Cruise Impacts from Franklin and Idalia

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Hurricane Franklin

Updated August 28, 2023

Hurricane Franklin, which was a Category 2 hurricane when we first published this article is now the first major storm of the 2023 Hurricane season.

 

Swells generated by Franklin are expected to begin affecting Bermuda by tonight. These swells are also likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the beginning of this week along portions of the east coast of the United States. Please consult products from your local weather office.

Hurricane Franklin	1100 AM EDT Mon Aug 28 2023 ...FRANKLIN RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES INTO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE... ...TROPICAL STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR BERMUDA... Additional strengthening is possible today, but gradual weakening is expected to begin later Tuesday.
WIND:	MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH...230 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Bermuda

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Tropical Storm Idalia

Tropical Storm Idalia is centered 70 nm ESE of Cozumel Mexico, moving E at 2 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 996 mb. Maximum sustained wind speed is 35 kt with gusts to 45 kt. Peak seas are around 10 ft. Idalia is expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday. Heavy rainfall from Idalia is expected across the eastern Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. The heavy rainfall may produce areas of flash and urban flooding, as well as landslides, across western Cuba. Heavy rainfall is also likely to spread into portions of the Southeast U.S. by mid to late week. Minor coastal flooding is expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area over the Yucatan Peninsula in areas of onshore winds.

Tropical Storm Idalia	400 PM CDT Sun Aug 27 2023 ...STORM SURGE AND HURRICANE WATCHES ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA GULF COAST...
WIND:	MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel * Pinar del Rio Cuba A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for... * Chokoloskee to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Englewood to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Isle of Youth Cuba * South of Englewood to Chokoloskee Florida * Dry Tortugas Florida.

Please read the latest HIGH SEAS FORECAST issued by the National Hurricane Center at website - https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFAT2.shtml and the latest NHC Forecast/Advisory and Public

Advisory at www.hurricanes.gov for more details on Franklin and Idalia.

Several Cruise Lines have already made changes to their itineraries in anticipation of the approaching storms.  Cruise lines will take every precaution to protect passengers, crew, and ships from weather conditions.  When traveling during hurricane season, it is common to have modified itineraries.

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

• NHC issuing advisories for the Atlantic on Hurricane Franklin and TS Idalia
• NHC issuing advisories for the Eastern Pacific on TS Irwin
• Marine warnings are in effect for the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean/SW Atlantic and Eastern Pacific

Click Here to Learn More

Royal Caribbean Itinerary Updates 
(click for latest)   


Royal Caribbean has multiple ships sailing toward the area of Tropical Storm Idalia, including Voyager of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. As of now, however, there are no updates to the schedule announced by the cruise line.

Follow @JamesVanFleet or visit the Royal Caribbean Facebook page for frequent updates.

Disney Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)
Disney Fantasy is scheduled to visit Cozumel tomorrow morning.
MSC Cruises

No announced schedule changes for MSC at this time.

Norwegian Cruise Line Weather Alert (click for latest)

Norwegian Pearl's itinerary calls for a stop in Bermuda, which will likely feel the effects of Hurricane Franklin.

Carnival Cruise Line Travel Alerts (click for latest)

Carnival Magic: Originally set to sail from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda on a six-day cruise, Carnival Magic will now instead sail to Half Moon Cay, Nassau and Freeport to steer clear of Hurricane Franklin.

Carnival Legend: Similar to Carnival Magic, Legend was slated to sail from Baltimore on a six-day cruise to Bermuda. Instead, it will now visit Nassau and Freeport.

Virgin Voyages

Scarlet Lady is scheduled to sail from Miami to Costa Maya, which would put in in the path of Idalia.

If you are sailing this week or next, please consult with your travel agent or the cruise line's website for up to the minute information.  The information below was accurate at the time of publication.

Hurricane Season Dates 

Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th.
Make a Plan (FEMA) 

Read entire series (click here)

More links and information about tropical storms and other weather conditions can be found in the Weather & Hurricane Zone tabs above.


If you live in, or plan to vacation in, an area where hurricanes are prevalent, please prepare in advance by reading our series.

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River Cruise Anatomy - Safety First

At the conclusion of our last post, Anatomy of a River Cruise, you were relaxing in your cabin before dinner.  You checked out the schedule in more detail while you were relaxing in your cabin.   We continue our anatomy lesson with what happened next.

 

click on images to enlarge

Schedule at a Glance

Besides the printed schedule that was on your bed in the cabin, the computer monitor in the lobby had the day's events posted. You could also pull up the schedule, as well as other information, on the TV in your cabin.

It is very easy to find out about the schedule.

Safety Exercise

All passengers assembled on the sky deck at 6:15 PM where they were provided with a life jacket. Unlike large ocean cruise ships, the life jackets are stored in compartments on the open top deck. Instructions were given on how to put on the vests and after everyone was accounted for, we returned them and headed to the lounge for the actual safety briefing.

Our Cruise Director (CD), Mark, introduced the First Captain who welcomed us onboard and introduced the rest of the crew.  Mark then took over and provided the safety briefing.   In the event of an emergency, we would assemble on the sky deck where we'd be given life preservers like we were in the exercise.


Port Talk

Prior to dinner every evening, our CD held a briefing about the next day's activities.  On this first evening, he gave an overview of the first few days by showing us a presentation.   Most days started with an included excursion in the morning, followed by lunch, and one or more optional excursions in the afternoon.  There were some days where we'd have an afternoon sailing to our next destination.  Some days included overnight stays, where we could explore on our own in the evening if desired.

Following the talk, there were sign-up sheets for those passengers that had pre-booked included and optional excursions or for those that might have changed their minds after hearing more about the ports.  

​We hope you are hungry - it's time for the Embarkation Dinner, which deserves it's own post.

By now you should see some similarities and differences between ocean and river cruising.

 

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2015-16 Royal Caribbean Deployments

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has begun announcing their 2015-2016 Deployment Schedule. We will be updating the table below with a link to pages on our website with more details about the ships and itineraries included in each deployment. As of this initial posting, two schedules have been released: the Summer Caribbean and Northeast and the Fall Bermuda and Canada/New England.  

Summer Caribbean and Northeast

Select from amongst the following ships:  Freedom of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas.

• Oasis and Freedom feature alternating 7-Night Eastern and Western Caribbean Itineraries. 
• Grandeur features Bermuda with 6 & 7-Night cruises 
• Independence features 6, 7 & 8-Night Eastern and Western Caribbean Itineraries

Fall Northeast & Canada

Select from Brilliance of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas.

• Brilliance features 7 & 9-Night Canada/New England
• Grandeur sails 8 & 9-Night Canada/New England
• Serenade sails 10 & 12-Night Fall Foliage and a 14-Night Snowbird Migration 

Europe

Allure of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and Splendour of the Seas are the first itineraries to be released

Alaska

Two ships will take you to the glaciers in 2015 - Jewel of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas


For more information:

Week of February 10th	Summer/Fall Caribbean Northeast & Fall Canada
Week of February 17th	Europe Alaska
Week of February 24th	Additional Europe
Week of March 3rd	Additional Europe
Week of March 17th	Winter Caribbean
Week of March 24th	Australia/Hawaii Winter Caribbean
Week of March 31st	Short Caribbean and Bahamas
Week of April 7th	Exotics Brazil & South America
Mid 2014	Singapore
Future Deployment	China

If you haven’t signed up for our eSavers Newsletter yet, be sure to do so. This is just one of our communication vehicles to keep you informed about industry news and special offers for our loyal followers.

2014 Royal Winter Caribbean Deployment

Bookings are now open on the 2014 Winter Caribbean season on nine ships, PLUS Panama Canal itineraries on Legend of the Seas®.  Adventure of the Seas®and Jewel of the Seas®, sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico Allure of the Seas® and Oasis of the Seas®, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Freedom of the Seas®, sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida Independence of the Seas®, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with special holiday sailings from Port Canaveral Legend of the Seas®, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, PLUS 15–night Panama Canal cruises between Fort Lauderdale and San Diego, California Grandeur of the Seas®, sailing Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries from Baltimore, Maryland Serenade of the Seas®, sailing Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries from New Orleans, Louisiana

For more information see  

2014-15 Royal Winter Deployments

2014-15 Royal Caribbean Deployments

2014-15 Northern Europe & Transatlantics

Royal Caribbean 2014-15
Deployments

Northern Europe as defined by the United Nations (marked blue):

Northern Europe

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Southern Europe

Northern Europe
Transatlantics
Now Open

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of the European continent. A United Nations report published in 2011 defines Northern Europe as including the following ten countries and dependent regions: Denmark (with Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland (with Åland), Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Sweden, and the UK (with Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey).

8 Ships in Europe for 2014

Royal Caribbean International will continue to scale back its ships in Europe in 2014, deploying only eight of its 22 vessels across the pond.

Demand for cruises in Europe continues to diminish as the price for air fare keeps summer travelers on this side of the pond.  In 2012, Royal Caribbean had a record 12 ship (out of 22) in the region.   For 2013, that number falls to nine with an additional ship dropping off the following year.

Royal's 2014 Europe deployment will include the Liberty of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas in the Mediterranean, and the Independence of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas in Northern Europe.  Missing from this list is Vision of the Seas.

• Adventure of the Seas^®: crossing from Miami to Southampton, England; sailing Norway, Iceland, and the Baltic, plus longer Mediterranean voyages. learn more
  
• Brilliance of the Seas^®: crossing from Tampa to Harwich, England; sailing Scandinavia and Russia, the fjords and Iceland. learn more
  
• Independence of the Seas^® crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton; sailing to France, Spain and the Mediterranean. learn more
• Legend of the Seas^®: crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Copenhagen, Denmark; sailing Scandinavia and Russia, the fjords and Iceland. learn more

The Northern Europe and Transatlantic sailings on these ships is now open for booking.   The remaining ships, which will be sailing in the Mediterranean, will go on sail March 28th.

See the following for the entire 2014-15 Deployment schedule.  We will update links to the other areas as they are released.   2014-15 Royal Caribbean Deployments

Want to Sail to Europe in 2013

Now through the end of the month, there are some special offers which you might want to consider:

Royal Caribbean Europe Extravaganza

Transatlantic Beverage Package Offer

2014-15 Royal Caribbean Deployments

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has begun announcing their 2014-2015 Deployment Schedule. We will be updating the table below with a link to pages on our website with more details about the ships and itineraries included in each deployment. As of this initial posting, two schedules have been released: the Summer Caribbean and Northeast and the Fall Bermuda and Canada/New England.  

Summer Caribbean and Northeast

Select from amongst the following ships: Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, and Freedom of the Seas. 

• Oasis, Allure, and Freedom feature alternating 7-Night Eastern and Western Caribbean Itineraries. 
• Explorer and Grandeur feature Bermuda with 5 & 9-Night and 6 & 7-Night cruises respectively

Fall Bermuda and Canada/New England

Select from Brilliance of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas.

• Brilliance features 7-Night Canada/New England
• Explorer sails 9-Night Canada/New England and 5 & 9-Night Bermuda
• Grandeur sails 8-Night Canada/New England and 6-Night Bermuda

For more information:

FEBRUARY 7, 2013	Summer Caribbean and Northeast
MARCH 6, 2013	Fall Bermuda and Canada/New England
MARCH 13, 2013	Alaska
MARCH 14, 20, 28, 2013	Europe and Transatlantics
MAY 1, 2013	Australia and Hawaii
APRIL 18, 2013	Winter Caribbean and Northeast
APRIL 23, 2013	Short Caribbean and Bahamas

If you haven’t signed up for our eSavers Newsletter yet, be sure to do so. This is just one of our communication vehicles to keep you informed about industry news and special offers for our loyal followers.

Royal Advantage Expanded

Royal Caribbean Enhances Entire Fleet

When we first announced Royal Caribbean's Royal Advantage SM program, the estimated cost of the investment was around $300M USD. At our recent Regional Meeting held in Cleveland,Ohio, representatives from the cruise line told us that the program had been expanded, and that the final cost would be around $732M USD. They shared the details of the remaining revitalizations which continue through 2016.  Related Posts;

After 40 years of cruising, Royal Caribbean told us they learned a thing or two about having a good time at Sea. There’s one rule: Anything is possible.

What is the Royal Advantage SM ?

It’s Royal's promise to provide guests with the most innovative ships, features, worldwide destinations and personalized service. This year, they’ll continue to transform the award winning fleet into something the Sea has never seen before. Across all their ships, our guests will find new dining options, entertainment, technology and family programming. With these revitalizations, the Royal Advantage is sure to deliver the vacation of a lifetime, every time.

Schedule of Ship Revitalization

AVAILABILITY	SHIP NAME	ITINERARY
Now	RADIANCE of the SEAS®	ALASKA & AUSTRALIA
Now	LIBERTY of the SEAS®	EUROPE & SHORT CARIBBEAN
Now	FREEDOM of the SEAS®	CARIBBEAN
Now	SPLENDOUR of the SEAS®	EUROPE & BRAZIL
Now	RHAPSODY of the SEAS®	ALASKA & AUSTRALIA
Now	MARINER of the SEAS®	EUROPE & CARIBBEAN
Now	GRANDEUR of the SEAS®	EUROPE & CARIBBEAN
COMING 12/4/2012	SERENADE of the SEAS®	EUROPE & DUBAI
COMING 12/16/2012	ENCHANTMENT of the SEAS®	BERMUDA & CARIBBEAN
COMING 2/7/2013	LEGEND of the SEAS®	ASIA
COMING 5/3/2013	INDEPENDENCE of the SEAS®	NORTHERN EUROPE & CARIBBEAN
COMING 5/14/2013	BRILLIANCE of the SEAS®	EUROPE, BERMUDA/ CANADA & CARIBBEAN
COMING 10/23/2013	VISION of the SEAS®	EUROPE & CARIBBEAN
COMING 12/2/2013	NAVIGATOR of the SEAS®	EUROPE & SHORT CARIBBEAN
COMING 2/3/2014	ADVENTURE of the SEAS®	NORTHERN EUROPE & CARIBBEAN
COMING 5/18/2014	VOYAGER of the SEAS®	AUSTRALIA & ASIA
COMING 12/22/2014	EXPLORER of the SEAS®	BERMUDA/CANADA & CARIBBEAN
COMING 5/1/2016	JEWEL of the SEAS®	NORTHERN EUROPE, BERMUDA/ CANADA & SHORT CARIBBEAN

Learn More about Royal Caribbean Ships & Sailings

Introducing Fun Ship 2.0

Last October, Carnival Cruise Lines announced  $500 million dollars worth of enhancements spanning through 2015. The initiative, entitled "Fun Ship 2.0", builds on the success of Carnival Magic’s new branded experiences.

Carnival Liberty was the first ship to undergo the face-lift, adding about half of the 11 new features. As Carnival Breeze comes closer to completion, the remaining features will be coming to the forefront. The new features belong to the following four categories.

Dining 

For added dining , TV personality and Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri has joined forces with Carnival to bring Guy’s Burger Joint. Guests will have the their choice of homemade burgers made with choice ground beef and complimented with hand-cut fries. This will be a lunch or dinner option for guests, topped off with their own condiment bar. Also added will be a new Cantina with Mexican delights like to order burritos and tacos. All complimentary.

Comedy 

Comedian George Lopez has revamped the Punchliner Comedy club, adding some of his own talent and appearing on some of Carnival’s ships personally. The Punchliner Comedy Club Presented by George Lopez will have pre-recorded video and voice messages from Lopez. Carnival will launch Punchliner brunch as well offering entertainment in the main dining rooms on-board.

Bars 

Carnival is giving bars at sea a new name. Carnival partnered with sports video game company EA SPORTS to bring an interactive sports bar at sea. Not only will there be tournaments and trivia but 16 46-inch big screen TV’s and a 24/7 live sports ticker. To expand on the ever-so-popular Red Frog Pub that was introduced on Carnival Magic, Carnival will be adding Red Frog Rum Pub and BlueIguana Tequila Bar. For the folks that are cruising to heal their sorrows, Carnival is adding an Alchemy Bar where passengers will create their own drinks on a prescription pad. The Library Bar will be added also, being coined “an intimate cocktail lounge.”

Entertainment 

Carnival is taking entertainment to the next level with Playlist Productions, 30-minute shows with LEDs, special effects, and sing alongs. Teaming up with game leader Hasbro, Inc. to create interactive game shows at seas. Also Carnival is teaming up with DJ Irie and creating Spin’iversity for folks who want to learn to mix music.

Which Ship is Right for You

By the end of 2012, three ships in the fleet will host 10 of the 11 new features of Fun Ship 2.0 with three more having at least 4 of the features.  Even among those ships, there will be a variance in which features are deployed on each vessel.  We've put a chart together, based on information that has been released to date, showing the features on each ship.

We've also included the schedule so that you can plan your cruise vacation following the dry dock that will complete the transformation.

Fun Ship 2.0 Feature	Liberty	Breeze	Dream	Conquest	Glory	Splendor
Punchliners Comedy Club		x	x	x	x	x
Guy’s Burger Joint	x	x		x	x
Hasbro, The Game Show		x		x	x
EA Sports Bar	x			x	x
DJ IRIE Spin’versity	x	x	x	x	x	x
Playlist Productions		x		x	x
RedFrog Rum Bar	x	x	x	x	x	x
BlueIguana Tequila Bar	x	x	x	x	x	x
BlueIguana Cantina		x		x	x
Alchemy Bar	x	x		x	x
Library Bar		x

In future articles, we'll look closer at some of the new features.  The first of which is

Hasbro The Game Show Coming Soon to Sea

Dry Dock Schedule 2011 Carnival Liberty (Dry docks Oct. 8-22, 2011) 2012 Carnival Breeze (currently under construction, debuts June 3, 2012) Carnival Dream (Dry Dock: Sept. 8-22, 2012) Carnival Conquest (Dry Dock: Oct. 14-28, 2012) Carnival Glory (Dry Dock: Nov. 2-15, 2012) Carnival Splendor (Dry Dock:  dates TBD) 2013 Carnival Destiny Carnival Legend Carnival Pride Carnival Victory 2014 Carnival Elation Carnival Freedom Carnival Triumph Carnival Valor 2015 Carnival Magic Carnival Paradise

Lines Reduced Cruises to Bermuda

Holland America Line

Latest To Pull Out of

Bermuda

Holland America has announced that Veendam won't be returning to Bermuda for the 2013 summer season. 

"We will continue to call in Hamilton occasionally on other itineraries," said the line in a statement. "The 2012 season will mark three years of Bermuda cruising roundtrip from New York and in 2013 other destinations are being considered as part of our overall global deployment."


This announcement comes just weeks after Carnival announced that Carnival Pride would be redeployed  in the Eastern Caribbean instead of Bermuda for the 2012 Summer season.  Carnival Pride will still sail one voyage to Bermuda.

While The Veendam and Pride are pulling out, that doesn't mean that there won't be ships in Bermuda or that the region is being abandoned by the cruise lines.  Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises will offer regular Bermuda sailings in 2012, and Norwegian has already announced that its new Norwegian Breakaway will debut in spring 2013 with a series of Bermuda cruises. 

Bermuda is a great cruise destination.  Most cruises to Bermuda originate from New York and typically spend two or three days docked in one of Bermuda's ports of call so that you can explore the country both day and night taking in the complete atmosphere of the island country.  The people are very friendly there and there is much to do.  It is quite easy to explore on your own by using public transportation including buses and ferries.

For those that have never cruised before, Bermuda is a great destination to do since there is a minimal amount of actual sailing.   You can experience life onboard the ship and use the ship as your floating hotel while in Bermuda, saving on food and entertainment costs for example.

Royal Advantage Enhancements 2011 to 2014

 

"The Royal Advantage revitalizations takes many of the best features that we have created in recent years and introduces them across our fleet, offering our guests enhanced vacation choices around the world," said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. "We never stop trying to make the experience even better, and no other cruise line can offer the same high quality vacation experience with such an array of choices that cater to every guest."

Royal Caribbean International® has announced new enhancements to their fleet through  2014. They  call it the Royal Advantage^SM- the drive to provide the best, most innovative ships, features, destinations and personalized service to guests. In 2011, the Royal Advantage began began with Radiance of the Seas in May 2011, and will be followed by Splendour of the Seas in November. The enhancements expand their most popular innovations to select ships, giving more to see, more to do, and more to love, to more guests than ever before. The program will continue to the tune of $300 Million over the next several years.

The transformation process involves an extended dry-dock period of about a month. When the ships re-emerge they are even better versions of the ships that guests love, complete with new dining venues, entertainment options, technology enhancements and more.

Oasis of the Seas ................. Newly enhanced and now sailing

Liberty of the Seas ............... Newly enhanced and now sailing

Freedom of the Seas ........... Newly enhanced and now sailing

Radiance of the Seas .......... Newly enhanced and now sailing

Splendour of the Seas ......... More to love coming Nov. 25, 2011

Rhapsody of the Seas .......... More to love coming April 2012

Grandeur of the Seas ........... More to love coming June 2012

Serenade of the Seas ........... More to love coming Winter 2012

Legend of the Seas

Vision of the Seas

Brilliance of the Seas

Navigator of the Seas

Voyager of the Seas

Explorer of the Seas

Adventure of the Seas

Mariner of the Seas*

Enchantment of the Seas*

Independence of the Seas*

Among the revitalizations and enhancements to the Vision-, Voyager- and Radiance-class ships throughout the next three years, will be:

• New Technology:  Guests will enjoy pervasive Wi-Fi, interactive flat-panel televisions in staterooms, and electronic mustering. 
• Digital Wayfinding Systems:  Onboard activities, real time updates, customized directions and routing, as well as ship factoids will all be at guests' fingertips with new plasma and L CD touch screen signs prominently placed throughout each of the ships.
• Outdoor LED Video Walls:  Oversized video screens will be installed on the pool decks to liven up outdoor entertainment and programming, day and night.  
• Royal Babies and Tots Nursery:  Safe, fun and interactive vacation environments will be available in nurseries designed for babies and tots ages six through 36 months. 
• New Staterooms:  New levels of accommodations, including staterooms ideal for families, will be added to suit a variety of guest needs and requirements.

Additional Dining Options:

• Chef's Table:  An exclusive experience co-hosted by the Executive Chef and Sommelier for an intimate wine pairing dinner of five courses.
• Izumi:  A pan-Asian cuisine restaurant featuring mouthwatering flavors and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking.
• Chops Grille: Royal Caribbean's signature steakhouse featuring a menu of prime cuts prepared a la minute.
• Park Café:  A casual dining venue featuring gourmet salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries.
• Rita's Cantina:  A casual yet vibrant restaurant offering traditional Mexican fare, comprehensive selection of margaritas and live evening entertainment.
• Boardwalk Doghouse: A casual eatery for guest to enjoy a range of brats, links, wieners and dogs.

We had the opportunity to experience these dining, entertainment, and technology improvements on Allure of the Seas during its inaugural.   The changes were such a hit, that Royal Caribbean decided to make the improvements fleet-wide.  This is a substantial investment in their ships which will result in more smiles on passenger's faces as they disembark following their cruise vacation.

Related Blog Posts:

 

Introducing Royal Advantage

Showtime on Liberty of the Seas

Royal Makeover for Freedom of the Seas 

Radiance OTS 2011 Makeover