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9 things Royal Caribbean veterans always do (and you should too)

In:
12 Mar 2024

Cruising can have quite the learning curve, so why not learn from those that already mastered it all?

If you’re new to Royal Caribbean, it’s natural to feel intimidated by the things you need to learn and prepare for.

One reason you’re probably reading this post right now is so you can find out all the tips and tricks Royal Caribbean veterans know.

Cruise fans have developed tried-and-true strategies to enjoy their cruises to the fullest.  Thankfully, the Internet allows us to share all these tips—and for you to learn from them!

Inside cabin

By researching and putting into practice these insider hacks, you can make sure you have the best cruise possible. 

If you are new to Royal Caribbean, here are nine things people that cruise Royal Caribbean all the time know about taking a cruise that you might want to consider doing too.

1. Check-in as soon as possible

Terminal A check in

Getting the earliest check-in time gets you onboard the ship faster.

The Royal Caribbean app and website will open online check-in 45 days before the cruise begins.

Cruise veterans check-in as soon as this opportunity opens, and some even stay up late to be the first!

If you stay up late, checking in at midnight based on the time zone of your sailing, you can get the earliest possible check-in time slot.

After you complete check-in, you’ll receive an option of time slots, usually ranging between 11 A.M. and 2 P.M.

When each time slot fills up with guests, it will close. So it makes sense that you’d need to check-in early to get the earlier times.

The sooner you check-in, the sooner you get onboard the ship!

Since the price you paid for the cruise won’t change, check-in early to get those extra couple of hours onboard.

2. Book specialty dining in advance

icon-chops-2

Royal Caribbean offers some amazing—and popular—extra-cost dining venues. 

From Chops Grille to Izumi Hibachi, there are formal and delicious meal options for all tastes.

If you want to ensure a table will be open for you, try booking the restaurant before you get onboard the ship.

Royal Caribbean veterans know that restaurants can fill up fast, and you’ll need to act quickly if you want to reserve a table.

You can make reservations online via Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner website.

log-in-royal-caribbean-website

This way, you’ll guarantee a spot and choose the date and time that works best for your schedule.

If you want to celebrate a special occasion or holiday, it’s especially important to plan ahead and reserve as soon as possible.

If you choose to purchase a specialty dining package instead of individual restaurant reservations, have a plan of where and when you want to eat.

Then, make your reservations as soon as you get onboard the ship.

Staff at any one of the specialty venues can help you book your meals for all of the venues.

3. Purchase your cruise years ahead

Star of the Seas coming 2025

Royal Caribbean veterans work to get the best possible prices on cruise fares.

The more you save, the more you can spend on activities, excursions, or even another cruise!

To get the best possible price when booking a cruise, you’ll want to book as early in advance as possible.

Ideally, you’d want to book a year or years in advance.

The earlier you book, the more staterooms will be available. Since cruises operate on supply and demand, prices will be cheaper when more supply is available.

Utopia of the Seas night render

By booking one or two years early, you’ll get ahead of the demand and increased prices.

Try asking a Royal Caribbean vet when they book their cruises, and they’ll likely give you an answer measured in years.

If you’re on a cruise and find yourself thinking about the next vacation, you can also book your next cruise directly onboard. You can save hundreds of dollars per person by booking at the Next Cruise area.

NextCruise sign

For the more impulsive types, last-minute deals are also worth keeping an eye on. While they’re less assured than ones planned years in advance, occasionally those last-minute deals will have a discount worth snatching up.

Read more: How to plan a cruise for the first time

4. Cruise during the off-season

If you’re still looking for fare deals, keep in mind that it matters more when you cruise, not so much when you book the cruise.

Finding lower fares is easier if you’re willing to cruise when school is in session (August to May) and during the cruise shoulder season.

Shoulder season, which offers lower fares, fewer crowds, and comfortable temperatures, varies depending on your destination.

Pool on a cruise ship

Usually, these times include the months of January (excluding New Year’s Day), February, May, and September, the first two weeks of November, and the first two weeks of December.

Cruising during these times will give you a lower fare, because it’s when other people are less likely to try cruising. 

Buy a cruise for those times when others are at work or in school, and you’ll be rewarded with fewer crowds and lower prices.

5. Try a smaller ship

Radiance of the Seas

Yes, Royal Caribbean heavily promotes its newest and biggest ships.

You’ve probably heard about everything there is to try on huge ships like Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.

But despite the public attention the mega-ships command, veterans know that every ship in the fleet has something to offer—even the smaller ones.

Radiance, Vision, and Voyager Class ships all have their own charm. 

Vision of the Seas solarium

From a quieter experience to a more tight-knit crew to opportunities at unique ports, some amazing experiences can’t be replicated by a larger ship.

Not only that, but they’re also likely to come with a lower price tag.

There’s nothing wrong with those big, exciting ships like in the Icon, Oasis, and Quantum Class, but be sure that you’re not writing off those smaller ships.

The demand for smaller ships isn’t going away anytime soon, and Royal Caribbean has even discussed plans for a new class of smaller ships.

6. Stay onboard in port

oasis-docked-labadee-pool

If you ever talk to someone that cruises a lot, there's a good chance if you ask them what their plans are while in port, they'll tell you they are staying on the ship.

There's a few good reasons why you might want to strategically embrace this strategy.

If it's a ship new to you and you want to explore and enjoy what the ship has to offer, staying onboard during a port visit gives you more time onboard and less lines to contend with.

Ship docked in St. Thomas

Taking a cruise on Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, or Odyssey of the Seas, there's a good chance you picked these new ships because of all the cool things it offers.  While the ship is in port, signature activities tend to be far less crowded, especially the pool and water slides.

Sometimes they stay onboard because there just isn't an excursion or activity that speaks to them. There's nothing wrong with staying on the ship if you don't find a tour that fits your needs.

In addition, cruise pros stay onboard if it's a port of call they've been to in the past. Some ports have a lot of repeatability, while others, not so much.

7. Join the loyalty program

Crown-and-anchor-crystal-block-new-design

While the Crown and Anchor Society isn’t exactly a secret, veteran cruisers know how to take full advantage of this loyalty program.

You can even sign up before your first cruise, and you’ll earn points for each night you spend on a Royal Caribbean ship.

crown-lounge-icon-of-the-seas

It’s free to sign up, and you will receive more and more discounts as you earn points.

The Crown and Anchor Society rewards frequent cruisers with onboard discounts, priority embarkation and check-in, and promotional offers.

8. Read Cruise Compasses to prepare

Reading a Cruise Compass

Wondering what exactly you can expect on your next cruise?

It’s hard to accurately predict exactly what events, activities, and specials might be offered on a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean pros know that they can consult an old Cruise Compass to see what was previously offered on similar sailings.

Bumper cars on Odyssey

Looking at an old cruise itinerary can give you a good idea of what to expect going forward.

From entertainment to activities, Royal Caribbean ships won’t change their schedule too much from week to week.

And we have an archive of old Cruise Compasses you to peruse. 

9. Use a good travel agent

travel agent

Yes, we always recommend using a good travel agent for your cruise.

They’re able to make life easier for you through planning, preparation, and saving you money overall.

A good travel agent comes at no extra cost to you, as they are paid by the cruise line. They provide expertise and knowledge to help you get the best cruise vacation possible.

Sun rising in Alaska

A good travel agent will have a wealth of knowledge about Royal Caribbean, and be able to answer a variety of questions for you.

Read more: Royal Caribbean’s top travel agents prove why you need one more than ever

Pros know that no one has all the answers, so having a guide in the form of a travel agent gets you your own personal advocate. 

From booking the cruise to any problems you run into onboard, they will be there to assist you.

Spring break is one of the most lively times to take a cruise. Here are 5 tips my family swears by to make crowded sea days better.

In:
05 Mar 2024

We take our kids on a spring break cruise every year because it's not easy to find times of the year when the school calendar and mild Caribbean weather meet.

Pool on a cruise ship

One of the top reasons we cruise on Royal Caribbean is the fact it's a family cruise line, and the experience is welcoming to kids as much as adults.  Plus, there's opportunities to enjoy time together, as well as time for just the adults.

When you hear the term, "spring break", you might think of a wild party, but Royal Caribbean's ships tend not to get that raucous.  Most of the college spring break groups end up on 4-night cruises because they are cheaper, and having experienced those cruises, it's a far cry from a week at Panama City beach.

Read more: Spring break cruise on Royal Caribbean

Cannon ball

Nonetheless, don't expect your cruise ship to be empty, as plenty of families take advantage of the built-in time off from school to take their family on vacation. To be fair, all cruise ships sail full these days. The difference is how many other families will be onboard, along with spring breakers.

If you're taking a spring break cruise, here are a few strategies for navigating the crowds.

Take a longer cruise

In general, you can expect to find less families on longer sailings, including the spring break college kids. 

Most of the college spring break passengers will flock to 4-night cruises because they're short and cheaper than the 3-night cruises.

We've generally found the 7-night cruises to have less college kids than the short 3- and 4-night cruises.  You'll find more families on longer cruises, and that tends to have less of a party atmosphere.

Harmony aerial

If you really want to avoid the party scene, opt for pretty much any cruise longer than 7-nights during this time of year. Once you get to past a week, the average age tends to shift older because of the time off required is more than many families can afford to take.

Since the European cruise season hasn't started yet, you can find some Royal Caribbean ships offering longer cruises. There are 9, 10, and 11-night cruises available in some markets that have less families onboard, as well as spring breakers.

Look for deck chairs in quiet places

Promenade Deck

Sea days on any cruise are going to busy, but the pool party vibe is going to be present here the most.

If you want to enjoy time outdoors without the party, there are a few good alternative locations to seek.

For those that want to enjoy the sun, look for a deck chair on the pool deck towards the front of the ship. While most of the chairs are around the pool, if you walk forward on the upper pool deck, you can usually find plenty of empty chairs the more forward you walk.

Empty Pool chairs

The reason there are empty chairs at the front of the ship is because it's further away from the bars and pools. 

If you just want to be outdoors without any semblance of a party, grab a chair on the Promenade deck on deck 4 or 5 (depending on the ship you're on).  Keep in mind one side is reserved for smoking, so you can always go to the other side.

These are great spots to read, take a nap, or enjoy the ocean air.

Stay on the ship in port

top deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Since I just recommended avoiding the pool deck, what if you want to be able to swim, splash and enjoy the water slides? Stay on the ship while you're in port.

Many passengers disembark their cruise ship on a port day, and that leaves the pool deck far emptier than on any sea day.

You'll usually have no shortage of deck chairs, space in the pools and hot tubs, and less noise overall.  In fact, the pool band tends not to play until later in the day.

Mariner of the Seas pool deck

Not only does staying on the ship while you're in port open up the pool deck, it also means avoiding the crowds in port.

It's not unusual for ports to have a lot of ships docked, especially Nassau, Cozumel, and St. Thomas. By staying on the ship, you can avoid the crowded ports, beaches, and shops.

Visiting ports of call is a major part of the cruise experience, but you could opt to pick one port to stay onboard for, and then get some pool deck time while still doing shore excursions elsewhere.

Traditional dining for simplicity

freedom-main-dining-room

There's nothing wrong with eating at the Main Dining Room for dinner, especially if it makes planning meals easier.

Specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean are a hot ticket. It seems like more people than ever are buying dining packages, and it's not uncommon for the best times to get booked up quickly.

I always advocate going to make restaurant reservations as soon as you get onboard the ship for those with a dining package, but you could simply forgo the dining package and stick to the Main Dining Room for a great dinner experience.

odyssey of the seas main dining room

If you opt for this, pick traditional seating instead of My Time Dining to make everything easier on you. With traditional seating, you have the same table and dining time every night, so there's no extra footwork to do to get a reservation, and there's no waiting for a table when it's time to eat.

Alternatively, you could go to the Windjammer for dinner instead and keep it far more casual. Those sailing on Icon of the Seas for spring break will also have access to the Aquadome Market, which is a wonderful complimentary alternative to the Main Dining Room.

Good candidate for upgrading to a suite

Grand Suite

If you'd rather throw money at the problem, then booking a cruise ship suite might make sense for a spring break cruise.

Besides having larger and more opulent cabins, suites come with nice perks that can side-step some of the issues raised earlier in this article. It's kind of like an expensive easy button for crowds.

Suite Sun Deck on Wonder of the Seas

Staying in a suite means you'll have reserved seating somewhere on the pool deck exclusively for suite guests. 

You'll also get complimentary drinks each evening in the Suite Lounge. On larger ships, there's even a restaurant exclusively for suite guests at Coastal Kitchen.

Read more: 8 advantages of booking a suite on your next cruise

Coastal Kitchen on Harmony of the Seas

Obviously booking a suite won't be cheap, so you're potentially trading crowds for a larger bill. But if you can afford it, staying in a suite provides access to areas of the ship other guests cannot get to, and spring breakers tend not to be found staying in suites.

I tried the most common seasickness hacks on my cruise. Here’s what works best 

In:
16 Feb 2024

I’ve taken enough cruises to discover that my body is susceptible to seasickness.

Calista tried the best seasickness remedies

When motion sickness takes over, I start struggling with nausea, dizziness, and sometimes a headache.

I’ll never forget the moment I discovered I struggled from seasickness on a cruise ship.

It was night one of my first cruise on Wonder of the Seas, and I was introducing myself to other cruisers at a Hyperlink event.

Suddenly, I started stumbling and feeling dizzy and nauseous. All my excitement about the event turned into a sickening feeling. 

Thankfully, I brought Dramamine on that cruise and felt better when I was able to head to my cabin and take a pill.

But since that moment, I’ve always had to plan ahead to make sure I won’t feel seasick.

Main Dining

It’s always embarrassing to have to excuse myself from a nice Main Dining Room dinner, or miss out on activities because I’m feeling too sick to get up.

Cruising is such a fun, affordable, and worthwhile form of travel that I would hate to miss out on it just because of motion sickness. 

If seasickness has you hesitating to get on a cruise ship, look no further! I went ahead and tried out the most commonly recommended seasickness hacks to find the best one.

Read more: 13 things I wish I'd done differently on my first cruise, from avoiding seasickness to eating at different venues

What is seasickness?

The Hideaway

Those who experience motion sickness in cars, planes, or roller coasters are already familiar with the feeling of being seasick.

Seasickness is a form of motion sickness that occurs when there is a discrepancy between the motion of the ship, visual input, and the vestibular system in your inner ear. Essentially, the body’s balance mechanism becomes disoriented.

The rocking motion of the ship confuses your body’s senses into becoming imbalanced. 

This imbalance leads to a range of symptoms, from dizziness to fatigue, headaches, irritability, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, nausea, cold sweats, and even vomiting.

Ocean waves from balcony

Not everyone is subject to motion sickness: women and children are more susceptible, and genetic markers can indicate those more likely to experience it. People who get migraines are also more likely to suffer from motion sickness.

If you’re more susceptible, you know the misery of it all too well: seasickness can turn an exciting cruise adventure into an uncomfortable ordeal.

Thankfully, cruise lines do their best to develop solutions for motion sickness.

Royal Caribbean

Modern ships are designed with stabilizers on the side of the ship to help counteract the sea’s motion. This results in less turbulence felt onboard.

The newer the cruise ship, the more advanced and effective the technology tends to be.

Skilled captains also make every effort to avoid rough seas and minimize any uncomfortable sailing conditions.

These reductions, however, don’t eliminate the misery of seasickness entirely. 

Choosing the right stateroom

For my 3-Night Allure of the Seas cruise, I decided to try all the recommended hacks for seasickness.

I started out by booking a better stateroom. For this cruise, I booked a Grand Suite stateroom located towards the middle of the ship.

Grand Suites come with a large balcony space, which I knew I could use to get fresh air and watch the horizon. These hacks help reorient your body and improve nausea.

Windowless inside cabins, which I usually stay in, are cheaper but end up being confined spaces that exacerbate nausea. 

Staterooms located in the middle of the ship are also better locations if you’re prone to seasickness. Areas in the forward or back of the cruise ship are likely to feel more motion.

Experts also recommend that you stay on lower decks to avoid feeling the movement of the ship. 

My room was located on the 10th floor, just between the middle and the back of the ship. It was close enough to the middle that I didn’t feel seasick while inside the room.

Being on a larger ship also helps; the size of a big ship like Allure minimizes the feeling of motion.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Acupuncture pressure band

For Day 1 of the cruise, I decided to try acupuncture pressure bands.

I purchased a set of SeaBand bracelets and put them on once we got onboard.

These bands are designed to target pressure points on the wrist: two plastic pieces apply direct pressure to the P6 or Nei-Kuan point on either wrist. 

Supposedly, this band stimulates your median nerve and interrupts the “I’m sick” messages your brain is sending your stomach. 

Scientific evidence on whether these bands actually work is inconclusive.

Some studies imply it works through a placebo effect, while others suggest there may be a real benefit.

Either way, many cruise fans report good results when they wear their bands for the length of the cruise.

This was my first time trying these bands, and I felt that it was hard to make them stay in exactly the right spot. 

Since they work through pressure points, it seems important that they stay on the right pressure point. But I’m not an expert at finding them, and the bands are liable to slip off the right spot.

The instructions say that the SeaBand takes 2-5 minutes to become effective. I put them on once I got onboard, and the ship set sail in the early evening, around 5 P.M.

ough-weather-2

But around 6 P.M, I started to feel very seasick during dinner. I tried applying extra pressure to the plastic studs myself, and after about an hour the feeling improved.

I’m not sure if I started out putting the bands in the wrong spot, or if I just needed that extra pressure to feel better.

To provide context, when I would get seasick without trying any remedies, I felt like I would rate my sickness feeling at 7 out of 10.

With the bands on (and with me applying some additional pressure), I felt more like a 5 out of 10.

I also made the mistake of keeping the bands on when I got in the water and was annoyed at the damp feeling they left on my wrists.

Personally, I didn’t like that the bands were something I had to keep on at all times, and they only served to lessen my dizziness, rather than eliminate it entirely.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

Over-the-counter medicine

dramamine-bonine-split

Personally, I’m biased towards using over-the-counter medications.

Medications have been developed over time to prevent feelings of nausea and sickness from the motion on the sea.

They’re easy to get a hold of, and you only have to take one or two pills to start feeling the positive effects.

The two most common brands, Bonine and Dramamine, work by using antihistamines to alleviate symptoms.

I prefer Dramamine, a brand with more options available. It is the older brand of the two, first introduced to the market in 1949. 

dramamine-comparison

It uses dimenhydrinate, an antihistamine which has a side effect of drowsiness. 

Drowsiness could be a benefit or a disadvantage, depending on what time you prefer to take the pills. 

If you take it at night, it could help you sleep through any intense rocking of the boat. But if you have to take it at a different time of day, the pill could put you to sleep and make you miss key events on the cruise.

Personally, I’ve never experienced drowsiness from Dramamine—either due to the excitement of a cruise, or the fact that I’m a heavy coffee drinker.

rough-weather-cruise-ship

They also sell non-drowsy pills, which include more ginger and make for a more natural option. However, these versions can be less effective.

Just to be safe, I took two Dramamine pills before bedtime, ensuring that they would kick in by the time I woke up on Day 2. 

The ship docked at Nassau for most of the day, but I stayed on board and wanted to be sure I wouldn’t feel seasick when we started moving again.

Sure enough, once we started moving, I didn’t feel seasick at all! I would rate my sickness at a 0/10.

My rating: ★★★★★

Natural ginger remedies

On day 3, I decided to turn to natural remedies for seasickness.

Ginger root is one of the oldest and most famous remedies for seasickness.

Whether in the form of candy, tea, or supplements, many have used it to alleviate nausea for centuries.

I decided to buy a packet of ginger gum for my cruise, and try it on Night 3. By the time I started chewing the gum, our ship had left Perfect Day at CocoCay and was sailing, full-steam ahead, back to Port Canaveral.

I honestly didn’t expect the ginger gum to help much, especially when the boat was moving so quickly.

However, it was more effective than I expected! When I was actively chewing my gum, the ginger brought the nausea down to a 2/10.

If I took a break from chewing, I still felt my seasickness stay low, maybe at a 4/10.

peppermint-tea-seasickness

The only thing I didn’t like about this method was the fact that I had to consistently chew the gum to get the best effects. Whenever I wanted to eat or drink, I had to take it out of my mouth and feel just a little more seasick.

In the future, I might try some ginger candies or a tea that I could carry around with me.

My rating: ★★★★☆

The best method overall

Overall, I would rate over-the-counter medication as the best method for seasickness.

On a cruise, my main struggle has been finding a consistent method. When you struggle with seasickness, you want a remedy that you’ll be able to have on you at all times. 

Chewing gum or eating ginger, keeping SeaBands on your wrist, and looking at the horizon are great tools, but you can’t do that for the entire cruise.

Medications are the only thing that you can take once and they remain in your system the entire time. 

If you struggle with the side effects of any one medication, I would recommend trying different brands or speaking with your doctor about another suggestion.

I'm 72 years old and have cruised 41 times in a scooter. Here's what other seniors should know about taking a cruise

In:
15 Feb 2024

Cruising isn’t just for the young and spry.

Cruise ships feature an experience that can be tailored to your preferences and needs.

This applies to everyone, including seniors and people who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs or scooters.

No matter your age and needs, you deserve a vacation filled with relaxation, excitement, and unforgettable memories. 

Women eating in main dining room

Ken Klingenberg has been cruising for the past 23 years and has no intention of stopping.

A 72-year-old retired paramedic, he originally hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

Ken won his first cruise in 1987 as part of a sales contest. That planted a seed that finally blossomed in 2001 when he and his wife sailed on their next cruise.

From then on, he has been hooked on cruising.

Grandeur of the Seas logo

Since then, he has been on 41 sailings on Carnival, NCL, MVS, Celebrity, and Princess, with the majority—a total of 33—on Royal Caribbean.

Ken uses a scooter and says cruising is a great form of accessible travel.

“You get to this beautiful hotel on the water, and let the crew take you to different places while they feed and entertain you the entire time.”

He calls cruising a “godsend” for people with mobility or other issues. 

Despite the overall accessibility of cruising, there are still limitations as part of traveling with a scooter

Ken has encountered fellow passengers rudely charging elevators or walking in front of him. 

Ships also have narrow doorways or can lack ramp access to features he’s interested in.

Overly helpful people—cruisers as well as crew members—even reach out and grab the scooter or Ken himself.

With the insight from these stressful experiences, Ken has some valuable tips to make for a smoother journey.

Here’s his advice for fellow seniors who want to go on a cruise, whether or not they bring along a scooter or wheelchair. 

When it comes to choosing the right cruise line, Royal Caribbean is one of the best

Navigator-disembarkation

Selecting the right cruise line makes all the difference in your experience.

Not all lines are created equal, and if you’re looking for a line to cruise on with a scooter or wheelchair, you’ll want to be sure the ship will be accessible. 

“One of the reasons I love cruising with Royal Caribbean is their commitment to those of us with mobility devices,” Ken says. “The other lines I have sailed have let me down to some extent.”

His issues center around the use (or lack) of ramps on ships. In his opinion, Royal Caribbean does the best at designing ships that include a lot of ramps.

Royal Caribbean also provides other great accommodations, like a chair lift in the Aqua Theater on Oasis Class ships, and a private elevator on the decks between the Seaplex and Two70 on Quantum Class ships.

Pools are harder to get to but usually have at least one with a chair lift available. However, “the issue is finding someone to operate them.”

As long as crew members are present to operate the lifts and elevators, Royal Caribbean does a great job ensuring that senior cruisers have full access onboard.

Although some areas have no access for someone in a wheelchair or scooter, Ken is usually able to access 99% of Royal Caribbean’s ships through ramps, elevators, or lifts.

Use a travel agent, especially one familiar with accessible travel

Ken advises that other seniors use travel insurance and a travel advisor for their cruises.

Buying travel insurance can help reimburse you for the cost of expensive equipment damaged while traveling, or help you provide for other necessities in the case of a delay.

Many travel insurance policies also add emergency medical reimbursement, a great reassurance for seniors worried about their health.

travel agent

Using a travel agent can help take some of the stress out of cruising. Good travel agents come at no extra cost to you and can provide their expertise and knowledge to help you get the best experience possible with no extra costs.

Especially important would be finding a travel agent familiar with accessible travel, or who can put the client in touch with someone more familiar.

Ken consults with advisors from eCruisenet.com, longtime friends of his who weren’t well-versed in accessible travel at first but are becoming more in tune with it the longer they work together.

Using a small or folding scooter helps with getting through cabin doorways

What kind of cabin do you need to book if you’re bringing along a scooter or wheelchair?

The answer depends on the size of your mobility aid. 

Smaller scooters may fit through standard cabin doorways, while larger models require the extra space provided in accessible cabins.

Standard stateroom doorways span at least 23 inches wide, while accessible staterooms have wide doors at least 32 inches wide.

interior-accessible-symphony-door-view

Since Ken doesn’t need his scooter when inside the cabin, he purchased a folding scooter so that he can stay in a non-accessible stateroom.

“To make accessible cabins available to those who really need them, I made a conscious decision to find a scooter that would help me to that end,” he says. 

Accessible cabins are few and far between on cruise ships.

For example, the new Icon of the Seas has 2,805 staterooms overall, 50 of which are accessible cabins in 10 separate categories. 

bathroom-accessible-interior-symphony

That means that just over 1.7% of the staterooms on this brand-new cruise ship are designated as accessible.

“I would love to see the cruise lines build more accessible cabins,” Ken shares.

So if you're worried about being able to get assigned to an accessible cabin, bringing a smaller or a folding scooter is a smart choice.

Select a longer cruise to try everything onboard

activities on Mariner of the Seas

Ken believes that “the ship is the destination.”

He recommends that fellow seniors pick and choose what activities they’d like to do and take advantage of the many food venues.

“You do not need to do everything the ship has to offer [but] there is no reason to go hungry.”

NCL star

Cruise ships are loaded with onboard activities that cater to all interests and types. You can join trivia games, watch stunning shows, gamble at the casino, sunbathe by the pool, or join live dance lessons. 

There’s something for everyone, no matter your level of activity. 

Ken says that he tells everyone to try a 5 up to 7-Night cruise for their first cruise: “The 3 and 4-Night cruises tend to be ‘party boats.’”

Since you only unpack once—and cruises often have food, activities, and entertainment included in the cost—it makes sense to try everything possible and choose a longer cruise to take full advantage of the opportunities. 

A cruise sailing has the perfect, relaxing accessible vacation for all ages, you just have to select the right cruise and activities. 

Read more: Cruising over 60? Here are the top 10 reasons you should give it a try

Driving to your cruise port is easier than flying

When Ken first started cruising, he lived in Pittsburgh and preferred to drive to Bayonne or Baltimore for cruising.

This allowed him to not have to worry about any weight limits on baggage, ensuring he could bring his scooter and all necessary items in the car. 

Luggage in the terminal waiting to be picked up

When getting onboard a cruise ship, there are very few weight restrictions, contrasting the strict rules for what you can carry onto a plane.

He also doesn’t have to worry about any damage to the scooter when driving. 

Unfortunately, airlines are infamous for poorly treating people’s wheelchairs or scooters, and you’d never want such an expensive item damaged!

Look closely to find enjoyable excursions on port days

Food at a Bahamas resort

Exploring new destinations is a major highlight of cruising, so how can you find accommodating tours? 

It’s not impossible, but you will have to plan ahead carefully.

The ship’s ramps allow for people with scooters or wheelchairs to exit and immediately access a local tourist area, usually full of restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops.

If you’re looking for actual excursions as well, many cruise lines do offer guided tours for seniors, such as short walking tours. 

For example, Ken enjoyed touring the White Pass Railroad in Alaska.

He also likes to rent cabanas to sit in and relax, such as on Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Read more: Comparing Royal Caribbean's Private Islands: CocoCay & Labadee

“But,” he adds, “I am most happy to watch others be happy.”

5 mistakes I saw people making on my cruise last week

In:
06 Jan 2024

I spent 5-nights on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas and noticed some common cruise mistakes being committed that could have been easily avoided.

Mariner of the Seas docked at CocoCay

There are many mistakes to avoid on any cruise, and you don't have to be a cruise ship expert to know about them all.

Avoiding these mistakes will save you time, money, or sanity. No matter how big or small the savings, it all adds up.

After a day or two, I picked up on the mistakes I saw my fellow cruisers making, and I started to compile a list in my head. There may have been others, but these were the ones I observed.

Take this as a good reminder not to do any of these yourself when you set sail.

Not buying add-ons before the cruise

Freedom-Cruise-Planner

If you want to save a lot of money, be sure to pre-buy all the extras for your cruise in the weeks and months leading up to your sailing. 

There were staggering price differences if you bought it onboard versus before the cruise began.

Drink package price onboard

I saw on embarkation day the advertised rate for Royal Caribbean's unlimited drink package was priced at $100 per person, per day. 

Had it been purchased before the cruise began, it was around $69.99 per person, per day.  I think the higher price had it around $74.99 per day.

Floating cabanas

The floating cabanas at the Coco Beach Club had a big price drop before the cruise began to about $1800 for a rental for up to 8 guests. But onboard the ship, they were charging $4,000.

Royal Caribbean offers pre-cruise discounts on most of its popular cruise add-ons. You can always cancel and rebook it if there's a price drop.

Don't wait to book these onboard the ship, because you'll only pay more for it.

Not applying sunscreen

I'm not sure if it was because January isn't a very hot month in the Caribbean, but I saw so many people walking back onto the ship after a fun day in Cozumel, Mexico completely sunburned.

Forgetting to apply sunscreen or re-apply it is one of the quickest ways to a miserable day or two as your body heals.

cococay slide

During our visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay, we had clouds for some of the day, but the sun came out later. I think the clouds may have given some people the false sense of security that they couldn't get sunburned.

It's true that clouds do block some UV light. But more than 90% of the sun's UV radiation can still pass through clouds on lightly overcast days.

When you're at the beach, pool, or walking around outdoors in the Caribbean, you need to get into the habit of remembering to apply sunscreen every couple of hours. It's annoying to have to stop what you're doing to do it, but the discomfort from a bad sunburn is worth taking a couple of minutes to do it.

Being rude to crew members

Windjammer table

This mistake infuriates me for the sheer lack of respect, but some passengers seem to think the rules don't apply to them.

While in the Windjammer a guest was stopped by a crew member because he had come from the pool deck and was not wearing shoes.

The crew member told him he had to wear shoes in order to go into the restaurant. He responded that no one had told him that the other day when he did the same thing, and then proceeded to walk past the crew member and ignoring their instruction.

There are rules in place for a reason, but more importantly, you don't get to pick and choose when you want to adhere to instructions given to you by crew members.

The crew members work hard to ensure everyone has a great (and safe) cruise. Always be respectful to them.

Forgetting their SeaPass card on disembarkation day

Mariner of the Seas in terminal 5

As I was walking off Mariner of the Seas, I witnessed two different cruise mistakes within about 10 minutes.

The first was the family that held up the entire disembarkation process because they didn't bring their SeaPass cards with them to leave the ship.

Seapass card

When it's your time to disembark the ship, you'll need your SeaPass card to leave. It's how Royal Caribbean knows you've left the ship.

If you don't have it, then the ship's security team needs to look you up manually and that slows down everyone.

Be sure to also have your travel documents for later when you go through customs.

Disembarking before luggage number called

Luggage in the terminal waiting to be picked up

Royal Caribbean assigns each passenger a luggage tag number so that if you left your luggage on the ship to be delivered to the cruise terminal on the final morning, it's there waiting for you.

However, every cruise there's a handful of passengers I see standing around the luggage area waiting for their bags, because they disembarked too early.

For these people, they'll have to wait for all the bags in their number to be delivered and called for them to be able to grab their bags.

You're much better off waiting onboard the ship for your number to called so you can avoid standing around the terminal for no reason later.

More cruise tips & tricks:

Caribbean tourist traps to avoid on a cruise

In:
23 Nov 2023

One of the biggest draws to taking a cruise is having the opportunity to visit beautiful destinations around the world. If you cruise often with Royal Caribbean, you’ll likely find yourself sailing frequently to the Caribbean (as the namesake suggests). On the flip side, one downside of cruising is that the destinations you visit could be quite touristy, especially if it’s a busy cruise port.

There is a fine line between being a tourist and getting roped into a tourist trap. By definition, a tourist trap aims to attract tourists and their money by offering overpriced experiences, services, souvenirs, food or entertainment.

Most often, tourist traps feel like a waste of your time and money. These are usually crowded with other tourists who were roped into the same overrated experience. In the end, you’ll feel disappointed and conned by tourist traps - and unfortunately, there are plenty of tourist traps to avoid in the Caribbean.

When taking a cruise, you have the option to book an excursion through the cruise line or explore independently. While there are some choices better than others, no one wants to feel like they were scammed by a tourist trap. 

Here is our list of tourist traps to avoid in the Caribbean.

Señor Frogs

If there is one bar you should avoid throughout your Caribbean cruises, it’s Señor Frogs. These bars are conveniently located right next to the cruise port where you disembark the ship. Señor Frogs has mastered the art of the tourist trap thanks to its strategic placement at each cruise port. 

Unfortunately, Señor Frogs is a huge tourist trap around the Caribbean - regardless of which port you’re docked in.

Most are roped into Señor Frogs by the party ambiance, along with fun drinks, loud music and vibrant decor. The promise of a party vibe is the biggest selling point. What you’ll find is a crowded bar with overpriced drinks and mediocre food. Unsurprisingly, Señor Frogs serves low-quality alcohol with the hopes of getting tourists drunk enough that they’ll continue purchasing overpriced drinks. 

Señor Frogs also relies of gimmicky marketing, balloon animals and crazy hats to rope in cruise ship passengers. Honestly, you’re probably better off purchasing drinks in port elsewhere or even onboard your cruise. There are plenty of other great bars to party at throughout the Caribbean with authentic cuisine and reasonably priced drinks. 

Costa Maya Port

One of the absolute worst tourist traps in the Caribbean can be found at the Costa Maya cruise port. If you walk off your cruise in Costa Maya, you’ll find yourself navigating a maze of shops with sellers hounding you to come into their shops. 

After walking through some initial shops, you’ll reach the main center of the cruise port, which is surrounded by even more shops. In fact, you cannot simply exit the Costa Maya cruise port without wandering through the maze of shops. You’ll need to turn on blinders to exit the port area without going into any shops. 

If your ship is docked with other cruise ships in port at the same time, you can expect the port area to become extremely congested. 

The cruise port of Costa Maya also features a large pool, which is free to use. However, you’ll be approached to visit nearby shops and bars during your time there. You can also find animal encounters, such as swimming with dolphins, in the Costa Maya port area. As you can imagine, this experience is also a tourist trap and will cost you hundreds of dollars.

Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas

One of the most popular Caribbean destinations in the world is the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. This massive resort is ocean-themed and located on Paradise Island and spans across 171 acres. Essentially, the resort is famous for being famous.

If your cruise ship docks in Nassau, you’ll see many excursions to Atlantis offered. As such, prices to visit Atlantis for cruise ship passengers have skyrocketed in recent years. Considering you won’t have more than a few hours at the resort when visiting on a cruise ship, it’s tough to justify the price.

For example, Royal Caribbean offers a shore excursion to Atlantis to swim with dolphins and visit the waterpark for $465 per person! This only includes 6 hours at the resort, costing you about $77 per hour for each person to visit Atlantis.

While this is not a traditional tourist trap, the cost to visit Atlantis for only 6 hours is astronomical. Your time and money is better spent at a different resort in Nassau.

Diamond’s International

Similar to Señor Frogs, the strategic placement for Diamond’s International at every Caribbean port should be a red flag. While purchasing affordable jewelry in the Caribbean is a common practice, Diamond’s International is one tourist trap you should rethink visiting. 

To start, Diamond’s International is likely receiving a financial kickback from the cruise lines. This is why you will see many advertisements throughout your cruise encouraging you to step inside to look at the jewelry. Diamond’s International also offers cruisers a free charm to get you in the door as a marketing tactic. You can collect the charms - which are cheaply made - throughout Diamond’s International locations with a punch card. 

Although some might have good experiences, many consider Diamond’s International to be a tourist trap. Be sure to do your due diligence with research if you choose to shop inside these stores during your cruise. 

Hell in Grand Cayman

Perhaps the poster child for tourist traps, you’ll find "Hell" in Grand Cayman. This interesting rock formation is made from limestone rocks eaten away by algae, giving it a volcanic appearance. Legend has it that the name "Hell” evolved long ago from an early British Commissioner touring the island, who apparently exclaimed the formation reminded him of what hell must look like. 

Regardless, Hell in Grand Cayman is a tourist trap. The small rock formation might be interesting, but the entire appeal comes from the notion that you can say, “I went to hell!”

The country built an entire attraction around the rock formation with platforms and shops to visit. Even on the Grand Cayman Department of Tourism website, it states, “In the Cayman Islands, tourists can go to Hell. This uniquely named attraction is located in the district of West Bay on Grand Cayman.”

Many tours will stop at Hell in Grand Cayman, but it’s certainly not a site that you need to go out of your way to visit.

Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica

Located in Ocho Rios, Dunn’s River Falls has been a top attraction for visitors and cruisers alike. Dunn’s River Falls is a large waterfall that allows you to climb around thanks to its naturally terraced rocks. There are natural pools of water with the river ending at the beach with views of the sea. 

While it seems like a great place to visit, you’ll be surrounded by tons of tourists and other cruisers. The Dunn’s River Falls has been around for many years, but the attraction is now littered with tourists everywhere. If you’re taking an excursion through the cruise line, you can expect dozens of other tours visiting at the same time. You even need to form a human chain to navigate the falls with your guide to ensure your group stays together. 

There’s no chance you’ll get a decent picture on the falls without hundreds of other tourists in the background. As with any tourist trap, you’ll have to navigate a gift shop and market.

Key West Southernmost Point

While Key West does not have as much cruise ship traffic as other destinations, the island is the southernmost point in the continental United States. If you make your way to the southern side of the island, you’ll find the famous monument stating, “Southernmost Point Continental U.S.A."

This tourist trap might not be soliciting your money, but it is wasting your time. There is always a line to take pictures with this monument sign. Because Key West is usually hot and humid, you can expect to be drenched in sweat waiting in line. When visiting this tourist trap back in February, I was frustrated to see so many people cutting around the line to take pictures with the sign. 

If you’re nearby the sign and there is no line for a picture, it is a fun memory to have. However, it’s not really worth your time to wait in a long line to snap a picture with it.  

Honorable Mention: Maho Beach in St. Maarten

While this might be controversial, some could argue that Maho Beach in St. Maarten is a tourist trap. The St. Maarten airport is located on the edge of the island with a strip of beach right at the end of the runway. As such, you can sit on the beach and watch the planes land incredibly close to the ground. 

Maho Beach is certainly unique, as its best known as the "Airport Beach." For most cruisers, this would be a one and done kind of experience. The beach itself is nothing special and somewhat small, so it gets crowded quickly. There is one bar nearby that has food and drinks available, but that also becomes quite busy as the day goes on.

However, if you are an aviation geek (like my husband) then this is a worthwhile experience. My husband had Maho Beach on his bucket-list for many years and absolutely loved visiting. You can track when the most exciting planes are landing to ensure your time is worthwhile. However, the others in our group (who were not aviation geeks) were underwhelmed and ready to leave after an hour or two. 

Honorable Mention: Stingray City in Grand Cayman

Another popular stop in Grand Cayman is Stingray City, which is an area filled with shallow sandbars. Visitors can take a quick 25-minute boat ride to swim, pet and interact with stingrays. The area has become known as "Stingray City" and many excursions will take cruisers out to the sandbar to interact with the stingrays.

In my opinion, this is a one and done type of experience. Stingray City can become very crowded with the boats on the sandbar, which can create a hectic experience. Not to mention, stingrays can be dangerous if you accidentally touch them the wrong way or happen to step on one in the sand. 

Some find Stingray City to be underwhelming and overcrowded. This means you won’t get much time with the rays, as other boats will be competing for time with the animals too. 

You'll save money on Royal Caribbean's WiFi internet with this trick

In:
11 Nov 2023

You can buy Royal Caribbean WiFi for your Royal Caribbean cruise, but there's a way to save money if you need it for more than one person.

By pre-purchasing internet access, Royal Caribbean discounts the price on its WiFi packages, but we've noticed a discrepancy in the pricing structure that could save you up to $125.

This trick assumes two things: you are pre-purchasing internet before the cruise, and you need internet for more than one person.

Buying it onboard or for just yourself doesn't work for this trick.

Wifi internet

Instead of buying a one device internet plan for each person, buy a multi-device plan for one person to share with others.

When you do the math, it becomes very apparent that there's a big discount right now from Royal Caribbean's Black Friday sale on multi device plans. Keep in mind this trick may only work while Royal Caribbean's Black Friday offer is active, so act quickly.

When you select who you want to buy a WiFi package for, instead of selecting a one device plan for each person in your group, choose up to a 4 device plan for one person.

Here's a look at the cost savings on an upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas:

Two devices

$104.97 for a two device plan vs $125.94 for two one device plans

Three devices

$119.97 for a three device plan vs $188.91

Four devices

$125.97 for a four device plan vs $251.88

WIfi prices
Wifi prices

With the four device plan, you can net 55% off, which is the maximum discount.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader NoobCruise posted about this topic and couldn't believe the cost savings, "If I add the three people on my cruise I will get charged $300+, but if I just sign myself up for wifi and get 3 devices it much cheaper. Why would anyone do it the other way?"

The only downside to sharing an internet package with someone else is remembering to log out of a device so that the next device can log in.  With multi-device plans, it can be confusing which devices are logged in or accidently kicking someone out.

In my opinion, it's a minor issue to deal with in exchange for big savings.

Can you share an internet package?

man using Wifi

You might be concerned about sharing an internet package with someone else, but this is allowed under Royal Caribbean's rules.

Internet packages can be shared because they are limited to a certain amount of devices at one time.

With any internet package, after the device limit is reached, a message appears to indicate you need to log out of the other device or force a log out.

Device limit

Royal Caribbean's drink packages, however, do not allow sharing with other passengers, and this is likely where the assumption that the internet package cannot be shared.

Drink packages don't have a daily limit, whereas the WiFi package has a limit so it cannot be abused.

How to switch devices with a WiFi package

Freedom of the Seas bow

It's very easy to swap devices on your cruise ship.

Once you get onboard the ship, the purchase is preloaded, which means there's no special code to activate it.  Connect to Royal Caribean's WiFi and proceed through the menu to create an account.

App wifi

Sign in under the passenger that purchased the multi device account. When you do, you'll see a pre-purchased device plan option that you can activate.  You'll know it's the correct one when there's a $0.00 charge at the bottom.

Pick a username and password and that's it.

Then, give the username and password to anyone that needs to have access.

Wifi on the balcony

The easiest way to sign out of a device is to open a web browser and go to logoff.com and that should let you know that device is now disconnected from the plan.

You can use an unlimited amount of devices throughout your cruise, but only the amount your plan allows for at one time.

Can I still save if I already bought a WiFi package?

Woman holding iPhone

Yes! You can always cancel any Cruise Planner purchase without any penalty, as long as you do it before the cruise begins.

To cancel your original purchase, go into the Cruise Planner and then select Order History from the menu.

Order history

Find the purchase you made and click cancel. The refund should come back to your credit card within a few business days.  

Any onboard credit you used for the original purchase will be refunded instantly so you can use it again.

You can then immediately go back and order the internet package using this trick to save the money.

7 best Canada and New England cruise tips

In:
28 Oct 2023

While a Canada and New England cruise might not be the most sought-after cruise itinerary, it's worth trying at least once.

Lighthouse

The chance to see quaint towns, enjoy terrific seafood, and take in nature's beauty without the Caribbean heat are at the heart of why many try a cruise going north.

Royal Caribbean offers cruises to Canada and New England each year in the summer and early fall.  Cruises sail from New York, Boston, and sometimes Quebec or Baltimore. There are short and long cruises, and it's an important segment of Royal Caribbean's Northeast itineraries.

The appeal of vibrant fall foliage, watching excursions and lobster bakes draw many to these cruises.

Serenade of the Seas

If you're ready to try one, here are seven Canada and New England cruise tips to ensure you have a great time!

You can't plan for the weather

Cadillac Mountain

No matter which week or itinerary you pick, you'll be playing a guessing game as to what to expect when you go.

Between hurricane season and the transition between spring, summer, and fall, it could be hot, cold, rainy, or sunny. It's very similar to how difficult it is to plan around Alaska weather.

Unlike a Caribbean cruise that is going to be hot and probably sunny, one week in Canada can have very different weather to the next one.

Sunrise in Canada

What you will want to do when getting ready to pack for your cruise is keep track on the forecast, and try to see what the predictions are in the days leading up to your sailing.

Rain is probable, but it could just as likely be sunny. Make sure you bring rain gear, and even a pair of shorts.

It's also a good idea to pack fleece jackets or light sweaters you can easily take off or put back on.  Parkas or heavy jackets aren't necessary.

You dock very close to all the activities

Serenade of the Seas in Sydney

It can be surprising how close your ship docks to the towns you visit on a Canada & New England cruise.

In most towns, you will dock downtown and be able to walk right into town and explore. This is different than many ports in the Caribbean or Europe, where ships dock far away.

This means you can easily do things quicker and without much transit time. 

Bar Harbor

While Royal Caribbean offers tours to many of the popular activities, you can easily find excursions to do on your own. In fact, Hop-on Hop-off buses visit places like the summit of Cadillac Mountain or the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.

Acadia National Park is just 1.3 miles from Bar Harbor, and you can walk along the Halifax waterfront.

You'll find towns very walkable and easy to explore on your own, so don't assume you need to have a shore excursion booked in order to get to the most popular activities.

The longer cruises are worth the time

Halifax cruise terminal

Royal Caribbean offers Canada & New England cruises of various lengths, but you really should try to pick a longer sailing.

While the 4-night and 5-night cruises are cheap and easy to hop on, they usually visit just one or two ports and it may leave you feeling disappointed that you didn't get the full experience.

By picking a 7-night or longer Canada & New England, you'll get to visit ports in both Maine and Canada, and have access to more of the must-see sights this region is known for.

If you really want the best one-and-done itinerary, try an open-jaw sailing between Quebec and New York that visits ports throughout Northeast Canada and Maine.

Not everyone can make a week-long cruise work scheduling wise, but if you are teetering on which cruise to book, opt for the longer one.

Early summer advantage

Halifax harbor

By taking an early or mid summer cruise, you will find very comfortable temperatures on your cruise.

Cruises in June, July, and August will be comfortable out and that means you'll want to spend more time outdoors at lobster and clam bakes, whale watching, or sightseeing on the ocean.

August is likely the warmest month of the Canada and New England cruise season, with it being ideal for beach visits and pool time onboard.

Jewel of the Seas in Portland

The disadvantage of summer is it's the peak part of the season, and there will be multiple cruise ships in each port along with plenty of land tourists to contend with.

In addition, there's no fall leaf colors to see in summer.

If you prefer warmer temperatures over anything else, the summer is the way to go.

Fall foliage in late season

Fall foliage in Maine

The opportunity to see the beautiful fall foliage is reason enough to book a Canada & New England cruise.

You'll need to book a cruise in September or October to enjoy the autumn feel and colors of the leaves. It's nearly impossible to know precisely when the leaves will be at their peak when you book a cruise a year in advance, but it won't be earlier than September.

Fall leaves

Depending on how much rain the region gets, along with how hot summer is, will determine when the leaves start changing. You risk going when the leaves haven't changed yet or get there after they're mostly on the ground.

The best month for leaf peeping is October, although you're more likely to encounter colder temperatures and rain.

Lobster is a must-eat

Lobster

Maine and the Maritime Provinces are the capital of sourcing lobster, and it's why you need to eat lobster on this cruise.

Many restaurants serve lobster rolls, broiled lobster, and bakes. If you remotely like to eat lobster, you need to go out of your way to eat some on this cruise.

If you're in Bar Harbor and other ports in Maine, order a lobster roll. Blueberry pie is also popular in this region.

Lobster roll

Chowder is what you'll want to order in Boston, and Digby scallops are a great choice in Halifax.

If you love beer, there are so many great local brews you can try. Nearly every restaurant you go to will have a selection of local craft beers, so I recommend branching out and asking for what's local on tap.

Skip Peggy's Cove

Peggy's Cove

I know this sounds crazy, but despite being an iconic symbol of the region, you're better off skipping Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia.

I'm sure some will take umbrage with this tip, but the problem with Peggy's Cove is it gets overrun with tourists and it will take you about an hour to get there from Halifax. It's really more of a scenic stop, than a destination.

Lunenburg

Lunenburg is a great place to explore while your ship is in Halifax. It's downtown is a UNESCO world heritage site. There's a fish market that overlooks the harbor has a great seafood.

Before you skip Halifax completely, make sure you explore the waterfront. It's a lovely boardwalk with shops, restaurants, and lovely views.  And you can walk there from your cruise ship, so no need to book anything special.

The simple trick to avoid thousands of dollars in cellphone charges on a cruise ship

In:
19 Oct 2023

Anyone can make a mistake on a cruise, but no one wants to make a mistake that could cost them thousands of dollars.

Freedom of the Seas sailing away from Miami

A costly mistake has a deeper effect than simply a lesson learned, and it can truly ruin your vacation.

There was a news story recently in the UK where a woman went on a Caribbean cruise and left her cell phone's antenna on, and it racked up some serious charges.

She was unaware that using her phone normally on a cruise ship shot up her monthly phone bill from £35 to £1186.59!

Why was her bill so high? Her phone was outside of its normal cellular network, and when you try to use a cell phone for calls, data, or texting on someone else's network, you incur crazy high rates.

Many cellular plans (even international plans) do not include calls, texts, or data on cruise ships and they will charge you extremely high roaming rates for such services that will show up weeks later on your phone bill.

Data usage is especially troublesome because smart phones will use data even when you are not actively using your phone.  Phones will continuously check for updates or notifications, as well as run app updates in the background.  All of this uses data, and that can drive up your bill without you even using the device.

Woman holding iPhone

In the case of this British woman, she was able to negotiate with the phone carrier to drop the price by half, but that's still many hundreds extra in fees that could have been avoided.

If that sounds like scary, the good news is you can protect yourself from running into a giant cell phone bill with a very simple trick.

Airplane mode

Airplane mode

Every cell phone has a feature that prevents the phone from using its antenna, but you need to remember to activate it.

There's a feature on every phone to put your phone into airplane mode, which disables your antenna until you re-enable it. 

As the name implies, it was designed for use while on an airplane but works just as well on a cruise ship. 

Sail away crowd

Your best bet is to get on the ship and before sail away, use your phone to let anyone know what's going on and then turn on airplane mode.  Keep it in airplane mode until you return home.

By keeping your phone in airplane mode, your phone cannot join any cellular networks and will not get you a giant bill later.

Don't worry, you can still use Wi-Fi while your phone is in airplane mode, which means you can connect to the ship's Wi-Fi or use a Wi-Fi hotspot in one of the ports of call you visit. This includes iMessage.

Some cruisers will tell you to turn data roaming off as a feature in your phone, but that requires a bit more digging into your phone settings and isn't as simple to enable or re-enable as airplane mode.  

Read more40 Best Royal Caribbean tips, tricks & hidden secrets

How to turn on airplane mode on with an iPhone

Example of airplane mode

The easiest way to turn on airplane mode with an iPhone is to swipe up.

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to bring up Control Center. Then tap the airplane mode button, which looks like an airplane.

To turn it off later, just follow the same steps and click the airplane button again.

If you want to enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while your phone is in airplane mode, just swipe up from the bottom once again. Tap the Wi-Fi button to enable Wi-Fi or the Bluetooth button to enable Bluetooth.

How to turn airplane mode on with an Android

Android phone

If you have an Android device, the easiest way to activate airplane mode is similar to an iPhone.

Swipe down from the top of your home screen and then click the airplane mode button, which looks like an airplane.

You can still make calls with Wi-Fi calling

What if you want to be able to call and text friends and family, but don't want a giant bill?

The best strategy is to buy a Royal Caribbean Voom Wi-Fi package for your cruise and then use a feature known as Wi-Fi calling.

With an internet package for your cruise, you could rely purely on data and call with Facetime, Whatsapp, Facebook messenger or some other messaging app.

Read moreRoyal Caribbean WiFi: Guide to Internet at sea

Using a phone

If you need to make a "real" phone call, make sure Wi-Fi calling is enabled on your phone.

Wi-Fi calling is a feature nearly every cellular carrier provides that allows the phone to use Wi-Fi data instead of a cellular signal to place the call. This is useful in areas where there's bad cell coverage on land too!

The important thing is to activate Wi-Fi calling before your cruise while you're still at home.  There's no cost to use Wi-Fi calling, but it's a setting in your phone you need to activate.

Depending on your device and cellular carrier, the instructions will vary. Here are some instructions for the major carriers, but you can always do an internet search for your carrier:

Your cellular provider might sell a cruise ship specific cell plan, but I don't recommend them because they are expensive and perform poorly.  A cruise ship Wi-Fi package will probably work better, be cheaper, and has no limit.

Don't forget about Royal Caribbean's free chat feature

Chat feature in app

If you don't want to pay for a Wi-Fi package but still want to be able to communicate with people on your ship during the voyage, there's a free alternative.

The Royal Caribbean app has a chat feature that is free to use.

Read moreRoyal Caribbean app walkthrough and tips

You just need to have the Royal Caribbean app downloaded and installed on your phone before the cruise. Then once onboard, connect to the Wi-Fi and select the option to just use the app.

RC app

While not as full featured as other messaging apps, it's free to use and works well enough for communicating with someone else on the ship that has the app too.

Of course, it wont work for messaging anyone not on the ship.

I tried some of the best strategies to beat the chair hogs on my cruise. Here's how it went

In:
18 Sep 2023

Spending time at the pool on a cruise is a very popular thing to do on a cruise, but how can you ensure you get a seat?

Getting to spend time by the water—whether at beaches, pools, or hot tubs—is always a highlight of cruising.

Royal Caribbean makes an effort to maintain clean and efficient pool areas, having multiple pools and hot tubs on a ship.

However, many cruisers complain about the epidemic of chair hogs at these pool locations.

Wonder of the Seas pool deck

Chair hogs often reverse a poolside chair for hours or even a whole day, leaving their items in one spot so no one else can use it.

They claim one or more lounge chairs by placing their belongings on them and then vanish for hours without actually using the chairs.

Pool on Wonder of the Seas

This behavior disadvantages other cruisers, but instead of complaining about the issue, we’ve decided to use a more practical approach and find a solution. 

We recently wrote up a few solutions to beat the chair hogs on your next cruise.

On my most recent cruise on Wonder of the Seas, I decided to put these solutions to the test.

Here are our six tips and how they worked out for me.

Get up early

In this tip, we recommend that you wake up before 10:00 a.m If you’re able to wake up and have an early breakfast, you can usually stake a claim close to the pool.

I myself am a morning person, so I didn’t have a problem waking up around 8:00 most days.

When I felt like going to the pool in the morning, I would grab breakfast at the Windjammer and head straight to the pool deck.

On these early mornings, I noticed plenty of empty seats. I also found that the outdoor pool deck was the best place to be during this time of day.

The sun wasn’t too hot, and the pool itself wasn’t yet crowded. 

As the time gets closer to midday, you’ll find that the deck starts to fill up with people. Events like live music start playing at noon or 1:00, so cruisers start parading in to join the party.

It also gets very hot and sunny, so if you’re not planning on staying in the water, it might be best to find another place to sit.

On the other hand, the pools will quiet down again after 4:00 P.M. I also enjoyed a few sunset dips with plenty of pool and chair space.

If you’re looking to grab a good seat, just be sure to avoid the midday rush.

Rent a casita

I chose not to follow this tip due to the extra cost involved. 

Casitas are poolside huts with shade and cushions available. They are located on the decks of Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, and Navigator of the Seas. 

The cost of a casita currently runs at about $199 on a sea day and $149 on a port day. 

This price does include two chairs, free towels, a cooler, storage for your belongings, and a charging outlet. They also come with two complimentary Welcome drinks and four chilled waters.

Even though it took a little extra effort, I was still able to find open chairs on the pool deck without spending any more money. Because of that, I didn’t see the need to open my wallet to find a spot near the pool.

It seems other cruisers felt this way, too, because I only ever saw one couple using a casita during the times I visited the pool decks.

Hit the pool on port days

In my personal experience, this tip stood out as the most helpful. 

In order to find quality chairs close to the pool, you can strategically plan your pool time around other onboard events.

On days when the ship was at sea, the ship’s pool area quickly became a bustling hub of activity, particularly at midday. Adults and children alike would be running around, enjoying the water activities and live music.

In contrast, the pool became quiet and empty on days when the ship was docked at a port.

I discovered that I could walk around—even at noontime—and find a number of chairs available at multiple locations.

However, this tip does take a little more finesse, as you’ll also want to take advantage of time at the local ports!

I recommend setting a few hours aside in the day to enjoy the serene pool deck.

Get a chair away from the pool

On days I didn’t feel like swimming, finding a chair further away from the pool was easy.

The Solarium became my favorite place to relax. I found it to be the quietest pool area and enjoyed the adults-only, shaded atmosphere.

While the multiple pools and hot tubs still got crowded on the Solarium, there were many chairs available. Even if I couldn’t always get a spot close to the pool, I could usually find a spot to sit down and read.

Either way, I was able to grab a drink, relax in the sunshine, and enjoy the beautiful scene.

Look for a chair at the kid's pool

Every cruise has a different demographic, but my Wonder of the Seas cruise seemed to have a lot of children.

In my experience, the chairs near the kid's pool filled up the fastest or were crowded up with children’s towels and toys.

In addition to that, I found that the kid's park was noisier than other areas. It didn’t have as relaxing an atmosphere as the other pools or the adults-only Solarium. 

Book a suite

Since I was staying in an inside cabin on this cruise, I couldn't take advantage of this tip, but staying in a suite is one way to circumvent chair hogs.

Booking a Grand Suite or higher gets you access to reserved seating on the suite sun deck.

Suite sun deck plunge pool

Wonder of the Seas has a lovely suite area, complete with chairs, loungers, and plunge pool.

However, I don’t think spending any extra money is necessary just to get a chair by the pool.

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