Matt went back on Celebrity to give it another try. This time, he took a 3-night cruise on Celebrity Reflection that visited Perfect Day at CocoCay.
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One of the top perks of booking a suite on a cruise ship is access to the concierge, but what can you expect from them?
The suite concierge serves as guest services, customer advocate, and problem solver rolled into one.
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a subset of benefits reserved exclusively for passengers that are booked in a suite, including reserved pool seating, a private lounge, and added services.
Part of the justification for the higher price tag a suite comes with is the convenience factor that gets added in, and the suite concierge is a major component of that.
As long as you're in a full suite (Grand Suite or higher category cabins), then you get to take advantage of the concierge services. On the biggest Royal Caribbean ships, there are actually two concierges onboard to help split the work load.
If you're booked in a suite, here's what you can expect from the concierge onboard and even before the cruise.
The suite concierge is always located in the suite lounge, where they work during the day and early evening to assist guests. They're there to make your cruise better in any way they possibly can.
A few days before your cruise begins (usually 4 to 7 days before embarkation), you can expect an email from the concierge introducing themselves to you, and outlining the benefits they can provide.
This email is a good primer for expectations, and how to easily take advantage of your suite benefits.
Before the cruise begins, the concierge can assist you with making specialty dining reservations, show reservations, or clarifying any questions you might have.
Tip: If you purchased a specialty dining package, you should email the concierge with a list of restaurants and times to book to save you the time of making the reservations once onboard.
Speaking of dining, you can ask to the concierge to make a Coastal Kitchen reservation too.
While the concierge can book show times for you, I'd advise you to book show reservations as soon as they become available to book 30 days before the cruise sails, because show tickets usually sell out quickly.
Some other common requests to make of the concierge include:
The concierge can also book shore excursions or family photo reservations.
You should get an email back confirming any requests you made, or advising you of other options if they cannot assist.
When you board your ship, you can go up to the suite lounge to meet the concierge. This is a good idea to not only put a face to the name, but confirm any of the requests you made pre-cruise or get clarification on any questions.
During your sailing, the concierge is there to make your cruise better.
There are posted hours the concierge is available at their desk. You can either visit them in person or give them a call. You should go to them for any issues you have that you might otherwise go to Guest Services for.
In addition to problem solving, the suite concierge is also a friendly face. They will regularly strike up conversations with suite guests in the lounge, and love getting to know their guests.
During the evening cocktail hours, the concierge acts as a kind of emcee, helping people find seats, directing waiters to get drink orders, and ensure the hors d'oeuvres are replenished regularly.
While they can sometimes be busy with their clerical duties, they make an effort to get to know their guests.
Perhaps my favorite suite concierge benefit is their assistance getting off the cruise ship on the final morning.
There can be very long lines disembarking the ship on the final morning, but the suite concierge will be happy to get you through the lines.
Prior to the end of the cruise, you can arrange to meet the concierge at a designated location and they will walk your family off the ship. This means they will cut the line and bypass most, if not all, of it.
This is a tremendous time saver, as well as sanity saver. When I cruise with kids, it's such a relief to not have to stand in line.
The only way to get access to the a cruise concierge is to pay more for a suite (or become a Pinnacle Club member, but likely not practical for most readers), and that is all but certainly a higher cost than a lower category room.
Aside from the inherit benefits of booking a suite, the suite concierge access is a lovely touch, but I'd hesitate to go as far as to say it's worth it every time.
Having access to the cruise concierge is more akin to the "icing on top" of having suite access. You should book a suite because you value the extra space the room provides, bonus Crown and Anchor points, and the extras cruise guests get included with their fare.
How helpful the concierge is depends on you and how much interaction you have with them. If you're going to spend a lot of time in the suite lounge and make many requests of the concierge, they are absolutely worth it. But every cruiser handles the access differently.
On shorter cruises, the value is likely less since there's less time to take advantage of their services.
I've always enjoyed the assistance provided by the concierge, and I'm grateful for even the smallest of assistance. The escort off the ship at the end of the cruise is probably the single best service they provided and it made a big difference when my kids were younger.
So should you book a suite just for the concierge? Probably not, but I think you'll enjoy the value they add to your cruise. Just remember to take advantage of what they offer.
Cruise ships are known for their excellent value, and what's included that costs nothing extra is a big part of that.
When you consider how much you can eat, enjoy, and explore for absolutely no additional cost, a cruise sounds really enticing. Royal Caribbean ships are packed with so many things to do onboard included with your cruise fare.
While a lot of attention is placed on things that cost extra because they're flashy, you can go on a Royal Caribbean ship and spend nothing extra and have a really enjoyable vacation.
When I'm planning a cruise with my family, my wife and I often have moments where we realize we don't need to spend extra on costly add-ons, and simply enjoy the free things. On our recent visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, we opted to hang at the Oasis Lagoon pool which has no additional cost instead of spending over $100 for both of us to go to the new adults-only area.
If you're ready to enjoy a value-conscious vacation, here are the free amenities, services, and experiences you can take advantage of during your cruise.
It's always about food for me on a cruise, and Royal Caribbean includes a lot of pretty good food in your fare.
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a few restaurants that cost nothing to eat there. The most prominent ones are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer buffet, and the coffee shop.
Here is a list of restaurants on a Royal Caribbean ship that won't cost you extra. You won't find all of them on one ship, but it's a list to reference:
Between these venues, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with plenty of snacks too.
I really like having my meals in the Main Dining Room when I'm with my family because the waiters get to know your preferences and really focus on your meal experience being exactly what you want. Plus, I think the dining room food is rather tasty.
If you're booked in a suite on one of the newer ships, you can dine at Coastal Kitchen for all your meals, adding significant value for the higher cost a suite comes with.
Besides your meals, there are lots of places to snack too. Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, Aquadome Market, and Park Cafe are all fan favorites. Depending on which Royal Caribbean ship you sail on, there are going to be different places to grab a snack or mini-meal.
No matter which ship you pick, you won't go hungry and there's somewhere to eat at almost any time of day or night. Moreover, I think the food you can get at no additional cost is pretty darn good.
My favorite places to eat for free:
There are quite a few drinks you can get for free onboard.
You can find these free drinks offered at any bar or restaurant, although some bars may not have everything on this list.
The best places to find all of these options are the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, or Cafe Promenade/Cafe Latte-Tudes/Cafe @ Two70.
Yes, the tap water is safe to drink on a cruise ship. It's filtered onboard and probably the safest water you can drink, given how treated it is.
When I think of a cruise, I think of food first, and then all the fun things to do on the ship.
Royal Caribbean built its cruise ships to have more to do than you can possibly do in a week. They're meant to offer such a wide variety of activities that you come away impressed with how much you could have done.
Every day of your cruise there is a list of activities in the Royal Caribbean app (as well as the Cruise Compass).
There's trivia, napkin folding demonstrations, competitions among passengers, educational seminars, and much more.
Karaoke is one of the top events you'll find every day. You can count on there being at least a few karaoke sessions per day. Some of the new ships that have a dedicated karaoke venue will host sessions more often.
Karaoke on a Royal Caribbean cruise is pretty much like anywhere else you've done it. There is a book of songs to choose from, and guests sign up on a first-come, first-served basis to get a chance to sing.
On a sea day, you can expect at least 4 or 5 trivia sessions, and the topics range from general trivia to TV show theme songs to Taylor Swift. There are all sorts of trivia genres, and they're just about bragging rights rather than the novel prize for the winning team.
Royal Caribbean ships also show a lot of movies. Most have their movie screens by the pool, so you don't have to leave the hot tub. A few of the small ships actually have their own movie theater, which is also included in your cruise fare.
It's a good idea to go through the Royal Caribbean app every day to see what's scheduled. The cruise line will load in all the events a few days before the sailing begins, but I like to review each evening what's coming up the next day.
My favorite free events:
If conquering "Friends" trivia doesn't do it for you, how about ways to be in the sun and have fun?
A lot of people specifically choose a cruise because they want to go to beautiful and warm destinations where they can take advantage of the sunshine.
Every ship has pools and hot tubs you can go to for no additional cost. There's even an adults-only pool available too.
Many of Royal Caribbean's ships have pool areas for kids, that have splash pads, geysers, and all sorts of ways to get soaked.
Splashaway Bay is the name of the children's aqua park, and it's the perfect spot for younger children who want to get as wet as possible.
If you need more adrenaline on your vacation, there are water slides and surf simulators on many ships. These also cost nothing extra to use, and it's open to kids or adults.
Speaking of slides, the Oasis Class ships have the Ultimate Abyss slide on the back of the ship, which is a dry slide and is also included in your cruise fare.
Don't overlook the sports court, where you can play soccer, basketball, pickleball, dodgeball, or volleyball throughout the day. Once again, it's complimentary.
On the Oasis Class ships, there's a zip line you can ride for free nine decks above the Boardwalk neighborhood.
There's also a mini golf course on most Royal Caribbean ships. It's a great family activity, and open day and night.
Speaking of family fun, check out the carousel on Oasis or Icon Class ships that guests of any age can ride. It's free and open day and night.
If your cruise ship has an ice rink, there are complimentary open ice skating sessions you can go to. Royal Caribbean provides all the equipment, you just need to bring long pants and socks.
My favorite pool deck fun and free things to do:
If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise that visits the Caribbean, there's a good chance your ship will visit one of Royal Caribbean's private islands.
Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee are the two islands that only Royal Caribbean ships can visit, and it's a private enclave that is included with your cruise fare.
Think of this like a regular port visit, but the majority of what you can do comes at no additional cost. There are beaches, pools, and food you can enjoy without any fees.
While it's true both do have extra pay upgrades, you can certainly have a great day without spending extra. You'll find beaches, chairs, umbrellas, and food that come with your visit.
A day at a private island is one of my absolute favorite kinds of cruise days because it's a simple, yet well organized fun day in the sun. There's plenty of space, the ocean and beach are lovely, and there's the choice to upgrade your day with an add-on if you so choose.
Admission to either private destination is included, and you can walk off the ship and explore at your leisure.
If given the choice, I prefer CocoCay over Labadee because of the breadth of choices of what to do there. Plus, CocoCay's food variety is superior, along with the option for a pool day.
Be sure to review everything Royal Caribbean offers at CocoCay for no extra cost.
If there's one thing Royal Caribbean does better than any other cruise line, it's their entertainment. You'll find shows, musicians, performers, and comedians on any ship in the fleet.
Every evening there will be at least one production show onboard, with the biggest ships having multiple shows per night.
Some Royal Caribbean ships actually have full Broadway shows, and admission to them is included in your cruise fare.
Even if your ship doesn't have a Broadway show, it has a talented cast of singers and dancers who will perform on nearly every night. When they aren't performing, there's usually a headline entertainer or comedian to keep you busy.
Music is also a focal point for Royal Caribbean's entertainment. There are guitarists, pianists, bands, and singers who all perform and are wonderful acts. They're not just talented, they bring showmanship to their performances and it creates must-see shows.
Some of these shows are sing-alongs, while others are productions that you can sit back and enjoy.
You'll find most of the live entertainment in the evening, but there are still musical acts during the day.
You can find a poolside band to play easy-listening tunes while you're enjoying time by the pool. There's also a DJ on Royal Caribbean ships to offer sailaway parties, as well as late-night club scenes.
I recommend seeking out the musical acts and any shows you find in the schedule, because they're not just free to see, but they're actually really entertaining.
My favorite free entertainment:
Being a family cruise line, Royal Caribbean's crown jewel of kids programming centers around the Adventure Ocean kids club.
Many of the activities in this article apply to kids as well, but I think Adventure Ocean is where you'll find the most compelling and all-encompassing activities for kids.
Royal Caribbean's kids club is more than a place to drop your kids off. It's a hub of activities, playing, and meeting other kids their age.
Adventure Ocean is broken up by age so that the activities are age-appropriate. Moreover, it fosters kids making friends onboard the ship.
The great thing about kids club is it allows kids to be kids and play, draw, engage, and do the sort of things they want to do. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy time apart, whether at a restaurant, show, and just enjoying quiet time.
There is no charge for Adventure Ocean (before 10pm) or Teens Club, however, the nursery does cost extra. If your children are under the age of 36 months, they will need to go to the nursery and you should plan for an hourly charge.
Be sure to visit the Adventure Ocean and Teen Club open house on embarkation day, usually around 1pm to see the facility, meet the staff, and register the kids. It's a great way to see what's offered and get questions answered.
Can you get actual gifts or things to bring home for free on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Yes, but temper your expectations.
One easy souvenir is to attend a trivia session and win. The winning team will get a novelty gift, usually a highlighter, pen, or luggage pull straps.
There are also usually giveaways tied to ways to spend money onboard. The jewelry store may offer free charm bracelets to entice you to come in and check out their other items while you're in line for the freebie.
The art auction staff hold giveaways to get people to attend the auctions themselves. They even serve everyone that attends the art auction free champagne.
If you cruise enough to make it to a higher tier in Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor society customer loyalty program, there are gifts offered.
At the Diamond Plus and Pinnacle Club tiers, you'll get a personalized gift per household on each sailing you take. You can select the personalized gift from a list of choices. The Loyalty Ambassador onboard the ship can help you select or change your preference. Choices include logo items, drinks, or snacks.
Cruise ships are making all sorts of changes to avoid the path of Hurricane Helene, including cruises from Tampa.
Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas will be delayed returning to port by two days because of the storm.
The ship's Captain made an announcement on Wednesday while the ship was docked in Freeport, Bahamas.
A user on Cruise Critic posted, "The Captain announced a few minutes ago that our cruise will be extended two extra days and will not arrive back in Tampa until Sunday. "
A letter given to guests explains the safety of ship, guests, and crew was taken into account, "Due to the planned closure of the Port of Tampa and to stay clear of the hurricane, we'll have to delay our return to our homeport. We'll now arrive in Tampa on Sunday, September 29th and enjoy some extra Sea Days along the way."
"We're terribly sorry for the last-minute change caused by the weather – your safety is our top priority. Please know, being onboard is one of the safest places because our ship can quickly move out of the way of any inclement weather."
The 90,090 gross-ton, Radiance Class cruise ship is homeported in Tampa, Florida and departed on her current sailing September 22 on a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise that was originally supposed to visit Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico.
On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean re-routed the ship to The Bahamas to avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene.
However, the storm's impact on the Port of Tampa Bay has necessitated Royal Caribbean hold the ship's return back.
Helene is a Category 1 hurricane and strengthening as it moves toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. It is expected to hit Florida's Big Bend late tomorrow.
Experts believe Helene will rapidly intensify and become a Category 3 or 4 storm before it makes landfall.
As of 5 p.m. ET today, Hurricane Helene had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was about 460 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving north at 12 mph.
Serenade is not the only ship being held at sea due to the storm.
MSC Seashore won't be able to return to Port Canaveral on Thursday as originally scheduled because of the storm.
That ship will have an extra day added onto their cruise before it can return.
To make-up for this last-minute change and because Royal Caribbean is extending the sailing by two days, they’ll provide passengers with:
The option to extend your Beverage and VOOM internet packages by two (2) days.
Passengers will receive loyalty points for the originally planned number of nights sailed, plus an additional two nights.
If guests purchased your flights through Royal Caribbean, they’ll automatically adjust their flights. If you purchased air independently, please contact your air carrier directly.
Royal Caribbean will cover any air change fee up to $200 USD for domestic travel and $400 USD for international travel, per person.
News of Serenade's change spread quickly among cruisers, who took to social media to post their thoughts.
Most were not surprised, but emotions ranged between frustration and understanding.
"This is exactly why I schedule cruises during hurricane season. Sometimes you get extra days. Sometimes it’s reduced with refunds and cruise credits etc. when you live in Florida and have flexibility it’s worth the risk," wrote Judy Desrosiers.
Irene Grackin wrote, "Cruising during peak hurricane season has an inherent risk. Safety first!"
Christa Leonard was upset at the news, because it could impact the itinerary of the next sailing, "the reason we chose this cruise is we honeymooned on St. Thomas 38 years ago and we were so thrilled to celebrate our anniversary there."
Another change announced late on Wednesday was the delay of Utopia of the Seas.
Guests booked on the weekend cruise will have a delayed boarding on Friday due to the storm. The issue is not just the storm, but Port Canaveral closing temporarily.
Screenshot by Stephanie Bushong
"Due to Port Canaveral's planned closure, our previous sailing will be delayed in returning and as a result, our boarding on September 27th will also be adjusted," the email reads to guests booked on the cruise.
"Kindly note that the terminal will be closed until 2:30pm."
Utopia of the Seas is scheduled to sail a 3-night cruise to The Bahamas that visits Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Get ready to go back in time on Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean has not made any announcement yet, but its entertainment team has posted an ad for auditions that indicate what the company's plans will be.
According to a post on the Royal Caribbean Productions Facebook page and its own website, the cruise line is holding auditions for Back to the Future: The Musical next month.
And the ship it's destined for will be Star of the Seas, a brand new ship that is under construction currently.
The open call for auditions says, "All performers hired for BACK TO THE FUTURE (3-4 performances weekly) will also perform in an original Royal Caribbean Signature Production onboard the STAR of the Seas (3-4 performances weekly)."
The auditions are being held in London, England, UK.
Star of the Seas will be the second Icon Class cruise ship, and similar in size and features to the record breaking biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas.
The cruise line has not confirmed that Back to the Future: The Musical will indeed be added to Star of the Seas.
Back to the Future: The Musical is a stage adaptation of the iconic 1985 film Back to the Future, following the same basic plot with some additions, including musical numbers.
The story centers around Marty McFly, a teenager from 1985 who accidentally travels back to the year 1955 in a time machine built by eccentric scientist "Doc" Brown.
The musical expands on the film’s humor, adventure, and emotional depth, blending nostalgia with catchy original songs, iconic moments from the film, and stunning stage effects—especially when it comes to time travel sequences. Marty’s journey is one of self-discovery as he learns about family, friendship, and the importance of standing up for oneself.
The production received two Tony Awards nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
While Star will be the second Icon Class ship, the plan is for it not to be bigger than Icon.
Star will be around 250,800 gross tons total, with a capacity for 5,610 passengers (or up to 7,600 passengers at maximum occupancy).
Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer said earlier this year that the ship's attractions are more important than the total size.
Adding a musical like Back to the Future is one way Royal Caribbean will differentiate it from Icon.
While Star will have a $200 per person supper club dinner experience onboard, this one will be Chicago themed instead of New York.
The Lincoln Park Supper Club will have a different menu and evoke a feel that makes you think of Chicago.
In addition, Royal Caribbean wants to make the family component of Star of the Seas even better for families. What that means is expanding the appeal of Surfside to older kids too.
Splashaway Bay and the Playscape will get new features. The Water's Edge pool will be more kid focused. The kids clubs will get updates too.
Something completely new will be a test of a new way to enter your cabin.
A small amount of cabins will pilot facial recognition as a way to enter the room, instead of using a SeaPass card.
Details haven't been released yet as to what to expect or how many cabins will have this feature.
Royal Caribbean also wants to evolve its food hall concept on Star, and is working on new ways to make it even better.
Star of the Seas will launch in August 2025 and offer 7-night cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida to destinations in the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
The ship was originally scheduled to be delivered in mid-August of 2025, but delays in production and construction forced the cruise line to delay her original inaugural sailing. The inaugural sailing will now take place on August 31st, 2025.
Royal Caribbean's recent policy change has a lot of people with an upcoming cruise confused if they can bring their favorite cabin hack with them.
The cruise line updated its list of things you cannot bring on a cruise last week, and the fallout has been a lot of confusion about what is and what isn't allowed.
The change was simple enough, they added "multi-plug outlets" to the list, but it did not specify what exactly that means. Specifically, which outlets, plugs, or devices are no longer permissible to bring.
Royal Caribbean has long banned surge protectors and power strips, but multi-plug outlets is not only new, but vague.
There are a myriad of devices you can purchase to add more charging options to an existing outlet, but it's not clear which of these will be allowed.
Some have a combination of USB ports and traditional power outlets, while others are just USB ports.
The result has been a lot of room for interpretation.
It can be argued this change closed a loophole that allowed for multi-outlet adapters without cords to be technically "legal." Under this change, those would be prohibited.
Royal Caribbean did not specifically say why it made this change, but since the multi-plug outlet addition was in conjunction with power strips, it's likely about mitigating fire risk.
Fire is the top concern for cruise ships, because fires can spread quickly on a ship. Power strips and outlet extenders have the potential to overload an outlet and cause a fire.
In addition to posting on social media, some cruisers asked Royal Caribbean via social media for clarification.
One person asked Royal Caribbean's X/Twitter team if an European to 110V converter block that has USB ports built in is allowed given that it doesn’t add more plugs and isn’t corded.
Zack from Royal Caribbean's social media team replied, "We do allow blocks that have multiple USB plugs, however, as it has an additional power outlet it wouldn't be permitted."
That answer seems to back up the idea that only devices that add additional USB ports but no additional power outlets is what this change is all about.
@NiceCarFather felt the reply didn't go far enough, "Is there a plan to post a list of acceptable and unacceptable chargers on the website? This is creating chaos among your customer base and we’re trying to be compliant by being informed."
The person added, "saying charging blocks are permitted doesn’t tell someone whose charging block their USB-C and 110V outlet combo isn’t ok."
In another reply, Leah from the social team wrote, "Electrical Extension Cords - including power strips/surge protected strips and multi-plug outlets are NOT allowed. We do allow the multi-plug blocks on which the outputs are for USB cables."
Based on Royal Caribbean's social team replies, it appears a USB hub that lacks any electrical outlets would be allowed, such as this Anker 6 Port USB Charging Station (contains affiliate link that costs you nothing extra, but Royal Caribbean Blog will make a small commission if you purchase the item through the link).
It takes up one electrical outlet in your cabin, while providing six new USB outlets.
A single EU to American power adaptor could also be allowed, since it does not add any new outlets.
Given how many devices people bring with them on vacation these days, having enough power outlets in a cabin has been a long-standing struggle.
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.
If you're keeping score at home, it appears Carnival Cruise Line will not add the same ban as Royal Caribbean.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald wrote on Facebook, "I read about this and we have no plans to do the same. Thank you, just remember no power strips with a surge protector are allowed."
We now know when Royal Caribbean will open up the first set of new 2026-2027 bookings.
The cruise line posted the dates the public can begin booking new cruises beyond what's currently available.
As is the case once again, Royal Caribbean will releases the new sailings in two parts: in the fall and again in the spring.
The good news is the first deployments will come out a bit earlier than usual, beginning in October.
Week of October 21, 2024
Week of October 28, 2024
Week of November 11, 2024
Week of November 18, 2024
Week of January 27, 2025
Week of February 17, 2025
Week of February 24, 2025
Week of March 31, 2025
TBD
All itineraries are subject to change without notice.
If you need help translating Royal Caribbean's code for each region, here's what you need to know.
The deployment schedule is the plan for when Royal Caribbean will open select sailings for sale.
There is no indication of which day in the given week the new sailings will go on sale. It could happen any day in that week.
Guests will commonly misconstrue the new cruises to come out on the exact day, rather than at some point during the week.
When the new sailings are available, it is common for the new itineraries to be entered into the booking system first, and the website second. This means in some cases cruises are bookable earlier if booked over the phone or with a travel agent, even if they do not appear on the website.
If you are in the market for a cruise during one of these new deployments, you will want to keep an eye out for once cruises go on sale.
Royal Caribbean typically allows Crown and Anchor Society members a 24 hour head start on the general public, but since anyone can sign up for Crown and Anchor Society, there is no excuse for waiting.
Talk with your travel agent in the days leading up to the new deployments coming online so you can jump on specific bookings and book them.
One of the best strategies for the lowest prices is to book a cruise as soon as it goes on sale. Hard-to-find staterooms are also available during this period, so now is the time to lock in a studio room or a suite.
Planning on booking a cruise in 2026-2027? These stories will help:
As hurricane and tropical storm watches go up around the Gulf Coast of Florida, Royal Caribbean has already made changes to its cruise ship plans.
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring the path of Hurricane Helene and is predicting already a category 3 storm with winds of 120-125 mph.
This would make Helene a major Category 3 storm, and it's headed north from the Yucatan peninsula through the Gulf of Mexico.
Helene was upgraded on Wednesday to a category 1 hurricane with 80-mph sustained winds. The storm was centered about 85 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, early Wednesday.
So far, Royal Caribbean has changed the four of its ships paths to avoid going anywhere near the projected path of the storm.
One of the biggest cruise ships in the world is getting re-routed to avoid Hurricane Helene.
Royal Caribbean has changed itineraries for Wonder of the Seas and she will go from a Western Caribbean sailing to an Eastern Caribbean one.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader David Elliott is on Wonder of the Seas and reported, "Captain has just announced that we will be cancelling all current stops on the Western route to go to the East route. We will be going to St. Thomas and St. Maarten."
Wonder of the Seas is sailing from Port Canaveral on a 7-night cruise that began on September 22.
Passengers sailing on the ship posted in a Facebook group their relief at the change, "And the announcement is in. Glad we will all be safe," wrote Karen Henschke.
Tim Johnson added, "Thanks Captain Rob for keeping us safe"
Rachel Majure wrote she didn't like the new itinerary includes one less port of call, "So bummed they cut out a stop."
Royal Caribbean also changed the itinerary of Serenade of the Seas.
Just like Wonder, Serenade will swap out her original Western Caribbean itinerary for something else. In this case, the ship will head to The Bahamas.
John Edwards is on Serenade and shared a copy of the letter given to passengers in their cabin.
"Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we’ve been monitoring inclement weather along our intended path due to a developing tropical storm in the Yucatan Channel. In order to stay safe and well clear of this tropical system, we have decided to head to the Eastern Caribbean instead of Western Caribbean for this sailing.
"As a result, we will skip our visits to Cozumel and Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, and visit Nassau and Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas instead. While this wasn’t the original itinerary planned, we know you’ll have a memorable time!"
Serenade will now visit Nassau, Bahamas on September 24 and Grand Bahama Island on September 25.
The September 21st sailing of Mariner of the Seas will also skip a stop in Mexico due to Helene.
While Mariner of the Seas made it to Costa Maya, Mexico on Monday, the ship will skip a visit to Cozumel in order to get clear of the area.
Guests sailing onboard the ship received a letter informing them of the change. Reddit user dawson33944 posted a copy of the letter.
"In order to stay safe and well clear of this tropical system, we have decided to skip our visit to Cozumel and enjoy a Sea Day instead," the letter read.
Mariner is scheduled to return to Galveston, Texas on Thursday.
Just like Serenade of the Seas, Royal Caribbean skipped a visit to Cozumel and will instead remain in The Bahamas.
The September 21st sailing of Independence was scheduled to be a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Cozumel and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
While the ship did make it to CocoCay, the ship will remain in The Bahamas and visit Nassau instead.
In the letters sent to guests aboard cruise ships with an altered itinerary, Royal Caribbean reminds passengers that, "being onboard is one of the safest places because we are faster and can move out of the way of any inclement weather."
Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer shared an update on X on Tuesday expressing his view on the intensity of the storm as it comes closer to the United States.
"I never say "prepare for a cat 4", just "prepare for a hurricane" but there is major hurricane possibility," he wrote.
According to Setzer, the disturbance continues to experience wind shear from an upper low over southern Mexico. This has kept quick organization of the cyclone restricted overnight.
But the models show a major storm, and the question is always where it will go. He thinks one concern is how far east it will veer and impact the Tampa Bay area with storm surge, "The members on the right/east side of the track are all notably stronger, meaning if the storm favors a more east track then it will likely be more intense. This implies significant storm surge risk to the Florida west coast including Tampa Bay."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for 41 counties along and near Florida's Gulf Coast because of threats from the storm.
Royal Caribbean has cancelled an upcoming cruise on the largest cruise ship in the world for maintenance reasons.
In a rare situation where an entire sailing is cancelled, guests booked on the cruise were informed that their voyage will not happen.
The September 28 sailing of Icon of the Seas is now cancelled. In an email to travel agents, Royal Caribbean explained, "We are currently conducting unplanned maintenance onboard Icon of the Seas."
Icon of the Seas launched earlier this year in January, and made headlines for assuming the title of world's largest cruise ship. She surpassed Wonder of the Seas in gross tonnage, passenger capacity, and length.
At maximum occupancy, she carries 7,600 guest passengers and 2,350 crew members, equaling a total occupancy of nearly 10,000 people.
Royal Caribbean did not specify what issue is affecting the ship, or any details related to any incident.
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."
The cruise line went on to apologize and explain passenger's options going forward, "As a result, we'll be cancelling our upcoming September 28, 2024, sailing. We understand the disappointment this news may bring and we're truly sorry for the impact to your vacation plans."
Icon of the Seas sails year-round from Miami, offering 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
A cancelled cruise is quite rare, and even though it's for some kind of mechanical issue, the cruise line wants to do its best to make it right.
Anyone booked on the Icon of the Seas September 28 sailing will get a 100% refund, including taxes and fees. In addition, all pre-paid packages and gratuities, amenities, and shore excursions will be refunded.
On top of the refund, Royal Caribbean will also provide a Future Cruise Credit worth 100% of the cruise fare paid to be used towards another sailing.
That means anyone on the cruise got their money back, and equivalent credit to use on another cruise.
Future Cruise Credits will be available in approximately 14 business days.
Passengers that booked flights directly through Royal Caribbean will have those flights automatically refunded. However, if they pre-purchased air and transfers independently, Royal Caribbean will reimburse any travel change fees up to $200 USD per guest for domestic travel and $400 USD per guest for international travel.
Royal Caribbean did not specify the issue the ship encountered, but the current sailing is still happening.
Reddit user ArrogantAlmond posted, "I'm on Icon now, and we just got word that we're skipping St Thomas (which was Wednesday) because the ship has maintenance issues. We have to sail slower, so we need the extra day to get back."
Royal Caribbean Blog reader Chris Hodnett also confirmed the change in a X tweet.
Guests on the current sailing of Icon of the Seas received a letter with the update.
The letter said, "The ship is currently undergoing maintenance and will sail at a reduced speed. Unplanned maintenance happens, and our teams are hard at work to quickly address."
Guests on the current sailing are receiving onboard credit equivalent to one day of the cruise fare paid.
A slower speed is usually indicative of propulsion issues the ship. It's not unheard of for a cruise ship to lose one of its engines or propellor systems (known as Azipods) that require the ship to sail at a slower speed.
The ship is still seaworthy and can get passengers safely back to port, but a slower speed means it cannot complete its itinerary in time, and perhaps that's why Royal Caribbean feels it best to keep the ship out of service for a week to make repairs.
In past examples, some ships have been able to operate at a slower speed, while others went immediately into dock for work.
Earlier this year, Radiance of the Seas had to cancel cruises because of propulsion problems that slowed the ship.
In 2023, Anthem of the Seas adjusted her speed as a result of engine problems and was able to continue operating. Oasis of the Seas also had a similar issue around the same time.
In the case of Oasis, work was done while the ship kept operating with her other engines.
While Royal Caribbean decided to take Icon of the Seas out of service, cruise ships are designed with redundancy in mind.
Cruise ships have multiple engines, and often not all engines are running even when there are no issues. This allows the ship to give engines a break, and have backups when a situation like this arises.
In most cases, the ship is able to continue operating safely, albeit at a reduced speed.
Royal Caribbean's highest loyalty program tier offers the very best onboard perks a cruiser can get.
Pinnacle Club requires 700 points to reach, and it's 525 points more than the next tier down. It may seem like a lifetime of cruises away to reach the level, but every time I cruise, I'm grateful to have made it.
I have taken almost 100 cruises with Royal Caribbean, and accumulated over 800 points within the Crown & Anchor Society. My point total is pretty small compared to most other Pinnacles I know, but it still counts!
Read more: How to earn Crown & Anchor points quicker
I was never one to cruise just for loyalty status, but the benefits as you get towards the top are undeniably nice to have. Royal Caribbean's benefits offer easy ways to save time and money, and it's difficult to imagine cruising without them.
Here's a glimpse at the exclusive perks that come with Pinnacle Club membership.
One thing that changed a lot when I moved from Diamond Plus to Pinnacle is you truly feel like you're cruising first class, even when you're not in a giant suite.
Royal Caribbean grants Pinnacle Club members priority boarding with suite guests, which means you have a special boarding line and lounge area in the cruise terminal. When it comes time to board the cruise, you're among the first to board too.
Once onboard the ship, Pinnacles are allowed access to the Suite Lounge for the duration of the cruise (assuming there aren't too many onboard). This is a less busy alternative to the Crown Lounge, and also comes with great views too.
Access to Coastal Kitchen on the new ships is a tremendous benefit too, as it adds a new complimentary restaurant choice. I've started eating more often at Coastal Kitchen than I ever did when I stayed in a suite. Maybe it's because of the added value, or maybe it's because they have French onion soup on the dinner menu every night. You decide.
Pinnacles have the option of wear a gold name tag that's given to them when the turn Pinnacle. Personally, I've never worn it, but many Pinnacles swear by it because they notice enhanced service from crew members.
I think my gold colored SeaPass card for being Pinnacle stands out enough, but you can't deny it crew members tend to do a double take when they see you're Pinnacle.
Just like embarkation, the suite concierge will escort you off the ship on the final day of the cruise, and you'll get luggage tags for the first group too.
As a Pinnacle Club member, you'll get invited to various events during your cruise. Depending on your sailing length, there can be different events to choose from.
On my most recent sailing on Anthem of the Seas in Europe, I was invited to a Pinnacle lunch event where we had a group meal with other Pinnacles onboard and the chance to meet the officers.
Known as "Cheers with an officer", it's basically the Chops Grille lunch served in the Main Dining Room, and since everyone is a Pinnacle Club member, there are a lot of "war stories" being shared among big time cruisers.
Topics of discussion included favorite itineraries, upcoming cruises booked, and pretty much anything relevant happening in cruising right now. It's like a super cruiser discussion thread in real life.
Pinnacles are also invited to other events, such as behind the scenes tours, Top Tier events, and more.
It's optional to attend any of them, but going adds a dimension of community you won't find at the other tiers.
I thought getting 4 free drinks a day as a Diamond member was nice, but having 6 as Pinnacle makes a big difference.
Royal Caribbean gives free drink vouchers to use at any bar, restaurant or lounge every day of the cruise. It's an incredible benefit:
My kids get free drinks too, albeit they're at Diamond Plus level.
Since moving up to Pinnacle Club, I haven't bought a drink package since turning Pinnacle because I get so much value from my free drinks (and casino benefits).
Even if I use up all my drink vouchers for the day and pay out of pocket for 3 or 4 drinks, I'm still saving money compared to a Royal Caribbean drink package.
If you think once you hit Pinnacle that you max out the rationale to continue cruising with Royal Caribbean, think again.
Besides wanting to take advantage of the added perks I already mentioned, Royal Caribbean will continue giving Pinnacles free cruises in the future.
When you hit 700 points, you'll get a free seven night cruise to the Caribbean in a balcony cabin to use. If you choose a cruise that matches all three of those conditions, then the base cruise fare is free except for port fees, taxes and gratuity.
If you want something else, then you have the choice to take a $2400 value to use towards any cruise, which means you could upgrade to a suite, or do a 9-night cruise, or simply sail elsewhere in the world.
You'll get another free cruise every 350 points after that, which means there's a good reason to keep going. For example: 700, 1050, 1400, 1750, 2100, et al.
Royal Caribbean recently updated its status matching with sister line Celebrity Cruises, and the result is incredible.
I just sailed on Celebrity Reflection and was granted full Zenith level membership, which is Celebrity's top loyalty level.
I was given a complimentary premium drink package, premium one-device wifi package, access to The Retreat (suite lounge), priority embarkation/disembarkation, and more.
I was blown away by how lucrative being a Zenith member is, and I got it all simply for being a Pinnacle Club member.
I sailed on Celebrity Apex last year before the status matching change, and the updated benefits make sailing on Celebrity so much more tantalizing.
Moving up to Pinnacle means you not only reach the top level of Royal Caribbean, but also Celebrity. That adds a major bonus to the value.
While I don't think chasing loyalty status is a good reason to cruise, I can't deny I've enjoyed the benefits that have come with being Pinnacle.
In short, it's made me feel more valued by the cruise line for my loyalty, and meeting other Pinnacles has been a real highlight.
I think the benefits you get at Diamond are plenty good on their own, but if you find down the line getting closer to that 700 point threshold, it might make sense to think about a strategy to get there given how nice these added perks have been for me.