Royal Caribbean's new approach to luxury cruising will debut in May 2016 in the form of Royal Suite Class, and if you are interested in what this new level of luxury offers, here is what you need to know.

The three categories of Royal Suite Class

Star Class

• Royal Loft Suite
• Owner’s Loft Royal Suite
• Grand Loft Sky Loft Suite
• 2-Bedroom Aqua Theater Suite
• 4-Bedroom Family Suite

Sky Class

• Aqua Theater Suite
• Crown Loft Suite
• Owner’s Suite
• Family Suite
• Superior Grand Suite
• Grand Suite

Sea Class

• Junior Suite
• Spa Junior Suite
• Family Connected Junior Suite

Ships Royal Suite Class will be available on

Beginning in May 2016, Royal Suite Class will be available on 

• Oasis of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas (when sailing Australian and European itineraries, but not China itineraries)

Royal Suite Class will not be onboard ships in China.

Royal Suite Class amenities

Star Class

• Royal Genie Complimentary
• Access to Specialty Restaurants
• Coastal Kitchen Access
• Ultimate Beverage Package 
  • Available for all guests within the suite 
  • Guests under 18 will receive the soda package instead
• Unlimited Voom
  • Each guest booked in Star or Sky Class suites will receive complimentary VOOM on one individual device of their choice
• Frette Linens
• Exclusive Concierge Service
• Suite Lounge
• Daily Gratuities
• Exclusive Signature Activities
• Exclusive Suites Beach Access
• Handcrafted Cocktails (with or without alcohol)
• Nespresso Coffee Maker
• 1 Complimentary Fitness Class
• 1-Day Thermal Room Access
• In-Suite Dining
• Bottled Water
• In-Suite Movies

Sky Class

• Coastal Kitchen Access
• Voom
  • Each guest booked in Star or Sky Class suites will receive complimentary VOOM on one individual device of their choice
• Exclusive Concierge Service
• Suite Lounge
• Exclusive Signature Activities
• Exclusive Suites Beach Access
• 1-Day Thermal Room Access
• Luxury Pillowtop Mattress
• Bottled Water

Sea Class

• Dinner Access to Coastal Kitchen
• Luxury Pillowtop Mattress

Royal Genie

Royal Genie is available for all suites within the Star Class tier.

Guests are unable to select a specific Royal Genie.

The Royal Genie can be reached 24/7 and will advise the best way for guests to stay in touch.

The Royal Genie Service is not a service that can be purchased. It is an amenity exclusive to all Star Class guests.

The Royal Genie will make all shore excursion plans for the guest. While guests are enjoying their time in port, they will be prepping for the guest’s arrival.

What happens after booking the Royal Suite Class?

For all guests booked on a Star Class Suite, they will receive a welcome email 8 days after booking and a final reminder 7 days prior to sailing.

For all guests booked on Sky and Sea Class, they will receive a welcome email 8 days after booking and a final reminder 7 days prior to sailing.

Activities and Entertainment

Every guest is encouraged to pre-book their activities through Cruise Planner as soon as they have been booked. For all Star Class guests, the Royal Genie will take care of any reservations onboard the ship.

Guests will be able to reserve dining, shore excursions and other activities 90 days prior to their sail date. For all Star Class guests, the Royal Genie will take care of any reservations onboard the ship.

Can a guest host a dinner party in their suite?

Guests are welcome to plan any sort of event in their suite. The Royal Genie and Concierge can help arrange such experiences onboard but additional charges may be incurred, depending on the request.

Can a guest invite their friends to specialty dining under their reservation?

Complimentary specialty dining is only available for the guests within the suite. Guests are encouraged to dine with family, friends or whomever they’d like but please know that guests not sailing in the suite will need to pay the cover charge.

Breakdown of specialty dining benefits for Royal Suite Guests

Star Class Guests receive complimentary specialty dining throughout their entire cruise as well as access to the exclusive suite restaurant, Coastal Kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sky Class Guests receive access to the exclusive suite restaurant, Coastal Kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sea Class Guests receive access to the exclusive suite restaurant, Coastal Kitchen for dinner only

There are less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts, and we are counting down every day with something different about this brand new ship!

Escape the Rubicon

Royal Caribbean first introduced an escape room game on Anthem of the Seas and the concept is now going to be added to Harmony of the Seas.

If you are wondering what an "escape room" is, it is essentially a group game, where players must solve clues hidden throughout one room in an allocated amount of time (usually 60 minutes) in order to find the "key" to escaping the room.

This is different kind of onboard activity that was pioneered by a group called Puzzle Break, which have created similar experiences on in a few cities.

After a briefing, guests search a room for clues and hidden messages and then try to put it all together to figure out the key phrase.  There are word searches, patterns and other challenges designed to get you thinking in a lot of different directions.

Escape the Rubicon will take place in a dedicated space designed in partnership with ShowFX Inc., a staple for Hollywood studios’ engineering, design and fabrication of custom entertainment equipment.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

If there is one Caribbean port of call that seems to generate the most questions about what to do there, it has to be Falmouth, Jamaica.  

On a recent cruise to Falmouth, we had the chance to try the Blue Waters Beach Escape shore excursion.

Description

The Blue Waters Beach Escape is a shore excursion sold by Royal Caribbean, that promises guests a beach experience very close to port (only a 10 minute bus ride) with white sandy beaches, blue water, complimentary drinks and food and some other extras too.

Guests meet the tour group in the designated tours area, located close to the Falmouth port gate.  There, guests check-in and are given bracelets for all members in their party.

Guests are picked up in an air conditioned coach bus and driven to the beach, which is a bit under ten minutes away.  

Our bus driver gave passengers a brief overview of Falmouth and Jamaican customs.  The bus ride is quite short, so there is not much to see along the way.

Upon arrival, guests are taken through the entrance area and given a short overview of the facilities and options.  

After that, guests are free to choose a seat on the beach and enjoy the area as they see fit.  

Blue Waters features a beach with designated swim area, as well as these amenities

• complimentary Wi-Fi access (signal seems to only be available near the bar)
• complimentary beach chair
• unlimited Jamaican inspired food
• select complimentary drinks

Comments

Our family struggled mightily with what to do in Falmouth and we picked Blue Waters because it was a short ride to the destination and the price was not as expensive as some other options there. With our young children, avoiding a long bus ride seemed like a good idea.

Blue Waters is great for someone looking for a basic beach day and not interested in all the upgraded amenities or options at some of the other all-inclusive resorts in the area, such as the Hilton Rose Hall resort.

The water is indeed blue and a very nice beach experience.

Unfortunately, there were aspects of the excursion that did not sit well with us, but may be fine for you.

Upon arrival, the beach was nearly full and while we were able to get a beach chair, some guests who arrived after us had no chairs available and had to settle for beach chair mats until chairs were freed up by departing guests.  The shore excursion title says, "An exclusive Blue Waters Beach Escape", but clearly this was not as exclusive as one may have thought.

The food is described as, "unlimited food (jerk chicken, pasta) served up by 5-star chefs," and while the food was free, it certainly was not five-star level food.  Jerk chicken, salad, a seafood pasta, hot dogs in a sauce and another option or two were plentiful, albeit not very tasty.  My picky wife and children essentially ate nothing and I cannot say the food was anything remarkable.

Lastly, the Wi-Fi signal was only available near the bar area and there were so many other guests using it, that it was essentially useless.

With all of that being said, I think Blue Waters is a good option for someone that wants a basic beach day, does not need frills and does not want a long ride to/from the excursion.

Royal Caribbean guests on the excursion also have a select menu to choose from that includes a number of unlimited alcoholic beverages.  

I also did like that there were buses running back to the port quite often, so it allowed guests to leave early if they wanted.

Ultimately, Blue Waters is a nice beach, but was too crowded for our taste and the dining options available were also lackluster. As long as guests go in with the right expectations, I think Blue Waters can be a good (and close) option, but it is important to understand what this excursion offers.

Cost: $79.75 per adult or $59.75 per child. Infants are free.

Royal Caribbean launched a new marketing campaign in Hong Kong, entitled "Cruise Extraordinary."

The new campaign is designed to show the cruise line's imaginative approach to cruising in the Chinese market and will be shown in targeted television and print ads.

Royal Caribbean wants to highlight the experiences guests can enjoy onboard that give are all about enjoying oneself on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The new TV commercial was shot onboard Quantum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas during actual cruises.

The commercial includes a cast of 200 actors and cost tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars and is aimed at guests who are looking for a different vacation adventure.  

Balwin Yeung, director of sales and marketing of Royal Caribbean Cruises Hong Kong said, “As the market leader in Hong Kong, this year Royal Caribbean has adopted a more visible positioning on the market with aggressive advertising and sales strategies to appeal to customers looking for something truly special.”

The commercial will be aired in Hong Kong starting from today and will work hand in hand with messages in other media to create more touch points for consumers to get a taste of the cruising experience.

Are you excited for Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas to debut? We are too and that is why every day, we are posting something new about this incredible new cruise ship leading up to her arrival in less than 99 days.

Engine tests

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas wrapped up her first set of sea trials over the weekend, and part of that exercise was trying out her new engines.

This was the first time Harmony of the Seas had her engines used, which were aimed at testing the ship's propulsion and maneuverability.

Royal Caribbean released these images of the engines at work and while we are no engineering experts, it certainly looks like they are working well!

Photos by Royal Caribbean International

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

Last week, Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas began her conveyance down the River Ems and it was the first real look the public got of this brand new cruise ship.

In the days that followed, a lot of really talented photographers were able to check her out and we wanted to show off some of their amazing work that exemplifies how beautiful this new ship is.

First up are these two beautiful night time photos of Ovation of the Seas by Björn Haß.

Here are some more great shots of Ovation of the Seas, taken by Andreas Depping.

And here are couple more from Jeroen Houtman of Ovation from a slightly different perspective.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I wonder what a 4K video is worth.  Here's a great one that was sent to us by Peter Sahara.

Royal Caribbean has already released some of its 2017-2018 itineraries, but has provided an updated deployment schedule for some of the itineraries that are still not available yet.

The updated deployment schedule is as follows

• Now open for booking
  • Caribbean, Europe and Alaska
• Week of April 4, 2016
  • Seasonal Caribbean, Northeast and Exotics
• Week of April 25, 2016
  • Dubai
• May 2016
  • Additional Caribbean
• Summer 2016
  • China

All itineraries and openings are subject to change without notice. Deployment schedules gives consumers an idea of when to expect particular cruise schedules to become available to start looking at future cruises.

Personally, I love to eat on a Royal Caribbean cruise and indulge in the amazing variety of food offered onboard.  Royal Caribbean offers a lot to choose from and for someone that enjoys trying new foods, this is terrific.

What happens if you, or someone you are cruising with (such as a young child) is a picky eater and hates trying new foods?  

You might think this could ruin your trip, but it does not have to!

Here are some good tips for how to deal with the pickiest eaters on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I have found over the years.

Best place for kids: Windjammer buffet

Children are notoriously picky eaters, because they tend to judge food purely on its aesthetics instead of what it tastes like.  

You can try explaining to your kids how tasty broccoli really is, or just head to the "great equalizer at sea", the Windjammer.

The beauty of the Windjammer is the sheer variety of food offered.  

You will find the widest selection of food in the Windjammer, including some really basic foods, such as grilled meats, cheeses, fruit, pasta and more.

In fact, much of the food served in the Windjammer is based on the idea of creating it yourself, so the pasta has no sauce on it and the grilled chicken comes out bare.  There are plenty of sauces and toppings you can add right next to it, but for picky eaters, it is always best to keep foods simple and go from there.

In short, when it comes to appeasing a picky eater, you want as much choice as possible on your side.

Places offering picky eater-friendly choices

On any Royal Caribbean ship, you will find a lot of restaurants onboard that serve up food to guests. Each has their own menu and different options to choose from.

For picky eaters, we have found these Royal Caribbean restaurants offer a higher likelihood of making picky eaters happy.

Sorrento's Pizza

Any Royal Caribbean ship with a Royal Promenade or Royal Esplanade will offer a food that almost any picky eater can enjoy, Sorrento's Pizza.

While Sorrento's may not win any culinary awards for the pizza it offers, the pizza available here is always a hit with kids and picky eaters a like.

At any given time, guests can enjoy a few different varieties of pizza, but plain cheese and pepperoni pizza is almost always available.  And it's complimentary!

Wipeout Cafe

Royal Caribbean figured if kids are going to be spending a lot of time near the amazing onboard activities, such as the FlowRider, Rock Climbing Wall or Teen Club, then they should put somewhere to eat that appeals to them nearby.

Wipeout Cafe has hot dogs, burgers, fries and ice cream and not much else.  But for picky eaters, this must be heaven.

In terms of easy to please food that is nearby the pool decks, Wipeout Cafe is a great choice and usually features very short lines.

Main Dining Room

Royal Caribbean designed its main dining room to be able to accommodate thousands of guests and almost as many tastes.

Whether you are a super picky eater, have dietary restrictions or just do not like wet and dry foods touching, the staff at the main dining room is there to make your dining experience perfect.

Ask to speak to the head waiter and explain what you would like, even if it is not on the menu. With advanced notice, the chef can create something perfect that should satisfy the pickiest of eaters.

Johnny Rockets

For a small charge, picky eaters can do quite well at Johnny Rockets, where you will find classic American food prepared to your liking.

Burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, chicken sandwiches and more are available at Johnny Rockets and you really cannot beat the quality of food served here when it comes to this classic fare.

While the burgers, dogs and sandwiches served elsewhere onboard are complimentary, the quality of the food at Johnny Rockets is top-notch and always seems to hit the spot.

Get your picky eater involved in planning

When you have picky eaters in your group, one important step you can take to ensure a smoother dining process is involve them in the decision making.

Empowering them to help with planning not only helps alleviate anxiety about what they are about to eat, but it also helps get them onboard with the plans.

When planning where to eat, encourage your picky eaters to help with the planning and take a look at Royal Caribbean menus in advance.

After all, eating on a Royal Caribbean cruise is more than just about getting sustinance to fuel your body.  Dining is a big part of the cruise fun!

The secret menu: side dishes

Just because you have a picky eater does not mean you cannot eat at restaurants without burgers or hot dogs on the menu.

On this blog, we love to dine at Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants such as Giovanni's Table, Sabor, Chops Grille and more, but picky eaters may not be thrilled about the menu choices there.

An overlooked aspect of all these restaurants are the side dishes, which are often basic options that can easily be turned into entrees (especially for kids).

In most specialty restaurants, the side dishes can be ordered in as much quantity as you like, so picky eaters can use those options as a basic part of their meal without having to venture out to the main dishes on the menu.

We want to hear from you! What are your best tips for dining with picky eaters on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Leave a comment and share below!

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!

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has returned to the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France after completing the first three days of sea trials.

Harmony of the Seas traveled almost 1000 nautical miles in the time span of about 60 hours.

During the trip, Harmony of the Seas had her power plant capacity tested in its basic configuration up to full power (96 MW), as well as tests for propulsion and maneuverability.  

A statement by STX France indicated the ships' performance was what they expected.

With these sea trials complete, STX will put the ship into dry dock for final cleaning of its hull before delivery. Delivery to Royal Caribbean is expected to take place on May 12.

Prior to delivery, a second set of sea trials must take place in April.

When Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts, she will be the world's biggest cruise ship and offer a lot for guests to do onboard.

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas will debut in less than 99 days and to celebrate, we are counting down every day with a brand new blog post all about Harmony of the Seas.

Three ways Harmony of the Seas will be different

Today, we have three big ways Harmony of the Seas will be different from any other Royal Caribbean ship in the fleet, including her sister ships.

More efficient than its sister ships

Harmony of the Seas will be about 20% more efficient than Oasis of the Seas or Allure fo the Seas, thanks to improvements in hydrodynamics, equipment, new design for the ship and more.

Royal Caribbean considered all possibilities to find energy efficiencies in an effort the make this ship do more, with less.

They found the biggest savings came from the hydrodynamic piece, but improvesments with new kinds of propulsion units are more effective as well.

The main engines are more fuel efficient than their predecessors and Royal Caribbean changed most of the ship’s lighting to LED lighting, whcih recovers wasted heat.

The air conditioning is more efficient and SMART systems have been implemented to control the consumption of electricity.

Harmony of the Seas will be longer than other ships

We mentioned earlier that Harmony of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship in the world, and that means she is about 33cm longer than other ships.

Harmony of the Seas is also a little bit wider and has a bigger gross tonnage.  Essentially, Harmony of the Seas is bulked up all around.

Harmony of the Seas staterooms will be bigger

Guests will find the staterooms on Harmony of the Seas larger than previous Royal Caribbean staterooms, especially from deck six and above.

Royal Caribbean has made those staterooms on deck six and higher longer, which is part of the reason why the ship is a bit wider than the others in its class.

Learning from Quantum class ships that already have some of the most efficiently-designed cabins, designers on Harmony were able to gain a few inches here and there.

Guests will find there’s a great amount of floor space and they’re versatile in every conceivable way. They have great balcony spaces attached, that means guests can maximize the available space for each of the staterooms.