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Oasis of the Seas Live Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day

In:
09 Apr 2022

Our first full day on Oasis of the Seas is a sea day, which means time to check out the ship and relax.

Oasis of the Seas pool deck

When you're on an Oasis Class ship for just three nights, it leaves little time to try to see everything, but then again, a cruise is better than no cruise!

We started off our morning with breakfast in Coastal Kitchen, which is the complimentary restaurant for suite guests.

Our cabin is on Deck 17, which is the same deck as Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge. It's very convenient to have our cabin so close, especially after being in an AquaTheater suite on a different deck and at the aft of the ship while we were on Wonder of the Seas.

One thing I quickly notice when we cruise without the kids is just how much more free time we have to take things easy. My kids always want to know what the next thing to do is, so this time around it's nice to take it down a notch.

We headed to the pool deck to enjoy some time outside with the ocean breeze.  The weather today was warm (high of 83 degrees fahrenheit), but the sea breeze kept things comfortable.

I walked around the Suite Sun Deck, which is an area reserved just for suite guests. There's not only ample seating that wraps around the elevated deck, but "cabanas" available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Next up was the Top Tier Crown and Anchor Society event in the AquaTheater.

It's unusual to have a top tier event on a 3-night cruise, but I guess it's easier to keep it going since Oasis mostly does 7-night cruises than stop for one sailing.

Before the event began, I met Miles from Manchester, UK.  He loves to cruise and started cruising when he was six months and one day old.  

Since then he's been on 33 cruises already, and has a goal of making Pinnacle Club status as soon as he can.  It's great meeting cruisers like Miles who love going on a ship so much.

After the top tier event, we walked down to the jogging track to see one of my favorite Oasis of the Seas hidden secrets: the aft facing chairs.

For lunch, we booked Izumi hibachi.

While dinner reservations booked up quickly before the cruise began for Izumi hibachi, lunch is usually available on sea days and not bookable online.

It was another great meal, and the food did not disappoint.

After lunch we went back to our suite to relax a bit. My wife enjoys going out on the balcony and reading her book.

I did a little bit of work from the suite, and then headed to Portside BBQ to check out the live guitarist.

Nate performs in Portside BBQ, and he was the guitarist in the pub on Mariner of the Seas back in 2019. It was great seeing him perform again on a ship.

I then headed to the back of the ship to enjoy the breeze at the Wipeout Bar.

As afternoon turned to evening, I headed back to the room to get ready for dinner.

On short sailings, Royal Caribbean doesn't call it formal night. Instead, they refer to it as dress your best.  "What's the difference", you ask? If you ask me, it's the same difference. Essentially, wear something nicer than you do the other nights.

It was time for dinner at 150 Central Park this evening.

Whenever we dine at 150 Central Park, it's an excuse to eat primarily the garlic bread they bring out at the beginning of the meal and the fried cheesecake for dessert.

Our after dinner drinks took us to Playmakers, since the temperatures had cooled down and it was pleasant being on the Boardwalk.

Tomorrow we will be at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Stray Observations

When your cruise doesn't have very far to go, the Captain will take the ship in some interesting patterns.

Royal Caribbean breaks its own record for most cruise bookings in a day and week

In:
08 Apr 2022

Royal Caribbean just had one heck of a week in terms of record demand, echoing a strong desire for people to go on a cruise ship.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said two different internal booking records were eclipsed during the week of March 26 - April 1, 2022.

The company saw both the most bookings in a single day and the higher booking volume booking week that it has ever seen in the entire history of the company.

The record number of bookings came via the Royal Caribbean website, over the phone, and through travel agents.

Royal Caribbean isn't surprised by the news given how well-received cruising has been among the 1.5 million people that have cruised since January 2021 on its line.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley thinks not only do people want to cruise again, but they are eager to get out and vacation, "The enthusiasm and excitement for the successful return of cruising is undeniable."

"We could not have reached this incredible milestone without the unwavering support of our loyal guests, our valued travel advisors and partners, and the Royal Caribbean International team around the world."

"Everyone has made an incredible impact and contributed to this accomplishment in every single way."

Cruise ship in Grand Cayman

Royal Caribbean's strong rebound from two years of shutdown and a cautious restart stems largely from its effective health protocols that demonstrate how safe going on a cruise can be, especially when compared to land-based alternative leisure travel that require few, if any, protocols.

Today's announcement shows consumer demand remains quite strong for cruise ship travel.

Other cruise lines seeing big demand too

There's something in the water, as Royal Caribbean isn't the only cruise line that broke records recently.

Earlier this week, Carnival Cruise Line said it had the busiest booking week in its entire history between March 28 - April 3, 2022.

Oceania Cruises set a new single-day booking record for its 2024 Around the World in 180 Days voyage.

Royal Caribbean updates: Utopia of the Seas, new cruise ship orders & more

In:
08 Apr 2022

It's almost the weekend, and I've got a new report to share of various Royal Caribbean updates.

Steel cutting ceremony for Utopia of the Seas

Between the major announcements, there are a good amount of smaller updates that occur every week, so this is a quick round-up of Royal Caribbean news from this week.

Many thanks to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog community for helping spot what has changed.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Utopia of the Seas construction begins

Utopia of the Seas construction milestone

 

As we reported earlier this week, construction formally began on Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas.

Among other changes, Utopia will be the first Oasis Class ship powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) when she launches. Royal Caribbean believes LNG is the cleanest fossil fuel available to cruise ships today and additional environmentally friendly applications on board Utopia will boost energy efficiencies and further reduce emissions overall.

In addition to Utopia, Icon of the Seas will also be powered by LNG when she launches a year earlier in fall 2023.

Utopia of the Seas is expected to launch in Spring 2024.

Royal Caribbean considering ordering more new cruise ships

Speaking at the Celebrity Beyond delivery event in France, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty indicated ordering additional new cruise ships is something they are considering.

Travel Weekly reports Mr. Liberty said Royal Caribbean Group is considering ordering new ships for all three brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Silversea.

New ship orders would be placed "as soon as business is back to normal pre-Covid levels, which is not far out."

"It could be later this year, or next year, but we have ships still on order through to 2026, so we have a little time."

Currently Royal Caribbean has orders in place for Utopia of the Seas and three Icon Class cruise ships.

Hideaway Beach construction update

I have a new photo update of the progress being made on the Perfect Day at CocoCay expansion, which will add a new adults-only beach.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Cohen snapped photos of the Hideaway Beach construction from onboard Independence of he Seas.

Hideaway Beach could open mid to late 2023.

Oasis of the Seas Live Blog - Day 1 - Embarkation Day

In:
08 Apr 2022

It's time to hop aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas for a quick 3-night cruise!

Oasis of the Seas boardwalk

I haven't been on Oasis of the Seas since late 2019, and when I saw a short cruise offering listed, I decided to book it and enjoy a weekend escape.

For this cruise, it will be just me and my wife sailing.  My parents flew in to stay with the kids, which means 3-nights of cruising fun for me, and 3-nights of my kids seeing how much they can get out of grandma spoiling them.

Oasis of the Seas sails from PortMiami, so I drove down the day before and stayed at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  I stayed in Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami to help break up the drive from Orlando.

The morning of the cruise, we drove to Miami. With traffic, Google estimated it would take about 55 minutes.

For this cruise we booked a Category L1 Crown Loft Suite. I had originally booked a balcony, but then spotted a reasonable price to move up to a suite and thought why not try it.

Our check-in time was noon, but the concierge email a few weeks before the cruise indicated we could arrive an hour early than whatever time we had for check-in.

Sailing from Terminal A in PortMiami, we parked at the garage and were able to go right in to check-in.

Once onboard the ship, our first stop of the day was the Windjammer for lunch. 

This was our first time in the Windjammer since Royal Caribbean reverted back to allowing passengers to serve themselves, instead of the crew.

While I preferred crew members serving guests, serving ourselves is how the Windjammer was every time before the pandemic and I never thought twice about it then.

Our next stop was the Suite Lounge to meet the concierge.

Nadia welcomed us in and helped book all of our shows. While this is just a 3-night cruise, they are performing Cats, Aqua80s, and Frozen in Time.  

We booked reservations for Aqua80s and Frozen in Time, which the concierge took care of for us.

Nadia had booked specialty dining reservations before the cruise a few weeks ago when she sent a welcome email. The only restaurant she couldn't book was Izumi Hibachi, so we made a stop there to get a reservation for lunch on day two.

We spent the early afternoon relaxing on the pool deck. It was a warm day, but there was just enough of a breeze to keep it comfortable.

The cabins were ready at 1:30pm, so we went to drop our stuff off and check out the suite.

This is my second time staying in a Crown Loft Suite, although it was on Harmony of the Seas.

In terms of layout, the room looked the same on Oasis.  The split level design is a neat change from traditional cruise ship cabins, and the views you have from either level of the ocean from the giant glass windows is fantastic.

There are two bathrooms (one on each level) and a giant balcony.

Our next stop was to take a ride on the Rising Tide bar, which is an Oasis Class signature venue where the bar slowly moves between the Royal Promenade on deck 5 and Central Park on deck 8.

This was not only my first drink of the cruise, but my first time trying the new biodegradable straws. 

Compared to the paper straws that this replaced, it felt much better and did not degrade at all in my drink.

Friends of mine made it onboard and we went to check out Portside BBQ.

One of the best changes to Oasis from her Royal Amplification in 2019 was the addition of a new restaurant concept in Portside BBQ.

While I had eaten lunch already, I just couldn't resist having a plate of smoked turkey and cornbread.

I would also be remiss if I didn't talk about how great the brookie dessert is, which is half cookie and half brownie.

Next up was welcome aboard trivia in the Schooner Bar.  Trivia is always such a fun activity, and I learned how many presidents Bosnia & Herzegovina has had (3).

We sailed away from Miami around 5pm.

Dinner this evening was at Chops Grille.

Our evening entertainment was Aqua80s in the AquaTheater, which is a show set to the music of the 1980s.

I love this show the most of any AquaTheater show simply because I know all the songs and I think the energy level here matches the music perfectly.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray Observations

I purchased Royal Caribbean's chat feature to try it out again.

I activated it first on my phone and was able to send messages to my wife and she receive them without paying for the feature on her phone yet. This would be a good scenario for kids to buy it for them so they could send one-way messages potentially.

I also tested out the chat notifications and got push notifications when the phone was not actively being used, and even to my wife's Apple Watch.

There were a lot of reminders for passengers to do the muster drill via the public address system. Certainly more than I recall hearing on one sailing, and most were in Spanish.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Advice for anyone new to Royal Caribbean

In:
06 Apr 2022

Listen to the Show

Matt shares advice for anyone that's new to cruising or just Royal Caribbean and how to get started.

Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...

On this episode:
Running time:

Royal Caribbean will send Icon of the Seas to the UK first

In:
06 Apr 2022

Royal Caribbean has been quiet on just about every detail of its new Icon Class cruise ships, but we now know she'll start cruising first in the UK.

Icon of the Seas 2023

The cruise line has reveled very few details about the ship, but it sounds like more information will be revealed sooner than later.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed when Icon of the Seas debuts, she will sail from the UK at the start of her career.

Speaking to TTG Media, Mr. Bayley emphasized how important the UK cruise market is by mentioning Icon of the Seas will sail from Southampton.

"I promise you will bring Icon of the seas into Southampton. The UK will be the first country and market that we will bring this incredible ship into [when it launches] in ’23."

Harmony of the Seas arriving in Southampton Open configuration options Open configuration options 1 / 9

This is not the first time a new Royal Caribbean cruise ship went to the UK first, before heading to the United States after.

Harmony of the Seas was the last Royal Caribbean cruise ship to do so. She started off with a series of short getaways to Northern Europe from Southampton, followed by cruises from Barcelona before heading to the United States shortly thereafter.

Royal Caribbean opted not to send Symphony of the Seas to the UK when she debuted because Harmony was poorly received by the British press.

More details coming soon

Icon of the Seas steel

Mr. Bayley went on to talk about just how impressed he is with Icon while not divulging any additional details, "This ship is unbelievable."

"What's fascinating about Icon is the sheer scale of the product."

He talked about the fact details of the new ship have been shared internally at a closed-door event in Miami recently among key marketing and sales and revenue people. This could point to more information coming soon.

Mr. Bayley also said Royal Caribbean is working out details for timing of an event in New York later this year to announce more information.

Last month, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said the public can expect to get more details on Icon between April or May.

Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship will be called Utopia of the Seas

In:
05 Apr 2022

It looks like Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship has a name.

At a steel cutting ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France, the shipyard revealed the name of the next new Oasis Class cruise ship will be Utopia of the Seas and marked the official start of construction by cutting the first piece of steel.

The name Utopia of the Seas was trademarked in December 2021 among 23 other possible cruise ship names.

Photos by Véronique Savard

The order for the ship was originally placed with the shipyard in February 2019. Delivery is scheduled for the end of May 2024.

It will be 362 m long, with about 2,800 cabins. That is 50 less cabins because of the space that is needed to install the LNG tanks.

What Is the Biggest Royal Caribbean ship? | Royal Caribbean Blog

It is not yet known where Utopia of the Seas will sail from, nor what itineraries she will visit.

Do you like the name Utopia of the Seas? Share your thoughts on the name in the comments!

Royal Caribbean releases 2023 west coast cruises from Los Angeles

In:
05 Apr 2022

Royal Caribbean will keep a cruise ship based on the west coast of the United States for another season.

Royal Caribbean returned to offering cruises from Los Angeles in 2021 after more than a decade away from the region.

Navigator of the Seas will remain homeported from Los Angeles from Spring 2023 through early 2024.

Navigator of the Seas year-round home in Los Angeles, California

The plan is to have Navigator of the Seas offer primarily 3- and 4-night cruises from Los Angeles, with scattered 7-night cruises down the Mexican Riviera.

  • 3-night Ensenada cruise visiting Ensenada, Mexico only
  • 4-night cruises visiting Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico
  • 4-night cruise visiting Ensenada, Mexico only
  • 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The new sailings are available to book immediately.

Just like the cruises in 2021-2022, Navigator of the Seas will depart from Los Angeles' World Cruise Center in San Pedro.

Best things to do on Mexican Riviera cruise

If you've never taken a cruise on the west coast, you'll find a side of Mexico that's very different from Cozumel.

Cruises to the Mexican Riviera are known for a wide variety of things to do, including scuba diving, kayaking, days at the beach, and amazing food.

Ensenada

La Bufadora

Just over the border from the United States, Ensenada is known for fishing and shopping. 

It's also famous for a natural geyser, known as La Bufadora, where you can go to see and hear this natural wonder.

If you like more of a party vibe, check out Hussong's Cantina. This is the oldest and best known cantina in Baja California, Mexico. It's famous for being reputedly the place where the Margarita was created.

You'll also find a number of wineries in the area that you can tour and sample the local wines.

Catalina Island

Catalina

Across the bay from Los Angeles is a popular day spot for tourists, where you'll find shopping and restaurants to enjoy.

If you're looking for fun in the ocean, scuba diving is great at Catalina because of the clear waters.

Another popular activity is to rent a golf cart and explore the island on your own. You can take the cart around to visit different spots, like Descanso Beach or the Catalina Casino.

Mazatlan

Mazatlan beach

You'll find a 10-mile long seaside promenade in Mazatlan, where you can sample some great Mexican cuisine. 

There's also the "old town" area of Mazatlan known as Plaza Republica, which has a number of historic sites from the cities origins.

Mazatlan has plenty of lovely beaches in the area, which is perfect for surfing, scuba diving, or just relaxing in the ocean.

Puerto Vallarta

Royal Caribbean will cruise from California for the first time in a decade | Royal Caribbean Blog

You will find some of the best food in Western Mexico in Puerto Vallarta, which is great for foodies. El Centro, which is the name of the downtown region, features churches with charming colonial detail.

The beaches are a major draw in Puerto Vallarta that offer all sorts of activities.

Cabo San Lucas

Spotted: Royal Caribbean ship scheduled to sail from Los Angeles, California in 2021 | Royal Caribbean Blog

You'll take a tender into town where you can choose from golf, swimming, or zip-lining.

Whale watching is a hot activity in Cabo, as humpback whales migrate to the area from December through April.

Royal Caribbean lays keel for new Icon of the Sea cruise ship

In:
05 Apr 2022

The construction of Royal Caribbean's first Icon Class cruise ship reached an important milestone this week when the keel was laid for Icon of the Seas.

Icon of the Seas keel-laying ceremony

At a ceremony held at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the official start of construction was celebrated.

Icon of the Seas will be the first of three Icon Class cruise ships, which the cruise line says will have a bold new design.  The cruise line has not yet released details on what the new ship looks like, or any of the features onboard.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty was joined by Chairman Richard Fain, along with Meyer Turku senior executives and teams on Tuesday for the keel-laying.

The ship's keel is the first block, and it is maritime tradition to commemorate this phase of a new ship construction.  Icon's first block required a 3,000-ton crane lifting the block into place on top of freshly minted coins, which represent the shipyard and cruise line. 

The coins are meant to bring luck during construction, and they will be retrieved and given to Icon’s captain and crew before setting sail.

Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley shared his excitement for the new ship, "Five years ago, we began dreaming of Icon of the Seas, and now the next phase of this iconic adventure is beginning."

"As this game-changing ship takes shape, the excitement from families and travelers alike, travel advisors and our partners continues to build. Later this year, we’ll reveal the lineup of firsts and favorites that will set a new standard for vacations come fall 2023."

Icon of the Seas will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

It's expected we will get more information on Icon of the Seas' deployment and ship details beginning later this spring.

Read moreA look at Royal Caribbean's plans now that cruises are back

Royal Caribbean confirms self-service buffet on cruise ships are back

In:
04 Apr 2022

It's official, you'll be able to serve yourself at the buffet on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship again.

Windjammer food on a plate

Royal Caribbean confirmed to RoyalCaribbeanBlog that beginning with cruises that departed on or after April 2, 2022, guests can serve themselves instead of crew members doing so at the buffet locations.

The statement added that while guests can serve themselves, the cruise line will still offer single-serve foods that do not require passengers to handle any serving utensils.

"On cruises departing on or after April 2, 2022, Royal Caribbean International will bring back self-service dining in guest-favorite venues on board, including the Windjammer Marketplace, Solarium Bistro, and at private destinations."

"Grab-and-go dishes and single serving portions will continue as a permanent offering – they have become popular options, and keeping them is among the top requests from our guests."


Photos by Matt Rearick on Symphony of the Seas

It looked like Royal Caribbean had made the change almost two weeks earlier when select cruise ships start seeing self-service resume in the Windjammer, but Royal Caribbean said that was a one-off test.

They've now decided to go with the self-service buffet.

Having crew members serve passengers instead of guests was one of the early changes cruise lines made during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to limit the spread from person to person.

Crew members handled the serving tongs or serving spoons and would place the food on the guest's plate.

The buffet serving change is one of many changes Royal Caribbean has made following the cruise line joining the CDC's voluntary Covid-19 monitoring program and electing to join the "highly vaccinated" program.

Drink stations were already changed to self-service earlier this year, where passengers could grab coffee, water, and juice.

While Royal Caribbean has changed to self-service just now, other cruise lines had already done so prior to this.

Carnival Cruise Line had self-service buffets back in July 2021.

Disney Cruise Line said that as of April 1, their ships would resume self-service buffets.

CDC food service requirements

Windjammer table

In checking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) operations manual for cruise ships sailing in the U.S., the rules for how food can be served has changed to be up to the cruise line.

According to the CDC, "food and beverage stations may be operated as self-service at the cruise operator’s discretion."

Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Royal Caribbean | Royal Caribbean Blog

Cruise lines must encourage distancing through physical guides to direct the flow of passengers, provide signage for social distancing, and provide an appropriate number of staff to monitor distancing.

In addition, cruise lines must provide hand sanitizer at the entrances to food and beverage stations, ensure adequate supply of high-touch materials (serving spoons, tongs, etc.) to minimize sharing of the utensil by many guests, limit seat capacity at the buffet, and install physical barriers where it is difficult for guests to maintain a proper physical distance.

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