Royal Caribbean Blog

Tipping is a controversial topic, especially when it comes to cruise lines, where gratuities are often pre-paid or automatically added to your bill. 

Instead of getting caught up on the monetary aspect, one crew member took to Reddit to share their thoughts on how you can show your appreciation to those working to make your time onboard so memorable.

The crew member, known by their Reddit name SolAreiaLivros, explains how they've worked on ships like Adventure, Allure, and Wonder of the Seas. 

"Your cash tips, no matter how big or small help us (most especially [crew] from 'developing' countries like myself) tremendously. We are paid a livable wage, and well! But every dollar is something extra we can bring back home to our families," they write in the post shared to the r/royalcaribbean thread. 

"But if you prefer not to tip, that is completely okay!! Here are some other ways you can show your appreciation to [the crew members who] made your cruise extra special."

Post-cruise surveys

There's a reason so many crew members talk to guests about the post-cruise surveys. Not only do they allow you to provide feedback on your cruise vacation but you also have the opportunity to shout out hardworking crew members. 

The survey itself is short. In addition to a few brief questions about crew members, you're also asked about the food's quality, shore excursions, the ship's overall maintenance, and entertainment. 

SolAreiaLivros shares that when they're personally mentioned in surveys and reviews, they can earn a day off, a Very Important Crew (VIC) scratch card, a free specialty meal, or stay in a guest cabin for one sailing. 

The VIC card lets them scratch for perks like free internet and room service, a day off, discounts at the crew store, cash, and more. 

Surveys are especially important to crew members like waiters. When their ratings go down, they're at risk of having fewer tables to wait on, resulting in fewer tips. For waiters in specialty restaurants, low ratings could even lead to them being reassigned to the Main Dining Room, which is typically much more stressful and demanding.

"If mentioned enough times, we can get nominated to be [the] Employee of the Month. Winning Employee of the Month has quite a sum of cash prize," they add. 

Read more: Tipping on a cruise ship: What you should and shouldn't do

Small notes and letters

Did one crew member go out of their way to deliver an exceptional experience? Don't be afraid to write them a short thank you note before disembarking. 

Whether a bartender who made your drinks perfectly or a fun activity host, taking a moment to show your appreciation with a handwritten note can make a huge difference.

SolAreiaLivros says, "I have personally received small notes folded into fun shapes from guests and I still have them in my wallet to this day. Reading these notes from guests at the end of a long day of work makes all the hard work feel worth it."

Read more: 7 most important crew members to meet on your cruise ship

Remembering the crew member's name

SolAreiaLivros emphasizes how much a simple acknowledgment, like remembering a crew member's name, can mean: "...a guest remembering us and calling us by our names makes us feel seen and appreciated."

"As you all well know, we work onboard without [days off] and days can be really long. You have no idea how a simple thank you can make a crew’s day."

For example, when you see your cabin steward in the hall, address them by their name and ask how they're doing. Similarly, you can greet your Main Dining Room staff each evening by their names.

Collecting cruise ducks

What started as a quirky activity for those who wanted to share their love of cruising has grown into a worldwide craze, with Facebook groups and online forums dedicated to duck hunting on cruise ships. 

However, passengers aren't the only ones who love collecting ducks! "[Crew members who] have little kids back home LOVE collecting ducks," says SolAreiaLivros, "My cousin whose dad also works for Royal [Caribbean] grew up looking forward to receiving new duckies from her dad after every contract."

That said, SolAreiaLivros added that she knew a fellow crew member who was fired because of collecting ducks. If you're cruising and a crew member mentions they have young children at home, consider giving one directly to them. 

Read more: Why some people hate hiding ducks on a cruise ship fad

Be careful with larger gifts

While on the topic of giving gifts to crew members, be aware of things that could get them in trouble, like alcohol and items purchased from the shops onboard. 

"[We cannot] bring home any item from the shops unless we have the receipt," explains SolAreiaLivros, "[If you want to gift something from the store,] find the manager of that department and let them know that you're going to give this certain gift to (insert name of [the] crew [member])."

They add it's best to be done in an area where CCTV is available. However, note that some crew members may reject gifts if they're afraid they'll get in trouble over it. 

Read more: 7 things you should never buy on a cruise ship

The best gift SolAreiaLivros received was a picture of themself and a few guests while working in 150 Central Park, a specialty restaurant on Oasis Class ships. 

"I did not expect [for them to] buy it and gift it to me. It was in that nice 150 [C]entral [P]ark folder with a keychain inside and a note from them wishing me blessed years ahead in my career." In fact, they say they got a promotion two sailings after receiving that present! 

Another gift idea from SolAreiaLivros is laundry detergent. Crew members must buy their own in the crew grocery or in port, so gifting it helps save them money. 

Royal Caribbean gratuities 

Royal Caribbean automatically charges each guest's SeaPass account a gratuity fee each day of the cruise to recognize the service provided by crew members including cabin stewards, head waiters, waiters, and assistant waiters. 

As of November 1, 2024, the daily gratuity amount is $18.50 per guest, per day for guests in standard staterooms (i.e., inside, ocean-view, and balcony cabins, as well as Junior Suites). 

Guests in Grand Suites and above will pay $21.00 per person, per day in gratuities. The daily gratuity amount is the same for all passengers, regardless of age. This means a family of four staying in a balcony stateroom will pay $518 in gratuities during a weeklong cruise, while the same family in a suite can expect to pay $588 for a 7-night cruise. 

Gratuities, or tips, aren't included in Royal Caribbean's base fare. Some passengers prefer to prepay them in advance, as it helps them appropriately budget for their vacation. Plus, guests who prepay their gratuities don't have to worry about increases, as they're grandfathered into the lower rate. 

These automatic gratuities are controversial because they can feel impersonal or mandatory to some passengers, taking away the choice of rewarding exceptional service.

SolAreiaLivros concluded their post by saying they aren't well versed about gratuities, asking respondents to refrain from asking questions about them to avoid misinforming people.

Read more: Gratuities on Royal Caribbean: How tipping works

If there's one activity on a cruise ship I've heard the most negative comments about, it's the art auction.

While some cruisers seem to enjoy the art auctions, it's hard to overlook the lawsuits and negative comments surrounding how the auctions are conducted.

Multiple lawsuits and employee turnover on vessels have given the dealer a less-than-sterling reputation.

According to Bloomberg Business, the company was subject to almost a dozen lawsuits between 2008 and 2016.

On the other hand, some cruisers praise the opportunity to buy art directly during their cruise. They happily purchase artwork that will hang in their home for years to come.

Read more: What should you not buy on a cruise ship?

Are cruise ship art auctions really as bad as people say?

I've never been to an art auction, much less one on a cruise ship, so I decided to find out for myself.

On my recent 7-night Freedom of the Seas cruise, I attended a Park West art auction.

According to the auctioneer's introduction, Park West believes in making art accessible for everyone.

"Park West Gallery strives to create an entertaining, educational, and welcoming atmosphere that ignites a passion for the arts," the company's website reads.

"Park West’s mission is to make the art world accessible, helping its clients build lasting memories through collecting events, educational seminars, and art exhibitions."

The company conducts 200 auctions a week worldwide—everywhere from cruise ships to Hawaii. Park West has been selling artwork on Royal Caribbean (and Celebrity Cruises) ships since 1995.

Park West represents over 400,000 original artists and claims to sell original pieces. Original is defined by the dealer as "any artwork created directly under the control and supervision of the artist."

According to Park West, this includes one-of-a-kind artwork or limited-edition graphic works. 

However, multiple lawsuits against the company allege that the works sold are merely mass-media prints. These reproductions of original paintings are signed and approved by the artists but are far from one-of-a-kind pieces.

The auction welcomed all cruisers, even those there for the free champagne

First, the auctioneer invited everyone to walk around the gallery and gaze at the available artwork.

Cruisers who liked a certain piece could leave a sticky note on the frame, or speak to the art gallery staff directly.

The pieces varied in genre, from colorful sculptures of anthropomorphic dogs to patriotic eagles, and classic portraits of pale women.

I was intrigued by the artworks that cruisers started to pick out as their favorites: once one sticky note appeared, more would be placed on the same piece.

Most attendees, like myself, were only there to observe and drink the free champagne, but a surprising amount filed into chairs to begin bidding.

At least 30 of my fellow cruisers held bid cards and looked ready to buy their favorite artwork. A server came around with a tray of champagne, passing flutes to every guest present.

As the auction began, the auctioneer sprang to life, speeding the process along with that famous droning voice.

At the beginning, he explained that he would clack his gavel against the podium when each artwork sold.

I was shocked to hear the clang nearly every 3 minutes—every piece of artwork sold right away.

The prices ranged from $500 to $1500, and I couldn't discern any metric of value for the artwork. Pieces that were more colorful, simplistic, and blocky sold for thousands of dollars, while the complex, watercolored artwork painted in tiny brushstrokes was less popular.

Park West used more clever sales tactics

The auctioneer's job was clearly to help sell the pieces, so he played up the creativity or unique print of the artwork.

I was hoping to learn more about the modern art scene by attending, but I was disappointed there was little substance beyond the sales pitch.

Besides highlighting Peter Max, a famous pop artist, little context was given about the art pieces and artists.

I noticed that the auctioneer used more sales tactics to sell the artwork. For example, he created a false sense of urgency by promising that artwork would only be sold at a discounted price to the first two attendees who raised their cards, but then inevitably extending the sale to everyone who jumped in.

Founder & CEO Albert Scaglione stated in 2009 that Park West has never misrepresented the value of its art.

“The value is whatever price the seller can find a buyer that will pay for it," he said.

Park West's auctioneer did announce that they encourage buyers to individually appraise the artwork—"Don't just take our word for it!" 

In addition, the auctioneer was honest about costs and any additional fees.

He announced that cruisers who purchased a piece or won one in a raffle still have to pay the cost of shipping for the artwork.

The auctioneer also explained that the frames we saw were not included in the price. Customers could pay for Park West to fit and add a different frame, or simply choose one on their own.

Park West offers 18-month financing for buyers, which, in my opinion, creates a dangerous sense of security.. Cruisers could bid on artwork they can't actually afford, trusting in the ability to spread the payments out over a year and a half.

The auction moved quickly, but as a passive observer, I found myself both bored and horrified

I could hardly believe that cruisers were spending thousands of dollars on seemingly random artworks—and doing so so quickly!

The auction moved quickly, with unique features like a "mystery bid." 

Four artworks were placed backward on stands, and buyers bid at a discounted price to purchase the unseen artwork. All four mystery pieces sold for $1200.

Read more: 5 Costly lessons learned on a cruise (and how to avoid them!)

Bottom line, cruise ship art auctions are worthwhile for the novel experience, free champagne, and the chance to spend a lot of money on a piece of art.

If you're not looking to purchase an artwork, you'll gain just as much value from independently pursuing the art around the ship. 

Since I didn't purchase any art, I can't speak to the validity of the artwork and sales practices, but I did notice some pushy sales tactics at play.

Happy Sunday and Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday with family and friends! There is a lot of Royal Caribbean news to share this week.

Royal Caribbean released more of its Caribbean 2026-2027 deployments, including the world's largest cruise ships.

Both Icon of the Seas, and her upcoming sister ship, Star of the Seas, will homeport in Florida for the new itineraries.

Cruisers can now book 7-night Western or Eastern Caribbean cruises on Icon of the Seas, departing from Miami, Florida.

Star of the Seas, which enters service in August of 2025, will continue to sail out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The second Icon-Class ship will offer 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Royal Caribbean News

• My friend got burned by booking non-refundable cruise fare. I now advocate these 5 cruise booking tips
• My $1,800 stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas has the worst shower curtain, but the balcony was perfect
• Two "nightmare issues" in Royal Caribbean's systems have frustrated cruisers for weeks
• The best cruise line rankings are out for 2025 and Royal Caribbean was snubbed
• Royal Caribbean adds new cruises from New York area just in time for Black Friday sale
• I sailed in tiny interior cabins on old Royal Caribbean and Disney ships. I'd only book one again
• 8 changes coming to Star of the Seas

New Video: No One Should Do These Things On A Cruise!

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—No One Should Do These Things On A Cruise!—and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 550th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available at all our links.

Cruise veterans book their sailings as far in advance as possible—but why? And how should you plan your cruises years in advance?

In this episode, Matt explains how and when to book your new 2025 and 2026 cruises.

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.

The Black Friday deal I've bought on all my cruises, even though I get it for free

Which Black Friday deals are worth spending on?

As a Pinnacle Club member of the Crown and Anchor Society, Matt doesn't have to spend extra on WiFi, but he still buys it while it's on sale.

Here's why—and how to take advantage of this month's deals.

I cruised for 3 days and 7 days on the same ship, and each sailing was a completely different experience

The length of your cruise is an important factor that affects every aspect of the experience.

Recently, Calista sailed on Freedom of the Seas for 7 nights, after trying a weekend cruise on the same ship.

The two cruises were shockingly different, and one sailing was better.

The lesser-known reservation change you can make up to days before your cruise

Reservations are usually set in stone close to the date of your cruise. However, there's one change most cruisers don't know they can still make.

Royal Caribbean allows you to swap out people on your cruise reservation as late as 72 hours before the first day of the sailing.

We're less than a year away from the launch of Royal Caribbean's newest mega ship, and there are already a lot of changes coming.

Star of the Seas might be the second Icon Class ship, but she's not going to be exactly the same as Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has sprinkled updates here and there, but you might be curious what exactly the company has lined up for the ship.

There will be more reveals coming leading up to the ship's launch, but here's a list of what we definitely know will be different about Star of the Seas.

A new Broadway musical

Perhaps the biggest reveal so far has been the announcement that Back to the Future: The Musical will be performed on Star of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has a history of integrating Broadway show musicals on its ships, but it's been a few years since the last one.  In fact, the last few new Royal Caribbean ships did not get a Broadway musical.

With Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is looking to make big a splash, and they will offer a hit musical on the ship.

There will be slight adjustments to the running time of the show, but it will be the full musical and the best part is it's included with your cruise fare.  There's no additional cost to see the show onboard.

Royal Caribbean is working alongside the original creatives from the musical to make the iconic production come to life.

The first facial recognition cabins

Star of the Seas will be the first cruise ship to embrace facial recognition as a way to make it easier to get to your cabin.

Before you get too excited, this will be a limited test. Royal Caribbean likes to embrace new technology by easing into it first.

A small amount of cabins will serve as a pilot program. Beyond that, no other details are known at this time.

Based on a patent that Royal Caribbean filed, the idea is you could open your stateroom door with your face instead of a SeaPass card.

Star won't be bigger than Icon

It may come as a surprise that Royal Caribbean won't make Star of the Seas the biggest cruise ship in the world.

It's been Royal Caribbean's pattern to always build bigger and bigger cruise ships, but that won't be the case here.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider confirmed this back in January 2024, "Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long."

"We don't feel a need to do that right now. Maybe we'll change our mind. Never say never. But that isn't the design intent."

The chief dog officer will also be on Star

Of all the things Royal Caribbean introduced on Icon of the Seas, arguably the addition of a "family dog" was one of the biggest hits with guests.

There will be another dog that lives on Star of the Seas. The dog's name is Sailor, and guests will be able to see and meet Sailor around Star.

Why a dog? The idea is since the Icon Class ships are so family focused, it makes sense to have a dog that makes it feel like home.

Enhancing the family area of the ship

Icon of the Seas introduced the first family neighborhood, but Star of the Seas will expand it.

The idea is to "double down" on the family component to this ship, and to do that, they want Surfside to appeal to older kids as much as younger kids.

Royal Caribbean thinks Surfside was originally intended for ages 0-6, but Star will increase the age range appeal to about 10 years old.

They'll do that by adding new features to Splashaway Bay and the Playscape. 

Moreover, the Water's Edge pool will transition from parent and kid space to more of a kid pool. Originally the cruise line wanted to give a space for parents and kids to enjoy together, but in practice, kids took it over.  So it makes more sense to embrace that trend.

A new theme to the supper club restaurant

There will be a new theme to the supper club restaurant on Star.

Instead of a New York theme that was found in the Empire Supper Club on Icon of the Seas, Star will have a Chicago theme to it. 

Known as the Lincoln Park Supper Club, this will be a glitzy extra cost restaurant with themed menu, music, all paired to the Chicago and Chicagoland area.

Royal Caribbean also let slip that on the unnamed third Icon Class ship, this restaurant will be themed to Hollywood.

A new hot tub

One of the primary focuses of Icon of the Seas was more aquatic offerings than ever before, and Star of the Seas will up the pool fun with a new hot tub.

It's not a major change, but Royal Caribbean had originally planned to add this hot tub on Icon of the Seas but removed it for fear the ship was too heavy.

As it turns out based on sea trials, it could have worked.

As a result, there will be a new hot tub on Star that doesn't exist on Icon.

The Pearl will look even better

The signature Pearl on the Royal Promenade will be even more impressive.

The Pearl will be improved to be more spectacular visually. Instead of a single color light ring in the back of each of those 3500 plus tiles, this version will have full multicolor rings.

The advantage is the Pearl will have much richer color throughout the entire Pearl, and that means Royal Caribbean can do more with utilizing it as a show element.

A new specialty restaurant concept

There's one restaurant that won't make it from Icon to Star, and that's Pier 7.

There's no word what will replace it, but we do know something else will be offered there on Star of the Seas.

For now, it's a white space reserved for something to be revealed later.

After a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise because he knew of my love for it, he ended up losing money when he changed his mind later on.

I felt bad for my friend, partially because I felt somewhat responsible for not doing a better job explaining the pros and cons of cruise fares, and what to consider when you're booking a cruise more than six months in advance.

He didn't blame me one bit for his oversight, but I reconsidered what I'd tell him, or any friend, in the future that wants to try their first cruise.

It's easy as a cruise fan to overlook certain important details about booking a cruise. The fine print makes a difference, and while I inherently understand them, I shouldn't assume others do too.

Understand the differences between refundable and non-refundable cruise fare

The problem my friend ran into was he booked non-refundable cruise fare and then later wanted to change his mind.

Royal Caribbean offers two kinds of deposits when you want to book a cruise: refundable and non-refundable cruise fare.

If you booked non-refundable fare (or have made it past the final payment date), there are penalties for changing your mind on the ship, sail date, or both.

In my friend's case, he booked the cruise and then a few days later, wanted to shift dates. He was shocked there was going to be a change fee.

It was at this point I realized he booked non-refundable fare, and tried to explain the two pricing options he had when making the booking. It was too little, too late.

Non-refundable cruise fare is usually cheaper, and the difference can be negligible or even thousands of dollars. However, refundable cruise fare allows for changes and cancellations. 

Speaking of fare rules, it's just as important to know what happens if you cancel or change your mind after final payment date.

Regardless of if you booked refundable cruise fare or not, after the final date passes, there are major penalties for changes.

Depending on when you cancel, you could be out just the deposit, a percentage of your cruise fare or the entire cost of the cruise. 

When in doubt, book refundable

I would tell anyone that's trying a cruise for the first time and isn't totally certain of their plans to opt for refundable cruise fare for the flexibility it provides.

If you're booking a cruise less than six months early, you're probably close enough to your sail date that it's unlikely you'd change your mind.

Booking a cruise a year in advance is one of my top ways to save money, but I think the risk of changing your mind is higher.

The further out your cruise is, the more I'd lean towards a first time cruiser booking refundable cruise fare.

Shop around for special rates

It's so easy to discover a particular sailing and want to book it immediately, but you should shop around.

I know how tempting it is to find a great sounding vacation option and want to jump on it right away. Fear of it selling out or the price changing is something we all think about.

What I'd tell anyone to do before they book is to at least shop around a bit, especially when it comes working with a good travel agent.

Travel agents do much more than simply book the cabin. Their services also include finding you the best deal, and often that's a result of special rates they have access to.

There are two kinds of special rates you should always ask about: group rates and consortia rates.

Theses are special fares that don't always get advertised, and they are the result of the agency negotiating special prices for their customers. Don't worry about why they have them, but know they can sell them to anyone.  There could be a chess players group on the same sailing as you and you could get their special rate, even though you will not see or interact with the group at all.

Buy travel insurance

While my friend changed his mind about his cruise arbitrarily, I started thinking about what would have happened if he lost his job, his wife became pregnant, or some other unforeseen situation that prevented him from going on a cruise.

Travel insurance is so much more than extra medical insurance, and it covers a variety of scenarios.

It is incredibly helpful when there's a problem before, during, or after your cruise. As an example, if you had a medical emergency outside the United States, most of the expenses would be covered (whereas your primary medical plan would not).

If you were to be injured before the cruise began and was unable to travel because of the medical condition you were in, travel insurance covers that.

There are so many more potential situations that travel insurance covers that would otherwise leave you on the hook financially. 

Verify final payment date

While my friend never got to this point, I think it's also important for someone new to a cruise to verify exactly when they need to pay the full amount of the cruise.

Unlike airfare, there's only a deposit needed when you book a cruise early.

Royal Caribbean takes a deposit up front, and then doesn't require the rest of it to be paid until the final payment date, which is usually 90 days before your cruise.

I've become complacent in waiting for my travel agent to email me a week or two before final payment date. But new cruisers won't necessarily have such a good system in place.

If you book through a travel agent, have them remind you when the final payment is due. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, mark your calendar and plan to make the payment several days before the final due date.

If you miss final payment, Royal Caribbean will cancel the reservation.

Do staterooms on Brilliance of the Seas still hold up to the Royal Caribbean standard?

Launched in 2002, Brilliance of the Seas remains a fan favorite.

The Radiance-Class vessel has a capacity for 2,543 guests, with a total of 1,075 staterooms onboard.

I recently sailed on Brilliance for a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise, calling upon Cozumel, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; and Yucatan (Progresso), Mexico.

I booked an oceanview balcony cabin through the guarantee process. The guarantee selection offered a lower price in exchange for being assigned a leftover stateroom in our chosen category.

The total payment, with gratuities and fees, was $1959, or $140 per day, per person.

A few weeks before the cruise, Royal Caribbean assigned me a balcony stateroom located on the forward end of Deck 9: #9520.

According to online deck plans, the stateroom spans 167 square feet, with a 27-square-foot balcony.

When I first entered the room, I noticed that it felt small for a balcony cabin, but had some great amenities.

First, I opened up the closet, located to the right of the front door.

The spacious closet featured six large wooden shelves in the center. I like that the shelves were dividing the middle—it made it easy to split the closet with a travel buddy. We could each hang out clothes on one assigned side. 

The closet also had a multitude of hangers and an above-head storage space where the life jackets lay. 

Opposite the closet, I opened the door to the stateroom bathroom. 

The small space was brightly lit, with a large bathroom mirror. 

The tiny shower sat to my right, covered by a white cloth curtain.

The shower curtain was my least favorite part of the stateroom, as it appeared old and worn. Plus, it would either sway outwards, slashing water onto the floor, or inwards, clinging to me in the shower. 

Combined with the miniature size of the shower, it made showering inconvenient and frustrating.

However, our stateroom attendant did a great job of keeping the area clean, with fresh towels every day. 

The bathroom was equipped with multiple shelves, located behind the mirror or under the sink, for plenty of toiletries storage.

Outside of the bathroom, I moved on to explore the cabin desk. The long piece of furniture held seven drawers, plus more shelf storage behind the mirror. 

A ring light on the mirror and chair in front of the desk made it easy to transform into a vanity for applying makeup or choosing jewelry.

On day one, when I first opened the desk drawer, the top piece fell off in my hand. 

By day three, the piece was affixed back onto the drawer, and we didn’t have any further problems with the stateroom. 

I could tell that, despite Brilliance of the Seas' age, Royal Caribbean's crew members were working hard to maintain a quality environment. 

Despite the ship's age, the lights and amenities functioned well, and the stateroom appeared well-maintained. My only issue with the cabin was the shower curtain.

Beside the desk sat the stateroom TV, equipped with 20 free channels. Below that, I found the mini-cooler, which had just enough space to fit bottles of wine or small bowls. 

However, it wasn’t a true refrigerator; any ice left inside melted completely.

Read more: 6 things I loved and 3 things I hated about my Brilliance of the Seas cruise

Opposite the desk, I turned to find the couch. I was surprised by how small this piece of furniture was because other balcony cabins I've stayed in had slightly longer couches.

However, it was a comfortable place to sit or leave items on, and a lamp was conveniently placed above it.

 I also liked that a small table was placed next to the couch—I could leave it there to eat at or move it around for extra storage.

Between the couch and the stateroom bed, I found a long brocade curtain tied back. 

This could serve to divide the stateroom and keep out extra light. If one guest wanted to sleep while the other stayed awake, the curtain could divide the room to avoid disturbance.

The stateroom bed was wide and made up with white Royal Caribbean monogrammed sheets.

My travel buddy and I later asked for the beds to be separated, which our stateroom attendant did quickly and efficiently. 

Each bed was a comfortable place to sleep, with two pillows and a thick blanket.

On either side sat two bedside tables, each with a lamp above them.

Each bedside table had two sections: a drawer and a large shelf space underneath. 

The bedside table to the left also held the stateroom phone.

I appreciated that each lamp provided individual lighting and could control the stateroom’s main lights. I could turn off the lights without getting out of bed!

Past the bed sat a sliding glass door (covered by thick blackout curtains), which led to the cabin balcony.

When it was windy, the door was hard to push open, but the balcony view was always worth it.

The balcony space itself was small, only long enough to fit two chairs and a circular table.

However, it was a lovely place to sit, read, eat, or chat.

Read more: Inside cabin vs. balcony room on a cruise ship

I also liked that the table and chairs were waterproof and easy to wipe the rain off when the weather was wet.

The balcony added to the cruise experience, offering a convenient spot to check the weather and enjoy views of the ship sailing into and out of port.

At night, the sky was so clear amid the dark ocean, and we could see thousands of stars.

Black Friday sales have introduced tremendous savings opportunities on a Royal Caribbean cruise, along with two particularly frustrating bugs.

Since Royal Caribbean kicked off its early Black Friday deals, there has been a coincidental introduction of two issues that have remained problematic.

There's no correlation that the issues have anything to do with the launch of the sale. Rather, the start of the problems coincides with the new promo.

If you've experienced either of these two issues, you are not alone.

Balance due error

The worst of the two problems has been a strange billing discrepancy that warns of a cancelled cruise.

A variety of different cruisers reported this bug, where the person gets an email from Royal Caribbean informing them there is a balances due on an upcoming cruises, with a reminder that failure to pay in full would result in a cancellation.

The issue is this is happening for cruises that have already been paid off in full. The first report was posted on November 12.

Skeet100 shared an example of the bug, "I canceled and rebooked a few things through cruise planner when the early Black Friday sales came up. " 

"As each of those refunds post to my credit card, they are also being subtracted by Royal from my booking.  So suddenly my paid in full booking now shows hundreds due."

The result has been cruisers spending hours on the phone in order to try to resolve the issue. " I have spent over 7 hours on the phone with various representatives trying to get this resolved. They actually charged my credit card over $1,000 without my permission to try to fix their mistakes. I'm extremely frustrated with this issue and it is still not resolved," wrote LuvsCruising.

The working theory among cruise fans is this bug occurs when someone tries to cancel and rebook a pre-cruise add-on via the Cruise Planner website.

bobbydx wrote, "I think this is validation that they have some sort of mix up when refunding and actually are refunding what you paid for your cruise instead of what you paid for planner items. That is why it turns around and says you owe money for the cruise."

To be clear, not everyone that has cancelled and re-booked something in Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site has experienced this issue.

Similar issues were reported on a Reddit thread.

As a result of going through this exercise, Southern Dan warned others not to bother re-pricing things to avoid this potential issue, "I got my issue straightened out.  I will no longer be repricing anything during Black Friday sales, I will just wait to purchase everything then."

If you receive an email with money owed on a cruise you know you've paid off, you'll want to reach out to your travel agent immediately to resolve it.

I would recommend getting the issue addressed as soon as possible, as some reported their entire cruise being cancelled if action isn't taken quick enough.

PRMLVM shared their experience, "Our travel agent got a balance due warning on our upcoming cruise.  She showed them that the cruise was actually completely paid off.  This was after the final payment date, even."

"But then at the end of October, we got a slew of emails canceling all of our pre-booked packages (drinks, dining, key) etc since our cruise was canceled."

Luckily their travel agent was able to confirm the cruise wasn't cancelled, but they had rebook all their add-ons at prevailing prices, re-reserve all dining venues, and lost their original check-in time.

"Many phone calls and tons of lost time fixing a problem they created.  We did get onboard credit to apply to the higher package prices, but the stress of all of it."

"And we still have not gotten our refund from their cancellations.  They said to give them a month.  Meantime, it's all  on our card still."

Spanish language change

The other notable issue with Royal Caribbean's site lately is not nearly as dire, but still annoying to users.

Some have run into inexplicable changes in the site language to Spanish.

Once again, the issue is primarily limited to the Cruise Planner site where users can purchase drink packages, shore excursions, and other extras.

The main menu and other aspects of the site change to Spanish without the user selecting that language.

"I've been having this issue for a while now.  The whole website isn't in Spanish but some of the "headers" in the Cruise Planner are," wrote WAAAYTOOO.

Tracy F added, "Same thing is happening with my app and the website all of a sudden certain things are in Spanish."

So far there does not appear to be a fix or way around it that anyone has reported.

Royal Caribbean doesn't allow many changes before your cruise begins, but there's one important one you should know about.

Once you pass the final payment date for your cruise, your reservation is pretty much locked in without incurring change or cancel fees.

The final payment is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. 

As an example, you cannot add someone or remove some from a reservation without repricing the entire cruise.  If you want to change the ship and/or sail date, that is akin to cancelling and rebooking, and that's rife with penalties and new costs.

I've noticed a lot of people are unaware they can swap people on the reservation without penalty, even right up to the sailing itself.

Known as a name change, Royal Caribbean will allow passengers to swap out a person on the reservation for someone else without a price change or penalty, even if they booked non-refundable cruise fare.

The cruise line will allow name changes right up to 72 hours before the cruise begins.

The only "catch" is at least one person from the original reservation needs to remain on the reservation. 

There are many use cases for doing a name change. One common example is for newborn babies.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, user Scotsman wanted to book a cruise for an unborn baby. Not only does the baby not have a name yet, but the baby does not have a birthday either.

In this situation, you could book the baby as "Baby surname" and change the name later.  It's essentially a placeholder.

"I wish I would have known that name changes were allowed," wrote AlmondFarmer.

Another common scenario is a friend or family member that can no longer sail.  Boyfriends and girlfriends break up, a spouse is called back to work, or a friend is no longer a friend.  

Royal Caribbean would allow you to swap out someone for another person on the reservation.

Name swaps, but not adding or subtracting

There's an important distinction with this rule, and that is you can swap people out, but not add or remove.

In Royal Caribbean's reservation system, adding or subtracting a person from the reservation (and thus changing the total amount of passengers booked in the cabin) will trigger a reprice.

A reprice is tantamount to making a new booking at prevailing rates. 

So in a scenario where there are two people booked on a cruise, you could change person A or person B with person C without a price change.

But if you wanted to remove person B without a replacement, you'd incur a change.  Similarly, if you tried to add person C to the reservation, that would be considered a change.

In a scenario where person B can no longer cruise and there is no replacement, your best bet is to leave person B on the reservation and no-show to the ship without them.

Royal Caribbean will later refund port fees and taxes for person B.

Other Royal Caribbean policies you might not know about

Name swapping is a great trick to remember for the future, and there are other things you might not have known about that are also equally helpful.

Residents of certain countries are able to re-price a cruise before final payment if the price goes lower than what you originally booked.

It's not a well-advertised policy, but I've used it time and time again to save money.  

Travel agents can do it easily on their end, whereas those that book directly with the cruise line need to call in to get it done and some of the phone agents are unaware of it (or confuse it with the 48 price protection policy).

It's open to residents of the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. Notably, resident of the United Kingdom are not eligible for it due to local laws.

As long as the price of the same exact room category is lower than you paid and you are before the final payment date, you can get a price adjustment to the lower price. It has to be the same cabin category, such as D4 or CB. 

This tip can go one step further, as it can sometimes be advantageous to change from refundable deposit to non-refundable deposit right before the final payment date.

It may seem silly, but sometimes it's cheaper to change the deposit type from refundable fare to non-refundable a day or two before final payment is due. That's because Royal Caribbean's pricing algorithm sometimes drops the price for different fare types.

If you know you're going to sail and make final payment date, switching to non-refundable cruise fare is easy savings.

The other useful policy a lot of cruisers are surprised to hear about is the workaround to Royal Caribbean's drink package rule.

If one adult tries to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package (the unlimited alcohol package), then all the other adults in the same cabin have to buy it too.  

There are situations where buying a drink package that includes alcohol wouldn't be practical, such if someone was pregnant or couldn't drink for medical reasons.

The lesser-known alternative is to call Royal Caribbean and explain the situation.  They'll allow the other adult to buy the Royal Refreshment package instead, which would save a lot of money.

One of the first choices you'll have to make when booking a cruise is the length of your sailing.

Royal Caribbean cruises range from three days to over three weeks, leaving many wondering what the ideal cruise length is.

I sailed on Freedom of the Seas two times, a year apart, but each sailing was for a different length.

My first cruise, in October of 2023, was a weekend sailing, lasting only three days.

My second, in October 2024, was a full seven-day sailing.

Although they were on the same ship just a year apart, the two sailings were entirely different experiences.

I was surprised by how much the length of your cruise can change the entire cruise vacation.

Read more: How different is a 3-night vs 4-night cruise?

From travel buddies to staterooms, here's how the length of my cruise affected my experiences on the same ship.

I get homesick on longer cruises, but they're much more memorable

When I first started taking week-long cruises, I would feel slightly claustrophobic by days five and six.

Despite the abundance of activities onboard, I tend to feel homesick during seven-day cruises.

However, comparing my weekend and weeklong cruises on Freedom of the Seas helped me see the appeal of a longer sailing.

My weekend cruise went by in a flash: three days onboard, including one stop on Perfect Day at CocoCay, is barely enough time to see everything.

Once the weekend cruise ended, the activities, entertainment, and food onboard felt like a blur. My weekend cruise on Freedom of the Seas was probably my least memorable sailing, simply because it went by so fast.

In contrast, my 7-day sailing on Freedom gave me time to stretch out and take my time to see all the sights onboard. I was able to attend multiple shows and activities, even seeing some things twice!

Plus, the sailing had visits to more ports, calling upon Perfect Day at CocoCay, St Thomas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Weekend cruises offer plenty of entertainment, but the shorter duration means you must pack your schedule to experience it all. They're a less memorable sampling of a cruise ship.

My weekend cruise prepared me to try a longer one on Freedom of the Seas, but if I had to choose just one experience, I would pick the 7-day sailing.

My week cruise was solo, while I was able to find a travel buddy for the weekend

One disadvantage of taking a longer, 7-day cruise, is setting aside the time to go on a weeklong vacation. Taking time off from work or school for a weeklong cruise can be challenging, especially mid-year in October.

It was easy for me to take along a travel buddy on my weekend cruise—she didn't even have to request time off from work.

Read more: I cruised by myself on two different Royal Caribbean ships, but there were stark differences in the experiences

However, none of my friends were able to get time off to join me on my later 7-day sailing, so I had to take the longer cruise solo.

While there's nothing wrong with cruising alone, having a travel buddy can make a travel experience more rich and enjoyable.

Plus, if I'd wanted to cruise with multiple friends or my family, it would have been even more difficult to coordinate a weeklong sailing together.

I had time to form friendships on my 7-day cruise

While I didn't bring anyone along on my 7-day cruise, the longer sailing gave me time to form friendships with other cruisers onboard.

I noticed—and was a bit disappointed—that most cruisers on my weekend sailing kept to themselves.

Read more: I'm a new cruiser and tried a weekend cruise on one of the biggest cruise ships. It was filled with lots in a short amount of time

They seemed focused on enjoying their time onboard with their travel groups, rather than making conversation with other cruisers.

On my weeklong cruise, however, I had plenty of time to join Hyperlink events for young adults, spend nights chatting in the hot tubs, and go on multiple shore excursions.

I ended up meeting many more cruisers and crew members on my longer sailing, making the experience an enjoyable, social vacation.

Extra-cost packages are more expensive on a longer sailing

A shorter weekend cruise is often a great opportunity to splurge on extra-cost items. If you've been eyeing drink packages, shore excursions, or specialty dining, a short sailing offers a vacation with a looser budget.

Daily-priced packages like drink packages and WiFi are more affordable overall during shorter cruises since you’re onboard for fewer days.

And shore excursions are worth buying when you visit fewer ports.

On my 3-day sailing on Freedom of the Seas, I splurged and purchased a dinner at Chops Grille. Since the sailing was only three days, it was worth it for me to try a specialty restaurant while onboard.

I also spent more on extras like drinks and Internet.

For example, WiFi runs from $25-30 a day. On my weekend cruise, I paid just $75 for Internet, while WiFi for my 7-day sailing would have cost over $175.

I opted not to purchase Internet for the length of my week-long voyager. This saved me money in the long run but kept me more disconnected on the longer cruise.

Read more: Freedom of the Seas vs. Newer Ships: Does It Still Hold Up?

Since I needed to carefully budget on my weeklong sailing, I spent more time on the ship but had a less lavish experience.

I tried two different staterooms: a balcony and an oceanview

Similar to spending money on extra-cost packages, I was able to splurge on the stateroom category for my shorter sailing.

I booked a guarantee balcony cabin, receiving a spacious stateroom with a private balcony. The cabin featured a spacious couch, a king-sized bed, and a large balcony furnished with patio seating. It was a luxurious stay for the weekend; the perfect spot to relax or watch the ocean wave by.

In contrast, I booked a guarantee oceanview cabin on my longer cruise. The stateroom came with a smaller couch, and a King bed placed under the porthole window.

Read more: 10 things you should know before cruising onboard Freedom of the Seas

While I couldn't feel the sun and breeze like on a balcony cabin, I still enjoyed getting the same ocean views.

However, my oceanview cabin also came with a lot of loud noises, as it was placed low on Deck 2.

In the end, both cabins were enjoyable places to stay, with similar amenities and bathrooms. Choosing the right stateroom all depends on your preferences, budget, and the length of your sailing.

Royal Caribbean just dropped new cruises you can book from the Northeast United States in 2026 and 2027.

Instead of flying to Florida, there are a variety of new cruises to consider from New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland.

These new cruises are on top of the Caribbean cruises that were also released today, which include the world's largest cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean want to offer convenient choices of where you cruise from, whether you head to the Sunshine State or Empire State.

"With easy departures from the Northeast, to enjoying sun-soaked beaches across the eastern, western and southern Caribbean –and of course the thrill and chill at Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean vacations deliver options for everyone," said Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Service.

Here's a breakdown of what's new and how to best take advantage of it all.

New Northeast cruises

Royal Caribbean will base three different ships in the New York/New Jersey area in 2026-2027.

In Summer 2026, Oasis of the Seas returns to Cape Liberty, New Jersey to offer 7- and 9-night cruises.

Bayonne is a great place to sail from because it's just minutes from New York City. Whether you want to extend your cruise with a jam-packed pre- or post-cruise stay, there are endless ways to customize your cruise vacation while also budgeting time to visit the Big Apple. 

Oasis will head to The Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay private island, as well as Port Canaveral (Orlando).

In Winter 2026, Odyssey of the Seas heads to Cape Liberty to take over and offer 7- and 8-night cruises to The Bahamas.

During the summer, Odyssey will offer 11- and 12-night vacations around the Caribbean to spots like Basseterre; Castries, Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados, and more.

Finally, Independence of the Seas will also sail from Cape Liberty and offer Bermuda and the eastern Caribbean on 5- and 9-night cruises.

There will also be 4-night shorts to Canada and longer 9-night vacations to the Caribbean, as well as New England.  Stops there include Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine.

Vision of the Seas returns for another season in Baltimore, Maryland.

Cruising from Baltimore is perfect for those who prefer a more intimate cruising experience and don't want to deal with the hassle of sailing out of Port Canaveral or Miami, two of the busiest ports in the world.

Vision will offer 5- and 9-night vacations to explore Bermuda and The Bahamas. There will also be 9-night fall adventures to Bar Harbor, Maine, and Halifax.

In time for Black Friday sales

The new Northeast cruises and year-round Caribbean cruises coincide with the launch of Royal Caribbean's early Black Friday sale.

Royal Caribbean's Black Friday Early Access, is active now and runs through November 21, offering up to $750 off base fares. 

That's combinable with BOGO 60% off a second guest and Kids Sail Free offer.

It's expected Royal Caribbean will continue its Black Friday offers through Thanksgiving, Black Friday and into Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday as well.

New cruises from Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico

Royal Caribbean also revealed new cruises from its traditional warm water homeports earlier today.

These include cruises on the biggest cruise ships in the world, such as Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.

Star of the Seas will continue sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida in 2026.

The new ship officially launches in August 2025, and will offer alternating 7-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises.  Most of its sailings include a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Icon of the Seas will remain in Miami and offer 7-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises.  Destinations include CocoCay, Philipsburg, St. Marteen; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, and more.

Allure of the Seas will undergo more than $100 million in amplifications in 2025 and then offer 6- and 8-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Symphony of the Seas will call Galveston, Texas home for the first time. 

Symphony will sail 6- to 8-night western Caribbean adventures with 8-night itineraries including stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Plus, in late 2026, sailings will include visits at the ultimate beach day at Cozumel, Mexico, at the newly opened Royal Beach Club Cozumel.