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Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: November 15, 2015

In:
15 Nov 2015

We wrapped up a busy week of Royal Caribbean fun, but if you missed any of it, we have it all wrapped up nicely for you in this weekly news round-up!

Royal Caribbean's released construction photos of its next new cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas.

When finished, Harmony of the Seas will be the third Oasis class cruise ship and the largest cruise ship in the world.

The new photos show off progress in public areas of the ship, such as the AquaTheater and Central Park. She still has a few months of construction left, but already it is easy to get excited for her launch!

Royal Caribbean News

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!

Paul Crow is onboard Liberty of the Seas' first sailing out of Galveston.

Nick Vitani shared this photo of the pool deck from Brilliance of the Seas.

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 Blog Podcast

The 119th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, and we are reviewing our recent cruise aboard Anthem of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt returns from his quick Anthem of the Seas cruise to share what his experience was like onboard, including reviews of dining, entertainment, activities and everything inbetween.

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.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Lady and the Blog shared 14 reasons why you need to cruise on Anthem of the Seas.

Skift interviewed Royal Caribbean Ltd COO Adam Goldstein on a variety of topics.

Autism on the Seas launched a non-profit foundation for special needs families to take vacations.

The Baltimore Sun featured a look at Royal Caribbean's impact on Haiti.

Travel By Terry looks at Royal Caribbean's new Royal Suite Class.

Royal Caribbean tests charging for RFID WOWband bracelets on Anthem of the Seas

In:
13 Nov 2015

In a reversal of policy, Royal Caribbean has begun charging $4.99 for its new RFID bracelets, known as WOWbands, on Anthem of the Seas.

Guests aboard the first commercially available Anthem of the Seas sailing this week discovered Royal Caribbean is now charging for the WOWbands, although WOWbands are still complimentary for suite guests.

Guests may purchase WOWbands at Guest Services and purchased WOWbands are reusable on future cruises.

When Royal Caribbean originally announced the WOWbands product, there was a small nominal charge of $2 per band, but Royal Caribbean quickly changed that policy to make them free to all guests.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WOWBANDS

WOWbands are RFID enabled bracelets that that allows passengers to connect with a number of Royal Caribbean experiences, such as purchase goods and services, access stateroom doors and check-in for activities or entertainment.  They are essentially a replacement for the traditional SeaPass card.

Thanks to Royal Caribbean Blog reader Kenneth Jarvis for updating us on this news.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has issued a statement regarding the change:

Royal Caribbean International is currently testing a new pricing strategy for the WOWBands found onboard Anthem of the Seas. Guests who wish to use a WOWBand in place of their SeaPass card may purchase one in the onboard gift shop for $4.99. Guests in Suites (Junior Suites and above) will continue to receive the WOWBands in their staterooms at no charge.

This is currently only being tested on Anthem of the Seas and guests on Quantum of the Seas will continue to receive their WOWBands at no additional costs.

Royal Caribbean kicks off new social media marketing with live broadcasts on Periscope today

In:
13 Nov 2015

Royal Caribbean begins a big social media push today with the launch of "Come Seek Live" marketing campaign on Periscope.

Royal Caribbean is using the social media app Periscope to integrate on billboards on the streets of New York City, as part of the company's "Come Seek" campaign.  Periscope and the billboards will showcase live interactions with adventurers aboard Anthem of the Seas, as she sails to five distinct Caribbean destinations.

The "Come Seek Live" experiences begin today and will encompass 13 live broadcasts from five islands over seven days.

COME SEEK LIVE will be streamed to subway displays and newsstand screens at hyper-targeted locations around the city including Grand Central, Penn Station, Union Square, West 14th and 7th Ave., 86th and Lexington Ave., Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, and Fulton Center.

Streaming events will begin at the Las Playas natural water slide in Puerto Rico and adventure-hop from playing with green monkeys at the Wildlife Reserve in Barbados to riding ATVs in St. Maarten or enjoying a post-expedition refreshment made by a robot at Anthem’s Bionic Bar.

Periscope followers will be able to direct the adventurers next steps with the unfolding story showing followers what they could be doing right at that moment onboard a Royal Caribbean adventure.

Royal Caribbean senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Jim Berra, is excited for Come Seek Live to begin, "COME SEEK LIVE is an exciting way for Royal Caribbean to challenge the misperceptions travelers have about the cruise industry. We are continually evolving the experience across our fleet, designing adventures that inspire and excite our travelers.  It is natural that we would bring this innovation to the transformation of our marketing as well, especially as we recognize that millennials require us to communicate with them using new channels."

To join in the COME SEEK LIVE expedition, follow Royal Caribbean on Periscope at www.Periscope.TV/RoyalCaribbean.

New photos Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas construction

In:
12 Nov 2015

Royal Caribbean has released a new batch of photos showing off parts of Harmony of the Seas' construction.

Harmony of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's third Oasis class cruise ship, and will debut in Spring 2016.

The photos were taken in November 2015 at the STX shipyard in St. Nazairre, France. All photos are copyright Royal Caribbean International.

4 last minute Royal Caribbean Thanksgiving cruise deals

In:
12 Nov 2015

We are just two weeks away from Thanksgiving in the United States, and if you are starting to think about getting away from the holidays (who wants to deal with all that cooking and cleaning), then you might want to consider these Royal Caribbean cruises over the holiday.

We've scoured Royal Caribbean's available cruises and came up with four sailings that take place largely over Thanksgiving weekend, thus requiring the fewest extra days off from work as possible.  Plus they are inexpensive too!

All prices were accurate as of the publishing of this blog post.

4. Majesty of the Seas

Sailing: 3-night cruise, November 27

Prices starting at $279 per person.

3. Independence of the Seas

4-night cruise, November 26

Prices starting at $426 per person.

2. Enchantment of the Seas

3-night cruise, November 27

Prices starting at $410 per person.

1. Brilliance of the Seas

4-night cruise, November 27

Prices starting at $465.66 per person.

Royal Caribbean adding Voom high speed internet to Freedom of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas

In:
12 Nov 2015

Royal Caribbean kicked off its newest sales promotion this week with the BOGO GETTER deal, and in the fine print, it alludes to which other Royal Caribbean ships will be getting high speed internet.

The deal offers free Voom internet package for one device for Anthem, Harmony, Allure, Oasis, Freedom, and Enchantment of the Seas on select cruises in 2016.

Royal Caribbean had promised Voom will be available on all Caribbean based ships by mid-2016, but it has been unclear which ships would receive the upgrade.

Given the deal for free Voom internet is only good for cruises that depart between May 1 - Sep 30, 2016, it is possible that Voom internet may not be available onboard either Freedom of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas until those dates.

Voom internet is currently available on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.  Majesty of the Seas will be offering guests free Voom internet, following a scheduled 2016 refurbishment.

Voom internet is Royal Caribbean's exclusive high speed internet that allows guests to stream music and movies, upload pictures, video chat with family and friends using FaceTime or Skype, check their email, lookup their stock prices, surf the web and stay connected with work via VPN.

Royal Caribbean offering special military appreciation onboard credit

In:
11 Nov 2015

For the month of Novenmber, Royal Caribbean is appreciating Military personnel with up to an additional $50 onboard credit per stateroom when booking between November 1 and November 30, 2015.

Active and retired U.S. and Canada Military personnel are eligible for all sailings departing on or after November 1, 2015, excluding China.

Offer applies to all stateroom categories:

  • $25 onboard credit per stateroom for 3-5 night cruises
  • $50 onboard credit per stateroom for 6 night or longer cruises.

Cruise must be booked between November 1 – 30, 2015.

Offer is combinable with standard/full fare rates, 30% Savings promotion, restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, BOGO, ChoiceAir Specials, etc.), Crown & Anchor Discounts, Weekly Sales Events, and Next Cruise offers.

Offer available to residents of the United States or Canada.

Anthem of the Seas spotlight: Vistarama

In:
11 Nov 2015

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas offers a lot of things to see and do onboard, and today we are highlighting one of the more impressive visual elements on this brand new ship, the Vistarama.

What is Vistarama

Photo by Moment Factory

Vistarama is a show in Two70, where Two70's iconic floor-to-celing glass windows are transformed into a "digital canvas", where pretty much any scene, real or imagined, can be displayed on them.

Two70 is a two-deck high, multi-purpose entertainment venue is located at the rear of the ship. It features wraparound, floor-to-ceiling windows that give an amazing 270-degree view of the passing landscape.

Check out this preview of Vistarama for a good example of what this show is all about.

How does it work?

Royal Caribbean utilizes 12K resolution projects (that means it is 12 times high definition) and the result is some stunning views for guests to enjoy.

Before the show starts, the sun shields that serve as the projection surfaces are rolled down to cover the windows.

Eighteen projectors are used to create an ambient surface that is 120 feet wide by 23 feet tall, in a 5:1 aspect ratio.  This is an industry first in terms of this kind of projection technology.

The slope, curvature, and surface textures of the Vistarama system require the image content of the projections to be geometrically adapted to the circumstances. The result is a projection with a total resolution of 12,480 x 2,280 pixels and a projection size of 36 x 6 meters.

The Vistarama show content was developed by Moment Factory, while the hardware set up was made possible by Amptown System Company.

What are the Vistarama shows?

Royal Caribbean routinely offers different kind of shows throughout any given Anthem of the Seas cruise and is regularly adding new ones with each new Quantum class ship launch.

In our own experience, we have spotted these shows onboard

  • Cityscape
  • Leonardo's Dreams
  • Tropical waterfall
  • The Library
  • Moon
  • Drawings
  • Under the Sea
  • Test Pattern

Why is Vistarama worth your time?

Photo by Moment Factory

What makes Vistarama so impressive a show is the visuals that can only be found here.

Vistarama's ultra-high definition displays transform the entire Two70 space and it is one of those things you have to see to appreciate.  

Simply put, Vistarama is a stunning display that is as beautiful as it is immense in scale.  

Anthem of the Seas Cruise Review on Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

In:
11 Nov 2015

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

Episode 119 is available for downloading where Matt shares his thoughts on his recent 2-night cruise aboard Anthemof the Seas.

Matt experiences a lot onboard Anthem of the Seas, and this week, he dives into what makes Anthem of the Seas unique and discusses the aspects of dining, entertainment and accomodations that stood out and why.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 119. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSSStitcher 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 Blog Podcast Episode - Anthem of the Seas Cruise Review

In:
11 Nov 2015

Listen to the Show

Perhaps no cruise ship other than Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas has garnered as much attention this year, and this week, I have returned from my 2-night adventure on Anthem of the Seas to share with you my entire experience.

It was a terrific experience and it changed the way I look at the Quantum class ships. Let’s talk about the many experiences, dining, entertainment and everything else inbetween on this week’s episode.

Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...

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