The cabin you choose for a cruise is where you'll call home for the entire duration of your voyage, so if there's a problem with it, you'll want to do something about it.

To be fair, most staterooms on a cruise ship are free of noise issues. Over the course of my nearly 100 cruises that I've taken, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had a noise issue in my room.

However, noise issues do happen from time to time, so knowing what to do is helpful in mitigating the problem quickly.

Noise issues could stem from any sort of sources: mechanical, other passengers, wind, just to name a few.

A Royal Caribbean message board user, Couponz, shared an issue in their cabin on Anthem of the Seas that they encountered, "In my stateroom, I hear this loud banging noise that seems to roll with the side-to-side movement of the ship."

If you run into a similar situation, here's what you should know about handling it.

Assessing the source of the noise

The first thing you should do is try to figure out what's causing the noise and where it's coming from.

You'd be surprised how often the source of a noise problem is something you can fix on your own.  I believe one of the most common sources of noise in a stateroom are the hangers in the closet.

Royal Caribbean provides hangers in every stateroom closet, and they can rattle quite a bit (especially if the ship is swaying a bit).

Or perhaps its glasses clinging together, or something else you've left out that is making the noise.

You'll want to determine if the noise is coming from outside the cabin, such as in the hallway or a public area.  Or, if the noise is from coming within your room, such as from the ventilation, plumbing, or in the walls.

Creaking is a somewhat common noise issue on a cruise, especially from the ceiling. As the ship moves, panels move to, and there's a bit of give between them. 

Usually the creaking subsides as movement in the ship does.  On some occasions, I've been able to push firmly against the panel to jostle it to a point where it mitigates the noise.

Regardless, figuring out where the noise is coming from helps in diagnosing the cause, and keying crew members into addressing it.

Immediate fixes

Minor noises, creaks, or thuds can happen.  Just like a hotel room on land that has a loud car going by or the wind rattling a window, most of it can be subtle and short lived.

Many veteran cruisers recommend packing certain devices and aids to use if there is a small noise issue, especially to help them sleep.

A good pair of ear plugs can be a game-changer for keeping you asleep longer.

The Flents Foam Ear Plugs come highly recommended by our readers because they fit well, muffle noise, and you can still hear your alarm go off in the morning. (This link contains an affiliate link, which costs you absolutely nothing extra to use while supporting this site).

Another idea is to download a white noise app to your smart phone that can play the music on loop (“bedtime fan” from App Store is one that a reader recommended).

The LectroFan white noise machine is one such device, and it could be what you need to sleep peacefully (and it can be powered by USB). (This link contains an affiliate link, which costs you absolutely nothing extra to use while supporting this site).

Asking for help

When the issue is beyond your control and it's impacting your ability to sleep or enjoy your room, there's nothing wrong with reporting the issue and seeking help.

Your best bet is to start with your stateroom attendant. He or she works in your room every week, so they know problem areas as well as being up on what's unusual.

If your stateroom is not available, you could go to the Maintenance department. There's usually an extension on your stateroom phone for maintenance or housekeeping.  Either one will result in a technician coming out to check the problem.

That's right, there are a team of technicians on your ship whose job it is to keep up with any maintenance issues.  They wear blue uniforms, and they can be by in under an hour to assist.

Once they arrive to the cabin, show them what the issue is and how or when it occurs.  It's best if it can be reproduced, so if it's intermittent, I'd recommend taking a video of it to show them so they can understand it without waiting around.

If the noise is from another passenger, you'll need to get Security involved.  Once again, I advise taking a video when the noise occurs.

Unfortunately, Security can only truly intervene if they are the ones observing the problem happening.  But a video helps and alerts them to a potential issue, and establishes a report that can be acted on if it continues.

How to escalate a problem

Let's assume the noise issue continues, how do you get it resolved?

As I mentioned, it's best to start with your cabin attendant.  They'll either know of a quick fix or get maintenance involved. But if it continues being an issue, you'll want to escalate the issue.

Ideally, you'd speak with the deck supervisor next. This crew member is in charge of the upkeep of all of the staterooms on your deck (or at least a section). To be honest, it's difficult to know who this person is or how to contact them other than asking your cabin attendant to have them contact you.

You could also go to Guest Services and explain the issue.  I would avoid starting with Guest Services, because they'll just relay the info back to Housekeeping and Maintenance as a first step.

When you speak to Guest Services, explain the issue and what you've done to try to remedy it. Be calm and remember Guest Services isn't causing it. They'll do what they can to assist.

You could request a cabin change if the issue seems habitual, but that's not so simple.  Cruise ships sail completely full these days, so it's rare to have open cabins.  However, it doesn't hurt to ask if you truly believe that will bypass the problem. Just understand there aren't a block of empty cabins available.

If you truly feel like you're not making any progress, ask to speak to the Hotel Director. Guest Services will be able to get them for you.

The Hotel Director is one of the most highly ranked crew members onboard, and they oversee everything involving the hotel side of the operation, including your cabin.

Asking for compensation

Should you get money back if there's a real noise issue?

Compensation for a problem is a bit of a gray area, and really depends on the exact situation. I've seen onboard credit given out for minor and major problems, and then not again.

As an example, when we didn't have hot water in my cabin on embarkation day during the afternoon, I received onboard credit, but didn't get any when a rain shower partially flooded my cabin floor.

In many cases, a supervisor or manager will authorize onboard credit or a future cruise credit without even asking. I think this has been the most common scenario that I've been compensated for an issue.

Keep in mind a noise problem in your cabin does not automatically qualify you for compensation.  If something breaks, there's probably a better argument for it.  But noisy neighbors, the weather, and other things out of Royal Caribbean's control may not warrant it.

Nonetheless, there's no reason you can't ask for it if you feel it's warranted. Don't bother asking your stateroom attendant or the maintenance department for it. You'll want to speak with Guest Services or the Hotel Director.  Ultimately, it's at their discretion and there's no legal obligation on their part to offer you any, per the Cruise Contract you agreed to when you booked your cruise.

Preventative measures for future cruises

In general, there are certain cabins to avoid on a cruise ship as well as the right cabins to choose for a quiet stay.

Ideally, pick a cabin that is one deck above or below other staterooms. Avoid cabins that are one deck above or below a public area, such as a dining room or pool.

Never book a connecting stateroom unless you know the people on the other side of the connecting door.  

Cruise ship cabins are poorly insulated from noise to begin with, but connecting doors are even worse. 

It's totally fine to book connecting cabins when you have both cabins, but don't book a connecting cabin if it's just you in one room. Anecdotally, a lot of RoyalUp bids end up with connecting cabins.

Other typically noisy rooms are cabins that face public areas, such as a Promenade view cabin. 

Royal Promenade View cabins are available on Freedom Class, Voyager Class and Oasis Class ships and they have cabins that face inward towards the Royal Promenade. Each of these rooms has a large bay window that looks out to the Promenade, but this window is not soundproof.

On the Vision & Radiance Class ships, the first few cabins from the Centrum can also deal with noise bleed, as the Centrum is home to loud music in the evening.  

Conclusion

If there's a noise problem in your stateroom, address it early so you can eliminate the problem and enjoy a relaxing rest of your cruise.

I commonly read rants from people that come back from a cruise with noise issues and learn they didn't do anything about it.

A word of warning, be sure to get the issue taken care of onboard.  Some people put up with the noise, and then try contacting Royal Caribbean after the cruise is over for some kind of resolution, especially compensation.

In my experience, getting the issue fixed onboard not only gets rid of the noise, but also is the best way to potentially receive compensation since the crew can assess if the problem is indeed warranting it.

It's likely you will never run into this sort of an issue, but now you'll have the right approach to get it solved.

A 74-year-old man takes his wife that he's been married to for 55 years on a cruise twice a year, and he has no intention of stopping.

Ron Lodowski lives in upstate New York with his wife, Susan, and they love to go on cruises as a way to escape to the tropics and enjoy a carefree trip.

While Millennials lead the post-Covid recovery in travel, baby boomers are increasingly booking trips. That's according to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

In an interview in 2023, Mr. Liberty said Baby Boomers tend to pay more for a cruise (because they prefer higher end accommodations) and they bring their kids and grandkids with them.

"That Baby Boomer is bringing in more of that multigenerational travel, as the grandparents are looking to travel with their kids and their grandkids."

Ron is part of that Baby Boomer generation, and he likes how everything is taken care of on a cruise, "Need a meal? Royal has you covered. Need your cabin or suite cleaned? No problem. Want to see some form of entertainment after dinner? Look no further. Royal Caribbean cruising is one stop vacation shopping."

He didn't start cruising until later in life. His first cruise was in 2008 as a gift to his daughter. While he admits he made a "big mistake" choosing a Carnival cruise as his first cruise, he quickly made the jump to Royal Caribbean and now goes on multiple cruises per year.

"I cruise twice a year, on average, normally, once in March or April and once is September or October," he said.

"Living in the Northeast... these dates tend to extend the warm summer for us instead of having the summer begin in May and end in late August or early September."

I asked Ron for his tips for how to plan the right cruise based on how he likes to cruise with Susan and his family.

Book early

Ron says he picks his cruise based on four criteria: the time of the year, the itinerary, the ship, and lastly the price.

As an example, "With the introduction of the newest Icon and Oasis class ships, the cruise decision based upon ship has jumped ahead of the itinerary."

His first tip for booking a cruise is to book the cruise sooner than later.

"The sooner you book, normally the lower the cruise fare.  If the price does decrease, you can always cancel and rebook as long as it is before the final payment date."

The ability to re-book up until final payment to take advantage of a price decrease is available to residents of certain countries, such as the United States or Canada. It is indeed one of the best ways to save money on a cruise.

"I have done this numerous times and have saved thousands of dollars. Better yet? Have your travel agent do this for you. Their charge is nonexistent, and their service is priceless."

Our team recommends using a good travel agent for the service they provide, as well as the opportunity to save money, just as Ron described.

Splurge

Ron approaches every cruise with a sobering but pragmatic view, "Treat ever cruise like it might be your last cruise."

To that point, he doesn't shy away from spending more on cruise extras.

"Enjoy the specialty dining experience, have that extra cocktail after dinner, treat yourself to a suite with all the suite benefits. Or better yet? Go full out and experience the pampering which you will receive from a Royal Genie. You will never forget it!"

While there are a lot of freebies on a Royal Caribbean cruise, Ron sees cruising as an escape. 

I asked Ron what he'd tell someone else his age about why they should try a cruise. He joked, "I would first tell them to turn up your hearing aid" and then said he would explain how a cruise can transport you to amazing places.

"Cruising is an amazing experience. You get to travel to beautiful, scenic places and once onboard everything which you might want, or need is taken care of by one of the helpful crew members"

He also emphasized the importance of meeting new friends on a cruise, "And most importantly, unlike land vacations, where people come and go, when you are on a cruise, people you meet become your friends for life. I speak from experience. "

Book off season

Ron's last tip is to look for off season rates, which can save a lot of money compared to peak season.

As a retiree, Ron and Susan can take advantage of times of the year when there is less demand because school is in session, and thus, families are reluctant go to on vacation.

"Off season rates, January thru March and September thru November are usually much cheaper, so why not take advantage of these months?"

"You're retired, so you have no job or family to interfere with your vacation plans. You deserve it!"

Going on a cruise in the months Ron mentions can be a great time to go on a cruise for those added savings.

While the Caribbean is a year-round destination, booking a trip during one month over another could be the difference in hundreds of dollars.

You'll want to get onboard your cruise ship as soon as possible to get your vacation started. After all, the price you paid doesn't change if you board at 11am or 2pm.

As a result, you're going to want to get an early check-in time to assure you'll board the ship first.

Boarding a cruise ship is somewhat similar to boarding an airplane. Everyone waits for the ship to be cleared and ready to welcome passengers, and then boarding commences in groups.

Usually suite guests go first, followed by other passengers based on different criteria.

But before you can get into the cruise terminal, Royal Caribbean assigns check-in times to every passenger. It's part of the pre-cruise check-in process, and there are limited slots to each check-in window.

Knowing when to check-in for your cruise can be the difference between an early time and one in the afternoon. While a relatively straightforward process, it's important to know the proper steps as well as what to avoid when checking in.

Getting the earliest check-in time

You'll be able to reserve a check-in time closer to your sail date, and it's imperative to be on the ball to get those early time slots.

Royal Caribbean's online check-in opens 45 days before your cruise is set to begin. 

It's slightly confusing exactly what time check-in opens, because it's 45 days at midnight based on the ship's home port time. Meaning, if you live in New York, but your Alaska cruise departs from Seattle, your check-in time opens at 3am Eastern/midnight Pacific.

In my experience, check-in will open up a few minutes past midnight.  It's rarely exactly at midnight, usually five or ten minutes later.

You can do online check-in via Royal Caribbean's website or their app. Trust me, you'll want to use the Royal Caribbean app and not the website.

The primary reason to use the app is when check-in opens, you can skip right to the check-in times and select a time. The Royal Caribbean website will make you first fill out personal information before getting there.

You'll need to reserve a check-in time for everyone in your party.  After you're done and have the times confirmed, you can go back into the app later and fill out the rest of the personal information.

I know what you're thinking, "do I really need to stay up until midnight to check-in?" and the answer is yes, if you want the earliest time.

If you wait until morning, you'll probably have access to the second or third earliest check-in times.  That's far from terrible, and you'll still be way ahead of people that try to do it later. But if you absolutely, positively need to the earliest time, starting the check-in process at midnight is critical.

The earliest check-in times begin around 10:30am or 11:00am. It can vary from sailing to sailing.

Book a suite

The strategy outlined in this article applies to all passengers, but those staying in a suite have one advantage over other passengers.

Suite guests enjoy a flexible check-in window of plus or minus one hour based on the check-in time you reserved.

This means if you had an 11:00am check-in time via the app, you could check-in as early as 10:00am.

If you book a Star Class cabin, your Royal Genie will coordinate with you a specific time you want to arrive and they will work around your preference. It's the ultimate "fastpass" for checking in, but Star Class cabins will easily cost you five figures.

Keep in mind the check-in times doesn't correlate to boarding time.  It simply refers to what time they'll admit you into the cruise terminal to begin checking in.

It should go without saying that spending the extra money to move up to a suite just for an earlier check-in time almost certainly is not a great value.  But it's a lovely perk to add onto the suite experience.

Purchase The Key

There's one other way to get an early check-in by throwing money at the problem.

Royal Caribbean offers a VIP extra-cost add-on, known as The Key.

Guests that buy The Key get a number of added benefits, including priority access into the terminal on Day 1.

You still select a boarding time during online check-in, but a couple weeks before the cruise, you will get an email that tells you you can board with The Key (usually 11:30 after suite guests) or keep your scheduled time. 

I'm not a fan of purchasing The Key, but it's worth noting it could get you checked-in and onboard faster (among other benefits).

It looks like Royal Caribbean has finally given its customers a feature they've been clamoring for since the inception of a dining package.

Cruise ship passengers can book a dining package, where they can get a bulk discount on specialty restaurants.  Up until now, there was no mechanism to prebook a reservation at a specific restaurant and time before boarding the ship if you had a dining package.

Nearly a year to when they announced plans this upgrade, Royal Caribbean now is allowing guests booking the Unlimited Dining Package to pre-book days and times for restaurants online.

The advantage of this feature is it makes it significantly easier to get reservations instead of running around on embarkation day to make them.

In August 2024, pre-booking was opened up just for Allure of the Seas as a test.  But now it appears the test is available for all ships.

Here's how it works.

Login into Royal Caribbean's website and go to the Cruise Planner for your sailing.

Go to the Dining section, and choose the Unlimited Dining Package.

Click the Reserve button and then select the people you want the package for, and click add to cart.  At this point, you wait for each day's options to open up, with the ability to select times for each restaurant.

Be sure to follow through and make payment for the dining package to lock in your day and times.

There are two catches to its current implementation, keeping in mind Royal Caribbean is constantly working on improving its offerings.

First, the ability to pre-book times appears only available for the Unlimited Dining Package, and not the 3-night dining package.

Second, there does not appear to be a way to pre-reserve restaurants if you have already booked the dining package yet. You could cancel and rebook the Unlimited Dining Package, but you'd be subject to the prevailing rates for it.

Why this feature is so helpful

By allowing passengers to make reservations before they get onboard, it assures them of a specific day and time for their reservations.

Moreover, up until now, passengers had to hustle on the embarkation day to go make reservations.

Not only did this take away from enjoying the start of a vacation, there was usually lines to make a reservation and if someone waited until later in the cruise to book a time, they risk the frustration of restaurants being booked up.

Having to wait until boarding the ship to make dining reservations was the top pain point for passengers that booked a dining package.

With this change, a great deal of frustrations are removed from the cruise planning experience.

This change also benefits Royal Caribbean. If there are less passengers wanting to make dining reservations on embarkation day, they can move staff around to other places and reduce congestion on the Royal Promenade where crew members would wait to take reservations.

Is a dining package worth it?

If you're planning to eat at more than two specialty restaurants on your cruise, there's a good chance a dining package will save you money.

Royal Caribbean offers a flat cost to enjoy as many restaurants as you like with the Unlimited Dining Package, with the caveat if a restaurant is priced a la carte, you can only dine there once per day and with a stipend.

Examples of restaurants priced a la carte include Playmakers Sports Bar, Izumi sushi, and Portside BBQ.

Note that certain restaurants have an upcharge, such as Izumi Hibachi ($15), Chef's Table ($49.99), and Empire Supper Club ($130). 

The UDP doesn't include premium items in the Main Dining Room, the Taste of Royal experience, Celebration Table, or Chops Grille premium cuts. 

I've purchased a dining package about 20 times, and there's no question it can save you money, assuming you eat at the restaurants every night.

An example of how a dining package won't work out financially is if you have busy port day plans or are simply too tired to go to a restaurant for dinner and end up in the buffet or a counter service restaurant.

Likewise, if you're not interested in more than 2 or 3 specialty restaurants, then skipping the dining package makes sense too.

In addition to the Unlimited Dining Package, there are smaller offerings, such as the 3-night dining package, or the Chops + Your Choice package. These offer fewer evenings to dine, but it's cheaper and a good introduction to specialty dining.

One of the top reasons people book a cruise are the places you can visit, including some truly hidden gems.

The Caribbean is a year-round cruise destination that attracts millions of cruise ship passengers, and while most are content with the usual spots, there are unique and less popular Caribbean ports that seasoned cruisers love to visit.

Part of the appeal is these spots are less busy than other ports, and they also offer a more authentic or down to earth stay. While exciting tours that involve an adrenaline rush or busy cities is quite popular, some cruisers prefer a quaint tropical island vibe.

It's also fair to say the more you cruise, the greater your appetite for something different. While I enjoy going to Cozumel, Mexico over and over, it's always a pleasure to mix things up and try somewhere new or different.

In fact, many people that cruise a lot will search Royal Caribbean's deployments for unique itineraries that include a visit to an uncommon port.  Or, they'll opt to take an excursion that brings them to a less busy spot.

Here are three ports that are worth a visit over the usual tourist spots when you take a cruise.

St. John

If your ship visits St. Thomas, you could take a short ferry ride over to neighboring St. John for an unspoiled beach day.

While there are beautiful beaches all around the Caribbean, none can compare to St. John's beaches in my opinion. Between the water color and clarity, it's exactly the look you'd expect from a beach when imagining the Caribbean.

Nearly all of St. John is a protected national park, and that means there's very few people on the island. The beaches are pristine and lack many of the amenities you'd find at a beach in St. Thomas.

There are many beaches to consider around St. John, but the top two for cruise ship visitors tend to be Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay Beach. There are more facilities at Trunk Bay, and it's closer to the ferry station.

The chief downside to St. John is getting there.  Because it requires a ferry ride, you need to time your visits properly to ensure you can get back and forth without being late to the cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean usually offers a few excursions to St. John that include the ferry ride, and it's the simplest way to make a day there. 

If you wanted to get there on your own, you could take a taxi to Red Hook and buy a round-trip ferry ticket.

If a ride over to St. John seems too much, you could take a water taxi to Water Island, which is even closer to St. Thomas, and also quite beautiful.

Nevis

Another "do this, not that" island combination is when visiting St. Kitts and Nevis.

Some cruisers elect to take a ferry over to Nevis, where you can enjoy time at one of the beautiful beaches there.

The ferry ride to Nevis takes about 45 minutes each way, and Royal Caribbean offers excursions that visit Nevis.

You can reach the ferry port on your own by walking downtown. It's about a third of a mile walk from Port Zante, or you could take a taxi.

Once you get to Nevis, a popular choice is to visit Oualie Beach for its black-sand beach.

A non-beach idea for a day in Nevis is to visit Alexander Hamilton's birthplace. The famous founding father of the United States grew up on Nevis until he was about 7 years old.

There's actually a museum dedicated to Hamilton, and it's a popular spot for fans of the musical.

The catamaran excursions that take you to Nevis are probably the simplest way to reach the island. Plus, many end the tour at Sunshine's on Nevis. Try a killer bee cocktail (you won't regret it).

Antigua

Among the Southern Caribbean ports you can visit, my favorite has to be Antigua. It features the idyllic beaches you expect, plus unlike the other islands in this article, no ferry ride!

Antigua claims there are 365 beaches around the island, which means there is one beach every day of the year. I'm not sure that statistic has been fact checked, but they do have a lot of pristine beaches to try.

The benefit of having so many beaches is it spreads people around.  Rather than one or two well-known beaches, you can find a great beach that is less crowded.

Royal Caribbean almost built a beach club in Antigua, but even without that distinction, it's a great beach day visit.

My go-to spot in Antigua is Valley Church Beach because it has powdery white sand, smooth aquamarine water, and fantastic views.

Honorable mentions

There are two other islands I wanted to include, but they're pretty rare to be able to visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Nonetheless, if you do have the chance, I would jump at giving it a try.

Anguilla

From St. Maarten, you can take a ferry or catamaran to Anguilla. 

Royal Caribbean offers a "Anguilla Sun, Sand and Sea" shore excursion that will take you to Meads Bay. 

Dominica

Select Southern Caribbean cruises stop at Roseau, Dominica where you can explore the nicknamed "Nature Island".

Instead of beaches, there is a rainforest, tall mountains, and majestic waterfalls to explore.

There are thermal springs, river tubing, rainforests and more to explore.

Antigua is found on only a handful of Southern Caribbean cruise itineraries, so you'll want to dig to find a sailing that goes here.

Royal Caribbean announced a change to one of its conveniences at its private island.

When cruise ship passengers disembark a ship at Perfect Day at CocoCay, there had been an optional tram they could wait for to get a ride from the ship to the arrivals plaza.

As of October 1, 2024, Royal Caribbean has decided to eliminate that service with one exception.

"Beginning October 1, 2024, tram service at CocoCay pier will be discontinued," an official statement in the Royal Caribbean app read.

This effects just the tram service between the where the cruise ships dock and the beginning of the pier.  The trams that take guests around Perfect Day at CocoCay are still operational.

Tram service on the pier was primarily offered as a convenience. Unlike the trams that run on the island, the pier trams were limited and available to those willing to wait for a ride.

According to Royal Caribbean, the walk time down the pier, from ship to Arrivals Plaza, is approximately 6 minutes.

The exception to this change is for guests with special needs.

"Trams for guests with special needs, wheelchairs, scooters, etc. will still be available by the end of the pier (close to the Forward gangways)."

Passengers worried about eligibility for a tram ride

The top concern among cruisers has been what constitutes a special need to qualify for a tram ride.

In the Perfect Day CocoCay Information Hub Facebook group,  Jennifer Kern-Kaminsky wrote, "I just hope they will be accommodating to people with invisible disabilities."

Marcell Fitzgerald added, "Some conditions are exercise or heat induced."

Some people even went as far as to suggest bringing a doctor's note with them on the cruise to prove they qualify for it.

While Royal Caribbean did not specify the requirements for a ride, it seems unlikely proof of a disability is needed. It's probable they will rely on the honor system, and if someone needs a ride, they can simply wait for one.

Accessible options on CocoCay

Royal Caribbean says its private island is accessible.

There are complimentary beach access wheelchairs available throughout the island on a first come first served basis.

Select trams that go around the island are wheelchair accessible as well.

Wheelchair accessible areas include:

• Coco Beach Club: complimentary beach wheelchairs, pool lift, lower counter at the bar, and ramps to the dining area. Pool lifts at the freshwater pool
• Oasis Lagoon: Pool lifts the freshwater pool
• Thrill waterpark: the Wave Pool is wheelchair accessible

Getting around CocoCay

For those able to walk, the walk around CocoCay is quite manageable on foot.

Once a passengers reaches the Arrivals Plaza, they can elect to walk anywhere on the island or take a tram.

Tram service is complimentary and located in front of Thrill Waterpark.

The tram service around CocoCay runs all day with three stops: Arrivals Plaza (near Thrill Waterpark); South Beach; Coco Beach Club/Breezy Bay/Oasis Lagoon; and Chill Island. Guests can board the tram near Arrivals Plaza.

There is a separate tram service to go between the Arrivals Plaza and Hideaway Beach

There are walking paths to bring you to every area of the island. 

Estimated walking distances from the Arrivals Plaza are:

• Thrill Waterpark Less than 1 minute
• Harbor Beach about 3 minutes
• Oasis Lagoon about 5 minutes
• Chill Island about 5-10 minutes
• Breezy Bay at Chill Island about 6-8 minutes
• South Beach about 10 minutes
• Coco Beach Club about 10 minutes
• Hideaway Beach about 10 minutes

The fall temperatures may be dropping, but the Royal Caribbean news from this week is as hot as ever, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round up!

Royal Caribbean is bringing a new destination to Mexico in 2027.

The next Perfect Day experience will open in Costa Maya, Mexico and it will be even bigger than CocoCay.

Few details have been shared, but expect many different ways to "thrill and chill" during your visit, exclusive to Royal Caribbean passengers.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean is raising gratuities. The change started a debate
• Royal Caribbean begins construction of new cruise ship that doesn't have a name yet
• What’s confirmed for Royal Caribbean’s enormous beach experience in Mexico
• My first Royal Caribbean cruise from Baltimore: Essential tips for Maryland sailings
• The best bar scene is only on two of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships

Hurricane Milton Coverage

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc this past week, disrupting many cruise ship plans and generating a lot of news in the process.

• More cruise ships divert and dodge as Hurricane Milton tears through
• There are still 3 Royal Caribbean cruise ships waiting to return home after Hurricane Milton
• Hurricane Milton re-routed my cruise ship to Haiti
• At least 3 Royal Caribbean cruise ships delay return home because of Hurricane Milton

Video: 6 Restaurants You Can't Afford to Miss on Royal Caribbean

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 6 Restaurants You Can't Afford to Miss on Royal Caribbean — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 546th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available now: Hola Perfect Day Mexico!

Matt breaks down this week's big news that Royal Caribbean will open a second Perfect Day experience, and what to expect there.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean is raising the daily gratuity charges

Royal Caribbean notified passengers this week that the automatic service charge it adds to passenger bills would soon rise to as much as $21 per person, per day.

Typically, we see gratuity rates go up once per calendar year and this year's increase is 50 cents per person, per day.

In addition to the daily gratuity, the gratuity for purchases made onboard will also go up, from 18% to 20%.

Royal Caribbean restarts cruises visiting Labadee

Royal Caribbean is now cruising to Labadee, Haiti again.

Adventure of the Seas was the first ship back. Guests on the sailing reported things looked great, and no concerns.

More ships visited Labadee, including Utopia of the Seas because of an itinerary change.

A $1,300 Stateroom on Utopia of the Seas

What does an inside cabin look like on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas?

Our team tried out a small, windowless interior cabin in order to save money.  Plus, the exact location was assigned by the cruise line.

Although the room looked similar in size to many other interior cabins, the newer amenities were quite noticeable.

Four changes coming to Royal Caribbean in 2025

We've almost made it to 2025, and there are some big changes on the horizon.

While there's likely plenty more things that will change next year, we're tracking four big changes that we know about already for Royal Caribbean in 2025.

From new experiences to policy changes, prep for the next evolution of the brand in the coming year.

I quit my job and sold my house to go on a 274-night world cruise

Royal Caribbean's first world cruise sounded like the adventure of a lifetime, compelling Tonya Lathom to drop everything and book it.

She and her husband, Andy, sold their home in Falls Church, Virginia and retired from their jobs in order to sail.

She booked a suite on the world cruise, and got to visit all seven continents and in the process, visited over 60 countries.

The after effects of Hurricane Milton changing cruise ship itineraries isn't over yet.

While the storm passed through Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, there are still three ships that have yet to return because of the storm.

The hurricane disrupted the original travel plans for many ships, but it had the worst impact on ships sailing from Tampa or Port Canaveral.

Wind gusts recorded near Tampa reached 100 mph.\

Those two ports were directly in the path of Hurricane Milton, and the cleanup and repair process takes time. The U.S. Coast Guard inspects each port after a hurricane, and no ships can go in or out until that process is complete and the waterways deemed safe.

Royal Caribbean said those efforts are, "still evolving" and they're doing their best to keep passengers informed along the way.

The good news is there is a plan in place for each of the ships to return, albeit, a few days late.

Enchantment of the Seas

Royal Caribbean extended Enchantment of the Seas by two additional days, and won't return to Tampa until Monday.

Due to Hurricane Milton's impact to Port Tampa Bay, the ship cannot return until then.

The new plan is for Enchantment of the Seas to make it back on October 12. As a result, the next sailing has been shortened by two days.

The former October 12 sailing will be only 5 nights and visit Cozumel, Mexico and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean described the situation in Tampa as "fluid", "Please know our return to Tampa Bay is fluid, and once our times are finalized, we’ll send an email with updated check-in times."

Royal Caribbean is also working on compensation details to make up for the disappointment, "While these circumstances are beyond our control, we understand that this change impacts your vacation, and we’re truly sorry."

Serenade of the Seas

Another ship based in Tampa, Serenade of the Seas, was supposed to go out on October 11. Instead, she's delayed by two days to October 13.

The revised next sailing will head to the western Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas

Similar to Serenade, Grandeur of the Seas will shift to an October 13 departure as well. She was due into port on October 12 originally.

As a result of the change, Grandeur will skip a visit to Costa Maya, Mexico.

Port Canaveral is back open

While the Port of Tampa is close to re-opening, Port Canaveral is operational again.

As of 11:30am on October 11, the U.S. Coast Guard re-opened the port with no restrictions.

Three different Royal Caribbean ships had to change their schedule because of the storm's impact on Port Canaveral.

Both Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas were due back originally on October 11, but delayed that until October 12.

As a result of that change, Utopia of the Seas dropped its visit to Nassau and will only visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Adventure of the Seas departed on October 12 and removed a scheduled visit to Curacao. 

The new plan is for Adventure to proceed to Oranjestad, Aruba; Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Lastly, Wonder of the Seas did not have to change the day it returned to port, but did adjust its itinerary to avoid the storm.

Wonder of the Seas skipped a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder visited Cozumel and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

We spoke with Royal Caribbean's lead project developer to get an idea of what passengers will be able to do at the new massive new private beach experience in Mexico.

Perfect Day Mexico is a bold new private island experience (although it's not an island), but the announcement did not reveal many details.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider gave Royal Caribbean Blog an overview of what's coming, with bits of detail hidden throughout the announcement.

There's two reasons why we don't know much yet about Perfect Day Mexico: the cruise line is still in the planning phase, and a bigger announcement will be coming in the spring.

Perfect Day Mexico is about 200 acres in size, with about half that preserved for environmental protection.

There's still a lot of time before anyone gets to visit Perfect Day Mexico, as the project won't open until 2027 (and it's more likely to be later in the year). 

Here's a breakdown of what we know so far is coming to Perfect Day Mexico.

Beaches

Much of what we know about Perfect Day Mexico is based on what has been at the core of the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay, and that starts with beaches.

It's safe to say most people that book a Caribbean cruise have a beautiful beach in mind, and that's going to be at the heart of what Perfect Day Mexico has to offer.

CocoCay has multiple beaches that passengers can choose to visit. Most are included with the cruise fare, although there are a few extra cost beaches too.

There will be a beach club, similar to the Coco Beach Club at CocoCay. The beach club is a limited access beach, that features some upgraded amenities and comes with an extra cost.

Pools

Access to water in Perfect Day Mexico will also include a pool.

Royal Caribbean added a giant freshwater pool at CocoCay with Oasis Lagoon, and we know that Perfect Day Mexico has plans for a pool too.

Their plans don't just call for any old pool.  Their mantra with this idea has been, "great beach, great pool, great food" and there's an emphasis on the word "great".

Royal Caribbean isn't ready to provide any further details on the pool(s) or even size of them, but did promise there will be an opportunity in the future to share more information.

Water park

Mr. Schneider was able to confirm there will indeed be a water park at Perfect Day Mexico.

The water park will be an extra cost venue where guests can enjoy all sorts of slides. The park has been a big success in CocoCay, and Royal Caribbean wants to carry that over.

One detail we do know about the water park is Royal Caribbean purchased the existing Lost Mayan Kingdom water park that is near the port. All Mr. Schneider would say is that land will be part of the future Perfect Day Mexico property, but didn't comment on what, if any, part of the park will remain.

It stands to reason that the water park, much like all of the Perfect Day Mexico project, would need to accommodate the amount of passengers coming ashore on any given day.

Since Costa Maya has four piers, that gives it double the ships that CocoCay can handle, and thus, there's a good chance the water park in Mexico will be bigger than Thrill Waterpark in CocoCay.

Adults-only area

Another successful idea coming to Perfect Day Mexico is an enclave for adults.

Earlier this year, Hideaway Beach opened at CocoCay, which is an enormous adults-only zone. We can expect something similar in Mexico.

Unlike CocoCay, there will not be phases to the opening. The adults-only area and all the neighborhoods will open at once, and that's because they want to be open for the maximum amount of attendance in the first year.

"This will not be phased. We will build everything all at once," Mr. Schneider said.

Helium balloon ride

Another activity returning from CocoCay is the helium balloon ride.

The Up, Up and Away helium balloon takes guests 450 feet above Perfect Day at CocoCay, providing the highest vantage point in The Bahamas.

Not only did Mr. Schneider mention the balloon, but it's included in the teaser logo for Perfect Day Mexico.

It's an extra cost activity, and is provides amazing views of the surrounding area.

Mr. Schneider indicated they will place the balloon somewhere to optimize for the winds, as the balloon cannot go up if it's too windy, "Hopefully it'll operate more hours in different conditions based on where we're actually putting it on the site."

Mexican food

Great food is one of the mantras that Royal Caribbean wants incorporated into Perfect Day Mexico.

No specifics were given on what dining will be there, but Mr. Schneider made it clear they want to be true to the Mexican culture they are embracing.

"in Mexico, Americans have a very clear view of what Mexico is, and they expect that out of whatever we would go do in Mexico."

Transportation center to do other things

While Perfect Day Mexico is at the heart of the project, you can still do your own tour or book a shore excursion to venture out.

A transportation hub will be located nearby so passengers can get on a tour bus or head to Mahahual.

The port itself will remain open to other cruise lines, so passengers on another cruise line will bypass Perfect Day Mexico and head directly to the transportation hub to get on their tour.

"We'll build a boardwalk to the local village, so we'll make the community accessible to other cruise lines."

The construction of Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship reached an important milestone this week when the keel was laid.

At a ceremony held at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Monday, October 7, the official start of construction was celebrated.

Icon of the Seas was the first Icon Class ship, and it launched to great fanfare earlier this year.  It's bold new design caught the attention of the cruise industry, and now work is beginning on its third ship.

Royal Caribbean has not even announced the name of the ship, let alone what features or details we can expect from the ship.

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, shared his thoughts on the significance of this moment, "Icon 3 is a very important vessel for both the shipyard and the partner network. During its construction process, we get to see what a combination of high-level know-how and sister ship experience can achieve today. "

The ship's keel is the first block, and it is maritime tradition to commemorate this phase of a new ship construction. 

Another maritime tradition is to place the "lucky coins", which represent the shipyard and cruise line. 

The coins are meant to bring luck during construction, and they will be retrieved and given to Icon’s captain and crew before setting sail. 

Icon 3's keel laying comes just a few days after Icon 2 was floated out.

Known as Star of the Seas, this ship was put into water for the first time at the end of September.  Having two of the same class of ship under construction at the same time is not unusual. In fact, Star of the Seas' construction journey began when Icon of the Seas was still being built.

Cruise lines commonly place orders for a few ships at a time, and they stagger construction so that they can launch each ship a year apart or so.

What will be Icon 3's name?

Royal Caribbean hasn't announced the name of the third Icon class ship yet, but there's always a lot of speculation as to what it can be.

The rumor mill believes Royal Caribbean will revive an old name for this ship, but it's still unconfirmed.

The alleged name of Icon 3 will be Legend of the Seas, which was a name of a Vision Class cruise ship that was sold to another cruise line in 2017. It's still in operation as Marella Discovery 2.

There's a few sources for the rumor that Legend could be the name.

During a Top Tier event on Harmony of the Seas in May, the ship's Hotel Director told passengers the ship's name will be Legend of the Seas.

Prior to that, metadata within Royal Caribbean's website seemed to indicate the company would re-use Legend.

Of course, cruise fans love a juicy rumor and the good ones tend to get shared a lot.

Royal Caribbean trademarks ship names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, most of which never get used.

Examples of recent trademarks Royal Caribbean have made include:

• Happy of the Seas
• Fun of the Seas
• Idol of the Seas
• Love of the Seas
• Nova of the Seas
• Titan of the Seas
• Sun of the Seas
• Marquee of the Seas
• Hero of the Seas
• Fantasia of the Seas

The company purposefully trademarks ship names they never intend to use as a means to obfuscate the ones they really want to use.

What's next for Icon 3?

The third Icon class ship won't launch until 2026 and you can't book cruises yet for it, partially because there's still a lot of work left on it.

Construction of the ship will continue for many months, with the ship's steel infrastructure being assembled to form the vessel. 

The ship's keel is the first block, and other blocks will be joined together until the ship's primary structure is assembled.  Then more of the ship's features are added in, such as cabins, interior structures, and paneling.

Icon 3 has a tonnage of 250,800 GT and enough room for up to 5,610 passengers.

Royal Caribbean will reveal the ship's name, home port, and sailings, and other important details in the months to come.