Kurt went on Oasis of the Seas during Hurricane Ian to share his experience onboard.
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Should your family consider staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel for one night before your next cruise?
One of my top tips for anyone going on a cruise is to fly in at least one day before their cruise to protect themselves against a travel delay impacting their ability to make their cruise ship.
Once you decide to travel to your embarkation port a day early, you'll need somewhere to stay. Like most people, I immediately started looking at hotels to book.
When travelling with just my wife, hotel rooms work extremely well for their value and space provided. But when we travel with kids, finding the right hotel room can be a challenge if you want enough space for everyone.
For my Odyssey of the Seas cruise out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week, I was not finding a ton of great options at a good price for my family of four.
Certainly there were plenty of hotels that offered a traditional hotel room experience with 2 beds and a single bathroom, but with my kids getting older, sharing a hotel room (and bathroom) is becoming more problematic than in the past.
I also did not find a great variety of suite options in hotels, and the ones I did find were not cheap. South Florida hotels range greatly in prices, but I was seeing a suite hotel room coming in easily over $300 per night, especially when including resort fees and taxes.
I love booking vacation rentals through Airbnb or VRBO for longer stay vacations because of the amenities and space you can get. But I had never considered it just for one night.
At first, I was not even certain there would be any one-night options as I assumed the people listing their houses would all want longer stays from their guests.
So when I started browsing Airbnb, I was surprised how many good choices there were at reasonable prices in the greater Fort Lauderdale area.
In looking through the listings, I found lots of choices. What attracted me to the Airbnb option was we could get a place to stay that offered plenty of space for us and the kids, as well as extra amenities. We could get a pool to enjoy with just our family, laundry machines to be able to not start the cruise off with dirty clothes, and the perfect sleeping arrangements.
Of course, there are some downsides to an Airbnb, such as the fees added onto the cost, and there's no long-term parking option.
I also freely admit I enjoy a nicer hotel stay, so the extra amenities of an Airbnb really appeal to me. I'm sure there are lots of other people that would be fine with a hotel room for just one night, especially if you fly in late.
Airbnb pros:
Airbnb cons:
Given that I didn't want to sleep in the same room as my kids, would love an extra bathroom to not compete with the kids, and love the idea of having a private pool to enjoy, I found Airbnb a compelling option.
After considering all options, we decided to book a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit in Fort Lauderdale that had a private heated pool and right on a waterway.
It also had outdoor seating, gas grill, and a foosball table.
It's located north of Port Everglades, and without traffic is 24 minutes (15 miles) away.
The Airbnb was listed for $351 per night, but with fees and taxes, it jumped up to a total of $533.89. I knew the fees Airbnb assesses would not be cheap, but it was a bit eye opening how much it ended up being, which is probably why a longer stay makes more sense with Airbnbs so that you can maximize the value of your stay.
The house is exactly what we needed for one night, with lots of living space and two bedrooms and two full baths.
I loved having the living room with plenty of seating so we could lounge far more than we could in a hotel room.
The pool was great, but a cold front had pushed through the state the night before so it was a bit chilly for a swim. Nonetheless, it was so pleasant outside that we spent some time on the water enjoying the view.
Does it make sense to book an Airbnb for just one night the next time we take the family on a cruise?
There are lots of choices with hotels or a home rental, so it's difficult to pick one or other exclusively.
I love the extra space a home provides, along with bonus amenities that can enhance the stay beyond anything a hotel can offer (private pool, living room, backyard, etc).
However, the extra fees Airbnb has makes finding a deal very difficult. It's hard to imagine a scenario where an Airbnb would be cheaper unless we drastically reduced our requirements for a place. To me, part of the appeal of an Airbnb is to look for a fun place to stay, not just a bed and bathroom.
In places like South Florida where there are so many hotel choices, the variety of rooms and prices will likely keep it the primary place we look for a room. When you add kids or multigen to the equation, then Airbnbs start to look more appealing.
I'm happy with our Airbnb choice for a pre-cruise stay. It may not have been the cheapest deal, but the extra living space and pluses you can only get with a home rental made it a nice change of pace for our family.
Royal Caribbean has named Wonder of the Seas' godmother and it found her on the popular social media platform, TikTok.
Marie McCrea was nominated by her daughter as part of Royal Caribbean's search for a godmother for the world's largest cruise ship.
The contest was held on TikTok as part of the #SearchforWonderMom contest. More than 16,000 videos were submitted for the contest, but Ms. McCrea was ultimately chosen.
She will accept the honor of blessing Wonder during a celebratory naming ceremony at the ship's homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 9, 2022.
Marie and her family will be able to enjoy a 7-night Caribbean cruise while staying in the Ultimate Family Suite, which features an in-suite slide, a cinema and karaoke room, game consoles, a private balcony and more.
Royal Caribbean will also provide her family five-star hotel accommodations, first-class flights and spending money.
The cruise line has also invited the Wonder Moms who were finalists to set sail on Wonder with their families as a way of honoring their stories.
Beginning in November 2022, Wonder of the Seas will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, including stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
A resident of Pennsylvania, Marie McCrea is a mom, wife and cancer survivor.
Royal Caribbean says Marie overcame adversity with incredible strength, and at the center of her story are the memories she inspired and made with her family through it all.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about Marie's journey, "The search for such an inspiring mom who embodies the spirit of Wonder of the Seas was anything but easy. Marie and her family have a heartening and encouraging story that made us cry and rejoice and hopeful, and throughout it all, she inspired wonder and adventure in those around her."
"I want to thank everyone who nominated the Wonder Moms in their own lives. More than 16,000 videos were created, and I was in awe of all the incredible stories of the everyday heroes who are motivating those around them to discover, wonder and make memories."
Royal Caribbean panel considered the top submissions, and from those compelling stories, Marie was chosen for the honor.
Every cruise ship has a godmother, which serves as a ceremonial position.
Other ships have had women hold the role, including renowned athletes, celebrities and royalty.
The godmother's job is to give the ship a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard it.
You can book a Royal Caribbean cruise for summer 2024 beginning today!
The new sailings are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website, offering a variety of ships and itineraries during the summer months when Royal Caribbean deploys its cruise ships to the region.
There are sailings between May and October 2024 to book across 6 different ships.
Here is a breakdown of where the ships will be sailing from:
Anthem of the Seas will sail from Southampton, UK and offer cruises of various lengths to destinations in Spain, Portugal, Norway and the Canary Islands.
Explorer of the Seas will sail from Barcelona & Venice to offer primarily Adriatic and Greek Isle cruises.
Jewel of the Seas will sail from Amsterdam and offer 11-, 12-, and 13-night cruises around the British Isles and Iceland. Jewel will also offer Arctic circle sailings, including a 17-night Iceland and Greenland cruise.
Oasis of the Seas will sail from Barcelona and Rome and offer Spain, France & Italy cruises in the Western Mediterranean.
Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Rome to offer Greek Isles and Holy Land cruises to Israel.
Serenade of the Seas will sail from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Barcelona as it participates in the World Cruise. Two segments of the 274-night world tour will include European stops.
The Ultimate Middle East and Med Cruise begins in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, visiting Greece, Turkey, Croatia and more along the way before reaching Rome. In store on the Ultimate Europe and Beyond cruise, starting in Barcelona, are culture-rich destinations like Spain, Ireland, France and more.
Voyager of the Seas will sail from Ravenna and Rome, Barcelona, and Athens, Greece on 7-night sailings to Greece, the Western Mediterranean, Egypt and Israel. (Cruises open Friday, Nov. 18)
View the full itineraries here:
This is the second 2024 deployment released so far, as Royal Caribbean released Alaska 2024 cruises last week.
Year-round and summer Caribbean cruises are scheduled to be released during the week of December 12, 2022, with the rest of the 2024 sailings to be released "soon". Historically, this means the rest will be released in the early spring, around March or April.
Thinking about booking a cruise a year and a half away may seem excessive, but it is one of the best ways to get the best price on a cruise.
Generally speaking, the lowest prices for cruises are available when new itineraries are released, such as these Europe 2024 sailings. Over time, prices will go up as more and more cabins are booked up.
If you are interested in a suite, the importance of booking early is even more apparent, as these cabins usually jump up in price quickly after release.
No matter what the price is today, you can always take advantage of a lower price later with the Best Price Guarantee program, which allows for repricing of cruises in case of a price drop up until final payment date. This is available to residents of the United States and Canada, as well as select other nations.
Besides cost savings, booking early also ensures you get the exact cabin you want. A lot of cruise fans gobble up the most desirable cabins when new sailings hit the market, such as suites, extra large balcony rooms and other unique staterooms.
From the sunny beaches of Spain to the historic ruins of Greece, there is something for everyone in the Mediterranean. But when is the best time to cruise the Mediterranean?
In general, the best months to cruise the Mediterranean are May, June, September, and October. The weather is warm but not too hot, and the seas are typically calm.
April and May are ideal months to cruise the Mediterranean. The weather is comfortable and the crowds are thin, making it the perfect time to explore everything the region has to offer.
Overall, these months offer the ideal combination of weather and conditions for a relaxing and enjoyable cruise.
Planning on booking a 2024 cruise? These stories will help:
It's safe to say Royal Caribbean is more than happy with the big reveal of Icon of the Seas just a few weeks ago.
"It was fastest we ever sold a ship, the best booked position by a ship at this point from a social media and media buzz, it's been the best product launch we've ever had. So it's been a home run success," is what Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider shared when reflecting on the Icon of the Seas announcement.
After months of speculation and barely any information, Royal Caribbean provided information on what Icon of the Seas will look like, where it will sail from, and important information about what guests can expect in terms of fun things to do.
To the surprise of some, Icon of the Seas will be the the new standard for the largest cruise ship in the world, coming in at 6% bigger than the Oasis Class ships that currently hold the title.
"As we went public with it, the response has been overwhelming," said Mr. Schneider.
Why was the response so positive? "I think that's part and parcel of the way we did the reveal, how far we held it back, and then how amazing the product is."
Keeping Icon of the Seas a secret was six years in the making.
In talking about the fact Icon of the Seas is a "white paper" ship, Mr. Schneider described the design process as, "never ending."
"You go through a great design process. We've got in our new build organization excellent architects and designers, with partners in the yard who really are focused on the kind of nautical marine side of some of the innovation that we're trying to do."
While the global health crisis may have been a hindrance, it didn't stop the process, "you're going back in time about six years. The pandemic didn't stop the work. It slowed it a bit and created certain challenges."
Mr. Schneider called the whole approach a very iterative process, with some decisions being made years ago, and still more that have yet to be set.
The master plan, the kind of where the major venues are, get locked in very early in that process. We reserve a lot to iterate, so Thrill Island came together in the last two years, including the water park.
"If you think of like steel structure locking early, that still gives you a lot to iterate on and ideate on."
"We also keep certain venues, what we call those white spaces, and white spaces allow us to iterate even further into the process. And so there's a couple of white space restaurants that we just finished design of maybe maybe a month ago, and then that we'll they'll flow into the development process."
The benefit of keeping certain venues flexible, is Royal Caribbean can pivot an experience to provide greater flexibility.
Royal Caribbean hasn't shied away from making a very bold prediction that Icon of the Seas will be the best family vacation option, and that isn't hyperbole.
Mr. Schneider did not walk back that assertion at all, "we believe we have created the best family vacation in the world that could compete with anything else you're going to go do."
"And notice we didn't say cruise in the world. I said vacation."
Royal Caribbean has said it wants Icon of the Seas to compete with any land vacation, especially Orlando, Florida vacations.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said earlier this month at the company's earnings call with investors that Orlando attractions are the competition Icon of the Seas is designed to bypass, "The Icon product, along with Perfect Day, with the kind of experiences that we're offering, with the kind of new accommodations that we have on Icon and the experiences that we have for young families, older families and of course couples and singles and what have you, is really squarely standing shoulder to shoulder with Orlando and those kind of destinations."
He was also quick to say that Icon will not be an attempt to mimic or takeaway from an Orlando trip. Instead, he hopes it offers something different but equally impressive, "I don't want to take away that moment my kid gets to see Mickey Mouse for the first time. I want parents to go experience it, do that. I worked there. That's a moment that everybody who has kids should go do."
"Besides that moment that we don't want to steal or replicate, I would say that as you think of the total vacation experience and you look at the product that we've been showing folks, when you look at the totality of that and you look at the destinations, we're going to visit the product on board the ship, it will absolutely be the best family vacation on the planet.
One change Icon of the Seas will have is there is not a traditional enclosed adults-only space, known as the Solarium. This has irked some cruise traditionalists.
"It's not missing, it's purposely not there," said Mr. Schneider.
"We felt really good that as we looked at the needs that guests have from a Solarium perspective, we researched that."
"We actually brought in both qualitative and quantitatively guests from a blind survey, as well as actually guests under NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to really understand their basic needs in the Solarium to make sure that as we design new spaces and as we program spaces that we were delivering and or over delivering their needs."
The result Royal Caribbean came up with is a combination of a new adults-only area, as well as other areas of the ship that would appeal to adults.
The team came up with three venues that together will offer a superior adult-only experience:
"The three of those together far over index what we think kind of an equivalent solarium experience would be."
Mr. Schneider also pointed out that Royal Caribbean ships are not designed to all be the same, "All of our ships and classes of ships are not the same. We do that for very purposeful reason. We want you to sail Icon of the Seas. We also want you to sail Oasis of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas, and Radiance of the Seas."
"The diversity of product for us is really important."
Royal Caribbean has ordered 3 Icon Class ships so far, and more could be ordered in the future, so will their names be close in matching?
"Naming a ship is is terribly hard," admitted Mr. Schneider.
"It's hard for a couple of reasons. One, there's lots of words in the English dictionary."
"There's lots of legalese that has to get wrapped into the right word. There's a lot of history, in certain words, both positive and negative. There's future negative and words that we have to think about. And so we go through a really exhaustive filtering process."
"We also need to save names for future vessels. So if we ever build an Oasis seven, it will need a name. And so we're also thoughtful about blocking for future vessels as well."
"When we went to Utopia, we were thinking about future Oasis class. We're thinking about the evolution of Icon two and three. If we build future classes of ships, we may be reserving certain names for future classes of ships that we're dreaming up."
It appears a name for Icon 2 and 3 are somewhat set, "we also look back at former names we've had on vessels that we think are kind of live up to. So we've looked at literally everything."
"I'm still taking ideas on Icon two and Icon three. I feel really confident in the name we have for Icon three, it's actually two that we're still working on."
I asked if a former ship name would ever be considered, such as Empress of the Seas or Sovereign of the Seas.
"I don't know that any name that is in our past is off limits, at least for me."
"it has to feel like it fits with the ship that we're creating. It shouldn't just be that it's part of our history. Some things part of a history should stay part of our history. Some things that are part of our history, maybe exited the fleet in a certain way should stay that way."
"In other cases, it it may fit where we want to go. And so old names are never off."
Since Icon of the Seas is going to be the new largest cruise ship in the world, and since each Oasis Class ship always came out just a little larger than the previous one, I wanted to know if we can expect the Icon Class ships to continue that trend of each new ship becoming the largest in the world.
"I don't know yet."
"In the case of Icon Two, we're doing construction in some ways already started."
"Blocks haven't been fully started yet. And so you'll have to wait and see if two and three get bigger a little bit more."
With the arrival of the Icon Class ships, and the already impressive Oasis and Quantum Class ships, does this create an experience gap for the smaller, older ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet?
"You'll notice they're not competing on a seven night Caribbean with Icon or Utopia or one of those ships."
"Great destination rich itinerary ships. That's why we use them in the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Baltics, in the South Pacific."
"The Vision and Radiance class are great ships doing great itineraries. They're very profitable for us. They rate really well and we're really thoughtful about how they age. Now, that may not be a full amplification for them, but they serve a kind of very specific purpose for us in our in our our brand."
As for ship upgrades, Mr. Schneider hopes to resume that process in the future, "We stopped that program. We hope to pick that program back up. It's just a priority of how we've restarted our business, we will eventually get back to amplification of ships."
A new expansion to Perfect Day at CocoCay will bring an adults-only area to the private island. So when will it open?
"Our target is still the end of '23. Construction has started. We've got our environmental clearance with the Bahamian government a couple of weeks ago."
"We've talked about it being an adult only experience, that has been the second most requested thing that people want from us on the island."
"We haven't really shared what it is going to be yet or what the designs of it are and the experiences that will be there....but feeling really good about it because we're not it's not like it's questionable. We got clearance. Construction is actually started."
"As guests sail in the coming kind of months, they'll see that ramp up of construction pretty fast."
"We'll hit a tipping point sometime, and I'll call it first half of 2023, and then we'll have to start sharing."
Royal Caribbean signed a new deal with PortMiami to expand its operations there, which include more passengers and a new terminal.
The 50-year deal was signed on Tuesday for a cost of $2.8 billion that encompasses a development and lease agreement.
There's plenty in this deal, but cruisers will find it most interesting that construction of a new Terminal G is included, which will be for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean and its subsidiary companies, including Celebrity Cruises, and its lease there for 36 years.
Terminal G is one of the older cruise terminals in Miami, and usually used by Royal Caribbean on days when Terminal A is occupied.
Terminal A is the brand new cruise terminal Royal Caribbean opened in 2018 that serves as its primary cruise terminal. When there is more than one Royal Caribbean ship in port, they will use other terminals, such as Terminal G.
In addition to Terminal G, Royal Caribbean will be able to share another terminal with MSC Cruises. That terminal will be complete in October 2028.
Credit to Florida Politics for reporting on this deal first.
Also part of the deal is for construction to resume on Royal Caribbean's new global headquarters.
In May 2019, Royal Caribbean announced plans to expand and renovate its corporate campus on the southwest corner of Dodge Island.
Unfortunately work halted due to the global health crisis, but the new arrangement with Miami-Dade has provisions for the continued redevelopment of Royal Caribbean’s global headquarters.
There's also an extension to its lease there through at least 2072.
Prior to today's announcement, Royal Caribbean Group's deal was set to expire in 2033. Under the new deal, Miami-Dade county will see an additional $2.5 billion from Terminal G usage and $260 million from the headquarters lease.
Under the new arrangement, Miami-Dade will finance completion of Royal Caribbean’s headquarters and Terminal G’s construction. In return, Royal Caribbean will guarantee passengers totals ranging from 600,000 annual passenger movements during the reconstruction of Terminal G to 1.5 million yearly passenger movements once it reaches “substantial completion,” estimated to be in 2027.
It will also create 12,000 permanent, cruise-related jobs, including roughly 1,000 additional positions with Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean said the jobs will pay average salaries of more than $100,000. The company also anticipates needing 9,634 construction jobs for the project.
Royal Caribbean will utilize shore power as part of its deal in the new terminal.
All the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, agreed in 2021 to bring shore power to cruise ships in PortMiami.
Shore power allows cruise ships to "hook up" to electricity at the port, so that the engines do not need to operate while the ship is letting passengers off the ship and bringing new ones onboard.
This means ships using shore power save on fuel use while on port that they would otherwise need to keep the ship going. It also reduces air pollution emissions associated with consumption of that fuel.
The next time you eat in the main dining room, the menu might look a little different.
Guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas have reported seeing a change to the main dining room menu layout, as well as a change to the lobster choice.
The main dining room is a staple of the cruise ship dining experience, primarily because it is included with your cruise fare and open for dinner every night.
A reader on Reddit spotted the change, noting, "only one feature in each category per night, and the classics section is gone entirely! Only 4 items per category now."
In looking through the menu via the Royal Caribbean app, the recurring items have been removed, such as spaghetti bolognese, chicken, strip steak, et al.
On the second formal night, the Lobster Tail is listed as Cold water Maine lobster with the note an additional lobster tail would cost extra.
"Second Lobster Tail will be charged $16.99 plus 18% gratuity."
Prior to this change, the main dining room did not charge extra for more than one lobster tail on the second formal night.
Another change is the extra charge steak that was already on the menu has increased in price from $16.99 to $19.99.
The change is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently.
I was just as curious about this change as everyone reading it, so I reached out to Royal Caribbean for clarification on the changes.
The dining room menu update is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently, and the company is adamant they will be listening to guest feedback onboard the ship for their opinions.
The impetus for making the change is for the guest experience in an effort to simplify the dining room menu, which would allow the service to speed up.
While there is no denying there are less items on the menu than before, one of the chief complaints of the dining room has always been how long the meal takes.
Swiftness of service is a focus Royal Caribbean wants for the dining room. By having more consistency of what's being prepared in the kitchen, they can produce food faster.
A more focused menu will hopefully translate to a faster kitchen without compromising the experience for guests.
They were quick to point out there will still be a beef, fish, poultry, and vegan option every night of the cruise.
I asked about costs being a factor, but Royal Caribbean said they're always looking for ways to improve the guest experience and reduce the lag that can occur during the meal. One night there could be too much time between the appetizers and entrees, while another night the appetizers and entrees come immediately after each other with little delay inbetween.
Ultimately, Royal Caribbean will rely on guest feedback from people on Symphony of the Seas to determine how successful this change ends up being.
I asked about the change to the lobster tail in if the cold water Maine lobster is a larger serving size than the previous option, but am waiting a response on that.
As you might imagine, a lot of cruisers had plenty of thoughts on this change.
In the Royal Caribbean Dining facebook group, there were over 200 comments at the time of this posting discussing the change.
Jim Rath posted, "Inflation hits everywhere, not just on land."
James Romo said, "Royal is doing it's hardest to make me want to switch cruise lines."
Karah Ryan Smith thinks the lobster change is more than just a pricing switch, "Maine lobster is definitely different than the Caribbean lobster that is usually served. Maybe that’s why."
Leigh Montgomery wrote, "I’m sailing on Symphony next week and it says the same thing. What a bummer!"
Another busy week of Royal Caribbean fun just wrapped up, but if you missed any of it, I have a concise look at all of it for you in this weekly news round-up!
Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston opened this week.
Terminal 3 is the new home for Allure of the Seas, and is a brand new $125 million cruise terminal.
The terminal will break even more new ground as the first LEED Zero Energy facility in the world, generating 100% of the energy it needs through onsite solar panels.
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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion — and don’t forget to subscribe here.
Want to see what Icon of the Seas looks like right now?
We took a series of new drone photos that showcase the construction progress being made, including the addition of the AquaDome.
Icon of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in late 2023 and begin sailing in January 2024.
What do you get for a $99 cruise fare?
Nicole recently sailed on Liberty of the Seas after spotting a last-minute deal for just $99 per person.
What sort of cabin can you get for just $99, and what is real cost of the cruise once you sail?
Jenna recently spent a day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and shared the things she liked and didn't like about her port day.
Even if you do a lot of planning, mistakes can happen and she had that experience.
Here are the top 7 things Jenna did right (and 3 mistakes) on her recent cruise ship port day.
Whether I thought they would make my life easier, or just improve the vacation experience, in practice, I've regretted a few purchases I made for a cruise.
At the time of purchase, it sounds like a revelation and I usually end up buying it because I think to myself how could I not buy it to improve my vacation.
Ever since Royal Caribbean revealed the first details about Icon of the Seas, there has been an incredible amount of excitement for the new ship.
With any new cruise ship, Royal Caribbean likes to sprinkle updates leading up to the ship's launch.
While on Allure of the Seas this week, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider talked to travel agents about Icon of the Seas.
Most of the talk was going over information that was already announced, but in the process, Mr. Schneider revealed a few new details previously not disclosed.
If you're like me, you can't get enough Icon of the Seas details and updates, so here's 7 new things about Icon of the Seas you should know about.
There's a new bar coming to Icon of the Seas, known as the 1400 Bar.
Located on the Royal Promenade, this is a bar that will be right when you walk onto the ship.
If you're wondering about the name, it's actually a reference to the ship's build number at the Meyer Turku shipyard.
Each cruise ship is given a number at a shipyard because the yard constructs cruise ships for multiple cruise lines and they may not yet know the ship's name when construction begins.
Royal Caribbean decided to pay homage to Icon's build number by naming it the 1400 bar.
Mr. Schneider talked about the Royal Promenade and talked about a few interesting facts.
First, the Royal Promenade will be two levels high, with an upper and lower Promenade.
In addition, the Promenade will loop around, meaning there will be no "dead ends".
We also got a few screenshots of dining venues that Royal Caribbean hasn't talked about yet.
There will be a staircase that leads directly from the Royal Promenade up to Central Park.
We also got a look at a rendering of the Playmakers Bar, which will be located off the Royal Promenade.
While we knew already there would be an Izumi sushi restaurant in Central Park, there will be a new way to get sushi on Icon of the Seas.
Izumi will have a "sushi to go" window, where you can order a bento box of sushi and take it elsewhere on the ship to enjoy.
Icon of the Seas will have the next evolution of the Chef's Table experience.
Known as Celebration Table, this will be similar to Chef's Table, but it will be a new take on what you can expect.
Celebration Table will be located in the AquaDome.
We don't know what it is exactly, but one of many new dining concepts on Icon of the Seas will be the Supper Club.
Mr. Schneider didn't talk about it, but tried to move past what this venue is while going through areas of the ship.
Based on some later screenshots in his presentation, it appears this venue will be called the Supper Club.
While the Category 6 water park will be included in your cruise fare, the Crown's Edge adrenaline experience will cost extra.
Crown’s Edge is a brand new activity coming to Icon of the Seas, combining a skywalk, ropes course, and thrill ride all in one.
Mr. Schneider didn't disclose exactly how much it would cost, only saying it would have a "nominal fee" to go on it.
In an effort to help save energy, Icon of the Seas will employ a new approach to air conditioning in your stateroom.
When you leave your cabin and walk off the ship for a shore excursion, the ship's computer will detect when the last person scans their SeaPass card upon disembarkation and at that point, the air conditioning will go into eco mode since no one is on the ship to need it maintained.
As soon as the first person booked in the cabin scans their SeaPass card coming back onboard the ship, eco mode turns off, and the air conditioning turns back on to the previous setting.
Royal Caribbean's new home in Galveston, Texas is open for cruise ships.
Terminal 3 in Galveston is Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise terminal, purpose built to allow the cruise line to send in the biggest cruise ships in the world.
The new $125 million cruise terminal is a symbol of the cruise line's dedication to the Galveston cruise market, and following in the tradition set forth by Royal Caribbean's other recently constructed buildings, it's spectacular to see.
I was invited to sail on Allure of the Seas for a 4-night preview event, where we could walk through and experience the new cruise terminal.
The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.
The building is 161,300 square feet and is a state-of-the-art building, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.
It will is a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it is environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently.
Architects Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. came up with the look of the new terminal, but this firm is no stranger to Royal Caribbean. They also designed Terminal A in Miami, Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, and Port Everglades' Terminal 18 and 25.
Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.
Let's take a virtual tour in and around the new terminal!
Similar to the other new cruise terminals that Royal Caribbean has built recently, the new Galveston terminal is bright with lots of large signage.
As you drive in, there is a pick up and drop off area, with multiple lanes to allow cars to easily get in and out.
The porters in the new terminal all have a new Caribbean-inspired motif to them, which they say they will wear every day.
There is parking available across 4 different lots at the terminal.
Once you drop off your luggage, the entrance is towards the front of the terminal.
Keep in mind the waiting area if you have a later check-in time was uncovered from the sun on the day I was there.
Once inside the new cruise terminal, you are greeted with a cavernous lobby.
Similar to Terminal A in PortMiami, there are different ways to enter for suite guests and everyone else. Also similar to Terminal A are the large propellors hanging from the ceiling.
The main entrance for most guests will be up the escalator on the left. There is an elevator as well.
Your first stop inside the terminal will be for check-in.
There are agents lined up to check you in by scanning your SetSail pass. This is when completing the online check-in before the cruise pays off, because if you do everything ahead of time, this will take a matter of seconds.
Once you complete check-in, you'll go through security. This is when your bags and belongings get scanned.
The new Galveston cruise terminal has a special area for suite guests.
When you enter the terminal, there is a special entrance for suite guests.
This not only means a shorter wait, but it expedites the process of getting you physically from curb to the waiting area.
Once you are past security, you will have a seat in the waiting area if the ship isn't ready to board yet.
There are lots of comfortable couches on both sides of the enormous room.
There are also restrooms here and vending machines, should you need them.
There's also a fun Instagrammable wall.
You will also find a large piece of art that was sourced by local artists.
Forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, the Galveston Beach Trio is the embodiment of island time and a dynamic first impression. It is the creation of Texas-based Brad Oldham Sculpture.
When they call you to board your ship, the process is just like any other cruise terminal.
Your SetSail pass gets scanned one last time and then you walk down a hallway, where you can stop to take a photo with the ship.
Then, it's onto the ship and walking onboard!
The Port of Galveston is running a special for parking at the port during the month of November.
Cruise Terminal 10 parking includes a park-and-walk lot and parking with free shuttles.
If you pre-book your parking in November, you can save $10 off with coupon code THANKYOU.
Just go to www.portofgalveston.com and use the code to save on your next cruise.