Royal Caribbean is offering bonus instant savings on top of its current promotion of 60% off the second guest, and 30% off third and fourth guests.

The Columbus Day sale is valid on bookings made October 7-11, 2016 on sailings departing on or after Nov. 7, 2016 (excluding China departures).

This offer includes

• Instant savings per stateroom based on category booked:
  • $25 off per stateroom for inside and oceanview categories
  • $50 off per staterooms for balcony and deluxe categories
• 60% off cruise fare of second guest who must be booked in the same stateroom as a first guest who books at full fare
• 30% cruise fare savings for 3rd guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests
• Free upgrade from Ocean view to balcony on offer eligible Anthem of the Seas sailings
• Bookings made Oct.1-11, 2016 for eligible Bahamas and Caribbean holiday sailings, offer includes a per stateroom onboard credit based on sailing length:
  • $100 OBC per stateroom for holiday sailings 3-5 nights departing December 22-31, 2016 and 2017
  • $100 OBC per stateroom for holiday sailings 6-9 nights departing December 15-31, 2016 and 2017
  • $200 OBC per stateroom for holiday sailings 10 nights or longer departing December 15-31, 2016 and 2017. 

BOGO60 is combinable with adjoining 30% Savings for 3rd and 4th guests, Columbus Day Weekend Savings, Anthem Upgrade, Holiday OBC, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers. BOGO60 and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). Columbus Day Weekend Savings, Anthem Upgrade and Holiday OBC are combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) and NextCruise offers. Columbus Day Weekend Savings and Holiday OBC are not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. Anthem Upgrade is combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. 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, Shareholder Benefits.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Two Royal Caribbean ships will have delayed boarding due to Hurricane Matthew and its impact on the state of Florida.

PortMiami closed in anticipation of the storm, and Royal Caribbean indicated that due to the closure and the storm's location, boarding for Empress of Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will now begin on Friday, October 7 at 5 p.m.

Royal Caribbean is asking guests that are on either of these sailings not to arrive to the port before 5 p.m.

If there are any questions, please contact Royal Caribbean at 866-562-7625.

This announcement comes on the heels of news that the October 8th Majesty of the Seas sailing has been canceled. 

Hurricane Matthew has caused a number of delays and cancelations, although the scheduled sailings for Freedom of the Seas and Allure of the Seas remain as planned for now.

@MissCMBeasley Freedom is set to leave on time this Sunday, Christine. Any updates can be found here: https://t.co/zmcot8Gmib

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

@mokylatn Allure is scheduled to leave on time. No changes have been made at this time.

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

The path of Hurricane Matthew has caused Royal Caribbean to make the decision to cancel its October 8th sailing of Majesty of the Seas.

The cruise line looked at the path of Hurricane Matthew and decided to cancel the cruise to avoid putting the ship, guests and crew in the path of the massive storm.

@susieeq47 Hi Susan. The 10/8 Majesty of the Seas sailing has been cancelled due to weather. Please contact us our your travel agent.

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) October 6, 2016

BREAKING: @RoyalCaribbean cancels #MajestyoftheSeas' Oct. 8 sailing out of @canaveralport, citing trajectory of #HurricaneMatthew.

— Gene Sloan (@CruiseLog) October 6, 2016

Royal Caribbean had planned on having Majesty of the Seas take a shorter sailing and depart on October 8.  The path of the storm and impact on the ship's departure point of Port Canaveral have caused the cruise line to reconsider its plans and cancel the sailing completely.

5:02pm UPDATE: Guests will have the option to receive a full refund of the cruise fare paid or future cruise credit in the amount of 150% of the cruise fare paid. Refunds will automatically be issued within one week to the form of payment applied unless Royal Caribbean is contacted and a future cruise credit is requested.

Due to Hurricane Matthew, Royal Caribbean has had to make changes to the itinerary for the current and next sailing of Majesty of the Seas.

Port Canaveral will be closing all marine traffic on Thursday, and anticipate reopening on Saturday. 

As a result, Majesty of the Seas next sailing will now depart Port Canaveral on Saturday, October 8, 2016. Due to the revised itinerary, Royal Caribbean International will provide each stateroom with an onboard credit in the amount of one day based on the cruise fare paid, which will be credited to guests' onboard accounts.

As a gesture of goodwill, we will also be providing all sailing guests with a 33% future cruise credit.

A letter with more details and information about the updated itinerary will be provided at boarding.

As we reported yesterday, Empress of the Seas is also delayed returning to PortMiami by at least one day.

If there are any questions, please contact Royal Caribbean at 866-562-7625.

Royal Caribbean International will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will provide updates as soon as they become available.

This week's podcast episode is ready to go, as we present episode 166 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast for your downloading pleasure.

This week, we take an in-depth look at the stateroom choices available on a Royal Caribbean cruise. After picking the ship, your stateroom is the next most important choice in the cruise planning process and there are a lot of factors that contribute to picking the right one for you.

There's also lots of reader emails and voicemails to share this week about everything Royal Caribbean.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 166. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS 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!

There is no denying Chops Grille's place in Royal Caribbean lore as being the preeminent specialty restaurant of the fleet. After all, it has been around the longest and constantly regarded as a great dining experience.

While Royal Caribbean has been adding a dizzying myriad of new specialty restaurants across its fleet, Chops Grille remains a signature dining experience and while onboard Freedom of the Seas, we wanted to see if that reputation is still well deserved.

In my opinion, a good dining experience and a restaurant I can recommend to others must offer excellent food and great service, at a fair price. While onboard Freedom of the Seas, I wanted to see if Chops Grille still offered that kind of an experience.

Atmosphere

Chops Grille is in the same spot it has been since Freedom of the Seas launched in 2006, on deck 11 near the entrance to the Windjammer.  

Chops Grille evokes that look and feel of a high quality steakhouse, be it on land or sea. A blend of dark browns and lighter browns and whites sets the restaurant apart from anywhere else on the ship.  It is a classy look that will have anyone that has dined at a Chops Grille on another Royal Caribbean ship feeling like they have been here before. By the same token, new diners to Chops Grille will find the restaurant's atmosphere evocative of a fine dining establishment that lets its cuisine make the statement.

Upon entering Chops Grille, there is a noticeable glass wall that provides a great view of the ocean and area surrounding Freedom of the Seas, provided you dine there early enough to have enough natural light to see outside.  Views of the ocean are always a welcome spectacle, and any guest in the restaurant should be able to see to that window without much effort.

The restaurant is comprised of a long rectangular dining room that extends to a circular shaped space that makes up the back half of Chops.

Simply put, the decor and theme of Chops Grille reminds guests they are somewhere a bit fancier than elsewhere onboard Freedom of the Seas, and that elegant touch is reinforced by the food served.

Eats

If you talk to someone about their experience at Chops Grille, the discussion will likely begin and end with the food.  Chops has quite a positive reputation among Royal Caribbean fans for the delicious food, and it is one aspect of the restaurant that brings guests back time and time again.

The Chops Grille menu on Freedom of the Seas is nearly identical to Chops Grille locations we have dined at on other Royal Caribbean ships in the last couple of years.  In general, Royal Caribbean tends to standardize its specialty restaurant menus fleetwide, although there can be some variations here or there.  At Chops Grille, you will find a menu that mirrors that of many other ships and that kind of consistency is at the heart of what has earned Chops Grille its glowing reputation over the years.

Once seated, guests are offered bread and butter to begin their meal, along with any beverages they desire.  It is worth pointing out the pretzel bread was not available anymore, nor the salted butter that we have enjoyed previously.  What we did have was good too, but admittedly I preferred the pretzel bread and salted butter.  Alas, c'est la vie.

While I may have missed out on my prized pretzel bread, I would not be denied any other favorites, such as the incredible French Onion soup.  

There are many great choices for appetizers, but my go-to choice is there melted Gruyére, Asiago and Parmesan cheese soup that tops a warm broth, mixed in with plenty of onions.  

While I may describe the virtues of my soup worthy of a Shakespearean sonnet, I would remiss if we did not discuss arguably the Chops Grille appetizer everyone seems to love, the grilled black pepper bacon.

When someone hears the word, "bacon," they are likely to conjure up an image of a thin strip of fried pork that might be served at a diner.  There is nothing wrong with that staple of American breakfasts, but Chops Grille's bacon is worthy of an annotation in any well-respected dictionary to refer to what is served by Royal Caribbean as a bacon without equal. Simply, it is massive, well-seasoned and tastes amazing. 

When getting to the entrees, there are many choices and very often, guests wonder if the dry-aged steak option is worth the extra price.

When Royal Caribbean revamped the Chops Grille menu in 2014, they added a few dry-aged steaks to the menu, which promise the best flavor of any steak on land or sea.  Dry-aged steaks are quite the steakhouse phenomenon, and Royal Caribbean has capitalized on the idea by offering them for a modest additional charge.

While I do enjoy a good steak, I freely admit that I am no steak connoisseur. That being said, if you want a terrific flavor to your steak, and want the best meat on the menu, then the dry-aged steaks are for you.  Each is $18-19 and offer the pinnacle of flavor, tenderness, and aroma.

This time around, I opted to stick to the regular part of the menu.  The filet mignon that is offered at Chops Grille is excellent, and I would not hesitate to recommend it as an option.

We also ordered the Everything Crusted Tuna, which was a nice change of pace, although I cannot say it tops the steaks offered at Chops in terms of overall flavor.  

No Chops Grille meal is complete without ordering a number of side dishes.  The side dishes are served family-style, with plenty of refills if needed. 

All the side dishes are quite good, and I found myself adding the sautéed mushrooms to pretty much everything on the table because they seemed to be so darn complimentary and tasty.

Arguably, the least talked about but most deserving of your drool, are the desserts.   Chops Grille has always had a great dessert selection and it is difficult to go wrong with any of the choices.

Of course, the red velvet cake and Huckleberry cheesecake stand out as real winners for their amazing consistency and forget-your-own-kids-names taste.    Your best bet is to order many desserts and sample them all, because they are worth holding back on a few servings of sautéed mushrooms to save room for.

Overall

Having dined at Chops Grille on many ships over the years, I came into Chops Grille on Freedom of the Seas wondering if the restaurant is worth the cost.  The cover charge fluctuates across the fleet, with newer ships charging more, but on all ships, it remains the most expensive specialty restaurant cover charge that is not a private dining experience.

I can safely say that Chops Grille is worthy of a swipe to your SeaPass account for the great food, from start to finish.  Dinner at Chops Grille on Freedom of the Seas reinforced the notion that Chops is the premier Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant, and I believe it remains just as good a value today as in years past. 

The focus of Chops Grille remains the terrific food, and nothing that we ordered even hinted at mediocre.  The ambiance is worthy of any kind of celebration, evening out or occasion, and the food will leave you smiling and very satisfied. 

If you want to learn how to surf from the best, the first ever "Flow with a Pro" cruise will take place on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas in December this year

This special cruise is sailing from Fremantle to Sydney, complete with tuition, expert advice and demonstrations from Adam Wildman, European flowboarding champion in 2013, 2014 & 2016 and Royal Caribbean’s home-grown FlowRider Ambassador.

Guests can ‘Flow with a Pro’ on Ovation of the Seas from Fremantle to Sydney, departing December 6, 2016 for a nine-night cruise. During this cruise, guests will receive access to complimentary group lessons from Adam Wildman, plus he will showcase some of his spectacular tricks with free guest demonstrations along the way.

Adam Wildman first discovered his talent for flowboarding on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas on a family holiday in 2009, and has now turned his passion into a profession. Hailing from the Gold Coast, his sport takes him all over the world. Having successfully defended his title as European Champion earlier this year, Wildman takes on the best of the best at the World Flowboarding Championships in Singapore.

"If you’ve ever thought about giving flowboarding a go, Ovation is the perfect place to test your talents. The most important thing to remember is that falling is half the fun! No matter your age or skill, you’re guaranteed to have a great time," said Adam Wildman, Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider Ambassador.

The signature FlowRider - which can only be found at sea on Royal Caribbean - mimics ocean surf conditions by pumping water at speed over the soft, padded riding area, which riders can ‘drop in’ on from the top of the FlowRider. Surfers will find it’s a slightly different experience to an ocean wave, since the water flows in the opposite direction, making it all the more fun to master. Guests can choose two different riding styles, stand-up traditional surfing and boogie boarding or knee boarding.

Royal Caribbean announced that due to Hurricane Matthew, Empress of the Seas will be delayed returning to PortMiami on time.

Due to the storm, PortMiami is planning to close to all marine traffic on Thursday and reopen on Friday. Because of this, Empress of the Seas next sailing will now depart on Friday, October 7, 2016.

Boarding on Friday will take place as soon as Royal Caribbean receives notification from PortMiami authorities.

To compensate for the missed day, Royal Caribbean will provide each stateroom with an onboard credit in the amount of one day based on the cruise fare paid, which will be credited to guests' onboard accounts. As a gesture of goodwill, we will also be providing all sailing guests with a 25% future cruise credit. 

Guests onboard Empress of the Seas have reported, Empress of the Seas will go to Costa Maya with their extra day and arriving back to Miami on Friday.

Royal Caribbean International will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will provide updates as soon as they become available.

Royal Caribbean cruises are known for the wide-array of entertainment, dining and things to do onboard, and it got us thinking what would be a list of must-do activities that every Royal Caribbean cruiser should try at least once.

There is a daunting list of possibilities, but we have compiled our list of the activities that are available on pretty much every Royal Caribbean ship that are worth doing at least once.  See if you agree with what we have!

16. Eat in the main dining room

Traditional dining may not be everyone's favorite way to enjoy a meal onboard, but the main dining room is such a quintessential part of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience that we are starting our list with this institution.

The main dining room is open every day for breakfast and dinner, as well as lunch on sea days.

The elegance, service and fine dining choices available in the main dining room make this a must-do experience for anyone taking a Royal Caribbean ship. Whether with My Time Dining or Traditional, everyone should try the main dining room at least once.

We also are big fans of lunch in the main dining room.  Available only on sea days, the lunch menu changes every day and is a bit of a hidden gem among Royal Caribbean fans for the great food choices.

15. See the Quest

The Quest is an adults-only scavenger hunt that is big on laughs, friendly joking and competition.  When someone asks what the Quest is exactly, it is never easy to answer except to say, "you have to see it for yourself."

The Quest is an unique Royal Caribbean show that involves guests either actively participating in teams or watching the action.  You do not have to participate, but it is worth seeing for yourself at least once for the spectacle that is this show.

The Quest is an adult-oriented show, so the kids will have to grow up before checking this one off their list.

14. Watch the ship's wake

Taking a cruise is such a relaxing and wonderful way to enjoy a vacation, and regardless of which ship you happen to be on, take a walk on the outside promenade deck at least once to enjoy the view of the ship's wake from the aft of the ship.

This vantage point is quite beautiful and calming, and you might find yourself spending more time here than you thought. Since most guests do not make it over here, it is one of the more secluded spots on a Royal Caribbean ship.

On Oasis-class ships, Royal Caribbean even added chairs for guests to enjoy and watch the wake as their ship moves to the next adventure.

13. Eat at Chops Grille

This entry should be really titled, "eat at a specialty restaurant," and if we are talking about the specialty restaurant to try if you do not eat at any others, it has to be Chops Grille.

For years, Chops Grille has been the defacto signature Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant.  While many other specialty restaurants have been added in recent years, Chops Grille remains in our opinion the restaurant to try if you only choose one.  Plus, it is available on all ships in the fleet and is consistently a wonderful experience.

12. Watch a sunrise or sunset

Being out in the ocean, catching a sunrise or sunset is a gorgeous event that should be done every cruise, but definitely at least once.

The spectacle of the sun rising and setting is amazing, with the many colors in the sky and reflections in the ocean, we should probably add to bring a camera with you because you will want to capture these memories.

Sunrises are much easier to see, since they usually occur at a much more convenient time, but if you cannot sleep one morning, make a point to grab a cup of coffee and try for a sunrise as well.  Either way, you will see one of nature's truly beautiful events.

11. See the Love and Marriage game show

Royal Caribbean has added some incredible shows to its fleet of ships, but one evening show that is a staple of any cruise is the Love and Marriage game show.

Based loosely on "The Newly Wed game," Royal Caribbean's version involves three couples trying to prove they know their spouse the best.  It is a quiz of memory and how well one spouse thinks they know the other.

This is a show that has been performed throughout the years on Royal Caribbean, and we think it is definitely a show that you have to catch at least once to have an appreciation for how amusing it can be.

10. Watch the belly flop contest at the pool

In terms of spectacles, you cannot top the belly flop competition in the main pool.

As the name implies, it is a competition of wills, determination and iron guts.  You might cringe, laugh or applaud, but it is the kind of show that everyone needs to see once.

9. Try room service

Did you know that room service is complimentary on your Royal Caribbean cruise? So many of us have become conditioned to never order room service that it escapes our minds when it comes to a cruise.

There is room service available 24 hours per day, every day of your cruise (there is a small surcharge if you order room service late at night).  The menu varies throughout the day, but the most popular option is breakfast.

You fill out the menu, leave it on the outside of your door and in the morning, your breakfast bounty will be delivered. Even if you just order coffee and bacon to have something to get you going, it is a wonderful option.

8. Watch the wipe outs at the FlowRider

Not every ship has a FlowRider surf simulator, but if yours has one, be sure to head there one day to enjoy the performances and in many cases, lack of coordination.

Guests that try their hand at the FlowRider know that falling down is very likely to happen, but it is all held in good fun and the crew members who assist the guests actively try to help guests with improving their form and learning new tricks.

There is stadium seating behind the FlowRider, which is the perfect vantage point to take in (controlled) surfing at sea.

7. See the ice show

I remember on my first Royal Caribbean cruise aboard Explorer of the Seas seeing an ice show in the Cruise Compass and thinking to myself how boring that should must be.  Boy, was I wrong!

Royal Caribbean's ice skating shows are marvelous examples of grace, skills and coordination set to fabulous music with a loose story.  It all comes together to form one of the best shows Royal Caribbean offers.

If you have the same thoughts I did about seeing an ice skating show, give the show a try because it is a truly amazing show that needs to be seen at least once.

6. Stay in a balcony stateroom once

Everyone has a budget and a balcony stateroom may not always be financially feasible, but it is the kind of experience that if you have never done it before, need to save to try just once.

There is quite a heated debate among Royal Caribbean fans of whether a balcony or inside room is a better bet, but staying in a balcony is something everyone must try at least once.

Having your own private balcony can transform your cruise experience.  Whether you are on your balcony in the morning (remember room service?) or taking it all in with a book in the afternoon, a balcony stateroom means you have your own spot to enjoy without anyone else to bother you (unless that someone else is staying in your stateroom).

5. Experience a sailaway party

Your Royal Caribbean cruise really begins when the muster drill is over and the ship drops its lines and leaves port to head to the first stop.  To celebrate this moment, Royal Caribbean offers a sailaway party at the pool deck and invites all guests to join.

The sailaway party involves dancing, music and drinks and is something worth trying at least once.

There are lots of places onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise to enjoy sailaway, but the sailaway party is something that must be experienced, because it is a core part of the Royal Caribbean cruise process.

4. Take a spa tour

You do not have to buy anything, but the Vitality Spa tour are complimentary and a great way to see this relaxing and luxurious oasis with no commitment.

Tours are available throughout your cruise, but the time to do it is on embarkation day.  The reason to take a tour is as much to learn about the services offered, as it is to take in the wonderful aromas, check out the facilities and learn more about the ship you are on.

3. Dress up for formal night

Formal night may be a vestige of cruising's past, but it remains one of the classiest evenings of any cruise and we think you ought to try it at least once.

The reason why formal night is fun is because in most of our lives, there is so little opportunity to get dressed up outside of weddings and funerals.   On formal night, everyone looks great and when you look great, you feel great too.

While you are dressed "to the nines," be sure to take photos of the family looking their best. Royal Caribbean provides complimentary photographers to take your photos, and then you have the choice later to purchase the photo or not.  Nearly all of our family photos are from formal night on a cruise and it is worth doing at least once.

2. Try the escargot (seriously)

In case you did not know, escargot are cooked snails and they are a delicacy and available each evening in the main dining room.  And yes, most people probably make a face when they first read about it, but it has become a cruising classic and you ought to give it a whirl at least once.

Most fans of escargot will tell you that it is not nearly as bad as you think, and the fact they are cooked in plenty of garlic and butter means you can barely taste them.  Eat it with bread and you may not even recognize the former terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs.

1. Book another cruise while onboard

A very common question that is asked on this site is how to get the best deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and without a doubt, it is to book another cruise onboard.

Royal Caribbean's NextCruise program offers essentially "free money" for rebooking.  You can book any Royal Caribbean cruise that is open for booking and take advantage of any booking promotion that is offered, plus get bonus onboard credit and reduced deposit for booking a cruise onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Not only is it a great deal, but it will give you something to look forward to when you have to sadly disembark your cruise later!

Your thoughts

There you have our list of the top things that everyone ought to do at least once on a Royal Caribbean cruise.  Which ones have you yet to try? Did we miss something from our list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!