Introducing Royal Advantage

Royal Caribbean International® has announced new enhancements to their fleet for 2011. 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 will be more apparent than ever. That's when Royal Caribbean will begin enhancements to 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.

 

Liberty of the Seas ........... January 30, 2011

Oasis of the Seas .............. February 26, 2011

Freedom of the Seas ......... March 27, 201

Radiance of the Seas ........ Summer 2011

Splendour of the Seas ....... Fall 2011

More memorable moments are in store when DreamWorks® Experience and 3D movies  come onboard. Sails 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 


Even more imagination comes onboard with the DreamWorks® Experience, Broadway hit Saturday Night Fever: The Musical, and other amazing features. Sails 4 to 7-night Caribbean itineraries, and the Western Mediterranean.


The matriarch of the Freedom class will be enhanced with the BRITTO Gallery, ImagineOcean! Puppet Show, a nursery and more. Sails 7-night itineraries from Port Canaveral, Florida, to vibrant Caribbean destinations.


Parents will love the addition of the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, and everyone will enjoy more dining options. Sails from Seward to other adventurous Alaskan cities, including Juneau and Skagway.


Balcony staterooms and refreshed public areas are in store, along with more dining options, lounges and the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery. Sails South America's most amazing and diverse ports.


Our Facebook Fans can learn more about these new enhancements in the near future.  Be sure to  Like Us so that you will be in the know. 

Carnival Splendor Repair Status

Carnival Splendor Being Towed to San Diego
Photo courtesy John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Splendor Repairs Underway
UPDATE:

Carnival Splendor to Leave San Francisco and Return to Service

UPDATE:  NOW EXPECTED TO RETURN TO SERVICE FEBRUARY 20, 2011

Carnival Splendor Cruise Cancellations Extended

UPDATE:  JANUARY 19, 2011 (click following link)

Carnival Splendor Heads North for More Repairs

After Carnival Splendor arrived back in San Diego and the passengers headed for home, the long process of determining what happened and returning the ship to service began.   A joint task force made up of Carnival technicians, NTSB, Panama Government representatives, USGC and others descended on the vessel and started the process.

After an initial assessment, it was decided that cruises needed to be cancelled until January 16.  This left passengers and their agents, including yours truly, scrambling to reschedule stranded passengers who had planned holiday sailings on the Splendor.

You might recall that during the incident, Captain Cupisti had to order the release of CO2 in the engine room to distinguish the cables.  The fire crews had also used water to cool down the engine room.

Thus, the engine room must be cleaned up from the CO2 and water before the actual damage can be repaired.   As you might expect, this is a huge job.  We will bring you updates as we learn more about the cleanup and repairs.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire
Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Pictures Tell The Story

TODAY Samples Alluring Food and Beverages

TODAY Show Hosts Sample Allure of the Seas Food

What Do You Feed 

5000 Hungry People?

18,000 lbs. Watermelon

14,000 lbs. Pineapple

10,000 lbs. Fish

4,000 lbs. Vegetables

Allure's executive chef  takes you behind the scenes to show you how much food is needed each week and how the staff prepares it.

All We Do is Eat & Drink

Cruise vacations are well known for fabulous food and beverages served 'round the clock.  While some people may gain weight during their cruise, that doesn't have to be the case as we'll learn in this video clip.

One thing for certain, Allure of the Seas does have some "alluring" food for you to chose from.   Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb were able to sample selections from the various venues including Samba Grill and Cupcake Cupboard.   Watch this video to get an idea about the mouth watering foods available on the Allure of the Seas.

Video: Royal Caribbean's 'alluring' fare

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Video: Cruising for Cocktails

Kathie Lee and Hoda sampled some of the signature libations that can be found on the Allure of the Seas. Whether you are poolside or at one of the specialty dining venues, there is a colorful and tasty drink awaiting for you. Just ask one of the friendly bartenders to pour one of their specialties and enjoy.

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Related Blog Posts:

TODAY Ship Shape Swimsuits on Allure

Today Show Broadcasts Live from Allure of the Seas

 

 

TODAY Ship Shape Swimsuits on Allure

TODAY Show Visits Allure of the Seas - Watch Videos

Also see Related Blog post (click this link): 

Today Show Broadcasts Live from Allure of the Seas

Swimsuit Fashion from the Allure of the Seas

We continue our coverage of Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb broadcasting the TODAY show live on the Allure of the Seas. In this segment, they take a look at what to wear on a cruise. Also, we'll look at great products to take on weekend getaways (which of course could be on a cruise ship).

The hosts were onboard Allure of the Seas November 19, 2010.   For the full story, see MSNBC's website.. The cruise portion started at 10 AM Eastern time.

Video:  Look Hot in These Cool Bathing Suits

TODAY style editor Bobbie Thomas sought out the greatest in swimsuits for when warm weather calls. Watch what happens when this red bikini gets wet ...

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Video: Bobbie's Buzz on Weekend Getaway Goods

For products featured in the following video, check out Bobbie's buzz: Top tools for trips on MSNBC's TODAY Show website.

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Coming Soon:  Our behind the scenes report from Allure of the Seas

Today Show Broadcasts Live from Allure of the Seas

Tune in to NBC's TODAY on Friday, November 19th between 10:00 am and 11:00 am Eastern, when hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will broadcast live onboard Allure of the Seas. 

The TV personalities will lift the curtain on the distinguished line-up of entertainment and innovative onboard amenities that differentiate Allure from Oasis of the Seas®. Don't miss it!

 

Just as they did when Oasis of the Seas arrived in Flordia, the crew of the TODAY show will broadcast live from Allure of the Seas.   This will be your first opportunity to see the Allure of the Seas as final preparations are made for the first revenue guests to arrive in December.

We will update this post later today with highlights from their visit.

Don't forget ....  We will be on the Allure of the Seas for one of the pre-inaugural cruises and will bring you our pictures and videos from the latest entry in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Meanwhile, you can check out our other posts about Allure of the Seas by searching this blog for "Allure".

As promised, here are three video clips from the TODAY Shows visit on the Allure of the Seas today.   You'll get to watch them experiencing the ship, including a quick zip from one end of the Boardwalk to the other.

Related Blog Post (click link):  TODAY Ship Shape Swimsuits on Allure

Video:  Kathie Lee, Hoda Go Cruising

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Video: 'Alluring' Activities are Fourth-hour Fun

From taking a ride on the zip line to getting a 14-karat-gold facial, Kathie Lee and Hoda check out all the activities aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.   Watch this video to check out the activities.

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Video: Kathy Lee, Hoda's Fantasy Cruise

The TODAY hosts tour the Allure of the Seas cruise ship and imagine all their favorite actives aboard the ship.

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We hope you have enjoyed these clips from the TODAY show. Allure of the Seas is an amazing ship, just like her sister, the Oasis of the Seas. One of the myths about cruising is "there is nothing to do". We'd be amazed if you could still say that after watching these videos.

See you soon from onboard the Allure of the Seas.

Creating Central Park on Allure of the Seas

Construction of Allure of the Seas Central Park

How Do You Plant a Garden on a Cruise Ship?

That may sound like a silly question, but for Royal Caribbean International, that was just one of the final preparation processes that had to be solved while the Allure of the Seas is in its homeport of Port Everglades. The answer of course, is by crane.

Oasis of the Seas - Central Park

Creating  Central Park

Pictured here is the Oasis of the Seas finished version of Central Park.  The Allure will once again benefit from the experience of its sister ship as Central Park is recreated one more time onboard a cruise ship.

Just like one would plan their own garden in the back yard, Royal Caribbean's designers drew up plans for the finished garden, ordered the various trees, flowers, and shrubs, and waited for the assembly day to arrive.    On the assembly day, the plants and trees were organized and "airlifted" by crane from the pier to the ship.   Crews quickly  unloaded the crates and the planting began.   It didn't take long before Central Park took shape.

In this video, you'll see first-hand hour Central Park was assembled by a talented team of gardeners.

Video: Creating an Ocean Garden: Planting Allure’s Central Park

Thousands of plants, flower gardens and green thumbs go into making Allure of the Seas' expansive Central Park come to life! Watch as crews finish the final details on this luscious, serene and vibrant neighborhood onboard.

Travel Alert fo St. Lucia After Tomas

Hurricane Tomas Caused Extensive Damage

In the wake of Hurricane Tomas, this normally picturesque Caribbean paradise is without much of its infrastructure, prompting a recent Travel Alert by the U.S. State Department.  St. Lucia's Prime Minister declared a state of emergency, and reports indicate that St. Lucia’s transportation and communication infrastructure was seriously affected.  This Travel Alert expires on December 1, 2010. 

According to the travel alert, "There are no reports of U.S. citizens killed or seriously injured in the storm or its aftermath.  However, major roads and bridges on the islands are closed due to landslides and flooding, making transportation around the island extremely difficult or impossible.  Cell phone towers are down, resulting in limited communication, and some areas do not have electricity or water.  St. Lucia authorities are working to restore services as soon as possible.  Both airports on St. Lucia are open, but operating at limited capacity."

St. Lucia wasn't the only country impacted by Tomas in the region. St. Vincent and the Grenadines also experienced significant damage due to Hurricane Tomas in the northern part of the country, but areas generally frequented by travelers were not severely impacted. 

What does this mean for tourists?

Cruise lines are monitoring the situation and may substitute a different port of call for St. Lucia.   The travel alert indicated  "U.S. citizens should contact their tour operator, airline, or hotel for further information on the situation before traveling."      

U.S. citizens who choose to travel to St. Lucia despite the Travel Alert are urged to enroll with the State Department's travel registration website.  Please continue to monitor the Embassy’s website for updated information at https://www.usembassy.gov/barbados/.  

Updates from the Islands

Latest local updates from the special hurricane correspondents on the islands (with pictures):

  Barbados  --  Dominica  -- Grenada -- Trinidad & Tobago

Martinique -- St.Lucia  -- St.Vincent & Grenadines -- 

We wish the people of St. Lucia well, and hope that they will be able to quickly restore the infrastructure so that their lives can return to normal and tourists can once again visit this beautiful country.