A letter sent to passengers on one Royal Caribbean sailing about decorating cabin doors sparked a flurry of intrigue, but the general policy hasn't changed.

Decorating cruise ship cabin doors has been a fun tradition among passengers who like to share in their excitement of being on vacation.  Plus, it's a way to personalize their temporary home.

When a letter was sent to guests on a Symphony of the Seas sailing about guidelines for decorating doors, it caught a lot of people's attention.

The letter was posted on Facebook, but has since been shared over and over out of context to the point it was recently picked up by Fox News and the New York Post.  They reported it as a cruise line policy change, which it is not.

Here's what happened on Symphony of the Seas and what it means for decorating your cruise ship cabin door going forward.

What the letter actually means

The letter was sent on a recent Symphony of the Seas sailing earlier this year after multiple incidents on that particular sailing where cruise ship decorations were stolen or vandalized by other passengers.

This sort of behavior is not uncommon, but evidently on that one cruise, enough passengers complained to Guest Services about the issue that a ship-wide letter was necessary.

As a friendly reminder, stateroom door decorations must NOT:
• Use a lithium-powered light
• Cover the peep hole
• Pose a fire hazard
• Touch the door frame

Pro-Tip: Magnetic decorations are an easy and fun way to adorn your stateroom!

Please Note: We expect guests to be mindful of your door display, but any decoration displayed outside of your stateroom door is done at your own risk. Royal Caribbean International is not responsible for any items on display that go missing outside of your room.

 To be clear, Royal Caribbean did not ban or prohibit decorating your cabin door.

The intent of the letter is to explain to passengers crew members are not going to police when door decorations go missing for any reason. Essentially, decorate your cabin door at your own risk.

Royal Caribbean will not be responsible if/when your door decorations go missing or lost, and the ship's security team will not review security footage to see who exactly took anything off a stateroom door.

Royal Caribbean's door decorating policy remains unchanged

The cruise line's website lists decorating your door as permissible, as long as you don't damage the door or walls.

Specifically, you cannot use any adhesives that could damage the paint or look of the room. It's why magnets are preferred, since the door is made out of metal.

However, as the letter explains, you cannot use a lithium-powered light, anything that blocks the peep hole, or employ something that is a fire hazard.

The news sites went one step further and referenced a line in Royal Caribbean's Guest Conduct policy that says, "placing materials anywhere on the interior of the ship (including stateroom doors, along corridors, etc.), but that rule is taken out of context and misreported incorrectly.

That rule refers to the "inappropriate or abusive behavior" policy, meaning you cannot put up signs or banners anywhere on the ship deemed by ship management as inappropriate, or any other illegal or offensive conduct.

Basically, you can put up a sign on your door, unless it's inappropriate or offensive.

How to decorate your cruise ship door

In my over 20 years of cruising with Royal Caribbean, I've found door decorations can be a very fun way to share the excitement of being on vacation.

The easiest start is simply to buy or make magnets that tell folks who you are, what you're celebrating, or some other distinctive display.

In fact, Royal Caribbean sells cabin decorations that you can purchase pre-cruise to be put up on your door and inside your stateroom.

Perhaps the top reason to decorate your room is for a birthday.

It might seem silly, but a lot of other passengers will be decorating their doors and it becomes a fun way to personalize your room.

Some cruisers get very creative with magnets and will add a lot more pizazz. I've seen magnetic Scrabble games, dry erase boards, mailboxes and more.

Just remember, some people are inconsiderate and will walk by and do steal or move your magnets around. It's usually spur-of-the-moment stupidity, but people think they're funny.  At any rate, don't put any decorations out there that you truly care about.

It's unlikely that will happen to your door, but it has occurred in the past. My advice is embrace the fun of going on a trip and decorate your room and hope for the best.  But don't bother going to Guest Services if someone takes a magnet.

Cruisers are always trying to figure out what's next for Royal Caribbean, and sometimes its CEO has given us hints along the way.

Michael Bayley has been the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International since 2014, and he's had an active role in crafting policies, changes, and innovation.

Over the years, I've observed Mr. Bayley immerse himself in projects, and he's never been one to shy away from a microphone when addressing questions or concerns from cruisers.

In fact, he hosts the President's Cruise each year, in which he sails with cruise fans who are eager to ask him a variety of questions on just about every topic.

Many times, he's seemingly shut the door on certain ideas or proposals. To be fair, Royal Caribbean isn't afraid to change its mind, so sometimes a "no" becomes a "yes" later.

Here are six examples of policy changes or ideas that he said Royal Caribbean won't do.

Switch to all-inclusive pricing

When Celebrity Cruises made the jump to including more in its cruise fare, it turned heads because it's something Royal Caribbean fans wondered if it could come to them too.

Celebrity includes a base drink package and internet access in its All Included fare.

When asked in 2024, Mr. Bayley said including those things on Royal Caribbean didn't make sense to his customers. He based this on the fact about half of cruisers don't want a drink package.

"Our research says that around about 50% of the guests don't want a beverage package," he explained.

"Our strategy has always been the unbundling of pricing to give people as much choice as they possibly can."

"We've learned that unbundling is much easier and better for the guest. It also gets the price point in front of the customer, especially for families. And remember family is our is our real core target market."

He went on to explain that cruisers prefer having the choice later to add those things on, rather than paying more up-front for a cruise fare.

"We feel like the pricing strategy that we have on the bundling, unbundling is the right path to go."

Include free Wi-Fi access like land resorts

Many resorts and restaurants on land include free Wi-Fi, so why can't Royal Caribbean?

This was the question asked as well on the 2024 President's Cruise, and the simple answer is costs are very different at sea versus on land.

"Are we going to give free WiFi? No."

"We got to pay a ton, a ton, a ton of money for WiFi," Mr. Bayley said.

Cruise ships use satellite internet access, but Wi-Fi on land relies on underground and undersea cables. Land-based internet is faster and cheaper than satellites.

Royal Caribbean enters into contracts with satellite tech companies, and this comes at a huge yearly cost.

Offer overnight visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay

As soon as Royal Caribbean opened Perfect Day at CocoCay, one of the top questions was how cruisers could spend more time there.  Overnight visits seemed like the perfect solution.

In 2020, Mr. Bayley said they actually considered that idea, but it "became problematic" once the logistics were considered.

He admitted, "Part of the ongoing capital investment in Perfect Day was allowing us to accommodate additional ships so we could have one ship stay overnight."

There are two primary issues related to offering overnight stays at CocoCay.

The first is a lot of crew members and supplies are offloaded every day from the ship. The island doesn't have a supply route otherwise, and those crew members are needed back onboard later.

The reason those crew members are needed back onboard is Royal Caribbean realized their guests love a fun beach day, but like the cadence of being on the ship in the evening.

"[I]t doesn't look like we will be doing overnights because our guests, even with our late-night stays, once they want to come back, they really do want to come back onto the ship and enjoy the fine dining and they want to enjoy the entertainment that we have onboard," Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Relations.

Ban smoking in the casino

During the 2022 President's Cruise, Mr. Bayley was asked about banning smoking in its casinos.

Bayley admitted, "smoking in the casinos is a bit of a conundrum."

"The dilemma is that there are many people who do want to smoke in the casino. I know that's not a popular response, but it's it's the truth."

"I'm not judging anyone or anything, but there's a large group of people who do want to smoke in the casino."

He explained, "Every, I would say every couple of years, we do test this and we take one or two or three ships we ban smoking in the casino. And the result is less people go in the casino and that that's the reality of it."

Banning smoking completely in its casino doesn't seem to be on the table.

To their credit, Royal Caribbean has added new non-smoking casino space on some of its ships, although that's come at the expense of other guest favorite areas.  The cruise line has turned wine bars, comedy clubs, and even one of its English pubs into a casino.

On Utopia of the Seas, they added a non-smoking casino and then subsequently converted the entire original casino into a smoking area

Making it more difficult to become Pinnacle and Diamond Plus

In 2024 on the President's Cruise, one cruiser asked Mr. Bayley about any plans in the future to modify the loyalty program.

"No, we have no plans to to do that," he said.

He said the comments they receive periodically about too many top tier members tend to focus on a minority of sailings.

"Sometimes we get these comments and they're obviously they're valid comments. They're often based upon certain sailings... where we do get peak numbers of Pinnacle and Diamond Plus, but 90% of the sailings, it's just not true."

He was talking about trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific crossings, where you get a lot of Pinnacles and Diamond Plus members.

Include gratuities in the cruise fare

If there was one change I'd love to see Royal Caribbean make, it would be to include gratuities for the hard working crew members in the fare instead of pretending they are somehow optional.

Despite Mr. Bayley being an outspoken supporter of seafarers, his line has no plans to make that change.

During the 2025 President's Cruise, President and CEO Michael Bayley was asked by a passenger if they'd ever consider building it into the cruise fare instead of leaving it up to the guest, especially when some passengers don't pay it.

Mr. Bayley explained that they've "put a lot of thought" into gratuities and how to best handle them.  It's why some countries have it baked in, while others do not.

"The bottom line is, is the model that seems to be genuinely the most productive, effective, and rewarding for the employees is is is the model that we operate today," he said.

He admitted there are pros and cons to each tipping model, but "we think we've got the right system in place."

Multiple cruise lines have made headlines over recent unpopular changes. Although Royal Caribbean has stayed on the sidelines, many travelers are watching closely to see if (and when) the line will follow suit. 

Generally speaking, the cruise industry follows trends, and it's not uncommon for one line to make a major change, then see other lines incorporate a similar approach. 

Royal Caribbean, for example, was the first cruise line to redefine the private island experience with its massive renovation of CocoCay. Carnival and Norwegian later copied Royal's successful blueprint and upgraded their private destination experiences. 

Along those lines, it's impossible to ignore the smaller-scale changes quietly shaping the cruise experience, from sudden gratuity increases to itinerary changes and more. 

Royal Caribbean has not made any formal announcements regarding the following changes. However, these trends have already shaken the industry, and it would not be surprising if Royal Caribbean eventually adopts similar changes. 

Raise cruise gratuities

Not even halfway through 2026, and four major cruise lines have increased their gratuities. Margaritaville at Sea kick-started the trend when cruisers noticed that the line had quietly raised the daily gratuity rates on its website back in January. 

Carnival Cruise Line quickly followed suit, sending an email to passengers in early February announcing a modest (but noticeable) increase in daily gratuities across its fleet, along with its Bottomless Bubbles soda package for adults.

By mid-April, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line (two lines that operate under the Carnival Corporation & plc. umbrella) also adjusted their daily gratuity rates, aligning them with the increases implemented by their sister brands.

Royal Caribbean hasn't publicly announced any gratuity increases. However, we wouldn't be shocked if an email popped up in travel advisors' inboxes sooner rather than later. 

Royal Caribbean last raised its daily gratuity rate in November 2024, bringing the new rate for standard cabins to $18.50 per person (up from $18) and suites to $21 per person (up from $20.50). 

Read more: Another cruise line suddenly raises the daily gratuity charges

Implement an oil surcharge

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has caused fuel prices to skyrocket, which is impacting the cruise industry. As a result, two Asian cruise lines, StarCruises and Dream Cruises, both owned by Resorts World Cruises, implemented new fuel surcharges. 

The fees, which range from ~$11.70 to ~$25.52 USD, went into effect on March 20, 2026, for all new bookings and require all passengers over the age of two to pay, including children. This means that on a five-night cruise, a family of four could be forced to pay upwards of $525 in added fees.

"[The] fuel surcharge will be introduced for new bookings made on or after 20 March 2026. This surcharge is determined based on the operating requirements of each ship and itinerary; and may therefore vary across our fleet," reads the letter sent to booked guests. 

"This surcharge will be reviewed in line with fuel price movements and may be adjusted downward if prices ease or revised for new bookings should prices continue to rise."

Fuel is one of the cruise industry's largest and most volatile expenses, and although Royal Caribbean hedged (or pre-bought) 60% of its 2026 fuel at $474 per metric ton, the remaining 40% is subject to market fluctuations.

Like StarCruises and Dream Cruises, Royal Caribbean's cruise contract states that the cruise line has the right to impose a fuel surcharge on its guests without warning, either when booking the cruise or anytime before the sailing begins. This means that, although no surcharge has been announced, Royal Caribbean could add one if fuel prices continue to rise and stay high. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean stock has been falling as Iran war fuels oil price fears

Royal Caribbean joins the growing list of cruise lines dropping popular Alaska fjord from its 2026 itineraries

Moving on, Holland America Line was the first cruise line to cancel all excursions to Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska due to "unstable ice and geological conditions." As such, all excursions from Juneau, Alaska, will visit Endicott Arm Fjord. 

Carnival Cruise Line also canceled all visits to the popular fjord for the entirety of the 2026 Alaska cruise season, claiming that the waterways aren't suitable for cruise ship navigation. 

Most recently, Virgin Voyages called off all visits to the Tracy Arm Fjord during the line's inaugural Alaska season because of the "ongoing landslide risk."

Read more: Carnival cancels all 2026 Alaska cruise visits to popular glacier

Although neither Carnival nor Holland America Line's emails explicitly state it, the cancellations are also likely a result of the major landslide that occurred in the fjord last August, which caused millions of cubic feet of rock to tumble into the water. The impact then triggered a localized tsunami within the fjord.

The area remains under observation, as continued rockfall and smaller-scale landslide events are expected, according to scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. 

We previously reported that Royal Caribbean had not announced any changes to its Alaska itineraries. However, on April 7, they sent an email to passengers, confirming they also axed the fjord from its schedule.

"Due to a recent landslide and ongoing navigation safety concerns, we’ll no longer be able to cruise through Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier), Alaska. Instead, you’ll enjoy breathtaking scenic cruising through Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier," the email reads. 

"We apologize for the last-minute change caused by this unfortunate event – your safety is always our top priority."

Did you know that you can match your Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society status to other cruise lines?

While Royal Caribbean wants you to continue sailing with them, they also understand the evolving needs of today’s cruisers.

Rather than forcing loyal guests to start from scratch, the parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, created a cohesive ecosystem that rewards brand loyalty across its entire portfolio — from Royal Caribbean International to Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.

This offers cruisers a way to instantly earn perks and benefits with another Royal Caribbean Group line, despite never having sailed with them before.

Through the Royal Caribbean status matching program, Crown & Anchor Society members can receive equivalent tier recognition in Celebrity’s Captain’s Club and Silversea’s Venetian Society. This ensures that guests stay within the Royal Caribbean Group network.

The program has recently gotten even better. Now, instead of automatically earning loyalty points with the brand you sail, guests can choose which line’s loyalty program they want their points to be added to.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the Royal Caribbean status match program, including how it works, how the different tiers align, and how to choose where you want your loyalty points to accrue.

Read more: Royal Caribbean introduces a new way to status match between its other cruise lines

Does Royal Caribbean Status Match?

You can only match your Royal Caribbean loyalty status to other brands in the Royal Caribbean Group umbrella, including Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. This means that you can’t take your American Airlines or Delta Airlines status and hope to cheat your way up the loyalty ladder.

Effective June 2024, cruisers can enjoy reciprocal status across the brands — this even includes the top-tier levels. That means if you’ve reached Pinnacle Club with Royal Caribbean International, you can sail as a Zenith member of Celebrity’s Captain’s Club.

In other words, your hard-earned loyalty isn’t diluted from one brand to another. That said, the perks within each program aren’t identical.

For example, while Diamond Crown & Anchor Society cruisers get four complimentary drinks per day, Elite Captain’s Club members get access to a limited happy hour from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This means that, on Royal Caribbean, you can redeem your drink vouchers for a beachside piña colada at Perfect Day at CocoCay or a morning mimosa, but you’re limited to a set window in the evening when sailing with Celebrity Cruises.

Moreover, whereas Celebrity offers a complimentary bag of laundry for Elite cruisers and above, only Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club members are eligible for a free bag when sailing on voyages that are 5+ nights.

Some perks cannot be attained through the Status Match Program, as they're exclusively reserved for those who earned their status by sailing with the brand directly. These include:

Crown & Anchor Society

• Complimentary Pinnacle Club milestone cruises
• Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club amenities
• Single supplement cruise fare reduction
• Cheers with an Officer onboard event
• Milestone recognition (Crystal Block)
• Upgraded bathroom amenities
• Pinnacle Club milestone kits
• Chef’s Choice amenity 

Captain’s Club

• Complimentary Zenith cruises
• Zenith milestone kits
• WWF® donations
• Retreat Lounge access when not staying in the Retreat (Status match members will only be permitted to access the Retreat Lounge when not staying in the Retreat, based on availability and at the sole discretion of Celebrity Cruises) 

Venetian Society

• "Sail with Us: referral offer before your first Silversea voyage
• Complimentary cruises
• Milestone recognition during the Venetian Society Party

Here’s how each loyalty status tier within the Royal Caribbean Group aligns across the three programs:

How To Match Your “Royal Caribbean Loyalty Program” Status

If you're currently a member of one or more Royal Caribbean Group brands’ loyalty programs, the company will automatically verify your information and determine whether you qualify for a status upgrade. Those who are eligible will receive an email confirming their new status — typically within one week.

If it’s been more than seven days since you’ve enrolled, you should call to further review your information. According to Royal Caribbean, those who do not receive an automatic status match may have different names, addresses, or phone numbers listed on the accounts.

Here are the best numbers to call to help get your status match sorted before your next cruise:

• Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society: 1-800-526-9723 or (541) 285-9723 if outside of the U.S. and Canada (charges may apply)
• Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club: 1-800-760-0654 or 1-316-554-5961 if outside of the U.S. and Canada (charges may apply)
• Silversea Cruises’ Venetian Society: 1-888-978-4070 (North America) or call your local Silversea Office (charges may apply)

Royal Caribbean MGM Status Match

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members can get a complimentary tier match into MGM® Rewards and benefit from the perks at all MGM destinations nationwide. You must visit an MGM Rewards desk at any MGM Rewards destination to validate your Crown & Anchor Society status.

Here’s how each of the Crown & Anchor tiers matches across MGM’s loyalty program:

MGM Rewards destinations in Las Vegas, Nevada, include the Bellagio, ARIA, Vdara, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, W Las Vegas, Park MGM Las Vegas, NoMad Las Vegas, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur.

The regional MGM Rewards destinations are the Beau Rivage, Borgata, Empire City Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, MGM National Harbor, MGM Springfield, and MGM Northfield Park.

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

What is the MSC Status Match program?

While you can't use other loyalty statuses to climb the Royal Caribbean Group ladder, you can leverage your existing status with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea to gain a head start through the MSC Status Match program.

Thanks to MSC Cruises' status match initiative, you can sail as a top-tier member in their Voyagers Club immediately, unlocking lucrative benefits like 20% off spa treatments, priority check-in, a complimentary picture, specialty restaurant dinner, and more. 

Enrollment is easy. All you have to do is submit the one-time request on MSC's website. Note that you will need to attach a scan or screen capture of your current loyalty status for proof. 

Read more: I cruised on Royal Caribbean's and MSC's biggest cruise ships. One was a better experience, but the other was a better value

Can you cruise with a criminal record? The answer isn't cut and dry. 

Understanding how different countries and immigration authorities handle felony records is important to ensuring a hiccup-free vacation. 

In most cases, felons can generally go on a cruise, as there's no law prohibiting someone with a criminal record from boarding a ship. 

Ron Harper, a Licensed Paralegal and owner of OTD Ticket Defenders Legal Service, told Royal Caribbean Blog that lines can deny boarding to individuals with felony convictions.

Additionally, some countries have strict entry restrictions and may refuse entry to felons. Harper explains,

"Just having a ticket to board a ship does not mean you will be allowed to enter each and every port of call."

Cruise lines are allowed to perform background checks

Cruise lines reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone with a criminal history that could put the safety of other passengers and crew at risk. 

"Although there is no federal law that prohibits someone convicted of a felony from boarding a cruise ship, several large cruise lines (e.g., Carnival, Royal Caribbean) perform criminal background checks," Harper said. 

According to Royal Caribbean's website, the cruise line checks booking details against law enforcement registers and its internal records for the safety of all customers.

Carnival Cruise Line also conducts criminal background checks to safeguard Carnival guests and crew members. 

Their website is even more specific, adding that felons convicted of physical and/or sexual assault, armed robbery, and other violent crimes may be denied boarding. 

Where are felons allowed to cruise?

Generally speaking, most convicted felons can cruise to places like The Bahamas and the Caribbean. However, certain countries may restrict entry to people with a criminal record. 

"Most of the travelers believe that if they remain aboard the ship when they visit a port, they are not in trouble, but the fact is that the border agencies know about the ship by its manifest at least 96 hours before arrival," Barry Nussbaum, Owner and Senior Lawyer at Nussbaum Law in Ontario, said. 

Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand are among the countries that felons cannot travel to, even if the departing cruise leaves from the United States. 

According to Canada's laws, anyone with a criminal record is banned from entering the country, regardless of the crime's severity or when it was committed. Even minor offenses, like a DUI from college, may prevent entry unless an application for individual rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit is approved.

"I have witnessed families spend up to $5,000 on non-refundable tickets because they failed to obtain a Temporary Resident Permit or a full-fledged rehabilitation prior to going to the terminal," Nussbaum added.

With Canada being on the itinerary for nearly all Alaska cruises, voyages to The Last Frontier are off-limits to felons. The same applies to Canada/New England sailings from ports like Bayonne, New Jersey; Boston, Massachusetts; and Baltimore, Maryland.

Moreover, Caribbean cruises with scheduled stops in Mexico should be avoided, including popular Western Caribbean ports like Cozumel and Costa Maya, as well as Mexican Riviera destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.

While less severe than Canada's laws, those who have committed a serious crime — think murder, smuggling, tax fraud, human trafficking, and vehicular theft — could be denied entry to Mexico. Generally speaking, minor infractions, like petty theft, are unlikely to prevent entry to Mexico on a cruise. 

Moving on, travelers must meet the country’s character requirements to enter Australia or New Zealand, demonstrating that they are of good character.

When applying for New Zealand's Electronic Travel Authority clearance, travelers are required to disclose any issues or activities that could affect the country's decision. This means you must tell them if you've been involved in criminal or human rights abuse activities, or removed or deported from another country.

Similarly, to obtain the needed Electronic Travel Authority to enter Australia, you must declare all criminal conduct that you've been charged with, even if it is still awaiting legal action. 

Nussbaum summarized that while destinations like The Bahamas or Mexico are generally less restrictive, countries such as Australia and New Zealand have strict character requirements that could make a vacation void before its commencement. 

Harper continued to explain that those on probation may face even more issues:

"Probation can create yet another layer of complexity because, in general, international travel (or even intra-state travel) will require authorization from the probation officer who is responsible for supervising the individual."

A top question asked by new cruisers is "Am I allowed to bring alcohol on my Royal Caribbean cruise ship?" because they want to save money.

The answer is some is allowed, but not all.  Royal Caribbean has very strict rules about which alcohol you can bring and when.  

You cannot bring as much alcohol as you want, but the amount you can bring is great for light drinkers or anyone that wants to augment their consumption.

Here's a look at if you can bring alcohol on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

You are allowed to bring a small amount of alcohol on embarkation day

You cannot bring beer or liquor ever on a Royal Caribbean ship, but you are allowed some wine or champagne.

The official rule is any adult of legal drinking age can bring one bottle of sealed 750 ml wine, sparkling wine/champagne on the first day only. If you're on a back-to-back cruise, guests are allowed to bring one 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne for each individual sailing.

Wine should be brought onboard via carry to avoid the bag being held by security for additional screening to verify it's not liquor.

Keep in mind there's a rule that if you bring wine on your ship and open it in a bar or restaurant, you're subject a corkage fee.

For years the corkage fee wasn't actually enforced, but the cruise line has started to be more vigilant about it, so you should expect to pay the $15 per bottle fee.

There is no corkage fee if you're enjoying the wine in your stateroom.

You cannot bring any of these types of alcohol:

• Boxed wine
• Beer
• Liquor
• Seltzers

The ship's security will seize any alcoholic beverages brought aboard and will return them to you at the end of the cruise, assuming it's sealed.

No, you can't sneak alcohol onboard

Royal Caribbean states its security staff is actively looking for guests that try to cheat the system and bring booze onboard.

The internet is full of tricks to smuggle alcohol on a ship, but security may inspect luggage or containers they suspect of containing alcohol such as:

• Water bottles
• Soda bottles
• Mouthwash

Any containers holding alcohol they find will be disposed of and not returned.

In fact, it could get you kicked off the ship.

Guests who violate any alcohol policies, may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. 

No matter what hack you see on TikTok, it could put your entire vacation in jeopardy.

You can bring alcohol on your ship while in port

If you're visiting a country and want to bring back wine, beer, or a liquor that you purchased ashore, Royal Caribbean will allow you take it on the ship but they'll hold it for you.

You cannot drink it on the ship, but they will allow you to bring it home.

When you reboard the ship, security will safely store these items on the ship. These bottles will be returned on the last day onboard so you can bring it home.

You can bring non-alcoholic drinks

Royal Caribbean lets you bring many more non-alcoholic drinks on the ship, which are a popular way to save on onboard spending.

On embarkation day only, you can bring up to 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. This means bottled water, sodas, juice, or energy drinks can be brought on the ship.

You should also carry these drinks in your carry-on luggage instead of in your checked luggage. The reason is security will see bottles or cans in the scanning machine and may not be able to determine if its alcohol or not. In that situation, they'll hold your luggage back and you'll need to go down to security to claim it later.

While Royal Caribbean includes some drinks in your fare, bringing your own soft drinks expands what choices you have instead of having to pay for it.

There is no limit for bringing milk and distilled water brought on for infant, medical, or dietary use.

After your cruise is over, Royal Caribbean will send you a survey to get feedback on your vacation, but there's one question that trips up a lot of people.

The Royal Caribbean survey is emailed to all passengers and it's used for staffing decisions, service improvements, and crew recognition.

The company wants to know what you thought of the trip, what stood out, and to rank pretty much everything you experienced.  But it's also a tool for evaluating crew members.

One question, in particular, is a potential red flag for crew members and passengers certainly don't want to get anyone in trouble.

Here's what to do with the post-cruise survey and how honest you should be about crew asking for positive ratings.

What Royal Caribbean wants you to do with that question

Royal Caribbean places a great deal of emphasis on its post-cruise survey because it offers the best opportunity to gather feedback from customers immediately after sailing.

There's one question that seems to trip some cruisers up because they aren't sure how to answer it.

"Were you asked by any crew member(s) to provide positive ratings/reviews on this survey?"

This question is aimed at protecting the integrity of the survey. 

The reason Royal Caribbean asks if someone asked for a high score is because it skews the reality of how well something is working.

The cruise line wants you to be honest so it can improve what needs improving and maintain what's well-received. But if the responses are the result of a crew member guilting, coaching, or encouraging a higher score than deserved, it artificially drives up scores and doesn't allow for a proper evaluation.

Royal Caribbean uses Net Promoter Scores (NPS) to evaluate how effective its cruise ships and private destinations operate.

In short, this is a tool for measuring customer loyalty and predicting business growth. 

Each question is calculated on a scale of 0-10, and the answer has a major impact on how it sees performance:

• 9-10: Promoters, Loyal enthusiasts who fuel growth.
• 7-8: Passives, Satisfied but unenthusiastic; vulnerable to competitors (not included in score).
• 0-6: Detractors, Unhappy customers who can damage your brand.

Basically, this is a way to take the question of "On a scale of 1 - 10, how likely are you to recommend ____", but apply it to different kinds of questions.

You take the percentage of Promoters and subtract the percentage of Detractors from it.  

Why crew members sometimes ask for positive ratings

Based on things crew members have shared in the past, NPS scores are a major factor in how they are rated.

Every crew member on a ship works on a contract, and when it's time for a new contract or for a promotion, Royal Caribbean will use guest survey results as a factor in determining if they should get a new contract, raise, or higher position.

Publicly, there's only anecdotal evidence as to how the NPS scores factor into a crew member's career.

One person posted on Facebook, "I did a galley tour last month, and saw the sign for the employees. The staff person with the top survey numbers over one month would get a day off. The second top person would get a Half-Day off. Considering the number of workers that is a huge prize."

Similarly, lower scores could signal there's a problem.

Mark Lipton, professor emeritus of management at The New School and Parsons School of Design, said in a recent interview how NPS scores tied to compensation can lead to gaming the system, "Whenever something is going to impact my compensation, my odds of a promotion or my very stability in keeping my job here, I am going to be driven to see how I can influence those numbers."

"I never know how to answer this"

Cruisers get confused because most don't want to get the hard working crew members in trouble.

On Facebook, someone asked "I never know how to answer this. Our server did ask for a 10/10 review. But if I said yes, would I get anyone in trouble?"

On the one hand, answering "yes" could alert the cruise line to someone trying to spike scores higher than they should be.

But on the other hand, is this question a test to see if crew members are effectively communicating to guests the importance of the survey and answering "no" gets someone in trouble?

Over 500 comments were shared to the original Facebook post, garnering lots of opinions:

"I answered yes, I feel it is a management issue and if they want true results they should not be trying to skew your response."

"Say no always, but if a specific crew member was off putting, then address that one specifically."

"The answer is No! We just confirmed this on our Oct cruise with a well seasoned bartender. We were informed no staff member is supposed to ask that you give them a 10 rating nor suggest any rating at all!"

"I always say yes, but I never provide names or anything. Because almost every staff member asks in every department."

How I answer this survey question every time

I don't claim to be an NPS expert, but I believe it's important to be honest about the answer if a crew member is clearly trying to push for a higher score out of a sense of guilt or fear.

Crew members can remind you about taking the survey or even say how important the survey is in evaluating them. I feel these are perfectly acceptable reminders because most people on a cruise ship are brand new to cruising.

However, specifically asking for a perfect score or inferring anything less than a perfect score will cause a problem is likely grounds for answering "yes" to the question.

Regardless of how you answer the question, I think it's vitally important to use the open comment section at the end of the survey to call out your favorite crew members and explain why.

That section is indexed and searchable, and managers will pull from this data to identify which crew members stand out as being recognized by guests.

Before I walk off any cruise ship to head home, I'll double check my onboard account for certain charges to avoid problems later.

It's far easier to get billing discrepancies settled while onboard than at home. This is because once you're home, everything gets charged to your credit card and the refund process involves more steps.  On land, the shoreside team has to coordinate with the ship and figure out if what you're saying is accurate or not.

But if you head to Guest Services and bring up something on your bill that doesn't look right, it's a few keystrokes and they can fix the issue.

I really think every cruiser should double check their cruise bill prior to the conclusion of the voyage to ensure these five things are actually correct.

Unreturned towel fees

Did you know Royal Caribbean will charge you $25 for each pool towel you didn't return?

In my experience, this fee gets hit more accidentally than intentionally.

Sure, if you forgot to actually return a towel, go do that before the cruise ends.  Bring it back up to the pool towel distribution point on the pool deck and have them scan your SeaPass card.

However, I've seen a lot of instances where people returned their towels and accidentally have an unreturned towel fee.

If this is the case, definitely go to Guest Services on the final evening or morning and ask to have it taken off your account.

The wrong gratuity amount

Gratuities are part of the cruise experience these days, but I have seen discrepancies with how they get charged.

Verify the amount is not doubled up. If you prepaid gratuities, then ensure there are no daily gratuity fees onboard. This has happened to me at least once or twice.

Something else to verify is any gratuity you sign on a receipt is actually the right amount.

I have terrible handwriting, and one time I tipped $20 but the waiter misread my chicken scratch and entered $50 because my "2" looks like a "5".

This was an easy fix at Guest Services, but I'd hate to have tried to figure this out if I was at home.

Refunds that should be there

Now that you had Guest Services or a bartender apply a refund for something, you should verify it's fixed before disembarking.

Crew members want to make your life easy, so they'll often tell you that they'll take care of a billing issue (like a refund). The thing is, you want to verify that later.

If you returned something, cancelled a service, or found an accidental charge, be sure your onboard account reflects that.

If you're taking care of this on the final morning of the cruise, ask for a print out verifying the refunds you expect are actually there.

Onboard credit has been applied

There are two sources of onboard credit you could have, but occasionally it doesn't get added.

Any OBC you received from the cruise line is usually added to your account on the first day of the cruise.  You'll see a negative balance to start your sailing, which means it's there.

If you have more than one cabin, be sure each cabin has the credit.  In fact, if your kids are in another cabin, you could ask to have their credit moved to your account.

The other source of onboard credit is from a travel agent, and this one might take a day or two to apply. 

There have been many cruises where I didn't see OBC that my travel agent gave me hit my account until day 2 or 3.  

If you don't see onboard credit you expected in your account, head to Guest Services to verify it's in the process of being applied.

Total owed, and if you want to put cash down before the end of the cruise

Similar to your credit card bill that you probably browse each month, it's a good idea to look over everything while on the ship.

Some cruisers like to then deposit cash to reduce how much gets charged to the credit card.

If you won money in the casino or simply have leftover vacation cash, you can pay off some or all of your SeaPass bill before the cruise ends.  You can deposit cash at any time to offset charges.

How to check the bill

Now that I outlined all the things to look for in your bill, it might help if you knew how to check your bill.

The easiest way is to open the Royal Caribbean app and click the Person icon in the top right, and then scroll down to "Onboard account".

This is where you can see recent charge activity. You can click "Details" to see every single charge and credit there.

The app is updated in real time, so as soon as something is charged, it appears there.

The "old school" way is to go to Guest Services and ask for a print out.

They can do so at anytime, but it requires waiting in line. Plus, it's out of date the moment it prints out.

Who to talk to if there's a problem

Let's assume you find a billing discrepancy or have a question about what something is. What do you do next?

Guest Services is the best place to start. Every ship has a desk that's open 24 hours per day, and they can assist.

On the very newest ships, the Royal Caribbean app has a Guest Services chat feature that you could use to save yourself the trip.

If you're staying in a suite, the Suite Concierge can assist too.  The Suite Concierge may be faster since lines at Guest Services can be quite long.

In addition, if you're a Diamond member or above, the Crown Lounge concierge can assist with billing issues too.

Royal Caribbean is making a major change to the way passengers can access their final bill after completing their cruise.

Historically, a paper copy of guests' final invoices is left outside the cabin on disembarkation morning. However, effective December 15, 2025, the cruise line will retire the printed copies of the spending summary. 

Passengers who want to view their statement before leaving the ship have a few options. First, they can use the Royal Caribbean mobile app, which allows guests to check their folio at any time during the voyage, not just on the final day. 

The final statement will also continue to be emailed to guests. Additionally, passengers can visit Guest Services to request a printed copy or check their spending summary on iTV, where available.

Royal Caribbean informed travel agents of the change in an email sent out on Nov. 25. 

"For ease of communication, we are discontinuing the use of printed invoices at the end of your clients’ cruises. Starting December 15, 2025, guests will have the convenient option to retrieve their final bill through the App, Email, Guest Services, or on iTV (where available)," the cruise line said. 

How to access digital folios

You can request spending summaries from past cruises by emailing [email protected] or calling 800-256-6649.

Note, however, folios are only available for 7 years. As such, final statements for cruises taken before 2018 are no longer available. 

Other things that have gone digital

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has implemented digital technology across many aspects of the onboard experience, starting with eDocs. 

Royal Caribbean (and Celebrity) cruisers do not need to print out a physical boarding pass. Instead, the SetSail Pass is available through the mobile app once the online check-in process has been completed. 

eDocs also contain helpful information like the reservation number, cabin assignment, sailing time, itinerary, and port directions. 

The eDocs also contain the printable luggage tags. While porters have tags available at the terminal, printing the tags and affixing them to your suitcase helps expedite the embarkation process. 

Finally, Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass has done digital — well, mostly. You can still request physical copies of the daily schedule. However, passengers can access the Cruise Compass digitally through the mobile app. 

If you forget something on your ship after the cruise ends, what can you do to try to get it back?

Vacationers mistakenly leave behind personal items in hotels, airplanes, taxis, and even cruise ships. Forgetfulness is an unfortunate reality of travel.

My kids have left behind phone chargers, toys, and clothes that got misplaced, fell somewhere, or were simply ignored until it was too late.

Unfortunately, once you disembark the cruise ship on the final morning, you cannot go back and try to get it back.

If you find yourself in this situation, there are a few things to try in order to hopefully get things back.

Report the missing item to Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean provides a means of reporting missing items to start the claims process.

It's somewhat similar to if you left something behind on an airplane and the process of working with the airline to get it back.

Guests can fill out a Lost and Found Request Form that is processed by a third-party company called Chargerback.

You should fill out the form as soon as possible once you realize you forgot something.

You'll need to provide your personal information, along with where you last saw the item, your sailing information, and where they can send it if they find it.

According to the cruise line, some thing cannot be returned

• Food & Beverage​
• Clothing Items​
• Money, casino chips, or credit cards (Credit cards are destroyed for your protection, and Casino chips/money are processed onboard and added to the credit card on file)​
• Makeup, Grooming Items, Perfumes, Lotions
• Alcohol or tobacco item​
• Any other item that may pose a risk or is prohibited by law

If they find the items, you are responsible for paying for the shipping to get it back to you. In addition, Chargerback claims it can take 2-3 weeks to get the item shipped.

What are the chances I'll get my lost things back?

Experiences with filing a lost and found claim vary considerably, and in reality there's a chance you may not get it back.

Part of the issue is the lost item needs to be found and reported as a lost item.

The final morning of a cruise is a busy day when crew members are hustling to prepare the ship for the next sailing and they're working very hard to prep staterooms.  Because guests leave behind trash and discarded items, it's easy to overlook something that is "lost" versus something that is left because it's unwanted.

If a crew member spots what appears to be unintentionally left behind, they'll give it to their supervisor who then passes it along to the Guest Services team.

The Guest Services team will log the item and then it goes through the process of being being transferred from the ship to a facility on land so it can eventually be returned.

Without a doubt a quick claim is critical to ensuring word gets passed along to look for a certain item.

File a claim with travel insurance

While getting the lost item back would be ideal, you may have to accept it's gone and try to replace it.

If you have travel insurance, you may be able to claim the lost item with them and be compensated for it.  This is more useful for items of higher value than a kids toy or everyday garment.

Most travel insurance plans cover lost items on a cruise through baggage loss and baggage delay benefits, which can reimburse you for lost, stolen, or damaged belongings.

You will want to file a claim as soon as you realize the item is missing and trying to reclaim it with the cruise line isn't going to work.

You may need to provide confirmation from the Lost and Found process mentioned earlier that the lost item cannot be found as proof.

Filing a claim with travel insurance is probably an option for high value items, and not a pair of sunglasses, children's toy, or souvenir.

Two hacks for reducing the chance you'll forget something on a cruise

I've come across two creative ideas for how to lessen the likelihood you'll need to fill out a lost and found form.

Losing your cell phone is probably at the top of worst things you could leave behind on a cruise, so you could change your homescreen to make it easier to get back to you.

Change your screen saver or lock screen image to be your SeaPass card or something the cruise line can use to identify you.  

While a pretty wallpaper you usually have looks great, someone that finds your phone can't access your personal information because it will be locked.

By using an image on your lock screen that the cruise line can reference if you lose your phone on board, you stand a much better chance of getting it returned. 

The other trick is to put your shoe in your stateroom safe.

The idea is by putting your shoe in the safe (just one should suffice), you cannot possibly leave the ship without having gotten everything out of your safe because you'll need your shoe.

Considering jewelry, wallets, and money are among the most commonly forgotten items on a cruise ship, verifying your safe is empty before departing is a good idea.