Royal Caribbean Blog

Plans for Royal Caribbean building a new, smaller ship design are still very active and in the design phase.

Breadcrumbs of information have leaked out from the cruise line for more than a year of a project to design the next ship class.

Referred to as Project Discovery, there isn't a whole lot available on what it entails because technically Royal Caribbean hasn't officially announced it.

Instead, we've gotten tidbits mentioned by executives.

While sailing on Ovation of the Seas during a preview event for Royal Caribbean's new west coast deployment, we got confirmation that the project is indeed still in the works.

Vicki Freed is Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service, and she hosted a question and answer session with travel advisors onboard.

The first question asked was about what the status of the Discover Class ships is, and Ms. Freed did not hesitate to confirm the project is still happening.

"The Discovery Project is our next new class of ships, following the Icon of the Seas, and the Star of the Seas, and the Legend the Seas. And we're in the design process now," she said in response to the question.

"We meet on a regular basis with the architects, with the designers...the ops team and the hotel operations, food and beverage. And so it is a top secret design at this point."

While nothing about that is news, it simply confirms the project is still moving forward.

She then went on to say, "It's an exciting project. It'll be a new class of ship. 

"In true Royal Caribbean style, it will be special, it will be innovative. And I think it'll be something that'll be a home run from the beginning."

It's the first mention by an executive in a number of months on the subject of the project, and it's clear work continues on it.

In the meantime, there's been no order placed for a Discovery Class ship, and if it's still in the design phase, approval by the Royal Caribbean Group Board of Directors would still need to happen first.

How small is small

The key word with the Discovery Class ships is "smaller".

Later in the session, Ms. Freed would not give any hints on the ship size.

"The Discovery Class will be a smaller ship than Icon. That much we can tell you," she said when another question came up about the future of cruise ship size came up.

Because the entire project has been mired in rumors, details are subject to interpretation.

During Royal Caribbean Group's second quarter 2024 earnings call, Royal Caribbean Group President and Chief Executive Officer said Royal Caribbean is mindful that its smaller vessels are becoming outdated.

"We're looking potentially at smaller ships will probably replace some of those older ships," Liberty said, touching on the cruise line's next project."

"It's a little bit less about the sourcing market. It's more about where those ships can go. It's getting them into maybe some of the more unique and bespoke destinations and further diversify our footprint around the world."

That statement is saying the priority is being able to offer cruises to certain ports of call that perhaps larger ships cannot access. Today, the Royal Caribbean ships that can reach those kinds of ports are the smaller ones that are aging.

The remaining Vision Class ships were built in the 1990s. Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's oldest vessel, entered service in 1996.

But there's confirmation or indication a new class would be the same or similar size to the Vision Class.  In fact, they could be significantly larger than the Vision Class.

Bigger ships in LA?

While we're in the depths of the rumor mill, another interesting response caught my attention.

A travel advisor asked if Royal Caribbean had any plans to bring an Oasis Class ship to the Los Angeles market or have plans for building a new homeport in the Southern California market.

It's common to get questions from travel advisors about their home markets, and this one came from an agent in Visalia, California.

Immediately, Ms. Freed shot back, "I cannot answer that question. But thank you, Susie from Visalia."

Occasionally there can be oversold cruises, which leads to the question of why it can happen in the first place.

From a business perspective, the goal of every Royal Caribbean ship is to sail completely full, similar to how a restaurant wants to fill every table.

However, sometimes a few weeks before a cruise is scheduled to sail, it becomes clear the ship is oversold.

It's not that common, but there have been a few instances so far this summer that have garnered attention.

Incentive to change plans

Select guests booked on the Adventure of the Seas June 7 sailing received an email last week asking if they'd consider changing plans.

The email does not specifically say the ship is oversold, but similar emails to this have been sent in the past that we know allude to the fact the sailing is oversold and volunteers are needed.

"Ahead of our Adventure of the Seas, June 7, 2025, sailing, we are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel arrangements," the email reads.

There are two options, if a passenger is interested in changing their plans, and both are quite lucrative.

The first is to change to a different 2025 sailing, and get a 50% refund of the cruise fare, plus $300 in onboard credit.

The other option is to cancel and get a 100% refund, plus a 100% future cruise credit to book an alternative sailing.

With each oversold ship, the offer from the cruise line differs, but essentially the proposition is the same: a full or partial refund, plus free money to spend on another cruise.

The emails go out and to date, have been effective in garnering volunteers as there have been no reports of guests showing up to the cruise terminal and denied boarding because there isn't a cabin for them.

Why Royal Caribbean oversells its ships

Some cruise fans want to know why cruise ships are oversold to begin with, and the answer lies with revenue management.

Royal Caribbean sails its ships every week, and they have a good handle on the rate of cancellations that regularly occur.  It's a kind of prediction, where the line sells guaranteed cabins as a method to fill in cancelled rooms.

Guaranteed rooms don't have a cabin assigned at the time of booking. Instead, they get a room assignment at some point up until the sail date when an unsold cabin becomes available.

In some cases, the predictions don't work out and the ship is oversold.  That's when emails similar to the one shown earlier in this article are sent out.

Royal Caribbean International Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service, Vicki Freed, talked about why it happens during a question and answer session aboard Ovation of the Seas this past weekend.

A travel advisor asked her, "I've seen recently ships being oversold and clients being asked to change their sailing a week or two before departure. Seems like you've sold more guarantees than you have cabins.  Can you explain how common that is and what the philosophy with that practice?"

The answer is selling guarantee cabins is something customers ask for, because it gets them a discounted rate.  It's popular to begin with, and it serves a business need Royal Caribbean has to cover cancellations.

"Because of such high demand, we have been selling a lot more guarantees because travel partners said please have a lower price point," Ms. Freed explained.

She went on to say, "Occasionally we don't get the wash or the cancellations on the guarantees. And we are in an oversold situation."

To be clear, the cruise line prefers to avoid this situation from ever happening whenver possible, "we're not trying to do an oversold situation. That's not our goal. But we have to make sure that our ships are sailing at full capacity."

In that case, Royal Caribbean acts to fix it and emails like this are sent out.

"We never want to have people show up at the pier and saying, you are not going on the ship. It's not like an airline. We don't want to do that," she said.

And she's right.  There have been no reports of anyone being turned away at the cruise terminal this year or last year because there aren't cabins available.

According to Ms. Freed, the cruise line reaches out to certain passengers who are more likely to want to cancel:

• People that live near the cruise port
• People that didn't buy airfare to get to the ship
• Passenger ages

"We'll just kind of say, do you think these people are flexible? And then we do offer them quite beautiful compensation  to kind of go on to a different sailing with a nice upgrade."

Not only is there not a problem with someone getting denied boarding because there volunteers, but Royal Caribbean actually gets too much interest.

"Actually, many guests would love to be asked if they could have a refund on their cruise and a complimentary cruise," she quipped.

Happy Sunday! It is getting hot outside, and the Royal Caribbean news this week is equally heated.

Royal Caribbean is going to bring its new cruise ship into service earlier than expected.

There's a new showcase sailing added for Star of the Seas, which means the ship will begin sailing even sooner.

The second Icon Class ship will have a fourth showcase sailing leading up to her official inaugural.

Royal Caribbean News

• Popular Alaska port hikes port fees on cruise passengers
• Royal Caribbean app sends out erroneous pop-up messages
• Beyond CocoCay: How Royal Caribbean’s next private beaches build on its greatest hits
• 6 cruise ship cabin etiquette rules to follow
• My 64-year-old parents love to cruise. Here are 10 essentials they always pack
• 4 popular Royal Caribbean snacks that I think are worth paying extra for
• I'm a London travel expert. Here are the 8 things I wish tourists knew before visiting
• How to change from Traditional Dining to My Time Dining?
• Want the quietest room on a cruise ship? I'm convinced it's suites on new ships

I always do 4 things at the buffet on every cruise I go to because it improves my meal every time

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — I always do 4 things at the buffet on every cruise I go to because it improves my meal every time — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

I always pack two things for my cruise bathroom that you need too

There are two easy ways to make your cabin bathroom better, and it's simple.

I bring two things on every cruise and it makes a difference.

Covering both comfort and hygiene, I'd recommend them to anyone cruising.

6 things to know about Royal Caribbean's immersive train restaurant before you go

Royal Caribbean's most popular restaurant has to be Royal Railway, and you need to be prepared for it.

It's a full experience, and has quickly become the hottest ticket right now.

I have a list of things you should know before you even try to book it so you don't miss out.

3 times you shouldn't book a shore excursion during your cruise vacation

The places your cruise ship visits is likely a highlight of any trip, but you don't always need a tour.

While you could certainly explore any port on your own, I think there are a handful that truly are best for walking around and exploring on foot.

In certain ports of call, I think you can easily skip booking a tour and be making a smart decision.

13 Royal Caribbean dining mistakes you should avoid on any cruise

Eating on a cruise seems pretty simple, but there are a few mistakes to avoid or ways to make it better.

Maximizing your cruise dining is all about what, where, and when you eat.

I came up with these 13 Royal Caribbean cruise dining mistakes and how to avoid each of them.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 566th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, sharing what to do in London before or after a cruise.

Jessica Dante joins Matt this week to share her tips for how to have a great visit in London and avoid common mistakes.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

There are several unwritten rules about how you should act during your cruise, including while in your stateroom.

When I travel I never want to be "that guy" that irritates someone else. We're all on vacation and everyone should be able to enjoy it without someone else causing issues.

Anyone new to a Royal Caribbean cruise might be curious what they should or shouldn't do to avoid any mix-ups later. Similar to how in New York you should walk on the right side of the sidewalk to allow someone in a hurry to pass you, cruise ships have their own set of things you should follow.

Here's my list of six things I try not to do on any cruise while I'm in my cabin, and I hope my neighbors would do the same.

Don't let your door slam shut

One common theme you'll find in this article is noise abatement, and it's easy to overlook your cabin door as a potential issue.

Cabin doors are heavy and they slam shut if you just let them go, creating a loud thud sound.

It's less an issue in the middle of the day, but if people nearby are trying to sleep it's the kind of sound that could startle someone awake.

Instead, slowly let the door close by holding onto it so it's not moving on its own.

This is really important to remember if your balcony door is also open.  

The the balcony door and hallway door are both open at the same time, it creates a wind tunnel and if you let the hallway door slam shut, it's extra loud!

I admit that I don't always remember this one, but I really try to follow this form of consideration because I know it wakes me up when someone nearby does it.

Don’t scream to someone else on another balcony

If you're standing on your balcony and see a friend or someone you know nearby on another balcony, below you, or somewhere on the ship, do not yell to them.

Firstly, your voice won't carry as far as you think from your balcony. There's a lot of competing noise and I've found it's difficult to hear someone more than a few feet away because of how your voice carries away.

Secondly, regardless of if they hear you or not, your neighbors will definitely hear you. I'm always amazed how clearly what I say in a normal tone of voice can be heard in neighboring balconies.  When you yell, it's certainly amplified as well.

Rely on a text message or phone call to get their attention instead.  It'll work better and you won't be playing that game of yelling "What?" back and forth.

Don't be loud on your balcony

Speaking of yelling, just don't be loud on your balcony.

Most people do a good job with this, but one area that has been a pain point lately has been music on the balcony.

Bluetooth speakers aren't prohibited on Royal Caribbean ships, but that's not an excuse to blast your music either.

Everything you say carries to balconies near you, and if you were on your balcony enjoying the view, reading a book, or sharing in the experience with family, I doubt you'd want to hear someone else's music too.

Don’t leave a mess

Being considerate goes beyond your fellow passengers.

Your stateroom attendant comes into your room once a day to clean it (twice a day in a suite), but they aren't your maid.

To that point, keep your room as tidy as you can at it relates to your clothes and personal items.

Pick things up off the floor, throw trash away, and try to make it easy enough for them to get in and service your room.

Not only does this benefit your stateroom attendant, but it also ensures you can full utilize your room as there will be less stuff in the way.

Don’t flush things down the toilet

The only thing going down your cruise bathroom toilet should be toilet paper and anything that comes out of you. 

Marine plumbing is quite fickle, and it won't take diapers, sanitary napkins, so-called flushable wipes, or food. If you do, there's a good chance you'll clog up and break the plumbing.

That's not just an issue for you, but for everyone around you.

Cabins in an area share a common plumbing section, and if one of you backs it up, it does so for other cabins too.

Don't be loud in the hall

Being noisy in the hallway is something to think about too.

Conversations can easily be heard in staterooms from the hall, even at a normal conversation volume.  Certainly being loud, obnoxious, or boisterous won't help.

We’re all on vacation and understand that it can be fun and exciting. But you should still remember that there are others around, and they may be resting, sleeping, or just not wanting to hear your noise.

My parents are 64 years old, and they’ve been cruising together for over 30 years. One of their first cruises was aboard Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas — they’ve been hooked ever since!

Furthermore, my parents didn’t slow down their cruising after having kids. My sister and I were just toddlers on our first family cruise. I was three years old, and she was only 18 months old when we sailed on the now-retired Big Red Boat.

As a family, we’ve cruised together around the world over the last three decades. Even as adults, my sister and I still prioritize cruising with our parents. Their love of cruising has transcended generations, as I love to cruise with my husband and friends!

Now in their retired years, my parents are cruising more than ever. In fact, I’ve been encouraging them to cruise even more while they’re young and able! Their most recent sailing was a culturally immersive, repositioning itinerary from Singapore to Tokyo on Anthem of the Seas. In the last few years, they have cruised to Australia, Indonesia, the Panama Canal, Colombia, Greece, Italy, and across the Caribbean.

Although my parents would hesitate to call themselves expert packers, they do have a list of must-pack items for every cruise. If anything, my mom is an over-packer who stresses about strategically packing to make sure she doesn’t forget anything.

I asked both of my parents to provide a list of essential cruise items, and some of their top picks were surprising. Here’s their tried-and-true packing list of 10 things they bring on every cruise.

Note: Royal Caribbean Blog receives a small commission if you purchase any products from the links below. This costs you nothing extra, but it does help support the website. Thank you!

1. Games: Cribbage Board, Five Crowns, and Deck of Cards

Cruises have plenty to do for activities, but sometimes you just want to play your go-to card games. For this reason, my parents never cruise without their favorite games to play together. 

Their classic sea day activity is a competitive game of cribbage in the Solarium. They used to bring their full-size cribbage board, but my sister recently gifted them this travel-sized cribbage board for Christmas. They love how small and compact it is when they’re tight on luggage space.

My parents also make sure to pack a regular deck of cards and our favorite family game, Five Crowns. Although you might find a standard deck of cards on the ship, it’s a good idea to bring any games that require a special deck, like Five Crowns. Thankfully, card games take up very little space in your luggage or cabin.

2. Over-the-Counter Medication

Most cruisers will tell you to pack an assortment of over-the-counter medications, and my parents definitely agree. One of their top cruise essentials is a small pharmacy kit with a variety of medications and first-aid items. You never know when you’re going to get sick, and you don’t want to be stuck paying outrageously high costs on the ship.

My parents pack cold and flu medicine in their pharmacy, along with cough drops, zinc supplements, sleep aid, pain relief, and allergy relief. 

This was particularly handy during our last cruise when my dad had a long-lasting cough that turned into an infection. He was thankful for all the medication we had on hand, as he didn’t need to visit the local pharmacies in places like Vietnam or Taiwan. In addition, my mom randomly packed a small, reusable ice pack for this cruise, but it ended up being a lifesaver for my dad's bruised rib muscles. 

Like my parents, I have a designated pouch for my small travel pharmacy where I keep all of my must-bring medication. In the same way, make sure you bring extra prescription medication in case of flight delays or unforeseen circumstances.

3. Soap and Sanitizer

Staying healthy is a top priority for my parents when they travel. Nothing dampens a vacation like a nasty cold or stomach bug!

It might seem like a niche item, but my parents pack a small bottle of liquid hand soap to keep in their cabin. My mom usually grabs a bottle from the dollar store before each cruise and either leaves it behind for the cabin steward or throws it away at the end of the trip.

While some cruise ships provide liquid hand soap in the cabin bathroom, Royal Caribbean only provides a measly bar of soap for cabins. Obviously, this will get the job done. However, my parents prefer having a liquid hand soap for cleaning their hands, as it’s vitally important on a cruise to keep your hands clean!

In addition, my parents bring plenty of hand sanitizer and sanitation wipes to use during their vacation. Hand sanitizer is in my mom’s purse at all times, and she’s constantly using this to keep her hands clean.

However, my mom never leaves her cabin without her travel-sized pack of sanitizing wipes. Whether she’s on an excursion or heading to the pool deck, she prefers to use her disinfectant wipes when hand washing isn’t available.

4. Variety of bags

My mom considers herself the “bag lady” — and she’s become infamous for her wide selection of bags she brings on a vacation. For every cruise, my mom makes sure to have a variety of bags to use throughout her trip.

One of her must-have bags is either a fanny pack or crossbody to hold her belongings during days ashore. Depending on the excursion and destination, she prefers to use her crossbody because it can hold more of her daily necessities. However, having a fanny pack is more convenient and comfortable.

My mom also packs a cute handbag to use on the ship in the evenings. Sometimes, she doesn’t want to haul around her crossbody on the ship, especially when she only needs a few essentials. Her SeaPass card, phone, and disinfectant wipes fit perfectly in her evening purse.

If she’s planning to spend busy days ashore, my mom also likes to pack foldable drawstring bags. While not super comfortable, drawstring bags take up minimal space in her luggage. They’re also very versatile to use, either during her time exploring ports of call or around the ship.

For longer trips, my parents will even pack an empty bag that they can use as checked luggage. My mom loves to shop during her cruises, often coming home with much more than she left with. Having a small bag that can hold a little extra weight can help mitigate overweight bag costs or the need to purchase an additional suitcase.

Finally, my mom always brings a small stash of sandwich baggies, which she considers a cruise essential. She uses them for all sorts of things, like packing a snack for an excursion or keeping cash dry by the pool.

5. Cash and Small Bills

The need for cash while traveling is becoming less important these days, with most destinations accepting credit cards or Apple Pay. Of course, while you’re onboard during your cruise, your SeaPass card will act as your credit card. Even so, my parents always make sure to have cash with them when they cruise.

First, they’ll provide cash tips to the cruise porters after arriving at the terminal on embarkation day. In addition, my parents always have cash on hand while exploring ports of call. This is good practice, as you never know when you might need cash. My parents rarely exchange for local currency, as US dollars are widely accepted in many ports. In this way, small bills are especially useful for quick purchases at shops that don’t take cards or for tipping tour guides who go above and beyond.

More importantly, my parents use cash for onboard tips. Throughout the cruise, they’ll use cash tips for bartenders who provide excellent service. While my parents pay their automatic gratuities too, they also prefer to provide cash tips at the end of the cruise. Normally, they provide cash tips to their waiters in the dining room and stateroom attendant.

6. Magnetic Hooks

Many cruisers swear by magnetic hooks, but my parents didn’t hop on this bandwagon until recently. Now, they never cruise without their magnetic hooks!

Because cabin walls are typically magnetic, these hooks can be used around the stateroom for a variety of purposes. Cruise cabins are notoriously small, and hooks can help keep the cabin organized and reduce clutter.

My parents mainly use their hooks to hang hats, bags, and light jackets around the cabin. On longer cruises when they’ve packed more, the extra storage becomes even more useful. Plus, the hooks are compact and easy to travel with.

7. Duct Tape

While slightly unconventional as a must-have, my parents both agree that packing duct tape is an essential for cruising. This can be a lifesaver in many different scenarios, and it’s proven useful multiple times during their travels.

On our last cruise, for example, my mom’s suitcase had a ripped front pouch. My dad used duct tape to patch it up for the flight home, preventing it from getting worse in transit.

According to my parents, duct tape is great for fixing loose straps, broken zippers, or even securing last-minute baggage tags before heading to the port. You never know when you might need some sturdy tape! You can even bring one of these travel-sized packs of duct tape to save on space. 

8. Chip Clips

Another must-have item for my dad is a small assortment of chip clips. Sometimes he brings a few clothespins or refrigerator clips from home, but he especially likes magnetic clips that stick to the cabin walls. He uses magnetic clips to keep excursion tickets, cruise planners, and immigration forms organized and easy to find.

These clips also come in handy for doing laundry in the cabin, as you can use the bathroom clothesline to hang up wet items. Of course, clips are great for resealing open snacks or bags of cough drops, too. During our most recent cruise, my parents actually used their chip clips to secure the blinds shut at night. If the ship was rocking slightly, this ensured their curtains kept any light from entering the room.

Some might prefer to bring bigger towel clips, which can be used on the pool deck or beach to prevent your towel from blowing in the wind. These are versatile to bring on a cruise too. For instance, my sister and I used her large towel clips to keep our blinds closed while sleeping on our recent cruise. It worked perfectly!

9. Pillow

While certainly not necessary for everyone, my dad never cruises without his own pillow from home. Instead of relying on the pillows provided by the cruise line in his cabin, my dad packs his favorite pillow in his checked luggage.

Of course, bringing a pillow from home takes up a bit of extra space in his suitcase. But, since his packing style is pretty minimalist (especially compared to my mom’s overflowing suitcase), he has the room to spare in his luggage.

My dad says nothing compares to your own pillow, and he sleeps much better with this comfort from home. To ensure his pillow doesn’t get mixed up with the cruise line’s selection, he makes sure to use a differently-colored pillowcase to help the cabin steward differentiate.

10. Layers

Even when sailing through the warm, sunny Caribbean, my mom always packs a few extra layers. She never boards a cruise without at least one or two lightweight sweaters to wear around the ship.

She says the air conditioning can feel especially cold in places like the main dining room and the theater. Since she hates feeling chilly, she always brings a sweater with her in the evenings, just in case.

Packing layers is important for most cruises, as the weather can be unpredictable and change frequently. This is especially important if you’re cruising to destinations like Alaska, Norway, Iceland, or even Northern Europe. Weather in these regions can shift quickly, and you don’t want to be without a rain jacket or pair of pants when temperatures drop.

Royal Caribbean offers cruises each summer from Southampton, England, which is a short distance away from London. If you're like me, you'll want to spend a few days there to explore the city.

Before I ever visited London, I started doing research to find out what I should and shouldn't do to maximize my trip.

Jessica Dante is a travel expert specializing in visiting London, and her videos and blogs have the best advice I could find.

She lives in London and regularly shares the sort of information anyone looking to spend a few days in England's capital would want to know as part of a broader European vacation.

She recently shared her for recommendations on how to have the best trip possible and avoid common mistakes while in London.

Stay in Central London

If you're staying less than a week in London, Jessica recommends staying close to the area you're going to be spending the most time in.

She recommends Central London because of how centralized all the major tourist attractions are, "most people who are somewhat familiar with London would be familiar with areas like Covent Garden, Soho; Those are all super central."

Plus, staying in Central London makes it convenient to get to Waterloo Station, which is the train station that gets you to Southampton.

I then asked if there's a place to avoid staying, and she cautioned before booking a hotel on the outskirts of London to save money, to read reviews.

"I would just then look at reviews of a hotel that you're looking at, because reviews will always tell you if people thought the area, if there wasn't much going on, if there wasn't breakfast spots nearby, or if they just found it to be a bit dodgy."

London is bigger than you think

I asked Jessica what's the most common mistake tourists make when visiting, and she said it's underestimating the city's size.

"People really don't they don't understand until they get to London how expansive and wide the city is," she explained. "It is really a city that you do have to do a lot of planning for your days if you're planning to squeeze in a lot of stuff."

The issue is you might start listing places you want to visit without realizing the distances between areas.

For example, Tower of London and Notting Hill are 40 minutes away, and if you start doing more hopping around the city like that, you're going to spend half your day commuting.

"You could end up spending hours on the tube. And the tube is not always comfortable. It's not always running," Jessica said.

Her advice is plan out your day so that you don't have to rely on transport to get from each place. 

Don't buy the Oyster card

A lot of tourists think they need to buy an Oyster card to use the London Underground, but it's not only unnecessary, it's expensive.

The Oyster card is something you can buy to load credits to use the city's mass transportation. It costs around £10, but it takes time to ship and be delivered.

"They're really pointless, to be honest. There's there's just really no need for it," she explained.

Instead, all you need is probably something you already have: tap to pay on your phone or a chip-enabled credit card.

"It is really simple to just use that to pay for the tube and for the bus and whatever else transport you're going to use in London. You can even use it for things like the Uber boat, if that's something that you want to hop on."

She admitted some tourists like to buy the Oyster card as a kind of souvenir, but for visiting London for just a few days it's simply not worth it.

Skip the hop-on hop-off bus

Perhaps Jessica's most controversial recommendation was to skip paying for the hop-on hop-off bus tour.

While she says it's perfectly fine someone with mobility issues, or someone who cannot walk long distances, it's ultimately unnecessary for most people.

Her recommendation is to instead rely on the Tube or the city's double decker buses.

"We do use the double decker buses. I use them almost every day to get around the city. And you can go to the top and sit at the front, and that's a really nice view."

In terms of walking, Central London is very flat, so you won't have any hills to contend with as you get around on foot.

She added there are a lot of great parks in London, so you could take a rest and enjoy them too.

How to get from the airport into London

After flying into Heathrow Airport, how do you get your family and bags to your hotel in London?

Her top recommendation is the Heathrow Express, which is a high speed train that takes 15 minutes to get from Heathrow to Paddington Station.

But if you aren't staying near Paddington, then that might not be the most convenient option.

Another idea is to take the Elizabeth Line train because it goes to Central London stations like Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street. 

It does take longer (about 40 minutes), but is cheaper than the Heathrow Express.

If you have a lot of luggage, Jessica recommends a car service called Welcome Pickups, "they will actually track your flight and they will walk into the terminal and they will find you and then take you to the car."

If you are flying into Gatwick, do not take the Gatwick Express, "I actually think the trains work better for Gatwick. You kind of only have like a couple of options there, but they the trains go into a few different stations and avoid the Gatwick Express because it's a rip off."

Don't count on your hotel offering breakfast

One difference Americans might pick up on quickly is your hotel probably doesn't offer breakfast included in your room rate.

"I think as Americans we're quite used to hotels that have breakfast included in the room rate, and that is almost non-existent here in London," Jessica explained.

As a result, you should plan in your budget to eat breakfast out.

She said a lot of hotels offer breakfast for an additional cost, but it can be pricey.

Her recommendation is to skip the hotel breakfast and take advantage of cafes and places to eat nearby, "The great thing about staying in Central London is that you will have loads of inexpensive breakfast options and cafes."

There's quick options as well as sit down restaurants.

Two local chains she recommends are Grind (coffee shop cafe) and Dishoom (Indian and British breakfast).

You don't need to exchange money

One thing you don't need to bother with is getting cash for your time in London.

"London is mostly a cash free city at this point," Jessica said.

Instead, you can pay for everything with a credit card.  I recommend getting a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, and ensure it's either a Visa or Mastercard.  Discover and American Express are rarely accepted outside the United States.

Cash could be useful in two situations, " The only reason I would say that you would need cash is if people want to tip anybody at their hotel when they first arrive, if they want to tip their taxi driver, or if you want to tip your tour guides. All of which is not fully expected, but always welcome, of course."

Picky eaters can still find food to enjoy

London is known for its variety of international cuisines, but if you have picky eaters in your group, there's always something for them too.

My kids are not very adventurous eaters, so I asked for recommendations on what to eat with them.

Jessica said pizza is never far away, as there are a lot of Italian restaurants in the city.

He recommended Pizza Pilgrims, which started out as a street food van and has since grown into a pizzeria chain. The chain has received recognition, including being named one of the world's best pizzerias by 50 Top Pizza.

If you're looking for a quick bite, she recommended Pret A Manger or Leon, "In central London, you're never very far from one of these places."

Everyone's first instinct after booking a cruise is to look at shore excursions, but I think you don't really need a tour in certain ports of call.

The places cruises go is top reason people book a Royal Caribbean cruise, so it seems natural to want to find a great excursion.

However, some islands or cities really don't need an organized tour to be properly enjoyed. While you could certainly explore any port on your own, I think there are a handful that truly are best for walking around and exploring on foot.

While it may not be a mistake to book a shore excursion in these ports, I think you could easily skip them and still have a great time

Perfect Day at CocoCay

While Royal Caribbean's marketing team loves to emphasize the "Perfect Day" element of the name of its private island in The Bahamas, but there is truth in that it's designed to offer what you need.

Royal Caribbean sells a number of shore excursions you can take that are off the island, such as kayaking, swimming with pigs, glass bottom boat ride, and more.

There's nothing wrong with these tours, but there's so much to see and do around CocoCay that is included with your cruise fare that I really don't think you need to book an excursion.

There are different beaches and pools you can go to around the island, plus activities too. I'd save your excursion money for another port of call, such as Nassau, where it really benefits you to have an organized tour booked.

What I'd recommend doing is disembarking your ship early to get the best spots at the beach or pool.

Head to either South Beach or Chill Beach, and get the perfect lounger.

Your plan should be beach in the morning, lunch mid-day, pool in the afternoon.

There is complimentary tram service around CocoCay, so just hop on at your leisure.  Or, you can walk it too. One advantage of the tram is you can use it as a way to scout out the areas and find the perfect vibe for your family.

You should treat CocoCay like an all-inclusive resort day. Unless you have your heart set on an excursion that you cannot do anywhere else, I'd stick to what is available around the island.

Rest assured that you can have a full, relaxing, and exciting day without spending a dime on excursions.

San Juan

One of my favorite places to visit in the Caribbean is San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it's also one of the most accessible too.

Your ship will dock in the old city, and you can literally walk off the ship and be there.  There's no bus or shuttle service needed.

Old San Juan is built on a hill, so you can walk around at your leisure and see pretty much everything.  

"What if I get lost?" Well, you really can't, because if you walk downhill, you'll run back into your cruise ship.  

If you're an American, your cell phone will work here too, and that makes it easy to Google Map everything.

Moreover, the sights and historical places are all easily reachable on foot. 

Many European cities

I'm headed to Europe for a couple of cruises this summer, and it's become apparent organized tours can be skipped in many of these ports too.

Cruise ships tend to dock in major cities, and from there you can easily get around on foot and/or public transportation.

Most of the excursions offered by Royal Caribbean are essentially glorified bus tours that show these places, but you can easily come up with a walking tour on your own with a little bit of research and jotting down interesting spots.

In each of the cities my ship is headed to, I started a spreadsheet and wrote which places I want to see.  Later, I assembled them in order so I can hit each easily.

To be clear, not all European cities are good to skip a tour.  

A port that has long transport time between the ship and city (i.e. Rome or Paris) would be one I'd still book a shore excursion for.

Likewise, Norwegian fjords can sometimes be more than a walk away, and an excursion makes sense there.

The important takeaway is to not assume that you need to book an excursion.  You may find more choices and flexibility going on your own.

If you've recently been annoyed by a surge of notifications popping up from your Royal Caribbean app, you’re not alone.

Cruisers have reported receiving numerous pop-ups on their devices from the mobile app. However, they don't contain any important information. Rather, they're test notifications filled with placeholder text like "head - test segment 1, subtitles - test segment 1, content - test segment 1." 

The generic phrases ascended sequentially with each push notification, going from "test segment 1" to "test segment 19" within hours. 

Royal Caribbean confirmed they were aware of the pop-ups but didn't say what updates were being made to the mobile app. 

"We're sorry you received pop-ups. Our IT team is doing updates on the app. We've let them know guests are receiving notifications. Sorry about that," Royal Caribbean wrote on X. 

It seems the random notifications finally subsided around 12:30pm EST. 

The random spam of pop-ups left guests confused and irritated

"I thought I was going crazy," CaptGoodvibesNMS commented on a Reddit thread about the glitch, "Now I know it’s RCI losing their marbles."

Another sarcastically wrote, "Make sure you click every single notification, make sure they know we got it."

Amidst the jokes and confusion, others hypothesized as to what the notifications could be related to. 

"Do we think these notification issues are related to booking trouble?" asked one Reddit user. "I put some excursions and a soda package into my cart this morning but was unable to check out — I kept getting a 'cart empty' or 'cart rolled away' message on both the app and website."

One user seemed to agree, as they noted they couldn't log into their Royal Caribbean account during the push notification incident. 

Personally, whenever I clicked on one of the notifications, I was redirected to a webpage to book flights through Royal Caribbean. This could mean they're working on a feature that allows guests to book Air2Sea flights directly on the app. 

Although annoying, the vague notifications resulted in funny memes on social media

The digital hiccup quickly became an inside joke within the cruise community, and forums filled up with sarcastic cracks about the incident.

For example, amishengineer suggested that everyone mark themselves "safe from testing in production," as one might on Facebook after a natural disaster or major event. 

Others joked about the notifications like it was a multi-day all-nighter, mimicking the famous SpongeBob SquarePants meme of Mr. Krabs looking frazzled while keeping the Krusty Krab open 24 hours for days in a row. 

Another user quipped, "boy oh boy i cant wait for [test] 19, really wonder what surprises it holds." 

Royal Caribbean has recently added new features to the app

It seems Royal Caribbean's been playing with its mobile app more than usual lately. Two months ago, they rolled out new app-exclusive badges that denote which ships you've sailed on. 

A little over a month later, they enhanced the feature to include destinations. Different regions of the world that Royal Caribbean ships visit are listed, including Bermuda, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Europe, and Mexico.

Although it's a quirky feature that subtly makes guests want to become repeat cruisers, it doesn't add anything practical to the app experience, which may explain why they're playing with a new functional tool. 

You can easily avoid a dining mistake on your cruise that could otherwise leave you disappointed in your choices.

Royal Caribbean offers so much food to enjoy onboard, and it's a mix of included and extra cost options. The dining mistakes I'm talking about are things result in cruisers coming home and complaining they didn't like certain foods or lamented not knowing about others.

Ultimately, I'm a proponent of maximizing my choices and getting the most out of your cruise vacation, including what, where, and when you eat.

I came up with these 13 Royal Caribbean cruise dining mistakes and how to avoid each of them.

Not pre-booking specialty restaurants

On any ship you sail, there's going to be a few different specialty restaurants you could dine at, but don't wait to book any of them.

Royal Caribbean opens up reservations for them months before your cruise begins and lots of people start booking them up. By the time your cruise sets sail, there are not going to be many slots left.

Waiting to book a reservation on the ship means the restaurant could be sold out or just very late time slots left.

Plus, booking a reservation before the cruise will save you money.

Royal Caribbean regularly discounts specialty restaurants before the cruise in order to spur sales. You could save up to 30% off with a well-timed sale.

Making a specialty restaurant reservation pre-cruise could be the perfect use of onboard credit you have.

Ordering the same way you do at home

You can, and should, order more food at Royal Caribbean restaurants than you would at a land restaurant.

This tip always surprises new cruisers because it sounds so gluttonous, but the truth is portion sizes are smaller on a cruise. 

Most people are conditioned to order just one entrée, and perhaps an appetizer or dessert. However, on a cruise you can order all of them (and more) because it's included.

When you are at the Main Dining Room or any restaurant, you're able to order multiple appetizers, entrées, or desserts.

In addition, ordering more dishes gives you the chance to try new foods.  Your waiter will encourage it, so don't be shy.

Not taking advantage of the wine you can bring

Did you know you can bring wine on your cruise?

Royal Caribbean allows each adult to bring a bottle of wine on embarkation day to drink onboard the ship. It's the only alcohol you're allowed to bring.

There's no fee for doing so if you open the wine in your cabin, but there is a corkage fee if you bring the bottle to a restaurant or bar to be opened.

Not knowing about the free room service option

Room service usually has a $7.95 cost, but there's one exception.

There's a subset on the menu for the continental breakfast that has no delivery charge.

You can choose from bagels, coffee, pastries, and more.

Not only is this free, but it saves you a trip to the buffet or dining room to grab food in the morning.  It's a great option for starting your day and getting everyone moving.

Skipping making My Time Dining reservations

If you chose My Time Dining for your dinner selection, you really should make reservations instead of showing up for a table.

Royal Caribbean gives you the choice of making a reservation pre-cruise or onboard. People with a reservation get seated before people that don't have a reservation.

In my experience, this is the difference maker in not becoming frustrated with the experience.  There can be long lines for My Time Dining, especially in the early hours.

No one likes to wait, but waiting is even worse when you're hungry.

Skipping the extra-fee restaurants

While everyone is on a budget, I think it's a mistake to write off every extra cost venue simply because they cost extra.

That isn't to say you should only eat at specialty restaurants.  Rather, I think you ought to include a visit to at least one or two during your cruise because it will add to your overall experience.

Specialty restaurants offer cuisines and cooking styles you won't find elsewhere on the ship, plus the ambience is more relaxed. It feels like a step up, and I think it's a nice way to enhance your vacation.

I love the teppanyaki dinners at Izumi, Italian food at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, or bar food while watching your favorite team play at Playmakers.

You don't have to spend a lot to enjoy them, especially if you take advantage of the first tip in this article.

Not checking for theme nights

Did you know there will be themes for certain nights of your cruise?

Royal Caribbean likes to make their evenings fun with different themes, such as white night, Caribbean/tropical night, formal night, and more.

You won't be turned away from the Main Dining Room (or any restaurant) for not adhering to the theme, but a lot of new cruisers wish they knew about it advance so they could have joined in.

You can find out about theme nights before your cruise begins so there's no excuse for not knowing about them.

Getting your food before finding a seat at the buffet

No matter which buffet or casual grab-and-go restaurant you go to on Royal Caribbean, I'd recommend finding a table first and then getting your food.

This tip is especially important for breakfast in the Windjammer or embarkation day lunch, because these are the busiest times at the ship's buffet.

It can be challenging at times to find a table, but it's easier (and less frustrating) to find a table without a plate full of food in your hand.

Try to look for tables towards the back, or even ask a crew member for assistance in clearing a dirty table or finding an open one.

Not trying new foods

One of the best things about a cruise ship vacation is all the food choices, and it's the perfect opportunity to try something outside of your comfort zone.

You don't have to go crazy, but since food is included and there's no charge for uneaten food, this might be the time to sample foods you might otherwise never order because you didn't want to pay for it.

While you shouldn't be wasteful, Royal Caribbean's waiters encourage cruisers to order something they might like and give it a try.

Trying escargot (baked snails) or an Indian curry might end up being a favorite dish. And if you don't love them, it could just be a good story to tell friends later.

Not checking the menu before dinner

Royal Caribbean has a different menu each night in the Main Dining Room, but there might be one or two that you don't love.

Let's piggyback on the tip earlier about not skipping specialty restaurants. 

You can check the menu in advance on the Royal Caribbean app, or look at the menu that's posted outside the Main Dining Room that evening.

If the menu doesn't look that great, that's the night to book a specialty restaurant and go elsewhere.  Or you might go to the Windjammer for dinner instead.

Buffet etiquette mistakes

There are a few mistakes not to make in the buffet to avoid coming off as rude or putting your health at risk.

• Not washing your hands before entering
• Reusing the same plate
• Grabbing food with your bare hands
• Cutting in line

The top two mistakes you really, really want to avoid are reusing the same plate or cutting in line.

I know you think you're doing the staff a solid by not taking another plate, but the risk of cross-contamination is too high.  Not only does the crew want you to come up and get a new plate each time, they have an industrial dish washer.

And of course, don't cut in line. Keep in mind some buffet stations are repeated on the other side of the Windjammer, so you might find less of a line there.

Not speaking up if the food isn't what you expected

I've run into this mistake with friends and family during a cruise who complain there's something wrong with their food to me, but don't say anything to the waiter.

When I sailed on Enchantment of the Seas, my tablemates quietly lamented the slow service and lack of drink refills. So when the head waiter came around, I spoke up and alerted her to the issue at hand.

The dining room staff want you to have an amazing dining experience, but mistakes happen. Or if the food isn't cooked well or to your liking, you should tell them.

No one wants to be a bother, but let your waiter and head waiter know when there's an issue that can be resolved.  Don't just chalk it up to the way it is and "suffer".

Not walking around the buffet first

From my own personal experience, I'd recommend taking a quick glance over what's available at each of the buffet stations before getting in line.

Many times I've started loading up my plate, only to realize there's something I want even more.

No one will yell at you for wasting food, but it's also not something you should intentionally do.

You booked your cruise and chose a dining option for dinner, but now you want to change it. That sounds like an easy change to request, but what if it's not available anymore?

Royal Caribbean offers two types of dinner choices when you book a cruise as it relates to the Main Dining Room: Traditional and My Time Dining.

The closer you get to your cruise, you might find limited options left for switching from one to other. Perhaps a particular traditional dinner seating is not available.  Or My Time Dining might be sold out.  Is there any chance to change it?

There are a few options you could try, including one that new cruisers are completely unaware of exists.

First, try to get on a waitlist

If there's a few months left before your cruise departs, I'd start off by getting on the waitlist for the dining time or option you prefer.

Royal Caribbean has a wait list of a specific dining option, so if you're told it's sold out, ask to be on that waitlist.

You can ask your travel agent to be put on the waitlist. If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, call in and ask for it.

Sometimes even the waitlist is temporarily filled. Don't worry though! If the waitlist time you want is unavailable and the cruise is more than a few weeks out call back in a week or two and try again.

These waitlists work exactly as you might imagine: someone cancels their cruise or changes to a different dining option, and the next person on the waitlist gets moved to the open slot.

In my experience, the waitlist comes through in most cases, but it helps the earlier you get put on it.

Be aware if the waitlist comes through, there's not really a notification of any kind that I'm aware of. Instead, it just changes and it's up to you to check periodically to see if the change has been made.

If that fails, try this trick on the ship

If the waitlist doesn't work, don't fret, because there's a fallback that always seems to work.

Once you board your ship on the first day, head to the Main Dining Room after lunch.  Anytime after 1pm should suffice.

Ask to speak to the Head Waiter that is on duty.  Alternatively, there is sometimes a desk set up that says "Dining Changes" or something to that effect. Either option will work.

At this point, politely explain the situation and ask if you can have your dining option changed.

In my experience, this usually works. Either someone else has done the same thing and opened up a spot, or the ship simply has more capacity than the shoreside system allows to book.

In any case, I'd be pretty surprised to hear if this fallback didn't work.

Which is better: My Time Dining or Traditional?

Royal Caribbean offers the choice of My Time Dining and Traditional dinner so passengers can find the best choice for them.

Each has its advantages, so it's a matter of what your own style is for how and when you'd like to eat.

Traditional dinner means you have a set time, table, waiter, and table mates. It has less flexibility since your schedule is set, but it's also simpler and there's no waiting for a table.

My Time Dining is flexible, and allows you to eat early or late depending on your plans.

The issue with My Time Dining is you may have to wait for a table, and you should make reservations in advance to reduce a wait.  Making reservations seems to take away from the notion of being flexible, to some degree.

I always pick Traditional

If you're looking for an opinion on what to choose, I usually go with Traditional.

Since my first Royal Caribbean cruise more than a decade ago, I've chosen Traditional dinner times because of how straight forward it is.

The reason I don't love My Time Dining is that there's a wait for a table, or at least a short line. I really like the convenience of not having to make reservations or wait in line, even if it means a rigid dining schedule.

Plus, I really like having the same waiters each night. I think creating a rapport with them adds to the experience because it makes it's friendly and fun, especially when you have waiters with a good personality.