Cruising was expensive in 2023, leading to many to seek out cheaper alternatives to the the premium prices new ships have. It's a great way to save money on a cruise in 2024 and 2025.

Social media has popularized the concept of "dupes", which is when you seek out cheaper duplicates. It's something Gen Z and millennial influencers trotted out as travel prices starting to rise.

Of course, a dupe is a fancy term for what travelers have been doing for decades of bargain hunting. It's akin to "do this, not that" approach to trip planning and you can apply this strategy to cruises too.

With land travel, you might look at a trip to Memphis, Tennessee instead of Nashville, Tennessee. Or Liverpool, England, instead of London.

It's a hot trend in travel, and here's how you can apply this to a Royal Caribbean cruise.

It's not about picking the oldest ship possible

You might think all you have to do is find the oldest, smallest cruise ship and this exercise is over. But that's over simplifying the idea.

Sure, a cruise on Grandeur of the Seas will almost always be the cheapest option, but finding a dupes is about saving money, not necessarily the lowest price.

Read more: I've sailed on all of Royal Caribbean's oldest ships. Here's why I don't mind sailing on these small ships

Think of it like buying a television. You don't want the cheapest model they have, because it's going to probably not the size you want. Instead, you want to find the best price of the same class of television you're in the market for.

When it comes to cruise ships, the idea is you compromise a little on the ship in exchange for a much better price.

Big ship dupe

Given that Royal Caribbean is well-known for its biggest cruise ships, you might be tempted to book one of their newest and biggest ships: Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas.

These represent the latest and greatest Royal Caribbean has, but they will also have the highest prices.

Assuming you want to go on a big ship with lots to do, water slides, and great entertainment, there are a couple ships to consider instead.

Oasis of the Seas is the best alternative to sail on instead. It's the original game changer of the Oasis Class ships, and got a massive upgrade in 2019 with $165 million in upgrades.

It has lots for families, including water slides, a Broadway show, a revamped pool deck, and updated kids programming.

Here's a look at prices to see the difference:

Spring Break 2024 - March 17, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $1,806 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $953 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $875 per person

Summer 2024 - July 6, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $2,934 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $1,276 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $1,046 per person (Oasis will be in Europe)

Christmas 2024 - December 21, 2024

• Icon of the Seas: Starting at $2,146 per person
• Wonder of the Seas: Starting at $1,295 per person
• Oasis of the Seas: Starting at $964 per person (6-night itinerary)

You'll easily save a few hundred dollars per person by choosing an older Oasis Class ship over a brand new ship.

Alaska cruise dupe

If you're like me, you'd love to take an Alaska cruise and experience everything this beautiful part of the world has to offer.

Finding the right dupe is about balancing dates and ships. There's a big difference in time of year, as much as which ship you pick.

Royal Caribbean offers cruises on two types of ships: Quantum Class and Radiance Class ships.

The bigger Quantum Class ships sail from Seattle, and that will get you a convenient embarkation port, and lots to see and do on your ship.

The Radiance Class ships sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's a bit more difficult and expensive to get flights there (compared to Seattle), and the ships have less to do onboard. But they usually have a much appealing itinerary.

It's also important to note Radiance of the Seas does open-jaw sailings instead of roundtrip. She also offers land tours.  For the purpose of this exercise, we're going to omit Radiance since it's so different in terms of itinerary to the other ships.

Just like the Oasis Class, if you opt for the older ship in the class, you'll probably get a better price.

June 14, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $1,434 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $1,418 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $1,006 per person

July 12, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $1,497 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $1,209 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $1,059 per person

August 9, 2024

• Ovation of the Seas: $946 per person
• Quantum of the Seas: $986 per person
• Brilliance of the Seas $698 per person

Alaska's prices aren't as varied as the Caribbean because there's less choices and the season is so short. 

Still, you can see there are price savings in almost every scenario if you choose to cruise on Quantum or Brilliance over the newer Ovation of the Seas.

It's more than just the cruise price

However, not all dupes will necessarily pay off for cruisers. You may need to rely on other ways to find savings.

Which picking a "dupe" cruise, you should consider what the ship's amenities are, such as dining venues, top deck activities, and entertainment.

Depending on which week you're looking at cruising, you might find less of a discrepancy than you might have wanted. If you're willing to change the time of year you cruise, you can often save much more money on the cruise fare.

Read more: When is the best time to go on a cruise?

Avoiding peak season times to go on a cruise can be net you much bigger savings than picking one ship over another.

To save money on a cruise in general, try being flexible with your trip dates. For example, pick a Caribbean cruise in September or May instead of July.

Read more: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute

Picking a shoulder season cruise, along with booking a year or more in advance, is the best combination to saving the most money and getting the lowest price for almost any cruise.

TikTok and the media have become obsessed with Royal Caribbean's first ever world cruise for all the things that happen on pretty much any cruise.

I'm not sure why this cruise has become so obsessed over. Maybe it's the slow news cycle that occurs around the holidays, but a number of major media outlets have written about how TikTok blew up with so-called drama on the Ultimate World Cruise that will take 9-months and began a few weeks ago.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas kicked off the world cruise on December 10 from Miami, and she will spend 274-nights traversing the world with hundreds of people onboard for the entire transit.

As soon as the ship set sail, it seemed to ignite an overnight sensation on TikTok among people who were intrigued by the notion of spending almost a year on a cruise ship. 

Like so many things on social media, a bigger deal was made out of it than it really is. The problem is the media picked up on it, and is reporting on the sort of things happening so far on the cruise as if it's something new, when it's really not.

I'm all for fun videos about cruises. Heck, our team makes our own silly videos too.  But before you share that article that there's drama on the world cruise, here's a reality check.

Why is the world cruise all over TikTok?

Photo by mamanee117

In the lead up the world cruise, a number of people booked on the cruise started publishing videos about the cruise and used the #RoyalCaribbeanUltimateWorldCruise hashtag.

All sorts of videos started popping up, and when it was time to board the ship, even more videos got posted and there's been 9 million views on the platform.

Nine million views is a lot of views, for sure. But in reading through the comments and looking at the videos, what we're basically seeing is people post about things that happen on any vacation when you have a lot of people together in one place.

The comments are also a hot bed of people that have never cruised and/or Never Cruisers that like to share their opinion on why cruising is silly. But this is just another day on the internet.

The world cruise is not any more dramatic than any other cruise

People on TikTok became as interested in the cruise itself as the personalities of the creators. Given that the vast majority of the public has never been on a cruise before, all sorts of assumptions and predictions were made. Many were just plain crazy.

"Can you imagine the type of drama that is gonna happen on that boat?” user @nchimad on TikTok said in a video

"If something big goes down, I want to hear from different people, different angles, perspectives."

I'm not sure what constitutes "something big", but misbehaving guests, accidents, and strange occurrences happen on pretty much every cruise (and high school, theme park, or Starbucks) around the world.

Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant

While there will certainly be people who get in trouble, annoyances, or other instances of guests behaving badly, this is not unique to a world cruise by any means. 

Photo by whimsysoul

Another person created a bingo card for things that could happen on the world cruise. She isn't actually on the sailing, just following along.

The video has over 300,000 views so far and the squares range from the mundane to the absurd.

• Getting sunburned
• Norovirus
• Brands sponsors for passengers
• Pirate takeover
• A wedding
• Someone goes home early
• Port errand runs
• Minor mystery to solve

If we overlook the laughable squares (pirates?), getting sunburned, married, gaining 15 pounds, or having a mental breakdown are not unique to any single cruise.

Read more: 22 unpleasant cruise ship problems you aren't prepared for

Anyone that's been on a cruise ship would tell you these sort of things happen.

Then there's a video by Little Rat Brain that showed what her cabin looked like, and it has 1.4 million views.

Photo by little_rat_brain

She did a great job at creatively decorating her cabin for the entire voyage so it feels more like home, "I’m creating custom mail from each of the ports. Obviously, as it’s an interior cabin, we had to bring the outside in, so we did that with some help from IKEA – shout out to their plant walls."

Photo by little_rat_brain

"I also created some of these custom murals, to just brighten everything up. This is a sneak peek of what’s to come, it’s not quite done yet."

She has put a lot of effort into her cabin decorating, but plenty of people do this sort of thing on any cruise. Cabin decorating is a popular cruise ship activity.

Many cruise ship passengers will decorate their cabin doors, while others will go as far as to decorate the inside of their room too.

Cabin photos by Don & Judy "Meet me at Vintages" Goldstein

Inside cabins aren't as bad as you think

If you read the comments made to the cabin tour video, there's people who can't believe little_rat_brain would stay in an inside room for 9-months.

“My claustrophobia can’t,” a viewer commented.

"Is it not a fire hazard to have no windows in a room?" another questioned.

Inside cabins are commonplace on cruise ships, and while they aren't spacious, there are advantages to staying in them.

Booking an inside cabin doesn't mean you're in your room all day. Most cruise ship passengers are out and about doing things. Hanging at the pool, grabbing a meal somewhere, on shore exploring, or enjoying music around the ship. 

In most cases, cruise ship cabins are used as a place to sleep, change, and shower.

In addition, booking an inside room means a lot of money saved that can be used towards other aspects of this epic trip.

The price for the full 274-nights was between $53,999 per person to $117,599 per person. Suffice to say, the inside room was closer to the low end of that range.

Bottom line

In short, the people sailing on the world cruise are just like the people on pretty much any other Royal Caribbean cruise.  The only difference is the length of their sailing.

Any cruise you pick is going to have a myriad of personalities and backgrounds. That's what makes travel so compelling, because you're exposed to different cultures and get to meet new people.

The internet may be freaking out about the drama that may or may not occur on Serenade of the Seas. But there's no reason to believe this is really anything out of the ordinary.

When I go on my cruises in 2024, I'll be making a few changes to how I cruise.

I went on 11 cruises in 2023, including 9 of them on Royal Caribbean ships. It was my best year yet of cruising, and I was able to sail to a variety of destinations around the world.

With the new year nearly upon us, I can't help but look back at what I did this year, and the new year resolutions I'll make to being a better cruiser in 2024.

With any cruise, you can alter the dynamic of how you approach it. It's not a "one size fits all" product, and that means you have the option to change it.

I came up with five changes I want to make in my 2024 cruises so that I can save money, avoid pitfalls, or simply improve my experience overall.

Book my second half cruises sooner (to save money)

The cost of travel went up in 2023, and cruises were no exception.

The average price of a Royal Caribbean cruise is higher now than in 2019, and as as consumer, I need to adjust my strategies.

While I have a number of cruises already booked for 2024, my plan is to be more proactive with booking anything new.

In the past, I would still rely on booking a cruise with about three months or so left to be able to squeeze another cruise in. This was partially because I live in Florida and can drive to any cruise port in the state, but also because I was slow to come up with ideas for articles to write and subsequently find a cruise to make it happen.

Instead, I'll book my cruises sooner to hopefully get a better price than if I try to get a last-minute deal.

I'd recommend anyone reading this to also aspire to book their cruises earlier. Prices are only going up, so booking early is still the best overall strategy for a better price.

Read more: The best time to book cruises by day, month, and last-minute

Skip the drink package

Depending on how long you've read posts on this site, you know I've generally been a fan of the Royal Caribbean drink package. But I think that may be changing this year.

Even at the higher prices, I still think the drink package is a good investment for someone looking to indulge during their cruise. It still has the propensity to save money.

However, I've found an alternative way to enjoy alcoholic beverages on my cruise without paying the price of a drink package. 

Many readers have told me about how lucrative Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty program can be, as it includes unlimited free drinks in the casino as one of its perks.

Read more: I gambled enough in Royal Caribbean's casino to get free drinks and a cruise

I'm not a big gambler by any means, but I cruise enough during the year that I can spend a little bit during each sailing to accrue enough points to reach Prime in the Casino Royale program.

Having achieved that status, I can now get free drinks in the casino.  Combined with the free drink vouchers I get from Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, I want to try relying on this instead of buying a drink package.

The downside to this strategy is I'm reliant on going to the casino to get a drink. On big ships, this is quite the schlep.

Nonetheless, the money-saving opportunity this strategy has is too alluring to pass up, so I want to try it this year.

Take the train instead of driving to South Florida

From the first time I took the new Brightline train between Orlando and Miami, I was hooked.

It's about three and a half hours to traverse Central and South Florida, and it's an extremely boring drive. Much of Florida's interior is rural and there isn't much to see. Plus, that's a lot of time to be out of pocket for covering what's happening in the world of cruising.

Brightline opened daily service between Orlando and the ports Royal Caribbean ships sail out of in South Florida, and it has been a godsend for people like me that hate to fly but were sick of the drive.

I've taken the train five times now, and when Icon of the Seas begins her cruises from Miami, I'll be taking the train instead of my car to get back and forth.

Read more: I took the Brightline train from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale for my cruise. Here's what it was like

Driving is still cheaper, but my time is worth more to me, especially if it means never having to get stuck in traffic or slowed down by a downpour.

Rethink the unlimited dining plan

Earlier I said I'd skip buying a drink package, but for the specialty dining package, I'm going to commit to thinking twice before buying it.

I've bought the unlimited dining package for plenty of my cruises because it's a great way to enjoy many specialty restaurants. 

But like the drink package, the price of the dining package has gone up. And equally importantly, Royal Caribbean has stepped up with its complimentary food. While I love the hibachi or a filet, I never regret the stir-fry station in the Windjammer or a bowl of French onion soup in the Main dining room.

I think a lot of people are coming to a similar conclusion, especially on Icon of the Seas.

Jeffrey Robinson bought the unlimited dining package the first day it became available for the Icon of the Seas inaugural sailing, but then cancelled it a few weeks ago because he realized how much great complimentary food there was on Icon. 

I didn't cancel my dining package for Icon, but as I plan out the rest of my 2024 cruises, I might reconsider the investment.

Finally try the rock climbing wall

Believe it or not, I've never tried the rock climbing wall on any Royal Caribbean ship.

The rock wall has been a staple of Royal Caribbean ships ever since it was first introduced on Voyager of the Seas in 1999.

I've always wanted to try it, but never got around to doing it.  A few years ago I actually went to the wall to try it, only to hear it was closed because the wall itself was too hot.

I'm not sure which ship I'll try it on, but I aspire to finally get up on the rock wall this year! The Crown's Edge on Icon of the Seas can take the rock wall's place on my "never done it" list.

Go for a night swim with my kids

Not my kids

When I was brainstorming this list, I thought of something to do differently as it relates to my kids.

We've always talked about going up to the pool for a swim after dinner, but never end up doing it.  Either the kids find something else to do, or I realize we have plans elsewhere on the ship.  Or we just get lazy and call it a night.

In any case, I want to find time to go up at least one night per cruise with the kids up to the pool to get some time in for a night swim.  Maybe it's for half an hour, maybe it's for an entire movie, but I think this is a good year to make it happen.

Big Royal Caribbean ships may seem similar, but there are a lot of differences you should know about.

Among the six Oasis Class cruise ships, Harmony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are popular choices that offer so much to do onboard.

Harmony was built after Allure, and she represents the evolution of the Oasis Class. Having sailed on both ships, it becomes clear quite early there are lots of changes between the two ships.

While the layout and overall feel of the ships are similar, there are noticeable changes between the two ships that could change your decision of which to book.

Here are the key differences between them both.

Ship size

Harmony of the Seas is slightly bigger than Allure of the Seas in order to market the ship as the "biggest cruise ship in the world" when she debuted in May 2016.

That isn't to say it's a big difference, as Harmony is a few feet longer and has a bit more gross tonnage.

Here's a look at each ship's size:

Dining

You will find complimentary dining restaurants that are included in your cruise fare, along with the choice of specialty dining restaurants that cost extra.

The core dining experience is the same on both ships, with the Main Dining Room offering traditional and My Time Dining for dinner.  It's also open for breakfast every day and lunch on sea days.

The Main Dining Room on Allure of the Seas looks like it's split up among three restaurants (it even has a different name based on which deck you're on), but it's the same menu across all three areas.

The Windjammer buffet is open every day for all three meals, although the venue on Harmony is a bit wider to help with crowds.

If you're staying in a suite, there is a complimentary restaurant exclusively for you at Coastal Kitchen.  This is available on both ships.

The specialty restaurant choices are where you'll notice the biggest difference among the two ships.  There are different restaurant choices you can eat at on both.

Here are the differences among the specialty restaurants on Harmony and Allure:

The biggest difference is Samba Grill on Allure or Wonderland on Harmony.

In terms of bars, there are minor differences between the two ships.

Cabins

The cabin selection on both Harmony and Allure should be just about the same.

You will find plenty of inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite cabins across either ship. 

Being that both are an Oasis Class ship, these vessels have balcony cabins that face inwards instead of the ocean. The Central Park and Boardwalk balcony cabins are an interesting alternative to ocean balconies, and you can book them on either ship.

If you're a solo traveler, only Harmony of the Seas has cabins specifically designed (and priced) for you.  There are 12 Studio Ocean View cabins and 3 Studio Interior rooms.

Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Single and Studio staterooms

You may also notice the cabin aesthetic is different between the ships.  Harmony of the Seas is newer and adopted a new look for cabins that was first introduced with Quantum of the Seas in 2014.

Inside cabin on Harmony of the Seas

Inside cabin on Allure of the Seas

The rooms on Harmony generally have more storage space, darker woods, and a more modern feel to the cabin.

You'll also find USB outlets in a room on Harmony.

Entertainment

An area you'll notice differences between the two ships are the featured shows onboard.

Royal Caribbean has a well-deserved reputation for its entertainment, and nearly every ship has different shows onboard.

Both ships feature a Broadway show, along with original Royal Caribbean productions.

Royal Theater

• Allure
  • Mamma Mia
  • Blue Planet
• Harmony
  • Grease
  • Columbus, The Musical

AquaTheater

• Allure
  • Oceanaria
• Harmony
  • Hideaway Heist
  • The Fine Line

Studio B

• Allure
  • Blades! Ice Spectacular
• Harmony
  • 1887: A Journey in Time
  • iSkate

You will notice that there is an extra show in Studio B and AquaTheater on Harmony, which is nice to have additional variety. 

Activities

You won't have any shortage of things to do on any Oasis Class ship. These ships were designed to offer more than you can experience in just a week.

One big difference between the Allure and Harmony is only Harmony of the Seas has waterslides.  Harmony was built with the slides, while Allure has yet to have them added.

The Perfect Storm slides are comprised of two racer slides and one champagne bowl slide. The slides descend three decks through a series of twists and turns over the ship’s tree-lined Central Park neighborhood 10 decks below.

Speaking of slides, Harmony of the Seas has the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, which is a 10-story slide that descends from the Sports Deck down to the Boardwalk. Allure does not have an Ultimate Abyss slide.

Both the water slides and Ultimate Abyss are complimentary.

For younger kids, there are different splash areas on both ships. 

Harmony of the Seas has Splashaway Bay where kids can play among the water slides, water cannons, fountains, pools and whirlpools.

Allure of the Seas has the H2O Zone, which was the precursor to Splashaway Bay. It has water geysers, a small whirlpool, and hot tubs.

Harmony of the Seas has a dedicated escape room onboard, which has an extra cost. Allure of the Seas does not have an escape room. The goal of an escape room is for the guests to work together to find clues needed to solve various puzzles in 60 minutes or less.

Both ships have twin Flowrider surf simulators, twin climbing walls, a zip line, outdoor mini-golf and a basketball court.

While both ships have pools and hot tubs, there is one significant difference between Allure and Harmony in the adults-only area.

The Solarium on Harmony of the Seas does not have a pool. Instead, it has a walk-through mister meant to cool people off.  Allure of the Seas has a pool in its Solarium.

Bottom line

As the only "un-upgraded" Oasis Class ship, Allure of the Seas sometimes gets overlooked because it doesn't have waterslides or some of the newer dining venues.

If you have children that absolutely need waterslides, then the choice between the two is obvious. Otherwise, you're balancing the virtues of each ship.

The different Broadway shows may sway you in one direction, or you may feel strongly about a certain specialty restaurant. 

The most notable difference are the lack of slides on Allure of the Seas.

Depending on when you are looking to cruise, the home port and itineraries may be different too.

Whether it was exploring fjords, seeing Mexico by yacht, or seeing Maine in a new way, this year was full of adventure on the cruises I took.

In 2023, I was lucky enough to take 11 cruises on two different cruise lines across multiple continents. It was my best year of cruising yet, and I can't help but reflect on the best moments from the year.

I was inspired to think of the top five moments from my cruises this year and share them here.

Here are my favorite travel experiences of the year.

First European cruise

Up until 2023, I had never taken a cruise outside of North America. So when the opportunity came to go across the pond, I jumped at the chance.

Royal Caribbean invited me to go to Finland to see Icon of the Seas in the shipyard, and I thought since I was going all the way over there, why not squeeze a cruise in too?

I found a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian fjords on Anthem of the Seas and it was one of the best cruises I've ever taken.

Between experiencing Europe and seeing the natural beauty of Norway, I was so impressed by the sailing from start to finish. I got to see a little bit of the United Kingdom, and including plenty of pints of beer in local pubs.

Then it was onto Norway, and a port intensive itinerary that took me to see fjords and a glacier. 

Just like Alaska, photos don't do Norway justice, and I loved how pretty the landscape was in each port. I loved it so much that I'm already planning to return in 2025 (and I'm inviting you to join me for it!).

If I had to pick one moment that stood out above the rest, it was taking an electric "troll car" up to the top of Geiranger to see the fjord. It was stunning.

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

Staying in the biggest suite

I've stayed in plenty of suites before, but never in one as opulent and sprawling as the Royal Loft Suite.

I took my family on a quick weekend cruise on Allure of the Seas and stayed in the biggest suite on the ship, which is the Royal Loft Suite.

It measures 1,524 square feet and has two bedrooms, a dining room, and large living room. 

Then there's the 843 square foot balcony to go with it, which has a hot tub on it.

When you stay in a suite as large as this one that comes with as many perks as it does, you'll naturally want to spend as much time as possible in the cabin. From enjoying cocktails on the balcony to having meals delivered to the suite, it opened my eyes to how you can live life to its fullest in one of these suites.

We certainly don't need to stay in a suite to have a great cruise, but it was such a treat to try it out.

Visiting New England

I had a Canada and New England cruise on my must-try list for a while, and 2023 was the year I got to finally try it.

Sailing on Serenade of the Seas, I sailed out of Boston to ports in Nova Scotia, Canada and Maine.  I thought I was going to love Canada, but I didn't expect to enjoy Maine even more.

Between the food, beers, scenery, and the welcoming people, I think a cruise to the Atlantic maritime provinces is vastly underrated. 

Nova Scotia was beautiful and I enjoyed it, but I found I enjoyed Maine even more. The combination of quaint towns and beautiful parks really struck me, and I would love to go back again and try even more.

As a beer lover, this region did not disappoint. Every port had so many good choices. Grabbing a beer in port became just as important as the shore excursion I had planned.

My favorite moment from this cruise was exploring Bar Harbor. I went up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, saw fall foliage, and walked around the town. It was exactly what I envisioned when I first considered booking this cruise.

Read more: 7 things that surprised me on my first Canada & New England cruise

A luxurious day in Cabo

I'm always on the lookout for an exceptional shore excursion, and I found a real winner in Cabo San Lucas.

Along with a group of friends, we rented out a yacht for the day in port while visiting on Navigator of the Seas. It was luck that we stumbled upon the tour provider. It wasn't cheap, but what a way to spend the day!

In other ports mentioned in this article, I talked about the natural beauty and splendor of visiting those places. Cabo is certainly beautiful too, but this was just a really fun and enjoyable day spent on the water with friends. A good time was had by all.

The original plan was for the boat's crew to take us out to swim somewhere, but the ocean was so rough that day it wasn't possible. The Captain apologized for having to deviate, but we were having such a good time together that where we went was secondary.

It's a good reminder that time spent with friends and family on a cruise is more important than where you go. 

Trying Celebrity for the first time

For the first time in over a decade, I went on a cruise line that wasn't Royal Caribbean.

I took my first ever cruise on Celebrity Cruises in 2023 when I took the family on a Thanksgiving cruise on Celebrity Apex.

It felt like the right time to try a Celebrity cruise, and we picked out one of the newer ships in the fleet for an Eastern Caribbean trip.

Being on a different cruise line was exciting in itself, and I took pleasure in being a bit outside of my element. Certainly the core experience is the same, but it was nice to change things up a bit.

I also appreciated the aspects of the cruise Celebrity excelled at, including the variety of food on its menus, as well as the seating around the ship. Even just enjoying coffee in Cafe al Bacio was lovely.

Read more: I took my first Celebrity Cruise on a new ship. We had a great time, but I missed Royal Caribbean's entertainment

A cat smuggled onto a cruise ship has a new home, and it almost ended very badly for one cat.

According to Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley, a guest smuggled on a cat on Ovation of the Seas. They aren't quite sure how it was brought onboard, but it was discovered on the ship.

Ovation of the Seas was sailing from Hawaii to Australia on a sailing in October.

"Meet Ovie! The cat smuggled onboard Ovation of the Seas by a guest!", Bayley wrote on his Facebook page.

Mr. Bayley thinks perhaps the cat was able to be brought onboard in a sweatshirt in order to evade security measures

"We assume he must have been sedated or something and he wouldn't beep, since Ovie isn't metal," Bayley wrote.

Per customs rules, the cat wasn't allowed off the ship in Australia or New Zealand.

Biosecurity agents from New Zealand found Ovie in a guest’s cabin, but Royal Caribbean International declined to identify the traveler.

Other than service animals, pets aren't allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. Emotional support animals have been banned since 2018.

As a result, the cat was to be euthanized, according to Mr. Bayley.

Thanks to the work of the Guest Services team on the ship, the cat was able to remain onboard the ship until a permanent solution was found. It took a few weeks, but Mr. Bayley said they were able to get the cat back to the United States.

One of those crew members from the Guest Services team adopted the cat, and it's now living in Florida.

The feline was "adopted by one of the Guest Service team members in Miami.  Ovie is now happily living in Miami."

Fans thankful for saving the cat

Mr. Bayley shared the story of Ovie's rescue on Facebook, and the comments were overwhelmingly" happy a positive ending came to the story.

"Love this. Not the cats fault. Love Royal. God Bless," wrote Phares Heindl.

"Love this so much! I hope Ovie and family have a magical life together!", posted Katina Bradley.

"This is amazing! Thank you for making sure this baby was not euthanized!," wrote Fox Forlenza-Owens.

One fan thought the cat had aspirations to become a cruise ship pet celebrity like Captain Kate's cat.

"She aspired to be a cruise cat like Capt. Kate McCue and Bug," wrote April Davenport.

Many people were also incredulous towards whomever brought the cat in the first place.

"What freaking idiot would “smuggle” a cat onboard?? People really are stupid," Greg Brockman posted.

"How irresponsible of the owners to think this was a good idea," Robyn Tindall added. 

As we approach the start of a new year, I can't but help look forward to all the new changes coming to Royal Caribbean.

There's always something new happening every year in the cruise industry, but it seems like 2024 is going to be the biggest yet for Royal Caribbean with everything opening and launching.

There's two new cruise ships, a new beach, and changes to the experience onboard.

I picked out five of the most intriguing changes or additions that someone going on a cruise in 2024 will want to be aware of before booking a new cruise.

1. Icon of the Seas launch

2024 will be the year of Icon of the Seas.

There will be plenty of other new cruise ships this year (including another Royal Caribbean one), but none of them will compare to Icon in scope, features, or buzz.

Icon of the Seas will be the first in the Icon Class, and Royal Caribbean's first new cruise ship in a decade.

Being the first in a class means it's an all new kind of cruise ship, with plenty to do and Royal Caribbean has gone all out with its design.  There's more to do than any other cruise ship has offered, and more importantly, it's a big play for the family cruise market.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships have always been family friendly, but Icon will do more to offer families onboard. There are more cabins designed with families in mind, and an entire neighborhood for young children and their parents.

Plus, there's an entire waterpark onboard, along with the award-winning entertainment that Royal Caribbean is well-know for.

More than the ship itself, expect an unparalleled amount of attention for it. Icon starts off the year with his first revenue sailing on January 27, but the red carpet will be rolled out in the weeks leading up the launch.  Even after her first sailing, Royal Caribbean will likely pour on the pomp and circumstance right into the summer when its other new cruise ship enters service.

2. Utopia of the Seas launch

Two new Royal Caribbean cruise ships launching in the same year is not something I can recall happening, but it will happen in 2024!

Utopia of the Seas is likely the last Oasis Class cruise ship, and she will begin cruises in June 2024.

While this will be the sixth Oasis Class ship, Utopia has a few notable changes from her sisters. When it comes to any new ship, Royal Caribbean almost always tends to mix up the entertainment and dining choices to keep it all fresh.

The Ultimate Abyss slide will be the longer than ever so that Utopia can say it has the longest dry slide at sea.  It will be 259 feet tall, which is 43 feet longer than other Royal Caribbean ships.

Royal Caribbean's first immersive dining restaurant will debut on Utopia, which will rely on mixed reality and have a classic train dining car motif. Located on deck 4, the restaurant will look like a train station where you board a train car for a trip.

Read more: Royal Caribbean shares a glimpse of its first mixed reality restaurant concept

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen moves to a new location that overlooks the Boardwalk neighborhood and even has an outdoor terrace.

Izumi will move to Central Park and offer a walk-up window option for sushi on the go.

There will also be a new bar, called the Pesky Parrot bar. This will be located in the Royal Promenade on Deck 5, effectively replacing Bionic Bar. The Pesky Parrot is a new bar with a Caribbean flair. You'll find fruit-based beverages made with rum, tequila and gin.

The other really big change with Utopia of the Seas is it will enter service with short cruises instead of 7-night sailings.

Traditionally, new cruise ships start their life with offering week-long cruises, but Royal Caribbean wants to offer short cruises on her in order to appeal to the new to cruise crowd.  People that have never cruised tend to book short cruises first, so the hope is having a brand new ship doing 3- and 4-night cruises will stand out ahead of any other short cruise offering.

Read more: Royal Caribbean has a plan to dominate short cruises with a new ship and private destinations

The inaugural sailing of Utopia of the Seas will be July 22, 2024 and will be a 4-night cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

3. New adults-only beach opens

In addition to Icon of the Seas starting service, something else will be new in January.

The next expansion of Perfect Day at CocoCay will open when Hideaway Beach becomes operational.

Hideaway Beach is for guests 18-years-old or older, and it's meant to be a haven for adults that want somewhere just for them. 

Poolside cabanas, a new pizza restaurant, swim-up bar and infinity pool are what Royal Caribbean will add to keep adults in a party mood all day long. 

The Hideaway pool will be the massive freshwater pool where you'll find the DJ located near a swim-up bar. Think Las Vegas pool party.

It will be an extra-cost add-on to consider for adults who want to enjoy a lively atmosphere and no kids.

4. Dining Package change

It's not quite clear when in 2024 this will happen, but it's about to become much easier to book a dining reservation pre-cruise if you have a Royal Caribbean dining package.

In conjunction with the launch of Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean will finally allow guests that book a specialty dining package the option to pre-book online.

Up until now, guests that had booked a dining package had to wait until they got onboard the ship to make a reservation, and that created a pain point for them and added stress to the first day of the cruise as they would scramble once onboard to make reservations.

Before you get super excited for it, it's not certain when it will happen. Royal Caribbean executives told us it's "likely" in the first half of 2024.

5. New ships and itineraries in 2024

Every year there are new itineraries and ship homeports, and we found a few notable changes in 2024.

Symphony of the Seas will call the New York City area home for the first time when she begins sailing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Royal Caribbean made a splash when Oasis of the Seas was the first Oasis Class ship to sail from the Big Apple, and now it will be Symphony's turn.

Read more: Guide to cruises from New York

Speaking of Oasis Class ships, Oasis of the Seas will sail the Mediterranean in summer 2024. This isn't Oasis' first time in Europe, but it is the first time for Oasis since being amplified. 

Oasis of the Seas will offer7-night Western Mediterranean cruises to France and Italy from Barcelona and Rome.

Rounding out 2024 will be more weekend sailings from Australian shores than ever before. Sailing between November 2024 and April 2025, Royal Caribbean's Australia cruise season will feature a choice of eight 2- to 3-night weekend getaways from both Sydney and Brisbane. 

Which Royal Caribbean change are you most excited about for 2024? Tell us in the comments!

Which staterooms should you avoid booking on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas?

Wonder of the Seas is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world that is 1,188 feet long and is basically a floating city.

Read more: Wonder of the Seas review

Among the 2,867 staterooms you can stay in on Wonder of the Seas, there are at least a few types you might want to think twice about booking.

While most staterooms are totally fine, there are some rooms that are perhaps located in an area that could be prone to noise, could make you seasick, or are just disappointing.

Read more: What is the best location on a cruise ship?

In an effort to ensure you pick the right stateroom, we scoured the Wonder of the Seas deck plans to find the cabins you definitely don't want to book.

1. Connecting rooms (if you don't need it)

Connecting rooms a boon for families looking to get more than one cabin with a common door in the middle, but it's a bad idea if you aren't using that door.

You'll find connecting inside, oceanview, and balcony rooms on Wonder of the Seas, but don't book these rooms unless you need the other room.

The problem with these rooms is the connecting door is not as well insulated from noise as a wall would be, and there's many complaints about noise bleed from people that book a connecting room when they don't know the person on the other side.

To be clear, if you need two rooms, connecting cabins are great and you should book it. After all, if the people in the other room are noisy, you can open the door and tell them to quiet down!  But that doesn't work when it's a stranger.

2. Rooms on deck 3 under public venues

If you go to sleep early, you'll avoid to avoid a cabin under or above a public venue.

The oceanview and inside rooms on deck 3 are all underneath either Studio B ice skating rink or Casino Royale.

The problem with having a room in this location is you could have noise bleed to contend with, especially if you're someone that likes to go to sleep early.

There are pros and cons to having a room on the lowest deck of a cruise ship, but ideally you'll book a cabin that has other cabins above and below it.

3. Cabins towards the bow if you are prone to seasickness

You will want to avoid cabins towards the front of the ship because you are likely feel the motion of the waves more distinctly.

The front of the ship tends to experience more motion than the center of the ship, and if you're someone who is worried about getting seasick, you'll want to avoid these cabins.

When Calista went on Wonder of the Seas, she had an inside cabin at the very front of the ship and she felt more seasick there than elsewhere on the ship.

Read more: 13 things I wish I'd done differently on my first cruise

It's important to remember everyone's tolerance for motion is different, and booking a cabin at the front will not guarantee anyone gets seasick (nor will booking a midship cabin guarantee you wont get seasick).

While I don't consider cabin location often in terms of if I'll get seasick or not, it's worth pointing out cabins closer to the bow are to be avoided if you think that might apply to you.

4. Rooms below the pool

You would be surprised how much noise a cabin below the pool can have, especially in the early morning.

The pool deck on Wonder of the Seas is a hub of activity, with plenty of people up there in the morning, day, and evening. You might expect that to be the case most times of the day, but there's still things happening there in the early morning.

Crew members use the early morning and late evening hours to re-arrange deck chairs. At night, they stack them to ensure they don't go flying around overnight and then set them back up in the early morning.  The issue with this is crew members drag the loungers across the deck to get them to where they need to go, and that can result in screeching sounds emanating from the ceiling of your cabin.

To be safe, avoid these cabins on Deck 14:

• 14162 to 14240
• 14562 to 14640

One more note about cabins on deck 14 are the balcony cabins that have a bit of an overhang, which is only a problem if you want your balcony to be sunny.

The deck 14 balconies in this area will likely have more overhead cover.

That means less sun and less rain on the balcony in most cases.  Some people like that, others prefer the more open feeling of lower deck balconies.

5. Rooms above the Royal Theater

If you're someone that likes to go to bed early, don't book a cabin directly above the theater.

Newer Royal Caribbean cruise ships do a pretty good job with soundproofing, but if given the choice, avoid cabins on deck six that are directly above the Royal Theater.

This means avoiding these cabins on deck 6:

• 6130 to 6160
• 6135 to 6153
• 6530 to 6560
• 6535 to 6553

6. Obstructed view cabins

Forgetting room location for a moment, if there's one type of cabin I hear the most complaints about it's obstructed view rooms.

There are some cabins on Wonder of the Seas where the view from the window or balcony is partially or even completely obstructed by a lifeboat, machinery, or some other structural element.

I think the reason why I read so many complaints is people are unaware they're booking it, or naive to how much the obstruction will bother them.

Here are the cabins on Wonder of the Seas which have obstructed view:

• 7100 to 7108
• 7500 to 7510
• 7114 to 7126
• 7516 to 7528
• 8100 to 8108
• 8500 to 8510
• 8116 to 8124
• 8516 to 8524
• 8329
• 8729
• 9100 to 9108
• 9500 to 9510
• 9118 to 9124
• 9518 to 9524
• 9329
• 9729
• 10100 to 10108
• 10500 to 10510
• 10124 to 10128
• 10522 to 10528
• 10329
• 10729
• 11100 to 11106
• 11500 to 11506
• 11124 to 11130
• 11524 to 11528
• 11327 & 11329
• 11727 & 11729
• 12327 & 12329
• 12727 & 12729
• 14217
• 14293 to 14299
• 14693 to 14699
• 14323 & 14325
• 14719 to 14725
• 1780

It is worth noting that there is one distinct benefit to booking an obstructed view cabin, and that is it's usually cheaper than an unobstructed view room. However, I find the disappointment many readers have with an obstruction is not worth the aggravation in order to save some money.

7. Central Park balconies near the movie screen

One change Royal Caribbean made with Wonder of the Seas was to add a movie screen to the pool deck, but that screen is viewable from the Central Park balcony cabins below and some people noted it was loud on the balcony as a result.

The issue is people on their balcony can hear the sound from the movie screen above them, and that disturbs some people that would prefer a quiet balcony.

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas is just about a month away from debuting, but we're getting glimpses of what the new cruise ship looks like.

Icon of the Seas is nearly ready for her first revenue cruise in January, and we're starting to get an idea of what the new ship really looks like based on photos taken by some of the crew members onboard.

The new ship departed the shipyard in Finland and went to Cadiz, Spain where the ship stopped to load provisions and crew members.

There will eventually be 2,350 crew members on Icon of the Seas, and some of them have taken to posting photos and video to social media. You can't blame them for being so excited to share what the ship looks like. Even Royal Caribbean's top executives have posted photos from the new ship.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Entertainment Nick Weir has shared a look at the ice skating theater and AquaTheater with his posts on social media.

Mr. Weir is so proud of the talented performers onboard that he shares a look at the hard work that goes into preparing it all.

Icon of the Seas will have a number of new performance venues, including an entire AquaTheater enclosed under the AquaDome. Encompassing more than 33,000 square meters and extending from Deck 14 to 20, the AquaDome neighborhood is home to new dining venues, a lounge, and new staterooms.

Absolute Zero is located at the end of the Royal Promenade and will have two shows performed across the 2,850 square feet of ice.

Crew members that are working on Icon of the Seas have begun sharing photos too.

Andy C. shared photos of the Royal Promenade from an event that took place in the neighborhood recently.

At 362 feet long, the Royal Promenade onboard Icon of the seas is longer than a football field, and for the first time, it incorporates ocean views.

Nearly all of the venues (except The Attic) are fully open on the Royal Promenade, so music can be heard from all over the Royal Promenade and for it to be more enticing for passengers to want to experience it all.

Many Royal Caribbean ships have a Royal Promenade, but this version of the Promenade is easier to get around. You can easily get between deck five and deck six, or head up stairs to Central Park on deck eight. Plus, there's an escalator from the Promenade to get you down to the casino and gangway on port days.

There are many venues around the Promenade, including Giovanni's Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar.

There will also be a Dueling Pianos bar, Sorrento's pizzeria, Point and Feather pub, Spotlight Karaoke, Boleros and Schooner Bar.

Even though there aren't passengers onboard yet, the ship is still celebrating Christmas.

Photos taken show the giant Christmas tree on the Royal Promenade. Royal Caribbean celebrates Christmas on every ship, and this year, crew members get the chance to enjoy it all to themselves.

Located on deck six, Dueling Pianos is Royal Caribbean's first double-pianist bar where the two performers take requests and involve guests in the musical fun.

The location of Dueling Pianos right next to The Attic comedy club on the Royal Promenade is deliberately to bring more entertainment and more energy into to Royal Promenade.

Pearl Cafe is the evolution of the Cafe Promenade concept, that has complimentary casual bistro cafe experience with elevated bistro food.

Pearl Cafe serves freshly toasted croissants, hot chocolate croissants, croissant sandwiches, sweets, and other specialty desserts. 

Royal Caribbean's well-known complimentary pizza will have a tweak that aims to improve the flow and reduce lines.

The plan is to get away from having switchbacks and queues to handle the lines that form for pizza. By giving the space a larger footprint, the hope is lines will be shorter.

The Pearl is the focal point of the Royal Promenade, and it's an architectural marvel that will bring the ship to life, offering different experiences throughout the voyage.

"The Pearl has a lot of different purposes. It's hard to put into context," said Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer for Royal Caribbean International.

"It's a bit art, a bit sculpture, a bit experience, a bit WOW." 

Read more: First look at The Pearl

You can see with the Point and Feather pub a very open layout.

It's worth noting on the second level of the Royal Promenade you can circle it completely, which is something you can't do on other Royal Caribbean ships. 

The ship's ice skating rink is aft, and The Music Hall and Casino Royale are located one deck below.

Video previews

Royal Caribbean has gotten into the swing of sharing glimpses of Icon of the Seas too.

The social media time has already gotten onboard Icon and has been sharing video snippets on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms.

From sleigh 🎅 to slay 💅 pic.twitter.com/9jcpewf9c1

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) December 23, 2023

Our biggest present yet is on its way. 🎁 pic.twitter.com/Krp0hqdT8E

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) December 25, 2023

The new posts are in anticipation of the transatlantic crossing, when Icon of the Seas will head to Puerto Rico first and then Miami shortly thereafter.

The first revenue cruise of Icon of the Seas is on January 27, 2024 with paying passengers. There will be a series of preview sailings for travel agents and media in the weeks leading up to the start of sailings.

Part 1: Living on #IconoftheSeas 👀 Stay tuned for insider tips, behind-the-scenes looks, and crew POVs that you can only get here. pic.twitter.com/9Rn8qC06qK

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) December 23, 2023

The ship will sail year-round out of Miami in 2024, alternating between Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean itineraries, with four different routings available for departures between January 2024 and April 2025.