent overcrowding.

The Thermal Spa option is available on Radiance, Oasis and Quantum class ships.

Teen services

On Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center includes a separate YSPA (teen spa) area.

The YSPA offers treatments and services for guests that are 13-17 years old.

YSPA menu has facials, massages, nail and hair treatments. Sample treatments available in the YSPA are Acne Attack facial, Beach Babe deep conditioning hair treatment, Sole Mate pedicure and more.

Just like the adult area of the Vitality Spa, treatments at YSPA have an additional charge per service.

Spa tips

• Tours are available at anytime of the spa, but try to take a tour on embarkation day when they are the easiest to take.
• You can often ask the Spa staff what the specials will be in the days ahead.  You might not be able to book it, but at least be aware of what specials will be available later to book.
• There are certain activities held at the spa with no additional charge.  Theses events may have a sales-pitch to them, but there are some complimentary seminars and evaluations offered.
• Note the name of a crew member that performs a service at the spa that you like, so if you return, you can request that person again.

One of the most endearing neighborhoods found on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class cruise ships is the Boardwalk, which is reminiscent of the whimsical seaside resorts. Dedicated to family, fun and nostalgia, the Boardwalk neighborhood was inspired by both the seaside piers that dot the coast of England and the nostalgic boardwalks of yesteryear such as Coney Island.

The Boardwalk is one of seven seven distinct "neighborhoods" that help break up an Oasis class ship.  Located at the aft of the ship, the Boardwalk is a rather large area on the ship that offers lots of entertainment throughout the day and evening.

The area is well known for the dining and entertainment options, as well as view of the ocean.  Being at the rear of the ship, guests can catch a glimpse of the ocean, along with a show or something to eat. Boardwalk is an area for the entire family to enjoy together, whether young or just young at heart. The elements of the Boardwalk are a dynamic way to engage families in classic fun with a colorful original carousel as well as casual eateries, retail outlets and carnival games. 

There is plenty to see and do in the Boardwalk and here is a look at what you can look forward to on your next cruise.

Dining

Royal Caribbean offers some terrific dining options in the Boardwalk, including restaurants and bars.

These include

• Restaurants
  • Boardwalk Dog House
  • Sabor (Oasis, Allure and Harmony)
    • Sabor on Allure of the Seas review
    • Sabor on Oasis of the Seas review
  • Johnny Rockets
  • Cups & Scoops (Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas)
  • Starbucks (Harmony of the Seas)
  • Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade (Symphony of the Seas)
  • Sugar Beach candy shop (Symphony of the Seas)
• Bars
  • Sabor Bar

The various restaurants in the Boardwalk are inviting choices for lunch or dinner.  Johnny Rockets is open for breakfast (with no charge for breakfast), and as you stroll the Boardwalk, most of the options are perfect for dropping in for a bite to eat.  The Boardwalk features some of the best dining choices aboard any Royal Caribbean ship.

Staterooms

There are a number of staterooms that offer views of the Boardwalk neighborhood on Oasis-class ships, a feature that is unique to this class of cruise ship. 

On Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships, guests can reserve three types of staterooms that offer a view of the Boardwalk.

Boardwalk View Stateroom with Balcony

Balcony Boardwalk staterooms offer a sitting area (some with sofa bed), minibar and private balcony overlooking the amusements and exciting entertainment down on the Boardwalk.

Boardwalk balcony staterooms are 182 square feet in size, with a 52 square foot private balcony (on Oasis of the Seas, the balcony is 47 square feet).

These rooms are a very popular and attractively priced option. Depending on your stateroom location, there is the possibility of seeing the ocean and/or AquaTheater from the balcony.

Boardwalk View Stateroom

Similar to the Boardwalk View with Balcony rooms, the Boardwalk View rooms are like oceanview staterooms, but with a porthole instead of a balcony that overlooks the Boardwalk.  These rooms offer convenient access to the Boardwalk neighborhood.

The rooms are 187 square feet on Oasis of the Seas and 191 square feet on Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas in size. The rooms feature two twin beds that convert to Royal King, boardwalk view, sitting area, and a private bathroom.

Boardwalk View rooms will cost less than their balcony cousins, but still offer a way to see all the happenings on the Boardwalk.

AquaTheater Suite

One of the most luxurious stateroom options on Oasis-class ships are the AquaTheater suites, which offer the perfect vantage point for entertainment in the AquaTheater.  They also are immaculately furnished and feature private wrap-around balconies and more.

The appeal of these staterooms are the top-of-the-line experience, along with the fantastic views.  It goes without saying that a suite experience is the ultimate way to splurge and enjoy oneself on a cruise, and these AquaTheater suites are tough to beat.

AquaTheater suites range in size, but expect a room around 650-823 square feet in size, with a private balcony that is around 600-803 square feet in size.  Yes, this is a big room.

Entertainment

Like all areas of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Boardwalk offers many things to see and do as well.

The centerpiece of Boardwalk is a one-of-a-kind carousel. Handcrafted from poplar wood especially for Royal Caribbean, the full-sized, traditional carousel feature 18 figures suspended from stainless steel poles showcasing a time-honored menagerie of animals such as zebras, giraffes and lions, alongside a variety of hand-painted horses including a princess horse and a crowned frog prince.

The lead horse, customarily the fanciest horse of the carousel, is adorned with Royal Caribbean logos, while a single chariot serves as a stationary seat for two. The frame of the carousel has a red and golden yellow facade, turn-of-the-century artwork scenery panels, and LED lights that twinkle during the day and night.

Many shows will take place in the AquaTheater, which is a remarkable outdoor venue that features a backdrop of the ocean across the horizon. Guests will find a variety of shows during the day and a dazzling ocean front theater with water and light shows, and professional aquatic acrobatic and synchronized swimming performances by night. 

The AquaTheater is a distinct high diving, acrobatic performance space introduced by Royal Caribbean with the Oasis class of ships, that feature two 10-meter high platforms and the hydraulic-floored pool, the largest and deepest freshwater pool at sea, below will serve as podiums for high-diving, hair-raising aerobatics that AquaTheater audiences have come to love. With seating for 600 theatergoers, the AquaTheater features some of the very best entertainment found on any Royal Caribbean ship, and the diving shows are not to be missed. 

There are two rock climbing walls that flank the AquaTheater, with multiple climbing routes that offer the right kind of challenge for climbers of all levels.

The Boardwalk Arcade is another fun family option, where you can try your luck at ring toss, skeeball and other beloved carnival games.

Boardwalk Must-Dos

Of all the experiences available in the Boardwalk neighborhood, there are a few must-do activities we recommend all guests check out for themselves.

Take a ride on the Carousel

No cruise aboard an Oasis-class ship is complete without a ride (or three) on the Carousel.  Regardless of age, guests of all ages can enjoy the classic nature of this attraction.

Be sure to bring your camera, because there are bound to be terrific photo opportunities and ride during the evening and day to get completely different experiences.

AquaTheater shows

The evening AquaTheater diving and acrobatic shows are some of the best entertainment Royal Caribbean offers and should not be missed.  The shows are awe inspiring athletic and artistic masterpieces that features incredible diving performances.

There are three different shows featured in the evening across the Oasis-class ships.

• Oasis of the Seas: Oasis of Dreams
• Allure of the Seas: OceanAria
• Harmony of the Seas: The Fine Line

Guacamole at Sabor

On three Oasis-class ships, Sabor is priced a la carte, and that means it is easy to drop in for arguably the best food on their menu, the guacamole.  

The guacamole at Sabor is authentic and incredibly tasty, and has been widely regarded by other Royal Caribbean fans as superior to most other guacamole they may have tried.  Enjoy a serving of guacamole and chips either in the restaurant or take it to go to enjoy elsewhere. Regardless, you will find the perfect snack on your cruise.

The Boardwalk is available on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

What do you enjoy about the Boardwalk? Share your thoughts in our comments!

Guests visiting Royal Caribbean's private destination of CocoCay have a new option for a little privacy and fun.  Beach Bungalows are now available on Royal Caribbean's web site to reserve.

Royal Caribbean built 35 of these beach bungalows in the South Beach area of the island. Each bungalow rental costs $225 and accommodates up to six guests.

Royal Caribbean describes these beach bungalows as a haven of tranquility, a type of "members-only" area. Each beach bungalow includes floating beach mats, water, and beach towels. Transportation to and from Beach Bungalows is via private Cocolimo shuttle transportation.

These new beach bungalows are in addition to the CocoCay cabanas available for rent that have been available for a number of years.

Royal Caribbean has been working on adding upgraded enhancements to CocoCay since July, and the South Beach area is seeing a lot of attention. In addition to the beach bungalows, there are new restrooms that have been added that are just a 5 minute walk from South Beach, as well as 650 new lounge chairs at South Beach.

Thanks to Shannon for alerting us to this news!

Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages include a lot of different drinks and in a great majority of drinks, but there are a handful of exceptions. These are few and far between, but it is important to be aware of what is not included prior to making the decision to purchase an unlimited beverage package.

These five drinks are not the only drinks not included in a drink package, but these are the ones most likely to be encountered.

1. Johnny Rockets milkshake

UPDATE: As of July 2018, the milkshakes at Johnny Rockets are included with the drink packages.

If you happen to dine at Johnny Rockets on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you will enjoy some really tasty burgers, fries and onion rings, but if you want to wash it down with a milkshake, you will have to pay extra for it.

The thick and frothy milk shakes that Johnny Rockets are well-known for how good they are, and guests on a drink package will have to pay extra for them.

If you are a Crown and Anchor Society member, all levels usually enjoy a buy one, get one free milkshake coupon that is preloaded on SeaPass cards.

2. Starbucks on Oasis-class ships

On Oasis-class cruise ships, the standalone Starbucks locations serve the same caffeinated beverages many folks enjoy on land, but Starbucks is not included in any drink package.

This can be confusing, since on other classes of Royal Caribbean ships, Starbucks beverages are brewed and included under certain drink packages, but the Starbucks locations on Oasis-class ships are considered standalone Starbucks locations and the drink packages are not covered.

Perhaps one of the new pre-paid coffee drink cards will be available on your cruise to get you plenty of Starbucks drinks to enjoy.

3. Room service

Room service is included in your cruise fare and it is hard to deny the great pleasure of enjoying food brought to your room or private balcony, but do not expect extra-cost beverages to be included with your drink package.

Sodas, beers or any other alcoholic or premium non-alcoholic beverage delivered to your room will come with an extra cost.

4. Minibar

Just like room service, the drinks that are waiting for you in your stateroom's minibar are not included in any drink package.

It can be tempting to grab something out of the minibar, but keep in mind anything taken from the minibar will be charged to your SeaPass card.

5. Very few beers

Royal Caribbean's all-you-can-drink alcohol packages include plenty of beers.  In fact, nearly all the beers available on your Royal Caribbean cruise are included in the drink packages but there are a few exceptions.

In general, the excluded beers come with a slightly higher cost because they are often in rather large size.  Chimay Blue 750ml is the one beer that is not included in the drink packages.

Guests onboard Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas can get a real taste of New York when they dine in the Windjammer's New York Deli. Experience specially prepared deli favorites like pastrami sandwiches, rye bread and kosher pickles that the Big Apple is so well known for.