After months of speculation, Royal Caribbean confirmed on Tuesday it will add a new high-speed internet option to its cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean Group announced a new partnership with SpaceX's Starlink to provide internet on cruise ships with high-speed & low-latency.

Starlink will be added on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of the brands.

Royal Caribbean had been testing Starlink on Freedom of the Seas since June 2022, but did not confirm the testing or intentions to adopt Starlink.

In the press release issued today, Royal Caribbean said the trials had, "received tremendous positive feedback from guests and crew."

Royal Caribbean Group said it will begin deploying Starlink "immediately" and should be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

Read more: I tried Elon Musk's Starlink internet on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty praised the new partnership, "Our purpose as a company is to deliver the best vacation experiences to our guests responsibly, and this new offering, which is the biggest public deployment of Starlink's high-speed internet in the travel industry so far, demonstrates our commitment to that purpose."

"This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike. It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming as well as activities like video calls. Using Starlink is one more example of our continued focus on innovation and excellence for our guests, our crew, the communities we visit and our shareholders."

Addressing a problem

Starlink means a significant improvement to Royal Caribbean's internet speeds, which have ranged from average to downright awful.

Satellite internet has traditionally been an expensive and slow product when compared to land-based internet options.

With so much of the internet needs of guests and crew members relying on cloud-based services, onboard demand for internet has been grown dramatically.

Results of Starlink tests on Freedom of the Seas in June

Up until now, Royal Caribbean's Voom internet service has relied on internet from other providers, including O3b MEO. The O3b internet had made it on Royal Caribbean's newer ships, but did not get added to older ships in the fleet.

Moreover, it has anecdotally not performed nearly as well more recently, especially when compared to other cruise lines, such as Princess Cruises.

Freedom, Oasis and Quantum class use newer satellite technology, which means better speeds overall and you will likely find it performing well.

Older ships use older satellite technology.  You can still stream but will likely see some more buffering at times on the older ships. 

More details to be revealed later

If you're wondering which ship will get the faster internet speeds and what the prices will be, we will have to wait a bit longer for those details.

The announcement made no mention of when each ship would get Starlink added. Nor was there any indication of pricing.

Royal Caribbean's current prices for its faster tier internet start at $19.99 per day, per device. Multi-device plans bring down the daily cost a bit.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog has reached out to Royal Caribbean International for comment on when each ship would get Starlink.

The eternal question all travelers have is, "Where's my luggage" and that's true on cruise ships as much as airports.

While I've always had good luck with my luggage being delivered to my stateroom in a timely manner, you can never be too careful when it comes to ensuring your luggage doesn't get lost.

When you go on a cruise ship, Royal Caribbean will deliver your luggage to your cabin.  Guests drop off their luggage with porters outside of the cruise terminal, and then that luggage gets taken onboard the ship and eventually makes it to in front of your door.

In my experience, the issue of when will my luggage get delivered rather than it getting lost is a game of cat and mouse we play trying to see if it's arrived yet.

Recently, a number of RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers have started using AirTags to track their bags and I thought I would give it a try to see how well it works.

As an iPhone user, I wanted to know if AirTags would be a simple and effective way to monitor my luggage location during the embarkation process.

What are AirTags?

AirTags are the name of an Apple product that you can attach to almost any item so that you can track it using Bluetooth technology.

The AirTag is a small, button-shaped tracking device with a glossy white front and measures in at 1.26 inches in diameter, and it has a height of 0.31 inches, or 8mm. It weighs 0.39 ounces (11 grams).

Once activated, AirTags can be tracked using Bluetooth right alongside Apple devices in the Find My app.

A single AirTag will cost $29 and a 4-pack costs $99. [Note, these links contain an affiliate link. I earn from qualifying purchases that costs you nothing extra]

If you have an Android phone, you can't set up AirTags, but you can use the Tracker Detect app to track an AirTag with Android. 

There are alternative products for Android devices that work very similarly, such as Tile Pro. A 4-pack costs $92.99.

How do AirTags work?

A major misconception about AirTags are they are not GPS trackers.

AirTags have no means to communicate directly to the internet because they don't have GPS chips in them.  They rely on an iPhone being a host to communicate their position.  

An iPhone near an AirTag will detect the AirTag and report it's discovery to iCloud if that iPhone passing by has an internet connection. 

This is done without consent or awareness of the passing iPhone - it's baked into the iPhone OS.  iCloud uses the position or GPS fix of the iPhone that detected the AirTag to record the location of the AirTag. 

If the iPhone has a poor GPS fix iCloud doesn't note that, it assumes the iPhone GPS fix is right.

Trying out AirTags in my cruise luggage

On my Mariner of the Seas cruise, I placed a single AirTag in my one piece of luggage I checked with the porters.

Prior to the cruise, I connected my AirTag to my phone. You'll need to do this to pair the devices together prior to using the accessory.

The great thing about air tags is how easy it is to use them. Once they're paired, there's nothing else to do other than put the AirTags in the the place you want it and then track it via the app.

The Apple AirTag battery lasts about a year and when you remove them from their plastic wrapper, they become instantly active.  Then when you place it near your phone, it pops up on your screen to pair and connect.

Since it's dependent on anyone's iPhone being nearby, sometimes the location is hit or miss as to how accurate it would be. Occasionally my luggage appeared to be in the ocean or close-by.

Later, I checked the app again and the AirTag was reported once again to be "with me". I went out of my cabin and looked down the hallway and there was my luggage.

Thoughts on AirTags

While not the exact tracking option some may think it is, AirTags worked just fine for what I needed.

Given that the luggage never goes that far away from you while onboard, it's good peace of mind to have them just in case they were to be misplaced.

Unlike air travel, where you may end up taking off and across the country while your bags are somewhere else, it's far less likely your luggage stays behind.  But there's been enough times where one bag doesn't get delivered that it would save some sanity.

The key is to understand that it's not like having a tracker that is akin to a movie where you have a red dot you can see in real-time.

As I mentioned earlier in the article, if you don't have an Apple device, then Tile Pro could be a suitable alternative but you'll be out of luck with AirTags.

Some guests are seeing a new way to get a copy of the daily guide to events on their Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean has traditionally provided guests with a paper copy of the daily guide to activities and events, known as the Cruise Compass.

Traditionally passengers receive a copy each evening in their stateroom that outlines the following day's events.

On Liberty of the Seas, guests have the option to get a digital download of the Cruise Compass directly to their phone in the form a PDF file.

Karen Fraser shared photos in the Liberty of the Seas Facebook group of the new option.

Ms. Fraser reported there are QR codes at both Guest Services and sent to the cabin that you can scan with your phone's camera.

Assuming you're on Royal Caribbean's wifi, after scanning the QR code, the day's Compass appears for use.

It's unclear how many ships offer this option yet, and if it will remain an option on future cruises or is simply a short-term test.

What Is Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass?

The Cruise Compass is the name of the ship newsletter.

There is a new copy every day that contains times and locations for activities, special events, show times and more. 

You can also find listed special offers or discounts available for dining, drinks, onboard merchandise purchases and even shopping in port.

Additionally, there's an hour-by-hour schedule of everything happening on the ship, including live performances, children's programming and dining options.

Each day's newsletter also includes opening and closing times for all of the ship's facilities, a list of onboard services, medical contacts and information for each port of call, including law enforcement.

You can find past copies of Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass in our archive.

A new digital option

The option to download a copy of the printed Cruise Compass is a new way to learn about what's happening onboard the ship.

For years, the printed Cruise Compass was the only option, but Royal Caribbean's app has also offered a list of activities.

While the app is designed to mirror the printed Compass, in practice, there have been discrepancies from time to time between the two.

Depending on the ship, there are also other ways to see activities, such as on a designated channel on the in-room television and/or via the wayfinders in the hallways.

Moving away from a printed copy

For years, the move to paperless daily newsletters has been discussed among cruise fans as an almost inevitability.

On some Royal Caribbean ships, printed copies have not been automatically distributed to all guests. Some guests have reported the need to request a copy be delivered by their stateroom attendant, or go down to Guest Services for a copy.

Royal Caribbean has not announced any formal change in the printed Cruise Compass policy in terms of how it will be distributed.

With society shifting towards digital consumption, many cruise fans have assumed a digital-only Cruise Compass is an inevitability.

Welcome to this week's edition of the Royal Caribbean post round-up, where we summarize all of the Royal Caribbean news and information from this week into one handy-dandy post! There is plenty of great content to enjoy, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's round-up!

Royal Caribbean updated its Covid protocols this week to allow unvaccinated cruisers onboard most of its ships.

Beginning September 5, all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, can cruise on the following itineraries, as long as they meet testing requirements to board.

This includes cruises that sail from any Florida homeport, as well as Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans, and most European cities.

While vaccination is not required, Royal Caribbean kindly asks all guests to disclose their status during check-in to ensure they maintain a highly vaccinated onboard population.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announces Singapore cruises in 2023-24
• Royal Caribbean will give leftover cruise credits as onboard credits instead
• What you need to know about Royal Caribbean accepting self-administered Covid tests
• Royal Caribbean answers cruise ship special needs and accessibility questions
• How online cruise planning is getting easier
• We're live blogging from Radiance of the Seas this week on an Alaska cruise
• Why fall is a great time to cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia
• What is a cruise ship dry dock?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 466th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Rebecca reviews her Quantum of the Seas Alaska cruise.

Quantum of the Seas gets lost in the shuffle of Alaska cruises to consider, so Rebecca talked about her recent sailing on Quantum.

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.

Video: All the LEVELS & PERKS of Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society!

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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: All the LEVELS & PERKS of Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society!

Exclusive Icon of the Seas aerial photos

We have a new batch of Icon of the Seas construction photos to share from the shipyard.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog commissioned its own aerial drone photos to share what we can see so far from the shipyard.

These photos were taken earlier this week, and show off the progress being made on a ship we still largely know little about.

Royal Caribbean will increase gratuities

Beginning September 7, the daily gratuity rate is going up.

Royal Caribbean will charge guests in non-suite staterooms $16 per person, per day. Guests in suites will be charged $18.50 per day.

This is the first gratuity rate change in well over 4 years. The daily gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes.

Allure of the Seas is the last Oasis Class ship with some classic features

Because Allure of the Seas did not get a Royal Amplification yet, she remains the last Oasis Class ship with amenities and venues that have since been removed on other ships.

In the meantime, guests can enjoy a few classic features you either can’t find on the others or are slowly being phased out.

While Royal Caribbean has been quiet about what Icon of the Seas will look like when completed, we have our own construction photos to share of the progress.

Icon of the Seas is the next new cruise ship Royal Caribbean is building, and it's a brand new class of cruise ship. This means we don't yet know any details about the features or activities offered onboard, or even what the ship design looks like.

Royal Caribbean has been keeping the entire project as secretive as possible up to now in order to maintain a competitive edge, as well as to likely drum up intrigue among cruise fans eager to know more.

While we wait for an official update from Royal Caribbean, RoyalCaribbeanBlog comissioned its own aerial drone photos to share what we can see so far from the shipyard.

Since these are exclusive photos, please do not share these photos on social media.

Construction of Icon of the Seas began in June 2021 with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Icon of the Seas is being built behind the new Carnival Celebration cruise ship.

These photos were taken earlier this week, and you can see the bottom half of the hull is mostly there, with just the bow missing.

Icon already has a baby blue hull color to it, which has been a design change Royal Caribbean has been steadily making with its newer ships.  Instead of a plain white hull color, new ships are debuting with a light blue hue to it.

In a slightly elevated aerial view, we can see there are at least three open air sections visible.

Read more: 3 hints what Icon of the Seas could look like

The Oasis Class ships first introduced the idea of open parts of the ship for the Boardwalk and Central Park neighborhoods. 

Whether Icon has its own Boardwalk and Central Park, or Royal Caribbean is developing a new concept, remains unknown.

A view of the rear of the ship shows an opening at the end of Icon that could be theater of some kind at the very bottom.

We also have a better look at one of the open air sections, which certainly mirrors the Boardwalk general layout.

The ship's name is not yet painted onto the back of the hull.

It also appears the shipyard is working on what is likely a feature for the front of Icon of the Seas. 

While we don't yet know what this is, the overall design reminds me of the glass enclosure that sits atop of the Solarium on the front of other Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

The Solarium glass for Wonder of the Seas seems to have a similar look to it.

Much of the middle of the ship will be the future home for stateroom balconies.

You'll notice most of the cabins are still wrapped up. Cruise ship cabins are assembled elsewhere and then inserted into the ship later as a more efficient construction method.

Some of the balconies towards the rear of the ship are unwrapped, which provide a glimpse of what to expect elsewhere.

Icon of the Seas is scheduled to start sailing in late 2023.

It's not quite clear yet when exactly Royal Caribbean intends to reveal the look of the ship, but earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley hinted at September 2022.

One other key detail about Icon of the Seas is it could be bigger than the Oasis Class ships.

Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Sean Treacy, said in May 2022 that Icon of the Seas will be larger than the Oasis class cruise ships.

In addition to allowing unvaccinated cruisers back onboard cruise ships, Royal Caribbean will also begin accepting self-administered Covid tests that don't have to be proctored.

Royal Caribbean was one of the first cruise lines to allow at-home Covid tests to be used, but up until now they had to be supervised by a health professional.

Beginning September 5, Royal Caribbean will allow guests on U.S. cruises the choice of taking a home test or a test professionally administered by a health professional.

Before you grab the inexpensive home tests to use, there are some important considerations and exceptions you should be aware of.

Who needs to test?

Whether or not you'll need to take a covid test before your cruise depends on the port your ship sails from, vaccination status, and date you sail.

Royal Caribbean maintains a master list of requirements on their website, which you should refer to prior to your cruise.  

Below you'll find a look at testing requirements for the major itineraries that Royal Caribbean sails.

If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

Guests 2 to 11 years of age who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. 

Fully vaccinated guests must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 6 nights or longer only. 

Fully vaccinated guests do not need to test at all on cruises 5-nights or less.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

Guests 5 years of age and older who are not fully vaccinated must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise.

Guests younger than 5 do not have any testing requirements.

Fully vaccinated guests 5 years of age and older must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 10 nights or longer only. 

Fully vaccinated guests do not need to test at all on cruises 9-nights or less.

If your cruise has any stops in Bermuda or Canada:

Vaccinated guests must show a negative test result for a supervised PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day. 

Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a supervised PCR test (not antigen) taken no more than 3 days before boarding day.

Guests under 2 years of age do not need to complete a pre-cruise test.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from England and the Netherlands:

Guests 12 years of age and older who are not vaccinated or not up to date with their vaccination, must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen test taken within 24 hours before boarding day, or PCR test taken within 72 hours before boarding day, regardless of the duration of their cruise. 

Guests who are up to date with their vaccination status must bring a negative test result for a Covid antigen test taken within 24 hours before boarding day, or PCR test taken within 72 hours before boarding day, on sailings that are 10 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for up to date guests on shorter itineraries. 

Guests younger than 12 do not have any testing requirements.

Which telehealth test at home can I use for my cruise?

Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, can be completed using any type of PCR or antigen test. 

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense.

If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

The At-home tests must happen under live supervision on a video call with a telehealth representative.

The telehealth provider must issue you a result document that includes all the necessary information.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

The test you take can be professionally administered by a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or you can use a home test kit.

Home test kits for these sailings are not required to be administered under live video supervision.

If your cruise visits Canada:

Unvaccinated guests cannot use a telehealth test if their cruise visits Canada.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from Europe with no stops in Greece:

The test you take can be professionally administered by a health professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, or you can use a home test kit. Home test kits for these sailings are not required to be administered under live video supervision. 

Telehealth tests and self test kits are not accepted if your cruise departs from Athens. 

What you need to bring to the cruise terminal at check-in

Regardless of the type of test you take, you'll need to bring with you proof of a negative test result.

If your cruise departs before September 4, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

You must receive a valid results document from your test provider that includes the name of the lab that processed the test, the lab’s CLIA Lab Number or Certification Number, the address of the lab, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result. 

 This can be a printed document, email, or telehealth app notification that you show on your phone.

Fully handwritten doctor’s notes (such as those written on a prescription pad) will not be accepted.

Minimal handwritten components (such as a check mark on a “negative” box) are acceptable as long as the other required information is printed on the document.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 U.S. Home Ports with no stops in Bermuda or Canada:

You can show it in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider. Or you can show a picture of your negative home test on your phone, or present the actual negative test itself.

If your cruise departs on or after September 5, 2022 from Europe with no stops in Greece:

You can show it in the form of a printout, an email, or an app screen from the test provider. Or you can show a picture of your negative home test on your phone, or present the actual negative test itself. 

It's not your imagination, the Royal Caribbean website experience has been refreshed to make things hopefully just a little bit easier in getting what you want.

Royal Caribbean's website has mirrored the larger travel industry trend of trying to improve its web presence and make things easier and faster for its customers.

New cruisers looking to book a cruise are likely to find the options - 2600 rooms, a dozen decks, shows, dining - are overwhelming. It’s no wonder users skip the aging websites and try calling instead.

Making its website easier is important considering that Royal Caribbean Group disclosed during an earnings call last month that every day there are "millions of interactions on our websites".

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said web traffic is higher than ever, "Our websites are receiving close to double the visits compared to 2019, and we are generating record level of direct bookings."

To that point, Royal Caribbean sees opportunity with its online travel tools. Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about the importance of enhancing its web portal, "I think, certainly, the investments that we made in our technology as it relates to getting to customers about their cruise experience and the opportunities and experiences that are available to them has proven to be successful."

"And I think that's connected and reflects the kind of the acceptance that the consumer has now at a much greater level to buy online."

"And I believe that everything that we've done with our pre-cruise marketing is really proving to be very effective."

Here's a look at some of the recent updates and enhancements Royal Caribbean has made to allow guests to book and manage their cruises with greater ease.

Making search easier

Finding the perfect cruise vacation starts off with lots of possibilities, which requires the user to comb through the search results for the right option.

Royal Caribbean recently updated its cruise booking site with the goal of returning results in an easier manner.

While the search form looks the same on Royal Caribbean's homepage, the results come through a new simpler layout that is not only easier to use on a mobile device, but provide filtering options with less clicks.

The search results are in a cleaner layout with less "fluff" around it so you can drill into the itinerary and ship you want. You'll find clear and simple messaging and pricing throughout the booking process. Visuals are important, but text is crucial.

Read more: How do I pick the perfect first cruise?

Royal Caribbean also included advanced paths, alternate routes, and exits throughout the booking process - so that experienced users can rapidly dial in the exact cruise they want.

The new search results seem to come up some of the time, which perhaps indicates they are testing it out until it's ready to fully replace the legacy search results. 

Upgraded cruise planner

Just as important to Royal Caribbean's bottom line as someone booking a cruise is someone booking a cruise add-on.

According to Royal Caribbean Group executives, every dollar a guest spends before the voyage, translates into about $0.70 more on the dollar when they sail and double the overall spending compared to other guests.

This year, guests are spending 30% more across all categories of pre-cruise spend than they did in 2019 before the pandemic.

It certainly is easier for guests to buy a drink package, wifi, or shore excursion if the website is simpler.

In early 2021, Royal Caribbean began rolling out a new look to its cruise planner tool.

Dubbed, "My Royal Cruise", it has slowly replaced the old Cruise Planner site where guests can browse the various add-ons for their sailing.

Read more: Everything you should book before the cruise to avoid it being sold out

The goal for this refresh was to make it more intuitive for guests to plan their sailing.

My Royal Cruise features a cleaner look, which takes advantage of contemporary web design.  It is simple and functional, while still visually appealing.

Moreover, returning guests have more of their personal information saved so purchases can be completed significantly faster than with the old site that required the user to enter all their information in over and over for each transaction.

App upgrades

Royal Caribbean's app has evolved from "nice to have" to "essential" since cruises restarted in June 2021.

For most cruises, scanning your passport and uploading a security photo will generate a mobile boarding pass that’s going to help make for a better experience at the terminal.

You can then choose your arrival time from a list of staggered options so you know what time to arrive.

The new eMuster process has also been rolled into the app, which allows you to start the mandatory safety briefing even before you board.

On several ships, like Odyssey of the Seas, the app can also be your very own Digital Key to unlock your stateroom.

Once inside, you can control the TV and even stream content right from your phone. The room temperature, lights and curtains for some staterooms can also be controlled.

Book a pre-cruise hotel

Because a lot of its guests were already booking a pre- or post-cruise hotel, Royal Caribbean made that option easier.

The Royal Caribbean Hotels program was launched in March of this year, and it gives cruisers an easy way to lock in a pre- or post-cruise stay.

Royal Caribbean says this new program offers exclusive rates with thousands of hotels in every Royal Caribbean departure and arrival port, including those in the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific as well as North, South and Central America.

Hotel search results can easily be filtered based on the number of travelers in your group, the sailing’s departure or arrival city, and dates — plus preferences such as hotel rating, amenities and more.

Royal Caribbean revealed new 2023-2024 sailings from Singapore on Spectrum of the Seas.

The year-round season brings back long cruises, offering a new mix of 5- to 12-night sailings to Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan & more.

Spectrum will also offer short cruises to Malaysia and Thailand.

The new cruises are available to book immediately.

A look at the new itineraries

Spectrum of the Seas will offer a variety of longer cruises to Southeast Asia, including 5-, 7-, 9- and 12-night itineraries. Guests can choose from cruises that visit Bangkok, Thailand; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Manila, Philippines.

Read more: 15 countries you didn't know you could cruise to on Royal Caribbean

The upcoming cruises include two 12-night sailings, which mean guests can visit as many as seven destinations across three countries, all in one sailing. If you do a back-to-back cruise, then you can take advantage of a 24-night cruise to places such as Hong Kong; Tokyo, Osaka and Mount Fuji, Japan; and Nha Trang and Hue/Danang, Vietnam.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will offer short 3- and 4-night cruises that will visit Penang, Malaysia, and Phuket in Thailand.

Read more: Best Royal Caribbean itineraries with overnight ports

What makes Spectrum of the Seas different from other ships

Spectrum of the Seas is different than the other Quantum Class cruise ships in the fleet.

Royal Caribbean designed the ship to be an innovator, that offers plenty of innovations and touches of eastern culture infused with the ship.

Here are some of the major things to do on Spectrum of the Seas:

• Asia’s first Sky Pad, a virtual reality, bungee trampoline adventure
• Royal Caribbean’s first and exclusive Suite Enclave, which features the exquisite Royal Suite Class Star, Sky and Sea accommodations in a private area supremely positioned at the forward end of the ship. Guests booked in these luxury suites have exclusive floor access, an elevator, private restaurants, and a dedicated lounge area.
• Cutting-edge and transformative venues such as Two70. Boasting stunning 270-degree ocean views by day and transforming into a multidimensional theater by night, this transformative space flaunts six agile Roboscreens, breathtaking live performers and mind-bending aerialists to create unimaginable visuals. 
• Star Moment, a lively and energetic karaoke venue where family and friends can belt out and sing like stars.
• The signature two-level Ultimate Family Suite, an expansive, multiroom retreat complete with its own ensuite slide and cinema, which also doubles as a karaoke stage.
• A bold lineup of signature activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the North Star, an all-glass capsule that ascends 300 feet above the ocean to deliver incomparable 360-degree views; and RipCord by iFly, the first sky diving experience at sea.
• Nineteen distinct dining options serve up flavors from around the world, including Hot Pot, an authentic Chinese dining experience; Teppanyaki, a celebration of authentic oriental flavors cooked in Japan’s traditional teppanyaki style; and Sichuan Red, a new specialty dining experience tailored just for Spectrum, where diners can savour a bold tapestry of authentic spices and Sichuan flavours. Signature classics include imaginative cuisine at Wonderland, top-notch, aged beef at Chops Grille, and authentic rustic fare and handmade pasta at Jamie’s Italian.

Royal Caribbean is going to stop issuing leftover future cruise credits as cruise credits to be used to book another cruise.

Travel agents were informed on Wednesday that Royal Caribbean decided it would make more sense to let clients redeeming a future cruise credit that has a leftover amount to become an onboard credit instead.

Many cruisers still have future cruise credits from the global cruise industry shutdown of 2020 and 2021 that remain unused.

In a situation where a future cruise credit is applied to a booking, but the full value is not utilized, instead of a new future cruise credit being created for the remainder balance, it will be issued as onboard credit on the cruise that they're using the cruise credits in the first place.

The announcement only applies to future cruise credits that get applied first towards the deposit of a new cruise.

Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service at Royal Caribbean International  explained the new policy to travel agents during a webinar, "if somebody has a left over amount, we're giving them that amount now as an OBC, an onboard credit, on the cruise that they're using the FCC."

"We're not going to reissue FCC's. It's strictly going to go back as an onboard credit for the existing cruise that they're using their FCC."

Simplifying cruise credits

Royal Caribbean has been steadily simplifying the future cruise credit process for guests to ensure they can easily use the money they are owed.

As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.

Royal Caribbean wants changes like this and today's change to provide more flexibility for anyone with a FCC, instead of them acting as a kind of boondoggle.

How do I redeem my credit?

Royal Caribbean has made it quite easy to redeem a future cruise credit, whether you are booking directly or with a travel agent.

The easiest way is to let your travel agent redeem it by providing them with the Certificate Number and booking ID.

Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation

If you book on your own, here's how to redeem a FCC for a new booking on Royal Caribbean's website:

1. Find the sailing that you are interested in.
2. Select your cabin type and location.
3. Proceed to the payment page.
4. Enter your payment and personal information.
5. Enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s).
   • If you are booking multiple cabins, you can enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s) for each room.
6. Click “submit.”
7. You will receive an email letting you know if your credit was valid.

Here’s how to redeem online for existing bookings:

1. Visit the Redemption page.
2. Enter your booking information.
3. Enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s).
4. Click “submit.”
5. You will receive an email letting you know if your credit was valid.