Showing posts with label Best internet on cruise ships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best internet on cruise ships. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

MSC And Royal Caribbean Rolling Out New Internet Options

 MSC and Royal Caribbean Rolling Out New Internet Options
Photo by Chris Owen


As demand for Internet at sea increases, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are beginning to offer new tiered plans that better pair capability with affordability.
Over the next several months, MSC Cruises is rolling out dynamic high-bandwidth Internet connections and new pricing packages fleet-wide, and they are already available on MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa. The line cites resources of “several hundred Mbit/s (megabits per second) available in the Marlink Sealink cloud” across three plans.

READ MORE: Attention, Cruise Lines: Here's How to Make Internet Access Better

The Social Package is ideal for accessing networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest on one device for $4.50 per day or $16.50 per seven-night cruise. The Surfer Package is designed for moderate use of social networks and basic browsing and email access on up to two devices for $11 per day or $33 per seven-night cruise. The Streamer Package opens up full speeds for all browsing and even streaming on up to four devices for $22 per day or $66 per seven-night cruise.
“We are constantly seeking new ways to innovate and enhance guest experience aboard what is already the most modern fleet at sea,” said Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises CEO. “We know that staying connected while on vacation is increasingly more important to our guests, hence we are rolling out state-of-the-art technology to allow them to stay connected, whether they are looking to share experiences and memorable moments, stay in touch with friends and family, stay on top of work emails or simply catch up with daily news.”

READ MORE: 8 Tips For Getting The Most Out of Your Smartphone On A Cruise Ship

As for Royal Caribbean International, the Royal Caribbean Blog is reporting that the line has expanded its high-speed Voom service from one plan to several tiers as well, offering two bandwidths priced according to device count. The Voom Surf Voyage Package is good for browsing and email and social media access. It starts at $9.99 per day for one device. The Voom Surf + Stream Voyage Package adds in enough speed to facilitate all the above and streaming services. The upgraded plan starts at $12.99 per day for a single device.
Currently, Royal Caribbean’s website indicates Voom is available only on Oasis- and Quantum-class ships in the Caribbean, Mediterranean or Asia, but the Royal Caribbean Blog also said that the high-bandwidth service is expected to expand fleet-wide by this month.
Of course, in practice, speeds at sea are variable and often throttle down when more guests are logged on simultaneously. As to which offers the best value often depends on the user experience, which can vary accordingly. Where the packages on either line succeed most is in their unlimited nature. As speeds fluctuate, the time in which it takes to perform any given action online also changes. So, at least that variation does not count against daily or cruise time allotments like it would on lines that offer packages by the minute.

Source: www.travelpulse.com

Monday, July 6, 2015

Fast, Free Internet And Exciting New Features For Royal Carribean's Majesty Of The Seas


New Itineraries From Port Canaveral and Tampa to Take Guests On An Ultimate Adventure
 
 By popular demand, Majesty of the Seas will continue to offer short cruises sailing with Royal Caribbean International. The largest and most award-winning global cruise line announced today that the ship will home port in Port Canaveral, along Florida’s Space Coast, starting in summer 2016.  Before her season in Port Canaveral where she will sail to the Bahamas, Majesty of the Seas will go into drydock for upgrades and receive transformational new onboard amenities.
            Voom, the fastest internet at sea, will be available free and unlimited exclusively for guests on Majesty of the Seas to stay connected, brag about their vacation to friends and family, stream their favorite movies and music, and enjoy popular online video gaming.  

New features to be introduced on Majesty of the Seas include thrilling waterslides  for guests of all ages; family-friendly Jacuzzis;  a poolside movie screen; and award-winning entertainment including the Dreamworks Experience featuring activities and entertainment with Shrek, Fiona and other favorite characters from the powerhouse animation studio’s popular movies. An enhanced casino will offer gamers a variety of the latest popular slot machines and table games and suite guests will enjoy exclusive amenities and services as part of a newly enhanced suite program. Some of the new delectable culinary options include Izumi Japanese cuisine with fresh and flavorful sushi rolls and sashimi; the Sabor Taqueria featuring a mouthwatering menu of authentic, modern and unexpected Mexican dishes, including hand-made table-side guacamole – all which can be enjoyed alfresco; and the Chef’s Table, an exclusive experience hosted by the Executive Chef and Sommelier for an intimate wine pairing dinner. 

            “Our short itineraries have been very popular offering vacationers the perfect opportunity to sample the unmatched experience of a Royal Caribbean cruise, as well as providing a quick adventurous getaway,” said Michael Bayley, president & CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “With these exciting new features as well as unprecedented fast and free unlimited internet for guests on Majesty of the Seas, we are stepping up our game and offering a phenomenal short cruise adventure for our guests.”

            Majesty of the Seas will sail 3- and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas with visits to the cruise line’s private island destination, CocoCay. Highly rated among guests, this tropical paradise offers white sand beaches and turquoise blue waters set in 140 acres of lush vegetation. The secluded Bahamian island – reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests – features an aquatic park and water slide, beach volleyball and soccer, snorkeling and other water-based recreation.

            With Majesty of the Seas’ move, the cruise line is now able to deploy Rhapsody of the Seas – which was announced to sail short Bahamas itineraries from Port Canaveral – to Tampa offering seven-night Western Caribbean cruises in winter 2016. The new itineraries will further expand the choices for guests in Central Florida and help Royal Caribbean increase the total number of U.S. destinations, from where vacationers can find conveniently accessible ports to embark on the ultimate Caribbean cruise adventure. Reservations for the Majesty of the Seas’ inaugural Port Canaveral season are now available for sailings beginning May 27, 2016. Rhapsody of the Seas’ Tampa sailings are also open for sale for sailings beginning December 3, 2016.

            Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 46-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea.  The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean including, jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. Onboard, guests are catered to with the cruise line’s world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service by every staff and crew member. 
            Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 12 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards. The cruise line sails 23 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. Media can stay up-to-date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should call their travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Royal Caribbean's New Generation Oasis-Class Ship Harmony Of The Seas Unveils New Thrills, Adventures, And Innovative Innovations


Royal Caribbean International’s Ship Debuts April 2016


Royal Caribbean International’s new generation Oasis-class ship, Harmony of the Seas, is set to launch in April 2016. The third in the Oasis class of ships – currently the largest cruise ships in the world – will continue the award-winning cruise line’s philosophy of innovation and imagination to offer a unique vacation adventure for guests. 

        “We are orchestrating a medley of new exciting concepts with the best Royal Caribbean innovations to strike the perfect chord for adventurous vacationers That is why we are calling our third Oasis-class ship Harmony of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.        
 
Harmony of the Seas, featuring the cruise line’s design of seven distinct neighborhoods for which Oasis class is known, will offer the most amazing collection of experiences, amenities and activities at sea. Guests can test their mettle on the ship’s three multi-story waterslides, all of which twist and turn over Central Park 10 decks below. One of the slides also will feature a champagne bowl that swirls guests around as they make their approach to the end of the ride.         
“The Oasis class ships continue to astound and delight both new and experienced cruisers. They shatter preconceived notions of what cruising can be and continue to stand in a category by themselves,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “With Harmony of the Seas, we are making the most exciting experience at sea even better.” 

Harmony of the Seas also will feature a new Bionic Bar on the Royal Promenade.  The Bionic Bar was first introduced aboard Quantum of the Seas, and feature robot bartenders serving up one-of-a-kind crafted cocktails while dancing to a fluid beat. Additionally, guests onboard Harmony of the Seas will enjoy RFID technology with Royal WOWBands that provide them access to their staterooms as well as make onboard purchases and reservations.  Like her sisters, Harmony also will feature the fastest Internet connection at sea where guests can stream video; Skype with family and friends back at home; and share their vacation memories through social media instantly while at sea. 

While Oasis and Allure offered some of the largest staterooms in the fleet, on Harmony of the Seas the company has made some stateroom categories even larger.  Interior accommodations also will be outfitted with Royal Caribbean’s exclusive Virtual Balconies which offer a view in every stateroom, while single travelers will have studio stateroom choices. Suite guests also will have exclusive new areas to enjoy, from a well-appointed suite lounge and a private suites-only restaurant called Coastal Kitchen to an exclusive full-service Suite Sun Zone sun deck. 
Younger and young-at-heart guests can take a spin on the handcrafted carousel or enjoy a new classic games arcade on the ship’s Boardwalk neighborhood. While parents enjoy the newly relocated Starbucks cafĂ© on the Boardwalk, kids can meet new friends at a new climbing play area. 
Royal Caribbean’s Dynamic Dining will give Harmony of the Seas’ guests a culinary experience as vast and varied as dining in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities with more choice and flexibility than ever before. Those preferring a more traditional cruise dining style may select the “Classic” option which will offer two set seating times. Dynamic Dining’s “Classic” option allows guests to rotate through each of the main complimentary restaurants at an early- or a late-seating time throughout their cruise with their dining group and the same assigned waiter each evening. 
New specialty restaurant concepts will provide even more variety for guests including Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, with a new teppanyaki menu, and the Sabor Modern Mexican restaurant. The new Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine will give guests the chance to experience a unique culinary adventure for the senses when Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes in a whimsical setting that challenges the imagination with never-before-seen fare. 

Harmony of the Seas will span 16 decks, encompass 227,000 gross registered tons, carry 5,479 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,747 staterooms. The Oasis class is an architectural marvel touting Royal Caribbean’s exclusive seven neighborhood concept, including Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone. 

With Quantum-class ships Anthem of the Seas (launching in April 2015 in Southampton, U.K.) and Ovation of the Seas (debuting in April 2016), Harmony of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean’s third new ship to launch throughout the next 18 months. Itineraries for Ovation of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas will be announced this coming March. 
Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 45-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea.  The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean including, jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. 

Owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSE: RCL), the cruise line sails 22 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, South America, the Far East, and Australia and New Zealand. World renowned for its friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service, delivered by every staff and crew member, Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 12 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards. 

For additional information or to make reservations call your travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN. Follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/RoyalCaribbean or on Twitter @RoyalCaribbean.

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Royal Caribbean Offers Dynamic New Culinary Concepts, Broadway Show And Exciting Retail Offerings On Oasis-Class Ships


 

 Sailing aboard the world’s largest and most exciting cruise ships will now come with even more bragging rights. Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas emerges from a 14-day drydock today with a new look including reimagined dining, game-changing high-speed internet, exciting new retail offerings, a new popular and favorite Broadway show, new suites with exclusive suite dining and lounge. Sistership Allure of the Seas will follow suit in May 2015 with nearly identical enhancements. During their respective drydock, each ship’s seven neighborhoods will be enhanced as part of the cruises line’s Royal Advantage commitment to deliver the best vacation offerings and to introduce guests to even more new features and personalized experiences that can only be found when sailing with Royal Caribbean. 

“Royal Caribbean’s legacy of innovation brought the revolutionary Oasis-class ships to life and in that spirit, during the Oasis of the Seas’ and Allure of the Seas’ drydocks we are adding features and experiences to wow our guests even more,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, executive vice president, Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “One of the many exciting new features is Dynamic Dining, which has received an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests. We are expanding this new dining program, in line with our Royal Advantage commitment, to offer our guests and prospective consumers the amenities that appeal most to them according to the feedback we receive.” 

Even More New Culinary Concepts 
A key element of any vacation, dining provides vacation-goers with the opportunity to experience new flavors and indulge in old favorites. Royal Caribbean’s Dynamic Dining, allows guests to tempt their taste buds with more choice and flexibility than ever before by offering guests a landscape of 20 restaurants, as vast and varied as dining in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. 
 Royal Caribbean has recreated the original Oasis-class three-story main dining room into three distinct complimentary venues introducing bold new concepts each with their own cuisine and ambiance: 

·        American Icon Grill offers guests a take on the classic American road trip pulling together best-loved regional favorites into one comfort-style menu; 
·        Silk is a vibrant and exotic destination where the spices of the Far East bring new flavor to adventurous palates through a Pan-Asian menu; 
·        The Grande, where every night is formal night, offers an elegant ambiance and refined cuisine. 
Guests will enjoy menus of the new concepts beginning March 14, 2015, onboard Oasis of the Seas. Guests sailing Oasis of the Seas prior to March 14, will enjoy the traditional dining room experience in the newly designed spaces. 

As part of Dynamic Dining guests will have full control of their own epicurean journey with a tantalizing selection of specialty restaurants including four new unique concepts: 
·        Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, a reimagined Izumi Japanese Cuisine offering a full teppanyaki menu as well as fresh and flavorful sushi rolls and sashimi; 
·        Sabor Taqueria & Tequila Bar, first introduced aboard Navigator of the Seas to rave reviews, will feature a mouthwatering menu of authentic, modern and unexpected Mexican dishes including hand-made tableside guacamole. These dishes can be complemented by a curated beverage menu of tequilas, mezcal, and Mexican beers, as well as delicious sangrias and tableside-mixed margaritas; 
·        Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, a unique culinary adventure for the senses where Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes in a whimsical setting that challenges the imagination with never-before-seen fare; 
·        Coastal Kitchen is an exclusive restaurant for suite guests and Pinnacle members, that fuses Mediterranean influences with the unmatched riches of California’s bountiful farmlands and features. The experience is complemented by a robust wine list, curated specifically for the venue. 
Finally guests will continue to enjoy Giovanni’s Table, 150 Central Park and Vintage Wine Bar, the hugely successful specialty dining concepts introduced on the Oasis-class in 2009. 

Technology 
Royal Caribbean’s commitment to provide the best vacation experience is at the heart of its Royal Advantage program which takes its latest innovations and most popular features and expands them to even its newest ships, such as: 

·        Boatloads of Bandwidth, the game-changing partnership with technology partner O3b that will offer guests onboard Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas connectivity that matches fast broadband connections onshore and is greater than all other cruise ships combined. These new capabilities, allow the cruise line to offer affordable, easy-to-use Internet packages so that guests may watch streaming video, check email, share images on social media and enjoy face-to-face video conversations – even in the middle of the ocean. 

·        Royal iQ is a new app that puts guests in charge of their vacation choices.  Thanks to the dramatically improved connectivity, Royal iQ is able to continue dining reservations, shore excursions and spa appointments onboard, through both a downloadable app and at freestanding iQ stations around the ship.  Guests also can use Royal iQ as a convenient calendar that provides at-a-glance views of their program and to keep in touch with one another and home via phone and text capabilities. 

New Exclusive Suite Experience 
Royal Caribbean is introducing 10 new suites on Oasis-class ships, offering breathtaking views of the ocean or the ships’ signature AquaTheater and Boardwalk neighborhood and includes, two Royal Suites, six Grand Suites and two Royal Family Suites, which can accommodate up to six guests. These suites offer a new level of sophistication when paired with the variety of new exclusive suite amenities that include: 

·        The Suite Lounge, an exclusive lounge area for suite guests to relax offering unmatched expansive views of the ship and sea; 
·        The Sun Deck, a new sun deck area that gives suites guests the chance to soak-up and relax in the Caribbean sun with lounge furniture, shaded and seating areas and private service; 
·        Coastal Kitchen is a suites only full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with a Mediterranean flare. 
New Broadway Show 
Oasis of the Seas’ introduced the first-ever, fully-licensed Broadway show at sea and now, the ship will bring one of the longest running productions on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony award winning CATS to sea for the first time.  Beginning June 2015, sister ship Allure of the Seas will feature MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs.   
Superior Shopping at Sea 
Known for its first at sea offerings, Royal Caribbean is introducing the playfully sophisticated designs of kate spade new york to Oasis-class on its popular Royal Promenade, a first at sea. Rounding out the diverse onboard shopping are two guest favoritesMichael Kors and the Britto Art Gallery, as well as a whole new line-up of merchandise and fashion jewelry such as, Alexis Bittar, Uno de 50, Lauren G Adams, and Nina Nguyen. 

These enhancements take many of the best features the cruise line has created in recent years and introduces them to its newest ships, by building on Royal Caribbean’s best-in-class global vacation offering and delivering to guests the Royal Advantage – the industry’s most innovative cruise ships, combined with exciting itineraries and destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service. 

More information on specific roll out dates for Oasis-class ships is available at: www.RoyalCaribbean.com. 

        Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries every Saturday and Sunday, respectively from Fort Laurderdale, Fla., visiting exciting warm-weather getaways in the Caribbean. During the 2015 Europe season, Allure of the Seas will be homeported at Barcelona, Spain, for the first full Oasis-class Europe season. 

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