In a Twitter post earlier today, Royal Caribbean UK confirmed it has no current plans to charge guests for WOWbands on the soon to be launched Ovation of the Seas.

@markfazzy Hi Mark, the new pricing only applies to #AnthemoftheSeas at the moment.

— Royal Caribbean UK (@MyRoyalUK) January 4, 2016

Royal Caribbean has been testing charging for the RFID bracelets, known as WOWbands, on Anthem of the Seas since November 2015, by charging guests $4.99 for each band.

WOWbands are RFID enabled bracelets that that allows passengers to connect with a number of Royal Caribbean experiences, such as purchase goods and services, access stateroom doors and check-in for activities or entertainment.  They are essentially a replacement for the traditional SeaPass card.

According to a Royal Caribbean spokesperson, WOWBands do not have an additional cost on Quantum of the Seas either.

Ovation of the Seas launches in April 2016 and will be the third Quantum class ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Royal Caribbean is beginning to raise the prices of its popular unlimited alcohol packages on select sailings.

We ran spot checks across a variety of Royal Caribbean sailings in 2016 and 2017 and found in more than half the cases, the drink package pricing has changed as follows:

• Select drink package: $46.02 per day (old price $42)
• Premium drink package: $57.82 per day  (old price $57)
• Ultimate drink package: $69.62 per day  (old price $67)

The increase has also affected the non-alcolohic drink packages.  Most notably, there is now no longer a change in price between children and adults for the Royal Refreshment package.

• Royal Replenish package: $22.42 per day (old price $22)
• Royal Refreshment package 
  • Adults: $9.44 per day (old price $8)
  • Children: $9.44 per day (old price $5.50)

Interestingly enough, the Evian bottled water package went down in price

• Evian bottled water package: $46.02 (old price $47)

The new pricing does still include the service charge.

The change in pricing is not reflective of all Royal Caribbean sailings we have seen.  Some sailings still reflect the old pricing, and it is unclear as of yet if or when this new pricing will spread fleetwide.

Royal Caribbean has not increased the base price of its drink packages since they debuted in 2012, although they have played with service charge pricing, as well as increasing the service charge to 18%. 

What do you think about the drink package pricing change? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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

Episode 127 is available for downloading, where Matt shares excursion ideas for cruises to Nassau, Bahamas.

Nassau is among the most commonly visited cruise ports in the Caribbean and this week, Erin Foster joins Matt to discuss what the options are to do in Nassau and review some excursions they have done in the past.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 127. 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 treats guests to a culinary delight with an exclusive white truffle themed dinner at the Chef's Table. Watch as the culinary team bids on rare white truffles - known as the culinary diamonds - from Alba, Italy and bring these rare delicacies onboard.

In 2016, Royal Caribbean will have a pretty big year with a lot of changes, but perhaps no change is bigger than the anticipated arrival of new cruise ships and refurbishment of quite a few others.

Each year, Royal Caribbean plans on changes to its fleet of ships and if you are considering a 2016 cruise, then you are certainly going to want to consider some of these ships that are getting new upgrades or are joining the fleet for the first time.

Here is what you need to know about the cruise ships joining Royal Caribbean's fleet and which ships will be upgraded this year.

New cruise ships in 2016

A total of three cruise ships are joining Royal Caribbean's fleet in 2016, two are brand new and one is rejoining the fleet.

Harmony of the Seas

If there is one cruise ship you will likely hear or read about, it will be Harmony of the Seas.  

Harmony of the Seas is the third Oasis class ship that will be the largest cruise ship in the world, with 16 guest decks, encompassing 227,000 gross registered tons and carry 5,497 guests at double occupancy across 2,747 staterooms.

Besides her sheer size, Harmony of the Seas is going to offer some firsts for the Oasis class and even Royal Caribbean itself.

Harmony of the Seas will offer guests the first set of real water slides on a Royal Caribbean ship with the addition of the Perfect Storm slides.

Three multi-story slides will be added above Central Park that descend three decks through a series of twists and turns over the ship’s tree-lined Central Park neighborhood 10 decks below.

If you want an even bigger thrill, Harmony of the Seas will feature a 10-story dry slide known as the Ultimate Abyss.

The Ultimate Abyss is more than 150 feet above sea level and offers side-by-side slides that send guests down 10 decks at a rate of 9 miles per hour.

There is plenty more to love about Harmony of the Seas, including a new aquatic adventure park for kids, the classic Broadway musical Grease, dancing robot bartenders at Bionic Bar, virtual balcony staterooms, WOWband RFID bracelets and Voom high speed internet, just to name a few.

New specialty restaurants such as Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Sabor Taqueria and Tequila Bar, and Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine will also be added.

Harmony of the Seas debuts in May 2016 for her inaugural summer season in Europe, before heading to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in November 2016 to offer seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings.

Ovation of the Seas

Also brand new for 2016 is Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's third Quantum class ship.

Ovation of the Seas will offer the kind of Quantum class innovations that made a name for her sister ships with exciting offerings such as skydiving at Ripcord by iFly, taking to the sky in a 360 degree view 90 meters above the sea in North Star and engaging in a friendly bump or two with bumper cars.

In addition, Ovation of the Seas will offer guests lots of other SmartShip experiences onboard, such as robot bartenders at Bionic Bar, the transformative and incredible entertainment found only in Two70 and the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with SeaPlex.

Ovation of the Seas will also offer Voom high speed internet and WOWbands, so guests can stay connected at sea.

If you are a foodie, Ovation of the Seas will offer great restaurant choices in restaurants like Izumi, Jamie's Italian and Wonderland.

When Ovation of the Seas launches, she will head to Asia to start off with a 52-night Global Odyssey cruise from Southampton, U.K. to Tianjin.  She will follow up her summer season with heading down under for winter in Australia.

Empress of the Seas

While not a new construction, Empress of the Seas is joining Royal Caribbean's fleet in March 2016 after leaving the fleet about eight years ago.

Empress of the Seas will be based in Miami, Florida, where she will sail short four- and five-night getaways to Nassau, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Grand Cayman and Key West, Florida.

Empress of the Seas was originally launched in 1990 as the Nordic Empress but left the fleet to join a sister company.  Royal Caribbean is returning Empress of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International this year.

Royal Caribbean is offering some unique options on Empress of the Seas, such as fast pier-to-ship boarding with earlier boarding times, longer stays in ports and overnight stays in Cozumel on select five-night itineraries.

In addition, Empress of the Seas will offer guests

• New Las Vegas-style “Sequins & Feathers” show
• Newly reimagined Boleros Latin Lounge.
• Fast pier-to-ship boarding with earlier boarding times of 11:00am
• New pools and whirlpools
• Voom internet
• Chops Grille
• Stateroom Refresh
• Reimagined Casino

When Empress of the Seas does start offering cruises, guests can look forward to Sunday Brunch every day of the cruise, with complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa cocktails.  There will also be new poolside activities, like Plunge and Voom high speed internet.

Cruise ship refurbishments in 2016

Royal Caribbean is always looking to add more value to their ships and in 2016, four Royal Caribbean ships are getting upgrades, refurbishments and some nice changes.

Here is a list of what you can expect to see changed in the coming year.

Liberty of the Seas

Later in January 2016, Royal Caribbean will send Liberty of the Seas for a month-long drydock where she will receive a number of upgrades and additions.

Liberty of the Seas returns to service in February 2016 and will offer these changes

• Two racer water slides, called Cyclone and Typhoon that will be added at the aft of the ship alongside the Flowrider surf simulator.
• Tidal Wave, the first Boomerang style water slide at sea that features a steep drop, where riders are propelled up a near vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness and then into a freefall.
  
• An adult-free zone with the introduction of Splashaway Bay, an aqua park featuring an interactive kid’s play area with water cannons, geysers and much more.
• New specialty restaurants
  • Sabor Modern Mexican
  • Giovanni's Table
  • R-Bar
• 26 new Panoramic ocean view staterooms that feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls
• Additional 53 staterooms throughout the ship.

Jewel of the Seas

In April 2016, Jewel of the Seas will get a $30 million bow-to-stern refurbishment that will bring many changes to the ship.

During her refurbishment, Jewel of the Seas renovation features will include

• New 2 bedroom Family Suite stateroom
• All staterooms will be renoveated with an additional 42 staterooms added
• New specialty restaurants will be added
  • Giovanni's Table (replaces Portofino)
  • Vintages (replaces Champagne Bar)
  • Izumi (replaces Seaview Cafe)
• Pervasive Wi-Fi & Digital signage throughout the ship
• New poolside movie screen
• Diamond Club added to the Viking Crown Lounge
• Renovated Chops Grille
• Renovated Spa and retail shops
• Concierge Club will replace Hollywood Odyssey
• Shoreside Dining Room, Explorer’s Court and Yacht Club will be removed.
• Addition of Voom high-speed internet

Following her refurbishment, Jewel of the Seas will offer cruises from Rome on an array of itineraries showcasing the best destinations of Italy, Greece and Turkey. These 7, 8, and 9 night itineraries mainly sail through the Greek Isles.

Jewel of the Seas will complete her European itinerary in October 2016 after which she will return to her home port of San Juan, Puerto where she will sail 6, 7, 8 and 9 night Southern Caribbean itineraries.

Majesty of the Seas

.

Majesty of the Seas will offer summer 2016 cruises from her new home in Port Canaveral, Florida right after she sails to the Bahamas for a drydock for upgrades and receive transformational new onboard amenities.

Work scheduled to occur on Majesty of the Seas includes

• Complimentary Voom high speed internet access
• New water slides
• Family-friendly Jacuzzis
• Poolside movie screen
• Dreamworks Experience
• Enhanced casino
• New specialty restaurants
  • Sabor Taqueria
  • Izumi
  • Chef's Table

Following her upgrades, Majesty of the Seas will be homeported in Port Canaveral starting in summer 2016. Majesty of the Seas will sail 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas with visits to the cruise line’s private island destination, CocoCay.

Adventure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean has not revealed plans yet for what changes are coming to Adventure of the Seas, aside from the fact she is on the schedule for a refurbishment in 2016.

Based purely on the schedule of planned cruises, Royal Caribbean has a gap between scheduled sailings for Adventure of the Seas from October 16, 2016 to November 14, 2016.

Anyone looking for a ballpark idea of what to expect, can likely look at the sort of changes Royal Caribbean made to sister ships Navigator of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas for a guide.

Which ship addition or refurbishment are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments!

Royal Caribbean offers cruises on 25 cruise ships to destinations in the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Asia, Australia and everywhere in between. 

That is a lot of cruises!

First time cruisers may find the choices a bit overwhelming with the various options. The good news is, the decision is not as complicated as it may seem. 

Here are a few guidelines that would make for a perfect first cruise.  

Ships

Royal Caribbean has built up a lot of cruise ships over the years and they each offer something different and interesting. 

For first time cruisers, the best choice is to lean towards the newer ships in the fleet because they will offer the latest innovations, entertainment and choices. 

Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Quantum class ships are perfect for first timers. In fact, it can be argued the Quantum class was designed with first time cruisers in mind.  

Ships such as Allure of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas pack a lot of entertainment, dining and tech onboard that offer the kind of "WOW moment" experiences many new to cruise guests have heard about. 

The other ships in the fleet are wonderful too, but we feel the Oasis and Quantum class ships are best suited for new cruisers. 

Itineraries

If you are trying to decide between itineraries like eastern or western Mediterranean or a Bahamas cruise or to visit Cozumel or St. Thomas, these are the typical quandaries those new to cruising all go through.

For a fist time cruiser, we think it makes the most sense to pick an itinerary that mixes in an even amount of sea days with port days.  The reason for this is so that you have ample opportunity to explore the ship as well as the places you visit.  

Cruise length

It may be tempting to pick a shorter cruise, but we recommend going with a five to seven night sailing because those three and four night cruises are really, really short.

By going with a slightly longer cruise, you will have the opportunity to really explore the ship and enjoy the experience.  Shorter cruises go by so quickly and for someone new to cruising, it may not provide enough time on ship or on shore to really get a sense of it all.

Royal Caribbean ships are designed to be destinations rather than just a floating hotel room, so you will want more time to experience it all.  We typically find cruises closer to a week in length provide a great balance of value, time and opportunity.

Picking the right sailing

An itinerary with a good mix of port calls and sea days will give first time cruisers a good sense of what a cruise is like, so try to avoid sailings with lots of sea days (such as repositioning cruises) or lots of port stops.

It is difficult to go wrong with an eastern or western Caribbean sailing that includes a stop at Royal Caribbean's private destinations of Labadee or CocoCay.  These private stops are great for a beach day and many guests really enjoy their time there.

In addition, cruises to the Caribbean offer fun islands to visit that are well-established with plenty to offer in terms of shore excursions.

For cruises that go to Europe, Asia or Alaska, it is important to look for sailings that mix in that blend of port stops and sea days. 

Saving money on your cruise

Regardless of which ship you pick and which sailing you want to cruise on, everyone wants to make sure they are getting the lowest price.  There are some good strategies for ensuring you get the lowest price possible.

Book early

If there is one rule of cruise pricing that you should remember, it is that it is always best to book your Royal Caribbean cruise as far in advance as you can.

There is no such thing as booking your cruise too early because as more guests book a sailing, inventory drops and prices start to creep up.

Cruising has never been more popular and Royal Caribbean ships routinely sail completely full, so it is best to book well in advance.

Ideally, you will book somewhere between 7-18 months prior to your sail date.  If you can manage to book earlier, that is even better.

Cruise during less busy times of the year

A great strategy to keeping your cruise fare low is to choose times of the year to sail when many others are not.

Royal Caribbean offers cruises year-round and like every industry, there are high seasons and low seasons.

For the best fares, consider cruises during these times of the year

• January (excluding New Years)
• Early February
• September
• October
• Early November
• First two weeks of December

If you can take a cruise during times of the year that do not coincide with school or government holidays, you will find lower prices overall.

Royal Caribbean's new BOGO FURTHER sale begins today, where guests can get Buy One Get One fares, reduced deposits, 25% off for 3rd and 4th guests and up to $300 to spend at sea — plus special bonuses on select sailings.

The new promotion includes:

• Buy One Guest, Get Second Guest 50% Off
• Up to $300 per stateroom onboard credit
  • Interior: $50 per stateroom
  • Oceanview: $100 per stateroom
  • Balcony: $200 per stateroom
  • Suite: $300 per stateroom
• 50% reduced deposit
• PLUS 25% Savings for 3/4 guests
• BONUS Select Beverage Package for 1st and 2nd guests aboard Jewel of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, and Rhapsody of the Seas roundtrip Europe sailings departing Apr.- Nov. 2016 ocean view and higher staterooms.

BOGO FURTHER offer applies to all deployed ships and sailings, excluding China departures. The free Select Beverage Package bonus is only applicable to guests sailing in Europe onboard Jewel of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, and Rhapsody of the Seas departing between April - November, 2016.

BOGO is combinable with the adjoining OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings, Select Beverage Package Offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers; BOGO and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). OBC and Select Beverage Offer are combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO) and NextCruise offers. OBC and Select Beverage Package Offer are not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. All offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Shareholder Benefits and Quick Getaway Fares.

BOGO FURTHER offer is combinable for Future Cruise Certificates and Letters of Credit.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean announced due to the progress of Tropical Cyclone Ula, the planned itinerary for Legend of the Seas will have be changed.

The cyclone has required Royal Caribbean to alter Legend of the Seas current 11 night South Pacific cruise, which, departed Brisbane on December 30, 2015.

Instead of calling at Lautoka and Suva in Fiji, the cruise will now call on January 6 at Champagne Bay, Vanuatu.

Royal Caribbean's decision to cancel the calls in Fiji is centered around the safety of guests and crew and to avoid the path of the storm.

All pre-booked Royal Caribbean Fiji shore excursions will be refunded as a result of this change.

Perhaps you were sitting in front of your iPad, computer or mobile device and thought to yourself, "I would love a virtual trip to Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee" today.  Wish granted!

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Elena Oliboni shared these photos from her trip to Labadee this week on Independence of the Seas. 

Enjoy this virtual vacation!

Happy New Year! We hope your 2016 is off to a great start and that you have a wonderful year in the days to come.

The big news this week was Royal Caribbean's decision to remove Devinly Decadence on Anthem of the Seas just before the New Year.

Celebrity chef Devin Alexander confirmed that the restaurant was being removed from Anthem of the Seas due to a conflict in commitments.

Devinly Decadence was among the initial restaurants announced for its Quantum class ships and started out as a specialty restaurant on Quantum of the Seas.

There was lots more Royal Caribbean news this week, so let's jump right in!

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean's next sale promotion begins tomorrow with a new BOGO deal.
• Readers spotted a new one-day unlimited alcohol package on Enchantment of the Seas.
• We also spotted a new 10 drink punch card ticket on Grandeur of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean leveraged local to make a big social media push in 2015.
• Everything you need to know about CocoCay beach loungers.
• Royal Caribbean is hinting at some new entertainment on Harmony of the Seas.
• We shared two new photo tours of balcony staterooms on Independence of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas.
• Here are the best Royal Caribbean photos of 2015.

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!

Nick Vitani shared this great photo of Enchantment of the Seas at dawn, while in Nassau.

Barbara Murphy shared with us our favorite angle on Jewel of the Seas, looking down into the Centrum.

Chris Curl took a minute to post this helipd selfie on Brilliance of the Seas before their cruise started.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 126th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we are joined by Brian to share his experience on Allure of the Seas.

In this episode, Brian returns from his Allure of the Seas cruise to talk about what he liked about it, review some of his onboard and onshore experiences and tell us if Royal Caribbean is his new favorite cruise line.

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.

Meet us in Atlanta!

The first ever Royal Caribbean Blog meet up is happening on January 10 in downtown Atlanta and you are invited!

Join us for our first ever meetup at the Johnny Rockets near the Atlanta Aquarium on Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 1pm.

Everyone is welcome and you can RSVP for the fun on our Facebook event page to let us know that you will be coming!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

From the Deck Chair shares why Aaron is super excited for the return of Empress of the Seas.

Eat Sleep Cruise offers the top six reasons to dress up on formal night.

Leo Laporte shared a 360 video of his amazing suite on Anthem of the Seas.