Royal Caribbean International has announced that it will be constructing a brand-new beach club in Cozumel, Mexico, which is scheduled to open in 2026. It is the brand’s second Royal Beach Club location, following the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island in the Bahamas. That one is set to open next year. (Rendering courtesy of Royal Caribbean)Royal Beach Club Cozumel Details Royal Beach Club Cozumel will feature beautiful beaches and views, along with pools that will include swim-up bars and dedicated pools for relaxing and for families. Private cabanas will also be available, and guests can p ..read more

The Caribbean nation of Haiti is currently undergoing an extreme political crisis due to violent gang activity in its capital city of Port-Au-Prince. The country’s Prime Minister has been forced to resign as the gangs have taken over the city and toppled the government. As the chaos continues, many travelers are wondering how that might affect their travels to Haiti and its neighboring country, the Dominican Republic. Well, Haiti is currently at a Level 4: Do Not Travel in the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory system. As it relates to cruising, only one cruise line calls in Haiti —  ..read more

The two newest mega-ships designed explicitly for families have just set sail. In December 2023, Carnival Cruise Line launched Carnival Jubilee. This Excel-Class ship features amenities, dining venues, and entertainment for cruisers of all ages. Not to be outdone, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas set sail in January 2024. The world’s largest cruise ship includes several amenities for travelers of all ages as well. Heidi and I recently cruised on both ships and have received many questions about how they compare. So, we put together this cruise ship showdown, Icon of the Seas vs. Carnival Ju ..read more

Royal Caribbean’s mega ship Icon of the Seas features a large amount of stateroom categories to choose from — a whopping 28 in total! To prevent overwhelm, we’ve put together an Icon of the Seas staterooms guide. We list out every category and include some details on each to help you compare Icon of the Seas accommodations and decide which is right for you. Icon of the Seas Staterooms: A Complete Guide Interior Staterooms Interior – V4 156 square feet Occupancy: Up to 2 75 total on Icon Category V4 cabins are standard interior rooms on Icon of the Seas. They feature a bathroom, chair ..read more

FROM COAST TO COAST: ROYAL CARIBBEAN ROLLS OUT NEW SHORT GETAWAYS TO THE TROPICS IN 2025-2026 The Lineup Includes Quantum of the Seas’ Hollywood Debut in Los Angeles and Wonder of the Seas in Miami for the First Time Getting away just got easier from coast to coast as Royal Caribbean rolls out new short getaways in 2025-2026. Vacationers are in for more ways to pack big adventures into short getaways with the latest lineup of 3- to 6-night vacations to the Caribbean and The Bahamas. The island-hopping adventures start in six U.S. cities across Flor ..read more

Deciding which cabin to select for a cruise can be difficult, especially on Icon of the Seas given there are a total of 28 different room types. For our recent cruise on Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest ship to date, we booked an Icon of the Seas Ocean View Balcony room, cabin 14258. Reviewing the deck plans, this portside balcony cabin is a D2 category balcony stateroom. And it is a pretty typical balcony cabin when compared to many other ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet with just a few enhancements. So, was this stateroom a letdown? Find out in our Icon of the Seas balcony room r ..read more

Royal Caribbean Announces 7th Oasis Class Ship, But Is It Time to Go Back to Smaller Ships? Royal Caribbean Group has announced that it has ordered a 7th Oasis class ship, which is scheduled to be delivered to its brand Royal Caribbean International in 2028. French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique has entered into an agreement with the cruise company to construct the mega ship. The order is contingent on financing, which is expected to be completed later this year. Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group said “While we eagerly anticipate the debut of Royal Caribbean’s U ..read more

Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, is unlike anything else in the Royal Caribbean fleet. Like anything new, there are some things we love about Icon of the Seas. But, we also think the cruise line made some huge mistakes with its newest mega-ship. So, we share what we loved and hated about Icon of the Seas.   What We Loved (and Hated) About Icon of the Seas Hated: The New Upcharges The one thing we used to say about Royal Caribbean is that the cruise line didn’t nickel and dime cruisers. Norwegian Cruise Line is famous for offering a variety of onboard attractio ..read more

Royal Caribbean does it again with Icon of the Seas! Another record-breaking, game-changing vessel from the cruise line has just set sail from Miami. At 250,800 GT, Icon of the Seas has 20 total decks, 2805 staterooms, 2350 crew, 7 pools, 9 whirlpools, 6 record-breaking waterslides, 8 neighborhoods, and over 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges. At double occupancy, the ship accommodates 5,610 guests. Icon of the Seas is also Royal Caribbean’s most sustainable cruise ship yet. However, to say that Icon of the Seas is just an evolution of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class would be underselling this ..read more

ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS LINEUP OF 2025-26 NORTHEAST, CARIBBEAN ADVENTURES The Big Apple Welcomes Back Odyssey of the Seas, and Brilliance of the Seas Returns to Boston After a Decade New island-hopping vacations are around every corner: Royal Caribbean opens for sale its next lineup of 2025-2026 adventures. For the summer and winter, seven favorites will cruise from seven U.S. cities in Florida, Northeast, Puerto Rico and Texas on 5- to 12-night vacations.  Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members can be the ..read more