Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 246 is available for downloading, where Cruise Life Rick joins us to talk about his experience on an inaugural Symphony of the Seas sailing.

Symphony of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, and Rick got a chance to cruise on one of her first sailings. Rick shares with us his thoughts on this new ship and what he liked the best.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 246. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

If you want to enjoy as much coffee, sparkling water, and sodas on your cruise, but drinks with alcohol aren't of interest, then the Refreshment Package might be the choice for you.

With the Refreshment Package, you can order almost any non-alcoholic beverage at any bar and restaurant on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

This provides an easy way to budget your cruise without worrying about generating a big bill at the end of the sailing. You'll get as many non-alcoholic beverages as you care to enjoy for one fixed price.

The Royal Refreshment package includes juices, premium coffees, bottled water and virgin cocktails.  By purchasing the Royal Refreshment package, it ensures you not only get to enjoy as many of these drinks as you like, but it also allows you to lock in the price of your preferred drinks.

What does the Royal Refreshment package include?

Guests can choose between unlimited fountain sodas, non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails, bottled water (500ml), sparkling water (375 ml), fresh squeezed juices, premium coffee and premium tea.  

Guests who purchase the Royal Refreshment package will also receive a souvenir Coca-Cola cup, which can be used with the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines on select Royal Caribbean ships.

How much is the Royal Refreshment package?

The standard price of the Royal Refreshment Package is $29.00 per guest (not including gratuity) per night of your cruise. 

When you purchase the drink package, a one-time gratuity (referred to as a service charge) will be charged as well. 

This means the daily price you pay covers all the drinks covered in this package, as well as gratuity.

Is there ever a discount offered on the Royal Refreshment package?

On occasion, Royal Caribbean does offer a pre-cruise discount on certain drink packages purchased prior to your cruise via the Cruise Planner site.

We usually share Cruise Planner sales on this site, which tend to occur once every few weeks or so.  

There is no risk in purchasing a drink package now and taking advantage of a price drop later. 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.

Does the Royal Refreshment package include espresso-based coffee?

Royal Caribbean defines "premium coffees" as cappuccinos, espressos, and lattes. Thus, espresso based drinks are included with the Royal Refreshment package at any restaurant, bar, or cafe that serves espresso beverages.

This includes specialty coffees you can get at Cafe Promenade, Cafe Latte-tudes, or Cafe@Two70. At these locations, they serve Starbucks drinks and are included with a Refreshment Package.

However, the Refreshment Package does not work at Starbucks kiosks.

Does the Royal Refreshment package include milk shakes?

As of July 2018, milkshakes at Johnny Rockets are included.

Who is the Royal Refreshment package best for?

We believe the Royal Refreshment package is a great choice for guests who are not interested in (or are not old enough to purchase) alcoholic beverages, but still want to have premium non-alcoholic beverages while on their cruise.

Typically, this package is popular with guests that enjoy premium coffees, virgin cocktails and soft drinks. Teenagers especially gravitate towards the Royal Refreshment package, because they can enjoy the lots of drinks without fear of a large bill later.  Adults also find the package worthwhile, for the premium coffee and fresh squeezed juices option.

Essentially, it tends to resonate as a good choice for guests who are not interested in alcoholic beverages, but want to still enjoy many drinks that cost extra.

What is the difference between the Royal Refreshment package and the Classic Soda Package?

The Classic Soda package only includes soft drinks and a souvenir Coca-Cola cup, whereas the Royal Refreshment package includes soft drinks, a souvenir Coca-Cola cup, and many other varieties of drinks.

Instead of just sodas, the Royal Refreshment package includes virgin cocktails, premium coffee, fresh squeezed juice and more.

Can I purchase the Royal Refreshment package and share drinks with someone I know onboard?

No, sharing beverages on any of Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages is strictly prohibited.

If I buy the Royal Refreshment package, are others in my stateroom required to purchase the same drink package?

No, unlike Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage package, Royal Caribbean does not require other guests in the same stateroom to purchase a Royal Refreshment package.

Are you ready for a virtual escape to a Royal Caribbean cruise? Every Friday we share our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos in a showcase of why we love going on Royal Caribbean.

Kinny Lee took this long exposure photo of the Carousel at night on Allure of the Seas.

Tony Oleszczuk took this photo from his aft cabin on Vision of the Seas, as the ship passed the entrance into St. John's Newfoundland harbor.

Here is a carved up watermelon on Freedom of the Seas, taken by Bill Barber.

Here is a shot of Anthem of the Seas docked off the coast of CocoCay, taken by Anoop while onboard the tender.

This photo taken of Anthem of the Seas from the top of Cadiallac mountain in Bar Harbor, Maine by Jill Snyder.

Jesse Mickelson shared with us this photo of Anthem of the Seas in Barbados.

We wrap up this week's photos with a look at Anthem of the Seas, as seen from North Star.  Photo taken by Matthew Hull.

Thank you to everyone who's photos were featured this week, and if you want to share your best Royal Caribbean cruise photos, you can send them in via this form. Have a great weekend!

Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas arrived in Naples, Italy, for the first time and there's a great timelapse video of the world's largest cruise ship.  

Royal Caribbean is inviting select guests to try out a new way to board the ship that aims to improve the embarkation process.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader, Steve, shared with us an email sent with the invitation to try the expedited check-in for an upcoming sailing on Allure of the Seas.

Guests simply need to download the new Royal Caribbean smart phone app and then check-in on the mobile app prior to the cruise.

Once the mobile check-in is complete, guests might see an Expedited Arrival choice on their mobile boarding pass, which means they have been selected to participate in our boarding trial.

Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, there will be an Expedited Arrival lane for these guests, who may present their mobile boarding pass. 

Since this is a test, the exact process may change.  This may be a precursor to the "frictionless" check-in Royal Caribbean announced late last year. 

Royal Caribbean has posted a new photo of the construction of its first Quantum Ultra class cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas.

Designed specifically for the Chinese market, Spectrum is scheduled for delivery in 2019.

This photo was taken at the Meyer Werft ship yard in Papenburg, Germany. Photo is copyright Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean announced Quantum of the Seas will call Singapore home for six months in 2019-2020.

Prior to her arrival in Singapore, Quantum of the Seas will be revitalised in a multi-million dollar project that will see the ship refreshed and upgraded.

Her itineraries include 4-night cruises to Penang or Phuket, 5-night cruises to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang and Phuket, a 7-night cruise to Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Penang and Phuket (with an overnight) and a 7-night cruise to Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (with an overnight) and Ho Chi Minh City..

Over her 34 sailings during the six months from November 2019 to April 2020, Quantum of the Seas is expected to add some 150,000 guests to the Singapore cruising scene.

President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Mr. Michael Bayley, said that the commitment to bring in bigger and better ships like Quantum of the Seas demonstrates Royal Caribbean’s confidence in the region to continue experiencing record-breaking growth.

“The Asian cruise market has seen tremendous growth over the last few years, and Singapore has been leading growth as one of the most significant cruise destinations and cruise source markets in the region,” said Mr. Bayley.

He added, “In response to the strong demand from Singapore and the region, we have decided to bring in longer cruises for Quantum of the Seas’return. The season will feature cruises starting from four nights and the first ever 7-night round trip cruises on a Quantum Class ship here. With this ground-breaking itinerary design for the Asian cruise market, our guests will get the opportunity to enjoy a more comprehensive Quantum Class experience and take in more of what this amazing ship has to offer.”

They say April showers brings May flowers, but Sundays bring you a round-up of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news!

The Royal Caribbean news everyone was focused on this week was Symphony of the Seas, with a new accolade to add to her list: she is the most Instagrammable cruise ship in the world.

Royal Caribbean has appointed Russ Francis as the company’s first ‘Instagrammer-in-Chief’ as Symphony takes her first guests on their holidays in the Mediterranean from Barcelona, Spain. His new role will be to help inspire guests to do the ship justice through their Instagram content and establish Symphony of the Seas as the world’s most Instagrammable ship.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean tweaked its cruise cancellation policy.
• Royal Caribbean announced the 2019/2020 Australia deployment.
• Radiance of the Seas had a sailing cancelled to fix a problem with her propulsion.
• Here's a new video that looks at the coolest things to do on Symphony of the Seas.
• Here is a first look at Seasonal Caribbean & Northeast sailings for 2019/2020.
• Royal Caribbean released a hyperlapse video tour of Symphony of the Seas.
• Check out a photo tour of an Owners Suite stateroom on Rhapsody of the Seas.
• Our full review of Iberostar Cozumel all-inclusive day pass.
• Here is a timelapse video of Symphony of the Seas sailing away from Barcelona.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 244th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a comparison of Royal Caribbean to Disney Cruise Line.

A long time Disney Cruise Line veteran tried Royal Caribbean for the first time, and on this week's episode, we take an in-depth discussion of the differences between the two lines, and how the two lines are similar and vary at the same time.

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.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

USA Today shared five things to love about Symphony of the Seas.

Business Insider has a look at how Royal Caribbean has gotten travelers to spend more money on its cruises.

Wired has a look at the inside story of how Symphony of the Seas was built.

We have a photo tour to share of an Owner's Suite on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas, which will take you through the cabin to provide an idea of what to expect if you book this category stateroom.

On Rhapsody of the Seas, we reviewed stateroom 8002, which is located on Deck 8 in the forward part of the deck.  

Some of the staterooms on Rhapsody of the Seas have special names, and our stateroom was called, "The Beethoven Suite".  Other than the fancy name, there is not really much distinction between this and another Owners Suite.

Upon walking in, the first thing you will notice is there is a ton of space.

The vanity area features lots of storage space, a television, electrical outlets (including a not-so-obvious plug above the TV) and...

...in room coffee and tea maker!

The primary bed can be completely enclosed by the curtains, providing privacy and does exceedingly well at keeping it dark.

The sitting area features another television, tables nad chairs.

There is also a large sofa and comfortable chairs that flank another table.

The sofa can open up to a bed, which can accomodate two guests easily.

Above the television is a Playstation 3, which is primarily used for playing movies. The Suite Concierege has a collection of DVDs that you can borrow (or you can bring your own).

The private balcony measures 104 square feet.

This particular room was very close to the bridge, and provided a look at one of the bridge wings.

The bathroom is massive, and features a stand-up shower, bathtub, dual sinks, toilet and bidet.

Being in a suite, guests receive upgraded toiletries.