The air has turned crisp and fresh and just in time for the October edition of our “Ask Adam Blog Series.” To see the answers to September’s questions please click here, or if you have a question you would like to ask Adam regarding Royal Caribbean news, what he’s have been up to or just curious about anything Royal related, please follow this link to our Facebook discussion page.

How many passengers will the refurbished Splendour of the Seas hold in 2012?
– Pamela B.

Splendour of the Seas will hold 1,830 guests (two people per stateroom) once she has returned from her enhancements.

Hi Adam, are there any plans to expand and bring new ships to Brazil?
- Daniel C.

Thank you for your interest in our Brazil program. We plan to announce details soon for our 2012-13 program which will open for sale in about a month so please check back for details at that time. In the meantime I can tell you that Vision of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas will be the two ships operating a variety of itineraries from Santos, Brazil, during the 2011-12 season.

Hello Adam, it has been 5 years since there have been changes to the ice show and production shows. Will you be changing any of them soon?
- Richard H.

Richard, our Entertainment team is working on many new projects however we are not ready to share details at this time. Please continue to connect with us on Facebook to hear the latest news.

We are sailing on Allure of the Seas October 30, 2011. Can you tell us who the cruise director will be?
- Barry M.

Hi Barry, your Cruise Director will be Allan Brooks, enjoy!

Do you have any plans to originate cruises from the port of Busan, South Korea in 2012?
- James S.

Hi James, we do not have such plans at this time, however check back later as we are still finalizing our Asia deployment for 2012.

Hi Adam, I’m glad to see your company is sending more ships to sail out of Australia over the next year or so…we love Royal Caribbean down under!! My question… will some of your ships in the near future be based at other prominent Aussie capital cities other than Sydney?
- Jeff K.

Hi Jeff, many thanks for your question. We are very excited about our growth in Australia. You are correct that the majority of our voyages are based in Sydney. However, we do have some sailings which turn in Fremantle as part of their Top End cruise. We will keep your feedback in mind as we plan for the future.

I have a GINORMOUS family in Rome, Italy. We went to visit the 100+ relatives a few years ago for a reunion. I wondered at that time, and every now and then since, why none of my relatives have ever taken a cruise? My thought was that the port is right there in their backyard, and yet….no cruises. Maybe it’s because for so long, trains have been the main mode of transportation. It takes you everywhere. I guess my question is, do you find “locals” from Rome taking your cruises? If not, what do you think the reasons are?
- Lisa L.

Lisa, Italians are definitely a nation of navigators! A few centuries ago a certain Cristoforo Colombo discovered something interesting……up to a century ago Italians had to sail out of necessity: more than 18 million of them migrated to the new world by ship. And today Italy is definitely a nation of cruisers, as more than 800.000 vacationers experienced a cruise in 2010. With such big numbers, Italy ranks in the top 5 largest cruise markets. So, my suggestion is to encourage your big family in Rome to arrange the next family reunion on a cruise ship. Our Italian country manager, Gianni Rotondo and his team will be more than happy to assist you or your family when organizing your plans.

Hi Adam, My husband and I would like to know which ship/cruise offers the best Ballroom dancing? Thank You!
- Tova

Great question. Dancing is an extremely popular activity among our guests. All of our ships (excluding Oasis class) offer “Explorer Academy“, which is a dance class taught by our very own Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers. These classes range from Ballroom, to Salsa, to Meringue, to Cha Cha. On select ships, we have a professional Ballroom couple as part of our Production Show, who teaches classes throughout the cruise as well. Our fun and energetic Cruise Director’s Staff also teach a variety of line dance classes, where our guests can then showcase their skills at several of our Dance Parties or nightclubs. I’m sure you have heard of a Flash Mob Dance - well, we have that too. We offer guests a chance to learn a short choreographed routine and then it’s performed at the end of the voyage. We also offer numerous Live Bands and Musicians onboard, whether it’s a Latin band in Bolero’s, a Rock and Roll show band in our secondary lounge, a guitarist in the Centrum, or a Caribbean band up on the pool deck, you will find a genre of music to entertain you and to dance the night away.

Will there be roundtrip Hawaiian cruises from the mainland in the future? If not, why not?
- Mary S.

Hi Mary, we do not have any round-trip Hawaiian cruises planned for 2012. Our two ships on the West Coast of North America, Rhapsody of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, split the year between Alaska and Australia. While each ship does offer “open-jaw” cruises to or from Hawaii, there is not sufficient time to also offer the round-trip Hawaii programs.

What drinks are included in the fountain drink packages and can you add flavoring to the drinks? Cherry flavor without being charged extra?
- Cameron

The fountain soda package entitles you to unlimited refills at any of our bars or lounges, Windjammer Café, Main Dining Room and our private destinations. A complimentary Coca-Cola® souvenir cup is included as part of every fountain soda package and currently includes Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Diet Sprite, and Ginger Ale. While we would not charge you for adding a flavoring, it is important to note that we do not have flavorings available. Here is a bit of a scoop though, in mid 2012 we will begin deploying to select ships Coke Freestyle Machines, that will be included in the Unlimited Fountain Soda Package, with that machine, you will have access to over 120 coke flavors/products and be able to custom flavor your own soda (like raspberry coke), it is very cool. Check it out at www.coca-colafreestyle.com.

I just returned from an awesome Mediterranean cruise on Liberty of the Seas. The crew and service was exceptional, but I was disappointed with the quality of the food. Do you have plans of updating your menus?
- Delores C.

Hi Delores, our menus are updated on a continual basis. Our main menu updates occur annually in the spring with ongoing adjustments throughout the year. I’m sorry you were disappointed with your culinary experience.

Thanks to everyone for submitting questions, and remember if you have a question you would like to ask, please click here. If you have a customer service related issue, the quickest way to obtain a response is to fill out our contact form here: http://bit.ly/c44GkU