I recently visited San Juan, Puerto Rico on a cruise ship visit and it reminded me how much there is to do in one city (and island).

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise and one of the ports of call was a visit to San Juan.

From bars, to historical sights, to shopping, and the beach, there's a surprising amount to do here. Most Caribbean ports are usually "one trick pony's", meaning they primarily lean in one direction for what to do.  But that's not really the case in Puerto Rico.

Before you purchase a shore excursion to take you around, I'd recommend exploring on foot on your own because it's a lot easier than you might think.

If you have a cruise ship visit to San Juan, here are my top recommendations for fun that won't break the bank.

Exploring the city's history is a must

The name "Old San Juan" lives up to to the reputation, because there is so much history you can take in during your visit.

Within a reasonable walking distance are a lot of historical sites you can easily get to in just a few hours. 

Here's an example of a walking tour that you could use as a loose guide of what to see. If anything isn't of interest, keep walking to the next one.

The two Spanish forts are probably the top must-sees within the city. El Morro and San Cristobal are excellent examples of traditional Spanish colonial forts.  

They're great for young kids too, because there is lots of climbing and exploring.  For adults, read the placards or just walk around and get a sense of what they looked like.

If you're a Walt Disney World fan, the castle at the beginning of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is based on El Morro.

Plus, admission to one fort gets you admission into the other one if you visit on the same day!

I'd also prioritize the Paseo de La Princesa, which is part of the old city wall.  

You'll get views of the harbor, wall, and it's a beautiful vantage point.

Within the city itself, you'll find lots of historical spots to see. It seems like around every corner is something else to see.

The city is built on a hill, so it's practically impossible to get lost

If you've never been to Old San Juan, it's a lot easier to walk around on foot than you'd imagine.

Because the city is built on a hill and your ship docks at the bottom of the hill, it's nearly impossible to get lost.

If you ever get turned around and have no idea where you are, just walk downhill and you'll run back into the cruise ship.

While the streets don't have a grid, it's still remarkably easy to know where you are. Plus, Americans can use their cell phones here and with the aid of Google Maps, you shouldn't have trouble getting around.

More bars and restaurants than you can imagine

I've visited Old San Juan many times across so many sailings. Initially I was drawn in by the history, but the food and bars are what I look forward to more today.

On nearly any street you'll find various bars and places to eat. Some are more formal than others, but each has its own character to it.

It's fun stumbling upon a "hole in the wall" bar and trying the drink special. Or grabbing lunch at a cafe that offers terrific people watching on the street.

My kids love how many ice cream shops there are, which is a must-do when we visit during the very hot and humid days of the year.

While there are a few well-known restaurants many people recommend, such as Raices or Barrachina (where the Pina Colada was invented), I think it's fun to see where the path takes you and try a random spot.

Recommended places to visit

If you've got a cruise ship visit to San Juan, here are a few ideas of places to hit up:

• El Morro: Old Spanish fort, you can skip admission and just look at it
• Raices: Traditional Puerto Rican restaurant with less adventurous food too
• Vaca Brava: Puerto Rican food, lots of seating for large groups
• Barrachina: Puerto Rican food, creator of the Pina Colada
• Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista: Traditional Spanish church with grave of Juan Ponce De Leon
• Himalaya Ice Co: My kids' favorite ice cream spot
• Convento hotel: walk through this for an incredible decorated hotel lobby
• Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery: Final resting spot for many prominent residents of Old San Juan

There are great beaches, but I'd save them for another port

Puerto Rico is well-known for being a tropical destination, but I'd save the beach day for a different port.

There aren't any beaches in Old San Juan, so you'd have to take an excursion or taxi to get to the beaches that are in a different area of San Juan.

While there's absolutely nothing wrong with the beaches here, I'm willing to bet every other port your cruise visits will offer a typical beach day. Instead, I'd lean into a day of city exploration while in San Juan.

People discover all sorts of ways to make their cruise even better with some really creative hacks.

What's more surprising to me is how many new cruise hacks get invented as time goes on, and I always have the same thought, "Why didn't I think of that?".

Some of these tricks are so clever it almost seems like it has to be against the rules or would get you in trouble.  While some people come up with ways to cheat the drink package that are definitely against the rules, most others are well within your rights to try.

After spending an afternoon hunting down new cruise hacks on Facebook, here are eight new tips that you could try out.

There are Amazon affiliate links in this article that cost you nothing extra to use, but I make a small commission if you buy it.

Buying a drink caddy to make family orders easier

I saw someone bought a drink caddy to bring on Utopia of the Seas and I immediately scoffed, but it actually is a smart idea.

Dedreanna bought the non-alcoholic drink package for everyone, so they were taking full advantage of the drink package investment and buying lattes, soda cups, milkshakes, and so forth.

I know from my experience, the second someone says they're going to get a drink, everyone else wants to get their drink order in too. So having a drink caddy for a family might not be a bad idea, especially if you need to transport the drinks up to another deck.

The four drink holder costs $13.99 and you could also use this at home just as much as on the ship.

This seems like the perfect idea to bring on my next family cruise so I can put my kids to work.

Bringing a food container to buffet to bring snacks for later back to the room

While we think of a cruise as being a never-ending stream of food, there are times restaurants close down. The Windjammer isn't open 24 hours, and closes before 10pm.

Traditionally, some cruisers brought Ziploc bags to take food back to the room and keep it fresh, but they're small and don't have any support for food that isn't meant to spill around.

A few cruisers recommended bringing a small food container so they could easily transport snacks back to the room for later. This is actually a great idea so you could have a "fourth meal", "second dinner", or whatever you want to call it.

The one that was recommended costs $11.98 and like the drink caddy, it's an investment you can re-use at home too.

Create DIY cocktails

As you may be aware, Royal Caribbean allows you to bring certain drinks on a cruise.  Leveraging these can turn into smart money-saving drink hacks.

• Bring your own bottle of champagne onboard and then ask for orange juice each morning to create your own mimosa
• Order a shot of Baileys to add to your mocha latte from Cafe Promenade
• If you're Prime in Casino Royale, stockpile cans of sodas or bottled water in your cabin to use later

It's a smart way to extend what you have access to onboard.

Use the showers in the gym so you don't have to wait

Did you know there are showers in the ship's fitness center that you can use for free? 

They're usually not occupied and much more spacious than your tiny stateroom shower. This is a great tip for anyone sharing a room with someone else.

Before you plan on this tip, I'd recommend bringing shower shoes, such as flip flops. Since it's a communal shower, it's a good idea to wear this to prevent the spread of any bacteria.

Make your own root beer floats

Instead of paying for a ice cream float, you can probably make your own.

If you brought root beer on the ship, grab a cup and a get soft serve ice cream and add it to your root beer.

Scooping my soft serve ice cream into my root beer to make a root beer float. 

Another idea is to get soda from your drink package and then follow the same steps. This works really well in the Windjammer, because they have both soda and ice cream readily available.

Eating at Johnny Rockets for free at breakfast

It almost feels like you're getting away with something when you enjoy breakfast at Johnny Rockets for no cost.

This isn't a new hack at all, but a surprising amount of people are still unaware. This is only available on Oasis Class ships, but breakfast is free there.  Lunch and dinner still cost extra.

They serve an American style breakfast, and it's usually less crowded than the Windjammer or Main Dining Room. This is mostly because most people don't know breakfast is complimentary.

Wake up to coffee every day

A "work smarter, not harder" hack is using room service as a wake-up service.

Room service usually costs extra, but the continental breakfast room service is complimentary. It includes coffee, toast, bagels, juice, and cereal and there's no cost.

The idea is to order room service each morning as a way to force yourself to be awake. Not only will they call before they arrive, but it forces you to get up and not roll over and go back to sleep.

Unlike your phone alarm, this alarm will bring coffee or a light breakfast for no cost! If you're going to be tired and unhappy about having to wake up, at least you can have coffee to go with it!

Stockpile bottled water

If you buy a drink package, get into the mantra of saying with each order, "... and a bottle of water".

While the official rules are you can only order one beverage per order with a drink package, the crew rarely will stop you from also getting a bottle of water to go with it.

I think the idea is they don't want you to be hungover or dehydrated, so bottled water is acceptable to throw in.

My advice is to order bottled water with any drink order you make so you can start bringing back extras to the room. I stock them in my cabin fridge for use later, like when we're headed off the ship for a shore excursion.  Or if I need a drink in the middle of the night.

I was at a party recently and the topic of cruise vacations came up, and that's when one guest asked if cruises were just something old people went on. 

I've been asked or heard similar statements many times over the years, so I'm not new to this line of thinking, but it's surprising that so many hold onto this misconception about cruises. Especially given how prolific new ships have been in garnering all sorts of press for being anything but conventional and dull.

The Cruise Lines International Association says 22% of all cruisers were millennials and 14% were Gen Z. Those numbers are much higher on Royal Caribbean, where the average age of a cruiser is a millennial now.

A study last year by Morning Consult Intelligence showed Gen Z and millennial respondents were showing a greater interest in booking a cruise on one of the mainstream lines, with a 2-5% jump year-over-year.

Unfortunately, despite these growing numbers of young people wanting to cruise, the narrative has not yet caught up with the facts. 

Targeting younger cruisers

Like all myths, there's a source of truth to them. But that's greatly changing with Royal Caribbean.

While some cruise lines may still retain an older demographic, the mainstream lines are moving forward to appealing to the younger generations.

"More than half of the millennials tell us they are more likely to consider cruising today compared to two years ago," said Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty last year.

He says that up-tick in interest is because of, "the attractive value proposition of a cruise."

The result is almost 1 in 2 guests sailing on Royal Caribbean ships are millennials or younger.

The Royal Caribbean app has undergone tremendous updates and feature additions to make it more useful and more engaging. Not only does it contain activity information, but it has been designed to be more useful for younger cruisers.

Mobile badges make tracking which sailings and destinations you've visited more personal. There are "Netflix-style recommendations" for dining, nightlife, and excursions based on personal preferences.  And push notifications make it easier to browse add-ons that could be of interest (and save money too).

Younger travelers see a cruise ship as an easy way to explore different places in one trip, "Consumers place significant value on visiting multiple destinations and this is even more important to Millennial and Gen Z consumers; something that cruising is uniquely positioned to deliver on."

More parties, less formality

Beyond the stats, what you can experience on a cruise has changed over the years and many of the trends lean towards people that want more than classic cruise activities.

Royal Caribbean made waves when it launched a brand new ship specifically aimed at attracting new cruisers and those that want a party vibe.

Utopia of the Seas was designed to be the weekend party cruise ship, and other ships have shifted to this dynamic as well.

In addition to the traditional things to do, there are more parties and themed events than ever before.

Royal Caribbean dropped the "formal night" moniker years ago, instead opting to lean into theme nights. While wearing a tuxedo is quite rare to see on a ship, families dressing up with matching outfits for Y2K night, white night, and Caribbean night are all much more popular than ever before.

Royal Caribbean went even deeper with appealing to families with building out an entire area of Icon of the Seas to be dedicated to young families.

Offering more than ever for parents and children to do together draws younger cruisers to try a cruise.  Plus, their parents can opt for the party fun later in the evening after dropping their kids off at kids club.

"I'll be bored on a cruise"

Tangentially related to the idea only the "nearly wed and nearly dead" go on cruises is the idea it's a boring vacation.

This is probably rooted in the idea you wake up and go to the pool deck every day.  In truth, there's so much more to do.

Cruise ships offer shopping, surfing, water slides, ice skating, laser tag, and deck parties. There are Broadway shows you can see, video games to play, gambling in the casino, karaoke and so much more.

If you look through the daily activities on Royal Caribbean, you'll quickly see how much is available to try.

Royal Caribbean designs its ships to compete with Las Vegas or Orlando. They want it to be a floating destination with more to do and try. So much of what you can do on land is available to do on a cruise ship too. And odds are even more.

When I get in my cruise ship cabin, the first thing I look to do is prep it to be my temporary home by making important changes.

Not only do these changes personalize the room more, but I think it makes things feel more like I'd want it if it were my bedroom at home.

Because I cruise a lot, I've come up with my routine when I get into my room.  Some of it is personalization, and other aspects are about setting up the rest of the cruise to be as I want it.

Plus, I prefer to get it all done on embarkation day so I can enjoy the rest of the cruise without worrying about needing to still do something.

Here's my list of 16 things everyone should do when they get to their cabin on a cruise.

Make my room colder

Whether I'm in a giant suite or a small inside room, my eye immediately latches onto the thermostat when I first walk in.

It seems every time the cabins are prepped for the next sailing, the thermostats get reset to a neutral setting of hot vs cold, but in my opinion, it's almost always too warm.

Unless it's the middle of winter, I always crank the air conditioning back down to its coldest setting.

Part of why I do this is because cruise ship cabins tend to run hot, especially if you have a balcony or window, because the sun radiates heat in.

Plus, I find it easier to sleep if the room is cold instead of hot. Not to mention it's faster to raise the room temperature than try to cool it down later.

Look around the room for anything that's broken

My next step is to visually inspect my room to verify it's what I expected.

Most of the time, the room is exactly as I imagined, and things are in place and it's how it should be.

I rarely encounter any issues, but if there was one, I'd immediately pick up the stateroom phone and call the maintenance department so they can fix it.

Royal Caribbean has a team of maintenance workers that live on the cruise ship. They can be dispatched to deal with issues, large or small.

Put all of my travel documents, cash, and valuables in the safe

It's a good idea to collect anything valuable and put it in the stateroom safe.

You'll find the safe almost always in your closet, although on some ships it can be located in drawers.

I'll put my wallet, passports, cash, and any jewelry I don't need at the time away in the safe.

This might be a hot take, but I don't know why anyone would carry their wallet around the ship. The ship is cashless (Seapass card pays for everything) and I'll keep my tip money or casino cash in a pocket.  My car keys, driver's license, Macy's charge card, and George Costanza exploding wallet in my safe.

Unpack so I can be done with it

I've tried unpacking and living out of a suitcase, and unpacking feels more like living at home. But it's extra work.

I feel like unpacking all my clothes reduces clutter in the room and it feels more "normal" than just grabbing things from a suitcase. Plus, it's definitely easier to find specific clothing if I unpacked.

There's an impressive amount of storage space in your stateroom. Drawers, closets, and hangers are all available to use and most of the time there is more storage space than I can use.

On older ships, I recommend trying to keep your clothes away from the life jackets that are probably in your closet.  The life jackets have a tendency to smell a little bit, and that odor could get onto nearby clothes.

Hang up dresses, suits, and anything I don't want wrinkled

While I'm unpacking, I'll try to get my formal wear out of my suitcase immediately and onto hangers.

Royal Caribbean has "Dress Your Best" nights, which are better known as "formal nights". 

Plus, there are other themed nights where you might have packed a special outfit for it.

Your closet comes with an assortment of hangers, but if you need more, your stateroom attendant can provide them.

Hide my luggage

With unpacking complete, it's time to get those bags out of the way.

Don't leave luggage in your room or closet. Instead, you can fit it under your bed. 

This cruise tip reduces clutter, takes advantage of under-utilized space, and frees up valuable closet space.

Put decorations on my stateroom door

Another fun cruise trend to adopt is decorating your cabin door.

It might seem silly, but I've found it's a fun way to celebrate being on vacation and sharing part of your personality with others.

You can put up practically anything, but you cannot use any adhesives. Instead, magnets are suitable for arranging things on your door without damaging the door or paint job.

You could put up your names, battery-powered LED lights, a whiteboard, or "I'm on vacation" signs.  Some cruisers get very creating with all of this.

Check out my balcony

Another area to check is the balcony and door to it.

I think if you're in a balcony room, you'll probably instinctively head out to see what it's like anyway, but verify the door opens and closes as you expect.

The top issue I run into is a door that feels like a bank safe to try to open or close. Once you sail, I've had balcony doors have a loud whistling sound.  In either case, a call to maintenance can usually remedy the issue.

Also, there should be two chairs and a table, at the very least. 

If you booked connecting balconies, double check the balcony divider is open, and if it's not, ask your stateroom attendant to open it for you.

Check the power outlets work

Typically there aren't many power outlets in your room, but it's a good idea to verify the outlets all work.

To be honest, I can't think of a time when an outlet didn't work, but better safe than sorry.  I would hate to be getting ready for sleep only to realize I can't charge my phone.

Inspect the bathroom and shower

Perhaps the part of my cruise ship room I've had the most maintenance problems is the bathroom.

Clogged toilets and backed up showers are problems I've run into over the years. The good news is it's not common, and when it does occur, can be fixed quickly.

Here is my checklist for things in the bathroom to look at:

• Verify the toilet flushes
• Verify there is hot water
• Verify the sink works
• Verify the shower door/curtain works
• Verify the shower drains properly

If you have more than 340 points in Royal Caribbean's loyalty program, you're supposed to get upgraded toiletries in the room. 

Meet my stateroom attendant

The crew member you're likely to encounter the most on your cruise is your cabin attendant, and they can be really helpful.

Cabin attendants won't be around when you first get to your room.  They usually start their shift around 3pm, and will go door to door and try to say hello.

When you meet them, they'll ask if everything is acceptable in the room or if you have any preferences. They usually will have you their card with their name and phone number.  I'll stick the card on the vanity so I can easily find it if I need it later.

Besides alerting them to any issues you identified earlier, this is when you'll want to make certain requests:

• If you want your room cleaned in the morning or evening (Junior Suites and higher rooms get twice a day cleaning)
• If you need more towels
• Requests for buckets of ice
• Ask to open balcony dividers or connecting room doors

If you ever have any issues or concerns about your stateroom, this is the crew member to talk to. 

Change the bed configuration

Did you know every bed can be split or combined?

You can specify this ahead of time in your cruise reservation, but perhaps you changed your mind or the request never got fulfilled. Don't worry, you don't have to move any furniture around.

Ask your cabin attendant to make the change.

They can also set up a bed on the couch, or opt to leave it in "bed mode" if you prefer.  

When my kids are using a couch as a bed, they prefer to leave it as a bed because it's better for lounging and ensures if they want a nap, we don't have to track down the cabin attendant.

Read my "cruise mail"

As you enter your room, there should be paperwork on your vanity.  Just like your mail at home, some of it goes right in the garbage, but some of it is important. 

A list of Royal Caribbean benefits you're entitled to as part of Crown and Anchor Society is listed there, which is a good reminder to take advantage of them later. These include discounts on beer, spa treatments, photo packages, and more.

If you booked any shore excursions through the cruise line, your tickets should be in an envelope on your vanity.

You may also find invitations to events, welcome letters, and more.

I'll sift through it all, toss anything I don't need, and then stash the important stuff so I know where it is.

Place drinks in the cooler

Every cabin has a fridge, but it's more of a cooler than a true refrigerator.  Nonetheless, it works great at keeping drinks cold.

Whether you have complimentary beverages from Crown and Anchor Society or brought 12 bottles of water or any non-alcoholic beverage onto the ship, I'll put them in the "fridge" so I can enjoy them later.

Not only do I do this so the drinks are ready, but it clears up space.

Take a nap

With cabins usually ready by 1pm, I'm ready for a quick recharge by this point on embarkation day.

The first day is busy, and there's lots more fun waiting for me in the evening. So a strategic nap in the early afternoon allows me to sleep off my welcome aboard lunch and be refreshed for the rest of the day.

If I do it right, I'm awake and ready for more afternoon fun well before sailaway.

Do the safety drill

I've gotten in the habit of completing the safety drill as soon as I board the ship, but sometimes it doesn't happen.

In case I didn't do it earlier, now is the time to quickly take care of eMuster.

The drill consists of three parts. The first two, watching a lifejacket safety video and listening to the emergency horn, can be done via the Royal Caribbean app. 

You can actually do these two steps even before you're on the ship the morning of embarkation day.  We usually do it on the drive to the cruise terminal.

The final step is to go to your muster station to check-in.  On the back of the cabin door is a sign indicating where your muster station is.  It's also located within the "Safety" section of the Royal Caribbean app.

Which specialty restaurants are worth it is one of the top questions I'm asked, and I realized I'm usually recommending the same places.

Depending on which ship you're sailing, there are different assortments of specialty restaurants you can eat at. Each one has an additional cost, which makes it debatable if there's enough value to dine there. Plus, cruisers are curious of the quality.

Royal Caribbean includes really good food at its complimentary restaurants, so spending extra on specialty dining is a question of how much better can it be. Thanks to dining packages, the cost to eat out at a specialty restaurant is significantly less. Dining packages can reduce the cost by almost half, because of the bulk discount nature it has.

When I'm asked which specialty restaurants are the best ones to eat at, I realized I usually give the same ones over and over again.

Don't worry, there are plenty of great included restaurants I like too!

Here's why each of these restaurants is worthy of eating at, in my opinion.

Izumi Hibachi

When someone wants to know a good restaurant to go to with a large group, I almost always think of Izumi Hibachi first.

This is the definition of a "crowd pleaser" option because it combines a fun show element with palatable food that should appeal to both picky and adventurous eaters.

If you've never dined at a teppanyaki restaurant, the chef cooks for everyone at the table and the chef will play up the experience by performing tricks, telling jokes, and including everyone.

Kids love it because of the show factor. I believe this was the first specialty restaurant my kids would regularly get excited for because they knew it would be fun.

But the menu stands on its own as being really good as well. If you're picky, uneasy about Asian food, or not sure what to order, you can have chicken or steak and everything else resembling a vegetable on the side.

But if you love Asian food, there's fried rice, sushi, and plenty of other ways to customize your meal.

Izumi is fun, predictably fun, and very satisfying.

150 Central Park

When I hear "date night", the first place I think of is 150 Central Park because I think it has the perfect ambiance for that sort of evening.

I think 150 Central Park looks almost intimidating to someone who's never eaten there because it seems like it might be too fancy, but it's really not at all.

You can expect modern American food here, and their Beef Tenderloin for two is fantastic.

Yes, the ambiance is lovely and if you're seated in one of the tables that has the egg-shaped enclosed chairs, it adds to the charm.

I think it's also a great restaurant beyond date night. The menu is robust, and I like that it's different enough from other restaurant menus to not feel repetitive.

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen

It's hard to ever go wrong with Italian food, and I think Giovanni's Italian Kitchen hits the high mark.

To be clear, Royal Caribbean has three different Italian restaurants, but I'm talking about the newest version.  While I don't dislike Giovanni's Italian Table or Jamie's Italian, I think Giovanni's Italian Kitchen has a better menu overall.

Not only is the menu wider in scope, but there are so many top Italian food staples that I could there multiple times on a cruise.

I'm a fan of any restaurant that isn't a "one trick pony" when it comes to its menu. I like variety and you never know if you'll be in the mood for pizza, chicken parmigiana, or a plate of pasta.

In fact, their pizza is dangerously underrated. I think a lot of people think, "Pizza? I can get that at Sorrento's" but the quality of the pizza at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen is so much better. I'm a pizza snob and I think this version is amazing. Try the margherita pizza and tell me it's not impressive.

Since it's Italian food, it's also a very palatable menu. Everyone in your group should be able to find something to eat.

Playmakers

The most casual restaurant on my list is quite a crowd pleaser in Playmakers Sports Bar.

As you might expect with any sports bar, the menu has burgers, wings, fries, and more.  It's your classic comfort food, and it works really well.

No reservations required, and Playmakers is my go-to spot when everyone's too tired to get dressed up for dinner, but we want something beyond the Windjammer.

Their food is tasty, and a few dishes are superb.

I think Playmakers has the best burger of any restaurant, and their nachos, onion rings, and Buffalo crunch rolls are the things you'll probably dream about when at home.

It's not a giant menu, but there's good eats all around. As an added bonus, you can catch the games on one of the many TV's that surround the restaurant.

My wife would yell at me if I didn't mention the Campfire Cookie dessert, which is arguably the most decadent treat on any Royal Caribbean ship and so savory you'll want to come to Playmakers just for dessert.

Supper Clubs

I've eaten at both of the new supper clubs found on Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, and I was immediately so impressed by how much fun and different they are from a typical specialty restaurant.

Yes, it's expensive ($200 per person) and requires formal attire.  But if you're looking for a fancy night out to truly do something different, this is the restaurant for you.

Empire Supper Club has a New York theme, while Lincoln Park Supper Club has a Chicago theme.  Later this year, Legend of the Seas will debut a Hollywood theme.

What you need to know about each is they have a multi-course meal that pairs food, cocktails, and the music you hear.

These are high-end establishments where passengers actually dress up. You'll likely see tuxedos and ball gowns here.

As cruising becomes more casual overall, it's nice to have one place with a upscale vibe.

Chops Grille

If there's an "old faithful" entry for specialty restaurants, it has to be Chops Grille.

As Royal Caribbean's venerable steakhouse, I can't say it's a bad choice at all for where to eat.

You'll find a few different kinds of steaks to consider. On newer ships, there are even higher quality cuts you can order for an additional cost.

You'll find Chops on every single Royal Caribbean ship, which is the only specialty restaurant with that distinction.

I must have eaten at Chops at least 20 times or more, and it's consistently a quality meal. 

There are non-steak options on the menu, but I think the red meat stands out as being the top choice to get. 

Chops is a great choice for date nights, family dinners, and dinner with friends. It's fancy enough to pass for a special night out, but still retains a casual mass appeal.

All aboard for dinner on Royal Caribbean's next-gen dining experience.

You can now book a reservation at the Royal Railway Legend Station, which is one of the most anticipated restaurants coming to its new cruise ship, Legend of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean revealed it would add this immersive dining experience to its next ship, which makes you feel like you're actually on a classic train car. You walk onto what looks like a train platform, board a train car, and can look out the window as the world passes you by.

As of Monday, reservations for European sailings are now open to book.  However, reservations for the sailings from North America remain unavailable.

How much it will cost to eat at Royal Railway

With reservations available, we have our first look at how much dinner will cost.

Royal Railway costs $165 per adult or $110 per child with no pre-cruise discount offered. It's a bit higher from when the first Royal Railway went on sale for Utopia of the Seas in 2024, and the prices were $119.99 per adult and $59.99 per child.  Children ages 0-5 are complimentary.

Royal Railway is included with all dining packages, with a $50 surcharge per adults and $25 per child applied once onboard.

A $50 per person cancellation fee will apply if you cancel within 24 hours of the reservation time, or if you do not arrive within 15 minutes of the reservation time at Royal Railway. 

The higher price tag could also be a mechanism to control demand, which is a tactic the cruise line has used to prevent runaway sales taking up every reservation before everyone has a chance to consider it.

Prices for Crown's Edge, Hideaway Beach, Royal Beach Club, and the supper clubs all started off at one price before pre-cruise discounts began to be commonly offered.

As an example, Royal Railway Utopia Station is priced at $107.99 per adult and $44.99 per child for a Utopia of the Seas sailing in April 2026.

I'm not promising prices will drop later, but I've observed a pattern to how new experiences get priced.

What is this train restaurant going to be like?

Royal Railway makes it feel like you're dining on a classic train car, and this version will be different from the one on Utopia of the Seas.

It offers a multi-course meal that follows the famous journey of Marco Polo, with each course matching the country you are passing through.

Follow in Marco Polo’s footsteps as you journey along the ancient Silk Routes, taking in sights and cultures on a five-course, flavor-packed expedition.

Digital windows provide a view outside the train, where you can see the mountains, cities, towns, and celebrations along the way.

I previewed an early test version of the restaurant at a mock-up in Royal Caribbean's headquarters, and the food is easily going to be the focal point of the experience.

In my test, there was still a show element where a conductor explains where you're headed and what you're seeing, but there's far less storytelling happening compared to the first restaurant.

I think because the cuisine is so distinguished, the food is the primary element instead of the story.

Of course, I saw an early test, so things may have changed significantly.  Nonetheless, I'm excited for a restaurant on Royal Caribbean to offer Turkish, Indian, and Persian food in a formal setting.

Legend of the Seas begins sailing in July

Legend of the Seas is the third Icon Class ship, and will have her first sailing in early July 2026.

The new ship debuts first in Europe, offering primarily 7-night Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona and Rome. Then in November, Legend will begin sailing from Fort Lauderdale and offer 6- and 8-night cruises, with each visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The first sailing is July 4, 2026 from the Italian port of Civitavecchia (Rome).

It will be among the biggest ships in the world when she debuts. Legend measures 365 meters long, nearly 50 meters wide, and the 248,000-ton vessel is powered by LNG.

Happy Sunday, and I hope you had a great week. It was a busy week of Royal Caribbean fun, and I have a round-up of all of it in this hand-dandy blog post.

Royal Caribbean has added a non-smoking casino to another cruise ship, but this change is different.

After emerging from a scheduled drydock, Radiance of the Seas surprised guests with an unannounced change to replace the pub onboard with a non-smoking casino.

Adding non-smoking casinos isn't new, but this is the first time they've replaced a popular bar with a gambling space.

Royal Caribbean News

• Former Royal Caribbean CEO announces he's joining Norwegian Cruise Line to fix it
• Royal Caribbean adopts fine dining and entertainment in growing new food trend
• Florida passes bill that effectively kills chances of building new Tampa cruise port
• Cruise passenger arrested for having child sex abuse video on phone
• Royal Caribbean plans road improvement project that will fix transportation problems around Costa Maya
• Blizzard reroutes cruise ships
• Royal Caribbean cruise ship rescues small boat of people near Cuba
• Celebrity Cruise ship ends cruise unexpectedly after technical failure, next cruise cancelled
• The beach crew members love going to on CocoCay
• When should you stop cruising? How old is too old?
• Every cruise ship has these 7 hassles
• Inside an oceanview room on Utopia of the Seas
• Guide to Royal Caribbean status match
• The Royal Caribbean cruise questions you’re too embarrassed to ask

Video: The Boarding Day Trick Most Cruisers Don’t Know

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 — The Boarding Day Trick Most Cruisers Don’t Know — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

5 best hidden gems to order at Royal Caribbean's Main Dining Room

There are some truly underrated and lesser-known dishes you should be ordering in the Main Dining Room.

While you won't go wrong with the MDR staples, I think a few appetizers and entrees go overlooked but are some of the best food you'll find on a Royal Caribbean ship.

In my 20 years of cruising on Royal Caribbean, it's clear some of these items stand out as being fantastic.

Surprising things about going on a giant cruise ship for the first time

When Allie took her husband on his first megaship, the experience was very different from what he was used to.

There's nothing like an Oasis Class ship, which is why so many new cruisers are drawn to trying them.

Moving from smaller ships to Oasis Class introduced a few surprises and new favorites for Luke.

4 Dining surprises on Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship

When Legend of the Seas launches this summer, there's going to be changes to the dining options.

Royal Caribbean is never content to copy its ships, so there are always tweaks and changes. Dining is definitely one area we see the most variations when a new ship comes out.

The cruise line revealed all of the dining options coming to Legend of the Seas, including a few surprises.

6 Mistakes everyone makes when eating in Royal Caribbean's Main Dining Room

I love eating in the Main Dining Room, but I've seen so many people making mistakes in how they eat there.

It's most common with new cruisers, but even established cruisers will sometimes slip up.

I think everyone wants to have a great meal every time they eat in the MDR, so I came up with mistakes to avoid.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

We've just released the 597th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast. In it, Matt talks through the curious situation happening with NCL leadership changes.

You can subscribe to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast via YouTube, iTunes, Google Play or RSS.

Royal Caribbean is moving ships around to avoid a blizzard and bad winter weather along the east coast of the United States.

So far, three cruise ships have had their itineraries changed because of the poor weather, and additional changes could be announced.

Passengers on Star of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas have been notified of changes to their cruise plans as a result of the storm.

Here's a look at what's changed so far. This article was last updated at 11:08 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23. 

Star of the Seas will skip Perfect Day at CocoCay

The February 22 sailing of Star of the Seas will have to skip Royal Caribbean's private island.

"Due to a weather system expected to bring unfavorable conditions and rough seas to Perfect Day at CocoCay on Monday, February 23, we will be skipping our visit and enjoy a Sea Day instead."

Because the ship will bypass CocoCay, they will now arrive in St. Thomas earlier.

"We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather - your safety is our top priority."

This is one of a handful of visits to CocoCay that have been scrapped this winter so far because of bad weather conditions.

Independence of the Seas will visit Nassau instead of CocoCay

(Credit: Cruise Mapper. Screenshot taken at 11:05 a.m. EST on Feb. 23)

According to Cruise Mapper, Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was unable to dock at CocoCay on Feb. 23. 

However, rather than spend another day at sea, the ship's first port of call on the 7-night cruise from Miami is now Nassau. They are the fourth Royal Caribbean Group ship in port, alongside Allure of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Celebrity Summit. 

Other stops on the weeklong voyage include San Juan and St. Thomas. 

Odyssey of the Seas will stay in homeport overnight

Odyssey of the Seas will return to Cape Liberty on Feb. 22, but will be delayed in leaving on her sailing because of the expected blizzard.

A letter sent to guests booked on the sailing states that they’re expecting "high winds and rough seas."

A cruiser posted on Reddit, "We’re due to sail out of NJ tomorrow on the Odyssey and just heard from RC that we won’t be leaving at the original 2pm departure time, that we’ll likely be docked overnight, meaning we wouldn’t leave til Monday morning."

The ship is scheduled to visit Port Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday, Nassau, Bahamas, on Wednesda,y and CocoCay on Thursday. All of those plans could be changed if the ship is delayed by a day.

The issue will be when it's safe to depart and if the Port of New York will be open or not. 

Biggest winter storm in years expected

Officials along the East Coast are expecting a major winter storm that could dump up to 20 inches of snow in parts of the Northeast starting late in the weekend.

The National Weather Service said on Saturday that this winter storm is now expected to bring "significant impacts" across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Sunday into Monday.

Blizzard and winter storm warnings were issued for tens of millions of people across a swath of the Northeast, concentrating around New York City.

Blizzard conditions from heavy snowfall and strong winds are expected along the East Coast from Delaware through southeastern New England.

The nor'easter comes from a storm moving from the Gulf Coast over the weekend, spreading accumulating snow from West Virginia through the mid-Atlantic and into southern New England from Saturday night through Monday.

New Jersey, where Cape Liberty is located, has already declared a state of emergency by its governor.

Underscoring its commitment to the local community, one of the first things Royal Caribbean is doing to improve the local area around Costa Maya is to fix the long-neglected roads.

The cruise line acquired the Port of Costa Maya, along with a lot of surrounding land in order to build Perfect Day Mexico. But before it can do that, it wants to improve the infrastructure of the surrounding area.

The first step is Royal Caribbean has announced a significant investment to improve road infrastructure in Nuevo Mahahual, Mexico.

Unveiled yesterday, community roads will be rehabilitated.  The plans were shared at a collaborative meeting between company representatives, local authorities, and residents.

Why Royal Caribbean is fixing the roads

While building Perfect Day Mexico is Royal Caribbean's ultimate aim, it wants to work as a partner with the local community. Improving roads is a win-win for both company and community.

As Costa Maya is transformed over the next couple of years, Royal Caribbean is making broader investments in the area. The new infrastructure project not only reinforces the cruise line’s presence in the region but also highlights a deeper philosophy: being an active, engaged neighbor beyond just tourism.

Better roads is more than engineering, it's something the cruise line hopes will demonstrate to community stakeholders its commitment beyond words.

At the heart of the project’s announcement was a community meeting that emphasized transparency, mutual respect, and shared priorities. Residents and local leaders were invited to help define needs and next steps, setting a tone of genuine partnership rather than unilateral decision-making.

In addition to logistical improvements, Royal Caribbean is actively working to protect the local environment.

Plans have already been revealed to conserve about 111 acres of mangroves, restoring degraded coastal areas, and powering operations with 100% renewable energy by 2040.

For years, the municipality had dumped sewage into the coastal area of Mahahual, contaminating both the mangroves and the beach adjacent to the cruise ship pier.

Royal Caribbean plans to build their own reverse osmosis system to provide drinking water as well as a treatment plant to clean up the area, which will later be transferred to the municipal government to serve the entire community.

A month-long project

The project will focus on the repair and improvement of "key roads" within Nuevo Mahahual, which is the village near the Costa Maya port.

While the press release did not specify every street or exact stretch of roadway to be improved, it outlined several key operational points:

• Start and duration: Work is set to begin in the coming days and is expected to wrap up in approximately one month.
• Qualified execution: Only qualified companies holding all required permits will undertake the rehabilitation work, reflecting an emphasis on safety, compliance, and professional standards.
• Coordination: Construction will be carried out in close coordination with community leaders to ensure minimal disruption and clear communication throughout.

The hope is when it's complete, the upgraded roads will make a meaningful impact on local day-to-day life in a relatively short timeframe.

Better roads lead to Perfect Day Mexico

The short term benefit of these improved roads will be making it easier for the people that live and work around Mahahual to get around.  But these roads will be critical for Perfect Day Mexico.

This will be Royal Caribbean's second Perfect Day destination, building on the success of the first one at CocoCay in The Bahamas. Announced as part of a multi-hundred million-dollar investment, Perfect Day Mexico is designed to include water parks, beaches, culinary venues, leisure spaces, and immersive guest experiences for cruise passengers.

In fact, the footprint is as large as the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

They'll need the roads as much as the locals in order to get equipment and supplies in, as well as be able to get shore excursions out to various destinations.