A milestone in the construction of Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship is slated to begin next week.
According to Saint-Nazaire Renversante's Facebook page, Utopia of the Seas is set to embark on her sea trials between May 6 and 7, with delivery scheduled for June 2024. However, they did warn that dates and times are subject to change.
Sea trials allow certain navigation and technical systems to be tested that cannot be completed while the ship is docked. It's the final step of a ship's construction prior to being delivered to the cruise line and ensures that everything's in tip-top shape before officially joining the fleet.
They're conducted with a combination of shipyard employees and crew members.
Utopia of the Seas' maiden voyage is scheduled for July 19, which is ahead of schedule. When itineraries were first launched, the inaugural cruise was slated to depart on July 22.
However, construction moved quicker than anticipated, so the vessel will be arriving at Port Canaveral earlier than originally planned.
The new maiden voyage will be a 3-night sailing to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Afterwards, Utopia of the Seas will continue with her previously scheduled cruises, including the original inaugural 4-night sailing on July 22.
Captain Gus Andersson shared an image of special sea trial gear on Instagram
Photo attributed to Captain Andersson, who posted this picture on Instagram
"It’s beginning to look like…. Soon, but not yet published, Chantiers de l’Atlantique will take out Utopia to sea," Captain Andersson captioned the post.
"Lovingly spoken of as the Seatrials, there are no [doubts] about them. Many tests that cannot be done while the ship is tied up to a pier [are] done during the time at sea. Always very interesting and also very rewarding, very few people get to do them, so you have a bond with other sailors who were on 'that' Seatrial."
Prior to Utopia of the Seas, Captain Andersson commanded Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Enchantment of the Seas, according to his LinkedIn. He also served as Staff Captain on Mariner and Allure of the Seas, as well as Chief Officer on Mariner and Splendour of the Seas.
Utopia of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's first new build that specifically targets the short cruise market
Typically, when a new ship enters service, it begins with weeklong voyages. Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's first Icon Class ship, is a perfect example. Being the largest ship in the world, it wouldn't make too much sense to offer short sailings onboard this, currently, one-of-a-kind vessel.
Having Utopia begin her career making 3- and 4-night sailings is specifically to attract first-time cruisers who are hesitant to make weeklong commitments.
By embarking on a short cruise, guests will get a taste of the best that Royal Caribbean has to offer, including onboard amenities, entertainment, dining options, and its award-winning private island in The Bahamas.
Plus, Utopia will attract those loyal to the Royal Caribbean brand through the introduction of new experiences that cannot be found on any other ship in the fleet, including the first-ever immersive train car specialty restaurant.
"There will be nothing better on planet Earth than having a phenomenal experience and party vibe onboard Utopia of the Seas," said Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
From the lively pool deck to the brand-new Caribbean-themed cocktail bar, Utopia promises to deliver an unparalleled vacation experience to new and seasoned cruisers.
Utopia of the Seas isn't the last Oasis Class ship
Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class debuted in 2009 with the introduction of Oasis of the Seas. Since then, the class has grown to include six ships, including the upcoming Utopia of the Seas.
Between now and then, however, cruisers can expect two more Icon Class ships to set sail, with Star of the Seas' maiden voyage scheduled for late August 2025.
Guests sailing on Allure of the Seas on Tuesday noticed one of the elevator banks looks a lot like a destination elevator bank from Icon of the Seas.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Chris Birdsong shared photos exclusively with us of what he saw.
The elevators had temporary letters above each door, to indicate what assignment a passenger would have when requesting an elevator.
In addition, there was a destination elevator panel that looks exactly like the panels on Icon, where a guest indicates which floor they would like to sail to.
Royal Caribbean has not officially announced any changes coming to Allure of the Seas yet.
According to Mr. Birdsong, Royal Caribbean's Product Development team is onboard Allure of the Seas conducting the test.
He added one of the managers mentioned that Utopia of the Seas will in fact have the destination elevators when it enters service this summer.
Why destination elevators work so well
Royal Caribbean knew with a ship the size of Icon of the Seas, they needed to improve the elevator experience because guests had complained about elevator wait times on the Oasis Class ships. Given Icon was going to be bigger, there was a need to address the issue.
Destination elevators aren't just a fad, they're a way to more efficiently tackle the issue of getting passengers between decks and that's been a traditional pain point on big ships.
Instead of pressing a button to wait for an elevator, guests push a button for which floor they want to go to and are assigned an elevator.
The change improves upon a problem that has plagued all cruise ships, and Royal Caribbean knew they couldn't go with traditional elevators on a ship planned to be even larger than the Oasis Class ships.
In the development of Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider saw three compelling reasons to improve cruise ship elevators.
He pointed out that firstly, elevators go through their own historical innovation and evolution cycle.
The second reason is the well-documented issues guests have waiting for elevators, "even with the elevators that we have on the Oasis Class, we still can struggle with lines."
Third, Icon has more passengers than any other ship, "so really being able to effectively move up to 7500 passengers seamlessly and solve for some of the problems that we've seen from our elevator technology on other ships, this is a big step forward."
The result has been an overwhelming success based on our readers' comments.
Jennifer Goswami, Director Product Development at Royal Caribbean Group, recently spoke about how simple, yet important, destination elevators have been.
"Elevators, while kind of not always the flashiest of technology, have been an absolute smash hit for Icon," Ms. Goswami stated.
"When you're waiting outside of an elevator for three, four, five minutes, we call them microwave minutes where they feel like the longest minute of your life," she said.
Allure of the Seas upcoming refurbishment
The choice of the destination elevator test on Allure of the Seas is likely not a surprise, given the ship is due for a major overhaul next year.
We already know Allure of the Seas will go in for a refurbishment in 2025, and most likely getting the upgrades she was originally to receive in 2020.
In February 2024, Royal Caribbean Group President & CEO Jason Liberty confirmed to Wall Street analysts the plans.
" We're always modernizing. " Liberty said. "We have Allure coming up and the actions we took on Oasis. Some of the learnings on Icon is going to be in the modernization of Allure of the Seas.."
"We are always updating our ships to make sure they stay relevant and competitive."
The hint that they would utilize "learnings on Icon" would be consistent with Icon's elevators, among other features.
Good news: Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas has made the necessary repairs to be able to resume cruises.
The cruise line was forced to cancel an Alaska cruise at the last minute on Radiance of the Seas due to a problem with the ship's propulsion.
The cruise line confirmed the issue has been resolved.
Guests booked on the May 3rd, 2024 sailing received the email they were hoping for that their cruise is a go.
Radiance of the Seas repairs complete
The email sent overnight said, "We're happy to share that our teams are finishing up the technical work onboard right on schedule and we'll be ready to welcome you on May 3rd, as planned!"
"Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we work to get the ship into tip-top shape for you. See you onboard Radiance of the Seas!"
The next sailing is an open-jaw 7-night sailing from Vancouver to Seward that will visit Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, and Skagway in Alaska.
The trouble began for Radiance of the Seas last week when a repositioning cruise between Los Angeles and Vancouver when the ship encountered some sort of an issue with its propulsion, as it became visible only one engine was being used.
Guests were informed the ship would need to sail at a reduced speed, and as a result, the ship would skip the rest of the planned stops and go directly to Vancouver.
Radiance of the Seas has two Azipods, which are multidirectional pods that drive the ship and can be rotated 360 degrees and are have been the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships in recent years.
Radiance made it to Vancouver, but then informed guests on the April 26 7-Night Alaska Glacier sailing they would sail a shortened cruise because an additional two days of repairs would be needed.
Passengers boarded only to be informed a day later their cruise had to be cancelled in order to carry out the necessary repairs.
Those on the cancelled sailing were issued a full refund, plus a future cruise credit that can be used for a future sailing.
2024 Radiance of the Seas Alaska season
Radiance of the Seas will offer 7-10 night Alaska cruises in 2024 that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali.
Radiance is sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward.
Radiance of the Seas can accommodate 2,466 guests onboard (at maximum occupancy), with more than 800 crew members working on the vessel.
Radiance will remain in Alaska waters until her September 20, 2024 sailing.
Work is underway to repair Royal Caribbean's beleaguered cruise ship.
Radiance of the Seas is in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after making it there last week following engine trouble.
Royal Caribbean was forced to cancel the next sailing after realizing the repairs needed were more substantial than originally thought.
Late on Monday, guests booked on the next sailing were sent an email update indicating work is underway and a new update will be made by May 2.
Photo by Cindy Ardoin
"As you may know, Radiance of the Seas encountered a technical issue with its propulsion system, resulting in the cancellation of our April 26th, 2024, sailing," the letter said.
"Repairs are still underway, and our teams are working diligently to address this issue. We want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to resolve it as quickly as we can."
While there is no formal update to share as to when it will be complete, guests can expect another update this week, "While we continue to make progress, we understand the importance of keeping you informed and will provide you with another update by May 2nd."
What happened to Radiance of the Seas?
The saga of Radiance of the Seas began last week during her repositioning sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver.
During that cruise, guests were notified of a “technical issue with one of its propulsion systems" and that the ship would skip all the ports of call in order to get to Vancouver at a slower speed.
Radiance made it to Vancouver and then initially would be delayed by two days so that the engine problem could be resolved.
Guests were notified that the ship would welcome passengers onboard. but that the ship would remain in Vancouver for two additional nights in order to give the crew time to fix the propulsion issue.
Guests boarded the ship on time, but a new update came out on Saturday that the sailing would have to be completely cancelled.
All passengers had to disembark by April 28.
Compounding the problem is that this exact issue seemingly occurred less than a year ago.
Radiance of the Seas suffered a propulsion issue last summer that resulted in two cruises being cancelled in order to make the necessary repairs.
Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to depart from Seward, Alaska on September 1, 2023 and Vancouver, Canada on September 8, 2023 for seven-night cruises along the Alaskan coast. Both voyages were canceled due to a technical issue with the ship's propulsion system.
Cruise ships can run into mechanical problems, just like airplanes, buses, or trains.
In the grand scheme of how many cruise ships operate each week, breakdowns such as this are quite rare.
Radiance is not new, but Royal Caribbean invests a lot of money into routine maintenance. However, engine problems will still occasionally happen.
Other cruise ships have had propulsion issues that forced a cancellation or at least an itinerary change. It's more common for the ship speed to be affected and itinerary changed than the entire sailing cancelled.
Radiance of the Seas is a 90,900 gross ton Radiance Class cruise ship. She had her maiden voyage in 2001.
Radiance is a smaller ship by today's standards, and has a capacity of 2,466 guests at double occupancy.
Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class ship, is only a few short months from setting sail. The ship will make 3- and 4-night cruises from Port Canaveral to The Bahamas.
As the company's first new build specifically designed for the short cruise market, there's a lot to look forward to, from a lively pool deck to new experiences meant to curate the ultimate party vibe.
"There will be nothing better on planet Earth than having a phenomenal experience and party vibe onboard Utopia of the Seas," said Michael Bayley, President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
Sailing onboard Utopia of the Seas will be a vacation experience that truly rivals any other destination on the planet.
Pesky Parrot is the go-to spot for fruity cocktails
Whether you're stopping in for a pre-dinner drink en route to the Main Dining Room or settling in for a night of lively conversation, Pesky Parrot will keep you coming back for more.
In addition to tropical beverages made with rum, tequila, and gin, Pesky Parrot will feature other "surprises" that have yet to be revealed.
This brand-new, Caribbean-themed bar will take the place of the Bionic Bar in the Royal Promenade. It's central location promises that it'll become a favorite destination for guests onboard.
Lime & Coconut will be at the center of all the action
Royal Caribbean's resort-style pool bar, which will have three locations onboard Utopia of the Seas, is going to keep the party going all day (and night) long.
"Lime & Coconut is really going to open up the pool deck, and guests are going to be able to use the whole pool deck for their pool parties and their activations at night," said Julie Ansorge, Product Owner, Product Development for Royal Caribbean International.
"[It] will really provide a space that has that ultimate pool party that the guests are looking for."
The Vue, which first debuted on Wonder of the Seas, isn't far from the pool deck. This bar is perfect for those who want to enjoy a beverage and soak in all the amazing panoramic views of the ocean. You'll want to visit during sunset at least once!
Other returning bars and lounges include the fan-favorite Schooner Bar, Music Hall, and the Attic, as well as Boleros, the Latin hot spot for dancing, that will feature an updated menu with new drinks.
At Bell & Barley, the iconic English-style pub, guests will be able to build their own gin & tonics in addition to ordering one of the traditional favorites.
Though alcohol is often at the center of every high-spirited party, Royal Caribbean promises that there will be plenty of non-alcoholic beverages to choose from, too, ensuring that Utopia can offer the perfect short getaway for all kinds of travelers.
When Icon of the Seas launched in January 2024, the first-of-its-kind ship featuring brand new mocktails that Royal Caribbean thinks are worthy of rolling out fleetwide.
Guests will be able to choose from a variety of specialty dining experiences, including the first-ever immersive train car experience
With a total of 21 dining venues onboard, it will be hard, nay impossible, to go hungry. In addition to some returning favorites, Utopia of the Seas will feature the first immersive train car restaurant, Royal Railway. This unique dining experience will combine adventure, food, and technology.
Throughout the multi-course meal, you'll simultaneously be transported to different places and times, including America's Wild West and other remote destinations across the globe.
The Mason Jar is another favorite that can be found onboard Utopia of the Seas. It's a "proven success," according to Laura Tchigladze, Senior Manager, Food and Beverage Operations Excellence for Royal Caribbean International.
"The bar is packed, [and] you have a live band that is so fantastic it gets you out of your chair. The bar continues to serve the small bites that we know our guests absolutely love. The energy in that space is so exciting."
Serving both brunch and dinner, the Mason Jar is sure to entice passengers at all hours of the day.
From Meemaw’s Fried Chicken N’ Waffles to delicious Sweet-Tooth Cinnamon Rolls, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Lobster N’ Crawfish, there's something to satisfy all cravings.
Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade is one of the more relaxed specialty venues onboard, and it's more than just a spot to watch the latest sporting event. It's the ideal place to reconnect with friends and family over wings, juicy burgers, and more.
Utopia of the Seas will have two impressive casinos
Onboard, guests can try their luck at nearly 30 table games, as well as over 370 slot machines. Those who are part of Royal Caribbean's Club Royale loyalty program can continue to work their way up the ranks, possibly earning a free cruise!
Gambling, however, is a risky endeavor, so please gamble responsibly!
Every sailing is scheduled to call on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's award-winning private island in The Bahamas
"There is no better option for a quick getaway than the combination of Utopia of the Seas plus Perfect Day at CocoCay," said Claudia Diaz-Gonzalez, Associate Vice President, Product Development for Royal Caribbean International.
In addition to everything exciting onboard, guests can continue the party ashore. Whether you want to hang out at the complimentary Oasis Lagoon pool, settle into some comfortable lounge chairs on the beach, ride the tallest water slide in North America at Thrill Waterpark, or splurge on the adults-only Hideaway Beach or Coco Beach Club, you're able to truly make your day at CocoCay, well, perfect!
"When you combine Utopia with Perfect Day, there will be no vacation like it, and our intention is that people have such an incredible time that they'll come back again and again," said Bayley.
This cruise has been the riskiest and most epic thing I have ever done in my life. Seriously. 10 out of 10, would do it again. Even though we haven’t been able to do everything we wanted to do it has still been 100% worth it.
Out of all of the things in our itinerary that have changed, missing the World Wonder of Petra hit me the hardest. Still, getting to explore Africa is an amazing opportunity and I am here for it. We will get to Petra another time.
My husband and I both love to travel – especially to historically significant locations. I thought that this trip would cross many things off of our bucket lists. And maybe as a result we could book fewer trips. For me, it has been the opposite. Now I don’t want to stop traveling.
What is going on now that we are halfway through? We reached day 137 when we arrived in Kuala Lumpur. The half-way point in our 274 day journey with Royal Caribbean on Serenade of the Seas on this Ultimate World Tour. So much has happened in the last four and a half months, I’m not even sure where to start.
Most of the people I’ve talked to that are doing the full nine months are an adventurous sort. We might all be doing this for different reasons, but the element of adventure is there for all of us. Most of us have put our lives on hold to do this. Some of us sold homes and cars. Some are working on the ship. Many of us are crossing multiple items off of our bucket lists. Some of us have had our trips unfortunately cut short.
Steve was forced into retirement due to a heart attack in late 2022, and I didn’t retire until a few months before the trip started. So what “regular life” looks like for us is going to be completely different than it used to. We have some things to take care of when we get back. And I am sure once we return home, more things will come up that we will need to stick around for. But I know that after a few months, I will want to be on the move again.
For me, the Ultimate World Cruise has been life changing. And I expect this will continue over the next four and a half months.
One of the biggest after-the-cruise plans for us, is that I am writing a book. I got a lot of grief on social media for the username “frugal vagabond” for a person on a trip that so many people think is out of their reach. When I looked around at my fellow passengers though and saw how many young – and clearly not independently wealthy people that were here, I had to get their stories.
So I interviewed several of my cruise mates and I am writing a book that tells all of our tales of how we were able to make this happen. Most of the people are here for the full nine months.
That takes dedication, planning, and a willingness to sacrifice in most cases. Not just from a financial perspective, but also from a time perspective. I want people to know that if they have a real desire – they can do things like this too.
Also, when we were going around the southern point of South America, weather kept us from stopping at several tender ports. What can you do? No ones fault. Just disappointing. I still want to go to all of the places we have missed.
Do like: Royal Caribbean coming up with alternatives for the original itinerary items we missed
The top thing I like, of course, is getting to explore Africa instead of the Mediterranean locations. It looks to be an incredible opportunity and I can’t wait.
Missing out on Machu Picchu was a big disappointment. But the cultural locations we were able to explore in Cusco and the shows they set up for us in Lima were amazing last-minute substitutes.
Don’t like: Mean people
If you are following more than one content creator that is on the Ultimate World Cruise, then you know that there have been multiple incidents of mean people.
You are never in a place surrounded by perfect people. But on the few cruises we did before starting the world cruise, everyone was happy and living the vacation vibe.
Being so close to lots of new people also has an upside. Really easy to get together, and get to know like minded and adventurous people from completely different backgrounds. I feel like I have made new lifelong friendships with many of the people in the content creator group.
Also with some of the staff, and with various individuals and couples we have gotten to know on excursions, dinners, at the casino, and while having drinks. Time will tell if they really will be lifelong friendships.
I do know that I have at least two new “family members” though. My new brother Anthony, and a new sister Renee. From the beginning we have helped and supported each other through our content creators group, but after four and a half months, I can’t imagine not having these two people in my life and not talking to them regularly and following along with wherever life takes them once the cruise is over.
Don’t like: Overly crowded excursions
I get it, this is a popular cruise, and the places we are going are atypical for a Royal Caribbean ship.
I am not sure if most Royal Caribbean excursions are like this, but picture if you will: 40 people on each bus. Each excursion has at least three of these busses. And there are 2-3 other excursions with similar numbers that are going to at least some of the same location as yours. And since there is a limited time in each port location, there is a lot of overlap.
So at least 120 or as many as 360 of your best friends from the ship getting dumped for 20 – 40 minutes trying to explore. Limited time to actually “see” anything. Trying to get a few videos, pictures, learn something about the location, and enjoy it.
I really wish they would rotate the busses a bit better. And on this same idea, spending too much time in busses. Most of the “cool” locations are so far away from the port, this is necessary, but still not fun. Also, not enough time in each of the ports.
Do like: The incredible things we have been able to see
Photo by Vicki Freed
Despite wishing things could be different with regard to how the Royal Caribbean excursions are handled, this itinerary has allowed us the opportunity to see so many incredible things in the world.
I don’t think I have the words to describe all of the amazing places. Never did I think I would ever go to China. Or if I did, get to actually go to the Great Wall. We did that.
Photo by Dr. Jenny Travels
Christ the Redeemer in Brazil? We did that. Chichen Itza? We did that. Antarctica? Well, we sort-of did that. I didn’t get to put my toes in the water or step on land there, so in my book, it doesn’t count. Most of the other passengers think that it does.
Too many places to list them all out. Curaçao and Bonaire? I had no idea how beautiful the water there would be. Subic Bay? I was picturing an abandoned and dilapidated naval base. It was nothing like that! Beautiful. And a testament to the locals who volunteered to keep it maintained and operational while they got a plan in place to utilize what was left behind.
Don’t like: Inconsistent communication of vital information
From the beginning, information on the Ultimate World Cruise that was disseminated by Royal Caribbean has been inconsistent and frustrating. That has continued throughout this cruise.
Shoreside versus ship personnel have different information and they don’t seem to share. Not everyone has access to the same information, further confusing passengers.
Even though the World Cruise is new for Royal Caribbean, cruising isn’t and most of us feel they should be much better at it than they are.
Do like: Social sharing
Poor communication skills have given me the opportunity to share the information I have access to with the world and providing a service to those both on the ship and off.
This also helps my follower/subscriber counts and views. People are interested in hearing the details – even if it doesn’t directly affect them. I think I probably have several followers who are related to people on the trip and they find information on my socials about their relatives. It is a service I am happy to provide.
Don’t like: The constant noise on the ship
If you are following any of the content creators on this ship, you have probably heard this complaint. The noise. Everywhere. All the time.
I do love the layout of the Serenade. I only have one other ship to compare it to – the Adventure of the Seas. But in my opinion, the design of the Serenade is much better. It’s too bad it doesn’t have a Flowrider, but that’s another issue.
The one bad part about the Serenade design is the openness of the Centrum. The noise that reaches this area flows up from Deck 4 to 12. It is annoying and problematic.
Do like: Changes to make the ship livable
Did you know that we have doctors and dentist on board?
This is a long trip, with a majority of passengers in the senior citizen demographic. I really appreciate that Royal Caribbean recognized that having doctors and a dentist on board would mean that people would have access to care and that without it, many people would be forced to leave the ship for on-land care and perhaps miss important destinations, or even the rest of the trip.
And of course this is an opportunity for Royal Caribbean to make additional money from the services they provide. A win-win for everyone.
After initially delaying the sailing's departure by two days, Royal Caribbean informed guests their cruise would be cancelled.
Passengers had already boarded the ship while the vessel underwent work in port for an additional two days, however, the decision was made to cancel the cruise altogether.
New RCB Video: Why Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty perks are in trouble
Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise!
I went to Royal Caribbean's private island on a Celebrity cruise ship. Here's what surprised me about this visit
Celebrity Cruises took its first visit to Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Elizabeth went onboard to see what it was like.
Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Beyond are both scheduled to regularly visit the island on future itineraries.
Elizabeth sailed on Celebrity Reflection and saw frequent advertisements for Perfect Day at CocoCay onboard.
Recent statistics show that over half of passengers on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are between 43-28 years old, or even younger.
Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group's CEO, said that "almost 1 in 2 guests are millennials or younger."
"It's a very powerful statement."
Royal Caribbean Oasis Class Ships by Age
Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships have been record-breaking, expectation-setting vessels ever since their inception.
With Utopia of the Seas launching this summer, and the introduction of a new Oasis Class ship to be released in 2028, how many Oasis Class ships are there?
Royal Caribbean Group announced on Friday that it will be partnering with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming to provide deals and added perks to loyalty members.
Members of Royal Caribbean's Club Royal, Celebrity Cruises' Blue Chip Club, and Hard Rock's Unity loyalty programs will receive extra benefits thanks to this partnership.
Essentially, cruisers who have status in Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises' casino loyalty programs can now gain benefits at Hard Rock Casinos—and vice versa.
Cruise advice that makes sense until you get on your ship
You'll hear lots of cruise tips before you sail, but a few of them seem to make sense until you get onboard.
There's merit in these cruise tips, but in practical terms, they just don't work well. Whether because they're too limiting or impractical, these are the cruise tips you might want to think twice about embracing.
Royal Caribbean threw in the towel on Saturday and decided to cancel its planned sailing to Alaska after discovering repairs would take longer than expected.
Guests boarded the ship on Friday after being told their sailing would be delayed by two days, but would sail on Sunday. Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to depart on Friday, but the amended itinerary dropped a port visit so it could stay in Vancouver for a few extra days.
Around mid-day on Saturday while still in Vancouver, an announcement was made over the public address system to inform guests their sailing would be cancelled in order to fix an ongoing issue with its propulsion system.
Guests are expected to disembark the ship tomorrow.
"As you are aware, our teams have been vigorously working to have Radiance of the Seas prepared to set sail on our shortened April 26th sailing," the letter given to passengers in their staterooms read.
"Despite our best efforts, circumstances beyond our control have delayed our sailing further."
"As a result, we'll regrettably have to cancel our April 26th, 2024 cruise."
The sailing will not occur at all, and guests must disembark the ship by April 28th at 4:00pm.
Royal Caribbean issued a further apology saying, "we understand the disappointment due to this unfortunate turn of events. We truly extend our sincerest apologies for the continued unforeseen disruptions to your vacation."
Royal Caribbean has not yet made a comment on exactly what is wrong with the propulsion system.
How will passengers be compensated
All guests will receive a 100% refund for the cost of the cruise. This includes refunding passengers of any taxes and fees for the cruise.
In addition to the 100% refund, guests will also be receiving a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) of 100% of their cruise fare paid to be used towards a future sailing. Royal Caribbean has stated guests will receive this FCC by May 10th.
Passengers have been notified that they will be expected to disembark by tomorrow, April 28th 2024 by 4:00pm local time.
Anyone that booked flights with Royal Caribbean will have their flight arrangements automatically re-scheduled.
The cruise line will reimburse any travel change fees up to $250 for domestic travel and $400 for international travel.
They will also reimburse up to $250 for hotel costs, per stateroom, per night, for two nights.
Initially passengers for the April 26th sailing were given a letter onboard notifying guests of a delay that would be occurring due to the time it would need to take for crew members to fix the faulty engine and propulsion system.
Royal Caribbean notified guests that the ship would be welcoming passengers onboard but that the ship would remain at the embarkation port for two additional nights in order to give the crew time to fix the propulsion issue that has disabled one of the ship’s engines.
The letter delivered to all passengers onboard stated the following message from Royal Caribbean, "While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we're going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you. Although we'll conduct our boarding as planed for our April 26th, 2024, Radiance of the Seas sailing, we'll now set sail on April 28, 2024.”
After delivering this message to all guests Royal Caribbean addressed the problem with the following apology, “We're terrible sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you'll join us on the alternate itinerary planned.”
The change in itinerary at the time meant that Radiance of the Seas would need to adjust its schedule and that some changes would be made to the current Alaska sailing. This included missing an originally scheduled port stop in Juneau Alaska. This sailing was meant to be the first of the Alaskan cruise season for Radiance of the Seas.
However, there is now a more recent development that has completely changed this cruise sailing again for passengers currently onboard Radiance of the Seas.
The second time this ship had a last-minute cancellation after guests boarded
It's deja vu for Radiance of the Seas as a similar situation occurred last year in Alaska that resulted in two cruises being cancelled, and one was after passengers had gotten onboard.
Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to depart from Seward, Alaska on September 1, 2023 and Vancouver, Canada on September 8, 2023 for seven-night cruises along the Alaskan coast. Both voyages were canceled due to a technical issue with the ship's propulsion system.
A Royal Caribbean crew member recently shared what it's like to do a high dive on a cruise ship, and it looked scarier than when watching from the seats.
Crew members often share their unique day-to-day lives on social media, and this woman shocked the Internet with her daredevil antics.
Ginni van Katwijk, a Dutch cliff diver, recently shared a video to Instagram of a shocking high-dive.
She lives and works on the Oasis Class Harmony of the Seas, and has been with Royal Caribbean for 11 years.
Harmony of the Seas is currently the world’s fourth-largest cruise ship, although she held first place when she was first launched in 2015.
The ship carries over 5,000 passengers and crew members.
About 20 of these crew members are performers at the ship's AquaTheater, which is seen in the viral video.
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships feature an AquaTheater uniquely designed to combine a pool, diving boards, a high wire, and technology for a stunning show space.
Harmony of the Seas has a sensational aerial, synchronized swimming, dancing, diving, and slackline show called “The Fine Line,” in which Katwijk performs.
The show combines talented crew members, lights, music, and acrobatics to dazzle guests in the AquaTheater.
However, Katwijk's recent performance on social media went above and beyond (literally).
Katwijk was visibly nervous before she dove off the 55 feet platform
Katwijk shared a video of her record-breaking high dive, leaping 55 feet (16.8 meters) down into the water.
In it, she shows an angle of her perspective of the dive, pointing out the pool’s features from above.
The AquaTheater’s diving tower includes two springboards and two higher platforms, reaching 32.8 feet (10 meters).
From these high platforms, a dive into the pool marks a total of 55 feet.
She marks a point in the left third of the pool where she is attempting to land—a place that looks tiny from her high vantage point.
Guests can be seen walking the deck and sitting nearby.
As her hands begin to shake with nerves, Katwijk says “Just like normal, we got this. Easy peasy."
Then, she stretches her arms high and leaps, doing a couple of flips as she dives down into the water.
Katwijk elegantly lands feet-first in the spot she pointed out earlier, with a loud splat confirming her landing.
The video also catches a round of applause and cheers from the deck as guests witness her performance.
Commenters expressed anxiety and shock, applauding her bravery
The video was posted on March 30th, 2024, and already has upwards of 40 million views.
Many commenters also jumped in to share their opinion.
“That should be illegal,” user @queendawkins commented.
@waiyi_chan echoed this perspective: “How is this allowed?”
“The landing sounds like a shotgun!” @therealmotzemog commented on the loud noise of her dive into the pool.
In addition to being shocked at Katwijk’s high dive, users also couldn’t believe that this was taking place on a cruise ship.
In addition to the shocking height of the dive, being on a cruise ship poses extra challenges due to the possibility of wind and waves.
“WHY IS THIS ON A CRUISE SHIP?” @lotsasmiles wrote.
Plenty of users expressed that they would never be able to complete a dive this high, with lots of comments reading “no thank you."
‘You’d have to pay me to do this.’
Many commenters seemed concerned that this dive would be offered as an option for guests, but Katwijk made it clear that this experience was only for trained professionals, aka the AquaTheater performers.
“Currently, guests are not allowed to swim in this pool at all—it’s just for shows and for the performers to train and warm up in,” she wrote in a previous Instagram post.
In 2017, Cesilie Carlton, an American high-diver on the ship, posted a video on Instagram performing the 55-foot high dive from the same high platform.
Carlton's video was filmed by fellow performer Sydney Brown and showed a similar dive from the platform.
The AquaTheater on Harmony of the Seas is uniquely designed for exciting aqua shows.
Quests are not allowed to use the AquaTheater pool, as it is only used for shows and performer warm-ups.
As part of the shows, Oasis Class ships boast the deepest pools at sea. The pool’s depth can be adjusted to a depth of almost 18 feet (5.5 meters).
In a previous Instagram post about the pool, Katwijk shared that the pool has a mechanism underneath that takes up 3 feet, leaving 14 feet for divers to land in.
"YES," she wrote, "We touch the bottom every time when we come from the high dive!"
The AquaTheater is the most technologically advanced aspect of the Oasis Class
Royal Caribbean's unique AquaTheater shows may look effortless, but there's a lot of work behind the scenes to fit everything together.
The divers, stage managers, swimmers, and tech crew must all communicate clearly and trust one another to perfect their timing and performer safety.
So that performers can hear stage manager instructions at all times, there is an underwater speaker in the Aquatheater pool.
In addition to these vocal cues, there is a lights system at the diving boards that behaves like traffic lights, letting divers know when they're clear to go.
The performance looks simple at its completion, but it takes a lot of moving parts for the show to go on.
“No one just has an epiphany and wakes up and says, ‘Let's build the AquaTheater,’” said Richard Fain, former Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.
“It’s very much an iterative process and evolutionary. You learn from doing it on other ships, and each time you learn more, and you use that.”
Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas will not have to cancel its next cruise, but it will need extra time to fix the issue onboard.
Guests on the April 26 sailing of Radiance of the Seas were advised on embarkation day that their sailing will still take place, albeit with an extra two days in port before they can leave.
During the four night sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver, guests experienced a brief stop and then the ship resumed sailing but with only one engine operational. Guests were quickly informed the ship has, "a technical issue with one of its propulsion systems" and the rest of the planned port stops would be skipped.
Radiance made a direct course for Vancouver, where it was able to dock late last night and allow new passengers onboard today as scheduled.
Unfortunately, the start of the Alaska cruise season will be altered due to the propulsion issue.
A letter given to guests on embarkation informed them that the ship needs additional time to make the necessary repairs, "While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we're going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you."
As a result, the ship won't leave Vancouver until Sunday night, "Although we'll conduct our boarding as planed for our April 26th, 2024, Radiance of the Seas sailing, we'll now set sail on April 28, 2024."
While the ship will remain in port for a few days, the terminal will be closed so passengers will be unable to disembark to explore Vancouver during the delayed time.
In addition, the revised itinerary means it will skip a scheduled visit to Juneau, Alaska.
Radiance had planned to conduct its first 7-night Alaska cruise of the 2024 season with this sailing.
Compensation for the delay
Royal Caribbean apologized to guests for the inconvenience this technical issue has caused, which has now impacted two sailings.
"We're terrible sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you'll join us on the alternate itinerary planned," the letter said.
Radiance will sail the Inside Passage on April 29, followed by a visit to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan, Alaska before returning to Vancouver.
In addition, Royal Caribbean is offering compensation for the last-minute change of schedule.
Guests will receive:
A refund of two days of cruise fare in the form of onboard credit
A Future Cruise Credit value of two days of the cruise fare paid to use towards the booking of another cruise
Refunds for any shore excursions booked in Juneau in the form of onboard credit
Complimentary drinks for the two days stuck in Vancouver
All drinks will be complimentary to guests on April 26 and April 27, 2024
Guests who bought a drink package will get a refund for those days in an onboard credit
Guests will still get 7 Crown and Anchor Society points for the sailing
The problem with the cruise ship
Royal Caribbean did not specify exactly what the propulsion issue is, or what happened to cause it.
Royal Caribbean's only official comment on the problem is that the ship's "propulsion system experienced a technical issue."
Radiance of the Seas has two Azipods, which are multidirectional pods that drive the ship and can be rotated 360 degrees and are have been the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships in recent years.
During the previous sailing, the ship came to a stop in the ocean briefly before resuming sailing with only one engine.
It remains to be seen if this issue will be fully resolved by April 28.
Royal Caribbean Blog is an unofficial fan blog written for other fans of Royal Caribbean International. The Royal Caribbean Blog is not affiliated with Royal Caribbean International
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