Royal Caribbean has tapped Cathelco to help protect Quantum of the Seas' hull and seawater pipework systems.

The Cathelco pipework anti-fouling systems will protect a total of 20 seachests on each vessel serving extensive shipboard equipment including freshwater evaporators, reverse osmosis systems, air conditioning chillers and sea water cooling pumps. The AF system will also protect a number of fire fighting pumps and their associated pipework.

In addition, all Quantum class ships will be supplied with Cathelco impressed current cathodic protection systems (ICCP) which safeguards the hull surfaces against corrosion. 

The 250 amp forward system will have an arrangement of two 125 C-Max disc anodes and reference electrodes wired to a thyristor control panel and mounted port and starboard. The more powerful 350 amp aft system will have two 175 amp C-Max disc anodes and reference electrodes. C-Max anodes are compact, lightweight and have the advantage of being diver changeable for easy replacement without drydocking.

Quantum of the Seas is currently under construction in Meyer Werft ship yard in Papenburg, Germany. Quantum is due for delivery in autumn 2014 with sister ship Anthem of the Seas to follow in the spring of 2015.

We're still about 10 months away from the debut of Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas and like so many of our readers, I just can't wait to see everything this ship has to offer.  Royal Caribbean has been holding back some details about the ship to help build up the excitement so today we're going to list the top five things we're excited to finally hear about.

5. Floor plans

Royal Caribbean is launching new cabin configurations for Quantum of the Seas and many cruises are curious just what these new staterooms will look like.

Solo cabins, new superior grand suite and a new family suite are among the new cabin categories we can expect but have no information as to how these rooms are laid out.  

Luckily virtual balcony cabins will get the big reveal soon when Navigator of the Seas debuts them in February 2014.

4. Itineraries past April 2015

Since Royal Caribbean announced the initial cruise sailings for Quantum of the Seas, we haven't heard anything about any cruises beyond that set and already people want to plan their summer and winter 2015 cruises.

As many cruisers know, booking well in advance is a good way to lock in the best price as well as the stateroom location they want, so opening up the bookings is something many are looking forward to so they can get their taste of Quantum of the Seas.

3. Shows and other onboard entertainment

Royal Caribbean did announce the Mamma Mia is coming to Quantum of the Seas back in November but otherwise, there's been no word on onboard entertainment.  

We do know there will be a show in the evenings at Two70 and that it will be a Cirque du Soleil inspired show.  But little else is known about the entertainment onboard.  Many guests love the shows and events onboard their Royal Caribbean cruises, so this is something a lot of people are looking forward to hearing about.

From stage shows to comedians to magic shows, there's a lot going on and a hint at what we can expect to see and do each evening of our cruise is going to be a big draw.  After all, Royal Caribbean has been raising the bar in terms of onboard entertainment for many years now so I think cruisers are excited to see what's coming next to the stage.

2. Dining & Specialty Restaurants

It's all about food, isn't it?  The food onboard are a highlight of the overall cruise experience for a lot of people (myself included) so which specialty restaurants will be offered on Quantum of the Seas is a big deal.

Which existing Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants will make the cut and which new restaurants will be added?  We already know about Navigator of the Seas getting Sabor Modern Mexican, is this also destined for Quantum of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean has spent a lot of money over the years refining their dining experiences, paid and complimentary, so I think many of us have high expectations to be WOWed by what Quantum of the Seas can offer to eat.

1.  Other cool surprises

My gut feeling is that Royal Caribbean is far from done trying to WOW us with what to expect on Quantum of the Seas.  This is a company that is always looking to out do themselves, so I'm most excited to read about what amazing new innovations are also coming to Quantum of the Seas.

Perhaps some of these surprises will be covered in the questions asked earlier, but whatever surprises come our way will help shape the direction of Quantum of the Seas and help make this ship stand out in a very competitive market.

With so much of the ship still under wraps, I'm hoping Royal Caribbean has a few tricks up their sleeves to bring the WOW they are famous for and build the excitement even further.

There's a new Quantum of the Seas video today where Royal Caribbean designers explain how mock-ups of this brand new cruise ship help them ensure a seamless guest experience and a more efficient, cost effective building process.

We're continuing our trip planning process for our upcoming Navigator of the Seas 7-night western Caribbean cruise on February 9, 2014 by taking you along for the planning process.  Today, we're looking at what to do on our first port stop of Roatan, Honduras.

You can read all about the plans we made for our last port of call in Belize City too.

Photo by Craig Dyni

Background

Roatan is new to us, having never been here before.  That being said, I've heard nothing but good things about the beauty of this island.

More than any other stop we are planning, Roatan seems like the perfect beach day excursion and so when we sat down to plan things out, special attention has been made to see which beaches would be our best bet.

Roatan is also our last port to visit and I think we're all looking forward to this stop the most, so there's some added self-induced pressure for this to be a really good time.

The Options

Little French Key

Right off the bat, Little French Key jumped out at us from every review we could find about Roatan.  It's the number one ranked thing to do in Roatan according to TripAdvisor and it screams toes in the sand with a tropical drink while the kids play in the surf.

Photo by Sasha Fenix

Little French Key is a private island that seems to cater to cruise guests mostly.  The reviews rave about how beautiful the beaches are, opportunities to take photos with monkeys and jaguars (animals, not the cars) and so forth.  

I can't say Little French Key is the cheapest excursion I've ever seen.  The basic package is $55 per person, with optional upgrades to bring the price per person up to $148.  My 3 year old daugher is 50% off so at ther very least it could cost $138 for the family before drinks, food or anything else a la carte.

Pros: Pictures look beautiful, great reviews, simple plan

Cons: Expensive, Could be Crowded, Food and drink extra

West Bay Beach

Looking for slightly more affordable beaches, our next option is West Bay Beach.  Depending on what you read, this is either a beautiful beach or an overcrowded tourist trap.

Photo by thesledman

It's ranked #4 on TripAdvisor and most reviews sound great, but there are enough neutral to poor reviews to give me pause.  The most common complaint is it's overcrowded and not as beautiful as it once was a few years ago.

Less of a problem per se, is getting to the beach.  It sounds like most people find a taxi driver in port and take a ride out there, which is fairly common when going to do anything.  The upside to having to get a taxi is it allows me to explore the port area some more and get a more authentic taste of Roatan.  Plus, I've had good luck with drivers in the past helping find some good local places to eat.

Pros: Inexpensive option; Photos look great

Cons: How to get there; Some reviews cite overcrowding and demise in terms of looks

Hiring a driver

When I visit a port, I really try to get an authentic feel for where I am visiting.  I want to eat the local food, see what makes the port worth going to and feel like I didn't just see the sanitized tourist created zone.  

Photo by Petpics

Hiring a driver has been a good strategy in the past for me to accomplish this goal. The trick is to find a good driver who is affordable and friendly.  Some taxi drivers are only interested in taking you to the closest beach and then getting back to the port to make more money off the next tourist.  There are other drivers, however, that love to share what makes their home so great and show you around.

Finding drivers is never simple and I suspect if I go with this option, I won't be able to book anything in advance.  Getting to port and walking around to negotiate a rate seems to be the best strategy although the problem can be we may not find anyone good and/or waste a lot of time before settling for just going to the beach.

Reading some threads on the Roatan Cruise Critic board seems to indicate haggling for a taxi is the way to go, especially if you walk up the hill away from port.  The other advantage is I find this to be a little more adventurous and fun.

Pros: Sense of adventure; Opportunity to sample local cuisine and avoid tourists; Potentially inexpensive

Cons: Have to navigate swarm of drivers to find a good one; No guarantee we will find a good driver at reasonable cost; Potentially expensive

Palm Beach Roatan

After doing some more research on what to do in Roatan, I started leaning more towards something off the beaten path, and in terms of beaches somewhere with less tourists and yet beautiful.

Photo by edl803

TripAdvisor lead me to Palm Beach Roatan, which is descibed as, "a complete hideaway from the tourists and crowds".  

Most of the reviews talk about this beach being relatively uncrowded but still quite lovely.  The photos posted definitely backed up those opinions and it sounds like a good place for a simple yet lovely beach day.

Getting here is still a concern since I'll likely have to find a driver in port, which is good and bad.  Ideally I'd like to have my plans in place ahead of time but it's also not the end of the world not to.

Pros: Not a lot of tourists; Photos look great; Very good reviews

Cons: Have to find transportation on my own

The Decision

After considering our options, we ended up choosing.... Hiring a driver + Palm Beach Roatan.

Basically, it came down to cost and getting what I really wanted to do.  When I first started researching Roatan, I thought Little French Key was going to be an easy pick.  But the cost and lack of authenticity (my opinion, not necessarily the case) gave me second thoughts.  Personally, I love to feel like I'm getting a real taste of the island and that desire weighs heavily on me.

The more I thought about it, the more I'd like to find a driver to bring us to Palm Beach Roatan when we get to port so my daughter can get her beach fix.  Not to mention most places may not be open yet given the time we arrive.

After our time at the beach, hopefully the same driver can bring us back with a stop somewhere for lunch that is slightly more authentic than a Margaritaville. My family really loves Latin cuisine and I'd love to try the food here.  

Of course, finding a driver is always a concern but I've had good luck finding one in the past and truthfully I like the challenge.  I've heard enough good things about Roatan to be optimisitc at our chances for success.

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.

Say goodbye to Royal Caribbean's unreturned towel fee.  This week Royal Caribbean announced it was eliminating the fee due to guest feedback.

Previously Royal Caribbean charged guests $25 per unreturned pool towel but Royal Caribbean decided to get rid of the fee, citing guest feedback and a desire to offer its guests greater convenience.

The new towel policy went into effect January 1, 2014.

Royal Caribbean News

• Sadly two cruise passengers were lost at sea this week, one on Independence of the Seas and another on Adventure of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean also changed its paper surveys to electronic format this week.
• A new Royal Caribbean deal is offering up to $300 in onboard credit on 2014 cruises.
• Everything you wanted to know about Royal Caribbean's NextCruise Certificates.
• A new survey says Quantum of the Seas is the most anticipated cruise ship of 2014.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The twenty second episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available so bring your juicy cups because we're talking about bringing kids on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

This week Matt looks at what Royal Caribbean provides kids in programming and entertainment onboard its cruise ships. There's a lot of different things to do, both organized and on your own, for kids to do.  

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

Royal Caribbean Fans has a 2013 retrospective article.

Beyond Ships has an updated and expanded profile of Independence of the Seas.

One of my favorite things Royal Caribbean offers to its guests is the NextCruise Certificate option for booking your next Royal Caribbean cruise onboard your cruise.  What exactly is a NextCruise Certificate and what does it get you? Let's answer all your questions!

What is a NextCruise Certificate

A NextCruise certificate is either an open booking or a specific booking for a future Royal Caribbean cruise that can only be purchased onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Guests onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise can go to the Loyalty Ambassador office and schedule an appointment to book either a specific upcoming sailing or purchase an open booking certificate.

The advantage of a NextCruise is you receive certain benefits, such as a lower deposit minimum and onboard credit.

How much is a NextCruise Certificate?

For guests that purchase a specific sailing, guests simply pay a deposit for either NextCruise option and can receive an onboard booking bonus of up to $500 per stateroom. 

Royal Caribbean gives guests the option of using that onboard credit on their current sailing or they can defer it to the sailing they booked.

For guests that opt for the open booking certificate, you pay a reduced deposit of $100 per person (Suite staterooms require a full deposit) and receive an onboard booking bonus of up to $200 per stateroom to spend on their next sailing with Royal Caribbean.

The deposit amount per person is non-refundable.  The NextCruise open booking Certificate does not expire.

What is the booking incentive I get with a NextCruise Certificate?

The amount of onboard credit you get from Royal Caribbean with a NextCruise Certificate depends on the length of cruise you select.  Here's the breakdown for open bookings .

• 3-5 Nights $25
• 6-9 Nights $100
• 10-14 Nights $150
• 15 + Nights $200

For a specific NextCruise sailing, here are the breakdown for the onboard booking bonus

• 5-7 nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $50
  • Balcony/Junior Suite: $100
  • Grand Suite & Above: $200
• 8-10 nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $100
  • Balcony/Junior Suite: $150
  • Grand Suite & Above: $300
• 11-14 nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $150
  • Balcony/Junior Suite: $200
  • Grand Suite & Above: $400
• 15+ nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $200
  • Balcony/Junior Suite: $250
  • Grand Suite & Above: $500

How do I use my NextCruise open booking Certificate?

After booking a NextCruise open booking, you will get via email a booking reservation number.  

When you are ready to book your next Royal Caribbean cruise, give your travel agent or Royal Caribbean your NextCruise number and they will turn it into an active reservation that reflects the deposit amount you made plus booking incentives your certificate has.

The deposit you made when purchasing the NextCruise Certificate of $100 is all you need to put down and no more money is required until final payment (suite deposits do require full deposit amount).

Can I use NextCruise with a travel agent?

NextCruise bookings allows passengers to still work with their travel agents automatically.

If you buy your NextCruise Certificate, you can opt to have a travel agent attached to it at that time or leave it open and let a travel agent use the certificate when you are ready to book.  

Can I combine my NextCruise Certificate with other discounts/deals?

Crown & Anchor Society members can combine the onboard booking bonus that they earned through a NextCruise Certificate with their Crown & Anchor Society Savings Certificate or the Platinum-tier and above Balcony and Suite discount.

Other deals Royal Caribbean offers may or may not be combinable and you will need to read the terms and conditions of those deals specifically.

So what's the downside/catch of booking a NextCruise Certificate?

The deposit you make is non-refundable so if you end up never taking another Royal Caribbean cruise, you're out that deposit amount.

Technically speaking, a NextCruise Certificate is a reservation in Royal Caribbean's eyes, so if there's a deal that comes out that is for only new reservations you may not be able to combine it with a NextCruise Certificate.

It's pretty cold out there in many places but we've got some Royal Caribbean photos our readers have sent in to warm you up.  In fact, each week we ask our readers to send us their best Royal Caribbean photos to showcase right here on the blog so be sure to send yours in too!

Let's see what we have this week.

Here we have Explorer of the Seas in Quebec City Port by François St-Onge.  Someday I hope to take a cruise up to Quebec because it looks lovely.

Connor De La Pena sent this photo from Oasis of the Seas' Boardwalk.  Just another beautiful day at sea, eh?  

This photo is from Kayla and she writes, "This is one of my favorite photos from our Alaska cruise, August 2013 aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas! This was taken at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska. We saw everything from bears, to bald eagles, to whales! Such an amazing cruise full of adventure!"  Can't beat that view!

Harry A. Yerikyan sent us this photo from Allure of the Seas at the Aqua Theater show with the Royal Caribbean logo too. The performance here never disappoints!

Here's Freedom of the Seas docked in what looks to me like Cozumel, but I could be wrong.  What I do know is it looks like another beautiful day and significantly warmer than where I am now so it's enough to make me jealous.  Thanks to Tom & Diane Trudnowski for sending in this photo.

Is your photo missing from here?  Well, send all your Royal Caribbean photos in right now and we can use it for upcoming Friday Photo blog posts! 

Effective January 1, 2014, Royal Caribbean is retiring the old paper based comment card (guest satisfaction survey) and replacing it with electronic distribution post-cruise.

The change to an electronic format means the consolidation of comment cards into an email distributed invitation that will be delivered within 24 hours of debarkation.

Royal Caribbean hopes the new electronic surveys will improve efficiency and cost savings but more importantly a guest-driven approach that will foster engagement with our guests, placing the insights in the hands of the crew. 

The paper surveys have been in place for 40 years and have become a major way the cruise line gets important feedback from its customers.  Royal Caribbean boasts it uses the feedback considerably in making decisions. 

Royal Caribbean already collects email addresses from all guests over the age of 18 and these people will now receive an email invitation to participate in an online Guest Satisfaction survey on the day of departure. Guests will have 7 days to complete the survey, after leaving the ship. The survey works on smartphones, tablets, laptops and other computers. It takes approximately 7 minutes to answer all questions in the survey. All responses will remain strictly confidential. 

This new survey will launch on all ships for all sailings debarking on or after January 1, 2014.

Royal Caribbean has kicked off a brand new deal for 2014 Caribbean cruises with up to $300 in onboard credit if you book by February 28.

If you book any 2014 Caribbean cruise that departs between March 1 and December 31, 2014 by February 28, Royal Caribbean will give you onboard credit depending on your stateroom category.

• Oceanview staterooms will get $75 per stateroom
• Balcony staterooms will get $150 per stateroom
• Suite staterooms will get $300 per stateroom

This onboard credit offer is valid on cruises booked between January 1 and February 28, 2014.  Cruise must be 6-nights or longer on sailings departing March 1 - December 31, 2014, excluding Quantum of the Seas. Promo Code: YOURWOW is required and must be presented at time of booking.