Our latest Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast has been released! Check out Episode 70 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast right now.

This week's topic

With Quantum of the Seas bringing lots of attention to cruising from the New York City area, this week we offer tips and advice for cruising into and out of New York as well as tips on what to do in the Big Apple.

In this episode, Matt shares tips for where to stay what to do and a guide for including New York City in your pre or post cruise plans.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 70. 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 brand new Quantum of the Seas is the home of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's newest restaurant, Jamie's Italian.

From the restaurants signature planks of Italian antipasti to delicate handmade pasta, this new restaurant is a must try for foodies.

Good news for Royal Caribbean stock holders as the company's stock will join the ranks of the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500, effective after the close of trading on Thursday, December 4, 2014.

Royal Caribbean replaced Bemis Company Inc on the listing.

The S&P 500 is one of the major stock indices traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is considered one of the top resources used to judge United States market performance. It is a stock market index that seeks to represent the whole stock market. It tracks the 500 most widely held stocks on the New York Stock Exchange.

To be included in the S&P 500, a company must meet the following minimum criteria:

• Be a U.S. company.
• Have a market cap of at least $4 billion.
• At least 50% of its stock must be held by the public.
• Four consecutive quarters of positive earnings.
• A stock price of at least $1 per share.
• Contribute to the overall balance of sectors within the S&P 500, to help it represent the overall market sector make-up.
• Be listed on either the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ.

If you've been on a Royal Caribbean cruise lately, you may have noticed in the Cruise Compass daily activty guide a special event to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation and all those fundraisers across Royal Caribbean's fleet has raised nearly a million dollars.

NY1 is reporting that Make-A-Wish Foundation CEO David Williams says Royal Caribbean's onboard events have raised $850,000 in addition to the other things Royal Caribbean does for the charity.

As one of Make-A-Wish’s travel partners, Royal Caribbean donates 200 staterooms a year.

Included in the staterooms are some onboard Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship.  The Grubb family from New Jersey were able to go on Quantum of the Seas as a Make-A-Wish Foundation family because their son Joshua is suffering from brain cancer.  They were invited to be among the first guests onboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, meeting some of the people who make wishes come true.

Royal Caribbean invites its guests aboard many sailings to take a walk around the pool deck to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  T-shirts are sold at the event, which go directly to the foundation.

For one day only, Royal Caribbean is offering a special "Cyber Monday" special of even more onboard credit than its previous offers.

Royal Caribbean is augmenting its "Vow to WOW" deal by increasing the amount of onboard credit it will offer those that book a Royal Caribbean cruise today.

Their Cyber Monday sale will get you:

• Buy one guest, get one guest 50% off
• AND 50% reduced deposit
• AND onboard credit
  • $100 interior ocean view stateroom
  • $250 Balcony stateroom
  • $400 suite stateroom

Offer applies to all Caribbean and Bahamas sailings, departing January 1 – April 30, 2015, excluding Quantum of the Seas. Cruise must be booked December 1, 2014.

Buy One, Get One 50% off is combinable with the adjoining onboard credit 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). Onboard credit offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO, Kids Sail Free) as well as NextCruise offers. Onboard credit 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.

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas made her first visit ever to Nassau, Bahamas on Thanksgiving Day last week.

Photo by The Bahamas Weekly

To commemorate the occasion, a special ceremony was held on the ship.  

Director General of Tourism Joy Jibrilu commented on the long history between The Bahamas and Royal Caribbea, "Royal Caribbean has been docking out shores for 44 years, beginning in 1970 with the Song of Norway just six years following the establishment of Tourism as the primary industry for economic development within The Bahamas."

“As time progressed, The Bahamas became the model and leader in the Western Hemisphere, and Royal Caribbean has stayed with us throughout these years. Our Tourism sector has grown by leaps and bounds and similarly, so have you – your first ship, the Song of Norway at 18,000 tons in 1970 and now the Quantum of the Seas weighing in at 169,000 tons, a mere increase of 151,000 tons."

"The expanse and the vested interest Royal Caribbean has maintained in The Bahamas assures that Royal Caribbean has its place in The Bahamas Tourism archives and we are happy that you are our friend and partner."

The ship’s master Captain Srecko Ban said officials of the ship are very proud to bring the unique to Nassau.

“We thank you for your great hospitality,” he said. “We will be coming to your fine port throughout the winter until May. We look forward to a successful partnership in the future,” he said.

Royal Caribbean has just completed its refurbishment work on Voyager of the Seas, which has breathed new life into this ship as well as offered a number of new upgrades. After receving lots of questions related to how where the changes are onboard the ship, we've compiled a list of the changes coming visually.

Deck 2

• Coral Theatre has been renamed La Scala Theatre
• Board Room converted to new staterooms (2246, 2244, 2242, 2240)

Deck 3

• Coral Theatre has been renamed La Scala Theatre
• Added staterooms (3620, 3622, 3624, 3626, 3628)
• The Vault removed and replaced with Category Q inside staterooms (3021, 3025, 3029, 3035, 3039; 3023, 3027, 3031, 3037; 30011, 3003; 3019, 3017, 3015; 3005, 3007, 3009, 3011, 3013)
• Photo & Art Gallery removed and replaced with Category I ocean view staterooms (3700, 3702, 3704, 3706, 3708, 3710, 3712, 3714, 3716, 3718, 3720, 3722, 3724, 3726, 3728)
• Focus added
• Carmen Dining Room renamed Sapphire Dining Room

Deck 4

• Coral Theatre has been renamed La Scala Theatre
• The Vault replaced with Giovanni's Table
• Aquarium Bar replaced with The Tavern
• Aquarium Bar replaced with Art Gallery
• La Boheme Dining Room renamed Sapphire Dining Room

Deck 5

• Cleopatra's Needle has been renamed Star Lounge
• Conniusseur Club renamed The Golden Room
• Ben and Jerry's now called Ice Cream Parlor 
• Champagne Bar replaced with R-Bar
• Magic Flute Dining Room renamed Sapphire Dining Room

Please note deck plans show Royal Promenade shops no longer on plans but we believe they are still there

Deck 6

• Stateroom 6137 added
• Business Services replaced by Next Cruise desk

Deck 7

• Stateroom 7139 added

Deck 8

• Stateroom 8237 added
• Royal Caribbean Online renamed RC Online

Deck 9

• Stateroom 9237 added
• Inside staterooms converted to virtual balcony staterooms

Deck 10

• Stateroom 1233 added
• Stateroom 1557, 1671, 1677 converted from Category L to category K
• Category L staterooms converted to Category J virtual balcony staterooms

Deck 11

• Bridge Overlook renamed Peek-A-Boo Bridge Overlook
• Day Spa & Fitness Center renamed Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center
• Outdoor movie screen added
• Portofino replaced with Chops Grille
• Island Grill removed
• Florist removed

Deck 12

• Staterooms added around bow area of ship
• Day Spa & Fitness Center renamed Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center
• Video Arcade added
• Optix Teen Disco renamed Teen Disco
• Adventure Beach renamed Outdoor Youth Area

Deck 13

• In-line track replaced with FlowRider surf simulator

Deck 14

• Cloud Nine and Seven Hearts rooms replaced with Izumi restaurant
• 19th Hole replaced with Diamond Club

Deck 15

• No changes

If it's Friday, that means we are sharing our reader's best Royal Caribbean photos in this week's Friday Photos showcase.  As always, we want to include as many of our readers photos as we can, so be sure to send us your best Royal Caribbean photos too!

We begin with this photo by Ken Slusser of Mariner of the Seas docked alongside Allure of the Seas in Cozumel back in 2013.  Two beautiful ships!

Michael Poole sent in this photo of Enchantment of the Seas and she looks just as good as the day she entered service!

Carol Jahns sent us this photo of her grandson, Tucker, while on their Allure of the Seas cruise. Tucker liked the cruise so much they had to take him back on Oasis of the Seas the following year.

Here's a photo by Paul Westbrook of Cafe Promenade, which I always feel is a great choice to stop in and see what they're offering.

Lastly, we have our first Quantum of the Seas photo to make the Friday Photos!  It's from Catherine Elgie-Peters and it's of sunset aboard this brand new ship. Love it!

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's Quantum of the Seas made her first visit to Port Canaveral today as part of its Bahamas cruise.

The ship arrived early this morning and will leave Cape Canaveral at 10pm.

Many thanks to blog reader Mike Eads for providing these photos.

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

Episode 69 is available for downloading where Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin joins Matt once again on the podcast.

This week, Bill Martin returns to talk about how the technology on Quantum of the Seas is working so far and what's next for the company.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 69. 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!