Royal Caribbean has a well-deserved reputation for offering its guests world-class entertainment and chief among the cruise line's offerings are the Broadway shows onboard.

Select Royal Caribbean ships offer Tony Award-winning shows that are the exact show you would have seen on The Great White Way.

Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the Broadway shows Royal Caribbean offers and what to expect.

Royal Caribbean's Broadway Shows

Here is the current list of which Broadway shows are shown on which ships

Hairspray

Ship: Symphony of the Seas

Back by popular demand, the hugely successful “Hairspray” – the brand’s first Broadway musical at sea – will return on Symphony with a total refresh to headline the Royal Theater.

Hairspray is the classic Broadway musical set in 1962 that deals with racial integration, dancing and the advent of television. Hairspray is a fun show that tackles a serious issue . The show features some very famous songs that many will find themselves singing along to. Excellent lighting, choreography and staging really make this a show not to miss.

Grease

Ship: Harmony of the Seas & Independence of the Seas

Hit musical specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, boasts 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.

We Will Rock You

Ship: Anthem of the Seas

Musical from London's West End that was written by legendary comedian and author Ben Elton.

Show features a score of Queen songs such as Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free, Bohemian Rhapsody and of course We Will Rock You.

Cats

Ship: Oasis of the Seas

Based on T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” CATS was one of the longest running productions on Broadway and is the winner of numerous awards including seven Tonys, two Oliviers and a Grammy.

Mamma Mia!

Ship: Allure of the Seas

Based on the hit music from ABBA, Mamma Mia! is the story of a girl getting married and wanting to meet her estranged father.  Mamma Mia! played on Broadway for over 10 years.

Saturday Night Fever

Ship: Liberty of the Seas

Go back to the 1970's with Tony Manero, the king of the disco dance floor.  It's a great mix of classic music, platforms and polyester!

Royal Caribbean used to offer the following shows as well, but they have since been retired from the cruise line's offerings

• Hairspray - Oasis of the Seas
• Chicago - Allure of the Seas
• Mamma Mia! - Quantum of the Seas

Broadway show costs

There is no additional cost to see the Broadway shows on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Admission is included in guests' cruise fare.

Reserving tickets

On Royal Caribbean ships that allow for entertainment reservations, guests may reserve tickets in advance for the Broadway shows.

To reserve tickets, simply log into the My Cruises section of Royal Caribbean's website and then access the Cruise Planner section.

Broadway shows will be listed under entertainment.  Reservations for Broadway shows are usually not available until about 120 days in advance.

You can absolutely still see one of the Broadway shows without tickets, you will simply need to show up in advance of show time.  Being at the theater at least 20-30 minutes before show time should suffice.

Which Broadway show are you most excited to see on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Tell us in the comments!

Royal Caribbean's smart phone app, Royal iQ, has been updated to provide the cruise ship's daily newspaper in digital form.

Guests using the latest version of the Royal iQ app can now view their daily Cruise Compass right from on their smart devices.

Royal Caribbean released the new version of the app, 1.3.99 to the iTunes App Store (Android version still appears to be on the older version) and the update description reads, "Royal iQ now includes the daily Cruise Compass. See everything happening onboard from your personal device and add the daily activities directly to your calendar to make the most out of your vacation."

Royal iQ already let guests track their luggage delivery status on embarkation day, manage a personal calendar of reservations and events, communicate with other guests onboard, book shore excursions and modify existing reservations.

Royal iQ only works when onboard Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean advertises that Royal iQ will be available on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas in 2015.

Royal iQ is available for iPads, iPhones, and Android phones, and available at freestanding iQ stations around the ship.

Royal Caribbean also indicates future Royal iQ updates will allow guests to reserve spa treatments, schedule fitness classes, purchase Beverage Packages, and sign your electronic waivers for all of the activities such as the Rock Climbing Walls and the FlowRider.

Thanks to Rich Freudenberg for alerting us to this update!

Today marks the official launch of Royal Caribbean's new marketing campaign, "Come Seek" and already its website is showing off the new branding.

A new mini-site launched today that reinforces the three main messages of the campaign: "You are not a tourist", "This is not a cruise" and "This is not the Caribbean".

The site also shows off still and moving imagery that focuses on the one-of-a-kind experiences a Royal Caribbean cruise can offer.

The "Come Seek" campaign is aimed at people that have never taken a cruise before and may have never even considered one.  Royal Caribbean is specifically going after Millenials and those that have misconceptions about what a cruise vacation is.

In addition, Royal Caribbean re-branded its Twitter and Facebook designs to match the "Come Seek" motif.

With the official launch of the "Come Seek" campaign today, Royal Caribbean will be also running ads on popular TV shows, such as the "Late Show" with Stephen Colbert, the "Tonight Show" starring Jimmy Fallon and also the reality show, "The Voice."

The first salvo of advertising will be quick five-second ads that are meant to pique the interest of a viewer, which will be followed up by more traditional 30-second spots with similar music and theme.

Ads will be seen on ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Bravo and TBS.

Later in the campaign, Royal Caribbean will launch “Come Seek Live” - a first of its kind crowd-sourced Periscope activation originating from a Royal Caribbean ship and streamed onto a series of animated billboards in major metro areas.

Is the new "Come Seek" campaign your favorite Royal Caribbean marketing campaign? Tell us in the comments!

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas rescued seven Cubans from a small raft at sea on Saturday.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Keith Hect was on Freedom of the Seas and reported that the ship picked up the Cubans during their cruise.

Photo by Ron Lodowski

Local10 also confirmed the report and shared video of the rescue.

Videos by Desiree Stovall

Another guest onboard Freedom of the Seas reported that the group of Cubans had been out to sea for 10 days with nothing but "small amounts of water and crackers."

The United States Coast Goard coordinated the rescue with the Royal Caribbean ship.

It’s been an exciting week as we have a front row seat to all the Royal Caribbean news from this week!

Royal Caribbean gave us all a sneak peak at their new brand marketing, which aims to breakthrough cruising stereotypes and show how exciting a Royal Caribbean cruise can be.

Dubbed, "Come Seek", the new marketing campaign will begin on October 19th and will be a combination of television and web based ads.

The campaign is directed at Millenials, who have certain preconceptions about what a cruise is and Royal Caribbean wants to erase those notions.

The "Come Seek" campaign will also integrate live billboards that use Periscope, a new Tumblr page port recommendations by crew members and ads that promote authentic experiences.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean made improvements to its private island of Coco Cay.
• Royal Caribbean added two new Harmony of the Seas sailings.
• We spotted new life vests available for kids to use in the pool on Oasis of the Seas.
• Ovation of the Seas' construction is about half way done.
• Six ways Anthem of the Seas is different from her sister ship.
• Royal Caribbean scheduled its third quarter fiscal results call for October 23rd.
• Have you ever had a BBC on a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Voyager of the Seas finished her Hong Kong cruise season.
• Five things you will love about Izumi.

Let's cruise together on Allure of the Seas

I want you to join me on Allure of the Seas!

The Royal Caribbean Blog staff are going on Allure of the Seas and we are inviting all of our blog readers to join us!

We will be sailing on Allure of the Seas on February 21, 2016 and there are some fabulous rates available.  Interior staterooms start at only $850 per person (double occupancy)!

Read all the details (and the fun meets we already have planned).  This will be an amazing week with plenty of surprises and exclusive events for those that book into our group!

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 took this photo of the Royal Promenade on Liberty of the Seas from this weekend.

Svenn-Harald Eikenes is on Explorer fo the Seas and enjoyed some time by the pool.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 115th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, our friend Susan returns to talk all about her back-to-back Independence of the Seas cruise.

In this episode, Matt discusses what the NextCruise program is, explores the benefits of booking another cruise onboard and why you might want to take advatnage of NextCruise.

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

Fortune has an interview with Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley about the increased bandwidth available on ships now.

Explore with Ed explored Explorer of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas has a lot of different staterooms to choose from and today, we will look at the Grand Suite with Balcony (GS) stateroom to give you an idea of what to expect if you book this category.

This photo tour comes to us from Royal Caribbean Blog reader Ron Lodowski, who recently sailed on Freedom of the Seas.

Ron took photos of his Grand Suite, which was in stateroom 1598 on Oasis of the Seas during an October 2015 sailing.

The Grand Suite measures 401 square feet and has a balcony that is 107 square feet.

Grand Suite staterooms on Freedom of the Seas include two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long, private balcony, sitting area (some with sofa bed) and private bathroom. 

Also includes minibar, TV, stereo, DVD player, larger private bathroom with bathtub and double sink, vanity area, hair-dryer, phone, vanity table with an extendable working surface for laptop computers and 110/220 electrical outlets. Sleeps up to four people and can accommodate a rollaway bed and/or Play Yard.

All photos by Ron Lodowski

It appears Royal Caribbean is providing life jackets for children to use in the pools on Oasis of the Seas.

Leigh Cormack from the Oasis of the Seas Cruisers...Past, Present, Future Facebook group took these photos of the new life jackets.

The sign reads, "Children's Swimming Pool Life Jackets are available for the safety all children.  They are to be used on the Oasis Pool Deck."

We have not spotted life jackets for pool use like this previously.

The life jackets for children could be a response to recent pool accidents involving drownings.

Do you think Royal Caribbean offering life jackets for kids in the pool is a good idea? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In just a little under 20 days, Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas will be arriving in the New York City area to begin offering cruises from her new home in Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

You might be wondering how Anthem of the Seas is different from her sister cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas and we have the list of how to tell them apart!

1. Art

Perhaps the most noticable difference between Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas is the art work.

Royal Caribbean has added thousands of art pieces onboard Anthem of the Seas and as you explore the ship, you will encounter pieces from all over the world.

Anthem of the Seas even has its very own Picasso!

Once you get onboard Anthem of the Seas, be sure to explore the ship to discover the many pieces of art.  You will find art all over the ship, from the elevators and stairways to the restaurants, staterooms and even out on the decks.

2. Gigi

One big difference (and we mean big) is on the top deck is a 32-foot tall giraffe that the crew affectionately have named, "Gigi".

You will find Gigi wearing a bright pink inner tube and yellow swimsuit, just outside the SeaPlex.  

French artist Jean-François Fourtou designed Gigi, and says her purpose is to, " always to show something outside of its natural context."

"I hope people will feel a big surprise — I hope they will laugh, and I hope some of them will feel something emotional because, for me, the giraffe seems almost human with her expression," he says. "Much like being a father, you have to let the kids leave home, and I think it’s great that she’s going to see the world and have a great adventure."

3. We Will Rock You

These days, no new Royal Caribbean ship is complete without a new musical and guests on Anthem of the Seas get a chance to rock out to a West End favorite.

"We Will Rock You," performs multiple times on Anthem of the Seas in the Royal Theater.  

The 90 minute show is included in the cost of the cruise and performs some of Queen's greatest hits, while telling the story of Bohemians seeking to restore the power of rock 'n' roll.

Not only is "We Will Rock You" an entertaining and fun show to watch, it is a great example of the first class entertainment Royal Caribbean is known for.

4. Escape From the Future

If you are looking for something fun but different, check out "Escape from the Future".

Basically, "Escape from the Future" is a game where teams of guests try to figure out clues and codes to find a key that allows them to escape from the room.  The catch is, guests only have one hour to figure it all out.

This interactive brain teasing game is something very different from other onboard activities and it can be a very fun way to test their wits.

"Escape from the Future" was designed by a land-based company known as Puzzle Break and the all the fun is included in your cruise fare.

5. Stowaway Piano Player

Royal Caribbean is always trying to offer more entertainment that gets guests talking and finding this show may require some random luck.

On the surface, the stowaway piano player sounds like a normal piano player that can crank out some great tunes.  But the catch is you will never know where to find the stowaway!

The piano player is quite mobile, and that means performances can break out almost anywhere on the ship.

In addition, the piano has hidden compartments and functions and can dispense various things, such as lollipops for kids or appear to overheat because of "intense" piano playing.

6. Spectra's Cabaret

On Quantum of the Seas, the Starwater show in Two70 was very impressive and Royal Caribbean offers a brand new evening show in Two70 called, "Spectra's Cabaret."

This is an original Royal Caribbean production created by Moment Factory, exclusively for Two70 on Anthem of the Seas and it features, "the Maestro and his Agents of Rhythm as they invite you to an electric multi-dimensional cabaret where you will be transported into invisible realms."

Guests that watch "Spectra's Cabaret" will witness a multi-media show featuring kaleidoscopic sounds, effervescent colors and dazzling movement.

Spectra’s Cabaret blends live performance and experiential cinema along with music from popular culture. 

Royal Caribbean's next Quantum class cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, has reached a construction milestone that brings it one step closer to entering service.

Royal Caribbean Australia & New Zealand shared this photo of Ovation of the Seas to show that she is almost half way to being completed.

OVATION UPDATE: construction of #OvationoftheSeas is almost half way! pic.twitter.com/Pp9ZmWGXP8

— Royal Caribbean AUNZ (@RoyalAUNZ) October 16, 2015

It has been thirteen months since the steel cutting ceremony took place and if all goes well, she will be ready for conveyance down the River Ems for sea trials in the middle of March 2016.

Ovation of the Seas is under construction at the Meyer Werft ship yard in Papenburg, Germany.  Ovation of the Seas will be debuting in April 2016 and will be offering cruises in Asia and Australia.

Royal Caribbean is expecting to book 10,000 Indonesian cruise passengers next year, which would represent double-digit growth for the region.

The Jakarta Post reports Royal Caribbean saw 5,500 Indonesian passengers on its ships last year and has experience a growth rate of at least 5 percent in Indonesian passenger numbers since 2013.

Globally, Indonesia is the second-biggest cruise market after China although no cruise ships embark passengers there.

Most Indonesian passengers board a Royal Caribbean cruise at Singapore. Royal Caribbean managing director for Singapore and Southeast Asia Sean Treacy said Indonesians enjoy cruises that visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Phuket, Thailand.

The Transportation Ministry recently issued a ministerial regulation that finally allowed foreign cruise ships to pick up and drop off tourists in selected Indonesian ports, such as Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, and Belawan, North Sumatra in a bid to boost the tourism sector.