In October 2017, URComped and Royal Caribbean launched their first COMP cruise offer together, opening the door for hundreds of casino players to enjoy Royal Caribbean for the first time. The feedback was tremendously positive – from players and Royal Caribbean's casino department – and we are excited to announce that 2018 will be a year full of URComped + RCCL offers!
We recently had the chance to speak with Jon Wamba. As Royal Caribbean’s Casino Alliance Manager, he’s incredibly excited to be working with URComped to bring these one-of-a-kind experiences to our players.
Since so many URComped players will be first time passengers on Royal Caribbean, we wanted to get an "insider" to fill us in on what makes Royal Caribbean special. In our conversation, Jon fills us in on what sets Royal Caribbean apart, what casino players can expect on a cruise, and which destinations every player should consider.
Here are the highlights from our conversation (you can also watch or listen to the entire interview below, but fair warning - our internet connection wasn't great!)
The Royal Caribbean Experience
When you step on a Royal Caribbean ship, you immediately know you’re somewhere special. Not only will the ship be taking you to exciting destinations, but each ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet is really a destination in itself.
On the Oasis-class ships, for example, passengers step into a multi-story light-filled promenade with lined with shops and restaurants. This leads you into themed neighborhoods, like the Harmony of the Seas’ Central Park, complete with more than 10,000 plants and flowers, carousel, and aqua theater.
When you’re ready for a change of scenery, you have several options. As one of the largest ships in the world, the Harmony of the Seas has six additional neighborhoods to explore.
While this is something you may expect to find in any major land-based casino, it’s truly unbelievable that variety of this scale can be housed on a single ship!
Royal Caribbean is also leading the way in technology for cruise lines. Their innovative high-speed internet, Voom, is the fastest internet available at sea and is now available on every ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. They’re also making huge improvements to each ship’s fuel-efficiency to improve the environment.
They’re also extremely excited about working with URComped players in the future. Royal Caribbean is dedicated to providing quality offers for our players so they truly enjoy their trip and want to come back again and again. With a new ship coming out every year for the next nine years, they’re dedicated to giving passengers a new, updated experience with every cruise. As Jon points out, it will never get stale for passengers!
Casinos at Sea
All casinos on Royal Caribbean’s ships are set up for Vegas-style gambling.
They have table games like Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, Three-Card Poker, Baccarat, Roulette, and dice tables. Royal Caribbean also offers some of the newest and best slot machines across the entire fleet.
Since Royal Caribbean sails to all five continents, each ship is set up according to what people in each area of the world tend to play. So when planning your trip, make sure to check on what games and machines your ship offers.
Top Destinations
Living in South Florida, Jon’s favorite destinations are in the Caribbean.
He highly recommends Saint Martin for its beautiful beaches and culture. Since the island is half French and half Dutch, it’s like getting two cultures in one. Bermuda is also one of his favorite destinations, containing some of the highest rated beaches in the world.
Jon also recommends the Mazatlan area of Mexico, including Cozumel and Costa Maya. You really know you’re in the heart of Mexico with its unique culture, artisans, and fantastic food.
Royal Caribbean also offers cruises to Alaska which, as Jon points out, has some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ll ever see.
Outside of North America, cruises in the Mediterranean are extremely popular, sailing from ports in Barcelona and the Greek Isles.
In the Asia/Pacific region, one of the most popular ports is Auckland, New Zealand. It’s an area that most North Americans won’t make it to very often, and it’s absolutely stunning. All of their ports in that region make for a really exotic opportunity for most Westerners.
Food and Entertainment
While all Royal Caribbean ships offer amazing food, the general rule of thumb is, the larger the ship, the more restaurant availability and variety there is.
Chops is the signature steakhouse available on most ships and offers wonderful food, but each ship also offers something unique.
For example, some ships like the Harmony and Quantum-class host Jamie’s Italian — the Italian cuisine of world-renowned chef Jamie Oliver. This is especially interesting because, as with all Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, Jamie’s Italian is farm-to-table, ensuring the freshest meal possible. Because of the logistics, this is extremely rare for cruise ships, but Royal Caribbean has found a way to provide this, even on multi-night sailings throughout the world.
They’re also opening a new restaurant experience called Wonderland. Based on Alice in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it appears to be — from the food to the decor, to the staff. It really is something you must experience first-hand.
Royal Caribbean also offers some of the most entertaining shows available on any cruise line. Being a casino person, Jon admits he doesn’t always make it to the shows, but he recently attended a performance of Mamma Mia in its complete Broadway production format.
Royal Caribbean doesn’t shorten or condense it, and they’ve actually duplicated the exact same set Mamma Mia used when it first debuted on Broadway. Jon says he knew he was seeing something great when everyone in the audience gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance, which is very rare on a cruise ship!
Royal Caribbean and URComped
While the idea of sailing away with Royal Caribbean is enticing to anyone, it’s especially appealing to URComped players. Thanks to our new partnership, we’ll be offering one-of-a-kind packages that you can’t get anywhere else.
Ready to start exploring the Caribbean or the Bahamas? Don't miss our current complimentary cruise offer with Royal Caribbean.