Have you ever been so bothered by something that you decided to take care of it yourself?

One cruise ship passenger on Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas sailed a few weeks ago and noticed a broken cup holder in the ship's theater.  

Reddit user Asorensen1989 originally shared a photo of the broken cup holder, using it as an example of the state of the ship and why Royal Caribbean needs to retire her.

"Having just spent the week on Enchantment of the Seas, I can say, it’s time for her to retire. She’s just done. Everything is worn out and dated. The technology is seriously lacking. The service is great, but they can only make up for so much."

The cup holder was simply an example to prove the person's point.

A different Reddit user Shot_Bread_9657, noted he could make the necessary repairs with the proper materials.  With a cruise already booked on Enchantment coming up, the Reddit user brought the necessary materials from home and fixed it themself.

Photos were shared on Reddit of the repaired cup holder that he decided to work on because no one else did.

"Couldn’t say why- just seemed like a funny, and possibly helpful, thing to do," he wrote in his post.

They posted photos of what they did, and how it was repaired.

First, they packed caulk, sandpaper, epoxy putty, and brushes that they already owned.

"It cost me all of $0...Used a $5 coupon at Michael’s for the paint and lacquer," he explained in the total cost of the project.

He admitted he could have done a better job restoring it with the proper materials, but he wanted to get it back to working condition.

He brought the broken cup holder to his stateroom, where he documented how he repaired it.

Finally, he brought the repaired cup holder back to the theater and returned it to its proper place.

"I’m glad to say I delivered," he wrote triumphantly.

"Can't decide if you should be thanked or disembarked"

The reactions to Shot_Bread_9657's post sparked all sorts of reactions.

One person wrote, "Royal should hire you to be Handyman of the Seas."

Another posted, "You're just a normal passenger? ...I can't decide if you should be thanked or disembarked at the next port. LOL"

Others took the opportunity to note the lack of proper maintenance in the first place that left the cup holder broken for weeks.

"I admire your tenacity. The world needs more of this," Unhappy-Actuator9674 wrote.

Right or wrong?

While I've seen passengers use pieces of paper to level a wobbly table, or attempt to quiet noisy parts of their cabin, this is a new level of proactive work by a passenger.

Whether or not this person's repair work was helpful or not, it's likely against Royal Caribbean's policy to do so.

Within the cruise line's Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy, is a section specifying this sort of behavior is not allowed:

"Additionally, tampering with any of the ship’s equipment, facilities or systems is not permitted."

There are potential safety and policy implications of a passenger attempting repairs. There are potential safety risks associated with unauthorized repairs, even if they seem minor, and it could impact the guest’s and other passengers’ safety.

When a problem is spotted by a guest, they should report it to Guest Services onboard and/or a nearby crew member so they can flag it for the ship's maintenance team to address.

It's questionable if security should have prohibited items such as epoxy putty or caulk from being brought onboard in the first place. While those items are not specifically on Royal Caribbean's prohibited items list, the line exercises a certain degree of discretion as to what can or cannot be brought onboard.

Every passenger's belongings are scanned before being brought onboard. Any suspicious items are flagged by security, confiscated, and returned after the cruise.

Background on cruise ship maintenance

Just like hotels, restaurants, and every place of business on land, things break on cruise ships from time to time, especially from wear and tear.

Every Royal Caribbean cruise ship employs a team of maintenance workers. Their job is to attend to all repairs on the ship, big and small.

Since they are a limited workforce, their attention is relegated to the top priority tasks first. Issues related to guest safety, comfort, and enjoyment are where a ship's maintenance workers go.

You can spot maintenance workers on a Royal Caribbean ship usually by their blue uniforms. When an issue is reported, a crew member is dispatched to work on it.

Not all issues can be fixed while on the ship, either because of the scope of the project or lacking necessary materials.  In some cases, work has to wait for the ship to go into drydock for routine maintenance.

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas will need a little more time before she's ready to start cruising again.

Every five years (or less), Royal Caribbean sends its cruise ships in for refurbishment to ensure they're properly maintained. Voyager of the Seas is in Cadiz, Spain to undergo scheduled work.

Unfortunately, bad weather around Spain has delayed the work and more time is needed.

Guests booked on the transatlantic sailing returning the ship to the United States received an update their voyage has been pushed back by a day.

"Due to a delay in our current drydock operations caused by adverse weather, Voyager of the Seas will be arriving in Barcelona one (1) day later than we initially planned," an email to booked passengers read.

The ship was originally scheduled to depart Barcelona, Spain on November 10, 2024.

Instead, Voyager will now depart Barcelona on Monday, November 11th.

The change in departure date also means a change to the ship's itinerary. Voyager will skip a visit to Valencia, Spain and instead visit Palma De Mallorca on Tuesday, November 12th. The rest of the itinerary will remain unchanged.

Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Palma de Mallorca will be rescheduled based on availability, and any excursions booked for Valencia will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment. 

Voyager of the Seas is scheduled to arrive to Port Canaveral, Florida as originally scheduled on November 26, 2024.

Voyager will sail 4- and 5-night winter getaways on a varied lineup of Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises to The Bahamas, including Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau; Cozumel; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Labadee.

Compensation for the change

To make it up to passengers, Royal Caribbean is offering some money back.

Royal Caribbean is providing:

• A refund of one (1) day of the Cruise Fare paid as an Onboard Credit.
• A pro-rated refund as an Onboard Credit for your daily packages (Beverage, Dining, VOOM) and pre-paid gratuities.
• All Onboard Credits can be used anywhere onboard, and any remaining refundable amounts at the end of the sailing will be refunded to the card on file up to 14 business days from final disembarkation.

For travel plans that need to be changed, Royal Caribbean will cover any air change fee up to $200 USD for domestic travel and $400 USD for international travel, per person OR one (1) night hotel accommodations, up to $250 USD, per stateroom if needed.

Royal Caribbean will also honor the original amount of nights in the sailing, as it relates to Crown and Anchor Society points.

"You’ll receive loyalty points for the original sail nights, instead of the nights sailed. For this sailing, you’ll still receive 16 nights worth of loyalty points."

Shipyard delays are not unusual

The delay in return to service following scheduled maintenance work is not unheard of.

In most cases, ships undergo their routine work on schedule and return without delay.  But there have been situations where a delay in return to service has occurred.

In early 2019, Navigator of the Seas underwent a highly anticipated Royal Amplification, which would add new water slides, restaurants and experiences onboard.

The $115 million shipwide refurbishment was scheduled to be complete by February 2019, but poor weather conditions at the shipyard in the Bahamas caused delays to the progress of the ship’s outer decks.

A construction crane collapsed on top of Oasis of the Seas while in drydock. 

Royal Caribbean was forced to cancel the next three scheduled sailings that followed in order for the ship to be fully repaired.

If you're looking for a chance to save on a Royal Caribbean cruise, your opening is coming soon.

Black Friday falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which this year is November 29.  Royal Caribbean is getting the ball rolling with sales leading up to the holiday.

Travel agents were informed of the cruise line's plan to offer a "preview sale", with more sales to follow. In fact, there will be "offers every week" that extend all the way until Travel Tuesday. It's important to note these sales do not begin until the dates specified, and calling in before the sale begins won't get you anything.

This post will be updated with new Black Friday offers as soon as they are revealed.

A month of sales

Royal Caribbean will begin the Black Friday bonanza on November 8, 2024.

The Black Friday Preview Sale adds on extra savings to the November month offer.

We're listing the major bullet points of each sale, but please remember there are terms and conditions, and special rules about combinability with each sale. Refer to them at the time the sale begins.

Before the Black Friday promos hit, the monthly offer for November will have a buy one guest, get second guest 60% off & 30% off on third and fourth guests.

That's coupled with a Kids Sail Free deal that runs between November 8 – December 9, 2024 on sailings departing on or after November 9, 2024. As usual, Kids Sail Free comes with a lot of blackout dates and fine print.

Thanksgiving Sailings (Departing between November 22, 2024 – November 29, 2024); (Departing between November 20 - November 28, 2025), Holiday Sailings (Departing December 20, 2024 – January 3, 2025); (Departing between December 18, 2025 – January 1, 2026), Spring Break Sailings (Departing between March 7, 2025 – March 28, 2025); (Departing between March 6, 2026 – April 9, 2026), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Departing between April 12, 2025 – April 24, 2025), Radiance Alaska Cruise Tour Sailings (Departing May 16, 2025 – September 12, 2025); Summer sailings (Departing between May 22, 2025 – August 29, 2025); Anthem of the Seas sailings (Departing November 21 – December 28, 2024) and Chinese New Year sailing on Anthem of the Seas (Departing January 27, 2025).

The first Black Friday promotion begins November 8.

The Black Friday Preview sale applies to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made 11/8 – 11/11/24 on sailings departing on or after November 9, 2024 and provides an up to $750 instant savings per stateroom varying by stateroom category booked and sailing length.

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

BOGO60 and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other and Black Friday Early Access.

What about a Black Friday sale on Cruise Planner purchases?

Just as important as a deal on cruise fares are discounts on add-ons for the sailing.

Royal Caribbean has not revealed details on what sort of discounts it will offer during any of its Black Friday sales yet.

Typically the Cruise Planner sale occurs in tandem with the new cruise booking sales, and offers discounts on drink packages, shore excursions, The Key, specialty dining and more.

Here's a look at Royal Caribbean's 2023 Black Friday sale on its add-ons for an idea of what might be in store for 2024.

When is the real Black Friday sale?

While there will likely be other offers leading up to Black Friday, we know there will be a sale for certain over the actual holiday.

Royal Caribbean hinted to travel agents Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales will begin on Thanksgiving, November 28, 2024. 

More details to follow, but we should expect an offer then.

In addition, there will be a new offer in early December.

"Mark your calendars for December 3, 2024 — our Travel Tuesday sale is kicking off," is what travel agents were told.

"It's the perfect chance for your clients to start planning their 2025 vacations with unbeatable deals. Don't let them miss out on the fun."

Royal Caribbean announced changes to some of its suite cabins, slashing benefits in some cases.

The changes relate to the benefits and amenities that come with suites, and the cruise line intends to change what is included with select cabins in the future.

Travel agents were sent an update by Royal Caribbean to inform them of the change.

All of these changes are effective for sailings on or after May 2, 2026, regardless of the booking creation date.

The first change is to drop Surfside Family Suites from Sky Class to Sea Class.  

Surfside Family Suites are a new suite category that were first added on Icon of the Seas. The Surfside Family Suite overlooks the Surfside neighborhood. Like its namesake, this suite is meant to be a great choice for those with young kids.

This suite overlooks the Surfside Family Neighborhood and features a king size bed, and a cozy kids sleeping nook, and can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children.

As a result of the change, these cabins will no longer have access to the Suite Lounge, Suite Concierge services, complimentary internet access, complimentary beverages in the Suite Lounge, and can only dine at Coastal Kitchen restaurant for dinner only (instead of breakfast and lunch).

Meanwhile, Sunset Junior Suites will get a bump up to Sky Class.

Sunset Junior Suites are essentially what used to be Junior Suites on the back of cruise ships, and was a change in name and category made when Royal Caribbean reclassified many of its cabins.

Another big change is on three ships - Icon of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas - Sky Junior Suites will no longer have complimentary Wi-Fi as an amenity.

Royal Caribbean says they are making this change is to align these ships with the rest of the fleet where Sky Junior suites do not include Wi-Fi. 

The cruise line explained to travel agents why it was making all of these changes, "we continuously strive to enhance guest experience onboard and reach alignment of our product offerings across the fleet."

Sea Class vs Sky Class

To illustrate the changes better, it's important to understand what's included with each tier of Royal Caribbean's suite benefits.

On the cruise line's newest ships (Oasis, Icon, and Quantum Class ships), the suite program is divided up into three levels based on the suite category, Star, Sky, and Sea.

Sky Class Benefits

• Concierge service
• All-day access to Coastal Kitchen and The Grove (The Grove is on Icon Class ships only)
• Specialty bottled water upon arrival
• Complimentary internet 
• Priority boarding and departure
• Priority dining reservations
• Suite Lounge access
• Access to Suite Sun Deck
• Royal Caribbean plush bathrobes for use onboard
• Luxury pillow top mattress
• Luxury bathroom amenities
• Lavazza Espresso coffee maker

Sea Class Benefits

• Dinner at Coastal Kitchen
• Royal Caribbean bathrobes for use onboard
• Luxury pillow top mattress
• Luxury bathroom amenities
• Lavazza Espresso coffee maker

Reaction to the changes

The most notable change is the change in benefits for the Surfside Family Suites on the Icon Class ships.

Jenn Greene is a Travel Planner affiliated with MEI Travel, and thinks this change will hurt sales of these cabins, "The Surfside Family Suites sold not only to families, but also couples looking for Sky Class perks without the large price tag."

"This change may not be a good one for keeping that stateroom category full."

Ms. Greene is referring to the fact the room's location far away from the suite neighborhood and view of the kids area (rather than the ocean) were reasons a lot of people might have overlooked the cabin, if not for the suite benefits.

There are a variety of ways you can contact Royal Caribbean for assistance, including a handful of email addresses that can make a big difference.

Royal Caribbean has upped its game in how guests can take care of special requests using self-service tools. The Royal Caribbean app is a great example of how much is now done on your own.

However, there are times when you need more assistance, and sending out an email is still one of the best ways to get the issue resolved.

It's a little eye opening for me that a basic email still works as a primary method for getting an issue resolved or questions answered because so many other businesses now rely on ticket systems, chat bots, or rely on a phone call.

Nonetheless, there are a handful of email addresses you should know about in case you need them for your upcoming cruise vacation.

Special needs

Royal Caribbean's attention to ensuring any special needs are met is exemplary, and while they have a robust Special Needs form you can use to take care of many common requests, it may not suffice all the time.

In addition to the form, you can always email [email protected] to get confirmation that your specific situation is being taken care of.

The top reason why you'd want to email Royal Caribbean in the case of a special need is because there's an unique situation at hand.  Or you're trying to get confirmation that your request was received and set for your sailing.

This is especially true if you need to bring specialized equipment onboard and are unsure what's allowed or not.

Emailing the CEO

There are situations where a problem just doesn't seem to be getting resolved, or you believe there's a bigger issue at hand that needs attention.  In those scenarios, you want someone in authority to be able to step in.

When there's a problem that goes beyond the ordinary, many will turn to the head of the cruise line, Michael Bayley.

Mr. Bayley is the President and CEO of the cruise line, and his email has become a sort of issue escalation and resolution resource. His email is [email protected].

It's clear his emails are screened, so don't expect him to actually read or respond to your email directly. Issues guests have tend to get forwarded to the proper department.  However, many people report getting satisfaction in having their issues addressed, or at least acknowledged.

If you're going to send an email to him, it's best for "big picture" issues. You always want to resolve any problems you have during a cruise while still onboard, and feedback on how the cruise line can improve is best sent in your post-cruise survey.

Suite concierge

If you're booked in a suite, expect an email a few days before your cruise begins from the suite concierge.

The suite concierge is a tremendous asset, as they can help with so many potential questions, issues, or ways to make your cruise better.

You should feel free to email the concierge in the days leading up to your cruise with any pre-cruise requests you have.  You can even email them during your voyage rather than making the trip upstairs to the lounge.

My top reason to email the concierge is for them to make specialty dining reservations for you, although that need might be disappearing soon.

Since the suite concierge acts as Guest Services for suite guests, you can get a lot of questions or concerns addressed in the lead up to your cruise. Don't be shy about reaching out to them, because that's part of what you pay for when staying in a suite.

Main Dining Room requests

Want a table by the window in the Main Dining Room? How about a table alone, without being seated with other passengers?

You can send an email to [email protected] and make any request for a certain configuration or table arrangement when you're booked into Traditional Dining.

Another common request for this email is to be seated with specific people not in your cabin.

You'll want to give the team a few weeks to process your request. Send the email about 2-3 weeks prior to your sailing with your request.  

Be sure to include in the email your name, reservation number, ship, sail date, and cabin number.

Stock shareholder benefit

If you own at least 100 shares of Royal Caribbean Group stock, you're entitled to extra onboard credit during your sailing.

Depending on the length of your sailing, you can get up to $250 onboard credit.

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

To redeem this benefit, you just need to email [email protected] with your name, address, confirmation number, ship and sailing date along with a copy of your shareholder proxy card or a current brokerage statement showing proof of share ownership.

Read more: 60 Royal Caribbean tips and tricks

A billion dollar profit last quarter has left Royal Caribbean at the top of its game, but it doesn't measure itself against other cruise lines.

While there are other big players within the cruise industry, Jason Liberty, CEO and President of Royal Caribbean Group doesn't pay any attention to them.  He's eyeing a bigger prize.

In an interview with Skift, Mr. Liberty dismissed any notion other lines are what his company worries about, "We spend almost no time thinking about our cruise competitor."

Instead, Royal Caribbean Group is more interested in lining itself up against land-based attractions, "We think of ourselves as an experience company. We’re competing directly with places like Orlando and Las Vegas. We are competing with Taylor Swift concerts."

This isn't a new strategy, as Royal Caribbean has made it clear they want in on the substantially bigger $1.9 trillion vacation market.

How will Royal Caribbean achieve this? By offering the best cruise ships with the best amenities that as compelling as what you can find on land.

During Royal Caribbean Group's third quarter 2024 earnings call with investors last week, Mr. Liberty answered a question about pricing in relation to how his product stacks up against land resorts, not other cruise lines, "there's still a significant value proposition versus land-based vacation."

In 2022, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told Wall Street their goal with the new Icon of the Seas cruise ship is to lure vacationers who would traditionally visit Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando with a cruise vacation.

"The Icon product, along with Perfect Day, with the kind of experiences that we're offering, with the kind of new accommodations that we have on Icon and the experiences that we have for young families, older families and of course couples and singles and what have you, is really squarely standing shoulder to shoulder with Orlando and those kind of destinations," he said.

Mr. Bayley sees the Royal Caribbean International brand being more "aggressive" with how it competes with the Orlando attractions, "And what we're beginning to see is us moving certainly the Royal brand into that space far more aggressively."

To that point, Royal Caribbean will place its next new cruise ship right on Orlando's front door, with Star of the Seas being homeported in Port Canaveral.

Star of the Seas will be built around the same design as Icon of the Seas, and offer a few tweaks and enhancements, including the full Back to the Future Broadway musical.

Placing Star near Orlando is actually the second step, because Utopia of the Seas already debuted in Port Canaveral earlier this summer.

Utopia is a brand new Oasis Class ship that offers just 3- and 4-night cruises.  This puts the very best new ship near Disney World so families can combine a couple days in the theme parks with a cruise vacation.

In July 2024, Mr. Bayley said he believes many customers will combine a theme park visit with a cruise on Utopia, "one of the reasons we put this brand new Oasis class into this market is that we really expect to see a certain amount of demand coming from tourists who are going in... some kind of combo where they're doing Disney or Universal or they're doing something in Orlando."

"They can also package themselves with vacation, which includes a three night, four nights, a Perfect Day. If you're a family, that's a great vacation."

If a weekend cruise is too short, then they can jump right to Icon or Star. In either case, Royal Caribbean thinks these ships have the right product that no other line can match.

Moreover, short cruisers on Utopia are seen as a way to attract first-time cruisers. The notion is by taking just a weekend cruise, they can give cruising a try without committing to too many days off work or school.

A better quality product

At the time Icon of the Seas launched, Mr. Liberty talked about how a ship like Icon of the Seas positions itself to be not just a great ship, but a truly compelling alternative to a land vacation.

"We’re beginning to really attract a lot of demand from those land-based options with better quality product, more exciting products and great price points," said Liberty.

One of the major goals is to keep customers within Royal Caribbean Group's ecosystem of brands, something land-based experience providers do very well. The cruise company wants to incentivize stronger customer loyalty with repeat experiences.

In an interview with CNBC in July, Mr. Liberty talked about how his cruise ships are being designed to be just as engrossing as a land vacation, "What we’re trying to do is make sure that our experience, whether on the ship or at our private islands, is something that is highly competitive with land-based vacation."

Happy Sunday! Temperatures may be dropping, but there is plenty of Royal Caribbean news to share.  This is your weekly summary of all the Royal Caribbean news from this past week, perfectly fitted for your consumption.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to stay in a one-of-a-kind suite that costs as much as a used car?

The Ultimate Family Suite on Utopia of the Seas is not cheap, but it is an incredible cruise ship cabin.  Matt took his family on a 3-night cruise to see if the experience lives up to the hype.

Between the in-room slide, Royal Genie service, private hot tub, and movie room included in the cabin, it's a tremendous place to stay.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean posts "exceptional third quarter results" of $4.9 billion in revenue
• New cruise ship orders? Here’s the earliest they could be ready
• The majority of passengers are people that have never cruised
• Royal Caribbean just made it easier to hold a cruise without paying for it
• Photos show the biggest cabin a crew member can get on a cruise ship
• Comparing the 4 cruise ships in Alaska in 2025
• Spain deadly flash floods force Royal Caribbean to change cruise ship visit
• Royal Caribbean diverts cruise ships away from Bahamas due to developing tropical storm
• What Halloween is like on the world's largest cruise ship

New RCB Video: Royal Caribbean's SECRET new SMALLER cruise ship

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Royal Caribbean's SECRET new SMALLER cruise ship — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

New Europe 2026 cruises, including an epic solar eclipse sailing

Royal Caribbean released the first half of its 2026 European cruises, which are now available to book.

There are cruises that visit Northern Europe, Norway, the Mediterranean, Greek Isles, and even one voyage that will put passengers right in the path of a total solar eclipse.

More European sailings will be released in early 2025.

What to expect for Royal Caribbean's Black Friday sales

We're just weeks away from the pinnacle of shopping, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner.

Royal Caribbean is expected to offer its own Black Friday sales, which in years' past have included discounts on cruise add-ons and hundreds of dollars off cruise fares.

While cruise deals differ from retail Black Friday offers, there's still potential to save a lot of money off a cruise.

I spent 5 nights onboard one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest cruise ships

After spending 5 nights onboard Vision of the Seas, Elizabeth discovered a level of intimacy that the larger ships lack. 

Vision Class ships don't have as much to do as the newer, bigger ships, but they offer some of the lowest prices you'll find on a cruise today.

The charm of Vision of the Seas is reminiscent of a different era of cruising, where the focus was connecting with the sea and fellow passengers, rather than flashy attractions.

Utopia of the Seas vs. Wonder of the Seas

What's the difference between Royal Caribbean's newest Oasis Class ships: Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas?

Admittedly, these two ships share more similarities than differences.  But Royal Caribbean never "copies and pastes" its ships, so you'll find a few notable changes between the two.

Varying itineraries, entertainment, and even a few dining choices are the most notable differences you'll find onboard.

A new tropical disturbance is brewing, and Royal Caribbean is already moving some of its cruise ships away.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of low pressure in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, but this system has a low chance of developing over the next week.

So far four different ships have had their itineraries changed as a result of the weather.

The November 2nd sailing of Radiance of the Seas was the first ship to have her scheduled itinerary changed.

The ship was scheduled to originally sail through The Bahamas and visit Bimini and Freeport, Bahamas, along with a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Passengers received an email notifying them of the change, "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing storm system forecasted to bring increasingly strong winds across the sea, impacting our planned ports and potentially making them unsafe to visit."

As a result, Radiance will head into the Western Caribbean to avoid the path of the storm.

"As a result, we'll be unable to visit the planned ports of call on our itinerary. To provide you with the most enjoyable sailing experience, we'll now visit some of our popular Western Caribbean destinations - Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize and Costa Maya Mexico!"

Radiance will arrive in Cozumel on Monday and sail her revised itinerary, ending the string of port calls on Thursday before heading back to Tampa for her scheduled return on Saturday.

A second ship will also bypass The Bahamas with Vision of the Seas.

Vision is sailing from Baltimore, Maryland and was scheduled to go to Nassau, Bahamas and CocoCay.

Instead, Vision will spend more time in Bermuda and include a visit to Port Canaveral, Florida.

Freedom of the Seas is also getting a change in her planned schedule.

The scheduled November 3rd sailing will have its itinerary flipped around to keep the ship away from the worst weather. The good news is they'll still be able to visit the same set of ports, just on different days.

Instead of visiting Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Labadee, the new itinerary will be Labadee; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman.

A fourth ship, Brilliance of the Seas is also changing ports of call due to the storm.

The November 2nd sailing from New Orleans originally was scheduled to visit Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Grand Cayman.

Instead, they will drop a visit to Grand Cayman and visit Belize City, Belize instead.

"We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority," Royal Caribbean said in a letter to guests.

Royal Caribbean's forecast

Royal Caribbean employs its own meteorologist, Craig Setzer, and he posted his thoughts on the storm chances on his X/Twitter page on Saturday morning.

"While uncertainty about exact details remain (how strong, exactly where), combining weather systems over the next several days will impact Florida, The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, & Caymans with exceptionally windy and stormy periods this week.

"The message from the Euro model is for near tropical storm winds (green area) & higher gusts with passing squalls likely." 

"Focus might be on hurricane development potential (which is low at this time), but longer duration tropical storm-like impacts are possible over South Florida/Keys & The Bahamas by early this week, even without a named storm."

Brewing storm

While November is the last month of Hurricane Season, it's not over yet.

While it may not become a tropical storm, there's enough rain and wind to make it undesirable for cruise ships. 

The National Hurricane Center is giving this system a slight chance of becoming a tropical depression over the next couple of days.

"Some heavy tropical downpours will affect the northeastern Caribbean islands for the next couple of days as the system tracks to the west," the NHC said. "Next week, it will likely be absorbed by the developing disturbance in the Caribbean."

Another disturbance in the Southwestern Caribbean Sea

A disturbance in the southwestern Caribbean Sea of concern is likely to develop into something.

The NHC expects it to become at least a tropical depression.

As of Saturday morning, the system remained a cluster of disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the southwestern Caribbean Sea. However, the National Hurricane Center expects gradual development over the weekend, with a tropical depression likely to form within the next few days as the system progresses across the central and western Caribbean.

When I cruise, I love taking advantage of every trick to save me time or money, but not all of them work as well as I hoped.

I find there are a lot of tried-and-true cruise tips and hacks that work quite well.  Some are so ingrained in my routine that I just consider them standard operating procedure, although they may not be so obvious to someone new to cruising.

Planning a cruise effectively means you side step common mistakes and set yourself up for a great time.  However, some strategies just aren't as useful as they may sound.

To be fair, I concede some tips work for others, but not for me. The first time I tried an over the door shoe organizer as a cruise hack to save on storage space, I thought it wasn't nearly as useful as I imagined.

Nonetheless, I love to try tips out all the time in order to make me a better cruiser.  Over my last few cruises, I found a few more duds that just didn't work for my family.  Some were tips that I think are overrated, while others may be ship or itinerary specific.

Here's why they generally weren't worth the effort (and what we found worked instead).

Wear a bathing suit to the ship on embarkation day

A really good cruise tip to know is you can use the pool and water slides on embarkation day, and it's one of the best times to do so without big lines or crowds.

With that tip in mind, you should bring a swimsuit with you so you can change into it in one of the public bathrooms after you board.  Personally, I hate changing clothes in a public bathroom because it's awkward and not comfortable at all. 

One tip was to simply wear your bathing suit when you board the ship under your clothes. 

It seemed like a good workaround, since by the time you're done swimming, your stateroom cabin should be ready to go and change back.

The issue I had was wearing a bathing suit for a few hours isn't that comfortable, especially men's bathing suits with a mesh lining. I'd put it on in the morning of the cruise, and then wear it through the cruise terminal until I got on the ship and into the pool.

After a few hours of wearing swim trunks, I felt as though the mesh lining becomes the single most uncomfortable item of clothing ever made. 

My preferred hack for enjoying a ship's pool or slides is to go on a port day instead.

Don't overpack

I'm an over packer and always have been, so I've tried to be better about it.  

If I'm cruising from a port in Florida where I can drive or take the train, overpacking really isn't an issue since I don't have to worry about luggage allowances. 

But when I fly to cruise, cutting down on overpacking seems like a good tip to follow.  Even if I'm cruising locally, having a smaller suitcase would be easier.

The problem I have when I under pack is it gives me anxiety about running out of clothes when I get on the ship. Plus, during summer months, I find I sweat through more clothes than I thought I would.

On a cruise to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles in June, I sweat so profusely in Mazatlan that I even surprised myself.

Of course, I can send clothes out for dry cleaning on a ship, but it's not cheap.

Having backup clothes just makes things easier, and I feel less anguish about if I should re-use clothing.

Skip the buffet on your first day

There are few venues on a Royal Caribbean cruise that get as busy as the Windjammer buffet on embarkation day.

It seems as though everyone that gets onboard wants to eat lunch, and they all head to the buffet.

I really like the buffet, and go there on nearly every cruise. But it's definitely frustrating trying to find a seat, especially on Royal Caribbean's older cruise ships.

There are two ideas for skipping the buffet with an alternative.

The first hack is to go to a different complimentary venue, but the value of this tip really depends on the ship.  If you're on an Oasis or Icon Class ship, it's a great idea because you can hit up Park Cafe or Aquadome Market.  

Each has a good selection of food, freshly prepared, and it feels like a meal.

On other ships, you're relegated to Cafe Promeande or Sorrento's Pizza. Maybe it's just a me thing, but I don't find either satisfying as a meal.

The other hack is to go to a specialty restaurant on embarkation day.  Sure it costs money, but you get to sit down and enjoy a full meal.  And you can find at least one specialty restaurant open on any Royal Caribbean ship on embarkation day.

The problem I have with this hack is I'm too excited for all the fun of the cruise to sit around for an hour or more to eat a meal.

While this option is indeed satisfying, when I board a ship, I want to explore and do things. I'm excited to cruise, and I'm not in the mood to sit around.

I doubt I'll adopt this hack, other than if I'm on a ship that has a really good alternative. Sign me up for Aquadome Market any day of the week, if I'm on a ship with that option!

Use the free showers in the fitness center

The last time I shared a cabin with my kids, my oldest daughter was hogging up the shower like all teenagers typically do.

I then remembered a commonly shared cruise tip to use the free showers in the fitness center.

On every Royal Caribbean ship, the gym has a changing room and shower that anyone can use.

I gathered my stuff and was about to go use this tip when I remembered an equally important tip from college: you need to wear shoes of some kind to avoid athlete's foot.

I didn't have the proper shoes for it, so I had to skip this tip. While I've sworn off sharing a cabin with my kids at this point, if I ever did again, I'd have to remember to bring the right kind of footwear with me.