I like to think after taking 100 cruises on Royal Caribbean ships, I've seen the most egregious mistakes people can make.
As someone that covers the cruise industry on a daily basis, a big part of my job is offering advice on how to plan the best cruise vacation. I also give my readers a lot of advice on what not to do.
While I recommend cruises to everyone, there are admittedly a lot of choices to make when planning a trip. It's far from a "one size fits all" type of trip. With all of those options, it's easy to make a mistake.
Here are some of the biggest mistakes people make on a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Not completing the online check-in
One of the easiest mistakes to avoid is taking a few minutes before the cruise begins to complete the online check-in.
In terms of going from outside the terminal to onboard, Royal Caribbean has arguably the best check-in experience across the entire cruise industry. If you do all the steps, you can easily get onboard in a matter of minutes.
I see too many people who skip the steps and then waste time in the terminal having one of the agents manually enter everything in for them.
Plus, if you do all the steps you could get access to an expedited line.
When it's embarkation day, the last thing you want to do is waste time in the terminal because of all the excitement.
Too much "fun in the sun"
Another easily preventable problem is people who get sunburned, and yet, I'll spot a few people on the very first day that start their vacation off this way.
No one wants to get sun burned. It's a painful experience that you'll have to deal with for a few days. And then there's the skin peeling that comes after.
Suffice to say, you want to bring sunscreen with you and apply it early and often.
Spending too much time in the sun also comes in the form of "overdoing it" in other ways, such as over consumption.
You should eat some food before you start your day drinking, and include water as a way to keep hydrated. You want to avoid drinking so much that you end up sleeping away the day or evening later.
Most importantly, drink responsibly so you don't end up being "that guy" later in the day.
Sleeping in late when visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay
I think the best way to take advantage of Royal Caribbean's private island is to get up and out to the beach as early as you can.
Perfect Day at CocoCay is a revelation in terms of what a private island experience can offer. It's more than just a beach. There are pools, a water park, really good included food, and plenty of places to hang out.
To that point, the crowds show up later in the day closer to lunch time.
Your best bet to find the perfect spot and chairs in a good location is to disembark the ship early. This isn't the day to sleep in.
Even if you paid extra for a cabana, day bed, or some other admission, sleeping in would mean missing out on precious time that you paid for and should properly enjoy.
To avoid settling for chairs further away than you'd prefer, I recommend getting off the ship within the first hour your ship docks at CocoCay so you can get a head start.
Neglecting to make show reservations
If there's one thing Royal Caribbean does the best, it's probably entertainment. So don't miss out on seeing the shows by not having a reservation.
Reservations for shows are needed if you're on an Oasis, Quantum, or Icon Class ship. There are no show reservations available on older ships, nor do you need them.
There's no cost to make a show reservation, but you will need to act quickly to book it pre-cruise. About 60 days before your cruise begins, you can start looking to see if there are shows to book online. There isn't an exact time shows are reservable online, so you'll need to track it.
If you don't make a show reservation, you'll have to wait in the standby line. That's not a major problem, but it requires you to get lined up at least 20-30 minutes early.
I'd hate for anyone to miss out on the amazing shows Royal Caribbean puts on, so prioritizing them should be a top goal.
Booking the wrong flight
One of the worst cruise mistakes you can make is to book a flight that puts your trip in jeopardy.
Never book a flight the same day your cruise departs. It's a rookie mistake because a flight delay or cancellation could mean missing the ship. Royal Caribbean will not refund your money because of a travel delay.
Instead, plan to fly in at least one day before your cruise begins. If you're flying overseas, I'd recommend at least two days before your cruise begins.
Similarly, you want to give yourself enough time to disembark your ship and get through the airport for your flight home after the cruise.
I've seen too many people try to "thread the needle" and book a flight that's too early in the morning to make.
Generally speaking, I would never recommend booking a flight before 11am because it takes time for your ship to dock, get clearance from the local authorities, and begin offloading all the luggage. There's no telling how long that will take.
Waiting to purchase add-ons until they're on the ship
One of the top ways people waste money is by booking add-ons once on the ship.
Royal Caribbean sells drink packages, internet access, shore excursions, and specialty dining on your ship, but they will all cost significantly more if you wait to book it there.
There are so many sales before your cruise begins, and it can save you hundreds of dollars. This is especially true of beverage packages, because the markup onboard can be up to 40% more.
Once you're within 6 months of your cruise, start tracking prices and reserve anything you think you might want online or with the Royal Caribbean app. You can always cancel any purchase you make before the cruise for a full refund and no penalty.
Besides saving money, waiting to book onboard could result in things selling out.
Shore excursions are very popular and the best tours sell out quickly. Moreover, specialty dining can get booked up (especially for the most popular times).
It's in your best interest to spend a little bit of time before the cruise begins to reserve these things to save time and avoid disappointment later.
Booking the cruise directly with the cruise line
First-time cruisers that book a cruise with Royal Caribbean directly are missing out on assistance that could make their experience much better.
The saying "you don't know what you don't know" applies to cruises, because there's a high level of personalization involved with booking a cruise.
Should you book a balcony or inside cabin? Is it worth saving money by booking Freedom of the Seas instead of Odyssey of the Seas? Which room will have an extra bed for my child?
What you should be doing is working with a good travel agent to help answer these and many other questions you will inevitably have.
Plus, a good travel agent will cost you nothing extra to use their services. Royal Caribbean pays them a commission, so they're there to help you.
Even after more than 100 cruises, I still use a travel agent because it's easier and better than booking with the cruise line.
Taking bus tour shore excursions
Want to know the top excursion everyone regrets taking? It's a bus tour of the city, town, or area you're visiting.
Bus tours are long, boring, and lack the feeling that you actually visited the place you're in. While it seems like an easy way to see the sights, you're going to spend more time in the bus than outside of it.
Tour buses are uncomfortable and it really lacks any kind of authenticity.
Instead, you should consider a small group tour, hopping in a taxi, or book an excursion that spends the day visiting a particular site or two. It's important to do your research and learn about what the port has to offer, and the best way to see it.
Not keeping your phone in airplane mode
If you leave your cell phone on like normal during your cruise, you're going to come home to a monster bill.
Once your cruise ship leaves port, you're technically roaming and that can rack up hundreds of dollars in roaming charges.
There's a simple fix to this: put your phone into airplane mode and you can still use your phone (and Wi-Fi) without incurring significant charges later.
Letting the cruise line pick the cabin without knowing the downside
Allowing Royal Caribbean to choose your cabin location will save you some money, but the combination of waiting for a room assignment and the inevitable mediocre cabin location that follows leads to so much disappointment.
I think I've seen more complaints and requests for help from people that book a guarantee cabin than anything else.
It's tempting to choose a GTY room in order to save money, but there's a reason why the rooms that are unsold are unsold. Typically, these staterooms are in less-desirable locations and/or have obstructions or poor noise mitigation.
While there is a new option to pay $30 to get your assignment sooner (and possibly change location), I think you're better off picking the cabin you want, in the location you want, and avoid the ambiguity.
I think guaranteed rooms are best for seasoned cruisers that are less picky about their location and more adept at handling noise or motion problems.
