Royal Caribbean and the Chinese Imperial Palace Museum (the Palace Museum) held a joint press conference today at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement in the Forbidden City’s Jianfu Palace. 

As part of the agreement, experts from different research fields selected by the Palace Museum will be invited to give lectures of Chinese history and culture to guests on Ovation of the Seas. 

The Palace Museum also will provide professional consultation of the ship’s interior décor and art program. In addition, signature pieces from the collections of the Imperial Palace Museum will be on display to promote the traditional culture and arts of China. Paintings and art pieces created by artists from the Palace Museum will be available for guests to purchase at auctions held onboard.

Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship that debuts in April, will be the first to homeport in China immediately after its delivery and will begin service from Tianjin beginning June 2016.

The signing ceremony officially launches the “2016 – Let’s Ovation” campaign in China and marks the countdown to Ovation of the Seas’ maiden voyage in China.

“We are proud of the extensive collection of art and relics that represent the imperial treasures of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and it is our goal at The Palace Museum to showcase the traditional Chinese culture to people all over the world,” said Shan Jixian, Director of the Imperial Palace Museum. “This partnership with Royal Caribbean International and our programs on Ovation of the Seas will help to further these objectives. We are excited to promote the rich heritage of the Forbidden City and China to the guests of the world’s largest global cruise line and we hope to continue to expand on these efforts.”

Dr. Zinan Liu, President of North APAC and China, Royal Caribbean International said: “Cruising is becoming increasingly popular with Chinese travelers and Royal Caribbean’s award-winning and state-of-the-art ships with features found only on Royal Caribbean are very appealing to those consumers looking for a high quality vacation experience. Quantum of the Seas has been very well received by our Chinese guests and we are excited to now bring Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin. Sailing two of the world’s newest and most technologically advanced ships in China demonstrate our leadership and commitment to the market and this partnership with the Palace Museum showcasing China’s rich heritage will bring yet another unique element to our vacation offering.”

Ovation of the Seas will be officially launched in April 2016, when she departs Southampton for Tianjin, China on a 53-day Global Odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin in June 2016. Ovation of the Seas, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.

Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas is currently under construction at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Watch to see how the construction process is coming along on the third Quantum class ship.

Royal Caribbean has decided not to implement some of the previously announced changes coming to Majesty of the Seas during an upcoming refurbishment later this spring.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed to Royal Caribbean Blog that the scope for Majesty of the Seas' refurbishment has been finalized and not everything that was initially announced is going onboard.

Specifically, it now appears Majesty of the Seas will not be receiving a new waterslide, new specialty restaurants in Sabor Modern Mexican or Izumi, as well as not receiving the DreamWorks Experience.

Other planned upgrades, including Voom internet, poolside movie screen, family jacussis and an update to the casino, are all still planned.

A guest initially reported the news on Cruise Critic's message boards, after receiving an email from Royal Caribbean customer relations.

Royal Caribbean originally announced the refurbishment plans in July 2015 after changing its mind and keeping Majesty of the Seas in the fleet, rather than transfer her to sister brand Pullmantur Cruises.

The first day of your Royal Caribbean cruise is a really fun moment in any cruise fan's vacation, because it is when vacation begins and the many days, months and even years leading up to this cruise are finally realized.

Embarkation day offers a lot to see and do, and for anyone going on a Royal Caribbean cruise, here is what you can expect on embarkation day.

Arrival

In most cases, your Royal Caribbean ship will arrive in port in the early hours of the morning and begin letting its just completed cruise passengers off shortly thereafter. 

The check-in process on embarkation day will take place throughout much of the day, and guests can arrive at their convenience to the port, as soon as the port allows guests to do so.

In our experience, guests will usually be let into the cruise terminal around 10am, or shortly thereafter and embarkation usually begins somewhere around 11am.

The exact times depend on a variety of factors, including how quickly customs clears the ship and how quickly Royal Caribbean's crew is ready for the new wave of guests.

You should plan on arriving to the cruise port as early as you can so that you can start your vacation.  The sooner you arrive, the sooner you can board the ship.

It seems like a majority of guests tend to arrive in the afternoon hours, so arriving before 1pm can often result in shorter lines.

Checking-in

The check-in procedure at the port consists of dropping off your luggage with porters, going through security and then meeting with the pier staff to receive your boarding documents.

It is important to have your SetSail pass printed out prior to arriving at the pier to ensure a smooth and quick check-in process.  You can find your SetSail pass at Royal Caribbean's web site under My Cruises.

Royal Caribbean often boards guests in groups based on the order they arrive, although some guests do receive priority boarding (such as suite guests).

In most cases, guests receive their SeaPass card, wait to be called to board and then board the ship.

On Quantum class ships, your SeaPass cards are waiting in your stateroom.

Lunch to 3pm

Once onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, there will be lots to see and do and like any cruise, it is up to you what to do.

At check-in, you should have access to a special embarkation day Cruise Compass that lists venues that are open and activities that will be available.

Most guests opt to have lunch somewhere on the ship on embarkation day.  The Windjammer is the most popular choice, although ships may have other venues open as well.

Some common activities to consider in the early afternoon after you eat are

• Spa tour
• Swimming in the pool
• Drinks at the bar
• Register children at Adventure Ocean or Nursery
• Purchase an unlimited alcohol package or beverage package

This is a great time to explore the ship and get your bearings onboard and see what is offered. Getting acclimated with where everything will make your cruise easier since you will spend less time trying to locate everything. Plus you may discover something onboard you didn't know existed!

By 1pm, your stateroom will be ready and that means you can check out your new home, drop off any carry on luggage you brought and start enjoying the benefits of your room.

3pm - 6pm

Depending on your ship's departure time, a mandatory muster drill will take place where guests are instructed what to do in case of an emergency at sea.

The crew will instruct you where and when to report for muster drill and it is a fairly straight-forward event.

The muster drill consists of going to your assigned muster station and being instructed on what would happen in the event of an emergency at sea. There is no need to bring a life jacket to the muster drill.

While the muster drill is not the most exciting thing about your cruise, following your muster drill, the real fun begins of a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Sail away usually follows the muster drill, in which case there is a sail away party at the pool deck that many guests opt to join in.  

While many guests elect to join in the sail away party fun, others enjoy sail away from other parts of the ship, such as their balconies, on public decks or at the helipad on some ships.

6pm and after

Following the muster drill and sail away, your evening plans will start to open up more than what was available during the afternoon.

Once the ship leaves port and gets into open water, shops, the casino and more bars will open up.  

Specialty restaurants, the main dining room and other dining venues will also start serving dinner.  Evening entertainment starts up around this time, with live music at a number of locations throughout the ship.

The pattern of activities in the evening on embarkation day is a lot like what happens on any other evening of your cruise.  

What are your favorite things to do on embarkation day? Share them in our comments!

Can you believe January is half way over? That means we are all getting closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!

This week, there was plenty of Royal Caribbean news, including the big entertainment reveal for Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean pulled back the curtain on all the entertainment planned for Harmony of the Seas, which includes two musicals: Grease and Columbus, The Musical!

There are also new shows in the AquaTheater, Studio B ice skating rink and new parties and shows across the ship (the 90's party really has us excited).

There was plenty more Royal Caribbean news, so let's jump right in.

Royal Caribbean News

• Sadly, 21 guests were involved in a car accident during a shore excursion in Falmouth.
• Deck-by-deck look at the changes coming to Liberty of the Seas.
• Our guide to enjoying specialty restaurants for lunch.
• We shared the top 5 different staterooms you should consider for your next cruise.
• Royal Caribbean announces its 2015 travel partners of the year award recipients.
• Answers to the most common Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package questions we see.
• Four Royal Caribbean features that were inspired by something outside the company.
• Our five best money saving tips for getting a Royal Caribbean deal.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 128th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we are previewing our upcoming group cruise on Allure of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt and Annette share the plans for the second Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise and why they think, this will be a really fun event.

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.

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Deals App shared 18 money saving cruise secrets, including one from us!

Royal Caribbean has 4 cruise experiences for any budget.

If you want some extra space on your next Royal Caribbean cruise and do not mind a little extra price, then be sure to check out a Category TS Two Bedroom Suite on Brilliance of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Deborah Wolfe shared with us these photos of her stateroom from her recent cruise in December.

Photos of this room come to us from stateroom 7672.

Walking in, guests will find a spacious living room includes dining table, vanity, chairs, and double sofa bed.

Each suite also has floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors leading to your expansive private veranda.

There is a guest bedroom with two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, two upper Pullman-style bunk beds, dresser, and private bathroom with shower.

Two Bedroom Suites have a master bedroom with two twin beds that convert to a queen-sized bed, walk-in closet, and large private bathroom with tub and shower.  

The two bedroom suite measures 532 square feet in size with a 195 square foot balcony.

Royal Caribbean is kicking off a special weekend sale that promises fares starting at just $799 for three of its most popular cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

The three day Special Weekend Spring Sale runs between January 15 - 18, 2016 and is valid on Oasis, Allure and Anthem sailings departing April 1-June 30, 2016.

For eligible sailings on those ships, guests can enjoy

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest who must be booked in the same stateroom as a first guest who books at full fare
• 50% reduced deposit
• Onboard credit for bookings made Jan. 15-18, 2016 on Oasis, Allure and Anthem of the Seas sailings departing April 1-June 30, 2016
  • $75 for interior
  • $125 for ocean view
  • $250 for balcony
  • $350 for suite categories
• All other sailings (excluding China sailings) will receive this onboard credit
  • $50 for interior
  • $100 for oceanview
  • $200 for balcony
  • $300 for suite
• ​25% cruise fare savings for 3rd and 4th guests booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests

​BOGO is combinable with the adjoining OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings, 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 Offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO) and NextCruise offers. OBC is not combinable with Crown & 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, Shareholder Benefits.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Picking the stateroom for your Royal Caribbean cruise means picking your home for 3, 4, 7 or even more nights and there are plenty of options to choose from onboard, but there are some categories that can be easily overlooked that are worth your time.

Over the last few years, Royal Caribbean has been adding different kinds of new stateroom categories to its offerings and these options give guests a greater variety of choice and flexibility in where they choose to stay.

The next time you are booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, consider one of these different stateroom categories, if they are available, that offers something different from the usual.

Panoramic ocean view

Ocean view staterooms are typically known for giving guests a porthole view to the ocean outside, but Royal Caribbean's Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom gives much more of a view.

These staterooms offer a floor to ceiling wrap around panoramic window that is 76 inches high by 103-321 inches wide.  That is a big window.

As you might imagine, the reason to book a stateroom like this is for the amazing views without the balcony view price.  

Panoramic ocean view staterooms are found on Navigator of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Virtual balcony

Royal Caribbean rethought what an inside stateroom could be when it came up with its virtual balcony staterooms.

A virtual balcony stateroom is an interior stateroom with an 80-inch LED screen that shows live video from outside the ship in ultra high definition.

The screens are 4K ultra high definition capable screens that stretch from floor to ceiling and receive a video feed from the ship's cameras that are mounted at the stem and stern of the ship.

With virtual balcony staterooms, guests can enjoy a balcony experience without the balcony price.

Virtual balcony staterooms are offered on Navigator of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.

Promenade view

Many Royal Caribbean fans absolutely love the Royal Promenade for everything it offers, and Royal Caribbean capitalizes on this by offering Promenade staterooms.

These Promenade view staterooms have bowed windows overlooking the Royal Promenade, creating an interior room with a view, and they offer the amenities of a standard stateroom.

The bowed windows give the room more room as well as the perfect vantage point for people watching and checking out what is happening on the Royal Promenade.  It doubles as the perfect spot to view the parade!

Promenade view staterooms are available on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Family ocean view

Royal Caribbean recognizes some families are more than just 3 or 4 guests and all families can always benefit from some extra space.  Enter, the family stateroom, which serves up a ton of extra space that is perfect for the family that needs to spread out.

Family ocean view staterooms can accommodate up to six people, with two twin beds, sofa and/or Pullman beds. Other amenities include a minibar (except on Vision of the Seas) and sitting area. 

These special rooms are perfect for larger families that want to stay in one room or families with older kids that just need some extra living space.

Family ocean view staterooms are available on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Vision of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

Studio stateroom

Royal Caribbean has recognized the growing trend of solo cruisers by offering guests studio staterooms on select ships.

These rooms are designed for just one guest and do not carry with them the single supplement that drives up the cost for single cruisers.

There are studio virtual balcony staterooms as well as super studio ocean view stateroom with balcony.

Studio staterooms range in size from 101 square feet to 199 square feet and is the perfect option for someone who wants to cruise alone.

Various studio stateroom options are available on Brilliance of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas.

Have you stayed in any of these stateroom categories? Share your experience in our comments!

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Photos, where we share our readers' Royal Caribbean photos with all of you.  You can send us your photos by using this form.

To me, this weekly feature is an opportunity to enjoy a quick "mental escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.  Let's get started with this week's batch!

Our first photo this week is from Michael Brady and it is of Radiance of the Seas anchored off Mystery Island in the South Pacific from January 2016.  I could use this kind of a cruise right about now!

Here is a classic shot of Oasis of the Seas' Boardwalk and Aqua Theater by Shawn Crossley.  It does not matter how many times I see this angle, it never gets old.

Here are Mitch and Donna Smith posing for a photo on the Centrum of Radiance of the Seas.  Photos always come out great when the Centrum is your backdrop.

Let's hop in the Solarium hot tub with this photo by Robert Carpenter from Voyager of the Seas when the ship was in Beijing (Port of Tianjin).  This is the kind of scene I imagine when I need a mental escape.

Rounding out this week's photos is this photo of the view from Anthem of the Seas of New York City, by Frederic.  It's a wonderful town!

Thank you to everyone who sent in their photos this week. Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your photos so we can post them next week by using this form.

Royal Caribbean is reporting 21 guests on a shore excursion from Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas were involved in a traffic accident in Falmouth, Jamaica today.

Today 21 guests from Independence of the Seas participating in an excursion were involved in a traffic accident in Falmouth, Jamaica. 1/3

— RCLcorp (@RCLcorp) January 14, 2016

In the incident, one guest passed away, while three others were treated for injuries at a local hospital.

Royal Caribbean crew members have gone to the hospital in Falmouth to assist.

Royal Caribbean is asking all guests to keep those injured in their thoughts and prayers.

UPDATE: The Jamaica Observer is reporting the tour bus was on its way from the Dunn's River Beach in St Ann.