The internet is such a powerful tool for researching pretty much any topic, including learning about Royal Caribbean cruises.

Many cruisers, regardless of if they are first-timers or veterans, will take advantage of the wealth of information online to help answer questions and learn about new topics.  Heck, it is why this site was created!

One of my favorite video series are WIRED's Autocomplete interviews, where celebrities are asked questions based on what people are searching Google for about them.  In the spirit of those types of questions, here are the top 10 questions people are searching Google for about a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Which Royal Caribbean cruise ship is the best?

The "best" is a relative term, because what makes something great for one person may not matter to another. Just like favorite sports teams, restaurants, or airlines, every person ranks certain attributes higher than others.

I truly believe there is no one ship that is better than the rest, and I recommend a cruise on any of their ships.

However, I also recommend a first time cruiser research what a ship offers to ensure it is a good fit for them.  Not all Royal Caribbean ships are the same, and what the ship offers (and does not offer) may make it a better fit for someone.

What you want to do is identify which amenities, activities, venues and itineraries are included on a particular vessel and then determine which combination works best for you.

The key to finding the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship is not some arbitrary list compiled by a writer in Boca Raton. Rather, the best ship for you is the one that offers the types of features you are looking for in a ship.

Do you want a ship with a nursery? Water slides? A lot or a few specialty restaurants? Broadway shows? Top-level suites?

Picking the best cruise ship is about determining which ship has just the right combination of what you want onboard.

How much is the drink package on Royal Caribbean?

The exact cost of a Royal Caribbean drink package will vary from ship to ship, and sailing to sailing. There is no set amount across the fleet, so it greatly depends on which sailing you end up booking.

There are three types of drink packages offered on Royal Caribbean ships:

Deluxe Beverage Package

Better known as the unlimited alcohol package, this package offers a combination of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, most liquors, premium coffees & teas, bottled water, juice and more.

If purchased prior to your cruise on the Cruise Planner site, the Deluxe Beverage package often costs between $48 - $65 per guest, per night (excluding gratuity). The price will be higher if purchased onboard, usually between $63 - $70.00 per guest, per night.

Refreshment Package

The non-alcoholic drink package includes pretty much any drink that does not include alcohol on your cruise, such as mocktails, juices, coffee and teas.

The price per night of the Refreshment Package is $29.00 per guest (excluding gratuity).

Soda Package

A drink package that includes just soft drinks will cost you $12.99 per guest (excluding gratuity).

What is the newest ship from Royal Caribbean?

As of the posting of this article, the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Spectrum of the Seas. She is the first Quantum-Ultra-class cruise ship, and sails exclusively in Asia.

Spectrum of the Seas had her maiden voyage on April 18, 2019.

There are a number of new ships on order, set to debut at some point in the next few years. Prior to the global cruise shutdown, the schedule for new ships was for Odyssey of the Seas to debut in November 2020, and Wonder of the Seas in 2021.

What is included in a Royal Caribbean cruise?

There is quite a lot of value packed into what's included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare, but understanding the breakdown of what is complimentary and what costs extra is a common concern.

The basics of what is included are:

• Your stateroom cabin
• Meals and snacks (at complimentary venues)
• Select non-alcoholic beverages
• Children's programming
• Activities & shows
• Signature activities & games
• Fitness center access
• Pools

The exact specifics of what is included will vary from ship to ship, but there is a general baseline across the fleet of what is included across the board. 

If you happen to book a suite, or are a top tier member of Crown and Anchor Society, you may get additional benefits and amenities included.

The bottom line is you can go on a cruise and never spend another dime and have a great vacation that leaves you rested, well-fed, and entertained. I do not think it is very likely many people actually go on a cruise and never spend anything extra, but there still is a tremendous value when you consider what is included with your cruise fare.

Why is Royal Caribbean the best cruise line?

Just like the question about the best cruise ship, what makes Royal Caribbean the best cruise line has no universal answer for everyone.

Royal Caribbean is known in the industry for offering fun vacations on cruise ships that pack a ton of entertainment and activities for a great price.

Their ships visit incredible destinations around the world, have two lovely private islands, and are very popular choices for families.

When it comes to picking the best cruise for kids, Royal Caribbean's newest and recently refurbished ships tend to be the best choices.  Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ships offer the most dedicated space to kids programming, as well as the most onboard activities that kids (and their parents) will enjoy.  This includes rock climbing walls, ice skating, water slides and more.

How do I get the best deal on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Everyone wants to save money and get the lowest possible price on a cruise, so it is natural to seek out the best strategies for getting a great deal.  Here are the top ways anyone can do this:

Book early

The best prices for cruises are found early on when cabin inventory is highest. 

Royal Caribbean sells its cruises largely based on the concept of supply and demand. When a sailing is first offered, supply is at its highest because no one has purchase a stateroom yet. As time progress, more and more staterooms are reserved and stateroom inventory drops, so the price increases conversely.

The earlier you can book, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise.

Use a travel agent

Perhaps the most common mistake I see among first time cruisers is not using a good travel agent.

Travel agents should cost you nothing extra to use, and offer a substantial amount of experience and advice in helping you find the perfect sailing at the lowest price.

Having a travel agent will save you time, and perhaps money too.  They can also steer you away from common pitfalls, and are invaluable when problems occur. 

Take advantage of price drops

Throughout the year, Royal Caribbean offers various cruise sales: BOGO deals, 72 hour sales, WOW sales, leap day sales and more are offered and each promotion comes with it different pricing and booking incentives.

From when you book your cruise until the final payment date of your cruise, North American guests can cancel and rebook under the new promotions without any penalty (residents of other parts of the world need to check local laws and policies).

Go during slower times of the year

An easy way to knock hundreds of dollars off the cost of your cruise is to book a sailing when most others cannot go on a vacation.

In general, you will find lower fares if you are willing to cruise during the "shoulder seasons" and/or when school is usually in session.

This includes:

• January (minus New Years holiday)
• Most of February
• May
• September
• October
• First two weeks of November
• First two weeks of December

Is Carnival or Royal Caribbean better?

This is a tough question to answer because it is is a very subjective question.

Both are mass-market cruise lines with big fleets of ships and visit a lot of common destinations. So what makes one better than the other?

First, I need to disclose I have never sailed on a Carnival cruise ship, and I run a blog about Royal Caribbean. So I am far from the most objective person in the world on this topic.

What makes Royal Caribbean stand out is their dedication to being a market leader. Their cruise ships are built to be destinations in and of themselves, and the cruise line has repeatedly been an innovator in the industry with many accomplishments.

The value offered is also something that stands out to me. How much you pay versus what you get for that money is something that seems to provide a great balance on Royal Caribbean's side of things.

Royal Caribbean's ships are the largest in the world, offer some incredible things to do onboard, and include the best private island experience in Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Which Royal Caribbean ship is best for adults?

The good news is there a lot of great choices for adults on any Royal Caribbean ship, so I think the best ship for anyone will be based on which options the ship has onboard.

If you want the greatest variety of dining and entertainment, an Oasis or Quantum Class ship is a solid choice because it offers the latest and greatest offerings by the cruise line.

That being said, the rest of the fleet offers a lot to like for adults. The Radiance Class ships have arguably the best adults-only solarium across the fleet, the amplified Voyager Class ships have a lot of the features from the Oasis Class at a fraction of the price, and many veteran cruisers appreciate the simplicity (and low price) on Majesty or Empress of the Seas.

The key is to look at what each ship offers (all Royal Caribbean ships have an adults-only Solarium pool), and weigh price, activities and where the ship sails.

Which is the oldest Royal Caribbean ship?

The oldest Royal Caribbean ship sailing in the fleet is Empress of the Seas.

Formerly known as Nordic Empress, Empress of the Seas was launched on August 25, 1989. The ship was actually retired, and then returned to Royal Caribbean's fleet after an 8 year absence.

Is Royal Caribbean all inclusive?

In short, no, Royal Caribbean cruises are not all inclusive, however, there are some add-ons you can purchase that will get you pretty darn close to an all inclusive cruise experience.

While a Royal Caribbean cruise includes a lot of things to do, dining, beverages and activities, there are still some elements that will cost you extra beyond the cruise fare:

• Soft drinks
• Alcoholic beverages
• Shore excursions
• Gratuities
• WiFi
• Specialty dining
• Spa
• Casino
• Souvenirs
• Photos

For all of these extra costs, you can opt to pay along the way (pay for it if/when you choose to use it), or purchase a package that includes some of these items for a fixed cost.

Regardless of which direction you take, in almost every case it is less expensive if you pre-purchase via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.

Royal Caribbean is offering 60% off second guest, kids sail free and up to $350 instant savings on 2021 cruises this weekend. Crown and Anchor Members could get up to $400 off 2021 cruises.

The Sunshine & Savings Sale applies to new bookings made between June 11 – June 14, 2020.

It includes:

60% savings off the price of cruise fare of the second guest booked in the same stateroom as first, full-fare paying guest. BOGO60 also provides 30% cruise fare savings for third guests and higher booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests.

Instant savings of up to $200 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after August 1, 2020. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites

Instant savings applied as instant rebate to the price of cruise fare at checkout. Instant savings do not apply to China departures.

Crown and Anchor Sale applies to new bookings made between June 11 – June 16, 2020 to Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members.  CAS Bonus provides up to $50 USD instant savings per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after August 1, 2020.  Savings amount determined by sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings

Kids Sail Free applies to new bookings made between June 1 – June 30, 2020.  Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple or quad-occupancy stateroom.

Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all 2020 Serenade of the Seas sailings departing between September 1, 2020 – December 17, 2020 and January 8, 2021 – May 17, 2021.

Offer excludes 2020 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 – 28, 2020), 2021 President’s Day Sailings (Sailings between February 12 – 15, 2021), and 2021 Spring Break and Easter sailings (Sailings between March 13 – April 4, 2021).

2021 Kicker Sale applies to new bookings made between June 1 – June 30, 2020.

2021 Kicker Sale offers instant savings of up to $150 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing between January 1 – December 31, 2021. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites

BOGO60, Kids Sail Free and 2021 Kicker are combinable with each other as well with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts, CAS Sale and Shareholder Benefits.  Sunshine and Savings Sale is combinable with BOGO60, Kids Sail Free and 2021 Kicker as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, and Shareholder Benefits, with CAS Sale but not combinable with other Crown and Anchor discounts.  Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates.  Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking; limit one promo code per booking.

Offer available to residents of United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and select countries in the Caribbean. 

Royal Caribbean announced on Tuesday it was postponing its scheduled cruise ship upgrades on 4 vessels, but the cruise is still planning to do this work down the line.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed spoke to travel advisors in a weekly webcast on Wednesday and reiterated the cruise line's commitment to adding these upgrades.

I want to make sure to reiterate that they are simply being placed on a temporary hold. And we look forward to amplifying these great ships sometime in the near future.

The previously scheduled amplifications were to take place in 2020 and 2021:

• 2020: Explorer of the Seas & Allure of the Seas amplifications postponed
• 2021: Liberty & Adventure of the Seas amplifications postponed

Allure of the Seas was scheduled to undergo a 58-day, $165 million transformation that would have added new features, including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Music Hall.

Similarly, Explorer of the Seas was planning to get a $110 million amplification that would have added a number of changes from bow to stern.

Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplified program was announced in March 2018, and it was a $900 million investment in the Oasis, Freedom and Voyager Class cruise ships.

The program managed to enhance a number of ships, including: Independence of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.

The Royal Amplification program breathed new life into existing ships, and drove revenue as high as guest satisfaction with the changes.

"Our vessel modernization program is driving strong results," Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said,  "These upgrades are expensive, but our guests love them and reward us accordingly."

Incidentally, the indefinite postponement of these ship upgrades means certain amenities that became "cult-classics" among some cruise fans will live on longer, including Sabor and the Champagne Bar. These were to be replaced with new venues during the amplification process, but have a new lease on life for the time being.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that while Allure of the Seas will no longer sail from Galveston in 2021, she will call Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale home instead.

A day after Royal Caribbean announced due to pier construction delays in the Galveston terminal Allure of the Seas will not be able to call Galveston home because the current pier will unfortunately not be ready to welcome an Oasis Class ship. 

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed confirmed that Allure of the Seas will instead sail from Port Everglades.

I'm sure you're likely wondering, "Now that the Allure of the Seas is not going to Galveston, where will she be going, Vicki?" Well, we're aren't really sure of her exact itineraries just yet, but it's been confirmed that she will sail from Fort Lauderdale in the winter of 2021 and 2022.

Royal Caribbean cited the new terminal delay was caused by the closure of shipyards along with the disruption to the supply chain. Thus, the cruise line decided to postpone construction of a new terminal in an effort to cut costs.

In addition, the upgrades and enhancements that were scheduled as part of the ship's Royal Amplification have been postponed until further notice.

Taking Allure of the Seas' place in Galveston will be Liberty of the Seas, which has been homeported there for years.

In order to accommodate guests who were booked on Allure of the Seas, the cruise line is working on rebooking guests into the "best available stateroom".

Prior to Allure's winter 2021-2022 season, Allure of the Seas will start out in Miami, then transition to Port Canaveral and then remain there until she moves to Port Everglades.

Whether you are new to Royal Caribbean, been on a cruise and going back, or even a cruise veteran, I have some helpful tips to share for maximizing your cruise experience.

Looking back on the cruises I have taken, I compiled the top things I wish I knew before I ever got onboard any Royal Caribbean ship.

There is no single way to cruise, but there are some "best practices" that anyone can use to make their next sailing free of common mistakes.

Read an old Cruise Compass

When you are trying to pick the right ship for you, reading a past Cruise Compass is a great way to learn about what the ship offers.

You will likely have questions about what there is to do onboard. In fact, the activities offered onboard may play a major role in which ship you end up booking. 

There is no way to know in absolute terms what your upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise will, or will not, offer, because Royal Caribbean does not publish activities or entertainment schedule in advance.  However, you can learn about what to expect on your sailing by consulting a past Cruise Compass to see what was offered on similar sailings.

The Cruise Compass is the ship's daily newspaper that is distributed to guests on each day of the cruise.

Generally speaking, Royal Caribbean sailings on a particular ship do not change that much from week to week in terms of the activities or entertainment offered. There will be some discrepancies, like perhaps the movie selection or comedian, but you will get a ballpark idea of what to expect.

With this information, you can have a good idea of what is offered onboard and how often it is shown.

Pre-purchase to save money

You will want to pre-purchase some of the extra add-ons before your cruise because it is going to save you a lot of money.

Royal Caribbean offers a lot of packages, and whether it is a drink package, internet package, or a dining package, they are all significantly cheaper if you buy them before the cruise.

Besides being able to split up the total cost of your cruise, it will save you money overall because Royal Caribbean offers a discount if you pre-purchase instead of waiting to buy it on the ship.

In addition, it will save you time onboard the ship as it means you will not have to take time on the ship to stand in line to book something.

What you want to do is track prices periodically by logging into Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site. The cruise line usually runs sales every few weeks that can sometimes reduce the price even more, so it is a good idea to take advantage of these deals when they are offered.

The best part about these price drops is if there is a lower price, you can always cancel and rebook your purchase and take advantage of the lower price without any penalty.

Don't skip specialty restaurants

Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants, which have an additional cost to dine there, are among the best dining locations at sea, and I think you may be missing out if you do not try one or four of them.

You can, and should, still dine at the complimentary restaurants, but working in a specialty restaurant or two on a few nights of your cruise can really give you a nice change of pace and exposure to cuisines that are not available elsewhere on the ship.

I think it is worth it to spend a little bit extra for specialty restaurants because I think they are great choices.

If you think you might want to dine at more than one specialty restaurant, a dining package is a great way to save money overall on the cost.

Don't fear the dress codes

I know it sounds scary, and the idea of having to dress up on your Royal Caribbean cruise may seem like an arduous task, but you should know the dress codes onboard are not nearly as bad as you might think.

Even though on one or two nights of your cruise there is something called formal night, do not worry.

Formal night is a dress code where the main dining room requests guests wear something a little more upscale than usual. For men, a collared shirt and nice pants (tie and jacket optional). For ladies, it means a cocktail dress or something similar.

On most seven night sailings, there will be two formal nights, so pack accordingly. On shorter cruises (3-5 night sailings), there will be one formal night.

Keep in mind that formal night dress code only applies to the main dining room, and no where else on the ship. If you are not dining in the main dining room on formal night, you do not have to dress up because the dress code does not apply anywhere else on the ship.

And of course, the inevitable question is what do you wear on formal night? If you are wondering how formal is formal, the answer is it is really not that bad. 

Formal night is not going to look like a scene out of early 1900s cruising. Rather, it has become a relative term that means "something nicer than the other nights of the cruise". It is not to say you need to wear a tuxedo or ball gowns or recreate your senior prom.

If you wanted to skip formal night and the dining room, there are specialty restaurants that have usually a more relaxed dress code to them, or just skip it altogether and go to a place like the Windjammer or another complimentary grab-and-go style restaurant and enjoy your meals there while wearing whatever you want.

Book your cruise as early as you can

To get the best possible price on your Royal Caribbean cruise, booking as early as you can is critical.

The reason why booking early is so important is because the best prices are found the earlier one books a cruise. Royal Caribbean sells its cruises largely based on supply and demand.

When a sailing is first offered to the public, supply is at its highest because no one has purchased a stateroom yet. As time progresses, more and more staterooms are reserved, and thus, inventory drops, so prices tend to rise.

So the earlier you book the cruise, the best chance you will have at getting a good price on your cruise.

How early is early? Essentially, it means as early as you can afford to do so. Royal Caribbean puts its itineraries on sale as much as two years in advance of the sail date, and while that may be a bit too far in advance for most to plan a vacation, the earlier you ca book the cruise, the better chance you have for that lower price.

If you live in a country like the United States or Canada, you can take advantage of price drops between when you book and the final payment date. Royal Caribbean will allow you to re-price the cruise if the price goes down, assuring yourself of the lower price.

While last minute deals can sometimes work out to nab a deal for some people, last minute cruise discounts are few and far between these days, and it is just too risky to put your entire vacation on the line for trying to find a great price close to when your vacation begins. Not to mention the fact waiting until the last minute means very few choices of the type of staterooms available.

Choose your cruise ship based on what is important to you

Royal Caribbean has over 20 ships in its fleet, and while they have a common core experience across all of them, each vessel offers different amenities and activities. This means you need to be aware of what each ship offers (and does not offer), and make sure these are things that are important to you.

Royal Caribbean categorizes its ships by class, which are groupings of ships that share a common structure and layout.  Think of ship classes like types of cars: pickup trucks, sedans, minivans, etc. Within each type of vehicle, you have individual car models.  This is akin to how Royal Caribbean categorizes its cruise ships.

In addition to just size and tonnage, each ship includes various entertainment, activities and onboard amenities.  What you want to do is think about which features you want to have on your ship and then see if that ship offers it.

Are you looking for water slides? Skip the Vision class. Need a full Broadway show? Liberty of the Seas has it, but not Freedom of the Seas. Want a nursery for your toddler? Don't book Majesty of the Seas.

Working with a good travel agent can make this process easier, as they can assist in narrowing down the choices for you.

You should also be aware that within each class, ships can vary greatly due to a number of recent upgrades.  Do not assume all ships in a class are necessarily identical.

Ask if the food is not what you want

If the food selection you find in a restaurant is not what you are looking for, be sure to speak up and ask for something different. Do not just "suck it up" and assume what is on the menu is the only things available.

Royal Caribbean offers a fantastic variety of dining choices across its ships, but you might want something cooked or prepared differently. 

Perhaps you have a dietary restriction or preference that you would prefer. Or you just feel limited in your choice. Politely talk to your wait staff about what options you have. In general, as long as they have the ingredients and you make the request in advance, they can absolutely accommodate a great variety of requests.

Be aware that some changes take extra time, so give the staff advanced notice. Usually 24 hours will suffice for special meals or foods.  You can ask to speak to the head waiter on the first day if you have a pattern of food prep that you would like to have while onboard and discuss options.

The bottom line is the staff wants to make you happy, so do not feel like you are being bothersome for asking.

You do not need a drink package

It seems like a lot of first time cruisers find the idea of getting an unlimited drink package quite attractive, primarily due to the convenience and potential savings offered by them. However, a drink package is not a must-have for everyone.

First and foremost, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks included with your cruise fare. Some first time cruisers mistakenly believe a drink package is necessary to have anything other than water onboard.

There are some great alternatives to getting a drink package that will not break your budget, while still allowing you to enjoy your favorite cocktails and beverages onboard.

To be clear, I usually buy an unlimited drink package for my cruises because I have found it works for the way I like to cruise, but many other cruisers cite the fact it does not make financial sense to have a package for them.

The key is to determine in your case if a drink package is worth it. Weigh the costs of the package, your itinerary, how often you like to drink, and your vacation budget and make a decision off those considerations.

Get to your cruise port early

Being early is a great strategy on Royal Caribbean ships for two important reasons.

First, you want to arrive to the city your cruise will sail from at least a day ahead of time to guard against travel delays, such as cancelled flights, car accidents or any travel delay that might put your cruise vacation in jeopardy.

Seasoned travelers know the key is to give yourself extra time so if you do encounter a delay, you have a buffer.  Instead of arriving to your departure city on the day of your cruise, plan to arrive at least one day early to assure yourself that even a cancelled flight means you can still make the ship.

Arriving a day early means you start your vacation sooner, and you get the added bonus of being able to explore and enjoy the city your ship departs from.

In addition, you will want to get to the cruise port early on embarkation day to beat the crowds.

By arriving to the cruise terminal early, you will beat the majority of guests who arrive later in the day and that means shorter waits to check-in and get onboard. Plus, you will have extra time onboard the ship on your first day!

If you are wondering what time constitutes early, sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. is a good target. The price you paid for the cruise is the same whether you get on board the ship at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m., so you may as well get the most time possible onboard your ship!

Shore excursions can be exhausting

One of the things that sold me on cruising was waking up in a different port every day, but when you plan your shore excursions, you should know they can be exhausting.

What you want to do is know your family's limits and plan breaks, or alternate excursions between intense touring and more casual relaxation.

A good example is if in one port you want to visit historical sites and explore a city, that will likely involve a lot of walking, so perhaps plan the next day to be something more laid back.  Perhaps a day at the beach, or sleep in before heading out for another adventure.

I find if you try to go back to back with lots of walking, it is easy to burn out and end up with not-so-happy feet and family members.

A good idea is to plan breaks and generally take it easy. Sure, the places you visit and the activities offered look amazing and you want to do it all, but downtown is not a problem or something to be avoided.  Vacation is enjoyable from a lounge chair or at the top of a mountain, so make sure you are not over doing it.

Your thoughts

What advice did you wish you had for your first cruise? If it is your first time, what concerns or questions do you have? Share your tips, suggestions and questions in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean teased its upcoming 2021-2022 summer season in Australia, South Pacific and New Zealand to Crown and Anchor Society guests, boasting the addition of Quantum of the Seas to the mix.

The new sailings will officially open for guest bookings on June 11.

Highlights include Quantum of the Seas sailing from Australia for the first time ever, along with Ovation of the Seas in Sydney.

Radiance of the Seas will sail from Brisbane.

Royal Caribbean will offer 8-12 night vacations to the South Pacific.

Say Kia Ora to adventure in New Zealand, rediscover Australia’s beauty rich and rare, or simply embrace the island life in the South Pacific. All while sailing on state-of-the-art Royal Caribbean ships filled from bow-to-stern with unforgettable holiday experiences.

Some sailings are already appearing on Royal Caribbean's website, including a 3-night sampler cruise from Sydney on Quantum of the Seas on December 10, 2021.

Royal Caribbean announced in March that Quantum of the Seas would leave China and offer cruises to Alaska. Typically when ships that sail to Alaska are finished with the cruise season there, they transition over to Australia to offer sailings down under.

Royal Caribbean announced that due to the impact of COVID-19, the cruise line has postponed its upcoming amplifications until further notice.

On Tuesday, the cruise line issued updates regarding the schedule for Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

The Allure of the Seas Amplification has been postponed until further notice. Additionally, due to pier construction delays in the Galveston terminal, the pier will unfortunately not be ready to welcome an Oasis Class ship. Therefore, Allure will no longer sail from Galveston, Texas, and rather, Liberty of the Seas will assume Allure’s itineraries in late 2021.

The Adventure, Explorer and Liberty of the Seas Amplifications have also been postponed until further notice. All Explorer sailings will be cancelled through August 2020 to complete a technical dry dock.

Guests on affected sailings will be notified directly more details and options available.

Warnings this was coming

Royal Caribbean warned a change like this was coming, when in May it told investors the necessary steps it would take to cut operating costs during the suspension of its global cruise operations.

Among the cuts, the cruise line identified approximately $3.0 billion and $1.4 billion of capital expenditure reductions or deferrals in 2020 and 2021.

In addition, the Port of Galveston had shared publicly its vote to approve Royal Caribbean's request for a delay in building a new cruise terminal in Galveston.

Royal Caribbean informed guests booked on Explorer of the Seas that it will cancel scheduled August 2020 sailings in order to get some of the scheduled work done on the ship.

Explorer of the Seas was scheduled for a $110 million Royal Amplification that would have added a number of changes from bow to stern. However, the closure of shipyards and disruption to the supply chain around the world has delayed the work from being done on time. 

Instead, Explorer of the Seas will undergo a technical dry dock only, where only routine maintenance work will take place. This is similar to what happened to Allure of the Seas as well, which is undergoing that work in Spain.

There is no word on if/when the other changes that were to be added to Explorer of the Seas will occur.

Emails were sent to travel agents and guests to inform them of the newly cancelled Explorer of the Seas sailings.

Guests on affected sailings have the choice of:

125% Future Cruise Credit to re-book a new cruise by December 31, 2021 for sailings departing on or before April 30th, 2022. This will automatically be issued by July 24th, 2020 via email if no action is taken.

Lift and Shift: If you prefer to move your existing booking to a 2021 sailing, you can take advantage of Royal Caribbean's new policy where the cruise line will price protect the original pricing and/or promotion on the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category as your original sailing within 4 weeks (before or after) of the original sail date in 2021.

You will need to contact your travel agent by June 25th to take advantage of this option.

100% Refund: if you prefer a full refund, you have until December 31, 2020 to request a refund and deactivate your certificate. You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your refund request.

If you made pre-cruise purchases, you can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation. Click here by June 25th, 2020 to request your higher value credit and we'll email you your credit by July 24th, 2020.

Royal Caribbean has updated its policies to allow guests to use a Future Cruise Credit towards the deposit on a new cruise booking.

The cruise line updated its policy on Monday to allow guests to use a Future Cruise Credit to pay for the deposit owed on a reservation.

As long as the value of the Future Cruise Credit covers the full deposit amount, no additional funds will be owed until Final Payment, at which time any cruise fare balance and taxes/fees will be required. 

If the value of the FCC does not cover the full deposit amount, additional funds will be required to meet the total deposit needs and, thereafter, the remaining balance due at Final Payment.

Prior to this policy change, guests with a FCC would be required to put a cash deposit down first on a new reservation, and then apply a FCC to the reservation.  

Many people with an upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise often wonder if there is a way to get a free Royal Caribbean drink package for their vacation.

Can you really get a Royal Caribbean unlimited drink package for free? And if so, what's the catch?

Free drink packages are rare

Generally speaking, Royal Caribbean does not offer its drink packages for free, but it does regularly offer discounts on them.

If you book a Star Class suite on an Oasis or Quantum Class ship, complimentary Deluxe Beverage Package is included for every guest in the room. Star Class staterooms are the highest category of suites available on any Royal Caribbean ship, and usually come at a high cost.

The cruise line used to include a complimentary soda package if you booked a Boardwalk Balcony stateroom on its Oasis Class ships, but discontinued that program on January 1, 2020.

In select countries (i.e. United Kingdom), occasionally a new promotion will offer an "all-inclusive package", where the drink package cost is included with the cruise fare cost. Whether or not the drink package is free, or simply paid for as part of the cruise fare, is debatable.

Another way to get a free deluxe beverage package is if you reach a high enough tier of the Casino Royale program, which rewards guests who gamble a lot on Royal Caribbean.

As previously stated, a free drink package is nearly non-existent, and when it is "included" for free, you are usually paying for it in the grand scheme of things.

How to get a discount

If you want to know how to get a get a discount on a Royal Caribbean drink package, there are far more options available to you.

Every few weeks or so, Royal Caribbean runs a sale on pre-cruise purchases made on its Cruise Planner site.

These discounts regularly offer money off the cost of an unlimited drink package, primarily the unlimited alcohol package. The exact discount will vary, but the price offered online is always cheaper than the price onboard the ship.

If you know you want to buy a drink package, your best option is to pre-purchase and lock in the lower price.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will offer Crown and Anchor Society members a discount if they purchase the drink package onboard the ship.

Typically, the onboard discount for a Crown and Anchor Society member is 20% off for Diamond, 30% off for Diamond Plus, and 40% off for Pinnacle. 

This discount can be a better option if you are cruising solo, as the pre-cruise discounts typically offer the best deal if you are buying two packages.