The glory days of super cheap Royal Caribbean cruises may be over but there are still ways to find a cheap Royal Caribbean cruise vacation if you look hard enough.

The ever increasing popularity of cruising these days has been good news for the cruise industry, and with rising numbers of people going on a cruise, prices have also crept up a bit.

The good news is there are still deals to be found but you need to be flexible and a little creative when looking for that perfect cruise deal.

These days, when we refer to a "really cheap" cruise deal, we are talking about cruises that are below or right around $100 per person, per night.

Go when others don't want to

If you are looking for a Royal Caribbean cruise deal, you likely will not find it over Christmas, New Years, Spring Break or Summer.  Why? Because everyone else is looking to cruise then!

What you want to do is cruise during times of the year when most folks, especially families, cannot cruise.

The average school calender should be a good indication of when to cruise becaue when school is in session, there are less families out there looking to book a cruise.  Families often try not to take their kids out of school and so they wait for school vacations to take a cruise.

Some great times of the year to start with are

• September
• Early October
• Early November (minus the weeks of Veterans Day and/or Thanksgiving)
• First two weeks of December
• January (minus Martin Luther King weekend)
• First week or two of February
• Early May

You want to avoid holidays, because that is when lots of people have days off from work and school and will also be looking for a vacation.

September and early October are your best bets because school is in session and it is the peak of hurricane season.  The first two weeks of December and the weeks following New Years in January are good times for deals too because with Christmas and New Years holidays, most folks will not take a vacation right before or right after.  Plus, school is in session during both times.

Pick older ships

Royal Caribbean likes to shine the spotlight on its newest and greatest ships and it makes sense because those ships offer so many cool new innovations.  But if you are in the market for a deal, look past them to the other ships.

Royal Caribbean has a fleet of 23 ships and the basic rule is the newer the ship, the higher premium for it.

You can often find better deals on these ships

• Adventure of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Majesty of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas

Deals can also be found on other Vision, Radiance and Voyager class ships but it will largely depend on other factors.

Just because a ship is older, does not mean it will be boring or not worth your time.  Rather, Royal Caribbean has poured millions of dollars into these ships in the last few years to refurbish them with ammenities and activities that were first introduced on the Oasis and Quantum class ships.

As new ships get added to the fleet, the premium pricing gets applied to those ships while the other ships in the fleet can be had for less money.  

For price savy consumers, an older ship can be a terrific bargain.

Cruise in a competitive market

Even with the first two steps, you may still not find a really good deal and so what you want to do is look for a cruise somewhere that has other cruise lines competing with Royal Caribbean.

As of this blog post, the China, Australia and Asian cruise markets are commanding some high prices because of the booming demand there.

Cruises out to the Caribbean and even in Europe, can be had for a lower fare, especially when you factor in the first two steps of the blog post.

Book early

The old way to get a cruise deal was wait and book at the last minute.  But Royal Caribbean has been phasing out those last minute deals so if you absolutely want the lowest price, book early.

The cruise lines want to book their cruise ships up earlier and earlier, so they offer the best deals early on.  

Time and time again, the lowest pricing for all sailings comes when they first go on sale.  

The caveat to this tip is you have to be prepared to book a cruise 1-2 years in advance.  For a lot of folks, that is not very practical since work and school calendars are rarely published that early.

Your best bet is to book something with just a deposit and have the flexibility to change it later.  Even if you book only 7 or 8 months in advance, that is still better than trying to book 4-5 months in advance.

Pick shorter cruises

This may seem obvious but generally speaking, the shorter the cruise, the less expensive it is.

If you really want to just get away, 3 and 4 night cruises are going to be a heck of a lot less expensive than a 7 night or longer cruise.

There is also an interesting price dynamic with 5 and 6 night cruises because they tend to be overlooked by guests as they are too long for a weekend but not long enough for a week.  Think about it, if you are going to take 4-5 days off work for a 5 or 6 night cruise, why not just book a 7 night cruise for the same amount of time off?

Look at cruises that are between 3 and 6 nights for deeper discounts, especially closer to their sailing date when Royal Caribbean may lower the price to get more bookings.

Travel agents & web sites

There are hundreds and thousands of Royal Caribbean cruises out there and it can difficult to sift through results to find all those cruise deals.

Travel agencies provide a true service in highlighting particularly good deals as well as providing service to guests in making their booking and cruise planning processing simpler.

Keep in mind that the price of any Royal Caribbean cruise is strictly controlled by Royal Caribbean so the price you can get from Royal Caribbean directly or from a travel agent should be the same.

The reason why travel agencies and cruise discounting web sites are a good means of finding cruise deals is because they can bring certain deals to your attention as well as offer an agency-specific deal on top of the price.

These agency specific deals can sweeten the deal and it often comes in the form of onboard credit, free gratuities, free shore excursions and more.

There are a ton of travel agencies out there and be sure to consider the level of service with any of them, since they will be managing your reservation.  Here are a few of the really popular cruise sellers:

• CruiseCompete
• Vacations to Go
• Vacation Outlet

With any agency, I suggest contacting them about a quote and also ask the agent questions.  It can even be questions you know the answer to.  The key is to get a sense of their level of responsiveness and service.  Remember, some things are more important than saving an extra $20.

I will be honest and say I usually just book with the travel agency that I have worked with for years, but I do know plenty of folks out there use some of these web sites to find cheap cruise deals.

Save more

Continue saving money on cruises – and everything else – with these other must-read articles on the blog:

• 10 ways to save money when booking a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Three ways to save money on Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants
• Five ways to save money on food and drink on your Royal Caribbean cruise
• 7 ways to get a discount on your Royal Caribbean cruise

What are your best tips for finding a cheap Royal Caribbean cruise? Tell us in the comments!

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas was chosen by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) to be the recipient of the Maritime Safety Award.

Quantum of the Seas is the first cruise ship to ever win the award in the 155-year history of the RINA.

The annual award, recognizing “an individual, company or organization which has made a significant technological contribution to improving maritime safety,” was presented to Royal Caribbean for the design and implementation of an integrated Safety Command Centre (SCC) onboard Quantum of the Seas

The Safety Command Centre breaks down incident response, physically and functionally, into a collection of “pods,” each with its own specialty, which can act separately or as part of an integrated response as each incident requires.

Professors Dracos Vassalos and Tom Allan, who are RINA fellows and sit on Royal Caribbean's Maritime Safety Advisory Board, say Quantum of the Seas' Safety Command Centre addresses a need for cruise ship safety.

One of Royal Caribbean's most popular specialty restaurants is the Japanese cuisine establishment, Izumi, and it has been spreading to many ships across the fleet ever since it first debuted.

The man behind Izumi's prominent success is Izumi Master Chef Travis Kamiyama, whose 30 years of experience are now helping Royal Caribbean create the best sushi experience at sea.

Kamiyama considers himself an artist and a sushi chef and began training at only 14 years old.  He is the brainchild behind Izumi, having envisioned the restaurant while in a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto.  He wanted Izumi to be, "a Modern Japanese restaurant with both traditional and signature sushi that caters to the international market."

"I foresee Izumi being an iconic brand that offers a variety of sustainable concept of sushi and hot dishes that will suit our guests around the world."

The story of how Izumi began goes back to 2008, when Kamiyama was introduced to Royal Caribbean by the former Vice President of Celebrity Cruise Line, Jacques Van Staden.  

Kamiyama worked with Royal Caribbean's Food & Beverage start up team to create the Izumi concept.  Kamiyama was tasked with coming up with an iconic Japanese restaurant that was duplicatable.

Royal Caribbean chose the name Izumi for the restaurant, because it means natural springs and art/decor, so the name seemed like a natural fit.

Izumi first debuted on Oasis of the Seas in 2009.  Back then, the restaurant had a cover charge along with a la carte pricing for the items.  Eventually, Royal Caribbean dropped the cover charge and went straight to a la carte pricing.

"Izumi started out way under, but management was reluctant," Kamiyama said.  "Today it's streamlined with only a la carte pricing and we are spot on in pricing."

Izumi's success meant the restaurant quickly spread to other ships in the fleet.  Kamiyama believes the reason is because of the food and the people working there, "What stands out in Izumi is not only an excellent menu but the heart of the people, the chefs and servers. They are dedicated and loyal."

Today, Kamiyama serves as the Master Chef for Izumi, where he visits different ships in the fleet to motivate and relay his passion to others in the restaurant.

"As chef, my goal is to give the best every day. We are only as good as our last meal."

Izumi will be coming to Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, and the restaurant will feature not only sushi but teppanyaki style dining at the restaurant's hibachi section.

What does the future hold for Izumi? The chef simply says, "I forsee Izumi being an iconic brand that offers a variety of sustainable concept of sushi and hot dishes that will suit our guests around the world."

You may recall when Royal Caribbean completed the drydock for Allure of the Seas, the Ice Cream Parlor in the Boardwalk neighborhood was transformed into Cups & Scoops and we have some new photos to show you of this venue.

When Allure of the Seas underwent her refurbishment, Cups & Scoops was created by combining the ice cream parlor and the Cupcake Cupboard into one new storefront.

All photos by Rich Freudenberg

Here are some photos of the new exterior.

Royal Caribbean describes Cups and Scoops as a 1940s-style shop featuring fresh-baked gourmet cupcakes, plus private decorating parties and cupcake design classes.

Interestingly, the old name of the Ice Cream Parlor remains on this column.  The name was generic enough that it still advertises what Cups & Scoops offers without adding any confusion.

Inside the store, Cups & Scoops now offers cupcakes and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Will you be visiting Cups and Scoops on your next Allure of the Seas Cruise? Please let us know with a comment!

Royal Caribbean is negotiating a deal with Miami-Dade County in which the cruise line will pay for a brand new cruise terminal in the northeast section of PortMiami.

The Miami Herald is quoting county officials, who say a preliminary vote is set for Wednesday.

The berth will be 400 meters long and could fit an Oasis class cruise ship or something larger, according to deputy port director Kevin Lynskey.

The proposed deal would be between 20 and 60 years and there is no indication yet which ships would be coming to the port, but both sides have, "expressed interest in having one of the megaships based in Miami."

The new terminal would be called Terminal A and would be ready to open in late fall 2018.

A passenger on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas spotted a brand new self serve beer tap for guests to use onboard.

Photo by jules815

The photo was posted to Cruise Critic by the user jules815 and shows a beer tap that serves Stella beer.

These new machines have been added to the Royal Promenade as well as 3 machines on deck 11 near the main pool.

The new beer machine was added to Freedom of the Seas this on this week's cruise and jules815 stated that she heard the machines will be added to Oasis of the Seas next month.

To use the machines, guests will need to have one of the unlimited alcohol packages. Guests swipe their SeaPass cards and beer can be dispensed.

The machines appear to be from the company Draftserv, based in Suwanee, GA.

September 14 update: Guests aboard Freedom of the Seas report these machines have now been removed from all locations onboard.

It is probably no surprise to hear that my favorite kind of vacation is a Royal Caribbean cruise, but being a Royal Caribbean fan or not, there are lots of other vacation options to choose from.  Reflecting on why I really love Royal Caribbean cruises, it got me thinking about what aspects really bring me back time and time again.

Here are my top reasons why a Royal Caribbean cruise is definitely my favorite vacation destination.

9. See the world

Royal Caribbean offers cruises to ports of call around the world and taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is such an easy and fun way to visit places that offer culture, history and fun.

With 23 ships in the fleet, Royal Caribbean offers cruises to every continent (minus Antarctica) and that means it is a fantastic way to explore our world and get a sample of what each city and country is like.

You could easily spend days in any one city, but on a Royal Caribbean cruise guests can get a sampling of each stop and that can help get a sense of if a longer trip to these areas is right for you.

8. Escape winter

Anyone that lives somewhere where it snows or just gets down right frigid in the winter months knows that any escape to a warm climate is welcome

While not all Royal Caribbean cruises go somewhere hot, often many sailings explore places like the Mediterranean, Caribbean or South America, where beautiful warm sunny days come by the handful.

Being able to get away on a Royal Caribbean cruise and wear shorts again while friends and family back home are still bundled up always feels so good.

7. Superb entertainment

Something Royal Caribbean prides itself on and does exceedingly well is its live entertainment.

Broadway shows, musicals, ice skating spectaculars, live music and more are available to enjoy on any Royal Caribbean cruise and it is something we love to enjoy.

Royal Caribbean designs its shows to be something guests want to see again and again and when planning our Royal Caribbean cruises, we always look at the entertainment schedule to see which shows are not to be missed.

6. Food, glorious food

I am not going to lie, I love to eat and on a Royal Caribbean ship, it rarely gets better than the wide selection of amazing food available onboard.

Whether it is an elegant meal in the main dining room, or a plate full of everything from the Windjammer or a stop at my favorite specialty restaurant, there seems to always be terrific food served each time we sail.

Everyone has their favorites and it just seems Royal Caribbean keeps offering up something different to sample. 

Past Royal Caribbean cruisers can rattle off lists of their favorite dishes and treats onboard and it seems like the list always grows after each cruise.

5. Something for the whole family

A big reason why we choose to cruise with Royal Caribbean is because the experience caters to everyone.

Kids, adults, teenagers, grandparents and jaded friends all seem to find something that is up their alley.  

By having a vacation everyone in the family can enjoy, it makes choosing Royal Caribbean a whole lot easier and puts our minds at rest in terms of worrying if everyone will have a great time.

4. Be served and treated Royally 

I love having someone bring me bread, refill my glass, pick up the towels from the ground and turn down my bed in the evening and it is the kind of experience I can count on when I sail on Royal Caribbean.

Being on a Royal Caribbean cruise means the level of service guests receive onboard is always top notch and that kind of service always stands out.

It is not about being a diva and demanding high class service, but instead it is about guests being treated the right way, right away and without hesitation.  

3. Doing things I can't or won't do at home

In my day to day routines, I rarely (if ever) do a lot of the things I get to indulge upon on a cruise.

Spa treatments, ice skating, learning to fold towel animals, climbing rock walls and more are available to do on most Royal Caribbean cruise and when on vacation, why not try them out?

Royal Caribbean constantly is adding new experiences and activities onboard that push the envelope of what a cruise vacation can be.  As a guest, I love having that kind of variety of choice!

2. Create memories

If you were to walk around my house, you would see pictures, souvenirs and other momentos from our past Royal Caribbean cruises and there is rarely a day someone in my family brings up a memory from a past cruise.

Having somewhere like a Royal Caribbean cruise to visit time and time again that creates fun and lasting memories is such a wonderful choice and I believe it is why we return year after year.

1. Relaxing!

We have listed a lot of reasons so far why a Royal Caribbean cruise is my favorite vacation but at the end of the day, I really relish being able to sit back and just relax.

Royal Caribbean designs their cruise experience for its guests to be able to do as little or as much as you want and inevitably, I end up on a lounge chair somewhere with my eyes closed enjoying the moment.

A Royal Caribbean cruise is about escaping from reality and forgetting about the day to day problems from home.  Instead, you get to worry about which activity you will do next and which specialty restaurant you should eat at that evening (the answer is always Sabor).

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

Episode 110 is available for downloading, where Matt shares excursion ideas for cruises to Cozumel and Belize City.

Cozumel and Belize City are two common Caribbean ports that many guests will sail to and this week, we look at what to expect in each port and some of the popular shore excursion ideas to consider.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 110. 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!

We love to discover new changes aboard Royal Caribbean's cruise ships and today we have a look at the cabanas that were added to Allure of the Seas.

Photo by Rich Freudenberg

These cabanas are located on the Suite sun deck, up on deck 17.

The cabanas have no additional cost for guests to use them, but guests must be staying in a suite stateroom (Grand Suite or above) to get access to the cabanas.  

Photos by Photo by Rich Freudenberg

Cabanas are available on a first come, first served basis.

Royal Caribbean recently added a shower to the cabana area and according to the ship's Hotel Director, they are planning to add a Jacuzzi on the Suite Sun Deck to enhance the Royal Suite Program.

Would you like to spend the day in a cabana on the Suite Sun Deck? Let us know in the comments!

Guests booking Freedom of the Seas can earn an extra three points in Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program, Crown and Anchor Society, when each guest spends a minimum of $450 per person on pre-cruise and onboard purchases.

If you can act fast and book a last-minute Freedom of the Seas cruise on one of the following sailings, you will qualify for the deal

• September 13, 2015
• September 20, 2015
• September 27, 2015

This is a pilot program by Royal Caribbean to award additional Crown and Anchor Society points to those that spend a certain amount of money on their cruise.

The total qualifying spend must be greater than or equal to $450 times the number of adults in the stateroom. If this is met, each guest in the stateroom will receive three aditional points.

The following purchases qualify towards the $450 threshold:

• Shore excursions
• Food and beverage
• Spa treatments
• Retail purchases
• Photo purchases
• Art purchases
• Other onboard activities.

The deal excludes these types of purchases

• Onboard charges for casino
• Air or hotel reservations
• Dining booked through the call center
• Items from the Gifts & Gear website
• Promotional onboard credit
• Gratuities

Gold status and higher Crown & Anchor members over the age of 18 will receive an additional three cruise points per sailing when each member in the stateroom makes $450 USD or more in purchases during the sailing and after all credit and refunds have been applied, if any.  Onboard credits do not count towards the $450.

All adults in the stateroom must meet the minimum amount independently. 

Amount of guest’s purchases will be calculated upon the end of the cruise.

Points will be added to eligible Crown and Anchor Society member’s account 60 days after cruise completion.