Happy weekend! We hope you are in the midst of a wonderful weekend full of friends, fun, and plenty of things to do to pass the time between cruises.  We have a summary of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news in case you missed any of it!

Royal Caribbean made headlines this week with details of the $90 million refurbishment coming to Mariner of the Seas.

After months of speculation, Royal Caribbean releaved which new features and amenities will be added to Mariner of the Seas when she undergoes a refurbishment later this year.

Guests can look forward to a bungee virtual reality trampoline experience, FlowRider, new specialty restaurants, a Polyensian-themed bar, laser tag, and much more.

Mariner of the Seas will call Miami, Florida home in 2018, and will be the first Voyager Class ship to offer short Caribbean sailings. Mariner of the Seas will offer 3- and 4-night itineraries from PortMiami, beginning on June 21, 2018.

Royal Caribbean News

• Independence of the Seas will also get a virtual reality trampoline experience.
• Royal Caribbean's new Terminal A in PortMiami has reached its highest point of construction.
• Royal Caribbean released a new Symphony of the Seas construction photo update.
• Royal Caribbean provided a construction video update on Spectrum of the Seas.
• Take a sneak peek at the design for Symphony of the Seas' one-of-a-kind suite.
• We shared our top 7 must-do activities on Brilliance of the Seas.
• Take a photo tour of the Royal Suite on Enchantment of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 235th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt reviews his recent cruise on Brilliance of the Seas.

Matt is back from his Brilliance of the Seas 4-night cruise, and shares what he enjoyed about his cruise, as well as reviews of experiences and dining while onboard.

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

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

The Maritime Executive is reporting Royal Caribbean is pledging to cut back on plastics.

Bloomberg wrote about the secrets of cruise ships after sailing on Harmony of the Seas.

CNBC spoke with Royal Caribbean Cruises Chairman and CEO Richard Fain about its recent better-than-expected earnings report.

We love to explore the various staterooms on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and today, we have a look at the Royal Suite stateroom on Enchantment of the Seas.

This category RS room was photographed by Kenneth Jarvis during his recent cruise.

Category RS staterooms on Enchantment of the Seas measure 1,119 square feet, with an additional 148 square feet of space on the balcony.

Friday is here, and whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, we have some great Royal Caribbean cruise photos to share with all of you.  

We begin this week with a photo by John Bamber of DNCE performing on the Eclipse Cruise aboard Oasis of the Seas.

Olivia took this photo of Anthem of the Seas looming over Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Here is a look at the camera Royal Caribbean uses to provide video to the virtual balcony staterooms on Anthem of the Seas.  Photo taken by Anoop.

Mark Greenwalkd shared this photo, which is either a photo of him and his wife sharing a kiss under a moongate in Bermuda with Grandeur of the Seas in the background OR he is about to go into a Stargate to rescue Kurt Russell's character from an under-apprciated 90's sci-fi film.

Twangster shared a photo of the bridge on Harmony of the Seas.

Here is a shot of Oasis of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas in Cozumel, taken by Marissa Webster.

Our final photo this week is by Arlene Martinez, taken in Alyeska, Alaska.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their great cruise photos with us! If you want to share your own favorite Royal Caribbean photos, use this form to send them in! Have a great weekend!

Royal Caribbean is doubling down on its weekend offers, with up to $150 instant savings on cruises booked this weekend, as well as up to 30% off internet and drink packages.

Royal Caribbean's "Score More, Save More" deal is spread across its site.

Cruise Booking sale

Guests can save up to $150 extra when booking during the Score More Savings Sale.

Royal Caribbean cruises booked between February 1 - 5, 2018 on sailings departing on or after March 1, 2018 are valid for this offer (excluding China departures).

The Score More Savings Sale offers up to $150 instant savings

• Sailings 5 nights or less
  • Inside/Oceanview: $50 savings
  • Balcony: $75 savings
  • Suites: $75 savings
• Sailings 6 nights or longer
  • Inside/Oceanview: $50 savings
  • Balcony: $100 savings
  • Suites: $150 savings

The Score More Savings Sale is combinable with the current 30% off every guest monthly offer.

Cruise Planner sale

Guest that log into the Cruise Planner will find certain items discounted.   Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

Based on the countdown timer, the sale expires at midnight on Monday, February 5, 2018.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site and navigate to the Dining & Beverage section to see any available offers.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

Royal Caribbean released a new set of construction photos, showing off the progress the ship is making as she nears her debut in March.

Photos by Royal Caribbean International

Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest Oasis-class ship, under construction at the STX shipyard in France. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018.

Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to receive the Skypad virtual reality trampoline during her Spring refurbishment.

According to TTG, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley announced that Independence of the Seas will have a Skypad, which is made up of four trampolines that have guests don VR headsets while in a bungee harness.

In a press release about the Skypad coming to Mariner of the Seas, the experience is described as, "Guests will strap in and don their virtual reality headset to transport them to another time and planet to bounce over moon craters or compete in intergalactic games. The out-of-this-world experience is for guests of all ages, and also can be enjoyed without virtual reality headsets, for those who prefer to look out over the ocean as they leap toward the sky."

The addition of Skypad will take place during an April 2018 refurbishment, and is part of Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplified fleet-wide modernization initiative.

Royal Caribbean revealed today new features coming to Mariner of the Seas as part of a $90 million refurbishment this year.

Mariner of the Seas will undergo a refurbishment this year, where she will recieve all-new features including:

• A new bungee trampoline experience — Sky Pad
  
  
  
  • This brand-new bungee trampoline experience will launch guests sky high for gravity-defying fun with a virtual reality headset option.
  • Guests will strap in and don their virtual reality headset to transport them to another time and planet to bounce over moon craters or compete in intergalactic games. The out-of-this-world experience is for guests of all ages, and also can be enjoyed without virtual reality headsets, for those who prefer to look out over the ocean as they leap toward the sky.
• FlowRider surf simulator
• Perfect Storm waterslides
  • Dual high-speed racer slides.
• Jamie's Italian specialty restaurant
• Polynesian-themed "The Bamboo Room" bar, with "tiki-chic" decor.
  
  • A laid-back, punched-up Polynesian-themed watering hole that will whisk guests away with its throwback vibe and kitschy cool cocktails.
  • The retro lounge will heat up the ship's already vibrant nightlife scene with its tiki-chic décor. Guests can choose their favorite specialty handcrafted cocktails to sip and savor, plus, make their friends jealous with Instagram-worthy moments throughout the kitschy-cool, uniquely styled space.
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi specialty restaurant
• Battle for Planet Z laser tag
  
  • It’s bots versus aliens in a battle for the last planet. Grab a blaster, choose a side and gear up for a stellar glow-in-the-dark time.
• Escape room
  • Guests can team up to find hidden clues and figure out codes in an attempt to rescue a time-traveling scientist in Puzzle Break: The Observatorium
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
  • Enjoy all the biggest live sporting events over ice-cold brews, wings, sliders and more.
• Starbucks at Sea

As part of the ship's refurbishment, Royal Caribbean will be adding new staterooms, as well as updating all the existing staterooms on the ship.

"At Royal Caribbean, we believe in the constant pursuit of adventure and that every weekend is an opportunity to experience something new and live life to its fullest," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "With the new Mariner of the Seas, we invite travelers to weekend like they really mean it and make the most of a quick getaway than they even thought was possible."

Mariner of the Seas will call Miami, Florida home in 2018, and will be the first Voyager Class ship to offer short Caribbean sailings. Mariner of the Seas will offer 3- and 4-night itineraries from PortMiami, beginning on June 21, 2018.

The construction company responsible for building Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in PortMiami celebrated a construction milestone by reaching the highest point.

A ceremony was held at the construction site with 250 people in attendance.

“This cruise terminal is far from typical, reflecting the modern design of the ship it will welcome with each sailing,” said Suffolk Vice President Joe Fernandez. “This project is a design-build with a complex concept, and once completed, it will be an iconic building for PortMiami. The Suffolk team has worked closely with a team of local architects and engineers utilizing 3D models and virtual reality to bring the vision of the project to life as efficiently as possible.”

The new state-of-the-art terminal at PortMiami will be home to Allure of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. Once completed in October 2018, Royal Caribbean will implement the best technologies to deliver a state-of-the-art guest experience.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 235 is available for downloading, where we share a review of our recent cruise on Royal caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas.

Matt just got back from a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas and talks about what he did onboard and what to expect if you are going on Brilliance of the Seas next.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 235. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!