My first Royal Caribbean cruise was in 2006 on Explorer of the Seas, but fast forward 20 years I've been on over 100 cruises and learned a lot along the way.
At the time, I was trying a different cruise line and never guessed it would become my vacation of choice, nor could I have ever anticipated how much will have changed, improved, and grew since then.
In those twenty years, I've climbed the entire loyalty program, sailed on almost every ship in the fleet, and tried out so many offerings. It's left me with important lessons about what anyone taking a cruise should consider going forward.
Here are the most important lessons and observations I've had over two decades of Royal Caribbean cruising.
The ships changed more than I ever expected
I was attracted to Royal Caribbean because of how innovative they felt compared to other lines, but I never dreamed how much they would evolve.
My first cruise took place before the launch of Oasis of the Seas, and Royal Caribbean would go on to introduce two other ship classes after that, each breaking ground on pushing boundaries.
In fact, the Icon Class has been a revelation in how a megaship can truly be redefined. I expected Icon of the Seas to be impressive, but I never imagined how much it would jump ahead of every other ship that came before it.
What I've seen is the ship evolution from "big ship" to "floating destination". Sure, the places ships go are still quite important. But the restaurants, activities, features, and areas of the ship have become focal points.
Cruise ships getting bigger is nothing new, but the leapfrogging in design has been eye-opening. No ship has matched the Oasis Class and now the Icon Class has set an even higher bar.
I think the major reason for Royal Caribbean's success has been how much they listen to their customer.
You see in every new ship tweaks, additions, and changes that reflect feedback they've gathered. It's evident in how new concepts are introduced, refined, and then perfected.
Loyalty matters more than I thought it would
I don't think I paid much attention to the Crown and Anchor Society levels or benefits for my first few cruises, but very quickly it started to factor more into my cruising habit.
Like it's ships, Royal Caribbean's loyalty program has changed. Some perks have been added, others removed, and a few tweaked.
The more I cruised, the more people I met, and it opened my eyes to how much you can get out of the loyalty program to enhance your cruising.
I don't advocate chasing loyalty status, but when you reach Diamond status, it's almost like your entire outlook on a cruise changes.
Getting extra perks saves a little bit of money, but it's also refreshing how much the line values our business. This is evident in the annual President's Cruise and attention given to its members at Top Tier events.
More recently, the company introduced status matching between its sister cruise lines that made it easy to jump between the lines. Plus, the Points Choice program has added so much more opportunity to expand our cruising without sacrificing climbing the loyalty ladder.
I look at both changes as indications from the line how much they value our business, especially considering the changes Carnival Cruise Line made to their program.
Food quickly became the centerpiece of cruising
When I went on Explorer of the Seas, there were two specialty restaurants and Johnny Rockets. Today, a cruise ship with "only" three extra cost restaurants would be considered shockingly awful.
You can argue the merits of specialty vs complimentary food, but the variety of choices has substantially improved.
I fell in love with the Main Dining Room on my first cruise because I liked having the same waiters, table assignment, and a changing menu every day.
That's largely still the same today, although I think the speed of service changes made a few years ago really made a big difference because there's no more guessing if dinner will take one or two hours.
By far the biggest change in dining has been the proliferation of specialty dining. There are many more specialty dining venues than ever on ships, and Royal Caribbean hasn't been shy about trying new concepts: Japanese intimate dining, supper clubs, whatever Wonderland is, and an immersive train experience.
I think the innovations in specialty forced the line to also innovate its included options. You see that with the Oasis and Icon Class ships especially, because they've added new venues to not only meet demand but offer something extra. Aquadome Market is easily my favorite restaurant right now, and it's totally included.
On my first cruise, I probably focused on the Windjammer and Main Dining Room exclusively. Today, there are some sailings where I don't even go in either venue.
Mistakes are part of becoming a better cruiser
I still make mistakes when I cruise, but each one has taught me an important lesson and made my next cruise better.
I think it's inevitable that you'll make a mistake on a cruise. Hopefully you'll avoid the colossal blunders that could ruin your vacation, but even if you make some of the common cruise mistakes, it's part of the process.
- I forgot to pack pants for my first Star of the Seas cruise
- I booked too many beach days and it felt like we "hit the wall"
- I booked flights on my own instead of with the cruise line
- I avoided eating alone in the Main Dining Room
Each of these mistakes I made last year gave me better clarity on how to approach my future sailings.
The truth is while I've been cruising for two decades, making mistakes is inevitable. But you have to be flexible and learn from them.
Royal Caribbean's biggest strength is adaptation
I didn't start to blog about Royal Caribbean until 2010, and my daily coverage would take a few years more to develop. However, it became abundantly clear to me Royal Caribbean relies heavily on guest feedback.
They may not make every change guests complain about or ask for, but they are listening.
Their reliance in guest feedback has allowed them evolve without losing its identity. This comes in the form of evolving guest policies, new offerings, and innovation.
Perfect Day at CocoCay is perhaps one of the best examples. They had a fun beach experience that had been working for many years at CocoCay, but they dreamt bigger. They invoked a lot of customer feedback to get a sense of what their customers wanted, and they built arguably the best private island experience that every other cruise line is still trying to copy.
The cruise industry shutdown of 2020 hit every cruise line bad, but look at where Royal Caribbean is today in both financial success and product leadership compared to the competition.
The Icon Class ships represent just about every good idea they've had or heard from guests and built a ship around that idea. Add onto that Royal Amplified ships that have transformed what it's like to go to on a 20+ year old ship.
With changing travel habits, industry competition, and guest feedback, I've seen Royal Caribbean willing to make things work with fixes, updates, and new ideas. It's refreshing they don't adhere to a "our way or the highway" and seem to want to push limits while not being afraid to try new things.
You've got to find your niche
In rounding out this reflection, I wanted to offer advice for someone beginning their journey with Royal Caribbean. I think the most important thing is find the cruises that speak to you.
Royal Caribbean offers a lot of sailings, ships, and options. But assuming "newer is always better" or spending more on a huge cabin is the ultimate goal is not the case at all.
I recommend leaning into what you want and going there.
I avoided going to Europe for years, only did weeklong cruises in the Caribbean, and booked balcony cabins. Those cruises made me happy and it's what got me hooked.
Later I opened up to other ideas, but that was when I felt ready for new adventures. Your cruising style will evolve over time.
Chasing the latest launch is fun, but I think you should book a cruise that speaks to you instead of where the hype is. If the hype overlaps, perfect! But the best thing about cruising is how personalized it is and how you can find joy in any sailing.
