Why you should always check these cruise ship policies before you sail
In:When a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise for the first time, he was shocked when he couldn't change the sail date a few weeks before the sailing.
He assumed a cruise booking was similar to a hotel booking, where you can shift dates easily. But he thought that because he wasn't aware of Royal Caribbean's cancellation and change policies, which incur penalties after the final payment date.
He ended up going on the original booking rather than take the financial loss, but it's an important lesson in understanding important policies before you go on a cruise.
You never want to be caught off guard by a cruise policy before boarding to avoid unexpected issues later.
Cancellations and Refund Policies
Most cruise lines have rules in place for what happens if you want to cancel a cruise or change dates.
In the case of my friend, changing dates is akin to cancelling. Whether you change the date and/or ship, you're cancelling a reservation and creating a new one.
The most important thing to think about when booking any cruise is the deposit type. Royal Caribbean offers two kids of deposits: refundable and non-refundable.
Non-refundable fare usually costs less, but has change fees in addition to the fact you'll never get your deposit back if you choose to cancel. Refundable fare doesn't have those fees, but the cruise fare will be higher.
You're trading flexibility for up front savings when it comes to non-refundable cruise fare.
The second most important policy to think about when booking a cruise are the cancellation terms.
The final payment date is the day a few months before your cruise where you must pay off the entire balance of your cruise or lose your reservation (and perhaps incur a penalty).
- 75 days prior to the sailing date for 1 to 4 night cruises
- 90 days prior to the sailing date for 5 to 14 night cruises
- 120 days prior for 15 night or longer cruises
If you intend to go on the cruise, then you need to pay off the entire balance owed by that date. Otherwise, Royal Caribbean will cancel your reservation. There are no extensions or undos if you miss that final payment date. Unfortunately, I hear often from people who don't make final payment in time and their reservation is indeed cancelled.
If you are before the final payment date, when a non-refundable deposit cancellation occurs, the full deposit amount will be held in penalty. Any additional payments made will be refunded.
Once you pass final payment, there are a series of penalties if you were to cancel or change your mind.
| FOR 1 TO 4 NIGHTS CRUISES (including Holiday sailings) IF CANCELLATION IS MADE | CANCELLATION CHARGE |
| 75 days or more prior to the first day of the Cruise | No charge (except for Nonrefundable Deposit amounts) |
| 74 to 61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60 to 31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price (No refund) |
| FOR 5 TO 14 NIGHTS CRUISES (including Holiday sailings and Cruisetours) IF CANCELLATION IS MADE | CANCELLATION CHARGE |
| 90 days or more prior to the first day of the Cruise | No charge (except for Nonrefundable Deposit amounts) |
| 89 to 75 days | 25% of total price |
| 74 to 61 days | 50% of total price |
| 60 to 31 days | 75% of total price |
| 30 days or less | 100% of total price (No refund) |
| FOR 15 NIGHTS OR LONGER CRUISES (including Holiday sailings and Cruisetours) IF CANCELLATION IS MADE | CANCELLATION CHARGE |
| 120 days or more prior to the first day of the Cruise | No charge (except for Nonrefundable Deposit amounts) |
| 119 to 61 days | 25% of total price |
| 60 to 41 days | 50% of total price |
| 40 to 25 days | 75% of total price |
| 24 days or less | 100% of total price (No refund) |
It's imperative to treat the final payment date as your "point of no return" to deciding if you're actually going on the cruise or not.
The other important policy I think a lot of cruisers overlook is changing or adding people to the reservation.
It's common to want to add someone, remove someone, or swap someone from a reservation. Depending on who you want to change, and how soon before the cruise sails you want to make the change, the costs could be minimal to major.
If you want to swap out one person for another, this is the simplest. As long as one person from the original reservation remains booked, you can name swap others up until a few days before the cruise with no additional cost.
As an example, you could replace your kid's friend with another friend and not have any fees or extra costs, as long as the same amount of people remain the same in the cabin and you're still booked on the reservation.
It gets more complicated if you want to add or remove people from a reservation.
Adding people gets done at prevailing rates, not the rate you originally booked at. Moreover, adding someone at the last minute is subject to if your stateroom can accommodate that many people.
All cabins have a passenger limit, so if you booked a cabin designed for 2 people and want to add a third, you'd have to upgrade to a bigger cabin first, and that would incur a fee (assuming a bigger cabin is available).
One other issue with adding someone later on is the lifeboat capacity of the ship. If the lifeboat capacity for your muster station is full, they would not allow another guest.
Removing someone from a cabin could trigger a re-price of the cabin, which could actually cost you more than keeping them on the reservation. In this scenario, you're better off leaving them on the reservation and then telling Royal Caribbean at check-in that they wont be boarding. Their port fees and taxes will automatically be refunded.
If all of these policies seem tough to juggle, it's why I recommend working with a good travel agent. They can make it far simpler to manage on your end, and are a great point of contact when you have questions.
I recommend reviewing all of the "what if's" you may have about the cruise before booking. Never assume, when it comes to changing your mind later.
What you can't bring on a cruise
Just like going on an airplane, there is a large list of things you cannot bring on a cruise ship.
Most are obvious things that you probably would never consider bringing, but there are definitely a few surprises on the banned item list.
First and foremost, you cannot bring anything that is or could be used as a weapon. No firearms, explosives, fireworks, knives, ammunition, etc. This includes anyone that has a permit or license to carry weapons.
Illegal drugs are also not allowed onboard, even drugs that are legal in some states, such as marijuana or cannabis products. This includes products containing CBD oil, candies and edibles, even if prescribed by a physician as medication.
You also cannot bring beer or liquor onboard, although you can bring some wine and non-alcoholic drinks on embarkation day only.
Perhaps the most commonly violated packing list rule are items that are a fire hazard. You cannot bring anything flammable, that makes an open flame, or has a heating element.
I believe this is the most commonly overlooked rule by passengers, because so many people try to bring an iron, steamer, or power strip on their ship only to have it confiscated by security.
Passengers cannot bring pets on their cruise, unless they are a certified service animal. Emotional support animals are not allowed.
Regarding luggage, there is no baggage limit for a cruise.
Drink and beverage policies
There are rules about bringing your own drinks on a cruise that are important to be aware of.
Only on the first day of your cruise are you allowed to bring one bottle of wine/champagne per adult in the cabin. It must be brought in your carry-on bag (so don't put it in your checked luggage).
No other alcohol is allowed to be brought on a cruise ship. And don't try to sneak booze onto the ship either because the cruise line has seen all of the tricks before. Not to mention the fact I think having a stash in your cabin is cumbersome and more trouble than it's worth.
You're welcome to purchase bottles of alcohol on the ship or in the ports your ship visits, but Royal Caribbean will hold onto it until the end of the cruise.
The other important rule to know about are if you purchase an unlimited drink package.
Drink packages aren't cheap, but they offer a very convenient way to enjoy drinking on a cruise. However, there are certain things you can't do with a drink package:
- You cannot share your drink package benefits with someone else
- If one person purchases the Deluxe Beverage package, then all persons in the cabin 21 years old or older must also purchase it
- You can buy a package onboard as long as there are 4 days left in the cruise
- Your drink package works everywhere, except room service and the mini bar
- You'll pay a service charge when you buy the drink package that covers gratuity for all drinks ordered
The no drink sharing rule is by far the most important rule to be aware of, and it could result in you losing your drink package benefits without a refund if you're caught.
Smoking Policies
While you can smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or other tobacco products on a cruise ship, it can only be done in designated areas.
These rules include all types of electronic vaping, such as e-cigarettes, vapes, mods, etc.
- Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas, must be properly disposed of, and never be thrown overboard
- Cigar and pipe tobacco are limited to designated outdoor areas and Cigar Bars
- You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or use tobacco on sailings beginning in U.S. ports.
- For sailings beginning in all other ports, the minimum age is 18 years old
You can also smoke in the casino on Royal Caribbean ships, except for any ships sailing from Australia and the United Kingdom.
It's important to note you cannot smoke or vape on your balcony or anywhere in your stateroom.
