Royal Caribbean Behind the Scenes Tour

Last week Royal Caribbean announced it's plans for elaborate behind-the-scenes tours for passengers on their ships.

For $150, the three and a half hour guided tour will take guests through the shipboard areas such as the bridge, engine control room, the galley, and even behind the scenes look at the main theater. Royal Caribbean says it's responding to a growing demand from passengers to see behind-the-scenes. These tours will be available to purchase onboard beginning this month.

Carnival and Princess Cruises have already added such tours on their cruises in recent years.

Contact a Cruise Specialist today to book your next cruise!

Royal Caribbean's Gourmet Getaway

Set sail on a voyage of culinary adventures with Royal Caribbean’s limited-time Epicurean Discovery cruise – an entire week devoted to cuisine and fine dining. This unparalleled gourmet experience features celebrity chefs who will not only cook for you but also provide cooking tips and advice. The perfect vacation for foodies everywhere!

Freedom of the Seas is one of the most innovative cruise ships with several swimming pools, cantilevered whirlpools, and an open-air night club, in addition to its restaurants, including Portofino and Chops Grille. Dining aboard is accompanied by original productions featuring world-class performers.

Contact a Professional Travel Agent today to book your next cruise!

Another Crew Member Goes Overboard

On May 24th, a crew member onboard the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas went overboard.

The ship was forced to cancel its visit to St. Thomas, as it was delayed because of searching for the man. In an effort to locate the missing crew member, closed-circuit video footage was reviewed and then was confirmed that the crew member did in fact go overboard.

The ship's captain made the decision to immediately turn the ship around and retrace its course from Nassau, and also alerted the U.S. Coast Guard as well as the Bahamian Coast Guard of the situation. As of today, the crew member has not yet been located, and the U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to search the area.

The ship is currently sailing a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that departed from Fort Lauderdale on May 22, it will return on May 29 as scheduled. This is the second time this month a RCCL ship has lost a crew member. On May 5, 2010, a crewmember from Explorer of the Seas also went overboard.

World's Largest Cruise Ship Arrives in Florida!

Royal Caribbean International's newest ship, the Oasis of the Seas, arrived in Port Everglades, FL from Finland this morning.

Oasis of the Seas is now the biggest cruise ship in the world! This gigantic vessel is nearly 40 percent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship and five times larger than the Titanic. It is 2.4 million square feet and almost 1,200 ft. long!

This luxury cruise ship accommodates 6,300 passengers, 2,100 crew members and has 2,700 cabins, featuring luxury suites and 2-story loft suites. The ship contains 16 decks, 24 restaurants, 37 bars, 13 retail outlets, a zip-line, a casino, four swimming pools, a mini golf course, volleyball and basketball courts, a carousel and theme parks for kids!

The ship is scheduled for several promotional cruises with travel agents, journalists and guests before making its first revenue cruise on Dec. 1st. It will be sailing in the Eastern Caribbean until May 2010, and then it will alternate between Eastern and Western Caribbean.

To book your next cruise, contact a Professional Travel Agent today!

Royal Caribbean is Testing Balloon Rides

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is testing a balloon ride off the stern of the Oasis of the Seas during Sea Trials.

RCCL Chairman and CEO Richard Fain explained what was happening on his blog. He said the balloon is actually an "aerostat," a lighter-than-air object that usually remains tethered to its base by a long wire and could be used to give passengers rides. "The idea is interesting, but it has such a cornucopia of practical issues that I give it less than a 50 percent chance of being used on Oasis," Fain wrote. "If we don't use it on the ship, I will consider it just another of the many ideas our people develop that didn't work. On the other hand, if it is successful and we do decide to use it on the ship, I will consider it another of my better ideas. Remember, this is just one of many experiments we undertake and, unless we actually decide to go forward with it, one that you will never hear about again."

Fain promised to report on whether the aerostat will actually make it onto the ship. For more information, visit http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/.

Contact a Professional Travel Agent today to book your next cruise!

Curbside to Shipboard in 15 Minutes?

The bigger the ship, the more hassles there are embarking and disembarking at the beginning and end of a voyage, typically. But officials at Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades say the much-ballyhooed, 5,400-passenger Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built, will be an exception to the rule when it debuts at the port later this year.

Industry watcher Johanna Jainchill of Travel Weekly today quotes port director Phillip Allen as saying the port plans on moving passengers from "curbside to shipboard in 15 minutes." In anticipation of the arrival of the Royal Caribbean vessel, which debuts in November, the port has done extensive renovations to one of its terminals to allow passengers to flow quickly on and off the ship. The port boasts that the terminal is now the largest single-ship cruise terminal in the world.

The Oasis of the Seas has 28 ultra-modern loft suites and 2,700 spacious staterooms, and 16-decks featuring 4 pools and 10 whirlpools, 4 different venues offering nightly entertainment, Casino Royale, day spa and fitness club and six different dining options.

To get started booking your next cruise, contact a Professional Travel Agent today!