Royal Caribbean Blog

This cruise has been the riskiest and most epic thing I have ever done in my life. Seriously. 10 out of 10, would do it again. Even though we haven’t been able to do everything we wanted to do it has still been 100% worth it. 

Out of all of the things in our itinerary that have changed, missing the World Wonder of Petra hit me the hardest. Still, getting to explore Africa is an amazing opportunity and I am here for it. We will get to Petra another time.

My husband and I both love to travel – especially to historically significant locations. I thought that this trip would cross many things off of our bucket lists. And maybe as a result we could book fewer trips. For me, it has been the opposite. Now I don’t want to stop traveling.

What is going on now that we are halfway through? We reached day 137 when we arrived in Kuala Lumpur. The half-way point in our 274 day journey with Royal Caribbean on Serenade of the Seas on this Ultimate World Tour. So much has happened in the last four and a half months, I’m not even sure where to start.

Most of the people I’ve talked to that are doing the full nine months are an adventurous sort. We might all be doing this for different reasons, but the element of adventure is there for all of us. Most of us have put our lives on hold to do this. Some of us sold homes and cars. Some are working on the ship. Many of us are crossing multiple items off of our bucket lists. Some of us have had our trips unfortunately cut short.

Steve was forced into retirement due to a heart attack in late 2022, and I didn’t retire until a few months before the trip started. So what “regular life” looks like for us is going to be completely different than it used to. We have some things to take care of when we get back. And I am sure once we return home, more things will come up that we will need to stick around for. But I know that after a few months, I will want to be on the move again.

For me, the Ultimate World Cruise has been life changing. And I expect this will continue over the next four and a half months.

One of the biggest after-the-cruise plans for us, is that I am writing a book. I got a lot of grief on social media for the username “frugal vagabond” for a person on a trip that so many people think is out of their reach. When I looked around at my fellow passengers though and saw how many young – and clearly not independently wealthy people that were here, I had to get their stories. 

So I interviewed several of my cruise mates and I am writing a book that tells all of our tales of how we were able to make this happen. Most of the people are here for the full nine months.

That takes dedication, planning, and a willingness to sacrifice in most cases. Not just from a financial perspective, but also from a time perspective. I want people to know that if they have a real desire – they can do things like this too.

Follow Leah on her TikTok and Instagram

Don’t like: Missing out on several locations due to weather or wars

Before the cruise even started, the itinerary was changing due to world conflicts. That has continued and as most know, required a completely different route for our circumnavigation. 

Also, when we were going around the southern point of South America, weather kept us from stopping at several tender ports. What can you do? No ones fault. Just disappointing. I still want to go to all of the places we have missed.

Do like: Royal Caribbean coming up with alternatives for the original itinerary items we missed

The top thing I like, of course, is getting to explore Africa instead of the Mediterranean locations. It looks to be an incredible opportunity and I can’t wait. 

Missing out on Machu Picchu was a big disappointment. But the cultural locations we were able to explore in Cusco and the shows they set up for us in Lima were amazing last-minute substitutes.

Don’t like: Mean people

If you are following more than one content creator that is on the Ultimate World Cruise, then you know that there have been multiple incidents of mean people. 

You are never in a place surrounded by perfect people. But on the few cruises we did before starting the world cruise, everyone was happy and living the vacation vibe. 

This trip has been different from the start just due to the long duration and expectations of the people on the ship. Jokes were made in the beginning about this being a massive social experiment and sometimes it really feels like it is.

Do like: Lifelong friends and new family

Being so close to lots of new people also has an upside. Really easy to get together, and get to know like minded and adventurous people from completely different backgrounds. I feel like I have made new lifelong friendships with many of the people in the content creator group. 

Also with some of the staff, and with various individuals and couples we have gotten to know on excursions, dinners, at the casino, and while having drinks. Time will tell if they really will be lifelong friendships. 

I do know that I have at least two new “family members” though. My new brother Anthony, and a new sister Renee. From the beginning we have helped and supported each other through our content creators group, but after four and a half months, I can’t imagine not having these two people in my life and not talking to them regularly and following along with wherever life takes them once the cruise is over.

Don’t like: Overly crowded excursions

I get it, this is a popular cruise, and the places we are going are atypical for a Royal Caribbean ship. 

I am not sure if most Royal Caribbean excursions are like this, but picture if you will: 40 people on each bus. Each excursion has at least three of these busses. And there are 2-3 other excursions with similar numbers that are going to at least some of the same location as yours. And since there is a limited time in each port location, there is a lot of overlap. 

So at least 120 or as many as 360 of your best friends from the ship getting dumped for 20 – 40 minutes trying to explore. Limited time to actually “see” anything. Trying to get a few videos, pictures, learn something about the location, and enjoy it. 

I really wish they would rotate the busses a bit better. And on this same idea, spending too much time in busses. Most of the “cool” locations are so far away from the port, this is necessary, but still not fun. Also, not enough time in each of the ports.

Do like: The incredible things we have been able to see

Despite wishing things could be different with regard to how the Royal Caribbean excursions are handled, this itinerary has allowed us the opportunity to see so many incredible things in the world. 

I don’t think I have the words to describe all of the amazing places. Never did I think I would ever go to China. Or if I did, get to actually go to the Great Wall. We did that. 

Christ the Redeemer in Brazil? We did that. Chichen Itza? We did that. Antarctica? Well, we sort-of did that. I didn’t get to put my toes in the water or step on land there, so in my book, it doesn’t count. Most of the other passengers think that it does. 

Too many places to list them all out. Curaçao and Bonaire? I had no idea how beautiful the water there would be. Subic Bay? I was picturing an abandoned and dilapidated naval base. It was nothing like that! Beautiful. And a testament to the locals who volunteered to keep it maintained and operational while they got a plan in place to utilize what was left behind.

Don’t like: Inconsistent communication of vital information

From the beginning, information on the Ultimate World Cruise that was disseminated by Royal Caribbean has been inconsistent and frustrating. That has continued throughout this cruise. 

Shoreside versus ship personnel have different information and they don’t seem to share. Not everyone has access to the same information, further confusing passengers. 

Even though the World Cruise is new for Royal Caribbean, cruising isn’t and most of us feel they should be much better at it than they are.

Do like: Social sharing

Poor communication skills have given me the opportunity to share the information I have access to with the world and providing a service to those both on the ship and off. 

This also helps my follower/subscriber counts and views. People are interested in hearing the details – even if it doesn’t directly affect them. I think I probably have several followers who are related to people on the trip and they find information on my socials about their relatives. It is a service I am happy to provide.

Don’t like: The constant noise on the ship

If you are following any of the content creators on this ship, you have probably heard this complaint. The noise. Everywhere. All the time. 

I do love the layout of the Serenade. I only have one other ship to compare it to – the Adventure of the Seas. But in my opinion, the design of the Serenade is much better. It’s too bad it doesn’t have a Flowrider, but that’s another issue.

The one bad part about the Serenade design is the openness of the Centrum. The noise that reaches this area flows up from Deck 4 to 12. It is annoying and problematic.

Do like: Changes to make the ship livable

Did you know that we have doctors and dentist on board? 

This is a long trip, with a majority of passengers in the senior citizen demographic. I really appreciate that Royal Caribbean recognized that having doctors and a dentist on board would mean that people would have access to care and that without it, many people would be forced to leave the ship for on-land care and perhaps miss important destinations, or even the rest of the trip. 

And of course this is an opportunity for Royal Caribbean to make additional money from the services they provide. A win-win for everyone.

Happy weekend! In case you missed any Royal Caribbean news, here is a look at everything that happened this week!

After suffering a propulsion issue mid-cruise, Radiance of the Seas next sailing has been cancelled.

After initially delaying the sailing's departure by two days, Royal Caribbean informed guests their cruise would be cancelled.

Passengers had already boarded the ship while the vessel underwent work in port for an additional two days, however, the decision was made to cancel the cruise altogether.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean would consider offering river cruises
• "What a great start to the year" Royal Caribbean reports strong first quarter earnings
• Royal Caribbean touts "significant progress" in decarbonization reduction target
• Royal Caribbean executives talk amazing demand, beach club, ordering new ships and more
• Royal Caribbean breaks ground on new beach club in Bahamas reserved for its passengers
• Royal Caribbean eliminated norovirus outbreaks on its cruise ships last year after making big changes
• Royal Caribbean cancels more visits to Labadee, Haiti into the fall
• This Royal Caribbean drink package workaround saves so much money if you're not a heavy drinker
• "Should be illegal": Crew member shows off daring high dive on cruise ship

New RCB Video: Why Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty perks are in trouble

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—Why Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty perks are in trouble—don’t forget to subscribe to our channel!

I went to Royal Caribbean's private island on a Celebrity cruise ship. Here's what surprised me about this visit

Celebrity Cruises took its first visit to Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Elizabeth went onboard to see what it was like.

Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Beyond are both scheduled to regularly visit the island on future itineraries.

Elizabeth sailed on Celebrity Reflection and saw frequent advertisements for Perfect Day at CocoCay onboard.

Here's everything that surprised her on the visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay with Celebrity Cruises. 

Almost 1 in 2 Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers are millennials

When you picture the average Royal Caribbean fan, do you visualize a young, hip millennial?

Recent statistics show that over half of passengers on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are between 43-28 years old, or even younger.

Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group's CEO, said that "almost  1 in 2 guests are millennials or younger."

"It's a very powerful statement."

Royal Caribbean Oasis Class Ships by Age

Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships have been record-breaking, expectation-setting vessels ever since their inception.

With Utopia of the Seas launching this summer, and the introduction of a new Oasis Class ship to be released in 2028, how many Oasis Class ships are there?

Here's every Oasis Class ship by age, oldest to youngest—and what makes each one special.

New casino partnership

Royal Caribbean Group announced on Friday that it will be partnering with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming to provide deals and added perks to loyalty members.

Members of Royal Caribbean's Club Royal, Celebrity Cruises' Blue Chip Club, and Hard Rock's Unity loyalty programs will receive extra benefits thanks to this partnership.

Essentially, cruisers who have status in Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises' casino loyalty programs can now gain benefits at Hard Rock Casinos—and vice versa.

Cruise advice that makes sense until you get on your ship

You'll hear lots of cruise tips before you sail, but a few of them seem to make sense until you get onboard.

There's merit in these cruise tips, but in practical terms, they just don't work well. Whether because they're too limiting or impractical, these are the cruise tips you might want to think twice about embracing.

Here's my list of cruise tips that aren't as good as they sound.

12 reasons to eat at the buffet instead of the dining room

Whether you're a picky eater or not, the cruise ship buffet is an underrated option for dinner.

There are advantages to eating at the Main Dining Room or Windjammer, including convenience, variety, and service.

To help make this decision easier, here are 12 reasons to eat at the buffet instead of the dining room on your cruise.

Royal Caribbean threw in the towel on Saturday and decided to cancel its planned sailing to Alaska after discovering repairs would take longer than expected.

Guests boarded the ship on Friday after being told their sailing would be delayed by two days, but would sail on Sunday. Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to depart on Friday, but the amended itinerary dropped a port visit so it could stay in Vancouver for a few extra days.

Around mid-day on Saturday while still in Vancouver, an announcement was made over the public address system to inform guests their sailing would be cancelled in order to fix an ongoing issue with its propulsion system. 

Guests are expected to disembark the ship tomorrow.

"As you are aware, our teams have been vigorously working to have Radiance of the Seas prepared to set sail on our shortened April 26th sailing," the letter given to passengers in their staterooms read.

"Despite our best efforts, circumstances beyond our control have delayed our sailing further."

"As a result, we'll regrettably have to cancel our April 26th, 2024 cruise."

The sailing will not occur at all, and guests must disembark the ship by April 28th at 4:00pm.

Royal Caribbean issued a further apology saying, "we understand the disappointment due to this unfortunate turn of events. We truly extend our sincerest apologies for the continued unforeseen disruptions to your vacation."

Royal Caribbean has not yet made a comment on exactly what is wrong with the propulsion system. 

How will passengers be compensated

All guests will receive a 100% refund for the cost of the cruise. This includes refunding passengers of any taxes and fees for the cruise. 

In addition to the 100% refund, guests will also be receiving a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) of 100% of their cruise fare paid to be used towards a future sailing. Royal Caribbean has stated guests will receive this FCC by May 10th. 

Passengers have been notified that they will be expected to disembark by tomorrow, April 28th 2024 by 4:00pm local time. 

Anyone that booked flights with Royal Caribbean will have their flight arrangements automatically re-scheduled.

The cruise line will reimburse any travel change fees up to $250 for domestic travel and $400 for international travel.

They will also reimburse up to $250 for hotel costs, per stateroom, per night, for two nights.

What happened to the cruise ship?

Earlier this week, Radiance of the Seas set sail on a 4-night sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver. During the sailing guests were quickly notified  of a “technical issue with one of its propulsion systems" and that the rest of the planned port stops would be skipped.

Initially passengers for the April 26th sailing were given a letter onboard notifying guests of a delay that would be occurring due to the time it would need to take for crew members to fix the faulty engine and propulsion system.

Royal Caribbean notified guests that the ship would be welcoming passengers onboard but that the ship would remain at the embarkation port for two additional nights in order to give the crew time to fix the propulsion issue that has disabled one of the ship’s engines. 

The letter delivered to all passengers onboard stated the following message from Royal Caribbean, "While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we're going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you. Although we'll conduct our boarding as planed for our April 26th, 2024, Radiance of the Seas sailing, we'll now set sail on April 28, 2024.”

After delivering this message to all guests Royal Caribbean addressed the problem with the following apology, “We're terrible sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you'll join us on the alternate itinerary planned.” 

The change in itinerary at the time meant that Radiance of the Seas would need to adjust its schedule and that some changes would be made to the current Alaska sailing. This included missing an originally scheduled port stop in Juneau Alaska. This sailing was meant to be the first of the Alaskan cruise season for Radiance of the Seas. 

However, there is now a more recent development that has completely changed this cruise sailing again for passengers currently onboard Radiance of the Seas. 

The second time this ship had a last-minute cancellation after guests boarded

It's deja vu for Radiance of the Seas as a similar situation occurred last year in Alaska that resulted in two cruises being cancelled, and one was after passengers had gotten onboard.

Radiance of the Seas was scheduled to depart from Seward, Alaska on September 1, 2023 and Vancouver, Canada on September 8, 2023 for seven-night cruises along the Alaskan coast. Both voyages were canceled due to a technical issue with the ship's propulsion system.

The ship underwent repairs and was able to resume sailing with the September 15, 2023 voyage.

The similarities less than a year apart are uncanny and quite unusual.

A Royal Caribbean crew member recently shared what it's like to do a high dive on a cruise ship, and it looked scarier than when watching from the seats.

Crew members often share their unique day-to-day lives on social media, and this woman shocked the Internet with her daredevil antics.

Ginni van Katwijk, a Dutch cliff diver, recently shared a video to Instagram of a shocking high-dive.

She lives and works on the Oasis Class Harmony of the Seas, and has been with Royal Caribbean for 11 years.

Harmony of the Seas is currently the world’s fourth-largest cruise ship, although she held first place when she was first launched in 2015.

The ship carries over 5,000 passengers and crew members.

About 20 of these crew members are performers at the ship's AquaTheater, which is seen in the viral video.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships feature an AquaTheater uniquely designed to combine a pool, diving boards, a high wire, and technology for a stunning show space.

Read more: Harmony of the Seas review: What this cruise ship is like in 2024

Harmony of the Seas has a sensational aerial, synchronized swimming, dancing, diving, and slackline show called “The Fine Line,” in which Katwijk performs.

The show combines talented crew members, lights, music, and acrobatics to dazzle guests in the AquaTheater.

However, Katwijk's recent performance on social media went above and beyond (literally).

Katwijk was visibly nervous before she dove off the 55 feet platform

Katwijk shared a video of her record-breaking high dive, leaping 55 feet (16.8 meters) down into the water.

She posted the video to her Instagram feed under the username @adventures_with_ginni.

In it, she shows an angle of her perspective of the dive, pointing out the pool’s features from above.

The AquaTheater’s diving tower includes two springboards and two higher platforms, reaching 32.8 feet (10 meters).

From these high platforms, a dive into the pool marks a total of 55 feet.

She marks a point in the left third of the pool where she is attempting to land—a place that looks tiny from her high vantage point.

Guests can be seen walking the deck and sitting nearby.

As her hands begin to shake with nerves, Katwijk says “Just like normal, we got this. Easy peasy."

Then, she stretches her arms high and leaps, doing a couple of flips as she dives down into the water.

Katwijk elegantly lands feet-first in the spot she pointed out earlier, with a loud splat confirming her landing. 

The video also catches a round of applause and cheers from the deck as guests witness her performance.

Commenters expressed anxiety and shock, applauding her bravery

The video was posted on March 30th, 2024, and already has upwards of 40 million views.

Many commenters also jumped in to share their opinion.

“That should be illegal,” user @queendawkins commented.

@waiyi_chan echoed this perspective: “How is this allowed?”

“The landing sounds like a shotgun!” @therealmotzemog commented on the loud noise of her dive into the pool.

In addition to being shocked at Katwijk’s high dive, users also couldn’t believe that this was taking place on a cruise ship.

In addition to the shocking height of the dive, being on a cruise ship poses extra challenges due to the possibility of wind and waves.

“WHY IS THIS ON A CRUISE SHIP?” @lotsasmiles wrote.

Plenty of users expressed that they would never be able to complete a dive this high, with lots of comments reading “no thank you."

‘You’d have to pay me to do this.’

Many commenters seemed concerned that this dive would be offered as an option for guests, but Katwijk made it clear that this experience was only for trained professionals, aka the AquaTheater performers.

“Currently, guests are not allowed to swim in this pool at all—it’s just for shows and for the performers to train and warm up in,” she wrote in a previous Instagram post.

Read more: Trying out the free activities on Harmony of the Seas

The AquaTheater pools are the deepest at sea 

Harmony of the Seas is no stranger to these exciting high dives.

In 2017, Cesilie Carlton, an American high-diver on the ship, posted a video on Instagram performing the 55-foot high dive from the same high platform.

Carlton's video was filmed by fellow performer Sydney Brown and showed a similar dive from the platform.

The AquaTheater on Harmony of the Seas is uniquely designed for exciting aqua shows. 

Quests are not allowed to use the AquaTheater pool, as it is only used for shows and performer warm-ups.

As part of the shows, Oasis Class ships boast the deepest pools at sea. The pool’s depth can be adjusted to a depth of almost 18 feet (5.5 meters).

In a previous Instagram post about the pool, Katwijk shared that the pool has a mechanism underneath that takes up 3 feet, leaving 14 feet for divers to land in.

"YES," she wrote, "We touch the bottom every time when we come from the high dive!" 

The AquaTheater is the most technologically advanced aspect of the Oasis Class

Royal Caribbean's unique AquaTheater shows may look effortless, but there's a lot of work behind the scenes to fit everything together.

The divers, stage managers, swimmers, and tech crew must all communicate clearly and trust one another to perfect their timing and performer safety.

So that performers can hear stage manager instructions at all times, there is an underwater speaker in the Aquatheater pool.

Read more: Crew member shows what it's like to sail on an empty cruise ship with no passengers

In addition to these vocal cues, there is a lights system at the diving boards that behaves like traffic lights, letting divers know when they're clear to go.

The performance looks simple at its completion, but it takes a lot of moving parts for the show to go on.

“No one just has an epiphany and wakes up and says, ‘Let's build the AquaTheater,’” said Richard Fain, former Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. 

“It’s very much an iterative process and evolutionary. You learn from doing it on other ships, and each time you learn more, and you use that.”

Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas will not have to cancel its next cruise, but it will need extra time to fix the issue onboard.

Guests on the April 26 sailing of Radiance of the Seas were advised on embarkation day that their sailing will still take place, albeit with an extra two days in port before they can leave.

Earlier this week, Radiance of the Seas suffered a propulsion issue that appears to have disabled one of the ship's engines.  

During the four night sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver, guests experienced a brief stop and then the ship resumed sailing but with only one engine operational.  Guests were quickly informed the ship has, "a technical issue with one of its propulsion systems" and the rest of the planned port stops would be skipped.

Radiance made a direct course for Vancouver, where it was able to dock late last night and allow new passengers onboard today as scheduled.

Unfortunately, the start of the Alaska cruise season will be altered due to the propulsion issue.

A letter given to guests on embarkation informed them that the ship needs additional time to make the necessary repairs, "While repairs for the technical issue that we encountered on our previous sailing are still underway, we discovered that we're going to need some extra time to get the ship in tip-top shape for you."

As a result, the ship won't leave Vancouver until Sunday night, "Although we'll conduct our boarding as planed for our April 26th, 2024, Radiance of the Seas sailing, we'll now set sail on April 28, 2024."

While the ship will remain in port for a few days, the terminal will be closed so passengers will be unable to disembark to explore Vancouver during the delayed time.

In addition, the revised itinerary means it will skip a scheduled visit to Juneau, Alaska.

Radiance had planned to conduct its first 7-night Alaska cruise of the 2024 season with this sailing.

Compensation for the delay

Royal Caribbean apologized to guests for the inconvenience this technical issue has caused, which has now impacted two sailings.

"We're terrible sorry for this last-minute change. We understand this news is disappointing, but we hope you'll join us on the alternate itinerary planned," the letter said.

Radiance will sail the Inside Passage on April 29, followed by a visit to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan, Alaska before returning to Vancouver.

Read more: Alaska cruise ports guide

In addition, Royal Caribbean is offering compensation for the last-minute change of schedule.

Guests will receive:

• A refund of two days of cruise fare in the form of onboard credit
• A Future Cruise Credit value of two days of the cruise fare paid to use towards the booking of another cruise
• Refunds for any shore excursions booked in Juneau in the form of onboard credit
• Complimentary drinks for the two days stuck in Vancouver
  • All drinks will be complimentary to guests on April 26 and April 27, 2024
  • Guests who bought a drink package will get a refund for those days in an onboard credit
• Guests will still get 7 Crown and Anchor Society points for the sailing

The problem with the cruise ship

Royal Caribbean did not specify exactly what the propulsion issue is, or what happened to cause it.

Royal Caribbean's only official comment on the problem is that the ship's "propulsion system experienced a technical issue."

Radiance of the Seas has two Azipods, which are multidirectional pods that drive the ship and can be rotated 360 degrees and are have been the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships in recent years.

During the previous sailing, the ship came to a stop in the ocean briefly before resuming sailing with only one engine.

It remains to be seen if this issue will be fully resolved by April 28.

One cruise fan discovered a great trick for being able to enjoy alcoholic drinks on their cruise without a costly drink package.

A Royal Caribbean drink package is a very popular add-on, but they are not cheap purchases. You could pay anywhere from $60-100 per person, per day for the Deluxe Beverage Package.

While drink packages do offer a cost-savings opportunity to cruisers, not everyone will find that value.  

On the Royal Caribbean Dining Facebook group, Mandi King shared a hack she found that is a good middle ground between buying a drink package and paying for your drinks individually.

The lesser-known liquor bottle option

Ms. King shared that she came across this idea because she doesn't drink enough to justify buying a drink package.

"I know this won't apply to many of you, but I don't drink enough to justify the drink package so I thought I would share my little cruise hack for those of you in the same boat (pun intended)," she said in her post.

She discovered 375 ml bottles of alcohol available for purchase from the Royal Caribbean gifts website.

Each bottle comes with a few sodas, but she admits she'll give the sodas to her children.  Instead, she will bring different drink mix flavors with her onboard to mix with water and her vodka purchase.

"I purchased two vodka/sprite packages for $88, which sounds expensive for essentially a fifth of vodka but it will make 16 drinks with 1.5oz pours - that's just $5.50 per drink so will save me a ton compared to buying drinks at the bar"

To make her DIY cocktails better, she leverages the complimentary fruit on the ship.

"I also like to grab some fruit from the buffet to add to them - add a little watermelon, strawberries, orange, and/or pineapple and it becomes a fancy drink!"

Another idea is to bring drink mixers with you so that the alcohol you choose can be better enjoyed.  A reader suggested taking Skinnies cocktail mixers as something that works well (Link contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use!).

There is a caveat to this hack, it’s not available on all sailings.

Combine this hack with the added ability to bring one bottle of wine or Champagne per adult in a cabin onboard your ship, and Ms. King feels she has a cost-effective strategy to enjoy drinks on her Royal Caribbean cruise.

Every adult (21 years or older) is allowed to bring, in a carry-on, one bottle (750 mL) of wine or Champagne. There is a $15 corkage fee if you consume your bottle in a dining room.  Sorry, you are not allowed to bring beer or liquor. 

Cruisers love this idea

"I did this and it was absolutely perfect for me!" is what Becky Weaver commented on the post, and a lot of other people have embraced the idea.

LeeAnn Freiburger added, "We did the same. Order 2 of these plus a bottle of champagne , 2-6 packs of Truly and will carry on two bottles of champagne. No way could we drink $1,200 worth so this was a no-brainer for us."

Marcia Tivoli agreed, "I purchased a bottle of whiskey for hubby one sailing -- totally worth it!"

It's not a perfect option for everyone, but it seems to fit the needs of casual drinkers.

"If you only want 2 cocktails per day (assuming 7 nights) and don't mind going back to your room to get one, it's a good idea," Tom Hoffman wrote.

Lj Castillo said, "That's what we do now that we're diamond. Makes no sense to buy the drink package when you can get those and sodas."

Other ways to save money instead of buying a drink package

If this hack has you contemplating skipping a drink package, there are other ways you can enjoy alcoholic drinks without splurging for an all-included beverage package.

Ryan Southworth commented to keep an eye out for the 10 drink punch cards sometimes offered on ships.

In recent months, we've seen the drink card make a comeback on many cruises.  Essentially, it's a pre-paid card for 10 drinks that you can use (and share with anyone else) for a fixed price.  

The "catch" with the drink card is there's no way to know in advance if it will be offered on your cruise.  If it is offered, it may not be available until the end of the sailing.

Still, it's a great value and shareable.

If you have a port intensive itinerary, it might be more cost-effective to do your drinking while in port.

Royal Caribbean's drink prices are probably higher than what you'll find in the places your ship visits, especially in the Caribbean.

Finding bars or vendors selling inexpensive beers, cocktails and more is not usually difficult. You can usually find a few right in the pier area, with more in the town or city your ship visits. 

If you're booked in a suite, then take advantage of the free cocktails offered in the evening.

The Suite Lounge or Concierge Lounge offers beers, wine, and cocktails each evening for guests in a Grand Suite or higher.  Pinnacle Club members are allowed in too, although sometimes this is capped if there are a lot of Pinnacles onboard.

It's available for a few hours each night, so speak to the Suite Concierge host for more information.

Royal Caribbean cruisers are about to get more value from being a loyal cruiser.

Royal Caribbean Group announced on Friday a new partnership with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming that will allow those with deals and promos on accommodations, meals, and more at Hard Rock and Seminole casinos, hotels and cafes, and on Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises vacations.

It essentially provides added perks for members of the Club Royale (Royal Caribbean) and Blue Chip Club (Celebrity Cruises) casino loyalty programs, as well as Unity by Hard Rock.

New benefits

Here's what cruisers and Hard Rock members can expect to get from this new arrangement.

Club Royale and Blue Chip Club members can get exclusive discounts and perks at participating Hard Rock locations, including annual complimentary trips at select Hard Rock hotels and casinos worldwide for premium tier Club Royale and Blue Chip members. 

Unity by Hard Rock loyalty members will receive discounts on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity vacations and can qualify for invite-only cruise giveaways. Top-tier loyalty members will also receive an annual complimentary cruise on select ships and itineraries. 

What this means is you're a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruiser with status in the casino, you now have benefits with Hard Rock and vice versa.

Official starting date for rewards still being finalized but expect communication via your email if you are a Unity by Hard Rock member, Royal Caribbean Club Royale member or Celebrity Cruises Blue Chip member in the upcoming weeks with the complete detail.

The program will not extend to earning points Unity Points while playing in the casinos on a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity cruise, nor will you earn Casino Royale or Captain's Club points while playing at a Hard Rock casino.

More casino and cruise synergy

The new partnership with Hard Rock adds more value to cruisers with their loyalty status.

Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society already offers reciprocal benefits at MGM Resorts. For no extra cost, you can link your Crown & Anchor level and immediately take advantage of MGM benefits including resort fee waivers, discounts on entertainment, and complimentary hotel upgrades.

If you've cruised with either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, you can take advantage of the MGM Rewards program. These range from discount offers and welcome amenities for Sapphire and Pearl members to onboard credits of up to $300 and annual complimentary cruises for Platinum and Noir members. 

Just be sure to validate your MGM Rewards status and request these benefits at the time of cruise booking (at least 10 days before departure).

Read more: How do Royal Caribbean and MGM Resorts shared benefits work?

Special events this weekend

If you happen to be in South Florida this weekend sailing on Icon of the Seas, there's some added festivities.

Tonight, Friday, April 26, Zedd will headline a star-studded celebration at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Guitar Hotel Pool, alongside activations and giveaways, including a cruise giveaway on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. Ticket information is available at Casino.HardRock.com/Hollywood.

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 27, the celebration will continue at Royal Caribbean’s Terminal A at PortMiami with music and giveaways. 

Surprise events and pop-up activations presented by Hard Rock will also come to life on Icon’s 7-night Caribbean getaway departing that day. 

A special highlight at Basecamp, will be Hard Rock Cafe’s legendary Messi Burger named after Lionel Messi. Messi Burgers will be available at no cost throughout the sailing, plus giveaways of mini soccer balls and sunglasses.

Read more: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

Royal Caribbean Group's earnings call on Thursday was filled with insights into what the company is thinking on a variety of subjects.

While the hour-long call with Wall Street analysts is meant to provide clarity for investment purposes, it also doubles as a way to share guidance on the direction of the cruise industry.

For consumers, there's candid discussion of topics that will have an impact on what it's like to go on a cruise.

Here's an overview of the topics discussed that cruisers will want to know about.

Better demand than ever expected

Without a shadow of a doubt, business is really good across the Royal Caribbean Group brands.

"The first quarter was tremendous, sending us well on our path to a year that is significantly better than we expected just a few months back," is what Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty said at the onset of the call.

"What transpired over the past three months was even better than our already elevated expectations. Our brands are stronger than ever and demand for our vacation experiences continues to accelerate."

In the first quarter, over 2 million people took cruises on a Royal Caribbean Group brand ship, and that lead to a lot of people paying for cruises, along with add-ons extras.

Demand is so strong that the company is raising its earnings forecast by fifty percent compared to what it forecast in February.

At one point in the call, Mr. Liberty pointed out that April was double the usual business. He sees this as a sign demand for cruises is accelerating. They thought things were getting better in February, but it went much better in the months since.

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz explained later in the call that having two million passengers was great, but higher cruise costs was a difference maker, "While a load factor recovery was a contributor, most of our yield growth was driven by rates that were up by 14% versus 2023."

Cruises in the Caribbean stood out given that 55% of their fleet was in this market, and the combination of new cruise ships and "much higher pricing on existing ships" drove up revenue.

80% of customers are from North America

The vast majority of people going on a Royal Caribbean cruise are from North America.

"North America continues to be extremely robust, where approximately 80% of this year's guests are sourced," is a key stat that Mr. Liberty mentioned in his opening remarks.

While next year may see a slight shift in that number with China cruises restarting, Mr. Liberty doesn't see a lot of change in that, "we're going to follow the demand patterns and that is how we have we've done it for a very, very long period of time."

New cruiser numbers are up

A fascinating stat shared during the call is how many new cruisers are coming to Royal Caribbean.

People that have never taken a cruise ever are up more than 16% year-over-year, while almost one in two guests are millennials or younger.

"Millennials and younger generations have gained 11 percentage points share compared to 2019," Mr. Liberty explained.

Sourcing new customers is always important, not just for a new booking, but for the repeat business.  He said new cruisers that try a Royal Caribbean Group cruise are seeing return rates over 30% higher compared to 2019.

New Bahamas beach club will be the envy of other cruise lines

Royal Caribbean has said it targets the new to cruise market over other cruise lines customers, but that doesn't mean there isn't a game of one-upmanship to be played.

Royal Caribbean broke ground on its new private beach club that will be exclusively for the use of Royal Caribbean customers, and it's located on the front door step of every major cruise line.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley pointed out, "The beautiful thing is the Royal Beach Club in Paradise Island is positioned pretty much at the entrance to Nassau."

"On a given day, there's 25 to 30,000 cruise guests coming in on multiple different cruise brands. And of course, when they sail into Nassau, the only thing they're going to see is the Royal Caribbean Royal Beach Club, which is going to be absolutely stunning. And they will be unbelievably jealous knowing that they can't go there."

Royal Beach Club, Paradise Island is a new land-based offering for the cruise line, and it will have an admission fee with a limited capacity.

Mr. Liberty confirmed that other Royal Caribbean Group brands will be able to go to the beach club too, but no other cruise line customers.

Almost everyone is using the mobile app

Interestingly enough, almost every passenger is using the cruise app now.

About 94% of cruise ship passengers are using the app onboard, and that's important because it makes for an easier cruise experience for the guest, while making it easier to spend more money at the same time.

"We are removing friction and unlocking travel planning by investing in a modern digital travel platform, making it easier than ever for guests to book their dream vacations while allowing us to expand wallet, share our digital experiences, delight guests," Mr. Liberty said.

He touted a number of new features added to the app in the app, such being able to book flights, better cruise booking choices, tracking loyalty benefits, and more.

Read more: 14 improvements Royal Caribbean developed just for Icon of the Seas

Middle East issues not affecting European cruise demand

While the geopolitical problems in the Middle East are troubling, it's not stopping people from taking a European cruise.

Europe accounts for around 15% of capacity for the full year, and close to 25% during the summer.

"Despite the fact that we had to modify some of our eastern Mediterranean sailings that were previously expected to call in Israel or sail through the Red sea, our European itineraries have been performing very well and we are currently booked nicely ahead of last year in both rate and volume," Mr. Holtz said during the earnings call.

As for the issues affecting ships traversing the Red Sea, the company has already re-routed a number of ships and has, "contingency plans for a few other sailings that may be impacted in the fall."

Ordering more ships?

One analyst asked Royal Caribbean Group about the prospect of ordering more cruise ships given that Carnival and Norwegian both placed big orders recently.

Mr. Liberty was quick to point out that new orders don't take into account options and slot reservations.  

Options are opt-in ship orders a cruise line can elect to take that is built into the original ship order contract. Think of it like a sports contract where the player signs for a few years, but has the choice to stay with the team instead of returning to free-agency.

Slot reservations are a way cruise lines pay to reserve space at a shipyard in the future. There's no order placed, but just in case they do place an order, there's capacity to build.

"I think we feel very good, not only about our current order book and about the potential of that order book to grow moderately, but also our access to build those ships over an extended period of time," Mr. Liberty said.

Would Royal Caribbean ever consider offering river cruises? It's not as far-fetched an idea as you might think.

The Royal Caribbean Group has ownership in many cruise lines, but none are river cruises.  River cruises are quite popular in Europe, and it's an area of the market untouched by the company.

During Royal Caribbean Group's earnings call with investors on Thursday, a Wall Street analyst asked if they'd ever consider getting into river cruising.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty didn't dismiss the idea, "that could be something that we would consider at some point in the future."

But before you pack your bags, it's not on the horizon, "we're very focused on excelling in our core, growing our core and also further building out our destination platform."

He sees those tenants of the brand being the best path forward to deliver returns to their shareholders and grow the business.

However, Royal Caribbean Group does see the market as an opportunity, "River is an area where we do see some overlap, not a lot of overlap, but we do see some overlap occurring."

River cruising is a rapidly growing market and appeals to a lot of people who also enjoy expedition cruises.

River cruises are significantly smaller ships than an ocean going vessel, and travel slowly down popular rivers to offer stops at major cities along the way. 

Traditionally, river cruises appealed to an older clientele, primary retirees.  But in recent years that has changed. Some river brands are targeting younger vacationers who are interested in active outings.

Companies such as Viking, Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways have all added more ships to their fleet to respond to a growing market.

Keeping customers within the brands

One reason that getting into river cruises might make sense is it would align with Royal Caribbean Group's general strategy of offering something for everyone.

Mr. Liberty spoke about the importance of retaining its customers as they age during the earnings call, "We remain intensely focused on attracting and keeping guests within our unique portfolio of brands, and providing experiences for all of life's moments."

"We have been very thoughtful about having the right brands and the right segments," he explained and gave an example of how customers can dip between the different companies.

"You could have a set of grandparents on Silver Sea that next month are going on a cruise with their kids and grandkids on the Royal Caribbean brand."

"That happens all the time. And one of our ultimate goals here is to make sure that we keep our customer and our ecosystem."

Offering different types of sailings has been a strategy Royal Caribbean Group has embraced ever since it acquired Celebrity Cruises. Since they, the company has grown to include full and partial ownership in other lines.

The company has full ownership of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises and it is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Mr. Liberty indicated they're always looking for ways to get better at what they do, and making their customers aware of ways to cruise within the company ecosystem is one component to their plan.

Cruise lines offering combined river and ocean itineraries

A few companies have already started to embrace river and ocean cruises together.

Viking Cruises was the first line to offer both river and ocean cruises.  

They started out offering river cruises and has added ocean going vessels to their fleet.  They even offer "Ocean & River Voyages" where you can go on a river and ocean going cruise in the same vacation.

Disney Cruise Line bridged the gap by partnering with AmaWaterways. Through the Adventures by Disney brand, Disney employees act as guides on the sailing that is operated by Ama.

There are special excursions that include a Disney touch to the experience.

However, AmaWaterways are adults-only, and kids aren't allowed on these sailings even if they are sold by Disney.

Royal Caribbean's demographic is shifting to attract younger passengers. 

"Millennials and younger generations have gained 11 percentage points share compared to 2019," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group's CEO, "And today, almost 1 in 2 guests are millennials or younger...it's a very powerful statement."

This isn't necessarily a new trend, as the 2023 State of the Cruise Industry Report released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) revealed that passengers between the ages of 20 and 59 are now making up over 50% of passengers onboard cruise ships. 

Additionally, 88% of millennials expressed enthusiasm for cruising within the next few years. 

The Caribbean remains the company's largest product group. In 2024, sailings to this region make up 55% of their deployment. 

Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's exclusive destination in The Bahamas, is a favorite. With activities designed for those who crave adrenaline rushes or a day of blissful relaxation, the island was created to appeal to a wide array of interests. 

Additionally, Royal Caribbean continues to launch new builds across all of its brands, including Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Silversea. 

Whether cruisers are looking for a refined, destinated-focused sailing onboard Celebrity Ascent or a jam-packed cruise onboard Icon of the Seas, the company continues to provide exciting products and experiences that redefine what it means to take a cruise vacation. 

Royal and Celebrity have plans to grow even more, with Utopia of the Seas scheduled for debut in July 2024, followed by Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel in 2025. 

They're also working on creative more exclusive experiences for guests, such as the Royal Beach Clubs in Nassau and Cozumel, indicating that it's both the ships and destinations that are appealing to millennial guests. 

Those who sail with Royal Caribbean are five times more likely to sail with them again

From top-tier service to delicious dining, one-of-a-kind production shows, and more, the onboard experience onboard Royal Caribbean Group ships is unmatched, regardless of which line appeals to you the most. That, combined with the destinations, created a well-rounded experience. 

"There [are] 25,000 guests a day that come into Nassau," said Liberty, "And we're going to take some of those guests [and] bring them over to the [Royal] Beach Club."

Utopia of the Seas, for instance, will visit both Nassau and Perfect Day. "That's really a phenomenal game charger,' said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean CEO and President. 

"It really is drawing in a huge amount of new to cruise, and it's beautifully positioned in Canaveral right fundamentally in Orlando."

In short, creating exclusive and elevated experiences is attracting a high level of demand from consumers, whether it's a private beach at a popular port or an entire island.

Royal Caribbean's website is seeing record demand

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers got used to online shopping. 

"In the first quarter, we had 100 million visits to our websites...that's twice what we had pre-COVID," said Liberty.

"We have really upped our game, not just on a marketing basis, but [to make our websites help our customers] dream about what they want to do and help them get to the experience that they're looking for."

The Cruise Planner allows guests to easily browse all available options for their sailing, including drink packages, shore excursions, specialty dining experiences, spa treatments, Wi-Fi packages, and more. 

In essence, those who take advantage of the online portal can have their entire cruise planned out before stepping onboard, making the cruise itself as hassle-free as possible. 

Liberty went on to talk about the growth of the mobile app, too. 

We are removing friction and unlocking travel planning by investing in a modern digital travel platform, making it easier than ever for guests to book their dream vacations while allowing us to expand wallet share," said Liberty.

Our digital experiences delight guests. Our mobile app is consistently adopted by 94% of our guests on board, and we continue to enhance its capabilities."