What are 47 easy tricks to make your cruise better? — featuring Royal Caribbean Blog

0:00 I want to make your life so much easier because I've got some of the easiest ways to make your cruise vacation better up next [Music] hey everyone it's Matt from welcome in blog.com and it's pretty common to feel like that cruise you have booked starting to feel a little more complicated so to help with that I've

0:22 got a whole bunch of super easy tips that you can apply to your upcoming sailing to make things a lot smoother I've got tips for booking your cruise embarkation day sure excursions how to save money and more my hope is after going through these tips you'll suddenly feel a little bit better about your

0:39 cruise and feel far less pressure on this trip now to make things even easier on you I have the entire printable list of today's tips that can be sent straight to your email inbox all you have to do is drop us your email at royalcaribbeanblog.com easy and you can get the entire list sent over to you all

0:58 right ready for all these easy tricks that I have let's do it starting with number one especially restaurants for lunch you can avoid the crowds of embarkation day lunch and start off your cruise with a leisurely lunch you want to probably pre-book reservation before the cruise to assure yourself of the

1:13 spot as an added bonus lunch can sometimes be cheaper than dinner and if you have a dining package well you can't pre-book a spot before your cruise but you can simply stop in and get a spot there hopefully get a table for you number two wear matching t-shirts you can make it super easy to spot your

1:28 whole crew on the first day or really any day of the cruise with matching t-shirts this is a very popular Trend right now and you can find all sorts of nautical inspired and cruise shirts in General on Amazon and even customize them at other online retailers number three read a past Cruise Compass you

1:44 won't be able to know the entertainment activity schedule months before your cruise but a past Cruise Compass will give you a ballpark idea of what to expect if you can find a Cruise Compass from the same ship you're sailing on and similar or even identical itinerary well you can really expect your cruise to

2:00 match up very closely to what you see online you can find an archive of past Cruise compasses over at royalcaribbeanblog.com we keep them all over there to check them on out if you do no other tips on this list I think this one at number four is the most important that is use a good travel

2:14 agent a good travel issue should cost you nothing extra to use their services and travel agents can compare discounts to find the best deal and save you the most money in the end most importantly they're available to answer questions and step in when there's a problem and I gotta tell you our friends at Mei travel

2:29 can help make your trip a thousand times easier you only stand a benefit from using a good travel agent next up look for trivia on sea days one of the best CD activities is trivia sessions there's usually multiple trivia sessions per day in different lounges and trivia is free is a great way to meet other people on

2:46 your cruise another really easy tip is to have a communication Plan before you get on board your cruise group chats and apps like Facebook or Whatsapp are very common but you'll all need to get an internet package for that to work you could also use walkie-talkies or rely on voicemails in your cabins but they tend

3:01 to be more cumbersome than they're worth and sure you all agree on something before you get on board so no one is left in the dark if you're cruising with family and friends my next tip is to plan on eating dinner together you can do whatever you want during the daytime but plan the meet up for dinner each

3:14 night to have a common time to meet up it's a really good time to reconnect and make plans for the following day number eight avoid over planning if you try to plan too much thanks again really get overwhelming for some friends in your group as well as create riffs among friends so leave time for everybody to

3:31 do their own thing keeping in mind you can still do things together on the Fly number nine bring a USB port outlet for more charging space surge protectors and power strips are not allowed on a royal Carib because they're a fire hazard but you can bring a good USB outlet because that's perfectly safe for that in

3:50 addition most ships don't have that many outlets to begin with so bringing a USB extender Outlet can really help you out in terms of not having to compete for the very few charging Outlets you have in your room number 10 we're at double digits already bring bathing suits on embarkation day

4:04 did you know the pools water slides and Flowrider will be open on the first or bathing suits with them which means less crowded pools and water slides so what you should do is wear your bathing suits on board or maybe keep it in your carry-on luggage and then change when you get on board the ship and take

4:19 advantage of those low lines and low crowds next up put your phone into airplane mode avoid crazy roaming fees by placing your phone into airplane mode and no it doesn't matter if you have an international plan because cruise ships antennas aren't covered by them you'll still be able to use the ship's Wi-Fi

4:35 but avoid carrier charges for exorbitant fees for roaming on another Network by putting your phone into airplane mode once you get on board the ship number 12 bring a pen and a highlighter with you you never know when you might want to write down a thank you note to a crew member or highlight an activity that you

4:51 don't want to miss in The Cruise Compass so make sure you have a pen and highlighter with you on board the cruise number 13 which is one of my favorite cabin hacks buy magnetic hooks by investing in a pack of strong magnetic hooks you can place them around the room to hang whatever needs to be hung like

5:06 hats or bathing suits or what have you your stateroom walls are made out of metal which means you can simply stick the magnet on the wall or ceiling and you're good to go number 14 is something I wish more people would do and that is speak up if there is a problem if something is not as expected or

5:20 disappointing nicely informed crew members of the issue and ask how it can be resolved don't suck it up try to find a solution to it you have a better Cruise overall number 15 book anything you can in advance via the cruise planner boy this will save you so much money compared to buying on board as

5:36 well as your time and keep in mind that you can always change your mind later on if you want to cancel that purchase because having something locked in is better than nothing at all next up is to look for deals even if there is no sale while you're on that cruise planner site check it regularly even if there is no

5:50 sale advertised because you never know what you may find prices change all the time number 17 don't wait for the elevator on board the ship using the stairs can be a lot faster plus can help burn off some of those vacation galleries another really good idea is to bring Downey wrinkle release spray did

6:06 you know there's no self-service laundry on board your ship and if you want to get something pressed we'll send it out and that costs money but invest in Downey wrinkle release or similar product I suppose and that can really be helpful in order to make sure your clothes look really good if you're

6:20 worried about getting seasick on a cruise well there's a lot of great remedies out there including one really easy one nausea caused by motions in the ocean miles these things can be remedied with green apple seriously you'll find green apples in the Windjammer so it might be a good idea to take a couple

6:34 back to your cabin keep them for the rest of your cruise number 20 look for kids sale free deals Royal Caribbean offers promotions where kids under the age of 13 staying in the same cabin as two other adults can qualify for free Cruise fare now there are a lot of blackout dates but the kids sale free

6:50 deal is among the most lucrative promotions offered so if you can find a ceiling that works boy you can really save a lot of money number 21 is one of my favorite tips out there and that is talk to the crew members strike up conversations with crew members you encounter you never know what kind of

7:04 fun people you're gonna meet your cabin attendant is usually really one for a quick chat and you might learn a thing or two or it can really make someone else's day so take some time it's a good way to pass the time on board a cruise number 22 do everything the online check-in needs before your cruise if you

7:20 enter all the information take the selfie add a credit card to your account you will fly through the cruise terminal during check-in time waste your time while you're at home doing that instead of at the cruise terminal so do yourself a favor and fill out all the information in the online check-in via the Royal

7:34 Caribbean app number 23 pre-book my time dining reservations if you have my time dining do yourself a favor and book a time in advance so that you wait less because people with reservations get priority for a table first so if you want to wait less for your table with my time dining make a reservation you can

7:52 do so via the cruise planner website or once on board the ship but ideally you'll do before the cruise number 24 don't waste time at Guest Services go there during less busy times Guest Services is open 24 hours a day the best times to visit guest services are early in the morning during dinner and while

8:09 the ship is docked in Port and of course late at night if you're visiting Royal Caribbean's Private Island a perfect day at CoCo Key make sure you take advantage of the free trams there there are complimentary shuttle services all around the island when you get off the ship look for golf carts that are

8:23 waiting to take guests down the pier there's also larger transplants to get on the island that will take you all around there's no cost hop out and hop off easy peasy if your cruise is going to Lobby D there is a complimentary Ferry available about halfway down the pier there'll be an area in which you

8:37 can board a ferry boat take you to the opposite end of the lobby and enjoy one of the quietest beaches available Columbus Cove number 27 you got kids on board the cruise make sure you register your kids for adventure ocean on embarkation day usually on the first day of the cruise at the adventure ocean

8:52 staff is available for registrations beginning right around 1pm or so and the registration process is very quick but it allows you to meet the counselors your kids to meet them and for everybody to see facilities and get a better idea of what to expect number 28 might be a way to save some money and that is to

9:08 sign up for the Vitality spot raffle so on the first day of the cruise there'll be a raffle in the Vitality spot the good news is most people who sign up don't actually show up to it so that really increases your odds of winning the contest so good luck with that number 29 look for alternatives to the

9:22 buffet lines we talked earlier about going maybe to a specialty restaurant on the first day of your careers but if that is not worth it for you or you're just on a c day and you're looking to avoid the crowds well skip the Windjammer and go to Alternatives that will have less of a crowd such as Park

9:35 Cafe Cafe 270 Cafe Promenade or sorrentos of course the exact options will depend on the ship you're on but these can be great ways to get your food a lot faster number 30 is for anybody who's staying in a suite did you know that room service is complementary that's right there's no service charge

9:51 for room service orders if you're staying in a suite take advantage of that order some food and and enjoy this awesome perk number 31 bring your own water on board on boarding day guests may bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on the first day of the cruise non-alcoholic beverages may not

10:08 exceed 12 standard 17 ounce cans bottles or cartons per serum and that includes by the way water sodas juices whatever as long as it's not alcohol gratuities are part of the total cruise cost and my recommendation is to pre-book gratuities by pre-booking your duties you'll lock in the gratuity rate in case of a rate

10:24 change later on number 33 staying on board your cruise ship during a Porte can really have some awesome benefits because you can take advantage of discounts at the spa enjoy wide open pool decks and much shorter lines for Signature activities like the floor Rider water slides Sky pad anything else

10:42 fun to do on board the ship the number 34 easy tip is to use breakfast room service as a wake-up call so there's still a complimentary Continental room service breakfast option available to anybody out there prior to the breakfast being delivered room service will call ahead to ensure that someone is awake

10:58 and provides a good impetus to get up and get ready for the start of your day so not only is somebody waking you up with a wake-up call but most importantly you'll have something to Nosh on in order to start your day number 35 don't wait to renew that passport passport renewals have been up and down game of

11:13 crazy long processing times followed by improving times then back again so if your passport is coming up for Renewal anytime soon do yourself a favor and get a head start on getting it renewed now number 36 specify the brand of liquor when you order a cocktail or mixed drink ask for which brand of liquor to use

11:31 this avoids the crew members putting the cheaper option in your drink speaking of drinks if you have a drink package you can use them especially restaurants your drink package not only works at bars and lounges but also especially restaurants the main dining room and even Royal Caribbean's private destinations a

11:47 perfect day CoCo Key and lava d and another drink tip is always ask for a bottle of water with your drink order if you have a Royal Caribbean drink package even if you aren't thirsty enough for water you can always get a bottle of water with your drink order the crew members really don't mind so

12:02 bring the bottle back to your cabin and start stacking them up so when you go on shore excursions you don't pay for water off the ship because you have a little stockpile of bottled water number 39 do yourself a favor print out those luggage tags prior to Leading for your cruise you really should print out luggage tags

12:18 so you can put them on your checked luggage it's gonna deliver your stateroom yes the porters can affix them at the terminal but it takes a little bit longer so do yourself a favor and get those luggage tags printed put on your luggage before you leave home number 40 you can bring wine on your

12:33 cruise guests wishing to bring personal wine and champagne on board may do so on boarding day and you're limited to 750 milliliter bottles per cabin that's in addition by the way to the non-alcoholic beverage to talk about earlier but keep in mind no beer or hard liquor may be brought on board at any time so it's got

12:49 to be either wine or champagne number 41 fly in one day before your cruise begins really truly it is worth it fly in at least one day in advance to avoid a travel delay causing you to miss your cruise as an added bonus by arriving to your embarkation port at least a day early that means you get to

13:05 certification even sooner number 42 prepare a carry-on bag for the first day so you're gonna give the porters all that checked luggage but you want to have a small bag with you that you bring on board the ship that has some important things like medications a bathing suit sunscreen travel documents

13:20 and as an added bonus you can use this bag later on the cruise as you go on shore excursions to carry some of these items as well as beach towels number 43 know what you can't bring refer to Royal carbine's list of prohibited items because this changes all the time you might be surprised by the list but there

13:36 are some items you definitely can't bring now there's Firearms ammunition you can't bring you can't bring sharp objects including all knives and scissors although personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed and scissors with a blade length of less than four inches are allowed you can't

13:49 bring legal drug substances you cannot bring CBD products or CBD oil even if it's legal where you live you're visiting other countries it's their rules you cannot bring candles incense coffee makers clothing irons travel Steamers or hot plates hoverboards aren't allowed no martial arts or

14:05 self-defense equipment including handcuffs pepper sprayer night sticks aren't allowed as well flammable liquids and explosives aren't allowed hookahs are not allowed Ham radios aren't allowed baby monitors aren't allowed electrical extension cords aren't allowed perishable food and meat

14:18 products aren't allowed and we already talked about alcohol not being allowed as well and of course dangerous chemicals including bleach and paint are not allowed as well number 44 is a really important one don't listen to bad reviews people like to complain online about pretty much

14:31 everything out there so go on your cruise with an open mind and just enjoy it my favorite example of why you shouldn't listen to online reviews is do yourself a favor go Google The Great Wall of China One of Mankind's greatest achievements and you'll find the Google reviews The Great Wall of China are four

14:47 out of five stars that's right the Great Wall of China didn't get five stars so the fact that you're maybe someone didn't like your cruise ship is totally irrelevant enjoy your cruise you'll have a great time number 45 suitcases fit under your bed this will save you so much space so not only will putting your

15:01 suitcases under your bed save you that space you'll get your luggage out of you for the cruise number 46 this is a tip that somebody told me and I think it makes a lot of sense wear your tightest clothes first and have the loose ones for later on if your cruise is long or you're doing a back-to-back sailing well

15:16 then you really want to take advantage of this one because listen you're going to indulge a little bit so if you got anything that's a little tight fitting wear it early on on the cruise my last easy tip for anybody on the Royal creeping Cruise is look for videos of your ship itinerary or room on YouTube this is a

15:30 very good way to learn about your ship excursions or even your cabin there's a lot of them are there out there so take advantage of that there you go 47 easy tricks that will make your cruise so much better I hope one or 47 of these make your cruise much better let me know in the comments below if I miss like a

15:48 super easy tip that everybody can take advantage of and which of these tips have you used and really found to be a game changer and most importantly don't forget to drop your email at royalcaribbeanblog.com easy so that way you get all 47 tips emailed to you and you have to jot anything down do me a

16:05 favor hit that like button down below subscribe to our Channel and turn on notifications that way YouTube lets you know we have a brand new video to share this has been Matt from royalcaribbeanblog.com and we'll talk again real soon