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

Episode 79 is available for downloading which has an in-depth review of the changes Royal Caribbean has made to Freedom of the Seas.

After a 24-day dry dock refurbishment, Freedom of the Seas has new public spaces, restaurants, staterooms and more to explore and I've invited Beci Mahnken to help us learn all about what's new and different onboard this popular cruise ship.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 79. 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's fourth Oasis-class cruise ship took a major step forward today when it had its steel cutting ceremony earlier today at STX France in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The steel cutting marks the official start of construction for any cruise ship.  Royal Caribbean promises more details about this and sister third Oasis-class ship will be reveleaed in the coming months.

The unnamed Oasis-class ship will debut in mid-2018 but it's just one of a few Royal Caribbean ships under construction.  Anthem of the Seas is almost complete and will be ready for an April 2015 launch, followed by a third Oasis-class and Ovation of the Seas (Quantum-class), which will both debut in spring 2016.  

Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas returned home to Baltimore today a day early after a number of passengers became sick on the cruise.

Royal Caribbean spokesperson Cynthia Martinez said 193 guests(9.91 percent) and nine crew members(1.15 percent) experienced the illness, thought to be norovirus.

"Those affected by the short-lived illness are responding well to over-the-counter medication administered on board the ship," Martinez said.

The ship will undergo a ship-wide cleaning and disinfection after the guests disembark.  The terminal will also be sanitized.

When the ship was in Falmouth, Jamaica, two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers boarded the ship along with two epidemiologists.  They collected samples for testing and evaluated the outbreak and response activities.

Royal Caribbean confirmed our earlier report that a new dining option will be added to Dynamic Dining that will offer passengers a more traditional dining experience called Classic, where guests will rotate among the complimentary restaurants each night of their cruise with the same wait staff each evening.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement that Dynamic Dining Classic will be a new option for guests to consider in addition to the existing Dynamic Dining program and will debut first on Anthem of the Seas in April 2015.

Classic dining will offer two set dinner seating times for guests who prefer a traditional cruise dining style.

Dynamic Dining’s “Classic” option allows guests to rotate through each of the four main complimentary restaurants at an early- or a late-seating time throughout their cruise with their dining group and the same assigned waiter each evening. Dynamic Dining’s “Classic” dining option will be available for pre-booking early March.

Royal Caribbean Brand Communications Manager Harrison Liu also discussed the future of Dynamic Dining, "As we continue to gather guest feedback we will evaluate ways to continue to elevate the Dynamic Dining experience to give our guests the choices and flexibility we know they desire.  As we introduce Dynamic Dining to other ships in the fleet, further dates and details will be confirmed. "

Dynamic Dining Classic is part of an effort by Royal Caribbean to improve the Dynamic Dining Experience.  In the last few weeks on Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has introduced new menu options at the four complimentary restaurants, increased staffing levels in the complimentary restaurants and added Devinly Decadence as a complimentary restaurant.

Royal Caribbean UK is offering complimentary unlimited beer and wine packages for select 2015 cruises to residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Those that book a Royal Caribbean cruise of six nights or more between February 1 and 28, 2015 will be eligible for the Select beverage package, which includes unlimited

• Beer
• Wines by the glass (up to $8 value)
• Non-alcoholic cocktails
• Unlimited fountain sodas with free souvenir cup

In addition, guests will receive up to $400 to spend onboard in onboard credit.  

• 6-13 nights: $150 onboard credit per stateroom
• 14 nights or more: $400 onboard ctedit per stateroom

There's also just a £50pp deposit required.

This deal is good for all sailings except China itineraries as well as Anthem and Quantum of the Seas Caribbean itineraries). Cruises must sail between February 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

The Drinks & Onboard Spending Money promotion is not combinable with Crown & Anchor Discounts / Travel Agent Rates / Interline Rates / Net Tour Op Rates / Gross Tour Op Rates / Friends & Family / Interline (unless otherwise stated) or any form of Non Revenue price programs such as, but not limited to Seminars at Sea, Perishable Inventory & Complimentary prize winner staterooms. The Drinks & Onboard Spending Money promotion is combinable with the benefits offered by booking onboard via our Future Cruise Consultants (Reserved or Open Bookings) and Future Cruise Certificates only. The Drinks & Onboard Spending Money promotion is combinable with Tesco Clubcard bookings.

We've received reports that Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley announced to a group of travel agents aboard Freedom of the Seas that the company's ambitious Dynamic Dining program will be augmented with a new rotational dining program.

Under the new program, guests will dine at different complimentary restaurants each night of their cruise based on their rotational schedule.  At each restaurant, guests will have the same wait staff and table mates each evening.

The new rotational dining program will begin with Anthem of the Seas, but there is no indication yet if it will spread to Quantum of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and/or Allure of the Seas.

Back in March 2014, Royal Caribbean had previously announced its Quantum-class cruise ships would usher in a radically new dining program called Dynamic Dining, where there would be no main dining room and instead would offer a combination of complimentary and specialty restaurants for guests to choose from.  

Then in August 2014, Royal Caribbean announced Dynamic Dining would spread to Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

When Quantum of the Seas launched in November 2014, there were a great deal of negative reports from cruisers that Dynamic Dining was troubled by long lones and poor service.  Then in December, Royal Caribbean postponed Dynamic Dining on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas indefinitely.

If the reports are true, it appears the flow of negative reviews online and to Royal Caribbean have forced the company to try something different from Dynamic Dining that is more like traditional dining.

UPDATE: Video of Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley announcing the rotational dining option called "Classic".

Video by Gina Smythe

Royal Caribbean is kicking off a new Weekend WOW deal that offers a deal on cruises booked this weekend.

Royal Caribbean is offering

• Buy one, get the second guests 50% off and free onboard credit
  • $25 onboard credit per stateroom for interior staterooms
  • $125 onboard credit per stateroom for ocean view staterooms
  • $250 onboard credit per stateroom for balcony and suite staterooms

The deal is valid on all sailings between February 1 – May 31, 2015, excluding Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Bookings must be made on January 31 or February 1.

Buy One, Get One 50% off is combinable with the adjoining OBC offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers. Buy One, Get One 50% off offer is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, Kids Sail Free). OBC offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO, Kids Sail Free) as well as NextCruise offers. OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. Neither offer is 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, Shareholder Benefits. After the Offer Period, the Offer will be removed from the booking if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking; certain other changes to the booking may also result in removal of the Offer.