Royal Caribbean International recently made some serious waves with a series of announcements on ship renovations, private island make-overs, and new ship information.

$900 Million to Renovate Existing Fleet
The cruise line has earmarked $900 million to revamp 10 of its existing ships over the next four years. A general timeline has renovations beginning with the Mariner of the Seas, then moving onto the Independence of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas. Once completed, work will begin on the Voyager and Freedom class ships.

Collectively known as “Royal Amplified,” the renovations were determined by looking at every guest comment Royal Caribbean receives and truly listening to what passengers want. Passenger wish lists included keeping several popular dining spots, while adding the new Music Hall from the Quantum class ships. Sky Pad (a virtual reality bungee trampoline) and a family friendly glow-in-the-dark laser tag area will also be welcome additions.

Once renovated, Royal Caribbean envisions these ships being deployed on shorter routes in the Caribbean out of Miami, FL.

A Perfect Day Involving an Island Make-Over
Royal Caribbean’s two private islands, CocoCay (Bahamas) and Labadee (Haiti), will soon be unrecognizable to past visitors and joined by some new additions to what is now being called the Perfect Day Island Collection.

CocoCay will receive a $200 million transformation into PerfectDay at CocoCay. Thrills are apparently the order of this Perfect Day, as the island will feature the tallest water slide in North America and a helium balloon experience. If you’d rather seek sun than thrills, head over to Chill Island, a beach made exclusively for relaxation. Want to take your relaxation a step further? No problem. Coco Beach Club will feature the Bahamas’ first overwater cabanas and an infinity edge pool. Did we forget to mention the swim-up bar at the Oasis Lagoon?

Some renovations will be complete by September, with others debuting in the spring of 2019. Royal Caribbean also plans to add a third private island in the Asia-Pacific region.

New Ships, New Suites, New Experiences
As the Symphony of the Seas launches from Barcelona before sailing the Mediterranean this summer and moving to Miami in November, Royal Caribbean is already in the process of readying the Spectrum of the Seas. The new ship is a Quantum Ultra class ship scheduled to hit the high seas in 2020, followed by a fifth Quantum Ultra ship in 2021, and the ultra-secretive Icon class ships, still being designed for 2022 and 2024 debuts.

For now, the Oasis class Symphony of the Seas will have to do, and with a two-story “Ultimate Family Suite” (complete with a Lego Wall and private movie theater), a reimagined Boardwalk area and fresh new dining experiences featuring everything from New England seafood to Tex-Mex street food, the Symphony of the Seas will more than keep you occupied!