Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is filled with a lot of fun activities, exciting shows and incredible dining choices.  The level of detail on this brand new ship is truly amazing, including one very small (and cute) bit of detail that is easy to overlook.

Hidden in the Central Park neighborhood, among the beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers, is Tony the Garden Gnome!

A photo posted by Tom Brownlee (@caribbeanplantdoctor) on Oct 8, 2016 at 5:43am PDT

Photo by Tracey Van Leeuwen

Tony was donated by Matt and Samantha Alexander, and have been adopted by the ship's horticulturist, Tom Brownlee.

Guests can find Tony under a tree, opposite the Trellis Bar in the Central Park neighborhood.  While not as thrilling as the ship's water slides, Tony is a great example of a fun hidden gem onboard Harmony of the Seas that you can visit once onboard.

Hurricane Matthew inflicted damage to many areas of the Bahamas, including Royal Caribbean's private destination of CocoCay.  The cruise line has skipped scheduled stops there since the storm passed, but will resume calls later this week.

CocoCay is scheduled to welcome guests back starting on Saturday, October 15.

If that schedule holds up, Enchantment of the Seas should be the first Royal Caribbean ship to return to the private destination on that date.

The extent of the damage to CocoCay has not been disclosed, although Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley issued a letter to guests last weekend that indicated the cruise line was working with Bahamian officials to help repair and restore services in the region.

"There are fewer details to share yet in the Bahamas, but he need will no doubt be great, and we will do all we can to assist. We are in contact with the Bahamian government to understand their most urgent needs and how we can help."

Royal Caribbean has narrowed down the choices for who will be Harmony of the Seas' Godmother to just three amazing women.

The cruise line is conducting a search for a Hometown Hero in Education for her Godmother. In selecting Godmothers, Royal Caribbean looks to capture the essence of the role by honoring women whose life lessons and achievements illustrate the kind of courage, dedication and determination that are an inspiration to all.

Anike Sakariyawo

Physical Science Teacher, Miami Norland Senior High School

Katherine O'Fallon

Magnet Coordinator, New River Middle School

Brittany Affolter

Manager, Teacher Leadership Development, Teach for America Miami-Dade

"We’ve seen an overwhelming response from the community with an outpouring of exceptional nominations from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. It is an honor to be able to recognize such inspiring educators for the work they do to make a positive impact on our youth," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "These three upstanding individuals have demonstrated unwavering passion and dedication, going above and beyond the classroom to make a huge difference in the community. We thank everyone who participated by recognizing our many heroes in education; they are leading the way in inspiring our youth to dream big, and that’s work we all can be proud of."

The public can now view each of the essay submissions and vote for the educator they feel is having the most positive influence on South Florda's youth. The winner will receive a $25,000 grant for their non-profit organization, and the honor of becoming the Godmother to Harmony of the Seas. The winner will receive an invitation to the naming ceremony of the Harmony of the Seas on November 10, 2016. The Grand Prize winner will also receive A 7-night Caribbean cruise onboard the Harmony of the Seas for two in a double-occupancy balcony stateroom (winner and a guest) awarded in the form of a cruise certificate.

Online voting is open from October 6 at 12:00pm to October 14 at 12:00pm EST, 2016 at local10.com/godmother.On Oct. 24, one finalist will be named the winner, and honored as Godmother of Harmony of the Seas, the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship, during an official naming ceremony on Nov. 10, 2016.

Many guests with cruises booked are reporting seeing up to 30% off certain unlimited beverage packages for their upcoming Royal Caribbean cruises.

Royal Caribbean has been offering 20% the alcohol packages for a while now, but for the next 60 hours, there are now discounts of up to 30% off certain packages.

The exact discount will vary from sailing to sailing, but the Deluxe unlimited alcohol package has been spotted with 20-25% off deals and the Refreshment package has been seen with a 30% discount.

Based on the countdown clock, it appears this promotion ends at midnight on Sunday night, October 9, 2016. This promotion has been extended through midnight on October 10, 2016.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site and navigate to the Dining & Beverage section to see any available offers.

If you have a drink package already prepurchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same drink package under this promtion.

Thanks to Royal Caribbean Blog reader Michael C for assisting with this information!

Do you see a similar discount for your sailing? Share the details in the comments and if you will buy one!

Two Royal Caribbean ships will have delayed boarding due to Hurricane Matthew and its impact on the state of Florida.

PortMiami closed in anticipation of the storm, and Royal Caribbean indicated that due to the closure and the storm's location, boarding for Empress of Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will now begin on Friday, October 7 at 5 p.m.

Royal Caribbean is asking guests that are on either of these sailings not to arrive to the port before 5 p.m.

If there are any questions, please contact Royal Caribbean at 866-562-7625.

This announcement comes on the heels of news that the October 8th Majesty of the Seas sailing has been canceled. 

Hurricane Matthew has caused a number of delays and cancelations, although the scheduled sailings for Freedom of the Seas and Allure of the Seas remain as planned for now.

@MissCMBeasley Freedom is set to leave on time this Sunday, Christine. Any updates can be found here: https://t.co/zmcot8Gmib

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

@mokylatn Allure is scheduled to leave on time. No changes have been made at this time.

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

The path of Hurricane Matthew has caused Royal Caribbean to make the decision to cancel its October 8th sailing of Majesty of the Seas.

The cruise line looked at the path of Hurricane Matthew and decided to cancel the cruise to avoid putting the ship, guests and crew in the path of the massive storm.

@susieeq47 Hi Susan. The 10/8 Majesty of the Seas sailing has been cancelled due to weather. Please contact us our your travel agent.

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

BREAKING: @RoyalCaribbean cancels #MajestyoftheSeas' Oct. 8 sailing out of @canaveralport, citing trajectory of #HurricaneMatthew.

— Gene Sloan (@CruiseLog) October 6, 2016

Royal Caribbean had planned on having Majesty of the Seas take a shorter sailing and depart on October 8.  The path of the storm and impact on the ship's departure point of Port Canaveral have caused the cruise line to reconsider its plans and cancel the sailing completely.

5:02pm UPDATE: Guests will have the option to receive a full refund of the cruise fare paid or future cruise credit in the amount of 150% of the cruise fare paid. Refunds will automatically be issued within one week to the form of payment applied unless Royal Caribbean is contacted and a future cruise credit is requested.

If you want to learn how to surf from the best, the first ever "Flow with a Pro" cruise will take place on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas in December this year

This special cruise is sailing from Fremantle to Sydney, complete with tuition, expert advice and demonstrations from Adam Wildman, European flowboarding champion in 2013, 2014 & 2016 and Royal Caribbean’s home-grown FlowRider Ambassador.

Guests can ‘Flow with a Pro’ on Ovation of the Seas from Fremantle to Sydney, departing December 6, 2016 for a nine-night cruise. During this cruise, guests will receive access to complimentary group lessons from Adam Wildman, plus he will showcase some of his spectacular tricks with free guest demonstrations along the way.

Adam Wildman first discovered his talent for flowboarding on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas on a family holiday in 2009, and has now turned his passion into a profession. Hailing from the Gold Coast, his sport takes him all over the world. Having successfully defended his title as European Champion earlier this year, Wildman takes on the best of the best at the World Flowboarding Championships in Singapore.

"If you’ve ever thought about giving flowboarding a go, Ovation is the perfect place to test your talents. The most important thing to remember is that falling is half the fun! No matter your age or skill, you’re guaranteed to have a great time," said Adam Wildman, Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider Ambassador.

The signature FlowRider - which can only be found at sea on Royal Caribbean - mimics ocean surf conditions by pumping water at speed over the soft, padded riding area, which riders can ‘drop in’ on from the top of the FlowRider. Surfers will find it’s a slightly different experience to an ocean wave, since the water flows in the opposite direction, making it all the more fun to master. Guests can choose two different riding styles, stand-up traditional surfing and boogie boarding or knee boarding.

A tropical garden on solid ground requires constant care and expertise – but a lush, exotic park spanning the decks of the world’s largest ship takes gardening to a whole new level. Meet the horticulturalists passionate about maintaining Harmony of the Seas’ Central Park, where over 12,000 plants create a sanctuary in the middle of the ocean. 

Guests departing on the Majesty of the Seas sailing that leaves October 3rd will find a new route planned, due to the path of Hurricane Matthew.

Majesty of the Seas will now call to Key West, Florida, instead of her scheduled call to Nassau, Bahamas. Majesty of the Seas revised itinerary:

UPDATED 10am

• Monday, Oct. 3 - Port Canaveral, Florida at 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 4 - Freeport, Bahamas 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 5 - Key West, Florida at 8:00 a.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 6 - Key West, Florida depart at 9:00 a.m.
• Friday, Oct. 7 - Port Canaveral, Florida at 7:00 a.m.

Royal Caribbean has also changed the itineraries of three other cruise ships this week due to the storm: Allure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.

Given the storm's path, Royal Caribbean wants to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all guests on its ships for the safety of guests and crew.

Guests indulging in Royal Caribbean’s luxurious Star Class have the chance to enjoy the ultimate perk – a Royal Genie dedicated to building the ultimate personalized cruising experience. From planning once-in-a-lifetime destination adventures to a perfect dinner to celebrate a milestone, Royal Genies cater to their guests’ every whim – and create experiences that can’t even be imagined.