Royal Caribbean signed a new deal with PortMiami to expand its operations there, which include more passengers and a new terminal.

The 50-year deal was signed on Tuesday for a cost of $2.8 billion that encompasses a development and lease agreement.

There's plenty in this deal, but cruisers will find it most interesting that construction of a new Terminal G is included, which will be for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean and its subsidiary companies, including Celebrity Cruises, and its lease there for 36 years.

Terminal G is one of the older cruise terminals in Miami, and usually used by Royal Caribbean on days when Terminal A is occupied.

Terminal A is the brand new cruise terminal Royal Caribbean opened in 2018 that serves as its primary cruise terminal. When there is more than one Royal Caribbean ship in port, they will use other terminals, such as Terminal G.

In addition to Terminal G, Royal Caribbean will be able to share another terminal with MSC Cruises. That terminal will be complete in October 2028.

Credit to Florida Politics for reporting on this deal first.

Re-starting new headquarters construction

Also part of the deal is for construction to resume on Royal Caribbean's new global headquarters.

In May 2019, Royal Caribbean announced plans to expand and renovate its corporate campus on the southwest corner of Dodge Island. 

Unfortunately work halted due to the global health crisis, but the new arrangement with Miami-Dade has provisions for the continued redevelopment of Royal Caribbean’s global headquarters.

There's also an extension to its lease there through at least 2072.

New agreement benefits both parties

Prior to today's announcement, Royal Caribbean Group's deal was set to expire in 2033.  Under the new deal, Miami-Dade county will see an additional $2.5 billion from Terminal G usage and $260 million from the headquarters lease.

Under the new arrangement, Miami-Dade will finance completion of Royal Caribbean’s headquarters and Terminal G’s construction. In return, Royal Caribbean will guarantee passengers totals ranging from 600,000 annual passenger movements during the reconstruction of Terminal G to 1.5 million yearly passenger movements once it reaches “substantial completion,” estimated to be in 2027.

It will also create 12,000 permanent, cruise-related jobs, including roughly 1,000 additional positions with Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean said the jobs will pay average salaries of more than $100,000. The company also anticipates needing 9,634 construction jobs for the project.

Shore power

Royal Caribbean will utilize shore power as part of its deal in the new terminal.

All the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, agreed in 2021 to bring shore power to cruise ships in PortMiami.

Shore power allows cruise ships to "hook up" to electricity at the port, so that the engines do not need to operate while the ship is letting passengers off the ship and bringing new ones onboard.

This means ships using shore power save on fuel use while on port that they would otherwise need to keep the ship going. It also reduces air pollution emissions associated with consumption of that fuel.

The next time you eat in the main dining room, the menu might look a little different.

Guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas have reported seeing a change to the main dining room menu layout, as well as a change to the lobster choice.

The main dining room is a staple of the cruise ship dining experience, primarily because it is included with your cruise fare and open for dinner every night.

A reader on Reddit spotted the change, noting, "only one feature in each category per night, and the classics section is gone entirely! Only 4 items per category now."

In looking through the menu via the Royal Caribbean app, the recurring items have been removed, such as spaghetti bolognese, chicken, strip steak, et al.

On the second formal night, the Lobster Tail is listed as Cold water Maine lobster with the note an additional lobster tail would cost extra.

"Second Lobster Tail will be charged $16.99 plus 18% gratuity."

Prior to this change, the main dining room did not charge extra for more than one lobster tail on the second formal night.

Another change is the extra charge steak that was already on the menu has increased in price from $16.99 to $19.99.

The change is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently.

Why did Royal Caribbean make this change?

I was just as curious about this change as everyone reading it, so I reached out to Royal Caribbean for clarification on the changes.

The dining room menu update is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently, and the company is adamant they will be listening to guest feedback onboard the ship for their opinions.

The impetus for making the change is for the guest experience in an effort to simplify the dining room menu, which would allow the service to speed up.

While there is no denying there are less items on the menu than before, one of the chief complaints of the dining room has always been how long the meal takes. 

Swiftness of service is a focus Royal Caribbean wants for the dining room.  By having more consistency of what's being prepared in the kitchen, they can produce food faster.

A more focused menu will hopefully translate to a faster kitchen without compromising the experience for guests.

They were quick to point out there will still be a beef, fish, poultry, and vegan option every night of the cruise.

I asked about costs being a factor, but Royal Caribbean said they're always looking for ways to improve the guest experience and reduce the lag that can occur during the meal.  One night there could be too much time between the appetizers and entrees, while another night the appetizers and entrees come immediately after each other with little delay inbetween.

Ultimately, Royal Caribbean will rely on guest feedback from people on Symphony of the Seas to determine how successful this change ends up being.

I asked about the change to the lobster tail in if the cold water Maine lobster is a larger serving size than the previous option, but am waiting a response on that.

Reaction to the changes

As you might imagine, a lot of cruisers had plenty of thoughts on this change.

In the Royal Caribbean Dining facebook group, there were over 200 comments at the time of this posting discussing the change.

Jim Rath posted, "Inflation hits everywhere, not just on land."

James Romo said, "Royal is doing it's hardest to make me want to switch cruise lines."

Karah Ryan Smith thinks the lobster change is more than just a pricing switch, "Maine lobster is definitely different than the Caribbean lobster that is usually served. Maybe that’s why."

Leigh Montgomery wrote, "I’m sailing on Symphony next week and it says the same thing. What a bummer!"

Another busy week of Royal Caribbean fun just wrapped up, but if you missed any of it, I have a concise look at all of it for you in this weekly news round-up!

Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston opened this week.

Terminal 3 is the new home for Allure of the Seas, and is a brand new $125 million cruise terminal.

The terminal will break even more new ground as the first LEED Zero Energy facility in the world, generating 100% of the energy it needs through onsite solar panels.

Royal Caribbean News

• 7 new things Royal Caribbean leaked about Icon of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean releases new 2024 Alaska cruises to book
• Royal Caribbean adds 363-ton dome to top of Icon of the Seas
• Top 10 Liberty of the Seas hidden secrets
• Subtropical storm Nicole disrupts Royal Caribbean cruise itineraries
• I spent $250 to upgrade my cruise ship cabin: Was it worth it?
• Can you work remotely from a cruise ship in 2022? I put it to the test
• Top 10 cocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

New RCB Video: 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

New Icon of the Seas aerial construction photos

Want to see what Icon of the Seas looks like right now?

We took a series of new drone photos that showcase the construction progress being made, including the addition of the AquaDome.

Icon of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in late 2023 and begin sailing in January 2024.

What it's like to go on a $99 Royal Caribbean cruise

What do you get for a $99 cruise fare?

Nicole recently sailed on Liberty of the Seas after spotting a last-minute deal for just $99 per person.

What sort of cabin can you get for just $99, and what is real cost of the cruise once you sail?

7 things I did right (and 3 mistakes) on my recent cruise ship port day

Jenna recently spent a day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and shared the things she liked and didn't like about her port day.

Even if you do a lot of planning, mistakes can happen and she had that experience.

Here are the top 7 things Jenna did right (and 3 mistakes) on her recent cruise ship port day.

5 things I purchased for a cruise that I regretted buying

Whether I thought they would make my life easier, or just improve the vacation experience, in practice, I've regretted a few purchases I made for a cruise.

At the time of purchase, it sounds like a revelation and I usually end up buying it because I think to myself how could I not buy it to improve my vacation.

Here is my own list of things I bought for a cruise that ended up being a terrible purchasing decision for me.

Ever since Royal Caribbean revealed the first details about Icon of the Seas, there has been an incredible amount of excitement for the new ship.

With any new cruise ship, Royal Caribbean likes to sprinkle updates leading up to the ship's launch.

While on Allure of the Seas this week, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider talked to travel agents about Icon of the Seas.

Most of the talk was going over information that was already announced, but in the process, Mr. Schneider revealed a few new details previously not disclosed.

If you're like me, you can't get enough Icon of the Seas details and updates, so here's 7 new things about Icon of the Seas you should know about.

1400 Bar

There's a new bar coming to Icon of the Seas, known as the 1400 Bar.

Located on the Royal Promenade, this is a bar that will be right when you walk onto the ship.

If you're wondering about the name, it's actually a reference to the ship's build number at the Meyer Turku shipyard.

Each cruise ship is given a number at a shipyard because the yard constructs cruise ships for multiple cruise lines and they may not yet know the ship's name when construction begins.

Royal Caribbean decided to pay homage to Icon's build number by naming it the 1400 bar.

Royal Promenade

Mr. Schneider talked about the Royal Promenade and talked about a few interesting facts.

First, the Royal Promenade will be two levels high, with an upper and lower Promenade.

In addition, the Promenade will loop around, meaning there will be no "dead ends".

We also got a few screenshots of dining venues that Royal Caribbean hasn't talked about yet.

• Sorrentos
• Boleros
• Giovanni's Italian Table
• Spotlight Karaoke

There will be a staircase that leads directly from the Royal Promenade up to Central Park.

We also got a look at a rendering of the Playmakers Bar, which will be located off the Royal Promenade.

Sushi to go option

While we knew already there would be an Izumi sushi restaurant in Central Park, there will be a new way to get sushi on Icon of the Seas.

Izumi will have a "sushi to go" window, where you can order a bento box of sushi and take it elsewhere on the ship to enjoy.

Celebration Table

Icon of the Seas will have the next evolution of the Chef's Table experience.

Known as Celebration Table, this will be similar to Chef's Table, but it will be a new take on what you can expect.

Celebration Table will be located in the AquaDome.

Supper Club

We don't know what it is exactly, but one of many new dining concepts on Icon of the Seas will be the Supper Club.

Mr. Schneider didn't talk about it, but tried to move past what this venue is while going through areas of the ship.

Based on some later screenshots in his presentation, it appears this venue will be called the Supper Club.

Crown's Edge will cost money

While the Category 6 water park will be included in your cruise fare, the Crown's Edge adrenaline experience will cost extra.

Crown’s Edge is a brand new activity coming to Icon of the Seas, combining a skywalk, ropes course, and thrill ride all in one.

Mr. Schneider didn't disclose exactly how much it would cost, only saying it would have a "nominal fee" to go on it.

Eco mode

In an effort to help save energy, Icon of the Seas will employ a new approach to air conditioning in your stateroom.

When you leave your cabin and walk off the ship for a shore excursion, the ship's computer will detect when the last person scans their SeaPass card upon disembarkation and at that point, the air conditioning will go into eco mode since no one is on the ship to need it maintained.

As soon as the first person booked in the cabin scans their SeaPass card coming back onboard the ship, eco mode turns off, and the air conditioning turns back on to the previous setting.

Royal Caribbean's new home in Galveston, Texas is open for cruise ships.

Terminal 3 in Galveston is Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise terminal, purpose built to allow the cruise line to send in the biggest cruise ships in the world.

The new $125 million cruise terminal is a symbol of the cruise line's dedication to the Galveston cruise market, and following in the tradition set forth by Royal Caribbean's other recently constructed buildings, it's spectacular to see.

I was invited to sail on Allure of the Seas for a 4-night preview event, where we could walk through and experience the new cruise terminal.

The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

The building is 161,300 square feet and is a state-of-the-art building, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.

It will is a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it is environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. 

Architects Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. came up with the look of the new terminal, but this firm is no stranger to Royal Caribbean. They also designed Terminal A in Miami, Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, and Port Everglades' Terminal 18 and 25.

Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.

Let's take a virtual tour in and around the new terminal!

Outside

Similar to the other new cruise terminals that Royal Caribbean has built recently, the new Galveston terminal is bright with lots of large signage.

As you drive in, there is a pick up and drop off area, with multiple lanes to allow cars to easily get in and out.

The porters in the new terminal all have a new Caribbean-inspired motif to them, which they say they will wear every day. 

There is parking available across 4 different lots at the terminal.

Once you drop off your luggage, the entrance is towards the front of the terminal.

Keep in mind the waiting area if you have a later check-in time was uncovered from the sun on the day I was there.

Entry way

Once inside the new cruise terminal, you are greeted with a cavernous lobby.

Similar to Terminal A in PortMiami, there are different ways to enter for suite guests and everyone else. Also similar to Terminal A are the large propellors hanging from the ceiling.

The main entrance for most guests will be up the escalator on the left. There is an elevator as well.

Check-in

Your first stop inside the terminal will be for check-in.

There are agents lined up to check you in by scanning your SetSail pass.  This is when completing the online check-in before the cruise pays off, because if you do everything ahead of time, this will take a matter of seconds.

Once you complete check-in, you'll go through security. This is when your bags and belongings get scanned.

Suites area

The new Galveston cruise terminal has a special area for suite guests.

When you enter the terminal, there is a special entrance for suite guests.

This not only means a shorter wait, but it expedites the process of getting you physically from curb to the waiting area.

Waiting area

Once you are past security, you will have a seat in the waiting area if the ship isn't ready to board yet.

There are lots of comfortable couches on both sides of the enormous room.

There are also restrooms here and vending machines, should you need them.

There's also a fun Instagrammable wall.

You will also find a large piece of art that was sourced by local artists.

Forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, the Galveston Beach Trio is the embodiment of island time and a dynamic first impression. It is the creation of Texas-based Brad Oldham Sculpture.

Boarding and gangway

When they call you to board your ship, the process is just like any other cruise terminal.

Your SetSail pass gets scanned one last time and then you walk down a hallway, where you can stop to take a photo with the ship.

Then, it's onto the ship and walking onboard!

Galveston port parking coupon

The Port of Galveston is running a special for parking at the port during the month of November.

Cruise Terminal 10 parking includes a park-and-walk lot and parking with free shuttles.

If you pre-book your parking in November, you can save $10 off with coupon code THANKYOU.

Just go to www.portofgalveston.com and use the code to save on your next cruise.

Are you ready to book an Alaska cruise in 2024?

Royal Caribbean has released its Alaska cruises for the 2024 season.

The cruise line will send four cruise ships to Alaska in 2023, matching the amount of ships it has been sending to the region in the years prior.

The new sailings are posted on Royal Caribbean's website.

Why booking early is so important

If you want to get in some of the lowest Alaska cruise prices, booking early is the key.

Equally important is the ability to get a specific cabin, especially suites.  Some highly desirable cruise cabins sell out quickly, especially the aft balcony cabins on the Radiance Class ships.

Read more: Difference between aft balcony & balcony cabins

While you could roll the dice and hope for a better last-minute deal on an Alaska cruise, the cabin selections will be paltry at best.

More information to help you save money on an Alaska cruise:

• How far in advance to book an Alaska cruise
• What is the cheapest month for an Alaska cruise?
• Tips for taking an Alaska cruise on a budget

A look at the 2024 Alaska cruises

The new Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between April and September 2024.

Ovation of the Seas will sail from Seattle and offer 7- and 8-night Alaska glacier cruises.

Quantum of the Seas will also sail from Seattle, sailing 7-night cruises.

Both Quantum Class ships will visit scenic cities and towns along the Northwest coastline, including Victoria, British Columbia; Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska.

The two Radiance Class ships will offer cruises from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Radiance of the Seas will offer 7-10 night Alaska cruises that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali. 

Radiance is sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward.

Brilliance of the Seas will sail primarily 7-night roundtrip cruises, including some multi-glacier cruises that visit Hubbard Glacier in addition to Dawes Glacier.

Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking.

Hawaii 2024 cruises

In addition to the Alaska cruises, Royal Caribbean also included Hawaii cruises in this new deployment.

Royal Caribbean sails to Hawaii as part of the repositioning process to get its vessels between North America and Australia. This means each ship that sails to Alaska, does a one-time Hawaii cruise as it gets into position.

At the time of this article's posting, Radiance of the Seas Hawaii itineraries are not listed yet.

In April 2024, the ships will offer cruises from Hawaii to North America:

• Brilliance of the Seas: 8-night cruise from Oahu to Vancouver with stops in Maui & Hawaii.
• Ovation of the Seas: 9-night cruise from Oahu to Vancouver with stops in Maui & Hawaii.
• Quantum of the Seas: 10-night cruise from Oahu to Vancouver with a sailing along the Napali Coast and stops in Maui & Hawaii.

At the conclusion of the Alaska cruise season, the ships reverse the itinerary and sail from Vancouver to Hawaii.

• Brilliance of the Seas: 10-night cruise from Vancouver to Oahu with stops in Kauai, Maui, Hilo& Hawaii.
• Ovation of the Seas: 9-night cruise from Vancouver to Oahu with a stop in Maui and sailing along the Napali Coast.
• Quantum of the Seas: 10-night cruise from Vancouver to Oahu with stops in Victoria, Seattle & Maui.

More about Alaska cruises

• 50 tips for planning your Alaska cruise
• How to choose the right Alaska cruise itinerary
• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
• What to pack for a cruise to Alaska?
• Best things to do on an Alaska cruise

It's been a few weeks since our last construction photo update of Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship.

Icon of the Seas is being constructed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and RoyalCaribbeanBlog commissioned a new set of drone photos to share with all of you what the ship looks like.

Since these are exclusive photos, please do not redistribute these photos. Feel free to share a link to this article instead.

These photos were taken earlier today from near the shipyard.

Last time we shared a photo update, we did not know what features Royal Caribbean had planned for the ship as details were still under wraps.  Since then, Royal Caribbean has revealed what the ship looks like, as well as many of the notable fun things to do onboard.  

One major change you're likely to notice is the addition of the AquaDome to the front of the ship.

The AquaDome will be a new neighborhood on Icon of the Seas that doubles as dining venue and evening theater.

The AquaDome was lifted from its former location behind the ship to its current position at the front of the ship.

You'll also notice the bow of the ship is fully installed, featuring the parabolic bow.

This is a functional design element that creates a curved indentation in the bottom of the vessel’s hull. 

Moving to the side of the ship, we can see a good look at the progress being made across the ship.

While none of the water slides are added yet, we can see the support structures for them.

The Royal Caribbean logo is also on the side of the ship, which is where you can try the Crown’s Edge aerial adventure.

It’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride, and the floor can fall away leaving you dangling high over the ocean. 

Let's move to the aft of the ship and see the progress being made on the back half of the ship.

Where the AquaDome was located before, we still see something in its place.

Icon of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in late 2023 and begin sailing in January 2024.

Icon of the Seas is the first of three Icon Class cruise ships, although more could be ordered. The other two Icon Class ships will be in service by 2026.

Construction of Icon of the Seas has reached a new milestone with one of the signature areas added to the ship.

Royal Caribbean has designed Icon of the Seas to have many new features that stand out from the rest of the fleet, as well as just about every other cruise ship out there.

The AquaDome is a new neighborhood concept that will take the AquaTheater concept from Oasis Class cruise ships to a new level.

On Sunday, the Meyer Turku shipyard installed the 363-ton dome, which has over 600 glass panels and was installed using more than 1,600 feet of cables. The length of cables is longer than the height of the Empire State Building.

The process of lifting the massive dome is a large-scale, complex process.

Up until now, the AquaDome was located next to Icon of the Seas at the shipyard.

The dome had been constructed on its own in tandem with ship construction. This is a common strategy in cruise ship building, as it allows multiple facets of the cruise ship construction process to be done simultaneously.

Cruise ship cabins, ship blocks, and other features are built elsewhere and then assembled together later at the shipyard.

What is the AquaDome?

Once complete, the AquaDome is located at the very top of Icon of the Seas.

It will be home to restaurants, retail, bars, lounge spaces, and–most importantly–Royal Caribbean’s next-level AquaTheater.

By day, passengers can relax in one of the AquaDome’s comfortable seating areas with expansive, 220 degree views of the ocean. Based on the ship’s deck plans, the AquaDome also features several dining venues including Hooked Seafood.

The show has the tallest waterfall at sea (55 feet tall), along with flying artists and divers.

Royal Caribbean is also promising guests will see a transforming pool, four robotic arms, state-of-the-art projection, and more.

Other notable new neighborhoods on Icon of the Seas

Besides AquaDome, there will be a few other new areas added to Icon of the Seas that are new to Royal Caribbean.

Thrill Island is a new water park at the top of Icon of the Seas, which has 6 waterslides to choose from.

If you prefer relaxation over excitement, then Chill Island neighborhood is for you, with seven pools to choose from, along with whirlpools, in-water loungers and breathtaking views. 

The Surfside neighborhood is another new concept designed with young families in mind, where adults and kids ages six and under can stay and play all day.

There will also be a revamped adults-only area, known as Cloud 17. For guests age 16+ years old, it overlooks the ocean with dedicated Lime &
Coconut bar and whirlpool.

The Hideaway has a multilevel terrace and first suspended infinity pool at sea.

Icon of the Seas launches in 2024

Icon of the Seas will debut in January 2024 from her homeport of Miami.

The first sailing of Icon of the Seas, a seven-night voyage out of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean, is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2024.

The ship will alternate between Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries.

Hurricane season isn't over yet, and the proof of that is in the late-season subtropical storm Nicole.

While not a hurricane yet (and possibly never a true hurricane), Royal Caribbean has begun re-routing a number of ships to avoid the path of the storm.  

Guests with sailings this week have been notified on a series of changes.

"We're very sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather. The decision to modify our itinerary is not one taken lightly, and we explored all options before taking this measure," a letter distributed to guests on Liberty of the Seas said.

"However, as always, your safety comes first."

"Please know, being onboard a ship is one of the safest places to be because we are faster and can move out of the way of any inclement weather.

Read more: Safe at sea: what it’s like on a cruise ship when there’s a hurricane

Here are the changes due to Subtropical storm Nicole so far:

Liberty of the Seas will change her 4-night Bahamas cruise to skip all scheduled ports and instead sail to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Freedom of the Seas will change from a 4-night Bahamas cruise to head to Falmouth, Jamaica instead.

Anthem of the Seas is altering her 7-night Bahamas itinerary to instead visit Labadee for two days in a row.

Independence of the Seas will still be able to visit Nassau as scheduled, but will drop a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The November 7 sailing of Independence of the Seas will be extended by one day and will now return on November 12. As a result, the November 11 sailing of Independence of the Seas will be shortened by a day and begin on November 12.

Enchantment of the Seas is on an 8-night Southeast Coast and Perfect Day Cruise.  She was already able to visit Charleston and Port Canaveral, but will drop Nassau and CocoCay and head back north.

Read more: What to know about cruising during hurricane season in the Caribbean

Necessary changes

Altering the planned itinerary for cruise ships due to a tropical storm is no simple task, and a large part of the planning process falls to Royal Caribbean's in-house meteorologist.

James Van Fleet shared a video update on Monday explaining the nuances of predicting a hurricane's track, which is necessary to know where to send Royal Caribbean's fleet to avoid the path.

"This is a very odd track, friends. It looks super weird, but it all makes sense to me meteorologically how this plays out."

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Mr. Van Fleet explained that the storm's track is the result of various fronts the storm will encounter, including a cold front that is going to, "punch it right in the face, knock it back to the south west."

"That's why such a weird track over the Bahamas, down over Florida, and then finally going north. It's because that first front literally pushes it back to the southwest. It hangs out for about 12 hours or so, and then a next front comes and grabs it as we get into Thursday and Friday and will yank it up the East Coast as we head into Saturday, Sunday and Monday."

Mr. Van Fleet sees swells between North Carolina, the Bahamas, and the east coast of Florida.

"I think the worst part of that will be on Wednesday in the middle of the week. And that's when much of the fleet is out in ports and away from Florida."

How bad seas? Mr. Van Fleet is expecting ocean swells between 21-28 feet (7 or 8 meters).

Where is Subtropical storm Nicole headed?

According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm is located about 495 miles east of the northwestern Bahamas.

Nicole has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and a minimum central pressure of 1002 mb.

According to the National Hurricane Center, a subtropical storm is a cyclone where maximum sustained surface wind speed is 39 mph or more.

Meteorologists expect Nicole will gradually strengthen over the next few days and be near or at hurricane intensity by Wednesday as it approaches Florida.

Happy Sunday! Temperatures may be dropping, but there is plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share.  This is your weekly summary of all the Royal Caribbean news from this past week, perfectly fitted for your consumption.

Royal Caribbean shared when it will put new cruises on sale in 2024-2025.

While not complete, the initial deployment schedule gives an idea of when to expect new cruises to book to  Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, and Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean promises more release dates will be announced soon for other 2024 - 2025 sailings.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean drops pre-cruise testing requirement for almost all cruises
• Royal Caribbean adds daily limit to unlimited dining plan a la carte restaurants
• Royal Caribbean makes small change to make it easier to track Diamond drink vouchers
• Royal Caribbean has quietly brought back pre-cruise entertainment reservations on some cruise ships
• The best cruise itineraries for every type of traveler
• Royal Caribbean cruises in November 2022: What to expect
• What families will love about Icon of the Seas' new dedicated family neighborhood

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 475th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available to enjoy, where Matt lists the things that change about how you cruise as you cruise more often.

Cruising a lot changes your outlook on how you cruise, and I have a list of 5 things I think people that cruise a lot would tell first time cruisers about how the process changes.

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.

New RCB Video: Where to keep Seapass Card, phone, and cash when on a shore excursion?

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Where to keep Seapass Card, phone, and cash when on a shore excursion? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Group reports first quarterly profit in almost three years

Royal Caribbean reported its third quarter earnings this week, and had positive cash flow for the first time in almost three years.

Royal Caribbean Group posted better than expected earnings for the third quarter of 2022 with a total revenue of $3.0 billion and net income of $33 million.

Revenue hitting $3 billion is the highest since the third quarter of 2019.

What to expect with Royal Caribbean's Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise deals

While Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday sale changes year to year, there will undoubtedly be a sale for cruise fares and add-ons.

Just like so many retailers, there will be a post-Thanksgiving sale to look for and it will bring potentially higher savings.

You might be wondering how lucrative these sales will be, and if it will save you any money.

Royal Caribbean is targeting people who vacation in Orlando

Are you a family that typically does a land vacation in Orlando? Royal Caribbean wants you to go on a cruise instead.

During Royal Caribbean Group's earnings call with investors this week, Royal Caribbean Group executives talked about how Icon of the Seas was designed to attract families away from a land vacation in Florida.

The ship's new family-centric offerings are part of the cruise line's more aggressive marketing approach to Orlando attractions.