Royal Caribbean cruises are not all-inclusive, so if you're new to cruising, you might wonder what is included in your fare.

Your cruise fare includes some thing that have no additional cost, including a lot of activities, food, entertainment, and destinations. But there are plenty of optional add-ons that cost extra.

Royal Caribbean realized some of its guests prefer to add extras on to their core cruise experience. As a result, Royal Caribbean created cruise add-ons like specialty dining packages, drink packages, fitness classes, and more. These add-ons come at an extra fee on top of the cruise fare.

It can be helpful to have an idea of what is and is not included in your Royal Caribbean cruise to make your time at sea and in port stress-free. Here’s a breakdown of what is and is not included in your cruise fare.

Accommodations

Accommodations are included in your cruise fare, with a stateroom exclusively for your use. 

Depending on which type of stateroom you book, the exact size, amenities and layout of the room will vary.  But at the very least, your cruise fare includes your own private room and bathroom.

In general, staterooms can accommodate between one and four guests, with two guests per room being the most common option.

Gratuities

Guests sailing on Royal Caribbean have two choices when it comes to gratuities for service-oriented crew onboard. They may elect to prepay gratuities prior to the cruise, or have gratuities automatically charged on a daily basis to their SeaPass account. Cruise fares in some countries, such as Australia, include the gratuities with your cruise fare.

As of November 11, 2023, the daily gratuity amount is $16.00 per guest, per day for those guests in standard accommodations.  Guests in suites will pay $20.50 per person, per day in gratuities.  

Purchases and services rendered onboard a Royal Caribbean ship will have gratuities added at the time of purchase.  If you buy a drink, get a massage at the spa, or eat at a specialty restaurant, you will be charged an 18% gratuity automatically.  Your receipt will display the cost breakdown.

Drink packages and specialty dining packages will be charged an automatic gratuity upon purchase of the package, which means no additional gratuity is required when taking advantage of the package benefits (i.e. ordering a drink at a bar with a drink package).

In addition to the gratuities listed earlier, there are opportunities to give crew members an additional tip for excellent service.  Even crew members who receive an automatic gratuity can receive additional gratuities if you feel it is warranted.

Meals & Snacks

All Royal Caribbean cruise fares include most meals and snacks onboard your ship and at any private destination you visit (such as Labadee or CocoCay).  This means there will be ample opportunity to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks without additional cost.

The exact venues included with your cruise fare will depend on the ship you sail on, but here are some venues found on nearly every Royal Caribbean ship:

• Main Dining Room, the hub of dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It is open for breakfast and dinner every day, and for lunch on sea days.
• Windjammer buffet, Royal Caribbean’s signature buffet featuring a wide assortment of cuisines, dishes, and flavors. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
• Solarium Bistro, a Mediterranean-style restaurant open for breakfast and dinner on Oasis and Quantum Class ships
• Grab and go spots for food, such as Aquadome Market, Cafe Promenade, El Loco Fresh, Sorrento's Pizza, Boardwalk Dog House, Park Cafe, Cafe @ Two70, etc. These are casual venues with quick service meals, and the selection of grab and go venues changes by ship.
• Johnny Rockets (for breakfast on Oasis Class ships only)

There is an extensive amount of complimentary dining options on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It’s easy to go an entire cruise by eating at only the restaurants included in your cruise fare. Plus, Royal Caribbean maintains excellent food quality in all of its dining venues, complimentary or specialty.

You may find a few extra cost items on the Main Dining Room menu, such as a filet or lobster.  These items are available for free on cruise ship formal nights during your cruise, but come at an extra cost on other nights.

Royal Caribbean offers its guests pizza at some of its restaurants and buffets, as well as at Sorrento’s on the larger ships. Pizza at these locations is included in your cruise fare.

Soft serve ice cream can be found near the pool deck and is in operation for most of the day. The Windjammer and Main Dining Room also offer their own selection of hand-scooped ice cream.  Some Royal Caribbean ships offer Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which has an additional cost.

In addition to complimentary dining, Royal Caribbean offers specialty restaurants which come at an extra cost. Specialty restaurants follow either a cover charge or a la carte pricing model.

Here is a list of the specialty restaurants in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.  Specialty restaurants vary per ship, with some smaller ships offering 2-3 specialty venues and large ships offering up to 7 or 8 different restaurants.

• Johnny Rockets, Americana fare with burgers, fries, and milkshakes
• Chops Grille, the classic Royal Caribbean steakhouse
• Giovanni's Table, a traditional Italian restaurant
• Sabor, a Mexican-style restaurant with a tequila bar and build-your-own tacos
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, a Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurant
• Jamie's Italian, a modern take at Italian cuisine
• Samba Grill, an all-you-can-eat-meat Brazilian rodizio
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, modern Italian cuisine featuring a pizza and pasta menu
• Wonderland, a unique, molecular dining experience themed by the tales of Alice and Wonderland
• Portside BBQ, with a selection of barbecued meats and comfort food like mac and cheese, cornbread, and baked beans
• Chef's Table, a 6-course tasting menu where each course is paired with a different type of wine
• 150 Central Park, an elegant venue focused on locally-sourced ingredients
• Hooked Seafood, a seafood restaurant with oysters, fish sandwiches, lobster rolls, and more
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, a sports bar with standard bar food including nachos, burgers, and chicken wings
• The Mason Jar, a southern style restaurant with separate brunch and dinner menus
• Empire Supper Club, a three-hour meal that combines live music with a culinary adventure
• Royal Railway, an immersive dining experience set on a classic train

Specialty restaurants offer cuisine options not otherwise available onboard your ship, as well as an opportunity to indulge in meals that you may prefer to enjoy at your own pace. 

In addition, the ambiance is usually enhanced at these locations and the prices charged are not exorbitant. Even though Royal Caribbean’s complimentary dining options are very good, specialty restaurants can be a great way to enhance or splurge on your cruise. Dining at specialty restaurants can also be a nice way to celebrate a special occasion.

Drinks

Royal Caribbean provides a selection of beverages included in your cruise fare.  These drinks are available at any time, and include tap water, tea, coffee, lemonade, iced tea, milk, juices (not fresh squeezed), and hot chocolate.

These drinks are available at a number of locations onboard, such as Cafe Promenade and the Windjammer. Water can be found at any bar onboard as well, and it’s safe to drink the tap water onboard, as it is of high quality.

Alternatively, if you want beverages like alcohol, soda, fresh juices, mocktails, specialty coffee drinks, milkshakes, canned water, and Starbucks, you can purchase them for an additional cost during the cruise.

You can purchase each drink individually or purchase a Royal Caribbean beverage package. There are several types of beverage packages available. A Deluxe Beverage Package gives unlimited access to alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages. A refreshment package includes all beverages without alcohol, and a soda package includes only soda onboard.

Royal Caribbean does allow anyone to bring up to one bottle of wine per adult with them onboard a ship.  It must be brought onboard on embarkation day, and is subject to a corkage fee if opened in a public venue.

Room service

Room service on Royal Caribbean is available 24 hours per day, but there is a $7.95 fee per order, per room. As the fee is per room and not per person or per item, you can order as much as you like off the menu and only incur a $7.95 charge.

The continental breakfast option is complimentary and does not have an order fee. Continental breakfast includes items such as toast, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and oatmeal.

Kids club

Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean offers complimentary programming to children between the ages of 3 and 17 years old.  From when Adventure Ocean opens each day until 10pm, there is no additional cost. From 10pm to 2am, Adventure Ocean incurs an hourly cost.

While in Adventure Ocean, kids take part in activities led by the staff. There's a lot for kids to do at Adventure Ocean and the programming is specialized for each age group. It's a mix of learning, play time and socializing.

Select ships have science lab and craft workshop rooms within Adventure Ocean, where kids can participate in staff-led scientific experiments and crafts.

Teens aged 12-17 onboard have access to a complimentary teen club and hangout area.

Children between the ages of 6 months and 36 months old can participate in the Royal Babies & Tots 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.

Some ships often have an open play area set up during the day, where parents can bring toddlers to play. This is unsupervised play time and the parents must remain present.

Read more: Cruising with kids guide

Activities and Shows

A vast majority of cruise activities are included with your cruise fare.  Your daily Cruise Compass or the Royal Caribbean app will list a schedule of activities offered onboard, and most have no charge. 

Performances in the Royal Theater, as well as the AquaTheater, Two70, and Studio B are included in your cruise fare. Likewise, comedy shows, magic shows, live music, audience participation shows and more are included as well. Even the Broadway shows on Royal Caribbean ships are included in the price of your cruise.

There will be shows each evening, along with additional performances during the day on sea days. Live music is also included in your cruise fare, which comes in many genres and is offered throughout the day at multiple locations onboard.

Other activities like pool games, movies, trivia, dance classes, and scavenger hunts are regularly offered on Royal Caribbean and have no additional charge.

There are some activities offered that have an additional fee, such as some fitness classes, bingo, casino activities, drink seminars, spa services and more.

Signature activities and games

Royal Caribbean offers fun and unique signature activities onboard its cruise ships, the majority of which are included in your cruise fare.  If you watch any Royal Caribbean cruise commercial, you will inevitably see people tackling the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, skydiving simulator, and more.

Signature activities included in your cruise fare include the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, mini golf, waterslides, zipline, the Ultimate Abyss, sports court, SeaPlex, bumper cars, aqua parks (H20 Zone and Splashaway Bay), and ice skating.

RipCord by iFLY, the skydiving simulator found on Quantum Class ships, has both complimentary and extra cost options available. Complimentary time slots often get reserved quickly, so it’s important to reserve a time slot in the Royal Caribbean app as soon as you get onboard the ship.

Also on Quantum Class ships is the North Star observation pod. This activity is complimentary on port days and comes with an extra cost when the ship is at sea.

Fitness and Spa

Every Royal Caribbean ship has a fitness center that offers cardio and weight lifting machines, free weights, and more for no additional cost. Some, but not all fitness classes are included in your cruise fare, such as stretching and ab workouts.

Each Royal Caribbean ship also has a jogging track, which is available to use throughout the day at no additional cost.

The sports court (referred to as the SeaPlex on Quantum Class ships) also offers complimentary use of its facilities, with organized sport games held throughout the sailing.

Outside of the select few fitness classes included in your cruise fare, the fitness center offers extra fee classes for yoga, spinning, pilates, and more. The fitness center also offers personalized training and consultations for an additional fee.

The spa is not included in your cruise fare, and spa treatments, salon services, and day passes all come with an additional cost.

Some Royal Caribbean ships have a sauna, hot tub and/or steam room available for no additional cost. Others have a thermal spa for which you can purchase a pass.

Tours of the spa are available at any time during your cruise and have no additional cost or obligation. In fact, these tours are a great way to learn about what the spa offers.

Pool and sun decks

Access to Royal Caribbean's pools are included in your cruise fare, including the lounge chairs, hot tubs, water slides, aqua parks and more. The Solarium area has no additional cost, but is limited to adults only.

Some areas of the pool deck are reserved for suite guests only.  If you are a suite guest (Grand Suite and above), you will have complimentary access to these areas.  Depending on the ship, the suites-only area can be a small section of reserved lounge chairs or an entire deck area.

Wonder of the Seas has an entire Suite Neighborhood dedicated for suite guests with its own pool, bar, outdoor hangout area, lounge, and restaurant.

Miscellaneous services

The following services and activities onboard are also not included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare:

• Gambling (Including Bingo)
• Art Auction
• Any purchases made in the gift shops onboard
• Shore excursions
• Photographs
• Video Arcade
• Medical Services
• Internet Access
• Transfers (Unless guest has purchased our air/sea package)
• Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services
• Ship to Shore Telephone calls

Going on your first Royal Caribbean cruise may seem daunting, but it's easier than you think if you do the right things.

If you ask someone that has cruised a lot, they'll tell you it's easy, but that's largely based on knowing exactly what to bring, what to do in ports, and the best ways to save money when booking a cruise.

There's no shortage of Royal Caribbean tips, but when you're new to the cruise line, there's a different approach you need to take because some aspects of the experience may be completely different than you expect.

Using tried-and-true advice, you can arm yourself with the proper strategy to have a wonderful vacation.

Here's our best advice for someone who is taking their first cruise on Royal Caribbean.

Verify your travel documents

An easy rookie mistake to avoid is ensure you have the right travel documents for your cruise.

In order to go on any cruise, you need certain documentation and depending on your nationality, where you're sailing from and to, as well as your itinerary, there could be different requirements.

Ideally, everyone will have a valid passport. Royal Caribbean recommends cruising with a passport that will not expire in less than six months for any cruise, and we agree. Passports are the simplest and best document you can have to cruise.

If you're planning a European, Australian, or Asian cruise, you're going to need a passport for everyone, no matter what.

However, there are some cruises where you could cruise without a passport.

If you're an American citizen sailing on a cruise ship that departs and returns to the same U.S. city, then you can cruise with a birth certificate and state issued identification.

Read more: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Check-in with the Royal Caribbean app

You really should download and install the Royal Caribbean app before your cruise begins.

The app is a powerful tool that makes the entire experience so much easier, and you're effectively doing yourself a disservice by not getting it.

Get the app and install it while you're at home, and then 30 days before your cruise is scheduled to begin, do the online check-in.

You'll want to check-in exactly 30 days early because that's when the earliest check-in times are available, and most people want to get onboard as early as possible.  If you wait, you'll end up with a check-in time in the afternoon.

Read more: 30 cruise ship embarkation day do's and don'ts

Bring a carry-on bag for embarkation day

Plan to have a small carry-on bag to bring with you around the ship on the first day.

When you arrive at the cruise terminal, porters will greet you and take your luggage to be checked and delivered to your cabin onboard the ship. It's a great service, and you should totally take advantage of it.  There's no cost, but a small tip is expected.

In the time between when you drop off your luggage with the porters and the time it gets delivered, you're going to probably need a few items, such as:

• Travel documents
• Cash
• Hat
• Sun glasses
• Sunscreen
• Medication
• Phone charger

Read more: 15 things to pack in your cruise carry-on

There could be more items, but it's a good idea to invest in a small carry-on bag, such as a backpack, small rolling suitcase, or other bag.

Pre-book shows, drink packages, and the spa

If there's a mantra about planning a great Royal Caribbean cruise, it's to plan as much as possible before the cruise begins.

Royal Caribbean makes a great deal of options available to reserve in the months leading up to your cruise, and doing so could save you money and time.

About 30 days before your cruise, shows will be bookable for Royal Caribbean's biggest ships.  If you're sailing on an Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class cruise ship, you'll be able to pre-book entertainment.

Read more: Royal Caribbean ship classes ultimate guide

If you're sailing on any other class of ship, you won't be able to pre-book shows and that's because there's no need.

You can book shows in the Royal Caribbean app or through the Cruise Planner website on Royal Caribbean's homepage.

Show reservations are complimentary, so you should make a reservation. Keep in mind reservations will go very quickly, so it's likely shows will sell out. If you don't get into a show, not to worry. Standby lines will be available and if you arrive early, you'll probably be able to make it into the show.

Speaking of pre-booking, you ought to pre-book extra cost add-ons to save money. Royal Caribbean has an array of possible things to buy for your cruise, including drink packages, specialty dining packages, WiFi packages, spa treatments, and shore excursions.

To be clear, you will pay more if you wait to book these items onboard the ship.  So if you know you want them, book them before the cruise.

A common question is if it's worth it to buy them, and the answer it depends on the person.  Beverage packages and dining packages can absolutely save you money, provided you take advantage of them to make it worthwhile.

Research the ports you'll visit before the cruise

You only have a few hours in each port your ship will visit, so it's imperative to research the activities while you're still at home.

It's a mistake to try to wing it when you get there because you risk missing out on something better.

In nearly all cases, you'll be in port for around six or eight hours, so picking a tour or a plan to hit up one or three spots is a good idea.

Organized tours are the most popular way to visit any port of call. Royal Caribbean offers its own set of shore excursions you can purchase from the website or the app, but you could also plan to do something on your own.

There are pros and cons to booking a tour with the cruise line or through a third-party. Do your research and have a plan so you can have a really fun day in port.

Book your cruise as early as possible for the best price

Want to save the most money possible on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Book your cruise as early as you can.

Generally speaking, the best price for a Royal Caribbean cruise is when you book as many months in advance as possible.  This is because as cruise ship cabins get booked up, the amount of available cabins drops and prices go up.

Ideally, you'll book your cruise as soon as Royal Caribbean puts the sailing on sale.  Yes, that's two years or more in advance.

By booking that far in advance, not only will you get a low fare, but you can get the exact cabin category you want.  The cheapest cabins and the most expensive suites are the first types of rooms to be sold out and they are both highly desirable.

Read more: The best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Don't bring any banned items

There are things you can bring on an airplane that you can't bring on a cruise ship, many that would surprise you.

Packing for a cruise involves a lot of things that you'll need, but there are a few items you shouldn't bother packing because if you do, Royal Caribbean will confiscated them.

This includes:

• Firearms, ammunition, handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks
• Coffee makers, clothing irons, travel steamers, electric kettles and hot plates
• Candles, incense, flammable liquids and explosives (including lighter fluid and fireworks), hookahs and water hookah pipes
• Power strip and surge protectors
• Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint
• Drugs (including medically prescribed marijuana)
• Beer or liquors

Some of these may seem self-explanatory, but the appliances and candles are the most commonly confiscated items because people don't realize they aren't allowed due to being a fire hazard.

Don't even bother trying, all bags go through a screening machine and they will see them and take it.

Read more: What can you not bring on a cruise

Fly to your cruise port a day or two early

The single costliest mistake you could make is flying to your cruise port the same day the cruise is scheduled to set sail.

Since Royal Caribbean cruises depart in the afternoon, a lot of newbies will think to book a flight that arrives in the morning on the same day of the cruise.  This is such a dangerous decision, because even a minor delay could prevent you from being able to board the ship.

What you want to do instead is book a flight at least one day before embarkation day so that you can protect yourself against any travel delays. Plus, you'll have more time to explore the city you're in and start your vacation a little bit earlier.

If you are traveling overseas for a cruise, we advise flying in at least two days early not only because of travel delays but to acclimate yourself to the local time and jet lag. Starting your international cruise without feeling exhausted is so important given how port intensive it tends to be.

Bring your own soda and wine

Royal Caribbean won't let you bring beer or liquor on your cruise, but you can bring a limited amount of wine and soft drinks.

Royal Caribbean allows one bottle of wine (or champagne) per adult in the cabin to be brought onboard on embarkation day. In addition, you can bring up to 12 standard cans, bottles or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks.

Bringing your own drinks can save a lot of money on a bar tab.

Read more: Royal Caribbean drink prices

Do the signature activities on the first day

There's a good chance you picked a cruise ship because of the fun attractions available onboard, but so did everyone else too.

Activities like the Flowrider surf simulator, water slides, bumper cars, and sky diving simulators are just some of the top must-dos, so the best time to try any of them is on the first day of the cruise.

Embarkation day is busy, and most people are still finding their way around the ship.  Heck, some might be oblivious these are options to do until later in the cruise.  The water-based activities are perfect for embarkation day because most people packed their swimsuit in their checked luggage.

Grab lunch and then hit up these signature attractions on day one.

Keep your phone in airplane mode

If you want to avoid a giant cell phone bill due to thousands of dollars in cell phone charges when you get home, make one simple change to your phone after boarding.

Cruise ships have a cell phone antenna on them, but they're out of network. When a phone is outside of its normal cellular network, and you try to use a cell phone for calls, data, or texting on someone else's network, you incur crazy high rates.

Many cellular plans (even international plans) do not include calls, texts, or data on cruise ships and they will charge you extremely high roaming rates for such services that will show up weeks later on your phone bill.

The easy way to prevent this from ever happening to you is to put your phone into airplane mode.

If you want to stay connected on your cruise, you can buy a WiFi package, which will let you make FaceTime calls and stream videos over Wi-Fi without using phone data.

You can re-price your cruise and add-ons

We talked about how important it is to book your cruise fare and add-ons early to lock in a good price, but what happens if there's a price drop later?

Anyone can cancel and rebook a Cruise Planner purchase at any time before the cruise begins.  That way, if the drink package or shore excursion price goes down, you can easily cancel and reprice it.

What if your cruise fare goes down? Many people hesitate to book early because they worry about missing out on a better deal later on.

If you're a resident of certain countries (such as the United States or Canada), you can get your fare reduced to match the lower price up until the final payment date.

Use a travel agent to book your cruise

There are many ways to book a Royal Caribbean cruise, but using a travel agent is the best choice.

There are so many decisions to make when booking a cruise as a first timer that you're much better off using an experienced travel agent to help.

A good travel agent will charge nothing extra for their services, and get a sense of your interests, needs, and travel style to help guide you through the booking process, as well as answer questions and deal with problems later on.

In addition, travel agents could spot special discounts or deals you might not find on your own, such as group rates or nabbing extra onboard credit.

Read more: Why first-time cruisers should use a Royal Caribbean travel agent

Things you don't need to bring

We've covered things you should pack, as well as things Royal Caribbean prohibits you from bringing, but we haven't talked about things you don't need to bring at all.

A lot more is provided for you on a cruise ship than at a resort, so you can leave certain items at home:

• Towels (bath, pool, or beach)
• Swim vests
• Walkie talkies
• Valuable jewelry

Either this is provided for you by the cruise line, or it's simple unnecessary.

Watch a ship tour

Royal Caribbean cruise ships are really big, so the sooner you understand the layout, the better.

While you could walk around the ship and get your bearings easily, I think it's even better to watch a walkthrough ship tour video before.

We have our own archive of ship tours you can watch, that take you through every inch of the ship and give you a good idea of where everything is.  It may also alert you to activities you were unaware of onboard.

Plus, I find watching these videos adds to the pre-vacation excitement!

The free food is plenty good

Once you start researching, you're going to see a lot of restaurants you can book for an additional charge, but the included restaurants are pretty good.

It's tempting to go all in with the specialty dining, and it is indeed quite good. But don't assume the restaurants that are complimentary aren't worth your time.

The Main Dining Room has dinner every night, and I think it's one of the best aspects of cruising. Having a sit down meal with your family served by waiters and a menu that changes daily is at the heart of cruising today.

The Windjammer buffet is great for picky eaters, as well as kids. It has the widest selection of food, and it's super casual.

Not everything on the menu is amazing, but I find most of the food ranges between "good" and "very good", and you can save a lot of money by relying on the included restaurants.

Don't forget to relax

There's going to activities day and night, but you really don't have to do any of it.

It's so easy to feel like you need to do it all, and that can make your vacation feel more draining than it should be.

Some days it makes sense to sleep in, hang at the pool instead of doing a shore excursion, or read a book. There isn't a right or wrong way to enjoy your cruise.

Buy travel insurance

I think travel insurance is more than an optional purchase, it's a must-buy.

Just like all insurance, travel insurance is a waste of money until you need it. I think first time cruisers are often naive to the how different medical care is when outside of the country and the lack of coverage your medical insurance offers.

Travel insurance also covers so much more than if you get sick. Hurricanes, travel delays, lost luggage, or a change in your employment, are just a few examples of how travel insurance could be useful.

Read more: Why you need travel insurance for your Royal Caribbean cruise

One of the best aspects of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program is that you can pass your benefits onto your kids, greatly enhancing the value of a cruise.

Cruising with kids is the core focus of Royal Caribbean.  Their family-focused business is at the heart of what they offer on any of their cruises.

Read more: 7 best cruise ships for kids

I have two kids who have been cruising since they were each six months old, and there's doubt we've saved so much money over the years because of our Crown and Anchor perks.

Royal Caribbean awards points for every cruise you take, and whomever has the most points in the household passes their tier onto others in the household, including minors.

This means a newborn could crawl right into a top tier level of Crown and Anchor Society on their first cruise.

Families that will cruise often will find a lot of benefits when they bring their kids.

Extending program benefits to children

Royal Caribbean will extend your Crown and Anchor Society status to your children, and even spouse, living in the same household as you.

There are a few rules, but it's fairly straightforward.

Anyone under the age of 18 will automatically qualify for the top status among the household.  That means if you have Diamond status, but your spouse only has Platinum, your kids would get Diamond level benefits.

Each child needs their own Crown and Anchor Society account before you can match them.

The "catch" is your kids would get your status, but not your points.

Let's assume you never cruise again, your kids would have zero points but Diamond status. So for them to get to Diamond Plus, they'd have to get enough points on their own to move up to Diamond Plus.

Once the kid turns 18, their accounts are no longer linked with yours and now are individual. They retain their Crown and Anchor Society level and must earn points (and tiers) on their own going forward.

When they are 18 their accounts are no longer linked with yours and now are individual. Their account will now reflect the points actually earned from the cruises they took while linked to your account.

Spouses also get your status

Children aren't the only ones to benefit from your loyalty to Royal Caribbean.

If you get married and you or your spouse has a higher Crown & Anchor tier, you can status match to each other. In addition, partners qualify too.  Royal Caribbean isn't particular about if you're married or not, just that you're declaring you are in a relationship with someone else.

You'll need to call the loyalty program at ‭(800) 526-9723‬ and request your new spouse be added in a relationship with you. Alternatively, you could email [email protected] but I recommend calling for faster service.

Just like the kids, your spouse needs their own membership number.

It can take a few days for the linking to complete.

Once it's linked their points tally will appear to be the same as yours, however if the relationship ever ends their points tally will return to what they have accumulated based on their own cruise history. 

There is a limit to family matching with children

Your kids can get your Crown and Anchor Status up the loyalty program ladder, but not not quite all the way.

If you or your spouse get to Pinnacle Club status, which is the top most tier within Royal Caribbean's program, your kids will remain at Diamond Plus.

Pinnacle Club member tier status can only be earned by an individual, spouse or significant other by one of them accumulating at least 700 Cruise Points or more in the CAS program. That means kids must earn that status on their own.

Spouses, however, still get Pinnacle status if their spouse gets it first.

Onboard benefits for kids

Anyone under the age of 18 has their own subset of benefits that differ slightly from what adults get. These benefits work on every cruise, which makes it advantageous to take advantage on every sailing.

The Youth Member Benefits are as follows: 

Gold

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Platinum

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Emerald

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Diamond

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 4 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

Diamond Plus

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 5 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

Pinnacle Club

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 6 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

In case you're wondering, no, adults cannot use their kids complimentary drink vouchers for alcoholic beverages for themselves.

I used to think all rooms on a cruise ship were the same until I stayed in the worst cruise ship cabin I ever had.

It was on Freedom of the Seas and the room was all the way forward near the ship's anchor. Anytime we docked, it felt like a major earthquake and would always wake us up from sleep in the early morning.

Being in a cabin all the way forward also meant we felt more of a sensation of movement, and that lead to seasickness on top of it. It was a valuable lesson in paying closer attention to which cabin I choose.

Picking the perfect cabin location on a cruise ship is critical because it is where you will spend the most time during the voyage. Everyone has different preferences, as some people want a cabin with better views on a high deck, while others want to be near the kids club or buffet for the convenience factor.

With a little bit of extra research, there are important things to know about which cabins you should avoid.

Not looking what is above or below your room

Perhaps the biggest concern is picking a room that experiences "noise bleed", where noise from another venue can be heard in the room.

Royal Caribbean's staterooms do a pretty good job at muffling nearby noise, but no cabin is soundproof.

Before you book a room, look at the ship's deck plans and look what is above and below your stateroom.  Ideally, you want other staterooms on either deck and not public venues like pools, restaurants or other public venues.

Keep in mind that is not the worst thing if there is a public venue on a deck above or below your room, but it is a best practice if you can avoid it.

Room location if you are worried about getting seasick

The sensation of movement affects everyone differently, but it is a mistake to book a stateroom all the way forward or all the way aft if you are prone to motion sickness.

Getting seasick on a cruise is something a lot of first time cruisers worry about, and while there are a lot of easy remedies in case it occurs, picking the right room can greatly help as well.

Ideally, you want to book a stateroom that is on a low deck and centrally located to lessen the feeling of movement. While balcony rooms are a good idea, you want to be on the lowest deck, with a room that is the most midship available.

Try to avoid higher decks, as well as cabins at the very front or back of the ship.

Distance to walk

On the bigger Royal Caribbean ships, where your room is in relation to the rest of the ship is a consideration to account for as well.

The proximity of your room to elevators, pools, Royal Promenade, and other popular areas can play a factor in picking the right room for you.

If you think you might spend a lot of time at the pool deck, picking a room on a deck closer to the pool deck might make more sense to avoid the hassle of going back and forth to your room across the ship.

Similarly, if you have mobility concerns, picking a stateroom closer to the elevator banks would be a good idea.

Trying to put everyone in one room

Families going on a cruise often try to book a room that can accommodate everyone in one room. This may seem like the logical solution, but you should consider booking two (or more) smaller rooms instead.

While there are lot of cabins that can fit 4 people in one room, it may not be the most comfortable situation (plus the fact you are all sharing one bathroom).

Instead, consider booking two connecting rooms that have a common inside door between them.  Not only will this provide more room, physical separation and an extra bathroom, it may not be that much more money than trying to book one of the larger rooms.

Looking at only the price

We all have a limited vacation budget, but looking only at the price when choosing a cruise ship cabin is a big mistake.

You will want to look at more than just the price when choosing a cabin, including where it is located and what is (or is not) included with the room.

Your cabin is one part of the vacation where paying a little bit more for a higher category or better location can make a huge difference in your cruise enjoyment.

Read more: The epic Royal Caribbean suites 

Rooms that have noise bleed

Certain staterooms can have more than normal noise from public venues nearby, and that might be an issue if you're someone that goes to bed early or is a very light sleeper.

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

In the evenings especially, there can be noise emanating from the bars and parties below to your room.

In addition, these windows mean people can see into your cabin, so it's important to always keep the blinds drawn if you want privacy.  This is another reason Promenade view rooms may not be desirable.

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

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship

Cabins below the pool deck

A good rule of thumb is to try to avoid a cabin that is one deck below the pool deck.

Music isn't the issue with these cabins, rather, noise from chairs being arranged tends to be heard in the room. In the early morning, crew members re-arrange deck chairs for the coming day. Unfortunately, the noise created by dragging heavy lounge chairs across a deck tends to be heard in the rooms below the deck.

Light sleepers or anyone that enjoys sleeping in could have a problem with rooms in this location, so try to book a cabin with another stateroom above your cabin.

Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabins and suites

Obstructed view cabins

It may be tempting to save money by booking an obstructed view cabin, but buyer's remorse sets in quickly.

Obstructed view cabins are rooms that have some physical structure blocking at least part of your balcony or porthole window view. Usually, these are lifeboats.

On Voyager and Freedom Class ships, aft balcony rooms have an obstructed view due to the metal structure on the back of the ship. You can still see the ocean, but it's not completely open either.

Read more: 6 reasons to reject a cruise ship cabin upgrade

Connecting cabins (if you don't also book the connecting room on the other side)

Connecting cabins are a fantastic option for families, but if you aren't booking both rooms on either side of the common door, you're making a mistake.

The issue is the common door between the two staterooms is not soundproof and is actually quite easy for noise to pass through.

While the door will remain locked if you don't know the person in the other room, you're going to hear a lot of what's happening in their room and they'll hear what you're up to as well.

Look at a deck plan before booking any cabin, and avoid booking connecting rooms if you aren't going to book both cabins.

Royal Caribbean offers some of the best loyalty program benefits in the industry, so how do you move up the levels faster?

The Crown and Anchor Society offers rewards, discounts, and special events to its members, and it's all based on which tier you're at. 

Similar to hotel or airline offerings, Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program has different tiers based on how many points you have, with points earned based on travel.

Unlike other forms of travel customer loyalty programs, Royal Caribbean's points never expire.  And that means you can move up to a higher level even if you haven't cruised in a few years.

When you reach Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle Club, Royal Caribbean will give you free drinks every day of your cruise, free internet access, laundry services, and even a free cruise.

If you want to get more points to get to a higher Crown and Anchor level faster, there are a few strategies you can employ.

Read more: How to reach Diamond level quickly

Stay in a suite

Perhaps the easiest way to get more Crown and Anchor points is to book a suite.

Royal Caribbean will give you an extra point per night if you book a suite instead of a standard cabin:

• 1 point per night in an inside, oceanview, or balcony cabin
• 2 points per night in a Junior suite or higher

Booking a Junior Suite is often an affordable way to get that extra point, as Junior Suites are not nearly as expensive as the suites that come with full suite benefits.

It's worth noting that Royal Caribbean has begun adding some Junior Suites on their newest ships that have full suite benefits, such as the Sky Junior Suite on Icon of the Seas.

Not only will a suite double the points you will get for every night of the cruise, but they also come with some great benefits to enjoy along the way. I find staying in a suite when you're at a lower Crown and Anchor level is advantageous since there is some overlap between the benefits.

Book a longer cruise

It's simple math: the more you cruise, the more points you earn.  So if you want to accumulate points quicker, book a longer cruise.

Royal Caribbean offers short weekend cruises, week-long sailings, and even cruises that are about two weeks.  Whenever possible, opt for a longer cruise to get more nights in.

Transatlantic cruises are some of the best cruises to rack up Crown and Anchor points because they're usually between 10-14 nights in duration, and priced quite well.  There's less demand for a transatlantic cruise because of the length, number of sea days, and the flight logistics.

If you book a transatlantic cruise and stay in a suite, you could really get a lot of points quickly out of one trip.

The other strategy is to make your cruise longer by not leaving.

Book a back to back cruise, where you book the same ship two times or more in a row. This allows you to sail longer at one time without having to find an exotic itinerary that has the same amount of nights.

Ideally, you'll book a back to back cruise where each sailing has a different itinerary so that you can enjoy different ports on each sailing. However, there's nothing wrong with doing the same itinerary twice. 

This is especially easy with short cruises.  Royal Caribbean's brand new Utopia of the Seas offers 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas.  If you book two sailings in a row, you'll cruise for a week.

Booking a back to back cruise gets you more time on the ship to enjoy what that ship has to offer, and it also stretches your flight value out because you'll be away for more days.

Cruise solo

Besides staying in a suite, if you book a standard cabin by yourself, you'll get an extra point per night too.

Just like staying in a suite, booking a solo cruise gets you more points for every night of your cruise.

The catch is not to book a studio cabin because you won't get an extra point. Select Royal Caribbean ships have cabins designed for solo cruisers, and these would not earn you more Crown and Anchor points faster.

And yes, you can combine the strategies in this post and book a suite by yourself and get 3 points per night.

Booking a suite alone is hands down the fastest path to earning the most Crown and Anchor points. It might seem egregious, but more people do it than you might think.

You cannot buy points

Unlike some other loyalty programs, Royal Caribbean does not allow you to buy points.

There is no mechanism to purchase points without traveling, no matter how few points you need to get to the next tier.

Quite often I'll see posts on the Royal Caribbean message boards asking if they can use a credit card or call the cruise line and buy a point or two.

The only way to earn points in Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program is to sail on a cruise ship.

Avoid bidding for a stateroom upgrade

Be forewarned, if you bid for a stateroom upgrade from a lower category cabin to a suite, you will not get that extra point per night.

Points are based on the cabin you originally booked, so Royal Up will not get you any extra points. 

If you had a balcony or lower category, and then successfully bid to a suite, you would only receive 1 point per night.

Read more: 6 reasons to refuse to upgrade your cabin

Pro tip: Stay in a cabin alone while family is in another cabin

In all my years of cruising, I picked up on a strategy people that cruise a lot to employ in order to get to the highest Crown and Anchor levels.

They'll book one person in a cabin alone to get the extra point, and put the rest of their family in another cabin.

This strategy works best once you hit 340 points so that you'll a “single supplement discount”. With the single supplement discount, instead of paying 200% fare, you’re only charged 150% extra. 

Marcy Miyar employed this strategy by booking Junior Suites alone in order to get to Pinnacle Club status faster.

It's not necessarily a great money saving idea, but the faster you get to the higher tiers, the sooner you get to enjoy their benefits. Once you have the benefits, it opens up a lot of possibilities for maximizing the loyalty program value.

I never advocated for cruising for the sake of status, but it's hard to deny how lucrative it is being a Pinnacle Club member now and that it's added tremendous value to my cruises.

If you take a cruise from Galveston, Texas there's one big difference you should know about on the first day of your cruise.

Galveston is one of the most popular cruise ports, and it is growing quickly in terms of adding new ships.  

However, if you've never cruised from Texas, you might be surprised by the limited drink selections.

Some cruise ports have their nuances, and a Royal Caribbean cruise from Galveston has its own restrictions based on the drinks available.

Limited drinks on embarkation day

The first day of your cruise is always exciting because it signifies your vacation is finally here, and a lot of cruisers like to celebrate with a cocktail or beer.

However, you'll find less drinks on a cruise that departs Galveston on the first day.

Texas has its own set of liquor laws that limit the selection on your ship while you're in port and for the first few hours of the cruise.

The drink menu and liquor brands are limited while in Texas waters dues to rules in place by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

What this means is Royal Caribbean has to buy their liquor from a Texas distributer to be able to serve it on the ship while in Texas waters.  Any liquor served has to be served from a bottle which has the Texas tax paid and it carries a sticker to prove that Texas tax has been paid.

As a result, Royal Caribbean purchased a Texas permit so that it can purchase some of its liquor from a Texas distributor allowing them to serve liquor through the drink package while in Texas waters. 

They effectively have two liquor cabinets for ships homeported in Galveston, one for liquor and beer they bought from a Texas distributor, and another cabinet for liquor and beer they bought from another distributor / wholesaler.  When the ship leaves port and reaches international waters, they lock up all the liquor and beer with Texas stamps and bring out the other liquor and beer.

If this sounds crazy, it's not just Texas that has this kind of a law on the books. Both New York and Alabama have similar laws in place.

The law applies until your ship clears the first 12 nautical miles out to sea. Once the ship has moved into international waters, full bar selection opens up.

There is no restriction on non-alcoholic beverages, including mocktails.

The good news is you can still use your Royal Caribbean drink package on the first day of your cruise.

"In Texas Waters" liquor brands

For the first few hours of your cruise, there is a special menu of beverages you can order from until your ship gets out to sea.

Texas Beverage Menu

SPARKLING WINES

• Chandon, Brut, “Classic” $12
• Ruffino, Prosecco $11

WHITE/ROSÉ

• Beringer, White Zinfandel $8
• Château d'Esclans, Rosé $14
• Kim Crawford, Sauvignon Blanc $12
• Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, Sauvignon Blanc $11
• Danzante, Pinot Grigio $10
• Penfolds, Chardonnay, “Koonunga Hill” $10
• Kendall-Jackson, Chardonnay, “Vintner’s Reserve” $11
• Château d'Aussières, Chardonnay “Aussières,” Vin de Pays D’OC $9
• Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, Chardonnay $11
• Conundrum $16

RED

• Castle Rock, Pinot Noir, “California Cuvée” $11
• Terrazas de los Andes, Malbec $14
• Robert Mondavi, Private Selection, Merlot $12
• Castle Rock, Cabernet Sauvignon $9
• Château d'Aussières, Cabernet Sauvignon “Aussières,” Vin de Pays D’OC $9
• Kendall-Jackson, Cabernet Sauvignon “Vintner’s Reserve $11
• Torres, Ribera del Duero, “Celeste,” Crianza $11

SPIRITS

• Tito’s Handmade $10.99
• Absolut $10.99
• Grey Goose $13.99
• Bacardi $10.99
• Pusser’s Navy $12.99
• Kraken $9.99
• Malibu $9.99
• Captain Morgan $10.99
• Jose Cuervo Gold $9.99
• Avión Silver $11.99
• Jim Beam $10.99
• Buffalo Trace $10.99
• Templeton Rye $10.99
• Balcones Rye $13.99
• Balcones Straight $13.99
• Dewar’s $9.99
• Seagram’s 7 $9.99
• Crown Royal $10.99
• Glenfiddich $11.99
• Henrick’s $12.99
• Beefeater $10.99
• Aperol $10.99

BEER - $7.49

• Budweiser
• Bud Light
• Coors Light
• Corona Extra
• Stella Artois
• Shiner Bock

"BEYOND “BEER” - $7.49

• Truly Wild Berry
• Hard Seltzer
• White Claw Mango
• Hard Seltzer
• Topo Chico Ranch Water
• Hard Seltzer

ADVENTUROUS FLAVORS - $14

• Bloody Mary: Vodka with Bloody Mary Mix
• Cozumel Sunrise: Cuervo Gold Tequila, Mango, Lime Juice and Grenadine
• Sirena del Mar: Rum, Vodka, Gin and Tequila with Sour Mix and Topped with Coke
• Tiki Tai: Rum, Amaretto, Orange and Pineapple Juices with Grenadine
• Batuque Carioca: Malibu Coconut Rum, Blue Curaçao and Pineapple Juice
• Passion Exotica: Aperol, Vodka, Passion Fruit Syrup, Lemon Juice and Sparkling Wine
• Queva-Rita: Tequila Blended with Mango and Margarita Mix
• Caribbean Mule: Absolut Vodka, Coconut Rum, Blended with Goslings Ginger Beer
• Painkiller: Malibu Coconut Rum, Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Orange Juice and Pineapple Juice

VIRGIN DRINKS

• Our Complete Selection of Non-Alcoholic Beverages are Available.

An 18% gratuity will be added to your check.

Carnival has a different policy

If you've cruised with Carnival Cruise Line in the past, you should know Royal Caribbean's policy differs.

Just like Royal Caribbean, Carnival has a limited alcohol selection on day one from Galveston.  Most importantly, the CHEERS! Package does not work at all until the second day of the cruise.

If there's a silver lining, you don't pay for that first day of the package since it doesn't begin until day two.

Carnival's soda package (Bottomless Bubbles), however, will still work on the first day.

Another Texas tax to be aware of before you cruise

One other important law to be familiar with is if you want to bring liquor home with you.

If you buy duty-free liquor during your cruise, upon returning to Galveston you have to pay the TABC taxes on each bottle.   Whether or not you are a resident of Texas, you still have to pay the tax.

There is an area setup right after US Customs in the cruise terminal, and if you declare a bottle of duty-free booze you will be directed to visit the TABC tax collectors.  

It's a few bucks per bottle, but everyone pays even if you are flying out of Houston hours after arriving back into Galveston.  

There's nothing quite like an impressive super suite found on a giant cruise ship. These suites are enormous, opulent, and surprising just how massive these cabins can be.

Royal Caribbean is famous for building megaships that capture the imagination, especially the ones that continuously reclaim the title of biggest cruise ship in the world.

Having gone on almost 100 Royal Caribbean cruise ships, I've been able to stay in and tour many of these cruise ship suites.  It's an incredible experience, albeit expensive too.

As a cruise line with the best suites, Royal Caribbean seems to always be looking for ways to add new ways to wow its passengers with what they offer onboard. This includes suites just as much as water slides, zip lines, and other thrills.

Among all the suites I've toured, I handpicked the five that are so over the top you can't help but marvel at it. 

I also included a practical suite in my list, because it's the entry level suite many more people are likely to actually afford.

Ultimate Family Townhouse

Royal Caribbean first made news when it build the Ultimate Family Suite, which was an over the top family suite.  Then they upped the ante with an even crazier suite on Icon of the Seas, the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

This 1,772-square-foot suite is as big as many people's homes, and it lives up to the name of being a townhouse at sea.

It's available on the Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas and it costs at least $80,000 for a week!

What do you get for that price? Enough room for up to 8 people and an in-suite slide, movie room, karaoke machine and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence.

It's three decks high, and it has a special entrance to the Surfside neighborhood from your suite. There's even a mailbox that you can use to pick up notes.

If you have young kids, there is no other suite that can top this experience for a family.

AquaTheater Suite

I'm not sure you can beat the view that Royal Caribbean's Aquatheater suites offer.

Available in one and two bedroom configurations, these are massive suites located at the very back of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships.

I love these suites for two reasons. First, the amount of living space is incredible. You not only get a really big living area, but an even bigger balcony.

The balcony on the back wraps around the suite and offers the best views I've ever had on a cruise ship. Truly incredible, and the perfect place to catch a sunset.

Plus, your balcony doubles as a viewing box for the Aquatheater below, which is where you can watch one of the signature shows on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Second, the two bedroom suite has two full bathrooms, making it one of the best suites for a large family to share.

If there's a downside to this suite, it's that it's located at the very back of the ship, and that means a longer walk back to the elevators, as well as not being near the Suite Lounge.

I've stayed in Aquatheater suites numerous times while sailing on Wonder of the Seas, and it sold our family on the suite life because of the equally impressive Star Class amenities you get with the two bedroom suite. 

With Star Class, you get pretty much everything included in your cruise fare, along with the services of the Royal Genie.  It's an game-changing way to cruise.

Royal Loft Suite

While the Ultimate Family Townhouse might capture most of the attention for being a giant suite, I think the Royal Loft Suite is actually the best suite layout I've seen.

The Royal Loft Suite is available on Quantum, Oasis, and Icon Class ships, although the suite’s layout and features can differ from ship to ship. In fact, I've stayed in the Royal Loft Suite on Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas, and the Oasis Class ships have the best setup.

It's located on Deck 17 or 18 (depending on which Oasis Class ship you're on), it has its own glass door that stops anyone from even reaching the actual door to the cabin. It's like its own mini-hallway.

You'll find a baby grand piano, wet bar, hot tub, two floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows. It's the kind of suite you can't help but say "wow" when you walk in.

This suite can handle up to 8 people, and we loved the living room. It has a giant couch, lazy boy-style chair, and a pair of hanging rocking chairs.

The upper level is the master suite, with great views of the ocean.  Plus, the master bathroom is sprawling and probably nicer than any bathroom I've seen on land.

On the balcony, there's a private hot tub just for your use next to a bar and more seating.  The balcony may not be massive, but the amenities are second-to-none.

Solarium Suite

When Royal Caribbean launched Utopia of the Seas, they once again moved the bar forward with a massive suite that has no balcony.

The Solarium Suites located above the bridge wings and offer sweeping 280 degree views of the ocean from the large living space.

They feature panoramic views that open up to the ocean breeze at the push of a button.

There's a ton of living space here, and just like the Aquatheater suite, you cannot beat the views.  This time, it's at the very front of the ship and you basically see everything the ship's Captain can.

Junior Suite

While a Junior Suite isn't a true suite because it doesn't all the full suite amenities, I think it's an affordable splurge to get a preview of what the suite life is like on a cruise ship.

To be fair, I think a Junior Suite is more akin to a "really large balcony room", but it does come with extra benefits that are great to have.

In addition to a larger living area and balcony, junior suite guests receive a variety of benefits including double C&A Society points, luxury bathroom amenities, an in-suite Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine, and priority boarding. 

Those staying in a Junior Suite on Oasis or Quantum Class ships also have access to Coastal Kitchen, the suites-only restaurant, for dinner only.

The reason why we’ve included a Junior Suite in this list is because of its position as an entry-level way to experience what a Royal Caribbean suite experience can offer. A Junior Suite is far less expensive than booking, say, a Loft Suite, so it can be a nice way to “treat yourself” without breaking the bank.

Once you take a single cruise with Royal Caribbean, there are a number of great customer loyalty reward program benefits you receive on every subsequent cruise.

The exact benefits depend on your Crown and Anchor Society level. The more you cruise, the more points you get and your Royal Caribbean benefits never expire. This means you can get more value out of your cruises.

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

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-uses on nearly every cruise.

It should come as no surprise that the best benefits are reserved for the top tier members (Diamond and above), but there is still great value even at the entry level.

Let's dive into each membership tier and provide detailed tips on how to make the most of the benefits.

Beverage coupons - All tiers

Whether you are Gold or Pinnacle, you'll get coupons preloaded on your SeaPass card every sailing for drinks.

If you don't have a Royal Caribbean drink package, these beverage coupons can save you money on alcohol, coffees, and more.

• 50% off coupon for any glass of wine, beer, or soda
• 25% off any coffee beverage
• 10% off any wine, beer or soda by the glass

Higher tiers, beginning with Platinum will get a free non-alcoholic specialty coffee with the purchase of a specialty restaurant dinner.

All you have to do is inform the waiter or bartender that you'd like to use your drink coupon and they can apply it on the spot. No physical coupon required.

Casino free play - All tiers

I couldn't believe it when someone told me I could play a few dollars in the casino every cruise, but it's true.

Crown and Anchor members get a range of free play to enjoy, and the exact amount varies depending on a few factors. It's available for the full cruise but if you go during the first couple of days, you get an extra $2.

All you have to do is go to any slot machine in the casino, enter your SeaPass card, create a new PIN and then transfer the money to your personal banker casino account. 

The PIN you need at first is your birth month and birth day in 4 digits MMDD then it will prompt you create a new PIN.  

The process on the machine to transfer the freeplay money is not completely intuitive but once you figure it out it's the same ship to ship.

You cannot cash out the free play, and must play through until you use it up. Any winnings are yours to keep and cash out.

Free/discount souvenir photo - All tiers

While there's no cost to take a photo with the ship's photographers, a single photo will set you back $19.99.

Depending on your tier, you're entitled to either a free photo or big discount.

From Gold through Emerald, you'll get a buy one, get one 50% off photo.

At Diamond, you get one free photo.

These are wonderful keepsakes from the cruise, especially if you can get everyone dressed up.

Balcony discount - Platinum and above

Should you book an inside cabin or is it worth it to move up to a balcony? If there's a discount on a balcony, that might sway your decision.

Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members will receive an increased discount for making a reservation for
a sail date outside of six months.

Once you achieve Platinum status, you can get an automatic discount on any balcony or suite you book.

In many cases, this discount can save a lot of money. The key is to book a cruise more than 6 months in advance, or these rates drop.

Free beverage vouchers - Diamond and above

Perhaps the best known and most valuable benefit are the free drinks Royal Caribbean gives its top tier guests every day.

If you are Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle, you can get a set amount of complimentary beverages every day of your cruise, which includes alcoholic beverages.

It's simple enough to redeem, you just tell the bartender you'd like to use your Diamond drink voucher and you pay nothing for the drink.

Read more: How Royal Caribbean's free drink vouchers for Diamond and higher members works

Even kids can get free non-alcoholic drinks if they're a Diamond or higher cruiser.

I'm not aware of any other cruise line that offers its loyal customers free alcoholic drinks in this manner. For a lot of people, it becomes their defacto drink package, and a compelling reason to make it to Diamond.

Free internet access - Diamond and above

Diamond guests get one free day of wifi, while Diamond Plus get two free days of Surf & Stream internet package per sailing. 

If you make it Pinnacle Club, you actually get a free internet package for the duration of your cruise.

The only catch is you cannot pre-book, so you must wait to use it until you get onboard the ship.

BOGO Specialty Restaurant meal - Diamond Plus and above

The jump from Diamond to Diamond Plus isn't substantial, but there are some lucrative benefits to enjoy.

My favorite is the buy one, get one cover charge at a specialty restaurant for dinner on the first or second night of the cruise.

Just like the free wifi offer, you can't pre-book, but I've found it quite easy to redeem.

This is also great to use with family and friends, as you can apply the BOGO offer to other guests that are dining with you.

Free laundry once per cruise - Diamond Plus and above

I always have to remind myself of this benefit, but Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club guests get a free wash and fold laundry bag on 5+ night cruises.

Royal Caribbean offers a Wash and Fold offer to all guests, which comes at a price of $34.99 and allows you put as many small pieces of laundry in a bag as you can for a fixed rate.

This is great for t-shirts, underwear, socks, and bathing suits. You can either use it mid-cruise to replenish your clean clothing, or at the end of the sailing to ensure there's less laundry waiting for you when you return home.

Crown Lounge access - Diamond and above

It's fairly impressive that Royal Caribbean reserves a place on each cruise ship for use by its top tier members.

The Crown Lounge (formerly known as the Diamond Lounge) is part social and part functional.

At its heart, it's a place for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club cruisers to go to for a private enclave. A lot of cruisers enjoy the social aspect of the lounge, especially in the evening. This is when guests can meet other guests and perhaps make a friend.

A 24 hour coffee and espresso machine is available to use, which can save you money on specialty coffees elsewhere.

The finger foods they have in the lounge each evening are delectable, and there's a breakfast spread too earlier in the day. You won't get a meal here, but it's enough to tide you over.

Where can I see a list of my benefits?

There are two kinds of Crown and Anchor Society benefits: onboard and all around.

Prior to your cruise, you can take advantage of certain benefits simply by associating your loyalty number with your reservation. 

Assuming you put your loyalty number in your reservation when you booked your cruise, you'll receive a letter in your stateroom with your Crown and Anchor Society benefits.

The letter you get onboard the ship in your cabin lists even more benefits you can use:

Gold

Platinum

Emerald

Diamond

Diamond Plus

Pinnacle

Thanks to Twangster for sharing these scans.

Cruises are a great value compared to land vacations, but that doesn't mean you can't save even more money along the way.

Many first-time cruisers overspend where they don't need to because they don't know the best money-saving tricks. Our team goes on over 50 cruises every year, and we've learned easy ways how to save money on a cruise.

Our list of money saving tips includes obvious ones, as well as tricks we think might surprise you. Hopefully one or all of them will keep more money in your budget and avoid money mistakes we read about all the time.

Here are my 45 tips on how to save on a cruise.

How to save money when booking a cruise

Book with a travel agent

The easiest way to make certain you have the best price on your cruise fare is to use a travel agent.

I recommend everyone use one because you only stand to benefit from using a travel agent.

Travel agents provide great service to folks looking to take a Royal Caribbean cruise because they are keyed in on the latest promotions and they can be your best advocate for finding promotions that help you, not just the day you book but every day until final payment.

A good travel agent will be able to assist with the booking process and give you every single permutation of pricing to figure out which itinerary, stateroom or promotion makes the most sense for you. I cannot count the time I have saved by having the travel agent jump through the proverbial hoops for me to figure out what is the best deal for my family.

The reality is you only stand to benefit from using a good travel agent, both in convenience and time saved.

Book as early as you can for lower rates

The earlier you book your Royal Caribbean cruise, the better the price in the long run.

Generally speaking, prices tend to be lowest when sailings go on sale. As more people book a given sailing, prices tend to rise because there is less inventory available and prices go up.

Your best bet is to book early and place a deposit on a sailing that can lock in that price until your final payment date. This not only gives you the lowest possible price, it also gives you the most time to make payments on the cruise. Plus, that deposit is fully refundable if you happen to change your mind later.

If you cannot book two years in advance, that is okay too. They key is not to wait, but instead book a cruise as early as you can.

Keep checking prices after you book

After you book your cruise, you can take advantage of price drops all the way up until your final payment date.

If you spot a better price for the same room category and sailing you are on, have your travel agent reprice the cruise to get the lower rate.

Being able to reprice is not available in all countries (such as the United Kingdom or Australia), but for guests in the United States or Canada, it is a great way to get the best price.

Look for residency discounts

Before you book a cruise, ask your travel agent if there are any special rates for residents of your state.

You would be surprised how many residency deals there are, and not just for states that have cruise ships sailing from them.

Royal Caribbean regularly targets different areas of the United States and the world with special rates.

Crown and Anchor discounts available for balcony rooms

Once you hit Platinum in the Crown and Anchor Society, you automatically qualify for a balcony stateroom discount on every cruise.

The exact balcony discount rate depends on your status level in Crown and Anchor Society, and it goes up with each tier you reach.

Before you assume that balcony or suite is too expensive, make sure you include your balcony discount.

Extra onboard credit for rebooking onboard

Royal Caribbean's Next Cruise program rewards guests who book another Royal Caribbean cruise while onboard their current cruise.

Essentially, booking another Royal Caribbean cruise onboard with Next Cruise gets you free onboard credit for doing so. 

Discounts sometimes available for certain occupations

Royal Caribbean regularly offers discounts to guests who have certain jobs, including active or retired military, teachers, police officers and more.

Among the many available discounts, there can be special rates reserved for certain vocations, so be sure to let your travel agent know what you do for a living, and if you are active or retired military.

Senior Citizen discount

Are you over 55 years old? You may qualify for a special discount!

Guests who are 55 years or older can qualify for reduced rates, so you will need to contact Royal Caribbean or your travel agent to inquire about exact rates.

Casino offers special rates

If you have gambled enough on Royal Caribbean cruise ships in the past, you might qualify for incredibly cheap fares or even free cruises.

Just like land casinos, Casino Royale offers special offers to entice gamblers back onboard and low cruise fares and complimentary sailings are one of those perks.

Royal Caribbean credit card can rack up discounted fares

Just like an airline-branded credit card, Royal Caribbean's credit card is aimed at cruise line loyalists who want to earn rewards for a cruise vacation.

By using the Royal Caribbean credit card you can earn discounts or even a free cruise from everyday purchases.

Look for drink specials onboard

When looking at Royal Caribbean drink prices, many guests base their math on whether a drink package makes sense off the regular price for drinks, but in reality, there are drink specials all around the ship that bring that price down.

One of the best ways to get a deal on a cocktail is to order the drink of the day. The drink of the day is a select cocktail that changes every day, which has about a 20% discount on it and is available from most bars onboard. You can just ask the bartender or waiter what the drink of the day is and take advantage of those savings.

In addition, individual ships will run their own bar specials, like 2-for-1 deals, drink combo deals and other happy hour discounts. The exact details of a drink special will vary from ship to ship, and sailing to sailing, but it is important to understand that they exist.  

To find drink specials, consult the Cruise Compass for some advertised deals, as well as walk around bars and look for posted signs.

Book spa treatments on port days

Fans of spa services will find port days to have the best deals.

The spa usually offers the best deals on port days to attract guests to book services because everyone is off the ship. Check the daily spa specials on your port day to see what's available.

Put your phone into airplane mode

If you leave your cellphone active while on a cruise ship, it can connect to the ship's cell phone antenna while at sea, or to a local network at one of the ports you are visiting. Nearly every cell phone plan calls this "roaming", and that means you pay a hefty price for placing calls, sending texts and using data.

To avoid this mistake, simply put your phone into airplane mode once you get onboard on the first day. Airplane mode will disable your phone's antenna and prevent it from connecting to any network.

You can still use apps and other functions of your phone while in airplane mode, including connecting to WiFi. 

Book a cruise during less-busy months

Royal Caribbean offers cruises throughout the year, but there are certainly times of the year when cruising is more in-demand than other times. 

If you can, consider taking a Royal Caribbean cruise when most schools are in session because these are the times of year when you will be able to net some super savings.

The best months for the lowest fares include:

• January (except New Years)
• February (except Presidents Week)
• First two weeks of March
• October
• November (except Thanksgiving)
• First two weeks of December

Book a cruise on older ships

When you watch any of Royal Caribbean's television commercials, you will see scenes from their Quantum and Oasis Class ships and they are absolutely amazing experiences, but they also come with premium pricing.

To save money, book a cruise on an older ship instead.

I know it sounds like with an older ship they will not have all the whizz-bang features of the new ships, but Royal Caribbean has spent millions of dollars in upgrading these ships and I would not hesitate to cruise on them.

Take advantage of Kids Sail Free offer

A great money-saving promotion for families is the Kids Sail Free deals.

During most of the year, Royal Caribbean offers third and fourth passenger fares for kids 12 years old and under staying in the same room as their parents.  

The "catch" is there are a lot of blackout dates, primarily around school holidays and breaks. If you can manage to book a cruise while Kids Sail Free is offered, it can represent tremendous savings.

Book a guarantee stateroom

If you do not care which specific room assignment you get, a guarantee stateroom can shave off hundreds of dollars from your cruise.

A guarantee stateroom is when Royal Caribbean gives you a discount on a particular category of rooms in exchange for giving up the ability to choose your exact room.

The exact discount you can expect for opting for a guarantee room depends on the sailing.

Free onboard credit if you own Royal Caribbean stock

If you own at least 100 shares of Royal Caribbean Group stock (RCL), you can get extra onboard credit.

You could get up to $250 in onboard credit by being a shareholder, so be sure to take advantage of this offer if you qualify.

Last minute deals

While I always advocate booking a cruise as far in advance as possible, last minute deals are possible.

Around 60 days before the cruise departs, you can look to see what availability and pricing is present. Around this time, cruisers whose plans have changed have already canceled, cruise lines have a good read on passenger load, and last-minute deals begin to emerge. The reductions may or may not continue as the sailing date draws closer.

Ask your travel agent for "Going, Going, Gone" rates as another way to quickly identify discounted sailings that are coming up.

Wave Season deals

The cruise industry has the most offers in the early part of the year, known as Wave Season.

Between January and March, cruise lines tend to roll out their best deals of the year in an effort to set up bookings for the rest of the year.

It is always a good idea to track the new offers during Wave Season to see if there are any particularly good deals to jump on and book.

Repositioning cruises tend to be the best values

If you want to pay the least per night on your cruise, you should consider an "open-jaw sailing."

Transatlantic, transpacific and cruises that begin in one port and end in another port tend to be priced very reasonably, and are usually longer sailings too. With fewer stops in port towns and cities, these ocean cruises are often cheaper options.

Set up a group for your friends and family

If your group of friends or family will need 8 cabins or more, you should talk to a travel agent about setting up a group with Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean rewards groups of people who book together with the same agency. By setting up a group, the tour operator (whoever is in charge of the group) can get money back from the cruise line which could mean a big discount, or even a free cabin.

There are lots of perks for having a group, but speak to a travel agent before anyone books a room.

Group discounts

Even if you are not traveling with a group of people, group discounts can be available to just about anyone.

When a travel agency sets up a group, they get to lock in the pricing, and often travel agents have access to group rates across their network consortium.

Being booked in a group does not require you to spend anytime with others in the group, it is just a discount that could save you a lot of money.

How to save money on cruise extra costs

Look for pre-cruise deals

In the months leading up to your cruise, Royal Caribbean will offer pre-cruise discounts on things like shore excursions, drink packages, wifi and more.

Every so often, there is a new sale that you can find by logging into Royal Caribbean's cruise planner site and checking if the price has changed.

These sales occur fairly regularly, and I always post about them here on the site as a reminder as well.

Re-price pre-cruise purchases early and often

If you buy a drink package or excursion before your cruise and next week, month or year it drops in price, you can re-price it easily.

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.

Bring your own wine onboard

Did you know that Royal Caribbean allows its guests to bring a limited quantity of wine on a cruise?

Guests may bring one bottle of wine per adult of legal drinking age on embarkation day. Each bottle of wine may be up to 750ml in size. 

Do not put the wine in the luggage you hand over to the porters on embarkation day.

You can bring soda and water onboard

In addition to wine, you can also bring non-alcoholic beverages onboard on the first day as well.

Small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages can be brought in a carry-on or hand luggage onboard only on boarding day. 

Specifically, non-alcoholic beverages brought onboard may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Distilled water or specialized beverages such as milk for medical purposes, dietary or infant use, are permitted.

Don't buy WiFi on the first day

A great way to shave off the cost of a WiFi package is to skip buying it on the first day.

Your first day on a cruise is busy, and you are in port for most of the day, where your cell phone works normally.

If you can go without WiFi until midnight (or later) on day 2 of the cruise, you will not have to pay for the first day and only pay a pro-rated amount for the rest of the sailing.

Dining packages will save you money

If you want to enjoy some specialty restaurants without paying full price, invest in a dining package.

Royal Caribbean's dining packages provide a set amount of specialty restaurants at a fraction of the list price to dine there.  Quite often, a dining package can knock as much as half off the regular per-person price.

Purchase this before your cruise and make reservations on embarkation day.

Unlimited drink packages have the potential to save money

You will save much more money by not buying any alcoholic drinks on your cruise, but since so many do enjoy cocktails, beers and other beverages during the cruise, the best way to savor these within a budget is to buy a drink package.

If you buy a drink package in the months leading up to your cruise, you can lock in a lower price compared to what it costs onboard, and you will spread out the total cost of the cruise. A drink package purchase requires full payment upfront, so that means it could be on a different credit card billing cycle from your cruise fare.

There is no question a drink package has the potential to save money, it just relies on you to take full advantage of what the drink package offers.

Ask for no souvenir cup

One way to cut down the cost of those tasty cocktails is to skip the souvenir cup.

Often a waiter will walk around the pool deck with a great looking drink in a souvenir cup, but if you ask for the same drink in a plastic cup, the price of the drink will go down.

Ask for specialty restaurant specials onboard

If you see a waiter walking around the ship asking if you want to dine at their specialty restaurant, ask if there is any special price they can offer.

When the restaurant sends someone around to drum up business, it is usually a sign they want to fill spots, and (nicely) asking for a discount is not unusual.

You may need to commit to a reservation that day to get the deal, but it is a great way to sweeten the deal.

Look for the drink card

Have you heard about something where you can pre-purchase 10 drinks for a set price? Usually, the price is somewhere between $75-85 and you can share the drink card with anyone you want. That means a $12 cocktail would cost you really about $7.50-$8.50 each with the drink card.

The "catch" with the drink cards is you cannot pre-purchase them for your cruise, and there are no guarantees they will be available on any particular sailing. Generally, it will be offered on the third to fifth day of a 7-night cruise.

If the drink card is available, it usually becomes available around halfway through your sailing, so on a 7-night cruise, it might show up on day 3 or 4.  

Again, there is no way to know if a drink card will be available on your cruise with any kind of certainty.

Take advantage of free drinks

Believe it or not, there are ways to get free drinks on your Royal Caribbean cruise. Granted, there is no way to effectively drink all day like this, but any free drinks you can get are fewer drinks you have to buy!

One of the best ways to get free drinks is by being a Crown and Anchor Society member. Diamond level and above members are eligible for free drinks up to $14 (Diamond members get 4 drinks per day, Diamond Plus members get 5 and Pinnacle members get 6).

All Crown and Anchor Society members will have special coupons pre-loaded on their SeaPass account that provide deals like discounts on beer, wine or soda by the glass. In addition, Royal Caribbean holds Crown and Anchor Society events onboard for members, with complimentary cocktails served.

Free champagne can also be found at select events, including art auctions, Captain's Welcome and during holiday celebrations.

Avoid laundry costs by packing enough clothes

Since Royal Caribbean does not offer self-service laundry, the only laundry options you have will cost you extra.

Your best bet is to pack enough clothing to avoid having to send any laundry out during your cruise. Planning ahead with extra outfits can ensure you do not have to spend more on getting your clothes cleaned.

You might also consider buying single-use detergent packs so you can wash small garments in your stateroom bathroom sink.

Ask for free seasickness medicine

While you should be prepared and have some seasickness medicine just in case, if you happen to forget it, you can get it for free from the cruise line.

If you are not feeling well, Guest Services and/or the medical center is usually happy to provide complimentary over-the-counter seasickness medicine to anyone who asks.

How to save money before the cruise begins

Pre-pay gratuities

Pre-paying gratuities allow you to lock in the current gratuity rate, as well as assist in budgeting the total vacation cost by having part of the cost be paid at different times.

Every so often, Royal Caribbean adjusts the gratuity rate, but if you have opted to prepay, you will be grandfathered into the old rate.

Cabin upgrades for less

One way you might be able to get a stateroom upgrade for less is to bid for it.

The Royal Up program allows guests to place bids for a stateroom upgrade in the weeks leading up to their cruise.

This is a blind stateroom upgrade bidding program, where close to your sail date you can let Royal Caribbean know how much you would be willing to pay if an upgrade situation presented itself.

Shop around for travel insurance

Royal Caribbean offers its own travel insurance, but you should look at prices from other travel insurance providers to find the best blend of benefits and price.

Third-party travel insurance providers are plentiful, and prices can vary considerably.

Repeat cruisers get onboard discounts

After just one Royal Caribbean cruise, you can expect a list of onboard discounts available to use on every sailing.

These discounts are provided by the Crown and Anchor Society, and it includes discounts on drinks, internet, laundry and more.

The exact discounts vary from tier to tier of the customer loyalty program. As you move up each tier, the discounts get more lucrative.

Look for a sheet in your stateroom with the exact discounts available.

Bring every toiletry that you might need

While Royal Caribbean sells most toiletry items you might need onboard its ships, it will cost much more than buying it at your local store.

To avoid overpaying for toothpaste, sunscreen or medicine, be sure to bring more than enough of it all to ensure you do not run out.

Avoid double tipping

If you order a beer or alcoholic beverage, Royal Caribbean will automatically add a gratuity to your bill, so unless you really loved the bartender or waiter, don't tip them twice.

Often guests don't really read the receipt and are so accustomed to adding a tip that they don't realize gratuity has been automatically applied to the bill. 

How to save money in port

Don't book too many shore excursions

While there are tours available in every port you will visit, you do not necessarily need to book a tour in order to see the sights.

In Europe in particular, it is easy to visit the biggest attractions on your own by walking or relying on public transportation.

This can be much less expensive than touring with a group on an organized tour, and maybe more enjoyable, too.

Bring your own snorkel equipment

One of the most popular Caribbean shore excursions is to go snorkeling, and bringing your own equipment would not only save you money on an excursion, but allow you to use it in more than one port.

There are no restrictions on using your own snorkel equipment, even Royal Caribbean's private destinations of Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee.

Note that if you don't have your own snorkel vest, you will be required to rent one while snorkeling at its private destinations. 

Ask others to share taxis

When in port, if you see other cruise guests waiting for a taxi, ask if you can share a ride with them.

If both of your groups can fit into a single taxi, you can split the cost of the cab and save money compared to getting a private ride. Plus, you might make new friends!

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Royal Caribbean's ships are packed with lots of activities and entertainment, that include areas just for kids and teens to go without their parents.

The dedicated spaces for kids have grown as Royal Caribbean's ships have gotten bigger, and there's a large emphasis on family-friendly programming.

I've taken my kids on dozens of cruises over the years, and it quickly became our family's preferred way to travel. Without a doubt, there's an art to cruising with kids because like all things with children, you've got to find the right balance of fun, relaxation, and sanity.

While we enjoy family fun with my kids on the ships, the supervised kids clubs in Adventure Ocean, Teen Lounge, and the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery have given a break to all of us. 

How the kids club works on Royal Caribbean

On every Royal Caribbean ship is a supervised area reserved just for kids. Parent's drop them off, and it's a win-win for both kids and parents alike.

You'll need to register your kids once you get onboard by visiting the kids club or nursery. You just need to enter some personal information about your kids, who can pick them up, sign out privileges, and authorization for the cruise line staff to supervise them.

Adventure Ocean is the name of the kids club on Royal Caribbean, and it's open every day of your cruise.  It's not open 24 hours, but its operating hours mean you can count on it being open most of the day and into the late night.

If your kids are at least 3 years old, there's no cost to use Adventure Ocean up until 10pm.  After that, there's an hourly fee.

Adventure Ocean is separated into three groups: Aquanauts (3 to 5 years old), Explorers (6 to 8 years old) and Voyagers (9 to 12/13 years old). This ensures there are age-appropriate activities for everyone.

Sometimes groups will be merged if there aren't a lot of kids checked-in, such as during the morning on a sea day or late at night.

Kids going into Aquanauts need to be fully potty trained, regardless of age. The staff cannot assist with kids using the toilet. 

As many parents know, 3-year-olds are usually in the midst of potty training, so my advice is take them to the restroom before drop off and check in often with them to see if they need to go.  There's no problem with you stopping by to take them to the bathroom and then the child returning to the fun.

Kids under the age of 3 can go to the ship's nursery, which always has an hourly fee. The nursery will care for, feed, and put the child down for a nap while in their care.

Teens have their own area of the ship. Depending on the ship, the minimum age for teens is 12 or 13 years old, and includes anyone up to the age of 17.

Kids club on new ships vs old ships

You should be aware that Royal Caribbean's kids programming varies considerably depending on which ship you're sailing on.

Since about 2019, Royal Caribbean has steadily been upgrading Adventure Ocean and Teens Club with a new approach. Primarily, the differences include:

• Teen club starts at 13 instead of 12
• Adventure Ocean is more free play, rather than organized activities. There are still activities wit staff, but kids have more choice whether to participate or not.
• Addition of craft rooms (AO Workshop)
• Addition of outdoor teen deck space
• More interactive digital entertainment in the clubs

Ships with "Adventure Ocean 2.0" include:

• Navigator of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas
• Icon of the Seas
• Utopia of the Seas
• Star of the Seas

Other ships have essentially the original Adventure Ocean approach to programming and spaces available.

What are the ages for kids club on Royal Caribbean?

Kids between the ages of 6 months and 17 years old can access Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program.

Each area is split up by age:

• Royal Babies & Tots: Children 6 months–36 months
• Aquanauts & AO Junior: Children ages 3–5
• Explorers: Children ages 6–8
• Voyagers: Children ages 9–11
• AO Kids (new ships): Children ages 6-12
• Navigators: Children ages 12–14
• Teens: Children ages 15–17
• Social (new ships): ages 13-17

What are the Royal Caribbean kids club hours?

On sea days, Adventure Ocean is typically open 9am - noon; 2pm - 5pm; 7pm - 10pm. After 10pm, Adventure Ocean remains open until perhaps 1am or 2am, but there is an hourly charge for kids that stay past 10pm.

While in port, Adventure Ocean is open continuously while the ship is docked with no breaks.  Once the ship departs port, it resumes the normal sea day schedule.

The nursery hours are fixed every day and open 9am - midnight with a reservation.

The teen club has similar hours to Adventure Ocean, but there is no cost past 10pm.

Special kids club rooms

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has added more than just play areas for kids on their ships. You'll find labs, theaters, and more.

Depending on which ship you sail, there could be additional venues part of Adventure Ocean. These are primarily on the newest and biggest ships. 

All of these rooms are included with your cruise and there's no additional fee.  In many cases, it may only be open for kids checked into their club.

An open play area is an unsupervised room with play toys and climbing toys that is enclosed, with just one entrance. This is where parents can bring their young kids and let them run loose while supervising them.

It's similar to a play are you might see at a fast food restaurant, and it's great for toddlers who can crawl and start to walk and they need to get energy out.

The Adventure Ocean theater doubles as both a movie room and a place for original shows.

Sometimes there are activities held inside the theater for kids signed into kids club, while other times the theater is opened up to parents and kids.

The Science Lab is where Adventure Ocean counselors can take kids to do fun experiments.

Usually it's where kids can build a volcano and watch it "erupt" with the proper combination of chemicals, but it's been used for other activities as well.

Teens usually have an outdoor space for them, in addition to the club. 

On Odyssey of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, there's actually a teen sun deck space for them. Other ships have clubs for teens only.

On the newest Oasis Class ships, there is a Playscape area on the back of the pool deck (Utopia and Wonder of the Seas).

There's no registration or sign ups required, just bring your kids and let them explore and play.  Kids of all ages are welcome, but it leans heavily to favor under 7-year-olds.

Do you have to pay for kids club on Royal Caribbean?

Adventure Ocean and Teens Club is included with your cruise fare, and there is no additional cost. The exception is after 10pm for Adventure Ocean.

After 10pm, there is an hourly rate of $10 per child, per hour.

The nursery always has an hourly cost and costs $6 per child, per hour between 9am and 6pm; $8 per child, per hour between 6pm and midnight.

How the nursery works on Royal Caribbean

Most Royal Caribbean cruise ships have a nursery, and while it has an extra cost, I've found it to be a tremendous value for parents.

The nursery onboard is for toddlers and infants between 6 months and 36 months old, and you'll need to register your child in order to get a time slot.

Time slots are limited because the nursery has very limited capacity. Royal Caribbean maintains a strict counselor-to-child ratio because young children of this age require far more attention than older kids.

When you register, you'll provide information such as feeding schedule, nap preferences, and more.  Unlike the older kids clubs, the nursery can feed children, change their clothes or diapers and allow them to nap. 

Parents can drop off a bag of supplies, which includes formula, diapers, outfits, and anything else the staff might need.

On most ships, the nursery will limit the amount of hours you reserve in advance to ensure everyone has a chance to book times.  Usually after 2 or 3 days, they'll open time slots up without any restrictions.

While the nursery requires reservations, you can still drop your kid off if they have open slots.  My tip is to call the nursery and ask if they have availability at the moment, and they can advise if there's an opportunity.

Once in the nursery, the kids will interact with the counselors and other kids.  The very young kids might simply be held the entire time, while older kids can play with toys, watch a movie, or play with counselors or other kids.

There is a nap area with cribs. Newer ships have more separation between the cribs and the play area. 

Can the staff contact me if there's a problem?

There are various options for contacting parents if there's an issue, problem, or question about their kids.

Parents that drop children at the nursery will automatically get a phone to carry with them. The dect phone works anywhere on the ship, and it's a way to contact parents or parents contact the nursery.  

At Adventure Ocean Aquanauts/AO Juniors, parents can request a phone. It's not automatically given, but they have some to use for parents who have concerns with their kids.

Otherwise, the staff can always call your stateroom phone and leave a message. In the case of an emergency, you would be paged over the ship's public address system.

Kids club tips and advice

There are a few good bits of advice I can offer after taking my kids on many cruises and using Adventure Ocean.

Read more: 50 cruising with kids tips

Go to the open house on the first day

Held in the afternoon (usually 1pm) on embarkation day, you can register your kids and both parents and kids can explore the kids club.

You can meet the staff, get questions answered, and it's the perfect way for you and your kids to feel more comfortable before the first session later that evening.

You can drop kids off while you are off the ship

It might sound crazy, but you can leave your kids in Adventure Ocean while you are off the ship on a shore excursion or just walking around.

The kids club remains open anytime the ship is in port, and it's a great way to enjoy a more adult-centric shore excursion while your kids get to play in the club.

Why Royal Caribbean is the best cruise line for kids

While a lot of cruise lines advertise they're family friendly, Royal Caribbean stands out as the clear best choice for a cruise if you have kids.

For as long as I've been cruising, Royal Caribbean has been a family friendly brand that not only offers things for kids to do, but their parents as well.

I started cruising with I was in my teens, and as I got older, I graduated through various experiences. Now, I'm taking my kids onboard and my parents are the ones sailing with us to be with their grandkids. 

The reason why Royal Caribbean is the best cruise line for families is they offer the most for kids on their ships, at a great value, and without compromising the adult experience.

Other cruise lines may seem better for kids, but leave their parents wanting more.  Or the price is unreasonable.

The balance Royal Caribbean has for what they offer for every member of the family stands out to me.

Best Royal Caribbean ship for kids

There is not a Royal Caribbean cruise ship I wouldn't recommend for kids, but there are definitely a few ships that simply offer more.

By picking a ship that has more activities, larger spaces for kids, and more dining choices, you're increasing the chances that they'll have a good time (and you by proxy).

Think of it like choosing a city to visit. If you select a small town, your kids might love it, but there will be a larger variety of options to keep them occupied in a big city.

In choosing the best Royal Caribbean ship for kids, I think you want a ship with these features:

• A nursery
• Updated Adventure Ocean
• Many top deck activities
• Newer cabins that offer more family room configurations
• More restaurants

My top choices for a family with kids to sail on is Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, or Utopia of the Seas.

All three are big ships with the latest and greatest features onboard, tons of activities, and expansive dining choices.  In fact, Icon of the Seas is in a class by itself if you're cruising with young kids because the have an entire area dedicated to children.

If you're on a budget and want to cruise while saving money, I'd recommend Independence of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, or Mariner of the Seas.

All three ships have been recently updated, and they're still "big ships".  However, they're all over 20 years old, and that means the price will be far less than my top 3 ships.