Cruise vacations aren't necessarily cheap, especially on the new Royal Caribbean ships. 

Depending on when you sail, how many people are going with you, and the specific itinerary you select all contribute to driving up the cost of your cruise fare.

Then there's the price of food, which may increase your vacation budget. Royal Caribbean includes a lot of meals in your vacation, but there's the option to spend more too.

However, there are a few strategies to do Royal Caribbean on a budget and advice you can follow to keep some extra money in your pocket to spend on a fun shore excursion or even a new sailing.

Here are five Royal Caribbean food hacks that will save you money.

Bring a reusable water bottle

You're going to get thirsty on your cruise, even on sailings to not-so-warm destinations.  And if you're headed to the Caribbean, all that heat and humidity will drain you quickly.

You could spend money on buying water by the plastic bottle onboard, but there's an easier option. To save money, bring your own refillable water bottle instead.

There are water stations that cost nothing to use around your ship.  There's always one at Cafe Promenade/Cafe Latte-Tudes/Pearl Cafe that you can use.  

Royal Caribbean won't allow you to directly fill the water bottle, but you can easily use one of the plastic cups to transport it into your cup.

The top favorites among cruisers are the same ones you probably have seen at home: Stanley Cups, Yeti Cups, or Hydroflask are all excellent ideas. (Contains an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use). 

If you are bringing one of these cups, I've seen more and more cruisers also getting a water bottle holder with them so you don't have to hold it all the time. This makes taking it around the ship far more convenient.

Not only will bringing a reusable water bottle save you money on paying for water bottles, you will be able to stay hydrated a heck of a lot easier.

You can bring snacks from home

You won't go hungry on a Royal Caribbean ship because of how much is included in your cruise fare, but that doesn't mean your favorite snacks are offered.

It wasn't until I had kids that I saw the value in bringing snacks on my cruise.

It's so convenient to have the snacks my kids like in my cabin.  I'm talking Goldfish crackers, Pringles potato chips, toddler snacks, and more.

The rule is it just has to be a sealed snack bag, so unfortunately, you cannot bring leftovers or fruit with you onboard.

For adults, how about your favorite chocolates, protein bars, nuts, and other handy snacks you might like to have in your room?

One tip is to not bring those snacks off the ship with you.

Many countries have strict rules about taking food off the ship, so keep them to enjoy in your stateroom.

Look for wandering waiters trying to sell you a reservation

Specialty restaurants all cost extra, but there could be a way to enjoy them without paying full price.

This is a "YMMV" type hack, but if you ever spot a restaurant waiter walking around the Royal Promenade, Centrum or near the Windjammer and he or she is offering to make a reservation, you should be prepared with this question:

"Can I get a discount if I book with you right now?"

Their job is to drum up business for new restaurant bookings, so it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount.

They may offer you half off, a free bottle of wine, or some other money saving option.

Sometimes they need to call their manager to ask, but you won't know until you ask.

Typically, I see most of these waiters on embarkation day.  The first day of a cruise is usually the least busy at specialty restaurants, so keep an eye out for them.

Eat at lunch instead of dinner

Another specialty restaurant tip is to consider lunch to save money.

In some cases, the cost of lunch is cheaper than dinner and it's practically the same menu.

Plus, it’s usually less crowded then going for dinner.

A great example of this is Izumi Hibachi, where dinner costs $70 onboard the ship for dinner, but lunch costs $40.  It's the exact same menu and experience.

Giovanni's is usually cheaper too for lunch, and it's menu is nearly identical.  Ditto for Chops Grille or Hooked. 

The Mason Jar has a different brunch menu from dinner, but it's also cheaper for the former than the latter.

Skip dining packages

Don't assume you need a dining package to have great meals on your cruise.

From a pure money saving perspective, you'll find lots of good food in both the Main Dining Room or Windjammer buffet.

The Windjammer has a lot of international cuisine offered, including fabulous Indian options and even cooking stations.

If thou wants a great vacation, thou shalt follow the most important pieces of travel advice.

I'm asked every week for cruise advice when I host a YouTube live video every Monday night. It's an opportunity to give recommendations to specific situations, but there are certain truths that are applicable to just about everyone.

While some advice is going to vary on how effective or useful it is based on the person, there are a core set of travel guidelines I think everyone should follow because the consequences could be dire for your vacation.

The beauty of a cruise vacation is you don't have to plan a lot to have a great time. However, the more you do plan ahead, the better your experience will be overall and you'll probably save money too. Plus, you're far more likely to avoid common pitfalls.

In thinking about the breadth of cruise advice I can provide, I came up with the 10 most important cruise tips possible that apply to just about everyone. 

I hope these tips will save your sanity, reduce your vacation cost, and get you time back during your vacation.

1. Book your cruise early to get the lowest price

There are a lot of approaches to getting a better price on your cruise, but the one that seems to work the best is to book as early as you can.

Prices tend to go up over time, so if you can book a cruise a year or more in advance, you'll probably get a better price.

Cruise lines price their sailings based on a few factors, but how quickly a ship sells and the amount of remaining unsold cabins are among the top considerations. As more people book a cruise, there are less cabins left and the price goes up.

If you can book a cruise more than 12 months early, you'll be able to take advantage of a wider selection of cabins and competitive prices. 

There are last-minute cruise deals out there, but they rarely line up with the exact week you want to vacation. Worse yet, the choice of staterooms is likely going to be crummy.

For residents of the United States, Canada, Australia, and other select countries, you can re-price the cruise up until final payment date if there's a price drop.

2. Book your flight a day early and your flight home late

One of the worst mistakes you can make is to book your flight the same day your cruise begins.

You never want to fly the same day your cruise is scheduled to depart because a flight delay or cancellation means you could miss your cruise vacation, and there's no refund when you no-show for it.

Instead, fly in at least one day before the cruise begins. For international cruises, I'd bump that up to two or three days ahead of time.

Yes, coming in earlier means extra hotel and incidental costs, but it's better than risking your entire vacation on flights being on time.

There are horror stories of travelers who failed to heed this advice and ended up missing their cruise. It's something I unfortunately see all the time, and it's easily preventable.

3. Buy everything you need before the cruise begins, and re-price it along the way

There are lots of add-ons for a cruise, and you'll want to buy them all before it begins.

Instead of waiting to buy it on the ship, you should buy it before it begins on the Royal Caribbean app or website for two important reasons.

First, you'll save money because Royal Caribbean regularly discounts its offerings before the sailing.

There are sales and pre-cruise discounts offered on drink packages, shore excursions, wifi, and more. So book it when you know you need it and lock in the price.

The second reason to pre-book is if there is a new sale that lowers the price, you can always cancel and rebook it.

If you're thinking why not wait until closer to the cruise to actually book the add-on, the issue is prices can go up.  

By booking early and re-pricing later, you assure you always have the best price.

Moreover, some things will sell out before the cruise begins, such as shore excursions or dining packages.

4. Buy travel insurance for any cruise you take

I know travel insurance is an extra cost, but it's worth protecting your family vacation with it.

Insurance is super useful for many scenarios you never expect to run into, and then it's the best money you ever spent.

Travel insurance covers your medical needs, as well as travel delays, injuries, family obligations, and all sorts of reasons why you need to end your vacation early.

I've see too many situations where a family encountered bad luck and it could have made the issue better with travel insurance to back them up.

5. Do the entire online check-in

The last thing you want to do when you arrive at the cruise terminal on the first day is waste time instead of being on the ship.

Just like an airplane, you can complete the online check-in via the cruise line app to expedite the process when you arrive on embarkation day.

Royal Caribbean wants to get you on the ship as fast as possible, so they've enhanced the app to speed up boarding. 

If you take a few minutes at home to do all the check-in steps, you'll spend less time in the cruise terminal and get on the ship faster.

That means filling in all your personal information, scanning your passport, taking a selfie, and entering your credit card information.

6. Use a travel agent to book the cruise

Do you want to save money and time? Using a good travel agent is a must-do, in my opinion.

The value of a travel agent goes beyond booking the cruise, because anyone can do that.  It's the depth of experience they bring, and ability to find the lowest possible price that are why they're so useful.

While travel agents aren't as popular in other forms of travel as they used to be, they remain quite useful with cruises because a cruise vacation is such a personalized vacation.

There are many decisions related to fare types, cabin selection, discount, ship choice, and more. New cruisers can easily miss an important factor, while those that cruise a lot could benefit from wasting less of their own time going back and forth with the cruise line.

If you've tried a travel agent but didn't like that, that just means you haven't found the right one yet.  It's like a good restaurant, you can't give up eating out completely because you went to one bad restaurant.

Ask friends and family which travel agents they use and recommend, and work with one.

7. Pick your ship based on what you want to do

Too many cruisers pick a cruise based on it being the newest, biggest, or cheapest, without realizing they're picking the wrong ship for them.

There isn't an inherently bad Royal Caribbean ship to sail on, but there might be a better ship for your family.

Every cruise ship is not the same, and they don't all include the same activities, dining choices, or things to do onboard.

So what you want to do is research what the ship has to do, and what it doesn't have, and then pick one based on your needs.

When you chase the lowest price and end up on a small, old ship, it's not going to have many restaurants and very few top deck attractions.

Likewise, the newest ship is going enormous and sail to places you might not care about.

I can't tell you how many times I hear someone was disappointed in a cruise ship because it didn't measure up to the one they expected or sailed on previously. Having the right expectations is important.

8. Find and book excursions before the cruise begins

There are going to be dozens of things to do in any port your ship visits, and it's so much easier to find the right one when you research it from home.

The destinations a cruise go to are among the top reasons anyone books a cruise vacation. With only a few hours in each port, that leaves little wiggle room for disappointment.

My advice is take some time and look up ideas for what to do, and the right tour operator. You can book shore excursions with Royal Caribbean or with a third-party company. There are advantages to both, but you need to do your homework.

9. If your ship allows you to pre-book entertainment, do it

On Royal Caribbean's biggest cruise ships, you'll be able to book tickets to the shows onboard and you really should do it as soon as possible.

There is limited capacity for these shows, and no cost to pre-book, so you'll want to do so.  Usually entertainment opens up about 30 days before a cruise begins, and it's only available on the Oasis, Icon, and Quantum Class ships.

If you're sailing on other classes of ships, you can't and don't need to book entertainment.

Reservations will sell out, but don't let that stop you from going anyway. There's a standby line for each show, and you can usually get in if you arrive at least 30 minutes before the show begins.  Moreover, there can be additional tickets you can book once you get on the ship and connect to the ship's WiFi and then open up the Royal Caribbean app.

10. Be flexible

You can follow every commandment so far and still run into a problem or unexpected issue during your cruise, so it's critical to be flexible.

The spontaneity of a vacation is part of it's appeal, but it's also why sometimes things don't go as planned. 

The key is roll with the punches and not let an issue ruin the rest of your trip.

You'll want to mitigate the problem and speak to a crew member to help, depending on the severity of it.  

But if it's out of your hands, like bad weather, choosing the wrong tour, or wasting money on something onboard, you should chalk it up to bad luck and move on. Grab a drink, sleep it off, or laugh about it and try to make the rest of the trip better.

I've run into very frustrating experiences over the years while I've cruised, but I've made an effort to never let it get to me and become a major disaster. 

A sea day on a cruise ship is one of the best things about going on a cruise because of how many choices you have in spending your day, but I've seen far too many passengers mess it up with the wrong approach.

Most cruises have at least one sea day where the ship makes its way to the next port, but spends the day out on the ocean.

I used to hate sea days when I first started cruising because I wasn't properly taking advantage of them.  It's a great opportunity to experience everything Royal Caribbean ships have to offer, and that's important when you sail on a ship like Wonder of the Seas or Icon of the Seas that has so many things to do.

Ultimately, it's your choice what the best use of your time is, but I think passengers miss out on benefiting the most from their sea day when they do certain things.

There isn't necessarily right or wrong things to do, but I'd recommend not making these mistakes.

Not checking the weather forecast

Forget everything else in this article, if there's going to rainy or cold (or both) on a sea day, that will greatly impact your plans.

At some point the evening before your sea day, you'll want to look up the weather forecast for the day.

If you bought the internet package, you can check a host of apps that work well for this. The Windy app allows you to tap wherever in the ocean and it’ll tell you the forecast.

The easiest way to get the forecast for "the middle of the ocean" is to look at the digital Cruise Compass.

Each day there's a new Cruise Compass available to view, even if you don't have a WiFi package.  It lists the forecast on the first page.

Overlooking specialty restaurants for lunch

There's nothing wrong with eating at the cruise buffet for lunch, but don't overlook specialty restaurants.

If I'm on a ship with Playmakers Sports Bar, I make it a point to eat there for lunch because it's the perfect sea day meal.

There could be other specialty restaurants open too for lunch, and many cost less for lunch than dinner.

Missing out on fun activities

FOMO is real on a cruise ship, and sometimes there's an event held only once during your sailing.

Not checking the list of activities for what's coming up that day is a mistake as well, especially events before noon. Opportunities to meet the Captain, learn about how the ship works, and other behind-the-scenes events takes place on sea days and in the morning.

There's also going to be the most activities on a sea day, so this is your chance to get in on them. Looking at the full list ahead of time means you don't miss out on a favorite.

The Royal Caribbean app lists it all, and it's the easiest way to quickly see what looks good and you can even add a reminder for it.

Trying to do too much

While I just mentioned all the fun things to do onboard, I think you want to avoid overdoing it too.

It's debatable how relaxing a sea day should be, but I think trying to squeeze too much in may also lead to that feeling you're "burning the candle on both ends."

This is more of a problem on port intensive itineraries in Europe, Asia, or Alaska, where you want to prioritize time on land.  Sea days are a great way to relax and recharge.

Getting sunburned

It's one thing if you get sunburned at the beach, but getting sunburned on a sea day when sunscreen is a short walk back to your cabin is silly.

It happens all the time, but you really should avoid getting sunburned at all costs.

It'll be painful, and it's so easily avoidable. 

If you forgot to pack some, they sell it in the general store onboard. You probably could borrow some from another passenger, if you asked politely.

Not taking seasick medicine

The highest chance of getting seasick is probably on a sea day, so make sure you take medication for it.

It's unlikely you will get seasick, especially if the weather is favorable.  But I recommend new cruisers take a daily seasickness tablet, just to be safe.

Waking up too early

There have been a few days when I got up too early because I was so excited for a day of fun, and then by 11am, I was ready for a long nap.

There isn't anything wrong with napping during  your cruise, but you also don't want to miss out on prime time activities.

If you're normally an early riser, then this is fine.  What I'm talking about are the people who specifically get up early and then crash later.

Going late to the pool

If you value spending your sea day at the pool, don't be late getting there.

When the sun is shining, everyone else on your ship seems to have the same idea and chairs near the pool go quickly.

You don't need to get up at dawn to get a chair, but if being at the pool is important to you, I would plan to be at the pool deck by 10am at the latest.

There's a little more flexibility if you don't mind chairs further away from the actual pool and in the shade.

Wasting money at the spa

If you are going to get a spa treatment during your cruise, it will almost certainly cost less on a port day

Sea days are when everyone else has lots of time, so demand for the spa is highest.

What you should do is skip the spa on a sea day and book it for a port day. 

Remember, it still counts if you go there in the final hours the ship is docked. So you could go right after your shore excursion and take advantage of the port day price specials.

Not partying late the night before

For those that are looking for the right evening to "go hard", then it's the day before a sea day.

Because you can sleep off a hangover, make sure you prioritize the night before a sea day for those antics.

Missing out on an uncrowded casino

One of the top complaints about the casino on any Royal Caribbean cruise is how crowded it can get there.

The casino will be open while your ship is at sea, and it's notably less crowded during the morning and day of a sea day.  

It'll fill back up in the evening, but take advantage of the open machines while the sun in shing in the casino.

Skipping trivia

I think you're missing out if you don't attend a few trivia sessions.

Royal Caribbean offers all kinds of trivia, and you'll find probably one trivia session every couple of hours on a sea day.

My favorites are the Royal Caribbean trivia, geography trivia, and visual trivia. They're different from the norm, and it's a great sea day activity.

Refusing to nap

If your body is tell you to nap, you should do it.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive to enjoying everything the ship has to offer, but you also don't want to crash at 8pm.  Or be half awake for most of the day.

A good power nap of 45 minutes can work wonders for rejuvenating you for more fun that day.

Not exploring the ship

Royal Caribbean ships are really big, so take time to see it all.

Ideally, you can tour the ship on embarkation day, but you probably didn't get to see it all.  Or some areas were closed.  So a sea day is a great time to see the rest of it.

Walk the decks, peek your head into a shop, and generally see what's around the next corner.  

Not taking advantage of the internet package for the day

If you didn't buy an internet package for your entire cruise, you could buy a 24 hour pass and a sea day is a great time to maximize the value.

The 24 hour pass is available to book only when you get onboard, but since you won't have a shore excursion, you can take full advantage of it.

Plus, you could log out and let family use it too.

Don't forget as a Diamond or Diamond Plus member in Crown and Anchor Society, you're entitled to free internet to use as well.

Missing out on a sunset selfie

That perfect sunset to share on Instagram? There's a good chance of it on a sea day.

While beautiful sunsets can happen in port too, at least at sea there won't be any obstacles.

Knocking out any of your must-dos

This list was meant to offer ideas for what to do on a sea day, but it's also a good reminder a sea day is when you should try to do the things you first intended to do.

If you're like me, you picked a cruise ship because you saw certain activities or attractions onboard that you said "I need to do that!".  If so, you'll want to take advantage of the sea day for it.

I've come back from far too many cruises with regret that I didn't get to do the one or two things that I really wanted to try. It's easy to get sidetracked or fall into the trap of "I'll do it later".

Take advantage of a sea day and get whatever you had your heart set on done.

If you're like me, you love discovering new cruise tips to maximize your vacation, but some of them just don't work as well as they sound.

There are plenty of tried and true cruise tips that cruisers swear by because of how effective they are: fly in a day early for your cruise, invest in magnets for your cabin, research shore excursions, and book your cruise as early as possible.

I've tried many different so-called secrets, but some of them just aren't as effective as I thought they would be and it was a disappointment.

In retrospect, some cruise tips are more effective based on your personality and travel style. As an example, saving money by booking an inside cabin is a great piece of advice, unless you're claustrophobic or always stay in upscale hotel rooms.

I reviewed the tips and advice I've heard over the years and came up with my list of 8 cruise tips that made sense until I got on the cruise ship.

Avoiding overpacking

A lot of people advocate to avoid overpacking for a cruise vacation, and I think this is rooted in avoiding hefty luggage costs with the airlines than truly benefitting you on a cruise ship.

The travel world has become obsessed with minimalist packing, where you travel with as little luggage as possible.  Perhaps you've heard of cruising with just a carry-on suitcase?

I have to admit I got caught up in this trend and started packing less and less so that I could re-use clothing on the ship. There is some truth to the idea you have to have an entire outfit every night for dinner, plus a daytime outfit.

However, I found packing less clothing gave me more anxiety than satisfaction.

It felt like I was rationing clothes and subsequently justifying to myself I could re-wear that pair of jeans or shirt because, "it's not that dirty yet."

Of course I could use Royal Caribbean's laundry services, but it's pricey and takes a day or longer to get back to you.

Ultimately, I realized minimalist packing is fine for some, especially those flying low cast carriers that want to avoid fees.  But I don't fly Spirit, Frontier, or Breeze.  Heck, I rarely fly to my cruises because I live in Florida.

Moreover, when I do fly, I'm going to inevitably need to pay for one piece of luggage per person travelling. So I'll maximize that suitcase.

Not paying for internet access on the ship

One commonly cited piece of cruise advice is to skip buying an internet package in order to save money.

There's no free WiFi on a cruise ship (beyond using the Royal Caribbean app), and a package for the duration of your cruise will probably cost over $100 per person. So this compels some to advocate not buying internet at all.

While there's no doubt not buying an internet package will save money, I just don't find it practical at all.

Admittedly, I'm a geek and being on the internet is more important to me than perhaps other people.

I think it's only when you don't have internet access at all that you realize how many little things you rely on the internet for, besides email and web browsing.

Texting with family, checking weather forecasts before you leave the ship, and paying bills on time are all little things that are great to have the internet for on a cruise.

Plus, I don't equate internet access with being any more or less relaxed. There are plenty of distractions on a cruise ship beyond the internet, so besides not checking your work email, I think having WiFi provides another form of entertainment in addition to books, magazines, or movies.

I'm all for saving money, but I can't skimp on WiFi.

Skipping shore excursions and staying onboard

Something you hear from a lot of experienced cruisers is to stay on the ship during ports of call in order to take advantage of what's available onboard.

The rationale for this tip is that you could save money on a costly shore excursion, plus there's already plenty of entertainment and activities to do on the ship.  And with so many people off the ship, lines and waits for the top activities are much less, such as waterslides.

There's truth to this recommendation, except I feel cooped up when I'm on the ship instead of exploring or just doing something in port.

I love to cruise because of the amazing places I get to visit, and it seems counterintuitive to skip out on the fun things to do in port.

Granted, if there's a port I've been to a dozen times, I may not feel that compelled to go and walk around.  But whenever I've tried this tip and stayed on the ship, I feel like I'm a dog starring longingly out the window with dreams of going outside.

The workaround for this tip is to do both. Get off the ship early and do something, but get back onboard early and you can still take advantage of less lines.

Eat only at the complimentary restaurants

Another money saving tip you'll run across is to skip the extra cost specialty restaurants and only eat at the included options.

The longer the sailing, the less I agree with this tip because I really like variety in my dining.

While specialty dining does indeed cost more, I'm on vacation and not trying to save money on my lunches at work. Splurging is part of what makes vacation fun.

I do enjoy dinners in the Main Dining Room or Windjammer, but once I get to day 4 or 5 of the cruise, I'm usually ready to change things up just a bit.

Having a few sushi rolls at Izumi, ordering a bowl of pasta at Giovannis, or getting a burger and nachos at Playmakers is a guilty pleasure that I'll go for every time.

Bidding to upgrade your cabin

I love the idea of paying less to get more, but I've stopped bidding for my stateroom upgrades.

If you're very flexible and don't really care where your room is located, then RoyalUp might be fine for you.  But I can't get past a couple of issues with it.

My first problem with RoyalUp is just because there is an option to bid doesn't actually mean there is a room to upgrade to, and I think a lot of new cruisers miss that detail.

The reason why Royal Caribbean offers these bid upgrades is primarily to account for last-minute cancellations.  So the bid you're making is really a backup option if someone decides to cancel.

The more troubling problem with RoyalUp is should your bid be accepted, you can't select where your room is located.

I think it's really important to pick a good cabin location to avoid noise problems, and you lose that ability once RoyalUp takes over.  A winning bid means the cruise line will pick where your cabin is located.

Waiting to book another cruise until you get onboard

You can get extra onboard credit and reduced deposit by booking a cruise on a ship, but I think it's a mistake to wait to book a cruise until your next cruise.

The problem with booking a cruise at NextCruise is if you know in the weeks or months leading up to your cruise which cruise to book.  By waiting until you get onboard the ship to book it, the price may increase to the point it offsets the benefit of getting extra onboard credit.

Royal Caribbean cruise prices are fluid and can change at anytime.  Over the course of days, weeks, or months, the price will almost certainly increase.

My advice is if you know there's a cruise you want to book now, go ahead and contact your travel agent to book it now. 

NextCruise is great for when you're on the ship and are struck with the motivation to suddenly book another cruise. In that case, you should definitely go and book the cruise at NextCruise.

Booking the cheapest cabin

Cutting corners and saving money where you can is definitely a sound financial strategy, but you also have to weigh the pros and cons of going cheap versus enjoying your well-deserved vacation.

It can be difficult to know if you should book the cheapest room on a cruise or spend extra for a nicer cabin.

If you shop by price alone, you may end up with a cruise cabin that you're stuck with for the duration of the cruise. There's nothing inherently wrong with an small inside cruise ship cabin, but it may clash with what you're used to on land.

Cruise ship cabins are typically much smaller than hotel rooms on land, and the smallest rooms on a ship are really small, coming in at less than 300 square feet.  If you're sharing this space with someone else, then the lack of space can really become problematic.

Everyone has a vacation budget, but be realistic about your cabin choice so you don't end up walking into your room and then realize you've made a mistake.

Pack an over-the-door organizer

There are so many good inside cabin hacks out there, but one I tried and won't ever do again is bring an over-the-door organizers.

This is a classic "sounds better than it is" scenario because you go to the dollar store and buy one of these and put it on the back of your cabin door or bathroom door.

The idea is to add more storage options, especially for shoes and toiletries.

I found the thing flops around too much on a cabin door, which lead to things falling out all the time.

Plus, unless you're sailing on a really old cruise ship, I just don't have that kind of a problem with finding storage.  Especially if your cruise is less than a week.

A far better tip is to invest in cruise magnets to help get clutter off the floor, and it works better for my style of cruising.

Of all the extra fees that come with a Royal Caribbean cruise, one in particular seems to be more problematic because of how easy it is to get overlooked.

It's no secret that the Royal Caribbean cruise fare does not include everything during your trip. Alcohol, shore excursions, souvenirs, and the spa all cost extra and for the most part, that comes as no surprise to new cruisers.

The one fee that seems to "get" people the most is the unreturned pool towel fee, and it's far more prevalent than you might think.

The cruise line offers as many pool towels as guests would like to use during the sailing, but they all need to be returned before the conclusion of the cruise.

The official policy states, "If guests do not return the same number of towels they checked out, a $25.00 fee per unreturned towel will be added to their onboard account. "

Sounds simple enough, but a lot of cruisers overlook ensuring their towels get back - and they are recorded as returned.

"Check your final invoice, you probably got charged"

On Reddit, IJustWorkHere99 shared a warning to other cruisers why you want to verify you don't have any towels left unreturned prior to the end of the cruise.

This person returned to their ship after a fun day at Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay with towels they borrowed from the ship to use during the day.

Upon returning to the ship, they thought they returned the towels properly, but it didn't get recorded.

"We were met just after security by two crew members accepting pool towel returns. They did NOT scan anyone's SeaPass or write down stateroom numbers for accountability of the towels," the person posted.

According to the post, the crew members were trying to expedite the return process because bad weather had forced everyone back early and they didn't want a huge line.

"They assured us that we would not be charged for the towels and that everyone's' accounts would be zeroized for towels that evening."

Sure enough, it turned out they got charged for the towels.

"Well guess what happened? They charged my mom $25 for a pool towel and they charged me $100 for 4."

A lot of other past cruisers reported similar situations.

"Family we were traveling with on Icon got slapped with the towel fine twice, even though I was with them the entire time that day and watched them scan and return," wrote Julianus.

"We had a random towel charge right before leaving that morning. Still waiting for the credit to come through," added theresketo.

Downtown-Ball6994 actually had $300 in pool towel charges after the cruise ended because of a mix-up in how returned pool towels were scanned, "It turned out that when the attendant scanned my wife’s card, instead of returning the towels that I checked out, it checked out an additional 6 towels to her."

"It took a few days to get the charge removed because they said that they had to call the ship and verify what happened."

What to do if you get charged for towels

The first thing to do is verify there are no unreturned towels on your onboard account before you debark the ship.

To verify you're in the clear, you just need to go to Guest Services and ask them to confirm it.

It takes a few seconds to do so, and you should go over on the last day of the sailing to make sure you're walking off the ship without any surprise charges.

In fact, having Guest Services print out a summary of all your charges on the last day is a good idea to verify there are no surprises waiting for you.

If you don't realize you are getting charged for unreturned towels until you get home, the good news is you can still call and get it fixed.  It just takes longer to process this.

If you returned all checked-out towels but still received a charge, you can call Royal Caribbean's Post Cruise department at 1-800-256-6649 to assist with taking care of it.

It's much easier and faster if you can double-check the charges before you leave the ship.

Why do they charge for towels at all?

You might wonder why Royal Caribbean charges for unreturned towels, and it has to do with reducing waste.

The cruise line doesn't think guests covet towels enough to want to steal them and bring them home. After all, they're not great quality to begin with and have been reused many times.

The origin of the rule has to do with passengers leaving them behind in port, or elsewhere, rather than returning them.

If passengers leave towels behind at a beach somewhere, not only is it wasteful and littering, but it's quite noticeable where the trash is coming from to the locals.

The fee makes sure the towels get back to the ship, and not left for the local population to have to take care of.

Don't pack your own towels

Some people might be reading this article and think bringing your own pool or beach towels is a great workaround, but I think that's overkill for the problem.

Royal Caribbean offers towels for you to use onboard the ship or to bring to a shore excursion, and it's a terrific service (despite the issue of occasionally not recording those towels were indeed returned).

I don't recommend bringing your own towels because not only are they going to take up a lot of room in your luggage, but once they are soiled, it's going to be difficult to properly clean them.

It's my experience wet towels take a long time to air dry, especially if you don't have access to the outdoors.  

Even if you have a balcony, then you need to ensure they don't fly away due to the wind or get soiled again from a passing rain shower.

Let's put it this way: going to Guest Services is a lot easier than packing and caring for a bunch of pool towels.

Royal Caribbean Blog staff members cruised over 50 times in 2024, sailing on dozens of vessels to countless ports around the world. As professional cruisers, we certainly know the ins and outs of cruising. That being said, there are always lessons to be learned on any cruise vacation.

Whether sailing on the world’s largest ship, Icon of the Seas, or on one of Royal Caribbean’s smallest ships, Vision of the Seas, our team followed a wide range of cruise tips throughout the year.

From stocking up on cheap cruise essentials to opting out of Royal Caribbean's shore excursions, here are the top 10 cruise tips that worked for our Royal Caribbean Blog staffers in 2024.

Calista booked non-Royal Caribbean shore excursions to save money

Royal Caribbean Blog writer Calista took 7 cruises in 2024, trying out new ships like Utopia of the Seas and smaller, older vessels like Brilliance and Rhapsody of the Seas.

Her cruises took her around the Caribbean and Europe, visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay, Cozumel, and Barcelona, among other ports.

Related: 8 lessons I learned from every Royal Caribbean cruise I took this year

On most itineraries, Calista booked shore excursions directly through Royal Caribbean. Yet while this was convenient, Royal Caribbean’s excursions are typically more expensive than tours booked through independent operators.

So, during a visit to Nassau, Calista branched out and booked an excursion through shoreexcursions.com instead of through Royal Caribbean.

She paid just $50 per person for an excursion to nearby Pearl Island, whereas Royal Caribbean charged over $100 for a similar tour!

There are several advantages to booking directly through the cruise line, including a guaranteed return to the ship even if the tour runs late. Nonetheless, Calista had a great experience booking a shore excursion on her own.

Matt packed USB hubs and a long charging cable for his cabin

Matt boarded Allure of the Seas in February for a short 3-night cruise—one of his 14 (and counting) cruises in 2024. While packing, he made the mistake of assuming his cabin would have abundant outlets. Instead, due to the cabin's older design, he found himself struggling to charge all of his electronics throughout the cruise.

After this experience, he packed extra USB hubs and a long charging cord for the rest of his cruises in 2024. Even though cabins on new ships like Icon of the Seas have more than enough charging ports, this is not the case for cabins on older ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.

Note: While Royal Caribbean banned multi-plug outlet adapters earlier this year, USB hubs are still allowed.

Angie reserved entertainment shows before her cruise to ensure she had a seat

On select Royal Caribbean ships, guests can reserve entertainment shows ahead of their cruise on the Cruise Planner website. Because popular productions like Broadway shows can book up quickly, it’s recommended that guests reserve entertainment prior to embarkation day.

Earlier this year, social media strategist Angie took advantage of this advice while preparing for her Harmony of the Seas cruise. She made reservations online for the Broadway production of Grease and other popular events, which guaranteed her a seat.

During the cruise, Angie was grateful she took the time to make entertainment reservations ahead of time. When entering the theater, she noticed a long line of passengers waiting for standby seats at these events.

Related: 7 mistakes I saw passengers make on Harmony of the Seas

Instead of waiting in line and hoping for a seat at a fully-booked show, Angie could walk directly into the theater with her reservation.

Speaking of lines, Angie reserved Traditional Dining over My Time Dining to save time and hassle

The Main Dining Room is a staple of any cruise, and Angie enjoyed dozens of meals in the restaurant on her 8 cruises this year.

While booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, guests must choose between Traditional Dining and My Time Dining. Traditional Dining means passengers dine at the same time each evening with the same table and wait staff. My Time Dining, on the other hand, gives guests flexibility to reserve different dining times each evening.

Related: Royal Caribbean My Time Dining Versus Traditional Dining

Although My Time Dining allows for more flexibility, guests must remember to make dining reservations in advance. If not, they’ll be stuck waiting in line for an open table.

Angie almost always chooses Traditional Dining, and she was glad to have a guaranteed table and dining time each evening of her cruises. There was no need to make reservations individually for each dinner, and she never had to wait in a long line to enter the Main Dining Room.

Elizabeth tried an extra-cost activity on a port day for free

When writer Elizabeth cruised to Alaska earlier this year on Quantum of the Seas—one of 11 cruises in 2024—she was excited to try RipCord by iFLY, the ship’s indoor skydiving simulator. This activity is only available on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships, so trying the activity was a must for Elizabeth while onboard.

Related: I went on a 7-night cruise to Alaska. Here are 16 things that surprised me the most

However, RipCord by iFLY is unlike most Royal Caribbean activities in that it offers varied price options. On port days, the activity is complimentary for a 1-minute flight experience. Sea days, meanwhile, offer a 2-minute flight for nearly $100 per person.

Elizabeth wanted to save money, so she tried the skydiving simulator when her ship was docked in Icy Strait Point. The complimentary 1-minute experience allowed her to get a taste for the activity without spending extra.

Jenna booked her 2024 cruises with a travel agent, leading to savings and extra perks

Perhaps the most tried-and-true cruise tip we share at Royal Caribbean Blog is to book with a travel agent, and I followed this tip on each of my cruises in 2024.

As Royal Caribbean Blog’s video editor, I sailed on Royal Caribbean’s two newest ships this year: Icon of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas. Although I typically book most travel, such as flights and hotels, on my own, I always book cruises with a trusted travel agent.

Related: Why first-time cruisers should use a Royal Caribbean travel agent

Booking with a travel agent meant I didn’t need to do anything myself, and I got extra perks like onboard credit and discounted rates along the way. On my Utopia of the Seas cruise, in fact, my travel agent scored an upgraded balcony cabin in a more central location than what I originally booked.

A good travel agent will cost you nothing extra, and it’s one of the most helpful cruise tips to follow.

Allie stocked up on cheap cruise essentials from Dollar Tree

Packing for a cruise can feel overwhelming, especially if you follow every packing list on the internet to a tee. That $30 pair of sandals and $300 underwater camera would be nice, of course, but there’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on your cruise packing list.

Nonetheless, there are some essentials you do need to pack for a cruise, such as toiletries, and many cruisers also enjoy packing fun items like door decorations, too.

When Royal Caribbean Blog writer Allie was preparing for a cruise this year, she decided to shop at Dollar Tree for her cruise essentials. She purchased items like over-the-counter medication, magnetic clips, and travel-sized toiletries for just $1.25 each instead of spending significantly more at a store like Target.

Related: 5 Dollar Tree Items Cruisers Should Stock Up on Before Their Sailing

Sure, items may be more limited, but Allie was surprised how well this packing tip worked while cruising on a budget.

When sailing on the world’s largest cruise ship, Calista tried as many dining venues as possible

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was, undoubtedly, the most anticipated cruise ship of 2024, and Calista had the opportunity to sail on the vessel this past summer.

As the biggest cruise ship in the world, Icon of the Seas boasts mind-blowing entertainment venues like the AquaDome and endless thrills at the ship’s Category 6 Waterpark. Aside from activities, though, are an abundance of dining venues, from casual grab-and-go spots to high-end restaurants.

Related: Icon of the Seas restaurant and dining guide

During Calista’s week on Icon of the Seas, she made it a point to try the ship’s diverse dining options. She loved the Mediterranean bowls at AquaDome Market and grab-and-go snacks at Pearl Cafe.

It’s easy to get into a routine of dining at only the Main Dining Room and Windjammer buffet, but trying a variety of restaurants while cruising ensures that each day’s dining experience is different from the last. Plus, you might discover a new favorite dish!

Elizabeth tried Royal Caribbean’s coffee card, allowing her to try new beverages

Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package might be the most popular drink package—who doesn’t love unlimited cocktails, after all—but coffee lovers shouldn’t overlook the cruise line’s Cafe Select Coffee Card.

Elizabeth skipped a drink package on her recent cruise to Bermuda, instead opting for Royal Caribbean’s coffee card. For $36.58, the punch card entitled her to 15 espresso-based beverages throughout the cruise. As a plus, the card could be shared between Elizabeth and her travel partner (unlike a drink package).

Related: I tried the Royal Caribbean drink package nobody talks about. Why it's worth the money

With the card, the price per specialty coffee came out to around $2.43 per drink. Considering each drink could cost over $5 without the card, Elizabeth was pleased she gave it a try.

Matt arrived to his embarkation city with more than enough time to spare

European cruises are all the rage during the summer, and Matt was excited to head across the pond this past August for his own European adventure. Matt’s 7-night Spain and France cruise was set to depart from Southampton, so he made sure to arrive in London with plenty of time to spare before embarkation day.

If there’s just one piece of advice to follow when planning a cruise, it’s to always fly into your cruise embarkation city at least one day ahead of time.

Related: The worst part of flying to Europe could easily ruin half your cruise

Our staff members have heard far too many horror stories of cancelled flights, missed connections, and other travel mishaps en route to a cruise. Booking a flight the same day your cruise begins is risky; no one wants to risk missing their cruise altogether due to a travel delay.

Therefore, Matt arrived in London two days before embarkation day. Not only did this ensure he would make it to the port even if he encountered delays, but it also gave him time to recover from jet lag. As a plus, Matt had time to enjoy London’s highlights, too!

First-time cruisers may be scared of falling overboard, but veteran cruisers know there are far more frightening (and plausible) things to be afraid of on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

We wanted to find out the biggest fears among cruisers, so we posed the question to members of the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards. Over 40 cruisers responded, sharing their biggest rational—and irrational—fears.

Some cruisers are panicked at the thought of getting left behind in port, while others are more concerned about what they would do if they forgot their underwear at home.

Forget falling off a cruise ship—these are the 11 things cruisers are actually scared of while onboard.

Leaving their passport at home

If there’s one thing that can ruin a cruise vacation before it even begins, it’s forgetting your passport at home.

Lost luggage? Forgot your sunscreen? These mishaps may be unfortunate, but at the end of the day, items like clothing and toiletries are easily replaceable. Your passport, on the other hand, is the single most important item you need for a cruise vacation.

Related: Can I cruise without a passport?

Message board member BXcruiser mentioned how forgetting their passport at home is their ultimate cruise fear; they constantly check to make sure the passport is packed before leaving home.

User loki007 added to the discussion by explaining what happened when they once forgot their passport. Fortunately, they realized their mistake while staying at a hotel the evening before embarkation, but the 7-hour round trip drive to retrieve the passport was far from enjoyable.

Evacuating the ship in an emergency

Every cruiser knows they must complete Royal Caribbean’s safety drill on embarkation day, but for most, the thought of a real emergency never crosses their mind. Cruise ships rarely encounter major issues at sea, after all, and emergency evacuations are largely unheard of.

Nonetheless, there’s a reason that millions of passengers complete safety drills each year—an emergency is always a possibility. Whether the ship is taking on water or a fire starts onboard, some cruisers stress about what an emergency evacuation could entail.

Message board member Geezer Of The Seas expressed his concerns, stating that “somehow, I don’t envision the real thing going as smoothly as the drills the crews perform periodically.”

Being left behind in port

We’ve all seen videos of frantic cruisers sprinting back to their cruise ship before it leaves port. Dubbed pier runners, these cruisers are frequently the target of jokes in the cruise industry. Several Royal Caribbean Blog message board members mentioned missing the ship as their biggest cruise fear.

It’s important to be cognizant of time while in port, as it’s crucial to return back to the ship in time. With the exception of those on shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean, the cruise ship will not wait for late passengers. Those guests who miss the ship’s departure will need to make their own arrangements to meet up with the ship in the next port of call.

Related: What happens if you miss your cruise ship?

Moral of the story? Keep an eye on the time in port, and make note of whether your ship is following the port’s local time or ship time to ensure you get back onboard with plenty of time to spare.

Not making it to the embarkation city

Not getting back to your cruise ship before it leaves a port of call is a common cruise fear, but what about missing your cruise ship’s first departure altogether?

User smokeybandit explained how their biggest concern is getting to the port in the first place, particularly during the winter. User JimnKathy shared a similar remark, stating how “I never feel comfortable until the plane lands at our port of departure. Commercial air travel is SO unreliable these days.”

One of our most tried and true cruise tips at Royal Caribbean Blog is arriving at your embarkation city at least one day before your cruise begins. Even still, some veteran cruisers remain wary of travel delays that could cause them to miss the ship despite proper planning.

Something bad happening at home

Royal Caribbean Blog message board user RockerDom31 mentioned how their biggest cruise fear is something happening at home, such as an injury or death in the family. Many cruisers can relate to this fear, and it’s important to always be prepared for the worst case scenario.

No one wants to think of an emergency occurring at home while on a cruise, but it’s always a possibility. To be prepared for the worst, we recommend purchasing travel insurance before your cruise.

Related: Travel insurance for a cruise: Why you need it

Many travel insurance policies offer trip interruption coverage in case of the death of a family member back home, which may cover costs associated with an early departure from your ship when possible.

Plus, travel insurance will keep cruisers covered if something happens to themselves on a cruise, whether a sudden illness or emergency medical evacuation.

Losing luggage before (or after) boarding the ship

Frequent cruisers are meticulous when packing for a cruise, ensuring they pack the perfect outfit for each formal night or a day at the beach. Yet what if your luggage goes missing?

For several users on our message boards, losing luggage takes the top spot on their list of cruise fears.

Member asquared17 wrote how one of their biggest fears is watching their luggage float on the water as the ship pulls away from the cruise terminal. Traveling Mike shared similar sentiments, explaining how he would have trouble finding well-fitting clothing at the last minute if his luggage were to be lost.

Related: 6 tips to help keep a cruise line from losing your luggage

PhantomWolf shared a tip for those with luggage concerns, recommending that cruisers place AirTags in their luggage prior to leaving for a cruise. This way, cruisers can track down their bags on the chance they are misplaced.

Bad weather before, during, and after the cruise

Everyone wants a cool breeze and sunny skies when cruising, but weather will always be somewhat unpredictable regardless of where a cruise takes place.

From heat waves in the Mediterranean to hurricane season in the Caribbean, cruisers often express concern about encountering bad weather on a cruise.

Board user SPS explained how bad weather is his biggest fear on a cruise. Storms, winter travel, and cooler-than-expected weather can cause travel delays, missed ports of call, and miserably cold days at sea.

Royal Caribbean tries its best to complete every itinerary as scheduled, but out-of-the-ordinary weather patterns can occasionally put a damper on even the most anticipated cruise vacations.

The bar running out of a favorite drink

On a lighter note, what if your favorite beverage is out of stock on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

You can try dozens of unique drinks onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, whether a classic Cucumber Martini or tropical-inspired Parrot Punch. Some cruisers, though, prefer sticking to their favorites.

Related: 21 drinks to order if you have a cruise drink package

Message board user Ryan79 stated how the scariest thing that could happen on a cruise would be “the bar running out of Kraken for my lava flow!” and, after 55 cruises, Mike45orlando mentioned that “all the bars running out of your beer of choice is our biggest nightmare.”

Fortunately, even if the cruise ship does run out of your favorite drink, there are more than enough other intriguing choices available.

Getting food poisoning

There’s nothing glamorous about food poisoning—no one wants to spend their entire cruise in the bathroom! As expected, many cruisers are fearful of catching norovirus or another gastrointestinal illness onboard.

User Pattycruise said her biggest fear is learning about multiple cases of food poisoning through her sailing’s Facebook group.

“Reading in the Facebook group for your sailing that numerous people have food poisoning... I had the ‘joy’ of norovirus on disembarkation day on one of those sailings.”

Our advice? Make sure to wash your hands frequently while onboard. It’s a good idea to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you, too, which you can use after handling commonly-touched items like buffet tongs and door handles.

Losing car keys for the way home

In all the excitement of embarkation day, some cruisers may toss their car keys into the first convenient place they find in their luggage. Come disembarkation day, however, remembering where they put their car keys can be challenging.

Member Auto mentioned losing his car keys as one of his biggest cruise fears, having experienced this himself after one sailing.

“We got to the parking garage to go home and I can’t find the keys anywhere,” he explained. “After about 10 minutes of searching, I finally found them in a pocket of a backpack I have never used before (or since). Not a great feeling.”

For those driving to the cruise port, make sure to put your keys in an easy-to-remember place.

Looking at your bill at the end of the cruise

Finally, one of the scariest moments all cruisers can relate to is looking at the final bill at the end of the cruise.

While onboard, it’s easy to swipe your SeaPass card without much thought. Another $15 cocktail? Sure, why not! The $200 spa treatment is only $150 today? What a steal!

Related: How much does a cruise cost?

After days of spending—and treating yourself—comes the dreaded moment of receiving your final bill.

To avoid intense sticker shock at the end of the cruise, keep an eye on your onboard charges via the Royal Caribbean app. If the number frightens you just halfway through the cruise, that’s a great reminder to cut back on your spending.

Royal Caribbean is the biggest cruise line in the industry, and it attracts millions of passengers every year.

I've taken at least one cruise every month of the year so far, often adding a second or third sailing within the same calendar month. It's an amazing vacation option that has taken me to the Caribbean and Europe, and I've got plenty more planned into next year too.

Though my cruises have been positive overall, things can always go wrong.

Here are the biggest mishaps I've encountered on Royal Caribbean cruises, and how I prepare for them in advance.

Getting seasick can ruin your day, so I bring the right medication

Many first-time cruisers are worried about getting seasick on a cruise ship. I think the chances of it happening are lower than most people assume, but there's definitely the possibility.

Even I occasionally get seasick if the winds are rocking the ship in the right direction.  Earlier this year, I was sailing on Freedom of the Seas and I noticed I started feeling queasy on our sea day and recognized the telltale sign of motion sickness coming on.

The good news is you can combat seasickness quite easily and quickly, but it helps so to have the right things with you.

While there are homeopathic remedies, I prefer to have a supply of over the counter medication at my disposal.

I always pack Bonine chewable tablets with me (link contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra).  

When I first started cruising, I would take one a day, beginning the day before my cruise began. As I've cruised more, I don't feel the need to take it daily, but they do work quickly if the symptoms of motion sickness begin while already onboard the ship.

Delays of any size can wreak havoc on travel plans, so I plan my schedule to account for them

Want to know the most costly mistake you can make on your cruise? Trying to fly in the same day your cruise begins.

Whether you're trying to save money on a hotel room or simply aren't aware of the risks, traveling the same day your cruise is scheduled to begin is playing with fire.

Air travel delays are notoriously bad, and they happen all the time.  Because of this, I always pad my travel plans to add more travel time in case of a delay or cancellation.

If you miss the ship because your flight was cancelled or delayed, there's not much recourse to get you on the ship. Certainly travel insurance may pick up the tab on lost cost, but it won't replace the actual relaxing vacation you planned.

I always fly in at least one day before the cruise is set to begin for cruises that depart my own country. If I'm flying internationally, I'd bump that up at least two days before the cruise is set to begin. In fact, I'd recommend more days to not only account for travel delays but also jetlag.

Cabin noise can make sleeping difficult, so I always bring ear plugs

I have a high tolerance for noise, until it interferes with my sleep.

Most of the time, I have few problems with getting a good night sleep on a cruise ship. In fact, I often sleep better on a cruise, especially when I'm in an inside cabin that provides ideal sleeping conditions.

Just in case, I pack a supply of disposable ear plugs in my luggage.

Cabin noise can be the result of many sources, including rattling, other passengers, or music.

When you're awakened mid-sleep and you just want to get back to sleep, I don't have the energy to track down the source every time.  So I'll grab my ear plugs, put them in, and get right back to sleep.

Power plugs can be scarce, so I pack an approved power adaptor

Royal Caribbean has gotten really good about adding enough power outlets in cruise ship cabins with its newer ships, but I always assume there aren't enough outlets in any cabin.

What do I need to plug in? My laptop, phone, wife's phone, smart watch are usually all plugged in at one time or another.  And then when my wife needs to blow dry or straighten her hair, there's more outlets needed. Never mind my kids' devices.

If you're on a cruise ship built before 2010, there's a good chance your cabin will have just two power outlets.

As a result, I pack a power adaptor with me on every sailing I take.

Royal Caribbean recently banned multi-plug outlets, but there are still approved outlet adaptors you can take with you.

I bring a USB hub in my carry-on bag, and it ensures we can keep a few things charging concurrently. (Contains affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use)

Before my cruise, I start to drink more water to avoid travel stomach

Despite my hundred or so cruises I've taken in my life, my digestive track seems to get triggered by travel quite often.

Grumpy gut is not the result of a bacterial infection, just bad luck with the transition to new foods, dehydration from flying, changes in climate, or something else.

A couple days before the cruise begins, I'll try to drink more water to help keep everything moving.  I feel this especially important on embarkation day of the cruise too, because it's so easy to go right to "I'm on vacation" mode and enjoy cocktails without enough water too.

Water alone won't always work, so I travel with medicine like Pepto Bismol or Imodium to quickly take care of the symptoms. (These are affiliate links that cost you nothing extra, but I get a referral fee if you buy something).

When I cruise, I love taking advantage of every trick to save me time or money, but not all of them work as well as I hoped.

I find there are a lot of tried-and-true cruise tips and hacks that work quite well.  Some are so ingrained in my routine that I just consider them standard operating procedure, although they may not be so obvious to someone new to cruising.

Planning a cruise effectively means you side step common mistakes and set yourself up for a great time.  However, some strategies just aren't as useful as they may sound.

To be fair, I concede some tips work for others, but not for me. The first time I tried an over the door shoe organizer as a cruise hack to save on storage space, I thought it wasn't nearly as useful as I imagined.

Nonetheless, I love to try tips out all the time in order to make me a better cruiser.  Over my last few cruises, I found a few more duds that just didn't work for my family.  Some were tips that I think are overrated, while others may be ship or itinerary specific.

Here's why they generally weren't worth the effort (and what we found worked instead).

Wear a bathing suit to the ship on embarkation day

A really good cruise tip to know is you can use the pool and water slides on embarkation day, and it's one of the best times to do so without big lines or crowds.

With that tip in mind, you should bring a swimsuit with you so you can change into it in one of the public bathrooms after you board.  Personally, I hate changing clothes in a public bathroom because it's awkward and not comfortable at all. 

One tip was to simply wear your bathing suit when you board the ship under your clothes. 

It seemed like a good workaround, since by the time you're done swimming, your stateroom cabin should be ready to go and change back.

The issue I had was wearing a bathing suit for a few hours isn't that comfortable, especially men's bathing suits with a mesh lining. I'd put it on in the morning of the cruise, and then wear it through the cruise terminal until I got on the ship and into the pool.

After a few hours of wearing swim trunks, I felt as though the mesh lining becomes the single most uncomfortable item of clothing ever made. 

My preferred hack for enjoying a ship's pool or slides is to go on a port day instead.

Don't overpack

I'm an over packer and always have been, so I've tried to be better about it.  

If I'm cruising from a port in Florida where I can drive or take the train, overpacking really isn't an issue since I don't have to worry about luggage allowances. 

But when I fly to cruise, cutting down on overpacking seems like a good tip to follow.  Even if I'm cruising locally, having a smaller suitcase would be easier.

The problem I have when I under pack is it gives me anxiety about running out of clothes when I get on the ship. Plus, during summer months, I find I sweat through more clothes than I thought I would.

On a cruise to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles in June, I sweat so profusely in Mazatlan that I even surprised myself.

Of course, I can send clothes out for dry cleaning on a ship, but it's not cheap.

Having backup clothes just makes things easier, and I feel less anguish about if I should re-use clothing.

Skip the buffet on your first day

There are few venues on a Royal Caribbean cruise that get as busy as the Windjammer buffet on embarkation day.

It seems as though everyone that gets onboard wants to eat lunch, and they all head to the buffet.

I really like the buffet, and go there on nearly every cruise. But it's definitely frustrating trying to find a seat, especially on Royal Caribbean's older cruise ships.

There are two ideas for skipping the buffet with an alternative.

The first hack is to go to a different complimentary venue, but the value of this tip really depends on the ship.  If you're on an Oasis or Icon Class ship, it's a great idea because you can hit up Park Cafe or Aquadome Market.  

Each has a good selection of food, freshly prepared, and it feels like a meal.

On other ships, you're relegated to Cafe Promeande or Sorrento's Pizza. Maybe it's just a me thing, but I don't find either satisfying as a meal.

The other hack is to go to a specialty restaurant on embarkation day.  Sure it costs money, but you get to sit down and enjoy a full meal.  And you can find at least one specialty restaurant open on any Royal Caribbean ship on embarkation day.

The problem I have with this hack is I'm too excited for all the fun of the cruise to sit around for an hour or more to eat a meal.

While this option is indeed satisfying, when I board a ship, I want to explore and do things. I'm excited to cruise, and I'm not in the mood to sit around.

I doubt I'll adopt this hack, other than if I'm on a ship that has a really good alternative. Sign me up for Aquadome Market any day of the week, if I'm on a ship with that option!

Use the free showers in the fitness center

The last time I shared a cabin with my kids, my oldest daughter was hogging up the shower like all teenagers typically do.

I then remembered a commonly shared cruise tip to use the free showers in the fitness center.

On every Royal Caribbean ship, the gym has a changing room and shower that anyone can use.

I gathered my stuff and was about to go use this tip when I remembered an equally important tip from college: you need to wear shoes of some kind to avoid athlete's foot.

I didn't have the proper shoes for it, so I had to skip this tip. While I've sworn off sharing a cabin with my kids at this point, if I ever did again, I'd have to remember to bring the right kind of footwear with me.

A 74-year-old man takes his wife that he's been married to for 55 years on a cruise twice a year, and he has no intention of stopping.

Ron Lodowski lives in upstate New York with his wife, Susan, and they love to go on cruises as a way to escape to the tropics and enjoy a carefree trip.

While Millennials lead the post-Covid recovery in travel, baby boomers are increasingly booking trips. That's according to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty.

In an interview in 2023, Mr. Liberty said Baby Boomers tend to pay more for a cruise (because they prefer higher end accommodations) and they bring their kids and grandkids with them.

"That Baby Boomer is bringing in more of that multigenerational travel, as the grandparents are looking to travel with their kids and their grandkids."

Ron is part of that Baby Boomer generation, and he likes how everything is taken care of on a cruise, "Need a meal? Royal has you covered. Need your cabin or suite cleaned? No problem. Want to see some form of entertainment after dinner? Look no further. Royal Caribbean cruising is one stop vacation shopping."

He didn't start cruising until later in life. His first cruise was in 2008 as a gift to his daughter. While he admits he made a "big mistake" choosing a Carnival cruise as his first cruise, he quickly made the jump to Royal Caribbean and now goes on multiple cruises per year.

"I cruise twice a year, on average, normally, once in March or April and once is September or October," he said.

"Living in the Northeast... these dates tend to extend the warm summer for us instead of having the summer begin in May and end in late August or early September."

I asked Ron for his tips for how to plan the right cruise based on how he likes to cruise with Susan and his family.

Book early

Ron says he picks his cruise based on four criteria: the time of the year, the itinerary, the ship, and lastly the price.

As an example, "With the introduction of the newest Icon and Oasis class ships, the cruise decision based upon ship has jumped ahead of the itinerary."

His first tip for booking a cruise is to book the cruise sooner than later.

"The sooner you book, normally the lower the cruise fare.  If the price does decrease, you can always cancel and rebook as long as it is before the final payment date."

The ability to re-book up until final payment to take advantage of a price decrease is available to residents of certain countries, such as the United States or Canada. It is indeed one of the best ways to save money on a cruise.

"I have done this numerous times and have saved thousands of dollars. Better yet? Have your travel agent do this for you. Their charge is nonexistent, and their service is priceless."

Our team recommends using a good travel agent for the service they provide, as well as the opportunity to save money, just as Ron described.

Splurge

Ron approaches every cruise with a sobering but pragmatic view, "Treat ever cruise like it might be your last cruise."

To that point, he doesn't shy away from spending more on cruise extras.

"Enjoy the specialty dining experience, have that extra cocktail after dinner, treat yourself to a suite with all the suite benefits. Or better yet? Go full out and experience the pampering which you will receive from a Royal Genie. You will never forget it!"

While there are a lot of freebies on a Royal Caribbean cruise, Ron sees cruising as an escape. 

I asked Ron what he'd tell someone else his age about why they should try a cruise. He joked, "I would first tell them to turn up your hearing aid" and then said he would explain how a cruise can transport you to amazing places.

"Cruising is an amazing experience. You get to travel to beautiful, scenic places and once onboard everything which you might want, or need is taken care of by one of the helpful crew members"

He also emphasized the importance of meeting new friends on a cruise, "And most importantly, unlike land vacations, where people come and go, when you are on a cruise, people you meet become your friends for life. I speak from experience. "

Book off season

Ron's last tip is to look for off season rates, which can save a lot of money compared to peak season.

As a retiree, Ron and Susan can take advantage of times of the year when there is less demand because school is in session, and thus, families are reluctant go to on vacation.

"Off season rates, January thru March and September thru November are usually much cheaper, so why not take advantage of these months?"

"You're retired, so you have no job or family to interfere with your vacation plans. You deserve it!"

Going on a cruise in the months Ron mentions can be a great time to go on a cruise for those added savings.

While the Caribbean is a year-round destination, booking a trip during one month over another could be the difference in hundreds of dollars.