Articles

Tagged: royal-caribbean

How to Save Hundreds on Royal Caribbean's Packages and Excursions

In the 1970s and '80s, cruises became a booming vacation option by offering a more-or-less all-inclusive pricing structure. One fare covers room, board, and access to a roster of…

There's Another New Fee on Cruises: Penalties for Missing Dining Reservations

The big cruise lines, which are in constant pursuit of fatter profits to please shareholders, are busy finding new ways to tighten the screws on guests.Last week, word came that…

New Royal Caribbean Discount Codes: 60% Off Second Guest and Kids Sail Free

Cruise "wave season," the prime period for discounts, is here, and two worthwhile new deals from Royal Caribbean have just ridden the surf into vacationers' wallets.From now until…

Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas: What You'll Pay, What to Pack at Royal Caribbean's Private Island

LAST UPDATED: February 5, 2024Cruise ships have competed for years to come up with the wildest new onboard thrills. But with the newly invigorated CocoCay, Royal Caribbean has…

Icon of the Seas Doesn't Have Enough Lifeboats—on Purpose

Megaship cruise line Royal Caribbean is getting a lot of hype this month as it begins sailings on its gargantuan new Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built. And this ship…

Charges for Gratuities on Royal Caribbean Going Up—as the Company Reports Huge Profits

Royal Caribbean quietly increased its automatic gratuity charge this week. Starting November 11, the cruise line's service charge added to each passenger's bill will be $18 per day…

The World's Busiest Cruise Port Has Been Dethroned

What cruise port would you say is the busiest in the world? Last Friday, a new winner claimed the heavyweight belt based on 2022 passenger data. It's not New York City. It's not…

Masks Go From Required to Recommended on Most Cruise Ships

It's been difficult keeping up with the changing protocols for shipboard vacations. The United States' Centers for Disease Control updated its Program for Cruise Ships Operating in…

Florida Gov. DeSantis Voided a Vote in Key West, but Cruises Are Respecting It Anyway

On Election Day in November 2020, the people of Key West, Florida, a remote but heavily touristed island in the Gulf of Mexico that's barely 7 square miles in size, went to the polls…

Cruise Ships Aren't Covid Jails Anymore—But They Are Being Refused By Some Ports

When Covid-19 was first going global, its early appearance on cruise ships caught scientists and epidemiologists flat-footed. In the spring of 2020, we still weren't precisely sure how…

Odyssey of the Seas: Photo Tour of Royal Caribbean's Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular mass-market cruise brands in the world, but that doesn't mean the average customer fully understands its varying levels of custom-built…

Cruising Is Getting More and More Expensive for Unvaccinated Passengers

Carnival Cruise Line has become the latest major cruise company to announce that passengers who are unvaccinated or do not want to reveal their vaccination status will have to purchase…

Unvaccinated? Royal Caribbean Will Make You Buy Travel Insurance

Royal Caribbean International has added another requirement for unvaccinated cruisers in Florida: They must have travel insurance. Starting August 1, guests who do not volunteer their…

If You Sail Royal Caribbean from Florida or Texas, Fellow Travelers Will Be Unvaccinated

In the run-up to restarting operations, Royal Caribbean International was one of the first cruise lines to assure customers that when services resumed, every adult on board would be…

Royal Caribbean Yanks Newest Ship from Haifa, but Will Politics Ruin a Florida Homecoming?

Americans who had hoped to spend some quality summer time aboard Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, might now get their shot. In late winter, the cruise line…

Royal Caribbean Adds Ship in Bermuda to Serve U.S. Vacationers This Summer

Update, May 20, 2021: Citing the prospect of large cruise ships returning to the United States soon, Royal Caribbean canceled plans to cruise from Bermuda on Vision of the Seas. The…

Two Cruise Lines Returning to Caribbean for the Vaccinated, but Will Skip U.S.

If you're a fan of cruising and you're itching to get on board again as soon as possible, we can definitively say you're going to need two things: a Covid-19 vaccine and a…

Royal Caribbean's New Ship Set to Debut, but Only for Vaccinated Travelers

When Royal Caribbean launches its newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, only vaccinated passengers will be aboard. The cruise line has announced that tickets for the ship's upcoming…

Royal Caribbean Calls for Volunteers for Test Sailings

As Frommer's reported a few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control has stipulated some changes for the giant cruise lines. If they want to start regular U.S. sailings again, they…

When Cruising Resumes, You Won't Be Allowed to Roam Ports Alone

Large cruises that depart the United States have been paused since mid-March, but we now know one thing about their return. Guests will no longer be able to wander ports of call on…

Two Top Cruise Companies Join Forces to Develop Safety Plan

Two top competitors in cruising, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, have decided to put rivalry aside and work together to create a comprehensive safety plan that will enable the entire…

Royal Caribbean's Next Private Island Will Be in the South Pacific

Royal Caribbean announced plans this week for a new private island to be used exclusively by passengers of the company's cruise ships. Though such destinations are increasingly common…

Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas: A Photo Tour

After extensive refurbishing, Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas is ready to provide big thrills for passengers on island-hopping Caribbean cruises setting sail from Miami. Once…

Royal Caribbean's Private Beaches Make Second-Class Citizens of the Rest of Us

Most passengers on a Caribbean cruise are by now aware of the “private beaches” and “private islands” that cruise lines operate for the purpose of keeping you from contact with local…

Symphony of the Seas by Royal Caribbean: A Tour (and the Cheapest Cabins)

When the Symphony of the Seas was launched in the spring of 2018, it was billed as the largest cruise ship in the world. This was true—but only by a very small degree over the previous…