Royal Caribbean's third Oasis class cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, will feature a hand-crafted carousel in its Boardwalk neighborhood and we have a look at some of the horses and other animals guests can ride.

The company creating the carousel for Harmony of the Seas, Carousel Works, has shared photos of a few of the carousel ride elements that are already shaping up to be quite beautiful.

The carousel on Harmony of the Seas is hand-crafted and especially designed by Carousel Works for Royal Caribbean and is one-of-a-kind.

The inspiration for the carousel was taken from turn-of-the-century carousel designs. Even the original artwork scenery panels located on the carousel’s eight Rounding Boards feature custom painted scenes to highlight the wistfulness of life on the historic boardwalks.

Royal Caribbean confirmed today that the Brodway musical Grease will be shown onboard Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas starting in 2016.

Today's news confirms our earlier report of Grease coming to Harmony of the Seas.

This is the first time one Broadway show has been offered on two Royal Caribbean ships simultaneously.

The all-new, never-before-seen stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, will boast a soundtrack of crowd favorites such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Born to Hand-Jive,” “Beauty School Dropout” and more.

“Grease is a show that speaks to families of all ages and is sure to get guests out of their seats, singing and dancing, which is why we made the unprecedented decision to have it debut on Harmony andpremiere it onboard Independence immediately, starting in July,” said Nick Weir, Vice President, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “As the first cruise line to bring Broadway performances onboard its ships, it’s only fitting that we would also be the first to bring Grease to the hospitality industry.”

Royal Caribbean has made a name for itself by offering Broadway shows on its cruise ships, including Cats on Oasis of the Seas, MAMMA MIA! on Allure of the Seas, Saturday Night Fever on Liberty of the Seas and now, Grease on Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Two Royal Caribbean ships met for the first time in Sydney harbor for the first time recently.

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas arrived to her new home in Sydney over the weekend, where she was "welcomed" by sister ship Voayger of the Seas.

The two ships brought almost 10,400 passengers and crew and almost $1.6 million into the Sydney economy in passenger spend on this one day alone.

“With over 10,000 people on board the two ships, it’s the equivalent of having the entire population of Byron Bay out on the harbour at one time,” said Adam Armstrong, commercial director, Royal Caribbean International.

Explorer of the Seas arrived in Sydney, concluding a 16-night epic Australia and New Zealand voyage from Fremantle, with guests from more than 30 countries onboard eager to witness the new ship’s maiden Sydney arrival. While Voyager of the Seas departs Sydney on a seven-night Tasmania sailing bound for her first port, Melbourne, on Monday.

“We’ve invested US$160 million in makeovers on both ships in recent years and the result is two spectacular cruise ships offering the biggest choice of incredible Australian-first features including ice skating rinks, exceptional dining options, Broadway-style shows, 3D cinemas, completely refreshed public spaces and staterooms, rock climbing walls, full size sports courts and the Royal Promenade - an indoor street running the length of the ship with shops, a cafe and bars.”

At 138,194 gross tons, 311 metres long and 38 metres wide, Explorer of the Seas takes the crown of Australia’s largest cruise ship from twin sister ship Voyager of the Seas.

During her five month season Explorer of the Seas will inject almost $44 million into the Australian economy including almost $41 million in Sydney in passenger spend alone.

It is the last day of our cruise and that is never a day anyone looks forward to, but you make the best of it that you can.

We got up a little before 8am and got our day started early with breakfast in the Windjammer for breakfast.  

Had the usual omelet from the omelet station and we enjoyed breakfast outside.  

Speaking of outside, the weather today was quite lovely.  The day started out with a little motion but by lunch, it had smoothed out a lot.

Following breakfast and some walking of the ship, I began my trivia-a-thon, with morning trivia.

For the first time ever, my team won!  We were awarded glorious Royal Caribbean pens.

Following morning trivia was Crown & Anchor Society trivia, which was essentially Royal Caribbean trivia.

I am proud to say our team won again for this trivia as well.  I felt a good sense of satisfaction for flexing my geek muscle with those answers!

I followed up that with sports trivia in the King and Country pub.  

Sadly, my winning streak came to an end here.  Oh well, two out of three ain’t bad, right?

For lunch, it was back to the Windjammer. I did suggest Izumi but my wife shot me a look, so Windjammer it was!

Following lunch, we were both feeling a little tired so it was off to the pool for a nap.  

I love taking naps by the pool while on a cruise, and this was another successful napping event for me.

After my mid-afternoon slumber, I headed to Rita’s Cantina to sample the food.

I had heard and read a lot of negative comments regarding Rita’s so my expectations were low.

Here is what I will say about Rita’s Cantina.  It is certainly not an authentic Mexican restaurant and will not win any awards for its Mexican fare.  However, their prices are dirt cheap (average option is about $2-3).

I think Rita’s is good for those on an unlimited alcohol package who want to enjoy chips and salsa and maybe a snack.

It is not a destination for a meal in the way that Izumi, Chops Grille or Giovanni’s Table are.  

My favorite items were the salsa and tomatillo soup.  The guacamole was, well, awful.  Everything else  ranged between “okay” to “good.”

After my time visiting Rita’s, I headed down to the Casino.  I watched the slot tournament, which is an excellent test of will, determination and who has the strongest wrists.

I also managed to turn the last $10 in my pocket into $40.  Woot!

I rounded out my trivia day with “red trivia.”  This is essentially trivia with a theme that the questions or answers have something to do with the word red.  

It was interesting, but we did not win.  I was happy to trade my trivia luck to the casino.

As the afternoon started to dwindle, we headed back to the stateroom to get ready for our dinner at Chops Grille.  

While my wife got ready for dinner, I did some walking around the ship.  Someone in the comments asked for photos of the Centrum shops, so here they are!

I was also treated another beautiful sunset at sea.  Love these sunsets!

Dinner tonight was at Chops Grille and it was our first time back to Chops Grille in a couple cruises.

Chops did not disappoint, as it was another great meal.

What I love about Chops Grille, and the reason I recommend it, is because it is consistently a good experience across the fleet in terms of the quality food offered here.

I opted for the tuna, while my wife chose the filet mignon.  Both were excellent.

The two underrated aspects of Chops have to be the appetizers and desserts.  I am particularly fond of the red velvet cake.

Following dinner, we took a stab at evening trivia.  Lost, but had a great time!

Our last event of the cruise was the evening show, which is a tribute to live music and encompassed almost all the live musical acts onboard Brilliance of the Seas.

The highlight for me was the John Williams tribute portion of the show. Music from E.T.,  Star Wars, Superman and Indiana Jones!

This rounds out our Brilliance of the Seas live blog.  Thank you so much for following along and taking a virtual trip with me.

I loved all the comments and questions and can’t wait to do it again in February 2016 on Allure of the Seas!

Stray Observations

• Favorite bar for best mixed drinks: Schooner Bar (Solarium Bar in second place).
• I had heard a few guests try to compare activities/restaurants/events on Brilliance of the Seas to Oasis class ships. Very different experiences and no way to properly compare.  They each offer their own style of cruise.
• I found a lot of activities on Brilliance of the Seas, with the most events during the afternoon.
• This was my first cruise using the unlimited alcohol package (premium).  My wife and I likely broke even on the cost and I can definitely see the advantage of the package, especially at specialty restaurants.  But I also drank more than I probably otherwise would have.
• It seems like those without the unlimited alcohol packages are more and more less common.
• In terms of sporting events, college football games were limited to ESPN broadcasts, but for NFL games, broadcasts on FOX were shown.
• Places I spent the most amount of time: Solarium, Schooner Bar and pub.
• Places I spent the least amount of time: Colony Club, Café-Lattetudes and Vintages.

Today is our third day of our Brilliance of the Seas cruise it is also our only port stop, in Cozumel Mexico.

We woke up at 7am so that we could get dressed and grab something to eat before the anticipated debarkation time.

As we were getting ready, Independence of the Seas was coming into port, so we took the opportunity to head up to the helicopter pad to see her arrive.  

It is such a cool sight to see these massive ships dock.

Being outside, we realized the weather was just perfect.  Sunny and temperatures in the mid-70s ,with no humidity.  It is the kind of  day you wish for all the time!

We had breakfast in the Main Dining Room today to change things up.  I opted for a “fajita egg breakfast special”.  It was okay but let’s just say that eggs are not a specialty dish for Royal Caribbean.

As soon as we finished breakfast, we grabbed our stuff and it was time to go to Cozumel!

We had no firm plans for Cozumel and I was playing around with the idea of renting a car to drive around in, but realized that I had forgotten my driver’s license back on the ship so that plan went out the door.

We decided to walk next door to the El Cid resort and hang out there for a little while.  

We managed to talk them down to $20 for both of us to have access to the resort, instead of the usual $20 per person fee.  The reason being we only wanted to stay for a couple of hours and did not care for the food credit.

This was our first time at El Cid and it was a nice and well-kept spot. The resort pass includes access to their WiFi, pool and beach.  

My wife chose to nap during the time there and I enjoyed the WiFi while enjoying the view.

By 10:30am, we were off for our next stop.  While using the WiFi at El Cid, I booked a massage for my wife in Cozumel.

I found an ex-pat American that gave great massages in Cozumel for a fraction of what Royal Caribbean offers.

We took a quick taxi ride to her house, and my wife enjoyed a 75 minute session for $60.  She enjoyed it and I enjoyed the price!

While she enjoyed her massage, I walked to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed a cold beer and their WiFi.  Time well spent, indeed!

After the massage, we were both getting hungry and we briefly debated trying somewhere new for lunch, but in the end, we headed to our absolute favorite restaurant in Cozumel: Comidas Caseras Tonita.

This is a family run restaurant on the fringe of the tourist district and no one speaks English.  They serve local dishes and it is a great spot for an authentic meal.  

They also have amazing guacamole and salsa.  I had a grilled fish that was terrific.  I highly recommend this restaurant!

After lunch, it was time for some shopping. We did not find much but I enjoy walking around Cozumel to explore what is available.

Cozumel is an easy city to walk around and I recommend walking up and down the streets.  I also recommend avoiding the main street by the water, because it is filled with overly-touristy shops and aggressive salesmen.  Walk in a few blocks for less-touristy shopping.

We ran across a chocolate shop that we had been to previously and had to go back in.

This chocolatier is run by a couple of Americans and it is just the best darn chocolate you have ever had. We bought a few pieces to enjoy later.

I was in the mood for some coffee with my chocolate, so we headed nearby to Coz Coffee, where I had the best darn cup of iced coffee I have ever had!

The coffee is called café de Olla and it was really, really good.  I will have dreams about that coffee.

By now we were both getting tired, so we grabbed a taxi to head back to our ship.

These were waiting for us in the room.  Worst!

We changed into our bathing suits and headed up the Solarium for our first swim of the day.

The water was chilly, but we enjoyed a nice swim along with some mixed drinks from the bar.  More time well spent!

After our swim, it was back to the room to change for dinner early so that we could enjoy the evening’s festivities.

We got ready for dinner and went to see the sailaway.

As I mentioned, Independence of the Seas was docked alongside us, and as she left we had a great sunset to enjoy.

After enjoying the majesty of nature's beauty, I decided it was time to enjoy some more of nature's goodness, namely its tasty fish!

We grabbed a bite to eat at Izumi for our pre-dinner. 

My name is Matt and I am addicted to Izumi.

After getting my daily sushi fix, we headed down to the Schooner Bar to enjoy some more live music.  

The music is not just beautiful but very peaceful.  We really enjoyed their performance and I think I will have to catch them again one more time tomorrow!

Tonight was also the Top Tier event for Crown and Anchor Society members.

It was the usual event, with plenty of complimentary drinks and food, some speeches and recognition of the elite Crown & Anchor Society members.

What I like about these events is that Royal Caribbean takes time each cruise to recognize and thank its most loyal customers. As a loyal customer, that means something to see.

For dinner, we were back in the main dining room for Italian night. 

It was also someone at our table's birthday, so we all celebrated Mike's 50th birthday.  It was a nice little gesture.

We wrapped up our evening with some time in the casino and then licking my wounds in the King & Country Pub.

We were pretty wiped out from today, but I am happy we made it to 11pm before calling it a night. Not quite the 2am evenings I told my wife to expect, but we are having fun.

Tomorrow is our last day onboard and it is a sea day.  It will be tough to wrap up our cruise, but I am planning on hitting up a few activities we have not tried before as well as dinner at Chops Grille.

Stray Observations

• There are a lot of choices for excursions in Cozumel.  I don't think you can go wrong with many of them, but I just enjoy walking around and exploring. Maybe next time we will rent that car.
• As expected, port days are difficult to get your value from the unlimited drink packages.  It was 3:30pm before I had my first drink.  
• Our main dining room wait staff were really quite good.  Very attentive and it really felt like they care about making us happy.
• The casino has not been kind to your faithful blogger.  Guess I will not be retiring from my day job anytime soon.
• During the Top Tier event, it was announced our Cruise Director Clo will be leaving Brilliance this week. No word on where she is going or who is replacing her.
• Since the Internet was fixed on Day 2, it has been rock solid and much faster than embarkation day.  No better or worse than the non-Voom internet I have experienced on other Royal Caribbean ships.

Questions? Comments? Share them in the comments below!

Welcome to our second day onboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas and it is our first sea day!

We were very tired last night but nonetheless, I still wanted to wake up early and get a start to our day, so at about 7am, we got up and were on our way!

Breakfast brought us to the Windjammer, which had the usual Royal Caribbean breakfast.  

As always, if you want eggs, you have to go to the omelet station for the “good stuff”.  I had my usual egg white omelet and we enjoyed our breakfast on the outdoor Windjammer seating at the aft of the ship.

The outdoor seating is a great feature of the Radiance class.

We started off today with a lot of “motion in the ocean.”  Since last night, there had been quite a bit of motion and the Captain indicated we were encountering waves 2-4 meters (6-12 feet).  

To quote George Costanza from "Seinfeld," the seas were angry, my friend.  This would set the tone for our day (that’s called foreshadowing!).

We stopped by the Vitality Spa to get my wife a massage.  Massages are her cruise tradition and I am happy to buy them for her because she puts up with all of my blogging.

While she went off to get her massage, I amused myself with some morning drinks.  In this case, a Bloody Mary, from the Solarium Bar.

I am always in search for a good, non-mix Bloody Mary but have yet to find one on Brilliance of the Seas.  Any suggestions?

I did some more exploring of the ship, lost a little money in the casino, and then decided to try my skill at morning trivia.

Trivia is a great daily activity on Royal Caribbean ships and the morning trivia was a potpourri of questions.  We did not win but I met some new friends and had a great time in the process.

My wife finished up her massage by this time, and reported it was as good as she remembered.

We then opted to stop by the NextCruise office to “research” some possible options.  Let me just say I walked away happy.

Of interest, the NextCruise office is open on debarkation day, which was a surprise to me.

For lunch, we opted to try out Giovanni’s Table.  I was not planning on eating here on this cruise, but for lunch the cost is only $15 per person and it is hard to beat that value.

Once again, I will share my full review in an upcoming post but overall I liked Giovanni’s Table but did not love it.  Essentially, it is not my favorite restaurant, although I will admit the menu favors those that enjoy shellfish (I do not). 

By this point, it was about 1pm and the ocean waves were really getting strong.  My wife left lunch half way through to return to the stateroom because she was not feeling well.

The crew had already put out the sick bags, which is never a good sign.  

Frankly, I do not know why the ocean was so rocky, given there was no sign of a storm and it was sunny.  

With my wife in the room trying to sleep off the effects of the motion, I headed up the Solarium.

Royal Caribbean had closed the pool due to the motion, which was something I had expected.  I do believe this was the worst motion I have encountered to date on any cruise.  It was not horrible but the ship was definitely moving.

I was starting to feel tired (perhaps that 7am start to my day  was not a great idea), so I did something I love to do on a cruise: I took an afternoon nap by the pool!

Fast forward a few hours later and I woke up at about 3:30.  Oh well, time well spent!

My wife was feeling better by this point, so we decided to head to the Schooner Bar for TV theme song trivia!

We joined another team and lost, but it was a fun time.  

I have to say, the trivia games are just a great activity because you really get into it, even if you have no idea what the answers are.  My suggestion is ask to join a team and meet new friends!

With trivia done, we walked back to our stateroom with a quick stop to enjoy the afternoon sun.  Sea days are quite beautiful!

I went up to the helicopter pad to see the sunet better, but unfortunately the clouds prevented us from seeing the full effect.

Tonight is our formal night, so it was time to get back to the room to get ready for dinner.  

After getting dressed for dinner, we went to Izumi for another go at "pre-dinner".  I cannot help myself!

I went for the DX Sushi Combo this time and it was a great selection of different sushi rolls.  

An interesting change to Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas is that the miso soup costs $2 here, whereas on all other Izumis I have been to, miso soup was complimentary.

Granted, the miso soup served here is quite large. Probably the largest bowl of miso soup I have ever had.

I decided to head down to deck 4 at hang out at the R-Bar.  There was live music playing as well as the Captain's Toast.

I am such a sucker for live music on Royal Caribbean cruises.  I think it is not only quite beautiful, but really entertaining and it is something I seek out every cruise.

Dinner in the main dining room was formal night and I enjoyed my selections.

Following dinner, my wife went to see the show in the theater that is all about Michael Buble music.  I opted to take in live guitar music in the King & Country Pub.  To each, their own!

I found this stowaway in our stateroom.  Love the towel animals!

Tomorrow is Cozumel and after our day of rocking seas, I think we are all looking forward to some time on land.

Stray observations

I meant to to do this on yesterday's post, so here are a few random observations and such to share that did not fit into the regular narrative.

• We went to Chops Grille yesterday about making a reservation for formal night but they told us they were totally booked.  We decided to book it on the last night instead, although I have my doubts that we could not have shown up tonight at 6pm and been seated.  
• Speaking of specialty restaurants, Giovanni's Table for lunch was pretty empty.  We were among 4 tables for the time we were there.
• The motion today on the ship I think is the worst I have ever encountered.  On our Quantum of the Seas cruise earlier this year we had rough seas, but do not think it was as bad as this.
• The best way to deal with sea sickness? Bonine and a nap.
• Quote of the day comes from the NextCruise officer, "You are Emerald status but have the knowledge of a Diamond Plus".  That is quite a compliment!
• Busiest spot on the ship? R-Bar. That is because it is at the base of the Centrum, where so many activities take place.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Share them all in our comments!

Live Blog Index

• Live Blog Introduction
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Sea Day
• Day 3 - Cozumel
• Day 4 - Sea Day

Embarkation day is here and it never ceases to amaze me how excited I get for the first day of my cruise!

Yesterday afternoon we drove down to Gainesville, Florida to help cut down on the distance to the cruise.  We chose Gainesville because it was around half way to Tampa (it was really about two-thirds of the way there) and it would be less expensive than staying in Tampa.

We got to our hotel, the Hampton Inn, without incident.  We chose the Hampton Inn because it was the top rated hotel on TripAdvisor in Gainesville.

The hotel room was clean, felt new and well maintained.  What else can you ask for in a one-night hotel?

As per usual, I slept poorly but got more sleep than I thought.  At 6:45am our alarm went off and we got ready to go!

We had breakfast at Waffle House and then hit the road for an easy two-hour drive to Port of Tampa.

We gassed up the car in Tampa and then parked the car across the street from the port.  It is the official parking garage and costs $15 per day.

I suggest dropping off all luggage at the pier first and then driving across the street to park.  This eliminates having to lug around the luggage down an elevator and across the street.

The check-in process at the port was very simple.  In fact, I would say it was the quickest and easiest of check-ins on non-Quantum class ships!

Also, I felt the cruise terminal in Tampa was the most aesthetically pleasing terminal I have ever been in on a Royal Caribbean cruise.  It did not feel like a giant warehouse and I really enjoyed the embarkation process here.

Of interest, Royal Caribbean was selling the unlimited drink packages in the cruise terminal.

We arrived at the terminal at about 9:45am, and by 10:30am, they called our boarding group.  Not bad!

Once onboard, the Windjammer was not open yet, so we did what any self-respecting Royal Caribbean cruiser would do….we went to the bar!

We bought the Premium unlimited alcohol package for this cruise to try out, so we grabbed our first drink at the Pool Bar.  First drink of the cruise: lava flow!

Lunch at the Windjammer was exactly what embarkation lunch is usually like, and I loved it!  Great selection of foods from around the world, and I naturally gravitated towards the curry onboard (potato curry).

Following lunch, we took a tour of the Vitality Spa.  We have not booked anything yet but my wife will be getting a massage.

Speaking of the spa, there is the thermal spa pass and the ultimate spa pass.  The thermal spa pass includes access to the heated chairs, steam room, rainforest shower and another room that I forgot.  You get unlimited access to all rooms for the duration of your cruise.

The ultimate spa pass includes everything with the thermal spa pass, plus a rasul room treatment.  The rasul treatment is essentially a couple’s exfoliation, shower and facial.  Or at least, that is what I remembered from it.

We spent the next few hours exploring Brilliance of the Seas.  I also took the opportunity to book “pre-dinner” at Izumi for 6pm tonight.  YOLO!

We checked out our table at the main dining room and we are at a large table.  I am looking forward to meeting some new folks onboard!

We also noticed there was quite a bit of Christmas decorations onboard the ship.  I was expecting decorations to be added perhaps tomorrow, but already the decorations have come to Brilliance of the Seas.  Perhaps there will be more decorations as the cruise progresses?

Our stateroom was ready a few minutes after 1pm and we booked an interior stateroom.  In fact, all of our luggage was already waiting for us when we got there!

Our stateroom is nothing fancy, but for my wife and me it is perfectly fine.  We prefer in this kind of a cruise to save money on a stateroom and spend that money somewhere onboard.

Much of the afternoon was spent exploring the ship.  We had an early muster (3:15pm), so we did the muster drill on deck 5 and when it was complete, enjoyed sailaway from a comfortable chair in the Solarium.

Having just spent the afternoon onboard, Brilliance of the Seas already strikes me a ship that offers a lot in a small(er) package.  Just because she does not have the size of an Oasis or Freedom class ship, does not mean there is not a lot to do onboard.

I do think Brilliance of the Seas, and her sister Radiance class ships, do favor those that are looking for relaxation just as much as activities.  I can already see us spending a lot of time up on the pool deck with a cold drink in our hand.  That does not make for lively blog posts, but it still a lot of fun!  

Following sailaway, it was back to the stateroom to get dressed for the evening.  

I know some folks do not love getting dressed up on a cruise, but we really enjoy it.  When else do you get to dress up nicely other than weddings and funerals? Plus getting dressed up makes for great photos!

We decided to get ready for dinner a little early and as my wife was getting ready, I walked out to the outside deck on deck 5 and witnessed a wonderful sunset sea.  Unfortunately, I  forgot  my camera’s memory card in the room so I do not have photos to share (smooth!).  Trust me when I say it was quite beautiful.

We headed up to Deck 12 to check out the ship passing under the Sunshine Skyway bridge and it looked like we were not going to make it….but we did.  Very fun experience.

We had “pre-dinner” at Izumi tonight, which is located on Deck 12 where the old Seaview Café used to be.

I will save my review of Izumi for a formal blog post but we really liked the experience.  Great sushi, beautiful spot and great service.

This evening’s entertainment was a medley of Broadway music, which my wife really enjoyed.  There were songs from Mammia Mia, The Producers, The Full Monty and more. 

It was essentially one song after another and if you like show tunes, this is the show for you.

Dinner tonight was in the main dining room, where we had a Thanksgiving menu attached to the regular menu.

I ordered the pumpkin bisque, turkey dinner and pumpkin cheesecake.  All were terrific and I would order them again.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, it certainly did not feel like Thanksgiving onboard.  Some guests watched the various football games on TV but I kept reminding myself it was a holiday.

I would say this is a great cruise for anyone who wants to skip the whole formality of a holiday with all the “stuff” that goes into it.  It felt like a Royal Caribbean cruise that happened to be during Thanksgiving, and I enjoyed it just fine.

After dinner we did a little walking but we were wiped out.  True to form, by 10:30pm, we were in bed and ready for sleep.

Tomorrow, is a sea day and I plan on doing a lot of activities.  Hoping to work in a little of everything tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Live Blog Index

• Live Blog Introduction
• Day 1 - Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Sea Day
• Day 3 - Cozumel
• Day 4 - Sea Day

Hey everyone! Episode 121 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available for your listening pleasure.

This week, we're sharing the details about our cruise on Brilliance of the Seas to the Western Caribbean that begins this weekend.  Let's look at why we picked this cruise, the cool things to do on Brilliance of the Seas and our plans for each port of call.  

Be sure to also check out our pre-cruise summary of what our plans are for the cruise and for how you can read our live blog each day from the cruise.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 121. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS 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!

Just in time for the biggest shopping weekend of the year, Royal Caribbean is rolling out a Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal.

Black Friday Sale

For Black Friday shoppers, Royal Caribbean is taking its existing BOGO GETTER deal and adding on free Voom high speed internet along with 25% off 3rd and 4th passengers on all eligible sailings.,

Qualifying bookings will be entitled to

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest
• 50% reduced deposit
• Onboard credit
  • Inside stateroom: $100 per stateroom
  • Oceanview stateroom: $200 per stateroom
  • Balcony & Suite staterooms: $300 per stateroom
• 25% savings for 3rd and 4th passengers booked in the same stateroom for Caribbean sailings departing Jan-May, 2016.
• One Voom internet package for one device on Anthem, Harmony, Allure, Oasis, Freedom, and Enchantment of the Seas on sailings departing between May 1 - September 30, 2016.

Offer applies to all sailings departing on or after Dec 10, 2015, excluding China departures.

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

Cyber Monday Sale

The Cyber Monday sale is essentially the same as the Black Friday sale, but with a bit more onboard credit.

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest
• 50% reduced deposit
• Onboard credit
  • Inside stateroom: $150 per stateroom
  • Oceanview stateroom: $250 per stateroom
  • Balcony & Suite staterooms: $400 per stateroom
• 25% savings for 3rd and 4th passengers booked in the same stateroom for Caribbean sailings departing Jan-May, 2016.
• One Voom internet package for one device on Anthem, Harmony, Allure, Oasis, Freedom, and Enchantment of the Seas on sailings departing between May 1 - September 30, 2016.

Cruise must be booked Nov. 30, 2015.

Offer applies to all sailings departing on or after Dec 10, 2015, excluding China departures.

BOGO is combinable with the adjoining OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings and Voom offers, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers; BOGO and 50% 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). OBC and Voom offers are combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO) and NextCruise offers. OBC and Voom offers are not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. Neither offer is 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.