Royal Caribbean News Round-Up: May 28, 2023

Happy Sunday and unofficial start to summer! Temperatures are rising, and so is the pace of cruise news to share with you this week.

Royal Caribbean gave us a first look at more than 20 dining venues we can expect on Icon of the Seas.

Among the new venues includes a new Empire Supper Club that will serve an eight-course menu, and is arguably the most elegant dining venue Royal Caribbean has ever offered.

Royal Caribbean’s first food hall will also be coming to Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean News

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 499th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, reviewing Matt’s Norway cruise.

Matt took his first European cruise, which was a 7-night cruise to Norway on Anthem of the Seas. He talks about what he liked and didn’t like about the cruise, and how a European cruise compares to a North American cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: Your really dumb cruise ship cabin questions answered

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Your really dumb cruise ship cabin questions answered — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

I walked through Royal Caribbean’s new food hall concept

Icon of the Seas will have the first food hall on any Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and it looks like a great change for the line.

At Royal Caribbean’s headquarters in Miami, Matt was able to tour a prototype of the new AquaDome Market to get a sense of what the cruise line has in mind.

From new cuisines to how the food will be served, it’s a first-look at what you can expect when you get onboard.

Royal Caribbean vs MSC Cruises: what I liked & didn’t like

Jenna tried her first MSC cruise to compare it against her Royal Caribbean experiences.

Sailing on MSC World Europa, she wanted to see how similar or different the line is to Royal Caribbean, and what she enjoyed about it too.

After 7-nights onboard, Jenna came away with a list of what she liked, disliked, and what surprised her about her first MSC cruise.

Alaska vs Norway cruise

How similar is a Norway fjords cruise compared to an Alaska cruise?

Having sailed both, Matt came up with the aspects of each kind of cruise that are the same, and in what ways are they totally different.

Both destinations are certainly going to be colder than the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but they aren’t exactly the same type of cruise either.

Carnival Mardi Gras vs Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas

Love big cruise ships? Here’s a battle of the titans of the two largest cruise lines.

Carnival’s Excel Class and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships are the largest ships in their respective fleets, and bring a mass-market appeal that aims to provide as many choices as possible on a cruise ship.

Allie has sailed on both Carnival Mardi Gras and Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas to see what each ship does better.