Oasis of the Seas is not only one of Royal Caribbean's most popular cruise ships and one of the largest ship in the world, it is also a real trailblazer. 

In this video, I have seven surprising facts you may not have known about Oasis of the Seas.

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

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So check out the video and then let us know: Which of these facts was the most interesting or surprising?

A Royal Caribbean cruise booked this weekend may qualify for up to $150 instant savings, in addition to the current monthly promotion.

The Dashing Deals promotion applies to new bookings made December 19 – 23, 2019 on select sailings departing on or after January 19, 2020.

It includes:

• 30% off cruise fare for all guests in the stateroom
  • Cruise must be booked between December 4 - 26, 2019 & applies to select sailings departing on or after January 4, 2020.
  • Instant savings do not apply to China departures.
• Instant savings of up to $150 per stateroom
  • Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:
    • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
    • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites.
    • Instant savings do not apply to China departures.  
• Kids Sail Free
  • Applies to new bookings made between December 4 - 26, 2019.
  • Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple of quad-occupancy stateroom.
  • Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all Serenade of the Seas Alaska 2020 sailings departing between January 4, 2020 - December 17, 2020.
  • Offer excludes Odyssey of the Seas Europe sailings, President’s Day sailings (Sailings between February 14 – 17, 2020), Spring Break sailings (Sailings between March 14 – 23, 2020), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Sailings between April 3 – 17, 2020), Peak Summer sailings (Sailings between May 15 – August 31, 2020) and Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 - 28, 2020).
  • Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and apply to all guests.   

30% Off Every Guest and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Dashing Deals Sale is combinable with 30% Off Every Guest and Kids Sail Free, as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades and Shareholder Benefits, but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts. Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates. Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking; limit one promo code per booking.

Royal Caribbean has effectively rebranded the Bottomless Galley Brunch tour and relaunched it as the Sip Tour Brunch.

Available to pre-book on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site, the Sip Tour Brunch offers guests a tour of the galley, along with brunch in the dining room that comes with unlimited champagne. 

The tour promises to give guests an inside look at how Royal Caribbean prepares three meals a day for thousands of guests.

If you are looking for a mix of privacy, luxury and excellent service while at Perfect Day at CocoCay, one of Royal Caribbean's cabanas are the perfect solution.

Royal Caribbean offers guests the opportunity to rent cabanas at Perfect Day at CocoCay for the day during the ship's visit to the private island.

What's included with the cabanas?

The cost of a cabana rental at Perfect Day at CocoCay includes a variety of amenities:

• Private cabana for use during the day
• Towels
• Complimentary water bottles
• Sofa and resort-style chairs
• Complimentary food delivery options from Snack Shack
• Complimentary use of two floating beach mats
• Lockable storage
• Charging outlets
• Cabana concierge service to deliver food and beverage orders
• Thrill Waterpark cabana only: Complimentary admission for up to 6 guests to Thrill Waterpark
• Coco Beach Club cabanas only: Include full day pass to Coco Beach Club.

If you are wondering what is not included with a cabana rental, WiFi access and alcoholic beverages are extra, although if you purchased a package for either on your ship, these will be honored at no additional cost on CocoCay.

How much are the cabanas?

CocoCay cabana pricing will vary from sailing to sailing, and you can get specific pricing once you have a deposit placed for your cruise.  Simply log into Royal Caribbean's site and access the Cruise Planner.

Prices for the Chill Island cabanas, Thrill Waterpark cabanas and Oasis Lagoon cabanas can run anywhere between $799 and $1,899 for the day. Pricing is per cabana, not per person. Pricing is per cabana, not per person.

The Coco Beach Club cabanas and Hideaway Beach cabanas are priced much higher, with the Coco Beach Club Cabana starting at $1299, and the Coco Beach Club Overwater Cabanas at around $2500. 

The reality is you'll probably pay a lot more for the cabanas.

Chill Island Cabanas

The Chill Island cabanas are a great choice for families wishing to spend a lot of time in and around the beach. Located on the north side of the Chill Island area, these cabanas are separated from the rest of Chill Island to provide a sense of exclusivity.

Chill Island cabanas can accommodate up to 8 guests and feature resort-style chaise lounges, a lush sectional sofa, complimentary towels, nearby snacks at Chill Grill, and a Cabana Concierge. Additionally, a cocktail table that houses conveniences like a personal Bluetooth speaker upon request to play your own music, a combination lock lid for storage and a USB outlet. Two floating mats and snorkeling gear available upon request.

These cabanas are conveniently located near the jet ski and snorkel tours.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for purchase.

Thrill Waterpark Cabanas

If you plan to spend the day enjoying the slides and pools included at Thrill Waterpark, then the Thrill Waterpark cabanas are a great choice.  These cabanas provide a private enclave during the day, just steps away from the the tallest waterslide in North America, biggest wave pool in the Caribbean and raddest obstacle course around.

There are a few different cabana locations throughout Thrill Waterpark, and Royal Caribbean will assign one to you. The three areas are:

• Near Daredevil's Peak
• Near Family Tower
• Near the wave pool

If you prefer a specific location, speak to the shore excursion team onboard your cruise ship at least 24 hours prior to your arrival at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Thrill Waterpark cabanas can accommodate up to 6 guests and offer a lush sectional sofa and 2 resort-style chairs, as well as power outlets.

Perhaps the most lucrative perk of these cabanas is the fact it includes admission to Thrill Waterpark for up to six guests in the price. Factoring the price of a full day pass to Thrill Waterpark pass into the cost of the cabana, it provides one of the best values of any cabana on CocoCay.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for purchase.

Oasis Lagoon Cabanas

The Oasis Lagoon cabanas are just steps away from the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean.  It is also convenient to the swim up bar and DJ music played throughout the day. In short, these are the most centrally located cabanas on the island and provide convenient access to the beaches, restaurants and Oasis Lagoon pool nearby.

Oasis Lagoon cabanas can accommodate up to 8 guests and offer a lush sectional sofa, chaise lounges, a Cabana Concierge, secure space for your belongings and more. There is also a cocktail table that doubles as a personal Bluetooth speaker upon request to play your own music, a combination lock lid for storage and a USB outlet.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with 8 towels and stock your cooler with 8 complimentary water bottles. Additional water bottles will be available for charge.

Coco Beach Club Cabanas

Located in the Coco Beach Club, the Coco Beach Club Cabanas provide a private space for your family to enjoy, along with a full day pass to the Coco Beach Club for up to eight guests.

The Coco Beach Club cabanas are larger than the cabanas outside of the Coco Beach Club, with 4 lounge chairs and a sectional sofa, unlimited bottled water, as well as your own dining area, a ceiling fan and lockable storage.

Your Cabana Concierge will provide you with eight premium, complimentary towels and stock your cooler with an unlimited supply of bottled water. You can order from the menu in your cabana upon arrival for complimentary food from the upgraded restaurant at Coco Beach Club.

Coco Beach Club Overwater Cabanas

If you want to enjoy a Bora Bora-style day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, then the Coco Beach Club Floating Cabanas are for you.  The Floating Cabanas are good for up to 8 guests to enjoy, along with access to the Coco Beach Club.

The Floating Cabanas feature an overwater hammock, as well as private slide into the ocean.

Your Floating Cabana includes a sectional sofa, dining area, lounge chairs, lockable storage, charging outlets, eight premium towels, overwater hammock, cabana-to-sea slide, and unlimited bottled water.

Hideaway Beach Cabanas

There are two types of cabanas you could rent in Hideaway Beach, which is the adults-only area.  All guests need to be at least 18 years old to enter.

The Hideout Cabanas are located in area known as, "The Hideout", and each poolside cabana has in-water loungers, outdoor shower access, Bluetooth speaker, floating beach mats, resort-style seating, a cooler, sink, mini fridge, charging outlets, ceiling fans, and private lockable storage space.

You'll also get access to the infinity plunge pool, exclusively for The Hideout guests.

Slightly cheaper are the Hideaway Cabanas, and these are located closer to the beach.

A Hideaway Cabana also includes entry to Hideaway Beach for up to 8 adults. 

Your Hideaway Cabana includes unlimited supply of bottled water, private lockable storage, sink and mini fridge, cooler, ceiling fan, charging outlets, resort-style seating, and floating beach mats.

How to book a cabana at CocoCay?

The easiest and best way to reserve a cabana is to book it online via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.  Cabanas can be reserved in the months leading up to a cruise, and it is not uncommon for cabanas to sell out even before the cruise begins. Another advantage of booking cabanas before the cruise is there are sometimes sales that bring the price down.

You can also opt to wait to reserve a cabana once onboard the ship at the Shore Excursion desk.

If having a cabana is important to you, definitely prebook them as early as you can to have one reserved.

Are the cabanas at CocoCay worth it?

A cabana at Perfect Day at CocoCay is not cheap, but they provide exactly what they advertise: a private enclave on the island for your family to enjoy, with upgraded service and options to enjoy.

The Thrill Waterpark cabanas offer the best value, since they are the only ones to include waterpark admission with the cost of the cabana. If you have four to six guests and were planning to do the cabana anyway, a cabana is arguably a good investment for the day.

The other cabanas are, as advertised, private enclaves for a splurge-worthy day at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Just like upgrading your seat on an airplane to first class, a cabana is about treating yourself to additional service and comfort.

Since cabanas can handle six to eight guests, if you can split the cost of the cabana with another family, that can greatly assist in making the value of a cabana worth it.

Royal Caribbean released additional new 2021 European sailings for booking on two ships, Odyssey of the Seas & Adventure of the Seas.

Odyssey of the Seas will offer a transatlantic sailing in April 2021 from Fort Lauderdale to her summer homeport of Rome, Italy.  Odyssey will then offer a variety of Mediterranean cruises from Rome, to destinations in Italy, Greece and Israel. Royal Caribbean is highlighting the fact Odyssey will offer overnight stays in Athens, as well as late night stays in select ports on select itineraries.

View Odyssey of the Seas 2021 European sailings

Adventure of the Seas will offer an 18-night transatlantic sailing from Galveston to Copenhagen in April 2021.  Once she arrives in Europe, Adventure will sail in summer 2021 to Scandinavia & Russia.  Adventure will alternate homeports between Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden.

View Adventure of the Seas 2021 European sailings

These new sailings are open for booking to Crown & Anchor Society members on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, and the general public on Thursday, December 19, 2019.

Royal Caribbean UK launched a new series of television ads aimed at showcasing how a cruise vacation can help families come together.

The new advertising campaign was developed by Truant London and officially kicks off on December 26.

Jodie Whittaker, best known for her work on Dr Who, narrates the new television commercial.  It will begin appearing across major TV channels and video-on-demand on December 26.

The new ads focus on bringing extended families together and reconnect during a cruise vacation.

Royal Caribbean will also sponsor The Masked Singer in January. 

Everyone makes mistakes, and today we get to learn from some of them with the one big mistake our readers made on their first Royal Caribbean cruise.

I reached out to our blog readers to hear some of the worst mistakes they have ever made on a cruise. These pitfalls are the perfect lessons for the rest of us to know about and avoid on our own sailings.

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single video!

So check out the video and then let us know: What is the worst rookie mistake you made on a cruise?

Royal Caribbean fans can now purchase a stainless steel tumbler that keeps their drinks hot or cold longer, with a Royal Caribbean look to it.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com reader Nick Vitani spotted these cups for sale onboard Navigator of the Seas on the Royal Promenade. The cups may or may not be available on other ships in the fleet yet.

The cups cost $44.99 each, unless you have the Deluxe Beverage Package, and then the cups cost $25 each. These cups are not replacements for the complimentary soda cup that comes with a drink package purchase, rather, they are new piece of merchandise to purchase.

If you purchase the cup without a drink package, it does include a complimentary beverage coupon (including alcohol).

Let us know in the comments what you think of this tumbler! Would you want to purchase one for your collection?

With the new year just days away, that means a brand new year of Royal Caribbean cruises to enjoy and with it, some changes.  I have picked out six of the most significant changes that guests going on a cruise in 2020 are likely to notice.

Coco Beach Club opening 

Royal Caribbean estimated the Coco Beach Club and the floating cabanas are slated to open on January 31, 2020.

The Coco Beach Club is a exclusive area of Perfect Day at CocoCay that offers an oceanfront infinity pool, upgraded cuisine and the only floating cabanas in the Bahamas. Plus, there is a complimentary restaurant at Coco Beach Club featuring lobster, snapper, and steak— plus a buffet of soups, salads, and starters. 

The Coco Beach Club will offer the first and only floating cabanas in The Bahamas that seeks to offer guests with an additional level of luxury.

Allure of the Seas amplification & summer in Europe

In summer 2020, Allure of the Seas will get her turn for a massive $165 million amplification that  will add new features, including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Quantum Class original Music Hall.

After the work is completed, Allure will offer 7-night Western Mediterranean cruises sailing roundtrip from Barcelona during the summer 2020 season.

In November 2020, Allure will make its way coast to coast to Miami for the winter season.

Odyssey of the Seas launch

Anytime a new cruise ship launches, that is a big deal, and the second Quantum Ultra Class ship will make her debut in November 2020.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to arrive in North America, and will feature a two-level pool deck, as well as a collection of restaurant choices to enjoy.

Odyssey's inaugural year will kick off with 8- and 6-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, FL. She will then sail to her homeport of Rome in May 2021 and become the first Quantum Ultra Class ship to cruise Europe for the summer. 

End of neighborhood balcony perks

When the calendar changes from 2019 to 2020, the neighborhood balcony perks on Oasis Class ships will cease to be offered.  Royal Caribbean announced in September 2019 that it would end the program on all sailings departing on or after January 1, 2020.

The Dine, Drink & Discover program offered extra benefits to guests who booked Boardwalk Balcony and Central Park Balcony staterooms on Oasis Class ships. 

If you had a neighborhood balcony room booked before September 18, 2019, then you will be grandfathered in for any sailing departing on-or-after January 1st, 2020. 

Royal Caribbean returns to New Orleans

Royal Caribbean will mark its return to offering cruises from the Big Easy, with Majesty of the Seas being homeported from New Orleans.

Majesty of the Seas will sail 7 night sailings primarily to the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay, with some Western Caribbean itineraries too.

Explorer of the Seas & Freedom of the Seas amplifications

In addition to the upgrades for Allure of the Seas, the Royal Amplified program will also enhance Explorer of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.

Freedom of the Seas will be first up for changes in March 2020, with a $116 million amplification that will add the Perfect Storm duo of waterslides, a redesigned Adventure Ocean, a Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade and a reimagined pool deck that will feature Splashaway Bay, El Loco Fresh and The Lime & Coconut.

Beginning in May 2020, Explorer of the Seas will be reimagined with a $110 million amplification that will add the Perfect Storm racer waterslides, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen; a redesigned, resort-style poolscape with signature poolside bar The Lime & Coconut; and transformed kids and teens spaces. 

Which Royal Caribbean change are you most excited about for 2020? Tell us in the comments!