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

Episode 93 is available for downloading where we discuss what you need to know about formal night on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

It seems like planning for formal night on your Royal Caribbean cruise causes many folks anxiety about what (not) to wear so this week, Matt discusses the reality of formal night and helps set expectaions for what these evenings really entail.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 93. 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!

Chef Devin Alexander, known from the popular TV series "The Biggest Loser", is proud to open her restaurant onboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. Putting flavor first, Chef Devin gives "healthy a 180" with guilt free dining at Devinly Decadence.

Royal Caribbean announced it will skip a scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico today for Jewel of the Seas due to violence in the area.

Royal Caribbean director of global corporate communications commented on the change, "The call to Puerto Vallarta was canceled due to the recently experienced episodes of violent civil unrest, stemming from criminal gangs that have engaged in armed conflict with local authorities.  We also canceled Celebrity Infinity's call on Sunday. We will continue to monitor the situation in Puerto Vallarta."

Criminal violence in Mexico has been a primary reason why Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines have avoided offering more cruises on the west coast of the United States.

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas made her first visit to the island of Bermuda over the weekend and was welcomed with a special ceremony.

Photo by Bernews

It's customary to welcome new vessels that visit a port for the first time and for Liberty of the Seas, a short ceremony was held on May 9th onboard the ship.  

During the ceremony, a traditional maritime plaque was exchanged.

Bermuda's Minister of Tourism Development and Transport, Shawn Crockwell, spoke about the occasion, “This ship is simply stunning and definitely lives up to its reputation – designed with pure pleasure in mind. She features an abundance of phenomenal onboard experiences; there is something here for everyone.”

“She is beautiful and we are delighted that you chose Bermuda as a destination this summer, giving your guests an opportunity to experience our beauty, our charm and the warmth and friendliness of our people,” added Minister Crockwell.​

Royal Caribbean announced a 3-day onboard credit bonus offer just in time for Mothers Day.

Residents of the United States and Canada who make a new booking today through Sunday will receive up to $50 onboard credit for their cruise.

Additionally, the Mothers Day onboard credit booking bonus is combinable with Royal Caribbean's Celebrate and Save offer for the month of May, where vacationers who make a new booking will enjoy buy-one-one-get-one-half-off the second guest in the same stateroom, plus up to an additional $200 savings, depending on the room category they choose. 

Here are the terms and conditions for the Mothers Day Weekend WOW combinable bonus offer: 

• Booking Window: May 8-10, 2015 
• Sailing Window: All sailings departing on or after June 8, 2015, excluding Quantum of the Seas 
• Up to $50 onboard credit per stateroom bonus: 
  • $25 OBC per stateroom – Interior / Ocean View 
  • $50 OBC per stateroom – Balcony / Suites 

Royal Caribbean announced yesterday that it had ordered a fourth Quantum-class cruise ship and analysts seem to think this move will add more capacity to North America.

UBS Investment Research Robin Farley thinks the new ship will increase Royal Caribbean's North American cruise capacity, "Two of Royal Caribbean's four Quantum-class orders are already announced to be home-ported in China, so for the North American market, this order is the second Quantum-class ship.  Plus, Royal Caribbean also has five other ships on order."

Royal Caribbean has not officially announced any details about this fourth Quantum-class ship beyond the fact it has indeed placed an order for it.  The ship's name, homeport and onboard offerings will likely not be known until closer to the ship's launch.

Royal Caribbean just launched its second Quantum-class ship, Anthem of the Seas, with the third Quantum-class ship, Ovation of the Seas, due for delivery in 2016.

Royal Caribbean announced today it has ordered a fourth Quantum-class cruise ship that will be ready for delivery in 2019.

Royal Caribbean entered into an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany to build the fourth Quantum-class cruise ship.

The fourth ship in the Quantum-class does not have a name yet but will be the sister ship to Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

“Today’s announcement is a reflection of the success of the first two Quantum-class ships,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “We have received a       remarkable response from travel agent partners and travelers, and are thrilled that we’ll be able to deliver another revolutionary ship with our partners at Meyer Werft.”

“The fourth Quantum class vessel will be a trailblazer in smart-ship design and vacation innovation,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Royal Caribbean International is synonymous with adventure, and the icons and amenities on this ship will continue to challenge and expand guests’ expectations of the cruise experience.”

The order is contingent upon the completion of customary conditions, including financing.

Royal Caribbean has signed a deal with Alfa Laval to provide Royal Caribbean ships exhaust gas cleaning systems known as scrubbers.

Freedom of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will each receive a hybrid scrubber with multiple inlets, while Adventure of the Seas will receive an inline hybrid with one main engine connected.

The Alfa Laval PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning system is gaining ground in the cruise ship market. Following a lengthy selection and qualification process, four PureSOx scrubbers have been ordered by Royal Caribbean. Three of these will be PureSOx 2.0 systems as presented at SMM 2014, while the fourth will be the first test inline version of PureSOx. 

Royal Caribbean Executive Vice President, Maritime Harri Kulovaara, commented on the deal, “SOx scrubber systems are part of our commitment to meeting or exceeding important environmental standards, as they allow compliance even where low-sulphur fuels have limited availability,” says . “We chose Alfa Laval and PureSOx on the basis of strong references, a strong technical platform and a strong willingness to cooperate in implementing the technology on our vessels.” 

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

Episode 92 is available for downloading where friends join Matt to discuss their recent cruise aboard Anthem of the Seas.

Anthem of the Seas is now offering cruises to the public and she's been the subject of so much attention lately that Matt invited back to the podcast a few friends who were also onboard to discuss their experiences on this impressive new ship.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 92. 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!

The Ports of Auckland, New Zealand might be saying "no thank you" to Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas.

Earlier this week, the porth authority decided not to build a wharf extension that is necessary for a ship the size of Ovation of the Seas to dock at.  Now the Auckland Council has taken over negotiations in an effort to have the ship stop in Auckland.

Royal Caribbean still believes Ovation of the Seas could still stop in Auckland after meeting with port and council representatives yesterday.

"Absolutely, after that meeting I believe Auckland will be a possibility.  It was very positive, we put our requests and got the promise they will look at that, and come back with a final answer," Royal Caribbean port captain Nik Antalis told Radio New Zealand.

A flurry of political warnings and maneuvering began on Friday when Ports of Auckland announced the 98-metre-long Bledisloe 3 extension would not be completed and thus, Ovation of the Seas would not be able to visit.