The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean cruise ships and itineraries
Table Of Content
The list of homeports, for now, includes NYC (Cape Liberty NJ) and PortMiami, with more Florida homeports to me added by the end of 2019. MFACE compares disembarking passenger's facial identity with those of embarking passengers, also matching against US Customs and Border Protection provided TVS (Traveler Verification Service). Passenger privacy is guaranteed as no photos are stored either by RCCL, IDEMIA or US Customs after the cruise's completion. Except for rock climbing walls, the Vision Class ships have none of the signature Royal Caribbean deck-top attractions such as surfing and skydiving simulators. For the most part, their top decks are lined with pools, whirlpools and sunning areas, as is typical for ships built in the 1990s. All have at least two pools and six whirlpools, except for Enchantment of the Seas, which has three pools and six whirlpools.
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The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, explained.
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Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean is the world's largest cruise line, with a large fleet of ships that cater to a wide range of traveler types. The sailings out of Colon and Cartagena offer the chance to visit Southern Caribbean ports such as Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao that aren't on most Royal Caribbean itineraries in the Caribbean. The sailings out of San Juan will also get you into the Southern Caribbean, while the sailings out of Israel and Cyprus offer a destination-heavy tour through the Eastern Mediterranean, including stops at multiple Greek islands. If you're looking for the best Royal Caribbean ship for solo travelers, you'll want to start with Quantum of the Seas and its Quantum-class sisters.
Fleet
Royal Caribbean is in the top 3 "best family cruise lines" (together with CCL-Carnival and DCL-Disney) and owns the world's largest and some of the most popular ships for young adults, kids, and teens. As a mass-market company, RCI is recommended mostly for young and middle-aged, active and sports-oriented travelers. In August 2018 was announced that RCCL plans to outsource most of its Springfield jobs (~90%, excepting only sales employees) to the company's call centers in Jamaica and Guatemala. This means that US sales agents will do the bookings, but when customers call back with issues they will be re-routed overseas. In April RCG partnered with IDEMIA (fka Morpho) - Paris-based French company specializing in security and identity solutions. IDEMIA's services will help speed up RCCL passenger disembarkation at select US homeports via the company's MFACE (high-speed 3D facial recognition) technology.
RCI's Cruise Planner packages & prices
Plus, the itineraries feature lesser-visited ports like Quepos and Puntarenas in Costa Rica and Cartagena in Colombia. While Royal Caribbean currently has orders in place for three Icon Class cruise ships and Utopia of the Seas, the coming years may see more orders placed for new cruise ships. The ship will have a maximum capacity of around 7,600 passengers and will be 250,800 gross tons in size. Icon of the Seas will be homeported in Miami with her first revenue sailing on January 27, 2024. New cruise ships and destinations are coming to a Royal Caribbean cruise near you between now and 2025. At 250,800 gross tons, Icon of the Seas is more than 6% larger than Royal Caribbean's 1-year-old Wonder of the Seas, which previously was the biggest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet (and the biggest ship operated by any line).
On Oasis Class ships, there also are 735-seat outdoor "aqua theaters" that are home to dazzling aerial and water shows (Icon of the Seas has its own version of this under a glass dome called the AquaDome). Quantum Class ships have Two70, an extraordinary, high-tech theater space that offers multisensory shows combining singing, dancing and acrobatics. Even more "wow," as Royal Caribbean executives like to say, are the ice skating shows put on at the ice skating rinks found on 14 of the line's ships. The rinks are in the interiors of the ships, surrounded by stadium seating for up to 775 people, and the shows are out of this world.
In May 2018 were announced plans to build permanent accommodations on CocoCay allowing Suite passengers to stay on the island overnight (or longer). The concept includes premium cabanas serving passengers on any of the RCI ships calling at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean ships offer a wide list of onboard facilities, the main of which include Grand-style productions Theatre, Live Comedy Club, Disco/Nightclub, Casino Royale, Library. Sports facilities include Studio B/Ice-Skating Rink, Rock Climbing Wall, FlowRider/surfing simulator, a Multiple Sports Court, Walking/Jogging Track, Golf Simulator, ZIP-Line, H2O Zone (Waterpark with Waterslide), Adventure Beach. Only Quantum ships have Bumper Cars, Skydiving Simulator, North Star/rotational capsule.
NIGHT DINING PACKAGE
It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies, and those who violate this rule will face a $250 cleaning fee. In the casino, only cigarette smoking is allowed, and only in designated areas on most ships (smoking in casinos is forbidden on sailings out of Australia and U.K. ports). The most out-there deck-top attractions on Royal Caribbean ships are surely the North Star rides found on Quantum Class ships. Perhaps the most bizarre attractions ever conceived for a cruise ship, they are giant mechanical arms topped with glass-enclosed capsules that will take you soaring above the ships for the view. Every Royal Caribbean ship has a casino, and on the line's bigger vessels, these are big operations.
In addition, Quantum of the Seas ships is particularly known for its unusual range of activities, from skydiving simulators to bumper cars that you can enjoy just fine as a solo traveler. The only things you won't find are the most over-the-top Royal Caribbean attractions found on newer Royal Caribbean ships, such as zip lines, skydiving simulators and bumper car pavilions. If you book a suite in the complex on Wonder of the Seas, you'll be getting a luxury experience of the sort you won't find almost anywhere else in the Royal Caribbean fleet. If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to RoyalCaribbean.com and book directly. During the evenings, there is an official dress code, but it only applies to passengers entering the main dining room.
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The Radiance Class cruise ships are stunning due to the amount of window space that was constructed into the ships’ designs. Radiance Class ships have over three acres of glass onboard, meaning you’ll have picture-perfect views of the ocean from nearly any venue. These two drawbacks make me unlikely to book many cruises on Oasis Class ships myself, but I definitely feel that Oasis Class ships are the “perfect” cruise ship for many types of cruisers, especially families with young children. That makes them a good choice for someone who wants to try Royal Caribbean but isn't eager to travel with huge crowds.
In an officially issued statement, RCI explained as the main reason for its policy change to differentiate support from service animals, the latter of which are trained and certified to help the disabled. Service animals traveling with physically / non-physically disabled passengers are still allowed on the ships. In late February 2017, the RCCL corporation imposed a fee of USD 65 pp in case of leaving the cruise early (whatever the reason might be). Passengers who refuse to pay face the prospect of being banned from RCCL cruise ships FOREVER. Since December 2017, NextCruise shipboard booking customers are eligible to pay a reduced deposit (USD 100 pp) regardless of voyage length - but only if they book with non-refundable fares.
You can enjoy a quiet afternoon reading a book on a bench in the tree-lined Central Park area of Wonder of the Seas while, just a few decks above, thousands of vacationers frolic away at the ship's three distinct pool areas. Royal Caribbean's designers are masters at designing vessels that can carry thousands and thousands of people but still feel relatively uncrowded — at least in some areas. In other words, if you're the kind of person who loves staying on property at Disney World or at a giant Las Vegas resort, this is the line for you. Royal Caribbean ships offer vacationers a ton of options, whether it be for dining (some vessels have more than 20 distinct places to grab a bite) or entertainment. With each step-down in size, you'll find fewer restaurants, bars, entertainment offerings and attractions. However, even the smallest of Royal Caribbean ships still have quite a bit to offer.
"I peed on myself watching this" - Social media users squirm at Royal Caribbean's Harmony of The Seas 55ft dive video - Travel Weekly
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Vitality Cafe is another favorite, and I order a custom smoothie nearly every day of the cruise. While the Royal Esplanade sometimes reminds me more of a shopping mall than a cruise ship and I wish the outdoor Promenade deck wrapped around the whole ship for a better walking experience, these aren't make it or break it drawbacks. I also do not cruise with children, so activities like water slides, zip lines, and kids programming do not factor in to whether I prefer one ship class over another. I tend to spend more time relaxing without a plan onboard rather than trying to experience as many attractions as possible. While endless activities and entertainment options are certainly appreciated, I will enjoy a cruise equally with or without these activities. Even though all Royal Caribbean cruise ships are distinctly Royal Caribbean in branding and design, they can feel quite different from one another when comparing the ships side by side.
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