Royal Caribbean is kicking off its biggest marketing campaign in Australia this week as part of National Cruise Week.

The "Designed for WOW" campaign is being rolled out across magazines, weekend newspapers, cinema advertisements.  

According to Royal Caribbean Cruises Australasia marketing manager, Rosie Rissetto-Spiers, the new brand campaign shows passengers enjoying WOW moments, such as sky diving, rock climbing and surfing.

Royal Caribbean is also offering a special sale starting today through September 9, where guests can get US$100 in onboard credit for each stateroom they book on select 2014 cruises. This offer is applicable to all ships except Quantum of the Seas, for all 2014 cruises of 5 nights or longer departing between January 1 and December 31, 2014.

Royal Caribbean has been quiet on details related to its second Quantum class ship, Anthem of the Seas, to this point but we may know a little more about where this new cruise ship is going.  

A schedule of cruises from the Port of Le Havre, France shows a number of ports of call by Anthem of the Seas in 2015, which gives more evidence that Anthem of the Seas will be based out of Southampton, England.

Upon further inspection, the schedule of calls to Le Havre matches Independence of the Seas' current itineraries for 2014.  Some are speculating that Anthem of the Seas will replace Independence of the Seas.

If you have your doubts about this information being accurate, keep in mind we saw a similar occurence with Quantum of the Seas in February when the Port of St Maarten posted a schedule similar to Le Havre with Quantum of the Seas listed and that turned out to be accurate.  

Tip of the hat to Cruise Critic and RCI Fans for reporting this news.

Happy Labor Day weekend to all of our American readers!  This weekend marks the unofficial end to summer and Royal Caribbean had plenty going on this week, so let's jump right in.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein confirmed there will not be a water slide on Quantum of the Seas.
• Speaking of Quantum of the Seas, her engines arrived this week.
• Have you ever stayed onboard your Royal Caribbean ship when it was in port? We share why you might want to stay onboard too.
• Royal Caribbean announced it will add a second cruise ship to Tampa next year.
• Royal Caribbean released the Brazil 2014-2015 schedule.
• In other new ship news, the French shipyard where the third Oasis-class ship will be built is getting ready to begin construction.
• Check out these amazing robots that Royal Caribbean will be using onboard Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The fourth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available and it's all about Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

This beach destination is one of my favorite Caribbean ports of call and there's a lot to do here.  We discuss Labadee's beaches, shore excursions you can try, the cabanas you can rent and the food available to eat there.

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

USA Today has a list of the best onboard cruise ship activities, and there's a few Royal Caribbean staples included.

BerNews says Reverend Run from the rap group Run D.M.C. was spotted on a Royal Caribbean cruise this week.

Cruise Critic has its list of the best cruise ships for sea days and there's plenty of Royal Caribbean ships making the list.

We love sharing Royal Caribbean photos that our readers took on their cruise vacations, so each week we ask everyone reading this to send us your best, favorite and fun Royal Caribbean photos to share with the world.

This is our weekly fun opporunity to show off these really well taken shots and give everyone else a "quick fix" of a Royal Caribbean vacation.

Let's take a look at this week's batch of photos!

First up this week is a photo from April Brown who took this photo from Jewel of the Seas as it was pulling into St. Lucia.  There's something really fun about watching your cruise ship dock in a beautiful port and definitely one of those perfect moments onboard any Royal Caribbean cruise.

Speaking of ports, here's one of Independence of the Seas in Flam, Norway that was sent to us by Chris Davis.  Who says your port has to be in the Caribbean for it to be beautiful?  The mountains, water and sky all look perfect.

Christopher Pescatore sent in this great photo of Adventure of the Seas when she was docked in St. Croix.  I'm a sucker for clear blue Caribbean water so consider this photo approved by yours truly.

Having been on Freedom of the Seas a few times, I feel like I could spot their Royal Promenade anywhere, including this photo by Don Donahue.  I love that light up bridge!

Harry Yerikyan sent in this photo of Oasis of the Seas.  So let's see, beautiful ship, tropical paradise, clear blue water.  Yes, I do love this photo too.

Woa, this photo by Jörgen Anderson is up close and personal with the bow of this Royal Caribbean ship!

Speaking of beautiful islands, Shawn Holmes sent in this photo of Explorer of the Seas at Kings Wharf in Bermuda.  This is a fun cruise because the ship is docked in Bermuda overnight, which isn't something you always get to do.

Thanks to everyone who sent in their photos this week. Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your photos so we can post them next week by using this form.

If you like taking a look "behind the curtain" of how a Royal Caribbean ship works, then check out these two interviews TravelXena posted with the Food & Beverage Director and the Staff Captain from Jewel of the Seas.

On a recent cruise, both crew members took some time to answer questions about their day to day work aboard this beautiful Radiance class ship.

Staff Captain Kate McHue shared a little bit about the exciting and challenging parts of her day when she's on duty.

"Every day is different. Every day is a different port. You wake up and there’s a different situation you have to handle, there’s a different emergency there are different people. That’s probably the most challenging and the most interesting part of this job. Never have the same day twice. That was one of those things that I wanted to get out of the office from. It was getting a little redundant."

Food & Beverage Director Tony Fitzsimmons, who has been working on cruise ships for 28 years, shared some insight for anyone who is considering working on a Royal Caribbean ship.

"I’d tell them (about) sometimes the heartache of being away from home if anything happens. And the actual blessing that you’re going to be amongst people of good nature and good character and all working together for one particular aim and that’s to make the guests happy."

You can read the full interviews with Tony and Kate on the TravelXena site.

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas is blending robotics and entertainers to create thrilling shows in Two70. Robot arms move visuals as seamlessly as performers glide through the space giving guests an extraordinary experience.

Royal Caribbean will add a second cruise ship that will sail out of Tampa starting in the fall of 2014.  Vision of the Seas will be added and offer seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa throughout winter 2014-15.  Vision of the Seas will join Brilliance of the Seas, which had been offering seasonal four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises.

Vision of the Seas will sail a nine-night Southern Caribbean itinerary from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on November 6, 2014, to Tampa, with calls at Aruba, Curacao, Grand Cayman and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach paradise on the north coast of Haiti. Beginning November 15, Vision of the Seas will sail every Saturday from Tampa to destinations in the Western Caribbean, including Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan (Honduras) or Belize.  

Port officials are excited to welcome an additional ship to Tampa, which has been home port to Royal Caribbean ships since the first ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, called in January 2002.

Vision of the Seas is planned to recieve a refurbishment in September 2013, which will match Brilliance of the Seas' refurbisment that took place in May 2013.

When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, the intriguing destinations the ship will go to are among the most compelling aspects of taking a cruise.  So it may seem a little odd when you consider staying onboard the ship when it is docked somewhere but the truth is, it's perfectly okay.

Why you would want to stay onboard

You might be wondering why anyone wouldn't get off the ship when you're docked somewhere and that question has a lot of possible answers.  Sometimes a particular port isn't of interest for a variety of reasons, such as having been to the port before, trying to save money or looking to take advantage of what's onboard.  On port intensive cruises, a day off from touring may sound like the perfect day.

Royal Caribbean builds its ships to be floating entertainment hubs and that isn't limited to just sea days.  The ship offers a lot of things to do and the activities don't stop when the ship is docked somewhere.  With a majority of guests enjoying things on shore, staying onboard can give you easy access to the otherwise popular parts of the ship.

The really neat sensation of staying onboard when the ship is in port, is the feeling of having the ship to yourself.  With so few other guests onboard, it really does feel like you have the ship to yourself.

Differences onboard when in port

When your ship is docked, there's still plenty going on, but activity wise, you will notice less things to do.  There will still be classes, activities and group events offered, but not nearly as many as a sea day.  You will want to consult the Cruise Compass for what's available and decide if anything is of interest.

In terms of dining, the Windjammer will be open as usual, although lunch is typically not served in the Main Dining Room on port days.  Specialty restaurant lunch schedules may also be affected by being in port, so you will need to check with the restaurants.

Of course, when you're docked on a port day, the ship will feel empty, especially in the late morning to mid afternoon.  It's quite a difference to be able to walk down the Royal Promenade or pool deck without the usual array of people around.  

Best things to do onboard

If you're staying onboard, there's a few good choices to consider when what you want to do.  By far, the best choice is go to the pool.  The pool is usually the most crowded area of the ship at any given time, but on port days, it can feel like you have the pool to yourself.  This is particuarly good for kids, who may find the pool area too crowded.

Fans of spa services will find port days to have the best deals.  The spa usually offers the best deals on port days to attract guests to book services because everyone is off the ship.  Check the daily spa specials on your port day to see what's available.

Just like the pool, the Windjammer will feel far more open and less congested on a port day.  Forget waiting in line for the buffet, you ought to be able to have free reign here.

Exploring the ship is also a great idea on port days.  Royal Caribbean builds amazing ships that are difficult to see everything in the time you're vacation is alloted, so some extra time to explore is always a great choice.  You may discover something you never knew about and it could become your new favorite thing.

The exception

All of this may sound great, but the exception to this may occur when the weather isn't great.  If you're in port on a rainy day, more guests than usual may decide to also stay onboard, thus negating the low crowd advantage outlined earlier.  

Royal Caribbean has reached an agreement to have UK based Oceans TV provide in-cabin entertainment for use onboard Voyager of the Seas while she is in China.

Voyager of the Seas will now offer in all of its staterooms popular Chinese movies, including the highest grossing domestic Chinese movie of all time, Lost in Thailand.

In addition to movies, Oceans TV supplies cruise lines with satellite TV channels, live TV events, international movies, promotional videos, safety films and portable entertainment systems such as the iPad.

This is the first time Oceans TV has licensed movies to the cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean's next three cruise ships, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and a yet-to-be-named third Oasis class ship, will utilize processing technology supplier Metso DNA for its integrated alarm, monitoring and control systems.

Metso is being contracted by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, where the ships are being constructed.  Each ship will recieve integrated alarm, monitoring and control systems that are capable of producing 18,000 input/outputs in the machinery, air conditioning and emergency shutdown systems. The diesel electric power plant will also be managed by the system.

Previously Metso had provided the automation system components for Royal Caribbean's Radiance class of ships.