Royal Caribbean Blog

The cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise can vary dramatically depending on the ship, itinerary, and time of year you sail. However, it’s certainly possible to cruise for less than $100 per day, even when accounting for extra costs like transportation, gratuities, and expenses in port.

Planning a cruise for less than $100 per day requires some planning in advance, from selecting a ship to booking a cabin category. It also requires a little self control, as ordering 5 piña coladas on the pool deck will surely increase the daily cost of your cruise!

Here are 15 of our best tips to cruise cheap for less than $100 per day.

Explore ports without a shore excursion

Booking shore excursions in every port can quickly skyrocket the price of your cruise. Instead of planning organized tours, consider exploring ports on your own. Walking around town, finding a free public beach, and enjoying a local lunch are all great ways to have a cheap yet culturally-immersive port day.

Related: 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion

If you do want to book a shore excursion, consider booking through an independent tour operator, as these tours can often be much cheaper than booking directly through the cruise line. While tours booked through Royal Caribbean offer protection in case your tour is delayed (the ship won’t leave without you), reputable independent tour operators will ensure you get back to your ship in time.

Cruise during the off-season

One of the best ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise is to sail during the off-season. Off-season sees less demand for cruises, leading to cheaper fares than you’ll find during busier times of the year.

Royal Caribbean’s off-season prices can typically be found during these dates:

• January (excluding MLK weekend)
• February (excluding President’s Day weekend)
• May
• September
• October
• First two weeks of November
• First two weeks of December

While these dates may not work well for those with kids in school, you’ll want to consider off-season cruises if your schedule is flexible to get more bang for your buck.

Book your cruise with a travel agent

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve saved money by booking my cruise with a travel agent. Whenever I find a cruise I’m interested in, I ask my travel agent for a quote, and she almost always replies back with a cheaper rate than what I could book directly through Royal Caribbean’s website. Plus, in my experience, booking with a travel agent almost always includes extra onboard credit!

Related: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation

Other than having access to special travel agency group rates, travel agents can be an extremely beneficial resource during the cruise planning process.

Take advantage of miles and points

If you have a credit card that accrues miles and points, consider redeeming your miles for pre-cruise purchases like airfare and hotels. If you have 50,000 airline miles, for example, you can easily redeem miles for a “free” flight to your cruise port, thus saving you several hundred dollars on the total cruise cost.

On that note, consider making all cruise purchases with a travel credit card. Some cards may offer 5 points per dollar spent on cruise fare, so if you spend $2500 on a cruise using the credit card, you’ll receive 12,500 miles!

Book early & reprice your cruise often

Generally speaking, the earlier you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, the cheaper price you’ll pay. One of the best times to book a cruise is as soon as new itineraries are announced, which usually occurs around two years in advance of the sail date.

Even booking 12 months in advance can bring great deals without risking stateroom categories or itineraries selling out.

Related: How to have the best experience for cheap on Royal Caribbean

Other than finding cheap cruise fares, another advantage of booking early is having the ability to reprice your cruise until final payment date. If you book a 7-night cruise for $1,500, for example, and later find the price has lowered to $1,200, you can pay the lower fare provided final payment date has not already passed.

Look for last-minute cruise deals

Although booking in advance is usually recommended, there’s always a chance you’ll find cheap, under $100 per day cruises at the last minute.

Royal Caribbean’s pricing changes based on supply and demand, and if demand for a particular ship or itinerary is low, prices may lower significantly. Some of the best last-minute deals occur after the final payment date for a particular sailing, which is between 75 and 90 days before the sail date.

For more information on booking last-minute cruises, check out our helpful guides:

• How to get last-minute cruise deals
• Why January is the best time for last-minute cruises
• Why booking a last-minute cruise isn’t always a great idea

Book a longer itinerary

While you’ll often find the cheapest total cruise fare on short, 3 and 4-night cruises, you can usually come across a lower price per day on longer itineraries. This is even more true when you consider the cost of transportation (airfare, gas, etc.) and divide it over the course of the cruise.

Let’s look at two examples: a 3-night Bahamas cruise on Liberty of the Seas and a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Allure of the Seas. Both itineraries are in late January.

For two adults in an interior cabin with taxes and fees included, here is the total cruise fare:

• 3-night cruise: $740 ($123 per person, per day)
• 7-night cruise: $1254 ($89 per person, per day)

As you can see, the longer cruise provides a much better value per day compared to the short 3-night cruise. If you can make a longer cruise work with your schedule, you’ll almost always find a cheaper daily price.

Stick to complimentary dining

Royal Caribbean’s specialty dining options–from savory hibachi to homemade pasta–are undoubtedly excellent. However, specialty dining comes at an extra cost, and if you’re looking to cruise for less than $100 per day, it’s best to stick to complimentary dining options.

Related: Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Luckily, Royal Caribbean offers an array of dining options included in your cruise fare. The Main Dining Room and Windjammer buffet are staples of any Royal Caribbean cruise, and additional complimentary dining options vary by ship. Newer ships will have the most complimentary options, from El Loco Fresh for Mexican fare to Park Cafe for soups, salads, and sandwiches.

It’s entirely possible to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise and not spend even a penny extra on food. If you are set on trying a specialty restaurant, though, consider reserving the restaurant at lunch instead of dinner. Lunch prices at select restaurants are usually half the price of dinner for a similar menu.

Consider transportation costs

Finding a cheap cruise fare is exciting, but be sure to consider transportation costs before booking a cruise. Flight costs, baggage fees, gas, parking, and other transportation fees can easily increase the cost of a cruise vacation.

If you live in the northeast, consider cruising out of New Jersey or Baltimore instead of flying to Florida. Likewise, if you’re based in the western US, cruising out of Los Angeles or Seattle can be more economical options than flying across the country.

Sail in an interior cabin (or book a guarantee rate)

A surefire way to save money on cruise fare is to book an interior cabin. While nothing fancy, interior cabins can still be a cozy place to spend a cruise.

Interior cabins do not have a window or balcony, but still come with everything you need in a cabin: a bed, vanity, closets, private bathroom, television, etc. Often priced hundreds of dollars cheaper than ocean view and balcony cabins, it’s hard to argue with the value of an interior cabin.

Related: I tried the best inside cruise cabin hacks to see how well they worked

You may also want to book a guarantee stateroom rate for even cheaper fares. Guarantee cabins mean you cannot select your exact cabin location and it will be assigned closer to departure. While guarantee rooms require staying flexible, the added savings are worth it for many cruisers.

Related: Should I book a guarantee stateroom on a cruise?

Consider older, smaller ships

It’s possible to find a cruise for under $100 per day on Royal Caribbean’s newest, most modern cruise ships, but it’s not very likely. As an example, the cruise line’s newest ship, Wonder of the Seas, is usually priced around $160 per person, per day.

You can almost always find great deals by sailing on Royal Caribbean’s older, smaller ships. Vision, Radiance, and Voyager Class ships often have the best pricing, with fares as low as $80 per person, per day possible on select itineraries.

Related: Things you’ll notice when cruising on an older cruise ship

Older ships can still offer a wonderful cruise experience, with fantastic dining options, impressive entertainment, and diverse port stops found on every ship in the fleet.

Plus, just because a ship is older doesn’t necessarily mean it’s outdated. Some of the best values are found on recently amplified cruise ships. Amplified ships, like Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas, feature many of Royal Caribbean’s most popular activities and amenities at a fraction of the cost of ships like Odyssey or Wonder of the Seas.

Lay low on the drinks

A quick way to ruin any cruise budget is by overdoing it with drinks. Drinks on a Royal Caribbean cruise aren’t cheap, with cocktails around $14 each and beers around $8. Ordering multiple drinks a day can easily add up, so if you’re looking to cruise under $100 per day, it’s best to control your drink consumption onboard.

There are, however, a few ways to save money on drinks on a Royal Caribbean cruise:

1. Order the drink of the day. Usually a fruity cocktail, the drink of the day is only ~$10 opposed to $14 and it changes daily.
2. If you are a member of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, you’ll receive onboard offers for coupons on alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
3. Bring your own wine and nonalcoholic beverages with you on embarkation day. Each stateroom can bring up to two 750ml bottles of wine and up to twelve 17 oz bottles, cans, or cartons of nonalcoholic beverages.
4. Drink in port instead of onboard. Drink prices in port are usually always cheaper than the prices you’ll find onboard.

Use free wifi in port

Unfortunately there’s no free wifi on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and an internet package for one device typically costs around $20 per day. Instead of purchasing wifi onboard, consider connecting to free wifi in your ports of call.

It’s easy to find free wifi in ports of call at restaurants and cafes, although you’ll usually have to make a purchase to gain wifi access.

Alternatively, check your phone’s data plan to check if it includes international coverage. If it does, you can turn off airplane mode once in port and use your phone’s data as normal.

Purchase travel insurance

While purchasing something extra may seem counterintuitive to planning a cruise under $100 per day, don’t overlook the importance of travel insurance.

Travel insurance will protect your trip in case of trip interruption, delays, medical emergencies, and other unexpected scenarios. The onboard medical center is not covered under regular health insurance, so having travel insurance is a major plus on the chance you need coverage while onboard.

If you cruise or travel frequently, you may even want to consider an annual travel insurance plan, which may only cost around $300 for coverage year round.

Related: Should you buy annual travel insurance plans?

We always recommend purchasing travel insurance before a cruise whether you’re traveling on a budget or not. After all, finding a cruise for $75 a day only to receive an $800 bill from the ship’s medical center afterwards is not exactly ideal.

Pack everything you’ll need (and then some!)

Packing properly for a cruise ensures you won’t have to purchase forgotten items in port or onboard. Making sure to pack toiletries, medication, proper clothing, supplies for kids, and other essentials is extremely important. While many of these items can be purchased on the ship, you’ll spend double or triple for an item you could have bought cheaply at home.

Related: The Ultimate Cruise Packing List

Laundry is also not included in the cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise, so make sure to pack enough clothes to last you the entire sailing. Sending in one bag of laundry onboard can cost over $35, so it’s definitely not a budget-friendly option!

By packing everything you’ll need for your cruise, you can avoid any unexpected expenses during your sailing.

Looking for more money saving Royal Caribbean tips? Start here:

• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Tips for taking an Alaska cruise on a budget
• What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?
• When is the best time to book a cruise?

Sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship makes for a memorable vacation experience, but what is it like to sail on the world’s last ocean liner?

Built in 2004 by Cunard, the Queen Mary 2 is the last remaining ocean liner offering passenger service. Cunard has a long history of building ocean liners, with hundreds of ships having been constructed since Cunard was founded in the mid 1800s.

Because ocean liners have such historical significance in global migration and transportation, many people are intrigued by the Queen Mary 2. Let’s take a look at what it’s like to sail on the Queen Mary 2 and how the experience can differ greatly from cruising with Royal Caribbean.

What's the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise ship?

Ocean liners are used to provide transportation from one destination to another without stopping at various ports of call for leisurely travel days in between. They are designed and built to sail long distances, often between the US and Europe.

Here are some of the major differences between an ocean liner and a cruise ship:

Speed: Ocean liners are constructed to move quickly through the ocean. The Queen Mary 2 has a max speed of 30 knots (35mph). Wonder of the Seas, by comparison, has a maximum speed of 22 knots (25mph). The Queen Mary 2 is the fastest passenger ship in service today.

Draft: The draft (distance between the waterline and bottom of hull) is 34 feet on the Queen Mary 2. Royal Caribbean ships, on the other hand, have between a 25 and 31 foot draft depending on the vessel.

Steel Thickness: Ocean liners are designed with thicker steel on the ship’s hull. This helps the Queen Mary 2 endure the stress she takes on during frequent transatlantic voyages in the Atlantic. 

Longer bow: Ocean liners are built with a long bow designed to cut through rough waters in the open ocean.

Movement: You tend to feel much less movement on an ocean liner than a cruise ship due to the ship’s design, which is welcomed on long ocean crossings. Most public areas–including the buffet, which is usually found on higher decks–are located  midship and on lower decks, which decreases any movement felt in these spaces.

Size of the Queen Mary 2 versus Royal Caribbean ships

The Queen Mary 2 has capacity for 2,691 guests and 1,173 crew members. She has a length of 1,132 feet and a gross tonnage of 148,528.

Royal Caribbean ships vary by size according to ship class. The Queen Mary 2 is most similar in size to Freedom Class cruise ships. Freedom of the Seas, for example, has a length of 1,112 feet and a gross tonnage of 154,407.

Onboard experience: Royal Caribbean ships versus the Queen Mary 2

Royal Caribbean ships and the Queen Mary 2 may both be passenger ships, but the onboard experience can be quite different. Whereas you might spend your days moving from one thrilling activity to another on a Royal Caribbean cruise, sailing on the Queen Mary offers a more laid-back, traditional cruising experience.

Pool deck: As an ocean liner, the Queen Mary 2 does not have a traditional pool deck. You’ll find pools spread throughout the ship, with pools on decks 6, 7, 8, and 12. Instead of a pool, the top deck of the Queen Mary 2 features a large, open sun deck often used for shuffleboard.

Biggest library: Royal Caribbean ships have small libraries, but the Queen Mary 2 has a 700 square foot library with over 10,000 books!

Planetarium: The Queen Mary 2 has a planetarium onboard which provides daily shows.

Lectures: Royal Caribbean ships occasionally provide guest lectures, but they are not nearly as common as on the Queen Mary 2. When sailing on the Queen Mary 2, the Cunard Insights enrichment program offers seminars and talks by famous historians, explorers, politicians, and other experts.

Entertainment: Royal Caribbean is known for its unique entertainment offerings, such as dynamic AquaTheater performances and ice-skating shows. The Queen Mary 2 features more traditional entertainment, from pianists to jazz ensembles and theater shows.

Family-friendly activities: Royal Caribbean is known for being a family-friendly cruise line, and while the Queen Mary 2 accommodates children, it is not nearly as family-friendly as Royal Caribbean. You won’t find activities like waterslides, ziplining, ice-skating, and surfing simulators onboard the Queen Mary 2.

Dress codes

Sailing on the Queen Mary 2 is a more formal experience overall than sailing on Royal Caribbean, and dress codes are taken seriously while onboard. You can wear the same casual clothes you’d wear on Royal Caribbean during the day on the Queen Mary 2, but evening wear will differ.

What you might wear to formal night on a Royal Caribbean cruise is what you’d wear to a casual night on the Queen Mary 2. Collared shirts, cocktail dresses, and blouses are typical daily dinner outfits on the Queen Mary 2.

Related: What to wear on a cruise formal night

Formal nights onboard the Queen Mary 2 are called Gala Evenings, and they are a black tie event where you’ll find tuxedos and ball gowns. Unlike on a Royal Caribbean cruise where the dress code is not strictly enforced, you’ll find most guests adhering to dress codes on the Queen Mary 2.

You’re also expected to adhere to dress codes around the ship on Gala Evenings. It’s not recommended to attend theater shows and parties in casual wear on formal nights.

If the idea of dressing formally every night doesn’t sound appealing, you’re always able to dine at the buffet, just like on Royal Caribbean.

Food & drink

The Queen Mary 2, like Royal Caribbean cruise ships, comes with many different dining options. One aspect of dining that stands out is that there are four separate dining rooms on the Queen Mary 2, each of which serves a different clientele.

The Queens Grill, Princess Grill, and Britannia Club restaurants serve passengers staying in Queens Grill Suites, Princess Grill Suites, and Britannia Club Balcony staterooms respectively.

All other guests dine at the Britannia Restaurant, the Main Dining Room onboard the Queen Mary 2.

On Royal Caribbean ships, suite guests on Oasis and Quantum Class ships can dine at Coastal Kitchen, but the Queen Mary 2 takes this a step further with her four dining rooms.

Both Royal Caribbean ships and the Queen Mary 2 have a steakhouse which comes at an extra cost and there is also an informal buffet on all ships.

The Queen Mary 2 also has an English-style pub that serves fare like beer battered cod, burgers, and savory pies.

Afternoon tea

Something you’ll find on the Queen Mary 2 but not on Royal Caribbean ships is afternoon tea, which is included in the Cunard cruise fare.

From 3:30PM to 4:30PM daily, afternoon tea is offered on the Queen Mary 2. The menu changes daily, but passengers can expect to find a variety of scones, sandwiches, and patisserie. A harpist or pianist provides music during tea.

Pets travel in luxury

Have you ever wished you could travel with your four-legged friends onboard a cruise? Something that makes the Queen Mary 2 even more unique is the kennel found onboard.

Available on transatlantic crossings is the ability to board your dog or cat in the ship’s kennel, where pets are cared for 24 hours a day during the length of the sailing by the Kennel Master and assistant.

There are 24 kennels on the Queen Mary 2, an owner’s lounge, and outdoor deck space to play. British dogs will enjoy the ship’s lamppost from the Cunard building in Liverpool whereas American dogs will find familiarity with a New York City fire hydrant!

Only service dogs are permitted on Royal Caribbean ships.

Itineraries

One of the most obvious differences between a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and the Queen Mary 2 are the itineraries.

Most Queen Mary 2 itineraries include a transatlantic crossing between Southampton, England, and New York. However, she offers itineraries around the world, from Europe to Asia and beyond.

You may also find itineraries visiting the Caribbean. Departing from New York, these voyages visit ports including St. Maarten, Martinique, and Barbados.

You can also find cruises on the Queen Mary 2 to various ports of call in Europe. These sailings depart from Southampton and visit ports in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, and France.

In 2024, the Queen Mary 2 will sail a 108-night Full World Voyage sailing roundtrip from Southampton and visiting ports in South Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Passengers can book the full voyage or individual segments of the cruise.

Enjoyed this article? Discover more about the history of ships:

• What happened to Royal Caribbean's first cruise ships?
• What happened to Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship?
• What it was like to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the 1970s

Royal Caribbean is tweaking one of its most popular Crown and Anchor Society benefits.

The line announced two changes on Thursday that will slightly affect how the Diamond level drink vouchers work.

Both changes are intended to make redemption and tracking of this benefit easier.

If you are Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle, you can get a set amount of complimentary beverages every day of your cruise, which includes alcoholic beverages.

Both of these changes go into effect on all sailings departing on or after December 16th, 2022.

Changing the time vouchers rollover

The time of day when your Diamond drinks reset is the first change.

Royal Caribbean provides complimentary drinks each day to its Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests.

Prior to the change, your daily drink vouchers would get reset at midnight. This meant if you didn't use up all your drink vouchers before midnight, you'd lose them and any drinks consumed after midnight would count against the next day's vouchers.

Instead, Royal Caribbean is changing the daily schedule so that these vouchers are now redeemable from 5:00 AM to 4:59 AM the next day. 

This means that your daily complimentary vouchers will now reset at 5:00 AM every morning allowing you to get more out of this benefit during prime hours of each day, including your after-midnight drinks.

The logic here is to allow the late-night festivities to continue past midnight, since most people think about the entirety of a night out as still the same day.

Drink voucher count

The other change is a formal announcement of a policy we heard was changing.

To make it easier to track how many drink vouchers you have left, Royal Caribbean is adding a tracker to the printed receipt that is given upon receiving your complimentary drink. 

At the bottom of the receipt, there will now be a line of text which indicates how many vouchers you have used towards your daily balance, e.g., “C&A Beverage Voucher [# Used] of [# Total].” You’ll never lose track of your complimentary drink vouchers ever again!

This change was first announced in early November, when Royal Caribbean said it would start giving guests a paper receipt with the Diamond drink voucher redemption.

Prior to this change, there was no receipt to sign and the vouchers were all managed in the backend. 

Giving guests a receipt allows for easier billing discrepancy tracking.

For instance, you ordered a $3 coffee and they may have applied your voucher – and you don’t learn about it until you’re at dinner, wanting that nice $13 cocktail and you’re out of vouchers.

How the Diamond drink vouchers work

Royal Caribbean provides complimentary drinks each day to its Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests.

Guests who are at a lower tier of Crown and Anchor Society (Gold, Platinum, or Emerald) do not qualify for the drink vouchers.

• Diamond: 4 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Diamond Plus: 5 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)
• Pinnacle: 6 beverage vouchers valid all day at any bar (except Starbucks)

Drink vouchers are loaded automatically every day on a guest's SeaPass account. 

This includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, and includes any beverage up to $14 per drink.

Royal Caribbean will replace Oasis of the Seas in Cape Liberty with the newer and slightly larger Symphony of the Seas.

The cruise line released on Thursday its Year-round and Summer Caribbean sailings for the 2024-2025 cruise season.

A very noticeable change for summer 2024 is Symphony of the Seas deployment to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey. Many cruise fans were curious which ship would replace Oasis of the Seas since it was previously announced Oasis of the Seas was headed to Europe in 2024.

The new itineraries are loaded into Royal Caribbean's website and available for immediate booking. 

Read more: How to choose the right Caribbean cruise sailing

Here's a look at the new itineraries and what you can expect if you'd like to book a cruise now.

Adventure of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral, Florida and offer 6- and 8-night cruises that visit the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Tampa in the summer and offer primarily 7-night cruises to the Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Freedom of the Seas will sail from Miami between May and July 2024 offering short 3- and 4-night cruises.

Then in late July, she will move to Port Everglades, Florida and move away from short cruises to offer 6- and 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Harmony of the Seas will remain in Galveston to offer 6-, 7-, and 8-night Western Caribbean cruises.  Notably, the 8-night cruises will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, which has not traditionally been offered from Galveston.

Icon of the Seas will sail from Miami. Her deployment was already announced when her sailings went on sale earlier this year.

Liberty of the Seas will offer longer cruises from Cape Liberty, with Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Liberty will also offer cruises to Bermuda and Canada/New England.

Vision of the Seas will continue to sail out of Baltimore, Maryland and offer 8-night Southeast Coast cruises along with 12-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean. 

There are also cruises to the Bahamas and Bermuda, along with Canada sailings.

Wonder of the Seas will continue sailing year-round out of Port Canaveral with alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.

View all the new 2024-2025 year-long and summer Caribbean itineraries:

• Adventure of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas (Long)
• Freedom of the Seas (short)
• Harmony of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas

When will the other 2024 itineraries be released?

Royal Caribbean has not announced when the rest of the 2024-2025 cruises will be released.

Historically, Royal Caribbean typically releases its new itineraries in two batches: first around November/December, and then again in the spring around March/April.

Suffice to say, it is not likely to get anymore deployments before the end of the year.  When Royal Caribbean does release a new deployment schedule, we will share that here on this site.

Why booking a 2024 cruise now is so important

Booking a cruise more than two years in advance might seem crazy, but the reality is it's one of the best times to book a cruise.

There are two compelling reasons to book a cruise super early, especially when new itineraries are released.

First, certain stateroom categories that usually in high-demand will be readily available when new cruises are released. Suites are especially limited, and typically are the kind of cabin that get booked up quickly.

Second, some of the best rates can be found when booking well in advance.

Since cruise fares are based on supply and demand, prices tend to be lowest when new itineraries are released because inventory is at its greatest. 

Combine the lower prices with bargain hunters looking for suites, and you'll find a lot of veteran cruise fans booking up highly sought after cabins on popular sailings, such as holidays.

Planning on booking a 2024 cruise? These stories will help:

• 5 things to look for before you book a cruise
• What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?
• Should I take a short or a long cruise?
• Why you shouldn't book the cheapest cruise you can find
• The best time to go on a Caribbean cruise

Royal Caribbean took a major stride toward sustainable cruising with its latest announcement.

In conjunction with the Finnish government, Royal Caribbean Group signed a deal with the Meyer Turku shipyard on Wednesday that commits a plan for the production of climate-neutral ships in Finland. 

Both the cruise giant and Finland want to establish a roadmap for a maritime industry green transition as a way forward for innovative and sustainable shipbuilding in Finland. 

The declaration was signed with the Finnish government, represented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) and Meyer Turku Oy.

Today's announcement also secures the partnership Royal Caribbean Group already has with the Finnish government.

There are six tenants to today's deal:

• Preparing a roadmap for the production of climate-neutral ships in Finland. The roadmap is part of the maritime industry's green transition.
• Strengthening the innovation of Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean Group and the maritime industry.
• Supporting networking to curb economic challenges, develop new solutions and secure the long-term viability of the maritime industry.
• Assembling a digital demonstration of a climate-neutral ship as part of the sustainable maritime industry development program of the Ministry of Labor and Economy.
• Strengthening the innovation of Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean Group and the maritime industry.
• Piloting and testing new innovations and technologies on Royal Caribbean Group ships.

"Our partners in Finland have helped us deliver some of the world's most impressive and sustainable ships of their time, including our newest ship debuting in January 2024, Icon of the Seas," said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

"This new partnership sets the stage for future innovations and allows us and the maritime industry to continue pursuing sustainability at the highest level."

This is yet another step by the Royal Caribbean Group to get to net zero emissions by 2050.

Known as its Destination Net Zero strategy, the company has plans to decarbonize its operations by 2050.

It also aims to reduce carbon intensity by double digits by 2025 compared to 2019 and the introduction of a net-zero cruise ship by 2035. 

What does carbon neutral mean?

Carbon neutral means having a net zero carbon footprint, meaning that the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is balanced by the amount removed.

This can be achieved through various methods, such as offsetting emissions through carbon credits or investing in renewable energy sources.

Essentially, it means that an individual, organization, or event has no net impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions.

As part of Destination Net Zero, Royal Caribbean Group's approach includes:

1. Modernization of the cruise company's global brands fleet through the introduction of 13 new energy-efficient and alternatively fueled vessels.
    
2. Continued investment in energy efficiency programs for its fleet, including energy saving technologies, enhanced data systems and digitalization.
    
3. Development of alternative fuel and alternative power solutions.
    
4. Optimized deployment and integration of strategic shore-based supply chains.

With the new year nearly upon us, Royal Caribbean is looking forward to a new year of growth and its top executive seems very optimistic for what the future holds.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty took the helm of the company at the beginning of 2022 and has worked through guiding the company to rebound from the depths of the cruise industry shutdown.

There's no doubt things look better today on the company's balance sheet than a year ago, but beyond the numbers, what does he think of where things are going?

During the naming ceremony for Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Blog had an exclusive sit down interview with Mr. Liberty to get his sense of where things are today and what the future holds for the brand.

State of the Cruise Union

When asked about how he sees things at the moment, he feels confident in the sense things are returning back.

"All the assets that made us everything that made us so great pre-pandemic is all back," he started saying about the business today. "Our load factors are returning to normal, the experience is exactly what it was pre-COVID, if not even better. Our incredible crew are well trained and enthusiastic and ready to go."

In short, he sees the trajectory on the right course, "when we look at our business, whether it's corporately or by brand, everybody's accelerating."

When will Royal Caribbean order more ships?

When Mr. Liberty was the Chief Financial Officer in 2019, he told investors he regretted the company didn't spend more money on new ship orders during the financial crisis of 2008.

There is definitely regret that we have in terms of our pullback on our growth, we would all be talking about higher earnings numbers today, better return profile today, if we hadn't slowed down our growth or our investment efforts in expanding our global footprint, investing in different projects, that would have put us an even stronger position than we are today.

It seems to me given the financial slow down of today coupled with the fact Royal Caribbean Group hasn't placed any orders for new ships recently that history is repeating itself and if we can expect new ship orders soon.

One thing he mentioned was the time to build is different today.

"Back in the financial crisis, on average, it was taking about three or four years to get a ship when you ordered it, especially a ship that was not a new design. "

"The level of demand for new ships was so high that you had to order ships much further out in order to have access to those slots. So you were seeing people order ships six or seven years out."

"We have a little bit more runway here than what we had pre-pandemic or in the financial crisis."

"If you think about the Icon one's and the Icon two's, there's a little bit more breathing time for us to have to place in those orders because of that structural change pre-pandemic."

While he didn't commit to any kind of plan or reveal anything new, he did talk about the direction of growth, "we're going to grow our business over the next five years at about 6% a year."

"We have to get our footing here into 2023. But I think we want to continue to grow our fleet."

What's happening with Royal Caribbean's port projects announced before the shutdown?

Just before the cruise industry shut down in 2020, Royal Caribbean had announced plans for a number of new port projects that would provide cruise ship guests more to do while ashore.

These plans included new private islands, beach resorts, and revamping a current private island. The promise was exciting new places to spend your day while on a cruise.

Then the world had to deal with Covid-19 and those plans seemed to fall to the sidelines as Royal Caribbean struggled with an extended shutdown coupled with crippling loans to stay in business.

But what about those other projects? Are they cancelled? Still planned? And when can we expect to see them?

"Certainly we had to put a pause on some of these things... but our ambitions around Perfect Days around the world, Beach Club concepts, are still very much there."

Mr. Liberty also pointed out that construction on land can take significantly longer than you might thing.  Perfect Day at CocoCay took almost seven years, as an example.

I asked Mr. Liberty if it's fair to say all the projects announced pre-pandemic were in some status of pause or moving forward, as opposed to being cancelled.

"Yeah, there's nothing that has has been canceled."

Both Mr. Liberty and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley both said the new adults-only beach expansion to Perfect Day at CocoCay is slated to open towards the end of 2023.

Cruise prices in 2023

It's no secret that prices for travel are up in general, so what is Mr. Liberty's outlook on the price of a cruise and how that affects the average cruise ship passenger.

"Our customers tend to have a pretty strong personal balance sheet. They're not overly levered. And that space just in the US alone, has trillions of dollars of savings sitting there on the sidelines."

Coupled with the fact consumers are interested in experiences more so than acquiring things, along with demographic trends, he feels good about demand for a cruise vacation.

He also still believes the value of a cruise is second to none in the leisure travel market.

"The value gap between a cruise and land based vacation during the pandemic expanded quite a bit."

"As we increase our pricing, we're still at a significant value to what it would cost for you to have anything close to a similar experience on land. That's also why our pricing, what our guests are willing to spend on our ships, continue to rise because of the demographic secular trends as well as just that value gap to land based vacations."

What can we expect with Terminal G?

Last month, Royal Caribbean Group signed a deal with PortMiami to build a new Terminal G cruise terminal.

Mr. Liberty said it won't quite be on the same scale as Terminal A in PortMiami, but it will help support the company's needs, "we have a lot of ships coming online. We need infrastructure. We need to make sure the experience from from when you arrive to getting on our ships is seamless and free and has no friction inside of it."

"That commitment to us is really just our commitment to our growth that we know is coming on."

Royal Caribbean has removed one benefit of its customer loyalty program for its top tier members.

One of the published benefits of Diamond Plus members has been access to the Concierge Lounge on ships that lack a Suite Lounge, including:

• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Enchantment of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

In case you're wondering, it takes 175 points to reach Diamond Plus status. Generally speaking, you'll get one point per night of the cruise, and suite guests get two points per night. 

In an email to Crown and Anchor Society members, Royal Caribbean it has decided to rescind access due to overcrowding in the lounge.

"While we are excited for the growth of our program, we must remain mindful of our onboard operations to ensure that we continue to deliver the award-winning experience you know and love.

In practice, this benefit had been mostly taken away anyway, since the line reserved the right to prohibit access to Diamond Plus members if there were too many members onboard.

Royal Caribbean explained this reality necessitated the change, "Access has been largely based on guest count and lounge capacity levels, which are assessed on a voyage-by-voyage basis."

"Due to high counts of top-tier members on most sailings, we have had to limit access to the Concierge Lounge altogether."

"This means that beginning on sailings departing on or after December 16th, 2022, both Concierge and Suite Lounge access on all ships will be limited to eligible Suite guests and Pinnacle Club members only."

Of course, Diamond Plus members still have access to the Diamond Lounge spaces.

Slow march to this point

While today's change on paper means less benefits than before, the reality was Concierge Lounge access had been on its way out for a long time up until today.

Whenever Royal Caribbean built a new ship or refurbished a vessel, they would add a Suite Lounge instead of a Concierge Lounge, which brought the number of ships with a Concierge Lounge down to less than half the fleet today.

Moreover, the ever increasing popularity of going on a cruise and the subsequent rise of loyal cruisers lead to more demand for this benefit than before.

As stated by the cruise line in today's announcement, the benefit had already been rescinded on a sailing-by-sailing basis for many cruises.

It's been observed by other Crown and Anchor guests that Royal Caribbean had established hard counts for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club guests, and once a ship has Crown and Anchor members over that predefined threshold, that level is restricted from the Concierge Lounge.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared as a Pinnacle Club member, he's observed crew tracking how many people are in the lounges, "Multiple ships I've sailed recently asked all guests to badge in and out of the Concierge Lounge/Suite Lounge." 

"They were collecting data on how many guests, suites or otherwise, were actually using the facility and how long they stayed.  By gathering data they would have a basis to make additional policy updates. "

As an example, he shared a conversation he had with the Suite Concierge about the number of people onboard, "On Quantum in Alaska during the second Alaska cruise for this year, the suite concierge told me that Diamond Plus numbers were over the threshold all summer long."

"The first projected date that could allow them access to the Concierge Lounge was in September, but that is subject to change as the ship continues to book up."

It's official: Royal Caribbean will revamp its main dining room menu with a look and offerings beginning in January 2023.

After a few weeks of testing on Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has confirmed a new menu will replace the existing menu, beginning in January.

This is the first new dining room menu in over five years for the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean cautioned that the exact menu selections may change, so test menus that have been used so far may not be the final product.

New menu arrives in January

Royal Caribbean had been quietly testing a new menu on Symphony of the Seas, which was first spotted in November.

Over the last few weeks, the cruise line sought to capture guest feedback about the changes and make appropriate tweaks.

Speaking at the naming ceremony on Wonder of the Seas this weekend, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the new menu changes are going to proceed forward.

"We got all the written feedback. I think the food and beverage team has done an amazing job in making sure we're responsive to that. Our plan is to is to roll out the new menus starting in January," Mr. Bayley said when a travel agent asked for further information on the test.

Mr. Bayley also talked about hesitation related to a new menu.

"We're very thoughtful and conscious about any changes that we make. But we do think that where we're heading with the new menus is going to be better and more enjoyable."

In an exclusive interview, Linken D'Souza, Global Vice President Culinary, Dining & Beverage, talked in greater detail about the new menus.  He added that the current plan is to begin the new menu deployment in January, and by early February, it should be available on all ships across the fleet.

"We'll get that data back really probably by the end of December. We'll review that over the holidays. And then as we come back, post the New Year's week, we will start a deployment on the new menu across the fleet."

"It'll probably roll fairly quickly because we want it to be consistent across the fleet as quickly as we can."

Making dinner faster

Why the change? The top reason according to Royal Caribbean is swiftness of service.

In responding to a question about the new menu, Mr. Bayley said that a top complaint from passengers has been how long dinner can take some times.

"It's also fair to say that we get a lot of feedback from customers who do want to have a slightly faster service."

He was quick to add dinner is not planned to become as fast as possible either, "I would say there is no intention to rush somebody through that dinner."

"It's your choice and all you have to do is tell your waiter, 'I don't want to rush service. We want to enjoy our time.'" 

Adding to Mr. Bayley's point, Mr. D'Souza explained the issue with how long dinner can sometimes take, "today, our dining experience takes 120 plus minutes, in some cases for larger parties, at least 95 minutes for a party two. That's a really long dining experience."

So how long should dinner take? Royal Caribbean thinks the magic number is around 75 minutes.

"The first thing will help us do is improve the speed of the pace of the meal," Mr. D'Souza explained.

"Not hugely, but let's call it about 15 minutes is what we're seeing, which is a significant reduction, gets us much closer to that 75 minute target for what our guest experiences is really what what we have looked at in the research. And they said that's kind of what the guest ideal dining experience time."

"Hotter, fresher, more consistently plated, beautiful food"

Besides speed of service, Mr. D'Souza thinks this new menu will result in a better experience for guests.

"I think holistically, when you look at both the service experience we create with the theming of the nights and then the food that's layered in and then the consistency. And quality improvements that you're going to see hotter, fresher, more consistently plated, beautiful food."

He admitted up until now, that has not been the case and it bothered him, "my frustration with that is I want to deliver a more consistent and great quality experience for our guests versus a hit and miss experience."

An updated menu also allows the dining experience to be more consistent, which is a major concern for Mr. D'Souza.

"You make a French onion soup that doesn't taste the same on every ship or look the same, and frankly, that's not acceptable to me."

"I would rather our guests have a very clear understanding and expectation of what they're going to get. And they either love it or hate it. That's okay. But if you love it, I want it to be the same amount of love for that dish. Whether you came today and you came 16 months back and you ate once in the Caribbean and next time in Europe, it should taste exactly the same."

Easing the load on crew members

An ancillary benefit of the menu is the realities of the legacy menu and its impact on the workload for crew members.

"Frankly, the workload for the crew, it's not manageable anymore with the amount of special requests."

"We're putting some structure on the process to really be more diligent in how we how we operate the dining space."

He also acknowledged that there are a lot of new crew members, and the restart process since 2021 has been a challenge that didn't exist years ago.

"We have more what we call new roles in our business than we've ever had. And these are new employees who have the depth and length of experience. So we've got a lot of new employees who simply are still learning."

Final menu not set yet

While the plan is to have the dinner menus change across the fleet beginning in January, the exact menus are not set yet.

Mr. D'Souza talked about the timeline for finalizing the menu, "The menu that is currently on Symphony will go through some iteration from the themes themselves to the items that guests like."

"The theme nights you've seen are not necessarily theme nights that you're going to see when we launch. So there may be some modifications based on the feedback."

In fact, there will be additional themed nights for longer sailings.

According to Mr. D'Souza, they are also working on menus for 8, 9 and 10 night cruises.

Feedback so far from guests

Royal Caribbean has received lots of reviews of the menu changes from its passengers, both loyal cruisers and first timers.

According to Mr. Bayley, consumer research teams were sent onboard Symphony of the Seas during the trial to talk focus groups of customers.

"We always do find that when you do these changes, you get, especially with our loyal customers who are very much used to their routine, we do get more feedback and sometimes negative feedback from our loyal customers because they like, they enjoy the way it was," Mr. Bayley explained when talking about the menu change.

"But we also find that our new customers and new to cruise enjoy the new menu."

"We're working our way through it. We're very responsive to the feedback."

You might be curious what the feedback looks like, and Mr. D'Souza provided additional context.

Royal Caribbean has a team of six people onboard the ship that are doing in-person meetings with guests, along with the email surveys that have been sent out to many more. The team onboard has met with at least 30-40 guests every day of the cruise to get their opinions.

"Overwhelmingly, the feedback for all of the teams, has been exceptionally positive."

Guests not happy with the change? Try it first

Mr. D'Souza appears keenly aware of the initial negative comments he read online when the new menu was first spotted, but he hopes people will judge the menus onboard the ship and not just in the vacuum of the internet. 

"We understand that it's going to be some people who are not really thrilled about all the changes."

"What I would ask for is I would ask for the opportunity for people to really try the experience themselves and not prejudge it before they've been on the ship."

He added that when the new menus roll out in January, the offerings are not set in stone. Additional feedback will be reviewed to make further refinements.

"We don't stop taking feedback after we start the new menu."

"If there's four or five modifications we can make, we'll iterate and make those changes. If there's a theme that's not working and we're seeing a lot of dissatisfaction on a specific day within the cruise period, we'll review that experience."

Good news, we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!  In case you missed any of the Royal Caribbean fun from this week, here is our weekly round up!

Icon of the Seas reached its next major construction milestone this week.

The new ship was floated out of the dry dock and into its outfitting dock at the Meyer Werft shipyard.

Essentially, Icon has moved from a dry dock to a wet dock.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean CEO: Chat feature in app will be free starting in 2023
• Royal Caribbean adds price tracker feature in new cruise search update
• 22 new trademarks that are probably things to do on Icon of the Seas
• Answers to Wonder of the Seas questions our readers wanted to know
• Best cabins to book for an Alaska cruise
• New Royal Caribbean Sky Junior Suite with benefits: average or epic?
• How different is a 3-night vs 4-night cruise?
• How much does a cruise cost?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 478th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a look at Matt's cruise on Odyssey of the Seas.

Matt is back from an 8-night Odyssey of the Seas cruise to the Southern Caribbean and shares what he liked and didn't like about this cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: How 'Back To Normal' is a Cruise?

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — How 'Back To Normal' is a Cruise? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

7 TikTok cruise tips and if they actually work

I reviewed 7 cruise tips shared by people on TikTok.

Just like anything on the internet, just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true.  So I wanted to check out the top cruise advice to see which tips were being shared and if I agreed with them or not.

I found 7 popular videos that cover various aspects of going on a cruise with tips and tricks that I thought were worth evaluating since they had fairly high view counts.

Royal Caribbean reveals new restaurants, bars, and activities on Icon of the Seas

More venues were revealed that we can expect to see on Icon of the Seas.

A variety of bars, restaurants, and activities were shared by Royal Caribbean that not only announced what they are, but also shared new concept art for each one.

5 real-life places that inspired Royal Caribbean cruise ship design

Did you know some of Royal Caribbean's best known activities and onboard features were ideas that came from places in the real world?

When new cruise ships are being designed, ideas come from different sources, including well-known locales.

Here are five things on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that you could recognize as being similar or alluding to places you may have visited.

Allure of the Seas was the world's largest cruise ship at one point, and she remains one of the best Royal Caribbean cruise ships you can pick to sail!

Allure of the Seas is a destination within itself that offers more than enough to do, experience, and eat for guests of all ages. From adrenaline-filled activities like surfing and zip lining to enjoying world class, diverse cuisine, there’s no shortage of ways to keep busy onboard.

If you’re considering a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, be sure to read through this planning guide to ensure your cruise vacation is off to a great start. Let’s jump in!

Allure of the Seas overview

Allure of the Seas is the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class, and her inaugural sailing was on December 1, 2010.

She is currently the fifth largest cruise ship in the world, with a length of 1,187 feet and gross tonnage of 225,282. Allure of the Seas has a capacity of 6,780 guests and 2,200 crew, bringing her total capacity to 8,930 passengers!

Allure of the Seas neighborhoods

Like all Oasis Class ships, Allure of the Seas is split into neighborhoods, each with their own activities and amenities. These neighborhoods help spread out crowds and provide unique experiences around the ship.

Here are the neighborhoods found on Allure of the Seas:

1. The Boardwalk, an outdoor neighborhood with a carousel, arcade, candy and ice cream shop, hot dogs, Johnny Rockets, and Mexican restaurant
2. Pool & Sports Zone, the top decks of Allure of the Seas with pools, hot tubs, and signature activities on the Sports Court
3. Central Park, a quieter, outdoor oasis with plants, trees, and flowers. Central Park is also home to three specialty restaurants, retail stores, and bars
4. The Royal Promenade, the main indoor thoroughfare on Allure of the Seas with bars, lounges, shopping, and dining venues
5. Entertainment Place, the hub of entertainment venues with an ice skating rink, theater, casino, comedy club, jazz club, and nightclub
6. Youth Zone, home to Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean kids programming
7. Vitality Spa & Fitness, a spa, salon, and fitness center

The distinct neighborhoods on Allure of the Seas mean there is something for everyone onboard, whether you're looking to relax at Central Park or get your adrenaline pumping on the Sports Court.

What makes Allure of the Seas different from other Oasis Class ships?

Allure of the Seas is the only “original” Oasis Class cruise ship left, meaning she has not received her amplification and therefore does not have several features and activities found on other ships in the class.

Other Oasis Class cruise ships have features like water slides, the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, Royal Caribbean’s newest restaurants, and escape rooms.

While Allure of the Seas may not have these activities and amenities, she offers plenty of unique opportunities not found on other Oasis Class ships, including a Brazilian steakhouse, champagne bar, Sabor Mexican restaurant, and more.

Related: The Oasis Class features that are only left on Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas dining & beverage

Like all Oasis Class cruise ships, there is no shortage of places to eat on Allure of the Seas. Everything from hot dogs to hibachi and tacos are available, and you’re sure to find something to please everyone in your travel party.

Complimentary restaurants are available onboard, but there are also several options for specialty restaurants. Specialty restaurants come at an extra charge, but they offer cuisines and cooking styles not found elsewhere on the ship, and can offer a more upscale dining experience than the complimentary venues.

Allure of the Seas complimentary dining options:

• Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Cafe
• Solarium Bistro
• Park Cafe
• Cafe Promenade
• Sorrento’s Pizza
• Boardwalk Dog House
• Wipeout Cafe
• Vitality Cafe
• Coastal Kitchen (suites only)
• Room service (continental breakfast only)
• Johnny Rockets (breakfast only)

Allure of the Seas specialty dining options:

• Chops Grille
• Giovanni’s Table
• Izumi Hibachi & SUshi
• 150 Central Park
• Sabor
• Samba Grill
• Vintages Wine Bar
• Cups & Scoops (cupcakes and ice cream)
• Starbucks
• Johnny Rockets (lunch and dinner)
• Chef’s Table

You may want to consider purchasing a dining package if you plan to eat at specialty restaurants on Allure of the Seas.

Related: How to know if you should buy a Royal Caribbean dining package

Allure of the Seas has two restaurants found on just a few Royal Caribbean cruise ships: Samba Grill and Sabor. Because these restaurants are only found on one or two other cruise ships, they can offer a unique dining experience for those who cruise frequently with Royal Caribbean.

Related: I tried Royal Caribbean’s least well-known specialty restaurant: here’s what I thought

Allure of the Seas Bars & Lounges

Just like dining venues, there’s no shortage of places to find a refreshing drink on Allure of the Seas. Whether you’re in the mood for a soda, cocktail, smoothie, or glass of wine, you’ll find plenty of places to get a drink onboard.

One unique feature on Allure of the Seas is the Champagne Bar, which offers a selection of martinis. One of the most popular is the Cucumber Martini, made with cucumber, basil, Monin lemongrass syrup, Sweet and Sour, and Grey Goose vodka.

Another classic bar on Allure of the Seas and other Oasis Class ships is the Rising Tide Bar. This bar travels up and down 3 stories from the Royal Promenade to Central Park, making for a unique drinking experience.

Other bars on Allure of the Seas include:

• Pool & Solarium bars
• Wipeout Bar
• Trellis Bar
• Vintages Wine Bar
• Dazzles Lounge
• Schooner Bar
• On Air Club
• Bow & Stern English Pub
• Sabor Bar

If you plan to enjoy several drinks every day of the cruise, it may be worth purchasing a beverage package. Royal Caribbean’s drink packages are unlimited, so you can enjoy as many drinks as you’d like without worrying about the cost per beverage.

Related: Royal Caribbean Drink Package Info, Tips, Pros & Cons

Shows & Entertainment

All Royal Caribbean cruise ships are known for offering top-notch, complimentary entertainment, but Oasis Class ships take entertainment to the next level. With diving performances, ice-skating, a Broadway show, and endless live music choices, there’s plenty of ways to keep busy on Allure of the Seas.

In the AquaTheater guests can enjoy Oceanaria, an undersea-themed production combining aerialists, acrobats, and high divers. From acrobats standing on each other’s heads to jumping off a diving platform 30 feet in the air, the show is sure to impress all guests.

One of the best entertainment features on Allure of the Seas is the full-length Broadway musical, Mamma Mia. This 2.5 hour production is included in your cruise fare and is a highlight of the cruise for many passengers.

There’s also Ice Games, the signature ice-skating show in Studio B, which features a talented international ice cast who spin, dance, jump, and flip on the ice. The show is inspired by Monopoly and is a “game” in which cast members roll a dice, taking them to different areas onboard Allure of the Seas.

Outside of signature production shows, you’ll find live music and other events happening throughout the cruise, including:

• Guitar music at the English pub
• Piano music at Schooner Bar
• Jazz band at Jazz of 4
• Live music in Central Park
• Game shows
• Trivia
• Karaoke

To find out more about what is happening onboard each day of the cruise, be sure to download the Royal Caribbean app and check the daily schedule. Making reservations to signature production shows is important, too, and it’s recommended that you do so as soon as you get onboard on embarkation day.

Related: 30 Do’s and Don’ts for the first day of your cruise

Pool deck

With a capacity of nearly 7,000 guests, it’s important to have plenty of pool space on Allure of the Seas, and you’ll find several areas to keep cool on warm Caribbean days.

The pool deck on Allure of the Seas has three main pools, one pool area for kids, and several jacuzzis.

Parents with young children will enjoy the H20 Zone, a splash park featuring water geysers, a small whirlpool, and hot tubs.

The main pool areas are open every day of the cruise, although they may occasionally be used for activities like the belly flop competition, pool volleyball, fitness classes, swimming laps, etc.

Related: Everything you wanted to know about Royal Caribbean’s pools

Also on the pool deck are four bars, a suites-only sun deck, and an area for live bands to play reggae, rock, and contemporary hits throughout the day.

Solarium

In addition to the main pool deck is an adults-only Solarium for guests aged 16 and above. Inside the Solarium is one pool and four hot tubs, two of which cantilever over the side of Allure of the Seas. Padded lounge chairs and other comfortable seating are also available.

Related: Everything about Royal Caribbean’s Solarium

The Solarium is also home to the Solarium Bistro, a complimentary dining venue open for breakfast and lunch, and Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse in the evenings.

Signature activities on Allure of the Seas

Oasis Class ships offer fun for all ages, and there are a variety of signature activities included in your cruise fare, including:

• The FlowRider, a surfing simulator for boogie boarding and standup surfing
• The zip line, soaring guests over the ship’s Boardwalk neighborhood
• Allure Dunes mini golf
• Sports Court for activities like soccer, basketball, pickleball, etc.
• Ping pong tables
• Ice skating in Studio B
• Carousel

There are also two arcades located on Allure of the Seas, but these come at an extra cost.

In addition, you’ll find a variety of activities throughout the day such as scavenger hunts, pool games, Boardwalk carnival, Royal Promenade parades, and more.

Adventure Ocean

Allure of the Seas offers Adventure Ocean programming for kids aged 6 months to 17 years. Kids are split into the following age groups:

• Royal Babies & Tots (6-36 months)
• Aquanauts (3-5)
• Explorers (6-8)
• Voyagers (9-11)
• Teen club (12-17)

Adventure Ocean programming is complimentary with the exception of Royal Babies & Tots, which has an hourly fee, and childcare after 10 PM.

Each age group has their own room for activities, and there is also an Imagination Studio for arts and crafts and a science lab for educational experiments. In addition, child-friendly movies are shown throughout the cruise at the Adventure Ocean Theater.

Teens have access to their own private lounge, The Living Room, and the Fuel Teen nightclub. There is also a private outdoor deck space for teenagers to enjoy.

Allure of the Seas staterooms

Allure of the Seas offers both traditional cruise ship cabins and a few alternatives only available on Oasis Class cruise ships. Each category offers a different layout, size, and experience, and there’s a stateroom to fit any budget.

Before picking a stateroom category for your cruise on Allure of the Seas, it’s important to consider your budget, what you’re looking for in a cruise experience, and which cabin will fit your family best.

Take a look at a few of our tips & tricks on picking the best stateroom for your cruise:

• What’s the best cruise ship cabin for my family?
• What is the best room on a cruise ship?
• Avoid these mistakes when picking a cruise ship cabin

On Allure of the Seas you’ll find interior staterooms, oceanview rooms, balcony cabins, and suites.

Interior cabins are the most budget-friendly option, meaning you can save money on the cruise fare and put it toward excursions, drink packages, dining packages, spa treatments, and other pre-cruise add-ons.

Related: I tried the best inside cruise ship cabin hacks to see how well they worked

Oceanview cabins have a porthole looking out toward the ocean, and they can be another budget-friendly option while having the benefit of a window view.

Balcony cabins are the most common choice for cruisers, and Allure of the Seas has three types of balcony cabins:

• Ocean View Balcony cabins
• Central Park Balcony cabins
• Boardwalk Balcony cabins

Central Park and Boardwalk Balcony cabins are unique to Oasis Class cruise ships. Unlike an ocean view balcony, they don’t offer a full ocean view, but they look out into their respective neighborhoods.

Central Park balconies allow guests to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the ship’s park and listen to live music in the evenings. Boardwalk balconies, on the other hand, offer a more lively atmosphere and come with a partial ocean view.

Related: Are Boardwalk balcony cabins too loud?

A variety of suites are also available on Allure of the Seas, from a basic Junior Suite to lavish AquaTheater and Loft Suites.

Allure of the Seas offers the Royal Suite Class, an upgraded suite experience featuring a suites-only restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, suite sun deck with daybeds, suite lounge, and access to a Royal Genie (in select cabins).

Related: Royal Caribbean suites guide & review

Allure of the Seas itineraries

Allure of the Seas sails from Port Canaveral until until July 2024, where she will offer 3 and 4-night cruises to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Oasis Class cruise ships rarely sail itineraries shorter than 6 or 7 nights, so having regularly scheduled short cruises on Allure of the Seas makes for an excellent getaway on one of Royal Caribbean’s most impressive cruise ships.

What’s “missing” on Allure of the Seas?

Most comparisons of Allure of the Seas to other ships in the Oasis Class revolve around the fact that the ship is “missing” several activities, bars, and dining venues found on other ships. These include:

• The Ultimate Abyss, Royal Caribbean’s dry slide which plummets guests 100 feet from the Sports Court down to the Boardwalk neighborhood
• Waterslides
• Bionic Bar, the futuristic bar serving cocktails made by robotic bartenders
• Escape Room
• Laser Tag
• Wonderland, an eclectic specialty restaurant
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade

Personally, having these features missing does not make Allure of the Seas any less desirable to me. I rarely use the onboard waterslides or Ultimate Abyss, and while an escape room is fun, I can keep busy with other activities onboard. Plus, you can still find a zip line, sports court, 2 FlowRiders, Adventure Ocean programming, a carousel, and other kid-friendly activities on the ship.

That being said, not having waterslides could be considered a downside of Allure of the Seas for some passengers. Whereas other Oasis Class ships have three waterslides in addition to small slides at Splashaway Bay, Allure of the Seas does not have even one.

While there is more than enough to keep kids entertained on Allure, if your kids can’t wait to check out the waterslides onboard a cruise ship, it’s probably best to pick another ship in the Oasis Class or spend the day at Thrill Waterpark if your Allure cruise visits Perfect Day at CocoCay.

As far as dining and lounge venues are concerned, I did not have any complaints with what was available on Allure of the Seas. Being an Oasis Class ship, Allure of the Seas has a ton of places to eat and drink onboard even if she hasn’t been amplified.

Related: The Oasis Class features that are only left on Allure of the Seas

As someone who cruises frequently, it was refreshing to see a range of dining options on Allure of the Seas not found as commonly on other Royal Caribbean ships. I preferred my meals at Samba Grill and Sabor on Allure of the Seas much more than my dining experience at Wonderland (which can be found on other Oasis Class ships).

Related: I tried Royal Caribbean's least well-known specialty restaurant: here's what I thought

So perhaps we shouldn’t look at Allure of the Seas in the context of what’s missing, but what makes the ship unique.

What I loved about Allure of the Seas

Diamond Lounge location

One of the best perks of being a Diamond member in Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society is access to the Diamond Lounge.

Related: Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips & secrets

On every other Oasis Class ship, the Diamond Lounge is tucked into a room on Deck 4 with no windows. It’s not somewhere I enjoy spending time, as I’d rather be hanging out somewhere with an outside view.

On Allure of the Seas, however, this space has massive windows overlooking the Boardwalk neighborhood and ocean. 

Sabor Mexican restaurant

Something else I loved on Allure of the Seas was Sabor, Royal Caribbean’s Mexican specialty restaurant.

I didn’t have the highest expectations when I made a reservation at Sabor. Not only do I live in an area of the US with wonderful, authentic Mexican food, but I was on a cruise visiting Mexico. Surely the food at Sabor couldn’t compete with the food I enjoyed in port, right?

In reality, Sabor exceeded my expectations and I was kicking myself for waiting until the last day of the cruise to dine there.

We savored a meal of guacamole (customized to your spice preference!), pico de gallo, quesadillas, fish and chicken tacos, and queso fundido.

Despite feeling completely stuffed after way too much guacamole, I made room for a mouthwatering dessert of cinnamon churros, banana and chocolate chimichanga, flan, and cafe con leche.

Endless guacamole, tacos, and churros? Yes, please!

Entertainment options

The ship’s AquaTheater show, OceanAria, may have been the best AquaTheater show I’ve seen yet. It had a huge focus on acrobatics, including an insanely impressive acro yoga performance. I wish I had seen the show more than once! While all AquaTheater shows on Oasis Class ships are entertaining, I enjoyed OceanAria the most.

Additionally, the ship’s Studio B show, Ice Games, was one of my favorite ice skating shows to date. I have a hard time understanding the plot of most ice skating shows, but Ice Games was easy to follow. The show revolved around a Monopoly game in which the cast members (or guests!) rolled a die that would transport the set to an area of Allure of the Seas.

The ice skating rink changed from Giovanni’s Table to the Boardwalk and Arcade, and the whole show was beyond fun to watch!

Central Park

Something I love about sailing on the “older” ships in the Oasis Class (Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas) is that the plants and trees in Central Park have had over ten years to grow. The park is full of tall, lush trees and massive plant walls that are much more impressive than on the newer Oasis Class ships.

As someone who loves spending time in Central Park, I liked how the space felt more integrated with nature on Allure of the Seas compared to the newer ships.

Related: Top 10 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas insider tips & secrets

Cheaper pricing

Perhaps the best benefit of cruising on Allure of the Seas is that prices are often the lowest of any Oasis Class ship. Because she has not been amplified and thus lacks activities like waterslides and new dining venues, Royal Caribbean prices her itineraries at a reasonable cost.

My 6-night cruise, for example, was $1152 for two guests in a Boardwalk balcony cabin including gratuities. At $192 per night ($96 per person, per night), I felt it was a great deal for sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s biggest cruise ships.

Considering a cruise on Allure of the Seas? Check out more of our advice for planning the best cruise vacation:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?