Royal Caribbean Blog

There are all sorts of ways you can spend extra and plus up your day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, including one that's back from the dead.

Ever since Royal Caribbean enhanced its Bahamas private island with expanded choices in how to spend your time, it has been a home run with guests who have continuously rate the experience quite highly.

Among the choices of where you can spend your day is Thrill Waterpark, which is an extra cost area that includes waterslides, a wave pool, and more.  It's a very popular spot for families.

A new option has appeared in the Cruise Planner for admission to this area that hasn't been available in many years.

The return of a waterpark pass

Up until this week, Royal Caribbean only offered a full day waterpark admission pass for its guests.

The full day pass includes all day access to the waterpark, and it's been the standard way to get in (in addition to renting a Thrill Waterpark cabana, which also includes admission to the area).

Royal Caribbean has added back the half day waterpark pass to the choices.

The Thrill Waterpark — Half Day Pass is valid for the afternoon only and is listed as providing 3 hours of park time.

There's no indication of what time exactly the half day pass is valid for, but it's significantly cheaper than the full day pass.

For the Utopia of the Seas July 4th sailing, the full day pass is $147.38 and the half day pass is $92.38.  That's a 37% discount. A sale that ended last night brought both prices down to $105.58 and $67.08, respectively.

Royal Caribbean had removed the half day pass years ago

What's surprising about this option coming back is that it had been gone for a long time.

Sometime in 2019, Royal Caribbean pulled the plug on these passes and began removing them as bookable choices.

It was speculated the problem was how to police the half day passes. Royal Caribbean did away with wristbands in favor of the SeaPass card being a virtual admission ticket in.

Since the new pass is only for the afternoon, denying entry until after lunch makes it simpler to ensure only the right people are allowed in at a given time.

Half day passes offer a cheaper way to get slide time

Bringing back half day passes is a more affordable way to get into the waterpark, especially for those on a budget.

Plus, some guests simply want to hit a few slides and not commit all day to the area. This can be true of families with young children, who are limited to the slides they can go on because of height restrictions.

Moreover, it means guests can enjoy other parts of the island.

Royal Caribbean offers a lot to do around CocoCay, including various beaches and pools.  There are even other extra cost areas, such as the adults-only Hideaway Beach or elevated Coco Beach Club.

Having an afternoon only pass could also be a logistical play for the cruise line.

The reality is a lot of passengers begin returning to the ship after lunch, regardless of how much time the ship is docked at CocoCay.

Lines develop quickly for the waterslides at Thrill Waterpark, and it's the main issue with any waterslide.  However, as the day goes on, people start to leave.

By 2pm, wait times for water slides can drop substantially and it's possible Royal Caribbean sees this as an opportunity to let more people into the park at a reduced price.

This provides a win-win scenario for all: Royal Caribbean makes more revenue and guests can take advantage of reduced admission cost.

Is a waterpark pass worth it?

Thrill Waterpark can be a fun day enjoying all the exhilarating slides, but is it a good value?

There are three admission types for Thrill Waterpark:

• Full day pass
• Half day pass
• Thrill Waterpark cabana

Depending on how much you pay, it can greatly dictate the value proposition.

The price of admission varies depending on what ship you are sailing on, as well as when your cruise is set to commence. Like other add-ons, Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing to determine the cost. 

There are eight different slides within the park, plus a wave pool, and an obstacle course pool named Adventure Pool that has lily pads, a rope swing, a rock wall, and more. 

The slides are spread across two towers.

Your admission also includes choice of beach chairs and umbrella. Plus, there's a Snack Shack location within the park.

The half day pass brings the price down, but you've only got a few hours to try it all.

One downside to the half day pass is it's for the afternoon only.  The reality is you won't get every minute out of that pass because you have to be back on the ship.

For example, if the pass is for the afternoon and the all aboard time is 5pm, the reality is you won't be going down a waterslide at 4:59pm.  Through a combination of repeated announcements and a sense of responsibility will mean you'll likely head back to the ship well before 5pm. 

That means the last hour of the day is likely not very useful.

On the other hand, while a full day pass offers much more time, you may run into a different prohibition.

Lines develop quickly for the slides as the day goes on. Ideally, you'll head off the ship early and do as many slides as you can before 10am. But the worst wait times for slides will be between 10am and 2pm, meaning you'll either wait in long lines or end up doing something else. 

Ultimately, Thrill Waterpark is a fun spot for families and if you've never been, the slides are fantastic.  I like there are varying degrees of thrills and they're not all gut-wrenching screamers. 

The key is to track prices and keep an eye out for a good sale that brings the price down. If you can get admission for a lower than average price, it can make the purchase worthwhile.

Ever since Oasis of the Seas began offering cruises in 2009, these massive ships have sailed weeklong cruises.  But Royal Caribbean is going to change all of that, and it's not sitting well with some cruise fans.

The introduction of Utopia of the Seas to the short cruise market when she debuted was unconventional, but since it was just one ship most people overlooked the decision as simply something different to do with that ship.

Royal Caribbean's idea was to use an impressive new ship to offer the best short cruise option in the market and gobble up the lion share of the new to cruise customers. That gets them hooked on cruising, and subsequently a "loyal to Royal" fan in the same way new moms who are given one brand of diapers tend to only use them.

However, that decision has proven very successful, as it drew many new cruisers while being quite profitable too.

With this formula a proven success, the decision was made to have more Oasis Class ships sail these short routes instead of a 7-night cruises.

That shift in strategy unleashed a torrent of feedback from cruisers that lament the idea of short cruises for their lack of port diversity, higher per-night pricing, and unattractiveness to travel to sail to these cruises.

Quickie cruises on big ships

Joining Utopia of the Seas in the short cruise market will be Wonder of the Seas later this year.

Wonder of the Seas will shift to Miami and offer 3- and 4-night cruises that visit just two places: Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

That puts Royal Caribbean's two newest Oasis Class ships offering weekend cruises.

Fast forward to winter 2026-2027, more of these ships make the change.

Harmony of the Seas will move to Port Canaveral to offer 4- and 5-night cruises. The five night voyages combine a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay with Cozumel, Mexico. The four nighters will visit Nassau, Bahamas and CocoCay.

Oasis of the Seas will be based from Fort Lauderdale, and just like Utopia and Wonder, will offer 3- and 4-night cruises out of Port Everglades to The Bahamas, including Royal Caribbean's private island.

Lastly, Allure of the Seas will be based in Miami in winter 2026-2027 and sail a mix of short and weeklong cruises.  It's not quite a full commitment to short cruises, but you'll find a smattering of them.

That really leaves just Symphony of the Seas as the only Oasis Class ship to offer only weeklong cruises from Galveston, Texas.

So if you're in the market for a 7-night cruise from Florida on one of Royal Caribbean's newest ships, that leaves the Icon Class.

Icon of the Seas is sailing out of Miami, and Star of the Seas will start sailing 7-night itineraries from Port Canaveral this summer. 

The third Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, will first sail in Europe before offering 7-night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale.

Why cruise fans aren't happy with the plan

Offering more short cruises on big ships may seem like a good play for the market, but some cruisers hate the idea.

When we shared this shift in cruise offerings on YouTube, it generated a lot of comments with many people explaining why they simply don't like it.

"If I'm on a bigger ship, I want at least 7 nights," wrote BethNeutze.

MikeK02048 posted, "For those of us that live a plane ride away from the ports, it makes no sense to book a 3-4 night cruise.  Airfare is too expensive."

shernik1 added, "Many people, myself included, cannot afford the outrageous prices of the Icon ships. I can't believe that Florida, with the most and biggest cruise ports, will have no 7 or more day cruises on Oasis ships."

"So unless Royal has a 7-9 day cruise that meets our needs, we'll be sailing with another cruise line."

For some, this change is an afront to being loyal to the cruise line. BEYONDYOURIQ wrote, "Never forget who supported you for years. Take care of those who took care of you."

"I hate this trend from RCCL. My loyalty and Crown & Anchor status will only carry you so far, Royal," is what RealBkay45 wrote.

"The shorts market is the on-ramp"

Offering short cruises on impressive ships is about bringing more new customers to the market, and that's behind this strategy shift.

In the lead up to the launch of Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International President CEO Michael Bayley spoke at a conference about the importance of these sailings.

"Please acknowledge and understand that the shorts market is the on-ramp for customers who are new to cruising. It's a way to secure new customers if they end up loving the product."

Maximizing the ports of call

One thing that will change soon is what you can do at these ports on short cruises.

Royal Caribbean is actively working to open its first beach club experience in Nassau, which directly addresses customer complaints about not liking that port.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in December 2025 to offer an exclusive retreat to Royal Caribbean passengers.

The club is located near where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, and will have beaches and pools, three swim-up bars, seven beach bars, and more than 40 cabanas.

It's the coup de gras for weekend Bahamas cruises, given the tremendous success of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The hope is while the sailings are short, they offer highly rated ports to compliment award winning ships.

We are just four months from the launch of Star of the Seas, and the ship is quickly taking form as it readies to debut.

This isn't just another new ship, it's the highly-anticipated follow-up to the incredible Icon of the Seas. Icon set a new standard for all cruise ships, and similar to a blockbuster movie, the question is can the sequel measure up.

Royal Caribbean is still working on the ship as it's under construction in Turku, Finland, but photos appeared online showing much progress is being made.

Instagram user aleksandrjackov shared photos from around the ship as it's being worked on.

If you're like me, you're so excited for the new ship to launch and these photos are a glimpse of what's coming.

Building on Icon's success

One thing you'll notice about Star of the Seas is just how much it continues with what worked the first time with Icon of the Seas.

Both ships started construction around the same time, similar to how Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas did two decades ago.

We'll know more once the ship allows the public onboard, but we can expect a number of tweaks and enhancements from Icon.

One thing that's clear from the photos is how much progress has already been made on the ship.

While the Royal Promenade is still being worked on, it has the look of being what we'd expect once it opens.

This is the area of the ship you'll first encounter when you board Star of the Seas.

Compared to other Royal Caribbean ships, the Royal Promenade on Icon is different in size and scope. At 362 feet long, the Royal Promenade is longer than a football field,

It's two decks high and also has ocean views with floor-to-ceiling windows.

One change we can't see yet is The Pearl, which Royal Caribbean said would be visually improved.

The Pearl on Icon of the Seas

This three-deck high sphere is a multi-sensory experience built with 3,000 kinetic tiles. 

Expect multi-color rings, which provides richer color that extends throughout the iconic feature of this ship class.

Of course, it's also home to Giovanni's Table and Spotlight Karaoke.

The placement of Giovanni's on the Royal Promenade was a controversial change given they moved it to such a public and loud space.

It's a bold idea, but it does offer a great people watching wine bar that comes with it.

Down on the first level of the Promenade is the English Pub, and it's one of my go-to spots each evening.

The family vacation alternative to Orlando

Star of the Seas isn't just a new cruise ship to make you think twice about other ships, it's being positioned to compete with the family vacation capital.

Royal Caribbean is homeporting Star of the Seas in Port Canaveral, which is less than an hour from the Orlando theme parks.

Success for this new ship is defined as luring new cruisers to try a cruise at the expense of a Disney World or Universal Studios trip.

Cruises offer a better value proposition than land resorts, but it also is packed with lots for families to love.

The new ship has an entire waterpark onboard and will have a revamped family area.

Royal Caribbean is updating the Surfside neighborhood and will tweak its offering to appeal to older school kids.

Plus, the kids club areas are getting freshened up as well.

When you add in the incredible shows and entertainment, Royal Caribbean thinks they have the perfect array of ways to have fun every day of the cruise.

One of the best enhancements Royal Caribbean has made to its pre-cruise planning has been extended.

Specialty dining has long been one of the most popular add-ons for a cruise. Royal Caribbean has invested heavily in offering new cuisines and experiences for its customers to enjoy. Going beyond the Main Dining Room and Windjammer, some cruisers want different dining choices.

Dining packages aren't new, but for the longest time there was a major caveat that you had to wait until you boarded the ship to book restaurant reservations.

Luckily, all that changed last year when Royal Caribbean introduced a way to book individual restaurant times with the Unlimited Dining Package before the cruise began.

However, it left one package unavailable to pre-book.

Royal Caribbean extends functionality to the 3-night dining package

In addition to being able to pre-book restaurants with the Unlimited Dining Package, that option now works with the three night dining package.

Up until now, it was just the Unlimited Dining Package that offered it.

RCB reader Steve Wilson alerted us to the new option, and here's how it works:

Login into Royal Caribbean's website and go to the Cruise Planner for your sailing.

Go to the Dining section, and choose the Unlimited Dining Package.

Click the Reserve button and then select the people you want the package for, and click add to cart.  At this point, you wait for each day's options to open up, with the ability to select times for each restaurant.

Be sure to follow through and make payment for the dining package to lock in your day and times.

You'll have the choice to make reservations for dinner or lunch (when available), and it even indicates which times are available and which are sold out.

Just as before, it appears you cannot pre-reserve restaurants if you have already booked the dining package previously. You could cancel and rebook the dining package, but you'd be subject to the prevailing rates for it.

This new functionality still doesn't work with the Chops Grille + Your Choice option.

In our testing, I also noticed it doesn't yet work with Star of the Seas.

A major improvement for cruisers

With the addition of the three night package to become pre-bookable, it reduces stress for guests looking to lock in their reservations.

Because you couldn’t make any dining reservations until you boarded the ship under the old system, it created anxiety about getting times.

Worse yet, it added an errand to do once onboard the ship.  This often lead to long lines at restaurants with people trying to book reservations.

Embarkation day is busy to begin with, but Royal Caribbean did not want its guests running around the ship on the first day of their vacation doing a task like this. They want them to start off their trip enjoying it all. 

With the ability to pre-reserve restaurants, it makes embarkation day much easier and makes purchasing a dining package much more compelling.

Having seen how helpful the change was with the Unlimited package, the fact the 3 night package can now enjoy this functionality is a big win for cruise fans.

I'm all for eliminating pain points, especially on the first day of the cruise when it feels the most difficult to get into vacation mode because so much is happening.

Unlimited Dining Package vs. 3 Night Dining Package

Which dining package makes more sense to buy?

Both dining packages can save you money compared to trying to book individual restaurants on your own. Think of it like a bulk discount, where Royal Caribbean is incentivizing you to eat at more specialty restaurants in exchange for a reduced price.

The question of which dining package depends largely on your preferences and which ship you are sailing on.

The bigger, newer ships have more specialty restaurant choices. Plus, they also have the newest dining concepts offered. 

While smaller ships may not have as much variety, they still offer dining choices that go beyond the complimentary options.

If you're planning to eat at more than two specialty restaurants on your cruise, there's a good chance a dining package will save you money.

Be aware that both packages have surcharges at certain restaurants that you'll have to pay on top of the dining package price:

• Izumi Hibachi/Teppanyaki — $15
• Wonderland by DaDong — $25
• Royal Railway: Adult — $50, Child — $25
• Chef's Table & Holiday Dinners — $50
• Izumi Omakase — $60
• Empire Supper Club — $130

For ships with the following venues with a la carte pricing, you’ll receive a $20 food credit: 

• English Pub
• Fish & Ships
• Giovanni’s Wine Bar
• Playmakers
• Portside BBQ
• Trellis Bar
• Vintages
• Izumi in the Park: you’ll receive a $10 food credit. 

Children ages 0-5 are complimentary.

The choice to go with the Unlimited Dining Package means you're effectively forgoing the included meals.

I usually consider which specialty restaurants are available on the ship, and how much repetition I'm willing to accept. 

The advantage of the 3 Night Dining Package is you can delve into a few nights out at specialty dining, but still return to the free options.

The Unlimited Dining Package is great for trying every restaurant on the ship, especially if you're new to cruising.

Did you miss any of this week's Royal Caribbean news? No worries, because we have you covered with our wrap-up of cruise news!

Royal Caribbean is pausing visits to its private beach in Haiti.

A number of sailings with scheduled visits to Labadee have been re-routed to avoid the troubled country, as security concerns warranted the change.

The cruise line hasn't made a formal policy change, but more than four ships have had scheduled visits swapped out with other ports.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean reveals 21 ways to party, dance, and show on its new Icon Class ship
• Royal Caribbean has a new way for you to get a cabana for less money
• How 4 cruise passengers got banned by Royal Caribbean for life
• Woman shares how she lost her job working on a cruise ship
• 4 Rules you're accidentally breaking on a cruise ship
• I bid $7,700 to upgrade my cabin on a Royal Caribbean ship to it's first class suite. I've never had a better cruise
• Not all Royal Caribbean cruise balconies are created equal: How to avoid the the wrong ones
• A 'secret suite' that has more space and privacy, and it feels like getting a free upgrade
• How to use price trackers to get the best deals on cruise drink packages and more
• Meet the meteorologist who decides if your cruise gets rerouted
• The unexpected place people are hiding for peace and quiet on Royal Caribbean
• Planning a summer cruise? 8 things I'd do now to prepare

New RCB Video: Allure of the Seas Walkthrough Ship Tour

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—Allure of the Seas AMPLIFIED Walkthrough Ship Tour 2025—don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!

Child fell between ship and dock at CocoCay

A child fell into the water at the pier of Perfect Day at CocoCay earlier this week.

Reports of the incident indicate the child fell into the water in the small gap between the ship and the dock.

Luckily, he was rescued safely.

6 surprising things Royal Caribbean didn't change on Allure of the Seas

While Royal Caribbean upgraded a lot of Allure of the Seas, a few omissions stood out.

We all have our own wish list of things that we'd like to see changed or replaced on any ship, and after looking through all the updates on Allure, there are a few I would have wanted too.

From swapping out restaurant ideas or adding more power plugs, here are the changes I wish Royal Caribbean made to Allure of the Seas.

The new rules of cruising from Orlando that you need to follow

Cruising from Port Canaveral and flying into Orlando? Let's go over the tenants everyone should follow for a great vacation.

Royal Caribbean is offering more cruises from the Orlando market than ever before, but its distance to the port adds a few nuances you don't typically find elsewhere in Florida.

If you're flying to Orlando International Airport in order to sail from Port Canaveral ("Orlando" as the cruise line marketing department refers to it), there are "rules" I'd recommend everyone follow to make it as easy as possible.

The free Royal Caribbean breakfast food that's worth it every time

It looks like Royal Caribbean is serving a new breakfast food that is quickly becoming a favorite among cruisers.

The cruise line’s new homemade cinnamon rolls have become “a new cult favorite” as more people discover them.

After one bite, we could tell these cinnamon rolls were unlike any pastry we had tried on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean passengers are upset about a controversial cruise etiquette rule

Chair hogs aren't a new problem, but it's still causing a stir.

A cruiser aboard Utopia of the Seas took to Reddit to share their frustration involving chair dogs during a recent sailing. 

In the brazen example, the chairs on the pool deck were reserved by 8:30am, frustrating many who couldn't believe how quickly the chair hogs acted.

Ever since Royal Caribbean started using dynamic pricing for drink packages, excursions, and internet access, finding a great deal on these optional add-ons has been a challenge.

If you're like me, you want to get the lowest price possible on them. No one wants to pay more than you have to.

Most people are relegated to simply checking back periodically in hopes of finding a lower price. 

While Royal Caribbean has done a better job at sending marketing emails and push notifications from its app to alert customers when sales begin, the reality is a new sale doesn't necessarily correlate to a lower price than what you paid.

A new online tool offers an easier way to track prices and save you money.

Price Tracker tool is free to use

Rather than logging in randomly to the Cruise Planner site to see what the price of a cruise add-on is right now, there's a tool for it.

RoyalPriceTracker.com is run by a cruise fan, and it offers a simple way to be notified if there's a lower price.

It's totally free to use this tool, as it's meant to be something for fans, by fans.

"We will help you save money on Excursion and Beverage Packages on your upcoming Royal Caribbean Cruise by tracking the prices and notifying you when the price drops!" is what the website advertises.

After creating a free account, you select your ship, sail date, and which item you want to track the price of.

Choices include:

• Drink packages
• Dining
• Spa
• Internet
• The Key
• Shore Excursions
• Photo Packages
• Arcade
• Onboard Activities

It's pretty much anything you can pre-book via Royal Caribbean's website or app.

You can select multiple items to add to your tracker.

That's it. Now you wait for something to happen.  The site periodically programmatically checks the current price and compares it to the original price when you added it to the tracker. All prices are currently displayed in USD.

In fact, there's historical data too. 

When I added the Deluxe Beverage Package for my upcoming Independence of the Seas cruise, I was able to see historical price data going back to December 2024.

It shows me that the average price has been $72.99 per person, per day, while the lowest price was $67.99 per person, per day.

The idea is simple, but it seems to work as it checks every day for new prices and that's usually often enough to get in on one of those lucrative 40% off drink package deals.

It tracks plenty more too

While I think the drink package is likely the most popular item people want to track, you can be alerted to plenty of other items too.

I was able to see upcoming shore excursions, and even browse them by day and port, rather than a laundry list of tours.

I like the ability to see Voom package and dining package price changes, as those are my most common buys.

How does it work?

RoyalPriceTracker doesn't disclose the "magic sauce", but it almost certainly uses some kind of a scraping method to find its information.

Since Royal Caribbean does not provide a commercial or public interface (known as an API) for developers to play with, it's probable that the site software has a means to access the Royal Caribbean site and programmatically check prices using a clever custom-built program.

Unrelated to RoyalPriceTracker, but another person built out their own open source price tracking software for Royal Caribbean prices.

In the case of this software, it relies on a Python programming language script to check publicly available information, "All the API calls are public and visible in the Firefox inspector. Everything in this code your browser is doing when you log into the Royal Caribbean website."

This tool would be run on your own computer, so the program would need to be run in perpetuity to constantly be able to track prices. But you have the code base and can run it on your schedule.

Consider it an option for advanced users only.

You still need to act to save money

Regardless of which tool you use, you have to do the final part and actually make the purchase.

None of the tools will cancel and repurchase anything for you.  In fact, neither tool uses your Royal Caribbean reservation number or login credentials.

What they do is give you a heads up when there's a price drop, and then you have to go in and make the purchase.

Royal Caribbean allows you to cancel and rebook any pre-cruise purchase without penalty, making it one of my favorite hacks to save money on a cruise.

Of course, you can do this on your own and continue to check manually, but in the meantime, there's an easier way.

How much would you pay to upgrade to one of the best suites on a Royal Caribbean ship?

Michael Poole had originally booked a 7-night cruise on Symphony of the Seas in a Junior Suite, but when the chance to bid to upgrade his cabin came up, he rolled the dice on it.

Star Class is the top tier level suite program, which includes the services of the Royal Genie. Think of the Genie as a blend of butler, concierge, and Willy Wonka.

When you stay in one of these suites, you basically have almost everything included and barely have to wait in any lines. Your Genie can escort you around the ship and get you past almost all the lines.

It's an incredible experience, but not cheap either.  You can expect the price of a Star Class suite for a weeklong cruise to start around $10,000 - $15,000 per person (based on double occupancy).

Michael shared his experience of why he decided to give it a try, and if it was worth spending so much more money.

I paid to upgrade from a "free" cabin

I paid $7,700 to upgrade to Royal Caribbean’s first class suite and I’ve never had a better cruise experience.   

Around a year ago I received a Royal Caribbean Casino Royale certificate for my casino play on a prior sailing.   The offer was for 6,500 casino points, which is valid for a free 7-night Junior Suite cruise.  While looking at all my offers I came across Symphony of the Seas out of Miami, Florida over my 40th Birthday.

Since I was celebrating such a milestone birthday, I wanted something bigger than a Junior Suite, so I called the casino department and asked what my options were to upgrade.  

During that phone call, they informed me I could move up to an Owners Suite for $2,200 more for 3 passengers.  I decided to pay the upgraded charge and have my first cruise in an Owners Suite. It would be my 90th cruise, and it seemed like a great way to splurge.

About 60 days prior to the cruise, I received the RoyalUp bid email asking if I wanted to place a bid on any cabins that might be available, so of course I had to make some bids.  

I placed a bid on the Star Loft Suite for $5,500, and I noticed it was actually still unsold but the website was asking for $21,500.  

One week prior to my cruise I couldn’t believe it, I received the email that they accepted my bid and I’m now sailing in Star Class!

This was something I’d never thought I’d get an opportunity to experience in all my cruises, so I went straight to Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel and learned what I would be experiencing.  

Treated like a VIP

From the moment you arrive to the terminal you are treated a VIP,  they took us right up a private elevator and our Royal Genie was waiting for us in the Suite Lounge.   

He took us right up to our cabin where we could drop our bags off and learned our schedule for the week.

My favorite perk in Star Class was the daily Starbucks sent to our room, a few times per day! 

Also, celebrating my birthday in Star Class was incredible, our Genie decorated our cabin and ensured we had all the essentials to having the best in suite party.  

I also loved going to shows and having popcorn already ready for us with our favorite evening beverages waiting to enjoy. 

Finally, the in room dining experience from any of the restaurants was something I’d just never experienced before.  

Was it worth the money?

While I never imagined going into this cruise in Star Class, it will be a sailing that I’ll never forget and having a Genie making everything perfect all week was unlike any cruise I’ve ever experienced.    

One of the perks of Star Class are all the things include in the cruise: 

• Drink package
• Internet access
• Ultimate dining package
• Daily laundry
• Daily gratuities
• So much more

But if you are wondering, I tipped my Genie $650, Stateroom attendant $220, and the assistant stateroom attendant $120.

I loved Star Class so much I booked the Star Loft suite again for the 10 year anniversary Royal Caribbean Blog Group cruise! 

Royal Caribbean has rules against reserving chairs, but that isn't stopping people from flagrantly taking up chairs.

Chair hogs are a perfect sea day's nightmare because as soon as you get to the pool deck, you realize there's no where to sit.

A cruiser aboard Utopia of the Seas took to Reddit to share their frustration involving chair dogs during a recent sailing. 

The post revealed that by 8:30am, all lounge chairs had been "taken" (i.e., claimed with Royal Caribbean's blue pool towels) near the splash pad and three pools. 

With over 300 comments, the post quickly gained traction, with some wondering why Royal Caribbean isn't enforcing its time policy, as it's a common problem on ships within the fleet. 

"I watched a group of ladies go out at 9 am and put their towels out for the family ( 10 loungers) and use the toppers that say 'No reserving lounge chairs' to secure the towel to the lounger. And a staff member up above watching, doing nothing," wrote pennynv.

"They did not actually use the seats till 1pm. Pissed me off. Some people are so entitled."

Albuwhatwhat added that these people aren't just reserving chairs for fifteen or twenty minutes. They're claiming the seats and going to breakfast or worse, back to bed. 

"Royal staff have policies against this but it just isn’t being enforced. I was on a cruise 3 weeks ago where we went swimming at 9am and only maybe 6 other people were there but every single lounger was 'claimed,'" they explain. 

Because of the cruise line's lack of action, others suggested moving the towels yourself

ConsiderationFun7511 added that they've never seen Royal Caribbean enforce its time policy for reserving chairs and have often taken matters into their own hands, saying, "Last cruise I went on, I watched a 'claimed' chair in the solarium be empty for a full hour. Shoes and towel. No one came back to the chair in that time, so I moved the stuff off to the side onto a different chair..."

"Probably 30-40 mins after we’re sitting there, a teen girl and her bf come in - from outside of the solarium- and she aggressively starts asking if I moved her stuff. I said nope, sorry!"

Others chimed in, claiming that it's easy to "mistake" your spot for someone else's when all the towels look the same. 

DrPanda82 commented, "Pick the seats you want, move that stuff to the lifeguard desk, enjoy."

"I would toss it all to the side. This isn’t assigned seating. These are not their chairs," added AZMadmax. 

One Reddit user suggests that Royal Caribbean should add more cubbies around the pool deck

While chair hogs are obviously frustrating to guests who want to utilize the pool deck on vacation, it's difficult for the crew to keep an eye on every lounge chair, especially on mega-ships like Utopia of the Seas. 

Cubbies are often available near waterslides, such as near The Blaster on Navigator of the Seas and the Category 6 Waterpark on Icon. 

However, one Reddit user thinks the chair hog situation would improve if there were more places for guests to safely store their belongings, rather than throwing them on the ground.

"I wish the ships had a [cubby] system. You put your glasses, bag, towel, whatever in the [cubby] and the seats are for actively sitting/sunning," says ArtisanGerard. 

They added that as long as they're free, they felt like they'd be used. ArtisanGerard even said they would use an open cubby without a door or lock, "not like a chair is [safer]."

Tips for beating chair hogs

If you unfortunately encounter chair hogs during your cruise vacation, consider these tips to make the most of your sea day. 

First, though you would think that getting up earlier would secure a prime spot on the pool deck, LongroddMcHugendong's Reddit post reveals that others are thinking the same thing, with most chairs being taken by 8:30am. 

Instead, consider staying onboard one port day. With fewer guests on the ship, you can take advantage of relatively empty pools, shorter buffet lines, and more. 

Read more: 5 best reasons to stay onboard the ship while in Perfect Day at CocoCay

Additionally, look for chairs away from the pool. Freedom of the Seas, for example, has a ton of lounge chairs overlooking the ship's wake near the FlowRider. 

You could also opt for a later dinner time and enjoy the pools once the majority of passengers return to their cabins to freshen up. 

On my recent Wonder of the Seas cruise, my partner and I decided to eat dinner in the Windjammer and enjoy fewer crowds in the hot tubs, and it made for a memorable night, even if we skipped the theater show. 

A more expensive option would be to rent a casita, though I think private cabanas are a waste of money. I rented one while on Celebrity Ascent last summer and wasn't impressed. 

While the shaded seating area was nice, it was too windy to fully enjoy it. Plus, the "exclusive" food menu wasn't much better than the seafood buffet. 

Casitas on sea days can cost as much as $300 or $400, making them a pricey investment. 

However, if you enjoy exclusive benefits, booking a suite with access to a private sundeck may meet your needs. In addition to the sundeck, cabins within the Royal Suite Class include an exclusive dining room, priority boarding, and more. 

As someone that cruises a lot, I've heard from other cruisers about "secret" cabins on Royal Caribbean ships.

When new ships come out, the layout of the ship sometimes creates unique configurations.  If you're creative enough, they can end up being a really smart idea.

Even though there are lots of suites available to book for a family to share, they can be very expensive and may not have more than one bathroom. If you have teenagers, this is important.

On Anthem of the Seas there's a trio of rooms you could book to hack together to create your own giant space with much more room than any suite.

But there's a catch: This trick won't include any of the suite perks.

Three cabins combined

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Jason Brooks shared this tip on how he recently went on Anthem of the Seas and took full advantage of this "three bedroom suite" idea.

If you look at the deck plans for Anthem of the Seas, there is a trio of rooms that combine together as the layout of the ship curves.

This occurs across decks 6 through 13 with the following grouping of cabin numbers:

• 230
• 232
• 228

• 632
• 630
• 628

Cabins ending in 232, 230 or 632, 630 have a private door that leads to the main door for each cabin. You can close the outside door, providing privacy to go between these two cabins.

The third cabin comes with the room ending in 228 or 628, as it's a standard balcony cabin with a connecting balcony.

If you can book all three rooms together for a sailing, you could get your own three bedroom suite, with space for everyone.

The Junior Suite is the "master bedroom" with 267 square feet of space

If you imagine these trio of cabins as rooms within a bigger suite, I'd imagine this would be the room the parents or leader of the group would take.

Greg Brockman took photos of this cabin on his sailing, showing off what you get.

For cabin 9632, it's a category J1 Junior Suite. Despite the name, it's not a full suite and doesn't have all the amenities of a Grand Suite.

Nonetheless, it's a big room that can handle up to four passengers.

There's a ton of natural light thanks to the double set of windows, one of which is the door to your balcony.

The room has a king size bed that can be combined or split up. There's also a double sofa bed in this room as well.

One thing I love about Quantum Class ships is how much storage space there is.  You certainly won't run out of space to put all your belongings, even on a longer sailing.

Not only does this room share a common private hallway with 9630, but the balcony is the secret sauce to all of this. It's balcony could open up to 9628 (balcony room).

The studio is perfect for kids or a friend

Next door to the Junior Suite is a Studio Interior cabin, and it's small, but perfect for one person.

Ordinarily booking someone in a room by themselves incurs a penalty known as the single supplement fee.  But studio rooms are exempt from this!

Kaitlyn Swing shared photos of cabin 7630, and it gives you a good idea of the space.

This room was meant for one person, so there's enough room for just one person.

It's an inside cabin, which means there's no windows or natural light. However, it does have a virtual balcony.  This means you get a real-time view from outside the ship on a high definition screen that can be turned on or off. There's even a curtain for the "balcony".

The room has its own private bathroom with shower and toilet.

It's the perfect room for an older teen or friend of the family traveling with you.

The connecting balcony room finishes the trio

The Junior Suite and Studio Interior are a good option for some, but if you want a kids room, I'd go one step further with this hack and get the balcony room that combines to that private hallway.

The balcony room has a connecting door that opens up to the hallway the other two cabins share, and it's a neat option for larger families.

Plus, the balcony connects to the Junior Suite's balcony as well.

This is a standard oceanview balcony with 198 square feet of living space, with room for up to two guests.

I'd recommend this be the kids room or the spot for your parents.

Don't book this combo on two decks

While this trio of secret rooms exists on decks six through thirteen, I wouldn't book it on two of the decks.

If you book it on deck six, you'll get an obstructed balcony because of the lifeboats.  

It might save you money by going with deck six, but the view will be ruined and that could be very disappointing.

I also wouldn't book this on deck 13 either.

The issue with the cabins on this deck is because of the extended overhang from the pool deck that makes the balcony feel more like a cave.

Likewise, there is noise bleed that can occur from deck 14 with the Windjammer, pool, and Solarium above you.

Stick to decks 7 through 12 to ensure you're clear of these issues.

There are rules about going on a cruise ship, but a few might be ones you're breaking without knowing it.

Royal Caribbean publishes all of its rules and policies on its website. Most are quite obvious and apply to any form of travel, such as not bringing weapons, chemicals, or starting a fight with someone.

But some things you do on a cruise might seem innocent until you realize it's actually against the rules.

A reader asked me about a particular policy (see the first thing on our list below for what it was), and it got me thinking about the sort of things you might inadvertently do without realizing it's against Royal Caribbean's rules.

To help ensure you're never "that guy", here's a few not-so-obvious rules to avoid breaking.

Obstructing hallways

Royal Caribbean welcomes guests to bring their strollers or wheelchairs with them on a cruise ship, but you cannot park it in the hallway.

According to the cruise line's mobility disabilities policy, you've got to keep them parked in your cabin.

"Assistive devices including mobility scooters must be stored and recharged in your stateroom so fire doors, corridors and elevator lobbies are kept clear for emergency evacuation."

This is an important rule for anyone that has a powered wheelchair they're bringing onboard.  While it might be tempting to keep it parked outside your cabin, it's against the rules.

If you plan to bring a powered wheelchair, I'd recommend booking an accessible cruise ship cabin so that the doorway entrance is wide enough to easily get the chair in and out.

Plus, these cabins offer more space for the wheelchair to maneuver around.

One more thing to remember is when you're out and about on the ship, you need to ensure the wheelchair isn't left blocking a hall.

"When parked throughout the ship, they must be parked out of the way to allow safe and easy access by other guests and crewmembers."

If you want to bring a stroller, I'd recommend buying a collapsible umbrella stroller rather than the fancy one you use at home. Something that collapses and is easy to fly with as it is to cruise with is a good idea, such as this one that folds down to "personal item" size on airplanes. (This has an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use but I get a small commission)

Being rude to crew members

Not only is being rude socially unacceptable, it's against Royal Caribbean's rules.

I understand you might get frustrated when a series of events doesn't go as you expected, but it's not an excuse to lash out at a crew member.

Royal Caribbean's rule is clear on this, "Verbally abusive or offensive language directed toward anyone, including guests, crew members, governmental officials, or others is not permitted."

Moreover, you're also obliged to follow any instructions given to you by crew members during the course of the cruise.

Ignoring instructions is equally wrong, and could land you in trouble with the ship's security.

Beyond the cruise line's rules, remember that these crew members are living thousands of miles away from their families on a ship and are trying to help you have a great vacation. They didn't make the rules, they're just enforcing them.

Playing your music too loud

A cruise vacation is the perfect excuse to party, but leave the music to the ship's DJ.

You are not allowed to play your own music loudly on the ship, "Boom boxes, loud radios, or other noise nuisance(s) are not permitted."

Royal Caribbean has seemingly started to crack down on this on its private island too.

You're better off bringing headphones rather than a Bluetooth speaker with you.  If you do opt to bring a speaker, I'd only use it off the ship on an excursion and keep the volume low.

If you're renting a cabana on Perfect Day at CocoCay, there are Bluetooth speakers provided to use there.

Leaving your clothes on the balcony

Something I'm sure a lot of people do is leave their stuff on their balcony, but it's actually against the rules.

Whether you leave something out on the balcony or intentionally, it's not permitted because of the risk of it flying away.

"Guests may not leave items unattended on balconies, as the wind may cause items to fall overboard."

The cruise line takes littering in the ocean seriously, and while I doubt most people leaving things on their balcony is intentional to litter, the reality is the wind can really kick up quickly.

Not only do you not want your stuff to end up in the ocean, they don't want it to go there either.