Welcome to this week's round-up of all the Royal Caribbean news and happenings.  Hope you are staying warm and are ready to cozy up to some great Royal Caribbean fun.

Grandeur of the Seas had to go in for immediate repairs to fix an issue with her rudder earlier this week.

During a sailing, Royal Caribbean notified guests that Grandeur of the Seas was experiencing a technical issue which limits the operation of one of the two rudders used to steer the ship. As a result, the ship would be delayed in returning to Baltimore by two days.

The repairs took place on January 11, with the ship returning to Baltimore on January 13.  This caused the current sailing to be extended by two days and the next sailing to be shortened by two days.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean announced it will hold a Symphony of the Seas event in London.
• Our top ways to save money on your 2018 Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Are you cruising with children? Here is our guide to going on Royal Caribbean with kids.
• Top 10 tips for taking a Royal Caribbean cruise by yourself.
• Answers to commonly asked questions about Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package.
• Here are the easy steps to follow to book a Royal Caribbean dining package.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 232nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we talk about what to do if the price of your Royal Caribbean cruise drops.

Getting the best possible price for your cruise vacation is a goal every savvy traveler seeks, and on this week's episode, Annette and Matt talk about how to find price drops and what to do if the price does indeed change.

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 Around the Internet

Orlando Sentinel listed five new cruise ships slated for Florida debuts in 2018.

Eat Sleep Cruise listed 10 signs you are addicted to Royal Caribbean.

Cruise Habit explained cruise line transfers that get you to and from your cruise.

Going on a Royal Caribbean cruise by yourself may sound like a weird idea and feel intimidating, but in reality, it is an incredibly enjoyable experience.

If you have never taken a cruise solo before, it may seem off-putting, but if you talk to those who have done it before, it is a great decision.

If you are thinking of taking a solo Royal Caribbean cruise, here are some good tips for making the experience even better!

1. Look for solo cabins...

Did you know that Royal Caribbean offers some staterooms designed specifically for those who cruise alone?

These studio staterooms are available on select Royal Caribbean ships, and offer a private stateroom without a single supplement fee. Quite often, the single supplement fee is equivalent to double the cost of a single guest. Because the cruise line business model depends on staterooms filled with at least two guests in them, single supplement fees have been the means of ensuring the cruise line is not taking a loss on a solo cruiser.

With single staterooms, there is no single supplement fee. When Royal Caribbean added these rooms, they designed them to be respective of the ship's business model and this means solo cruisers do not have to pay double the cost of what the cruise should be.

2. ...but regular cabins work too

Studio staterooms are a wonderful idea, but there are very few of them and they tend to sell out quickly. As a solo cruiser, paying for a traditional stateroom has two distinct advantages that should not be overlooked.

First, Royal Caribbean will give you double Crown and Anchor Society points per night of your cruise if you book a traditional stateroom alone (and triple points if you book a suite by yourself). This means you can move up the Crown and Anchor Society levels quite quickly!

Second, booking a standard stateroom provides many more choices of room types, along with a lot more living space. Studio rooms can be a good financial decision, but they are not spacious, nor do they typically offer a balcony.

In short, while paying a single supplement fee is not ideal, it is not the worst idea either.  In fact, many solo cruisers book regular rooms with an eye on getting a good deal to make it worthwhile.

3. Don't be afraid to dine alone

Just because you are cruising alone does not mean you should skip sit down meals in the fabulous restaurants on your Royal Caribbean cruise.

While you can certainly relegate yourself to dining in the Windjammer, Cafe Promenade, and other grab-and-go spots, you would be doing a disservice to yourself by skipping the other restaurants.

Most importantly, it will not be weird or awkward if you go to a specialty restaurant or main dining room alone. Most people likely will not even notice, and plenty of guests with family onboard opt to dine alone for a variety of reasons. The bottom line is dining alone is not a bad thing, it should be embraced!

By going solo, you get to choose the restaurants you want to dine at and eat at your pace.

4. Splurge!

If you are going to cruise alone, take advantage of the fact you only have to pay for yourself and treat yo self. After all, this is your vacation, so enjoy it!

Book a massage at the spa, or try a new shore excursion. Pick up an unlimited alcohol package, or upgrade to a nicer stateroom and make your solo cruise your best one yet.

5. Talk to crew members

While you may not know any other guests onboard, make a special effort to talk to crew members.

Royal Caribbean crew members are friendly to all guests, so if you are cruising solo, getting a chance to talk up your waiters, stateroom attendant or bar servers is a great way to not only feel like you are talking to other people, but also get to know some really fun and interesting people.

Crew members are not just a great communication outlet, they are a great resource for learning tips and tricks on shore, as well as hearing stories about past cruises.

6. Meet internet friends

If you would like to see a few friendly faces onboard your ship, make an effort prior to your cruise to meet others who will be on your sailing via the internet. One thing the internet is fabulous at is helping connect people.

To find people on your Royal Caribbean cruise, try one of these resources:

• Find a Facebook group for your sailing
  • Search Facebook for your ship name and sail date (i.e. Harmony of the Seas January 13, 2024).
• Register for a Cruise Critic meet n mingle

You are under no obligation to spend all cruise with these people. However, you never know who you might meet and even if you get together to share a bus on an excursion or just a couple drinks at the bar, it can be a great opportunity to talk to other people.

7. Travel at your pace

Cruising solo means you get to do what you want, when you want it. When you cruise with other people, almost anything you do involves ensuring they want to do it as well (unless you are inconsiderate, of course). But cruising solo is all about you.

When you cruise solo, you can be as flexible as you like, and try something you have always wanted to experience. When you are by yourself, you can easily pivot and do things on the fly, as there is no collaborative element. Not having any plan may make you feel somewhat “naked” at first, but it is another way to have a different type of day on Royal Caribbean. Spontaneity is one of the highlights of a solo cruise.

8. Share your experience

Social media can be your lifeline to the outside world. While there is something to be said for actually experiencing what you are doing rather than sharing the supposed experience, a solo trip is somewhat different because it gives you a chance to engage with others.

Part of what makes a trip with others fun is sharing those little moments in the parks with someone else. Sharing online provides a quick and easy way to have a semblance of that, while still traveling solo.

There are many great online groups that would not only welcome your membership, but relish in living vicariously through your adventures. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Royal Caribbean 1 Love
• Royal Caribbean Blog Live Blog message board
• RCPeriscopers.Live (a group dedicated to sharing live video on your cruise)
• Cruise Life Group

Oh, and be sure to bring an external battery charger for your phone. The dullness of sitting around by yourself can dramatically increase your use of your phone, which will use a lot of battery.

9. Try lots of activities

If you are feeling lonely, or simply want to meet other guests onboard, embrace the daily activities offered on your cruise ship.  

Your cruise director and staff pack the Cruise Compass with lots of great activities from morning to late night, and that means plenty of opportunities to meet other guests. Since all of the events involve many guests, the fact you are by yourself is irrelevant. It is not only a great way to get involved with the fun onboard, but you get immersed with other guests and you may find yourself making new friends.

Cruising solo may allow you to get out of your usual cruise routine and try out a new activity. Having the opportunity to see shows, participate in contests, or get together for meets is a great way to not only expand your Royal Caribbean cruise experience, but strike up conversations with others.

10. Take a class or tour

Royal Caribbean offers a number of classes and tours that are perfect for any number of guests, including solo cruisers.

Sign up for a cooking class, try out a fitness course, or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship. These are just some of the fun ways to participate onboard. Moreover, these activities are intrinsically enjoyed alone, which makes them perfect for solo cruisers.

Your thoughts

Have you taken a solo Royal Caribbean cruise? Any additional tips? Are you thinking of going solo on Royal Caribbean? Does a solo trip seem like something you would enjoy, or would you miss being with your friends or family? Hearing from you is half the fun, so if you have other thoughts or questions, please share them in the comments!

Save this blog on Pinterest

Get your weekend started with our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean cruise photos! Each week, we show off Royal Caribbean photos that our readers submitted.  It is a great way to enjoy lovely photos, as well as take a "virtual trip" back on a cruise.

Our first photo is of a foggy Anthem of the Seas in Portland, taken by Loren and Carrie Sullivan.

Speaking of Anthem of the Seas, here is a photo of her in Labadee, taken by Anoop.

Check out this beautiful photo of the Milky Way by Ken "CookingYo" Licwinko, talken on Jewel of the Seas from his balcony!

I think Martine's photo of cocktails on the top deck of Harmony of the Seas captures the essence of what we all want in a cruise right now: clear skies, a warm breeze, and cold cocktail!

Dennis Chimelis shared this great sunset photo with Majesty of the Seas visible on the horizon.

Here is a photo of Belinda Maxwell on the left side of the photo, with a look at the Royal Promenade on Independence of the Seas.

Our final photo this week is by Bob & Trish Kaelblein playing mini golf on Oasis of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone for this week's fabulous photos. If you would like to send in your own Royal Caribbean photos to be featured here, use this form to have them included in a future edition!

Have you heard about Royal Caribbean's specialty dining packages? These are convenient options that allow you to enjoy multiple specialty restaurants on your Royal Caribbean cruise at a discount.  By purchasing a package, you can save a fair amount of money compared to trying to eat in the same amount of specialty restaurants individually.

If you have not heard of the dining packages before, or want to learn more about how they work, check out this overview. 

If you are considering purchasing a specialty restaurant package, here are the four easy steps you need to follow to ensure you have a fabulous dining experience once onboard.

1. Pick a dining package

This may seem obvious, but you will start off with actually purchasing a dining package before your cruise via Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site.

Royal Caribbean offers a number of dining packages, so compare the offerings for your sailing and see which fits your needs the best.  Deciding on the right dining package boils down to how many specialty restaurants you would like to dine at during the cruise.  Some guests like to sprinkle in specialty dining, while others prefer to dine exclusively at a specialty restaurant.

If you do not see any specialty dining packages listed yet for your cruise, don't worry.  That may simply be a result of your sail date being too far from now.  You will just have to periodically check back, as there is no set window of time when Cruise Planner purchases like a dining package become available.  You just have to check back now and then to see if they are available.

2. Pick a time for first meal

Once you pick the right dining package for you, you will have to select a day and time for your first meal. 

Part of the arrangement with any dining plan, is you must dine at one restaurant on either the first or second day of your cruise.  The Cruise Planner site will allow you to pick a day and time, although not the restaurant.  

You should not worry too much about the day and time you pick, nor the restaurant Royal Caribbean will pick for you, because you can always change this once onboard the ship (we will get to that in step 4).

Pick a day and time that make some sense to you and then go ahead and purchase the package.

3. Consult the Cruise Compass for schedule of events

Between when you purchase the dining package and your actual cruise, carve out some time to look at a schedule of events to get a sense of when you might be busy, and conversely, want to dine at a specialty restaurant.

Royal Caribbean does not publish a schedule of entertainment in advance of your cruise, so your best bet is to look at a past Cruise Compass for a recent sailing on the same ship you are going on soon.  While the Compass is for a past sailing, a lot of the schedule of events (especially the evening show times) tend to be the same from sailing to sailing. 

Your goal is to look at the show times, and then figure out which restaurants you would like to dine at and at what time.  

The reason you want to do this now, and not on your ship, is this will save you time once you get onboard.  Plus, you will be one step ahead of everyone else and that means less time on your cruise planning, and more time having fun!

4. Make reservations once onboard

The last step is board your Royal Caribbean cruise and on embarkation day, make reservations for your specialty restaurants as early as you can.  Booking the restaurants on embarkation day and as early in the day as you can will ensure you the largest array of availability.

You can go to any specialty restaurant or Guest Services to make reservations for your dining package.  Alternatively, we have seen on some Royal Caribbean ships stations set up exclusively for those with dining packages to make their reservations quickly.  Look in the Cruise Compass when you board the ship for that option.

If you completed the previous step, this step will be quite quick.  You can always change your mind later about restaurants and/or times, but locking in reservations early will provide you the most choices.

Attention all Brits, Royal Caribbean is inviting you to preview Symphony of the Seas at a special event in London!

Between February 2 and 3, 2018, the public is invited to "a first ever interactive, theatrical cruise experience on dry land and gain an exclusive preview of what will be the world’s newest and largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas."

The event is in Central London, and tickets are free. You simply need to register online.

Symphony of the Seas will be the fourth Oasis class cruise ship, and will launch in April 2018, offering cruises to the Mediterranean.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 232 is available for downloading, where we share how to check for price drops in your cruise fare and how to take advantage of it.

Matt and Annette talk about what to do if your Royal Caribbean cruise price drops, and share tips for locking in th enew price.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 232. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

Royal Caribbean informed guests scheduled to sail on Grandeur of the Seas, that the next sailing will be delayed due to an immediate repair need.

In an email to guests, Royal Caribbean indicated that Grandeur of the Seas is currently experiencing a technical issue which limits the operation of one of the two rudders used to steer the ship.

The cruise line went on to explain, "While the ship is fully operational, in an abundance of safety, we will be making the repairs immediately." Moreover, Royal Caribbean apologized for the schedule change, "We are very sorry for this impact to your vacation and thank you for your patience."

As a result of the repairs, the January 11, 2018 sailing has a new departure date of Saturday, January 13th.

Royal Caribbean is actively working through the details and will have another update today at 12:30 PM EST. This update will include boarding times on Saturday, compensation details and all other necessary information.

1:00PM EASTERN UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has provided an update on the shortened Grandeur of the Seas sailing.

Compensation details

Royal Caribbean will offer guests sailing on the shortened Grandeur of the Seas sailing a 50% refundable Onboard Credit to their account.  This amount will be based on the cruise fare portion paid, non-inclusive of taxes and fees.  If their onboard spend does not reach this amount, the remaining balance will go to the credit card on file.

If guests are unable to travel and need to cancel their cruise, Royal Caribbean will provide them with a refund to their original form of payment.  

For guests flying in

For Air2Sea guests or guests that purchased air directly with Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean will be reaching out to work through new travel arrangements.

If guests purchased air on your own, Royal Caribbean will be reimbursing change fees of up to $200 per person for Domestic flights and up to $300 per person for International flights (change in airline reservations must be like-for-like cabin class and a faxed/email copy of air fees assessed must be provided for reimbursement).  Please submit receipts to [email protected].

Pre-purchased items

If guests have a pre-purchased beverage package or an internet package, Royal Caribbean will provide them with a refund of the prorated 2 days.

Itinerary update & check-in

A Royal Caribbean cruise is a great family vacation choice, where both they and you can enjoy plenty of fun at sea and on shore.

Royal Caribbean welcomes children of all ages, and you will find plenty of other families on all Royal Caribbean sailings.  In fact, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of activities and programming for children and their families to ensure there is plenty to do onboard.  Royal Caribbean has dedicated facilities for children, where trained crew members supervise the children and guide them through different daily offerings.

What's available for kids on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean offers programming for children as young as six months old, all the way through the teenage years.

Infants and babies

For most cruises, infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise. For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise. Moreover, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise.

Children between the ages of six months and 36 months old can participate in the Royal Babies and Royal Tots (6-36 months) program.  Most Royal Caribbean ships offer a nursery, where parents can drop children off throughout the day and evening. Use of the nursery comes at an hourly charge. Young children can enjoy soft play areas and age-appropriate toys, as well as cribs and cots for napping or sleeping.

If you have children under the age of three, be sure to book a Royal Caribbean cruise that offers a nursery.  For child and parent alike, the nursery is a wonderful resource.

In addition to the Nursery, there is often a open play area set up during the day for parents to bring their young children to and play.  This is unsupervised play time, but does provide an opportunity every day for parents with toddlers to have space to crawl, play, and have some fun.

Children 3 years and older

Royal Caribbean's primary program for kids is Adventure Ocean and is offered in three segments

• Aquanauts (3-5 years old)
• Explorers (6-8 years old)
• Voyagers (9-11 years old)

Adventure Ocean is complimentary and is offered for most of your day onboard your ship, whether the cruise is in port or at sea.  From when Adventure Ocean opens until 10pm, there is no additional cost to use Adventure Ocean. From 10pm to 2am, Royal Caribbean offers an after hour option that has an hourly cost for parents that want to let kids stay a bit later.

There's a lot for kids to do here and the programs specialize for each age group.  It's a mix of learning, play time and socializing.  

Kids are checked in and out by parents and it's fully supervised by Royal Caribbean staff. The requirement for children to participate is to be at least 3 years old and be fully potty trained.  There are after hours programs offered as well in Adventure Ocean for an hourly fee if parents want their kids to have supervision later into the evening.

On sea days, Adventure Ocean is typically open

• 9am - noon
• 2pm - 5pm
• 7pm - 10pm

On port days, Adventure Ocean is open for the entire duration your Royal Caribbean ship is in port.  Once the ship leaves port, it resumes the normal schedule described in sea days.

In addition, Royal Caribbean will open Adventure Ocean early enough for guests booked on Royal Caribbean shore excursions to drop children off.  Check with the staff on exact times.

Tweens and Teens

Tweens and teens have their own programming on Royal Caribbean ships. Just like the younger children, there is crew member supervision, but the activities are designed to be more open and less restrictive to the kids. Royal Caribbean built the teen programs to be about empowering teens to do their own thing but still offer activities and fun events to help introduce everyone.

There are teen-only spots onboard the ship where they can come and go as they please. Each day there are teen only events planned in the Cruise Planner, where teens can have dedicated time to enjoy special activities. Royal Caribbean ships are known for their amazing features, like ice skating rinks, surf simulators, bumper cars, and more, so teens will have opportunities to enjoy these activities exclusively.

Sample Activities by Age Group

If you want to get an idea of the kind of activities offered by Adventure Ocean, here is a sampling from previous cruises.  This list is not indicative of everything offered by Royal Caribbean, nor is it a guarantee that it will be offered on your sailing.  It is merely an example of the sort of programming available in the past.

Aquanauts (3 - 5 years)

• Finger Painting
• Camp Aquanaut
• Building Blocks
• Play dough sculptures
• Music Activities
• Dot Dancing
• Games – animal, color and shape BINGO 

Explorers (6 - 8 years)

• Pirate Night
• Backstage Tour
• Nutty Nicknames
• Carnival Night
• Sports Tournaments
• Wide World of Sports Night
• Autograph Hunts 

Voyagers (9 - 11 years)

• Karaoke
• Sports Tournaments
• Adventure Challenge
• GaGa Ball
• H20 Thunder Races
• List-o-Rama
• The Art Walk 

Navigators (12 - 14 years)

• Sports Tournaments
• Pool Parties
• College Night
• Challenge Series
• Scavenger Hunts
• Karaoke
• Disco Dancing
• Video Games 

Teens (15 - 17 years)

• Dancing
• Pool Parties
• DJ Training
• Battle of the Sexes
• Karaoke
• Coffee Talk
• Talent Show
• Formal Night
• Survivor Series 

Cruise pricing for kids

A common question is if kids are charged the same as adults on Royal Caribbean, or if there is a cost to bring infants onboard.  

Like most of the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean charges all of its guests the same regardless of age. Cruise line pricing is based on double occupancy in a stateroom, and this has to do with the pricing model the cruise industry relies on to be profitable.

If your children will be the third or fourth (or more) passengers in the same room as two adults, their cruise fare is usually far less than the first two adults.  Occasionally, Royal Caribbean offers discounts on third and fourth passengers, as well as Kids Sail Free deals.  Be sure to consult your travel agent for guidance on taking advantage of these deals when they are available.

Staterooms

Most families book a single stateroom for their family during the cruise.  Royal Caribbean has staterooms that can accommodate three and four passengers easily, along with some stateroom configurations that can handle even more guests.

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has begun offering family staterooms, which provide extra space and are designed to handle families of five or six passengers.  If you need more space, some suites can handle even more guests.

Depending on your family size, age of your children, and your comfort level, booking multiple staterooms can often be the same or cheaper than booking a large room.  Multiple rooms provides not only additional living space, but extra restrooms and separation from parents and children. Royal Caribbean does offer some rooms with a connecting inside door between rooms.  

If you need a crib, Royal Caribbean can provide a pack 'n play upon request.  You can request this prior to your cruise by contacting Royal Caribbean or your travel agent, however, you can still get one once onboard the ship.

Speaking of toddlers and young children, you will need to bring your own supply of diapers, bottles, and other supplies.  Royal Caribbean provides milk to all guests without an additional charge (skim or regular).  Some parents prefer to bring their own kid-friendly snacks and food, which is permissible by Royal Caribbean. Refer to our Taking an Infant on a Royal Caribbean cruise article for more information.

Kids activities on Royal Caribbean beyond Adventure Ocean

There's lots going on onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise regardless of if your kids are in the kids club or not.  There are pools and even dedicated pool and splash areas on select ships.  Known as the H2O Zone or Splashaway Bay, these areas offer water spouts, slides, colorful decorations and lots of areas to get soaked and the perfect place for kids to run around.

Speaking of fun in the water, Royal Caribbean has begun offering water slides on some of its cruise ships.  Water slides are open to all guests, provided they are tall enough to enjoy the slides safely. We do not have to describe the virtues of water slides, but families with older children may want to ensure they book a cruise that offers water slides.

Oasis, Quantum, and select Freedom and Voyager Class cruise ships offer the DreamWorks Experience, which incorporates the DreamWorks film characters into meet-n-greets, parades and character breakfasts.

Each day of your cruise, the Cruise Director's staff offers many family-friendly activities in the Cruise Compass. Families can join in trivia, scavenger hunts, tournaments on the sports deck, pool games and more. 

The signature activities on many Royal Caribbean ships is also open to children, such as mini-golf, the FlowRider, the rock climbing wall, ice skating and more.

Eating with kids on Royal Caribbean

Every parent knows that dining out with their kids is an adventure that can never be predicted.  Luckily, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of culinary choices that are sure to appeal to all palates.  Whether your child is a pizza and chicken fingers kind of kid, or enjoys the finer foods in life, there is lots available.

The main dining room has a special menu just for kids (adults can order off of it too), which has plenty of kid-friendly fare.  This includes pasta, hot dogs, burgers, mac and cheese, and more.  Of course, kids are free to order off the regular menu too. 

The dining room staff is usually very accommodating to families, and can work with parents to find something that their child will eat.  On past cruises, we have had instances where the waiters went to other restaurants onboard the ship to bring our kids a food not offered in the dining room.  That level of service is what makes dining (and cruising) with kids on Royal Caribbean such a pleasure.

My Family Time Dining

There is a special dinner option in the main dining room known as My Family Time Dining, which is offered for the first seating time in the main dining room, for children ages three to 11.

Here is how it works

1. You arrive at the dining room with the kids and let your server know that the kids will be headed to Adventure Ocean as part of the My Family Time Dining program.
2. The kids order and are served right away so that they can finish their meal within the first 40 minutes.
3. After about 45 minutes, the Adventure Ocean staff arrive in the dining room lobby to sign in and hand off the kids.Parents will need to escort their children to the designated Main Dining room entrance doors at 6:45 pm to check their child in with the Adventure Ocean counselors. Once checked­in, the Adventure Ocean counselors will then escort their children to Adventure Ocean for ongoing evening activities.
4. Adults return to their table to enjoy the rest of their meal at a more leisurely place.

Prior to the cruise, you can can contact Royal Caribbean or travel agent to book it. Alternatively, guests can sign up onboard in the Adventure Ocean area. Pre­-cruise reservations are encouraged.

Windjammer

The holy grail of kid friendly dining is the Windjammer, which is Royal Caribbean's buffet style restaurant.  Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, it offers the greatest variety of food that includes many different types of food.  

Most importantly, there is lots of ice cream available on Royal Caribbean! In fact, there is usually a self-serve ice cream station conveniently located near the pool for anyone to enjoy throughout the day.

Specialty Dining

If you want to take your children with you to a specialty restaurant, they are more than welcome to eat there as well.  Kids ages 6-12 can dine at specialty restaurants for a $10 cover charge. Kids 5 years old and under eat free.

Kids 5-12 have a modified adult menu,which is a round-up of kid-friendly favorites from the regular menu. Kids under 5 are free and have a kiddies menu similar to the kids menu in the main dining room. Some restaurants do not have kids menus and so kids order off the regular menu.

Royal Caribbean specifies restaurants such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, 150 Central Park, and Chef's Table do not have kids menus, as those experiences are better suited for guests age 13 and older.

More cruising with kids info

You may have additional questions about cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean, or simply would like to learn more tips and advice.  Here are some good resources to consider:

• Moms of the Seas: Question and Answer family cruising guide
• Six things to know about Adventure Ocean
• 6 cool things for kids to do on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Podcast: Guide to cruising with young children on Royal Caribbean
• Dinner with kids in Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants

Your thoughts

Now that you have read over our guide to taking kids on Royal Caribbean, let's hear from other parents. What tips do you parents think are most important? Which advice we shared do you agree with? Where do you disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Royal Caribbean's unlimited alcohol package has become incredibly popular with guests, primarily due to the option of providing all the alcohol drinks for one flat cost.

Given the interest in the drink packages, we get a lot of questions about them, and decided to list answers to the most commonly asked unlimited alcohol package questions for everyone's future reference.

The drink packages really are unlimited

While other cruise lines may impose limits on their unlimited alcohol packages, Royal Caribbean has no such rule.  Some guests coming to Royal Caribbean question just how unlimited the alcohol packages are in reality.

The answer is, there is no limit on the unlimited alcohol package and no daily caps on how many beverages you can get.

The closest thing to a limit that exists, is with the soda fountain cups each drink package receives, the automated machines do limit refills to once every 10-15 minutes.  This is prevent abuse of the self-serve soda machines.

Gratuity is included with the drink packages

When you purchase an unlimited alcohol package, your purchase price includes gratuity for every drink you order.

Royal Caribbean advertises one price for each drink package, but if you look at the receipt, you will notice a cost for the base package plus a "service charge" that covers your gratuities.

When you order a drink with the drink package, your receipt will show an 18% gratuity has already been added, although there is the option to add additional gratuity if you so choose.

Everyone in your stateroom needs to get a drink package

Since the start of 2018, all Royal Caribbean passengers 21 years of age and older (18 years in Australia and the U.K) are now required to purchase the Deluxe Beverage Package if at least one other person in their cabin has one.

Royal Caribbean does provide an exemption that rule for guests that do not consume alcohol for personal, health or religious reasons.  Instead, those guests may purchase the Royal Refreshment package.  To arrange for an exemption, you must call Royal Caribbean and explain the situation.

You cannot share the drink packages with someone else

Let us be crystal clear here: it is against Royal Caribbean's rules to share the benefits of the drink package with anyone else. Period.

Royal Caribbean stipulates the drink packages are solely for the person purchasing it and if caught sharing the package, you may have your drink package canceled without refund.

You do not have to buy the drink packages on the first day

In the months (or years) leading up to your Royal Caribbean cruise, you will see a ton of advertising to purchase a drink package and even on embarkation day, there will be plenty of opportunity to buy a drink package.  But you do not have to buy it on day one.

As long as there are at least four days left in your cruise, you can opt to purchase a drink package later in your cruise and pay a prorated amount for the package.

This means on a seven night cruise, you can wait until day two or three to buy a drink package and then pay only for the remaining days of the package.

Can I upgrade a different drink package to the unlimited alcohol package?

Sometimes guests purchase or receive a less expensive drink package, and wish to upgrade it to the Deluxe Beverage Package.  The answer to if you can upgrade depends on how you got the initial drink package.

If you purchased the first drink package from Royal Caribbean, you can always cancel that package and then book the Deluxe Beverage Package.  If you are already onboard the ship, Guest Services will often allow you to pay the difference.

If you received the drink package as part of a promotion from Royal Caribbean or a travel agent, then you cannot upgrade to another package.  

Does the unlimited alcohol package work at specialty restaurants?

Yes, the unlimited alcohol package benefits extend to Royal Caribbean's specialty restaurants.

Just like at any bar or lounge on your Royal Caribbean cruise, there may be liquors or drinks that are not included in the drink package because their cost exceeds the individual drink maximum limit, but cocktails, beers and even a few wines are available to enjoy with a drink package.

I see some drinks on the menu are $13, but the drink package only covers $12 drinks. 

On Oasis and Quantum class ships, Royal Caribbean's Deluxe Beverage Package individual drink limit is increased to $13 to match the pricing of cocktails on those ships.

On the rest of the fleet, cocktails tend to max out at $12, and thus, the drink package limit remains the same.

Can I use the drink package as soon as I board my Royal Caribbean ship? How about on the last morning?

Yes, your drink package benefits are available as soon as you board your Royal Caribbean ship and extend throughout your cruise until you disembark.

Did we miss your question? Post it in the comments below and we will try our best to answer it!

Happy New Year! The first week of 2017 had plenty of Royal Caribbean news, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round-up!

Earlier this week, it became apparent that there will be no DreamWorks characters on Symphony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean confirmed via Twitter that Symphony of the Seas will not have DreamWorks characters or shows onboard its newest ship.  This is a change from the other three Oasis class ships, which all featured DreamWorks characters.

There is no indication as of yet why Symphony of the Seas will not offer the DreamWorks characters.

Royal Caribbean News

• The January Wave Season offer features 30% off all guests and onboard credit.
• What first time cruisers need to know before booking a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Our list of 10 awesome things to do on Anthem of the Seas.
• Here is a cruise hack for maximizing the Crown and Anchor Society discount on Voom internet packages.
• Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. hired a new Chief Human Resources Officer.
• Everything you need to know about formal night on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 231st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, we offer packing tips for going on an Alaska cruise.

On this episode, Sheri joins Matt to discuss packing strategies for going on an Alaska cruise, and what sort of things you ought to pack that might not be considered for a Caribbean cruise.

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 Around the Internet

The Chicago Tribune looks at how technology is changing cruising.

Royal Caribbean UK interviewed Rhapsody of the Seas' environmental officer.

The SunSentinel says don't be quick to blame cruise lines for excursion accidents.