Royal Caribbean is using virtual reality as a tool to showcase their newest ship, Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship while under construction at the STX shipyard.
Michael Poole is onboard Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas and is live blogging his adventure. Follow along right here!
It’s day 2 onboard the Brilliance of the Seas, so I thought waking up at 5:30am was a good idea. Funny I woke up and thought it was around 8-9am, but in those inside cabins you really have no idea what time it is.
Since, I was awake I thought I’d go explore the ship a little. If you have never woke up early, I encourage you to do it at least once, really neat experience to feel like you are the only person on board.
I then decided to go enjoy the Diamond lounge. At 7am, they brought in some trays of fruits, pastries, and juices. They also have a nice coffee maker in there that’s easy to use, with one-touch commands.
I had decided to watch sunrise on the top decks, also a must-do at least once on a cruise. I discovered a suite only deck all the way forward, and watched the sun come up there.
I honestly didn’t know it was suite only area until I was leaving, they have a little sign on the staircase.
Okay it’s almost 8am now, so I was already ready for a nap. I rested for an hour or so to get ready for a full day in Key West at Noon.
The Brilliance docked in Key West right on time, and within a few minutes they let all the guests off.
My suggestion, unless you have a planned excursion to make, just give it 15-20 minutes to clear out downstairs. There was a very long line to get off the ship, but it did move fast.
I did notice, we did not have to go through United States Customs, like we did on my Majesty of the Seas cruise last October. Since Key West was our first stop out of the USA, we were in the clear.
My plans for the day were just to explore, do a few Periscopes and enjoy lunch at Sloppy Joes.
When I got to the restaurant it was 11:50am, and they don’t open until noon. There was already about 10 people waiting on the sidewalk, and it quickly grew.
If you are looking for a casual, fun restaurant, with live music this is your place. Someone online suggested I order the fish taco’s there, and they didn’t let me down.
After lunch I explored the town and took some pictures, I did notice they just added Senor Frogs there, which was empty.
Once I got back onboard, I decided it was time I enjoy the pool deck.
I grabbed a Stella ($6.98), which they charge Florida sales tax since we are docked here.
The pool was full with kids playing ball, jumping and having fun. I quickly moved into the Solarium and to find kids in this pool too! The staff came by a few minutes later and asked the children to exit the pool area.
Since I was already in the solarium, how can you pass by park café without getting a snack? I stopped for a roast beef sandwich, and it was hands down the best one I’ve ever eaten. I think the trick is a lot of the gravy!
I thought tonight was formal night, since it was day 2 and that’s when it usually is. However, it was casual attire and I was a little dressed up.
I again went up to the Diamond Lounge for a few free cocktails. The staff in there is so great, when they see your drink just halfway gone; a new one is on the way, which I never turn away!
After an hour or so here, I decided to go visit the pub, which is beside the casino.
The staff in there let me order any beer I wanted with my C&A diamond drink coupons. In fact, they surprised me with a few different options, really great crew in there.
Well friends, I decided to go back to the Windjammer, and I’m glad I did. Tonight’s dinner was so good! They had so many options, even chicken fried rice, yum.
Matt would be happy also, they had the main dining room lasagna.
The service was also really great; they kept bringing me new water while I was eating. Also, one of the main chefs came to my table to see how I was enjoying the meal; you don’t get this in the main dining room.
After dinner, I explored the ship and enjoyed some live music which seems to be everywhere on this ship.
That’s it for day 2, tomorrow we have our first sea day.
Today I paid for two Stella’s, one before Key West and one once I was back on board. So a total cost of $14 for the two beers.
However, I did have two beers in Key West at the restaurant for $5 each, but still when you factor those I’m under the daily drink package cost.
Now let’s see if I can hold out on the package for our first sea day tomorrow.
I thought I’d mention the WiFi onboard; it’s $20 per day for one device.
I used my Diamond C&A coupon, which is pre-loaded when you buy it on board. The coupon was $40 off, so for five days the package cost me $60.
Other than ships with Voom, the Wi-Fi is working great. I’m able to send a picture about every 60 seconds via email, and my devices are staying connected all over the ship.
To celebrate the launch of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas in less than 100 days, we're counting down each day with some really cool about the ship. Check out our blog each day for a brand new post all about Harmony of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean has built quite the reputation for its Oasis-class cruise ships offering an incredible amount of dining options, but its main dining room experience remains a favorite among cruise fans.
On Harmony of the Seas, the main dining room offers guests a sweeping, multi-level restaurant with amazing ambiance, world-class cuisine and a great wait staff.
The main dining room serves meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner on most days for guests to enjoy.
At dinner, guests will enjoy a special themed menu each evening and the option of reserving traditional dining ro My Time Dining.
Traditional dining gives guests the choice of two set times for dinner, where they will be seated with the same tablemates and wait staff each evening.
Traditional dining is a wonderful opportunity for the wait staff to get to know you and learn your preferences and how you like to be served, and are constantly looking to ensure you have the best possible dining experience each evening.
My Time Dining gives guests the flexibility of choosing a dining time between 6pm and 9:30pm, so dinner time can revolve around your schedule.
With My Time Dining, guests do not have a pre-assigned table and can choose to show up when it is convenient for them or make a reservation for a specific time. My Time Dining guests order from the same dinner menu as traditional dining guests.
Parents can choose My Family Dining and let Royal Caribbean serve your children (aged 3-11) in about 40 minutes, before whisking them away for fun and games - leaving you to finish your meal at your leisure.
The main dining room experience on Harmony of the Seas is about enjoying an elegant evening meal onboard and is a major component of the Royal Caribbean dining experience.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!
While we were on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, we were browsing the the Royal Caribbean gift shop and ran across quite possibly the cutest drink cozies ever.
The "drink floaties" offer inflatible life preservers for your drink that fit around most beverages or cups.
The floaties come in a few different colors, including orange, green and yellow.
If you are looking for a fun way to enjoy a cold beverage, you might consider this!
A 4-pack of drink floaties are available for $14.95 and were sold in the Allure of the Seas gift shop.
Will you be adding these floaties to your collection? Share with us in comments below!
Spring is here and so is this week's Royal Caribbean news round-up, where we share with you all of the Royal Caribbean news from this week so you do not miss a thing!
The big news this week was Royal Caribbean's reveal of the entertainment on Ovation of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean announced the various entertainment options across this brand new Quantum class cruise ship, including shows in Two70, the Main Theater and more.
Quantum of the Seas will debut in April 2016, and offer a number of shows not seen on any other ship in the fleet.
To celebrate the countdown until Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts, we kicked off a brand new blog series, 99 Days of Harmony, that looks at what makes this new ship so amazing.
Each day we are posting a new blog post all about Harmony of the Seas, so here's what you might have missed this week.
The 138th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we have an exclusive interview with the Allure of the Seas hotel director.
In this episode, Matt sits down with Royal Caribbean' Joao Mendonça to discuss how a ship the size of Allure of the Seas functions so well and provide a "behind-the-scenes" look at Allure of the Seas.
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.
The Street interviewed Royal Caribbean COO Adam Goldstein about cruises to Cuba.
In The Loop Travel has a video tour of Oasis of the Seas.
Eat Sleep Cruise wonders if Empress of the Seas is going to Cuba.
Shermans Cruise has a list of 5 wacky classes to take at sea.
We're counting down the days until Harmony of the Seas debuts later this year with our 99 days of Harmony blog series. Each day we will post something about Harmony of the Seas to share with all of you!
Boardwalk balcony staterooms
On Harmony of the Seas, guests can choose from a number of different stateroom options and one of the unique options to the Oasis class ships are the Boardwalk view staterooms.
Balcony staterooms that overlook the balcony offer a great vantage point of all the fun going on in the Boardwalk neighborhood, as well as a partial view of the ocean. That is the appeal of this category of staterooms, where you can peek out your balcony onto the bustling Boardwalk and see just how many incredible onboard amenities are at your fingertips.
Of course, Boardwalk Balcony staterooms also offer the opportunity to relax in larger staterooms. Royal Caribbean created these rooms with a special focus on comfort and convenience, Harmony of the Seas staterooms boast contemporary and smart design with innovative storage to maximize your living space.
Beginning in November 2016, guests staying in Boardwalk view balcony staterooms will be able to enjoy complimentary amenities such as free food, drinks and more.
The new EAT • DRINK • PLAY complimentary amenities offer guests in Boardwalk balcony staterooms
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!
We're counting down the days until Harmony of the Seas debuts later this year with our 99 days of Harmony blog series. Each day we will post something about Harmony of the Seas to share with all of you!
Of all the features being added to Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, the Ultimate Abyss is something brand new to any Royal Caribbean ship and it has generated a lot of interest.
This 10-story slide is more than 150 feet above sea level and begins in the Pool and Sports Zone at the aft of the ship down to the Boardwalk neighborhood below.
Today we have a new photo of its progress to share, as it appears that this intense slide is in the stages of being added.
Unlike the other slides onboard, Ultimate Abyss will not be a water slide and will start at the top of the AquaTheater and bring guests down to the Boardwalk.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!
This week's batch of beautiful Royal Caribbean photos is here and it's always fun to share with all of you the great photos our readers take while on their cruise vacation.
The photos we have to show this week are fun and of course anyone can send us their Royal Caribbean photos to use as well!
Our first Royal Caribbean photo this week comes to us from Allison, and it is of Radiance of the Seas docked in Hobart, Australia. Love the perspective of Radiance versus the sail boats.
Great composition in this photo of Navigator of the Seas by Justin York, as seen from Senor Frogs in Cozumel.
Next is a photo from Explorer of the Seas off the coast of Southern Spain by Henry H. Is there ever a bad looking photo of Spain?
All CocoCay fans are sure to love this shot by Justin. Just a perfect looking day in paradise!
Courtney sends us this photo from the very top of Labadee, just before hooking up to the zip line. What a view!
Ken Slusser has a photo of Quantum of the Seas arriving in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and this is a wonderful shot of Quantum's bow!
Our last photo this week is from Rich Triplett and it is an early morning view from his aft balcony on Radiance of the Seas, looking back at Jewel of the Seas as she enters Skagway, Alaska.
Thank you to everyone that sent in their photos this week and if you have Royal Caribbean photos, well, we want to see them! You can use this form to send us your photos and we will feature them on an upcoming Friday Photos blog post!
Watch a hyper-lapse tour of the world’s largest ship, Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas at STX Shipyard in France.
Each day we are posting a brand new blog post to countdown until Royal Caribbean launches Harmony of the Seas. There's a lot to get excited about on this amazing ship and we're highlighting it all.
One of the brand new shows coming to Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is called, "The Fine Line" and it promises to be something really special.
Taking place in the AquaTheater, Royal Caribbean describes the show as, "a journey from extreme to extraordinary, The Fine Line is the AquaTheater redefined with high-flying feats, mind blowing stunts and physically demanding acrobatics brought to life by the world’s best extreme-sport athletes. Designed as a 360° immersive entertainment show, revelers will be wishing for eyes in the back of their head to take in all the action happening around them."
Royal Caribbean Vice President of Entertainment, Nick Weir, has shared some quick videos of the rehearsals taking place right now that show off some of amazing acrobatics involved in the show.
Weir calls the new acrobat style, "3D flying" and involves multiple points of rigging to allow performes to "fly" all over the stage.
#3DFlying #HarmonyOfTheSeas #RoyalCaribbeanProductions #MomentFactory #TheFineLine #NoSpecialEffectsThisIsReal pic.twitter.com/kPTnZHzqsB
— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) March 23, 2016
#HarmonyOfTheSeas #AquaTheater #TheFineLine #24/7 #RoyalCaribbeanEntertainment @RoyalCaribbean @Moment_Factory pic.twitter.com/UT45gUIE6W
— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) March 17, 2016
The Slack Liners have arrived! They are very cool. #TheFineLine #AquaTheater #HarmonyOfTheSeas @RoyalCaribbean pic.twitter.com/2IWqtPj89p
— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) March 17, 2016
The amazing #AquaTheater #TheFineLine team have created a new apparatus. Andrew Watson has done it again! AcroLight™ pic.twitter.com/stAaEb3fG6
— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) March 11, 2016
3D Flying is freedom in x y & z + pitch & roll. This clip is in realtime but Erica is making her moves in slo mo. pic.twitter.com/DLQiGD9P7s
— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) March 2, 2016