While I was on a week-long spring break retreat, I noticed a few mistakes people were making. These mistakes can happen to first-time cruisers as well as experienced cruisers like myself.
I sailed on Harmony of the Seas, which is one of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships in the fleet.
From not making reservations for the production shows to showing up late for events, these mistakes can be easily avoided with some planning and preparation.
By telling you what I saw, I hope you will learn what not to do on your upcoming cruise. I hope my advice will help you have a more enjoyable vacation!
1. Not making show reservations as early as you can
Cruisers sailing on an Icon, Quantum, or Oasis Class ship need to remember to make show reservations before they set sail. These shows are typically the Broadway productions (like Grease on Harmony of the Seas), comedy acts, and various shows in Studio B, the AquaTheater, and Two70.
Reservations can be made on the Cruise Planner website before the cruise begins. You can wait to make reservations when onboard, but it’s recommended that you do it online rather than waiting to do it on the ship. You will most likely find that many guests make reservations before getting onboard, so if you wait, a show that you want to see may already be full.
Making reservations early ensures you will see the show you want, and it doesn't cost you anything! By making reservations early, you can select the date and time that works for your schedule. If you wait, you may be stuck with a show reservation that is too late or too early for your liking.
According to the Royal Caribbean website, reservations open on the Cruise Planner “on the first day of the month before the sailing.” So if your cruise is on June 15, reservations will open on May 1.
There was one show my friend and I were not able to make reservations for on the Cruise Planner. Luckily, when we got onboard on embarkation day, I checked the Royal Caribbean app and was able to quickly snag two seats that opened up for the comedy show on the second day of the cruise.
We were happy that we made reservations as soon as we could for all the other shows because at every show we went to, there was always a line of people waiting in the standby area to get inside the venue.
If you find yourself with no reservation, it’s advised to get to the standby line 30-45 minutes before the show. It’s common for some people who secured a reservation to change their minds and not show up. The earlier you are in the standby line, the more likely you will get in to see the show.
Read more: The 20 worst cruise mistakes that will ruin your cruise vacation
2. Not getting to shows or activities early enough
Speaking of long lines, another lesson I learned while on Harmony of the Seas is to get to shows and activities early to avoid crowds.
Not every event on Harmony of the Seas required a reservation. All of the main shows I mentioned earlier required a reservation (excluding one at the AquaTheater), but many of the daily activities were a free-for-all.
For example, there was one night when we wanted to go to the Finish That Lyric game show. My friend and I grabbed a drink and headed over to where the event was taking place a few minutes before the show started, but we were shocked to see that people were crowding outside of the venue. People could hardly get inside to see the game show, and once you were inside, it was impossible to find a seat.
This instance happened a few times where small venues would host popular events and it would become crowded rather quickly. If you want to attend an event and have a decent seat, I would recommend you get to the venue at least 20-30 minutes before it starts.
Read more: Harmony of the Seas review: What this cruise ship is like in 2024
3. Trying to do everything on the first day
Harmony of the Seas is a giant ship with so much to do, including the Ultimate Abyss, FlowRider, zipline, and more. Because our particular sailing had lots of people (we were sailing at nearly full capacity), there was often a line for these activities.
I noticed on the first day of the cruise, the line for the Ultimate Abyss was so long that it was wrapped around the FlowRider. I couldn't believe how many people were standing out in the hot sun waiting to go down the slide. My friend and I decided to do the slide on one of the sea days, and when we went, there wasn't a line! I think this was because we went at a random time of the day, around 2 p.m.
You don’t have to do everything on the first day of your cruise. You will have plenty of time to do everything the ship has to offer, especially if you are on a long cruise. On short cruises, though, you will probably feel the pressure to do everything on day one.
A tip I would recommend to cruisers is to try to do some of the free activities while docked in port. This means people will be off the ship and there will be fewer lines. Do keep in mind that many of the activities have different hours on sea days versus port days. On port days, the activities are usually open for only a few hours. In this instance, I would recommend doing these activities at times of the day when people are busy eating, like lunch or dinner time.
Also, to get an idea of what times activities are offered before embarking on your cruise, you can look at the daily compasses we have on our website. By planning ahead, you won’t have to miss out on experiencing all the fun activities onboard.
4. Not reserving a dining time for My Time Dining
When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have the option between Traditional Dining or My Time Dining.
Personally, I always choose Traditional Dining because I enjoy sitting at the same table every night and being served by the same waitstaff. I love the ease of being able to walk in and go to my assigned table without ever having to wait to be seated.
When you select My Time Dining, you eat dinner in the Main Dining Room whenever you want; on Harmony of the Seas, it's from 6:30 to 9 p.m. You can choose to make a dinner reservation ahead of time or show up at the Main Dining Room and wait to be seated.
There are two lines for My Time Dining each evening: those with a reservation and those without. The line for no reservations was super long every night on my cruise! I overheard someone say they had to wait for an hour because the line went all the way through the Main Dining Room lobby and up the nearby staircase.
To avoid the chaos of the My Time Dining non-reservation line, I recommend making dinner reservations as soon as you can, whether before or during your cruise. This does somewhat defeat the purpose of being able to eat whenever you want, but if you want to avoid the long lines every night, making a reservation is much easier and could save you waiting a long time in line.
5. Only eating at the included dining venues
One of my favorite parts of cruising is enjoying all the food onboard. On Harmony of the Seas, there are so many places to try, but not all of them are included in your cruise fare.
While I normally like all the complimentary food, such as Sorrentos and Park Cafe, my two favorite meals during my cruise were at specialty restaurants.
On the first night of the cruise, we chose to eat at Jamie’s Italian for dinner. Because I am a Diamond Plus loyalty member, I was able to use the BOGO specialty dinner offer - this can only be used on the first or second night of the cruise.
The food at Jamie’s Italian was amazing and high quality. My favorite dishes were the arancini, truffle tagliatelle, and the chocolate brownie with caramel gelato.
During one of our sea days, my friend and I enjoyed Johnny Rockets for lunch. To eat here, it cost $15 per person. I haven’t eaten at Johnny Rockets for many years, so I thought it was fun to try something different. The food tasted great and I loved the BBQ chicken bacon melt, cheesy french fries, and super sundae.
While it's totally fine to eat at just the included venues during your cruise, I recommend you try at least one of the specialty restaurants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I don't think you will be disappointed!
6. Not following the rules
On the last day of the cruise, my friend and I were seated in the Royal Theater waiting for the late-night comedy show to start. As we were waiting, I saw two odd things occur. First, I saw two people in the front row get out their vape and blow big clouds in the air. They weren't even trying to hide it! Then a few moments later, a young woman ran up on stage and yelled something to the crowd. She was clearly intoxicated. Very quickly, a security guard took her off the stage.
This story is a reminder to all to follow the rules that are in place!
You are allowed to smoke and vape in designated areas on the ship, but certainly not in indoor venues like the theater. Don’t try to sneak in your cigarettes or vapes, even on your private balcony.
Also, know your limits when it comes to alcohol. While Royal Caribbean doesn’t restrict the number of drinks you can have, don’t go overboard and think you can do whatever you want, like run on stage!
Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant
7. Trying to make an early flight after the cruise
If you flew to your cruise port, it’s recommended that you do not book your flight home any earlier than noon.
Of course, this varies where the airport is in relation to the cruise port. For example, you could probably get away with booking an earlier flight if you cruised from Port Everglades because the Fort Lauderdale airport is a quick 10-minute drive from the port. However, if you are cruising out of Galveston, as I did for Harmony of the Seas, it’s important to know that the Houston airports are much farther away from the port.
My flight was at noon on disembarkation day, so I got off the ship at 8 a.m. and was in the Lyft by 8:30 a.m. After an hour-long drive, I made it to the HOU airport in time for my flight.
My friend had an even later flight, so she opted to purchase the Royal Caribbean shuttle from Galveston to the IAH airport. This cost her $45, which was cheaper to purchase than a Lyft/Uber because it's an hour and a half drive. For context, my hour-long Lyft ride was around $90 with a tip. I was not able to purchase the shuttle to HOU because my flight was technically too early (at 11:50 a.m.).
On the bus, my friend overheard a family panic about potentially not making it to the airport on time for their flight at noon. The bus didn't leave the port until 9 a.m., and by the time they got to the airport, it was around 10:30 a.m. If there was a long line to check bags, or there was another delay, I am not sure if they would've made their flight!
To avoid extra stress on disembarkation day, try to book a later flight option. You can never be guaranteed what time you will be cleared to disembark the ship. Sometimes catching a Lyft or Uber can take longer than expected, too.
If you only have an early flight option, there are a few things you can do to get off the ship at the earliest possible time. If you choose a self-assist departure, you can carry off all your luggage yourself and not have to wait for your bags. You can get the earliest departure time as well, which on Harmony of the Seas was 8 a.m. If you are doing the regular departure, you can request the first time slot to get off the ship by doing so in the app or visiting Guest Services before disembarkation day.
