Explore the hidden benefits of cruising outside peak travel periods, such as fewer crowds, better deals, and unique itineraries.

You can take a cruise vacation throughout the year, but there are some great advantages to going during a less busy time.

According to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, he expects cruise prices to go up over the next few years, which means finding a lower fare cost will become more difficult.

One strategy to go on a cruise while spending less is to book a cruise in the off season or shoulder season.

I always book a few Caribbean cruises in September or October because there are lower prices. The combination of peak hurricane season and kids restarting school brings a welcome price dip after the busy summer season.

All forms of travel see ebbs and flows, and going when others cannot travel is a top strategy for getting a better deal.

No matter where in the world you want to take a cruise, you'll find times of the year when demand wanes and that's good for consumers.

Here's a look at the hidden benefits of cruising outside peak travel periods.

When are off season cruises?

Depending on which region of the world you want to take a cruise, there are a few months to target for off peak demand.

One common thread among all off season times is the fact that school is in session. Family cruising is a big component to cruise demand.  Even if the kids aren't going on the cruise, a lot of parents skip vacations because they are unwilling to pull them out for a trip.

The shoulder season and off peak times to cruise by region are:

• Caribbean: September and October, January, May
• Alaska: May or September
• Europe: April, May, September, October
• Australia: October, November, March, and April

Read more: When is the best time to go on a cruise?

In the Caribbean, cruising during hurricane season (especially after August) is a double edged sword.  On the one hand, you'll get better prices than earlier in the summer. However, you run a higher your itinerary being modified or completely changed because of a tropical storm.

Don't worry, your ship will avoid the worst of any storm, if there is a hurricane present. Royal Caribbean actually has its own meteorologist on staff to provide expert guidance of where ships should go if there are any weather issues.

Better deals

If you take a cruise during any of these months, there's consistently lower prices. It's even when you might be able to find a last minute cruise deal.

In general, pricing tends to be lower for an off season cruise because less people want to sail.  It could be because of school or work schedules, or cooler temperatures.

If you're very flexible, you could watch Royal Caribbean's Going, Going, Gone rates for a super last minute deal.  I find consistently every year great prices on Alaska cruises in September or European cruises in October and November. However, it requires you to be nimble in the booking process.

When you compare the price of a summer season sailing vs one earlier or later, it could save you hundreds of dollars.

As an example, a 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska on Anthem of the Seas September 5, 2025 starts at $811 per person, whereas the same cruise on July 11, 2025 starts at $1235 per person.

That's $2,469.68 for two people in July vs $1,621.88 in September. And that's just for an inside cabin, which will cost more since a lot of people prefer a balcony on an Alaska cruise.

You'll often find Kids Sail Free deals on a cruise during these lower demand times, which can really rack up savings for families.

Off season cruising has other financial benefits beyond the cruise fare.

There's a good chance your flights will be cheaper too, as peak summer pricing affects airfare just as much as cruise fare. Ditto for hotels for a pre- or post-cruise stay.

If you happen to go during the tail end of a season (September in Alaska or Europe), you may find deals on end of season merchandise too.

Smaller crowds

I love going to Alaska in May or Europe in September because of how uncrowded the places your ship visits will be.

While saving money is indeed a great reason to pick an off season cruise, I think the lower crowd numbers is the best reason.

What you'll discover during the shoulder seasons is there are fewer ships, as well as fewer land tourists to contend with. This means less people in your port, and shorter waits for museums, natural wonders, tours, and more.

In Alaska it's very apparent the difference between a cruise in June vs July when you walk into a port like Sitka or Skagway and notice far fewer tourists.

With smaller crowds, you can do more with less wait and my satisfaction rate with the experience is much better.

Unique itineraries

Another advantage of going on a cruise at the very beginning or very end of the cruise season are the special sailings you can book.

Seasonal cruise markets have to move ships into position, and then return them at the conclusion of their time there.  This means cruise lines will offer repositioning cruises that begin in one region, and end in a different one.

You could sail from Australia to Hawaii, or Hawaii to Vancouver.  There are also transatlantic crossings that feel like the classic ocean liner voyages of the past.

These cruises visit ports not usually included on a typical sailing, and in some cases it's the only opportunity to go to these places on a cruise ship.

Plus, repositioning cruises are longer cruises, which means they tend to be cheaper per night than other cruises and it's a great way to earn more loyalty program points.

Drink packages are such a popular cruise add-on, but they've also never been more expensive. This has lead to a growing trend of cruisers opting out of them and looking for other options.

You can expect to pay at least $100 per person, per day for a Royal Caribbean drink package if you buy it on your ship. And while there are discounts off that price if you buy it before the sailing begins, it still represents a major upfront cost.

For a 7-night cruise on the world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, the Deluxe Beverage costs $85.99 per person, per day if purchased on the Cruise Planner site. That comes out to $601.93 per person or $1,420.44 for a couple after adding gratuities, as all adults in a cabin need to buy a drink package if one does.

"Price of the deluxe package is absolutely out of control," wrote Stuart Etheridge on a Facebook post discussing the drink packages.

Brian Levor added, "With the package around $700 per person for a week, or single measured shots on the rocks $14+20%, it's just not worth it to me."

With such a high cost, some cruisers are seeking alternative strategies for enjoying drinks on board without overspending.

Here's what people that cruise a lot are doing instead of buying a costly beverage package.

Relying on rewards drinks

Those lucky enough to have cruised a lot already fall back on their daily drink vouchers.

If you reach Diamond level in Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean gives you 4 drink vouchers per day to use at any bar, lounge, or restaurant.

If you do the math and assume you'll use each of the vouchers for a drink worth $13 each, you'll save about $50 per day on drinks by relying on them exclusively.

Tony Diaz posted in the Royal Caribbean Dining Facebook group, "Use my 5 diamond drinks," and it echoed what a lot of other people said.

Ron Williams wrote, "I’m Diamond Plus, so I don’t get a drink package."

Michalena Vitucci also doesn't see a need to buy a drink package because of the vouchers, "Diamond points so never needed a drink package .. between my husband and I that’s 8 free drinks a day so we never needed to look into other options."

While the Diamond drink vouchers are indeed a fantastic benefit, the downside to this strategy is it won't help new cruisers at all.

In order to make it to Diamond, you need to have at least 80 cruise points.

Drink for free in the casino

A growing trend among cruisers is qualifying for the Prime status in Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty program.

To reach prime, you'll need to accumulate 2500 points between April 1 and March 31. Once you do, you can enjoy unlimited drinks at the casino bar on any Royal Caribbean ship. It even comes with a free cruise too.

While you can only get free drinks at one bar, it provides a tremendous cost savings opportunity considering it will work on any cruise you take while you still have Prime status.

Veteran cruisers that are also Diamond members love to combine the casino drinks with their aforementioned Diamond drinks to truly get the best value from their loyalty.

The downside to the free drinks in the casino is you first need to gamble enough to qualify.  Each casino point is equivalent to about $5 wagered, so there's a higher barrier to entry. Plus, gambling is addictive and despite the rules, the casino on Royal Caribbean ships tends to become a defacto smoker's lounge.

Pay as you go

Instead of a costly drink package, many cruisers are opting to pay as they go.

Drinks can be purchased on a Royal Caribbean cruise a la carte, and it's what everyone did prior to the introduction of drink packages.

The advantage of paying for each individual drink is if you're not much of a drinker.  Charging two or three drinks per day to your SeaPass card is going to be cheaper overall than a beverage package.

Plus, you can take advantage of drink specials and even the occasional free drink around the ship.

"I only have 1 drink per day typically. I’m not a big drinker and prefer water or iced tea," wrote Jeannie Grant.

Kevin Lewis added, "If I really want to have a couple drinks it's not gonna add up as much as the drink package." He also pointed out drinking at bars in the ports of call the ship visits is cheaper.

There's also a psychological effect of not having a drink package, as explained by Ken Kerby, "[I'll] drink less since I won’t be trying to make the most of what I already paid for."

The problem with paying as you go instead of a drink package is that your bar tab can quickly grow out of control if you get carried away.

Hope for a drink card to be offered

On some sailings, Royal Caribbean will offer a drink card that can only be purchased onboard the ship.

The drink card is a punch card that you can buy for a flat fee and it includes 10 drinks per card. It has the same allowances as a drink package, with drinks up to $13/$14 value on beer, wine, soda, or cocktails.

 Plus, you can share the drink card with other guests (unlike the drink package).

"On the Wonder last week you could get a card for 10 alcohol drinks for $90 or $106 with gratuities," wrote Amy Greive.

The problem with a drink card is there is no way to know if it will be offered on your cruise at all. That's because the ship's revenue department will offer it if alcohol sales are not meeting the goal for that voyage.

If it is offered, it's usually towards the end of the cruise.  This makes it impossible to plan or budget for prior to it showing up.

BYOB drinks

A smart idea for any cruiser is to bring non-alcoholic beverages with them onboard, as Royal Caribbean allows up to 12 bottles/cans of water, juice, or soft drinks.

Not only can you bring your own drinks, you could also bring water drink mixes to enhance the flavor of the water included with your cruise fare. (Contains an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use).

Amy Burch wrote, "I bring those Mio flavor water enhancers to add to both tap water and lemonade on the ship."

You're also allowed to bring one bottle of wine per adult on the ship, providing a great alternative for light drinkers.

Book a suite

Royal Caribbean includes beer, wine, and cocktails during certain hours while in the Suite Lounge.

If you're booked in a Grand Suite or higher, Royal Caribbean includes admission to the Suite Lounge, where you can enjoy a happy hour selection of drinks, every day of the cruise.

Depending on the Royal Caribbean ship class you sail on, the hours vary for when you can get free drinks in the lounge.

• Icon & Oasis Class ships: Beer and wine available 11am to 11pm; Happy hour with all drinks for 3 hours in the evening
• All other ships: Happy hour with all drinks for 3 hours in the evening. Hours vary by ship.

The problem with this strategy is it's only available for a few hours each evening, and only in the Suite Lounge.  It's not convenient if you're elsewhere on the ship and/or outside of the time window.

When you pack for a Royal Caribbean cruise, you may want to bring all the comforts of home so that your stay at sea is just like being on land, but you should be aware there are some important rules about what you cannot bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

For the safety and well-being of all guests, certain items are prohibited from being brought on a cruise, and it will save you time (and embarrassment) by being aware of what you can and cannot bring on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

During the check-in process, security will scan all luggage (both checked and carry-on), and if they spot an item that meets the criteria, they can confiscate it and return it to you after the cruise concludes.

Illegal drugs

While it may not surprise you that illegal drugs and substances are banned from Royal Caribbean, CBD oil and CBD products are also prohibited. 

Even if you have a legally prescribed dose of marijuana, you cannot bring or smoke pot, edibles, cartridges onboard. Medicinal use is not permitted, and can result in serious legal troubles since Federal drug laws apply.

Alcohol

While Royal Caribbean does allow you to bring one bottle of wine per adult, any other alcohol is strictly forbidden.

Any alcohol you purchase onboard the ship or in a port will be stored by Royal Caribbean, and then returned to you on the last day onboard to be brought home.

Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned.

You are also allowed to bring small quantities of non-alcoholic beverages in a carry-on or hand luggage onboard only on boarding day. Specifically, non-alcoholic beverages brought onboard may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz) cans, bottles or cartons per stateroom. Distilled water or specialized beverages such as, milk for medical purposes, dietary or infant use, are permitted.

Weapons

All firearms and weapons, parts, ammunition, explosives and incendiary devices are all prohibited from being brought on Royal Caribbean.

This includes (but not limited to): 

• Rifles
• Shotguns
• Pistols
• Revolvers
• All their components

Royal Caribbean specifies that guns, replicas, and ammunition are also not allowed onboard:

• Guns, operational or replicas
• Ammunition of all types
• BB Guns
• Compressed air guns, including paint ball guns
• Flare guns
• Gun lighters
• Gun / firearms parts
• Pellet guns
• Spear guns
• Starter pistols
• Realistic replicas of firearms
• All their components

Any kind of explosive is prohibited from going on a cruise ship.

• Blasting Caps
• Dynamite
• Fireworks
• Hand Grenades
• Plastic Explosives
• Bomb Making Components
• Replicas of Explosives
• Gun Powder

Sharp objects

Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.

You also cannot bring any knives with a blade length of four (4) inches or greater.

These types of knives are not allowed either:

• Knives that are concealed or disguised as other commonplace objects
• Knives that incorporate locking blades
• Flick knives, automatic knife, push-button knife, ejector knife, or switch blade
• Sharp objects
  • Box Cutters
  • Ice Picks / Ice Axes
  • Meat Cleavers
  • Razor-type blades, such as box cutters utility knives and razor blades not in cartridge (Note: shaving safety razors are allowed.)
  • Sabers
  • Swords and Fencing Foils

Recreational diving knives are also still allowed but must be held in the custody of the Chief Security Officer.

Guests can purchase Alaskan Ulu knives while on their Alaska cruise, but must keep it in their stateroom and not bring it to public areas. 

Things that can catch on fire

Fire is a major threat to cruise ships, so anything that can generate a flame is prohibited.

Nothing with an open flame or heating element is allowed, except for hair curling irons and hair dryers.

This includes:

• Candles
• Clothing Irons
• Travel Steamer
• Hot Plates
• Incense & Burners
• Tea Cup Immersion Heaters
• Aerosols, except for personal care toiletries which are permitted
• Fuels, including cooking fuels and any flammable liquids
• Gasoline
• Gas Torches
• Lighter Fluid
• Flares
• Flammable Paints
• Turpentine & Paint Thinner
• Realistic Replicas of Incendiaries
• Hookahs & Water Hookah Pipes
• Car batteries
• Hoverboards
• Extension Cords and Multi-Plug Outlets/ Power Strips

You can't bring your tools on a ship

You'll have to leave your tool belt at home.

Royal Caribbean won't allow these handy items to be brought on a ship:

• Axes & Hatchets
• Cattle Prods
• Hammers
• Drills and Drill Bits
• Saws
• Other Tools (such as wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers) greater than seven (7) inches in length

Self-defense items

Martial arts and self defense items should remain in the dojo.

• Billy Clubs
• Black Jacks
• Brass Knuckles
• Kubatons
• Mace / Pepper Spray
• Martial Arts Weapons
• Night Sticks
• Nunchakus
• Stun Guns / Shocking Devices
• Throwing Stars
• Handcuffs
• Bows & Arrows

Sporting goods

You are allowed to bring sporting goods and equipment, but it cannot be used, displayed or carried in the public areas at all.

These are meant to be used as part of a shore excursion or activity on land.

This includes:

• Baseball bats
• Cricket bats
• Hockey sticks
• Skateboards
• Surf boards
• Golf clubs
• Bicycles

Chemicals

The following items or those similar are not permitted onboard:

• Chlorine
• Bleach
• Spray Paint
• Tear Gas
• Transformers
• Electrical Extension Cords
• Spillable Batteries (Note: Wheelchair batteries are permitted)
• Small Compressed Gas Cartridges
• Fire Extinguishers
• Other Compressed Gas Cylinders (Note: Dive tanks are permitted if they are empty; Medical gas bottles are also permitted)
• HAM Radios

Food

You can bring packaged dry snacks (e.g., chips, nuts, candy, etc.), but cannot bring food cooked from home or a restaurant.

The issue is due to public health policies related to any potentially hazardous foods (PHFs) or cooked food from restaurants or private homes, raw foods, etc.

If you are looking for the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship, how do you pick the perfect one from all the rankings?

Royal Caribbean offers cruises around the world on almost 30 ships, each that promises a great family vacation. Utopia of the Seas is the newest ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, but does that make it the best ship? Is the oldest ship necessarily the worst ship?

Determining the best ship means finding the right ship for your personal tastes, budget and who is cruising with you.

Royal Caribbean prides itself on a consistent experience across all of its ships, but they aren't carbon copies of each other either.

Top 10 best Royal Caribbean ships ranked

1. Icon of the Seas
2. Wonder of the Seas
3. Odyssey of the Seas
4. Utopia of the Seas
5. Freedom of the Seas
6. Oasis of the Seas
7. Symphony of the Seas
8. Mariner of the Seas
9. Harmony of the Seas
10. Anthem of the Seas

Read more: Royal Caribbean ships by age

Icon of the Seas

Icon of the Seas has been sailing for less than a year, and it's hard to overlook this ship if you are cruising with a family.

Icon of the Seas is  a game changer for families, and it has enough onboard to rival any land resort. It also packs in just about every new idea Royal Caribbean has to offer it's most complete cruise ship to date.

Being the biggest ship in the world, means there is more space for the activities and things to do that will keep children and adults busy all cruise long.

Royal Caribbean has designed this ship to cater more to families than ever before.

You'll find new categories of cabins with parents and kids in mind. More than 70% of all rooms onboard Icon of the Seas will have balconies, and  82% of rooms have a high occupancy of 3 or more guests, which is more than double the Oasis Class ships.

Royal Caribbean also dedicated an entire neighborhood of the ship to families, known as Surfside.  Surfside is the ultimate stay-all-day neighborhood that has pools for kids and parents, family-friendly restaurants, and bars that have mocktails for the kids and cocktails for the adults.

Icon of the Seas is home to the largest water park at sea, Category 6, where you will find six recording breaking slides, including the first family raft slides at sea: Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter. 

Royal Caribbean is building at least two more Icon Class ships that will also begin cruises over the next few years.

Oasis Class

Best ship: Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas or Oasis of the Seas

These are the largest cruise ships in the world, and they simply offer the latest and greatest that Royal Caribbean is known for onboard.

The six Oasis Class ships (with an unnamed 7th ship eventually joining the fleet sometime in 2028), have FlowRider surf simulators, zip lining, rock climbing, waterslides, clubs, specialty and complimentary restaurants and scenic evening strolls.

There is no shortage of things to do on an Oasis Class ship, including waterslides, Ultimate Abyss slide, two FlowRiders, mini-golf, zip line and more.

There are seven neighborhoods (eight on Utopia & Wonder of the Seas) on an Oasis Class ship, including Central Park outdoor space and the seaside-inspired Boardwalk. 

The shows on an Oasis Class ship are the best in the fleet, with three different theaters offering entertainment throughout your cruise. Watch a full Broadway show (such as Mamma Mia or Hairspray), check out the thrills of the AquaTheater performances, and be dazzled by ice shows in Studio B.

Oasis Class ships also have the most dining options of any Royal Caribbean ship, such as Chops Steakhouse, Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, Portside BBQ, classic Italian and much more.

Where they sail: Wonder of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises that include stops at the private destination of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Some years, one Oasis Class ship sails from Europe for the summer.

Utopia of the Seas sails from Port Canaveral, Florida and only offers short 3- and 4-night cruises. 

Quantum Class

Best ship: Anthem of the Seas or Odyssey of the Seas

The newest class of Royal Caribbean ship does not compromise on entertainment, dining, or things to do with the Quantum Class ships.

Looking for some incredible things to do on a cruise ship? How about a skydiving simulator, or smash bumper cars into your fellow guest vehicles.  Then there is the observation capsule that takes you 300 feet in the air for breathtaking, 360-degree views. 

The Quantum Class ships are the only ones that feature Two70, which is a large circular space at the back of the ship where you will not only find a great view of the ocean, but also floor-to-ceiling screens that can transform the space along with their Roboscreen technology.

Music Hall is the perfect venue for anyone that loves live music performances, where cover bands perform and you can dance the night away.

The Royal Esplanade is located in the center of the ship and features dining and shopping opportunities.

Where they sail: Anthem of the Seas is in Europe for summer 2024 and will move to Singapore for a short season before alternating between Australia and Alaska cruises.

Spectrum of the Seas sails in Asia.

Odyssey of the Seas splits her time between winter cruises from Florida to the Caribbean, and summer cruises in Europe around the Mediterranean.

Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas sail to Alaska in the summer, and then spend the other part of the year in Australia.

Freedom Class

Best ship: Freedom of the Seas or Independence of the Seas

One of the most versatile cruise ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet, the Freedom Class vessels combine large size with lots to do onboard. In fact, the Freedom Class ships have been upgraded in the last few years with waterslides and other new features onboard.

You will find Splashaway Bay aquapark for kids on all three ships, along with Perfect Storm waterslides on Independence and Freedom. Liberty of the Seas has her own set of water slides, including the only ship to feature a boomerang slide.

If you are looking for dining, Independence has Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi and Fish & Ships, a poolside eatery where guests can grab quintessentially British seaside treats. Freedom of the Seas launched the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen specialty restaurant concept in the fleet, that features made-to-order pizzas, freshly made pastas and a wide selection of wines and limoncellos.

All three ships offer great shows onboard, including ice skating performances in Studio B.  Independence of the Seas has its own Broadway show with Grease, while Liberty of the Seas has Saturday Night Fever Broadway show.

Where they sail: Independence of the Seas sails four and five night cruises the Caribbean from Miami.

Liberty of the Seas sails from New York in summer 2024 to Canada and Bermuda, before moving to Fort Lauderdale to offer short 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas.

Freedom of the Seas is homeported in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she offers 7-night Caribbean cruises. In 2025, Freedom will offer weekend cruises from Miami.

Voyager Class

Best ship: Navigator of the Seas or Mariner of the Seas

One of the best values in Royal Caribbean is the Voyager Class ships. These multifaceted vessels are a great choice for first-time cruisers, as well as anyone on a limited budget.  They are still "big ships" and offer plenty to do onboard, but at a fraction of the price of their mega ship sister vessels.

The Voyager Class is perhaps the most varied ships in the fleet, as the Royal Amplification process has added so many new and different options to these ships.

Mariner and Navigator of the Seas received the most striking changes in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Navigator has The Blaster aqua coaster, the longest waterslide at sea, and Riptide, the industry’s only head-first mat racer waterslide. Both ships also now feature Battle for Planet Z and Royal Escape Room: The Observatorium.

There are plenty of other additions to both vessels, including hibachi on Mariner and Hooked Seafood specialty restaurant on Navigator. Both ships have a Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, as well as a Bamboo Room Polynessian-themed bar.

The other Voyager Class ships also have their own share of fun onboard, including a FlowRider surf simulator, mini-golf, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and shows each evening. Adventure of the Seas has its own set of water slides that were added a few years ago.

Where they sail: Mariner of the Seas offers Caribbean cruises of various length from Port Canaveral.

Navigator of the Seas is homeported from Los Angeles, where she sails short cruises to Ensenada, Mexico, as well as 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises.

The other Voyager Class ships move around a bit more, offering cruises around the world. Adventure of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral in winter 2024-2025.

Explorer of the Seas also splits time between North America and Europe, with cruises from Rome in the summer, and Port Canaveral in the winter.

Voyager of the Seas offers cruises from Port Canaveral.

Radiance Class

Best ship: Brilliance of the Seas or Serenade of the Seas

An underrated, yet impressive class of ships is the Radiance Class ships that combine sleek elegance with varied itineraries around the world.

Just because they are smaller than other ships, does not mean they compromise on the fun onboard. Royal Caribbean added new features and amenities to these ships, and you will find an outdoor movie screen, full-scale entertainment productions in the three-story theater, and plenty of restaurants, bars, clubs and lounges.

Radiance class ships are popular with Royal Caribbean veterans for their elegant offerings and relaxing atmosphere. In fact, Radiance Class ships have one of the best adults-only Solarium areas across the entire fleet.

Where they sail: The Radiance Class ships are world travelers, offering lots of places to visit. Brilliance of the Seas spends her winters in Tampa with short sailings to the Caribbean, along with cruises from Boston and Miami.

You can cruise on Jewel of the Seas from Amsterdam to Northern Europe in the summer, while choosing between cruises from Galveston to the Caribbean.

Radiance of the Seas offers some really interesting cruises, including open-jaw sailings (one-way) to Alaska in the summer.  She then transitions to Australia and sails the South Pacific.

Serenade of the Seas will offer cruises to the Caribbean from Tampa.

Vision Class

Best ship: Grandeur of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas

Royal Caribbean uses the Vision Class ships to offer cruises to the most exotic locations around, because they can fit almost anywhere.

Like the Radiance Class, Vision Class ships still offer plenty to do onboard and have amenities such as a rock climbing wall, great pool deck, poolside movie screen, specialty dining and a grand Atrium area.

The lounges on these ships are equally impressive, and many repeat cruisers love the warm and thoughtful staff onboard these ships.

Where they sail: Vision of the Seas offers cruises in the winter from Fort Lauderdale, and Barcelona in the summer.

Rhapsody of the Seas calls Tampa and Venice/Ravenna, Italy home, with cruises to the Western Caribbean and Greek Isles.

Vision of the Seas sails year-round from Baltimore to Canada/New England, Bahamas, and Bermuda.

Enchantment of the Seas (the last Royal Caribbean ship to be stretched) offers cruises from Tampa to the Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas sails from Port Everglades and offers primarily long sailings to the Southern Caribbean.

What should you look for in the best cruise ship?

When you want to find the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship for you, the key is to understand what the ship offers and what it does not offer, and then weigh that against how much it will cost you.

Some important considerations you should look at in any ship is what it offers in:

• Kids Programming
• Signature activities (waterslides, Broadway shows, thrill attractions, open spaces, et al)
• Where it is sailing

If you want a never ending array of "things to do," then lean towards taking a cruise on the larger ships.  

If your idea of a good time is lounging by the pool and exploring the ports of call you visit, then any size ship will be fine.

The important thing to remember is to figure out if the ship you are looking at has a FlowRider, particular specialty restaurant or something else important to you onboard the ship.

The best ship depends on you

Picking the best ship is a lot like picking out the best movie or best restaurant: it is a subjective choice based on a variety of factors that every person weighs differently.

Since no one likes to hear that the answer is "it depends", here is as objective a breakdown as possible of what to look for in the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Amenities, activities, and accommodations

At the heart of any cruise ship is what the ship offers onboard, and where you will call home during your vacation.

Royal Caribbean's cruise ships have four basic types of staterooms: inside, oceanview, balcony and suite cabins. These types of cruise cabins offer varying amount of living space and luxuries, and the some ships have more impressive cabins than others. 

Ultimately, the decision for which room you want is a question of what you can afford, but the larger and newer ships tend to offer the most expansive and luxurious accommodations.

What you do onboard is what makes Royal Caribbean stand out, and you will find various signature activities, fun things to do and multitudes of dining choices across an expansive layout.

Each cruise ship is made up of a different combination of onboard offerings and over the last decade, Royal Caribbean has varied these amenities considerably from ship to ship. So it behooves you to figure out which are the most important and pick the right ship for you.

My recommendations for the best ships

If you just want to know which ships I think might be best for certain people, here are my top picks for best Royal Caribbean ships.

• Best ships for new cruisers and families: Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas or Utopia of the Seas
• Best ship if on a budget: Mariner of the Seas or Navigator of the Seas
• Best ship if you don't care about crazy activities: Brilliance of the Seas or Serenade of the Seas
• Best combination of value (price for what you get): Freedom of the Seas or Mariner of the Seas
• Matt's favorite ships: Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas

If you're looking for the sweet spot of Royal Caribbean loyalty program perks, it's right at the Diamond level.

At the Diamond level, you qualify for four free drinks per day of your cruise, and that is very lucrative. For a lot of cruisers, the complimentary drink vouchers are a defacto drink package and can save hundreds of dollars on every cruise.  

Plus, there's also a free day of WiFi, access to the Crown Lounge, and more that comes with being a Diamond member.

Royal Caribbean gives all of its repeat cruisers discounts, special offers, and even freebies to reward their allegiance to the cruise line. By far, the most lucrative benefits begin when you reach the Diamond tier, which requires 80 cruise points.

Read more: Best cruises to maximize your Crown & Anchor perks

Every cruise point represents a night on a ship, although there are some ways to get more points quicker. If you want to get to Diamond as fast as possible, there are a few good strategies to get you there beyond simply booking a bunch of cruises.

Book suites instead of regular cabins

Royal Caribbean will give you an extra cruise point per night if you book any suite, including Junior Suites.

Moving up from one point per night to two points will cut the number of nights you need to cruise in order to reach Diamond, and it's the simplest approach.

Staying in a suite means you can bring your family with you as per normal, but instead of a lower category cabin, you move up to a suite.

As you might guess, staying in a suite will cost you more money. However, if you're flexible, I've found the price difference to move up to Junior Suite or Grand Suite is not as egregiously expensive as you might think.

One thing to watch out for is RoyalUp, which allows you to bid for a stateroom upgrade.

If you win a bid to move up from a lower category cabin (i.e. balcony) to a suite, you will not get double points.

Go on a cruise solo

You can also earn an extra cruise point per night if you happen to cruise alone in a cabin.

Because cruise ship cabins are sold on a double occupancy basis, Royal Caribbean will give solo cruisers more points because they're effectively paying for a second person due to the single supplement fee.

There are two things to look out for when cruising solo in order to get that extra point.

First, studio cabins don't qualify for the extra point. These are cruise ship rooms specifically designed for solo travelers. As such, they don't have the single supplement fee or the double points.

Second, to get that extra point, you need to book the original reservation as a solo cruiser. This means you cannot book the cruise with someone else on the reservation and then later drop them or have them not show up for the cruise at all while still booked.

It used to not matter, but Royal Caribbean began enforcing that rule recently.

Combine the two strategies

If you really want to get to Diamond status as fast as possible, then I'd recommend booking a suite as a solo cruiser.

When you stay in a suite by yourself, you'll earn 3 points per night. This is the most points you can earn per night on any cruise.

If you were to employ this strategy on a 7-night cruise, you would earn 21 points from that sailing.

Taking it one step further, you could book two cabins for your family and book one adult in one cabin solo. This way you can accrue 3 points per night while still going on a cruise with your family.

Alternatively, you could book two separate standard cabins and at least earn double points for one of the adults.

In either scenario, make sure the adult with the most Crown and Anchor points is the one booked in the cabin alone.

In case you're wondering, the cruise line doesn't care where you sleep, so you can book two rooms, but sleep together in the same room.

How much money can Diamond status save you?

While the four free drinks per day are probably the best benefit you can get from being a Diamond member, there are many more great perks too.

The four free drinks you get add up to $56 per day. And don't forget, that's per person because everyone in your immediate family gets the same status.

The free day of WiFi access is equivalent to the $29.99 cost for a 24-hour pass.

You'll also get $6 of free play in the casino. You never know, that could end up generating a lot more money for you, but let's assume $6.

There are a number of coupons to apply to drinks. You'll need to specify them when you order, but it adds up.

• 50% off any two glasses of wine, beer or soda when purchased together: $7 x 2 = $14
• 50% off any two Johnny Rockets Milkshakes: $4.50
• 20% off any glass of wine, beer or soda: $1.38
• Receive one free non-alcoholic specialty coffee with the purchase of one Specialty Restaurant dinner: $8.95

Finally, there are shopping and service discounts you can get by being a Diamond member.

• 20% off any Spa Service (excluding Medi-Spa): $19.80 (60 minute Swedish massage)
• 15% off RCCL Logo Products (must spend $25): $3.75
• One free Photo: $19.99
• 10% off a Photo Package or Photobook: $19.90
• $5 off a $25 Dry Clean or Press: $5
• $10 off a $34.99 Wash & Fold Laundry Bag (5+ night sailings): $10
• Receive a discounted Stateroom Phone rate of $2 per minute: $5.95 per minute savings x 2 = $11.90

If you took advantage of every single Diamond discount given to you on a sailing, you could save $175.17 per person. Not every benefit will likely be used, but there are at least a few that most people should be able to take advantage of on every sailing.

Stepping stone to the top tiers

Once you make it to Diamond, I think you'll find it a gateway tier to the best perks Royal Caribbean can offer.

Many cruisers point to attaining Diamond status as a key milestone in their cruising journey because of the benefits it adds.

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There are a few common, but avoidable, mistakes that new cruisers tend to make and I bet if you ever did them, you'd never make the same one again.

There are so many lists of travel mistakes people make during the cruise, from minor gaffes to major problems.

As an example, getting sun burned is something that happens to the best of us, no matter how many times you swear it will never happen again.

However, I think there are a few blunders that if you made them, you'd almost certainly never make again.

Fly in same day your cruise sets sail

The worst mistake you can make is never making it to your cruise ship at all because you were delayed arriving.

A lot of travelers will fly to the city their cruise ship departs from, but unfortunately flights get cancelled or delayed. If that happens to you and you miss the ship, you paid for a cruise you won't actually go on.

The boarding window on the first day is limited, and the ship will not wait for you if your flight plans cause you to be late.

Moreover, you're not entitled to a refund from the cruise line because of that situation.

On the Royal Caribbean message boards, twangster illustrated how recently two separate groups  at the Seattle airport missed their cruise because they tried to fly in the same day it began.

"Yesterday as I was in the process of working with a gate agent to find new alternatives for a delayed Seattle flight I saw two separate groups explaining to other gate agents they are going on an Alaskan cruise and now they were going to miss their cruise.  There was nothing the gate agents could do, there was no alternative flights to put them on. "

What you should do to avoid this mistake is never fly in the same day your cruise begins.  

Always plan to arrive at least one day before your cruise so that a travel delay doesn't mean you can't make the ship. If you're flying overseas for a cruise, I'd make it at least two days before the cruise.

Yes, there's the added cost of an extra hotel night, but the peace of mind it comes with is completely worth it.

Overpaying for things onboard

It's eye opening how much more cruise add-ons cost once onboard the ship versus if you pre-purchased them at home.

Whether it's a shore excursion, drink package, or WiFi plan, it all costs more onboard.

The best example is the Royal Caribbean drink package, which routinely costs more than $100 per person, per day when purchased on the ship.  At home, it's regularly $20-$30 cheaper per person, per day.

Read more: Drink package guide and advice

Internet packages are another easy place to save money, because there are no discounts once you get onboard.

I bought a 1 device internet package for my upcoming Utopia of the Seas cruise, I would only pay $23.99 per day, saving $4 per day. 

There are sales and discounts on pre-cruise purchases all the time, which means you could easily save hundreds of dollars if you bought it before the cruise.

Even if you're late to the game and check to buy these things just a few days before your cruise begins, you will save money instead of buying it onboard.

Being late back to the ship

Every time I've seen a video of a cruise ship passenger frantically running back to the cruise ship because they're late, I always swear it won't ever be me.

Your cruise ship is in port for a set few hours, and the all aboard time is a set time for you to be back onboard. Or else.

The cruise ship might wait a few minutes, but the Captain has to adhere to their schedule and depart on time. There's very little wiggle room for delays.

Passengers returning late could be from a variety of reasons: lost track of time, traffic delays, injury, got lost. Regardless, if you venture off the ship on your own, then it's your responsibility to make it back to the ship on time.

If you go on a Royal Caribbean shore excursion that was purchased through the cruise line, then the ship will wait for that tour.

I wouldn't go as far as to say not to venture off the ship without a cruise line excursion, but you do need to manage your time.

I recommend planning to arrive back to the ship about 2 hours before the all aboard time. That way, if there is some crazy delay, you'll likely be back with time to spare.

Not putting phone into airplane mode

The silent cruise mistake you won't know about until you get home is probably in your pocket.

Everyone has a cell phone, and if you bring your phone onboard without putting it into airplane mode, you can bet you'll end up with a giant bill.

A woman in the UK went on a Caribbean cruise and ended up with a £1186.59 bill because her phone was roaming for the entire trip.

When your phone is out of it's normal operational area, it tries to use other carrier's networks, and that comes with very high roaming rates.

Even if you aren't actively using your phone, you could get a big bill because most phones use the network even while idle to check for updates or messages.

There's a very simple way to avoid this costly cruise mistake, and that's to put your phone into airplane mode as soon as you get onboard.

Once your phone is in airplane mode, it cannot use other cellular networks (but you can still use WiFi).

Needing travel insurance when you don't have it

No matter how cautious you are, eventually everyone gets sick, hurt, or encounters unforeseen circumstances.

There are all sorts of reasons you might need to cancel your cruise at the last minute: sudden onset of an illness, loss of employment, major accident, death of a family member, and more. 

Once you're past the final payment date, there are major penalties for canceling your cruise. If you want to cancel just a few days before the cruise, there's not going to be any money returned to you, other than port fees and taxes.

Travel insurance is an affordable add-on cost that protects you against many common reasons people want to cancel a cruise. 

You can buy it through Royal Caribbean, through your travel agent, or even shop for it on your own.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships are floating destinations with so many different fun activities onboard, even if it's one of their smaller ships.

There are almost 30 ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet of ships today, but they're not all copies of each other. Every ship has its own array of options, and the smaller and older ships certainly have a different feel from the megaships.

Often someone considering a cruise vacation will hesitate to book a smaller ship out of concern they might be boring or not as impressive. The truth is even the smaller Royal Caribbean ships are still quite large, and they're designed for a big market.

Before you write off a smaller ship, here are my picks for the best things to do on Royal Caribbean's smaller ships that are easily overlooked.

Best things to do on a smaller Royal Caribbean ship

Movie theater

On the Radiance Class cruise ships, there's a dedicated movie theater onboard.

All Royal Caribbean ships show movies by the pool on a big screen, but you're subject to the weather conditions outside. Plus, there are only limited showtimes.

The Cinema on Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas is an enclosed theater with perfect viewing conditions for a movie, with continuously running showtimes.

And just like the pool deck, there's no cost to going to the movie theater.

Intimate lounges and bars

You'll find fantastic bars on the smaller Royal Caribbean ships that have a different feel to them on bigger ships.

There's a Schooner Bar on every Royal Caribbean ship, but you haven't truly experienced the Schooner Bar until you've tried it on a Vision or Radiance Class ship.

The Schooner Bar is massive and features a much more pronounced nautical theme to it. Plus, the layout of the room is so much better than on the bigger ships.

Equally impressive are two bars within the Centrum atrium area.

Vintages Wine bar actually faces the ocean and has beautiful windows to see out of, which adds to the ambiance.

At the base of the Centrum is the R Bar, and it's the perfect lounge to enjoy a drink entertainment. Given the bar and the stage are together, it's an immersive lounge experience.

On the Voyager Class ships, I love the layout of the English pub.  To be honest, it's much better on Mariner and Navigator of the Seas. The other ships have an odd triangle shaped bar layout.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Viking Crown Lounge on the smaller ships.

Royal Caribbean has gone away with this signature lounge on its newest and biggest ships, but the small ships still have it and it's my favorite spot to enjoy a view and a drink from inside.

Hidden viewing deck

My favorite place for sailaway can only be found on the smaller Royal Caribbean ships.

If you're on a Radiance, Voyager, or Freedom Class cruise ship, you can go out to the helipad on the bow of the ship.

Access is available by walking all the way forward on the outside promenade deck, which is either on deck 4 or deck 5.

The views here are incredible, and it's the best spot to watch your ship pull into port or sail out of a port.

More relaxed pool decks

If you want a classic cruise ship pool experience, the pools on smaller ships are where it's at.

The pools on smaller shops are a bit more peaceful in the sense there aren't water slides, splash zones, or multiple pools to contend with.  In short, it doesn't have the hustle of the megaships.

That isn't to say there aren't events, because you'll still find a bellyflop competition and world's sexiest man competition. But I think you'll find the pool deck a bit more chill.

Moreover, I think the Solarium on the Radiance Class ships are the best in the fleet in terms of layout, being completely enclosed, and a great bar scene too.

Rock climbing wall

You won't find the over-the-top zany sports deck activities on big ships, but even the small ships have a rock wall you can climb.

The rock wall is arguably the first "I can't believe they put that on a cruise ship" feature when it first debuted on Voyager of the Seas in 1999, and it's available on even the smallest ships.

Included in your cruise fare, you get strapped in and try your best to climb the wall and reach the top. 

It's fun for kids or adults, and it's a great sea day activity.

Thermal spa

On the Radiance Class ships there is a thermal spa you can purchase a pass to, and it might be your new favorite way to indulge.

You purchase a pass that gives you unlimited access to the thermal spa, which is a calming retreat.

It includes access to heated stone lounge chairs, a dry sauna, a wet sauna, and a rainforest shower room.

Special itineraries and ports

Just as important as the features available onboard the small ships are the places you can visit on them.

The itineraries are far more varied on a smaller cruise ship, giving you the opportunity to visit more exotic and/or interesting places.

Smaller ships can visit the Greek isles and ports along the Adriatic Sea.  They can also take you much further north in Alaska to see more of the Last Frontier.

You'll also routinely find longer sailings offered on small ships.  As an example, the big cruise ships sailing from Galveston, Texas just offer cruises in the Western Caribbean, but Jewel of the Seas has 11 night cruises that go to the ABC islands in the Southern Caribbean.

Similarly, Royal Caribbean bases small ships out of San Juan, Puerto Rico that can visit more ports along the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

If you're looking for something more than the same itineraries, you could find them on a small ship.

Tips for making the most of a cruise on a smaller ship

The first thing you may notice about picking a smaller ship is the price tag, because older ships cost less than megaships.

Comparing the price of Grandeur of the Seas or Brilliance of the Seas to Icon of the Seas, and you'll see a stark difference.  The money saved means you can afford a nicer cabin or even another cruise booking.

If you're someone that usually books a balcony, keep in mind there are far less balconies on older ships, so book them early to ensure yourself of a cabin category you prefer. This is especially true on the Vision Class ships.

If you booked a smaller ship for the itinerary, be sure to focus on your time on land.  Plan out and book in advance great shore excursions so you can maximize the opportunity.

If you want a smaller ship but don't want to compromise on what you love about big ships, the Voyager Class is probably the sweet spot for you.

Royal Caribbean cruises are not all-inclusive, so if you're new to cruising, you might wonder what is included in your fare.

Your cruise fare includes some thing that have no additional cost, including a lot of activities, food, entertainment, and destinations. But there are plenty of optional add-ons that cost extra.

Royal Caribbean realized some of its guests prefer to add extras on to their core cruise experience. As a result, Royal Caribbean created cruise add-ons like specialty dining packages, drink packages, fitness classes, and more. These add-ons come at an extra fee on top of the cruise fare.

It can be helpful to have an idea of what is and is not included in your Royal Caribbean cruise to make your time at sea and in port stress-free. Here’s a breakdown of what is and is not included in your cruise fare.

Accommodations

Accommodations are included in your cruise fare, with a stateroom exclusively for your use. 

Depending on which type of stateroom you book, the exact size, amenities and layout of the room will vary.  But at the very least, your cruise fare includes your own private room and bathroom.

In general, staterooms can accommodate between one and four guests, with two guests per room being the most common option.

Gratuities

Guests sailing on Royal Caribbean have two choices when it comes to gratuities for service-oriented crew onboard. They may elect to prepay gratuities prior to the cruise, or have gratuities automatically charged on a daily basis to their SeaPass account. Cruise fares in some countries, such as Australia, include the gratuities with your cruise fare.

As of November 11, 2023, the daily gratuity amount is $16.00 per guest, per day for those guests in standard accommodations.  Guests in suites will pay $20.50 per person, per day in gratuities.  

Purchases and services rendered onboard a Royal Caribbean ship will have gratuities added at the time of purchase.  If you buy a drink, get a massage at the spa, or eat at a specialty restaurant, you will be charged an 18% gratuity automatically.  Your receipt will display the cost breakdown.

Drink packages and specialty dining packages will be charged an automatic gratuity upon purchase of the package, which means no additional gratuity is required when taking advantage of the package benefits (i.e. ordering a drink at a bar with a drink package).

In addition to the gratuities listed earlier, there are opportunities to give crew members an additional tip for excellent service.  Even crew members who receive an automatic gratuity can receive additional gratuities if you feel it is warranted.

Meals & Snacks

All Royal Caribbean cruise fares include most meals and snacks onboard your ship and at any private destination you visit (such as Labadee or CocoCay).  This means there will be ample opportunity to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks without additional cost.

The exact venues included with your cruise fare will depend on the ship you sail on, but here are some venues found on nearly every Royal Caribbean ship:

• Main Dining Room, the hub of dining on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It is open for breakfast and dinner every day, and for lunch on sea days.
• Windjammer buffet, Royal Caribbean’s signature buffet featuring a wide assortment of cuisines, dishes, and flavors. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
• Solarium Bistro, a Mediterranean-style restaurant open for breakfast and dinner on Oasis and Quantum Class ships
• Grab and go spots for food, such as Aquadome Market, Cafe Promenade, El Loco Fresh, Sorrento's Pizza, Boardwalk Dog House, Park Cafe, Cafe @ Two70, etc. These are casual venues with quick service meals, and the selection of grab and go venues changes by ship.
• Johnny Rockets (for breakfast on Oasis Class ships only)

There is an extensive amount of complimentary dining options on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It’s easy to go an entire cruise by eating at only the restaurants included in your cruise fare. Plus, Royal Caribbean maintains excellent food quality in all of its dining venues, complimentary or specialty.

You may find a few extra cost items on the Main Dining Room menu, such as a filet or lobster.  These items are available for free on cruise ship formal nights during your cruise, but come at an extra cost on other nights.

Royal Caribbean offers its guests pizza at some of its restaurants and buffets, as well as at Sorrento’s on the larger ships. Pizza at these locations is included in your cruise fare.

Soft serve ice cream can be found near the pool deck and is in operation for most of the day. The Windjammer and Main Dining Room also offer their own selection of hand-scooped ice cream.  Some Royal Caribbean ships offer Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which has an additional cost.

In addition to complimentary dining, Royal Caribbean offers specialty restaurants which come at an extra cost. Specialty restaurants follow either a cover charge or a la carte pricing model.

Here is a list of the specialty restaurants in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.  Specialty restaurants vary per ship, with some smaller ships offering 2-3 specialty venues and large ships offering up to 7 or 8 different restaurants.

• Johnny Rockets, Americana fare with burgers, fries, and milkshakes
• Chops Grille, the classic Royal Caribbean steakhouse
• Giovanni's Table, a traditional Italian restaurant
• Sabor, a Mexican-style restaurant with a tequila bar and build-your-own tacos
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, a Japanese teppanyaki and sushi restaurant
• Jamie's Italian, a modern take at Italian cuisine
• Samba Grill, an all-you-can-eat-meat Brazilian rodizio
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, modern Italian cuisine featuring a pizza and pasta menu
• Wonderland, a unique, molecular dining experience themed by the tales of Alice and Wonderland
• Portside BBQ, with a selection of barbecued meats and comfort food like mac and cheese, cornbread, and baked beans
• Chef's Table, a 6-course tasting menu where each course is paired with a different type of wine
• 150 Central Park, an elegant venue focused on locally-sourced ingredients
• Hooked Seafood, a seafood restaurant with oysters, fish sandwiches, lobster rolls, and more
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, a sports bar with standard bar food including nachos, burgers, and chicken wings
• The Mason Jar, a southern style restaurant with separate brunch and dinner menus
• Empire Supper Club, a three-hour meal that combines live music with a culinary adventure
• Royal Railway, an immersive dining experience set on a classic train

Specialty restaurants offer cuisine options not otherwise available onboard your ship, as well as an opportunity to indulge in meals that you may prefer to enjoy at your own pace. 

In addition, the ambiance is usually enhanced at these locations and the prices charged are not exorbitant. Even though Royal Caribbean’s complimentary dining options are very good, specialty restaurants can be a great way to enhance or splurge on your cruise. Dining at specialty restaurants can also be a nice way to celebrate a special occasion.

Drinks

Royal Caribbean provides a selection of beverages included in your cruise fare.  These drinks are available at any time, and include tap water, tea, coffee, lemonade, iced tea, milk, juices (not fresh squeezed), and hot chocolate.

These drinks are available at a number of locations onboard, such as Cafe Promenade and the Windjammer. Water can be found at any bar onboard as well, and it’s safe to drink the tap water onboard, as it is of high quality.

Alternatively, if you want beverages like alcohol, soda, fresh juices, mocktails, specialty coffee drinks, milkshakes, canned water, and Starbucks, you can purchase them for an additional cost during the cruise.

You can purchase each drink individually or purchase a Royal Caribbean beverage package. There are several types of beverage packages available. A Deluxe Beverage Package gives unlimited access to alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages. A refreshment package includes all beverages without alcohol, and a soda package includes only soda onboard.

Royal Caribbean does allow anyone to bring up to one bottle of wine per adult with them onboard a ship.  It must be brought onboard on embarkation day, and is subject to a corkage fee if opened in a public venue.

Room service

Room service on Royal Caribbean is available 24 hours per day, but there is a $7.95 fee per order, per room. As the fee is per room and not per person or per item, you can order as much as you like off the menu and only incur a $7.95 charge.

The continental breakfast option is complimentary and does not have an order fee. Continental breakfast includes items such as toast, yogurt, fruit, coffee, and oatmeal.

Kids club

Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean offers complimentary programming to children between the ages of 3 and 17 years old.  From when Adventure Ocean opens each day until 10pm, there is no additional cost. From 10pm to 2am, Adventure Ocean incurs an hourly cost.

While in Adventure Ocean, kids take part in activities led by the staff. There's a lot for kids to do at Adventure Ocean and the programming is specialized for each age group. It's a mix of learning, play time and socializing.

Select ships have science lab and craft workshop rooms within Adventure Ocean, where kids can participate in staff-led scientific experiments and crafts.

Teens aged 12-17 onboard have access to a complimentary teen club and hangout area.

Children between the ages of 6 months and 36 months old can participate in the Royal Babies & Tots program. Most Royal Caribbean ships offer a nursery, where parents can drop children off throughout the day and evening. Use of the nursery comes at an hourly charge.

Some ships often have an open play area set up during the day, where parents can bring toddlers to play. This is unsupervised play time and the parents must remain present.

Read more: Cruising with kids guide

Activities and Shows

A vast majority of cruise activities are included with your cruise fare.  Your daily Cruise Compass or the Royal Caribbean app will list a schedule of activities offered onboard, and most have no charge. 

Performances in the Royal Theater, as well as the AquaTheater, Two70, and Studio B are included in your cruise fare. Likewise, comedy shows, magic shows, live music, audience participation shows and more are included as well. Even the Broadway shows on Royal Caribbean ships are included in the price of your cruise.

There will be shows each evening, along with additional performances during the day on sea days. Live music is also included in your cruise fare, which comes in many genres and is offered throughout the day at multiple locations onboard.

Other activities like pool games, movies, trivia, dance classes, and scavenger hunts are regularly offered on Royal Caribbean and have no additional charge.

There are some activities offered that have an additional fee, such as some fitness classes, bingo, casino activities, drink seminars, spa services and more.

Signature activities and games

Royal Caribbean offers fun and unique signature activities onboard its cruise ships, the majority of which are included in your cruise fare.  If you watch any Royal Caribbean cruise commercial, you will inevitably see people tackling the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, skydiving simulator, and more.

Signature activities included in your cruise fare include the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, mini golf, waterslides, zipline, the Ultimate Abyss, sports court, SeaPlex, bumper cars, aqua parks (H20 Zone and Splashaway Bay), and ice skating.

RipCord by iFLY, the skydiving simulator found on Quantum Class ships, has both complimentary and extra cost options available. Complimentary time slots often get reserved quickly, so it’s important to reserve a time slot in the Royal Caribbean app as soon as you get onboard the ship.

Also on Quantum Class ships is the North Star observation pod. This activity is complimentary on port days and comes with an extra cost when the ship is at sea.

Fitness and Spa

Every Royal Caribbean ship has a fitness center that offers cardio and weight lifting machines, free weights, and more for no additional cost. Some, but not all fitness classes are included in your cruise fare, such as stretching and ab workouts.

Each Royal Caribbean ship also has a jogging track, which is available to use throughout the day at no additional cost.

The sports court (referred to as the SeaPlex on Quantum Class ships) also offers complimentary use of its facilities, with organized sport games held throughout the sailing.

Outside of the select few fitness classes included in your cruise fare, the fitness center offers extra fee classes for yoga, spinning, pilates, and more. The fitness center also offers personalized training and consultations for an additional fee.

The spa is not included in your cruise fare, and spa treatments, salon services, and day passes all come with an additional cost.

Some Royal Caribbean ships have a sauna, hot tub and/or steam room available for no additional cost. Others have a thermal spa for which you can purchase a pass.

Tours of the spa are available at any time during your cruise and have no additional cost or obligation. In fact, these tours are a great way to learn about what the spa offers.

Pool and sun decks

Access to Royal Caribbean's pools are included in your cruise fare, including the lounge chairs, hot tubs, water slides, aqua parks and more. The Solarium area has no additional cost, but is limited to adults only.

Some areas of the pool deck are reserved for suite guests only.  If you are a suite guest (Grand Suite and above), you will have complimentary access to these areas.  Depending on the ship, the suites-only area can be a small section of reserved lounge chairs or an entire deck area.

Wonder of the Seas has an entire Suite Neighborhood dedicated for suite guests with its own pool, bar, outdoor hangout area, lounge, and restaurant.

Miscellaneous services

The following services and activities onboard are also not included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare:

• Gambling (Including Bingo)
• Art Auction
• Any purchases made in the gift shops onboard
• Shore excursions
• Photographs
• Video Arcade
• Medical Services
• Internet Access
• Transfers (Unless guest has purchased our air/sea package)
• Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services
• Ship to Shore Telephone calls

Going on your first Royal Caribbean cruise may seem daunting, but it's easier than you think if you do the right things.

If you ask someone that has cruised a lot, they'll tell you it's easy, but that's largely based on knowing exactly what to bring, what to do in ports, and the best ways to save money when booking a cruise.

There's no shortage of Royal Caribbean tips, but when you're new to the cruise line, there's a different approach you need to take because some aspects of the experience may be completely different than you expect.

Using tried-and-true advice, you can arm yourself with the proper strategy to have a wonderful vacation.

Here's our best advice for someone who is taking their first cruise on Royal Caribbean.

Verify your travel documents

An easy rookie mistake to avoid is ensure you have the right travel documents for your cruise.

In order to go on any cruise, you need certain documentation and depending on your nationality, where you're sailing from and to, as well as your itinerary, there could be different requirements.

Ideally, everyone will have a valid passport. Royal Caribbean recommends cruising with a passport that will not expire in less than six months for any cruise, and we agree. Passports are the simplest and best document you can have to cruise.

If you're planning a European, Australian, or Asian cruise, you're going to need a passport for everyone, no matter what.

However, there are some cruises where you could cruise without a passport.

If you're an American citizen sailing on a cruise ship that departs and returns to the same U.S. city, then you can cruise with a birth certificate and state issued identification.

Read more: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Check-in with the Royal Caribbean app

You really should download and install the Royal Caribbean app before your cruise begins.

The app is a powerful tool that makes the entire experience so much easier, and you're effectively doing yourself a disservice by not getting it.

Get the app and install it while you're at home, and then 30 days before your cruise is scheduled to begin, do the online check-in.

You'll want to check-in exactly 30 days early because that's when the earliest check-in times are available, and most people want to get onboard as early as possible.  If you wait, you'll end up with a check-in time in the afternoon.

Read more: 30 cruise ship embarkation day do's and don'ts

Bring a carry-on bag for embarkation day

Plan to have a small carry-on bag to bring with you around the ship on the first day.

When you arrive at the cruise terminal, porters will greet you and take your luggage to be checked and delivered to your cabin onboard the ship. It's a great service, and you should totally take advantage of it.  There's no cost, but a small tip is expected.

In the time between when you drop off your luggage with the porters and the time it gets delivered, you're going to probably need a few items, such as:

• Travel documents
• Cash
• Hat
• Sun glasses
• Sunscreen
• Medication
• Phone charger

Read more: 15 things to pack in your cruise carry-on

There could be more items, but it's a good idea to invest in a small carry-on bag, such as a backpack, small rolling suitcase, or other bag.

Pre-book shows, drink packages, and the spa

If there's a mantra about planning a great Royal Caribbean cruise, it's to plan as much as possible before the cruise begins.

Royal Caribbean makes a great deal of options available to reserve in the months leading up to your cruise, and doing so could save you money and time.

About 30 days before your cruise, shows will be bookable for Royal Caribbean's biggest ships.  If you're sailing on an Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class cruise ship, you'll be able to pre-book entertainment.

Read more: Royal Caribbean ship classes ultimate guide

If you're sailing on any other class of ship, you won't be able to pre-book shows and that's because there's no need.

You can book shows in the Royal Caribbean app or through the Cruise Planner website on Royal Caribbean's homepage.

Show reservations are complimentary, so you should make a reservation. Keep in mind reservations will go very quickly, so it's likely shows will sell out. If you don't get into a show, not to worry. Standby lines will be available and if you arrive early, you'll probably be able to make it into the show.

Speaking of pre-booking, you ought to pre-book extra cost add-ons to save money. Royal Caribbean has an array of possible things to buy for your cruise, including drink packages, specialty dining packages, WiFi packages, spa treatments, and shore excursions.

To be clear, you will pay more if you wait to book these items onboard the ship.  So if you know you want them, book them before the cruise.

A common question is if it's worth it to buy them, and the answer it depends on the person.  Beverage packages and dining packages can absolutely save you money, provided you take advantage of them to make it worthwhile.

Research the ports you'll visit before the cruise

You only have a few hours in each port your ship will visit, so it's imperative to research the activities while you're still at home.

It's a mistake to try to wing it when you get there because you risk missing out on something better.

In nearly all cases, you'll be in port for around six or eight hours, so picking a tour or a plan to hit up one or three spots is a good idea.

Organized tours are the most popular way to visit any port of call. Royal Caribbean offers its own set of shore excursions you can purchase from the website or the app, but you could also plan to do something on your own.

There are pros and cons to booking a tour with the cruise line or through a third-party. Do your research and have a plan so you can have a really fun day in port.

Book your cruise as early as possible for the best price

Want to save the most money possible on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Book your cruise as early as you can.

Generally speaking, the best price for a Royal Caribbean cruise is when you book as many months in advance as possible.  This is because as cruise ship cabins get booked up, the amount of available cabins drops and prices go up.

Ideally, you'll book your cruise as soon as Royal Caribbean puts the sailing on sale.  Yes, that's two years or more in advance.

By booking that far in advance, not only will you get a low fare, but you can get the exact cabin category you want.  The cheapest cabins and the most expensive suites are the first types of rooms to be sold out and they are both highly desirable.

Read more: The best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Don't bring any banned items

There are things you can bring on an airplane that you can't bring on a cruise ship, many that would surprise you.

Packing for a cruise involves a lot of things that you'll need, but there are a few items you shouldn't bother packing because if you do, Royal Caribbean will confiscated them.

This includes:

• Firearms, ammunition, handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks
• Coffee makers, clothing irons, travel steamers, electric kettles and hot plates
• Candles, incense, flammable liquids and explosives (including lighter fluid and fireworks), hookahs and water hookah pipes
• Power strip and surge protectors
• Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint
• Drugs (including medically prescribed marijuana)
• Beer or liquors

Some of these may seem self-explanatory, but the appliances and candles are the most commonly confiscated items because people don't realize they aren't allowed due to being a fire hazard.

Don't even bother trying, all bags go through a screening machine and they will see them and take it.

Read more: What can you not bring on a cruise

Fly to your cruise port a day or two early

The single costliest mistake you could make is flying to your cruise port the same day the cruise is scheduled to set sail.

Since Royal Caribbean cruises depart in the afternoon, a lot of newbies will think to book a flight that arrives in the morning on the same day of the cruise.  This is such a dangerous decision, because even a minor delay could prevent you from being able to board the ship.

What you want to do instead is book a flight at least one day before embarkation day so that you can protect yourself against any travel delays. Plus, you'll have more time to explore the city you're in and start your vacation a little bit earlier.

If you are traveling overseas for a cruise, we advise flying in at least two days early not only because of travel delays but to acclimate yourself to the local time and jet lag. Starting your international cruise without feeling exhausted is so important given how port intensive it tends to be.

Bring your own soda and wine

Royal Caribbean won't let you bring beer or liquor on your cruise, but you can bring a limited amount of wine and soft drinks.

Royal Caribbean allows one bottle of wine (or champagne) per adult in the cabin to be brought onboard on embarkation day. In addition, you can bring up to 12 standard cans, bottles or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks.

Bringing your own drinks can save a lot of money on a bar tab.

Read more: Royal Caribbean drink prices

Do the signature activities on the first day

There's a good chance you picked a cruise ship because of the fun attractions available onboard, but so did everyone else too.

Activities like the Flowrider surf simulator, water slides, bumper cars, and sky diving simulators are just some of the top must-dos, so the best time to try any of them is on the first day of the cruise.

Embarkation day is busy, and most people are still finding their way around the ship.  Heck, some might be oblivious these are options to do until later in the cruise.  The water-based activities are perfect for embarkation day because most people packed their swimsuit in their checked luggage.

Grab lunch and then hit up these signature attractions on day one.

Keep your phone in airplane mode

If you want to avoid a giant cell phone bill due to thousands of dollars in cell phone charges when you get home, make one simple change to your phone after boarding.

Cruise ships have a cell phone antenna on them, but they're out of network. When a phone is outside of its normal cellular network, and you try to use a cell phone for calls, data, or texting on someone else's network, you incur crazy high rates.

Many cellular plans (even international plans) do not include calls, texts, or data on cruise ships and they will charge you extremely high roaming rates for such services that will show up weeks later on your phone bill.

The easy way to prevent this from ever happening to you is to put your phone into airplane mode.

If you want to stay connected on your cruise, you can buy a WiFi package, which will let you make FaceTime calls and stream videos over Wi-Fi without using phone data.

You can re-price your cruise and add-ons

We talked about how important it is to book your cruise fare and add-ons early to lock in a good price, but what happens if there's a price drop later?

Anyone can cancel and rebook a Cruise Planner purchase at any time before the cruise begins.  That way, if the drink package or shore excursion price goes down, you can easily cancel and reprice it.

What if your cruise fare goes down? Many people hesitate to book early because they worry about missing out on a better deal later on.

If you're a resident of certain countries (such as the United States or Canada), you can get your fare reduced to match the lower price up until the final payment date.

Use a travel agent to book your cruise

There are many ways to book a Royal Caribbean cruise, but using a travel agent is the best choice.

There are so many decisions to make when booking a cruise as a first timer that you're much better off using an experienced travel agent to help.

A good travel agent will charge nothing extra for their services, and get a sense of your interests, needs, and travel style to help guide you through the booking process, as well as answer questions and deal with problems later on.

In addition, travel agents could spot special discounts or deals you might not find on your own, such as group rates or nabbing extra onboard credit.

Read more: Why first-time cruisers should use a Royal Caribbean travel agent

Things you don't need to bring

We've covered things you should pack, as well as things Royal Caribbean prohibits you from bringing, but we haven't talked about things you don't need to bring at all.

A lot more is provided for you on a cruise ship than at a resort, so you can leave certain items at home:

• Towels (bath, pool, or beach)
• Swim vests
• Walkie talkies
• Valuable jewelry

Either this is provided for you by the cruise line, or it's simple unnecessary.

Watch a ship tour

Royal Caribbean cruise ships are really big, so the sooner you understand the layout, the better.

While you could walk around the ship and get your bearings easily, I think it's even better to watch a walkthrough ship tour video before.

We have our own archive of ship tours you can watch, that take you through every inch of the ship and give you a good idea of where everything is.  It may also alert you to activities you were unaware of onboard.

Plus, I find watching these videos adds to the pre-vacation excitement!

The free food is plenty good

Once you start researching, you're going to see a lot of restaurants you can book for an additional charge, but the included restaurants are pretty good.

It's tempting to go all in with the specialty dining, and it is indeed quite good. But don't assume the restaurants that are complimentary aren't worth your time.

The Main Dining Room has dinner every night, and I think it's one of the best aspects of cruising. Having a sit down meal with your family served by waiters and a menu that changes daily is at the heart of cruising today.

The Windjammer buffet is great for picky eaters, as well as kids. It has the widest selection of food, and it's super casual.

Not everything on the menu is amazing, but I find most of the food ranges between "good" and "very good", and you can save a lot of money by relying on the included restaurants.

Don't forget to relax

There's going to activities day and night, but you really don't have to do any of it.

It's so easy to feel like you need to do it all, and that can make your vacation feel more draining than it should be.

Some days it makes sense to sleep in, hang at the pool instead of doing a shore excursion, or read a book. There isn't a right or wrong way to enjoy your cruise.

Buy travel insurance

I think travel insurance is more than an optional purchase, it's a must-buy.

Just like all insurance, travel insurance is a waste of money until you need it. I think first time cruisers are often naive to the how different medical care is when outside of the country and the lack of coverage your medical insurance offers.

Travel insurance also covers so much more than if you get sick. Hurricanes, travel delays, lost luggage, or a change in your employment, are just a few examples of how travel insurance could be useful.

Read more: Why you need travel insurance for your Royal Caribbean cruise

One of the best aspects of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program is that you can pass your benefits onto your kids, greatly enhancing the value of a cruise.

Cruising with kids is the core focus of Royal Caribbean.  Their family-focused business is at the heart of what they offer on any of their cruises.

Read more: 7 best cruise ships for kids

I have two kids who have been cruising since they were each six months old, and there's doubt we've saved so much money over the years because of our Crown and Anchor perks.

Royal Caribbean awards points for every cruise you take, and whomever has the most points in the household passes their tier onto others in the household, including minors.

This means a newborn could crawl right into a top tier level of Crown and Anchor Society on their first cruise.

Families that will cruise often will find a lot of benefits when they bring their kids.

Extending program benefits to children

Royal Caribbean will extend your Crown and Anchor Society status to your children, and even spouse, living in the same household as you.

There are a few rules, but it's fairly straightforward.

Anyone under the age of 18 will automatically qualify for the top status among the household.  That means if you have Diamond status, but your spouse only has Platinum, your kids would get Diamond level benefits.

Each child needs their own Crown and Anchor Society account before you can match them.

The "catch" is your kids would get your status, but not your points.

Let's assume you never cruise again, your kids would have zero points but Diamond status. So for them to get to Diamond Plus, they'd have to get enough points on their own to move up to Diamond Plus.

Once the kid turns 18, their accounts are no longer linked with yours and now are individual. They retain their Crown and Anchor Society level and must earn points (and tiers) on their own going forward.

When they are 18 their accounts are no longer linked with yours and now are individual. Their account will now reflect the points actually earned from the cruises they took while linked to your account.

Spouses also get your status

Children aren't the only ones to benefit from your loyalty to Royal Caribbean.

If you get married and you or your spouse has a higher Crown & Anchor tier, you can status match to each other. In addition, partners qualify too.  Royal Caribbean isn't particular about if you're married or not, just that you're declaring you are in a relationship with someone else.

You'll need to call the loyalty program at ‭(800) 526-9723‬ and request your new spouse be added in a relationship with you. Alternatively, you could email [email protected] but I recommend calling for faster service.

Just like the kids, your spouse needs their own membership number.

It can take a few days for the linking to complete.

Once it's linked their points tally will appear to be the same as yours, however if the relationship ever ends their points tally will return to what they have accumulated based on their own cruise history. 

There is a limit to family matching with children

Your kids can get your Crown and Anchor Status up the loyalty program ladder, but not not quite all the way.

If you or your spouse get to Pinnacle Club status, which is the top most tier within Royal Caribbean's program, your kids will remain at Diamond Plus.

Pinnacle Club member tier status can only be earned by an individual, spouse or significant other by one of them accumulating at least 700 Cruise Points or more in the CAS program. That means kids must earn that status on their own.

Spouses, however, still get Pinnacle status if their spouse gets it first.

Onboard benefits for kids

Anyone under the age of 18 has their own subset of benefits that differ slightly from what adults get. These benefits work on every cruise, which makes it advantageous to take advantage on every sailing.

The Youth Member Benefits are as follows: 

Gold

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Platinum

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Emerald

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)

Diamond

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 4 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

Diamond Plus

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 5 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

Pinnacle Club

• 50% off one scoop of Ice Cream at the Ice Cream Parlor (on select ships)
• SURF+STREAM Internet discount equal to parents' benefit
• Buy 1 movie rental in your stateroom and receive the second FREE
• Spend $15 in Arcade Credits to get $5 off your onboard expense account, or spend $50 in Arcade Credits to get $25 off (applied at the end of the sailing)
• 6 Complimentary daily non-alcoholic drinks up to $14 (excludes Starbucks and Desserted)

In case you're wondering, no, adults cannot use their kids complimentary drink vouchers for alcoholic beverages for themselves.