What are the best Royal Caribbean cruise tips? — featuring Cruise Blog (Royal Caribbean)

0:00 Hey everybody, it's Ally with Cruise Blog. Today we're going to be talking about the 26 Royal Caribbean tips and tricks that you need to know for your upcoming cruise so that you can have the best vacation ever. Let's get into it. If you're sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship soon, there are plenty of firsttime

0:22 cruise tips that you will want to know. So, here are 26 tips and tricks for cruising with Royal Caribbean. First, download the app. Royal Caribbean relies heavily on its app for planning pre- cruise and onboard experiences. For example, you can check in using the app to make sure your embarcation day is a

0:38 total breeze. The app also allows you to reserve shore excursions, shows, onboard experiences and activities along with specialty dining restaurants. Plus, you can use the app to chat with other passengers on board for free. They don't have to be in the same stateateroom as you either. To chat with anybody on

0:53 board, you can simply invite them by inputting their full name. Number two is to book dining and beverage packages early. Royal Caribbean fans will tell you to book your dining and beverage packages early. Typically throughout the year, the cruise line will run sales that drop the price of the packages in

1:08 their cruise planner. If you purchase a package and you find that it decreases in price, you can always cancel your package and repurchase for the current price to ensure that you have snagged the lowest available price. If you can, try to book your dining and drink packages before boarding. This ensures

1:23 you lock in the lowest price as you will find the price is higher once you step on board. Number three is to know your loyalty benefits. If you've cruised more than once with Royal Caribbean, you will start earning points in their loyalty program. The more you cruise, the more points you'll earn, and you'll move up

1:38 the ranks to earn better perks. If you have crown and anchor status with Royal Caribbean, it is best to know the benefits you will receive on board and weigh your options when it comes to purchasing cruise add-ons, as higher tiers include dining and beverage benefits. Reaching the mid to top tiers

1:53 of their loyalty program will unlock exclusive onboard benefits. These include complimentary daily beverages valued up to $14, free internet days, onboard discounts, complimentary photos, and even BOGO specialty dining. Number four is to make reservations early. The sooner you can make your reservations

2:11 for your cruise, the better. On some of the bigger ships, booking reservations early will be advantageous. You do not want to be stuck scrambling for a last minute reservation or left disappointed that you couldn't see one of the shows or dine at one of the specialty restaurants that you were eyeing. This

2:25 goes for the shore excursions as well. You can cancel 48 hours before arriving to the port of call for free. So, it's best to be safe and reserve your spot if you're eyeing a certain tour. You'll find that if you want to book yours last minute on board, the most popular excursions are often sold out,

2:40 especially the cabanas and the water park at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at Coco K. Number five is if you're traveling far, you need to arrive the night before your cruise. While this is not a tip exclusive to Royal Caribbean, it's good practice for any cruise. It might mean that you'll have to take

2:54 another day off work or pay for one night at a hotel, but this is better than the alternate of missing your cruise. You won't be refunded any money if that happens, and it can be costly to meet the ship in the next port of call, if that's even an option. Number six is to book early and repric your cruise

3:10 before final payment. The best way to ensure you get the lowest price for your cruise vacation is to book as early as possible and repric often leading up to the final payment date. If you notice that the price has dropped, give Royal Cripping or your travel agent a quick call. They will usually honor the lower

3:25 price in either the form of an onboard credit or a refund to your original payment, meaning that you will have less to pay for your cruise. Number seven is that you can bring limited alcohol and soda on board. While you can't bring an entire mini bar on board, Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring a

3:41 limited amount of alcohol, soda, and water with them on embarcation day. Each passenger can bring one 750ml bottle of wine, or champagne on board with them, so long as they of legal drinking age. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard 17oz cans, bottles, or cartons per stateoom. We neither suggest

3:59 nor recommend trying to sneak alcohol on a cruise as consequences can be dire. It's actually against Royal Caribbean's policy. While it likely wouldn't happen that you would get kicked off the ship, you will lose out on money, time, and effort that you spent trying to sneak alcohol on the cruise. So, it's best

4:15 just to not do it. Number eight is that before booking a drink package, make sure you debate whether it's actually good value for you or not. It's important to understand what's included with your base cruise fair. As Royal Caribbean is not an all-inclusive line, you'll have pretty limited amount of

4:29 beverages to choose from, such as water, milk, tea, coffee, lemonade, iced tea, flavored water, juices, and hot chocolate. But if you're craving a cocktail or a glass of soda, then a drink package might be worth the splurge for you. It's just about all-inclusive, meaning that you can enjoy as many

4:47 beverages as you want each day, even if all your drinks are made with topshelf liquor. For those under legal drinking age or who do not want to drink alcohol frequently, you can get a Royal Refreshment Package. This non-alcoholic package is more reasonably priced and it ranges from $29 to $38 per person per

5:02 day. You can also get the classic soda package from $13 to $15 per person per day, but by pre-planning, you can often score a much better deal on any of these packages. Number nine is that the advertised rate is less than what you're going to end up paying. On Royal Caribbean's website, you may see that a

5:20 seven night cruise is advertised at $450. And while that might seem like a great deal, this price does not include gratuitities. A family of four cruising on a week-long cruise in a balcony cabin can expect to pay around $518 in gratuitities. Number 10 is to make sure that you check in as soon as possible.

5:38 Do you want to be one of the first people on board your ship? If so, you'll want to check in for your cruise as soon as the online check-in opens. This will ensure that you will have the best choice of check-in times. If you wait, you may find the only available times are later in the afternoon, so it's best

5:54 to get as much time on board as you can. Number 11 is that you can save a lot of money if you cruise during the offse. If you're looking to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise, consider sailing during the offse. Shoulder season cruises are less demand, so the cruise line is able to offer more competitive

6:10 rates. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by taking a Caribbean cruise in October rather than July. Similarly, May sees cheaper rates for Alaska cruises than June or July. Number 12 is to read a cruise compass from a previous sailing. If you're looking to get an idea of what's going

6:27 to be offered during your cruise, you can Google previous cruise compasses, which give a rundown of the daily schedule. Royal Caribbean blog also shares cruise compasses from recent sailings that you can check out. Royal curbing itself doesn't publish cruise compasses ahead of time and while

6:40 offerings are subject to change, the best way to know what might be offered is to check previous compasses. In addition, you can try checking your app for your specific sailing to see if they have events posted there. Now, let's start talking about some onboard tips and tricks. Number 13 is that stock

6:56 shareholders will get onboard credit. If you are into financial investing, you could consider adding Royal Caribbean to your portfolio. Royal Caribbean shareholders can receive onboard credit when they hold at least 100 shares with the cruise line. Royal Caribbean's website defines that a shareholder is

7:11 eligible if the cruiser holds at least 100 shares of RCL at the time of sailing. In this way, you'll receive some onboard credit if you are a shareholder and you qualify. Number 14 is to utilize the concierge. If you have access to one of the concierge lounges or sweet lounges, feel free to utilize

7:29 the lounge concierge. We've had many instances where the concierge has helped us make reservations, change an excursion, or even help us snag an early tender ticket. These employees are great resources. If you need assistance while on board, the concierge will usually go above and beyond to make sure you're

7:45 happy and enjoy every second of your vacation. Number 15 is that destinations make all the difference. You can cruise on sister ships within Royal Caribbean's fleet and find that the onboard experience is vastly different. For example, I cruise on Spectrum of the Seas from Shanghai to Japan, and that

8:02 was unlike any other Royal Caribbean experience we've had. Similarly, if you cruise on board an Oasis class ship in the Caribbean versus Europe, the experience will be very different as the intent of the vacation is different. Those sailing to Europe are looking for enriching, one-of-a-kind experiences,

8:15 while those on a Caribbean cruise are more likely to want to kick back, relax, and enjoy a few cocktails by the pool. Number 16 is to do the onboard thrills on embarcation day or when you're docked in port. As Royal Caribbean builds bigger ships, there are many onboard thrills to squeeze into your vacation,

8:32 including water slides, skydiving, surf simulators, the Ultimate Abyss dry slides, ice skating, and roller skating rinks along with bumper cars, and zip lines. If you wait to do everything when you have a Cday, be prepared to find plenty of other cruisers with the same idea. One of the best tips we received

8:48 long ago was to do the onboard thrills on the first day of your cruise. Many people will be focused on getting settled on board and figuring the ship out, saving these activities for later in the week, but you will find that there are shorter lines if you can fit it into your schedule on imbarcation day

9:02 or on a port day, sometimes before or after departure. Check the cruise compass to see if you can find an off time to enjoy the onboard amenities. Number 17 is that onboard packages will work at perfect day at Coco K. Plenty of sailings in the Caribbean and Bahamas will stop at Royal Caribbean's private

9:18 island, Perfect Day at Coco K. In fact, their sister brand Celebrity Cruises also started sailing there as well. If you booked a drink package to enhance your onboard experience, you'll find that you can use your package while docked at Coco K. With the package, you can sip on as many Cocoa Locos as you

9:33 want, which is the island's signature frozen drink, and it will not cost you anything extra. In addition, your internet package will also be active while you're docked in Coco K. This is a great benefit that you won't find with other cruise lines when visiting their private islands. Number 18 is to go to

9:48 the helellipad. If you're cruising on a Radiance, Voyager, or Freedom Class ship, you cannot skip out on venturing up to the helellipad. Dress appropriate though, as it can get pretty windy out there. Note that Oasis, Quantum, and Icon class ships do not have a helipad that's accessible to the public. Number

10:05 19 is learn how to snag a deal for a spa treatment. There's no denying that spa treatments on board cruise ships are pretty pricey. If you want to treat yourself, expect to drop a pretty penny or two. The onboard spa will usually offer deals throughout the cruise for lower price treatments. These are

10:22 usually found for those that are early in the morning, late at night, or when the ship is docked in port. Once you board, you may even find the ship is running a special for treatments on port days. These will not be advertised in the cruise planner before imbarcation. So, your best bet is to head to the spa

10:36 when you board and periodically check throughout the week. Number 20 is consider having lunch in a specialty restaurant. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with the food that is served in Royal Caribbean's main dining room, especially consider that's already included in your cruise fair, specialty

10:51 dining can be a nice change from the traditional dining experience. In these venues, you'll get an elevated and unique meal, usually centered around a specific cuisine or cooking style. If you're on a budget, though, consider enjoying the specialty dining restaurants for lunch. The menu is very

11:05 similar to dinner, but the cost is usually half of what you'd spend at dinner. Number 21 is that Johnny Rockets has free breakfast on Oasis class ships. Johnny Rockets is on plenty of Royal Caribbean ships, including Voyager, Freedom, and Oasis Class ships. When dining for lunch or dinner, you will

11:21 usually have to pay a cover charge. However, the cost covers your entire meal, and it's much cheaper than other specialty restaurants. But if you're sailing on an Oasis class ship, you can eat at Johnny Rockets for free during breakfast. Though it is a specialty restaurant, Johnny Rockets serves a

11:35 classic American breakfast free of charge on Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony, Wonder, and Utopia of the Seas. This can offer a great option for breakfast to switch it up from the main dining room or the Wind Jammer each morning. You can order things like egg scramles, breakfast sandwiches,

11:50 pancakes, and even French toast. Number 22 is to skip the buffet on embarcation day. The first stop for many cruisers on the first day is understandably lunch at the Wind Jammer Marketplace Buffet as the go-to spot. There are however alternatives that are far less crowded. Depending on your ship, these options

12:08 might include Park Cafe, Cafe 270, Cafe Prominade, the Aquadome Market, El Loc, and Sarrentos Pizza. You can even pay to dine at a specialty restaurant if you want to for lunch. This is a great option for those who want a relaxed embarcation day and don't want to carry around their bags. If you time it right,

12:26 you will finish your meal right as stateaterooms are ready. Number 23 is that you should look for cooking stations while at the buffet. Compared to other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean doesn't have as many quick service complimentary dining options. If you're in the mood for something fast and

12:41 fresh, head to the Wind Jammer and look for their cooking stations. During breakfast, you can get a made to order omelette, whereas in the afternoon and evening, you'll find a rotating set of options. Dinner one night might consist of a pasta station, while the next has a stir fry option. Number 24 is that you

12:56 can view the dining room menu early. When Royal Caribbean started to add interactive screens onto each deck, we discovered that you could see the nightly main dining room menu on the screens in the morning. For a while, you could only see the menu when you sat down each night at dinner. So, this was

13:12 a fun discovery. Now, the Royal Caribbean app allows cruisers to see the nightly menu for the duration of the sailing. You can even view the menu before you board the ship. Those considering specialty dining will enjoy this feature because it allows you to better curate your schedule to fit your

13:26 dining needs. You would hate to miss lobster night in the main dining room when it's included by paying for lobster at a specialty restaurant. Number 25 is to try the taste of royal lunch. If you want to try a little of what Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants have to offer, look into the taste of Royal

13:42 Lunch. You'll try a signature cocktail and menu items from different specialty restaurants. Your cocktail may be unique to Hooked Seafood, while your first course may come from Wonderland, followed by an Italian pasta dish from Giovani and a filt from Chops, along with the famous fried cheesecake from

13:58 150 Central Park. For an additional charge, you can even add a wine pairing to the experience, and it's usually only offered once per day on a Cday, so book early. And finally, children do not need their own dining package. Dining packages are some of the most popular cruise add-ons. Children, however, eat

14:15 for free in specialty restaurants if they're between the ages of 0 and 5. Whereas, kids 6 to 12 are charged only $10. When you are on board making reservations, simply let the server or host know that the adults in your party have a dining package. You'll get a better price than if you bought the

14:29 package for everybody. All right, everybody. That's all we have for today. Thanks for tuning in, and be sure and like and subscribe to Cruise Blogs so that you can be notified every time we have a new video. Until next time, this has been Ally and happy cruising.