Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!
Episode 254 is available for downloading and features an in-depth discussion of the prices and options available at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Last week, Royal Caribbean announced prices for all the new things to do at Perfect Day at CocoCay and this week, Matt and Billy discuss the prices and policies announced.
Royal Caribbean announced the new features and amenities that will be offered on the newest, largest and most expensive cruise ship in Asia, Spectrum of the Seas.
Spectrum of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's first Quantum Ultra Class ship, and will boast the cruise line’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories, innovative dining concepts, and stunning features and experiences – many of which have never before been seen at sea.
Spectrum of the Seas will be able to accommodate 4,246 guests at double occupancy and 1,551 crew members and will sail from Shanghai starting in June 2019.
As we reported earlier, Spectrum of the Seas will offer a number of innovative features onboard. Here is a rundown of what will make Spectrum different from other ships.
Onboard activities
Custom built for the Chinese market, Spectrum of the Seas will feature bold and unexpected experiences, including the iconic Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline experience located on the aft of the ship.
Guests will strap in and don their VR headset to transport them to another time and planet. The out-of-this-world experience is for guests of all ages, and also can be enjoyed without headsets, for those who prefer to look out over the ocean as they leap toward the sky.
A brand new experience to any Royal Caribbean shop is Star Moment, which is described as a lively and energetic karaoke venue where family and friends can belt out and sing like stars.
The cruise line also will enhance SeaPlex – the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea where families can enjoy bumper cars, roller skating and basketball – with new augmented reality walls and floors, providing guests with thrilling, high-tech interactive experiences.
Spectrum of the Seas will also offer other signature Quantum Class offerings, such as the North Star observational pod, RipCord by iFly sky diving simulator and the FlowRider surf simulator.
The popular Two70 venue will also be available on Spectrum of the Seas and will feature the Vistarama technology, which transforms the panoramic windows into a projection surface more than 100 feet wide and over 20 feet tall showcasing spectacular digital shows. The innovative Vistarama is complemented by six agile Roboscreens, measuring over 7 feet tall and controlled by powerful, yet nimble robotic arms that create scenes as they soar and twist solo or as one.
Private Suite Enclave
Spectrum of the Seas will offer Royal Caribbean's first exclusive suites-only area, which will feature the exquisite Golden and Silver suite accommodations in a private enclave at the forward end of the ship on decks 13 through 16.
Guests booked in these type of suites will have special keycard access, a private elevator and a dedicated restaurant and lounge. In addition to a range of exclusive amenities, guests will have access to The Balcony – a private outdoor space for sunbathing and relaxing – that offers the best views on board; and The Boutique, a shopping area where travelers can book private shopping experiences.
Spectrum of the Seas will introduce the two-level, 2,809-square-foot Ultimate Family Suite, accommodating up to 11 guests. The three-bedroom suite, which will include a master bedroom with a bathroom that extends over the side of the ship to provide unparalleled ocean views, along with two additional suites for grandparents and other family members. Kids have their own kid-friendly space on the upper level, complete with an in-suite slide that will transport them to the living area below. Everyone in the family can enjoy time together in the recreation room, featuring surround-sound equipment for a night of karaoke, movies or video games.
Dining
Royal Caribbean will offer a three-level main dining room on Spectrum of the Seas with a capacity of 1,844 guests. The cuisine served in the main dining room will serve a variety of Chinese and Western a la carte options that rotate each day of the sailing.
Royal Caribbean will offer the Windjammer Marketplace as a more casual option. On Spectrum, the Windjammer will be 20 percent larger than those on Quantum Class ships and feature a buffet selection of Chinese and Western dishes, including noodles, pizza, Japanese teppanyaki and mini hot pot.
Sichuan Red will be a new specialty restaurant, located in the Royal Esplande, and will serve authentic cuisine from the Sichuan province of China.
Royal Caribbean’s popular signature restaurants, including Wonderland’s Dadong – a new outpost of Chinese chef Dong Zhenxiang, renowned for his much-coveted roast duck dish; Jamie’s Italian by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver; Izumi Japanese cuisine; and Chops Grille will join the lineup as well. In addition, the new Leaf and Bean traditional tea room and café parlor will debut on the Royal Esplanade. The quaint spot will offer a range of authentic Chinese teas, classic coffee drinks as well as freshly baked Chinese and Western desserts and pastries.
Itineraries
When Spectrum of the Seas debuts in April 2019, she will sail a 51-night Global Odyssey from Barcelona, Spain to Shanghai, taking vacationers to 13 countries. Guests with limited time also can choose to sail one or more of the five separate segments of the Global Odyssey. When Spectrum arrives at her new home in Shanghai in June 2019, she will introduce new itineraries with visits to new ports, such as Hakodate and Niigita, Japan; Ilocos, Philippines; and Vladivostok, Russia. In winter 2019, the ship will reposition to Hong Kong to offer special holiday cruises.
These new itineraries and more are now open for sale.
Royal Caribbean updated its website today with details of what guests can expect to find on Spectrum of the Seas, the first Quantum Ultra Class ship.
Being the first of her kind, Spectrum of the Seas will offer high-flying virtual reality thrills in the Sky Pad and custom juice drink creations crafted by robots at the Bionic Bar, to revolutionary Golden Suites accommodations with exclusive amenities like private dining rooms, lounges and a Solarium. Not to mention karaoke performances in your own private 3D cinema in the brand new Ultimate Family Suite.
Some of the revealed highlights include:
Sichuan Red
Sit down to an authentic Sichuan feast with ocean views for the whole table at Sichuan Red.
Sky Pad
Spring yourself into a virtual world on a new bungee trampoline experience — Sky Pad.
Splashaway Cafe
Treat your little ones to a snack-a-thon made just for them at the poolside Splashaway Café.
North Star
Ultimate Family Suite
The Spectrum of the Seas Ultimate Family Suite is two expansive stories of awesome thrills on every level, from your very own in-suite slide where there’s never a line to a private 3D cinema that’s perfect for karaoke nights and making family memories.
Golden Suites
Choose from two tiers of luxury and unlock exclusive access to the Golden Suites — a world of inclusive amenities and standard-setting service.
Royal Caribbean also released a full assortment of Spectrum of the Seas deck plans.
In addition, Spectrum of the Seas sailings are now available to book on Royal Caribbean's web site. These newly added sailings offer regular departures from Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Shanghai (Baoshan), China. Prior to arriving in China, Spectrum of the Seas will sail a 16-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Dubai via the Suez Canal on April 18, 2019. This will be followed by a 14 night "Spice Route Cruise" from Dubai to Singapore on May 4, 2019.
Royal Caribbean is actively working on building a new pier at its private island of CocoCay in the Bahamas, and we have some new photos to share of the progress being made.
Royal Caribbean Blog reader Jason Percival shared with us these photos of the progress, as seen earlier today during a stopover on Adventure of the Seas.
The InterContinental Miami Hotel is located in Downtown Miami, just across the bay from PortMiami and where Royal Caribbean sails its cruise ships. This review covers our stay at the hotel, featuring room photos, thoughts on the InterContinental's amenities and our general thoughts for anyone considering staying here on their next pre or post-cruise visit.
The InterContinental is directly downtown and overlooks Biscayne Bay. It is a 35-story tower on the eastern edge of downtown Miami, near Bayfront Park. According to the hotel's website, it was built in 1982 by famed architect Pietro Belluschi and has 641 guest rooms. The hotel's exterior, porte cochere and lobby were redesigned by architect Thomas Roszak, of Lohan Anderson + Roszak in 2012.
We selected the InterContinental primarily for its proximity to PortMiami. You can not only see PortMiami quite well, but Royal Caribbean's corporate headquarters faces the hotel from across Biscayne Bay.
We also picked the InterContinental because it offered suites in addition to standard hotel rooms, which was important to us because it meant our two children could sleep in a seperate room from us. Moreover, the suite included concierge lounge access for happy hour drinks each evening (5pm-7pm), as well as a complimentary breakfast set up in the morning from 7am to 11am. We considered other hotels too, but either the price was higher, location further away, or simply sold out.
We drove to the hotel from Central Florida, so getting to Miami was easy enough via the Florida Turnpike. Once in Miami, you take the appropriate exit and drive into the city to the plaza that the InterContinental is located. Like any major American city, once you are in the city, there are many intersections and streets to navigate. More than likely if you are flying into Miami or another nearby airport, you will be taking a taxi or ride sharing service to the hotel, which means navigating to the hotel is someone else's problem.
Overnight valet parking is available at the hotel, as well as street parking nearby. We used the valet parking option for simplicty and the service was prompt and efficient. It cost about $38 for 24 hours, and that is about what valet parking at any hotel in a city costs in my experience.
We booked a Club Intercontinental Suite 1 King room. With taxes and fees, it came out to $324.17 for a one night stay. Not the cheapest hotel we have ever stayed at, but it did include concierge lounge and most importantly, provided us with two sleeping areas. All suites include high-speed Wi-Fi, Health & Spa Access, and Club Lounge Access.
Speaking of the room, the room was massive. It features a living area with pullout Queen sofa bed, as well as a bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms.
Depending on your room location, you will either have a view of Biscayne Bay or downtown Miami. My kids loved watching the bustle of the city from our 31st floor vantage point.
Each room had a flatscreen television, which meant the kids could watch whatever weird shows they were into and I could watch something that would result in my feeling less inclined to claw out my own eyes.
The room was immaculate and we had no concerns about anything there. Being a building built well over 30 years ago, you can tell the building is older, especially if you have stayed at the current generation of suite hotels around the country. However, the hotel is well-maintained and showing no signs of its age. I felt like the age of the hotel meant that we got more square footage for the room compared to hotel suites I often find in hotels built much more recently.
The InterContinental has a large pool area with ample seating all round. In fact, the sheer amount of seating is quite impressive.
The only complaint you could make about the pool is that being in South Florida, passing thunderstorms and rain showers are quite common and there is little to no cover when one rolls past.
In the morning, breakfast is served in the concierge lounge from 7am to 11am. In the grand scheme of complimentary hotel breakfasts, this was pretty darn good. The selection of hot food, cereals, breads and fruit was wide enough to satisfy our family. In fact, I was impressed by how much was offered.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the InterContinental Miami since it provided the sleeping arrangements we wanted along with some nice extras in the form of concierge lounge. The location of the hotel and its proximity to PortMiami make it a fabulous hotel for before or after your cruise, especially if you enjoy watching the cruise ships leave.
I felt like the InterContinental is a safe bet for somewhere reliably upscale and well-maintained to stay in downtown Miami. I might have been able to get another suite hotel for slightly less per night, or I could have compromised on the location of the hotel or certain amenities included. Part of the appeal of the InterContinental it being a solid choice for somewhere to stay.
Your thoughts
Have you stayed at the InterContinental Miami? What did you think of the experience? Is this a hotel at which you would consider staying? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas made her first visit to two different ports in the Philippines this weekend, Subic Bay and Manila. This is the largest ever cruise ship to call at any Filipino port, and with the highest number of guests onboard totalling close to 4,600 from around the world. She is currently on a 5-night cruise from Hong Kong.
Photo by Royal Caribbean International
To celebrate the maiden call at Subic Bay, a traditional plaque exchange ceremony was held onboard between Ovation of the Seas’ Captain Flemming Nielsen and local officials namely Atty. Wilma Eisma, Chairman and Administrator of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Mr Roberto Alabado III, Assistant Secretary of Department of Tourism. Senator Richard "Dick" Gordon and Ms Ma. Cristina Garcia, Vice Governor of Bataan were present at the event as well.
Photo by Royal Caribbean International
Photo by Royal Caribbean International
A similar ceremony was held to celebrate the ship’s maiden call in Manila, with Captain Nielsen and Mr Mancile Francisquiel, Port Manager of Philippine Ports Authority, Mr Pocholo Joselito Paragas, Chief Operating Officer of Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) – Department of Tourism, and Atty. Solfia Arboladura, Director of Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau presented the “key to the City of Manila” to the ship's Captain.
Photo by Royal Caribbean International
Ovation of the Seas is the largest cruise ship to enter the Philippines.
Royal Caribbean's Summer Countdown Cruise Planner sale begins today, with up to 30% off shore excursions, drink packages and internet packages.
Offer applies to new purchases made June 8 - June 11, 2018. Discount applies to shore excursion, beverage, and internet purchases on select sailings departing 6/15/2018 - 12/15/2018.
To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site to view any available offers.
If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.
All of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships will eliminate the use of plastic drinking straws by the end 2018 in an effort to reach a comprehensive plastics elimination program.
The policy will be mirrored with sister brands Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Pullmantur Cruceros.
Royal Caribbean has already implemented a "straws upon request" policy, and this new policy will go a step further to eliminate the plastic option all together. That program will be taken a step further by the start of 2019, when guests requesting a straw will receive a paper straw instead of a plastic one. Guests also will begin seeing Forrest Stewardship Council-certified wood coffee stirrers and bamboo garnish picks as part of the plastic reduction strategy.
After straws, stirrers and picks, the company's next efforts will focus on other single-use plastics such as condiment packets, cups, and bags. A full plastics audit is underway, with the overall plan to be completed in phases by 2020.
As part of the festivities surrounding the new upgrades to Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, the cruise line gave away a special edition of the classic board game Monopoly themed to Royal Caribbean International.
Before you ask, no, this is not for sale to the public yet. From what we understand, this edition of the game was given away to travel agents on Independence of the Seas as a gift, but we have not seen nor heard of it being for sale to the public. We purchased our copy off eBay, so you can take your chances there.
Monopoly has many different variations that have been produced over the years, including editions based on Star Wars, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Disney and so many more.
The Royal Caribbean monopoly edition draws on Royal Caribbean's ships and private destinations as the basis for this game.
Specifically...
Players buy ships instead of properties
Travel spaces now cover ports
Community Chest has been renamed Treasure Chest
Houses have been renamed rooms and hotels have become suites
Like pretty much any Monopoly variation, the gameplay is the same but the aesthetics have changed.
I thought it was particularly neat that the Treasure Chest cards (also known as Community Chest) were based on Royal Caribbean activities and events.
Here is hoping this Monopoly variation will eventually make it to become publicly available, because it is a really neat and fun idea!
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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Episode 254 is available for downloading and features an in-depth discussion of the prices and options available at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
