There's been a few milestones on the return of cruising, and Labadee is one of the most recent of those.

Royal Caribbean resumed visits to Labadee a few weeks ago, and today Wonder of the Seas visited Royal Caribbean's private destination.

We docked early in the morning and I walked off the ship to get a full day.

The first thing I noticed were little tweaks to Labadee that Royal Caribbean has made, such as adding more umbrellas, and repainting a number of buildings with brighter colors.

Royal Caribbean told me they also re-worked the flow of the arrivals area to eliminate the security building near the entrance (it's now a towel station), as well as fixing the irrigation of the area to prevent flooding when it rains a lot.

Walking around Labadee, things looked more similar than not, and it all looked beautiful.

While Labadee lacks the sheer variety of things to do at Perfect Day at CocoCay, it's still a really fun and relaxing beach day.

I had rented a Nellie's Beach over the water cabana for the day. We had cabana number 3 on the hill to the right of the beach.

Royal Caribbean had upgraded its cabanas at Labadee. I heard some of the Barefoot Beach cabanas were brand new. Our cabanas had new furniture inside.

The cabana was lovely, and I love getting one whenever I visit to have shade and a "home base of operations" while there.

Lunch has not changed much and it gives me a better appreciation for the elevated lunch you get at CocoCay.

Something special for the media onboard was Royal Caribbean Vice President Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza, managed to get some local food from the Haitians living nearby to sample. I love trying local cuisine!

In the afternoon, I was able to try out something brand new to me: the alpine coaster.

The Dragon's Tail Coaster has been at Labadee for years, but I hadn't gotten around to trying it.

Royal Caribbean sells one ride and all day passes. 

You watch a short video to understand how the braking works, and then it's into your car and up the mountain.

The views alone are worth the ride, but of course it's a really fast-paced ride down too. I admit I rode the brake down more than I thought, but it was exhilarating.

Overall, I loved our visit to Labadee, and it felt good to be back after so long.

We got back onboard in the mid afternoon, and if you hadn't heard, there was a sprinkler system malfunction on the Royal Promenade. It happened while I was in Labadee, but the video quickly spread on social media.

The good news is by the time I got back onboard, it was all cleaned up and you would not have known anything had happened. It's a credit to the hard working crew members who quickly swooped in to take care of it.

In fact, the country music trio from the Mason Jar performed on the Promenade.

As afternoon turned into evening it was time to get ready for dinner.

Our dinner plans brought us back to Izumi, but this time for sushi.

Izumi Master Chef Travis Kamiyama hosted us and provided some special sushi dishes in addition to what's on the menu. It was a tremendous sampling.

I love going to Izumi for either sushi or teppanyaki, and today's meal did not disappoint.

We wrapped up our evening with drinks at The Mason Jar.

Tomorrow we will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stray Observations

The stowaway piano player is back in elevators again.

I ran into Ben, David & Stef from YouTube!

I ran into Royal Caribbean's Vice President of Entertainment, Nick Weir, and asked him about shows returning to other ships across the fleet, such as Grease and Columbus the Musical.

He said it's moving, but it takes a while to get shows back up and going again as it is no simple process to prepare casts and get them ready to perform.

He said it will be a process throughout this year for all the productions across the fleet to make a full return.

Our first full day on Wonder of the Seas is a sea day, and that is the perfect opportunity to explore more of the ship after the first day.

I started off my morning with coffee and breakfast at Park Cafe. I really like Park Cafe for an alternative breakfast spot for how easy and quick it is.

I spent the morning taking it easy after a busy day yesterday, but it was nice to spend some time enjoying the warm Caribbean breeze.

I walked up to the Royal Promenade to walk around and noticed a new change to the Cafe Promenade menu. Starbucks is now served at Cafe Promenade in addition to the free standing kiosk.

Unlike the kiosk, the Starbucks drinks at Cafe Promenade are included with a drink package. 

For lunch, we booked up a few tables at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen for the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders who were onboard.

I loved Giovanni's on Odyssey and Freedom, so this seemed like a great spot for a group meal.

We had a group of over 30 friends onboard, and the food did not disappoint. 

After lunch, I headed back to my cabin for a little bit to relax. 

Something Royal Caribbean brought back on this sailing is laser tag.

I walked by and noticed it was open for anyone to hop in. I was wearing flip flops, or I would have tried it out myself!

Later in the afternoon, I took a visit down to Casino Royale. The casino has a different look than other ships, and is quite large as well.

I started out in the Golden Room, which is a high roller area, although right now it's open to all.

Royal Caribbean said the Golden Room is an idea to try out in the western market to see how well it resonates. For now, it's open to all and I appreciated the fact it was non-smoking.

Tonight was formal night, so it was back to the room to get ready.

Dinner brought us to Izumi hibachi, which I absolutely love going to every cruise.

Our chef, Roy, put on a great show and suffice to say, I did not leave hungry.

After dinner, I went to Wonderland bar to try out some of the specialty drinks.

One interesting change about Wonderland is there is more decor outside the restaurant, even extending into the elevator lobby.

I like the Wonderland has a bar you can go to without sitting down for a meal.

Tomorrow will be our first port of call, Labadee.

Stray Observations

In my cabin, there was Mason Jar swag waiting.

Welcome to March! We hope you are having a great weekend and are ready to sit back, relax and catch up with all the latest Royal Caribbean news!

Wonder of the Seas is finally here and welcoming passengers onboard!

The biggest cruise ship in the world departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday to start a 7-night cruise, and the ship's inaugural season.

The ship is packed with new features and activities, such as a new southern American restaurant, shows across its venues, redesigned pool deck, expansive suite area and more.

Matt is live blogging from Wonder of the Seas this week!

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean CEO pledges support for Ukrainian crew members
• Royal Caribbean canceled summer cruise ship visits to Russia
• Royal Caribbean releases more Caribbean cruises to book in 2023-2024
• Updates on Ukrainian crew members, Pinnacle Lounge access and more.
• First look at Mason Jar southern restaurant menu
• There's still time to book a cruise add-on during Royal Caribbean's cruise planner sale
• All about Radiance Class cruise ships
• All about Voyager Class cruise ships

New RCB Video: Cruise mistakes I've made!

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Cruise mistakes I've made! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 444th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available with a preview of Matt's Wonder of the Seas cruise.

Matt is sailing on Wonder of the Seas' first two sailings, and provides an overview of what he has planned and what he's excited to try onboard.

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.

Best things to do in Nassau on a cruise

While many cruises visit Nassau, Bahamas, it remains a bit of a tough port to plan on what to do.

Many cruise passengers skip Nassau altogether and stay on the ship, believing that there is nothing worth seeing, but that couldn't further from the truth.

Whether you’re looking for a beach day, hoping to try local foods, or learn about Bahamian history and culture, there are plenty of exciting activities to choose from in Nassau.

Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Have you been wondering how food works on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship?

Buffets, restaurants, room service, and more await you on a cruise, so what's included and what costs extra? What is dinner like and what should you know about each of the types of restaurants?

Check out our in-depth guide to food on a Royal Caribbean cruise for insight into what to expect.

The day is finally here to see Wonder of the Seas for the first time!

I drove down to Fort Lauderdale the night before the cruise and stayed for the second time at the Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale Airport - South & Cruise Port. Great hotel with a large kitchenette at a reasonable price very close to the cruise port.

Before I could board Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbean invited me to check out Royal Caribbean’s Entertainment Production Studio.

Located in North Miami at the Florida International University campus, this is where Royal Caribbean trains all if its performers, produces all of the costumes for its shows, and preps everything before it reaches a cruise ship.

I was not able to photograph inside the building, but the tour of the facility showed off just how massive an entertainment operation Royal Caribbean has across its ships.

We saw one cast learning the lines for Hairspray on Symphony of the Seas, and another cast ready to join Anthem of the Seas to perform We Will Rock You.

After our walkthrough, it was time to get to Wonder of the Seas!

Boarding was pretty simple and straightforward, and I was able to get onboard without any delay.

Walking onto Wonder of the Seas, it became evident very quickly that while this is the fifth Oasis Class ship, it is anything but a carbon copy of her sisters.

Royal Caribbean has enhanced, revamped, and in some cases, completely replaced certain venues.

While new cruise ships will always have a certain level of glitz that endears them to just about anyone off the bat, I noticed a few impressive changes that really separates the ship from her sisters.

As I mentioned in the preview blog post for this sailing, I was invited by Royal Caribbean to be their guest onboard.  As such, I had a few meetings to attend onboard the first day. Combined with my own desire to "see it all", I ran around the ship a lot on the first day.

I shared photos of my walkthrough of the major new changes and additions, but I wanted to talk about the areas that really stood out to me.

The revamped pool deck changes are fantastic, and I like how they've added stadium seating in the middle. 

I can appreciate the addition of a movie screen too, although it can sometimes get a little loud (to be fair, the holds true on other ships).

Thanks to some friends, I was able to walk through the new Suite Neighborhood and you can tell quickly this has been rethought completely.

Walking through the hallways of the Suite Neighborhood, it just feels like different.  If I was a suite guest, I could appreciate the sense that you're somewhere special.

And then there's the Suite Sundeck, which is sprawling and offers the right blend of shade and sun.  Compared to other suite decks that are usually all in the sun, there's a good amount of shade and seating that I think make this a home run.

The Wonder Playscape looks to be a fun area for kids, but I'll need to reserve judgement until my kids show up next week.

Speaking of kids, the best news as a parent is Adventure Ocean is back to "normal" in the sense of not limiting reservations.

I spoke with the staff, who told me the 6-12 year old group can handle around 120 kids and assuming they don't reach that number, can take as many kids as they can.  

The reason why they aren't doing limited capacity in Adventure Ocean is because Royal Caribbean joined the CDC's "highly vaccinated" program, which requires at least 95% of passengers be vaccinated.

One other area that really got revamped is the Windjammer. This is the largest Windjammer in the fleet, and it is indeed massive.

Wrapping around the entire back deck, the Windjammer offers a ton of seating and an equal amount of food stations. Plus, I love the aesthetics of the space.

For dinner, I went to the new Mason Jar restaurant.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but the food and drink at Mason Jar blew me away. Between the charred watermelon salad, Nashville hot chicken, chicken pot pie, and fried Oreos, I just couldn't get enough.

The specialty cocktails are also really good, especially the PB&J Old Fashioned. 

But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the country band at the Mason Jar, which perform at night and add a new dimension to the dining experience.

If you're at the bar, you get a full country band experience to sing and drink to, with some even dancing.  But if you're eating dinner, you're sufficiently far enough away to hear the music but not interrupt the dining experience.

I'm going back for brunch in a few days to sample that, and I suspect I'll be at the bar just for the music too.

It was a full first day onboard Wonder of the Seas, and I wrapped up my evening with some drinks at the pub on the Royal Promenade before calling it a night.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray observations

There are 4200 passengers onboard this sailing.

I noticed the cabin attendant carts have a new look to them.

There are evidently 4 of these astronauts around the ship. So far, I've found two of them.

My shower (standard balcony room) has two shower heads, although I couldn't figure out how to make the top showerhead work.

Some inaugural cruise swag!

Near the bed is a functional lamp with USB plugs. I love this small addition!

Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas begins her first sailing today, and this cruise ship is packed with so many things to see, do, and eat.

The biggest cruise ship in the world is also the fifth Oasis Class cruise ship, and departs Fort Lauderdale on Friday to begin a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean has built on the Oasis Class lineage, but also added new features and things to do that you won't find on any other cruise ship.

Enjoy this comprehensive look at the highlights of Wonder of the Seas.

Suite Neighborhood

Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge

Suite Sun Deck 

Wonder Playscape

This area is best described as a combination of mini golf and jungle gym.

Boardwalk

Staterooms

The hallways and staterooms have a blue motif to them.

Around the ship

The elevators have a new button system that is better at explaining what's on each deck.

Fun art in Entertainment Place

Casino has sliding doors to help keep smoke in

Adventure Ocean

Thanks to the new protocols, there is no required advanced sign up for kids in Adventure Ocean. It's effectively the "old system", with a capacity of 120-130 children in the 6-12 year old group

The nursery (6 months to 36 months old) still requires advanced reservations.

AO Kids (6-12 years old)

AO Juniors (3-5 years olds)

Nursery (6-36 months)

Central Park

Pool deck

The pool deck has been completely redesigned with a new resort vibe to it.

Teen deck

The Vue

Windjammer

Wonder of the Seas has the largest Windjammer in the fleet.

The Mason Jar

A brand new restaurant that serves up Southern American cuisine.

While Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas is front and center at the moment, there's still other things happening in the world of Royal Caribbean that you should know about.

Of course, if you want to read more about Wonder of the Seas, check out photos from around the ship!

In an effort to highlight some other changes and happenings, this blog post summarizes the changes from this week that may not have made big headlines.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Lounge access is back for Pinnacles

The top cruisers in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program  got some good news this week.

Due to Royal Caribbean's participation in the CDC's "Highly Vaccinated" program, the cruise line can now reinstate access for Pinnacle Club guests to the Suite and Concierge Lounges across our fleet effective on sailings beginning after March 15. 

Should the number of guests surpass the desired capacity of these lounges, the ship will continue to provide a temporary Pinnacle Club lounge just for Pinnacle members.

US prevents Ukrainian and Russian crew members from getting off cruise ships

One consequence of the Russian invasion of The Ukraine has been seafarers from those countries are not allowed to disembark the ship in U.S. ports.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley explained that this new rule is not a cruise line policy, but instead a new policy of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"All foreign crew are typically granted a visa and entered into the USA as seafarers and are processed and given a I95 form. Kind of like a permission slip to go ashore in USA ports.  

"Our latest information to be confirmed, is CBP (U.S. Government agency) has stopped shore leave and repatriation for all Ukrainian and Russian crew. This impacts all seafarers.  

"We are working with our Government relations team and industry to see if this can be relaxed.  They are free to come and go in all other non USA ports (so far)."

Save $50 with a promo code

A RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader spotted a new promo code that might save you a little bit of money on your next cruise.

While browsing Royal Caribbean's website, em.down.the.rabbit.hole saw a popup to sign up for $50 off their next cruise booking.

The voucher code appears to be only for Americans, but promo code "WELCOME" is good until it expires on March 8, 2022.

The fine print says it is $50 voucher for sailings 6 nights or greater and $25 off sailings 5 nights or fewer.

I can't promise it will work for you, but give it a try!

Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas is just days away from beginning her first sailing and we have our first look at some areas around the ship.

Wonder of the Seas is almost ready to begin regular service from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Wonder of the Seas is 236,857 gross tons and has 18 decks in total that can accommodate 5,734 guests at double occupancy.

Sneak peek around Wonder

The first sailing of Wonder of the Seas begins on Friday, but the excitement has already started with new photos from onboard.

Royal Caribbean released new photos from around Wonder of the Seas to showcase a few areas. Some of these photos were also shared by Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed.

First up is a look at the new, cantilevered Vue Bar.

Located in the Solarium, The Vue offers poolside drinks with panoramic ocean views.

The Suite Sun Deck is part of the eighth neighborhood, which is a private area reserved just for suite guests.

The private neighborhood includes a plunge pool and bar in the Suite Sun Deck and Coastal Kitchen exclusive restaurant.

Something else you'll only find in the Suite Neighborhood is a plunge pool.

The pool deck on Wonder of the Seas has been redesigned as well with a resort-style feel to it.

Guests will not only find a number of pools to swim in and lounge chairs to relax in, but also the Lime & Coconut bar, waterslides, and a Splashaway Bay aqua park for kids.

The pool deck on Wonder of the Seas will also feature the largest poolside movie screen on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Wonder of the Seas also has a new specialty restaurant that serves up American southern comfort food.

The Mason Jar offers staples and classics with a twist for brunch, dinner and the late night, including savory johnnycakes, crab beignets, 19 American whiskeys, spike floats and shakes, and other southern libations.

Wonder of the Seas will also be home to the largest Ultimate Family Suite yet for a family of 10. 

You'll find in this lavish suite an in-suite slide, cinema, and karaoke area, as well as a private balcony and whirlpool.

Read more: What is the most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean?

Something else brand new to any Royal Caribbean ship is the all-new Wonder Playscape, an underwater-themed, outdoor play area for families with kids.

This area includes multilevel slides, climbing walls, imaginative puzzles, an interactive mural that comes to life by touch and light shows.

Teens on board Wonder of the Seas have their own indoor and outdoor spaces, Social100 and The Patio.

Indoors, teens have the latest in music, games and movies at their fingertips; and on the outdoor patio, highlights include a private whirlpool, a menu of eight zero-proof cocktails and shakes, lawn games, as well as seating and nooks to hang out under the sun or stars.

The Ultimate Abyss will be onboard Wonder of the Seas, which is the tallest slide at sea.

Inaugural Wonder of the Seas season

The inaugural Wonder of the Seas sailing will be March 4, 2022.

In May 2022, Wonder of the Seas will head to Europe, where she will offer 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona and Rome. Wonder of the Seas will visit Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Capri, Italy and replace Allure of the Seas in the region.

After her summer season, Wonder returns to Florida to offer year-round sailings in November 2022, when she sails from Port Canaveral. Destinations range from Perfect Day at CocoCay and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Wonder of the Seas will introduce a number of new amenities not found on any other Royal Caribbean cruise ship, including a new restaurant based on the food of the American south.

The Mason Jar is a new dining concept for Royal Caribbean, as it offers both brunch, dinner, and late-night meals.

The cruise line says it will be, "serving up southern staples and new twists on classics for brunch, dinner and the late night."

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Craig Duncan spotted the new menus.

Brunch menu

Something new for Royal Caribbean is a restaurant that offers brunch.

Brunch is served on select days from 10am to 2pm.

As you might expect, there are options that are fit for breakfast and lunch, including salmon-avocado toast, johnnycakes, chicken n' waffles and more.

You'll also find burgers, French toast, and a cinnamon roll to order.

For easier readability, here's a closer look:

In addition to the menu, brunch offers desserts and alcoholic beverages to consider.

The Mason Jar has a kids menu for children 12 and under to order from.

Dinner menu

The dinner menu is available every night between 5:00pm and  9:30pm, with the late night menu available on some nights from 9:30pm to 1:00am.

Just like the brunch menu, it has a variety of options to consider.

Here's a closer look at the dinner menu.

Here is the specialty beverages menu for dinner

And of course, dessert!

Last, but not least, here is the kids menu for dinner.

Mason Jar prices

Brunch costs $24.99 per adult.

Dinner costs $39.99 per adult.

Children between the age of 6-12 cost $10.99 per child.

Beverages cost extra.

Where is the Mason Jar?

You will find the Mason Jar on Deck 15 near the Windjammer on Wonder of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has joined the growing list of cruise lines that will skip scheduled visits to Russia due to the Ukraine invasion.

The invasion of the Ukraine has generated a great deal of animosity towards Russia. Many see financial hits against Russia as an easy way to voice their displeasure with the invasion.

Less than a week ago, Royal Caribbean said it had a back up plan in case going to Russia was out of the question.

On Tuesday, guests booked on Voyager of the Seas were informed their ship will not visit St. Petersburg, Russia.

"The safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority," Royal Caribbean said in an online statement.

"With the recent events, we have made the decision to cancel our visits to St. Petersburg, Russia on all Summer 2022 itineraries."

"We are continuously monitoring events taking place around the world, including the situation in Ukraine."

Instead of visiting Russia, some of Voyager of the Seas' sailings will go to Germany and Poland.

Others are going to Sweden.

Voyager of the Seas is scheduled to launch her first season in the Baltic Sea in 2022, becoming the first Voyager Class ship to do so.

Baltic cruises are a popular European cruise itinerary, but many cruise lines are amending their plans to avoid Russia.

Royal Caribbean supporting crew members during the war

In addition to bypassing Russia, Royal Caribbean is also offering support to its crew members from the region.

Royal Caribbean employs over 500 crew members from the Ukraine, and 200 crew members from Russia.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on Monday the company is offering these crew members assistance getting them home or close to home if they wish to leave their ship.

Other cruise lines skipping Russia

Royal Caribbean has joined many other cruise lines in bypassing Russia this year.

Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and a host of other brands have all said they will skip visits to Russia.

In light of the recent attacks by Russia in Ukraine, Carnival Corporation brands will be modifying our itineraries in the coming week once alternative ports can be confirmed. We stand for peace.

— Carnival Corporation (@CarnivalPLC) February 26, 2022

Carnival Corporation tweeted, "In light of the recent attacks by Russia in Ukraine, Carnival Corporation brands will be modifying our itineraries in the coming week once alternative ports can be confirmed."

"We stand for peace."