We're counting down the days until Quantum of the Seas debuts later this year with our 99 days of Quantum blog series. Each day we will post something about Quantum of the Seas to share with all of you!

Sonic Odyssey

Royal Caribbean's onboard entertainment has always been a strength and on Quantum of the Seas we will get a brand new show called Sonic Odyssey that will be unlike anything else we've ever seen at sea.

Set in the Royal Theater, the show is inspired by William Close, an amazing musician and innovator who is best known for his many one-of-a-kind instruments.  There's the Drum Cloud, Violin Dress and Royal Gong just to name a few of these new creations.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ALL ABOUT WONDERLAND

Sonic Odyssey is centered around an Earth Harp, which is the largest stringed instrument on the planet.  The body of the instrument rests on the stage and the strings travel out over the audience attaching to the back of the theater, turning the theater into the instrument.

The show itself will include a nine-piece orchestra, singers, dancers, aerialists and gymnasts to perform in and around the audience. Royal Caribbean designed Sonic Odyssey to not be conventional but instead be something special guests have likely never experienced before.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!

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!

First up is this photo from Rina from Allure of the Seas.  It's an aft view facing the Boardwalk and reminds me just how massive this ship is.

John Siegmund sent in this photo of the sunset sailing home from Key West on Majesty of the Seas.  I love sunset photos!

Next we have this photo of Vision of the Seas by Dana and Patricia Hall.  It was taken while Vision of the Seas docked in downtown Oslo, Norway during a transatlantic cruise.  Need to add this to my bucket list.

Matt Smith sent this photo from a Radiance of the Seas cruise, in Juneau Alaska, Mt Roberts Tram. You can see Rhapsody of the Seas , Radiance of the Seas and the Zamdaam from Holland America line.

Lastly we have this photo of Explorer of the Seas docked in Phillipsburg, St. Marteen last week. This photo was taken on a hill top that our tour guide Leo Brown suggested. Love Leo and love the color of the water!

Do you have Royal Caribbean photos that you want to share?  We'd love to feature them so send them in by using our nifty submission form and maybe your photos will show up in next week's edition!

Royal Caribbean will kick off a five-day WOW sale starting August 16, 2014 that will run through August 20.  The sale offers up to $200 onboard credit and 50% off deposits.

The WOW sale is valid on all sailings except Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

The onboard credit breakdown is as follows

• 5 nights or less
  • $50 onboard credit (per stateroom) & 50% reduced deposit
• 6-9 nights
  • $100 onboard credit (per stateroom) & 50% reduced deposit
• 10 nights or longer
  • $200 onboard credit (per stateroom) & 50% reduced deposit

LISTEN TO OUR ADVICE ON WOW SALES AND IF THEY ARE A GOOD DEAL

Offer is combinable with standard/full fare rates and restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO, Kids Sail Free, ChoiceAir Specials, etc.)

Offer is not 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, Crown & Anchor Discount programs or rates, Shareholder Benefits or Next Cruise offers, promotions, or benefits.

What is a WOW Sale? Are WOW Sales good deals?  Read our Cruise 101: WOW Sale post to get information on what this deal is all about.

We're counting down the days until Royal Caribbean's next cruise ship debuts, Quantum of the Seas, with our 99 days of Quantum countdown.  Each day we will post something about this amazing new ship.

Float out photos

Yesterday Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship floated out of its Meyer Werft shipyard and already we found a lot of really beautiful photos of this new ship and wanted to share them.

We scoured the Internets for the best shots we could find. Enjoy!

Photos included here are copyright Heiner Lohmann, Papenburg - Zu Besuch bei den Ozeanriesen & Alamy Live News.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!

Following the successful float out of Quantum of the Seas yesterday, Meyer Werft shipyard returned the blocks that will eventually make up Anthem of the Seas back to dry dock to finish construction.

Photo by Christoph Assies

Anthem of the Seas' blocks had to be floated out first to make way for Quantum of the Seas since they were position in front of Quantum.  

The first block had been moved out of the shipyard in June and the second block was moved Tuesday evening.

Three tugs helped maneuver the blocks back into the dock.  

Photo by Christoph Assies

Shipyard spokesman Guenther Kolbe says Anthem of the Seas' shell will be completed with the next two months.

Anthem of the Seas is the second Quantum-class cruise ship and will debut in spring 2015 for Royal Caribbean.

To countdown the launch of Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, we're blogging about one aspect of the ship each day for 99 days. Check back each day for something exciting to read about this new ship.

Wonderland specialty restaurant

Most people were expecting some new restaurants for Quantum of the Seas but I'm not sure anyone was fully prepared for Wonderland.

Royal Caribbean describes Wonderland as, "an elaborate feast for the senses in a setting where Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes to invent a dreamscape of never-before-seen fare".  When I try to describe Wonderland to someone, I basically say take everything you know about a restaurant and turn it upside down because Wonderland bends the realities of what a restaurant is.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ALL ABOUT VIRTUAL BALCONIES

Wonderland is named after the place Alice visits from the tale of Alice in Wonderland.  Just like in the book, guests enter a place where nothing is what it seems and the chefs have taken time to create a gastronomic experience that is inventive and elaborate.

The creativity with Wonderland is what caught my eye during a Quantum of the Seas dining event in New York City earlier this year.  Royal Caribbean has really tried to create something completely unique and the result was a restaurant I cannot wait to visit over and over again.

Before you even sample a morsel of food, you will be dazzled by the room itself.  It's odd in an eccentric kind of way but the experience of eating here is an adventure in itself.  Royal Caribbean is using color, sclae and reflection to really create something original.

In terms of food, it's bleeding-edge modern cooking that is categorized by theme rather than course.  Wonderland features a variety of flavors, textures, temperatures and portion sizes, each presented in a non-traditional, progressive and creative fashion.  Did I mention this place is different?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, succesfully floated out of Meyer Werft shipyard building after a few weather delays.

Check out our photo gallery below of the float out.  Images are provided by and copyright Alamy Live News.

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

Episode 54 is available for downloading and this week we are previewing a listener's upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas.

Podcast listener Danielle Perry is going on her first Royal Caribbean cruise with her family on Allure of the Seas, so this week Matt is discussing her plans for the cruise.  Matt is also answering lots of listener emails.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 54. 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 Quantum of the Seas will be floated out this morning at around midnight eastern.

Watch the live stream right here when it begins

Royal Caribbean announced today that its newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, will include a multi-million dollar art collection themed “What Makes Life Worth Living”.

It's hard to miss the 30-foot-tall magenta polar bear situated prominently on the exterior deck of the ship. The bear isa sculpture created by Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent.  It's titled "From Afar" and is comprised of 1,340 stainless steel triangles, weighs approximately eight-tons and is intended to incite wonder among guests, encouraging them to admire the bear from afar, as well as interact with it on a more intimate, yet whimsical level. 

Other works of art including a monumental installation called “Crossing” which encompasses a wall of 210 butterflies representing 30 species, each made of aluminum, stainless steel, acrylic and enamel by Paul Villinski.  There's also a sprawling, undulating structure titled “Waves of Light,” which explores the light’s potential as a structural element by Soo Sunny Park.

Sister cruise ship Anthem of the Seas artwork will uncover the tangible aspects of the theme such as adventure, entertainment and nature.

Pieces by these artists and others span size, art forms and mediums, and can be enjoyed both inside and outside the ship.