The first port of call on our Mariner of the Seas cruise is at Royal Caribbean's private destination in Haiti, known as Labadee.

This was a full day visit, so we got the kids up and going with breakfast in the Windjammer so we could get off the ship and enjoy our day.

I booked cabana at Barefoot Beach prior to the cruise, which is the area of Labadee reserved for suite guests. About a week or two before the cruise, the cabanas here appeared on the Cruise Planner site.

When we got onboard the ship on the first day, I stopped at the Shore Excursion desk to ask if this was going to be a problem since I was not in a cabana. The staff informed me they had decided to open up the Barefoot Beach cabanas to all guests to book, so we were good to go.

The ship was cleared at 8:30am and we walked off around 9am.

The sun was shining and we headed to Barefoot Beach. 

There are three types of Barefoot Beach cabanas: Beach, Hilltop and Over the Water. We booked an over the water cabana.

Cabana number 4 is to to the right of the beach, and has steps adjacent to the cabana leading into the water.

The water temperature was perfect, and as the morning went on, the temperature started to rise and being in the water became a necessity.

At 11am, the group met up at one of the bars to enjoy the signature cocktail of Labadee, the Labadoozie. 

Unlike the cabanas at nearby Nellie's Beach, lunch was served in Barefoot Beach at a buffet towards the back of the area.

You'll find your typical beach lunch here, with chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. I recall the Barefoot Beach lunch had different options, like lobster or steak, but not today.

We ate lunch, and then took my oldest daughter to try something new to us: Sip and Paint.

Available to book through Royal Caribbean, there is about a 90 minute painting experience where you can paint a object while enjoying beach cocktails.

It's located on a hill near the entrance area, which has a fantastic breeze that made it incredibly comfortable despite the afternoon heat. I wouldn't have minded a hammock up there for a nap.

Each person has a choice to paint a clay pot or a wooden boat. Paint and a smock are provided, along with stencils.

Adults are served rum punch, while kids get fruit punch.

This was a nice change of pace from the usual beach day fun, and my daughter really enjoyed getting a creative break inbetween beach time.

After the painting, it was back to the beach to enjoy the rest of our afternoon.

Unfortunately, my oldest daughter got stung by something while in the water. It wasn't clear if it was a jellyfish or beach lice, but it hurt her quite a bit.

The lifeguard showed up immediately with vinegar spray, but it didn't help.  So we took her to the nearby first aid station.

To my surprise, there was a doctor on duty who triaged the situation and cleaned the area on her leg, and used hydrocortisone cream on it before giving her benadryl and motrin to help with the pain. No cost for the care.

It a little while, but the pain started to subside a bit, but going back on the ship so she could properly shower and use more of the hydrocortisone cream was the best idea.

They took her on ATV back to the ship and the hot water of the shower helped a lot.

We went to the main dining room for dinner. Since it's a group cruise, there are a series of tables together for everyone in the group to dine together.

Whenever I eat in the main dining room for dinner, I ask for Indian curry and they had two wonderful vegetarian options. One was chana masala (chickpeas) and the other was something else that I did not know the name, but it was wonderful.

I also sampled one of my favorite things on the main dining room menu, spaghetti bolognese.

I also couldn't resist a bowl of French onion soup.

After dinner, the kids went to the room to watch some movies and the adults were back in the pub on the Royal Promenade to see the pub singer, Darla. A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow we will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stray Observations

I really love Mariner's elevators show which floor is next.

The wifi speeds on Mariner are nothing special, but it's been very serviceable. Certainly good enough to get the basic internet stuff done.

We began our cruise with a sea day with a bright sky and lots to do onboard.

I was happy to see quite a lot of activities offered onboard, so we started off with breakfast in the Windjammer once I could get the kids up and going.

There's a waffle station for breakfast, which is fantastic.

With the sea breeze on the pool deck, it was a nice start to the day and a lot of people decided to head up to the pool deck.

There's a Starbucks kiosk on Mariner of the Seas, so I decided to get an iced coffee from there. It's not included in my drink package, but I greatly prefer their iced coffee taste to what Cafe Promenade.

Our morning was fairly quiet, and we had our first group cruise event, where we played a Royal Caribbean edition of "Super Password", the classic 70's and 80's game show.

We had a conference room rented for our group, so we held our version in there.  For fun, here's a copy of the clues you can challenge your kids to:

1. Parade
2. Walkway
3. Sorrentos
4. Pub
5. Neighborhood

Can you guess it? Royal Promenade!

At lunch, we had a private meal in the main dining room and got to enjoy the same lunch menu as The Key guests receive, which is essentially Chops Grille.

I had the steak burger, and it definitely hit the stop.

I headed back to the room after lunch to relax for a bit and then it was time to do a bar crawl around the ship.

A fun group cruise event is to go from bar to bar and explore the ship, while having a drink in each bar and hanging out with each other.

We ended up going to seven bars in a little over an hour. The bar service on Mariner has been fantastic. Little to no waits at all.

Dinner is our second night of the three night dining package, and we headed up to Jamie's Italian.

I think the best part of the menu at Jamie's are the appetizers.

When we got out of dinner, I headed to the casino to spend a little money. The craps table was very kind to me, and I did well for myself.

Our evening entertainment was in the Royal Theater to see "Gallery of Dreams". I'm not sure if I've seen this show before, but it's a collection of popular songs that the cast sing and dance to. 

There was a lot of energy, and at the very least, I knew the words to almost all the songs.

Tomorrow is our first port stop, and we'll be in Labadee.

Stray Observations

I met Captain Panos!

There was silent disco held on the Royal Promenade for families in the afternoon

In case you're wondering, Playmakers had the right TV feed to be able to show the homerun derby.

It's time to sail on one of my favorite ships, Mariner of the Seas!

We're onboard for a 8-night cruise that visits a lot of ports, and this particular cruise has been a sailing we've been planning since last summer.

Mariner is based out of Port Canaveral, Florida, which is a little over an hour from our home.  Because we had a lot of friends coming in for this cruise and staying near the port, we decided to start our vacation a day early and we stayed at the Cape Crossing Resort & Marina the night before the cruise.

It's not on Merritt Island (one bridge before Port Canaveral when coming on the main highway from Orlando), but it was perfect for our family, since they offer apartment style accommodations.

Mariner was sailing from Terminal 5, which is unusual. Royal Caribbean ships in Port Canaveral usually sail from Terminal 1, but there were 2 other Royal Caribbean ships in port today.

We had a 10:30am boarding time, so upon arrival we parked the car in the adjacent garage and then walked in to check-in. One difference between Terminal 5 and Terminal 1, is you pay when you leave the garage at Terminal 5.

The check-in process was easy enough, and we only had to wait perhaps 15-20 minutes in the waiting area before boarding began. They boarded everyone based on Crown and Anchor Society status, which was a nice change of pace.

Once onboard Mariner, it felt very familiar walking onto the Royal Promenade. It's a ship we've sailed so many times that it has a homely feel to it.

My first stop was the specialty restaurant booking kiosk on the Royal Promenade to make our dining reservations. I booked a 3-night dining package, and you always want to book dining reservations as soon as possible when you get onboard.

Next up was lunch in the Windjammer.

In addition to booking dinners, we also took care of a few other "housekeeping" duties, such as completing muster drill. We watched the safety video and listened to the ship's emergency alarm on our phone, and then just had to report to the muster station to prove we knew where it was. The emuster process couldn't be easier.

The kids wanted to expel some energy, so the next stop was to the hammocks, climbing area, and swings on the back of the ship near the sports deck.

At 1pm, Adventure Ocean opened for registration.  Basically, you sign your kids up for Adventure Ocean and provide any necessary information to the staff.   If your kids are new to Adventure Ocean, it's also an opportunity to meet the staff and see the play area.

Our cabins were ready at 1:30pm. We have two connecting balcony cabins on deck 7, near the forward elevators.

The cabins looked great, and it has just enough living space for us to enjoy. 

Our first official RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise meetup was at the Bamboo Room to say hello to everyone.

The Bamboo Room is such a fun bar, and this was our first opportunity to meet new people that we've never sailed with, as well as see past cruise friends.

Our luggage was delivered to the room, so we unpacked all of our stuff before sailaway.

We headed up to Ellington's in the Viking Crown Lounge to enjoy sailaway. Our group had reserved the space there, and we had the perfect (climate controlled) view of sailaway.

While I prefer the conveniences of Terminal 1, being further back in the port meant a lovely view when we departed since we got to pass all the other cruise ships in port.

Dinner took us to Chops Grille.

We had a large group for dinner (12 in total), and the service was fantastic. The meal progressed nicely, and the food was terrific.

After dinner, we went to the pub for music. The pub singer onboard, Darla, came highly recommended from many other cruisers and she did not disappoint.

Tomorrow is a sea day, and we have a lot of fun activities planned to really get the cruise feeling going.

Stray Observations

The new drink package cups are also here on Mariner of the Seas.

I spoke with the hotel director, who indicated the ship is at 98% crew member staffing. All the bars and restaurants we visited have had minimal waits.

Here is the onboard pricing for the deluxe beverage package if you waited to book onboard. It's always a good idea to book a Royal Caribbean drink package online before the cruise.

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend! Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from the week!

Did you know Royal Caribbean has its own meteorologist who's job it is to monitor the weather for all the ships in the fleet?

James Van Fleet is a former TV weatherman, but now works just with Royal Caribbean to give the captain of each ship weather information.

Although meteorology is heavily based in science, Mr. Van Fleet shared the ambiguities and uncertainties associated with weather forecasting.  

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean updates: Return to Asia, cruise cancellations, help for travel agents, & more
• We'll be live from Mariner of the Seas next week!
• Last-minute things to do 3 days before your cruise
• How many people does it take to sail a cruise ship?
• Does Elon Musk's Starlink internet make this the best cruise ship to work remotely right now?
• Alaska cruise outfits: ideas of what to wear
• 10 Ways to splurge on your cruise
• Beach Reads: Disability Pride Month

Video: Is a 3-night Cruise worth it?

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 — Is a 3-night Cruise worth it? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 461st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt lists the top 3 things to do in the ports of call his cruise will visit next week.

Mariner of the Seas is headed to CocoCay, Labadee, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and St. Croix. Matt shares a few recommendations of what to do in each port.

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.

Rare cruise ship cabins that get booked very quickly

There are a handful of cruise ship cabins that will almost always get booked up super quickly because of how valued they are among people that cruise a lot.

Due to either their location or unusual layout, these staterooms are in-demand because they offer something special you don't usually get, which adds to their value.

Whether you want to book these rooms for yourself, or are simply curious about what they offer, here's a look at a few rare cruise ship cabins that are not only different from the rest, they will be booked quickly.

How one group helps families with Autism cruise on Royal Caribbean

The group Autism on the Seas travels with families on Royal Caribbean cruise ships to provide special needs children extra assistance during their cruise.

The goal of Autism on the Seas is to provide the highest quality of assisted care to ensure families have a truly relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. 

Guide to Royal Caribbean Suites

Think it's time you tried a suite?

Suites cost more than other cabin categories, but they also provide significantly more living space, along with some fabulous benefits.

If you think you'd like to move up to a Royal Caribbean suite, here's everything you need to know about these kind of accommodations.

Want to know the latest Royal Caribbean this over the past week?

Royal Caribbean may not have made any big announcements lately, but there's still plenty happening in and around Royal Caribbean that you should know about.

In an effort to keep you updated, here's some of the cruise news happening that you might find interesting.

Have a great weekend!

Royal Caribbean returns to Asia for first time since 2020

Spectrum of the Seas recently sailed its first international call in Asia since December 2020.

Spectrum of the Seas sailed from her homeport of Singapore and arrived at Malaysia's Port Klang.

The Royal Caribbean ship's arrival in Malaysia is an import milestone as it marks the return of cruising to Asia. Malaysia and Indonesia are the first Southeast Asian countries to resume port calls since cruising was halted in March 2020.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the news on Facebook, "After over 350 ocean getaways from Singapore, our guests finally got to explore the culture, history, and mouth-watering street food of Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia."

"We are looking forward to many more memorable vacations out of Singapore. Thank you to our partners for making this all possible !"

Serenade of the Seas European 2023 cruises cancelled

It appears Royal Caribbean is redeploying Serenade of the Seas in summer 2023.

Serenade of the Seas was to offer sailings departing from Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden starting May 21st, 2023. 

Travel agents received an update indicating the war in Ukraine is to blame for the change, "However, with the increased uncertainty of visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, we've reviewed our upcoming 2023 deployment and decided to reposition Serenade of the Seas to a new homeport in Florida for our Summer 2023 season. "

Instead, Serenade of the Seas will be homeported in Florida in summer 2023

Royal Caribbean helps travel agents with new call back feature

Royal Caribbean has added another upgrade for travel agents to make their jobs a little bit easier.

A new call back function has been added for travel partners in their contact centers in an effort to minimize hold times.

The added feature is first available to trade partners booking groups and expected to be broadly available for U.S. and Canada-based trade at the end of August 2022.

When travel partners call the contact centers, they are immediately prompted with the option of a call back if the wait time exceeds 20 minutes. Once prompted, travel partners can leave a brief message and input their number to initiate a call back with a Royal Caribbean representative. A direct number to a land line or mobile is required; extensions are not supported. 

Royal Caribbean has been steadily working to make the process easier for travel agents to do their jobs, with over a dozen automation enhancements in the last 24 months.

Disney Cruise Line raises gratuity

Something to keep an eye on is another cruise line has raised their gratuities.

Disney Cruise Line increased its recommended gratuity rates $1 per day, per stateroom guest.

With the change, DCL's gratuities are now at $14.50 per passenger, per day for most staterooms, and $15.50 per passenger, per day for concierge suites.

Carnival and NCL have already raised their gratuities earlier this year.

Royal Caribbean hasn't touched their gratuity rate since the end of 2017, when they announced a change to the gratuity to begin in 2018.

Royal Caribbean hiring frenzy continues

Since the spring, Royal Caribbean has been busy trying to hire lots of new crew members, and that trend is continuing.

Royal Caribbean recently held career fairs in three different countries.

In Kenya, the company is looking to hire 2,000 new crew to work as cooks, waiters, baristas, kitchen utility staff, pastry chefs, guest relations agents, lifeguards, and marine staff.

They've also recently hired 600 people from Trinidad and Tobago as new crew.

Royal Caribbean also held hold another recruitment drive earlier this week in Grenada.

This weekend I'm headed back onboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas for an 8-night cruise.

This is not just another cruise for me, but the first RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise, which means a number of people that love Royal Caribbean just as much as me will be joining me.

Each year we have two group cruises, and this is our first one in 2022 (the next is in December on Wonder of the Seas).

I will share a daily update of everything I did onboard during this eight-night sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The cruise

Mariner of the Seas has been based in Port Canaveral for a number of years in a row at this point, although this is the first time in quite a while it's not a short cruise.

My cruises on Mariner since 2019 have been three- and four-night sailings, but she's transitioned to five and eight night cruises instead (Independence of the Seas does the 3- and 4-nighters now).

The last time I was on Mariner for this long was my honeymoon cruise from Port Canaveral back in 2008. Back then I had no kids, no mortgage, and not even a Royal Caribbean blog!

I picked this itinerary because of the port intensive nature.  We'll be visiting five ports in total, including both Labadee and CocoCay.

We will visit St. Croix, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts during the sailing. 

Plus, you have all the fun things to do onboard, including a number of upgrades that were added  to Mariner of the Seas in 2018.

When you mix in the great community of friends that will be joining me as part of the RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise, it's going to be a wonderful experience to have so many friendly faces onboard.

Stateroom

We reserved connecting balcony staterooms for this cruise, one for my wife and I, and one for my kids.  

This is one of my favorite strategies for cruising with kids, as it allows separation from them and an extra full bathroom.

Considering the price of a suite was too high on this cruise, I found the two-room strategy to not only be economical, but provide enough space.

Both cabins are located on deck seven and should provide a room with close proximity to the Royal Promenade and only a few decks walk up to the pool deck.

With all the fun with friends we'll have onboard, I don't think we'll be spending that much time in the cabin.

Itinerary

The fact we get to visit two Royal Caribbean private islands was a major draw to this itinerary. Add in a couple Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and you've got a great lineup.

At CocoCay, we rented an Oasis Lagoon cabana and at Labadee, I'm trying an over-the-water cabana at Barefoot Beach.

Recently the Barefoot Beach cabanas showed up as bookable by anyone in the Cruise Planner, so we'll see how that works out since I'm not in a suite.

In San Juan, we don't arrive until 3pm. No excursions booked here, because we will just walk around Old San Juan and grab dinner somewhere. When I tried this strategy earlier this year, it was tough to find a restaurant with availability and air conditioning, so perhaps we will hop in a cab to find a restaurant and make a reservation in the next couple days.

In St. Kitts, we have a private shore catamaran snorkel and swim shore excursion exclusively for everyone that booked the group cruise with MEI Travel.  Every time we do a group cruise, we try to work in some fun events exclusively for us, and I think this will be a great tour.

Finally, we will visit St. Croix. Last time I was there was in 2013, and we have odd hours here (7am - 2pm), so I think we will just walk around the port area.

Dining Plans

For dinner on this cruise, we'll do a combination of specialty dining and main dining room.

I enjoy the main dining room, but I find it nice to work in specialty restaurants as well. We bought the 3-night dining package, which will allow us to check out a few of our favorite restaurants.

As with any dining package, we have to wait until we board the ship to make a reservation. I think we'll try for Izumi Hibachi, Jamie's Italian, and probably Playmakers. Or we'll go to Chops and stop by Playmakers another day and pay cash.

Read more: Top things I ate on Mariner of the Seas

I also elected to purchase an unlimited drink package for this cruise. With so many social functions onboard with friends, it made perfect sense for me.

What's Next

Our Mariner of the Seas cruise begins on Sunday, July 17.  We're actually driving out to Port Canaveral the night before the cruise and staying at the Cape Crossing Resort & Marina.

After each day of the cruise, I'll share the experience with a live blog post and I encourage you to post your comments and questions so I can answer them.

I try to make these live blogs as interactive as I can, so I want everyone to feel welcome to share their thoughts.

Thanks for reading all of this and welcome aboard our next fun live blog experience!

If you've been on a cruise ship, then you've probably wondered how the ship works, the crew members that manage the ship, and a lot of the logistical work that goes into it all.

Royal Caribbean's ships are like a floating city, and there's lots that goes into making it all work. 

Each cruise, the ship's Captain and other officers hold an event onboard known as, "Captain's Corner," where guests can ask them questions.

On an Anthem of the Seas 2019 cruise, a passenger wanted to know how many crew members it takes to man the navigation of the ship. She wanted to know what's the least number required for the ship to operate.

What is the minimum amount of crew needed on the bridge at any one time?

Captain Srecko Ban was the ship's Captain at the time and explained that there are a minimum amount of bridge crew members they must maintain at any given time, "The minimum manning on the bridge is two licensed officers, and one lookout."

"One of them being the first officer, in charge of navigation, and the second officer assisting first officer and looking after the safety center."

The lookout does more than simply scan the horizon for obstacles or other traffic, "my lookout is a quartermaster with experience to steer the ship, should there be a need for us to use hand steering versus autopilot."

Captain Ban said most of the time the autopilot is used to get from one place to another.

However, when there is bad weather, traffic in the way, or every time the ship is taken in and out of port, other officers are present, "We have senior team on the bridge as well, which consists of myself, Staff Captain and Chief Officer."

What is the worst weather you've faced as a captain?

Captain Ban mentioned having more staff on the bridge in the case of bad weather, which prompted the question what was the worst weather he's been in.

"Well, as far as my time on the cruise ships, I haven't really faced any big storm and for good reason."

"We are very mindful of our cargo, or people, that we carry aboard and the need for us to provide a safe environment and comfort to everybody."

Captain Ban said his team monitors the weather and they go around any bad weather that is predicted ahead of them.

Read more: How Royal Caribbean navigates bad weather with its own meteorologist

He did say during his time working as a merchant marine, he encountered "difficult weather challenges", which he characterized as being similar weather to the 2000 film, "The Perfect Storm".

Which port is the most challenging to navigate for a cruise ship?

Anthem of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, so getting her in and out of port is not simple.

Captain Ban said the growing size of cruise ships has made the docking process everywhere more of a challenge than in the past. Strong winds are the biggest issue, more so than the layout of a port because when a ship takes wind directly abeam, they lose speed.

He said St. Maarten provided sufficient space, but getting into Nassau can be an issue, "Nassau can be particularly tricky for us."

"Going through the channel and entering the harbor, it's very narrow and we are turning this here and channeling through and it's very difficult for us when we face conditions with strong winds, which usually is the case."

More than just navigation

While many people imagine a cruise ship's bridge handing where a ship goes, Captain Ban added an additional function is serving as the primary hub for the ship-wide safety operations.

"The bridge is not just a place where we navigate the ship, it's also the safety center with all different safety installations you find around the ship is remotely controlled from the bridge."

"In order for us to initiate response to emergencies in a timely fashion, we have assigned person to alert people that need to know about it, like myself."

Taking a cruise is a wonderful escape on its own, but what if you want to make the entire trip extra special?

There are lots of occasions when people want to make their cruise memorable, such as for an anniversary, birthday, graduation or other life event. For these kind of celebrations, I'll see questions about ways to enhance the experience.

Think of these tips as the proverbial "cherry on top" for a traditional cruise.

To be fair, these tips all deal with spending extra money on your cruise.  You certainly don't need to spend money in order to have a memorable vacation, but throwing money around can certainly make a cruise stand out given the extras it provides.

Hopefully these tips can help transform any cruise you have booked into an even more special occasion and something you'll look back on fondly.

Upgrade your cabin

A straight forward way to surprise someone would be get them a more lavish cruise ship cabin.

Whether you move up from an inside cabin to a balcony, or a balcony to a suite, getting a bigger cabin is noticeable difference.

There are two ways you can upgrade your cabin.

The first, is contact your travel agent and simply pay more to move up to a higher category. This is the simplest way, although you're subject to the prevailing rates for that cabin. How much more will vary considerably, but you're likely to get a better price for an upgrade if you do this many months before your cruise.

The alternative is to roll the dice with a RoyalUp upgrade, which is a way you can bid for a stateroom upgrade.

Once you get to final payment date, you can let Royal Caribbean know how much you would be willing to pay if an upgrade situation presented itself.

There's no guarantee that because you see a RoyalUp upgrade opportunity that there's a cabin available, but there's no harm in trying either. Just keep in mind your bids are binding if it were to be accepted.

Fly first class to your cruise

One of my favorite ways to travel and get excited even before stepping onboard my ship is to fly first class.

First class airfare is not cheap, but if you book it early, there can sometimes be a good deal.  Moreover, this is a good way to use up those credit card points you may have stacked up.

You could also take a limo to the airport or stay in a suite at your pre-cruise hotel to complete the Hollywood treatment.

Book a cabana

Is your cruise visiting one of Royal Caribbean's private islands?

At both Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, you'll find cabanas you can rent for the day.

When you rent a cabana, you not only get a dedicated spot to enjoy with shade, bottled water, and floating mats to enjoy, you'll have a cabana attendant who can bring you drinks (and food at Perfect Day at CocoCay).

Staying in a cabana gets you

• Private ocean view cabana rental for the full day
• Furnished with 2 luxurious resort-style lounge chairs & a sofa
• Four bottles of water (in a cooler)
• Floating beach mats and snorkeling gear.
• Towels for your use during the day

If you really want to go big, try one of the cabanas at the Coco Beach Club.  While pricey, these are the most lavish cabanas Royal Caribbean has and the lunch you get is unrivaled.

Read more: Guide to Perfect Day at CocoCay Cabanas

The level of service with a cabana, along with the plush accommodations, make it a must-book nearly every time I visit either destination.

Spa treatments

Perhaps no other is more synonymous with treating yourself (or someone else) than the Vitality Spa.

Spa treatments are all about being pampered, so it makes perfect sense to book a spa appointment.

You can book spa treatments and salon appointments online via the Royal Caribbean cruise planner before your cruise. There's a wide selection of choices to consider.

Read more: When should you buy Royal Caribbean add-ons

Stateroom decorations

Royal Caribbean makes it very easy to decorate your cabin for a birthday, anniversary, or honeymoon with decoration kits.

You'll find these items in the cruise planner site.

The room decorations include door décor, mirror clings, photo frames and more.

Book a private shore excursion tour

There's nothing quite like exploring a port of call without having to wait for anyone else.

A private tour shore excursion can be not only liberating in the sense you get to do what you want, when you want, but it's also a great way to feel special since the entire tour is about your group.

There are a few ways to book a private tour, depending on the port you are visiting.

Royal Caribbean offers its own private shore excursion option through Private Journeys.  Be sure to contact them at least a month or two before your cruise, as it takes them a while to get options together.

In most ports, you can also arrange a private tour on your own. It's important to do your research for reputable options, but there's usually a few operators that can do this.

Some good ideas for a private tour would be a sightseeing tour, catamaran ride, or ATV tour. But your imagination is usually the limit.

Dress up for photos

With all these splurges, you're going to want to capture the memories with a great photo.

Each night of the cruise, there will be photographers around the ship to take your photo. There is no cost to take the photos, and later you can stop by the Photo Gallery to see how the prints came out.

Whether it's formal night or not, get everyone together and dress to the nines, put on matching pajamas, or find that eclectic outfit at Target for ironic photos.

You could also arrange a private photo sitting. Most ships have the option for a sitting, where you can go to a studio and have a photo session. There is an obligation to pay for the time and photos, but these are where you might get some really great shots.

Eat only at specialty restaurants

While I really enjoy the main dining room, there's nothing quite like specialty dining as a way to enjoy additional cuisines and cooking styles.

Royal Caribbean offers an unlimited dining package, where you can eat at a specialty restaurant every night of the cruise for dinner and lunch on sea days (and embarkation day).

Depending on which ship you're sailing, there's quite a few different choices to consider. On a 7-night cruise, you'll have opportunity to repeat a few (or all) of the restaurants so you can try one of everything.

Read more: How to know if you should buy a Royal Caribbean dining package

Form a group

This tip requires more coordination, but if you're going to sail with a few other families and friends, then you could really splurge in style.

If you can book at least 8 cabins with a single travel agent, you could create a group with Royal Caribbean.

When you have a group, then you can work with Royal Caribbean's groups department to arrange special events onboard, such a renting out certain venues. Imagine having the water slides or bumper for just your group for an hour. Or renting out a lounge to have a private party? Your imagination (and budget) are the limit.

Before anyone books a cruise, talk with a travel agent about arranging this so you can get the important group backend logistics set up first.

Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation

Buy jewelry

Just like a photo can remind you of a wonderful vacation, a piece of fine jewelry can be an everyday reminder of one too.

There are jewelry stores on Royal Caribbean ships, with some ships even having name brand jewelry, like a Tiffany's store at sea.

You could also go jewelry shopping while in port, as nearly every port I've ever been to has plenty of jewelry shops.

Whether you look for a new ring, earing, or necklace, picking out a new piece of jewelry can be a wonderful way to top off the cruise.

Royal Caribbean's suites are the top echelon of cruise ship cabins, and it includes many perks and benefits for booking one of these spacious staterooms.

Suites come in a few different sizes and layouts, but the common thread among them all is a cabin that provides the most space with the best amenities for guests onboard.

Royal Caribbean's suite program is not quite a "ship within a ship" concept that other lines have, but they do give their guests lots of extra attention and access other cruise ship passengers do not receive.

If you elect to try one of the bigger suites, you'll find palatial rooms with lots of living space. Some of these rooms even encompass two levels.

Suites are one of the first type of cruise ship cabin to sell out on any sailing because of how limited they are and how many people value staying in a room that gets all those benefits.

If you think a suite might be in your future, here's what you should know about a suite cabin, what it includes, and what you get for spending all that money.

Suites on Royal Caribbean basics

While Royal Caribbean is not a luxury cruise line, it does offer very lavish suites on its ships, especially if you try one of the biggest suites on its newest ships.

The exact suite benefits depend on the type of ship you sail on. Essentially, there are two echelons of the suite program: the Royal Suite Class on Oasis Class, Quantum Class, and Icon Class ships, and then the suites on the rest of the fleet.

No matter which suite you book, you can expect access to a dedicated suite lounge, services of the suite concierge, reserved seating on the pool deck, double Crown and Anchor Society points per night of your cruise, and priority embarkation/disembarkation.

The exact benefits will be spelled out for you when you get onboard (as well as a week before the cruise in a welcome email from the suite concierge).

Something else you should know about suites is that they are only available with non-refundable deposits. This means if you were to change your mind later and cancel a reservation before the final payment date, you'd lose your entire deposit.

Royal Suite Class

Royal Caribbean wanted to enhance the suite program on its newer ships, so they created a top-level experience, especially compared to land-based suite offerings.

The result is the Royal Suite Class, which categorizes suites into three tiers, each with its own set of benefits.

At the top is the Star Class, which not only encompasses the largest cabins onboard, but also includes all the benefits of the other suites, plus the added bonus of including a drink package for everyone in the cabin, internet access, and their personalized attendant for the sailing, the Royal Genie.

Each Royal Genie is shared by just 3 or 4 suites and is a cross between the suite concierge, butler, and magic maker. They can attend to your every need onboard and reserve seats at any show or restaurant without the need to plan ahead.

Read more: A beginner's guide to sailing in Star Class

As you probably guessed, Star Class is not cheap. Prices are almost always somewhere in the five figures, and some of the incredibly large suites can rival the price of a new car.

The people who tend to book these rooms are usually well-to-do guests who want personalized service aboard a ship that offers lots to do.

Read more: What is the most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean?

If the Star Class price tag isn't affordable, you'll find plenty of benefits in the next tier, Sky Class.

Sky Class is more in line with what you might find in any suite on any Royal Caribbean ship, but it also includes access to the suites-only restaurant Coastal Kitchen. Think of Coastal Kitchen as a main dining room for suite guests, with a rotating menu every day. Plus, it's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The primary benefits of Sky Class suites are complimentary internet access, suite lounge access, and Coastal Kitchen meals.

For those who book a junior suite, you'll be included in Sea Class, which does not include wi-fi or access to the suite lounge or concierge.  

Junior suite guests can dine in Coastal Kitchen but only for dinner, subject to availibility. 

Suites on the rest of the fleet

If you book a suite that isn't on an Oasis Class, Quantum Class, or Icon Class ship, the experience is a bit more standardized.

Royal Caribbean opted not to expand the Royal Suite Class to older ships simply because those ships wouldn't be able to include the same amount of benefits found on the bigger ships. So they decided to keep the suite experience intact.

Don't take that to be a negative to staying in a suite on a non-Royal Suite Class ship. You'll still get the core suite experience, which includes:

• Double loyalty points
• Access to the Suite Lounge
• Services of the suite concierge
• Complimentary alcoholic beverages in the evening while in the suite lounge
• Priority embarkation and disembarkation

Suite benefits

Naturally, you'll want to know exactly what sort of suite perks you'll get during your stay.

Here's a breakdown based on Royal Suite Class and the rest of the fleet.

Read more: How to maximize the value of a cruise ship suite

Royal Suite Class

Sea Class

• Dinner at Coastal Kitchen
• Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard
• Luxury Pillow Top Mattress
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine

Sky Class

• Concierge Service
• All-Day Access to Coastal Kitchen
• Specialty Bottled Water (upon arrival)
• Complimentary internet access
• Flexible Arrival Boarding & Priority Departure
• Priority Dining Reservations
• Venues Early Access to Seating in Select Entertainment Venues
• Suite Lounge Access
• Access to Suite Sun Deck
• Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard
• Luxury Pillow Top Mattress
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine

Star Class

• Royal Genie Service
• Coastal Kitchen for all meals
• Complimentary Specialty Restaurants (including Chef’s Table and à la carte dining)
• Complimentary Deluxe Beverage Package (for guests 21 years or older, or 18 and over where applicable by law)
• Complimentary Refreshment Package (for guests under legal drinking age)
• Still and Sparkling Water Replenished Daily
• Complimentary Gratuities
• Complimentary internet access
• Expedited Boarding and Departure
• Best Seats in the House in Select Entertainment Venues
• Priority Entrance to Many Onboard Activities
• Suite Lounge Access
• Access to Suite Sun Deck
• Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard
• Complimentary Minibar stocked with Coca-Cola Beverages and Water
• Complimentary Laundry and Pressing Services
• Luxury Mattress and Pillows
• Frette Linens
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Maker

Suite program on other ships

Junior Suite

• Royal Caribbean Bathrobe 
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine
• Priority Boarding

Grand Suite, Ocean View/Panoramic Suite & Owner's Suite

• Royal Caribbean Bathrobe 
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine
• Priority Boarding
• Pillowtop Mattress
• Priority Departure
• Concierge Service
• Suite Lounge/Concierge Club Access
• Priority Dining Reservations
• Priority Spa Bookings
• Priority Shore Excursion Ticketing
• Suite Party Invitation (On Itineraries of 5+ Nights)
• Bridge, Galley & Backstage Tours
• VIP Pool Deck Seating (Voyager Class and Above)
• Priority Tendering
• Welcome Evian & Fruit Amenity
• Main Dining Menu Available for In-suite Dining (During Operating Hours)
• Complimentary 24-Hour Room Service
• Private Lunch Seating Available on Ships without Coastal Kitchen
• Private Breakfast Seating Available on Ships without Coastal Kitchen
• Departure Breakfast
• Reserved Section in Theater
• Complimentary Pressing on First Formal Night
• Sign-up Fee Waived for Luggage Valet Service

Royal Suite & Villa Suite

• Royal Caribbean Bathrobe 
• Luxury Bathroom Amenities
• Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine
• Priority Boarding
• Pillowtop Mattress
• Priority Departure
• Concierge Service
• Suite Lounge/Concierge Club Access
• Priority Dining Reservations
• Priority Spa Bookings
• Priority Shore Excursion Ticketing
• Suite Party Invitation (On Itineraries of 5+ Nights)
• Bridge, Galley & Backstage Tours
• VIP Pool Deck Seating (Voyager Class and Above)
• Priority Tendering
• Welcome Evian & Fruit Amenity
• Main Dining Menu Available for In-suite Dining (During Operating Hours)
• Complimentary 24-Hour Room Service
• Private Lunch Seating Available on Ships without Coastal Kitchen
• Private Breakfast Seating Available on Ships without Coastal Kitchen
• Departure Breakfast
• Reserved Section in Theater
• Complimentary Pressing on First Formal Night
• Sign-up Fee Waived for Luggage Valet Service
• Officer Escort Onboard from Terminal at Check-In
• Welcome Moet & Chandon

Suite Concierge

Perhaps the most important person to get to know on your cruise if you are booked in a suite is the suite concierge.

Think of the concierge as Guest Services dedicated exclusively to suite guests.

Most ships have one suite concierge, although Oasis Class ships have two.

Right around a week before your cruise, the Suite Concierge will email you to prepare you for your cruise and provide instructions on what to expect. 

The concierge can provide several functions including (but not limited to):

• Specialty restaurant reservations
• Solving billing problems
• Book shore excursions
• Priority disembarkation

Read more: What is the difference between suite concierge and a Royal Genie?

Junior Suites

It's important to quickly mention that despite the name, junior suites do not enjoy the full suite benefits. This means no suite lounge access or concierge services.

Think of a junior suite as a "really large balcony room". They do get double points and on Oasis or Quantum Class ships, access to Coastal Kitchen for dinner, but that's about it.

Given that the price of a junior suite can sometimes be nominally more than a balcony room, many people book junior suites simply for the extra space or double points.

Icon of the Seas' Suite Neighborhood

Onboard Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, you'll find a Suite Neighborhood that trumps all others in the fleet. 

From The Grove Suite Sun Deck to the cruise line's first-ever two-story Coastal Kitchen restaurant, you might find it difficult to venture into other neighborhoods onboard! 

The Grove overlooks the vibrant pool deck below, including Swim & Tonic, Royal Caribbean's first swim-up bar at sea. Plus, it's also home to a second suite-only dining option, The Grove, that features Mediterranean cuisine and al fresco seating. 

Coastal Kitchen is the elegant suite-only dining room that's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has views straight into the enclosed AquaTheater. 

Note that these amenities are only available to those who book Sky and Star Class rooms. Those staying in standard Junior or Sunset Junior Suites cannot access The Grove, and Coastal Kitchen is only available to them for dinner, subject to availability.

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

Which Royal Caribbean suite should I book?

Depending on the Royal Caribbean ship you book, there can be quite a few suite categories to choose from, which can make the decision of which suite to book complicated.

No matter which suite you consider, be sure to look at the layout and size of the room and balcony, as these can vary wildly.

Best values

If you're looking to splurge without breaking the bank, a junior suite can be the ticket.

Junior suites may not have all the benefits, but all that extra living space sure is nice to have, especially a full bathtub.

For couples that want to spread out a bit more, you can often find a junior suite at a reasonable price to move up to from a balcony.

First time in a suite

If you're ready to try out a suite, then you'll want to consider either the Grand Suite or Owner's Suite.

Both Grand Suites and Owners Suites are the lowest tier of suites that include full-suite benefits. They're usually a very large room that includes both a living space and bedroom. The bed is usually on one side, with the sitting area on the other side. Most of the time, there's some kind of a divider between.

Grand and Owners suites qualify for Sky Class in the Royal Suite Class and are otherwise full suites on the rest of the fleet. The concierge services, lounge access, and priority treatment given to guests here are what draw many people to book these cabins.

If you plan ahead, you can sometimes book one of these suites at a reasonable price.  Suites will always cost more, but many families find these types of suites affordable, especially when you factor in the extra service you get with them.

Families wanting to spread out

If you have kids and want separation from them, there are a few suites on the higher end that offer multiple bedrooms in one cabin.

Royal Caribbean has a few "family suites" that are designed to handle 5-6 guests, and often have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. 

On Oasis, Quantum, and Icon Class ships, you'll find loft suites, which are two-story cabins that have vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.

There are different types of Loft Suites:

• Oasis Class ships have Crown, Sky and Royal Loft Suites (in order from smallest to largest)
• Quantum Class ships have Sky, Grand, Owner's and Royal Loft Suites (in order from smallest to largest)
• Icon Class ships have Icon and Royal Loft Suites (in order from smallest to largest)

Crown Loft Suites are eligible for Sky Tier perks, while Royal Loft, Owner's Loft, Grand Loft, Icon Loft, and Sky Loft suites receive upgraded Star Tier perks.

If money is no object, then you can book the Ultimate Family Suite or Ultimate Family Townhouse.

Available on select Oasis, Quantum, and Icon Class ships, these giant suites are designed for kids and their parents.  

You'll find not only multiple bedrooms, but also an in-suite slide, a huge TV, a suspended chair, LEGO wall, play area, and hot tub. 

Onboard Icon Class ships, the three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse has a "backyard" that opens right up to the family-focused Surfside Neighborhood. 

The photos don't do the room justice in terms of how much fun they packed into a single cabin, but the price tag may curb your enthusiasm. 

The price for the Ultimate Family Suite begins at $30,000 for a 7-night cruise and prices usually go much higher from there. 

The Ultimate Family Townhouse is much more expensive, averaging around $80,000 for one week. 

Apartment style living

If you don't have kids in tow but still want lots of space for you and maybe a friend or two, then there are some rather large suites to consider.

The Royal Suite is a standard offering on pretty much all ships. They feel more like an apartment than a cruise ship cabin and are between 950 to almost 1,400 square feet in size.

Many even have a baby grand piano in the foyer, and usually have a hot tub on the balcony. 

There are large bedrooms separated from the rest of the suite and enormous showers.

A Royal Suite is really great for someone who wants to spend a lot of time in their room and enjoy what the cabin offers. Many who book a Royal Suite prefer to have meals delivered to their cabin.

I'm on an Oasis Class ship and want an amazing balcony, what suite should I book?

If the idea of a giant balcony with amazing views is appealing to you, then you should consider an Aquatheater suite.

Aquatheater suites are their own type of experience because, unlike other suites, the attraction here is the views you have of the Aquatheater below.

The cabin comes in either a one or two-bedroom configuration (with the two-bedroom qualifying for Star Class), but the real draw is the views.

The balcony wraps around the back half of the suite, which means you can have almost as much balcony space as you do living space inside. While at sea, you'll have views in almost every direction.

At night, you have the perfect seat for the Aquatheater performances below, without the hassle of getting a seat.

Is a Royal Caribbean suite worth it?

No matter how look at it, booking a suite is a splurge compared to lower categories of cruise ship cabins.

Similar to how first class on an airplane is a plusher experience than coach, staying in a suite provides lots of extras that are very nice to have access to while onboard.

It's rare to find a suite priced so low that the investment will pay for itself, so if you're considering a suite, look at it as purely a way to get more from your vacation because you can afford it.

Whether you are celebrating a special occasion, treating your family to something nice, or generally prefer the nicer things in life, a suite usually delivers an upgraded experience.

Three benefits truly stand out for booking a suite:

• Suite Lounge (and the complimentary beverages)
• Services of the concierge
• Priority embarkation/disembarkation

While there are many more benefits that you can take advantage of, these are the core perks that nearly everyone in a suite usually takes the most advantage of during their cruise.

Suites aren't cheap, but if you can afford one without putting a serious dent in your financial situation, it sure is a nice way to vacation.

Read more: Is a suite on Royal Caribbean worth it?

Speaking of not cheap, so many people want to know if Star Class is worth the high price just so they can have a Royal Genie.

When you have a genie, you don't have to plan anything on your own. The genie can arrange for pretty much anything you want to do onboard and it's an incredibly liberating experience. From bypassing the line for the FlowRider or laser tag to catered parties in your suite and priority elevator access, you will rarely have to wait for anything.

Just as with other suites, the question comes down to what you can afford. You could easily take the money you'd pay for a Star Class cabin and use it to pay for two or three sailings in a balcony cabin, but like Rolex watches, sports cars, and first class on airplanes, sometimes you just want the best there is and are willing to pay for it.

There's a cabin for just about everyone on a Royal Caribbean ship, so it all comes down to what your vacation budget looks like and how much you value the many perks a suite comes with.

More cruise advice

• What is the best room on a cruise ship?
• Picking a Cruise Line and Ship
• Avoid these mistakes when picking a cruise ship cabin
• 25 best Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets
• 5 Costly lessons learned on a cruise (and how to avoid them!)
• 15 really cool things to do that you can only find on Royal Caribbean cruise ships
• Ultimate Cruise Packing List