10 Reasons people end up disappointed with their cruise vacation

In:
07 Jan 2025
By: 
Matt Hochberg

Nobody imagines they will be let down by their cruise ship vacation , but it happens sometimes for possibly avoidable reasons.

Why people are disappointed on their cruise

Cruises have never been more popular with tens of millions of people trying them out, especially people that have never cruised before.

But if you don't plan things out or manage your expectations, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment later.

These are the 10 reasons why some cruisers come home disappointed and how you can bypass these issues have a great cruise experience!

They pick the wrong cabin location

Balcony room on Utopia of the Seas

Cruise ship cabins aren't like hotel rooms in the sense they're not all similar.  In fact, you can make a really poor choice in where your cabin is located, leading to frustration later.

There are many categories of cabins, from spacious suites to tiny inside cabins. In a lot of cases, your vacation budget is the driving factor in which you pick.

Vision of the Seas interior cabin

But chasing the lowest price room is often a mistake because you end up with a cabin that's too small and lacks amenities you didn't realize you cared about, such as having natural light or fresh air.

This is especially true when you cruise with family and are sharing a cabin with more than one other person. Would spending more to have an extra bathroom make a big difference? Would you be okay stepping over everyone's belongings constantly?

Beyond cabin choice, is where the room is located.

Some rooms should be avoided because of noise bleed issues or because they might be more likely to make you seasick. 

The top downfall here is picking a guarantee cabin, where Royal Caribbean assigns you a room location in exchange for a cheaper price.  I'd recommend as a new cruiser skipping this option and picking the right cabin location that you won't regret every night.

They didn't use a good travel agent

Aerial view ship

There's no doubt the best way to book a Royal Caribbean cruise is with the help of a good travel agent.

A lot of new cruisers are surprised how useful and still relevant travel agents are when it comes to a cruise, but they truly are.  That's because of how personalized a cruise vacation is, and all the individual decisions you need to make in order to book a cruise.

Spacious Infinite Central Park Balcony Cabin king bed on Icon of the Seas

Plus, travel agents are a tremendously useful resource for answering common questions and solving problems.  Royal Caribbean isn't perfect and they make mistakes.  It's much better to let a travel agent fix them for you.

Plus, they can assist with booking you flights, hotels, and other logistical needs associated with your trip.

I always use a travel agent and I recommend everyone use them too.  My favorite travel agency is MEI Travel, and you'll want to ask family and friends who they use and recommend too.

They chose the wrong cruise ship

Enchantment of the Seas

There isn't a bad Royal Caribbean cruise ship, but there are definitely better ships for you and your family.

Royal Caribbean has a fleet of almost 30 ships, but picking the right one depends on what you're looking for and need in your trip.

Do you want a ship that has a lot to do for your kids? Or are you traveling without children and prefer to focus on the places you're visiting?  Do you want to book the best service possible in the biggest suites? Or are you looking to save money on your accommodations?

Cruise ship passenger leaving Adventure of the Seas

One mistake often made is chasing the cheapest price and ending up on a small, old cruise ship that lacks all of the cool features you see advertised.

But you could make the opposite mistake and book the newest cruise ship because it's the newest cruise ship and find there are far more families (and their kids) onboard.

They did not look into what's included with the cruise fare

Promenade on Utopia of the Seas

Royal Caribbean cruises are not all-inclusive, but I think a lot of people that have never cruised before think it is.

The price you pay for your base fare includes some basics:

  • Accommodations
  • Unlimited food at certain venues
  • Unlimited select beverages
  • Entertainment
  • Transportation between ports
Blue-Lagoon-Island-Excursion-Tickets

Everything else will cost extra, and that's important to factor into your vacation budget.

There are extra costs you can optionally buy:

  • Beverage packages
  • Shore excursions
  • Internet access
  • Spa services
  • Casino gambling
  • Certain onboard activities

You'll want to look into what's included with your cruise fare, and what amenities are on your ship so you can take advantage of it.

They forgot to book things that are prone to selling out in advance

Royal Railway table

Some things will sell out before your cruise begins, and that could really leave you dismayed.

Royal Caribbean gives cruisers the option to book specialty restaurants, shore excursions, or cabana rentals and you will want to book them in advance.  Not only is it cheaper to book pre-cruise, but they have limited availability.

Row of cabanas

You'll have access to the Royal Caribbean app as soon as you book a cruise, and that's where you can book extras, including internet and drink packages, shore excursions, spa treatments, arcade credits, classes, and more. 

There are sales quite often, and that could mean lower prices.  Moreover, any price you find online will be cheaper than the cost onboard the ship if you wait.

Some of the discounts offered can be as much as 40% off onboard pricing.

They chose the wrong dining time for dinner

Family in dining room

You have the choice of three dining options for dinner when you book a cruise: traditional early, traditional late, or My Time Dining (there's actually a third middle dining time too now).

If you select a traditional dinner time, you'll have the same table assignment, waiters, and tablemates every day of the cruise at the same time.

My Time Dining means you get to choose different times to eat dinner, but you'll need to make reservations.  The idea is you can curtail your dinner time to your other plans.

Table near the window

Both have their disadvantages, and that leads to disappointment. 

Having a fixed dinner time means a very rigid schedule each evening, and you may not like your waiters or tablemates.

The flexible dining times puts the onus on you to make reservations, and even with a booked time, there can be lines to get a table.

These dining times only apply to dinner, as other meals are all served first-come, first served.

They hated the crowds and lines

Crowded lounge for an event on Harmony of the Seas

You can't sugar coat it: Royal Caribbean ships are giant ships that have thousands of passengers onboard any sailing. 

The biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas, can handle as many as 7,600 guests!

Without a doubt, there will be times where there are lines and crowds, and some new cruisers are unprepared for that reality. Lines develop at the buffet, elevators, on disembarkation day, and even a lack of pool chairs on a sea day.

There are some strategies to counter the crowds, depending how flexible you are. You could choose to have dinner at off-peak hours, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go to the pool in the late afternoon or evening, or carry your own luggage off the ship on the final morning to beat the crowds.

You could also throw money at the problem and book a suite so you can have access to suite-only areas of the ship and the assistance of the suite concierge to mitigate waits.

They didn't purchase travel insurance

Medical center sign

I think the single biggest mistake a new cruiser makes is skipping on travel insurance, which covers unforeseen events such as travel delays, medical emergencies, and luggage mishaps.

It's peace of mind, and like all types of insurance, is so useful if you ever need it. The cost of a travel insurance plan depends on the cost of your trip, but it's usually a couple hundred dollars.

travel insurance

For example, if your cruise costs $2,400, purchasing insurance through Royal Caribbean will cost you $199. 

In addition to the travel insurance Royal Caribbean sells, there are a myriad of third-party providers that sell it.  Just like auto or home insurance, there are different coverages and you can select which ones you need.

You never know if a calamity could strike, and your medical insurance probably doesn't cover you when you're outside the United States.  Plus, Royal Caribbean's medical facilities do not take any insurance and will charge you directly.

Besides a medical need, travel insurance kicks in to cover scenarios that most new cruisers never imagine, such as your ship getting stuck at sea and coming back later than scheduled. Or you losing your job right before a vacation and not wanting to travel.

Because a travel insurance plan is relatively inexpensive, you ought to get one to cover your family.  You probably won't ever need it, but if you do, it's a godsend.

They didn't research shore excursions

Pool and bar in Roatan, Honduras

One of the top reasons someone books a cruise is for the places the ship visits, so don't leave your port plans to chance.

Trying to wing it, or booking the first tour you can find, is often the path to frustration when you realize you could have done things better.

The key is to take some time and plan out each port by looking into the tours offered, as well as what you can do on your own.

Bus tour in France

Piggybacking on one of the earlier tips in this article, doing research and finding the perfect tour in advance means you can book it before it sells out. Shore excursions seem to be the first thing to sell out on a cruise, especially when you're visiting far-flung destinations like Alaska or Europe.

The last thing you want to do is leave everything until the day you arrive in port and try to decide on the pier what your plans should be.

They didn't learn what certain words and phrases mean

Independence of the Seas deck 6

You will probably hear certain words during your cruise that really don't get used anywhere else.

  • Aft
  • Forward
  • Port
  • Starboard

These are all directional words to help you better navigate the ship. The reason why these words exist is so that you can know your bearings from anywhere, regardless of the direction you happen to be facing.

Bow of Rhapsody of the Seas

The bow is the frontmost part of the ship, while the stern is located at the rear, opposite the bow. The terms "forward" and "aft" describe locations on the ship: "forward" refers to the front, and "aft" refers to the back.

Another really important term is "ship time", because it can mean the difference between being on time for returning to your ship or not while in port.

When your ship traverses time zones, the local time may change but not necessarily the time on your ship.

You'll hear people say, "stick to ship time", and that means to ignore local time and keep your phones and watches synched to the ship's time.


Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis.  He has become one of the foremost experts on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Over the years, he has reached Pinnacle Club status with Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

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