Summer is here and that means temperatures are going up and Royal Caribbean has some great ways to cool off and avoid getting over heated.

H2O Zone

Royal Caribbean's H2O Zone was designed to cool off in a fun way.  

This colorful aquatic play area is filled with plenty of ways to get wet and it's a big hit with kids and even adults who dare to venture in.

Guests can run around, stand under, on top of and in between many different spouts of water.  The result is all the same: drenched before you know it!

Ice Skating

How about cooling down with some ice?

Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class cruise ships offer ice skating rinks onboard, where the temperature inside have to be right around freezing.  

Besides stopping the sweat, it's undeniably fun putting on a pair of skates and testing your skills in the rink.  From first timers to those people that can skate backwards (we envy and admire you at the same time), ice skating at sea will cool you down while you have fun.

Water slides

In 2016, two Royal Caribbean ships will begin offering water slides and according to our very unscientific research, water slides are a guaranteed way to cool off fast.

Starting with Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's brand new third Oasis class cruise ship, guests can choose from three different three multi-story water slides to ride down.

There will be a water slide with a champagne bowl that swirls riders around as they approach the end of the slide, as well as two racing water slides.

Majesty of the Seas will also be getting the "slide treatment", when she undergoes a refurbishment and will have water slides added too.

Private island swimming

Pools, slides and even ice are great but it is tough to be a dip in the ocean.  At Royal Caribbean's private destinations of Labadee and CocoCay, you can do just that (and a whole lot more).

Both destinations are located in the warm waters of the Caribbean and are perfectly suited for a great beach day.

Lather up the sun screen and then jump in the water for a day full of sun, sand and swimming.

What is your favorite way to cool off on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Share your tips in the comments!

Royal Caribbean has some very fun shows onboard its ships, and one of my favorite shows has to be the Love and Marriage game show.  Over the years, the Love and Marriage show has become a fan favorite event and we are going to dive into the essentials of what you need to know about this show.

Love and Marriage show basics

Let us begin with describing the Love and Marriage game show and what it is.  

Most Royal Caribbean cruise directors that I have heard talk about the show, describe it as being similar to the The Newlywed Game television show.

The cruise director picks three couples from the audience:

• A couple that recently been married
• A couple that has been married for around 10-20 years
• A couple that has been married the longest (usually 20+ years)

There are two rounds, and in each round, one spouse is taken backstage to be in isolation while the other spouse is asked a series of questions about their relationship.  The questions are usually about the circumstances in which they first met, dates they have gone on and even some personal questions about their relationship.

After the first spouse gives their answers, the other spouse returns and asked the same questions.  Each question that both spouses answer the same results in a point for that couple. 

The spouses then switch and the next round repeats similar to the first round, but with new questions.

At the end of both rounds, the couple with the most points wins.

Why the Love and Marriage game show is entertaining

Before the show even begins, the ship's cruise director will ask for volunteers and usually there are quite a few couples vying to be picked.  As a sort of audition, each couple must perform a quick demonstration of their passion for each other by repeating a phrase.  After each couple auditions, the audience votes for their favorite based on applause.

The couples who really go over the top with their enthusiasm are usually the ones that get the most votes, so off the bat, you get some very fun folks who give it their all to be picked.

The real fun is when the show begins and we hear the answers and then the reaction of the other spouse to each answer.  

What makes the show fun is when one spouse is very wrong or a spouse reveals something embarrassing about themselves.  The cruise director certainly plays a part in encouraging the couples to be honest and then poking fun at the answers. 

The show is kept family friendly for the most part, although there are references to each body parts and past sexual experiences.  It's presented in good fun and older children that are mature enough for these kinds topics will also find the show amusing.

How to see the Love and Marriage game show

The show is usually held in the Royal Theater on one evening of the cruise.

You will have to check your Cruise Compass for the exact day and time.

The show is also shown live and subsequently in re-runs on the stateroom televisions.  This can be a good option if you have other plans or perhaps you have to be in your stateroom for some reason.

Auditioning for the show

If you are feeling in the mood to participate in the show and poke a little fun at yourself, any married couple can audition for the show.

You should plan on arriving at the theater well before the show is to begin.  At least 30 minutes before show time and sitting close to the stage are good ideas.

As mentioned earlier, the cruise director will ask you and your spouse to repeat a phrase and demonstrate for the audience why you really deserve to be there.  This is when being creative helps.  

Over the years, couples have screamed, kissed passionately, swept each other off their feet and otherwise demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm to differentiate themselves from the other couples.  There is no guaranteed way to be picked, but try to be as excited and enthusiastic as possible when auditioning.

For this weekend only, Royal Caribbean is giving guests up to an extra $50 in onboard credit that is combinable with the Rock Your View upgrade offer on Anthem of the Seas and BOGO Holidays on a variety of holiday sailings.

Royal Caribbean is offering

• Book an Interior or Ocean View stateroom and receive $25 onboard credit
• Book a Balcony or Suite and receive $50 onboard credit

This onboard credit offer is on top of Royal Caribbean's Buy One Guest, Get Second Guest 50% Off + Free prepaid gratuities on sailings departing Dec. 15-31, 2015 or 2016.

This Weekend WOW Sale applies to new bookings made July 10-12, 2015 for all sailings departing on or after August 9, 2015, excluding China departures and Ovation of the Seas sailings departing between December 15, 2016 and January 23, 2017. 

Offer is combinable with current standard/full fare rates, restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO), Next Cruise offer, and Anthem Upgrade Offer. Offer is not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Crown & Anchor Discounts, and Shareholder benefits.

Offer available in the United States and Canada.

Ever since Royal Caribbean debuted its unlimited alcohol packages in late 2012, they have become quite popular with many guests who love the idea of locking in the price of something that can get very expensive, very quickly: alcohol.

For a lot of folks, having drinks on their Royal Caribbean cruise is a big reason they enjoy taking a cruise and I completely understand.  Heck, I love having drinks too while I am onboard.  It is really hard to top having a fruity drink with an umbrella in it while sitting by the pool on a beautiful day in the Caribbean.

The reason why I do not purchase the unlimited alcohol packages and why I often advocate to take a second look at them is because I do not feel I can get the value out of them to make it worth the cost.

Why (not to) buy the package

The number one reason anyone would want to purchase a Royal Caribbean unlimited alcohol package is because they want to be able to drink an unlimited amount of drinks without running up a crazy bill.  It sounds like a perfectly good idea, right?

The package is simple: pay a fixed cost for every day of your cruise and you never have to worry about a bar bill again.  Royal Caribbean gets a flat fee and you get the freedom to order whatever you want.

By most estimates, you have to drink around 5 to 6 drinks per day, depending on what you order and which package you get, to essentially "break even" on the package's cost.  After all, why would you purchase something if you are going to over pay, right?

This is why I don't buy the package.

For me, five to six drinks per day, every day of my cruise is a lot.  Can I do it one or two days in a row? Heck yea! But on a seven night (or longer cruise), that's a lot to drink and I wont want that much to drink every day.  

Do not forget about port days, where a vast majority of the day I am not even onboard, so there is little time that day to drink enough to meet my daily quota to get my money's worth.  And if I am drinking for the sake of drinking to get my money's worth, then why buy the package?

What I do instead

Instead of buying the drink packages, I opt to pay for my drinks a la carte.  

In my mind, even if I drink three to four drinks per day, I am still coming out ahead of the drink package cost.  And when I am in port, usually alcohol is less expensive than on the ship and I can really reap the savings.

If I can reference something I learned in middle school English class, I would like to quote an ancient Greek aphorism, "know thyself".  It means you should remember your limits and when it comes to having drinks, some people can easily have a lot to drink and others not so much.  For me, I recognize that I'm happy with just a couple of drinks per day at the most.

By purchasing drinks a la carte, I feel like I am ordering drinks when I really want one and not ordering them just because I can with the package.  

Wine!

The other reason why I do not get the alcohol packages is because Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring up to two bottles of wine per stateroom.  

I bring the wine to dinner and this will get me through a few evening meals without having to pay for drinks.

Not everyone drinks wine but the fact this is something I can do to keep costs down and at the same time indulge in having a drink means the value proposition of an unlimited alcohol package is much less for me.

Find out for yourself

Obviously these are all my opinions and I recognize everyone is different. Forgetting about breaking up the cruise cost or having the ability to experiment with drinks, the real reason to buy the drink package is to be able to pay a fixed price for your drinks and save money on them in the end.  

If you have been on a cruise before, you probably know about how much you typically drink, so you can figure out if the unlimited alcohol packages make sense for you.  

I recommend looking at a calendar of your itinerary and consider if you really can drink enough to make the package work for you.  If it seems like the decision is too close to call, I recommend opting not to get the package off the bat.  See how a few days go, because you can always order the package at any point in your cruise, as long as there are at least 4 days left in your cruise.

In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is just assume the package is a good or bad deal without really understanding what it takes to get the value out of it.  Everyone is different, so take a few minutes to "do the math" and perhaps you will come to the same conclusion as me.  Or maybe you will call me crazy, in which case I will toast my next drink I buy (on my SeaPass account) to you!

Do you buy the unlimited alcohol packages? Or do you avoid them too? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is a great family vacation for all ages, including infants.  The key to a successful cruise with an infant is to be prepared and find the right sailing for your family.

How old does my infant need to be to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean requires infants be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise to be able to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 

For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises, your infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

In addition, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise.

Any children younger than the infant policy will be denied boarding.

Does Royal Caribbean charge infants a cruise fare?

Yes, infants are charged a cruise fare, just like everyone else onboard.

If your infant is the third or fourth passenger, they will usually pay a reduced rate.

Does my infant need a passport?

Ideally you will travel with a passport for your infant because it greatly simplifies the process of traveling by airplane, should an unexpected event occur that causes your family to miss the cruise ship.

United States citizens can travel with a birth certificate in lieu of a passport, but having a passport has tremendous benefits and most travel professionals advise investing in a passport when traveling overseas.

For non-United States residents, you will need a valid passport and in some cases, a visa.

What to look for in a ship

Royal Caribbean has 23 ships in its fleet and each ship offers something different, so it is important to research what each ship has in terms of facilities for your infant and which facilities you absolutely need and which you do not.

Pools

Select Royal Caribbean ships have an infant pool known as the Baby Splash Zone, where children who wear a swim diaper can go into.  Ordinarily, children that wear diapers are prohibited from going into pools onboard the ship, but some of the newer cruise ships now offer an infant pool.

If your cruise has a few sea days, having access to an infant pool can be important, whereas if you are taking a port intensive itinerary, it may not be a factor.

There are Baby Splash Zones on Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

Nursery

On many Royal Caribbean ships is the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, where parents can drop off infants and toddlers who are too young for the Adventure Ocean program.

The Royal Babies and Tots Nursery is for children between the age of 6 and 36 months old. For a small charge per hour ($8 per hour at the time of this blog post), your child will be supervised by trained professionals.

Keep in mind that the nursery has limited space, so you will want to go there on your first day to reserve times.

Most Royal Caribbean ships now offer a nursery but you should verify the ship you are sailing on does in fact have one.

Stateroom

Picking the perfect stateroom is always a big part of the decision to book a cruise, but when you add an infant into the mix, it adds another layer of complexity.

Royal Caribbean will provide a crib for your child to sleep free of charge, but you will want to also consider the stateroom size and how much space the crib will take up as well as there being enough space for your child to crawl around in.

Keep in mind most staterooms that are not suites will not have a bath tub, so when it comes to bath time, your child will either have to be okay with a shower or you should consider packing an inflatable tub.

You should also look for staterooms that have a room-dividing curtain or wall so that when your infant is sleeping, you can still have the lights on or watch television or read.

Dreamworks Experience

Select Royal Caribbean ships offer the DreamWorks Experience, where there are DreamWorks characters to meet, such as Shrek, Alex the lion, the penguins, Fiona and more.

There are also DreamWorks activities onboard, such as DreamWorks character breakfast, parades, movies in your stateroom and more.

Bring plenty of supplies

One important aspect of planning for a cruise with an infant is having plenty of everything.  

Infants can go through wipes, diapers, formula and even clothing faster than you can anticipate, so it is important to have as much extra as possible, especially since you cannot go to the store to get more supplies on a cruise ship.

Estimate how much supplies your infant will go through for the duration of your cruise and then pad that number by 25% to give yourself some cushion. 

A good tip is to purchase the supplies close to the port instead of paying the airlines for extra baggage or cramming more stuff in your car for the ride to the port.  If you rent a car, stop by a pharmacy near the port.  If you are taking a taxi, negotiate a stop into the fare.

Royal Caribbean does offer a program called Babies On The Go, which is a partnership with Huggies and Gerber to provide supplies on your ship.  If transporting a lot of diapers, baby food and other supplies is not feasible, consider ordering supplies in advance that will be delivered to your stateroom upon your arrival.

Stroller or no stroller?

Yes, you should bring a stroller but leave the jogging stroller at home because it will just take up too much space in your stateroom.

Consider bringing instead an umbrella stroller or even just a baby carrier.  They may not be that useful onboard the ship but when you go to ports, having a means of transporting your infant other than you carrying them will be quite helpful.

In-room babysitting

If your Royal Caribbean ship does not have a nursery or your child does not want to go, there is in-room babysitting as another option.

Babysitting will cost you more than the nursery ($19 per hour, last we checked) but it allows your child to remain in your stateroom while being supervised by Royal Caribbean crew members.

The key to getting a babysitter is you need to speak with Guest Services about getting one.  At that point, they will ask what day and time you would like the babysitter and then Guest Services will see if there are any crew members willing to assist.

In-room babysitting is not a regular service, so what happens is crew members volunteer to take a shift if they have time and are willing.  

I've had good luck with getting a baby sitter but keep in mind it's on a first-come, first served basis and there are limited baby sitters.

Can I get milk for my infant?

There will always be somewhere onboard to get milk during your Royal Caribbean cruise.  During meal hours, the Windjammer is often the simplest way to get a carton or two of milk.  

There is almost always whole milk available, as well as low fat (2%) milk.

When all else fails, room service can provide milk and deliver it to your stateroom 24 hours a day. Keep in mind that a late night service charge of $3.95 applies if you order very late.

You can also "stock pile" milk in your stateroom mini-fridge.  Ask your stateroom attendant to empty the mini-fridge and then you can always grab extra cartons of milk to store in there for later.

Dinner

You are more than welcome to bring your infant to the main dining room for dinner each evening.  

Royal Caribbean will provide high chairs for infants and there is even a special kids menu, if your child is old enough to eat solid foods.

How do I wash bottles and clothing?

You should be able to wash bottles in the stateroom bathroom sink.  Be sure to bring the proper supplies to clean bottles.

For cleaning your infants clothing, you have two options.  First, you can use the sink to wash clothing.  You can bring onboard single use detergent powder packets that you can hand wash in the sink and then air dry in your shower or balcony.

If you need to clean a lot of clothes, Royal Caribbean offers dry cleaning services for a fee per item.  For a better value, look for the "fill a bag" laundry deal that is often available for a flat fee.

Don't ignore naps

This probably falls under basic parenting, but just because you are on a cruise does not mean you should forget about nap time.

In my experience, the closer you can keep kids to their nap schedule, the better time overall everyone will have.  The nurseries have cribs for napping but often going back to your stateroom is the best idea for a nap.

On embarkation day, your stateroom may not be ready until later in the day (usually around 1pm), so be prepared how to handle a nap if your room is not available.  Some good ideas are to delay arrival to the ship until the afternoon or try for a nap in the stroller.

Have you taken an infant on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Share your tips in the comments below!

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

Episode 101 is available for downloading which has a review of a listener's experience on Liberty of the Seas last week.

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

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 101. 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!