Royal Caribbean has released a new six-night Tasmania cruise onboard Explorer of the Seas for later this year.

Departing Sydney on Saturday, December 9, 2017, the six-night round-trip cruise includes two port days and three days at sea. The voyage calls to Hobart, Tasmania and Melbourne, Australia.

“Many of our new customers opt for shorter cruises of up to six nights for their first time at sea, and once they get a taste for the fun, convenience and value of ocean cruising with Royal - they’re hooked!” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia and NZ.

“This cruise offers guests the perfect way to explore our own beautiful backyard, while treating themselves to the huge range of dining, entertainment and activities onboard,” Armstrong concluded.

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

Episode 196 is available for downloading, in which we provide an overview of the specialty dining packages.

Royal Caribbean has a few different dining packages available that promise significant savings on its popular specialty restaurants. In this episode, we look at how these packages work and if you should get one for your next cruise.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 196. 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!

Royal Caribbean's WOW Sale begins today, with 30% off all guests and up to $200 to spend at sea, plus bonus savings on Oasis Class ships.

The WOW Sale applies to cruises booked between May 3-7, 2017 on all sailings departing on or after June 3, 2017. Offer excludes China departures.

The offer includes:

30% off all guests Maycation offer.

• Onboard credit per stateroom depending on the length of your cruise
  • $50 for 5 nights or less
  • $100 for 6-9 nights
  • $200 for 10-nights and longer
• 50% reduced deposit.

Oasis Class Bonus

If you choose to sail on an Oasis Class ship on sailings departing June 3, 2017 through September 30, 2017, you can qualify for additional savings.

Offer includes dollars off for bookings made on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas determined by stateroom category booked:

• $50 off per stateroom for interior and oceanview
• $150 off per stateroom for balcony
• $250 off per stateroom for suite

WOW Sale is combinable with Maycation 30%, standard/full fare rates and Next Cruise offers. WOW Sale is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, etc.), Crown & Anchor discounts, Shareholder Benefits or Loyal to Royal Sales. 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, and Net Rates.

After the Offer Period, the Offer will be removed from the booking if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking or rebooks into a new booking on the same ship and sail date, applies a fare change, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking; certain other changes to the booking may also result in removal of the Offer.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada. 

Construction on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is progressing, and we have a new bundle of photos to share.

Our friends at Saint Nazaire, une ville à la mer posted these photos, which were taken this week.

© Hervé GLAIS

Symphony of the Seas will be the cruise line's fourth Oasis Class ship.  

Royal Caribbean announced today a number of new sailing options to the Caribbean from New Orleans, Galveston and Miami.

After a three-year hiatus, Royal Caribbean will return to offering cruises from New Orleans, Louisiana with Vision of the Seas in the winter of 2018-2019. Beginning on December 15, 2018, Vision of the Seas will offer 7-night itineraries to the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula.  

Before making her way to New Orleans, Vision of the Seas will offer two 16-night sailings through the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles, California. This will be the first time in three years that Royal Caribbean has offered a cruise through the Panama Canal.

Lastly, Mariner of the Seas will call Miami, Florida home in 2018, following a transpacific cruise.  Mariner of the Seas will be the first Voyager Class ship to offer short Caribbean sailings. Before she offers cruises from her new home, Mariner of the Seas will undergo an extensive 32-day revitalization. Once back in service, Mariner of the Seas will offer 3- and 4-night itineraries from PortMiami, beginning on June 21, 2018.

Enchantment of the Seas will join Liberty of the Seas in Galveston, Texas, offering 4- and 5-night Caribbean cruises. She arrives in Galveston on June 23, 2018.  Guests currently booked on Enchantment for sailings departing Miami after June 23 will be contacted individually to transition the original booking to Mariner of the Seas.

Sailings onboard Mariner of the Seas will become available to book on May 1, 2017.  Enchantment of the Seas and Vision of the Seas sailings will be available to book as of May 5.

Royal Caribbean wants its guests to take a "Maycation" and is offering 30% off all guests on cruises booked this month.

This offer is valid on cruises booked between May 1-31, 2017 on sailings on or after June 1, 2017.

Offer includes 30% off the standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom; all stateroom categories.

30% Savings is combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts, Shareholders Benefits and NextCruise offers. 30% Savings is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including but not limited to, restricted rates. All offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion.

Offer open to residents of U.S. or Canada. 

Happy weekend! We hope you are enjoying a couple days of rest and relaxation! Now it is time to sit back with a cup of tea or java, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean news… 

Royal Caribbean provided a sneak peak at its next Quantum Class ship, which will be a brand new kind of Quantum Class ship, known as the Quantum Ultra Class.

As part of the cruise line's 2018-19 Asia-Pacific deployment release, the yet-to-be-named ship is the first Quantum Ultra Class ship, and will join sister ships Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas in the region.

The new ship will specifically be designed for guests in the region, featuring even more cutting-edge and unprecedented experiences and amenities.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean made its inaugural visit to Havana, Cuba.
• A new ultimate dining package option is available to purchase.
• Royal Caribbean released stellar first quarter financial results.
• Five interesting facts that emerged from Royal Caribbean's quarterly earnings report.
• Adventure of the Seas will get a refurbishment in January 2018, and subsequently canceled a few sailings.
• Royal Caribbean released new construction photos of Symphony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean broke ground on a new pier for CocoCay.
• Check out a Grand Suite photo tour on Harmony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean wrapped up a record cruise season in Australia.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 195th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are talking about what it is like to stay in a suite.

In this episode, Matt talks about his recent suite experience on Royal Caribbean and shares the best aspects of staying in a suite and why it may be worth trying one out.

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 Blog Reader Finds

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and spot something cool, new or just fun, share a photo with us on Facebook or Twitter so we can add it to our Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds each Sunday!

Sannie Berg sent this photo of Independence of the Seas visiting Rotterdam, instead of Le Havre due to strikes, from earlier today.

Christine Hirsch took this photo of Explorer of the Seas in Suva, Fiji, while onboard the Oceania Sirena.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

In The Loop Travel has a look at an ideal day in Labadee.

Eat Sleep Cruise has six reasons to visit Sabor on Harmony of the Seas.

CNBC interviewed Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman Richard Fain to discuss the company's quarterly results.

Cruise Hive has four reasons you should prebook.

CruiseBe has a look at the family of cruise lines in Royal Caribbean.

The Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is a popular choice for guests who want to indulge in a suite experience. It offers a lot of living space, and the Sky Class benefits of the Royal Suite Class.

This photo tour comes to us from Royal Caribbean Blog reader Ron Lodowski, who recently sailed on Harmony of the Seas.

Ron took photos of his Grand Suite, which was in stateroom 12254 on Harmony of the Seas during an April 2017 sailing.

The Grand Suite measures 371 square feet and has a balcony that is 105 square feet.

Grand Suite staterooms on Harmony of the Seas include a bedroom area with two twin beds that convert to a Royal King. There is a living room with a sofa that converts to double bed. The private balcony has a seating area and private dining.

Also includes minibar, TV, stereo, DVD player, larger private bathroom with bathtub and double sink, vanity area, hair-dryer, phone, vanity table with an extendable working surface for laptop computers and 110/220 electrical outlets. Sleeps up to four people and can accommodate a rollaway bed and/or Play Yard.

All photos by Ron Lodowski

Fridays mean we take some time to showcase our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos.  It is a kind of "virtual escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise, and the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

We begin with this photo of Radiance of the Seas in Moorea, taken by Pascal Everard.  It is a beautiful photo from a Transpacific cruise and I love it.

Next is this photo of Labadee, by Haley Mills. It is a shot of sunrise as her ship was pulling into Labadee.

George Alcázar took this photo of a sunny day on Harmony of the Seas.

Next is a photo of Sydney harbor, as soon from Explorer of the Seas.  Jen took this photo in March 2017, and even on a cloudy day, Sydney is lovely.

Paul Morrison took this photo of his partner, Gosia, "sandwiched" between Vision of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas after a day at the Ephesus ruins.

Here we have Oasis of the Seas and Empress of the Seas in Cozumel, taken by Bob (aka Sailor_to_Cruiser).

Our final photo is by David Donnelly, taken at the top of the hill in Villefranche-sur-Mer. C'est manifique.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their lovely photos with us this week.  As always, we welcome all of our readers to share their favorite Royal Caribbean photos with us by using this form. Have a great weekend!