Royal Caribbean's eagerly awaited deployment opening schedule appears to be available for its world wide cruise itineraries.

An internal Royal Caribbean document points to when Royal Caribbean will post the deployments for regions around the world.

• Week of March 9
  • Summer/Fall Caribbean
  • Northeast and Canada
• Week of March 16
  • Europe and Alaska
• Week of March 30
  • Winter Caribbean and Northeast
• Week of April 13
  • Exotics and Australia
• Future Deployment
  • China

These dates may be subject to change.  Royal Caribbean has strongly hinted the deployment schedule would be coming out in March and this information supports it.

Deployment schedules gives consumers an idea of when to expect particular cruise schedules to become available to start looking at future cruises.

Royal Caribbean announced today it has named Mark Tamis as its new senior vice president, Hotel Operations.

Tamis will oversee Royal Caribbean's hotel services, food, beverage, entertainment and private destinations, and will report directly to Royal Caribbean CEO and President Michael Bayley.

"Mark has extensive knowledge and a proven track record of success in the hospitality industry and I look forward to welcoming him to the Royal family," said Bayley. "In his role, Mark will lead the dedicated men and women who work every day to deliver the best vacation adventures to our guests from around the world. And I am confident that he can help us take our award-winning experience to even greater heights."

Tamis comes to Royal Caribbean after serving as senior vice president, Guest Operations with Carnival Cruise Lines.

Tamis is also active in various civic and community service organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters and Special Olympics, and founded www.dadsforgiving.org, an organization that encourages fathers to volunteer with their children to benefit their communities.

Friday is here and before you start your weekend, let's take a look at some fun Royal Caribbean photos that our readers sent in to be showcased.  Just like you, we love looking at Royal Caribbean photos to get a "quick fix" when it comes to the "I'm not on a cruise" blues.

First up this week is a photo of Liberty of the Seas in Labadee by John Siegmund.  I would love to trade these single digit temperatures I'm experiencing for a little Labadee time!

Next let's move to another part of the Caribbean with a photo of Freedom of the Seas in St. Thomas by Ken Slusser. Ken notes, "The Captain performed a really cool maneuver to spin the ship and back into the last remaining spot on the pier. I later asked him about the reason for parking that way and he replied that he likes to point to the open sea where possible in case they need to get out of port in a hurry."

Here's a fun photo by Victor Sacal from Two70 with the ROBOSCREENS deployed.  What a fun venue!

Check out this great photo by Sean McLellan of Freedom of the Seas in St. Thomas in the evening.  I love the colors and contrast!

Here's a great sunset photo by Spencer Goad from Freedom of the Seas.  What a beautiful shot of the sunset!

We wrap things up with this photo by Blake Baldwin from Liberty of the Seas at night.  There's nothing better than a nice evening stroll on the pool deck on Royal Caribbean's ships.

Do you have fun Royal Caribbean photos to share?  Send us your favorite photos and we will feature them on an upcoming blog post!

Ship builder Meyer Werft has moved up its time table for floating out Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas.

Meyer Werft issued a press release stating Anthem of the Seas will now leave the covered building dock on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 3:00pm local time.

Royal Caribbean had announced last week that Anthem of the Seas would be floated out on February 21.  Float out dates are commonly subject to change for a variety of reasons.

Royal Caribbean's latest cruise promotion is to offer guests the option of buy one, get one passenger 50% off or free beverage package for two.  You may be wondering which offer will save you more money in the long run and we're about to find out.

Our test critiera was to pick a couple of random cruises in the future to price out how BOGO Wild affects the price.  We decided to pick cruises in June 2015, since they were far enough out to be a realistic choice for someone pricing out cruises about the time this blog post came out.

First test: Couple sailing on Freedom of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on June 14

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2115.80 ($635 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $2688.80 ($826 savings)

Balcony (Category D2): $4207 ($1,333 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2750.80 ($809.48 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $3514.80 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D2): $5540 ($809.48 savings)

Second test: Family of 4 sailing on Allure of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing on June 14

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category K): $6086.00 ($1160 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $7816.00 ($1,604 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category K): $6086.00 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $9420.00 ($809.48 savings)

Third test: Couple sailing on Enchantment of the Seas

Itinerary: 4-night Bahamas cruise departing on June 15

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $1194.16 ($345 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $1494.16 ($445 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $2248 ($750 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $462.56

Inside stateroom (Category M): $1539.16 ($462.56 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $1939.16 ($462.56 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $2998 ($462.56 savings)

Fourth test: Couple sailing on Oasis of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on June 13

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2874.96 ($885 savings)

Ocean View (Category G): $3084.96 ($955 savings)

Balcony (Category D6): $3729.96 ($1,170 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category M): $3759.96 ($809.48 savings)

Ocean View (Category G): $4039.96 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D6): $4899.96 ($809.48 savings)

Conclusion

The results show that the less expensive the cruise, the better savings you will find with the unlimited alcohol package.  Conversely, the more expensive the cruise, the better the BOGO savings.

Of course, the savings you get with the complimentary unlimited alcohol package assumes you would be purchasing the unlimited alcohol package anyway.  Also, the free unlimited alcohol package savings come when you total the entire cost of the cruise, whereas BOGO reduces the up-front cost of the cruise.  Depending on how much you drink, the savings with the unlimited alcohol package could be greater than what's noted here in the grand scheme of things.

Across our four tests, the BOGO savings were mostly the better deal, especially if you are interested in a stateroom category of oceanview or above.  

For most people, the BOGO deal may still be the better deal but it will come down to where your priorities are.

It's a time honored tradition to name a godmother for new cruise ships and for Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas the godmother will be a travel agent.

Royal Caribbean as created a new campaign called, "A Godmother Like No Other. Could It Be You?" and has launched a contest to find the ship's godmother in April.

Royal Caribbean is looking for a godmother who isn't just a travel agent but also a travel agent that can sing.  To enter, agents must show off their singing abilities by submitting a short video clip here.

Stuart Leven, UK and Ireland managing director, said having an agent as the ship’s godmother would reflect the line’s strong ties with the trade.

He said: “This is another wow moment for our agency partners. Royal has always been a trade-friendly brand and always will be. Since I started in this business, I have spoken about the relationship with the trade that I inherited. We not only wanted to protect that, but we wanted to take it to the next level.

“Agents are hardworking, so why shouldn’t they have a little bit of fun along the way?

“We won’t be short of people applying. I have worked in travel for more than 25 years and have recently spent time on agency shop floors with staff. If agents give just a snippet of the amount of energy they give to selling our brand on their performances, we will be in for something special.”

The chosen godmother will also receive some fantastic prizes including a full makeover for the ceremony, coaching from music and fashion experts in the run-up to the inaugural celebrations and an exclusive seven-night cruise in the luxury of Anthem’s Royal Suite.

The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 12.

Royal Caribbean is embarking upon reviewing its global creative agency business and aims to have a decision by May 2015.

The review will focus on the work of incumbent advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, who has been the lead creative agency for Royal Caribbean since 2007.

AdWeek speculates that some recent personnel changes at Royal Caribbean may have impacted the working relationship between JWT and Royal Caribbean.  Royal Caribbean has a new CEO in Michael Bayley and Marketing SVP Carol Schuster left Royal Caribbean.

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

Episode 81 is available for downloading where we discuss the designs coming to public spaces on Anthem of the Seas.

Designer Tim Magill returns to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast this week to talk about his team's work on designing spaces on Anthem of the Seas.  Tim shares stories behind the creation of these spots and gives us an idea of what to expect onboard.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 81. 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 announced new shows for its latest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas.

Guests will enjoy two shows in the Royal Theater:

Broadway musical We Will Rock You: the smash hit musical featuring the greatest hits of legendary British rock group, Queen. Written by British comedian Ben Elton, the hilarious award-winning, record-breaking phenomenon is built around 24 of Queen’s greatest hits and tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown.

The Gift: an original Royal Caribbean production created exclusively for Anthem, The Gift is a musical journey of fantasy and illusion that begins one stormy night with the arrival of a “Magical Gift”.  A beautiful production that is sure to delight, inspire and touch the hearts of all who come to see it.

There will also be a new show in Two70 that is new on Anthem of the Seas.

Spectra’s Cabaret: an original Royal Caribbean production created by Moment Factory, exclusively for Two70 on Anthem of the Seas, features the Maestro and his Agents of Rhythm as they invite you to an electric multi-dimensional cabaret where you will be transported into invisible realms. Each night, the portal opens for a limited period of time and the audience immerses themselves in a multi-media show brimming with kaleidoscopic sounds, effervescent colors and dazzling movement. Spectra’s Cabaret blends live performance and experiential cinema along with music from popular culture. It creates a world seen through the lens of music and technology, all the while exploring the deepest recesses of the heart.

The news regarding We Will Rock You has been known since August 2014, but the other shows are new to Anthem of the Seas and were not available on sister ship Quantum of the Seas.

Here's another great post by Royal Caribbean Blog contributor Michael Poole.

Today, I come to you with some pro’s and con’s of cruising solo onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.  I have cruised solo six times now, all within the last two years.  Let’s start out with the good stuff and go over some advantages of solo cruising. 

Rack up the Crown and Anchor points

In 2013, Royal Caribbean introduced one extra cruise point in their loyalty program, Crown & Anchor Society for all solo cruisers.  By booking a cruise just for you, Royal Caribbean will give you an extra point each night of your cruise.  

If you book a junior suite or higher you already get double points plus the extra solo point per night, equaling triple points!

These points help you gain extra perks onboard, such as drinks, coupons etc.  For more information on the Crown & Anchor Program, check out episode 34 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast.

Meeting new friends

Another advantage of solo cruising is meeting so many new people; sure you can meet a lot of new people while you are with friends and family.  However, there’s just something about being alone and people will just flock to you, it seems to happen every time. 

I enjoy being social and talking to new people, so I find this as a huge advantage of cruising solo. 

Dining solo

One of the most common questions I get from someone inquiring about solo cruising is where did you eat dinner?  Surly not alone in the dinning room? 

I like to request a large table in the dinning room, so I don’t have to eat alone.  I prefer a table with 6-10 people, that way I get a chance to meet more people and not get stuck with one couple or even alone. 

Since we are on the topic of food, one con is when you are eating in the Windjammer, if you get up for seconds the table will be taken by someone else once you return.  So the trick here is to load up on the first round or leave a personal item behind. 

Getting seats at shows

Have you ever been running late to a show, and you can’t find two seats together unless they are in the last row? 

When you cruise solo there is always one good seat left and you can just slip right in.  I was once running late to the Aqua show on Oasis of The Seas, and I noticed one open seat in the front row dead center.  Same rule applies to sea days on the pool deck; I can always find a great seat by the pool.  

Going ashore

One area I haven’t really explored is doing excursions solo; I generally do my own thing or have visited the location many times before.  

That being said, I would only go with a Royal Caribbean excursion due to safety reasons traveling alone.  This does cost more than the private options that you can often find. 

Solo doesn't mean cheap

The biggest con of solo cruising is the price, Royal Caribbean charges all solo passengers 200% of the cruise fare whether you have one or two guest in the cabin.

The only way to avoid paying the full fare is Royal Caribbean will have reduced solo supplement fare to help fill cabins.  They don’t advertise these discounts, so you have to go find them, which is very time consuming. 

On the Quantum-class ships, there are special staterooms for solo cruisers that do not include a supplement fee.

Try it!

If you are thinking about solo cruising I would tell you to give it a chance and I’m certain you won’t think twice about it again. 

If I had to leave you with some advice for the first time, I’d say be open-minded and have fun with the new experience.  Feel free to post in the comments below with any questions and I’d be happy to help.