If you're looking for a Royal Caribbean "fix" on television, there's a series of episodes about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise that's airing frequently on the A Wealth of Entertainment network.

AWE is carrying the first season of "Dream Cruises", which features a look at select Royal Caribbean ships and what a cruise ont hem is like.

Here are the episodes that are available

• Navigator of the Seas - Western Caribbean
• Vision of the Seas - Brazilian coast
• Rhapsody of the Seas - Australian coast and Bali
• Explorer of the Seas - Western Caribbean
• Legend of the Seas - South China Sea
• Brilliance of the Seas - Mediterranean
• Voyager of the Seas - Adriatic Sea

There are multiple showings over the next few days, so check your local listings.  Just today, you can find episodes on at 9:00am, 11:00am, 6:00pm and 8:00pm eastern time.

The series originally aired in 2011 but it's still a fun way to get a little Royal Caribbean in your life.

Here's a quick preview of the Allure of the Seas episode

O3b Networks launched four more satellites out of the Space Center in French Guiana that will provide more coverage of its super-fast internet to cruise ships like Royal Caribbean's.

The launch yesterday was a complete success and adds substantial capacity and performance to the O3b constellation that is already powering high-speed internet to select Royal Caribbean ships.

The new satellites will now go through a period of in-orbit testing before being fully integrated into the O3b network early in the new year.

The O3b system delivers fiber like performance, with throughput exceeding 1 Gbps per connection and latency comparable with terrestrial networks, but retains the flexibility and ubiquity of satellite. The company has now launched 8 satellites in 5 months, adding more than 80 Gbps of capacity and growing the fleet capacity to over 100 Gbps.

This week's batch of beautiful Royal Caribbean photos is here and it's always fun to share with all of you the great photos our readers take while on their cruise vacation.

The photos we have to show this week are fun and of course anyone can send us their Royal Caribbean photos to use as well!

Our first photo this week comes from Michael Poole and it's of Enchantment of the Seas docked in Nassau back in October 2014.  Love the contrast of colors!

Next up is this photo by Paul Westbrook of Freedom of the Seas "hallway art".  I dare you not to always stop and rotate that lever!

In this photo by John Siegmund off Key West you have a beautiful sunset, a helicopter, bi-plane and schooner.  Not bad!

I really love this shot by Peyton Buhler of Voyager of the Seas in Sydney harbor.  Great perspective!

Here's a photo by Chris Davis onboard his Oasis of the Seas transatlantic cruise.  I firmly believe there are no bad photos of Central Park at night and this one proves my point.

This photo by Barry Rupp is called "Valley of Cruise Ships" and it totally makes sense.  It was taken in St. Maarten with Adventure of the Seas docked alongside Explorer of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone that sent in their photos this week and if you have Royal Caribbean photos, well, we want to see them!  You can use this form to send us your photos and we will feature them on an upcoming Friday Photos blog post!

Royal Caribbean has changed the itinerary it had originally planned for Freedom of the Seas due to a propulsion problem that the ship is suffering from.

The last few Freedom of the Seas itineraries have also been changed and while the ports the ship was planning on visiting remains unchanged, the amount of time in port is being reduced.

The new itinerary will have Freedom of the Seas

• December 21: Depart Port Canaveral at 4:30pm
• December 22: Sea Day
• December 23: Labadee from 10:15am to 4pm
• December 24: San Juan from 2:30pm to 8pm
• December 25: St. Maarten from 8am to 1pm
• December 26: Sea Day
• December 27: Sea Day
• December 28: Return to Port Canaveral at 7:15am

As with other altered cruises due to this propulsion problem, Royal Caribbean will give passengers onboard credit as an apology for the change.  A letter with the credit amount will be delivered to each stateroom.

There is no word on what caused the propulsion problems. Royal Caribbean maintains the ship is perfectly safe.  Freedom of the Seas is scheduled for a dry dock session in January 2015.

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

Episode 72 is available for downloading, where one of our podcast listeners is joining us to preview his upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise.

Matt is joined by Victor this week, and we're previewing his Quantum of the Seas cruise later this week. Victor shares what his onboard and onshore plans are and what he's looking forward to doing.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 72. 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!

With 2014 nearly complete, it's time to look back on the year and see which news stories generated the most interest.  There's no doubt that 2014 was a busy year for Royal Caribbean and so it's interesting to see which stories rose to the top of people's interest.

This year's top ten list of Royal Caribbean stories is based on our statistics of most viewed stories.  There's some stories that made the top ten list that surprised me and others I'm more surprises did not make the list.  Let's dive in!

10. Royal Caribbean confirms Quantum of the Seas will feature Royal Esplanade

There was a lot of rumors swirling but Royal Caribbean confirmed less than a month before the ship launched that there would be a Royal Esplanade instead of a Royal Promenade onboard Quantum of the Seas.

The Royal Promenade had been a staple of new Royal Caribbean ships since the Voyager Class but proving just how different Quantum of the Seas is from ships before it, the company went in a different direction.

The concept of the Royal Esplanade is similar to the Royal Promande: a central indoor area on the ship where you can find shops, restaurants and entertainment.  The difference is the Royal Esplanade had more of a shopping district feel to the Royal Promenade's canyon-like strip.

9. Royal Caribbean to bring Broadway show "Cats" to Oasis of the Seas

As part of Oasis of the Seas' refurbishment, Royal Caribbean announced the Broadway musical CATS would replace Hairspray onboard the ship.

Based on T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” CATS was one of the longest running productions on Broadway and is the winner of numerous awards including seven Tonys, two Oliviers and a Grammy.

What was interesting about this announcement was the fact CATS has been off Broadway fro many years but the show has been resurrected on Oasis of the Seas. 

8. Royal Caribbean will offer RFID WOWbands for free to all guests

Royal Caribbean changed its mind on charging money for its new RFID wristbands aboard Quantum of the Seas right around Quantum of the Seas' launch.

When the WOWbands were announced, they came with a small $2 per band fee but Royal Caribbean decided to waive the fee and give them away to all guests.

The decision to change the bands to be free is a move, in part, to increase their adoption rate. Royal Caribbean expects at least half its guests to use the WOWbands on any given cruise.

7. Giant wave hits Explorer of the Seas

Last month, cruisers aboard Explorer of the Seas reported that a 40 foot wave struck Explorer of the Seas and caused damage to a few of the ship's lifeboats.

The wave caused two life boats to be torn from their position along side the ship and struck the Promenade deck.

The wave had very little impact on the cruise and repairs fixed the damage quickly but people love reading about giant anything hitting cruise ships.

6. Royal Caribbean announces Dynamic Dining will expand to Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean announced its ground breaking Dynamic Dining program will expand to Oasis of the Seas back in August and it certainly generated a lot of opinions on the matter.

Following the Quantum-class cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas will become the first cruise ship in the fleet outside the Quantum-class to get the Dynamic Dining makeover.

I think the news was a bit of a shock considering Royal Caribbean had previously said they wanted to wait and see how Dynamic Dining was received before expanding.

5. Royal Caribbean posts updated Quantum of the Seas cutaway

Before Quantum of the Seas launched, we were all desperate for any and all information about this new ship and this released cutaway gave us all a good sense of what to expect.

The giant cutaway showed off many venues on the ship and gave us an idea of where everything is relative to the ship.

4. Royal Caribbean to send Quantum of the Seas on 53-night around the world cruise

Royal Caribbean had previously announced it would send its newest cruise ship to China but then it announced an epic around-the-world journey on its way there.

The 53-night cruise will leave Cape Liberty in the New York area and then eventually end up in Shanghai (Baoshan), China.  Along the way, guests can enjoy cruises across the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

If 53-nights is a bit too much, you can also choose from five other mini-sailings built into the 53-night affair, ranging from three to 16 nights.

3. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas suffering from propulsion problem

Propulsion problems forced Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas to skip two port calls back in March.

Oil loss from the ship's fixipod propulsion unit had to have the crew shutdown the pod.  The incident occured just before the ship's scheduled drydock later that month.

Royal Caribbean attempted to make repairs in St. Kitts but they could not fully repair the unit and had to leave the unit offline.  

Since Adventure of the Seas' drydock, the problem was fixed and there have not been any other incidents since.

2. Oil spill in Galveston delays Navigator of the Seas

Thanks to a 160,000 gallon oil spill near Galveston, Texas, Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas was delayed from getting back into Galveston port.

The unfortunate incident delayed the passengers onboard Navigator from getting off the ship and of course also delayed the new cruisers from embarking.

The oil spill was something outside of Royal Caribbean's control but luckily it was taken care of in a timely manner and things got back on schedule after the ship got back into port.

1. Royal Caribbean offering kids sail free on select May to December cruises

Back in March, Royal Caribbean offered a great promotion that allowed guests to have the third and fourth passengers sail free on select cruises along with offering complimentary upgrades and reduced deposits.

The kids sail free (which was really any third and fourth passengers) was for all triple or quad occupancy staterooms and people seemed to really get excited about it.

I think once it was established the promotion was not just for kids, people really jumped all over it.  Heck, I was able to use it for my upcoming Freedom of the Seas cruise and it saved me a lot of money too!

Enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment?  Then you'll want to check out the Royal Esplanade on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas.

Centered at the heart of the ship, the Royal Esplanade and The Via include highlights such as Cartier, Kiehl's, BVLGARI and Hublot. 

Yesterday Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made a visit to Port Canaveral and during the occasion, the head of Port Canaveral indicated the port wants Royal Caribbean to homeport a ship as big as Quantum of the Seas there.

Port Canaveral CEO John Walsh is hoping to convince Royal Caribbean that Port Canaveral is the perfect home for a Quantum or Oasis-class cruise ship.  Both the Quantum and Oasis class ships are among the largest in the world.  

Currently, Port Canaveral is home to Freedom of the Seas, which is a member of the Freedom class and small than Quantum or Oasis class.

Royal Caribbean does have a few new cruise ships coming online, two more Quantum-class ships and two more Oasis-class ships over the next few years.

Royal Caribbean offers fantastic cruise vacations and many millions get to enjoy these voyages each year.  There are, however, misconceptions about what a Royal Caribbean cruise is all about and they're just plain wrong.

We've got five of the biggest Royal Caribbean myths to debunk for you, which will set the record straight.

1. Only new Royal Caribbean ships have the cool stuff onboard

Royal Caribbean is about to wrap-up a $300 million project that brought many of the popular Oasis-class ammenities to all of the ships across its fleet.

Nearly all the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet have gotten better wi-fi access, FlowRiders on select ships, brand new restaurants, nurseries, upgraded kid facilities, giant outdoor movie screens, digital wayfinders and a lot more.

The result has been an infusion of "new life" into the fleet, which gives guests more options to choose from when they select their ship.  Just because a ship is a little older than others, does not mean it lacks those cool new features that were first found on the Oasis-class.

2. You have to get really dressed up for dinner on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Cruising has changed quite a bit over the years and today, cruising is about relaxing in all aspects of the experience.

It's quite easy to go on a Royal Caribbean ship and never dress up if you don't want to.  In fact, on Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has dropped dress codes.  

Royal Caribbean does have dress codes for dinner on most of its ships, but they are suggestions and only relate to the main dining room and specialty restaurants.

Simply put, you can go on a Royal Caribbean cruise with just something that you might wear to a religious service or an upscale restaurant at home.  

3. Royal Caribbean internet is slow

Royal Caribbean just activated high-speed internet aboard its Quantum and Oasis-class ships that deliver speeds like you're at home.

On these ships, you can not only browse the internet and check email quickly, but you can stream your favorite movies or make a video call to friends or family at home.  

Royal Caribbean also has plans to roll this new high speed internet across its fleet in the coming years.

4. Royal Caribbean isn't the best cruise line for families

I could cite all the awards Royal Caribbean wins each year for being the best at family cruises but the fact is Royal Caribbean built its ships to be the perfect family vacation.

Royal Caribbean has been a partner with DreamWorks Entertainment for many years now, which offers character meets, parades, movie screenings, character breakfasts and more onboard a number of its ships.

In addition, there's the Adventure Ocean program for children that is complimentary and offers structured supervision throughout the day and night.  Even toddlers and babies can enjoy the Royal Nursery that will allow parents to get away for a bit.

Teens have dedicated areas of the ship just for them to hang out, meet other teens and make their own fun onboard. There's also the great onboard activities such as bumper cars, surf simulator, mini-golf, ice skating and more.

In short, Royal Caribbean offers a lot for kids (and their parents) to do onboard.

5. Royal Caribbean has some of the biggest cruise ships in the world, which means it will be super crowded

A ship that carries 5000 passengers can sound like it would be crowded but Royal Caribbean has been working on making the ship seem as uncrowded as it can.

Using the latest in crowd control strategies, these massive ships help spread people around and have plenty of space per passenger along with sprawling common areas that help reduce that "sardine can" feel.

Ask someone who's been on Oasis of the Seas and they'll tell you it doesn't feel like you're onboard with the population of a small town.  Rather, the ships are designed to keep people moving and for you to feel like you can stretch out anytime you want.

Sit back and catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news.  We've gone through and hand-picked some fun articles for you to take a look at in case you missed any of it.

There's a new boss at Royal Caribbean this week.  Michael Bayley was formally introduced as the new CEO of Royal Caribbean International by Royal Caribbean Ltd Chairman Richard Fain.  

Bayley takes over for Adam Goldstein and began his duties immediately.

Cruise fans may recognize Bayley as the CEO of sister company Celebrity Cruises.  Bayley is now in charge of Royal Caribbean International and will begin his reign as head of the cruise company.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean ended Brilliance of the Seas' lease this week.
• A propulsion problem is slowing down Freedom of the Seas.
• Video of Quantum of the Seas' naming ceremony.
• Don't miss our full review of The Grande on Quantum of the Seas.
• Have you seen these color changing mugs for sale on your Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The seventy-first episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're previewing a podcast listener's upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt shares tips and strategies for getting a deal on your Royal Caribbean cruise.  From when to book, who to book with and what to look for, there's a few ways you can help save a few dollars on your next cruise vacation.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Cruise Dudes Podcast intereviewed Matt (yea, this guy) about his experience on Quantum of the Seas.

NewsOK interviewed Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin about the technology on Quantum of the Seas.

The Financial featured a story about how Royal Caribbean and Intel brought a lot of tablets to sea.