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

This adorable dog has been living on the world's largest cruise ship ever since Icon of the Seas launched one year ago.

Royal Caribbean awarded Rover the coveted title of “Chief Dog Officer” aboard Icon of the Seas. Joining the ship at just six months old, the golden retriever puppy has been living onboard ever since. As one of the most beloved residents on Icon of the Seas, Rover has a very important role: to bring happiness, joy, and love to all guests and crew members onboard.

Icon of the Seas, the biggest ship in the world, accommodates up to 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members - keeping Rover quite busy! Of course, Rover does not have free rein onboard the vessel. She is meticulously cared for by her handler, Alison Hubble. 

Known as Rover’s Chief of Staff, Hubble's only job is caring, training, and handling Rover aboard the ship. The dynamic duo meets many guests both onboard and ashore, as Rover is able to explore some ports of call while living aboard Icon of the Seas.

Even still, having a dog live on a cruise ship is unprecedented. According to USA Today, Royal Caribbean first consulted with animal welfare experts at the American Humane Society before bringing her on the ship. This helped ensure Rover is safe, comfortable, and happy onboard Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean even designed a special cabin onboard for Rover and Alison to live together comfortably. The spacious stateroom includes a built-in crate to maintain Rover's safety. Toys and fluffy beds are available around the cabin for Rover to play and nap - what a sweet life!

In a recent video on social media, Royal Caribbean shared a glimpse into Rover’s busy life on Icon of the Seas, including how she continues to capture the hearts of passengers and crew members alike.

First, Rover shares her favorite spot onboard the world’s largest cruise ship

In her exclusive interview on social media, Rover first shares that her favorite place to hang out onboard Icon of the Seas is Central Park. 

Throughout the clips, Rover can be seen sniffing the many different real plants and trees located in Central Park. Dogs have a strong sense of smell, so Rover likely appreciates discovering the real-life greenery in Central Park and taking in the fresh air.

In her day-in-the-life video, Rover shares, “Central Park is my favorite spot. I call it ‘Central Bark.' I love sniffing all the trees, plants, and fresh air. I get to wag hello to everyone as they walk - and relax in the shade!”

Central Park has become a guest favorite and is a standout venue on Royal Caribbean's biggest cruise ships. Originally debuting on Oasis-class vessels, Icon of the Seas also features the serene neighborhood. Renowned for its open-air design, Central Park is considered one of the most innovative spaces on Royal Caribbean’s biggest cruise ships.

To keep the plants alive aboard the vessel, Central Park utilizes a sophisticated irrigation and fertilization system to keep the foliage green and lusciously beautiful. For Rover, this offers many exciting opportunities for new smells and lots of sniffing!

Next, the Chief Dog Officer explains some of her key duties while living on Icon of the Seas

Embracing their vision of creating the ultimate family vacation, Royal Caribbean saw the perfect opportunity to introduce a family dog to live at sea.

Having a dog live full-time onboard a cruise ship was an unprecedented move by Royal Caribbean; however, the marketing strategy was extremely well received. Rover has become synonymous with Icon of the Seas, as many passengers eagerly look for her presence.

In her interview, Rover explains, “It’s literally my job to bring positive vibes, have tons of fun, and make people smile!”

Guests are welcome - and encouraged - to playfully pet and interact with Rover during their vacation. She will never turn down a quick belly rub from happy guests onboard! Both passengers and crew find great joy in her furry presence - and Rover takes her job very seriously. 

Rover is also known for playing fetch and exercising around the ship in venues that aren’t in use, including the helipad! With busy days onboard, Rover tries to spend time with both guests and crew members to keep everyone in high spirits. However, Rover often won’t be seen in crowded areas or food areas for her well-being. 

Rover also has exclusive access to the ship’s bridge, where she loves to take naps!

All that playing and exploring can be quite tiring, especially for Rover! The friendly pup has a busy schedule of socializing and napping between interactions. In particular, Rover shares how she loves to take naps while visiting the captain on the ship's bridge. 

“Being Chief Dog Officer means I get to hang out on the bridge with the captain. I usually rest up on my bed in there - taking lots of naps with wag-worthy views,” explains Rover.

The captain can be seen giving Rover lots of love and attention in the clips, playfully petting her, and tossing the ball. Not many pups get to play fetch with sweeping views of the ocean. Rover is even allowed to sit in the most important seat on the ship: the captain’s chair!

Even better, it appears Rover has her own cozy napping spot on the bridge, complete with a big, fluffy pink bed. The wooden dog house is another example of Royal Caribbean’s commitment to Rover’s comfort and safety on Icon of the Seas, even on the ship’s bridge.

With so much love and attention, Rover loves making everyone happy onboard Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean made it clear that Rover is not a service dog, meaning she does not complete tasks for disability purposes. Instead, Rover’s only job onboard is to bring love, joy, and happiness to everyone onboard Icon of the Seas.

During Rover’s interview, she was asked what she loves most about being Icon of the Seas’ Chief Dog Officer. She replied, “Paws down, it’s the crew. I love how happy everyone is to see me. I get so many pets and love when they’re around. It’s a dream come true!”

During cruises, Rover is available for meet-and-greets with fellow passengers. She also takes her training sessions seriously, often followed by some well-deserved playtime around the ship.

As Royal Caribbean hoped, Rover is one of the most beloved attractions on Icon of the Seas. Many guests will wait several days for the opportunity to meet her - and some even bring gifts to share with Rover.

Fortunately, Rover isn’t limited to the cruise ship—she gets to explore some ports of call as well!

Even with an atypical life for a dog, Rover has plenty of opportunities to explore the world. She can often be seen running around Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. Because this private destination is owned and operated by the cruise line, Rover is allowed to explore and play around the island.  Supposedly, Rover also has permission to go ashore in Miami, Florida - which is Icon of the Seas’ homeport.

During her interview, Rover was asked about her favorite activity on the island. She replied, “I love hitting the beach to run, swim, and roll around in the sand. Phew! Playing fetch is the best. My Chief of Staff throws the ball so far and I get to show everyone how fast I am.”

Rover’s handler shared that she absolutely loves running on the beach at CocoCay and highlighted her impressive swimming skills. For Rover, this is her special day of the week to let loose, run around, and burn off all her energy.

In the clip, Rover is seen enthusiastically playing fetch with her handler on the sandy beach of CocoCay. She is also seen playing in the sand, rolling around, and jumping in the water. After all that playtime in the sun and sand, Rover says she needs to clean off back in her cabin.

Rover explains, “Then, I cool off with a fresh bath before snuggling up for a well-deserved snooze on the ship.” Once she's all clean, Rover's handler says she always needs a nap after playing so much. 

Rover also shared a glimpse into her training schedule while onboard

Like any good canine, Rover loves to earn treats by perfecting her skillset. Along with her handler, Rover keeps busy with training while she’s not out and about on the ship. Rover says her favorite rewards include beef treats, which she earns while practicing some of her newest tricks with her Chief of Staff.

Each day consists of training for Rover, typically in the morning. After morning potty breaks, Rover enjoys playtime and training time to ensure she is up-to-date on her skills. Royal Caribbean needs to keep Rover well-behaved so she continues to be obedient while interacting with passengers and crew members.

In addition, maintaining Rover’s calm disposition is important, as she interacts with many children. This heightens the importance of Rover’s obedience, as she looks to her handler for instructions and commands in these situations.

“I love my yummy beef training treats. I earn them when I’m practicing new skills or keeping old ones sharp. I can do all kinds of commands - and I’m working on really cool tricks, like spinning, rolling over, and cleaning up my toys after I play,” says Rover. In the clip, Rover shows off some of her best tricks for the audience, including the impressive task of cleaning up toys!

Rover also encourages guests to wave to her when they see her onboard, as this is one of her latest skills. Rover exclaims, “If you see me around, give me a wave and I might wave back!”

Of course, Rover can’t wait to meet her new friend, Sailor, on the upcoming Star of the Seas

Although Rover was the first dog to live at sea for Royal Caribbean, she will soon have a new friend joining her. With the August 2025 debut of Star of the Seas - the latest Icon Class ship - Rover will be joined by a new pup, Sailor.

At the end of the interview, Rover shares how she can’t wait to meet her new friend later this year when the ship debuts. Rover states, “I’m super excited to meet my new friend! Sailor will be the Chief Dog Officer on Star of the Seas.”

Read more: Royal Caribbean will have a dog that lives on Star of the Seas

Certain nights of your Royal Caribbean cruise will have a theme to them, and you might want to pack your suitcase accordingly.

Each night of your Royal Caribbean cruise will typically feature a unique theme or attire suggestion. These themed nights create a vibrant, fun atmosphere onboard and help set the tone for the night. Picture a Caribbean-style celebration, a Greek toga party or a throwback to the 80s with music, dancing and costumes.

In addition, one of the most popular themed nights is formal night, known as “Dress Your Best” on Royal Caribbean. On this night, guests are able to dress to the nines with elegant attire. For formal night, you can expect to see evening gowns, cocktail dresses, suits, and tuxedos. 

Themed nights will vary significantly based on your particular ship and itinerary. Longer itineraries will normally have multiple themed nights, while Royal Caribbean’s shorter itineraries might only feature one or two. Certain ships might have specific themed nights or parties that you won't find elsewhere, such as the Toga Party on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas. 

According to the cruise line’s website, sailings with four or more nights will have themed nights onboard. Royal Caribbean states that specific themed events, including dates and times, might not be available until you board the ship. You can expect to find the themed nights communicated in the Royal Caribbean app or onboard in the daily Cruise Compass.

Even if you can’t see the themed nights beforehand, we have are a few strategies to help you plan ahead and pack appropriately. Here’s what you can expect for Royal Caribbean’s themed nights onboard your cruise and some of our best tips to plan accordingly.

How can I find the themed nights on Royal Caribbean before my cruise?

Finding the themed nights for your Royal Caribbean cruise ahead of time has never been easier. First, you should check the Royal Caribbean app for information about your sailing a few weeks before your embarkation date. Download the Royal Caribbean app to your phone and login to see your specific sailing.

Around two to three weeks before cruising, you should be able to see specific activities for your cruise. Scroll under the “Daily Planner” section to preview the hourly details and event descriptions. 

Navigate to the dinner time slot, around 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and look for the “Tonight’s Attire” event. You should be able to see the evening theme for each night of your itinerary. You can swipe through every day in the daily planner for a full preview of your cruise.

In addition, if you go under the “Helpful Hints” banner on the home screen, you can typically see the nightly attire displayed here for your cruise. In fact, if you look at your Day 1 overview, Royal Caribbean provides a general outline for what to pack for evening attire. We recommend checking the app before packing for your cruise to ensure you don't miss out on any of these themed evenings onboard!

What if my sailing is further in the future?

If your sailing is still several weeks or months away, you can still use the Royal Caribbean app to get an idea of the themed nights on your itinerary.

By checking your ship’s current sailing, you can see the daily planner and anticipate what to expect for your cruise. This hack works best for ships sailing on routine itineraries, such as Icon of the Seas, but you can still get a good idea of what to expect for each night. 

Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Royal Caribbean app
2. Go to the Profile tab (the icon of a person in the top-right corner)
3. Select the option to ‘Select a different cruise’
4. Scroll down to the bottom where it says ‘Don’t see your cruise?’ and tap ‘Let’s add it now.’
5. Choose ‘Browse Ships’ and select the ship you will be sailing on
6. Select a sailing date that includes either today or the following week
7. Select an itinerary with a duration similar to yours

After this, the Royal Caribbean app will load the itinerary you selected and allow you to browse through the daily planner for events and activities. You should be able to find the current itinerary’s themed nights in this way. Cruise ships operate on a routine schedule usually, so you can likely anticipate similar themes during your cruise.

You could also look online for past Cruise Compasses that were posted online by prior guests. Take a look at our Cruise Compass page, where we try to upload past Cruise Compasses as often as we can from other cruisers. Your itinerary or cruise ship's Facebook page could also be a good resource for this. By looking at older Cruise Compasses, this allows you to get an idea of activities and themed nights on your cruise ship based on earlier sailings.

What themed nights can I expect on Royal Caribbean?

While you might not have the exact themed nights before embarkation, Royal Caribbean tends to have the same themes across its fleet. To be prepared, you should plan to pack a variety of evening attire for your Royal Caribbean cruise.

That said, there’s no need to stress about your outfits! In general, Royal Caribbean’s main dining room leans towards the more casual side these days. Here’s a breakdown of the cruise line’s most popular themed nights, along with descriptions of what to expect for each.

Formal - Dress Your Best

Almost every itinerary will feature at least one formal evening, known as “Dress Your Best” on Royal Caribbean. The cruise line encourages guests to embrace a more glamorous and chic look for these evenings. Formal attire includes cocktail dresses, evening gowns, tuxedoes and suits.

These black-tie outfits are intended to reflect elegance and sophistication. In addition, some itineraries could feature a “Dress Your Best or White Night” attire where guests can choose to wear white or formal wear. 

To help guests prepare, Royal Caribbean provides general guidance on the number of formal nights to expect on its website. The guidelines are based on the length of the cruise, along with the typical schedule you are likely to find onboard. 

• 3-5 Night Cruises - (1) Formal Night: Usually on Day 2
• 6-Night Cruises - (2) Formal Nights: Usually on Day 2 and 5
• 7-Night Cruises - (2) Formal Nights: Usually on Day 2 and 6
• 8-10 Night Cruises - (2) Formal Nights: Days vary
• 11-14 Night Cruises - (3) Formal Nights: Days vary
• 15+ Night Cruises - (3-4) Formal Nights: Days and number vary

Casual

During your cruise, most evenings will feature casual attire in the main dining room. Royal Caribbean encourages guests to wear relaxed, comfortable outfits on these evenings for a laidback atmosphere. In my experience, casual night is very flexible, with most outfits being acceptable as long as they adhere to Royal Caribbean's dress codes.

Casual night is designed to be easygoing - you're on vacation, after all! Casual attire includes jeans, polo shirts, sundresses, and blouses. The cruise line also prohibits shorts for dinner in the dining room, although these are allowed for breakfast and lunch. Additionally, swimwear, tank tops and bare feet are never allowed in the dining room on Royal Caribbean.

Occasionally, casual nights may also include a themed element. For instance, Utopia of the Seas has its famed Toga Night onboard. For the evening, this theme is called “Casual or Toga Night," in which guests have the opportunity to bring out their inner Greek god or goddess with their “most elegant toga to celebrate the occasion." 

Smart Casual

One step above casual wear is smart casual; albeit a very small step. Royal Caribbean describes smart casual attire as elevated typical dinner wear. Smart casual could include collared shirts, dresses, skirts, blouses and pantsuits. The cruise line also encourages jackets, sports coats and blazers as a “nice touch” to outfits.

Again, in my experience, this is loosely followed by Royal Caribbean cruisers onboard, allowing for plenty of outfit flexibility. While some passengers enjoy dressing up a bit more, most opt for attire similar to what they would wear on casual nights.

Tropical / Caribbean Night

Along with casual night, Royal Caribbean’s itineraries will usually feature at least one tropical or Caribbean themed evening. The cruise line describes this as, “Dress casually, but with a tropical twist. This is the reason you brought those floral-patterned shirts!”

If you’re heading to the Caribbean, be sure to pack a Hawaiian shirt or tropical pattern attire for this evening. Tropical night is also common on itineraries outside of the Caribbean, so don’t hesitate to pack Caribbean-themed clothes on other destinations too.

For certain cruises, you might see tropical night paired with Red Night as well. For this theme, guests are encouraged to wear bold and vibrant red outfits - or they can stick to the classic island-inspired attire too. Red Night is more common on Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, such as Utopia of the Seas or Icon of the Seas.

White Night

Another popular theme night on Royal Caribbean is known as White Night. For Royal Caribbean, guests are encouraged to dress in their best white attire for this evening. This could include white collared shirts, linen pants, blouses, polo shirts, or dresses. The more white you can incorporate into your outfit, the better!

As mentioned previously, sometimes Royal Caribbean will pair White Night with Dress Your Best night. This provides an opportunity for cruisers to showcase their elegant white attire on formal night. In addition, there is often a white-out party in the evening where all party-goers don their best white outfits.

This theme has skyrocketed in popularity, with many guests eagerly participating in the white night theme. As such, don’t hesitate to pack your best white outfit!

70s/80s Night

Decade-themed parties are also very popular on Royal Caribbean cruises. These themed nights can be usually coupled with casual nights, in which guests have the choice to be casual or “get groovy” with their outfits.

For this evening, guests have the option to wear retro-inspired outfits for certain decades (usually the 70s or 80s) or stick to casual staples, such jeans and dresses. On this themed night, you can also expect a fun decade-themed party at some point in the night. Don’t be surprised to find the promenade packed with groovy cruisers dancing the night away.

Royal Caribbean will need a little more time to finish scheduled work on Serenade of the Seas.

Serenade of the Seas was originally built in 2003, and is scheduled for dry dock maintenance in March 2025. Royal Caribbean routinely dry docks its ships approximately every five years to ensure the vessels operate at the highest standards. 

These routine repairs also ensure Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships continue to sail safely. Most often, Royal Caribbean’s ships go into dry dock in Cadiz, Spain before returning to service. 

Guests cruising on the March 9, 2025 sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas received an email from Royal Caribbean that their sailing has been cancelled due to unforeseen repair needs. 

The cruise line stated, “We have discovered that Serenade of the Seas requires additional servicing beyond planned repairs and maintenance, which extends her currently scheduled dry dock period.”

“To ensure that we meet our high standards, and due to the availability at the shipyard, we must advance the dry dock schedule. As a result, we’ll be canceling our upcoming March 9, 2025, sailing,” continued the cruise line.

Serenade of the Seas is currently sailing in the Caribbean with itineraries throughout February 2025. The vessel is scheduled to sail on February 28, 2025 on a 9-night sailing to Panama and Costa Rica from Tampa, Florida. The round-trip sailing ends back in Florida on March 9, 2025.

Now, Serenade of the Seas will head to her dry dock earlier than anticipated. It’s likely that she will embark on a transatlantic sailing to Spain following the conclusion of her February 28, 2025 cruise; however, this has not been confirmed by the cruise line.

The next sailing on Serenade of the Seas after her dry dock is scheduled for April 13, 2025. The 16-night Panama Canal cruise itinerary, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and ends in Los Angeles, California, has not been impacted at this time.

Guests affected by the cancelled cruise have been offered three alternative options, along with compensation for the last-minute change. Royal Caribbean has set a deadline of February 5, 2025, for guests to make their selection.

“Thank you for understanding, and we hope you find another cruise with us. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore, relax, and recharge, we have no doubt your time with us will be nothing short of amazing,” concluded Royal Caribbean at the bottom of its email.

Alternative Itineraries

In the email to impacted guests, Royal Caribbean expressed its regret for needing to cancel the sailing due to the unforeseen repair needs. However, alternative itineraries were provided for guests to choose during the similar timeframe. 

The email reads, “We’re truly sorry for the impact that this has on your vacation plans. The time and effort you took to plan your cruise is important to us, so we’ve put together some alternate options that we hope will work for you and those in your party.”

In the communication, Royal Caribbean provided impacted guests with other itinerary options to choose from. These include the following sailings on other Royal Caribbean ships:

Enchantment of the Seas (From Tampa, Florida):

•  4-night cruises visiting Cozumel, Mexico (March 6th or March 20th).

•  5-night cruises visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico (March 1st, 10th, 24th, or 29th).

Grandeur of the Seas (From Fort Lauderdale, Florida):

•  5-night cruises visiting Labadee, Haiti, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (March 2nd or 30th).

Voyager of the Seas (From Port Canaveral, Florida):

• 5-night cruise visiting Nassau, Bahamas, and Labadee, Haiti (March 22nd).

Guests that choose to book one of these alternative itineraries will be compensated with onboard credit for the inconvenience.

Royal Caribbean states that guests who choose a 5-night sailing will have their original stateroom category price either protected at the original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower).

If guests choose a 4-night sailing, their cruise fare will either be adjusted to the new cruise fare rate or prorated for the change in sailing nights, whichever option results in a lesser fare. Any overage will be refunded to impacted guests.

Guests that were already paid in full that have a newly reduced cruise fare will be provided with a refund for any price difference.

Onboard credit will be allocated to “sweeten the deal” based on cabin category, along with additional credit for each guest in the stateroom:

• $150 USD for Interior

• $200 USD for Ocean View

• $250 USD for Balcony

• $400 USD for Suites

• Plus $50 USD per additional guest in the same stateroom.

Cruisers will also be reimbursed for any non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees that are incurred. This includes flight, train ticket, or rental car fees. Royal Caribbean states they will cover up to $200 USD per guest for domestic changes and up to $400 USD per passenger for international changes. Guests must upload receipts for review and reimbursement.

Additional Options

If the alternative sailings do not work, Royal Caribbean will allow impacted guests to rebook another sailing with the cruise line. Any non-refundable deposit change fees will be waived for these guests.

The cruise line states, “Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities (where applicable), and other non-cruise fare items. If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference.”

These guests will also receive reimbursement for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees that might be incurred for flights, train tickets, or rental cars. Again, Royal Caribbean will cover up to $200 USD per guest for domestic changes and up to $400 USD per guest for international changes.

Finally, guests that do not want to rebook have the option to cancel fully for a refund. Royal Caribbean stated, “If you can’t find a new itinerary that works for you and choose to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go, but hope you’ll come back soon.”

“If rebooking doesn’t suit your plans, you can cancel your reservation for a full refund and receive a 20% Future Cruise Credit based on the amount you paid.”

Guests using Future Cruise Credit on the sailing will receive a refund for any new funds paid above the certificate amount and a new certificate will be issued. Those who booked airfare with Royal Caribbean will have flights automatically refunded.

For guests wishing to cancel, Royal Caribbean says no action needs to be taken. Those who do not make a decision by February 5, 2025 will have their reservation cancelled and refunded with Future Cruise Credit issued.

“As we work to complete these updates, you may see no action has been taken after the deadline has passed. Not to worry, we’ll update your booking accordingly,” confirmed the cruise line.

One cruiser was surprised how much they enjoyed Carnival after cruising with Royal Caribbean for years.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line are two of the most popular mainstream cruise lines in the world. Royal Caribbean is known for building some of the biggest and most advanced cruise ships in the world. On the other hand, Carnival Cruise Line has just started constructing mega cruise ships in the last five years. 

Carnival's focus on fun can be misconstrued as a party-centric experience. For this reason, many cruisers tend to be either loyal to Royal Caribbean or diehard fans of Carnival Cruise Line. As two of the top competitors in the industry, the cruise lines have more in common than you might think. 

Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line offer affordable cruise fares onboard their family-friendly vessels. Some argue that Carnival’s newest and most innovative ships in their Excel class rival Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships. With many dining choices and plenty of onboard thrills, the two classes are quite similar.

One cruiser recently shared their first-time experience on Carnival Cruise Line after being loyal to Royal Caribbean for years. The user, @Itwo_Inokam, detailed their first impressive Carnival cruise onboard Carnival Jubilee on Reddit in the r/Cruise subreddit.

Carnival Jubilee is the newest and biggest ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. The Excel class vessel was launched in 2023 and holds 6,500 passengers at capacity. Prior to sailing on Carnival Jubilee, the cruiser stated they sailed twice on Allure of the Seas.

In the post, the first-time cruiser shared, "I am SO SO glad we booked! We had been loyal to Royal previously and have Emerald status. We will still do Royal, and eventually want to try Icon [of the Seas], but I feel like my first cruise on Carnival has beat my last two on Royal.”

Here’s why the first-timer’s family cruise with Carnival Cruise Line exceeded expectations after cruising with Royal Caribbean.

One of the most pleasant surprises from cruising with Carnival was the inclusion of so many restaurants onboard

Many cruisers praise Carnival Cruise Line for having a multitude of casual dining options included in their cruise fare. The majority of restaurants on Carnival’s Excel class ships are complimentary, with only a few select specialty options for splurging.

The first-time Carnival cruiser said, “The food was incredible! We ate at Chibang, Cucina del Capitano, and did all of the Street Eats, Guy’s [Burger Joint], Big Chicken, and BlueIguana Cantina.”

The cruiser found some of the complimentary dining options on Carnival were comparable to specialty dining on Royal Caribbean. The first-timer said, “We just can't believe how many choices there were that weren't an up-charge, and all delicious. Some definitely would be considered specialty dining on Royal Caribbean.”

With this, the cruiser found Carnival to be better value for the money. They commented, “Because Carnival includes so much at no up-charge, we came out with a significantly lower bill. Experiences with our kids at dining options that would have been a per-person charge on Royal, weren’t on Carnival.”

Further, the cruiser said they attempted to try all of the food during their cruise, but nearly ran out of time because there were so many options.

“We tried so hard to try everything, and it was just too much. And we were amazed at how good it all was. The type of quality was what you'd expect from specialty dining or an up-charge. Also, even items that were an up-charge like Emeril’s [Bistro] were so cheap for the quality! Same with the seafood station on the lido deck,” concluded the cruiser.

Read more: Royal Caribbean vs Carnival: Which is a better choice?

On prior cruises with Royal Caribbean, the cruiser stated that their main dining room and buffet experiences were somewhat disappointing. The long-time Royal Caribbean cruiser said they have personally noticed a decline in the dining experience, including the Windjammer buffet and main dining room.

The cruiser explained, “It’s so sad - [Royal Caribbean] wasn’t always like it is now. One of my favorite parts of cruising is eating and trying new foods. [Now], you’re pushed into getting the specialty dining because the Windjammer is a miss more than a hit. On our last two [cruises], the dining room was unbelievably slow only to receive warm to cold food.”

Carnival’s Camp Ocean was particularly impressive and accommodating for the first-time cruiser and his kids

Along with Carnival Jubilee’s expansive dining options, the family was especially wowed by the youth programming onboard. With a focus on family fun, Carnival Cruise Line has a well-established childcare program across its fleet, including a state-of-the-art facility on Carnival Jubilee.

In their experience, the cruiser stated, “My kids are 9 and 10, and they were actually mad when we picked them up from [Camp Ocean]. There is a room with over a dozen [Playstation consoles] and they also have structure, and do crafts and other activities with the kids.”

Additionally, the cruiser noted how the interactive staff also enhanced their experience. “My kids were the ones that pointed out how happy [the staff] seemed and they shared the staff played with and amongst the kids, and it made [Camp Ocean] even more fun.”

The family also preferred Carnival’s structure for its youth programming, as the experience aligned better with the family’s needs

Although Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line both provide childcare options onboard their ships, each cruise line takes a slightly different approach. For this family, Carnival’s approach to youth programming was preferred.

“The hours on Carnival’s kids’ club aren’t broken up where you need to find additional activities for kids. You can leave them in there, if they want to stay, as soon as it opens,” the parent explained.

In contrast, the cruiser stated Royal Caribbean had more strict hours for drop-off times on their cruises. ”On Royal Caribbean, you need to get them out for all meals. It closes at 12 and then reopens at 2, I think, and closes again at 5 - and opens back after dinner,” stated the cruiser.

Because they limit screen time and tablet use, the cruiser said filling these gaps during the day on Royal Caribbean can be taxing. To keep their kids entertained on Royal Caribbean, the poster said they often found activities, classes, or events that required an extra cost. This often resulted in the cruiser’s kids not wanting to return to Adventure Ocean on Royal Caribbean.

Clarifying this perspective, the cruiser stated, “I am not saying that people shouldn't want to spend time with their kids, I'm just sharing that for us, we'd have to find or pay for activities for the kids and they often didn’t want to go back once we picked them up for lunch.”

Because the kids enjoyed their time at Camp Ocean, the cruiser was able to relax more and save money during their Carnival cruise.

The poster shared, “Even though Carnival has classes you can pay for, we didn't need to because they have so many free things for kids, and [Camp Ocean] on Jubilee made the kids want to stay in it so we didn't need to find or pay for as many options for them."

In the end, Carnival’s flexible hours and attentive staff helped facilitate a welcoming and fun environment for the family’s children. Compared to prior experiences with Royal Caribbean, the first-timer preferred Carnival’s childcare for the value.

Along with childcare, the first-time cruiser also loved all of the free activities available for everyone

During their cruise on Carnival Jubilee, the family was also blown away by all of the activities and entertainment available. The cruise line is known for having a lively and energetic atmosphere with nonstop fun from the moment you get onboard. Part of this includes a variety of events while sailing, especially on larger vessels with more guests to entertain.

“The amount of free activities for everyone, but especially the kids, will definitely keep us coming back. The adult entertainment and amount of varied activities was incredible,” shared the cruiser.

During their time on Carnival Jubilee, the cruiser said they enjoyed watching gameshows as a family, including Love & Marriage, Family Feud, and Deal or No Deal. The first-time Carnival cruiser said, “We couldn't keep up with all of the choices and options for shows each evening.”

Read more: Is Carnival Jubilee worth the hype? My honest review

After sailing on Carnival Jubilee, the family has already booked another Carnival cruise

Even though the family was hesitant to venture from Royal Caribbean, the first-time Carnival cruiser was happy with their experience. From the snazzy ship design to the impressive dining experience and Camp Ocean, the family plans to return to Carnival Cruise Line.

As for Carnival’s bad reputation, this first-time cruiser said Carnival doesn’t deserve the bad rap. “I'm sorry to admit that I used to contribute to it and had never even sailed the line. I just believed what others would say…and justify avoiding them even though we hadn't been pleased with Royal on the last two cruises.”

In the end, the family had an overwhelmingly positive experience on Carnival Jubilee. The cruiser stated, “For the affordability and quality, I feel like we more than got our money's worth! If you're on the fence about Carnival, I'd encourage you to try it on a newer ship sailing 7+ days.”

In fact, the poster shared in the comment section that their family has already booked a future sailing with Carnival.

In the comments, many cruisers agreed with the first-time Carnival cruiser

After detailing their first Carnival cruise onboard Carnival Jubilee, the Reddit post resonated with other cruisers. First, one of the most common opinions in the comment section involved the food. Many cruisers preferred Carnival’s complimentary dining compared to Royal Caribbean’s dining options.

“The Windjammer had constant lines to get in. The pizza and burgers were bad - cafe style patties put out on a tray with half stale buns. Nothing like Guy’s [Burger Joint] on Carnival,” shared one Carnival cruiser.

Another responder said, “My wife and I took our honeymoon cruise on Jubilee’s sister ship, Celebration, in 2023 and we had the time of our lives. Service was amazing, so many incredible food options that we didn’t even get to try them all (Big Chicken was our go-to).”

One commenter noted how they felt Carnival’s complimentary food surpassed even some of Royal Caribbean’s specialty dining. The cruiser explained, “Really irritating [Johnny Rockets] was not included, yet I could get Guy’s [Burger Joint] and BlueIguana Cantina, which were pretty darn good (better than the paid-for stuff at Royal), for free."

In particular, Carnival fans agreed that Excel class ships rivaled Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ships. One cruiser stated, “The Excel Class ships are really nice. Much closer to the Royal experience, but with far better food. We love doing them but just wish they had better entertainment.”

Another overarching theme in the comment section involved Carnival Cruise Line getting a bad reputation compared to Royal Caribbean. Each cruise line offers a different experience, which can align with some travelers better than others. For some, Royal Caribbean is a better option while others prefer Carnival's experience. 

One responder said, “Glad you enjoyed it. Carnival undeservedly gets a bad rap and it's created by those who have never cruised with them.”

Similarly, another cruiser shared, “So tired of seeing the same lame ‘Walmart of the Seas’ comment. Yes, the average customer base is not the same as Celebrity or Princess, but that’s the point! There’s something for everyone with cruising.”

A medical emergency has delayed the return of a Royal Caribbean ship to its home port.

Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas will be delayed returning to Baltimore, Maryland, due to a medical evacuation. Because of the emergency, Vision of the Seas unexpectedly diverted in San Juan, Puerto Rico to evacuate the passenger before continuing its sailing.

The docking in San Juan has caused Vision of the Seas to be delayed on its current voyage, which will push back the ship’s return by one day to Baltimore. This diversion will also cause the ship's following 12-night itinerary on January 16, 2024 to depart one day later. 

According to guests onboard the current sailing, Vision of the Seas will now return to Baltimore on Friday, January 17, 2025 at 7:00 am. Guests will be able to disembark the vessel at this time. 

The Vision class ship was sailing on a 12-night round-trip itinerary from Baltimore, Maryland to the Caribbean. Ports of call included St. Croix, St. John’s, St. Maarten, Martinique and St. Kitts & Nevis. 

Vision of the Seas departed St. Kitts on January 12, 2024 to begin sailing back to Baltimore, Maryland. The ship was scheduled to have three sea days before returning to Baltimore on Thursday, January 16, 2025. Guests currently aboard Vision of the Seas reported the captain made an announcement in the late afternoon about diverting towards Puerto Rico for an emergency airlift.

(Current location at time of publication for Vision of the Seas. Source: CruiseMapper)

“We are turning around to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's 150 nautical miles from where we are. They're trying to get the coast guard involved and will notify us more once we have more information,” commented one passenger onboard on the Vision of the Seas Facebook page.

Those onboard reported the captain later announced in the evening that the Coast Guard deemed an airlift was not possible. “They just announced that [the] Coast Guard cannot do an airlift, so we have to go all the way to San Juan to get this person off. We should be there tomorrow morning,” shared one guest on Facebook.

Instead of the airlift, Vision of the Seas would sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico to dock and evacuate the passenger. After arriving in San Juan, guests reported the passenger was successfully transferred to the hospital and the ship resumed the sailing almost immediately.

(Photos shared from passenger on Facebook)

“We docked in San Juan at 5:00 am, the passenger and her family were taken off, we are all praying for her!” commented one guest on Facebook. 

Royal Caribbean sent communication to guests on the impacted January 16, 2025 sailing about the delay. The cruise line said, “Due to our previous sailing’s delay in arriving at the Port of Baltimore, our sailing will now take place on Friday, January 17th.” 

Vision of the Seas was originally scheduled to sail on an 8-night itinerary from Baltimore on January 16, 2025. The original itinerary would sail to Charleston (South Carolina), Port Canaveral (Florida), Grand Bahama Island (Bahamas) and Nassau (Bahamas) with three sea days. To make up for the delay, Vision of the Seas will skip its first port of call in Charleston, South Carolina with an additional sea day.

One passenger shared in a post on Reddit, “We received an email stating we are now boarding Friday morning instead of Thursday and an updated itinerary. No more Charleston (sad). Getting pro-rated for the day we will miss and any packages that were purchased in the form of onboard credit for that day.”

In addition to the medical evacuation, Vision of the Seas might need to navigate choppy waters with an Atlantic storm passing through the area. One guest onboard commented, "Captain was trying to go around a storm, but now that we are changing course for the medical evacuation, we may end up having to sail into the weather system.”

Royal Caribbean states that all guests will receive refunds for shore excursions booked in Charleston, South Carolina to the original form of payment. Those with booked flights through Royal Caribbean will automatically be rescheduled. Those with independent airfare will receive $400 USD for international travel and $200 for domestic travel, on a per person basis.

If you’re a frequent cruiser, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in the same cruise routine. Humans are creatures of habit and gravitate towards familiar, comfortable experiences. This can be true even while traveling when you’re already outside of your normal comfort zone!

For one Royal Caribbean cruiser, switching things up during her recent Royal Caribbean cruise was an eye-opening experience. Seasoned cruiser, Patty, recently sailed onboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas on a 5-night sailing to the Western Caribbean.

Patty explained that she’s been cruising for over 30 years with her first cruise in 1992 with Norwegian Cruise Line. She has cruised around the world, including a recent sailing to Australia and Bali with her family. In addition, she has cruised to Europe and Asia with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. However, she has visited the Caribbean more times than any other port of call in the world.

During her 5-night sailing, Patty visited Cozumel, Mexico, and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. For some cruisers, the ports of call will always be the highlight of any sailing. However, Patty normally finds the onboard experience to be her favorite part of any cruise. From the delectable dining to the onboard activities and show-stopping entertainment, Patty finds herself enjoying the ship as much as she’s exploring ashore.

Looking to expand her cruising horizons, Patty decided to try a few new things instead of sticking to her 30-year cruising routine. Some changes were small while others were more significant. Overall, these new experiences resulted in an “exceptional” Royal Caribbean cruise.

Skipping the buffet and heading straight to the bar

When boarding a cruise ship, embarkation day can be quite hectic. Between busy cruise terminals, muster drill requirements, unpacking your suitcase, and getting settled, some might be surprised by the chaotic nature of embarkation day.

To kick off her vacation on the right foot, Patty decided to head straight to the bar after boarding. It’s not an unusual stop for most vacationers, but Patty shares she often doesn’t have a cocktail until later in the evening when cruising. Normally, she is in a hurry to visit the Windjammer buffet after boarding, along with dropping off carry-on luggage and checking her table location in the Main Dining Room.

Speaking of the Windjammer, Patty decided on the first day of her cruise that she wanted to skip the crazy buffet for lunch. Most cruisers head straight to the buffet on embarkation day, creating long lines. Sometimes, it’s hard even to find a table for lunch during this time!

Instead, Patty decided to visit a new quick-casual dining option on Independence of the Seas: Fish and Ships. As a seafood lover, Patty was eager to try the new-to-her restaurant. The complimentary dining option is only available on Independence of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

Located on the pool deck, Patty found there was no one in line at Fish and Ships. This was a welcomed change from the crowded buffet. The menu included a few no-cost options, such as fried shrimp with chips, fish sandwich, fish and chips, and chicken fingers.

Patty was excited to try the fish and chips, along with the breaded shrimp. She found the fish to be very tasty and fried with a thick breading. Although the shrimp was smaller than expected, these were enjoyable as well. Patty’s travel companion was not a seafood fan, so instead, she ordered the chicken tenders with French fries. The tenders were so small, Patty said they seemed mislabeled and should have been called chicken nuggets.

Visiting the sauna and steam room in the spa

After visiting Cozumel more times than she can count, Patty decided to stay aboard Independence of the Seas rather than heading ashore. In addition, the weather was hot and muggy. With this, Patty wanted to experience a quieter cruise ship while most guests decided to go ashore.

Even after cruising for more than three decades, Patty had never been in the spa to visit the sauna or steam room before. Without allocating dedicated time to try the spa’s amenities, it’s always too busy for her to stop by. In addition, some cruise ships charge to visit these spa amenities, so Patty was happy to try both for free.

Unsurprisingly, Patty was the only person in the women’s sauna and steam room. As suspected, most passengers had disembarked for the itinerary’s port of call, especially with only two stops on the sailing. Patty shared that the facilities were clean, as she anticipated, and she appreciated being the only person in the space. “It was calming since I had no idea what I was doing,” she explained.

Although she had some questions, Patty stated the spa had signage with instructions and warnings for passengers. While some might glaze over these, Patty felt it was important to understand the facilities.

First, she decided to try the sauna. The instructions stated to add water to the coals, so Patty did as instructed. The rules also advised that spa visitors should only stay in the sauna for 10 minutes or less. To be safe, Patty shared she only stayed in the sauna for 7 minutes due to being alone and having high blood pressure.

Up next, she ventured over to the steam room in the spa. She described the space as having a single-tile seat to rest on. Unfortunately, the steam room was claustrophobic to Patty because the steam was so thick. Again, she decided to only stay in the steam room for less than 10 minutes - not that she wanted to spend any extra time.

To complete her spa visit, Patty cooled off in the shower. She shared how she enjoyed using the extra-large shower in the spa compared to her interior cabin’s tiny shower. Although she was glad to try the sauna and steam room for the first time, Patty doesn’t necessarily need to visit these facilities again.

Enhancing her interior cabin

Staying in an inside stateroom, Patty wanted to try a few small changes to enhance her cabin experience. After reading a blog post on our site about questions to ask your cabin steward, she learned about the option to ask for mattress toppers. Because cruise beds are often too firm for her liking, Patty wanted to see if the mattress topper would enhance her quality of sleep.

After boarding on the first day of her cruise, Patty asked the cabin steward if she could have a mattress topper added to her bed. She returned that evening to find the mattress topper already on her bed. Patty was pleased with the mattress topper, stating how she slept better on the softened mattress.

To optimize the cabin space, Patty wanted to try another new strategy. Originally, she explained her interior cabin had one nightstand on both sides of the bed. Patty decided to rearrange the cabin so each bed was against the cabin wall, allowing more space between the beds for navigating the room.

By pushing the beds against the wall, Patty was also able to stack pillows along the side of the wall for comfortable side sleeping. This prevents the pillows from falling all over the floor as well, so Patty will continue separating her bed like this in the future.

See more: I stayed in the cheapest, smallest cabin on Independence of the Seas. Look inside my 162-square-foot room

Other small changes included extra pillows and more hangers for the closet to provide more hanging space for her clothes. Finally, Patty requested a paper Cruise Compass to be delivered daily because she doesn’t always enjoy using the Royal Caribbean app.

Luckily, their cabin steward was happy to accommodate these requests and Patty found the small enhancements to make a big difference during her cruise.

Repeat specialty dining visits

When Patty cruises, she typically only visits a specialty dining restaurant once during her sailing. Never before had she thought to revisit the same specialty dining restaurant more than once during the same cruise.

During her time on Independence of the Seas, Patty had onboard credit to spend before the end of the cruise. She opted to try Giovanni’s Table for lunch on the first sea day for only $22.99 compared to $54.99 per person for dinner to save money. 

Patty described the lunch as fantastic, starting with the crispy calamari. She felt the serving size was easily five times the size of what the Main Dining Room would serve. The lightly breaded calamari had a crispy coating and was served with lemon garlic aioli and tomato sauce. In fact, she couldn’t stop talking about how good the heavenly calamari was!

For her main entree, Patty decided to try the fillet mignon after her waiter highly recommended it. She decided to try the fillet with smaller pasta dishes for the sides. Patty said the waiter was right and the steak was incredible, cooked to perfection, and very tender. She argues the fillet is better than what she’s had in Chops Grille Steakhouse on Royal Caribbean.

After a wonderful first visit, they returned to Giovanni’s. On the last day of her cruise, Patty shared how her waiter from lunch was promoting the restaurant. He remembered her and offered to make her a deal to return that night. To her surprise, the waiter offered a BOGO deal for both Patty and her guest to dine for only $54.99 each.

Read more: Everything I ate on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas: Food review and pictures

After a subpar experience in the Main Dining Room, Patty didn’t hesitate to accept the BOGO offer. Normally, she enjoys connecting with the waitstaff in the dining room throughout her cruise, but found this wasn’t the case on her short cruise. She stated, “This was the first time I can ever remember not wanting to be in the Main Dining Room on the last night of a cruise.”

As such, Patty dined at Giovanni’s for the final night of her cruise and ordered nearly the same meal. She couldn’t resist ordering the amazing calamari once more, along with the fantastic fillet.

Trying new breakfast options

When cruising with Royal Caribbean, Patty normally enjoys breakfast in the Windjammer or Main Dining Room. While she’s considered ordering room service before, she had never found the right opportunity to do so.

On this cruise, she wanted to splurge and try Royal Caribbean’s complimentary room service option for breakfast. She ordered her breakfast to be delivered between 9 and 9:30 a.m., hoping her must-have coffee wouldn’t be served lukewarm. Patty also ordered an English muffin and fruit plate for breakfast.

At promptly 8:50 a.m., the room service department rang her cabin to ensure she was awake to receive the order. A few minutes later, the meal was delivered to her stateroom. Patty was delighted to find her coffee was in a carafe and served very hot - just the way she likes it. She anticipated the English muffin might also be served lukewarm, but found it was still warm as well.

Overall, she was very impressed by the experience and found it was a nice way to start the day while her roommate wanted to sleep in. Patty questioned why she had never ordered room service before and will definitely continue doing so in the future!

Another thing Patty wanted to try was the light breakfast in the Diamond Lounge for top-tier loyalty members. She describes how breakfast was served until 10 a.m. on sea days and this particular sailing had very few top-tier loyalty members. Patty was the only person in the lounge for breakfast, so it was quite relaxing.

The lounge served a nice continental breakfast, which included pastries, yogurt, fruit, juice, and specialty coffee. Even better, the lounge featured a beautiful view of the ocean!

Formal night at the buffet

During her sailing on Independence of the Seas, the musical Grease was showing at 7:00 p.m. on formal night. Patty was looking forward to seeing the Broadway musical during her cruise, although the time conflicted with dinner in the Main Dining Room.

Instead, Patty opted to skip the dining room to have dinner in the Windjammer buffet on formal night. This was the first time Patty had ever skipped formal night in the dining room after 30-plus years of cruising. Following the musical, she made her way to the buffet for a late dinner. While she is usually pleased with the Main Dining Room, Patty enjoyed trying something different on formal night.

To start, she was surprised to find that the buffet had a similar theme as the Main Dining Room. The formal night theme in the main dining room was “Savor La France” while the Windjammer theme was “A Taste of France.” Because of this, most of the food being served in the Main Dining Room was also available in the buffet.

One of the highlights of their casual dining experience was finding a nice window seat to enjoy the aft-facing views of the ship. Patty was able to watch the sunset during her dinner in the Windjammer; in comparison, her Main Dining Room table was smack-dab in the middle of the large dining hall, far away from any ocean views. Being able to savor the sunset without battling any crowds made for a memorable dinner.

The Windjammer offered a crepe bar with tasty toppings to try, so Patty opted to try the strawberry and chocolate crepe. Although the food was fine, she likely won’t return to the buffet for formal dinner when given the option. 

In the future, Patty also concludes she probably won’t get dressed up for formal night if she isn’t heading to the dining room anyway. Grabbing buffet food in her gown seemed too casual for formal night, and Patty shared she missed having a longer meal in the dining room.

Other small changes that added to the cruise experience

During this short cruise, Patty challenged herself to do little things differently in hopes of creating some new cruise traditions and routines. You never know unless you try!

Patty is a relatively new diabetic and wanted to see how Royal Caribbean could accommodate her dietary needs. As such, she ordered the low-sugar options in the dining room for dessert. These included vanilla ice cream, coffee pot de creme, coconut cake, and dark chocolate custard.

Of course, Patty found the desserts were not as good as full-sugar desserts. But, she was happy to see options provided as a choice for those trying to watch their weight or needing to monitor their blood sugar. Even as a diabetic, Patty was able to enjoy one of her favorite things about cruising, which is always the food!

In the same way, Patty found Johnny Rockets was accommodating to her dietary requests. She felt guilty ordering a full milkshake because of the sugar content, but she didn’t want to be wasteful. Instead, she inquired about whether she could order a half-size milkshake instead of the full-size. To her surprise, the crew was happy to accommodate the request and the smaller size satisfied her sweet tooth.

Additionally, Patty shared how she sat on the promenade deck one evening after sunset and gazed at the stars. This was a new way to relax while finding a serene place away from other cruisers. It almost felt like having the ship to herself.

Finally, Patty decided on disembarkation day to visit the coffee shop while waiting for their numbers to be called. She was surprised that her Diamond voucher was accepted for the specialty coffee, and felt this was a wonderful way to end her vacation. She never considered this as a possibility, but she was glad she asked about using her voucher before heading home.

“Maybe it's my age, but it's funny how you can get in a rut doing the same routines while cruising. I enjoyed pushing myself to make some changes. They were small, but they added to the overall experience on our Independence of the Seas cruise. Anytime I can cruise with one of my daughters, I’m in,” concluded Patty.

When it comes to cruising, I’m a hard-core budget traveler. The more money I can save, the more often I can travel - and that's always my goal!

Although traveling has become increasingly more expensive in the last few years, I still find incredible value from cruising. With accommodations, meals, entertainment, and onboard amenities included in your cruise fare, it offers exceptional value for your money. My budget can be stretched further while cruising with so much included in the fare. 

However, there are always opportunities to splurge while cruising. Expensive add-ons and upselling both seem to be more prevalent than ever. Because of this, budget travelers might find constant temptation to splurge on cruise extras, including drink packages, internet purchases, specialty dining, and excursions. 

For me, 2024 was a big year of travel. I sailed on eight different cruises across four continents. These far-flung itineraries required long international flights, during which I flew on nearly 100 separate flight segments in 2024. This amounted to 135,206 miles of flying, with 13 days of the year spent in the air.

I was able to check a few major destinations off my bucket list this year by cruising, including South Africa, Madagascar, Belgium, Indonesia, and Australia. I was able to reach these countries while cruising on four extremely port-intensive itineraries. 

This included two sailings on Norwegian Cruise Line to South Africa and New England. I also cruised twice with Celebrity Cruises to Norway and Australia in 2024. Other sailings included weekend cruises with Carnival Cruise Line.

Between credit card points, cheap interior cabins, and my remote work jobs, I was able to stretch my vacation budget significantly this year. With a few big splurges in 2024, some purchases were absolutely worth the expense, while others felt like a waste of money.

Worth it: Balcony stateroom

One of my favorite cruises of the year was a 7-night Norway fjord sailing on Celebrity Apex with my husband. We departed from England and visited three ports throughout Norway, including one stop in Belgium.

Although we typically book cheaper cabins like interior guarantee staterooms, we decided to splurge on a more expensive balcony cabin for this cruise. We knew Norway would be incredibly beautiful with stunning views of the fjords throughout the week. Because of this, we wanted to have our own private balcony so we wouldn’t miss any of the sights!

Our deluxe porthole balcony stateroom was pricey at $4,200, which is certainly on the expensive side for a 7-night itinerary. But, the splurge was absolutely worthwhile! With extra space in the cabin and our own veranda, our cabin felt like a slice of luxury.

We also decided to splurge on choosing our specific stateroom instead of booking a balcony guarantee. Although we saved money last year booking this kind of cabin on our Jewel of the Seas cruise with Royal Caribbean, our stateroom was above the nightclub. We couldn't sleep until midnight each evening because of the loud noise! 

This time, we strategically picked our stateroom because it was nestled among other cabins. This was worth every single penny! 

The highlight of our balcony was sailing through the fjords from the privacy of our veranda. After bringing two bottles of wine onboard for embarkation day, my husband and I enjoyed a relaxing happy hour on our balcony each evening, sipping wine as the ship sailed away from the ports of call. Watching the awe-inspiring fjords drift by made the splurge unforgettable. 

Waste: Spa treatment

During our cruise through the Norwegian fjords, my husband and I decided to splurge on a couple’s massage. Cruise ship spas are notoriously expensive, so the $400 cost for our spa treatment was not surprising.

Unfortunately, the overall experience fell short of expectations. The massage itself was wonderful, but I expected more for the price. I had high hopes for the Edge class spa, which is often advertised as a top-of-the-line amenity for Celebrity Cruises. As a premium cruise line, the onboard experience is centered around modern relaxation and rejuvenation.

First, the massage room lacked ambiance - it felt very plain and resembled a basic spa in a shopping mall. Some of the aspects of the experience also felt cheap. For instance, the masseuse placed a rolled-up paper towel over our eyes for the facial portion of the massage. For the cost of the spa treatment, I would expect at least a warm towel for my eyes.

In the future, I will probably prioritize thermal spa passes that can be used throughout the duration of the cruise. While cruising in Africa, I spent about $200 on a thermal spa pass to use for the 12-night voyage. This was the first time I splurged on a thermal spa pass - and it was definitely worth it!

This was one of the best splurges I made during that itinerary. I enjoyed the heated loungers with my book every afternoon, often resulting in a nap. This purchase felt far more worthwhile, as I could enjoy the spa amenities every day of the cruise. On the flip side, massages only last about 60 minutes. 

Worth it: Drink packages

As a frequent cruiser, I hardly ever splurge on a drink package because they’re extraordinarily expensive. Before 2024, I had only purchased Royal Caribbean’s drink package once and struggled to get my money’s worth. Keeping up with the required level of drinking throughout the cruise felt excessive, and I ultimately lost money on the drink package.

Also, with my Royal Caribbean loyalty status, I receive five daily drink vouchers for complimentary beverages priced up to $14 each. This perk is more than sufficient for me, essentially providing the benefits of a drink package without the added cost.

However, one of the cruises I booked this year included a drink package in the cruise fare. I cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line to Africa onboard Norwegian Dawn in January 2024. The cruise line’s “Free at Sea” pricing included a drink package, in which guests only needed to pay for the gratuities on the package. I had never tried this package before, but I thought the price was reasonable. 

For the 12-night cruise, I only paid about $500 in gratuities for Norwegian’s standard drink package. This included most of the drinks that I wanted to order, such as mojitos, martinis, and piña coladas.

Being able to indulge throughout this port-intensive itinerary was worth the splurge. I appreciated not having to worry about paying for every drink consumed, although I do wish specialty coffee was included in Norwegian’s standard drink package. Even still, I easily drank more than $500 worth during the 12-night cruise - and I would splurge on Norwegian’s drink package again.

Waste: Specialty dining

Specialty dining is typically a splurge I enjoy. When sailing on longer itineraries, a specialty restaurant can provide a change of pace from the main dining room. Specialty restaurants on cruise ships include higher-quality entrees and more attentive service for a reasonable surcharge. However, this wasn't always the case during my 2024 cruises. 

While cruising in Norway with my husband, he was especially interested in dining at Raw on Five onboard Celebrity Apex. As a sushi-lover, we heard rave reviews about the upscale experience. During our first sea day, we booked Raw on Five for lunch to try this raved-about restaurant.

Read more: I tried Royal Caribbean's new loyalty match program. I missed having drink vouchers, but it saved me hundreds of dollars

Unfortunately, Raw on Five did not live up to our expectations. My husband tried two sushi rolls and one plate of oysters for lunch. While the food was edible, the meal was not particularly impressive. Similarly, I tried the pork butt and felt the meat was rubbery and tough. For $60, our money could have been spent elsewhere.

Not all specialty dining was disappointing, though. My husband and I also dined at Rooftop Garden Grill during our cruise and had one of the best meals on any cruise! I also tried Tuscan Grill on Celebrity Solstice, which is one of my new favorite cruise ship restaurants. In fact, the meal was so delightful the first time that we returned for a second visit during our 15-night cruise in Australia.

Worth it: Cruise line excursions

I’m a destination-focused cruiser, so I usually pick my sailings based on the ports of call. If I am going to spend time and money to travel, I want to make sure I'm visiting destinations that I actually want to see. Because of this, I plan my days ashore meticulously to maximize the time in port.

While excursions through the cruise line can be undeniably expensive, my splurges in 2024 on these tours were absolutely worthwhile. Cruise-sponsored excursions provide added security that your cruise ship will not depart without you. This means unexpected traffic or delays aren’t a cause for concern during your time ashore.

In addition, I’ve discovered that cruise-sponsored almost always receive priority for disembarkation. If you’re docked in a port that requires tendering ashore, cruise-sponsored excursions will be among the first to head ashore. These tours also receive priority for ports of call that require face-to-face immigration.

Throughout 2024, I splurged on excursions offered through the cruise line - even if the cost was significantly more than booking an independent tour. While cruising around South Africa, we booked multiple safaris throughout our itinerary. Most of these safaris were hours away from the ports and required significant travel. Not to mention, we were required to do face-to-face immigration in South Africa.

I felt Norwegian’s excursions would be the safest option for touring, especially while traveling to an unfamiliar part of the world. We also received priority disembarkation in every port, which allowed us more time ashore. Because we were booked on a Norwegian excursion, we also avoided the chaotic immigration line with those going ashore on their own. 

Throughout 2024, I found myself booking more excursions through the cruise line for these reasons. I also booked the Flam Railway during our Norway cruise through Celebrity Cruises. In addition, we visited the Great Barrier Reef while cruising in Australia. Instead of looking to save money with an independent tour, we opted for Celebrity's snorkeling excursion because we would be traveling far from the anchored ship. 

Worth it: Disembarkation tours

Disembarkation tours became a new favorite splurge of mine in 2024. These excursions allow guests the opportunity to tour the disembarkation city before heading to the airport or continuing on with their travels. Instead of waiting around at the airport all day, you can utilize your time to explore the surrounding area.

The first disembarkation tour I booked was in Cape Town, South Africa, which was through the cruise line. Because our flight did not depart until 11 in the evening, we had an entire day to tour the city. I was ecstatic to see a tour of the Cape Peninsula to visit Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, which are the southernmost points in Africa. Of course, I couldn’t wait to also see the precious penguins waddling around Boulders Beach!

With just two days to explore Cape Town, I was thrilled with this all-day excursion, as it made the most of our limited time in the city. We were able to venture around the Cape Peninsula all day and still arrive at the airport with plenty of time. In addition, we didn’t need to worry about storing our luggage somewhere in a secure location on the coach bus.

After this positive experience, I decided to utilize the same strategy in Singapore after disembarking from my cruise around Australia. We only had one day to explore Singapore before flying home the following day, so we organized a disembarkation tour through Viator. 

With four people, we had a private van that shuffled us around the city to the main sights. We were able to keep our luggage in the car safely before checking into our hotel later that night. This was the best way to end a fantastic cruise. 

With future cruises, I will continue to book disembarkation tours if the right opportunity presents itself. I’d rather see more of the local sights than wait around all day at the airport!

Every cruise line has an app, but Royal Caribbean's is by far the best one in the industry right now.

Whenever you're comparing apps, it's a subjective exercise. But I think Royal Caribbean's is so much better because of how many features they've rolled into it.

While the app has existed in various forms since 2017, a renewed focus and push to make the app really useful began in 2020 and has continued to today.

It's not a perfect app, but I think some of the features added over the last two years have really stood out from other lines.  And that's given the app separation from the pack, given how other cruise line apps lack so many of this functionality.

Royal Caribbean’s app is free to download for Apple and Android users - and it’s quickly become a must-have for cruising. 

From a streamlined onboarding process to improving the onboard cruise experience, here’s why Royal Caribbean’s app has become the gold standard of cruise technology.

1. So easy to plan everything before the cruise begins

One of the key features that sets Royal Caribbean’s app apart is its functionality prior to even stepping onboard your cruise ship. 

Before your vacation begins, you can use the Royal Caribbean app to plan excursions, purchase internet, reserve specialty dining and buy drink packages. This means you don't need to go online to the cruise planner, instead utilizing the app for quick purchases. This allows you to plan more conveniently from your phone, such as when you’re on the go and away from your computer.

In comparison, I find Norwegian Cruise Line’s app worthless before you sail onboard. Even with a recent refresh, many report constant glitches and freezing with attempting to pre-cruise plan. 

Additionally, Carnival Cruise Line’s app only redirects you from the app to the browser online for pre-boarding planning, making the app feel less functional.

2. A digital safety drill is inside the app

Embarkation day has greatly improved because of the eMuster with Royal Caribbean's app. 

Perhaps one of the least parts of cruising, all cruise passengers are required to complete a safety briefing under law before the ship can set sail. Gone are the days of crowding onto the promenade deck in the scorching heat for the mandatory muster drill. This painful safety drill never felt like the best way to start your vacation. 

Royal Caribbean revolutionized the way muster drills are conducted by incorporating the drill into its app. to Now, guests watch the pre-cruise safety video, hear the emergency horn sound and accept safety guidelines on Royal Caribbean’s app. 

Guests can complete the safety briefing at their convenience now, as long as all requirements are completed by a certain time on embarkation day (usually in the late afternoon). You have to visit your muster station in person once onboard, but you have a timeframe to complete this step.

3. It can get you into your cabin

Some of Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ships allow guests to unlock their staterooms with a digital key through the app. For example, Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas and Icon of the Seas, allow guests to use the app to unlock their stateroom. Although this functionality has been available in the hotel industry for a while, Royal Caribbean is one of the first cruise lines to integrate this technology. 

The digital key setup is straightforward and only requires three steps before you can start using the app for your stateroom key. This means you don’t need to fumble around a beach bag looking for your SeaPass card.

Also, some new ships allow guests to use the Royal Caribbean app in their stateroom. You can also use the Royal Caribbean app to control the stateroom TV, including streaming content from your phone directly to the TV. In addition, you can control the room temperature, lights and curtains in some staterooms.

4. Going "curb to bar" quickly

Boarding day can be hectic regardless of which cruise line you’re sailing with. Luckily, Royal Caribbean’s app provides easy access to check-in, upload security photos, complete the health questionnaire, scan your passport photo and generate a mobile boarding pass. You can also select your arrival times for embarkation.

Once you’re at the terminal for cruising, you can continue accessing your boarding pass within the app or download the pass to your phone’s wallet. 

Unlike Carnival Cruise Line, which still requires guests to print their boarding passes for embarkation day, Royal Caribbean’s app is much more convenient in this way.

5. Free chatting onboard

Another major perk of Royal Caribbean’s app is being able to chat with other guests during your cruise - for free! Starting in January 2023, Royal Caribbean announced that all guests could use the chat feature on its app as a complimentary perk moving forward. 

This allows for easy communication onboard the ship, especially when you're at sea and away from cell service. After all, internet on a cruise ship is still very expensive. Guests can chat with their travel group without needing to purchase internet access. On select ships, guests can also chat with Guest Services through the app, avoiding long lines at the desk

Other cruise lines, including both Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, charge each guest to access onboard chat while cruising. Carnival Cruise Line charges $5 per person to use their HUB app's chat feature. 

6. Future cruise planning

Not only does Royal Caribbean’s app provide an enhanced onboard experience, but you can also book future vacations! One of the newer features of Royal Caribbean’s app is the ability to plan a future cruise directly on your phone. With a new search functionality, prospective cruisers can easily look for their next cruise vacation. 

This feature makes it easy to plan your next cruise directly from your phone, avoiding the need to navigate a browser. You can even purchase gift cards in the app for your future cruise and have your new reservation booked with just a few clicks.

If you're sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you can also take advantage of NextCruise deals without needing to visit the office on the ship. There's no better way to get over the post-cruise blues than booking your next sailing before disembarking!

7. See your photos without the crowd

Remember when cruise lines would print out every photo taken and display them in a gallery each evening? While some older vessels still use traditional photo galleries, Royal Caribbean’s app integrates digital photo capabilities for your sailing. The app provides extremely easy access to your professional photos taken during your cruise. 

While onboard, you will provide the photographer with your stateroom number after photos are taken. This will link the digital photos directly to your profile, which is accessible in your Royal Caribbean app. You can view all of the photos you’ve taken, along with downloading and purchasing photos on the app. Now, you don’t need to waste time combing through hundreds of photos of strangers to find your pictures!

8. Manage your loyalty status

Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program - the Crown and Anchor Society - is also accessible in the cruise line’s app for all loyalty members. Considering Royal Caribbean has one of the best rewards program for loyal cruisers, it's important to keep track of how many points you have and the benefits you're entitled to. 

First, cruisers can now enroll in the Crown and Anchor Society though Royal Caribbean’s app. This feature makes enrollment quick and convenient for newer cruisers. Directly on your phone, you can also view your current loyalty tier and associated benefits for the Crown and Anchor Society. The app also displays your total cruise points and number of cruise nights for quick access, so you can stay up-to-date on your status.

9. Book restaurants with a few clicks

One of the biggest highlights of cruising with Royal Caribbean is having so many dining options to choose from, including both complimentary and specialty restaurants. However, the larger the cruise ship, the more important it is to plan your dining reservations in advance. With more guests vying for reservations at the restaurants onboard, waiting until the last minute for making specialty dining reservations isn’t a good strategy.

The Royal Caribbean app allows you to browse onboard restaurants, reserve specialty dining, and schedule My Time Dining reservations. This can be especially helpful for those wanting to avoid a long line for My Time Dining in the main dining room each night.

Those who purchase a dining package, such as the Ultimate Dining Package, can also reserve all restaurants in Royal Caribbean's app as well. This latest update has been a highly-anticipated change, as many cruisers scrambled to make reservations on embarkation day.

10. Check out everything happening onboard

Before Royal Caribbean launched its app, the cruise line handed out daily schedules, known as the Cruise Compass. With the inception of the app, Royal Caribbean has essentially ditched the physical Cruise Compass (unless guests request one specifically) for its digital platform. The app allows you to browse daily activities, headliner showtimes, themed parties and more.

With Royal Caribbean’s app, guests are empowered to manage their cruise experiences and daily onboard activities. Cruisers can bookmark certain activities to create a custom, personalized schedule for each day. The app also sends 15-minute reminders for your bookmarked events, ensuring you won’t miss a thing.

11. See the menus to decide where you want to eat

While it may seem like a small detail, I love that I can see the menu in the Main Dining Room for every day of the cruise in advance.

Instead of having to wait to see the menu until you show up, you can access each menu for the duration of your sailing. 

The advantage here is being able to plan out when you want to skip the main dining room and book specialty restaurants instead. For instance, I plan to book our specialty dining on the evenings when the main dining room menus are less appealing. But, no one wants to miss lobster night in the dining room!

Although Carnival Cruise Line has the same feature for their app, Norwegian Cruise Line does does not provide nightly menus for their main dining room in their app. Instead, the evening menu is only available for viewing outside the restaurant, posted in the afternoon on the same day. This isn’t a huge issue, but it is a nuisance!

12. Book flights

Another feature that differentiates Royal Caribbean’s app from competitors is the ability to book flights for your upcoming sailings. Royal Caribbean’s app has a new feature to book flights directly in their app. The app also includes options for exploring transportation and lodging, though these redirect users to an online browser.

Air2Sea allows you to book flights for your cruise through Royal Caribbean. This provides additional assistance if issues arise with your travel, which can be helpful if you encounter unexpected travel challenges tying to get to and from the cruise port. 

Booking a cruise is undoubtedly exciting, but the thrill can quickly fade when you start thinking about all the planning involved. Before your vacation can begin, there are some important steps that all cruisers should take.

Although one of the perks of booking a cruise is having minimal logistics, some preparation is usually necessary. Theoretically, you could show up on embarkation day without any prior planning and still have a great time. However, this doesn’t mean you should plan to show up to the cruise terminal without doing some basic planning.

After booking your cruise, you may find the planning process a bit overwhelming. Modern cruise ships rival floating cities, bustling with thousands of other guests and offering endless options for things to do. Between excursion planning, airfare, dining reservations and more, there are many details to iron before setting sail.

After sailing on 50 cruises, I’ve learned that a bit of preparation goes a long way. Here are 20 tried-and-true steps I always take before cruising to ensure my vacation is seamless and stress-free.

1. Verify travel documents

If you are planning a cruise, you should absolutely make sure you have the appropriate travel documents. Whether you are planning to cruise using your passport or your birth certificate (which is only allowed for certain sailings departing from the United States), confirming travel documentation is my top priority.

Double-check that your passport is not expiring within the next six months, which is often a requirement to visit other countries. If your passport is expired or expiring soon, you should start the process of applying for a new passport. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple months depending on the current backlog. 

Finally, confirm whether any visas are needed for your itinerary. For instance, my recent cruise from Sydney to Bali and Singapore required a tourist visa to visit Indonesia. If you’re sailing on a more exotic itinerary, this is especially important.

2. Book airfare, if needed

Some cruisers are lucky enough to live within driving distance of a cruise port; however, it’s not uncommon for vacationers to fly to their cruise embarkation port. However, you should always fly into your cruise port at least one day before departure to ensure you don’t encounter any delays or cancellations.

Most of my itineraries require airfare, so I usually look my flights shortly after reserving my cruise. I prefer to book further in advance to have the most options that align with my travel needs and the cruise schedule. 

3. Research itinerary and ports of call

As a destination-focused traveler, I extensively research every port of call on a cruise itinerary. I want to ensure my time in each port is maximized to the fullest, especially when I am on a tight schedule. For each port of call, I always spend time researching the top things to do in each destination to make sure I can see and do everything I want. 

For instance, some cruise ships will dock far from a city center, such as Le Havre, France or Civitavecchia, Italy. Le Havre is a port city that is advertised as the gateway to Paris while Civitavecchia is the closest port city to Rome, Italy. 

Without researching these ports of call, you might assume touring the famous cities of Rome and Paris are convenient and easy. However, Paris is more than two hours from Le Havre and Civitavecchia is one hour from the city of Rome.

4. Book cruise-line excursions

For any cruise, it’s important to look at the excursions offered by the cruise line. First, this can give you a good gauge on the top things to do in each port of call. Personally, I like to read the tour descriptions to see what each port has to offer, including which activities or attractions are feasible to visit from the port.

Second, I prefer to book excursions through the cruise line for certain destinations or itineraries. Cruise-sponsored excursions are convenient and provide a guaranteed return to the ship. Because of this, shore excursions through the cruise line can be very popular and sell out quickly.

It’s best to book your excursions as soon as possible, especially considering you can cancel your tour if you change your mind. The added flexibility and convenience of cruise line excursions is often worthwhile, in my opinion.

5. Prebook add-ons

In addition to excursions, it’s important to budget for other add-ons needed for your cruise. This could include drink packages, internet access, specialty dining reservations, spa treatments and other onboard experiences.

It’s usually best to prebook your add-ons before setting sail, as cruise lines offer pre-sailing discounts. Once onboard, you will often find higher prices for these add-ons (especially drink packages!).

6. Find a hotel for the night before

Because I usually need to fly to my embarkation port, I also need to book a hotel for the night before. Following the golden-rule of cruise travel, I always book a flight that arrives at least one night before my cruise embarks. If I am wanting to explore the embarkation port for longer, I will fly to the city a couple days in advance.

In this way, booking a pre-cruise hotel is one of my must-do items. You can book a hotel months in advance, and I prefer to secure my reservation using credit card points. The further in advance you can book a hotel, the more options you have for utilizing these redemptions.

7. Plan transportation to the port

After arriving to the embarkation city, you will also need to consider transportation to the cruise terminal. Sometimes this is easy and convenient, while other times require planning and research. If you are driving yourself to the cruise terminal, make sure you know where to park and how much you can expect to spend.

If you need to travel further, consider prearranging your transportation. This has proven useful in many occasions, especially for terminals located far from the city. Take into account how much luggage you’ll be traveling with as well.

For example, I’ve cruised from Southampton, England many different times for cruises. I always spend time in London before embarkation, which is about 80 miles from the Southampton cruise terminal. There are a few options for transportation, but I always book the direct train from London to Southampton beforehand.

8. Monitor pricing for a better deal or upgrade

Although this has become less common with increased prices and demand for cruising, I continue to monitor my booked cruises for better deals. If I find a cheaper cruise fare for my itinerary before final payment, I simply contact my travel agent and ask for a reprice. This has saved me thousands of dollars over the years!

If the final payment deadline has passed, you might be able to upgrade your cabin to a higher category. Even if I am unable to reprice my reservation, I’ve been able to upgrade my interior cabin to a balcony or suite when prices decreased closer to the sail date.

9. Check-in for cruise

It might seem obvious, but make sure you check-in for your cruise before heading to the terminal! Last year, I forgot to check-in for my cruise onboard Grandeur of the Seas before embarkation day. Although I was able to complete my check-in at the cruise terminal, this was a huge headache. 

I had to spend extra time confirming my documentation at the terminal, which delayed the start to my vacation! In addition, I had to confirm with guest services that my payment account was up-to-date onboard. Now, I always check-in for my cruise after receiving the reminder email from Royal Caribbean. This ensures I can choose the best arrival time for my schedule. I also find I am less likely to forget checking in for my cruise if I do this right after being reminded.

10. Confirm health requirements

Depending on your cruise itinerary, you might have health requirements that need to be met before embarkation. While most cruises in Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska do not typically have health requirements to consider, other destinations around the world do.

For example, you might need a Yellow Fever vaccine to visit certain countries around Africa or South America. Malaria medication might be recommended for cruises around Asia as well. Confirm you have proper documentation for any medication based on entry requirements for your itinerary as well. It’s best to check with your doctor about health requirements before your cruise begins, even if this simply entails routine vaccination.

11. Replenish my travel pharmacy

Speaking of health requirements, another thing I religiously do before cruising is replenish my travel pharmacy. Because onboard medication is expensive while cruising, it’s best to bring some over-the-counter medication onboard with you in case you need it. No one wants to think about getting sick on vacation, but even minor ailments can be a nuisance while cruising. 

For my travel pharmacy, I ensure I have everything from pain relief, antihistamines, seasickness medication and basic first aid necessities. I will pack a few extra doses for longer itineraries to make sure I don’t run low on any medication. It’s always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario, even if you don’t thing you will need it.

12. Print baggage tags

One must-do item that I tend to forget is printing baggage tags. Cruise lines will provide downloadable tags for you to print before arriving at the embarkation port. These are attached to your suitcases before handing your luggage to the cruise ship porters at the terminal.

The baggage tags are available either through the cruise planner or app. You print the tags and attach them to your suitcase using either tape, staples or a luggage tag holder. I prefer to use a luggage tag holder to keep my printed tags secure, minimizing the chance of the tag falling off.

13. Bring cash and small bills

Cruise ships are essentially cashless for purchases, but I always make sure I pack some cash before setting sail. This also includes smaller $1 bills for tips, which I often provide to the bar tenders throughout the cruise. In addition, I prefer giving cash tips to my cabin stewards and dining room waiters on the final day of the cruise.

Moreover, cash is sometimes needed throughout your sailing in different ports of call. Although credit cards are widely accepted, you shouldn’t be cashless while traveling. Having some cash on hand can be necessary for transportation or souvenir purchases.

14. Download Royal Caribbean app

The cruising experience on Royal Caribbean is almost entirely digitalized now in the post-pandemic era. Everything from the muster drill to daily schedules can be found on the app while cruising. Royal Caribbean’s app is very handy for not only the onboard experience, but also before you set sail. While some cruise lines only have apps that are usable onboard, Royal Caribbean’s app is a good resource for your cruise planning as well. 

You can see the deck plans, dining reservations, excursions and more when using Royal Caribbean's app. Therefore, I highly recommend adding the app to your phone before cruising. Royal Caribbean’s app is available to download in the iTunes Store for Apple products or in the Google Play store for Android devices.

15. Make dining reservations

When sailing on larger cruise vessels, such as Oasis or Quantum class ships, I always make sure I reserve specialty dining before embarkation. With so many people sailing onboard these bigger ships, specialty dining reservations can be hard to come by after boarding. These restaurants fill up quickly, so I want to make sure I can secure a booking that works for my schedule.

Also, it’s easy to change reservations once you’re onboard your cruise if you need to. I’ve had to adjust specialty dining bookings after embarkation, and it’s never been an issue. Although you might not have many options for time slots, you do have flexibility onboard.

16. Start packing list

After taking 50 cruises, I consider myself an expert cruise packer. I have my go-to cruise outfits and essentials, including cabin must-haves. Even still, I prefer to make a list of everything that I want to remember to pack for my cruise. This is especially important if I am sailing on a port-intensive itinerary or a longer cruise to a new destination.

In the notes app on my phone, I create a simple packing list of the essentials that I cannot forget to pack for my cruise. Everything from electronics to chargers and passports are typically on my packing list. 

17. Check the weather

In the same manner, I also religiously check the weather before packing anything for my cruise. Although the Caribbean and Mediterranean are typically sunny and warm, other destinations around the world are less predictable.

For example, Alaska cruising can bring blistering cold weather or clear sunshine on a beautiful day. I don’t want to pack the wrong attire for the climate, so monitoring the weather gives me a good idea of what to pack. Packing appropriately is essential for a smooth cruising experience - and preparing for a variety of weather changes can ensure you are prepared for anything.

18. Watch itinerary-specific YouTube videos

I’ve visited many popular cruising destinations over the years, including Europe, Asia, Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska and Canada. However, if I am sailing to a new destination, I find YouTube to be an excellent resource for planning.

YouTube is full of useful, first-hand experiences for cruisers. This is especially true for more unique destinations, such as my upcoming cruise to India and Sri Lanka next year. Many different creators and local experts share practical tips for travelers and cruisers on YouTube. I find these videos help me set my expectations appropriate for my upcoming cruise, allowing me to plan more efficiently.

19. Join the Facebook group

Most itineraries have a dedicated group on Facebook to join. By searching your cruise ship and specific sail date, you can request to join these groups before cruising. These groups are very resourceful and allow cruisers to connect before setting sail.

The Facebook groups provides a place for cruisers to share tips and updates, along with asking questions about your specific sailing. Some cruisers will even plan meetups for their upcoming cruise!

20. Allocate enough time to pack

Last-minute packing can be very overwhelming for some people. I prefer to pack the weekend before my cruise to be certain that I have enough time to pack everything I need. I do not want to be rushed while packing, as this often leads to forgotten items and unnecessary stress.

Generally speaking, packing usually takes me longer than I anticipate. For longer itineraries with varying climate, such as my 12-night cruise to Iceland last summer, I easily spend four to five hours packing. Waiting until the last minute or running out of time only leads to more stress right before your vacation.