If you're looking for a chance to save on a Royal Caribbean cruise, a Black Friday sale might be the perfect opportunity.

Black Friday falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which this year is November 29.  Royal Caribbean has sales running over Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

The cruise line has begun rolling out "preview sales", with the actual Black Friday sale beginning November 28. In fact, there will be "offers every week" that extend all the way until Travel Tuesday.

You can expect all sorts of promotions during Black Friday cruise deals and Cyber Monday savings times. Most commonly, there are instant savings and onboard credit offers. Instant savings are deducted directly from your total vacation cost the moment you book.

This post will be updated with new Black Friday offers as soon as they are revealed.

A month of sales

Royal Caribbean began the Black Friday bonanza on November 8, 2024.

The Black Friday Beat the Rush Extension is the fourth Black Friday offer in 2024, and it runs between November 26 – 27, 2024.

We're listing the major bullet points of each sale, but please remember there are terms and conditions, and special rules about combinability with each sale. Refer to them at the time the sale begins.

Before the Black Friday promos hit, the monthly offer for November offers buy one guest, get second guest 60% off & 30% off on third and fourth guests.

That's coupled with a Kids Sail Free deal that runs between November 8 – December 9, 2024 on sailings departing on or after November 9, 2024. As usual, Kids Sail Free comes with a lot of blackout dates and fine print.

Thanksgiving Sailings (Departing between November 22, 2024 – November 29, 2024); (Departing between November 20 - November 28, 2025), Holiday Sailings (Departing December 20, 2024 – January 3, 2025); (Departing between December 18, 2025 – January 1, 2026), Spring Break Sailings (Departing between March 7, 2025 – March 28, 2025); (Departing between March 6, 2026 – April 9, 2026), Holy Week/Easter sailings (Departing between April 12, 2025 – April 24, 2025), Radiance Alaska Cruise Tour Sailings (Departing May 16, 2025 – September 12, 2025); Summer sailings (Departing between May 22, 2025 – August 29, 2025); Anthem of the Seas sailings (Departing November 21 – December 28, 2024) and Chinese New Year sailing on Anthem of the Seas (Departing January 27, 2025).

There are a series of Black Friday promotions, that began November 8.

The official Black Friday Sale applies to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made November 28 – 29, 2024, on sailings departing on or after November 29, 2024, and provides an instant savings per stateroom, varying by stateroom category booked, sailing length as follows: 

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  •  $325 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $800 USD for Suites

Expired Black Friday sales

The Black Friday Beat the Rush Sale offers extra instant savings on cruises booked during this period.

The Black Friday Beat the Rush applies to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made November 22 – 27, 2024, on sailings departing on or after November 23, 2024, and provides an instant savings per stateroom, varying by stateroom category booked, sailing length:

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

The Black Friday Preview Sale adds on extra savings to the November month offer.

The Black Friday Early Access Extension Sale applied to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made November 19 – 21, 2024, on sailings departing on or after November 16, 2024, and provides an instant savings per stateroom, varying by stateroom category booked, sailing length:

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

The Black Friday Early Access offers extra instant savings on cruises booked during this period.

The Black Friday Early Access applied to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made November 15 – 18, 2024, on sailings departing on or after November 16, 2024, and provides an instant savings per stateroom, varying by stateroom category booked, sailing length:

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

The Black Friday Preview Sale Extension applied to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made November 12 – 14, 2024, on sailings departing on or after November 9, 2024, and provides an instant savings per stateroom, varying by stateroom category booked, sailing length:

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

The Black Friday Preview sale applied to new, individual, and named group bookings at prevailing rates made 11/8 – 11/11/24 on sailings departing on or after November 9, 2024 and provides an up to $750 instant savings per stateroom varying by stateroom category booked and sailing length.

• 5 nights or less
  • $100 USD for Inside and Ocean View
  • $175 USD for Balconies
  • $300 USD for Suites
• 6 nights or longer
  • $175 USD for Interior and Ocean View
  • $250 USD for Balconies
  • $750 USD for Suites

BOGO60 and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other and Black Friday sales.

What about a Black Friday sale on Cruise Planner purchases?

Just as important as a deal on cruise fares are discounts on add-ons for the sailing.

The deals for purchases made on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site began on November 8.

The sale is valid on purchases made from November 8, 2024 through November 29, 2024 and applies to select sailings departing November 13, 2024 - December 31, 2025. 

• Beverage: Up to 50% off
• Shore Excursions: Up to 50% off
• Internet: Up to 55% Off
• Dining: Up to 50% Off
• Spa: Up to 30% Off Select Times
• Gifts & Gear: Up to 45% Off
• Photo Package: Up to 65% Off
• Onboard Activities: Up to 30% off
• Bundles: Black Friday Exclusive

In short, any of the prices offered during Black Friday are sure to be cheaper than if you waited to book them onboard the ship.  They might even be cheaper than any sales in the coming months.

Top 5 Black Friday deals

Deluxe Beverage Package
Starting at $54.99

Hideaway Beach Day Pass
Starting at $38.99

Coco Beach Club Day Pass
Starting at $113.99

Cafe Select Card
$23.99 per card

VOOM SURF + STREAM Internet Package
Starting at $15.99 for one device

Celebrity Cruises Black Friday sale

Celebrity Cruises will have a similar sale to Royal Caribbean, offering a month of savings for cruises booked from November 8 through December 9.

The second passenger in a cabin can save up to 75% on cruises departing from now through May 10, 2027.

Black Friday savings are not applicable to Galápagos sailings or Alaska cruise-tours on Celebrity Summit departing May 9 through Sept. 5, 2025.

Now is a great time to take advantage of Black Friday sales to save money on shore excursions.

While Royal Caribbean has already discounted shore excursions as part of its Black Friday sale, I've found extra savings on the my go-to beach day idea.

When I'm on a Caribbean cruise and want a beach day, I usually book a day pass to a resort instead of taking a taxi or booking a traditional shore excursion that takes me to the beach.

There are a few sites that you can buy day passes to popular resorts around the Caribbean, and ResortPass.com just announced a new Black Friday discount.

When you book with the ResortPass app (free to download) and use the promo code EARLYBFAPP, you'll save $50 off the purchase of at least $200 or more.

It's not clear when the code expires exactly, but it's available now.

The added discount knocks out the service fee and saves a little bit on top of the overall cost.

Why I love resort day passes

The reason why I prefer getting a day pass is because it offers more amenities than you'll typically find at a traditional beach excursion, and that's so helpful for families.

Websites like ResortForADay.com or ResortPass.com make it simple to enter the island and date that you'll be visiting, and find a list of options.

Some resorts offer all-inclusive, while others are merely access to the facilities and you can optionally pay for food and drink.

Each resort has a per-person cost, and it means you could use their beach, pool, and even other facilities.

I've found in the popular cruise ports many different choices of places to go.  Nassau, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, and other ports have a few places to consider.

It's easy and simple way to book, and in a few clicks you will have a confirmation of the date and resort.

I like that ResortPass offers more than just a day pass. In some cases there are hotel rooms or cabanas you can rent for the day.

On a recent visit to St. Maarten, we booked a cabana at the Morgan Resort.  It includes admission for up to 8 people, and their pool is fantastic.

When we visited St. Kitts, there was a Marriott that included a hotel room.  This meant we could shower, change, and nap in the room. Plus, the air conditioning was a nice break when it got too hot.

The variety of choices is a lovely bonus for those that want more than just access to the beach or pool.

One thing to keep in mind is transportation is not included, so you'll need to arrange that on your own. 

I just walk to the taxi stand in the port and grab a taxi.  On the way back, the resort is able to hail a taxi for you.

Costs for a day pass

Depending which island you visit and how much you want included, the prices for a day pass vary.  However, I find the prices quite reasonable.

A day pass at The Morgan Resort in St. Maarten costs $60 per person, while the cabana is $480. If you're in Nassau, Bahamas, a day pass to Margaritaville Resort costs $132 for adults and $66 for kids, and it includes access to their waterpark too.

Prices depend on a lot of factors, and you could easily find a cheap pass at a no-frills resort for as little as $25.

ResortPass has a fairly flexible cancellation policy. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, bookings for day passes can be canceled up until 11:59 p.m. the night before your reservation, while cabanas, daybeds, and day rooms can be canceled until 10 a.m. the day before your reservation. You can opt for either a refund to your credit card or a ResortPass credit. 

Being able to cancel at the last minute is really helpful if bad weather is forecasted. Remember, Royal Caribbean requires at least 48 hours notice for a refund on a shore excursion.

ResortPass is a good deal for cruisers that want flexibility

I think the ideal ResortPass customer is someone that values having more in their beach day than just the beach.

You get to enjoy resort-level amenities without being a customer, and having the choice of pool and beach, along with chairs, shade, wifi and food or beverage options is a great add-on.

Families will love the choice of beach or pool, and not having to search for food is a godsend. Convenience is the name of the game with a resort day pass.

Of course, going to a public beach is almost certainly going to be cheaper, but you're on your own to figure out everything else beyond the beach. 

Royal Caribbean shore excursions make a beach break a bit simpler to book, but I find I get more value from a day pass, even if I have to coordinate transportation on my own.

Before booking, you'll want to weigh the resort amenities you get for the price and determine if it's the right cost for you.

The ResortPass site (and app) is easy to use, prices are reasonable, and their cancellation policy is fantastic.

Royal Caribbean is known for coming up with some wild ideas, so is a treehouse next?

Over the years, Royal Caribbean has pushed the envelope not just in big ship designs, but also cabins.

When Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, it has a three-deck-high Ultimate Family Townhouse.  That's a generation ahead of the Ultimate Family Suite that first debuted on the Oasis Class ships.

Now we might be on the precipice of the next idea, the Ultimate Family Treehouse.

Royal Caribbean filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a few ideas, including the treehouse.

• Ultimate Family Treehouse
• Ultimate Family Cabana
• Ultimate Family Townhouse
• Ultimate Family Suite
• Ultimate Celebration Cabana

The trademarks for the Townhouse and Suite are well established, but the others are new.

Trademark applications are notoriously vague, and they rarely offer much insight into what the cruise line may offer.

In addition, Royal Caribbean often trademarks names and ends up not using them at all.  It's simply a mechanism for reserving the idea, just in case they decide to act on it later.

For the Ultimate Family Treehouse, it was trademarked on November 19, 2024 and is under the category of "Cruise ship services".

Until Royal Caribbean announces something, we can only dream as to what it could refer to.

The most likely ideas are either a new type of cruise ship cabin on a ship, or a type of accommodation at one of the line's private beaches.

Royal Caribbean recently revealed it's designing a new private destination in Mexico, as well as a beach club concept in Cozumel, Mexico and the South Pacific.

It's possible this treehouse could fit right into the motif of a tropical getaway, where passengers could book an opulent and exotic place to hang out.

Or it could be a new stateroom that includes more of an open-air concept to it.

The Product Development team is usually involved a number of projects at once, and not all of them see the light of day.

Royal Caribbean never comments on trademark applications, so there's no announcement yet.

Ultimately, the treehouse will be something to keep an eye out for to see if it ends up being a project.

Previewing the Ultimate Family Cabana

One of these trademarks is probably going to happen, because it was leaked already.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider shared a glimpse of the project when he spoke with travel agents during a webinar in July 2024.

The project was in reference to the beach club Royal Caribbean is building in Nassau, Bahamas that will open next year.

"We're dreaming of possibly an ultimate family cabana," he said. The concept was to follow in the footsteps of having the Ultimate Family Suite and Ultimate Family Townhouse, which are over-the-top suites that pack in just about everything a family might want in a cruise ship cabin.

That's all he said about it, but in my experience, if Mr. Schneider bothers to talk about something in a remotely public setting, it's usually an indication of an idea that has merit.

Of course, plans change and it may not end up being a thing.

Topping the Ultimate Family Townhouse

Until something gets announced, the most over-the-top cruise ship cabin to date is one giant suite on Icon of the Seas.

The Ultimate Family Townhouse measures 1,772-square-feet and features an in-suite slide, movie-viewing room, a karaoke machine and spacious indoor living spaces. 

There's also 751 square feet of outdoor space, divided among two balconies and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence leading directly to all the Surfside neighborhood attractions. 

When Star of the Seas launches in 2025, the Townhouse will get an "uplift" and "will get really a new look to it."

Feedback from passengers on Icon compelled Royal Caribbean to make changes to the cabin on Star.

We're less than a year away from the launch of Royal Caribbean's newest mega ship, and there are already a lot of changes coming.

Star of the Seas might be the second Icon Class ship, but she's not going to be exactly the same as Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has sprinkled updates here and there, but you might be curious what exactly the company has lined up for the ship.

There will be more reveals coming leading up to the ship's launch, but here's a list of what we definitely know will be different about Star of the Seas.

A new Broadway musical

Perhaps the biggest reveal so far has been the announcement that Back to the Future: The Musical will be performed on Star of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has a history of integrating Broadway show musicals on its ships, but it's been a few years since the last one.  In fact, the last few new Royal Caribbean ships did not get a Broadway musical.

With Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is looking to make big a splash, and they will offer a hit musical on the ship.

There will be slight adjustments to the running time of the show, but it will be the full musical and the best part is it's included with your cruise fare.  There's no additional cost to see the show onboard.

Royal Caribbean is working alongside the original creatives from the musical to make the iconic production come to life.

The first facial recognition cabins

Star of the Seas will be the first cruise ship to embrace facial recognition as a way to make it easier to get to your cabin.

Before you get too excited, this will be a limited test. Royal Caribbean likes to embrace new technology by easing into it first.

A small amount of cabins will serve as a pilot program. Beyond that, no other details are known at this time.

Based on a patent that Royal Caribbean filed, the idea is you could open your stateroom door with your face instead of a SeaPass card.

Star won't be bigger than Icon

It may come as a surprise that Royal Caribbean won't make Star of the Seas the biggest cruise ship in the world.

It's been Royal Caribbean's pattern to always build bigger and bigger cruise ships, but that won't be the case here.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider confirmed this back in January 2024, "Star will not be a foot bigger. It will be 1198ft long."

"We don't feel a need to do that right now. Maybe we'll change our mind. Never say never. But that isn't the design intent."

The chief dog officer will also be on Star

Of all the things Royal Caribbean introduced on Icon of the Seas, arguably the addition of a "family dog" was one of the biggest hits with guests.

There will be another dog that lives on Star of the Seas. The dog's name is Sailor, and guests will be able to see and meet Sailor around Star.

Why a dog? The idea is since the Icon Class ships are so family focused, it makes sense to have a dog that makes it feel like home.

Enhancing the family area of the ship

Icon of the Seas introduced the first family neighborhood, but Star of the Seas will expand it.

The idea is to "double down" on the family component to this ship, and to do that, they want Surfside to appeal to older kids as much as younger kids.

Royal Caribbean thinks Surfside was originally intended for ages 0-6, but Star will increase the age range appeal to about 10 years old.

They'll do that by adding new features to Splashaway Bay and the Playscape. 

Moreover, the Water's Edge pool will transition from parent and kid space to more of a kid pool. Originally the cruise line wanted to give a space for parents and kids to enjoy together, but in practice, kids took it over.  So it makes more sense to embrace that trend.

A new theme to the supper club restaurant

There will be a new theme to the supper club restaurant on Star.

Instead of a New York theme that was found in the Empire Supper Club on Icon of the Seas, Star will have a Chicago theme to it. 

Known as the Lincoln Park Supper Club, this will be a glitzy extra cost restaurant with themed menu, music, all paired to the Chicago and Chicagoland area.

Royal Caribbean also let slip that on the unnamed third Icon Class ship, this restaurant will be themed to Hollywood.

A new hot tub

One of the primary focuses of Icon of the Seas was more aquatic offerings than ever before, and Star of the Seas will up the pool fun with a new hot tub.

It's not a major change, but Royal Caribbean had originally planned to add this hot tub on Icon of the Seas but removed it for fear the ship was too heavy.

As it turns out based on sea trials, it could have worked.

As a result, there will be a new hot tub on Star that doesn't exist on Icon.

The Pearl will look even better

The signature Pearl on the Royal Promenade will be even more impressive.

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, this version will have full multicolor rings.

The advantage is the Pearl will have much richer color throughout the entire Pearl, and that means Royal Caribbean can do more with utilizing it as a show element.

A new specialty restaurant concept

There's one restaurant that won't make it from Icon to Star, and that's Pier 7.

There's no word what will replace it, but we do know something else will be offered there on Star of the Seas.

For now, it's a white space reserved for something to be revealed later.

After a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise because he knew of my love for it, he ended up losing money when he changed his mind later on.

I felt bad for my friend, partially because I felt somewhat responsible for not doing a better job explaining the pros and cons of cruise fares, and what to consider when you're booking a cruise more than six months in advance.

He didn't blame me one bit for his oversight, but I reconsidered what I'd tell him, or any friend, in the future that wants to try their first cruise.

It's easy as a cruise fan to overlook certain important details about booking a cruise. The fine print makes a difference, and while I inherently understand them, I shouldn't assume others do too.

Understand the differences between refundable and non-refundable cruise fare

The problem my friend ran into was he booked non-refundable cruise fare and then later wanted to change his mind.

Royal Caribbean offers two kinds of deposits when you want to book a cruise: refundable and non-refundable cruise fare.

If you booked non-refundable fare (or have made it past the final payment date), there are penalties for changing your mind on the ship, sail date, or both.

In my friend's case, he booked the cruise and then a few days later, wanted to shift dates. He was shocked there was going to be a change fee.

It was at this point I realized he booked non-refundable fare, and tried to explain the two pricing options he had when making the booking. It was too little, too late.

Non-refundable cruise fare is usually cheaper, and the difference can be negligible or even thousands of dollars. However, refundable cruise fare allows for changes and cancellations. 

Speaking of fare rules, it's just as important to know what happens if you cancel or change your mind after final payment date.

Regardless of if you booked refundable cruise fare or not, after the final date passes, there are major penalties for changes.

Depending on when you cancel, you could be out just the deposit, a percentage of your cruise fare or the entire cost of the cruise. 

When in doubt, book refundable

I would tell anyone that's trying a cruise for the first time and isn't totally certain of their plans to opt for refundable cruise fare for the flexibility it provides.

If you're booking a cruise less than six months early, you're probably close enough to your sail date that it's unlikely you'd change your mind.

Booking a cruise a year in advance is one of my top ways to save money, but I think the risk of changing your mind is higher.

The further out your cruise is, the more I'd lean towards a first time cruiser booking refundable cruise fare.

Shop around for special rates

It's so easy to discover a particular sailing and want to book it immediately, but you should shop around.

I know how tempting it is to find a great sounding vacation option and want to jump on it right away. Fear of it selling out or the price changing is something we all think about.

What I'd tell anyone to do before they book is to at least shop around a bit, especially when it comes working with a good travel agent.

Travel agents do much more than simply book the cabin. Their services also include finding you the best deal, and often that's a result of special rates they have access to.

There are two kinds of special rates you should always ask about: group rates and consortia rates.

Theses are special fares that don't always get advertised, and they are the result of the agency negotiating special prices for their customers. Don't worry about why they have them, but know they can sell them to anyone.  There could be a chess players group on the same sailing as you and you could get their special rate, even though you will not see or interact with the group at all.

Buy travel insurance

While my friend changed his mind about his cruise arbitrarily, I started thinking about what would have happened if he lost his job, his wife became pregnant, or some other unforeseen situation that prevented him from going on a cruise.

Travel insurance is so much more than extra medical insurance, and it covers a variety of scenarios.

It is incredibly helpful when there's a problem before, during, or after your cruise. As an example, if you had a medical emergency outside the United States, most of the expenses would be covered (whereas your primary medical plan would not).

If you were to be injured before the cruise began and was unable to travel because of the medical condition you were in, travel insurance covers that.

There are so many more potential situations that travel insurance covers that would otherwise leave you on the hook financially. 

Verify final payment date

While my friend never got to this point, I think it's also important for someone new to a cruise to verify exactly when they need to pay the full amount of the cruise.

Unlike airfare, there's only a deposit needed when you book a cruise early.

Royal Caribbean takes a deposit up front, and then doesn't require the rest of it to be paid until the final payment date, which is usually 90 days before your cruise.

I've become complacent in waiting for my travel agent to email me a week or two before final payment date. But new cruisers won't necessarily have such a good system in place.

If you book through a travel agent, have them remind you when the final payment is due. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, mark your calendar and plan to make the payment several days before the final due date.

If you miss final payment, Royal Caribbean will cancel the reservation.

Black Friday sales have introduced tremendous savings opportunities on a Royal Caribbean cruise, along with two particularly frustrating bugs.

Since Royal Caribbean kicked off its early Black Friday deals, there has been a coincidental introduction of two issues that have remained problematic.

There's no correlation that the issues have anything to do with the launch of the sale. Rather, the start of the problems coincides with the new promo.

If you've experienced either of these two issues, you are not alone.

Balance due error

The worst of the two problems has been a strange billing discrepancy that warns of a cancelled cruise.

A variety of different cruisers reported this bug, where the person gets an email from Royal Caribbean informing them there is a balances due on an upcoming cruises, with a reminder that failure to pay in full would result in a cancellation.

The issue is this is happening for cruises that have already been paid off in full. The first report was posted on November 12.

Skeet100 shared an example of the bug, "I canceled and rebooked a few things through cruise planner when the early Black Friday sales came up. " 

"As each of those refunds post to my credit card, they are also being subtracted by Royal from my booking.  So suddenly my paid in full booking now shows hundreds due."

The result has been cruisers spending hours on the phone in order to try to resolve the issue. " I have spent over 7 hours on the phone with various representatives trying to get this resolved. They actually charged my credit card over $1,000 without my permission to try to fix their mistakes. I'm extremely frustrated with this issue and it is still not resolved," wrote LuvsCruising.

The working theory among cruise fans is this bug occurs when someone tries to cancel and rebook a pre-cruise add-on via the Cruise Planner website.

bobbydx wrote, "I think this is validation that they have some sort of mix up when refunding and actually are refunding what you paid for your cruise instead of what you paid for planner items. That is why it turns around and says you owe money for the cruise."

To be clear, not everyone that has cancelled and re-booked something in Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site has experienced this issue.

Similar issues were reported on a Reddit thread.

As a result of going through this exercise, Southern Dan warned others not to bother re-pricing things to avoid this potential issue, "I got my issue straightened out.  I will no longer be repricing anything during Black Friday sales, I will just wait to purchase everything then."

If you receive an email with money owed on a cruise you know you've paid off, you'll want to reach out to your travel agent immediately to resolve it.

I would recommend getting the issue addressed as soon as possible, as some reported their entire cruise being cancelled if action isn't taken quick enough.

PRMLVM shared their experience, "Our travel agent got a balance due warning on our upcoming cruise.  She showed them that the cruise was actually completely paid off.  This was after the final payment date, even."

"But then at the end of October, we got a slew of emails canceling all of our pre-booked packages (drinks, dining, key) etc since our cruise was canceled."

Luckily their travel agent was able to confirm the cruise wasn't cancelled, but they had rebook all their add-ons at prevailing prices, re-reserve all dining venues, and lost their original check-in time.

"Many phone calls and tons of lost time fixing a problem they created.  We did get onboard credit to apply to the higher package prices, but the stress of all of it."

"And we still have not gotten our refund from their cancellations.  They said to give them a month.  Meantime, it's all  on our card still."

Spanish language change

The other notable issue with Royal Caribbean's site lately is not nearly as dire, but still annoying to users.

Some have run into inexplicable changes in the site language to Spanish.

Once again, the issue is primarily limited to the Cruise Planner site where users can purchase drink packages, shore excursions, and other extras.

The main menu and other aspects of the site change to Spanish without the user selecting that language.

"I've been having this issue for a while now.  The whole website isn't in Spanish but some of the "headers" in the Cruise Planner are," wrote WAAAYTOOO.

Tracy F added, "Same thing is happening with my app and the website all of a sudden certain things are in Spanish."

So far there does not appear to be a fix or way around it that anyone has reported.

Royal Caribbean doesn't allow many changes before your cruise begins, but there's one important one you should know about.

Once you pass the final payment date for your cruise, your reservation is pretty much locked in without incurring change or cancel fees.

The final payment is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. 

As an example, you cannot add someone or remove some from a reservation without repricing the entire cruise.  If you want to change the ship and/or sail date, that is akin to cancelling and rebooking, and that's rife with penalties and new costs.

I've noticed a lot of people are unaware they can swap people on the reservation without penalty, even right up to the sailing itself.

Known as a name change, Royal Caribbean will allow passengers to swap out a person on the reservation for someone else without a price change or penalty, even if they booked non-refundable cruise fare.

The cruise line will allow name changes right up to 72 hours before the cruise begins.

The only "catch" is at least one person from the original reservation needs to remain on the reservation. 

There are many use cases for doing a name change. One common example is for newborn babies.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, user Scotsman wanted to book a cruise for an unborn baby. Not only does the baby not have a name yet, but the baby does not have a birthday either.

In this situation, you could book the baby as "Baby surname" and change the name later.  It's essentially a placeholder.

"I wish I would have known that name changes were allowed," wrote AlmondFarmer.

Another common scenario is a friend or family member that can no longer sail.  Boyfriends and girlfriends break up, a spouse is called back to work, or a friend is no longer a friend.  

Royal Caribbean would allow you to swap out someone for another person on the reservation.

Name swaps, but not adding or subtracting

There's an important distinction with this rule, and that is you can swap people out, but not add or remove.

In Royal Caribbean's reservation system, adding or subtracting a person from the reservation (and thus changing the total amount of passengers booked in the cabin) will trigger a reprice.

A reprice is tantamount to making a new booking at prevailing rates. 

So in a scenario where there are two people booked on a cruise, you could change person A or person B with person C without a price change.

But if you wanted to remove person B without a replacement, you'd incur a change.  Similarly, if you tried to add person C to the reservation, that would be considered a change.

In a scenario where person B can no longer cruise and there is no replacement, your best bet is to leave person B on the reservation and no-show to the ship without them.

Royal Caribbean will later refund port fees and taxes for person B.

Other Royal Caribbean policies you might not know about

Name swapping is a great trick to remember for the future, and there are other things you might not have known about that are also equally helpful.

Residents of certain countries are able to re-price a cruise before final payment if the price goes lower than what you originally booked.

It's not a well-advertised policy, but I've used it time and time again to save money.  

Travel agents can do it easily on their end, whereas those that book directly with the cruise line need to call in to get it done and some of the phone agents are unaware of it (or confuse it with the 48 price protection policy).

It's open to residents of the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. Notably, resident of the United Kingdom are not eligible for it due to local laws.

As long as the price of the same exact room category is lower than you paid and you are before the final payment date, you can get a price adjustment to the lower price. It has to be the same cabin category, such as D4 or CB. 

This tip can go one step further, as it can sometimes be advantageous to change from refundable deposit to non-refundable deposit right before the final payment date.

It may seem silly, but sometimes it's cheaper to change the deposit type from refundable fare to non-refundable a day or two before final payment is due. That's because Royal Caribbean's pricing algorithm sometimes drops the price for different fare types.

If you know you're going to sail and make final payment date, switching to non-refundable cruise fare is easy savings.

The other useful policy a lot of cruisers are surprised to hear about is the workaround to Royal Caribbean's drink package rule.

If one adult tries to buy the Deluxe Beverage Package (the unlimited alcohol package), then all the other adults in the same cabin have to buy it too.  

There are situations where buying a drink package that includes alcohol wouldn't be practical, such if someone was pregnant or couldn't drink for medical reasons.

The lesser-known alternative is to call Royal Caribbean and explain the situation.  They'll allow the other adult to buy the Royal Refreshment package instead, which would save a lot of money.

Royal Caribbean just dropped new cruises you can book from the Northeast United States in 2026 and 2027.

Instead of flying to Florida, there are a variety of new cruises to consider from New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland.

These new cruises are on top of the Caribbean cruises that were also released today, which include the world's largest cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean want to offer convenient choices of where you cruise from, whether you head to the Sunshine State or Empire State.

"With easy departures from the Northeast, to enjoying sun-soaked beaches across the eastern, western and southern Caribbean –and of course the thrill and chill at Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean vacations deliver options for everyone," said Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Sales and Trade Support & Service.

Here's a breakdown of what's new and how to best take advantage of it all.

New Northeast cruises

Royal Caribbean will base three different ships in the New York/New Jersey area in 2026-2027.

In Summer 2026, Oasis of the Seas returns to Cape Liberty, New Jersey to offer 7- and 9-night cruises.

Bayonne is a great place to sail from because it's just minutes from New York City. Whether you want to extend your cruise with a jam-packed pre- or post-cruise stay, there are endless ways to customize your cruise vacation while also budgeting time to visit the Big Apple. 

Oasis will head to The Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay private island, as well as Port Canaveral (Orlando).

In Winter 2026, Odyssey of the Seas heads to Cape Liberty to take over and offer 7- and 8-night cruises to The Bahamas.

During the summer, Odyssey will offer 11- and 12-night vacations around the Caribbean to spots like Basseterre; Castries, Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados, and more.

Finally, Independence of the Seas will also sail from Cape Liberty and offer Bermuda and the eastern Caribbean on 5- and 9-night cruises.

There will also be 4-night shorts to Canada and longer 9-night vacations to the Caribbean, as well as New England.  Stops there include Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine.

Vision of the Seas returns for another season in Baltimore, Maryland.

Cruising from Baltimore is perfect for those who prefer a more intimate cruising experience and don't want to deal with the hassle of sailing out of Port Canaveral or Miami, two of the busiest ports in the world.

Vision will offer 5- and 9-night vacations to explore Bermuda and The Bahamas. There will also be 9-night fall adventures to Bar Harbor, Maine, and Halifax.

In time for Black Friday sales

The new Northeast cruises and year-round Caribbean cruises coincide with the launch of Royal Caribbean's early Black Friday sale.

Royal Caribbean's Black Friday Early Access, is active now and runs through November 21, offering up to $750 off base fares. 

That's combinable with BOGO 60% off a second guest and Kids Sail Free offer.

It's expected Royal Caribbean will continue its Black Friday offers through Thanksgiving, Black Friday and into Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday as well.

New cruises from Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico

Royal Caribbean also revealed new cruises from its traditional warm water homeports earlier today.

These include cruises on the biggest cruise ships in the world, such as Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.

Star of the Seas will continue sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida in 2026.

The new ship officially launches in August 2025, and will offer alternating 7-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises.  Most of its sailings include a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Icon of the Seas will remain in Miami and offer 7-night eastern and western Caribbean cruises.  Destinations include CocoCay, Philipsburg, St. Marteen; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, and more.

Allure of the Seas will undergo more than $100 million in amplifications in 2025 and then offer 6- and 8-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Symphony of the Seas will call Galveston, Texas home for the first time. 

Symphony will sail 6- to 8-night western Caribbean adventures with 8-night itineraries including stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Plus, in late 2026, sailings will include visits at the ultimate beach day at Cozumel, Mexico, at the newly opened Royal Beach Club Cozumel. 

What's the best cruise line to go on? A new set of rankings are out, and Royal Caribbean has largely been omitted.

The 11th annual U.S. News & World Report Best Cruise Lines rankings were released on Tuesday that cover the most popular cruise lines in six categories.

While Royal Caribbean did make it into the top 3 of one category, it was no where to be found in the other categories.

Meanwhile sister brand, Celebrity Cruises, came away with top honors as the Best Cruise Line For The Money.

The rankings also heavily favored Disney Cruise Line, giving that line the number one ranking for Best Cruise Line for Families and Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean's only placement was in second place for Best Cruise Lines for Families.

"The 2025 Best Cruise Lines rankings not only recognize the top cruise lines, but also provide a way for travelers to compare features, amenities and offerings to find the right cruise for an exciting experience at sea," said Nicola Wood, senior travel editor at U.S. News.

Here are the rankings:

Best Cruise Lines for the Money
1. Celebrity Cruises
2. Virgin Voyages
3. MSC Cruises

Best Cruise Lines for Families
1. Disney Cruise Line
2. Royal Caribbean International
3. Norwegian Cruise Lines

Best Cruise Lines for Couples
1. Viking Ocean Cruises
2. Seabourn Cruise Line
3. Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean
1. Disney Cruise Line
2. Celebrity Cruises
3. Virgin Voyages

Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean
1. Viking Ocean Cruises
2. Seabourn Cruise Line
3. Celebrity Cruises

Best Luxury Cruise Lines
1. Viking Ocean Cruises
2. Seabourn Cruise Line
3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

How did they come up with the rankings?

If you're curious how each cruise line is scored, it's based on a few criteria.

The Overall Rating for each line is based on three criteria:

Expert Rating (30% weight): Editors assign each ship an Expert Rating between 3 and 5 based on the ship's level of luxury, with 5 being the highest score. This score represents our editors' analysis of a ship's atmosphere, facilities, activities, cabins, cuisine and service.

Traveler Rating (50% weight): A ship's traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com. Reviewers assign a rating between 1 and 5 based on their level of satisfaction with their cruise experience.

Health Rating (20% weight):  A ship's health rating is based on sanitation inspection scores published by the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Should these rankings change your mind?

There are many awards and rankings given each year to cruise lines, and you'll note quite a variety of conclusions.

Ultimately, rankings are a subjective view that usually try to incorporate some aspect of objectivity to the ratings.

As an example, The Points Guy rated Royal Caribbean has the Best Caribbean cruise for megaresort fans and Carnival Cruise Line Best budget Caribbean cruise.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings heavily weigh cruisers reviews on a popular review website, giving half the weight of the ranking.

It's important to note consumer opinions are far from objective, and certainly not a professional reviewer. Often they will let minor issues overwhelm the bulk of their experience and give an undeserved 1 star review.

Not all passengers on a sailing not interact with the exact same staff, do the same activities, or stay in the same kind of room.

Cruises are by their very design a "create your own adventure" experience.

When it comes to any rankings or reviews, you should use them as entertainment and one opinion on the matter. You can find reviews that conflict or confirm your own opinions on just about anything, including which cruise to go on.

It's my opinion to choose a cruise line based on the criteria that matter the most to you in a vacation experience.