When I booked a European cruise, I purposefully planned to arrive a few days early so that I could have a better cruise experience.

Cruise experts will always advocate flying in at least one day before a cruise begins, but that tip is primarily about ensuring a travel delay does not prevent you from missing your cruise.  While this is sage advice, there's one other really good reason to arrive early.

When your cruise goes out of an area with significant cultural and historical significance (sorry Port Canaveral), you'll likely want to explore on land as much as ensuring you don't miss the ship.

My 7-night France and Spain cruise on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas was scheduled to depart on a Sunday, but I flew in Thursday night so I could have a few days in London prior to the cruise beginning.

My primary impetus for coming in two days early was so that I would make the cruise, but the opportunity to see London was just as important. In retrospect, I made a few mistakes along the way that I won't repeat on my next visit.

Not starting with jetlag

Probably the single largest concern I had prior to my trip was being jetlagged and it ruining my cruise.

No matter what strategy you have to fight jetlag, the more time you have to acclimate to local time, the better your chances of jetlag not messing up your ship tour plans.

Unfortunately, sleeping on an airplane wasn't in the cards for me on this trip. I read, listened to music, and watched movies. I attempted — and failed — to fall asleep.

Because I booked this cruise as the primary reason for travel, I was more concerned with being optimized for the cruise, than my time in London.  While I would have been disappointed to miss out on time in London, that was always a bonus for my overall trip.

Because I didn't sleep at all on my flight over, I stayed up all day while in England and then finally went to bed after 36 hours being awake.  It wasn't easy, but I felt like I avoided the worst of the jetlag and the morning of my cruise, I was ready to go.

Even if you break every jetlag advice out there, if you have a few days to sleep it off and get yourself set, you'll have a better cruise.

Mistake: Taking the train from the airport

I did a fair amount of research prior to my trip on how to tackle London, and a lot of the YouTube videos I watched implored to use the train between London Heathrow airport and the city.

I found this to be mistake in the sense going on a train with full-size (and heavy) luggage is cumbersome, difficult, and a giant pain.

Not only are there long distances to pull the luggage around, but there are stairs and platforms to traverse that are not easy with a lot of luggage.

The advice is spot on with how to save money, but it's really meant for someone backpacking or traveling with carry-on luggage.

The only saving grace was I was traveling solo, because if I tried to do this with my family, it would have resulted in a lot of tears of frustration.

If you have big pieces of luggage, my advice is spend extra on an Uber ride, car service, or taxi.

Balancing tourist traps & the real deal

If you read enough articles and videos about what to do in London, there's lots of conjecture about what's worth your time or not, and inevitably I found myself weighing the pros and cons of any activity.

Part of my strategy to avoid not falling asleep on my first day in London was to get out and explore.  I knew sitting in my Airbnb rental would just lead to sleep, so I deliberately got out and walked around.

The biggest issue I found is picking things you want to do and how to see the most without succumbing to heavy tourist traps.

Certainly everyone wants to see Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the like. The problem is the insane crowds that are there most of the day.

I found it best to take a leisurely walking tour of the area so I could see them, take photos, but not commit to going in for a tour. My rationale is the most notable thing about them is being able to say you saw it and take a photo. What the hallways, portraits, and artifacts found inside are all about is less memorable.

That probably sounds like a cold approach to it, but I wanted to maximize my time and see more. 

I ran across a great tip for an alternative to the hop on, hop off buses.  Those bus tours cost around 40 pounds per person, but instead you can hop on the route number 11 bus for just 1.65 per person and the loop goes by many of the major attractions in Central London.

I also took time to walk along the Thames River on the south bank of the Thames, which gives you great views of the major sights. 

There are inexpensive boat tours you can take, or enjoy a leisurely stroll. The walk between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge allows you to see:

• London Eye
• The Shard
• London Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Hungerford Bridge & Golden Jubilee Bridges
• Southwark Cathedral
• London County Hall
• Shakespeare’s Globe
• Royal Festival Hall
• Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Abbey
• Tower of London

There's so much to see around London, which is why I found it advantageous to take in sights as I passed by.

Mistake: Not prioritizing outdoor activities when weather is good

The stereotype that it's always cloudy and raining in England is not that far off from the truth, so take advantage of good weather when you can.

I had near perfect weather on the first day I was in London. It was mostly sunny, comfortable temperatures, and a nice breeze.  It was very pleasant to be outside and walk around.

While I did do a lot of walking around the Thames river, I wish I had spent more time prioritizing outdoor activities I thought I could do the next day.

The second day was mostly a rain out, and I don't care how motivated you are to see outdoor sights rain or shine, it's miserable being outside in the rain.

I would recommend having a list of what you want to see and do, and double down on anything outdoors when it's nice out.  Save the museums and shows for rainy days whenever possible.

Mistake: Taking the stairs at Covent Garden station

196 stairs or the elevator, and I thought taking the stairs up wouldn't be so bad.

What was I thinking taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator?!

Despite the stairs mistake, Covent Garden is a fun area to go I liked all the different vendors selling all sorts of souvenirs. 

Going on a European cruise sounds like the perfect way to see the world, but if you're flying across the Atlantic, it's critical you start the trip on the right foot.

I flew from my home in Florida to London in order to board an Anthem of the Seas cruise departing from Southampton. It's a new itinerary with lots of firsts for me.

The problem is fighting jetlag before it hits so that you're not sleeping away half the cruise while getting acclimated to local time.

Prior to my trip, I read the same piece of advice over and over again: don't sleep until it's bed time so you can adjust to local time.

It's a solid strategy, but you have to consider what time you'll arrive in Europe and how feasible it is to stay awake.

Flight times matter

I thought I hit the jackpot by having a direct flight between Orlando and London, because flying internationally and catching connecting flights seems like a recipe for a disaster.

What I did not take into account was what time I'd arrive in London and how difficult it would be to follow everyone's advice.

My flight departed Florida at 5:30pm (actually it was 6:30pm due to weather and traffic delays), which got me into London at a few minutes before 7am.

This meant I would have to stay awake for about 36 hours in order to follow the strategy.

Oh but Matt, you can sleep on the airplane!

While there might be unconfirmed cases of human beings able to sleep on an airplane, I am not that person. Moreover, the departure time meant my brain thought it was still too early to go to sleep, and I only really started to get drowsy in the final two hours of the flight.

I'm sure some would point out different drug and alcohol cocktails to make me sleepy, but I really hate feeling out of control on a plane. 

Ultimately, the flight time is what mattes the most.  Ideally, you'll get a flight that gets you into Europe in the afternoon or evening, so there are just a few hours to remain awake.

Ignoring jetlag could lead to missing too much of the cruise

The longer you put off adjusting to local time, the harder it is to break the cycle of waking up too early and going to sleep too early.

For an itinerary that's brand new to me visiting the northern coast of Spain and France, I did not want to squander the opportunity by sleeping.

On other trips when I've been jetlagged, I recall how frustrating it would be to wake up around 3 or 4am, and then want to go to sleep for the night in the afternoon. You feel helpless and it spirals quickly.

Plan multiple days before your cruise

While I may have picked the wrong flight, I did make a good decision in how early I arrived before my cruise departed.

Instead of the usual flying in one day before a cruise rule, I arrived in London a full two days before my cruise began.

The idea is to give myself more time to acclimate. Sure, seeing the sights around London is good too, but the cruise is what I'm most concerned about.

Heck, if you have plenty of vacation days, you could fly in earlier than two days and let jetlag happen, but work through it.

Fighting jetlag takes discipline

The experts are right. No matter how hard it is, you really want to force yourself to stay awake on the day you arrive until it's bed time in that country.

Unless you're someone who can really get solid sleep in while on an airplane, you should be prepared to acclimate to local time as quickly as possible.

If you're flying many hours for a cruise, that last thing you want to do is sleep it all away. And you definitely don't want to feel tired and groggy when you're awake.

Pick a flight that gets you in closer to bed time, and give your body plenty of time to adjust.

Cruise lines are constantly in a chess match to outdo each other, and Royal Caribbean is betting it has a super move up its sleeve.

Just like how an auto manufacturer might implement a feature not available on other brands vehicles, Royal Caribbean is poised to outdo other cruise lines with an offering they think will get a lot of attention.

Ironically, their next big investment is in the very thing they have traditionally competed against: fun on land.

Two different beach clubs are going to be built, with one opening in 2025 and 2026. These aren't traditional cruise line private islands that are open to all passengers onboard and included with the cruise fare. This will be something above and beyond that.

Royal Caribbean will open its first Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas in summer 2025, followed by its second beach club to open in Cozumel, Mexico in 2026.

Differences between the mega cruise ship lines can be subtle, but these beach clubs are about standing out from the pack and drawing in new customers with something no one else can offer.

Solving customer needs

Before you step foot in any of these clubs, the rationale for offering a beach club is about targeting two key markets for Royal Caribbean.

The first beach club opens in one of the most highly visited and poorly rated cruise ports in the world, Nassau. 

Nassau consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of customer satisfaction among Royal Caribbean customers, even though it's located close to the United States and many cruise ships visit it.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the issue Nassau faces is it lacks special things to do that are also original.

Because it's so frequently visited, passengers find the choices of what to do in port limiting and uninspiring.

Royal Caribbean wanted to solve this problem because not going to Nassau really isn't an option.  The line brought more than 1.6 million visitors to the Nassau cruise port in 2023.

In April 2023, Mr. Bayley talked about this need to improve shore excursion choices for their customers, "We want to improve the experience of our guests. We can’t keep selling experiences to people who say we love going to Perfect Day, it’s fantastic, we want to go back, but the Nassau thing, can you guys stop going there? We can’t do that, so yeah, we want to be a part of the solution."

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Construction is underway to build and open Royal Caribbean's answer to its customer's issues with Nassau.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in summer 2025 on a 17-acre site that is right across from where all the cruise ships dock. Not only is it prime real estate, it's a a shining beacon to every other cruise line what they're missing out on.

Royal Caribbean wants to offer an unparalleled beach experience in a prime spot, exclusively to its customers.

Royal Beach Clubs are limited access and have an extra cost to them. This means only a few thousands Royal Caribbean guests will be able to visit it each day, and it will not be included in the base cruise fare.

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

Once inside, guests can enjoy three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, four restaurants serving local food.

The club is also going to incorporate Bahamian culture in an industry first cooperative effort to give back to the people of The Bahamas with a revenue sharing agreement that gives up to 49% equity.

It's expected the beach club will generate hundreds of jobs between the construction and long-term operation.  Plus, there will be a new tourism levy that will fund reinvesting in the local community. 

Once open, the beach club will offer something fresh and different, not only in Nassau, but among the entire industry too.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel

The second part of Royal Caribbean's plan is to open another beach club in 2026 on the other side of the Caribbean in Cozumel, Mexico.

Cozumel is another traditionally popular cruise port, but unlike Nassau, doesn't have the low rating problem.  However, the club addresses a different need.

Royal Caribbean is investing in many places, including Galveston, Texas.  While Florida may be the capital of cruising, Galveston is quickly becoming a rival hot spot, with newer and bigger ships sailing from Texas.  In fact, Royal Caribbean built a massive new cruise terminal that can handle the largest cruise ships in the world.

The issue with cruises from Galveston has been a lack of port variety. In order to meet the typical week-long vacation window most Americans abide by, cruise ships sailing from Galveston are relegated to the same Western Caribbean cruise ports, including Cozumel.

A Royal Beach Club in Cozumel gives Royal Caribbean passengers something different, and a familiar face in a crowded room of things to do.

Just like Nassau, the beach club in Cozumel will combine great views, with great access to water.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider described the club as having, "great beach, great pool, great food, great service."

The Cozumel club will offer swim-up bars, pools cabanas to rent, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

Full details haven't been released yet, but there have been hints both beach clubs are going to truly stand out as more than "just another beach" to visit.

Combining new destinations and new ships

The new beach clubs dove tail right into the launch of three new cruise ships that Royal Caribbean thinks will offer the very best vacation choice in the market.

Icon of the Seas launched earlier this year to become the world's largest cruise ship, and has earned incredible accolades for setting a new standard for cruise ships.

Utopia of the Seas also launched this year, and while not as innovative as Icon, she is arguably the top choice for a short weekend cruise.

Next year, Star of the Seas will join the fleet and sail from Port Canaveral, Florida. The sister to Icon of the Seas, Star will will be a follow-up that seeks to capitalize on Icon's success while introducing a few improvements.

Royal Caribbean seems to think combing the very best cruise ships with the very best destinations is how they'll win over thousands of people who have never taken a cruise before. To borrow a term from the military, it looks like a lot of "shock and awe" to stand out from any other choice.

I fell in love with cruising before my first child was born, so when we started having kids, taking them with us was a natural fit.

My two kids are now 13 and 9 years old, and I've taken them on enough Royal Caribbean cruises that my oldest has well over 400 points on her own in the Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program. We've cruised around the Caribbean, Bahamas, Alaska, and we're headed to Europe next summer for the first time with them.

Traveling with kids changes the dynamics, and I've learned a lot of lessons along the way.

In all those years, here are the biggest travel mistakes I've made with my kids, from when they were babies and toddlers to teenagers.

I should have cruised more after they were old enough to cruise

Babies need to be at least six months old to be able to sail on most Royal Caribbean cruises, and I wish I took advantage of the first six months of eligibility more.

When babies are in their first year, they're in their "goldfish stage" of life where they are there mostly to observe.  They can't crawl, can't talk, and they're mostly along for the ride.

The advantage of this age is you can do more with them onboard without much impact to your own plans.  

Kids change everything about your life, and that becomes very apparent as they get older and you start to incorporate their personalities into your plans. But in that first year, I feel like you can take them along more since they are still super dependent on you.

While babies seem to come with more supplies than an army regiment, I think we stayed home too much early on.

Not packing enough baby supplies

On one early cruise we took with my oldest daughter, we learned you go through many more supplies on a ship than at home.

We actually ran out of baby formula and ended up making a run to a supermarket in Cozumel, Mexico to get more.  Because the baby formula brands are different there, it left us a bit uneasy with what to purchase.

Part of why we ran low on formula was because the nursery on the ship seemed to feed her more often, and also because we tried to time feedings with when we were at a restaurant onboard.

On top of that, babies just go through a lot of clothing on a cruise and it was eye opening how much more we really needed. 

As a result, we packed double the baby supplies what we thought we would need. It seemed overkill, but the peace of mind of having enough was worth it.

Not slowing down my cruise pace earlier to cruise at their pace

As my kids got older and could walk, "talk", and swim, I learned we had to adjust our cruise expectations.

Because I had started cruising before I had kids, I developed my own rhythm to my onboard plans. But on one cruise, we got to the second day and things were not going well. It seemed like we were butting heads with my daughter about everything.

In frustration, I called my mom to vent and she taught me an important lesson of sometimes you have to take it down a notch and move at her schedule, even if it means not doing what I want to do.

So we skipped our plans the next day and let my daughter splash around in the aqua park, take a full nap, and have plenty of food breaks.

While not the most super adventurous cruise I ever took, we all had a better day overall. I learned my wife and I could enjoy having a cocktail while my daughter played and our evenings were better if a nap happened instead of trying to "power through it".

There's nothing wrong with making grandiose plans, but you also need to keep things simple.

Not calling the nursery during the day for more breaks

Royal Caribbean's onboard nursery is the best money I've ever spent on a cruise, but I wish I took advantage of it earlier on.

The nursery is small and has limited slots for kids. So when you register them, there aren't a lot of reservations you can make in advance.  On the surface, that sounds like you have only a few times to get your kids in there.

The truth is you can always call and ask if they have openings. I found in the daytime especially, they had a lot of no-shows or open slots.

My favorite strategy was when it was time to feed our kids and put them down for a nap to call the nursery first and ask if they had an opening. During the day, I think it almost always worked (most passengers preferred to bring their kids to the nursery for dinner) and we'd tell them to call us after the nap is over.

In many cases, even after the nap, our daughters loved hanging out in there and we'd have some extra time.  

By taking advantage of this strategy, we got more time for my wife and I to go to the pool, hit the casino, or enjoy one of the activities onboard.

Not pushing for more days away from school in early grades

When I was kid, being taken out of school for a day or two (or even a week) was no big deal. Now, it's a major faux pas to have more than a few unexcused absences.

Part of that is because of how much group learning kids do compared to when I was in school, but I really wish I pushed more for days away when the kids were in elementary school.

As my kids have gotten older, the workload at school has increased to the point that I can see why pulling them is a mistake. But in Kindergarten through second grade, it would have had less of a detrimental impact on their learning and grades.

Fighting my kids on what they eat or don't eat on a cruise

Every parent probably struggles with getting their kids to finish their meals, but I wish I had an epiphany about kids eating earlier.

I remember being in the Main Dining Room with one of my kids and struggling to get her to eat whatever she ordered. It then occurred to me, why do I care?

At home, the food costs money and if we make something else, it requires more effort to cook, clean, and serve. But on a ship, there's a buffet and other quick service food choices around. So I'm not hard pressed to ensure they eat the one dish they ordered. If they want Sorrento's pizza, c'est la vie.

After all, they're on vacation too, and if they eat quesadillas from El Loco Fresh, pizza, and whatever else they deem good, that's fine. I'll let us both enjoy the culinary détente, and resume hostilities back at home.

Two cabins is a must

As my kids got older, the need for an extra bathroom and sleeping separation became more and more apparent.

Sharing a cabin with your kids when they are toddlers makes sense since there's a lot of back and forth, but as they get older, I've found for sanity sake, it's a relief having two cabins.

Booking two cabins might sound expensive, but I've found booking two smaller connecting cabins is around the same price as a single larger cabin. This is especially true when comparing it against a suite.

I can't recommend enough to book two connecting cabins when you're cruising with kids so you can have a full bathroom for them. The shower alone is worth it, given how my girls use the shower as a karaoke room, makeup studio, and sauna.

I would caution against booking adjoining rooms because having the common door in-between that comes with a connecting room is well worth it.

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How do you top an already record setting cruise ship? Royal Caribbean has big plans for its next big ship to follow up on Icon of the Seas' incredible success.

Star of the Seas will launch in August 2025 and be the second Icon Class ship in the fleet. Royal Caribbean isn't content with making a carbon copy of Icon, as they've outlined key areas how the next ship will be different.

The new cruise ship will offer 7-night cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Just like Icon, Star will be packed with lots to do for everyone, leaning heavily into the family cruise segment.

Picking a homeport less than an hour from the tourist hub of Orlando is no coincidence. Royal Caribbean wants to bring the world's best family vacation to one of the biggest family markets.

Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer, said his team took a deep dive into the incredible success of Icon of the Seas to find ways to go beyond that with Star, "we've looked at Star and we've kind of identified a series of big focus areas for us through that lens of ship destination and home port."

Doubling down on family

Royal Caribbean has made it no secret the Icon Class ships are positioned to be direct competition to land vacations in Orlando at Walt Disney World.

Star of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral in order to draw families away from a typical land trip and instead take a cruise.

Mr. Schneider said one goal has been making the family component of Star of the Seas even better for families, "the first focus area has been really doubling down on youth and family."

Surfside is an entire neighborhood designed with kids in mind and Royal Caribbean has a few ways they'll make it even better.

Fundamentally, they're going to make Surfside appeal to slightly older kids too.  Mr. Schneider said Icon's Surfside was meant for ages 0-6, but Star will bring that up to about 10.  That's because the area drew families with slightly older children.

Splashaway Bay and the Playscape will get new features, "more play activations really to kind of make kids of all ages happy with the offering."

The Water's Edge pool was originally meant to be an enclave for parents, but in practice has become an extension of the kids pool.

"What we found over time is it really is just expanded play for kids with parents, too. And so programmatically, we continue to lean in to that," Mr. Schneider said.

The kids clubs on Star of the Seas will get updates too. In addition to evolving the look and feel of Adventure Ocean, Mr. Schneider said there will be more "analog play" offered instead of relying on video and computerized games.

"While we're not taking anything away, one of the things we've heard is more analog play and so more kind of classic analog games," he said in talking about the impetus for the improvements.

Royal Caribbean will reboot the teen offerings to match what they're seeing in guests feedback.

Mr. Schneider said teens, "really want places to meet up and then kind of move around the ship to try to be more adults."

"We're rebooting based on that feedback the look and feel of the teen space and then reevaluating our programming for teens, how we activate them elsewhere in the ship as well."

Photo by Shannon Sinclair

Some other initiatives first introduced on Icon of the Seas will continue with Star of the Seas.  

The Kidfinder option will be rolled out of testing and into full offering on Star of the Seas. This is a waterproof bracelet that allows parents to track the bracelet's location via the Royal Caribbean app.

Fear not, Star of the Seas will have a family dog onboard, named Sailor.

Introducing facial recognition cabins

Royal Caribbean is going to test facial recognition stateroom doors on Star of the Seas.

This was an idea the cruise line had in play just before everything shutdown in 2020, but will get implemented in a small capacity on Star of the Seas.

Read more: Royal Caribbean patents facial recognition cruise ship cabin doors

Mr. Schneider said this will be a pilot program, and was not sure how many cabins will be equipped with it.

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

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

Mr. Schneider said the townhouse will get an "uplift" and "will get really a new look to it."

Based on guest feedback so far on Icon, the cruise line felt changes were needed.

Upgrades to dining

Royal Caribbean has said the top two reasons people go on a cruise with them is for destination and food, and that drives a lot of the offerings on Star of the Seas.

There will be a sequel to the glitzy Empire Supper Club dining experience.  On Star, the focus will shift west to Chicago and become the Lincoln Park Supper Club.

"It's our flagship intimate fine dining entertainment concept [that] will bring forward that same formula that's worked so well in the Empire Supper Club. But again, themed menu, music, all paired to the Chicago and Chicagoland area."

Royal Caribbean also wants to improve on one of its most well-received complimentary venues, Aquadome Market.

On Icon of the Seas, it's located inside the ship’s AquaDome neighborhood, and offers five food stands offering everything from chicken pita wraps to bacon mac n’ cheese and a variety of paninis. 

"We're currently in the concept testing of how to evolve for Star, and eventually Icon Three, kind of the offering in the market," he said.

Don't worry, the fundamentals of the Aquadome Market won't change.  There will still be great complementary grab and go food served in a food hall.

One restaurant that will be overhauled is Pier 7. Mr. Schneider said called it, "a successful concept for us" but they want to keep it a "white space" to tinker with a new offering.

Located in the Surfside neighborhood, it serves California inspired cuisine and kids eat free there.

Mr. Schneider said they have not picked a final idea for the space yet, "We won't probably announce that until much closer in because we're going to do the same thing we did on Icon, which is we're going through the concepting as a result of it being a white space."

Read more: Royal Caribbean surveys customers for a new restaurant idea on its Icon class ships

Combining a new ship and a new beach club

When Star of the Seas launches, you can eventually look forward to cruises that take you to a day at Royal Caribbean's new beach club in Mexico.

Opening sometime in 2026, the Royal Beach Club Cozumel will be the second Royal Beach Club to open, following Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island in The Bahamas.

An extra cost beach available exclusively to Royal Caribbean passengers, admission will include access to swim-up bars, pools cabanas to rent, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

"We're excited about that kind of combination of new ship, new homeport and then... the continued expansion of our destination product."

More tweaks and enhancements

Mr. Schneider highlighted a few other improvements Royal Caribbean has planned for Star compared to Icon.

The Pearl will be improved to be more spectacular visually, "instead of a single color light ring in the back of each of those 3500 plus tiles, they go to full multicolor rings."

"That allows us to get a much richer color, wash throughout the entire Pearl, and gives us kind of a broader canvas to play with as we think of the stories that we want to tell."

There will also be more more pool space on Star. That's because Mr. Schneider's team was worried about "water weight", but it's practical to add it back, "we are adding a little bit of incremental water weight back in a hot tub that will be adjacent between Lime and Coconut, and the Aquadome Market that was originally planned on being there, but got pulled at the last minute due to water weight."

"It turns out we had enough weight to play with, and that was my quick ten minute, maybe longer run through of our our focus areas."

"The world's best family vacation was never about size for us"

Star of the Seas won't be slightly larger than Icon of the Seas, and Royal Caribbean doesn't necessarily care about that title.

When asked about if Star will be bigger than Icon, Mr. Schneider talked about the importance of what the ship offers rather than dimensions, "that's never been a focus for us. The world's best family vacation was never about size for us. It still isn't."

"The reality is the things that we expected in our kind of hyper focused guest research needs, we've continued to look at through the lens of what we're actually seeing in operation. And all of it is, is just working so well."

He sees tremendous success with how Royal Caribbean has positioned its Icon Class ships to offer the very best experience, and offering many ways for families to bond and create memories.

The Product Development team focuses on the diverse options for guests to enjoy onboard, and while that may move the needle to require a bigger cruise ship, it's not simply size.

Drinks on a cruise ship aren't cheap, so if you can get free drinks, you could significantly cut down on your bar bill.

With cocktails on a Royal Caribbean cruise costing $14 and beers as much as $7.99, enjoying a few drinks every day on your cruise can get expensive.

Royal Caribbean includes some drinks with your cruise fare, but soft drinks, cocktails, beer, and mocktails all cost extra. Each beverage you order that isn't included comes with an automatic 18% gratuity on top of the base cost.

Luckily, there are some easy (and not so easy) ways to get free drinks on a Royal Caribbean cruise that almost anyone can take advantage of and save money along the way.

Book a suite

One easy way to get free drinks is to pay for a Royal Caribbean suite.

If you book a Grand Suite or higher cabin, one of the many suite perks you get are complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages each evening in the Suite Lounge.

Depending on which ship you sail, there are different hours where there's an open bar for suite guests. On Icon and Oasis Class ships, the Suite Lounge serves complimentary beer and wine between 11am and 11pm, with cocktails offered between 4:30pm and 8:00pm.

On other ships, there's a happy hour for complimentary drinks in the evening that begins around 5pm and ends around 8pm.

There are two downsides to booking a suite for free drinks. First, you have to pay more to get a suite. Suites can cost a lot and it may still be cheaper to book a standard cabin and pay out of pocket for your drinks.

The other issue is the free drinks are only available in the Suite Lounge and at limited hours.  So when you're at the pool, at a show, or anywhere else on the ship, you're out of luck unless you're willing to walk back to the Suite Lounge.

Of course, you could go for the very top end of Royal Caribbean's suite program and book a Star Class suite. 

Star Class suites are the largest suites offered, and they include a complimentary Royal Caribbean drink package.

Read more: A beginner's guide to sailing in Star Class

Become a Diamond member

My favorite way to get free drinks on any Royal Caribbean ship is to take advantage of arguably the best customer loyalty perk offered by any cruise line, daily free drinks for Diamond members and above.

If you can reach Diamond status within the Crown and Anchor Society, you'll get 4 drink vouchers per day, per person to enjoy at any bar, and at any time.

The vouchers are digital, and you just need to ask the bartender or waiter to use one. 

I love this benefit because it works on every cruise and at any bar. 

Read more: Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise

The drawback to the Diamond drink vouchers is you need to cruise enough with Royal Caribbean to attain that status.  You need 80 points in their customer loyalty program to qualify, and if you booked you and your family in a balcony cabin, you would need to sail on 12 week-long cruises before you hit that number.

The Diamond drink vouchers won't benefit anyone new to Royal Caribbean, but if you've cruised a few times before, it could be a target for you to hit in the near future.

Read more: 6 ways you should change how you cruise once you hit Diamond

Attend the art auction

Anyone in any cabin or loyalty status can get free champagne by going to one of the art auctions onboard.

Art auctions are where you can bid for pieces of art to have shipped to your house. Art auctions have been around for years, and since it's a niche interest activity, they offer complimentary champagne if you attend.

Art auctions are only held a few times per sailing, and once the auction ends, so does the champagne. 

Attend the Top Tier event

Another opportunity to get a few mixed drinks once per cruise is to go to the Top Tier event held on cruises longer than 4-nights for members of the Crown and Anchor Society.

It's for anyone that's reached Platinum status, which requires just 30 points.

Top Tier is an event that recognizes the loyalty of Royal Caribbean's customers, and they serve various mixed drinks and champagne during the event.

During Top Tier, the Captain, Hotel Director, and Cruise Director make speeches thanking cruisers and recognizing specific ones that have cruised a lot. Usually the house band plays some music and some of the entertainers perform a number.

Gamble in the casino

If you're willing to potentially lose money in the casino, there is an upside to that gambling.

Gambling is addictive and dangerous, so please exercise caution, but if you're comfortable with gambling, Royal Caribbean's Casino Royale will give you free drinks for an entire year if you gamble enough.

The casino has its own customer loyalty program, and if you can get 2500 points within one year between April 1st and March 31st, you'll get unlimited free drinks at the casino bar.

You can accumulate the 2500 points over different sailings, but once you get the total points, the drink benefit becomes active immediately.

Similar to the Suite Lounge, you can only get free drinks at the casino and no where else on the ship.

The other downside to this is you might lose money.  In fact, you should expect to lose a lot of money before you reach 2500 points.  If you play slot machines, you'll earn 1 point for every 5 dollars you wager, so you can do the math on that.

Nonetheless, free drinks in the casino (along with the free cruise you'll also earn when you reach Prime status) is a very lucrative offer, especially for those that cruise a lot.

Tip the bartender

An old school strategy for getting a free drink here or there is to tip your bartender.

It's not as straight forward as the other ways mentioned in this article, but it could work for you.  Basically, find a bartender you like, tip them well, and maybe you get a free drink here or there.

I wouldn't call this a primary strategy for free drinks, rather, something to keep in mind.  It works well for casual drinkers. 

Even if you don't get any free drinks, you're almost certainly going to get faster service and that makes a difference when the bar gets busy.

Bring your own wine

A tried-and-true way to drink for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise is bring your own wine.

You can bring one bottle of wine (or champagne) per adult on embarkation day, and then enjoy the wine anywhere on the ship.

There's theoretically a corkage fee if you have the wine opened at a bar or restaurant, but it's been my experience that has rarely been enforced.

Not only will this allow you to have wine without paying Royal Caribbean's prices, but you can bring the exact brand and type you prefer.

Of course, you're still paying for the wine when you buy it at home, but you'll probably get a better deal at your wine store than on the ship.

Read more: How to Cheat The Royal Caribbean Drink Package

Book a shore excursion that includes drinks

Many shore excursions in the Caribbean include free drinks, such as a rum punch or margaritas.

I've seen free drinks served on boats, catamarans, ferries, trains, and at the beach. You might consider booking a tour that brings you to a fun spot and also serves complimentary booze too.

There are also all-inclusive beach excursions you can book where it's essentially an open bar when you get there. Day passes to beach resorts are a popular choice for time ashore, and some of the best ones tend to be in Mexico.

...or just buy a drink package

If all of this sounds cumbersome, expensive, or not enough to really make a dent in your bar bill, you might be better off paying for a Royal Caribbean drink package.

Read more: Everything you need to know about a drink package

Drink packages aren't cheap, but they're also a better deal for anyone that might have more than 4 cocktails per day.

The advantage of getting a beverage package is you will cap your bar bill and be able to enjoy unlimited drinks. No bar tab, no regret choosing a cocktail you don't like, and no hoops to jump through.

Moreover, some drink packages include drinks beyond booze, such as sodas, premium coffees, bottled water, and juice.

A cruise in Europe is unlike a Caribbean cruise in many ways, including things you should bring with you on the trip.

I'm headed to Europe for a 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Spain and France, and in the weeks leading up to the cruise, I wanted to make sure I have everything I need.

There are a lot of similarities between a Caribbean cruise and an European cruise, but there are a few items that I think are different or more important to have when going to Europe.

After trying Europe last year, I came away with a few takeaways to apply. Plus, I'm headed to different destinations than last time.

Read more: 7 mistakes & 3 things I did right on my Norwegian fjords cruise

Here's the list of things I bought for my European cruise that I think will greatly benefit me.  This is of course in addition to the usual assortment of cruise packing list items that I think everyone should rely on as well.

eSim

Staying connected is really important to me, and I want to make sure I have a very easy time being able to not only work on this site while on another continent, but be able to easily communicate with friends and family.

Rather than rely on an international cell phone plan from my home carrier, I went with an eSim that covers all of Europe.

When I went to Europe last year, I was turned onto Orange Travel eSims and it worked flawlessly.  

In the old days, you had to get a physical sim card and have your phone unlocked and it was all super cumbersome.  With modern phones, it's all virtual.

Basically, you buy a travel plan that is good for 7, 14, or even 28 days. When you get to Europe, scan a QR code and it downloads the eSim information to your phone and you have a second cellular connection ready to go!

It's really simple, and I bought the 30GB plan that works for 14 days from the time of activation. I think it's probably more data than I need, but I can always top it off if I need more. Total cost is €39.99.

It works in all the countries I'll be visiting, and I can avoid having to constantly try to find a WiFi signal somewhere.

UK/EU power adaptor

One of the best things to pack for any cruise is downright essential on a European cruise.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships don't always have a lot of power outlets, so a USB hub is very useful.  In Europe, you're going to need that and a good power adaptor to go with it.

Between your phone, laptop, and any other electronic you pack, the outlets in Europe are very different.

The EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter (this is an affiliate link, which means I get a small commission but there's no extra cost to you) is great because it's small, and it can work with US, EU, or UK power outlets.  Plus, it has USB outlets on the side!

It's an all-in-one adapter that has 4 USB-A ports (2.4A), 1 USB-C port (3A), and 1 AC socket.

I've been able to bring this on cruise ships and use it around Europe, and it's a solid investment.

Better walking shoes

When I'm at home, I wear basic shoes that are far from perfect for walking, so I needed a better pair for Europe.

Between exploring London and the shore excursions I have planned in France and Spain, there's going to be plenty of walking involved.  Getting a blister or just sore feet sounds is not something I want, so I decided to invest in better shoes for walking.

There are lots of sneakers out there, but I ultimately went with the Nike Men's Sports Low Top Shoes. For the ladies, my friend Sheri recommends the adidas Women's Cloudfoam sneakers. (this is an affiliate link, which means I get a small commission but there's no extra cost to you)

If you do buy sneakers for your cruise, be sure to break them in before the cruise begins.  Don't wear brand new shoes around Europe. Instead, wear them around your house and town so they are worn-in and ready to tackle the old streets of Europe.

Theft-proof bag

Rather than stuff all my personal belongings in my pockets, investing in a good bag that doubles against pickpockets seemed like a good idea.

A lot of travel experts recommend a crossbody bag as something to take with you on shore, and I wanted to go one step further to ensure it is theft-proof.

Pickpockets are a concern in Europe, and while I won't pretend to know how likely a threat, I figure it's better to be safe than sorry.

Ultimately I went with the Wander Plus Anti Theft Travel Bag (this is an affiliate link, which means I get a small commission but there's no extra cost to you) because it can be worn as a crossbody bag or as a sling bag.

I've never worn a crossbody bag, and I'm still traumatized by the fanny pack craze of the 1990s.  So while I won't wear Zubaz pants anytime soon, I'm willing to give crossbody bags a try.

Apple AirTags

I think everyone has a small panic attack contemplating what happens if their luggage would get lost, so that's why I bought Apple AirTags.

Air travel is especially notorious for lost bags, and I would have far more peace of mind knowing where my bags are located.

An AirTag is a small, button-shaped tracking device that weighs just 11 grams. AirTags can be tracked using Bluetooth in the Find My app on my iPhone.

A single AirTag will cost $29 and a 4-pack costs $99. (These links contain an affiliate link. I earn from qualifying purchases that costs you nothing extra)

It's an easy and affordable add-on for my trip, and I think I'll have less anxiety about my luggage not making it with me.

Read more: I tried AirTags to track my luggage on a Royal Caribbean cruise

One thing I'm not packing: toiletries

Don't worry, I'm planning to shower regularly during my European cruise.  But I won't bother buying them at home and bringing them with me.

First, they take up space in my luggage and add weight.  If they're travel size, not that much weight and space, but it all adds up.

But the real reason I'm not packing toiletries is because I'm always paranoid of them opening/exploding in my luggage.  Sure, I can put them in a zip lock bag, but then we're back to the first issue I talked about.

Instead, I'll buy them when I get to London and then toss them when I'm ready to come home.

And if you're concerned I'll forget or get lazy, the included 3-in-1 mystery liquid in Royal Caribbean's shower is a non-starter for me, so I'll definitely find the motivation to get it.

Hurricane Ernesto has affected the itinerary for another Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

With the storm's anticipated path headed for Bermuda, Royal Caribbean has altered the plan for Liberty of the Seas August 15, 2024 cruise.

The original plan was for Liberty to sail a 9 Night Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean cruise.

Instead, Liberty of the Seas will skip its visit to Bermuda and go west of the storm and south to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.

An email sent to booked passengers explained the change, "Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we've been monitoring the track of Hurricane Ernesto along our intended path. 

"In order to stay safe and clear of this hurricane, we will now skip our visit to Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, and travel west of the storm and south to Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos. While not the original itinerary planned, we're excited to have an extra day to enjoy Grand Turk with you!"

Any pre-booked shore excursions through the cruise line will be automatically refunded.

The new itinerary includes a visit to Grand Turk twice on consecutive days, followed by the resumption of their original itinerary.  

Cruise lines will alter the itinerary of a cruise ship to avoid bad weather, especially tropical storms. Usually an itinerary change similar to what has happened to Liberty of the Seas is all that's needed.  

It's rare for a cruise to be cancelled because of a hurricane.

The cruise line apologized for having no choice but to change its original plans, "We're terribly sorry for this 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."

Liberty of the Seas is a Freedom Class cruise ship, capable of sailing with up to 4,960 passengers at maximum capacity.

Read more: What I liked (and disliked) about my Liberty of the Seas cruise

Liberty of the Seas is still on schedule to return to Cape Liberty on August 24.

Fourth Royal Caribbean cruise ship affected by Ernesto

Liberty of the Seas is the fourth Royal Caribbean cruise ship to change its itinerary this week.

Icon of the Seas had to swap itineraries, going from an Eastern Caribbean cruise to a Western Caribbean sailing.  

Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Rhapsody of the Seas reversed its port order to avoid the path of the storm and went to Barbados first.

Symphony of the Seas replaced a port visit to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic with a visit to Nassau, Bahamas.

These changes were made before Ernesto had become a hurricane.

Other cruise lines changed their plans too.

Carnival had to alter the itinerary for Carnival Magic and Carnival Pride, and is monitoring the itineraries for the Carnival Freedom and Mardi Gras.

Norwegian Cruise Line had three ships change plans, including Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Sky, and Norwegian Joy.

Hurricane Ernesto's path

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Ernesto is a Category 1 Hurricane centered about 600 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and is moving north.

The storm moved through Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and it's now past those islands.

While not a threat to the United States mainland, it appears headed straight for Bermuda.

Ernesto is heading north at 13 mph early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the hurricane center said.

Ernesto could become a major hurricane by Friday, which means it would have to reach Category 3 or higher.

The National Hurricane Center that Bermuda will see a "dangerous storm surge" that will produce significant coastal flooding and destructive waves. The island nation will see about half a foot of rain and in some areas, up to a foot, possibly resulting in "considerable life-threatening flash flooding."