People discover all sorts of ways to make their cruise even better with some really creative hacks.
What's more surprising to me is how many new cruise hacks get invented as time goes on, and I always have the same thought, "Why didn't I think of that?".
Some of these tricks are so clever it almost seems like it has to be against the rules or would get you in trouble. While some people come up with ways to cheat the drink package that are definitely against the rules, most others are well within your rights to try.
After spending an afternoon hunting down new cruise hacks on Facebook, here are eight new tips that you could try out.
There are Amazon affiliate links in this article that cost you nothing extra to use, but I make a small commission if you buy it.
Buying a drink caddy to make family orders easier
I saw someone bought a drink caddy to bring on Utopia of the Seas and I immediately scoffed, but it actually is a smart idea.
Dedreanna bought the non-alcoholic drink package for everyone, so they were taking full advantage of the drink package investment and buying lattes, soda cups, milkshakes, and so forth.
I know from my experience, the second someone says they're going to get a drink, everyone else wants to get their drink order in too. So having a drink caddy for a family might not be a bad idea, especially if you need to transport the drinks up to another deck.
The four drink holder costs $13.99 and you could also use this at home just as much as on the ship.
This seems like the perfect idea to bring on my next family cruise so I can put my kids to work.
Bringing a food container to buffet to bring snacks for later back to the room
While we think of a cruise as being a never-ending stream of food, there are times restaurants close down. The Windjammer isn't open 24 hours, and closes before 10pm.
Traditionally, some cruisers brought Ziploc bags to take food back to the room and keep it fresh, but they're small and don't have any support for food that isn't meant to spill around.
A few cruisers recommended bringing a small food container so they could easily transport snacks back to the room for later. This is actually a great idea so you could have a "fourth meal", "second dinner", or whatever you want to call it.
The one that was recommended costs $11.98 and like the drink caddy, it's an investment you can re-use at home too.
Create DIY cocktails
As you may be aware, Royal Caribbean allows you to bring certain drinks on a cruise. Leveraging these can turn into smart money-saving drink hacks.
- Bring your own bottle of champagne onboard and then ask for orange juice each morning to create your own mimosa
- Order a shot of Baileys to add to your mocha latte from Cafe Promenade
- If you're Prime in Casino Royale, stockpile cans of sodas or bottled water in your cabin to use later
It's a smart way to extend what you have access to onboard.
Use the showers in the gym so you don't have to wait
Did you know there are showers in the ship's fitness center that you can use for free?
They're usually not occupied and much more spacious than your tiny stateroom shower. This is a great tip for anyone sharing a room with someone else.
Before you plan on this tip, I'd recommend bringing shower shoes, such as flip flops. Since it's a communal shower, it's a good idea to wear this to prevent the spread of any bacteria.
Make your own root beer floats
Instead of paying for a ice cream float, you can probably make your own.
If you brought root beer on the ship, grab a cup and a get soft serve ice cream and add it to your root beer.
Scooping my soft serve ice cream into my root beer to make a root beer float.
Another idea is to get soda from your drink package and then follow the same steps. This works really well in the Windjammer, because they have both soda and ice cream readily available.
Eating at Johnny Rockets for free at breakfast
It almost feels like you're getting away with something when you enjoy breakfast at Johnny Rockets for no cost.
This isn't a new hack at all, but a surprising amount of people are still unaware. This is only available on Oasis Class ships, but breakfast is free there. Lunch and dinner still cost extra.
They serve an American style breakfast, and it's usually less crowded than the Windjammer or Main Dining Room. This is mostly because most people don't know breakfast is complimentary.
Wake up to coffee every day
A "work smarter, not harder" hack is using room service as a wake-up service.
Room service usually costs extra, but the continental breakfast room service is complimentary. It includes coffee, toast, bagels, juice, and cereal and there's no cost.
The idea is to order room service each morning as a way to force yourself to be awake. Not only will they call before they arrive, but it forces you to get up and not roll over and go back to sleep.
Unlike your phone alarm, this alarm will bring coffee or a light breakfast for no cost! If you're going to be tired and unhappy about having to wake up, at least you can have coffee to go with it!
Stockpile bottled water
If you buy a drink package, get into the mantra of saying with each order, "... and a bottle of water".
While the official rules are you can only order one beverage per order with a drink package, the crew rarely will stop you from also getting a bottle of water to go with it.
I think the idea is they don't want you to be hungover or dehydrated, so bottled water is acceptable to throw in.
My advice is to order bottled water with any drink order you make so you can start bringing back extras to the room. I stock them in my cabin fridge for use later, like when we're headed off the ship for a shore excursion. Or if I need a drink in the middle of the night.
