Cruise ships are known for their excellent value, and what's included that costs nothing extra is a big part of that.
When you consider how much you can eat, enjoy, and explore for absolutely no additional cost, a cruise sounds really enticing. Royal Caribbean ships are packed with so many things to do onboard included with your cruise fare.
While a lot of attention is placed on things that cost extra because they're flashy, you can go on a Royal Caribbean ship and spend nothing extra and have a really enjoyable vacation.
When I'm planning a cruise with my family, my wife and I often have moments where we realize we don't need to spend extra on costly add-ons, and simply enjoy the free things. On our recent visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, we opted to hang at the Oasis Lagoon pool which has no additional cost instead of spending over $100 for both of us to go to the new adults-only area.
If you're ready to enjoy a value-conscious vacation, here are the free amenities, services, and experiences you can take advantage of during your cruise.
Lots of food
It's always about food for me on a cruise, and Royal Caribbean includes a lot of pretty good food in your fare.
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a few restaurants that cost nothing to eat there. The most prominent ones are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer buffet, and the coffee shop.
Here is a list of restaurants on a Royal Caribbean ship that won't cost you extra. You won't find all of them on one ship, but it's a list to reference:
- Main Dining Room
- Windjammer Buffet
- Cafe Promenade
- Cafe Latte-tudes
- Sorrento's Pizza
- Sprinkles
- Coastal Kitchen (suite guests)
- Park Cafe
- Cafe @ Two70
- Solarium Bistro
- El Loco Fresh
- Boardwalk Dog House
- Aquadome Market
- Johnny Rockets (for breakfast on Oasis Class ships only)
- Spare Tire
- Surfside Bites
- Pearl Cafe
- Basecamp
- The Grove (suite guests only)
Between these venues, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with plenty of snacks too.
I really like having my meals in the Main Dining Room when I'm with my family because the waiters get to know your preferences and really focus on your meal experience being exactly what you want. Plus, I think the dining room food is rather tasty.
If you're booked in a suite on one of the newer ships, you can dine at Coastal Kitchen for all your meals, adding significant value for the higher cost a suite comes with.
Besides your meals, there are lots of places to snack too. Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, Aquadome Market, and Park Cafe are all fan favorites. Depending on which Royal Caribbean ship you sail on, there are going to be different places to grab a snack or mini-meal.
No matter which ship you pick, you won't go hungry and there's somewhere to eat at almost any time of day or night. Moreover, I think the food you can get at no additional cost is pretty darn good.
My favorite places to eat for free:
- Anytime snack: Aquadome Market
- Fourth meal: Windjammer
- Grab 'n go: Pearl Cafe
Free drinks
There are quite a few drinks you can get for free onboard.
- Filtered tap water
- Lemonade
- Unsweetened iced tea
- Tea
- Basic coffee
- Hot chocolate
- Milk (regular, half and half, skim, lactose-free, chocolate)
- Creamers
- Apple juice (breakfast only)
- Orange juice (breakfast only)
- Tomato juice (breakfast only)
- Flavored waters
- Grapefruit
- Strawberry kiwi
You can find these free drinks offered at any bar or restaurant, although some bars may not have everything on this list.
The best places to find all of these options are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, or Cafe Promenade/Cafe Latte-Tudes/Cafe @ Two70.
Yes, the tap water is safe to drink on a cruise ship. It's filtered onboard and probably the safest water you can drink, given how treated it is.
Trivia, demonstrations, and movies
When I think of a cruise, I think of food first, and then all the fun things to do on the ship.
Royal Caribbean built its cruise ships to have more to do than you can possibly do in a week. They're meant to offer such a wide variety of activities that you come away impressed with how much you could have done.
Every day of your cruise there is a list of activities in the Royal Caribbean app (as well as the Cruise Compass).
There's trivia, napkin folding demonstrations, competitions among passengers, educational seminars, and much more.
Karaoke is one of the top events you'll find every day. You can count on there being at least a few karaoke sessions per day. Some of the new ships that have a dedicated karaoke venue will host sessions more often.
Karaoke on a Royal Caribbean cruise is pretty much like anywhere else you've done it. There is a book of songs to choose from, and guests sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to get a chance to sing.
On a sea day, you can expect at least 4 or 5 trivia sessions, and the topics range from general trivia to TV show theme songs to Taylor Swift. There are all sorts of trivia genres, and they're just about bragging rights rather than the novel prize for the winning team.
Royal Caribbean ships also show a lot of movies. Most have their movie screens by the pool, so you don't have to leave the hot tub. A few of the small ships actually have their own movie theater, which is also included in your cruise fare.
It's a good idea to go through the Royal Caribbean app every day to see what's scheduled. The cruise line will load in all the events a few days before the sailing begins, but I like to review each evening what's coming up the next day.
My favorite free events:
- Trivia
- Movies by the pool
- Karaoke
Thrills and chills
If conquering "Friends" trivia doesn't do it for you, how about ways to be in the sun and have fun?
A lot of people specifically choose a cruise because they want to go to beautiful and warm destinations where they can take advantage of the sunshine.
Every ship has pools and hot tubs you can go to for no additional cost. There's even an adults-only pool available too.
Many of Royal Caribbean's ships have pool areas for kids, that have splash pads, geysers, and all sorts of ways to get soaked.
Splashaway Bay is the name of the children's aqua park, and it's the perfect spot for younger children who want to get as wet as possible.
If you need more adrenaline on your vacation, there are water slides and surf simulators on many ships. These also cost nothing extra to use, and it's open to kids or adults.
Speaking of slides, the Oasis Class ships have the Ultimate Abyss slide on the back of the ship, which is a dry slide and is also included in your cruise fare.
Don't overlook the sports court, where you can play soccer, basketball, pickleball, dodgeball, or volleyball throughout the day. Once again, it's complimentary.
On the Oasis Class ships, there's a zip line you can ride for free nine decks above the Boardwalk neighborhood.
There's also a mini golf course on most Royal Caribbean ships. It's a great family activity, and open day and night.
Speaking of family fun, check out the carousel on Oasis or Icon Class ships that guests of any age can ride. It's free and open day and night.
If your cruise ship has an ice rink, there are complimentary open ice skating sessions you can go to. Royal Caribbean provides all the equipment, you just need to bring long pants and socks.
My favorite pool deck fun and free things to do:
- Water slides
- Watch people try the Flowrider
- Ice skating
Private island day
If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise that visits the Caribbean, there's a good chance your ship will visit one of Royal Caribbean's private islands.
Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee are the two islands that only Royal Caribbean ships can visit, and it's a private enclave that is included with your cruise fare.
Think of this like a regular port visit, but the majority of what you can do comes at no additional cost. There are beaches, pools, and food you can enjoy without any fees.
While it's true both do have extra pay upgrades, you can certainly have a great day without spending extra. You'll find beaches, chairs, umbrellas, and food that come with your visit.
A day at a private island is one of my absolute favorite kinds of cruise days because it's a simple, yet well organized fun day in the sun. There's plenty of space, the ocean and beach are lovely, and there's the choice to upgrade your day with an add-on if you so choose.
Admission to either private destination is included, and you can walk off the ship and explore at your leisure.
If given the choice, I prefer CocoCay over Labadee because of the breadth of choices of what to do there. Plus, CocoCay's food variety is superior, along with the option for a pool day.
Be sure to review everything Royal Caribbean offers at CocoCay for no extra cost.
Shows and live music
If there's one thing Royal Caribbean does better than any other cruise line, it's their entertainment. You'll find shows, musicians, performers, and comedians on any ship in the fleet.
Every evening there will be at least one production show onboard, with the biggest ships having multiple shows per night.
Some Royal Caribbean ships actually have full Broadway shows, and admission to them is included in your cruise fare.
Even if your ship doesn't have a Broadway show, it has a talented cast of singers and dancers who will perform on nearly every night. When they aren't performing, there's usually a headline entertainer or comedian to keep you busy.
Music is also a focal point for Royal Caribbean's entertainment. There are guitarists, pianists, bands, and singers who all perform and are wonderful acts. They're not just talented, they bring showmanship to their performances and it creates must-see shows.
Some of these shows are sing-alongs, while others are productions that you can sit back and enjoy.
You'll find most of the live entertainment in the evening, but there are still musical acts during the day.
You can find a poolside band to play easy-listening tunes while you're enjoying time by the pool. There's also a DJ on Royal Caribbean ships to offer sailaway parties, as well as late-night club scenes.
I recommend seeking out the musical acts and any shows you find in the schedule, because they're not just free to see, but they're actually really entertaining.
My favorite free entertainment:
- Pub singer
- Broadway show
- Ice skating shows
Kids club
Being a family cruise line, Royal Caribbean's crown jewel of kids programming centers around the Adventure Ocean kids club.
Many of the activities in this article apply to kids as well, but I think Adventure Ocean is where you'll find the most compelling and all-encompassing activities for kids.
Royal Caribbean's kids club is more than a place to drop your kids off. It's a hub of activities, playing, and meeting other kids their age.
Adventure Ocean is broken up by age so that the activities are age-appropriate. Moreover, it fosters kids making friends onboard the ship.
The great thing about kids club is it allows kids to be kids and play, draw, engage, and do the sort of things they want to do. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy time apart, whether at a restaurant, show, and just enjoying quiet time.
There is no charge for Adventure Ocean (before 10pm) or Teens Club, however, the nursery does cost extra. If your children are under the age of 36 months, they will need to go to the nursery and you should plan for an hourly charge.
- Nursery (6 - 36 months old): Hourly cost
- Adventure Ocean (3 - 12/13 years old): Free until 10pm
- Teen Club (12/13 - 17 years old): Free
Be sure to visit the Adventure Ocean and Teen Club open house on embarkation day, usually around 1pm to see the facility, meet the staff, and register the kids. It's a great way to see what's offered and get questions answered.
Free souvenirs
Can you get actual gifts or things to bring home for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Yes, but temper your expectations.
One easy souvenir is to attend a trivia session and win. The winning team will get a novelty gift, usually a highlighter, pen, or luggage pull straps.
There are also usually giveaways tied to ways to spend money onboard. The jewelry store may offer free charm bracelets to entice you to come in and check out their other items while you're in line for the freebie.
The art auction staff hold giveaways to get people to attend the auctions themselves. They even serve everyone that attends the art auction free champagne.
If you cruise enough to make it to a higher tier in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor society customer loyalty program, there are gifts offered.
At the Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club tiers, you'll get a personalized gift per household on each sailing you take. You can select the personalized gift from a list of choices. The Loyalty Ambassador onboard the ship can help you select or change your preference. Choices include logo items, drinks, or snacks.
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