Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean is loving their return-to-cruise momentum, but they want to do even better. 

During the company's Q2 earnings call on July 29, Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, announced that the number of loyalty members sailing with Royal Caribbean has inched up to 40%.

To build on that momentum, Liberty hinted that future changes are underway to further reward those who repeatedly sail with Royal Caribbean, including a revamp to its credit card program. 

Even if you aren't a frequent cruiser, you've likely heard of Royal Caribbean. Not only are they one of the largest cruise lines in the world with 29 ships, but they're the masterminds behind the largest vessels at sea, including the ground-breaking Icon of the Seas. 

Like all other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean is owned by a parent company. In this case, the parent company (or owner) of Royal Caribbean cruises is Royal Caribbean Group. 

A Royal Caribbean crew member died by suicide after jumping off of Icon of the Seas.

The incident happened shortly before 7:30PM on Thursday, July 25, and began with a violent dispute: the 35-year-old South African man, who supposedly worked in the Schooner Bar, stabbed a female coworker. 

The now-deceased male fled the scene, jumping overboard into the Atlantic Ocean. Thankfully, the female is in stable condition, despite sustaining multiple stab wounds to her upper body.

The next edition of the record-breaking Icon Class is on the horizon, just over one year after Royal Caribbean welcomed its largest cruise ship ever to its fleet. Star of the Seas will welcome paying passengers aboard on August 16, setting sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas. 

Once you have placed the deposit on your cruise, you will gain access to Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner, the go-to website for pre-cruise planning. It's where you can purchase add-ons like drink packages, specialty restaurants, internet, shore excursions, and spa treatments. 

Although Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner is relatively easy to use and understand, some tips can help you get the most value out of it and make your onboard experience even better. 

Here's how to book cruise add-ons through Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner. 

Royal Caribbean's newest mega-ship launches next month, and while many features of the next Icon Class ship are identical to those of Icon of the Seas, a few key tweaks will give Star of the Seas a defining personality of her own. 

It's common for cruise lines to make changes to their ships as they gather feedback from guests and crew members. Although the updates might seem subtle, such as an extra hot tub, they are intentional and aim to enhance the overall guest experience. 

You can now book day passes to Royal Caribbean's exclusive beach club in Nassau, Bahamas, opening in December 2025. 

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is the first-of-its-kind offering by Royal Caribbean, allowing guests sailing aboard Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships to have exclusive access to a private beach in a public port. 

Historically, those visiting Nassau had to book pricey tours to beaches like Blue Lagoon or Pearl Island, which also saw visitors from other lines like Carnival, MSC, and Norwegian.

Drink packages are one of the most expensive add-ons, costing hundreds of dollars for a weeklong cruise. Although many cruisers skip them to save money, I find that they're worth the splurge and make my vacation feel more inclusive. 

Recently, my partner and I sailed aboard Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, on a 7-night voyage to the Eastern Caribbean. We both have Diamond status within Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, so we get four complimentary drinks per day. 

Although Royal Caribbean began operations in 1968, it wasn't until 1970 that it launched its first purpose-built cruise ship. Even though it would be a modest vessel today, it was completely revolutionary at the time. 

Royal Caribbean continued to build and release more ships, but things really started to set off when the cruise line debuted its ground-breaking Freedom Class. These ships were the largest in the world until 2009, until Royal Caribbean broke its own record by introducing Oasis of the Seas.