Deciding between a balcony cabin and a Junior Suite on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Here’s what you need to know to make the best choice.

Royal Caribbean's cabins come in many configurations, and there are pros and cons to each. You can find great value with an inside cabin, look for the perks of a suite, or find comfort in a balcony. Everyone picks a room for different reasons.

The Junior Suites on Royal Caribbean fall into a blend of both balcony and suite, and it is difficult to make a general rule why you might pick it over a balcony cabin.

The reason choosing between a balcony or Junior Suite is challenging is because of how close in nature they are and because the price gap can be so different depending on the sailing you pick.

Not only that you could also be choosing between moving up to a Junior Suite or even going further and booking a Grand Suite.

On my Serenade of the Seas 7-night cruise to Canada and New England, I decided to book a Junior Suite and spend right around $1200 more to move up to a Junior Suite and I think it was worth it.

Key Takeaways

• Junior Suites are nearly double the size of standard balcony cabins, providing extra comfort and room to move.
• Enjoy additional benefits like a full-size tub, walk-in closet, priority boarding, and more Crown and Anchor points.
• The price difference varies significantly by sailing, making it essential to weigh the benefits against the additional expense.
• Ideal for those who value space, comfort, and extra amenities, especially on longer cruises or when traveling with more than two people.

Room differences

I'm fond of describing a Junior Suite as, "an extra large balcony room" because in many ways it boils down to that.

Most balcony cabins on Serenade of the Seas will have 179 square feet of living space and a 41 square foot balcony.

The Junior Suite comes in at 300 square feet and 65 square feet of balcony space. That's not quite double, but it's close to it.

If you're sharing the cabin with one other person, the Junior Suite can feel palatial in terms of how much extra space you have to walk around. It's noticeable when you try to get around the other person without having to shimmy or slip by them.

I think a lot of people that book Junior Suites love the bathroom configuration, as you'll get a full-size tub instead of the standard shower.

The balcony is also larger, and if you spend a lot of time on your balcony, then there's a good reason to move up to a Junior Suite. Having not just chairs but a lounger makes it feel like a spot you would want to spend time in, and there's enough room on the balcony that it feels like a big space.

One other difference with a Junior Suite is there is a walk-in closet.  On Royal Caribbean's older ships that don't have as much storage space as newer ships, it's so nice having plenty of closet space.

Like all cabins, you'll get a mini fridge, safe, vanity sitting area, and storage space.

What you get for staying in a Junior Suite

While not a full suite, you do get certain perks for booking a Junior Suite.

• An extra point per night in Crown and Anchor Society
• Priority boarding
• Dinner at Coastal Kitchen on Oasis Class and Quantum class ships
• Tea and coffee making facilities
• Bathtub
• Walk-in closet

What I liked about my Junior Suite

Walking into my Junior Suite on Serenade of the Seas, I was immediately struck by the width of the room. If you've never been in a Junior Suite, you will immediately notice how much bigger it is.

The room isn't actually that much longer, but it's certainly wider.  There's more space to walk when moving past the bed, and then there's a sofa, table, and chair and ottoman.

I really loved the chair and ottoman much more than I thought I would, and it was the perfect spot to get work done while being comfortable.

I also found the shower to be much more enjoyable because it's not the usual "space tube" shower.  I'm sure those that prefer having a tub will find it even more important.

Then there's the balcony, and I find I spend so much more time on my balcony when it's not very hot outside. Being this was an October cruise to Canada, heat was not an issue.

We stayed in the two bedroom panoramic oceanview suite on Serenade last year when sailing to Alaska, and it lacked a balcony in favor of windows.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Alaska guide

In retrospect, I much rather prefer the balcony now because I like having the fresh air, sound of the ocean, and being able to peek my head over the balcony railing to see what's coming up.

I would be remiss if I did not talk about the fact it's not really a suite, so there's no Suite Lounge access or Concierge host benefits.

This doesn't bother me much on this sailing because I was with a large group of friends sailing on a Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise, so I wouldn't want to spend much time in the Suite Lounge anyway.

However, you still get two Crown and Anchor Points per day for staying in a Junior Suite, which makes it an easy way to move up the ladder of Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

Cost difference

I don't think any factor weighs as much in if it's worth it to book a Junior Suite than how much more it will cost.

You can wax poetically all about why it's worth booking any cabin, but money is what makes the world go 'round and it's a major reason for anyone to pick a cabin.

The cost difference between a standard oceanview balcony and a Junior Suite on this sailing was $1258.

My Junior Suite cost $4181 for two people, including gratuities and it was a refundable cruise fare. My price dropped to $3913 when my wife was dropped from the reservation because she could not sail.

Someone else on my cruise staying in an oceanview balcony paid $2655 for two people in their room.

The cost difference will vary considerably for every cruise, and sometimes the price gap is negligible, and other times it's substantial.

So why did I think it was worth spending extra?

Ultimately, I valued the space it provided and because at the time of booking, I thought it would be a cruise for just me and my wife and why not splurge a little bit to get a bigger room.

I'll spend extra when my kids cruise with us, but I have a tendency to assume if it's just me or my wife, that we don't need a lot of space.

Given that I knew the itinerary would be new and not hot outside, I thought a balcony was necessary.  Having a larger balcony was equally interesting.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt a Junior Suite was an affordable splurge. I certainly could have saved the money and used it towards something else, but I wanted to treat my wife to something bigger than a balcony without going up to a suite.

Is a Junior Suite worth it?

Depending on your sailing, the price difference will vary considerably.

The extra space, double Crown and Anchor Society points, and tub shower are nice perks to have. Just like any larger cabin, when you get onboard and have the extra space, you'll likely forget about the bill you paid a few months earlier.

The primary decision for most is the cost. The difference can be just a few hundred dollars or up to thousands.

The decision can be more worthwhile to move up to a Junior Suite if you have more than two people in a cabin. This is when that extra space can really come in handy.

It can also be worth it to book a Junior Suite if you're chasing Crown and Anchor points.  Getting an extra point per night makes it easier to get to the higher tiers faster.

Ultimately, I compare the price of a Junior Suite to a balcony and then think about who I'm sharing the room with, the itinerary, and if I think I'll spend a lot of time in the room or not.

It looks like a new water slide might be coming to Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas.

Inside Royal Caribbean's waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay, new construction has appeared recently that looks like a waterslide support tower.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Bobby Southard visited Thrill Waterpark over the weekend and noticed the new pole.

The new pole is located near the family tower of water slides, which already has three slides: Sling Shot family raft slide, Splash Speedway mat slide, and Twister tube ride.

Royal Caribbean has not announced any new slides being added to its waterpark yet.

The new pole and its arms look identical to the existing slide support poles.

"None of the new slide has actually been installed yet, just a pole with arms and you can see piping going up the structure," Mr. Southard described of the work being done.

There is also more of the unassembled slide support structure visible from the waterslides when looking towards the backstage area.

About Thrill waterpark

Thrill Waterpark is an extra-cost option for guests that visit Perfect Day at CocoCay. Only those that buy a ticket can get into this area and enjoy the slides.

Read more: 41 Perfect Day at CocoCay tips

As of today, there are 8 slides across to towers, along with a wave pool and obstacle course pool.

Thrill waterpark was added when Perfect Day at CocoCay opened in 2019.

The price of admission into the waterpark varies considerably depending on which ship and sail date you are on. Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing to set the cost.

Across a few cruises booked in 2024, the cost ranges between $89 - $169 per person.

Thrill Waterpark there are four main areas within the park itself.

Daredevil’s Tower is the signature waterslide tower that has five different slides, including Daredevil’s Peak, which is the tallest waterslide in North America at 135 feet high.

Splash Summit is the other waterslide tower where the new slide construction has been spotted. Splash Summit has mat racer slides, a two-person tube slide, and a family raft slide.

Adventure Pool is an obstacle course pool designed for kids that has lillypads, a rope swing, rock wall and more.

The wave pool generates waves that are intense in the deep end, and gentle in the shallow end.

We have a look at some changes and updates Royal Caribbean has made or announced over the past few days.

From new options in Royal Caribbean's app, to a refreshed website, to a Black Friday offer, here’s everything you should know about this week.

New app update

Royal Caribbean rolled out a new update to its app, which adds a new features to it.

The app has a few new noteworthy icons you can now click to access more content without leaving the app.  It could be designed to make it less necessary to hop between the app and cruise line website, or it could be a way to simply elevate information and content cruisers may not have known existed.

There's a new Videos icon, which essentially showcases the same videos Royal Caribbean produces for its YouTube channel and marketing.

The app also has a Loyalty Hub to track and enroll in the Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program.

Read more: Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program info, tips & secrets

It explains how each tier works and what benefits you get with each.

Cruise searches look different

If you do a search for a new cruise booking on Royal Caribbean's website, you can expect to find a new look to it.

Royal Caribbean has periodically enhanced the look and feel of its search function, and it attempts to include more information related to your search in a concise manner.

Also, the ability to add a cruise to your watchlist is more explicit, whereas before it just had a heart icon.

The watchlist feature was added in December 2022, but it appears they want to provide more visibility to it.

The cruise line has indicated the amount of first time cruisers has never been higher, so making the search function easier to navigate is clearly a step in providing more information to them during the booking process.

Celebrity Cruises Black Friday offer

While we don't yet know Royal Caribbean's Black Friday offer, sister brand Celebrity Cruises has shared what to expect.

Celebrity Cruises will begin its Black Friday offer on November 10th, and it will run through December 5th.

Celebrity will have a BOGO 75% off a second guest as well as up to $300 in onboard credit for nearly all itineraries through April 30, 2026.

Royal Caribbean will almost certainly have a Black Friday sale of its own, but has not revealed any details yet. Check out all of their past Black Friday offers to get an idea of what to expect.

Royal Caribbean updates gift card policy

In case you missed it, Royal Caribbean gift cards just got much easier to use, thanks to a change in how to redeem them.

Gift cards are valid for both Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises, and there are four ways to use your gift card value:

• Booking a new cruise on Royal Caribbean's website
• Calling Royal Caribbean and redeeming over the phone
• Working with a travel agent to book a new cruise
• Waiting to use it onboard and redeem as onboard credit.

Prior to sailing, gift card amounts can only be applied toward the cruise fare and may not be used for pre-payment of beverage packages, dining packages, shore excursions, pre-paid gratuities, etc. 

Check out all the details on how to use a Royal Caribbean gift card.

There might be a good reason to buy a Royal Caribbean gift certificate now. 

Royal Caribbean sent an email update advertising its gift cards, which now offer easier ways to redeem the cards.

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean's gift cards/certificates had stringent redemption rules that made that impractical.

With the old cards, you had to redeem them many weeks before your cruise began, and couldn't be redeemed onboard the ship.

With the new change, the Royal Caribbean Gift Card is a pre-paid gift card similar to a gift certificate. It is valid for both Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises.

There are four ways to redeem them:

• On the Royal Caribbean website
• By calling the cruise line at 866-562-7625
• Through your travel agent
• On sailings where the onboard currency is USD (most sailings except China), gift cards can be used onboard as payment toward your onboard expense account. 

At this time, gift cards cannot be used towards pre-cruise purchases such as shore excursions, beverage packages, internet, etc.

Gift Cards cannot be redeemed for cash or quasi-cash (for example, gaming chips, money orders, deposits, wire transfers, traveler’s checks, foreign currency, and similar items).

The funds on these gift cards don’t expire, but if the card’s full value hasn’t been used within nine years from the date of purchase, you will need to contact customer service to transfer the remaining funds to a new gift card number.

Anyone can use the card because your name does not appear on the card. You may use it yourself or give it to anyone you choose. It's imperative you guard the number, as anyone can use it.

How to buy a Royal Caribbean gift card

The can buy purchased online at the Royal Caribbean website, as low as $50 and up to $2,000.

When purchasing the card, you have the option of buying it for yourself or for someone else.

Currently, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay and PayPal are accepted. Checks are not acceptable for the purchase of gift cards.

International purchases for gift cards are not available at this time. Gift card currency is restricted to USD.

Your gift card will be sent to the recipient via email on the delivery date you choose at the time of purchase. For same-day delivery, most gift cards are sent within an hour of your purchase. 

The recipient will receive a message on the delivery date you chose informing them of your gift, with a link to retrieve it online.

The link in the email leads to a page that shows the gift card you created — complete with the design you selected, the recipient’s name, the card’s value, card number and your personalized message. 

What can you buy with a gift card?

Royal Caribbean allows you to use its gift cards towards the balance of your cruise fare, or onboard the ship as a kind of onboard credit.

Read more: Royal Caribbean onboard credit

If you use it pre-cruise, then it goes towards your cruise fare.

However, if you wait to use it onboard, then it will be used as a credit against your onboard charges.

Is a gift card worth it?

With the simpler redemption rules, this makes a Royal Caribbean gift card more attractive as a way to help someone taking a cruise have some extra money to spend.

Under the old redemption rules, it made using the certificates cumbersome.

Given that the card can be used towards cruise fare or onboard purchases, it gives a great deal of flexibility with no fine print to hold you back.

Another advantage of a gift card is it makes it far easier for the recipient to use, and ensures the funds are used for a cruise vacation.  A cash gift could be used for anything.

If you're used to visiting the Caribbean, you will want to know what to bring on a cruise to Alaska that might be different from anywhere else.

Having cruised to the last frontier, I quickly learned that there's a different approach to packing for an Alaska cruise.

You likely already know planning for a cruise to this region is different than other sailings. And while a summer cruise up to Alaska will not be frigid or even as far north as you might imagine, there are nuances to planning a great cruise.

A good mantra for any traveler is to be prepared, and you certainly don't want to get to Alaska only to realize you should have brought something truly important. Maybe it's something to enhance your trip, or it could be a real game-changing tool. In either case, learning about what you need now can save time.

While we have a comprehensive Alaska cruise packing list, I thought about the things that you really should consider bringing that would not be obvious. Here's my list of eight important things to bring with you to the 49th state.

Read more: 50 Best First Time Alaska cruise tips

You will find in this article links to products that we receive a small commission for when you purchase them. This costs you absolutely nothing extra, but the small commission helps support our site.  As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Binoculars

You'll be surrounded by nature's beauty throughout your Alaska cruise, and a pair of good binoculars can really make a difference.

From the bald eagles that are pretty much everywhere, to whale sightings, remote villages, and even bears, there is a lot to spot.  While you might be able to get a glimpse with the naked eye, having binoculars makes a world of difference.

Binoculars are so helpful for kids because they can really get a sense of detail when trying to view nature.  Adults can enjoy them too for the same reason, and with the benefit of having a little more patience to look around.

When you get close enough to see a glacier, binoculars are so important so that you can see the jagged edges of ice. Plus, the colors pop so much more when viewed closely.

Read more: Top 5 binoculars for an Alaska cruise

Waterproof and thermal insulated jacket

If you buy one piece of clothing for Alaska, it should be a light and insulating waterproof jacket.

The weather will change a lot during your cruise, even hourly, and you'll need to adjust to it.  And it will likely rain too, but because it changes so often, you will need the right clothing.

On my first cruise, I bought a Columbia 2-in-1 jacket that was insulated and also waterproof. The only thing worse than being wet and is being wet and cold!

You will likely hear about the importance of layering on an Alaska cruise, and the outermost layer should be a good all-weather jacket to keep you dry. Don't get something puffy or bulky. You want a jacket that can be easily folded up or tied around your waist when the sun comes back out later.

Read more: Alaska cruise outfits: ideas of what to wear

Waterproof shoes

I didn't think about my footwear when planning my first Alaska cruise, and I regretted not having waterproof shoes.

Not only can it rain, but you'll encounter puddles and damp trails in the towns you visit.  Plus, some of the terrain may be slippery or not paved.

It makes sense to get a pair of hiking shoes that are waterproof to keep your feet dry no matter where you go.  

I can deal with wet hair and even wet clothing, but wet feet turn cold quicker (thanks to being in the extremities of your body) and that will sour almost any outdoor experience.

Read more: 6 mistakes & 3 things we did right on our Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska

Sunglasses

When you imagine visiting Alaska, is a bright shining sun what you picture? Probably not, but there's plenty of sunshine too.

Summer in Alaska is a lot sunnier than most people anticipate, and you will actually need to bring sunglasses with you.

If you have plans to visit a glacier by helicopter or seaplane, sunglasses are essential to avoid the glare of the sun off the surface of the ice.

Insect repellant

I've got to be real with all of you and warn you that mosquitos are an unfortunate reality of going to Alaska in the summer, especially during the warmest months.

There are plenty of mosquitos around Alaska throughout the summer.  In fact, there's a running joke that the mosquito is the unofficial state bird of Alaska. Given how much wetlands, slow moving rivers, and stagnant pools there are, it's a prime breeding ground for them.

Mosquitoes are usually worse inland than on the coast, so bringing insect repellent is extra important for those doing a Cruise Tour to Denali and other interior destinations before or after their cruise. 

It's a good idea to pack a can of insect repellent spray, wipes, or lotions.  There are many varieties, but you should buy one before you leave from home to ensure you don't pay higher tourist prices in Alaska.

Another option are mosquito-repellent wristbands because of how easy they are to use, especially for kids. 

Of course, you could also wear long sleeves and pants to avoid giving mosquitos a target to land on, but there's always exposed skin somewhere.

Read more: The weirdest Alaska cruise questions

Waterproof backpack

Just like how rain can make you wet, it can also get your belongings wet, so it's important to have a waterproof backpack with you when you go on shore.

When I sail to the Caribbean, we might bring a beach bag, but a backpack elsewhere seems unnecessary. 

Read more: What to bring on a Caribbean cruise

In Alaska, however, backpacks are far more useful because you will need somewhere to put extra clothes, souvenirs, binoculars, and other important items.

Water resistant backpacks should be sufficient in most scenarios, although 100% dry bags can be a safe option, too (affiliate links included here).

Some backpacks are able to be packed down into a very small size (affiliate link), which can be helpful for those traveling on airplanes or with limited room in their suitcase.

Sleep mask

People aren't exaggerating when they say it doesn't get dark in Alaska.  During the summer, the sun stays up well into the night and might only go down for a few hours before rising again.

Whether you're a light sleeper or night, the natural light could interfere with your sleep routine and some people find it quite difficult to fall or stay asleep with the light coming in from their cruise ship balcony or window.

It's a good idea to invest in a quality sleep mask so that you can have it pitch dark when you sleep.

I used the Manta Sleep Mask (affiliate link) for my first transatlantic flight to go on a European cruise earlier this summer, and it worked perfectly.

Water bottle

You already know how important it is to stay hydrated, but I found I was getting parched far more often in Alaska than elsewhere.

Even hiking on flat paths will drain you, and having water makes such a difference.

I think it's a great idea to also bring with you a reusable water bottle that you can bring on any shore excursion with you.

Our staff love the Hydro Flask (affiliate link) as their top pick for bringing on a cruise.

Anyone can make a mistake on a cruise, but no one wants to make a mistake that could cost them thousands of dollars.

A costly mistake has a deeper effect than simply a lesson learned, and it can truly ruin your vacation.

There was a news story recently in the UK where a woman went on a Caribbean cruise and left her cell phone's antenna on, and it racked up some serious charges.

She was unaware that using her phone normally on a cruise ship shot up her monthly phone bill from £35 to £1186.59!

Why was her bill so high? Her phone was outside of its normal cellular network, and when you try to use a cell phone for calls, data, or texting on someone else's network, you incur crazy high rates.

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

Data usage is especially troublesome because smart phones will use data even when you are not actively using your phone.  Phones will continuously check for updates or notifications, as well as run app updates in the background.  All of this uses data, and that can drive up your bill without you even using the device.

In the case of this British woman, she was able to negotiate with the phone carrier to drop the price by half, but that's still many hundreds extra in fees that could have been avoided.

If that sounds like scary, the good news is you can protect yourself from running into a giant cell phone bill with a very simple trick.

Airplane mode

Every cell phone has a feature that prevents the phone from using its antenna, but you need to remember to activate it.

There's a feature on every phone to put your phone into airplane mode, which disables your antenna until you re-enable it. 

As the name implies, it was designed for use while on an airplane but works just as well on a cruise ship. 

Your best bet is to get on the ship and before sail away, use your phone to let anyone know what's going on and then turn on airplane mode.  Keep it in airplane mode until you return home.

By keeping your phone in airplane mode, your phone cannot join any cellular networks and will not get you a giant bill later.

Don't worry, you can still use Wi-Fi while your phone is in airplane mode, which means you can connect to the ship's Wi-Fi or use a Wi-Fi hotspot in one of the ports of call you visit. This includes iMessage.

Some cruisers will tell you to turn data roaming off as a feature in your phone, but that requires a bit more digging into your phone settings and isn't as simple to enable or re-enable as airplane mode.  

Read more: 40 Best Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets

How to turn on airplane mode on with an iPhone

The easiest way to turn on airplane mode with an iPhone is to swipe up.

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to bring up Control Center. Then tap the airplane mode button, which looks like an airplane.

To turn it off later, just follow the same steps and click the airplane button again.

If you want to enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while your phone is in airplane mode, just swipe up from the bottom once again. Tap the Wi-Fi button to enable Wi-Fi or the Bluetooth button to enable Bluetooth.

How to turn airplane mode on with an Android

If you have an Android device, the easiest way to activate airplane mode is similar to an iPhone.

Swipe down from the top of your home screen and then click the airplane mode button, which looks like an airplane.

You can still make calls with Wi-Fi calling

What if you want to be able to call and text friends and family, but don't want a giant bill?

The best strategy is to buy a Royal Caribbean Voom Wi-Fi package for your cruise and then use a feature known as Wi-Fi calling.

With an internet package for your cruise, you could rely purely on data and call with Facetime, Whatsapp, Facebook messenger or some other messaging app.

Read more: Royal Caribbean WiFi: Guide to Internet at sea

If you need to make a "real" phone call, make sure Wi-Fi calling is enabled on your phone.

Wi-Fi calling is a feature nearly every cellular carrier provides that allows the phone to use Wi-Fi data instead of a cellular signal to place the call. This is useful in areas where there's bad cell coverage on land too!

The important thing is to activate Wi-Fi calling before your cruise while you're still at home.  There's no cost to use Wi-Fi calling, but it's a setting in your phone you need to activate.

Depending on your device and cellular carrier, the instructions will vary. Here are some instructions for the major carriers, but you can always do an internet search for your carrier:

• AT&T
• T-Mobile
• Verizon

Your cellular provider might sell a cruise ship specific cell plan, but I don't recommend them because they are expensive and perform poorly.  A cruise ship Wi-Fi package will probably work better, be cheaper, and has no limit.

Don't forget about Royal Caribbean's free chat feature

If you don't want to pay for a Wi-Fi package but still want to be able to communicate with people on your ship during the voyage, there's a free alternative.

The Royal Caribbean app has a chat feature that is free to use.

Read more: Royal Caribbean app walkthrough and tips

You just need to have the Royal Caribbean app downloaded and installed on your phone before the cruise. Then once onboard, connect to the Wi-Fi and select the option to just use the app.

While not as full featured as other messaging apps, it's free to use and works well enough for communicating with someone else on the ship that has the app too.

Of course, it wont work for messaging anyone not on the ship.

Royal Caribbean announced an update to its cruise ship cabin categories that reclassify certain cabins, create new categories, and separate out a few other room types.

Every cabin has a stateroom code, which correlates to the type of room it is, location, and price. 

With today's change, Royal Caribbean has consolidated and reduced the overall number of categories, along with new categories added.

These changes are going to roll out with 2025-2026 deployment. For the Icon of the Seas categories, these changes are already live for the 2025-2026 season since those bookings are already open.

Read more: Royal Caribbean cruise ship cabin and suite guide

Part of the reason to make this change is to simplify the choices for travel agents as well as add new room types meant to appeal to certain types of people that cruise.

The goals of the room recategorization are:

• More options & configurations for guests with large families
• Separated Triple and Quad occupancy interior & oceanview staterooms
• New high occupancy guarantee staterooms
• New Junior Suite & Balcony categories

Read more: Guide to balcony staterooms on Royal Caribbean

• Suites
  • AquaTheater 1 Bedroom Suite (A4) - Oasis and Allure of the Seas only
  • Sky Junior Suite (JY) - Icon Class, Oasis Class, Quantum Class
  • Sunset Juniot Suite (JT) - Icon Class, Freedom Class, Voyager Class, Vision Class
• Balcony
  • Spacious Sunset Balcony (SG) - Freedom Class, Voyager Class, Radiance Class, Vision Class
  • Sunset Balcony (SB) - Freedom Class, Voyager Class
• Oceanview
  • Ocean view (5N) - Quantum Class, Radiance Class
• Interior
  • Interior (5V) - Freedom Class, Voyager Class)
  • Interior with Virtual Balcony (Quantum Class)

Here's a deeper look at what's different and new as part of this effort.

AquaTheater 1 bedroom suite

On Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the seas, there are two cabins on each that the room size and the balcony size are significantly smaller than the other AquaTheater one bedroom cabins.

In an effort to ensure guests have the correct expectations of what their suite was going to look like, Royal Caribbean decided to separate out those cabins as a distinct category.

Those four cabins total will now become A4 category, which will be the AquaTheater suite one bedroom, and all other AquaTheater suite one bedrooms across the fleet will now be called Spacious AquaTheater one bedroom and will remain the A3category code.

Nothing else is changing with these suites. They'll still have the same benefits and amenities. It's simply the way that the cruise line is categorizing them.

Sky Junior Suites

Royal Caribbean is also adding Sky Junior suites, which are Junior Suites with Sky Class amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi and access to Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge.

Sky Junior Suites were first introduced on Icon of the Seas and Royal Caribbean said they got a lot of demand for them, so they're extending them the rest of the Royal Suite Class ships.

Read more: Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites

All Icon, Oasis and Quantum class ships will now have eight Sky junior suites, with the exception of Spectrum of the Seas, which will only have six.

On a Oasis class, all Junior suites on deck six will be Sky Junior suites and on Quantum Class, all Junior Suites on deck 13 will be Sky Junior Suites.

Sunset Junior Suite

One thing Royal Caribbean has heard from its guests is booking an aft balcony is a favorite type of room on older ships. The aft facing balconies and Junior Suites are now going to be separated out as new categories new categories, starting with the Sunset Junior Suite.

Read more: 5 Royal Caribbean cruise ship balcony cabins to book (and 2 to avoid)

With the Sunset Junior Suite, nothing's changing in these amenities or with the stateroom itself, but all of the aft facing Junior Suites on the back of the ships will now become Sunset Junior Suites.

There will be a total of 110 suites between 12 ships on Freedom, Voyager and Vision class ships.

Royal Caribbean says they are making the change so that guests can quickly and easily find these cabins.

Sunset Balcony and Spacious Sunset balcony

Another new aft facing category is the Sunset Balcony and Spacious Sunset Balcony.

These are the balconies that are on the aft of the ships, and there will be about 100 Sunset balconies (category SB) and then 100 spacious sunset balconies (category SG) and spacious being the stateroom.

Oceanview triples

Royal Caribbean has heard from travel agents is that sometimes it's difficult to find a cabin when you have a group of three guests and what availability there is for cabins that have triple occupancy.

In the past, they've separated out some triple occupancy balcony cabins and they want to do the same with inside and oceanview rooms.

First up is the Oceanview triple cabins, and these will be category 5N. 

It will apply 120 staterooms across all five Radiance Class ships, as well as Quantum of the Seas.

Next are interior triples, which will be category 5V on Explorer of the Seas, and all Radiance Class ships.

On Quantum of the Seas, it will be category 5U because Quantum has the interiors with virtual balcony rather than the standard interiors.

New Guarantee staterooms

Royal Caribbean is also adding new guarantee cabins, which is when Royal Caribbean picks the exact room assignment instead of the guest.

The advantage of a guarantee cabin is you will pay less for it than if you select the specific room. However, you give up the ability to choose your cabin location and end up at the luck of whichever location is selected.

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

By offering new types of guarantees, it provide guests more options.

High occupancy guarantees

In addition to the existing guarantees, Royal Caribbean is adding in an additional guarantee for triple and quad occupancy bookings.

If you have a booking with 3 or 4 guests, you'll now be able to book a ZQ as compared to a ZI. If you have a double occupancy, you can still book the ZI.

Royal Caribbean says they are making this change to offer a lower price point.

This will be offered across all category classes:

• Balcony: XQ
• Neighborhood: NQ
• Oceanview: YQ
• Inside: ZQ

Infinite Balcony Guarantee

This is a room type exclusively for Icon of the Seas, and it will be category code XI.

Similar to other guarantees across the fleet, this change will just be extending to now infinite balconies.

If a guest doesn't have a preference on where their infinite balcony is located, they can book an infinite guarantee at a lower price point versus choosing a cabin.

Infinite balcony guarantees and quad guarantees are now are live on Icon season two for 2025-2026.

It's one thing to make a mistake, but quite another when you realize early on that you've goofed.

Shore excursions are a major part o the cruise experience, and some cost as much as hundreds of dollars each.  No one wants to spend their time and money on a substandard tour, but unfortunately, there are a few duds out there.

It seems like most tours ends up being quite satisfactory, but occasionally there is an excursion that is disappointing from start to finish.

Sometimes the problem could be bad luck and factors you couldn't anticipate, like a new tour guide trying to learn to ropes or bad weather. Other times, you might think you would enjoy a certain kind of tour but then realize you don't. 

Whatever the reason, sometimes tours don't measure up to expectations and Royal Caribbean Blog readers have encountered these as well.

I picked out eight cruise ship shore excursions our readers took and reconsidered their decision making almost immediately.

Ensenada

Having been to Ensenada, Mexico a few times, smokeybandit found the tour choices less than appealing.

"I enjoyed my tequila tasting, and if I spoke Spanish it could be a fun town to drink in, but that port is a PVSA port and nothing else."

What he is referring to with "PVSA port" is the fact cruise lines use Ensenada as a way to satisfy the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) of 1886. It requires foreign flagged cruise ships to call on a foreign port if sailing a closed-loop cruise form the United States.

This means, cruise ships cannot sail from Los Angeles and only visit California ports.  It must make a stop outside the country, and Ensenada, Mexico is the closest port of call that is in close proximity to Southern California.

The justification for both the PVSA is to protect the U.S. Merchant Marine (the licensed (officers) and documented (trades) personnel on the ships) and to protect U.S. shipyards that both build and repair the ships.

Bus tours

By far, the overarching theme we got from our readers was that bus tours in so many different places was a major regret.

ChessE4 wrote about a bus tour in Corsica, "The guide talked way too much at each stop, and about the time we returned to the city center the local market was closed for the day.  Had we gone on our own, we would have seen most of the same sights and enjoyed the market."

BeachGal tried an open-air, double-decker bus around St. Maarten, "Tour started about 40 min. late, and we were all standing in the sun waiting and wondering what was going on. The guide at the front of the bus narrated the tour, but only the folks on the top level could hear her.  It took a couple of stops before they got it fixed."

"Maho Beach was the only interesting stop on the tour, and we didn't get to stay there long.  Ugh, never again!"

Mturk did the Sorrento & Amalfi Coast by Motor Launch tour found it to be too much in a short window of time, "tried to pack too much into the day for sites that were too geographically dispersed to be properly enjoyed. We ended up spending most of the day on the bus instead of enjoying any of the locations we went to."

Bus tours are attractive because they're usually priced low and offer an easy way to see an area. This is very attractive to someone who is unfamiliar with the port and might be hesitant to go on their own.

The reality is a bus tour may leave you feeling constricted and not enough time to properly enjoy any one stop. Moreover, you may spend more time at a stop that you do not care for, but the tour must go to anyway.

One alternative is to forgo an organized tour and explore on your own, especially when your ship is visiting a city or town. If your ship docks near downtown, you can walk on your own or even use public transportation to easily get around.

Another option is to book a smaller group tour or private tour. Royal Caribbean sometimes offers small group tours, or you can book through a third party provider.

Horseback riding tours

I always thought horseback riding on a beach would be fun, but tonyfsu21 painted a different picture.

"As you can imagine, the guide in position number one in line is the only one who gets through the water without excessive amounts of horse excrement all over their legs. Really kind of gross and I highly advise you avoid at all costs."

Peggy's Cove

Two different readers wish they hadn't booked a tour to one of the premier spots in Nova Scotia, Peggy's Cove.

Peggy's Cove is a famous lighthouse that is quintessentially encompasses what someone imagines an Atlantic lighthouse to look like. It's perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic.

RCIfan1912 thought it was amazing, but he wouldn't do it again, "It was a super long bus ride and holy cow was it crowded. We were very late getting back to the ship."

letscruise agreed, and thought the issue was lack of enough time because the tour was coupled with other stops, "we could have definitely shortened time spent at the Titanic cemetery to be able to spend more than the 30 minutes we were allotted at Peggy's Cove."

Just like bus tours, you could see about booking a private tour to get you to a particular tourist attraction.

No matter if you book a group tour or a private tour, try to get there early to beat the crowds that come as the day progresses.

Snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas

Snorkeling is a very popular cruise ship excursion, but DDaley thinks there's no point to doing this in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"We’ve done these twice and while it’s fun on the boat, there’s just not that much to see when you’re actually snorkeling. We’ve snorkeled just about everywhere, and there is certainly no need to do it on the Pacific coast ."

Save the snorkeling for another port and prioritize time spent at a beach or whale watching when the season is right.

Read more: Top 10 things to do in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on a cruise

ATV tour in Cozumel

I've done a few ATV tours and enjoyed them, but it sounds like Keanoknick might have found a dud.

They booked a ATV tour that would take them through a jungle during a stop in Cozumel, "The so called jungle we rode through felt like I was riding in my back yard in Texas, nothing jungle about it. "

One tip for previewing any tour is to look for reviews, especially videos. Doing a YouTube search for the tour you're taking is a good place to start, as well as looking through reviews in our shore excursion forum.

Read more: Guide to picking the perfect Royal Caribbean shore excursion

Cave tubing in Belize

Va4fam wrote simply, "what could go wrong with a hike through the jungle and a gentle tube ride in giant bat-filled caves?"

I would think cave tubing would be a lot of fun, especially since it's a well-known activity in that area of the Caribbean.

"Let's start with the bus.  We took several small buses to connect with the large bus that would take us to our destination.   About 15 minutes into the trip, we heard a loud bang and smelled something burning.  

"We asked the guides if everything was ok, they said it was just the brakes burning.   As we went further from Belize City, the bus shook and rattled before the driver finally pulled to the side.   Yep, definitely a tire blow out. "

"Sat on the road with no air conditioning for over an hour before the little buses retrieved us and took us to the excursion."

"The first family stepped off the bus and into a colony of fire ants and needed to be evacuated back to the port." 

Unfortunately, a lot of the issues on this tour were bad luck and there's not much you can do about that. It's always a good mantra to be as flexible as possible on a cruise.

Read more: 23 Do's and Don'ts for your Royal Caribbean cruise in 2023

Going to Hell

As soon as I saw readers posting about a Hell in Grand Cayman, I knew exactly why they regretted it.

Hell is the name a tourist trap in Grand Cayman that is noteworthy for its name, which serves as an excuse to make the joke that you went to hell on your cruise.

LCWind wrote, "Overhyped, dated, creepy.  The stops the tour makes are to shops to entice you to buy. Not worth."

Research any tour or place you want to visit and get past the marketing hype to determine how much fun these places actually are in reality.