Booking my first cruise ever opened my eyes to a few lessons I never would have known before trying Royal Caribbean.
Last month, I booked my first cruise on Wonder of the Seas. The 7-day sailing traveled from Port Canaveral, Florida, to Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
There was lots to do to prepare. In addition to packing and planning my travel, I had to actually book the cruise, check-in online, and plan my onboard events.
Although there was a lot to do, planning wasn’t impossible. I had plenty of help from our travel agent, and the Royal Caribbean app and website was easily accessible.
However, booking and preparing for my cruise was still a longer learning process. I made sure to do research as I went along, to save money and get the best experience possible.
Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation
Here are the 7 most surprising things I learned when booking my first cruise.
1. Many features are included in the fare
As expected, the base fare was expensive: we paid $2,674.76 for myself and my sister, totaling about $382 per night.
But as I began planning ahead for the cruise, I was surprised to learn how much was included in this base fare.
This fare includes meals in the Windjammer, the main dining room, the Solarium bistro, room service like continental breakfast, and grab-and-go spots like Sorrento’s Pizza, Park Cafe, and Cafe Promenade.
Some of my favorite meals were ones included in the fare, like the Windjammer's beef stew and cheesecake at the main dining room.
As a coffee lover, I was also satisfied with the complimentary coffee options.
The fare also includes access to accommodations, entertainment shows, the fitness center and jogging track, pools, sun decks, and hot tubs.
Gratuity will also be prepaid in your base fare, so tipping is not expected while onboard.
2. You can book a guarantee stateroom
During the booking process, I learned that you can choose a guarantee stateroom to save money. This means that you give up your choice of a specific room, and are assigned one for a lower price.
We ended up getting assigned a windowless inside cabin at the very front of the ship, and I later learned why it was a less desirable location. The cabin turned out to be quite noisy, and I suffered seasickness from all of the movement at the front.
However, my sister and I both sleep soundly and were active enough to be out of the cabin most of the day, so saving money was worth it in the end.
3. It’s important to arrive at your port a day early
When I started booking and preparing for my cruise, I learned that it’s recommended to arrive at your port the day before you board the ship.
This was a surprise, as I had to push up my travel plans one day. Since the cruise left on a Sunday, we decided to get into Port Canaveral on Saturday afternoon.
For Saturday night, we booked a hotel room near the port and were able to take a shuttle straight to the ship in the morning. It definitely made the process smoother and stress-free.
And who doesn’t appreciate an extra night in a good hotel?
The only downside with this extra day of travel was that it made our cruise feel extra long.
Read more: The costly cruising mistake newbies make planning their first cruise
Instead of just a 7-day cruise, we had about 8 full days of travel. And by the end, I was ready to be home in my own bed.
4. A passport isn’t required
I frequently travel internationally, so I had my passport ready to go, and it did make the process a bit smoother. However, my sister didn’t bring a passport, only her birth certificate, and she didn’t run into any problems.
Departure day was the only time we felt a difference: I simply got off the ship and had my photo taken, while she had to stand in a line to get her birth certificate checked.
As far as international travel goes, I was surprised at how little we had to prepare beforehand. No visas, passports, or customs forms were required.
5. Shore excursions are offered through the cruise line
As someone unfamiliar with the booking process, it was a pleasant surprise to see that you can easily find shore excursions through the Royal Caribbean app or website and book them ahead of time.
I was able to scroll through a list of options for our days on St. Thomas and St. Maarten, add the ones I wanted to my cart, and pay right away.
For our first shore excursions on St. Thomas, we met the staff at the Royal Theater on-ship and were guided down the gangway.
At the start of the excursion, our group got onto a truck-like taxi with a tour guide. After driving around the island, we stopped at Magen’s Bay, where we enjoyed the beach for a few hours on our own.
Afterward, we got back in the taxi and stayed with the guides until the end of the excursion.
On our second shore excursion on St. Maarten, we met staff on the dock just outside the ship, where we were guided to bicycles for our bike tour of St. Philipsburg.
We also stayed close to our guides until the tour was over, and we were able to do some shopping on our way back to the ship.
For each tour, we had a lovely experience and felt assured that no one would be left behind on shore.
6. Porters carry your larger luggage on and off the ship
Much like an airplane, you can pack a large suitcase and a smaller carry-on bag for your cruise.
I also learned that your larger suitcase can be carried on and off the ship for you, so that you don’t have to lug it around with you during the boarding process.
Before the trip, I made sure to print out the provided luggage tags for our suitcases and staple them on.
On embarkation day, my sister and I took a shuttle from our hotel to the port. Once we arrived, porters took our larger suitcases and loaded them onto carts. We took our carry-ons onto the ship at around noon and proceeded to explore.
I noticed that Royal Caribbean advises you to pack any medicine or essential items in your carry-on. While I didn’t take that advice, I later found myself wishing that I did, as our luggage wasn’t delivered to the room until about 4:00 p.m.
When it was time to depart, I was able to select my departure preferences on the app and I opted for “luggage assistance.”
Luggage tags were delivered to our room on day 6 (the next-to-last-day), and that was when I learned that our bags needed to be outside our stateroom by 10:00 p.m. that night.
Thankfully, we came back to the cabin after dinner and spent some time packing up our bags and leaving them outside our door so they could be taken off the ship.
On the last day, we exited the ship, went through customs, and found our bags at the provided station number. Other than the longer times we spent without our bags, it was an easier process than I expected.
Read more: 6 tips to help keep a cruise line from losing your luggage
7. Reserve specialty restaurants ahead of time
We purchased the 3-night specialty dining package for our cruise. Our first day onboard, we decided to go in person to Izumi Hibachi to make our reservations for the 3 dinners.
At the time, we were waitlisted for Izumi Hibachi, and able to make reservations at Wonderland and Mason Jar.
Although we later got a call that there was a cancellation for Izumi, and we could have dinner there, we received a $35 upcharge for our reservation.
In the future, I would definitely attempt to reserve specialty dining ahead of time on the app or website, to avoid any waitlists or upcharges. I know now that the restaurants fill up fast, especially Izumi Hibachi!
