It looks like Royal Caribbean has finally given its customers a feature they've been clamoring for since the inception of a dining package.

Cruise ship passengers can book a dining package, where they can get a bulk discount on specialty restaurants.  Up until now, there was no mechanism to prebook a reservation at a specific restaurant and time before boarding the ship if you had a dining package.

Nearly a year to when they announced plans this upgrade, Royal Caribbean now is allowing guests booking the Unlimited Dining Package to pre-book days and times for restaurants online.

The advantage of this feature is it makes it significantly easier to get reservations instead of running around on embarkation day to make them.

In August 2024, pre-booking was opened up just for Allure of the Seas as a test.  But now it appears the test is available for all ships.

Here's how it works.

Login into Royal Caribbean's website and go to the Cruise Planner for your sailing.

Go to the Dining section, and choose the Unlimited Dining Package.

Click the Reserve button and then select the people you want the package for, and click add to cart.  At this point, you wait for each day's options to open up, with the ability to select times for each restaurant.

Be sure to follow through and make payment for the dining package to lock in your day and times.

There are two catches to its current implementation, keeping in mind Royal Caribbean is constantly working on improving its offerings.

First, the ability to pre-book times appears only available for the Unlimited Dining Package, and not the 3-night dining package.

Second, there does not appear to be a way to pre-reserve restaurants if you have already booked the dining package yet. You could cancel and rebook the Unlimited Dining Package, but you'd be subject to the prevailing rates for it.

Why this feature is so helpful

By allowing passengers to make reservations before they get onboard, it assures them of a specific day and time for their reservations.

Moreover, up until now, passengers had to hustle on the embarkation day to go make reservations.

Not only did this take away from enjoying the start of a vacation, there was usually lines to make a reservation and if someone waited until later in the cruise to book a time, they risk the frustration of restaurants being booked up.

Having to wait until boarding the ship to make dining reservations was the top pain point for passengers that booked a dining package.

With this change, a great deal of frustrations are removed from the cruise planning experience.

This change also benefits Royal Caribbean. If there are less passengers wanting to make dining reservations on embarkation day, they can move staff around to other places and reduce congestion on the Royal Promenade where crew members would wait to take reservations.

Is a dining package worth it?

If you're planning to eat at more than two specialty restaurants on your cruise, there's a good chance a dining package will save you money.

Royal Caribbean offers a flat cost to enjoy as many restaurants as you like with the Unlimited Dining Package, with the caveat if a restaurant is priced a la carte, you can only dine there once per day and with a stipend.

Examples of restaurants priced a la carte include Playmakers Sports Bar, Izumi sushi, and Portside BBQ.

Note that certain restaurants have an upcharge, such as Izumi Hibachi ($15), Chef's Table ($49.99), and Empire Supper Club ($130). 

The UDP doesn't include premium items in the Main Dining Room, the Taste of Royal experience, Celebration Table, or Chops Grille premium cuts. 

I've purchased a dining package about 20 times, and there's no question it can save you money, assuming you eat at the restaurants every night.

An example of how a dining package won't work out financially is if you have busy port day plans or are simply too tired to go to a restaurant for dinner and end up in the buffet or a counter service restaurant.

Likewise, if you're not interested in more than 2 or 3 specialty restaurants, then skipping the dining package makes sense too.

In addition to the Unlimited Dining Package, there are smaller offerings, such as the 3-night dining package, or the Chops + Your Choice package. These offer fewer evenings to dine, but it's cheaper and a good introduction to specialty dining.

One of the top reasons people book a cruise are the places you can visit, including some truly hidden gems.

The Caribbean is a year-round cruise destination that attracts millions of cruise ship passengers, and while most are content with the usual spots, there are unique and less popular Caribbean ports that seasoned cruisers love to visit.

Part of the appeal is these spots are less busy than other ports, and they also offer a more authentic or down to earth stay. While exciting tours that involve an adrenaline rush or busy cities is quite popular, some cruisers prefer a quaint tropical island vibe.

It's also fair to say the more you cruise, the greater your appetite for something different. While I enjoy going to Cozumel, Mexico over and over, it's always a pleasure to mix things up and try somewhere new or different.

In fact, many people that cruise a lot will search Royal Caribbean's deployments for unique itineraries that include a visit to an uncommon port.  Or, they'll opt to take an excursion that brings them to a less busy spot.

Here are three ports that are worth a visit over the usual tourist spots when you take a cruise.

St. John

If your ship visits St. Thomas, you could take a short ferry ride over to neighboring St. John for an unspoiled beach day.

While there are beautiful beaches all around the Caribbean, none can compare to St. John's beaches in my opinion. Between the water color and clarity, it's exactly the look you'd expect from a beach when imagining the Caribbean.

Nearly all of St. John is a protected national park, and that means there's very few people on the island. The beaches are pristine and lack many of the amenities you'd find at a beach in St. Thomas.

There are many beaches to consider around St. John, but the top two for cruise ship visitors tend to be Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay Beach. There are more facilities at Trunk Bay, and it's closer to the ferry station.

The chief downside to St. John is getting there.  Because it requires a ferry ride, you need to time your visits properly to ensure you can get back and forth without being late to the cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean usually offers a few excursions to St. John that include the ferry ride, and it's the simplest way to make a day there. 

If you wanted to get there on your own, you could take a taxi to Red Hook and buy a round-trip ferry ticket.

If a ride over to St. John seems too much, you could take a water taxi to Water Island, which is even closer to St. Thomas, and also quite beautiful.

Nevis

Another "do this, not that" island combination is when visiting St. Kitts and Nevis.

Some cruisers elect to take a ferry over to Nevis, where you can enjoy time at one of the beautiful beaches there.

The ferry ride to Nevis takes about 45 minutes each way, and Royal Caribbean offers excursions that visit Nevis.

You can reach the ferry port on your own by walking downtown. It's about a third of a mile walk from Port Zante, or you could take a taxi.

Once you get to Nevis, a popular choice is to visit Oualie Beach for its black-sand beach.

A non-beach idea for a day in Nevis is to visit Alexander Hamilton's birthplace. The famous founding father of the United States grew up on Nevis until he was about 7 years old.

There's actually a museum dedicated to Hamilton, and it's a popular spot for fans of the musical.

The catamaran excursions that take you to Nevis are probably the simplest way to reach the island. Plus, many end the tour at Sunshine's on Nevis. Try a killer bee cocktail (you won't regret it).

Antigua

Among the Southern Caribbean ports you can visit, my favorite has to be Antigua. It features the idyllic beaches you expect, plus unlike the other islands in this article, no ferry ride!

Antigua claims there are 365 beaches around the island, which means there is one beach every day of the year. I'm not sure that statistic has been fact checked, but they do have a lot of pristine beaches to try.

The benefit of having so many beaches is it spreads people around.  Rather than one or two well-known beaches, you can find a great beach that is less crowded.

Royal Caribbean almost built a beach club in Antigua, but even without that distinction, it's a great beach day visit.

My go-to spot in Antigua is Valley Church Beach because it has powdery white sand, smooth aquamarine water, and fantastic views.

Honorable mentions

There are two other islands I wanted to include, but they're pretty rare to be able to visit on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Nonetheless, if you do have the chance, I would jump at giving it a try.

Anguilla

From St. Maarten, you can take a ferry or catamaran to Anguilla. 

Royal Caribbean offers a "Anguilla Sun, Sand and Sea" shore excursion that will take you to Meads Bay. 

Dominica

Select Southern Caribbean cruises stop at Roseau, Dominica where you can explore the nicknamed "Nature Island".

Instead of beaches, there is a rainforest, tall mountains, and majestic waterfalls to explore.

There are thermal springs, river tubing, rainforests and more to explore.

Antigua is found on only a handful of Southern Caribbean cruise itineraries, so you'll want to dig to find a sailing that goes here.

Royal Caribbean announced a change to one of its conveniences at its private island.

When cruise ship passengers disembark a ship at Perfect Day at CocoCay, there had been an optional tram they could wait for to get a ride from the ship to the arrivals plaza.

As of October 1, 2024, Royal Caribbean has decided to eliminate that service with one exception.

"Beginning October 1, 2024, tram service at CocoCay pier will be discontinued," an official statement in the Royal Caribbean app read.

This effects just the tram service between the where the cruise ships dock and the beginning of the pier.  The trams that take guests around Perfect Day at CocoCay are still operational.

Tram service on the pier was primarily offered as a convenience. Unlike the trams that run on the island, the pier trams were limited and available to those willing to wait for a ride.

According to Royal Caribbean, the walk time down the pier, from ship to Arrivals Plaza, is approximately 6 minutes.

The exception to this change is for guests with special needs.

"Trams for guests with special needs, wheelchairs, scooters, etc. will still be available by the end of the pier (close to the Forward gangways)."

Passengers worried about eligibility for a tram ride

The top concern among cruisers has been what constitutes a special need to qualify for a tram ride.

In the Perfect Day CocoCay Information Hub Facebook group,  Jennifer Kern-Kaminsky wrote, "I just hope they will be accommodating to people with invisible disabilities."

Marcell Fitzgerald added, "Some conditions are exercise or heat induced."

Some people even went as far as to suggest bringing a doctor's note with them on the cruise to prove they qualify for it.

While Royal Caribbean did not specify the requirements for a ride, it seems unlikely proof of a disability is needed. It's probable they will rely on the honor system, and if someone needs a ride, they can simply wait for one.

Accessible options on CocoCay

Royal Caribbean says its private island is accessible.

There are complimentary beach access wheelchairs available throughout the island on a first come first served basis.

Select trams that go around the island are wheelchair accessible as well.

Wheelchair accessible areas include:

• Coco Beach Club: complimentary beach wheelchairs, pool lift, lower counter at the bar, and ramps to the dining area. Pool lifts at the freshwater pool
• Oasis Lagoon: Pool lifts the freshwater pool
• Thrill waterpark: the Wave Pool is wheelchair accessible

Getting around CocoCay

For those able to walk, the walk around CocoCay is quite manageable on foot.

Once a passengers reaches the Arrivals Plaza, they can elect to walk anywhere on the island or take a tram.

Tram service is complimentary and located in front of Thrill Waterpark.

The tram service around CocoCay runs all day with three stops: Arrivals Plaza (near Thrill Waterpark); South Beach; Coco Beach Club/Breezy Bay/Oasis Lagoon; and Chill Island. Guests can board the tram near Arrivals Plaza.

There is a separate tram service to go between the Arrivals Plaza and Hideaway Beach

There are walking paths to bring you to every area of the island. 

Estimated walking distances from the Arrivals Plaza are:

• Thrill Waterpark Less than 1 minute
• Harbor Beach about 3 minutes
• Oasis Lagoon about 5 minutes
• Chill Island about 5-10 minutes
• Breezy Bay at Chill Island about 6-8 minutes
• South Beach about 10 minutes
• Coco Beach Club about 10 minutes
• Hideaway Beach about 10 minutes

The fall temperatures may be dropping, but the Royal Caribbean news from this week is as hot as ever, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round up!

Royal Caribbean is bringing a new destination to Mexico in 2027.

The next Perfect Day experience will open in Costa Maya, Mexico and it will be even bigger than CocoCay.

Few details have been shared, but expect many different ways to "thrill and chill" during your visit, exclusive to Royal Caribbean passengers.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean is raising gratuities. The change started a debate
• Royal Caribbean begins construction of new cruise ship that doesn't have a name yet
• What’s confirmed for Royal Caribbean’s enormous beach experience in Mexico
• My first Royal Caribbean cruise from Baltimore: Essential tips for Maryland sailings
• The best bar scene is only on two of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships

Hurricane Milton Coverage

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc this past week, disrupting many cruise ship plans and generating a lot of news in the process.

• More cruise ships divert and dodge as Hurricane Milton tears through
• There are still 3 Royal Caribbean cruise ships waiting to return home after Hurricane Milton
• Hurricane Milton re-routed my cruise ship to Haiti
• At least 3 Royal Caribbean cruise ships delay return home because of Hurricane Milton

Video: 6 Restaurants You Can't Afford to Miss on Royal Caribbean

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 — 6 Restaurants You Can't Afford to Miss on Royal Caribbean — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 546th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available now: Hola Perfect Day Mexico!

Matt breaks down this week's big news that Royal Caribbean will open a second Perfect Day experience, and what to expect there.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean is raising the daily gratuity charges

Royal Caribbean notified passengers this week that the automatic service charge it adds to passenger bills would soon rise to as much as $21 per person, per day.

Typically, we see gratuity rates go up once per calendar year and this year's increase is 50 cents per person, per day.

In addition to the daily gratuity, the gratuity for purchases made onboard will also go up, from 18% to 20%.

Royal Caribbean restarts cruises visiting Labadee

Royal Caribbean is now cruising to Labadee, Haiti again.

Adventure of the Seas was the first ship back. Guests on the sailing reported things looked great, and no concerns.

More ships visited Labadee, including Utopia of the Seas because of an itinerary change.

A $1,300 Stateroom on Utopia of the Seas

What does an inside cabin look like on Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas?

Our team tried out a small, windowless interior cabin in order to save money.  Plus, the exact location was assigned by the cruise line.

Although the room looked similar in size to many other interior cabins, the newer amenities were quite noticeable.

Four changes coming to Royal Caribbean in 2025

We've almost made it to 2025, and there are some big changes on the horizon.

While there's likely plenty more things that will change next year, we're tracking four big changes that we know about already for Royal Caribbean in 2025.

From new experiences to policy changes, prep for the next evolution of the brand in the coming year.

I quit my job and sold my house to go on a 274-night world cruise

Royal Caribbean's first world cruise sounded like the adventure of a lifetime, compelling Tonya Lathom to drop everything and book it.

She and her husband, Andy, sold their home in Falls Church, Virginia and retired from their jobs in order to sail.

She booked a suite on the world cruise, and got to visit all seven continents and in the process, visited over 60 countries.

The after effects of Hurricane Milton changing cruise ship itineraries isn't over yet.

While the storm passed through Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, there are still three ships that have yet to return because of the storm.

The hurricane disrupted the original travel plans for many ships, but it had the worst impact on ships sailing from Tampa or Port Canaveral.

Wind gusts recorded near Tampa reached 100 mph.\

Those two ports were directly in the path of Hurricane Milton, and the cleanup and repair process takes time. The U.S. Coast Guard inspects each port after a hurricane, and no ships can go in or out until that process is complete and the waterways deemed safe.

Royal Caribbean said those efforts are, "still evolving" and they're doing their best to keep passengers informed along the way.

The good news is there is a plan in place for each of the ships to return, albeit, a few days late.

Enchantment of the Seas

Royal Caribbean extended Enchantment of the Seas by two additional days, and won't return to Tampa until Monday.

Due to Hurricane Milton's impact to Port Tampa Bay, the ship cannot return until then.

The new plan is for Enchantment of the Seas to make it back on October 12. As a result, the next sailing has been shortened by two days.

The former October 12 sailing will be only 5 nights and visit Cozumel, Mexico and Costa Maya, Mexico.

Royal Caribbean described the situation in Tampa as "fluid", "Please know our return to Tampa Bay is fluid, and once our times are finalized, we’ll send an email with updated check-in times."

Royal Caribbean is also working on compensation details to make up for the disappointment, "While these circumstances are beyond our control, we understand that this change impacts your vacation, and we’re truly sorry."

Serenade of the Seas

Another ship based in Tampa, Serenade of the Seas, was supposed to go out on October 11. Instead, she's delayed by two days to October 13.

The revised next sailing will head to the western Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas

Similar to Serenade, Grandeur of the Seas will shift to an October 13 departure as well. She was due into port on October 12 originally.

As a result of the change, Grandeur will skip a visit to Costa Maya, Mexico.

Port Canaveral is back open

While the Port of Tampa is close to re-opening, Port Canaveral is operational again.

As of 11:30am on October 11, the U.S. Coast Guard re-opened the port with no restrictions.

Three different Royal Caribbean ships had to change their schedule because of the storm's impact on Port Canaveral.

Both Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas were due back originally on October 11, but delayed that until October 12.

As a result of that change, Utopia of the Seas dropped its visit to Nassau and will only visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Adventure of the Seas departed on October 12 and removed a scheduled visit to Curacao. 

The new plan is for Adventure to proceed to Oranjestad, Aruba; Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Lastly, Wonder of the Seas did not have to change the day it returned to port, but did adjust its itinerary to avoid the storm.

Wonder of the Seas skipped a visit to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. Instead, Wonder visited Cozumel and Falmouth, Jamaica. 

We spoke with Royal Caribbean's lead project developer to get an idea of what passengers will be able to do at the new massive new private beach experience in Mexico.

Perfect Day Mexico is a bold new private island experience (although it's not an island), but the announcement did not reveal many details.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider gave Royal Caribbean Blog an overview of what's coming, with bits of detail hidden throughout the announcement.

There's two reasons why we don't know much yet about Perfect Day Mexico: the cruise line is still in the planning phase, and a bigger announcement will be coming in the spring.

Perfect Day Mexico is about 200 acres in size, with about half that preserved for environmental protection.

There's still a lot of time before anyone gets to visit Perfect Day Mexico, as the project won't open until 2027 (and it's more likely to be later in the year). 

Here's a breakdown of what we know so far is coming to Perfect Day Mexico.

Beaches

Much of what we know about Perfect Day Mexico is based on what has been at the core of the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay, and that starts with beaches.

It's safe to say most people that book a Caribbean cruise have a beautiful beach in mind, and that's going to be at the heart of what Perfect Day Mexico has to offer.

CocoCay has multiple beaches that passengers can choose to visit. Most are included with the cruise fare, although there are a few extra cost beaches too.

There will be a beach club, similar to the Coco Beach Club at CocoCay. The beach club is a limited access beach, that features some upgraded amenities and comes with an extra cost.

Pools

Access to water in Perfect Day Mexico will also include a pool.

Royal Caribbean added a giant freshwater pool at CocoCay with Oasis Lagoon, and we know that Perfect Day Mexico has plans for a pool too.

Their plans don't just call for any old pool.  Their mantra with this idea has been, "great beach, great pool, great food" and there's an emphasis on the word "great".

Royal Caribbean isn't ready to provide any further details on the pool(s) or even size of them, but did promise there will be an opportunity in the future to share more information.

Water park

Mr. Schneider was able to confirm there will indeed be a water park at Perfect Day Mexico.

The water park will be an extra cost venue where guests can enjoy all sorts of slides. The park has been a big success in CocoCay, and Royal Caribbean wants to carry that over.

One detail we do know about the water park is Royal Caribbean purchased the existing Lost Mayan Kingdom water park that is near the port. All Mr. Schneider would say is that land will be part of the future Perfect Day Mexico property, but didn't comment on what, if any, part of the park will remain.

It stands to reason that the water park, much like all of the Perfect Day Mexico project, would need to accommodate the amount of passengers coming ashore on any given day.

Since Costa Maya has four piers, that gives it double the ships that CocoCay can handle, and thus, there's a good chance the water park in Mexico will be bigger than Thrill Waterpark in CocoCay.

Adults-only area

Another successful idea coming to Perfect Day Mexico is an enclave for adults.

Earlier this year, Hideaway Beach opened at CocoCay, which is an enormous adults-only zone. We can expect something similar in Mexico.

Unlike CocoCay, there will not be phases to the opening. The adults-only area and all the neighborhoods will open at once, and that's because they want to be open for the maximum amount of attendance in the first year.

"This will not be phased. We will build everything all at once," Mr. Schneider said.

Helium balloon ride

Another activity returning from CocoCay is the helium balloon ride.

The Up, Up and Away helium balloon takes guests 450 feet above Perfect Day at CocoCay, providing the highest vantage point in The Bahamas.

Not only did Mr. Schneider mention the balloon, but it's included in the teaser logo for Perfect Day Mexico.

It's an extra cost activity, and is provides amazing views of the surrounding area.

Mr. Schneider indicated they will place the balloon somewhere to optimize for the winds, as the balloon cannot go up if it's too windy, "Hopefully it'll operate more hours in different conditions based on where we're actually putting it on the site."

Mexican food

Great food is one of the mantras that Royal Caribbean wants incorporated into Perfect Day Mexico.

No specifics were given on what dining will be there, but Mr. Schneider made it clear they want to be true to the Mexican culture they are embracing.

"in Mexico, Americans have a very clear view of what Mexico is, and they expect that out of whatever we would go do in Mexico."

Transportation center to do other things

While Perfect Day Mexico is at the heart of the project, you can still do your own tour or book a shore excursion to venture out.

A transportation hub will be located nearby so passengers can get on a tour bus or head to Mahahual.

The port itself will remain open to other cruise lines, so passengers on another cruise line will bypass Perfect Day Mexico and head directly to the transportation hub to get on their tour.

"We'll build a boardwalk to the local village, so we'll make the community accessible to other cruise lines."

The construction of Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class cruise ship reached an important milestone this week when the keel was laid.

At a ceremony held at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Monday, October 7, the official start of construction was celebrated.

Icon of the Seas was the first Icon Class ship, and it launched to great fanfare earlier this year.  It's bold new design caught the attention of the cruise industry, and now work is beginning on its third ship.

Royal Caribbean has not even announced the name of the ship, let alone what features or details we can expect from the ship.

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, shared his thoughts on the significance of this moment, "Icon 3 is a very important vessel for both the shipyard and the partner network. During its construction process, we get to see what a combination of high-level know-how and sister ship experience can achieve today. "

The ship's keel is the first block, and it is maritime tradition to commemorate this phase of a new ship construction. 

Another maritime tradition is to place the "lucky coins", which represent the shipyard and cruise line. 

The coins are meant to bring luck during construction, and they will be retrieved and given to Icon’s captain and crew before setting sail. 

Icon 3's keel laying comes just a few days after Icon 2 was floated out.

Known as Star of the Seas, this ship was put into water for the first time at the end of September.  Having two of the same class of ship under construction at the same time is not unusual. In fact, Star of the Seas' construction journey began when Icon of the Seas was still being built.

Cruise lines commonly place orders for a few ships at a time, and they stagger construction so that they can launch each ship a year apart or so.

What will be Icon 3's name?

Royal Caribbean hasn't announced the name of the third Icon class ship yet, but there's always a lot of speculation as to what it can be.

The rumor mill believes Royal Caribbean will revive an old name for this ship, but it's still unconfirmed.

The alleged name of Icon 3 will be Legend of the Seas, which was a name of a Vision Class cruise ship that was sold to another cruise line in 2017. It's still in operation as Marella Discovery 2.

There's a few sources for the rumor that Legend could be the name.

During a Top Tier event on Harmony of the Seas in May, the ship's Hotel Director told passengers the ship's name will be Legend of the Seas.

Prior to that, metadata within Royal Caribbean's website seemed to indicate the company would re-use Legend.

Of course, cruise fans love a juicy rumor and the good ones tend to get shared a lot.

Royal Caribbean trademarks ship names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, most of which never get used.

Examples of recent trademarks Royal Caribbean have made include:

• Happy of the Seas
• Fun of the Seas
• Idol of the Seas
• Love of the Seas
• Nova of the Seas
• Titan of the Seas
• Sun of the Seas
• Marquee of the Seas
• Hero of the Seas
• Fantasia of the Seas

The company purposefully trademarks ship names they never intend to use as a means to obfuscate the ones they really want to use.

What's next for Icon 3?

The third Icon class ship won't launch until 2026 and you can't book cruises yet for it, partially because there's still a lot of work left on it.

Construction of the ship will continue for many months, with the ship's steel infrastructure being assembled to form the vessel. 

The ship's keel is the first block, and other blocks will be joined together until the ship's primary structure is assembled.  Then more of the ship's features are added in, such as cabins, interior structures, and paneling.

Icon 3 has a tonnage of 250,800 GT and enough room for up to 5,610 passengers.

Royal Caribbean will reveal the ship's name, home port, and sailings, and other important details in the months to come.

For the first time in seven months, Royal Caribbean reopened to its private beach destination in Haiti, and the timing couldn't have been better.

Labadee is the name of its private beach, which was closed since early March because of civil unrest in Haiti. 

Read more: Guide to exploring Labadee, Haiti

As Hurricane Milton approached Florida, it wreaked havoc with cruise ships plans.  As Royal Caribbean scrambled to find new places to visit, a few ships went to Labadee.

One ship was Utopia of the Seas, which made its first-ever visit to Labadee. The ship was originally scheduled to visit Nassau, Bahamas before the itinerary update. Instead an extra day was added and the ship sailed to Labadee.

What does Labadee look and feel like after sitting empty for most of 2024? One Royal Caribbean Blog reader, Alex, called it, "better than ever." 

Alex shared their thoughts with us on what it was like to re-visit Labadee.

Seeing Labadee again

All the features and amenities that were there before the shutdown are still there, and the staffing seemed to be at normal levels. 

It was understandable that many would-be guests expected the worst and were apprehensive about coming here, but the people we saw visiting from our cruise ship seemed to love it. 

When the announcement was made on Wednesday at 2pm that we would go to Labadee instead of Nassau, I was completely surprised. The announcement was met with a roar of approval on the pool deck as the Plunge Party was just beginning.

My only prior visit there was a terrible weather day in December 2023, and we felt like we didn’t truly get to experience it properly. So the opportunity to go back, was welcome news. 

At the same time, I was concerned that the port might not be totally ready or the way it was meant to be yet. I assumed there could be staffing issues, certain amenities might not be ready, or that any damage or wear might not have been fully addressed yet. 

I was excited to go, but mentally prepared for disappointment, even if just a little. 

Thankfully, my concerns were unwarranted. Plenty of staff, everything working, plenty of amenities, food, drink, etc. Dozens upon dozens of entertainers and performers were out dancing and singing. I was also surprised by how many photographers Royal Caribbean had out and about. 

It was as though we were at any other beach stop at a private destination and the entertainment was just as visible as the last time we were here nearly a year ago. Also, this stop by Utopia was just second ship to port here since Royal Caribbean made the decision to return.

Many guests have been skeptical about returning here given the U.S. State Department’s “Do Not Travel” status listed for Haiti.

While there has been much discussion and concern online given the political unrest that forced the cruise line to stop visiting Labadee in the first place, cruisers can take comfort in knowing that the port is far removed from the heartbreaking challenges seen on the southern side of the country, some of which persist still to this day. 

While Labadee is not an island (it's a peninsula on the northern coast of the country), it is important to remember that the Labadee is privately operated and controlled by Royal Caribbean, so it is heavily secured. Guests are not permitted to venture beyond the fencing that surrounds the property, and only cruise passengers and employees are permitted inside.

For those that haven’t been, picture a more mountainous version of Coco Cay. It has plenty of beachfront with the same seats, umbrellas, and cabanas that you see in Coco Cay. But it also has hiking trails and significantly more souvenir shopping. 

Your drink package works here just like Coco Cay, which is great since there are several bars in Labadee and often with relaxing, comfortable seating areas (try their signature frozen drink, the “Labadoozie” and thank me later!). Be forewarned that there is no WiFi coverage around the island. 

The food options are excellent and free to all guests, with numerous delicious offerings not found onboard (try the Grandma Chocolate Sponge Cake and thank me a second time!) 

There are also numerous photographers throughout Labadee and as you can see in this post, photo-friendly spots are plentiful.

Truth be told, not only is it comfortable, enjoyable, and my wife and I felt perfectly safe to be here. In fact, we actually prefer it over Coco Cay, if for no other reason than it’s a different port that’s more rare to visit. 

Weekend cruises from Florida can’t make it to Labadee and back, meaning finding itineraries that stop here are less common. We find the service fast and friendly, and quality of the overall product here to be excellent 

We are excited about future visits here now that Royal Caribbean has made its return and anyone curious or interested should be just as excited and ready when their day comes. 

Advice for anyone visiting Labadee soon

If you have a visit coming up to Labadee, here's what I would recommend.

First, don’t be afraid. Every social media post bout Labadee you’ll find people speaking negatively and afraid of the unrest to the south affecting your safety. I feel this is completely unfounded at this point. 

Also, treat it like a visit you’re planning for Coco Cay. What do you like to do on the island? Virtually everything you can do there you can also do in Labadee, so give it some thought for activities and excursion purposes. Cabanas, daybeds, water sports, all fully available. There are more beach chairs here than people on the ship, it feels like, so you don’t even need to rush out early to get a good one. 

Be aware that lunch is only served from 11:30am to 1:30pm, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Also bring cash for the local vendors. Labadee has tons and many have nice souvenirs. 

Tipping on a cruise isn't new, but many are questioning why it's not part of the cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean announced this week it will increase the daily gratuity rate it charges passengers by 50 cents per day, per person.

It's not a major increase, and it's in line with the cruise line's more or less annual gratuity rate change. But a major debate erupted online as to why gratuities are still charged as if they're an optional cost.

"May as well be shouting into the wind, but stop separating gratuities and just put it in your pricing," is what one user on the Royal Caribbean sub reddit posted. It's a sentiment a lot of other people seem to share.

As of right now, gratuities are an extra cost beyond the base cruise fare. If you book a cruise and do nothing else, every person in your cabin would be charged automatically the daily gratuity rate every night of the cruise.

• $18.50 per person, per night for standard cabins
• $21.00 per person, per night for suites

Royal Caribbean says customers can prepay gratuities before the change takes place on November 1 and lock in the old rate for any existing bookings they have.

Those gratuities cover your stateroom attendant and dining room staff during the cruise.  The automatic nature of it means there's no awkward tipping at the end of the cruise, as was the tradition for many years.

Tipping on a cruise extends beyond the automatic daily gratuities, because Royal Caribbean also charges gratuity on many onboard purchases. If you order a cocktail or get a spa appointment, there is an automatic 20% gratuity added onto that purchase (up from 18%).

Gratuities are one of the top hidden costs of a cruise vacation, and Royal Caribbean's increase has sparked debate if it's time to roll them into the fare.

Fierce opinions

Should tipping be included in the cruise fare? Many people shared their thoughts on the matter.

"Tipping is stupid," wrote sonuyosrox. "It should be included in the price. It's not my responsibility to pay your staff. On top of that I don't even know where the tip is going."

Sweetydarling77 pointed out, "That’s exactly how it should be and how it is if you book from Australia. They have to include gratuities in the price here, as it should be."

That user is correct. Royal Caribbean includes gratuities in the cruise fares for certain countries already, where tipping is not part of their culture.

"If the cruise line can arbitrarily raise gratuities then it's not a gratuity. It's a fee," added carefreeguru.

User midtreblebass thinks Royal Caribbean could learn from other lines, "I think they need to seriously consider what Virgin is doing. Make it part of the cruise fare, so that everyone pays into it."

"I'm on team just pay your employees directly and leave me out of it and put the gratuities into the price of the cruise," wrote ZacPetkanas.

"Rising gratuities and declining services is a hard pill to swallow."

What some passengers do instead of tipping

Royal Caribbean provides a recourse for anyone who isn't satisfied with the service they receive on a cruise by allowing them to remove the gratuities once onboard the ship.

If a passenger goes to Guest Services, they can request to have the gratuities removed from their account.

"Gratuities may be modified in the guest’s sole discretion by visiting the Guest Services desk onboard at any time prior to the morning of disembarkation."

This option is meant for passengers to pay cash tips instead, either because they prefer to give out cash or they want to adjust the gratuity rate.  Usually because service has been so good, they want to reward a crew member.

The online debate about tipping lead to if it's ethical to remove gratuities and not tip, either to save money on the vacation cost or on principle that tips should be earned for over the top extraordinary service.

"Tipping is something you do out of your heart. If they don't feel like tipping then it is totally OK not to tip. People really need to stop guilt tripping others into tipping," wrote sonuyosrox.

User twaggle countered that until the policy changes, not tipping hurts the wrong people, "Because whether it’s stupid or not or you hate it or not you still agreed to it by purchasing the voyage."

"I’m all for hating it, but putting your foot down literally only hurts the lowest man not [Royal Caribbean]."

Why Royal Caribbean doesn't want to offer all-inclusive prices

The debate of including more in the cruise fare isn't new, and Royal Caribbean's top executives have certainly considered the options.

During the 2024 President's Cruise, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley indicated there were no plans to include more in the cruise fare.

The cruise line has found from its internal research that the brand needs to give everyone the decision of what they want to be included in their vacation.

His rationale was how tipping is viewed in certain countries, such as the United States.

"Because of the scale of our brand, we need to give everybody the choice," Mr. Bayley said.

Bayley, who's lived in the U.S. for decades, joked, "You're just you're trained to tip for everything. You tip for this, tip for that."

"I'm Americanized, [so] when I go to the UK and I go to the pub with my sister and we have drinks, they bring the change and she puts it in her pocket. And I'm like, what is the matter with you?"

Mr. Bayley did not mention it, but not including gratuities in the cruise fare also helps with marketing cruise fares. By keeping the base fare lower, it's more attractive when customers are pricing out a vacation.