Royal Caribbean is testing a new punch card system on Grandeur of the Seas for guests to enjoy 10 drinks for a fixed price.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Rich T shared this photo from the Cruise Compass on Grandeur of the Seas, wher guests could purchase 10 drinks for $89.95.

The drink card is valid for the purchase of most beers, glasses of wine and cocktails as well as fountain soda and specialty coffee.

Guests had reported also seeing this kind of a drink card system tested on other ships, including Liberty of the Seas.

This just one of a few tests Royal Caribbean is testing in regards to different beverage packages and price structures these days. With ships full of guests that are more inclined to party with the holidays, it seems to be an opportunity to try offers like this punch card out.

Royal Caribbean spokesperson Celia de la Llama told Cruise Critic, "Ships have been given the option to test different beverage package offerings onboard.  The decision of which program to offer, if any, is made by the ship."

Earlier this week, a one day sea day beverage package was also spotted on a few Royal Caribbean ships.

Would you buy a drink ticket like this instead of an unlimited alcohol package? Share your thoughts in the comments!

It appears Royal Caribbean has changed the complimentary restaurant Devinly Decadence to the Solarium Bistro onboard Anthem of the Seas.

Message board members on Cruise Critic first reported the change that as of the December 19th sailing, the restaurant was being changed over to Solarium Bistro.

Devinly Decadence was inspired by celebrity chef Devin Alexander, and she confirmed the restaurant was being removed from Anthem of the Seas due to a conflict in commitments.

Devinly Decadence was among the initial restaurants announced for its Quantum class ships and started out as a specialty restaurant on Quantum of the Seas.

In January 2015 Royal Caribbean dropped the cover charge for guests to dine there and made complimentary on Anthem of the Seas as well.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 126 is available for downloading which has a review of a listener's recent experience on Allure of the Seas.

Podcast listener Brian is back to share his family's experience on Allure of the Seas.  Brian talks about the ports he visited, his stateroom and everything he did onboard Allure of the Seas.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 126. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher 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!

Royal Caribbean Vice President of Entertainment, Nick Weir, is back at it again with hints about a new show coming to Harmony of the Seas.

For a few weeks, Weir has posted on Twitter concept art with subtle hints related to what the images could mean.

Based on the clues, it looks like there is a new show or new aspect to an existing show coming to Harmony of the Seas in the Aqua Theater.

Weir employed a similar hinting strategy in November 2015, when he hinted at which Broadway show was coming to Harmony of the Seas.

What do you think Nick is hinting at? Share your ideas in the comments!

If you're going to Royal Caribbean's private island of CocoCay and are intersted in getting one of the best values for a bit of privacy, here is your guide to what you need to know about renting a beach lounger.

What are the beach loungers?

Formerly known as cabanettes, the beach loungers are clam shell beach umbrellas that offer privacy and protection from the sun.

In CocoCay, the beach loungers have an advantage over the cabanas because they are closer to the ocean for quicker "commutes".

What is the cost of a beach lounger?

Each beach lounger rental costs $45 and covers two guests.

What services come with the beach lounger?

The beach loungers are located in the South Beach area, which are away from the crowds and food.

As of September 2016, the amenities included with the beach loungers have been removed and a beach lounger rental now only includes the clam shell beach umbrella.

How do I reserve a beach lounger?

Guests can book a beach lounger online, via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner.

In addition, the concierge onboard can reserve a beach lounger or guests can book them at the Shore Excursions desk.

Keep in mind that reservations tend to go quickly for beach loungers, so it is best to reserve as soon as possible.

Royal Caribbean has released a new video with Chef Michael Schwartz, as he talks bourbon flight tastings at Michael’s Genuine Pub, onboard Quantum class ships.

Social media has never been more popular and a recent study looked at how cruise lines used social media, particularly on Facebook, in 2015 to see how each company fared.

The survey pulled data on many Facebook page interactions each cruise line gained on Facebook, including all the likes, comments and shares from users on the cruise line's posts from January 1 through December 1, 2015.

The survey results are as follows

1. Disney Cruise Line (2.67 million Page interactions)
2. Carnival Cruise Line (2.64 million Page interactions)
3. Princess Cruises (1.47 million Page interactions)
4. Norwegian Cruise Line 1.31 million Page interactions)
5. Royal Caribbean International (1.31 million Page interactions)

On the surface, it looks as though Royal Caribbean came in last among that group, but the study did notice that Royal Caribbean's performance was actually the opposite of that.

"It’s important to note a couple facts, though, that say the opposite: first, the Royal Caribbean International Facebook Page that ranked in the top 5 is a Global Page; Royal Caribbean also has local Pages, including for countries like Brazil and Mexico. For these two local Pages in particular for example, they gained an additional 674,000 interactions. It’s well known that local Pages tend to receive higher engagement per fan than Global ones because local Pages are able to cater their content better. Thus, local Pages tend to be a great move by larger international companies who have many different markets. In this sense, Royal Caribbean is doing a great job on Facebook catering to different audiences."

It appears Royal Caribbean is offering on Enchantment of the Seas a one-day unlimited alcohol package that is aimed at getting guests who do not want to commit to a full beverage package.

Megan Tellalian spotted this new deal on Enchantment of the Seas, where guests could purchase a "sea-day beverage package" for $65 per person.

This one day drink package includes unlimited beers, cocktails and select glasses of wine, as well as bottled water, juices and specialty coffees.  Essentially, it is a one-day version of the ultimate drink package.

Other guests have reported seeing a similar package on Anthem of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas.

Would you buy a one-day unlimited drink package? Let us know in the comments!

Royal Caribbean is kicking off a new sales promotion starting on January 4, 2016, with 50% off your second guest, up to $300 to spend at sea, a reduced deposit and 25% off your third and fourth guests.

The new, "BOGO FURTHER" deal is valid on cruises booked between January 4 and February 15, 2016 on all sailings, excluding China departures.

The deal includes

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest
• 50% reduced deposit
• Onboard credit up to $300
  • Interior: $50 per stateroom
  • Ocean View: $100 per stateroom
  • Balcony: $200 per stateroom
  • Suite: $300 per stateroom
• 25% cruise fare savings for 3rd and 4th guests booked in the same stateroom as first two qualifying guests.
• For Jewel, Vision and Rhapsody of the Seas Europe sailings departing Apr-Nov., 2016, oceanview and higher staterooms booking during the Offer Period, Offer includes a Select Beverage Package for 1st and 2nd guests. 

BOGO is combinable with the OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings, Select Beverage Package Offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers; BOGO and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates. OBC and Select Beverage Package Offer are combinable with restricted rates and NextCruise offers; not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts.

Offer open to residents of U.S. or Canada.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday earlier this week, and with the holidays around us, it is easy to overlook some of the Royal Caribbean news, so we have gone through and compiled this collection of news in case you missed any of it.

At long last, Royal Caribbean opened up bookings for Empress of the Seas this week for cruises beginning in March 2016.

Empress of the Seas will sail out of Miami, Florida and offer 4- and 5-night getaways from Miami to Nassau, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Grand Cayman and Key West, Florida.

Empress of the Seas will stand out from other sailings in that she will offer things like "Sunday Brunch" everyday, with a complimentary Mimosa or Bloody Mary, no formal nights and overnight stays in Cozumel.

We have a lot more Royal Caribbean news to share, so jump right in!

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean is now charging for North Star and Ripcord on Quantum of the Seas.
• We shared five quick facts about Empress of the Seas.
• Sadly, a child drowned on Liberty of the Seas this week.
• Royal Caribbean signed a 10-year deal with the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Royal Caribbean UK launched a new marketing campaign entitled, "Where extraordinary happens."
• Our review of Chops Grille on Brilliance of the Seas.
• Photos of Christmas on Independence of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and spot something cool, new or just fun, share a photo with us on Facebook or Twitter so we can add it to our Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds each Sunday!

Barbara Murphy shared this photo of Poinsettias on the glass staircase of Jewel of the Seas.

Nick Weir posted this photo of Santa and his elves arriving to Anthem of the Seas via North Star!

BCaldwell posted this photo of drinks from Jewel of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 125th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we are counting down our absolute favorite Royal Caribbean desserts!

In this episode, Matt shares his top five Royal Caribbean desserts of all time and also shares a list of desserts some of you contributed.  As is so often the case on the podcast, it is an episode dedicated to food!

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.

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Space Coast Daily reports good progress is being made on the new parking garage at Cruise Terminal 5 in Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean shared a look at what it takes to keep it clean and keep it green.

CMO looks at why split-funnel attribution is changing Royal Caribbean's customer approach.