Royal Caribbean Blog

Did you get Royal Caribbean onboard credit on your next cruise, but now sure how to spend it?

Onboard credit is essentially free "cruise cash", but there was not only restrictions on how you can use it, but a few ways to make your credits go further.

Spending it wisely is a good idea to ensure it helps maximize your vacation experience, especially if you have a lot of it.

How does onboard credit work?

Think of onboard credit as free money you get to spend while on your cruise.

Royal Caribbean's ships are cashless, which means all your transactions occur via your SeaPass account. When you buy something onboard, you scan your SeaPass card and the cost is debited against your account.

Onboard credit is money the cruise line places in your account that goes against any purchases you make during the cruise.  

When a guest receives onboard credit, their SeaPass account is credited with that amount of money to offset any onboard purchases, such as shore excursions, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, drink purchases and anything else you can charge to your SeaPass account.

Once onboard your Royal Caribbean cruise, a guest's SeaPass account will receive a credit that corresponds to the onboard credit value they were promised.

A common misconception is you can take onboard credit and apply it towards a specific purchase.  Your onboard credit is applied against any and all onboard purchases you make in general. So there is no need to worry about ensuring you use it for one purchase or another.

How to get Royal Caribbean Onboard Credit (OBC)

There are a lot of ways to get onboard credit, but you may not have access to all means of getting onboard credit. Regardless, it is important to understand all the possible manners available.

The simplest answer on how to get onboard credit is you have to be given onboard credit from someone else, either Royal Caribbean or another entity.  

Let us explore the possibilities.

Booking promotion

The most common way guests receive onboard credit is to receive it from Royal Caribbean as part of a deal to book a cruise.

Royal Caribbean regularly offers onboard credit as an incentive to get guests to book a cruise.

These are typically periodic promotions, where the amount of onboard credit you receive is tied to the stateroom category you book, as well as the exact promotion offered. Some promotions will offer more onboard credit than others.

The amount of onboard credit will vary from promotion to promotion and it is important to read the deal's rules and conditions. There can be hundreds of dollars of onboard credit offered, including up to $500 per cabin.

This may not be the most lucrative source of onboard credit, but it is regularly the simplest way of getting some.

Booking onboard

If you happen to be on a Royal Caribbean cruise and cannot wait to reserve space on another sailing, then take advantage of Royal Caribbean's onboard booking bonus.

Royal Caribbean incentives its guests to re-book another cruise while still onboard by offering them extra onboard credit on top of whatever promotion is currently running.

Guests can visit the NextCruise office and get up to $500 in onboard credit to spend on their current sailing or defer it to an upcoming sailing.

The onboard credit you get at the NextCruise office is free money, because Royal Caribbean is rewarding you for reserving another sailing and is one of the best, and most lucrative means of getting a lot  of onboard credit.

Book with a travel agent

We love using travel agents to book our Royal Caribbean cruises for the wonderful value they provide in terms of service, but travel agents are also a great source of onboard credit.

In general, many travel agents offer their own booking bonus for working with them.

The amount of onboard credit a travel agent can give you on top of whatever Royal Caribbean is offering will vary greatly, and depends on the agency size and the stateroom category you book.

Onboard credit is one way travel agents differentiate themselves from one another and take steps to earn business.

Royal Caribbean Visa credit card

Royal Caribbean has its own branded Visa credit card, which allows guests to earn points that can be redeemed for onboard credit on future cruises (as well as other rewards too).

Each purchase you make with the card earns you points, and as you save those points, you can redeem them for onboard credit.

As an example, the Royal Caribbean card will net a guest $100 in onboard credit for 10,000 points.

Price drops

Sometimes Royal Caribbean will give onboard credit if the price you paid for a cruise is now cheaper than when you paid.

Royal Caribbean Group shareholder

If you own at least 100 shares of Royal Caribbean Group stock at the time of sailing, you can get onboard credit.

The benefit is only available for the stateroom in which the shareholder (with a minimum of 100 shares) is sailing. 

• $250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights
• $100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6 to 13 nights
• $50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less

There is no limit on how many times you may take advantage of this discount, but it is one benefit per sailing.

Active or retired military members

From time to time, Royal Caribbean offers active and retired military personnel onboard credits.

It usually applies to those who are active or retired from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves or Canadian National Defense.

A Royal Caribbean mistake

No one is perfect, certainly not Royal Caribbean, and while you probably will not like the mistake itself, the silver lining is often Royal Caribbean offers guests onboard credit as a means of making it up to them.

Incidents like poor service, billing inaccuracies and other frustrations are often handled with onboard credit (in addition to remedying the situation as best they can).

The exact amount of onboard credit will depend on the nature of the incident.

Cancelled cruise

In a lot of cases, Royal Caribbean will try to make up for a cancelled cruise with onboard credit.

Hurricanes, a health crisis, maintenance issues and a variety of other possibilities can lead to Royal Caribbean cancelling a cruise.

In order to smooth things over with guests, the cruise line may offer onboard credit for a new sailing in order to make up for the disappointment of having to cancel the original sailing.

Royal Caribbean gift certificate

It's not well-known, but Royal Caribbean sells gift certificates and the value gets applied as an onboard credit.

Before you run out and buy one, I don't recommend buying them because of the complicated redemption rules. They don't work as easily as traditional gift cards.

However, gift certificates are truly the only way to give someone else onboard credit without being a travel agent.

How is onboard credit different from a future cruise credit?

While onboard credit and future cruise credits might sound the same, they apply to different aspects of your cruise booking.

An onboard credit is for spending on purchases made on your cruise while you're actually sailing, whereas a future cruise credit is for booking another cruise.

The two are not interchangeable, and you cannot use future cruise credits as spending money on a cruise as you would onboard credit. Moreover, you cannot convert Future Cruise Credit into Onboard Credit.

What happens if I don't spend all my onboard credit?

If you have unused non-refundable onboard credit because you didn't spend it all, you lose it. Nearly all onboard credit is non-refundable because it's a gift from the cruise line or a travel agent in a "use it or lose it" scenario.

You cannot roll over the onboard credit to another cruise.

Sometimes guests will get refundable onboard credit, usually as the result of cancelling a purchase while onboard a cruise (i.e. shore excursion). In this scenario, unused onboard credit will be refunded back to your credit card.

It's a good idea to check with guest services while still onboard your cruise for which type you have. Never assume it's refundable.

What are the best ways to spend your Royal Caribbean onboard credit?

Spa

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Splurge and treat yourself with a spa treatment!

Royal Caribbean's Vitality Spa isn't cheap, but onboard credit is a great way to use your free money on something that you can instantly enjoy.  

For a lot of cruisers, going to the spa is an essential way to relax and enjoy time away from work, school, and the daily routine.

Shore excursions

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Your ship will many ports of call during your cruise, so onboard credit might be the ticket to a fun day on shore.

There's usually a multitude of tours you can consider, and onboard credit can be spent before the cruise or once onboard. My advice is to book shore excursions before your cruise because many tend to sell out.

Gratuities

Bookable: Onboard only

Gratuity on a Royal Caribbean cruise is compulsory and you'll either pay it before your cruise or automatically every day of the sailing.

The automatic daily gratuity charge is $16.00 per day, per person in standard cabins (Junior Suites and below) and $18.50 per day per person for suites.

These gratuities cover your stateroom attendant, and dining room staff, and it's important way to thank their hard work.

If you elect for the automatic gratuity, each night of your cruise there will be an automatic charge on your SeaPass account per person. Your onboard credit will be offset against your total spending onboard, including the gratuities.

Specialty dining

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants are a great way to enjoy top-notch dining, but they come with an extra cost.

The cost of a specialty restaurant differs depending on the restaurant.  Most have a cover charge, but there are a few a la carte restaurants.

As an example, Giovanni's Table for lunch comes in at $25 per person, whereas Chef's Table dinner is about $100 per person.

Another way to use your onboard credit is to buy a specialty dining package, which includes a set amount of specialty restaurant meals for a fixed price.

If you're planning to eat at more than 2 specialty restaurants, a dining package makes a lot of sense to buy instead.

Extra cost onboard activities

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Not every fun thing to do on your Royal Caribbean cruise is included in your cruise fare.

North Star:  $25
iFly skydiving simulator: $55
Behind the scenes ship tour: $49 to $129
Escape room: $20
Private Flowrider lessons: $69 to $500
Fitness classes:$12
Cooking classes: $35 to $70
Video games in arcade: $1 to $3 per game

Laundry

Bookable: Onboard only

You're going to amass a pile of dirty laundry during the cruise, so why not get some or all of it cleaned for you?

Royal Caribbean offers full-service laundry options for an additional cost:

• Wash & Press
• Pressing only
• Steaming only
• Dry Clean & Press

Souvenirs

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Whether you want a Royal Caribbean brand shirt or a pair of designer sunglasses, you can find a great array of choices onboard to buy.

Some souvenirs are cheap, while others can be hundreds of dollars.  The Royal Caribbean branded items tend to be much less expensive than the designer items.

There's also lots of toys and kid-focused items you can purchase, and when your kids start begging for a must-have gift, this could be the perfect time to use your onboard credit.

Look for sales advertised in the Cruise Compass as ways to possibly save money on something to bring home later.

Drinks

Bookable: Onboard only

Individual drinks can be ordered at any bar, lounge, and restaurant.  After all, few things are as synonymous with being on vacation as a fruity drink!

Royal Caribbean includes some drinks in your cruise, such as water, tea, coffee, juices, and milk. But anything with alcohol will cost extra.

Instead of paying for each drink individually, you could use your onboard credit towards a Royal Caribbean drink package. They have a large up-front cost, but if you can drink enough during your cruise, a drink package can save you a lot of money.

Adventure Ocean after hours care

Bookable: Onboard only

Adventure Ocean is complimentary until 10pm, at which point there is an hourly charge.

As a parent, I find the cost worth every penny so that I can enjoy more time without the kids!

If you have a toddler or infant, the nursey has an hourly charge anytime of $6 during the day and $8 at night. 

Wifi

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Staying connected for pleasure or work (or both) is a necessity for many, and you have to buy an internet package if you want access to the full internet.

You don't need an internet package to use the Royal Caribbean app or the chat feature in the app, but anything else will need a wifi package.

Royal Caribbean sells a few different internet packages, both before the cruise and while onboard.  Keep in mind that a wifi package will be cheaper if you pre-purchase before the sailing on the Cruise Planner site.

Photos

Bookable: Pre-cruise and onboard

Every evening there will be photo opportunities to get professional photos taken, and the price of a single photo starts at $19.99.

Photo packages allow guests to take home a select amount of photos taken onboard their Royal Caribbean ship. One photo package covers all guests in your stateroom.

Whether you buy a single photo or an entire package, your onboard credit can be used towards it.

Casino

Bookable: Onboard only

You can't directly apply onboard credit to a game in the casino, but you can charge your SeaPass account. Those charges can, in turn, be offset against your onboard credit.

How do I know if I have a Royal Caribbean onboard credit?

Prior to the cruise, you may see onboard credit listed in your account that you can use on Cruise Planner purchases. Keep in mind not all onboard credit is spendable before the cruise.

A good way to get a sense of how much onboard credit you should be getting is to ask your travel agent.  Royal Caribbean will list onboard credits you are entitled to in the invoice for the cruise when you book.

On the ship, your onboard credit will automatically appear on your account, typically two or three days into your sailing.

If all else fails, once you get onboard your cruise ship, you can go to Guest Services and inquire how much you have.

Can you cash out onboard credit?

Yes, but it's kind of a cruise hack.

Guest services will not issue your onboard credit back to you as cash, but the casino will.

You can go to the casino cashier and get a cash advance against your SeaPass account, which is a charge like anything else you buy onboard.  That charge will be rectified against your onboard credit. Keep in mind the casino charges you 5% on every cash advance you make (unless you are Prime or higher in Casino Royale).

There is a workaround, where any money you take out as a cash advance from a slot machine does not accrue the 5% charge for some reason.

Ask the casino cashier for instructions on how to make a cash advance from the slot machines.

Can you pay gratuities with onboard credit Royal Caribbean?

If you go with the automatic gratuities that get charged each evening of your cruise, yes, your onboard credits will be deducted against the gratuities you are assessed (and anything else you charge).

It's a common misconception you can apply your onboard credit directly towards gratuities.  The automatic gratuity is a charge like anything else you buy, so if you spend nothing else on your cruise, then your onboard credit will be applied towards your total expenses.

Can you use onboard credit in the casino?

You cannot directly access the onboard credit, but you can get a cash advance from your SeaPass account.

This charge will be an expense on your final bill, which any onboard credits you have will be deducted against.

The casino will charge you a 5% fee (unless you are Prime or higher in Casino Royale), unless you make the charge at a slot machine. Slot machines do not have a fee when withdrawing money from your SeaPass account.

How to use onboard credit in the Cruise Planner

When you add any pre-cruise purchase in the Cruise Planner to your shopping cart, there is an option to redeem onboard credit.

Remember, not all types of onboard credit may be available for use in the Cruise Planner. Onboard credits offered by a travel agent are not usually available until you get on the ship.

When you checkout, in addition to entering your credit card information, you have the option to apply some or all of your onboard credit to the purchase.

Don't worry, if you change your mind later and want to cancel your Cruise Planner purchase, the onboard credits will instantly become available again to use.

Enjoying meals in the Main Dining Room is a traditional part of a cruise vacation, but there are a few tips and tricks you should follow to have the best experience possible.

Many passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise enjoy meals in the Main Dining Room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This complimentary venue is where you can enjoy three-course meals throughout your sailing, and it’s a nostalgic part of cruising for most cruisers.

We recommend knowing the ins and outs of the Main Dining Room before your cruise begins. Knowing how the Main Dining Room works can help you avoid any surprises while onboard, allowing you to fully appreciate the dining experience.

From browsing menus in advance to notifying Royal Caribbean of dietary restrictions, here are 21 tips for the best cruise ship Main Dining Room experience.

Know what’s included in the Main Dining Room

The Main Dining Room is included in your cruise fare on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but there are just a few items that cost extra.

Complimentary drinks include water, coffee, tea, juice, and lemonade. Soda, specialty coffees, mocktails, and alcoholic beverages come with an extra cost. If you have a drink package, however, you can utilize it in the Main Dining Room in addition to bars and lounges onboard.

As far as food, you’ll pay extra for three premium selections:

• Chops Grille Filet Mignon: $19.99
• Surf & Turf: $34.99
• Extra lobsters on formal nights: $16.99/lobster (one lobster dish is complimentary for each guest)

With so many complimentary food items on the menu, there’s really no need to purchase a premium selection from the Main Dining Room, but it’s always an option.

Prepare to order all courses at once

When your waiter comes to take your order in the Main Dining Room, be prepared to order all three courses at once. Many first-time cruisers are surprised when they realize they have to order their appetizer, main course, and dessert at the same time, leaving them scrambling to quickly select their courses.

Of course, if you’re not ready to place your order, your waiter can come back in a few minutes. Additionally, if you later decide to order an extra appetizer or change your mind on dessert, just let the waiter know.

Order more than one appetizer, main course, and dessert

One of the best parts about dining on a cruise ship is the opportunity to order as many dishes as you’d like. While we don’t advise ordering 3 appetizers, 5 main courses, and 6 desserts, there’s no harm in ordering more than one of each course.

Related: I tried Royal Caribbean's new Main Dining Room menus, and here's what I thought

Portions in the Main Dining Room are typically a bit smaller than what you might find at a restaurant on land, so many passengers like to order more than one item, especially when it comes to appetizers.

If you can’t choose between the French onion soup and a side salad, why not both? Likewise, don’t waste your time deciding between the key lime pie or carrot cake when you can easily order one of each!

Don’t be afraid to try new foods

Another plus of being able to order more than one item is the ability to try new foods and cuisines. While dining at a restaurant on land, many people are nervous to try something new in case they don’t like it, thus wasting money.

Eating in the Main Dining Room, on the other hand, means you can order that spicy Indian curry or pesto pasta with no regrets. If you don’t like it, you can always order something else, but if you do like it, then you’ve just found a new favorite food!

Know how the Main Dining Room menu works

Royal Caribbean’s Main Dining Room dinner menu changes every night, although cruise itineraries over 10 nights see repeated menus. Each menu has a theme, such as Mexican night and Italian night, and menu items are influenced by the theme.

The dinner menu features appetizers, main courses, and desserts. At the top of the menu is the chef’s recommendation for each course, but you can mix and match items from anywhere on the menu.

Related: 7 cruise ship Main Dining Room rules to follow — Plus one to break

Lunch in the Main Dining Room is served on sea days only. The menu changes from day to day, but it does not follow a set theme. Like dinner, the lunch menu offers appetizers, main courses, and desserts. On some itineraries, a standard lunch menu may be replaced with a brunch menu with both breakfast and lunch dishes.

Breakfast, like dinner, is served every day in the Main Dining Room. The menu features classic American breakfast cuisine including pancakes, french toast, and omelets. 

Check the menus in advance

Royal Caribbean posts its daily Main Dining Room menus on the Royal Caribbean app, and we recommend browsing the menus in advance. Looking at the menus ahead of time helps you decide whether or not you want to eat in the Main Dining Room on a particular evening.

If nothing on the menu appeals to you, you may choose to eat in the Windjammer or at a specialty evening that night instead. Likewise, you won’t want to book specialty dining reservations on the evening in which the Main Dining Room serves your favorite type of cuisine.

Know the difference between Traditional Dining and My Time Dining

Royal Caribbean offers two choices for dining in the Main Dining Room: Traditional Dining and My Time Dining. You select your choice when booking a cruise.

Traditional dining is when you are assigned the same table and waiters for the duration of the cruise. You can choose early (around 5:30PM) or late seating (around 8PM) for the meal, and you will dine at the same time every day.

Related: How to change your dining time on a Royal Caribbean cruise

My Time Dining gives you more flexibility in dining times. You will not have an assigned time, table, or waiter. Rather, you can make reservations for each day in advance or show up to the Main Dining Room at any time during dinner hours.

For more information on the two dining options, check out our guide on Royal Caribbean My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining.

You can show up later than your scheduled dining time, but you might have to wait

Many cruisers, especially those with early dining, may occasionally run late to dinner. If you have a 5:30PM dining time but stay in port until 6PM, you'll miss your dining time, but you can still have dinner in the Main Dining Room.

If you miss your dining time by more than 15-20 minutes, go to the My Time Dining area of the Main Dining Room, which is usually on a separate floor than traditional dining. Wait in line for a table and you will be seated for a regular sit-down dinner.

You should note, though, that you will not be seated at the same dining table you have for traditional dining. Your waiters will be different as well.

Make My Time Dining reservations in advance

While My Time Dining may offer flexibility to dine whenever you’d like, we still recommend making reservations in advance. You can make dining reservations for each evening of your cruise and the time can change from day to day.

Making reservations is not necessary, but if you do not make reservations, you will have to wait in line for an available table. Waiting in line is not fun for anyone, and making reservations in advance means you can show up at your dining time and be seated right away.

The menu's themed cuisine nights are flexible

Although Royal Caribbean’s dinner menus are named French Night and Mediterranean Night, they are loosely based on a destination’s cuisine. On French Night, you can still find seafood linguine, butternut squash soup, curried lamb, and a warm apple cobbler.

Mexican Night brings dishes like enchiladas and carne asada, but you can also order spaghetti bolognese, grilled chicken breast, escargot, and toffee cheesecake.

Therefore, don’t overlook the Main Dining Room menu even if the night’s theme is not your favorite cuisine. There is more than enough variety outside the themed cuisine to satisfy most passengers.

Let your waiter know your preferences

Waiters in the Main Dining Room are highly attentive, and they can handle most requests with ease. If you would like two bread bowls instead of one each night, they can accommodate that request for you. Or, if you know you want a cup of coffee each evening with dessert, let them know and they will bring it to you each evening without asking.

Letting your waiter know your dining preferences on the first night of your cruise helps ensure your dining experience matches your needs throughout the sailing.

Notify Royal Caribbean of dietary restrictions in advance

Royal Caribbean can accommodate dietary restrictions, but you should provide notice to the cruise line in advance (view instructions here).

Providing notice is only required for strict dietary restrictions such as food allergies, gluten-free, Kosher, low-fat, and low-sodium. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are available in the Main Dining Room each evening, so there is no need to notify Royal Caribbean for these dietary restrictions.

Related: Eating gluten free on Royal Caribbean cruise ships

Go to the Main Dining Room for breakfast and lunch

The Main Dining Room is open for dinner each evening, but it’s also open for breakfast every morning and for lunch on sea days. Many passengers enjoy dining in the Main Dining Room for breakfast and lunch due to its quieter, more comfortable atmosphere when compared to other venues onboard.

Skip the busy Windjammer in the morning for a sit-down meal of pancakes, breakfast burritos, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Or, instead of waiting in a long line at El Loco Fresh for lunch, head to the Main Dining Room for a more relaxed environment.

Hours for breakfast and lunch can vary by sailing, with some offering brunch in lieu of two separate meals. Check the Royal Caribbean app for your sailing’s meal times. 

You can change your table assignment

If you have traditional dining, your Main Dining Room table assignment will be listed on your SeaPass card. We recommend heading to the Main Dining Room on embarkation day to check your table location and size.

If you would prefer to sit by a window but your table is in the middle of the room, ask a crew member at the Main Dining Room entrance if your table can be switched. Likewise, if you would prefer a table for two instead of sitting with other passengers, notify the crew members of this preference as well.

Bring your own wine to dinner

Royal Caribbean allows each adult to bring one 750ml bottle of wine onboard, and you can bring this wine to the Main Dining Room for dinner. A small corkage fee may be applied to open the bottle, but bringing your own wine will save money in the long run.

Plus, you can bring your favorite type of wine, which may not be available onboard.

Dress appropriately for formal nights

Many first-time cruisers are intimidated by formal nights on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but don’t worry: there’s no need to pack a tuxedo or ball gown for formal night. Wearing a collared shirt and slacks is totally acceptable for men, and many women choose to wear a light sundress or blouse in lieu of a floor-length gown.

Related: What to wear on a cruise formal night

It’s unlikely that you’ll be turned away for wearing jeans and a t-shirt on formal night, but we advise dressing appropriately. If you would prefer to skip formal night altogether, you can always visit the Windjammer or a specialty restaurant instead.

Check the Kids Menu for more options

Guests of any age can order off the Kids Menu in the Main Dining Room. The menu does not change from day to day, but offers classic kid-friendly dishes like hamburgers, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, and spaghetti.

If nothing on the regular menu sounds appealing, you’re always welcome to order a dish from the Kids Menu. Likewise, kids can order from the standard Main Dining Room menu in lieu of the Kids Menu.

Drop kids off at Adventure Ocean before dinner

Enjoying a nice sit-down meal can be difficult when cruising with young children. If you’re traveling with kids, consider bringing them to the Windjammer for a quick dinner before dropping them off at Adventure Ocean.

Related: 50 best cruising with kids tips & secrets

After dropping them off, head to the Main Dining Room for a more relaxed sit-down meal. More often than not, your kids will prefer a quick dinner before having fun at Adventure Ocean anyway, so you can dine guilt-free.

You don’t have to eat with other passengers

Many first-time cruisers assume you have to dine at large tables with strangers while on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but this isn’t always the case. Dining with other passengers can be a great way to make new friends onboard, but it’s certainly not as intimate as dining with just your travel party.

Royal Caribbean usually assigns guests to their own table, but your table may occasionally be shared with other passengers. If you don’t want to dine with others, simply head to the Main Dining Room on embarkation day and confirm your table assignment.

If your dining reservation is at a table with other passengers, a crew member can change the table information so that it’s only you and your travel party.

Avoid controversial topics with table mates

If you are sharing a table with other passengers, do everything possible to avoid controversial topics. Discussing politics, religion, and controversial current events is a big no-no when dining in the Main Dining Room.

No one wants to feel uncomfortable or start a fight with other passengers, so keep discussions with table mates civil.

Always be friendly to your waiters

Our last tip for the best cruise ship Main Dining Room experience is to always be friendly to your waiters.

Royal Caribbean crew members work diligently every day of their contracts to provide the best experience for guests, including in the Main Dining Room. It’s important to be polite to crew members even when something goes wrong.

If you asked for your steak medium rare but it comes out well done, politely inform your waiter rather than throw a fit. Or, if your waiter forgets to bring you another glass of wine, remind them about it without being rude.

Your waiters do everything possible to make the Main Dining Room experience as enjoyable as possible, and being friendly can enhance your experience even more.

When Royal Caribbean's new beach club opens in The Bahamas in 2025, its intent is to offer something for both cruise ship passengers and the people of The Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley spoke to the Bahamian press on Wednesday about the cruise line's new plans. He specifically addressed why the beach club not only benefits the cruise line, but locals as well.

In 2025, Royal Caribbean will open its first Royal Beach Club, which is an extra-cost all-inclusive beach on Paradise Island, just across the waterway from where Royal Caribbean's ships dock their ships in Nassau.

It will be a limited capacity area, and a shore excursion option that will be open exclusively to Royal Caribbean ship passengers.

There will be pools, beaches, dining experiences, and live entertainment too.

"The model for this project is a world class model for public private partnerships," Mr. Bayley said. "There is nothing in the Bahamian tourism sector of this quality. Forty nine percent of this entity will be owned by Bahamians."

The new beach club is part of an overall strategy to bring more cruise ship tourists than ever before to The Bahamas. Mr. Bayley shared the cruise line's overall strategy and how the beach club fits in, "We are building ships and bringing them to the Bahamas and Nassau. We are bringing the capacity. In Nassau we bring around one million tourists a year and nearly three million visitors a year to the country."

"By 2027 in Nassau, it will be 2.5 million. The Beach Club is obviously not capable of holding all of the visitors we bring. It can hold on average 2,750 guests per day.

"By 2027 we will be bringing 7,000 guests per day to Nassau. Sixty percent of the additional capacity coming cannot go there. That means there will be plenty of tourists for Bay Street and elsewhere. "

Passengers don't love Nassau

Mr. Bayley was also open about how cruise ship passengers perceived visiting Nassau, saying it ranks among the bottom 10% of ports in feedback.

Royal Caribbean surveys its customers regularly about the places they visit on a cruise in order to ascertain trends.

"Nassau is in the bottom ten percent,” he said.

Why so low? Part of the answer is there aren't enticing options.

According to Mr. Bayley, cruise ship passengers have, "come here many times before and there’s nothing new, fresh or innovative. Secondly, there needs to be more product, more experience, more uniqueness, more options."

"We want to improve the experience of our guests. We can’t keep selling experiences to people who say we love going to Perfect Day, it’s fantastic, we want to go back, but the Nassau thing, can you guys stop going there? We can’t do that, so yeah, we want to be a part of the solution."

In case you're wondering, Perfect Day at CocoCay ranks as the number one destination among Royal Caribbean guests.

"CocoCay is the number one destination that Royal Caribbean goes to in the world out of 100 global destinations, because it’s a curated experience designed and built to deliver a high-level experience to the customer. At the end of the day that’s all that matters."

In the case of Nassau, Royal Caribbean sees an opportunity to improve and make the destination more appealing, "We get data from every single cruise every single time from every single customer. If one person says they don’t like something, fine. When we look at the trend data and we see that a lot of people are not enjoying their experiences, what do we do? We change it. We renew it. We invigorate it to try to remove obstacles to their satisfaction."

Partnering with the Bahamas

Royal Caribbean is adamant the beach club is not just about benefiting the cruise line. It's been designed to be financially beneficial to Bahamians too.

"Forty nine percent of this entity will be owned by Bahamians," said Bayley.

"With regards to employment, everyone who works there will be Bahamian except four to five persons who will be brand managers ensuring everything is up to Royal Caribbean standards."

"We are looking for a Bahamian to be the president of the Royal Caribbean Beach Club and any construction activity will heavily involve Bahamian companies."

The beach club's benefits for the people of the Bahamas includes:

• First public-private tourism development that gives Bahamians the opportunity to own up to 49% of the beach club
• The land contributed by the Government will provide benefits to The Bahamas for generations to come in the form of equity
• Individual Bahamians will have the opportunity to buy equity in the beach club and benefit from the profits
• Local businesses and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to manage and participate in the vast majority of the beach club
• Hundreds of jobs will be created during construction and through operations, either directly or indirectly through new partnerships
• 1% of gross revenue of the beach club will be invested in a new fund to develop other attractions around The Bahamas
• Growth of the number of guests Royal Caribbean brings to Nassau

Earlier this week Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider echoed Mr. Bayley's comments of just how good this project will be for both sides, "We look at the totality of kind of the structure that we created with the government and the kind of net new employment opportunities and job creation and profit creation for  the government and individuals and the money that we're putting back into the Bahamas is really something that nobody's ever done before, for sure, for the Bahamas. And it's rare to see worldwide."

"We think this is a home run for the Bahamas."

Royal Caribbean just released seventeen short segments of the cruise line’s Ultimate World Cruise, a 274-night cruise around the world. Visiting over sixty countries and eleven World Wonders, the World Cruise is on many cruisers’ bucket lists, and getting onboard has just become a whole lot easier.

Royal Caribbean first announced the Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas in late 2021, and it opened for bookings in early 2022. Passengers could book either the entire 274-night cruise or one of four 2-3 month segments.

Not all cabins have been sold for the Ultimate World Cruise, which prompted Royal Caribbean to split the segments into seventeen individual itineraries ranging from nine to twenty nine nights.

These itineraries visit everywhere from Antarctica to Australia, Norway, and South Korea, and here’s everything you need to know about booking these unique itineraries.

Segments for the Ultimate World Cruise start at $931 per person, but all balcony and suite cabins are sold out.

Prices for each segment of the World Cruise vary significantly, with some itineraries as low as $931 per person and others around $1,881 per person. These prices reflect the per person rate before taxes and fees in an interior room.

The majority of itineraries are priced around $1,200 per person. With taxes and fees added, this brings the average cost to around $3,173 total for two guests in an interior room. With many itineraries between 11-16 nights, the price per day makes the segments a great value.

Only interior and ocean view rooms are available on the World Cruise segments. All balconies and suites are sold out, presumably by the guests who booked the entire sailing or one of the original four segments of the cruise.

If you’re interested in booking a segment of the Ultimate World Cruise, you should book as soon as possible.

Although Royal Caribbean just released itineraries for shorter segments of the World Cruise, the World Cruise has been available to book for over a year. Many staterooms are fully booked, and Royal Caribbean has not shared how many cabins are available on each segment.

If 70% of the ship is already full, for example, there could be only a handful of cabins available for any particular segment. Therefore, if you’re daydreaming about that cruise to India or Patagonia, you should book the segment before it sells out completely.

These are the recently added short segments of the Ultimate World Cruise in order of departure date.

Ultimate Caribbean & South America Cruise (26 nights)

Dates: December 10, 2023 - January 5, 2024

Interested in being onboard for the first day of Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise? Join the excitement as Serenade of the Seas departs Miami for her tour around the world with this 26-night itinerary to the Caribbean and South America. On this sailing, you will visit thirteen ports before disembarking in Buenos Aires, Argentina:

• Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas
• Cozumel, Mexico
• Oranjestad, Aruba
• Willemstad, Curacao
• Kralendijk, Bonaire
• Bridgetown, Barbados
• St. George’s, Grenada
• Devil’s Island, French Guiana
• Fortaleza, Brazil
• Recife, Brazil
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Copacabana, Brazil
• Montevideo, Uruguay

The itinerary starts with an exciting day at Perfect Day at CocoCay and later includes an overnight stay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, allowing guests to experience one of the world’s most famous New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Ultimate South America & Antarctica Cruise (18 nights)

Dates: January 5, 2024 - January 23, 2024

Is visiting Antarctica on your to-do list? If so, booking the Ultimate South America & Antarctica cruise itinerary is the only way you can cruise to The White Continent with Royal Caribbean.

Departing Buenos Aires, Argentina and ending in Valparaíso, Chile, this once-in-a-lifetime itinerary takes passengers around the tip of South America, which includes two days of sightseeing in Antarctica. Although passengers cannot disembark the ship in Antarctica, sailing by the continent’s massive glaciers and abundance of wildlife will certainly make for an unforgettable cruise vacation.

Aside from Antarctica, the cruise visits several ports in Patagonia in addition to the Falkland Islands:

• Puerto Madryn, Argentina
• Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
• Gerlache Strait (Cruising), Antarctica
• Paradise Bay (Cruising, Antarctica
• Schollaert Channel & Dalhan Bay, Antarctica
• Elephant Island (Cruising), Antarctica
• Cape Horn (Cruising), Chile
• Ushuaia, Argentina
• Punta Arenas, Chile
• Straits of Magellan, Chile
• Chilean Fjords (Cruising), Chile

Ultimate Central & South America Cruise (19 nights)

Dates: January 23, 2024 - February 11, 2024

Interested in visiting Machu Picchu and the jungles of Central America? The Ultimate Central & South America cruise visits some seriously alluring ports on the 19-night itinerary. This segment of the World Cruise starts in Valparaíso, Chile and ends in Los Angeles, California, visiting nine destinations:

• La Serena (Coquimbo), Chile
• Arica, Chile
• Pisco, Peru
• Callao, Peru
• Manta, Ecuador
• Puntarenas, Costa Rica
• San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Ensenada, Mexico

Ultimate Hawaii, Tahiti & Australia Cruise (29 nights)

Dates: February 11, 2024 - March 11, 2024

Lovers of sea days will enjoy the longest segment of the Ultimate World Cruise, a 29-night itinerary crossing the Pacific Ocean. The planet’s biggest ocean contains approximately 30,000 islands, and this transpacific itinerary takes passengers to several of the most beautiful destinations.

Departing Los Angeles and ending in Brisbane, Australia, this itinerary visits:

• Maui (Lahaina), Hawaii
• Hawaii (Kailua Kona), Hawaii
• Oahu (Honolulu), Hawaii
• Moorea, French Polynesia
• Papeete, Tahiti
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Bay Of Islands, New Zealand
• Sydney, Australia
• Newcastle, Australia

Visiting the remote islands of Hawaii and French Polynesia offers passengers the chance to discover the cultures and landscapes in these destinations. Whether snorkeling the reefs of Moorea or visiting Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, this transpacific itinerary is unlike any other segment of the World Cruise.

Ultimate Australia & Southeast Asia Cruise (16 nights)

Dates: March 11, 2024 - March 27, 2024

Head down under for a cruise from Australia’s northeast to Southeast Asia. This 16-night itinerary departs Brisbane, Queensland and brings guests to six tropical ports before ending in Hong Kong:

• Airlie Beach, Queensland
• Cairns, Australia
• Lombok, Indonesia,
• Benoa, Bali
• Manila, Philippines
• Subic Bay, Philippines

Guests on this itinerary can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, explore the volcanic landscapes of Lombok, and end their trip with a stay in the busy metropolis of Hong Kong.

Ultimate China, Japan & South Korea Cruise (12 nights)

Dates: March 27, 2024 - April 8, 2024

Starting in Hong Kong and ending in Beijing, the Ultimate China, Japan & South Korea itinerary takes passengers on a captivating voyage across East Asia, visiting several islands and cities in the region. Throughout the 12-night itinerary, passengers will visit:

• Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan
• Ishigaki, Japan
• Okinawa (Naha), Japan
• Busan, South Korea
• Jeju Island, South Korea
• Seoul (Incheon), South Korea

Ultimate Japan, Vietnam & Singapore Cruise (16 nights)

Dates: April 8, 2024 - April 24, 2024

Passengers can visit Japan more in-depth on the Ultimate Japan, Vietnam & Singapore itinerary. Starting in Beijing, this World Cruise segment visits several ports in Japan, continues to Southeast Asia, and ends in Singapore; it visits the following ports:

• Nagasaki, Japan
• Kagoshima, Japan
• Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
• Mt. Fuji (Shimizu), Japan
• Kyoto (Osaka), Japan
• Nha Trang, Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My), Vietnam

Ultimate India, Sri Lanka & Malaysia Cruise (15 nights)

Dates: April 24, 2024 - May 9, 2024

Visit the Taj Mahal on the Ultimate India, Sri Lanka & Malaysia cruise. This 15-night itinerary takes guests to discover the rich cultures of India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka where they’re sure to find tasty cuisine, vibrant markets, and insights into the region’s history and religions.

Passengers embark this fascinating sailing in Singapore and disembark in Dubai, visiting the following destinations:

• Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Malaysia
• Penang, Malaysia
• Hambantota, Sri Lanka
• Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Cochin, India
• Goa (Mormugao), India
• Mumbai (Bombay), India
• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

While docked overnight in Bombay (Mumbai), India, guests will have the opportunity to visit the Taj Mahal, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Ultimate Jordan, Egypt & Israel Cruise (18 nights)

Dates: May 9, 2024 - May 27, 2024

Visit the Pyramids of Giza on an 18-night cruise through the Middle East. Starting in Dubai and ends in Athens, you will visit the following ports on this itinerary:

• Salalah, Oman
• Aqaba, Jordan
• Safaga, Egypt
• Suez Canal (Passage), Egypt
• Alexandria, Egypt
• Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel
• Limassol, Cyprus

Whether you’re interested in learning more about ancient Egypt, visiting religious sites in Israel, or strolling the seafront of Limassol, you’re sure to find wonderful ways to spend your port days on this itinerary.

Ultimate Bulgaria, Romania & Turkey Cruise (11 nights)

Dates: May 27, 2024 - June 7, 2024

This Eastern European itinerary brings passengers to countries rarely visited on Royal Caribbean cruises for an insight into the region’s culture and history. Departing Athens and returning to Istanbul, guests will visit the following ports:

• Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
• Burgas, Bulgaria
• Constanta, Romania
• Varna, Bulgaria
• Trabzon, Turkey

Visiting Ephesus is a dream for many history buffs, as this ancient archaeological site was once one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean. Beyond ancient ruins, however, you can enjoy the seaside towns of Burgas and Constanta, two destinations you may never have thought to visit.

Ultimate Greece, Turkey & Italy Cruise (13 nights)

Dates: June 7, 2024 - June 20, 2024

Spending summer in the Mediterranean is a dream, especially when you’re hopping from island to island on a cruise ship. Starting in Istanbul and ending in Venice (Ravenna), this 13-night itinerary to Greece, Turkey, and Italy visits many of the region’s most picturesque islands and cities.

• Thessaloniki, Greece
• Chios, Greece
• Bodrum, Turkey
• Rhodes, Greece
• Mykonos, Greece
• Santorini, Greece
• Chania (Souda), Crete
• Olympia (Katakolon), Greece
• Corfu, Greece
• Bari, Italy

Ultimate Italy, Croatia & Malta Cruise (11 nights)

Dates: June 20, 2024 - July 1, 2024

Cruising the Adriatic is a lovely option for those looking for a traditional European summer holiday. Charming cities, clear beaches, and breathtaking mountain views make ports along the Adriatic a must-see.

The Ultimate Italy, Croatia & Malta cruise starts in Venice (Ravenna) and ends in Rome (Civitavecchia). It visits nine unique ports:

• Trieste, Italy
• Koper, Slovenia
• Zadar, Croatia
• Split, Croatia
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Kotor, Montenegro
• Valletta, Malta
• Sicily (Catania), Italy
• Naples/Capri, Italy

As Serenade of the Seas makes her way out of the Adriatic, she will call upon the small country of Malta before heading to Sicily and the Amalfi Coast, adding another region of the Mediterranean to this 11-night itinerary.

Ultimate Italy, France & Spain Cruise (9 nights)

Dates: July 1, 2024 - July 10, 2024

The Ultimate Italy, France & Spain cruise is a classic Mediterranean cruise, visiting the region’s most famous cities. Starting in Rome (Civitavecchia) and ending in Barcelona, this Western European cruise itinerary will call upon:

• Florence/Pisa (Carrara), Italy
• Portofino, Italy
• Ajaccio, Corsica
• Cannes, France
• Nice (Villefranche), France
• Provence (Toulon), France
• Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Passengers on this itinerary can start their vacation by visiting the Colosseum and Vatican City in Rome. Once on the cruise, they can visit other famous landmarks including the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Florence and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The combination of a shorter itinerary with visits to the continent’s most popular destinations makes this a fantastic option for those visiting Europe for the first time.

Ultimate Spain, Morocco & France Cruise (16 nights)

Dates: July 10, 2024 - July 26, 2024

Although mainland Spain and Morocco are separated by only the narrow Strait of Gibraltar, the two countries offer vastly different travel experiences. Whereas visiting Spain brings guests to beachfront cities like Barcelona and Valencia, Morocco offers bustling markets and stunning desert landscapes.

Passengers on the 16-night Ultimate Spain, Morocco & France cruise can experience the best of what Spain and Morocco have to offer while also traveling to northern Europe near the end of the cruise. The itinerary departs Barcelona and ends in Southampton and visits the following ports:

• Valencia, Spain
• Cartagena, Spain
• Málaga, Spain
• Casablanca, Morocco
• Agadir, Morocco
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Porto (Leixoes), Portugal
• Vigo, Spain
• Cork (Cobh), Ireland
• Cherbourg, France
• Paris (Le Havre), France

Ultimate Denmark, Germany & Sweden Cruise (15 nights)

Dates: July 26, 2024 - August 10, 2024

Depart Southampton and explore the historic cities of Northern Europe on this intriguing 15-night itinerary. Although you may not encounter the sunny, warm skies of the Mediterranean, visiting Northern Europe allows you to experience the region’s charming towns and friendly cultures.

On this two week cruise, you will visit the following ports:

• Bruges/Zeebruge (Brussels), Belgium
• Skagen, Denmark
• Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany
• Riga, Latvia
• Tallinn, Estonia
• Helsinki, Finland
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Visby, Sweden
• Klaipeda, Lithuania
• Ronne, Denmark
• Kiel, Germany

Ultimate Norwegian Fjords Cruise (9 nights)

Dates: August 10, 2024 - August 19, 2024

One of the shorter itineraries on the Ultimate World Cruise is a 9-night Norwegian fjords cruise. This itinerary departs Copenhagen, ends in Amsterdam, and visits the following ports:

• Aarhus, Denmark
• Oslo, Norway
• Kristiansand, Norway
• Haugesund, Norway
• Olden, Norway
• Alesund, Norway
• Bergen, Norway

Cruising the Norwegian fjords is a dream vacation for many cruisers—not only can you visit the quaint towns along the fjords, but you’ll experience some of Europe’s most breathtaking scenery as you sail from port to port.

Ultimate Iceland, Greenland & Caribbean Cruise (22 nights)

Dates: August 19, 2024 - September 10, 2024

The final segment of Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise is an Arctic itinerary combined with a transatlantic crossing to Miami, Florida. This 22-night itinerary starts in Amsterdam and visits the following ports:

• Reykjavik, Iceland
• Qaqortoq, Greenland
• Nuuk, Greenland
• St. John’s, Newfoundland
• New York, New York
• Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
• Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas

While this itinerary includes more sea days than most, it offers the chance to visit more remote destinations like Iceland and Greenland. Plus, ending the cruise at Perfect Day at CocoCay is a great way to celebrate the final port of call on Serenade of the Seas’ journey around the world.

The fine print associated with a Royal Caribbean cruise has been updated.

Royal Caribbean informed passengers with a cruise booked that the cruise line has amended Cruise Ticket Contract, which is the legal terms all passengers agree to when booking a cruise.

In an email to guests, Royal Caribbean says the updates "simplify" the method in which guests have access to the contract. 

We’re making important changes to our legal terms and simplifying the process by which these terms – which are applicable to your cruise purchase and other activities, services, and products related to your cruise – are communicated to you and all our guests from around the world.

Royal Caribbean also highlighted three areas where the new cruise contract has been updated.

The changes will go into effect on April 12, 2023 and will apply to sailings that depart on or after that date.  

If you are currently booked on a voyage that departs on or after April 12, 2023, the new legal terms will apply. Additionally, the new legal terms will apply to those guests that book on or after April 12, 2023.  

The changes apply to the Cruise Ticket Contract, Booking Conditions, and Global Purchase Terms and Conditions.  Royal Caribbean highlighted three changes they believe are the most important.

In comparing the updated terms to the previous terms, here are the changes we noticed based on the USA terms of service.

Please keep in mind this writer, nor RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, is not a legal expert of any kind. You should review the legal terms on your own and not rely in any way on a blog post to convey important legal information that affects you and/or your traveling party. This blog post is not to serve as offering legal advice of any kind.

Primary Country of Residence

One of the biggest changes appears to be the cruise contract now varies depending on where you live.

The cruise line says the the Cruise Ticket Contract or Booking Conditions applicable to your cruise purchase are now determined by your Primary Country of Residence.

This means whichever country you live in primarily at the time of booking will be which contract applies to you. Royal Caribbean will determine the primary country of residence based on what's indicated by you, your agent, or other representative at the time of booking the cruise or at online check-in.

This applies to each guest on a booking on an individual basis.

Countries listed as options for the cruise contract include:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Canada
• Singapore
• Australia
• Spain
• Norway
• Sweden
• Germany-Austria-Switzerland
• Italy
• France
• Israel
• New Zealand
• Hong Kong
• China
• All Other Locations

Covid-19 policy

Royal Caribbean also updated their cancellation and Covid policies.

Pre-cruise cancellation due to Covid

One change in comparing the two American cruise contracts is there is now less days prior to a cruise beginning to have tested positive for Covid to qualify for a refund.

Royal Caribbean changed the policy from 14 to 5 days prior to embarkation if a passenger tests positive for Covid, exhibits signs or symptoms of Covid, or has had close contact with a person confirmed or suspected as having Covid, Royal Caribbean may deny boarding. 

The two changes here are 14 to 5 days, and the word "will deny boarding" to "may deny boarding".

Unless the passenger failed to follow Royal Caribbean's Covid policies and procedures, any passenger denied boarding under these circumstances will be entitled to either a refund or a future cruise credit equal in value to the cruise fare passenger paid.

Cruise cancellation or deviation due to Covid

The updated cruise contract removed verbiage under the "Cancellation, Deviation, Or Substitution By Carrier" section related to public health emergencies.

The phrase "as a result of a declaration of a public health emergency or government order" has been removed.

There's a few times the text was amended, here's one such change that exemplifies the nature of this change:

Old text

Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Except as provided in Section 7.e below, and except as provided in Section 4.e or Section 4.f regarding an actual or suspected COVID-19 infection, and except where a refund is required by law as a result of a declaration of a public health emergency or government order cancelling the Cruise or delaying boarding of the Vessel by Passengers by three (3) days or more, Carrier shall not be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

Revised text

Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Except as provided in Section 7.e below, and except as provided in Section 4.e or Section 4.f regarding an actual or suspected COVID-19 infection, and except where a refund is required by law because Carrier cancelled the Cruise or boarding of the Vessel by Passengers was delayed by three (3) days or more, Carrier shall not be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

Forum selection

The last highlighted change is to choosing where a lawsuit would be heard.

"The forum selection, exclusive jurisdiction and choice of law provisions have been modified to and now correlate to your Primary Country of Residence or the location of your cruise itinerary. "

A great deal of new legal terms were added to the "FORUM SELECTION; GOVERNING LAW; TIME LIMITS TO BRING SUIT; ARBITRATION; CLASS ACTION WAIVER:" section.

Essentially, there's a lot of new legal information related to how any legal action could occur and where it might occur. 

Why the cruise contract is important

The cruise contract is an important legal document that you agree to when booking a cruise.

It encompasses protocols and policies related to guest conduct and expectations during a cruise.

Every cruise line includes this as part of the agreement you make when you book a cruise.  

Upon placing a deposit, Royal Caribbean adds a check box to indicate the guest has read through the Cruise Contract and agrees to everything inside.

Airlines also have something similar, known as the Conditions of Carriage, that cover almost every scenario a passenger can encounter to clearly indicate expectations of rules and penalties for violating those rules.

There is a beach in Labadee, Haiti that you have probably never heard of, even if you have been there multiple times!

It is not Dragon's Beach, Adrenaline Beach, Barefoot Beat, Nellie's Beach, or Columbus Cove. In fact, this beach is not even on the map!

Belly Beach is located a little further south than Columbus Cove; however, it is only accessible by boat if you are a crew member.

Cruise passengers are not able to visit Belly Beach since it is not part of their privately-owned destination; it is located just outside of the boundaries. 

Oasis of the Seas crew member Lera Synchro recently posted a video on her YouTube channel that documented her day spent at Belly Beach. 

Synchro's YouTube channel has amassed over 7,000 followers, who follow her on her adventures as an AquaTheatre performer onboard, including show rehearsals, exploring in Mexico and Jamaica, and what spending Christmas onboard was like. In one video, she even gives viewers a glimpse into the AquaTheatre's pool, which is one of the deepest pools at sea!

Keep reading to see what Belly Beach is like!

What is Labadee?

Labadee is Royal Caribbean's private destination on the northern coast of Haiti. While it is not a private island like Perfect Day at CocoCay, it does promise guests a relaxing (or thrilling) day with other Royal Caribbean passengers. 

You can spend the day on one of four (or five if you are a suite guest) different complimentary beaches, go zip lining over the ocean or parasailing, ride a jet ski, take a nature walk, and more.

For those looking for a more luxurious beach day, you can rent a private cabana at Nellie's Beach. Only those staying in suites can reserve a cabana at Barefoot Beach. 

There is even an artisan market where you can buy souvenirs from locals. Unlike CocoCay, though, they are unable to take your SeaPass card, so be sure you bring some cash with you when you get off the ship!

How do crew members get to Belly Beach?

A small boat docks near the jet ski landing to transport crew members from the privately-owned section of Labadee to Belly Beach, which is a public beach for locals that crew members are able to visit. 

After a short scenic ride with views of the ship and surrounding mountainous landscape, the boat pulls right up to the beach to let Synchro off, and whomever else is on the boat, off. 

She never expressed any concern of making it back to the ship on time, so it is safe to assume that departures are scheduled around the crew's all aboard time. 

What is the beach like?

Compared to Royal Caribbean's beaches, Belly Beach looks like a private oasis! 

On the day Synchro filmed, there was hardly anyone else there. In fact, some of the footage from the beach revealed empty beach chairs, which is often a rarity on cruise line private islands!

Anyone who has visited a private island will tell you to secure a chair as early as possible, especially if you have your heart set on a first or second row seat. The beaches are packed in the afternoon!

She filmed a group of people in the ocean throwing a ball around, while others were seen lounging in the available chairs. She was able to swim freely without bumping into anyone, and from the clips, it did not seem as though there were any water sports available for rent. 

While there was enough seating to accommodate everyone on this particular day, there were not any umbrellas to provide shade. 

Dining options at Belly Beach

There is a restaurant on-site that is situated feet from the ocean; however, since this beach is not owned by Royal Caribbean, all food items are priced a la carte. And even though the restaurant is open-air, it is shaded. 

Synchro showed fresh mango slices, rice, and lobster! Google reviews indicate that you can purchase a whole fish, too. 

What do crew members do during shore leave?

Do crew members get to spend the day ashore like passengers? Not always, as only a certain percentage of the crew in any given department are allowed to get off the ship.

If everyone was able to get off, who would be on the ship to attend to the passengers who opted to spend the day onboard or who return early?

Those who do have time off usually do not have as long in port as guests; however, they make the most of it by visiting local hotspots, eating at restaurants, or going to supermarkets to stock up on non-perishable items and other necessities that may either cost less than the onboard crew store or that are not available. 

They may also want to search for Wi-Fi to connect with loved ones back home. Regardless of how they spend their time ashore, they are always sure to make the most of it. 

Crew only areas onboard the ship

Just as Belly Beach cannot be visited by regular passengers, there are areas onboard the ships that are off limits, too. And thanks to social media, it is easier than ever to see how crew members live during their contracts.

Bryan James, a former guitarist and vocalist in The Mason Jar Bar onboard Wonder of the Seas, posted videos to his TikTok of crew life and currently has a following of over 730,000! He is no longer on Wonder of the Seas, though. His current contract is onboard Celebrity Edge. 

His previous videos show a secret hangout in the ship's funnel, a shop filled with essential items and snacks for purchase, his tiny cabin, the crew laundry room, and even the crew lounge where they have a foosball table. 

If you are interested in learning more about ship life for Royal Caribbean crew members, follow Bryan James' TikTok @bryanjamescruises, as well as Lera Synchro's YouTube @LeraSynchro! 

Related: A look at the secret crew-only areas on the world's biggest cruise ship

Utopia of the Seas might be Royal Caribbean's sixth Oasis Class cruise ship in the fleet, but she will have at least one new innovation not offered on her sister ships.

Royal Caribbean will debut a brand new dining experience never before offered onboard that sounds different from anything else on other ships, RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com can exclusively confirm.

The cruise line has steadily been moving towards new food and beverage concepts that aim to differentiate restaurants from being just another place for dinner.

In speaking with Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, he provided details on one such restaurant coming to the next Oasis Class ship.

There's no name announced for it yet, but Mr. Schneider calls it, "an immersive train dining experience."

He wasn't able to provide all the details yet, but here's what we know about it.

Mixed reality dining train experience

In talking about future plans, Mr. Schneider referenced a train car experience coming to Utopia, "That will be pretty amazing."

"There is a mixed reality immersive dining experience with a train motif coming to a ship near you that's going to blow people away."

Royal Caribbean has been on this path to develop new dining concepts since announcing a new technology initiative in 2017.

Back then, there was a virtual reality dining demo where people wore virtual reality visors, but Mr. Schneider said it isn't ideal, "people don't want to eat food with a goggle on their head."

Since then, a lot has changed with trends in dining.  He pointed to "Sublimotion" in Ibiza, Spain which is a new high-end Mediterranean dining concept with VR tech & immersive film projections, as an example of how the culinary world is exploring this medium. 

He thinks there's more than can be done in a less jarring way, "nobody's really done thematic immersion until what you're about to see on Utopia."

Here's how Mr. Schneider explained what this dining experience will be like once guests are able to experience it for themselves, "imagine seeing a series of train cars built out on a cruise ship."

"What if you could go to land based destinations while on a cruise ship in a dining experience that happened to look like 1930s to 1960s train and go through a series of destinations that you've never done before or might do on some of our other ships but in a way that could give you then a platform for culinary and immersion that you've never seen before."

Experimenting with new ideas

When Royal Caribbean builds a new ship, they champion the mantra of "tradition, evolution, and revolution" as a way to bring back favorites while also pushing the envelope of what guests can expect onboard.

Mr. Schneider says this guiding principle is more like consistency and experimentation than anything else, "Our guests expect some sort of consistent experience. And I don't mean consistent in a negative way. Consistent in what they expect from us and quality."

"There's no reason that you wouldn't expect to find a Chops on every ship that we build in the future. And there needs to be, if you think of the concept development, we do a significant percentage of that, whether it's Main Dining, Chops, great Italian in our new Giovanni's kitchen concept."

"And then there needs to be experimentation."

An example of small experimentation is the Bubbles champagne bar in Central Park on Icon of the Seas. Beyond that, Royal Caribbean also moves towards full restaurants, such as the Mason Jar concept.

"New cuisine also then takes you to new experiences. And so things like and again, we don't have a name yet, but this railroad mixed reality culinary immersion is is part of that experimentation."

Part of the rationale for developing new concepts is food is a major reason why people go on a cruise. On a high level, Mr. Schneider says the two predominant reasons people book a cruise are for destinations and food.

"You want that kind of diversity, given again, people want destinations and food is their two drivers to go on a cruise."

Utopia of the Seas launches in 2024

While Icon of the Seas is garnering the lion share of attention right now, Utopia of the Seas will also launch later that year.

"Utopia is going to be for the Oasis class yet another great step forward. You're just going to be amazed by kind of the next set of changes that we make, " said Mr. Schneider of what we can expect from Utopia.

He admitted Utopia won't have the same level of new experiences Icon of the Seas has, "but when you look at them, they'll make a ton of sense."

When might we be able to start booking Utopia of the Seas? Mr. Schneider alluded to summer 2023 as when you can expect more information on bookings and details for the public to be able to start making plans.

The ship will debut in the spring of 2024.

If you are looking to take a cruise to Alaska in the next two months, you will want to act quickly.

On April 11 and 12, Royal Caribbean is having a "Going, Going, Gone" sale with fares as low as $269 per person for an interior room on a 7-night Alaska cruise. That breaks down to less than $40 per night before taxes, fees, and gratuities. 

As with any last minute cruise, you are going to have to act fast to secure your booking. Plus, you will have to think about the potential cost of airfare.

Here's a look at the great deals that you can find on Alaska cruises. 

Brilliance of the Seas

Brilliance of the Seas has the most availability, with cruises departing as soon as April 23. All sailings are roundtrip from Vancouver, meaning that you might have better luck securing flight deals. One-way tickets are often more expensive. 

• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on April 23 is priced at $564 for an interior, $449 for an oceanview, and $629 for a balcony. Regardless of which stateroom you select, there will be an additional $232.65 in taxes and fees added to your fare. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on April 30 is priced at $449 for an oceanview and $599 for a balcony. There are no interior staterooms left for this sailing. Taxes and fees are another $233.42. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on May 7 is priced at $459 for an oceanview and $699 for a balcony. You will have to pay $231.76 in taxes and fees. 

• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on May 14 is priced at $559 for an oceanview stateroom and $749 for a balcony. Again, there are no interior cabins available for this sailing. Expect to pay $226.16 in taxes and fees. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on May 21 is priced at $519 for an oceanview and $699 for a balcony, with taxes and fees being another $226.16.
• 7-night Alaska Glacier Experience departing on May 28 is priced at $559 for an oceanview and $749 for a balcony. Add another $228.48 in taxes and fees to whichever fare you select. 

Read more: How much does an Alaska cruise cost?

Radiance of the Seas

With only two options, Radiance of the Seas has the fewest cruises during this sale:

• 7-night Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier from Vancouver, Canada departing on May 19 starts at $329 for an oceanview and $509 for a balcony. Taxes and fees are an additional $240.86. The cruise concludes in Seward, Alaska. 
• 7-night Southbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier from Seward, Alaska departing on May 26 is priced at $269 for an interior stateroom, $319 for an oceanview, and $509 for a balcony, with taxes and fees costing $278.06. This one-way cruise ends in Vancouver, Canada. 

Ovation of the Seas

Those looking for availability in June will have to opt for a sailing on Ovation of the Seas from Seattle, Washington. This might be the best option for families with children whose academic years do not conclude until early or mid-June.

Note, though, that these are the most expensive options, as you get to sail roundtrip from Seattle on a newer ship. 

• 7-night Alaska Glacier departing on June 2 only has balcony cabins available for $1,049 per person. This does not include the $246.42 in taxes and fees. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier departing on June 9 is priced at $749 for an interior and $1,149 for a balcony, plus $214.85 in taxes. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier departing on June 16 costs $799 for an interior and $1,199 for a balcony. Taxes are another $242.96. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier departing on June 23 has balcony staterooms for $1,299 per person. You will have to pay $231.24 in taxes, too. 
• 7-night Alaska Glacier departing on June 30 starts at $849 for an interior and $1,349 for a balcony, with taxes costing an extra $238.91. 

Other deals during the sale

If you are not interested in cruising to Alaska, there are other offering during the "Going, Going, Gone" sale, including sailings to the Greek Isles, Bahamas, Iceland, Ireland, Bermuda, and Mediterranean. 

Most of the cruises depart in May; however, there are a couple that leave in June:

• 4-night Bahamas from Miami, Florida on Freedom of the Seas departing June 2, 5, and 12
• 4-night Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida on Independence of the Seas departing on June 5 and 12
• 12-night Iceland & Ireland from Amsterdam on Jewel of the Seas departing on June 5 and 29
• 12-night Arctic Circle from Amsterdam on Jewel of the Seas departing on June 17
• 7-night Greek Isles from Rome on Odyssey of the Seas departing on June 4
• 7-night Western Mediterranean from Rome on Symphony of the Seas departing on June 1
• 7-night Western Mediterranean from Barcelona on Symphony of the Seas departing on June 4
• 9-night Bermuda & Perfect Day from Baltimore on Vision of the Seas departing on June 8

Unfortunately, this sale does include any cruises later in the summer for families that have yet to plan their summer trip. There is no way to tell if there will be another sale, either. 

In general, cruise pricing tends to favor those that book early, so let this be a lesson! If your schedule does not permit much flexibility, you are better off booking in advance. 

Increased demand for cruises

2022 and 2023 have been successful years for the cruising industry, with many cruise lines breaking their personal booking records!

In fact, Royal Caribbean broke their own record three times in 2022 in less than five weeks. Black Friday of 2022 was the cruise line's single largest booking day.

Other cruise lines are seeing a similar trend. Carnival Cruise Line reported that bookings for the first quarter of 2023 were the highest volume for any quarter in the company's history!

Why you should not always rely on last minute deals

Since the demand for cruise vacations is so high, there is no guarantee that the sailing you are eyeing will have any last minute availability. Many of Royal Caribbean's ships have been sailing at or close to maximum capacity, even outside of peak season. 

Additionally, as shown with the current "Going, Going, Gone" sale, cabin selection will be limited; there are no suites included for any of the Alaska deals, and some are sold out of interior and oceanview, too.

The lowest price may also be for a guarantee cabin, which means that there is no way to tell where it is located until assigned by Royal Caribbean. 

If you want a specific stateroom, you are better off booking in advance to secure the best rate and guarantee that you will get the cabin that you want. 

Booking the cheapest cruise does not mean it is going to be the cruise that you have been envisioning. In addition to potentially not getting the stateroom you want, you may find that certain add-ons have limited availability-- some shore excursions sell out in advance!

Read more: Why booking a last-minute cruise isn't always a great idea

Talk with your travel agent before booking

Last minute sales are great for those with whose lives are able to accommodate the flexibility of taking off on short notice. 

If you see a price listed on a "Going, Going, Gone" deal that you are interested in, ask your travel agent to price it out! 

There is no harm in sending them an email or giving them a call, as you never now what kinds of agency rates and special offers they have!

What can we expect when Royal Caribbean opens its first beach club experience in 2025?

Royal Caribbean confirmed last month it was moving forward with plans to build a beach club in Nassau, Bahamas, which is set to open in the first half of 2025.

This will be the first of its kind experience for the cruise line, as the beach club is not going to be another private island type of experience.  But how different will the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island be and what can expect once the first passengers visit the beach club?

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider has a large hand in the planning of the new destination, and has been working with the Bahamian government for years through two different administrations to get approval for their work.

The Bahamian government gave Royal Caribbean "approval in principle from the government", which means the government of the Bahamas and Royal Caribbean have reached an agreement on kind of the key principles that they both think are important.

How is the beach club different than a private island?

Up until now, the only context cruisers have for a land-based experience offered by Royal Caribbean are the private destinations of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee.

Mr. Schneider calls the beach club, "a really rich Royal Caribbean service experience attached to a high volume destination or strategic destination for us."

"Whereas a Perfect Day it is the destination, it is the only thing you can do... and it's typically far flung."

To better explain the differences, Mr. Schneider confirmed that the beach club will cost extra, as it's not intended to be something for everyone to visit like it would be at CocoCay.

"Not everybody's going to have an opportunity to go to the Royal Beach Club. It wasn't designed for that purpose."

"Because we then hope you sail with us again the next weekend and have that opportunity. And so that's where it kind of fits into our strategy."

He also confirmed that the beach club admission will be all-inclusive, which means your admission cost will cover:

• Water taxi ride to/from the beach club
• All food and beverage, including alcohol.
• Beach chairs
• Umbrellas
• Non-motorized activities (swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, etc)

"It's really meant to be this kind of all inclusive, ultimate beach day," Mr. Schneider said of the plans.

The beach club will have three primary areas:

• Family beach zone
• Active pool space
• Quieter beach area on the western side

In addition to the beach, the pools are going to be a focal point, "At the heart of it, you'll find a series of pools. And part of the reason for a series of pools is you need heated pools in the Bahamas to have a really great experience year round."

Don't expect a giant pool akin to the Oasis Lagoon pool at CocoCay. Rather, for a better environmental footprint, these pool spaces will be smaller, "They're not terribly small, but smaller experiences. So imagine a Splashaway Bay sort of experience."

"Imagine if you were to take Oasis Lagoon and kind of break it into a couple different parts."

There will be live Bahamian music to enjoy, cabanas to rent for an additional cost, snack shack restaurants, along with beach bars around the club.

One thing you will definitely not find at the beach club are thrills, "there's no massive thrill experience. And frankly, you know, there's two reasons not to have a massive thrill experience."

"One is the land is just not that big."

"The second is there's really great thrill elsewhere in Nassau. This wasn't meant to steal thrill from other things in Nassau."

How much will the beach club cost?

You're probably wondering how much this experience will cost, and there isn't yet a price determined.

Mr. Schneider confirmed the all-inclusive admission will include food and drink (including alcohol), but said it was too early to know what the cost will be.

I then asked if admission will be a full or half day experience, and Mr. Schneider said he wasn't sure yet what to expect.

Why build beach clubs?

Why would a cruise line invest millions of dollars in a project like this when there are already lots of places to visit in Nassau, as well as destinations around the Caribbean.

On a high level, Mr. Schneider says the two predominant reasons people book a cruise are for destinations and food.

"The reason people go on a vacation is they want to go visit destinations. We break that down into destinations have two parts: the places we take you to and the ships and hardware that you sail on as a destination."

In speaking about the places Royal Caribbean already goes to, Nassau fell into a grouping of ports that have high volume but don't have high appeal or high satisfaction rates. This is the primary reason for leading Royal Caribbean down the path of planning a Royal Beach Club.

"Nassau is a great place to go. We wanted to add a Royal level service to that destination. This this gave us that model to to really expand."

Profiting the Bahamas too

Mr. Schneider was adamant about the fact the Royal Beach Club in Nassau isn't a cash grab by the company that only benefits the cruise line.  

He called it a "public private partnership", which has the goal of ensuring, "that the profits from the Beach Club stay in the Bahamas for generations to come."

How does it work? There's a few components to this deep partnership between cruise line and government.

First is equity, "Bahamians will have the opportunity to own up to 49% of the Royal Caribbean Beach Club."

"And so we felt and the government felt as we went through our discussion that it was important that Bahamians have ownership in this as a result of the Bahamas contributing crown land."

"We want to make sure that that the Beach Club has real ownership of local Bahamians so that it's beloved for years to come.

"The equity comes in two parts. First is the government. The government sovereign wealth fund, which is called the Bahamas National Investment Fund, will get essentially equity for the fair market value of the four acres of crown land that they're contributing."

"The second part of the equity is really then individual Bahamians will have an opportunity through an investment fund to essentially buy shares in the investment fund to buy equity into the fund."

In addition to the equity being built up from the crown land, is to open up every kind of bespoke part of the operation to local Bahamians.

Mr. Schneider said this includes all sorts of jobs, such as security, lifeguards, environmental monitoring, food, music, and more, "All of those will be open to local businesses and entrepreneurs. And our hope is that the entire operation is through partnerships from Nassau."

He mentioned the first employee hired will be the new president of the Royal Beach Club, "the goal is to hire somebody who is Bahamian. So from the senior most executive down to the landscaper, the idea is all Bahamian or Bahamian partnerships."

On top of all of that, a new tourism tax will be part of this project that benefits local Bahamians, "one of the things we're really excited about is not just the growth of tourism, but we agreed to a new tourism levy that doesn't exist."

"We'll be the first new development kicking 1% of gross profits into a new tourism levy in perpetuity. And the purpose of that tourism levy is a new tourism fund to improve other attractions throughout New Providence in the Bahamas."

Mr. Schneider also took some time to address local press coverage regarding the beach club, "we've seen some negative press that people think this is just a mini Perfect Day at Nassau such that we'll suck all the air out of the local businesses and this will be the only place our guests go."

He was emphatic that is not the case, "Less than 40% of our guests will have an opportunity to go to the Royal Beach Club of our deployment to Nassau on an annual basis."

"It's important they have other things to do because the other 60%, we want to have a great destination as part of a rich itinerary."

In 2017, Royal Caribbean was bringing about a million passengers to Nassau.  By 2027, the cruise line expects to be bringing 2.5 million visitors to Nassau.

"The number will have grown the number of calls and visits and guests into Nassau far in excess of the total capacity of the beach club."

Something else Royal Caribbean is doing to benefit local businesses is to build a water taxi service, "we're partnering with local Bahamians to create a new water taxi infrastructure."

"That water taxi infrastructure is serving the beach club will then also serve other attractions throughout the harbor and New Providence."

In short, Royal Caribbean is doing something no other company has done for the Bahamas, "We look at the totality of kind of the structure that we created with the government and the kind of net new employment opportunities and job creation and profit creation for  the government and individuals and the money that we're putting back into the Bahamas is really something that nobody's ever done before, for sure, for the Bahamas. And it's rare to see worldwide."

"We think this is a home run for the Bahamas."

First of many beach clubs

When The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island, it will be the first, but not the last, beach club.

"We want to build multiple beach clubs around the world because every geography is is somewhat unique," stated Mr. Schneider. 

But don't expect each to be an exact replica of each other, "as we think of the future beach club kind of portfolio, our hope is they'll have similar components."

Spring is here and it is also Sunday, which means we are celebrating warm(er) temperatures and Royal Caribbean news from this week!

Royal Caribbean will open its own private beach club in Nassau, Bahamas and it looks incredible!

The Royal Beach Club in Nassau will open in 2025 and we have all the information we know so far about the project for you to catch up on.

This extra cost excursion will include beach access, pools, cabanas, and much more.

Royal Caribbean News

• Celebrity Cruises announces new CEO to succeed Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
• 10 worst cruise fails by our readers
• 15 things to pack in your cruise carry-on
• Best hotels near Port Canaveral before the cruise
• I visited three ports on my cruise, but this one was by far my favorite, and here’s why you should go there

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 494th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, which answers as many listener emails as possible.

It's been a while since we had a podcast episode all about your questions, so this week's episode is just listener emails!

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: Best things to bring on a cruise under $10

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Best things to bring on a cruise under $10 I always regret forgetting to bring — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

8 reasons to get off your ship as early as possible on disembarkation day

No one wants their cruise vacation to end, but on the last morning of the cruise, there are a few good reasons to hustle off the ship.

Just like the idiom of "ripping off a band-aid" to get it over with, disembarking your cruise ship when it ends sooner than later has a few advantages.

From beating the traffic, to getting on an earlier flight, here are the compelling arguments to plan on leaving your ship as soon as possible.

20 rules of cruise ship etiquette no one ever tells you (but should)

You don't want to be "that guy/gal" when it comes to committing a faux pas, so we have a guide to proper cruise ship etiquette.

Being polite to your fellow passengers and crew member should go without saying, but there are a few nuances of a cruise that you might not think are an issue, but in reality, should be avoided.

Knowing proper ship etiquette will help ensure that you do not feel disrespectful or underdressed, as well as make sure that you are able to contribute to a positive atmosphere. 

What it's like when a cruise ship is empty

Mariner of the Seas just finished a dry dock in Europe and returned to the United States without any passengers.  Not having passengers onboard doesn't mean there's nothing to do for crew either.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Director Marc Walker shared a glimpse of what crew members do in the time there are no paying passengers onboard to prepare for a return to service.

Over the course of an 8-night crossing, we've got a look at what the crew did with no passengers to attend to.

What is the best time to cruise the Mediterranean?

If you are thinking about the best month to go on a Mediterranean cruise, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of each month.

 While there isn’t necessarily a “perfect” time to take a Mediterranean cruise, this guide should help you decide which season works best for you.

8 questions to ask yourself before picking a cruise ship

Before you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, it's a good idea to go over some important considerations.

Depending on your preferences, one ship might be a better idea than another to sail on.

Here's a look at the questions you should be asking yourself prior to selecting a Royal Caribbean ship to ensure you find the best ship for you.