Royal Caribbean Blog

If you’ve ever wondered whether can you go on a cruise pregnant, the answer is: it depends. While you might be dreaming of the perfect babymoon to celebrate your bundle of joy, you’ll want to make sure you meet Royal Caribbean’s boarding requirements before heading to the pier.

Cruising can be a wonderful and relaxing way to celebrate your pregnancy. However, you must meet the health requirements to cruise safely. In fact, all major cruise lines have the same policy when it comes to cruising while pregnant, including Royal Caribbean. 

Pregnant women are not banned from cruising. Like every major cruise line, Royal Caribbean allows pregnant women to cruise as long as they are not more than 23 weeks pregnant. This means that pregnant women must be 23 weeks or less for the entire duration of their cruise. If you enter the 24th week of pregnancy at any point during your cruise, you will not be eligible to sail with Royal Caribbean.

But, just how strict is Royal Caribbean with this policy?

One concerned traveler recently posted in a Mariner of the Seas Facebook group asking, “How strict is Royal Caribbean about pregnancies? Heard you can’t be past 23 weeks pregnant and my daughter will be 25 weeks pregnant when we cruise.”

The post garnered nearly 200 responses, with many sharing their first-hand experiences of cruising while pregnant. Surprisingly, some admitted to sailing past the 23-week limit, though the majority strongly advised against it, especially for those nearing the gestation cutoff.

Let’s take a closer look at Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy, including how it’s enforced and what real cruisers have experienced firsthand.

Guests must attest to their pregnancy status before boarding.

All guests are required to answer a public health questionnaire prior to boarding their cruise, and must attest that they are not more than 23 weeks pregnant. When answering your pre-cruise health questionnaire, Royal Caribbean specifically asks: Will you be more than 23 weeks pregnant at any time during the cruise? 

If you do not meet the criteria, you will be denied boarding your cruise. In this way, you may be wondering why cruise lines set the 24th week of pregnancy as the cutoff for sailing. This guideline is actually established due to the baby’s viability based on gestational age. In the United States, a fetus is considered viable between 23 weeks and 24 weeks.

For this reason, if the mother went into preterm labor during her cruise, the baby could reasonably survive with proper and timely medical intervention, which isn't available on a cruise ship. Before the 24-week mark, preterm labor is usually due to miscarriage rather than delivering a premature, viable newborn.

If you are planning to cruise while pregnant and meet the gestation criteria, it’s best for expecting mothers to consult with their doctor and receive prior approval to cruise. If you have a healthy pregnancy and receive the green light from your doctor, most pregnant women can successfully cruise.

Read more: How to protect yourself from getting sick on a cruise

Royal Caribbean’s medical facilities are well-equipped, but not to safely care for a premature baby.

All cruise ships have a robust medical facility with trained staff onboard to care for a wide range of medical issues and emergencies. 

Cruise ships have at least one licensed doctor, along with a few nurses onboard, who are available 24 hours each day for medical assistance. This can vary depending on the size of the ship, as newer vessels with more passengers likely require more medical staff onboard. Some larger ships might have two doctors and up to four nurses.

Although medical professionals on a cruise ship are trained to perform life-saving measures to the best of their abilities, the medical facility is not a hospital. Any specialized care that is needed will require medical disembarkation or evacuation to the nearest hospital.

In particular, cruise ship medical facilities are not properly equipped to handle a premature baby being born. Without a NICU to care for an extremely premature baby, this would put the newborn's life at risk without proper medical intervention.

In this way, pregnancy policies are in place to protect the health and safety of both the pregnant mother and her baby. By requiring women to cruise only during the first 23 weeks of pregnancy, this minimizes the risk of pregnancy complications and premature labor. Without complex medical care, these situations can become dangerous for both the pregnant mother and the baby.

It’s important to understand the risks involved with cruising while pregnant.

While traveling is never without risk, there are added risks you take when choosing to cruise while pregnant. During a cruise, you will be sailing away from land to the open sea most evenings while traveling between ports of call. 

While at sea, pregnant women would only have access to the medical care provided onboard. In the case of an emergency, a medical evacuation could be necessary. You should also consider the healthcare of the destinations you’d be visiting, as this is where you would receive medical care in an emergency.

Royal Caribbean states on its website, “There is no Obstetrician/Gynecologist available on the ship, and that pregnancies, when unstable and poorly controlled, are potentially life-threatening, especially without back up. A Guest may be at sea for several days without any immediate hospital and/or specialist back up, and that since the proposed itinerary is not within the U.S., and the availability of specialized shore side facilities can be problematic.”

For this reason, women should consider all of the risks of cruising while pregnant and discuss any concerns with their doctor before embarking. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or you’re at risk for preterm labor, cruising might not be the best choice for you.

Many cruisers said Royal Caribbean was very strict about enforcing its pregnancy policy.

In the comment section of the Facebook post, many mothers shared their personal stories about cruising while pregnant. Overall, most of the first-hand experiences stated that Royal Caribbean was very strict about its pregnancy policy and the rules were enforced.

One commenter answered, “Very strict and even if they weren’t, why would you want to put your daughter and future grandchild at risk like that?”

Another person replied similarly, “Pretty strict. We couldn’t go on a family cruise because my sister-in-law would have been just over their boundary. I think they make you prove it with a doctor’s note.”

“Extremely strict… why would someone risk a mom’s life and an unborn child…” questioned one commenter.

Read more: 8 things I wish I knew about taking a baby on a cruise ship

Although Royal Caribbean does not explicitly require a doctor’s note, some commenters shared that they did provide documentation to prove their pregnancy gestation.

“Very strict. I had to plan a whole new cruise and bring a note from my doctor,” stated another cruiser. Another comment echoed this sentiment: “Very strict. We had to have a Dr note when my daughter was pregnant.”

Likewise, one woman said, “They are really strict. I had to provide a note from my doctor stating my due date and how far along I was. They wanted this ahead of the cruise and looked at it during check in.”

Other commenters questioned the choice to cruise after the 23-week cutoff, especially given the risks.

Many commenters stressed the importance of following Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy to protect the health of both the mother and baby. Misrepresenting how far along you are isn’t just against cruise line rules, it also increases the risk of serious pregnancy complications.

“Why risk the life of your daughter and her unborn child? The ship is nowhere near equipped to deal with an emergency. No one ever thinks anything will happen to them—until it does,” responded one person.

Another replied, “Ok, so here’s the thing. Especially if you are traveling the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America or South America, think about healthcare. If you or the baby become endangered, who will take care of you or the baby’s healthcare? The ship has a hospital but it’s limited.”

“They have a policy. Would you gamble your daughter-in-law’s health and the baby’s health on trying to skirt around it? If something goes wrong, Royal [Caribbean] nor third-party insurance would cover the cost of care,” questioned one cruiser.

One nurse chimed in, “As a neonatal ICU nurse, I wouldn’t risk traveling in the middle of the ocean while pregnant. For the health and safety of your daughter, your grandchild, and the crew onboard the ship that would have to intervene in that emergency situation, she shouldn’t go.

Another pregnant woman shared that they cruised at 18 weeks and wouldn’t do it again. “I honestly had quite a bit of anxiety and I wouldn’t have gone any later. If something happens, there’s very limited medical care onboard.”

However, some commenters shared that they were able to cruise beyond the 23-week mark.

Despite Royal Caribbean’s clear pregnancy policy, some women shared that they cruised beyond 23 weeks without issue. While not recommended, a few offered first-hand accounts of sailing later in pregnancy.

“We went in Feb & I was going on 25 weeks, nobody ever asked me,” commented one pregnant cruiser. Another explained, “Was 26 weeks and they never asked anything.”

In addition, one commenter shared, “I know someone that went well into her third trimester. I imagine she didn’t tell them she was pregnant though, because she hid it fairly well. I personally wouldn’t risk it."

Another cruiser said, “I went at 24-25 weeks pregnant. Nobody asked for a note and I was very visibly pregnant as pictured. Definitely cruise at your own risk, but my baby is now a happy, heathy 8 month old.”

While a handful of cruisers shared they didn’t have an issue cruising beyond 23 weeks, these should be viewed as exceptions and not endorsements. Royal Caribbean’s pregnancy policy is in place to protect the health of its passengers, including pregnant moms.

One of the centerpieces of Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico plans is an enormous water park that is all about one type of slides: rafts.

This will be the second water park that Royal Caribbean will operate, but this one is shifting its plans because the cruise line acknowledges that, "raft slides are by far the best slides that we offer our guests and what they're looking for."

Royal Caribbean revealed its plans last week for a new private destination in what is now Costa Maya, Mexico. By far the most visible feature is the addition of Loco Waterpark.

There will be more than 30 waterslides spread across three towers, and there will be many more raft slides compared to Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The decision to have more raft slides instead of body slides is something the cruise line decided after reviewing feedback from its customers.

"What we've learned is there's significant amount of guest demand for raft slides and a lesser demand on body slides. And so we are dialing back the number of body slides and dialing up the number of raft slides," said Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider during a review of the park plans.

Why do passengers like rafts better? Because they can share the experience.

"What we've learned in this journey is people love family raft slides," he shared and said this includes any slide you can go on with someone else.

Moreover, this trend is going to be something Royal Caribbean is going to lean into even more with future projects outside of Costa Maya.

"That doesn't mean we walk away from drop slides or body slides, but you will see us go much heavier in raft slides here and likely in the future expansion of [CocoCay], go heavier in raft slides as you look at future Icons," alluding to work on new Icon Class cruise ships as well as adding more slides to CocoCay.

Royal Caribbean hired a water slide influencer to help design it all

Loco Waterpark will encompass 15 acres, and have the world's tallest dueling waterslides.  And it was designed with the help of a waterslide expert.

Alex Ojeda is an influencer with over 8.4 million followers on TikTok, and he's been collaborating with Royal Caribbean for years.  

This time, Royal Caribbean hired him to help out.

"I was hired to help design this waterpark. Shaping slides, guest experience and how the thrill flows from tower to tower," he shared in an Instagram reel.

During the reveal event in New York City, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley pointed out Mr. Ojeda and credited him with helping shape the vision for the waterpark.

Clearly, Mr. Ojeda's vision was to add big, thrilling, and fast slides.  

Perfect Day Mexico will be home to the tallest water slide tower in the Americas. Standing over 170ft tall, you can ride the longest water slide coaster and two of the tallest family raft slides on Earth.

The park also features the world's first Sombrero waterslide, as well as a hydro launch slide that launches riders 40ft into the air.

Mr. Schneider said they want to hear people screaming on these slides, "we want the want the Jaguar to basically be just the sounding board of screaming."

Other slides you can expect include:

• Sombrero toilet bowl slide
• Boomerang slide
• Body drop slide
• Trap door body slide
• Freefall corkscrew slide
• High speed body slide
• 3 tube slides that dial back a little bit of the intensity
• Mat racer slides
• Helix twist slide

If that wasn't enough, there will be also a wave pool, along with an adventure pool for kids.

There's an admission cost to Loco Waterpark, but prices aren't available yet.

Royal Caribbean employs dynamic pricing based on demand, so there will be a range of prices that will be revealed closer to the opening of Perfect Day Mexico.

Saving time and avoiding lines is everything to me in the world of travel, and that's why I usually carry my luggage off the ship at its end.

While I usually opt for convenience in many aspects of travel, the disembarkation process is one notable exception.

When a cruise concludes, Royal Caribbean gives its guests options in how to get their belongings off the ship. There's a simple way to have your luggage taken off the ship for you and delivered to the cruise terminal.

I used to always leave my bags out the night before the cruise ends and then have them brought to the terminal.  It was simple and it did make it easier to get off the ship the next morning.

But since I started carrying my luggage off the ship, it changed my outlook for the speed factor.

Carrying bags is the fastest way to get going

The top reason I'll carry my own bags off the ship is because it's the fastest way to get off the ship, out of the terminal, and on my way.

Those carrying their own bags off the ship can disembark the ship an hour or more before the first bags are delivered.

When you leave your luggage out, Royal Caribbean gives you an estimated time they'll be ready.  That's the earliest time you can disembark the ship and have the bags waiting for you.  You could go later, if you're taking your time eating breakfast or enjoying a few more minutes on the ship.

In many cases, I want to get going and expedite traveling home.  I might be trying to make a specific high speed train home, or a flight booking.  

When I cruise close to home and I'm driving my own car, I simply want to get home.  Getting off the ship is like ripping the band-aid off in that I don't want to belabor the end of vacation and would rather get it over with.

Another benefit of being early off the ship is it minimizes the potential for traffic.  I find traffic tends to build later in the morning, and lines at the cruise terminal pickup area are worse later in the morning.

One more compelling reason I like self-assist is I don't have to pack everything up the night before.  

Since I don't have to leave my bags out in the hallway, I have more time to pack and less issues packing up what I need for the next day versus what can be in the checked luggage.

What to know before you try it

Carrying your own bags off the ship sounds great when you're sitting at home, but there are a few caveats you should be aware of before you try it.

To start, you'll need to be comfortable taking your own luggage with you without any assistance.

Royal Caribbean offers the option to take your own luggage off the ship, but you need to be able to easily carry all of it on your own.  Plus anything and everyone else you're traveling with.

If you have mobility issues, lack the strength to carry heavy suitcases down stairs, or are also trying to juggle kids, this might not be the option for you.

In fact, I only discovered the virtues of taking my luggage off myself once my kids got older and it didn't feel like we were trying to move the Army of the Potomac.

The other potential issue is actually getting off the ship in the morning.  Elevators will be busy, and it can be a challenge to get an elevator.

Ideally, you'll carry the bags down the stairs but that's not always possible.  

Conventional wisdom says if you can't get an elevator going down, take one going up and then wait for it to head back down later.

"No long lines, no big crowds"

Other cruisers have found embracing self-assist carry is the way to go too.

OhiobornCAraised posted on Reddit why they prefer it too, "Getting through immigration and the cruise terminal was soooo smooth! No long lines, no big crowds to work through. It was marvelous. 10/10 experience and hope to be able to do it more in the future."

Substantial-Face-363 added, "Totally agree! We disembarked from the Encore a couple weeks ago at 6:30 am. We took all our bags and walked right off. No wait, no lines. It was amazing!"

"Just got off a ship a week ago . We did just this for our first time. Worked out great due to a tight flight schedule," wrote OldAdministration735.

I'll aspire to carry my own luggage off the ship whenever possible, even if I'm not in a rush to disembark necessarily.

I simply like being in control of when I can leave, and usually the time guests carrying their own luggage off the ship starts quite early.

I can't say I'm able to do this on every cruise, but I've definitely shifted towards embracing carrying my own bags off more and more.

Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas is drawing closer to its debut in August 2025 by starting sea trials.

The company's second Icon Class ship departed the shipyard in Finland on Monday to begin tests. The vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard.

"Star of the Seas departed our shipyard early Monday morning to begin her sea trials. We wish her and her crew sunny skies and smooth sailing!" is what the shipyard posted on Facebook.

This is an important milestone in the construction of any new ship.

The first real test

Think of sea trials like putting a car through its paces.  It's a necessary step to ensure all of its systems work the way they should, while putting stress on the vessel itself.

While a lot of work can be done while the ship is docked, certain navigation and technical systems need to be tested in real world situations.

Sea trials are the final step of a ship's construction prior to being delivered to the cruise line. It ensures the vessel is functionally ready before officially joining the fleet. 

Onboard the ship, there will be a combination of shipyard employees and crew members. 

Icon of the Seas had two sets of sea trials, but Icon was the first in the class.  Typically subsequent ships in the same class usually have one sea trial.  No word yet if Star will have one or two sets of sea trials.

Less than three months until her maiden voyage

Star of the Seas will have her first cruise with paying passengers in August.

Her first cruise has been moved up a few times with a series of showcase sailings being added.

Technically, her official maiden voyage is a 7-night cruise on August 31, 2025.  However, there is a 3-night cruise on August 20, followed by two four-night preview sailings.

Star of the Seas will join Icon as being the two biggest cruise ships in the world, and a ship that size has lots to do.

You'll find the world’s largest waterpark at sea that has six water slides, and it's designed to be like a floating resort with different pools and over 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained onboard.

The ship weighs in at an estimated 248,663 tons and measures close to 1,200 feet long. It also holds about 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members

"Icon will be the best family vacation in the world," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer.

There are 20 decks across the ship, featuring eight neighborhoods that help divide up the ship into distinct areas.

Icon has been a commercial and critical hit, and now Royal Caribbean wants to repeat that success with Star.

The Star of the Seas will set sail from Port Canaveral on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations all year round, where passengers can visit popular tropical destinations like the Bahamas, Mexico, St. Maarten and Honduras, as well as Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay. 

Royal Caribbean ships are known for fun things to do onboard, and a big part of that are the theme nights and parties.

One of the top questions we get is what to pack for a cruise, and that includes these events.

"When and where do you find out about theme nights on different ships? We cruise in a month and would love to be able to plan for packing," is what one person wrote on Facebook recently to ask about it.

Royal Caribbean is now sending emails that help address that question.

Are you ready to party?

A few of our readers with upcoming cruises received emails from the cruise line that are aimed at making it easier for guests to understand what to expect onboard.

It's an informational email, offering expectations of the different themes and parties.

"We have a lineup of thrilling events and activities planned onboard, and we’re encouraging all our guests to participate in the festivities," the email reads.

In one example, the email was sent to guests booked on the June 13, 2025 sailing of Anthem of the Seas, which puts it about 26 days prior to the start of the cruise.

It starts off listing four theme nights and what each one is like:

• 80s Night: It’s going to be totally tubular! The most vibrant and unforgettable decade has made its way to the high seas. Dust off your leg warmers, tease up your hair, break out your fishnets and pack it with your leather jacket – it’s time to get funky and dance the night away! Pack your leg warmers, big hair and fishnet gloves!
• Caribbean Night: Join us for an evening of vibrant music, and dive into the rhythms and flavors of the Caribbean! Pack your favorite Caribbean shirts, tropical dresses and all things floral as you embrace the island spirit and dance the night away!
• 70s Night: Get ready to hit the dance floor at our far out 70s Night Party! Boogie down and dress up in your grooviest 70s-inspired outfit. Pack your bell-bottoms, platform shoes, dazzling sequins and funky sunglasses and join us to dance the night away to the hottest hits of the decade!
• Latin Party: Feel the heat and passion of our Latin Party as you move to the vibrant rhythms of the salsa, bachata, and reggaeton. Pack your favorite dancing shoes and casual, white attire that will keep you dancing all night long. When choosing your outfit think casual, light and flowy!

The email also says there will be a formal night onboard, which Royal Caribbean refers to as "Dress Your Best night".

The amount of formal nights on any sailing depends on the length of the cruise:

• 3-5 sailings nights: One night
• 6-10 sailing nights: Two nights
• 11-14 sailing nights: Three nights
• 15+ sailing nights: Three to four nights

The email is something I haven't previously seen by Royal Caribbean, but it's clearly an attempt to make it easier for guests to participate.

Theme nights are optional

It's important to remember that the themes are not mandatory, and you don't have to participate if you don't want to.

It's been a cruising tradition for years to have these events, and it offers a way to have fun on vacation.  Basically, theme nights are an excuse to get dressed up and join in.

Not only are there evenings to enjoy together, but it makes for fun family photos.

Part of the appeal of a theme night is you get join in with your own take on the outfit to wear. You could go for an over-the-top look that's meant to get laughs, or see if your family can really get into the spirit of the event with a cosplay-level look.

Ultimately, these themes are really about how you look around the ship. No venue or restaurant will deny you entry if you don't participate in one of these themes.

An even easier way to find the theme nights and when they are

While this email is a good start, it doesn't list exactly when each theme night will occur.  Nor do you know what else is happening that day to coordinate plans.

My advice is go one step further than the email and get the answer.

There are two tried-and-true ways to find out the theme nights for your Royal Caribbean cruise.

You could look up themed nights from past sailings on the same ship and itinerary.

We keep an archive of past Cruise Compasses, which list all the events that happened on a given sailing.

The reality is if you look up a recent sailing on the same ship and itinerary as yours, the theme nights are all but certainly going to be the same.

Another idea is to look in the Royal Caribbean app.

About 2-3 weeks before your cruise, the app will update with the theme nights and other activities.

Scroll under the “Daily Planner” section to preview the hourly details and event descriptions. 

Happy weekend! In case you missed any Royal Caribbean news, here is a look at everything that happened this week!

A lazy-crazy river and water slide towers are just the start of Royal Caribbean's plans for Perfect Day Mexico.

Opening in fall 2027, Royal Caribbean revealed this week all of its plans for Perfect Day Mexico.

Also announced are the plans for its two beach clubs, as well as a new private destination in Vanuatu.

Royal Caribbean News

• Crazy lazy river, water launch slides, beach clubs: How you’re going to change how to pick a cruise
• Millennials are now the average cruise passenger age, says Royal Caribbean CEO
• My first cruise to Alaska caught me off guard. Looking back, I wish I'd avoided these 3 mistakes
• How much I spent on everything for my Anthem of the Seas cruise
• I paid $220 to try Royal Caribbean's new VIP excursion. It was pricey but made our beach day much better
• Royal Caribbean planning timeline
• Anthem of the Seas balcony cabin tour

Cruise tips that sound strange but really work

Trust, these travel tips really work, even if they sound bizarre.

New cruisers might be surprised by a few cruise tips that get shared because they either sound unintuitive or something completely different than they're used to.

I can vouch from experience these cruise tips really do work, even if they sound very odd.

Royal Caribbean makes casino change for non-smokers

The newest non-smoking casino is open.

Royal Caribbean opened another non-smoking casino on Utopia of the Seas, this one replacing the comedy club onboard.

Construction took a month, but a second non-smoking venue is now open on the ship.

These 13 travel essentials made my flight to Europe fly by

Jenna just got back from a trip to Europe, a few essentials made a big difference during the flight.

Flying to Barcelona to check out Allure of the Seas meant taking an economy class flight across the Atlantic.  By no means is that an enjoyable experience on its own.

After careful testing, certain travel accessories really do help improve the flight when traveling that long a time.

The underrated Florida cruise port with the best value

Among all the ports you can sail from in Florida, Tampa is clearly the best if you're on a budget.

Cruises from Tampa are easy to access, and probably the cheapest fares you'll find right now.

With cruise prices only seemingly going up, the best deals are on Florida's west coast.

New RCB Video: Royal Caribbean just shared Perfect Day Mexico, Beach Club Info & More

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 — Royal Caribbean just shared Perfect Day Mexico, Beach Club Info & More — and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Ever wonder how much it costs to cruise, including all the extra costs and related purchases you have to make?

Last month, I embarked on an epic adventure to Asia with my parents and sister. Because of the pandemic, we still had unused cruise credits that we wanted to apply for a sailing. We eventually settled on an incredible 12-night repositioning cruise from Singapore to Japan with stops in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.

We were ecstatic to find this unique itinerary aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. This repositioning cruise is part of the ship’s transition between Australia and Alaska, so this particular itinerary is only offered once in the fall and spring.

My family booked the itinerary right after it was available, and we secured two balcony cabins next to one another. Anthem of the Seas had just completed her dry dock in Singapore, so we had fresh beds and carpet in our cabins! Although this Quantum class ship isn’t the newest vessel in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, the 10-year-old ship has aged gracefully and still feels quite modern and fresh.

Because I was traveling with my sister, we were able to split the costs of our stateroom, hotels, and transfers. For my portion of the trip, I paid $6,773 for the entire vacation. With 14 total nights of vacation, the cost was $483 per person for each night of the trip.

Here’s a full breakdown of what I spent for my 12-night Asia cruise on Anthem of the Seas, which includes travel-related expenses, onboard purchases, souvenirs, and transportation costs.

My sister and I split the cost of the cabin, costing me $2,888 for a standard balcony stateroom.

Typically, I prefer booking interior cabins to save money while cruising. Because of this, my sister and I normally book the cheapest inside cabin we can find, although we prefer spending a little extra to avoid booking guarantee cabins.

When we booked this cruise, we were pleasantly surprised to find a reasonably priced standard balcony stateroom. Since my parents always book a balcony cabin, and the only option near them was another balcony cabin, it made sense for us to do the same. We were even able to select a connecting stateroom right next to theirs, so we knew we wouldn’t end up with noisy neighbors.

We reserved cabins 11268 and 11266, located on Deck 11. This was a great spot to stay, and we appreciated the convenient location onboard Anthem of the Seas. 

Read more: Anthem of the Seas Cruise Ship Balcony Cabin: Review, Photos

For instance, we were only a few decks below the Windjammer buffet. Before meeting for our excursions, we could quickly grab breakfast on Deck 14 and scurry back to our cabin to finish getting ready. Nothing ever felt too far from our stateroom, so I would definitely book this cabin again.

Most importantly, the cabin was very comfortable for our 12-night stay and featured a functional, modern design. The bathroom was especially spacious, and the shower was one of the largest I’ve had on a cruise ship.

We had more than enough space to unpack and settle in without feeling cramped. The cabin offered two wardrobe closets, plus ample shelving and drawer space. The connecting cabins were an added bonus—we loved the convenience of moving between the two rooms and sharing the balconies.

The cruise fare was $5,776 for the two of us, which included port fees and taxes. Splitting this with my sister, my portion was $2,888, or $240 per night. This cruise fare is a little higher than I typically like to pay; however, the unique sailing was in high demand, and cabins booked up quickly. A few months later, only suites were available to book for $10,000 each! 

We forgot to prepay our gratuities, which we normally do before embarkation. This resulted in a daily charge of $18.50 to our shipboard account, or $222 total for my gratuities. 

For this trip, the cruise fare and gratuities comprised about 45.91% of the total expenses for this trip. This was the priciest expense of the entire trip, as expected!

I spent $2,302 on flights, which arrived in Singapore and departed from Tokyo.

In addition to the cruise fare, I was shocked by the cost of airfare for this cruise! Because our cruise was departing from Singapore and concluding in Tokyo, I booked a multi-city itinerary. Since it takes more than 30 hours to reach Singapore from Florida, I wanted to have a few buffer days for any potential travel delays or cancellations. This would also give us a few days to adjust to the new timezone before boarding our cruise.

I booked economy seats with Delta Air Lines, which included connections in Atlanta and Seoul, South Korea. The flights were grueling, but I was thankful to receive free upgrades to Comfort Plus on my long-haul segments. Although the extra legroom was welcomed, nothing really makes a 14-hour flight very enjoyable.

I spent $2,302 for the entire flight, or about 34% of the trip’s overall cost. Luckily, this included two free checked bags, which I took advantage of.

Unfortunately, my trip home from Tokyo was more disruptive. My sister and I were stranded in Japan for 24 hours when our flight to Atlanta was cancelled due to maintenance issues. The flight was rescheduled for the following day so they could fix the plane, but we had to spend an additional night in Japan.

Thankfully, we both purchased travel insurance, and these expenses (upwards of $500 for hotel, food, and transportation) were covered.

We booked excursions through Royal Caribbean for about $340 each.

Originally, we had booked excursions for all five port stops of our itinerary, costing around $500 each. Most of these were full-day tours, although we had half-day stops in Tokyo and Jeju Island, South Korea. 

We had never visited these countries before, so we felt Royal Caribbean’s excursions were the best choices for convenience and safety. Additionally, some of the ports were far away from the actual city. For example, Ho Chi Minh was nearly two hours from where the ship docked.

After boarding in Singapore, we received notice that our excursion in Japan was cancelled. Supposedly, the ship couldn’t sail at full speed due to the recent dry dock, so we had to leave South Korea earlier than expected.

With the revised itinerary, we wouldn’t reach Tokyo until an hour or two after our originally scheduled afternoon arrival. Since face-to-face immigration is required in Japan, the delayed arrival and expected slow processing led to the cancellation of all ship-sponsored excursions. In the end, that saved us about $150.

In addition, we received a 50% refund for our excursion in Jeju Island, South Korea. This was already a half-day tour because we had a short stay; however, it was down pouring when we arrived. The cruise line offered guests a full refund if they wanted to cancel their excursion that morning, which I thought was generous.

We decided to take the excursion anyway, and it ended up only costing us about $50. In the end, we agreed the money was well spent on these cruise-sponsored excursions, especially in Vietnam. In fact, we ended up departing late from Vietnam due to a huge traffic jam that delayed other excursions from returning to the ship on time. I bet those passengers were thankful they booked an excursion through the cruise line!

We only spent about $340 on excursions, or 5% of our trip’s total cost — this was one of our cheapest expenses for the entire vacation!

Onboard expenses, including internet and specialty dining, totaled $402.

Overall, I didn’t spend much money onboard our ship. Most of our time was spent exploring ashore, and I took advantage of the complimentary activities and amenities onboard. Prior to boarding, I booked VOOM Surf + Stream internet for $250 - this would provide Wi-Fi access for the entire cruise.

The internet was reliably fast, and I never had issues with connecting onboard. We did experience some blackouts while cruising from Hong Kong to Taiwan, but Royal Caribbean reimbursed us for a few days. 

In addition, our family also decided to treat ourselves to two specialty dining experiences during the cruise. Anthem of the Seas offers a variety of specialty restaurants to choose from, including Chops Grille, Jamie’s Italian, Izumi Sushi, and Wonderland.

We used our Diamond Plus loyalty benefit to take advantage of the BOGO specialty dining offer, choosing to dine at Chops Grille and Jamie’s Italian. On a longer itinerary, I do appreciate the change-of-pace for a more upscale, intimate dining experience.

Both meals were excellent, though service at Jamie’s Italian was noticeably slow. One crew member mentioned the staff was still finding their rhythm again after the ship’s break from regular operations during dry dock, which may have contributed to the isolated experience.

Surprisingly, the main dining room impressed us night after night. We had consistently great food, attentive service, and a smooth dining experience each night. Although this hasn’t always been the case on my recent Royal Caribbean cruises, I was impressed with the main dining room experience on Anthem of the Seas.

I didn’t purchase any drinks during this cruise, as our five daily Diamond Plus drink vouchers were more than sufficient. I enjoyed specialty coffee each morning, followed by a few drinks in the evenings or by the pool on a sea day.

In the end, these onboard expenses were minimal compared to the total cost of the trip. I only spent $402 for internet and specialty dining, or about 5.95% of the entire vacation budget.

For this trip, we spent about $239 each on hotels and transfers.

It’s always best practice to arrive to your cruise port at least one day before embarkation. If your flights get delayed or cancelled, you don’t want to risk missing your entire vacation! When flying internationally or long distances for a cruise, I prefer to arrive two days prior to embarkation.

For this cruise, we arrived two nights before our cruise started, giving us one full day in Singapore and two nights in a hotel. At first, we booked our hotels directly through Marriott. But, I worked with my travel agent, Hayley with Fora Travel, and she ended up saving us $200 on the hotels!

My sister and I split the hotel cost, so my portion was only $164 for two nights at the Four Points Sheraton in Singapore. We had to spend $405 for our unexpected night in Tokyo after our flight was cancelled, as it was last minute and during Japan’s very busy Golden Week. Thankfully, these expenses were covered by the airline and travel insurance. 

In addition, we booked private transfers from the Singapore airport to our hotel, followed by another transfer to the port. We had so much luggage that our transfer had to bring a second car just to transport the suitcases - whoops! Thankfully, we split the cost of the transfers between the four of us. 

In addition, we booked a transfer through Royal Caribbean to the Tokyo airport when we struggled to find any other options. My sister and I spent an additional $90 on transfers after our flight was cancelled, but this was also covered by travel insurance.

I spent about $239 for the hotels and transfers - or about 3.5% of the total trip cost. However, this total would have been much higher if I hadn’t purchased travel insurance for the unexpected costs with the cancelled flight. Take this as a reminder to always have travel insurance!

I budgeted $100 for cash tips, which I provided to crew members on the last night of the cruise.

In addition to the onboard daily gratuities, I also brought cash for tips at the end of the cruise. This is always an expense that I budget for, as I want to ensure the crew members are rewarded for their hard-working service.

We decided to provide additional tips to our waiters in the main dining room, along with the head waiter. All of them provided excellent service for the entirety of the cruise, and we felt it was deserved. Finally, we also tipped our stateroom attendant on the last day for dealing with our messy room for 12 nights!

My sister and I provided cash tips totaling $100 each, which is only about 1.5% of the total trip cost.

Finally, I spent around $280 for in-port purchases and souvenirs.

I’ll admit, I love to shop for souvenirs and treasures during my cruises. Each of these destinations had incredible shops to purchase trinkets and goodies. We first started at the famous Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, where I found a myriad of souvenirs to bring home.

Our next ports offered even more chances to shop, especially in Hong Kong, where I couldn’t resist splurging. I picked up a stylish leather backpack for just $40 and a knock-off designer purse for $20. I also stocked up on Nespresso pods at a local grocery store for a fraction of the price I usually pay back home.

I also collect Starbucks mugs from each destination that I visit, so I came home with four new mugs to add to my collection. These are each about $20, and I was thrilled to find unique designs from each country.

Surprisingly, we purchased very little food or drinks during our time ashore. Most of our excursions included lunches with massive buffets, so we never felt the need to purchase our own food. We prioritized eating most of our meals on the ship, as Anthem of the Seas has plenty of included dining options to enjoy.

Overall, I spent around $280 on in-port purchases for this trip, or about 4.13% of the trip cost. Most of these purchases were souvenirs, trinkets, Starbucks mugs, and unique treasures. I was thankful for packing a second suitcase to bring home all of my new travel goodies!

In the end, I paid $6,773 for my 12-night Asia cruise on Anthem of the Seas.

Cruise expenses can add up quickly, and even with minimal onboard purchases and add-ons, I still spent close to $7,000 for this vacation with my parents and sister. The biggest expenses for this trip included the cruise fare itself for $2,888 and airfare for $2,302. Both of these categories accounted for 76% of the total vacation cost, followed by onboard expenses and excursions.

I cherish time with my family, especially because my husband and I live across the country from them. This was money well spent, and I loved being able to visit such diverse, culturally-rich ports of call. I’d rather spend this amount of money seeing new places in the world than visiting the same Caribbean destinations over and over again.

Instead of picking a ship, you might be picking the private destination as the top reason to choose a cruise.

Royal Caribbean revealed the full details of four different beach destination projects it's working on, and collectively it's evolving its product offering forward beyond any other cruise line or resort.

"Now, guests are choosing to sail with us so that they can go to CocoCay," said Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider. "Sometimes it's actually more important CocoCay than it is the ship that they're on."

The success Royal Caribbean has had with its Perfect Day at CocoCay project lead them on the path to spawn an even bigger project in Mexico, along with two beach clubs and a new private destination.

According to Schneider, visiting destinations is the top reason their customers choose a Royal Caribbean cruise.  But new Royal Caribbean exclusives could change how people think of picking a vacation.

"The difference is, in addition to saying, I want to go to Aruba, they're going to continue to say... I want to go to Perfect Day at CocoCay."

That change in approach to picking private destinations as a primary factor could be  a real difference maker for Royal Caribbean.

Caribbean cruises with an oasis at each stop

By the time we get to the end of 2027, Royal Caribbean will have two Perfect Day operations open, along with two beach clubs, across the Caribbean.

It's not difficult to imagine itineraries where each stop has a top rated spot at each port that Royal Caribbean customers can enjoy.

Your cruise could sail away from Miami, stop at the Royal Beach Club Cozumel, then hit Perfect Day Mexico the next day, and conclude with a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning home.

Royal Caribbean isn't moving away from bringing its customers to everywhere else in the Caribbean, but they're also looking to offer its customers what they want: highly rated experiences that passengers love.

At the official announcement event in New York on Wednesday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley restated that Perfect Day at CocoCay is the number one rated place by customers their ships visit.

Like any business, Royal Caribbean wants to take that winning formula that makes its customers so satisfied and spread it around.

In the case of Nassau, the line wants to address a much-needed problem where passengers frankly hate visiting there.

In terms of guest satisfaction, Nassau ranks in the bottom 10% of ports, and that's a big reason why Royal Caribbean wants to build a club there.

But with Cozumel and Costa Maya, there are opportunities to add more and spread what worked at CocoCay so its passengers can have a great experience elsewhere.

In all cases, the goal is simple: elevate the experience by making things easier and better for passengers.  Take that formula and apply it liberally.

Dreaming of perfect cruises

Almost as soon as Royal Caribbean announced its plans for Perfect Day Mexico and its beach clubs, cruise fans began asking for sailings that visit them all.

"Would love to go to Coco Cay and Perfect Day Mexico on the same cruise," posted RCIfan1912 on the Royal Caribbean message boards.

aherrera04 posted on Reddit, "With all the new Perfect Day projects released I just need a cruise that stops in all of them maybe with a sea day in between."

"5 night from Orlando, stops at CoCoCay and Mexico… where do I sign up" added NathanJax.

When does each of these new places open?

It's going to be a busy few years as Royal Caribbean gets all of these new spots ready to go.

Perfect Day Mexico is slated to open September 2027, and Royal Caribbean will likely offer itineraries that visit both Perfect Day locales when they go on sale.

Expect the first batch of new cruises to be on sale in the fall, around November of this year.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel is expected to open in December 2026, and it sounds like it will be at the very end of December.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be the first beach club to open, and that will start up operations in December 2025.  Once again, expect a late opening in the month.

Finally, Lelepa will open sometime in early 2027.

Keep in mind you cannot book admission or tickets to any of the beach clubs yet.  Royal Caribbean says more information and pricing will be released soon.

If you have the means and control, one of the best deals in cruising right now is through Royal Caribbean's casino program.

Ever since I discovered how lucrative the offers can be to essentially earn free cruises by doing the thing I'd already be doing in the ship's casino, I've been taking advantage of offers coming through Casino Royale.

My luck in the casino is up and down over the course of the year, and your results may differ from mine. Please gamble responsibly.

Just like a land casino, Royal Caribbean's casino operation is big business.  They offer complimentary cruises if you gamble enough to reach certain point thresholds.

You really don't need to be a big gambler in order to benefit, and a recent change the casino program made just saved me more than any jackpot I've ever won from a slot machine.

The basics of a casino comp

There are a few ways to get a "free cruise" by gambling in Royal Caribbean's casino, but I'm going to focus on the annual free cruise you get from reaching the Prime level within the casino loyalty program.

Just like Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean's casino has its own loyalty program. However, it differs in that your status is based on how many points you earn over the course of one year.  

You'll earn 1 point for every $5 wagered on a slot machine, and if you get to 2,500 points in a gaming year, you'll get the choice of a free interior room on a cruise up to seven nights in length.

The beauty of this free cruise offer is you can earn it over the course of a year. You might earn 500 points on one sailing, 1000 on another, and so on.  You can earn it in one sailing or over multiple, and then stop and enjoy that perk later.

Plus, as a Prime member you get free drinks in the casino.

The catch with this annual cruise offer is it's only available to book the following year, and you must use and sail it within that year. Plus, there's an exclusion list.

Each year certain dates and ships are excluded, because they're too in demand.  This means no holiday cruises and no sailings on brand new ships.

Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's next new ship was, as expected, on the exclusion list.

A change in the exclusion list

As I contemplated which cruise to use my free sailing offer, Royal Caribbean made a change.

Royal Caribbean message board users shared suddenly there were Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas sailings showing up as available after previously being excluded.

"In case anyone has not booked their annual, Star is no longer excluded and there are open dates in January-March!" wrote Chart.

A brand new ship like Star of the Seas would command a premium price, and I looked into if I could take advantage of it.

Almost $9,000 in savings

I was already booked for a 7-night spring break cruise on Star of the Seas with my family in connecting ocean balcony cabins.

I booked it when the ship opened up bookings, and got two rooms for my family.  Splitting up and getting two rooms instead of one is one of my favorite cruise hacks.

The price for each room was $7095.08, including taxes, fees, port expenses, and gratuities. That's a total of $14,190.16 for both cabins.

I alerted my MEI-Travel agent to what I had seen online and asked her if we could cancel what I had booked and re-book it with my casino certificate.

She found the reports were true, and I would be able to use my certificate for one room and my wife's certificate for the other room.

We'd get the interior cabin for "free", and the cost to upgrade to connecting ocean view balcony would be $2338.34 + gratuities per room. With fees and gratuities, it came out to $2597.34 per cabin.

After some work with the cruise line, my travel agent was able to get me rebooked with the casino offer, plus the difference in upgrading the cabin back up to an ocean balcony.

I went from a $14,190.16 bill to a $5,194.68 bill, saving me $8,995.48.

Big savings, but it's still gambling

I wanted to share my experience as an example of how lucrative Royal Caribbean's casino program can be, provided you're willing to play responsibly.

To be fair, I don't have an accurate accounting of my losses in the 2024-2025 casino year to properly evaluate how much money I lost to get my 2,500 points and reach Prime status.

Of course, I also enjoyed other benefits of being a Prime member, such as complimentary drinks in the casino throughout that time and even this year too.

Gambling is addictive and inherently risky, but if you can play smart, you could net some big savings well beyond the casino floor.

Young people are taking over cruise ships.

Demand for a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation has never been hotter, and there's a shift in who's booking them.

Speaking at an event in New York City revealing their private destination plans, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley told the audience the average age of its customers is no longer Baby Boomers or Gen-X.

"The average age is a Millennial now," said Mr. Bayley in talking about the shifting demographics of who's going on a cruise.

According to Bayley, on short getaway cruises, 2 out of 3 guests are vacationing with Royal Caribbean for the first time.

More than 40% of Royal Caribbean cruises are 5 nights or less.

Given the direction Royal Caribbean is headed with opening new beach clubs around the world over the next few years, catering to Millennials and their families makes sense for the company.

The Pew Research Center defines millennials as those born between 1981 and 1996, which means they're people that are between 29 and 44 years old today.

They're bringing their kids onboard Royal Caribbean ships, and are the dominate age group onboard.

Why are Millennials embracing cruising so much? Two factors are the affordability of cruises compared to traditional land vacations and the increasing desire for unique, shareable experiences.

That second part is at the heart of Royal Caribbean's big destination push.

New places you can spend time together

If you look at Perfect Day Mexico, Lelepa, or any of the beach clubs, you're going to quickly notice these are all built on the foundation of creating memories for families.

Whether you're at the Giant Flamingo DJ bar in Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, going down the nearly hour-long lazy river in Perfect Day Mexico, or at the swim-up bar in Cozumel, the overarching goal is to offer Royal Caribbean cruisers things they can do for everyone in the family.

"Our guests are looking for memories. They're trying to find first experiences. It's why people go on vacation, frankly," said Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider.

To that point, Royal Caribbean made water the core pillar of all the areas they showed off.

Why? Because that's what Royal Caribbean's customers are telling them they want. 

"We hear this all the time from our guests. It's view water; in water; toes in sand water; drink water; Water comes throughout everything that we do."

A great example of this combination of water and family memories is in which water slides are being added to Perfect Day Mexico.

There are more raft slides than body slides because customers love them.  It's more fun to go down a water slide with someone you know, and it's a shared experience.

There will be more than 30 slides in Perfect Day Mexico, and  the tallest family raft slide is designed for four to six riders at once so you can experience it together.

Royal Caribbean also developed party cabanas that can handle up to 20 people in Perfect Day Mexico. That's in addition to the Ultimate Family Cabana in Nassau.

Both types of cabanas are for big groups that want to share in making memories. It has its own dedicated bathroom, its own bar. It'll have its own bartender.

Of course, the world's biggest lazy river is going to be a hit with just about everyone in the family.

Adding a lazy river was the most requested feature Royal Caribbean heard from its customers, so they're adding it to Perfect Day Mexico.

Estimates are it could take 45-60 minutes to make one loop around the lazy river.