Royal Caribbean Blog

Spring break is a popular time to take a cruise, so I decided to book a seven-night spring break cruise on Harmony of the Seas out of Galveston, Texas.

I invited my friend to join me on this Western Caribbean sailing, and we had an absolute blast on this fun-filled ship. While we were excited to visit Mexico and Honduras, Harmony of the Seas is a destination in and of itself that we were excited to explore.

This is what sailing on Harmony of the Seas is like in 2024.

Harmony of the Seas overview

Debuting in 2016, Harmony of the Seas is the third Oasis Class cruise ship. In fact, she is currently the fourth biggest cruise ship in the world behind Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas.

Harmony of the Seas is so big that it’s split into seven neighborhoods, including:

• Central Park
• Boardwalk
• Royal Promenade
• Pool and Sports Zone
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center
• Entertainment Place
• Youth Zone

6,687 guests can sail on Harmony of the Seas, and for my particular sailing, there were 6,565 guests onboard - meaning the ship was practically fully occupied! Of the 6,565 guests on my sailing, there were 2,200 children (34%).

There were lots of new cruisers and multi-generational families on this spring break sailing. Also, the overwhelming majority of passengers on our cruise were from Texas. My friend and I were one of the very few people from the Midwest on this sailing. Our accent was a dead giveaway!

Embarking and disembarking from Galveston

This was my second time cruising out of Galveston, Texas, so I had an idea of what to expect this time around. 

Because I don't live near Texas, I had to fly in the day before the cruise. When cruising out of Galveston, many cruisers will fly into Houston since that is the closest major city. There are two airports you can fly into: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). I recommend flying into HOU because this airport is closer to Galveston, but IAH is also an option if you are set on flying on a certain airline or the airfare is a better price.

After flying into HOU, I decided to stay at a hotel in League City. Hotels in Galveston are quite expensive so I chose not to stay there, although it would’ve been convenient for embarkation day. 

I stayed in Houston near the airport for my last cruise out of Galveston. I think this is a good option for those who fly in late because it’s nice to have a short ride to your hotel after flying all day.

On embarkation day, my friend and I requested a Lyft to the Galveston port. The ride was 40 minutes and cost $36.19, including a tip.

The entire embarkation and disembarkation process was seamless. Embarking the ship took only 10-15 minutes and we were on the ship in no time! This was quite different from my last experience in Galveston, but that’s because there was a Coast Guard inspection.

On the last day of the cruise, I scheduled a Lyft ride for the next morning from the Galveston port to the HOU airport. My ride was right on time and picked me up at the front of the terminal building. This ride was an hour long and cost $88.74, including a tip. 

Read more: I cruised Royal Caribbean from Galveston for the first time. Here's what a cruise from Texas is like.

Interior guarantee cabin

Because sailing during spring break is more expensive than other sailings, my friend and I decided to stay in the cheapest cabin available: an interior guarantee.

Soon after booking the cruise, we were assigned cabin 10673 on deck 10. At first glance, this cabin appeared to be satisfactory, but I saw our cabin was located above the music venue Dazzles. I was initially worried because I imagined we would hear thumping music all night long.

Luckily, however, we never heard any music in our cabin! Cabin 10673 was located on the starboard and aft of the ship, meaning it was slightly towards the back of the ship. I hardly ever felt ship movement so I was happy about that.

The cabin was 172 square feet in size and included a large closet, a vanity with drawers, a chair, a king bed split into two beds, and a bathroom. 

We encountered a few things that could’ve been improved upon (like the slow shower drain and the inoperable USB ports on the vanity), but overall, the cabin was in great condition and it was a cozy place to call home for the week.

You can read more about my cabin on Harmony of the Seas here.

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas for $463 a night. Take a look inside my 172-square-foot cabin

Dining on Harmony of the Seas

Harmony of the Seas offers 20 places to eat! I found that there were plenty of options to grab a snack or enjoy a three-course meal. I also thought the quality of the food was excellent, especially at the specialty dining venues.

On the first night of the cruise, I utilized my Diamond Plus BOGO offer which allowed me to purchase one specialty restaurant dinner and receive complimentary dining for a second guest. This offer can only be used on the first or second night of the cruise, so my friend and I decided to start the cruise off right with dinner at Jamie’s Italian. 

My favorite dishes were the truffle arancini, ultimate garlic buns, truffle tagliatelle, and the chocolate brownie with salted caramel gelato.

For the rest of our dinners, we ate in the Main Dining Room. The Main Dining Room on Harmony of the Seas is spread out between three decks with different names - we were on deck three in the American Icon Grill. 

Here are the themed menus we enjoyed for dinner each night:

• A Taste of France
• A Taste of Italy
• A Taste of the Caribbean
• A Taste of Asia
• Royal Night
• Bon Voyage

Because I have cruised with Royal Caribbean many times, I knew what menus to expect. However, there was a surprise menu that I had not seen before: The Asian menu! Our waiter told us that instead of the Taste of Mexico menu, Harmony of the Seas was testing the Taste of Asia menu. They’ve only been using this menu for about a month or so, but they are testing it because they received many comments from Texan passengers on previous sailings that they’d rather have different food than Mexican since that is what they normally have at home.

I was very happy and excited to try some new food in the Main Dining Room. I really enjoyed the appetizer and main dish I had (spring rolls and kung pao chicken) although the desserts weren’t my cup of tea. I hope to have this menu again soon!

Every night, dinner was incredibly fast - faster than other ships I have recently been on. For the two of us, dinner was normally only an hour long. And our food was always hot which I was pleased about. This hasn’t always been the case on other Royal Caribbean cruises.

On one of our sea days, we wanted to try Johnny Rockets for lunch. This is a specialty restaurant that costs $15 per person. We felt the cost was reasonable for what we got, which was an appetizer, entree, and dessert.

I haven’t had Johnny Rockets food in a very long time, so I loved coming here to see what they had to offer. I really liked my BBQ chicken bacon melt and the super sundae was super yummy!

Speaking of Johnny Rockets, my friend and I often indulged ourselves with a nightly milkshake from here. I was able to use my Diamond Plus drink vouchers for these milkshakes. This was a popular late-night dessert option among many cruisers because it was normally busy with people until it closed at 10 p.m. 

Read more: Top 10 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas hidden secrets

Entertainment and activities

I don’t think anyone can be bored on an Oasis Class ship when there is so much to do every day of your cruise. During the day, you can participate in several activities and events, and then in the evening, you can watch top-notch entertainment. 

Almost every night of the cruise, there was a themed party of some sort in the Royal Promenade. Some of these I have seen on other Royal Caribbean cruises, but some were new to me, like the Totally Awesome 90’s Party, the Caribbean Dance Party, and the 50s and 60s Rock n Roll Dance Party. I attended all of these parties and I thought they were all extremely similar, just different styles of music. I liked people-watching and seeing everyone have a fun time dancing!

There was also a Royal Roundup Country Party in Studio B, which was essentially a line dance party, that I had never seen on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It makes sense they had this because so many people on this cruise were from Texas. Yeehaw!

On Harmony of the Seas, there are two shows in the Royal Theatre, two shows in the AquaTheatre, and two shows in Studio B. These include:

• Grease: The Hit Broadway Musical
• Columbus…The Musical! Return to the Caribbean
• The Fine Line
• Big Daddy’s Hideaway Heist
• 1887: A Journey in Time
• iSkate

Both shows in the Royal Theatre, Grease and Columbus, were fabulous! The last time I was on Harmony of the Seas back in 2022, I remember being wowed by Grease so I was eager to see it again. I admired the singers, dancers, costumes, and music the entire 90-minute show. 

I have never seen Columbus…The Musical! before, so I truly did not know what to expect. The musical is described as the following: “Royal Caribbean’s Original Production tells the tale of Christopher’s luckless distant cousin, Marvin. Banished from his father’s kingdom, Marvin sets sail on a madcap voyage of discovery in the hopes of claiming his own place in history. Unforeseen romance and a happily ever after story are on the map as Marvin Columbus crashes into his Caribbean destiny.”

Needless to say, I went to the show with an open mind. After watching the musical, my first thought was how cute the storyline was. I anticipated the songs in the musical were going to be originals based on the plot, but I liked that the music was a mix of old and new songs we hear on the radio. I also liked the plot twist at the end, but I won’t spoil it for those who are going to see it soon!

My favorite shows to see on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships are the ones in the AquaTheatre. The Fine Line was the first show we saw, and this was described as having “high-flying feats, mind-blowing stunts, and physically demanding acrobatics that are brought to life by the world’s best extreme sports athletes.” I didn’t follow a storyline for this show, but I was just amazed by the talented divers, synchronized swimmers, and dancers.

On the last day of our cruise around 1 p.m., my friend and I were hanging out when an unexpected announcement was made that a second aqua show was going to be offered at the AquaTheatre: Big Daddy’s Hideaway Heist. We were both pleasantly surprised that there was another show we got to see, so we planned on getting to the theatre extra early to secure a spot. 

This show wasn't advertised in the Cruise Compass or on the app, so I thought that was strange. Maybe this was because they didn't know if the weather would cooperate to put on the show? Either way, you would only know about the show happening if you were listening to the ship announcements.

We decided to go to the first show at 3:30 p.m., and it was super busy. We were thankful we got there early and got a good spot. The show was entertaining to watch and it was a plot that I could actually follow!

During this sailing, we were not able to see 1887: A Journey in Time due to a cast member injury. This was a bummer, as my friend and I were looking forward to seeing this show. 

We were able to see iSkate, which centers around the cast performing alongside their favorite tunes.

There was also a pair of comedians performing in The Attic Comedy Club. It was hard to get a reservation for these shows since it was such a small venue, but we were able to snag two seats on the second night of the cruise.

In addition to seeing the shows, we took advantage of the many fun activities offered on Harmony of the Seas. These include:

• The Ultimate Abyss
• Three waterslides
• FlowRider
• Zipline
• Carousel
• Rock climbing
• Ice skating

Another thing to note was that apparently there was an escape room onboard in The Puzzle Break near Adventure Ocean. However, I never saw it advertised, so I believe it is closed for the time being.

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

Ports of call

Our seven-day cruise had planned stops in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Cozumel, Mexico. However, something completely unexpected happened during our cruise - our stop in Costa Maya was canceled last minute.

My friend had woken up early to get ready for her excursion in Costa Maya when she heard the ship announcement. The captain informed everyone that we were not able to dock in Costa Maya due to high swells. This was definitely a bummer because my friend was excited about her excursion to swim with the dolphins. We did not dock somewhere else and we had another sea day instead.

My friend was refunded for her excursion and everyone received a port and air tax credit of $17.12 on our onboard accounts.

Our first port stop was Roatan, Honduras. I noticed that there is now a new pool and bar area right as you get off the ship. 

There was a sign that read, “Free beach chair and pool with a purchase at the pool bar.” It didn't appear super busy, so this could be a new option for people who don't want to venture far from the ship but still say they did something in Roatan.

In Cozumel, my friend and I did an excursion together called, “Legacy of the Maya: Ruins and Chocolate Tasting.” I have not done an excursion in Cozumel in a long time so it was fun to explore new parts of the island I have never been to before. My favorite part of the excursion was the chocolate samples we got to try. It was also cool to learn more about the Mayan history of the area.

Overall thoughts

My friend and I had lots of fun together during our spring break cruise on Harmony of the Seas. 

While there were a few unexpected instances that occurred, like Costa Maya being canceled, our ship departing Galveston an hour and a half late, and the musical being stopped in the middle due to a technical issue, we still enjoyed our time onboard.

Harmony of the Seas is one of my favorite Royal Caribbean ships because of the many things you can do onboard. The staff onboard was excellent, the ship was in great condition, and the entertainment was superb.

Let's welcome spring with Royal Caribbean! It was a busy week with Royal Caribbean news, and we have a summary of all of the news from this week to make certain you did not miss any of it.

Following the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, Royal Caribbean will shift cruise ship operations to Norfolk.

On Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed after it was struck by a cargo ship.

Because the Baltimore port is no longer suitable to safely embark guests, Royal Caribbean sought several different options for Vision of the Sea's return.

Vision of the Seas is currently the only Royal Caribbean ship that sails out of Baltimore.

An April 12th sailing of Vision was supposed to begin and end in Baltimore, but has been moved to Norfolk, Virginia, and cut short a day.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean is working on options for its cruise ships following Baltimore bridge collapse
• Photos show a tiny crew-only cabin on Icon of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean's Secret Weapon: Private islands & beach clubs aim to set a new standard in the industry
• I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas for $463 a night. Take a look inside my 172-square-foot cabin
• Photos show Utopia of the Seas is nearing completion
• 6 mistakes I saw people make on my spring break cruise
• Can I share my Royal Caribbean beverage package with someone? What you need to know
• 5 reasons you'll regret downsizing to a smaller cruise cabin

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 528th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt reviews his recent Wonder of the Seas cruise.

Listen to the episode for more information on booking your next spring break cruise and spending $2,000 on a Hideaway Beach cabana.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: 10 Things People Don’t Realize about Royal Caribbean’s alcohol package

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 — 10 Things People Don’t Realize about Royal Caribbean’s alcohol package — and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing to Alaska in 2024

Is an Alaskan cruise on your bucket list for 2024?

We've developed a comparative guide for each vessel (and its itineraries) that is sailing to Alaska this year.

Whether you're hooked on a Quantum Class ship or are looking to explore unique ports on Radiance of the Seas, here's everything you need to know about your options.

11 reasons to get as early a check-in time as possible for your cruise

The earlier you get onboard your cruise, the more quickly you can start the vacation you’ve been dreaming about for so long.

Beyond just starting your vacation earlier, though, are a range of other benefits you can experience by boarding earlier than most other passengers.

Here are the top 11 reasons to get as early a check-in time as possible for your cruise.

After five cruises with Norwegian, here's why I am coming back to Royal Caribbean

Allie discovered that the grass isn't always greener on the other side when it comes to changing cruise lines.

A loyal customer of Royal Caribbean, she decided to give Norwegian Cruise Line a try.

However, her experience turned into one of disappointing bait-and-switches, last-minute itinerary changes, and broken trust. 

Here's why she's returning to Royal Caribbean.

How does Royal Caribbean dining work?

Ready to dive into Royal Caribbean cruises, but still confused about the dining process?

Royal Caribbean dining is extensive, so it's easy for first-time cruises to get confused.

This article is your guide. In it, we share information about everything from what's free to what isn't, dress codes, and dining packages.

Cruise ships can accommodate a variety of different vacation preferences and travel budgets.

There’s no wrong choice of cruise cabin—it’s all about finding the one that best suits your needs.

Whether you end up staying in the most expensive suite or the cheapest interior cabin, you can still experience an amazing cruise vacation.

However, before you book, you’ll want to find out everything you can about which cabin suits you best.

Staying in a smaller cabin, such as an interior or oceanview stateroom, has the benefit of saving you money. 

You can tailor your cruise to fit your budget, spending those savings on add-ons like WiFi, shore excursions, or spa packages. 

Or you could save them to put towards your next cruise vacation!

But there are also disadvantages to booking the cheapest room.

If you’re still debating, here are some reasons you might regret opting to book a smaller, cheaper cabin.

Read more: Your really dumb cruise ship cabin questions answered

What is the cheapest cabin? 

The cheapest option will usually be a guarantee stateroom.

This means that Royal Caribbean will give you a discount if you allow them to assign you an open room.

A few weeks before the cruise, you will be assigned a room that was unsold up until then. Discounts vary depending on the ship and sailing, but usually, this is the cheapest way to book a cabin.

As you can imagine, guarantee staterooms are usually the least desirable rooms. These tend to be windowless inside cabins.

However, there are several disadvantages to booking this cabin category.

Limited space for luggage

Especially on a longer cruise that runs 7 days or more, you’ll want to bring along lots of luggage. 

Royal Caribbean ships have a stunning variety of activities onboard and they also bring you to ports where you can experience all sorts of adventures.

There is a lot to prepare and pack for, so you can expect to bring some big bags!

But in a smaller cabin, you can find yourself running out of space to store all that luggage.

Other than the closet, older ships don’t have as many big storage spots. Often, you’ll find a spot to store one suitcase, but not much else.

Especially when it comes to big suitcases, it’s hard to fit them under the beds or in the closet.

You may even have to leave them out on the floor, causing you to trip over bags every time you move around the room.

If you tend to overpack, or are going on a longer cruise, you should consider booking a bigger room to have enough storage space.

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest, smallest cabin on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas for $210 per night. Look inside my 142-square-foot room.

You’ll have to leave the room for entertainment

Booking a small, inside cabin will leave you with little opportunity for in-room entertainment and relaxation.

There will be no window or balcony for natural light or a view of the ocean—you’ll have to go out to view the weather or scenery.

Besides a vanity with limited counter space, there’s no table for you to enjoy meals inside the room. You’ll have to dine elsewhere.

Even reading and watching movies can be dissatisfying in such a small space. 

If you’re traveling with another guest, you may find that there’s not enough room for the two of you to entertain yourselves separately. An inside cabin has no separate rooms or private spaces.

If one person wishes to nap, and one wants to watch a movie, you’ll have to compromise or leave the room.

Many cruisers who book an inside cabin find themselves leaving the room for the majority of the day, and only returning to sleep.

If having a cabin where you can relax is a priority for you, a bigger cabin would be a better fit.

No access to fresh air and sunlight

Inside cabins are typically on the interior walls of the ship, meaning they lack any balconies or windows.

Some inside cabins do have a virtual balcony—a LED screen that displays a live feed of the outside of the ship.

However, you won’t have any natural light or sea breeze from inside your stateroom.

Cut off from the sun and any view of the sea, you won’t be able to tell the weather, if it’s day or not, or whether the ship has arrived at port.

This can also lead to greater nausea and seasickness. Viewing the horizon and feeling a breeze are also great cures for seasickness, so if you stay in a small inside cabin you may have to end up leaving the room to get some relief.

If you love natural lighting, fresh air, and gazing at the sea on your cruise, staying in a small inside cabin can put you at a disadvantage.

You'll only get the basic amenities

Staying in the cheaper interior and oceanview cabins grants you a basic set of amenities, including:

• A bed for two
• Private bathroom and shower
• Vanity
• Safe
• Mini-fridge
• Closet
• Television
• A dedicated stateroom attendant
• Cleanings once a day
• Hair dryer
• Telephone

However, if you’re looking for any additional perks, you’ll want to upgrade.

Junior Suites and above provide an elevated experience and personalized service. Suites come with another level of luxury, with amenities such as:

• A private bathtub
• Balcony 
• Priority boarding
• Royal Caribbean bathrobe
• Luxury bathroom amenities
• Espresso coffee machine
• Pillow top mattress
• Double Crown and Anchor Society points
• Two cleanings a day

Whether you’re a first-time cruiser wanting to experience the best Royal Caribbean has to offer, or an experienced veteran who wants to see the ship in a new way, upgrading to a bigger cabin is the best way to enjoy these benefits.

Book a suite for that feeling of being pampered in the comfort of your stateroom.

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas for $463 a night. Take a look inside my 172-square-foot cabin

You could be assigned an undesirable location

Getting assigned a guaranteed cabin means that you will likely be given a less desirable location.

This could include a spot at the very front or back of the ship, which will experience more of the motion of the sea. This increased movement leaves you at a risk of further seasickness.

Those who are particularly sensitive to the movement of the sea might want to pay extra and choose a location close to the middle of the ship.

You could also end up in high-traffic areas—such as near elevators, on higher decks near the pool—that generate a lot of noise.

For families with young children, or people who are light sleepers, these locations can be a real disadvantage. 

Getting poor sleep could lead to a miserable cruise!

Have you ever wanted to take a peek into crew cabins onboard the world's largest cruise ship?

Chris Wong, an Assistant Casino host onboard Icon of the Seas, gave a tour of his cabin on his YouTube channel. The video, which is titled "Seriously, The SMALLEST Crew Cabin EVER!" was posted on March 16 and has garnered over 64,000 views. 

This isn't the first time that he's provided insight into exclusive crew areas, either. In early March, he posted a video tour of crew-only areas, including their Windjammer equipped with portholes, fitness center, gaming lounge, nightclub, bars, barber shop, and more. 

The video received many positive reactions, with comments praising the work Royal Caribbean has done to provide their crew with comfortable and enjoyable spaces. 

Read more: Photos show the secret crew-only areas on Icon of the Seas

@juanitafurtado8805 wrote, "Royal definitely took it to the next level with these crew areas. Happy crew means happy guests. A special shout out to the crew bar, every bit as nice as any guest bar. Outstanding!"

"Thanks for a visit to the crew neighborhood. It is great to see Royal upping their game in caring for their tireless crew members," commented @billbruff9613.

"While cruise guests are continuing to pay increasingly higher prices, it is nice to see some of that money being well invested in crew amenities and not just pocketed as more profits. Thanks Chris."

One thing the video didn't cover, however, was the crew cabins, which are traditionally much more compact than guest staterooms. Within the first minute of the tour, he acknowledges the size, claiming that it's probably the smallest cabin he's ever had while working on a cruise ship. 

"At the same time, this is also one of the modern, and almost nicest, cabins that I've stayed in," Wong says. 

Let's take a look at his single crew cabin onboard Icon of the Seas. 

The cabin was designed to feature more storage space. In fact, he says that there's so much he can't fully utilize all of it!

"I don't really have too [many] personal belongings," he admits, "I think it's probably a bit more of a struggle [to fit everything] if you are a female...and you naturally just have a lot of things."

A neat feature of the wardrobe is the slide-out rack, which makes it easy for Wong to pursue his clothes. 

The other half of the closet is comprised of built-in shelves, where Wong stores things like spare toilet paper, snacks, video equipment, and more. 

Read more: Photo tour of a balcony cabin on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas

The wardrobe is also home to Wong's desk, which he can pull out whenever he wants to use it. Otherwise, it can remain tucked away to increase floor space. 

It's large enough to comfortably fit his MacBook, iPad, work phone, and AirPods without feeling too cluttered. He doesn't even have to store them elsewhere, either, as they squeeze into the wardrobe when he wants the desk retracted. There are two built-in outlets, too. One is a standard American socket, whereas the other is European. 

The fold-up chair for the desk is hung near the door to the cabin. When the chair isn't being used, Wong likes to hang it underneath the coat hooks to maximize the amount of available floor space. 

The bottom cabinet of the closet is where the mini-fridge resides. The two additional shelves are home to Wong's socks and undergarments. 

Just like in the guest cabins, Wong can store stuff underneath his bed, too, such as his suitcase and shoes. "As you can see, there's still quite a bit of space in the back that I haven't even utilized," he says. 

There's even more storage directly underneath his bed. The sliding doors open up to reveal folded clothing. He has quite a bit of unused space, so he could have certainly packed more if he wanted to! 

While he doesn't show viewers the contents behind the other door, he says it's where he keeps his dirty laundry and other miscellaneous items, such as plastic bags. 

The bed is raised to accommodate all of the built-in storage that's underneath

"For me, being 5'10", [it's a] very, very comfortable length," he says after he demonstrates how he hops into bed. 

He flips the camera around to reveal a large flat-screen television, which he believes is larger than the one he had while working onboard Symphony of the Seas. 

Royal Caribbean provides basic options like the cruise map and other line-specific channels, as well as plenty of movies to keep the crew entertained while resting. 

There's a small reading light affixed to the wall that features a USB port, allowing Wong to charge devices from the comfort of his bed. The light can be adjusted, too, so he can rotate it to his liking. 

And, of course, even more storage! There's a small cabinet attached to the ceiling next to the air conditioning unit. While he doesn't actively store anything there, it's pretty deep, and he thinks it could be a neat place to keep a PlayStation. 

Next to the television, there are a few open shelves that he doesn't use, either. One is occupied by the cabin's telephone, whereas the shelf above it is where he stores the remote for the TV. 

The cabin's sink is right next to the entrance 

Since it's tucked into the corner of the room, there's no real vanity space. Instead, there's a medicine cabinet above it, which is where Wong stores his toiletries. 

Though it looks like he doesn't utilize all of the space, he says that the overall storage is pretty minimal: "You can fit too many things inside of the medicine cabinet...which is why I like to keep a lot of my personal belongs that I need in the old wash bag." 

The singular shelf underneath the sink is where Wong opts to keep some cleaning supplies, including Lysol wipes, sponges, and bleach spray. 

Read more: I stayed in a 200-square-foot room on the world's largest cruise ship

While Wong has his own stateroom onboard Icon of the Seas, he does share the bathroom, which consists of the toilet, shower, and some extra storage that isn't used

"A lot [of viewers] may think this is small, but if you're going to have a shower on an Emirates plane, this is certainly probably bigger than that I imagine, or a very similar size," Wong remarks. 

While it doesn't feature the glass doors that are a staple in guest cabins, there are two racks inside the shower for toiletries. 

It's also tall enough for Wong, who is close to 6" tall, to comfortably stand. His head doesn't appear to be too close to the adjustable showerhead. 

"Could you see yourself living in here?" he asks as he concludes the video. 

"This is definitely the smallest crew cabin I have ever stayed in throughout my entire career," he says.

"At the same time, one of the nicest crew cabins I've ever stayed in...I do feel at home." 

Royal Caribbean is famous for its luxurious family cruises, which come along with some pricey packages.

The unlimited beverage package is one of the most popular add-ons to a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The idea of unlimited drinks on your cruise is an attractive one. Getting a beverage package promises endless drinks without you ever needing to look at a bill or receipt.

Royal Caribbean’s drink packages are popular because they allow guests to enjoy beer, wine, cocktails, mocktails, specialty coffee, and soft drinks for one fixed price.

However, these packages come at a high price.

The increased demand for drink packages has set prices even higher, leading many cruisers to look for ways to hack the system.

Is there a way to only pay for one package? 

Can you share your drink package with someone else?

Before you try to skip the high prices and share a beverage package with another guest, here’s everything you need to know.

Read more: 9 Ways That People Cheat The Royal Caribbean Drink Package

Understanding the drink package

Royal Caribbean offers three drink packages: the soda package, the Royal Refreshment package, and the deluxe beverage package.

Because the deluxe package includes drinks with alcohol, it is one of the most popular options for a cruise.

The deluxe package offers:

• Cocktails, spirits, liqueurs
• Beer
• Wine (by the glass)
• Mocktails
• Premium coffees & teas
• Fountain sodas / Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup included
• Bottled still and sparkling water
• Fresh squeezed juices
• 40% discount on bottles of wines under $100. Bottles of wine above $100 will receive a 20% discount.
• Discounts on drinks served in a souvenir container or inside fruit

The deluxe drink package ranges from $55 to $105 per person, per day.

Only adults 21 years of age and older (or 18 years of age in Australia and the U.K.) may purchase this package, ensuring that they are of the legal drinking age.

Every adult must buy a drink package

Per Royal Caribbean’s policy, each package is a personal package for one guest.

If one adult purchases a drink package, Royal Caribbean requires all adults staying in the same stateroom to buy one.

“All packages are for single guest use and cannot be shared by multiple people,” their website states.

“Any guest wishing to purchase an alcoholic beverage package must do so for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom.”

This means that each adult must purchase a drink package, not allowing you to share one package among multiple people.

If some adults in your group do not wish to purchase a drink package, there are a couple ways to avoid this.

First, you can call Royal Caribbean and ask for an exemption. Usually, the line will permit the guest to purchase a less-expensive drink package, like the Royal Refreshment package.

If they have a health condition that prevents them from drinking or are pregnant, customer service representatives will work to make sure they are given an exemption.

Another way to avoid buying multiple packages is to book each adult in separate rooms.

If you are traveling with children and staying in multiple staterooms, you can book each adult separately.

You don’t necessarily have to sleep in those separate rooms, but if you are booked in different cabins one guest won’t be required to buy a package.

Read more: Avoid these Royal Caribbean drink package mistakes

You are not allowed to share with someone

Royal Caribbean does not permit guests to share alcohol with someone else.

The cruise line is looking to make money on each drink sold individually.

They also have no way of confirming if the person you’re sharing a drink with is legally allowed to drink.

To prevent any sharing, bartenders only serve drinks to guests who present their own SeaPass cards. This verification is required so that no one tries to buy a drink using someone else’s card or package.

Drink package benefits are reserved only for the person who purchased them, but some people still try to cheat the system by sharing with someone else.

However, the risk far outweighs the reward.

If you get caught sharing drinks with someone who doesn’t have the same drink package, the cruise line can cancel the drink package without a refund, and even charge you the price of all the drinks you previously ordered.

A former bartender shared on Reddit the story of one man who thought he could outsmart the crew members.

But he didn’t get away with it. At the end of the cruise, Royal Caribbean revoked the guest’s drink package and charged him for every single drink consumed during the cruise.

With the normal, full-price charge, he ended up paying $3,000 just for those drinks.

Bartenders are pros at spotting people trying to share their package.

They will usually limit you to one drink every 5-15 minutes. Staff watch for this behavior, and if they see you walking away and handing off a drink to someone else, you will certainly get in trouble.

Additionally, don’t forget that there are cameras in nearly every corner of the ship!

The likelihood that you would get caught is very high.

If you are found sharing your drink package, the cruise line reserves the right to cancel your drink package and charge you for all drinks purchased.

Royal Caribbean Drink Package Tips

To help you maximize your beverage package and have the best experience possible, we have some extra tips for you.

Know the rules: Make sure that you familiarize yourself with all the terms and conditions governing your package.

This way, you will know how to maximize its benefits and also prevent yourself from inadvertently breaking any rules.

Take advantage of all the beverages onboard: enjoy the wide selection of unlimited drinks you can enjoy, from specialty cocktails to wine to soda.

Pace yourself: Don’t forget to drink responsibly! Avoid overindulging, and ensure that you have a safe and healthy experience. 

Guests who are found to be out of control in their drinking can also have their drink package revoked, or at least be refused service until sobriety returns.

It looks as though Royal Caribbean will shift its cruise ship impacted by the Baltimore bridge collapse to Norfolk.

Vision of the Seas is the sole Royal Caribbean cruise ship sailing from Baltimore, and was out on a long sailing when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship.

Guests booked on the April 12 sailing of Vision of the Seas received an update late on Thursday to inform them that the ship will sail from Norfolk, Virginia instead.

Reddit user thrawaway1234567890 posted a copy of the letter confirming the change in operations.

"After the recent bridge collapse, Baltimore will not be prepared to safely embark guests on April 12, 2024. After exploring all options, Norfolk, Virginia was the best temporary alternate home port for Vision of the Seas," the letter explained.

Royal Caribbean last used Norfolk as a homeport between 2007 and 2010.

In addition, the April 12 sailing will need to be shortened by a day to come back on April 19 instead of April 20, resulting in a change in itinerary and dropping a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Vision of the Seas is currently on a 12-night Southern Caribbean sailing that is not due back into port until April 4.

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas sails out of Maryland, offering cruises to the Bahamas, Southern Caribbean, Bermuda, and Canada/New England. Other cruise lines, such as Norwegian and Carnival, sail from Baltimore, too. 

Carnival temporarily moved to Norfolk too

Carnival Cruise Line announced a move to Norfolk earlier this week.

While the situation in Baltimore remains in flux as it relates to re-opening the Port of Baltimore waterways, Carnival announced they would temporarily move Carnival Legend’s Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia.  

Carnival Legend is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, March 31. It will now return to Norfolk on Sunday, and guests will be provided complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. Carnival Legend’s next seven-day itinerary on March 31 will then operate from and return to Norfolk. Guests on the current and upcoming cruises are being informed of this change. 

What happened to the Key Bridge?

In the early morning hours on Tuesday, March 26, a cargo ship that suddenly lost power crashed into one of the support columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing parts of the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River.

Video footage shows cars and trucks falling into the cold water below.

The nearly 1,000-foot-long cargo ship lost propulsion shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore. The ship was traveling at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph, before crashing into the bridge.

The Singapore-owned ship, called the Dali, was departing Baltimore and heading to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Moments before the crash, the crew onboard issued a mayday call to the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority so traffic could be stopped from both sides of the bridge. According to Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott, this mayday call “saved many lives.”

The mayor, along with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, declared a state of emergency soon after the bridge collapsed.

At the time of the collapse, there was a team of construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge. With the bridge collapse, the workers were sadly tossed into the Patapsco River. Of the eight workers, two were rescued, two bodies were recovered, and four are still missing and presumed dead (at the time of this article).

The FBI stated that this incident did not have any terrorist involvement. It was purely an accident.

According to some analysts, The Port of Baltimore could be reopened in less than a year, but rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge could take up to 10 years. Construction of the bridge cannot begin until after the cleanup.

President Joe Biden said in a briefing, “This is going to take some time. And the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was more than 1.6 miles long and was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world.

Investigation is currently taking place to understand what caused the cargo ship to lose power.

Ready to go to Alaska on a cruise ship in 2024?

For adventurous travelers and nature enthusiasts, an Alaskan cruise is a captivating experience on their bucket list.

Royal Caribbean offers a collection of ships specifically designed to give you an unforgettable experience in Alaska.

This year’s fleet of vessels and their itineraries have been released, and we’ve developed a comparative guide to each one.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise guide

The Alaska cruise season runs from late April through September 2024, catching the warm weather of the summer months.

The sailings offered range from 6 all the way to 12 nights, with both round-trip and one-way itineraries.

This 2024 season, Royal Caribbean will be sending Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Radiance of the Seas to Alaska. 

Quantum of the Seas

Homeport: Seattle, Washington

Ports: Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Sitka, Victoria 

This summer, Quantum of the Seas will sail to Alaska as the biggest ship in the region. 

She will begin with a 7-night Alaska Adventure on April 29th, 2024, sailing from Vancouver, British Columbia to Ketchikan, Sitka, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Juneau, Victoria, to Seattle, Washington.

After that, Quantum will make Seattle, Washington her home, continuing 7-night roundtrip Alaska adventures that leave and return on Mondays.

Exact itineraries vary by sailing, but each roundtrip sailing includes a stop at Juneau, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, and Victoria, British Columbia.

Quantum’s last Alaska sailing for the 2024 season is scheduled for September 23rd, 2024.

Standout features:

• North Star observation capsule
• FlowRider surf simulator 
• RipCord iFly skydiving simulator
• Broadway-caliber performances
• Bionic bar
• Two70 theater
• SeaPlex indoor sports center
• Indoor pool for all ages
• Adults-only indoor Solarium
• Aventure Ocean children’s area
• Rock-climbing wall 
• Laser tag
• Royal escape room

Why choose Quantum of the Seas?

Quantum of the Seas debuted Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class in 2014.

This ship pushes the boundaries of cruise innovations and adventures.

With a capacity of 4,095 guests and 1,500 crew members, she is a large ship with plenty of room for an immersive Alaska experience.

One major highlight of Quantum of the Seas is the North Star observation capsule, which offers stunning views from 300 feet above sea level. In addition to the potential for stargazing, this is a marvelous opportunity to witness Alaska’s landscapes.

When it comes to onboard activities, Quantum offers something for all ages, from simulated skydiving to bumper cars. 

She also includes two outdoor pools, two indoor pools, and four hot tubs, ensuring that everyone has somewhere to swim, even during inclement weather.

Seattle is also a convenient homeport for Americans (particularly those living on the West Coast) who prefer not to travel to Vancouver.

Ovation of the Seas

Homeport: Seattle, Washington

Ports: Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Ketchikan, Sitka, Victoria, and select stops in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

The exact ports vary by sailing, but every Ovation cruise includes stops at Juneau and Skagway, Alaska. 

Ovation’s first cruise on May 8th, 2024, will be an 8-night trip starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and disembarking in Seattle, Washington.

In 2024, she will be returning to Alaska with round-trip 7-night Alaska glacier cruises based out of Seattle.

These Alaska glacier cruises depart and return on Fridays, with two Alaska cruise ports, one scenic and sightseeing day at Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, and one port day at Victoria, British Columbia.

Some itineraries visit a third port in Alaska (like Sitka or Skagway) instead of Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier. 

Ovation’s last Alaska cruise for the 2024 season will be on September 6th.

Standout features:

• North Star observation capsule
• FlowRider surf simulator 
• RipCord iFly skydiving simulator
• Broadway-caliber performances
• Bionic bar
• Two70 theater
• SeaPlex indoor sports center
• Indoor pool for all ages
• Adults-only indoor Solarium
• Aventure Ocean children’s area
• Rock-climbing wall 

Why choose Ovation of the Seas?

Ovation of the Seas is a Quantum-Class ship launched in 2016. 

With a capacity for 4,095 guests over 2,091 staterooms, she promises a dynamic cruise experience.

You can expect standout activities and innovative features from Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships.

Royal Caribbean designed their Quantum Class ships with cutting-edge innovations prepared to sail in both warm and cold weather.

With two indoor pools, an indoor sports center, and a variety of hot tubs onboard, Ovation is the perfect ship for a luxurious Alaska vacation.

For the foodies, Ovation of the Seas boasts access to six specialty restaurants: Chef’s Table, Jamie’s Italian, Izumi Sushi, Chops Grille, and Wonderland.

Adrenaline-pumping activities and live, Broadway-caliber performances ensure that you’ll never have a dull moment onboard.

Brilliance of the Seas

Homeport: Vancouver, British Columbia 

Ports: Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier 

Brilliance of the Seas will offer 7-night round-trip Alaska Inside Passage sailings in 2024.

The Alaska Inside Passage is a series of coastal waterways that weave through the Southeastern panhandle of Alaska.

The exact ports vary by sailing, but this inside passage cruise promises an up-close look at the glacial giants of Alaska, from the large Hubbard Glacier to the calving Dawes.

The Hubbard Glacier is an impressive 400 feet tall. Because of its remote location, being able to see it on a roundtrip cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Standout features:

• Three acres of windows and glass elevators for outside views 
• Solarium indoor pools for adults
• Indoor movie theater and outdoor movie screen
• Rock climbing wall
• Mini golf
• Children’s pool area and waterslide
• Sports court and jogging track
• Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi Sushi, Samba Grill, Rita’s Cantina 
• Video arcade 
• Adventure Ocean children’s area 

Why choose Brilliance of the Seas?

Brilliance of the Seas provides an intimate, port-focused cruising experience.

On an Alaskan cruise, Brilliance of the Seas has the benefit of many indoor amenities and large windows and glass elevators for viewing.

You can see the wonders of the landscape around you without ever going out onto a cold, windy deck.

Alaska’s breathtaking scenery is best explored from the comfort of your cruise ship.

Sailing on Brilliance of the Seas also provides you the opportunity to see Hubbard Glacier, one of the most famous glaciers in Alaska. 

Overall, Brilliance of the Seas offers a combination of comfort, convenience, and adventure, making it an excellent choice for experiencing the beauty and wonders of Alaska via cruise ship.

Read more: I spent 10 days in a 170 square foot windowless cabin for $202 per night: take a look inside my Brilliance of the Seas stateroom

Radiance of the Seas

Homeports: Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seward, Alaska

Ports: Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Haines

Since her launch in 2001, Radiance of the Seas has sailed to Alaska nearly every summer.

Radiance’s smaller size allows her to fit into more ports than other cruise ships are able to. Her Alaska cruises are the most port-intensive itineraries Royal Caribbean has to offer.

Not only that, but Radiance’s cruises are one-way, not roundtrip.

Some of her itineraries start in Vancouver and disembark in Seward (or vice versa).

These one-way sailings allow the ship to visit even more ports.

Also, guests who sail on one-way cruises can spend more time on land, exploring that location before or after the cruise.

Radiance of the Seas will offer one-way Alaska sailings this summer, with 7-night Northbound and Southbound cruises. Usually, these cruises will depart on Fridays, visiting four Alaska ports with a scenic viewing day at Hubbard Glacier.

Standout features:

• Three acres of windows and glass elevators for outside views 
• Solarium indoor pools for adults
• Indoor movie theater and outdoor movie screen
• Rock climbing wall
• Mini golf
• Children’s pool area and waterslide
• Sports court and jogging track
• Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi Sushi, Samba Grill, Rita’s Cantina 
• Video arcade 
• Adventure Ocean children’s area 

Why choose Radiance of the Seas?

Radiance’s charm lies in her smaller size.

An intimate Radiance-Class ship, she offers capacity for 2,500 passengers and just 894 crew members.

This smaller setting offers a quiet, relaxed atmosphere, with the potential to develop a close-knit ship culture between guests and crew members.

Despite her smaller size, Radiance still packs plenty of activities and amenities. Guests can enjoy soaring glass elevators, the adults-only indoor Solarium pool, and movies at the indoor cinema.

With these indoor shelters and the possibility of visiting diverse, beautiful ports, Radiance makes for the perfect timeless ship to visit Alaska on.

One-way cruises also ensure that you have plenty of time to explore the wonders of Canada and Alaska before or after your cruise.

They say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side - and that sentiment seems to be true for me when it comes to trying new cruise lines.

After sailing with Royal Caribbean for 20 years, I started to get the itch to branch out. I had taken almost every itinerary available with Royal Caribbean to destinations that interested me the most, including Europe, Asia, Alaska and the Caribbean.

I started to feel tired of Royal Caribbean’s itinerary offerings when I would research my next cruise. In all honesty, I mainly decided to jump ship (not literally!) because of Norwegian Cruise Line’s unique itineraries to more exotic destinations.

However, after so much cruising with Royal Caribbean, I’ll admit that I was excited to see what other cruise lines had to offer. I had only cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line once before - and that had been more than one decade ago.

After these four cruises, I’m seriously reconsidering future sailings with Norwegian Cruise Line. I found that I appreciated and missed Royal Caribbean more than I had anticipated. In fact, I feel like I’m returning to an ex-boyfriend that I dumped.

Now, I resonate more with the sentiment of, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone." Here’s why I am returning to Royal Caribbean and sister cruise line Celebrity Cruises.

Breaking up with Royal Caribbean

Before this year, I had cruised almost exclusively with Royal Caribbean for most of my life. My family had sailed only a few times with other cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line.

However, Royal Caribbean was our favorite cruise line and my family sailed with the cruise line every year growing up. My sister and I earned Diamond Plus loyalty status in college while we continued to cruise with Royal Caribbean into adulthood.

As a longtime loyal cruiser with Royal Caribbean, I have taken 29 cruises with the cruise line to date. While most of these were around North America, about one-third of these cruises were to international destinations throughout Europe and Asia.

Even as I graduated college and married my husband, we continued to cruise with Royal Caribbean because it felt like home.

However, my husband and I don’t have kids quite yet and the family-friendly cruising style with Royal Caribbean started to appeal to me less. Royal Caribbean’s newest ships are literally packed with thrills and attractions to be the perfect family vacation.

Read more: Which cruise line is best? Fans say why they prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival

However, I’ve become a destination-focused cruiser as I’ve gotten older. I prefer to sail on itineraries where I can visit new countries, cities and islands. My perfect cruising is checking another country off my bucket-list; unfortunately, cruising repeatedly to Perfect Day at CocoCay wasn’t scratching that itch.

Looking at Royal Caribbean’s itineraries left me feeling bored. On the other hand, I was excited to see how many unique and rare itineraries Norwegian Cruise Line had to offer.

The start of something new

Each cruise line has it’s own appeal, although many have similarities when it comes to the cruising experience as a whole.

However, one of the ways that Norwegian Cruise Line differentiates itself from other mainstream cruise lines is with its epic itineraries. As a major player in the cruise industry, Norwegian Cruise Line has comparable prices with affordable sailings.

While other cruise lines are building ships bigger than anything in their fleet, Norwegian Cruise Line has actually built newer, smaller ships. The cruise line’s new Prima Class has built ships that hold right around 3,000 passengers.

Because of this, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ships can sail almost anywhere in the world without size restriction. You’ll find Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima sailing to more far-flung destinations around Europe.

After seeing the different destinations I could visit with Norwegian Cruise Line, I was ready to figuratively jump ship. I wanted to spend my time and money on a cruise that allowed me to visit destinations on my bucket list.

Last year, I booked a 10-night cruise to the British Isles for October 2023 and an exotic itinerary to Africa in January 2024. Additionally, I booked a 4-night cruise on Norwegian Viva to Key West and a 2-night repositioning cruise from Malaga, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal.

I also appreciated how Norwegian Cruise Line allowed you to book more all-inclusive cruises with included airfare, drink packages, internet discounts and excursion discounts. For example, my 10-night itinerary on Norwegian Star to the British Isles was only $3,000 total for two guests, which included round-trip airfare to London.

Read more: Norwegian vs Royal Caribbean comparison

Constant, last-minute itinerary changes

With four sailings planned on Norwegian Cruise Line, I was most excited for my 12-night cruise to South Africa from Mauritius. The itinerary had stops in Reunion, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa. This was a dream itinerary where I planned to book African safari excursions for each day!

With my cruises booked, I was surprised to see emails start rolling in regarding itinerary changes for my cruises. Of the four cruises I had booked, I began receiving communication from Norwegian Cruise Line about itinerary adjustments for three of those cruises.

Since I booked most of these cruises exclusively for their itineraries, my heart would sink every time I would get yet another email from Norwegian Cruise Line about itinerary changes. At first, the itinerary changes only pertained to my British Isles sailing in October and Key West cruise in December.

My British Isles sailing was revised to include reduced port times in Edinburgh, Scotland and Portland, England. I was disappointed to see Norwegian Cruise Line reduced our time in Edinburgh by an hour, as it was our most anticipated stop.

The 4-night cruise on Norwegian Viva removed Key West entirely and replaced the port stop with Nassau, Bahamas. This was extremely annoying, as I booked the cruise because I wanted to visit Key West.

According to the emails provided by Norwegian Cruise Line, these changes were due to “port congestion." However, there were no other ships scheduled to be in port at the same time as us. In fact, our British Isles cruise on Norwegian Star was the last cruise of the season!

Read more: How does one of Norwegian's oldest ships compare to Royal Caribbean's oldest ship?

Bait-and-switch

The biggest blow came almost immediately after I made the final payment for my 12-night African itinerary. Norwegian Cruise Line sent an email with a totally different itinerary than the original one we booked! I felt like I had been catfished after just making the final payment days before.

The country of Mozambique was dropped entirely from the itinerary, as we had two scheduled port stops here. One sea day was added and adjustments were made to the ports in Madagascar. Again, this was cited as “port congestion” according to Norwegian Cruise Line. I was devastated, as this was one of the reasons I had booked the cruise.

Rumors circulated that Mozambique was dropped due to safety concerns or a yellow fever breakout. These are understandable - and more believable - than port congestion. 

This was the third itinerary I booked to be impacted by port congestion, so I started to grow suspicious at this point. Also, Mozambique was removed from all of the ship’s African itineraries for the season. I have a hard time believing that Mozambique had port congestion for every single sailing over the course of three months.

Unfortunately, further emails were sent with even more changes to my African safari cruise. This time, port times were reduced for multiple ports of call. The cruise line shared the changes were in the name of sustainability.

“We are committed to providing the best vacations at sea and have been working tirelessly to continue to elevate the quality of our offerings and overall guest experience while driving a positive impact on society and the environment. As we optimize itineraries for fuel efficiencies, we have modified Norwegian Dawn's itinerary as shown below,” said the email.

Missed ports

Although I was already annoyed about the constant itinerary changes, I was still excited for my cruises with Norwegian. Unfortunately, I encountered further disappointment during my highly-anticipated cruises.

To start, we encountered a bad storm during my 10-night British Isles cruise. This caused us to miss two of our port stops in Dublin and Isle of Man, as both of these were tender ports and the waves were too rough to tender. I was surprised to find our itinerary apparently had three tender ports, as this information alone was hard to find on our reservation confirmation.

However, there is probably a reason no other cruise lines were operating this late in the season around the British Isles. Sailing this late in October is risky, and perhaps Norwegian Cruise Line finds taking the risk to be profitable since they have the monopoly.

Missing a port during a cruise isn’t unheard of, as this is also one of the risks of cruising in general. You are at the mercy of the weather and your ship’s captain. But, I have been extremely lucky that I had never had a missed port before with all of my cruising.

Fast forward to January - I am sailing away from Mauritius with an anticipated arrival in Madagascar. History repeats itself that we were unable to dock in Madagascar, although we had already arrived to the port area and everyone was ready to disembark. The entire ship was disappointed and I even saw some shed tears during breakfast.

Luckily, we were able to visit our second port in Nosy Be, Madagascar the next day; however, the captain of our ship warned us that he would be reevaluating whether we could arrive. The weather was iffy and tender operations were quite slow, but I was able to check Madagascar off my bucket list.

I was anxious for most of the cruise about whether we would actually be able to dock in the ports of call on our itinerary. I realized I had never felt this kind of anxiety cruising with Royal Caribbean before, even while sailing to more exotic destinations like China, Thailand, Malaysia, Israel and Lithuania.

Of course, you can encounter bad weather during any cruise. However, Norwegian Cruise Line was the only cruise line operating in these regions during both of these cruises. There is probably a reason other cruise lines opt not to sail this time of year!

Bad luck or a trend?

When it was announced that we would miss our port in Madagascar, I was fed up with Norwegian Cruise Line’s shenanigans. I had flown halfway around the world to have Mozambique removed from the itinerary and now my time in Madagascar was being threatened.

To make matters worse, the onboard gift shop had destination t-shirts for Mozambique. Rubbing salt in the wound! For many guests onboard, including myself, this might have been our only opportunity to visit the country.

Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck that I had all of these itinerary changes and missed ports with my Norwegian cruises. Regardless, this seems to be a pattern with Norwegian Cruise Line with changing itineraries, dropping ports and shortening port time under the disguise of port congestion or sustainability efforts.

As a new Norwegian cruiser, I started researching this sort of bait-and-switch on cruise forums. Come to find out, many have reported having the same things happen to them. Even worse, most report that Norwegian Cruise Line does not communicate itinerary changes until after final payment dates, which was the case for me.

Although the cruise contract allows companies to make these changes, this started to feel like poor organization and cost-cutting measures. I still do not trust that Norwegian Cruise Line was being honest about the reasons for the changes, especially when sharing the negative impacts immediately after final payment when you are locked into your reservation.

In fact, the cruise line just came under massive scrutiny for butchering an Antarctica itinerary just a few weeks ago. Guests were notified that they wouldn’t be sailing into Antarctica until they were onboard and noticed the itinerary had changed in their apps.

Mind you, I have only once had an adjusted itinerary after booking a cruise with Royal Caribbean. After booking my honeymoon cruise to Greece and Croatia, our sailing had an itinerary change from Dubrovnik to Split. This was a bummer, but we were still visiting Croatia and the change was months in advance.

Smaller qualms

Because I am so destination focused when cruising, these disappointments are enough for me to be extremely hesitant to book further itineraries with Norwegian Cruise Line. This is especially true for any bucket-list itineraries, as it seems like any itinerary booked will likely have further adjustments.

However, I had other qualms about Norwegian Cruise Line that did not impress me. For example, face-to-face immigration was horribly operated during my African cruise. People were literally fighting and screaming to get through immigration - it was unlike anything I had seen before. I've done face-to-face immigration with Royal Caribbean multiple times on various ships and it's always been extremely organized and civil. 

This was just the tip of the iceberg for issues during this cruise. In addition, we had to embark in Mauritius without any sort of terminal. This left us dragging our luggage for hours in a make-shift tent during high temperatures. Many guests fainted or experienced heat stroke.

Our disembarkation in Cape Town was just as chaotic, as we disembarked into a parking lot of gravel. Again, there was no terminal, the wind was causing a minor dust storm of gravel and guests were struggling to walk with their luggage.

The cruise line’s tendering operations were highly disorganized on both of my cruises. We had to wake up hours before arriving to the port so we could wait in line for a tender ticket. I’ve never had an issue getting tender tickets with Royal Caribbean, as they have most often been distributed the day before.

Finally, the entertainment was extremely lacking on all of my Norwegian cruises. I am used to Royal Caribbean having entertainment every evening on a cruise. I found this was not the case with Norwegian Cruise Line, as multiple nights had no headliner entertainment. Perhaps this was because I was sailing on older cruise ships, but even Norwegian Viva only had headliner shows for two of the four nights.

Coming back to Royal Caribbean

Needless to say, the grass wasn’t greener on the other side. I was disappointed with many aspects of my Norwegian cruise experiences, especially related to the itinerary changes and missed ports. It all comes down to trust.

I realize that this disappointment can be true with any cruise line, but four cruises was enough for me to rethink my plans with Norwegian. I have a cruise booked to Asia with Norwegian for next January; however, I don’t trust that this itinerary that I am being sold is the one that will come to fruition.

Although all cruise lines are businesses that need to make money, I feel a little icky about the way Norwegian Cruise Line treated me as a customer. I am hesitant to spend more money booking itineraries that are likely going to change even before I get onboard.

On the flip side, I don’t have trust issues with Royal Caribbean after having good experiences time and time again with the cruise line. Royal Caribbean hasn’t given me a reason to doubt their operations and ethical business practices - I’ve been fairly treated as a customer.

As someone who wants to take interesting itineraries to new destinations, I think Celebrity Cruises will be a good fit moving forward. In fact, I have two cruises with Celebrity Cruises this year and one cruise with Royal Caribbean scheduled for next year.

If I am going to spend my hard-earned money and vacation time on a cruise, I would rather sail with a cruise line that has proven itself trustworthy to me. You can find me happily sipping my free Diamond Plus cocktail on the top deck of a Royal Caribbean ship soon!

Cruise prices are on the rise, and that makes free cruise offers through the ship's casino much more enticing than ever before.

Royal Caribbean has its own loyalty program tied to gambling in its casinos. Similar to land casinos, the more you play, the better benefits you get.

I never paid much attention to the casino offers and its perks because I only casually gambled on my cruises and wasn't aware of how lucrative the program can be. The more I cruised, the more I became aware of what it offered, and I was intrigued.

Read more: How to get free cruises through the casino

Let's stop here and remind everyone gambling is very addictive and is not for everyone. Know your limits, and you could easily spend much more in gambling losses than what you could get on a cruise. There is definitely a bigger picture to consider.

You can earn free cruise offers based on how much you gamble during a sailing, and if things go moderately right, you could come home with a free cruiser offer.

How I got a room just by playing in the casino

On my spring break cruise in March, I had some good fortune in the casino and won enough money at the beginning of the cruise to budget my gambling for the remainder of the sailing.

Usually I'll play $100-200 on any given day in the casino, primarily in the evening after dinner and nightly entertainment on the ship. But on this cruise, my early win allowed me to play a bit more since I had a cushion.

In short, you can earn one point for every few dollars you wager (not wins or losses, just how much you play). 

At the casino host desk, there is a sheet that lists how many points during that sailing you need to reach certain reward thresholds. The lowest milestone is 1200 points, where you can get an inside stateroom for free and just pay taxes and port fees.

If you get more points, you can qualify for better cabins and/or more free play to go with it.

I got my 1200 points, and then booked an open cruise booking with NextCruise, which is a requirement to get your free room.  Once I got home, I called Casino Royale and booked my cruise based on the available sailings that qualify.

Read more: 4 common mistakes people make when booking another cruise onboard their ship

You can't use the free cabin offer on any cruise. There are a list of blacked out sailings, and it's no surprise they are over holidays.

I found an  offer on Freedom of the Seas in May, and went ahead and booked it. I opted for an inside guarantee cabin, because I would get an additional $25 in free play at the casino if I went with that instead of picking a room.

I then checked how much my room would have cost if I paid cash for it that same day, and it was $1499.29.

I paid $204.29 for my free room, which was just the port fees and taxes.  Meaning, I saved $1295 on the booking.

Of course, I'd have to refer back to how much I gambled on my cruise to get it, and in this case, I came out ahead because of my windfall that buoyed my play.  That's not always going to be case.

The counter-argument when someone says "you're paying for the room, it's just in gambling losses" is while true, some people are going to gamble anyway in the casino.  It's one thing to go out of your way to gamble, but some people play enough whether there's a free room offer or not.

By offering cruises to further entice play, someone could continue to cruise and save a lot of money on their cruise fare.

Of course, luck isn't always on your side. I've been on cruises where it seems like the you cannot win anything, and losses can mount quickly.  It's entirely possible to lose thousands of dollars and come home with just an inside cabin on a weekend cruise to show for it. It's important to keep this in mind when playing, and be realistic about your play.

The best last-minute deal on the market

In addition to winning a cruise based on your play, Royal Caribbean will periodically send offers select members to entice them to come sail again and play in the casino.

It's not uncommon to get online, email, or even printed letters with an offer of a free or reduced fare cruise. Often, these are for sailings coming up in the next few months.

With regular fares being so much more expensive, it's impressive how lucrative these casino offers can be even for just casual play.

An added bonus to relying on casino bookings is you can cruise more, which helps catapult you up the Crown and Anchor Society membership tier ladder faster.

In my situation, I found my Freedom of the Seas sailing to be a steal. I paid money to gamble that I probably would have done even if there was no free cruise offer, and I came away with a bonus sailing.

While you should expect gambling losses, I still think the Casino Royale offers are the best deal you can get on a cruise these days, especially on a close-in sailing.

It's certainly not an option for everyone, but those that have a stomach for casual gambling might find the best Royal Caribbean cruise deals coming through the casino.

Dining is essential to the Royal Caribbean cruise experience. 

Everyone needs to eat, and the cruise line is famous for some tasty meals.

Whether you’re enjoying a gourmet meal at a specialty restaurant, savoring a leisurely breakfast delivered to your stateroom, grabbing a quick bite between activities, or heading to formal dinner at the Main Dining Room, the dining experience is sure to delight.

Understanding the delectable dining options available will help you have an amazing cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Cruisers—especially those trying Royal Caribbean for the first time—have plenty of questions about the dining process.

What’s free onboard? Will you need to make reservations?

We’ve created this guide to delve into all your questions about the process of dining on a cruise ship.

How does dining work on a cruise?

Major cruise lines include four types of dining on their ships: an onboard buffet, Main Dining Room, room service, and a selection of alternative restaurants.

The buffet

First, the onboard buffet is a free, casual option where guests can serve their own plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Royal Caribbean’s buffet is the Windjammer, and it is 100% free, included in your cruise fare.

The Windjammer will have several stations open with a variety of different cuisines.

It’s a great option for a casual meal and also affords a lot of different choices for those who are picky eaters or have dietary restrictions.

Read more: 12 reasons to eat at the buffet instead of the dining room on your cruise

The Main Dining Room

The Main Dining Room offers a more formal experience, where waiters serve from a set menu each day.

It is always open for dinner, but breakfast and lunch times vary depending on the day. Hours will be posted outside the dining room and in the Cruise Compass.

For dinner, the experience is divided into two scheduled options. When you book your cruise, you can choose either My Time dining or traditional dining.

My Time dining gives you the flexibility to choose what time you eat each night. It typically runs between 6:00 and 9:30 P.M. and is first-come, first-served.

Traditional dining has a specific assigned mealtime and table. There is usually an early seating starting around 5:15 - 5:30 P.M. and a late seating around 7:30-8:00 P.M.

Room service

Room service is usually available around the clock, with a selection of both free meals and options that cost extra.

Most breakfast options are free, and you can order it by filling out the order form in your cabin and hanging it outside on your door knob. 

As long as you put your order in before you sleep, it will be delivered in the morning during your selected time window.

Expanded breakfast and all-day menus, as well as late-night orders, may come with an additional charge.

Alternative restaurants

Lastly, every ship has a series of alternative restaurants that vary depending on the Class and ship.

The larger the ship, the more options are available.

These options range from complimentary snack spots, like the Café Promenade, to gourmet extra-cost restaurants, like Izumi Hibachi.

Read more: 7 reasons to eat at specialty restaurants instead of the Main Dining Room on your cruise

Is dining free on a cruise?

Cruise ships have a wide range of free dining: the Windjammer buffet, the Main Dining Room, room service breakfast, and alternative restaurants like Sorrento’s Pizza, Solarium Bistro, and Park Café.

Complimentary restaurants are included in the cruise fare, no matter what time of day you choose to eat there.

Read more: What's included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare

Most ships also have a selection of extra-cost alternative restaurants, as well. Some have a la carte charges, while others have a set fee per person.

These are called specialty restaurants and include popular options like Chops Grille, Izumi Japanese Cuisine, and Jamie’s Italian.

If you’re not sure which restaurants are complimentary and which are specialty, you can take a look at your Cruise Compass or the Royal Caribbean Fact Sheet for that ship.

How do dining packages work?

If you’re interested in trying some of the popular specialty restaurants onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, you can purchase meals individually or buy a dining package.

You can purchase meals at any specialty restaurant on your Cruise Planner before the cruise, or onboard when you arrive.

You may pay a set fee per person, or a la carte (aka, per dish ordered).

However, you can also streamline your experience by purchasing a dining package.

These packages come in various configurations, such as a 3-night dining package or an unlimited package.

This provides flexibility for guests to choose which restaurants they’d try, adjusting based on their preferences and budget.

The unlimited dining package allows you to dine at specialty restaurants every day of the cruise for one set fee.

Where do I make reservations?

You can book reservations in advance on the Royal Caribbean website or mobile app, through the Cruise Planner.

Here, you can efficiently browse options, check the price and availability, and secure your desired reservations with just a few clicks.

You can also make reservations when you get onboard, by going to the Main Dining Room or any extra-cost restaurant and speaking with staff there.

You can even call from the phone in your stateroom to request a reservation.

By reserving a spot in advance, guests can avoid long wait times and ensure they have their preferred time slot.

Are drinks free?

What drinks are included in your cruise fare, and do any drinks cost extra?

Basic beverages, like tap water, tea, drip coffee, some juices, and lemonade are included in the price of your cruise.

Soda, bottled water, specialty coffee, smoothies, milkshakes, most juices, and alcoholic drinks cost extra.

If you plan on drinking a lot of extra-cost drinks, there are also beverage package options.

Purchasing one can save you money in the long run.

Do I have to dress up for dinner?

Cruises used to be sophisticated experiences where passengers dressed elegantly every day.

While a Royal Caribbean sailing is still a luxurious experience, you’re hardly required to dress up.

Voyages lasting one week or less will usually have one formal night in the Main Dining Room, where passengers can wear anything from a sundress or nice slacks with a button-down shirt, to ball gowns and tuxedos.

Other than that, resort casual attire is usually acceptable.

Generally, guests dress more formally in the evenings and at the Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants. At venues like the Windjammer and snack spots, guests dress pretty casually.

However, you must always wear a shirt, shoes, and a coverup over any swimsuits when dining.

Read more: What to wear on a cruise that works for all dress codes

What if I have dietary restrictions?

The culinary staff on Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships are careful and experienced when it comes to catering to special dietary requirements.

If you are on a diet, vegan or vegetarian, have food allergies, eat halal, keep kosher, or are gluten-free or lactose intolerant, you can let the cruise line know and chefs will work to make sure you have something to eat.

Read more: Eating gluten free on Royal Caribbean cruise ships

The important thing to remember when making a special meal request is to request as early as possible.

You can email [email protected] at least 45 days before your sailing (or 90 days before European/South American sailings and 100 days before Australia/Asia sailings). Include your name, booking number, ship name, and sail date alongside your special requests.

There is no extra charge for meals tailored to your diet.

Can I eat whenever I want?

Food is usually available around the clock on cruise ships.

Even in the middle of the night, you can order room service at an extra charge, or try late-night snacks at various venues around the ship, such as Sorrento’s pizza.

Restaurants are usually scheduled so that at least one venue is open at any given time. You can always look at the Royal Caribbean app or your Cruise Compass to see what is available.

At the Windjammer and other complimentary venues, you can show up at any time.

For dinner at the Main Dining Room, you will be assigned to a specific time if you select traditional dining.

Most extra-cost specialty restaurants also require a reservation.

What happens to leftover food on cruise ships?

You may be wondering what happens to food waste on a cruise well.

Well, the hospitality staff and crew members in charge of provisions have developed the logistics so there is little waste.

Areas below deck store food in freezers, refrigerators, or at room temperature, ensuring that nothing spoils.

Any food ingredients left over from one sailing will simply be used on the next one.

Leftover prepared food gets disposed of through incineration, offloading at port (as either compost or fertilizer), or grinding it into a purified liquid that is released into the ocean.

Read more: How long does it take for a cruise ship to get ready for a new group of passengers? Here's what a hotel director has to say.