Perhaps no Royal Caribbean add-on purchase has become as popular as the Deluxe Beverage Package has.

In just a few short years, many guests have become drink package fans and it seems like more and more guests are purchasing them every cruise.

Whether you count yourself as one of the many that enjoy indulging in the unlimited alcohol package time and time again, or perhaps you are, "on the fence" about purchasing one, here are eight good reasons the unlimited alcohol package is, well, awesome!

8. Refillable mug is included

A nice little extra with Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is each person that buys a Deluxe Beverage package receives a souvenir Coca-Cola refillable mug.

This mug works with the self-serve Coca-Cola machines, and can also be given to a waiter or bartender to be filled.  This means plenty of soft drinks wherever you are on the ship.

As an added bonus, you get to take it home with you after the cruise!

7. They work at Labadee and CocoCay

All of Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol packages can be used the cruise line's private destinations of CocoCay and Labadee.

Your drink package at these two spots can be used just like onboard the ship.  Present your SeaPass card to any crew member working on the island and they will fulfill your order.

The only caveat to keep in mind is many of the roving bar servers offering a Labadoozie or Coco Loco have souvenir cups with them, so you may have to walk to the bar to get your drinks with the package.

6. You will (likely) visit more bars

Royal Caribbean ships have many bars onboard, and in addition to different ambiance and decor, many bars have their own special drink menus.

If you have a drink package, a fun activity is to try out new bars and see what makes that bar or lounge special or different.  You may find Boleros serves up the best mojitos onboard, or see how good of a drink the Bionic Bar robots can create.

Bar hopping with the unlimited alcohol package is as fun as the drinking itself.

5. Perfect for use in specialty restaurants

When you think of the unlimited alcohol package, most guests instantly envision drinks by the pool or at their favorite bar but a place where the unlimited alcohol packages truly shine are at the specialty restaurants.

Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants often offer a special menu of cocktails and beverages unique to those restaurants, that are not advertised anywhere else onboard.

Furthermore, the drinks at the specialty restaurants are rarely, if ever, discounted, so guests paying cash for these drinks will have to pay the full price.

With the unlimited alcohol package, guests can sample as many of these specialty cocktails as they like, because most are included in the Deluxe Beverage Package.

4. Less vacation stress

If you ask someone who got back from a Royal Caribbean cruise what they thought of the unlimited alcohol package, inevitably you will hear about how simple it was to order drinks and not worry about receipts.

When you take away all those bar tabs paying a la carte, the SeaPass account quickly gets shorter and easier to read.

In addition, gratuity is included with the unlimited alcohol packages (in North America), so there is no more figuring out how much to tip the bartender or waiter. 

The entire drink ordering process seems to fly by, without feeling you are doing a high school math problem at the end of your cruise.

3. One fixed cost for all drinks

One of the chief benefits of the Deluxe Beverage Package is there is one fixed cost for all your drinking onboard.

Instead of worrying about if you really should order one more mojito, the cost is already set, so it is all about what you want, when you want it.

Guests that pre-purchase the unlimited alcohol packages can not only get a fixed cost for their drinks onboard, but can also break apart the total cost of the cruise.

2. Trying new drinks

Since the cost of all your drinks is set with the unlimited alcohol packages, you can sample new drinks without fear of wasting your money.

Royal Caribbean ships offer a lot of drinks to choose from and sometimes you might be tempted to try a drink but worry you might not like it and feel obliged to finish it because you paid for it.

With the drink packages, there is no buyer remorse over drinks you do not like.  Place it to the side and order another! The cost is the same to you.

1. Money saver

By far, the best reason Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is awesome is because it can save you money.

If you do your part to consume enough drinks each day of your cruise, you should be able to come out ahead with the amount of drinks you ordered versus how much those drinks would have cost you if you paid cash.

While the previous seven reasons are all perfectly good rationale for ordering an unlimited alcohol package, the basic point of the package is to ensure you are drinking enough to break even, if not come out ahead.

With the packages, guests can enjoy as many drinks as they like and (hopefully) come home with more money left in their pocket than if they had bought those drinks a la carte.

Do you think Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package is awesome? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean came away from the 2017 Travel Weekly Asia awards with two big wins.  It was named Best Cruise Line – Asia Pacific and Best Cruise Line - Family at a ceremony in Singapore last evening.

The awards recognize travel companies and individuals for their outstanding achievements and pay tribute to the top travel organizations for their commitment, contributions and accomplishments. The winners were determined by voting by the travel trade and public on 46 categories representing the different segments of the travel industry which include cruise, airline, resort, hotel, destination, travel technology and travel agent.

Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. who accepted the awards said, “These two prestigious awards represent a very significant moment of our 10th year in Asia, and the strong support of our travel partners and customers since Day One. We look forward to offering even more exciting and memorable holiday experiences with our innovative ships and excellent service in the next decade, while making cruising – and Royal Caribbean International – a top vacation choice in Asia.”

On the last morning of your Royal Caribbean cruise, Royal Caribbean provides an option for guests who wish to carry their own luggage off the ship that is referred to as self assist, express departure, or self disembarkation.  Regardless of what it is called, this option provides guests with a way to depart the cruise ship at their leisure.

Here is an overview of how to carry your own luggage off a Royal Caribbean ship, if you so choose.

How self disembarkation works

Guests who elect to carry their own luggage off the ship will be required to take their luggage from their stateroom, and take it all the way off the ship and through customs.

Unlike guests who have luggage transported for them from their stateroom, guests who carry off their own luggage can leave as soon as the ship is cleared by local customs.  

Guests may indicate they wish to use Express Departure by registering with Guest Relations.  In our experience, registering with Guest Relations is a suggestion, rather than a requirement.

Once you commit to carrying your own luggage off the ship, and the time window to leave your luggage outside your stateroom door for it to be delivered for you, you must stick with taking your own luggage off the ship.

Most often, the Express Departure option is preferred by guests who want to depart as early as possible due to travel plans, work requirements, or other needs.  However, if you opt to carry your own luggage off the ship, you may depart at any time.  On disembarkation day, an announcement will be made once the gangway is opened and cleared by local authorities, and at that time, guests carrying their own luggage may depart the ship.

Why carry off your own luggage

The primary reason most guests opt to carry off their own luggage is to allow them to stay on their own schedule and be among the first to depart the ship.

Some guests want to leave the ship early, and the first bags cleared by officials for pick up may not be available for an hour or more following the gangway being opened. Express Departure allows for the speediest exit from the trip and for those that want or need to get going early, this is the best solution.

Other guests simply prefer to be among the first off the ship to avoid any delays in customs, or onboard the ship.  Some ports have a reputation for having longer disembarkation lines, so being among the first means a seamless exit.

What to know before carrying your own luggage off the ship

• You need to be comfortable with taking all of your luggage off the ship without any assistance. You must be physically fit as there will be no assistance or porters.
• The exact time you can exit the ship will depend on when the ship is cleared by local authorities. There can be unpredictable delays in that process, so there are never any guarantees when guests may exit the ship.
• Often guests who want to take part in Express Departure will be directed to a specific location on the ship.  A list of locations and times will be delivered to each stateroom the night before disembarkation.
• Guests opting for self-disembarkation do not have to leave the ship immediately.  They may remain onboard for as long as they wish, up until the required time for all guests to leave the ship.
• There are usually notices in the Cruise Compass a few days into the cruise for guests who want to carry their own luggage off the ship.  The notice informs guests of the option, and to register with Guest Services.

Have you carried your own luggage off a Royal Caribbean cruise before? Do you have questions about using this in the future? Share your experiences and concerns in the comments!

The fall temperatures may be dropping, but the Royal Caribbean news from this week is as hot as ever, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round up!

Sit back, and catch-up on all of the Royal Caribbean news and happenings form this week.

Royal Caribbean announced it will resume calls to three Caribbean islands devastated by recent hurricanes, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten.

By December 1, all scheduled calls to the three islands will operate as planned.

In partnership with the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Royal Caribbean also has committed to undertaking the complete restoration of Magens Bay, one of St. Thomas’ most popular tourist attractions.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean added three new Symphony of the Seas sailings for guests to book.
• All scheduled stops to Turkey have been cancelled for 2018.
• Royal Caribbean released new Symphony of the Seas construction photos this week.
• What first time cruisers should know if it the forecast calls for rain every day.
• Our advice on how to convince someone to take a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Royal Caribbean packed so many great things to do on Harmony of the Seas, so this week we are picking our top favorites.

In this week's Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast, Matt and Billy share their list of the top five favorite things from a recent Harmony of the Seas sailing.

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

Eat Sleep Cruise has a guide to the cabanas on CocoCay.

TradeWinds shares details on Royal Caribbean financing $5.9bn for new ships.

Cruise Radio shares the truth about cruise itinerary changes.

AdWeek highlights the original short films Royal Caribbean has produced.

Cruise Critic compares Celebrity Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean International.

Every Friday, we show off the Royal Caribbean photos that our readers have sent us in a special blog post.  Each week, we invite our readers to send us their favorite Royal Caribbean photos and we post them right here.

Without further adieu, let's jump right into this week's batch of photos!

We begin this edition of Friday Photos with a photo of Bob & Trish Kaelblein enjoying cocktails on Oasis of the Seas.

Anoop sent us this photo of Anthem of the Seas in Labadee.  It is also a great action example of tourists in their natural habitat.

David sent us this photo of a fantastic Caribbean sunset, taken on Allure of the Seas.

Speaking of sunset, Phillip Webster took this photo of Havana, Cuba, as Empress of the Seas was departing.

Austin Harris took this photo of Harmony of the Seas while relaxing on a raft in Labadee.  Beautiful!

Mr. New Jersey, John Bamber, took this photo of Anthem of the Seas docked in Cape Liberty.

We round out this week's edition of Friday Photos with a photo by Wendy Spears of Anthem of the Seas docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as seen from her plane.  The USS Eisenhower was also in port that day.

Would you like to submit your Royal Caribbean photos for a future Friday Photos post? Use this form to send them to us and we will feature them very soon!

Royal Caribbean is offering up to 30% off select Cruise Planner purchases this weekend, with its Sip, Tour, & Save sale.

The weekend Cruise Planner sale promises savings on certain shore excursions and drink package purchases.  Guests can check which discounts, if any, are available for their upcoming sailing by visiting the Cruise Planner site.

Based on the countdown timer, the sale will expire at midnight on Sunday night.

Royal Caribbean announced is cancelling all calls to Turkey for the 2018 cruise season in Europe.

Royal Caribbean made the decision, "due to the current unpredictability of Turkey, and taking our guests’ and crew members’ safety and wellbeing into account."  As a result, Royal Caribbean has decided to replace calls in Ephesus (Kusadasi) with alternate ports-of-call for the 2018 Europe season.

Instead, Jewel of the Seas will now call on Rhodes, Greece. Vision of the Seas will now call on Rhodes, Greece or Mykonos, Greece.

Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean shore excursions in Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey will be refunded to the original form of payment by the end of next week.

Royal Caribbean cancelled all its stops in Turkey in 2017 as well for similar reasoning.

Royal Caribbean's WOW Sale begins today, with stackable savings that provides 50% off the second guest, plus bonus onboard credit

Cruises booked between October 18, 2017 through October 22, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST on sailings on or after November 18, 2017 are eligible for the WOW Sale (excluding China departures).

The WOW Sale includes:

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest
• 25% cruise fare savings for 3rd guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests.
• Kids Sail Free
  • 3rd and 4th guests 12 years and younger free cruise fare.
  • Guests 12 & under sail free on 4 nights or longer Europe, Bahamas, Bermuda, Hawaii, Coastal and Caribbean sailings departing November 1, 2017- December 31, 2018. Excludes SY sailings and sailings departing 11/17/17-11/27/17, 12/17/17 – 1/8/18, 2/15/18-2/20/18, 3/10/18-4/1/18, 5/15/18-9/1/18, 11/17/18-11/22/18 and 12/15/18-12/31/18.
• Onboard credit determined by sailing length 
  • 5 nights or fewer
    • Interior / Ocean View: $50 USD per stateroom
    • Balcony: $75 USD per stateroom
    • Suite: $100 USD per stateroom
  • 6 nights or longer
    • Interior / Ocean View: $75 USD per stateroom
    • Balcony: $125 USD per stateroom
    • Suite: $200 USD per stateroom
• Deck the Holidays Deals
  • Holiday sailings departing from December 19, 2017 through December 31, 2017 and December 18, 2018 through December 31, 2018.
  • Deck the Holidays and WOW Sale offers exclude China departures.
  • Includes an onboard credit determined by category booked and sailing length
    • $25 to spend onboard for Interior and Ocean View on sailings 5-nights or less
    • $50 to spend onboard for Balcony and Suite on sailings 5-nights or less
    • $50 to spend onboard for Interior and Ocean View on sailings 6-nights or longer
    • $100 to spend onboard for Balcony
    • $150 to spend onboard for Suites on sailings 6-nights or longer

BOGO does not apply to third and higher occupancy guests. BOGO offer is combinable with NRDB OBC, Kids Sail Free, promotional OBCs and instant savings, NextCruise offers, restricted discounts (for example, Senior, Resident, Military), Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Deck the Holidays and WOW Sale are combinable with each other, NextCruise offers, NRDB OBC, and restricted discounts (for example, Senior, Resident, Military) but is not combinable with Shareholder benefits and Crown and Anchor discounts. BOGO50 bookings made for China departures are combinable with NextCruise offers and Crown and Anchor balcony/suites discounts only. All offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, Net Rates.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean has added three additional Symphony of the Seas sailings for guests to book.

Royal Caribbean has characterized these sailings as "the biggest dress rehearsals ever," and there may be "a few final touches being made onboard." Nonetheless, guests can expect Symphony of the Seas "to look and feel fully operational."

The newly added sailings are

• 5-Night Western Mediterranean - March 31, 2018
  • Barcelona, Spain • Cruising • Naples / Capri, Italy • Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy • Cruising • Barcelona, Spain
• 7-Night Western Mediterranean - April 7, 2018
  • Barcelona, Spain • Palma De Mallorca, Spain • Provence (Marseille), France • Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy • Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy • Naples / Capri, Italy • Cruising • Barcelona, Spain
• 7-Night Western Mediterranean - April 14, 2018
  • Barcelona, Spain • Palma De Mallorca, Spain • Provence (Marseille), France • Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy • Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy • Naples / Capri, Italy • Cruising • Barcelona, Spain

Convincing someone to try a Royal Caribbean cruise is no easy task.  Many people have negative preconceptions about cruising, had a bad experience in the past on another cruise line, or have some other reason for disliking the notion of a cruise vacation.

These negatives run the gamut from expensive to being bored and more.  There is no shortage of opinions from many different sources that purport the shortfalls of cruising.  Negative Royal Caribbean specific arguments tend to be a little less common, but given the broad range of opinions on the internet, they certainly exist too.

Regardless of the background of the person you are trying to convince, it is possible to convince them to take a Royal Caribbean cruise and (more importantly) for them to have a good time.  You have to know how to approach the trip and convince them to go in with an open mind. 

Here are some of our tips for convincing your spouse, or anyone else, to take a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.

Plan around their hesitations

If you encounter someone who dislikes the idea of taking a Royal Caribbean cruise, often it is based around certain fears or opinions of what a cruise vacation is all about.  The key is to assuage them of these concerns.

"I'll be bored" or "There won't be enough to do"

Many first time cruisers imagine a glorified fishing boat, where all you do is sit around between meals.  A Royal Caribbean cruise is anything but that, as their ships are packed with incredible experiences that run throughout the day and night.

Consider looking at a Quantum or Oasis Class cruise ship, which have the latest and greatest experiences onboard.  These ships were built with activities and things to do onboard.

Show them some past Cruise Compasses, which are the daily newspaper of events for the ship.  The Cruise Compass lists every onboard activity, and is a great example of how much there is to see and do on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

You might also consider an itinerary that has more port stops than sea days.  Visiting these beautiful islands and cities means an opportunity to explore off the ship.  Having a port-intensive itinerary minimizes the amount of time on the ship, and can be a good "stepping stone" to a fuller cruise experience.

"I will get sea sick"

A very common misconception about a cruise vacation is they will get sea sick.  It can be based on nothing at all, or a past boating experience, or an extension of motion sickness suffered elsewhere (like on cars or trains).

Royal Caribbean cruise ships are massive.  Significantly larger than any fishing boat or ferry they may have taken in the past.  The ships employ advanced stabilizers that keep the sensation of movement on a ship at a minimum.

Moreover, the Captain will constantly seek out the smoothest waters.  Smooth waters means happy guests, and happy guests translate to more money being spent onboard.  

In the unlikely event of getting sea sick, there are also plenty of medication available that can easily mitigate the effects of getting sea sickness.  There are great over the counter medications, natural remedies, and even prescription medicine that can help.  Spending a few dollars to buy these items as a backup can be the kind of reassurance needed to get someone to try a cruise.

"A cruise is expensive"

The price of a cruise vacation is as varied as the cost of a car.  Just like there are car prices that are $16k, $30k, $100k and more, cruise prices can vary significantly.  When it comes to a Royal Caribbean cruise, it does not have to be expensive.  In fact, it is an excellent value.

It is important to talk about everything that is included with the cruise fare, such as complimentary meals and beverages, entertainment each day and night, activities onboard, and more.  Remind them that if you were to take a land vacation, they would have to pay for food in addition to their lodging and transportation.  

Royal Caribbean has so many ships in their fleet that visit destinations around the world, that there is bound to be a sailing that fits in their price range.  Between the itinerary, sail date, and stateroom type, there is a lot of choices.  

This just covers a couple of common complaints about the cruise vactions, but you get the idea. Find out what they do not like about a cruise, and thenexplain why those fears are misplaced.  Talk to them about what really goes on during a cruise, and determine how you will avoid their fears.  Then, think of things that disprove these stereotypes, and add them to your plan.

Focus on things they enjoy

A key to success for convincing someone to take a Royal Caribbean cruise is to make it personal.  Find something they enjoy and illustrate how a Royal Caribbean cruise incorporates that passion.

If they are a fitness nut, talk about the impressive fitness center and classes available on Royal Caribbean ships.  Show them there is a running track onboard, and even shore excursions that demand physical endurance.

If they are a foodie, pick a Royal Caribbean ship that has a lot of great restaurants and talk about the variety of foods available onboard.  Consider even investing in a specialty dining package to help bring the cost down to enjoy those experiences.

If they have kids, be sure to talk about the award-winning Adventure Ocean program, which means there is programming for children every day and night of the cruise.  The kids get to have fun playing with other kids, while you get time to yourself.  Any parent should jump at that opportunity.

If they like history and culture, talk about the ports your cruise ship will visit. Show them the kind of experiences they can have in a single cruise, such as visiting Mayan Ruins in Mexico, touring a plantation house in Jamaica, and going where Spanish Conquistadors first stepped foot in Puerto Rico.

Talk about the experiences they might not know are on a cruise ship

I imagine many people who have never taken a cruise before, think of a cruise ship as a giant floating pool with a cafeteria somewhere and a bunch of newly weds and retirees strewn about.  Tell that to someone who has taken a Royal Caribbean cruise before, and they are likely to laugh at hearing that description.  The key is to talk about everything a Royal Caribbean ship offers.

When you are trying to convince someone to try a cruise, focus on the type of activities and offerings found on Royal Caribbean.  Your list will vary depending on which ship you are considering, but here are some good points not to miss.

• FlowRider surf simulator
• Broadway shows
• Adults-only Solarium
• Specialty restaurants
• Spacious suites
• Mini-golf
• Rock climbing wall
• Casino
• DreamWorks characters and events
• Fitness classes
• Skydiving simulator
• NorthStar observation pod
• Water slides
• Aqua parks
• Ice skating

You get the idea with just the items we picked on this list.  The great thing about a Royal Caribbean cruise is that it offers so much to do that will appeal to virtually anyone.  Whatever your friend/spouse/colleague/sibling's interests are, chances are there is some way to cater those interests on Royal Caribbean.

Use video

You can talk about how great something is for days, but videos work wonders because they can see what you are talking about.  Incorporating video in your strategy works wonders.

YouTube is likely the best source of videos that show off how much fun a Royal Caribbean vacation can be.  Find videos that back up the points and ideas discussed earlier and use that to show them what you mean.

There are videos that incorporate ship tours, recordings of shows, vlogs, and a lot more.  Inevitably, you should have no trouble finding videos that provide a glimpse of the kind of fun waiting for them onboard.

Share these videos on their Facebook page, or text them a link to the videos so that they can quickly see your point.  If the video is already on Facebook, tag them in the video so they get notified.  Odds are they will click and watch.

Your thoughts

We have listed a lot of suggestions for those trying to convince someone else to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but do you know of an idea that we missed? If you have run into this scenario before, we would love to hear suggestions you might have to offer, or even stories about a reluctant spouse or friend that you can share.  Please leave your stories, experiences and suggestions in the comments!