2024 is poised to be a big year for Royal Caribbean. Not only are they launching two brand-new ships, but they’ll be unveiling a new adult-only experience at Perfect Day at CocoCay called Hideaway Beach!
Even if you’re a devout Royal Caribbean cruiser, there are some do’s and don’ts that you should keep in mind when planning your cruise in 2024 to help you maximize your time onboard and minimize any pre-vacation stress.
As was the case in previous years, you'll want to ensure that you follow timeless cruise tips, such as arriving the night before your ship is scheduled to depart, purchasing travel insurance, and repricing your cruise until final payment.
Here's our list of the best 24 do's and don'ts for your Royal Caribbean cruise in 2024.
DO book your Royal Caribbean cruise through a travel agent
Travel agents are valuable resources, and they act as your go-to expert for all things Royal Caribbean. Whether you can't decide between an itinerary, want advice on a stateroom, or have some questions about the complimentary youth programming, you'll benefit from utilizing a travel agent when booking your 2024 Royal Caribbean cruise.
In addition to their expertise, travel agents have access to the best deals, meaning that not only will they save you time when planning your cruise, but it is likely that they'll save you money, too!
Even if you're eager to book your next cruise before you disembark your current one, you can still head to the NextCruise desk and then transfer the booking to your travel agent after you get home.
Read more: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation
DON'T assume bigger is better
With Icon of the Seas officially entering service, the "largest cruise ship at sea" will receive a new definition. For over ten years, that title has been held by Oasis Class vessels, all of which are relatively similar.
Icon will be unlike anything that's ever been done before! With a recording-breaking water park, brand-new neighborhoods, dining experiences, shows, and more, she truly will be the ICON of the seas.
Bigger, however, is not always better. If you are someone who prefers smaller ships that can visit more unique ports of call, Icon of the Seas might not be the best fit for you.
Similarly, despite Utopia of the Seas' unique features compared to other Oasis Class chips, the ship is only making 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas. If you've already been to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Utopia of the Seas may not have the ideal itinerary for you.
Plus, you can often find better deals on older, smaller ships, meaning that you can stretch your vacation budget a little bit further than if you were to splurge on a stateroom on one of the newest ships.
DO purchase travel insurance
Travel insurance is crucial regardless of whether you're going on a 3-night or 14-night cruise. While nobody wants to think about the worst-case scenario occurring while on vacation, life does, unfortunately, happen. Unexpected events, such as the sudden onset of an illness or injury, can impact your cruise.
If you're a frequent traveler, it might behoove you to look into an annual policy, rather than purchasing insurance directly through Royal Caribbean for each sailing.
A good policy will cover things like trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay coverage, baggage delays, emergency medical coverage, onboard medical expenses, and more.
DON'T try and save money by booking the cheapest stateroom available
Sometimes, you might come across a deal that you think is too good to be true. If you find yourself questioning that, then it probably is! The cheapest cruise fares tend to be for inside cabins on older ships. While bigger isn't always better, Oasis and Icon Class ships are so popular for a reason!
There are so many different ways to cruise; there's not a one-size-fits-all methodology. You may be someone who doesn't care too much about the itinerary so long as you're sailing on one of Royal Caribbean's mega-ships.
If that sounds like you, bypass the cheaper cruises on older ships, like Radiance of the Seas or Vision of the Seas, as the lack of onboard amenities could lead to a disappointing vacation.
Read more: Things you'll notice when cruising on the newest cruise ship
DO know what's new for Royal Caribbean in 2024
In addition to Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, Hideaway Beach will finally open at Perfect Day at CocoCay. This new adults-only haven is not included in the cost of your cruise fare; however, it promises upgraded experiences including a private beach and pools, new bars and restaurants, cabanas, live music, and more.
Pricing for Hideaway Beach depends on your exact sailing, but costs seem to range between $43.99 and $79.99 per person, making it cheaper than Coco Beach Club.
Additionally, you may not be docked beside another Royal Caribbean ship when visiting CocoCay, as Celebrity is going to begin cruising to Perfect Day at CocoCay in April 2024.
This, however, won't impact how many guests are ashore, as there are still only berths for two ships per day.
Those cruising to Perfect Day at CocoCay with Celebrity Cruises on Royal Caribbean can purchase Hideaway Beach admission. It is not exclusive it either cruise line, simply the island itself!
DON'T be afraid to status match with sister-line Celebrity Cruises
Even if you've been loyal to Royal Caribbean for decades, there's nothing wrong with deciding to switch it up and cruise with Celebrity Cruises. With some of the most modern and innovative ships at sea that are geared more towards adults, you may find it time to "graduate" to the more upscale cruise line.
Have no fear! You don't have to completely abandon your status and the accompanying perks. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean match statuses with the other sister-line up to Diamond and Elite. If you're a top-tier member (i.e., Pinnacle Club or Zenith), you won't be able to instantly match into the other cruise line's highest loyalty tier.
Elite comes with some pretty lucrative perks, though. From a complimentary nightly happy hour to priority tendering, a free bag of laundry, and discounts on Wi-Fi and drink packages, matching your Diamond or above status with Celebrity can save you hundreds of dollars and make your cruise experience more memorable!
DO remain flexible
Nobody wants their dream cruise itinerary to be altered due to a storm or medical emergency; however, these things do happen.
Sometimes, the weather will cause shows to be canceled. Other times, you might find that your favorite specialty restaurant is fully booked. When planning a cruise, it is important to remain flexible, rather than letting circumstances out of your control ruin your hard-earned trip.
Rather than sulking because of a missed port, consider splurging on a spa treatment or upgraded excursion in your next port of call. While the trip will be memorable either way, it's important that you try to have as many good memories to negate the other ones!
DON'T be surprised by policy changes
Royal Caribbean implemented various policy charges in 2023, including no longer allowing passengers to order unlimited lobster tails on formal night, limiting Diamond members' access to the Crown lounge on busy sailings with many top-tier members, and increasing the daily gratuity amount.
Looking back at these changes and those that occurred in 2022, it's likely that additional policies may either be added, changed, or removed altogether in 2024.
DO select your ideal dining preference
When booking your cruise, you'll have to decide whether you want traditional or My Time Dining. If you select the latter, you'll be responsible for making your own dining reservations for each night of the cruise, whereas with traditional dining, you'll simply go to the Main Dining Room at the same time each night and have the same wait staff.
If you make a selection that you are not happy with, you must contact your travel agent or Royal Caribbean as soon as possible. On embarkation day, you should always plan on stopping by the Main Dining Room to confirm.
Choosing the wrong dining time or preference can damper your trip. If, for instance, you're used to eating around 6:00pm each day, you likely will not enjoy having dinner around 8:00pm. Likewise, if you choose My Time Dining but forget to make reservations for 7:00pm, you will have to either wait for an available table or dine a little bit later.
Read more: Royal Caribbean My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining
DON'T fly into your cruise port the day your ship is scheduled to depart
One of the riskiest things you can do when making pre-cruise arrangements is booking your flight for the same day your ship is departing. A single flight delay or cancellation could cause you to miss the ship, and you might not have the opportunity to meet up with it at a later port of call.
To be safe, you should always ensure that you fly into your cruise port at least the night prior. Even if you think your flight is scheduled to land early enough, you need to consider how long it will take to deplane, collect your luggage, and get to the port.
While there might be a sigh of relief with an on-time arrival, traffic delays to the port, especially if it's located over an hour or two from the airport, are just as unpredictable.
Read more: The costly cruising mistake newbies make planning their first cruise
DO expect ports to be busier
In mid-2023, Nassau opened the first phase of their port expansion, which increased capacity to 10,000 guests. There are berths for six ships per day, including three Oasis or Icon Class vessels.
By the end of 2024, it's estimated that Nassau will see roughly four million cruise visitors, and throughout the year, construction will continue, as builders work towards finishing the second phase.
Additionally, while not all Royal Caribbean vessels, over 100 ships are reported to visit the island of the Dominican Republic in December. In fact, the country saw the largest amount of cruise traffic to date on December 19.
According to a Forbes research study, 49% of participants said that they expected to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022, meaning that you can expect there to be more land-based tourists, too. If that trend continues, 2024 will be even busier!
DON'T expect your ship to be sailing at half capacity
When cruise ships began operating after the pandemic, they were doing so at limited capacity. In the first quarter of 2023, however, Royal Caribbean Group ships sailed at 102.1% capacity.
Prior to 2020, it was pretty usual for ships to sail above the 100% occupancy rate, simply meaning that some cabins had more than two people staying in them. In fact, mainstream lines typically sail between 103% and 107%, depending on the time of year and ship.
While you shouldn't expect to board a relatively empty cruise ship, a full sailing should not worry you, as venues are designed to accommodate a lot of guests at once. Plus, activities and other forms of entertainment are strategically offered to keep guests moving about the ship.
DO understand how automatic gratuities work
As of November 2023, the gratuity rate for Royal Caribbean cruises is $18.00 per person, per day for standard cabins (Junior Suites and below) and $20.50 per person, per day for suites.
This means that a family of four in a standard stateroom on a 7-night cruise can expect to pay an extra $504 for the week.
You have two options when it comes to paying them. First, you can opt to pre-pay them prior to your cruise. This can be done at the time of booking or by calling Royal Caribbean/your travel agent. Second, you can have them added to your onboard account to be settled at the end of the cruise.
Even though you can adjust the amount by visiting Guest Services, this is not recommended, as the total amount is split amongst hard-working crew members, including those who stay behind the scenes and have important jobs.
Read more: 11 cruise fees you should know about before booking
DON'T forget to check your travel documentation in advance
Not every cruise requires all guests to have valid passports. If, for instance, you're sailing on a round-trip cruise from Miami to the Caribbean, you can technically board with a government-issued photo I.D. and proof of citizenship, such as a driver's license and birth certificate or certificate of naturalization.
You will need a passport for specific sailings, though, like those from Vancouver to Whittier or Barcelona to Rome. While you can go off your memory and assume that your passport expires in 2026, it is best to make sure that you, one, know where it is and, two, ensure that it's valid at least six months after the end date of your cruise.
Let's say that you're going on a cruise in May 2024. If your passport's expiration date is before November 2024, you will want to give yourself enough time to get it renewed.
DO frequently check the price of your booking before final payment
Everyone wants to save money on vacation. This might allow you to cruise more frequently or splurge on cruise add-ons to enhance your trip. Either way, it feels good to pay less for your base fare.
For those of you who have not made your final payment yet, you should frequently re-price your cruise. If you notice that the price has dropped, simply contact Royal Caribbean, and they'll honor the lower price.
Note, however, that this is only for residents of certain countries, such as the United States and Canada.
If you don't notice a price drop, you can rest assured knowing that you snagged your cruise for the lowest possible price!
Read more: The biggest cruise hack you're not doing that has saved me thousands of dollars
DON'T forget to purchase cruise add-ons through the Cruise Planner
Planning a cruise and all the exciting things you can do both ashore and onboard can be just as fun as setting sail! The best place to begin your planning is no place other than Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website.
This is where you'll find Royal Caribbean-sponsored shore excursions, drink and Wi-Fi packages, specialty restaurants, and more.
Nine times out of ten, you will save money by purchasing all of your cruise add-ons in advance, rather than waiting until you board, as Royal Caribbean has sales in the time leading up to your cruise.
Plus, by making all of your reservations in advance, you will have the most options when it comes to availability.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner site
DO complete online check-in as soon as it opens
45 days before your cruise, you'll be able to complete the first step of Royal Caribbean's check-in process. This is where you'll input your documentation and credit card information, as well as select an arrival time at the terminal.
You should write the date check-in opens on your calendar or create a notification on your phone. This will ensure that you can complete the online portion as soon as possible and snag the best arrival time for your travel party.
The earliest times tend to go first, so if you have hopes of being one of the first people onboard, make sure you don't wait too long!
Read more: Royal Caribbean check-in process
DON'T bring any prohibited items onboard
There's no denying that packing for a cruise is stressful. You want to make sure that you have everything you'll need since you won't be minutes away from a local drugstore. That being said, having an idea of what is and isn't allowed can help.
There is no point packing things like steamers or irons since they'll be confiscated during the embarkation process. It is better to save space in your luggage for essential items, like bathing suits, cover-ups, and appropriate dinner attire.
Note that if you bring something illegal onboard, you face being kicked off. TikTok user @infamousxdrew was forced to disembark his cruise onboard Mariner of the Seas while the ship was docked in Falmouth, Jamaica because the ship's crew figured out he had medicinal marijuana with him.
"...[The crew] saw my medical marijuana...and all the senior security advisors or whatever they're called...have [come] to the conclusion that I must disembark," he said.
Read more: 15 things you don't need to bring on a cruise
DO ensure that you complete the muster drill on time
Before you sail away, you must complete the muster drill, even if you have been on many cruises before. Guests who fail to complete the drill will be hunted down by crew members.
Personally, I like to complete the mobile component while at breakfast on the morning of embarkation or while en route to the terminal. That way, all I have to do onboard is visit my physical muster station, which only takes a few minutes. To do this, however, you'll want to have the mobile app downloaded to your device ahead of time.
You don’t want to be that one passenger who causes the ship's departure to be delayed because you couldn't spare ten minutes of your day to complete the mandatory safety drill.
DON'T wait until the last minute to book your airfare
Airfare prices increase as the departure date approaches. If you wait too long, you could find yourself paying hundreds of dollars more for the same flight that was substantially cheaper a few months, or even weeks, prior.
While sometimes, last-minute airfare is unavoidable — like when you book a cheap last-minute cruise — you should look at prices as soon as you've booked your cruise. If your cruise is over a year in advance, you should start looking at the one-year mark, as that's when the majority of airlines release their flight schedules.
Plus, if you're hoping to use airline miles to reduce your out-of-pocket cost, airlines typically limit how many reward seats are available on each flight.
DO expect higher prices
Similarly, while you can find last-minute cruise deals, you should expect the overall cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise to be more than what you might've paid in the past.
When the cruising industry was restarting after the pandemic, there was less of a demand, so prices were pretty low. Now, however, demand is reaching new peaks.
Despite higher base fares, there are ways to cruise on a budget, including staying in inside cabins, refraining from specialty restaurants, and sailing during the shoulder season.
Read more: Hot demand: Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas has new bookings for world's largest cruise ship
DON'T wait until you're home to resolve any onboard issues
If you notice any sort of discrepancy on your onboard account, don't wait until you are home to contact Royal Caribbean. You'll want to visit Guest Services as soon as possible.
Any other issues should be addressed, too. Crew members are there to ensure that everything onboard is to your liking, and if there is a way that they can improve something, they will certainly try their hardest.
Keeping problems to yourself and assuming they'll be resolved on their own is a surefire way to ruin your vacation.
Read more: The top crew members to find if you have a problem onboard your cruise
DO step out of your comfort zone
Royal Caribbean offers sailings all over the world. If you have been to The Bahamas or Caribbean a few times, perhaps you should consider going on your first-ever Alaska or European cruise. You will still get the same Royal Caribbean service that you have come to love, just new ports of call to explore!
Perhaps stepping out of your comfort zone simply means trying an excursion that you've been thinking about for years, such as zip lining through the lush canopies of Jamaica or taking an ATV tour of St. Maarten.
It could even mean going to an event that you would otherwise overlook. From pool deck parties to scavenger hunts, production shows, craft workshops, all-access tours, fitness classes, and more, there's so much offered on every sailing; it's impossible to do it all, no matter how hard you try!
Read more: 7 ways to do things differently on your next cruise
DON'T forget to leave your worries behind as you set sail
No matter what is going on in your personal life when you board the ship, try your best to leave those worries behind.
Grab a cocktail during sailaway and watch the horizon disappear, then head to dinner and enjoy a delicious three-course meal knowing that you are not responsible for any dishes!
Plus, you do not have to worry about constantly entertaining your children, so you can truly have a well-deserved break! They will probably have even more fun in Adventure Ocean, anyway!
