Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT) announced that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) has selected WDT’s WeatherOps risk mitigation system to implement on all of the ships in the Royal Caribbean International fleet, as well as in the emergency operations centers in Miami as of November 2017.

WDT’s WeatherOps platform was chosen to support RCL’s global cruise line operations after real-world validation and the approval of each captain in each division. RCL’s shore side team in Miami will also utilize WeatherOps to support captains across the fleet and ensure that logistics and weather safety across all aspects of the company’s operation are handled with respect to any weather hazards or delays.

"We are extremely excited to be using WDT’s innovative technology to ensure that our ships and Captains can plan the safest route possible for our guests and crew members," said James Van Fleet, Chief Meteorologist, Royal Caribbean International. "Our goal is always to make sure our guests have the best vacation possible, and this technology helps us do that."

Royal Caribbean announced a list of changes coming to Independence of the Seas that will be added in an upcoming refurbishment.

Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society confirmed the list of changes that will occur in April 2018. During the revitalization the ship will receive several new features including

• a trampoline park
• water slides
• escape rooms
• laser tag

These ideas were proposed by travel agents in the UK and Ireland as part of a contest held with Travel Weekly UK. 

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

Episode 206 is available for downloading where Matt shares his thoughts on his recent cruise aboard Harmony of the Seas.

Matt experienced a lot onboard Harmony of the Seas, and this week, he dives into what makes Harmony of the Seas unique and discusses the aspects of dining, entertainment and accomodations that stood out and why.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 206. 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!

Multi-platinum selling band DNCE will perform aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas for the cruise line's Great American Eclipse cruise.

On August 21, DNCE will headline Royal Caribbean’s solar eclipse viewing party with a surprise guest for an out-of-this-world performance aboard the exclusive 7-night Total Eclipse Cruise on board Oasis of the Seas, one of the world’s largest and most adventure-packed cruise ships.

DNCE frontman Joe Jonas and all-star bandmates, including bassist and keyboardist Cole Whittle, guitarist JinJoo and drummer Jack Lawless, will perform the band’s heart-pumping hits like “Kissing Strangers,” “Body Moves” and, of course, “Cake by the Ocean.” Guests booked on the Total Eclipse Cruise can visit Royal Caribbean’s website and reserve their complimentary seats for the concert by logging on to their reservation.

DNCE live from world's largest cruise ship!

A post shared by Royal Caribbean Blog.com (@royalcaribbeanblog) on Nov 11, 2016 at 3:23pm PST

“When we were invited to headline this once-in-a-lifetime event, we didn’t think twice. What could be more out of this world than witnessing a full solar eclipse at sea? ” said Joe Jonas. “We’re stoked about coming back on board with Royal Caribbean to put on a lights-out performance with a very special guest. It’s beyond exciting to be able to celebrate this crazy moment in history out in the middle of the ocean.”

This will be DNCE's second live performance on a Royal Caribbean ship. The band played on sister ship Harmony of the Seas in November 2016 to celebrate Harmony's arrival in the United States.

In addition to the viewing party, guests on Oasis of the Seas will be treated to other eclipse-themed activities, including dance parties, trivia, interactive science fun for kids and their families, and tasty cocktails and dishes.

The 7-night Total Eclipse Cruise on board Oasis of the Seas will set sail on Aug. 20, 2017 from Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida, and visit Caribbean destinations in the Eastern Caribbean. Those interested in booking this sailing can book now by visiting RoyalCaribbean.com/TotalEclipse, calling (800) ROYAL- CARIBBEAN or contacting their travel agent.

With ships around the world, Royal Caribbean welcomes guests from nearly every country. When it comes to dining, while their appetites and tastes differ, their expectations remain the same– fresh, delicious and authentic cuisine. Traveling chefs from across the fleet collaborate to perfect new menu items, but guest feedback ultimately determines which dishes make the cut. Every aspect of the ships’ main dining rooms, from the menu to the atmosphere to the service, sets the table for an unforgettable experience.

Royal Caribbean Cruises (Asia) Pte Ltd. celebrated its 10th anniversary last week with a celebration in Singapore at Clifford Pier, together with more than 150 trade, media, corporate and government partners from the region.

Guests in attendance were regailed with a look at the milestones reached over the past 10 years, from the first ship Rhapsody of the Seas’ arrival in 2007 to the most recent homeporting of Asia’s largest Ovation of the Seas in Singapore this year. In addition, the new TVC ‘Where Everyone Gets What They Need’ was unveiled, while guests got a virtual experience of Royal Caribbean’s most popular features from the new head-mounted display (HMD) VR headset – the ‘Holideck’ – on display.

Sean Treacy, Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, thanked their team and travel partners for all of their support, "The last 10 years have seen Royal Caribbean flourish tremendously, having expanded our regional footprint from just one office in Singapore to six across Asia Pacific, and from one to three ships for our fleet in Singapore today. We are committed to continue bringing innovative and quality ships and growing Royal Caribbean as the top vacation choice for travellers in the region."

For two days, Royal Caribbean is offering up to $300 instant savings on cruises booked, on top of its current BOGO 50% off promotion.

Cruise must be booked between July 10, 2017- July 11, 2017 on sailings departing on or after August 10, 2017. Offer excludes China departures.

The two day sale includes

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest who must be booked in the same stateroom as a first guest who books at full fare.
• 25% cruise fare savings for 3rd guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests.
• Additional savings determined by category booked and sailing length:
  • $50 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 5 nights or less
  • $75 off per stateroom for balconies and suites on sailings 5 nights and less
  • $100 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview on sailings 6 nights and longer
  • $150 off per stateroom for balconies on sailings 6 nights or longer
  • $300 off per stateroom for suites on sailings 6 nights or longer

BOGO does not apply to third and higher occupancy guests. BOGO Offer is combinable with NRDB OBC, promotional OBCs and instant savings, NextCruise offers, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Two Day Sale is combinable with NextCruise offers, NRDB OBC, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) but is not combinable with Shareholder benefits and Crown and Anchor discounts. All 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, Net Rates.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada. 

Royal Caribbean Asia is looking to use virtual reality to help show potential cruisers what a cruise experience is all about.

Using Royal Caribbean's new head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) experience, dubbed the "HoliDeck", guests can be transported onto a Royal Caribbean International ship and experience these and other Royal Caribbean’s most popular features, without going out to sea. Viewers can choose a variety of interactive games, videos and images from the ‘HoliDeck’ 360° spherical virtual space to explore in depth the entertainment, accommodation and dining options onboard such as the skydiving simulator, Two70 high-tech entertainment space and Main Dining Room, with highly realistic visual effects.

The ‘Holideck’ will soon be available at Royal Caribbean’s booth at the upcoming NATAS Travel Fair in August and other roadshows, as a demo tool for customers to get a virtual taste of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience. The company is also distributing cardboard VR headsets that play a VR video showcasing key features like the Royal Promenade, ice show, skydiving simulator, SeaPlex and Loft Suite, to its key agents in Singapore as well as its International Representatives in the region as the latest sales toolkit.

This is part of Royal Caribbean’s new marketing campaign ‘Where Everyone Gets What They Need’, launched today with a TVC as well to mark the start of its 10th anniversary celebrations in Singapore. The TVC centers on the concept that a Royal Caribbean cruise is an enjoyable and hassle free holiday that appeals to multi-generational families, couples and singles. The line “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from the Rolling Stones classic hit is playfully quashed here by the truly ‘one size fits all’ Royal Caribbean holiday, where all guests can indeed get what they need with the wide range of activities, from the aspiring North Star elevated glass capsule to bumper cars and DreamWorks Entertainment for instance.

The weekend is here and that means we have finished up another week with plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share. If you missed any of it, here is your neatly tied wrap-up of it all!

The big story this week was Royal Caribbean will test a new drink policy on a few upcoming Harmony of the Seas cruises where if one adult gets an unlimited alcohol package, all adults in the same stateroom would be required to buy it as well.

The pilot program will be for eight Harmony of the Seas sailings starting September 30, 2017 through November 18, 2017.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean released a new Symphony of the Seas photo construction update.
• We shared a secret lounge deck on Harmony of the Seas.
• Check out this new in-room coffee maker rental option.
• We were live all this week on Harmony of the Seas, with a daily live blog post.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

This week's podcast episode is all about things about the cruise experience we have changed our minds about over the years.

Our good friend, Michael Poole, joins us to discuss ways we have changed our outlook on cruising and things we do now that we never used to, or vice versa.

You can listen to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast for free and hear all our tips, advice and suggestions for a better Royal Caribbean cruise experience.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Porthole Magazine provided a look at Royal Caribbean's entertainment studio.

Cruise Habit shares how much does it cost to dock a cruise ship.

Cruise Critic created a new video with a look at which cruise lines have the best inside cabins.