It could be getting a little bit easier getting your luggage off a cruise ship and onto your flight home.

Guests on an upcoming cruise received a letter informing them that the luggage assistance program that's been missing for over five years is on its way back.

Royal Caribbean calls it Luggage Valet, and it's an easier way to get bags from ship to airport on the final morning of the cruise.

The service was offered for years, but was cut a while back for sailings from Florida.  It's now being offered again on 7 night sailings or longer sailing from select ports.

"Royal Caribbean is proud to offer airline check-in at sea. Luggage Valet provides the unique opportunity to check in for your flight at sea and allow your bags to be collected, cleared, and sent on to your final destination, while you enjoy the comfort and ease of hands-free travel."

This means you can enjoy your last morning on board without worrying about your bags—just disembark and head to the airport.

How the service works

On all cruises, you can leave your luggage outside your stateroom on the last morning of the cruise to be collected by crew members and subsequently brought to the cruise terminal for pickup.

Luggage Valet offers an easier option for those flying home on select airlines.

You have to enroll in the optional program by filling out a form and returning it to the Guest Services Desk no later than day 3 of the cruise. If you are a Suite, Pinnacle, Diamond Plus, or Diamond guest with access to the Concierge service, you can return the form to the Concierge at either the Crown Lounge on Deck 4 or the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 by day 3 of the cruise.

This service can only be purchased onboard the ship, and cannot be pre-booked before the cruise begins.

In your stateroom you'll get your luggage tags delivered to your cabin to affix to your luggage.

Bags are collected the night before the cruise ends, but passengers don't pick up the bags in the terminal. Rather, the bags are brought to the airport and checked onto your flight.

With this service, you wouldn't see your bags until you land at your home airport and collect your bags from baggage claim.

It's available only at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA).

Guests departing from FLL must have flights that depart between 11:30 AM and 11:59 PM on the day of disembarkation.

Guests departing from MIA must have flights that depart between 2:00 PM and 11:59 PM on the day of disembarkation.

How much it costs

Luggage valet costs $29 per guest plus applicable airline baggage fees.

The cost is charged to your Royal Caribbean onboard account.

Here is a list of which airlines participate in Luggage Valet:

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

Miami International Airport (MIA) – Delta Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Southwest Airlines.

Still offered for Alaska cruises too

While the letter distributed to guests this week doesn't include Alaska, it appears it's still offered in Seattle too.

The Port of Seattle website lists Royal Caribbean as a participating partner in its Port Valet program, which is quite similar to Luggage Valet.

This service is offered by the Port of Seattle, and you can sign up online before the cruise begins, or once onboard.  The best part? It's complimentary (excluding any airline baggage fees).

Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean passengers can take advantage of it.

You can use Port Valet if you are flying with these participating airlines: Alaska, American, Delta, Horizon, JetBlue, Southwest, or United.

Why you should use Luggage Valet

The appeal of Luggage Valet is to offer an even easier way to get off your ship and on your way home.

If you've ever dealt with disembarking your ship on the final morning with luggage in hand, it can be a bit of a hassle.  This is especially true with young children and trying to juggle them and your bags.

With Luggage Valet, you don't have any big bags to contend with, and Royal Caribbean thinks that offers less hassle and a more enjoyable experience overall.

Plus, you can totally skip the typically long lines to check luggage at the airport.

Of course there is an extra cost, so it adds to the overall vacation budget.  But the convenience of having your bags taken off the ship and to your flight is lovely option.

Happy weekend! We hope you remembered to Spring Forward! Here’s all the Royal Caribbean news this week!

Royal Caribbean is leaving Baltimore next year.

Plans for new deployments in 2026-2027 confirm Vision of the Seas will shift to Fort Lauderdale in October 2026, and no ship will come to replace it.

There were rumors Grandeur of the Seas would replace Vision, but Royal Caribbean already confirmed Grandeur will be based in Tampa in 2026-2027.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean cancels cruise because of tropical cyclone
• Behind-the-scenes construction photos show off Royal Caribbean's $100 million-plus upgrades coming soon
• 4 reasons to add your Royal Caribbean boarding pass to your Apple Wallet
• 11 things you should know before taking a European cruise
• 10 things to make a day at CocoCay even better
• I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class for the first time

New RCB Video: The controversial new Royal Caribbean cruises loyal customers hate

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — The controversial new Royal Caribbean cruises loyal customers hate — and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Woman goes overboard on Royal Caribbean ship during 80's cruise

A woman went overboard from the Royal Caribbean ship during an 80's nostalgia cruise this week.

The woman has been identified as Kimberly Burch, fiancée of Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe. 

Multiple reports on social media from passengers on Explorer of the Seas were posted online. The incident happened around 11 p.m. on the first day of the sailing.

Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas inside cabin review

Inside cabins are usually the cheapest room on the ship, but what's it like in one on a brand new ship?

To save money, Elizabeth tried an inside room on Wonder of the Seas and even went as far as to pick a guarantee room to get a better deal.

The cost was $2,292.10, but probably could have gotten even a better price had it been booked further in advance.

Royal Caribbean is starting a new restaurant trend (and we love it)

You'll find a new evolution of restaurants on Royal Caribbean's newest ships.

Known as "eatertainment", these restaurants go beyond the traditional specialty restaurant with making it far more immersive.

You should expect more restaurants delving into this hot trend of going beyond a restaurant by offering experiential dining.

What every aspect of a trip on Wonder of the Seas cruise costs

After sailing on Wonder of the Seas for a week, the total cost of this vacation came out more than $4,000.

From the cruise fare to the pre-cruise hotel, drinks onboard, and shore excursions, the total cost of a cruise adds up quickly.

It wasn't the cheapest vacation, but it was worth every penny! 

I'm headed back to Europe this summer for two cruises, and I'll be applying a few lessons learned that I think anyone else trying a European cruise should employ too.

I took my first cruise in Europe in the summer of 2023, and I went back again last year. It's expanded my cruising horizons significantly, and it's probably the highlight of my vacations.  So with a back-to-back cruise planned this summer with friends and family, I want to make sure everyone has a great time.

Prior to ever cruising in Europe, I took a dozens of cruises around North America, but there were some nuances of cruising in Europe that differed greatly from what I was accustomed to.

Royal Caribbean's summer cruise season kicks off in April and May, and it's a busy time when many ships transition from the Caribbean to Mediterranean, North Sea, or English Channel.

Before you head east as well, here are my top pieces of advice for a great time exploring the Old World.

Don't waste time converting currency

One mistake I made even before I left my house for my very first Royal Caribbean cruise in Europe was assuming I needed to get cash.

You really do not need to convert cash to Euros, Pounds, or the local currency of the countries you visit because literally every store, restaurant, and bar you encounter will take a credit card or tap to pay.

What you want to do instead of converting cash is ensure you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees and bring that instead.

It's easier, faster, and you won't waste time going out of your way to get your money converted.  Plus, you won't come home with foreign currency that will sit in your sock drawer for years.

I was skeptical how many places would take credit cards in Europe, especially street food vendors.  But truly, they all did and I was glad blog readers told me about this so I didn't waste my time.

Booking flights with Royal Caribbean can save you money

I was truly surprised how much money you can save booking a flight with Royal Caribbean.

For my cruise this summer, I booked flights directly with the airline because it was simple.  But I later cancelled it when I saw the price Royal Caribbean wanted.

Royal Caribbean's Air2Sea program allows anyone to book a flight with their cruise, but for Alaska and European cruises, there's bonus savings.

Royal Caribbean will discount flights up to $500 off each ticket for air bookings between made through March 31, 2025 on Alaska and European sailings departing between April 11 - October 27, 2025.

It saved me plenty, and I'd recommend anyone booking a flight to Europe first look at what the cruise line is offering before booking a flight directly.

Get an eSim instead of an international package

I don't remember where I read to get an eSim for my phone, but I'm so glad I did.

Instead of getting an international roaming package from your cell phone carrier, an eSim is a much better approach.

An eSim means you essentially "download" a local sim card to use for your phone while in Europe.  These are super cheap, work in many different countries, and you're a primary network subscriber.  That means if the network is busy, your traffic is prioritized compared to people roaming.

My favorite one to use is Orange sim (this is an affiliate link, that costs you nothing extra but I make a small commission). 

Last year I bought the "Holiday Europe 30GB" plan for €39.99 and it more than covered my needs for the almost two weeks I was there.

I'll be buying this again for my family when we travel in June, and it makes staying in contact simple and affordable.

There's an extra step needed to get to the UK this year

Something new if you're going anywhere in the UK this summer is to complete digital paperwork.

Travelers from the US or Canada need to complete the UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the United Kingdom. If you don't, you could face fines or even be denied to fly.

It will cost you £10 ($13 USD) to apply, and it's all done online.

From what I've heard so far, it's incredibly easy and quick to get approved.

Do anything you can to minimize jetlag

I can't stress enough how important it is to do what you can to avoid getting jetlagged because it will ruin your trip.

Going west to east and skipping ahead 5 or more time zones will wreak havoc with your body's internal sleep clock. If you get jetlagged, you'll be exhausted in the afternoon and wide awake at night.  It could take 3 or 4 days to adjust back, and that's going a good portion of your cruise.

When I went to the UK last year, I committed myself to beating it by not napping on the day I arrived, but it was brutal staying awake because I was unable to sleep on the plane ride over.

Ideally, pick a flight that arrives in the late afternoon or evening local time. That way, you could get to your hotel and go to sleep quickly thereafter.

Moreover, you should give yourself a few days before the cruise begins so if you are jetlagged, you're fighting it off before all your cruise fun begins.  Plus, arriving a few days early means you get extra time to explore the country you're in and guard against a travel delay causing you to miss your cruise.

No matter when you arrive, you really want to acclimate yourself to local time as quickly as you can and unfortunately that means no napping. It's really tempting, but if you can manage to get yourself on local time quickly, you'll enjoy the cruise so much more.

Download a few movies to be able to watch offline

Another hard learned lesson from my past European trips was not having enough things downloaded to watch on my phone.

You never know when the plane's in-flight entertainment might not work, or how boring those long bus rides around Europe can be.

Have a few movies or tv shows downloaded to be able to be watched offline on your phone, just in case.

There's a far greater reliance on public transportation in Europe, and this summer, I've already got a few train and bus rides booked, in addition to my long transatlantic flights.

I regretted not having enough to watch on my first trip over, so I was sure to have a few backup flicks to enjoy.  

My preferred approach is to go through the classic movie section of whichever streaming platform you subscribe to and find Oscar award winning movies you never got a chance to see.  Thanks to boring flights, I've now seen Citizen Kane, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Insterstellar.

I'd have a few movies or shows to watch as a backup, especially if you have kids and find yourself on a long commute.

Download the MBC app

The single best choice I made when I travelled to Europe last summer was downloading the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app.

Everything you've heard about getting through Customs upon return to the United States is true, but this one app made it so much better.

There was a dedicated line for people that pre-file their paperwork with the MPC app, and that line had like 2 people in it when I got there.

It saved me so much time in line compared to everyone else, so I'd recommend everyone use it.

What you want to do is submit your information as soon as you land, while you're waiting to get off the plane because there's a small window of time to get through the line with the app.

You don't need to buy shore excursions in most ports

The reality is a lot of places you visit in Europe don't need a formal shore excursion.

Unlike the Caribbean, many ports have you docking in a sizeable city, where you can easily walk off the ship and start exploring. Even in cities where you dock away from the center, there's almost always a complimentary or extremely inexpensive transportation option to get you there. 

It's so tempting to book a shore excursion to "see the sights", but most are glorified bus tours and they aren't cheap. 

While you might not need a formal tour, you should still do some research to find a handful of places to visit while in port.  Then throw it into Google Maps and figure out the best way to see them all.

I found in most ports it's easy enough to get around on foot, or maybe leveraging the city's public transportation system.  I've even used Uber on a few occasions.

To be clear, there's nothing wrong with booking a shore excursion in Europe, but you shouldn't default to booking one as the primary way to see things there. Rather, don't overlook walking around and exploring on your own as an affordable and smart way to see the best things in each port.

If you find yourself in a port of call that doesn't scream a specific activity or thing to do, don't hesitate to simply walk into town and "go with the flow".

Last year I actually tried a "free" shore excursion in one port where I wasn't sure what to do, and it was way better than I expected because the tour guide was very knowledgeable and our group size was much smaller than cruise line run groups.

Sometimes it's easier to ditch a plan, and see what's around the corner.  You might stumble upon a fun bar, explore various neighborhoods, or enjoy a family-run restaurant.

Shore excursions are going to be very expensive

You might experience sticker shock when you start looking at tours offered to book.

This plays in a bit to the previous tip, but shore excursions simply cost more in Europe than the Caribbean.

Sometimes the cost of the tour simple "is what it is", and if you want to tour the beaches of Normandy or get a ticket to the Vatican, you're going to have to pay it.

In the time leading up to your European cruise, I'd recommend budgeting appropriately to save up for it.  Plus, pre-booking tours to lock in a sale is a good idea.

Another money-saving strategy is to look for similar tours that might be a bit cheaper. I've actually searched Google for the name of the Royal Caribbean tour and found third party tour operators that do the same or similar tour.

Knowing a few words in the local language helps a lot

While you'll likely encounter more people than not that can speak English, you really ought to learn a few basic words in the local language.

Knowing phrases like "Hello, please, thanks, excuse me, sorry," goes a long way when traveling around Europe.

It goes beyond being able to communicate, rather, it's a sign of respect that you're at least trying.  

I can speak French fairly well, but just a smile and a friendly "Salut" makes a difference in the disposition of the person you're speaking with.

Packing for Europe isn't easy

I could spend an entire article talking about packing for Europe, but my credo so far has been pack what I think I need while trying to keep it manageable.

The issue with overpacking in Europe is how to manage luggage costs with the airlines, and then dragging your luggage around once you get there.

My advice is it's better to pay luggage fees than get to Europe and realize you really need something (and need to buy more luggage as a result).

We have a packing guide for a Mediterranean cruise you can use a starting point, but I wanted to highlight a few really important things to bring with you that might be different from a Caribbean cruise:

• Really, really, good walking shoes
• UK/EU power adaptor
• Theft-proof bag
• Apple AirTags

All of these links are affiliate links, which means I get a few bucks if you buy something, but it costs you nothing extra.

I read a list of things cruise ship passengers brought with them to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, and I think many of these are genius.

I've visited Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas over 20 times, and I thought I knew it all until I ran across this list.

Members of the Facebook group "Coco Cay - The Perfect Day" shared what they've brought to CocoCay to enhance their day. While the usual things were there, a few stood out as things I had never considered bringing.

Royal Caribbean includes a lot in your visit to their island, including beach chairs, umbrellas, food, and access to different beaches. 

While I think you could have a fun time with just you and your towel on the island, I'm a firm believer there's always room for improvement.  And I think some cruisers figured out exactly how to maximize their visit with these items.

Here are 10 unique things to bring to Perfect Day at CocoCay that you might want to pack too.

Baby powder

I had no idea baby powder was useful beyond prevent chaffing, but it's useful at the beach too.

Evidently, you can use it to remove sand from your feet quickly and easily, and it's a great tip for young kids.

After you're done in the ocean for the day and your feet are full of sand, powder the sticky not quite dry areas. 

This helps clothes go back on smoothly so kids can get dressed.

You can buy a bottle for less than $5 on Amazon, making it a super cheap tip.

Spray fan

Most months of the year, you can expect it to be hot and humid when you visit CocoCay, and anything you can do to cool down helps.

A lot of cruisers recommending packing a spray fan to cool down.  Unlike a regular fan, this mists you too.

This fan can be quite helpful when you're going between the ship and shore, or walking around the island.  If there's no breeze, this fan feels amazing.

Plus, you can use it on the ship too when it gets hot out on the pool deck.  Or during shore excursions when it always seems to feel like the surface of the sun.

You can pick one up from Amazon for about $15 and it's something you can bring on every cruise.

Collapsible wagon

If my kids were younger and I was traveling with another family, I think a collapsible folding wagon would be a really smart buy.

As long as you can pack it easily, you could bring a fold up wagon with you to make getting all your stuff from the ship to beach without feeling like a pack mule.

When you have kids, it can feel like you're moving the Army of the Potomac to do just about anything.  Having all the things you definitely need and might need add up quickly, so this hack is a smart way to get around lugging it all yourself.

If you're flying to your cruise, I'd probably skip this one because of the heft and bulk of the wagon and having to check it with the airline.

Inflatable floats

Floaties aren't just for kids.

If you'll spend a lot of time in the water, why not enjoy in style? 

Instead of paying Royal Caribbean to rent a mat, you can bring inflatable mesh floats that you can hang onto or sit in and enjoy the water.

I've found these are very useful in the ocean when you want to hang there and be submerged without kneeling.

Plus, they work at any beach.  So you could use it at other places your cruise visits.

You can get a four pack for just about $20, and that means everyone in your family has one to use.  

Towel clips

Another cheap, but smart buy are towel clips to bring with you.

The idea is you use them to keep your towel in place and not blowing around when the wind kicks up. So when you get up from your chair, your towel remains exactly where it should be.

You can use them not only on your pool deck loungers, but any of the chairs around CocoCay.

It's probably a good idea to get two clips per person at the very least, and you'll be set. 

Sunscreen lip balm

You know to bring sunscreen, but did you know your lips can get sunburned, chapped, or both?

I'll admit it's not something I really think about, but it's a legit issue that could dampen your day to deal with.

Bringing a pack of lip balm that has SPF protection means you won't ruin your beach or pool day.

Full-face snorkel mask

I'm not a snorkel person, but I know so many people swear by full-face snorkels to make it so much easier.

Once again, you could rent snorkel gear from Royal Caribbean, but bringing your own means you can re-use it on future trips and that will save you money.

The advantage of a full-face mask is it's supposed to make set up a heck of a lot easier for novices. There's no breathing tubes or goggles to mess with and try to align.

Heck, some even come with a GoPro attachment so you can show your friends, family, and neighbor Kenny all of your underwater adventures.

Liquid band-aids

Instead of packing regular band-aids, it's a good idea to go with liquid bandages because of the nature of a cruise vacation.

It's easy to get blisters while on vacation from all the extra walking you'll do on the ship and on shore. Plus, if you have new shoes that you bought for the trip, it's even more likely.

The benefit of liquid ones is standard band-aids fall off in the water, and then you have the sting of salt water hitting the wound. Not to mention no one likes to see band-aids 

Liquid bandages do not actually adhere to the skin like traditional ones. Instead, the glue-like substance forms a tough protective barrier to seal out water, dirt, and germs. 

Privacy pouch with lock

When it comes to what to do with your personal belongings, I always just hid my things somewhere around my chair.  But there is a better way.

While I don't think petty theft is a problem at CocoCay, better safe than sorry. To that point, you could get a bag that attaches to your chair so it won't go anywhere.

You'll want a small bag that's water resistant and has a lock so you can put your phone, cash, SeaPass card, and anything else valuable safely away.

Water shoes

While the sand and surf at Perfect Day are quite pristine, there are rocks and things in the water that you'd want to wear water shoes to avoid a squishy or pointy step.

This is especially true at Chill Island, where there's more rocks and crevices. This natural growth is great for snorkeling, but walking in the water could be interesting.

Plus, the sand and walkways can get very hot anywhere on the island during the summer months.  

Don't worry, flip-flops will work just fine if you don't have water shoes. They just tend to be more secure and slip-proof. 

Royal Caribbean posted its last batch of North American sailings in winter 2026-2027 and there are notably no ships sailing from Baltimore.

The cruise line has slowly announced new sailings through early 2027 in a variety of regions since November 2024, and this week's release includes the "Seasonal Caribbean" voyages its customers can now book.

With just Asian and Australian deployments left on the schedule to be released, and all the Vision and Radiance Class deployed elsewhere on the schedule, it appears there won't be any ships sailing from Baltimore for the first time in a while. 

Vision of the Seas had been based in Baltimore for the last few years, but in October 2026, Vision will move to Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean cannot send any bigger ships to Baltimore because of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge that is too low for taller ships to access the port.

That bridge (and the recently destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge) have prevented cruise lines from bringing newer and bigger ships to Baltimore because they physically cannot fit there.

Discussions of raising the bridges to new heights to accommodate bigger ships haven't gotten very far, and now it appears there will be a pause in Royal Caribbean service from Baltimore.

There were rumors Grandeur of the Seas would replace Vision, but Royal Caribbean already confirmed Grandeur will be based in Tampa in 2026-2027.

Between October 2026 and April 2027, all the ships that could fit under the bridges into Baltimore are based somewhere else:

• Vision of the Seas: Fort Lauderdale
• Grandeur of the Seas: Tampa
• Rhapsody of the Seas: Tampa
• Enchantment of the Seas: Tampa
• Radiance of the Seas: San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Brilliance of the Seas: San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Jewel of the Seas: Cartagena, Colombia or Colon, Panama
• Serenade of the Seas: San Diego, California

The Baltimore cruises will be officially cut come October 2026

The last scheduled sailing from Baltimore for Vision will be October 17, 2026. It's a 5-Night Bermuda cruise.

Then on October 25, 2026, Vision re-appears in Royal Caribbean's schedule to begin primarily 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises, along with a few longer sailings.

"I love sailing out of Baltimore.  I sure hope they send a ship back my way," is what Royal Caribbean message board user Gilley wrote upon discovering the news.

Offering cruises from New Orleans

While Royal Caribbean is seemingly stepping away from Baltimore, it's moving right into New Orleans.

Mariner of the Seas will be based there in the winter, offering 7-Night western Caribbean cruises.

The Voyager Class ship will begin sailings from there in November 2026, and continue sailings through April 2027.

Ports of call from New Orleans include George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico and Falmouth, Jamaica.

New sailings on the amplified Allure of the Seas were also released, with Allure calling Miami home.

Beginning in October 2026, Allure will offer 7-Night eastern and western Caribbean cruises with visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Then in January, she adds a mix of short cruises and long sailings.

Allure of the Seas is undergoing major upgrades currently in Spain, where the ship is getting new restaurants, water slides, and other significant upgrades.

Royal Caribbean is investing over $100 million in the ship to bring her up to par with newer Oasis Class ships.

Rounding out the new deployment is Independence of the Seas will call Miami home in winter 2026-2027.

Independence will sail alternating 7-night cruises to the eastern and western cruises, with many also visiting Royal Caribbean's private island.

Royal Caribbean could return to Baltimore in the future

The decision not to base a ship from Baltimore beginning in October 2026 may be bad news for residents of the midatlantic region that enjoyed that convenience, but it's not to say Royal Caribbean won't ever return.

Each year deployments are reviewed and ships shifted around where it makes the most financial sense for the company to meet the demand of its customers.

Historically, we've seen certain ports gain ships and lose ships.  Los Angeles was without any ships for a decade, and now will have three vessels calling it home.

New Orleans has been a port that sometimes has a ship based there, but not year-round. Similarly there are no cruises from Boston some years.

Some cruise fans are pinning their hopes on a new smaller sized ship to finally be announced.

Known as the Discovery Class, Royal Caribbean has hinted and teased at a plan for a smaller ship design.  However, there's no official word yet on how small or tall the ships will actually be, and if they'd fit in Baltimore.

What's left to be released

The rest of the new deployments for 2026 and early 2027 are for homeports in Asia or Australia.

China cruises will be posted during the week of March 10, 2025, followed by Singapore during the week of March 17, 2025.

The final deployment will be Australia during the week of June 2, 2025.

For cruises in summer 2027 and later, we'll have to wait until November 2025 for those to be posted.

All the excitement of your cruise beginning means you'll want to get onboard as fast as possible, meaning you don't want paperwork to slow you down.

Royal Caribbean has digitized the embarkation process to a point that it's about as smooth as can be from getting curb to gangway, but I've found there's a better way to have your SetSail Pass handy.

The Royal Caribbean app is where you go to conduct online check-in, and it can display the SetSail Pass too, but it can be clunky to get to quickly and in many cases, the app fails to pull up the pass on embarkation day.

After I complained about being stuck in the terminal without my SetSail Pass because the app failed, a number of readers told me I should add it to my Apple Wallet (there's a Google Wallet for Android devices too), and it's been a game changer.

While the Royal Caribbean will probably work, there are several reasons why adding it to Apple or Google Wallet can be beneficial.

Convenience at your fingertips

Having your SetSail Pass available to show quickly speeds up the embarkation process significantly.

You'll have to show it at least four times throughout the check-in process:

• To enter the terminal
• To verify which check-in line you should enter
• To actually check-in
• To scan in and board the ship

Plus, until your cabins are ready and you can collect your SeaPass cards, you'll only have your SetSail Pass to use to purchase drinks onboard.

It's super simple to double tap your phone's side button and pull it up without having to even scan your face.

A backup in case the app fails

For some strange reason, the Royal Caribbean can occasionally fail on embarkation day.

It works just fine in the days and months leading up to your cruise, but I've experienced a number of times where it refuses to pull up the SetSail Pass on embarkation day because of a phantom error.

When this happens, you have to go to the check-in desk and have a physical SetSail Pass printed out instead.  It stops you in your tracks and delays embarkation.  While this only takes a few minutes, I'm too excited to wait around because I want to board.

Most recently this happened to my friend that was cruising with me on Enchantment of the Seas, and he had to go back to get one printed out.  Meanwhile, I had added my SetSail Pass to my Apple Wallet and had no issues.

Faster to pull up when you need to show it

Even if the Royal Caribbean app works flawlessly, it's clunky to access the pass when you don't have it stored in your wallet.

You have to unlock your phone, get to the Royal Caribbean app, and then go to the check-in section to access it.

Considering how many times you might have to show the pass, especially if you're going to be ordering a lot of drinks when you get onboard, it's so much easier and faster to have it in your wallet.

You might be able to see your GTY cabin

There's a little hack with the Apple Wallet that might help anyone that booked a guarantee cabin.

When you let Royal Caribbean pick your room, there's a delay until your room is assigned. It could take days, weeks, or even months for them to assign a cabin to you.

However, you might be able to figure out which room you're assigned earlier with a clever hack that leverages the Apple Wallet.

Cruisers call it "the bar code trick", and here's how it works:

Once you reach the point you can check-in for your cruise, if you have an Apple device, add your set sail pass to your Apple Wallet. 

Below the barcode on the SetSail Pass are a set of numbers. The numbers after the dash represent the cabin you have been assigned.

If you see "GTY" instead of numbers, you truly haven't been assigned yet.  Another sign you haven't had your room assigned yet is if you don't see a muster station on your SetSail Pass, then you almost certainly don't have an assignment yet.

How to add your SetSail Pass to your Apple Wallet

If you're convinced now to use the Apple Wallet, here's how to set it up.

After you complete check-in for your cruise, tap the Check-in button from the bottom row navigation.

Below your travel info, arrival time, and health status is the option to View SetSail Pass.

When you pull it up, click the Add to Apple Wallet button that should be below the barcode.

Tap Add in the top-right corner of the pass preview to add it to your Apple Wallet.

That's it! Now you can double-click the side or home button on your lock screen and you should see the Royal Caribbean pass there.

A cruise ship passenger has been reported overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, reports online say.

A search is underway for a passenger who was reported having gone overboard while on a 1980s-themed Royal Caribbean cruise in the Bahamas.

Multiple reports on social media from passengers on Explorer of the Seas were posted online. The incident happened around 11 p.m. on the first day of the sailing.

"Day 1 of the 80s cruise, all going well, then we hear “Oscar Oscar Oscar” overhead. And sure enough, the ship is turning around to search. Officer just came over the PA to announce the details," said Reddit user SkySeaSnow.

The code "oscar, oscar, oscar" is how crew members quickly identify there's a man overboard situation.

This particular sailing happened to be a full ship charter to offer a 1980s themed music and culture sailing, where the entire ship and sailing was based on the decade.

The ship departed Miami on March 2 for a 7-night sailing, with scheduled stops in Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Cruise ship tracking data showed Explorer stopping and reversing course to conduct a search for the person.

In fact, other cruise ships that were in the area joined in the search. Mapping data shows Norwegian Pearl and Carnival Sunrise may have assisted in the search.

"We are on Norwegian Pearl. We passed by and had our search lights on," wrote Jarega.

There's been no official word from Royal Caribbean on the incident.

What happened

Reports of what exactly happened are always tricky as there's usually a lot of hearsay, but a few people said it was from a woman on deck 8.

Reddit user Sweet_Independent_50 posted, "Yes, it was a woman that jumped from deck 8. I met her husband screaming help help. My my wife just jumped off the boat. He said it to me."

The search took some time but there's been no reports of her being found.  Statistically, it's unlikely to be rescued once overboard, but it's not impossible.

Explorer of the Seas arrived in Nassau, Bahamas earlier this morning, as scheduled.

Onboard safety precautions

The chances of falling overboard on a cruise ship are extremely low.

Deck railings on Royal Caribbean cruise ships are at least 42-inches high, which comply Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010.

In addition, there are thick metal or Plexiglas panels or metal bars are positioned under the railings to prevent people from slipping through. 

When a man overboard situation occurs, the media usually reports on it and it leads some to wonder how it could happen in the first place.

An article from The Points Guy points out cruise ships have railings that are around chest height to ensure passenger safety and to prevent someone from slipping and falling overboard.

"The only way you risk a fall is if you're standing on furniture to peer over the side or climbing somewhere you're not supposed to. It's not possible for you to trip over a door frame or slip on a wet deck and fall off of a vessel."

Passengers going overboard are rare

The chances of a cruise ship passenger going overboard are quite low, but it does occasionally happen.

In a report from Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), there were 212 identified overboard incidents from cruise ships for either crew members or passengers between 2009 to 2019. 

Of these overboard incidents, only 48 (or 28.2%) individuals were successfully rescued. Around 71.8% of people who go overboard from cruise ships are sadly never recovered or located. 

The CLIA report also shows an overall decline in overboard incidents throughout the 10-year period. The overboard incident rate decreased 64% from 2009 to 2019, with an incidence rate of 0.00004 overboard reports per active lower berth in 2019.

The report states, “When compared with the growth in capacity in the industry over the study years, man overboard incidents continue on a downward trend.” 

If you haven't been on one of Royal Caribbean's newer cruise ships, you haven't seen yet the next-gen take on specialty restaurants known as "eatertainment".

Extra cost restaurants on cruise ships aren't new at all, and they've been a fad in and of themselves for many years.  Every cruise line saw the demand for other types of cuisines and cooking styles, and it's made them a lot of money too.

With the top cuisines covered, Royal Caribbean wanted to delve into something greater than just a new restaurant based on a region or country. Plus, Royal Caribbean sees themselves competing against major tourist destinations on land, such as Las Vegas or New York.  

That sort of thinking lead them to explore a new approach to specialty dining that has arguably gotten better with each iteration.  In fact, I love combining food, entertainment, and even destinations and coming up with something totally new.

With more new ships on the horizon, you should expect more restaurants delving into this hot trend of going beyond a restaurant by offering experiential dining.

Mason Jar

Royal Caribbean calls this new trend "eatertainment", and its first foray was with the Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas.

Launched in 2022, the Mason Jar was a traditional specialty restaurant with a twist. There was a typical sit down specialty restaurant with a cover charge, but they included a bar area with a band performing.

The idea was to combine a meal with musical entertainment so that guests could enjoy country music with their southern American foods.  By adding live music, Royal Caribbean wanted to make the vibe reminiscent of a meal in the south.

Instead of dinner theater, Royal Caribbean wanted to give its guests a meal they could enjoy with something more.  That something more would be more apt to create memories and be an experience, rather than just something you ate. The goal is to makes passengers talk, and have them longing to enjoy it all over again.

"I don't want you to get bored when you're having dinner," is what Royal Caribbean Vice President, Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza said when coming up with an idea like the Mason Jar.

"We’ve been leaning into this notion of eatertainment where we’re really trying to blend entertainment and great dining together."

The success of the Mason Jar lead Mr. D'Souza and his team to think even bolder with its next idea.

Empire Supper Club

Icon of the Seas has revolutionized the cruise industry in many ways, including its approach to dining.

If the Mason Jar was version 1.0 of eatertainment, the Empire Supper Club was going to be version 2.0.

The idea was to create Royal Caribbean's most elegant restaurant to date, with fine dining, musical entertainment, and impeccable service.

Unlike the Mason Jar where the music was on the periphery of the dining experience, Empire Supper Club would put diners and entertainers in front of each other.

Royal Caribbean Chief Innovation Officer Jay Schneider described it once as, "a blend of best of entertainment and best of culinary."

A live three-piece jazz band performing music that connects with the meal you're being served. The combination of premium food, paired cocktails, and live music, put Empire Supper Club in a different category of dining.

Mr. D'Souza called it a "full immersive dining experience" that goes well beyond a typical specialty restaurant.

"Empire Supper Club is what I would say is the most elevated dining experience we've created at Royal Caribbean."

"It really is an elevated food experience that's tied together with a really elevated beverage experience."

While pricey at $200 per person, the experience stands out something unconventional that does exactly what eatertainment is all about: makes memories.

"It was hands down one of the best meals of my life and can't recommend it enough," wrote TheMaxRebo on our message boards.

"The creativity with the dishes and the cocktails, the amount you got, made the food alone worthwhile but the music just made the event."

If it feels like specialty restaurants tend to feel repetitive and uninspired, the Empire Supper Club stepped away from that trope.

Royal Railway

Once again, Royal Caribbean sought out to come up with something radically different for itself on Utopia of the Seas that would be as compellingly different as Empire Supper Club, but go even further.

Building on eatertainment was a trend Royal Caribbean first noticed on land. Mixed reality immersive dining experiences were popping up in various cities, and it caught the cruise line's attention.

An early such concept was "Sublimotion" in Ibiza, Spain.  It was a new high-end Mediterranean dining concept with virtual reality and immersive film projections.

Since no one had really done thematic immersion on a cruise ship, it seemed like a good opportunity with the launch of Utopia of the Seas to give it a go.

The concept Royal Caribbean came up with was Royal Railway, which offers a meal inside a classic train car that looks, feels, and sounds like a real train.

This immersive train dining experience was going to be more than just one restaurant. It could transport you to different areas of the world, with different menus.

"What if we put a train on a cruise ship that could take you to more destinations?" posed. Mr. Schneider near the launch of the new ship.

The area has a classic train station platform, with separately numbered dining cars, and real train steam. Guests would dine in the train and blend entertaining performances with amazing culinary dishes.

The result has been one of the hottest tickets right now on any Royal Caribbean ship.  Reservations regularly sell out almost as soon as they become available because of how many passengers want to try it.

Traditional restaurants aren't going away

This new trend is exciting, but it won't replace regular restaurants. Rather, it's there to augment them and offer something different.

Mr. Schneider explained recently the company's guiding credo is "tradition, evolution, and revolution," which means they want to always offer familiar, evolved, and different on all of its ships.

"There's no reason that you wouldn't expect to find a Chops on every ship that we build in the future...And then there needs to be experimentation."

Not every passenger on a ship wants the same thing, but expanding the variety allows Royal Caribbean to stand out from other vacation choices.

"New cuisine also then takes you to new experiences," Schneider said. 

Part of the rationale for developing new concepts is food is a major reason why people go on a cruise. On a high level, Mr. Schneider says the two predominant reasons people book a cruise are for destinations and food.

"You want that kind of diversity, given again, people want destinations and food is their two drivers to go on a cruise."

Welcome to March! We hope you are having a great weekend and are ready to sit back, relax and catch up with all the latest Royal Caribbean news!

Royal Caribbean is doubling down with short cruises on big ships.

The cruise line released its short Caribbean itineraries for 2026-2027 and two more Oasis Class ships will be sailing cruises less than a week.

The move is aimed at attracting new cruisers to try an impressive ship, while giving way to the Icon Class ships to take over weeklong voyages.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean diverts more cruise ships from Puerto Rico
• Royal Caribbean rolls the dice on a new casino to address a problem cruise passengers hated for years
• Royal Caribbean revamped its offerings to make a stress-free option
• Royal Caribbean's CEO gives three predictions for the cruise biz in 2025
• I tried Celebrity's All Included package for the first time
• National Park Service layoffs have left just one person to work at Alaska's most popular glacier destination this summer
• Does Royal Caribbean offer senior discounts?
• I tried Royal Caribbean's free room Service breakfast most cruisers don't know about
• The cruise ship private island with the actual best mozzarella sticks in the biz

New RCB Video: Best & Worst Royal Caribbean Cabins Ranked

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Best & Worst Royal Caribbean Cabins Ranked — and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

What does Royal Caribbean do with all its uneaten food?

Cruise ships are known for having so many places to eat and great food to try, but what happens when it goes uneaten?

Food waste is a problem around the world, but Royal Caribbean is employing sophisticated strategies to significantly cut down on the waste.

From leveraging AI to focusing on freshly prepared options, there's less food ending up in the incinerator than ever before on cruise ships.

Captain Kate leaving Celebrity Cruises

Captain Kate McCue announced her decision to leave Celebrity Cruises on social media.

Her legacy as the first American female cruise ship Captain and social media star made her easily recognizable and a favorite among cruisers.

"Today, I say farewell to Celebrity. I've spent 22 years on 11 ships in the Royal Caribbean Group, from 2nd Officer to Captain," McCue wrote.

Royal Caribbean’s short cruise plan for mega ships sparks backlash

More Oasis Class ships sailing short cruises in winter 2026 is not sitting well with a lot of loyal cruisers.

"Royal Caribbean is ruining most of the Oasis class ships!" is what one person wrote, and it exemplified a lot of the frustration with this week's new deployment that will have four of the mega ships sailing on cruises less than a week.

Some cruisers feel the push towards attracting new cruisers is coming at the expense of the onboard ship experience.

Things I wish I knew before my first Alaska cruise

After taking a few cruises to Alaska, Jenna learned some lessons that would have made it easier on her had she known them at the start.

An Alaska cruise is unlike a Caribbean sailing in so many ways, and there are important things to do that can make a major difference in the maximizing the experience.

While she thought she researched it well, the reality was she felt she still made some avoidable mistakes.

Most common mistakes passengers make on newest cruise ship

After sailing on Utopia of the Seas recently, Matt saw a number of cruisers making rookie mistakes.

While everyone has their own cruising style, there are definitely things that occur that lead to frustration, anger, or wasted time and money.

Because Utopia is so appealing to first-time cruisers, it's clear these folks ran into situations that could have been avoided with some research.

As older adults are on fixed budgets but still wanting to travel, that leaves many wondering whether Royal Caribbean has discounts in place that specifically cater to senior citizens.

As cruising becomes even more popular than ever, older adults remain one of the core demographics embracing this type of vacation.

Retirees and seniors have traditionally been a major customer base for Royal Caribbean, and all nearly all cruise lines.

The short answer is Royal Caribbean does offer a discount for seniors, but it's a bit more complicated than a yes or no question.

There are cruise fare discounts for senior citizens sometimes offered

There are series of questions you'll be asked when booking any Royal Caribbean cruise to see if you potentially qualify for additional discounts.

Royal Caribbean says it offers "reduced senior prices only on selected sailings" to passengers who are 55 years of age and older.

As you go through the booking process on Royal Caribbean's website, you can see if your chosen trip qualifies for a senior discount.

When you get to the step that asks for the number of guests, click “Apply a promo code and exclusive rates.” A pop-up will open that lets you select the kind of discount you want. Select “Seniors (Age 55+)” and click “Apply discounts.” 

Your travel agent can check for the same discount.

Jenn Greene is a travel agent with MEI Travel and said finding a special rate for seniors is hit or miss, "Senior Discounts with Royal Caribbean can be a bit of a guessing game. A Senior is 55+ but that does not guarantee a discount. It is ship/sailing specific. 

"I never have any luck with them on newer ships, but do find them for Freedom class and older, they also pop up for Alaska. If a client is already booked I do check to see if there has been a senior discount released each week, it’s usually a 50/50 shot at finding it."

Royal Caribbean message board user FionaMG shared they are occasionally able to save some money with the senior rates.

"We have had some success with getting them and sometimes the savings have been substantial."

"On Odyssey in May last year we got $402 in senior savings, $538 on Anthem in September last year and again on Anthem but in April this year, $137 on one cabin (booked just for me) and $182 on our other cabin."

There's no harm in at least trying to see if special rates may apply.

Before you get your credit card out to take advantage of this offer, there's a catch.

In reality, the senior discount rarely applies because it's not usually combinable with other, more lucrative discounts. While some offers can be stacked, the senior discount isn't usually one of them.

Ditto for the military veteran discount or special rates for police and firefighters.

To be fair, Royal Caribbean will offer the lowest price it can, regardless of your age.

Seniors can still save money at Royal Caribbean — here's how

While you may not be able to get ta discount on your cruise fare, those 55+ can still find ways to save even more money by cruising with Royal Caribbean.

Cruisers have spotted pre-cruise discounts exclusively for seniors in the Royal Caribbean app.

These Cruise Planner sales offers additional money off for seniors on purchases like a drink package, the spa, or high speed internet.

Royal Caribbean likes to experiment with offers targeting seniors, top tier Crown and Anchor members, and more. If you book a cruise far enough in advance, there's a good chance you'll be able to qualify for one of these offers.

Another source of discounts could be through an AARP membership.

AARP sells gift cards to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. In fact, they sometimes have a 10% discount on Royal Caribbean gift cards purchased through them.

Be sure to read the redemption rules for a gift card bought through AARP, as there are specific redemption rules you have to follow. As long as you follow the instructions AARP/Royal Caribbean provides you, there should not be any issues using them.

Even if you can't get a special rate for your age, there's a good strategy to take advantage of that will probably net you a better price.

Since retirees don't have to worry about a school calendar or getting days off from work, you can take advantage of lower pricing during shoulder seasons.

Going on a cruise at the beginning or end of a cruise season when demand is lower is one of the best ways to save money and enjoy less crowds in port while on a cruise.

As an example, an Alaska cruise in May or September will be cheaper. Ditto for September or October in the Caribbean.

Take advantage of senior discounts on your travel before or after the cruise

You'll need to get to the embarkation port, and that may involve flights, hotels, or rental cars. These are all services that also offer senior discounts.

Hotels, rental cars, and even airlines are known for offering special rates for those 55 or 65 and older.

I always recommend going at least a day or two early to the city your ship leaves from to avoid a travel delay impacting your ability to get on your cruise. When planning a trip, there are additional ways to save money on your total vacation when you factor in flights, hotels, and other travel logistics.

Buy a travel insurance plan to avoid costly medical bills

A cruise is a wonderful way to travel for older adults, but it's even more important to protect yourself because many health insurance plans offer limited or no coverage when outside the United States. 

Retirees who are on Medicare need to check whether their coverage extends to international travel, because standard Medicare plans typically do not.

If you would ever need medical care on your ship or in a foreign country, you'll have to pay cash for all services and then get reimbursement later. A travel insurance policy can save you thousands of dollars in these costs, should you encounter such a situation.

It's a really good idea to buy a travel insurance plan with a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver.

I think travel insurance is a good buy for almost anyone, but it's even more important for a Baby Boomer or Senior Citizen given the risk factors.

Speaking of medical costs, be sure to bring extra prescription medicine with you rather than buying them overseas.

Not only is it easier to buy it at home with you existing prescription, but I'd hate to waste time on my vacation going to a pharmacy to find the right medicine.