[BEYOND the 615 – Travel Feature]  What’s the President’s Cruise on Royal Caribbean? It’s a special, annual cruise that the President & CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Michael Bayley, plans a fun-filled, week-long cruise onboard one of Royal Caribbean’s modern, innovative ships and travels on along with the Executive Staff to celebrate all things Royal Caribbean with their most loyal cruisers.

Anyone can book this cruise.  No invitation is needed to sail on it, but it depends on your tier level with Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program, the Crown & Anchor Society, as to what special events onboard for the week you’ll be invited to take part in.

There were plenty of fun activities for everyone onboard, regardless of loyalty tier level, to enjoy every day.  Plus, there were more intimate, exclusive events that week planned for the two highest tiers: Pinnacle Club and Diamond Plus that included cocktail parties, trivia with the Executive Staff & hosted by Super Mario, Common Ground meeting with the president, sharing memories & memorabilia from past Royal Caribbean cruises with the President and Executive Staff by individuals, and a fun pool party.  There were also daily activities reserved for only the highest and most loyal tier of the Crown & Anchor Society, Pinnacle Club, with daily meals shared together and exclusive surprises for them.

Loyalty gains you special privileges, perks, and recognition onboard every Royal Caribbean cruise throughout the year with their loyalty program, Crown & Anchor Society, but during the annual President’s Cruise, your loyalty is uniquely-rewarded in different ways and taken to a heightened level depending on your tier status with them.

Each day I was treated to a fun gift in my cabin or at an event that included a President’s Cruise-themed magnet on my cabin door to greet me on embarkment day along with my themed cowboy hat in the color of my choice at the cruise terminal, a bottle of champagne with a special note thanking me for my loyalty, a President’s Cruise-themed insulated bottle to take home, themed beach bag, a chocolate bar from Royal Day at Costa Maya, and a limited release 25th anniversary baseball hat.  It was so much fun to open my cabin door to find special treats left for me.  There were also daily drawings for luxe prizes that everyone onboard the cruise was entered in to at the largest events that week.

Watch a short video of highlights HERE.

Now in its 6th year, this year’s President’s Cruise took place on the beautiful Allure of the Seas, part of Royal Caribbean’s oasis class of ships, from July 23-30, 2023 to the Western Caribbean ports of Roatan, Honduras, Costa Maya, Mexico and Cozumel, Mexico.

Sailing out of Royal Caribbean’s brand new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas, this President’s Cruise promised to be bigger & bolder than previous President’s Cruises with the much-awarded cruiseline celebrating 25 years of the Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, a new, state-of-the-art cruise terminal, and the most phenomenal comeback of all the cruiselines following the pandemic shut down back in 2020 as their stock prices continue to soar and prepare to launch 2 brand-new ships in 2024 (The highly-anticipated Icon of the Seas in January and Utopia of the Seas in July.)

The oasis class is currently the largest class of ships in the world out of all the cruiselines, featuring: Wonder of the Seas (newest, launched March 2022), Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas.  With the final ship in this innovative class to be unveiled in July 2024, Utopia of the Seas.

Watch a short video of highlights HERE.

This was my first President’s Cruise to have the pleasure of sailing on, but it definitely won’t be my last if I can help it.  I can say without hesitation that this was my very favorite cruise I have ever been on in my 30 years of cruising.  Being a long-time fan of Royal Caribbean since my very first cruise ever onboard their then state-of-the-art Sovereign of the Seas back in 1993, I was sailing as a Diamond Plus tier member with their loyalty program, Crown & Anchor Society.  I have so many past cruises to compare this one to, so saying it was my favorite is no small feat.

Watch a short video of highlights HERE.

As an added special treat, 10-time GRAMMY Award winner & musical icon, Chaka Khan, was onboard sailing all week with her family and band.  She performed an exclusive concert twice while sailing during the 7-night voyage.  Only a limited number of guests were able to see her perform in-person in the ship’s Amber Theater, but the concert was livestreamed all across the ship for special viewing parties in various venues onboard for all guests onboard to enjoy.  You can watch some clips from her performance onboard HERE.

I had access to most of the special events planned, including seeing Chaka Khan perform live onboard this mammoth vessel, which was one of the highlights of the cruise for me.  Hearing her iconic hit songs again and seeing her perform in-person brought back so many great memories for me as a teenager growing up in the 1980’s, which was during the heighth of Chaka Khan’s career.  She still has an incredibly-powerful voice after all these years and puts on a great show.  I couldn’t help myself as I stood and sang along to “I’m Every Woman”, and I was out of my seat dancing for most of the show, as well.  So much fun!

This special cruise included a milestone silver anniversary celebration of 25 years since the creation of the Crown & Anchor Society, which offers the best perks for loyalty out of all the cruiselines, in my opinion.  Everyone onboard was able to enjoy this beautiful, silver-themed celebration in the ornate Royal Promanade.

There was the fun day at the port of Costa Maya where Royal Caribbean took over the entire port to celebrate Royal Day with free food, drinks, and entertainment at every turn that all guests onboard got to enjoy.  You can see some of the highlights of the celebration HERE.

The Royal Roundup, a country music-themed party held in Studio B, was a big hit among guests as drinks were served and people took to the dance floor for some fun linedancing doning their complimentary President’s Cruise cowboy hats that we all received on embarkment day at the new cruise terminal in Galveston as we prepared to sail away later that day.  A great time had by all for some fabulous, boot-scootin’ fun!

Another highlight was the Garden Spritz party I got to enjoy along with other Diamond Plus tier members in the Central Park neighborhood of the ship, which was beautifully-decorated with touches of orange since sponsored by Chandon for this special occasion.

The Central Park neighborhood is always one of my favorite places to visit because it is so beautiful and a wonderful place of tranquility to escape to for a nice dinner at one of the specialty restaurants, a peaceful stroll, listen to some jazz music, or to enjoy a nightcap whenever sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s oasis class ships only.

There is just so much I could write about, but I’m afraid this article would become a long novel if I go on about it much longer.  So, I’m going to wrap it up now! I would book this particular themed cruise again and again in a heartbeat.  It was a level of amped up fun that only Royal Caribbean International, its President and his Executive Staff knows how to truly bring!

This cruise had everything, even all-you-can-eat lobster tails with a full, fresh seafood spread available for all guests on the first day in the Windjammer Cafe along with specialty procured excursions filled with unique experiences designed for the President’s Cruise only, like the Island Jam with Michael Bayley, held at the beautiful Turquoise Bay Dive & Beach Resort in Roatan, Honduras featuring an all-you-can-eat, mouthwatering spread of local favorites, fresh coconut water served in handcrafted coconuts with the President’s Cruise logo emblazoned on it, local music, dancing, and tasty tropical drinks with little umbrellas served by an attentive staff on sugar white sand beaches overlooking clear, turquoise-colored water.  It was a slice of paradise for the day that I never wanted to leave!

If you are looking for an all-inclusive vacation that will appeal to the entire family, you can’t go wrong with a Royal Caribbean cruise onboard one of their 26 ships, but especially on an oasis class ship like Allure of the Seas.  From great food, included in the cruise ticket cost per person, full Broadway shows like “Mamma Mia” in the Amber Theater, an aerial, acrobatic, highdiving, water-themed spectacular show in the Aquatheater that is a must-see (on oasis class ships only), an ice skating rink by day turned into an entertaining ice skating show inside Studio B featuring elite level ice skaters from around the world, comedy club featuring rotating featured comedians, highly-organized  by staff kids programs for all ages, a surfing simulator, pools, hot tubs, waterside, a zip-line, arcade, movies, shopping, live music in various nightclubs, dance classes, theme parties, parades through the Royal Promanade, trivia, bingo, full-access ship & kitchen tours with brunch, shipboard activities designed for athletes &

foodies, specialty dining, spa, health club, staff-led exercise classes, the adult-only fun of the Solarium featuring a pool & bar area and Casino Royale. (Don’t forget to insert your Seapass into the slot machines as you play or hand to the dealer at table games to become a member of Club Royale to earn points towards perks like free drinks, free cruises, onboard comps, invitations to special casino events, and more.)

There is just SO much to experience and do onboard Royal Caribbean’s innovative fleet of ships that will appeal to all ages and you’ll never be bored.  I promise! So, what are you waiting for? Go to their site by clicking HERE to book a cruise now to see how fabulous a vacation at sea can be.  Whether you’re a solo traveler, celebrating your honeymoon, a family traveling together, or enjoying retirement in your golden years, there is something onboard for everyone on a Royal Caribbean ship to the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Panama Canal, Europe, Greece, Asia, Australia, and more.

Want to find out when & where the next Royal Caribbean President’s Cruise is? Just watch the video below to find out!