Two of the world's biggest cruise ships are at shipyards right now to undergo work for different reasons.

Oasis of the Seas is at the Navantia ship yard in Cadiz, Spain, while Icon of the Seas is at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.

It's rare for two different Royal Caribbean ships to be at a drydock at the same time, highlighting the important work being done.

Here's what we know about the work Royal Caribbean has ordered for both ships.

Repairing Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean cancelled this week's sailing on Icon of the Seas because of an issue with the ship's propulsion.

The decision to send Icon in for repairs was made last week, and passengers were told it was due to "unplanned maintenance".

Royal Caribbean never specified exactly what the issue was, but there's been a lot of speculation it has something to do with the ship's propulsion because after the announcement was made, the ship's speed was reduced.

"We are currently conducting unplanned maintenance onboard Icon of the Seas," is all the statement indicated.

The ship will need to remain in dock for the work to occur, "while our crew is working hard to address this as quickly as possible, there is still some work that needs to be done over a few days while the ship is docked."

Not only did Icon slow down in her previous sailing, she also skipped a visit to St. Thomas in order to buy more time to get back closer to Miami.

Icon arrived at the Grand Bahama Shipyard on September 28 to fix the issue.  Crew attempted some work while the ship was sailing, but getting the ship into a dry dock will allow unfettered access.

Icon of the Seas began sailing in January 2024 after construction was finalized in late 2023.

If the repairs go to plan, then Icon should be back in Miami on Saturday to resume sailings with the October 5 sailing.  That's a seven night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean that will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

Maintenance work for Oasis of the Seas

Across the Atlantic, Oasis of the Seas arrived at Navantia shipyard to begin her scheduled work.

Unlike Icon, Oasis had this work scheduled.  Cruise ships go in for maintenance every 5 years or less, and it's akin to bringing your car in for a tune up.

Oasis arrived in Cadiz on September 29, and will remain at the shipyard until October 23, 2024.

Royal Caribbean has not made any announcements of what type of work will happen while Oasis is out of service, and that's usually an indication the ship is going in simply for maintenance work, and not to get major upgrades.

Royal Caribbean has two kinds of scheduled work done on its ships: refurbishment and amplifications.

Depending on the cruise line's plan, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship could get a number of enhancements and changes. Or, it could simply go in for maintenance without real changes the average guest would notice.

A refurbishment is when a ship is taken to dry dock for a shorter period of time to do primarily cosmetic changes and maintenance work.

During an amplification, the same cosmetic and maintenance work is done, but there are also enhancements made to the ship, such as adding new restaurants, activities, bars and more.

In 2019, Oasis had her amplification done and in 2025, Allure of the Seas will get the same type of upgrades.

However, it's likely Oasis is just getting work done to keep the ship operating nominally this time around. Moreover, the fact the time in dry dock is only six weeks is another signal it's a shorter stint.

To be fair, we don't know what Royal Caribbean has planned for Oasis.  It's possible the elevators on the ship could be upgraded to destination elevators, which have been a big hit on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.  Plus, the company tested retrofitting destination elevators already on Allure of the Seas.

Without any official statement, we'll have to wait and see what changes occur onboard once the ship restarts cruises.

Oasis of the Seas is scheduled to resume sailings with a 14 Night Transatlantic from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale that will begin on October 24 and conclude November 7.

Once in Port Everglades, Oasis will offer 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean that will visit the Eastern, Southern, and Western regions.

From sick passengers, to happy kids, and a strike looming, there's been a lot of cruise news worth catching up on.

On any given week, there's a lot of Royal Caribbean news you should know about, and our team wanted to make sure you didn't miss any of these important updates.

Over the weekend, there were a few bits of cruise news that came out and this post provides a quick digest of what you need to know.

Gastrointestinal illness outbreak on Alaska cruise

Update: 180 167 people onboard a cruise ship were sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The passengers were on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas during its September 20, 2024 sailing in Alaska.

In addition 3 crew members also reported being sick.

That constitutes a little over 8% of the passengers and 0.3% of crew members reporting getting sick. Cruise lines are obliged to report the incident of sick cases to the CDC when it affects more than 3% of the ship's total population.

The CDC report says symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and muscle aches.

The CDC did not list what caused the illnesses in its report.

Royal Caribbean took action immediately by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.

While gastro illness on a cruise ship gets a lot of media attention, it's important to remember only 1% of all reported outbreaks occur on cruise ships.

Longshoreman strike won't affect cruise ship passengers

While a US port strike by 45,000 dockworkers looms, don't worry about it impacting your cruise vacation.

The strike is scheduled to start on Tuesday and affect ports on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. It would be the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977, affecting ports that handle about half the nation's ocean shipping.

According to a statement made by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), cruise ship operations will continue to be serviced by the ILA as to not inconvenience those tens of thousands of passengers who have booked cruises.

Royal Caribbean helps make over 20 wishes come true for kids with critical illnesses

Royal Caribbean and Inter Miami CF worked with Make-A-Wish to bring a bright day to kids who have life threatening illnesses.

A four day experience was held in South Florida for 23 kids that traveled from South Florida to Texas and Canada to Israel. The event was held between between Saturday, Sept. 21 – Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Their wish? To meet Inter Miami captain and football legend, Lionel Messi.

Prior to meeting Messi, Royal Caribbean hosted the kids on Icon of the Seas in an effort to bring joy and normalcy to the kids and their families.

The families enjoyed look up close at the first theatrical rendition of “The Wizard of Oz”, time on the water slides at the Category 6 waterpark, and plenty of snacks and food on the ship.

Later in the week, the kids went to Chase Stadium to meet Messi and other members of his team on the field.

Update on the travel item ban

In case you missed it, Royal Caribbean updated exactly what it means when it said it banned "multi-plug outlets" on its ships.

The cruise line has banned "Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/ Power Strips," but that lead to a lot of confusion among cruisers.

With the new update, you can bring a USB outlet extender onboard and/or a single plug device.

"We do allow consumer type power conversion device USB charger (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables)."

This confirms a USB hub would be acceptable since it adds just USB outlets, and no power outlets. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use).

When a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise for the first time, he was shocked when he couldn't change the sail date a few weeks before the sailing.

He assumed a cruise booking was similar to a hotel booking, where you can shift dates easily.  But he thought that because he wasn't aware of Royal Caribbean's cancellation and change policies, which incur penalties after the final payment date.

He ended up going on the original booking rather than take the financial loss, but it's an important lesson in understanding important policies before you go on a cruise.

You never want to be caught off guard by a cruise policy before boarding to avoid unexpected issues later.

Cancellations and Refund Policies

Most cruise lines have rules in place for what happens if you want to cancel a cruise or change dates. 

In the case of my friend, changing dates is akin to cancelling. Whether you change the date and/or ship, you're cancelling a reservation and creating a new one.  

The most important thing to think about when booking any cruise is the deposit type. Royal Caribbean offers two kids of deposits: refundable and non-refundable.

Non-refundable fare usually costs less, but has change fees in addition to the fact you'll never get your deposit back if you choose to cancel. Refundable fare doesn't have those fees, but the cruise fare will be higher.  

You're trading flexibility for up front savings when it comes to non-refundable cruise fare.

The second most important policy to think about when booking a cruise are the cancellation terms.

The final payment date is the day a few months before your cruise where you must pay off the entire balance of your cruise or lose your reservation (and perhaps incur a penalty).

• 75 days prior to the sailing date for 1 to 4 night cruises
• 90 days prior to the sailing date for 5 to 14 night cruises
• 120 days prior for 15 night or longer cruises

If you intend to go on the cruise, then you need to pay off the entire balance owed by that date.  Otherwise, Royal Caribbean will cancel your reservation.  There are no extensions or undos if you miss that final payment date. Unfortunately, I hear often from people who don't make final payment in time and their reservation is indeed cancelled.

If you are before the final payment date, when a non-refundable deposit cancellation occurs, the full deposit amount will be held in penalty. Any additional payments made will be refunded. 

Once you pass final payment, there are a series of penalties if you were to cancel or change your mind.

It's imperative to treat the final payment date as your "point of no return" to deciding if you're actually going on the cruise or not.

The other important policy I think a lot of cruisers overlook is changing or adding people to the reservation.

It's common to want to add someone, remove someone, or swap someone from a reservation.  Depending on who you want to change, and how soon before the cruise sails you want to make the change, the costs could be minimal to major.

If you want to swap out one person for another, this is the simplest.  As long as one person from the original reservation remains booked, you can name swap others up until a few days before the cruise with no additional cost.  

As an example, you could replace your kid's friend with another friend and not have any fees or extra costs, as long as the same amount of people remain the same in the cabin and you're still booked on the reservation.

It gets more complicated if you want to add or remove people from a reservation.

Adding people gets done at prevailing rates, not the rate you originally booked at. Moreover, adding someone at the last minute is subject to if your stateroom can accommodate that many people.  

All cabins have a passenger limit, so if you booked a cabin designed for 2 people and want to add a third, you'd have to upgrade to a bigger cabin first, and that would incur a fee (assuming a bigger cabin is available).

One other issue with adding someone later on is the lifeboat capacity of the ship. If the lifeboat capacity for your muster station is full, they would not allow another guest.  

Removing someone from a cabin could trigger a re-price of the cabin, which could actually cost you more than keeping them on the reservation. In this scenario, you're better off leaving them on the reservation and then telling Royal Caribbean at check-in that they wont be boarding.  Their port fees and taxes will automatically be refunded.

If all of these policies seem tough to juggle, it's why I recommend working with a good travel agent. They can make it far simpler to manage on your end, and are a great point of contact when you have questions.

I recommend reviewing all of the "what if's" you may have about the cruise before booking.  Never assume, when it comes to changing your mind later.

What you can't bring on a cruise

Just like going on an airplane, there is a large list of things you cannot bring on a cruise ship.

Most are obvious things that you probably would never consider bringing, but there are definitely a few surprises on the banned item list.

First and foremost, you cannot bring anything that is or could be used as a weapon.  No firearms, explosives, fireworks, knives, ammunition, etc. This includes anyone that has a permit or license to carry weapons.

Illegal drugs are also not allowed onboard, even drugs that are legal in some states, such as marijuana or cannabis products. This includes products containing CBD oil, candies and edibles, even if prescribed by a physician as medication.

You also cannot bring beer or liquor onboard, although you can bring some wine and non-alcoholic drinks on embarkation day only.

Perhaps the most commonly violated packing list rule are items that are a fire hazard. You cannot bring anything flammable, that makes an open flame, or has a heating element.

I believe this is the most commonly overlooked rule by passengers, because so many people try to bring an iron, steamer, or power strip on their ship only to have it confiscated by security.

Passengers cannot bring pets on their cruise, unless they are a certified service animal. Emotional support animals are not allowed.

Regarding luggage, there is no baggage limit for a cruise. 

Drink and beverage policies

There are rules about bringing your own drinks on a cruise that are important to be aware of.

Only on the first day of your cruise are you allowed to bring one bottle of wine/champagne per adult in the cabin.  It must be brought in your carry-on bag (so don't put it in your checked luggage).

No other alcohol is allowed to be brought on a cruise ship.  And don't try to sneak booze onto the ship either because the cruise line has seen all of the tricks before.  Not to mention the fact I think having a stash in your cabin is cumbersome and more trouble than it's worth.

You're welcome to purchase bottles of alcohol on the ship or in the ports your ship visits, but Royal Caribbean will hold onto it until the end of the cruise.

The other important rule to know about are if you purchase an unlimited drink package.

Drink packages aren't cheap, but they offer a very convenient way to enjoy drinking on a cruise. However, there are certain things you can't do with a drink package:

• You cannot share your drink package benefits with someone else
• If one person purchases the Deluxe Beverage package, then all persons in the cabin 21 years old or older must also purchase it
• You can buy a package onboard as long as there are 4 days left in the cruise
• Your drink package works everywhere, except room service and the mini bar
• You'll pay a service charge when you buy the drink package that covers gratuity for all drinks ordered

The no drink sharing rule is by far the most important rule to be aware of, and it could result in you losing your drink package benefits without a refund if you're caught.

Smoking Policies

While you can smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or other tobacco products on a cruise ship, it can only be done in designated areas.

These rules include all types of electronic vaping, such as e-cigarettes, vapes, mods, etc.

• Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas, must be properly disposed of, and never be thrown overboard
• Cigar and pipe tobacco are limited to designated outdoor areas and Cigar Bars
• You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or use tobacco on sailings beginning in U.S. ports.
  • For sailings beginning in all other ports, the minimum age is 18 years old

You can also smoke in the casino on Royal Caribbean ships, except for any ships sailing from Australia and the United Kingdom.

It's important to note you cannot smoke or vape on your balcony or anywhere in your stateroom.

Royal Caribbean has a private island in The Bahamas that is not just a really fun place to spend the day, but I think a place a lot of people don't realize how much there is to do.

The traditional cruise line private island experience is a beach, a chair, and a BBQ lunch.  It's lovely, but a bit ho-hum and not that extraordinary.

Royal Caribbean flipped the script on that experience when it upgraded its private island, CocoCay, to offer so much more than that. Since 2019, the island has been transformed into a vacationer's paradise with beaches, pools, adults-only party, beach club, water park, and more.

On a recent cruise, I took friends that had never been and they were blown away by how much was offered at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Once they discovered all the choices, they thought it was almost overwhelming where to go and what to do.

In planning our day, it became obvious there were a few misconceptions a first time visitor had about CocoCay, and I'm betting a lot of others do too.

You have to pay to do have a good time

When I started listing the things you could do at Perfect Day at CocoCay, my friends saw dollar signs almost immediately. 

While there are indeed extra cost options, Royal Caribbean includes so much in your visit at no extra cost.

A majority of the island experience has no admission cost, and they're not lackluster options either.

Read more: 11 CocoCay secrets from Royal Caribbean's staff

Chill Island is part of the original beach that made up CocoCay prior to the island's revitalization, and it has the classic beach day experience. Expansive beach, soft sand, and plenty of ways to get in the ocean.

South Beach has a bit more of a party vibe to it than Chill Island does, and you'll find a floating bar here that you can swim to.

There are actually two other beaches you can visit: Harbor Beach and Breezy Bay.  I prefer Harbor Beach, especially if you have kids that aren't strong swimmers. It's an inlet with calm waters and it's typically less busy than other beaches, while being convenient to food.

The coup de grâce of the included choices is Oasis Lagoon, which is a giant freshwater pool right in the middle of CocoCay. 

Oasis Lagoon has no cost to enter, and it's my go-to spot whenever I visit. 

Call me crazy, but I prefer pools to beaches, and it's a beautiful place to enjoy cooling off in the water.

Speaking of Oasis Lagoon, the pool has a swim-up bar and if you have a drink package from the ship, then you can use it here too.

Another overlooked option for family fun is Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon.  Too many families focus on the extra-cost water park, but Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon have no cost and it has water slides, geysers, and plenty of places for the kids to get soaked.

It's a boon for kids under the age of 7 or 8, and can save parents so much money over the water park.

On top of all of it, the umbrellas and beach chairs are included too, so there's no cost to use them. I think that's a surprise considering any beach you visit in the Caribbean will have a cost associated with that.

The food is mid

The included food on Perfect Day at CocoCay is so much better than I ever thought a private island lunch could be.

For years, I despised the food served on cruise line private islands.  In fact, we used to get off the ship early and swim and then return early to the ship so we could eat a good lunch onboard rather than eat the beach BBQ options.

Royal Caribbean's food on CocoCay is not only better than that, it's downright really tasty.

The Snack Shack is my go-to place to bring someone who has never visited Perfect Day before because their menu is deceivingly good. 

The mozzarella sticks alone usually wins them over, but the burger, chicken sandwich, and funnel cake are all winners too.

I'm also a big fan of Chill Grille/Skipper's Grille because of the fixings bar they offer. Not only does it have toppings for your burger, but you can make your own tacos or fajitas and I could eat that every day.

All the food is included and you can enjoy as much of it as you want throughout the day. 

While you can still find hot dogs and hamburgers on CocoCay, it's far from the only choice.

You should go snorkeling

Not everything is amazing at CocoCay, such as the snorkeling options.

A lot of first time visitors are excited to be in The Bahamas and go snorkeling, but CocoCay probably isn't the island to try it.

While you can snorkel there and Royal Caribbean offers snorkel equipment rentals, I think it's really not worth trying.

The issue is the underwater life around CocoCay is rather unremarkable. Yes, there's marine life to see, but in the grand scheme of snorkeling options, I think you're better off saving the snorkeling for another port.

You can sleep in and get to the island later

To be clear, you can totally sleep in and still enjoy CocoCay later, but I think it's a mistake.

Because there's two cruise ships in port almost every day, the island will get crowded as the day progresses.  It won't be super crowded that it feels like a theme park, but finding chairs and umbrellas in convenient locations becomes a problem.

It's not unusual for there to be over 10,000 people on the island between two cruise ships, so your best bet is to get off the ship before 10am.

My advice is don't sleep in, and get off the ship early so you can get a great spot at the beach or pool.

Royal Caribbean has revised its list of prohibited items again, better explaining what is and what is not allowed to be brought on a cruise ship.

A week after the cruise line added "multi-plug outlets" to its list of banned items, the prohibited item list has been updated again to further clarify what's allowed.

The addition of "multi-plug outlets" to the list sparked an avalanche of questions from confused customers who did not understand exactly what's banned because so many of these devices include variations on plugs.

Royal Caribbean has always banned power strips, but there are many items that add a few extra outlets without going as far as to be called a power strip.

The revised rule bans electrical extension cords, "including power strips/surge protected strips and multi-plug outlets."

Royal Caribbean specifically states, "We do allow consumer type power conversion device USB charger (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables)."

Moreover, devices must be stamped with US/Europe recognized Conformance Marking to demonstrate compliance with Electrical Safety standards.

This confirms a USB hub would be acceptable since it adds just USB outlets, and no power outlets. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use)

The big change is the ban applies to devices that had outlets and USB outlets together, which were commonly used for many years by passengers.

Royal Caribbean also added a catch-all to the top of its prohibited item list that states some items that are not specifically on the list may be prohibited if they are deemed questionable by the Staff Captain and Security Officer.

The need for more outlets

If you're wondering why someone might need to bring an outlet extender or multi-plug outlet, it's to be able to keep multiple devices charged.

Families bring many devices with them on vacation: phones, tablets, smart watches. Plus, they have a need to use electrical items, such as a hair dryer or hair straightening iron.

Cruise ships built more than 10-15 years ago have very few outlets in the cabin.  Many of Royal Caribbean's ships built before 2010 have just two outlets in total in the cabin.

For years, cruisers have relied on cruise packing hacks to bring their own outlet extender plug to provide a safe and effective way to add more outlets.

These outlet extenders mean less contention over which device can charge first, such as phones, watches, laptops, or tablets.

On newer Royal Caribbean cruise ships, such as Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas, there are many more outlets that have been added.

In fact, Icon of the Seas staterooms are loaded with outlets. There are USB outlets on the lamps on both sides of the bed. The vanity has a large charging strip with multiple outlets and plugins. There is a US and EU plug for guests to use. In between, there is a USB-A and USB-C charging port available. 

On the opposite end of the vanity, there are two additional USB-C plugs. The addition of USB-C plugs is a recent trend on newer cruise ships and provides more options for connectivity.

More updates to the list of things you can't bring on a cruise

In addition to the clarification on chargers you can bring, the prohibited item list was expanded in other ways.

The list added camouflage clothing as not allowed, because of local laws against such apparel.

"Wearing camouflage and/or military apparel is illegal in Barbados. Clothing of this nature will be confiscated and the wearer may be charged by local authorities."

The section covering weapons was also expanded, and explains how weapons for any reason are not allowed.

"We do not allow any guest (including law enforcement officers on vacation) to bring weapons onboard our vessel. Law enforcement officers need to understand that they will be boarding a foreign flag vessel going to foreign countries. All weapons should be left at home, locked up in a vehicle if they are driving to the port, or turned over to a local office of Customs, police, FBI, etc. for safe keeping during the voyage."

Other items added to the prohibited items list includes:

• Coffee makers
• Oil diffusers
• Electric Blankets
• Electric Heating Pads
• Roller Skates (permitted onboard but must not be used on the ship)
• Professional metal detectors (those used for commercial reasons). However, small, amateur style metal detectors (for example, those used to locate coins on a beach) are allowed.
• Blenders/Immersion blenders
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Banning these items certainly has to do with them either being a fire threat or could be used as a weapon.

Hurricane Helene disrupted many cruise ships plans this past week, and as the storm moves out of the Gulf of Mexico, there are lessons all cruisers can learn from for the future.

Unlike a tropical storm that develops off the coast of Africa and comes barreling through the Caribbean for over a week, Helene formed near Mexico and rapidly intensified to move through the Western Caribbean quickly.  

It eventually became a Category 4 hurricane that wreaked havoc on cruise ship plans before causing severe damage in northwest Florida and the region beyond.

Cruising during hurricane season comes with certain risks, but Hurricane Helene was a good reminder of a few truths anyone can expect if they have a cruise booked and a hurricane impacts their sailing.

There's no news until there's news

As soon as there was even the possibility of a tropical storm, many people with a cruise booked started posting on social media asking for updates on their sailing.

As the storm became a tropical storm and eventually a hurricane, it lead to a lot of concern if their cruise would happen and what changes would occur.

As it turned out, Royal Caribbean made changes to a number of ships plans. Some stayed out to sea longer than anticipated, while others had their itinerary changed.  But the lesson here is Royal Caribbean has to wait and get better data, models, and forecasts before announcing changes.

No one has a crystal ball and spaghetti models are not a great predictor, especially when the storm is still forming. It's not until the storm is much better organized can meteorologists offer predictions that have a high sense of accuracy.

That can be frustrating for cruisers who want to know if their trip will happen, and if they really need to make plans to go ahead and travel to the cruise port.

Royal Caribbean doesn't offer updates that confirms nothing has changed, so don't expect any updates until the line has made a change.

The quickest changes they'll make is to swap an itinerary. A few ships moved from a cruise to Mexico to a cruise to either the Eastern Caribbean or The Bahamas.

The more difficult change is related to embarkation plans, and that's largely because it's hard to know if a port will be directly impacted by the storm.

Once a change has been made, Royal Caribbean will email and text it to guests.  Travel agents also get the updates and can convey them to their clients.

Far away ports can be affected

Hurricane Helene was always going to be a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, so I was surprised it had an impact on cruises sailing from eastern Florida.

Port Canaveral was ordered to temporarily close due to winds from Helene, and that had a ripple effect on some ships.

One MSC ship was stuck at sea for a few extra days, and the return of Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas was delayed on Friday because the port did not re-open until later in the day.

The second lesson of Hurricane Helene is to expect changes, even if your embarkation port isn't directly in the path of the storm.

I remember seeing posts on Facebook asking if their Port Canaveral cruise would be impacted by the storm, and I thought it was silly. As it turns out, it did impact some ships.

Serenade of the Seas, which rode out the storm in The Bahamas, had reports of high winds causing "motion in the ocean".

You can't be too careful when it comes to assuming anything.

If your cruise is extended, add-ons will cost more

Royal Caribbean extending Serenade of the Seas by two extra days was certainly surprising, as was how it handled add-on packages.

Since the cruise was lengthened, the unlimited packages guests purchased had to be taken into account.

Royal Caribbean gave passengers the choice of paying more to keep their Beverage and VOOM internet packages going for the extra days:

• Drink Package Extension (these prices include 18% gratuity).
  • Deluxe Package - $35 per person, per day
  • Refreshment Package - $14 per person, per day
  • Soda Package – Free extension

In the past, I recall other cruises that got extended due to weather have their packages extended for no additional cost. So the lesson here is never assume what the policy will be.

Should you cruise during hurricane season?

Hurricane Helene was a sobering reminder of how impactful a tropical storm can be for cruise vacations, but it shouldn't stop you from taking a cruise at all in the fall.

Hurricane season runs between June and the end of November, but most of the storms pop up primarily between August and October. This year saw a particularly quiet peak of hurricane season up until Helene.

The reality is it's unlikely that a hurricane will impact your cruise, but it's a possibility. Nevertheless, I think the lower than average prices for a cruise during this time of year makes it worth the risk.

However, it's important to be aware of those risks and understand cruise lines will do everything they can to keep their guests, crew members, and ship out of harms way.  So even if a storm does impact your sailing, the most likely scenario is your itinerary will be changed.

No matter what time of year you take a cruise, you should be flexible, buy travel insurance, and be prepared for changes.

One of the top perks of booking a suite on a cruise ship is access to the concierge, but what can you expect from them?

The suite concierge serves as guest services, customer advocate, and problem solver rolled into one.

Every Royal Caribbean ship has a subset of benefits reserved exclusively for passengers that are booked in a suite, including reserved pool seating, a private lounge, and added services.

Part of the justification for the higher price tag a suite comes with is the convenience factor that gets added in, and the suite concierge is a major component of that.

As long as you're in a full suite (Grand Suite or higher category cabins), then you get to take advantage of the concierge services. On the biggest Royal Caribbean ships, there are actually two concierges onboard to help split the work load.

If you're booked in a suite, here's what you can expect from the concierge onboard and even before the cruise.

What can the suite concierge do for you?

The suite concierge is always located in the suite lounge, where they work during the day and early evening to assist guests. They're there to make your cruise better in any way they possibly can.

A few days before your cruise begins (usually 4 to 7 days before embarkation), you can expect an email from the concierge introducing themselves to you, and outlining the benefits they can provide.

This email is a good primer for expectations, and how to easily take advantage of your suite benefits.

Before the cruise begins, the concierge can assist you with making specialty dining reservations, show reservations, or clarifying any questions you might have.

Tip: If you purchased a specialty dining package, you should email the concierge with a list of restaurants and times to book to save you the time of making the reservations once onboard.

Speaking of dining, you can ask to the concierge to make a Coastal Kitchen reservation too.

While the concierge can book show times for you, I'd advise you to book show reservations as soon as they become available to book 30 days before the cruise sails, because show tickets usually sell out quickly.

Some other common requests to make of the concierge include:

• Note dietary restrictions on the dining profile
• Request a Main Dining Room table for just our family, not a shared table
• Ask to have beds separated in the suite
• Request corkscrew in cabin for wine
• Request extra hangers
• Request extension cord and distilled water for CPAP machine

The concierge can also book shore excursions or family photo reservations.

You should get an email back confirming any requests you made, or advising you of other options if they cannot assist.

Onboard the ship

When you board your ship, you can go up to the suite lounge to meet the concierge. This is a good idea to not only put a face to the name, but confirm any of the requests you made pre-cruise or get clarification on any questions.

During your sailing, the concierge is there to make your cruise better.  

There are posted hours the concierge is available at their desk. You can either visit them in person or give them a call. You should go to them for any issues you have that you might otherwise go to Guest Services for.

In addition to problem solving, the suite concierge is also a friendly face. They will regularly strike up conversations with suite guests in the lounge, and love getting to know their guests.

During the evening cocktail hours, the concierge acts as a kind of emcee, helping people find seats, directing waiters to get drink orders, and ensure the hors d'oeuvres are replenished regularly.

While they can sometimes be busy with their clerical duties, they make an effort to get to know their guests.

Escort off the ship

Perhaps my favorite suite concierge benefit is their assistance getting off the cruise ship on the final morning.

There can be very long lines disembarking the ship on the final morning, but the suite concierge will be happy to get you through the lines.

Prior to the end of the cruise, you can arrange to meet the concierge at a designated location and they will walk your family off the ship.  This means they will cut the line and bypass most, if not all, of it.

This is a tremendous time saver, as well as sanity saver.  When I cruise with kids, it's such a relief to not have to stand in line.

Is it worth it to pay for concierge access?

The only way to get access to the a cruise concierge is to pay more for a suite (or become a Pinnacle Club member, but likely not practical for most readers), and that is all but certainly a higher cost than a lower category room.

Aside from the inherit benefits of booking a suite, the suite concierge access is a lovely touch, but I'd hesitate to go as far as to say it's worth it every time.

Having access to the cruise concierge is more akin to the "icing on top" of having suite access.  You should book a suite because you value the extra space the room provides, bonus Crown and Anchor points, and the extras cruise guests get included with their fare.

How helpful the concierge is depends on you and how much interaction you have with them.  If you're going to spend a lot of time in the suite lounge and make many requests of the concierge, they are absolutely worth it.  But every cruiser handles the access differently.

On shorter cruises, the value is likely less since there's less time to take advantage of their services. 

I've always enjoyed the assistance provided by the concierge, and I'm grateful for even the smallest of assistance.  The escort off the ship at the end of the cruise is probably the single best service they provided and it made a big difference when my kids were younger.

So should you book a suite just for the concierge? Probably not, but I think you'll enjoy the value they add to your cruise. Just remember to take advantage of what they offer.

Cruise ships are known for their excellent value, and what's included that costs nothing extra is a big part of that.

When you consider how much you can eat, enjoy, and explore for absolutely no additional cost, a cruise sounds really enticing. Royal Caribbean ships are packed with so many things to do onboard included with your cruise fare.

While a lot of attention is placed on things that cost extra because they're flashy, you can go on a Royal Caribbean ship and spend nothing extra and have a really enjoyable vacation.

When I'm planning a cruise with my family, my wife and I often have moments where we realize we don't need to spend extra on costly add-ons, and simply enjoy the free things. On our recent visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, we opted to hang at the Oasis Lagoon pool which has no additional cost instead of spending over $100 for both of us to go to the new adults-only area.

If you're ready to enjoy a value-conscious vacation, here are the free amenities, services, and experiences you can take advantage of during your cruise.

Lots of food

It's always about food for me on a cruise, and Royal Caribbean includes a lot of pretty good food in your fare.

Every Royal Caribbean ship has a few restaurants that cost nothing to eat there. The most prominent ones are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer buffet, and the coffee shop.

Here is a list of restaurants on a Royal Caribbean ship that won't cost you extra. You won't find all of them on one ship, but it's a list to reference:

• Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Buffet
• Cafe Promenade
• Cafe Latte-tudes
• Sorrento's Pizza
• Sprinkles
• Coastal Kitchen (suite guests)
• Park Cafe
• Cafe @ Two70
• Solarium Bistro
• El Loco Fresh
• Boardwalk Dog House
• Aquadome Market
• Johnny Rockets (for breakfast on Oasis Class ships only)
• Spare Tire
• Surfside Bites
• Pearl Cafe
• Basecamp
• The Grove (suite guests only)

Between these venues, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with plenty of snacks too.

I really like having my meals in the Main Dining Room when I'm with my family because the waiters get to know your preferences and really focus on your meal experience being exactly what you want. Plus, I think the dining room food is rather tasty.

If you're booked in a suite on one of the newer ships, you can dine at Coastal Kitchen for all your meals, adding significant value for the higher cost a suite comes with.

Besides your meals, there are lots of places to snack too. Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, Aquadome Market, and Park Cafe are all fan favorites. Depending on which Royal Caribbean ship you sail on, there are going to be different places to grab a snack or mini-meal.

No matter which ship you pick, you won't go hungry and there's somewhere to eat at almost any time of day or night. Moreover, I think the food you can get at no additional cost is pretty darn good.

My favorite places to eat for free:

• Anytime snack: Aquadome Market
• Fourth meal: Windjammer
• Grab 'n go: Pearl Cafe

Free drinks

There are quite a few drinks you can get for free onboard.

• Filtered tap water
• Lemonade
• Unsweetened iced tea
• Tea
• Basic coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Milk (regular, half and half, skim, lactose-free, chocolate)
  • Creamers
• Apple juice (breakfast only)
• Orange juice (breakfast only)
• Tomato juice (breakfast only)
• Flavored waters
  • Grapefruit
  • Strawberry kiwi

You can find these free drinks offered at any bar or restaurant, although some bars may not have everything on this list.

The best places to find all of these options are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, or Cafe Promenade/Cafe Latte-Tudes/Cafe @ Two70.

Yes, the tap water is safe to drink on a cruise ship. It's filtered onboard and probably the safest water you can drink, given how treated it is.

Trivia, demonstrations, and movies

When I think of a cruise, I think of food first, and then all the fun things to do on the ship.

Royal Caribbean built its cruise ships to have more to do than you can possibly do in a week. They're meant to offer such a wide variety of activities that you come away impressed with how much you could have done.

Every day of your cruise there is a list of activities in the Royal Caribbean app (as well as the Cruise Compass).

There's trivia, napkin folding demonstrations, competitions among passengers, educational seminars, and much more.

Karaoke is one of the top events you'll find every day. You can count on there being at least a few karaoke sessions per day. Some of the new ships that have a dedicated karaoke venue will host sessions more often.

Karaoke on a Royal Caribbean cruise is pretty much like anywhere else you've done it. There is a book of songs to choose from, and guests sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to get a chance to sing.

On a sea day, you can expect at least 4 or 5 trivia sessions, and the topics range from general trivia to TV show theme songs to Taylor Swift. There are all sorts of trivia genres, and they're just about bragging rights rather than the novel prize for the winning team.

Royal Caribbean ships also show a lot of movies. Most have their movie screens by the pool, so you don't have to leave the hot tub. A few of the small ships actually have their own movie theater, which is also included in your cruise fare.

It's a good idea to go through the Royal Caribbean app every day to see what's scheduled. The cruise line will load in all the events a few days before the sailing begins, but I like to review each evening what's coming up the next day.

My favorite free events:

• Trivia
• Movies by the pool
• Karaoke

Thrills and chills

If conquering "Friends" trivia doesn't do it for you, how about ways to be in the sun and have fun?

A lot of people specifically choose a cruise because they want to go to beautiful and warm destinations where they can take advantage of the sunshine.

Every ship has pools and hot tubs you can go to for no additional cost. There's even an adults-only pool available too.

Many of Royal Caribbean's ships have pool areas for kids, that have splash pads, geysers, and all sorts of ways to get soaked. 

Splashaway Bay is the name of the children's aqua park, and it's the perfect spot for younger children who want to get as wet as possible.

If you need more adrenaline on your vacation, there are water slides and surf simulators on many ships. These also cost nothing extra to use, and it's open to kids or adults.

Speaking of slides, the Oasis Class ships have the Ultimate Abyss slide on the back of the ship, which is a dry slide and is also included in your cruise fare.

Don't overlook the sports court, where you can play soccer, basketball, pickleball, dodgeball, or volleyball throughout the day. Once again, it's complimentary.

On the Oasis Class ships, there's a zip line you can ride for free nine decks above the Boardwalk neighborhood.

There's also a mini golf course on most Royal Caribbean ships. It's a great family activity, and open day and night.

Speaking of family fun, check out the carousel on Oasis or Icon Class ships that guests of any age can ride. It's free and open day and night.

If your cruise ship has an ice rink, there are complimentary open ice skating sessions you can go to. Royal Caribbean provides all the equipment, you just need to bring long pants and socks.

My favorite pool deck fun and free things to do:

• Water slides
• Watch people try the Flowrider
• Ice skating

Private island day

If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise that visits the Caribbean, there's a good chance your ship will visit one of Royal Caribbean's private islands.

Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee are the two islands that only Royal Caribbean ships can visit, and it's a private enclave that is included with your cruise fare.

Think of this like a regular port visit, but the majority of what you can do comes at no additional cost. There are beaches, pools, and food you can enjoy without any fees.

While it's true both do have extra pay upgrades, you can certainly have a great day without spending extra. You'll find beaches, chairs, umbrellas, and food that come with your visit.

A day at a private island is one of my absolute favorite kinds of cruise days because it's a simple, yet well organized fun day in the sun. There's plenty of space, the ocean and beach are lovely, and there's the choice to upgrade your day with an add-on if you so choose.

Admission to either private destination is included, and you can walk off the ship and explore at your leisure. 

If given the choice, I prefer CocoCay over Labadee because of the breadth of choices of what to do there. Plus, CocoCay's food variety is superior, along with the option for a pool day.

Be sure to review everything Royal Caribbean offers at CocoCay for no extra cost.

Shows and live music

If there's one thing Royal Caribbean does better than any other cruise line, it's their entertainment. You'll find shows, musicians, performers, and comedians on any ship in the fleet.

Every evening there will be at least one production show onboard, with the biggest ships having multiple shows per night.

Some Royal Caribbean ships actually have full Broadway shows, and admission to them is included in your cruise fare.

Even if your ship doesn't have a Broadway show, it has a talented cast of singers and dancers who will perform on nearly every night. When they aren't performing, there's usually a headline entertainer or comedian to keep you busy.

Music is also a focal point for Royal Caribbean's entertainment. There are guitarists, pianists, bands, and singers who all perform and are wonderful acts. They're not just talented, they bring showmanship to their performances and it creates must-see shows.

Some of these shows are sing-alongs, while others are productions that you can sit back and enjoy.

You'll find most of the live entertainment in the evening, but there are still musical acts during the day.

You can find a poolside band to play easy-listening tunes while you're enjoying time by the pool. There's also a DJ on Royal Caribbean ships to offer sailaway parties, as well as late-night club scenes.

I recommend seeking out the musical acts and any shows you find in the schedule, because they're not just free to see, but they're actually really entertaining.

My favorite free entertainment:

• Pub singer
• Broadway show
• Ice skating shows

Kids club

Being a family cruise line, Royal Caribbean's crown jewel of kids programming centers around the Adventure Ocean kids club.

Many of the activities in this article apply to kids as well, but I think Adventure Ocean is where you'll find the most compelling and all-encompassing activities for kids.

Royal Caribbean's kids club is more than a place to drop your kids off. It's a hub of activities, playing, and meeting other kids their age.

Adventure Ocean is broken up by age so that the activities are age-appropriate. Moreover, it fosters kids making friends onboard the ship.

The great thing about kids club is it allows kids to be kids and play, draw, engage, and do the sort of things they want to do. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy time apart, whether at a restaurant, show, and just enjoying quiet time.

There is no charge for Adventure Ocean (before 10pm) or Teens Club, however, the nursery does cost extra. If your children are under the age of 36 months, they will need to go to the nursery and you should plan for an hourly charge.

• Nursery (6 - 36 months old): Hourly cost
• Adventure Ocean (3 - 12/13 years old): Free until 10pm
• Teen Club (12/13 - 17 years old): Free

Be sure to visit the Adventure Ocean and Teen Club open house on embarkation day, usually around 1pm to see the facility, meet the staff, and register the kids. It's a great way to see what's offered and get questions answered.

Free souvenirs

Can you get actual gifts or things to bring home for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Yes, but temper your expectations.

One easy souvenir is to attend a trivia session and win. The winning team will get a novelty gift, usually a highlighter, pen, or luggage pull straps.

There are also usually giveaways tied to ways to spend money onboard. The jewelry store may offer free charm bracelets to entice you to come in and check out their other items while you're in line for the freebie.

The art auction staff hold giveaways to get people to attend the auctions themselves. They even serve everyone that attends the art auction free champagne.

If you cruise enough to make it to a higher tier in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor society customer loyalty program, there are gifts offered.

At the Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club tiers, you'll get a personalized gift per household on each sailing you take. You can select the personalized gift from a list of choices. The Loyalty Ambassador onboard the ship can help you select or change your preference. Choices include logo items, drinks, or snacks.

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Cruise ships are making all sorts of changes to avoid the path of Hurricane Helene, including cruises from Tampa.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will be delayed returning to port by two days because of the storm.

The ship's Captain made an announcement on Wednesday while the ship was docked in Freeport, Bahamas.

A user on Cruise Critic posted, "The Captain announced a few minutes ago that our cruise will be extended two extra days and will not arrive back in Tampa until Sunday. "

A letter given to guests explains the safety of ship, guests, and crew was taken into account, "Due to the planned closure of the Port of Tampa and to stay clear of the hurricane, we'll have to delay our return to our homeport. We'll now arrive in Tampa on Sunday, September 29th and enjoy some extra Sea Days along the way."

"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 90,090 gross-ton, Radiance Class cruise ship is homeported in Tampa, Florida and departed on her current sailing September 22 on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise that was originally supposed to visit Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico.

On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean re-routed the ship to The Bahamas to avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene. 

However, the storm's impact on the Port of Tampa Bay has necessitated Royal Caribbean hold the ship's return back.

Helene is a Category 1 hurricane and strengthening as it moves toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. It is expected to hit Florida's Big Bend late tomorrow.

Experts believe Helene will rapidly intensify and become a Category 3 or 4 storm before it makes landfall.

As of 5 p.m. ET today, Hurricane Helene had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving north at 12 mph.

Serenade is not the only ship being held at sea due to the storm.

MSC Seashore won't be able to return to Port Canaveral on Thursday as originally scheduled because of the storm.

That ship will have an extra day added onto their cruise before it can return.

Compensation for the extra days

To make-up for this last-minute change and because Royal Caribbean is extending the sailing by two days, they’ll provide passengers with:

The option to extend your Beverage and VOOM internet packages by two (2) days.

• Drink Package Extension (these prices include 18% gratuity).
  • Deluxe Package - $35 per person, per day
  • Refreshment Package - $14 per person, per day
  • Soda Package – Free extension

Passengers will receive loyalty points for the originally planned number of nights sailed, plus an additional two nights.

If guests purchased your flights through Royal Caribbean, they’ll automatically adjust their flights. If you purchased air independently, please contact your air carrier directly.

Royal Caribbean will cover any air change fee up to $200 USD for domestic travel and $400 USD for international travel, per person.

Guests react to the change

News of Serenade's change spread quickly among cruisers, who took to social media to post their thoughts.

Most were not surprised, but emotions ranged between frustration and understanding.

"This is exactly why I schedule cruises during hurricane season. Sometimes you get extra days. Sometimes it’s reduced with refunds and cruise credits etc. when you live in Florida and have flexibility it’s worth the risk," wrote Judy Desrosiers.

Irene Grackin wrote, "Cruising during peak hurricane season has an inherent risk. Safety first!"

Christa Leonard was upset at the news, because it could impact the itinerary of the next sailing, "the reason we chose this cruise is we honeymooned on St. Thomas 38 years ago and we were so thrilled to celebrate our anniversary there."

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship will delay boarding

Another change announced late on Wednesday was the delay of Utopia of the Seas.

Guests booked on the weekend cruise will have a delayed boarding on Friday due to the storm. The issue is not just the storm, but Port Canaveral closing temporarily.

Screenshot by Stephanie Bushong

"Due to Port Canaveral's planned closure, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning and as a result, our boarding on September 27th will also be adjusted," the email reads to guests booked on the cruise.

"Kindly note that the terminal will be closed until 2:30pm."

Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to sail a 3-night cruise to The Bahamas that visits Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.