When Toby Keith sang his hit song about loving a bar, I feel the same thing about the Mason Jar bar.

Royal Caribbean created the first Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas when that ship debuted in 2022, and followed it up with a second on Utopia of the Seas. A third location will be added next year to Allure of the Seas when she gets a major update.

On any ship, there are dozens of bars you could visit, but I think the Mason Jar combines great music, a special drink menu, and energetic staff to create an experience I haven't found elsewhere.

Over the years, I've been fond of spending time at the English Pub or Schooner Bar for the great live music. Even Playmakers has a great setup with the sports coverage, and the new Pesky Parrot bar on Utopia deserves some attention for creativity. But I don't head to any of them as quickly as the Mason Jar.

Music and the band

The Mason Jar is a country bar, which may seem like a polarizing choice.  Heck, I don't even consider myself a fan of country music in the sense while at home I never listen to it.

But just like the Schooner Bar performer picks the well-known hit piano classics to sing, the Mason Jar band tends to lean heavily into popular songs that just so happen to be country music tunes.

I never thought I'd be that into country music until I started to realize a lot of the songs they sing there are songs I like:

• "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
• "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker
• "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver
• "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band
• "I Love This Bar" by Toby Keith
• "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood

There's also more traditional country songs too, but I find the majority of songs played are the tunes I've not only heard before, but probably know the chorus too.

And I can't talk about the music at the bar without mentioning the Country Trio band that perform there. In particular, the trio that include Bryan, Jeff, and Colin/Josh are my top favorite.

They embody the ideal stage performer on Royal Caribbean: talented musicians that have a great personality and get the crowd into the show while they perform.

There have been many evenings that I have re-arranged my plans to see their sets.

The unique drinks

Royal Caribbean's Food & Beverage team has been waging a secret war on clichéd cruise drinks, and you'll find one of their crowning achievements in the Mason Jar.

Sure, you can get a pina colada or daiquiri there, but there is an entire menu of special drinks developed just for the Mason Jar.

Many of the drinks source specific liquors that you don't usually find on a Royal Caribbean ship. The beverage team came up with 8 new cocktails to try, only available at the Mason Jar.

My absolutely favorite drink is the PB&J Old Fashioned: Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey mixed with Kentucky Bourbon, strawberry jelly and walnut bitters, garnished with a mini crustless PB&J.

It tastes amazing, and I can easily drink a few of these any evening. It's single handily a reason for me to get a drink package given it maxes out the per-drink value allocated by the package.

My wife's go-to drink is the Mississippi Moonlight: Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, fresh blackberries, topped with lemonade.

For Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean added an Apple Pie Old Fashioned cocktail to the menu, which is served with an apple turnover.

I really like that the drinks here are not "more of the same", and it adds to the appeal to stop by for something special.

Mason Jar drink menu

The secret ingredient: crew members

Crew members across any ship work hard, but it seems like the bar staff at the Mason Jar really love their jobs.

It's kind of funny to think about crew members from Romania, Ukraine, and the Philippines getting so into a bar designed around the American south, but they bring an energy to the experience.

They know the drink menu quite well, but they also sing and dance during the performances.  They're quick to share a laugh, and on a rare occasion, come up on stage for a song.

As you get to know Effy, Claudia, Cristian, Michael, "Sexy" Rex, or Herbert, you'll quickly see what I'm talking about.

Mason Jar menus

Brunch menu

Dinner menu

Royal Caribbean is making changes to avoid Hurricane Milton.

UPDATED: October 08, 2024 9:40 AM

The storm is a massive hurricane, expected to reach Category 5 before making landfall in Florida midweek.

In anticipation of the storm, Royal Caribbean has changed the itineraries for eight ships so far to avoid the storm.

The world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, will skip a visit to Royal Caribbean's private island because of the major hurricane.

"In order to steer clear of any adverse weather, we'll need to skip our visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, and enjoy a Sea Day instead."

The ship was scheduled to go to CocoCay on Friday.

To make up for the change, Icon of the Seas will stay docked in port longer in St. Thomas and St. Kitts until sunset.

Mariner of the Seas is also skipping a port day.

Because Cozumel, Mexico is closed to sea traffic, Mariner of the Seas will remain at sea and enjoy a sea day.

Mariner was sailing from Galveston, Texas on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise.

Harmony of the Seas, which will leave Galveston, Texas on Sunday, will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and visit Costa Maya, Mexico on Wednesday.

In addition, Harmony will enjoy a Sea Day on Day 3, and depart Cozumel, Mexico, at 5:00 PM on Day 5.

Symphony of the Seas is departing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey on Sunday and will now skip a scheduled visit to Port Canaveral, Florida and replace it with a sea day.

Symphony has also decided to skip visits to Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay and head to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Another megaship, Wonder of the Seas, had made changes to avoid the widespread effects of Milton.

Wonder will skip a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder will visit Cozumel on Day 6 and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

Utopia of the Seas has re-ordered its itinerary due to the storm.

Utopia will swap the days the ship will visit Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay. They will visit CocoCay on Tuesday and then wait to visit Nassau until Thursday.

One of Royal Caribbean's ships sailing from Tampa, Florida is completely changing its itinerary.

Grandeur of the Seas was originally scheduled to offer a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, she will sail to The Bahamas and visit Nassau on Day 4.  

Independence of the Seas will skip a scheduled stop in Cozumel and instead go to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic.

"We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority. Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather," the cruise line said in a statement.

What about other ships?

If you have a cruise on another ship this coming week, expect updates if the occur to be communicated by the cruise line.

Royal Caribbean advised passengers with cruises in the projected path of the storm to keep an eye on their emails.

Given the uncertainty of where exactly the storm will hit, the precise strength, and path, other changes will take a little longer to come to fruition, especially cruises that depart or return to Florida mid-week.

Royal Caribbean employs its own meteorologist to help track storms.

Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer works with cruise ship Captains to determine the best plan when a tropical storm hits.

Milton expected to be a major hurricane

Forecasters believe Milton will wallop the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane.

As of Monday morning, Milton is about 735 miles southwest of Tampa with winds now sustained at 150 mph with a forward motion to the east-southeast at 8 mph.

Most cruises depart on weekends, and the storm should be impacting Florida between Wednesday and Thursday.

The storm is forecast to possibly reach Category 5 before making landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday afternoon.

Models are not in agreement yet which part of Florida will be directly in the path of the storm. But it appears all but certain to be a problem for Central Florida.

Mr. Setzer wrote on X/Twitter, "The cone represents where the center is expected to track 2/3’s of the time.  Because the system is still coming together there may be some larger track shifts, especially at days 4 and 5.  It’s not impossible but also lot highly likely."

That's part of why Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines may take time to determine further changes to itineraries.

With it looking likely Florida will see a major hurricane next week, many cruisers are eager to know how the storm will impact their cruise.

It's quite early, but Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer is already tracking the storm's development and working with ship Captains to determine the best approach.

Mr. Setzer provides expert advice, but ultimately the Captains decide the best and safest voyage plan.

Mr. Seztzer took to X/Twitter to share that Royal Caribbean is actively looking at options, but no changes have been announced yet.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has begun changing ship itineraries due to Hurricane Milton.

"Thanks for all of the cruise questions. I have spent nearly the entire day working with Captains and teams discussing safely altering itineraries where needed to avoid dangerous weather.  The Captain has the final say, and until he makes the decision, I don't know anything firm."

Cruise ships will seek new itineraries to avoid any tropical storm.  Certainly there's a lot of variables involved, especially with the timing of a storm and where it will actually hit worst.

Mr. Setzer added, "One thing I do know is Royal is very proactive with their guest communications, and as soon as a plan is finalized, the message goes out to the guests right away."

Based on the information available today, Mr. Setzer replied to questions he received on expectations. For cruises on the east coast of Florida, such as Port Canaveral, he expects strong winds, "It will likely weaken crossing the peninsula but still be quite powerful."

A strong storm going west to east

The latest update on Tropical Storm Milton is to call for an intensity forecast of category 3 near landfall on the west coast of Florida.  

Mr. Setzer noted it's different with the path of this storm and the effect it has on both land and the intensity, "Unlike a storm moving north & along the coast where little track shifts make large up/down the coast differences, little shifts will not change landfall location as much, bigger shifts matter and that's what we will watch for."

He believes there will be a "potentially significant hurricane event on Sunday."

Tracking Milton

The National Hurricane Center said on Saturday that Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and will strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida.

As of 5 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, Milton was centered 245 miles north of Veracruz, Mexico, and 385 miles west-northwest of Veracruz, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was inching north-northeast at 3 mph. 

After rapid intensification, the storm is expected to, "bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the west coast of Florida next week."

The forecast also calls it for Milton to be a major hurricane, because it will reach category 3 status.

What should you do if you have a cruise next week?

Based on my experience cruising during hurricane season, you shouldn't change or make any new plans yet.

It's too early to cancel your trip because the exact path of the storm is unknown, and cancelling now will incur change fees and cancellation fees.

As Mr. Setzer said, Royal Caribbean will contact you when there's a change made to your itinerary or sailing. Until that time, you're best off waiting.

That can be agonizing because it feels like you're limbo, but cancelling before Royal Caribbean makes a change not only means lost money, but you also won't qualify for any onboard credits or future cruise credits if the line later makes a change.

Perhaps the top question you have is, "will my cruise be cancelled because of Hurricane Milton?" and it's simply too early to know.

Royal Caribbean will make every effort to get the cruise out, as long as it's safe. A sailing might be lengthened or shortened in order to avoid having the ship in port during a storm.

Cancelling a cruise is usually the last option, and quite rare.  But it could occur.

As was the case during Hurricane Helene, no cruises were cancelled due to the storm.  But many were re-routed and itineraries changed.

Read more: What experienced cruisers do differently during hurricane season

We're about a year away from the potential opening of Royal Caribbean's first ever beach club.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is an ambitious new project that will introduce a pay-to-play option for cruise ship passengers in the heart of Nassau, Bahamas.

While visiting Nassau on Saturday, construction progress shows land that's been cleared of the old buildings and looks to be in the prep stages for construction to begin.

Royal Caribbean doesn't provide construction updates with any regularity, but work has been underway for months to get the project moving.

Future Beach Club area in May 2024

Future Beach Club area in September 2024

The cleared ground is prepared for what will be multiple structures that make up the beach club.

Although no actual building has begun, there's not much left to impede that progress.

The narrow strip of land is located near where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, and once complete, will be Royal Caribbean's first beach club that will be open exclusively to its customers.

It's a 17 acre site that will cost extra to access, and be limited to Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers.

There is no official opening date, but Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said last month he expects the opening to occur between October-December 2025.

One of the goals of the beach club is to address a need among passengers who consistently rank Nassau poorly.

The extra-cost, exclusive club will offer access to three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, and four restaurants.

Additionally, the club will have three distinct zones: a family zone, a party zone, and a chill zone.

In fact, Mr. Bayley confirmed the beach club will have the largest swim up bar in the world.

"Next year we'll be opening the Royal Beach Club in the Bahamas," Mr. Bayley said at a meeting with members of the press on Utopia of the Seas. "We're kind of hoping we're going to have the largest swim up bar in the world. Can you imagine that?"

About 2,000 people will be able to purchase a pass each day. No word yet on how much admission will cost.

After the beach club in Nassau, Royal Caribbean will open a second beach club in Cozumel.

The goal is to offer something no other cruise line can match, with a series of unparalleled experiences around the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean announced that cruisers who visit the private club "will be welcomed by local architecture that complements the exceptional views of The Bahamas’ turquoise-blue waters and white sand beaches, along with experiences that feature Bahamian fare, island-style barbecues, live music, and local artisans."

Royal Caribbean is known for the amazing shows on its cruise ships, but etiquette still applies even if you're in a theater at sea.

While there's clearly a difference between the Aquatheater on Utopia of the Seas and the Winter Garden Theater in Times Square, New York, respecting the performers and your fellow guests is still important.

There are plenty of unwritten rules on a cruise ship, and nearly all of them stem from the same basic concept: be considerate of others.

As I was enjoying Aqua80sToo on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, I couldn't help but notice certain things some people did during the show that could be avoided.

Hold seats

There's a fine line when it comes to reserving seats for friends or family.  If they're behind you in line and a few minutes delayed coming in, I can see that not being a problem.

However, it's when someone tries to hold seats for an extended period of time right up until the beginning of the show that creates an issue.

This is especially true with the very popular shows, such as an Aquatheater show or Broadway performance. Seats are limited and lots of people want to see the show.

Try to have your entire party arrive well before show time to ensure you can all get seats. Someone can always get up and go to the bathroom or grab a drink later.

If you're on an Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class ship, be sure to get tickets for everyone when show times become reservable.

Leave early to beat the crowd

I know you want to beat the crowd and get in the elevator before they get swamped, but leaving the show early is considered rude.

Leaving while the show is in progress or before the actors have finished their final curtain call is distractive to others and discourteous to the actors.

The expectation is you'll stay for the entire show and curtain call, and then depart.

Leaving the show earlier in the performance can happen, but this is about leaving in the final minutes simply to avoid the crowd out of the theater. In fact, I'll sometimes sit in my seat for a few extra minutes to let the crowd leave and then depart to avoid the crowd.

Talking during the show

Talking loudly during a show is the most clichéd faux pas of them all, but it happens a lot.

There's nothing wrong with whispering something, or sharing a quick giggle. The problem are the people having a full conversation during the show.

You can always excuse yourself to step out of the theater and finish the conversation.

Record during the show

Recording video during a Royal Caribbean show might be the most commonly broken piece of protocol I've noticed. 

Besides the fact there are announcements saying video recording is prohibited, there are three really good reasons not to record a video during the show.

First, your screen is bright in a dark theater and distracting to everyone behind you.

Second, I can tell you from experience you will never watch the video recording later when you get home.

Third, and most importantly, no one else at home wants to watch your video either. Yes, the skill and performance was amazing, but you really had to be there to appreciate it.

I'm certainly one to snap a photo during a show (for blogging purposes), but recording video is a bridge too far.

Vacation isn't a free pass to be rude

You're on vacation, and that comes with a certain attitude of enjoying yourself. But it's also not carte blanche to do whatever you want.

Whether in a show, waiting for an elevator, or sharing a bus during a shore excursion, it's always a good idea to be polite and respectful to others.

Cruises are pretty laid back to begin with, so no on expects country club level behavior.  And the truth is most passengers are quite polite.

However, cruises have their own subset of nuances that are important to note. I find most people want to make sure they're not making a mistake, whether it's about money, time, or etiquette. 

Royal Caribbean recently extended status matching benefits to Celebrity Cruises, and I couldn't help but try Celebrity again.

I took my first Celebrity Cruises last year on two of their newest and biggest ships: Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Ascent. I enjoyed my first experiences on the sister brand to Royal Caribbean, but I was disappointed with the infinite balcony experience as well as the general state of entertainment.

That isn't to say I swore off Celebrity, but I was content cruising primarily with Royal Caribbean.

In June 2024, the new status matching was announced that provided greater parity between loyalty tiers among the lines. In fact, Pinnacle Club members were given the same top tier status in Celebrity and that piqued my curiosity.

To my surprise, I received a casino offer from Celebrity's Blue Chip club to get a significant discount if I booked a designated sailing.  Between the offer and the new perks, I had to give it a try.

I picked a cruise on Celebrity Reflection for a 3-night cruise that visited Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay. It seemed like an ideal match given that I would sail on Celebrity but get a Royal Caribbean day.

Going into the cruise, I was curious how closely my second go around would be to my first, and what the CocoCay experience would be like.

A surprisingly busy cruise ship

Celebrity Reflection is far from their newest ship, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to do on the ship.

Reflection is the last of the Solstice Class ships, and began offering cruises in 2012. She's 1,017 feet in length and can handle 3,046 passengers.

That makes her roughly the same age as Quantum of the Seas and the has the capacity of a Freedom Class cruise ship.

I found there to be a good mix of venues onboard, from dining to bars, to pools and hot tubs. While Celebrity ships may lack all the signature top deck activities Royal Caribbean is known for, there's plenty to hold my attention around the ship.

Being that this was a weekend cruise, I think a lot of people were treating this sailing as a getaway trip. The pools were busy, the casino busy, and music events popular.

My go to spot on any Celebrity ship is Cafe al Bacio, and clearly everyone else on the ship had the same idea. There was always a crowd there, but I was able to find a spot each time I went by.

Cafe al Bacio is so much more enjoyable than Cafe Promenade because they have waiter service at the tables, that can bring you coffee and snacks.  

Speaking of the snacks, I like the higher quality food offered here as well compared to the snacks at Cafe Promenade. Croissants, cakes, and cookies galore.

Status matching benefits that impress

As a Pinnacle Club member in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, I was granted Zenith status in Celebrity's Captain's Club. This means I got the best benefits Celebrity has to offer.

To be clear, you'll get the status in Captain's Club, but you earn points separately. So you can't cruise on Celebrity to help boost your Crown and Anchor status unless you switch and go all-in.

To get your Captain's Club status, you should call Celebrity before your first cruise to confirm your enrollment. That will get you your Captain’s Club numbers and ensure they "see" your Crown and Anchor status.

I was really impressed when I got an email before the cruise that I got a free Premium drink package, which is a step up from Royal Caribbean's six daily drink vouchers.  That's a tremendous value off the bat.

Just like Royal Caribbean, I also got a free internet package for the duration of the sailing, access to the suite area, and priority embarkation.

When I sailed last year, it was before the status matching change and I was unimpressed with the perks I got at Elite Plus. This new parity between the programs is significantly better.

We got to board the ship in the suite line, and wait to board the ship in the Retreat lounge in Terminal 25 of Port Everglades.

We spent a lot of our evenings hanging out in Michael's Club, which is the suite lounge on the ship. Fun fact, the "Michael" in the lounge's name alludes to Michael Bayley, who was Celebrity's CEO before becoming Royal Caribbean's CEO.

I liked the bar set up in the lounge, along with the fact there are hors d'oeuvres served, self-service non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks from 7am - midnight, and live music on formal night.

No matter which level you're at in Crown and Anchor, it's a real boon to get added benefits on Celebrity off the bat. For those of us at the top tiers of Royal Caribbean, working in a Celebrity cruise is an easy fit.

My favorite policy on Celebrity

You can come up with pros and cons of cruising any cruise line, but I love the fact you can drop your bags off in your cabin immediately upon boarding.

On Royal Caribbean, staterooms don't open until 1 or 2pm, and there's no access to cabins until then.

Celebrity's cabins also don't open up until the same time, but the difference is you can go to your cabin to drop off your belongings and then leave.

Not having to take your carry-on items around (and get your SeaPass card) is fantastic, and it really made a difference in my enjoyment of embarkation day.

Speaking of my stateroom, I ended up in a Concierge Class balcony room.  

I did a last-minute upgrade a few days before the cruise to move up from an inside cabin to a balcony for only $292.

Concierge Class sounds better than it really is, and the only reason I picked it over a standard balcony is it was oddly cheaper. 

For a short weekend cruise, I wouldn't prioritize a cabin upgrade necessarily, but given the cheap price, I decided to pull the trigger on it.

What it's like to visit CocoCay

This is the first year Celebrity has been able to send some of its ships to Perfect Day at CocoCay, and I was curious to see how it compared.

Our ship was docked alongside Allure of the Seas, and as a Royal Caribbean fan, it felt good to step off the gangway and back onto a Royal Caribbean area. It wasn't that I disliked my Celebrity experience, just that it felt familiar again being on the island.

Considering how highly rated Royal Caribbean's private island has been among passengers, it's no surprise Celebrity wanted to get in on the fun.

On the island, there is a mix of crew members working from both ships.  The Celebrity crew members usually have a "X' pin on their shirt to signify which company they work for, but that's about the extent of the differences.

The Celebrity drink package and internet packages work on the island, just like Royal Caribbean's offerings.

We spent our day at Oasis Lagoon enjoying the music, refreshing water, and swim-up bar. It's been my go-to spot on the island since the Perfect Day makeover.

Tame nightlife

Unfortunately the major drawback to Celebrity I experienced last year remained on Reflection: lack of nighttime entertainment.

There are events held at night, but it pales in comparison to what's offered on any Royal Caribbean ship.

After 10pm, the choice of activities dwindles to a handful of choices. On the second night, there were exactly 5 events total to choose from in the Celebrity app. 

I missed having the choice of Schooner Bar, Pub, movies at the pool, karaoke, and the other typical nighttime activities on Royal Caribbean.

The casino became our go-to spot, but if luck isn't on your side, then it's hard to stay there for long.

One way to look at it was that we got to bed earlier than on Royal Caribbean, so we got more sleep and felt less exhausted each morning.

My favorite kind of casino

There's plenty of pros and cons to cruising with Celebrity, but I absolutely love their casino is non-smoking.

While Royal Caribbean's casinos are technically split between smoking and non-smoking, it really means one side is very smoky instead of the less smoky other side.

As a non-smoker, it's a welcome change to have a smokeless casino. It made me want to spend more time there.

It doesn't appear Royal Caribbean has any plans to adopt a non-smoking casino, but I'd love to see that change come over to Royal soon.

I want to try Celebrity outside of the Caribbean

We had a fun weekend on Celebrity, but part of me thinks I really need to experience them in Europe, Alaska, or somewhere else to take advantage of the experience.

I think some of the advantages Celebrity brings to the table are best enjoyed on other itineraries. Or at least, that's my working theory.

Namely sailing on a ship with less passengers, infinite balconies (on the Edge Class ships), and far more varied itineraries than on Royal Caribbean.

In general, I think I'll continue to cruise on Celebrity here and there from an opportunistic standpoint.  However, with the status matching now, I can't help but feel more compelled to take advantage of it.

Star of the Seas is sitting in water for the first time.

Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and has reached an important construction milestone. It's taken 19 months to reach this milestone, and represents thousands people's collective effort to reach it.

Star of the Seas is the second Icon Class ship, following up the wildly successful Icon of the Seas.

The new ship has been floated out, which means the ship has its dry dock is filled with water and it becomes a wet dock. 

A ceremony was held to commemorate the occasion because this means Star of the Seas is well on her way to enter service.

During the ceremony, there was a shot from a canon that took place in the Meyer Turku shipyard.

At that point, 92 million gallons of water was added to the dry dock, which took overnight to complete. After nine hours, Star of the Seas was successfully floated out and the next phase of work can commence.

Delivery of Star of the Seas should take place in 2025, with her first cruise scheduled for August 31, 2025.

What's different about Star of the Seas?

While Star of the Seas may be the second Icon Class ship, she is not a direct copy of Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has revealed only a few details so far, but we know a few key areas will be updated.

The Surfside family neighborhood will expand its scope to offer more for slightly older kids too. Instead of catering to young children, Surfside will offer more for elementary school aged kids too. That's because Royal Caribbean noticed older kids were hanging out there.

While unconfirmed, it appears Star of the Seas will have a Broadway musical onboard.

Back to the Future The Musical appears to be headed to Star, based on a post on Royal Caribbean's website seeking auditions.

It is adapted from the 1985 film Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis and Gale. The show features original music, as well as songs featured in the film.

The supper club venue will have a Chicago theme to it on Star of the Seas, which incorporates music, food, and a Chicagoland motif.

Two other restaurants will get updates: Aquadome Market and Pier 7.

Aquadome Market will get updated in some capacity, while retaining its core approach.  Pier 7 will be completely overhauled with a new concept that the cruise line is still working through.

Adventure Ocean will get some updates to be less tech focused, and embrace play more.

The cruise line is also experimenting with facial recognition by offering a handful of cabins that have the ability to open the cabin door with your face.

One other stateroom change is an update to the epic family suite on Star of the Seas, known as the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

This is the most expensive suite ever that covers three floors and has an in-suite slide, movie-viewing room, karaoke machine and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence leading directly to the Surfside area.

Sailing from the Orlando area

Star of the Seas will sail year-round from Port Canaveral, Florida. That's a short drive from the Orlando area.

The new ship will offer seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, starting in August 2025.

Good etiquette extends to a cruise ship vacation, and there are a few things some cruisers do that are sure to annoy others around them.

Everyone's on vacation, so there's a certain degree of a laid back atmosphere on a cruise. However, vacation isn't an excuse to be inconsiderate of others.

I've cruised enough to notice when certain behaviors irritate others, and it's either the result of ignorance or selfishness. I'm not saying I've never gotten into an elevator and hit the "close door" button because I wanted to get going. We're all a little bit selfish, but I like to think I have never done any of the 10 most annoying habits on a cruise.

You don't need to go on a cruise to make friends, but you can do little things to avoid being that guy. If you've never cruised before, consider this a good list of what not to do.

Smoking where you're not supposed to

Royal Caribbean has designated areas of the ship specifically for smoking or vaping, and everywhere else it's not allowed.

Unfortunately, a few people will sneak smokes in elsewhere, such as on their stateroom balcony or even in public areas around the ship.

Smoking is not permitted in any dining venue, theater, bar, lounge, hallway, elevator, and jogging track. Outdoor areas near restricted areas, food venues, and kids play areas and pools will not allow smoking.

In my experience, people vaping indoors is the most commonly occurring example of this.  Almost always they try to be sly about it, exhaling into their shirt, up in the air, or down to the side.

This is one of the few annoying habits on this list that is more than about being inconsiderate, it's flagrantly against Royal Caribbean's rules.

Using your hands at the buffet

I'm always surprised when I see someone use their hands to grab food from the buffet, but it happens.

It might seem innocent, like grabbing a bread roll or cookie.  The issue is mitigating the spread of germs onboard, and using your hands doesn't help with that.

It's unsanitary, and others around you are sure to notice.

Not letting others out of the elevator first

When an elevator arrives at a floor, the people waiting for the elevator should stand aside from the doors to let others out of the elevator first, before getting in.

Unfortunately this lack of elevator etiquette is not limited to cruises. I see it at hotels on land all the time, but it doesn't excuse it.

Not only is it polite to let others out of the elevator first, it benefits you to do so because it frees up space in the car.

Playing music loudly

In today's age of Airpods and noise cancelling headphones, I'm always surprised when someone is playing their music too loudly.

I experience this less at the ship's pool than in cabins. Some people are used to listening to music in their room as they get ready, and I suspect that might be why some passengers play their music too loudly.

Cruise ship staterooms are not very well insulated against noise, and your music will absolutely bleed through the walls.

Likewise, when bringing a speaker to the pool or beach, make sure the volume is not high enough to be heard all around you.

Yelling at someone else

We all have moments where there's an issue and your blood boils and you want to lash out at a family member, friend, or stranger. But yelling and creating a scene isn't the solution.

This is one of those "easier said than done" bits of advice, because when you become frustrated, you're not going to start thinking of blog posts.

Likewise, if another passenger gets on your nerves, my advice is walk away to defuse the situation.  It's simply not worth hashing it out with a stranger and then having to become a spectacle in that moment.

Hogging a pool chair all day

Chair hogs are a real issue that probably rank among the most frustrating parts of a cruise.

My definition of a chair hog is someone that goes out to the pool in the early morning, puts towels or belongings down on chairs to reserve them, and then disappears for a few hours.

A lot of people want to be in or near the pool, especially on sea days. It's fine if you want to wake up early and enjoy time by the pool, but you shouldn't take up chairs if you're not going to be there for an extended period of time.

While I doubt the chair hog problem goes away anytime soon, try not to contribute to making the problem even worse.

Talking loudly during shows

While a Royal Caribbean theater is not as formal or swanky as a Broadway theater in New York, talking during a performance is rude to both your fellow passengers and the cast on stage.

Obviously it's okay to whisper something to someone sitting next to you, but having a full conversation is a faux pas to avoid. Especially at normal speaking volume.

It's perfectly acceptable to excuse yourself to step out of the theater to take a phone call or speak with someone else.

Holding up disembarkation lines

Getting off the cruise ship in the morning is never fun. Your vacation is over, and you're headed back to reality.  So the last thing you want to do is slow the line down disembarking.

There's usually a line to exit the ship, and all that's required is you scan your SeaPass card.  Yet, there's always a number of passengers who either don't have their SeaPass card ready or left in in their cabin.

The SeaPass is needed to scan so the crew knows you've disembarked. So keep your SeaPass with you as you exit the ship, and have it ready to scan when you get close.

Trying to register at kids club at prime time

Royal Caribbean holds an open house for the entire afternoon on embarkation day, and yet there's usually a family that tries to register their kids at Adventure Ocean at check-in later that evening.

The problem is there's just one entrance to the kids club for each age group, and if someone is registering their kids, it blocks the rest of the line.  This means everyone else must wait to sign their kids in while the parent at the front finishes the registration paperwork.

Adventure Ocean registration begins at 1pm on the first day of your cruise, and it's a great time to go and meet the counselors and get everything taken care of so drop off is super quick.

Being disrespectful to crew members

There's never an excuse to be rude to a crew member.

Crew members work extremely hard to make your vacation amazing, and sometimes accidents happen. Or they're there to enforce important rules, regardless if you agree with the rules or not.

Unfortunately, some passengers will completely ignore a crew member, yell at them, or lecture them like a child.

If there's an issue at hand, ask to speak to their manager or go to Guest Services to get it resolved. 

And if a crew member gives you an instruction, it's your obligation to follow it. They didn't make up the rules, they're just reminding you of what you should be doing.

If your cruise ship misses a stop, it's disappointing, but the passengers on Ovation of the Seas this week have had all sorts of cancellations.

Ovation of the Seas sailed to Alaska, but there's a bad storm in the Gulf of Alaska that has wreaked havoc on the original plan.

The ship departed Seattle on September 27 and was scheduled to visit Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, Alaska, with a final stop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Due to the bad weather, Royal Caribbean cancelled the visits to Sitka and Skagway.  

The storm hit the outer coast of the Southeast Panhandle the hardest, which is where cruise ships typically visit.  Winds were predicted to get up to 60 miles per hour starting Monday morning, with Juneau’s winds expected to peak at about 45 mph Monday night, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. 

High winds are troublesome because it makes docking difficult and even if a ship can dock, has a propensity to move gangways in a dangerous way.

Sitka and Ketchikan will be the port stops most affected by the storm that is expected to continue through Tuesday morning.

To make up for it, Royal Caribbean added Ketchikan instead, but the ship cancelled the visit there too about an hour before they were scheduled to dock in Ketchikan. 

Instead, Ovation is headed back south away from Alaska.

So there won't be any made up port visits, and instead, the ship is headed to Victoria for an overnight stay to conclude the cruise. This is a very unusual situation.  While ships might sometimes miss a port of call, to miss so many because of bad weather is rare.

Cruise lines use Victoria primarily as a port of call to satisfy maritime law, and often visits there last only a few hours. 

Passengers disappointed

"This is the most expensive ferry I’ve ever taken to Victoria," wrote Jay Li on the sailing's unofficial Facebook group.

While Jay's comment exudes some gallows humor, he and many of the people in the group understand the reality of the situation and how safety is the most important factor.

"As much as I want to complain, I’ll fight the urge. The cruise lines can’t predict the weather and it is for our safety."

Mary Smathers added, "Our Captain is just doing what he has to to keep us safe.  We are safe and blessed even though we didn’t get to see what we wanted to.   Make the BEST of it."

Andrew Mede wrote, "This weather is insane. Hats off to the captain for the the decisions he had to make. Having 100mph headwind hitting us. Yes we have missed ports (and it’s unfortunate for those who looked forward to visiting them) but the weather is not in his hands. He is in charge of 3500+ lives."

Compensation for the changed plans

While there's no requirement to offer any compensation due to weather, Royal Caribbean typically offers some to make up for the disappointment, and that's exactly what happened on Ovation.

Guests received onboard credit per cabin in the following amounts:

• Inside: $125
• Outside: $150
• Balcony: $175
• Suite: $400
• Third and fourth guests: $25 each

Weather in the late season is notoriously bad

September is one of the last months of the cruise season in Alaska and it can be colder and wetter than other months.

Alaska's weather is always unpredictable, but historically the anecdotal evidence suggests you can expect poor weather.  It's part of why you can also find better cruise deals on an off season cruise to Alaska.

Up to 20 days of precipitation are expected on average in September.

It also tends to get worse the later into September and October you get.

Perfect weather is never assured any time of the year, but hurricane season brings its own set of challenges for vacationers taking a cruise.

About half the year in the Caribbean, there's a chance for tropical storms to develop and that could impact your cruise.

Many storms don't actually change cruise ship plans, but a handful of them certainly can.  In the case of Hurricane Helene, a half dozen ships ended up changing itineraries or ports of call. It was a big storm, and a good reminder of how disruptive a hurricane can be for travel plans.

In seeing the changes, some people swore off taking a cruise during hurricane season all together, but people that cruise a lot know not to let hurricanes get in the way of a great vacation plan.

Seasoned cruisers prepare differently for a cruise during hurricane season and make appropriate plans so they can mitigate the impact a storm might have on their vacation.

Always buy travel insurance

When there's someone that takes to social media to post about how a hurricane prevented them from taking a cruise, usually the first comment back is something like, "you should have bought travel insurance."

It's more likely a hurricane affects your ability to get to or from your ship, than the onboard experience. Flights get cancelled, highways become questionable, and travel delays rampant. 

As a cruise ship customer, it's your obligation to figure out the travel logistics involved to get to your cruise ship. Even if all the flights are cancelled, if your ship is sailing, Royal Caribbean won't refund your money because you can't make it.

Moreover, when a hurricane forms, some new cruisers get cold feet about the trip. They'd rather postpone their travel than even brave the skies or roads to get to the ship and deal with the unknown factors at play. This is another example where a cancel for any reason travel insurance plan would be helpful.

Travel insurance covers so many more scenarios than if you were to get sick or hurt on a trip. It provides reimbursement for many travel related issues that come up as a result of a hurricane.

Equally important to buying travel insurance is to actually read the policy of what it covers and when.

Some vacationers will buy the first travel insurance plan they find, not realizing not all plans are the same.

Travel insurance is a lot like auto insurance in that there varying coverages.

Before you buy any travel insurance plan, consider these coverages:

• Travel delay
• Travel disruption
• Trip cancellation
• Named storms/Hurricanes
• Cancel for any reason

While I'd go as far as to say any travel insurance plan is better than no plan, you really want to read the policy over and clearly understand when it kicks in, and how it works.

Never assume itineraries are a given

You've got to be a pragmatist when you cruise in hurricane season, so any cruise you book should come with an asterisk next to it in your mind that you might not actually go there.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, BrianB wrote, "I always prepare for a change of itinerary during hurricane season. Especially if there is a storm forming a week or so before the departure date."

Even a weak tropical disturbance is enough to re-route ships away to a different region, so you need to go into the cruise with the mindset that your cruise to Mexico might end up in The Bahamas or Virgin Islands.

Royal Caribbean wants to deliver on the itinerary you originally booked, but they're not going to risk the safety of passengers, ship, or crew members in order to brave a storm.  

If your cruise is before August, or after October, the chances of a storm are significantly less.  But tropical storms are not unheard of during these times either.

Give extra time for travel delays

Whether it's hurricane season or not, cruisers know not to fly in the same day of their cruise.  This piece of advice is even more important when it's hurricane season.

Airlines will cancel flights quickly if there's a risk their planes could get stuck in an airport that is in the path of a storm, so you'll need to be nimble with your flight plans.

First and foremost, book a flight at least a day before the cruise begins. This will more than likely ensure you can get down to the ship, even if there is a delay or cancellation.

If there is a storm brewing, many airlines will offer flight changes without change fees, and this might be a way to fly down earlier.

Moreover, having a backup plan to get to the cruise is prudent.  That could be driving instead of flying, or even taking a train. 

Book a cruise in a different region

While seasoned cruisers have the right approach to planning a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, they also will plan cruises elsewhere to avoid disappointment.

If the uncertainty of a storm impacting your vacation bothers you, it might be the impetus to take a cruise somewhere else in the world. Hurricanes are primarily an issue for Caribbean cruises, so you could go to another region of the world instead.

The two most popular alternatives are Europe or Alaska.

An Alaska cruise may not have the warm ocean and white sands of the Virgin Islands, but it's still quite pretty in its own right. Not to mention you'll likely sweat a lot less.

The Alaska cruise season runs through most of hurricane season, beginning in May and ending in September.

A word of warning, Alaska in September can be just as rainy as the Caribbean.  Weather in Alaska is variable throughout the year, but the end of the season tends to have the coldest and wettest days.

A cruise to Europe is another compelling alternative, as you can go to the Mediterranean and find warm temperatures and beautiful beaches.

Plus, Europe has more varied itineraries to different regions of the continent.

More hurricane season cruising advice

Seasoned cruisers shared their view how what to think about when choosing to book a cruise in the middle of hurricane season.

"Don't let hurricane season get in the way of your families cruise planning. I have lived in South Florida my entire life and hurricane season has never once been an issue with cruising." - tonyfsu21

"I would not worry at all. Royal has a great weather team and they are always watching what may or may not develop. If anything does, ships will adjust the itinerary to make sure everyone is safe. " - LovetoCruise87

"I have many on a number of cruises during hurricane season and had great cruises.  It helps to have a flexible attitude and realize there could be an itinerary adjustment, we call that an adventure!" - Paid4c4

"We got caught out in Hurricane Maria. Left San Juan the day before it hit. Royal adjusted our itinerary from eastern Caribbean to Aruba. Ended up returning to Ft. Lauderdale. Royal setup phone lines so we could make free calls to the airlines. Also let us stay on board for an extra night. I have no problem sailing during hurricane season." - AandD