Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular cruise lines in the world. And although the cruise giant has hundreds of thousands of loyal fans, some cruisers have surprisingly unpopular opinions about their favorite line.
With its record-breaking ships, world-class amenities, and countless itineraries that span the globe, Royal Caribbean has built a reputation for doing things bigger than any other line at sea.
Many cruisers can't imagine straying from the cruise line. However, despite the deep-seated loyalty, not everyone thinks the onboard experience is without its faults.
A recent Reddit post on the r/royalcaribbean thread sparked a conversation about what cruisers dislike the most about the line, with some opinions bordering on controversial.
"Unpopular RCCL opinions. What are your hot takes about Royal Caribbean cruises?" asked Redditor thatCRUISEagent.
In less than six hours, the post received over 250 comments from cruisers eager to share their unpopular Royal Caribbean opinions.
Drink packages aren't worth the money
Royal Caribbean's drink packages are among the cruise line's most popular add-ons. While the base fare includes a limited selection of beverages, from tap water to iced tea, drip coffee, milk, and juice, many guests upgrade to a package for a wider selection of drinks for a set daily price.
The prices vary. However, the Deluxe Beverage Package typically runs anywhere from $56 to $120 per person, per day — though you can typically save money by purchasing it in advance through the Cruise Planner.
While many can argue that the drink package is a worthwhile investment, some can't fathom drinking enough to break even daily.
"I don’t drink often and found myself struggling to make the drink package worth it," commented NewToReddit4331.
AbjectFray isn't a fan of the packages, either, saying that they're "overrated and a scam."
Boarding times don't matter
Post-COVID, Royal Caribbean implemented boarding times to streamline the embarkation process and manage crowds in the terminal building.
Today, you're still asked to select an arrival time when checking in for your cruise. However, many guests have found that arriving outside their window often doesn’t make a difference.
"[You don't] need to wait up for online check-in at midnight, [and you] don't need an early boarding time to be first on the ship," commented tidder8.
A lot of other cruisers chimed in, sharing their personal embarkation experiences, agreeing that the boarding times were rarely enforced.
joeconn4 added, "That's what we have found too...We usually show up about 60-90 minutes after the announced first boarding times...We're usually at least 1 or 2 blocks earlier than our reserved time. Sometimes we have to stand in a short line, I think the longest in that line has been maybe 10 minutes, usually we walk right in."
Read more: Royal Caribbean check-in process
The Promenade parties are annoying
Royal Caribbean's themed parties are a part of the onboard experience that many cruisers look forward to. However, some passengers aren't fans of them.
"Promenade parties are annoying. I don’t mind one or two here and there, but when it’s every night and people are taking all the chairs from Café Promenade, Sorrento’s, and the surrounding bars just to line them up on the promenade, it gets frustrating," said User_Name_Tooken.
"I agree. I prefer they do these type[s] of parties outside on the Lido Deck when the weather is nice. This is what other cruise lines do. Unfortunately, Royal hasn’t designed a good place on the Lido Deck to have parties," Free_Manufacturer657 wrote in agreement.
They don't need to offer as much trivia as they do
Trivia is a popular cruise ship activity that lets passengers test their knowledge and compete with fellow guests. On Royal Caribbean ships, sessions range from general knowledge to Harry Potter and more. That said, despite the popularity of the trivia events, some cruisers feel the line overdoes it.
"Trivia games are their crutch and used to pad out the activity schedule. And find another place for it instead of jamming up the schooner bar," Pinsided explained.
Not only that, but many guests think that the trivia sessions aren't held in large enough venues, which can lead to overcrowding and frustration if passengers don't arrive early.
"They should do trivia on the first floor of the theater or something, it’s always mega crowded. Or just do trivia at multiple locations to split the crowd?" said dukefett.
Speciality restaurants aren't worth the added cost
Specialty dining on cruise ships is a must-do for many travelers who value an upgraded culinary experience. However, a lot of cruisers don't think it is worth the extra money when there's an all-you-can-eat buffet and multi-course meals in the Main Dining Room (MDR).
"Most specialty dining is overrated. It's not actually bad, but the quality increase is minimal for the price charged. [There are] a couple of exceptions, but mostly you're not getting that much of an improvement," shared TheAzureMage.
longhorns7145 agreed, saying, "Yea we quit doing the dining. Izumi is alright but not a fan of the others. [There are] just too many free options that are great to justify the paid dining."
Read more: These 6 extra cost restaurants are worth booking, and the 2 you can skip
The casino should be smoke-free
Royal Caribbean has begun adding smaller non-smoking casinos on many of its ships. On Freedom of the Seas, for example, Vintages in the Royal Promenade was replaced with a smoke-free casino. However, the main casinos, with the most variety of games, still allow smoking.
"The casino should be smoke free but still have a smaller enclosed area for smokers. NCL does this on their newer ships and it's lovely!" suggested untitled_folder.
AllAreStarStuff agreed, saying, "I wanted to try the casino, but we had to walk through it to get to our muster check in. This was before the cruise even started. The whole place smelled so strongly of smoke that we didn’t go near it again."
Read more: Royal Caribbean opens its non-smoking casino on its newest ship
Royal Caribbean should start catering to younger crowds
Every cruise line has its target audience, and Royal Caribbean is no exception. While the cruise line is widely known for being family-friendly, with its newest Icon Class ships marketed as the best multigenerational vacations at sea, some argue that it should shift its focus to younger crowds.
"I'd really say it’s time to start catering more to the younger crowd, especially anything to do with music," wrote Eco_guru.
Another passenger chimed in, sharing their experience aboard Allure of the Seas in December. Traveling with friends in their late 20s and early 30s, TheGirlWithTheFace said that they went to the Red Party "to throw it down like [they] were 20 again." However, they ended up leaving about 30 minutes later because "the DJ was so lame."
The new elevator system isn't efficient
A common complaint with most cruise ship elevators is that they can get extremely crowded. As such, a few lines, including Royal Caribbean, have begun adding destination elevators to their fleet.
These elevators are different from standard elevators in that they assign passengers to a specific car based on their selected deck, rather than having guests cram into the next available elevator.
That said, not all cruisers are convinced the system improves efficiency, with many saying that the wait times are even longer than before.
"The new elevator systems on ships like Utopia make the elevator experience much slower, vs older ships where elevators take 1-2 minutes max to arrive," wrote thatawkwardmoment8.
Read more: Technology that changed cruises: 5 of the best uses of tech on Royal Caribbean today
Royal's older ships are better than the new ones
Royal Caribbean's fleet spans nearly three decades. The line's oldest vessel at sea is Grandeur of the Seas. The Vision Class ship entered service for Royal in 1996. Comparatively, Star of the Seas, the line's newest Icon Class ship, began sailing in August 2025.
As such, the fleet offers a wide variety of experiences. You don't have to sail on a ship with massive water parks, zip lines, or AquaTheaters. In fact, some cruisers prefer the line's older vessels.
While they may not be as modern, they offer an intimate atmosphere that mega-ships cannot replicate. Plus, they are typically cheaper and can visit more unique ports of call.
"The older ships are way better than the newer ones. My first cruise was on Independence and it's still my favorite ship I've been on," shared AyAyAyBamba_462.
"Bigger ships are not necessarily better. We've done impressively big. Now scale back and build new ships (or enhance existing ships) with more fun features and less intimidating size," HawaiianShirtsOR added.
