Royal Caribbean Blog

Today we visited the Dominican Republic for the first time, which makes it a nice change of pace.

I've had many cruises with scheduled stops to a port in the Dominican Republic, but they always ended up being cancelled.

Today, we are visiting La Romana, which is on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic.

Odyssey of the Seas wasn't due in until about 10am, so we took our time in the morning and grabbed breakfast at Cafe @ Two70.

As the ship pulled into La Romana, the mountainous countryside stood out immediately.

Prior to the cruise, I booked a private boat charter through a website called GetMyBoat. It's a third-party listing of boats you can charter, and this one sounded like a perfect fit.  It was 3 hours of having the boat to ourselves, and it comes with a crew, lunch, and a few stops along the way.

The boat left from Punta Cana, which is about a 45 minute car ride away.  The company that chartered the boat arranged for an additional cost transportation to and from the port. Carlos was waiting when we disembarked and met us in the taxi lot.

I believe we docked a little early, so we were able to walk off the ship earlier than I anticipated. There is a small port area with lots of shops you can browse as you walk out (or back in as you return).

We met Carlos who had a large passenger van and he got us on our way.  The kids loved when he hooked up his phone to the Bluetooth and played their favorite songs.

I didn't realize Punta Cana was as close as it is to La Romana, primarily via highway. 

Once we got to the beach, Carlos dropped us off at the main building for the company that owns the boats they charter.  We signed the necessary paperwork and were taken right away to the beach to board our boat.

We had booked a 60 foot long boat that has 2 levels, 2 bathrooms, and even a water slide off the back of the boat.

Our visit would take us to a snorkeling spot and a swimming spot to enjoy. Along the way we would also visit a dolphin park. All the stops are at various areas just off the coast, so there's no long commute times on the water.

Since it was reserved just for us, the boat felt very large with tons of space.  And since it was our own charter, as soon as we were ready to go, the captain pulled up anchor and we were on our way.

Our first stop was a snorkeling area, where the boat provided all the equipment.  You could optionally just hop in the water for a swim without snorkel gear if you preferred to just be in the water.

One of the crew members escorted us around the water and helped the kids.  There was a strong current, so there was a lot of swimming required.

After we got back onboard, it was time for lunch.  I paid extra to get an upgraded lunch option for the kids, so we had burgers, chicken kabobs, and fruit.  Later we were served chips and salsa.

Also included were soft drinks and rum punch and rum and cokes. We had the option to BYOB as well, with a stop at a liquor stand before boarding the boat.

We passed by a dolphin park, which meant we could see dolphins swimming around in their enclosure from our boat.  We didn't go in or anything, so it's merely a quick minute long stop to glance.

Next up was our swimming stop, where we could get in the water that was about 4 or 5 feet deep. 

This proved to be best time of the day, because the kids loved going down the water slide over and over again and we all got time to relax in the water.

After the swim, we started heading back to shore.

I loved our time because it delivered exactly what was promised. We got back to La Romana with 2 and a half hours to spare, which is always my primary concern when doing a tour on my own far from the port.

The crew were great, and having the boat to ourselves was fantastic. It felt special and I only wish we had more time during the tour. In case you're wondering, the boat cost $688, and then it was an additional $300 for the roundtrip transportation and upgraded lunch.

Carlos drove us back and we browsed a few shops at the port before getting back on the ship.

After showering, it was time for dinner at Wonderland.

My kids wanted to eat at Wonderland because they've never dined there and thought the whimsical nature of the restaurant sounded fun. I have to admit I would have preferred dining elsewhere.

As it turned out, the kids loved the experience.  The kids menu was a homerun, and the main menu items ended up being really good.  Plus, the kids loved the schtick more than I thought they would.

I even found the food better than I remembered, and I don't think anyone regretted going to Wonderland.

After dinner, my wife and I did a little window shopping around the Royal Esplanade before hitting up the casino for a bit.

Tomorrow we will be in Aruba.

Planning your cruise vacation often includes the age-old debate of whether or not you should book excursions through the cruise line.

When you arrive to a cruise port, you often have three choices for how to spend your day:

1. Explore the port on your own
2. Book a tour through the cruise line
3. Choose a third-party tour company

When it comes to cruising, I firmly believe there’s a time and place for each of these options. Depending on your budget and length of time in the port, it can be very cost-effective to book a third-party vendor.

There’s also been times on European cruises where I want to visit somewhere that isn’t on the excursion list. Sometimes, it’s way too expensive to book excursions through the cruise line when I can get the same experience for much less with an independent tour company. 

I also appreciate exploring ports by foot whenever possible. Some ports are inherently easier to explore on your own; for example, some ports allow cruise ships to dock right in the city center where you can easily walk around or take a taxi.

In general, I’ve found that European cruise ports are very pedestrian-friendly so we often choose to do our own thing whenever possible. This allows you to have flexibility to spend your day exactly how you want and I love exploring a city by foot.

However, on a recent 12-night European cruise to Israel onboard Odyssey of the Seas, we booked four excursions through the cruise line - and it was the absolute best decision we could have made.

Here’s why I don't have any regrets about booking Royal Caribbean sponsored excursions on our Holy Land sailing. 

Immigration Preference

First (and probably most importantly), the biggest advantage of having a shore excursion through the cruise line was having priority immigration when we arrived in Israel.

Although not common for European ports, Israel requires face-to-face immigration for all maritime tourists. With nearly 4,000 passengers onboard, every single person was required to go through this in-person immigration even if they were not planning to go ashore.

Originally, we had booked a third-party tour through Viator because we had an overnight in Ashdod and we weren’t worried about returning to the port at a certain time.

However, I decided to do some research about immigration in Israel just a few months before we sailed. I discovered that Royal Caribbean tours would receive immigration priority and everyone on an independent tour would need to wait for all cruise line tours to go through immigration first.

Those that were not on a sponsored excursion had to get an immigration number prior to arrival; these were given on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Also, large independent tours that comprised of 30-50 cruisers onboard had to coordinate getting similar immigration numbers so everyone could go through at similar times.

I watched online as many scrambled to change their tour plans and coordinate with their independent guides when they found out about the immigration delay.

For larger cruise ships, immigration in Israel can take four to five hours! We decided to cancel our third-party excursion, watch the cruise portal, and book a Royal Caribbean excursion as soon as a full-day tour opened up.

This was the best decision we made, as we were able to go through immigration promptly at 8:00am. As expected, those who did not have a Royal Caribbean excursion had to wait until 12pm-1pm to get off the ship.

Most of the sites in Israel close near 4pm-5pm, so this really doesn’t allow for much time to see everything the city has to offer.

For us, Israel was the main highlight of the itinerary and we wanted to optimize our 3 days there with full-day tours. Losing half of a day waiting for immigration would have been not only frustrating, but also disappointing.

We heard stories of people who did not get through immigration quick enough and their independent tours cancelled on them - or they were left behind entirely to fend for themselves. We met others who tried to explore the port on their own after getting left behind, but found difficulties trying to do things without a tour guide.

Late Return Guarantee

In addition to priority immigration, another major perk of booking an excursion though the cruise line was having the guarantee that the ship would not leave us behind.

After thinking through our excursions, we realized that we had a lot of driving between all of the sites we wanted to see. For example, visiting the Dead Sea and Masada was more than 2 hours away from the Ashdod cruise port.

Since we wanted to see places that were not close to the cruise port, it made sense to book our excursions through the cruise line. We also found there to be a lot of traffic jams in Israel; our tour guides mentioned that Israeli people love having the luxury vehicles, which congests the road.

On our second day in Israel visiting Masada and the Dead Sea, we found ourselves more than an hour behind schedule. There were tons of tour buses visiting Masada at the same time and only one person was operating the two cable cars that take people up to the mountain top and back to the visitor center.

We waited in line for an hour with people pushing and shoving their way through the crowd. Most were likely scared of being separated from their tours and being stuck 2 hours away from the cruise port.

With our Masada delay, we visited the Dead Sea almost two hours later than anticipated on the schedule. Instead of stressing about getting back to the ship on time, we had a sense of ease knowing the ship would not leave us because we were on a Royal Caribbean sponsored excursion.

We enjoyed our time floating in the Dead Sea instead of skipping it entirely because we were stressed about getting back to the ship on time. 

There were tons of tours that returned late to the ship that evening, so Odyssey of the Seas left three hours later than scheduled.

The same thing happened on our third day when the ship was docked in Haifa. As we were shuffled from site to site, we were about an hour behind schedule. This had us running late and then we hit traffic on the way back to the cruise port.

Again, the ship departed Israel later than anticipated because there were other tours also behind schedule.

I can only imagine the panic that would have overwhelmed us if we had been on an independent tour during this time. Our tour guide said he had never seen the amount of people we saw when visiting Masada. You just never know when things might go amiss in these situations. 

We were very grateful that we were on Royal Caribbean sponsored excursions and did not have to stress about getting left behind in a foreign country.

Priority Tendering

Although Israel was the main draw for us with this 12-night itinerary, we also had port stops in Greece and Cyprus.

Santorini is one of the most popular ports in Greece, along with being a popular destination for travelers all over the world. Its stunning volcanic, mountain landscape makes it a bucket-list destination, but also a logistically challenging port for cruise ships.

During our visit to Santorini, there were five other ships docked during the same time, so it was very busy. Santorini also requires tenders for those wanting to go ashore to the island.

Those who choose to independently get off the ship are tendered from a one end of the ship while excursions through the cruise line launch from the other end. Those independently exploring are brought to Skala, which is a small tender port near Fira.

Since the town of Fira is located up the mountain, you have to either ride a cable car, walk the steps or ride a donkey (yes, really!).

If you’re on a cruise line excursion, you are likely brought to the Athinios port instead where you can take busses throughout the island.

I’ve been to Santorini twice before. My first visit was on a land-visit during my study abroad semester, so I knew the lay of the land. The second time I visited Santorini was on my honeymoon with my husband, in which we chose to independently take on the island with a ferry to Oia and bus ride to Fira.

As young-20-something newlyweds, we didn’t mind the thrill of running down the stairs along the donkeys to get back to the tenders! If anything, it was a fun memory for us after a lovely day on our own time.

However, I knew my parents (in their early 60s) would not appreciate the stress of riding a donkey, the physical strain of doing all the steps, or the frustration of being crowded in a line waiting for cable cars.

After weighing the options, we chose to book an excursion through the cruise line for Santorini. We were given priority tendering to get off the ship and didn’t have to fight any crowds onboard.

The tender brought us to the Athinios port and we were bussed across the island to the Village of Oia, in addition to a stop at a winery and visit to Fira.

Not having to worry about the tendering situation, along with the stress of how we would get back to the tender port from the mountaintop of Fira was a huge relief.

We had a lovely day exploring the island by bus and I was grateful that we didn’t experience any logistical challengers, especially considering how many ships were docked at the port at the same time.

Overall Safety

While Israel is generally considered to be very safe, we did see a few headlines before our cruise that gave us pause with the rising tension in that area of the world.

Speaking broadly, cruise lines do not want to take any major, known risks with their excursions; most of the time, these companies are vetted thoroughly for safety.

When cruise lines market and sell tours, they are inherently accepting some sense of liability when something goes wrong.

Of course, things can happen when you travel whether you’re on a cruise line excursion, exploring a port on your own or traveling with an independent tour company. There will continue to be risks with traveling that you accept when you choose to pack your bags and head out to see the world.

For this itinerary, we felt booking excursions through the cruise line was the best decision we could make for our safety. Since we had not traveled to this area of the world before and we were not familiar with the port or the country, it felt like the most informed decision we could make.

We knew we were paying a premium for booking excursions through the cruise line; yet, it felt like the money was worth it to have peace of mind for our time in Israel.

General Convenience

One of the biggest draws of booking a cruise short excursion with the cruise line is the general convenience you’ll have, especially when it comes to logistics.

It’s so nice to just wake up, have breakfast and meet at a designated spot onboard. There’s very little planning, coordinating and stress involved with sponsored shore excursions.

We also appreciated the flexibility of booking excursions through the cruise line. In this instance, my mom wasn’t entirely sure which days in Israel she wanted to take tours. She considered staying on the ship because she didn’t know how comfortable she felt getting off the ship.

Having our excursions booked with the cruise line gave us cancellation flexibility if she ended up changing her mind last minute and not wanting to join us on tours; you simply walk to the shore excursion desk and the crew members help you from there.

There’s no coordinating with a tour company in this instance, which can be difficult onboard if you have internet troubles or don’t want to purchase an internet package.

At the end of the day, we knew were were also paying a premium for the convenience provided; in this instance, it was absolutely worth it for us.

I wouldn't change anything about the shore excursions we booked through the cruise line during this European cruise to Israel - it was truly the best decision we could make for our family.

The first port of call for our Odyssey of the Seas cruise brings us to Labadee.

Labadee a private destination for Royal Caribbean (it's not an island, rather, a peninsula) and it's a usually a beautiful stop for beach fun.

I'm not sure what time we docked, but I know the "all clear" announcement woke me up. We weren't planning to be the first one's off the ship, but we also didn't want to sleep away the day.

Before heading off the ship, we went down to Cafe @ Two70 to get a quick bite to eat and coffee.

Cafe @ Two70 is similar to Park Cafe, and it offers specialty coffees, bagel bar, and some hot breakfast sandwiches. It's also complimentary.

The great thing about getting food in this spot is you can walk right out to Two70 and have a great view with your drink and food.

After getting some food and caffeine, we walked off the ship.

The weather was great and substantially less humid and hot than our previous visit in July.

We booked a over the water cabana at Barefoot Beach. I really like the convenient location, as well as the buffet area reserved just for guests here.

I was surprised to see a few new water features added to Barefoot Beach, including an inflatable "Aquabana". They also added floats, which the kids liked for islands to take a breather.

I've seen the floats at Perfect Day at CocoCay, but I've never seen the Aquabana before. Fun addition!

We spent the day relaxing at the beach and the water and air temperature was absolutely perfect. It was warm enough to be outdoors and swim without being uncomfortably hot.

All aboard was 3:30pm, so we eventually headed back to the ship to shower and change.

I also took this opportunity to sneak in a quick nap before dinner.

Dinner was at Teppanyaki, and it's my favorite hibachi of the entire fleet simply for the views.

Our chef, Ryan, was excellent and put on a great show. And the food was great too!

After dinner I ran into the stowaway piano player in the elevator and enjoyed a show during my ride!

After dinner I went back to the cabin to do a live video on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog YouTube channel.  The connection dropped twice, but so far Odyssey's internet has performed much better than Starlink on Independence or Allure of the Seas.

We went to Two70 to see the "Two70 Experience", which is a technical demonstration of all the cool things the technology in this space can do.

Hosted by the Cruise Director (Anna), she showed off the Vistarama and Robo screen technology.

It went through several vignettes and was really interesting to see how great everything looks.

After the show, it was back to the pub for some music before bed.

Tomorrow we will be in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Stray Observation

The pepperoni at Sorrento's Pizza looks very different than on other ships. It's really large.

There’s no denying that there is plenty of unlimited, complimentary food on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Many guests, however, prefer spending extra to dine at Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurants, and one of the best ways to do this is by purchasing an Unlimited Dining Package.

With Royal Caribbean’s Unlimited Dining Package, you can dine at specialty restaurants for brunch, lunch, and dinner every day of the cruise. A dining package is almost always a more economical option than purchasing restaurant reservations individually, making it a nice value for those hoping for a more upscale dining experience.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean’s Unlimited Dining Package.

How much does the Unlimited Dining Package cost?

The Unlimited Dining Package can vary per sailing, but here are a few sample prices you can expect for an Unlimited Dining Package (no gratuity added):

• 3-night cruise: $115 per guest
• 4-night cruise: $150 per guest
• 7-night cruise: $260 per guest

An 18% gratuity will be added to the total cost of the Unlimited Dining Package upon checkout.

How and when should I book the Unlimited Dining Package?

The Unlimited Dining Package can be booked prior to your cruise via Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website. Royal Caribbean may also sell dining packages on embarkation day once you board the ship if they have availability.

If you want to book an Unlimited Dining Package for your cruise, however, it’s best to do so as soon as possible.

It’s never a good idea to wait to book a dining package hoping the price will drop. Royal Caribbean allows guests to cancel and rebook any pre-cruise purchases on the Cruise Planner website up to 48 hours before their cruise.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner site

Therefore, if you purchase a dining package for $200 and later see the price dropped to $150, you can cancel and rebook the package at the lower cost with no penalties.

À la carte vs cover charge restaurants

There are two types of specialty restaurants: those with a cover charge and those with à la carte options. With an Unlimited Dining Package, you won’t have to worry about paying a cover charge for each restaurant individually, as everything is included in the cost of the dining package.

Cover charge restaurants usually charge between $35 and $60 for dinner per person. Therefore, an Unlimited Dining Package is cheaper than paying for all cover charge restaurants individually if you plan to enjoy several meals during the cruise.

Cover charge restaurants

Cover charge restaurants include an all-you-can-eat meal for one set cost. For these restaurants, you can choose as many appetizers, main courses, and desserts as you’d like.

With a dining package, you won’t have to consider the individual cost of each item when dining at a cover charge restaurant.

Cover charge restaurants include:

• Jamie’s Italian
• Giovanni’s Table
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen
• Chops Grille
• The Mason Jar
• Wonderland
• Izumi Hibachi/Teppanyaki
• 150 Central Park
• Hooked Seafood
• Samba Grill
• Sabor
• Johnny Rockets (sit-down location)
• Chef’s Table

À la carte restaurants

À la carte restaurants, on the other hand, put a price on each menu item. Instead of offering one set price per meal, you’ll have to pay for each individual item.

How does this work with a dining package? Depending on the restaurant, you’ll receive either $20 or $35 in food credit. You can put this credit toward appetizers, main courses, or desserts.

With the exception of Izumi Sushi, you can only dine at à la carte restaurants once per day. You cannot break up the $20 food credit in multiple trips to the restaurant on the same day.

À la carte restaurants include:

• Portside BBQ
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Izumi Sushi
• Johnny Rockets Express
• Fish & Ships

Are there any limitations with the Unlimited Dining Package?

The Unlimited Dining Package comes with a few basic rules that you should know about before your cruise:

• Guests with a dining package must wait to make reservations at specialty restaurants until they board the ship
• One reservation must be used on the first or second night of the sailing
• For restaurants with à la carte pricing, you receive a $20 credit which can only be used once a day
• Izumi Hibachi has a $15 surcharge on top of the dining package, which will be charged onboard
• Certain venues are excluded from dining packages (Chef’s Table, Vintages, etc.)
• You’ll receive a discount of 40% off bottles of wine under $100 and 20% off bottles above $100 while dining in specialty restaurants

Which restaurants are NOT included in the Unlimited Dining Package?

Special dining experiences like Chef’s Table, wine pairing dinners, and the Mystery Dinner Theater are excluded from the Unlimited Dining Package.

Tapas and small bites offered at venues like Vintages and The Bamboo Room are also not included in a dining package. These small bites will be priced à la carte and charged to your onboard account.

For ships with Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, the dining package covers food when dining at the Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen restaurant. However, it does not include food ordered from the Giovanni’s Wine Bar menu.

Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, La Patisserie, and Sugar Beach are also not included with the Unlimited Dining Package.

How can I make dining reservations with the Unlimited Dining Package?

If you purchase a dining package, you must wait until you board the ship on embarkation day to make reservations. We recommend that you do this as soon as possible once onboard to ensure you can book the restaurants and times that work best for you.

Once onboard, head to any specialty restaurant to make reservations for the duration of your cruise. You do not have to visit each restaurant individually. If you visit Chops Grille, for example, you can make reservations for all other restaurants at the same time.

The only exception to this rule is with Izumi Hibachi. If you plan to dine at Izumi Hibachi during your cruise, reservations must be made at the restaurant itself. Therefore, we recommend making all dining reservations at Izumi Hibachi and heading to the restaurant right after boarding.

When can I dine at specialty restaurants?

You can dine at specialty restaurants for breakfast (brunch), lunch, and dinner. All specialty restaurants are open for dinner each day, whereas the availability of brunch and lunch can differ by restaurant and ship.

The Mason Jar–Royal Caribbean’s southern-inspired restaurant–is only open for brunch on sea days, for example, and does not offer lunch. 150 Central Park and Wonderland, on the other hand, are only open for dinner.

Related: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant review on Wonder of the Seas

Most specialty restaurants that offer lunch will be open for lunch on sea days and select port days.

Should I purchase an Unlimited Dining Package for my kids?

If you’re sailing with children under 12 and plan to dine at specialty restaurants, you don’t necessarily need to book a dining package for them.

Children 5 and under dine at specialty restaurants for free, and children aged 6-12 can be added to a dining reservation for only $10 per child.

If you do want to purchase a dining package for kids, though, you’ll find it’s offered at a much lower price than for adults. A 7-night Unlimited Dining Package, for example, may be priced at $260 per adult and only $77 per child.

Pros & Cons of the Unlimited Dining Package

If you’re trying to determine whether or not the Unlimited Dining Package is worth it on Royal Caribbean, it’s helpful to take a look at the pros and cons of this package before booking.

Check out our YouTube video on the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel to learn more about the pros and cons of a Royal Caribbean Unlimited Dining Package:

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Want to learn more about dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Here are some helpful tips:

• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Top Ten Royal Caribbean Dining Tips
• What is the best Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant?
• I tried Royal Caribbean’s least well-known specialty restaurant: here’s what I thought

While the typical Royal Caribbean television commercial shows off all the amazing things you can do on a cruise ship, my favorite activity on a cruise is doing a lot of nothing.

Today is our first sea day and we decided not to set an alarm. That meant we ended up sleeping in a lot more than I thought. The curtains on Odyssey do a great job of blocking out the sun.

When we did get up, we decided to head to breakfast at the Solarium Bistro.

Solarium Bistro is one of my favorite tips about eating on Odyssey of the Seas because it's a lesser-known place for breakfast. It's less crowded than the Windjammer and it has an omelette station.

The best part of the omelette station is they deliver the omelette when its ready back to your table instead of you waiting for it.

After breakfast, I went out to the pool deck to enjoy some fresh air. I think a lot of other people had slept in because things were not too busy by mid-morning.

Later we went down to the main dining room to book a time for dinner.  While we have the unlimited dining package for this cruise, I want to eat in the dining room on Thanksgiving so I can get the traditional Thanksgiving menu offering.

I had no issue getting a reservation for 6:45 on Thanksgiving, which I was pleasantly surprised to get because I thought it would be close to booked up.

By now I needed coffee, so we went to Cafe @ Two70 to get a macchiato (included with my drink package).

I then sipped the coffee in Two70 with a great view of the aft.

We spent a fair amount of time in Two70 just enjoying the views and comfortable seating.

Eventually, we went back to the cabin and I thought a nap sounded like a great idea. Naps on a sea day are everything I love about cruising.

After a quick nap, it was up to the Windjammer for lunch. 

Since this was a late lunch and we had dinner early, I just had something to tide me over.

I forgot on Odyssey of the Seas, there is no outdoor seating at the back of the Windjammer like there is on other Quantum Class ships. Still a great view.

Back in the room, I was playing with the Royal Caribbean app and noticed the fun options it has on Odyssey, like the ability to open your cabin door with your app or control the television with the app.

The kids wanted to hit the pool, so it was back up to the pool deck for some aquatic fun.

The kids had a good time swimming and going in the hot tub while I kept an eye on them from a lounge chair in the shade.

Dinner tonight was at Chops and it's formal night.

We had dinner with a group of friends on the ship with us, so it was a large seating and the staff handled it flawlessly.

Service was great and the food was as good as I remember. 

After dinner, my wife took the kids to see Showgirl. We saw the show the last time we were on Odyssey, but my kids wanted to see the show.

We met up at the 80's party in Music Hall. I greatly prefer the parties that would have otherwise taken up the Royal Promenade on other ships be relegated to the Music Hall.

When the band took a break, we went to the Schooner Bar to check out the piano player and it ended up becoming a game for the kids of "do you know this song". It's amazing how they know some random old songs but can also not know more modern music.

I rounded out the evening in the casino, where we had a friendly group of people. Shoutout to Greg for his "method" and casino dealer Matteo for reading the blog.

Tomorrow is our first port stop in Labadee.

Stray Observations

I found the stowaway piano player!

Happy Sunday! Temperatures may be dropping, but there is plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share. This is your weekly summary of all the Royal Caribbean news from this past week, perfectly fitted for your consumption.

There were plenty of opinions from cruise fans over a main dining room test happening on Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is testing a new dinner menu only on Symphony of the Seas that aims to expedite service there.

The new menu is slimmed down, and there's also now a charge for additional lobster tails.

Royal Caribbean News

• TikTok mom named new cruise ship Wonder of the Seas' godmother
• Royal Caribbean signs deal to build new cruise terminal in Miami in new deal with port
• What I liked (and disliked) about my Liberty of the Seas cruise
• Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing in Alaska in 2023
• Should you buy annual travel insurance plans?
• Better pre-cruise stay option: Airbnb vs hotel?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 476th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available to enjoy, where Kurt reviews his Oasis of the Seas cruise.

Not only did Kurt sail on Oasis of the Seas, but his cruise occurred at the same time Hurricane Ian was in the tropics, and he talks about its impact on his cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean's Black Friday deals

Ready to take advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise deals runs between November 18 - November 22, 2022 and applies to sailings departing on or after December 18, 2022.

You can view the full details of Royal Caribbean's Black Friday sale details.

Royal Caribbean releases 2024 European cruise itineraries

You can now book a summer cruise to Europe in 2024.

Six ships (plus the World Cruise) will offer cruises around Europe between the months of May and October 2024.

The new sailings are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website.

Royal Caribbean talks Icon of the Seas launch

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas launch was a huge success, and we talked with Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider about what went right.

After months of speculation and barely any information, Royal Caribbean provided information on what Icon of the Seas will look like, where it will sail from, and important information about what guests can expect in terms of fun things to do.

This exclusive interview shares a look at what Royal Caribbean has planned for Icon of the Seas, and what's still to come.

We're back with a new live blog and this time it's on Odyssey of the Seas for an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise.

With the Thanksgiving holiday being a week off of school for my kids, it's all to tempting a time to book a cruise. We've done Thanksgiving cruises in the past, and decided to once again give it a go this year.

Our cruise visits:

• Labadee
• La Romana, Dominican Republic
• Aruba
• Curacao

Odyssey sails from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so we drove down from Orlando the night before and stayed in an Airbnb prior to boarding today.

Arriving at Port Everglades, Odyssey was docked at Terminal 18, but parking is at Terminal 19. I dropped the kids, wife, and luggage off first at the port, and then drove to the parking lot. It's a very short walk back.

Check-in might have been the fastest check-in I've had in Port Everglades ever. We got through the check-in process in minutes with no wait at all.

We waited perhaps 10 minutes and then boarding began.

Once onboard, we headed up to Teppanyaki to make dining reservations. Any specialty restaurant can book any other specialty restaurant.

We have the unlimited dining package for this sailing, so with any dining package, you must wait to make a reservation until once you get onboard.

I picked Teppanyaki as the restaurant to go to for making reservations for two reasons:

1. The hibachi reservation system always seems more contrived than others, so being in the restaurant helps
2. It's on deck 14, which meant it would not be as busy as the specialty restaurants closer to the boarding area.

Sure enough, there was no one there and I was able to book dining reservations for every day of the cruise with plenty of seating times available.  If you have a dining package, it's important to make reservations as soon as you board the ship for optimal times.

Next up was lunch, and the kids wanted to go to Playmakers.

Since it was early, we were among the first people there and had no trouble getting a table. 

Food was great, and we were able to cover our meal with the $20 per adult dining credit my wife and I had.

After lunch, I saw there was badminton in the SeaPlex, so I took my youngest daughter to play. She needs lots more practice, but it was fun to hit a few volleys.

The cabins were ready right around 1pm, so we headed there next.

For this cruise, we have connecting balcony cabins on deck 11. Connecting rooms are always our choice for cruising with kids because we get separation from the kids and the extra bathroom makes a huge difference.

After doing a few cruises on older ships, it's so nice to be back in a cabin that has lots of storage space and plenty of outlets.

Our next stop was Adventure Ocean to register the kids. My oldest daughter has begun to feel she's "aged out" of Adventure Ocean, but even she admits the new Adventure Ocean on the new ships is interesting.

We then took the opportunity to go up to the pool deck to get some fresh air and a cocktail. While cloudy, the air temperature was very comfortable so it made for the perfect feel for being outdoors and not sweating profusely, which is a rare occurrence in Florida.

Sail away wasn't until 5pm, so we went back to the room to unpack. Luckily, all of our luggage was waiting by the door.

Dinner was at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, which is the updated version of the specialty restaurant. This means it not only has a different look than other restaurants, but it features a new menu as well.

My kids really liked this version when we sailed on Wonder of the Seas, so they were excited to go back.

The food did not disappoint, and we ran into the same waiter I had at Giovanni's on both Wonder and Odyssey inaugural sailings. It's great when you see crew members that you remember from past cruises and they remember you.

I enjoy the combination of pizzas, pastas, and various entrees to choose from on this menu. Having all these choices makes it a better experience.

After dinner, my wife and I went down to the casino for a little bit before meeting up with friends for evening drinks.

We started off in the Diamond Lounge and then migrated to the pub to see the guitarist this week. 

I didn't recognize the guitarist from other sailings, so we'll see what his style is like performing.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray Observations

Our complimentary water for being Diamond Plus guests is clearly leftover water supply from Europe.

No Starlink yet on Odyssey, but it had the faster Voom to begin with, so no major loss either.

Captain told us we would be delayed about 30 minutes leaving Port Everglade due to additional time needed to take on provisions and luggage.

Should your family consider staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel for one night before your next cruise?

One of my top tips for anyone going on a cruise is to fly in at least one day before their cruise to protect themselves against a travel delay impacting their ability to make their cruise ship.

Once you decide to travel to your embarkation port a day early, you'll need somewhere to stay. Like most people, I immediately started looking at hotels to book.

When travelling with just my wife, hotel rooms work extremely well for their value and space provided.  But when we travel with kids, finding the right hotel room can be a challenge if you want enough space for everyone.

For my Odyssey of the Seas cruise out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week, I was not finding a ton of great options at a good price for my family of four.

Certainly there were plenty of hotels that offered a traditional hotel room experience with 2 beds and a single bathroom, but with my kids getting older, sharing a hotel room (and bathroom) is becoming more problematic than in the past.

I also did not find a great variety of suite options in hotels, and the ones I did find were not cheap. South Florida hotels range greatly in prices, but I was seeing a suite hotel room coming in easily over $300 per night, especially when including resort fees and taxes.

Airbnb alternative

I love booking vacation rentals through Airbnb or VRBO for longer stay vacations because of the amenities and space you can get.  But I had never considered it just for one night.

At first, I was not even certain there would be any one-night options as I assumed the people listing their houses would all want longer stays from their guests.

So when I started browsing Airbnb, I was surprised how many good choices there were at reasonable prices in the greater Fort Lauderdale area.

In looking through the listings, I found lots of choices.  What attracted me to the Airbnb option was we could get a place to stay that offered plenty of space for us and the kids, as well as extra amenities. We could get a pool to enjoy with just our family, laundry machines to be able to not start the cruise off with dirty clothes, and the perfect sleeping arrangements.

Of course, there are some downsides to an Airbnb, such as the fees added onto the cost, and there's no long-term parking option.

I also freely admit I enjoy a nicer hotel stay, so the extra amenities of an Airbnb really appeal to me. I'm sure there are lots of other people that would be fine with a hotel room for just one night, especially if you fly in late.

Airbnb pros:

• Wide variety of different types of stays
• Feels more like home
• More space and bedrooms than a hotel room
• Extra amenities such as a pool, living room, game room, and more
• Convenient laundry option

Airbnb cons:

• Extra fees
• No long-term parking options
• No shuttle to/from airport or cruise port

Given that I didn't want to sleep in the same room as my kids, would love an extra bathroom to not compete with the kids, and love the idea of having a private pool to enjoy, I found Airbnb a compelling option.

Our Airbnb choice

After considering all options, we decided to book a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit in Fort Lauderdale that had a private heated pool and right on a waterway.

It also had outdoor seating, gas grill, and a foosball table.

It's located north of Port Everglades, and without traffic is 24 minutes (15 miles) away. 

The Airbnb was listed for $351 per night, but with fees and taxes, it jumped up to a total of $533.89. I knew the fees Airbnb assesses would not be cheap, but it was a bit eye opening how much it ended up being, which is probably why a longer stay makes more sense with Airbnbs so that you can maximize the value of your stay.

The house is exactly what we needed for one night, with lots of living space and two bedrooms and two full baths. 

I loved having the living room with plenty of seating so we could lounge far more than we could in a hotel room.

The pool was great, but a cold front had pushed through the state the night before so it was a bit chilly for a swim. Nonetheless, it was so pleasant outside that we spent some time on the water enjoying the view.

Is an Airbnb worth it?

Does it make sense to book an Airbnb for just one night the next time we take the family on a cruise?

There are lots of choices with hotels or a home rental, so it's difficult to pick one or other exclusively.

I love the extra space a home provides, along with bonus amenities that can enhance the stay beyond anything a hotel can offer (private pool, living room, backyard, etc).

However, the extra fees Airbnb has makes finding a deal very difficult. It's hard to imagine a scenario where an Airbnb would be cheaper unless we drastically reduced our requirements for a place. To me, part of the appeal of an Airbnb is to look for a fun place to stay, not just a bed and bathroom.

In places like South Florida where there are so many hotel choices, the variety of rooms and prices will likely keep it the primary place we look for a room. When you add kids or multigen to the equation, then Airbnbs start to look more appealing.

I'm happy with our Airbnb choice for a pre-cruise stay. It may not have been the cheapest deal, but the extra living space and pluses you can only get with a home rental made it a nice change of pace for our family.

Royal Caribbean has named Wonder of the Seas' godmother and it found her on the popular social media platform, TikTok.

Marie McCrea was nominated by her daughter as part of Royal Caribbean's search for a godmother for the world's largest cruise ship.

The contest was held on TikTok as part of the #SearchforWonderMom contest. More than 16,000 videos were submitted for the contest, but Ms. McCrea was ultimately chosen.

She will accept the honor of blessing Wonder during a celebratory naming ceremony at the ship's homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 9, 2022.

Marie and her family will be able to enjoy a 7-night Caribbean cruise while staying in the Ultimate Family Suite, which features an in-suite slide, a cinema and karaoke room, game consoles, a private balcony and more. 

Royal Caribbean will also provide her family five-star hotel accommodations, first-class flights and spending money.

The cruise line has also invited the Wonder Moms who were finalists to set sail on Wonder with their families as a way of honoring their stories.

Beginning in November 2022, Wonder of the Seas will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, including stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Meet Marie McCrea

A resident of Pennsylvania, Marie McCrea is a mom, wife and cancer survivor.

Royal Caribbean says Marie overcame adversity with incredible strength, and at the center of her story are the memories she inspired and made with her family through it all. 

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about Marie's journey, "The search for such an inspiring mom who embodies the spirit of Wonder of the Seas was anything but easy. Marie and her family have a heartening and encouraging story that made us cry and rejoice and hopeful, and throughout it all, she inspired wonder and adventure in those around her."

"I want to thank everyone who nominated the Wonder Moms in their own lives. More than 16,000 videos were created, and I was in awe of all the incredible stories of the everyday heroes who are motivating those around them to discover, wonder and make memories."

Royal Caribbean panel considered the top submissions, and from those compelling stories, Marie was chosen for the honor.

What is a cruise ship godmother?

Every cruise ship has a godmother, which serves as a ceremonial position. 

Other ships have had women hold the role, including renowned athletes, celebrities and royalty.

The godmother's job is to give the ship a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard it. 

Purchasing travel insurance is crucial before going on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and if you travel frequently, you’ll want to consider an annual travel insurance plan.

Protecting your cruise vacation in the case of medical emergencies, travel delays, or other unforeseen mishaps should not be overlooked. Having travel insurance ensures you’ll be covered if things don’t go to plan at any point during your trip.

Instead of purchasing travel insurance for each individual trip, though, you might want to purchase an annual travel insurance plan. Let’s take a look at what these plans offer and how they can be an excellent value if you travel several times throughout the year.

What is annual travel insurance, and why should you consider it?

Annual travel insurance plans provide insurance coverage for one year of travel, therefore providing coverage for multiple trips as opposed to a trip-by-trip basis. For one set price, you’ll receive travel insurance on a full year's worth of trips (provided the destination is 100+ miles from your home).

You should consider annual travel insurance if you travel more than 2-3 times during the year. Annual travel insurance works not only for cruises, but all types of traveling and vacations. Even if you only plan to take one cruise per year, your annual travel insurance plan will work for any other trips you have booked throughout the year, whether short weekend getaways or business trips.

The cost of an annual travel insurance policy will vary depending on the specific coverage you require, your age, and where you live.

My Allianz Annual Travel Insurance plan, for example, costs $280 for the year, which I find to be extremely reasonable considering purchasing insurance on a trip-by-trip basis can easily be much more expensive in the course of a year. 

What does travel insurance cover while on a cruise, and why should I get it?

It’s never a good idea to go on a cruise without travel insurance. While you may want to save the added expense and put the money toward something fun on your cruise vacation, such as a shore excursion or dining package, don’t underestimate the importance of travel insurance.

Many passengers partake in active activities on a cruise vacation that they may not do often at home, such as jet-skiing, zip lining, kayaking, and horseback riding. Any active activity comes with a risk, and you cannot predict if you’ll need medical attention while in port or onboard.

Because regular medical insurance will not usually cover medical services onboard or in port, it’s recommended to have travel insurance.

Additionally, a cruise vacation, like any other type of travel, poses a risk for trip interruption, delays, and other unexpected issues. From a bag getting lost in transit to flight cancellations, it’s always better to be protected than to not have insurance when you need it most.

Travel insurance benefits can vary by policy, but you can expect to see the following items covered:

• Trip cancellation (you have to cancel a trip before you depart)
• Trip interruption (travel plans interrupted while on a trip)
• Travel delay coverage (with a minimum required delay)
• Baggage delays/loss (lost or delayed bag by an airline, cruise line, or other travel carrier)
• Rental car damage and theft coverage
• Emergency transportation coverage
• Emergency medical/dental coverage
• Medical expenses on a cruise
• Travel accident coverage
• Epidemic/pandemic coverage

What's the downside of an annual travel insurance plan?

One difference worth noting about an annual travel insurance plan versus purchasing individual travel insurance policies is the coverage amounts.

The total coverages can be less with an annual plan compared to an individual plan.  Certainly an annual plan will cover the essentials, but if you are looking to add the utmost coverage in terms of liabilities, individual travel insurance plans can often include higher amounts.

Our Annual Travel Insurance Plan recommendation

Here at Royal Caribbean Blog, we protect our trips with an annual travel insurance plan through Allianz. Allianz Travel offers travel insurance for individual trips, annual plans, and car rentals.

To be clear, Royal Caribbean Blog has no affiliation with Allianz. We just like what they offer.

They offer three types of annual travel insurance plans: Executive, Prime, and Basic. We recommend the Prime option for the best balance of affordability and coverage.

It’s important to note that trips longer than 45 days are excluded from coverage under these plans. Unless you’re planning six back-to-back cruises in a row, this shouldn’t be an issue for most travelers.

You can read more about the annual travel insurance plans on Allianz’s website here.

What if I have a credit card with travel benefits?

Select premium credit cards offer travel insurance perks–provided you book the trip with that credit card. However, you should weigh the benefits offered through your credit card versus a traditional travel insurance plan before relying on your credit card’s insurance.

Not all cards offer emergency medical coverage or higher limits of trip cancellation protection. Check the following details before using only your credit card’s travel insurance before a cruise:

• What is covered under your credit card’s travel protection?
• What is the limit on reimbursement for both individual trips and the maximum reimbursement per year?
• Does this card cover medical expenses on a cruise ship?
• What is the maximum amount of days covered per trip through your credit card insurance?
• Does the card cover just you or anyone on the trip reservation you booked through the card?

It’s unlikely a credit card’s travel protection will offer as much protection as a standard travel insurance plan, but you should contact your credit card policy to check.

Other cruise tips & information:

• 25 best Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets
• Top 20 things to do before going on a cruise
• How to prevent seasickness on a cruise
• Royal Caribbean ship classes guide & explanation
• 9 incredibly easy cruise mistakes to avoid