Royal Caribbean International travel tips

Dialing up the perfect at the one-of-a-kind Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, Royal Caribbean International reveals the first look at the private island’s first adults-only escape – Hideaway Beach. The beachfront paradise, set to open in January 2024 with the debut of the highly anticipated Icon of the Seas, is an all-day experience complete with a private beach and pools, new dedicated spots for drinks and bites, exclusive cabanas, live music and more. Vacationers can be the first to book their adults-only experience beginning today at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/Hideaway-Beach.

Buoyed by strong demand for cruises, Royal Caribbean Group increased its annual profit forecast for the fourth time this year.

Royal Caribbean International passengers can expect slightly higher costs on their next voyage, as the cruise line has announced it will raise its gratuity rates next month. 

Royal Caribbean International’s new ship, Star of the Seas, has reached a key construction milestone. Last week, the ship hit the water for the first time during a float out ceremony.

Royal Caribbean International’s viral 9-month world cruise is coming to an end this week.

Allure of the Seas is getting a $100 million makeover.

Royal Caribbean has just formally named its newest floating vacation experience, Utopia of the Seas, in an official naming ceremony that took place on July 15 at Port Canaveral in Orlando, Florida. 

Royal Caribbean celebrated taking delivery of its newest ship, Utopia of the Seas, during a special ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France this week.

The world’s largest cruise operators are expected to disclose upfront port and other manadatory fees, as well as taxes, to consumers in the U.S. starting July 1 to comply with California’s junk fee law.

WHY IT RATES: The partnership is an industry-first for a host agency and travel supplier to award ASTA scholarships. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse

Royal Caribbean International has undergone a significant change within its Entertainment division, as Nick Weir, the head of Entertainment, bids farewell after a decade-long tenure with the company.

Hard Rock International, Seminole Gaming, Royal Caribbean International, and Celebrity Cruises are joining forces in a global partnership deal that will let travelers take advantage of perks and discounts across all four of the powerhouse brands.As part of the massive deal, millions of customers who are members of each brands’ loyalty and casino rewards programs will now have access to “reciprocal benefits.” The loyalty programs include Unity by Hard Rock, Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale, and Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club. Moving forward, members of all of the programs will earn reciprocal benefits anytime they play, stay, dine, or shop at participating Hard Rock locations or sail on any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ships.“We see this as a marriage made in heaven,” Jeff Hook, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Seminole Hard Rock Support Services, told TravelPulse during a recent interview."If you’re customer of Hard Rock, now you don’t just have benefits with Hard Rock, you also have benefits with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. And conversely if you're a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity member, you now have benefits with Hard Rock.”

Calling all Royal Caribbean fans: There’s a new beach club experience in the works.The world’s largest cruise line has announced the expansion of its destination lineup with the forthcoming Royal Beach Club Cozumel in Mexico, which is slated to open 2026.“We are delighted to build on our longstanding partnership with the local community and government to continue bringing our guests to Mexico,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “The expansion of our destination offerings aligns with the growing global demand for the ultimate vacation experiences and enables our guests to connect with the beauty of local cultures and people in the places they visit.”The beach club will be located along the western coast of the island, according to a Royal Caribbean press release. The news follows Royal Caribbean’s previous big reveal that Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in The Bahamas will open in 2025.

Civil unrest in Haiti has forced the Royal Caribbean Group to cancel all plans to visit its private destination in Labadee.

In recent days, escalated strife in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince has garnered attention from around the world. Given the rampant gang violence and a mass prison break on March 3, the U.S. State Department reiterated its Level 4 Travel Advisory (“Do Not Travel”), while the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a security alert advising all U.S. citizens to depart the country as soon as they could.

Cruise travel has never been more popular as the industry is expected to achieve record levels in 2024.

The nine-year tax-free status enjoyed by many cruise lines with private islands in the Bahamas is about to end.The changes are slated to take effect on March 1 and are aimed at leveling the playing field, according to a report in The Tribune.The publication broke the news based on a Bahamas Department of Inland Revenue document it had obtained and later confirmed with local officials.Under the plans outlined in the document, in just a few weeks the tax treatment for goods and services provided to the millions of tourists who visit private islands in the Bahamas maintained by cruise ships will change. Moving forward, transactions on the island will be taxed the standard local rate of 10 percent.

Royal Caribbean has unveiled new details about dining aboard Utopia of the Seas, its new vessel slated to debut in July.

Cruisers typically have to leave their four-legged friends at home when they go on vacation. But one lucky pup gets to come along for an adventure aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas.

A highly anticipated newcomer towers along the hustle, bustle, and traffic of Miami's busy coast. And for good reason: PortMiami's newest 1,198-foot-long resident was recently crowned the world's largest cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean International has announced that world football superstar Lionel Messi will serve as the official Icon of its Icon of the Seas cruise ship debuting in January 2024.

Royal Caribbean International welcomed its newest ship to the fleet at a celebration at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland on November 27, ahead of the Icon of the Seas’ official January, 2024 debut in Miami, Florida.