Royal Caribbean Blog

It's safe to say Royal Caribbean is more than happy with the big reveal of Icon of the Seas just a few weeks ago.

"It was fastest we ever sold a ship, the best booked position by a ship at this point from a social media and media buzz, it's been the best product launch we've ever had. So it's been a home run success," is what Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider shared when reflecting on the Icon of the Seas announcement.

After months of speculation and barely any information, Royal Caribbean provided information on what Icon of the Seas will look like, where it will sail from, and important information about what guests can expect in terms of fun things to do.

To the surprise of some, Icon of the Seas will be the the new standard for the largest cruise ship in the world, coming in at 6% bigger than the Oasis Class ships that currently hold the title.

"As we went public with it, the response has been overwhelming," said Mr. Schneider.

Why was the response so positive? "I think that's part and parcel of the way we did the reveal, how far we held it back, and then how amazing the product is."

How it all started

Keeping Icon of the Seas a secret was six years in the making.

In talking about the fact Icon of the Seas is a "white paper" ship, Mr. Schneider described the design process as, "never ending."

"You go through a great design process. We've got in our new build organization excellent architects and designers, with partners in the yard who really are focused on the kind of nautical marine side of some of the innovation that we're trying to do."

While the global health crisis may have been a hindrance, it didn't stop the process, "you're going back in time about six years. The pandemic didn't stop the work. It slowed it a bit and created certain challenges."

Mr. Schneider called the whole approach a very iterative process, with some decisions being made years ago, and still more that have yet to be set.

The master plan, the kind of where the major venues are, get locked in very early in that process. We reserve a lot to iterate, so Thrill Island came together in the last two years, including the water park.

"If you think of like steel structure locking early, that still gives you a lot to iterate on and ideate on."

"We also keep certain venues, what we call those white spaces, and white spaces allow us to iterate even further into the process. And so there's a couple of white space restaurants that we just finished design of maybe maybe a month ago, and then that we'll they'll flow into the development process."

The benefit of keeping certain venues flexible, is Royal Caribbean can pivot an experience to provide greater flexibility.

"The best family vacation on the planet"

Royal Caribbean hasn't shied away from making a very bold prediction that Icon of the Seas will be the best family vacation option, and that isn't hyperbole.

Mr. Schneider did not walk back that assertion at all, "we believe we have created the best family vacation in the world that could compete with anything else you're going to go do."

"And notice we didn't say cruise in the world. I said vacation."

Royal Caribbean has said it wants Icon of the Seas to compete with any land vacation, especially Orlando, Florida vacations.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said earlier this month at the company's earnings call with investors that Orlando attractions are the competition Icon of the Seas is designed to bypass, "The Icon product, along with Perfect Day, with the kind of experiences that we're offering, with the kind of new accommodations that we have on Icon and the experiences that we have for young families, older families and of course couples and singles and what have you, is really squarely standing shoulder to shoulder with Orlando and those kind of destinations."

He was also quick to say that Icon will not be an attempt to mimic or takeaway from an Orlando trip.  Instead, he hopes it offers something different but equally impressive, "I don't want to take away that moment my kid gets to see Mickey Mouse for the first time. I want parents to go experience it, do that. I worked there. That's a moment that everybody who has kids should go do."

"Besides that moment that we don't want to steal or replicate, I would say that as you think of the total vacation experience and you look at the product that we've been showing folks, when you look at the totality of that and you look at the destinations, we're going to visit the product on board the ship, it will absolutely be the best family vacation on the planet.

Why no Solarium on Icon of the Seas?

One change Icon of the Seas will have is there is not a traditional enclosed adults-only space, known as the Solarium. This has irked some cruise traditionalists.

"It's not missing, it's purposely not there," said Mr. Schneider. 

"We felt really good that as we looked at the needs that guests have from a Solarium perspective, we researched that."

"We actually brought in both qualitative and quantitatively guests from a blind survey, as well as actually guests under NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to really understand their basic needs in the Solarium to make sure that as we design new spaces and as we program spaces that we were delivering and or over delivering their needs."

The result Royal Caribbean came up with is a combination of a new adults-only area, as well as other areas of the ship that would appeal to adults.

The team came up with three venues that together will offer a superior adult-only experience:

• Cloud 17
• The Hideaway
• Overlook Lounge inside the AquaDome

"The three of those together far over index what we think kind of an equivalent solarium experience would be."

Mr. Schneider also pointed out that Royal Caribbean ships are not designed to all be the same, "All of our ships and classes of ships are not the same. We do that for very purposeful reason. We want you to sail Icon of the Seas. We also want you to sail Oasis of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas, and Radiance of the Seas."

"The diversity of product for us is really important."

Will the Icon class ship names be closely related?

Royal Caribbean has ordered 3 Icon Class ships so far, and more could be ordered in the future, so will their names be close in matching?

"Naming a ship is is terribly hard," admitted Mr. Schneider.

"It's hard for a couple of reasons. One, there's lots of words in the English dictionary."

"There's lots of legalese that has to get wrapped into the right word. There's a lot of history, in certain words, both positive and negative. There's future negative and words that we have to think about. And so we go through a really exhaustive filtering process."

"We also need to save names for future vessels. So if we ever build an Oasis seven, it will need a name. And so we're also thoughtful about blocking for future vessels as well."

"When we went to Utopia, we were thinking about future Oasis class. We're thinking about the evolution of Icon two and three. If we build future classes of ships, we may be reserving certain names for future classes of ships that we're dreaming up."

It appears a name for Icon 2 and 3 are somewhat set, "we also look back at former names we've had on vessels that we think are kind of live up to. So we've looked at literally everything."

"I'm still taking ideas on Icon two and Icon three. I feel really confident in the name we have for Icon three, it's actually two that we're still working on."

I asked if a former ship name would ever be considered, such as Empress of the Seas or Sovereign of the Seas.

"I don't know that any name that is in our past is off limits, at least for me."

"it has to feel like it fits with the ship that we're creating. It shouldn't just be that it's part of our history. Some things part of a history should stay part of our history. Some things that are part of our history, maybe exited the fleet in a certain way should stay that way."

"In other cases, it it may fit where we want to go. And so old names are never off."

Will Icon 2 be bigger than Icon of the Seas?

Since Icon of the Seas is going to be the new largest cruise ship in the world, and since each Oasis Class ship always came out just a little larger than the previous one, I wanted to know if we can expect the Icon Class ships to continue that trend of each new ship becoming the largest in the world.

"I don't know yet."

"In the case of Icon Two, we're doing construction in some ways already started."

"Blocks haven't been fully started yet. And so you'll have to wait and see if two and three get bigger a little bit more."

Does the Icon Class leave older ships behind?

With the arrival of the Icon Class ships, and the already impressive Oasis and Quantum Class ships, does this create an experience gap for the smaller, older ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet?

"You'll notice they're not competing on a seven night Caribbean with Icon or Utopia or one of those ships."

"Great destination rich itinerary ships. That's why we use them in the Mediterranean, Alaska and the Baltics, in the South Pacific."

"The Vision and Radiance class are great ships doing great itineraries. They're very profitable for us. They rate really well and we're really thoughtful about how they age. Now, that may not be a full amplification for them, but they serve a kind of very specific purpose for us in our in our our brand."

As for ship upgrades, Mr. Schneider hopes to resume that process in the future, "We stopped that program. We hope to pick that program back up. It's just a priority of how we've restarted our business, we will eventually get back to amplification of ships."

What about the adults-only area at Perfect Day at CocoCay?

A new expansion to Perfect Day at CocoCay will bring an adults-only area to the private island. So when will it open?

"Our target is still the end of '23. Construction has started. We've got our environmental clearance with the Bahamian government a couple of weeks ago."

"We've talked about it being an adult only experience, that has been the second most requested thing that people want from us on the island."

"We haven't really shared what it is going to be yet or what the designs of it are and the experiences that will be there....but feeling really good about it because we're not it's not like it's questionable. We got clearance. Construction is actually started."

"As guests sail in the coming kind of months, they'll see that ramp up of construction pretty fast."

"We'll hit a tipping point sometime, and I'll call it first half of 2023, and then we'll have to start sharing."

Royal Caribbean signed a new deal with PortMiami to expand its operations there, which include more passengers and a new terminal.

The 50-year deal was signed on Tuesday for a cost of $2.8 billion that encompasses a development and lease agreement.

There's plenty in this deal, but cruisers will find it most interesting that construction of a new Terminal G is included, which will be for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean and its subsidiary companies, including Celebrity Cruises, and its lease there for 36 years.

Terminal G is one of the older cruise terminals in Miami, and usually used by Royal Caribbean on days when Terminal A is occupied.

Terminal A is the brand new cruise terminal Royal Caribbean opened in 2018 that serves as its primary cruise terminal. When there is more than one Royal Caribbean ship in port, they will use other terminals, such as Terminal G.

In addition to Terminal G, Royal Caribbean will be able to share another terminal with MSC Cruises. That terminal will be complete in October 2028.

Credit to Florida Politics for reporting on this deal first.

Re-starting new headquarters construction

Also part of the deal is for construction to resume on Royal Caribbean's new global headquarters.

In May 2019, Royal Caribbean announced plans to expand and renovate its corporate campus on the southwest corner of Dodge Island. 

Unfortunately work halted due to the global health crisis, but the new arrangement with Miami-Dade has provisions for the continued redevelopment of Royal Caribbean’s global headquarters.

There's also an extension to its lease there through at least 2072.

New agreement benefits both parties

Prior to today's announcement, Royal Caribbean Group's deal was set to expire in 2033.  Under the new deal, Miami-Dade county will see an additional $2.5 billion from Terminal G usage and $260 million from the headquarters lease.

Under the new arrangement, Miami-Dade will finance completion of Royal Caribbean’s headquarters and Terminal G’s construction. In return, Royal Caribbean will guarantee passengers totals ranging from 600,000 annual passenger movements during the reconstruction of Terminal G to 1.5 million yearly passenger movements once it reaches “substantial completion,” estimated to be in 2027.

It will also create 12,000 permanent, cruise-related jobs, including roughly 1,000 additional positions with Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean said the jobs will pay average salaries of more than $100,000. The company also anticipates needing 9,634 construction jobs for the project.

Shore power

Royal Caribbean will utilize shore power as part of its deal in the new terminal.

All the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, agreed in 2021 to bring shore power to cruise ships in PortMiami.

Shore power allows cruise ships to "hook up" to electricity at the port, so that the engines do not need to operate while the ship is letting passengers off the ship and bringing new ones onboard.

This means ships using shore power save on fuel use while on port that they would otherwise need to keep the ship going. It also reduces air pollution emissions associated with consumption of that fuel.

Every cruise is bound to come with aspects you enjoyed, but you may also encounter certain parts of the cruise you disliked or wish you did differently.

I recently returned from a 4-night cruise on Liberty of the Seas. This was my first time sailing on this ship, but because I had sailed on other Freedom Class ships before, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Every cruise comes with surprises, though, and I encountered both positive and negative surprises onboard Liberty of the Seas. From the waterslides to entertainment and food, here is what I liked and disliked about my Liberty of the Seas cruise.

What I liked

Washy Washy ladies

Walking into the Windjammer buffet on any Royal Caribbean ship is sure to be met with the words "Washy Washy” as the Windjammer staff encourage guests to wash their hands before entering.

While Liberty of the Seas does not yet have hand washing facilities in the Windjammer, there’s 0% chance any guest will enter the buffet without clean hands.

The reason? The “Washy Washy” ladies, also known as the happiest, most colorful, and funniest crew members you’ll find onboard.

Related: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Windjammer Cafe buffet

As soon as you arrive at the Windjammer, you’ll find one of these crew members dressed in a costume (which changed each day) and holding a bottle of hand sanitizer. While this may sound like a boring job, these women danced, sang, laughed, and had huge smiles when everyone passed through the Windjammer’s doors.

They had the most energy I've ever seen from any crew member (or maybe any person ever). We looked forward to our meals in the Windjammer every day not only for the food, but for the guaranteed entertainment we would encounter when needing to sanitize our hands.

Tidal Wave waterslide

I don’t usually use the waterslides on a Royal Caribbean cruise, especially the ones that are fully enclosed, as they make me feel a little too claustrophobic. Liberty of the Seas, however, has one of the fleet’s most unique waterslides: the Tidal Wave.

The Tidal Wave waterslide is a raft slide, and two guests can slide down together before “boomeranging” off a large wall. While the ride is really short, it was way more fun than I initially anticipated.

We went on the slide over and over again and couldn’t get enough!

Saturday Night Fever

Something that makes Liberty of the Seas unique is that she has a Broadway show available onboard: Saturday Night Fever. I knew nothing about this show before I entered the theater, but was beyond impressed by the acting and dancing of the cast members.

This show follows the story of a Brooklynite, Tony Manero, who spends his weekends at a local disco dancing and finding love while also distracting himself from life’s struggles. The show features dancing with songs from the Bees Gees, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Tavares.

Related: Broadway shows on Royal Caribbean: Everything you need to know

My favorite part of Saturday Night Fever were the performances from the crew members playing the Puerto Rican dancers in the story. If I could give one reason to see this show, it would be to watch this dance couple cha cha, merengue, and salsa their way around the stage.

While I wouldn’t say it was my favorite Broadway show on a Royal Caribbean ship (that goes to We Will Rock You on Anthem of the Seas), I would definitely see the show again next time I’m onboard.

Freedom Class features

Freedom Class cruise ships are some of my favorite ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Just like on Independence and Freedom of the Seas, I enjoyed the features of a Freedom Class ship on my Liberty of the Seas cruise.

Read more: Freedom of the Seas vs. Liberty of the Seas

I love having access to the ship’s helicopter pad, taking walks on the scenic outdoor Promenade deck, and hanging out at the outdoor Diamond lounge deck.

Related: All about Freedom Class cruise ships

I find the size of a Freedom Class ship to be ideal, too, as it isn’t too big nor too small. Plus, the shorter Caribbean itineraries offered on Freedom Class ships means they always have a higher “party” atmosphere compared to longer cruises or itineraries visiting places like Alaska.

I spent a lot of time outdoors on Liberty of the Seas, whether relaxing on the helicopter pad or suntanning at the outdoor Solarium, and I have no complaints about the Freedom Class-specific features and amenities.

Classical guitar at Vintages

During my Liberty of the Seas cruise, a classical guitar player performed outside of Vintages wine bar each evening.

I don’t usually spend too much time at Vintages while on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but sipping a glass of wine with live guitar music created the perfect atmosphere that I kept coming back to every day.

What I disliked

No Izumi

I found it quite odd that there was no Izumi restaurant on Liberty of the Seas, as Royal Caribbean’s Japanese specialty restaurant can be found on nearly every ship in the fleet. Even 3 out of the 4 smallest ships, the Vision Class, have an Izumi location!

Instead of Izumi, Liberty of the Seas offers specialty dining at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Sabor, and Chef’s Table. While I love all of these options, I felt something was missing without Izumi onboard.

Part of the Windjammer buffet is named “Jade” and supposedly this used to be a specialty sushi counter where guests could purchase sushi at an extra cost. This did not appear to be offered on my Liberty of the Seas cruise.

Perfect Storm waterslides

Speaking of how much I loved the Tidal Wave slide on Liberty of the Seas, the opposite can be said for the Perfect Storm waterslides.

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Storm waterslides are found on several ships in the fleet. These racing slides twist and turn several times as guests make their way downhill.

Related: Which Royal Caribbean ships have waterslides?

I’ve gone on these slides on other ships and found them exciting, but I was disappointed with the slides on Liberty of the Seas. The water pressure was extremely light and the slides had such a low slope that I had to push myself down.

The water pressure might be strong enough to get kids down the slide quickly, but it took us adults a while to reach the bottom!

Long lines

I'm not sure if this is something specific to Liberty of the Seas, but I encountered worse lines on this ship than any other in the fleet so far.

Whether grabbing an ice cream cone on the pool deck, a slice of pizza at Sorrento's, or boarding the ship after our port day, the lines seemed to be longer and slower than usual.

The Italian-themed dinner in the Windjammer, in fact, had lines so long we didn't even dare wait for pasta. 

I may have just gotten to these places at the wrong time, and an extra five minutes of waiting here and there was fine, but this was one thing I didn’t enjoy about my Liberty of the Seas cruise.

Game show

My cousin and I were looking for a way to pass the time one evening and came across an activity I had never seen before: Game Show: Rock the Room.

This show appeared to be a dancing competition between different sides of the room where both the game show’s participants and audience stood up and danced.

If I ever wanted to show a new cruiser that cruising can be modern and trendy, this would absolutely not be the way to do it. This show was like a stereotypical cruise ship activity you’d see on a comedy skit poking fun at cruises, and I couldn’t think of a better way to describe the show than “cringeworthy”.

We dipped out almost immediately after the show began. Two minutes later, I saw a huge hoard of other guests leaving the Star Lounge. One guest mentioned it was a “mass exodus”, so I wasn't the only one that didn’t like this activity!

Final thoughts

While there were some aspects of my Liberty of the Seas cruise I didn't enjoy as much as others, I still had a wonderful experience onboard. As a matter of fact, my cruise on Liberty of the Seas was one of the most fun cruises I've experienced yet. From the positive vibes of the crew members to party atmosphere onboard this short sailing, there was never a dull moment.

I'm already looking forward to returning to Liberty of the Seas this January to discover more of what this ship has to offer!

Planning a cruise? Star here:

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

The next time you eat in the main dining room, the menu might look a little different.

Guests sailing on Symphony of the Seas have reported seeing a change to the main dining room menu layout, as well as a change to the lobster choice.

The main dining room is a staple of the cruise ship dining experience, primarily because it is included with your cruise fare and open for dinner every night.

A reader on Reddit spotted the change, noting, "only one feature in each category per night, and the classics section is gone entirely! Only 4 items per category now."

In looking through the menu via the Royal Caribbean app, the recurring items have been removed, such as spaghetti bolognese, chicken, strip steak, et al.

On the second formal night, the Lobster Tail is listed as Cold water Maine lobster with the note an additional lobster tail would cost extra.

"Second Lobster Tail will be charged $16.99 plus 18% gratuity."

Prior to this change, the main dining room did not charge extra for more than one lobster tail on the second formal night.

Another change is the extra charge steak that was already on the menu has increased in price from $16.99 to $19.99.

The change is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently.

Why did Royal Caribbean make this change?

I was just as curious about this change as everyone reading it, so I reached out to Royal Caribbean for clarification on the changes.

The dining room menu update is limited to Symphony of the Seas currently, and the company is adamant they will be listening to guest feedback onboard the ship for their opinions.

The impetus for making the change is for the guest experience in an effort to simplify the dining room menu, which would allow the service to speed up.

While there is no denying there are less items on the menu than before, one of the chief complaints of the dining room has always been how long the meal takes. 

Swiftness of service is a focus Royal Caribbean wants for the dining room.  By having more consistency of what's being prepared in the kitchen, they can produce food faster.

A more focused menu will hopefully translate to a faster kitchen without compromising the experience for guests.

They were quick to point out there will still be a beef, fish, poultry, and vegan option every night of the cruise.

I asked about costs being a factor, but Royal Caribbean said they're always looking for ways to improve the guest experience and reduce the lag that can occur during the meal.  One night there could be too much time between the appetizers and entrees, while another night the appetizers and entrees come immediately after each other with little delay inbetween.

Ultimately, Royal Caribbean will rely on guest feedback from people on Symphony of the Seas to determine how successful this change ends up being.

I asked about the change to the lobster tail in if the cold water Maine lobster is a larger serving size than the previous option, but am waiting a response on that.

Reaction to the changes

As you might imagine, a lot of cruisers had plenty of thoughts on this change.

In the Royal Caribbean Dining facebook group, there were over 200 comments at the time of this posting discussing the change.

Jim Rath posted, "Inflation hits everywhere, not just on land."

James Romo said, "Royal is doing it's hardest to make me want to switch cruise lines."

Karah Ryan Smith thinks the lobster change is more than just a pricing switch, "Maine lobster is definitely different than the Caribbean lobster that is usually served. Maybe that’s why."

Leigh Montgomery wrote, "I’m sailing on Symphony next week and it says the same thing. What a bummer!"

Another busy week of Royal Caribbean fun just wrapped up, but if you missed any of it, I have a concise look at all of it for you in this weekly news round-up!

Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston opened this week.

Terminal 3 is the new home for Allure of the Seas, and is a brand new $125 million cruise terminal.

The terminal will break even more new ground as the first LEED Zero Energy facility in the world, generating 100% of the energy it needs through onsite solar panels.

Royal Caribbean News

• 7 new things Royal Caribbean leaked about Icon of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean releases new 2024 Alaska cruises to book
• Royal Caribbean adds 363-ton dome to top of Icon of the Seas
• Top 10 Liberty of the Seas hidden secrets
• Subtropical storm Nicole disrupts Royal Caribbean cruise itineraries
• I spent $250 to upgrade my cruise ship cabin: Was it worth it?
• Can you work remotely from a cruise ship in 2022? I put it to the test
• Top 10 cocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

New RCB Video: 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

New Icon of the Seas aerial construction photos

Want to see what Icon of the Seas looks like right now?

We took a series of new drone photos that showcase the construction progress being made, including the addition of the AquaDome.

Icon of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in late 2023 and begin sailing in January 2024.

What it's like to go on a $99 Royal Caribbean cruise

What do you get for a $99 cruise fare?

Nicole recently sailed on Liberty of the Seas after spotting a last-minute deal for just $99 per person.

What sort of cabin can you get for just $99, and what is real cost of the cruise once you sail?

7 things I did right (and 3 mistakes) on my recent cruise ship port day

Jenna recently spent a day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and shared the things she liked and didn't like about her port day.

Even if you do a lot of planning, mistakes can happen and she had that experience.

Here are the top 7 things Jenna did right (and 3 mistakes) on her recent cruise ship port day.

5 things I purchased for a cruise that I regretted buying

Whether I thought they would make my life easier, or just improve the vacation experience, in practice, I've regretted a few purchases I made for a cruise.

At the time of purchase, it sounds like a revelation and I usually end up buying it because I think to myself how could I not buy it to improve my vacation.

Here is my own list of things I bought for a cruise that ended up being a terrible purchasing decision for me.

Cruises and cocktails go together like peanut butter and jelly. Trying new cocktails is a must on any Royal Caribbean cruise, but it can be tough to know what to order.

I engaged in some strenuous “research” on my recent cruises to taste some of the best cocktails Royal Caribbean has to offer. It’s tough work here at Royal Caribbean Blog, that’s for sure!

From a fruity daiquiri to a bitter old fashioned, here’s our list of the top 10 cocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

Cucumber Martini at 150 Central Park

My experience with Royal Caribbean’s signature Cucumber Martini started with skepticism and ended with pure bliss. I was (slightly) nervous it would feel like I was eating a salad as opposed to drinking a cocktail with my dinner, and I didn’t want the cucumber flavor to be too overwhelming.

When my waiter rolled a cocktail-making cart over to our table, however, I realized this would be a beverage experience unlike any other onboard!

Cucumber Martinis at 150 Central Park—arguably Royal Caribbean’s most elegant specialty restaurant—are prepared tableside. Our waiter mixed Grey Goose Vodka with lemongrass syrup, sweet and sour, cucumber wheels, and basil leaves to create a drink unlike any I’ve tried before.

Related: 38 Royal Caribbean drink recipes perfect for any party

The Cucumber Martini is, to date, the most refreshing drink I’ve had yet on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The citrusy hint of lemongrass mixed with the cool, refreshing taste of cucumber was a unique, fresh flavor that impressed me like no other cocktail onboard.

I had heard excellent things about the Cucumber Martini before my cruise, and I can attest that it lived up to the hype. Outside of 150 Central Park, you can also find the Cucumber Martini at select bars in the fleet, most notably the champagne bars.

Espresso Martini

I’m not a night owl whatsoever. I always struggle to stay up late enough to take advantage of all the entertainment and activities offered in the evenings on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Enter the Espresso Martini, my favorite “hack” to endless energy on a cruise. Made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and espresso, this cocktail is every bit classy as it is delicious.

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

If you’re sailing on an Oasis Class ship, be sure to order an Espresso Martini at Trellis Bar in Central Park. An evening spent sipping an Espresso Martini in the park with live music in the background? It doesn’t get much more perfect than that!

Margaritas from Sabor

What goes better with chips and guacamole than a margarita? You can find margaritas on any Royal Caribbean cruise ship, but the biggest variety of flavors can be found on ships with Sabor or Cantina Fresca, two of Royal Caribbean’s Mexican-themed bars.

Sabor, for example, highlights the following 3 margaritas on their menu:

• Handcrafted Margarita: Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, agave syrup, muddled limes and oranges with a salt rim
• Avocado Margarita: Patron Silver tequila, orange liqueur, avocado and lime juices, rimmed with Aleppo pepper and lime salt
• Jalapeño-Cucumber Margarita: Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau liqueur, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice

It’s hard to go wrong with a margarita, and don’t miss the opportunity to taste as many flavors as you can on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

Mojito from Boleros

If you love Latin music, you’ll love spending time at Boleros on a Royal Caribbean cruise. This Latin-themed bar is found on most Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and they make the best mojito found anywhere onboard.

This traditional Cuban cocktail is made with white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water, and fresh mint leaves. It hits the spot every time, and you can even try different variations like strawberry mojitos or frozen mojitos. 

Related: Royal Caribbean drink package - your top questions answered

One of my favorite things to do onboard is sip a mojito while listening to the live salsa, merengue, and bossa nova performed at Boleros. And you’ll have excellent people watching opportunities, too, as this venue almost always turns into a dance party.

Caribbean Mule

If you like Moscow Mules, you’ll love the Caribbean Mule found on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Made with Absolut vodka, coconut syrup, lime juice, and Gosling’s ginger beer, I find this drink to have the perfect balance of flavors.

I was originally nervous to order the Caribbean Mule because I thought the ginger flavor might be too strong, but it was just right. The ginger cuts down on some of the sweetness, so I much prefer this drink to an ultra-sweet drink like sangria.

Related: 8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

This cocktail is available at most bars and lounges onboard as it is on Royal Caribbean's standard fleetwide drink menu.

Lavender Daiquiri

Lavender in a cocktail? It might sound a bit weird, but you should give the Lavender Daiquiri a shot on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

Available at Schooner Bar, this cocktail is made with Bacardi Superior rum and lavender syrup. It’s not overly sweet yet offers a unique lavender flavor that doesn’t overpower the drink.

This is one of my go-to cocktails on any cruise, especially during a round of trivia at Schooner Bar.

Love Connection

Perhaps the prettiest drink on this list is the Love Connection. This drink has three layers of frozen, fruity flavors that are sure to be refreshing on a sunny pool day.

This drink combines layers of strawberry daiquiri, mango daiquiri, and piña colada for the ultimate tropical cocktail. You can order the Love Connection from any bar with a blender onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

Related: Recipe: Love Connection frozen drink

We ordered the Love Connection from Trellis Bar and it made for a fun drink to enjoy while relaxing in Central Park. While sweet, it’s certainly tasty, and is easily converted into a mocktail by omitting the rum!

The Lime & Coconut

Available on Royal Caribbean ships with The Lime and Coconut Bar is the bar’s namesake, the Lime & Coconut cocktail. Made with Malibu Coconut rum, coconut milk, coconut syrup, guava syrup, and lime juice, the Lime & Coconut will transport you directly to the tropics.

The Lime & Coconut is served over ice, although the coconut milk makes it slightly creamy. With the combination of guava and lime, the drink has a citrusy yet sweet flavor. The flavor profile of the drink, especially when adding coconut milk, is unlike any cocktail I’ve had before.

The Lime & Coconut is often served in a Malibu bucket, making for a fun way to enjoy the cocktail while on the pool deck. It’s a vacation cocktail at its finest, so be sure to order The Lime & Coconut if you’re sailing on a ship with The Lime and Coconut bar.

PB&J Old Fashioned

When Royal Caribbean debuted its first southern restaurant and bar, The Mason Jar, on Wonder of the Seas, they also debuted a cocktail menu with flavors and drinks not found elsewhere onboard. Everything from the Mississippi Moonlight—made with blackberry moonshine—to boozy milkshakes are available at The Mason Jar Bar.

Related: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant review on Wonder of the Seas

The bar’s most popular cocktail quickly became the PB&J Old Fashioned. This cocktail is made with Skrewball peanut butter whiskey and bourbon, strawberry jelly, and walnut bitters. To top it off, the drink is garnished with a mini PB&J sandwich.

I heard nothing but raves from this drink onboard Wonder of the Seas. While I’ll admit that the PB&J Old Fashioned was a bit too strong for my preference, if you love whiskey, you’ll love this inventive rendition of a classic old fashioned.

Banana Colada

My all-time favorite cocktail onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise is also the first drink I ever ordered on my very first cruise: the Banana Colada. I have fond memories of boarding my first cruise on Mariner of the Seas and immediately kicking off the cruise with a drink. Little did I know the Banana Colada would remain, to this day, my favorite Royal Caribbean cocktail!

The Banana Colada combines rum with the flavors of banana, coconut milk, and cinnamon into a frozen drink served, fittingly, with a mini umbrella. This drink screams vacation and a classic piña colada pales drastically in comparison to the Banana Colada.

Related: Check out the signature cocktails at The Bamboo Room

My favorite Banana Colada can be found at The Bamboo Room, available only on Mariner and Navigator of the Seas. However, you can also find a rendition of this cocktail at bars on other Royal Caribbean ships.

Planning a Royal Caribbean cruise? Start here:

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

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You’ll almost always find me in an interior cabin on a Royal Caribbean cruise. While the opposite of luxurious, I never mind my small, windowless rooms, especially if it means I can save money on cruise fare.

Nonetheless, I just disembarked a 4-night cruise in a Spacious Ocean View cabin on Liberty of the Seas. Wanting to “treat myself” but also try something new, I upgraded my cabin for $248 extra on top of the $779 I originally paid for an interior cabin. This brought my total cruise cost to $1027.

I always love trying new ways to cruise with Royal Caribbean, so when I realized I could upgrade to a Spacious Ocean View cabin for a reasonable price, I figured I would give it a try.

I had never sailed in an ocean view room before, so I was curious to see how my cabin experience would differ from an interior or balcony cabin. The price of an ocean view cabin is usually between interior and balcony cabins, but I had two main questions:

• Would an ocean view cabin be that different from an interior to justify the extra cost?
• If I’m upgrading to an ocean view, is it better to spend a little more to upgrade to a balcony?

With extra room and scenic views out the porthole window, was this upgrade worth it? Let’s find out.

Royal Up vs standard upgrade

Many cruisers look to Royal Caribbean's stateroom bidding program, RoyalUp, when hoping to upgrade their cruise ship cabin. I have used RoyalUp once before (without any luck), but I’ve since realized it’s better to first contact your travel agent about the cost to upgrade without bidding.

Related: Royal Caribbean’s RoyalUp guide, tips, and tricks

RoyalUp allows guests to bid on higher stateroom categories with the hope of winning the bid and upgrading at a lower cost.

What I’ve realized, however, is that the minimum bids on RoyalUp are not always cheaper than upgrading your stateroom directly through Royal Caribbean or a travel agent.

When I asked my travel agent how much it would cost to upgrade from my interior cabin, for example, I was surprised to see such reasonable prices. The Promenade View Interior and Guarantee Ocean View cabins were actually cheaper than the original price I paid for my interior stateroom.

Meanwhile, if I had placed a bid on a Guarantee Ocean View through RoyalUp, I would have had to bid a minimum of $30 per person for the weakest bid possible.

Initial impressions

As soon as I walked into our cabin, I was pleased to see it was quite spacious, although I was a bit surprised that the room was the same size as a balcony cabin.

For some reason I expected this cabin to be even more spacious than a balcony room, but this is probably reserved for the Ultra Spacious Ocean View cabins.

Regardless, compared to the tiny interior rooms I usually stay in, our ocean view cabin felt huge! The interior cabins on Freedom Class ships are tiny, and while I’ve stayed in this size stateroom with guests before, it’s definitely a tight squeeze.

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

Our cabin was equipped with many amenities, including:

• King bed (that we later separated to two twin beds)
• Desk and vanity area
• Wardrobe
• Couch and side table
• Television
• Mini fridge

There was ample storage in the room, from drawers on both sides of the vanity to our nightstand and a spacious wardrobe. There were also shelves on the side of the vanity near our bed which I found useful throughout the cruise.

There was also storage located behind the mirrors in the vanity and bathroom which could easily be overlooked, so we took advantage of this, too.

The best part of our cabin, of course, was the porthole window. This window was larger than I expected, although I was surprised that we had a “balcony” outside the window.

Because this room is on deck 7 as opposed to the majority of ocean view cabins on decks 2 and 3, the porthole overlooked a non-usable balcony before reaching the ocean.

Pros of our cabin upgrade

More space

An obvious benefit of staying in our Spacious Ocean View cabin was having more space. We never ran into each other in the cabin and had no shortage of storage space.

We didn’t even utilize most of the storage, in fact, because there was more than enough room to keep our suitcases on the floor of the cabin without having to unpack for a short cruise.

I spent more time than usual in my cabin

On a short 4-night cruise, I never expect to spend much time in my room. Between attending onboard events and filming videos around the ship for the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel, I usually spend little time relaxing in my cabin.

This week, however, I spent more time than usual in my cabin. I have a few hours of computer work to do each day, for example, which I usually do from a public area onboard when staying in an interior room. Unsurprisingly, I don’t love working in a room without windows.

Related: Can you work remotely from a cruise ship in 2022? I put it to the test.

With an ocean view room, I spent these hours working next to my private porthole window instead. 

Our itinerary also changed due to weather and we ended up with two sea days instead of just one. This meant we had extra time to enjoy our stateroom (take naps) during the cruise.

Great option for a first-time cruiser

I sailed on Liberty of the Seas with my cousin Keli, and she had never been on a cruise before. I thought having an ocean view cabin as opposed to an interior was nice for my cousin's first cruise. 

While I’ve brought many first-time cruisers onboard in interior rooms and we’ve had a great experience, I thought Keli would appreciate being in a more comfortable room with a window.

And it worked, because she’s already looking forward to sailing again in the future!

Cons of our cabin upgrade

Stateroom location

One drawback of our upgraded stateroom compared to the interior room we originally booked was the location.

Our ocean view cabin was located in the very aft of the ship, so this location wasn't as convenient as somewhere closer to the elevators and stairwells. We spent a lot of time walking back and forth to our cabin down a long hallway.

Plus, because it was at the ship's aft, I felt a little more movement than I normally would as we sailed through the Caribbean. Our upgraded cabin location wasn't a dealbreaker, but I would probably take the location more into consideration next time I upgrade my stateroom.

The one plus of our stateroom was that it was located on deck 7, so we rarely had to take the elevators as we were located only a few decks from all the main attractions onboard.

Spending money on a cabin upgrade instead of other activities

Looking back, we probably could have stayed in our interior cabin and used the $248 we spent on a cabin upgrade for other cruise add-ons.

For around $120 per person, for example, we could have booked an Unlimited Dining Package for our 4-night cruise. Dining at specialty restaurants once (or more) every day could have enhanced our cruise experience more than a little more space in our cabin.

We also could have put this cost toward shore excursions, drinks, internet, and other onboard spending.

Only a 4-night cruise

Spending $248 on a cabin upgrade would have spread out further on a 7-night cruise compared to just 4 days. This brought the nightly cost of the upgrade to $62, whereas it would only be $35 per night on a weeklong cruise.

Next time I upgrade my cabin, I’ll calculate the nightly price of the upgrade to help justify whether or not it’s worth it.

Obstructed view

This con didn’t bother me too much, but our “ocean view” actually looked out toward a balcony not in use, so we didn’t have the panoramic view of the ocean we would have gotten in a smaller, cheaper ocean view cabin.

Was the upgrade worth the cost?

I am still torn whether our cabin upgrade was worth the extra cost or not. While $248 isn't a lot of money in the grand scheme of our cruise vacation, we could have put the money toward other onboard experiences.

That being said, I truly enjoyed having a larger stateroom with gorgeous ocean views from the porthole. There's no doubt this room was better than an interior cabin, and I could have spent my entire day reading in bed next to our cabin's window.

Overall I would lean toward the upgrade being worth it rather than a waste of money. While I’ll probably continue to sail in interior staterooms for the lowest cruise fare possible, it’s nice to treat yourself every once in a while!

Ever since Royal Caribbean revealed the first details about Icon of the Seas, there has been an incredible amount of excitement for the new ship.

With any new cruise ship, Royal Caribbean likes to sprinkle updates leading up to the ship's launch.

While on Allure of the Seas this week, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider talked to travel agents about Icon of the Seas.

Most of the talk was going over information that was already announced, but in the process, Mr. Schneider revealed a few new details previously not disclosed.

If you're like me, you can't get enough Icon of the Seas details and updates, so here's 7 new things about Icon of the Seas you should know about.

1400 Bar

There's a new bar coming to Icon of the Seas, known as the 1400 Bar.

Located on the Royal Promenade, this is a bar that will be right when you walk onto the ship.

If you're wondering about the name, it's actually a reference to the ship's build number at the Meyer Turku shipyard.

Each cruise ship is given a number at a shipyard because the yard constructs cruise ships for multiple cruise lines and they may not yet know the ship's name when construction begins.

Royal Caribbean decided to pay homage to Icon's build number by naming it the 1400 bar.

Royal Promenade

Mr. Schneider talked about the Royal Promenade and talked about a few interesting facts.

First, the Royal Promenade will be two levels high, with an upper and lower Promenade.

In addition, the Promenade will loop around, meaning there will be no "dead ends".

We also got a few screenshots of dining venues that Royal Caribbean hasn't talked about yet.

• Sorrentos
• Boleros
• Giovanni's Italian Table
• Spotlight Karaoke

There will be a staircase that leads directly from the Royal Promenade up to Central Park.

We also got a look at a rendering of the Playmakers Bar, which will be located off the Royal Promenade.

Sushi to go option

While we knew already there would be an Izumi sushi restaurant in Central Park, there will be a new way to get sushi on Icon of the Seas.

Izumi will have a "sushi to go" window, where you can order a bento box of sushi and take it elsewhere on the ship to enjoy.

Celebration Table

Icon of the Seas will have the next evolution of the Chef's Table experience.

Known as Celebration Table, this will be similar to Chef's Table, but it will be a new take on what you can expect.

Celebration Table will be located in the AquaDome.

Supper Club

We don't know what it is exactly, but one of many new dining concepts on Icon of the Seas will be the Supper Club.

Mr. Schneider didn't talk about it, but tried to move past what this venue is while going through areas of the ship.

Based on some later screenshots in his presentation, it appears this venue will be called the Supper Club.

Crown's Edge will cost money

While the Category 6 water park will be included in your cruise fare, the Crown's Edge adrenaline experience will cost extra.

Crown’s Edge is a brand new activity coming to Icon of the Seas, combining a skywalk, ropes course, and thrill ride all in one.

Mr. Schneider didn't disclose exactly how much it would cost, only saying it would have a "nominal fee" to go on it.

Eco mode

In an effort to help save energy, Icon of the Seas will employ a new approach to air conditioning in your stateroom.

When you leave your cabin and walk off the ship for a shore excursion, the ship's computer will detect when the last person scans their SeaPass card upon disembarkation and at that point, the air conditioning will go into eco mode since no one is on the ship to need it maintained.

As soon as the first person booked in the cabin scans their SeaPass card coming back onboard the ship, eco mode turns off, and the air conditioning turns back on to the previous setting.

Whether dipping your toes in crystal-clear water or tasting local street food, there’s no doubt that visiting new ports on a cruise ship is exciting. Many cruisers, though, find themselves in one of two situations: satisfied with the activities of their port day or wishing they had done something else.

I recently spent a cruise ship port day in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, a place I had never been to before. I knew little about the port prior to my arrival, but I was determined to make the most of my port day by experiencing the country’s culture, cuisine, and historical sites in just 7 hours.

From marveling at the port’s mountainous scenery to observing local lifestyle at the city’s public square, I was satisfied with my day in port when I returned back to the ship later in the day.

No matter how much research you do ahead of time, however, you’re bound to make a few mistakes along the way, and I definitely did.

Here are the top 7 things I did right (and 3 mistakes I made!) on my recent cruise ship port day.

Staying flexible

The first thing I did right was staying flexible.

“No refunds!” was what I heard as I entered Port Everglades on embarkation day. A worker was handing out a sheet of paper to every guest, and I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about what it might say.

Tropical storm Nicole was approaching the Bahamas, and I had doubts our Bahamas & Perfect Day cruise would go ahead as scheduled. I was bringing my cousin Keli on her very first cruise, and I wanted her to have the best experience possible. I was nervous the paper might say we had all our stops canceled.

That wasn’t the case at all, though, and we learned our ship would be sailing to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic instead of the Bahamas! While I could have been upset that our itinerary wouldn’t go as planned, I was excited.

I had never been to the Dominican Republic before, and it was such an unexpected change that I couldn’t wait to see what Puerto Plata had to offer.

After talking to a few other guests, I realized some passengers were upset their plans did not go forward as planned. It’s always important to remain flexible when traveling, but especially on a cruise, so be sure to make the most of whatever unexpected changes may arise.

Not booking a shore excursion

While I’ve booked Royal Caribbean shore excursions in the past, I much prefer exploring independently. Even though organized tours can bring you to a port’s highlights without worrying about any logistics yourself, I find that the cons outweigh the pros.

Whether waiting for guests on the tour who are running late, being forced into sales pitches at tourist shops, or traveling in a group of 30+ people, I’ve almost always regretted when I’ve booked organized shore excursions over exploring independently.

Instead of a guided tour, we traveled around Puerto Plata with a taxi driver for the day for the same price a group tour would have cost. We were privately escorted to some of the port’s top sites, including Puerto Plata’s cable car and the Centro Histórico district.

Exploring without the hassle of traveling with a large group enhanced our port experience immensely.

Researching the port in advance

Because our cruise itinerary was not originally supposed to visit Puerto Plata, I knew very little about the Puerto Plata cruise port when I boarded Liberty of the Seas. I had two days to become acquainted with everything the port has to offer.

I watched YouTube videos, read articles, and spoke to a few friends who had visited Puerto Plata in the past. This was beyond useful for giving me a better idea of what to expect, deciding what I should do and not do, and creating a general plan for my port day.

One of the most important details I learned, for example, was that taxis are expensive in Puerto Plata. If I hadn’t read this, I probably would have experienced stronger sticker shock when I was quoted $70-100 for a taxi for the day.

It’s always helpful to research a port before arriving to become acquainted with the port’s offerings and the local area. I’m 100% certain that one of the reasons we had such a wonderful day in port was due to the research I did ahead of time.

Leaving the immediate port area

The Taino Bay cruise port in Puerto Plata is one of, if not the best, port area I’ve experienced thus far. It’s nearly brand new, immaculately clean, and has more than enough to keep you busy for a whole day.

Some of the port’s highlights include a large swimming pool, chic bars, and restaurants.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed the port’s facilities and we even spent the last hour of our day hanging out in the port’s large pool.

However, I came to the Dominican Republic to discover the country outside of a gated port area, so I’m glad we ventured off into a more authentic part of the city.

Hiring a local guide

We ended up spending the majority of our port day with a guide and he was fantastic—although we didn’t expect to have a guide in the first place.

In order to get to many of the city’s top attractions, I had to take a taxi. In Puerto Plata, however, taxis don’t just drop you off at one location. Your taxi driver stays with you the entire day, waiting for you at each location to take you to the next.

For $100 a day (plus a tip), we were escorted around Puerto Plata by Ramon, a local man who was determined to show us the best that the port had to offer. He has been working as a guide in his country for over ten years and already had a tentative itinerary set which we could customize to our liking.

Although I usually prefer exploring on my own, it was a nice change to not have to worry about a single thing while in port. Ramon knew where to bring us, what to show us at each location, and he shared insights to his country and city along the way. 

Considering Royal Caribbean was offering shore excursions for $50+ per person in a large tour group, spending $50 per person on a private guide for five hours seemed like a pretty good deal.

Trying local cuisine

I am always shocked to hear that some cruisers won’t spend a single penny on local cuisine while in port, instead opting to head back to their cruise ship every day for lunch.

While I understand that there is food you already paid for onboard the ship, I believe tasting local cuisine is an important part of traveling to new locations. Whether conch fritters in Nassau or tacos in Mexico, trying local cuisine is a must for me in any cruise port.

Our guide brought us to Cosita Rica, a waterfront restaurant serving local cuisine for lunch. Trying Dominican food was high on my list, and we enjoyed a meal of fish, chicken, rice, habichuela (beans), empanadas, and tostones (plantains).

I love the included food on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but how many times do I have the opportunity to eat traditional Dominican food near the beach in the Dominican Republic?

Planning a variety of activities

I could have easily spent my entire day in Puerto Plata lounging on a beach chair and sipping cocktails, but I’m sure glad I didn’t. I love the beach, but there were so many activities available in Puerto Plata that I couldn’t pass them all up in favor of a beach day.

There’s nothing wrong with spending 8 hours on a beach chair, but I knew I wanted to experience culture, food, scenery, and the beach in just one day.

We planned our day as follows:

• Part One: cable car ride to Isabel de Torres National Park for scenic views and nature walks
• Part Two: walking and shopping in Puerto Plata’s historical district
• Part Three: lunch at a waterfront restaurant followed by a walk on the beach
• Part Four: exploring the Fortaleza de San Felipe

The combination of these activities made for a busy yet insightful day in port, and I’m glad we chose to experience multiple types of activities in one day as opposed to choosing one thing over another.

Now that we’ve learned about the 7 things I did right on my recent port day, let’s take a look at our biggest mistakes of the day.

Leaving a cellphone in a taxi

At the end of our port day, our driver Ramon dropped us back off at the Taino Bay cruise port and we said farewell.

Two minutes later, my cousin Keli realized she left her cellphone in the back seat of his car. While I had no doubt that our friendly guide Ramon would return her phone, I was nervous he wouldn’t realize it was in his car until we had already left Puerto Plata.

Luckily I had gotten Ramon’s phone number earlier in the day, so myself and a few workers in port tried calling his phone, but it appeared to be off. We kept trying to call until a few minutes later when Ramon appeared on his motorbike to return Keli’s phone. Phew!

While this may seem like a rookie move, it’s easy to get distracted when exploring a new place for the first time. Be sure to always check to make sure you didn’t leave anything behind.

Not trying more variety of local foods

Looking back at our day in Puerto Plata, one other change we would have made would be to try more local cuisine. 

While we had a fantastic lunch by the beach, it was undoubtedly a restaurant catered almost exclusively to tourists. I’ll admit I didn’t let our guide know I would rather eat at a hole-in-the-wall local joint, but I found myself wishing I tried food from a variety of spots in Puerto Plata.

Whether a street food stall or pastry shop, it would have been nice to see what local food can be found in the city outside of tourist-centric restaurants.

Plus, we certainly paid more for our lunch than food we could have found at a non-touristy restaurant. Although I don’t necessarily regret eating at the tourist restaurant because the food was delicious, I wish I could have eaten where local Dominicans eat as opposed to just tourists.

Not staying more hydrated

Our day in Puerto Plata was gorgeous with sunny skies and warm temperatures, but we did not drink nearly as much water as we should have.

Staying hydrated is always important, but especially so when exploring a tropical destination where you will, most likely, be constantly sweating!

With all the excitement of discovering Puerto Plata, we forgot to stay hydrated and found ourselves parched later in the day. Luckily, a fresh coconut water saved the day.

Be sure to always keep a water bottle in your daypack to stay refreshed throughout the day to avoid any problems down the line.

More shore excursion tips & tricks:

• Top 10 cruise ship shore excursion mistakes to avoid
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• 5 cruise ship shore excursions I tried and instantly regretted
• What to do if Royal Caribbean’s shore excursions are sold out
• 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion

Royal Caribbean's new home in Galveston, Texas is open for cruise ships.

Terminal 3 in Galveston is Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise terminal, purpose built to allow the cruise line to send in the biggest cruise ships in the world.

The new $125 million cruise terminal is a symbol of the cruise line's dedication to the Galveston cruise market, and following in the tradition set forth by Royal Caribbean's other recently constructed buildings, it's spectacular to see.

I was invited to sail on Allure of the Seas for a 4-night preview event, where we could walk through and experience the new cruise terminal.

The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

The building is 161,300 square feet and is a state-of-the-art building, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival.

It will is a LEED-certified terminal (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it is environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. 

Architects Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. came up with the look of the new terminal, but this firm is no stranger to Royal Caribbean. They also designed Terminal A in Miami, Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, and Port Everglades' Terminal 18 and 25.

Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.

Let's take a virtual tour in and around the new terminal!

Outside

Similar to the other new cruise terminals that Royal Caribbean has built recently, the new Galveston terminal is bright with lots of large signage.

As you drive in, there is a pick up and drop off area, with multiple lanes to allow cars to easily get in and out.

The porters in the new terminal all have a new Caribbean-inspired motif to them, which they say they will wear every day. 

There is parking available across 4 different lots at the terminal.

Once you drop off your luggage, the entrance is towards the front of the terminal.

Keep in mind the waiting area if you have a later check-in time was uncovered from the sun on the day I was there.

Entry way

Once inside the new cruise terminal, you are greeted with a cavernous lobby.

Similar to Terminal A in PortMiami, there are different ways to enter for suite guests and everyone else. Also similar to Terminal A are the large propellors hanging from the ceiling.

The main entrance for most guests will be up the escalator on the left. There is an elevator as well.

Check-in

Your first stop inside the terminal will be for check-in.

There are agents lined up to check you in by scanning your SetSail pass.  This is when completing the online check-in before the cruise pays off, because if you do everything ahead of time, this will take a matter of seconds.

Once you complete check-in, you'll go through security. This is when your bags and belongings get scanned.

Suites area

The new Galveston cruise terminal has a special area for suite guests.

When you enter the terminal, there is a special entrance for suite guests.

This not only means a shorter wait, but it expedites the process of getting you physically from curb to the waiting area.

Waiting area

Once you are past security, you will have a seat in the waiting area if the ship isn't ready to board yet.

There are lots of comfortable couches on both sides of the enormous room.

There are also restrooms here and vending machines, should you need them.

There's also a fun Instagrammable wall.

You will also find a large piece of art that was sourced by local artists.

Forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, the Galveston Beach Trio is the embodiment of island time and a dynamic first impression. It is the creation of Texas-based Brad Oldham Sculpture.

Boarding and gangway

When they call you to board your ship, the process is just like any other cruise terminal.

Your SetSail pass gets scanned one last time and then you walk down a hallway, where you can stop to take a photo with the ship.

Then, it's onto the ship and walking onboard!

Galveston port parking coupon

The Port of Galveston is running a special for parking at the port during the month of November.

Cruise Terminal 10 parking includes a park-and-walk lot and parking with free shuttles.

If you pre-book your parking in November, you can save $10 off with coupon code THANKYOU.

Just go to www.portofgalveston.com and use the code to save on your next cruise.