Can you believe it's the last days of July already? It is the middle of Summer and there is a lot of Royal Caribbean news to catch up from during this week.

Royal Caribbean might be considering building a smaller cruise ship.

While they are best known for building the biggest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean is building a new smaller cruise ship is "deeply in our consideration", according to the CEO of the cruise line.

President and CEO Michael Bayley told cruise fans there is a lot of conceptual work going on regarding a new class of smaller ships.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean Group smashes expectations with second quarter earnings
• Photo shows kids dangerously sitting on cruise ship balcony
• Bahamas raises cruise ship passenger taxes in 2024
• Royal Caribbean is doing better now than it ever has in its history, even after a two year shutdown
• Royal Caribbean will host next Presidents Cruise on Oasis of the Seas in summer 2024
• 10 things you should know before cruising onboard Freedom of the Seas
• I cruised on the oldest and newest cruise ships to Alaska: here’s how they compare
• Best fall cruises to try
• Best time to cruise to the Bahamas
• New Celebrity cruise ship will have whiskey tasting and plant-based multi-course dinner

New RCB Video: 5 worst things about cruising with Royal Caribbean: should it stop you from booking?

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 5 worst things about cruising with Royal Caribbean: should it stop you from booking? — Plus 1 to break — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 506th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, with advice on when to buy those cruise add-ons.

From the drink package to wifi, when is the best time to pre-purchase your cruise add-ons? Matt shares his opinion on when you can get the best price for these extras.

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 wants to raise cruise fares even higher

Even though the price of a cruise is probably higher today than in 2019, Royal Caribbean would love to see prices go even higher.

In comparing the "value gap" between a cruise vacation and land vacation, Royal Caribbean International's CEO Jason Liberty thinks there's more room to narrow that gap.

He wants the value of a land-based vacation and cruise vacation to be much closer.

Icon of the Seas will have a radically different Royal Promenade

When Icon of the Seas launches next year, expect to find a different looking Royal Promenade.

At 362 feet long, the Royal Promenade onboard Icon of the seas is longer than a football field, and for the first time, it brings ocean views into the ship's main thoroughfare through floor-to-ceiling windows.

You'll also find The Pearl on the Promenade, which is a three-deck high sphere built with 3,000 kinetic tiles. 

Could Royal Caribbean be looking to restart cruise ship upgrades again in 2024?

Is the Royal Amplified program on its way back?

Nothing has been officially announced, but cruise line executives hinted at upgrades for ships that did not get upgrades during the shutdown of 2020 and 2021.

Food truck concept coming to Utopia of the Seas

The pool deck food game is about to change with a new food truck coming to Utopia of the Seas.

Known as The Spare Tire, guests will find a food truck-style eatery near the main pools.

While we don't have a menu, expect "handheld favorites" to be served up.

Anthem of the Seas Guide & Review

Anthem of the Seas is a popular Royal Caribbean cruise ship because of her innovations and fun itineraries.

If you have a cruise booked on Anthem, here's a full rundown of what to expect onboard!

Why Wonder of the Seas might the perfect cruise ship for a first timer

Know someone that has resisted trying a cruise ship for one reason or another? Wonder of the Seas might be the perfect first cruise ship for them!

Whether they think they'll be bored, overwhelmed, or stuck at sea, Royal Caribbean designed Wonder of the Seas to address all those concerns.

Despite being shutdown for almost two years, Royal Caribbean is doing so well in 2023 that it's already outpacing its previous high water marks.

Royal Caribbean Group reported incredible results for the second quarter 2023 that demonstrate a common theme: demand for cruises is higher than ever, and people are willing to pay more for it.

The company's resurgence is remarkable considering the low point it found itself in during the global health crisis between 2020 and 2021.

Royal Caribbean had already started the year off with good numbers, but the second quarter really saw the resurgence come full circle.

More people cruising

Royal Caribbean Group CEO started off the earnings call with some incredible numbers, highlighting how strong demand is for cruises.

The company saw positive indicators in May, and the second quarter proved to be even more fruitful than anticipated.

"During the second quarter, we delivered a record 1.9 million memorable vacations at exceptional guest satisfaction scores. We achieved record yields that were 12.9% higher than 2019."

Yields refers to revenue coming in, and that means people paid more for their cruises than in 2019.

2019 is an important statistic to Royal Caribbean, because it represents the previous high water mark for demand and profits.

Perhaps the most important segment of cruisers Royal Caribbean wants to see grow are people that have never cruised before, and they did just that.

"In the second quarter, the percent of guests who were either new to brand or new to cruise surpassed 2019 levels by a wide margin."

Getting people that have never cruised before is important because it's how to grow the customer base since the vast majority of the public has never been on a cruise before.

Not only are they attracting new cruisers, these new cruisers are coming back for more.

"And we have seen post-cruise repeat booking rates nearly double 2019 levels," Mr. Liberty said to illustrate that they are booking more cruises after trying their first cruise.

The higher demand coupled with higher prices than in 2019 is at the heart of why Royal Caribbean wants to continue to raise cruise prices.

Europe is back

Perhaps a surprising fact is how strong demand was for European cruises in the second quarter.

"While the Caribbean remains the standout performer this year, we were particularly pleased with the strength and quality of close in demand for European itineraries," Mr. Liberty said near the beginning of the call.

Essentially, more European consumers looking to book a summer cruise vacation came to Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer, Naftali Holtz, talked about the increase in revenue from Europe, "The better than expected performance has mostly been driven by our European customers, which underscores our nimble and global sourcing model."

Later in the call, Mr. Liberty said Europeans were ready again to travel and spend, "their willingness to spend was very competitive with the North American consumer."

"We expected Europe to be a little bit lighter versus '19 in terms of load factor. And it came roaring back."

"And that's a story of one of the North American consumer just feeling that they needed to for certainly certainly vacation in Europe. But also the European consumer was very much part of that story."

Doing better than ever

If you listen to just what Royal Caribbean Group's CFO had to say about the quarter, it pretty much sums up the demand environment.

The company delivered 17% higher adjusted earnings than they expected to with their prediction in May. Capacity overall was at 105% and net yields up 12.9% comparted to 2019 numbers.

In fact, booking volumes since the last earnings call significantly exceeded 2019 for both North American and European consumers.

So what drove this incredibly high demand?

Mr. Holtz said, "half of the yield growth was driven by new hardware and half driven by a significant increase in rates on like for like hardware, despite being a bit behind on load factors."

This translates to new cruise ships brought in more revenue, and there were higher prices on smaller, older cruise ships.

In addition to more revenue, cost cutting seemed to have an effect too.

"Our operational and commercial teams are doing an exceptional job, driving strong top line growth and maintaining focus on operating expenses to expand margins."

Caribbean and European sailings saw strong demand, and Alaska cruise capacity is up about 60% versus 2019.

Great cruise ships + Great destinations

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about the company's new strategy to attract new cruisers by positioning impressive cruise ships on itineraries with well-received ports.

"We've been very thoughtful...about the strategy of putting really outstanding hardware combined with excellent destination into the short product market because it truly is the on ramp for new to cruise and also first to brand."

Read more: Royal Caribbean has a plan to dominate short cruises with a new ship and private destinations

"Utopia will be the first Oasis-class ship that will be entirely focused on short cruises in the Caribbean, supporting our strategy of competing with land-based vacation alternatives and driving new-to-cruise customers into our vacation ecosystem as we seek to close the value gap,” Liberty said.

"Demand and pricing for Utopia has far exceeded our expectations."

Demand for CocoCay

Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas is certainly doing its part to bring in cruisers.

Mr. Bayley talked about how much customers are clamoring for sailings that visit Perfect Day at CocoCay.

"Perfect Day is that, it really is perfect, and it is driving a lot of the demand and people are booking the ships and the itineraries that sail to Perfect Day."

"We see the repeat rates going back to Perfect Day accelerating."

He also mentioned the plan is to open the new adults-only beach area at the end of December of this year, "that'll come online at the literally in December of this year."

If your cruise is headed to The Bahamas next year, you'll probably need to pay a bit more for your vacation.

Royal Caribbean informed passengers booked on cruises to The Bahamas that due to a change in Bahamian taxes imposed on cruise passengers, the cost will go up.

The Bahamian government has implemented a change to their departure tax amounts for all cruise guests visiting the Bahamas on or after January 1, 2024.  As a result, Royal Caribbean will be updating reservations with the new amount.

An email was sent with the update, indicating the exact amount you'll be charged extra will depend on a variety of factors:

"Your adjusted taxes and fees will reflect on your booking before your final payment due date. Your tax amount may have changed from $1 to $14, depending on the itinerary you booked, and your travel partner has been notified of this update. Bookings are being updated in phases based on the sailing date."

What do you have to do?

If you have a 2024 cruise that visits The Bahamas, there's nothing to do right now.

Royal Caribbean's email is simply to inform passengers of what to expect if the price for final payment goes up a few dollars.

Sizeable impact to Royal Caribbean cruises

It's likely a lot of cruises will see a change in the taxes given how often Royal Caribbean visits The Bahamas.

Nassau has always been a traditional port stop for many cruises, and the development of Perfect Day at CocoCay has driven many more millions of passengers in recent years.

In fact, more than half of the cruise line's Caribbean sailings visit Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told Wall Street earlier this year that CocoCay receives approximately 11,000 cruise passengers per day.  Once the new adults-only beach opens, they will be able to add another 2,500, 3,000 guests per day.

Impacting Celebrity Cruises too

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises will also feel the pinch with the new tax.

For the first time, Celebrity Cruises ships will call at Perfect Day at CocoCay in 2024. Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Reflection have visits to Royal Caribbean's private island from April through November 2024.

Both ships will sail from Fort Lauderdale, with Beyond's visits to CocoCay will be included across 40 Caribbean itineraries. Reflection will begin sailing short weekend cruises.

New Nassau port upgrade

While no one likes to pay more in taxes, at least there's some comfort in the fact The Bahamas is taking its port experience more seriously.

Nassau spent $300 million upgrading their cruise port, with the first phase of this redevelopment opened to the public on May 27, 2023. 

The revamp includes a new terminal building, Junkanoo museum, 3,500-person amphitheater, living coral exhibit plus more entertainment, food, beverage and retail space. Once complete, the port’s capacity will jump to more than 33,000 passengers per day. It has been around 20,000 a day.

Read more: Nassau, Bahamas opened the first phase of its cruise port revamp. Here's what's new and different

Last year the island had 2 million cruisers visit it, and Mr. Bayley expects to send around 2.5 million passengers to CocoCay this year.

The port is now able to accommodate up to six cruise ships per day, including three Oasis or Icon Class ships. 

Nassau set a record on February 27 when 28,554 passengers visited in one day.

The upgraded port is expected to bring in 4 million passengers by the end of 2023 and 4.5 million in 2024.

After having to pause its cruise ship upgrade program in 2020, Royal Caribbean hinted they're re-thinking those improvements.

In 2018, the Royal Amplified program was announced to bring new enhancements to the Oasis, Freedom and Voyager Class cruise ships.

Many cruise ships received upgrades, but a number of vessels did not because the cruise industry shutdown in 2020 and the company had to shore up its finances by cutting costs.

The company hasn't announced a resumption of those upgrades, but executives tip-toed around the idea they might spend more on ship upgrades on vessels that missed their upgrades in 2020 and 2021.

During Royal Caribbean Group's second quarter earnings call with investors, Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz talked about an increase in spend on dry docks next year as it relates to costs.

"We are now in the planning process obviously for '24 and we're considering all the the dry docks that we we need to do next year. And that could be more elevated than than than this year, which obviously will will impact some of the costs and a little bit on the yield."

That alone wasn't much of a hint, but then Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty jumped in with an additional comment that seemed to point in the direction of more upgrades.

"The elevation on the dry dock is just a reflection of ships that came out of Covid that had missed those windows. And so it will be a little bit more elevated in 2024."

Mr. Liberty did not refer to the Royal Amplified program by name, but he certainly talked about the ships that missed their opportunity to get enhancements. This would likely refer to possibly four ships:

• Explorer of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas 
• Liberty of the Seas
• Adventure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas was scheduled to undergo a 58-day, $165 million transformation that would have added 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 Music Hall.

Similarly, Explorer of the Seas was planning to get a $110 million amplification that would have added a number of changes from bow to stern.

Specific upgrades were never announced for Liberty or Adventure.

The important takeaway for guests is Royal Caribbean may finally be reconsidering finishing those upgrades.

Why amplified cruise ships matter

In comparing cruise ships that were amplified versus those that were not, there is a noticeable experience difference.

The purpose of upgrading these ships was to add back in features and amenities newer cruise ships already had so that the guest experience was more consistent and enjoyable across the fleet.

Amplified ships drove up revenue as a result of higher guest satisfaction with the changes.

In 2019, former Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain talked about how lucrative the changes were, "Our vessel modernization program is driving strong results. These upgrades are expensive, but our guests love them and reward us accordingly."

What Royal Caribbean changed on other ships

It remains to be seen what changes ships going into drydock in 2024 would get, but other ships that were upgraded ended up with quite a number of features.

Royal Caribbean did not apply the same changes to all the ships that were upgraded between 2018 and 2020. It seemed the cruise line took an opportunity with each ship to look at what features and changes would most benefit that particular vessel.

Read more: What was added to each Royal Caribbean ship during its Royal Amplified refurbishment

The program focused on three key areas:

• Pool deck & attractions
• Bars & nightlife
• Dining

Depending on the ship, there could be new specialty dining added, revamp of the pool deck, new water slides, or completely new retail venues added.

Water slides were one feature every ship received as part of its upgrades. Royal Caribbean adopted water slides as a must-have feature on its ships in recent years. In fact, they managed to add water slides to Explorer of the Seas as part of a regularly scheduled dry dock earlier this year.

Royal Caribbean Group reported its second quarter earnings on Thursday and reported stronger than expected earnings that forced the company to pump up its guidance for the year.

The company had total revenues of a record $3.5 billion, with net income at $458.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA was a record $1.2 billion and Operating Cash Flow was $1.4 billion.

Why the fantastic results? Demand was better all around.

The cruise giant is seeing higher prices for cruise fares for North America and European itineraries, along with a lot of its customers spending on extras, such as drink packages, wifi, shore excursions and more.

Consumer spending onboard, as well as pre-cruise purchases, continue to significantly exceed 2019 levels driven by greater participation at higher prices.

The better-than-expected results compelled the company to make a significant increase in the company's full year outlook for revenue and earnings.

Royal Caribbean Group CEEO Jason Liberty celebrated the results, "Our brands continue to fire on all cylinders, resulting in record yields and second quarter earnings significantly exceeding our expectations."

"Demand for cruising and our brands is exceptionally strong and we have seen another step change in booking volumes and pricing, leading us to now expect double-digit net yield growth for the full year. We also expect to achieve record Adjusted EBITDA per APCD and Return on Invested Capital this year and are well on our way toward achieving our Trifecta goals."

Breaking down the second quarter

Net Income for the second quarter of $458.8 million compared to a Net Loss of $(0.5) billion for the same period last year.

Higher Caribbean and European cruise fare pricing along with higher shipboard revenue drove the higher revenue. The average capacity for the second quarter was 105%.

Booking volumes in the second quarter remained significantly higher than the corresponding period in 2019 and at record pricing levels. 

"Demand for 2023 sailings has significantly exceeded expectations and bookings for 2024 sailings are up significantly versus all prior years at record prices. Demand from the North American consumer has remained incredibly strong throughout the year, and booking volumes from European consumers who are booking European cruises this summer have accelerated."

Cash situation

Between 2020 and 2022, Royal Caribbean Group took out a number of loans to keep the company going during the cruise industry shutdown.  Here's an update on paying them back.

As of June 30, 2023, the Group's customer deposit balance was at a record-high $5.7 billion.  

As of June 30, 2023, the Group's liquidity position was $3.7 billion, which includes cash and cash equivalents and undrawn revolving credit facility availability.

During the second quarter, the company generated $1.4 billion in operating cash flow and repaid $1.6 billion of debt

As of June 30, 2023, the scheduled debt maturities for the remainder of 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 were $1.0 billion, $2.0 billion, $3.3 billion, and $2.8 billion, respectively.

New cruise ships

Royal Caribbean Group has plans to spend $4.2 billion on capital expenditures, which usually are related to new ships or new construction projects.

The Silver Nova cruise ship was delivered to Silver Sea, and Icon of the Seas and Celebrity Ascent will be delivered later this year. All ship orders have committed financing in place.

Non-new ship related capital expenditures are expected to be $0.5 billion.

Royal Caribbean isn't done revealing new features coming to Utopia of the Seas.

Its potentially last Oasis Class cruise ship is about a year away, and we know of a new dining concept coming to the ship.

While aboard the President's Cruise sailing on Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, gave a presentation about Utopia of the Seas.

According to Mr. Schneider, Utopia of the Seas will feature The Spare Tire, the line’s first food truck-style eatery.

It will be located on the pool deck, and Royal Caribbean previously disclosed it would serve up, "handheld favorites".

Royal Caribbean's plan for the pool deck is to create a resort-style experience that draws guests to a relaxing day. The five pools on Utopia provide both lowkey and upbeat fun.

There will be resort-style and sloping beach-entry pools, including the three pools and three Lime & Coconut bars at the center of the pool deck. 

This is second all-new dining experience revealed coming to Utopia of the Seas.

Previously, Royal Caribbean announced a new immersive dining experience that will create a classic train car motif that serves meals.

Inside the faux train cars, which will be decorated and built to the specifications of actual train cars, diners will encounter a handful of tables placed next to windows with digital displays, where footage of destinations will flash by.

It will be located on deck 4 where Izumi is located on other Oasis Class ships.

More Utopia of the Seas dining

We also know about a number of other restaurants coming to Utopia of the Seas. In fact, Utopia will have more than 20 dining options.

Izumi and Izumi in the Park will be located in Central Park, featuring a convenient, new window that serves up fresh sushi and Japanese-inspired sweets. Next door is a reimagined Izumi restaurant, with double the teppanyaki tables and new al fresco seating.

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar spans two stories and has a menu of authentic Italian dishes. There's even a new outside terrace – Gio’s Terrazza – that overlooks the Boardwalk neighborhood.

El Loco Fresh and Cantina Fresca will have Mexican-inspired street food and drinks.

Solarium Bistro is a returning restaurant concept open for all meals that serves up Mediterranean food and salads.

More returning favorites on the menu include The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar, Windjammer buffet, Hooked Seafood, and Chops Grille.

Launching in July 2024

Utopia of the Seas will debut in July 2024 and enter service offering short cruises to The Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Royal Caribbean will change its traditional playbook by starting off a new cruise ship with just short cruises, which the line hopes will capitalize on the short cruise market.

The inaugural voyage is scheduled for July 22, 2024.

Two kids were photographed sitting on the balcony of their cruise ship.

The blatant breaking of safety rules for cruise ships demonstrates how passengers doing things they're not supposed to do has the greatest potential for injury.

The unidentified kids are seen sitting on top of the balcony in their cabin, having climbed up on the balcony railing first.

The photo was posted on Facebook in a cruising group, with the photo attributed to Liz Pride.

The Carnival Cruise Line Miami blog posted the caption, "Where are the parents?" inferring a lack of supervision.

It's not clear which cruise ship this photo was taken from, but it certainly resembles Royal Caribbean's Radiance Class ships.

One reader believes it is from Serenade of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's guest-conduct policy says, "Sitting, standing, laying or climbing on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers, or tampering with ship's equipment, facilities or systems designed for guest safety is not permitted." 

Breaking the rules can result in being kicked off the ship at the next port.

In past similar incidents, guests have not only been kicked off the ship but also banned for life from the cruise line.

A woman that stood on her balcony railing in 2019 was banned for life.

Cruise fans incensed

As soon as the photo started making rounds online, cruise fans were outraged at both the behavior of the kids, as well as the lack of supervision by the parents.

Kelly Hatfield-Lampton wrote, "And THAT is how people fall overboard."

Lisa Babcock wrote, "OMG!! Hello!! Where are the parents??"

Many could barely look at the photo because it made their scared just thinking about the possibilities, "I am getting anxious just looking at this picture," said Danielle Benton.

Tanya Walker said, "Perfect example of how you go overboard in a ship!"

Major potential for harm

What the kids did in this photo was incredibly dangerous, and the sort of reckless behavior that gives the cruise industry a bad name.

Cruise ships are designed to have balcony railings at such a height that prevents someone from accidently slipping and falling over. These railings are right around chest height on the average person on open deck areas and cabin balconies. They are placed intentionally to ensure passenger safety.

The risk of fall only occurs when someone is doing something they're not supposed to, such as climbing on furniture to access the top of the railing.

Accidental overboard situations occur when the safety precautions are bypassed. This can occur because someone is inebriated, or simply attempts a stunt.

In other situations, some people choose to jump off a ship purposefully in order to cause themselves intentional physical harm.

Celebrity Cruises revealed the dining experiences for its next new cruise ship, Celebrity Ascent.

Ascent will launch later this year and be the next in the Edge Class of cruise ships.

While this will be the fourth in the class, Celebrity will have some culinary differences from other ships.

Celebrity Ascent will feature redesigned restaurants, immersive dinners, expanded food and drink menus, including a new whiskey tasting, and a plant-based multi-course dinner.

Here's a look at the dining choices you can expect on Celebrity Ascent when she launches.

Le Voyage

The second installment of Le Voyage will be opened on Celebrity Ascent.

Le Voyage is the creation of world-renowned-chef Daniel Boulud, and it provides guests with fine dining from his favorite places around the world. 

There will be an all-new design to the restaurant featuring a new chandelier, captivating neutrals, plush banquet seating, and gold tones throughout.

Guests will experience a global menu crafted by Chef Boulud himself that offers dishes from his personal travels and favorite places around the world.

There is also a Chef's Table option to rent out a private, 6-seat dining room that treats diners to a multi-course tasting dinner complete with exceptional wine pairings. 

Eden

The iconic Eden venue found on all Edge Class ships will have three levels of sensory experiences completely wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows. 

You'll find a casual lunch café, a cocktail bar, an entertainment space, an outdoor terrace and a signature restaurant in just one venue.

The signature restaurant will have a new seven-course plant-based tasting menu. Each dish features ingredients that have been sourced from their original place of origin and presented in the most natural state.

Menu highlights include dishes like the Golden Beet-Tomato Ceviche, Ajoblanco Panna Cotta, Roasted and Glazed Celeriac Steak, and Dry Rose Petals Masala Curry. Enjoyed as a tasting menu, or a la carte, diners can also opt for organic and vegan wine pairings. 

Main Dining Rooms

All Edge Class ships have four main dining restaurants instead of one main dining room, with each offering a different style of cuisine and signature dishes.

Ascent will have these dining rooms:

• New American cuisine at Cosmopolitan restaurant
• Mediterranean at Cyprus
• French contemporary at Normandie
• Italian at Tuscan

The Cosmopolitan will have a new design inspired by the culture of champagne, featuring a new layout and seating throughout. 

Combined, the four main dining restaurants offer travelers more than 84 different dishes to choose from. 

More specialty dining

You'll still find other great dining choices at Le Petit Chef, Fine Cut and Blu.

At Le Petit Chef, each dinner features a multi-course menu that is brought to life by colorful and fun animations of a tiny chef who tells the story behind each dish. Each course’s animation ends with a digital version of the dish, followed by the real-life dish placed seamlessly in front of the diner for a wow-worthy experience.

Some new to Ascent will be an all-new four-course dining show told in the style of a fairytale as the tiny chef comes across a mysterious magical cookbook with whimsical recipes full of surprises. 

At Fine Cut Steakhouse, there will be a new dish – the Lemon Poached Lobster Tail with melted leeks, shiitake mushrooms, lobster ravioli and a house made beurre Blanc sauce.

Guest staying in Aqua Class can dine al fresco for breakfast or dinner in Blu’s new outdoor terrace space.

New Drink Offerings

Ascent will have a new exclusive partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey. Ascent will feature two hand-selected barrels made exclusively for Celebrity Cruises. A

vailable at Craft Social, guests can enjoy a Special Bespoke Barrel Aged 12 Years and Special Single Barrel Aged 10 Years, either as a la carte options or as part of a tasting flight that also features WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon (Aged 6 Years), WhistlePig 10, and WhistlePig 12. 

Wine aficionados will be happy to know three of Celebrity Ascent’s venues were recognized at the 2023 Wine Spectator Awards, with Le Voyage and Tuscan being recipients of the “Best Of” Award of Excellence, and Fine Cut becoming an Award of Excellence winner.

The Grand Plaza Martini Bar is situated under The Chandelier, a breathtaking light fixture-meets-art installation that comes alive each night during the iconic Flair Bartender Shows.

The Martini Bar on Ascent will feature an expanded new menu, offering classic martinis, fruit-infused creations, and tantalizing desert martinis. 

Sailing in November 2023

Celebrity Ascent will hold 3,260 passengers at double occupancy. 

Celebrity Ascent will begin cruises at the end of November 2023 from Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades for its inaugural Caribbean season. 

There will be a 4- and 3-night preview sailing on November 22, 2023 and then November 26, 2023.  Ascent will then begin with her maiden 7-night Caribbean sailing on December 3, 2023.

One of the most intriguing questions out there is if Royal Caribbean will ever build a smaller cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean is known for its big ships, and the line has steadily been building bigger and bigger cruise ships over the last two decades.

While the new massive ships certainly garner a lot of attention because of how big they are, there is still a role that smaller cruise ships can play.

Speaking at the the President's Cruise event on Allure of the Seas on Monday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley answered a question from the audience regarding a smaller ship.

Haley Evans from Living Adventures Travel Agency, shared a video clip of Mr. Bayley being asked about a smaller ship.

"We are excited about Icon, but we were wondering the other ports where you can't have these large ships at, are you going to make other smaller ships."

Mr. Bayley was quick to admit that the smaller vessels in the fleet are starting to show their age.

"We recognize that we have classes of ships now that are, you know, getting a little up there in the years," he responded.

While he didn't mention them, the Vision Class and Radiance Class cruise ships are the smallest of Royal Caribbean's ships and usually get sent to ports that can't handle big ships.

The first Vision Class ship was launched in 1995 and can accommodate around 2400 - 2700 passengers. Depending on the ship, they range between 73,817 GT and 82,910 GT.

The Radiance Class can also handle around 2400 - 2700 passengers and are 90,090 GT.

As for if Royal Caribbean had plans to replace these ships, or simply build new smaller ships, he was non-committal. 

"It is something that's certainly deeply in our consideration and our planning at the moment that we have a lot of conceptual work going on."

"I think when we're ready we can we can announce steps that will take to to do just that."

He went on to talk about the fact Royal Caribbean is always looking to the future, and new ideas are constantly being considered.

"The brand has always been in kind of growth mode and we've always been building and engineering and designing new classes of ships," Mr. Bayley explained.

He then was sure to say nothing is confirmed at this time, "It's very much in the forefront of our minds. We understand that we need to think and act on this."

"But we're in no position to make any statements or comments about it for obvious reasons."

Royal Caribbean's official order sheet only has the three Icon Class cruise ships and Utopia of the Seas ordered.  There are no other orders placed for Royal Caribbean International ships according to Royal Caribbean Group filings with the  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Discovery Class rumor

Mr. Bayley's comments seem to indicate they are at the very least thinking about what the future may hold, but he certainly did not comment or allude to a long-running rumor for a new smaller ship.

For years, cruise ship passengers have heard from crew members on Royal Caribbean vessels refer to a new class of smaller ships, known as the Discovery Class or Project Discovery.

It's been a rumor circulating among cruise fans for years. As late as May 2023, the Captain of Radiance of the Seas said a new ship and class similar in size to the Radiance was being planned to be named Discovery of the Seas.

Whether or not these rumors come to fruition of not, the idea of a smaller ship coming in the near future is of great interest to cruise fans.