There are so many cruise tips for Royal Caribbean, and I bet a few make new cruisers wonder if they really work or not.
I'm so used to relying on many tricks and better approaches to things on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I take it for granted that they simply work.
When I was getting back on Utopia of the Seas after a fun day with friends, I told them to walk past the first set of elevators to the next set. It seemed like we were walking more than we needed, but we waited no time to get one because the other elevator bank was empty.
Tips like this seem almost crazy, but when you try them out, they work a lot better than imagined.
I went through a number of tried-and-true cruise tips and advice to come up with the ones that might sound weird, but they really do make sense once you're on the ship.
Ordering multiple entrees
In almost every restaurant on Royal Caribbean, you're welcome to order more than one entree. It sounds like the most gluttonous piece of advice, but it works!
Generally speaking, entree sizes are smaller on a cruise ship than you might find on land. I find this to be true in the Main Dining Room primarily.
Ordering more than one entree is a really good idea to ensure you're not hungry.
Better yet, it's nice to sample different dishes. Odds are there's going to be more than one thing on the menu that sounds good.
Your waiters will encourage this practice too. If you even hint at trying to decide between dishes, they'll usually insist on bringing you both. Or three.
This is part of why I love to cruise. You get to try new foods and indulge in ones you love.
As a new cruiser, ordering more than one entree feels so unnatural. I rarely, if ever, do that at a land restaurant.
Once you realize it's commonplace on cruises, it becomes a great way to enjoy the very best food Royal Caribbean serves.
Splitting beds makes a small room feel bigger
When someone that cruised much more than me told me they split their beds when they cruise solo, I thought they were crazy. Turns out, they're right.
Most Royal Caribbean staterooms come with a Royal King bed that can be separated into two twin beds upon request.
When you're in an inside cabin, splitting the beds instead of keeping them together is a cruise hack meant to make it the room feel bigger.
I think the rationale is with the beds split, you get a walkway in the middle of the room between them, which is more useful than a sliver of space around the edges of the cabin.
I've experienced inside cabins with the beds split and together, and I do think it works better with the beds apart.
On newer Royal Caribbean ships, there are cabinets above the bed mounted to the wall, and it's easier to access them with the beds split.
You can ask your Stateroom Attendant to split or combine the beds at any time.
Of course, separate beds may not be your idea of conducive sleeping conditions. But it will probably help open up the room a bit more.
Staying on the ship while in port
The number one reason people book a Royal Caribbean cruise is the destination, so it might feel wrong to want to not visit the places you're cruising to.
A lot of veteran cruisers will advocate skipping a port and taking advantage of a less crowded ship.
I went on Icon of the Seas with my family for spring break and later regretted we didn't have more time to enjoy what this amazing ship has to offer because we were busy in every port of call.
Some people might struggle with what to do in one particular port, because there isn't an activity or tour that jumps out as a must-do for their taste.
Staying onboard during a port day allows you to take advantage of significantly less crowds, especially at the pool or for the top deck attractions. Water slides, the zip line, rock wall, and more are all far less busy on port days.
When you try it, it feels like being home from school in a way because everyone else is off doing something else. But the advantages are lovely for having the pools (virtually) to yourself.
Magnets add more storage capability
I resisted the advice of so many people to buy magnets for their cruise cabin because I couldn't believe it would help, but I was wrong.
Many people recommend bringing magnets to use in your cabin as a way to improve the storage options, and it's something you'd never consider at any land hotel.
Part of the reason why magnets and not something else is because the walls in your cabin are metal, and you can't use adhesives or anything else that would damage the walls.
A pack of heavy duty magnetic hooks will last forever and you can re-use them on future cruises. (Link is an affiliate link that costs you nothing extra, but I make a small commission if you buy)
It allows you to hang up dresses, hats, bathing suits, shirts, and pretty much a lot of other stuff that would otherwise take up space in drawers or on furniture.
I was skeptical how effective it would work, but it really does the trick.
Take photos of crew member name tags
Royal Caribbean truly values customer feedback, and it's not just a corporate cliché.
In fact, a lot of cruisers often want to give the cruise line their thoughts, and the post-cruise survey is the best way to do that.
That survey is also the best way to recognize outstanding crew members, but if you're like me, you forget how to spell their name or in some cases their name all together.
I saw cruisers taking photos of crew member name tags and thought that's silly. But in reality, getting home and not remembering that amazing bartender or cabana host's name is silly on my part.
Ask them to take a photo of their name tag so it's easier to remember later for the survey. They'll be more than happy to let you do that.
