Voyager of the Seas Dumps Extra Fees

Royal Caribbean International has decided to give passengers on its biggest ship a break. The company’s officials say they are no longer imposing some extra charges aboard the Voyager of the Seas.

Ice skating, in-line skating and rock climbing--innovations not yet found on other ships--are among the added-cost activities that Royal Caribbean put in place when the Voyager of the Seas debuted in late 1999. Skating cost $3 an hour if you brought your own equipment, $6 if you didn’t. The climbing wall cost $8 for 90 minutes. At the shipboard Johnny Rockets restaurant, a hamburger was $3.75, fries $1.75.

But now Royal Caribbean is including these items in the cruise price. (Oddly, a shake or malt at Johnny Rockets still costs extra, $3.60.) The Voyager’s sibling ship, Explorer of the Seas, scheduled to debut Oct. 28 in the Caribbean, will steer the same course.