Each day is bringing us closer to the launch of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas and we are celebrating with a new blog post every day, all about this amazing new ship!

Starbucks at sea

Royal Caribbean made news when the very first Starbucks at sea with Allure of the Seas.  Since then, the partnership between Royal Caribbean and Starbucks has resulted in a lot of happy (and properly caffeinated) guests.

Harmony of the Seas will also feature a Starbucks at sea, but with a new location.

Royal Caribbean added Starbucks at sea on Allure of the Seas' Royal Promenade, but guests looking to grab a cup of joe will head to the Boardwalk instead.

The Coney Island-inspired Boardwalk on Harmony of the Seas will feature the a Starbucks for guests to enjoy that serves up the same great Starbucks menu as on land.

While parents enjoy the newly relocated Starbucks café on the Boardwalk, kids can meet new friends at a new climbing play area.

Trained baristas will offer signature and seasonal beverages and food.  This means anyone can have a Venti at sea!

When the calendar says it is Friday, that means we are sharing our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos!  You can send us your Royal Caribbean photos and we will feature them on the blog!

Suzanne will kick us off this week with a photo of Independence of the Seas in Lisbon, Portugal.  What a view!

Next is a photo of Quantum of the Seas by Christopher Altland with his wife, Alison, while the ship was in Puerto Rico.

Ross and Pam sent us this photo of Radiance of the Seas departing Darwin, Australia.  Great perspective!

Here is Serenade of the Seas in Geiranger fjord, Norway by Attila Marton. That view is enough to make Slartibartfast proud!

Check out this beautiful shot of Allure of the Seas by Dave Rimington, while in Cozumel.  Love the colors in this photo!

Here is Denny Allen's wife, Jennifer, obviously having a great time at Frogs in Cozumel. Sept, 2015 Independence of the Seas. Cheers!

Our last photo this week is from G. Spindler of Madeira at sunrise.  Gorgeous photo!

Do you have a Royal Caribbean photo that you want to share with us? Use this form and send it in!

After being announced earlier this week, the two panda art pieces were installed on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas. 

Photo by Royal Caribbean UK

Perched atop the SeaPlex on deck 15, the piece depicts a mother panda and her cub, reaching out to one another.

The two pandas were designed by a U.K.-based artist Jo Smith and intended to bestow peace and prosperity on all who interact with them.

Photos by Royal Caribbean UK

Mama and Baby together weigh approximately six-and-a-half tons. Mama is 10 meters high, or approximately 33 feet, from the deck to the top of the sculpture, while Baby is approximately three meters, or ten feet tall.

Disney Cruise Line released its Summer 2017 itineraries this week and many Disney Cruise Line fans very surprised by the pricing they found.

I have no words. @TheDCLBlog pic.twitter.com/prTNGWk5Yv

— Laurel Stewart (@helloknitty) April 14, 2016

@TheDCLBlog 8/2/17 5 night Alaska 2 adults and 2 kids 5C $7680.36. 8/21/17 7 night Alaska $9290.12

— cambsuk (@cambsuk1) April 13, 2016

@TheDCLBlog 7 night Med 8/12 2A2C (12,10) : 9A $8879.64, 5A $10279.64, 4E $12099.64

— disneyheather (@hkeller) April 13, 2016

@TheDCLBlog 5-night MED cruise, 2 adults/1 child, cat 5A $7079.46 ....5 nights! I paid $4K in 2014.

— Ana B. Fallas (@abfallas) April 13, 2016

With this kind of sticker shock, there are some fans who have come to a similar conclusion as Dave.

@TheDCLBlog @DisneyCruise DCL has finally encouraged me to check out @CruiseNorwegian and @RoyalCaribbean

— Dave S. (@siouxperdave) April 13, 2016

If you are someone considering an alternative cruise that is just as fun, relaxing and far less costly as a Disney Cruise, Royal Caribbean is a great choice.  

That being said, we understand there is trepidation about changing cruise lines and leaving the warm embrace of the Mouse.  We are here to tell you that there's nothing to worry about and that a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation is very similar to a Disney Cruise (minus that price tag).

Here is our guide to how you can learn to stop worrying and love the Crown and Anchor.

Step 1: Disney and Royal Caribbean offer similar experiences

Before one can consider a Royal Caribbean cruise, I think it is important to understand that both Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean offer very similar experiences.

Both cruise lines are mass-market cruise lines that target family travel.

Both cruise lines embrace a strategy of building cruise ships that offer guests a lot to do onboard.

Both cruise lines have plenty for kids, parents, adults, grandparents and everyone of all ages to do and see.

In my experience, many ardent Disney Cruise Line fans have cruised Disney Cruise Line solely and a DCL cruise was their first cruising experience.  Give Disney credit, they are great at marketing their products and getting those new to cruising to give their cruise line a try simply because of the name recognition.

Believe it or not, I like the product Disney Cruise Line offers but like you, I also see this, frankly, crazy pricing Disney Cruise Line has and it is why we cruise with Royal Caribbean.

The first step in giving Royal Caribbean a try is to believe me when I say there are things Disney does better and there are things Royal Caribbean does better, but the bottom line is the experiences are more similar than they are different.

Step 2: Looking at what Royal Caribbean offers (besides price)

While price is a big deal, no one should book a cruise purely on cost factor alone. If that were the case, this blog post should be focusing on some other cruise line options.

Royal Caribbean has 24 (soon to be 25 next month) ships in its fleet and there are a few areas of the cruise experience Royal Caribbean greatly distinguishes itself from Disney Cruise Line.

Itinerary variety

Disney Cruise Line only has 4 ships in its fleet today, so it can only offer so many itineraries.  Royal Caribbean's fleet size means you can take cruises from Florida, Europe, Galveston, Baltimore, Alaska, New York, Australia, China and many more destinations for most of the year.

While Disney serves many of those areas too, they do so only occasionally and in many cases, there is not much variety in itineraries offered.

With Royal Caribbean, you can opt to explore more of the world via a cruise ship or visit your favorite spots again and again.

Ship features

Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are built to be meccas of onboard entertainment.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships may offer Broadway shows, ice skating, surf simulators, rock climbing walls, water slides, multiple pools and much more.

Royal Caribbean ships offer adults-only pools, a wide variety of specialty restaurants, unlimited alcohol and drink packages, and a casino.

Many Disney Cruise Line fans that try Royal Caribbean often comment about the wide variety of stuff to do while onboard.

Step 3: Kids, kids and kids

Earlier in this post, Disney's brand recognition was cited as a reason why many choose to cruise with Disney Cruise Line in the first place, but children are also a big factor.

I get it, Disney and kids are nearly synonymous with each other and many parents are concerned how could any other cruise line compare to what Disney offers for kids.

While Disney does a great job with kids and kids programming, Royal Caribbean has stepped up their children's programming in recent years and it is much closer to what Disney offers than you may think.

Royal Caribbean offers complimentary programming for kids in its Adventure Ocean program, as well as teens in their own area.

The dedicated space for kids and breadth of programming has expanded greatly with each new ship class and for parents looking to cruise with children, the child care facilities on Freedom, Quantum and Oasis class ships should offer excellent choices.

Royal Caribbean also features on nearly all of its ships a nursery option, which for an additional hourly cost, can provide day care for children 6 to 36 months old.

Beyond child care, there is lots for kids to do onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.  Mini golf, ice skating, surf simulator, sports decks, video games, aqua parks and soon water slides are just a few of the options available.

In the Cruise Compass, guests can enjoy even more opportunities for activities throughout the day.

Step 4: (Thinking, considering & pondering) Making the jump

I hope by this point in this post you are thinking along the lines of, "I understand there is a huge price difference and the two cruise lines aren't really that different from each other."

If so, ask yourself this question next, "Why am I paying so much more for a Disney cruise?"

Answering this question may be the linchpin in the proverbial decision axle that convinces you to consider taking a Royal Caribbean cruise.

I think it would be foolish to assume every Disney Cruise Line fan that tries Royal Caribbean would be instant super fans and never look back, but I also believe (based on mine and others experience) that there is a good chance that making the switch would still result in a fun family vacation.

Look at the various options available to you in a Royal Caribbean cruise and consider the various itineraries and ships that might match up with what you are considering.

I often remind people considering Royal Caribbean for the first time, odds are they will still have a satisfying vacation on Royal Caribbean and they will either come around to cruise more with Royal Caribbean or opt to stay with the mouse.  In either case, it will be a good learning experience.

At the risk of shameless self promotion, here are some more resources on this blog to help guide you with what Royal Caribbean offers and what might be of interest to you

• Royal Caribbean itienrary recommendations for first-time cruisers
• 5 ways Royal Caribbean is different from Disney Cruise Line
• Podcast episode: Royal Caribbean versus Disney Cruise Line
• Comparing Royal Caribbean to Disney Cruise Line
• How to find the best deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Have you cruised with Disney and Royal Caribbean? Share your thoughts on how they compare in our comments!

We are getting closer to Royal Caribbean's launch of Harmony of the Seas and we are counting down until her launch with a brand new blog post about her!

Fast facts

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has not launched yet, but already she is an impressive vessel.  Royal Caribbean is "packing her to the gills" with features and already there are some really interesting facts about her that are sure to impress.

Info

• Registry: Bahamas
• Built at STX France in St. Nazaire, France
• Maiden voyage is May 29, 2016
• Godmother: To be announced

Dimensions

• 227,000 GRT
• 218 feet wide
• 22 knots cruising speed
• 1,187 feet long
• 30 feet draft

Guest information

• 16 guest decks
• 18 total decks
• 24 passenger elevators
• 4 bow thrusters with 7,500 horse power each
• 5,497 guest capacity (based on double occupancy)
• 6,410 guest total capacity
• 2,300 international crew

Shop highlights

• Features
  • Ultimate Abyss - a 10 story slide
  • The Perfect Storm - trio of water slides
  • Splashaway Bay - kids water park
• Seven neighborhoods
  • Central Park
  • Boardwalk
  • Royal Promenade
  • Pool anbd Sports Zone
  • Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center
  • Entertainment Place
  • Youth Zone
• 2,747 staterooms

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

Episode 141 is available for downloading, where we share a review of a recent back to back cruise on Royal caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas.

What’s better than a Royal Caribbean cruise? How about two Royal Caribbean cruises? Michael Poole shares his recent back to back adventure and his thoughts on two Royal Caribbean cruises in a row.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 141. 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 Harmony of the Seas will debut in less than 99 days and to celebrate, we are counting down every day with a brand new blog post all about Harmony of the Seas.

Construction photo update

We all love following along the construction progress Harmony of the Seas is making and today we have another great photo update to share with you.

Royal Caribbean shared with us new images of Harmony of the Seas construction progress.

Perfect Storm waterslides. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Splashaway Bay water park. Photo by Royal Caribbean

A loft suite currently under construction. Photo by Royal Caribbean

The Lucky Climber kids play area. Photo by Royal Caribbean

The first section of The Ultimate Abyss is in place. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas just debuted this week and it features an 11,000-piece, $4.5 million dollar art collection that has been inspired by the words of Confucius: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

The collection was curated by London-based Peter Millard and Partners and features contemporary art from artists from around the world.

Perhaps the most noticable part of the art collection is the larger-than-life art display known as, "Mama and Baby."

Perched atop the SeaPlex on deck 15, the piece depicts a mother panda and her cub, reaching out to one another.

Considered a symbol of good luck and a national treasure in Chinese culture, the peaceful creatures with the distinctive black and white coat were curated with Ovation’s primarily Chinese guests in mind, and intended to bestow peace and prosperity on all who interact with them. The pandas are also a playful nod to the cruise line’s newly announced partnership with World Wildlife Fund, which focuses on ensuring the long-term health of the oceans its ships sail upon.

Mama and Baby together weigh approximately six-and-a-half tons. Mama is 10 meters high, or approximately 33 feet, from the deck to the top of the sculpture, while Baby is approximately three meters, or ten feet tall.

Sky Wave

Ovation of the Seas also features the first moving sculupture at sea with "Sky Wave."

Created by New York-based Hypersonic and Boston-based Plebian Design, Sky Wave is the first ever kinetic moving sculpture at sea. The installation pivots and curves at different points to mirror the flow of both wind and water. Further inspiration was also taken from the ship’s movement, culminating in a piece that combines both maritime elements and engineering.

Each petal in Sky Wave is made of handcrafted fiberglass and varies in length to hone the flawless rolling sway. Located on deck 5 just in the Royal Esplanade, the eye-catching, carefully crafted art piece was commissioned specifically for Ovation.

Elevator Art

Ovation is elevating the selfie art game with all-new imagery from Chinese photographer Huainan Li’s series, “The World of the Senses.”

The powerful series features the futuristic faces of women accented in metallic hues and sporting glasses that reflect a variety of whimsical scenes. The collection of 10 pieces is sure to surprise and delight guests each time they ride from deck to deck, and pack an unexpected punch when the doors open.

The Red Thread

One of the most iconic art locales on Quantum-class ships is the rotunda, which connects mid-ship’s Jamie’s Italian and Vintages. Ovation does not disappoint as passersby can enjoy the work of Bieli Liu, a Chinese artist who played into the natural movement of the ship with an adaptation from her “Lure” series of installations. The sculpture was created to fit the rotunda location and represents an ancient Chinese legend depicting the red threads that connect Chinese children to their soulmates. A disc may be connected to another, as a pair; and a pair of disks may sprout from a single thread. The installation is designed to suspend from the ceiling forming a vibrant and energetic piece that responds to subtle air currents and movement as the red coils turn, and strands of thread become entangled.

Much more

Throughout the entire ship, guests will find curated art at every turn, all inspired by the exotic destinations Ovation will visit. Figures from artist Zheng Lu are located outside Two70. The sculpture – inspired by the artist’s father, a Chinese poet – weaves Chinese symbols together in a delicate fashion.

Heading into the Royal Theater, artist Dominic Harris engages show-goers with an interactive piece titled “Flutter Wall.” The 120-inch screen showcases butterflies on a black canvas that seemingly fly away as guests walk up for a closer view. A true surprise and delight experience akin to the additional installations that travelers can enjoy onboard. To learn more about the onboard art collection click here.

Royal Caribbean released today its 2017-2018 cruise schedule for ships departing from the Northeast, Florida and Puerto Rico, year-round and seasonal escapes to the Caribbean and Canada.

All of the released sailings will go on sale on April 13, 2016.

The big change is there will be two ships based out of Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey beginning in summer 2017.

Royal Caribbean will offer expanded Caribbean itineraries from the Northeast in 2017, with Rhapsody of the Seas joining Anthem of the Seas in Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

• Rhapsody of the Seas will sail 7-night itineraries to the Bahamas throughout the summer.
• Anthem of the Seas will sail to Bermuda in the summer and the Caribbean year-round on 5-, 7- and 9-night itineraries. Anthem of the Seas will also sail to Bermuda in the summer. In the autumn months, Anthem of the Seas will sail 9-night voyages to New England and Canada.

Baltimore, Maryland

Grandeur of the Seas, sailing from Baltimore all year, will continue offering a wide breadth of cruise experiences, from a 5-night itinerary calling on Bermuda to a 9-night voyage sailing to New England and Canada as the colors of fall foliage begin to show. Grandeur will also sail 12-night itineraries to premier Southern Caribbean destinations, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Kitts and St. Maarten, as well as new 9-night itinerary to Nassau and CocoCay, Bahamas.

Southern Caribbean Hot Spots from Miami, Fla.:

Navigator of the Seas will sail 5- and 9-night itineraries to Southern Caribbean destinations, such as Aruba and Bonaire.

Eastern and Western Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.:

Independence of the Seas will offer 4- and 5-night itineraries to Costa Maya and Cozumel Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee, Haiti.
Freedom of the Seas will offer 6- and 8-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
Serenade of the Seas will sail 10- and 11-night Caribbean itineraries including a new port of call in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Key West and Beyond from Tampa, Fla.:

Brilliance of the Seas will join Rhapsody in Tampa for the winter, offering 4 and 5-night itineraries to Key West, Cozumel, Mexico and Grand Cayman.
Rhapsody of the Seas will relocate to Tampa for the winter season and sail 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries.

Exotic Island Escapes from Puerto Rico:

Jewel of the Seas will sail to romantic destinations such as St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados on 7-night itineraries from San Juan.

Which sailings sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In the United States, income taxes are due in just a few days so Royal Caribbean is getting into the "spirit of the season" with a new promotion where Royal Caribbean will cruise taxes, port charges and fees, a savings of up to $200 ($250 CAD) savings per guest.

From April 14-18, guests booking 6-night or longer Caribbean, Bahamas and roundtrip Europe sailings departing from the Mediterranean between May 15, 2016 and March 31, 2017 are eligible for the promotion.

On qualifying sailings, guests can save as much as $200 USD or $250 CAD per guest simply on the savings from the complimentary taxes, fees, and port expenses.

The deal applies to all guests in a booking, inclusive of 3rd and 4th guests in a stateroom.

 Offer is combinable with all rates and promotions. Offer available in the United States in USD and Canada in USD/CAD.