We're still about 6 months away from the debut of Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas and like so many of our readers, I just can't wait to see everything this ship has to offer.

Royal Caribbean has been holding back some details about the ship to help build up the excitement so today we're going to list the top five things we're excited to finally hear about.

5. Who will be her Godmother?

It is part of maritime tradition for a cruise ship to have a celebratory Godmother, whose job it is to christen the ship officially.

The Godmother is present for a vessel's naming ceremony, where she officially proclaims the ship's name and wishes it safe journeys to all its passengers and crew.

Sister ship Oasis of the Seas had seven godmothers, one for each neighborhood: Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Shawn Johnson, Jane Seymour and Daisy Fuentes.

Harmony of the Seas' other sister ship, Allure of the Seas, had Princess Fiona (from Shrek fame) as her godmother.

4. Abyss slide details

Royal Caribbean has been hinting at what we can expect with the 10-story slide coming to Harmony of the Seas but we do not know everything yet.

Specifically, we do not know what the new slide will look like or where exactly in the Boardwalk the slide will be.

We do know it is a "dry slide" (as opposed to a water slide) and it will begin in the Pool and Sports Zone at the aft of the ship down to the Boardwalk neighborhood below.

3. What will be the Broadway show?

It seems no new Royal Caribbean ship can be launched these days without a Broadway show and we have yet to find out which show from the Great White Way will debut on Harmony of the Seas.

Ever since Royal Caribbean started adding Broadway shows to its ships with Oasis of the Seas, fans have been clamoring for more great Broadway entertainment onboard.

Royal Caribbean has had these Broadway shows call a ship home over the last few years

• Hairspray (retired from all ships)
• Saturday Night Fever
• Chicago (retired from all ships)
• Mamma Mia
• We Will Rock You

2. Shows and other onboard entertainment

Broadway shows are not the only kind of entertainment we want to know more about.  Oasis class ships have a reputation for amazing entertainment and there's plenty more to learn about.

Ice skating shows, AquaTheater shows, shows in the Royal Theater and other kinds of entertainment are always at the top of Royal Caribbean fans priority list.

Looking back on the shows we have enjoyed on the other two Oasis class ships, there are definitely some questions about what we can expect to find listed in the Cruise Compass every day.

1. What will be the other cool surprises?

My gut feeling is that Royal Caribbean is far from done trying to WOW us with what to expect on Harmonyof the Seas.  

This is a company that is always looking to out do themselves, so I'm most excited to read about what amazing new innovations are also coming to Harmony of the Seas.

Perhaps some of these surprises will be covered in the questions asked earlier, but whatever surprises come our way will help shape the direction of Harmony of the Seas and help make this ship stand out in a very competitive market.

What are you most interested to still know about Harmony of the Seas? Tell us in the comments!

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

Episode 114 is available for downloading and this week we are reviewing the beautiful island of St. Maarten.

Matt and Scott are talking about the island paradise of St. Thomas today, where they discuss the popular activities to do in St. Thomas.  Matt and Scott share their favorite excursions and tips for visiting St. Thomas.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 114. 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 has provided a look at its Simulation Training Center at Resolve Maritime Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

The 7,000 square foot training center launched in 2012 and cost $6.5 million, where the bridge facilities have been replicated for a safe place to train Royal Caribbean junior officers on how the real thing works.

The computer simulations displayed on high-definition screens include some 200 ports visited by Royal Caribbean ships, with all their landmarks, buildings and seaside facilities. As various conditions and perils are brought to bear, trainees respond using controls just as they exist on their actual ship’s bridge.

Officers here can practice and refine their skills onshore to handle any situation that may occur at sea.

“Most simulators in the world are generic,” says Captain Patrik Dahlgren, Royal Caribbean vice president for marine operations. “This simulator is made up to look and feel and work the same as a real bridge on board our specific vessels. You actually have the physical consoles and all the equipment looks exactly the same as it does on board the vessel.”

There is a new design for the souvenir Coca-Cola cups guests get with their unlimited drink packages that matches Coca-Cola's "Share A Coke" marketing campaign.

The new souvenir cups are available on Royal Caribbean ships when a guest purchases one of the unlimited drink packages.

It is not clear yet when these new souvenir cup designs began being sold, but it is likely to have changed somewhat recently.

These souvenir cups are compatible with the self-serve soda machines on the pool deck as well as the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. The Coca-Cola souvenir cup has a special chip in it which activates the machine.

Do you like the design of these souvenir Coca-Cola cups? Tell us in the comments below!

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 October 2015 at the STX shipyard in St. Nazairre, France. All photos are copyright Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean appointed Tamara Strauss as its new Marketing Director in the UK and Ireland.  

As part of her new role, Strauss will lead the marketing, communications and distribution teams in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the goal of bringing the Royal Caribbean International brand to a wider audience.  There will be a special emphasis on the guests new to cruising.

Strauss was previously with InterContinental Hotels Group, where she held a number of senior marketing roles and managed a multi-million pound relaunch of Holiday Inn in the UK.

Royal Caribbean UK & Ireland managing director, Stuart Leven, commented on the hiring, "It’s an exciting time to have Tamara come on board as we have high ambitions to take the cruise category and Royal Caribbean in particular to new audiences. I look forward to building on the brand’s success as we continue to target the new-to-cruise audience and launch two new game-changing ships in 2016."

Royal Caribbean Blog contributor Michael Poole is on Majesty of the Seas this week.

Well friends my cruise day finally made it!  I compare this day to a child on Christmas morning, okay maybe not but very close. 

I woke up at 6:00am to watch the Majesty of the Seas sail into Miami on the port webcam.  This has become one of my recent tradition the morning of the cruise, just helps me contain all the excitement. 

I left my hotel in Ft. Lauderdale at 8:00am with every intention on having breakfast in Miami.  Little did I know the traffic on I – 95 South on a Monday morning was a total lock down! 

I arrived to the rental car place at Enterprise a little after 9:30am; yes it took that long to get to Miami. Once I arrived to return the car, they asked if I needed a ride, and I told them I was going to the port, but they declined that they couldn’t take anyone in. 

No problem, on the morning of the cruise you don’t sweat the small stuff, there was a line of taxis there waiting and I jumped in. 

I arrived to the pier right at 10:00am and I saw hundreds of guest that were standing on the sidewalk that had just gotten off.  I always hate that moment coming off a cruise and seeing all those happy guest ready for their cruise, but hey it was my time! 

Check-in was very easy, but they didn’t let us on board until 11:00am. 

Like other ports there are chairs for the guest to sit down in, but in Miami you stand in rows.  I personally didn’t mind standing, but I could see some guest upset having to stand for almost an hour.  They did have a few chairs for those who had a hard time standing, but not many. 

Finally at 11:00am they let the guests onboard and I was around the 5th person to make it on. 

I headed straight up to the pool deck to take some pictures and boy I’m glad I did. 

The city of Miami of absolutely beautiful and I’m surprised more Royal Caribbean ships have not sailed out of here for the past decade.  In fact, Royal Caribbean actually had their corporate office here in Miami, which was right beside the pier.

Now that I’m finally on board and have a few pictures out of the way, there is only one thing to do and that’s to eat! 

They had the windjammer open for lunch at 11:00am, so it was perfect timing.  The Windjammer can be found across all Royal Caribbean ships and it’s buffet style.  My view on the Windjammer is some items are great and others are not my favorite, but that’s okay you can go get more of what you like. 

Okay I need to be honest about something; I went back for another round an hour later for their world famous kummelweck roast beef sandwich.  These are served in the compass deli and no one was even there!  The location is a little weird, because it’s one level up in the Windjammer and then walk into the back area. 

After my second round of lunch, I decided to go check out my stateroom on deck 3.  Cabin 3601. 

I booked an inside cabin since it was just me cruising and the cabins don’t do a whole lot for me.  I will say that cabin would be a little tight for two people, but manageable. 

When I arrived in my cabin the Coca-Cola souvenir cup, that comes with the drink package, was already sitting in my cabin.

Since we are on that topic, I’ll let you know I purchased the select package for $42 per person, per day.  This package includes unlimited wine $8 and under, all their house wines are $8 and unlimited beer.  What this package does not include is bottled water and cocktails. 

Since I get the free cocktails in the diamond lounge, I find the select package to be a great deal for me. 

Sailaway time finally arrive at 4:00pm I decided to do a live Periscope as we were leaving, so thank you to those that joined me. 

They had a DJ playing music and all the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers out there getting the party started.  This is that one moment I finally feel like I’m on vacation, do you have that one moment that gets you excited? 

Evening Events

Tonight, I headed up to the Viking Crown lounge on deck 14 that big round section on top of the ship. 

If you ever want a nice relaxing, romantic place to watch the sunset in the evening, this is it.  The Majesty of the Seas does not have the Crown & Anchor Diamond Lounge like many of the other ships do, but they host the event in the Viking Crown lounge. 

They offer you cocktails, wine, and beer at no cost to those diamond members and above.  I decided to stay up there until dinner because it was just so peaceful and the sunset view was breathtaking.

Dinner time finally arrived and, let’s be honest, this is the best time on any cruise! 

I requested a large table to ensure I was not having dinner alone.  When I arrived to my table I quickly found out Royal Caribbean put all the solo cruisers together for dinner. 

I’ve never had them do this before on any of my solo sailings, but I was grateful for it.  The service was great with no issues to report and the food was outstanding. 

I enjoy my steak very rare and asked the server to find me a great cut of the prime rib and she did!  This might have been the best prime rib I’ve ever tasted; I’m getting excited just blogging about it! 

After dinner headed to straight to bed, no dancing for me tonight. 

Until tomorrow thanks for joining in on my first day! 

Live Blog Index

• Live blog introduction
• Day 1 -  Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Nassau
• Day 3 - Coco Cay
• Day 4 - Key West

Royal Caribbean will be offering a variety of holiday celebrations onboard its cruise ships in December 2015.

Guests sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise this holiday season will be able to experience some festivities sure to get you in the spirit, such as

• Classic movie screenings
• Guest and crew caroling
• Family arts and crafts
• Cookie decorating
• Special holiday-themed Adventure Ocean youth program
• Upgraded stateroom experiences, including themed and adorned towel animals
• Commemorative seasonal souvenir Coca-Cola cup
• Holiday ice skating aboard select ships

Royal Caribbean ships featuring the Dreamworks Experience will offer holiday photos with Po of "Kung Fu Panda;" Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots of "Shrek;" and Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo and King Julien from "Madagascar " who will be adorned in festive holiday outfits. 

In addition, there will be a special holiday character breakfast for kids of all ages to enjoy a meal with Dreamworks characters.

These special holiday itineraries will be featured on cruises departing from home ports in the United States, including:

• Bayonne, NJ
• Baltimore, MD
• Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale)
• Miami, Fla
• Port Canaveral, Fla
• Tampa, Fla
• Galveston, TX
• San Juan, Puerto Rico

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, is excited about the holiday offerings this year, "We are all about bringing friends and family together to share an amazing vacation experience and what better time to do that than during the holidays. We are excited to be introducing many new onboard festivities that will further inspire holiday cheer. With a wide range of innovative onboard amenities and immersive holiday themed experiences, Royal Caribbean cruises are primed to provide distinct experiences that are ideal for families looking to take the stress out of holiday planning by letting them enjoy a memorable Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s holiday at sea."

On top of the special celebrations, Royal Caribbean is offering guests the chance to book December sailings through the BOGOHO HOHO! holidays promotion and gift their travel companion in the same stateroom with half off their cruise fare on all open North American sailings. For all eligible sailings departing December 15-31, 2015 or December 15-31, 2016, vacationers also can receive pre-paid gratuities for the first and second guests in the stateroom in addition to half off cruise fare for their second guest.

Cruise Critic released the list of winners in the 2015 Editors’ Choice Awards and Royal Caribbean came away with a few notable honors.

Royal Caribbean won awards in the following categories

• Best Cruise Line for Entertainment
• Best  Cruise Line Suites
• Best Cruise Line for Families

Cruise Critic noted Royal Caribbean's offerings for all age groups at an affordable price stood out as why it took home the family award this year.  

In terms of entertainment, Royal Caribbean's "second to none" onboard entertainment was a big plus.  Broadway shows, Centrum shows and Two70 all contributed to convince Cruise Critic that entertainment was king at Royal Caribbean.

In addition, Royal Caribbean's suites got special recognition for its suites that not only offer lovely amenities but also stand out for the "extensive list of suite perks".

Cruise Critic also specifically mentioned the two-bedroom AquaTheater suites on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, as well as the two-level Loft Suites on Oasis and Quantum class ships.

The Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards are chosen by Cruise Critic's international team of editors, based on the lines and ships they feel best represent excellence in each of the designated categories. Awards announced October 2015.

Royal Caribbean Blog contributor Michael Poole is about to go on Majesty of the Seas this weekend and here's his preview of his cruise!

Hi Royal Caribbean fans, it’s Michael Poole here again.  Today you're in for another live review from sea, but not quite yet. 

Starting tomorrow I’m boarding the Majesty of the Seas for a 4 night cruise sailing to Nassau, Coco Cay, and Key West.  This is a new ship for me, and it’s been years since I’ve sailed out of Miami, Florida.   

Royal Caribbean recently announced they were going to keep Majesty of the Seas in their fleet and do major upgrades to her come spring 2016.  She won’t be upgraded when I sail on her tomorrow, although it will be nice to compare and contrast after the upgrades.  

Pre – Cruise 

This morning I flew into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

I’m staying at the Hilton Marina waterfront, mainly so I could watch the Independence of the Seas sail away.  Yes, I’m that big of a Royal fan!    

If you happen to have a husband that loves large yachts, you might want to book this hotel.  There's plenty of them to look at!  I booked my room for $120 and my balcony view is by far the best I’ve ever had, I mean look at this yacht!  

Afternoon Sail away Independence of the Seas 

As I previously mentioned I decided to stay in Ft. Lauderdale instead of Miami just  to watch a Royal Caribbean ship sail away.  

If you are anxious to get to the beach, I've written a post on how to get out there.  It's a really great view to watch the ships coming and going.  

Majesty Cruise

My plan for this cruise is just to relax and enjoy some sunshine; it has been rainy in my home town Atlanta, GA for weeks now.  

I hope to bring you with me virtually and share my experiences on board.  I will respond to questions throughout the day, so if you have any questions please just ask!

Until the next post, see you at sea!  

Live Blog Index

• Live blog introduction
• Day 1 -  Embarkation Day
• Day 2 - Nassau
• Day 3 - Coco Cay
• Day 4 - Key West