Two men from Mexico City were arrested in Miami, Florida after being accused of sexually victimizing a teenage boy during a recent Royal Caribbean cruise.

Jose Prudencio Diaz, age 36, and Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, age 37, were arrested on multiple criminal charges, including lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between the ages of 12 to 16 years old. 

Both individuals were arrested on March 21, 2025 in connection with the alleged assault while disembarking Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas in Miami, Florida.

According to arrest reports from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, as cited by Miami Local 10 News, the two men were traveling together onboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. While in the sauna, both men are accused of sexually victimizing a 14-year-old boy.

In the reports, deputies said that Prudencio Diaz allegedly exposed himself to the teen while in the sauna. The arrest report states that Prudencio Diaz then proceeded to sexually assault the teenager and forced the teenager to touch him inappropriately.

In addition, the arrest report states that Mondragon Leal also exposed himself in front of the teen and forced the minor to perform sexual acts on him. Deputies also state that Mondragon Leal allegedly forced himself sexually on the 14-year-old boy.

When Independence of the Seas returned to PortMiami on Friday, March 21, 2025, both men were arrested in connection with the alleged crimes. According to the arrest report, the incident occurred aboard Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

The arrest reports indicate both men are facing charges of “lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child and lewd and lascivious molestation of a child.” The two individuals are being held without bond in Miami following the arrests. 

Miami 10 Local News also reported that jail records show Mondragon Leal and Prudencio Diaz are on immigration holds. Legally, this means the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has requested that the local Miami jail hold the individuals in custody beyond their scheduled release so they can take be transferred into federal immigration custody. 

According to Miami 10 Local News, one of the prosecutors said in court, "The defendant, in this case, acting in concert with another defendant, they were both on a cruise. This shows that they tried to target a specific minor, and this could be done again."

In addition, Prudencio Diaz is facing a charge of not disclosing his HIV status with the victim. He is currently being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, Florida following the arrest.

Further, Mondragon Leal faces a count of child sexual battery and is currently being held in the Metrowest Detention Center in Miami, Florida. At this time, Royal Caribbean has not provided a statement about the incident. 

Currently, Independence of the Seas is sailing on a variety of round-trip itineraries from Miami, Florida to the Caribbean. Over the summer, Independence of the Seas will head to Europe and sail from Southampton, England. 

When the incident occurred, Independence of the Seas was sailing on a 4-night itinerary that departed from Miami, Florida on March 17, 2025. The ship visited ports of call in the Bahamas, including Nassau and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

According to the ship's itinerary, Independence of the Seas was at sea on Thursday, March 20, 2025 - the day the incident reportedly occurred.

Guests scheduled to sail with Celebrity Cruises have been informed that the cruise line is canceling planned visits to one of its private destinations in the Caribbean.

Celebrity Cruises has officially removed Labadee, Haiti from multiple itineraries, opting to replace the port stop with other Caribbean destinations. The decision affects several ships in the cruise line's fleet, and impacted itineraries include sailings throughout 2025 and 2026. 

Most of the impacted itineraries were aboard Celebrity Apex, although cruises on Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Summit have also been adjusted to remove Haiti. In addition, Celebrity’s website no longer shows cruises with Labadee, Haiti as a destination. This potentially indicates a long-term decision to remove Labadee, Haiti as a Caribbean destination for Celebrity Cruises. 

Labadee, Haiti is a private destination owned and operated by Royal Caribbean in the Caribbean. The resort area is exclusively used by the cruise line and guarded by a private security force. Guests and crew members are not allowed to leave the secure area. Labadee is doubly fenced off from the surrounding area - and the cruise line maintains the private destination is safe and self-contained for tourists.

Even still, Haiti has been crippled by gang violence, political instability, and economic turmoil in the last year. In March 2024, unrest and violence in the country caused Royal Caribbean to temporarily suspend visits to Labadee, Haiti. Sailings did not resume until October 2024 - and the cruise line currently continues to visit the private destination.

Celebrity Cruises did not clarify why port stops in Labadee, Haiti would be removed from itineraries. Instead, the cruise line simply shared the change was made to improve the cruise experience for its guests.

For example, in emails sent to impacted guests on the August 17, 2025, sailing aboard Celebrity Beyond, the cruise line states, “We look forward to welcoming you aboard Celebrity Beyond. Before we set sail, please note this important update to our itinerary. To provide you with a better guest experience, we have made the decision to cancel our visit to Labadee, Haiti.”

Other emails available online show Celebrity Cruises used similar verbiage about the itinerary changes, only citing “to better guest experience” as the reasoning behind the cancellation. The impacted itineraries have been swapping Labadee, Haiti for other ports of call in the Caribbean, including Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), and George Town (Grand Cayman).

Interestingly, Royal Caribbean - which is owned by the same parent company - has not canceled stops to Labadee. This may suggest that Celebrity's itineraries to Labadee had lower demand, as any safety concerns to the private destination would likely apply to Royal Caribbean ships as well.

In addition, some of these impacted itineraries have additional changes to their sailings. For instance, the January 24, 2026 cruise for Celebrity Apex included an additional stop in Cozumel, Mexico. Similarly, the December 17, 2025 itinerary on Celebrity Summit will add a port stop in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

Some guests have been vocal about their concerns regarding cruise visits to Labadee, Haiti. With the continued unrest, political instability, and violence in the country, some travelers feel uneasy about visiting the nation at this time. 

In November 2024, user @steverk commented on our site's forum about the evolving situation with Haiti. The cruiser stated, “I think this is out of hand. Whether or not you agree that going to Labadee is a security risk that should not be taken, it is a reasonable position. 3 aircraft have been hit by gunfire in the last week.”

“These direct attacks on Americans are a significant and recent escalation. Many people, who are not comfortable with the situation, are booked on cruises that are past the final payment date. They have only 2 options. Take an uncomfortable risk or cancel the cruise with no refund,” continued the poster.

The United States initially banned flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in November 2024 after gangs opened fire and struck three separate commercial aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has since extended the flight restriction, prohibiting U.S. flights to Haiti through September 2025.

Additionally, the United States has Haiti listed with a travel advisory of Level 4: Do Not Travel due to “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”

However, Royal Caribbean maintains that Labadee, Haiti is safe for cruise visitors even amid the country’s turmoil. One guest, @pattycruise - who sailed aboard Explorer of the Seas in November 2024 - noted that many fellow passengers were voicing concerns about stopping in Labadee. Some even raised questions about how visiting a Level 4 advisory country might impact their travel insurance coverage.

To ease the concerns of guests, Royal Caribbean shared letters to passengers emphasizing the safety of Labadee, Haiti. In a letter shared online, the cruise line confirmed, “We are aware of the recent travel advisory in place for Haiti. Please know that the safety and security of our guests is our top priority.”

Royal Caribbean further explained, “In Labadee, we have our own security and controlled access, meaning that only Royal Caribbean employees and guests may enter. Kindly note that the civil unrest taking place in Port-au-Prince is 128 miles south of our private destination, Labadee.”

“The drive, on less-than-ideal road conditions, would take more than six and a half hours from Port-au-Prince to Labadee — equivalent to the drive time between New York City and Pittsburgh, Paris and Geneva, or Plymouth and Hull,” continued the letter to guests.

Royal Caribbean clarified, “Additionally, the U.S. Embassy has recognized Labadee as a cruise-exclusive area with private security, low crime, and a place where only standard precautions are needed. We continue to monitor the situation very closely alongside local authorities and our security team.”

Royal Caribbean is renowned for building some of the world’s biggest cruise ships over the last three decades. Just last year, the cruise line built the brand-new Icon of the Seas as the largest cruise ship in the world, soon to be followed by her sister-ship Star of the Seas this summer.

I love to cruise, but I prefer booking sailings with unique and interesting itineraries. I also cruise on a budget, normally opting for the cheapest cabins on the smallest, oldest ships. Because Oasis class ships are so massive, the vessels are port restricted and offer limited itineraries to choose from. Not to mention, these massive ships are typically more expensive than other options in the cruise line’s fleet.

Needless to say, I avoided sailing on Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships for many years. The gigantic size didn’t appeal to me, not to mention the itineraries seemed boring compared to other vessels. Instead, I cruised on some of the older vessels or Quantum-class ships with more exciting ports of call.

Last month, my husband and I had the opportunity to cruise with my family and grandparents aboard Utopia of the Seas. The 4-night cruise was modestly priced at $1,400 and included stops in Nassau, Bahamas, and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. It wasn’t the most exciting itinerary, but the dates worked well for us, and we could drive to the port. Utopia of the Seas just debuted in July 2024 - we were excited to sail on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship.

Any cruise is a great vacation, but not everything was perfect during our sailing. There were some aspects of Utopia of the Seas that I loved, while other nuisances were frustrating and disappointing.

Royal Caribbean has a long-time history of building megaships

Beginning in 1988 with Sovereign of the Seas, Royal Caribbean set a precedent for building the world’s largest passenger cruise ships. As the first true megaship in the cruise industry, Sovereign of the Seas revolutionized ship design, more than doubling the size of the cruise line’s earlier vessels and paving the way for the future of cruising.

In 2009, Royal Caribbean built Oasis of the Seas as the first in a new ship class. The 225,282 gross ton cruise ship was 40% bigger than anything the cruise line had built before - it was a monumental achievement.

Oasis of the Seas was the first passenger ship to surpass 220,000 gross tons in terms of size. Royal Caribbean also debuted the first neighborhood concept on Oasis of the Seas, which was meant to make navigation easier onboard the massive vessel. New areas and features included an open-aired Central Park, an aft-facing Boardwalk, the first zip line at sea, and the first-ever aqua amphitheater.

It’s easy to see how Oasis class ships shaped the history of cruise design, forcing competitor cruise lines to build bigger ships too. Today, most of the mainstream cruise lines operate their own 200,000+ GT megaships.

When Oasis of the Seas first debuted, I was only 14 years old and in high school. I wanted so badly to sail on this brand-new ship for our annual family cruise, but the cost was too high. As our family focused more on port-intensive and unique itineraries, our interest in Oasis class ships dried up.

Because of their sheer size, port options are limited, and tendering is impossible for this ship class; therefore, itineraries were repetitive.

It wasn’t until 2018 that I sailed on an Oasis class ship, Allure of the Seas, for the first time. I was blown away by the amenities and state-of-the-art technology. I still have fond memories of watching the Mamma Mia musical!

Later, I sailed Harmony of the Seas in February 2022, right after the pandemic. The ship was sailing at half capacity, so we didn’t need to worry about crowds or lines. This was a skewed experience though, and we greatly enjoyed the quieter ambiance onboard.

Although I’ve cruised over 50 times, I have rarely sailed on an Oasis class ship. My husband and I were excited to cruise on Utopia of the Seas for the first time, which would be my husband’s first time on an Oasis class ship!

To start, the price was quite high for a 4-night cruise

I’m always looking for a good deal when I book my cruises. My husband and I decided only a few months prior that we wanted to join my parents and grandparents on this cruise. While they had booked balcony cabins for $1,300 the year before, we ended up paying $1,500 for an interior cabin.

We don’t mind booking a cheap interior stateroom, but it was disappointing to pay more than my parents. Because Utopia of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s newer ship, demand drives up the prices.

This means we spent $750 per person for a 4-night cruise, or $187 each night. This includes port fees and gratuities for both of us. We also opted to pay slightly more to select our stateroom location instead of reserving a guaranteed cabin.

Our cabin was thoughtfully designed, and we didn’t mind saving money by booking the cheapest stateroom

Sailing on a brand-new cruise ship means your cabin will be the largest and greatest stateroom design. After sailing on older and smaller ships for quite some time, we appreciated the modern amenities incorporated in this design.

First, the stateroom was spacious and didn’t feel too cramped. We loved having a couch for additional seating - something that other competitor cruise lines have slowly phased out.

The bathroom was also thoughtfully designed. It was apparent that Royal Caribbean reduced the width of the sink and vanity to expand the shower size. My husband and I are both tall, so this extra space made all the difference.

We also noticed how many chargers and outlets were available. The vanity featured a row of outlets and USB ports while the nightstands each had an outlet and USB-C port to use. With so many outlets, I didn’t even need to use my outlet extender.

Our cabin on Deck 9 was also very quiet. Utopia of the Seas is so large that we were situated in a block on interior staterooms towards the back of the ship. The stateroom was surrounded by five other interior cabins! I’m always worried about noisy neighbors, and having many different neighbors could make for a noisy cabin. Luckily, this wasn’t the case for us.

Embarkation day was hectic, and I hated having to make so many reservations

After boarding in Port Canaveral, the first task on our agenda was to make reservations for specialty dining and shows. We attempted to make reservations in the weeks leading up to our cruise, but continued to get errors. The app would show availability, but fail when we attempted to actually book anything.

We had a group of eight people traveling together, which made it more difficult to reserve the headliner shows. My mom beelined for the box office after we made it onboard, and was met with hundreds of other people doing the same.

My husband and I were in charge of reserving specialty dining. With our Diamond Plus benefits, we didn’t want to pay beforehand for a reservation and not receive our BOGO perk. There were few options available for Chops Grille and Giovanni’s, but we secured two reservations that fit our schedule.

Unfortunately, my mom didn’t have much luck with reserving the shows. She waited in a long line without success. Instead, I went on the app and found seats available for all of the late-night shows, including the ice show and diving spectacle.

This was one of my least favorite parts of sailing on an Oasis class ship. With so many people onboard trying to see the same shows, you either need a reservation or you wait in a long standby line. This made me appreciate the smaller vessels where you don’t need to fret about reservations. It’s frustrating to pay thousands of dollars and still worry that you won’t be able to see the headliner production shows.

We also hated dealing with crowds and long lines, especially on embarkation day

The first few hours of a cruise are more hectic, as you need to complete your mandatory safety drill and find your stateroom. When these aren’t available until the afternoon, no one has a place to go, and everyone instead wanders around the ship.

I couldn’t believe the sheer number of people crowding into the promenade and the Windjammer! Of course, going to the buffet on the first day of the cruise is one of the worst things you can do for crowding. Everyone heads up to the Windjammer Buffet for lunch on the first day.

Not to mention, Utopia of the Seas offers fresh lobster for lunch on embarkation day. This only entices people further to visit the buffet instead of utilizing other included venues.

Navigating the crowds and stuffy buffet was my least favorite part of the cruise. We were attempting to find a table for my grandma, who uses a walker, and this was a nightmare. Next time, I would even consider booking a specialty dining option for lunch to avoid the crowds.

Sailing on an Oasis class ship means you’ll have more options for dining, which was a highlight for us

This cruise was a special occasion for our family, as we were celebrating my grandpa’s 90th birthday. After a few months of health scares with him, we didn’t know if he would be able to join this cruise.

Because we were celebrating, we decided to splurge and book two evenings at specialty dining. These for-charge restaurants offer an elevated experience with more attentive service, higher quality food, and fewer crowds.

We booked Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen for the first night, and we received our own private table in the back of the restaurant. This was such a nice surprise, especially considering my grandpa is hard of hearing. It was easy to have a conversation with the quieter ambiance. The two-story venue overlooked the ship’s aft - it was one of the most beautiful specialty dining venues I’ve seen on a ship!

The food was fantastic, too. We gorged on burrata salad, truffle pizza, creamy carbonara, tender filet, and fried Nutella ravioli. This was our favorite meal of the cruise!

The following night, we dined at Chops Grille in Central Park. We rarely book two specialty dining meals on a short cruise, but Utopia of the Seas had so many enticing options that we couldn’t resist!

We greatly enjoyed this meal as well, especially when my grandpa gave a touching toast to the table that brought tears to everyone’s eyes. The service was very attentive, and the ambiance was quiet and intimate.

Finally, we also wanted to try the Mason Jar - which is Royal Caribbean’s first specialty dining option for brunch. My sister raved about her meal here over the summer, so we booked a brunch slot for the last day. Unfortunately, this was our least favorite of the specialty dining experiences.

We enjoyed some of the entrees, such as the gooey cinnamon roll and the southern burger, while others fell flat, including the chicken and waffles. The cocktails were a highlight though, and I would return just to the bar for the craft drinks on the menu!

Considering we paid nearly $50 per person with gratuity, I would skip this restaurant in the future.

Along with specialty restaurants, Utopia of the Seas features a plethora of complimentary restaurants as well. For instance, we enjoyed the fresh Mexican cuisine at El Loco Fresh and breakfast at Johnny Rockets (although dinner and lunch are not included here).

The entertainment was also spectacular and some of the best I’ve seen at sea

In the last few years, it’s been evident that most cruise lines are cutting back on entertainment to save on costs. For instance, Norwegian Cruise Line has cut all of their Broadway shows, while Carnival Cruise Line is relying heavily on game shows for entertainment these days.

I appreciate that Royal Caribbean is still pushing the boundaries and prioritizing entertainment on their newest ships. Two of the standout shows on Utopia of the Seas include Aqua80Too, a high-diving show in the Aquatheatre, and Youtopia, an ice skating spectacle with Olympic-style stunts.

The Aqua80Too show was undoubtedly the highlight, featuring gravity-defying dives, synchronized swimming, and breathtaking performances. The music, production, and overall execution were absolutely spectacular.

The main theatre also features a well-done show called All In. The show incorporated incredible technological effects and lighting, which was memorizing. The music was varied too with some modern hits, which I loved!

My husband and I finished the cruise with a late-night comedian, which is always a lighthearted way to end the night. Both comedians were extremely funny - we laughed so much it brought tears to our eyes!

I loved all of the themed bars and lounges on Utopia of the Seas

Each evening of our cruise, our family gathered before dinner to enjoy happy hour. This is one of my grandpa’s favorite activities of the day — he claims a glass of bourbon each day is his secret to a long life!

There is certainly no shortage of bars or lounges on the ship. In fact, Utopia of the Seas has 23 bars across its various neighborhoods, serving up cocktails, wine, beer, and other spirits. Some of the bars are more exclusive to the brand-new ship, such as the Pesky Parrot, while others are Royal Caribbean staples, like the Schooner Bar.

One of our favorite bars to visit was the Pesky Parrot, which is a new tiki bar specializing in tropical, fruity cocktails with exotic decor. Another favorite spot on the pool deck was the Lime and Coconut bar, where I could enjoy my favorite Lime & Coconut cocktail!

Even with thousands of guests sailing, the bar service was surprisingly fast. We never waited too long for a drink and the bartenders were attentive.

I’m not rushing to book another Oasis class ship, but I would sail again

While we had a great time on our quick getaway cruise with family, my husband and I aren’t in a hurry to book another trip on an Oasis class ship. We still prefer smaller vessels and have recently found ourselves drawn more to Celebrity Cruises. Their Edge class ships strike the perfect balance - innovative, modern, luxurious, and ideally sized - all while sailing to fascinating destinations.

I’m happy to see Royal Caribbean sailing shorter itineraries aboard their newer ships, as most cruise lines used to sail their oldest and smallest ships on these sailings. Royal Caribbean recently announced that most Oasis class ships will be sailing shorter itineraries in the near future!

I would happily book Utopia of the Seas again for a quick getaway cruise, as the ship is more of a destination in itself. There was so much to do, see, and eat that we nearly ran out of time to try it all.

I’ve cruised around the world, but one of my favorite ports of call is Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. The cruise line’s renowned Perfect Day at CocoCay is one of the most popular destinations in Royal Caribbean’s portfolio.

With access to pristine beaches, freshwater pools, sun loungers, swim-up bars, and more, you can enjoy a perfect beach day. I probably visit Perfect Day at CocoCay once a year, as I live in Florida and cruise often.

Like many guests, I am drawn to the private island for its safety, convenience, and all-inclusive experience. For instance, your onboard drink package and loyalty drink vouchers can be used ashore at CocoCay - a favorite perk for many.

In January 2024, Royal Caribbean expanded its private island with a new adult-only section called Hideaway Beach. The entire section is kid-free and offers impressive amenities for cruisers to enjoy throughout the day.

However, you need to purchase a pass to Hideaway Beach if you want to spend the day here. The cost of entrance varies depending on demand, but prices can be as high as $99 per person for admission.

I spent the day at Royal Caribbean’s new adults-only oasis on my recent cruise. We had a lot of fun, but I’m not sure the cost we paid was worthwhile

To start, we paid more for our day pass than others in our travel party because we booked later

My husband and I decided a few months ago that we wanted to join my family on a 4-night cruise. We would be cruising with my parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle for this sailing. The short itinerary was aboard Utopia of the Seas, which is Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship and latest Oasis class ship.

On the quick itinerary, one of our two ports of call included a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay. Everyone else in our travel group had already booked Hideaway Beach a few months before we even decided to join the cruise.

When I went to book our admission, the cost was more than I expected! Although they paid $30 each for their passes to Hideaway Beach, we paid more than double for our admission.

My husband and I ended up paying $173 for both of us to spend the day there, which is on the higher end at $86.50 each. We had a $50 onboard credit, which we used to bring down the price. This brought the cost down to $123, or $61.50 each.

With two ships scheduled to be in port this day, the island would have thousands of visitors. Hideaway Beach only has a capacity for about 1,800 guests. This ensures a more exclusive experience across the more than one acre of beachfront property. All guests need to be 18 years or older to visit Hideaway Beach.

Admission to Hideaway Beach includes access to the freshwater pool, swim-up bar, and beach. You can also utilize resort-style loungers, umbrellas, and in-water hammocks. Food is also included as a step above what you can access elsewhere on CocoCay, with options from Hideaway Hut and Slice of Paradise.

After stepping off the ship, we took the tram to Hideaway Beach for convenience, as it was our first time visiting

Once we arrived at Perfect Day, we followed signs to Hideaway Beach. We were traveling with my elderly grandparents, so we appreciated the quick access to this tram. In addition, we weren’t exactly sure where to go as first-timers.

We boarded the tram in a small waiting area before making our way to the entrance of Hideaway Beach. The drive was very short, probably under two minutes. I would guess it's around a five-minute walk along a sandy path.

To enter Hideaway Beach, you simply scan your SeaPass card. Reaching the adults-only area was a breeze between the signage, tram service, and quick entrance with your cruise card.

We made our way to the heated pool first and grabbed a refreshing cocktail from the swim-up bar

Upon entering Hideaway Beach, my grandparents took a break from walking to sit under the large shaded area. There were multiple places to rest, including a large wooden bench, along with padded couches, chairs, and tables. Those looking for shade would appreciate being able to overlook the pool, palm trees, ocean, and swim-up bar.

We headed straight for the swim-up bar, Hideaway Bar, and immediately appreciated the heated water. It was refreshing, but not too warm. I opted for a Bahama Mama cocktail first, utilizing one of my free daily Diamond Plus drink vouchers, while my husband ordered a piña colada.

The DJ was already playing party tunes, creating a lively atmosphere in the pool. My husband and I liked the party music, but my parents and grandparents found the music to be a little loud for their liking.

Surrounding the pool, there were plenty of in-water loungers and a few daybeds, which are first come first serve. Supposedly, these are hot commodities and only the first few visitors to Hideaway Beach are able to score these coveted seats.

For those who want something more private, you can also rent two different kinds of cabanas. The Hideaway Cabanas are located near the pool, while the Hideout Cabanas are more VIP and exclusive with their own private pool. There are 10 cabanas available for each section that accommodate up to six guests each. I didn’t feel the need to spend more money, as these cost anywhere from $899 to $2,699.

The heated infinity pool was stunning as it overlooked the pristine beach and ocean. We spent plenty of time taking in the view of the sea while enjoying drinks from the swim-up bar and listening to the party music.

Next, we relaxed at On the Rocks, an open-air bar offering a perfect retreat with stunning ocean views

Situated along the rocky shore of the island is Hideaway Beach’s newest bar, On the Rocks. The vibrant bar featured live musicians playing beach tunes throughout the afternoon, which we enjoyed while relaxing in comfortable, padded chairs.

My grandparents especially appreciated the al fresco bar, as they could see the ocean and listen to the live music comfortably. You could also play games if you wanted, including pool and shuffleboard.

On the Rocks was surprisingly quiet with few lines, allowing for quick bar service. The coconut mojito was perfectly mixed here! Because we scored a table large enough for everyone to relax comfortably, this was our home base for the rest of the day. Considering the sand would be too difficult for my grandparents to navigate, this was a great area for those with mobility concerns.

Hideaway Beach has plenty of beach loungers and umbrellas available, but many were unused during our visit

Most of the Hideaway Beach guests opted to spend their day in the heated pool rather than the beach. The adults-only area features its own beach with a shallow lagoon, which looked relatively calm thanks to the cove shape.

The beach runs along the entirety of Hideaway Beach, and it’s easily one of the largest beaches at CocoCay. Because we visited in February, the ocean water was cooler. As Floridians, the ocean was too chilly for us to swim comfortably. However, that didn’t stop others from floating, swimming, and relaxing in the ocean water.

There are many resort-style loungers and umbrellas along the shore of the beach, although many of them were unused. There were also in-water hammocks and swings on the far end of the beach, which we didn’t get the opportunity to use. However, my mom used one of the hammocks last year and flipped over almost instantaneously, so I was hesitant to try it myself!

Surrounding the beach were hundreds of loungers and umbrellas. I assume these are busier during the summer months when the ocean water is warmer. During our visit, the umbrellas and beach chairs were largely unused by guests. There was no shortage of chairs, and I can’t imagine anyone would need to fight for chairs.

Access to Hideaway Beach includes upgraded dining options, including ceviche and coconut shrimp

Food is already included when visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay, with a variety of eateries and Snack Shacks located across the island, serving hot, fresh, and fast meals. At Hideaway Beach, guests have access to all the standard dining options, along with a selection of exclusive new menu items.

Two restaurants are included in the admission to Hideaway Beach, including Hideaway Hut and Slice of Paradise. One of the highlights of visiting Hideaway Beach is the access to coconut shrimp, fish sandwiches, ceviche, and pizza! Because there isn’t pizza available elsewhere on the island, this is an exciting addition.

My husband said the coconut shrimp was fantastic; he loved it so much, he had 20 shrimps throughout the day! The pizza was nothing special, and we thought Sorrento’s onboard was better. Slice of Paradise also serves empanadas, which we didn’t try.

I don’t eat seafood, so most of these upgraded food options were not appealing to me. I opted for the crispy chicken sandwich with a side of basil mayo and crispy French fries. Of course, I also had to get a side of mozzarella sticks, one of my favorite items at CocoCay!

For dessert, we tried the caramel brownie and funnel cake. It’s not every day that you have unlimited access to fresh funnel cakes - and it did not disappoint. The caramel brownie was also fantastically fudgy, dense, and chocolatey.

We all appreciated the convenience of clean facilities and amenities offered at Hideaway Beach, too

While spending the entire day at Hideaway Beach, I was particularly impressed by the facilities and amenities offered throughout. No one likes using the bathroom after swimming in a pool, but it’s an inevitable stop you’ll need to make during the day.

I was somewhat dreading needing to use a public bathroom on the beach, but I was assured the bathrooms were well maintained. In this way, I was impressed by the facilities and cleanliness of the bathrooms available. They were also easy to access from On The Rocks along a paved path, which we appreciated for our elderly grandparents.

Ice water stations were readily available near the Hideaway Hut, allowing you to stay hydrated easily throughout the day. Ice cream machines were also accessible in this area, with an attendant serving up the cones throughout the day. It’s not self-serve, but you can get as much as you want.

Complimentary lockers to store your belongings are available for guests to use, along with outdoor freshwater showers to rinse off.

I liked trying something new, but I’m not sure Hideaway Beach was worth the cost

Having visited Perfect Day at CocoCay multiple times, I was eager to check out the new adults-only Hideaway Beach. My parents and sister had already experienced it and couldn’t stop raving about it.

Since we don’t have kids, it was a refreshing change to enjoy a child-free retreat, especially with so many families sailing aboard Utopia of the Seas. The entire area feels more exclusive than the rest of the island. I normally spend my days at CocoCay lounging in the Oasis Lagoon and swim-up bar, which can get crowded quickly.

There were more people in Hideaway Beach than I had anticipated, but it didn’t feel crowded or cramped. We found seating easily without worrying about chair logs — a welcomed change for sure!

However, I’m not convinced that Hideaway Beach is worth paying over $100 per person. My seafood-loving family members felt they got their money’s worth with the coconut shrimp, but since I stuck to the standard food options, the value wasn’t as obvious for me.

Trying something new was fun, especially when my family members were already planning to spend the day here. We didn’t want to be the only ones who didn’t visit Hideaway Beach, so we will treasure the memories with my family. In addition, my grandparents were able to maneuver the island easily with their walkers on paved walkways, which was worthwhile.

In the future, I’m not sure I would book a pass to Hideaway Beach. If the price was closer to $30 per person, this could be worth it. However, I think there are plenty of complimentary amenities and places to spend the day at CocoCay to enjoy your day.

My husband, Luke, and I have been cruising together on Royal Caribbean for nearly 10 years. Budget-friendly spring break cruises in college eventually turned into far-flung getaways to Asia, Alaska, Iceland, and Norway.

When choosing a vacation, we prefer booking a cruise with a unique itinerary. In fact, we often book our cruises without caring about the ship at all. We want to use our vacation time and money to visit new countries or destinations, and cruising allows us to see more while stretching our vacation budget further.

However, we recently sailed with my family on a 4-night cruise aboard Utopia of the Seas. My husband had never sailed on an Oasis class ship before. Although he has sailed on nine different Royal Caribbean ships, he had yet to set foot on some of the world’s biggest ships.

This wasn’t my first time onboard an Oasis class ship, so I warned him the crowds could feel significant compared to our other cruises. While the dining and modern amenities were a highlight for Luke, he hated the crowds. The cruise was great, but it wasn’t perfect - here’s why.

First impressions are important, and the crowding on embarkation day was an immediate turnoff

After boarding in Port Canaveral, we made our way onto the promenade and eventually to the Windjammer for lunch. Luke saw me frantically running around trying to get dining and entertainment reservations, which was something he hadn’t experienced before.

With so many people onboard an Oasis class ship, reservations are crucial. We weren’t able to reserve any entertainment beforehand, and we wanted to ensure our BOGO Diamond Plus benefit was applied to specialty dining. Because of this, our first few hours were chaotic, to say the least.

After working up an appetite, we ventured to the next crowded space onboard: the Windjammer buffet. We were told lobster would be served for lunch, and Luke is a big seafood lover. The lobster tails were a highlight, but the crowds were frustrating, so we avoided the Windjammer for the rest of the cruise.

By skipping the buffet, we splurged on specialty dining, which was a major highlight for Luke

When Luke and I first started cruising together, we were cheap college students or newlyweds and only dined at complimentary restaurants. Now, we value the option to upgrade our dining with specialty restaurants.

Luke was especially impressed with all of the dining options onboard, including unique specialty restaurants. With only four days onboard Utopia of the Seas, we were able to try three different specialty restaurants: Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, and Mason Jar.

Compared to smaller ships, Luke was blown away by all of the dining options. He didn’t even have time to try one of his favorites: Izumi Sushi. On the other hand, our meal at Mason Jar was slightly disappointing, and we wished we had tried another restaurant. Even still, having so many dining choices—both complimentary and specialty—was a huge perk of sailing on an Oasis class ship.

However, Luke still found the main dining room to be slightly disappointing. This is a common feeling we’ve had with cruising in general, but Luke was hopeful Royal Caribbean’s newest ship might be different. At this point, we pretty much expect to book specialty dining for the type of dining experience we want.

Along with dining, another highlight of sailing on an Oasis class ship was the high-quality entertainment

Luke enjoys cruise ship entertainment, but it’s not usually a highlight for him. While he enjoys the comedians and headliner shows, the entertainment isn’t one of his top reasons to cruise.

However, the entertainment on Utopia of the Seas was unlike anything Luke had seen before. In particular, he loved the Aqua80Too diving show at the AquaTheatre. The high-diving spectacle was mesmerizing, and Luke thought all of the performers and athletes were wildly talented.

In addition, he thoroughly enjoyed the ice skating performance, Youtopia. Although Luke had enjoyed other ice skating shows on Voyager class ships, he thought this performance was the best yet. We also enjoyed the late-night comedian on the final night - one of our favorite shows to attend together.

Beyond dining and entertainment, Luke also appreciated the modern amenities throughout the ship

After sailing on many older vessels together, Luke was impressed by the thoughtful design onboard Utopia of the Seas. For instance, he loved the unobstructed jogging track for uninterrupted runs. I also enjoyed walking here with my parents, taking in the ocean views.

In addition, our stateroom was well-designed with modern amenities and improved connectivity. Luke said the USB port and outlet on the nightstand was a “lifesaver” with all of our devices that need to be charged.

Our cabin's bathroom was another thoughtful design that Luke appreciated, including the large walk-in shower. Considering he is 6'4 tall, the larger shower was a huge upgrade!

Luke still prefers smaller ships for a more personal experience and better itineraries

While Utopia of the Seas had many modern amenities, Luke said he would rather cruise on smaller ships in the future.

Our recent cruises have been on smaller ships with longer itineraries, like our 12-night voyage to Iceland on Jewel of the Seas. With fewer passengers, we found it easier to recognize familiar faces and build a sense of community onboard, which we always enjoy.

However, Luke felt the Oasis class ships were less intimate than other ships. Although the service was excellent, Luke missed having a more personal connection with fellow passengers and crew members.

Perhaps a longer voyage could alleviate some of this, but most Oasis class ships only sail 7-night itineraries, with shorter itineraries in the near future. Because of their size, Oasis-class ships have a more limited port selection, which is another drawback for destination-focused travelers.

Ultimately, while Oasis-class ships offer fantastic dining and entertainment, they don’t provide the intimate atmosphere and diverse itineraries we prefer. For quick, fun-filled getaways, they’re a great option. But for longer, more immersive trips, we’ll stick to smaller ships or sail with Celebrity Cruises to explore more unique destinations.

Last fall, I cruised with my family on Celebrity Solstice for a port-intensive repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore. The 15-night cruise included fabulous ports of call throughout Australia and Indonesia.

Although I had sailed with Celebrity Cruises before, I had never considered splurging on the cruise line’s more all-inclusive fare, known as the All Included package pricing. Instead, I preferred to book only the cruise fare to save money. As a budget cruiser, spending thousands of extra dollars for drinks and internet access didn’t seem worthwhile.

Not to mention, I already receive daily free cocktails with my Captain’s Club loyalty status. Thanks to Royal Caribbean’s status matching program, Diamond Plus members automatically receive Elite Plus loyalty with Celebrity Cruises.

These perks had always felt more than sufficient for me, including Celebrity’s nightly happy hour with complimentary drinks. Although this is more restrictive than Royal Caribbean’s drink vouchers — which can be used at most bars throughout the day — I never felt the need to purchase a drink package. I would have a hard time drinking consistently on a 15-night cruise to justify this cost, anyway!

However, the opportunity presented itself for me to try Celebrity’s All Included package when booking this cruise. I couldn’t believe how much money I saved - and I already plan to book the package again.

What is Celebrity’s All Included pricing?

All Included is a pricing package offered by Celebrity Cruises that bundles cruise fares with the Classic Beverage Package and Basic Wi-Fi Package. Celebrity states these are the most popular amenities for cruise guests, and the All Included pricing allows cruisers to save money by bundling the two together.

According to the cruise line, the All Included pricing package can save guests anywhere from $200 to $800 per person compared to onboard prices for the same amenities. All guests in the stateroom receive the amenities and All Included is available for most stateroom categories. In this way, you can choose a lower-tier stateroom, such as an inside cabin, and still purchase the All Included pricing package.

Celebrity’s Basic Drink includes cocktails, beers, wines, and classic liquors up to $10 each. This also includes specialty coffee, juice, and bottled water. However, for sailings that depart from Australia, drinks up to $12 are included.

While you can certainly save money with this bundled pricing, it’s important to determine which add-ons you plan to purchase regardless. If you are someone who always purchases the drink package and Wi-Fi access, it might be worthwhile to price out the All Included package. If you only need internet access, paying extra for a drink package you don’t use or value could be a waste of money.

I paid $2,069 for an interior stateroom with the All Included pricing package

Although I had used a travel agent for work-related trips, I had never booked a personal cruise through one. While researching prices for the 15-night sailing on Celebrity’s website, I decided to check with my travel agent, Christina from MEI Travel, to see if she could offer a better rate.

Directly on Celebrity’s website, the cruise was listed at $2,300 per person for a non-refundable interior cabin. This price only included the basic cruise fare without any perks or prepaid gratuities. Much to my surprise, Christina had access to group rates for this sailing with a few cabins available - and the savings were substantial!

She provided a quote of $2,069 per person for a refundable interior cabin with the All Included pricing. I was shocked! Even better, this group rate included gratuities (the agency rates were locked in prior to the cruise line’s package changes). Had we booked the same perks directly online with Celebrity Cruises, we would have paid thousands of dollars more.

Read more: My parents paid more for an obstructed balcony, but our cheaper inside cabin was the better choice

Of course, this was a no-brainer decision and we made a deposit on an interior cabin. The only downside of the cabin was its location in the ship’s aft; however, the savings were enough to justify settling on a less desirable location.

The All Included pricing was such a fantastic deal that my parents canceled their prior reservation to book with the travel agent. They paid $800 more to cruise in an obstructed balcony stateroom. It’s not common these days to pay less and receive more, so we were giddy!

I decided to upgrade my Wi-Fi package - and it was cheaper than I expected

Unlike some cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises does not have a set price for its internet package. Prices vary, but Celebrity’s website shows Premium Wi-Fi is $23.99 per day while Basic Wi-Fi is $20.00 per day.

For our 15-night cruise, I was planning to spend $360 on premium internet access to ensure I had proper connectivity. Because I work remotely while traveling, I rely on strong connectivity to ensure I can finish my work when needed.

The All Included pricing comes with the standard Internet Package. But, you can choose to upgrade your drink and internet package, which is what I decided to do for my Wi-Fi access. I was able to upgrade from Basic Wi-Fi to Premium Wi-Fi for only $59.85, which provided unlimited access for the 15-night sailing. This included a discount with my Elite Plus status, but I needed to call Celebrity Cruises to have that applied.

This was well worth the expense! While aboard our cruise, my internet connectivity was consistently stronger than my sister’s connection on the Basic Wi-Fi package. I was able to stream videos and video conferences without issue. On the other hand, my sister’s devices were always buffering; however, she didn’t mind and appreciated the standard access included in her cruise fare.

I recommend upgrading your internet access to the Premium Wi-Fi package if you need to do any sort of video conferencing or streaming during your cruise. My sister had an important Zoom call during our cruise and she needed to borrow my premium internet to ensure the connectivity was strong enough. If you only need to check emails or browse social media, the basic package will suffice. Those needing faster speeds would benefit from the small uncharge for better connectivity.

Having the drink package enhanced our onboard experience, especially on a longer itinerary

With the All Included pricing, our entire family enjoyed access to the standard beverage package—a first for all of us! We were curious to see what kind of drinks would be included in our package. Because we actually saved money booking the All Included fare with our travel agent, it almost felt like we got the drink package for free.

To start, the onboard experience immediately felt more luxurious. We started our vacation with mojitos on the pool deck during sailaway — perhaps one of the most stunning embarkations I’ve ever experienced.

Sipping our cocktails while cruising by the iconic Sydney Opera House was an unforgettable moment. Even better, I was thrilled to learn that my go-to drink choice was included in the package.

Throughout the cruise, I enjoyed not having to worry about paying for drinks individually or waiting until the Captain’s Club nightly happy hour with its restricted cocktail menu. This made the vacation feel more relaxing and all-inclusive.

Because our itinerary was 15 nights, we had plenty of time onboard to take advantage of the drink package. As our ship sailed closer to the equator and the weather was warmer, we savored refreshing drinks on the pool deck to beat the heat.

We also enjoyed drinks during our nightly dinner in the dining room or specialty dining restaurant. I was excited to learn that specialty coffees were included in the drink package; as such, I indulged in my morning latte before starting the day.

Trying new cocktails without pressure was another perk of the drink package during our cruise. I loved the limoncello spritz in Tuscan Grille - and it has since become one of my go-to drinks. My mom also took advantage of her drink package with the sommelier in the dining room to try different wines and ask about his expertise.

I was worried the standard drink package would be restrictive, but this wasn’t the case at all

Although I had never booked Celebrity’s drink package before, I have tried drink packages with Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line. While Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line allow nearly unlimited menu choices with their drink packages, Norwegian Cruise Line had more restrictions on what could be ordered with its standard package.

With this in mind, I was curious to try Celebrity’s drink package for the first time to see whether it would be restrictive or not.

Almost every drink that we ordered was included with the classic drink package, such as mojitos, mudslides, spritzes, martinis, frozen coladas, and Bahama Mamas. It seemed like every drink we ordered was included in our basic package — we started to wonder why anyone would need to upgrade to the premium package when so much was included!

However, it’s important to mention the pricing discrepancy during our sailing. Our cruise departed from Sydney, Australia, and according to the cruise line’s website, this means classic drink packages include drinks up to $12 instead of $10.

There was mass confusion during the first couple of days of our cruise, as the crew members were told that $10 was the drink threshold. Some passengers took this issue to Guest Services and the threshold was increased to $12, per the cruise line’s policy. As such, our cruise might have included more drinks than what is typically allowed and my experience might be skewed because of this.

Another perk of the basic drink package was access to unlimited bottled water

When our sailing departed from Sydney, Australia, the fall weather was crisp and cool. But, as we sailed further north towards the equator, the weather became scorching hot. We were drenched in sweat during our excursions while visiting the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian Outback, and Bali, Indonesia.

With our basic drink package, we were thrilled to learn that bottled water was included! This was a huge perk during our hot sailing. Each morning, we would each ask for one or two bottles of water to pack for our daily adventures.

We were especially happy to have access to this bottled water during our two days in Bali. Considering tap water isn’t typically safe to drink in Bali, we made sure to pack our bottled water from the ship. Not having to worry about water safety or purchasing bottled water was a huge perk of the drink package during our cruise!

Read more: I took my first cruise to Australia. Here are 13 lessons learned, including 4 mistakes I won't make again

However, I’m not sure I would have gotten my money’s worth if I had purchased the drink package separately as an add-on

It’s easy for me to say, “The drink package was absolutely worth it!” when the All Included pricing was actually lower than the cruise fare alone. Had I purchased the standard drink package separately, I don’t think it would have been worthwhile.

Celebrity Cruises charges $107.99 per person per day for the Classic Beverage Package (including gratuities). For a 15-night cruise, this would be $1,619! The cruise line does offer discounts and promotions for their drink package, but this cost is still substantial. In fact, this is almost the amount I paid for the entire cruise!

As a casual drinker who enjoys one or two drinks each day, along with some bottled water and specialty coffee, this cost would be hard to justify. The longer itineraries make it even more difficult to get your money’s worth when you have to drink frequently and consistently to break even. I also don’t enjoy the stress of knowing whether I drank enough to justify the cost of my drink package - vacation is meant to be relaxing, after all!

Even still, I would book the All Included package again if the price was right

For this cruise, the All Included package was an obvious choice. We were able to save money by booking the refundable cruise fare with these perks through our travel agent compared to booking on our own.

When I cruise, I always purchase an internet package and opt for refundable fares to maintain flexibility, which adds to the overall cost. Before this experience, I hadn’t seriously considered the All Included fare, but now I compare both options more closely to assess potential savings.

I’ve already booked another All Included cruise for later this year on Celebrity Millennium, as the price with perks through our travel agent was only slightly higher than the base fare offered directly by the cruise line.

If you’re a budget-conscious traveler, I highly recommend checking with a travel agent about group rates that include perks. You might be surprised at the savings, just like I was!

Two furry stowaways made a remarkable journey aboard Allure of the Seas during its recent repositioning voyage, causing quite the stir among passengers.

Guests currently sailing on Allure of the Seas reported that a pair of burrowing owls made themselves at home in the ship’s Central Park neighborhood. The open-aired space became an unlikely sanctuary for the two stowaway owls during the Oasis class ship’s transatlantic voyage from Florida to Spain.

Allure of the Seas is currently sailing a 12-night itinerary from Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. The ship departed from Florida on February 10, 2025 for the ocean crossing. It is assumed the owls made their way onto the ship at this time, likely while the ship was docked in Florida.

After departing from Miami, Allure of the Seas spent ten days crossing the Atlantic with the owls in tow. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Cartagena, Spain on February 20, 2025 for its first port of call. The sailing will conclude in Barcelona, Spain a couple days later on on February 22, 2025. 

Following the transatlantic voyage, Allure of the Seas will begin her extensive renovation over the next two months. The vessel will undergo a $100 million amplification before resuming sailings for the summer in Europe. The ship will be in Spain throughout the spring and is scheduled to depart on her next itinerary on April 11, 2025. 

Guests shared the stowaways on social media

(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)

Multiple posts online have chronicled the adventures of the two owls on Allure of the Seas, much to the delight of online followers. Many guests shared photos and stories of the burrowing owls on the ship, including updates on the situation for the owl’s safe handling.

One user on Reddit shared, “My parents are currently cruising on Allure [of the Seas] on the transoceanic voyage. Two burrowing owls have stowed away on the cruise to Spain and have caused quite a ruckus.” 

The poster shared, “Unfortunately, the owls have drawn so much attention that they now need to be caught and won't be allowed into Spain until [they're] quarantined and then... Deported?”

According to the user, the two owls made themselves at home in Central Park among the many real-life trees in the neighborhood. However, the owls were apparently exploring other spaces onboard the ship too.

(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)

“One of the owls has also explored the Solarium and miniature golf course. It's been exciting!” explained the user. 

Another cruiser shared on Reddit about the burrowing owls, “[These fellas] got quite the fanbase on Allure [of the Seas] at the moment. Folks taking pictures while staying at as much of a distance as one can in Central Park. It definitely doesn’t seem to mind the masses of people around.”

The user shared additional updates regarding the owls’ journey across the Atlantic

(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)

Many online commenters were invested in the owl stowaways and enjoyed the updates from those aboard. The two threads on Reddit received nearly 100 comments and 1,000 upvotes! In one of the threads, the Redditor continuously shared updates on the burrowing owls’ adventures.

“As of midday today, the famed owl of Central Park has been captured and is being fed steak and water. The exact plan is to be determined at the discretion of Spain. Burrowing owls are endangered, which will likely guide his safe future,” they shared.

“This photo was just provided by the hotel director at the coffee chat just now, with the request to forward this message,” reads the image on Reddit.

(Photo shared on Reddit, showing owl in temporary cage on Allure of the Seas)

Indeed, burrowing owls are considered an endangered and threatened species in North America. According to the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, burrowing owls are considered endangered in Canada and threatened in Mexico. The owls are classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as birds of conservation concern at a national level. In the state of Florida specifically, burrowing owls are considered a threatened species.

Cruiser says wildlife specialists helped determine what to do with the stowaways

(Owl seen onboard Symphony of the Seas in March 2023. Shared on Reddit)

In the most recent update regarding the owls, the user shared that Royal Caribbean reportedly consulted with an owl specialist about carefully and safely handling the owls.

The Redditor shared the following update from a guest onboard Allure of the Seas. "After consultations with an owl specialist, a game plan has been crafted. The 2 owls have been collected. As of this afternoon, one of the 2 captured ones escaped and flew back to [Central Park] and is still evading staff.”

The other captured owl was placed in temporary cages/boxes for its safety. “It was stressful for them and less safe to be in Central Park as much as we enjoyed looking at them. They are now being fed and watered and cared for according to the animal experts’ guidelines,” shared the passenger.

(Photo shared on Reddit from Oasis of the Seas in February 2022)

In addition, the burrowing owls will apparently be offloaded in Spain to be handled by local authorities. Because burrowing owls are not native to Europe, the birds would not be safely relocated in this region of the world.

The passenger shared, “[The owls] will be offloaded in Cartagena where management and the local authorities will process the paperwork. They will then be flown back to Miami where they can safely be released in their native habitat. Owls well that ends well.”

In a recent update on Reddit, another passenger on the ship reported one of the owls is still lingering in Central Park and continues to evade the crew members trying to safely capture the owl.

(Owl on Allure of the Seas, shared on Reddit)

“Your update of this moment is that a crew member with a net is standing very patiently in Central Park hoping the park owl will come into reach. The owl, currently located about 10 feet from my balcony, is not having it.”

This isn’t the first time that owls have found solace in Central Park on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships

(Crew members working to capture owl on Symphony of the Seas in March 2023, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)

Surprisingly, this wasn’t the first time an owl has made its way onto an Oasis-class ship to cruise. Several passengers shared similar encounters online, suggesting that Allure of the Seas isn’t the only vessel to have hosted a feathered stowaway.

Because Central Park is an open-aired neighborhood on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships, the foliage naturally attracts wildlife. While a cruise ship may seem like an unusual home for an owl, the burrowing owl species typically prefers open, sparsely vegetated areas - a stark contrast to the middle of the ocean!

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Burrowing owls are small, unusual owls that nest in underground burrows instead of trees. They live in wide-open, sparsely vegetated areas like prairies, deserts, grasslands and agricultural fields.”

(Owly pictured on Oasis of the Seas. Shared on Reddit)

Despite their preference for dry land, these owls have occasionally taken a liking to Royal Caribbean’s ships. One user shared, “We had an owl stowaway on our Oasis cruise back in 2022. Here he is hanging out on a light in Central Park. The crew apparently looked after him. They called him Owly and made sure he had food.”

“He was just traveling the Caribbean so never really attracted that level of attention, but had apparently been on the ship for some time by our cruise. Looks like he could be the same breed at that. Wonder if something about Central Park attracts them?” continued the commenter.

(Owl safely captured by biologist on Symphony of the Seas, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)

Several other cruisers shared their owl encounters aboard Symphony of the Seas, including sightings from sailings in September 2021 and January 2023. One passenger recalled, “We had an owl on Symphony too! I’m sure it’s a great life for the owls. He did throw up on a lady as she walked underneath him, which led to a lot of shrieking, but it was still cool to see him.”

In March 2023, Royal Caribbean sought assistance from local wildlife authorities to safely remove an owl that had taken up residence in Symphony of the Seas’ Central Park. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, Royal Caribbean brought a biologist onboard in Florida on disembarkation day to safely capture the owl with the help of crew members.

(Owl in Central Park on Symphony of the Seas, shared on Facebook by Florida Fish and Wildlife)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife posted on Facebook, "With some of the crew’s help, [the biologist] placed mist nets around the owl’s perch of choice, the exit signs by the door. Two unsuccessful attempts later, the owl was now sitting on the balcony of a 10th story cabin."

"The crew stood below making noise to distract the owl as [our biologist] snuck up and safely netted the owl from the railing! After the amazing rescue, the cute little stowaway was safely assisted with the disembarkation process. He had nothing to claim in customs. Although seemingly in good health even after two weeks at sea, the bird was transported to South Florida Wildlife Center as a precautionary measure," continued the post. 

One of the questions we get asked most often is: When is the best time to book a cruise?

With cruise prices continuing to rise, the question has become even more crucial for many prospective cruisers. After all, no one wants to spend more than they need on a cruise vacation.

Like airfare, cruise pricing is dynamic, meaning fares fluctuate based on the basic principles of supply and demand. When demand surges and cabin availability declines, it’s natural for prices to increase. Conversely, an oversupply of cabins can lead to price drops, allowing for last-minute cruise deals, although these are becoming increasingly rare.

Currently, most of Royal Caribbean’s cruises are sailing at full capacity due to overwhelming demand. With fewer cabins available to book on a specific cruise, fares will continue to rise.

While we typically recommend booking your cruise as early as possible, we realize this isn’t always feasible. Depending on your schedule and budget, you might not be able to secure a deposit years in advance.

To better understand the best time to book a cruise, we utilized the historic pricing trends available for Royal Caribbean on Gangwaze. I took a deep dive into the fluctuations of cruise prices to find the optimal time to book your vacation.

Using data on Gangwaze, this pricing analysis looked at 12-month’s worth of data for both inside cabins and balcony cabins for cruising departing in March 2025, which likely includes increased demand for spring break itineraries. This allows us to have a full year of data to analyze historical trending and find meaningful insights. In this way, monthly pricing data from February 2024 to February 2025 was included for March 2025 sailings.

Gangwaze only includes a detailed trending graph without actual numeric values, so estimates were used for the monthly value. We selected 13 different vessels across Royal Caribbean’s fleet, from the largest Oasis class ships to the oldest and smallest Vision class ships.

Here’s what our analysis uncovered, including the best time to book your cruise to receive the cheapest price.

When is the cheapest time to book a cruise? Let’s take a look

There’s no magic formula for when the perfect time is to book a cruise. If only we had a crystal ball to see into the future and determine exactly when to secure a sailing at the best possible price!

This uncertainty can feel even more overwhelming when making a non-refundable deposit, particularly if you’re considering booking a cruise several years in advance. The idea of committing to a trip so far in the future without knowing how prices will fluctuate can make the decision feel daunting.

Because of this uncertainty, some people claim that waiting to book a cruise can be a good strategy to score a last-minute deal. This method was effective in the past, such as cruise lines dropping prices due to lower demand in the post-pandemic era of cruising. For years, this approach worked well, allowing for cruisers to capitalize on discounted last-minute fares.

(Average Interior Cabin Price Trending for March 2025 sailing on Jewel of the Seas)

Another advantage to booking your cruise closer to departure is the added flexibility it offers. Last-minute cruising also allows for more flexibility to ensure the itinerary actually aligns with your schedule, alleviating some risk for unplanned cancellations. Personally, I saved hundreds of dollars booking last-minute cruises in 2022 when sailings were dirt cheap!

On the other hand, many people now recommend booking far in advance as the better option for cruise planning. This strategy allows cruisers to lock in a lower rate with the assumption that prices will continue to rise overtime. Booking early also provides more options for cabin selection and proper budgeting, along with opportunities to either reprice or upgrade your cabin at a reasonable cost.

The numbers don’t lie: If you want to save money on your cruise, booking early is the way to go

To address this question, the initial phase of our analysis focused on examining pricing trends over the past 12 months. By studying historical price fluctuations, we aimed to determine which booking strategy ultimately results in the cheapest cruise fare for guests.

Our research included a detailed review of both balcony and interior cabin pricing across 13 different Royal Caribbean ships. The itineraries were scheduled to sail in March 2025. The objective was to uncover patterns in how cruise fares change over time and identify the most cost-effective booking approach.

The results are clear: if you’re holding out for a last-minute cruise bargain, you might want to reconsider.

According to our analysis, the likelihood of paying a higher fare increases the longer you wait to book your cruise. Reviewing data from a full 12-month period, we found that cruise prices generally trended upward over time, though there were some fluctuations, which we will explore in more detail later. While the data shows some fluctuation overtime, the overall trend indicated that fares steadily climbed as the departure date approached.

Most notably, between February 2024 and February 2025, average cruise fares increased an average of 42% across the 13 ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Regardless of the itinerary or ship class, the trend was consistent across the board.

Balcony staterooms are more susceptible to price increases compared to inside cabins

Diving deeper in our analysis, we wanted to understand if cabin category contributed to price fluctuations in our data. When comparing balcony and interior staterooms, we found that balcony cruise fares had a more significant increase over the 12-month period.

On average, the data revealed that balcony cabins saw a price increase of 47% throughout the year across the 13 ships analyzed. In contrast, interior staterooms increased by only 35% for the same 12-month timeframe. But, the extent of the increase varied depending on the ship class.

Our analysis showed balcony cabins on Vision and Radiance class ships had a significantly higher price increase over the 12-month period. For example, the price for a balcony cabin on Brilliance of the Seas skyrocketed by 161% for one sailing in March 2025! Similarly, balconies on Vision class ships increased by nearly 50% for itineraries in the same month.

On the other hand, the cruise line’s newest and biggest ships have notably more balconies available to book. This leads to more stable pricing with an increase in supply. In this way, we see balcony fares on Oasis, Quantum, and Voyager class ships only had an increase of 32% during the 12-month period.

Because most cruisers prefer booking a balcony stateroom for their vacation, there is usually an increased demand for this stateroom type. However, older and smaller ships have far fewer balcony cabins available, leading to scarcity-driven price increases.

For this reason, Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest vessels have far more balcony staterooms onboard. This strategy lowers the demand with more supply available. Compared to older vessels, there are significantly more balcony staterooms for guests to book on Icon, Oasis, and Quantum class ship.

For instance, the oldest ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, Grandeur of the Seas, only has 122 balcony staterooms of the 997 cabins onboard. On the other hand, the much newer Odyssey of the Seas offers 1,482 balconies to book among its 1,922 total cabins. This represents a jump from just 12% of cabins being balconies to an impressive 77%.

If you’re wanting to book a balcony cabin on one of Royal Caribbean’s older and smaller ships, you might want to lock in your price sooner rather than later. However, if you’re sailing on a newer cruise ship, you won’t need to stress as much with more balcony stateroom options available.

The lowest cruise fares tend to be available around 10 months before departure

Now that we’ve proven the importance of booking your cruise as early as possible, you might be wondering just how far in advance you should lock in your reservation. In my opinion, this was one of the most insightful and fascinating takeaways from the analysis!

While it’s not a guarantee, our findings suggests that the optimal time to secure the best price is 10 to 12 months before departure. In fact, about half of the itineraries analyzed showed their lowest fares 10 months out from the sailing.

Because of the cruise line’s dynamic pricing, the trends fluctuate substantially over the 12-month period. Most trends show a slight decrease in price from 10 to 12 months, followed by a steady and consistent increase over the next nine months.

Beyond the 9-month mark, prices for both inside and balcony cabins began to rise at a more predictable rate, showing a consistent upward trend as the departure date approached. Prices were often the highest within 1 to 3 months prior to the itinerary’s departure date. This illustrates why last-minute cruise deals have been hard to come by with the last year!

The steepest price hikes typically occurred between 4 and 7 months before sailing. For cruises departing in March 2025, the most significant price jumps were observed between August 2024 and November 2024.

Surprisingly, price increases slowed down as the departure date of March 2025 approached. In the final three months before the sailing date, cruise prices appear to stabilize, with only slight increases leading up to embarkation. This trend remained consistent across all cabin categories and ship classes in our analysis.

(Difference in Average Price by Months from Departure)

Why do we see this pricing stabilization right before departure? A key factor to consider is Royal Caribbean’s final payment deadline, which is usually 90 days before departure date.

After final payment, the cruise line has a better idea of how many guests will be cruising and which cabins are sold for a particular sailing. Less variability and uncertainty leads to steadier pricing and fewer fluctuations in the final months before departure.

If you’ve already booked a cruise before the 10-month mark, consider adding a reminder in your calendar to check if your cruise price has decreased. You can also ask your travel agent to do this for you. Based on our findings, you might be eligible for a reprice at a lower rate. If your sailing prices continue to rise, rest assured you locked in the lowest rate!

The biggest outlier in the dataset was Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas

No analysis is complete without examining the outliers in our dataset. Among the itineraries and ships we analyzed, Icon of the Seas stood out as a clear anomaly. As Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest cruise ship, pricing on Icon of the Seas is less predictable and doesn’t align with the vessels.

When looking at the departure dates in March 2025, prices to sail on Icon of the Seas actually decreased from February 2024 to August 2024. One sailing showed a decrease of 42% in pricing during this timeframe. However, prices started to rise starting in September 2024 and continued increasing until February 2025.

Considering Royal Caribbean experienced record bookings and demand for Icon of the Seas, cruise fares were likely set higher than other ships in the cruise line’s fleet for March 2025 itineraries. When demand started to decline and cabins were not filling as anticipated, Royal Caribbean likely lowered prices to ensure cabins would continue to sell.

Those sailing on Icon of the Seas in the coming months should monitor cruise fares to potentially reprice for additional savings. This could also present an opportunity to upgrade your cabin for an affordable fare,

What other pricing insights can we gather from this data?

Our analysis unveiled other interesting tidbits about Royal Caribbean’s pricing trends over the last year. First, we see that Royal Caribbean’s newest ships are the most expensive, as expected.

However, we were surprised to see Wonder of the Seas was consistently the most expensive cruise ship to book in Royal Caribbean’s fleet for March 2025. The average cruise fare for an interior cabin on Wonder of the Seas was the most expensive in our dataset at $3,741, followed by Icon of the Seas at $2,146 and Symphony of the Seas at $1,899.

On the other hand, Royal Caribbean’s oldest and smallest ships were significantly cheaper. We see Brilliance of the Seas was the cheapest at $884 and Rhapsody of the Seas at $1,033 and Vision of the Seas at $1,098. Those looking to cruise on a budget should prioritize booking a Radiance or Vision class ship.

Read more: How much does a cruise ship cost to operate per day?

Our analysis also shows that some cruise ships had more price fluctuation than others. For instance, Utopia of the Seas had the least amount of price fluctuation, followed by Harmony of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

In contrast, Odyssey of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas had the highest volatility in pricing. This is likely due to lower supply with few cabins available, leading to more pricing fluctuation over the 12-month period.

Bottom line: If you’re sailing on an older cruise ship, booking early is crucial to avoid rapid price hikes. This is especially true if you’re wanting to book a balcony cabin. On the other hand, newer ships offer more pricing stability. Booking 10-12 months out still secures the best deal in our findings, with 10 months from departure showing the cheapest time to book your cruise.

I just turned 30-years-old this month, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t taken my fair share of cruises over the last three decades. Last week, I sailed on my 51st cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas. Of course, I have a few more cruises already planned for this year.

Between personal and professional travel, I’ve been lucky enough to cruise more than I ever imagined. I took my first cruise at 4-years-old and continued sailing each year with my family while growing up.

My passion for cruising has only accelerated in the last decade, and I continue to prioritize cruising with my friends, husband, and parents. Whether it’s a quick weekend getaway or an extended voyage to a far-flung destination, each cruise brings something new to appreciate.

As someone who enjoys frequent travel, I’ve learned valuable lessons about maximizing my cruise budget. There are infinite opportunities to splurge on a cruise vacation; spending extra isn’t always necessary.

Here are my best tips for saving and splurging on a cruise vacation from a budget cruiser.

Save: Book an interior cabin

When booking your cruise, you’ll need to decide which cabin category you want to book. You might be tempted to spend thousands of dollars on a suite or balcony cabin, but I don’t think this is always necessary.

I prefer booking an interior cabin most of the time to save money. These budget-friendly cabins have everything you need for a comfortable stay, despite not having a window or balcony. Considering I book many port-intensive sailings, I hardly spend any time in my cabin anyway.

The only time I choose to book a balcony cabin is when I’m sailing on an especially scenic itinerary, such as Alaska, Iceland, and Norway. The views on these stunning sailings are an essential part of the experience!

Splurge: Choose your cabin’s location

For many years, I booked the cheapest cabin available onboard, which was often an interior guarantee cabin. Although you might save some money, you give up any control over choosing your cabin’s location onboard.

After losing the stateroom lottery location multiple times, I’ve sworn off guarantee cabins for the foreseeable future. Whether my cabins were below the pool deck or above the nightclub, many sleepless nights on vacation left my frustrated.

Instead, I splurge on choosing my cabin’s location to ensure my stateroom is in a quiet, convenient, and comfortable location. Not to mention, cruise ships are sailing at almost full capacity, meaning the leftover cabins available for guarantee reservations are often the least desirable ones. This is a gamble that I’m no longer willing to make!

Read more: Cruise ship extra costs worth splurging on

Save: Skip the drink package

One of the most expensive cruise add-ons you can purchase is a drink package. While many travelers consider it a must-have for their cruises, it’s something I rarely choose to purchase for my trips.

After splurging on Royal Caribbean’s drink package for the first time a couple years ago, I quickly realized the investment was not worthwhile. I struggled to drink enough throughout the cruise to break even, and I often felt pressured to keep ordering drinks to justify the cost.

Instead, I’ve started to bring my own wine onboard while cruising to save money. Unless you have the stamina to drink frequently and consistently for your cruise, I’d suggest saving your money and forgoing the drink package. You can often find cheaper drinks in port and take advantage of the option to bring wine onboard, making it an easy way to cut costs without sacrificing enjoyment.

The only exception I make is for Celebrity Cruises’ All Included cruise fare, which bundles a standard drink package and internet package in the price. Last year, I booked a 15-night Australia cruise through my MEI travel agent at a group rate, which included these perks. By choosing this option, I actually saved money compared to booking directly with the cruise line without any extras.

Splurge: Book specialty dining

For many years, I avoided spending extra on specialty dining. I was always impressed with the main dining room food on a cruise and never felt the need to splurge on specialty dining. However, with recent cost-cutting measures affecting the quality and variety of complimentary dining, my perspective has shifted.

Now, I genuinely appreciate the elevated ambiance and dining experience, especially when cruising on longer itineraries. I almost always book specialty dining while cruising and highly recommend others do too.

You might also be surprised to learn that you can negotiate specialty dining prices. On my recent sailings with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, I saved anywhere from 30% to 50% by simply inquiring about a discount.

Cruise lines are eager to fill their specialty restaurants, so you can often see crew members promoting these venues throughout the ship. If you show some interest and insist that you’ll only dine at a discount, you’ll often be offered a lower rate, making it a great way to enjoy an upgraded dining experience without overspending.

Read more: Royal Caribbean loyalty match review

Save: Avoid the spa, casino, and onboard shops

Once you’re onboard a cruise ship, there are constant temptations to spend extra money. Onboard spending is extremely profitable for cruise lines; for instance, Royal Caribbean reported in its 2024 Q4 financial report that consumer spending onboard is significantly higher than 2023 levels, fueled by greater spending at higher prices.

For this reason, I steer clear of the onboard spa, casino, and shops so I am not tempted to spend money. It’s easy to spend extra when you can easily charge everything to your shipboard account.

Cruise ship spas are notoriously overpriced for the services they provide, and casinos make it extremely easy to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars. While onboard shops can be fun to browse, you’ll often find overpriced and poor-quality merchandise available for purchase.

Instead, I prefer spending my time onboard enjoying the included amenities and entertainment to save money. Your cruise will already feature activities, events, and shows at no extra cost. This allows you to have a fantastic vacation without blowing your budget.

Splurge: Interesting and desirable itineraries

While some cruisers prioritize the ship experience itself, others are drawn to cruises for the chance to explore new destinations and immerse themselves in different ports of call. As a world traveler, I am always looking for interesting cruise itineraries to visit new countries and destinations.

If you’re spending your hard-earned money and vacation time to go on a cruise, I recommend booking an itinerary that interests you. Don’t settle for ports of call that aren’t exciting. Unless you have unlimited resources and time, choosing a more desirable itinerary is always worth the extra cost to make the most of your vacation.

Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas has reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on its current sailing with nearly 100 sick guests onboard.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Radiance of the Seas reported 89 ill guests onboard its current voyage. Additionally, two crew members are reportedly ill with gastrointestinal symptoms onboard. 

The outbreak was reported to the CDC on February 4, 2025, with 4.1% passengers and 0.2% crew members reporting symptoms of the illness. There are currently 2,164 guests onboard and 910 crew members on the vessel. 

Radiance of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s smallest vessels, accommodating around 2,500 passengers at maximum capacity and measuring 90,090 gross tons.

Most guests on Radiance of the Seas are showing symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting - two of the predominant symptoms for gastrointestinal illness. Other common symptoms include muscle aches, headaches, abdominal cramps, or fever.

Radiance of the Seas is currently sailing on a 7-night itinerary to the Western Caribbean. The ship departed from Tampa, Florida on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The itinerary includes stops in Cozumel (Mexico), Roatan (Honduras), Belize City (Belize), and Costa Maya (Mexico). Radiance of the Seas is scheduled to return to Tampa, Florida on February 8, 2025.

Along with these details, the CDC included multiple steps taken by crew members aboard Radiance of the Seas in response to the outbreak. First, the cruise line increased cleaning and disinfection on the ship, based on Royal Caribbean’s outbreak prevention and response protocol.

In addition, the cruise line has collected stool specimens from the gastrointestinal illness cases to be used for testing. This can help identify the cause of the outbreak, which could be norovirus. Ill passengers and crew members have also been isolated to reduce potential illness spread.

Royal Caribbean is consulting with VSP to address the outbreak, which is the Vessel Sanitation Program run by the CDC. Based on the report, VSP is monitoring the situation and reviewing Radiance of the Seas’ sanitation procedures and outbreak response.

Is this an outbreak of norovirus?

At this time, it’s unclear if the gastrointestinal illness outbreak is caused by norovirus. The CDC does not list a causative agent for the outbreak, which is defined as the specific organism responsible for the development of the disease.

However, the CDC states, “Norovirus is often a cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships, but we don't always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation.”

“Finding the agent that caused an outbreak (causative agent) can take time. When an outbreak occurs, people whose symptoms met the case definition are asked to provide stool or vomitus samples. These samples are tested to determine the causative agent. In this outbreak, samples are pending confirmatory testing,” continues the CDC.

Cruise ships are required to report cases of gastrointestinal illnesses to the CDC. The government agency states, “Reporting gastrointestinal illness is important. When passengers and crew tell the medical center onboard about their symptoms, it helps GI illness outbreaks get detected quickly. This allows steps to be taken to limit the spread of illness.”

Outbreaks of norovirus are on the rise across the U.S.

Norovirus cases have been surging over the recent weeks in the United States based on CDC data. The total number of outbreaks reported in the 2024–2025 season exceeds the range recorded during the same period in the 2012–2020 and 2021–2024 seasons.

The CDC reported 91 suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreaks in the United States for the first week of December 2024. This is the highest number recorded for that week since 2012. Outbreaks of norovirus are most common from November to April with millions of people getting sick each year.

No one knows for sure why norovirus cases are surging this season. YaleMedicine states the current strain was once uncommon in the United States, meaning many people lack immunity to the specific strain circulating. Cases normally surge in the winter months when people tend to congregate inside, particularly around the holiday season.

(Number of Suspected or Confirmed Norovirus Outbreaks Reported by NoroSTAT-Participating States Per Week, 2012–2025)

Norovirus is not respiratory, meaning it does not spread by sneezing or coughing. Instead, norovirus spreads by contaminated food, water or surfaces, making it highly contagious. Because of this, proper handwashing with soap and water is the best way to prevent the spread. Most hand sanitizers don’t work well against the virus.

Radiance of the Seas is the sixth vessel to report an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, according to data provided by the CDC. The following ships have reported outbreaks in 2025, along with the identified causation agent. 

• Royal Caribbean International: Radiance of the Seas (2/1–2/8/2025) – Unknown

• Princess Cruises: Coral Princess (1/20–2/5/2025) – Norovirus

• Viking Ocean Cruises: Viking Mars (1/10–1/24/2025) – Unknown

• Holland America Line: Volendam (1/4–1/25/2025) – Norovirus

• Silversea Cruises: Silver Ray (1/4–1/20/2025) – E. coli

• Sea Cloud Cruises: Sea Cloud Spirit (1/4–1/10/2025) – Presumed Ciguatera

In contrast, 18 outbreaks on cruise ships were reported to the CDC in 2024. Although norovirus is often called the “cruise ship disease,” only 1% of reported outbreaks are associated with cruise ships. Outbreaks are more common on college campuses, hospitals, and nursing homes where people are living in close quarters.

What is Royal Caribbean’s protocol?

All cruise lines are required to have robust protocols to address illness outbreaks. Royal Caribbean’s health protocols are enacted once a certain percentage of guests report symptoms.

In a statement to USA Today, Royal Caribbean stated, “Enhanced measures have been implemented onboard in an abundance of caution to protect the health and comfort of all our guests and crew.”

These protocols include the following:

1. Stopping self-service in buffets if the onboard rate exceeds 1.5%
2. Enhanced acute GI training for onboard medical teams
3. Switching to PDI SaniCloth Prime hospital-grade disinfectant wipes
4. Enhanced crew training on what to do when experiencing acute GI symptoms and how to avoid cross-contamination in food and beverage service areas