Of all the entertainment shown in Two70 on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, "Leonardo's Dreams" blew me away from a visual aspect and today we have an inside look at how this film was created.

Leonardo's Dreams is a five-minute Vistarama and Roboshow display onboard Anthem of the Seas that takes a look at the ideas Leonardo Da Vinci created and turns them into reality.

The highlight of the show is a simulation of Da Vinci's flying machine that soars over the rooftops of Rome.

Something we discovered (and is new to us) are Royal Caribbean shore excursions that combine individual shore excursions across multiple port stops into one package.

On an upcoming Allure of the Seas Western Caribbean sailing, the Cruise Planner is offering a "Caribbean Must-Dos Package - Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel" combination package that includes these excursions:

• Labadee: Dragon's Breath Flight Line
• Falmouth: Best of Jamaica
• Cozumel: Tulum Mayan Ruins Express

The combination shore excursion package does appear to save guests a little bit of money.  For an adult, the combination saves $30.50 compared to booking the three shore excursions individually.

The idea to offer a combination shore excursion option is part of a larger fleet-wide initiative lately to bundle aspects of the cruise experience together, with beverage packages and dining packages offered to guests recently.

Would you book a combination shore excursion package? Tell us in the comments!

Good news, we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!  In case you missed any of the Royal Caribbean fun from this week, here is our weekly round up!

The one day no one looks forward to is that last morning of the cruise, when it is time to go home.  But that does not mean you cannot do a lot of fun things on your last day!

This week, we listed six things to do on the last morning of your Royal Caribbean cruise to help you make the most of the last few hours onboard.

Frankly, there are some good options including seeing the sunrise, enjoying the benefits of your unlimited drink packages and enjoying one last meal in the Windjammer.

Here is the rest of the Royal Caribbean news you may have missed this week.

• Royal Caribbean promoted Lori Cassidy to be its new AVP of Global Corporate, Incentive & Charter sales.
• What you need to know about snorekling at Labadee.
• Legend of the Seas arrived in Brisbane, Australia for the start of the seas.
• Here is a quick video on how to get free money for eating at specialty restaurants.
• We have two photo tours of staterooms on Brilliance of the Seas: Category N Interior & Category E2 Balcony.
• Five things you will love about Wonderland specialty restaurant.
• We reviewed Rita's Cantina on Brilliance of the Seas.
• 5 reasons Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink packages are awesome.

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!

Edwin Wallace boarded Oasis of the Seas yesterday and his first stop was Sabor for some guacamole and drinks.

Shay Lowe reported it is easy to take photos of the Small Wonders art with your phone.

Here is another top secret document. What is this strange addition to the #AquaTheater? I'm taking big risks for u. pic.twitter.com/PpwRwmoveE

— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) December 12, 2015

Nick Weir shared this sketch of this addition coming to the Aqua Theater on potentially Harmony of the Seas.

Announcing the 2017 Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise!

We are so excited to announce our 2017 group cruise plans for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Navigator of the Seas. This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on the beautiful Navigator of the Seas on an 9-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying this brand new ship with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out this fabulous cruise ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 123rd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt is sharing twenty, yes twenty, tips to have a better Royal Caribbean cruise!

In this episode, Matt shares a slew of tips, tricks and secrets to get you the most out of your Royal Caribbean cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Royal Caribbean shared 10 tips for a perfect honeymoon cruise.

AFRWeekend shows how Royal Caribbean's smart ship universe surpasses the real one.

Shermans Cruise has 7 myths about cruising.

Royal Caribbean Ltd shared the story of how its vice president of food and beverage operations got to the top of the Royal Caribbean food chain.

Few activities seem to go hand in hand with a Royal Caribbean cruise like some time at the bar.

Royal Caribbean has built a number of fantastic bars across all of its cruise ships and each bar seems to offer a little something different that makes it unique and gives guests reasons to come back.

Today, we're listing our favorite ten bars and lounges across Royal Caribbean's fleet to spend happy hour at.

Boleros

When you combine great drinks with latin music, you get Boleros.  

Let us start with the drinks, which Boleros does extremely well. In fact, Boleros is often the place on your Royal Caribbean ship to get the best mojitos and pina colada.  

Once you have a drink in hand, there is usually plenty of entertainment offered in the evening, with live music playing well into the night.

It seems like there is always a party going on in Boleros and it is a great spot for a pre-dinner drink or somewhere to show off your salsa, merignue or bachata!

Schooner Bar

I would wager to say that the Schooner Bar is a staple of any Royal Caribbean experience because there is always something going on here.

Whether you pronounce it "shooner" or "skooner", we can all agree the Schooner Bar is home to fun trivia, live music and great people.

During the day, you can test your wit with some trivia and at night, most Schooner Bars have a piano that is perfect for playing the songs you love to sing along to.

While many of our bars made this list because of the drinks they serve, the Schooner Bar is here primarily because of all the fun things happening.

R-Bar

With R-Bar, Royal Caribbean went retro and brought classic drink making back to the bar experience.

Each R-Bar offers the usual assortment of drinks, but each also has an unique menu of drinks only available on that particular R-Bar on that particular ship.

When you are in the mood for something different, head to R-Bar because the bartenders here are fantastic at creating new drinks just for you to try.  It is the perfect refuge for the indecisive.

Two70

If you like a view with your drink, head over to Two70 on one of the Quantum class ships because it is hard to beat what you can see here.

Two70's bar offers an expansive view of the ocean during the day and at night, performances galore. Vistarama, Roboshow and evening shows are just the beginning of what is available in Two70 on any given day.

Did I mention they make some really good drinks too? 

What I really like about Two70's drinks are there tends to be a lot less mixes used, which means the quality of the drinks are far superior to other locations. 

Top quality drinks with an unmatched view. How can you go wrong?

Pubs on Royal Promenade

Sometimes you just want a cold beer, some friends to drink with and live music and the best option has to be any of the English style pubs found across the fleet.

Royal Caribbean has added a number of these pubs to its ships in recent years and they have become a huge hit.

Inside, you will find an expansive beer collection that dwarfs the beers available elsewhere onboard.

In the evening, live music is performed and the subject is always drinking songs.  After a few rounds, you are likely to be joining in too!

Michael's Genuine Pub

Speaking of beer, how about a craft beer?

Michael's Genuine Pub will pour a craft beer for you, and it is the only place on any Royal Caribbean ship where craft beer is sold with this much selection.

In fact, Royal Caribbean has gotten into the craft beer game with a beer by the pub's namesake, Michael Schwartz.  Michael's Genuine Brew is a great choice and inexpensive too!

No visit to Michael's Genuine Pub is complete without a few "finger foods" that can be ordered such as a jar of pickles, falafel or deviled eggs.

Rising Tide Bar

There is something undeniably cool about a bar that moves between decks, and on Oasis class ships, the Rising Tide bar does just that.

Royal Caribbean built bars that spin very slowly on its Radiance class ships, but the honors of best moving bar have to go to the Rising Tide Bar because this makes for the perfect photo opportunity.

The Rising Tide Bar continuously moves between the Royal Promenade and Central Park, offering some great views while you enjoy your favorite cocktail.

There's just something very cool about being on a bar that moves through the air and with a drink in hand, it's a great place to watch all those people that are watching you.

Solarium Bar

Let's head to the pool deck and a bar that offers some great drinks just steps away from either a cushioned lounge chair or pool, the Solarium Bar.

What is great about the Solarium Bar is its indoor, yet outdoor, location means it is always the perfect weather for a visit here.

Given that the Solarium is a great place to relax and forget about everything, getting your drinks at the Solarium Bar makes natural sense too.

Oasis Bar

Pool bars in general are usually a fun time, but one bar combines the pool and the ocean: the Oasis Bar on Enchantment of the Seas.

What makes the Oasis Bar on Enchantment of the Seas really cool is it faces the ocean, allowing you to enjoy the view of the ocean as you partake in your preferred adult beverage.

There isn't a whole lot of seating available, but if you get the chance, be sure to enjoy this unique bar experience that cannot be found on any other Vision-class ship.

Sabor Bar

I freely admit the Sabor Bar made this list handedly purely because it is associated with my favorite specialty restaurant ever, Sabor Modern Mexican.

The reason the Sabor Bar is worthy of your time each and every time you want a drink is simple: it offers quality beverages and the best darn guacamole known to man (if there was a way to convey dropping the mic in a blog post, it would be posted right here).

If you have not sampled the guacamole from Sabor yet, it is hand crafted guacamole made fresh on the spot and it is slap your grandma good!

Which bar is your favorite? Tell us about in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants offer some amazing food and many guests love to go back again and again to enjoy them.

But with so many great choices, did you know about a trick to get free onboard credit just by making plans to eat at specialty restaurants?

We share the secret to getting free onboard credit just for booking Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants before your next cruise.

Some guests may be quick to group all of Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants together as offering similar experiences, but there is one restaurant that breaks the mold.

Wonderland was introduced on Royal Caribbean's Quantum class ships and has quickly become a favorite for its whimsical, over-the-top experience it offers alongside some really good food.

For guests looking to try something different and bring a bit of "show" into their meals, Wonderland is a superb choice and it promises to be a dining experience you will be talking about for a while.

Here are five things guests will love about Wonderland restaurant.

5. The décor

Someone at Royal Caribbean spent a lot of time on the look of Wonderland and it definitely shows!

Before you even set foot inside the restaurant, there are odd features surrounding the entrance that draws attention and gets people thinking about what the heck is inside.

Upon entering Wonderland, there is stuff everywhere.  

Candelabras, odd glasses, all sorts of chairs, mirrors and more.  It all combines to send a message to guests of, "this is not your typical restaurant".

4. The eccentric staff

Much like the decorations, the staff working at Wonderland are as fun to interact with as they are attentive in their duties.

Your waiter is your guide through the Wonderland experience.  He or she will take you along each step of the meal, and many add an element of wit to the experience.

Dining at Wonderland is more than just another place to eat.  Rather, it is an opportunity to try something completely different and the wait staff is part of the experience as much as the food.

The fun thing about the wait staff is they will make jokes, offer suggestions and immerse themselves in the role.  It all combines to make for an unique experience.

3. Painting your menu

There is something undeniably cool about how you get your menu at Wonderland.

After being seated, your waiter will present a blank canvas to you along with a paintbrush and you are encouraged to dip your paintbrush in the water provided and start painting.

Spoiler alert: your brush strokes reveal the menu at Wonderland it is just plain cool!

While the trick may be relatively simple, it is something no other Royal Caribbean restaurant offers and is part of why Wonderland is so much fun.

2. The terroir beef

Of all the food available in Wonderland, our favorite is the fall-off-the-bone terroir beef.

This is a slow cooked beef dish that is served still on the bone, accompanied by river stone potatoes with a bordelaise sauce.

Essentially, this is a super-soft cut of beef that will melt in your mouth.  Oh, and it is really, really tasty too!

1. The desserts

There is a lot of food to try at Wonderland, but if you are going to be adventurous for one part of the meal, make sure it is at dessert.

Wonderland offers a lot of favorites that have been altered slightly, such as yogurt pops, basked Alaska and Boston cream pie maze. 

The strategy for dessert is simple, try them all and leave your belts in your stateroom.

Royal Caribbean announced it has promoted Lori Cassidy to Associate Vice President of Global Corporate, Incentive & Charter Sales. 

In her her new role, Cassidy is responsible for all sales, service, and marketing efforts pertaining to global meeting, incentive and full-ship charter business, as well as the Royal Caribbean loyalty gift card and individual incentive certificate programs. 

Cassidy will lead the Global Corporate, Incentive & Charter Sales and Service team in managing, developing and servicing meeting, incentive and group event opportunities with incentive houses, brokers, independent meeting planners, corporate planners and travel planners around the world. 

Cassidy began working with Royal Caribbean in 2008 as Director, Corporate, Incentive & Charter Sales, and has since taken on increased responsibility and successfully grown the meeting, incentive and charter sales channel for the international cruise line.  Cassidy continues to report directly to Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Service, Royal Caribbean International. 

"Lori is an asset to our group travel partners and a respected member of our organization.  Her incredible experience, skill and instinct for the business make her a strong leader for her team, resulting in continued momentum and stronger relationships around the world,” said Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Service, Royal Caribbean International.  “This is a hard-earned, well-deserved promotion within the Royal Caribbean Sales and Trade team, and we look forward to her continued success.” 

Cassidy has been in the cruise industry for over 22 years. Prior to joining Royal Caribbean International, she was with Carnival Cruise Lines for 15 years holding Director positions in Corporate & Incentive Sales for five years and Business Development for 10 years, respectively. 

There is so much to do on Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee and snorkeling is something a lot of guests look to try.

Labadee's clear and calm waters are great for giving snorkeling a try, and if you are interested in going snorkeling on your next visit, here is what you need to know.

Can I rent snorkeling gear on Labadee?

Guests cannot go to Labadee and rent snorkeling gear on the island, but guests can get snorkeling gear via any of the snorkeling excursions.

On many Royal Caribbean ships, there will be snorkeling gear to purchase onboard the ship.

Guests staying in a cabana will receive complimentary snorkeling gear to use.

Can I bring my own snorkeling gear?

Yes, guests can bring their own snorkeling gear to Labadee for use in the water.

How "good" is the snorkeling at Labadee?

While the ocean water is clear and fairly calm at Labadee, the snorkeling in the areas immediately surrounding the beach do not have a great deal of underwater sea life to see.

The excursions Royal Caribbean offers brings guests to some of the better spots nearby for snorekling, where there is more to underwater life to see.

Given Labadee is often the first port stop, veteran snorkelers often use Labadee as a chance to check their snorkel gear to make sure it all worked properly.  For those new to snorkeling, Labadee can be a great place for getting some practice in before snorkeling in other ports.

The real benefit of Labadee is that the ocean depth is pretty shallow. Often, you will be swimming in water of 1' to 5' of water, which is much shallower than other snorkeling ports and allows  to swim around coral in many places.

There is a lot of coral and a good variety of fish. There are lots of urchins including some big basketball size ones. It is a unique experience you don't get at the other places.

Where is the snorkeling?

The snorkeling area is off of Adrenaline Beach, on the north east side.

Getting there is fairly simple and about a 10 minute walk once on Labadee. Guests can follow the path or take the tram to bring you closer.

There is also some decent snorkeling at Nellie's beach, closest to the rope on the ship side.

What are some tips for anyone looking to snorkel at Labadee?

• Go early for optimal water conditions. As the day progresses, the water can get hazy due to guests kicking up the sand.
• Due to the rockiness, be sure to wear water shoes or fins.

Have you gone snorkeling in Labadee? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

It is time to talk about a specialty restaurant that we have never reviewed before, Rita's Cantina on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas.

Rita's Cantina is a Tex-Mex inspired restaurant that first launched on Allure of the Seas when she debuted and has since spread to a number of Royal Caribbean ships.

Before ever stepping foot into Rita's, I had read quite a number of reviews online and most guests seemed to have a negative view of Rita's, especially compared to Sabor Modern Mexican.

I try not to judge anything based purely on what I may read or hear about it, but I will admit I did lower my expectations considerably.  I assumed a meal at Rita's would not be similar to my amazing meals at Sabor, but I wanted to keep as open a mind as possible.

Once on Brilliance of the Seas, I made a point to stop in for lunch on one of our sea days.  Will it be a hit or miss? Time to find out!

Atmosphere

On Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas, Rita's Cantina is located on deck 11 behind the Windjammer on the port side of the ship.

Rita's is a half open air restaurant, with covered seating and tables out in the open.  If you have eaten at Johnny Rockets on a Voyager or Freedom class ship, the seating arrangement is somewhat similar in that there is indoor and outdoor seating. 

On Brilliance of the Seas, although there is covered seating, there is no air conditioning (or heat) for the indoor portion, so you are still somewhat at the mercy of the weather conditions outdoors.

Regardless of if you are seating inside or outside, there are views of the ocean from everywhere, except the bar (although you could simply turn around to see the ocean).

To describe the decor of Rita's Cantina, I would have to say there are hints of a Southwestern USA/Mexico motif with teals, dark reds and oranges.

Much of the restaurant, however, is not very well themed and feels more like a table at the Windjammer than a typical Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant.

After I scoped out the restaurant for a bit, it was time to dig into lunch.  Let's check out the menus!

Eats

For my meal at Rita's Cantina, I wanted to sample a little of everything that I could to get a sense of what Rita's really offers.

The first thing I noticed about the menu at Rita's Cantina is that while you could have a meal here, the menu really leans more towards being a restaurant that offers a lot of drinks and some snacks and light fare to go along with the drinks.

There is quite a selection of margaritas available, served on the rocks or frozen.

If mixed drinks or beer are your thing, then there is plenty to choose from as well.  Certainly. no one can complain about there not being a good selection of alcohol at Rita's Cantina.

The food menu is fairly limited, with just eight items listed.

The one thing I did notice immediately about Rita's Cantina menu are the prices.  Everything is incredibly inexpensive.  Most items are about $2-3 each.  That is dirt cheap.

I asked my waiter for a recommendation for a margarita and he pointed me towards the Pineapple Orange Margarita.

I opted for frozen and it was served in a rather large cup.

The margarita was fine, neither the best I have ever had nor the worst.  I prefer my margaritas to have more tequila than what I was served, but not the end of the world.

For my food, I ordered the roasted tomatillo broth, fiesta guacamole, chips & salsa and a grilled Quesadilla.  I figured that would be a good assortment of food to consider.

Service was a bit slower than I expected, but not because of my waiter.  The restaurant was not that busy, so at least I could tell the food was not just sitting around.

First up was the chips and salsa. 

The salsa was more of a pico de gallo, and I really enjoyed it.  We had just been in Cozumel, Mexico the day before, so I had a pretty good idea of what good salsa is and this was freshly made.  I could snack on this any day.  The chips were certainly out of a bag.

Next came the guacamole.

This guacamole was, well, awful.  The consistency was too watery and it was really bland.  I hate to say it, but I have had far better guacamole out of a jar from my local supermarket.  

Luckily, the tomatillo soup came out next and it was a welcome distraction from the guacamole.

The soup was more of a tortilla soup than anything else and it was above average.  I certainly ate much more of the soup than I did the guacamole.

Last out was the chicken Quesadilla, which was served with sour cream and more guacamole.  

I sampled the guacamole that came with the Quesadilla to see if perhaps my first guac serving was a bad batch, but this too was inedible.

The Quesadilla itself was okay and lent itself to the comparison that most Quesadilla are just Mexican grilled cheese's.  I ate a good amount of it, but the Quesadilla was just okay.  

Overall

After hearing mixed reviews of Rita's Cantina for years, I did not know what to expect but after eating at Rita's Cantina, I now know why it has the reputation it has.

I have two takeaways from RIta's Cantina on Brilliance of the Seas:

1. The food is nothing special and tends to be more lackluster than anything else
2. The food is really, really inexpensive

I freely admit the food is not going to impress many, but when you consider the low prices (I spent about $8 for all my food), perhaps Rita's Cantina is not an awful value.

I see Rita's Cantina as not a restaurant for a meal, but rather a snack with a few drinks.  If you purchase one of the unlimited alcohol packages, I could easily see Rita's Cantina being a great spot to enjoy the benefits of the drink package with a plate of nachos and salsa.

The bottom line is Rita's Cantina will not be at the top of many guests' favorite restaurant lists, but I do like the low prices and ample selection of drinks available.

Have you dined at Rita's Cantina? What's your favorite dish on the menu?