Royal Caribbean Blog

It's one thing to make a mistake, but quite another when you realize early on that you've goofed.

Shore excursions are a major part o the cruise experience, and some cost as much as hundreds of dollars each.  No one wants to spend their time and money on a substandard tour, but unfortunately, there are a few duds out there.

It seems like most tours ends up being quite satisfactory, but occasionally there is an excursion that is disappointing from start to finish.

Sometimes the problem could be bad luck and factors you couldn't anticipate, like a new tour guide trying to learn to ropes or bad weather. Other times, you might think you would enjoy a certain kind of tour but then realize you don't. 

Whatever the reason, sometimes tours don't measure up to expectations and Royal Caribbean Blog readers have encountered these as well.

I picked out eight cruise ship shore excursions our readers took and reconsidered their decision making almost immediately.

Ensenada

Having been to Ensenada, Mexico a few times, smokeybandit found the tour choices less than appealing.

"I enjoyed my tequila tasting, and if I spoke Spanish it could be a fun town to drink in, but that port is a PVSA port and nothing else."

What he is referring to with "PVSA port" is the fact cruise lines use Ensenada as a way to satisfy the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) of 1886. It requires foreign flagged cruise ships to call on a foreign port if sailing a closed-loop cruise form the United States.

This means, cruise ships cannot sail from Los Angeles and only visit California ports.  It must make a stop outside the country, and Ensenada, Mexico is the closest port of call that is in close proximity to Southern California.

The justification for both the PVSA is to protect the U.S. Merchant Marine (the licensed (officers) and documented (trades) personnel on the ships) and to protect U.S. shipyards that both build and repair the ships.

Bus tours

By far, the overarching theme we got from our readers was that bus tours in so many different places was a major regret.

ChessE4 wrote about a bus tour in Corsica, "The guide talked way too much at each stop, and about the time we returned to the city center the local market was closed for the day.  Had we gone on our own, we would have seen most of the same sights and enjoyed the market."

BeachGal tried an open-air, double-decker bus around St. Maarten, "Tour started about 40 min. late, and we were all standing in the sun waiting and wondering what was going on. The guide at the front of the bus narrated the tour, but only the folks on the top level could hear her.  It took a couple of stops before they got it fixed."

"Maho Beach was the only interesting stop on the tour, and we didn't get to stay there long.  Ugh, never again!"

Mturk did the Sorrento & Amalfi Coast by Motor Launch tour found it to be too much in a short window of time, "tried to pack too much into the day for sites that were too geographically dispersed to be properly enjoyed. We ended up spending most of the day on the bus instead of enjoying any of the locations we went to."

Bus tours are attractive because they're usually priced low and offer an easy way to see an area. This is very attractive to someone who is unfamiliar with the port and might be hesitant to go on their own.

The reality is a bus tour may leave you feeling constricted and not enough time to properly enjoy any one stop. Moreover, you may spend more time at a stop that you do not care for, but the tour must go to anyway.

One alternative is to forgo an organized tour and explore on your own, especially when your ship is visiting a city or town. If your ship docks near downtown, you can walk on your own or even use public transportation to easily get around.

Another option is to book a smaller group tour or private tour. Royal Caribbean sometimes offers small group tours, or you can book through a third party provider.

Horseback riding tours

I always thought horseback riding on a beach would be fun, but tonyfsu21 painted a different picture.

"As you can imagine, the guide in position number one in line is the only one who gets through the water without excessive amounts of horse excrement all over their legs. Really kind of gross and I highly advise you avoid at all costs."

Peggy's Cove

Two different readers wish they hadn't booked a tour to one of the premier spots in Nova Scotia, Peggy's Cove.

Peggy's Cove is a famous lighthouse that is quintessentially encompasses what someone imagines an Atlantic lighthouse to look like. It's perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic.

RCIfan1912 thought it was amazing, but he wouldn't do it again, "It was a super long bus ride and holy cow was it crowded. We were very late getting back to the ship."

letscruise agreed, and thought the issue was lack of enough time because the tour was coupled with other stops, "we could have definitely shortened time spent at the Titanic cemetery to be able to spend more than the 30 minutes we were allotted at Peggy's Cove."

Just like bus tours, you could see about booking a private tour to get you to a particular tourist attraction.

No matter if you book a group tour or a private tour, try to get there early to beat the crowds that come as the day progresses.

Snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas

Snorkeling is a very popular cruise ship excursion, but DDaley thinks there's no point to doing this in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"We’ve done these twice and while it’s fun on the boat, there’s just not that much to see when you’re actually snorkeling. We’ve snorkeled just about everywhere, and there is certainly no need to do it on the Pacific coast ."

Save the snorkeling for another port and prioritize time spent at a beach or whale watching when the season is right.

Read more: Top 10 things to do in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on a cruise

ATV tour in Cozumel

I've done a few ATV tours and enjoyed them, but it sounds like Keanoknick might have found a dud.

They booked a ATV tour that would take them through a jungle during a stop in Cozumel, "The so called jungle we rode through felt like I was riding in my back yard in Texas, nothing jungle about it. "

One tip for previewing any tour is to look for reviews, especially videos. Doing a YouTube search for the tour you're taking is a good place to start, as well as looking through reviews in our shore excursion forum.

Read more: Guide to picking the perfect Royal Caribbean shore excursion

Cave tubing in Belize

Va4fam wrote simply, "what could go wrong with a hike through the jungle and a gentle tube ride in giant bat-filled caves?"

I would think cave tubing would be a lot of fun, especially since it's a well-known activity in that area of the Caribbean.

"Let's start with the bus.  We took several small buses to connect with the large bus that would take us to our destination.   About 15 minutes into the trip, we heard a loud bang and smelled something burning.  

"We asked the guides if everything was ok, they said it was just the brakes burning.   As we went further from Belize City, the bus shook and rattled before the driver finally pulled to the side.   Yep, definitely a tire blow out. "

"Sat on the road with no air conditioning for over an hour before the little buses retrieved us and took us to the excursion."

"The first family stepped off the bus and into a colony of fire ants and needed to be evacuated back to the port." 

Unfortunately, a lot of the issues on this tour were bad luck and there's not much you can do about that. It's always a good mantra to be as flexible as possible on a cruise.

Read more: 23 Do's and Don'ts for your Royal Caribbean cruise in 2023

Going to Hell

As soon as I saw readers posting about a Hell in Grand Cayman, I knew exactly why they regretted it.

Hell is the name a tourist trap in Grand Cayman that is noteworthy for its name, which serves as an excuse to make the joke that you went to hell on your cruise.

LCWind wrote, "Overhyped, dated, creepy.  The stops the tour makes are to shops to entice you to buy. Not worth."

Research any tour or place you want to visit and get past the marketing hype to determine how much fun these places actually are in reality.

Voyager of the Seas was the first ship built in the Voyager Class by Royal Caribbean. Although Voyager of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest ships, you shouldn't dismiss her as an option for your next cruise vacation!

When Voyager of the Seas debuted in 1999, she turned the cruising world upside down.  This was the ship that introduced the idea of having an ice-skating rink at sea, rock climbing wall at sea, and indoor promenade.

Voyager was instantly the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuted (only until Explorer of the Seas entered service the following year).

Last month, my dad and I went on a five-night Western Caribbean sailing that visited Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico from Galveston, Texas. We had never cruised out of Galveston, so we were excited to see what it was like versus cruising out of Florida. This was also our first cruise on Voyager of the Seas! 

Here’s what you can expect when sailing on Voyager of the Seas in 2023.

Royal Amplification

Built in 1999, Voyager of the Seas was a trailblazer in the cruise industry.

20 years later, Voyager of the Seas went through a $97 million Royal Amplification in October of 2019. During this refurbishment, the following venues and features were added:

• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• Battle for Planet Z laser tag
• Updated Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
• Redesigned kid and teen spaces
• 72 new inside and balcony staterooms

Read more: I went on Royal Caribbean’s upgraded and regular Voyager Class ships. Here’s what I liked about each.

Embarkation process

Because this was my first time cruising out of Galveston, I was unsure what the embarkation process was going to be like, but I was eager to see the new Royal Caribbean terminal.

After flying into Houston, my dad and I decided to get a hotel in the area and then the next day, we would get an Uber or Lyft to Galveston. We got a hotel in Houston because it was approximately $50 cheaper than staying in Galveston.

On embarkation day, we requested a Lyft and made our way to Galveston. During the drive, we were able to complete the mandatory safety briefing, so this was a great way to make the hour-long drive go by faster.

Upon arrival at the terminal, we saw a huge line of people waiting to get inside. This was due to the fact that there was a Coast Guard inspection that day, so the entire embarkation process took longer than it normally would. This long line made sense because passengers were not able to board until after the inspection was complete. Royal Caribbean emailed me multiple times about this inspection, so I knew it was going to happen.

Our check-in time was at noon so we arrived at 11:30 a.m., but we could’ve come even earlier because of the long line.

After waiting outside for about 30 minutes or so, suddenly the line started to move much faster as we entered the terminal. It was a beautiful terminal, but I didn't have much time to admire it because the line was moving so fast when we went inside.

Once inside, the check-in process was a breeze and probably only took about 15 minutes. We were impressed!

Read more: I cruised Royal Caribbean from Galveston for the first time. Here’s what a cruise from Texas is like.

Spacious ocean view cabin

When I originally booked this cruise, I selected an interior guarantee cabin for me and my dad. This type of cabin is usually what I select for my cruises because it is the cheapest option. I’d rather spend my money on other things, like specialty dining or activities, than pay for a larger or balcony cabin.

Well, I kept receiving emails from Royal Caribbean about participating in their RoyalUp program. For those not familiar, RoyalUp is an opportunity for cruisers to bid on a nicer and bigger cabin. I usually ignore these emails, but since my dad was coming with me on this cruise, he said, “Why don’t we try it?” He is more particular than I am, so I think he wanted a different cabin!

Four days before embarkation, my dad and I placed bids on four stateroom categories. The next day, our bid was accepted! For an additional $130 per person, we upgraded to a spacious ocean view cabin.

Read more: I paid $130 extra to upgrade my interior cabin to a spacious ocean view on Voyager of the Seas. Here’s a tour of my cabin.

Our cabin was in the very front of the ship, overlooking the helipad. We were on the ninth deck, which was ideal because we weren't far from public venues. I was worried about being in the front of the ship motion-wise, but we had such smooth sailings that I rarely felt the ship move when I was in the cabin.

As implied by its name, our upgraded cabin did indeed feel quite spacious at 211 square feet. Comparatively, our interior cabin would've been 160 square feet. The additional space was noticeable by the window and bed area.

The cabin had everything we needed and more! We had more space than we knew what to do with. One of the benefits of upgrading to this cabin was the extra large couch. It was so big that I thought it was a sofa bed (it wasn’t). Nonetheless, it was nice to have another place to sit other than our beds.

Another advantage to being in the front of the ship was that it was quiet due to low foot traffic. We did, however, feel and hear the bow thrusters in the mornings when we were docking.

The bathroom felt a little more retro than the rest of the cabin because of the color scheme, but it was just fine for our five-night cruise.

Dining onboard

Voyager of the Seas has three complimentary dining venues onboard, the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, and Cafe Promenade, and three specialty dining restaurants, including Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, and Izumi Japanese Cuisine. Chef’s Table was also available.

My dad and I splurged and enjoyed dinner at Giovanni’s Table and Chops Grille (my dad’s favorite Royal Caribbean restaurant). The other three nights, we ate in the Main Dining Room for dinner.

On the first day of our cruise, we were so excited to see that we were assigned a table right by a window in the Main Dining Room! This view was wonderful to admire every night when we had dinner. 

We were able to enjoy these three themed meals:

• A Taste of France
• A Taste of Mexico
• A Taste of Italy

My personal favorite was A Taste of Italy because I love Italian food, including arancini, lasagna, and tiramisu.

The Main Dining Room had really fast service. Most meals were only an hour and a half long, sometimes shorter. All of the food was hot which I greatly appreciated. When I cruised on Adventure of the Seas, my food was either a hit or miss in regards to the temperature. My dad and I truly had no complaints about the Main Dining Room.

Read more: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas review: What it’s like to cruise on this ship today

We noticed that more people participated in the formal night onboard (around 70%), but there were no tuxedos or prom dresses. It is much more casual. 

Another thing we noticed was how The Windjammer always seemed to be packed, especially for breakfast. I think this is because there are only three complimentary places to eat on the ship. We were able to find clean tables every morning (around 10 a.m.), but we had to hunt for them.

Giovanni's Table was excellent! This was the first time I went to Giovanni's Table where they didn't bring the desserts out on a cart. Instead, they brought it out plated like the rest of the meal. This was changed due to the pandemic.

“Chops Grill is hard to beat,” my dad said as he happily ate his food. He enjoyed the filet with peppercorn sauce. I agreed - our meal was super delicious. I was so full by the end of the meal that I could barely stand up!

Chops Grille was actually quite busy the night that we went. There were about 40 people there. This was vastly different than Giovanni’s when there were only about 15 of us dining.

Activities and entertainment

I’ve seen a few comments online from people saying that they thought Voyager of the Seas was boring, but I have to disagree. I thought there were some great entertainment options!

I went to every production show in the Royal Theatre, and I enjoyed the variety of acts. My favorites were the ice skating show, “Ice Odyssey,” and the comedy showcase featuring Derrick Cameron. I also liked going to the game shows in the Star Lounge. Almost every activity here was very busy, especially the Disney trivia, “Battle of the Sexes,” “Majority Rules,” and “Finish That Lyric.”

The music productions were also fun. We saw three shows, “Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme,” “El Gaucho (described as a “must-see show packed with laughter from the very start and featuring fiery music and unusual skills”), and “Music in Pictures.” 

The Adult SHUSH! Silent Party is one of my dad’s favorite activities on a Royal Caribbean cruise. I also really enjoy this event because usually between the two channels, I can find music I like (modern pop) and dad can find music he likes (70s and 80s hits). 

I will have to say I was disappointed about one thing. While cruising on Voyager of the Seas, I noticed at the trivia games, there were no prizes for the winners. My dad and I played on a team during the Rock Hits trivia and we ended up winning, but we didn't receive a prize. All we got was a “Great job!” from the host and claps from the other participants. I personally don't like this change because I feel that there should be some kind of award for winning trivia, even if it is just a key chain or highlighter.

I am not sure if this is considered an activity, but my dad likes to work out while on vacation, so we frequently visited the Fitness Center while on Voyager of the Seas. We both found it funny how the TV was behind all of the equipment. My dad wanted to watch what was on while he was exercising, but the TV location didn't allow for that. I wonder who decided this was the best place to put the TV?

Ports of Call

Like most cruises that leave from Galveston, we visited the Western Caribbean. This included stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya. Other cruises from Galveston also visit destinations like Roatan, Honduras; Nassau, Bahamas; Belize City, Belize; and even Royal Caribbean’s private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Costa Maya, Mexico

What was interesting about our itinerary was that we didn't dock in Costa Maya until 12:30 p.m. I liked this because that meant we could have a quiet night’s sleep and not have to hear the ship docking in the early morning. 

As soon as we could disembark, my dad and I decided to walk around and do a little shopping. There is a convenient shopping area right off the dock. My dad was on the hunt for some Mexican vanilla and cigars, while I was fine tagging along.

Cozumel, Mexico

My dad and I have been to Cozumel more times than we care to admit, so all we did was get off the ship, take a few pictures, and then get back onboard to enjoy one of our Diamond Plus drink vouchers.

It appeared that many people had the same idea as us and decided to stay on board. It was a hot day, so a lot of people were using the pool. This was smart because the public venues aren’t nearly as busy while docked in port!

Disembarkation day

Like the embarkation process, disembarking Voyager of the Seas was straightforward. We easily found our luggage and then we did the facial recognition scan.

We took a Lyft to Galveston, so I was planning on doing the same to take us to the Houston airport.

On the last day of the cruise, we received a “Tips for an Easy Departure” document from Royal Caribbean that stated, “Taxis are usually readily available outside the terminal. Lyft is the only rideshare available in Port of Galveston.” I thought it was odd how Uber was not included. 

On disembarkation day, I tried to request a Lyft to the airport. After at least 15-20 minutes of waiting around, I tried to request an Uber instead. Within just a few minutes, an Uber picked my request and picked us up.

So for those wondering, you can request a Lyft or an Uber at the Galveston terminal. The ride was an hour to the William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) airport.

A few final thoughts

Overall, Voyager of the Seas was in great condition. There were a few dents and scratches, but that is to be expected on a ship that is over 20 years old.

I had no problems with the Wi-Fi, however, my dad had some issues getting connected. We believe this had something to do with his phone trying to connect to the VPN network. He brought his phone and iPad to the Wi-Fi help desk and they were able to assist him.

I noticed a lot more people wearing masks around the ship. There were also a lot of bridal parties and recently married couples celebrating. 

It seemed there were football games playing everywhere, especially in the Tavern Bar on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The crowd was especially rowdy during the Texas and Alabama game on Saturday because there were lots of Texans on the Voyager! 

Royal Caribbean is on the verge of releasing new cruise ship itineraries for 2025 and 2026, and now is the time to start preparing.

The deployment schedule for new Royal Caribbean cruises has been posted, and we will get new cruises to start booking beginning at the end of October.

While your first instinct might be to wait and see what's available and make a decision based on that, I think there are some really important things to do start doing now to properly prepare.

Booking a cruise when sailings first go n sale is one of the best ways to save money on a cruise. Prices tend to be lowest when they first go on sale, and go up from there. A tried-and-true strategy is book early and take advantage of a price drop between now and the final payment date (assuming you live in a country that allows this).

A few simple steps now can make the decision making process easier once the new bookings are available. If nothing else, you'll take care of a few important tasks and that means less things to do later.

Check your vacation time availability

Some people work at companies where their PTO time goes quickly and you'll need to get your requests in first.

It's a good idea to outline times of the year you want to take vacation time from work to go on a cruise and put those requests in as soon as possible.  Some companies have a "first-come, first-granted" policy and once someone has time off, others cannot take the same week.

Now is a good time to get those requests in, or at least evaluate how competitive it will be.

Coordinate with travel agent which ships and times to target

I love to work with a good travel agent to make booking any cruise easier, and once again, this strategy is how to approach a newly released sailing.

It's a good idea to let your travel agent know what you have in mind to book.  Maybe it's an Alaska cruise, or a 7-night on a brand new cruise ship to the Caribbean.  Whatever the plans, loop your travel agent in early so they are on the same page as you.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise guide

This is doubly important because sometimes travel agents have access to new sailings before they are loaded onto the Royal Caribbean website. It's not uncommon for new cruises to appear in Royal Caribbean's backend first, and then appear on the website later.

By letting your travel agent know which times of the year, ships, and who will be sailing now, it makes the booking process so much smoother later when you're ready to pull the trigger on a new booking as they are available.

Pick a cabin

If you have an idea of which ship or ship class you're interested in booking, you should also start researching cabins to book.

Read more: Royal Caribbean ship classes ultimate guide

I like to give my travel agent two or three cabins I would be interested in booking, so that when she gets me a quote, we both know what to expect.

Since you wont know which ships are going to be in a particular region before the new bookings go live, you could refer to what's available in 2024 or early 2025 and make an educated guess.  Even if the ship changes from year to year, the ship class tend to be the same.

If you're interested in a suite, then you will want to make an extra effort to book early.

Read more: Royal Caribbean suites guide & review

Suites book up the fastest of any cabin type because there are so few of them, and demand for suites is higher than other cabins.

It wouldn't be a big deal if you took a few days to decide on a balcony vs inside room, but suites tend to go so quickly you may want to narrow down the choices early.

Look at historical airfare prices

No matter how fantastic a cruise sounds, if the overall cost to go on that vacation is too high, it may sink your plans.

If you think cruise fare prices are fluid, you should look at airfare prices.  Therefore, it's a good strategy to look at historic airfare prices to get a ballpark idea of how much that will cost.

A lot of families have a budget in mind for their entire trip, which includes the cruise fare, shore excursions, incidentals, and airfare.

Fare Detective has an Airfare History Chart that you can plug two airports in and get historical flight price data.

You could also look for a flight coming up in 2024 and use that as a metric for what to expect as well.

Double check when new ships will start sailing

If there's one step I always forget, it's to think about what's not on sale yet.

There's nothing like a new Royal Caribbean cruise ship and it generates a lot of buzz. So before you plan to book any cruise in 2025, think about the new ships that will be coming online at that time.

As an example, Star of the Seas will begin sailing sometime in summer 2025, and that might change your plans to go to Europe or try Alaska.

If going on a new ship would be important, you might consider holding off booking a summer 2025 cruise now, or book a refundable cruise fare so that you can change your mind later.

Read more: Royal Caribbean refundable versus non-refundable cruise fares

Planning a cruise? Start here:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

How much of a difference is there between a week-long cruise versus a short cruise?

As a new cruiser, I wanted to try cruises of different lengths to see how different they are and which I like best.

For my first cruise, I chose a 7-night sailing on Wonder of the Seas that stopped at a total of 3 ports: Perfect Day at CocoCay, St. Thomas, and Sint Maarten.

After that week, I was ready to move forward with my newfound wisdom from my maiden voyage, so I went ahead and planned a second cruise on Freedom of the Seas. 

This time, I selected a much shorter 3-night sailing. The ship traveled from Miami, Florida, to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas over a weekend, embarking on Friday and disembarking on Monday.  

There were pros and cons to choosing a shorter sailing. Here are the 7 things I liked and didn’t like about my first short cruise.

Read more: What’s a good amount of days for a first cruise?

👍 What I liked about a short cruise

I'll start with the things that I enjoyed about trying a shorter cruise.

It had no long sea days

On my first cruise, day five and six were sea days and it left me feeling a little claustrophobic when surrounded by the ocean. I started to miss my own house and bed.

Despite the fact that Wonder of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, I felt stuck onboard during these sea days.

I was able to mitigate the cabin fever by investigating new areas onboard.

I was very thankful that I chose the shorter cruise for my experience on a smaller ship: Freedom of the Seas was the perfect size to explore over 3 days. 

On this short cruise, we had no distinct sea days and instead spent each day at a port. I enjoyed the speed of travel and the fact that we spent less time on the open water.

Based on these experiences, I definitely recommend limiting cruises on smaller ships to no more than 5 days—but I look forward to testing this theory for myself.

I preferred visiting fewer ports

I also liked that we visited two ports instead of the three we stopped at on my first cruise.

Although I love to travel and appreciate seeing as many new places as possible, this allowed me more time to focus on the ports we did stop at.

I was able to prioritize those two locations—Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas—in my research and planning beforehand.

Because of that, I had a much better experience at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and I arrived at Nassau with more knowledge and background about the island. 

On my first cruise, I did enjoy getting to see the multiple ports—Perfect Day at CocoCay, Saint Thomas, and Sint Maarten—but I wasn’t able to do as much research beforehand or feel quite as knowledgeable before the trip.

Having fewer parts allowed me to focus in on each one and make the most of that time.

Shorter travel time made things simple

My cruise itself was only three days, and even with our policy of arriving at the port city the night before, my total travel time was only four days, from Thursday night to Monday afternoon.

This made it easier to schedule the shorter cruise and brought me back home quickly.

Although I love to travel, this overall eased my mind and made things much simpler.

A shorter cruise is a great option for younger or working adults who only have time for a weekend trip.

It was the perfect small getaway in the middle of September.

👎 What I disliked about a short cruise

Like everything in life, there are some downsides to a shorter cruise.

It was difficult to fit in all the events

Because of the limited amount of time on my Freedom of the Seas cruise, I had to carefully pick and choose which events I attended.

If this had been my first cruise, I would have had a lot of trouble distinguishing between which events I wanted to attend and which could fall by the wayside.

Thankfully, I came with a little more experience and was able to select the most important events I wanted to go to.

However, I still didn’t have enough time to see everything. It would have been fun to attend even more of the game shows or performances offered onboard.

We had less time to try different venues 

Similar to the previous point, a shorter cruise gave me much less time to try different dining venues.

I wrote on my must-do list to eat at the Windjammer, the main dining room, El Loco Fresh, Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, and the specialty Ben and Jerry’s location.

I ended up having time to try Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, and the specialty Chops Grille restaurant.

However, I mainly dined at Windjammer for the length of this cruise because of the ease of dining and the ability to choose all my own meals. 

When you’re in a rush, the Windjammer is one of the best places to grab a meal.

In the end, I completely missed the opportunity to try El Loco Fresh and Ben and Jerry’s! 

Read more: Here's the one must-eat place on every Royal Caribbean ship

People seemed less friendly 

I noticed that people were a little less friendly on my second cruise than on my first cruise. 

My theory is that for shorter cruises, passengers are focused on the groups or friends they came with and on enjoying their time together.

While I had passing conversations with people on Freedom of the Seas, I found nothing close near to the close-knit friendships I’d made on Wonder of the Seas. 

On my longer cruise, I found that people were much more willing to make friends and hang out multiple times over the week of travel.

Neither is a bad perspective to have, but I was looking forward to meeting some new people, and I didn’t quite do that on my second cruise.

The time really flew by

Despite the benefits of a shorter cruise, a major disadvantage is just how quickly it seems to fly by. Three nights and barely three full days pass by swiftly!

While it was a fun experience, and I did get to try many different things on this cruise, the time period was so short that I can hardly remember what happened.

If you’re planning to spend a lot of money on your cruise and get the most out of a longer vacation, a short cruise is definitely a disadvantage in this way.

A short vs long cruise

Overall, I learned that seven nights was too long for me.

However, a seven night cruise did allow for plenty of time to explore the ship and experience countless events and four shows.

In contrast, my short Freedom of the Seas cruise was only three nights. We stopped at just two ports, had fewer events to go on, and only attended two shows. 

Although it was a smaller ship, and there was less of it to explore, I wished I had more time to attend events and shows onboard. 

Where my first cruise had dragged a little long, my second one flew by in a flash. 

There are benefits to choosing a short cruise, but I think my personal sweet spot would be somewhere between three and seven days, such as a 5-night sailing. 

How often do you get to try a quality steak dinner?

As a new cruiser, I knew I had to try one of Royal Caribbean‘s most popular specialty restaurants. 

Long regarded as one of the best specialty dining experiences, this venue is Chops Grille.

On my second cruise on Freedom of the Seas, I went ahead and reserved a dinner at the specialty location. 

Chops Grille is a specialty restaurant, meaning there is an additional cost involved. We purchased a dinner for myself and my girlfriend and paid $55.99 per person, $111.98 in total. 

I went ahead and compared this price to quality steakhouses near me and saw that this total is equal to (or even slightly less than) typical steakhouses on land. 

Chops Grille is a quality steak house that is featured on all Royal Caribbean ships. This speaks to its fame and popularity, so I knew I had to try it out and see if the extra cost was worth it.

Read more: 5 things you will love about Royal Caribbean's Chops Grille restaurant

We reserved Chops Grille for the second night of our cruise. On Freedom of the Seas, it was located on deck 1, right next to the entrance to the Windjammer.

When we entered, I gave the staff our room number, and we were quickly seated by polite waitstaff. 

Atmosphere

The dining room was a rectangular shape, facing a wide glass wall that looked out onto the ocean. 

We were seated near the front of the entrance and directly next to another couple's table, only divided by a short wooden wall. My seat faced the glass window to the ocean.

The look of the steakhouse was very classy: dark browns, crisp white linens, and low, golden lighting. 

When the night began, there was still enough sun for us to look at the ocean and enjoy the wide, clear view. 

However, as the sun set, it became very dark inside the steakhouse.

I also felt that the restaurant was a little crowded for the number of patrons inside. 

Not only were we seated directly next to a couple—to the point where we could hear each other‘s conversations—but there was also a large party of about 15 to the left of us.

It was easy to hear everything going on in the restaurant, especially when people got too noisy or drunk.

Staff also started singing “Happy Birthday” for diners multiple times throughout the night, inviting the whole venue to join in. This was a fun interlude to our dinner, but it happened about three times, interrupting our conversation each time!

However, the room’s crowded atmosphere also speaks to the restaurant's popularity. 

It seems that many people enjoy the specialty venue as a way to celebrate their birthdays or other special occasions. 

Despite the noise and volume, our waiter was very pleasant and put us right at ease, helping us to focus on the food and our personal experience.

Chops Grille Menu

Eats

Before explaining the menu, our waiter asked if we were celebrating any special occasions, had any allergies, or any shows that we would need to leave for at a certain time. 

Then he explained that the menu was included in our purchase, starting with appetizers, continuing to soups and salads, and including sides, as well as an entrée and dessert.

The waiter started us off by bringing a starter of bread and butter. When the bread arrived, we were surprised by the unique shapes and the warmth on the inside. 

Our waiter also offered us several drink options, and we decided to try some wine. We chose a simple Moscato that had a lovely fruity flavor. 

For our appetizers, I chose the colossal shrimp cocktail, which came with a few pieces of shrimp on ice and a horse radish cocktail sauce that was a sweet and spicy mix. 

I enjoyed the shrimp cocktail, but I much preferred my girlfriend’s order: a grilled pepper black bacon with a sweet and spicy glaze. The tender, fatty strip of meat was delicious, and I kept tasting it despite the fact that it was her order. 

Later, I discovered that this bacon slice is arguably the most popular Chops Grille appetizer, and I can see why. My only regret from this evening is not ordering a serving for myself.

For the soup and salad portion, we each chose a salad. 

My girlfriend ate a simple Caesar salad, and I ordered the crispy goat cheese salad. 

The crispy goat cheese salad came with green apples, candied walnuts, cranberries, and balsamic dressing. The goat cheese was served on top in a fried ball that I had to split open. 

It was creamy and delicious, with a tang from the balsamic dressing and sour green apples. 

Next, it was time to order our sides. Our waiter let us know that we could order as many as we wanted, but my girlfriend and I limited ourselves to three as we didn’t want to get too full before the entrée.

We chose the truffled french fries, the Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, and grilled jumbo asparagus.

The sides came in small metal bowls, so in hindsight, we could’ve ordered more. 

We loved the creamy mashed potatoes and the fresh grilled asparagus. 

However, I found the salty, oniony truffle flavor of the french fries to be a little bit off-putting. I chalked this up to my own inexperience with truffles, not any issue in the actual dish.

For the main course, we each ordered the 9-ounce filet. 

On the menu, this dish is listed as “9 ounces of our most tender cut of lean Midwestern beef.”

The filet came immediately with our sides and was served with a garnish of garlic and rosemary. 

While I usually order my steaks medium-rare, at Chops Grille, I ordered mine medium. For someone who likes their steaks tender but not bloody, this was the perfect choice.

I found that it was incredibly tender, soft, and tasty, with a marinated salty flavor throughout.

Despite our concern about our fleeting appetites, my girlfriend and I managed to finish all of our steak serving. 

We went ahead and ordered our dessert to-go, hoping to finish later when we were feeling more hungry. 

My girlfriend ordered the red velvet cake, and I ordered the raspberry cheesecake.

Later, when I ate the raspberry cheesecake, I loved the creamy taste and the sweet tang of the raspberry. A dollop of whipped cream on top completed the dish. 

Overall

While I would’ve preferred a more quiet and spacious atmosphere, the food was impeccably delicious. The appetizers, tender steak fillets, and sweet desserts made the extra price worth it.

And on a visit back to Chops Grille, I would know exactly what to order to have the best possible dining experience. 

Considering the average price and the fact that this was on a beautiful cruise ship, I would definitely visit this restaurant again.

We now know when Royal Caribbean will open up the first set of new 2025-2026 bookings.

Royal Caribbean has posted most of its new sailings and when they will go on sale.

As per usual for Royal Caribbean, they will post new sailings in the fall and again in the spring.

The deployment schedule will cover Alaska, Europe, Caribbean, and West Coast sailings.

• Week of October 30, 2023: Alaska
• Week of November 6, 2023: Europe
• Week of November 13, 2023: 7-night Caribbean (Phase 1)
• Week of December 4, 2023: 7-night Caribbean (Phase 2)
• Week of February 12, 2024: Short Caribbean, Los Angeles & Northeast 
• Week of February 19, 2024: Long Caribbean

Keep in mind the sailings could be released at any point within that week, and not necessarily on the first day of the listed week.

Australia, China, Singapore and other deployments will be forthcoming at a later date.

This is in addition to the Icon of the Seas sailings already released for 2025-2026.

All itineraries are subject to change without notice.

Rumored Star of the Seas release date

In case you're wondering when Royal Caribbean will open up new bookings for Star of the Seas, there's a rumor of when that might occur.

Star of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean's second Icon Class cruise ship.

When a new cruise ship goes on sale, it's not usually included in other deployments. Rather, it gets posted as its own deployment.

A travel agent posted on Cruise Critic's message boards that Star of the Seas will go on sale December 5, 2023. This has not been officially announced or confirmed by Royal Caribbean.

This travel agent also indicated it looks as though Star of the Seas could be homeported from Port Canaveral.

Other rumored deployments posted by the same person include:

• Wonder of the Seas will offer short Caribbean cruises, in addition to Utopia of the Seas
• Alaska's cruise season will have four ships: Grandeur of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas & Anthem of the Seas.
• Anthem of the Seas is listed as well under the "Short Caribbean and Los Angeles" deployment.

Keep in mind none of this has been officially announced by Royal Caribbean.

What is a deployment schedule?

The deployment schedule is the plan for when Royal Caribbean will open select sailings for sale.

There is no indication of which day, just the week the new itineraries will become available to book, but it could be on any day of the noted week.

Guests will commonly misconstrue the new cruises to come out on the exact day, rather than at some point during the week.

When the new sailings are available, it is common for the new itineraries to be entered into the booking system first, and the website second. This means in some cases cruises are bookable earlier if booked over the phone or with a travel agent, even if they do not appear on the website.

What can you do now before the new bookings are posted?

If you are in the market for a cruise during one of these new deployments, you will want to keep an eye out for once cruises go on sale.

Royal Caribbean typically allows Crown and Anchor Society members a 24 hour head start on the general public, but since anyone can sign up for Crown and Anchor Society, there is no excuse for waiting.

Talk with your travel agent in the days leading up to the new deployments coming online so you can jump on specific bookings and book them.  

One of the best strategies for the lowest prices is to book a cruise as soon as it goes on sale.  Hard-to-find staterooms are also available during this period, so now is the time to lock in a studio room or a suite.

Planning on booking a cruise in 2024-2025? These stories will help:

• What is the best time to cruise to the Caribbean?
• 7 tips for a great Mediterranean cruise
• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?

Days after Royal Caribbean cancelled cruises from Israel, it has sent a cruise ship back to Israel but not to start a vacation.

As the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies, Americans in Israel are looking for a way to get out of the region.

The United States State Department requested Royal Caribbean's assistance in evacuating Americans from Israel.

Royal Caribbean Group issued a statement on Monday to confirm their involvement in assisting evacuation efforts, "Royal Caribbean Group is actively assisting the U.S. Department of State in an effort to evacuate American citizens in the area."

The U.S. Embassy in Israel posted on its website it was helping Americans and their immediate family members with valid travel documents leave Haifa to be transported to nearby Cyprus.

Why cruise ships? Air travel has stopped to Israel, and so a sea connection was the next best option. The major U.S. airlines have temporarily suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv.

Rhapsody of the Seas was at the Port of Haifa on Monday.

The U.S. Embassy issued a statement that boarding began on Monday morning and Rhapsody will move the Americans to Limassol, Cyprus.

According to a report by The Times of Israel, dozens of U.S. citizens and their spouses were in line to get on Rhapsody of the Seas in Haifa.

The journey will take about 10-12 hours, with food and wifi available to use during the short cruise.

Canceled cruise season

At the onset of the Hamas attack on Israel, Royal Caribbean began cancelling cruises scheduled to operate to and from Israel.

In less than a week, the cruise line pulled the plug on the remainder of the Israel cruise season, which was centered around Rhapsody of the Seas.

Rhapsody had plans to offer cruises from Haifa to the Greek islands through early November.

Since then, other cruise lines have cancelled their visits to Israel as well.  Sister brand Celebrity Cruises cancelled a visit to Israel that Celebrity Apex had scheduled for earlier this week.

Like Royal Caribbean, planned stops in Israel were replaced with visits to Turkey or Greece.

A history of helping out

This is not the first time Royal Caribbean has used their cruise ships to provide humanitarian aid.

Following the Surfside, Fla. condominium collapse in 2021, Explorer of the Seas was used to provide accommodation and assistance to the first responders that are aiding the Surfside work.

Royal Caribbean worked with with different government agencies in the wake of that disaster, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Miami-Dade County Port Authority and Port Miami.

In 2019, Royal Caribbean pledged $1 million to The Bahamas for Hurricane Dorian disaster relief, and subsequently sent ships to make stops in the Abaco islands to drop off much needed supplies.

When La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent was expected to erupt, Royal Caribbean sent Serenade of the Seas to the Caribbean island to assist in evacuating residents.

The fall temperatures may be dropping, but the Royal Caribbean news from this week is as hot as ever, and we have it all summarized for you in this week's round up!

Royal Caribbean has canceled the rest of the line’s sailings to and from Israel.

The cruise line wrote that the decision was made with guests’ safety and wellbeing in mind. 

All of the remaining Rhapsody of the Seas cruises for this year from Haifa have been canceled, with plans to return to Israel in 2024 on Jewel of the Seas.

Multiple other cruise lines have canceled their cruises visiting Israel as well.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean news: Final payment change for long cruises, adults-only beach update, Israel cancellations, & more
• The best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days deals for all your cruising essentials
• Star of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more
• 5 Royal Caribbean cruise ship balcony cabins to book (and 2 to avoid)
• 7 side-by-side photos show how the world’s biggest cruise ship changes at night through color
• After 13 Royal Caribbean cruises, I booked a Virgin Voyages cruise: here's what I loved and hated
• Vintage photos of a cruise ship in the '90s
• Why is there no deck 13 on cruise ships

Video: I survived 96 hours on Royal Caribbean's worst rated cruise ship

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Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — I survived 96 hours on Royal Caribbean's worst rated cruise ship — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

I booked the smallest and cheapest room on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. It was only 142 square feet, but I'd stay in it again

Not only did Allie sale on the smallest ship, but she also booked the smallest cabin on the ship. It was only 142 square feet, an an interior cain with no windows. 

However, Allie ended up being pleasantly surprised by the condition and size of the cabin.

She also discusses the affordable price of the cabin, making the stateroom one she would sail in again. 

What to bring on a Caribbean cruise? 23 essentials to pack

No matter what part of the world you’re cruising to, it’s important to pack appropriately. 

With the Caribbean being one of the most popular cruising destinations, many cruisers choose to visit the region. 

If you’re planning a visit, you’ll need to prepare specifically for a visit to the Caribbean. 

We compiled an essential list of items that are important to pack on your Caribbean cruise. 

Ultimate Abyss: Royal Caribbean's cruise ship dry slide

Royal Caribbean‘s incredible onship activities include a 10 deck high dry slide on select ships.

The Ultimate Abyss has quickly become a popular thrill with cruisers, so we decided to give it a try and report back. 

This article describes a ride on the thrilling Ultimate Abyss, which is available on Oasis of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Utopia of the seas. 

I cruised Royal Caribbean from Galveston for the first time. Here's what a cruise from Texas is like.

What is it like to cruise out of Galveston, Texas? 

Voyager of the seas and Harmony of the Seas currently sail out of Galveston, Texas, and will for the rest of 2023.

Our writer Angie decided to try the port for the first time on Voyager of the Seas. 

From Coast Guard delays to to finding transportation, Angie describes what it was like to sail out of the Royal Caribbean port in Galveston, Texas.

9 ways to sleep better on a cruise ship

One disadvantage of traveling is that you can be hard to catch up on your rest. 

Everyone has different sleep patterns and some may struggle to adjust to getting quality sleep in a different bed. 

However, we have compiled some advice you can use to get better sleep on your cruise. 

From air conditioning to getting extra pillows, you can use these helpful strategies to ensure you get lots of rest and feel relaxed on your vacation.

The 1990s was the decade when cruising reached the masses, and it's the decade that would see Royal Caribbean launch so many cruise ships that would come to distinguish it to this day.

Royal Caribbean International, which was founded as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1968, has some of the world's largest cruise ships at sea today. When they started, however, their first ship only measured around 23,000 gross registered tons!

By 1991, the company had considerably grown and touted a fleet of seven ships, including Monarch of the Seas, who made her grand debut that year. 

To think about the growth of cruise ships throughout the 90s, Monarch of the Seas measured around 73,900 gross registered tons, while Voyager of the Seas, the first-ever Voyager Class ship that launched in 1999, measured over 130,000!

Have you ever wondered what it was like to sail onboard a Royal Caribbean ship in the 90s? TikTok user @tikittytalk posted a promotional video from 1991 that gives a glimpse into what cruising then would have been like. 

Read more: Photos show what it was like to cruise on Royal Caribbean in the 1980s

The original video is small and grainy, but you get the idea of what it looked  like to cruise in the early 1990s on Royal Caribbean.

The video starts with passengers boarding in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Guests embarking on this specific voyage departed from San Juan on a Sunday evening.

As soon as they stepped foot onboard, they were waited on hand and foot. Crew members wearing white gloves are shown assisting passengers with their carry-on luggage. 

Some onboard amenities weren't that different

On the ship, guests could visit the salon to be pampered. Plus, the narrator states that everyone was "wined and dined virtually around the clock," with the Main Dining Room featuring a different international flavor each night. 

This is pretty similar to today, as Royal Caribbean launched new menus in January 2023 that highlight a different cuisine and cooking style each night, from Caribbean flavors to upscale French cuisine and even Mexican and Asian dishes! 

Aside from that, it's easy to find food (and drinks) around the clock while onboard Royal Caribbean ships. While newer ships have the most complimentary options, you'll always find a Windjammer Marketplace (aka the main buffet) and 24/7 cafe onboard even the oldest vessels, such as Grandeur of the Seas. 

The video then cuts to a cabin attendant preparing a cabin for guests 

Do you remember when Royal Caribbean cabin attendants used to leave nightly chocolates in your stateroom? 

Unfortunately, this, along with twice daily service, is no longer offered. Today, you are asked by your attendant when you'd like your cabin to be attended to. You may tell them in the morning or evening; however, they will not service your stateroom twice anymore.  

Moreover, the video shows this specific cabin attendant dressed as though they're headed to formal night. While cabin stewards are still required to wear a specific uniform, they are much more casual today. 

It is also interesting to think about how most cabins only had a window! Promotional videos today tend to show a balcony or multi-level suite. Back then, however, this was not the case. Suites were not as large, and there were very few, if any, standard balconies onboard. 

Monarch of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's ship that launched in 1991, only about 5% had private balconies onboard. 

In comparison, Wonder of the Seas, who currently holds the title for largest cruise ship in the world, has over 2,000 staterooms, including suites, with balconies onboard, which amounts to roughly 70%. 

Read more: What happened to Royal Caribbean's first cruise ships?

On sea days, you could expect a lot of fitness-related activities to be offered

On the top deck of the ship, Shipshape Aerobics were offered in the morning. According to the narrator, "They [were] a great way to get warmed up for all the activities ahead."

Plus, attending these classes would help you earn Royal Caribbean shipshape dollars, which were good for t-shirts and other prizes! Additionally, they'd have morning walkathons. 

While the fitness center onboard Royal Caribbean ships is known as the Vitality Fitness Center, it was called the Shipshape fitness center in the 90s. Inside, guests could find free weights and access the most popular machines, much like you can do today!

Alternatively, you could start your day with breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe

Whether you wanted to work up an appetite or sleep in, the narrator claims that you could "enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast with friends at the casual but captivating Windjammer Cafe,...which presents a decor that's as refreshing as the meals it serves you."

Today, you will not find indoor waterfalls inside the Windjammer, but that does not mean it still is not a great place to go to enjoy a quick breakfast before heading ashore. 

There weren't any shops or bars lining a single main thoroughfare 

Instead, you could browse through the shops of the Centrum. The popular Royal Promenade wasn't introduced until Voyager of the Seas launched in 1999. Before then, the main hub of the ships was the Centrum, which can still be found onboard some older Royal Caribbean ships today, such as Vision of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas. 

The Centrum onboard Royal Caribbean ships is an open air area that spans several decks of the ship. In the middle, you'll find a set of elevators, and various bars, lounges, shops, and dining venues are spread out on the higher decks overlooking the Centrum. 

The narrator says that you can find anything from designer fashions to elegant fragrances, fine arts, and souvenirs. 

The TikTok ends by talking about developing film

That's right! At one point, you could have film developed while onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. You could even buy cameras and film if you forgot either at home!

Today, you can still buy cameras like Go Pros to use during your trip. However, they're pretty costly. 

Moreover, professional photography services were offered in the 90s, too.

Have you ever noticed there is no deck 13 on most cruise ships?

Historically, the maritime industry has been quite superstitious and some of that even holds up today with how decks are planned.

When you go on most ships, the elevators will have deck 12 followed by deck 14.  Not all ships do, but some certainly have this idiosyncrasy.

This can confuse some people that they missed a stop on a non-existent deck or simply wonder why it doesn't exist.

As you might imagine, the reason for skipping deck is out of fear the number brings bad luck.

As an example, Royal Caribbean's ground-breaking new cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, doesn't have deck 13.  A brand new cruise ship that launches in 2024 omits number 13 from its layout!

In fact, there's not even a room that ends in "13". 

Read more: 11 reasons Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas will change the cruise industry

Most Oasis Class ships skip deck 13, however, Quantum Class cruise ships have deck 13.

Radiance, Voyager and Freedom Class ships have it.  The Vision Class is too short to reach deck 13.

Another interesting twist is you wont find cabins on deck 13.  If a ship has a deck 13, they use it for sports activities or other public venues.

Part of the reason is higher decks are usually where you find public venues, but there may be a part of sailing public that would not want to stay on deck 13 because of the unlucky connotation the number has.

It's probably why many hotels in the United States also don't have a floor 13, because some customers wouldn't want to stay there.

Other cruise ship superstitions

Deck numbering isn't the only superstition that holds up to this day.  

If you cruise enough, you'll probably run into at least a few other superstitions within the cruise industry.

Godmothers

Every cruise ship has a godmother, which serves as a ceremonial position, and yes, it's almost always a woman.  Other ships have had women hold the role, including renowned athletes, celebrities and royalty.

The godmother's job is to give the ship a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard it. 

Not only does having a godmother ensure luck is on the side of the ship and crew, it's a great marketing opportunity for the cruise line.

Lucky coins

New cruise ships also have a coin ceremony, which takes place at the time of keel laying.

Keel laying is an important milestone in new cruise ship construction. It's when shipbuilders place a pair of coins under the keel block of the new ship to bless the ship and as a symbol of good fortune.

Some Royal Caribbean cruise ships indicate where the coins are located. In the case of Oasis of the Seas, you will need to head up to the bow sundeck on deck 14.  The lucky coins are held in a cabinet that is welded to the ship and has a small commemorative plaque. 

Naming ceremonies

The Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans called upon their respective Gods to protect their ships and crew. 

The Vikings would make human sacrifices in honor of a new ship to appease the gods, and Greeks drank wine while blessing the new ship with water.

Many decades ago, they would smash a bottle of Champagne across the hull of a new ship for good luck.  They still do that today, but usually it's done mechanically, with the godmother pressing a button to make the magic happen.

Missing deck 17

Similar to skipping 13, some European cruise ships skip deck 17.

In Italy, the number 17 is considered unlucky, because the number 17 written in Roman numerals is XVII, which is an anagram of VIXI. This translates in Latin to "I have lived", which means to be dead.

For that reason, you may not find a deck 17 on their ships.  MSC Cruises is one line that goes from deck 16 to deck 18, such as on MSC Meraviglia, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Bellissima.