When you cruise to enough Caribbean islands, a lot of the shore excursions start to sound the same: swim here, hike there, see that.  They are certainly fun, but many of those excursions start to feel all the same.

For those looking to try something different or if you want to see a whole different side of St. Kitts, the Caribbean Scenic Railway Tour is for you.

Description

The Caribbean Scenic Railway Tour is a tour of the backcountry of St. Kitts via a relic from the days when sugar cane was the the industry in St. Kitts (tourism replaced it).

Guests can board an old railway train for a sightseeing tour of a good portion of St. Kitts and its beautiful landscape.

The train is comprised of about a half-dozen two-deck railcars, that provide views of fields, mountains, oceans, neighboring islands and anything else along the way.

The train is a one way tour, so a bus will bring you to one stop or the other (depending on where the train ended up last) and guests board the train for the tour. The same bus will meet you at the conclusion of the train tour to bring you back to the ship.

The train cars are double-deckers, with the top deck being open air and offering the best views.  The bottom deck is air conditioned and also has a restroom.  While the bottom deck of the train car features large windows, more often than not, your view is blocked by vegetation.

The train crawls down the 30-miles of track to provide plenty of time to see a lot of St. Kitts.  

Since this train was built to transport sugar cane from the fields to the processing facility, you will not be seeing much of St. Kitts that tourists get to see.  That means you will get to see St. Kitts in her natural environment.

Along the way, guests are served unlimited soft drinks and cocktails.  There is a waitress on each car that takes drink orders, makes them and then repeats until literally no one else wants anything.  

Throughout the ride, a tour guide will narrate the journey and share information on St. Kitts' history, local lore and anecdotes.

The train will take you across varied landscapes and you see quite a bit of the island's natural beauty.

Comments

What struck me about the Caribbean Scenic Railway Tour and why we booked it is because it was a fairly unique shore excursion. Royal Caribbean claims this is the West Indies' last railway.

There is no question that the tour lives up to its promise of showcasing a large swath of St. Kitts and seeing the mountains, valleys, bridges and beaches are quite lovely.

We also picked this excursion because we were traveling with 1- and 5-year old children, and they certainly were able to enjoy the experience.

The 30-mile track and slow pace means the ride will take about two hours.  I enjoyed the ride, but when it was over I was ready to get off and do something else.

You will see a lot of natural beauty but not much in the way of towns or villages.  This train was originally built to move sugar easily, not with tourists in mind.  I was expecting to see more of the island that might appeal to see later, but other than a glimpse of Brimstone Fortress, there was not much in that way.

Still, if you want a relaxing and easy way to see St. Kitts, it is difficult to not to go with this tour.  It is quaint, beautiful and just the right pace for almost anyone.

Cost: $109 per adult or $59 for children. Infants are free.

Earlier this month, Royal Caribbean completed a 12-day refurbishment of Radiance of the Seas at Vigor Industrial, in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Portland Business Journal

Royal Caribbean spent millions on both technical repairs and exterior upgrades to the ship, focusing on three key areas:

• Updated Staterooms
• Redesigned Vitality at Sea Spa
• Refreshed pool deck

There was also work done on steel replacement and general maintenance propeller work.

The work was completed prior to Radiance of the Seas' next deployment to Alaska, where she will offer cruises to the Alaskan wilderness.

The 2,110-passenger capacity cruise ship weighs 90,000 tons and is 961-feet long.

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship and offers the world's tallest slide at sea in the Ultimate Abyss.

The hair-raising, 10-story slide is “possibly the most thrilling manmade adventure at sea,” according to thrill engineer Professor Brendan Walker, Thrill Laboratory, U.K., director.

Walker was enlisted by Royal Caribbean to identify the level of "thrill" triggered by the Ultimate Abyss.  To do this, Walker measured physical reactions of testers brave enough to accept the challenge. Walker also compared the latest innovation by the global cruise line known for many firsts-at-sea to other Royal Caribbean signatures, the FlowRider surf simulator and RockWall, to compare the varying levels of thrill available onboard Harmony of the Seas.

Ultimate Abyss scored a Walker Thrill Factor of 45.35 percent as compared to the FlowRider (36.15 percent) and RockWall (34.59 percent). According to Walker, these scores are understood to be at the highend of thrill attractions; therefore, making Harmony the ultimate cruise ship for adrenaline junkies.

The tests

A two-day testing perior occurding during the final days of construction at the STX France shipyard and were observed 10 individuals who had never experienced Ultimate Abyss and only limited exposure to the two other activities. 

Demonstrating the effect that Ultimate Abyss has on the body, Walker’s data revealed that the slide experience caused heartbeats to increase by an average of 44 beats per minute compared to the resting rate for a 30-year-old adult of average fitness. Overall, Ultimate Abyss caused facial expressions of extreme pleasure to be activated more than 40 percent of the time, with the sympathetic nervous system – the body’s primary process in stimulating the fight-or-flight response – becoming 15.74 percent more active than when at rest. Riders on the Ultimate Abyss experienced a complex and unique set of sensations at each of the five stages of thrill, all culminating in a euphoric crescendo to guarantee the ultimate rider satisfaction. 

Walker believes that even though not all rides are the same, they need to deliver thrill across the following five separate stages in order to be classified as thrilling:

• Imagining: When the rider consciously entertains the idea of riding. The stronger the rider can imagine riding the ride, the stronger the moments of thrill
• Approaching: As the thought of riding becomes a reality, the moments of thrill created through imagination become intensified in a "countdown to thrill"
• Committing: The rider passes through a stage of no return such as being strapped into a ride or being urged on by friends. At this stage, the only way to proceed is forward
• Doing: The ride begins. If it’s thrilling, the ride will provide intense novel sensations that will immerse the rider and transport them into a state of flow
• Celebrating: The ride ends. The rider experiences an afterglow as adrenaline and dopamine - the results of arousal and pleasure – continue to course through their brains

Results

Walker commented: “Across the three rides we tested, the combination of thrill levels achieved at each stage caused riders to experience an overwhelming sense of elation - and Harmony of the Seas’ Ultimate Abyss recorded the highest combined thrill score across all stages. The initial arrival experience – riders climb the stairs leading up to the slide platform, walk over the clear platform suspended above a more than 90-foot drop – sets the tone for the experience, and when combined with the multisensory experience during the slide, Ultimate Abyss has a hugely thrilling effect. This combination of a natural phenomenon – the feeling of being small in comparison to the endless ocean view – coupled with a manmade experience (i.e. a stainless steel slide) is defining a new genre of thrill that is setting the standard for future attractions as people demand more extreme and expertly crafted thrill-seeking adventures.”

“Royal Caribbean's legacy of imagination and innovation is reflected in all of the ships we build and Harmony of the Seas is no exception. It's not about building the largest cruise ships in the world, it's about creating the most amazing collection of unexpected experiences and activities at sea," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "Having experienced it myself, I have no doubt that the Ultimate Abyss will be absoluately thrilling for our guests but it is really gratifying to get confirmation from such a thrill expert as Professor Brendan Walker. The exciting multisensory experience that this tallest slide at sea offers, combined with other Royal Caribbean firsts such as the Flowrider and the RockWall, confirms that Harmony isn't just the largest cruise ship in the world but also the ultimate adventure at sea."

One of the last questions about Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is who will be its godmother.  Turns out, Royal Caribbean is not certain either.

Speaking onboard Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley told TTG the company is looking to find a godmother for the ship who has commited their life to the education of children in someway.

Bayley said the competition to find a godmother will be held throughout schools in the United States, and possibly extended to include UK schools as well.

SEE ALL THE HARMONY OF THE SEAS PHOTOS

Royal Caribbean's history of choosing the ceremonial role of a ship's godmother is quite varied.  

In some intances, Royal Caribbean has chosen celebrities to help bring additional media attention to a new ship, such as performer Gloria Estefan, actress Jane Seymour, comedian/actress Whoopi Goldberg and tennis champion Steffi Graf, to name a few.

Other times, Royal Caribbean has opted to pick a godmother that honors the industries and causes the company champions, such as picking a travel agent for Anthem of the Seas or an "extraordinary" person on Freedom of the Seas.

Lots of Royal Caribbean fans relish a stay in a Junior Suite (JS) and today, we have a look at one of the Junior Suites from Navigator of the Seas to give you an idea of what to expect if you book a similar stateroom.

These photos were taken on Navigator of the Seas during her April 30, 2016 sailing in stateroom 9572.

Junior Suites on Navigator of the Seas offer guests 297 square feet of space and a balcony that is 73 square feet.

The room has two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long.

Junior Suites on Navigator of the Seas include minibar, vanity area, hair-dryer, TV, phone, vanity table with an extendable working surface for laptop computers and 110/220 electrical outlets. Some have sofa beds and can accommodate 3-4 guests.

Some can also accommodate a rollaway bed or Play Yard. 

While onboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, my daughter insisted on having lunch at her favorite specialty restaurant: Johnny Rockets.

My daughter was drawn to Johnny Rockets' no-frills atmosphere that serves up some really tasty comfort food.  Burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes are all available for a nominal fee.

With my daughter's passion for 1950's fare in mind, we re-visited Johnny Rockets on Navigator of the Seas once more to see how this favorite on land and sea holds up.

Atmosphere

Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean's Voyager- and Freedom-class ships are so similar, I would wager one could not easily tell the difference between any two of them if they were blindfolded.

That is not a bad thing, just a statement on the restaurant's consistency with its sea-based implementation.

Guests dining at Johnny Rockets will find the burger joint on the rear of the ship, up on deck 12.  It is located just before the sports deck activities.

The restaurant is divided into an indoor dining area and an outdoor dining area.

The indoor dining is very typical of any Johnny Rockets you may have been to on land, whereas the outdoor seating seems to be uniquely Royal Caribbean.  Depending on weather conditions, eating outside will either be greatly preferable or impossible.  It really depends on your tolerance for the conditions.

Given the climate controlled environment of the inside restaurant, it seems like most guests prefer to be seated there.

Once inside, you have a combination of booths and bar seating.  

The restaurant is meant to evoke a 1950's diner feel, with plenty of chrome, red (p)leather and classic music tunes to hear.

Music is a big part of the experience at Johnny Rockets, with certain songs highlighted periodically throughout your meal, where the wait staff will get up and dance for your amusement.  

There are jukeboxes at every table, but they were not functional for our meal.  Quite frankly, I cannot recall a Royal Caribbean cruise on any ship where the machines actually worked.

One side of the restaurant has large glass windows, which gives a nice view of the ocean and other guests passing by.

Eats

Dining at Johnny Rockets is simply about enjoying classic American food: burgers, hot dogs, milk shakes, floats and the like.

Every meal begins with a plate of fries and onion rings.  These will be refilled as needed, provided you can make a dent in them.

Johnny Rockets has a $6.95 per guest cover charge, and that cost includes all food and drink, minus milk shakes.  Soda is included in your cover charge, which comes in a variety of varieties and flavors.

My daughter absolutely loves their hot dogs.  I wish I could tell you why, but it is cooked well and not burnt (heaven forbid anyone that burns my daughter's hot dog) and seems to be her favorite.

I opted for the Streamliner, which is a veggie burger.  I have eaten many veggie burgers in my day, but Johnny Rockets' veggie burger is really quite good.

Top it with grilled onions and mushrooms and I presume this as close as we will all get to the feeling my daughter has when eating her hot dog.

My wife chose a cheeseburger and my youngest daughter gnawed on a grilled cheese.

Both were great choices and essentially are good examples of why Johnny Rockets has been so successful over the years.

You can order as much food as you like from the menu, so feel free to go crazy with multiple entrees. 

The milk shakes are the real deal, with a combination of ice cream and milk that is stirred by machine.  That is important to note since many times ice cream in a cup is passed off as a milk shake.

Perhaps the one negative I can say about Johnny Rockets is regardless of how busy or empty the restaurant is, meals just take a while here.  Not certain why, but do not expect a 20 minute quick meal here.

Overview

The best reason to go to Johnny Rockets is the same reason my daughter wanted to go: sometimes, you just want a really good hot dog or burger.

At $6.95 per person, it is still a great value when you consider it includes all the food you can eat, as well as sodas.  A soda outside the restaurant would cost you about $2 each and there is no cherry or vanilla flavoring options.

The Johnny Rockets food will likely not "wow" you with flavor, but it usually hits the spot.  Once you find your go-to menu item, it is hard to go wrong.

The milk shakes are always great choices and when you combine a good shake, burger and some onion rings, you have the recipe for a pretty good meal.

Take a look at the construction process of Harmony of the Seas process, from steel cutting to Southampton Arrival.

If you have followed any bit of the details surrounding Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, then you probably know how amazing this ship really is.

We now have a better understanding of what Royal Caribbean has packed into Harmony of the Seas with two new infographics.

Pretty neat, eh?

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is about to begin offering her first cruises, following her delivery to Royal Caribbean last week.  

Harmony of the Seas will officially launch her inaugural summer season with the first of 34 seven-night western Mediterranean sailings on June 7.

Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee is a beautiful beach paradise that offers guests spectacular views, warm blue waters and a relaxing day.

A somewhat new offering on Labadee has popped up, where guests can reserve beach loungers that promise a little bit of privacy, protection from the sun and some exclusive benefits.

While on a recent Royal Caribbean cruise to Labadee, we tried out these beach loungers for ourselves to see what it is all about.

The official name of these clamshell shades are the Beach Lounger for Two, and they cost $35 for each beach lounger.

Each beach lounger can accommodate two guests and what you pay gets you a few benefits

• A private beach lounger reserved for you, that provides protection from the sun and a little bit of privacy too
• A beach attendant, who can order drinks for you
• Access to a beach area for guests that reserve a beach lounger.

The beach loungers are set up on Adrenaline Beach, which is the beach opposite of where your Royal Caribbean ship is docked, somewhat underneath the path of the Dragon's Flight zip line.

Once reserved online or onboard the ship, guests may proceed to the area at their convenience. Once there, a beach attendant will help pick out the beach lounger of your choice (based on what is available at the time of your arrival).  Beach loungers are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each lounger can fit two lounge chairs, with a little space for bags and other personal belongings around and under the chairs.

While the lounger is meant to seat two guests, there is no limit of guests that can enjoy the lounger or the area. We saw families of 4 and more sharing one lounger in many cases.

We really liked having protection from the sun and a somewhat private area to enjoy.  Cabanas and beach beds offer similar experiences, but at a much higher cost. At $35 for each lounger, it is a solid deal.

The beach attendant experience is nice as well, as it is much simpler to have a single point of contact when you need a drink.  Keep in mind that while the beach attendant services are included with the beach lounger reservation, tips are expected.

Unfortunately, the beach lounger will not provide complete shade at all times of the day. Depending on the position of the sun, it is quite likely for there to be sunlight shining onto at least part of the lounge chairs at any given time. If your goal is to get somewhere on the beach with complete shade, a cabana is still your best bet.

Overall, the price makes these beach loungers quite a competitive option that is hard to overlook.

Unlike their CocoCay cousins, there are less perks available with the beach lounger, but the loungers on Labadee are also less expensive.

The Labadee beach loungers are perfect for anyone that wants to enjoy the Labadee experience without worrying about finding a spot and values a little protection from the elements while they are at it.

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas arrived in Seattle on Monday, which makes it the largest cruise ship on the West Coast.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Tom and Diane Trudnowski took photos of the ship, which is deployed to Seattle to offer her inaugural Alaska cruise season.

Explorer of the Seas will be unmatched in onboard amenities when the ship debuts in Alaskan waters. Guests on the ship’s seven-night round-trip itineraries from Seattle, Wash., will sail up Tracy Arm Fjords for an incomparable view of Sawyer Glacier. In September, the ship will sail three Pacific Coastal cruises, seven nights in duration, which feature an overnight in San Francisco, Calif.

Explorer of the Seas, the 15-deck, 1,557-stateroom ship which accommodates 3,840 guests was revitalized in 2015 to bring signature Royal Caribbean innovations like the FlowRider surf simulator, virtual balconies for interior staterooms and a variety of new dining experiences onboard.