Royal Caribbean wrapped up its President's Cruise, and it's the ultimate pilgrimage for cruise fans.
The idea is simple: go on a cruise with lots of other Royal Caribbean super fans that's hosted by the CEO and plenty of other executives.
This year, it was held on Utopia of the Seas and it's the 8th time Royal Caribbean has hosted. Each year has been on a different ship, with a different vibe, and different destination.
I had never been on one before, but decided to try it out this year to see what it's all about.
Made for, and by, fans
A President's Cruise is a regular sailing that has all sorts of special events added to enhance it.
Each year there is a mix of returning favorites and all new ideas.
In fact, some of the events incorporate the fans right into them. There are cooking competitions, trivia events, and game shows that all seek to bring cruisers together. In some cases, Royal Caribbean's top executives are right there too.
During a cook off event, Royal Caribbean Vice President Food & Beverage, Linken D'Souza, went head-to-head with other chefs on the ship as well as two kids picked from the audience to participate.
Over at Hideaway Beach, Michael Bayley had his bathing suit on and hung out with guests at the swim-up bar while also happily taking full advantage of his champagne gun.
There was even an exclusive tour offered to Pinnacle Club members by boat of the new Hideaway Beach area.
The more events I attended, the more it became clear it was a means to hang out with other super fans.
Michael Bayley is front and center
You might think the CEO of a company might be there purely in name, but Michael Bayley is out and about every day.
He hosted a number of events and attended even more. In fact, he would roam the public areas of the ship to meet people.
I can only imagine the sorts of comments, complaints, and questions he received during our short 4-night voyage, but he was there to say hello and listen to what cruisers had to say.
The pinnacle of these events is the Common Ground event, where he sits alone on a stage taking questions from the audience.
There's no filter, and no pre-screening. Guests are given a mic and they say whatever they're brave enough to say out loud to him.
To his credit, he took every question in stride. His style is to infuse humor into his responses whenever possible, and it helped keep things interesting and entertaining at the same time.
Later, he hosted a whimsical look back at Royal Caribbean's history with Director, Entertainment & Guest Activities, Ken Rush. Royal Caribbean's top cruiser, "Super Mario" jumped in from time to time with trivia questions to challenge them.
For a lot of cruisers, meeting the CEO of a cruise line and being able to share their own thoughts and vision is an incredible opportunity.
I found it gratifying as a cruiser the name "President's Cruise" isn't just a name. It's a commitment that the line President and CEO is part of it all.
Special events and entertainment
It seems people that have gone to a few President's Cruises always look to see what special offerings there will be.
This year, Royal Caribbean wanted to mix up the entertainment to lean into both old-school hits and new school heat. So they brought on celebrity performers Rev Run and DJ Ruckus.
I know Rev Run from being a part of Run-DMC, and they hosted different parties around the ship. The sailaway party, in particular, was my favorite and really had the crowd going.
Here are some of the other special events to give you an idea of what to expect:
- Neon Glow Party
- Bold Baha Bash Festival
- Ultra Caribbean Night
- Fireworks at CocoCay
- Beach parties and premium takeovers around CocoCay
- Utopia Crew & Guest Talent Show
Unfortunately a thunderstorm cancelled a drone show that was scheduled for Nassau, but everything else went off as planned.
I loved the cooking demo, Q&A events, and the special parties for this cruise.
Each President's Cruise has a different line-up, but I think you get the idea there are special activities and thing so to do that wouldn't ever be available otherwise onboard.
The fans are the reason to try it
I won't deny it's so cool to see all of the cruise line's top brass in one place, but I think the people you meet are the reason to go on a President's Cruise.
If you're the type of person that loves cruising on Royal Caribbean, then think of the President's Cruise as like a high school reunion experience.
It's a way to see familiar faces, meet new friends, and hang out with lots of other people who "get it".
While this is a regular sailing with plenty of new cruisers are likely blissfully unaware of what's happening, all of the events Royal Caribbean puts together for the President's Cruise provides ample opportunity to go to these events where likely everyone there are big cruise fans.
I had the chance to not only see friends I've cruised with in the past, but also meet so many people who love to cruise with Royal Caribbean.
Many have done these sailings before, and I loved hearing their perspective on the this year and what to look for and do.
After a day or two, I found the cruisers onboard were the real highlight of the event.
Entitlement fears were overblown
I'll be honest, I had some trepidation about attending a President's Cruise because I thought there might be a lot of complainers ruining the mood.
There are always a lot of top tier members on these cruises, but not all of them are as extinctic as I am. There's nothing wrong with questioning the direction or choices of the cruise line, but I did have concerns it might be too much.
I really did not experience much, if any, negativity or elitism that I thought might be an issue.
Granted, I didn't hang out in the Crown Lounge or Suite Lounge where there might have been a high concentration of Pinnacle Club and Diamond Plus members, but I got around and met a lot of people.
I found most cruisers were quite warm, and the vibe was generally quite good.
In fact, it seemed to me people talk a big game on social media, but in person, it's a totally different approach.
There were complaints about the musical selection, short itinerary, and the amount of swag being given away. But I never got that feeling of "I gotta get out of there, it's too negative".
A short sailing this year, but more next year
This was my first President's Cruise, but I heard from some people that have done many before that the nature of holding it on a 4-night cruise left them feeling disappointed.
Luckily, Royal Caribbean is jumping back to a longer model in 2026. Plans were revealed for next year's President's Cruise to be held on Icon of the Seas for a 7-night cruise.
Since I had nothing to compare it to, it didn't bother me at all it was just four nights. In fact, it provided a great way to dip my toe into the water.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this year's President's Cruise, but when they announced next year's date, I texted my travel agent to book me.
Ultimately, it's a celebration of the thing so many people that read this site probably have in common: a love for cruising with Royal Caribbean. And the cruise line definitely puts in maximum effort to deliver something truly special that caters to their wants.
