Royal Caribbean has canceled at least two itineraries on Rhapsody of the Seas due to Saturday’s surprise attacks by Gaza militants.

On Friday evening, Royal Caribbean announced that the October 9, 2023 and October 13, 2023 sailings on Rhapsody of the Seas were both canceled. Both of these itineraries were scheduled to set sail on round-trip itineraries from Haifa, Israel in the coming days.  

The cruise line stated, “We’ve been closely monitoring the geopolitical situation in Israel. With your safety and well-being in mind, and in conjunction with our Global Security Department, we've decided that we must cancel our October 9, 2023 and October 13, 2023 Rhapsody of the Seas sailings.”

Rhapsody of the Seas was originally scheduled to sail on a 4-night and 5-night itinerary to Cyprus and Greece from Haifa, which is located in the northern region of the country. Both of these itineraries are now canceled and guests will receive full refunds. 

Currently, Rhapsody of the Seas is sailing off the coast of Santorini, Greece and was scheduled to return to Haifa on October 9, 2023. It is unclear at this time where Rhapsody of the Seas will sail given the unrest in Israel. 

Royal Caribbean stated that guests affected by the canceled sailings on Rhapsody of the Seas will receive a 100% refund, including taxes and fees. In addition, all refunds will be processed for pre-paid packages, gratuities, amenities and shore excursions. 

Those who purchased airfare through Air2Sea will receive an automatic refund, along with those who purchased Royal Caribbean’s Travel Protection. Guests who used Future Cruise Credit will receive a refund for new funds paid above the certificate amount and Royal Caribbean will also reinstate the original certificate.  

There has been a new wave of violence in the region due to the surprise attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. However, this isn’t the first time cruise lines have changed course due to unrest in the region. Historically, these incidents have turned cruise ships away.

Because of the attacks by Palestinian militants, the Israel government has now declared war. Rockets were fired indiscriminately into Israel and gunmen were also sent into Israel's territory. There has been a longstanding history of unrest between the two sides, one that has spanned decades. As such, traveling to the region has always come with some level of risk, although cruise lines are quick to make decisions for safety purposes. 

Celebrity Apex and Odyssey of the Seas impacted too

Rhapsody of the Seas is not the only ship that has been impacted by the unexpected attacks in Israel. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises also announced on Saturday that itinerary changes would be made to the current sailings on Celebrity Apex and Odyssey of the Seas. 

Celebrity Apex was sailing to Haifa, Israel as its next port stop before the itinerary change was announced. One guest on Celebrity Apex posted on a message board that the ship’s scheduled stops in Israel are now canceled. 

Instead, Celebrity Apex will apparently have an overnight in Cyprus and an extra overnight in Egypt, as the ship was already scheduled for one overnight in Egypt on its current itinerary. 

In addition, Celebrity Apex’s next sailing on October 16, 2023 will replace Israel ports with stops in Greece, including Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes.

“I personally am feeling not so bad...... We will of course be extremely disappointed to miss Israel, truly a once in a lifetime chance for us - but to not have 3 sea days as a replacement is welcome, considering the tragic circumstances under which this had to be done” said one passenger scheduled to sail on the next Celebrity Apex itinerary.

Odyssey of the Seas, which is also sailing in the Mediterranean on a Holy Land itinerary, has made adjustments due to the sudden unrest in the region.  Another passenger currently sailing on Odyssey of the Seas posted on a Royal Caribbean Blog message forum that the ship would no longer visit the Israeli ports. 

The passenger shares how captain made a ship-wide announcement, “That we will not visit Israel due to the geopolitical situation, decision taken together with security experts and in view of the safety of passengers, staff and ship.” 

Odyssey of the Seas is now scheduled to visit Bodrum, Turkey and Limassol, Cyprus instead of its scheduled stops in Haifa and Ashdod in Israel. Guests received letters in their stateroom regarding the updated itinerary.

Other cruise lines are making arrangements for sailings scheduled to visit Israel as well. In fact, passengers on Holland American’s Nieuw Statendam from HAL were already docked in Haifa when the attacks took place. Passengers were quickly recalled back to the ship. Passengers only had about three hours in the country before being recalled to the ship for safety.

Royal Caribbean is known for having the biggest, most technologically advanced cruise ships at sea. The cruise line's advertisements are filled with families having adventure-packed vacations on Royal Caribbean’s most exciting ships. Everything in Royal Caribbean’s marketing is colorful and upbeat, with the promise of offering a fun-filled cruise vacation for your whole family. 

In fact, the cruise line’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas, will be making her highly anticipated debut in January 2024. The massive ship will take the coveted title of being the biggest ship in the world, clocking in at an astonishing 250,000 gross tons and holding close to 8,000 passengers. 

With all the hype around the newest and biggest ships, you might forget that Royal Caribbean offers cruises on substantially older and smaller vessels. The fleet’s oldest ships can be found in the Vision Class of cruise ships, which offer an entirely different Royal Caribbean experience than you might imagine. 

Currently, the oldest ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet is Grandeur of the Seas, which was built nearly 26 years ago in 1996. Although Royal Caribbean announced in 2019 that the ship would be sold, the pandemic altered the course of these plans. Now, Grandeur of the Seas will continue to sail for Royal Caribbean for the foreseeable future.  

Given her age and size, many are quick to scoff at the thought of cruising onboard Grandeur of the Seas. Who would want to spend their time and money sailing on a ‘rust bucket’ or ‘worn down’ cruise ship?

Well, I took one for the team and decided to book a short sailing onboard Grandeur of the Seas. I was hesitant to spend my time and money on a cruise ship that many wouldn’t even consider sailing on. But, I’ve sailed on Grandeur’s sister ships, Vision of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas, so I had some realistic expectations about the experience.

After sailing on Grandeur of the Seas, I found this old and small ship to be quite charming, nicely refurbished and well maintained. Others on the cruise shared how the ship holds a special place in their hearts, fondly referring to Grandeur of the Seas as, “Lady G”. 

Here’s how our experience onboard Royal Caribbean’s oldest and smallest ship was better than we envisioned.

While Royal Caribbean has been known for its ship design and advancement, it’s hard to believe Grandeur of the Seas was innovative at one point in history.

Royal Caribbean has been pushing the boundaries when it comes to cruise ship size for decades. In fact, the cruise line has held the title of biggest cruise ship in the world since 2006. 

Most agree that Royal Caribbean’s push towards innovation is one of the biggest contributors to the cruise line’s success. This has undoubtedly helped establish the company as one of the world’s leading cruise lines. 

But, back in the 1990s, innovation looked a lot different than it does today. Nearly three decades ago, Royal Caribbean was building ships for its new Vision Class. These vessels would debut as some of the biggest cruise ships in the world, measuring a modest 73,000 gross tons. While still not tiny for today’s standards, these ships offer an entirely different cruise experience.

When Grandeur of the Seas was first built, the ship was known for its sleek ship design, which featured a thoughtfully-designed layout. Other features included advanced technology onboard and widespread, panoramic views of the ocean. 

We read many negative reviews about sailing on Grandeur of the Seas in 2023, which had us questioning whether we wanted to book our cruise or not.

Looking online, it seemed as though people either loved sailing on Grandeur of the Seas or they absolutely hated it. Many websites cite Grandeur of the Seas as the worst ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, such as US News & World Travel.

Many felt the ship was boring and outdated. One person described the ship as, “old and raggedy” on Cruise Critic. Another felt like the ship only catered to an older crowd onboard without much to do. 

“The Grandeur of the Seas is the worse ship I’ve ever been on by FAR. It was rumored that this ship was going to be retired a few years ago and it should have,” said one upset reviewer.

I’ve also heard rumbles from other cruisers that Grandeur of the Seas was the worst cruise they had been on. Even our very own Matt from Royal Caribbean Blog said he considers Grandeur of the Seas to be Royal Caribbean’s worst ship!

Needless to say, my sister and I were a little hesitant to book this cruise. No one wants to spend their time or money just to experience a disappointing vacation. It had also been more than five years since my last time sailing on a Vision Class ship, so I was also eager to see what the current experience was like.

My sister and I booked a 4-night sailing from Tampa to visit Cozumel; our itinerary also featured two sea days. This was plenty of time for us to experience everything Grandeur had to offer, including dining, entertainment, activities and more. 

From the minute we stepped onboard, we were welcomed into the warm and inviting Centrum. 

The Centrum is a glass-covered atrium at the heart of Grandeur of the Seas and features multiple places to sit, most of which offer beautiful views of the sea. My sister and I found the Centrum to be one of our favorite places onboard during the cruise. We never had an issue finding a place to sit, even during boarding day. 

The first morning, we sipped on our coffee while watching the ocean pass by. I had forgotten this design feature on Vision Class ships - and it's one of the best aspects of Grandeur of the Seas. The glass panels allow so much natural light. You won’t forget that you’re on a cruise ship, unlike Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships. I find that on Oasis-class ships, it’s very easy to forget that you’re sailing on a cruise ship because it’s so massive and the indoor spaces lack natural light. 

In the evenings and during sea days, the atrium transformed into an entertainment venue for shows and live music. I remember my cruise on Vision of the Seas featured an aerial, acrobatic show in the Centrum, which was stunning! During our sailing, there was no atrium show offered and it appears these shows are no longer running on Vision-class ships. This is a shame, as it was a unique entertainment option and utilized the expansive space. 

Our sailing seemed to host a rowdier crowd, perhaps because Grandeur of the Seas offers cheap sailings.

One of the biggest surprises for this sailing was how rowdy our cruise was. Everyone was there to party! Honestly, you could have fooled me that this was a Carnival cruise with how many people were on the cruise to let loose and have a good time. I’ve never seen so many tables filled with empty beer and booze glasses!

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I was surprised to find a party crowd onboard. While many people worry about cruising during spring break, I had never thought about bachelorette and bachelor parties looking to cruise before the fall wedding season begins. My sister had just returned from a cruise the week prior, and she also found many wedding parties onboard celebrating the bride and groom. 

As such, the bars were constantly packed and I felt like the bartenders could not keep up. Everyone seemed to have the drink package, which kept the bartenders scrambling. Since Grandeur of the Seas only has a few bars overall, this meant they were always packed! 

But, the ambiance onboard was also very energetic with a younger demographic onboard. All of the interactive events - like the Love and Marriage Game Show and karaoke - were very fun and entertaining with this crowd. 

I envisioned that Grandeur of the Seas might attract an older crowd, but this wasn’t the case at all. Perhaps this is because our sailing was very cheap, around $466 each. For locals, this is a cheap getaway and the dates would be perfect over the weekend. 

I was particularly concerned about our stateroom’s condition, which we envisioned would be very outdated.

Last summer, I sailed onboard Carnival Ecstasy, which was the oldest ship in Carnival’s fleet at the time. The ship was built in 1991 and our cabin was very outdated. The worst part was the bathroom, which featured blue, squishy flooring and a toilet that was so close to the wall, we had to sit sideways. 

We had booked an inside cabin guarantee for this sailing and ended up in cabin 3505. Our stateroom was located at the very front of the ship on Deck 3. Inside cabins are typically barebones, although you have everything you need for a comfortable stay.

My sister and I were pleasantly surprised by the cabin’s good condition. The stateroom was 142 square feet, which is relatively small. The beds were very comfortable and we appreciated having a loveseat for additional seating. There was plenty of storage between the vanity’s drawers and the closet; we had more than enough space for our 4-night sailing.

The bathroom was the biggest surprise - in a good way! I was surprised to see the bathroom with light woodwork and white flooring. Most of the older ships that I’ve sailed on from the 1990s have colorful, yet outdated, bathrooms for their staterooms. For example, I sailed on Norwegian Sun this spring, which is one of Norwegian’s oldest cruise ships, and our bathroom was lime green!

The shower was the worst part of the bathroom, as it was oddly shaped like a trapezoid. The clingy curtain made the shower feel even more cramped.

Of course, it was also relatively small and we noticed there was little counter space to share near the sink. Because our bathroom also lacked any shelving, the counter became cluttered quickly. Honestly, the bathroom in our stateroom was in great condition and exceeded my expectations. 

The food onboard Grandeur of the Seas did not leave us disappointed, much to the contrary of others. 

One of the biggest complains we saw online was about the food onboard, with many complaining about the Windjammer’s quality and selection. “The food tasted like it was prepackaged. Horrible food selection,” stated one review.

During this sailing, we dined one evening at Giovanni’s Italian and then the other three evenings in the main dining room. Our specialty dining experience was excellent - my sister and I both loved our meals. We heard from many others onboard that the main dining room had a rough evening on the first night, with many people complaining about the food.

When we tried the main dining room for the first time, we were hesitant to see what others were talking about. However, we had delicious food and great service. Our neighbors, who did not like their meals on the first night, said the second night was much better. We also liked our meals on the other evenings in the dining room. 

The Windjammer buffet was more hit or miss. The first day, my sister had some pasta and pork that tasted very bland. I enjoyed my hot dog, but it’s hard to mess up a hot dog! We went back a few other times throughout and agreed the quality was hit or miss. I found there to be ample selection, but some items tasted better than others.

We also tried the other complimentary dining spot onboard, Park Cafe. This was located in the Solarium and served up pizza, salad and sandwiches. We grabbed lunch and snacks here during the cruise, and we thought the food and selection was decent. 

Overall, the highlight for us was specialty dining - as it should be when you pay extra for an elevated dining experience! However, we enjoyed our dinners in the main dining room even though this seemed to be a point on contention for others. The Windjammer was not our favorite - and the design of the space also lead to a hot and stuffy atmosphere. We did not spend much time in the Windjammer because of this. 

You won’t find dazzling entertainment onboard, but there were still plenty of activities and things to do.

You might be used to Royal Caribbean’s ships being filled with waterslides, zip lines, surf simulators and endless onboard thrills. However, Grandeur of the Seas is nothing like this. The top deck features one main pool and a few hot tubs. Nearby is the adults-only Solarium, which has another pool and hot tub. There is also a rock climbing wall on the aft of the ship.

But, I still think you can find plenty of things to do onboard. The entertainment staff is running activities and hosting events shows all day. You can find trivia, movies and game shows throughout the day, The sea days also feature the Men’s Belly Flop Competition and Sexiest Man competition, which are a hoot on the pool deck. 

In the evenings, entertainment is more limited when it comes to production shows. Some evenings only had one showtime for a certain production. We were able to see a comedian one night followed by a singing and dancing production by Royal Caribbean’s singers and dancers. Another night featured an impersonator as the headlining act. 

We enjoyed all of the shows onboard Grandeur of the Seas and never felt like we were bored. Were these shows absolutely jaw-dropping and life-changing? Not exactly. But, we still felt engaged and entertained.

I can see how a longer itinerary could feel more limited in this sense. A smaller ship is more limited in general for entertainment - and Royal Caribbean is known for having some of the most unique shows at sea (ice skating spectacles and high-diving shows, for example). If you’re looking to see the best of what Royal Caribbean offers for entertainment, you’ll want to sail on a newer and bigger ship.  

You might not find much pizzazz onboard, but Grandeur of the Seas shines with her simplicity.

I wanted to keep an open mind about our Grandeur of the Seas cruise. In all honesty, I’ve never disliked any of the 38 cruises that I’ve been on. My parents used to always say, “If you can’t find something you like on a cruise, there’s something wrong with you and not the cruise!”

In general, I’ve found this to be true. I prefer to focus on the positive aspects of a cruise experience, even if the ship is old and small like Grandeur of the Seas. 

Even still, I had low expectations for what the ship’s condition would be, along with what kind of cruise experience this ship would offer. Reading so many bad reviews had me and my sister a little hesitant about whether we would feel that our time and money spent was worthwhile. 

My sister and I were mostly looking to relax and enjoy being pampered for a few days. We wanted to have fun and sip a cocktail by the pool. In fact, this was one of the most relaxing cruises I’ve had in a while. I took a nap every single day - and I actually came back feeling refreshed. I’ve sailed on some cruises where I feel like I did so much that I needed a vacation from my vacation, but this was not the case.

Having a more simple cruise was just what I needed. There was no pressure to do everything and see everything because Grandeur of the Seas is more about just enjoying the sea life. Sometimes it is nice to disconnect from reality on a cruise and take advantage of the many quiet spaces onboard.

This was another lesson to take reviews with a gain of salt. I was impressed with Grandeur’s overall condition - honestly.

I anticipated that Grandeur of the Seas would be in similar condition to my recent experience on Carnival Ecstasy (with broken mirrors, rust everywhere and duct tape on the windows), but this was not the case. I would even argue that Grandeur of the Seas was in better condition than my last Royal Caribbean cruise on Jewel of the Seas over the summer.

We could tell the ship had been maintained very well - and we could even hear the constant maintenance throughout our cruise. There were not obvious signs of rust or wear and tear unless you were purposely looking for them. In general, the ship did not look its age. 

Would I want to do a transatlantic cruise on Grandeur of the Seas? Probably not. For a longer sailing with more sea days, I would want to be one a bigger ship with more modern amenities available.

For a short getaway, I thought Grandeur of the Seas was perfect. I would definitely book another cruise onboard without hesitation, although I would probably look for a port-intensive or destination-focused sailing. If you are looking to make Grandeur of the Seas your moving hotel while spending most of your days in port exploring, I think the ship’s size and age is perfectly suitable.

The saying goes, “Age is just a number,” but is this really true when it comes to cruise ships?  

Last weekend, I set sail on Royal Caribbean’s worst rated cruise ship: Grandeur of the Seas. My itinerary was a quick 4-night sailing to Cozumel, but this was more than enough time to experience everything this old and small cruise ship had to offer. 

I’ve heard many cruisers state that Grandeur of the Seas is the worst ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. This perception is likely due to the ship’s old age and lack of modern amenities. In fact, I avoided sailing on this ship for many years because of this! 

Needless to say, Grandeur of the Seas’ reputation precedes her… and clearly not in the best way.

“Worst cruise of my 23 cruises,” shared one reviewer on Cruise Critic. 

Another said the ship was a “nightmare” and the AC in their cabin did not work, leaving them to sleep in the heat.

“Welcome to 1996. Ship is an old, rusty, rundown bucket. Cabins desperately need refurbishing,” wrote another reviewer. 

And it’s not just rumors that Grandeur of the Seas is the worst ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. According to US News & World Reports, Grandeur of the Seas was ranked the worst Royal Caribbean ship of the entire fleet. “While the ship boasts a rock climbing wall and six whirlpools, it lacks some of the modern amenities found on other Royal Caribbean ships, like a surf simulator and waterslides,” the review states. 

Additionally, Cruise Critic ranks Grandeur of the Seas with a below-average score of 3.9/5.0. The editorial review says, “The lack of top deck attractions poses an activity challenge for families; cabins feel dated.”

Some sailing on Grandeur of the Seas might feel catfished by Royal Caribbean; after all, the cruise line’s advertisements showcase new ships with tons of things to do onboard. Boarding Grandeur of the Seas is a stark contrast and I can see how this could lead to some disappointment.

While the cruise ship is far from tiny, measuring 73,000 gross tons, the onboard experience is vastly different than Royal Caribbean’s newest ships. During my short cruise, I had plenty of time onboard to see if the rumors were true. Here’s what it was really like to sail on Royal Caribbean’s worst rated ship. 

Grandeur of the Seas, which debuted in 1996 as part of the Vision class, is the oldest ship in the cruise line’s fleet

Royal Caribbean is known for building some of the biggest and most innovative cruise ships in the world. Most of the cruise line’s ships are filled with adrenaline pumping thrills, such as waterslides, zip lines, skydiving simulators and ice skating rinks. The newest cruise ships are so large that Royal Caribbean had to divide the ships into separate neighborhoods!

However, Royal Caribbean’s oldest cruise ships are a far cry from being big or innovative. You won’t find any onboard thrills on a Vision class ship, except for a rock climbing wall at the ship’s aft.

Grandeur of the Seas represents an entirely different era of cruising, one of intimacy and simplicity. Back in the 1990s, cruise ships were considered modestly sized and the onboard experience centered around relaxing on the pool deck with a drink in hand.

The ship went through a major refurbishment in 2012, costing $48 million to add new restaurants, onboard internet, Diamond Lounge, Concierge Lounge and entertainment venues. 

Back in 2019, it was announced that the ship would be sold to sister-brand Pullmantur Cruises, retiring Grandeur from the Royal Caribbean fleet. These plans were eventually reversed during the pandemic in mid-2020, presumably a financial decision.

Now, Grandeur of the Seas will be sailing for Royal Caribbean for the foreseeable future. 

While I’ve sailed on other Vision class ships before, I set my expectations very low for this weekend sailing

I’ve been cruising with Royal Caribbean for almost 20 years and I have sailed multiple times on Vision class ships. My very first Royal Caribbean cruise was onboard Enchantment of the Seas back in 2005. Although I was just a kid, the cruising experience still wowed me. 

I later sailed on Vision of the Seas in 2012 for my first European cruise with my family. The tiny ship whisked us from Norway to France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Seeing Paris was my lifelong dream at 16 years old - and Vision of the Seas made it happen!

Later, my husband and I sailed in 2018 on Rhapsody of the Seas for our honeymoon. It was a magical, port-intensive itinerary visiting ports in Italy, Greece and Croatia. 

Needless to say, I’ve had very positive and memorable experiences on Vision class ships! These small ships often sail on more interesting itineraries for an affordable price. For those who don’t need the glitz that you find on bigger cruise ships, Vision class ships can be a great choice. 

However, I had never sailed on Grandeur of the Seas before and it had been a while since my last Vision class cruise. My recent sailing on Jewel of the Seas - a slightly newer and bigger ship - left me slightly disappointed in the ship’s overall condition. I didn’t want to be disappointed this time around, so I anticipated that the ship would show its age. 

I figured I would see a lot of rust around the ship, including a poorly designed and dated stateroom. I think managing expectations is important when you book a cheap cruise, as I did not expect much from Grandeur of the Seas.

After boarding the ship in Tampa, we were pleasantly surprised by the ship’s condition

My sister and I made our way to Tampa to board Grandeur of the Seas for a weekend sailing to Cozumel. We had two sea days to enjoy the ship as well, which I was looking forward to. 

Once we boarded the ship, I started to look for signs of wear and tear. Given Grandeur’s reputation, I kept a keen eye to look for signs of deterioration and rust. 

To my surprise, Grandeur of the Seas appeared to be in very good condition! Of course, the ship felt older and her overall design was dated. But, it was not near as bad as I anticipated. Certainly there were few signs of rust as we wandered around the ship, but nothing outrageous. 

Not to mention, last summer I sailed on Carnival’s oldest cruise ship, Carnival Ecstasy, and that cruise ship was covered in rust. While we had a lot of fun, the ship was one month from retirement in the scrapyard. It was not surprising that the ship’s condition was subpar, along with most of the decor looking gaudy and outdated. We even saw duct tape on a porthole window!

(Carnival Ecstasy colorful hallway during August 2022 sailing)

The elevators and carpet were all in better-than-expected condition. It seemed as though the ship had been well maintained - it didn't feel like an old ship. Nothing looked extremely outdated or worn-down, which was a pleasant surprise. Based on all of the negative reviews I had seen, I truly expected the ship to be in rough condition. 

Almost immediately, I noticed how many spaces Grandeur of the Seas had to soak in ocean views

We entered the ship on Deck 5 into the center atrium of the ship. The six-story atrium, called the Centrum, is surrounded by glass walls and even a glass ceiling. It’s beautifully designed and lets in so much natural light.

Throughout the cruise, this became one of my favorite aspects of Grandeur of the Seas. There were so many spaces onboard where you could see the ocean and enjoy the views. The first morning, my sister and I sipped on our coffee while overlooking the glass panels in the Centrum. 

On Deck 5, you could quickly access the promenade deck if you wanted to get outside to see the sea views. I saw more people taking pictures with the sunset than ever! In the aft of the ship, we found a stunning view of the ship’s wake on the last night. 

Without all the commotion of a big cruise ship, I felt more relaxed being at sea. There was not pressure to do and try everything possible. Instead, I simply just enjoyed taking in the beautiful sea views and relaxing. 

This short cruise actually reminded me of my Semester at Sea experience in college. I sailed on a ship for four months while studying abroad. Our ship was one third of the size of Grandeur of the Seas and had just a small pool for activities. But, the experience was about the destinations, connecting with others and embracing the sea life.

My short time on Grandeur of the Seas brought be back to that time of being disconnected while living at sea.

We anticipated an outdated cruise cabin, especially considering we had booked the cheapest stateroom onboard

My sister and I didn’t want to blow too much money on this weekend cruise. We were surprised by the cheap prices we found for Grandeur of the Seas. For an inside cabin guarantee, we paid $466 each and this included gratuities, port fees and taxes. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide

Some of the reviews mentioned that Grandeur’s cabins were too outdated, but my sister and I didn’t find this a point of contention. Most of the ships we’ve sailed on recently also had outdated cabins, so perhaps we had realistic expectations. 

Again, we had low expectations for what our cabin experience would be like on Grandeur of the Seas. We were assigned cabin 3505, which was located on Deck 3. As with most guarantee cabins, our stateroom was located at the very front of the ship, which wouldn’t be my first choice. But, location is not as important to me on a short itinerary. 

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Our cabin was small, but had enough space for everything we needed. The square footage was right around 142 square feet. Everything in the cabin also felt well maintained. The cabin was outdated, but it felt similar in design and age to Radiance and Voyager class ships. 

The bathroom really surprised us! I fully anticipated to have a very outdated bathroom, but this appeared to be refurbished from the original design. The light woodwork nicely accented the white flooring, with a colorful backsplash.

The biggest disappointment in the cabin was our shower. It was oddly shaped and required the use of a clingy shower curtain. If you didn’t want the curtain to hug you throughout your shower, then you had to deal with wet floors in the bathroom. 

We only had one outlet each to share, which was a pain. I forgot to pack my USB extender, which made it more difficult to charge all of my devices efficiently. But, this was not surprising. Most older ships feature cabins that do not have modern amenities unless a cruise line has prioritized upgrading cabins on an older ship. Instead, maintenance is the priority.  

Overall, the cabin was comfortable and clean. It wasn’t modern by any means, but it certainly didn’t feel as outdated as I anticipated. We slept well each evening, and found ourselves spending more time in our cabin than usual because the ship did not have as much to do. It was a quiet, cozy space to return to each evening.

Many of the negative reviews mentioned that the food on Grandeur of the Seas was lackluster

Talking about cruise food is a hot topic, especially on a Royal Caribbean cruise. What one person loves, another might hate. The recently changed Main Dining Room menus have only added fuel to the fire. As such, food is generally more subjective and I take negative reviews with a grain of salt. 

Grandeur of the Seas has four complimentary dining venues: Windjammer, Main Dining Room, Park Cafe and Cafe Latitudes. There are also specialty dining options: Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi and Chef’s Table. 

The first evening, we dined in Giovanni’s Table to take advantage of our BOGO Diamond Plus benefit. We had an amazing meal, consisting of carbonara, gnocchi, burrata caprese salad and filet mignon. The service was wonderful and we enjoyed the quiet ambiance. 

Read more: The Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise

However, we heard from many fellow guests that the dinner in the Main Dining Room on the first night was not good. Since we didn’t dine there the first night, we did not experience this. The remaining three evenings during our sailing, we had dinner in the Main Dining Room. We enjoyed our meals and the service was great! 

The final evening, we witnessed quite the send-off party with waiters dancing around the tables Greek style!

Some even jumped on the table and chairs to dance. It was an absolute riot with everyone in the dining room joining in the fun! I loved seeing the waiters letting loose and having fun as well.

On the other hand, the Windjammer buffet was less impressive

It was strange to me that the Windjammer buffet was located at the front of the ship. The venue was covered with glass, even on the ceiling. While this gave nice views of the sea, the buffet always felt stuffy. We couldn’t sit in there too long without being uncomfortably hot. 

My sister said most of the things she tried in the Windjammer tasted a bit bland, while I had better luck with my selections. Breakfast was better than lunch, at least in our experience. There were plenty of options to choose from, and we never had an issue finding a table. 

In general, the Windjammer was a hit or miss. Normally, I don’t have any issues with the Windjammer onboard Royal Caribbean, but it did feel more inconsistent on Grandeur of the Seas. My sister also agreed that her food seemed bland in comparison to her other cruises. 

The Solarium onboard also featured another complimentary dining option: Park Cafe

I was surprised to see a Park Cafe onboard Grandeur of the Seas, which was located in the corner of the adults-only Solarium. This is where you could grab a snack during off-hours when the Windjammer is closed; for example, between 3pm and 6pm, this is one of the only places to grab food.

Park Cafe was bigger than a typical Solarium Cafe. There were options for soups, sandwiches, pizza and dessert. There was also a dedicated salad bar! Since Grandeur of the Seas does not have Royal Caribbean’s signature Sorrento’s, this was the only place to come get complimentary pizza. 

We grabbed snacks here a few times during our cruise - and everything tasted great! The pizza was nothing to get excited about, but it tasted good. 

When it comes to entertainment, Grandeur of the Seas had simple production shows and activities

Some of Royal Caribbean’s bigger ships have Broadway-style productions, high diving shows and ice skating spectacles. However, you won’t find anything of the like on Grandeur of the Seas.

Instead, everything is relatively simple onboard for entertainment. Each evening, you can find one production in the Palladium theatre. During our sailing, this consisted of a comedy show, an impersonator and a show called Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme. Some shows only had one time, so we were unable to attend one evening because of our dinner time. 

Activities during the day were also limited to trivia, adult coloring, a belly flop contest, volleyball and the sexiest man competition. In the evening, you could attend events like karaoke and game shows. There was also live music around the ship, along with big themed parties in the evenings - like Hush Disco and the 70s party.

We found that the activities were busy, but might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Since the cruise ship had little to do for kids and teens, it seemed like many kids joined into the adult competitions. This could be avoided with activities that were specially designated for adults versus families. 

Considering Grandeur of the Seas only has one main pool available for kids and a rock climbing wall, this ship would not be suitable for children. This is likely why we did not see many kids onboard, as I would guess many would be bored. I’d suggest a Voyager class ship or newer if you want to bring your kids onboard and be confident that they would have enough to do to keep busy.

Regardless, my sister and I had a good time each evening with the entertainment. Nothing wowed us, but we never felt bored. 

Our sailing was packed with bachelorette parties, family reunions and large groups traveling together - and the bars could not keep up

Everyone worries about spring break partiers, but I don’t see many people mention bachelorette and bachelor parties on cruises! During this sailing, we saw tons of people celebrating a bride or groom onboard. This is likely because our sailing was cheap and short, along with the fact that many people get married in the fall.

Because of this, our sailing was one big party! The bars were constantly packed, so much so that I often didn’t want to wait in line to get a drink. Grandeur of the Seas only has a few bars, including the pool bar, Solarium bar and Schooner bar. At any given hour of the day, these were packed.

We also noticed tables of empty drink cups during our cruise. It was as if one person set down their empty drink glass and then everyone followed, although this area was not a place for empty cups. I think the staff had a hard time keeping up with all of the drinking. 

I have never seen the bars be so consistently busy. I think with so many groups traveling together, many people purchased the drink package. The bartenders were doing their best to keep up - and my liver probably thanks me for not having too much to drink!

Overall, Grandeur of the Seas exceeded my expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to sail onboard again

Because my expectations were low, I was anticipating the ship to be rusty and worn down. I am pleased to say that the ship exceeded my expectations! 

We found the ship to be in relatively good condition for being 26 years old. The service onboard was also fantastic, and we also liked the food and entertainment. It almost felt like we were looking for things to be wrong so we could see what the negative reviews were stating. 

The internet was more reliable than expected - Grandeur of the Seas is even outfitted with Starlink. We were able to stream and FaceTime without issue, even in our cabin. I wouldn’t be concerned trying to get some work done if needed onboard. 

After this experience, I truly would not hesitate to book another sailing onboard Grandeur of the Seas or any other Vision class ship. Sailing on a smaller ship had its perks, such as fewer crowds and easy access to everything onboard. You were never too far away from your cabin or the destination you were heading.

We spent most of our downtime in the Solarium relaxing on the loungers. We never had an issue finding an empty chair, which is very different than Royal Caribbean's bigger ships. In general, Grandeur of the Seas never felt too crowded and most places onboard felt spacious. It was a nice change to not feel cramped, which is often a complaint of the bigger, mega cruise ships.

However, I wouldn’t want to sail on Grandeur of the Seas with too many sea days. There is not much to do onboard and I would probably get a little bored after too much time on the ship. If there was a port-intensive itinerary where the destination was the focus of the cruise, I would be totally comfortable sailing onboard Grandeur of the Seas. 

Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are two of the biggest and most popular cruise lines in the world. Each cruise line has a lot to offer when it comes to dining, entertainment, amenities, attractions and the overall onboard experience. 

Carnival is known for having the 'most fun ships at sea', while Royal Caribbean aims to provide unparalleled entertainment and onboard thrills for the whole family.

Comparatively, Royal Caribbean is also known for being more innovative with its ship design and infrastructure, with Carnival only now just building more advanced cruise ships with its Excel-class. 

Both cruise lines, however, aim to be an affordable vacation option for the whole family. Itineraries are offered around the world, although Royal Caribbean has a more international presence. On the other hand, Carnival focuses on attracting domestic cruisers within driving distance to its U.S. ports across the country.

But which cruise line is the best? 

Of course, this is a subjective question, as everyone has their own preferred cruise line that best fits their budget and travel style. And let’s be honest - there are things to love and hate about every cruise line. 

A recent post on Reddit asked users the following question: Why do you prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival? 

Many provided insight into why they prefer cruising with Royal Caribbean instead of Carnival Cruise Line - and the responses were quite interesting. As someone who has cruised with Carnival a few times in the last year, I found these responses to mostly align with my own perspective of comparing the two cruise lines. But, I continue to be loyal to Royal Caribbean, as I have been sailing with the cruise line since I was 10 years old.

Here’s why fans say they prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival Cruise Line.

First, many seem to prefer the more relaxing environment on Royal Caribbean compared to Carnival’s non-stop party atmosphere. 

When Carnival says it has the most fun ships at sea, they are not joking; Carnival takes fun very seriously. The parties really do not stop from the minute you step onboard a Carnival ship! Until last year, I hadn’t sailed with Carnival since my college spring break days. After a few days onboard, we concluded that Carnival has crazier parties, louder music and more drinks flowing more than Royal Caribbean. 

When asked why cruisers prefer Royal Caribbean, one user responded, “We went on one Carnival cruise, and never again, it's the party boat."

“In my humble opinion, Carnival is the cruise line for people who like to party. And I don't like to party, at all," shared one cruiser.

“Carnival’s reputation is a 'party cruise' and tends to have rowdier crowds," another person agreed.

Many people echoed this sentiment, agreeing the party-like atmosphere onboard Carnival simply does not align with their cruising style. In fact, this was one of the biggest things that surprised me about my recent Carnival cruises - the parties are truly on another level.

Because Carnival’s branding centers heavily around fun, it’s also integrated into every aspect of the cruising experience. This was another difference that really stood out on my recent Carnival cruise. The word ‘fun’ is literally plastered everywhere: the entertainment team is called the ‘Fun Squad’, the shops are called the Fun Shops, and every announcement seemed to have the word 'fun' it as well.

One user responded, “Also the never ending announcements on Carnival that tries to send subliminal messages that you’re having fun are really annoying. ‘Don’t forget the sale in the fun shop’, ‘hope you have an amazing day on this fun ship’, ‘check out the fun times’, fun fun fun….”

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing - if you’re someone who loves to let loose for your vacation, Carnival is a great fit for having fun. Those who prefer a bit slower pace on vacation will probably enjoy Royal Caribbean’s experience more.

Another common response included Carnival’s ship design compared to Royal Caribbean’s innovative, well-designed cruise ships. 

As mentioned earlier, Royal Caribbean is known for its innovative, forward-thinking ship designs. Especially in the last two decades, Royal Caribbean has been building cruise ships that have revolutionized the cruise industry. The cruise line has held the title for biggest cruise ship in the world for nearly twenty years since the construction of Freedom of the Seas. 

Until recently, it was apparent that Carnival was not focused on advancing its ship design or innovation. Each ship class that Carnival debuted had very similar deck plans and infrastructure, rarely showcasing something new or revolutionary. The new Excel-class ship has upped Carnival’s game with new technology and ship design, which was long overdue for Carnival to stay competitive in an industry thriving on mega cruise ships. 

The top response on the Reddit forum came from one user sharing that they prefer Royal Caribbean’s ship design over Carnival. The user shared, “The ship layouts and finishes. Anywhere on Royal ships feel like you're on vacation. On Carnival ships, many public areas and hallways feel unfinished and very mechanical.”

One user responded and agreed with this take on Carnival’s ship design, writing, “Hard agree on #1. Went on a carnival cruise in June 2019 and it’s odd how they don’t really have a central promenade, and how most of the walkways are on the sides of the boat. Makes everything feel secluded."

“While I was on an older ship (the Carnival Sunshine) I feel that Royal's ship designers are just a step above. The layout of the Sunshine was not the most intuitive, and some areas turned into a serious traffic jam," shared another user. 

In the forum, one Reddit expanded on their preference of Royal Caribbean’s ship design, saying, “Royal's ship design, in my honest opinion, was a lot better for a long time (flow of people around the ship, etc.), although I think Carnival's newest ships have caught up a fair bit.”

Based on my own Carnival experiences, I agree strongly with this comparison. Royal Caribbean’s ships have always felt thoughtfully designed - and it’s only improved over time. When I sailed on Carnival Ecstasy last summer (the oldest ship in Carnival’s fleet at the time), my sister and I were shocked at how difficult it was to navigate.

This relatively small cruise ship seemed to have too many bottlenecks and dead-ends. We continually found ourselves lost in crowded spaces. But, Carnival’s newest ships in the Excel-class feature modern design with better passenger flow. 

The dining experience between Royal Caribbean and Carnival appeared to be more of a hot topic, with some preferring Carnival’s quick service options. 

When it comes to comparing Royal Caribbean and Carnival, dining was a very common response. While many shared that they prefer Royal Caribbean’s food quality and service, quite a few shared they actually enjoy Carnival’s quick service venues more than Royal Caribbean’s options. 

One user responded, “Food was of lower quality on Carnival - and I’m not a picky foodie so if I noticed, then that doesn’t bode well” while another shared, “I prefer RC for a more relaxing atmosphere, and I honestly prefer their food as well”.

“Dining experience in MDR is worlds better on Royal. Customer service is also better on Royal," shared another person.

However, many of the responses heavily favored Carnival’s casual dining options onboard, such as Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina and Shaq’s Big Chicken. “I do like the carnival food (guys burger joint is crazy good), but Carnival seems a lot cornier and appeals to quick laughs” said one respondent. This prompted multiple responses from others in agreement.

Another user agreed, saying, “True. Guy’s is great and I’ve heard good things about Shaq’s chicken place. So carnival has some bright spots casual food-wise that Royal doesn’t really match with the hotdog place and Johnny Rockets. I’m hopeful Royal will adopt some of that kind of feel with what they’re doing with the food court section on Icon.”

“I really enjoy the Carnival ships, shows, and food…the food is better in every category except the buffet. That being said, my whole family prefers RCL over Carnival (and even Disney) because of the better activities on the ship and entertainment" said another cruiser. 

On my Carnival cruises last year, this was the biggest takeaway from my experience as well. Even on Carnival’s oldest ship, we had multiple places to grab a quick bite, such as Guy’s Burger Joint. We appreciated having so many options for dining other than the traditional buffet. 

I do wish Royal Caribbean would incorporate more casual eatery options, especially during refurbishment of older ships, to expand complimentary dining options. I also agree that Royal Caribbean could improve the quality of their casual dining to compete with Carnival’s quick service options. 

Many cruisers found Royal Caribbean’s renowned entertainment to be better in comparison to Carnival. 

Entertainment is another crucial pillar to the overall cruising experience. Royal Caribbean has some of the most unique entertainment options in the industry, with ice skating performances, diving and swimming productions and even Broadway musicals.

In comparison, Carnival’s entertainment centers around nightly comedy shows, interactive game shows and easy-to-watch productions with singers and dancers. The cruise line’s newest ships do feature more advanced entertainment with impressive acrobatics and aerialists. 

“I definitely prefer the entertainment and common areas” while another agreed, “The shows are way better on Royal Caribbean," said one cruiser who responded on Reddit. 

One user expanded, “I was recently on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, and the refinement and amenities remain undefeated - the promenade, entertainment, and bars are so much more well done, even on the Voyager/Freedom class ships. Carnival’s ships (aside from Vista/Destiny/Excel class) don’t hold a candle to Royal.”

While sailing on Carnival Ecstasy, my sister and I attended the nightly production shows. While we enjoyed the Punchliner Comedy club, we were less than impressed with Carnival’s other shows in the theatre. It did feel almost like a high school production, which was likely due to the theatre's small size. 

“Royal Caribbean definitely has an advantage when it comes to onboard activities and entertainment. For one, Royal Caribbean has a real theater while Carnival’s felt like a glorified high school cafeteria, with the seats that you typically find at a banquet hall, like a step up from a folding chair," said one respondent. 

Finally, multiple fans mentioned preferring Royal Caribbean’s itineraries in comparison to Carnival’s destinations. 

Both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line have a global presence, although both cruise lines have different approaches to their itineraries offered. When it comes to international itineraries, Royal Caribbean offers way more destinations in Europe, Asia and Australia compared to Carnival. 

Because Carnival is focused on offering the most affordable cruise fares, the cruise line aims to be within driving distance for most Americans. This helps keep vacation costs down without needing to fly to your cruise port. With this approach, Carnival does not have many international sailings; instead, you will find many Caribbean and Mexico sailings. Occasionally, you can find a European sailing if one of Carnival’s ships needs to dry dock across the pond, but not much else. 

“I’m very itinerary/departure port driven. I picked Royal for my first cruise because of the itinerary - I was looking for a Baltic cruise on specific dates and needed an accessible cabin for my mother. Royal met those criteria. I was happy with the product and took several more," said one Royal Caribbean fan. 

“When we were first researching cruises, we found that both RC and Carnival operated out of Baltimore, less than an hour from where we live. At the time Royal offered 4 different itineraries out of Baltimore and Carnival offered 2. And since then we’ve stuck with Royal even though we have cruising out of other ports (in Florida and Europe) due to the loyalty program," said another fan. 

This is one of the reasons that I’ve remained loyal to Royal Caribbean over many years as well. I started sailing with the cruise line at a young age, but continued to cruise with Royal Caribbean because I love their unique itineraries. I’m also a destination-focused cruiser and I’ve loved my sailing across Europe and Asia with Royal Caribbean. 

On the other hand, Carnival has limited itineraries outside of North America. Unless you sail on a limited series of exotic sailings called Carnival Journeys, you’ll mostly find Caribbean itineraries and plenty of weekend getaway itineraries. These are the exact sailings that are perfect for bachelorette parties and spring breakers, adding to the party atmosphere.

At the end of the day, everyone has a preference for the cruise line that best fits their budget, travel style and cruising vibe. Some might enjoy the upbeat, party-style of Carnival while others appreciate a more upscale vibe on Royal Caribbean. 

If you’re in the market for a new travel credit card, you might be considering applying for the Royal Caribbean credit card. The Visa Signature credit card is offered from Bank of America and aimed at Royal Caribbean's most loyal cruisers.

Choosing the right travel credit card can be daunting. There are tons of options out there, each with their own pros and cons. Some have huge annual fees with a slew of benefits while others cost you nothing with $0 annual fees. 

But, if you aren’t careful about choosing a credit card that fits your travel needs (and budget), you risk not getting your money’s worth. On the other hand, having a travel card that aligns with your spending and redemption preferences can be very rewarding and save you money over time.

The Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card is aimed at loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers who vacation with the cruise line multiple times a year. With no annual fee and the potential to unlock some decent benefits at sea with Royal Caribbean, it might seem like a good fit for you.

But, even the most loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers could find the redemption options to be limited. Honestly, the benefits from this no-annual-fee credit card are lackluster, at best.

Here is what you need to know about the credit card, along with some pros and cons that could make the Royal Caribbean credit card right (or wrong) for you.

The Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

One of the biggest advantages of having the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card is that you won’t be paying an annual fee. When you have an annual fee on a credit card, you want to ensure you are getting your money’s worth each year with the benefits offered. 

With the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card, you won’t need to justify the card's cost. Anything you redeem from the card can be worthwhile from this perspective. 

Another advantage of the Royal Caribbean credit card is the fact that it has no foreign transaction fees. If you travel internationally, it’s important to have a credit card that does not charge you for foreign transaction fees. Without this, you will be paying a small fee on every foreign purchase - and it can add up on international travels. 

Having a Visa credit card is also recommended for international travel, as American Express and Discover credit cards are not as widely accepted outside of the United States. Visa is the most commonly accepted credit card around the world, along with MasterCard. So, this is considered a pro for the credit card. 

Read more: 11 cruise fees you should know about before booking

With the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature, you’ll earn reward points called MyCruise points

When it comes to everyday spending, you’ll earn the following rates with qualifying purchases:

• For every $1 spent on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, or Silversea, you’ll earn 2 MyCruise points
• For every $1 on all other purchases, you’ll earn 1 MyCruise point

For example, if you spend $2,000 on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you will earn 4,000 MyCruise points. If you are not spending frequently with either cruise line, it will take you much longer to accrue enough points for a worthwhile reward. 

Generally speaking, this is not a great earning structure for a travel credit card. Unless you spend a good chunk of change with Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises exclusively, you’ll pretty much be earning 1 point per $1 spent. 

Currently, Royal Caribbean is offering a sign-up bonus of 30,000 MyCruise points for new cardholders

As with most credit cards, you’ll earn a sign-up bonus if you reach a minimum spending threshold within the first few months of having your new credit card.

Royal Caribbean is currently advertising a sign-up bonus of 30,000 MyCruise points after spending $1,000 or more on purchases within 90 days of opening your new account. This is considered a limited time online offer, so you will want to act fast if you are thinking of signing up for Royal Caribbean’s credit card. 

Those with an upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise could benefit from this the most, as the 30,000 bonus points can be redeemed for $300 onboard credit, stateroom upgrades and more, according to the cruise line’s website. You’ll want to make sure you can spend $1,000 on the new card to earn the points before planning to redeem for your cruise. 

The typical welcome offer is 10,000 MyCruise points, although you only need to make one qualifying purchase within 90 days to earn these bonus points. Therefore, it is a better time than most to open the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card. 

You’ll also receive a $50 discount on Royal Caribbean’s Air2Sea program, but this is only redeemable after you’ve spent $3,500 in card purchases within 90 days of opening the credit card.  

Rewards for MyCruise points can be used for onboard credit, stateroom upgrades, companion fares, cruise discounts and more

Generally speaking, you can redeem your MyCruise points at a rate of 1 cent for every 1 point; however, there are some redemption offers that will earn closer to 2 cents for every 1 point. The more points you earn, the more options you have to get the most bang for your buck. 

If you earn the sign-up bonus of 30,000 MyCruise points, you can redeem these onboard your Royal Caribbean cruise for $300. As you earn more points, you can redeem more lucrative benefits. 

Redemption for rewards start at 1,000 MyCruise points, in which you can donate the equivalent of $10 to World Wildlife Fund. This is a conservation fund that aims to protect the world’s oceans through sustainability efforts. More lucrative benefits start at 5,000 points, where you can start to request stateroom upgrades for short sailings and onboard credit (valued at $50) and Royal Caribbean robes, supposedly valued at $100. 

Once you earn 75,000+ MyCruise points, you can request upgrades for 7-night sailings or utilize a companion cruise fare (valued up to $1,500 on a 5 to 7-night sailing). You can also request an upgrade on a 7-night European sailing (valued at $800) or a 7-night Alaska cruise ($1,200 value) for 75,000 points. These are all earning more than 1 cent per 1 MyCruise point, so any of these redemptions would be a solid use of your MyCruise points. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean onboard credit: How to get it and where to spend it the smart way

MyCruise points can only be redeemed with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, or Silversea with little flexibility

One of the biggest downsides to the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card is that you have little flexibility for redeeming your MyCruise points. 

To start, MyCruise points need to be redeemed at least 7 business days prior to boarding your cruise for the rewards to be applied. Should you forget to redeem your points prior to your embarkation, then you are out of luck, unfortunately.

Another limitation is that you can only earn a maximum of 540,000 MyCruise points. This is worth around $5,400 for most redemption options; while still a sizable amount, most travel credit cards do not cap your earning potential. 

Finally, you should know that MyCruise points expire after five years. Again, this is fairly uncommon for travel cards. Most common travel credit cards do not accrue points that expire.

Royal Caribbean’s Visa Signature card has a high APR, with no introductory rate, so carrying balances on your card can be expensive

Of course, it’s best to pay your statement balance in full each month to avoid interest-rate charges. But, should you carry a balance on your Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card, you’ll be looking at an ongoing APR between 18.24%-28.24% (this is variable, but based on September 2023 rates). 

In general, this APR is higher than the average interest-rate charges that you will find for credit cards that incur interest. So, this is something to heavily consider if you plan to carry a balance.

Compared to other credit cards, Investopedia rates the Royal Caribbean Signature Visa an overall score of 2.9 out of 5 stars

Investopedia reviewed the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card and the card earned a lackluster score of 2.9/5 overall.

This score is based on low point-earning potential (only 1x points on non-Royal Caribbean purchases), high APR, limited redemption choices, and minimal benefits. But, the card earned praise for having no annual fee and providing a decent sign-up bonus, currently worth $250. 

The general consensus of the review found that you’d need to be frequently spending money with Royal Caribbean to make the card worthwhile because the most lucrative redemption options come from the higher point tiers. You’ll need to be spending a big chunk of change with Royal Caribbean - likely near $37,500 - to start earning the best redemption options. For example, companion fares only appear as a reward options once you've earned 75,000 MyCruise points.  

However, the sign-up bonus right now with 25,000 bonus MyCruise points could help you get to those higher thresholds quicker. 

All other purchases only earn 1 MyCruise point per $1 spent, which is likely not worthwhile compared to other travel credit cards out there. You are also capped at 540,000 MyCruise points and points expire after 5 years. 

Reviews are mixed on whether the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card is worth it, according to our site’s readers

Here on Royal Caribbean Blog, some of our readers have posed the question to others about whether the Royal Caribbean credit card is a good choice. As with most financial decisions, the credit card is a better fit for some than others. 

User Steverk asked “Royal Caribbean credit card… Is it a good deal?”

As you can imagine, he received a myriad of responses from many who have the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card and those who prefer other cards. One response from smokeybandit said, “RC's card is probably one of the worst out there for accumulating points.”

However, another user, waaaytooo, responded, “We just cashed in $1,650 in OBC (and there is still $300 more for another cruise to use later) for our upcoming cruise.  For our strategy of accumulating points for onboard credit, this card is great.”

Another interesting response was from Adam Brian Dada, who claims that he prefers the card for one simple reason: redeeming points for onboard credit. If he needs to reprice an excursion or drink package, the onboard credit is available immediately compared to waiting for credit card refunds.

One user, Peter D, says he has the Royal Caribbean credit card but barely uses it. He shares, "I have the BofA Royal Caribbean card, but rarely use it, even for RCL travel.  It might be worth getting it for the first bonus points, but the card does not really have many other good perks.”

While some have found the Royal Caribbean credit card valuable, others find other credit cards more worthwhile.  

Read more: Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips and secrets

You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature if it's worthwhile for you

The Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card could be most valuable for those who cruise often - and exclusively - with Royal Caribbean. This is the only time you earn 2x points with the Royal Caribbean credit card, so it’s your best bet for earning MyCruise points and rewards.

Generally speaking, you can probably find a better travel credit that fits not only your travel spending, but also everyday purchases. 

Having no annual fee makes the decision a little easier, as you won’t need to evaluate whether the benefits are worth the cost of the card. The current sign-on bonus promotion is also a nice perk, although Royal Caribbean Blog readers have reported seeing higher welcome bonuses onboard cruises. 

You’ll need to do a lot of spending though with Royal Caribbean to earn enough points to redeem the most lucrative benefits. For example, you need at least 75,000 points to earn a companion fare (or BOGO cruise, essentially).

However, the card’s major downfall is earning just 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. You are probably better off pursuing a different credit card that rewards you for also making purchases at restaurants, grocery stores, and general travel expenses. 

One example is the Wells Fargo Autograph Visa credit card, which has no annual fee, and you’ll earn 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas, transit, streaming services, and even your cell phone plan. Points can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, and statement credits. You also receive some other benefits, such as cell phone protection. Roadside dispatch, travel service assistance, and auto rental collision damage waiver. 

If you are willing to pay for an annual fee, you have some great travel credit card options to consider

Even a small annual fee on a credit card can unlock better benefits and higher earning potential with points and rewards. These credit cards also earn more points for everyday purchases, allowing you to earn more points than you’d receive with the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card.  

One of the best travel credit cards out there continues to be the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. This card only has an annual fee of $95, but you’ll earn 60,000 bonus sign-up points when applying - this is worth $750 when redeemed through the Chase travel portal. You earn 2x points on travel, 3x points on dining, 3x points on streaming services. Even better, you get basic built-in travel insurance for things like trip cancellations, baggage delays, and trip delays.

At a slightly higher fee, you could also consider the American Express Green Card with an annual fee of $150. You’ll earn 3x points on all travel, transit, and restaurants. Currently, the card has a 40,000 sign-up bonus for new cardholders, which is valued at around $600 when redeemed for travel. Similar to the Chase Preferred, you also receive basic, built-in travel insurance for trip delays, baggage insurance, and rental car loss/damage insurance.

Of course, these are just two popular travel credit cards. There are hundreds of options available, so it’s important to understand where you spend your money most and how you prefer to earn and redeem your points. 

I almost always book an inside cabin for my Royal Caribbean cruises. Because these staterooms are both affordable and functional, I can save so much money by staying in an inside stateroom. However, once in a while, I will make a splurge to stay in a more spacious and luxurious cabin. But, I still try not to break the bank when I upgrade to a higher-end stateroom. 

Last October, I sailed on a bucket-list 12-night itinerary from Rome to Israel onboard Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas with my family. We originally booked our stateroom more than a year in advance, but opted to place a last minute bid to upgrade our room for this special cruise with our parents. Although I initially booked an inside cabin with my sister, I ended up placing a bid for a junior suite through the cruise line’s Royal Up program.

Much to our surprise, our minimum bid was accepted within a few weeks of our sailing! My parents also bid on a junior suite and their bid was accepted as well. For just $300 per person, my sister and I were able to upgrade from an inside cabin to a junior suite during our 12-night itinerary. The Royal Up program shows how competitive your bid is, and this $300 bid was considered very competitive. 

Since Odyssey of the Seas is part of the Quantum Ultra-class, suites onboard are considered part of the Royal Suite Class. Our entry-level junior suite was considered part of the Sea Class, which is the lowest tier; but, we still received upgraded amenities during our stay, such as luxury shower products, mattresses and bathrobes. We also had access each evening to enjoy dinner in Coastal Kitchen, which is only available to suite guests. 

Take a look inside our junior suite onboard one of Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ships - and why it was absolutely worth the $300 upgrade!

For this cruise, we were assigned a junior suite on Deck 10. We would be staying in 10638 during the cruise, which was conveniently located mid-ship.

Being located on a higher deck, the suite also had quick, easy access to the pool deck and Windjammer buffet. Since we had many early morning excursions in Israel, being close to the buffet saved us time each morning. We appreciate the convenience of being located in a premium spot onboard. 

Since our parents were staying in a junior suite too, we were pleased to find that out that our rooms were literally right next to one another. This was presumably since we had our reservations linked, but it was a relief to know we would be next to one another. 

However, when you bid through the Royal Up program, you do not have the option to choose the specific stateroom. Instead, you are assigned a stateroom through the cruise line if your bid is accepted. This is a risk you take when you bid on a stateroom through the program, as you could get a less-than-ideal location onboard. Luckily, our gamble paid off, but we know this is not always the case. 

Once we boarded Odyssey of the Seas in Italy for our 12-night cruise, we were blown away by the junior suite!

To start, the cabin was extremely spacious and featured a beautiful, modern design. We found there to be a large bedroom area with two night stands, along with a small living room with a sectional. There was also a large bathroom with a separate space for the toilet, meaning we had dual sinks to use. The balcony was extra large as well, which gave us sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Our junior suite was 300 square feet - this is about double the size of a standard inside cabin on most cruise ships. The balcony was an additional 80 square feet, so we had plenty of space to enjoy the sea views. 

The sheer size of the cabin was very impressive and much bigger than we had expected. I am accustomed to the coziness of an inside cabin, so having this much space really did feel like a luxury. We really needed the extra space since we our suitcases were packed to the brim!

Also, because junior suites are classified as entry-level, these staterooms are not the largest or most luxurious suites onboard. These are more affordable suites that provide extra room and a few special amenities. For us, the extra space and amenities made this cruising experience extra memorable.

As you can imagine, we had generously packed our suitcases in anticipation of a 3-week trip to Europe with multiple climates. 

My sister and I independently visited Paris before the cruise, which was experiencing cool fall weather. But, we still had to pack for the hot, summer weather in Israel with highs in the 90s. As such, we had both filled up our suitcases to the brim with necessities for our European adventure.

Our stateroom had a large closet and vanity for storage. We quickly filled up the shelves, hangers and drawers with clothes for our 12-night adventure to Israel. After lugging around two suitcases to Paris and then Rome, we were both excited to get settled into our cabin for the entirety of the cruise. The junior suite really became our home away from home during this cruise. 

Our suitcases fit under the twin beds after we had unpacked all of our clothes. This kept the suite feeling roomy and less cluttered. I find this is always important regardless of which stateroom you stay in, as it really optimizes the space. 

Because I was sailing with my sister, we opted to have the room configured with two separate twin-sized beds instead of a king bed.  

The beds were located between a small sectional and the bathroom in our cabin. Directly across from the bed was the TV, vanity and closet. The room was so wide that we had more than enough space to navigate around the stateroom. 

When we arrived to our suite on the first day, the beds were configured into a king-size bed. Although I typically prefer to have the beds together in this manner, my sister was insistent that we separate them. We asked our stateroom attendant to separate the beds, and this was quickly done while we were at dinner on the first night. 

With a very port-intensive itinerary, it was vital that we had good rest each night so we could have energy for our 13-hour excursions! The mattresses in our junior suite were considered elevated from a standard mattress onboard. We both agreed the beds felt extra comfortable, but this could have been the result of long-days exploring in port and fighting off jet lag.

I find that separating the beds in a smaller cabin can make the space feel more open; however, in a larger cabin like this, it really does not make much of a difference. 

Because our stateroom was part of the Royal Suite Class, we received some extra perks, including access to Coastal Kitchen and an espresso machine in our stateroom.

If you choose to stay in a suite on your cruise vacation, you will typically receive extra perks and amenities. Top-tier suites will come with a laundry list of amenities and perks. Because a junior suite is considered entry-level, you will only receive a full suite benefits compared to higher-end suites. 

As you know, we received upgraded shower products, a more luxurious bed and also softer bathrobes. In addition, our junior suite also featured an espresso machine on the vanity to use throughout the week. This was perfect for our busy mornings getting ready for the day. 

For junior suite guests, Royal Caribbean provides evening access to Coastal Kitchen, but access is a little restricted. Junior suite guests can dine here as long as there is room onboard for all suite guests and Pinnacle loyalty members to dine as well. This exclusive dining venue is only for suite guests and it is supposed to provide higher-quality service and meals. 

We had to make an individual reservation each evening, as we could not be guaranteed a dining slot for the entire cruise. We were excited to try out this venue for the first time, but we found the ambiance to be a little too snooty and uptight for our liking. We also did not find the service or menu to be worth the nightly reservation debacle or unwelcoming vibe. 

This could have been a one-off bad experience for us, but we opted to go to the main dining room for the rest of the cruise. We ended up meeting nice table mates next to us, who we enjoyed chatting with each evening. This was a much more welcoming experience and we throughly enjoyed the food and service in the main dining room.

Finally, we also received priority embarkation and disembarkation as additional perks of staying in a junior suite. In our experience, it was a breeze getting on and off Odyssey of the Seas at the port of Civitavecchia so the priority embarkation and disembarkation was not as lucrative as a more congested port could be.  

The junior suite featured an oversized balcony, which is nearly double the size of a standard Royal Caribbean balcony. 

One of the biggest perks of a junior suite is having an oversized balcony. Since I am used to not even having a window, let alone a balcony, having this private veranda was a huge luxury. We were able to watch the ship pull into port each morning from the balcony, which was very nice.

Having a private balcony meant we could take advantage of the views right from the comfort of our suite. In an inside cabin, you have to venture to an outer deck to see any sort of views from our cabin. If you’re sailing somewhere scenic, this means you spend more time outside of your stateroom than inside. 

In addition, the balcony featured upgraded furniture with padded chairs. We had two plushy loungers to enjoy on our cruise, along with a small table. This was the perfect space to relax during sea days or in the evenings while the ships sailed away from each port into the Mediterranean. The sunsets were unbelievable each evening and we could watch them from the comfort of our own suite. 

Our favorite feature of the junior suite was the upgraded, large bathroom with a separate space for the toilet. 

The best feature of our junior suite was the amplified bathroom with a bathtub, walk-in shower, marble-designed flooring, and an entirely separate area for the toilet. This separate space had an additional vanity, mirror, sink and shelving, which was a huge time saver in the morning when my sister and I were both getting ready. 

The bathroom was beautifully designed with modern finishings, such as the marble-designed flooring. This made the bathroom feel bright and more spacious than any bathroom I've had in a cruise ship cabin.

Our bathroom also featured a full-sized bathtub. I am not one to take baths frequently at home, but this tub was nicer than the one in my own home. So, you can bet that I took a few relaxing baths here during the cruise!

I had never experienced a split-bathroom in a cruise ship cabin before; however, I hope this is a trend that sticks around! Having the separate space felt like another luxury, as my sister and I could each get ready at the same time without having to take turns using the sink and vanity. 

Additionally, the walk-in shower was by far the nicest and most modern shower I’ve ever used on a cruise ship. The floor had a marble design and featured a ledge for sitting and tons of space. An inside cabin, especially on an older ship, normally has a shower capsule that is barely big enough for one person. This shower was truly one of the best features of the junior suite!

I found myself spending more time in the suite than I normally do when sailing in a lower-end cabin.

Inside cabins are very cozy, so I tend to not spend as much time in my stateroom when cruising. Instead, I will spend more time exploring the ship and enjoying views from places like the Solarium.

On this cruise, I ended spending more time in the junior suite because it felt so much more luxurious than a typical cruise cabin. I enjoyed spending my time there and wanted to retreat to this quiet space where I could take in the sweeping balcony views to myself.

The suite was so warm and welcoming that it felt like a comfortable place to relax each day - and I did not have to worry about missing out on any of the ocean views. 

Spending $300 each to upgrade to a junior suite was absolutely worth it for this 12-night itinerary. 

Staying in a junior suite truly amplified our cruising experience onboard Odyssey of the Seas. Being in an entry-level suite on a newer ship was quite the luxurious experience, especially since my sister and I tend to sail on older ships in an inside cabin.

At the end of the day, it felt like a steal snagging this junior suite for just $300 each. Having the extra space was more than worth this upgrade cost. We felt lucky that our bid was accepted for this price, especially considering we received a suite located mid-ship. Having our parents right next to us with their accepted bid as well.

We appreciated having access to Coastal Kitchen, although the reservation system felt cumbersome, especially when Odyssey of the Seas has so many dining options. Having the upgraded amenities, such as the plush loungers on the balcony, soft bathrobes and higher-end shower products, were all nice touches to elevate the experience even more. 

My sister and I both agreed that having the extra space alone made this junior suite worthwhile, especially for a longer itinerary where we had packed much more than we normally do. I would not hesitate to book, or bid on, another junior suite in the future.

Celebrity Cruises is making a significant change to its inclusive cruise package.

Celebrity Cruises announced upcoming changes to its popular All Included pricing packages. The cruise line also announced further pricing changes to guests booking suites in The Retreat, along with new booking options for AquaClass staterooms. Finally, changes were also announced for group bookings made with Celebrity Cruises. 

Starting in October 2023, Celebrity Cruises will eliminate prepaid gratuities from its All Included pricing packages.

Previously, the All Included packages included the Classic Drink Package, Basic Wi-Fi and prepaid gratuities. This change will go into effect for new bookings starting on October 4, 2023. 

Similar changes will go into effect for guests booking suites in suites-only area, The Retreat. The cruise line announced plans to remove not only gratuities, but also the onboard credit amenity for Retreat guests.

Additionally, changes were also announced by the cruise line for guests planning to book AquaClass staterooms. Guests no longer need to book All Included packages for AquaClass staterooms. Instead, AquaClass staterooms can be booked with a cruise only fare.

Finally, Celebrity announced changes to unnamed group bookings, which will now be priced using the All Included package and only include Basic Wi-Fi and Classic Drink Package. 

These changes come during a time where many cruise lines are reevaluating onboard benefits, cruise prices and amenities offered. 

All Included Removes Gratuities

The biggest change announced by Celebrity Cruises was the removal of prepaid gratuities from its inclusive packages. The cruise line announced that guests will now only receive two amenities for All Included packages: the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi.

A similar change was also confirmed for suite guests staying in The Retreat. Celebrity Cruises announced in its press release that suite guests will now only receive Premium Wi-Fi and the Premium Drink Package in their package pricing. 

In discussion the change, Celebrity Cruises states that All Included will continue to offer these as the "most popular" amenities of the package. 

For guests booking the All Included package with Celebrity Cruises, prepaid gratuities was previously included as one of the major benefits of booking the inclusive package. Retreat guests also received prepaid gratuities as an enhanced amenity of booking a suite. 

This means that gratuities will be charged separately for all guests, even those who choose to book an All Included package or suite in The Retreat. 

However, Celebrity Cruises confirms that guests will still receive significant savings with the updated pricing structure for All Included packages. The cruise line shared in its announcement that guests can save anywhere from $200 to $800 per person when compared to onboard prices for these amenities. 

It’s important to note that onboard prices are almost always inflated compared to pre-purchasing the same amenities. Therefore, clarifying that guests will save $200 to $800 in comparison to onboard prices is interesting. The savings from the All Included package would be more worthwhile when compared to the cruise only fare with drinks and internet added al-a-carte, which we breakdown later in the article. 

Gratuities can be prepaid or charged onboard daily for reservations made with All Included. The current daily gratuity rate for Inside, Ocean View, Veranda staterooms is $18.00. Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms are charged $18.50 per day for each guest. Those saying in The Retreat will need to pay $23.00 per person, per day for all guests staying in the retreat. These gratuity rates were increased earlier this year from previous rates. 

For instance, a 7-night sailing will cost two guests anywhere from $252 to $322 for their sailing, based on stateroom category.

Onboard Credit Removed for Retreat Guests

The Retreat is a luxurious, premium suite experience offered on Celebrity’s cruise ships. The Retreat is considered an exclusive amenity with high-end accommodations, unparalleled service, lounge access, private sundecks, concierges, butlers and more. 

With Celebrity’s recently announced changes to their pricing structure, guests will no longer receive complimentary onboard credit when booking suites in The Retreat.

Previously, cruise fares for The Retreat included premium drinks, premium internet, prepaid gratuities and onboard credit for each guest. This onboard credit for Retreat guests is currently advertised as “Enjoy an onboard credit to spend any way you like. Maybe a spa treatment? Your choice".

The onboard credit for guests staying in The Retreat varied by length of sailing, but started at $100 per person for short itineraries and increased to $400 per person for 10+ night sailings. Essentially, this onboard credit used to equate to thousands of dollars in onboard credit for guests splurging to stay in The Retreat.  

Unfortunately, this is a double whammy for Retreat guests, which are also losing prepaid gratuities as part of the suite pricing. Now, Retreat guests will only receive Premium Drink Package and Premium Wi-Fi package. 

AquaClass Reservation Changes

One of Celebrity’s most popular stateroom offerings is its wellness-focused AquaClass cabins. These wellness-enhanced cabins receive upgraded amenities, such as exclusive access to the Blu restaurant and thermal suite. Guests also receive a spa concierge, complimentary fitness pass, in-room bottled water service each day, healthy options for room service and a yoga mat to use daily. 

Along with other previously announced changes, Celebrity has announced that AquaClass staterooms will soon be available to book with a cruise only fare. 

Previously, there was no option for guests to book an AquaClass cabin with a cruise only fare. Guests who book AquaClass staterooms were required to book the All Included pricing package when making a reservation, which included the aforementioned internet, drinks and tips.

Now, guests can opt to book an AquaClass cabin with a cruise only fare. It should be noted that guests will still have the option to book the All Included package with its new pricing structure, including only the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi. 

This can be perceived as a more positive change, as it allows guests to still receive the benefits of an AquaClass cabin without being automatically up-charged for the All Included pricing. For instance, if an AquaClass guest only needs an internet package and wants to forgo the cost of a drink package, the cruise only fare could be a better option. This guest could book the cruise only fare for AquaClass and simply purchase internet separately, which saves money in the end. 

In general, this change also appears to align better with the goals of the wellness-focused AquaClass stateroom category. According to Celebrity Cruises, wellness is fundamental to the cruise line’s philosophy, which is at the heart of the AquaClass stateroom category. Therefore, forcing some health-conscious guests to book a drink package (one that might not be wanted or even used) does not seem to align with the goals of AquaClass staterooms. Giving the option to book cruise only fares appears to provide more flexibility for guests booking their cruise vacation. 

Group booking changes

One final change announced by Celebrity Cruises involves unnamed group bookings, which mainly impacts travel agents and guests who book with travel agents. 

Starting on October 4, 2023, the cruise line states that newly created groups will include the updated All Included offerings of the most popular amenities: the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi. 

Celebrity Cruises announced that until October 31, 2023, existing groups will be eligible for the original three amenities (Drinks, Wi-Fi and Tips) provided that the space within the existing group is named by October 31, 2023. 

Starting November 1, 2023 and onward, the cruise line states that existing unnamed groups will be converted to Celebrity’s newly-announced All Included package, which only includes the Classic Drink Package and Basic Wi-Fi. 

Celebrity Cruises states that existing named groups will keep their current pricing and amenities. Effectively, travel agents can continue to sell group space onboard Celebrity Cruises, but gratuities will now be taken out of those bookings made after October 4, 2023. 

How much does All Included save now?

Removal of the gratuities from All Included is the biggest change from Celebrity' recent announcement. The inclusive package approach from the cruise line is one way that premium-line Celebrity differentiates itself from sister-brand Royal Caribbean. Guests who plan to pay for internet and drinks during their Celebrity cruise can currently save hundreds of dollars when booking the All Included package.

For example, I have a 7-night Norway Fjord sailing for June 2023 onboard Celebrity Apex. We booked this as a cruise only fare in a Deluxe Veranda stateroom, but we currently have the option to add drinks, prepaid gratuities and Internet in the cruise planner. 

I did a mock booking for the same stateroom category onboard this exact sailing to compare the All Included price to a cruise only fare with drinks and internet added a-la-carte. The cruise only fare totaled $4,691 while the All Included total for the same stateroom was $6,026. This is a difference of $1,335 and currently includes the Classic Drink Package, Basic Internet and prepaid gratuities. 

In the cruise planner, I can book the Classic Drink Package for $993 and internet for two devices at $653 while the prepaid gratuity total was $252. When purchasing these amenities a-la-carte, the total is $1,898. 

Therefore, by purchasing the All Included package, the current savings would be $563 for my sailing. However, this is only worthwhile if you actually plan to purchase the same package for internet and drinks. Since we receive Elite benefits with happy hour each evening, we have decided we do not need the drinks package. As such, it did not make sense for us to book the All Included price.

But, this is still significant savings compared to booking the cruise only rate and purchasing drinks and internet a-la-carte.

I will be interested to see how the pricing changes in October for my sailing; most importantly, will the All Included price drop since gratuities are no longer included? My intuition says no, but I am eager to track the pricing once the changes go into effect. 

Within the last year, I sailed on two of the most popular cruise lines in the world: Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line. While Royal Caribbean is known for its innovative and resort-style mega ships, Carnival Cruise Line is best known for having affordable cruise fares to sail on the cruise line's FUN ships.  

(Left: Royal Caribbean balcony guarantee stateroom on Jewel of the Seas. Right: Standard inside cabin on Carnival Cruise Line's new Carnival Celebration). 

To appeal to a wide demographic, both cruise lines offer a variety of cruise ship cabins to choose from when booking a cruise vacation. Everything from budget-friendly inside cabins to spacious, luxurious suites are available on each cruise line.

Last fall, I sailed on Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Carnival Celebration, during one of its inaugural sailings in the Caribbean. This modern cruise ship debuted some of the cruise line’s chicest, most stylish accommodations to date. During my week onboard, I sailed in the cruise line’s standard inside cabin with my sister.  

Similarly, I just returned from sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s older cruise ships, Jewel of the Seas. During this 12-night European cruise, we opted to upgrade to a balcony guarantee stateroom so we could enjoy the scenery while sailing around Iceland. This vacation was taken with my husband, who prefers to have a balcony if it’s within our budget. 

When comparing these two cabins, there is one stateroom category that I’d choose again in a heartbeat while the other one left a little to be desired. 

As an avid-cruiser for most of my life, I have stayed in all different types of cabins on a variety of cruise ships. Some of these cabins were fantastic, while others left me disappointed and frustrated. Everything from the cabin’s storage to the bathroom size and cabin’s location can play key roles in determining whether a stateroom is one that I would choose again. 

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Most of the time, you can find me sailing in an inside cabin because I prefer to spend my money on excursions, specialty dining, internet packages and more. Also, choosing a cheaper cabin option usually saves me thousands of dollars compared to other staterooms categories, which means I can cruise more frequently.

However, sometimes I do splurge on a higher-end stateroom. This is usually when I plan to cruise somewhere very scenic, like Iceland, Norway or Alaska. I find there to be great value in booking a balcony so I can marvel at the scenery without needing to leave my room.

One of the most obvious differences was the price between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line's accommodations.

My balcony guarantee cabin on Royal Caribbean was more expensive in comparison to the inside cabin on Carnival Celebration. 

To start, newer ships tend to be more expensive when the vessel first debuts because the ship is in high demand. With Carnival Celebration just entering its inaugural season, the price was likely inflated compared to a typical 7-night sailing onboard Carnival Celebration.  

(Standard inside cabin on Carnival Celebration)

My inside cabin on Carnival Celebration was $1,300 for the 7-night Caribbean sailing. This was the second sailing for the brand-new cruise ship, which should be noted. However, it was the absolute cheapest cabin available onboard. This adds up to be about $92.85 per person for each day of the Carnival cruise. 

Read more: I always stay in an inside cabin on a cruise ship. Here's why I actually like these rooms

On the flip side, my balcony guarantee staterooms was right around $3,000 for the 12-night cruise to Iceland. Jewel of the Seas is one of the older vessels in Royal Caribbean’s fleet; however, Iceland is an expensive destination and the cruise was a longer itinerary, which can drive down the price sometimes. At a daily cost, this was $125 per person per day to sail with Royal Caribbean. 

A guaranteed balcony means that you select the category of stateroom you desire, but you do not get to choose your balcony’s location. Once the cruise departure approaches, you are typically assigned a cabin number at random. 

(Balcony on Royal Caribbean)

Had we booked an inside cabin on Jewel of the Seas (which we originally did before upgrading to the balcony), this would have cost $2,700. This adds up to be around $112.50 each day for an inside cabin onboard the same cruise. 

I’d also like to note that these prices do not include gratuities, which are automatically applied each day of your cruise unless you choose to prepay. 

Regardless, it was more expensive to sail with Royal Caribbean even if I had stayed in a comparable inside cabin. This is not surprising, as Carnival Cruise Line is the most affordable cruise line in the industry while Royal Caribbean is almost always more expensive. 

The ship’s age was a key factor in comparing these two staterooms, as Carnival Celebration was brand-new while Jewel of the Seas was worn and tired looking.

It is pretty hard not to be wowed by a brand-new cruise ship. Even as someone who typically sails with Royal Caribbean, staying in a new cabin onboard Carnival Celebration was quite impressive. I was surprised by how thoughtfully designed the inside cabin was, even though it was the cheapest category available onboard. 

First, Carnival Celebration, being the newest ship for the cruise line, featured very stylish and functional staterooms. The cabin was modern with light wood and blue accents. Of course, the carpet, furniture and beds had only been used by a few people before us. Everything felt spick-and-span, as it should!

(Inside Cabin on Carnival Celebration)

We appreciated the little details in our inside cabin with Carnival too, like having a USB plug at our bedside and numerous outlets to use on the vanity. 

On the other hand, our balcony cabin on Jewel of the Seas was nearly 20 years old with little updates made in the last decade. While the decor was certainly dated, there were other aspects of the balcony guarantee cabin that we did not particularly like either. 

(Worn table on Royal Caribbean)

The furniture was certainly worn down in our cabin, as was our balcony. Additionally, the carpet was far past its expiration date, with a few obvious stains throughout. Finally, our balcony itself had very dry wood that looked poorly maintained - I was almost worried about getting splinters!

(Balcony view on Royal Caribbean)

It was pretty clear that Royal Caribbean had not updated these staterooms on Jewel of the Seas in many years - and refurbishment was long overdue. But, we anticipated our cabin to look outdated because of the ship's age and we planned to spend most of our time exploring Iceland. 

Along with price, another obvious difference between Royal Caribbean’s balcony cabin and Carnival’s inside cabin was the size. 

It should come as no surprise that our balcony guarantee with Royal Caribbean was more spacious than the inside cabin with Carnival Cruise Line.

The balcony guarantee on Jewel of the Seas was 180 square feet. This is about 10 square feet bigger than an inside cabin on the same ship. Our balcony was an additional 27 square feet, which is a little larger than a standard balcony onboard due to the location of our cabin as well. Overall, it was pretty spacious and we comfortably moved into the cabin for our 12-night adventure!

Read more: 8 reasons to book a balcony cabin

When comparing to Carnival’s inside cabin, this cozy stateroom was only 162 square feet. The stateroom was noticeably smaller than Royal Caribbean's especially when we noticed there was no place to sit other than our beds. In comparison, our balcony cabin with Royal Caribbean featured a loveseat and a small coffee table. Having this extra place to sit, along with chairs on the balcony, made the cabin feel much more spacious. 

(Inside cabin on Carnival Celebration)

Finally, Carnival’s inside cabin had exposed bunk beds. Even though it was just me and my sister sailing together, this cabin could technically accommodate four people. The unused bunk beds made the space above our beds feel more cramped, as the beds could not be tucked into the ceiling like I’ve seen on other cruise ships. 

Royal Caribbean’s bathroom design was one our least favorite parts of the cabin, while Carnival Cruise Line’s spacious shower was a highlight. 

Let me first set the record straight that a cruise cabin bathroom absolutely does not make or break my overall experience! However, when comparing these two cabins, the bathroom discrepancies really emphasized areas of improvement for Royal Caribbean.

As we had expected, our bathroom on Royal Caribbean was equally as outdated as our stateroom. This meant that we had the dreaded capsule-style showers. My husband is 6’4 and I am 5’11, so these tiny showers are not well suited for taller-than-average cruisers.

(Left: Shower on Royal Caribbean. Right: Shower on Carnival Celebration)

Much to the contrary, our budget-friendly cabin on Carnival featured an unusually large shower for such a tiny cabin. I would guess that our shower in this inside cabin was double to triple the size of our shower with Royal Caribbean. 

(Shower on Carnival Celebration)

The bathroom overall felt more spacious and well-designed on Carnival compared to our balcony cabin with Royal Caribbean. Perhaps this is an industry shift towards more comfortable stateroom bathrooms, but the improved shower situation was a welcomed change for this unusually tall cruise writer. 

The deal breaker for us was the undesirable cabin location onboard Royal Caribbean, which is a huge disadvantage to booking a guaranteed stateroom.

Anytime you book a guaranteed cabin, you take a huge gamble. In all honesty, I started to sail in guarantee cabins more frequently in the early post-pandemic cruising and I think this gave a false perception. 

(Balcony stateroom on Royal Caribbean)

Much to my delight, I never had much of an issue with a bad stateroom location when cruises first restarted after the pandemic; however, I have realized this is no longer the case. People are booking cruises far in advance - thanks to built-up cruise credits - and choosing the best cabin locations.

With ships filling up to capacity for most itineraries these days, guaranteed cabins are pretty much guaranteed to be terribly located onboard. Within the last year, I’ve had some pretty horrible cabin locations when booking guaranteed cabins. 

Back in March, I booked an inside cabin guarantee on Celebrity Silhouette and ended up right next to a Crew Service door. Each morning at 4am, I was woken up by the crew members starting their day and shuffling around the decks. I slept so terribly that I ended up getting sick and rundown by the last night because I was not able to get quality sleep each night. 

(Celebrity Silhouette inside cabin directly next to crew service door)

After this experience, I seriously contemplated whether I wanted to move forward with our upcoming balcony guarantee selection on Jewel of the Seas. However, it was an additional $1,000 to choose a balcony location on our sailing. Unfortunately, most of the cabins were in undesirable locations because the sailing date was approaching, so we opted to take the risk. 

(Room service on Royal Caribbean balcony)

As you can probably guess, we ended up with a horrible balcony location on our Royal Caribbean cruise. Our balcony was obstructed, although it was not categorized as such. This did not bother us, as we had only spent $300 to upgrade. But, we were located directly above one of the music lounges onboard, which greatly impacted our sleep. 

Each evening, our stateroom would thump and shake to the music playing from the live band and singers down below. We had to start planning our evenings around when the music would start and stop at the Safari Club. Some evenings, music played well past midnight and we couldn’t sleep with the loud bass that echoed throughout our cabin. 

(Watching the midnight sun in Iceland off our balcony on Royal Caribbean)

With our inside cabin on Carnival, the mid-ship location was perfect. We were surrounded by staterooms, so there was no source of unwanted noise. I slept perfectly in this pitch-black cabin. 

Gambling with a guarantee stateroom is not in my future cruise plans, especially during highly-anticipated vacations or long cruise itineraries.

When comparing these cabin experiences on Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line, there is an obvious winner in my book. I’d pick the inside cabin on Carnival in a heartbeat, but another guaranteed stateroom with Royal Caribbean is not in my future. 

(Carnival Celebration inside cabin)

Being able to comfortably sleep is a top priority for me when I am on vacation. Getting rundown and aggravated (at the consequences of my own prior decisions, I know) is not how I want to spend vacation. If anything, I need to sleep more than normal because we typically spend our days in port exploring new places.

(Beds and nightstands in Carnival's inside cabin)

I am no longer comfortable risking a bad cabin location to save extra money on a cruise vacation, especially on a longer itinerary. My husband and I both agreed that we would spend the extra money to ensure we could choose our cabin location in the future. In fact, we upgraded our cabin for next summer already because we did not want another terrible guarantee location. 

Even though our cabin on Carnival Celebration was tiny, it had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. We weren’t kept up late with loud music from the bars or lounges. Most importantly, I was able to get restful sleep each evening onboard thanks to our cabin’s prime mid-ship location. Rest and rejuvenation are crucial for a fantastic vacation - and guaranteed cabins simply cannot guarantee any of that. 

More on picking a cruise cabin

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

Although cruising continues to be one of the most affordable vacations you can take, you still want to be as savvy as you can when it comes to saving money. Almost everyone is looking to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to booking a cruise vacation. 

Unless you have an unlimited travel budget (and if so, I am very jealous), you’ll want to make sure you are getting the best possible rate for your cruise fare. To start, money saved on your cruise fare gives you more room in your travel budget. This allows you to splurge on things that are important to you while cruising, such as exciting excursions, wifi, drink packages, specialty dining, and more. 

For me, saving substantial money on a cruise fare allows me to cruise more frequently. I love to travel, so getting a great deal is very important to me when booking a future sailing.

We’ve all heard people say you should book your cruises as soon as bookings open to save money. But, cruise lines release itineraries as far as two years in the future. Others suggest waiting until the very last minute to get the best price possible. So, which is actually the best approach to save money?

Between constant price promotions, changing sales, and dynamic pricing from Royal Caribbean, it can be difficult to know when the best time to book a cruise is. Depending on when you book your cruises, you have a sweet spot for the time you’ll be able to save the most money.

Read more: Top things that are totally worth spending extra for on a Royal Caribbean cruise

I am going to share with you the biggest money-saving hack for your next cruise. This trick has worked for me on almost every cruise that I’ve booked in recent years since I learned it was possible. I’ve saved anywhere from $50 to $1,500 with this hack. In fact, I just saved $572 on an upcoming cruise to Africa that I’ll be sailing on in January! 

This hack is all about booking that cruise now and repricing it later to save money. Here’s why I book my cruises far in advance (when possible) and how I take advantage of repricing policies to save anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. 

We recently asked our Royal Caribbean Blog followers on Instagram how far in advance they prefer booking their next cruise. 

Of those who responded, 48% of our followers prefer to book cruises within 6 to 12 months before the itinerary’s departure date. On the other hand, 40% of cruisers said they prefer booking booking further in advance with at least 12 or more months. Finally, just 13% of our followers said they prefer booking cruises at the last minute with less than 6 months in advance.

As you can see, there is no single approach that works for everyone, as we all have different schedules, budgets and travel preferences. Some people cannot plan two years in advance while others cannot financially risk waiting until the last minute and hope for a fantastic deal just for the price to be hiked. 

Personally, I’ve booked cruises with both approaches. For some highly-anticipated itineraries, like my recent sailing to Israel on Odyssey of the Seas, we booked more than a year in advance to snag a good cabin. On the other hand, I’ve found awesome last-minute deals sometimes too.

But, I’ve also been burned a few times booking cabins at the last minute, which left me spending hundreds of dollars more. 

But, the most money I’ve saved when booking cruises involves the following strategy: book now and reprice often.

While this might not seem like a revolutionary secret, this strategy has been proven successful time and time again. Repricing my cruises has saved me a lot of money over the years and I cannot believe people do not do it more often. 

This strategy involves booking a cruise as far in advance as you can with the expectation that you can (and will) reprice your cabin as the departure gets closer. 

Keep in mind that only residents of certain countries can re-price a cruise after booking, such as the United States or Canada. Sorry, Brits!

You want to give yourself as much time as you can to reprice your upcoming cruise. This allows you to monitor the price periodically to see whether you can save money on your booked sailing. Preferably, you should book cruises that are around 8 months or more in the future to allow you the opportunity to reprice often. 

I've also found that the more time I give myself to make a final payment, the more likely I am to receive an American Express offer for the cruise line to earn extra cash back or point bonuses. 

Because of Royal Caribbean’s dynamic pricing system, the cruise prices are constantly fluctuating with supply and demand. The more popular sailings will see prices slowly increase as the departure of the cruise approaches while less popular sailings will have no choice but to drop prices to entice people. 

Ultimately, repricing takes advantage of prices ebbing and flowing to save you money. If you book a cruise and the price only goes up, then you know you snagged the best price possible. But, if the price drops, you can take advantage of this by getting your reservation repriced. 

Once you see a lower price for the exact stateroom category and sailing you have booked, you simply contact the cruise line and ask for them to reprice your cabin; or, even better, book with a travel agent and let them handle the repricing for you, which requires even less work on your part. 

But, the key to this strategy is ensuring you have enough time to reprice before final payment is due on a cruise. 

Once you’ve made your final payment on a cruise reservation, you do not have much wiggle room on the final price. Therefore, booking with the intent of repricing should be done far in advance. 

Note: You might remember the only exception to this policy was during the post-pandemic restart when you could reprice your cruise reservations with Royal Caribbean up to 48 hours before departure. This policy (one that I truly loved, as you can imagine) has since been retired and no longer applies. It was fun while it lasted!

For most cruises, Royal Caribbean states that payments are due 90 days in advance from a cruise departure date. Shorter sailings from 1-4 nights are required to make final payments at least 75 days in advance. This timeline is one that most cruise lines follow, but it’s important to confirm when you need to make a final payment before you plan to utilize this strategy.

If you’ve made your final payment, you probably won’t be able to reprice your cruise with a lower published fare. In fact, I have a theory that Royal Caribbean drops the current price of a cruise right after an itinerary passes the final payment window (but, I have a trick for still saving money that I will discuss later in the article - read on!).  

According to Royal Caribbean’s policy, if you book a cruise within 90 days of sailing (i.e the final payment window) and you see a lower price within 48 hours of booking, the cruise line will offer you onboard credit for the difference. But, if you are outside of the final payment window, you’ll typically have the opportunity to contact the cruise line and have your cruise fare repriced to match the current price. 

The repricing process is even easier when you work with a travel agent - something we always recommend.

I only just started working with travel agents in the last few years, but it’s been a game changer for booking cruises. This is not a forced plug for our sponsor, MEI Travels, but truly my opinion on how valuable a travel agent can be in these types of situations. While we use MEI for our business travels here at Royal Caribbean Blog, I have started to use MEI for my own personal leisure cruises too. 

Read more: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation

To start, a good travel agent will know all of the repricing policies for different cruise lines. You can simply ask your travel agent to check for a reprice on your sailing and they can take charge with getting the price adjusted, if applicable. 

In this case, you are not only saving money, but also your valuable time. You don’t have to call the cruise line yourself and request the reprice, which involves time on hold usually. Instead, your travel agent can advocate for you and get the reprice done without you needing to intervene. 

For my recent reprice, all I had to do was email my travel agent asking if she could look into possibly repricing my upcoming sailing because it appeared the price had gone down. I sent her a screenshot of the pricing that I was seeing on my end. She was able to contact the cruise line and reprice the cruise fare for me very quickly, saving me hundreds of dollars and my time. 

Here’s exactly how I repriced an upcoming cruise, step by step, to save $572.

After finding an itinerary that interested me, I started to price out a few different cabins and monitor the price for a couple of days. Once I decided to pull the trigger, I opted to book the cabin that best within my budget. I put down the deposit to secure my booking. 

Now, you probably have seen that cruise lines are constantly running promotions. The cruise lines try to establish some sense of urgency that a current promotion is only running for a limited time. But, I can assure you, there is always some sort of promotion happening! 

After making the initial deposit, I started to periodically check the price of the same cruise. Since I work remotely from home on the computer, it only takes me a few minutes to go online and see what the current price is of my sailing. As holidays and promotions slightly change, you can see the price of the cruise change as well.

For a few weeks, the price was consistent with what we had locked in. But, over this past weekend, I decided to start booking excursions. During the process, I went to the website and looked at the current price of our cruise.

I was ecstatic to see that the final price of the exact same cruise we booked had gone down $572! Luckily, final payment for this cruise is not due until the end of next month so it was a quick process with my travel agent to get the price down. 

I’ve also used a similar strategy to save money on my cruises when booking far enough in advance. 

I have used a similar strategy for getting a great deal on balcony staterooms. The more I’ve cruised, the more I have come to appreciate having my own balcony. This is especially true on scenic sailings, like Alaska, Norway and Iceland.

But, the price for a balcony stateroom is normally double the cost of an inside cabin when I initially book a cruise. Instead, I will initially book the cheapest fare that I can get onboard and monitor the price for either an opportunity to reprice or cheaply upgrade to a balcony. 

For example, on my recent Iceland cruise, I originally booked an inside cabin guarantee for about $2,800. My ultimate goal was to get a balcony for much cheaper than the original $4,500 sticker price. This cruise was booked in October 2022 for a cruise in June 2023, which gave me around 8 months to snag a better deal for my inside cabin or upgrade to a balcony. 

In the months leading up to final payment, I continued to monitor the price of the cruise. Sadly, the inside cabin prices did not drop like I had hoped. As I theorized earlier, right after the final payment deadline had passed, the price of the cruise dropped drastically. 

An inside guarantee cabin was now selling for $1,400, which was half the cost of what we paid!  A gamble for a last-minute price would have worked out in this scenario, but since it was past final payment, we could not get a reprice.

However, you can always upgrade your cabin after final payments! Of course, cruise lines will not stop you from upgrading your stateroom, especially if they can get a little more money from you. In my case, the demand for the sailing was obviously a little low with the prices being dropped close to the sail date.

I took this opportunity to upgrade our stateroom to a balcony for just $200. Had I originally booked a balcony for us, it would have cost me around $1,500 more than waiting for the price to drop and choosing to upgrade then. Last summer, I was even able to upgrade my stateroom to a balcony from an inside cabin and it saved me $500! 

Of course, you risk that the demand for balconies will be so high that the price will also increase. But, in my experience, the prices will certainly fluctuate and if you book far enough in advance, you have more opportunities to snag a great deal. 

At the end of the day, the further in advance you book, the more opportunities you have to save money. 

There are many advantages to booking a cruise far in advance; for me, the biggest advantage is allowing myself enough time to reprice my sailings and get the best rate possible. I’d argue it might even be the most important reason to give yourself ample time to book a cruise, as you can either reprice or upgrade your stateroom in this case. In addition, you will have more lucrative cabins to select from if you book far enough in advance. 

I would also highly recommend working with a travel agent who can quickly reprice your bookings and deal with the cruise line directly for you. This will save you both time and money.  

Whether you choose to save money by repricing your current cabin or monitor prices for a cheap upgrade, you should be periodically monitoring your cruise fares after making a reservation. By monitoring the prices of your booked cruises for repricing, you’ll have the opportunity to save hundreds to thousands of dollars. A small effort on your end can be very lucrative for you, especially if you cruise often. 

It’s most important to reprice before final payment is due, as you won’t have much flexibility to reprice once the final payment date has passed. However, within 90 days of your cruise, you might be able to snag a very cheap upgrade for a higher stateroom category.

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One of the most popular Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society benefits looks like it may be in need of a refresh.

Royal Caribbean is apparently looking to address overcrowding in its customer loyalty lounges, based on a recent social media post.

Royal Caribbean’s CEO Michael Bayley posted on Facebook the following question, which provided some interesting insight.

“So! I’ve been hearing from a lot of our guests about overcrowding in our Diamond lounges and in the Suite lounge.   It makes sense since our Top Tiers have grown by 30% last year alone! Capacity limitations is a tough one.  What do you think we should do?”

As you can imagine, the post has already prompted hundreds of responses from his followers. Some provided real solutions while others took this as an opportunity to reflect on changes that have taken place within the Crown and Anchor program.   

If you’re one of Royal Caribbean’s top tier loyalty members, you have probably noticed significantly more people heading to loyalty lounges onboard your cruises.

Read more: 11 of our favorite under-the-radar Crown & Anchor perks

Crown and Anchor members who have reached Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle status have access to Royal Caribbean’s loyalty lounges onboard its cruise ships. These loyalty lounges typically consist of a Diamond Lounge, available for Diamond members and above.

The overcrowding in loyalty lounges onboard Royal Caribbean ships has been an issue for a while, with more cruisers achieving Diamond status or higher.

As Mr. Bayley indicated, an influx of new Diamond members has exacerbated the overcrowding problem. So, what really created this problem and what is the solution for overcrowding in the loyalty lounges?  

Increase of top-tier members

As Mr. Bayley shared himself, there has been an estimated 30% increase in the top tiers of the Crown and Anchor program last year. 

This influx of new top-tier members can likely be attributed to Royal Caribbean’s post-pandemic strategy of offering double loyalty points for sailings. During the post-pandemic cruising restart, Royal Caribbean offered a lucrative promotion where loyalty members could earn double Crown and Anchor points for all itineraries.

This meant if you sailed on a 7-night itinerary in a standard cabin, instead of earning 7 Crown and Anchor points, you would earn 14 points. Couple this with staying in a suite or cruising solo, and it was pretty easy to rack-up your points.

Offering double points made it very feasible for loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers to earn top-tier status. Many took advantage of this promotion throughout 2021 and 2022. The strategy made sense operationally for Royal Caribbean to lure back loyal cruisers post-pandemic while the general public might have maintained some hesitancy towards cruising.  

This promotion was obviously very enticing for those looking to bump their Royal Caribbean status.

For example, our own Royal Caribbean Blog videographer, Jenna, earned Diamond Plus status within one year of cruising with the double points promotion. Her first Royal Caribbean cruise was in 2021. Comparatively, I have been cruising with Royal Caribbean since 2005 and I have the same Diamond Plus status as Jenna. 

Read more: I reached Diamond status with Royal Caribbean: here's why this loyalty tier matters

The double points promotion ended in December 2022, although only cruises booked in 2021 for the following year qualified. Undoubtedly, this had a major contribution to the lounge overcrowding because of the influx of new top-tier members with no place to go other than the Diamond Lounge. 

Removing the Concierge Lounge

As some of you might remember, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members once had access to the Concierge Lounges onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships. This used to be the top-tier lounge onboard - and it was a lucrative perk once you hit Diamond Plus loyalty status.

However, in the last decade, Royal Caribbean has been focusing more on amenities and accommodations for suite guests. As cruise ships get bigger, Royal Caribbean has been designing more luxurious suites onboard and providing more lucrative benefits to suite guests.

With each new ship that Royal Caribbean built, the cruise line opted to add a Suite Lounge to replace the Concierge Lounges onboard. This meant that Diamond Plus members could only access Diamond Lounges onboard.

For a while, if you were sailing on a ship that lacked a suite lounge, Diamond Plus members still had the opportunity to visit the Concierge Lounge. But, to accommodate more suite guests, Royal Caribbean chose to first restrict access for Diamond Plus members to the Concierge Lounge. 

For a few years, Diamond Plus members could only utilize the Concierge Lounge at the discretion of the loyalty director onboard each sailing. If a particular sailing had a large number of Diamond Plus members onboard, the sailing would restrict access to the Concierge Lounge.

With the influx of many new Diamond Plus members in the last two years, it was rare to gain Concierge Lounge access anyway. Starting in December 2022, Royal Caribbean revoked all access for Diamond Plus members to enjoy the Concierge Lounge.

As such, Diamond Plus members can only access the Diamond Lounge now. 

Drink Voucher Change

Prior to the pandemic, one of the biggest draws to the Diamond Lounge was receiving unlimited alcoholic beverages during happy hour. Diamond members and above could only receive complimentary drinks in the lounge during happy hour, which typically ran from 5pm to 8:30pm. 

To combat overcrowding in the lounge, Royal Caribbean made the decision to allocate daily drink vouchers onto SeaPass cards. Drink vouchers can be used at any bar onboard for nearly any drink under $15. You no longer needed to wait until happy hour to redeem these, as you could enjoy your drink vouchers at any time during the day. 

Read more: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

Unanimously, this was a win-win for everyone. The vouchers were a positive change for loyalty members because it provided flexibility. Also, you could now have almost any drink you wanted rather than ordering from a set drink menu in the Diamond Lounge. 

Because of the drink vouchers, you no longer have to visit the Diamond Lounge to receive your loyalty perks. This has certainly helped with overcrowding, as it would be an absolute zoo each evening if the Diamond Lounge was the only place to receive free loyalty drinks. 

Difficulty Earning Pinnacle Status

Another contributing factor to the overcrowding issue is the massive gap in loyalty status from Diamond Plus to Pinnacle status. Here are the thresholds to reach top-tier status with Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor status: 

• Diamond: 80 points
• Diamond Plus: 175 points
• Pinnacle: 700 points

There is an obvious gap in the loyalty ladder between Diamond Plus and Pinnacle status. It only takes less than 100 points to move from Diamond to Diamond Plus, yet you need to earn more than 500 points to reach Pinnacle status from Diamond Plus. 

Because of this structure, many people get stuck in Diamond Plus status for a very long time. You could earn Diamond Plus status three times over before you reach Pinnacle Status, as it requires triple the amount of effort to get to Pinnacle from Diamond Plus. 

Why visit the Diamond Lounge?

The Diamond Lounge is more than just a spot to grab free drinks. Each evening, you can find different nightly appetizers served. If you’re sailing on an older ship with limited dining options (like my last cruise on Jewel of the Seas), then grabbing a snack here in the early evening can be really nice if you have later dining. 

In addition, you can find continental breakfast served in the Diamond Lounge each morning. Those who prefer to have specialty coffee can enjoy cappuccinos and lattes in the Diamond Lounge all day, which is one of my favorite perks. 

There is also a dedicated Diamond Lounge Concierge to help you with any sort of issues you might have onboard. These concierges can help with dining reservations, questions, tender tickets and more. 

The Diamond Lounge can also be a quiet space to retreat during the day, as this is often not when the lounges are crowded. Most of the overcrowding happens in the mornings and evenings. I’ve heard of some loyalty members heading to the Diamond Lounge on older ships because it provides panoramic views and a quiet space to relax. 

Finally, there is a sense of community in the Diamond Lounge. You are often surrounded by other travelers and loyal cruisers, making it easy to strike up a conversation with those you have things in common with. Many enjoy meeting others in the Diamond Lounge, as it provides a more intimate place to mingle with others. 

Ideas to combat overcrowding

The overcrowding in loyalty lounges is a product of other decisions made by Royal Caribbean. While it seems as though the pandemic exasperated the issue, the overcrowding issue has been building for a while. To start, many loyalty members are stuck in Diamond Plus status for a very long time. In fact, I’ve been a Diamond Plus member for OVER a decade, and that’s with multiple Royal Caribbean cruises each year.

One of the most popular suggestions on Michael Bayley’s Facebook post was needing another loyalty tier between Diamond Plus and Pinnacle status.

Another status could help break up the massive amount of Diamond Plus members that are currently enrolled in the loyalty program. With another status, Royal Caribbean could reevaluate the benefits for each tier as well during the restructure process.

Adding an additional loyalty status could even prove to be profitable for Royal Caribbean. Once Crown and Anchor member reach Diamond Plus, some feel they will never reach Pinnacle status, especially for older cruisers. This leads many to try out other cruise lines because they have already reached their most attainable status with Royal Caribbean.

It seems unlikely that Royal Caribbean will allocate more space on its ships for loyalty lounges. This has been apparent for quite some time, as the location and size of the Diamond Lounge continues to be less than exceptional. 

Another common suggestion was to limit the Diamond lounge to only Diamond Plus members.

Depending on the breakdown between Diamond and Diamond Plus, limiting the lounge to just Diamond Plus members would certainly alleviate some of the crowding. In addition, Pinnacle members able to still access the Suite Lounges onboard, so limiting Pinnacles to just one lounge could help with overcrowding as well. 

Many responses praised Royal Caribbean for creating the drink voucher policy, which has been wildly popular among cruisers. Having more flexibility each day of your cruise is one of the most enticing perks of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, in my opinion. 

Do you think overcrowding is an issue? If so, what do you think could help with the overcrowding?