Royal Caribbean updates: New app features, Celebrity Cruises Black Friday offer, search results & more

We have a look at some changes and updates Royal Caribbean has made or announced over the past few days.

From new options in Royal Caribbean’s app, to a refreshed website, to a Black Friday offer, here’s everything you should know about this week.

New app update

Royal Caribbean rolled out a new update to its app, which adds a new features to it.

The app has a few new noteworthy icons you can now click to access more content without leaving the app.  It could be designed to make it less necessary to hop between the app and cruise line website, or it could be a way to simply elevate information and content cruisers may not have known existed.

There’s a new Videos icon, which essentially showcases the same videos Royal Caribbean produces for its YouTube channel and marketing.

The app also has a Loyalty Hub to track and enroll in the Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program.

Read more: Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips & secrets

It explains how each tier works and what benefits you get with each.

Cruise searches look different

If you do a search for a new cruise booking on Royal Caribbean’s website, you can expect to find a new look to it.

Royal Caribbean has periodically enhanced the look and feel of its search function, and it attempts to include more information related to your search in a concise manner.

Also, the ability to add a cruise to your watchlist is more explicit, whereas before it just had a heart icon.

The watchlist feature was added in December 2022, but it appears they want to provide more visibility to it.

The cruise line has indicated the amount of first time cruisers has never been higher, so making the search function easier to navigate is clearly a step in providing more information to them during the booking process.

Celebrity Cruises Black Friday offer

While we don’t yet know Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday offer, sister brand Celebrity Cruises has shared what to expect.

Celebrity Cruises will begin its Black Friday offer on November 10th, and it will run through December 5th.

Celebrity will have a BOGO 75% off a second guest as well as up to $300 in onboard credit for nearly all itineraries through April 30, 2026.

Royal Caribbean will almost certainly have a Black Friday sale of its own, but has not revealed any details yet. Check out all of their past Black Friday offers to get an idea of what to expect.

Royal Caribbean updates gift card policy

In case you missed it, Royal Caribbean gift cards just got much easier to use, thanks to a change in how to redeem them.

Gift cards are valid for both Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, and there are four ways to use your gift card value:

• Booking a new cruise on Royal Caribbean’s website
• Calling Royal Caribbean and redeeming over the phone
• Working with a travel agent to book a new cruise
• Waiting to use it onboard and redeem as onboard credit.

Prior to sailing, gift card amounts can only be applied toward the cruise fare and may not be used for pre-payment of beverage packages, dining packages, shore excursions, pre-paid gratuities, etc. 

Check out all the details on how to use a Royal Caribbean gift card.