Cruises

New in Cruise: Royal Caribbean Expands Royal Genie Access Fleetwide

By Erica Silverstein Jul 7, 2026 12:00pm

Welcome to New in Cruise, our biweekly update on all the latest happenings in the cruise sector. Here’s the latest news you can use in cruise:

Clients who adore Royal Caribbean’s suite experience now have another way to make big-ship cruising that much more luxurious. The family-friendly, entertainment-focused cruise line recently announced the introduction of the Royal Genie Package, which adds a personal assistant, VIP privileges, and extra inclusions to cruises on the line’s older ships.

Advisors know that Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ships in its Icon, Oasis, and Quantum classes offer the best experience in the fleet for travelers looking for upscale accommodations and exclusive perks. Its Royal Suite Class tiers provide increasing levels of luxury, culminating in Star Class with the most spacious suites, tons of fare inclusions, and the services of a Royal Genie, a butler-on-steroids who will seamlessly arrange your personalized vacation at sea.

Now, anyone who books a cruise on a Freedom, Radiance, Voyager, or Vision class ship can upgrade to rockstar treatment with the new Royal Genie Package. In addition to the services of the Genie, the package includes the following perks:

Priority activity reservations, with reserved seating at entertainment venues
Complimentary specialty dining, plus priority access to reservations
Included Deluxe Beverage Package and Voom high-speed Wi-Fi

Royal Caribbean developed this new offering based on feedback from its guests.

“Since its inception in 2016, our Star Class guests have consistently shared that Royal Genie services have completely transformed their vacation experience,” said Laly Yera-Rodriguez, vice president of guest experience at Royal Caribbean. “For our guests, having access to the Royal Genie fleet-wide is not just about convenience, it’s about vacation personalization at a level that feels truly effortless no matter which ship they're on, complete with personal touches and bespoke experiences.”

Royal Genies take all the stress out of sailing on a humongous ship with thousands of guests, but also make your client’s family or travel group feel like celebrities. They can plan special celebrations and surprise guests with treats they’ll love, making dining and beverage recommendations and then handle all the reservations, escort guests on board and provide expedited luggage delivery on embarkation and disembarkation days, coordinate onboard shopping, and handle all special requests and onboard planning tasks.

“Our Royal Genies take the time to understand each guest’s preferences to anticipate needs before they’re even expressed,” said Yera-Rodriguez.

The beauty of this package is that guests do not need to be in a specific stateroom or suite to access it. For example, clients could add it to a balcony cabin reservation if they don’t need a large room but would like the extra perks.

It also means that your clients who book Royal Caribbean’s longer and more exotic sailings, often offered on its older ships without Royal Suite Class perks, can access a higher level of luxury than was previously available.

The Royal Genie Package is currently available fleetwide and can be purchased as soon as a cruise is booked. Guests can purchase the package online through the My Royal Cruise portal or on the Royal Caribbean app.

The cruise line would not reveal how many Royal Genie Packages are available on a given sailing nor how many Genies will sail on each ship.

The packages are priced per day for all passengers ages 6 and up traveling together, and pricing varies based on sail date and itinerary. Royal Caribbean declined to share actual pricing, but Royal Caribbean Blog reports rates of $300 per adult and $200 per child, per day, for a northern Europe sailing on Independence of the Seas.

Unfortunately for travel advisors, package purchases are not commissionable. Still, if you have clients who enjoy booking suites or traveling with family on Royal Caribbean’s older ships, especially for a special occasion, it’s worth recommending the Royal Genie Package for over-the-top pampering on a big ship cruise.

In Case You Missed It…

New Ships and Launches

AmaWaterways offered a first look at new double-width river ship, AmaRudi, which will feature multiple dining venues, an expansive wellness area, and a new entertainment venue.
Emerald Cruises christened Emerald Kaia, the brand’s third yacht, in Venice in June.
Regent Seven Seas unveiled the new Solara sports and pool decks aboard Seven Seas Prestige, which will feature a padel and pickleball court, 18-hole putting green, dedicated outdoor yoga area, and a reimagined pool area.

Onboard Updates

Holland America has added a new Farewell Dinner to its main dining room rotation.
MSC Cruises announced enhanced Aurea Spa offerings, including IV therapy and a Japanese scalp ritual, will roll out fleetwide this year.
As part of its fleet enhancement program, Azamara announced plans to expand its spa, add spa retail, and introduce Medi-Spa and IV treatments to its spa menu.

Destination Updates

Four Seasons Yachts introduced exclusive private island experiences for guests at Prickly Pear, within the Anguillan archipelago, and the Yacht Club at Norman’s Cay in the Bahamas.
Explora Journeys introduced its collection of shore excursions for its inaugural Alaska season in 2027.
Santorini has implemented a daily cap of 8,000 cruise passengers in an attempt to combat overtourism.
Carnival Corporation has completed its pier extension at Celebration Key, so the private beach destination can now accommodate up to four ships and 13,000 guests per day.

Itinerary Roundup

Celebrity River Cruises unveiled its Before and After Stays pre- and post-cruise tours, available in four cities.
Azamara will launch a new partnership with Premier Golf in 2028, which will begin with 23 sailings to sought-after golf destinations, with a focus on Asia.
Aman at Sea revealed the first Caribbean itineraries for Amangati, running November 2027 through January 2028.
Quark Expeditions has announced its 2028 Arctic and 2028-29 Antarctica seasons, the earliest the company has ever opened bookings.
Scenic will launch its first cruises on India’s Hooghly River when the refurbished Scenic Aura re-debuts after a post-pandemic hiatus in October 2027.
Holland America’s Rotterdam will make its Mediterranean debut with five sailings in fall 2027.

On Sale Now

Oceania Cruises opened bookings for 2028 and 2029 itineraries, including Oceania Aurelia’s debut world cruise and a second winter season in the Mediterranean for Oceania Allura. It also announced its themed specialty cruises for 2027.
Explora Journeys is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its loyalty program with discounts on select sailings through July for Explora Club members, double points for referrals, exclusive cocktail parties for members, and an enhanced status match program now welcoming past guests of Celebrity and Princess Cruises.

For the Advisor

Azamara unveiled its new brand campaign, “The Next Big Thing Is Small,” to complement its fleet refurbishment program, Azamara Forward.
Ponant Explorations has appointed Gino Andreetta to the role of chief client & hospitality officer.
Riviera Travel has partnered with Approach Guides to provide travel advisors with a co-branded digital marketing platform.
HX has expanded its HX Greenland Promise to all 2027 sailings, allowing guests to transfer bookings or receive a refund if their government advises against travel to Greenland.
Viking has promoted Michele Saegesser, the godmother of Viking Honir, to Senior Vice President of Sales.