Think you're ready to make the change to a suite cabin on your next Royal Caribbean cruise?

The idea of booking a suite comes with nearly as many opulent images to ones mind as it does fear of the larger price tag, but depending on how you like to vacation, trying a suite might not be a bad idea.

Royal Caribbean suites offer more living space, better amenities, and a more inclusive cruise experience.  You'll definitely pay more for it, but the old saying, "you get what you pay for" certainly holds true.

For years, I never booked any suites out of concern the price was too high and the notion I didn't need to stay in a suite. As our family grew and our needs and tastes evolved, so did my attitudes towards staying in a suite.

And to be clear, staying in a suite doesn't always mean you have a giant price tag either. There are lots of cruise fans that will attest to the fact there are plenty of deals out there for a suite.

Depending on how flexible and resourceful you are, not only could you begin to live the suite life as a choice, but you might even get a great price on it too.

In my experience, I've found a lot of cruisers start off in smaller cabins and then graduate to suites over the years. Like me, they find themselves at a crossroad of "should I try a suite?"

The choice to book any cruise ship cabin always comes down to weighing the costs of the room versus how much time you'll actually spend in the cabin enjoying the benefits. Certainly a large suite would provide lovely accommodations, but if you're going to be at the pool deck all day, how much benefit will it provide you?

For anyone on the fence about booking a suite, I've come up with five signs it might be time to give a suite a try.

You might just find this the starting point of a wonderful new way to cruise.

You drink cocktails everyday but a drink package is expensive

Booking a suite won't save you money overall, but it might include something that does help out your bottom line.

It's no secret that Royal Caribbean's drink packages are more expensive today than they were just last year. With the rising cost of drink packages, you might be tempted to book a suite so that you can still indulge but with a fixed cost.

When you stay in a suite, you can enjoy complimentary alcoholic beverages in the suite lounge during select hours.

Guests in a Sky Class suite or higher (Oasis or Quantum Class ships) can enjoy complimentary beer and wine between 11am and 11pm while in the suite lounge. From 5pm to 8pm, there's a greater assortment of cocktails and alcoholic beverages available.

On other ships, there is a happy hour in the evening where guests can enjoy the same assortment of cocktails and beers in the evening, usually between 5pm and 8pm.

While not as flexible as a drink package, free drinks in the suite lounge can be just enough for some guests to take advantage of and get their bar bill under control without the need for a pricier package.

In fact, the suite lounge experience is a very compelling argument for booking a suite. Guests that stay in suites a lot will tell you they spend a lot of time in the suite lounge for the many amenities you get, including the free drinks.

Paying to get faster service is worth it to you

If you're the type of person who is willing to pay more to get faster results, then a suite might be up your alley.

When it comes to lines, waiting, or simply your time, there are some people who don't mind throwing money at a problem to make it better.

Suite guests pay more, but they'll often have a dedicated and shorter line at the cruise terminal during the check-in process. When it's time to board the ship, they get onboard first.

The suite concierge also makes it easier on suite guests and can book shows and specialty restaurants before anyone boards the ship.

One of my favorite perks of staying in a suite is the suite concierge will walk you off the ship when the cruise is over, saving a great deal of time waiting in line. This perk alone has been a life saver with my kids.

The debate of time vs money is something everyone will have differing opinions on, but if you are the sort of person that values your time more than your money, then a suite might be the perfect choice.

You've tried a junior suite and want more

Often a cruiser will dip their toe into the waters of suite life by booking a junior suite.

Despite the name, junior suite cabins aren't actually suites and closer to balcony rooms than anything else.  They offer more space and a few perks, but lack the true suite experience.

However, if the limited benefits a junior suite provides is a good first taste of the suite experience, then you might be ready to jump up a full suite.

The price of a junior suite is usually reasonable compared to a balcony, and many people will spot reasonable prices here and there between a balcony vs a junior suite.

So if you sailed in a junior suite and loved it, then you might be ready to level up again and try a suite.

You like feeling special

To be fair, everyone likes feeling special, but some people relish in this feeling more than others.

Between the suite concierge, priority experiences getting on and off the ship, and even just a different color SeaPass card, you're going to quickly feel different when staying in a suite.

Suites offer a lot of benefits that have a singular goal: make you feel extra important on the cruise. Some are for comfort, and some are to save you time, but they all work towards separating you a bit from other guests onboard.

You'll find reserved seating on the pool deck just for suite guests. The suite concierge will know your family's name fairly quickly once you get to the suite lounge. Other guests will ask why your SeaPass card is a different color from theirs when you're at a bar. These are all simple things that will make you feel noticed.

Being in a suite isn't an elitist thing, rather, it's a way to splurge and treat yourself to the finer things in life.

Vacation is an escape from the ordinary, and it's nice now and again to step up to a finer holiday.

You fly first class

Forget how you cruise, if you generally opt for first class seats on an airplane, then a suite might be right for you.

Whether you go for first class or just comfort plus, you're paying a premium to get a better experience on an airplane and that sounds like it could be a sign you're ready for a suite.

A first class airplane ticket won't get you to your destination any faster, but you'll enjoy the trip a heck of a lot more than in coach.  Similarly, a suite on a cruise ship will get you luxurious accommodations that you will enjoy in between port stops, shows onboard, and various activities around the ship.

First class airfare usually includes priority boarding, complimentary beverages once on the aircraft, and a deluxe seating experience. It's easy to draw a lot of parallels to staying in a suite on your cruise.

Thank you for joining us for this a look at all the Royal Caribbean news from this week. We had plenty to share, so let us jump right in!

Royal Caribbean rewards its repeat customers with a variety of benefits, but which Crown & Anchor benefits are the absolute best?

Depending on your cruising style and preferences, all the benefits may not be useful, but there are certainly a few that stand out as must-use nearly every cruise.

You can expect discounts, vouchers, and even freebies just for having sailed with Royal Caribbean in the past.

Royal Caribbean News

• Icon of the Seas looks like it will have a new bow design for Royal Caribbean
• Royal Caribbean cruises in September 2022: What to expect
• When do shore excursions become available to book?
• 50 Alaska cruise tips you should use
• Ultimate Hawaii cruise guide
• Letting the Genie out of the bottle: Asking Royal Caribbean's wish maker the top questions
• Cozumel’s Del Mar Latino Beach Club all-inclusive day pass review

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 467th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt reviews his recent sailing on Mariner of the Seas.

Just a few weeks later, Matt returned to Mariner of the Seas for another cruise and shares what his experience was like going solo on Mariner.

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.

Video: Rare cruise ship cabins that get booked very quickly!

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/fT3OTq2L21s.jpg?itok=qf79cuQZ","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT3OTq2L21s","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video: Rare cruise ship cabins that get booked very quickly!

I tried the cheapest Royal Caribbean Alaska cabin I could find

What's it like if you go on an Alaska cruise in the smallest, cheapest cabin you can find?

The cruise fare for Radiance of the Seas was listed at $240 per person with $293 in taxes and fees. 

As someone who cruises on a budget and loves visiting Alaska, Jenna took the leap and booked the cruise unsure of what to expect.

I've been on every class of Royal Caribbean cruise ships: here's what I like about each

After trying each of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship classes, Jenna has her favorites.

Royal Caribbean has six distinct classes of cruise ships, each with their own layouts, amenities, itinerary options, and onboard atmosphere. 

Even though all Royal Caribbean cruise ships share a common cruise line "DNA", they can feel quite different from one another when comparing the ships side by side.

What happens if you're late and miss your cruise ship?

It’s every cruiser’s worst nightmare - arriving late to the port and missing the cruise ship's departure.

Longtime cruisers will tell you they’ve undoubtedly seen instances of cruise ships leaving late passengers behind. If you go up to the top deck at departure time, you might catch a glimpse of passengers running back to the ship.

If there’s one mistake that cruisers should absolutely never make, it’s arriving late to the cruise port. Those who do make this costly mistake will tell you time and time again how important it is to be on time for the ship's scheduled departure. 

Planning for a cruise ship vacation means picking out fun and interesting tours while in the ports of call you visit, but when do excursions become available to book?

Periodically I answer questions RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers have sent to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog mailbag to answer for the benefit of everyone.

My family and I are booked on an Alaskan cruise for next August. I am starting to look into planning all of the details of our trip and wanted to know how far in advance Royal usually releases shore excursions for your cruise. Right now I see a few options but not a ton. When do  I need to really start checking in and looking for excursions? Thanks in advance for your help! - Katie L.

When I received Katie's question, I realized I've been getting this question asked a lot lately and wanted to share the answer for everyone curious when tours become available to book.

One of the best mantras for cruise planning is book as early as you can in order to get the lowest price. Cruise fares tend to be lower the sooner you book.

Not only does booking a cruise early lock in a good price, but you can also get the perfect cruise ship cabin for your family.

Read more: What's the best cruise ship cabin for my family?

If you book a cruise 9, 12, or 16 months in advance, you may find very few (if any) cruise add-ons to buy.

Read more: When should you buy Royal Caribbean drink package, wifi, tours & other add-ons

If you're like Katie and wondering when shore excursions will appear to book via Royal Caribbean's website, the short answer is "it depends".

Royal Caribbean doesn't have a set time frame when it loads in shore excursions to the Cruise Planner. This is no minimum number of days when tours get loaded, so it's up to the guest to keep checking back periodically.

If that answer doesn't sit well with you, I don't blame you. 

My best advice is to check back for shore excursions in the cruise planner around six months prior to your sail date because there's usually a good chance excursions will be added by that point.

Moreover, even if you check back at six months but shore excursions were added many weeks earlier than that, it shouldn't matter in terms of you being able to get the tour you want.

While Royal Caribbean shore excursions can sell out, most people are not booking up excursions half a year before they sail. In my opinion, there's minimal risk by checking back about six months before you sail for tours. Unlike check-in times on embarkation day, there won't be a rush to book things on the first day it becomes available.

If you still don't see tours by the six month timeframe, then check back more regularly as you're more likely to see them added than not. 

There can be any sort of behind-the-scenes reason why shore excursions aren't available to book yet, but they'll eventually make it in.

Read more: What to do if Royal Caribbean's shore excursions are sold out

Book on your own anytime

Regardless of when Royal Caribbean loads in shore excursions, you can always book your own tours via independent operators likely much sooner than six months before your sail date.

There's pros and cons of booking a third-party shore excursion, but you might consider browsing these in the interim just to have something ready.

Read more: 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own

Most tour operators will allow bookings much further in advance than six months, especially for high-demand locations, such as Alaska cruises.

Not only will booking on your own give you a head start on Royal Caribbean's offerings, you may a greater variety of choices and perhaps a better price.

Does Royal Caribbean add more shore excursions closer to cruise date?

In addition to waiting for shore excursion to become available, a lot of people want to know if more tours will be added to the lineup.

It's not uncommon to see someone browse shore excursion options on the Royal Caribbean cruise planner site and find the choices limited. When browsing tours many months before the cruise, will there be more tours added by the cruise line?

Royal Caribbean sometimes adds new tours , especially if you checked tours more than a year before your sailing is scheduled to begin.

In addition, if a guest cancels a tour, suddenly a previously sold out excursion is bookable again.

If you read the first part of this article and made a note to check for new tours around six months prior to the cruise, then be sure to keep checking for new tours in the months leading up to your cruise because it's not unheard of for new tours to be added.

Does Royal Caribbean hold back spots on excursions booked online?

Another scenario you might encounter is the exact tour you wanted to do is no longer available to book because it sold out. Will more spots become available either online or onboard the ship?

In my experience, it's not that Royal Caribbean holds back spots as it is they can add capacity.

Sometimes the Shore Excursion department is able to book additional slots (tours) with their local operators.

More commonly, people cancel their reservations and then an excursion becomes bookable again. In either case, the end-user will never know which scenario has occurred.

If you keep checking online and the tour never re-opens for bookings, you could asked to be placed on a waiting list once onboard the ship.

Wait lists are something the shore excursion desk can assist you with once you get on the cruise ship. I've had fairly good luck with wait lists, but there's no guarantee.

More mailbag questions:

• Will a Royal Caribbean sale actually save me any money?
• What's worth paying extra for on a cruise?
• What is the earliest flight I should book after the cruise?

Have a Royal Caribbean cruise planned for September 2023? Fall is a popular time to sail because of lower prices.

There is plenty happening and changing with cruise ships, so here is a look at what to expect if you are going on a cruise in September.

This post will share important information what you should know before going on a cruise in September. September is the traditional beginning of fall, but it is still a very hot month in the Caribbean.  Meanwhile there are also ships sailing to Alaska and Europe.

September is also one of the best months to book a cruise in terms of value.  Since school is back in session, there are less families cruising and with it being the peak of hurricane season, demand for cruises dips a bit.  The result is competitive prices for going on a cruise.

If you can find time to hop on a ship, September is a great time to cruise and with more ships back in service, there are lots of good options again to consider.

Ships sailing in September 2023

You will find Royal Caribbean cruises sailing in three markets during September: the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe.

September begins the tail end of the Alaska cruise and European cruise seasons.  There are still plenty of cruises in these markets, but the combination of school restarting and cooler temperatures reduce demand for these markets.

In fact, September is one of the lowest demand months of the year for a cruise. This means if you want a bargain, September might be the best month for a cruise.

In the Caribbean, it's still the off season for cruises and the peak of hurricane season means demand tends be lower than almost any other month. 

September weather on a cruise

While it may be fall where you live, September is still very much summer in the Caribbean.

Expect typical summer weather in the Caribbean, which means hot and humid weather with passing rain showers at any given time.

If you are looking at the weather forecast for your cruise, don't be surprised if rain is in the forecast every day.  All that means is there is a chance for a passing or pop up storm.  More than likely you will have plenty of sun, with perhaps a quick downpour.

September is the beginning of the peak of hurricane season, which means the likelihood of a named storm is higher than it was earlier in the summer. 

According to the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, 87 percent of minor and 96 percent of major hurricanes occur between August and October, peaking in early September.

Hurricanes are obviously an issue, but Royal Caribbean monitors the weather and will move ships around storms.  Fear not: your ship will not go anywhere near a hurricane.

The biggest issue with cruising in September is the last-minute itinerary changes that can occur due to storms. 

Read more: What to know about cruising during hurricane season in the Caribbean

Over in Alaska, September begins the end of the Alaska cruise season, although Royal Caribbean extended the season this year by an extra month.

Just like in the Caribbean, September is one of the cheapest months to sail to Alaska because kids are back in school. 

In addition, the best time see the Northern Lights in Alaska is in September. September is the time of year when the sun sets earlier during the cruise season, which means the sky gets darker and makes for the most ideal viewing conditions.

Read more: 50 tips for planning your Alaska cruise

And yes, September is also a great time visit Europe for good deals.

September is a popular time to cruise the Western Mediterranean because you can avoid the families and still enjoy warm temperatures. 

Where is the best place to cruise in September?

Depending on if you prioritize weather, a low price, or something else, there are a few good cruise ideas for September.

One advantage of taking a cruise over the first weekend in September is the Labor Day holiday, which means one less day of vacation time required.

Hurricane season may mean cheap cruises, but if you want to mitigate your risk of a hurricane impacting your cruise, try a southern Caribbean sailing.

The ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) islands are in an area that rarely gets impacted by cruises, so it's less likely for a tropical storm to cause an issue. Of course, your ship still needs to get back and forth to this area, so it's not a completely fool-proof plan.

An Alaska cruise in September is a great idea to save money, especially for a last-minute cruise deal. The downside to Alaska in September is it tends to be colder and rains more than other months.

Europe might be your best bet for a September cruise in terms of comfortable weather and prices.  

Happy weekend! It has been a busy week of Royal Caribbean news and events, and we have a look back at everything that happened this week.

Faster internet is coming to every single Royal Caribbean cruise ship!

Royal Caribbean Group announced a new partnership with SpaceX's Starlink to provide internet on cruise ships with high-speed & low-latency.

Royal Caribbean Group said it will begin deploying Starlink "immediately" and should be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

Royal Caribbean News

• Starlink could be added first to Independence of the Seas
• Spotted: Digital copy downloads of the Cruise Compass
• Labor Day pre-cruise planner sale has begun
• We were live blogging from Radiance of the Seas in Alaska this week

Video: 10 insider tips for Royal Caribbean's main dining room

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/oPwfC0Z7Zp8.jpg?itok=8mCwwwdQ","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPwfC0Z7Zp8","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video: 10 insider tips for Royal Caribbean's main dining room

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

Should you buy AirTags to track your luggage on a cruise?

While I've always had good luck with my luggage being delivered to my stateroom in a timely manner, you can never be too careful when it comes to ensuring your luggage doesn't get lost.

I thought I would give it a try to see how well it works after reading from other readers that started using them.

Royal Caribbean brought back the behind-the-scenes tour

Royal Caribbean's behind-the-scenes paid tour is back again, and I tried it out on Mariner of the Seas to see if it was worth the money.

The 2-hour walking tour will bring you to places like the ship's bridge, kitchen, engine control room, and more.

The goal is to provide a glimpse of what goes on while guests are enjoying their vacation to make the cruise ship function.

I put the best inside cabin cruise hacks to the test

I picked out the best sounding cruise cabin tips to get an idea of how well they work.

There are lots of tips for how to maximize cruise ship cabins, but I was curious were these actually good ideas or just good sounding.

Royal Caribbean is offering discounts on certain Cruise Planner purchases during its Labor Day Weekend sale.

Every few weeks Royal Caribbean starts a new sale on its pre-cruise purchases that have the potential to save money for guests.

The offer applies to bookings made September 1, 2022 – September 6, 2022 and applies to select sailings departing September 7, 2022 – July 31, 2023. 

Here's a look at what sort of discounts you might be able to find:

Beverage: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% Off onboard prices
• Water Bottle Pacakage: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship.

Shore Excursions: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship.

Internet: Up to 50% Off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• The Key: Discounts varies by ship

Dining: Up to 50% Off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship.
• Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off
• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

Photo Packages: Up to 65% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship.

Casitas: Up to 20% Off

• Casita Packages: 20% Off Onboard Prices

Spa: Up to 30% Off

• Spa Packages: Discount varies by ship.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

While Royal Caribbean has not confirmed any roll out schedule for its new Starlink internet deal, there's at least one ship that appears to be getting it installed already.

Royal Caribbean announced this week a new partnership with SpaceX's Starlink service that will bring high speed internet access to all Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson did not provide a timeline other than, "the Starlink technology rollout will start immediately across all Royal Caribbean International ships."

In the original press release, the company planned to get Starlink to ships across all three Royal Caribbean Group brands by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

Independence first?

Cruisers aboard Independence of the Seas have noticed work being done at the aft of the ship that seem to be new antennas.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Paul "Land Genie" Crow shared photos from the area near the back of the ship where the new antennas are going.

If true, the antennas are located above the Flowrider surf simulator viewing area.

There's no word yet when the new service will be turned on, but Mr. Crow reports hearing from crew members that the installers boarded the ship in Nassau earlier in the cruise and have been working ever since.

Celebrity Beyond

If you're cruising with Celebrity, then the Celebrity Beyond could be first for them.

The Verge reports Celebrity Beyond would be ready to launch Starlink on September 5th.

Why Starlink on cruise ships matters

If having interenet access on a cruise vacation doesn't get you excited, you might be in the minority.

Just like anywhere on land, having reliable and fast internet access has become a way of life and not just for those looking to do some work while at sea.

Society has become more reliant than ever on having internet access, and on a cruise ship, the internet is the way to stay in contact with the outside world.

Whether texting or calling family, checking on the latest updates on social media, or tracking sports, casual internet use is a major need for a lot of travelers.

And then there's the contingent of vacationers who do have a need to keep up with work while on vacation, or prefer to work remotely from somewhere else.

Up until now, Royal Caribbean's internet service had been hit or miss, depending on the ship you sailed on and the region of the world you visited. All but the newest ships had mediocre to poor internet speeds, and even the new ship internet access was generally slower than internet access on land.

What can guests expect?

Royal Caribbean did not divulge technical details about the Starlink service onboard, such as what kind of speeds guests can expect or how much bandwidth each ship will receive. 

They did say passengers should expect to use streaming services and make video calls once deployed.

Another big question is price.

No pricing has been shared for Starlink, and it remains unknown what price changes, if any, will occur as a result of the switch to Starlink.

When Royal Caribbean tested Starlink on Freedom of the Seas earlier this summer, they did not alter the prices during the trial period.

Read more: I tried Elon Musk's Starlink internet on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Many readers seem to think prices will go up as a result of the upgrade, but the company has not commented on pricing.

Royal Caribbean has brought back its behind-the-scenes tours that provide a look at areas of its cruise ships passengers aren't allowed to see most times.

The All Access Tour is one of the last activities to return to service since cruises restarted last year due to the close proximity of guests and crew members. In the last few weeks, the tour is operational again and I decided to try it out while sailing on Mariner of the Seas.

The All Access Tour is a 2-hour walking tour of many areas of the ship, and costs extra. The goal is to provide a glimpse of what goes on while guests are enjoying their vacation to make the cruise ship function.

It's as much educational as it is eye opening to how much work goes on to keep the ship functional and optimal.

The tour was conducted on a sea day, and all guests are required to sign a waiver as well as wear a KN-95 mask, which Royal Caribbean provides.

Guests also have to wear pants and closed-toed shoes. Unlike the masks, this requirement was in place pre-2020 as well.

The tour visits 6 key areas along the way

• Galley
• Engine control room
• Waste management
• Laundry room
• Food provisions
• Bridge
• Royal Theater

Guests are given an ear piece to wear during the tour, which makes hearing what is being said much easier. In the past I've done this tour without the ear piece and it makes things much simpler.

At each location, the tour leader usually hands off the narration to another crew member that works in the area you are visiting to explain in greater detail what goes on.

Prior to visiting the engine control room and bridge, the ship's security will pat down each guest since these are sensitive areas of the ship.

Photos are allowed in almost every area of the tour, minus the main I-95 crew corridor on deck 1 because there are posters on the wall with security information posted.

In the galley, you get to visit two galleys, which provides a look at a working galley that was serving breakfast at the time and another galley preparing for meals later in the day.

You get to see how they plan meals for guests and crew, which include seeing pastries, produce, and various cooking stations.

It's a round-the-clock operation to have the right logistics of getting food prepared and moved around the ship.

We also got to see where the food provisions are stored.

The engine control room is the heart beat of the ship, and we got to see all the controls for the systems that keep the ship moving and comfortable.

The trash area shows how waste is separated and disposed of properly. Royal Caribbean not only follows international maritime regulations, but actually goes above what's required as it relates to disposal.

To get to the laundry room, we had to go below the ship's water line and two decks below deck 1. I don't think I've ever been to this deck before.

There are machines for cleaning towels, sheets, table cloths and more.

This is also where laundry gets done for both guests and crew.

The highlight of the tour is going up to the bridge, where you can see the command center for Mariner of the Seas.

We got to not only see the primary bridge area, but also the bridge wings that allow for control during port operations.

The final stop was the Royal Theater, where we walked on stage and then headed backstage.

They explained both the technical operation of the show with rigging, lights, and scenery, as well as the cast prep for the performances.

In all, the All Access tour delivers on showing pretty much all the backstage areas you would want to see in order to fully appreciate how a cruise ship operates.

The tour doesn't include crew member quarters, restaurants, or bars. I think Royal Caribbean wants to limit the behind-the-scenes views to operational needs and let crew relax in those other areas.

It's insightful to see how a ship works, and if you've ever been curious about a cruise ship functions, then this is the tour for you.

I paid $86.99 per person for the All Access Ship tour when I purchased it prior to my cruise.

Staying in an inside cabin on a cruise ship means you're probably saving lots of money compared to a balcony cabin (or suite), but it also means a lot less living space than usual.

For a lot of cruisers, that tradeoff is well worth it given the low prices an inside room usually costs. But that doesn't mean there aren't at least a few tricks for maximizing the space.

I've seen plenty of articles and videos over the years talking about easy ways to get more space out of a smaller cabin. Since I was booked in an inside cabin for a cruise on Mariner of the Seas, I picked out the best sounding tips to get an idea of how well they work.

I combed over a lot of cabin hacks and settled on 10 of them from two really informative sources: Cruise Tips TV and Life Well Cruised.

Both of these ladies are cruise packing, planning, and travel hack experts. I figured if they shared them, these tips had to have some sense of usefulness.

In looking over the list, I was skeptical about some tips being actually useful. I had no doubt they worked as intended, but would I actually find them such a benefit that I would not only recommend it, but adopt it in my own strategy.

After going through the cabin hacks, I had to purchase a number of items. Luckily, all of them were available on Amazon and I was able to get every single item in this article for just around $130 total with shipping. 

Given that they can be re-used over and over again from cruise to cruise, it's not much of an investment to try out.

I decided to rate each one from one of these labels:

• Worth it
• Meh/Indifferent
• Not practical

Please note that I linked to each item on Amazon which contains an affiliate link. This affiliate link costs you absolutely nothing extra, but I make a small commission if you purchase it.

Let's see how they went!

Luggage under the bed trick

This is a cabin hack that works on any kind of cabin, not just inside rooms.

Did you know there's enough room under your bed to put your luggage underneath it?

This is actually a trick I've been using for years, and it works every time. After unpacking, shove your empty luggage under your bed and it's out of sight until you need it when you have to pack.

The only downside to this trick is if you either have a lot of luggage and/or your bags are oversized. Stacking the smaller bags inside the larger ones helps a lot, and I've found no issues with any of the luggage we ever had in getting it under the bed.

Conclusion: Worth it

The perfect outlet extender

Even on the newest cruise ships, power outlets in your cabin are at a premium. Juggling devices with which to plug in and which to leave unplugged is not a fun game.

An appropriately named "Cruise ship power strip" by Cruise On seemed to be the perfect fit and it promises that it was designed to get around cruise ship rules that prohibit anything with a surge protector. The product description claims it is fully cruise-compliant.

It takes up one outlet space and offers 3 new outlets along with 2 USB plugs.

I've been using a USB hub up until now, but never had something for extra plugs too.

I left the power strip in my checked luggage and sure enough, it made it through and my bags were delivered without incident.

Other than the fact the outlets are upside down for some reason on Mariner of the Seas, it worked as expected.

Not only would I recommend it, I would suggest buying two so that you can get enough USB plugs along with the outlets.

Conclusion: Worth it

Night light motion sensor

In addition to inside cabins being super small and inexpensive, they're also very dark.

Since there's no outside light, trying to navigate the room without lights on can be a challenge, such as when you wake up from sleeping and need to get to the bathroom.

The workaround I've always employed is to leave the bathroom light on, but that lets more light out than I would care for. I enjoy the pitch-blackness of an inside room when it comes to sleep!

The night light not only offers lighting, but it will only come on when someone moves around.

The light itself pivots on its base in almost any direction, so you can position it.

It's powered by 3 AAA batteries and has LED lights that are activated when motion is detected. The base is magnetic too, so that means you can attach it to any wall or door in your cabin.

It worked as intended and gave me just enough light once the lights were out if I got out of bed. I positioned it near the bathroom so it wouldn't pick me up moving around in bed.

Conclusion: Worth it

Sunrise alarm clock

The idea is to not only have an alarm clock, but a light that will come on slowly to let you know there's daylight out.

Since you have no windows in your cabin, it's hard to know when you wake up on your own if it's 3am or 3pm. If you're like me, opening your eyes to check what time it is can be a dangerous game because you might end up waking up too much and find it difficult to go back to sleep.

The sunrise alarm clock has a gradual light, with two alarms and even has noise you can sleep to: birds, running water, white noise, and more.

There are 7 different light settings too, so you can choose the color you like.

As advertised, the light was off when I went to sleep and on when I woke up. The nice thing about this is when I woke up earlier than my alarm, I could sense no light without opening my eyes.

While it worked as intended, at this point in my life, I rarely sleep without an alarm set whether I am in a balcony or inside room. In my mind, if my alarm didn't go off yet, then it's not time to get up.

The benefit of this light would be if I woke up on my own a half hour early, I could more easily determine if I could just get about and go rather than turn over and try to fall back asleep. This is also common when nature calls in the morning.

I think this might be better for my kids, who seem to think noon is too early to get up while on a cruise.

Conclusion: Meh/Indifferent

Fridge magnets

There are two kinds of magnets that make the list, and this one is more of a general-purpose magnet.

The idea is since the walls are metal, you can put magnets up to get certain other items off the desk, couch, or floor and free up that space.

Things like hats, coverups, important paperwork, and more would be ideal. In fact, these have clips to them (rather than hooks) so they can "grab" items that cannot otherwise be hung.

My only problem is the magnets I bought are rather underpowered. I needed two to be able to keep my hat on without the magnets sliding down.

Otherwise, this is a great cabin trick for any kind of room because the couch and desk end up the catch-all for all of our junk. It won't work for everything, but every little bit helps.

Conclusion: Worth it, but I need to find stronger magnets.

Laundry hamper

Another cabin trick I've used in the past is to buy a cheap laundry hamper.

You can find pop-up laundry hampers that are easy to pack and keep your dirty laundry more organized.

For years, we just picked a corner of the cabin and designated it "laundry corner" and tossed all the dirty laundry there. By the end of the cruise, it was a mountain of dirty laundry.

A laundry hamper means there's less of a mountain and just like one you have at home, it does the trick.

Before buying it on Amazon, you should check if there's one at your local dollar store since this is a commonly sold item at those stores.

While a pop-up laundry hamper won't result in any less dirty clothes, it will help keep them better organized.

Conclusion: Worth it

Over the door hanging shoe organizer

I've seen the shoe organizer trick for years and always thought it sounded better than it was.

The idea is you get a plastic shoe organizer to hang over the back of your bathroom door and put all sorts of things in one of the pockets.

You could fit shoes, snacks, sunglasses, sunscreen, and something else that starts with the letter "s."

Because the pockets are designed for shoes, they are large enough to hold a lot of small items. 

It certainly did the trick for me and when I took the time to put a lot of things in there just to get a nice photo for this article, I realized I had gotten rid of a lot of little things off my desk. I suppose that's an endorsement.

Conclusion: Meh/indifferent

Curtain divider

This was an interesting idea to get a shower curtain with magnetic hooks and get a divider for the room.

If you are sharing a cabin, privacy is always going to be at a premium. Royal Caribbean's cabins have a curtain in the middle, but it only goes a bit of the way. Frankly, I'm not sure why they exist in inside rooms unless someone is going to lay on the couch very still.

You hang the magnetic hooks from the ceiling (which is also metallic) and then attach the shower curtain.

The particular shower curtain I bought was more see-through than I thought, so it would not give total privacy if someone needed to change.

It also only went about 75% of the way across. When combined with the Royal Caribbean curtain, then it worked, but I would check if there was a longer and more opaque curtain next time.

If you shared a cabin and had the beds split, putting the curtain between the beds might give just enough privacy so you can feel like you have your own space.

Conclusion: Meh/indifferent

Outside TV channel

Rather than purchasing a sunrise alarm clock, a no-cost hack is to leave your cabin TV on and tune to the channel that has a view from the ship's bridge.

The idea is you'll know when it's daytime when the light show on TV illuminates the room.

This may work for some people, but wasn't good for me because I don't like the amount of light the TV emits even at night.

Moreover, the channel changes between the bridge view and a map view. Moving back to the map view means more light than when it's on bridge view.

If you can sleep despite the light from the TV, then it could work for you.

Conclusion: Not practical

Bed configuration

I never considered the layout of the bed can help with providing more space.

Whether you are sailing solo or sharing the cabin with someone else, having the beds separated can actually create more space.

By asking your stateroom attendant to split the bids, you'll now get a walkway in the middle of the room between the beds. This extra space makes it much easier to get around your bed because when the bed is together, you have to move to the walls to get in and out of bed.

The only problem with this hack is you are giving up the luxury of having a larger bed by keeping it together. Personally, I prefer to keep the bed together to have a larger bed, but there's no doubt this trick works.

Conclusion: Worth it

Save this blog on Pinterest