If you’ve ever wondered whether can you go on a cruise pregnant, the answer is: it depends. While you might be dreaming of the perfect babymoon to celebrate your bundle of joy, you’ll want to make sure you meet Royal Caribbean’s boarding requirements before heading to the pier.

Cruising can be a wonderful and relaxing way to celebrate your pregnancy. However, you must meet the health requirements to cruise safely. In fact, all major cruise lines have the same policy when it comes to cruising while pregnant, including Royal Caribbean. 

Pregnant women are not banned from cruising. Like every major cruise line, Royal Caribbean allows pregnant women to cruise as long as they are not more than 23 weeks pregnant. This means that pregnant women must be 23 weeks or less for the entire duration of their cruise. If you enter the 24th week of pregnancy at any point during your cruise, you will not be eligible to sail with Royal Caribbean.

But, just how strict is Royal Caribbean with this policy?

One concerned traveler recently posted in a Mariner of the Seas Facebook group asking, “How strict is Royal Caribbean about pregnancies? Heard you can’t be past 23 weeks pregnant and my daughter will be 25 weeks pregnant when we cruise.”

The post garnered nearly 200 responses, with many sharing their first-hand experiences of cruising while pregnant. Surprisingly, some admitted to sailing past the 23-week limit, though the majority strongly advised against it, especially for those nearing the gestation cutoff.

Let’s take a closer look at Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy, including how it’s enforced and what real cruisers have experienced firsthand.

Guests must attest to their pregnancy status before boarding.

All guests are required to answer a public health questionnaire prior to boarding their cruise, and must attest that they are not more than 23 weeks pregnant. When answering your pre-cruise health questionnaire, Royal Caribbean specifically asks: Will you be more than 23 weeks pregnant at any time during the cruise? 

If you do not meet the criteria, you will be denied boarding your cruise. In this way, you may be wondering why cruise lines set the 24th week of pregnancy as the cutoff for sailing. This guideline is actually established due to the baby’s viability based on gestational age. In the United States, a fetus is considered viable between 23 weeks and 24 weeks.

For this reason, if the mother went into preterm labor during her cruise, the baby could reasonably survive with proper and timely medical intervention, which isn't available on a cruise ship. Before the 24-week mark, preterm labor is usually due to miscarriage rather than delivering a premature, viable newborn.

If you are planning to cruise while pregnant and meet the gestation criteria, it’s best for expecting mothers to consult with their doctor and receive prior approval to cruise. If you have a healthy pregnancy and receive the green light from your doctor, most pregnant women can successfully cruise.

Read more: How to protect yourself from getting sick on a cruise

Royal Caribbean’s medical facilities are well-equipped, but not to safely care for a premature baby.

All cruise ships have a robust medical facility with trained staff onboard to care for a wide range of medical issues and emergencies. 

Cruise ships have at least one licensed doctor, along with a few nurses onboard, who are available 24 hours each day for medical assistance. This can vary depending on the size of the ship, as newer vessels with more passengers likely require more medical staff onboard. Some larger ships might have two doctors and up to four nurses.

Although medical professionals on a cruise ship are trained to perform life-saving measures to the best of their abilities, the medical facility is not a hospital. Any specialized care that is needed will require medical disembarkation or evacuation to the nearest hospital.

In particular, cruise ship medical facilities are not properly equipped to handle a premature baby being born. Without a NICU to care for an extremely premature baby, this would put the newborn's life at risk without proper medical intervention.

In this way, pregnancy policies are in place to protect the health and safety of both the pregnant mother and her baby. By requiring women to cruise only during the first 23 weeks of pregnancy, this minimizes the risk of pregnancy complications and premature labor. Without complex medical care, these situations can become dangerous for both the pregnant mother and the baby.

It’s important to understand the risks involved with cruising while pregnant.

While traveling is never without risk, there are added risks you take when choosing to cruise while pregnant. During a cruise, you will be sailing away from land to the open sea most evenings while traveling between ports of call. 

While at sea, pregnant women would only have access to the medical care provided onboard. In the case of an emergency, a medical evacuation could be necessary. You should also consider the healthcare of the destinations you’d be visiting, as this is where you would receive medical care in an emergency.

Royal Caribbean states on its website, “There is no Obstetrician/Gynecologist available on the ship, and that pregnancies, when unstable and poorly controlled, are potentially life-threatening, especially without back up. A Guest may be at sea for several days without any immediate hospital and/or specialist back up, and that since the proposed itinerary is not within the U.S., and the availability of specialized shore side facilities can be problematic.”

For this reason, women should consider all of the risks of cruising while pregnant and discuss any concerns with their doctor before embarking. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or you’re at risk for preterm labor, cruising might not be the best choice for you.

Many cruisers said Royal Caribbean was very strict about enforcing its pregnancy policy.

In the comment section of the Facebook post, many mothers shared their personal stories about cruising while pregnant. Overall, most of the first-hand experiences stated that Royal Caribbean was very strict about its pregnancy policy and the rules were enforced.

One commenter answered, “Very strict and even if they weren’t, why would you want to put your daughter and future grandchild at risk like that?”

Another person replied similarly, “Pretty strict. We couldn’t go on a family cruise because my sister-in-law would have been just over their boundary. I think they make you prove it with a doctor’s note.”

“Extremely strict… why would someone risk a mom’s life and an unborn child…” questioned one commenter.

Read more: 8 things I wish I knew about taking a baby on a cruise ship

Although Royal Caribbean does not explicitly require a doctor’s note, some commenters shared that they did provide documentation to prove their pregnancy gestation.

“Very strict. I had to plan a whole new cruise and bring a note from my doctor,” stated another cruiser. Another comment echoed this sentiment: “Very strict. We had to have a Dr note when my daughter was pregnant.”

Likewise, one woman said, “They are really strict. I had to provide a note from my doctor stating my due date and how far along I was. They wanted this ahead of the cruise and looked at it during check in.”

Other commenters questioned the choice to cruise after the 23-week cutoff, especially given the risks.

Many commenters stressed the importance of following Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy to protect the health of both the mother and baby. Misrepresenting how far along you are isn’t just against cruise line rules, it also increases the risk of serious pregnancy complications.

“Why risk the life of your daughter and her unborn child? The ship is nowhere near equipped to deal with an emergency. No one ever thinks anything will happen to them—until it does,” responded one person.

Another replied, “Ok, so here’s the thing. Especially if you are traveling the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America or South America, think about healthcare. If you or the baby become endangered, who will take care of you or the baby’s healthcare? The ship has a hospital but it’s limited.”

“They have a policy. Would you gamble your daughter-in-law’s health and the baby’s health on trying to skirt around it? If something goes wrong, Royal [Caribbean] nor third-party insurance would cover the cost of care,” questioned one cruiser.

One nurse chimed in, “As a neonatal ICU nurse, I wouldn’t risk traveling in the middle of the ocean while pregnant. For the health and safety of your daughter, your grandchild, and the crew onboard the ship that would have to intervene in that emergency situation, she shouldn’t go.

Another pregnant woman shared that they cruised at 18 weeks and wouldn’t do it again. “I honestly had quite a bit of anxiety and I wouldn’t have gone any later. If something happens, there’s very limited medical care onboard.”

However, some commenters shared that they were able to cruise beyond the 23-week mark.

Despite Royal Caribbean’s clear pregnancy policy, some women shared that they cruised beyond 23 weeks without issue. While not recommended, a few offered first-hand accounts of sailing later in pregnancy.

“We went in Feb & I was going on 25 weeks, nobody ever asked me,” commented one pregnant cruiser. Another explained, “Was 26 weeks and they never asked anything.”

In addition, one commenter shared, “I know someone that went well into her third trimester. I imagine she didn’t tell them she was pregnant though, because she hid it fairly well. I personally wouldn’t risk it."

Another cruiser said, “I went at 24-25 weeks pregnant. Nobody asked for a note and I was very visibly pregnant as pictured. Definitely cruise at your own risk, but my baby is now a happy, heathy 8 month old.”

While a handful of cruisers shared they didn’t have an issue cruising beyond 23 weeks, these should be viewed as exceptions and not endorsements. Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy is in place to protect the health of its passengers, including pregnant moms.

There are rules about going on a cruise ship, but a few might be ones you're breaking without knowing it.

Royal Caribbean publishes all of its rules and policies on its website. Most are quite obvious and apply to any form of travel, such as not bringing weapons, chemicals, or starting a fight with someone.

But some things you do on a cruise might seem innocent until you realize it's actually against the rules.

A reader asked me about a particular policy (see the first thing on our list below for what it was), and it got me thinking about the sort of things you might inadvertently do without realizing it's against Royal Caribbean's rules.

To help ensure you're never "that guy", here's a few not-so-obvious rules to avoid breaking.

Obstructing hallways

Royal Caribbean welcomes guests to bring their strollers or wheelchairs with them on a cruise ship, but you cannot park it in the hallway.

According to the cruise line's mobility disabilities policy, you've got to keep them parked in your cabin.

"Assistive devices including mobility scooters must be stored and recharged in your stateroom so fire doors, corridors and elevator lobbies are kept clear for emergency evacuation."

This is an important rule for anyone that has a powered wheelchair they're bringing onboard.  While it might be tempting to keep it parked outside your cabin, it's against the rules.

If you plan to bring a powered wheelchair, I'd recommend booking an accessible cruise ship cabin so that the doorway entrance is wide enough to easily get the chair in and out.

Plus, these cabins offer more space for the wheelchair to maneuver around.

One more thing to remember is when you're out and about on the ship, you need to ensure the wheelchair isn't left blocking a hall.

"When parked throughout the ship, they must be parked out of the way to allow safe and easy access by other guests and crewmembers."

If you want to bring a stroller, I'd recommend buying a collapsible umbrella stroller rather than the fancy one you use at home. Something that collapses and is easy to fly with as it is to cruise with is a good idea, such as this one that folds down to "personal item" size on airplanes. (This has an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use but I get a small commission)

Being rude to crew members

Not only is being rude socially unacceptable, it's against Royal Caribbean's rules.

I understand you might get frustrated when a series of events doesn't go as you expected, but it's not an excuse to lash out at a crew member.

Royal Caribbean's rule is clear on this, "Verbally abusive or offensive language directed toward anyone, including guests, crew members, governmental officials, or others is not permitted."

Moreover, you're also obliged to follow any instructions given to you by crew members during the course of the cruise.

Ignoring instructions is equally wrong, and could land you in trouble with the ship's security.

Beyond the cruise line's rules, remember that these crew members are living thousands of miles away from their families on a ship and are trying to help you have a great vacation. They didn't make the rules, they're just enforcing them.

Playing your music too loud

A cruise vacation is the perfect excuse to party, but leave the music to the ship's DJ.

You are not allowed to play your own music loudly on the ship, "Boom boxes, loud radios, or other noise nuisance(s) are not permitted."

Royal Caribbean has seemingly started to crack down on this on its private island too.

You're better off bringing headphones rather than a Bluetooth speaker with you.  If you do opt to bring a speaker, I'd only use it off the ship on an excursion and keep the volume low.

If you're renting a cabana on Perfect Day at CocoCay, there are Bluetooth speakers provided to use there.

Leaving your clothes on the balcony

Something I'm sure a lot of people do is leave their stuff on their balcony, but it's actually against the rules.

Whether you leave something out on the balcony or intentionally, it's not permitted because of the risk of it flying away.

"Guests may not leave items unattended on balconies, as the wind may cause items to fall overboard."

The cruise line takes littering in the ocean seriously, and while I doubt most people leaving things on their balcony is intentional to litter, the reality is the wind can really kick up quickly.

Not only do you not want your stuff to end up in the ocean, they don't want it to go there either.

Believe it or not, Royal Caribbean can ban you from their cruise ships for life.

No one really thinks about this kind of a scenario happening to them, but being on vacation isn't carte blanche to do whatever you want. Cruise lines have rules for the safety of everyone, and even bending them could land you in serious trouble.

A Royal Caribbean Blog reader recently shared with me a story of someone that got banned for life, and it was a wakeup call to remind everyone how serious the rules can be.

Here are four notable examples of people getting banned for life by Royal Caribbean.

Jumping for the gram

Probably the most brazen example of someone doing something dumb for the sake of doing something dumb was when a man tried jumping off the ship for the sole purpose of filming it.

The person jumped off of the 11th deck on Symphony of the Seas while docked it was docked in Nassau.

In the video posted, he is shown preparing to jump after climbing over his balcony railing, all the while his friends laughing in the background.

He fell more than 100 feet to the water.

He did it for internet fame, and luckily survived the fall. He later told his followers he was drunk at the time.

However, he and his friends were banned for life on the spot.

Security rescued him from the water, and then he and his friends were immediately escorted off the ship.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean admonished the behavior, "This was stupid and reckless behavior, and he and his companions have been banned from ever sailing with us again."

Standing on the balcony

Another case of poor decision making for the sake of a photo, came with a woman who thought a daring position was a good idea.

The woman was spotted posing in a swimsuit on the edge of her balcony while sailing on Allure of the Seas.

In its Guest Contact Policy, Royal Caribbean specifically notes that "sitting, standing, laying or climbing on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers, or tampering with ship’s equipment, facilities or systems designed for guest safety is not permitted."

Another guest spotted her doing this and quickly alerted the ship's staff. She and her companion were kicked off the ship in the next port of call.

A spokesperson later confirmed that she had been banned for life, "[They] are now banned for life from sailing with Royal Caribbean." 

Cheating in the casino

It's a little less clear what happened, but it appears one passenger has been banned because of suspected cheating in the casino.

Cruise Critic user pdxcam posted a story of how they tried to book another Royal Caribbean cruise, but was later informed all of their sailings have been cancelled because they are no longer welcome onboard.

"They informed me that I am banned from all Royal Caribbean brands permanently without appeal and would not tell me why," is what they posted.

Digging through the thread, it appears their game play in the casino was suspect and is what they believe the issue was.  The person never admitted to cheating in the casino, but can only speculate that must be the reason.

They said by the second day of their final cruise, the casino asked them not to play in the casino at all.

"The order of events was very quick.  On my last cruise, I was asked not to play blackjack on night #1.  Other than being with a friend in 2005, I've never been asked not to play blackjack.  I rarely play it.  Day #2, I'm asked to stop gambling for the rest of the cruise.  I did both things they asked.  One week later, I'm banned for life. "

"It feels like I'm guilty by association from the 2005 incident, and they figured I was cheating because I've been winning a little bit.

Making false reports

Another case of a person being banned and seeking assistance from the internet came after accusing the line of things that may not have happened.

Cruisingcornell posted on our message boards they sailed on Anthem of the Seas and claims to have "found some [bed bug] shells on the couch cushion " and requested a cabin change.

They then claim the crew believed the story was fabricated, "they didn't find anything and at this point called our picture and what we showed the room attendant fake/from another sailing is how they put it."

After the cruise, they got word of their ban, "We received a call ... customer service telling us that we were banned after their security team said we provided a fake picture."

They said their ban lasts at least year, but may not be lifted even after that.

There are serious consequences

If these four stories serve any purpose, it's to realize that Royal Caribbean doesn't mess around with people who break the rules.

Even if there's the perception of something wrong, that could be enough to warrant a lifetime ban.

Bad behavior is inexcusable, and you agree to abide by the cruise line rules the moment you book a cruise. Certainly being inebriated isn't going to get you out of the consequences.

Some Royal Caribbean policies tend not to be enforced consistently, but it looks like things may be changing with the wine you bring onboard.

Royal Caribbean allows its passengers to bring bottles of wine onto its ships, but the corkage fee that is supposed to be applied has largely been ignored for many years.

That could be changing now.

The official policy states guests can bring up to one bottle of wine per adult on embarkation day onto the ship. If that wine is opened in a bar, restaurant, or lounge, then it's subject to a $15 corkage fee.

The wine you bring onboard must be carried on and not put in your checked luggage.

In reality, that corkage fee has rarely been enforced.  It's been my experience that the crew member will open it and not say anything.

However, reports are popping up of stickers being added to wine bottles to indicate if the corkage fee has been waived or not.

This applies to wine with twist tops, as the corkage fee is more a fee for bringing your own wine rather than the actual mechanics of opening it.

New stickers

A number of cruisers who have gotten bottles of wine gifted onboard the ship are reporting stickers on their bottles.

Pattycruise wrote on the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards, "I just saw another photo from a group I’m in that said corkage  fee waived on the sticker."

These stickers are appearing on bottles of wine that passengers receive from Crown and Anchor Society or Casino Royale as an incentive for their loyalty.

Enforcing an old rule

What cruisers needs to be aware of is they may be charged for wine they bring onboard.

What this means is if you're someone that has been bringing bottles of wine on your cruise and skated by without paying the corkage fee, this could be changing.

Essentially, the policy hasn't changed at all, but it may now be enforced. That could be confusing to someone who wasn't aware of the corkage fee being applied before.

If you buy a bottle of wine on your cruise ship, there is no corkage fee.

After a bottle of wine is opened for you, you can either take any unfinished wine in the bottle with you or have it stored for you to be used on another day and time.

It's quite convenient to have your bottle opened in the Main Dining Room, have the crew store it, and enjoy the rest on another day in the same or a different restaurant.

The crew marks your name and stateroom number on the bottle, and any crew member around the ship can retrieve it to serve you elsewhere.

You can still open your wine on your own

One way to get around the corkage fee is to open the wine and keep it in your cabin.

The corkage fee is for wine that's opened in public venue onboard, but there's no such application if you have it in your room.

In fact, your stateroom attendant can provide a wine opener upon request for no fee.

You could enjoy the wine in your cabin, or opt to take a glass with you around the ship.  In either of those scenarios, there would be no fee.

Bringing your own wine is a great way to save money

One of the oldest hacks for saving money is to bring your own bottle of wine.

Not only will you pay less for wine if you buy it retail while at home, but you'll have a far greater selection of choices.

Even with the corkage fee, you'll probably come out ahead with your own bottle of wine than buying a bottle onboard the ship because of the markup with wine offered for sale by Royal Caribbean.

Tips for bringing your own wine (and not ending up with a broken bottle)

Bringing your own bottle of wine can save you money, but no one wants to end up with a bottle that breaks.

Instead of buying the bottle of wine at home, you could wait to buy it at your embarkation city. This avoids packing a bottle in your luggage and hoping it doesn't break during transit.

Not only could you buy it at a store near your hotel, but you could leverage a shopping app like UberEats and have it delivered to your hotel.

If you are going to pack your own wine, a wine diaper could do the trick (this is an affiliate link that costs you nothing extra to use). These are reusable, protective and absorbent wine bottle bags designed for traveling.

If you prefer a DIY approach, try putting your wine in a 1.5 gallon ziplock bag and pad the wine with clothing around it, such as socks.

Royal Caribbean's post-cruise surveys are an important way to evaluate what's working well, but one question is confusing a lot of passengers.

After every cruise, Royal Caribbean sends guests an email survey as a way to get feedback on every aspect of the cruise.

There's an opportunity to rate the service, food, efficiencies, and every venue onboard.

One question in particular seems to trip up a lot of passengers because of how it's written, and that leaves a question as to how they should answer it.

"Am I supposed to answer yes or no?" is what a Facebook user wrote recently in regard to this survey question:

"Were you asked by any crew member(s) to provide positive ratings/reviews on this survey?"

If you answered yes to the question, then the survey goes on to ask which crew member asked you to provide the positive ratings.

"I’m not sure if yes is a positive for the staff because that’s what they’re supposed to do? Or they’re not supposed to?"

The debate relates to what answer Royal Caribbean is looking for, as well as if the crew member gets in trouble for it.

What the question really means

Royal Caribbean relies on NPS or Net Promoter Scores to evaluate how its operations are working.

In short, this is a tool for measuring customer loyalty and predicting business growth. 

The way the analysis is done on this type of question is if you answer a 9 or 10 you are a Promoter, 6-8 you are Neutral, 0-5 you are a Detractor.  

In 2022, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about how important NPS scores are to his company, "I think the happy customers is a beautiful thing to have. And I think that formula has never changed. When people really have an amazing time, they go backward and as they tell their friends and families, they want to come back and repeat.

"We've done obviously work on Net Promoter Score and repeat cruises and the correlation is relatively high. There is a relationship between Net Promoter Score and loyalty guest. So it's a winning formula. And I think that's always been one of the great things about cruise is the value proposition connected to satisfaction has always been remarkably high."

Royal Caribbean wants you to be honest and truthful so you can properly determine what's working well or not.  But if you're being coached to give positive answers, that skews the data in the wrong way.

The survey question is trying to figure out if crew members are inflating scores by asking guests for positive ratings.

Confusing passengers

Without knowing about NPS scores and how they work, the question is confusing.

In the Facebook post with this question, about half the people commented they answer "yes" while others answered "no".

"I had the same question and was confused by it. I work for a large corporation which relies on customer feedback and I feel like this question is very inappropriate. To your point when we get somebody in trouble for answering yes or no," wrote Tina Basinger.

Allan Bowman posted, "Answer as honestly as you can. If it was a negative thing for a crew member to mention it, then they wouldn't be mentioning it so often!"

Jenny Hinson added, "Answer honestly. If you don’t know then just don’t answer!"

What should you do

In my opinion, the question is aimed at maintaining the integrity of the survey as a whole, so answering truthfully is the proper route.

It's perfectly okay for a crew member to alert you about the survey, and even point out that the survey is quite important.

The issue is if they start to pressure you to answer for a "10" score, either by directly asking for it or inferring if they don't get a perfect score, they'll get in trouble.

So if you're told by a crew member that the survey is important or that you should do it when you get home, I don't believe that constitutes a "yes" to the question.

However, if they ask for perfect scores or guilt you about not giving perfect scores, that's where you'd want to answer "yes".

It gets into a gray area when the crew member dances around it, such as a head waiter that says they strive for 10 out of 10 and asked to immediately let him know if anything didn’t meet that standard so it could be corrected on the spot. 

What happens if a crew member doesn't get a perfect score

We don't have insight into how exactly less than perfect scores impact crew members, but some passengers shared what they've heard.

Austin posted on our Royal Caribbean message boards, "One of our former waiters told us if they do not get 10s, they are required to attend more “training” sessions which results in less free/leave time."

"They are also rated against other wait staff. I actually got to see it posted during a galley tour. It can also lead to no promotion or no contract renewal."

Snowchaser wrote, "We were told that the survey scores determine how many tables they will service in the MDR on upcoming cruises.  As an assistant waiter, waiter just starting out good survey scores mean your ability to make more money grows with more responsibility."

Bradinmississippi added, "We use a 10-point scale where I work and are required to investigate every score below 10. The employee doesn't technically get in trouble for a low score, but if they fail to follow procedure they are disciplined."

Many people are unaware of the best way to save money in the long term on a Royal Caribbean cruise is by taking advantage of a price drop.

To be fair, the cruise line does not do a very good job of advertising their price match option.  Even some travel agents are unaware of how it works. Plus, it's limited to residents of certain countries.

I cruise a dozen times each year, and the ability to reduce my fare after a price drop has easily saved me save thousands of dollars.

With cruise prices only seeming to go up, this strategy won't necessarily work on every cruise you have booked.  But I've been pleasantly surprised when it does work.

Here's how Royal Caribbean's price match works and when you can use it.

You can reprice up until final payment date

For residents of select countries, you can re-price your cruise all the way up until the final payment date if there is a price drop.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for all of its cruises. This means the cost of the cruise fare can vary from sailing to sailing, and with its algorithm, could change minute to minute.

First and foremost, this only applies to residents of the United States, Canada, and a few others.  Notably residents of the United Kingdom cannot utilize this.

If the price of the exact cabin category you booked drops below what you paid and you're before the final payment date, you can have the cruise line match the lower price.

It has to be for the exact same cabin category, meaning the exact cabin category code needs to match.  Remember, there are sub categories of cabins beyond inside, oceanview, balcony, or suite.  So if you booked a category 5D Balcony on Mariner of the Seas, the price has to have dropped for another 5D Balcony on Mariner for the same sailing as you.

Your travel agent can do it for you. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, then you need to call them and ask for the price adjustment.

To be honest, not all travel agents or even phone agents at Royal Caribbean are aware of this strategy.  I've heard back from cruisers who have been denied a price adjustment because the person they talked to was unaware of the policy.  

As long as you're before final payment date, a resident of an applicable country, and the fare you're trying to match is the exact room category on your specific sailing, you should be able to do it.  Call back and speak to someone else who should know about it.  Or better yet, work with a really good travel agent that does this all the time.

What if there's a price drop after final payment?

If the price goes down after your final payment date, you're out of luck and there's nothing else to be done.

Royal Caribbean won't adjust the price of any fare if the price goes lower.

One thing to keep in mind is if the price goes down for a higher category cabin after final payment date and it costs more than you paid, it's been my experience they'll let you pay to upgrade to that cabin.

Not to be confused with the Royal Caribbean Best Price Guarantee

Often the ability to price match is mixed up with another policy, the Best Price Guarantee.

This is similar, but would apply whether or not you're past final payment or not.

Within 48 hours of booking a cruise, Royal Caribbean will honor any price drop.

• If you're before final payment, you can get a refund for the price difference
• If you're after final payment, you can either get an upgrade to a higher room at the same price or get the difference back as a non-refundable Onboard Credit.

This policy is far more well advertised and because it works even after final payment date, it's somewhat different.

Do cruise prices go down?

I know it seems like prices are only getting more expensive for a cruise, but they do fluctuate.

Depending on what the demand is for a particular sailing, Royal Caribbean will use its pricing to help boost or dampen sales to keep it steady.

Most commonly, you'll see cruise fare fluctuations with longer sailings, or cruises from less traditional homeports.  Examples include transatlantic cruises, or cruises that depart from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The "catch" with price drops is the cruise line won't alert you to it.  The only want to truly know if there is a price drop is to check yourself.

To check the price of the cruise after you booked, you'll need to go to Royal Caribbean's website and do a mock booking where you pretend to be trying to book the exact room category on the sailing you're already booked on.

Remember, it has to be the same exact room category code as yours to qualify.

Price drops are why being early is the best time to book cruise

Taking advantage of price drops is why I love to book a cruise as early as possible.

If you're curious when is the best time to book a cruise, I recommend booking it as soon as you can because prices tend to go up.

While price drops do occur, they're not the norm by any means.  But if you book immediately, you can keep track of the price and take advantage of a price drop later.

Even without the ability to re-price a cruise, Royal Caribbean executives have said repeatedly they expect prices to only go up.

Booking early lets you also pay for a cruise over time

Another advantage to reserving a cruise earlier is you have more time to pay for it.

Travel agents can do this for you quite easily, where you can instruct them to take installments up until your final payment date.  You could pay it monthly or in random lump sums.

In addition, Royal Caribbean also offers a monthly payment option for those that book a cruise directly with the cruise line through a service called UpLift.

This allows you to spread out monthly payments, even after your cruise sails.  It's essentially financing, and there's an interest rate you'll pay with it.

When a friend wanted to try a Royal Caribbean cruise for the first time, he was shocked when he couldn't change the sail date a few weeks before the sailing.

He assumed a cruise booking was similar to a hotel booking, where you can shift dates easily.  But he thought that because he wasn't aware of Royal Caribbean's cancellation and change policies, which incur penalties after the final payment date.

He ended up going on the original booking rather than take the financial loss, but it's an important lesson in understanding important policies before you go on a cruise.

You never want to be caught off guard by a cruise policy before boarding to avoid unexpected issues later.

Cancellations and Refund Policies

Most cruise lines have rules in place for what happens if you want to cancel a cruise or change dates. 

In the case of my friend, changing dates is akin to cancelling. Whether you change the date and/or ship, you're cancelling a reservation and creating a new one.  

The most important thing to think about when booking any cruise is the deposit type. Royal Caribbean offers two kids of deposits: refundable and non-refundable.

Non-refundable fare usually costs less, but has change fees in addition to the fact you'll never get your deposit back if you choose to cancel. Refundable fare doesn't have those fees, but the cruise fare will be higher.  

You're trading flexibility for up front savings when it comes to non-refundable cruise fare.

The second most important policy to think about when booking a cruise are the cancellation terms.

The final payment date is the day a few months before your cruise where you must pay off the entire balance of your cruise or lose your reservation (and perhaps incur a penalty).

• 75 days prior to the sailing date for 1 to 4 night cruises
• 90 days prior to the sailing date for 5 to 14 night cruises
• 120 days prior for 15 night or longer cruises

If you intend to go on the cruise, then you need to pay off the entire balance owed by that date.  Otherwise, Royal Caribbean will cancel your reservation.  There are no extensions or undos if you miss that final payment date. Unfortunately, I hear often from people who don't make final payment in time and their reservation is indeed cancelled.

If you are before the final payment date, when a non-refundable deposit cancellation occurs, the full deposit amount will be held in penalty. Any additional payments made will be refunded. 

Once you pass final payment, there are a series of penalties if you were to cancel or change your mind.

It's imperative to treat the final payment date as your "point of no return" to deciding if you're actually going on the cruise or not.

The other important policy I think a lot of cruisers overlook is changing or adding people to the reservation.

It's common to want to add someone, remove someone, or swap someone from a reservation.  Depending on who you want to change, and how soon before the cruise sails you want to make the change, the costs could be minimal to major.

If you want to swap out one person for another, this is the simplest.  As long as one person from the original reservation remains booked, you can name swap others up until a few days before the cruise with no additional cost.  

As an example, you could replace your kid's friend with another friend and not have any fees or extra costs, as long as the same amount of people remain the same in the cabin and you're still booked on the reservation.

It gets more complicated if you want to add or remove people from a reservation.

Adding people gets done at prevailing rates, not the rate you originally booked at. Moreover, adding someone at the last minute is subject to if your stateroom can accommodate that many people.  

All cabins have a passenger limit, so if you booked a cabin designed for 2 people and want to add a third, you'd have to upgrade to a bigger cabin first, and that would incur a fee (assuming a bigger cabin is available).

One other issue with adding someone later on is the lifeboat capacity of the ship. If the lifeboat capacity for your muster station is full, they would not allow another guest.  

Removing someone from a cabin could trigger a re-price of the cabin, which could actually cost you more than keeping them on the reservation. In this scenario, you're better off leaving them on the reservation and then telling Royal Caribbean at check-in that they wont be boarding.  Their port fees and taxes will automatically be refunded.

If all of these policies seem tough to juggle, it's why I recommend working with a good travel agent. They can make it far simpler to manage on your end, and are a great point of contact when you have questions.

I recommend reviewing all of the "what if's" you may have about the cruise before booking.  Never assume, when it comes to changing your mind later.

What you can't bring on a cruise

Just like going on an airplane, there is a large list of things you cannot bring on a cruise ship.

Most are obvious things that you probably would never consider bringing, but there are definitely a few surprises on the banned item list.

First and foremost, you cannot bring anything that is or could be used as a weapon.  No firearms, explosives, fireworks, knives, ammunition, etc. This includes anyone that has a permit or license to carry weapons.

Illegal drugs are also not allowed onboard, even drugs that are legal in some states, such as marijuana or cannabis products. This includes products containing CBD oil, candies and edibles, even if prescribed by a physician as medication.

You also cannot bring beer or liquor onboard, although you can bring some wine and non-alcoholic drinks on embarkation day only.

Perhaps the most commonly violated packing list rule are items that are a fire hazard. You cannot bring anything flammable, that makes an open flame, or has a heating element.

I believe this is the most commonly overlooked rule by passengers, because so many people try to bring an iron, steamer, or power strip on their ship only to have it confiscated by security.

Passengers cannot bring pets on their cruise, unless they are a certified service animal. Emotional support animals are not allowed.

Regarding luggage, there is no baggage limit for a cruise. 

Drink and beverage policies

There are rules about bringing your own drinks on a cruise that are important to be aware of.

Only on the first day of your cruise are you allowed to bring one bottle of wine/champagne per adult in the cabin.  It must be brought in your carry-on bag (so don't put it in your checked luggage).

No other alcohol is allowed to be brought on a cruise ship.  And don't try to sneak booze onto the ship either because the cruise line has seen all of the tricks before.  Not to mention the fact I think having a stash in your cabin is cumbersome and more trouble than it's worth.

You're welcome to purchase bottles of alcohol on the ship or in the ports your ship visits, but Royal Caribbean will hold onto it until the end of the cruise.

The other important rule to know about are if you purchase an unlimited drink package.

Drink packages aren't cheap, but they offer a very convenient way to enjoy drinking on a cruise. However, there are certain things you can't do with a drink package:

• You cannot share your drink package benefits with someone else
• If one person purchases the Deluxe Beverage package, then all persons in the cabin 21 years old or older must also purchase it
• You can buy a package onboard as long as there are 4 days left in the cruise
• Your drink package works everywhere, except room service and the mini bar
• You'll pay a service charge when you buy the drink package that covers gratuity for all drinks ordered

The no drink sharing rule is by far the most important rule to be aware of, and it could result in you losing your drink package benefits without a refund if you're caught.

Smoking Policies

While you can smoke cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or other tobacco products on a cruise ship, it can only be done in designated areas.

These rules include all types of electronic vaping, such as e-cigarettes, vapes, mods, etc.

• Smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas, must be properly disposed of, and never be thrown overboard
• Cigar and pipe tobacco are limited to designated outdoor areas and Cigar Bars
• You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or use tobacco on sailings beginning in U.S. ports.
  • For sailings beginning in all other ports, the minimum age is 18 years old

You can also smoke in the casino on Royal Caribbean ships, except for any ships sailing from Australia and the United Kingdom.

It's important to note you cannot smoke or vape on your balcony or anywhere in your stateroom.

If you have a top status with Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, you might be eligible to status match with another cruise line.

Unlike the airline industry, cruise lines don't offer a lot of status matching, but there are situations where it does exist, and it offers cruisers a way to instantly attain perks and benefits with another cruise line despite having never sailed with them in the past.

Because Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are sister brands under the same corporate umbrella, there is some reciprocity between the two lines.  Plus, there are ways to get benefits with other companies too.

Here are eight things you need to know before applying for a Royal Caribbean status match.

1. You can only get status match with one brand within the company

Royal Caribbean offers a status match with only Celebrity Cruises, but not Silversea Cruises.

The same applies to Celebrity passengers who wish to travel on Royal Caribbean.

Silversea's loyalty program, Venetian Society, is a simpler program that does not have tiers. Likewise, Azamara no longer offers a status match with Royal Caribbean because the company was sold off.

There are other companies that will status match with Royal Caribbean, but that is covered later in this article.

2. You need to have certain status first

Before you can get a matching status with Celebrity, you need to make sure you qualify.

Crown & Anchor Society members who reach the Platinum tier in Crown and Anchor Society are eligible to get status matching in the Captain's Club at Celebrity Cruises.

3. You can't status match to the top tier

Depending on your level in Crown and Anchor Society, that will determine which level you get with Celebrity Cruises.

Platinum & Emerald members qualify to get Select Status in Captain's Club. That will get you benefits such as a 25% discount on internet packages, a 30% discount on photo packages, a 10% discount on spa treatments and priority status for the shore excursion waitlist.

Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club members will get Elite Status with Celebrity, which gets you unlimited free drinks from the Captain's Club menu each day between 5 and 7 p.m. at most bars and lounges on the ship. It also gets you 30% off Wi-Fi packages, 40% off a digital or print photo package, $200 off The Studio photo packages, and 15% discount on a drink package or a premium drink package upgrade.

On Celebrity's Solstice or Millennium Class ships, being an Elite status member will also get you free access to the steam rooms, saunas and heated loungers in the Persian Garden spa zone on a port day of your choice.

Even if you reach Pinnacle Club with Crown and Anchor Society, you cannot status match to Celebrity's upper most tiers.  The cap is Elite until you cruise enough to earn points on your own.

If you were a Diamond member with Crown and Anchor Society, in order to reach the next tier with Celebrity, you would need to earn at least 750 Captain’s Club points on your own. However, you would continue to receive Elite-level benefits through reciprocity until then. 

4. You're eligible to status match at any time

In short, you are granted a status match that remains with you until you cruise enough to have points to move up to the next level.

Points are only earned on the cruise line being sailed.   You only earn points in each respective program when you sail with that cruise line.  Points can not be added or moved between programs.  

This means even though you get a status with Celebrity, your point total will still be zero.  So you'll need to cruise enough to move up to the next tier.

There is no time limit of when you can status match. 

5. Applying for a status match is easy

Celebrity recommends anyone in Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor program that is not enrolled in Celebrity’s Captain’s Club program should confirm enrollment before booking their cruise.

From experience, I can tell you it's not a problem to status match and then add it to an existing reservation.

In order to status match, you simply need to call Celebrity Cruises to request the status match. The agent on the phone will create a Captain's Club number and then do the matching for you.

6. You can status match with a casino

In addition to status matching with cruise lines, Royal Caribbean has an agreement with MGM Resorts.

For no extra cost, you can link your Crown & Anchor level and immediately take advantage of MGM benefits such as resort fee waivers, discounts on entertainment, and complimentary hotel upgrades.

The tier level you receive with MGM Rewards depends on your tier in the Crown & Anchor Society:

• C&A Gold = Sapphire status with MGM Rewards
• C&A Platinum = Pearl status with MGM Rewards
• C&A Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Club = Gold status with MGM Rewards

To link your Crown & Anchor Society account with MGM Rewards, first make a free account on the MGM Resorts website. Next, contact an MGM Rewards representative through phone or email.

Let the representative know your Crown & Anchor Society number. They will contact Royal Caribbean to confirm your information and link you to the appropriate tier with MGM rewards.

7. MSC Cruises will status match your Royal Caribbean status

MSC Cruises is one of the few cruise lines that will status match your loyalty status with other rival lines, including Royal Caribbean.

There is no fee to do so but you need to complete the process at least 7-10 days before your first MSC cruise. The application for this is located on the MSC Cruises website and is easy to complete.

MSC will status match Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney, Celebrity, Norwegian and Holland America Line. They'll even status match hotel loyalty programs, including Club Med, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood, Fairmont, Expedia, and RIU.

Depending on your status with Royal Caribbean, the benefits will vary. One of our writers was at Emerald Status and qualified for Gold status with MSC, which got her one free hour in the thermal spa, a welcome back cocktail reception, and a complimentary MSC Voyagers Club drawstring bag. 

One caveat to status matching with MSC Cruises is you may only apply for a status match one time.  So you cannot do it again later if you were to move up through Royal Caribbean's tiers.

8. Virgin Voyages will give benefits to top tier Royal Caribbean cruisers

Diamond, Diamond Plus, Pinnacle Club members in Crown and Anchor Society are able to participate in Virgin Voyages' Experience Match offer.

These cruisers get immediate status in the Virgin Voyages program. As part of this, they are granted Sea-Rovers status, which includes the $100 Bar Tab Bonus through 2024.

Is a Royal Caribbean status match worth it?

Royal Caribbean's reciprocity with Celebrity Cruises makes it a smart choice for any cruiser looking to jump between the two lines and be able to enjoy extra perks.

While it would be better if Royal Caribbean and Celebrity had a joint loyalty program where cruises on either line earned you higher status (which is something the company is considering for the future), it's still great to have something to show for it.

Similarly, the free benefits you can receive with MGM, Virgin, or MSC Cruises means there's no reason not to status match with them either, although you'll want to hold off status matching with MSC until you're sure you wont move up higher anytime soon in Crown and Anchor Society.

The only caveat is you must take action before the cruise to get the status match done so it can be applied to your reservation. If you think about it once on the ship, it's too late.

Whether it's legal where you live or you have a medical license for it, you might be wondering if you can bring marijuana on your next cruise?

You might be surprised to learn that you cannot bring marijuana on a cruise ship, and it's not because the company has an anti-drug view.

Cruise ships operate between many different countries, and the laws of those countries apply to cruise ships that visit them.

So before you pack pot for your cruise, let's review the rules that are in place so you can avoid any problems later.

Can I bring marijuana on a cruise ship?

Regardless of what the law is where you live, the cruise line's policy supersedes it.

You are not allowed to bring marijuana (even for medicinal purposes) on a cruise ship.  In fact, no illegal drugs or illegal substances are allowed onboard.

They're also not allowed to be used on its private islands, inside cruise terminals, at ports of call, or during shore excursions.

This policy even applies if the port of call your ship leaves from has weed as a legal substance in that state.

The rule prohibiting marijuana in any kind is part of the cruise contract that you agree to when you booked the cruise.

Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant

"I didn't see any cruise contract!"

It was there when you booked, but it's your responsibility to actually read it. The contract is a check box you must select when booking a cruise on the website.  Likewise, a travel agent should convey the terms and conditions of going on a cruise when you book it.

Can I bring CBD on a cruise ship?

Royal Caribbean bans any form of marijuana, including its various forms.

The exact wording of the policy states, "marijuana, even in its medicinal form or for medicinal purposes, shall be prohibited."

Even if you possess a medical marijuana card, bringing cannabis or edibles, including those containing CBD, aboard a cruise ship is strictly prohibited.

Why does Royal Caribbean ban marijuana?

The rationale for banning pot is less about the company's views, and simply because of the local laws for the countries they visit.

Depending on which country your ship visits, those nations may have laws in place that address and severely punish drug possession. As a cruise ship passenger, you are a visitor in that country and subject to their laws.

What happens if I'm caught with marijuana on a cruise?

Royal Caribbean's security along with law enforcement do regular screening of baggage during the embarkation process, and throughout the cruise there are security officers that roam the ship. Looking for illegal drug use is one of their duties.

There are all sorts of possibilities if you were caught with marijuana during your cruise.

According to Royal Caribbean's guest conduct policy, it's no slap on the wrist, "Guests found in violation of such laws are subject to arrest and prosecution in the relevant jurisdiction (and perhaps United States or other authorities as well) and may be prevented from boarding or re-boarding the ship."

Based on past incidents, passengers that were caught with the drugs onboard have been arrested. There's plenty of examples of this, such as on Anthem of the Seas while in Bermuda.

A woman was found to have two bags of pot and was arrested by Bermudian authorities and then charged $4,000 in fines before she could fly home.

Carnival Cruise Line just banned a woman for life for bringing CBD gummies in her luggage.

The bottom line is the risk is greater than the benefits of trying to sneak it onboard the ship. Given the hefty penalties you could face if caught, it seems like it's simply not worth it.

My advice is not to bring any.  You might think the chances of you getting caught are low, but why put your entire vacation and family at risk for it?

Can I smoke weed while in port where it's legal?

Let's assume your cruise is taking you to a place where marijuana is legal, is that okay?

Royal Caribbean stipulates on its shore excursions, it's still not allowed at all.

Of course, if you were to go off on your own and do a shore excursion through a third-party or simply walk around, the responsibility falls to you.

First and foremost, you'll have to research what the local laws are for possession and/or smoking it in public. Be sure to look into if there's a venue that offers it, are you allowed to take it outside.

You might find a tour on your own that includes a cannabis visit. For example, there are shore excursions listed on Viator that offer a visit to a weed farm.

Regardless, don't plan to bring any back to the ship at the end of the day.

Have you ever wondered what happens if you are late to get back to a ship?

The beauty of cruising is being able to visit multiple cities and countries in just a few days. Since cruises usually visit more than one destination, sailings are on a tight schedule to ensure their timeline is adhered to. Essentially, this means all guests must be on the ship at a certain time before leaving for the next stop on their voyage.

If you’ve cruised before, you know how entertaining it is to watch pier runners sprint to the ship at the last minute before leaving port. There always seems to be at least one person who frantically tries to make it back to the ship on time. Videos of pier runners are all over social media, especially TikTok (just type in “pier runners” and you will find hundreds of videos). It’s fun to watch other people be pier runners, but you do not ever want to be in this situation!

To avoid this from happening, cruise ships always inform passengers when the all-aboard time is to be back onboard by. It's a really good idea to get back to the ship even earlier than the all-abord time, just to be extra safe.

If you or your travel party are running late in port, you might be wondering how long the cruise ship would wait for you to get back. 

Captain Carl Graucob, who has worked for Royal Caribbean for 25 years, gave some insight into how long he would wait for passengers during a “Captain’s Corner” event on Voyager of the Seas. Here’s what you need to know.

It depends if you are on a Royal Caribbean excursion or not

As Captain Graucob explained, if you are on an excursion with Royal Caribbean, the ship will wait for the entire group to come back before leaving.

This is one of the many benefits of booking an excursion with Royal Caribbean rather than booking a tour with an independent company. You also know that the excursion is reputable when you book it directly through the cruise line.

Read more: Is it better to book excursions through the cruise ship?

Captain Graucob said that he would wait for passengers to return from a Royal Caribbean excursion unless it is an “unreasonable amount of time.”

In the case of an extremely lengthy delay, Captain Graucob stated that the ship might not always be able to wait for passengers. In this extenuating circumstance, Royal Caribbean would provide transportation to the next port of call or back to the departure port (if it is towards the end of your trip) for everyone on the excursion.

If you are not on a Royal Caribbean excursion and are late getting back to the ship, Captain Graucob said, “Normally, we do not wait.”

As such, you should always plan to be back by all-aboard time to prevent this from happening.

If the cruise ship knows you are missing, they will try to contact you

In the event that you do not board before the all-aboard time, the cruise ship will know you are missing. At this time, the ship will use the emergency contact information that you provided when checking in for your cruise. When providing an emergency contact, you must enter the information of someone who is not on the cruise with you.

Read more: Royal Caribbean check-in process

“If someone is missing, we call that emergency number,” Captain Graucob said. “Generally, this goes to someone at home.”

If you contact the ship using your own cell phone, or another phone you found in port, Captain Graucob said they will use this number to contact you. 

“If we get a hold of you and you say, ‘I am in the taxi. I am sorry, but there was traffic. I am 10 minutes away,’ then we will wait,” Captain Graucob said.

With this in mind, you should not rely on the cruise ship to wait an extra 10 minutes for you. Don’t push your luck!

If the cruise ship cannot get a hold of you, it will leave

If the ship cannot contact you to understand your whereabouts, it will leave you behind. This is because they don't know how long it is going to be until you get back. 

“You’re stuck waiting 15 minutes and then it becomes half an hour. Before you know it, an hour goes by and nobody shows up. So we do not wait,” Captain Graucob said.

Therefore, if you find yourself running behind, it’s best to contact Royal Caribbean to let the cruise ship know your situation. 

What happens if the cruise ship leaves you behind?

If you come back to the pier and see your cruise ship departed without you, there will be a port agent on the pier that can help you. You will not be left high and dry, although you won’t be in an ideal situation. 

If you need to get in touch with the port agent, there is contact information in every Cruise Compass. This is typically found under the “24-hour services and venues” section. You can also find the port agent information in the cruise line’s app. It’s best to always have this number handy when traveling ashore in case of an emergency. 

The port agent will provide you with whatever you need, especially since you will most likely not have more than just your swimming suit and a bag with random odds and ends.

You will be expected to purchase an airline ticket or other form of transportation on your own dime, and this can be very expensive. If you do not have a passport or other proper verification with you, you will want to visit the nearest U.S. embassy for assistance. For this reason, some cruisers choose to bring their passport ashore so they are never left without it. 

On the back of every SeaPass card is an emergency phone number to call Royal Caribbean. Be sure to call this number to see how they can help as well, as it might be another option to get in touch with your cruise ship.

Are there any penalties or warnings given if passengers are late to the ship?

“They're banned,” the captain joked. 

But in all seriousness, no. 

Captain Graucob explained again that cruise ships do not wait for late passengers, “unless we can get a hold of them and they tell us where they are. If it is reasonable, then we will wait. But no, there are no repercussions, other than if you miss the ship because then it is a big expense.”

Luckily, this worst-case scenario isn’t made worse with repercussions from Royal Caribbean. You won’t be blacklisted for future cruises! But, it’s a costly mistake you probably won’t make again. 

What you can do to avoid being late for your cruise ship

Here are the simple things to do to ensure this scenario never affects you.

1. Give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. If the all-aboard time is 5:30 p.m., plan to be back on the ship at 4:30 p.m. or earlier.

2. Do not venture too far from the port. If there is traffic or an accident that closes the road, you may not make it back to the ship on time. Try to stay close to the port so you can make it back quickly.

3. Make sure you are on ship time. Some cruises have multiple time zone changes throughout one voyage, so knowing what time the ship is on is extremely important. Sometimes the local time is different than the ship time.

4. Always have port agent information, identification, and money. Before you get off your cruise ship, make sure you take a picture of the port agent's information. Also, never leave the ship without a form of identification. You should also have money, especially a credit card in case you need to purchase an expensive ticket home or an emergency passport.