Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and are ready to catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from this week!

If you're thinking of booking a drink package, wifi, or shore excursion, when is the best time to book it?

You might be wondering if you're better off booking it now or waiting until you board the cruise.  Ultimately, you're going to want to do what will save you the most money, time, or both.

Here's my recommendations for when you should book certain cruise add-ons so you get the best price.

Royal Caribbean News

• Norwegian Cruise drops Covid testing, but you'll still need a test if cruising from US
• Royal Caribbean offering onboard booking bonus after your cruise ends for a limited time
• Royal Caribbean cruises in July 2022: What to expect
• I tried my first cruise from the UK: here's what you should know
• Royal Caribbean updates Quantum of the Seas engine trouble that requires skipping glacier viewings in August
• I tried my first 3-night cruise, here's how it went
• Here are the absolute best cruises for families
• Fried chicken recipe from Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 460th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Rebecca shares her Alaska cruisetour experience.

Royal Caribbean allows you to add-on a land tour portion to select Alaska cruises, and Rebecca tried it out when she sailed to Alaska this summer.

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.

New RCB Video: The Fool-Proof Royal Caribbean cruise

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — The Fool-Proof Royal Caribbean cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

4 mistakes & 7 things I did right on my Royal Caribbean European cruise

European cruises are a different experience than Caribbean cruises from a planning perspective.

Jenna just sailed on two different European itineraries and reflected on her cruises with what she would and wouldn't do again.

She has a list of 7 things she did right and 4 she did wrong on her Royal Caribbean European cruises.

Mariner of the Seas Guide

Have you ever sailed on Mariner of the Seas?

If you haven't, we have a full review of what Mariner of the Seas has onboard and what to expect. From the activities, to dining, to the casino, we have a look at everything you can see and do on Mariner of the Seas.

Cruise balconies vs. suites

Is it a good idea to book a balcony or suite on your next Royal Caribbean cruise?

If you want to know what makes a balcony different from a suite (and if it's worth spend more for a suite), here's a breakdown of a cruise balcony vs suite.

You want to take a cruise but you also want to get onboard soon and snag a deal?

A cruise vacation is an attractive getaway, but finding a good price close to the sail date can be a challenge. Typically the best deals are when sailings are first put on sale up to two years in advance. As the sailing gets closer, prices tend to go up.

However, a last minute cruise deal is not unheard of, because there can be cancellations, itinerary changes, or simply weak demand for a sailing.

If you're looking to book a cheap cruise with just weeks to go before you get onboard, you're going to need some good internet searching skills, flexibility, and a little bit of luck.

The secret to last minute cruise deals

There are plenty of strategies to get a last minute cruise deal, but the most important component is going to be how flexible you are with choosing a sailing.

Flexibility comes in many facets: how flexible you are on sail dates, the ship, itinerary, and departure port.

When you look for a last minute deal, you're probably looking at cruises that are past final payment date, which is 90 days prior to sailing. When Royal Caribbean gets past the point of final payment, they get a good sense of how booked (or unbooked) a sailing is and responds accordingly to fill up the rest of the ship.

Years ago, Royal Caribbean would have incredibly deep discounts for unsold cabins, but they've backed off that strategy a bit, due to higher demand for cruises overall.

In looking at prices for cruises coming up in the next two months, you will certainly spot reasonable prices for a cruise. After all, it's more important for the cruise line to get people onboard since the real revenue comes in onboard spending rather than the cruise fare itself.

When it comes to consistently finding a good last minute price, you're going to want to focus on four major areas.

Time of year

Without a doubt, the biggest factor in getting a good price is going on a cruise when others are unable to sail.

Cruises when kids are in school is always a solid starting point. If you take a cruise in September, January, or early December, you're going to likely find far less families onboard since kids are in school. As a result, there's less demand.

Likewise, taking a cruise during "shoulder season" is an important time of year. This is when the weather or sea conditions may not be ideal, which leads some to opt not to cruise.  On an Alaska cruise, the shoulder season would be May or September. In Europe it's late September and October.

If you can cruise during the times of year everyone else isn't going, you can usually find better prices.

Ship age

Cruise prices will almost always be cheaper on a Vision, Radiance, or Voyager Class ship than an Oasis or Quantum Class ship.

Older ships simply don't offer as much to see and do onboard as the newer ships, and pricing is almost always cheaper to begin with, regardless if it's last minute or not.

Royal Caribbean's marketing is so effective that most cruisers tend to gravitate towards the newest ships so they can enjoy all the bells and whistles these ships offer.

Unfortunately, older ships tend to have (an incorrect) stereotype that they're rundown and boring. The reality is these ships still offer plenty to do, just not as much as the newer ships.  Plus, for the right price, you can get some fantastic values.

Read more: Why you shouldn't avoid older and smaller cruise ships

In short, you're more likely to find a better price on an older ship than a newer one.

Departure port

You may not find a great last minute deal on a cruise from Florida, but other less-common departure ports could get you a better deal.

Embarkation ports that cannot rely on a lot of people to drive to the port tend to have lower prices because nearly everyone has to fly there.

Examples include:

• Baltimore
• Galveston
• Seward, Alaska
• Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Galveston
• San Juan, Puerto Rico

If you live in the area, or don't mind flying (more on that later), prices tend to be lower for cruises leaving from here and a last minute deal is more commonly found.

Repositioning cruises

If there's one type of cruise that almost always has cheap fares close to sailing, it's a cruise where the ship begins in one port and ends in another.

Repositioning cruises are a necessary evil for the cruise industry so that a ship can move from one market to another to begin a new season.

The most common repositioning cruises are when ships move from North America to Europe (and then back again). Ditto for transpacific cruises between North America and Australia.

Where to find last minute cheap cruise deals

You may be tempted to start your search for a last minute cruise deal on the Royal Caribbean website, but there are a few resources you can leverage that may get you results faster.

It's always a good idea to reach out to a travel agent first. Travel agents do so much fare searches, that they could already be aware of a good price for a certain sailing. Moreover, their consortiums could have better rates than you can find online.

Even if you do spot a great price, it's not uncommon for travel agents to be able to find a better discount on top of it and sweeten the deal.

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

There are a couple of third-party websites worth checking as well, just to see if they have something you haven't spotted yet.

Vacations to Go has a "90-day ticker" with a list of sailings of cruises departing within the next 90 days .

Cruisesheet.com is another aggregator of cruise deals you can reference.

Both sites are good jumping off points to start your search, and then circle back with your own travel agent to figure out the best possible price.

Downsides to a last minute cruise

If a last minute cruise sounds like a great deal, you should remember a few important caveats.

If you're booking at the last minute you cannot be picky with your stateroom. Expect very few cabin category choices, and even fewer choices of where it's located.

Another consideration is if you are booking a cruise after the final payment date, you will need to make a full payment up front, rather than a deposit and then the rest later.

If you have to fly to your cruise, airfare prices could sink any deal you find for a sailing. Be sure to cross-reference airfare prices before committing to a cruise fare.

The easiest way around high airfare prices is to drive.  There's no question last minute cruise deals benefit those within driving distance of cruise ports, such as those living in the southeastern United States.

If driving is out of the question, look at other airports to fly out of or into.  If your cruise is out of Fort Lauderdale, consider flying into West Palm Beach, Miami or Fort Myers.   Likewise, if you are flying out of New York City, try all the city airports as well as Westchester, Philadelphia or Hartford.  A little drive can save a lot of money.

Also consider flying to or from your cruise a day or two earlier/later to see if prices change.  It's a fun way to extend your vacation while saving money too.

Tips for keeping your cruise deal as cheap as possible

Remember, your cheap cruise deal doesn't stop when you book your cruise fare.

From shore excursions to drinks to dining, there are a few other ways you can pinch pennies while on a cruise.

Stick to included drinks

Alcohol, soda, and lattes all cost extra, and those costs could run up your cruise bill quickly.

Royal Caribbean includes quite a few drinks with your fare. The more of these you can consume, the less you'll spend.

If you're going to enjoy cocktails or beers, then try to wait until you get to a port of call. Prices for drinks off the ship are usually cheaper.

If you have your heart set on a Royal Caribbean drink package, be sure to purchase it before the cruise. The price will be higher onboard.

Eat at complimentary restaurants

Say no to specialty dining and you'll also save some serious cash as well.

There are plenty of restaurants included with your Royal Caribbean cruise, and I think you'll find the food to be really good here as well.

Dining in the Windjammer, main dining room, or one of the grab-and-go locations will not compromise on your experience and keep costs low.

Bring your own drinks

Did you know Royal Caribbean allows you to bring a certain amount of non-alcoholic drinks and even wine onboard?

By bringing your own soda and a couple bottles of wine, you can really save money without having to skip out on these items.

Plan a DIY shore excursion

Another good way to save money is to tour the ports your ship visit on your own.

Instead of booking a cruise line shore excursion, walk around the port on your own and see what's around. You could bar hop, take a taxi to the beach, or just hang out at the port area.

Use your credit card points

If you're headed down the "cheapest vacation as possible" road, then now is a good time to cash out those credit card points.

You could use your credit card points for a free flight or hotel stay prior to your cruise.  Or you could get a gift card for yourself to use in ports for spending money.

Bottom line

There's an art to a last minute deal, especially if you're looking for a slam dunk price instead of a "not that bad" price.

With some good internet sleuthing (and a good travel agent), you may be able to find a great getaway fare so that you can enjoy time relaxing onboard a ship enjoying (hopefully) beautiful weather and a fun atmosphere. The more flexible you are, the better your chances.

Equally important is being able to save money once you get onboard, because all those extras are very tempting. If you can avoid the additional costs, you'll be able to really save big money. Remember, you can have a great cruise without spending a ton on add-ons!

Ultimately, the difficulty in getting a last minute cruise deal boils down to luck with the right offer, at the right time, from the right embarkation port. When I search for last minute deals, it's not as difficult to find a good price as it is to find a good price on a sailing that you want to go on.

If you find a great price, act quickly as cabins go quickly in those final weeks. Unfortunately a lot of people miss out on a cheap cruise deal in the interim time they take to verify they can get time off from work, dog sitters, and other logistics.

Hopefully these tips help you net a great last minute deal and I wish you happy hunting!

If you forgot or didn't get around to booking another Royal Caribbean cruise onboard your summer cruise, you'll have a little extra time to book one.

Royal Caribbean has a new offer for a limited time where guest can still take advantage of the onboard booking bonus of extra onboard credit if they sailed on a ship in the last 30 days.

Typically you can only qualify for the bonus onboard credit when you book a cruise at the NextCruise office onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. Once you disembark the ship, there's no opportunity to get that offer again.

Now, there's a new opportunity to book a new cruise if you have sailed recently.

Here's a look at how to qualify for this new offer.

Offer details

The Welcome Home promo is valid on new non-refundable bookings between July 1 and August 31, 2022 within 30 days of a previous sailing.

Welcome Home offers up to $600 USD to spend at sea onboard credit (OBC) per stateroom on sailings departing between July 1, 2022 – December 31, 2024.

Promo Code “SAILAGAIN” must be entered at the time of booking to receive the OBC.

OBC amounts are per stateroom and determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 4 to 5 nights:
  • $25 OBC for Interior and Oceanview
  • $50 for Balconies and Junior Suites
  • $150 for Suites (Grand Suites and above)
• Sailings 6 to 9 nights
  • $50 OBC for Interior and Oceanview
  • $100 for Balconies and Junior Suites
  • $300 for Suites (Grand Suites and above)
• Sailings 10 nights or longer
  • $100 OBC for Interior and Oceanview
  • $200 for Balconies and Junior Suites
  • $600 for Suites (Grand Suites and above)

Guest who qualifies for the offer, are eligible to create up to three bookings total with same named guests from previous sailing. 

OBC is combinable with brand wide promotions, promotional OBCs, Next Cruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), promo code driven offers, free upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts, and shareholder benefits but not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Ultimate World Cruise, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates. OBC is nontransferable and does not apply to China departures.

American Express offer is back

If you haven't sailed on a cruise ship recently, you may still be able to save some money if you have an American Express card.

Select cardholders are seeing another cash back offer from American Express when you spend money with Royal Caribbean.

Log into your American Express account and look for the Amex Offers area to see if Royal Caribbean shows up.

Amex Offers are an area at the bottom of the page when you log into the American Express site, where you can earn all sorts of statement credits for buying things from certain vendors.

Select card members may see an offer to get up to $250 back in a statement for booking a new Royal Caribbean cruise.

Get a one-time $250 statement credit by using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $1,000 in one or more transactions on cruise reservations booked at https://www.royalcaribbean.com, by phone at 1-866-562-7625 or by contacting your preferred travel advisor by 8/15/2022. 

You'll have to check if the offer is available on your card, because not all card holders may get this particular offer.

One of the major cruise lines has dropped its Covid-19 testing requirement in practice, although the policy shift will not yet affect the majority of its sailings.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which owns Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruise, announced a change in its pre-cruise covid testing policy on Wednesday.

All of its lines will drop a pre-cruise Covid-19 test requirement, unless the country the ship sails from requires it.

Essentially, there's no change to pre-cruise Covid testing for cruises from the U.S., Canada, Greece, or Bermuda. The difference is should one of those countries drop their testing mandate of cruise ships, then NCL wouldn't require it as part of their policy.

The upside to this change is it will make it easier for North Americans headed to Europe for a cruise to book a cruise, since it eliminates one more hoop to jump through. North Americans make up a large percentage of people that cruise from Europe on the "big three" cruise brands.

For cruises sailing in the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a policy that requires pre-cruise Covid testing of all cruise lines that have opted into the "highly vaccinated program."

NCLH's new policy goes into effect beginning August 1, 2022.

According to the company, they believe this change puts their policy in line with other forms of travel, "the relaxation of the testing policy is in line with the rest of the travel, leisure and hospitality industry worldwide as society continues to adapt and return to a state of normalcy."

NCLH reaffirmed their strong recommendation that all passengers be up to date on vaccination protocols and test at their convenience prior to travel.

The change by Norwegian is significant since up until now only a handful of smaller cruise lines operating in Europe dropped covid testing requirements and in very limited scenarios.

When might the U.S. drop cruise ship Covid testing?

In light of NCLH's policy change, many Americans may be wondering when the CDC will drop the testing requirement.

The same day the United States removed the requirement of international flights to require a negative covid test, the cruise industry said it wants to next move to looking at pre-cruise testing requirements.

In a statement in June 2022, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said it wants the CDC to look at pre-cruise testing.

"As the CDC monitors the improving health landscape and works with airlines to support a smooth transition with the lifting of the pre-arrival testing requirement, we believe a review of pre-embarkation testing requirements for cruise travelers is also in order."

Will Royal Caribbean change its policy too?

Just last week, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley addressed the issue of pre-cruise testing, and he didn't think the U.S. would change policy for at least a little while longer.

Speaking onboard Ovation of the Seas, Mr. Bayley said, "I think pre cruise testing is going to be around for another couple of months."

"We obviously want it to go back to normal, but we're incredibly cognizant of our responsibilities to keep our crew, the communities and our guests safe."

Did you know July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day? Did you know you don't need an excuse to eat really good fried chicken?

I never considered myself much of a "fried chicken guy" until I went on Wonder of the Seas.  Sure, I enjoyed fried chicken, but outside of Nashville, it was tough to find really good fried chicken.

Then I ate at the Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.

Maybe it was the country music band playing in the bar, or the PB&J old fashioned (I'd love to get a recipe for that, by the way) that I had a few sips of first, but the Meemaw’s Fried Chicken was really darn good.

The chicken fell apart quite easily at the first tug, so there was no wrestling with a tough bird this time around.

Even better was the same fried chicken they put on the "Nashville Hot" Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

We ended up dining at Mason Jar at least 4 different times (not counting a snack at the bar late at night), and I'm fairly certain every order I made had fried chicken as part of the recipe.

Then I tried Meemaw’s Fried Chicken N’ Waffles, which is a golden waffle topped with fried chicken and sweet maple syrup. It's an ideal mix between sweet and savory flavors. Suddenly, I began to question a lot of foods I previously thought I wasn't a huge fan of.

I can't sail on Wonder of the Seas every week (or so my wife tells me), but Royal Caribbean has shared a copy of Meemaw’s Fried Chicken so anyone can make it at home. A copy of Garth Brooks' "Friends in low places" not included.

Here's how to make the fried chicken at home inbetween Wonder of the Seas cruises.

Meemaw’s Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients: 

Chicken Marinade 

• 2 whole chickens (3-3.5 lbs each) – broken down 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breasts) 
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper spice 
• 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of your favorite spice rub (we use our Royal secret recipe seasoning) 
• 3 teaspoons of granulated garlic powder 
• 1 ¾ cups of buttermilk 
• 5 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce 
• 1 medium egg 

Chicken Coating 

• ¾ cup of flour 
• ¾ cup of corn starch 
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon of salt 
• ¼ teaspoon of granulated onion powder 
• ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder 
• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper 
• ⅛ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper 
• ¼ teaspoon of oregano 
• ¼ teaspoon of dry mustard 

Instructions

Steps: 

Marinate the Chicken 

1. In a container, mix salt, pepper, granulated garlic, Cajun seasoning, spice rub of your choice, buttermilk, hot sauce and egg. 
2. Add chicken pieces to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours (6 hours is suggested). 

Coat the Chicken 

1. In a separate container, mix the chicken coating by adding the flour, corn starch, baking powder, salt, granulated onion powder, granulated garlic powder ground black pepper, Cayenne pepper, oregano, dry mustard. 
2. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and uncover. 
3. Dredge each piece of chicken individually in the coating mixture, shaking any excess mixture and put aside (we’ll do this a second time). 
4. Let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack – this will help the coating stay on better (we suggest putting sheet pans under the rack to help with cleaning up). 
5. Dredge each piece of chicken individually in the mixture for a second time. Shake off excess mixture. 

Fry the Chicken 

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer at 284 degrees F (140 degrees C). 
2. Once temperature is reached, carefully place chicken in the deep fryer for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature is 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). 
3. Remove chicken from deep fryer and transfer to a cooling rack over a sheet pan. 
4. Let fried chicken sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.  
5. Plate, serve and enjoy! 

Doesn't the fried chicken look amazing? It tastes even better!

Next time you've got family coming over, wow them with this fried chicken recipe. Then tell them they should come on a cruise with you so you can compare this to the real thing on Wonder of the Seas. You know, in the name of "research".

Everyone wants to save money, so when is the best time to buy popular add-ons for your Royal Caribbean cruise?

Drink packages, specialty dining packages, internet, and shore excursions are just a few of the very popular extras lots of cruise fans buy for their cruise vacation.

While you could wait to buy these items on your ship, you will pay more for them because Royal Caribbean typically offers a pre-cruise discount.

A common reason for trepidation to pre-purchase is not knowing fully if someone needs them. After all, Royal Caribbean includes a great deal of food and activities with your cruise fare.

While you can have a very nice cruise without spending extra on a tour, cocktails, specialty restaurants or the spa, these optional purchase will enhance your cruise experience. After all, you're on vacation and this is all about splurging and treating yourself.

If you decide to buy any cruise extra-charge items, it's a really good idea to take advantage of the lowest price possible so your money can go further.

Here is my advice for when to buy these cruise-addons.

Why you should buy extras before the cruise begins

There's a few good reasons you should buy certain cruise add-on's before your cruise, and not all of them are purely related to dollars and sense.

Here's a few compelling reasons to do so.

Discounted Price

In many cases, Royal Caribbean promises a discount on select pre-cruise purchases compared to the price onboard.

The discounted savings can vary, with the price of drink and internet packages varying from ship to ship and sailing to sailing. 

Break up total cruise cost

When you purchase anything before your cruise via the Cruise Planner site, you will be required to pay for it at the time of purchase.  This provides the ability to break up the total cost of the cruise.

When you make purchases onboard your cruise, at the end of the cruise you get a final bill with all of the charges tallied up. 

By pre-purchasing certain items, you can pay off parts of the cruise months or years in advance, allowing you to reduce the cruise bill at the conclusion of your cruise. This is incredibly helpful for budgeting to have control of what charges come in on which billing cycles.

Save you time onboard

An intangible benefit to pre-purchasing anything is it saves you time onboard from doing the exact same thing, which means more vacation time back to you.

Taking the time to purchase anything onboard does not take very much time, but every little bit helps, and some purchases on the first day of the cruise can require waiting in a line, such as drink packages.

You can use onboard credit

When you buy something on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner site, you can use any onboard credit towards these purchases. This alleviates a primary concern among cruisers in the past that wished to use onboard credit towards any purchases first.

One thing to consider is the onboard credit available for use in the Cruise Planner is limited to onboard credit provided by Royal Caribbean.  This means, if you are receiving onboard credit from a travel agent or other source, it may not be available for use online. 

Granted, while I have never had any trouble using up onboard credit on a Royal Caribbean cruise, some guests prefer to save their credits for on the ship.

You can re-price if the price goes down

No matter what price you pay today, if there's a lower price at any point before your cruise, you can cancel and rebook it.

Cruise Planner purchases are fully refundable with no cancellation penalties. This means you can book something now and lock in the price, but if there's a lower price later, you can cancel it and rebook online.

This also helps protect you if the price goes up.

Best time to buy Royal Caribbean drink package

You should buy a Royal Caribbean drink package at any point before your cruise because it will be cheaper online.

Royal Caribbean runs many pre-cruise sales, and even when there's not an active promotion going on, the price of an unlimited drink package is cheaper before the cruise that onboard the ship.

You'll find the drink packages available to purchase on Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner website.

It can be a little confusing to understand how much of a discount you're getting, since Royal Caribbean bases its discounts on an unknown onboard price, and then combines the price of a drink package with a buy one get one 50% off deal.

When you look at the drink package price online, ignore the sale details and look at the price when you add the drink package to the cart.

It's a good idea to keep track of the drink package price, as there's new sale promotions every few weeks. These sales don't always lower the price, but sometimes it can.

Best time to buy a shore excursion

It's a good idea to book your shore excursions at least 2-3 months before your cruise.

Just as important as the fun things to do on your cruise ship are the things you can do in the ports of call you will visit.

Royal Caribbean will list a variety of shore excursions you can pick from in the Cruise Planner, and some of the most popular excursions will sell out before your cruise.

Royal Caribbean will begin listing excursions as early as six months before your cruise (although they can show up even earlier than that). 

Many cruisers prefer to book their shore excursions through the cruise line for the convenience and peace of mind Royal Caribbean offers. For that reason, tours can sell out.

I find the majority of people on a cruise don't start really booking tours up until closer to the sail date because they are unaware of all the tips and tricks cruise fans know, so you'll notice things begin to sell out around six weeks before the cruise begins.

Excursions selling out are at a much higher risk in destination cruises, such as Alaska or Europe.  If you are booked on one of these sailings, it's a good idea to start booking up tours as much as 3 months before you sail.

You could always reserve a tour on your own, and outside tours do not sell out nearly as early. If you go on your own, it's a good idea to book these 1-2 months before the cruise.

Best time to book a Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee activity

Due to the popularity of Royal Caribbean's private destinations, you're going to want to book something fun here to do even earlier than shore excursions.

It's a really good idea to book a cabana as much as 4-6 months before your cruise to assure yourself of one, and get a lower price.  Cabanas have become the hottest selling commodity at either Perfect Day at CocoCay or Labadee, so you're going to want to act fast to get one.

Read more: Guide to CocoCay Cabanas

The days of cabanas going unsold are pretty much gone, so act quickly if you want one. Just like everything else in the Cruise Planner, they're refundable if you change your mind later.

Another hot ticket is the CocoCay water park, which can sell out. The entire water park selling out is less likely, but the price going up certainly is common. So book that 3-5 months early whenever possible.

The other must-book early add-on is admission to the Coco Beach Club. 

If the idea of going to an exclusive area of CocoCay appeals to you, then book your admission before it sells out.  I suppose the word is out about this place, because it's pretty rare for the Coco Beach Club not to sell out before the cruise begins.

Other CocoCay extras like the zip line, helium balloon ride, and aquatic activities rarely sell out, so book them at your convenience.

There is one extra I'd recommend not booking in advance at Perfect Day at CocoCay and that's the Up, Up & Away Helium Balloon Ride. The balloon can only go up in near-perfect wind conditions, and that tends to be fairly rare. 

My advice is hold off and if you get to the island and see it going up, run over and book a spot. You might pay more, but I think it's a safer bet than waiting for an almost inevitable refund when it gets cancelled.

Over in Labadee, the zip line is a good idea to book in advance just to get a good time. Zip line rides are based on ride times, and it's a good idea to go in the morning before it gets overly hot or the threat of rain grows.

Best time to book an internet package

Just like the drink package, the price of an internet package is always cheaper before the cruise.

These packages are good for the duration of your cruise, and are limited per device (not per person).

Unlike the drink package, wifi prices rarely change much. So you don't need to book it well in advance. Just book yourself a package at some point before you board.

Best time to book specialty dining restaurants

These days, you absolutely should pre-book a specialty dining package before your cruise, at least a month before your sail date.

Ever since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises after the global health crisis, demand for specialty dining has gone through the roof. A combination of pent-up demand, new dining concepts, and more cash to spend on vacations have lead a lot more people to try specialty dining.

If you are booking an individual restaurant, book it before the cruise. Izumi hibachi is one restaurant you must-book before the cruise because it sells out quite often before the cruise begins.

If your cruise is over a major holiday, such as Christmas, New Years or Valentine's Day, pre-book a specialty restaurant to assure yourself of a spot. Everyone else will be thinking of a special meal on a special day.

Dining packages are just as popular, and it's becoming more commonplace to find dining packages sold out onboard. To be safe, if you want a dining package, buy it a couple months before your cruise.

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

Best time to book spa services

It's less clear of an advantage when to book a spa service, and it may make more sense to wait and book a spa service onboard on a port day.

Deciding to book a spa service before or after your cruise is not always a crystal clear decision, primarily because the spa services offered online do not always match up with the total services offered onboard.

Spa services are often discounted on the Cruise Planner, with the discount percentage depending on the day and time you select for the service.  The most lucrative discounts are usually earlier in the cruise.

The challenge in figuring out whether to purchase or not prior to the cruise, is each day of your cruise will have some spa specials offered.  These spa specials are usually combination offers, which are not offered as an option in the Cruise Planner before the cruise. In my experience, the Cruise Planner offers individual services which are good for those that just want a massage, service or therapy.  

Royal Caribbean offers an onboard discount on an individual spa service, which varies depending on your Crown and Anchor Society status level.

Best time to book shows

You want to reserve a show as soon as you get onboard the ship.

Royal Caribbean allows guests on all ships to pre-reserve theater shows, but you're going to have to wait until you get onboard to do so.

Once on the ship, reservations open up via the Royal Caribbean app or at Guest Services.

You'll want to log onto the Royal Caribbean wifi and then open up the app and begin making reservations for shows because they will sell out, especially on ships that have must-see shows, such as the Oasis Class or Quantum Class.

There is no cost to make show reservations.

How to check for a price drop

Regardless of which pre-cruise purchase is of interest to you, your best bet is to watch the price online in the months leading up to your cruise in case there is a price drop (or increase).

Royal Caribbean allows its guests to cancel and rebook any Cruise Planner purchase without a penalty.  This means that if you purchase something online, and then the price drops before your sailing, you can log back in and cancel the purchase and then immediately rebook to take advantage of the lower price.  Similarly, booking in advance protects against a price increase.

Moreover, if you decided to buy something online but change your mind later, you can get a refund on the pre-cruise purchase prior to your sailing.

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

Royal Caribbean has updated the situation with Quantum of the Seas needing to slow its speed and skip Alaska glacier visits.

Earlier this week, guests booked on Quantum of the Seas on August sailings were sent an email to inform them that the ship would skip glacier viewings on their sailing.

Thus far, the August 1, 8, and 15 Alaska cruise sailings are impacted. Quantum of the Seas is sailing 7-night Alaska cruises from Seattle.

A new email was sent today to guests booked on Quantum of the Seas to update the situation as to why the change is necessary.

Royal Caribbean says the speed limitations are caused by a technical issue with one of the engines.

While that may sound alarming, the cruise line reminded guests the ship has four engines, and one of them requires repairs and the repair parts are delayed, "Quantum has four engines. One requires some repair and there's a delay in receiving the parts needed. Additionally, another engine is scheduled for routine maintenance soon, which means we'll have to reduce our overall speed during these sailings."

"While we're doing everything we can to expedite this, the global supply chain situation that we're all experiencing is further impacting the delay."

Royal Caribbean was sure to note the safety of the ship is not compromised, "Safety is always our top priority. Our ships can safely sail in these kinds of situations, just at reduced speeds."

Trying to make up for a missed glacier

As to skipping a visit to Dawes Glacier, Royal Caribbean says they have tried to find an alternative but the logistics are not simple, "We've been working tirelessly to find a way to visit Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier for your sailing, but this would result in drastically reduced port times."

"And given that there's always a risk of missing the Glacier due to weather, it's best to go with the surer option of keeping better times in port. The decision to modify our itinerary wasn't taken lightly."

"We've done everything possible to minimize the impact to your time with us and are sorry for the inconvenience."

Increased compensation

Royal Caribbean also included a change to the compensation for the change in itinerary.

First, the amount of onboard credit offered is now one full day of cruise fare paid, per person.

Any unused onboard credit will be available to be refunded back to your credit card.

If not visiting the glacier causes someone to no longer want to sail, Royal Caribbean will allow them to cancel.

Guests have until July 17 to change their mind if they no longer want to sail and they can get a full refund, including non-refundable deposits and/or pre-paid amenities.

Guests will need to contact their travel agent to cancel, and should get a refund within 14 business days.

Royal Caribbean will also allow the refund amount to be moved to a different sailing.

Full letter

Here's a copy of the full letter Royal Caribbean sent.

Thanks to John Trivedi for sharing the email.

Happy July 4th and Canada Day to everyone out in blog land! Many of you are enjoying a relaxing and long weekend, and I hope this week's round up of all the Royal Caribbean news makes it even better!

When will Covid testing and vaccine requirements go away?

That might be the most frequently asked question cruisers want to know and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley addressed this question.

He also talked about if Royal Caribbean will add a fuel surcharge, when the Icon of the Seas reveal will be, smoking in the casino & more.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean updates: Labadee suite change, Starlink approved, cup change & more
• Quantum of the Seas will skip glacier viewing in August due to engine trouble
• Royal Caribbean's July 4th Cruise Planner sale is happening right now
• Flight attendant shares 20 tips to minimize air travel fiascos

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 459th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, in which Matt reflects on his Covid experience on an Alaska cruise.

As an addendum to last week's podcast episode, Matt talks about his experience with Covid on a cruise ship and what his takeaway from it all.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! 

New RCB Video: What’s the best piece of cruise advice you have ever received?

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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 — What’s the best piece of cruise advice you have ever received? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Read our Greek Isles Live Blog

A European cruise is a bucket list cruise for so many people, especially a Greek Isles cruise.

We have a day-by-day look at what it's like to sail on Rhapsody of the Seas around Greece.

Read our 7-night Greek Isles cruise live blog and see all the fun you can have exploring these beautiful islands.

Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas reaches first major milestone

The next Oasis Class cruise ship is on its way to becoming a reality.

At the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, a keel-laying ceremony was held for Utopia of the Seas.

Utopia of the Seas will be the first LNG-powered ship in the Oasis Class when she debuts in 2024.

We tried the new Starlink internet on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

How fast is Elon Musk's Starlink internet service? We put it through its paces on a weekend sailing of Freedom of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has quietly begun testing Starlink on Freedom of the Seas, and many are curious just how much faster this internet is compared to the traditional onboard internet service.

Over the course of 3-nights, Nicole tested the ship wifi and the results did not disappoint.

We have a look at some of the changes Royal Caribbean has made or announced over the last week.

With a fleet of 26 ships, there are always going to be things happening and in an effort to keep everyone up to date, here's a quick run through of the latest news from this week.

In addition to starting construction on a new cruise ship and Royal Caribbean's CEO sharing his thoughts on policy changes, here is a look at everything else that happened this week you should know about.

Labadee suite cabanas now available online

It's now easier to book a cabana for suite guests when visiting Royal Caribbean's private destination of Labadee.

Royal Caribbean alerted guests booked in a suite that they can begin reserving cabanas at Barefoot Beach online via the Royal Caribbean cruise planner.

These suites are only available for guests booked in grand suites or higher.

Prior to this change, cabanas were reserved once the ship's suite concierge emailed guests a week before the cruise. The entire process was done offline.

With the update, suite guests can book a Barefoot Beach cabana just like other cabanas at Labadee.

SpaceX Starlink gets FCC approval

Starlink internet service on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship got one step closer to reality this week.

The Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite internet to vehicles in motion, which includes cruise ships.

A few weeks ago, Royal Caribbean petitioned the FCC to approve Starlink for moving vehicles so that cruise ships could utilize the service, hinting that a deal between Royal Caribbean and Starlink was possible.

As of now, Freedom of the Seas is actively testing Starlink with impressive speeds thus far.

Royal Caribbean has not publicly commented on if a deal with Starlink is going to happen, nor what ships could see the service implemented onboard.

Soda cup change

If you purchase a Royal Caribbean drink package, expect a different cup design.

Guests on a few different Royal Caribbean ships have reported a change in the soda cup guests receive with their purchase.

The cups seem to come in either orange or blue color, and don't have the Coca-Cola branding typically seen with other designs.

While a definite change in look, the cup design is not new.

Royal Caribbean first used these cups at Labadee and CocoCay as far back as 2016.

Italian airport transfers

Royal Caribbean has added new transfer options for cruises sailing from Ravenna, Italy.

Due to the distance from Venice to Ravenna, guests will need to arrange transportation both to and from the ship on boarding and departure day either by purchasing a competitively priced transfer through Royal Caribbean International or by making their own private arrangements.

Guests can book these transfers before their cruise by contacting their travel partner or by reaching out to Royal Caribbean.

Additionally, guests may purchase transfers at Venice Marco Polo Airport on boarding day. However, please note that boarding day transfers will have limited availability and are available for purchase on a first come-first served basis.

Pre-Cruise Shuttles:

• Shuttle services will be available from locations in the area including Venice Marco Polo Airport and Venice City Centre (Tronchetto). Guests may select their preferred transfer based on their flights and selected check-in time for boarding the ship.
  • When booking a shuttle, guests will also be advised of the latest possible flight arrival time to board their shuttle.
  • If you are arranging transfers on your own, flights should arrive into Venice no later than 11:35 AM to allow time to arrive to the ship.
• Each shuttle will be boarded at 50% capacity to ensure physical distancing.
• The journey to the ship from Venice, Italy can take up to 3 hours (depending on traffic conditions), so please be sure to dress comfortably and keep travel documents, medications, or any other important items in your carry-on luggage
• Once onboard shuttles departing from Venice, guests will have access to phone charging stations and will be provided with bottled water. Then, about halfway through the journey,  a comfort stop will be made where guests will be able to stretch their legs, use the restroom, and purchase snacks for the remainder of the trip.
  • Please note: Depending on driving conditions, the comfort stop may be skipped depending to ensure all guests arrive to the ship on time.
• Check-in for your sailing will take place at the cruise terminal in Ravenna, Italy.

Post-Cruise Shuttles:

• When booking a shuttle, you’ll be advised of the earliest possible flight departure time to board your shuttle.
• Just like on boarding day, the journey back to Venice, Italy can take up to 3 hours, so don’t forget to dress comfortably!
  • All the same amenities available on the pre-cruise shuttle from Venice – bottled water and the ability to charge your phone – will also be available for guests traveling on the post-cruise shuttle to Venice.