Royal Caribbean

This week Royal Caribbean officially announced that self-service buffets will be coming back to their cruise ships.

As first reported by RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, beginning with cruises departing on, and after, April 2nd 2022, passengers will now be able to serve themselves at buffet locations onboard Royal Caribbean ships.

Prior to this announcement, guests had been served by crew members while eating at buffet locations.

Royal Caribbean International’s newest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas has undergone a crucial next-step in being ready for its first sailings of 2023.

The Icon of the Seas has finished its ceremonial keel-laying, an important maritime tradition for new vessels, which includes the use of a 3,000-ton crane to lift a massive steel block that is placed into the ship’s building dock.

Are you cruising soon with Royal Caribbean and trying to decide whether you should purchase a drink package? You've come to the right place!

For most cruisers, going on vacation means wanting to enjoy drinks throughout their vacation. Having a cocktail in hand is almost a must when you’re relaxing by the pool!

There’s no doubt you can be busy all day long on a Royal Caribbean cruise. From the endless activities to the onboard thrills and exciting ports of call, you might even forget you need a place to unwind each day of your cruise.

A cruise cabin quickly becomes your home at sea, a cozy place where you can rest and rejuvenate as needed.

Royal Caribbean has a wide variety of staterooms to accommodate your travel needs - more importantly - your cruise budget.

If you’re sailing soon on a Royal Caribbean ship, there are plenty of tips and tricks from avid cruisers that you’ll want to know. Each cruise line will have their own unique tidbits of information that will be helpful to know before boarding your ship.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class series continues to break records with bigger and better ships, appealing to cruisers of all ages.

With sailings on popular routes in the Caribbean and Europe throughout 2022, there are numerous options to meet every traveler’s schedule and preferences.

Whether it be the traditional buffet or upscale dining, relaxing by the pool, rock climbing a 43 foot wall, a Broadway show, jazz music, or a casino, there is a dizzying array of ways to enjoy a vacation.  

Two cruise lines announced they will change vaccination policies to meet the new rules announced by The Bahamas.

Last week, The Bahamas announced it will require all cruise lines visiting any port, including private islands, to ensure all guests above the age of 12 be fully vaccinated.

Since that announcement, Royal Caribbean and Carnival both announced new changes to their vaccine policies for guests.

The cruise industry's restart has so been slow and steady, and while there have been positive Covid-19 cases on ships sailing from the United States, the numbers have been limited and contained quickly.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on Facebook an update about the low numbers of Covid cases among passengers, providing an honest take on how many cruisers are testing positive for Covid-19 on ships.

There are 13 ships sailing again, and the fleet is averaging around one or two passengers a week on ships with over 1,000 people.

Royal Caribbean is one of the few major cruise lines to do test cruises as a prerequisite to restarting cruise ship sailings from the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires cruise lines that do not mandate at least 95% of its guests be fully vaccinated to complete a test cruise for each of its ships in order to receive permission to sail again.

I have been lucky enough to go on two of Royal Caribbean's test cruises. One on Mariner of the Seas and the other on Allure of the Seas.