Star of the Seas is sitting in water for the first time.

Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and has reached an important construction milestone. It's taken 19 months to reach this milestone, and represents thousands people's collective effort to reach it.

Star of the Seas is the second Icon Class ship, following up the wildly successful Icon of the Seas.

The new ship has been floated out, which means the ship has its dry dock is filled with water and it becomes a wet dock. 

A ceremony was held to commemorate the occasion because this means Star of the Seas is well on her way to enter service.

During the ceremony, there was a shot from a canon that took place in the Meyer Turku shipyard.

At that point, 92 million gallons of water was added to the dry dock, which took overnight to complete. After nine hours, Star of the Seas was successfully floated out and the next phase of work can commence.

Delivery of Star of the Seas should take place in 2025, with her first cruise scheduled for August 31, 2025.

What's different about Star of the Seas?

While Star of the Seas may be the second Icon Class ship, she is not a direct copy of Icon of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has revealed only a few details so far, but we know a few key areas will be updated.

The Surfside family neighborhood will expand its scope to offer more for slightly older kids too. Instead of catering to young children, Surfside will offer more for elementary school aged kids too. That's because Royal Caribbean noticed older kids were hanging out there.

While unconfirmed, it appears Star of the Seas will have a Broadway musical onboard.

Back to the Future The Musical appears to be headed to Star, based on a post on Royal Caribbean's website seeking auditions.

It is adapted from the 1985 film Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis and Gale. The show features original music, as well as songs featured in the film.

The supper club venue will have a Chicago theme to it on Star of the Seas, which incorporates music, food, and a Chicagoland motif.

Two other restaurants will get updates: Aquadome Market and Pier 7.

Aquadome Market will get updated in some capacity, while retaining its core approach.  Pier 7 will be completely overhauled with a new concept that the cruise line is still working through.

Adventure Ocean will get some updates to be less tech focused, and embrace play more.

The cruise line is also experimenting with facial recognition by offering a handful of cabins that have the ability to open the cabin door with your face.

One other stateroom change is an update to the epic family suite on Star of the Seas, known as the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

This is the most expensive suite ever that covers three floors and has an in-suite slide, movie-viewing room, karaoke machine and a "backyard" with a ping pong table, outdoor seating and a white picket fence leading directly to the Surfside area.

Sailing from the Orlando area

Star of the Seas will sail year-round from Port Canaveral, Florida. That's a short drive from the Orlando area.

The new ship will offer seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, starting in August 2025.

Good etiquette extends to a cruise ship vacation, and there are a few things some cruisers do that are sure to annoy others around them.

Everyone's on vacation, so there's a certain degree of a laid back atmosphere on a cruise. However, vacation isn't an excuse to be inconsiderate of others.

I've cruised enough to notice when certain behaviors irritate others, and it's either the result of ignorance or selfishness. I'm not saying I've never gotten into an elevator and hit the "close door" button because I wanted to get going. We're all a little bit selfish, but I like to think I have never done any of the 10 most annoying habits on a cruise.

You don't need to go on a cruise to make friends, but you can do little things to avoid being that guy. If you've never cruised before, consider this a good list of what not to do.

Smoking where you're not supposed to

Royal Caribbean has designated areas of the ship specifically for smoking or vaping, and everywhere else it's not allowed.

Unfortunately, a few people will sneak smokes in elsewhere, such as on their stateroom balcony or even in public areas around the ship.

Smoking is not permitted in any dining venue, theater, bar, lounge, hallway, elevator, and jogging track. Outdoor areas near restricted areas, food venues, and kids play areas and pools will not allow smoking.

In my experience, people vaping indoors is the most commonly occurring example of this.  Almost always they try to be sly about it, exhaling into their shirt, up in the air, or down to the side.

This is one of the few annoying habits on this list that is more than about being inconsiderate, it's flagrantly against Royal Caribbean's rules.

Using your hands at the buffet

I'm always surprised when I see someone use their hands to grab food from the buffet, but it happens.

It might seem innocent, like grabbing a bread roll or cookie.  The issue is mitigating the spread of germs onboard, and using your hands doesn't help with that.

It's unsanitary, and others around you are sure to notice.

Not letting others out of the elevator first

When an elevator arrives at a floor, the people waiting for the elevator should stand aside from the doors to let others out of the elevator first, before getting in.

Unfortunately this lack of elevator etiquette is not limited to cruises. I see it at hotels on land all the time, but it doesn't excuse it.

Not only is it polite to let others out of the elevator first, it benefits you to do so because it frees up space in the car.

Playing music loudly

In today's age of Airpods and noise cancelling headphones, I'm always surprised when someone is playing their music too loudly.

I experience this less at the ship's pool than in cabins. Some people are used to listening to music in their room as they get ready, and I suspect that might be why some passengers play their music too loudly.

Cruise ship staterooms are not very well insulated against noise, and your music will absolutely bleed through the walls.

Likewise, when bringing a speaker to the pool or beach, make sure the volume is not high enough to be heard all around you.

Yelling at someone else

We all have moments where there's an issue and your blood boils and you want to lash out at a family member, friend, or stranger. But yelling and creating a scene isn't the solution.

This is one of those "easier said than done" bits of advice, because when you become frustrated, you're not going to start thinking of blog posts.

Likewise, if another passenger gets on your nerves, my advice is walk away to defuse the situation.  It's simply not worth hashing it out with a stranger and then having to become a spectacle in that moment.

Hogging a pool chair all day

Chair hogs are a real issue that probably rank among the most frustrating parts of a cruise.

My definition of a chair hog is someone that goes out to the pool in the early morning, puts towels or belongings down on chairs to reserve them, and then disappears for a few hours.

A lot of people want to be in or near the pool, especially on sea days. It's fine if you want to wake up early and enjoy time by the pool, but you shouldn't take up chairs if you're not going to be there for an extended period of time.

While I doubt the chair hog problem goes away anytime soon, try not to contribute to making the problem even worse.

Talking loudly during shows

While a Royal Caribbean theater is not as formal or swanky as a Broadway theater in New York, talking during a performance is rude to both your fellow passengers and the cast on stage.

Obviously it's okay to whisper something to someone sitting next to you, but having a full conversation is a faux pas to avoid. Especially at normal speaking volume.

It's perfectly acceptable to excuse yourself to step out of the theater to take a phone call or speak with someone else.

Holding up disembarkation lines

Getting off the cruise ship in the morning is never fun. Your vacation is over, and you're headed back to reality.  So the last thing you want to do is slow the line down disembarking.

There's usually a line to exit the ship, and all that's required is you scan your SeaPass card.  Yet, there's always a number of passengers who either don't have their SeaPass card ready or left in in their cabin.

The SeaPass is needed to scan so the crew knows you've disembarked. So keep your SeaPass with you as you exit the ship, and have it ready to scan when you get close.

Trying to register at kids club at prime time

Royal Caribbean holds an open house for the entire afternoon on embarkation day, and yet there's usually a family that tries to register their kids at Adventure Ocean at check-in later that evening.

The problem is there's just one entrance to the kids club for each age group, and if someone is registering their kids, it blocks the rest of the line.  This means everyone else must wait to sign their kids in while the parent at the front finishes the registration paperwork.

Adventure Ocean registration begins at 1pm on the first day of your cruise, and it's a great time to go and meet the counselors and get everything taken care of so drop off is super quick.

Being disrespectful to crew members

There's never an excuse to be rude to a crew member.

Crew members work extremely hard to make your vacation amazing, and sometimes accidents happen. Or they're there to enforce important rules, regardless if you agree with the rules or not.

Unfortunately, some passengers will completely ignore a crew member, yell at them, or lecture them like a child.

If there's an issue at hand, ask to speak to their manager or go to Guest Services to get it resolved. 

And if a crew member gives you an instruction, it's your obligation to follow it. They didn't make up the rules, they're just reminding you of what you should be doing.

If your cruise ship misses a stop, it's disappointing, but the passengers on Ovation of the Seas this week have had all sorts of cancellations.

Ovation of the Seas sailed to Alaska, but there's a bad storm in the Gulf of Alaska that has wreaked havoc on the original plan.

The ship departed Seattle on September 27 and was scheduled to visit Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, Alaska, with a final stop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Due to the bad weather, Royal Caribbean cancelled the visits to Sitka and Skagway.  

The storm hit the outer coast of the Southeast Panhandle the hardest, which is where cruise ships typically visit.  Winds were predicted to get up to 60 miles per hour starting Monday morning, with Juneau’s winds expected to peak at about 45 mph Monday night, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. 

High winds are troublesome because it makes docking difficult and even if a ship can dock, has a propensity to move gangways in a dangerous way.

Sitka and Ketchikan will be the port stops most affected by the storm that is expected to continue through Tuesday morning.

To make up for it, Royal Caribbean added Ketchikan instead, but the ship cancelled the visit there too about an hour before they were scheduled to dock in Ketchikan. 

Instead, Ovation is headed back south away from Alaska.

So there won't be any made up port visits, and instead, the ship is headed to Victoria for an overnight stay to conclude the cruise. This is a very unusual situation.  While ships might sometimes miss a port of call, to miss so many because of bad weather is rare.

Cruise lines use Victoria primarily as a port of call to satisfy maritime law, and often visits there last only a few hours. 

Passengers disappointed

"This is the most expensive ferry I’ve ever taken to Victoria," wrote Jay Li on the sailing's unofficial Facebook group.

While Jay's comment exudes some gallows humor, he and many of the people in the group understand the reality of the situation and how safety is the most important factor.

"As much as I want to complain, I’ll fight the urge. The cruise lines can’t predict the weather and it is for our safety."

Mary Smathers added, "Our Captain is just doing what he has to to keep us safe.  We are safe and blessed even though we didn’t get to see what we wanted to.   Make the BEST of it."

Andrew Mede wrote, "This weather is insane. Hats off to the captain for the the decisions he had to make. Having 100mph headwind hitting us. Yes we have missed ports (and it’s unfortunate for those who looked forward to visiting them) but the weather is not in his hands. He is in charge of 3500+ lives."

Compensation for the changed plans

While there's no requirement to offer any compensation due to weather, Royal Caribbean typically offers some to make up for the disappointment, and that's exactly what happened on Ovation.

Guests received onboard credit per cabin in the following amounts:

• Inside: $125
• Outside: $150
• Balcony: $175
• Suite: $400
• Third and fourth guests: $25 each

Weather in the late season is notoriously bad

September is one of the last months of the cruise season in Alaska and it can be colder and wetter than other months.

Alaska's weather is always unpredictable, but historically the anecdotal evidence suggests you can expect poor weather.  It's part of why you can also find better cruise deals on an off season cruise to Alaska.

Up to 20 days of precipitation are expected on average in September.

It also tends to get worse the later into September and October you get.

Perfect weather is never assured any time of the year, but hurricane season brings its own set of challenges for vacationers taking a cruise.

About half the year in the Caribbean, there's a chance for tropical storms to develop and that could impact your cruise.

Many storms don't actually change cruise ship plans, but a handful of them certainly can.  In the case of Hurricane Helene, a half dozen ships ended up changing itineraries or ports of call. It was a big storm, and a good reminder of how disruptive a hurricane can be for travel plans.

In seeing the changes, some people swore off taking a cruise during hurricane season all together, but people that cruise a lot know not to let hurricanes get in the way of a great vacation plan.

Seasoned cruisers prepare differently for a cruise during hurricane season and make appropriate plans so they can mitigate the impact a storm might have on their vacation.

Always buy travel insurance

When there's someone that takes to social media to post about how a hurricane prevented them from taking a cruise, usually the first comment back is something like, "you should have bought travel insurance."

It's more likely a hurricane affects your ability to get to or from your ship, than the onboard experience. Flights get cancelled, highways become questionable, and travel delays rampant. 

As a cruise ship customer, it's your obligation to figure out the travel logistics involved to get to your cruise ship. Even if all the flights are cancelled, if your ship is sailing, Royal Caribbean won't refund your money because you can't make it.

Moreover, when a hurricane forms, some new cruisers get cold feet about the trip. They'd rather postpone their travel than even brave the skies or roads to get to the ship and deal with the unknown factors at play. This is another example where a cancel for any reason travel insurance plan would be helpful.

Travel insurance covers so many more scenarios than if you were to get sick or hurt on a trip. It provides reimbursement for many travel related issues that come up as a result of a hurricane.

Equally important to buying travel insurance is to actually read the policy of what it covers and when.

Some vacationers will buy the first travel insurance plan they find, not realizing not all plans are the same.

Travel insurance is a lot like auto insurance in that there varying coverages.

Before you buy any travel insurance plan, consider these coverages:

• Travel delay
• Travel disruption
• Trip cancellation
• Named storms/Hurricanes
• Cancel for any reason

While I'd go as far as to say any travel insurance plan is better than no plan, you really want to read the policy over and clearly understand when it kicks in, and how it works.

Never assume itineraries are a given

You've got to be a pragmatist when you cruise in hurricane season, so any cruise you book should come with an asterisk next to it in your mind that you might not actually go there.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, BrianB wrote, "I always prepare for a change of itinerary during hurricane season. Especially if there is a storm forming a week or so before the departure date."

Even a weak tropical disturbance is enough to re-route ships away to a different region, so you need to go into the cruise with the mindset that your cruise to Mexico might end up in The Bahamas or Virgin Islands.

Royal Caribbean wants to deliver on the itinerary you originally booked, but they're not going to risk the safety of passengers, ship, or crew members in order to brave a storm.  

If your cruise is before August, or after October, the chances of a storm are significantly less.  But tropical storms are not unheard of during these times either.

Give extra time for travel delays

Whether it's hurricane season or not, cruisers know not to fly in the same day of their cruise.  This piece of advice is even more important when it's hurricane season.

Airlines will cancel flights quickly if there's a risk their planes could get stuck in an airport that is in the path of a storm, so you'll need to be nimble with your flight plans.

First and foremost, book a flight at least a day before the cruise begins. This will more than likely ensure you can get down to the ship, even if there is a delay or cancellation.

If there is a storm brewing, many airlines will offer flight changes without change fees, and this might be a way to fly down earlier.

Moreover, having a backup plan to get to the cruise is prudent.  That could be driving instead of flying, or even taking a train. 

Book a cruise in a different region

While seasoned cruisers have the right approach to planning a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season, they also will plan cruises elsewhere to avoid disappointment.

If the uncertainty of a storm impacting your vacation bothers you, it might be the impetus to take a cruise somewhere else in the world. Hurricanes are primarily an issue for Caribbean cruises, so you could go to another region of the world instead.

The two most popular alternatives are Europe or Alaska.

An Alaska cruise may not have the warm ocean and white sands of the Virgin Islands, but it's still quite pretty in its own right. Not to mention you'll likely sweat a lot less.

The Alaska cruise season runs through most of hurricane season, beginning in May and ending in September.

A word of warning, Alaska in September can be just as rainy as the Caribbean.  Weather in Alaska is variable throughout the year, but the end of the season tends to have the coldest and wettest days.

A cruise to Europe is another compelling alternative, as you can go to the Mediterranean and find warm temperatures and beautiful beaches.

Plus, Europe has more varied itineraries to different regions of the continent.

More hurricane season cruising advice

Seasoned cruisers shared their view how what to think about when choosing to book a cruise in the middle of hurricane season.

"Don't let hurricane season get in the way of your families cruise planning. I have lived in South Florida my entire life and hurricane season has never once been an issue with cruising." - tonyfsu21

"I would not worry at all. Royal has a great weather team and they are always watching what may or may not develop. If anything does, ships will adjust the itinerary to make sure everyone is safe. " - LovetoCruise87

"I have many on a number of cruises during hurricane season and had great cruises.  It helps to have a flexible attitude and realize there could be an itinerary adjustment, we call that an adventure!" - Paid4c4

"We got caught out in Hurricane Maria. Left San Juan the day before it hit. Royal adjusted our itinerary from eastern Caribbean to Aruba. Ended up returning to Ft. Lauderdale. Royal setup phone lines so we could make free calls to the airlines. Also let us stay on board for an extra night. I have no problem sailing during hurricane season." - AandD

Two of the world's biggest cruise ships are at shipyards right now to undergo work for different reasons.

Oasis of the Seas is at the Navantia ship yard in Cadiz, Spain, while Icon of the Seas is at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas.

It's rare for two different Royal Caribbean ships to be at a drydock at the same time, highlighting the important work being done.

Here's what we know about the work Royal Caribbean has ordered for both ships.

Repairing Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean cancelled this week's sailing on Icon of the Seas because of an issue with the ship's propulsion.

The decision to send Icon in for repairs was made last week, and passengers were told it was due to "unplanned maintenance".

Royal Caribbean never specified exactly what the issue was, but there's been a lot of speculation it has something to do with the ship's propulsion because after the announcement was made, the ship's speed was reduced.

"We are currently conducting unplanned maintenance onboard Icon of the Seas," is all the statement indicated.

The ship will need to remain in dock for the work to occur, "while our crew is working hard to address this as quickly as possible, there is still some work that needs to be done over a few days while the ship is docked."

Not only did Icon slow down in her previous sailing, she also skipped a visit to St. Thomas in order to buy more time to get back closer to Miami.

Icon arrived at the Grand Bahama Shipyard on September 28 to fix the issue.  Crew attempted some work while the ship was sailing, but getting the ship into a dry dock will allow unfettered access.

Icon of the Seas began sailing in January 2024 after construction was finalized in late 2023.

If the repairs go to plan, then Icon should be back in Miami on Saturday to resume sailings with the October 5 sailing.  That's a seven night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean that will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

Maintenance work for Oasis of the Seas

Across the Atlantic, Oasis of the Seas arrived at Navantia shipyard to begin her scheduled work.

Unlike Icon, Oasis had this work scheduled.  Cruise ships go in for maintenance every 5 years or less, and it's akin to bringing your car in for a tune up.

Oasis arrived in Cadiz on September 29, and will remain at the shipyard until October 23, 2024.

Royal Caribbean has not made any announcements of what type of work will happen while Oasis is out of service, and that's usually an indication the ship is going in simply for maintenance work, and not to get major upgrades.

Royal Caribbean has two kinds of scheduled work done on its ships: refurbishment and amplifications.

Depending on the cruise line's plan, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship could get a number of enhancements and changes. Or, it could simply go in for maintenance without real changes the average guest would notice.

A refurbishment is when a ship is taken to dry dock for a shorter period of time to do primarily cosmetic changes and maintenance work.

During an amplification, the same cosmetic and maintenance work is done, but there are also enhancements made to the ship, such as adding new restaurants, activities, bars and more.

In 2019, Oasis had her amplification done and in 2025, Allure of the Seas will get the same type of upgrades.

However, it's likely Oasis is just getting work done to keep the ship operating nominally this time around. Moreover, the fact the time in dry dock is only six weeks is another signal it's a shorter stint.

To be fair, we don't know what Royal Caribbean has planned for Oasis.  It's possible the elevators on the ship could be upgraded to destination elevators, which have been a big hit on Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.  Plus, the company tested retrofitting destination elevators already on Allure of the Seas.

Without any official statement, we'll have to wait and see what changes occur onboard once the ship restarts cruises.

Oasis of the Seas is scheduled to resume sailings with a 14 Night Transatlantic from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale that will begin on October 24 and conclude November 7.

Once in Port Everglades, Oasis will offer 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean that will visit the Eastern, Southern, and Western regions.

From sick passengers, to happy kids, and a strike looming, there's been a lot of cruise news worth catching up on.

On any given week, there's a lot of Royal Caribbean news you should know about, and our team wanted to make sure you didn't miss any of these important updates.

Over the weekend, there were a few bits of cruise news that came out and this post provides a quick digest of what you need to know.

Gastrointestinal illness outbreak on Alaska cruise

Update: 180 167 people onboard a cruise ship were sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The passengers were on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas during its September 20, 2024 sailing in Alaska.

In addition 3 crew members also reported being sick.

That constitutes a little over 8% of the passengers and 0.3% of crew members reporting getting sick. Cruise lines are obliged to report the incident of sick cases to the CDC when it affects more than 3% of the ship's total population.

The CDC report says symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and muscle aches.

The CDC did not list what caused the illnesses in its report.

Royal Caribbean took action immediately by increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.

While gastro illness on a cruise ship gets a lot of media attention, it's important to remember only 1% of all reported outbreaks occur on cruise ships.

Longshoreman strike won't affect cruise ship passengers

While a US port strike by 45,000 dockworkers looms, don't worry about it impacting your cruise vacation.

The strike is scheduled to start on Tuesday and affect ports on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. It would be the first coast-wide ILA strike since 1977, affecting ports that handle about half the nation's ocean shipping.

According to a statement made by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), cruise ship operations will continue to be serviced by the ILA as to not inconvenience those tens of thousands of passengers who have booked cruises.

Royal Caribbean helps make over 20 wishes come true for kids with critical illnesses

Royal Caribbean and Inter Miami CF worked with Make-A-Wish to bring a bright day to kids who have life threatening illnesses.

A four day experience was held in South Florida for 23 kids that traveled from South Florida to Texas and Canada to Israel. The event was held between between Saturday, Sept. 21 – Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Their wish? To meet Inter Miami captain and football legend, Lionel Messi.

Prior to meeting Messi, Royal Caribbean hosted the kids on Icon of the Seas in an effort to bring joy and normalcy to the kids and their families.

The families enjoyed look up close at the first theatrical rendition of “The Wizard of Oz”, time on the water slides at the Category 6 waterpark, and plenty of snacks and food on the ship.

Later in the week, the kids went to Chase Stadium to meet Messi and other members of his team on the field.

Update on the travel item ban

In case you missed it, Royal Caribbean updated exactly what it means when it said it banned "multi-plug outlets" on its ships.

The cruise line has banned "Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/ Power Strips," but that lead to a lot of confusion among cruisers.

With the new update, you can bring a USB outlet extender onboard and/or a single plug device.

"We do allow consumer type power conversion device USB charger (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables)."

This confirms a USB hub would be acceptable since it adds just USB outlets, and no power outlets. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use).

When a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise for the first time, he was shocked when he couldn't change the sail date a few weeks before the sailing.

He assumed a cruise booking was similar to a hotel booking, where you can shift dates easily.  But he thought that because he wasn't aware of Royal Caribbean's cancellation and change policies, which incur penalties after the final payment date.

He ended up going on the original booking rather than take the financial loss, but it's an important lesson in understanding important policies before you go on a cruise.

You never want to be caught off guard by a cruise policy before boarding to avoid unexpected issues later.

Cancellations and Refund Policies

Most cruise lines have rules in place for what happens if you want to cancel a cruise or change dates. 

In the case of my friend, changing dates is akin to cancelling. Whether you change the date and/or ship, you're cancelling a reservation and creating a new one.  

The most important thing to think about when booking any cruise is the deposit type. Royal Caribbean offers two kids of deposits: refundable and non-refundable.

Non-refundable fare usually costs less, but has change fees in addition to the fact you'll never get your deposit back if you choose to cancel. Refundable fare doesn't have those fees, but the cruise fare will be higher.  

You're trading flexibility for up front savings when it comes to non-refundable cruise fare.

The second most important policy to think about when booking a cruise are the cancellation terms.

The final payment date is the day a few months before your cruise where you must pay off the entire balance of your cruise or lose your reservation (and perhaps incur a penalty).

• 75 days prior to the sailing date for 1 to 4 night cruises
• 90 days prior to the sailing date for 5 to 14 night cruises
• 120 days prior for 15 night or longer cruises

If you intend to go on the cruise, then you need to pay off the entire balance owed by that date.  Otherwise, Royal Caribbean will cancel your reservation.  There are no extensions or undos if you miss that final payment date. Unfortunately, I hear often from people who don't make final payment in time and their reservation is indeed cancelled.

If you are before the final payment date, when a non-refundable deposit cancellation occurs, the full deposit amount will be held in penalty. Any additional payments made will be refunded. 

Once you pass final payment, there are a series of penalties if you were to cancel or change your mind.

It's imperative to treat the final payment date as your "point of no return" to deciding if you're actually going on the cruise or not.

The other important policy I think a lot of cruisers overlook is changing or adding people to the reservation.

It's common to want to add someone, remove someone, or swap someone from a reservation.  Depending on who you want to change, and how soon before the cruise sails you want to make the change, the costs could be minimal to major.

If you want to swap out one person for another, this is the simplest.  As long as one person from the original reservation remains booked, you can name swap others up until a few days before the cruise with no additional cost.  

As an example, you could replace your kid's friend with another friend and not have any fees or extra costs, as long as the same amount of people remain the same in the cabin and you're still booked on the reservation.

It gets more complicated if you want to add or remove people from a reservation.

Adding people gets done at prevailing rates, not the rate you originally booked at. Moreover, adding someone at the last minute is subject to if your stateroom can accommodate that many people.  

All cabins have a passenger limit, so if you booked a cabin designed for 2 people and want to add a third, you'd have to upgrade to a bigger cabin first, and that would incur a fee (assuming a bigger cabin is available).

One other issue with adding someone later on is the lifeboat capacity of the ship. If the lifeboat capacity for your muster station is full, they would not allow another guest.  

Removing someone from a cabin could trigger a re-price of the cabin, which could actually cost you more than keeping them on the reservation. In this scenario, you're better off leaving them on the reservation and then telling Royal Caribbean at check-in that they wont be boarding.  Their port fees and taxes will automatically be refunded.

If all of these policies seem tough to juggle, it's why I recommend working with a good travel agent. They can make it far simpler to manage on your end, and are a great point of contact when you have questions.

I recommend reviewing all of the "what if's" you may have about the cruise before booking.  Never assume, when it comes to changing your mind later.

What you can't bring on a cruise

Just like going on an airplane, there is a large list of things you cannot bring on a cruise ship.

Most are obvious things that you probably would never consider bringing, but there are definitely a few surprises on the banned item list.

First and foremost, you cannot bring anything that is or could be used as a weapon.  No firearms, explosives, fireworks, knives, ammunition, etc. This includes anyone that has a permit or license to carry weapons.

Illegal drugs are also not allowed onboard, even drugs that are legal in some states, such as marijuana or cannabis products. This includes products containing CBD oil, candies and edibles, even if prescribed by a physician as medication.

You also cannot bring beer or liquor onboard, although you can bring some wine and non-alcoholic drinks on embarkation day only.

Perhaps the most commonly violated packing list rule are items that are a fire hazard. You cannot bring anything flammable, that makes an open flame, or has a heating element.

I believe this is the most commonly overlooked rule by passengers, because so many people try to bring an iron, steamer, or power strip on their ship only to have it confiscated by security.

Passengers cannot bring pets on their cruise, unless they are a certified service animal. Emotional support animals are not allowed.

Regarding luggage, there is no baggage limit for a cruise. 

Drink and beverage policies

There are rules about bringing your own drinks on a cruise that are important to be aware of.

Only on the first day of your cruise are you allowed to bring one bottle of wine/champagne per adult in the cabin.  It must be brought in your carry-on bag (so don't put it in your checked luggage).

No other alcohol is allowed to be brought on a cruise ship.  And don't try to sneak booze onto the ship either because the cruise line has seen all of the tricks before.  Not to mention the fact I think having a stash in your cabin is cumbersome and more trouble than it's worth.

You're welcome to purchase bottles of alcohol on the ship or in the ports your ship visits, but Royal Caribbean will hold onto it until the end of the cruise.

The other important rule to know about are if you purchase an unlimited drink package.

Drink packages aren't cheap, but they offer a very convenient way to enjoy drinking on a cruise. However, there are certain things you can't do with a drink package:

• You cannot share your drink package benefits with someone else
• If one person purchases the Deluxe Beverage package, then all persons in the cabin 21 years old or older must also purchase it
• You can buy a package onboard as long as there are 4 days left in the cruise
• Your drink package works everywhere, except room service and the mini bar
• You'll pay a service charge when you buy the drink package that covers gratuity for all drinks ordered

The no drink sharing rule is by far the most important rule to be aware of, and it could result in you losing your drink package benefits without a refund if you're caught.

Smoking Policies

While you can smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or other tobacco products on a cruise ship, it can only be done in designated areas.

These rules include all types of electronic vaping, such as e-cigarettes, vapes, mods, etc.

• Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas, must be properly disposed of, and never be thrown overboard
• Cigar and pipe tobacco are limited to designated outdoor areas and Cigar Bars
• You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or use tobacco on sailings beginning in U.S. ports.
  • For sailings beginning in all other ports, the minimum age is 18 years old

You can also smoke in the casino on Royal Caribbean ships, except for any ships sailing from Australia and the United Kingdom.

It's important to note you cannot smoke or vape on your balcony or anywhere in your stateroom.

Royal Caribbean has a private island in The Bahamas that is not just a really fun place to spend the day, but I think a place a lot of people don't realize how much there is to do.

The traditional cruise line private island experience is a beach, a chair, and a BBQ lunch.  It's lovely, but a bit ho-hum and not that extraordinary.

Royal Caribbean flipped the script on that experience when it upgraded its private island, CocoCay, to offer so much more than that. Since 2019, the island has been transformed into a vacationer's paradise with beaches, pools, adults-only party, beach club, water park, and more.

On a recent cruise, I took friends that had never been and they were blown away by how much was offered at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Once they discovered all the choices, they thought it was almost overwhelming where to go and what to do.

In planning our day, it became obvious there were a few misconceptions a first time visitor had about CocoCay, and I'm betting a lot of others do too.

You have to pay to do have a good time

When I started listing the things you could do at Perfect Day at CocoCay, my friends saw dollar signs almost immediately. 

While there are indeed extra cost options, Royal Caribbean includes so much in your visit at no extra cost.

A majority of the island experience has no admission cost, and they're not lackluster options either.

Read more: 11 CocoCay secrets from Royal Caribbean's staff

Chill Island is part of the original beach that made up CocoCay prior to the island's revitalization, and it has the classic beach day experience. Expansive beach, soft sand, and plenty of ways to get in the ocean.

South Beach has a bit more of a party vibe to it than Chill Island does, and you'll find a floating bar here that you can swim to.

There are actually two other beaches you can visit: Harbor Beach and Breezy Bay.  I prefer Harbor Beach, especially if you have kids that aren't strong swimmers. It's an inlet with calm waters and it's typically less busy than other beaches, while being convenient to food.

The coup de grâce of the included choices is Oasis Lagoon, which is a giant freshwater pool right in the middle of CocoCay. 

Oasis Lagoon has no cost to enter, and it's my go-to spot whenever I visit. 

Call me crazy, but I prefer pools to beaches, and it's a beautiful place to enjoy cooling off in the water.

Speaking of Oasis Lagoon, the pool has a swim-up bar and if you have a drink package from the ship, then you can use it here too.

Another overlooked option for family fun is Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon.  Too many families focus on the extra-cost water park, but Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon have no cost and it has water slides, geysers, and plenty of places for the kids to get soaked.

It's a boon for kids under the age of 7 or 8, and can save parents so much money over the water park.

On top of all of it, the umbrellas and beach chairs are included too, so there's no cost to use them. I think that's a surprise considering any beach you visit in the Caribbean will have a cost associated with that.

The food is mid

The included food on Perfect Day at CocoCay is so much better than I ever thought a private island lunch could be.

For years, I despised the food served on cruise line private islands.  In fact, we used to get off the ship early and swim and then return early to the ship so we could eat a good lunch onboard rather than eat the beach BBQ options.

Royal Caribbean's food on CocoCay is not only better than that, it's downright really tasty.

The Snack Shack is my go-to place to bring someone who has never visited Perfect Day before because their menu is deceivingly good. 

The mozzarella sticks alone usually wins them over, but the burger, chicken sandwich, and funnel cake are all winners too.

I'm also a big fan of Chill Grille/Skipper's Grille because of the fixings bar they offer. Not only does it have toppings for your burger, but you can make your own tacos or fajitas and I could eat that every day.

All the food is included and you can enjoy as much of it as you want throughout the day. 

While you can still find hot dogs and hamburgers on CocoCay, it's far from the only choice.

You should go snorkeling

Not everything is amazing at CocoCay, such as the snorkeling options.

A lot of first time visitors are excited to be in The Bahamas and go snorkeling, but CocoCay probably isn't the island to try it.

While you can snorkel there and Royal Caribbean offers snorkel equipment rentals, I think it's really not worth trying.

The issue is the underwater life around CocoCay is rather unremarkable. Yes, there's marine life to see, but in the grand scheme of snorkeling options, I think you're better off saving the snorkeling for another port.

You can sleep in and get to the island later

To be clear, you can totally sleep in and still enjoy CocoCay later, but I think it's a mistake.

Because there's two cruise ships in port almost every day, the island will get crowded as the day progresses.  It won't be super crowded that it feels like a theme park, but finding chairs and umbrellas in convenient locations becomes a problem.

It's not unusual for there to be over 10,000 people on the island between two cruise ships, so your best bet is to get off the ship before 10am.

My advice is don't sleep in, and get off the ship early so you can get a great spot at the beach or pool.

Royal Caribbean has revised its list of prohibited items again, better explaining what is and what is not allowed to be brought on a cruise ship.

A week after the cruise line added "multi-plug outlets" to its list of banned items, the prohibited item list has been updated again to further clarify what's allowed.

The addition of "multi-plug outlets" to the list sparked an avalanche of questions from confused customers who did not understand exactly what's banned because so many of these devices include variations on plugs.

Royal Caribbean has always banned power strips, but there are many items that add a few extra outlets without going as far as to be called a power strip.

The revised rule bans electrical extension cords, "including power strips/surge protected strips and multi-plug outlets."

Royal Caribbean specifically states, "We do allow consumer type power conversion device USB charger (multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables)."

Moreover, devices must be stamped with US/Europe recognized Conformance Marking to demonstrate compliance with Electrical Safety standards.

This confirms a USB hub would be acceptable since it adds just USB outlets, and no power outlets. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use)

The big change is the ban applies to devices that had outlets and USB outlets together, which were commonly used for many years by passengers.

Royal Caribbean also added a catch-all to the top of its prohibited item list that states some items that are not specifically on the list may be prohibited if they are deemed questionable by the Staff Captain and Security Officer.

The need for more outlets

If you're wondering why someone might need to bring an outlet extender or multi-plug outlet, it's to be able to keep multiple devices charged.

Families bring many devices with them on vacation: phones, tablets, smart watches. Plus, they have a need to use electrical items, such as a hair dryer or hair straightening iron.

Cruise ships built more than 10-15 years ago have very few outlets in the cabin.  Many of Royal Caribbean's ships built before 2010 have just two outlets in total in the cabin.

For years, cruisers have relied on cruise packing hacks to bring their own outlet extender plug to provide a safe and effective way to add more outlets.

These outlet extenders mean less contention over which device can charge first, such as phones, watches, laptops, or tablets.

On newer Royal Caribbean cruise ships, such as Icon of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas, there are many more outlets that have been added.

In fact, Icon of the Seas staterooms are loaded with outlets. There are USB outlets on the lamps on both sides of the bed. The vanity has a large charging strip with multiple outlets and plugins. There is a US and EU plug for guests to use. In between, there is a USB-A and USB-C charging port available. 

On the opposite end of the vanity, there are two additional USB-C plugs. The addition of USB-C plugs is a recent trend on newer cruise ships and provides more options for connectivity.

More updates to the list of things you can't bring on a cruise

In addition to the clarification on chargers you can bring, the prohibited item list was expanded in other ways.

The list added camouflage clothing as not allowed, because of local laws against such apparel.

"Wearing camouflage and/or military apparel is illegal in Barbados. Clothing of this nature will be confiscated and the wearer may be charged by local authorities."

The section covering weapons was also expanded, and explains how weapons for any reason are not allowed.

"We do not allow any guest (including law enforcement officers on vacation) to bring weapons onboard our vessel. Law enforcement officers need to understand that they will be boarding a foreign flag vessel going to foreign countries. All weapons should be left at home, locked up in a vehicle if they are driving to the port, or turned over to a local office of Customs, police, FBI, etc. for safe keeping during the voyage."

Other items added to the prohibited items list includes:

• Coffee makers
• Oil diffusers
• Electric Blankets
• Electric Heating Pads
• Roller Skates (permitted onboard but must not be used on the ship)
• Professional metal detectors (those used for commercial reasons). However, small, amateur style metal detectors (for example, those used to locate coins on a beach) are allowed.
• Blenders/Immersion blenders
• Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Banning these items certainly has to do with them either being a fire threat or could be used as a weapon.

Hurricane Helene disrupted many cruise ships plans this past week, and as the storm moves out of the Gulf of Mexico, there are lessons all cruisers can learn from for the future.

Unlike a tropical storm that develops off the coast of Africa and comes barreling through the Caribbean for over a week, Helene formed near Mexico and rapidly intensified to move through the Western Caribbean quickly.  

It eventually became a Category 4 hurricane that wreaked havoc on cruise ship plans before causing severe damage in northwest Florida and the region beyond.

Cruising during hurricane season comes with certain risks, but Hurricane Helene was a good reminder of a few truths anyone can expect if they have a cruise booked and a hurricane impacts their sailing.

There's no news until there's news

As soon as there was even the possibility of a tropical storm, many people with a cruise booked started posting on social media asking for updates on their sailing.

As the storm became a tropical storm and eventually a hurricane, it lead to a lot of concern if their cruise would happen and what changes would occur.

As it turned out, Royal Caribbean made changes to a number of ships plans. Some stayed out to sea longer than anticipated, while others had their itinerary changed.  But the lesson here is Royal Caribbean has to wait and get better data, models, and forecasts before announcing changes.

No one has a crystal ball and spaghetti models are not a great predictor, especially when the storm is still forming. It's not until the storm is much better organized can meteorologists offer predictions that have a high sense of accuracy.

That can be frustrating for cruisers who want to know if their trip will happen, and if they really need to make plans to go ahead and travel to the cruise port.

Royal Caribbean doesn't offer updates that confirms nothing has changed, so don't expect any updates until the line has made a change.

The quickest changes they'll make is to swap an itinerary. A few ships moved from a cruise to Mexico to a cruise to either the Eastern Caribbean or The Bahamas.

The more difficult change is related to embarkation plans, and that's largely because it's hard to know if a port will be directly impacted by the storm.

Once a change has been made, Royal Caribbean will email and text it to guests.  Travel agents also get the updates and can convey them to their clients.

Far away ports can be affected

Hurricane Helene was always going to be a storm in the Gulf of Mexico, so I was surprised it had an impact on cruises sailing from eastern Florida.

Port Canaveral was ordered to temporarily close due to winds from Helene, and that had a ripple effect on some ships.

One MSC ship was stuck at sea for a few extra days, and the return of Utopia of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas was delayed on Friday because the port did not re-open until later in the day.

The second lesson of Hurricane Helene is to expect changes, even if your embarkation port isn't directly in the path of the storm.

I remember seeing posts on Facebook asking if their Port Canaveral cruise would be impacted by the storm, and I thought it was silly. As it turns out, it did impact some ships.

Serenade of the Seas, which rode out the storm in The Bahamas, had reports of high winds causing "motion in the ocean".

You can't be too careful when it comes to assuming anything.

If your cruise is extended, add-ons will cost more

Royal Caribbean extending Serenade of the Seas by two extra days was certainly surprising, as was how it handled add-on packages.

Since the cruise was lengthened, the unlimited packages guests purchased had to be taken into account.

Royal Caribbean gave passengers the choice of paying more to keep their Beverage and VOOM internet packages going for the extra days:

• Drink Package Extension (these prices include 18% gratuity).
  • Deluxe Package - $35 per person, per day
  • Refreshment Package - $14 per person, per day
  • Soda Package – Free extension

In the past, I recall other cruises that got extended due to weather have their packages extended for no additional cost. So the lesson here is never assume what the policy will be.

Should you cruise during hurricane season?

Hurricane Helene was a sobering reminder of how impactful a tropical storm can be for cruise vacations, but it shouldn't stop you from taking a cruise at all in the fall.

Hurricane season runs between June and the end of November, but most of the storms pop up primarily between August and October. This year saw a particularly quiet peak of hurricane season up until Helene.

The reality is it's unlikely that a hurricane will impact your cruise, but it's a possibility. Nevertheless, I think the lower than average prices for a cruise during this time of year makes it worth the risk.

However, it's important to be aware of those risks and understand cruise lines will do everything they can to keep their guests, crew members, and ship out of harms way.  So even if a storm does impact your sailing, the most likely scenario is your itinerary will be changed.

No matter what time of year you take a cruise, you should be flexible, buy travel insurance, and be prepared for changes.