Looking around a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, you’ll undoubtedly see many families enjoying their vacation together.

Cruises are an excellent vacation choice to suit many different travel styles; in fact, it’s not uncommon to see multiple generations traveling together on a cruise ship for this reason.

I grew up as a cruise kid, taking to the high seas with my parents and sister year after year for family cruises. Even into high school and through college, our family of four made it a priority to continue taking cruises and traveling together. 

Being married and living thousands of miles away from home now (my parents in South Dakota and I in Florida), continuing to cruise allows us to have quality time together as a family. My husband is a military pilot and, unfortunately, his demanding work and deployment schedule hasn’t aligned recently with our family cruises.

Now, as I near my 30s in the coming years, I still prioritize cruising with my 62-year-old parents - but it’s a totally different dynamic than it used to be.

We have yet to take a family cruise in my adulthood that hasn’t had its fair share of tiffs, head-butting and even a few tears. Honestly, it seems like the bigger the trip, the more opportunities for drama to arise. 

All this to say, I wouldn’t change it for the world - we love our family unconditionally even when they drive us nuts, right?

In October, I set sail on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas for a 12-night Holy Land cruise to Israel. This sailing was a bucket-list itinerary for my dad, as he’s dreamed of visiting the religious sites in Israel for the last decade. With the pandemic pushing back our plans, we finally made the trip happen!

My husband was booked originally to join, but (as anyone with a family member in the military knows) those plans had to change with his training schedule. 

It would be just the four of us with my sister and I sharing a cabin and our family of four finding a new groove while navigating this port-intensive, culturally immersive cruise. 

Here are my best tips for other adults looking to survive a cruise with your parents. 

Pack your patience

My best tip for cruising with your parents is to pack your patience - and a lot of it!

With each family cruise we take, I have to remind myself there’s always an adjustment period when the four of us are spending that much time together. Without my husband there to create a natural separation in the family between the two of us and the three of them, the four of us have to get used to each other again.

Traveling and cruising meshes everyone together quickly, but that’s not without a learning curve to adjust to a new dynamic. 

For our family, this means my dad’s always in a hurry and my mom is a notorious worry-wart. I’m the bossy, outspoken older sibling while my sister can be oblivious at times about the plan. I know these things about our family and I have to remind myself to be patient and accept everyone’s quirks. 

My patience was immediately tested as my sister and I flew to Rome from Paris to meet up with our parents prior to the cruise. As we tried to find a meeting point, mom and dad were in a tizzy trying to figure out which terminal they landed in and where their shuttle was picking them up. 

“Here we go” my sister and I laughed to one another as we heard them frantic on the phone, attempting to read signs in Italian about where they were. 

Packing your patience also involves allocating more time than you think for travel and cruising logistics. 

For instance, my dad prefers to get to the airport or train station way before we need to (I’m talking like 3 hours before departure). While I certainly don’t need that much time to catch a flight or train, I would rather be patient and wait additional time at the airport than create unnecessary stress for my parents. 

Similarly, cruising has continued to utilize technology to improve the onboarding experience; however, this requires most passengers to be familiar with their phones and the Royal Caribbean app.

While my parents are pretty tech savvy, be prepared to help with technology to ensure they can keep up. 

Go at you parents’ pace

When you’re an adult cruising with your parents, it’s best to take everything at their pace. Remember, it’s easier for you to slow down than it is for your parents to speed up.

It’s not always easy to come to terms with our parents getting older and seeing their capabilities change over the years. While my parents are still relatively young and healthy in their early 60s, my sister and I try not to push them too much.

We would rather go a bit slower so we can all enjoy our time together than pressure our parents to do more than they are comfortable with.  

For example, while my sister and I loved the convenience of riding electric scooters around Paris before we boarded the cruise, we knew our parents would simply not be able to ride these scooters - nor did we want them to for safety reasons!

Instead, we would take point to order Ubers or taxis for the four of us so our parents didn’t have to navigate these apps or attempt to hail a cab in a foreign country.   

Similarly, we picked excursions and activities that could accommodate our parents with what they were comfortable doing. Pushing them to keep up with us could be a point of contention.

Take time for yourself

There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to yourself when cruising with your parents. Having time to yourself is a great way to ensure you are properly getting your rest and it also ensures you don’t get burnt out.

Personally, I prefer to go to bed earlier than my parents do these days - how the tables have turned!

Instead of forcing myself to stay up late and attend every show, trivia and gameshow in the evenings, I don’t have a problem excusing myself for the night. This alone time is something I enjoy having to myself when traveling with my parents. 

Sometimes I use this quiet time to catch up on remote work, blog for Royal Caribbean Blog or FaceTime my husband. 

Having this time to yourself isn’t selfish - remember, it’s your vacation too. You are getting plenty of quality time together, so you don’t need to spend every waking moment with one another. 

I’ve even had times on an excursion or tour where I didn’t feel like waiting around for my parents while they were slowly meandering or shopping; it’s okay to walk away once in a while to have a moment to yourself and separate from the group.

Plan ahead strategically

Making appropriate plans that everyone in your family can enjoy is another great tip for cruising with your parents. 

While my husband and I might prefer doing independent exploration in port rather than excursions, this doesn’t always work best with my parents. 

On our 12-night Holy Land cruise, we booked 3 full day excursions in Israel and a full-day tour in Santorini. I made sure that none of the excursions required too much walking or hiking on uneven surfaces, as I didn’t want my parents to overdue anything. 

Santorini can be a logistically challenging port because you are not only required to tender from the cruise ship, you are required to take a cable car, donkey or long walk down a lot of stairs. The cable car can get very congested during busy days, which can compound an already stressful situation. 

However, if you book the right excursion that involves coach busses, you can avoid this predicament.

Although my husband and I didn’t have any issue a few years ago doing the stairs at the tender port, I knew this would be very stressful for my parents to deal with the donkey or cable car.

For this reason, I purposefully chose an excursion that utilized coach busses to ensure we weren’t put in this potential situation. 

Planning ahead to ensure everyone is comfortable with the excursions and tours is key for successfully cruising with your parents. Read the warnings carefully and make sure your parents are okay with the tour requirements. 

Set realistic expectations

You know your parents just about as good as anyone, so set realistic expectations with yourself before heading out on your cruise. 

My parents are notoriously bubbly, Midwestern-friendly and very talkative. They can be loud - and we all know it. This can certainly draw attention to our family when cruising, even though they are just being themselves. But, I mentally prepare for this and accept that it's going to happen when we cruise together. 

After traveling a lot on my own or with my husband these days, these are things that I notice more when I am back together with my family. You only ever know your own immediate family growing up, so you are used to whatever that dynamic is. 

These days, my husband and I naturally have our own family dynamic, which can add to the adjusting time when I am cruising with my parents. 

But, this means we always have a lot of fun together laughing, talking and catching up when I cruise with my parents. It might also mean that I have to eat dinner at 5:00pm, though! 

Go with the flow

When I cruise with my parents, I have to remind myself to go with the flow often. 

Sometimes my parents have different interests than I do these days, which is totally fine! It’s tough to please everyone, but this means there will be compromise on how you spend your time both onboard and in port.

While my husband and I might enjoy trying out small coffee shops, eating local cuisine and sipping on a seaside cocktail, my parents aren’t necessarily interested in doing that. They will appease me once in a while, but our cruising styles are a little different. 

I remind myself that if I wanted to do exactly what I’d like to do on a cruise, then I would have simply taken a cruise without my parents. We are there to experience these moments together and that quality time is most important.

Sometimes that means going with the flow if everyone in your family is able to agree on what to do, where to go, etc. 

Also, don't forget that your parents are also adjusting to traveling with you in the same way you are adjusting to cruising with them. When I told my family about this article, my mom joked about wanting to share what their experience is like cruising with adult children!

Enjoy the moments

Time together is precious, especially as you get older. Moving to Florida because of my husband’s military service means that I don’t get to see my parents very often. 

While traveling and cruising with your parents as an adult can come with its challenges, it’s also an incredible opportunity to make new family memories together. It’s hard for me to turn down that quality time with my parents while they are relatively young, healthy and still able to travel. 

Although we can have our inevitable scuffs when traveling, I wouldn’t trade the special moments and experiences we’ve had together for the world. 

I love that my family still enjoys cruising together, even as my sister and I have become grown-adults. 

Seeing my mom with tears in her eyes as my dad stepped into the Jordan River in Israel - something he’s always wanted to do - makes everything worthwhile. 

Quality time with your parents is priceless, and I will continue to prioritize cruising with my family as long as I am able. 

I love sharing cruise tips and tricks because it helps people have a better cruise, and I'm always looking for new secrets.

The TikTok social media platform has become well-known for sharing advice on just about every topic, including going on a cruise.

Just like anything on the internet, just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true.  So I wanted to check out the top cruise advice to see which tips were being shared and if I agreed with them or not.

I spent a couple hours checking out every cruise related tag to see what tips I could find, and I'm happy to report the vast majority of tips were quite helpful and the sort of tried-and-true advice that has been shared for years.

There really was no outlandish or bizarre advice that truly defied logic. I guess that's still relegated to investment advice on there.

But I did find 7 popular videos that cover various aspects of going on a cruise with tips and tricks that I thought were worth evaluating since they had fairly high view counts.

Be sure to follow Royal Caribbean Blog on TikTok if you don't already for our own collection of cruise tips and fun videos!

Let's dig into these cruise tips!

Bring your swimsuit on the first day

@yourstrulychelsea A tip for first time cruisers #cruise #cruiselife #cruisetips #cruisetipsandtricks #cruisehacks #vacation #royalcarribean #royalcarribeancruise #carnivalcruise #carnivalcruiseline #virgincruise #virgincruiseline #norwegiancruise #disneycruise #disneycruiseline #ocean #cruisequestions #cruisequestionsanswered #qanda #cruisefacts #goingonacruise #crusingtok #cruisetok #cruisetiktok #cruisetiktoks #cruiseessentials #cruisefood ♬ Good Day - Nappy Roots

The first video I found was by yourstrulychelsea and it talks about wearing your swimsuit on the first day of the cruise.

"Be sure to bring your swimsuit in a carry on bag or wear it under your clothes," she shared because of how uncrowded pool deck activities can be on the first day.

She recommended it for the water slides, FlowRider and even pools or hot tubs.

Matt's advice: I totally agree with Chelsea, and this is very underutilized tip.

Pack your bathing suit in a carry on bag and then change in one of the public restrooms.  By bringing bathing suits with you to change into on embarkation day, you will be able to enjoy the pools and hot tubs without the crowds that will soon arrive for the rest of the cruise.

Verdict: True

Read more: 25 things you need to know for your first day on a cruise ship

Don't shower in your stateroom

@joe_tolley My number one cruise tip… #cruise #cruiseship #cruisetok #royalcaribbean #carnivalcruise #disneycruise #norwegiancruise #fyp #foryoupage ♬ Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists

Our next tip is by joe_tolley and he advises instead of using the shower in your cabin (or having to share it with someone in your cabin), use the free showers in the fitness center.

He says for guests to go to the changing room in the ship's gym where you'll find (likely) a nearly empty space where you can enjoy a complimentary sauna, steam room, and of an extra large shower.

Matt's advice: There's some truth to what Joe recommends, but it depends on your ship.

He's right that every ship's fitness center has a changing room and shower that you could use. No denying that piece of advice.

The issue is not all ships offer complimentary sauna and/or steam rooms for guest use.

To the best of my knowledge, these ships offer complimentary steam rooms and saunas in the fitness center changing rooms:

• Adventure of the Seas 
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Mariner of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

The rest of the ships do not offer these.

Verdict: Somewhat true

Don't pack towels

@yourstrulychelsea #cruise #cruiselife #cruisetips #cruisetipsandtricks #cruisehacks #vacation #royalcarribean #royalcarribeancruise #carnivalcruise #carnivalcruiseline #virgincruise #virgincruiseline #norwegiancruise #disneycruise #disneycruiseline #ocean #cruisequestions #cruisequestionsanswered #qanda #cruisefacts #goingonacruise #crusingtok #cruisetok #cruisetiktok #cruisetiktoks ♬ Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift

Another TikTok by yourstrulychelsea says not to pack towels because the cruise ship will provide them.

"You can use them at the pool and you can take them off the boat and use them in port."

She also advocated returning them to avoid being charged for them later.

Matt's advice: Chelsea is correct again, there's no need to bring towels with you on a cruise ship.

I think maybe some people think they should pack towels for use on a shore excursion, but Royal Caribbean's towels are more than sufficient. 

You can get the towels from the pool deck. Don't take the bath towels in your cabin off the ship.

And Chelsea is also right about the hefty fee if you don't return them. It's $25 per towel for any unreturned towels after the cruise is over, whether you take them home or left them somewhere.

Verdict: True

Hacks for Cruisers from a Crew Member

@ezrafreeman PART 1: Hacks for Cruisers from a Crew Member!!!! 🥳🚢 did you know you could do this!?!? #cruiseship #travelhack #travel #cruisehacks #cruising ♬ original sound - Ezra 🙏 Georgian-American Life

Ezra works on a Princess Cruises ship and listed tips and hacks for cruisers from a crew member perspective.

She recommends asking the activities staff to add events to the calendar if there's something you think is missing.

"This is something people don't take advantage of," she says in her TikTok. "You can literally add it in. You have way more power than you realize, as guests."

She says it's their job to keep guests happy and if the staff can add it to the schedule, they absolutely will.

She mentions an example of when a guest wanted more outdoor deck parties on a recent sailing instead of the one they had on the schedule.  They ended up adding one every day of the cruise as a result of the request.

Matt's advice: I'm certainly not going to doubt a crew member as to whether or not this is possible.

I think it's a terrific piece of advice that most are unaware of, but I think the important thing to remember is the activities staff can't accommodate every request.

On an Anthem of the Seas cruise I took a few years ago, I remember asking the Cruise Director about an event I didn't see on the schedule and he checked on it and then was able to get it added to the calendar.

Piggybacking on Ezra's tip, I'll add it's important to get the request in early on in the sailing so they have time to circle back with their team and verify it can be done and then still have time to add it to the schedule.

Also keep in mind that they'll likely schedule it where there's a gap, and that doesn't necessarily mean it will be at a convenient time for you.

Nonetheless, this is a terrific piece of advice to keep in mind if your favorite activity isn't listed.

Verdict: True

Unconventional packing tips

@flyingwithjames Unconventional packing tips for a cruise — thank me later 💡 #carnivalcruise #carnivalpanorama #cruisetips #cruiselife #traveltips #packingtips #cruisingtok #fyp ♬ Che La Luna - Louis Prima

This video had 2.4 million views and included these items you should pack:

• Over the door shoe organizer
• Multi-plug outlet
• Magnetic hooks
• Laundry hamper
• Nightlights

Matt's advice: Having recently put these packing hacks to the test, I agree with flyingwithjames' advice.

The only tip I personally don't find useful is the over the door organizer, just because I don't find it all that useful.  But I do recognize others may find it helpful.

Regardless, these are smart ideas to bring on your next cruise.

Verdict: True

Five things I would never do while cruising

@dutchworld_americangirl Five things I would never do while cruising #cruise #cruiseship #hollandamericaline #cruisedirector #alaska #caribbean #europe #travel #dontdothis #traveltips ♬ Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy

Another (former?) cruise director, dutchworld_americangirl, shared her list of 5 things she would never do when taking a cruise.

1. Never fly in the same day of the cruise
2. Picking cruise line more important than picking destination
3. Never travel internationally without travel insurance
4. Book shore excursions with the cruise line
5. Never forget to put phone into airplane mode

Matt's advice: I agree with all of Christine's advice, but there are two pieces of her advice I want to expand upon.

Her suggestion to pick the cruise line before picking the destination is very interesting, and I like this tip a lot.

She talks about the importance of knowing what you are looking for in a ship, such as water slides, being able to learn something, dining options and more.  Figure that out first, and then look at where you can sail to.

I think a lot of first time cruisers can overlook this tip because they may assume all cruise lines are mostly the same.  Cruise lines can vary quite a bit in terms of how the onboard experience, as well as what they excel in.  It's a very good idea to learn about the line and ship you're considering before you start looking at where you can go.

Her other tip is to book shore excursions through the cruise line, "if you're in a port of call for only a limited amount of time."

The reason why she recommends this is if there's some kind of an unexpected issue during the tour that prevents you from getting back to the ship on time. Cruise line sponsored tours have the benefit of ensuring they'll get you back even if the tour is delayed.

This is definitely true, although I think you can safely book a tour on your own provided you give enough time before the all-aboard time to protect against traffic, flat tires, or some other delay.

How much time should you pad? Two hours is a good number to start with.

But there's nothing wrong with booking a tour with the cruise line if that concern is too great for you.

Verdict: True

Get free credit card points or cash back

@thecreditbrothers The Cruise Ship Hack To Get Free Credit Card Points Or Cash Back @alexojeda ♬ original sound - Credit Brothers

I tried to find a piece of cruise advice I've never shared and something I haven't really heard of either, and I think I found it with this tip from thecreditbrothers.

Their advice is if you have a credit card that gives you 2 or 3 times points back on travel purchases, to get up to $2,000 per day in cash advances from the ship's casino. 

Because that cash advance gets billed to your room, the charge to the credit card after the cruise will still be from "Royal Caribbean", it will be categorized as a travel charge.

In their example, on a 7-night cruise where you take $2,000 out every day, you'll rack up $14,000 in cash and that counts for (up to) 42,000 credit card points.

That is the equivalent of $420 in cash back, or just a ton of points to redeem for travel or something else.

Matt's advice: I can't speak for all cruise lines, but this advice has a major catch if you're brand new to Royal Caribbean or someone that doesn't gamble a lot in the casino.

Yes, you can take out cash advances every day of your cruise and those charges do come back to your credit card as a travel category charge because everything on your SeaPass account gets lumped into one final cost at the end of the cruise.  If you had the right travel credit card, it would then qualify you for bonus credit card points.

The catch is the fee the casino charges (besides having $14,000 in disposable income you can draw from and a high enough limit not to hit).

Casino Royale on Royal Caribbean charges 5% on every cash advance you make at a table or from the cashier.

There is a workaround, where any money you take out as a cash advance from a slot machine does not accrue the 5% charge for some reason.

However, the slot machine limits you to $500 per cash advance, as I recall. You may be able to get $500 four times a day from the slot machine, but I've never tried it.

Another workaround is if you are Prime or higher in the Casino Royale loyalty program, but I suspect not many people are at that level.

So this hack is feasible, but not for everyone. And the financial responsibility side of this hack is an entirely different question that you need to evaluate for yourself.

Verdict: Theoretically possible, but maybe not a great idea.

While I can't come up with a formula for the perfect cruise for every single person, I can suggest some easy ways to boost anyone's cruise experience.

In my experience, everyone has their own style of cruising. Some try to do every single activity before lunch, and others don't wake up until lunch. That's the beauty of a cruise: you get to do what you want, when you want.

No matter how you prefer to chill, there are some easy ways to build on your cruise plans to make it an even better experience.

Think of these strategies like spices in a food recipe: you don't need to add them, but the extra flavor might be a nice touch.

1. Add days before or after your cruise

I think everyone should fly to their cruise at least a day ahead of time simply because of how flaky the airlines are with cancellations and delays, but there's an added benefit to flying in early.

Flying to your cruise the same day it begins is playing with fire, but coming in early (or staying after your cruise) allows you to pad your vacation time.

If you arrive a day or two early for your cruise, you get to have a more relaxed ramp-up to getting onboard. You'll be able to explore the city your ship departs from, as well as adjust to a time zone change.

Staying a few days after your cruise helps soften the blow of the "post-cruise blues" and feel like your vacation isn't coming to a screeching halt.

If you can work remotely, spending a couple extra days working from the beach in Florida is a good compromise where you get a change of scenery without having to spend extra vacation days.

This strategy is especially helpful if you're on a short cruise, such as a weekend cruise, where you can take a quick cruise and expand that overall vacation feel.

2. Buy The Key

While I'm not a huge fan of the value proposition The Key offers, I do admit buying it is a simple means of hitting the "easy button" to cruising.

The premise of The Key is to offer anyone a way to buy into VIP treatments, such as an early check-in time at the terminal, reserved time at signature activities, and a welcome aboard lunch.

This article isn't about how to maximize value, so if you're looking for a means to splurge without breaking the bank, perhaps The Key has that benefit.

Read more: Counterpoint: Why we love The Key

3. Get a sailaway massage

It's no secret that a massage at the Vitality Spa is a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but I think it's a great idea to get a massage on the first day right as the ship is departing.

Embarkation day is a busy day, and I've always found the first day to have that feeling of running errands, rather than relaxing. You want to get dining reservations, unpack all your clothes, book shows, and a host of other important first-day activities.

Read more: 25 things you need to know for your first day on a cruise ship

By the time late afternoon rolls around, it's not unusual to start feeling like you're running out of energy a bit. This is the perfect time to schedule a spa appointment.

Usually, the price for a spa treatment on embarkation day is cheaper because everyone is busy doing other things.

Getting a massage right as your ship is departing could be the perfect way to bring things down a notch and get that "I'm on vacation" feeling back in gear.

4. Ask your waiter for alternative menu options

Whether you have a food allergy or are just a picky eater, there are other options not necessarily on the menu in the dining room.

Ask to speak to the head waiter and explain what you would like, even if it is not on the menu.

Politely talk to your wait staff about what options you have. In general, as long as they have the ingredients and you make the request in advance, they can absolutely accommodate a great variety of requests.

Be aware that some changes take extra time, so give the staff advanced notice. Usually, 24 hours will suffice for special meals or foods. 

Read more: How to request your favorite foods be prepared in the main dining room

5. Skip a shore excursion and stay onboard

While you likely booked a cruise because of the fun ports the ship is scheduled to visit, you might consider staying onboard the ship for one of the stops.

That isn't to say the ports of call your ship visits don't offer some really fun things to do. Rather, this is about a way to take advantage of a less busy ship.

If there's a port you have been to before, or you can't find a shore excursion that jumps out as a great choice, then you might be better off staying on the ship and enjoying the far less busy pool deck.

Read more: 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own

In the morning and afternoon while a cruise ship is docked in port, the pool deck is far less busy than almost any other time of the cruise. This means it's easy to get a seat by the pool, a seat in the hot tub, or your own personal space in the pool.

Being onboard when most others are off the ship is the closest feeling you'll get to having the cruise ship to yourself.

If you have kids, staying onboard not only allows them to enjoy the pool deck, but also get extra rides in on the ship's waterslides without a massive wait.

6. Learn about what your ship has to offer before you board

Regret is one of the most common pitfalls of a cruise, as people realize too late that they missed out on an activity, tour, or cool thing they wanted to check out.

If you want to ensure you get to experience everything on your ship that appeals to you, then you're going to want to learn about your ship before you sail.

Read more: What I wish I'd known before I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Royal Caribbean certainly advertises the signature activities on its ships, but there's far more to do than just a FlowRider or water slide. There are shows, trivia, lectures, entertainers, and lots of really fun things you can do onboard and onshore.

It's to your advantage to learn about everything you can do to ensure you don't miss any of it.

An easy way to learn about things to do on your ship is to read a past Cruise Compass.

The Cruise Compass is a daily newspaper of activities, and Royal Caribbean doesn't change these plans much from sailing to sailing. So while a past Compass might not be a 100% representation of what you can expect, it's going to be close enough.

Read more: First time cruiser's guide to Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass

Likewise, there might be a fun shore excursion you'd like to do and it might not be bookable through Royal Caribbean.

The more you are aware of your options, the less likely you'll be disappointed later after learning you could have done something else.

7. Plan to hit the pool on embarkation day

Did you know the pool and water slides are open on the first day of your cruise?

Most people don't, or more to the point, most people don't have their bathing suits with them to enjoy the pool on the first day.

Pack your bathing suits in your carry-on bag and then change once you get on the ship to start off with a far less crowded pool deck day.

You'll find practically empty pools and water slides without much of a wait well into the afternoon.

Even when people get their luggage delivered to their room, by that point, it's time to get ready for dinner and that keeps the pools from being full.

Besides fewer people to contend with, hopping in the pool or jacuzzi is a great way to start your vacation with a more relaxed pace. Save the ship exploration for after dinner.

8. Bid for a cruise cabin upgrade

You don't need to spend more money to have a good time on a cruise, however, it certainly doesn't hurt either.

RoyalUp is Royal Caribbean's stateroom upgrade bidding program, where you can attempt to make an offer for a bigger cabin.

It's a blind bidding program, and that means you won't know what others bid, nor if there actually are any cabins available to upgrade to. But if you're lucky, you might be able to move up to a nicer cabin for less money than if you had booked it outright.

People cancel cruises all the time, even with just days to go before sailing. RoyalUp is a tool the cruise line uses to fill in those cabins.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big, so if you don't mind rolling the proverbial dice on a cabin upgrade, give RoyalUp a shot.

Read more: Royal Caribbean suites guide & review

9. Get two cabins instead of one for your family

Want to know my best cruise tip for a family? Get two cabins.

If you're cruising with kids, it can be advantageous to book two connecting (or adjacent) cabins instead of one large cabin for everyone to stay in.

Connecting rooms provide separation, so the kids can go to bed at a different time from you. During the day, they have their own space (and own television) to watch.

Most importantly, getting two rooms means you'll get two full bathrooms. Families with teenagers will find this an amazing benefit.

It's also worth mentioning that two cabins doesn't mean expensive. Quite often, two smaller cabins can be the same price or cheaper than one large room or suite.

Read more: What's the best cruise ship cabin for my family?

10. Use porters at the end of the cruise

When it's time to get off the ship, do yourself (and your back) a favor and use the porters to get your luggage to your car.

I see too many people lugging their bags out of the cruise terminal (or even off the ship) as a way to save a couple of dollars.

Porters have no cost to use, but you're expected to tip them a dollar or two per bag for their services. 

In my opinion, it's well worth it to have a porter take your bags and lessen the load.

In some ports, porters have their own line for getting through customs and that can save you time as well.

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Though I consider myself to be a seasoned cruiser on Royal Caribbean ships, I still learned some new things to remember for upcoming sailings. 

Take a look at the top 10 things I learned while I was on the Mariner of the Seas this July. Knowing a few of these simple tricks can help you during your next cruise!

Importance of the Royal Caribbean app

Before 2020, I had never needed to use the Royal Caribbean app on my smartphone while I was on a cruise. We always had our compass given to us in our stateroom, a physical menu in the main dining room, and an in-person muster drill. Now, Royal Caribbean highly encourages you to download the app before your sailing so you can access all this information online.

I like most aspects of the app, but I missed being able to receive a compass every night in our stateroom. Same in the dining room - I like to look at a physical menu rather than scrolling on my phone.

Luckily, both of these can be easily resolved by asking your stateroom attendant for a physical compass and your waiter for a physical menu. 

I have no complaints about the muster drill, though. It was so much easier and faster to do it on your own following the steps on the app.

Food options

While I was aware that Royal Caribbean ships have plenty of food options, I learned a few interesting facts for those that are vegan or gluten-free.

To accommodate a gluten-free diet, the main dining room takes your order the day before so they can prepare your meal for the next evening. The dining staff tries their hardest to accommodate these requests, and it seems as though they can make almost any meal work. 

As I was scrolling through the app one evening, I noticed there was a vegan menu in addition to the regular main dining room menu. If you only have a normal menu, you can ask to see the vegan menu.

Read more: Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Royal Caribbean

I had previously been on the Mariner of the Seas earlier in 2022, and it had a build-your-own omelet station at the Windjammer. This time around, it was not there, which I was sad about. On the bright side, they still made various pre-made omelets to choose from, such as ham and cheese, vegetable, and cheese.

Diamond Drinks

For those that love sweet treats like I do, this next tip will be important to remember.

I wanted to learn the differences between Ben & Jerry’s milkshakes and Johnny Rockets’ milkshakes. While you have to pay for anything from Ben & Jerry’s, I did not have to at Johnny Rockets.

In the past, the milkshakes were not included as one of my Diamond drink vouchers, but it was this time! The worker explained to me since the milkshake is under the $13 drink limit, it qualifies like any other cocktail or mixed drink.

Another discovery I made was the coffee drinks at Cafe Promenade. I did not think these drinks were included either, so I waited until the end of the cruise to ask if they were included. Low and behold, they were as well! 

Check-in time matters

Since I booked this cruise pretty last minute, I had only a few options to pick from when it came to the arrival time. I had the option of either 1:30 or 2 p.m. I went with the 2 p.m. slot because I did not want to be rushed to leave my hotel. In the end, it didn't matter what time I picked, because the line was so long!

While I was waiting in line, I could hear people saying they had an arrival time of 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, etc. I was shocked to hear this, but I later learned that this sailing was at full capacity and wasn’t located at its normal launching terminal. Those two things combined made for a 1.5-hour wait just to check-in. 

After finally getting on the ship, I found out that those that had an early arrival time did not have a long wait like I did. If your travel allows, sign up for an early check-in time so you can avoid the crowds and start your vacation sooner!

Rideshare apps to and from port

This was my first time using a rideshare app to get to and from the cruise. I was worried the price was going to be extremely expensive to drive 45 minutes (I was at the Orlando airport going to Port Canaveral), but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw my options. 

Each way, Lyft was cheaper, so I used this app. (Uber was at least another $50-$100 more.) It was easy to find a ride to the ship, but it was more difficult to get one after the cruise. 

After getting off the ship, I immediately put in a request for a Lyft, and it notified me that it was busy and may take a long time to have a driver pick me up. I did not mind waiting, but I had to request a driver two times before someone picked me up. It did take about 45 minutes in total to order the ride and have them find me at the port.

In the future, it may be worthwhile to schedule a Lyft or Uber to pick you up. Or, you can take the airport shuttle instead.

Dinner theme nights

I remember on past cruises how there would only be formal nights and casual nights. Now, there seems to be a new theme every once in a while! From Caribbean to Tropical, cruisers are encouraged to fit the theme when dining in the main dining room.

A big change I saw was formal night now being called “Dress Your Best.” There was certainly a range of different attires - some people brought their gowns and tuxedos, while others wore dresses or a nice top with dress pants. I usually went with the latter and wore business casual, as did most cruisers.

Ask your stateroom attendant

In addition to requesting a physical compass, I learned of two other things you can request from your stateroom attendant.

After three nights of sleeping with a lumpy pillow and waking up with a sore neck, I asked my attendant for a new pillow. That night, he gave me a feather pillow, and it was so much better than the pillows we were originally given.

Also, since the showers only have a 2-1 body wash and shampoo, I asked my attendant for some conditioner. He certainly delivered because he gave me plenty to use for the rest of the cruise.

Helicopter pad access

When the sun would set in the evening, I wanted to find a great spot on the ship to admire the views. I tried deck four, but some nights I just could not see the sunset. 

I then saw some stairs that led up to the helicopter pad. It was a little difficult to find the access point, but just head towards the front of the ship on deck four, and you should see the stairs.

Once I was there, I saw other people had the same idea. It was truly an excellent place to view everything that was happening. This place would also be great to go when the ship sails in and out of port!

Walking path substitute

The Mariner of the Seas does have a walking path on deck 12, but it is hard to use because it is surrounded by chairs and people. 

Deck four is a good place to get your steps in because there is a path that goes almost the entire way around the ship. To go all the way around, you would need to cut through the sliding doors near the front of the ship and walk to the other side. More than half of this loop around the ship is shaded, so it is the perfect place to walk with little to no interruptions.

Solarium tip

I always love to relax in the Solarium, and many others do too. That makes it hard to find a spot during the day because it is a busy spot among cruisers. I found that a great time to enjoy the Solarium is around 8 p.m. or later. There was no one in the daybeds, so I was finally able to snag one! It was so quiet that I could hear the waves as I relaxed. 

Another important tip I learned: while there are hot tubs in the Solarium, they may be closed when you first arrive. However, there is always at least one hot tub open 24 hours a day, either in the Solarium or outside on the pool deck.

Before you can get on a Royal Caribbean cruise, you may have to fly to your destination city and air travel is anything but simple these days.

Likely you've seen headlines about air travel chaos that is affecting airlines around the world. 

Whether its bad weather, air traffic control, staffing issues or reduced security personnel, you should expect problems when flying this summer.

While these issues are problematic, it doesn't mean it's impossible to get to your cruise ship either. In fact, there are some good strategies for ensuring your movement between home and where your ship sails from encounters minimal issues.

An unnamed flight attendant penned a post on Facebook that has been shared thousands of times, and it lists 20 tips for dealing with air travel this summer.

I found many of these tips to be good pieces of travel advice, so in an effort to get the word out there, here are two air travel tips you should know about if you plan to fly to your cruise ship anytime soon.

1.  If its less than 7 hours - drive!

I'm not kidding. There is nothing enjoyable about flying right now. On any airline. If you must fly, keep reading. 

2. Download and use the app of the airline you are flying

You can do everything on it - get your boarding pass, track your bags, see your incoming plane, and change a flight. It sure beats waiting in the long line to talk to an agent! Trust me - Usually these apps will tell you a flight is cancelled before the crew even knows! 

3. Fly much earlier than you need to - a whole day early if its important!

This week I saw many people miss important things like weddings, funerals, cruises, international connections, and graduations. The tears were very real, for very real reasons, and there was nothing I could do! I

f you have to be somewhere, spend the extra money, go a day early. Have a glass of wine and stay in a hotel, enjoy your night not being stressed while everyone else misses their events. 

Read more: Why you shouldn't fly to your cruise the same day it begins

4. Always fly the first flight in the morning

This way, you have all day to be rebooked if bad stuff happens. Yes, that means it might be a 3:00 alarm, but morning flights don't cancel nearly as often.

5. Summer is thunderstorm season

A single storm can shut down a whole airport. We can't fly through them. Storms usually build as the day gets later. Book early flights!

6. Schedule long layovers

Your 1 hour layover is not  enough anymore. 30 minutes, not a chance. 3 hours minimum.

7. What you see on the news is an understatement.

We are short staffed and overworked. Not just pilots and flight attendants, but also ground crews.

Without ground crews there is no one to park the planes, drive jetways, get your bags on/off planes, or scan boarding passes. This causes many delays that snowball throughout the day. Sometimes hours.(Another reason morning flights are best!)  

8. When flight crews get delayed we time out

We can not fly longer than 16 hours. Its illegal. So it doesn't matter if you have a wedding to get to, when we are done we are done.

The way things are now, there are no back up crews, so when this happens your flight cancels.

Now you are starting to see why those morning flights are best!

9. Avoid connecting in Newark (Or any New York airport for that matter)

It is literal hell. You have a 50/50 chance your flight will cancel or missing your connection. They have been cancelling flights at their starting points just to keep the planes out, because there just aren't enough people to manage the planes, so the gates stay full.

Also the restaurants are expensive, it is not a great place to be stuck. 

10. Be nice

As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean. No one cares that you are going to miss your cruise if you are mean.

So even if we can help, we will save our help for someone nice. Tensions are high. Our patience is gone. If you make us mad - you will not be flying on our planes. We will leave you behind without a second thought, and laugh about you later. 

11. Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it

If you drink too much at the bar waiting for your delayed flight you risk not being allowed to fly at all. We are too tired to deal with you when we have legitimate issues to deal with.

12. Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested

I hate the whole idea of this, but I also hate the idea of losing money.  

Example: I was working a flight yesterday that waited over an hour for a gate. A family of 8 missed their flight to Rome. The only flight of the day. They were going to a cruise which they would now miss. They were all crying, there was nothing I could do. (Also a reason to fly a day early!)

13. Flights are full

If you buy the cheap seats you will not be able to sit with your family. It says so when you purchase your ticket!

Flight Attendants aren't there to rearrange the whole plane just so you can sit with your family because you tried to save $100 on a third party website. 

14. The people that get bumped first

Speaking of third party websites and saving money..... Like I said flights are full.

If a flight is oversold, and no one volunteers to give up their seats, who do you think is the first to be bumped? You guessed it, the family that saved a few $$ by using sites like Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire etc. 

15. Pack smart

Don't be "That guy." Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead. Passengers are stressed too, they can be aggressive when boarding a delayed flight.

16. Practice good personal hygiene

Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food (caesar salad and tuna fish I'm talking to you!), and bring headphones.

Trust me. These things sound basic, but add to stress on crowded planes. If you are stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a 4 hour flight, you will thank me for this. 

17. Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold

So tired of half naked girls asking me to turn the heat up. 

18. That's not water on the bathroom floor

For the love of God wear shoes to the bathroom!

19. Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired

We are and we know. You may cause us to ugly cry right there in galley. 

20. Happy Travels!

While I absolutely love cruising and traveling, we all know that sometimes things don’t go exactly as we planned. Sometimes we try things that just don’t live up to our expectations. Other times, we are wowed by something that we never had on our radar.

Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships are built to appeal to a wide demographic, so we aren’t necessarily meant to love everything a cruise ship has to offer. 

Traveling can also just be unpredictable - I’ve definitely had my fair share of travel woes over the years.

Take for instance the time my family flew all the way to Brazil to meet up with me on my Semester at Sea - just in time for the Brazilian embassy to go on strike and hold our passports hostage. I’ll also never forget the time I traveled 9 hours inland for a safari in Senegal only to see zero animals in the wild. 

With cruising back in full force, I’ve been reflecting on my Royal Caribbean cruising experience over the years. After 30 cruises, there are certainly things that I won’t be doing in the future after learning some valuable lessons. 

Here’s a list of everything that I tried on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I won’t do again.

Booking an excursion every day

In our early days of cruising, we would have an excursion planned for every single port day. After doing this a few times, we all decided that an excursion each day was simply too much. 

Most of the time, we had to get up earlier than we wanted to on vacation so we could have breakfast and get ready in time. We’d be in the sun all day doing whatever fun activity we had planned. By the time we got back to the ship, we would be exhausted!

Of course, having some excursions planned can really maximize time in port. Excursions definitely have a time and place.

I just don’t think we will be booking back-to-back excursions anymore. Not only is this very expensive to book multiple Royal Caribbean excursions, but it doesn’t allow for flexibility. Sometimes it’s nice to have a slow start to your morning and not have any plans set in stone. It’s good to have rest days, even if it means being on your own schedule. 

Having a stateroom at the very front of the ship

When I sailed to Hawaii with my family, we were offered an upgrade to a 2-bedroom suite onboard the cruise ship. We were so excited to have a huge room because we normally cruise in inside cabins.  

Our Hawaii stateroom was absolutely gorgeous. It had a separate bedroom for kids down a long curvy hallway. We also had our own bathroom, which was so nice. It felt like cruising in luxury!

But we learned immediately why no one had booked it. The hallway to our bedroom was so curvy because it wrapped around the very front of the ship. Maybe we just had bad luck with rough seas, but we were all sick every night that the ship was sailing. 

We heard that the Pacific Ocean is often more rocky than the Atlantic or Mediterranean, so we really should have done some thinking about that before jumping on the upgrade offer.

I won’t be booking a cabin at the very front and top of the ship, regardless of how good of a deal it is! It isn’t worth it to be seasick every night, regardless of how beautiful the stateroom is. 

Not making dinner reservations

This seems to be a problem that’s getting progressively worse with cruising. On a recent Harmony of the Seas cruise, we didn’t make any reservations for dinner because we wanted to have some flexibility. We had booked My Time Dining, so we thought we could eat whenever we wanted.

That was clearly not the case. Apparently, everyone had booked dinner reservations prior to coming onboard. My Time Dining used to mean we could just show up and be seated whenever we wanted. Now, everyone makes reservations for My Time Dining and if you don’t have one, you’ll be waiting in line before getting seated.

We were panicked at first, as my dad prefers to eat earlier than most people. The hostess was able to get us a set table each night for the early dining time, which resolved our issue thankfully. 

But, we learned a valuable lesson! We won’t be winging it with reservations on future cruises, especially on Oasis Class ships.

Taking a red eye flight the night before a cruise

We never fly into a port the same day as our cruise, but my husband and I found ourselves stuck with a red eye flight that landed in the early morning on our cruise departing. 

We were sailing right after Christmas on Jewel of the Seas from San Juan. We booked a direct flight from Minneapolis to San Juan that landed at 6 a.m. on the morning of the cruise. This flight was reasonably priced on Sun Country for $200, but every other airline was charging astronomical prices for non-direct flights. 

I was so stressed about the possibility of a delay that I had a hard time getting excited about the cruise. Even though it seemed like the best flight option, I was so worried about having a delay or cancellation that would prevent us from boarding our cruise. 

In the future, I will continue to spend extra if it means we can get into a port the day before the cruise. It’s not worth risking your cruise entirely, even if it saves a bit of money!

Wasting time at the spa giveaway

One time, we got roped into attending a spa giveaway in our early days of cruising. It was during the set sail party too, so we were hoping it would be worthwhile to miss the departure views of the ship sailing off. 

We should have known that nothing onboard is really free once you get on the cruise ship, as Royal Caribbean wants you to spend money onboard. 

My sister is notoriously lucky and won the "giveaway." We were all thrilled for her, clapping and cheering when they called her name. We were obviously thinking it was going to be a really nice prize.

Of course, it was far from a free spa treatment or service. The prize was something like, “Spend $300 and save $100 on a spa treatment if you book by Day 2.” This is probably a decent deal if you were already going to spend money at the spa, but we didn’t have any plans to spend money there in the first place. 

As such, we’ve never gone back to a spa giveaway on our Royal Caribbean cruises - or any other giveaway for that matter! We would rather spend our time on other activities that we enjoy more, like hot tubbing in the Solarium with a cocktail in hand.

Splurging on a spa treatment

Since we are on the topic of going to the spa, I won’t be returning for any spa treatment on future Royal Caribbean cruises. 

I know some people have great experiences with going to the spa and that’s a big part of their vacation. I am not really a spa person to begin with; I don’t get my nails or hair done often and rarely have massages. 

I had never had a spa treatment on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship before, but I was feeling proud that I had survived my husband’s deployment and wanted to treat myself to a massage. I had woken up with a sore neck after our ship hit some rough waters, so what better time to indulge!

The treatment was $200, which is half of what the entire 7-night cruise cost. That was a tough pill to swallow, but I figured this was a special treat to myself and not something I do often.

Halfway through the hot stone massage, the masseuse told me I had a mass on my shoulder. I was confused and asked her if she meant that I had a knot, as this was the reason I came to the spa in the first place. 

She said no, it wasn’t a knot, and I needed to go to the doctor back home for a biopsy to be done on the mass. She even stated, “Early detection is good.”  

I was absolutely shocked and flabbergasted. I broke down in tears with the stress overwhelming me. I wondered how I was supposed to enjoy the rest of my vacation with this looming thought. 

She then asked if I wanted to schedule a consultation with the acupuncturist to help with my anxiety. I was so disheartened by the experience that I left in tears. I’m a naturally anxious person, so she probably couldn’t have said this to a worse person. 

Luckily, I spoke to the spa manager and she was deeply sorry about the issue. She offered me a full refund and assured me that this should have never happened. Of course, I just had bad luck that this happened. I am sure the masseuse had good intentions, but she isn’t a medical professional.

After this unfortunate experience, I won’t be treating myself to anything at the spa again. 

Sliding down the waterslides

My last few cruises had brand-new waterslides that I was excited to try out. Both times, we had to wait in short lines but I was excited to try them out. 

As I flung myself down the entrance of the slide, it seemed that I was barely putzing my way down the waterslide. I don’t know if that’s the intent of the slides and perhaps smaller cruisers have a more exhilarating time. 

I guess I don’t really know what I was expecting, but I won’t be spending my time trying the waterslides anymore. These are definitely aimed at kids, but are meant to be family friendly for cruisers of all ages. 

Even though I didn’t have to wait long, I would have been bummed if I had waited in a long line to have an underwhelming experience. 

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If there's one thing that annoys everyone on a cruise ship, it's the people who reserve pool chairs for the entire day.

Commonly referred to as "chair hogs", it's an unfortunate occurrence on cruise ships (and to be fair, many hotels and resorts as well). Basically, some people will leave their belongings on one or more loungers near the pool, and then disappear for hours before ever using them.

Technically there should be pool attendants who look for the issue and remove the belongings, but in practice, it rarely occurs.

All is not lost if you want to get a chair by the pool on your Royal Caribbean cruise. While we could complain about the issue occurring in the first place, I think the more practical solution is to give you a way to beat the problem.

Speaking of the problem, it behooves me to point out that if the chair hog issue bothers you as much as it bothers me, don't be a part of the problem either. Utilize the strategies in this post and then relinquish your chair when you're not using it as a way to set a better example.

Here are six easy ways to get a spot by the pool, despite the chair hogs you may encounter.

Get up early

While chair hogs are a problem, they don't get all the pool chairs right away. In my experience, if you get yourself up to the pool in the morning, you can usually get a chair.

How early? Before 10am is usually a good rule of thumb to be able to get a chair. Shorter weekend cruises tend to attract more people to the pool, but you definitely want to get an early breakfast and then stake out your claim by the pool.

While sleeping in is a wonderful feeling, it will put you behind the eight ball in terms of getting a seat if you roll up to the pool deck later in the morning.

Read more: 8 things some cruisers do that annoy everyone else

If getting up early is not going to happen (I'm looking at you Billy from CruiseHabit.com), then your next best option is to wait the chair hogs out.

As the afternoon progresses, people start to slowly leave the pool in order to prepare for dinner or their evening plans. By 4pm, many chairs start to open up.

If your plan is to spend all day at the pool, then get up early for a chair. But if you just want a couple hours, you might see if you can sneak them in closer to dinner.

Rent a casita

Some people prefer to throw money at the problem, and Royal Caribbean offers casita rentals.

Available on a few cruise ships, these casitas come with a flat fee for use during the day.

Casitas are available on the pool decks of:

• Wonder of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Utopia of the Seas
• Icon of the Seas

The price will likely vary, but we've seen prices of $199 for the day on a sea day and $149 on a port day.

Not only do you get two chairs to use, but the rental also includes towels, a cooler, storage for your belongings, and a charging outlet.

You will also get two complimentary Welcome Drinks and four chilled waters with your reservation.

I'm sure there are some people not in love with the idea of spending money for pool chairs, but it is a surefire way to guarantee a spot for you on the pool deck.

Keep in mind the casitas on some ships are located on the upper pool deck, which means it is not on the same deck as the actual pool. You'll have to just walk down the stairs to the actual pool.

Hit the pool on port days

If waking up early and spending extra doesn't jive with you, then your next best bet is to hit the pool deck when your ship is docked in port.

On port days, many guests disembark the ship for their shore excursion and that means there is far less demand for the pool.

Port days will find the pool far less busy than on sea days, and that can be the perfect time to hit up the pool, as well as water slides or the FlowRider.

The downside to going to the pool on a port day is you are forgoing whatever activities you might be interested in while in port. A good compromise is to do a tour in the morning, and then go to the pool after your excursion is complete.

Even after lunch, the pool deck usually doesn't get too busy on a port day.

Get a chair away from the pool

Let's say it's 1pm. You want to be outside and lay out in the sun on a sea day, but renting a casita isn't in the cards. Now what?

There are usually lots of lounge chairs elsewhere on the pool decks, especially if you venture away from the pool.

Often there are unused chairs and loungers if you walk all the way forward or aft. I've found these chairs both in the sun and in the shade, depending on the location.

You won't be able to see the pool fun, but for many guests, it's just about being able to lay out and read a book, catch a nap, or enjoy the sun.

Look for a chair near the kid's pool

In my experience, chair hogs' kryptonite is being near the kids area.

On ships that have Splashaway Bay or the H2O Zone, I've generally found more chairs available near these spots than the main pool.

Put on your noise-cancelling headphones and enjoy the lounge chair you wanted, without nearly as much competition.

Book a suite

On most ships, there is reserved seating for suite guests somewhere on the pool deck.

This reserved area usually has enough loungers throughout the day. Whether it's worth it to book a suite on Royal Caribbean or not, one consideration may be how much you may take advantage of the pool deck.

Keep in mind the suite sun deck is for guests in a Grand Suite or higher, so Junior Suites don't count.

If your idea of a great cruise is spending all day by the pool, booking a suite might be a good investment.

There are a handful of cruise tips that are so important, I feel everyone should follow them, and anyone who went on a cruise this weekend was likely reminded of how critical they are.

Thanks to severe weather, technical issues, and air traffic control problems, it was a messy weekend for flying to Florida. 

Over 3,500 flights were cancelled this past weekend, including a lot on Sunday on JetBlue and Southwest.  JetBlue cancelled 25% of its schedule on Sunday, and 15% cancelled on Saturday. Southwest cancelled more than 500 flights on Saturday and almost 400 on Sunday due to the bad weather. Flights on American Airlines, Spirit, and Allegiant Airlines all saw their fair share of cancellations as well.

Regardless of your airline, Orlando and Miami International airports were the top two airports in the world by origin and destination to see flights cancelled and delayed on Sunday.

In light of all the recent delays and cancellations, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of three core planning tips for your cruise that everyone should consider.

Don't fly to your cruise the same day it departs

In short, flying to your cruise ship the same day the ship embarks passengers is playing with fire.

You've spent a lot of time and money planning your perfect cruise vacation, so why let a cancelled flight or delay possibly jeopardize your plans?

Flying in the same day of your cruise leaves very few options if something like what happened this past weekend were to occur. Remember, this happened in early April, which is not even hurricane season.

The smart move is to fly in at least one day before your cruise is set to depart, and this includes anyone driving to their cruise ship.  

Coming in at least one day early gives you a buffer against any flight delays or cancellations impacting your ability to get onboard the ship.

Yes, this means paying for a hotel, but peace of mind is worth something, and losing money on your vacation because you didn't want to spend a little extra for a night at the Holiday Inn Express seems like a worthwhile expense.

As a nice side effect, coming into your city early also starts your vacation a little sooner!

Buy travel insurance

The truth about any type of insurance is it's likely money spent for something you won't need, but if you do need it, it feels great having it.

Travel insurance covers a lot of costs if you were to find yourself in a scenario where your travel plans prohibited you from making the cruise.

As we move away from the Cruise with Confidence program and the ability to cancel at the very last minute, having a good travel insurance policy makes a lot of sense once again.

If your flight gets delayed or cancelled and you are unable to make the cruise, travel insurance pays you back for the cruise you missed, along with incidental costs along the way.

Depending on your age, residency, and exact plan you pick, the costs will vary, but figure on spending around $100-170 per person for travel insurance.

Ask your travel agent for suggestions, but here are a few popular travel insurance providers:

• Allianz Global Assistance
• AIG Travel Guard
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
• TravelSafe Insurance

There are also a few travel insurance comparison websites out there, such as Insure My Trip or SquareMouth.

Use a good travel agent

There is no more frustrating endeavor right now than trying to call Royal Caribbean due to their extremely long hold times.

If a delay means your cruise plans are in trouble, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour or more on hold waiting for someone at Royal Caribbean to answer.  While I love cruising with Royal Caribbean, their phone centers have been inundated with calls recently, and that's lead to very long hold times.

The way around this problem is to book your cruise with a good travel agent.

Anyone can book a cruise, but a good travel agent is worth using every time for everything that occurs after booking.  

And no, a good travel agent should not cost you anything extra to use their services for booking and managing your cruise fare reservation.

In a situation where you are not going to make the cruise, or find yourself stuck in a connecting airport, a good travel agent can be a lifesaver in getting you answers and resolutions.  

While a good travel agent can't magically make your flight on time, they can save your sanity as you explore other options.

Read more: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation

That perfect cruise itinerary has been booked for months, you've got everything ready to go, and the notion of cancelling your cruise seems unfathomable at this point.

However, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant is giving just about everyone second thoughts about their travel plans.

Between Royal Caribbean's incredibly high level of health protocols and certain steps you can take as a traveler, there are some ways to travel and stay relatively safe.

If you decide to go ahead with your cruise, here are some things I would recommend doing so that your cruise is enjoyable.

Be okay with changes, especially at the last minute

If nothing else, you need to be totally fine with an email or letter in your stateroom informing you that your plans need to change.

Whether it is a new health protocol or your ship changing itinerary, travel right now is full of changes on an almost daily basis.

While most people generally don't like change, I think there's a lot of folks are fine with these updates as long as they still get to go on vacation.

I certainly recall during the cruise industry shutdown of 2020-21 where I would have absolutely paid money to sit on my balcony and do nothing else. Luckily, a cruise today still offers a much better experience than that.

Be aware that changes could be announced at anytime, and there is no point where the cruise line cannot announce something. If that sounds okay to you, go ahead with the cruise. Otherwise, defer your vacation until later.

Read more: Why you need to be flexible if you want to go on a cruise right now

Assume less activities to do

Cruise ships are packed with so many activities and events onboard, but with Covid affecting crew members just as much as passengers, the ships can sometimes be short staffed.

The result of less crew is there may be less activities offered onboard. 

My advice is plan on a cruise that resembles a classic cruise experience, rather than one where you could count on every single event and signature activity being open.

Admittedly, this is a "glass is half full" approach to planning the cruise.  But I think it keeps expectations in line so you can only be pleasantly surprised when there's more to do onboard.

If I'm going on a ship tomorrow, I would pack more books or card games so I could enjoy that almost anywhere. I'd pack my kids' Nintendo Switch or iPads so they have something to do in the room when Adventure Ocean is full.

I might also plan to spend more time (and money) in the casino.

A time-honored cruise tradition is time spent at the pool, and I would figure to spend more time up there.  Maybe even an afternoon nap, which is the best indulgence of vacation, if you ask me.

Bring N95 masks

I'm not a health expert, but it seems a lot of health experts are advocating upgrading your mask to a N95 or KN95 mask.

In an study conducted last August, researchers from universities including Yale and Stanford found surgical masks were 95% effective at filtering out virus particles, compared with 37% for cloth masks.

Royal Caribbean requires masks to be worn indoors, so when I sailed on Navigator of the Seas last week, I packed KN95 masks to wear just to add better protection.

Purchase at-home Covid-19 tests

Assuming you don't have unvaccinated kids cruising (they need a PCR test), you should plan to order at-home Covid-19 tests rather than trying to get an appointment somewhere.

One of the many effects Omicron is having is land-based testing sites are overwhelmed, and long waits for a test are common. 

Your best bet is to purchase the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test, which is the only at-home test that Royal Caribbean accepts.

I would recommend purchasing them 1-2 months before your cruise so there is enough time in terms of shipping to reach you.

You can purchase the test through eMed or Optum.

Read more: I tried the at-home Covid-19 test that Royal Caribbean accepts

Prioritize outdoor excursions

It's not always possible, but an easy strategy of avoiding higher-risk situations is to book outdoor shore excursions.

Catamarans, beach days, or hikes are all great examples of tours you can book on your own or through Royal Caribbean to be able to do something fun in the ports you visit while avoiding being indoors.

Not to mention if you plan an outdoor tour, you may be able to ditch the mask (subject to local laws).

On our last cruise, we took three tours that were all almost exclusively outdoors: catamaran, ATV, and beach day excursions.

Obviously if you did something indoors that is not to say you are putting yourself in harm's way.  Rather, if the Covid cases are worrying you, there are lots of good tours outdoors you can book.

Air travel tips

In addition to not being a public health expert, I'm also not an air travel expert.  But, I've read lots of tips to help prepare for when we flew cross-country for our cruise.

Here are some pieces of airplane advice that I think makes sense.

Book a window seat to avoid exposure to people walking by in the aisle. If you can afford it, this is a great time to upgrade to a business or first class seat because they are less crowded.

Once you are seated on the plane, turn the air blower on to its highest setting to keep as much air moving as possible.

In the airport, try to find the most social distanced place you can find. That is usually not easy, but instead of cramming into a chair near the gate, find a spot to stand away from everyone else where you can see the gate agent so you know when boarding begins.

Now is the time to try upgrade your cabin

I've never been a major fan of Royal Caribbean's bid for a cabin upgrade program, RoyalUp, but if there's a silver lining to Omicron, it is that it has never been easier to get an upgrade.

Royal Caribbean said there's been increased cancellations in the near-term sailings due to Omicron fears, which means cabin upgrades could be easier to get.

If you are booked in an inside cabin or a oceanview, I would recommend rolling the dice on a balcony upgrade via RoyalUp to see if you can snag a great deal on a bigger room.

Obviously I cannot promise you will get anything, but I think the odds are better in general today than they were a month ago.

Bidding for a suite upgrade is always tough since everyone that does RoyalUp dreams of moving up to a suite, but you may as well give it a shot too.

Keep in mind that RoyalUp doesn't necessarily mean there is an open cabin to move up to, but I think the soft demand right now makes it the right time to try for an upgrade.

Read more: How to upgrade your cabin on Royal Caribbean

Don't be afraid to delay your cruise plans

Last, but not least, if you decide this isn't the time to cruise, you can still change your mind.

Royal Caribbean's Cruise with Confidence program allows anyone to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours before the sail date without any penalty, and get a 100% future cruise credit.

You could take that credit and rebook another sailing later in the spring or summer.

I love to cruise, but I would be the first to say if you don't feel comfortable right now, it's okay to push things off. Going back to my first tip, you need to be okay with a certain amount of fluctuating plans. Not everyone will feel that way, so there's nothing wrong with taking some more time before you sail again.

They say all good things must come to an end, and that includes cruise vacations.

As your time left onboard begins to wane, there are a few important things to do before it's time to head off the ship and end your vacation.

Doing so will not only expedite your final morning onboard before you disembark, but avoid regrets or billing problems later.

Here are ten things every cruiser should do on the last day of their sailing before their cruise comes to an end.

Check the bill

Setting your bill is a good idea on the last day of the cruise so you can review everything on there looks to be correct, as well as render payment.

If you have a cash account, you will want to get that squared away before heading to bed. Likewise, if you are sharing a cabin with someone and need to split the bill, or otherwise change how you pay it out, this is the time do so.

If you want to deposit any cash to offset your charges, you can also do this now.

If by chance you still have extra onboard credit that is refundable, you can go to Guest Services to refund it as cash.  If your onboard credit is non-refundable onboard credit, go down to the casino and cash it out at one of the slot machines as a cash advance against your account.

This can all be done at Guest Services, although keep in mind that lines for Guest Services on the last day can sometimes get long. The best time to visit Guest Services on the final day is during the day. Everyone seems to go there in the evening.

Remember, get any accounting issues settled while onboard the ship. Calling after the cruise is much more time consuming and difficult.

Read more: Cruising 101: SeaPass Account

Return towels

Royal Caribbean will charge you $25 per pool towel you take that is not returned, so now is the time to bring it back.

The cruise line added this charge after years of guests taking towels and leaving them on shore excursions rather than bringing them back onboard.

Go through your stateroom and ensure any towels you tossed in the corner are brought back to the towel station and double check with the crew member there that your account is all set.

Give out extra tips

If you wanted to reward a specific crew member or two with extra gratuities, the last day is a good time to do it.

Whether your stateroom attendant, favorite bartender, or waiter, the last day is the perfect opportunity to say thank you one more time.

I've often thought I would just see them on the final morning, but you would be surprised how difficult it can be to track down a crew member.

If you prefer to give out cash tips to your stateroom attendant and dining room staff, you can opt to do that by going to Guest Services and asking to pay cash tips and remove the automatic gratuity from your account.

Read more: Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

Pack

Perhaps the least fun thing to do on your last day, but a necessary evil is packing everything back up.

I have to remind myself packing on the last day is better than trying to pack it all up on the final morning when you are groggy and extremely displeased with the fact you have to get off the ship.

Find some time in the afternoon to pack up as much as you can.

Be very certain to leave out sometime to wear the last morning of the cruise, otherwise you may have to wear your pajamas off the ship.

Read more: Top 9 bad mistakes to make on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Leave luggage out

If you want assistance with getting your luggage off the ship, Royal Caribbean will deliver your bags from your stateroom to the cruise terminal.

The key is to leave your bags out by a certain time on the final night of the cruise, usually 10pm.  Check the paperwork left in your stateroom on the last day to confirm what time bags need to be out in the hallway by.

Also be sure to affix the luggage tags provided to you in your stateroom on the last day so that your luggage gets delivered.  It is also a good idea to take a photo of the luggage tag so you don't forget which number is yours.

Even though I mentioned it in the previous tip, I will mention it again: make sure you leave clothes to wear for the next morning, as well as any medication and toiletries.

Read more: What's the earliest time I can get off my cruise ship when it's over?

Get your photos

If there is something I forget the most on the last day of the cruise, it is to print and pick up the onboard photos.

Remember all those photos you posed for onboard? The last day is when most people go to order prints and pick them up.

The final evening of the cruise will see likely a swarm of other guests doing the same thing, so ideally, try to hit up the photo area a little earlier in the day before everyone gets there at night.

Regardless of when you go, you can easily use the self-service kiosks to order prints.  The machine will give you a time to pick up the prints, so be sure to get there before it's too late.

Read more: Is a Royal Caribbean photo package worth it?

Book another cruise

If you had a great time onboard, maybe a stop at NextCruise to book another vacation makes sense.

NextCruise is where you can go to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise, and they will give you the added benefit of reduced deposit and extra onboard credit.

Just like Guest Services and the photo area, the last day tends to be quite busy at NextCruise. You can book a reservation via the sign up sheet out front, or hope for an open slot as you walk by.  The earlier in the day, the more likely there will be times available to chat.

If all else fails, NextCruise is usually open the final morning of the cruise. Be sure to check with the staff for exact times.

Listen: Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Booking another cruise onboard

Cash in casino chips

Assuming you don't go back one last time to double down, be sure to cash out your casino chips.

Royal Caribbean is quite specific that if you fail to cash in your casino chips or vouchers, they are not eligible for cash after the cruise ends.  It is quite common for guests to leave these items in their pocket and forget to cash them out later.

Whether you won big or this is all you have left, be sure to get the cash for them.

Take a Covid test

If you need a negative Covid test result to get back into your country of origin, make sure you have a test done onboard the last day of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean will provide a complimentary Covid test to any passenger that requests one, but you need to schedule it earlier than the last day. My advice is ask to book one on the first day or two of the cruise so you can be in the schedule.

Just be sure to show up for the Covid test on time, as testing is limited.

Check-in for your flight

If you are flying home after your cruise, it may make sense to complete the online check-in for your flight (especially if you are flying Southwest Airlines).

You can purchase a 24 hour pass for Royal Caribbean's internet onboard to do this (assuming you didn't buy a Voom package before). Suite guests can usually get the assistance of the Suite Concierge to help complete it.

If you need to print out a boarding pass or other paperwork, speak to Guest Service or the Suite Concierge.