"At sea" days all run together in some situations more than others. This Royal Caribbean company worked at keeping those days interesting. This ship with over 3,000 passengers had an "inside corridor" called "Royal Promenade".
The Royal Promenade serves as the main thoroughfare on some Royal Caribbean cruise ships. This passageway, flanked by bars, restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues, is a microcosm of Royal Caribbean's "wow" factor, and it maintains a light and fun atmosphere all hours of the day and night. Royal Caribbean's Royal Promenade is the entry point for embarking passengers, typically located on Deck 5, with an extension to Deck 6 on some vessels. Welcoming cruisers right into the middle of the action, this area is one of the busiest hubs on any Royal Caribbean ship that has it.
Cruisers can sample the line's food and drink at any of the 10 restaurants and bars that line the Royal Promenade, including the novel Rising Tide bar, the first moving bar at sea; Champagne Bar; Mondo Coffee Bar; or Boleros Latin dance club. This is also where you will find robot barkeeps at the Bionic Bar or tremendous views from the mezzanine level at the Schooner Bar. Cruisers' food favorites that line the indoor boulevard include Sorrento's pizzeria and Cafe Promenade for a solid -- and complimentary -- cup of "joe", 24/7.
Browse more than a half-dozen shops, including designer brands like Kate Spade; the two-level Focus photo shop and gallery for family portraits, port pictures, and photo accessories; and plenty of stores, like Port Merchants, for logo wear and everyday items you might need.
Parades and parties are an integral part of the Royal Promenade experience and range from casual theme nights to full-on productions like "Move It! Move It!" featuring Dream Works cast members from "Shrek" to "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda." (Which parades you'll get varies by ship.) Bands perform throughout the day and performances pop up from the entertainment team all evening long.
This is the beginning of the Mardi Gras parade...
...ending
I loved this MG sports car parked on the "street" in from of a bar.
I had a MG in the mid-80's, but never a classic like this.
The Royal Promenade is not only chockablock with places to eat, drink and celebrate, but it's also the ship's logistical hub, where passengers can take care of business at the guest services desk, talk to a future cruise consultant or book a tour at the Explorations! shore excursions desk. Additionally, a dozen or so Promenade cabins overlook the space for cruisers who really want to stay near the center of it all.
Considered one of the most happening "neighborhoods" on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class vessels, the Royal Promenade -- which is near twice as wide on Oasis-class ships as it is on Voyager- or Freedom-class ships -- bustles with activity, day and night.
Cruisers can become self-proclaimed pop stars at the On Air Club karaoke bar, while a giant copper globe built into the facade above the Globe and Atlas Pub "cracks open" to reveal the Atlas Bridge, a platform that unfolds 10 feet above the boulevard on hinged hydraulics to create a surprising performance area.
During our cruise, I made the following pictures that show events and other happenings on the Royal Promenade. The "street level" of this Promenade was on deck 5. At one end of the "street", there were public balconies for the deck directly above the street--deck 6 with a staircase connecting that deck to the street. Also, at that end, a staircase connected below to deck 4. The picture below shows the lower connection during normal traffic and in the background, a staircase connecting to a bridge on level 6.
I loved this MG sports car parked on the "street" in from of a bar.
The four of us filled 6 days with attending a performance on the ice at the ice skating rink on the ship; attending info sessions about other cruises, one specific was about Galapagos that Sylvia & Marlys enjoyed and it led to our enjoying that cruise a few years later. Also, one day we participated in a "Cabin Crawl" which is sponsored by Cruise Critic. It is an event where various Cruise Critic members who have different categories of cabins--from inside to owner's suites--volunteer to open those cabins for tours of all Cruise Critic members. We read books, took naps, and WE PLAYED GAMES! Boy! Did we play games! The ship made one dining room available for game playing. We played Mexican Train dominoes for hours; sometimes beginning shortly after breakfast and playing until lunch with a cookie break during mid-morning Then we started again after lunch or after the nap that came after lunch, sometimes playing until almost the dinner hour when the ship needed to set up that dining room for the evening meal. We went to see the movies on board. We walked a scheduled exercise plan and tried out new restaurants for both lunch and dinner. It was not a boring 6 days. It was relaxing because there were no demands put on our time that we could not meet.
And then, on we prepared for the arrival at Nassau, Bahamas.
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